Different

Chapters

Chapter 1: A New Start
Chapter 2: Starting from the Bottom
Chapter 3: Do What You Must
Chapter 4: An Apple a Day
Chapter 5: Friendship Fortissimo
Chapter 6: The Start of the Chaos
Chapter 7: Honest Interrogation
Chapter 8: The Start of Greatness
Chapter 9: The Plan
Chapter 10: Changes Await
Chapter 11: Discussing Discoveries
Chapter 12: Arriving in Force
Chapter 13: The Mark of War

Chapter 1: A New Start

Smoke and steam filled the air as the train ride approached the station. I looked out into the distance and saw the shining lights of the small town that would be my new home. The fences surrounding the town are tall to keep out unwanted guests. Placed up very rapidly if I remember correctly. The mostly empty train seemed a heavy glare to those guards who stood at the station to welcome us. As the train finally halted, those doors opened with one guard assigned to each door. They guided everyone off the train and into the station. It was only me and two others.

The fresh morning air took my breath for a second as I stepped out onto the concrete. Pushed along by the guards, I followed a strict path into the only way in or out of Ponyville. One of the guards looked at me with a serious look. They reached a hoof out to me asking, "Identification please sir."

As he said this, I reached into my saddle bag and pulled out a small notebook. Inside a pocket was my Equestrian Identification Card; or E.I.C for short. Only citizens of Equestria are given such cards to properly identify who they are. I placed the card in their hoof.

Once he grabbed it, he looked at it hard, then back at me. He then levitated an electronic card scanner and placed it over the card. This allowed the guard to see all the information in the card that isn't shown on the card. This process is used so that a random stranger cannot pick up the card and study it to lie their way through. Only thing shown on the E.I.C is a photo, name, cutie mark, a small photo stamp telling the guard where you are from, and a bar at the bottom that gets scanned to access the rest of the information. Engraved into the background is a picture of the two royal sisters circling around each other. This collectively makes it nearly impossible to make a false I.D.

"Thank you, citizen. I just need to ask some verification questions. First question, what is your full name?"

I responded quickly to avoid further questioning. "My name is Blue Shadow. I am coming from Manehattan."

He grinned a tiny bit, then looked at the screen at my information. "Ok, Blue Shadow, can you tell me your special card code, and intentions?"

"Yes sir, my special card code is AZUR. I intend to move to Ponyville, making it my forever home." As I said this, the guard leaned in a tiny bit.

"You do not seem to have a lot of things on you for a permanent move. Seems suspicious if you ask me. I am going to search your saddle bags and see what you are carrying."

I nodded my head in compliance and took off my saddle bags, placing it on a bench in front of him. I watched as he opened the bag and carefully took everything out one thing at a time. The inside of the bag held a large coin purse with a good amount of bits inside, a few documents, some food rations, some water, a few photos, and a large dagger. The guard points at the dagger. “Can you explain why you have such a large weapon with you?”

I looked at the dagger, then back at the guard. “Well, the same reason you are here right now. It is to protect from random changeling attacks. You want to have a tool that you know is going to do the job.”

The guard paused for a minute, then sighed a bit. “What about the bits in your bag? Why would you just be walking around with so much?”

“As I told you before, I plan to live here from now on. I have this money so that I could hopefully put a down payment on a home out here. I do not have any other intentions, and I earned every bit of it playing music in Manehattan.”

The guard seemed intrigued by this answer and had a calmer look about his stature.

“Very well, you are good to pack your things back up and standby by for a guard to guide you and the others into town.” As the guard said this, he gave me back my E.I.C. and I got back to packing. I didn’t have that much because I was always taught to travel light.

I looked over at the other two as they were still being interrogated. They had a few bags with them and didn’t seem as ready to answer questions as myself. I’m sure it wouldn’t take that much longer before we were on our way. As they were going through the entrance process, I sat down at the bench and began looking at the sky. The fresh morning sky was still radiating in a beautiful color scheme of the rising sun of Celestia. The breeze felt nice as I watched the trees sway gently. Such beauty this land holds, far different from the bustling city of Manehattan.

The other two finally finished and the guards rounded us back up. It was finally time to walk through the narrow opening of trees that led into town. The guards leading us were keeping a strange amount of focus on the tree line. They were on guard for the inevitable.

The walk to town honestly was not that bad. Once we had crossed the bridge into Ponyville, the guards posted up. We were finally in town.

Once I had finally entered Ponyville, I started to wander around. I was trying to get used to the layout of the place I was going to call home. I had noticed there had been a few citizens already awake and walking around. The town had seemed slow at that time. Once I had gotten a little bit into town, I had heard a high-pitched voice come from behind me. I had turned to see what the noise was and found a pink pony staring at me.

“Hello there! My name is Pinkie Pie. I see that you are new to Ponyville and seem a little lost. It is part of my job to get to know the new folk and show them around town. What brings you here stranger?” Pinkie Pie tilted her head a bit.

“I have come here to live a better life if I am being honest. I come from Manehattan. I am a musician who simply found out the hard way that I was not good enough to play with the big ones. This made money making overly complicated. I wanted a clean slate after getting to the point of too much trying with too little pay. You have any idea what the cost of living is in Manehattan?”

“I have some idea of how hard it can be up there.” Pinkie Pie said back as she smiled. “I have a friend who has a boutique there. Also, sorry but I forgot to ask for your name.”

“Blue Shadow, but you can just call me Blue for short. I’m sure it is an easy name for you to remember, seeing how I am essentially only covered in blue fur.” I let out a small chuckle.

“Well Blue, it is nice to meet you.” Pinkie Pie said, also letting out a small laugh. “Anyways, I am not sure how many musician jobs are open here with how tough times have been for everypony. You know, with all these talks of possible changeling attacks.”

“I am very aware about that. I don’t mind finding a different job here to sustain me. I am just happy to be able to start again.” I smiled as we started walking through the town.

Pinkie Pie started leading us through Ponyville. Turns out, it is much larger than I had originally known about. As we were walking, I noticed Pinkie Pie constantly looking at me. I had not yet given her a reason to not trust me, but I could feel as though she had a sense of noticing things that most couldn’t. Maybe she was given the job of introducing the town to all the new ponies just so she could get close enough to them to see if they could be trusted. I felt a little uneasy but did not let her see that.

The walk through Ponyville was especially useful as she showed me the entire layout. She had shown me everything from the main entrance, to the town hall, to Sweet Apple Acres and beyond. There were parts that no one was allowed to enter without authority, such as Twilight Sparkle’s castle. That place was very heavily guarded in this time of wary.

A few hours later we had come to the end of the tour. “Now that we are finished and acquainted with each other, do you have any more questions for me?” Pinkie Pie asked politely.

“Just one, do you know where I would go in order to look into buying a house or finding job offers?” I asked sincerely. Pinkie Pie just simply pointed back to the town hall.

“Talk with Mayor Mare, she might be able to help you out with those questions. You would need to be added to a registry of some sort so you can become an official citizen of Ponyville.”

“Thank you for that, I hope you have a good rest of the day” I smiled and waved as she started jumping back into town. I turned toward the town hall and started making my way there. The town hall was this large round building that looked like a two-story carousel without the animals attached. The door was this massive red slab almost the size of the entire wall. I walked up to the door and pushed it open.

Inside this building was this large open room, filled with balconies and ribbons. There was a sign above one of the doors reading ‘Mayors’ office down this hall’. It seemed strange hiding the mayor like this.

I finally got to the door and gently knocked, not sure what to expect. Behind the door I heard a faint voice.

“Come in, please come in! Take a seat.”

I slowly entered this room to be greeted by a Mare with tan fur, and a grey flowing mane. She was wearing glasses and a collar, despite not wearing a shirt. I gently closed the door behind me and took a seat in front of her desk. “Yes, hello! I was told to meet you regarding finding a place to live, and possibly a job. I was also told by Pinkie Pie that I needed to be added to a roster of some sort. You see, I am new here. Just came down from Manehattan to live in Ponyville.”

Mayor Mare looked up at me. “Ah, she was right in sending you my way. I am going to need your E.I.C before I continue. Do you mind?”

“Not at all!” I said this as I reached out to give her my card.

Once she had my card, she placed it into this large device on her desk. This device held a registry of all citizens of Equestria. I am not sure how the device works, but it was meant to review all the electronic information on my card and move it from the Manehattan section to the Ponyville section.

“This process may take a while and will cause you to need a new card with the Ponyville logo on top. Do you want to keep your old photo, or keep the one linked to your current card?”

“I will just keep the current one, help make this process go by faster” I said, watching the process take place.

She smiled and continued, “Now onto the house situation. Do you have anything in mind?”

“I do not, just as long as the down payment isn’t more than I have.”

“Well, if you are looking for something easy and cheap to get you started, I can offer you a few things. The first possibility I have for you is a small two-story home near the middle of town. It is centered on basically everything and is far away from the boundary of the fence. The second choice I have is a small one-story building near the main entrance into the town, nothing special about it. Lastly, the cheapest possibility we have available is a medium two-story cottage just on the outskirt of town. As you could guess, it is the cheapest choice because it is the biggest risk to live in, being so close to the Everfree Forest and all.” She pushed the information packets for each property close to me. I took a quick read into each property, but then got caught on the cottage.

“Wait, but if Ponyville is fenced off, why are ponies still not interested in buying this cottage? Is it because you don’t trust the fence, or is it because ponies feel safer when they are in the town?” I stated, slightly confused.

“A little bit of both if I am being honest. But, if you want it, and are brave enough, the cottage can be yours. I am not asking that much for it. The economy in Ponyville is good enough to where you can get a job doing anything and you’ll be able to buy the house in no time. Just keep in mind that if you get this house, it is a good walking distance away from the town center. In cases of emergency this building becomes a sort of safe house for the population.” she said calmly waiting for my response.

I smiled back at her. “For the price you are asking for in the information book, I'll take that risk. Besides, I could always teleport myself into town if I needed to. I know enough magic to not be defenseless.”

“Very well then, we just need your signature and payment, then the property is yours”, she said as she gave me a quill to write with.

I signed the deed and opened my saddlebags, giving her the required amount.

“Congratulations, you are now the owner of the cottage. Payments will be made on the first of every month. Your next step would be to go out and find a job. While we do not have any posted on the town hall board, I’m sure you would be able to find something. Granted, most companies here won’t hire folks who are new to town, as they may be changeling spies. While we have not yet come across one, these increasing quantities of rumors about the return of Chrysalis and her hive coming back leaves a lot of ponies paranoid. If I were you, I would just walk through town and ask around to see who is hiring.” She said this as her large device dings.

“Ah, it seems as though your new card has finished printing and you are now a citizen of Ponyville. Isn’t this innovative technology simply great? It is amazingly fast and efficient.” She said this as she handed me my new card and pushed me a copy of the deed and keys to the cottage after duplicating the deed with a different machine. Made sense for her to keep the original in case I managed to lose my copy in a house fire or something.

I thanked her and began my next task. I still had a few bits left over from the purchase. Granted I am now down almost all my money. I had to find a decent job that would be able to help me fill my coin purse again. Upon leaving the town hall, I had begun wandering around. The streets were so much busier than they had been upon first entry. I told myself that surely it wouldn’t take that long. But oh, how wrong I was.

I traveled through the town, going door to door asking anypony if they were hiring. I found that what I was told earlier was right. It would not be likely that getting a job was easy, for no one knew who to trust. The ponies of this town were right to think this way, for us changelings were naturally deceitful. Not me, however, I really did move to Equestria to be on their side. I was hoping to lay low and live as a pony would. This lifestyle is much better than living out in the wasteland under a tyrannical leader. Sure, mother just wanted to look out for us, but the way she was doing it would lead to the collapse of the hive. First things first though, I needed to lay low and give them no sign of me being a changeling. I felt as though the pink one might have already had a feeling, so I needed to be extra careful around her.

The search for a job ended up lasting a long time. I decided that it would be best if I were to take a small break and sit down. There were a few benches found at Ponyville Park. I sat down, watching the children play. Such a site isn’t often seen in the hive. It was also not often seen up in Manehattan for that matter. I really enjoyed this site as I had always wished that I had grown up this way. Free to play and do whatever you want. Instead, I was only allowed to study ways to kill ponies, take their form, and steal love from their lovers.

As I was sitting down, a mare unicorn sat down next to me. This was enough for me to be pulled back into reality. The mare had a beautiful white coat, and a lovely brown mane. Her cutie mark was that of a tea leaf. She was the one who started the conversation. “Hey there, I see you are new to town. Are one of these kids yours?”

“Oh no, I was just sitting here to get a break from walking around all day. What about you?” I responded in a slightly timid tone of voice.

“Nah, I just like to sit down and watch the kids play.” She sighed lightly before continuing. “They remind me of all the innocence in the world. To think of what might happen to them if all these rumors of an all-out war with those damned changelings really did happen. I swear, those things only know how to kill.” She looked down for a bit before coming back into a proper headspace. “Anyways, why would you be walking around all day?”

I looked back at her, “Oh, I have been job searching. Seems no one wants to hire though.”

She slightly smiled as I said this, “No way, because I have been looking for a new assistant for a few weeks now. I run a tea shop just up the road if you are looking for something easy.”

I nodded and smiled in response. “Of course, I am happy to do whatever I need to fill my pockets.”

“Fantastic! Well, if you want, I can take you there and show you what kind of job you will be doing. My name is Izzy by the way, who are you?”

“Blue Shadow, however you can call me Blue for short.”

“Well then Blue, let me take you to the shop. It isn’t that far from here.” She said as she got up and started leading me. The walk would take about two minutes. The building was a relatively small shop. It was a two-story building near the edge of the town. A beautiful garden of many kinds of tea leaf surrounded the place on all four sides. There was a sign by the doorway that read ‘Izzy’s Tea Shop’. It was simple, but to the point.

Upon entering the shop, you are hit by this huge wave of lovely smells. The main room was large enough to fit around ten booths with five of them on each side of the wall, with about five tables in the center way. The walls had lovely pictures of different teacups and tea leaves. It was painted like a mural. Fine China in cases on the walls.

“Welcome to the shop, before you continue, I am going to ask to see if you have an E.I.C on you. Everyone knows that everypony gets one upon becoming an adult.”

I looked through my bag and gave her my new Ponyville card. “I just got this one today.”

Upon showing her the card, you could tell her emotions became more relaxed. She nodded and led me into the back area and kitchen. The kitchen was this small backroom area loaded with hot stoves and tea making equipment. There also was a fridge, sink, and a small place to store freshly made sandwiches. In between the kitchen and main dining room was a cash register. There was a large window behind the register used for giving the orders and taking the tea.

“Now that I have shown you everything, I will let you know what it is that you will be doing. You will be helping me by running the cash register and taking the orders to the ponies while they wait at the tables. It is a fairly simple job, but one that may take a lot as we get into the busy hours of the day. I tend to have a lot of the same ponies stop by every day, so you will notice some regulars. They tend to order the same thing as they have found what they like. This should make your job much easier.”

With that said, she ended up giving me a small lesson of instruction on everything that I needed to do. It really was simple and easy to get the hang of. While she was teaching me, she started asking me a few questions.

“Hey, so might I ask where you are from? I do not think I have asked yet.”

I nodded at her, “Sure, I don’t mind telling you. I am from Manehattan. I was a pianist, or at least wanted to be. I was really good at it, but it seems that if you want to make real money doing music in the big city, you need to be the best of the best. I found that it was more annoying than anything. I eventually gave up and tried looking for a different approach. I decided to move to Ponyville as I found myself not being able to support living in such an expensive city. I was always told that Ponyville was the place to go to start a new life. This place is certainly cheaper, as I was already able to buy property here. I just needed a new job so that I could afford the mortgage. I didn’t care what the job was. I didn’t think I was going to get a ‘new start’ just trying the same music thing in a different location.

She then looked back at me. “Interesting story, it just seems weird that you would move during this time of unrest. I understand though, I also moved to Ponyville for a new beginning. I am from Appaloosa where I lived with my parents. Everything was going great there. At least, it was until our family's dark day occurred. You see, my father was a royal guard in the active reserve unit. Upon hearing about the Royal Wedding between his Captain and Princess Cadance he was called in to protect the city walls. We thought he was just going to do his duty, protect the walls, and come back home.” She began looking upset and angry. “But those fucking changelings had to come in a ruin everything. Coming out of nowhere, killing and terrorizing many innocent ponies that day. The guards were just doing what they were trained to, which was to fight off these monsters who managed to make their way past the defenses. None of us could have ever guessed that father would have gone to a wedding just to be executed by the changelings.”

I could notice her starting to breathe heavily as she continued. “I swear to Celestia herself that if I ever come across one of the fuckers, I will rip their chitin off and shove it where the sun don’t shine. If that doesn’t kill the bug, then I’ll pluck off the wings and choke them with it. I promised my father that I would avenge him. You see, before I moved here, my father was the sole bread winner in the house. The day he died my mother was so bedridden from depression that we could no longer pay the bills. My mother was lucky enough to have a friend who was caring enough to take her in and help her. I moved to Ponyville to start working on a business of my own, to help my mother get back on her hooves. That was the initial goal, but it turns out that my pour mother was so depressed that her heart couldn’t take it. They were best friends for life, and she just couldn’t take it anymore. She ended up dying from a depression induced heart attack. I was on my own from that point, not sure what to do. I, however, decided the best thing for me to do was keep pushing. I promised that I would work my dream job for my mother who loved tea, and that I would protect Ponyville from any changeling hoard attacks for my father.”

She took a deep breath and paused. Eventually, she glazed over her restaurant and came back to me. “Oh, I am so sorry for getting emotional on you. I do hope that wasn’t bothersome to hear.”

I simply nodded back to her, “Not at all, I understand that you have emotions that need to be let out. I completely agree that the hive needs to be taken care of.” I said this with a small sense of worry, feeling like I might have just made friends with the wrong pony. “I think maybe it is best we both just go home for the night, as the atmosphere is getting kind of thick with emotion.

She nodded, “You’re right. I will just clean up for a while. Not anywhere for me to go as I live here. The second floor is where I sleep and such. I could only afford the shop at first. You just be here in the morning, and I will show you how to open.”

With her saying this, I nodded in agreement and headed back through town towards my new cottage. I still needed to check it out anyway. My house and her shop were quite a distance away from each other. The walk would take an average of about ten minutes or so. This gave me plenty of time to clear my mind. While I was walking, it would seem as though I had been noticed again.

Coming from behind me was a strong yet light voice. I turned around to figure out who it was. I was met with this purple alicorn. I knew right away who it was and took my bow. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is my honor to be in your presence.” She looked down at me and chuckled.

“You do not need to be so formal. I am just here to greet you. I was in my office and heard my device ring. I saw that you had been added to the Ponyville roster as a citizen. As the princess, it is my duty to get to know all my citizens. Mind if I ask you a few questions?”

I got back up and nodded in agreement. “Of course, Princess Twilight.”

“Please, just call me Twilight. I have never been one to like boasting about my title.” She said this as she held a hoof out for a hoof shake.

I shook her hoof in response. “What kind of questions do you have for me?”

“Just some questions to help me get to know you better. We can walk and talk at the same time. Where are you headed?” Twilight asked this as they started walking through town.

I took out the deed to my new cottage and pointed at the address. “Wherever this place is. I just bought this cottage a little while ago, and now I am trying to find it.”

Twilight looked at the address and back at me. “I know where that is at. Good to see that cottage finally has an owner after all this time. I can lead you there as we are talking.” With this said, she turned in a different direction through town, and I started following her. Turns out I was headed in the wrong direction.

“So, first question. What brings you to Ponyville?” Twilight asked, with a calm look in her eye.

“I am here to essentially start again. I moved here from Manehattan as I found living up there was far too expensive. I was a pianist up there just trying to make a living. I was not the best, so it was harder for me. I decided to move down here to try something new in a new location.” I said this while looking around the town.

Twilight continued. “Very well, now onto the next question. Have you already gotten a job? I know that can be hard on your first day here.”

“Yes, I got a job at this place called Izzy’s Tea Shop. It is a simple job, but more than enough to help me afford to pay for my house. Izzy seems like a likable character, though she does tend to have small mood swings occasionally.”

Twilight looked back. “Oh yeah, Izzy can be a little emotional sometimes. She has been working mostly by herself ever since she first got here. She has had a few assistants help her, but none of them really stayed for that long. I’m sure you’ll do fine there.”

“Do you know why they haven’t stayed for too long?” I asked, slightly confused.

“Oh, it is nothing really. They just found a better paying job somewhere else. Most feel that the job Izzy gives is boring and look for other things to do.”

I let out a small sigh of relief. “Oh, is that all? I actually kind of like the job.”

“That’s good.” Twilight continued. “On to the next question. I am sure you have probably not met a lot of ponies yet, but have the ones you have met so far been nice to you and such? I want you to feel as welcomed as possible.”

“A lot nicer than the folks up in Manehattan, that’s for sure.” I let out a small chuckle before continuing. “Yes, they have been fairly nice to be so far. Though, there was a pink pony by the name of Pinkie Pie who seemed a little bit off compared to everypony else.”

“Really?” Twilight paused for a second, “How so?”

“She seemed to start out our conversation very happily and with a lot of bounce in her step. Though, as she was giving me a tour of the place, I noticed that she started looking at me in very weird ways. Is she normally like this?”

Twilight thought for a moment. “Well, she is Pinkie Pie so it would be in her normal behavior to be incredibly happy all the time. Though, the looking at you part does seem a little off, even for her. I’ll ask her later what that was about. For now, though, your cottage is just up the road.”

We walked up the road a tiny bit more before coming to my new cottage. I made my way to the front door and unlocked it. You could tell that the house was empty for a while as the doorknob had a cobweb on it. I cleaned it up and opened the door. The house was very empty. Upon me entering my house I came to the realization that it did not come with furniture.

As we stepped inside Twilight looked around. “Wow, at least it is very spacious here. I would suggest going to buy things for your house. You can look for a store called Quills and Sofas. It is run by someone named Davenport. Now, even though the store says they only sell Sofas and Quills, he has recently expanded to selling other basic house necessities such as beds and desks. He can also special order anything else you may need and supply shipping. Granted these things can get pricey.”

I looked down slightly. “I just used most of my money just to buy the house. Guess I better start saving even more money for the mortgage, utilities, and to fill up my house.”

Twilight looked back at me. “I am sure you can work something out with Izzy as she can be quite understanding. As for now though, do you have any questions for me?”

I sat and thought for a moment. “Do you know anything about these rumors of an all-out changeling war?”

She paused for a moment. “Yes, but there are a lot of things that I cannot tell you. The only thing you need to know that I know is that we are doing everything we can to ensure that all of Equestria is protected and safe.”

I let out a sigh and continued. "That is good to hear. Up in Manehattan there were a lot of talks about how such a big city can have almost invisible vulnerabilities. I understand that the fences keep changelings from coming in from the sides, but we were thinking about things like how children do not get looked at when entering the city limits. For all we know, a changeling could have kidnapped the child, taken its place, and entered town without identification. Or the fact that there are no guards around the sewer systems. You know how things are in the big city, rumors spread like wild fires."

Twilight seemed slightly concerned about this. "Oh, they aren't watching for those things? I told the city council to ensure they had all those grounds covered. I will bring this up with the city council at the next meeting. Granted it would be crazy for the changelings to attack such a big city. Canterlot on the other hoof is even more protected. We predict that they would try to attack the Royal Sisters directly in an attempt to over throw the government. Anyways, I should get going. It was nice to meet you."

With that, she left to go back to her castle. I noticed that it was very late outside. I turned back to look again at my empty house. I walked upstairs to try to figure out where everything was. Upstairs was just one single bedroom, with only a single large round rug in the middle. There was also a single mirror leaning against one of the walls.

I walked up to the mirror and looked upon my pony form, blue just like my unhidden form. Blue fur with blue eyes and mane to match. I looked upon my Mohawk styled mane. One small black streak of hair towards the front, with a perpendicular streak of black hair on my tail to match for style with my pony disguise. My cutie mark was a grey lightning bolt.

After ensuring that there was no one around a quick green flash of light filled the room as I transform back into my original changeling self. Looking back at the mirror, I gaze upon my true body. Still all blue, a birth defect that has tainted my early years. One of the reasons why I am no longer part of a hive. The other changelings thought I was too different. This is something that I have learned to accept over the past few years. That is the reason why my pony disguise is also blue. I took pride in my birth defect and wear the color proudly.

After I relaxed into my true self, I laid down on the rug to try to get comfortable. I knew this night was not going to be the best sleep, but at least the cottage was warm inside. Going to sleep was harder for me because that night my head was rushing with thought and emotions. Thinking about all the new friends I would end up making, and how many enemies I would get if they discovered my secret.

Chapter 2: Starting from the Bottom

I woke up to Celestia's morning sun shining warmly on my face from the window on the left side on my bedroom. This was the start of my first full day living my new life in Ponyville. The excitement of being able to get this far was enough to motivate me to get up with a large smile on my face. Waking up and not hearing the busy city outside my window was just the change I needed to go into work with the clearest mind possible.

I got up and stretched a little bit as the hard floor overpowered the rug, leaving my back slightly sore. Upon getting up I collected my things and headed downstairs. I trotted over to the kitchen sink to wash my face a little bit before work. Luckily, the utilities were paid for with the down payment, so I had lights and running water. I looked around my cottage one more time before changing back to my pony form and heading out the door. I really did have a lot that I needed to do before calling this cottage a true home.

The morning air felt nice and clean. Much better than the average morning air of the bustling city. I headed into town, now remembering where most things are. There were not many ponies awake yet. The streets were being patrolled by royal guards on their way to their shift. Seems as though the royal guards were very detailed in everything they did.

I made my way to the tea shop and knocked on the door. Izzy opened the door and looked out to see me. "Oh, good morning, Blue! I see you are here a tad bit earlier than expected but that is quite fine by me. Do you not have a clock or something in your new home?"

I looked at her with slight defeat in my eyes. "No, actually my house is very empty. I had to sleep on a rug last night, but even that was uncomfortable."

She seemed shocked at this. "Really? Most homes come furnished when you buy them. I guess no one was expecting anyone to actually buy the cottage. I can help you out just a tiny bit with paying you a little extra so you can save up for a bed at least. Come in and I will show you what I do in order to open the tea shop. Granted you should never really have to worry about opening as I live here. It is just useful for you to know in case I ever need help."

I walked through the door and waited for her to tell me what to do. "First things first, we need to take all the chairs off the tops of the tables and set them." She said this while moving to the tables. "After we are finished with that, you can wipe down all the tables and make sure the place gets a good sweep in. After you do that, I can show you what I do in the kitchen to prep for the day.

I nodded at her and got to work, setting all the chairs out. "So, where can I find the wipes and broom?" I asked this after setting down the last chair.

She pointed into the kitchen. "You can find them by going through the kitchen and opening the door on the left. There you will find a staircase that leads up to my room. I use that tiny room under the stairs as a supply closet."

With her saying that, I made my way there and opened the door. It was this really small space just large enough to be a broom closet. I found what I was looking for and continued to conduct a morning cleaning. This did not take me that long. After ensuring that everything was cleaned, I put everything away and headed into the kitchen.

Izzy smiled at me upon seeing how good of a job I was doing so far. "Ok, so normally the kitchen would be off limits to everyone, but since you work here now you can see how I do my job. First things first, if you notice I have five ovens. You heard that right, I am a mare who owns five ovens. Now, I do not boil tea like normal ponies do. Instead of using a tea pot, I boil the leaves down in open pots on the ovens. This is because it lets me add the ingredients and herbs as it is boiling. On the back wall is where I keep all of my tea leaves after collection from the garden. Everything is organized so I ask you not to touch it. I also have a fridge where I keep my sandwich making materials at. That's right, we don't just make tea here, we also make things such as cucumber sandwiches. First customer usually arrives in a few minutes, so if I were you, I would get your register set up."

I nodded and went behind the register, getting ready for my first day on the job. It was quite simple really. I just needed to get the order, write it down, collect this bits, give change, give them an order number, then call out their order for pick up once it was completed.

A few minutes after opening, my first customer walked in. It was a yellow coated mare with a long pink mane. She walked up to the counter semi-sheepishly. She seemed to have this sense of caution around her, but also seemed ready to handle anything. She looked up at me and started ordering her tea, without looking at the menu. I assumed she was a regular at the shop.

"Hello there sir, I see you are new here at Izzy's. I am Fluttershy. I come here every Friday and tend to get the same thing. I will have a nice Ginseng tea with a buttered scone on the side." She smiled and gave me the exact change.

"Of course!" I said this as I wrote up the order and sent it through the window into the kitchen. "You are order number one, I will call you up when your order is complete. Do you have any other questions while you wait?"

"Yes actually, I have not met you before and am curious about you. Like, where are you from and what not?" Fluttershy asked as she stood to the side.

"I just moved down here from Manehattan. I moved down here mostly due to how cheap it is to live here. Also, because I was told this was the best place to go for a new start in life. I just moved in to the open cottage just up the way." I said this, awaiting another question.

Fluttershy looked at me with a strange look in her eyes. "Oh? That's makes you my new neighbor. I live in the other cottage not too far away from you." She then slightly changed her tone to a more curious one. "So, did you happen to see a strange flash of green light last night? I was walking home and saw a quick flash somewhere around your home. I could not see exactly where it came from as there were too many trees in the way. However, I knew it came from around your cottage as it is the only thing in that area."

I paused quickly before responding. "I am not sure what you are talking about. I spent a good bit of the night talking to Princess Twilight and looking around my new home. Neither of us saw any green flashes of light. I will let you know if I see one in the future."

Fluttershy calmed down a bit after hearing this, knowing well what that flash could have been. Though, after a second or two she had come to a realization that either she was seeing things or that something was out there by the fence.

A few seconds later, a bell could be heard in the kitchen as Izzy put the order on the window. I picked up the order, verified that it was correct, and handed it to Fluttershy. "Here you go! One Ginseng Tea with a side order of one buttered scone. Have a fantastic rest of your day."

"Thank you so much Mr..." Fluttershy paused for a second before continuing. "I am so sorry, I never got your name."

"Blue Shadow, but most folks just call me Blue for short." I said, as I smiled at her.

"Blue, I like that name. Simple, yet filled with personality. You also have a great day!" With that, Fluttershy walked to a table to sit and enjoy breakfast. As she did this, more customers had started to walk in. The day from that point on had gone fairly well. It was my first day of work, but luckily it would seemed that not that many ponies drank tea on Friday.

The work day was still a long one though. This luckily gave me time to meet a lot of new ponies and introduce myself to them. This gave me a chance to slightly become more known to the general population. I made sure to greet everyone in a manner where they left the tea shop in a good mood. I figured that this would have given ponies less chance of thinking I was a changeling, and give them more of a connection to me.

The work day eventually started to end some time around four in the afternoon. I had gotten to the point where I had cleaned up the last of the tables. As I did this, Izzy turned the sign by the window to closed. She then walked back into the kitchen.

After I had finished cleaning the dining room, I made my way back into the kitchen to see if she needed any help. Upon entering the kitchen, I had seen that she was already almost done anyways. Izzy turned to me with a grin, "Maybe if you were a tad bit faster with the broom mister. You can not compete with the fastest horn in town." As the had said this, she was washing the dishes, cleaning the stove, and restocking the pantry at the same time. "Speaking of which, how come I don't ever see you using your magic?"

"It is more of a personal thing." I explained, watching as she was multi-tasking. "Being a musician, you rely more on your hooves then your horn. I got so used to doing things the earth pony way, that sometimes I forget I even have a horn. I guess I just got used to not doing things the easy way."

"I suppose that does make sense. I ain't ever met a unicorn that choose not to use their magic. To each their own though. Anyways, what are you doing after this shift? I was thinking that we could get to know each other a little better by going out into town and seeing where the day takes us."

I looked up at her, not really sure what to say. "Uh.. I mean.. Sure, I suppose we could hang out. I have never been invited to hang out with someone after work before. Are you thinking of anything in particular?"

She smiled back at me. "There are a lot of things that we could do out in town. I was thinking that we start with something to eat. Do not worry about money, I'll pay. Think of it as a welcome to Ponyville gift from your new boss. I know you need to save as much money as possible to pay for common house items. This night will be on me."

"I appreciate that. Maybe after we eat, we can go window shopping and see if I can't buy anything already." I said, as I was just tossing out an idea

"Sounds great to me. Anyways, I was thinking of taking you to Ponyville Café. They serve pretty good food there. They are not too far from here so the walk should not take long. I just need to finish cleaning the kitchen first. Why don't you go sit down in one of the bench seats and wait? I won't be long now." Izzy said this as she was almost done with the dishes.

"Sure thing!" I said as I made my way back into the dining area. I took a seat by the bench closest to the door and waited. She had been correct in saying that it would not take her too much longer to clean as she had walked out of the kitchen only a few minutes later. Once she made sure that everything was taken care of she locked the door behind us and we started making our way into town.

The walk to the Café only lasted a few minutes as it was towards the middle of town. When we got there it was fairly empty as it was past normal lunch hours, yet still before normal dinner hours. We sat down at one of the many tables outside.

A male earth pony with a pale-cream coat and a two-toned blue mane and tail walked up to the table. "Bonjour, welcome to zé Ponyville Café. My name is Savoir Fare and I will be your waiter for today. Do we know what drinks we want to start off with?" After he said this, he placed some menus on the table and awaited our answer.

Izzy was the first one to respond. "Yes, I would like a Fruit smoothie. What would you like Blue?"

"I would like a Sarsaparilla please." I said this as I picked up a menu.

"Very well, I will be back to take your orders in a few moments." After Savoir said this, he went inside to prep and left us to talk. I took a good look at the menu, holding it in my hooves. As I was holding the menu, I noticed Izzy looking at me. I looked back up at her.

"You know, I am curious about something. What is your family like? We already spoke about what you did in Manehattan, but where did you come from family wise? I ask this because you do not have a Manehattan accent." Izzy said this, putting her menu down.

I looked up at her, thinking of what I should say. "Well, for starters I grew up in a big family. It was quite chaotic at times, and wasn't exactly the best living conditions for children. I never met my father, and our mother was always at work. We all had to help raise each other during the times when mother was away. Long story short, my childhood was rough. I decided to leave first chance I got. I moved to Manehattan as I had originally thought it was filled with opportunity. I figured since it had the highest population, there would be more for me to do. I eventually settled on music. I had found that it was really soothing in stressful times. As you know, I later found that it was a hard business when there are hundreds of other ponies doing the same thing for a living. I prefer not to talk about my family that much as it brings up memories that I would rather forget about."

Izzy had gone silent for a moment. "Oh, I am sorry. I did not realize it was a sensitive subject. I suppose we both had bad up risings. Do not worry though, stick with me and we will only have fun times ahead." Once she had said this, the waiter brought out our drinks

"Here are your drinks. Are you guys ready to order?" Savoir said this after he set the drinks down. I looked back at the menu before looking up and responding. "Yes, I would like a H.L.T please." Once I said this, Izzy then responded, "Yes, and I would like a Daffodil and Daisy sandwich." Savoir nods and goes back into the restaurant.

Izzy then looks back at me. "Ok, so how long have you been in Manehattan for?"

I looked back at her. "I was in Manehattan for about four years. The beginning years were ok, I was making a decent amount of money and was able to afford a small apartment. However, at some point there was a housing crisis and I was not able to maintain paying the bills. For a little while, I slept on the streets and saved up any money I got playing piano. I was eventually able to save up enough to move here and buy a house."

Izzy glanced at me with a semi-awkward stare. "So, you are telling me, that there was a time in which you were homeless?"

I nodded in response before continuing. "Yeah, but it wasn't so bad. I was able to find some old metal sheets and turned an alley way into a makeshift home. It was only bad when it was cold outside. That is all in the past now, as I made it here to start a new life."

Upon finishing the sentence, our food was brought outside to us. "Thank you for choosing us for your dining today. Once you are finished, please come inside and pay for the meal." Savoir bowed to us and walked away one final time.

We used that time to enjoy our meals. The food here was way better then the food you get up in Manehattan. The ingredients tasted fresher and the seasoning was on point. The only restaurants we really had were any restaurants that had a three hoof rating. They all tasted horrible in my opinion. It is good to finally have some real food.

After we had finished our food and paid, we were next on our way to the park. This was the same park that we had first met up at. The kids were playing, the sun was shining, and everything seemed ok with life at that point. We had sat down at one of the benches and were relaxing for a bit. After a tiny bit of silence, I was the one who started the conversation.

"Ya know, this place is a lot more peaceful then the big city. You guys have the ability to walk from one end of town to the other without some rando screaming at you for getting in their way. Makes me wonder how I was able to survive in the big city so long before choosing to come here. I was also maybe thinking of moving to Canterlot, but I figured that with this upcoming war it would be more hectic. What was Appaloosa like?"

Izzy smiled, "Appaloosa was a great place to be. Everyone knew everyone because we were essentially one big family. It was one of my favorite places to be. That was before I moved here to start up my tea shop. Honestly, there are not that many differences between here and Appaloosa. Only real differences is that we had a different theme. Southern down there, homestead up here. I have never been up to Canterlot or Manehattan before, so I have no idea what that is like to go through. Appaloosa is also very cheap to live at, granted most homes in Appaloosa are made like log cabins then houses." Izzy looked towards the park.

The children were running around, almost no care in the world. It was sad to think that things would soon change, and there would be nothing anyone could do about it. I had hoped that things would stay this way as long as possible, and the rumors of an all out war were just rumors.

"I had always wondered what being a mother was like." Izzy said as she was watching the children. "Most ponies don't realize how much a mother goes through in order to help their children grow in life. Parents play a huge role in how someone grows up, don't you agree?"

I glanced back up towards her, before looking back at the children. "I think it depends on the type of family you have. Take me for example, I grew up in a large family. My mother was as supportive as possible, yet still most of my brothers and sisters grew up only taking in life. I grew up differently because I had other ponies in life to look up to. When I left and headed out on my own, I didn't really think anything of it. I had always been different from my brothers and sisters. I grew up more reliant on myself then on those around me. It took me living alone in Manehattan to fully realize this. Life is not based on the same equations for everyone, but rather the variables that life throws your way."

"I never thought about it like that." Izzy grinned, "I think you are doing fine in life. You had a goal, and you didn't stop until you got it. Now you have a house, a stable job, and a friend."

Izzy looked back at the park for a moment, then looked back to me once more. "So, we all know that the changelings will do almost anything to get what they want, no matter how many ponies have to suffer. What are your opinions on the changelings?"

I paused for a minute, thinking on what to say next. "Well, if I am being honest.." As soon as I had started the sentence, I had noticed in the background that there was a young filly who was leaning a bit too far over the top of the slide. My instincts over took me as I leapt up from the bench. I ran towards the filly right as they had started falling. Luckily, I was able to catch them in time using my body to cushion the fall.

The force of catching the young filly had send me to the ground. I did not care though, as the filly was safe. The older sister of the filly then ran up to make sure everything was ok. The filly was a yellow coated mare with red hair. She also had this huge bow on top of her head. Her sister was this orange coated mare with blonde hair. She had this cowboy hat on top of her head.

"Apple Bloom! Are you ok?" Apple Jack said as she was running up to asses the situation. Apple Bloom looked up at her sister. "Yes, I'm fine! This stallion just caught me." Apple Bloom said as she had gotten off of me."

"Thank you so much for savin' my sister sir, are you ok?" Apple Jack said this, reaching a hoof out to help me up.

I grabbed her hoof and stood up. I dusted myself off and looked back towards her. "Yes Ma'am, I'm alright. I was lucky enough to get to her before the fall had become worse for her." I then looked down towards Apple Bloom. "You got to be more careful around here, that was a high fall."

Apple Bloom looked up to me. "I will be more careful next time. I just thought that if I could climb on top of the slide, that I would be able to see more of the town from here. Thank you again for saving me."

Izzy then ran up to the group. "Woah Blue, those were some fast reflexes. How were you able to spot that she was in danger before she even started falling?"

"I am always scanning my surroundings for things like this." I said, smiling down at Apple Bloom. "I lead life by a motto. I try my best to avoid cases where I end up saying I could have done something. If I am able to make a difference in the world, no matter how small, I just get up and do it."

"Well that is much appreciated. What was your name again?" Apple Jack said, as she over looked up to see the distance that Apple Bloom had fallen.

"Blue Shadow, but most folks just call me Blue." I responded while I was making sure that I had not been hurt anywhere.

"Well Blue, I thank ya kindly for what you did today. Me and Apple Bloom are fixing to head home anyways. You should come over one day, maybe enjoy a nice southern meal. Izzy can come too if she wants."

"I'll have to think about that, but it sounds nice. It'll give me a chance to meet even more of my new fellow towns folk." I said smiling.

Izzy then looked up at the sky, realizing it was going to start getting dark in a few hours. "I suggest we head to the shops before they close up for the day."

As she said this, we all said goodbye and went on our way. The next stop was a store in town called Quills and Sofas. Despite their name, they sold more then just those two items. It was a generalized store where you could buy most things for your home. Upon entry we saw isles of different types of house ware.

"So, how much are you willing to help me get today? I only have so many bits." I asked Izzy this, while looking around the room.

Izzy replied, while looking at some curtains. "Do not worry about spending your money, I am not saying to look at big items though, just small things that will help your night be better. We can not buy a bed, however we can probably get you some pillow and blankets to sleep on. Again, think of it as a welcome gift."

After a brief moment of silence, Izzy could be heard laughing. "Hey Blue, come check this out!" I trotted over to her, wondering what was making her laugh. Izzy was busy laughing so she just pointed at the curtains. It would seem as though they had been made upside down. There was a butterfly print, but all the butterflies were flying downwards. I giggled a little bit at this too.

Izzy eventually calmed down long enough to get the attention of the store worker. A stallion walked up. He had a light brown coat, dark brown mane, and had on a blue and white collared shirt. "Hello there, my name is Davenport. How may I be of assistance today?"

Izzy pointed his attention to the curtains. "I was just wondering if you ever noticed the butterflies on these curtains were printed upside down." As she had pointed this out, Davenport had taken a closer look. "Well no, I can not say that I have noticed this before. You are the first to point this out to me. That is fine though, I'll just lower the price. Anything else I can help you with?"

Izzy answered, "Yes actually, I am helping my friend with some basic shopping for his new house. Do you know where we can find some thick blankets to help him sleep at night?"

Davenport nodded, leading us towards the back of the building. Once we had figured out where everything was, he headed back to help the other customers. Izzy and I started looking through to find something nice and warm, yet cheap. We had eventually settled on two blankets, one big to use as a makeshift bed and one small to use for comfort. The pillows were easy to choose from as they were all very cheap from the beginning. We decided on cotton filled rather then feather filled as they would last longer.

Once we had found what we were looking for in the back, we headed back to the front to look at the curtains again. There we settled on a handful of cheap blackout curtains, deciding it was cheaper then getting normal curtains and a bunch of blinds. I did not remember at the time how many windows my cottage had, so we just grabbed eight. It would later turn out that this was just enough for my cottage. All in all, it did not come out to that much and I knew that my sleep was going to be way better from that point on.

With that, we bought everything and started heading out to my home. The sky was already getting fairly dark, but we did not worry as the walk to the cottage was not that long. Upon getting up to the main dirt road leading up to the cottages we had seen a pony in the distance. Izzy and I had walked up to the pony. Turns out that it was Fluttershy on her way back home.

"Oh, hey Fluttershy! Nice to see you again." I said as we started walking along side her. "I forget that I am not the only one to live up in this area.

Fluttershy smiled as we started walking together. "Oh, Hello Blue, Hello Izzy. Nice to have some company on this walk. I usually have Angel Bunny with me, but he stayed home all day helping out with the house. How was your first day at work Blue?"

I answered after thinking a tiny bit. "Work was fine today. It is an easy enough job to get used to, plus I got to meet a new few faces. After work, me and Izzy went out to town for a little bit. Today was all in all a really good day. Wouldn't you say Izzy?"

As I said this and turned to Izzy, she had a smile on her face. "Of course! You did a very good job behind the register. Getting to know you a little better was also quite nice. Glad to have you as part of my crew." She then faced forward again, as we continued down the dirt path.

"How did your day go, Fluttershy?" Izzy asked, trying to continue the conversation.

"Oh, today was quite busy actually. Had to take a look at Gummy after Pinkie had told me that he had eaten something bad earlier this morning. Pour guy was not feeling so well. I had to get with Dr. Fauna to see if she could help. However, upon getting to her clinic I found that she was already very busy with some other animals in her care. After helping her out, she was able to help me out. Long story short, all the animals had been taken care of and Dr. Fauna and I had both learned a little bit more about the strange foods that Pinkie feeds her alligator. We had told her what foods he does need and what food she should not feed him."

I perked up a tiny bit. "There is a pony here who owns an alligator? That doesn't seem very safe."

Fluttershy chuckled a tiny bit. "Do not worry, gummy is still very young. He is very harmless by nature. Even more so by the fact that he does not have teeth. That is why he is called Gummy in the first-"

Before she was able to finish her sentence, a strange noise was heard beyond the tree line where the fence was. We had all looked towards the strange sound and before us was a quick flash of green light. I knew exactly what that meant, and I could tell the others also knew what the light was.

Fluttershy then looked at me. "There is that light again! It came from the same direction as your cottage!"

Before Fluttershy could continue, Izzy had told us to be quiet and get down. Knowing that the green light was visible showed that the source was close. We all three hid in the tree line and got very low and quiet. We all scanned the area of the fence that we could see from the distance.

We could all hear what sounded like a small buzzing sound and knew that whatever it was saw the fence and just flew over it. We could tell that this part of the fence was not very well kept by the guards who patrol the circumference. After a tiny bit, we noticed that the buzzing sound had started to get quieter and quieter. Luckily it did not sound like the buzzing was getting closer to the town, but was rather following the inside of the fence.

Izzy whispered to us two. "Stay here, I'm going to teleport into town and get the first guard that I can find. We need to tell them that there was a breach and that we think it was a changeling. I could not see it, but I know that sound and color of flash anywhere."

With that said, she teleported away, leaving just myself and Fluttershy. We were both staring at each other in silence, listening to the buzzing sound in the distance. I could tell that they had not yet spotted or heard us.

A few minutes of silence goes by before it is broken by the sound of the buzzing stopping, hissing, and yelling. It would seem as though Izzy was able to tell the guards of the changelings presence in time. Fluttershy and I lifted our heads up as we heard someone walking up to our position. Izzy had approached along side two royal guards.

"Do not be afraid citizens, we were alerted by your friend here about the changeling. Do not worry as we are handling the situation. We are going to have to guide you back into your homes as we are not sure if there would be other changelings in this area. While my battle buddy and I guide you to your homes, other guards will be searching the area for others." The royal guard said this with a calm yet strong voice.

With that, Fluttershy got taken by one guard to her home while Izzy and I were taken to my home. Upon entry of my cottage we searched high and low to ensure there was no one hiding in it. Luckily it would seem that the changeling knew that this cottage now had someone living in it. This deterred the changeling from using it as a hiding spot, as it had been used many times before.

"It would seem as though your cottage is safe. Before we leave though, we must ensure that this really is your home. We do this for safety reasons. Please hand over your E.I.C so we can verify the address on the card." The guard said this as he held out a hoof.

I took out my card and placed it in his hoof. He scanned the card and handed it back after a few seconds. "Thank you citizen, please let us know if you see anything else suspicious and we will come check it out." After having said this, the guard went back outside with Izzy to ensure she made it back into town safely. I then locked all the doors and started putting up the curtains. Luckily I had enough for each window in my cottage and they blocked out everything. I then went up to my room and laid out my new pillows and blankets. I looked out each window and saw that there were no more guards. This told me that they finished a full scan of the area and had successfully captured the changeling.

I had waited a few minutes before ensuring the area was cleared and closed all the curtains. I played it smart this time and went into the closet in my bedroom. I transformed back into my true changeling form there. There was no possible way that anyone outside the cottage would have seen the flash.

I then laid down on the pile of blankets and pillows. It was extremely soft and warm. The way I folded the thicker blanket essentially made it into a mini bed. While laying down, I let out a small chuckle. They really had no idea that I am also what they were looking for. I have made it this far without anyone getting any idea of what I truly was.

Chapter 3: Do What You Must

Knocking; such a bad way to wake up in the morning. I wasn't expecting guest at this time of the day. For that matter, I wasn't expecting anyone at all as this was my day off. I was told that we didn't work on weekends. I bolted up from my blanket bed and into my closet to transform back into my pony form. I found that this was the safest place as no one could possibly see the green light of my transformation unless standing directly in front of the closet door. Once done, I went back into my room to look at the mirror to ensure I didn't miss any details.

I had gone downstairs to see who was at my door. I peeked through the tiny hole in the door to see who was outside. Three royal guards were standing outside my cottage. I was a bit confused but opened the door to greet them.

"Good morning gentlemen, is there an issue?" I said, peeking my head around the door.

One of the royal guards stepped closer to the door. "Blue Shadow, you have been requested by name to see Princess Twilight Sparkle. She has requested we guide you to her castle to ensure you get inside with no issues. Please follow us."

I agreed and followed close behind. This was definitely strange, but I decided not to question it. The walk being filled with a strange silence as none of the guards were talking the entire time. I could feel as though they were doing this to give of a sense of professionalism. It was either that or the fact that it was still very early in the morning.

Upon entering town, I had noticed that it was eerily empty. This either had to do with the changeling that was caught the night prior, or the fact that ponies liked to sleep in on the weekends. Granted, there were still quite a few ponies out running specific stalls in the shopping district.

The castle, as expected, was heavily guarded. I was allowed to walk right past the guards outside the castle due to being escorted in. This was slightly nerve wrecking, but anyone being guided to the princess would be nervous. Even those who actually have nothing to hide would have been nervous.

The hallway had a glorious shine that reflected the lights in a way that caused a blazing aura. The walls were seemingly impossible in height. I swore that the place looked smaller on the outside. Crystals lined the walls, emanating a regal emotion of higher standing.

After what seemed like a very long walk through the halls, we made our way into this large circular room. It was a room with a large round table with what appeared to be a crystal map. Surrounding the map was seven large chairs that were seemingly made from the same material as the walls. Standing in the room just before the table was the Princess.

Once I had entered the room, the guards leading me in had saluted her and left the room. The large door closed very slowly behind them. I was now alone in the room with Princess Twilight Sparkle.

I quickly got down into a bowing position to show her respect. Twilight bowed back and we both stood looking at each other. "Do not worry too much about the professionalism, you can be relaxed around me. I actually wanted to talk to you about what happened near the cottages last night."

I looked at her, realizing where this conversation might have been going. "You mean you want to talk to me about the changeling we came across last night?"

"Yes, that is exactly why I brought you here. You see, this is the first changeling we have captured since putting up the fence. Do you remember a few night ago when you said the Pinkie Pie was acting weird? Well, as it turns out she suspects you to be a spy of some sort. It just seemed a bit too coincidental that on your second night here a changeling was spotted around your home." Twilight started, taking a seat at the table. "Go ahead, take a seat in any chair so we can talk more about this."

I nodded and sat down in a random chair. Twilight continued, "However, upon some thorough investigation and torture, we had discovered that changelings have been entering Ponyville using the area of fence that is just behind your back yard. They have been using your house as a hiding spot from the guards due to the guards never checking inside it. In their defense, the guards never checked the cottage because they didn't think any changelings had ever made it across the fence. Somehow the changelings have found out the average times that the area was patrolled by guards and use that time to simply fly over. Due to the fact that you moved in and locked the doors the changeling knew they couldn't hide there anymore. The changeling then went to look for a different entry point for the other changelings. That was the point in which you managed to come across it. Lucky that Izzy knew where to find a royal guard quickly."

Twilight paused for a second, changing her tone to a more serious one. "This changeling refused to give us any more information. Later today this changeling is slated to be killed. We placed it in the daily read that there will be a public execution. We are doing it publicly to hopefully send a message to any changeling hiding in town. We are having you kill the changeling to show us that you are not a spy. Are you up for the challenge?"

I was internally screaming at this point. She really did not suspect me of being a changeling. Surely, she had not, why else would she be making me kill this changeling. I figured that it would be best if I just played along. The best way for me to lose any suspicion that I did have on me. I didn't think any more about it. I looked up to Twilight after thinking for a few seconds. "I did not know that the Princess of Friendship was ok with public executions. Would it not make more sense to try to befriend the changelings?"

Twilight grinned, "The changelings are different as they are not ponies. These things are born killers led by a queen that only wants death and destruction. No amount of friendship thrown their way will give us back the hundreds of ponies they killed in the Canterlot Wedding fiasco. Those things are pure evil and will do anything to get what they wanted. As much as I would like, I do not think there will ever come a day that the changeling hive gets reformed. Plus, the changelings need to pay for all the ponies they killed."

That just made me even more worried. I kept my composure though. I did not want to go through with this, but I figured that if I wanted to gain their trust, I would have to kill this changeling. As sad as it is, changelings kill each other all the time. Granted this was mostly when opposing hives came across each other in the wild. I just have to think of the ponies as my new hive. My hope is that I can convince the ponies that not all of us changelings are actually bad. I plan on doing this by either creating a peace agreement between the changelings and the ponies, or by leading my own new hive of changelings who are thinking the same way I am. I do not want this war to happen. If a few changeling have to die first, then I suppose I must suck it up and do what they want. There are only two ways to survive a war. You either find a way to stop it from happening in the first place or do everything you must to ensure your survival.

After thinking about everything happening around me, I looked back up to Twilight. "Very well Princess, how will I be doing the job?"

Twilight levitated a picture towards me, placing it on the table. "You will be using this new tool we just got called a guillotine. We have been saving it for just this kind of thing. The towns ponies got excited the day we got it. I have been keeping it in one of the castle rooms. It is basically this large wooden tower. At the bottom is a place where the changeling will have its head poking through a small circle. At the top is a large heavy blade, designed in a way to cleanly slice its head off in a very quick and easy motion. It is also designed to leave the least amount of mess. There will be a basket that collects the changelings head, so it does not roll off the platform and land on somepony.

The only thing that I was thinking was that it would at least be a very quick death. That made me feel less guilty about killing one of my own kind. "Very well Princess, if I have to be the one to draw the first blood then so be it. I just want this to be done and over with."

"I am glad you are thinking this way. I know, war leads to very messy things. We are just hoping that when showing this to the public there happens to be another changeling in the audience. We will let that changeling get away, knowing that they will tell the hive that we are not playing around. If it is a war they want, it is a war that they will get. If they do not want friendship, then we are going to have to give them war. We will not back down easily. Now, the execution isn't to be until around lunch time today. This is to give ponies time to wake up and read about it. We also do not need to worry about what will happen if a changeling reads the paper. We worded it in a way that just says there will be an execution. No one knows about the changeling part yet. From what we know about changelings, hearing about getting to watch someone die publicly will excite them. Little will they know that it is one of them. Until then, you can either go back to your own business until then or you can wait in the castle. If you choose to leave, then you can just meet back up with me in front of the town hall."

"I think I am going to leave for now." I responded, my mind full of thought and emotion. "I need time to think about what it is that I am doing."

"I understand fully as this is a very big ask for someone who just moved here." Twilight said this as she stood up. "Follow me and I will guide you back outside."

I followed her back through the massive halls of her crystal tree castle. Once I was back outside, I found my way to the closest bench. A little bit of fresh air would help me get through this. It should be easy for me as I have killed other changelings from other hives before. This just felt a little different as it my way own hive.

When I was sitting on the bench, I noticed there were more ponies outside. This means that I was correct earlier is just assuming that ponies liked to sleep in on the weekends. They did not know about the changeling yet. This was a good thing as any other changelings hidden in Ponyville would not know either.

After a few minutes of sitting on the bench I had decided that maybe finding something for breakfast would also help clear my mind. I got up and walked into the shopping district to see what stalls they had. There was quite a bit of stalls to choose from. One of the stalls stood out the most with the smell of apple.

I walked up to this apple scented cart and found that it was being ran by Apple Jack. I waved to her, "Oh, good to see you again! My attention was grabbed by your cart." I looked at all the choices she had for sale. She had everything from straight apples to apple pies.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too! Come for breakfast ah'm assuming?" Apple Jack asked this while tilting her cowboy hat down as a greeting.

"I am, though I am having a hard time deciding on what to get. Lucky that most of it seems affordable. What would you recommend I try as a breakfast item?"

"Honestly, I would suggest you try our newest treats. We got this new item on our list called sour apple sweet tarts. They seem to be a popular choice. I also recommend them because they can help you after you have a bad morning." Apple Jack said that last line with a bit of heart in it. "I was watching you as you were walking into the district. You look as though you have been told some very bad news."

"I was. I do not know if I got a chance to read the daily news yet." I said this with my head held low.

"I did read it. It said something about there being a public execution in a little while. What does this have do to with you?"

I looked back up at her. "Well, I am going to be the one doing it. Twilight said something along the lines of me doing it to drop any allocations of me somehow being a spy."

Apple Jack very quickly changed to a more serious tune. "That... That actually makes sense. I am sure there is more to the story that I am not allowed to know about, right?"

I sighed before continuing. "Yeah, this isn't something I can talk about in detail to the public. I am ok with doing this. The only thing is that I only have so much time to prepare myself mentally to take another life in front of the public." After I had said this, I pointed at the sweet tart. "You know what? I think I will try one of those tarts. I just need something to eat to help me think."

"Alrighty then, that'll be doing ya’ two bits. Very cheap as we know they are a best seller."

I nod to her and give her the bits. She handed me the tart wrapped up for easy transportation. I looked back up to her one more time before heading out to find a place to sit and eat. "Thank you kindly. I hope you have a good weekend Apple Jack."

Apple Jack waved back at me. "Thank you for the business. I just hope all goes well for you in the near future. I know this must be a hard choice to make."

I waved back to her in response and headed out to find a bench to eat my breakfast on. Finding a bench did not end up taking that long as you can usually find a bench every three minutes of walking or so.

I sat down at a bench closer to the edge of town. I needed a bit of a walk to help me ease my mind just that much more. I took out the sweet tart and held it in my hooves, carefully removing it from the container. I took a bite from it not sure what to expect. That first bite almost instantly made me stop thinking about what was about to happen. It was so filled with flavor that it shocked me a bit. I didn't think that something as simple as a sour apple sweet tart would have such explosive taste. This was something I looked forward of getting again in the future. I made sure to take my time with eating it so as to savor as much flavor as possible. The sweet tart was only so big, however. It did not take me very long to enjoy this small breakfast item. It was more than enough to fill me up though
.

When I finished eating the sweet tart, I made my way to the nearest recycling bin I could find. I noticed that the streets of Ponyville were heaps better than the streets of Manehattan. I intended on being a good citizen of Ponyville and leave some of the bad habits I saw from Manehattan in the past. I also figured that the bin would be on the way back into the center of town.

I was correct in assuming so. As soon as I had made my way towards the town hall, I found some bins. While I was there, I noticed that there were a few guards making their way in and out of the town hall building. This was different from the first day I was in Ponyville. I had not realized that it would be done inside the town hall. I suppose it did make sense to do it this way as the inside had a stage. This would mean that everyone in the back of the crown would also be able to see what was going on. This was also smart because it would give the guards the perimeter. That way, anyone that came inside to see the execution would be forced to stay inside until it was over. Smart way of ensuring that any changelings hidden in the crowd would be forced to watch their fellow changeling die as a warning.

I headed inside, figuring that I could just wait inside until it was time to do the job. I trotted over to the entrance where there were some guards standing watch. They gave me a strange look but let me inside anyways. I knew that upon entering through the doors that there was no way I could turn back.

I was put into shock when I finally entered town hall. Standing in the middle of the stage was the guillotine. I had no idea that it would've been so massive. It was a scary beast to look at. That pour changeling had no idea what was headed their way. Knowing that I was going to be the first one to kill with it had put a huge weight on my shoulders.

I then spotted Princess Twilight helping to set it up. I trotted up to her, being very careful so as not to mess with the contraption. Being right next to it and looking up at the huge blade was not something that I would forget any time soon.

"Hello again Twilight, is there anything I can help with?" I asked, keeping a distance between me and the guillotine.

Twilight just looked back at me. "We just finished setting this bad boy up. You can help us by helping up test it. As you can see, we placed a coconut in the neck holder. All you need to do it grab this rope and pull down. Go ahead and get into position so that I can see it working properly."

I did just what she said and got in to position. The amount of power I held seemed too much at this point. I was waiting for a nod from Twilight as a sign to pull the rope. After a few seconds of Twilight walking around the contraption and ensuring that the coconut was properly set she gave the signal to pull.

I pulled the rope and sent my attention to the blade. It fell so fast that I also had a hard time keeping up with it. You could hear the sound of the blade hitting the bottom. The coconut fell with a perfectly clean cut. There was no resistance with the blade at all. It was almost like there was nothing in the way of the blade. I would hate to be the one placed under this contraption.

"Works perfectly!" Twilight exclaimed this as she was picking up the coconut halves. "Now we must reset the guillotine and wait until everyone gets here." Twilight walked up to the guillotine and lifted the blade again using the rope. We could tell it was in position when we were able to hear a loud click. "Only thing left to do now is wait."

A few minutes had passed before a few ponies had already started heading in to the building. Seemed as though the guards had started ushering ponies in from around town. It would not be that much longer before the inevitable happens.

I decided to go behind the stage and take a seat. When I had gone past the curtains, I had entered what seemed to be a storage room. For some reason, somepony had decided to make a place for gathering. I had taken a seat on the couch and waited there for my time to go back up front. It was quite comfortable to sit on.

I was just sitting there, waiting for the time to click on by. It was best for me to not think about anything at that moment. I knew that in times of war ponies are left to do what they have to. I knew that I might have to kill someone at some point. This is the reason why I have a dagger in my saddle bag. Granted, I did not plan to kill anyone outside of self-defense.

I spent the next hour or so just sitting in thought. Would I have to be a victim of this machine if they found me out? Would my plan to befriend the pony kind fail? Would they only see a monster if they did find me out? Am I any more of a monster pulling the rope for the ponies than if I were a drone consuming emotion for mother? This was going to be very hard for me, but I knew that in order to stop this war from getting too out of hoof I would have to keep pushing forward. Though I do wonder what would happen if the hive refuses to finally accept friendship. What would happen if the ponies never saw past our dark past? What if I really was the only changeling to see that peace is the only option?

My concentration had been broken by Twilight coming in to get me. "I hope you are ready to help us kill this bug. Everyone is waiting to see it." With that, she led me back past the curtains.

I was in awe with the amount of ponies who had shown up for this event. The entire town had made it, minus the children that is. My guess is that the kids were being watched over by royal guards as they were too young to understand the events that were about to unfold. The stage seemed so much smaller now than it had before. I got on stage and saw that everyone was looking at me. I kept my composure and simply stood next to the Princess.

"Good afternoon, everyone! As you all have seen, we will be having a public execution today. Our very first one during this time of war. Now, as the guards are now preventing anyone from leaving, I will tell you why. Last night, a changeling was caught in Ponyville thanks to our very own Izzy. This is going to be used as a warning to any other changelings that might have infiltrated our town. You changelings do not know anything but death and destruction! This is us showing you that we are perfectly ok with going to great lengths to ensure our survival. We will NOT be as easy target for you. What you see in front of you is just one of the many ways us ponies deal with murderers. We are not just friendship, magic, and rainbows. We have our limits to how much we will stand before we take measures into our own hooves to ensure our citizens do not get slaughtered again!"

Having said this, Twilight then looked to the guards on stage. "Go get the changeling and bring them here." Two of the royal guards saluted before turning around and walking through a hallway.

A few minutes later we see this changeling being dragged onto the stage. They were bloodied and bruised. You could tell that they had been starved for a while. I could only assume this changeling had tried making its way into Ponyville to try to feed on someone during the night due to being hungry. Upon closer inspection, you could see that the changeling's horn had been cut off to prevent it from using magic. This meant that even if it had somehow gotten away, it would not survive long out in this harsh world.

The changeling did not seem to be putting up a fight. Mostly because the changeling was too tired to any more. Guessing this torture that Twilight was talking about was essentially beating it until it was close to death. I must admit that I had to give them props for going that far to keep the hives secrets. I think the reason they weren't fighting was because death was preferable to more torture. Guess they also didn't know that these ponies were not as weak and defenseless as we had originally thought.

The changeling was placed into the contraption. I did not think that they knew what it was, but you could tell they had an idea of how it works. The changeling was just beaten enough to accept their fate and lay there.

I got into my position next to the guillotine and was standing by to pull the rope. Twilight spoke up again. "Now, this contraption is called a guillotine. It is designed to quickly chop off the head of its victim. We are using this tool today to show you that we are willing to kill quickly. Keep this as a warning though, we have other methods that make death long and painful if we need to use them. We will not be warning you next time. We know that there are more changelings in this room, though we do not know who they are. This will be the only time we let you escape so you can tell your queen that we mean business. Blue, end this changelings suffering."

Hearing those words sent a chill down my spine. I quickly pulled the rope just to get it over with. My eyes were closed as I had shuddered about what I just did. The sound was similar to the test run, matched up with the new sound of meat being chopped. This was quickly followed by a quick and heavy thud and the sound of blood dripping on the stage floor.

I opened my eyes, looking at the basket. It was a strange sensation as it seemed though the head was still alive for a few seconds. Blood dripping from its neck as the eyes quickly darted in my direction. We knew each other, and I could tell that this changeling realized that it was killed by its own kind following the orders of a pony princess. You could tell that it was trying to use the last bit of its strength to hiss at me. It did not have enough left in its system and all brain activity had stopped.

Green blood had pooled onto the stage. The room had gone silent for a few seconds before some of the crowd had started cheering. The death was so quick and efficient. I backed up away from the guillotine and got back behind Twilight. I looked back to the crowd and could tell there were some ponies who weren't as excited about this as others. Most of the ponies in this room were happy with what just happened due to how many ponies the changelings had killed over the years. Though, if you looked closer you could see a pony or two who looked terrified about what just happened. I was not sure if they were undercover changelings, or ponies who just had a weak stomach.

The door was finally opened again as the guards let the ponies continue their day. This was also to ventilate the building as the room had started smelling of changeling blood. Some ponies in what looked to be hazmat suits had started cleaning up the body and surrounding area. Twilight then looked back to me. "I know it might not seem like it, but you did a good thing here today. You have helped us make a huge impact on how the changelings think about us. This act showed the changeling in the room that we are not afraid to make an example out of them. This war is going to have many impacts on our society. Doing what we did today will hopefully get them to reconsider an all-out war with us ponies. We have better technology and weaponry. They refuse friendship so we are showing them that unless they stop messing with us death is the only thing coming their way. The changelings are a bunch of terrorists, and they know it."

Twilight signed a bit before continuing. "Now, that is not saying that this is what I wanted to do. This was the last resort type deal for this sort of thing. You do not know this, but while this changeling was in our custody, they attacked a few of my royal guards. They have been very badly hurt and sent to the hospital. Even when changelings are caught, they refuse to go out without a fight. I wish the world did not have to come to this but there are only so many things the magic of friendship can solve. We did not want to use violence as the answer, but they pushed us to it."

I looked up to her and thought for a second. "Do you think there could be changelings out there who also do not want this war to happen? You think that... maybe the changelings are also tired of taking command from their queen? I know the changelings only show hate and power, but surely there must be a few out there who want to try friendship?"

Twilight glared back at me. "Trust me, we have tried using friendship on the hive. They only seem to listen to their queen. I sadly do not think there are any chances of finding even one changeling who thinks the way ponies do. I appreciate the thought, but they are all monsters. I am going to help clean up this mess now. You are good to go enjoy the rest of your weekend. You do not need to worry anymore as the next execution will be done by someone else. We will be assigning the executioner job to someone else."

Twilight then turned to help clean up the guillotine. She was really convinced that I was a normal pony. It was in my best interest for her to keep thinking this way. I looked at the body one last time before heading towards the door. It seemed as though I was being waited on as Pinkie Pie was waiting outside for me to finish.

Pinkie gave me a look that was one I had not seen before. It gave off emotions of lowered suspicion and distilled entrustment. I jumped back slightly upon seeing her. She walked up to me in a manner that was different from a few days ago. She could sense that there was still something off about me.

"You know, you really are going the distance to ensure that no one finds you out. I can not say for sure what is going on, but I can feel that you are not trust worthy. Killing that changeling did not make me any less suspicious of you. You might have the others wrapped, but there is no getting around me. I am keeping a very close eye on you. We shall see how far you get before you manage your own downfall. However, in the meantime I can see that you are trying. I have to give credit where it is due. If you are a changeling, then killing your buddy must have been a tough decision. Doing so in front of everyone to help trick everyone into thinking differently of you was both smart and brave. I can't imagine that is an easy thing to bear. War is tough, but us ponies are tougher. If I find out that you are a changeling, I will see to it myself that you see what psychotic really looks like." Pinkie said this with a very serious tone.

I looked down to think about what she was telling me. Strangely, when I looked back up to respond to her she had seemingly disappeared from existence. I looked around the town and yet she was no where to been seen. I was not sure how she could have known, but then again, these ponies are strange creatures. Surely this pony didn't have the ability to just know these things like someone outside of the story had told her about it, did she?"

I shook it off and started walking through town. I did not know what to do next as I did not work this day and my house was still very empty. I did not have enough money to buy anything more for the cottage.

I trotted around town thinking about how these ponies just continued their weekend as if they did not just witness someone just get their head cut off. These ponies are very interesting creatures. I did half exact this though. Living in Manehattan, I saw a lot of unexpected violence. Seems there really was more to these ponies than making friends and being kind to each other.

I had noticed that as I was walking the streets, I was getting some eyes on me. These ponies really thought I was one of them. They really thought that what I did was a good thing. I didn't let this alter me in any way. I was now past this and wanted something to do so my mind was not on the subject any more.

"Hello again Blue!" I heard this from a distance and shot up. I was looking around to see who had just called out for me. I turned around to see Apple Jack again. Seemed she was only by the cart in the morning. I walked up to her to see what she wanted.

"Oh, Hello Apple Jack. Did you need something?" I asked out of curiosity.

Apple Jack smiled at me. "I was wondering if ya wanted to have dinner with us at the farm. I figured that since you are new here that you did not have much food in your home. That and I still wanted to give a proper thanks for savin' my sister at the park. That fall really could've done some damage. I also wanted to give thanks to the new town hero. Being the one to pull that rope like ya did shows guts."

Hero. That was not the name I had expected to hear after killing something. I was getting kind of hungry as that sweet tart only filled me up so much. "You know what, I'de love to meet your family. Will Izzy be going too?"

"I did ask if she wanted to come too but she said she was busy tending to her plants today. What do ya' say?"

"Sure." I said, wondering what other good foods I was about to have. "I have nothing else that I need to do later today anyways."

Apple Jack smiled at this. "Alright, now we won't be able to do this until later today. I have a few more chores to complete first. I just figured I'd ask ya' now, seein' as we happened to cross paths. You can head up to the barn in an hour or so. We should be ready for guests by that time."

"Very well then. I'll be seeing you in a little bit." I said this as I waved at her. Watching her leave to continue working, I thought about all the things I have done right so far. Continuing with my afternoon, I decided to just walk around Ponyville for the remaining time. Most of it was spent at the river just on the outside of the town. Looking at my reflection in the rippled currents just under the bridge. I had hoped that I would only be seeing good things from this town from this point on.

Chapter 4: An Apple a Day

The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was a peaceful one. It was long enough of a walk for me to get back into a normal state of mind. The long dirt path surrounded by what seemed like miles of apple trees. The red barn in the distance seemed like a beacon of sorts. This farm, after all, was their main source of history. Not many knew this but Ponyville started when a group of travelers decided to settle down. Their main source of money was collecting new seeds and selling old ones. After being given the land by Princess Celestia, the Apple family, back then called the Smith family, used the area to start planting some of the seeds they had. When it was found that this was not going to be enough, one of them decided to go into the surrounding Everfree Forest and look around. That was when those ponies had discovered Zap Apples. This new type of apple tree had created a small trading business for the new settlers. After enough trading, it was found that the town had started bustling with all kinds of unique characters. This group of unique characters had decided on calling this place Ponyville.

The white fence acted as a sure sign that I was almost there. I saw the entry way hop up above the horizon as I made it over the last hill. The white picket fences meeting at one point to make an archway covered in vines and decorative apples. A wooden sign at the top showing another apple. It was high enough that no one would hit their head walking under the arch. I walked up the pathway to the front door, pausing for a second before knocking.

The door had been opened by the huge red stallion with orange hair. He seemed to have on a yoke despite clearly not needing it at the moment. He looked me up and down before yelling for Apple Jack.

"Apple Jack! That guy you were talking about was here." As he said this, Apple Jack came around the corner.

"Howdy there, Blue! Glad you could make it! Dinner is almost ready. While we wait, this is the perfect chance for you ta' meet the family. This big feller here is Big Macintosh. He can be a little quiet most times, but he means well. You already met Apple Bloom at the park yesterday. Granny Smith is currently the one making dinner. Tonight we are having fully loaded baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and salad on the side. We will then be having apple pie for dessert." As she said this, she sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. "Come relax for a bit sugar cube."

I sat down on the couch next to her. Apple Bloom then came running down the stairs after hearing some commotion. Upon seeing me, she stopped a waved. "Hello again sir! We are glad to have you here for dinner! I heard you killed a changeling, is this true?"

Apple Jack looked sternly at her. "Apple Bloom! Don't be so rude to our guest. We are tryin' ta make him feel welcomed here."

Apple Bloom looked down for a second, then back up at me. "Ah'm sorry mister, was just curious n' all. In a change of subject, do you wanna see my clubhouse? It is where we hold our Cutie Mark Crusader group meetings and such."

"Sure." I responded with a tiny smile. "I do love exploring after all. Maybe I would be able to meet your friends too."

With this, Apple Bloom did a small excited dance before running into the kitchen. I looked back up to Apple Jack. "I am guessing that she is always on the move, aint' she?"

Apple Jack laughed a little bit before responding. "You bet your left leg and a barrel of apples. That filly runs around so much, you'd almost bet she was an all star runner. She does have her moments of calm every once n' a while. She's still young, ya' know? We like to let her do her thing. We fear she only has so much time to be a kid. That is, before this war kicks off and prevents her from having any more fun. When the war finally does kick off, the Sweet Apple Acres will start prepping food rations for any soldiers on their way to battle. Everyone will be working long hours to ensure we play our part the best way we can. Hopefully that doesn't happen for a while. Anyways, what will you be doing tomorrow?"

I looked back after thinking. "I do not know actually. I do not yet have many ponies to hang around with, my house is empty, and I do not go back into work until Monday. Why, do you need help around the barn or something?"

"We don't need help, but if'n yall wanna help we can find somethin'. In exchange, we can let ya' sleep in the barn for the night. We can easily set up a cot for you to sleep on. Don't worry though, these cots are actually very comfy to sleep on. The barn will be secured and you will not be bothered by any animals or anypony. It is my understanding that your house came empty, correct? Izzy had told me so when I last spoke with her." Apple Jack said this with a nod.

I thought for a moment. The barn was separated from the house so sleeping there in my true form would've fine. Keeping in mind that I keep myself covered with a blanket in case anyone does come check up on me. You see, changelings can not sleep in pony form because the magic we use to transform is concentration based. That means that due to a changeling being asleep, they can no longer concentrate on their disguise.

I finally answered after a few second of thought. "That seems like a fair deal. A little bit of honest work to give me something so do in exchange for a nice night of sleep. I am ok with this."

After I had said this, Granny Smith could be heard yelling for everyone to get into the kitchen. We all walked over to the table and took our seats. They did not have any chairs, but rather sat on the floor. They were still able to reach the food on the table due to how short it was. The food almost fully covered the table. Seemed as though these ponies did not know what the words 'small portions' meant. The food smelt so good and the layout was remarkable.

"Granny Smith, this is Blue. He's the one that saved Apple Bloom at the park. He is new to town so I invited him over. He said he would help out with the farm tomorrow so we are letting him stay the night in the barn. I do hope that will not be an issue." Apple Jack said, awaiting Granny Smiths approval.

Granny Smith lifted her head, looking me. After looking for a few seconds, she looked back up to Apple Jack. "Sure sweetie, I do not see anything wrong with this. Now quick yer yappering and dig in everypony."

As soon as she had said that, everyone started eating. Now, when I tell you that this food was the best food I had ever eaten, it's the honest truth. The food was so filled with flavor that it sent me into a shock wave. This was way better then the food from Manehattan by a long shot. Country food is by far my favorite type of food. That, combined with the atmosphere of a loving family made it taste that much better. Everything from the way the potatoes melted in your mouth, to the way the apple pie created a fireworks display of flavor.

The room was filled with small conversation, laughter, heart, and lovely emotion. Made me wish that ponies and changelings could get along. All this good stuff that the hive is missing out on due to how ignorant they are. Knowing the hive however, they would rather die then try anything made by a pony.

The rest of the night wasn't filled with all that much activity. After the big dinner, everyone played their part in cleaning up. A brief conversation every once in a while. I have never seen such family bond in my life. These Apple folks seemed to have everything figured out in life.

Once the kitchen had been cleaned up, they took me out to the barn. The barn was this single huge open room. On each side of the room appeared to be stalls for various animals and such. Lots of hay piles for them to eat. The barn was empty of all animals though. It had a real rustic feel and home style smell. I linked with such a sensation on a slightly deeper then average standing.

The cot was laid out for me in what appeared to be a box of hay. This meant that during my sleep, I would be surrounded on three sides by a wall of hay. This was for the better as it gave them a smaller chance of seeing me in my true form as I slept. They figured that I would want more privacy. The barn had a nice cool temperature that was perfect for sleeping. The blanket was very warm. It almost felt as thought it had been hoof stitched. This feeling that the Apple family was providing me was nothing like I was used to.

Once I heard the barn door finally close I knew that everyone was off to bed. I waited for thirty minutes of silence before going under the blanket and dropping my disguise. The walls of hay, combined with the thickness of the blanket, completely covered the flash. I then laid down on the cot. Turns out that cots are actually very comfortable in the sense that they almost cradle you.

That night had gone very relaxed. I had laid there for a little while longer, thinking of all the things that would change in life. For now though, I decided to think about all the good things happening now. If I only thought about the bad things in life, I would never be able to truly enjoy all the little things. Once I had gone to sleep, the night seemed to pass quickly. I was in such deep sleep that it seemed as though the second I closed my eyes to fall asleep the night had already passed.

I woke up as I heard some roosters in the background. Remembering where I was, I shifted back into pony form and got up. I had the decency to fold the blanket and place it on the cot. Once I was ready, I made my way back towards the home. To my surprise, the Apple family was already outside working. I had seen Apple Jack kicking trees. I did not know what she was doing so I went up to ask is she needed any help.

"Good Morning Apple Jack, what did that tree do to deserve you kicking it?" I said in confusion.

Apple Jack chucked, "No sugar cube, I'm just collecting Apples. Ya' see, I kick these here trees n' catch the apples in these baskets. Once we are done collectin' all the apples, we later sort through them to determine if they can get sold. If'n we can't sell em', then they are to be replanted to make more trees. I do have a few trees that I need to go through today. If you want, you can give the tree next to you a kick so I can see how powerful your kicks are."

After she said that, I turned to look at the tree. Now, as a changeling, I am naturally stronger then a pony despite my size. Though, I haven't seen my kicking strength in a while. I turned to face away from the tree, rounded up onto my front hooves, and bucked back as hard as I could. The kick was powerful enough to sling the top of the tree fast enough to not only drop all the apples, but also all of the leaves.

Apple Jack looked up in disbelief. "Woah Nelly, I ain't ever seen a unicorn with that kind of bucking power. Then again, I aint seen an earth pony with that kind of power also. That kicking is Apple family strength, and we have been doing this all our lives. How are you so strong for a unicorn?"

I looked at the tree, then back to Apple Jack. "I have no idea to be honest. I have always been stronger then the average unicorn. I'll go lighter on my next kicks so that you do not have to add raking to your chores list."

Apple Jack stood there for a moment, looking at the now completely empty tree. She was not sure what to say at the moment as she was barely expecting me to even get an apple off the tree. After a long pause, she came back to reality. "I am very impressed with your kicks. They also seen non-pony in nature. With your legs, this day will go much faster then originally planned. Our goal for now is to buck all the apples from the trees in this section." After saying that, she pulled out a map from her saddle bag. This map had been color coded by what needed to be done for the day.

"Now, before we do that we need to go back to the house. Breakfast should be done soon. Wanna help me take these baskets back?" Apple Jack said, lifting some baskets onto her back. I agreed and placed some baskets on my back. That made Apple Jack question me again. "Ya' know, I ain't ever seen a unicorn that doesn't use their magic. What's the story behind that?"

"Oh, it's more of a personal thing. I was a musician up in Manehattan and learned to mostly use my hooves for everything. It is not that I can't use magic, but the fact that I got used to not using it." I said this while walking beside her.

"That actually makes sense. It is nice to see a unicorn who respects doing things the old fashioned way. It is actually mostly a Ponyville tradition to do things without magic as Ponyville was founded by earth ponies." Apple Jack paused for a second before continuing. "Once we get to the farm, we will place these Apples by the barn where you slept. That'll give me a chance to pick up the cot before we head in for breakfast."

We continued on to the barn. As we were walking, I was taking in the sight of the miles of apple trees. Looking around, I had also noticed a few other types of foods growing around the place. There were fields of corn and carrots. I pondered a bit on this. "Hey Apple Jack, are those other crops yours also, or do you have a neighbor?"

"Oh, that part of the field belongs to Carrot Top. She mostly farms carrots but also has a liking to corn. She is very to her self most times, but is a nice enough character regardless." As she said this, we entered the barn. Upon entering the barn we placed the baskets by one of the empty stalls. I then helped Apple Jack fix the place up before we took the cot and blanket back into the main building. "How has the sleep by the way? I hope it wasn't too uncomfy for ya'."

I looked at her with a smile, "Quite the opposite actually. That was one the best nights of sleep I have ever gotten. Everything from the way the cold night air felt, to the way the cot cradled me. The blanket felt like I was falling asleep to a warm hug."

Apple Jack smiled back in response. "You really are nothing like a unicorn ya' know? I would almost say you are an honorary earth pony. Strong, comfy in places most ponies wouldn't be, not afraid to get your hooves dirty, and well mannered. You even folded the blanket after getting up. Something tells me that we are going to get along nicely."

After putting away the cot, we made our way back into the kitchen just in time for breakfast. The table was set with pancakes. A small yet very enjoyable meal. We sat down to enjoy breakfast and have small talk.

Apple Jack spoke out, "So ya'll wanna hear something interesting? Blue here helped me this morning with bucking a tree. I had him do it so that I could see how strong he is. This here unicorn is so strong that he didn't just buck all the apples from the tree, but kicked it so hard that the tree swung and caused all the leaves to fall off as well. Blue here has a kick that is comparable to you Big Mac."

Big Mac started looking at me. "Now, that is hard to believe. I'll have too see it for myself." After saying that, he got back into eating his pancakes. I guess he really did not believe that. Though, with Apple Jacks' honesty you could tell he was holding back how impressed he was.

The pancakes were also very delicious. Nothing compared to the sour apple sweet tarts from the day before, but still up there. The breakfast did not last too long as we needed to start the day. Upon finishing the meal, I had gotten back up to help Apple Jack for the start of the day.

Upon leaving the kitchen, we made our way out to the area with the animals. Apple Jack had shown me how she goes about feeding them. These animals had a bit of a strange feeding routine, but she was the farmer so I figured not to question it. Learning about how ponies do things was very fascinating to say the least. This entire family was very creative with how they did things. Feeding the animals also did not take that long.

Once we were finished we made our way back out towards the orchard. It was time for us to get back into kicking. I made sure to kick only as hard as I needed to. I did not want to risk the chance of having leaves everywhere. I also had to keep the kicking limited as too many powerful kicks would start to make them question more then they needed to.

After a few minutes or so, Big Mac walked out of the house and into the field to help us clear the apple trees. While walking up to us he had come across the now empty tree that I first kicked. He had a face that looked as though he really could not believe someone my size could do this much damage. I could tell he was confused. Instead of doing or saying anything about it he just started his daily chores. I had just hoped that he didn't question too far into the subject and get suspicious about it.

As we were kicking, Apple Jack had started asking some more questions. "So, what did you say you did up in Manehattan again?"

"I was a musician. More specifically, I played piano for small groups and plays. I would like to think that I was very good at it. The only downside was that I was not good enough to make real money doing it. It was either that, or the fact that they did not like my type of music." I respond, keeping the conversation.

"Ya' know, there are a few musicians here who play on the weekends. They are very popular around the country, though they mostly stay here in town and perform for us. It helps lighten the moods at times during uneventful weekends. You should totally meet them one day! One of them is a celloist by the name of Octavia Melody. The other is a new age musician who uses a fancy table and records that goes by the names of D.J Pon3. Though their real name is Vinyl Scratch. You might not believe it but even though they play vastly different music, they are actually girl friends with each other." Apple Jack smiled when she finished talking.

"I know the name Octavia Melody actually. I never met them in person but I always wanted to meet them. They seemed like a nice enough character. Not so uptight in the social class that she can't see others below her. She was actually one of the artists that caused me to want to learn piano."

Apple Jack grinned, "Well, maybe when you see her walkin' the streets of Ponyville then you will be able to tell her that. Who knows, maybe ya'll would actually sound nice playin' together. I have always just been a fan of country music, if'n ya' couldn't tell."

"I could've imagined." I said, kicking another tree. "I tried learning how to play the fiddle, but could never get the hang of it. I'm sure one day I'll have the chance to learn another instrument."

"Ain't no pain in tryin' sugar cube." Apple Jack said with a glint in her eye. "You never know if you can do something or not if ya' don't just give it yer all. I'm sure that you would be more then capable."

The morning continued mostly like this. Small conversations here and there, accompanied by a lot of falling apples. It seemed like a fun yet hard job at the same time. Things like this really make you enjoy the simple things that life throws your way. They way that this family bonds over hard work as a family business is truly something to behold. That was, until I was nudged on the leg while I was walking. When I looked down I could see Apple Bloom trying to get my attention.

I looked down and gave her a bright smile. "Well, hello again Apple Bloom. Did you need something?"

Apple Bloom looked back up to me. "I just wanted to let you know that my friends and I wanted to see if you wanted to hang with us for a while. We have a tree house n' everything." Upon saying this, she looked up to Apple Jack. "Would that be ok sis? I'm sure you can continue work without him."

Apple Jack chuckled a bit before responding, "I don't see any reason why not. Just don't be takin' him on any of your adventures."

Apple Bloom twirled around a bit before looking up at me again. "Well mister, you wanna come meet my friends?"

I gave a tiny laugh myself as I was thrown off by this. "I would love to make more friends."

Apple Bloom started jumping in joy a bit before guiding me further into the orchard. "My friends are already waitin' for you in the tree house. That, and I'm sure you didn't really want to come to the farm just to work. My friends and I created a group called the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Our job is to go around and help ponies with cutie mark problems. Though, we also do regular pony thing like going on adventures, creating new things to do, relaxing, and just trying new things." As she finished saying this, we had walked into a small clearing. In the middle of this clearing was a two story tree house. It actually looked like a nifty place to hang out at. It was this small light brown wooden house with one front door and two side windows. From the looks of it, it would seem the window covers were canted. I'm guessing they never really close them. There was this green ramp that led up to the front door. Both the door and the window covers had hearts carved out of them. There was also a rope hanging from the tree next to it for some reason.

I was lead up the ramp and practically pushed through the door. There were two other fillies waiting for me. One of them was this white unicorn with two-tones pink and light purple hair. She also had this strange green tinted eye color that was eerily close to the color of changeling magic. There was also a orange pagasus with purple hair. She had a normal purple eye color that matched her hair. There seemed to be something off about this one though. It had appeared that her wings were too small and underdeveloped. Seems as though this pony also had a birth defect that has made living a normal life difficult for her. She was still young though. Maybe one day she would be able to get them fixed and be able to fly.

Another thing that I had found interesting was the fact that their cutie marks were also very similar to each other. It was this pastel red, pink, and purple shield with each one of them having their own unique picture on top. There was a wing with a lightning bolt, an apple with a heart, and a star with a music note in it respectfully. Seemed as though these fillies were destined to be together. Funny thing how destiny works, always working in way that are never expected to actually happen.

Apple Bloom grabbed my attention again. "Welcome to the home of the Cutie Mark Crusaders! You already know my name. The pegasus is named Scootaloo and the unicorn is named Sweetie Belle. We have been best friends for as long as we can remember. We started out as a group of blank flanks who just wanted to try everything. Once we finally got our cutie marks, we had discovered that our job was to help others understand who they are.

Scootaloo broke the conversation suddenly. "It has been a little while since we last had someone move to Ponyville. We were wondering if we could interview you."

I was slightly taken back from her sudden outburst. "Uh... Sure. I guess I don't mind being asked a few questions. What all did you want to know?"

The three of them took out note writing material and each took turns asking me questions. Sweetie Belle asked the first question. "Ok, so out of all the places in Equestria to move to what made you decide on Ponyville?"

"Oh, mostly due to how cheap it is to live here. That and the fact that this place seems to be the go to place for a new start. I figured it would be a nice quiet place for me to settle down at. Get a nice comfy job and enjoy my days exploring life." I said, taking a seat in a chair they had set aside for me.

Apple Bloom was the next to speak up. "Ok, Mr. Blue Shadow, what is something interestin' about you that most ponies don't know?"

"Huh... that is a very interesting question." I thought a bit before answering, "I guess one of the things that is interesting about me that most ponies wouldn't know is that I am extremely flexible. I am what most ponies consider to be a contortionist. That basically means that I have extra stretchy ligaments and such."

All three of them seemed amazed by this fact. Almost all in unison the three of them looked at me and said, "Can we see?"

"Sure." As I said this, I got up into the middle of the room. I laid down flat on the floor, with my stomach facing the ground. I then lifted my back legs over my head in a way that caused my horn to poke my flank. Essentially, my neck and upper torso were the only things touching the floor as my back hooves touched the ground in front of my face. After being in this position for a few seconds, I got back up and sat back down. I could tell that I had left them in awe as they were speechless.

After what felt like a few minutes of them looking at each other, they finally came back to their senses. "How is that even possible? I'm pretty sure you just don't have a spine." Scootaloo said this with a look on her face that was both amazement and disgust. "Last pony that we ever saw that was close to being that flexible was Blossomforth."

After they had written this information down, Scootaloo was next to ask a question. "So, Mr. Blue, what would you say is your biggest downfall in life?"

I was a bit perplexed as to how these young ponies were asking such big questions. "Oh, I'm not entirely sure. If anything, my biggest downfall might be the fact that I can be a bit too ambitious at times. Trying things that will either change the world, or kill me. I am a go getter in a sense that if I have something that I want to do I just go out and do it."

They wrote this down as well, cycling through each other again. Sweetie Belle asked the next question. "Ok, next question is... What is your talent. Like, what did you get your cutie mark in?"

I looked down at my lone grey lightning bolt cutie mark. I actually did have a reason as to why I selected that as my cutie mark. "Well... my cutie mark represent boldness. It means that I am not afraid to go out and get something done, despite how dangerous it may or may not be. I got this mark when I was in a music competition in Manehattan. I got it when I had finally over come my stage fright. After that point, I had come to the realization that the world is only scary if you make it seem that way. With boldness, I got up on that stage and played the meanest piano I had ever played. All that emotion from realizing that life gives you what you want, but only if you are willing to search for it. Even though I was talented at playing the piano, I had seen boldness in myself in other places. Such as when I first left home to live alone in this big world, when I decided to trench my may through Everfree Forest at night just to see what it was actually like, and many other times after that."

They all wrote that down and continued. "That is really cool actually." Scootaloo turned to show her cuie mark as she spoke. "Usually we see ponies getting their cutie marks for specific tasks such as skating or singing. We found that ponies who get cutie marks for bigger things in life are the most adventurous and take the most risks. Take our cutie marks for example. We are the only ponies to ever share the same cutie mark. Sure, the center of our marks show our specific skills, but the shield is special. It represents our ever lasting bong of friendship and shared goal to help other ponies in life."

As she said this, the others also showed their cutie marks. Apple Bloom then continued the next question. "Alright, what is the thing you want most out of life?"

I was amazed how many deep questions they had for me. "Honestly, the only thing I want out of life is peace. I want this world to change for the better. I want to be the reason the world lives forever on in peace and kindness. I know it is a big task, so honestly I'd just be happy in life knowing I made enough of a change for all creatures that the world would no longer need wars. I understand the purpose behind wars, but most can be resolved if there were other ways around it. It is just a matter of figuring out what those ways are. Everyone has a reason for fighting, but if everyone can come to accept big differences in life then I feel the world would be happier over all."

Scootaloo then speaks up after waiting enough time to ensure I didn't have anything else to add. "Ok, last question for now. What are your thoughts on good versus evil?"

I had to really think about this question. "You know, to be honest I do not really think those things really exist in life. I do not think there is a good or bad, but rather just the result of someone's actions and how others interpret them. There are always two sides of a story. Take a look at Discord for example. He was a creature of pure chaos and disharmony. Everyone thought he was evil in the beginning. However, after making friends and seeing what his actions were doing, he saw that the ponies on the other side of his shenanigans were being hurt. After being guided to see what the results of their actions were, and seeing what the result would be if they had done something different, showed him that there is more in life then chaos. He now has friendship and uses his magic to protect those around him. This tells me that evil only exists in those who do not yet see what they can truly accomplish in life. Evil is just misunderstood imagination and thought. At the same time, someone who lived their entire life in good can mess up and do something horrible that they regretted. Simply put, there is no good or evil, just misunderstanding in life."

Sweetie Belle then spoke up. "That actually makes a lot of sense. Two sides of every story combined with ponies misinterpreting parts of both. Well, thank you for answering these questions for us. These questions tell us a lot about who you really are. You seem like someone who really cares for others and will die protecting what you feel is right. The world could use more ponies like you in my opinion. Now that we are done with the question and we got to know you better, do you want to do something?"

I smiled, "Sure, what were you guys thinking about doing? Just keep in mind that it can't be anything that takes too long as I do have work tomorrow."

Apple Bloom spoke out, "We were thinkin' something like a small game. We just got this new thing called -"

Before she could finish her sentence, a knock was heard at the door. Apple Bloom went to open the door. Standing outside was Apple Jack. "Sorry to interrupt whatever is going on, but ya'll are gunna have ta' cut this short. There was an accident at the farm. We are going ta' need some help. Sorry girls, but ya'll two must go home now. You can hang out a different time." She said this, looking to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They both looked at Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom sighed, "Don't worry, we can always hang another time. We always have later that we can play our new game." With that, the other two girls nodded in agreement and headed out.

Apple Jack continued, "Blue, we could really use your help. We do have to go fast though." As soon as Apple Jack had appeared, she had started running away. We started running towards to barn to figure out what had happened. The run did take quite a while as the tree house wasn't exactly right next to the farm house.

As we made our way up to the house, Apple Jack had led us into the barn where I was sleeping at. Turns out that a few large wooden beams that had not been properly looked over had broken off from the roof. They had fallen, trapping Big Mac underneath.

I ran up to try to help, using every bit of strength I had. It took a combination of Apple Jack, Apple Bloom, and myself to lift these beams off of him. That, and the fact that Big Mac was pushing from underneath. I was not ready for what I had seen next.

After we had lifted off the last beam, we had all seen that there were a few large nails sticking out of the wood. Turns out that when the first piece landed on him, it had landed nails facing down. The nails had pierced into his skin. When the other beams had fallen down on him, the other beams must have fallen in a way that caused the nails to slice several large holes into his left leg. I quickly looked around to see if there was anything in the barn I could use to stop the massive amount of bleeding that was occurring at the time.

Looking around the room I had seen there were towels hanging over the edge of one of the stall gates. I ran up and took a look at them. They seemed clean so I quickly picked one up and ran back to Big Mac. Using quick judgement, I had quickly tied this around the upper part of his leg tightly essentially creating a tourniquet. This was enough to slow down his bleeding. Once I had done that, Apple Jack ran to go get something.

Apple Jack had ran back with this large wooden cart. Big Mac had enough energy to quickly hop on to the back of the cart, with help from both Apple Jack and myself hoisting him up. I do not know how, but he didn't seem to be in any pain at the time. I believe it was because his body was in shock to what had happened. Granny Smith was also there, but she was too old to be able to help. She had stood by his side as Apple Jack had run to get us.

Granny Smith looked at Apple Jack before they left. "Make sure you go fast, but not so fast that he falls off at tight curves. I'll go inside n' call the hospital to let em' know ya'll are coming. That way they will be ready for ya' when you arrive." Granny Smith then turned to go inside the main house. They had a rotary phone inside the living room.

Apple Jack looked back at me quickly, "Sorry to cut off the day like this. Accidents happen when you least expect them to. We can hang out more later though. You might wanna just head home or something. There won't be much for you to do here anymore." She then hooked herself up to this cart and started running to the hospital. I was left standing next to Apple Bloom.

I looked down at Apple Bloom. "Well, I suppose this is my time to leave. Do not worry though, we can play your games next time we meet. Now, I have no idea when that might be but it'll have to be soon. I'm just going to go for today though. It was fun hanging out with you and your family."

Apple Bloom looked up at me, "Do you think he is going to be ok?"

"Well..." I stopped for thought before continuing, "He's going to be just fine. Granted this will make working the farm harder as he won't be able to walk, let alone buck trees with his leg like that. Your brother will be fine after getting those cuts looked at and getting stiches. Why don't you go inside with Granny Smith and help her with whatever she may need." Apple Bloom nodded in acceptance and ran inside.

I trotted along back down the dirt path back into town. There was still plenty of daylight left so I decided to go for a bit of a walk. I knew deep down that they had it taken care of. Apple Jack was more then capable to take care of her brother. Not really sure how this would've affected the barn in the future, but they seem more then capable. Surely this wasn't the first time one of them sustained an injury causing a delay in work at the farm.

Walking around town, I had noticed ponies had no longer been giving me any strange looks. It would appear that they had mostly accepted me. Oh, if only they knew the secrets I was hiding. This was good for me though, it gave me the most time to think of a way to help the ponies and changelings find peace with each other. It was either that or finding a way to help the ponies defeat the hive in a way that they would back down and just stay to themselves. One of these options were going to be a lot harder then the other, though it would lead to a better outcome in the long run.

As I was walking around, I could notice there was an increase in the number of guards walking the streets. Seemed that after the previous incident they had heightened security protocols. They were constantly scanning around, looking to see if anypony was acting strange or out of place. I decided that walking the streets right now now probably not the best idea as I did not know if the guards were taught to ask random ponies questions that would throw them off. Smart method if you think about it.

Before I headed home I figured I would use my bits to get me something to eat later. Sure, my saddle bags did already have rations and such but they were to be used in times of emergency. I was looking for something cheap yet filling. I headed over to look through the shopping district.

In the district, I had noticed that there was a generalized fruits and vegetable cart. The pony behind cart was this earth pony with a light blue coat, dark blue hair, amber colored eyes, and a cutie mark consisting of two quavers. I walk up to the cart, greeting this pony. "Good afternoon Sir."

"Hello, welcome to the Noteworthy food cart, my name is Noteworthy. What can I get you?" Noteworthy said, posing a nice bright smile.

I looked to see the options before looking back up to him. "I'll just take some oranges, potatoes, strawberries, carrots, bananas, blueberries, and tomatoes. Just a couple of each please."

"Ok sir, that'll be 30 bits. I'll start bagging your things after you pay." Noteworthy said this as he waited for me to pay. I placed the coins on the counter. After he had counted and made sure it was the correct amount, he started bagging the food. This was just so that I can start filling the fridge and have small snacks when I was at home.

I grabbed the bag after thanking him and headed back home. I was carrying the bags, some in my mouth and some slung over my back. The sky was already getting noticeably darker as I had started walking back to the cottage. This time I did not have company with me. The walk was very quiet and uneventful. The walk back to my home did not take too long, but was still long enough to let me think.

I opened my cottage and walked into the kitchen. I had placed most of the food in the fridge. I then grabbed an orange to eat for dinner. I did not have lunch, though I was still very full from breakfast. I got used to not eating a lot as it was expensive in Manehattan. Usually, I only had one meal a day.

After taking a few minutes to eat this orange, which was very fresh, I had gone outside to check to see if any guards were roaming around. I then threw out the orange rind, the outside part, and locked all the doors. The night seemed very empty, which had me relaxed. I walked back up to my room, my legs still slightly sore from kicking trees and walking all day. When I had plopped myself onto my bed of blankets, I had relaxed in a way that felt right. Today, outside of Big Mac's accident, actually went very smooth. I made friends, did some honest work, was interviewed by a group of fillies for some reason, and noticed that ponies were no longer giving me weird looks. I felt as though this small town life was going to work out. I got back up, remembering that I had to cover my flash, and went into the closet. Once done, I went back to my bed and laid down for the night after turning the lights off. Funny, this day almost actually made me feel like I was a normal pony. This thought had made me feel a new sense of happiness and belonging. I then went to sleep, thinking of what new things life had set to come my way.

Chapter 5: Friendship Fortissimo

The next morning had arrived sooner than time made it feel. I woke up, my room was still very dark due to the new curtains. I was usually up early in the morning anyways as my body had gotten used to it. My internal clock set to go off earlier than it had any real right to. This was the start of my second week at work. I seemed to already have a new morning routine. Wake up, get into pony form, look at myself in the mirror, and wash my face to help me freshen up.

I went down into the kitchen. Even though I was used to skipping breakfast, I figured starting a new eating routine would help me mentally. I opened the fridge to inspect my possibilities, despite me already knowing what was in the fridge. I settled on a carrot as it was big enough to where it would fill me up until I ate again.

After eating my small breakfast, I started my morning walk to the tea shop. Something about this Monday felt like I had finally been given a normal pony life. I felt like a real pony for the first time in a long time. The last time I felt this good about life was before I became homeless. That was years ago, so for the longest time I believed this feeling to be too distant to reach anymore.

The walk gave me plenty of time to think of everything I could do with life now. Living a simple life with a nice relaxing job, new friends, and a place to call my own. Despite my cottage being empty, I was on the streets for way too long to take it for granted. I was going to do my best to make sure I didn't get too caught up though. There is still a war coming at some point. I would eventually need to find a way to help these ponies either defend themselves from the hive or find a way to start a peace treaty. Though, I feel as though the previous display did not help the whole treaty plan. I was ready for war, though I didn't think it would be so soon that we are unprepared for it.

I made it to work at a reasonable time. Based on the suns position, I could tell that I had arrived around eight in the morning. This was perfect because that was when the store opened anyway. I still thought about getting a clock for the cottage and timing how long this walk would take. That would be in case I wake up one morning to find the sun being covered by rain clouds or something. I just started this job, and in the eyes of Izzy I was doing good at it. I did not want to ruin my reputation by showing up late to my new job.

Look at me, thinking like a real pony would. This was such a strange but welcomed feeling. Walking inside, I did my normal morning cleaning routine. This was something that really did not take long at all for me to do. Setting up the register took even less time as I still had everything in position from Friday. I was soon behind the counter and ready to begin. I had not worked on a Monday before so I had no idea how busy or calm the day would be. While I was waiting for ponies to show up, Izzy had started talking to me through the kitchen window.

"So, how did your first weekend in Ponyville go. Outside of the execution on Saturday?"

"Honestly, it went fairly well. I got invited to Sweet Apple Acres. Hanging out with the Apple Family was very fun. I helped kick a few trees, made some new friends, got interview by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and got to try some really good food. Turns out that I really like country food. That, and now I have a new love for apple desserts. Or, at least it was fun in the beginning. I had to leave early due to an accident at the farm." I said, with a slight pause at the end.

Izzy's ears perked up, "Oh no, what happened? Is everypony ok?"

I nodded as I continued. "What happened was a few wooden beams had come loose from the roof of the barn. Big Mac was unlucky enough to get caught underneath it. He took not only the brute force of heavy wood falling on him, but a good amount of nails to his leg. They ended up piercing into his leg and being forced down after more wood had fallen. He had a very big gash in his leg. I helped by stopping the bleeding as he was losing quite a bit of blood. Apple Jack then ran him to the hospital on a wooden cart. He seemed fine despite the fact though. Although, it might have just been the fact that he was in shock about what had happened and had not yet felt it."

Izzy noticeably winced at this. "Well damn, I hope he was able to get it stitched up. This also means that apple production will be lessened for the next few months or so. I'll have to check up on him later."

I took this time to check how much money was in the register. I did this to ensure it was filled with enough money to provide change. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He is a big dude, so I feel as though it'll take a lot more than that to pin him down."

As soon as I had finished counting, a customer walked in. I looked back to Izzy as they were walking up. "Going to have to continue this conversation later, first customer of the day just arrived."

I then turned to face the customer. "Good morning, how may I help you today?" I said this with a bright and honest smile on my face.

The pony who walked up this time was new to the shop. Or rather, it was their first time coming to the shop while I was working there. Though, after giving them my greeting it had hit me who they were. This pony was Octavia Melody. She was a gray earth pony with dark grey hair and purple eyes. She also almost always wore a pink bowtie and white collar. I had wanted to meet her but didn't expect it to be at the tea shop. Made sense for her to be here though. She was known to be a pony of refined tastes. Though, I was told she wasn't a total stick in the mud.

Octavia looked up at me upon making it to the counter. "Oh, I didn't know you worked here. I have heard about you from around town. Is it true what everyone was saying about you being a pianist?"

I was excited about the fact that one of the artists I wanted to meet knew about me. It made me not feel as small as I was used to. I nodded towards her. "Yes ma'am, that is correct. I have been playing for a few years now."

She grinned, "Nice to see a fellow musician out here in Ponyville. There are not many of us out here. Especially those who play natural instruments. I have a roommate who plays this thing called dubstep. It is a bit barbaric, though I must admit that she makes it sound pretty good sometimes. Do not let her know I said this if you see her around."

I let out a small chuckle, "Don't worry Octavia, I will not tell her."

She had tilter her head a bit. "I see you already know my name. I assume from my music?"

"Indeed, I have been a fan of your remakes of old songs since as long as I could remember first hearing you. You are actually one of the main reasons why I got into playing music. I tried starting with the cello but found out that I was naturally way better at the piano. There is just something about stringed instruments that I can't quite figure out." I said this, still smiling.

"That is quite interesting. I always love meeting ponies who have been affected by my music. Maybe one of these days if you are not doing anything we could see how we sound together. I love hearing what others can do." Octavia paused for thought before continuing. "Actually, do you have any plans for after work today? I do not have anything planned for later this afternoon."

"I did not have any plans for after work today. I would love to play music with you. Also, not to rush the conversation but I feel as though this isn't the best place for full conversation. I am new here and do not know if today will be busy or not." I said this in a polite manner.

Octavia giggled a bit. "Right, my apologies. I'll just have a peppermint green tea with a shot of espresso. That'll be it for today." She then looked at the menu to figure out how much she owed. Once she handed me the bits, I placed the order paper through the window and rang up the order number. She had given me exact change, so I did not have to worry about that.

"Ok, you are order number one as you are the first customer of the day. I will call you once your order is ready." I said this to her while noticing the door open again. I could notice through the window that today would be very busy.

Octavia turned to me one more time before going to a table. "I'll stop by when you guys close so that I can lead you to my place later. Sound like a plan?"

I quickly respond to her before the next customer had made it to the counter. "Sound good to me." After saying this, I turned to help out the next customer. I could see a line starting to form meaning I did not have time for any more conversations. Looked like this was going to be a test of how quickly I could do this job. Even though the line was only a few ponies at the time, I still felt like I needed to go as quickly as I could.

After a few ponies. I had noticed myself starting to get into a comfortable work pace. Take the order, collect the money, send the order through the window, give them their order number, call up any orders that were ready, rinse and repeat. This job, although it did seem over whelming in the beginning, looked very easy. I just had to make sure I did not mess up by calling out the wrong order number or something.

It ended up slowing down after what seemed to be a morning rush. This rush lasted from shortly after opening to about nine thirty. This meant that I only had to deal with the morning rush for just under two hours. This made me think about how Izzy could have run the orders and made the tea at the same time. No wonder she was looking for an assistant. She must have not had a good break from this for a while. Though thinking about it, she was the one who had a cutie mark in the subject. My best bet was that she would stay in the kitchen while using her magic to run the register through the window. She did seem very talented with her magic. It was almost scary how good she was with magic.

Eventually, we had come upon a little break. The only downside this job seemed to have was that we basically worked non-stop from opening to closing. This meant that we did not have a lunch break. We were where ponies went to for lunch. This meant that we would take any small break we could get to eat a snack or something from the kitchen. It would mostly just be something very small that would give us the energy we needed for the day. It was a good thing I ate breakfast that morning. This was because, due to it being a Monday, we did not have any left overs that we didn't sell the previous work day. I was perfectly fine with this as this meant I had to spend less on stocking my pantry with full meals. This was just another perk of working this job and being used to not eating much in the first place. Plus, due to the fact that standing behind the counter did not cause me to waste energy, these small snacks would be more than enough to suffice me for the day.

Getting this good work routine was just the step in the right direction I needed in life. I was curious what Tuesdays would be like normally. Something told me that each work day would be different, though the work week would be about the same.

There was a time in which we had the opposite of the morning rush. It would seem that right after these ponies had their normal eleven A.M to one P.M lunch time the store would basically see no activity as a result to everyone going back to work. This was also combined with the fact that tea was mostly a morning and early evening drink. Not many ponies showed up after that, which was fine by me. I was getting paid by the hour, not by the daily customer count. I understood that there was still a correlation of the amount of ponies showing up and the amount of money the shop made. It was up to Izzy how much I would get paid so I understood that if there was something that caused fewer customers that it would mean I eventually got paid less. I did not see that happening any time soon though, going based off the amount of ponies who seemed to swing by. This place, despite being small, was a very popular spot. Sometimes, ponies would just come in and order something small but hang out for a while. At the same time, we seemed to always have enough tables for ponies to sit at as most ponies would get their order to go.

The work day seemed to fly by. I guess that by getting used to this job I had not been paying attention to how fast the day was going. I was sure that the longer I worked there the longer the days would feel. I felt as though it was also due to me being excited for meeting with Octavia after work that day.

The day went had gone by without a hitch. I eventually made it to closing time without making a single mistake. I actually impressed myself with how capable I was at this job. Closing out the register, I had started making my way through my afternoon cleaning check list. I wanted to make sure I finished the day without forgetting something simple like wiping all the tables down.

While I was cleaning, Izzy poked out from the kitchen to talk to me. "Hey Blue. I just wanted to tell you that you did a good job today. You seem to be a fast learner, which is very helpful. This Monday was the smoothest Monday I have had since the last guy moved on to a better job."

I waved thankfully at her, "Oh, thank you. I just wanted to try my best. I figured that I would be working here for a while, so it makes sense for me to get good at it."

She smiled at me, "By the way, I made a cake yesterday if you would like some before spending the day with Octavia. I heard that conversation this morning from the kitchen. Personally, I stick with country music, but her renditions of old classics are very nice to listen to. Once you finish cleaning you can come into the kitchen to grab a slice."

I nodded and continued cleaning, this normal routine that I now had down pact lasting only a few minutes. Upon finishing, I went into the kitchen to put the cleaning supplies away. Turning around, I made my way towards Izzy. Izzy was already done cleaning the kitchen. She levitated both plates and walked us into the main eating room. We sat down in one of the bench seats that I had just finished cleaning up. She then levitated the cake and a fork in front of me.

Izzy waited for me to sit before we had started eating together. "So, I feel as though we have already become good friends, despite me only knowing you for five days. You are the first pony who has worked here with me who I have actually connected with. You seem like somepony who will be a great asset and addition to my list of friends. I do not have that many friends as I generally to myself. Do not get me wrong though, I have lots of friends here in Ponyville. Just not a lot of friends who I put a lot of trust into. I just do not have as many friends as normal ponies do. You are someone I feel like I can trust with my life. If this war does come, you would be the first pony I consider a companion of war."

I was slightly taken aback by this. "I am honored that you think of me as a good friend. I myself have not had a real friend before. The ponies of Manehattan are not friendly. For example, there was one night while I was sleeping in an alley way, due to being homeless, and a random pony decided to kick me in my sleep and call me a retarded slum of a useless bag of bones. All this, because I could be seen from his window. As he then said, my homelessness is cramping his style. So, to hear you call me a good friend means the world to me."

Izzy let out the biggest smile I had seen so far. Not as big as Pinkie Pie's smiling, but very close. Izzy finished her bite of cake before continuing. "Well, if you stick with me, I'll make sure that bad things never happen to you ever again."

Once we finished eating, we took the plates back into the kitchen. Izzy cleaned up the mess, knowing I already cleaned the table recently before. When Izzy went to turn the front sign in the window to closed, Octavia was seen walking up. Izzy then smiled, waving us goodbye as she closed the door behind us.

After we had started trotting through Ponyville, Octavia looked back to me while walking. "So, how was your first Monday at work?"

"A bit hectic, but I quickly got the hang of it. This job seems like one that I will have for a long time." I said, while staying next to her.

"That's good to hear. How polished are you at playing piano? Like, how long has it been?" Octavia said, out of curiosity.

It took me a good few seconds to try to remember the last time I played the piano. "I would have to say about... seven months ago, give or take a few weeks. But I have been playing for years. While I may not be the freshest at it right now, I am sure that my muscle memory will speak for me."

As we were walking towards her home, I could notice that some ponies were waving at me. They were giving basic greetings and saying hello. This feeling made me feel very relaxed. The walk to her home was only a few minutes long, so we did not have much time for conversation.

Upon walking up to the house, I was met by the strangest thing I have ever seen. The house looked like it was split in half because one side was brown, and the other side was different shades of purple. The house chimney was that of an organ pipe. There was also a tree in the front yard shaped like an eighth note. The color split was perfectly down the middle of the house causing the door to be two different colors as well.

"This is very... interesting to say the least." I looked deeply at the house, taking in this strange sight. Once I was led in, I noticed the color also splits on the inside of the house. The right side had nothing but DJ and vinyl equipment, and the left side had more natural and classical instruments. Sitting in the left corner was a grand piano. When I walked in, there was another pony sitting on the couch. This pony was a white unicorn with blue hair. Her blue hair was both a dark blue and light blue pattern. She had on these cool looking purple shades and was listening to music.

"Vinyl, this is Blue. He's the pianist that the town was talking about. I invited him over to practice with him. Please try to behave yourself around our guest." Octavia said this, closing the door behind her. Vinyl just nodded in acknowledgment. She didn't seem to talk all that much.

Octavia pointed to a small coffee table next to the couch. "Blue, you can set your saddle bag down there and make yourself at home. Do you want anything to drink?"

I shook my head, "No, I think I'm good for now."

"So, I thought that maybe you could start with a freestyle piece. That way, I can listen in and gouge your skill level." Octavia said, sitting on the couch.

I sat down at the piano, looking at the keys. This was a huge piano, so I was overwhelmed a bit. "Ok, I can do free style. I'll just play what is on my mind and you can tell me when to stop." I said, glancing back at her. I turned to face the keys once more, hovering my hooves over top.

I then closed my eyes, letting the memory come to me naturally. I cleared my mind, and I started playing. I was playing true free style, so the music was completely original. The song I was playing was mostly made up of the emotions of finding new life and care in the world. I looked down, watching my hooves fly across the piano. This moment reminded me of the first time I played on stage and found my new sense of boldness. This was captured by my cutie mark. Although my cutie mark was artificial, it had true meaning to me.

I played my heart out, letting my symphony of emotions rain out in a display of courageous and bold flavor. This went on for about three hole minutes before Octavia had told me to stop. When she told me to stop, I took just a few seconds to end it on a coda. Octavia looked impressed, which meant that I was doing something right.

Octavia then stood up and grabbed her cello. "Ok, continue again and I will join in. I think I have heard enough to know what emotions you are trying to portray." I was happy about the fact that I was about to hear Octavia play to my emotions. I took a deep breath and continued, letting the piece play itself through me.

After a few seconds, my piano playing was matched up with the cry of the cello. This talented artist matched my emotion to a tee. She has been in this business long enough to play freestyle while also matching an outside characters freestyle. The room was soon filled with beautiful arrangements of life and wonder. This caused Vinyl to remove her headphones and listen in. My style of music, which makes Octavia's additions more impressive, was something completely new. This style of music was my own, and they could tell. Vinyl, who was not known for liking classical pieces, fell in love with my skills as it had traces of piano dubstep.

I might be a changeling, but my piano playing was as real as it gets. Being my main source of income, I had tried to be the best. However, this style of music was not very liked in piano culture. That was the main reason why I did not make it in the big leagues.

A few minutes passed, then the music came to a strong yet relaxing end. Both Octavia and Vinyl were clapping. This was not at all how I had seen this day going. Somehow Octavia, despite being more on the posh side, liked my style of music.

Octavia put her cello back in her case once we had finished. "You know, that was oddly refreshing and satisfying. I haven't had that much fun playing in a long time. Plus, look, you even broke Vinyl away from her music. That is rare to do, as she is so enraptured by her own remixes. I definitely have to say that you have something unique. We have to get your music out there!"

I looked at Octavia before looking down. "I don't think so. With this war coming, I don't think music is the most important thing right now. However, I will gladly perform with you on stage if I ever get a chance. There just simply isn't enough time for me to try to get my name out there. I have been trying for the past four years, but my style is too different,"

Octavia sighed a bit. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about this war. What a shame, if only music had a place in war. Can't fight a changeling with a cello I suppose." She sat back down on the couch. "I still stand by what I said. You are probably just running with the wrong crowd. I can help you get your name out there."

I smiled, " I am glad you think that way. I will keep practicing with you if you feel as though you could help me out more. Who knows, maybe if I put my skills to test on an electric keyboard, I could make real classical dubstep."

"In the meantime, how about a meal? I was going to make us some ramen noodles." Octavia said this as she was getting up to go into the kitchen. I nodded in acknowledgment and fiddled a little bit with the piano. I was poking at the keys and just listening to it.

"Actually, can I watch you cook? I have never seen anyone make ramen noodles before." I said, getting up from the piano.

Octavia glanced back at my from the kitchen. "Sure, I don't mind letting others watch. I consider it a learning experience for others. Today, I will be making Miso Broth Udon Ramen with mixed vegetables. It is a more advanced ramen to make, so you'll have to watch closely while I make it."

As she said this, she put all the required tools and food on the counter. Seems as though she already had most of it prepared. "Ok, so first you want to fill the pot of water to the half way point. We are going to let it boil on medium heat. Once the water is at temp, we will place the vegetables in. While the water gets to temp, we are going to slice up the various vegetables. How good are you with a knife?"

"I consider myself good with a knife. I am not sure if my knife skills transfer over to cutting food, but I do not mind helping." I said, walking up to the counter.

Octavia handed me a knife while she took some of the vegetables and started cutting. I watched how she had been cutting and followed to the best of my ability. After a few minutes, the water was ready. "OK, now that the vegetables are sliced up, we are going to throw them in the pot." Octavia said this while sliding the vegetables into the water from off of the cutting board.

After a few minutes of stirring the vegetables into the water, Octavia had gotten the noodles out. They were already prepared prior so I would have to learn how to make those later. Octavia then brought the noodles back to the pot and placed them in. While the noodles were becoming soft, she had placed various oils into the mix. This was probably some of her own mixes of herbs and oils.

More time passed and the noodles started getting to the perfect consistency for her liking. Octavia then started explaining more, "Ok, so to make it a miso broth, we need to add the miso. This is a paste, so we have to add it a certain way." While saying this, she had scooped some miso from the container, placing it in the ladle. "Ok, now I like to break the miso paste into something that is more broken up by stirring it in the ladle using the water. This allows you to combine it into the broth at a consistent level."

I watched as she carefully mixed the miso paste into the noodles. After she did this, she set the temperature down to a simmer. This let the broth settle into the noodles while ensuring the noodles keep their texture. "Ok, now we let that sit for a few more minutes and we will be ready to enjoy."

While we were waiting for the ramen to finish, I helped lay out the table alongside Vinyl. While Vinyl and I were finishing up, Octavia was pouring the noodles into bowls while adding finishing touches. We had then all sat down to eat. This was a very delicious meal, and it looked easy to prepare. I'm sure that since I do not know how to make the udon at home, I could find a place to buy them premade.

Octavia looked up at both of us. "So, what do you guys think?"

I looked up after finishing my bite. "This is really good. What ever those extra things you added into the noodles made it taste so much better than when you get it at a ramen shop." Octavia blushed a bit, then turned to look at Vinyl. Vinyl, being her normal quiet self, used her magic to levitate an already empty bowl, nodding her head up and down. She was clearly a big fan. I wondered why she never spoke but didn't have the heart to ask. I was assuming that she was just very selective at when she speaks.

After the meal, and cleaning up, we went back into the living room. Octavia then sat down at the piano and started teaching me some new things. In a small conversation we had while cleaning up, I had told her how I was self-taught and didn't know all there was to learn. She seemed to love teaching music to me. Octavia was a genuinely great music teacher. This lasted around an hour or so before I had looked outside and noticed how dark it was getting.

"Thank you both so much for everything from the hospitality, to the ramen. I do have to go soon though so that I can get enough sleep for tomorrow. Thank you for teaching me everything you did today, Octavia."

Octavia patted me on the back, "Of course, and thank you for showing your music to us. You honestly gave us a better day, as our last week was not very good. It is too much to go into detail about right now, but just know that we needed this break. You have a great rest of your day!"

I then grabbed my things, waved goodbye, and started heading home. I had hoped to meet up with them again in the near future. I had this new feeling of accomplishment for finding out that the pony who unknowably led me to the music business actually liked my piano playing. This filled me with an emotion I haven't felt in a very long time. Ponyville seems to do that to me quite a lot. Every new day was becoming better than the last.

I started walking through the town, no longer afraid of much. I even became bold enough to wave hello at the royal guards. They seemed friendly enough, helped by the fact that they had no idea that I was a changeling. I wish life could stay this way forever. It was just a shame that the hive doesn't know these feelings even exist. Maybe that can be how I create a peace treaty with the hive and the ponies. If I can find a way to teach them about all the things this life can bring, maybe they would be willing to work something out.

While walking back, I noticed that there were more ponies walking the streets at this time than usual. I had no idea what was going on, but suddenly I was spooked by a sound in the distance. I looked up to see the sky was filled with these exploding colors. Fireworks were going off and I had no idea why.

I walked up to a random pony, who seemed to be settling in on a bench to watch the show. "Hey, do you know why they are having a fireworks show?"

The stranger looked at me before looking back. "Oh, that is just Trixie. She is doing her stage magic on the other side of that building." As they said this, they pointed to a building.

I looked back at them before responding, "Why are you over here watching the fireworks then?"

They simply looked at me before looking back up. "I do not like her show, though her fireworks are still very pretty."

I looked back up at the sky, then back to the stranger. I shrugged this off and headed to the building. This was on my way to my cottage so I thought I could stop by for a few minutes. After I made my way around the building, I saw that there was this cart that a pony had turned into a stage. This pony was a light blue unicorn mare with an even lighter shade of blue for her hair color. She had on this cape and large hat. Both of these thing had a similar design with the background being a vibrant purple color loaded with various stars. In front of the stage was a decent sized group of onlookers. Most of the crowd was filled with mothers and their children. I had noticed that this pony was just doing simple magic tricks for a group of young fillies and colts. This warmed my heart a bit.

I watched for a few minutes before continuing back towards the cottage. I would have stayed longer, but a changeling can lose their disguise if they become too tired to concentrate. It was getting to a point where the stars were already coming out. Making my way up the dirt path, I saw that I was once again alone. I was guessing that Fluttershy had already made it home and that was why I did not see her.

Entering my home, I turned on the lights. Even though the cottage was still mostly empty, I could feel as though this was more than my cottage now. It was my place to call a home, just undecorated. Still full from the ramen, I decided to skip out on eating before bed.

I locked all the doors and made my way back up to my room. That bed of blankets was calling my name. After once again verifying that the house was secure and that the curtains were all closed, I dropped my disguise. After going back into my true self, and turning all the lights off, I flopped myself onto my bed. This was a great day, and I was hoping tomorrow would be even better.

Chapter 6: The Start of the Chaos

I had bolted up that morning, hearing another knock at my door. Remembering what had happened last time there was a knock at my door; I felt uneasy. Quickly jumping up, I transformed into my pony form and ran downstairs. I was hoping that there would be no guards this time. I had a huge sigh of relief when I looked through the peephole of the front door.

Fluttershy was outside knocking on my door. I relaxed a little bit and opened the door for her. I looked at her with calm emotion, "Good morning, Fluttershy. Did you need something?"

Fluttershy smiled up at me, "Hello Blue, I was wondering if I could get your help with something. You see, I was transporting my recycling into town as the recycling company doesn't make their rounds out here. Having a lot of animals that need feeding, I use a lot of food containers that need to be recycled. For some reason though, one of the wheels of my cart fell off and it is too much for me to carry on my own."

"Sure, just let me get something small to put in my saddle bag to snack on later." I said this as I quickly went into the kitchen. The kitchen could be seen from the front door. I opened the fridge and went through my options again. I had picked up a few oranges and threw them in my food ration pocket. Normally, I always have extra rations in my bag used for emergencies. Once I collected a few oranges I went back outside to help Fluttershy after ensuring my cottage was locked up.

We both walked down the dirt path to see her cart on the side of the road. Her wheel had not only been broken off but was broken in half. After a closer inspection, I had found that it was due to wood rot. The recycling was luckily in trash bags so all we had to do was tie some of the bags together and carry them on our backs.

"You have got to take better care of your cart Fluttershy. If it was something like an injured animal, and I wasn't here to help you, then you would have been in a deeper situation." I said this as we started walking into town. Fluttershy looked down in slight defeat.

"Thank you for helping. I will definitely try to take better care of my things. Luckily, Apple Jack is really good at fixing this type of thing." Fluttershy said this as she was walking in front of me. I had no idea where the recycling center was, so she had taken the lead.

The walk to the recycling center had not taken too long. After helping Fluttershy go through the recycling, I waved her goodbye and sat down at a close by park bench. I looked up at the sun and noticed it had just come up past the horizon. This meant that I still had an hour or so until work had started. I figured that I would just go see if Izzy was awake. Surely there would be no harm in going to work early, would there?

After a few minutes of a morning walk, I made my way up to the tea shop. Looking through the window, I had seen that Izzy was awake and in the kitchen. I knocked on the front door to see if she would hear it and let me in.

My attempt at getting her attention worked as I could see that she had started walking to the door. When she had open it and seen me, she had given a confused look. "Good morning, Blue. What are you doing here so early? You still have an hour or so until the shop opens."

I had shaken my head in response, "I know. I was helping Fluttershy with her recycling this morning and had not realized what time it was. Instead of heading home after helping her, I figured I would see if I could just come here early to help you out with opening."

She giggled slightly, opening the door to let me in. "Sure, that works for me. I am usually awake a few hours before the shop opens anyways to give myself time to organize my tea supplies. This is also to give myself more time to fully wake up. You can go ahead and start morning clean up if you want."

I nodded my head and started work. Once again, this really did not take me that long to finish. It had also given me more than enough time to count the register. Once I had finished the morning routine, I still had about forty minutes left until the shop opened up. I used this time to eat one of my oranges for breakfast. It was small enough to give me energy until our snack break. Knowing that it was Tuesday, I knew that there were a few sandwiches left over from the day prior. Instead of throwing them out, which was a waste of food, we would often eat them. They might have been a day old, but free food is free food.

After I had finished, Izzy had peeked her head through the kitchen door. "Hey Blue, do you think you could help me finish cleaning up the kitchen? I need to make a run over to meet with Jasmine Leaf. She runs another tea shop, except instead of selling made tea she sells the ingredients so ponies can make the tea at home. I usually sell her the left overs from my garden."

"Sure, what all needs to be done still?" I said, walking into the kitchen.

Izzy looked back at me before pointing to various parts of the kitchen. "The counter tops still need to be wiped down, the stoves need to be cleaned a tiny bit, the ovens need a wipe down, and the dried off dishes need to be put away. Finding where they go should be very easy. You just need to be careful around the stoves that are on right now as I'm getting some water ready for the tea."

I looked at her before getting to work, "Sound easy enough. How long will you be gone for?"

"Usually no longer than fifteen minutes or so. Her store is not that far away from here." Izzy said, leaving the kitchen to go sell her tea. I turned around and started cleaning the kitchen. This was a fairly easy task as she had already cleaned most of it. After spending a few minutes wiping down all the surfaces and cleaning the stoves, being careful not to get near the stoves with the boiling water on them, I had made my way to the dry rack next to the sink. There were a few plates, some tea cups, and some silverware.

Putting the plates away was easy enough as I knew that she kept them above the sink. Reaching this was easy enough without magic as she had a stepstool with locking wheels. I could move the stepstool to where I needed to, lock the wheels, and climb up with ease. I did this without any issues with the plates and the tea cups. The tea cups were in the cabinet next to the plates.

The silverware went into a drawer next to the ovens. However, I had noticed that she kept the bigger knives on top of the fridge in a knife block. As I went to place the bigger knives up in the knife block, I could feel that something was not right. For whatever reason, the wheel locking mechanism failed, and the stepstool had shot out from underneath me. While trying not to fall, I had subconsciously grabbed the top of the fridge hoping to stop myself from falling. What I did not realize at the time was the fridge was not one of the types that were bolted to the floor. As I had grabbed the back of the fridge, it had started to lean forward, and I lost my grip. As this happened, the knife block had fallen off the fridge with me. This ended with me on the floor, and a decent sized slice in my upper right arm. One of the knives had managed to fall in a way where it cut my arm without sticking into it.

Worry had filled my eyes and I was now bleeding. Keep in mind that changelings have green blood instead of the normal red blood that ponies have. This is because our blood does not carry oxygen the same way it does for a pony. I looked around the kitchen to find something to stop the bleeding and clean up any blood that was on the floor. This was because I knew that if Izzy walked in and saw that I was bleeding green, it would be over for me. I had found some paper towels and duct tape. My goal was to clean the wound with paper towels and duct tape the wound shut.

As soon as I had started working on cleaning the wound, Izzy had come back inside. The sudden realization that I did not have enough time to clean the blood from the knife and floor made me freeze as she walked into the kitchen. Izzy stopped and stared at me as I was above the sink trying to rinse out the cut. She looked down at the mess of the floor and then back up at me.

"Blue... What did you spill? I do not remember making Matcha Tea, or any tea that was quite this green recently for that matter." After Izzy had said this, I quickly grabbed a bunch of paper towels, turned off the sink, applied as much pressure to the wound as possible, and turned around to face her while keeping my wound hidden from her. This was to hopefully prevent her from seeing that it was coming from me. In the rush of things, I did not have time to duct tape the wound so that it would not bleed. I could tell that she had a feeling I was covering something up.

Izzy walked up to the small pool of green blood, still not quite realizing what it was, and picked up the knife. She could tell that it was not tea because upon closer inspection, the liquid was too thick to be tea. It had clicked in her mind what it might have been. "Blue, what are you hiding?" She said this, walking closer to me while still holding the knife with her magic.

I looked at her, feeling that the blood was making its way through the paper towels. I did not know what to say. Izzy walked up to me, connecting the dots, and started to get angry. "Blue, show me your arm."

I sighed in defeat, knowing that she was about to find out what I was one way of another. I looked at her and sighed before continuing. "Izzy, I am so sorry. I did not want you to find out this way." After saying this, I removed the paper towels. Izzy froze from the rush of emotions inside her after she had seen my wound. She knew instantly what that meant.

Izzy looked at me for a few seconds before tears had started rolling down her cheeks. She was so filled with anger, sadness, and confusion that she did not know what to do. Izzy left the kitchen for a few seconds. I could see through the kitchen window the she was locking the doors and lowering what looked like shutters. This was to prevent anyone from seeing what she was about to do, and to prevent me from running away. When she made her way into the kitchen, she had also locked all the kitchen doors as well. This meant that I was locked in a small room with someone who just found out that I was a changeling.

"What did you do to Blue? Where is my friend?" She said this, slowly walking closer to me. I did not know what to say, but I knew I had to say something.

"I... I am Blue! Please, just let me explain myself." I said, fearing what was about to happen.

"BULLSHIT! My friend is not a changeling, he is far too nice and caring to be a monster like you." Being so filled with anger and confusion, she had looked at the knife she was holding. Looking around the kitchen, she had seen there was a better option. Izzy picked up and levitated the large boiling pot of water and dumped it on top of me. The pain from this alone was enough to rip me from my disguise. She was looking face to face with a changeling. Though, she did pause for a second after seeing that I was entirely blue even in changeling form. The steam from my now burning skin had started to fill my lungs as all I could do was scream.

After a few painful seconds, I looked back up to Izzy who was now levitating a bunch of knife around my body, ready to impale me from every angle. I had started pleading with her. "Izzy, I swear it is me. I know this is hard to take in, but I have been a changeling this entire time. I do not mean anything harmful to you or anyone else. Just please let me explain myself."

Her eyes went from confused to pure fire. "Shut the fuck up. You seriously expect me to believe that someone as nice and trust worthy as Blue could have really been a bug this entire time?" As she said this, she rammed a knife into my left hind leg so that I could not run away. She then took the knife out, knowing it would make me bleed out even more. "If you really are Blue, then tell me something only he would know."

I sat in thought, or whatever thought I could get out through this severe burning and bleeding. Having just been stabbed did not help me think, though I was able to get something out. "Do... do you remember the shop we visited Friday? You had seen that there were some curtains that had been printed upside down. They were... butterflies."

She thought for a second, then came to the conclusion that this was not enough to prove anything. She placed one of the knives that she was levitating up to my right ear and sliced off the tip. I could feel the ever growing pool of blood around me as I was on the floor still sitting in hot water. I could also now feel my right ear being pooled by blood. She then placed one of the large knives at my throat. I could feel that she wanted to cut my head off, but something in her made her stop as she simply held it there.

She yelled, "That is NOT ENOUGH to prove that you are Blue. If you really are Blue, and I really hope you aren't, then explain how my mother died. I have only told a few people this, plus when I told you it was here at the shop and there was no one else around." I could tell that it was starting to click in her mind that I really was a changeling the entire time.

I paused again for thought, the pain now so strong that I started becoming numb. This was also due to the blood loss. I looked up at her, tears of fear in my eyes. "She.. She died from a depression induced heart attack. This was be-because she lost her husband to the Canterlot Wedding Fiasco."

Her hearing this and confirming that I really was a changeling the entire time had sent her into emotional shock. She had become so heart broken from this information that she let go of all the knives and started crying. She was so lost with these new facts that the world around her seemed to be falling apart. "I can't believe that I let a changeling get so close to me. I can't believe that I thought I could actually trust you and call you one of my closest friends. I can't believe I was friends with a mass murderer."

"I... I never meant to hurt anyone. I did not participate in the Royal Wedding Fiasco. I swear I-" I was not able to finish the sentence before I could feel myself being lifted up in her magic. She was lifting me up by just my throat. She was trying to choke me out, not letting me finish my sentence.

She looked back up to me with darkness in her eyes. "Liar, you are a fucking liar. Nothing you love sucking, pony killing, life stealing, family destroying, brainwashing fucking bugs ever say is honest. Hurting ponies is all you know how to do. I won't let you hurt me anymore. I won't let you hurt anyone anymore." I could feel myself starting to lose consciousness. I said the only thing I had enough energy left to say. "I... I am not lying... I hate hurting... If I was not on your... s-side... I would not have killed... that changeling on Saturday."

I closed my eyes and prepared myself for death. The room had filled with silence, or at least from what I could tell as I had one ear drowned with blood. Right before I was going to pass out from being choked to death, I had been dropped. I gasped for air, wondering why she did not finish me off.

After coming back to my senses, I had look up at Izzy. There was something about her that had thrown me off. She seemed to have this strange alien emotion that I had not yet seen before. It was like there was something deep down inside her that had told her not to kill me. After a few long and painful seconds, she had looked back at me. "That... That doesn't make any sense. You really have been a changeling this entire time. So that means you are still the Blue that decapitated that changeling. Why would you kill your own kind, unless you really were on our side." She sat down, her face wet from her tears. She was so filled with new emotions that had never come across her before.

I thought for a second but decided to talk once again. "It was a hard decision for me. I knew that changeling. I also knew that if I wanted to show that I was really willing to help the ponies with this upcoming war that I needed to do what I had to do. I killed my own kind because I knew that if I was on your side of the war that I would have to make such decisions. I am already known as a traitor to the hive, so I am on a path that I cannot turn away from. I promise you, I might be a changeling, but I am different. Please, just trust me. I know this is hard for you, but I really do want friendship in my life. I want to create peace in this world."

Izzy glared up to me, before she simply looked down and sighed. She did not know what to do at this point. She could not handle all the emotions that she was going through. We sat in silence for a few minutes before Izzy then stood up. She unlocked the back door and went outside.

After a few seconds, she came back inside with a wagon. This was a medium sized wagon that she used to carry her plants around the garden. She the pointed at the wagon with a very stern look on her face. "Get in, I am taking you to see Princess Twilight. I'll let her decide your fate."

I did what she had told me to do. I did not want to give her any reason to finish me off. She covered me up with a thick blanket so that she could take the wagon through town without anyone seeing me inside. After a few minutes of cleaning her face and making herself look presentable she grabbed the cart and took me outside. "You are not to make any noises. I am taking you to the castle, so you need to be very quiet when we go past the guards protecting her castle doors." Izzy said this, making sure to lock the back door of the shop as we left.

Keeping quiet was very hard to do as the roads of Ponyville were quite bumpy. I was still bleeding, though I could tell it was not as much as in the beginning. My skin still very warm from the boiling water. I did my best to keep as quiet as possible, though I must admit it was one of the hardest thing for me to do.

I could not hear the outside conversation between Izzy and the guards once we had made our way up to the castle door. This was because my right ear was still filled with blood, and the blanket was thick enough to mute anything from the outside. After a few minutes of conversation, I could feel the wagon start moving again.

The ride became smooth as we were now in the long hallway of Twilight's Castle. This was enough to help me prepare myself for what was next to come. Though, I did not know where in the castle we were.

Suddenly, the cart had come to a stop. The only thing I could hear through the thick blankets after that point was the sound of Izzy saying, "I have something for you Princess. Please do with this trash what you will." After she had said this, the room was filled with silence.

I could very faintly hear the sound of someone walking up to the cart. Next thing I knew, the blanket that was covering me had be lifted off of me. I looked up to see a very surprised Twilight Sparkle. Twilight, due to being surprised, let out a huge magic blast that sent me and the cart flying across the room. I had hit the crystal walls with a large amount of force. This was enough to cause me to lose my breath for a few agonizing seconds.

Upon hearing the large blast, two royal guards had come into the room from the outside hallway. I had looked up and seen that I was in a new room. This was Twilights throne room. I knew that I was in huge trouble, so I did the only thing I could think to do. I stood up through the pain and bowed towards the princess.

I was only able to stand that pose for a short time before my leg had given out. As soon as I had fallen, the two royal guards had pinned me against the wall with their spears. One spear against my throat, ready to slice my neck open. The other against my chest, ready to pierce into my heart. I could tell that Twilight was very caught off guard. The royal guards looked to Twilight, ready for the final word.

Twilight did something that not only surprised me, but also the royal guards. She looked at us with an aura of ambivalence. "Hold on a second, there seems to be something off about changeling. Not only have I never seen a changeling bow to anyone other than Chrysalis, but I have never seen a changeling survive Izzy. I have also never seen a pure blue changeling before." After saying this, Twilight walked up to me precariously. "Who are you?"

I looked up to Twilight, making sure to be very careful about what I say. "You might not believe me when I say this, but I am Blue Shadow. I know this is a lot to take in, but I have been this way the entire time we knew each other. I am sorry to have lied to you, but I can explain."

Twilight paused for a second before continuing, "That... that is very hard to believe. However, that would answer my question of how you were able to convince Izzy not to kill you. I have... so many questions. Guards, take this changelings things and take him to the interrogation room."

My eyes went wide as I knew of the horrors that came from Twilight's interrogation room. I thought that as long as I gave her the information she wanted, I might be able to make it out alive. As soon as Twilight told the guards to take me to the interrogation room, one of the guards had removed my saddlebag and placed a blind fold over my eyes. This was to prevent me from knowing where the entrance to the room was. I did my best to limp along side these guards, who were ushering me to this hidden room.

A few minutes passed and we eventually made it to the interrogation room. As soon as I heard the door close behind me, my blindfold had been taken off. I looked around the room with horror. The room was filled with a large variety of torture machines and cages. It was just me, Twilight, and one very large royal guard.

Twilight had me sat on this metal chair. The royal guard then used leather straps to ensure that I stayed on this chair. They then hooked up a large device to my body. This device was a polygraph used to show if I was telling the truth or not. Twilight looked at me with anger in her eyes before speaking. "So, Blue, what are your intentions. Every time you lie or say something I do not like, large amounts of electricity will be passed through your body. With every lie you say, we will pump up the voltage until you are cooked alive."

Twilight looked at the royal guard and gave him a nod. The royal guard then flipped a switch that was connected to the chair via a cable. This sent a painful amount of electricity through my already burnt skin. I let out a large scream, but luckily this only lasted a few seconds. Twilight walked back up to me with a devilish smirk on her face. "That was only a small taste of what is to come your way if you do not give us what we want. Now, onto the first question. Why are you really here?"

I thought carefully, making sure that nothing I said was a lie, or said in a way that Twilight did not like. "Well, like I said last time we met, I am here because I wanted to start a new life. I really do not mean harm to anyone here. I know that this seems very strange, but I really am an outcast. I do not work with the hive."

Twilight looked over to the lie detector with confusion on her face. She looked closely and was caught even more off guard. "That... That can't be right. It says here that you are telling the truth. But, changelings... they don't usually tell the truth right away. That, and this information you're telling me doesn't sound like the plan of a changeling." Both Twilight and the royal guard sat there looking at each other. Twilight continued to the next question. "Ok, were you telling the truth during our last conversation about your past?"

Again, being very careful about what to say, I responded in a manner that did not give out any sign of aggression. "Y-yes, I really did spend the past few years in Manehattan as a pianist. This was not a cover up for being a spy. I really did just want a better life for myself."

Once again, both Twilight and the Royal guard looked at the lie detector. They were both dumbfounded as it came up with me telling the truth again. Twilight had thought for a second that maybe the polygraph was not configured correctly. "Ok, I want you to answer this next question, but I want you to lie. I just need to make sure that this lie detector is working correctly. What color are you?"

I looked up at both of them, clearly seeing confusion on their faces. They really did not think that a changeling could act the way I was acting. I looked at them with a serious face and said, "I am orange."

The lie detector went off, showing them that it was in fact working correctly. Twilight was shocked, but still came up with the next question thinking that it would throw me off. "Ok then changeling, are you willing to work with us, and give us all the hives secrets."

I looked up to them, my face still showing a serious look. "If I am being honest, which I kind of have to be, that was actually part of my plan. I had planned to move to Ponyville to start a new life, which was also part of my previous conversation with you. However, something I had not told you before was that I was waiting for the ponies of this town to trust me. I was eventually planning on getting with you, and your counsel, to reveal myself. I wanted to do it in a way that did not lead to my instant death. After getting to a point where you could trust that I was on your side, I was going to prove it even more by telling you all I know about the hives secrets and military tactics. I did not realize that you ponies were so untrusting of us that you were willing to kill a changeling publicly just to make an example out of them."

Again, both Twilight and the royal guard were at a loss of words after the polygraph came up clean. Twilight simply looked at me in pure disbelief. "I must admit, I did not think that changelings like you could really exist. Why would you tell me all this? Why, knowing that you were killing your own kind, did you still go on with decapitating that changeling?"

"Well, I did it because I know that war time is tough. I did what I needed to do in order to ensure I got everyone's trust. I wanted one of two things to happen. I was going to either find out if I could find a way to create a peace treaty between the hive and the ponies, or help the ponies fend off the hive in this upcoming war. That public decapitation though might make the peace treaty plan much more difficult though." I said, continuing to answer honestly.

Twilight and the guard looked at each other for a few seconds before leaving to have a conversation out of earshot. I was still bleeding, but at this point I could tell that most of the wounds were starting to get covered up with dry blood. I could tell that the sliced ear was going to take the most time to heal. The drying blood in my ear created a perfect blockage meaning I could only hear out of my left ear.

After being left alone for a few minutes, I was able to hear them walking back. Twilight then sat in front of me and continued, "Listen very carefully. This is something that I have never done before, but I am willing to listen to you. This does not mean that I trust you, but the events of this test, and you surviving Izzy's wrath, tell me that you are quite special. We are going to let you off of this chair and take you to our hidden prisoner holding area underneath the castle. It seems that you are willing to work with us, so tomorrow morning my friends and I are going to determine your fate. We were going to beat the truth out of you, but it would seem as though Izzy already did plenty of beating. We are going to blindfold you again and take you to a holding cell."

The royal guard had gotten up and placed the blindfold over my eyes and I was taken off of the chair. I was once again being led through the castle via a path that I was not allowed to see. A few minutes of painful walking pass as I get led into my cell. Once the blindfold had been removed, I could see that I was in a very small room. It had metal bars separating my small room from the rest of the castle. The room was lit by a very small light bulb hanging outside of the cell. The cell had one small bed in a corner, and a sink to allow prisoners to still have water. The cell was so small that if you laid out all the way you would be able to touch both walls. The bed had a single pillow and a thin but clean looking blanket. The floor and surrounding walls were made out of stone. There was a single guard who stood watch outside of the cell behind a protected glass barrier.

Twilight and the other guard had already left. I was now alone in this poorly lit room. I knew I was being watched by the royal guard, but due to him being placed in a separate room only watching me from behind a glass, I considered myself to be completely alone. I went up to the sink and checked to see if it had running water.

To my surprise, the sink water actually looked very clean. I used this time to thoroughly clean all of my wounds, being that they were still open and bleeding slightly. After what seemed like a very long time, I had managed to clean all the dry blood from my fur and ear. Cleaning out the ear was the most painful of all as the dry blood essentially dug deep into my ear canal. This cleaning process lasted a very long time. I noticed that I was still bleeding slightly from the ear after I had finished cleaning it. The other areas some how being covered with enough dry blood to act as a natural bandage.

I did not think that the guard watching me from behind the glass could hear me, but I decided to ask him a question. "Excuse me sir, I know this sounds a bit unorthodox, but do you have some bandage wrap that I could use on my ear?"

I was surprised when I had seen him press a button and respond back to me via an intercom system. "We are not authorized to do anything outside of what the Princess tells us to do. Princess Twilight had told me to watch over you and make sure you do not try to escape. That is all I am going to do."

I sighed, knowing that the guard was just doing his job. I sat and thought for a minute before looking at the bed. I noticed that the bed sheet looked clean. I had assumed that the sheets were changed every time a new prisoner was in the holding cell. I managed to tear off a small bit of the corner of the bed sheet and used it to wrap up my ear. I was not sure how missing a part of my ear was going to affect future transformations, but I would find out one way or another. I figured that this was not the best place to try a transformation as the guard might think it was part of an escape plan. After ensuring that my ear was wrapped up in a way to prevent any more bleeding, and that the rest of my wounds were cleaned, I laid down on the bed. I had to lie in a way that would not cause me to lie on any of my wounds. I ended up just having to lay down on my stomach.

I knew that these next few days were about to be tough, but as long as I kept showing the ponies that I was not harmful I figured that I would be fine. The next thing I needed to do was get judged by Twilight and her closest friends. Either that, or Twilight was going to find a way to execute me publicly. The irony in this situation was something that made me giggle a tiny bit in this dark situation. Twilight finding out that the one pony she had complete the first public execution of a changeling, was also a changeling themselves. I laid down, finally being able to relax for the first time today. It was not the best night of sleep, but it was still comfier than sleeping on the cold streets of Manehattan.

Chapter 7: Honest Interrogation

The air in this place was so still and cold. It had almost reminded me of a Hearth's Warming Day. The thin blanket was only doing so much to help warm me up. I had sworn that the room was way warmer when I first arrived. The temperature seemingly dropped over night in this tiny prison cell. Even the mattress below me was cold to the touch. I guess that when you are sleeping in a place made of stone underground, there is only so much that could keep you warm. Though, realizing that it was colder instead of warmer told me that I was not that far underground. I looked up after waking to see if I could see the royal guard on the other side of the glass. It appeared that they had been replaced as I was sleeping. Made sense I suppose, even the guards need sleep cycles. I got up and stretched, or at least whatever amount of stretching I could do in this small room. As I did this, I was instantly reminded about my injuries as my body froze in a sudden pain. It was a numb type of pain, but more than enough to get the point across.

After the pain subsided, I had realized that this cold was a good thing. I could tell that the room temperature helped to keep down any swelling that might have occurred had I slept in a warmer room. The body burns seemed to have mostly gone away, but the deep slashes and cuts were there to stay. I looked at my reflection in the glass, focusing on my ear.

That was the price I had to pay for trying such a dangerous thing. Trying to befriend the pony kind while being seen as an enemy of the state. Sometimes, I find that I am a bit too bold for my own good. I flew too close to freedom and paid the price.

After a while of standing there in self contemplation, I decided it would best if I had some water. I started to get hungry and thought that water in my system would help subdue the hunger. That was another thing I never got about myself. Even though I was a changeling, I didn't feed the same way as the others. I was able to survive on regular pony foods and was never really hungry for love. I had always suspected myself of being this way due to being a half-ling, but I never got to confirm what I really was. I could eat love like a normal changeling, but my body never required it.

After a few sips of very cold water, I decided to try asking for food. Worst case scenario they would just say no. I looked out towards the glass, "Good morning, Sir, I was curious if you had some food I could have? I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning."

The royal guard looked at me through the glass. He replied back in a very stern manner. "Are you serious? You really think that I would just let you take my love just by asking nicely? You really are stupid."

I looked back at the guard, slightly annoyed. "No, I meant food. Like, an apple or something? I'm not a heathen."

The guards face went from serious to confused. "I'm sorry? A changeling asking me for pony food? Now that is something I did not see coming. Everyone knows that changelings only eat by sucking the love out of them."

I sighed before continuing, "No, changelings can still eat normal food when there is not enough love to go around. Though, the types of food they eat can be a bit unnatural for a normal pony. I actually haven't been hungry for love in a very long time as I have adapted to a mostly solid food diet. You see, there are a lot of things you pony folk don't know about changelings. Most of the things you hear about changelings are from false information and bad resources."

The royal guard looked at me with a blank stare, "How do I know this isn't just a trick? For all I know, the moment I go past this barrier to give you food is the moment you try to attack me."

I looked at him with relaxed emotion. "Sir, do you really think I would be stupid enough to attack you? I am in a small confined room behind metal bars. You are a well-trained royal guard with a spear long enough to stab me from anywhere in this cage. I just want something small for breakfast."

The royal guard paused for thought, "Well... you still have your horn. How do I know you aren't going to just take my weapon away from me?"

I just stared at him for a second, trying to think of what to say next. "You know, not all changelings are savage barbaric beasts. Some of us actually try to be peaceful, despite what you know about us. If it makes you feel any better, you could just throw the food through the door. I can pick it up without you being in the room. That is, if you even have food in the first place. How about you think of in a way that makes sense? Would you rather give a changeling regular food knowing that it will not need to feed later, or would you rather let the changeling starve and start relying on instinct?"

The royal guard stopped in thought for a little while. After a few seconds, I was able to see that the guard had pressed a different button. I could not tell who we was talking to nor what he was saying. The guard then suddenly got up and walked out of view. A few seconds later I heard the door separating the watch room from my cell room open. The guard, weapon in hoof, walked carefully up to my cell. Turns out that he did have extra food in his watching room.

The royal guard looked down at me as I was laying on the mattress. He then rolled an apple through the bars and stared at me. "Here, they had an entire bag of these in the break room. I would recommend rinsing it off before you eat it though." After the guard said this, he turned his back to me, walking away slowly towards the door. It had almost seemed as though he was trying to test me. I was not going to let him get the result he wanted though. I levitated the apple towards me. My magic was this bright neon green color. This was the reason I did not use my magic around ponies. Me being an all blue pony using changeling green magic would have instantly blown my cover. I was able to use it here as I was already figured out anyways. I did not lie about being used to using my hooves for everything as I never used my magic around ponies. It would seem that at this point it did not matter so I was going to start using my magic more. You see, even though a changeling can change forms, they cannot change the color of their magic.

The royal guard took note of my behavior as he made his way back through the door into the watching room. I had gotten up and rinsed the apple off in the sink. The apple was slightly dirty, almost as if it was in a bag that had been dropped in dirt. I sat back down on the bed and enjoyed the breakfast. I could tell that the royal guard seemed interested in watching a changeling eat like a normal civilized pony.

The apple was enough to suffice me as I was already used to eating small meals. After eating, I had noticed that the attention of the guard had been pulled to something else. I could not tell what they were looking at, but it seemed important.

A few minutes after I ate apple, I decided that the best way to pass the time was to try to take a nap. It was the only thing for me to do while I was awaiting orders. Taking a nap was actually fairly easy for me as I liked the cold. Something about the cold just made going back to sleep easier for me.

I was not sure how long the nap had lasted but I was woken up by the intercom system. The system had let out a loud ringing sound which was effective in waking ponies up. It made me shoot up quickly as I was trying to figure out what had happened. After a few seconds, the ringing had come to a stop. Another voice rang out via the intercom system. "Wake up bug, the princess wants to see you now."

I stood up after hearing a noise come from behind the door. Twilight Sparkle had made her way through the door and stopped in front of my cell. She looked at me for a bit before she levitated some keys towards the cell door. "Listen up changeling, you are to do what I tell you when I tell you to do it."

I nodded in agreement and stayed away from the door as she opened it. I stood still until she gave me the next order. She grinned at me, "Good, the changeling can listen. We do not want a repeat of what the last changeling did, now do we?"

Twilight studied me for a second, taking note that I was resourceful enough to use a corner of the bed sheet as a bandage for my ear. "Ok, we are going to put the blindfold back on you. You are going to let my guards do this while you stand still."

I did as she wanted and stood still. The guard wrapped the blindfold around me and then started pushing me along. I simply walked where they were guiding me. I did not show any signs of aggression or disobedience as I was being ushered through the castle.

After a long walk, we made our way into a large room. One of the guards removed the blindfold and walked off. For whatever reason, all of the guards were told to leave. This left me and Twilight alone in this large room. Twilight looked back at me and let out a small smile. I could not tell if this was a good sign or not. "Ok Blue, if that is your real name, here is what is going to happen. We are going to go through this door, and you are going to stand in the middle. I have already told my friends about what is about to happen. We are going to ask you questions and determine your fate." After she finished talking, she led me into this large open room. It was another room in her castle that I had not yet been in. It was a circular room that had only one entrance. "You are not going to say anything until you are spoken to."

I did what she told me to and stood in the middle of the room. I knew what was about to happen, and I knew I had to tell my story. A few moments of silence passed by before I was able to hear a commotion from outside. Twilight walked into the room followed by her counsel. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Apple Jack, and two others that I have not met before. I could tell from looking at them that these two were named Rainbow Dash and Rarity. I knew this because this group of friends was wildly spoken about anywhere you go in Equestria. They are this country's hero group after all. Rainbow Dash clearly being the pegasus with blue fur, a rainbow mane, and magenta eyes. Rarity being the unicorn with white fur, a beautiful purple mane, and blue eyes.

They all circled around me, giving strange glances. The room was filled with a mix of emotions as Twilight had not told them who I was. The fact that I was an all blue changeling seemed to give them a bit of shock as they had never seen a changeling that was not black. I was able to tell that they did not yet know who I was. Once they had circled around me, Twilight walked up to me. "Ok, I left out a few things when telling them about a changeling being judged as I feel as though there is something unique about you. Something that tells me that you might be the secret weapon we need to fight the hive. Now, tell them all who you really are."

I looked around the room, knowing that when I told them my name that all hell was about to break loose. I looked at Pinkie Pie with a straight face. "I know that out of everyone in this room, that you would be the one to know who I was. You were right Pinkie, I was a changeling this entire time." I paused to look around the room to everypony else. "I am Blue Shadow, Blue for short."

Pinkie Pie turned to Apple Jack, "See? I bucking knew it! You did not want to believe me and my Pinkie Sense and now you owe me ten barrels of your hardest cider."

Rainbow Dash turned to hear this, "You're just going to give her all that cider? She always gets the cider."

Apple Jack looked very surprised, "Ain't no way I was wrong about this. Blue bein' a changeling seems very unlikely. He's too nice and caring. Though, this would explain his tree kicking earlier. Blue here almost out bucked Big Mac. A bet is a bet though, I'll be droppin' the barrels off later this week."

Pinkie Pie then looked to Twilight with a more serious look. "So, why is he not dead yet?"

Twilight looked at the group as they were all wondering the same thing. "Well girls, from those of this group that knew him, I have noticed you all saying the same thing. Blue here does not seem like a changeling at all. Even when we are looking at him, he just doesn't seem like a changeling. I interrogated him hoping to get some answers from him. Blue here didn't even need to be interrogated as he just gave us everything we wanted from him. We asked him a series of questions about who he was and what he was here for. This is what made me curious as when I had asked why he was here, the story he told all of us before we found him out did not change at all. This changeling really did live in Manehattan as a pianist for the past few years. He really did move to Ponyville to start a new life. This changeling really did not participate in the Canterlot Wedding Fiasco. I know this all seems like a lot of information to all of you, especially to Rainbow Dash and Rarity as you have not yet met him, but he is here today to be judged as I feel as though we have come across the first reformed changeling. Nothing he does gives off any sign of him having any bad intent on anyone. Now you girls can take turns asking him any question you want until we get enough information to determine his fate."

Pinkie Pie spoke first, "Ok changeling, I know for a fact that in order to get into Ponyville via the train, which I know you did because I was there to greet you after you came across the bridge into town, that you need an E.I.C. How did you manage to get your hooves on one?"

I looked back to Pinkie, "If you remember, these cards were given to ponies only a year or so ago. I, having lived in Manehattan for a long time at this point, was given one the same way everyone else was given one. I went in to the Manehattan City Hall and was processed for a card. I went in, filled in the paper work, answered the questionnaire, gave them my work order proving that I was a working citizen, got the picture taken, and was given the card just like everypony else."

Apple Jack then spoke up, "Ok, so you really are a musician? Why would a changeling want to play music for ponies?"

I thought for a moment before answering, "Well... I have always loved the creativity that music lets you express. I have always been different from the average changeling. I do not quite know why, but I do feel as though it may have something to do with me not being a full changeling. I might be wrong, but I have always felt as though I was less of a changeling and more of a hybrid between changeling and pony. If you want to know more about how well I can play the piano, ask Octavia or Vinyl Scratch. I played for them while at their house after meeting Octavia in the tea shop. She heard about me being a musician via ponies around town and she wanted to hear what I could do."

Fluttershy spoke next, "Ok, so be honest with me. During our first conversation, I asked you if you knew about a green flash. I knew what that flash was. Was the first flash really the other changeling?"

I looked down with a sigh of defeat, "No, that first flash was me not being careful. It just so happened that there was another changeling the next night. I used that changeling as a deterrent to make you think both flashes were from them. I had to lie at that time because I did not want anyone to find out what I was. I was going to tell everyone later after I had gained enough trust from the towns folk. I hate lying as I was always taught that telling the truth the first time is an easier blow than getting caught in a lie. When you are a changeling though, just telling ponies what you are is a death wish. I did my best to tell any truths that I could though. I never lied about my past, I just did not add the fact that I was from the hive before moving to Manehattan. I did not lie about when I said I moved here to live a better life. I did not lie about saying I want to make friends. You all should be the first ponies in town to know that friendship is a powerful thing."

Rarity spoke up next, "Ok, while I have never met this changeling before, I feel as though I must ask. Are you blue on purpose, because I feel as though it clashes with your original design."

I looked at her, slightly taken aback by her question. "No, if you must know, I am not blue by choice. This is a birth defect that I was born with which haunted my childhood. It did not make living in the hive easy as I stuck out anywhere I was. I was always bullied for being a ‘defective bug’ as they liked to call me. I did eventually learn to love myself for who I was. My pony form being blue is by choice though as I have finally learned to accept me for me. My name being Blue is also by choice. You see, Blue is not my real name, but rather the name I was given in the hive. My real name is Chakor Mingan. Chakor for short as the name can be hard to pronounce. Though, I feel Blue sticks easier."

Rainbow Dash was next to speak, "So what? You expect us to feel bad about you growing up being bullied by your entire family? That is such a sob story. A sob story that works though. I would never be the first to admit this, but I actually kind of feel bad."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy spoke out in response, "Really? You feeling bad for a changeling? What did you do with the real Rainbow Dash?" After Fluttershy had said this, they all gave out a small spurt of laughter.

Rainbow Dash looked to Fluttershy, "Like I said, I would never be the first one to say that. The only reason I am saying this is because, even though he is a changeling, I know that changelings are very evil creatures by nature. Now, I can see that he is not evil like a normal changeling, meaning that I can see how him being bullied for being a different color could be traumatizing. The only thing that would make his past any more sympathetic would be if he said something along the lines of being homeless in Manehattan."

I looked up to her with a serious look on my face, "Rainbow Dash, I WAS homeless in Manehattan."

I could tell that she did not expect me to actually say yes to this as she had backed up a bit and just stared at me.

I looked around the room to see that this actually managed to make the others think as well. They all gave off an emotion of bewilderment. Pinkie Pie spoke up again breaking the silence, "Ok then Blue, how do we know that you are not lying to us as we speak?"

Twilight spoke out before I could answer, "I know he is not lying because I cast a spell on this room that prevents anyone from lying. This also explains why Rainbow Dash spoke out the way she did."

Pinkie Pie stood there in thought before continuing, "So that means, no matter what question I ask him, he cannot lie." She turned back to me, "Ok Blue, did you know that the hive was going to attack during the wedding?"

I looked up at her, shaking my head side to side. "No, I did not know that Chrysalis had planned to do that. Like I said before, I was living in Manehattan while all of this was going on. I had left the hive after being out-casted from being too different. Once a changeling gets kicked from the hive, they are left to fend to themselves and are no longer told about anything the hive plans to do."

Apple Jack then spoke up, "Ok, sense I now know that we are under a spell forcin' you to only tell the truth I have another question for ya'. Did you have anythin' to do with the wood beams fallin' on top of Big Mac?"

I once again shook my head, "No, that was a complete freak accident that I had nothing to do with. I hate hurting other creatures."

Pinkie Pie asked another question, "Wait a second. If you hate hurting other creatures, then why did you go on with the execution?"

I froze in thought for a solid while, "Well, I went through with it because I knew that if I was to fight alongside pony kind that I would have to go against the hive. I wanted to try to create peace between the hive and pony kind, but I am also willing to accept the fact that the hive will never listen to a traitor. I know that somewhere out there are changelings willing to reform, though I do not think they know that they can. We have accepted the fact that ponies will always hate us because of our past. That and the fact that our mother is a bit of a dictator. I know that there are changelings willing to change for the better, such as myself. War is a dark place though, riddled with death and emotion. I killed that changeling because I did what I had to do in order to show that I was willing to fight for the ponies. Who knows, maybe other changelings out there are also willing to fight the hive and join the ponies in peace. I know that most of the hive would never think this way though, but I am willing to look for changelings that want a better life. I know that peace between races is not usually done peacefully. If I had to kill a changeling in order to bring peace between races, then that is what I will do. I know this sounds contradictory, but war is like that."

Twilight then approached me, "So, you are telling us that you think there could be other reformed changelings out there? Do you know this for a fact, or are you just assuming that there would be more changeling like you?"

I looked up at her, "I know this because I have seen it. I am not the only changeling to have been kicked out of the hive for thinking that peace between pony kind would be a good thing. I know there are other changelings who want to change for the better because I have seen them myself. They are not quite as civilized as me, but they are trying. I do not know any of them personally, nor who they are disguised as, but I know there are more than enough changelings out there who want to reform. I know for a fact that the changeling I killed was not one of those changelings. You might not have realized this, but the changeling we decapitated was a changeling general. You do not become a general by thinking nicely of the pony kind."

They all looked at each other after being given this information. Twilight then looked back and continued, "I guess this is just a lot for us to take in. We just thought that all changelings were mindless bugs that only did what was best for the hive. We did not think they were individual thinking creatures filled with their own life and personality. There is still a lot we do not know about the changelings and are willing to learn. So, are you willing to help us learn?"

I nodded in agreement before responding, "Yes, I am willing to help you understand changelings and the way the hive works. I am willing to either help you find the other reformed changelings, or just help you defend against the hive. I can teach you how to best defend against the changelings and how to spot one in disguise."

Twilight looked around at the others. "Ok girls, I think it is time to decide. Let us go and discuss this in the hall while he sits here and waits."

They all agreed and headed out. I was alone in the room waiting for something to happen. This final judgement lasted for what seemed like forever. I was sitting there thinking of what could possibly happen next.

After a very long time of sitting in this room, the door had once again opened to the group of ponies coming back inside to tell me the results. Twilight has stepped forward and spoke with a soft yet serious voice. "Ok, we have all decided that we are willing to let you continue living in Ponyville under the condition that you are willing to help us win this war. We are also going to take you to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to see what they have to say about you. You will be working for me in the castle as to also to give me more time to study you. You will stay hiding in pony form while you are living here until we can figure out how to tell the town of what you are without causing mass chaos. Keep in mind that none of this is going to happen until after I take you to the Princesses."

After looking around the room, I could see that this was a hard decision for the group as they still did not entirely like or trust me. My fate has left me alive for another short while. Now I just have to hope Celestia thinks the same way Twilight does.

Shortly after being told this, the other ponies in the group left just myself and Twilight alone in the room. "Ok, Blue, we are going on a train ride to Canterlot. I still have your saddlebag and am willing to give it back to you on the condition that you do as I say when I say it."

We next made our way out of this room and into the map room. There, I was given back my saddlebag. I then, after being told to, stayed in that room under the supervision of a royal guard who was standing by the door. Twilight had gone up to grab some things for the ride.

After about thirty minutes or so, Twilight made her way back down to the map room. Fluttershy had followed close behind her with that looked like a medical kit. Twilight approached me, "Ok, I can see that you are still badly injured. I have Fluttershy here who is going to take a look at your wounds and see if she can figure out how to help you."

Fluttershy then walked up to me and started to unwrap my ear. She could tell that this was the most injured part of my body. When Fluttershy fully unwrapped the makeshift bandage, she winced back a tiny bit. "Oh... my... She nearly cut your entire ear off. Luckily it does not look like your wound has been infected. Though, I have never worked on a changeling before and have no idea what an infected changeling wound would even look like. Does it still hurt?" She said this as she had started cleaning out the cut.

I looked carefully up at her, making sure to not move my head as she was holding my ear. "It does not hurt as bad, but it still does not feel very good. I can tell that the wound has closed up on itself."

Fluttershy let out a small sigh. "I think I am going to have to give you stitches. I need to clean out all of your wounds and patch them up. This is going to hurt a little bit, so I brought some anesthetics. This will make it so that you do not feel what I am about to do." After having said that, she took out a small case from her medical bag. When she opened it up, I could see that it had some needles in it. She took out one of the needles and gave me shots of anesthetics around each of my wounds and let them sit for a few minutes.

This helped the pain go away almost instantly as I was finally able to feel relief. Fluttershy placed down a few towels for me to lay on so that she can start working on stitching me up. I had simply closed my eyes and let her get to work. I could no longer feel what she was doing and simply laid flat on the floor moving as little as possible.

This medical procedure ended up taking just under an hour as she clearly knew what she was doing. Her medical bag was quite nifty as she was able to knock this procedure out without having to leave to get any extra tools. Once she had finished, she gave me a few pills. The fact that this medicine was working on me told me that I might have been right about being a half-ling. Either that or this medicine would also just so happen to work on changelings. Our blood was similar enough in the fact that it transports medicine throughout the body. I laid there for a few minutes after being given stitches as I was now very relaxed.

This only lasted a little bit before I had to walk around and show that the stitches were securely in place. Fluttershy had done a very nice job stitching everything up. Fluttershy looked at me with a slight smile, "Ok, now I just need you to turn back into a pony so I can see if the stitches stay in place. I do not know if this is how it works, but this is also for research to see if your magic is smart enough to keep the stitches."

I figured that this was actually a good question. Would the stitches stay? There was only one way to find out. The room filled with a green flash as I transformed back into my pony form. To everyone's surprise, the stitches did end up staying in place. Though, I noticed I was still missing half an ear. The stitches were now hidden under my blue pony fur. There is still a lot that not even I know about changeling magic, but this was a fantastic discovery.

Fluttershy then gave me a few bottles of pills that I placed into my saddlebag. "Thank you Fluttershy, I feel much better now."

Fluttershy smiled as she had started to clean up the mess of slightly blood soaked towels. As she did this, Twilight walked around me because she was curious to learn about changeling magic. "Ok, now we are ready to board the train and take you to see Celestia and Luna. Please follow me."

I followed close behind as she ended up leading me outside. I could tell that the ponies of this town had not yet been told about what I was. Though, I could tell they were taking note of my right ear. I ignored it and followed Twilight to the train station. This walk was easier now that I had just been given pain medicine. Luckily her Castle was not that long of a walk from the station.

The station was just as empty as I remembered it being. The royal guards saluting Twilight and letting both of us enter the train without having to purchase a ticket or go through a security check. There was something different about the train this time. It would seem as though, to prepare for war, the conductor's cabin was encased in a protected metal case. The only way in and out was through a metal door that required a pass code. The rest of the train was still the old body meaning there was little to no protection.

After Twilight had a quick conversation with the guards and conductor, we took our seats in one of the many empty cabins. This train ride was going to take about two hours, so Twilight had plenty of time to think about how to tell the princesses.

The train slowly started its long journey. Perks of being guided by a princess is that the guards just do what the princess tells them to. I sat down at a window set across from Twilight. Staring outside the window, all I could do was watch as the landscape unfolded before me. The distant city of Canterlot inching ever closer and closer.

Twilight turned to get my attention, "Ok, so as you could probably guess, Celestia and Luna are most likely not going to like the fact that you are a changeling. I think it would be best if you just let me do all the talking. I do not want to give them any reason to have you killed before I have time to explain that you are actually on our side. Keep in mind that this still does not mean that I trust you. You are still on very thin ice as of right now."

I sat there, simply listening to what she had to say. After a little while I noticed something. "Wait, if you do not trust me, then why do you not also have a royal guard with you? You know, in case I try something? Not saying that I would, but I figured it would be some sort of protocol."

Twilight looked at me with a serious face. "Look, I am going to be honest with you. You do not seem like anyone who could hurt a fly, let alone a magic bearing princess."

"Ouch, that hurts." I said, slightly taken back from that comment. "I can do a lot of damage, I just don't like to. Though, saying that probably does not help my case, does it?"

Twilight let out a small laugh, "No, not in the slightest. Plus, you are only one changeling, if things did get out of hoof, I am more than capable at taking care of it."

I looked back out the window, not really sure what to do or say at this point. "I know it will probably take a lot for you to fully trust me, but I will not stop until I can figure this out." As I was looking out the window, I could tell that this was going to be a long ride.

Most of that train ride was filled with silence as Twilight was thinking to herself of how to properly tell Celestia that I was a changeling, but that I was here to help. The ride was smooth, and the medicine was calming. I figured that I would try to use this time to enjoy something to eat from my saddlebag. I opened the bag up and took out an orange. I looked up to Twilight and asked, "Do you want an orange? You know, to help clear your mind a little bit."

Twilight stopped talking to herself and looked back at me surprised. "Oh, sure. I could go for a snack."

I levitated an orange up to her, my green magic surrounding it. Twilight looked back up after grabbing the orange. "I see why you never used your magic around ponies. An all blue pony using this neon green magic is a sure fire way of being found out. You need to be careful around ponies with your magic. Though, you already seem to know this." With that, we both took a few minutes to stop and enjoy a snack.

The train ride from that part on was mostly silent. I looked out the window and continued to watch the scenery pass us by. Eventually we made our way into the tunnel system that connects up into Canterlot. Something strange happened though as we could feel the train come to a sudden halt.

Twilight and I both looked at each other. The outside of the train was filled with darkness as the only light source we had was the cabin light and the light coming from the front of the train. At this point, we were in the middle of the tunnel system. Twilight and I were very confused as we were trying to look out the window to see what had stopped the train. We could see that the front of the train had been blocked by a few logs of wood that were part of the tunnel support system which had fallen onto the tracks.

The silence of the situation had been broken with the sound of distant buzzing echoing throughout the tunnel. I knew exactly what that sound was, and I also knew that Twilight was experienced enough to know as well. Twilight looked to me with slight irritation. "Did you call these guys? Was this somehow part of your plan all along?"

I looked up to her with worry in my eyes. "How could I have possibly known that this was going to happen? I didn't even know that I was going to make it out of your castle alive."

Twilight gave me a look of annoyance but with a hint of slight understanding. "Right, that wouldn't make any sense." As she said this, a loud thud could be heard from on top of the train. We could see through the doorways that the conductor's booth was being attacked by changelings. Though, after a few seconds, the changelings realized they could not get to the conductor so they would just get anyone else on the train instead.

Twilight and I looked at the doors. The buzzing outside had come to a stop, and we were left in silence for a few long seconds. This silence was then suddenly interrupted by the door being forced open as a group of changelings had made their way into our cabin.

One of the changelings wearing what looked like a changeling guard uniform had walked forward of the group. "Well, well, well, what have we here? A princess AND a traitor. Piss pour disguise by the way Chakor. We know what you did, and we do not like it. You want to fight for these ponies, then you are going to die like a pony!" As he said this, he lunged forward to attack us. This all happened very quickly, but I was ready. Despite the pain, I made my way into my saddlebag and took out my large dagger. I was now running on protection mode and lots of adrenaline.

I got in front of Twilight as I was in protection mode and knew that this group of changelings were not the type to ever reform. They were here for one reason and one reason alone, to kill anyone on this train. As the lead guard changeling leaped forward to attack, I set up a magic shield bubble around myself and the princess. As the changeling guard landed face first on this surprise bubble, I threw him off by not letting him see me teleport the dagger. I did the first thing that I could think of and simply teleported the dagger inside his stomach. As I did this, I took the bubble shield and expanded it so that the rest of the changelings were pressed up against the walls.

I then levitated the dagger towards the roof while it was still inside the changeling guard. This caused the guard to get levitated up and as I pointed the knife towards the sky it passed right through him due to him now having his entire body weight on the tip of the dagger. His body fell towards the floor, the dagger ripping through his body to stay in place.

Twilight apparently wanted in on the action as she then jumped out from behind me and grabbed one of the changeling with her magic, forcing his body through my magic shield. This ended up crushing the changeling as it was being forced into two different directions by two different magic beings. I then dropped the shield and let them lunge back towards us. This was a small sense of false hope for them, as I then cast a spell of ice.

I cast the spell directly at the first changeling who tried to leap towards me. This spell caused the changelings lungs to be filled with frozen air, eventually stopping his breathing and weighing him down as his chest was now filled with very heavy ice. The changeling looked up and let out the best hiss he could as I dug my dagger straight through his throat. I then lifted up and let his body weight and the weight of the ice inside of him force his head to be separated from his body. I then threw his now severed head at one of the fellow changelings. That changeling dropped the head of his brother and was smart enough to fly away from the scene.

From behind me, I was caught off guard as it turned out that during this chaos one of the changeling guards had managed their way through Twilight's spells and embedded a blade into the side of her chest. This sent me into over protection mode as I then ran to grab that changeling. Though, as I was making my way grab this changeling, I had been caught off guard by another changeling who teleported their way behind me. They had blasted me towards the window. The window was large enough to where I had managed to fall through the glass and outside the train onto the rocks below.

I had fallen very hard on to rocks and shattered glass. The changeling managed to get the high ground in this situation. As they jumped out the window to land on top of me, I had managed to roll out of the way in time to blast them away with a different spell. The blast was powerful enough to knock the changeling very hard against the tunnel walls. The force of the impact had killed him instantly. I could hear a lot of hissing and screaming coming from inside the train and knew I had to make my way back inside. As I went to gallop back toward the door of the train, I was pulled back from another changeling behind me. I simply let them pull me back. As they were pulling hard with their magic, I used my magic to start pulling them closer to me. This caused us to clash at high speed as I was aiming to kick them in the face. The speed from us pulling each other combined with a successful landing of my right hind leg to their horn was enough to cause their horn to pierce into their skull, killing them instantly.

I made my way back into the train to see that Twilight, despite now bleeding from the knife that was still implanted into her side, was handling the situation quite well. I could see as Twilight was holding a changeling, that she had twisted the changeling neck all the way around. As she threw the now dead changeling at a different changeling, I had gone behind another changeling and put them into a rear naked choke hold. I held onto them as tight and as long as possible until I could feel the changeling go limp as they had taken their last breath.

I had next gotten up and helped Twilight finish off another changeling that was trying to attack her from behind. The changeling had managed to grab hold of Twilight neck via his magic and was trying to squeeze the life out of her. That was enough for me to take my dagger and throw it at their face full speed. This was enough to cause my dagger to not only go straight through them, but it had also been enough force to embed the dagger into the eyeball of another changeling standing behind them. I took the dagger out of the skull of the changeling, his eyeball coming out with it. I turned around and shoved the dagger down the throat of another changeling that had suck up from behind, eyeball and all. As I took out the dagger, I could see that the changeling was suffocating as it was now choking on the eyeball of his brother.

After this chaos, I looked back up to see if there were any more changelings to fight. It had appeared as though Twilight and I had managed to take out a small group of changelings by ourselves. I ran up to Twilight just in time to catch her as she fell from not being able to take the pain from the knife embedded into her side anymore.

I quickly looked around to see the carnage and to see if there were any more changelings left alive. After a quick and thorough look, I could see that all the changelings inside and outside of the train were dead. Any surviving changelings had already fled the scene to tell the hive about what had happened.

I did the next thing that I could think to do and ran outside to the conductor's cabin. I knocked on the door and he looked out to see me covered in changeling blood. He had been watching the entire fight while locked inside the cabin. After assuring him that the changelings had been taken care of and telling him that the princess had been stabbed, the conductor got out of the cabin. We both ran up to Twilight to make sure she was ok. The conductor gave a look of horror as he had seen all the dead changeling thrown about the cabin. The conductor luckily always had a first aid kit that he stored in his cabin. This was luckily because in order to prepare for war, all train conductors had to also have medical training in cases such as this. Though, usually it wouldn't be to this extent.

Luckily it would seem as though the knife that the changeling used was a small knife that was carved out of a strong stone material and did not do any real damage. The conductor managed to safely remove the small knife and wrap up the wound. He then looked around the cabin at the bodies and looked back at us. "I need to make my way back up to my cabin and call for the guards. I need to let them know that we have been ambushed by changelings and that Princess Twilight had been injured." After having ensured that Twilight was patched up, the conductor ran back to his cabin and called via an emergency radio broadcast system.

I ran to find my saddlebag that had been kicked underneath one of the seats and opened one of the pain medicine bottles, levitating the pills and my canteen of water towards her. She took it and sat up, holding her side as she then gave me the canteen back. She then also looked around at the results of the fiasco and looked back at me. "Well, I suppose I was wrong. You are scarily good at holding your own in a flight. Are you ok?"

I looked around my body to see if any of my stitches had popped open. Luckily it would seem as though Fluttershy was really good at stitching someone in a way that prevented the stitches from coming out before it was time. "I do not seem to be bleeding, but I did manage to take some damage. My wounds may not be opened, but they are throbbing. That and my back is now on fire as I was thrown very hard out of a window and onto rocks and glass. I'm shocked that none of the glass I landed on managed to give me any more cuts."

Twilight then gave a look of calmness before she attempted to take a deep breath. While she was attempting to take a breath, she suddenly winced at the pain from her side and throat. When that last changeling had tried to choke her out, it had managed to leave her with a very sore throat. She looked back up to me after coughing a tiny bit. "Heh, well I suppose if that does not show that I can trust you, then I do not know what would."

Twilight was able to get back up onto a cushioned seat and was able to relax. I got back up on the seat across from her wincing at the new pain that was sending shockwaves throughout my body. The pain medicine only did so much, and I knew that I needed something stronger. I did not care at this point though as my mission was now to ensure Twilight was ok.

A little while had passed before we could hear the trampling of hooves. I looked out the window to see a very large group of Celestial Royal Guards heading our way. Along side those guards was Celestia herself. Celestia was first one to make it into the cabin as she heard that Twilight was injured. Upon entering the still very bloody and carcass filled cabin she stood there in a moment of disbelief and wonder. She gazed upon the scenery and after standing in awe she came inside and walked up to the both of us. She did not at the time care about me as Twilight was her main focus.

"Twilight, are you ok? I heard the train was ambushed but I did not think it was that bad." Celestia stated, while taking a close look at Twilight to ensure she had been properly taken care of.

Twilight looked back up after slightly wincing in pain, "I'm fine, my friend here helped protect me and make sure I was not injured any more than I already was."

As she said this, Celestia had turned to me and had given me a look of curiosity. "Who might you be?"

I looked up to Celestia who was towering over us. I had not met her in real life before, but I did not think ponies meant it literally when they had said that Celestia was a modern day giant. "My name is Blue, I am a new friend of Twilight." I said this, clearly intimidated by her.

Celestia continued looking at me for a second before looking back to Twilight. "Ok Twilight, I want you to explain exactly what happened here, and who your friend is."

Twilight looked up to Celestia, "Well, we were on our way to see you because of something I will get to later. The train ride was smooth until we had come across a section of these tunnels that had fallen and blocked our path. Turns out that this was an ambush as next thing we know this room was filled with changelings trying to kill us. Blue here got in front of me and placed up a shield for protection. After that, everything was quite blurry and too quick to keep track of. Almost all of these dead bodies were from his hooves. Blue here is a friend of mine who is seemingly very good at protecting ponies from hoards of changelings. I tried my best to simply survive being attacked by multiple changeling all at once but was overpowered. Blue could not stop me from being stabbed as I remember that he had been thrown through the window at this point. Like I said, most of the fighting was a blur as we were relying on survival and adrenaline. The only thing that matters is that Blue here did his best and saved my life."

It was at that point that a royal guard had taken note that each cabin had security cameras in place. "Ma'am, we can watch the security footage later." Celestia looked up at the camera.

Celestia then looked back at the both of us. "We can get to that later, but right now we need to get you two into the castle medical bay and clean all that blood from the both of you. We will send a cleanup crew to fix this mess and take care of the blockage. We will then talk about that 'something you want to get to later' Twilight."

The room filled with a large bright light as Twilight, Celestia, and I are magically teleported inside the Canterlot Castle. Twilight looked around to see where we were at. After taking note that Celestia had teleported us into an empty room in the castle and that there were no guards in the room, Twilight used this time to speak out. "Celestia, before we start walking to the medical bay, I feel now is as good of a time to tell you why we are here in the first place as any. This might come as a bit of a shock to you, but you are going to find out eventually anyways. I figure that I should tell you now before you find out by watching the train security footage. Now, keep in mind that he protected me and made sure I made it off of that train alive."

Celestia stopped mid stride and looked down to Twilight. "Ok, you have my interest. What about this pony is so special that you needed to bring him all the way to me instead of simply writing a letter to me?"

I knew what Twilight was about to say, so I preemptively backed away a few steps. Twilight hung her head low as she spoke to Celestia. "That's the thing. This pony is special in the fact that he is not a pony at all. This pony is a changeling, but please understand that-"

Celestia had cut her off mid-sentence. "You mean to tell me that you brought were going to bring a changeling, knowing he's a changeling, into the Canterlot Castle? Why in Equestria would you possibly think that this was a good idea? On top of this, why did you think it was a bright idea to be on a train with him without any royal guard guiding you? You of all ponies should know better Twilight!"

Twilight winced back at this, "But Celestia, he's not like the others. I brought him here because I found that he is willing to help us win this upcoming war. Seeing that the train was ambushed, the war might be coming sooner than we had anticipated. I know this goes against everything we stand for, but this changeling might be the first reformed changeling we have ever come across. I was alone with him on that train because I did not think he could hurt a fly. I did not know that he was a highly trained changeling. I swear though, he is on our side. We ran many tests to see what makes him so unique and trust worthy. You know that my tests are never half-baked."

Celestia had been glaring into my soul as she was listening to Twilight speak. I was so terrified because I knew I was essentially being stared down at by a goddess. "Even if this changeling was reformed, how do you know his intentions?"

Twilight was silent for a moment before answering, "Part of the tests were ran under a concentrated truth telling spell. I knew that showing him to you was dangerous, but I wouldn't have done it had I not been absolutely sure that he was not here as part of the hive. He is actually an outcast who does not have any bad intentions towards anyone. My friends and I all got together and tested him ourselves. Do you really think that I would bring a changeling to this castle if I was not entirely certain that he could help us? Think about it, what better weapon do we have than a changeling on our side who knows the hive in and out?"

Celestia stood silent, her mind filled with thought and emotion. After a long while, I could tell her gaze had finally become more relaxed. "Ok Twilight, I suppose what you are saying does make sense. Though, I will be the judge of his intentions. Tomorrow, all three of us are going to a private location where I will run tests on him myself. As of right now, we need to get rid of all this blood on you and make sure you are cleaned up.

The walk to the medical bay had been filled with the strong sound of silence. Once we had finally arrived at the medical bay we were placed on these beds and cleaned up. Celestia did keep the fact that I was a changeling away from the medical practitioners as they had gotten to work cleaning the changeling blood from us and checking for more wounds. After what seemed like a very long time, we had finally been completely cleaned and disinfected.

Celestia then guided Twilight and me to what appeared to be some sort of guest room inside the main castle. "Ok, you two will be sleeping here for the night. There will be a guard standing outside the doors who will be more than ready to leap into action if something happens throughout the night. I will deal with your ‘friend’ in the morning, but for now you will find some food and water on the table in the middle of the room."

Celestia glared deep into my eyes, "You should consider yourself lucky that I am willing to let you sleep in a bed. Consider this your first test. If anything bad happens to Twilight, then you can consider yourself dead." As she said this, she closed the door behind us, leaving myself and Twilight in this guest room. The room was quite large and held multiple beds. Twilight walked up to me after a few minutes of silence passed. "Don't worry about her, she's just doing her job in ensuring the safety of her citizens. She is normally a very loving and caring leader. She is just like everyone else in the sense that she needs to be careful around changelings. She has never been quite the same after the day she found out that nearly one hundred ponies were killed during the Canterlot Wedding Fiasco, knowing that she was powerless to stop it from happening.”

I sighed and looked back up at Twilight, "I understand completely. I would do my best to protect my citizens if I was in her place as well. I know my kind is known to be evil and mindless. It is going to take time, but I know that eventually she will see that I mean no harm to the pony kind."

Twilight then thought for a second before continuing, "Speaking of which, how are you so good at fighting?"

I looked at her with a serious face and answered as straight forward as possible, "If you must know, the hive works in a strange system. You see, any changeling born with a birth defect or mental illness is thrown to the front line to act as a shield for the normal class of changelings. I, being seen as defective, was thrown into that platoon. They do not leave us completely fending for ourselves though as we are usually very well trained. This is so the normal changelings have to fight less and are given a greater chance at survival. I was not just in that platoon, but I was actually the lead fighter. Or, at least I was trained to be. I could never get myself to kill a pony before. That is actually the reason why I was kicked out. The fact that they had wasted years of specialized training on someone, for them to turn around and refuse to kill ponies as ordered, did not sit well at all with Chrysalis. That's when I was sent on my own and found myself moving to Manehattan. I do not normally fight, but when I do my brain goes into a survival mode and I attack mostly without thinking about it. My mind is always clear enough to remember who is and is not an enemy, so I never have to worry about attacking friendlies. Though, being honest, that changeling you had me kill with that guillotine was actually my very first kill. I did not want to kill those changelings on that train, but I had no choice as I saw that you were in danger. The moment I saw who we were fighting against, I knew that it was only going to end one way. You see that group of changelings we fought on that train were part of an infiltration and attack group. Changelings are only allowed in his group after showing that they are strong enough to attack ponies in large groups. It just so happens that the shield group of changelings that I was a part of are trained better. Again, this is because our entire job was to fight until we die. You do not make it into the infiltration and attack groups by showing any weakness or sign of straying from the hive. Those changeling would never reform so I knew the only way to survive was to kill."

Twilight sat there in stunned silence, not sure how to respond to this information. It was a solid few minutes before she had finally spoken up again, "Well, there is still a lot that we do not know about the changelings and how the hive functions. I think it would just be best for us to eat something and go to bed. This day has already been rough enough as is."

I nodded towards her in agreement as we then sat by the table enjoying the various fruits and vegetables laid out for us. This was well needed as my body had gone through more than enough trauma in the past few days. After eating a good amount, and taking more pain medicine, I made my way into one of the beds. Twilight had done the same thing as she had been drained of energy from the previous attack. Her powerful magic, combined with the injuries she had sustained, was more than enough to knock her out as soon as she had hit the pillow. I looked around the room one final time before I finally closed my eyes and let myself drift into a well-deserved sleep.

Chapter 8: The Start of Greatness

Screaming; the last thing I expected to wake up to. I bolted up from the bed trying to figure out where the screaming was coming from. In the rush of things, I had completely forgotten that the very second I had fallen asleep I had been forced back into my true form. I made my way over to Twilight's bed as the screaming had come from her.

"Twilight? Are you ok?" I asked, my mind set back into protection mode.

Twilight shot up in pain while holding her side. I could tell that there was something wrong with her stab wound. Before I had a chance to see what was wrong with the wound, and before remembering to change back into pony form, the door swung upon. I completely forgot about the royal guard that was standing outside the door.

The guard saw Twilight screaming with a changeling hovering over her. I knew how bad this looked but did not have time to react as the royal guard ran into the room and pinned me down. The royal guard then levitated a strange metal pipe directly towards my chest and looked as though he was about to use it.

Twilight acted quickly through her pain and used her own magic to take this strange new weapon away from the guard. She was able to speak through the pain, "Wait! I know this looks bad, but he is on our side. He was just making sure I was ok."

The royal guard, still standing on top of me, looked back to Twilight in pure confusion. "Ma'am, this is a changeling."

Twilight glared at the royal guard. "I am well aware of what he is. He was just trying to make sure I was ok. I think there is still a fragment of the knife I was stabbed with inside me. I woke up screaming because whatever is inside me woke me up from severe pain. Get off of him."

The guard, still confused about the situation, did what he was told. His job was to listen to royalty after all. He gave me a serious glare before walking up to Twilight to take a look at the wound. I used this time to quickly go back into pony form before any other guards made their way inside.

After seeing that Twilight was bleeding again through her bandages, it was decided that she would be sent to the medical bay. I tried following them, but the guard had told me to stay in the room and wait for Celestia. I could tell that this guard did not like being told to not kill a changeling, but I did not want to die so I called it even.

I sat back on the bed, waiting for something to happen. I had seen that as soon as Twilight was ushered to the medical bay by the guard a different guard had taken their spot outside the door. I was worried for her, but all I could do was sit and wait.

Celestia had heard about the commotion and came into the room a few minutes later to check and see what happened. To her surprise, I was sitting alone, and Twilight was gone. She walked up to me, and I quickly got off the bed and bowed to her. "Good morning, Princess Celestia."

She seemed puzzled that a changeling would bow to her and was slightly thrown off. "What happened here? Where is Twilight?"

I looked up to her while replying in a calm manner, "It would seem as though a piece of the knife she was stabbed with yesterday was still inside her. She woke up screaming and was taken to the medical bay. I was told to wait here for you and not do anything else."

She raised an eyebrow, "So you had nothing to do with it?"

I simply looked back up to her and replied, "No, I was going to help check up on her but was quickly stopped."

Celestia looked back down to me after thinking about the situation. "Very well, follow me. We are going to go check up on her." With that said, we left the room and started our walk through the castle. The medical bay was not too far away from where the rooms were. As I was walking through the castle, I looked around and noticed the large amount of guards constantly patrolling the halls. Seems they were not playing around when it came to security. A good number of them were holding metal pipes similar to the one that the previous guard was holding to my chest. As we were walking, my curiosity had gotten the better of me.

I looked up to Celestia for an answer, "Princess, what are these things that your guards are carrying instead of their normal spears?"

She grinned, "Those are newer weapons we came across while doing testing with a top secret item that sends us to a different world. They are called rifles, with the smaller ones being called pistols. They are capable of firing a small but powerful projectile at an enemy from great distances. The bigger the rifle, and the bigger the projectile size, the greater the distance we can kill and enemy from. How it works is you take a large metal barrel and load a projectile into the rear. You then attach something to the back end of the barrel that sends a small pin into the back of the projectile. This is done via a lever type system. There is a lever that comes out from the bottom of the barrel that you squeeze which activates the internal mechanism sending a small firing pin into the projectile. The projectile is made of multiple parts consisting of a metal case, a thing called the bullet, and an explosive powder which ignites inside the barrel sending the bullet forward at high speeds. I'm talking speeds that are fast enough to send this tiny projectile miles away. Though, smaller things like the pistols won't shoot as far, but will still do serious damage at close range. The back of the rifle has a wooden stock that you rest on your shoulder, allowing you to place your cheek on top so that you can aim down the top of the rifle. There is also a place underneath the barrel where the projectiles are loaded. These rifles have built in prongs that you use for aiming, though the more powerful ones have these large telescope things used for aiming. The system can be used with hooves as we did alter the systems in a way to allow earth ponies access to the lever system."

I looked back at her after taking in what she had told me. "Why, knowing what I am, are you telling me this?"

She simply looked down at me, giving me another grin. "Because I know that you have two options. You are to either never making it out of this castle alive, or you will be fighting for us. I watched the footage from the train and must say that we could use those fighting skills in our ranks. Despite what you are, you were able to take on nine changelings essentially by yourself."

The realization suddenly hit me, "The royal guard from earlier had one of those things pointed at my chest. Twilight was luckily fast enough to pull it away from him."

Celestia looked forward as we continued down the hall, "Consider yourself lucky."

A few minutes passed as we had finally made our way back into the medical room. The royal guard that escorted Twilight to the medical bay looked up and saw me standing next to Celestia. "Princess watch out! There is a changeling next to you!" As he said this, he lunged across the room, once again tackling me to the ground.

Celestia watched as I was tackled once again. She looked down at the guard before he could do anything. "Guard, get off of him. I am well aware of what he is and as of right now he is under my protection, unless he does something to show that he needs to be taken care of."

The guard once again gets up confused and angry. "If I am to protect royalty, I need to know these things."

Twilight looked up from her bed at the guard, "I told you earlier not to mess with him, why would you tackle him again?"

The guard looked back to Twilight, "I didn't think Celestia knew also. I was just doing my job protecting her."

Twilight looked back at the guard with a sideways glance. "Do you think that one changeling could really take on Princess Celestia?"

Celestia looked at the guard and added with a cheeky grin, "Yeah, do you think I am unable to protect myself from one changeling?"

The guard looked defeated and was at a loss for words. "Princess, but, he, and the thing, I...." He hung his head low and simply stood post. "Understood, Princess."

The medical practitioner working on Twilight had walked back in from grabbing some tools. Luckily, they were not in the room at the time meaning no one heard the guard call me out as a changeling. We stood in a side room waiting for Twilight to get surgery done to remove the fragment embedded inside her. Celestia was able to see my genuine concern for her safety as I was pacing around the room.

Celestia looked down to me, "You can relax, she is in very good care. The medical personnel here are the best in their respected positions." A few seconds of silence passed before she came to a sudden realization. "You know, you are more protective and caring than my own guards are. You really care about her wellbeing, don't you?"

I looked up to her mid-pace, "I care about everypony's wellbeing. My job is to protect my friends. Whether or not she sees me as a friend doesn't matter to me, as long as she is safe." I calmed down and sat in one of the chairs in the room.

"You are either a really good actor or are actually genuine. My tests are going to help me figure this out." She sat down, watching me very closely. I knew that she was still having a very hard time coming to terms with the fact that I might actually be on her side. I go against everything she knew about changelings. From the way I am protective about ponies, to the way I didn't even flinch when attacking and killing my own kind to protect royalty.

A long silence filled the waiting room and was finally broken when the medical practitioner came in to give us the news. "Twilight is going to be just fine. The knife fragment did do some damage, but we were able to successfully remove it and stitch her up on the inside. She did have a case of slight internal bleeding as it would seem the fragment shifted inside her as she rolled in her sleep. Luckily it embedded itself into her ribcage instead of going further through and into her lungs. She is going to need to take it slow for the next few days as she heals up. You guys are now free to leave with her."

I let out a huge sigh of relief as I knew that it could have done more serious damage. Celestia and I walked in to the medical room and checked in on her, helping her down from the bed. She was patched up but was still walking sideways. It was clear that the medical practitioner had given her some very strong stuff. We ushered Twilight back to the room that we had been sleeping in and laid her back on the bed.

Celestia, after making sure there was a guard watching over her, walked outside of the room and ushered me to follow her. It would seem as though my testing was about to begin. I walked alongside Celestia as I had been guided into what looked like a large throne room. Sitting in one of the thrones was Princess Luna. The thrones were also being guarded by two royal guards.

I had been halted to stand directly in front of the two princesses. I took my bow and waited for something to happen. Celestia looked upon her sister, "This is the one brought in by Twilight yesterday. He is the one we will be conducting the tests on. He actually seems helpful, but we need to know for sure."

Celestia then said something that shocked everyone in the room. "Guards, leave us in privacy." The fact that she was telling her guards to go away did not seem like a good thing. The guards were also confused by this, but they were trained to do what they were told at the very second they were told what to do. The royal guards protecting the throne galloped out of the room.

After watching the doors close, Celestia walked up to me. Luna had followed close behind. "Ok, changeling, show us what you look like."

I quickly did what I was told to do as I did not want this to go bad. If I just followed her orders, I would be able to make it out alive. I dropped my disguise and stood there in front of them. They both stood there in confusion before Celestia spoke out. "Interesting, I did not know that changelings could come in different colors."

I decided to let her know why, "Actually, I am blue due to a birth defect. At least, that's what I believe it to be." This was enough to suffice as her face changed to that of understanding.

"So not only are you a rogue 'reformed' changeling, but you are telling me that you were born blue because you think it is a birth defect?" Celestia said, looking around my body to observe and study my form. She had noticed the stitches that were previously hidden by my fur. She had also noticed that my right ear was still missing its tip. This showed her that my ear being missing in pony form was not due to me choosing to, but rather by an accident.

I spoke out again, "I still do not know if it was a birth defect or if it was something different. I am not sure if it is true, but I have always believed that maybe I was this color due to not being a full changeling. I have always been different from the rest of the hive in not only looks but personality. I think that I might actually be a half-ling, but never knew for sure."

Celestia paused, "A half-ling? I have never heard of such a strange hybrid before. We can find out later what you really are, but for now we are going to keep saying it is a birth defect as it makes more sense to me."

Luna spoke out suddenly, "Well sister, thinking about it, it does actually make a little bit of sense. Look at bat ponies for example. They are a hybrid between bats and ponies. I understand the genetics is complicated but from a scientific standpoint I do not see a pony and changeling hybrid as being impossible."

This made Celestia think a little. "Well, we will get to that later. I am curious about his intentions, skills, beliefs, fighting ability, and a list of many other things. I want to see if he really is on our side and how useful he can be." Celestia looked down to me. "I first want to see your attention to detail. I want to shapeshift into Twilight as best as you can from memory."

I looked back up to her slightly confused, but again figured it would be best to give the princess what she wanted. I transformed into a look-alike of Twilight. Both Celestia and Luna started looking over me to see if I missed any details. Upon closer inspection, Luna had pointed something out. "Sister, it would seem as though as long as he has stitches in, they will also show in all of his forms. Same for the ear too it seems. Seems he is no good at transforming into other ponies anymore unless he can learn to hide his injuries. That would take some serious magic though as he does not have the body part anymore. Other than that, he is almost a perfect copy of Twilight."

They paused and looked at each other before looking back. "Ok, Try turning into Fluttershy but cover your ear with your mane."

I thought for a second about what Fluttershy looked like and did so. I covered my ear with my now long pink mane. I then covered my stitches by growing the fur a tiny bit longer than usual. This covered the stitches and hid the ear injury completely. Celestia and Luna once again went around to see how well I had captured Fluttershy's image. Celestia spoke out once more, "That is more like it. I can barely tell you apart from the real Fluttershy. That is, other than the fact that you got the butterfly colors wrong. They are blue with pink wings, not pink with blue wings."

Luna let out a small chuckle at this mistake. "Seems he still needs a little practice. This tells me that is not used to transforming into others because that was a rookie mistake if I have ever seen one."

I transformed back into my true form as they had finished looking over me. Celestia once again stood in front of me. "Ok, for your next test, Luna is going to test you from inside your mind. I know this sounds strange, but my sister here has the ability to go into your deepest memories as you are asleep. There is nothing you can hide from her when it comes to your past."

I stood there, trying to process this new information. Celestia continued. "You are going to follow her. You will be placed into a chamber that will fill with a gas. This gas will put you into a deep sleep giving Luna the best working conditions."

With that, Luna had started walking back towards the doors. I quickly shifted into my pony form and followed close behind. The guards using this time to go back inside to protect the throne, blissfully unaware of what had just happened inside.

Luna had led me through the castle down a spiral staircase. This staircase led into room that looked like a strange sort of lab. In the middle of this lab was a large glass encasement with a bed in the middle. I was ushered into the encasement as the door was shut securely behind me. The room did not have any royal guards, so I was left only under Luna's supervision. "Ok, changeling, I want you to simply lay down and let me do my job." With this said, the encasement filled with an invisible but powerful sleeping agent.

I laid there on this bed and fell asleep very quickly. I didn't even try to fight it as my body fell limp and I had been ripped back into my true form. I was sent into a very deep sleep, not sure what to make of the situation.

I looked around in this dream of mine. I looked to see that I was back in the middle of the hive. This was a place that I had not been to in a very long time. I looked around the hive as many changelings were walking around. They did not seem to notice me which was strange because I was usually the center of attention in every room due to being a different color.

I walked around the hive, confused about why my dream had placed me here. Suddenly, I saw Luna walk into the hive through one of the walls. I looked up to her very curious about the situation. "Princess, why did you bring me here? Surely this was your doing as I never dream about the hive. I dream of things such as music or imagining life had I been born as a pony instead. What are you looking for?"

Luna simply held up her hoof and pointed into a separate room. I looked to see what she was pointing at and had seen that this was not a dream, but rather a memory. I looked into the room and could see a younger me sitting in a corner. I had been surrounded by some drones who were making fun of me. I did not like being reminded that my childhood was so filled with anguish and mental abuse. I looked up to Luna was who watching everything unfold.

"Luna, I don't understand. Did you just put me to sleep so you can dig into my memories to see specific points in my life? Why not just ask?" I said, following her around the hive.

She simply looked down and led me through a portal on the wall. "Because, I need to see for myself what makes you who you are." She walked through the wall and into a different part of the hive. I could once again see myself, now older than in the previous memory.

I saw my past self in a training room. This was where I was taught how to fight. The room was filled with changelings of all sorts of birth defects. Even out of this group I was still the most unique as the others had simple things such as being born without wings or missing limbs. Luna watched as my past self destroy a fake fighting pony. I looked back up to her, not sure what she had to say about the situation. I simply looked at the scenery taking place.

Luna had once again started walking through another portal. This portal led into a part of my memory that I had always wanted to forget. We were taken into what looked like a village. This village was on fire as the hive had taken control and started killing anyone in sight. Luna found my past self walking in the streets. I looked away from the scenery as this was one of my darkest days. My past self watching ponies being killed for the first time, some running out of burning building while on fire. A changeling general had come up from behind me and whipped me with a long metal chain.

Luna walked closer to this, not ready to see what I was about to do. She had also seen that I was looking away from my past self which only made her grow more curious. The changeling general had been yelling at me to do my job and kill these ponies for the queen. My past self had finally had enough of being hit. My anger at the realization of what they wanted me to do to helpless ponies drove me to fight. The changeling general went to whip me one more time, but I had turned around to catch the chain. I then quickly, while holding on to this chain, flew around the general. I had tears in my eyes and had successfully wrapped the chain around the general's throat. I had then lifted the general into the air. Just before I was about to choke him to death, I had come to the realization of what I was doing. I had been so filled with confusion and anger over the fact that we were being forced to murder innocent ponies and it was simply too much for me to bear. My past self had refused to harm a single pony but was about to kill my own general.

The surrounding changelings had stopped fighting and were looking at me, furious about my actions. Two of the bigger changelings had pinned me to the floor and the changeling general had gotten back up. This general started beating me viscously with the chain for a few long seconds before he had stopped. He simply glared back to me and said, "Looks like we have ourselves a traitor. Chrysalis will be finding out about this. Drag him back to the hive and place him into the dungeons." With that, Luna was watching as my past self was dragged all the way back to the hive. My body now unconscious as the beating ended up giving me a concussion.

Luna had seen that I was still hiding my eyes from the scene of me being beaten and dragged for refusing to kill a pony and attacking a general. She walked up to me, "It is ok, I understand. Seeing an outside perspective of you being beaten can be a very hard thing to watch. Let's go to the next memory."

I watched as the world around me had been shifted back into the hive. More specifically, we were in front of Chrysalis's throne. I had been kneeling down in front of the hive as Chrysalis was walking up to me. "Stand up Chakor, you do not deserve the respect of bowing down to me. You are a weak member of the hive, even for a defective bug. You are a pour excuse of a drone and a waste of an egg. You are the prime example of something so broken that you don't even deserve a swift death. You are a cretinous slum of a lack of backbone, forever waste of pony-loving gollapitating poor excuse for a changeling. You are hereby banished from the hive, never to return ever again!"

Luna watched as I was once again dragged by two changeling guards all the way through the hive. As I was being dragged away, all the other changelings had been throwing random things at me. Once I was out of the hive I could be seen flying away. Luna watched in disgust at the changelings were very snobbish in attitude. The landscape around us once again changed.

Looking around, I could see what looked like the streets of Manehattan during the middle of the night. I wondered why she had wanted to see this part of my life. Luna started walking into an alley way and it was at that point that I knew where she was going. I followed close behind as she found her way to a large dumpster. This was the part of my life when I was homeless. She fazed right through the walls of the dumpster and could see my past self asleep. She seemed interested in the way I had made this dumpster my home. Past me had completely cleaned this inside of this large container and had the walls and floor lined with a blankets and pillows. The top of the dumpster had been locked from the inside to prevent anyone from opening it and seeing a sleeping changeling. The inside had also been kept smelling nice and gave off a feeling like I turned the inside of the dumpster into a small pod bed. Outside of the dumpster in the alley was a bunch of large metal sheets configured in a way that made a tiny rain shelter which helped to prevent any rain from getting inside this makeshift home.

I walked up next to Luna, "I did the best I could with the life I was given. Despite how this looks, I was way happier here than I was living in the hive."

She looked back to me, thinking a few minutes before responding. "What you did with your life is exactly what I came looking for. I can see your life was filled with pain and heartbreak as they tried forcing you to do horrible things, but instead of breaking and going along with it you chose instead to try life over again. The fact that you managed to suffer most of your life but were still able to find happiness shows me that you are strong in soul and spirit. You might be more of a pony than you think. Most ponies couldn't do what I have seen you do and still come out happy. I see why you go out of your way to help others as you do not want anyone to go through what you did. I have seen all that I need, it is about time to wake up."

After she finished speaking all I could see was a huge flash of light. After seeing this blinding light, I had woken up. Something about this had caused me to sit up and bash my head into the glass. I rubbed my head and looked around the room to see that I was awake again. Luna had already made her way in front of the encasement. As she opened the case up, I had been hit with fresh air from the castle room. This was enough to bring me back to full consciousness.

Luna looked back down to me, helping me off the bed. "It is about time I tell my sister about these findings. You have gone through so much in your life but are still willing to protect those around you. Change back and follow me back to the throne room."

I transformed back into my pony form and followed her back up the spiral staircase. As we were walking, I looked out the window and noticed that hours had passed, even though it only felt like minutes. After a small while of walking, we had made our way back into the throne room where Celestia was talking to Twilight who was once again awake and walking around. I had noticed the guards were standing outside the door instead of by the throne once more. I was led back to directly in front of the throne where I stood and waited for the next test.

Luna had started whispering something into Celestia's ears. Celestia then stood up and started walking towards the door. "My sister and I are going to discuss her findings. You will stay here with Twilight and wait for us to get back."

I watched as they had finally closed the door. I then turned to Twilight, "What happened while I was out?"

Twilight walked to stand next to me as she was responding, "We spent the past few hours talking about my tests. I gave her all of my findings about you. You being the first reformed changeling was interesting to Celestia. I was able to convince her that she did not need to worry about you being the enemy. What happened with you and Luna?"

I looked down in response, "She had put me into a deep sleep where she then forced me to look back at my past. We came across things I never wanted to see again."

Twilight and I sat looking at each other in mostly silence as we were patiently waiting for the princesses to come back with the results of my fate. The anticipation had screamed louder than the silence of the room ever could.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, the door finally opened. Celestia and Luna had arrived, but they also had someone else with them. Twilight looked up in surprise at the pony they had with them. This pony was a white male unicorn with a two toned blue mane and tail. He had a shield for a cutie mark.

"Shining? What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, running up to this pony.

Shining started carefully hugging her. "I heard that my sister had been injured and needed to check and see if she was ok. Are you ok?"

Twilight hugged back, "I am fine, thanks to my friend here."

Shining then looked at me, glaring deep, "Ah yes, this changeling. Celestia and Luna just told me everything that happened."

Shining had let go of Twilight and started walking towards me. "You are telling me that this changeling took on nine of his own brothers to protect you?"

Twilight ran up next to him. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

Shining looked down assuringly to Twilight, "Don't worry, Twilight, he might be a changeling, but he did a lot to make sure you were protected. That takes determination and courage that I did not think a changeling was capable of. Luna had also told me about what his past was like. Based on what I know about this changeling, I can see that he is nothing like a normal changeling. He is more like a pony that just so happened to be born in the wrong body. He risked his life to save my sister, that makes him good in my book." As Shining said this, he reached out a hoof towards me.

It took me a second to realize what he was trying to do. I grabbed his hoof and gave him a firm hoofshake. He nodded his head in an approving manner. "I saw the video recording. You can really hold your own in a fight. You might be a changeling, but we can really use your skills in combat. My name is Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire and commander of the Royal Guard."

I looked up to him respectfully, "My name is Chakor, though it might be easier if you call me Blue as that is what most ponies know me as at this point. Also, I do not see how a changeling could fit in the ranks of the royal guard. Especially with the guards finding out that there would be a changeling in their ranks."

Shining chuckled before continuing, "No, you would not be part of the guard. At least, not right away. You would simply be someone who helps the guard by giving us vital information. You know how the hive works, you can tell us the ins and outs of how they fight. This would give us a strategic advantage. With the whole train ambush incident, it would seem that we need all the help we can get. This war will be happening much sooner than we had originally thought."

I nodded to him, "Sounds like a plan. Though, I still feel that the guards are not going to take me seriously as most of them are probably going to think that I am going to give them false information."

Celestia spoke out, "I know this will be hard for the guards to hear. Us having a changeling helping us against the hive does not sound like something easy to believe. I assure you though, you will not be harmed as long as you do not harm anypony. Keep in mind that once we tell the guards, word will get out through the normal population too. Everyone is about to know about you. Hearing that you are reformed might make it easier for them though. Ponies are not going to get along with you or accept you in the beginning but as long as you act the way you have been they will eventually warm up to you. With that said, we have one final thing we want you to see. Twilight here is going to take you out into town to show you something."

Twilight then started walking to the door, "Come on Blue, lets go before it starts getting too dark."

I trotted up to Twilight, unsure where we were off to. I followed her, watching carefully to make sure she did not hurt herself more. We left the castle doors, and I was met with amazement. I had not been up to Canterlot before, so to see the huge capital was more than enough to take my breath away.

I had always known that this place was huge, but I did not think it was anything like this. The streets of Canterlot were nothing like the streets of Manehattan. Everything about this place screamed culture and class.

Walking around this huge city was something to truly behold. I am glad to be looking at it through the perspective of a pony. It was a good thing that these ponies did not yet know what I was. The walk was so filled with pretty sights and lots of waving ponies. They did not seem to have a care in the world. This told me that they were either not aware of the war arriving soon or were so prepared that they didn't even need to show it.

We eventually came up to an area of Canterlot that did not seem to be part of the main city. We took a turn down a dirt road and came to this large open area, far away from the rest of the town. I looked around and noticed that we were at a cemetery.

Twilight turned to talk to me, her emotion fading from glee to sorrow. "Blue, I want you to take a good look at the cemetery in front of you. Here in front of you lies nearly one hundred ponies. Every grave you see in front of you today was a result of the day the changelings had first attacked. Every pony here died on that single day from your hive and their actions. This is the side of that day that the changelings have never seen. Go around and take a look at these tombstones. I want you to read them and understand the impact of that day."

I paused for a long while, looking out at the large cemetery, amazed at how many lives were taken. I had always known that it was a large number but seeing it in person was completely different. The atmosphere of this place filled with sadness and anger for the hive. I walked around, taking note that it had been split up into two different sections. Upon a thorough walkthrough, I had noticed that one of these sections was bigger than the other. Turned out that the two sections were adults and children, and there were a scary amount of children buried here. As I was walking around, I noticed that there was a pony walking into the children section. This pony was a grey pegasus mare with what looked like blonde hair. She had what looked like bubbles for a cutie mark. Upon a closer inspection, while still a good distance away, I could tell that this pony had a wall-eyed stare. She had made her way up to a small tombstone that was in the shape of a muffin.

This wall-eyed mare sat down in front of the tombstone and placed down what looked to be an actual muffin. I could hear her from the distance as she started talking to the grave. "Hey again Dinky, it's me again. I brought you a muffin that I got at a friend's birthday party. I know that blueberry is your favorite." She had paused, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "I know that we will eventually meet again, I just... don't know when that will be."

I sat down and listened in from a distance as she continued, "I am sorry that I was not fast enough to save you. I just hope that... when we do meet again... you will forgive me." She stopped to clear her face. "No, I have to be strong... for you. Speaking of strong, I was finally able to do something I planned on doing for a long time. I was finally able to become a royal guard. I might not have been able to save you, but at least now I can save others from the same fate. I have to... I can't put myself through telling myself that I was not good enough anymore. I swear, the next creature I see trying to hurt anyone will not like what Derpy has to give them."

She stopped and looked up at the sky. She had gone from crying to smiling as she looked back down at the grave. "You know, it's funny... I spent all this time worrying about not being there for you, but now... I can tell that you are up there watching over me. Thank you, Dinky, thank you for keeping an eye out for us from the other side. Just remember, the door is always open for you. Please continue to bring peace to those who don't survive. Please continue to be my cute little muffin. I hope you are playing nice with your ghost friends... I can't wait to one day meet them and join in your games."

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, she stood up tall. "I hope you enjoyed this talk, as we both know that I needed it. I need to go back to work now. Mommy starts her first shift today."

As she got up and turned to fly away, I could see that the very moment she faced away from the grave her eyes had been filled with held back tears. I knew that she wanted to let it all out, but she knew that she was being watched by Dinky. She just had too much heart to get caught crying at this cemetery.

I watched as she flew away, drops of tears falling as she couldn't keep it all in. I had sat there in silence, stunned at what I had just witnessed. I had started crying due to what I had just seen.

Twilight had come from behind me, sitting down next to me. "It's ok, Blue, I understand that you did not have anything to do with the death of anyone buried here. I can see that you have seen more than enough here. Let's get back to the castle." I wiped away the tears from my face, standing up and following. I turned to look at the muffin tombstone one last time before stiffening up and following Twilight back to the castle.

The walk back filled with silence as most ponies had already closed shop for the day. The eerily empty streets just another reminder of the silence from that day. Granted most ponies were just inside, but to see such a large city with only a few ponies walking around hit me hard.

Once we had entered the castle again, we had made our way into a new room. This room had a large table in the middle covered in food. This was just what I needed as I had to clear my mind from the events of today. Celestia, Luna, and Shining were already sitting down. They had been waiting for us to get to the table before giving out the meal. This medium sized feast filled the room with a lovely aroma of food. It seemed strange though, just a day or so ago I felt as though I was going to die, but here I am eating dinner with royalty. This life really does lead to the strangest of places.

Celestia spoke out, seeing that I was being quiet. "So, I assume the point got across from the cemetery? Don't worry though, you are here now. You can actually help. You have something that makes you unique and strong. You have the ability to help us stop this from happening again. I know from what my sister told me from your memories that you have seen this destruction. I see that now you had a chance to see both ends of this type of mindless destruction. Blue, you are here now with the ability to do great things. I have never seen anypony quite as powerful as you. Your spirit and soul speak louder than words ever could. Here you finally have a place to stay and finally just be who you want to be."

The room filled with smiles as everyone had agreed on this. This was enough to cheer me up. She was right, I finally had a home. I finally had a purpose in life. I thought about what she had just told me for a very long time.

The meal was some of the best food I have ever had, even in comparison to the meal I had with the Apple Family. It tasted better with the fact that I finally had something to look forward to in life. The atmosphere of the room clouded with new beginnings and great awakenings. I knew the road before me was still a rough one, but even water can clear a mountain with enough time.

After the meal, Twilight and I had gone back to the same room we were in the night prior. I used this time to shower up and freshen myself up for the next day. I knew that the next day would be the start of a new life for me. I had a busy day ahead of me, but I was going to simply stand up tall and do my best.

I made my way back into the bed, getting relaxed after I took some more pain medicine. Today had been such an emotional rollercoaster that I had almost forgotten about my injuries. After the door was closed and secured for the night, and Twilight had laid down in her bed, I transformed back into my true form. I looked up at the ceiling and smiled, drifting off to a normal sleep. I was actually excited for what the next day held for me.

Chapter 9: The Plan

The smell of fresh morning tea filled the room. I was awoken by this powerful smell as Twilight nudged me to see if I was awake. My eyes opened to the sight of her standing by my bed with a cup of tea ready for me.

"Here you go, Blue, Luna dropped this off for us. It has both calming effects and healing benefits." Twilight said as I sat up in the bed. I took it with my magic after quickly transforming back into a pony.

"Thank you, Twilight. I could really use this." I said while smiling.

"No problem, there are also biscuits at the table. The tea does remind me of something we need to talk about though." Twilight stated this while pulling up a chair to the table in the room. I hopped out of the bed and sat in the chair across the table from her.

"So, what was it that we needed to talk about?" I said, grabbing a biscuit.

Twilight looked up before responding, "We need to talk about Izzy. She sent you to my castle to hopefully have me kill you. Though, after previous unforeseen events, you are now not only still alive but fighting on our side. Izzy doesn't know that you are still alive. I feel as though we need to talk with her."

"I am not sure if that is a good idea. She tried to kill me, mind you. For her to see that I am still alive is going to make her question everything she knows. She lost a lot in her life, so her finding me alive will be something that might push her over the edge. I care about her and her mental safety. I feel as though we need to give her more time."

Twilight looked down at her plate for a second, thinking of what to say. "Right but think about something really quick. Why do you think she kept you alive? She probably thought you actually were something special and sent you to me so that I could figure out what to do with you. She probably grew enough of a connection with you to lead her into letting you live. She was so filled with rage from you being a changeling that she wanted to kill you, but then her heart told her to spare you after seeing how much of a friend you were to her. She hasn't had a solid friend in a long time, so I don't blame her for thinking you were being sincere. I think it would be best if we talked to her about it before it becomes an issue later. I can invite her over to the castle to talk to her about it and try to get her to see that you really do want friendship."

"I suppose it's worth a shot. I understand that this is going to be a lot for her to take in so I think it would be best if I were not in the same room as you when you tell her that I am still alive." I took a bite of my breakfast after saying this. Twilight had also started eating and nodded in agreement. We both spent the next few minutes simply enjoying our small but delicious breakfast.

After our small breakfast, Twilight and I had started cleaning the table. As we were finishing up, the door to the room had swung open. Shining Armor walked into the room and gave Twilight a gentle hug. "Hey sis, I was fixing to head back to the Crystal Empire. Just wanted to check in on you before taking the train home."

Twilight gave a slightly worried look, "Ok BBBFF, just please make sure to keep it safe. Remember, our train was ambushed and we do not know if the rails are safe anymore." Shining nodded to Twilight before quickly glancing up towards me as he walked out.

As he walked out, Celestia had walked in to check on us. "Good morning you two, how was the breakfast?" Celestia said this after noting that we finished everything on the table.

Twilight looked up and responded, "It was very good. Whoever made it did a really good job."

Celestia let out a small chuckle before continuing, "That would be Luna herself. I recently started teaching her how to cook and she wanted to test her skills out on someone that wasn't me. I'll let her know that you think she did a good job. Now, please follow me. I am taking you two into a briefing with our royal guard commanders." As she said this she already walked out into the hallway.

Twilight and I followed her as she led us into a new part of the castle. The room she took us to appeared to be a planning room of sorts. The room was filled with maps, charts, projections, and many other things giving out data. In the middle of the room was this large round table that had another map laid out on it. On this map were figurines of civilians, Celestial Guards, Lunar Guards, and various locations of possible changeling hideouts. Everything in this room looked as though it was top secret.

When we had entered the room, the table had already been surrounded by what appeared to be a group of the higher commanding officers and generals of the guard. Upon entering the room, all these guards looked up and went to the position of attention. Celestia walked in and called for them to relax.

After the guards went into a relaxed state, one of them noticed me walking in behind her. "Princess, is this the changeling you told us about last night?"

Celestia nodded, "Yes. This is the changeling I said I would be introducing you to. He is also the same one that was seen in the train video recording. If there is anyone best prepared to help us stop this war before it happens, it would be someone from the opposing side who knew the hive inside and out."

The royal guard generals gave me a look of distrust and hatred, but they knew that I was their best key to success. I had walked up to the table, noting the locations of hidden changeling locations. "Good morning, you can call me Blue. I am here to answer any questions on how the hive military operates."

The guards gave me a sideways look and started talking amongst themselves. The highest ranking, a Celestial four star general, walked up to me. He was a red unicorn with silver hair. He had bronze guard armor, but it did not look like any armor I have seen on a normal guard. It had a full face guard, horn protection, and silver linings. It had hints of black and red streaks. His armor also had four stars on the front chest plate. "Ok son, remember that we are letting you in here because you have a lot of information that you are willing to give us. We are willing to cooperate with you as we know that you could be the key to this operation. I have been in this guard for a very long time, so let me be the first to say that we do not take lightly to false information. If you are holding anything from us, then that tell me that we cannot trust you. I have seen a lot in my time. Seeing a changeling that has not only been exiled from the hive, but one that acts more pony than the natural born citizens is something I never thought possible. This is a good change, as I know that this could mean there are other changelings like you. I'm not saying that I trust you quite yet, but being a changeling that is trusted and protected by the princesses themselves shows that you are not like the others. I have seen enemies become friends, and also friends become enemies. Now, keep in mind that friendship does not run the military, though it is always good to have more allies than enemies. To see a changeling that is genuinely reformed is something I know could only mean one thing. I know that this means that even the worst of creatures are willing to change for the better. You are not under my rule, though I still highly recommend that you do what we say when we tell you. My name is General Redbriar."

Celestia sat down at the end of the table and began the meeting. "Calm Down General, you do not need to worry about him. In fact, I actually see a lot of great qualities in him. He could be the first Celestial Guard Changeling Officer if he keeps this up. I see a lot of you in him actually, General Redbriar. He is motivated, never quits, bold, and smart. He shows great leadership traits and a push to help the ponies for the better. When he was fighting on that train, he did not question the fact that he was against his own kind, putting himself in front of Twilight and fought as hard as any guard I have known. I would argue that he fought with more bravery than most guards due to the fact that he didn't flinch when he had to kill his own kind. You can keep distrusting him for being a changeling, but he is actually trying to show that he is on our side. I trust this changeling, so what makes you not?"

General Redbriar knew better than to talk back to the princess, so he simply sat back down and shut up. Celestia spoke out again, "Now, let's get started with this meeting. Blue, what do you think the hive is most likely doing to try to take us out from the inside, and how can we stop this?"

I walked up to the table and responded, "Well, I think they are already trying to take us out from the inside. There are a lot of places in which they could hide without being suspected. The fences put up around the cities do nothing to actually stop them from entering. Though, I do feel as though they are entering through other means."

Celestia tilted her head slightly, "What do you mean?"

I looked down at the map while I continued, "I noticed that when royal guards are at a train station, or main entrance way into a town, they do not check other guards for credentials. They see a uniform and a pony who says that they are here to replace them on duty. Smart way of doing it actually, seeing that no one wants to stand duty. I feel as though changelings have been using this exploit to get onto the post and let other changelings through without processing them. These ponies get in and take forms of tourists or politicians. It would be best of them to make their own characters as to avoid anyone seeing two of the same pony. Once these changelings have successfully made their way into town, with the help of the changeling on post, then they are free to kidnap ponies in the middle of the night. It would most likely be that all the changelings time their posts to be at the same time. Meaning that when someone gets attacked or kidnaped in the middle of the night at a certain hour, then any guards who catch them end up actually being there to help. If you want to see if the hive is taking over from the inside, I would check your guards. One of the easiest ways to do this is by cutting them. Changelings cannot change the color of their blood and will always bleed green. Though, I would test them in a way where any changelings hidden as a guard cannot see what how they are being tested."

The table of commanders all looked at me with a look of interest. General Redbriar spoke back up, "That... that is actually something we haven't considered. Though, what you are telling us to do is to hurt all of our guards."

I politely waited to see if he had anything else to add before I cut back in. "Not necessarily General, I am merely suggesting something as simple as a needle. I know for a fact that your guards have had a fair amount of vaccinations done on them. It would be safe to assume they can handle a needle prick. Plus, this is a surefire way to find any changelings in your ranks."

General Redbriar thought for a second, "Ok, you actually have a good point. If we do discover that this has been happening, this could be a big turning point as the changelings would no longer be able to get us from the inside. Though, once the changelings have been detected, how are we going to possibly stop this from happening again?"

I paused for a minute before answering. "I think the easiest way would be tags. Something like a small electronic tag that gets hidden in the guards armor. The changelings wouldn't know that the tag was there. This tag, once scanned, would read out a phrase or code specific to the guard who wears this armor. I know that every guard gets an identification number issued to them as an individual, and that the number gets put in an electronic data base. That number pulls up all of their records of service. If a changeling manages to overpower a guard and pose as him, they wouldn't know that the tag is there. That means that if the armor tag gets scanned and the guard wearing the armor can't read off the number then you have yourself a changeling. Either that, or someone who genuinely forgot their number. However, in cases of the second choice, pulling up the number in the database would still pop up their personal information and they could be asked questions about their personal life. A changeling would not know enough information about a guard to lie their way through."

The guards all looked at each other and seemed peaked by this information. One of the guards asked out, "How do you know all of this? The things you are saying seem to be of higher echelon."

"Despite being a changeling, I have lived as a citizen here for the past four years or so. I know all this information about the guards because I have studied the royal guard. Not to study them for malicious intent, but because I was genuinely interested in the guard. I even thought about joining the guard one time and just hoping that I wouldn't be found out. I did not do that because of how stupid of an idea it would be." I said this, taking a deeper look at the map of the table.

Celestia spoke out again, "This is something that we can easily do with all the guards. All this information is very useful. Do you have any other information for us?"

I nodded and continued, "Yes, I was looking at this map while we were talking. I have noticed that there are a few flaws."

General Redbriar leaned in to look at the map. "What do you mean son? Everything we have here was given to us by our recon guards. They have gone out and scouted changeling activity in these various locations."

I looked up the General, "Well, if this is what the recon guards have given you, then I think you need to test them first. As I just stated, I believe that your ranks have already been infiltrated. These location on this map have never been used by changelings because the hive knows how easy these locations are to find. You have been given false information. I am sorry to say General, but it would seem as though the hive has posed as your recon guards and gave you information that caused you to put your lines of defense in the wrong areas. This would give the hive the most open opportunity to attack knowing that they have led you wrong. I can also tell you that the hive wouldn't strike Canterlot. The hive failed the fight with the capitol because of a specific group of ponies from Ponyville. If you look at the map, all of the locations that the recon group gave you has you believing that Canterlot is the target. If you take a closer look, Ponyville is completely open to attacks from the west. I also know that even if they were to attack Canterlot, they would not approach visibly. Under the castle is a huge complex crystal cave system. This cave system has a hidden entrance accessible from the north. This map tells me that if the changelings were to attack Ponyville that the only real protection the town would have would be the Twilight and her friends. They would attack in large numbers and kill anyone in sight, before the guards protecting the castle even knew what was going on. The changelings also have a weapon that you do not know about. You see, the hive was built around a stone throne. This throne is made of a material that blocks out any magic other than changeling magic. This would leave the town defenseless as all of these new weapons you have would be used in force in a different location. The hive also has a group of specialized war fighters who only live to protect the regular drones in battle. I know this for a fact because I was one of those drones. They are very dangerous and do not care of they die. They know only how to kill and fight."

General Redbriar looked up after taking notes, "Now this is what I am talking about. This information, if correct, would help us stop the war before it happens. That is, unless you are also lying to us and giving false information."

Celestia interrupted, "General, you need to have more faith in Blue. I know for a fact that he would rather see the hive die than have any part in helping them win. If you do not trust his word, that means that you do not trust my ability to find reliable resources. Now, he points out drastically event-turning information. I feel as though we should listen to him and extend a perimeter around Ponyville and the entirety of the mountain. We also need more security around the train tracks all around Equestria. We will also have posts or lookouts at the cave entrances. We are going to listen to him and blood test all of our guards, starting with Ponyville. We should also test the citizens, but in a way that is organized and discreet. We will send word out that this event is happening to the guards, but we will not let the guards know that we will be making them bleed. We will tell the guards that this will be a general health checkup that is mandatory for all guards both active and reserve. We will also tell the guards that once they exit the testing area to keep the final test secret. This will be done one guard at a time so no other guards see the blood test and cause any changelings watching to run away. Though, figuring out how to test the citizens at mass will be very difficult. When a changeling is discovered, they shall be imprisoned immediately and set for questioning. The changelings will not be instantly killed in cases that we find another one like Blue that wants to reform. I know that there would not be many like him, but they could all help fight against the hive. Thank you, Blue, for all this information. Is there anything else to add?"

I stood in thought for a moment. "I cannot think of anything else to add at this moment, unless you have any questions for me."

The guards looked around at each other, but no one could think of anything else to ask. Celestia saw this and spoke out, "Very well, we will begin altering our recent plans to include this new information. We will reach out and let you know if there is anything else you can help us with. For now, you are good to return to Ponyville with Twilight."

Celestia looked up to Twilight, who was sitting in a corner chair and watching in silence. "Twilight, get with your friends and start testing your guards. We need to put this plan into action as soon as possible. With the recent train incident, we do not know how long it will be before the war starts."

Twilight gave Celestia a nod, "Of course, we will also start thinking of a way to test the citizens of Ponyville. We need to play it as safely as possible. Blue and I will head straight back and start checking the guards as a group. Luckily there are not many guards assigned to Ponyville. Though, if Blue suspects that we are now the main target, then we should send more guards to Ponyville. This will also help us with having more protection and guards to watch over the fence in greater detail."

Celestia nodded back one more time, "Good luck, and stay safe. The tracks have already been cleared and opened again. We will have guards escort you back to Ponyville. Do not get on that train if you do not see any guards. The guards escorting you will be tested first."

With that, Twilight and I went back to our guest room to ensure that we did not leave anything behind. After knowing that we were ready, we headed back to the train station. It would seem that in the time it took us to go back up into our room and walk out to the station that the guards guiding us back to Ponyville were already tested and standing by at the train. We knew that they had already been tested because Luna was standing there. She had been sent to test the guards herself.

We boarded the train and set back to town with a group of around ten guards. The section of tunnel that was originally ambushed was already cleared out and reinforced. To think, that area has been tainted by dead changelings. I simply looked out of the window and watched the land pass us by as the train made its long journey back to Ponyville. There was already a lot ahead of us that we needed to accomplish to ensure the safety and survivability of Equestria. This war would not be easy, though I felt better after knowing that I gave the commanding officers vital information needed to best fight against the hive.

Once we had finally made it back to Ponyville, we had already seen that most of the day was gone. The testing would have to take place starting first thing tomorrow morning. Though, there was something we needed to take care of first. We made our way through the station and into town. Twilight looked at me as soon as we made it past the bridge into town. "Ok, you go to the castle and wait for me. I am going to find Izzy so that we can talk about this and get it out of the way."

I nodded and headed straight for the castle. I made my way there quickly as to best increase my chances of not being seen by Izzy before Twilight had time to find her. I made it to the castle successfully without being seen.

I waited for Twilight and Izzy in the map room. I did not know where in the castle to wait at and thought this would be the best waiting spot. I sat there in thought of the events that were about to unfold. The last thing Izzy needed in life was to be told that I was still alive. This thought hurt me, but I understood completely. This would not be easy for either of us, but Twilight was going to ensure it gets done anyways. She is the Princess of Friendship after all, so bonding broken relationships was part of her job.

After what seemed to be forever, the front doors finally opened. Twilight seemed to be talking to someone right outside the door to the map room. She walked in alone and made her way to me. "Ok Blue, Izzy is right outside. She does not yet know that there is anyone else here. I need you to go out into the hallway through the other door behind you. This way I can bring Izzy in here and talk to her without her knowing that you are also here. Leave the door slightly cracked so that you can listen in. Once I tell you, you will walk in and show yourself to her."

I nodded and did as I was told. I made my way into the hallway and listened in. Twilight went outside to get Izzy from the other hallway. They sat down facing each other at the table. Izzy looked up at Twilight, wondering why she was invited over to the castle.

Izzy spoke up first, "Thank you for inviting me to the castle. What was it that you needed to talk to me about?"

Twilight responded, "We need to talk about the changeling you brought in a few days ago."

"Oh? Why would we need to talk about that? Was he not already taken care of? Or is it more along the lines of you picking out how to kill him and now asking me to help?" Izzy looked up, ears perked.

Twilight paused for a second, "Uh... no. I actually wanted to tell you that we will... not... be killing him."

Izzy looked up in confusion. "Princess, what do you mean you aren't finishing him off?"

"Well, as it turns out, Blue is actually something called a reformed changeling. We did some tests on him and found that he is not like the other changelings. I know this sounds like a lot of information, but he is actually helping us by telling us how to protect ourselves from the hive."

Izzy sat there, stunned by what she was just told. "I can't believe it... They brainwashed you, didn't they? How could you possibly think that the same creature who killed off my entire family could be something you trust in helping you fight a war against his kind? How could you of all ponies think that a changeling wouldn't just lie to you? I thought you would be smarter than that Twilight. You need to think about what you are proposing."

"Again, I know this sounds bad. That is why I took the changeling to Celestia and Luna. They also gave him various tests to prove that he did not have anything to do with all the cruelty to come from the changelings. This changeling is so unique that we consider him to be an entirely new race. Something so out there that the world is now seeing new possibilities for future allies. Blue really is a friend to the pony kind. A friend that you could use in life." Twilight said this as she leaned onto the table.

Izzy glared up, "If you really think that I would make friends with a fucking bug then you clearly do not know me at all. To think that you and the other princesses let him live shows me that you have been put under some sort of spell. Either that, or you are a changeling who is stupid enough to think I would fall for this."

Twilight looked back to Izzy, a serious look on her face. "Izzy, if you think that the Royal Sisters could be put under such a spell then it is you who needs to think about what you are saying. I think that you are just upset with losing him. You needed a friend in life, after all you have gone through. It just so happened that Blue was there for you. He took that job because he wanted to find work. He knows that friendship is a serious thing. I know that you also know this. You have lost a lot of friends in your life, whether from them leaving or dying. He might be a changeling, but he is special. You felt that, didn't you? You let him live because you saw something in him. You saw another friend that you were losing."

Izzy had started tearing up at this. "You do not need to bring up all of the friends I lost. It is hard enough to find someone willing to work with me and stay. My friends found their way out one way or another. That changeling does not know the first thing about friendship."

Twilight noticed that she was starting to break down. "This is exactly why you need someone. You might not think this, but Blue cares about you. He has gone through a very rough beginning in life. He ran away from the hive because he knew that the changelings were in the wrong. He wants only to change the world for the better. Blue wants to help you."

Izzy was broken at this point. "How can he care about anyone other than his queen?"

Twilight walked up to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Listen, I know that things seem bad, but you need to trust me. I know a thing or two about real friendship. I know a thing or two about watching enemies reform and become a huge asset in life. You need to talk to him and let him explain his side of the story. This is not me being brainwashed, but you needing to come to a meeting point with him."

Izzy looked up at Twilight. "I don't know, I have only know changelings as evil creatures."

Twilight sighed before continuing, "That's what I thought before I met Blue. You see, during my trip with him to Canterlot to have him tested by the princesses, our train was ambushed. A large group of changelings had knocked down a few large wooden beams that supported the tunnel system up to Canterlot and attacked the train. Blue, instead of joining the changelings, protected me. He put his life on the line to protect me against his own kind. His kind called him a traitor before attacking us. Blue, against his own kind, protected me and ensured my overall safety. I witnessed Blue kill his own brothers to protect a friend. Nine changelings died to the hooves of one reformed changeling. He showed bravery and boldness above care. He didn't even flinch when going up against his own blood. He is more of a friend than I could ever think of a changeling being. He almost died protecting me which is something honorable."

Izzy simply sat there, not sure what to believe. "But... I don't understand. Why would he do that?"

Twilight smiled, "He would do that, because he is genuine. He is a true friend to anyone that doesn't want to harm other creatures. He has already given out large amounts of information to the guard. He could be the reason we win this war, even before it actually happens. Just talk to him, let him show you who he really is." With that, Twilight walked up the door I was hiding behind. She opened it to reveal that I was there, waiting patiently for my time to join the conversation.

Izzy, upon seeing me, shot up from her chair. "You bastard! What makes you think I would ever give you a chance? I do not care that you killed your kind to protect the princess. Knowing changelings, you did this just to get closer to her so that you could take her out yourself."

I stood my ground, "Listen, I know I do not have any reason for you to trust me. I know that you will only see me as a monster. I don't care about that. I only care about the safety and wellbeing of my friends. You might not think that I am your friend, but I will still be here to protect you until the end. What could I possibly do to show you that I mean what I say? I know that you needed me, back before you knew what I was. You were in a state of mind that told me that you didn't have someone to rely on. You did not have anyone to trust. When we sat down at the table, I knew that the conversation we had was genuine. I know that me being a changeling changed all of that, but I am still willing to help you. I'm still willing to fight against any changelings that only want to bring pain and suffering to the pony kind. This is a lot for you to take in, but I am willing to show you that I will always be there when you need me. We might have only know each other for a short while, but you are the first real friend I have ever had. I do not want to lose what he had just because of my race. Please, Izzy, just let me show you that I am real."

Izzy did not back down, "You know nothing about what you're talking about. One simple conversation is not going to convince me to let you near me ever again. Our friendship was built on a tower of lies and deceit."

I stood there next to Twilight, an emotion of defeat across my face. "Whether you care or not, I care about you. I am sorry for everything the hive has done, but none of that was in my control. I have never hurt anyone who did not deserve it. I have never killed a pony before. That changeling I killed last weekend was the first blood I ever spilt. I was trained to be a weapon cushion for the normal drones, used to allow the drones to survive better. I have always been seen as a disabled creature, born incorrectly. I have lived my entire life in fear, crushed by the weight of the lives I was trained to take. I used my skills on the train to protect Twilight against my own kind. Not as a ploy or trick to get closer to Twilight, but because I knew it was the right thing to do. You are right in thinking that changeling do not normally care about anyone other than Chrysalis, but I am not one of them. I know I was born as a changeling, but I consider myself something different entirely."

Twilight spoke out, "He is something that we need in life. He is a spark that shines on the future of how we see civilizations alter and change with the world around us. He is the start of something magical. He is the first friend that you have ever had that refused to leave your side. When you were there nearly killing him, he refused to fight back. He took that pain because he knew that you needed an outlet. Blue only wants the best for everyone, starting with you."

Izzy stood there in disbelief. Tears of mixed emotions running down her cheeks. Not sure what was real in this big everchanging world. "I do not want him back in my life. You cannot force this on me. I am leaving and going back to my tea shop. I am telling everyone that he is still alive and living here with you. This is not something that needs to be kept. You thinking that I would ever let a changeling in my life is the biggest fuck up ever." Izzy then turned to leave the castle. I stood there at a complete loss of words. I knew that this was going to be very difficult, but I knew that I was not going to give up easily. I knew that Izzy simply needed time to think about what she was just told. I also knew that she would tell everyone anyways and was prepared for the onslaught of hateful remarks and ponies who would smile to see me die. They did not yet understand, which was ok. No one said life was ever an easily paved road.

Twilight looked back to me after Izzy left. "Blue, I can see that she needs you but does not yet realize this. We need to give her space so that she can best take this in. Giving someone time to see your kindness is the best thing for you to do. I am sorry that she thinks this strongly of you, but eventually she will see the inner you. As for everyone else, they will not have anything to go off of and will be harder to deal with. I think it would be best if you stayed in the castle with me until the town of Ponyville is ready to work with you. I will get the help of my friends and talk with the town. This will be big news, everyone finding that you are a changeling. They do not yet seem capable of understanding what reformed means, but in due time we will hopefully find others like you. There is an extra room in the castle that you can stay in. This will have to be your new home for a few days at least. Tomorrow morning, we are going to talk with my friends and also figure out the guard scanning process. You are free to join if you feel as though you can help come up with a good idea for us. Follow me and I will take you to your new room."

I shook myself off and followed her through the castle. After all I have been through in the past few days, a good rest in a castle that wasn't over loaded with guards was something I needed. I have gone through so much stress in the past week that I could almost feel completely drained. A small snack would help me get through the rest of the day. I planned on going to sleep early to better prepare myself for the events of tomorrow. Twilight was also planning on doing the same thing, though I did not know if it was in her schedule. She has also gone through a large amount of pain and stress in the past few days. Her side injury was still something she needed to take extra caution over.

Twilight and I eventually reached one of her many guest rooms. It had a single bed, a dresser, a round green and yellow carpet in the middle, a bookshelf, a few chests, and some cabinets. It was small but large enough to accommodate guests. Twilight smiled as we entered, "Here you go, Blue, your new room for the next few days or so. I also have someone else who lives in the castle with me, but they aren't going to be back until tomorrow morning. She went out to the Crystal Empire to meet up with an old friend of hers. She is being accompanied by Spike, my dragon assistant. She is an interesting character who just recently became reformed herself. Who knows, maybe you two will be friends. For now, you can relax here. I know that you want to go to sleep early, which is fine by me. Tomorrow I will be making breakfast for us. I will come to get you once everything is ready for you. Just try to relax and not think too much about the future. The future can always be changed for the better, I feel as though you know that more than anyone I know." With that I entered the room. Twilight gave me a big smile and gently closed the door behind her while saying, "Good night, Blue."

I quickly looked around this room, taking in the fact that I finally had a well furbished room for myself. Even though it was only for a few days, it was still enough to help ease my mind. I went into my true form and set my saddle bag on the dresser. I rummaged through to see if I had anything to snack on. I saw that the only thing I had in my food pocket were my emergency rations and some water. I took a few sips of water and called it a night. I could easily make it to breakfast tomorrow morning. After taking a few sips of water, I put it back in the bag.

I went over to the bed that was in the room. I laid down and started to relax. This was not as comfy as the beds in the Canterlot Castle, but it was still up there. I looked up at the ceiling of the room, thinking about everything. I knew that in order for things to get better I would have to trust that time was needed. I closed my eyes and gently drifted off to sleep. There was no point in lingering in thought, so I let my mind clear itself. It was time that I started trying to think less about the things that stressed me out. Tomorrow would be the start of the change that the world needed to see. Tomorrow would be the start of my long journey to finding friendship. Tomorrow would also the start of ensuring the tides of this upcoming war are changed into a direction that best suits the protection of Equestria and its citizens. This will be hard, but it will not be impossible.

Chapter 10: Changes Await

I shot out of bed, awoken by screaming once again. I looked up to see that a random pony had entered my room as I was sleeping. This pony was a mare unicorn with pink fur. She had a purple mane and tail with light blue highlights. She also had purple eyes to match.

She seemed to have her horn ready to attack, "What the fuck is a changeling doing here?"

I fell off the bed in a way that put the bed between me and her. "I live here, this is my temporary room until Twilight can convince the town not to kill me. I am reformed and mean no one any harm. Did Twilight not tell you about me?" I decided that it would be best if I kept it simple and to the point.

She made her way further into the room, pointing her horn at me. She looked both confused but still very much ready to fight. "No, she did not tell me about a changeling living in the castle."

"Well, we can wait for her. She said she was going to get me in the morning for breakfast." I said, getting ready to activate a magic shield for my protection in case she decided to start something.

She smirked, "You know what, fine. If that is the case, then we shall wait here and see."

We both waited there in a stalemate until Twilight arrived. This was interesting because this pony was willing to hear the entire story before jumping straight to trying to kill me. After what seemed to be a few long minutes, Twilight did eventually arrive. She entered the room to see both of us staring at each other in a defensive position.

Twilight walked into the room mainly to diffuse the situation. "Good morning, Starlight, I see you made it home a bit earlier than expected. I also see that you met Blue. Do not worry about him, he's a reformed changeling who is on our side of the war. I can explain more when we are eating, I just finished making breakfast." As she said this, she turned and walked away.

Starlight looked at Twilight as she was leaving with a sideways glance before looking back at me. "Huh... I guess you were right. I have never met a reformed changeling before, are you the first or something?"

I lowered my defenses, "Yes, or at least we think I am. I have not met another reformed changeling in the wild before, so I have no idea."

Starlight lowered her defenses also. "Interesting, I am also reformed myself technically. It's a long story, but to keep it short I was an evil dictator who essentially enslaved a town of ponies and brainwashed them with my own ideas and social constructs. I did this while forcing them to all be exactly the same, down to the cutie mark. That was... before Twilight showed me how powerful the magic of friendship really is. If Twilight says you're on our side, then that is more than enough for me. Now let's go get some breakfast, I'm starving." As she finished saying this, she turned to walk to the dining room.

I stood there for a few extra seconds simply trying to take in what this pony just told me. She essentially told me that she was a ruler of a town of brainwashed ponies, but in the most casual way possible. That was not something I was expecting to hear. I shook it off, transformed into my pony self, and started walking to the dining room.

After getting lost a couple times, I eventually made my way into the dining room. This place felt as though it was much bigger on the inside than it appeared to be on the outside. I found my way there by following the smell of food. Upon entering the room, I saw that Twilight, Starlight, and a small dragon were sitting at the table. The food had an array of waffles, juices, fruits, muffins, toast, and what smelt like coffee. I sat down at the table, looking at everyone else.

Twilight looked up at everyone, seeing that everypony was now at the table. "Everyone, this is Blue. He is going to be staying with us for the next few days or so. Let me be clear and say that he is a reformed changeling. That means he is not here to hurt us, but rather to help us fight against the hive. Also, before you ask, he is not the reason why I have a bandage wrapped around my side."

The dragon at the table spoke up. He was a small purple dragon with green scales, eyes, and chest. "Wait, this pony is a changeling!? Seems a bit dangerous having him live here, doesn't it?"

Twilight looked over at the dragon, "Spike, I know how it seems, but I can assure you that he is safe to be around. Now, enjoy the breakfast I made. We have a long day ahead of us."

As soon as Twilight said this, I started digging into the food placed at my spot at the table. While eating, Starlight looked up to Twilight. "What do you have going on today that will make today long?"

"We need to test all of the guards stationed here at Ponyville because Blue thinks that a good amount of them are undercover changelings." Twilight said, before taking a bite of her waffles.

"How do you plan on doing that? There are a lot of guards here." Starlight said, looking up at her.

"That is the part that I am not sure about. I am going to discuss it later with my friends. I was thinking we start by finding a building with enough space to fit all the guards in a way that prevents any of them from leaving." Twilight said, looking back at her.

I just sat there and listened to them going back and forward while enjoying the food. This food was honestly something I needed. The flavor of the coffee, tied with the stacks of waffles and toast, caused me to lose focus on the conversation. Eventually I noticed that they changed the subject to something along the lines of Starlight describing the Crystal Empire, but I was not paying enough attention to really be listening in.

After a little while of eating and various small conversation, we finished breakfast. I helped to clean everything up. I was not one who liked taking something from someone and not helping them in return. Luckily her kitchen was in the next room over, so we did not have to take the dishes that far away. As we were halfway through cleaning the dining room, Twilight's friends had arrived.

After we finished cleaning up the dining room, we all made our way collectively to the map room to begin planning. The only pony who did not attend this meeting was Starlight. Twilight had set up a chair for me right next to hers.

Pinkie Pie spoke first, "I can see the changeling is still alive. I can only assume that means that Celestia and Luna think he is on our side?"

Twilight looked at Pinkie, "Yes, and he has already given the higher commanding officers of the guard vital information. That is part of what we are here today for. Blue thinks that some of the guards here are actually undercover changelings who have been letting in other changelings while on post. We are going to have to find a way to test them and ensure they are really royal guards."

Fluttershy spoke up, "How are we going to test all the guards and prove they are who they say they are? Is there a way we could identify all these guards?"

Twilight glanced to me for a second before looking back up to respond. "Simple actually. All we need to do to see if they are a changeling or not is to poke them and make them bleed. Turns out that changelings cannot change the color of their blood. We need to figure out how to do it in a way that forces the guards to get tested one at a time. This is because we are going to tell the guards that this will be a general test of health and ensure they are doing good medically. This way if there are any changelings in the mist then they would not grow suspicious of what the test really is. We are going to take something small, like a needle or prick, and give them a blood test. When we come across a changeling, we are going to make sure they get taken away without any other changelings seeing. This needs to be organized so that it does not take too long."

Rainbow Dash barked in, "Wait, but if we have all the guards in one location then who is going to take their posts in the meantime? This will leave Ponyville temporarily unprotected."

Twilight paused to think, "I was hoping that you guys would stand their posts long enough for the first few guards to get tested and return to their posts."

Apple Jack cut in, "Ok, this sounds good an' all but what exactly is stoppin' the guards from gettin' replaced by more changelings in the meantime?"

"Simple, we will be implanting identification chips into their armor after they are tested to ensure that the pony behind the armor knows the personal information of the guard who is meant to have said armor. This is so that if a changeling does end up getting discovered posing as a guard again in the future, they would be found out due to not being able to answer personal information about the guard they are posing as." Twilight said, looking around the room at everyone.

Rarity spoke next, "Right, but do you have those chips now? If not, what will you be doing in the meantime?"

Twilight paused for a few seconds before realizing that she did not have the chips yet. "Oh... I suppose in all the planning we have been doing I forgot to actually ask for the chips. I am not sure what we could do in the meantime."

I spoke next, "Oh, I can answer that question. There is a data base built into those scanners you would use to scan the tags. All the scanning does is instantly look up the information of the guard. However, you can still go onto the device and type in their identification number. This does the same thing, just with a few added steps. You can do the same thing with someone's E.I.C. Instead of scanning the card you can type in the card number and get the same information. Scanning the cards simply goes over that step and takes the guard straight to their information. I only know this because there was one day that I forgot my E.I.C when trying to get into a music competition. I simply told them my card number and answered a few personal questions they had for me based on the information in the database. It is not the most secure way of doing things as anyone in a non-tagged armor set can use anyone's number if they find a way to get one. Once the armor gets tagged then it will be more secured because you have to know the specific number given to the armor instead of being able to throw out a random guards number."

Everyone looked at me after I said this. Twilight spoke out, "It is almost scary how much you know about how these things operate. I suppose that is a good idea for now. We just need to make sure that we get those tags as soon as possible. Anyways, does anyone have any idea on how we can do this?"

Rarity answered first, "I think it would be best if you do it in a fashion similar to an assembly line. All you would need to do is find a building with multiple rooms that connect to each other. The first room can be a generalized waiting room. Each guard will walk into the next room one at a time. This room will be locked so that no one changelings can escape after being found out. Next, they leave to a third room and wait. You can have the guards wait in this room so that they do not leave and tell anyone about what the test really is. This way when you do discover a changeling, you have a room filled with guards for them to get thrown into. I seriously doubt a changeling would be stupid enough to attempt fighting a room filled with royal guards."

I looked up to Rarity, "You'd be surprised actually. Changelings will try many things if they are desperate enough."

Twilight looked back to Rarity, "That actually seems like a good idea. We can also have cages placed in the final room so that the guards can have them placed under control. The next question would be where to do this at."

Fluttershy spoke out, "Why not just do it here in the castle? You have a lot of rooms so surely one of them is two rooms deep. If a changeling gets found out here, that just means you have less distance to travel to place them into the holding cells."

Twilight perked up, "I was thinking that too, but if a changeling did manage to escape somehow then there would be a lot of places they could hide. We need a building that is smaller and more confined in space."

Pinkie butted in, "Why not just do it in the town hall? I know they have a room in the building that you can get to when you go into one of the hallways. That room connects to another room via a storage closet shared by both rooms. That third room links up with a hallway on the other side of the building close to where Mayor Mare's office is."

Rainbow Dash looked at her, "How do you know that?"

Pinkie giggled, "I am in the town hall center way more than you think I am. I love helping Mayor Mare with small jobs from time to time. The only thing you would need to do is ensure that the back room is locked and that no one enters the second hallway because that hallway loops back into the main room. Also, if you need some needles, I have a bunch lying around at sugar cube corner. It would be best if we used multiple so that we do not cross contaminate."

Twilight looked happy at this, "I can't believe I didn't think about that. We will go ahead and make our way to the town hall and ask Mayor Mare if we can use these rooms. Let's go ahead and start walking over. We need to get this done before anyone has a chance to realize what's about to happen."

They all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. We left the map room and made our way through town. As we were walking through town, I could tell that ponies were looking at Twilight. It was strange seeing her with bandages and them not know what happened. I could also tell that they had not yet been told about me because they were all looking at Twilight instead.

After a few minutes of walking, we all managed to make our way into the town hall. Pinkie managed to go get the needles and meet back up with us. Luckily, we did not have to look for the mayor as she was on the center stage setting something up. Twilight approached, "Good morning, we have a question for you. We have to inspect the royal guards to see if any of them are imposters. Pinkie told us about some rooms in here that loop around which would be perfect for our test. Can we borrow those rooms for a few hours?"

Mayor Mare looked up from what she was doing. "Of course, those rooms aren't being used for anything other than storage right now anyways. I mostly use those rooms as a short cut to the other side of city hall."

Twilight was happy about this, "Alright girls, lets go ahead and set up. Apple Jack, you can go into the final room. If a changeling does try to escape, you would be able to lasso them. Rarity, you are going to help me in the testing room. I could use your unicorn magic to help the testing go by quicker. Pinkie Pie, you get with Mayor Mare and help keep them in line and ensure no one leaves until we are done with testing. You will also ensure that only one guard enters the testing room at a time. Keep them entertained while they wait or something. Rainbow Dash, you and Fluttershy go into town and collect all the guards. Rainbow Dash will stand the entry post until we get the first guards tested and sent back to post. Any questions?"

I raised my hoof, "What will I be doing in the meantime?"

Twilight stood in though before answering, "Honestly, I think it would be best if you and spike headed back into the castle. The last thing we need is you being found out in a building filled with royal guards before I have a chance to tell them. I am going to tell the guards about you once I know all the changelings have been found."

Everyone looked at each other in agreement and went to their assigned duties. While this testing started, Spike and I started our walk back to the castle. As we were walking back, I noticed that Spike was keeping his distance away from me. Pour thing was scared of me, and I couldn't blame him. As we were walking, I decided to try to talk with him. "So, Spike was it? What is a dragon like yourself doing in Ponyville?"

He heard me talking to him and skulked slightly further away from me. I could see that he was not comfortable being around a changeling. I spoke back to him in a gentler tone. "Listen, I am not here to harm you or anyone you know. I can tell you are scared of me, which is fine. Certain beings have different ways of over coming fears. If you want me to stay away from you, I will be happy to do so. I do not want you to feel uncomfortable just because I am in your proximity. We just need to be close enough to walk to the castle, then you can go to your room or something while I wait in mine."

Spike seemed to calm down slightly after me telling him this, though he still kept his distance. With this war approaching, I can see why he was so scared. I had a feeling as though if we met without the word of a war then maybe he would've been more open.

We spent the rest of the walk to the castle in silence. Once we entered, Spike appeared to make a run for his room. I saw this and decided to wait in my room. The more I walked around this big building, the better I got used to the layout. My room was slightly difficult to find, though I was taking note of various landmarks in the castle on my way. This way, I could follow the castle landmarks to my room.

I did not know how long these tests were going to take, but it was enough for me to try to relax. I found the mirror located in the room and used this time to look over the stitches. I had noticed that they had almost completely healed by this point. I looked at my ear, which was now a symbol of change. I went through a lot to get to where I was today.

I knew it would be best if I did not linger too much on the fact that I was missing a part of me. I needed to think more on the fact that I was alive and being used as a token of change. I looked at the room around me, thankful for being allowed to be given such an opportunity after proving myself to those around me. Made me wonder how different my life would have been had I been born a normal changeling. I shudder to think of all the things that would've been different, but for the worse.

I sighed and trotted over to the bed. I looked up at the ceiling and tried to clear my mind. I was in the middle of starting to relax when I heard a noise outside my room. I shot up off of the bed and took another defensive position. I stood there, listening to the sound of someone outside the door.

The door slowly creaked open to reveal that Spike had found his way to my room. He saw me standing there and flinched slightly, but then did something I was not expecting. He turned to face me and held up a picture of a young Twilight Sparkle standing next to what looked like a dragon egg. He was very cautious but slowly entered the room.

Spike spoke in a manner that showed that even though he was scared, he was willing to talk. "You... you asked earlier why I was here. I am here because of Twilight. Now, I do not know what your intentions are, but I just want to make sure that Twilight is safe. She was essentially my mother and has raised me since hatching me from my egg. She is the one who opened my egg and began a long journey that she was not expecting to take. Now, I am not going to lie to you. I am scared, but I know deep inside that you aren't going to hurt me or Twilight. That is enough for me to tell myself that I need to overcome this fear. I was always taught that the best way to over come fear is to face it head on. I know that you are willing to defend Twilight which makes you ok in my book."

I shifted my stance to one that was more relaxed. I wanted to show him that I did not have any aggression in the way I was presenting myself. "Oh, well I respect you for that. I know how curious you must be of this entire situation. The ponies of this town are under my protection, which might not mean a lot to you."

Spike seemed to calm down a bit more after I changed my stance to a more relaxed one. Though, he did not walk further into the room yet. He continued, "I have never seen a changeling that was not evil before. I was at the wedding when the events of that day took place. Seeing your kind kill innocent ponies that day leaves me terrified. You though, you act nothing like them. I am thankful that you are on our side."

I saw that he was starting to warm up. "I was not at the wedding, but I know how horrible it is to watch changelings kill in mass. I was trained to do just that and was part of a small raid in an old town. That was my first time ever leaving the hive to attack, but I could not bring myself to do it. Seeing ponies die in such horrible ways told me that I was born on the wrong side. I fled the hive, hopefully to never have to witness that ever again. Hearing about what my kind did to your capital was horrifying news to me. I did not let to get to me too much though as I knew there would still be a chance for me to make it right. This war that is coming up was my chance. I really do not mean harm to anyone, but I will fight my own hive if it means the ponies are safe."

Saying this made Spike relax more. "You are a rogue? I have never heard of such a thing. Where did you live for the past few years then?"

I let out a small smile, "I spent the past four years or so in Manehattan as a musician."

Spike was caught of guard by this. "A musician? What kind of changeling are you?"

I looked at him, answering in a soft tone. "I am a changeling who goes against all of the world. I am one who does not let him race weigh him down. I am one who wanted to become a normal pony and did my best to make it happen. I only got caught because I let something slip. I am the first reformed changeling."

Spike finally moved closer into the room. He was not nearly as scared as he was in the beginning. "Can... Can I see it?"

I looked at him with a semi-blank stare. "Are you sure? I do not want you to be more scared than you already are."

Spike looked up to me, "I am going to see it sooner or later, might as well get it out to the way now."

I shrugged and decided to show him. The room filled with a green flash as I transformed into my true blue bug self. I stood there, awaiting Spikes reaction. Spike did seem to back away a bit, but then he stood his ground and forced himself to walk closer to me. Curiosity over took his fear as he made his way up to me. He was taking note of all the various holes and such. "I can see why your name is Blue, I never seen a changeling with your complexion. Granted I have never had enough time to really look at a changeling. I could never get a good look at them as they were always moving or fighting someone."

I let out a small chuckle. "Well now you have the chance to look at changeling anatomy. I might be blue, but the rest of me is exactly the same as every other changeling." I lifted my arm so that he could get a better look."

Spike then asked something I was not expecting. "So, does it hurt? When you transform, I mean?"

"Not really, it is kind of like asking a unicorn if it hurts to perform magic. Going into a pony form is essentially just a magic spell. Sure, the longer I stay as a pony the more tiring it becomes, but it is just part of who I am." I said, letting him touch me. Spike poked one of his claws through a hole in my hoof. I could tell he was now more willing to use this chance to study. I was happy to see him lighten up to me so quickly. If only a regular pony could do the same.

After a few minutes, Spike had enough changeling exploration for one day. "You know, despite being naturally evil, changelings are actually quite pretty creatures. There is just something so spectacular about changelings that leaves the world in wonder. Who knows, maybe if things were different, you would have more butterfly-like wings or more beautiful colors. I could only hope that there are more changelings like you out there. If you weren't a naturally evil group, I feel as though you would be the prettiest."

I blushed slightly, "Thank you Spike, no one has ever called me pretty before. They usually just call me a monster or bug. Then they either try to run away or kill me. I have gotten used to the abuse by now. Though, I have never been closer to death then when Izzy found out."

"Izzy from the tea shop? What were you doing with her?" Spike said, climbing up onto the bed to sit.

I smiled gently, "I used to work there. I moved to Ponyville about ten days ago and got a job working there. We were good friends while it lasted. She found out I was a changeling one day when a knife fell on me and cut me open. She nearly killed me, but somehow found enough strength inside to spare me. Granted she figured that Twilight would finish me off, but we will cross that bridge in the future."

Spike looked back at me from the bed, "I have never heard of a changeling surviving Izzy, so she must think something of you. Whether or not she wants to admit it."

I sighed, "I hope so because she was the first friend I have had. I did not make friends when I was in Manehattan as everyone there either keeps to themselves or are very rude."

Spike looked back softly, "I'm sure you will find more friends. Some friends you just have to let go of."

I smiled at this, sitting next to him on the bed. He looked up to me. "So, what are we going to do until they finish the testing?"

I sat there wondering there wondering the same thing. "I have no idea to be honest. I don't imagine that these tests will take longer than an hour or so. We can just chill here for a little while until they are finished."

Spike nodded, "Well in that case, I'm going to go get something ready. Tonight is game night with my friend Big Mac. They come over every other Saturday night to play Ogres and Oubliettes."

I looked up to Spike, " Oh, did you not hear? Big Mac is in the hospital for a sustained injury to his leg."

Spike shot up, "He is? What happened?"

I looked down slightly, "A large wooden beam hit him in the leg. Nails ended up digging into his legs and tearing his muscles apart."

Spike went from happy to sad. "Oh, I should go check up on him! I'm going to run over there and see if he is ok. When Twilight gets back, tell her I went to check on him."

I smiled, knowing that he cares about his friend. "I will do that. Who knows, maybe you could play the game in the hospital."

Spike laughed a little bit. I was trying to lift his spirit a tad, and it seemed to work. He ran out of the room, leaving me alone in the castle. I decided to stay in changeling form for now as being in pony form does take energy. It would be best if I conserved as much energy as possible. I decided it would be best if I passed the time by taking a nap.

It was much easier for me to relax into a nap in comparison to when I first arrived here. The castle was very still and quiet. I left the bedroom door open so that when the front door opened, I could hear it. Hooves echo loudly in this grand location against the tall crystal walls.

The nap was something I needed also because sleep helps the healing process. I knew that I would eventually need my stitches taken out. When they got back, I would have to ask Fluttershy when that would be. She was the one to put them in so I figured she would know better than anypony else.

I closed my eyes and let the time fly by. Taking a nap always seemed to make time appear as though it is sped up. This worked perfectly too because it did not take too long after I closed my eyes for me to hear the front door open. In what seemed to be a few minutes, hours had passed. The entire group ended up coming back to the castle. I got up, transformed into pony form, and trotted down the hall to greet them. Turns out that they had a few royal guards with them. This group of ponies had covered cages with them. Seems as though my suggestion of the royal guards being infiltrated was correct.

I walked up to Twilight, "How many did you end up finding?"

Twilight looked up to me with a grin as the guards continued down the hallway with the cages. "Out of the forty guards stationed here, ten of them were changelings. You were right, Blue, this was a huge find. We plan on testing the rest of the town in a similar manner. I need to send a letter to Celestia to let her know our findings. Ponyville is now better protected thanks to your insight. Where is Spike?"

"Oh, I told Spike about what happened to Big Mac, and he went to go visit him in the hospital." I said, watching the guards as they took the cages down the hallway and vanished behind a corner.

Apple Jack spoke out, "Aww, well that's mighty nice of him. Big Mac could use someone with him, I visited him last night and he told me how boring it was there."

Twilight looked back, "Well, that's fine. Though, we are not done with today. We still have one more thing we need to do before it is too late to do it right. We still need to introduce you to the town as the first reformed changeling."

I gave a look of shock, "Oh... right... this is not going to end well for me."

Rarity looked up at me, "Don't you worry darling, you'll have us to help back up your story. I know that they will not like it in the beginning, but surely after a little bit of explaining they will warm up to you. We already told Mayor Mare about you. She didn't take it well at first but eventually came to the realization that you can't be evil if we are vouching for you."

I looked at the group. "I kind of feel as though this is something that would go better if we had Celestia and Luna here for support."

Twilight walked up, placing a hoof on my shoulder. "I know this is scary for you, but it is mandatory. If you want the ponies to trust you and your decisions, then we need to take such steps. You have already done so much to help, whether you realized it or not. Come on, lets go back to the town hall and let everyone know. This will be a hard punch but will lead to more allies in the end."

I sighed but agreed. We all walked back to the town center. It appeared as though Twilight and her friends already told everyone to meet up at the center because as soon as we walked through the town hall doors it was very crowded. I scanned the crowd as we were walking up to the stage. The last time I was in front of this group was to kill a changeling, now I was up there to be outed as a changeling. This was not the best feeling, but I understood why it was necessary. I just had to get ready for the wave of emotions that were going to come out of this.

We made our way into the stage. The ponies were all looking around in confusion as they had no idea what this meeting was about. They did not see any crazy contraptions on the stage, so they knew it wasn't another execution. The crown was silenced when Twilight stood up to the podium. This all happened so quickly, I admit that I was hyperventilating slightly when standing on the stage next to this group of important ponies.

Twilight cleared her throat and finally spoke out. "Good morning, everypony. We are gathered today so that I may give you some big news. This is not something that we talk about lightly. As you may all know, there is an upcoming war with the changelings. This is not new news to anyone, though I do have something that is. Recently, we have been gifted a unique individual that stands before us today. A unique individual who has already given us so much against the hive. A lot of you may remember that last weekend we had an execution. What I am about to say next will come as a surprise to you all. The pony I am talking about today is none other than Blue Shadow. This same pony who willingly killed a changeling, has also given the government a lot of useful information. This pony saved my life when we were ambushed on a train to Canterlot. This pony here is something that is brand new to all of us. Blue Shadow is a reformed changeling."

The ponies in the crowd immediately started talking among themselves. Faces of fear, distrust, and confusion covered the town. Twilight continued, "Now, I know what you all must be thinking, but listen. A reformed changeling is a new breed of changeling that is nothing like what we know. I am here to tell you that he is the first changeling who is willing to fight on our side. He is something new, a sign that even the most evil of creatures are willing to change for the better. Just today, we ran a test on all of our guards because Blue here told us there might be changeling hidden in the ranks. Thanks to his insight, we found that ten of the guards were changelings. Blue here also pointed out that Ponyville was going to be left defenseless. Thanks to him, Ponyville is now safer than ever. I know this is a lot to take in, but he is the first changeling I have ever said this about. He is a friend to all pony kind. Each of us on this stage has seen his true nature first hoof. Now, I am not asking you to become friends with him, but what I am saying is that this changeling is different. Even his natural skin color is different from a normal changeling. Now, I know that there are probably a few changelings in the crowd. Let me be the first to say that if you want friendship, we are willing to work with you. I know that there a lot of changelings who also do not agree with this war and want to change for the better. If you are also a reformed changeling, then I want you to know that you can come to my castle and speak to me in private. Though at the same time, if there are any regular changelings in this crowd just know that we will find you and make you suffer. This does not mean that you can lie and say you are a reformed changeling. If you enter my castle to tell me that you are reformed, we will know if you are lying or not. We have ways to make you tell the truth. We are giving you changelings one last chance. If you are reformed, then we would love to help you through the process. If you are here because of the hive, we will find you out and kill you. If you are a changeling who is loyal to the hive, then this is your last day living in Ponyville. If you do not leave this town, then come tomorrow afternoon we will find you. You no longer have the help of any changelings hidden as guards. Trust me when I say the guards watching over Ponyville are furious that their ranks have been infiltrated and will not stop until every last changeling is found. If you are a reformed changeling though, you will be required to help us in any way you can to fight against the hive."

The crowd erupted, they did not know how to handle this sudden brick of information hitting them all at once. One of the ponies in the crowd shouted, "So you expect us to just believe that there are changelings out there that want to change for the better? What has this world come to?"

Fluttershy spoke out against the crowd. "We know what you all must be thinking but change surrounds us all the time! Look at Discord for example. He is a creature born of pure chaos and disharmony. He now accepted friendship into his life and is good friends with a lot of you! Look a Trixie as well! Trixie came to town to fight Twilight. When she won, she became un-liked by everypony here because she thought she was better than everypony else. She took in friendship and is now better for it. Blue here was born a changeling, but he wants friendship. He is trying to show other changelings that they do not need to be afraid to let friendship into their lives. You should all know better than to turn down someone who wants to take in friendship."

Another pony in the crowd shouted out. "How do you know he is not just a really good liar?"

Twilight grinned and lifted her wing and showing the bandage. "Blue here saved my life. On our way to Canterlot our train had been ambushed by an upwards of fifteen changelings. He put my life above his and defended me. He, even after being injured, protected me against his own kind. He fought and killed nine of his own kind to prove that he has changed. He knows that there is a difference between a changeling and a reformed changeling. During that fight, a changeling managed to stab me. Blue saw this and ran to my side, even after he had just been blasted off of the train and into shards of glass. I know that you all may not accept him right away, but I know that he is on our side."

Another pony shouted, "Wait, but if you allow reformed changeling into Equestria, wouldn't that lead to a changeling civil war?"

Twilight paused, she never thought about this before. "I am not sure, though I do know one thing. If there was a war between the changelings and the reformed changelings, then I would gladly stand alongside the reformed changelings and help them defeat the hive."

Another random pony called out next, "So what would happen if we do accept these reformed changelings and they decide to switch back over halfway through the war?"

Twilight thought a bit and responded in a calm manner. "If they really were reformed then they wouldn't want to go back. If anything, they would create a new hive and form a secession into a new race. They would create their own ideals and government. Equestria would gladly help this new group of allies join the populous. We would help them fight against their old hive, which would now be their enemy."

I could notice that the crowd was starting to warm up to all of this new information. I scanned the crowd to see that a lot of them seemed to understand what they were being told. They seemed to like the idea of reformed changeling, because they knew how powerful of an ally they would be. Twilight looked to me and ushered me next to her. I gulped in slight fear but walked up next to her at the podium. I looked out at the crowd and looked at the various faces and mix of emotions. Twilight continued, "I will say this once and once only. He is an example of courage and bravery. He, despite what he is, proved that even changelings can change for the better. Blue here is under my protection, as long as he is working for us. Blue here is the first changeling citizen, meaning if you are caught trying to kill him then you will be tried for proper attempted murder. Just trust me when I say he is a friendly creature. He will continue living here in town. If you are a reformed changeling, please feel free to talk to him. If you are a normal changeling, trust me when I say you do not want him to find out. I saw him take on nine drones at the same time and win. Now, this is the end of the meeting. Feel free to talk to him and see for yourself what makes him unique."

With that, Twilight backed away from the podium while ushering me to follow her. I followed her off the stage. I watched as the citizens of Ponyville were walking out, talking to each other about this new discovery. I knew that they did not all like what they were just told, but I also knew ponies knew that friendship was a powerful thing. We all left the town center as a group. As I made my way through the exit, I could see the town staring at me. I felt a heavy stare to those who did not know what to think. I knew there was only one way out of this. I had to show these ponies that I was really here in peace. Sure, Twilight's speech did convince a lot of them to give me a chance, but I have always found that actions speak louder than words ever could.

I scanned the town as Twilight was leading us back to the castle. While I was scanning the area, I noticed something off. Not once during that entire meeting could I see Izzy in the crowd. Either she was well hidden, or she had not shown up at all. Poor Izzy, she wanted to tell everyone about me but was beaten to it by Twilight and her friends. I wanted to find Izzy but knew that she needed space.

The entire town was staring at me as I was following the princess into her castle. I feel if the town was not just told that I was under her protection and now classified as a citizen that a good number of them would try to attack me. This upcoming war is against my kind after all, so I could not blame them for thinking that being told a changeling was off limits was not right.

As we got close to the castle, Twilight looked down at me. "I am going to go interview the changelings we captured this morning. You can come with me and help me talk with them. We need your skills to figure out if any of them want to reform or not."

I looked up, still following her. "Sound good to me. I am always willing to help in any cases that I can. I'll stay by you the entire time.

We made our way into the castle. As we finally made our way into the castle, it was just me and Twilight. The rest of her friends ended up going back to their normal days. I stuck close to her as we made our way down a hidden entrance way into the castle holding cells. This led up down into a deep under ground section of the castle. Entering the room filled me up with bad memories. Last time I was in this room was behind the bars. Now I am entering the room as the interviewer.

Upon entering the room, I looked in to see ten beaten changelings. Each changeling had been placed in their own cage. Seems as though when they were placed into the final room upon being discovered that the guards made sure they were too messed up to be able to run away. I looked into the cages at the changelings. I could tell that they all knew who I was by this point.

One of the changelings barked out, "You traitor! I can't believe you would rat us out to help the ponies! You are a disgrace to the hive and what we stand for! You ruined our plan to take these ponies out from the inside! No wonder mother kicked you out all those years ago, you would've gotten a lot of changelings killed with your treachery. Some changeling you are."

I simply looked at them, not giving them what they wanted from me. Twilight responded to this outburst. "Well, we can see that you are one that needs to be dealt with the hard way. Listen up and listen good changelings. We are going to be interviewing each one of you one at a time. These tests will let us know about your intentions and true nature. If you do not want to cooperate, then we will execute you." With this, she walked up to the first cage and opened it carefully. There was a royal guard there to help her guide the changeling into a separate room. I followed Twilight as she took this changeling into a questioning room. The same room that I was placed into when I was here a few days ago.

Once we were in this separate room it was just this chained up changeling, Twilight, myself, and one guard standing ready with a weapon. The guards at this point have all been told of my identity and knew that I would not be one they needed to worry about.

Twilight looked at the changeling and began the questioning. "Ok, this room has been surrounded by a truth spell. You cannot lie in this room so do not try. What do you know about the other changelings we have in our command? Are you all part of one group, or are you separate from the others?"

The changeling sat there in silence. This changeling did not want to tell Twilight anything. I could tell that this changeling was going to be difficult to work with. They figured that if they did not want Twilight to know something then they would simply not say anything at all. The truth spell only forces people to tell the truth if they say something. Twilight looked over to the guard who then walked up to the changeling. This guard took out a small device and put it against the changeling. This device turned out to be a taser as the changeling shouted out in pain. Twilight leaned in close to this chained up changeling. "I'm going to tell you this one more time. If you do not want to cooperate with us, then we will kill you. Now, tell me what I want to know. Are you working as a group or are you here by yourself."

As she asked this, the guard tasered the changeling again. This changeling yelled out in pain. "Fuck you!"

Twilight sighed before looking up at the guard. "Take this one away and dispose of them. Send in the next one for questioning." I watched as this changeling was dragged away, most likely to be killed in a different room. I did not like this, but I knew that this changeling could not be saved or reformed. I just hoped that the next changeling would not be the same.

The next changeling was dragged in shortly after the previous one was taken away. The next changeling was placed in front of us for questioning. Twilight spoke up again, "Ok, listen up. Same thing I told the previous changeling. This room has been surrounded by a truth spell. You cannot lie in this room so do not try. Give us the information we need, and this will be easier for you. Are you all here as a group, or do you not know the other changelings we took in?"

This changeling was smarter than the last one. "I know that we are going to die no matter what we tell you. I am going to make your job easier and save you time. The less time I am in this hellhole, the better. We are here as a mass group. Our job was to infiltrate the guard and allow other changelings in and out of the town without being found. Your town is littered with changelings, though we do not know their intentions as they are part of a different team. We were going to eventually have the entire guard replaced by changelings and take you out in your sleep. This traitor just had to find us out and help you put us away! We do not care about you ponies and want to see you die! We are all a group of recon changelings who evidently failed their mission. I must admit, the test that you ran was a very smart way to discover us. I bet this was his idea, wasn't it? All ten of us did this because we want to see you fall!"

Twilight looked at the changeling, then back at me. "What do you think Blue?"

I glanced back at her after taking time to think about the situation. "They are right. You do not make it into the recon group unless you are completely loyal to the hive. Every changeling you have in those cages is not likely to reform and is not on our side."

Twilight grinned at this, then looked up at the guard. "You heard him, they are all to be put to death for their actions against Equestria."

The guard saluted and took this changeling back out and into a different killing room. While doing so, this guard told the other guards this new information. Each one of the changelings were seen being dragged away. I did not linger on this fact. Twilight watched as this happened and helped to ensure that none of the changelings got away or tried to fight the guards. We followed them all the way until they got to the room. It turned out that these changelings were being taken to the torture room. The guards were going to kill them but get out as much information from them as possible.

After seeing that they were all successfully transferred to this new room, and that there were more than enough guards to handle the situation, Twilight started leading us back through the castle. After a long walk, Twilight and I made our way back to the map room. We both sat down and looked at each other. Twilight spoke out, "Well, none of them were reformed so there is nothing left to do with them. I am not sure how many reformed changelings there would be, but I hope it is more than what's showing."

I looked up to her, "Twilight, we are doing what we need to. If I end up being the only reformed changeling there is, then so be it. Though, I do know that a lot of changeling do not like how the hive is ran. We are treated poorly and aren't allowed to be true individuals. We can only do what we are told when we are told. Chrysalis says she only wants the best for her hive, but she only takes what's best for her. A lot of changelings put up with her because they feel as though that is all they can do. That speech you gave would surely reach out to the changelings. Whether its from a changeling returning to the hive from a mission, or the ponies talking about a reformed changeling who was accepted by the ponies. I am willing to bet that there are more than a few reformed changelings out there. Now that they know they can be accepted they would be willing to reach out and talk about it. We started something that will only take a short time for us to see the results of."

Twilight looked back, smiling, "I hope you are right Blue. I feel if enough changelings end up wanting to reform, then that would mean we could end up winning the war by breaking the hive apart before they even get a chance to fight. Though, there is nothing we can do for now but wait and see."

As Twilight said this, the front door could be heard opening. Spike is seen walking into the map room a few seconds later. "I just got back from seeing Big Mac in the hospital, did I miss anything?"

Twilight looked at him, "Oh, hello Spike. The only thing you missed was me telling the town about Blue here and that he is on our side. We then investigated the changeling we found during the initial tests this morning. Turns out that none of them were good and thus had to be taken care of. How was Big Mac?"

Spike walked up next to Twilight, "He is doing a lot better, though the doctors do not know when it will be before he is able to walk again. I was not allowed to stay with him past visiting hours as I was not direct family. Also, there are a few ponies outside who said they wanted to talk to you for some reason."

Twilight and I shot up and looked at each other after hearing Spike say this. Twilight and I got up and ran towards the front doors. Spike was left confused but ended up following us. When we opened the door, we were met with a small group of five ponies. One of the ponies approached and spoke out for the group, "Hello Princess Twilight, can we please come in and talk?"

Twilight nodded, "Yes, of course. Please come in so we can talk." She opened the door and let this group of ponies in. There were a few guards who stood at the door. When the ponies were let in, one of the guards followed. They did this because if it turned out that this group of ponies were changelings who tried to attack Twilight then there would be a guard there to stop it.

We all followed Twilight as she led us into a different room. She ended up taking us to the dining room as it had more chairs to choose from. This group of ponies seemed extremely skittish and full of caution. It did not take long before we were all sitting down at the dining room table. As soon as everyone sat down, Twilight let out a powerful spell. This was the truth spell that she seemed to love using.

One of the ponies in this group spoke out, "Thank you for letting us in to talk to you. You must know what we are here for."

Twilight sat down, "I assume you are here because you are all changelings. I also assume you are all here because you want to come out as reformed?"

The ponies all looked at each other in agreement. The lead pony spoke out once again, "Yes Princess Twilight. We are a group of changeling who fled the hive years ago. We moved to Ponyville a long while ago to go into hiding. We did not think it would ever be possible that ponies would ever start accepting us into their lives. We understand that ponies are distrustful of us but figured that if Blue could do it then we could too. Though, we are not sure how to go about this whole reforming thing."

Twilight looked at this group, not thinking she would actually me it this far. "Well... the process to proving yourselves will be a long one. You could start by telling us what you know about the hive and helping us find ways to help us defend against the hive."

Another pony in the group spoke next, "So, we either have to help you fight the hive, or we are seen as enemies? We are a peaceful group and do not like all this fighting."

Twilight looked up, "Not necessarily. We are simply saying that this is a way you could help. This war is going to be a huge fight against our kinds. Though, I suppose if you do not want to fight at all then you could help in other ways. We are going to have to test you all as individuals though. Something you can do to help, because all the citizens of Equestria will have to pitch in, is go into volunteer groups. You can volunteer at Sweet Apple Acres with canning food for the soldiers. You could volunteer with the medical teams and learn how to save lives instead of taking them. You could volunteer at school and help teach young ponies about your species. There are a lot of things you can do. Everypony has to help fight against the hive, though this does have to mean fighting in battle. If you really are reformed changelings, then we will gladly give you a chance to show us who you really are. You just have to keep in mind that this is a new thing for us. The only thing we have to go off of is Blue here. He made it possible for us to start trusting reformed changelings in the first place."

The group looked around before saying almost in unison, "We will try our best."

Twilight looked up and smiled. She then stood up and went around to shake the hooves of everyone in this group. This was the start of something great. A now visible change that could help not only turn the sides of war but show the world that anything can happen. We can push aside all the racism and learn to help each other, no matter what our race or species is.

I stood up from the chair and looked around the room. I was the start of this new movement. I was the start of this group of reformed changelings. Maybe I could be something greater if I kept pushing myself. Who knows, maybe one day I could be a Celestial Royal Guard Officer. Maybe one day I could be the leader of this new hive of changelings.

Twilight, after greeting each pony individually, spoke out to the group again. "We can get with each of you tomorrow and figure out the next course of action. We are happy to see that you are willing to change for the better. This is the beginning of a new race, and you can all be happy to be a part of it. For now, you will have to return back to wherever you end up sleeping at night and join back up with us tomorrow morning."

The leader of this group spoke up one last time before leaving, "Thank you for this opportunity. We will do our very best to make sure we do not mess up this chance to have a better life. I thank you for showing us that we no longer need to hide in fear." With that, the group left to go back to their homes.

Once the group left, Twilight looked back up to me. "You should be proud of yourself. You should be happy knowing that you are the leader of a new age of changelings. Now, lets get something to eat and head to bed for the night. Something tells me that this was only the beginning. Something tells me that we still have a lot of work ahead of us."

I smiled with a sense of new found pride. "Sounds good to me. Something tells me that there are way more reformed changelings still to come. Now, what are we going to have to eat?"

"Just something small, I don't know about you, but I am still fairly full from that large breakfast we had." Twilight said, heading into the kitchen through the connecting door.

I let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I am still fairly full too. Your cooking was very good, and the food was quite filling."

Twilight also let out a small laugh as she went through the fridge. The fridge in the castle seemed to always be filled with plenty of choices. Twilight ended up finding some sandwich material. We all agreed on sandwiches because it was something small and easy to clean up. I ended up just getting a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich. This was something that seemed strange to most ponies. I did not care though as it had a unique flavor.

After we ate, we all ended up separating for the night. I made my way back to my room. I was able to get there without getting lost for the first time as I followed the same castle landmarks that I took note of last time. Making my way into my room, I closed the door and shifted back into my true form. I made sure to lock the door this time so that I did not get awoken by yet another pony who did not know who I was or why I was there.

I placed my bag back down on its normal place on top of the dresser. I looked at the mirror in the room. I was now more unique than I had already been before. I was no longer looking at the reflection of a changeling rogue. I was now looking at the reflection of a future changeling leader. I smiled at this and made my way back to my bed. I laid down in this bed of mine, aware of the new changes still yet to come. I continued to smile as I drifted off to a well needed sleep. This was the start of the life I always wanted, but never thought possible. A world filled with reformed changelings. Maybe we could find a way to get them to also not need to rely on love like myself. I never figured out what made me this way, but now was the perfect chance to find out.

Chapter 11: Discussing Discoveries

The sunlight hit me from the window in the room. I was able to finally wake up without anyone screaming at me or trying to kill me. I woke up as a full citizen for the first time. I couldn't imagine what going outside would be like though. Everyone knowing exactly what I was now just seemed weird to me. I figured I would still have to go out and let the ponies ask me questions. I started a movement that no one was ready for, so I had to take it headfirst.

I headed out of the room after deciding to leave in changeling form. I was safe in this castle anyways, so I figured it was time for me to become more comfortable with who I was. I would eventually have to take it outside, but I knew I was as ready as I could be at this point. I trotted through the castle to see if anyone else was awake. I could hear trotting in the distance and decided to figure out who it was.

I turned the corner to see a group of guards who were walking through the castle. I did not know what was going to happen if they came across me in my changeling form. I took a deep breath and walked fully around the corner and tried to simply walk past them and see what they would do.

The guards all stopped their conversations and looked at me as I was walking towards them. To my surprise they all waved at me. "Good morning there! We wanted to thank you for clearing our ranks from those changelings. It is still weird for us to think that there are good changelings now, but we are personally excited for this new change."

I let out a huge sigh of relief. This was a pleasant surprise. "Oh, of course. Though, my goal is to find more reformed changelings rather than to just kill off the hive. I know a lot of the changelings cannot be saved, but I know there are more than enough who want a change in life. The hive is a horrible place, you ponies should consider yourselves lucky that you never have to step hoof in it."

The guards all looked at each other for a few seconds, "That is true, but depending on how this war goes we might have to. Anyways, we need to head to post, you be careful out there. I'm sure there are still more than enough ponies out there who want you dead."

"I am very much used to it by this point." I said, walking past them towards the dining room. I wanted to see if anyone was making breakfast or something. I had gotten used to the layout of this castle by now so finding the dining room was easy enough.

I opened the door to the dining room and looked through the kitchen door. Spike was there making breakfast. I walked up behind him to say good morning. I got up behind him without thinking, "Good morning, Spike!"

Spike stopped what he was doing and bolted high up in the air. As he did this, the cup of tea he was making was accidentally thrown across the room as he launched it without thinking. The cup of tea managed to bounce off the wall and exploded. Right as this happened, Starlight was walking through the door. Luckily, she was fast enough to create a magic shield around her to prevent any of the shards or hot liquid from getting on her.

I quickly caught Spike before he fell to the ground as the stool he was standing on was launched from underneath him. "Oh my, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Spike quickly looked around and gained his composure after seeing that it was just me. "You are a quiet one, aren't you?" Spike said this as he got up to start cleaning the mess.

Starlight could be seen laughing in the background. "Whelp, that's one way to get welcomed into the kitchen. What were you making anyways Spike?"

Spike went to grab a mop, "I was making myself some waffles. I did end up making a lot so you guys can have some if you want."

I looked down at the mess and decided to just use my magic to clean it up faster. I picked up the teacup shards and levitated the tea off the ground into a ball of liquid. I put the shards carefully into the nearest trash can and placed the ball of hot tea into the sink. "Let me clean that up for you. It is my fault that this mess was made in the first place."

Spike simply watched as I did this and turned to put the mop away. "You are both quiet and a showoff. Thank you though, I made a pot of tea so there is plenty more where that came from. I just need a new cup."

Starlight went up to Spike to help him with finishing up this breakfast. I stood next to them and watched. "Where is Twilight?"

Spike was putting the waffles on a plate to move over to the dining room table. Starlight levitated the tea pot and cups to the dining room while following behind. I didn't have anything to carry so I just walked behind them. When we got to the table Spike began placing the plates down. "Oh, Twilight had to leave early this morning to talk with Mayor Mare about some important business topic."

We all took our seats once everything was set. Starlight started pouring everyone some tea. "That is so like her. That just means more waffles for us. Thank you again Spike for accidentally making too many."

Spike looked at the large stack of waffles being divided up, "Yeah, next time I'll be sure to read ahead in the cookbook and see how many servings the recipe is accounting for."

Once we all had our tea and waffles, we began eating. I could notice Starlight was looking at me while we were eating. I couldn't blame her as this was her first time seeing me in my true form. The breakfast was mostly quiet as we were too busy eating. The waffles were almost perfect. They were only slightly burnt around the edges, but he did a really good job overall so I can't complain.

The tea was also very good, though it wasn't as good as Izzy's tea. I wondered what happened to her. I had not seen her the day prior which was strange because it was the weekend. Maybe today I would see her, being Sunday and all.

After we finished eating, we all pitched in to help clean the kitchen. Halfway through cleaning the kitchen, a royal guard found their way to us. "Excuse me, there is a group of ponies outside who claim that they were here yesterday and were told to come back in the morning."

Starlight followed the guard to the door while I stayed back to help Spike finish up the kitchen. The kitchen did not take that long to clean so Spike and I were able to make our way to the front door only a few minutes later.

When I got to the front door, I could see that it was the group of reformed changelings from yesterday. They were all still in their pony forms. The first one was this brown male unicorn with black hair and hazel eyes. His cutie mark was that of an anvil. The second one was a light blue male pegasus with orange hair and eyes. His cutie mark was an orange shield with a red lightning bolt in front of it. The third was a white female unicorn with forest green hair and light green eyes. Her cutie mark was three droplets of water. The fourth one was a mint green female unicorn with tri-colored hair. She had blue, light blue, and white hair with the colors going from darker to lighter in sections. She had light blue eyes and wore a dark blue bandana around her neck. Her cutie mark was three emeralds. The fifth one was a light purple male pegasus with vibrant purple eyes to match. He had blue hair with red streaks on both his mane and tail. His cutie mark was a bunch of dark purple grapes.

Starlight looked out at this group of ponies. "Hello, you must all be here to see Twilight? She is currently away at some meeting and won't be back until a little bit later. You can come in and follow us to the map room where we will wait for her to get back. Make sure you do not stray away from the pack because that will only make you look suspicious. Remember, we are still new to the whole reformed changeling thing, so we still do not fully trust anyone who walks in claiming they are reformed. You'll have to be patient with us as many do not know how to adjust to this new change."

Starlight led everyone into the map room. We were all able to sit down except for Starlight who stood on the side. It felt weird being a group of known changelings sitting in these seats around the map table. I did not think they would mind though. Spike sat down in his chair next to the changeling who sat in Twilights seat.

It was not long before we all heard the front door open again. We were able to hear someone walking towards the room. The doors to the map room opened again to show Twilight walking in. Alongside her was Mayor Mare who was invited over to see this group of changelings.

As Mayor Mare entered the room, she was slightly taken a back, "All of them you say?"

Twilight smiled, "Yes, they are all reformed changelings, with Blue being the first. Blue is a fighter, but the other five are more peaceful. We can surely find something for them to do to help. There must be something we can do to show this town that there are more reformed changelings like Blue out there. These changelings have been living in Ponyville for a long time, so everypony should know them by their pony forms by now. We just need to find a way to let the ponies know there are more living here without them getting rushed by the information that they have been living with changelings this entire time. We have to come up with a way for each of them to prove that they are reformed like they say they are."

Mayor Mare paused for a moment. "Hmm, well you were talking about volunteer work earlier this morning. Maybe it could be possible for them to show their kind nature through community events?"

Twilight looked at her, "Do you have anything in mind?"

Mayor Mare looked back, "Not at the moment. Anyways, let's take a look at these changelings." Mayor Mare walked up to this round table and took a good look at everyone. It had hit her that she knew these other five. "Woah, I never expected any of you to be changelings. I thought I knew you all so well. I suppose that is beside the fact now. I would like to get a look at you all in changeling form if you do not mind."

We all looked at each other before dropping our forms. These other five changelings looked just like any normal changeling. I was the only one who was different. Mayor Mare looked around the table and glanced at me. "So, he doesn't look that way because he is reformed, but just because that's how he was born? That makes sense I suppose, though it brings up a new question. How are we supposed to tell these other reformed changelings apart from the normal evil ones?"

We all looked around the room, seemingly hoping that someone was able to think of an answer. The room stayed quiet, and the realization had hit us that there was no physical way of telling the others apart. After a few seconds of long silence, Twilight spoke out. "I do not know if that would even be possible to do. We can try to think of something later. For now, the only real way we have of telling them apart is by asking them personal questions. These changelings have lived here long enough for us to know enough information about their pony lives to tell if something doesn't match up. That and they could still use their E.I.C's to get in and out of town. These changelings have been here long enough that they were given the cards without being questioned, just like Blue did in Manehattan."

Mayor Mare walked around the room, "Ok, do you all know each other?"

The changelings all looked around at each other. "To be honest, we only met just after Twilight gave her speech. We met each other when we met up in front of the castle yesterday to come forward as reformed changelings. None of us knew any of the others were changelings."

Mayor Mare smiled, "Well now you can get to know each other better. Why don't we go around the room and tell each other our names?"

We all looked at each other and decided that it would not be a bad idea if we could remember each other's names. The brown male unicorn was named Brock. The light blue male pegasus was named Miles. The white female earth pony was named Dew Drop. The mint green female unicorn was named Emerald Cloud. The purple male pegasus was named Berry Bush. Lastly, I told the group of changelings that my name was Blue Shadow.

After a few minutes of us introducing each other, Twilight spoke up. "Ok, now that we all know each other now, it is time I tell you what we were thinking. As you changelings all know, we are about to go to war with your hive. Now, I am not sure what your thoughts are about this situation, but if you are going to be citizens here then you need to help out in any way that you can. I understand that you are all peaceful and hate violence, but times are beginning to get tough. Here is what we would like you to do to help us out. You do not have to say yes to this, but we feel this will help a lot. We would like for you five to go back to the hive and find as many changelings as you can that you know want to reform. You won't be doing anything violent, and the hive will hopefully lose drones from their side. We know that there are a lot of changelings out there, but anything we can do to increase our numbers and decrease theirs will help. The goal is to hopefully get enough changelings to reform so that this war ends before it could start due to the fact that the hive won't have enough evil changelings left to fight. We really would like for the least amount of death possible. We know that this is a long shot, but you never know until you try. We know that most of the hive will probably never want to reform, and they will most likely still go on with this war, but anything we can do to reduce the amount of death on either side will still help. I know it sounds weird, me saying that we want both sides to have as few deaths as possible, but war is hard for both sides. We are perfectly fine with killing any evil changelings who only want death, destruction, and harm to the pony kind. However, we understand that the more we kill that harder the hive will hit back if we ever get into a second war. We are just hoping that there will only be one war. I know this is a big ask of you all, but this is the most peaceful way we can go about this which will hopefully lead to less changelings on Chrysalis's side. We want as few deaths in our population as possible. The more changelings we can get to reform, the better the outcome will be."

The room had gone completely silent. This was something that we did not expect Twilight to say at all. Brock spoke first, "Princess, that is a very big ask. What would happen if we got caught? The hive will kill us if we go around asking random changelings if they want to join the pony side."

Twilight thought for a moment, "We do understand the risks, which is why we are ok with you saying no. Though we figured you know enough changelings in the hive who hate the living conditions. We know that there are quite a lot of changelings who think it will be worth it to move away from the hive and live a better life."

I spoke up next, "That actually does make sense. Have any of you ever gotten hungry for love since you moved out here?"

The group all looked at each other before they all looked back up at me. Miles responded, "Well, now that I think about it. Ever since I started living like a normal pony and making friends, I do not remember the last time I got hungry. Normal pony foods always seemed to do the job."

Dew Drop spoke next, "Same for me actually. Ever since I moved here and started working at the Ponyville Café, I never got hungry. I figured that it was because I was too busy to get hungry. I am so much happier here in comparison to living in the hive."

Twilight looked at the group, "So you all know how much better life is here. If you can convince them that reforming would mean they never starve again, maybe they will be more likely to reform."

We all looked at each other, sitting in thought. Emerald Cloud broke the silence, "I know that this is going to be hard, but if I were still in the hive, I would be excited to hear that moving away from the hive and being accepted into the Equestria population as a citizen meant living a better hunger-free life. I say it is worth it, what do you all think?"

Berry Bush looked up in excitement, "Plus I think it may be easier than expected because none of the hive would even know that we are runaways. We have not been marked as traitors so going back into the hive would be easy. If anyone had any questions for us, we could just say that we just got back from conducting a patrol. I know a lot of changelings who may be willing to help us spread this word and find other reformed changelings in the hive. If we are smart about how we do this, then no one would ever be able to tell that five random changelings were behind it."

Brock responded, "You know what, I would rather die trying to find more reformed changelings than die being attacked by changelings who didn't know that reforming was even an option. Who's in?'

Brock raised his hoof in the air, looking around the table to see who else would be willing. Miles, Emerald Cloud, and Berry Bush all raised their hooves in unison. The group then looked at Dew Drop. Brock looked at her with a kind look, "Are you coming with us?"

Dew Drop looked up after thinking long and hard. "No, I need to stay here and help show these ponies now that there are other reformed changelings here. They only know about Blue. I could use this time to tell the ponies of this town about us. Maybe there are other reformed changelings hidden in town that were simply too scared to come with us to the castle last night. You guys go without me, I'll stay back with Blue and look for others here in Equestria."

The group looked around, all seemingly agreeing that this is a necessary evil that needed to be taken care of. None of us knew what the future held for us, but we knew at this moment that we had a chance to alter it for the best.

Twilight looked at the group once more, "Great! We are very excited to see what becomes of this. You are all helping to shape the future of Equestria. We can discuss the best way to go about this later, for now we need to tell the town about all of you as we did Blue. Though, with you all looking like normal changelings it will be harder for ponies to approach you. Blue here is the exception, but even still ponies will be cautious around him. You can all go into pony form to make it easier. Blue, you can come with us as well. If you want to go out as you are then it is completely up to you."

I looked up to Twilight, "I will go outside in changeling form. I feel that tackling this situation head on will be the best course of action for me. I understand that the ponies in town will probably not want to come near me, but I am willing to undergo this to make it easier for any other reformed changelings later on."

Twilight smiled, "Ok, the rest of you follow me." As she said this, the five other changelings went back into their pony forms and followed Twilight and Mayor Mare outside. I waited for a few minutes after they left before finally deciding to go outside. It was a huge turning point in my life, but I was finally willing to push forward. I was bold enough to do it, just to see what would happen.

I stepped out of the castle, looking out into the town. The realization of what I was doing hit me, but I was too far in to turn around. Stepping outside, I walked a little bit into town, but decided to stay away from the busy center for now. The town noticed me as soon as I stepped out, but I could tell that they were fairly calm about the situation. I guess that them seeing me as a blue changeling told them that I really was unique. Though, I had hoped they didn't think all reformed changelings were one color like me.

I walked around Ponyville, being very careful not to startle anyone or give any signs of aggression. I saw that a lot of ponies were headed towards town hall, presumably after news spread that Twilight was going to introduce more reformed changelings to Ponyville. There were still quite a few ponies who decided not to go as there were still a good number of ponies going about their normal Sunday routine. I decided that the best way for me to go about this would be to sit on a bench in town and see if anyone was brave or confident enough to approach me.

I sat down at a bench that was just outside the shopping district as it had the least amount of hoof traffic in the area. I looked around and watched as the ponies passing by were staring at me. They did not know what to make of a random blue changeling just sitting in Ponyville as if it was something normal to do. Everyone knew who I was though, thanks to my color and all.

A few minutes passed before I could hear someone calling out to me. I looked behind me to see that Octavia had spotted me and was walking my way. I watched as she made her way all the way up to the bench. She took a seat right next to me, seemingly not affected by the fact that she was sitting next to a changeling. Octavia looked up at me when she sat down. "So... This is the true you. Got to admit, coming out into town like this takes guts. I like that about you. You are not afraid to do what you think is necessary for change. You are very bold and very persistent. You know, I have never been able to study a changeling up close before. I hope you do not mind."

I let out a small laugh, "Not at all! If you want to look at me then that is fine. This is something that ponies had not yet been given the chance to do."

Octavia smiled, looking around my body. She seemed very interested in all the holes around my body. "This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen." After poking around my body for a few minutes, she looked up to me once more. "Do you think that maybe you are blue because you were born reformed? I do not know how changeling magic works, but it is still an interesting theory."

I looked back at her, "I never knew actually. I always thought that maybe I was just different genetically. I grew up believing that I was actually a half-ling but was never able to find a way to test it. Though, I do agree with one thing. I would like to believe that I was born reformed. It would explain so much about my younger years."

Octavia thought for a moment, "I didn't even think that half-lings could exist. If you were one, surely there would be a scientific way to find out. Though, I am not at all knowledgeable about this so I feel it would be best to change the subject."

I thought about what to say next, "Ok... So, you do not have any problem with me being a changeling?"

Octavia smiled, "No one that was evil could play piano the way you did. There were too many emotions in the way you play to give off any signs of you being evil. I can tell that you mean well. It was hard for me to process the fact that I let a changeling in my house at first, but with further thought I came to the conclusion that you are not like the standard changeling. It is almost like you are the first stage in your kind evolving into a brand-new race. I believe that you really are friendly. You have too many beautiful emotions hidden inside you."

I smiled, "That means a lot to me. Seeing that ponies are already willing to trust me and give me a chance is something I never thought I would ever get. Speaking of which, I have a question for you."

Octavia shifted back into a normal sitting position. "Fire away."

I looked at her with a slightly different face of emotion. "I was curious if you have seen Izzy within the past few days. I have not seen her ever since I got back from Canterlot. She was not at the announcement yesterday and I did not see her anywhere in town today."

Octavia looked down in thought, "Now that you bring it up, I have not seen her either. She is normally out a lot during the weekend, despite never hanging out with anyone. She never seemed to have any friends. Though, she would still be out collecting new seeds and cups for her tea shop. This is not like her to not been seen even once on a weekend. I feel as though she just refuses to come out knowing that the streets are now filled with roaming reformed changelings. I would go check her store out and see if she is even there."

"You know what, I will. I need to make sure that she is safe and doing ok mentally." I said, getting up from the bench. "Do you want to come with me?"

Octavia stood up, "Yeah, I am not doing anything today." With that, we both started walking through town towards Izzy's Tea Shop. While walking through town I was getting stares of many different emotions. To my surprise, most of them seemed more curious than anything. There were a good few ponies who gave me death stares though. I just ignored this and moved on.

Eventually Octavia and I arrived at the store. We could not tell if anyone was in or not as she had the shutters down. I decided to fly up and look through the window on the second story. She had that closed as well so there was no telling if she was home or not. This made me worry because the shop seemed empty. This, combined with the fact that neither of us has seen her in the streets recently, also made Octavia worry.

"I think it would be best if we tell authorities to do a wellness check on her to ensure that she is doing ok." Octavia said, looking at me with slight worry in her eyes, "I can go ask around town and see if anyone knows what is going on with her. You go find Twilight and let her know what's going on."

I nodded my head, "Sounds like a plan, I just hope that she is ok." With that, Octavia and I went our separate ways for the day. I spent the new few hours or so walking around town asking if anyone had seen Izzy. This was already hard to do as every time I would approach someone they would run away. Through the ponies who were ok enough to talk to me, and me walking around for hours, I could tell that no one has seen her in quite some time.

I decided after walking around enough to head back to the castle to let Twilight know about this. The meeting that Twilight had with the ponies in town was long past done at this point. Making my way to the castle, I noticed the town had become more untrustworthy of each other. The news of five more changelings coming out of nowhere meant that no one knew who was a changeling or not. For all they knew, there could still be evil changelings still hidden amongst the crowd.

I made my way into the castle and tried looking for Twilight. After walking for a while, I was able to find her in one of the hallways. She was walking alongside Starlight. I walked up to them, "Hello again Twilight, where did the other changelings go?"

Twilight and Starlight both looked back at me. Twilight answered, "They already left to the hive. After the meeting with the town, we were able to come up with a plan for the ones who went to the hive. How did things go on your end?"

I looked up, still worried. "It was fine in the beginning. It turns out that Octavia was still understanding enough to stay friends with me. Though, halfway during our conversation Izzy was brought up. We went to the tea shop to see if she was home, but we could not tell. We decided to investigate further and go around town asking ponies if they had seen her. Most of the ponies in town were too scared to walk up to me and let me talk to them. Though, out of the ones who were willing to talk to me, I came up with the conclusion that no one has seen her in a while. They keep saying that this is not like her and what not. I feel as though it would be best if you could get someone to do a wellness check on her to ensure that she is doing good mentally."

Twilight and Starlight both looked at each other after hearing me speak. Seemed as though they also did not know what to make of the situation. Twilight responded after a few long seconds, "This is definitely weird behavior coming from her. I can go see if I can find someone to check up on her. This is just hard to do as she does not really have any friends. It would seem, based on the information you have given me, that she simply locked herself in her home. This may be needed after everything she has gone through. Her finding out that her most recent friend was a changeling was probably enough to have her go into a small shutdown mode. I'm sure that when she got word that you were still alive it only made things worse for her. I do not feel as though she would do anything drastic, but I will find someone to go look. For now though, I feel it would be best if you got with Dew Drop and discussed what you two can do to help spread awareness in Equestria about the reformed changelings. She is in the dining room with Spike."

I quickly agreed to this and went to go find the dining room again. This was getting easier to do as I was spending more time in the castle. After a small walk to the dining room, I opened the door to see Spike sitting with Dew Drop at the table. Dew Drop was in her changeling form.

Spike saw me and waved, "Oh, hey again. Glad to see you managed to survive an entire day of walking around Ponyville in your changeling form."

I sat at the table, "Yeah, well I think the only reason I am able to get away with it is because the color blue is not as scary as the color black. I can almost guarantee that if Dew Drop went out looking like she is now that she would not get the same reaction I was given. I just wished that there was something that could tell reformed changelings apart from normal changelings."

Dew Drop looked up, "I understand that you were born that way. I remember back a very long time ago seeing you around the hive. The only pure blue changeling to ever be hatched in the hive. You were bullied from a very young age just because of your skin color. That is actually part of the reason why I decided to leave the hive when I did. Seeing that a changeling was not safe, even in the hive, made me lose all hope that the hive would last. I moved to Ponyville because I knew that as long as I was a pony I would be welcomed, despite the color of my fur. This is why I stand with the ponies."

I looked down at my hooves while they were resting on the table. "I was given the worst entrance into life. Though, I noticed that there were a lot of changelings in the hive who did not agree with me being tormented and bullied. Seeing changelings in the hive who did not want to bully me is what gave me hope for a better future. I knew I never had a place in the hive, but I figured that maybe with enough change I could find a place among the ponies. I just never expected it to lead to where we are today. I am more than sure that they will find a lot of changelings in the hive who would be happy to fight against the hive."

Dew Drop looked back, "Well, we should not dwell on the past any longer. It is time for us to look into what we can do instead of all the things we couldn't do. We did not have control over the past and were given a chance to control the future. I am ready for the challenge of being part of a new class of changelings. That is why, starting tomorrow, I am going to go out and spread word of our new kind across Equestria's major cities. This will be hard, but I know it is worth it. I am not sure exactly how hard it will be, but I know there are reformed changelings hidden in every major city. We just need to get out there and find them! You should come with me. It might be easier with you as your name is already out there."

I took the next few minutes to think long and hard about this. "I think it would be best if we went to Canterlot first. Celestia already knows and trusts me. If I can show her that there are others willing to live with the ponies, then maybe she would be willing to help spread awareness about us! Though, the train ride will be very hard without Twilight with us. We just have to hope that the guards at the station know about me already and are willing to let me go to Canterlot in the first place. We can meet at the station first thing tomorrow morning and head out together. Make sure to be ready for a fight if need be. The train was ambushed last time we headed to Canterlot and you may need to fight against other changelings. If you are seen with me then you will instantly be tagged as a traitor. They will try to kill you in order to put a stop in our plan."

This made Dew Drop think for a long while. She eventually decided on her fate, "I am willing to take that risk if it means we have a chance to find others. I will head home now and pack. I suggest you do the same."

I looked back at her, "Oh you don't need to worry about that. I actually live here in the castle. It is temporary but works."

Dew Drop looked at Spike, "Thank you for our previous conversation. I'll be sure to take what you said and use it." She then got up from the table after collecting anything she had with her and left.

Spike looked up at me, "You should get some sleep now if you want to be prepared for any more fights. I will tell Twilight what you and Dew Drop are doing."

I perked up, "Thank you. I'm going to do just that. You have a good night." I got up and headed out of the dining room towards my room. This was not going to be as easy thing to pull off because anything could go wrong. I am not sure how much more stress or fighting my body can handle.

Once I made my way into my room, I closed the door and laid down on the bed. Me walking around in my true form helped me reserve a lot of energy that would normally be lost by this time. I was still very tired and sore from walking around all day. I knew that big changes were still yet to come. With Celestia's help, it would only be a matter of time before the reformed changelings come out of hiding and fight alongside the ponies. This was something I could only dream of in the past. These changes were coming fast too. We needed to do it this way in order to relieve the most stress all across Equestria. This would not be the most welcomed announcement made by royalty, but it would be the most timeline altering. I fell asleep that night knowing what was still yet to come.

Chapter 12: Arriving in Force

The glaze of the sun shining through the window woke me warmly. It was like a gentle hug, and I liked it. I could get used to not waking up to someone at my door. I got up and prepared myself mentally for what I needed to do today. Today was the day that I would show Celestia the other reformed changelings. I had no idea what she would think about the situation, though I had multiple obstacles to get over. What would Celestia really think about this entire situation? What would the guards say when I try to enter the castle without royalty guiding me in? Would the citizens revolt against the idea of reformed changelings? How would this impact the war?

I got up and gathered some supplies in my saddlebag. I assured myself I had plenty of snacks and water for the trip. I ensured that I had my E.I.C in my saddlebag pocket. I made sure to keep my dagger in my bag in case the train ever got ambushed again. Hopefully my dagger doesn't get taken away by the guards at the station.

Once I packed my things, I looked at the mirror I had in the room and turned into my pony form. I had to meet up with Dew Drop before the streets too got busy. After ensuring that I was ready to go, I walked out of the room. I did not know how long this would take. I was hoping that it would be no longer than just one day. Go up to Canterlot, explain the situation to Celestia, and come back. How hard could this possibly be?

I walked through the castle, my hoof steps echoing in the large halls. There didn't seem to be anyone else awake yet. Strange, usually they would at least be in the dining room eating by this time. Maybe they just thought that they could sleep in today. I could not blame them; it sounded like a great idea.

The walk through town wasn't all that eventful either, most ponies were still getting ready for work. It was Monday after all, ponies would be getting ready for the day. I decided to take a look at Izzy's Tea Shop before making my way over to the station to see if it was open. It would be open by this time. When I got there, however, I could see that the shop still had the shutters pulled down. There were a few ponies standing outside trying to look in and see if it was open. This was not at all like her to not have the store open. This was her home, her job, and her hobby. I got very worried but figured she was still just taking a mental break from all the changes happening around her. I figured it was best to just let her have her rest and continue walking. I noticed that the other ponies also figured that she would not be opening today and walked away. They also looked very worried about the situation but understood given the circumstances falling on the town.

I continued through town to the train station. I saw Dew Drop there as promised. She also had a travel bag ready, though I did not know what she had in it. I walked up to her, "Good morning, Dew Drop."

She saw me walking up to her and waved, "Morning Blue, are you ready for the day's journey?"

I smiled, "Of course, no matter what happens I will be ready. Let's try checking in on the train."

We walked up to the guard at the gate separating the station from the town. The train wasn't there yet so we knew we had plenty of time to check in. The guard at the gate stopped us, "Good morning, where are you two headed today?"

I spoke up for the both of us, "We are headed to Canterlot on royal business. We need to talk with your higher government in regards to information regarding the changelings."

The guard gave us a sideways glance. "Oh, you must be the reformed changeling that Princess Twilight was telling us about. To ensure that you are the one I am thinking of, can you please state your name and where you are staying?"

I got out my E.I.C and handed it to the guard. "My name is Blue Shadow; I have been staying with Twilight and helping your higher government by telling them hive secrets and such. I can't get into too much detail with the secrets as it is currently on a need-to-know basis. I do hope you understand."

The guard looked at my card before scanning it and seeing that I was who I said I was. The guard then looked over to Dew Drop. "Hello, I recognize you from the restaurant here in town. Dew Drop, correct? What are you doing here with Blue?"

Dew Drop looked at the guard. "I am here because I am also a reformed changeling. I have been hidden here working at the restaurant ever since I ran away from the hive. I am part of the reason why we need to talk to your higher command."

The guard paused in realization, "You have been a changeling the entire time? You were one of my favorite waitresses from the restaurant. Interesting to hear that you are also a reformed changeling. I thought Blue here was the only one."

Dew Drop smiled, "That is what everyone thinks, but there are actually a ton of us reformed changelings floating around. That is why we need to talk with Celestia. We need to spread word that there are a lot of reformed changelings who are ready and willing to help the ponies in this war. We are tired with how we are treated in the hive and found that life is much better when we accept friendship. For example, ever since we became reformed changelings, we found that we were no longer hungry for love. Somehow our bodies have changed slightly inside, and we no longer get hungry outside of the same meals you eat. We eat normal pony foods and find that it was way more filling than devouring love. The entire reason most changelings are evil is because we learn that we have to be. We learn to kill or take in life, only going after what is best for the hive. Though, there are enough changelings who want a better life now that we know that it is an option."

The guard looked stunned. I could see that all the other guards in the area overheard us and were also in disbelief. "Now, that is a lot for us to take in. If you guys really are on our side, then that is great. We could always use more allies to help in times of need. Though, I do not think Celestia would be open for conversation today. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are both very busy ponies."

I thought for a second, "Well if we cannot speak with them, then I shall tell General Redbriar this information. I technically work with him and can route this information up through him. Either way, this information is huge and needs to be passed up to higher command. This information could help turn the tides of this upcoming war to start more in our favor. Not only will you have your normal strong fighting force, but you will also have a bunch of angry changelings tired of how the hive treated us. Changelings who know best how to fight the hive as we were part of it. We could even try convincing others to join the pony side. If you had an army of changelings of your own, then you can consider this war looking in your favor. First thing is first though, we need to get on the train to Canterlot."

All of the guards gave more serious looks when I spoke about knowing General Redbriar. "Oh, you are not joking. Very well, we will let you on the train. You are lucky that the next stop just so happens to be Canterlot anyways. The train has been going back and forward between here and Canterlot as Celestia has ordered more guards to Ponyville. We were not told why though."

I grinned slightly, "That would be because I told her to send guards here. You see, I know that Chrysalis would try to outsmart the princesses. Celestia has Canterlot very well protected from any changeling attacks. Chrysalis knows this and would be trying to exploit this bit of information. When looking at the map in the planning room I had noticed that they have guards mostly around Canterlot and the other major cities. I also noticed that Celestia had most of her force from protecting from one generalized location leaving Ponyville open for attacks from the west. I know that Chrysalis knows this because she was able to infiltrate the ranks of the royal guard. I know for a fact that she would try to attack Ponyville as it is the least protected due to its size. I also know that this is a high priority target for the hive because this is home of the Elements of Harmony. Think about it, why would Chrysalis try to attack Canterlot knowing how protected it is when the Elements of Harmony are in a small town that only has small security outposts. If she can take out the Elements of Harmony, then this would lower the defenses as the towns ponies would feel less protected and leave them running away to a more protected city. This mass move of survivors would be too much for the guards of Canterlot to account for and let in any changelings hiding among the group. There is also a hidden cave system running through the mountain that Canterlot is mounted on. There is a hidden entrance north of the mountain which was also left mostly unprotected. I told Celestia that it would be smart if she moved forces to Ponyville and protected the Elements of Harmony as they are the ones Chrysalis would be after before she made her way to the princesses. Plus, knowing that she would send the hive to Ponyville, it would leave the hive unaware that there would be more guards here than expected try to kill the lot before they have time to return to the hive and let Chrysalis know that plans have changed. We need to move fast in order to tell the princesses that she now has a growing army of reformed changelings who want to help end this war in favor of the ponies and the reformed changeling's newfound way of life."

Everypony at the station looked at me in awe. The guard, after taking a few long seconds to process this information, looked back up to me. "You really are looking out for us ponies. I was not thinking that the reason we were being sent to Ponyville was for this important of a reason. Next train should get here in the next half hour or so. You are free to get on. I will have a guard walk with you and ensure you make it into the castle. The castle is under high security, but you probably already knew this. Feel free to wait by the benches as it is going to take a while.

Dew Drop and I sat down on the bench, excited by the fact that the guards could see that we were actually on their side and trying to help them. During the wait, a lot of scenarios played out in my head. I was envisioning the different ways that the meeting could go. Maybe we would never get into the building and the sisters would be too busy planning for this war. Maybe the guards would not think that Dew Drop was on our side as she has not been tested yet. Maybe the guards were not yet fully searched for changelings and the guards at the door would end up being changelings who knew I was there to mess up their plan. Whatever happens, I knew that there was only one way to find out.

After a long while of sitting in thought I looked up to see the train arriving in the distance. Seemed as though it was slightly ahead of schedule. The train also looked slightly different, but I could not yet tell what was changed about it from this distance.

After a few more minutes, the train finally pulled into the station. When the doors opened, I was met with a once in a lifetime view. When the doors of the train opened, seemingly an entire company of guards dressed in full armor marched onto the platform. They were marching in scary unison, leaving me breathless. There were also a few guards in more camouflaged armor holding those riles from earlier. These rifles were very long and scary to look at, with a scope on the top that was as long as my forearm. There were also guards in regular armor holding smaller versions of the rifles, though these ones seemed to have more things on them. The scope on these rifles were very small, almost like these weapons were designed for close quarter combat. A lot of the higher ranking guards were carrying those pistols from earlier as well. Most of the guards still had the normal spears and swords. This told me that the guards carrying the rifles and pistols were part of a specialized group of ponies trained specifically with the new gear. They seemed more ready for dangerous mission. It seemed as though the princesses sent two platoons. One platoon of normal guards to protect the inside of the town, and another group that screamed some sort of Equestrian special operations and forces command. Some of the specialized guards were wearing new armor that looked like vests and protective patterned clothing. A few of them had on full face masks dawning different intimidating disguises and screens. I assumed that this was to let them see in the dark without any light. The ponies in this town were not ready for what they were about to see.

I simply watched as they got off the cart. I could see that Dew Drop was terrified of these guards. The guards did seem to go through a lot of new upgrades and training. I couldn't wait to see what those rifles did, being that I was almost hurt by one of them myself. I know not where the mirror that Celestia was talking about led to, but it was clearly a world filled with war. I have never seen such things before. I knew that these ponies were going to hit the hive in very unexpected ways. I had to hope that those other reformed changelings got back with as many reformed changelings as they would before the hive gets taken out by this special forces group and the reformed changelings have a chance at this new fantastic life.

While watching these guards march off the station, I could see what was different about the train. This train was no longer the Ponyville Express that we were used to. Its silly roof design was replaced with a more protective metal framing. The doors appeared to be much thicker. The walls were still made of wood, but I was sure that this was only because they only had time to change so many things about it before they had to start sending guards to Ponyville. Even though the walls were still made of wood, I could see that the inside of the train looked to be lined with sheets of metal framing. The windows even seem to be made of thicker glass. This was now a train ready for war and weapon transports.

The train did not take long to be offloaded and soon it was our turn to get on. When we entered the train, we could see that each cart was protected by two guards each. They looked at us and waved. It would appear that these guards were taught to keep anyone riding the train relaxed and ensured that the train was safe. There was also another guard that got on the train after us. This guard seemed to be a lower ranking officer who was there to guide us into the castle. I could not see the rank of the first guard we spoke to at the gate, but they were able to tell this officer to follow us and allow us entry into the castle. This officer that was now sat in the cart with us looked to be a lieutenant meaning that the guard at the gate might have been a captain. This is not to be confused with a captain of the guard which is the commanding position of a military security force. I have been around long enough to know that just because they both have captain in the title does not mean both are the same rank.

Captain of the royal guard seems to be more of a billet title handed to anyone who is directly in charge of the protection of the royal family and supporting guard regiments. Captains are simply the third ranking in the chain of officers. Captains are usually in charge of smaller things like leading as a company commander and leading tactical operations. This guard in charge of escorting us to the castle was just a lieutenant. Lieutenants are usually in charge of individual platoons of guards. They are among the most junior commissioned officers.

I looked around the cart once we were sat down and ready to leave. This train was now so different and way more protected. I looked at the guards watching the carts and noticed that they were holding spears, but also had a pistol with them. Anyone that gets on this train can now consider themselves to be very safe as this was now not just a train but a bunker on tracks.

The lieutenant looked at us once the train had started moving. "So, you are here to tell the higher command about ways to best protect and fight against the hive? What made you decide to leave the hive and join the ponies? Also, are you aware that the entire guard knows what and who you are?"

I looked back at the officer. "I did not know that the entire guard was told about me. Though, I suppose this is a good thing because they all know that I am not the enemy. Why I wanted to change sides in a bit of a long story though."

The officer glanced back, "Well this is a long train ride."

Dew Drop let out a little laugh, "They got you there."

I looked up at Dew Drop before looking back at the officer, "Yeah, I suppose they did. Ok, I left because of some rather dark history. You see, I was born as a pure blue changeling. In the hive, this is seen as a deformity. Any changeling born with a deformity gets placed into a specialized group of changelings who have one job and one job only. Whenever the hive goes out to attack towns, this special group is to go out and kill off as many ponies as possible while also taking most of the damage. Our job was to die in order to make it easier for the average drones to come in and finish the job. I had no choice in the matter. I was thrown into the group as soon as I was able to walk. I grew up only learning how to kill and take damage. The conditions were horrible, but I was finding that I was really good at it. Maybe even the best as it was what I was taught to enjoy. Though, one day I was taken out on my first mission to take what I was taught in all the years of training and apply it to real life ponies. Upon seeing the other changelings attack with no regard hit me like a brick wall. I thought that we would only be fighting guards, not mothers and children. That was the moment I realized that what I was taught growing up was a lie. These ponies were not fighting back but were running for their lives from changelings and burning buildings. As soon as I was caught not attacking the ponies, the main changeling in charge of overseeing this ambush started beating me with a huge metal chain. I snapped and nearly killed that changeling. Once I was taken back to the hive I was placed on trial and banished, even though I knew by that point that I was going to run away regardless. Once I ran away, I moved to Manehattan and taught myself how to live a normal life. There are still a few things that I can't get right, but I am trying. Learning how to speak like a pony was the biggest thing for me to overcome. In Manehattan I found out that I was crazy natural at playing music. I became a pianist and found that I was enjoying this new life. I had control over what I did and had no one to boss me around. I studied countless books at the library in Manehattan, which is where I learned about the Elements of Harmony held by Twilight and her friends and all they have done. I was taught about the magic of friendship and decided to give it a try. I never really made friends in Manehattan as everyone there is violent for seemingly no reason. Though, I did meet other musicians that I was able to bond with. After a while, I noticed that I was no longer hungry for love. I was able to live like a pony, diet and all. I gave myself a vow that I would eventually help the ponies of Equestria fight against the hive if there was ever an instance. The hive attacking the Canterlot Wedding came out of left field, even for me. I told myself that I would be ready to help the ponies protect themselves next time something like this happened. I moved to Ponyville after becoming homeless in Manehattan. I found Ponyville was cheaper and that, even though I love music, I was not making enough in the big city. I needed to relocate and find a new job. I also needed to find a way to help the ponies without having my disguise found out. I was only discovered after I let a knife cut me at work. As soon as I found out I figured that this was the best time to tell Princess Twilight that I was on her side in this war. I proved it by gladly giving secrets of the hive and convincing Twilight that I was a reformed changeling. Now, I am on my way to tell Celestia, or General Redbriar, that there are actually a surprising amount of other reformed changelings out there who want to move away from the horrors of the hive and live better lives. There are a few reformed changelings from Ponyville who are currently at the hive recruiting other changelings to join the reformed changelings group. There are sure to be enough to help lean this war more towards the guarantee win of the ponies."

The officer listened in with great curiosity. "I had no idea that the hive treated its own changelings like this. No wonder you left; I couldn't imagine being forced to live that way because it was all you were allowed to do. It is great that there are more changelings out there who want to reform."

I looked back at the officer, "Don't get me wrong, this is not the case for every changeling. The normal drones lived a mostly free lifestyle. Every reformed changeling has their own reason for becoming reformed. Just because my life was messed up, doesn't mean that all changelings grew up this way. Though we do all have a main singular reason for this change. The reason being that we found accepting friendship cured our hunger. All the reformed changelings found that they no longer need love to survive, almost as if we are slowly evolving to no longer require it."

Dew Drop spoke up, "This is all true. Once I moved to Ponyville and started making friends, I found myself no longer hungry. I was seemingly fed by the friendship. That and I find that regular pony food is actually very good, if made correctly."

The officer looked back, "Do you think that the entire hive would want to reform?"

I looked back at the officer, "No, sadly I do not think so. Most of the hive enjoys killing and torturing innocent ponies. They are thrilled and filled with blood lust. Most of the hive wants to see the world burn and fully support the queen. I do not see the queen ever reforming either. As much as I do not like it, most of the hive cannot be saved. This war will only fuel them more as they want to take complete control of Equestria and feast on anypony in their way. The darkness in the situation is that only a small portion of the hive would ever even consider reforming. We will have to either kill them all or beat them bad enough in this war that they decide to move across sea and try their hooves at trying another location. There should hopefully be enough reformed changelings out there to where we can essentially create our own reformed hive in a new location. We would be big enough to be considered a new allied nation. Either that or we could integrate into your society and live normal pony lives. We still have a long road to travel before figuring all that out though."

The officer smiled, "Well, I would be happy to fight alongside a nation of new friends. Hell, we could even consider letting changelings join the guard. Even if only a few reformed changelings joined the ranks, they would be so powerful with their transformation magic that we could crush waves of enemies just by you changing into a monster and crushing the enemy. We are very aware of how powerful changeling magic is which is why Celestia gave us these new weapons capable of piercing even the toughest of protection spells from far away. We even have a group of specialized guards who have rifles powerful enough to kill someone from miles away without them ever being seen. Honestly, if we could get reformed changelings to join the ranks of the royal guard, we could create a new special forces group of changelings who are literally masters of disguise and train them with this new high-tech gear. If we had an entire platoon of reformed changeling guards and trained them like special forces, then Equestria would never be afraid of a war ever again. I must admit, you guys are scary to fight against. That video that Princess Celestia showed of you on the train taking out nine of your own kind at full force to protect Princess Twilight was the scariest thing I have ever seen."

I smiled back, "That is all the specialized training I grew up learning. Those nine drones are not nearly as trained as I was. I have been considering joining the guard though, as I am already more than trained enough to take of anything in order to protect the ponies that I was originally trained to fight. I killed those changelings because I knew that they would never reform and were there to kill. I did what I needed to in order to protect the princess. I would happily use my skills to join the royal guard and help protect the princesses. That is, if I was even allowed to."

The officer giggled, "I'm sure that Celestia would make a special case for you. We could use someone like you. I would die happy knowing someone like you was fighting by my side. You have skills that scream officer instead of enlisted. If you are able to join up, I would highly consider you join the officer route. You seem like someone who would make a great general one day."

I looked out the window while continuing the conversation, "Yeah... well... we can only take this one step at a time. We need to let higher know that this many reformed changelings even exist in the first place. With how drones are, I'm sure that they would be more than excited to join the royal guard. Fighting is what the changelings are best known for. Though, not every changeling wants to fight. Dew Drop over there is quite the peaceful type themselves."

The officer looked at Dew Drop, "That is perfectly ok. In Equestria, no one is forced to do anything they do not want to do."

Dew Drop responded, "I am thinking of learning how to be a cook. Working in a restaurant and finding that pony food can be the best thing ever let me discover that food is my passion."

While looking out the window, I could tell that I was slowly drowning out the conversation that the officer was now having with Dew Drop. I was captivated with the landscape shooting by us. Equestria really is a beautiful place to live, it would be an awful shame if the hive won and took over. They would surely destroy this land and all the wonders it holds. I kept myself in thought for the rest of the train ride. While I was not paying attention to the conversation anymore, I could tell that those two were getting along. If only all changelings and ponies could get along, then maybe there wouldn't be a need for such a war. Too bad that most changelings are too far gone to reform. A lot of changelings I know are either about to die or be forced to leave the lands. I would feel bad if these changelings didn't like mass murder. This is for the better though. Life was about to change; we could only hope that it was for the better.

The hours rolled on by as I found the Canterlot Train Station approaching from the distance. I snapped back into reality as I saw a few more guards at the station ready to board the train. There didn't seem to be as many as before which means this group is just the stragglers that couldn't fit on the train.

I looked around to make sure that I had all my equipment before being guided off the train by this officer. When we got off the train, we were met with stares from the other guards who were now headed to Ponyville. We walked through the station and made it into the town of Canterlot. I had almost forgotten how big and majestic this city was. There were a lot of ponies who were walking around, seemingly not caring too much about this war. They seem to think that the protection around Canterlot is enough for them to not have to worry. I could only hope that they were correct.

The walk to the castle was a long one, but I was more than used to long walks by this point. The next part of the mission was to get inside the castle. Sure enough, after walking through Canterlot, we arrived to a well-protected castle door. The two guards standing by the door saluted the officer guiding us into the castle. I could not tell what rank these guards were, but they appeared to be enlisted personnel.

Getting past them was very easy as the lieutenant was seen taking the star off of their uniform and using that to open the door and walk through. This was some really interesting technology. The huge doors were only open long enough for us to enter the castle. Once we were in, we continued our mission to find someone of higher authority. Hopefully it would be the princesses so that we could simply tell them directly.

The castle was as amazing as I remember it being the first time. The halls were filled with more well-armed guards. The inside of this castle seemed ready to take on a swarm of changelings. Some were roaming the halls while others were standing at attention guarding doors and passages into different hallways.

The guard took us through hallways that we had never entered before. They seemed to know the ins and outs of the castle. After a few long minutes of walking, we came across a hallway with red flooring. This seemed to be a section of the castle where the higher-ranking ponies of each guard worked and slept when they were on duty.

Stepping on this red carpet filled me with a sense of importance. We looked at the doors to see names. Passing the doors, I could notice that most of them seemed to be anywhere between one star to four-star generals. We came to a door that read General Redbriar, it also had four stars on it. I walked up to the door and knocked on it.

After a few seconds of silence, I was able to hear some movement from behind the door. The door opened to General Redbriar who was not wearing his uniform. That told me that he was currently off duty and on a break. He looked out and had a surprised look on his face when he saw me.

"Blue? What are you doing here?" General Redbriar said, tilting his head slightly.

"I have more important information that needs to reach the princesses. I was told that the princesses would be too busy to talk with today." I said in a serious manner.

General Redbriar looked at us, "Ok then, come in. You guys can sit on the couch I have in my office."

We all agreed and entered his office. Dew Drop and I sat down on the couch. The Lieutenant stood next to the couch at the position of attention. The General noticed this and looked at the young officer that was clearly intimidated by his rank.

General Redbriar walked up to the young officer. "You can relax here. I understand that you must be intimidated by the rank. I was a young officer like you before, so I get where you are coming from. You are trying to be respectful and show professionalism. You can sit down with the other two on the couch and relax. I am also a pony too you know."

The officer nodded and sat down on the couch. General Redbriar took a seat at his desk. His desk was facing the couch. "Ok, I'm on a break so I have time to talk about this. Just keep in mind that this does not mean I have all day. What is it that you needed to tell me?"

I looked up at General Redbriar, “This pony sitting next to me is what we need to talk about. She is an example of the next chapter in the war. We have discovered that there is an entire group of changelings just like me. They want to reform and fight for our side in this war. The number of reformed changelings out there is not exact yet, though there are six of us total now. If we can get these reformed changelings to help us out, then we can easily turn the tides of this upcoming war into our favor from the beginning. The hive won't know what hit them when they realize that there are changelings fighting against the hive. These reformed changelings can help us with more knowledge and capabilities. Celestia needs to know about this."

General Redbriar looked shocked at this news. "You mean to tell me that we have even more support? How many of you do you think there are?"

Dew Drop spoke out, "We think there may be as many as hundreds who want to reform. The hive has thousands of changelings. The chances are that at least one third would want to reform. Especially when we heard that accepting friendship into our lives helps us to no longer feel hungry again. We feel as though changelings want to reform because they want a new change in life. A lot of changelings get rejected, abused, kicked around, and so much more. Sure, most of the hive would never want to reform because they hate ponies too much and love pushing others around, but we could have enough of the hive wanting to reform and change that we could essentially make a new branch in the Equestria Military Forces."

General Redbriar sat in thought at this new information before responding, "This is some serious news. If this is true, we could have a new protection force that would be stronger than anything we have already. But the big question is how are we going to be able to tell if they are lying or not? How can we for sure determine if a changeling is reformed or not? We would need a surefire way of knowing which changeling is reformed or not."

"That is something we still need to figure out ourselves. Dew Drop here looks exactly like a normal changeling still." I said, trying to figure this out. "The only way we have been able to tell so far is through Princess Twilight's truth spell. Granted, I do not think it would be possible to test hundreds of reformed changelings with a single spell."

Dew Drop looked back up, "I have an idea, but I am not sure how well it would work. Reformed changelings seem to not get hungry for love anymore, so maybe if we close all of them in a building, we could see which ones go mad and angry from hunger."

I looked back, "I am not sure if that would work because if it turns out that a large enough amount of changelings were trying to lie their way in then they would try to attack the actual reformed changelings and we would have a lot of spilt blood. We need to find a safe way of testing everyone without there being a big issue involved."

General Redbriar looked at the group, "That can be something we figure out later. As of now we need to find Princess Celestia and let her know. Follow me, we need to find her. She might be busy, but this news is important."

General Redbriar stood up from his desk and started hiking his way into the hallway. We all followed him. He took us through the castle. This place was so filled with hallways that it made me think that the guards often got lost. He seemed to be taking us through some back halls that were used as passageways to get from one end of the castle to the other in a faster manner. He clearly knows this castle better than the streets of Canterlot. That just tells me how long he has been working in the castle.

We ended up in a large room that had screens plastered all over the walls. This seemed to be the main security room that showed the cameras in the entirety of the castle. We all scanned the screens to see if we could find Celestia. Our goal was to see where she was or figure out where she was going so we could intercept her path quicker.

We managed to spot Celestia in the kitchen of the castle. She seemed to be watching the cooks make the food and see that they were doing everything to standard. Once we found where she was, we quickly left the room and headed to the kitchen. The castle walls were filled with many secret doorways that the general was taking us through. Getting to the kitchen only ended up taking a few short minutes.

We entered the kitchen to see that she was still there. Celestia looked up after seeing us enter the kitchen. "General? Blue? What are you guys doing?" Celestia said, looking up from a checklist.

General Redbriar saluted Celestia before answering. "We are here as Blue brought some important news ma'am. Turns out that there could be an entire army of reformed changelings who want to join the ponies in this war."

Celestia looked at me, "Oh really? How do you know this?"

I looked over to Dew Drop. "Her and her friends walked up to Twilight's castle one day and came out as a group of reformed changelings. There are four others. They all went to the hive to find more changelings willing to reform. We speculate that there could be hundreds more willing to reform and live with the ponies."

Celestia looked over to Dew Drop, "If this is true, then I welcome you with open arms. This is big news!"

The lieutenant looked up at Celestia. "We were also thinking that we could use them and create a new changeling branch of military in the Equestrian Military Force. That is, after we test them all and determine that they have good intentions."

Celestia looked at the young officer, "Who would we put in charge of this new branch of service?"

The young officer looked back up, ready to answer. "I feel as though Blue is more than capable of leading an army of reformed changelings in support of Equestria's government. I have never met a pony so ready to take on such a leadership role."

Celestia looked down in thought, "That might work, given that enough reformed changelings really want to fight on the pony side. This would be a huge change. General, what do you think about this?"

General Redbriar looked up, "I think that a branch of military ran by changelings would be rough to control. Though, with enough training and support it might be a great addition to the forces. I think it would be smarter to simply have them join in the branches already made. I do not think there would be enough reformed changelings willing to join our ranks for us to be able to create a new branch. Changelings are very powerful, so if we can get changelings to fight on our side and under our control in platoons already created then we could easily outpower the hive. We would have to play it smart. As for Blue, I agree that he could be a great leader. We can place him in as a lieutenant and see how well he can lead. We can place regular officers above him, but he would be the only changeling officer until others can prove that they are capable of being trusted with such a rank. Blue could easily climb through the ranks. As for sending him through officer training though, I am not sure that we do not need to. He has already proven his capabilities, smarts, skills, strength, willingness, determination, heart, and survivability. I would never say this, but in Blue's case I feel as though he does not need to go through O.C.S. You see, in Officer Candidate School we look to see who would be a good leader or not based on attributes, skill, smarts, strength, and how fit they are. Blue has already shown us all of this, meaning that he is already ready to be a Celestial Royal Guard Officer. We can make him a second lieutenant and place him with a senior first lieutenant to make sure he is doing good. If it is found that Blue isn't a good officer, then we would place him in the enlisted ranks. He can think of it as a test."

Celestia looked at him with pure curiosity. "I think you are absolutely correct, plus this is a time of war so promoting him to officer without going through the full selection process wouldn't be the worst thing. Besides, I feel you are also correct in saying that we know he would pass O.C.S so there would be no need to send him. He would still have to go through some sort of training though. Blue, what do you think?"

I stood there in silence. I was too blown away by them not only telling me that they would let me in the guard but would start me off as an officer. I never would have actually imagined that this would ever be a thing. "Ye-yes ma'am, I think that I would be very happy and willing to become a second lieutenant in your guard."

Celestia smiled, letting out a small laugh. "I think it is settled then. Regardless of if any other changelings ever manage to join the royal guard, Blue shall be made an officer and help lead us in this war. We can discuss this in more detail later, first I need you to get back to Twilight and give her a message. You shall tell her that all of our guards have been tested and given chips in their uniforms for identification. I have a box of chips that you need to bring to her so that she can give them to her guards. Next is I need Twilight to come up with a plan to test all of the citizens. Any changelings you find must be detained and tested. Stay right here and I will go retrieve the chips from my room." After saying this, Celestia magically teleported away. She returned only a few seconds later holding a box. She handed me the box and a letter. "Do not read that letter as it is for Twilight's eyes only."

"Understood Princess. I will return at once. I will also get with the other reformed changelings and determine how many others they were able to find. We will also find a way to test them all. This is going to take a lot, but I am sure that we can figure something out with Twilight's help." I said, holding the box with my magic.

Celestia then looked at General Redbriar, "I need you to get with the intelligence and recon forces and let them know of this new information. I can imagine that we are about to have a bunch of changelings walking up to Ponyville to come out as reformed. The guards need to be very careful as to not shoot them until they have been tested. This is not to say that we can let any changeling in the gates as we would not know everyone's true intentions. They still need to be on the alert for attack drones. I also need you to get with the other generals and determine the best route for getting Blue in our system as a second lieutenant."

General Redbriar saluted Celestia before turning to walk away. "Yes ma'am, right away."

Celestia looked back at me. "You two best be going back now. Also, Blue, we can swear you in later. There will be paperwork that you need to fill out in order to become an officer. I will have a guard send this paperwork to Twilight's Castle after we get you ran in the system. Now, are you sure that you want to join our guard as an officer? There is a lot involved with this."

I looked at Celestia with a sure face. "Yes ma'am, this is a challenge that I will gladly accept. Plus, I feel as though this will help show that reformed changelings really do want to change and help the ponies."

Celestia smiled, "Very well. You have already shown how great of an officer you can be. Please do not let me regret this decision. It is not often that I royally degree that a pony joins the royal guard as an officer, even more so a changeling. Make us proud."

I nodded at her and smiled. The young officer, Dew Drop, and I then headed back to the train station to catch a ride back to Ponyville. The day seemed to be flying by as the night sky had already started showing. We all managed to get back to the station and board the train with no issues. The train cart was empty as it was getting late at night. Traveling by train late at night was not the safest way to go so often ponies avoided it.

While on the train, I looked at the officer and asked them a question. "So, how often is it that someone joins the royal guard without going through the selection course?"

The young officer looked up from the window that they were looking out of. "The only other way someone is usually able to join without going through O.C.S is by going through a course called R.O.T.C. That is the Reserve Officer Training Corps in college which is designed to train young officers while they are still going through college. Your case is something I have not heard of before, assuming that you have also never been to college. Let alone normal pony schooling. You are in a one-of-a-kind position, and I feel you should not give them a reason to decide differently."

I thought for a second, "It just seems weird. It was only a few days ago that I was discovered as a changeling. A few days later and I am being told that they want me as a second lieutenant in the same royal guard that is designed to kill my kind. This seems as though it is simply moving too quickly, ya' know?"

The officer nodded, "It is the fastest citizen to officer transition that I have ever seen. Especially as you just became a citizen only a few days ago. I am not sure what the other guards are going to think about this too. Princess Celestia must really like and trust you for this to happen. She must think that you are really something special."

"I have never led a large group of ponies before." I said, looking out the window.

The officer looked back, "I wouldn't worry too much about that. Second Lieutenants are usually in small of charge numbers anyways. Plus, you will have a senior first lieutenant to help guide you if you ever run into any issues. If any of the guards decide that they do not want to listen to you because you are a changeling, they will have the entire chain of command falling down on them."

"I hope you are right. Though, I wonder why Celestia agreed with this idea so easily. It makes me think that she has a different deeper reason for doing this." I said, looking back at the officer.

"Don't think too much about it, I found it is best to not question when good things happen to you. Especially when it is something as big as an instant promotion to officer. Just take it as it is and focus less on why and more on what you can do with it." The officer said, letting out a small chuckle.

"You are right. I need to think more on how to be the best officer I can. Also, I need to be more excited about the fact that I am the first changeling to authentically join the royal guard. This is a sign that big changes are happening." I let out a small sign of relief after saying this. I then looked back out the window and watched the outside world fly by us.

A few hours later we finally made it back to Ponyville. I grabbed the box and headed off the train and onto the platform. The royal guard getting off after Dew Drop and I. The officer looked back at me after stepping off the train. "Well, this is where we go our separate ways for now. I can't wait to meet you again. I can't wait even more to fight alongside you as a fellow officer. You have a great night."

I smiled and waved back at the officer. Dew Drop and I then headed through the gate to get checked back into Ponyville. This was very easy as all we needed to do was show our E.I.C to the guards. Dew Drop managed to also have hers on her. It was also made easy as the entire guard knew who I was and let me go with little issue.

After a bit of a walk, Dew Drop and I finally made it back across the bridge into Ponyville. The cold night air was chilling but felt nice regardless. Dew Drop looked up to me, "Thank you Blue. Thank you for going through all the trouble you did to tell Princess Celestia about me and my friends. This is going to be a huge steppingstone for us reformed changelings. As for now, I must go back to my place. It is very late, and I do have work tomorrow. Tuesdays are usually busy for some strange reason."

I smiled, "Very well then, you have a great night! Hopefully your friends manage to come back with good news soon!" I waved as Dew Drop walked into town. I made my way back to the castle to deliver the box and letter to Twilight.

I made my way back up to the castle. The guards at the door stopping me for identification. This did not take that long as they already knew that I lived in the castle. Once I showed them my E.I.C I was able to walk inside. I had to find Twilight and give her the box as soon as I could.

I made my way to the map room as I had a hunch that she would be there. To my surprise, when I opened the door to the map room Twilight is the room talking to all of her friends. They all stopped what they were talking about and looked at me.

Twilight looked back from the table. "Oh Blue, glad to see you made it back from Canterlot. What do you have there?"

I levitated the box and letter and set it on the table in front of her. "Celestia told me to give this to you. She told me to tell you that all of her guards have been tested and chipped. This box contains all the chips for the royal guard in Ponyville for identification. They just need to be handed out to the correct guard. Also, she gave me a letter and told me that it was for your eyes only."

Twilight looked at the box then back at me. "What else did she say?"

I walked up to the table. "She told me that she loves the idea of an entire army of reformed changelings joining the ponies in this war. She also decreed that I be made a second lieutenant in the Celestial Royal Guard. I will be filing the paperwork within the next day or so and be pinned as an officer."

The entire room was filled with sudden surprise. Rainbow Dash spoke up, clearing the quick silence. "That is very impressive. Not only did Celestia like the idea of reformed changelings fighting for the ponies, but she royally promoted you. You'll be on a higher level than me as a Wonderbolt. I was finally made one officially a few days ago. Congratulations!"

Pinkie Pie looked up, "Never would have thought that a changeling that was discovered only a few days ago would suddenly be a royal guard officer. Also, we heard about the large, estimated number of reformed changelings that might be arriving within the next few days to help with the war. Though, how are we going to figure out if all of them really are reformed?"

I looked up to Pinkie, "That is the part that I am not sure about. I was not expecting that many reformed changelings to exist in the first place."

Twilight looked up from opening the box and checking to make sure none of the chips were damaged. "We can figure that out later, right now we have a subject that we need to get back to. What are we going to do about the six sniper teams? We have the rest of the guards set up in the best defensive position possible."

Apple Jack replied, " Like I said before, I think we should put two of em’ around the train station, one of em’ on the south end of town, one on the north, and two watchin’ over the farm. We need to protect the food source and main entry way. Blue, what do you think?"

I looked up to Apple Jack. "What is a sniper?"

Rarity Replied, "They are the ones with those really long rifles. They are capable of shooting someone from miles away while never being seen as they are also the best when it comes to camouflaging. There are two of them in each team. One of them uses the rifle and the other scans the area using very powerful binoculars. The weapon they use also has a silencer on the end so that it would be harder to find where the shot came from."

I looked down and saw that they had a map for reference, "I have no idea where we could best place these teams then. They sound powerful so I can imagine there are many different configurations we could place them in, that would all be great. I do agree with Apple Jack in the sense that we should protect the farm. All the trees on the farm could act as great coverage for spies. Though, I think we should at least place one of those teams on top of the town hall center. That building, being the tallest in town, will provide them with a full view of Ponyville from all sides. This will also provide a miles wide circumference of the outside of town. You could even throw two teams up there and be extra covered for miles in all directions. I also feel as though you can use the top of your castle. It provides the same level of protection with a different view. If you place sniper teams at those two locations, then all of town will be covered. The rest of the teams, I would have no idea."

Rainbow Dash looked at the map, "You're right! That would provide the easiest maneuverability for the other teams as well. Essentially creating a sky view of the entire town from different locations with little obstruction. We would still be able to put sniper teams at the farm and train station."

Twilight looked happy at this, "That way if the guards watching above the castle and the town hall see something they could call out to the guards below them. This would mean that communication of incoming enemies would be much faster as well. We will take this into consideration. Now, onto the next topic. What will we be doing about the reformed changelings?"

Fluttershy spoke out, "I think we should get them all into the town hall. If we can get all the estimated hundreds of changelings in one area, then we can test them at once. All we need to do is teach a bunch of unicorns the same spell. If we can get a bunch of unicorns to perform a concentrated spell, then the combined force will create a truth telling spell powerful enough to fall on every changeling in the town hall."

Twilight looked up, "That is very smart actually. I can't believe I couldn't think of that first. Tomorrow we will gather a bunch of unicorns and start teaching them the spell. We will also get cages ready for anyone found lying about their intentions. That will conclude all of our topics for the day as it is getting fairly late. We will meet back up tomorrow when we gather the guards to give them their armor chips. Tomorrow we will discuss testing our citizens for any changelings hidden among the ponies."

Pinkie Pie looked at the group, "I was also thinking we could throw a small party at the Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow night in celebration of our new friends. I know that the other four reformed changelings will be back from the hive tomorrow. We can all get together, celebrate, and talk about how many reformed changelings they have discovered in the hive. I am not sure when the other ones will make it to Ponyville, but the reformed changelings we already have need to be awarded for their bravery."

Rarity looked to Pinkie, "I swear, you'll throw a party for anything darling."

Pinkie Pie giggled, "This is a big event though."

Twilight nodded her head, "Pinkie is right about this one. This is a huge change coming. Who knows, maybe we can reform the entire hive and make the world a more peaceful place."

I looked at the group, "I could only hope, though I do not think that every changeling will have the best intentions. We can only hope for the best though."

Twilight got up from her chair. "Again, we will meet back up tomorrow morning. As of tonight though, I am fixing to head to bed and get ready for tomorrow. I am also going to go to my room to read this letter."

All of her friends got up from their chairs. They collectively said their quick goodnights and left. I decided to go back to my room and turn in for the night. I know I kept saying it, but big changes were about to happen. I got to my room, showered up quickly, and changed back into my changeling form. That is something that I liked about this castle. I knew that I was safe enough to sleep in my changeling form without the worry of anyone killing me in my sleep. Even if a guard managed to enter my room in my sleep, they knew who I was and what my intentions were. It would also be illegal for them to do this due to me also being an official citizen of Equestria now. It also would be weird because I would outrank most of the guards in her castle if I did actually become a second lieutenant in the royal guard. There were so many things happening at this time that I was not sure what to be excited about. The fact that changelings were willing to reform. The fact that the government trusts me enough to let me into their ranks as an officer. The fact that ponies were starting to accept the fact that changelings and reformed changelings have huge differences. The fact that I was making more friends every day. Everything was happening in ways that I would have never thought possible only a few days ago.

Tomorrow would hopefully be a more relaxing day as I did not have anything planned for the day. I could go out and find new friends. I could also just go see Octavia and Vinyl again and see if they are doing anything later. It made me happy that Octavia was still willing to be my friend. We were able to bond over music. That made me wonder what other things ponies and changelings could bond over. I will just have to go out and see what the other ponies were into. Maybe there was somepony out there that I have more in common with.

I got comfortable in bed, my mind so full of these bursting thoughts. I needed to tell myself to relax and go to bed because if I didn't then I would be up late at night just leaving myself in thought and wonder. I managed to just listen to the silence surrounding me in this castle room. For some strange reason, the silence was very relaxing. I always liked darker and quieter places, though I never had any idea as to why. Going to sleep that night was very easy.

Chapter 13: The Mark of War

I woke up to a knock at my door. My ears perked up as I heard someone calling my name from the other side. I got up, walking to the door to unlock and open it. Upon opening the door, I saw that Starlight was there. Next to her was a royal guard captain. I saw that this officer was holding a thick folder full of paperwork. Starlight looked up at me, "Morning Blue, this royal guard has some paperwork for you. They came here so that you can fill it out as soon as possible. When you finish the paperwork, they are going to walk with you to the town center so that you can give it to Mayor Mare for the first step of authorization."

I looked up towards the captain. This captain was a teal pegasus with blue and green hair. He has green eyes to match. "Morning sir. Where are we doing this at?"

The captain looked at me with a standard face. I was still in changeling form but they did not seem to care about this showing that they were debriefed on my situation, "Princess Twilight gave me permission to do this in the castle dining room as the table is large enough for the paperwork and gives us a chance to sit in front of each other for private conversation. The dining room will be closed off as we are in conversation."

"Very well sir, let's get this paperwork over with." I say this as I grab my things and follow this guard and Starlight to the dining room. Once we arrived at the dining room, Starlight closed to the door from the outside and left. Seemed as though she was just there to guide the officer through the confusing castle halls.

The captain sat down at the table, setting the paperwork in front of both of us. "I will be filling in a lot of this information for you to ensure that it is done correctly. You will have to sign a few things later on. This process is easy, but will take a little while. Before we get started, I shall introduce myself. My name is Captain Azura and I will be your Royal Guard Processing Officer, R.G.P.O for short. Now, since you are being automatically entered into the guard and skipping the training process, your process will be different from the standard one given to officer candidates. You are not a candidate as you have been war promoted by royal degree and therefore skip the entrance applications. I'll be asking you some questions and you must answer honestly. Are you ready to start?"

I sat down across from the captain. "Yes sir, let's get this over with."

Captain Azura flipped to the first page, "Basic questions first, are you a proper citizen of Equestria?"

I nodded, "Yes sir, I was given an official pony citizenship from the princesses. Plus, technically the hive still resides in Equestria."

Captain Azura starts writing, "Ok, next question. When were you born?"

I think for a second, "I am not fully sure when my hatch-day was. There are only a few things I know for sure. I am 25 and was born around the beginning of winter. I would estimate the beginning of December, but I am not sure of the day."

Captain Azura started writing, "Let's just call it even and put down Dec 8. Next question, do you have any previous medical history?"

I looked at him with interjection, "You could say that. Though, none of it was ever recorded in any medical paperwork. I have been stabbed, burnt, sliced, beaten, broken, and I'm missing half an ear from someone cutting it off."

Captain Azura continued writing, "Yeah, I just ask that question for formality reasons. I'm just going to put you down as fully medically capable as you seem to not be affected currently by your previous injuries. Next question, do you have a criminal history?"

I shook my head, "No, I have never been in trouble with the law, despite being a changeling."

Captain Azura continued writing, "Ok, we can move on to the next set of questions. What are you looking for in the service?"

I think for a moment, "Something that puts me in a position to protect the citizens of Equestria while also giving me the opportunity to lead guards into battle. I want to get a job as something that protects the town during major attacks, not something that has me doing paperwork or supply. I want to be able to teach the guards how to fight against the hive."

Captain Azura paused for a moment, "It sound to me like you want to mostly protect the town, rather than just the princesses. Where are you trying to do this at?"

"I would like to stay here in Ponyville as I know that this is the most likely target for the next big attack." I said, thinking about what it is I'm trying to do exactly.

Captain Azura looked up to me, "How do you know this?"

I simply looked at him, "I hold a lot of intel about how the hive runs. I was part of a specialized group of changeling fighters. I know what Chrysalis would most likely do."

Captain Azura continued writing, "Luckily, it sound like you are looking for the type of job Princess Celestia has chosen for you. Normally, officers would choose three options and their job would be randomly selected from those choices. Princess Celestia, in this case, has given you a specialized job. If your application gets approved and you are sworn in then you will be reporting to Princess Celestia as she will debrief you on what she needs you to do."

I smiled, "That is perfectly fine by me. I trust that Princess Celestia would know best what to do with me."

Captain Azura placed a bunch of paper directly in front of me. "Ok, the next few things will be for you to fill out. Please make sure you write legibly and do not lie." As he did this, he went through the stack of papers and started filling in a lot of information. I am assuming that since my job was already selected for me that this meant he was putting in specialized information specific to my situation.

I looked through this pile of papers and found that it goes into more information on the entrance process. I grabbed a quill and inkwell and started filling in the required information. Captain Azura was filling in most of the paperwork as he was told previously what to fill in. The paperwork I was currently working on went over things such as me accepting what would happen if I broke any laws, what would happen if I broke my contract, how I would present myself as an officer, and other strict legal documents.

The rest of the paperwork took just around an hour to complete. I did not have as much to fill out as everything was basically selected for me. I still got to select a few things, but most of it was from Princess Celestia. After finishing the paperwork Captain Azura and I headed to Mayor Mare's office. I stayed in changeling form as we went through town. I figured that the ponies of this town should get used to seeing reformed changelings around.

The walk to Mayor Mare's office was filled with stares of both hate and acceptance. The idea of a reformed changeling didn't sit well with everyone. Seeing one become an officer sat even worse.

We entered the town hall and found our way into the mayor's office. Mayor Mare was sitting at her desk. Standing next to her was Princess Celestia. It seemed as though they were expecting us. Captain Azura walked up to the table and placed the documents on the desk. "I finished the paperwork and basic entrance process for Blue here. He seems more than capable for the job and is already well-trained for this type of job."

Mayor Mare grabbed the folder and started looking through it to ensure everything was done correctly. As she did this, Celestia looked at the Captain. "So, in your expertise as an Royal Guard Processing Officer, what do you think about him?"

Captain Azura looked up, "I think he is already one of the smarter officer candidates I have come across. He knows what he wants and seems more than ready to take on this job. Blue here, despite being a changeling, shows the skills and traits that we look for in ponies during Officer Candidate School. He already has an aptitude for placing others above himself and shows steady leadership willingness. I can tell you that he is mentally and physically prepared for the role of a royal guard officer. Though, I do think he should have more specialized training for leading guards into combat."

Celestia smiled, "I figured he would be a good candidate. We shall take his paperwork and take a look for ourselves. In the meantime, Captain Azura, you and Blue shall go wait in the hallway. I will call Blue in when we finish reviewing the documentation."

Captain Azura saluted and turned around to guide me to the hallway. We sat there and waited for Celestia and Mayor Mare to discuss the next course of action. While I was sitting in the hallway, I thought about everything going on. This did seem to be moving very quickly. I thought about how I have always wanted to fight for the better and finally get to as a royal guard. I never would have imagined that I could ever get to this level. I was going to be the best I could be and help these ponies to the best of my ability.

About an hour of waiting later, I was finally called into the office to speak with them. Captain Azura waited out in the hallway as I was pulled in alone. Mayor Mare placed a piece of paper down in front of me. " Ok Blue, I need you to sign at the bottom of this page. This paper is the key to the next step in the process of getting you sworn in. You will be going past the officer selection process as the princess has already selected you for the role. However, you would still need some basic officer training. Please sign at the bottom."

I reviewed the paper before signing to ensure I wasn't signing something that I did not wish to. Everything looked fine so I took the quill and signed, pushing the paper back to Mayor Mare.

Princess Celestia smiled and looked to me, "Ok, now I shall let you know what it is that you will be doing. Your job is something unique to you and any other possible future reformed changelings who wish to join. You will be helping to guide the enlisted guards here in Ponyville. Your job will be to help protect the boarders. Any reformed changelings to join the enlisted corps will be under your rule, though you will also be in charge of regular guards. You, along side a senior lieutenant, will control a portion of the specialized guards who patrol the outside of Ponyville. You will ensure that these ponies are trained in ways to fight the hive. You will have forces trained with the new gear that we got from the other world. You will also be trained on how to handle a rifle."

"So I am simply helping to control the guards who are between Ponyville and any oncoming hive swarms?" I asked, curious about the details.

"Yes, the first lieutenant over you will give you more details on the situation. You will meet them tomorrow after you are sworn in." Celestia said, taking the folder from the table.

I looked up at her with surprise. "I am getting sworn in tomorrow? That seems so soon."

Celestia nodded, "I know that this process seems to be going very fast, but you do have to remember that we are in war time. Those guards protecting Ponyville need to be told what to do by someone who knows how to fight the hive. You are the only pony here that fits that qualification, which is why I expedited the process. You are the only one that we have who knows the hive in and out. You will be trained with on the job experience, while under the supervision of the first lieutenant assigned to you. We will get you suited for uniforms tomorrow after you have been sworn in."

I was worried about how fast things were moving, but understood that Celestia has been around long enough to know when someone is right for the job. Celestia continued, "For now, you are free to enjoy the rest of the day. You should go out and celebrate for this is a huge deal. I will return to Canterlot and get the generals to sign this form."

I took my bow and left the office one last time. Captain Azura then entered as the door was closing behind me. I shook all of this off and continued out into town. I knew that the other reformed changelings were due to return today so I headed back to the castle in hopes that they would meet back up there. When I got to the castle, I walked to the map room to see if anyone had entered yet. When I entered the map room, I could see Spike sitting and talking to the other reformed changelings. They arrived as I was out talking to Celestia.

I walked up to the table, "Oh hey. I see you guys came back already. What happened?"

Brock spoke up first, "We are waiting for Twilight to get here before we talk about the news we have. Spike here said that she would be here before long."

"Very well then." I said, sitting down in one of the empty chairs.

Not long after I got there, Twilight entered the room and sat down in the chair. "Hello all, sorry for the wait. I needed to finish something I was working on. So, what news do you have from the hive?"

Miles raised a hoof into the air, "We have a bit of good news and bad news actually. The good news is that we have around eighty changelings or so who wish to reform. They will be making their way as one group within the next day or so. They said they would talk to other changelings and try to convince them why they should leave the hive so there may end up being more in the days to come. Most of them surprisingly did not take any convincing as they mostly all really wanted to get away like we did. A few of them took a bit of convincing, but when we told them of all the great things this would for them they were able to change their perspective. We are not sure how many of them are genuine about the situation though."

Twilight gleamed, "That is awesome! What is the bad news?"

Miles changed his face from excited to serious. "The bad news is that enough changelings started talking about it that Chrysalis found out what we were doing. She is aware that a good number of changelings would rather live with ponies then follow her in the destruction and take over of Equestria. The hive talking about friendship and ponies angers her. We are hoping that this does not cause her to start the attacks earlier."

Twilight started looking worried, "That can't be good. Either way, I am excited about how many reformed changelings want to help us ponies. We shall just take these next few days with a grain of salt. As for the changelings headed here, we went out this morning and started teaching a bunch of unicorns my truth telling spell. With enough concentrated magic we will be able to get them all together outside of town and figure out each of their intentions. We will be able to find out individually what they want and if they are genuine or not."

Berry Bush spoke out, "I was thinking, if you do find that all of these changelings are really reformed, where will they live?"

Twilight stopped in thought, "I did not think about that part yet. We could probably set up some tents somewhere. We have more then enough tents in Equestria to fit all those changelings."

Emerald Cloud responded to this, "Surely that would just be a temporary fix, right?"

Twilight nodded, "Of course, we will eventually get everyone out of the tents and into some sort of living condition. We have to take this one day at a time though."

Emerald gave twilight an understanding glance. "Ok, if we are really taking this one day at a time, then do you have anything for us today?"

Twilight smiled, "Yes actually. We, in celebration of the new reformed changelings, are throwing all six of you a welcome party at the Sugar Cube Corner."

All of the reformed changelings gave happy looks. Brock spoke out, "That would be very nice. Our journey was long, so a party would be very welcoming. We can unwind a bit before all the chaos ensues. What time will it be?"

"It will be in the afternoon. It would be earlier, but Dew Drop works today. She needs time to get off work and clean up before arriving to the party." Twilight said, looking at the group.

"It makes me happy to see that ponies are willing to accept us and give us a welcome party." Emerald said, letting out a bright grin.

"In the mean time, you guys are good to go back to your normal daily routine. Everypony shall meet up at the Sugar Cube Corner later this afternoon." Twilight said, getting up from her chair.

I looked around the room smiling about all the news we heard today. Things were happening, and they were happening for the better. I just had to hope that the next few days would go as smooth as possible.

Everyone left the room, including myself. I headed back out into town. I still had a few hours to kill until the party so I figured I would use this time to start meeting new ponies. The streets were filled with ponies who were just walking around and enjoying the day.

As I was walking, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see this beige earth pony. She had pigment blue hair with a rose pink streak going through the middle, cerulean eyes, and three candies for a cutie mark. She walked up to me, "Blue, correct? I have been looking for you."

I looked at her with a sideways glance as she walked up to me. "Hello there, how may I be of assistance?"

She let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, I heard that there was a changeling living here in Ponyville and I just had to investigate. My name is Secret Agent Sweetie Drop, cover name Bon Bon. My mission is to go out and hunt monsters. Changelings have always been something very interesting to me as they could be anyone or anything. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions."

I let out a small nod, "Sure, I have time."

She let out a smile, "Thank you so much. We can find a bench and sit down while we talk."

"You know what, that is a good idea." I said, walking with her to find a bench to sit on.

After only a short few minutes of walking, we come across a bench near the edge of town. This bench was sat right by the river that cuts around the town. She looked up to me after we sat. "Thank you again for letting me talk to you and ask questions. I like to try to understand all the different creatures of the world. First question, how can one tell a changeling apart from a normal pony?"

"Often times it will be something very subtle or small. Usually, a good indicator is by their smell. While the transformation process will do a good job in hiding the smell of the hive, magic can only do so much against natural odor. Something else you could do is ask them personal questions about the pony they are masquerading as. The most for sure way of finding out if someone is a changeling or not is by making them bleed. Changelings will always bleed green. Hell, that is how Izzy found me out. I wasn't being careful and had some knives fall on me." I said, being honest.

Bon Bon looked at me for a second before writing this down on a notebook that she pulled from her saddlebag. "Great stuff, next question. What percentage of the hive do you think would be willing to reform?"

This question took me back slightly. "Honestly, I am not sure how to answer that. Most changelings would rather die than accept friendship into their lives. Though, I do hope that I am wrong. It would be nice to see the changeling finally accepting change into their nasty hearts."

She nodded and wrote this down, "Fair enough, how well can the average changeling hold their own in a fight?"

"Well, the average changeling isn't trained on how to fight as well as others, but they are very good at it regardless. They use specified changelings, such as myself, for battles. This increases the likely hood of number increases in the hive. This way the hive can attack in larger numbers, use well-trained fighters that no one will care about, and still be able to increase the population." I said, awaiting the next question.

"Very well. Now, do all changelings have the ability to shapeshift, or is this a skill only given to some?" She said, taking more notes.

"All changelings are born with the ability to shapeshift, though some of them are way better than others. Some changelings never need to as they stay in the hive to help the queen with her needs." I said, intrigued by the questioning.

"Next question. There are only a few more to go. What do the changelings think about other non-pony creatures such as dragons or griffons?"

I stopped in though for a solid few seconds. This was not something I knew that much about. "Well, the changelings are mainly just against the ponies. I am sure that if a changeling really wanted to, they could make an alliance with the griffons to help take down the pony kind. I am really not too sure though as I have never leaned one way or the other about non-pony groups."

She seemed to think about this, "So, if the war was to start tomorrow then the changelings could have backup from other groups?"

"It would be possible, though Chrysalis tends to stay by herself as she likes to work alone. I am sure that there are plenty of changelings in the hive that have friends who are non-pony. Plus, if a changeling really wanted to, they could shapeshift into a dragon or griffon and convince the groups to help fight the pony kind. Though, with how quick friendship is going across Equestria, I doubt this could be done in time for the war."

"She took a look down at her notepad. "Ok, how does the hive mind of a changeling work, and how do they use it for communication?"

"The hive mind allows us to share information and work together, but we can also use it to communicate individually through telepathy and body language. The hive mind is more than just the queen telling us what to do. It is also a very powerful tool that we can use when we are out on missions."

She looked at me with a sideways glance. "Changelings have telepathy?"

I nodded my head in reply. "You see, changelings have very powerful magic abilities. We just do not use them the same way a unicorn would. Our magic is more honed in for our survival as a race. We can use our changeling magic to talk to other changelings without making noises to help us not get caught. If you really want to hurt a changeling, then you'll have to make sure you are bringing them in alone."

She smiled and looked back up to me. "Thank you for answering these questions. This will help us better our understanding of the changelings as a hive."

I smiled back, happy to be of assistance. I was also happy that she was confident enough to walk up to me, knowing that I was a changeling. We both got up and waved at each other. Once I saw that she was walking away, I started to do the same. I was not sure what I would do until the party tonight, so to pass the time I decided to for a bit of a walk.

While walking around, I had noticed that some of the guards seems to throw semi-nasty glances at me. I could not blame them as I knew that they knew I would soon be an officer. They were just salty over the fact that they were about to get out ranked by a changeling, good or not. In my defense though, I never would have seen myself as an Equestrian Officer before the events from earlier. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. I knew that these guards couldn't speak out against it as I would soon be in their chain of command.

After a few hours of walking around, and thinking to myself, I figured I would head over to the Sugar Cube Corner and wait for the party. I walked over to see Pinkie Pie outside. She saw me and waved me over. "Hello Blue! The party should be starting soon! Feel free to go inside and make yourself at home."

With this, I went inside. Upon entering, I saw that the other changelings were already there. They were sat at a table near the window. I trotted up to them and sat down in an empty chair.

"Hello! I see you all made it." As I said this, I looked towards Dew Drop. "They let you out early today I see?"

She nodded towards me. "Yeah, for some reason, ponies didn't really come in to the restaurant. I think somehow word got out that a changeling was working there and they didn't want to eat there. I still got paid for the day because the owner did feel bad for me."

"Don't worry, before long these ponies will realize that we are peaceful and do not represent the hive in the slightest. Once they see that we have genuinely accepted friendship, they will see that we are more alike to them than they realize." I said, looking around at the others.

Before long, other ponies started coming in for the party. Seems that not everyone in town was revolting against the new reformed changelings. Of course, Twilight and her friends showed up and invited some of their good friends to the party. I saw familiar faces and new faces alike. Eventually, Pinkie Pie walked inside happy with the amount of ponies who showed up to say hi to us.

Pinkie Pie stood up in front of everypony and shouted with a large voice of joy and excitement. "Hello everypony! Thank you all for coming to the reformed changeling welcoming party! I know what you all must be thinking, about them being changelings and all. Trust me, I was also thinking the same thought when I first met Blue. However, after all that Blue has done to prove that the new reformed changelings are friends to all, it came to me that they are really nice ponies. As for the rest of them, I actually knew them for a long while. Them being changelings came as a huge surprise to me as they did not seem evil in the slightest. These are really some strange times as we are at war with their home, but as long as they are on our side then we should be glad to have them as new friends. This is the start of something fantastic! Everypony, please enjoy the party and commune with our new friends!" Right after she said that, confetti seemed to blast from the walls. I have never seen a pony talk so much with such large amount of joy before. I didn't mind it though as it showed me that ponies are just unique individuals.

After she finished her speech, the room filled with ponies and reformed changelings all getting along and having genuine conversations. This was something beautiful and showed that times, and creature relationships, really were heading towards a better direction. It almost makes you forget that a war was about to start. Though, there was no telling how soon it would take place. I had hoped that it wouldn't be for a long while.

My thoughts were interrupted by a pony walking up to me to spark up a conversation. It was a mint colored unicorn female with sunglow eyes. She had a cyan colored mane and tail with a white streak along both. Her cutie mark was that of a musical instrument.

This pony seemed very excited to meet me. She didn't walk up to me, but rather bounced her way to me. "Hi, hi! My name is Lyra. You must be Blue, correct?"

I was slightly taken back from her introduction. "Yes, that would indeed be me. What's up?"

She beamed a large smile upon her face. "I didn't know that there were good changelings until my best friend told me about you. Her name is Bon Bon."

"Oh! I do believe that I have already met her. She was asking me about changelings and how to best find out ways to see through their disguises. She is the one with a certain line of work that I can't talk about due to the amount of people around."

Lyra giggled, "Yeah, that's her alright. Don't worry too much about her. She is a really nice mare once you get to truly meet her. Anyways, I have always seen you around but never could find the time to say hi. This party was a nice place for me to finally do so. Man, I can't believe I am talking to a changeling."

I paused, "Uh, what is that word you are using? Man?"

She just giggled a little bit before continuing. "Honestly, it would be less confusing if I just said not to worry about what it means. I study a subject that is a bit strange to other ponies."

"Very well then, it is not my place to pry into it." As a said this, Twilight walked up to us.

Twilight smiled, "Hello again, Blue. I see you are making friends already." She then turned to Lyra, "Hello Lyra! How is the day evening treating you?"

Lyra beamed as she saw her, "It is going fine, Princess Twilight. Just introducing myself to Blue here."

Twilight seemed very happy at the fact that I was making friends. "Fantastic! I'm going to check up on the other changelings and see how they are getting along. You guys have a great rest of the party."

Lyra and I both looked at her as she was walking away. Almost in unison we said, "You too! Bye!" Upon saying this, we laughed at this fact.

This laughter was quickly cut short. Outside we heard a lot of ponies running through the streets. In confusion we all looked outside. I was not sure how much time had passed but it was already dark outside. I quickly peeked outside and looked in the direction the ponies were running from.

To the horror of everypony, we could see a fire starting in the streets. Ponyville was under attack! I looked at the other reformed changelings who were still inside. "Ponyville is on fire! I need you to help these ponies get to a safe place and get ready. I think the hive sent some changelings to burn Ponyville to the ground!"

With that said, I quickly started running towards the fire that everyone was running away from. This was all happening so fast that I didn't have time to think. A lot of guards were guiding ponies to safety while a few others were running towards the fire to try to see who started it. As I was running, I could see what looked like a bottle with a rag sticking out of it fly at the buildings. That rag was on fire and headed towards another house. My mind went clouded with thought as I went and tried catching it so it didn't start another house fire.

As I went to catch it with my magic, another one was thrown, hitting a pony and lighting them on fire. I was in shock as to what was happening. Was this the start of the war? How did these changelings get past the snipers and guards surrounding the town? I had so many questions. Luckily, a royal guard was near the pony that was on fire. They were carrying a hose and quickly sprayed the pony, saving their life. That pony was quickly taken away by guards wearing medical crosses on their uniforms.

I then looked up and was horrified. One of the buildings that was on fire was Izzy's Tea Shop. I quickly ran up to the front door to see if it was opened. Once I got to the door I saw that it was still closed and locked. I knew that no one had seen her leave for a few days so I knew that she might have been inside. it was at this point that I let my anger about what was happening get the better of me. I quickly turned around and bucked the door down. The door splintered open, letting out a large heat wave. Luckily, there was no fire right next to the door so I was able to get in. Once I was in, I quickly looked to see that the fire was very bad towards the kitchen area. I needed to get through the fire in order to reach the stairs.

I thought quickly and surrounded myself with a magic bubble shield and ran into the blazing inferno. I didn't see her in the kitchen which meant that she was up in her room. It makes sense, seeing how upset she was about me being a changeling. I did not care about that right now. I turned to go upstairs and saw that her roof was already caved in. If she did not get out already, then I feared that she may have been trapped. As I made my way through the fallen debris, I was that her room was filled with smoke.

The heat was causing my magic shield to fade as this outside heat was stronger than my magic. I jumped over the debris into her room, shouting her name. "IZZY! WHERE ARE YOU?"

My magic then faded, sending smoke and heat straight at me. I was caught in a coughing fit, but knew that I had to fight through it. I closed my eyes so that they were barely open, allowing me to still see and not get too much smoke in my eyes. I called out again, "IZZY!"

There was a faint breathing noise coming from the smoke. She was there, and too weak to shout out. I would imagine her lunged filled with dangerous amount of smoke. I followed the sound of the faint breathing, which was already hard to hear through the rushing of the fire. It led me to the closet. The closet was on the other side of a large beam that had fallen from the roof. The only way to get to her was lifting this beam. My magic already faded as this heat was getting to be too much for me. Plus, magic takes energy. In a quick rush of what adrenaline I had, I got underneath this beam as much as I could and tried lifting. This was very heavy and hot. As soon as I was underneath, I started lifting as much as I could. I soon as I got it slightly out of the way, I could see that the smoke was starting to glow red. The fire was almost at us, putting me on a time limit. It was at that point that I said fuck it and flapped my wings as hard as I could. The force of me pushing against the floor, and me flapping my wings as hard as I could was working. I lifted the beam up and away from the closet door.

I quickly opened the door to see her laying in the corner. She was underneath a blanket to help prevent smoke inhalation, though it seemed as though it wasn't enough as she was found unconscious. I lifted the blanket and saw that she was hugging what looked to be a photo book. Feeling that this was very important to her, I placed it into my saddle bag. I didn't have time to question how it was still on my back. Though it was slightly charred, the inside was fine. I placed the book inside and closed it securely.

Feeling the flames creeping towards us, I did my best and lifted her onto my back. I then, knowing how limited time was, knew that I only had one option. I turned around and saw that there was a clear path to her window. I did the only thing I could think to do and and ran at the window, crashing through and landing hard on the hard road below. I did my best to land hooves first so that my body caught her fall. Some guards, who were in fire fighting equipment, saw this and ran to help. I was hurt from the fall, but saw that she was weakened even more from the fall. The guards, coming with a stretcher, quickly loaded her up and got her to safety. Some more guards, knowing who I was even in changeling form, quickly started getting me on a stretcher as well. Before they could however, I looked up to them.

"That stretcher is not for me, but for someone else who may be caught in one of these houses. It is my job to help protect and fight. I do not worry about how I am doing, just how those around me are doing. I will be fine to keep pushing." I was saying this with heavy breath, but a serious glare. My next mission was to find the changelings who started this fire and confront them. The guards looked at me for a moment before saluting and running towards another house fire.

I quickly got up, seeing that there were ponies getting attacked by a group of changelings. It would seem that everyone's fear was about us. This was the start of the war. I started running at them, ignoring my pain and inability to use magic. I reached quickly into my bag and grabbed my dagger, placing it in my mouth.

When I got up to this group, a couple guards were already there and fighting. I looked at the first changeling I saw and went in for the kill. In a huge case of anger, I came up from behind them and swiped their neck with the dagger, going in very deep. The changeling quickly fell to the ground. The sound of the blood pouring both onto the street and into his lungs as he died gasping for air. It was a haunting sound, but one that I was far too familiar with.

A changeling guard got the best of me and grabbed me from behind, sinking their teeth into my leg. I saw that they were playing dirty. Before I had a chance to knock the off of me, I heard an ear shattering bang. The changeling, to my surprise, quickly fell to the floor. A small hole in the front of their head, and a large gaping hole in the back. I looked up to see that one of the guards were holding one of the new rifles. I had not seen it before in action, but it was instantaneous. The rest of the guards fighting this group of changelings had already won and killed them all. One of the guards looked at me and grinned, "Sir, if you are going to join the guard and become our officer, then you really should get yourself a gun. It makes fighting way easier. You have less time to look into the white of their eyes."

I let out a small chuckle and placed my dagger back in my bag, "Thank you sergeant, I'll take that into consideration. Now, do we have any idea how many attackers there are?"

The guards looked at each other before looking back to me. That same sergeant looked back to me. "No exact number yet, though we estimate around thirty or so. It seems as though they were testing the waters. We have no idea how they were able to get past our defenses though."

"Very well, now tell me, are any of the other reformed changelings hurt?" I said, shifting the subject.

"No sir, we are very aware of who is reformed or not. We know this because, for whatever strange reason, as soon as these attacks started the group of reformed changelings seemed to change. It is hard to explain, but it is believed that the act of them protecting the ponies instead of attacking them made something magic happen. The wings of the reformed changelings all started to shine and fill with what appears to be glimmers and sparkles. Almost like crystals of light. It was actually quite beautiful. They are safe for now, along with most of the ponies in town. Though there were a few ponies that were not so lucky.' The sergeant said, changing the mood.

I knew instantly what this meant, "How many?"

The sergeant thought for a second, "Well, we would like to think it was just two, though we have not finished going through the burning buildings yet. Those two were just from the changeling attacks in the streets. Luckily we already got most of the attacking changelings. They didn't stand much of a chance against our new arsenal and well-trained elite guards. Now it is just a waiting game to see who we pull from the fires."

"Ok, where did they put the ponies pulled from fires? If there is no more fighting to be done, then I have someone to check up on." I said, hiding how worried I was for Izzy.

"Our medical officers set up an emergency medical facility in the town hall. If anyone was hurt, they are likely in there. Our medical staff was trained to be very quick in setting up an on-the-go medical area wherever needed. They even have quick-pitch tents for battlefield situations." As the sergeant finished saying this, him and his group started heading towards the fire.

I started running towards the town hall and saw that there were heavily armed guards protecting the building. I ran up to the front door to try to get in when they noticed me. "HALT! Even if you are on our side, and about to join the guards, no one is allowed in without being escorted in by medical staff. If you feel as though you need medical attention, then one of us can go in and get a medic. If not, them you are going to have to head towards Princess Twilight's castle and wait there. That is where the rest of the town headed to for safety. Sorry for the inconvenience."

I looked at them for a minute before realizing that this was for the best. I looked at my leg and noticed that the bite from earlier was not bleeding. I looked around to see if I had any other serious injuries and noticed that I seemed to be fine, other than being charred in some places. I decided that it would be best if I just headed towards the castle. While making my way through the streets, the only thing that filled my mind was the safety of Izzy. That, and the fact that her book was still safe in my saddlebag.

Once I got to the castle, Twilight was standing outside. She was also guarding the castle from intruders and protecting those who were inside. She saw me and smiled, "There you are. I got worried when you ran towards the danger. Then again, that's the reason Princess Celestia is having you join her guard. Never afraid to protect the pony kind from your own. Go ahead and get inside. You look very tired and worn down."

"Thank you, Princess." As I said this, I entered the castle. The hallways of the castle filled with ponies of all ages. They were all scared about what just happened. I could see that Twilight's friends helping them calm down. I walked down the hall, looking for the other reformed changelings.

After a bit of walking, I could see that they were walking around in their changeling form. I was shocked that they were doing so, seeing that it was changelings that were setting Ponyville on fire in the first place. Though, upon getting closer, I could see that the sergeant from earlier was right. Their wings were filled with a delightful sparkle, setting them apart from the attacking changelings. They were in a section of the hallway that was further away from the main group. I assumed to prevent scaring them anymore.

I walked up the group. "Why are you guys in changeling form?"

Brock responded first, "We don't know. For some strange reason our magic doesn't seem to be working. We tried using our magic to change into our pony forms, but instead our wings started glowing and became filled with sparkles and such. We have no idea what happened, but we think that us becoming reformed is changing us in a way that we cannot control."

I didn't understand it either. "Well, at least you guys are safe."

Brock looked up, "We did not care about our safety, we just wanted to help these ponies get to safety. We helped guide these ponies into the castle, ensuring that they were protected."

The rest of the group nodded in approval. I let out a smile, "Now that is what I like to see."

Dew Drop looked up, "Is Izzy ok? We saw you rush into her burning building and come out after a long time. The way you crashed through the window seemed to hurt you both a lot."

"I do not know. I found her unconscious from the smoke and heat. She is in the medical station right now getting looked at. She seemed weak, but she didn't look too hurt. I would like to think it was just smoke inhalation that got to her. I am also fine, that fall only hurt for a little while. Though, my magic did start failing me after a while." I said, sitting down against the castle wall.

Brock looked sideways, "You were able to use your magic?"

Miles looked towards Brock. "Look at him. Blue was essentially born reformed. His magic works different from ours."

"Huh, I suppose you are right." Brock said, also sitting down.

Before we could continue the conversation, Princess Twilight entered the hallways. "Listen up everypony. Our guards cleaned up the area from attacking changelings. We did a perimeter check and ensured that all the changelings were taken care of. It is safe for you to go back to your homes, though you must steer clear of the market district. The changelings seemed to pinpoint their attack on the stores. Though we will be without stores for a little while, we will make sure everyone gets taken care of. We will be doubling up on protecting the outside to prevent this from happening again. We will have guards escort everyone home safely. Luckily, the guards were able to prevent the fire from spreading towards the housing district. We ask everypony to take careful heed. This marks the time of total war. We must protect each other, both physically and mentally. If someone doesn't have food, please ask your neighbors. This is not the time to be greedy though as we still have the apple farm. With that said, please mind each other and keep an eye out for any non-reformed changelings. We understand that having changelings living with us may make many uncomfortable as we are at war with the hive, but keep in mind that the reformed changelings are here to help us. Times are confusing, but this is not the time to turn on anyone who is willing to help. Any extra word will be passed tomorrow at town hall." After Twilight said this, guards started taking ponies out of the building in small groups.

The ponies, all torn down from this attack, heading outside. The other reformed changelings left as well. The building was cleared after about half an hour of guards taking ponies in groups. After the halls had cleared, I went to look for Twilight. After a bit of a walk, I figured that I should look in the map room. I carefully entered and found her and her friends circled around the map. Twilight looked at me as I entered. "Blue, are you ok?"

I lifted my head, "Yes, I am fine. My leg was bitten and I am slightly burnt, but I have been through way worse before. I wanted to make sure that you and your friends were alright."

Twilight smiled, "Glad to see that you are ok. We are also fine, just some scrapes and cuts but nothing serious. Trust me, we are very capable mares. Though, I worry for my town. I know that two were killed. We are waiting for a final number from the medical staff." She let out a small sigh. "We need to start thinking about new ways to protect Ponyville. Thanks to you, we did a very good job protecting the town. Though, there is always something better we can do to prevent anyone from dying. You were right about the hive targeting Ponyville. You were also right about how to best protect from outside attacks. Thought, after some discussion and seeing that changelings are still getting through, the girls and I figured that these ponies might be safer if we moved them all to the protected walls of Canterlot."

I thought for a moment, "If we need to then we shall, though we cannot let any changelings see that. If the hive sees that we survived this attack and started moving the town to the better protected city, that may only expedite an even larger attack. Plus, we do not know yet if Canterlot is even safe. I might have been right about Ponyville being the first target, but them only sending this small fighting force might be part of her plan. She may know about our new gear and may be trying to force us all into one city to better her chances with a focused attack. We cannot let our fear guide our actions. Chrysalis may know that you would most likely send this town to live in Canterlot for now. But think about it, if she knows your next move then nowhere is safe. If she knows that you are likely to send these ponies to Canterlot, then I can guarantee you that the train tracks have been messed with. That small attack we had in the caves could be amplified to hundreds."

Twilight winced at the thought. "Well, I have no idea what to do next then. If we keep these ponies here, then we are likely to lose more the next time. If we send them to Canterlot then you may be right about the railways being tampered with. This place might be highly guarded, but I do not know if we can risk it."

Apple Jack spoke out, "Plus, as I was sayin', if we leave Ponyville for Canterlot then that will mean giving the hive the apple farm. That farm is our main source of food."

Pinkie Pie spoke out, "What about that giant bubble thing Trixie used to prevent Twilight from entering town after the battle?"

Fluttershy lifted her head up. "The changelings could just change into moles or something and dig their way under. This would make it easy for the changelings to enter, and make it hard for us to get away."

Pinkie looked down at the map, clearly out of other ideas. Twilight looked up, "What do you think we should do Blue?"

I shook my head, "Honestly, I have no idea what the best action would be from this point. As hard as it may be, you can only save so many ponies in war. The only thing I can think of is staying here. We just need to be on the constant lookout for another wave of attacks. We should set up a siren system, telling ponies to make their way to the castle for protection. This castle, being made of crystal, may be our best bet for protection. It is the only building in town that is almost fireproof. We should start canning apples for rations and teach these ponies to fight. We just need to hope that the changelings don't get another spy in the town to take us out from the inside. I think we need something that will drop a changelings disguise. If we know that the reformed changelings have glitter wings, then that'll tell us who is who. Maybe you could find someone who knows a way to drop a changelings pony form. If we catch a changeling in the town that isn't instantly trying to kill someone, then we can get them in for questioning on if they are here to reform or not."

Twilight seemed to like this answer. "That is the best we got for now. Tomorrow morning we will get with the mayor and set us up an alarm system. For now, it is best that you all get some rest. Blue, you especially need some rest after what you did. You used all your energy to save Izzy from that fire. Plus, you'll need your energy for your pinning tomorrow. Tomorrow you will become an officer in the royal guard. I will head back into the medical facility and see what the final death number is."

The rest of us all looked at each other before agreeing to get some rest. Though, before I could leave the room, I was stopped by Fluttershy. "Here, let me take a look at you. It has been a while since I looked at your injuries." While Fluttershy was saying this, she took off a saddlebag and started examining me. "You are just prone to injuries, aren't you? The old injuries that I first looked at have healed, but now you've gone and gotten yourself in more trouble."

I let her examine me and get to work. Her bag was filled with medical supplies, meaning she was ready to help as a field medic. I did not complain, and she took out old stitches and cleaned up any new wounds I had. I simply let her do whatever she needed to do. I was finally able to relax, knowing that she was confident in what she was doing. Most of my injuries had healed up enough for her to not worry too much, though she still cleaned them out as to prevent infections.

This medical examination took about an hour as she was very careful to make sure that I was in the best shape possible. Luckily, I didn't need to get any other stitches, just bandages that would be taken off after the wounds closed again.

She even guided me to the room I was staying in. I walked slow as the tiredness finally hit my muscles. Though, I still had enough energy to walk by myself. She helped me into my bed, setting my saddlebag on the table. She smiled, "You are very strong, but even I know that you should watch yourself. We do not have changeling blood for you if you bleed out more than we can help you with. You need to try to stay away from things that will cut, slash, or puncture you. You have already lost a good amount, and your body needs time to regenerate more. Now, I will see you later. Have a good night, Blue."

"Good night, and thank you." I said, watching her close the door behind her. I laid in bed, filled with emotion from what just happened. Everything happened so fast. It went from enjoying a party about the peace of kinds, to almost watching Izzy die in a fire. I was shocked that I made it out ok. I was not too worried about my self, though Fluttershy did make me see that I should. I have done too much to help reformed changelings get a chance during this time of war for me to die and not help others see the light of friendship. I was so tired from my actions that before long I just passed out. I fell asleep before I could process all the emotion from the day.