Different

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.