Author's Note

Sorry about not posting this yesterday, I was a little distracted by RL

An Old Friend; A New Face

“An’ ‘ere I thought you had run off, ne’er ta be seen again,” a familiar voice said from behind Moonfire.

“And I thought you went down with your ship,” he said with a wry grin as he turned around.

There in the doorway between the living room and kitchen stood a navy blue pegasus with an off-gold mane and tail. Upon his flank was a ship’s wheel with a storm cloud behind it.

“Tried to ‘least,” The pegasus replied, a twinkle in his amber-colored eyes. “Too good a ship ta give up easily.”

The bandaged changeling nodded solemnly, “I’m sorry she sank.”

“Don’ beat yerself up over it... was goin’ ta retire after that voyage anyways.”

Moonfire looked around the sailor, not seeing who he was looking for he said, “Where’s Fluttershy?”

“She’s out feeding the chickens right now. Said to jus’ come in an’ say ‘ello,” the stallion waved, “‘Ello.”

The colt chuckled, turning back to his lunch, “You’re doing what your sister tells you to? I thought you didn’t follow anyone’s orders.”

“‘Ave you even seen ‘er use ‘er Stare?” the salty stallion shuddered.

Moonfire glanced over at his previous captain and did a double take. Even Squall is afraid of her Stare? He gulped.

The sailor caught sight of the changeling’s face and belted out a hearty laugh, “Seems you know what I mean. You get on tha wrong side of it?”

“To tell the truth, yes, I did. She was telling me to stay lying down and that I could help after my wing was healed.”

“But you were havin’ none of that, jus’ like when ya barely got on me ship,” The stallion shook his head, tearing the amusing image out of his head. “Not even one minute were ya there ’fore ya demanded somethin’ ta do.”

Grunting his assent, he swallowed the last of his sandwich. Once his mouth was clear, the shape-shifter said, “By the way, last I heard you were building another ship.”

Scoffing, Squall sat in a chair next to the colt, “Tha’ thing? That was for me bossun. Promoted ‘im ta captain an’ listened for word of where ya ran off ta, an’ who but an old friend of mine tell me of a colt who jus’ ‘appened ta be livin’ wit me sis?”

“Well, I had to think up something to get a certain pink mare off of me. Besides, at least I remembered everything you said about her.” The colt levitated his plate to the sink, leaving it to wash later.

“Well, looks like you’ll ‘ave another set of hooves ‘round ‘ere fer a fortnight or two.”

“So you’re just visiting?”

“Oh, now don’ go put’n words in me mouth! Said I was retirin’. I’m movin’ ta this lit’le town, I am. Yes sir, ya ain’ gonna be shut a’ me til’ I die.”

Moonfire looked at the stallion, his thoughts traveling back to Applebloom and her words last wednesday. Maybe... nah, there’s no way he could’ve been here then. It’s just a coincidence, nothing more.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

“‘Ello, gov’na, got yor letter ‘few days ago.”

“Good, I was hoping that you would respond to that. Now, about the boy-”

“Don’ worry ‘bout ‘im, he’s a good lad, one you’d be hard pressed to replace if’n he became family.”

“Come on, Diamond, I can’t hear a thing! What are they saying?” Silver Spoon whispered in her ear.

“They’re just talking about some boy,” Diamond Tiara replied. “Now be quiet, I can’t hear them when you’re talking.”

Turning her ear back to the door, she listened as the two stallions caught up the years since they last saw each other. Tales of the high seas and of hostile takeovers came to her, expecting nothing more than an attentive ear. Finally, after two hours, they got back to the colt.

“And were does this colt come in?” Rich said.

“I was wond’rin’ when you’d ask,” the captain sighed, “He came ‘board - what, maybe six months ago? - being chased by - an’ you’ll not believe this - rabbits, hundreds of ‘em! Anyways, me crew kicked ‘em off while I took ‘im to me quarters. ‘E ‘ad lots of bite and teeth marks all over ‘im from the rabbits that I ‘ad to kick off ‘im. When I got a good look at ‘im I was surprised to say th’ least.”

“Something surprised you?” Diamond’s father interrupted.

The stallion sighed, “Yeah, for th’ first time, I didn’ know what to make o’ it, but ‘e assured me ‘e wouldn’ impersonate any o’ th’ crew.”

“Imperso- no... you can’t mean-” Filthy started.

“No, I don’t. ‘E would never go an’ do something like what tha’ no-’count queen did, an’ if’n I didn’ know you better, I’d prob’ly ‘ave knocked loose some o’ those pearly white teeth you love so much.”

“How can there be good changelings? I thought their minds were all connected in-”

“- Some sort o’ ‘ive mind?” the sailor finished. “Seems you’ve read one too many o’ them new books tha’ popped up after th’ wedding.”

“Wait, I thought they were talking about a colt?” Silver spoon said, having moved to listen as well five minutes into the stallions’ first story. “Now they’re talking about a changeling?”

Diamond shushed her friend as her father sighed again, “I’m talking about the research that’s being conducted, the scientists working on it are trying to figure out how they communicated and coordinated their efforts in the invasion.”

“Well, tha’ can be put down as ‘em knowin’ each other an’ workin’ very well as a team. You’d see tha’ in any tried an’ true crew on a ship. Anyways, ‘e surprises me with takin’ off ‘is disguise an’ showin’ ‘is ‘true self’ as ‘e says. Well, while ‘e was there ‘e told me all tha’s ‘appened to ‘im,” The stallion paused, “What ‘e went through, nopony should, I’ll leave it a’ tha’.”

“That shouldn’t come as a surprise. But what worries me is that this colt has caught my Diamond’s eye and has taken her on a date.”

“Oho, ‘e’s finally tryin’ ta find th’ one for ‘im? You can bet yor arse ‘e won’t try an’thin’ unbecomin’ o’ somepony ‘is age, o’ that you can be sure.”

Hearing the two stallions walking towards their door, (it being the only door out of the room, aside from the servant’s passage) the fillies ran - as quietly as possible of course - back to Diamond’s room.

“What did that stallion mean by that?” Silver Spoon asked when the door closed behind them. “And who were they talking about?”

That’s what I’m asking myself... Diamond Tiara thought. And the more I think about it, the more I don’t like where this is pointing: Moonfire is a changeling.