The four ponies and one griffon returned to the dining car and took advantage of their free ride. The diner staff gratefully and enthusiastically served drinks and snacks to their heroes while waiting for the train to continue on its way. Fortunately, damage to the locomotive was minimal and it was good to go after a few minor fixes. Repairing the large section of track that had been torn up by the derailment took longer. However, about an hour and a half later, the train resumed its journey. The Peregrines were very impressed by the efficiency of the train’s crew. Trixie pointed out the remoteness of the line necessitated their preparedness.

A line of tall mountains crossing their northbound route came into view in the early afternoon when the train stopped for refueling. Although they were called the Macintosh Hills, they must have been named by somepony with a serious talent for understatement. After they resumed travel, the Peregrines surmised there was no way that the railway line could cross that mountain range. And it did not.

“This is an announcement to all passengers – we are about to enter the Trans-Macintosh Tunnel. Please turn on your cabin lamps if you require light.”

“Long tunnel?” Cirrus asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Longest continuous one in Equestria,” Daring replied. “Even Mount Canterhorn’s tunnels are way shorter. But by traveling through the mountain range instead of going around, it cuts at least eight hours off the trip, and avoids going through hostile territory.”

Blaze smirked. “It seems that there are a lot of dangerous places in this country of yours.”

Daring grinned. “Yeah. Makes it a great deal more interesting, don’t you think?”

They spent over half an hour traversing that tunnel, and the Peregrines were very happy that the locomotive was not powered by coal or wood. The tunnel had little to no ventilation – the trapped steam alone made it and the train quite damp. Eventually, the train burst out into bright sunlight once more. The railway went through the foothills before opening up onto a prairie. They continued on for a few hours as grass gradually gave way to shrubs and low forest. The first cultivated fields and orchards showed that they were coming close to their next stop – Appleloosa. They pulled into the station over an hour late, but due to the engineers pushing the locomotive’s limits, they had made up some of the lost time.

“Welcome to Appleloosa. Alight here for the annual Appleloosa Rodeo being held this weekend. Ongoing passengers are advised that scheduled layover has been reduced to one hour so that the service may make up for lost time. Again, this train will continue to Canterlot in one hour. Thank you.”

Blaze wondered how a pony rodeo worked. “It’s an earth pony thing,” Trixie told him as they got off the train, which explained exactly nothing. He decided he would have to see one if he ever got the chance.

Looking around, Cirrus noticed the preponderous number of earth ponies within view. It had been much the same back at Four Ways. “So, is Appleloosa an earth pony only township?”

Trixie shook her head. “Once, it may have been. Nowadays, most towns have a mixture of all the pony tribes. However, since earth ponies outnumber all the other types, you’ll find far more towns established by them originally. Of course, some places have populations dominated by unicorns, pegasi, or thestrals. Cloudsdale is a very obvious example. Unless you have wings or a cloud-walking spell, you aren’t going to visit that city, let alone live there.”

“They built a city in the clouds?” Blaze asked, his eyes like saucers at the very idea.

“Yep,” Daring replied. “Pretty place, but not my kind of thing.”

“But how?”

“With construction-grade clouds, of course.”

Blaze glared at the grinning pegasus mare whose reply was probably completely accurate and yet answered nothing at all. He decided not to give Daring another chance to laugh at his expense and concentrated on sightseeing.

As the four ponies trotted through the main street, the Peregrines noted with amusement how many of the locals dressed in fashions reminiscent of early Twentieth Century Midwest fashion. The general architecture also reflected that esthetic. Suddenly, rodeos did not seem so outlandish an idea after all.

At Cirrus’ insistence, they stopped at a saloon for a mug of the local brew. Both she and Blaze were quite pleased with its taste but refrained from drinking more.

“Good move,” Daring said with a chuckle. “Their beer is made with earth pony constitution in mind. A couple of those and you’d be on the floor.”

Considering the buzz she had gotten from just one, Cirrus had to agree, but Blaze was a little disappointed. He settled for buying a bottle for the road… or the track, as it were.

The group spent the rest of the time window shopping, although they did catch a glimpse of the rodeo grounds being prepared. Blaze would have bought a souvenir or two if he had any money, but he had no intention of asking Daring or Trixie for a loan, especially with the two already paying for the couple’s trip and meals. Eventually, a long blast from the train’s whistle alerted them to make their way back to the station. The conductors were doing a head count to try to ensure that stragglers were not left behind. A huffing unicorn couple loaded with too many boxes were the last to board and the train departed immediately afterward.

Gizelle rejoined the group. She had elected to stretch her wings and spent the layover doing a flying sightseeing tour of Appleloosa. Everyone was feeling hungry by then and decided to try their luck with the dining car. Perhaps because there had been a large turnover of passengers at the town and many of the new ones had already had their meal, the diner was not crowded yet. As they made their way to a large table, one of the new passengers caught Cirrus’ eyes. She could not help but stare at the ponylike being with a glossy black coat that appeared hard but still flexible. It had large softly-glowing blue eyes without a discernible pupil, a small curved horn, insectile wings, and a frill rather than a mane. It was chatting with its pony companions at the table, not looking in Cirrus’ direction at all, but it suddenly turned its head and looked directly at her, cocking its head quizzically.

“Can I help you?” it asked in a clearly masculine voice.

Cirrus blinked, then blushed, wondering how it had known she had been staring at him. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never met anypony like you before. May I ask what you are?”

The being blinked, then grinned. “You’ve never even heard of changelings? You really must be from some land far away.”

“Further than you’d believe,” she replied fervently.

“Then I’m pleased to be your first. The name’s Buzz, and these are my herdmares, Petunia, Dreamy, and Glitter.”

The mares, one each of earth, pegasus, and unicorn types, smiled and waved.

Buzz continued. “Drop by for a chat if you see me in the lounge later. Always happy to swap stories with folks.”

Cirrus smiled, liking this odd being. “I’d like that.”

Daring said, “I’ll fill our friends in on your kind. Right now, I’m hungry.”

Buzz’s attention turned to the pegasus for the first time, and he blinked in surprise. “You’re Daring Do!”

“Yep. Got it in one.”

“Oh, now I really have to have a chat with your friend if you’re involved.”

“That’s practically what I said!” Gizelle said with a chuckle.

“Catch you later!” Cirrus said as she was chivvied toward the empty table.

As the five settled into their places, Blaze said, “I’m just as curious as Sky. What exactly are changelings, and why did he say that those ponies were his herdmares?”

Trixie replied, “Changelings are a sub-species of pony… we think. Their origin is somewhat mysterious but we believe that they came about as a result of a curse on regular ponies. They are emotivores. That means that they eat emotions.”

“What? That’s ridiculous!” Blaze interrupted. “How can they eat something insubstantial like that? Besides, there was a plate of food in front of him.”

“Changelings enjoy solid food too, and they need it to build and maintain their bodies. However, they can’t get energy from it. They get it entirely by absorbing positive emotions and magically converting them to physical energy.”

“That sounds crazy. How could such a species even evolve?”

“Like Trixie said, it’s believed that they did not evolve but were created. Their needs made them dependent on other species for survival, but the way they went about it caused them to be shunned back in the old days.”

“Why? It seems to me that all they would need to do is make a lot of friends to get those emotions.”

“Yeah, but the strongest of all positive emotions is love, and the changelings would snatch ponies in love and replace them. The one they took was brought back to the hive where they were kept in a never-ending dream of being with their beloved, providing a constant source of nourishment. The replacement would feed on their partner.”

“Oh, come on! How could they do that? Magic?”

“Changelings are shapeshifters. They can look identical to the pony they replaced, and emulate them very well too. And before you say that wouldn’t be enough, they also have a subtle magic that makes ponies overlook inconsistencies.”

Cirrus asked, “Why would anyone curse a species to be like that?”

Daring replied, “Control. What better way could a powerful unicorn mage control society than to replace all opposition with your minions? However, it seems that plan did not work out. The changelings had other ideas, probably because of something unplanned – a Queen appeared and she had other intentions. It’s theorized that she killed or podded the mage. No one knows for sure because the first Queen purged the hive memory of the race’s origins. Doubtless colored by her traumatic past, she tried to subjugate every pony in Equestria, and for a while, it seemed she would achieve her goal.”

The explanation was interrupted briefly as a waiter took their orders.

Daring resumed her explanation. “Anyway, ponies caught onto what was happening and created defenses against the changelings. Doppelgangers were exposed and were either executed or driven out. Changelings then had to eke out an existence in constant fear of being discovered. For centuries, it was an unending cycle of changelings making inroads into pony society and then getting pushed out again. However, as Equestria grew and communications improved, it got harder and harder for the changelings. Even if they tried to co-exist with ponies, they were shunned and reviled. It took a brave changeling Queen to take the step to turn things around for her species.”

“What could they possibly offer that could change ponies’ perceptions of them?” Blaze asked.

“Something that ponies desperately needed. You saw it back at the other table. In a word - stallions. You see, ponykind has a growing problem. Mares have always outnumbered stallions, but that situation has been slowly getting worse. You’re going to find out for yourself the consequences of this. Anyway, the thing about changeling drones is that they are sexually undifferentiated and interfertile with all pony subspecies and both genders. They can be whichever sex they want to be when they shape-change. That meant that they could supply stallions for any unmated mares who wanted one. The catch was that it could not be done the old way or else the changelings risked being worse off than ever. Queen Chrysalis chose to approach Princess Luna with a proposal to provide male partners in a regulated manner approved by the Crown.”

“Luna is one of the three ruling alicorns, right?”

“Correct, and due to her own chequered past, she was empathetic to Chrysalis’ petition. She and Chrysalis worked out a deal. Believe it or not, it was kind of a dating service. Get the stallion of your dreams who would go the extra mile for your love. Everything was put in full public view, no holds barred. Mares who used the service were informed of what they were getting, but with guarantees backed by the Crown. It started off slowly, but as success stories began coming in, the service became more popular.”

Blaze said, “As a former female, I still find it hard to comprehend the willingness of the mares to take that option.”

“You seriously underestimate the desperation of many mares. If they wanted foals and they hadn’t been able to join a herd, most had to either pay for a stud service or ask an already mated stallion to impregnate them. Neither option gave them a mate of their own, and ponies are an extremely social species.”

“You’ve mentioned herds before, so that lot back there is a herd with a changeling stallion? Three mares sharing the one male?”

“Yep, and that’s the way they like it. The changeling can tell what emotions they are feeling, and is able to maintain harmony with and between all three. An incompatible mare would never even have gotten the chance to join the herd.”

“You say that they are shapeshifters, but that changeling is obviously not disguised,” Cirrus pointed out.

“Oh, that’s probably because those mares like him just the way he is. Or he might take a pony form to suit the occasion. It’s very possible that you’ve already seen a changeling before this but they prefer to stay in their pony guise. Anyway, you have to realize that this all happened quite a long while ago. Taking a changeling mate has become normalized now, and the bias and revulsion of the past is fading into history. As you can see, none of the ponies in this carriage are bothered by the presence of an undisguised changeling.”

“So, if mares mate with changeling stallions to have foals, what are their children like? Hybrids?”

“Nope. Ponies, all of them. That kind of reinforces the cursed race theory. If they were once ponies, that would explain why we can interbreed with them and produce pony offspring.”

Cirrus frowned. “No inherited traits from them? Not even something minor? I find that hard to believe.”

Daring pursed her lips and bobbed her head back and forth. “W-e-l-l, I’m not exactly an expert on that matter, and anything is possible when magic is involved, so you might be right.”

Trixie added, “If a changeling trait did manifest, it would most likely be in the form of the pony’s special talent. As such, it might not be obvious where it came from. Trixie agrees that there are no generally known physical traits in foals with changeling sires.”

The food arrived just then, which brought that discussion to a close. However, both Blaze and Cirrus intended to talk to that changeling before their journey ended.

Buzz came by their table later with his mares in tow.

“Hi! We’re going to the lounge for a drink or two. If you’d like to have a chat, feel free to join us.”

The Peregrines decided to take them up on that offer, and along with Daring, Trixie, and Gizelle, they headed to the lounge car after they finished dinner.

The one thing that Blaze and Cirrus learned that struck them the most was how normal the herd relationship was in comparison to human couples. Aside from their being three females, it was not significantly different. Each loved and supported each other, while they filled different roles within the family. The pegasus mare was pregnant, and the two others planned to have a foal also once this one was born. Blaze was amused by the friendly rivalry the unicorn and earth pony had for the right to be the next one to add to the herd.

Buzz confirmed that he did indeed eat emotions, and that his mares kept him so well-fed with love, he was able to regularly send the excess back to his hive.

“Gotta feed the next generation of bugponies,” he pointed out. “There will still be lots of mares looking for mates in the future.”

Considering that they only sired pony foals with their wives, Blaze assumed that there had to be some changelings breeding with others of their kind.

“Nope,” Buzz denied. “Queen Chrysalis lays all our eggs. Once Her Majesty found a lover, she was able to produce many more, and stronger ones too.”

“You were hatched from an egg?!” Cirrus exclaimed.

Buzz’s wives all giggled at that. He grinned and replied, “Is that any stranger than being born from within a mare?”

When he put it like that, the Peregrines had to admit that he had a point.

They continued talking about changeling relationships, and Buzz demonstrated his ability to shape-shift. When Blaze suggested that Buzz copy him, the changeling shook his head.

“Can’t do that. It’s against the law to impersonate anypony. We’re only allowed to copy a person under very strict circumstances. That was part of the treaty made between Queen Chrysalis and the Equestrian Crown.”

Blaze could see the sense in that rule and apologized for asking.

“Not a problem,” Buzz replied, “but now it’s your turn to tell me about yourselves and how you ended up with Daring Do.”

So, over drinks of both alcoholic and caffeinated kinds, the Peregrines regaled them with their story, while Daring and Trixie added their parts at the appropriate moments. Almost two hours later, they were interrupted by an announcement that came over the train speakers.

“Now arriving at Dodge Junction. Change here for the service to Dodge City. Passengers with transfers to Dodge City, please alight promptly. Your train has been held in light of our delay and will depart immediately when all passengers have boarded. I repeat, arriving at Dodge Junction. Change here for the train to Dodge City.”

Considering that it was well into the evening, it didn’t surprise anyone that some passengers might need to be woken from a nap, hence the repeated message. One dozing mare in the corner startled awake, hastily gathered her baggage, and headed out of the lounge. When their train pulled into the station, they saw the Dodge City locomotive steaming steadily on the other side of the double platform. It was obviously ready to take off the moment it could. Blaze and Cirrus watched as the conductors chivvied the transferees over to their train, assisting the more burdened ones move their belongings to speed up the process. Neither service wasted time resuming their journey.

Gizelle announced that she was turning in early for the night as she had done previously. Buzz and his mares decided to head back to their room, although the Peregrines doubted it would be for sleep just yet. Trixie pronounced that it was time for a new movie, so they went to the Peregrines' cabin to watch another of their favorites – Pirates of the Caribbean.

The next morning at breakfast, they found the train skirting a dense forest to the east and lush fields to the west. Daring informed them that the Everfree Forest was a place to avoid as it was home to monsters and wild magic.

“If somepony like you recommends not going there, I’ll be sure to take that advice,” Cirrus said.

“Trixie is glad that you are still with us, Cirrus.”

The pegasus froze with her mouth open and a spoonful of grits halfway to it. “Wait. What? What do you mean?”

Daring lifted an eyebrow. “I mean, I’ve seen changeling stallions be that aggressive before, but not often. A pony stallion would have backed off believing Blaze was showing off his own herd, but our emotions told him louder than words that that wasn’t the case.”

Blaze tilted his head and blinked. “I don’t get it.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “An attractive and assertive pegasus mare stares at a changeling, finding him interesting and not at all scary despite revealing her ignorance of his species. The mares in his herd chat her up for hours, finding her just as oblivious to ‘mare drama’ and unoffended by any questions shot her way. Add to that your fascinating background and obvious intelligence. Can you see where this is going yet?”

Cirrus dropped her spoon. “He was… they were evaluating me to join their herd? But I was just being friendly!”

Daring nodded toward Blaze while continuing to look at Cirrus. “Buzz could taste your love for your chosen mate and lack of any romantic interest in their group. Otherwise, you would have been invited to… get to know them better.”

Blaze chuckled and turned to his spouse. Eventually, he bumped her flank with his, breaking her catatonia. “Eat up while you can, dear. It looks like you’ll be needing your strength.”

“I guess I will.” Cirrus once again froze with the spoon halfway to her mouth. She frowned at Blaze. “Wait. What exactly did you mean by that crack?”

This time, Daring and Trixie joined in Blaze’s laughter.

They had barely completed their meal when the now-familiar conductor’s voice came over the speakers.

“Approaching Ponyville Station. Change here for the Las Pegasus, Smokey Mountains, and Sire’s Hollow lines. Ponyville next stop.”

The outskirts of the township came into view and both Peregrines found it very picturesque, an impression that grew stronger as the train drew close to the city. It prompted a memory though, and Blaze frowned.

“Hey, Daring – didn’t you imply that Ponyville was a dangerous place? This place looks as threatening as Disneyland.”

The pegasus had no idea what Diz Knee Land was, but she got the gist. “For starters, it’s right next to the Everfree, and monsters occasionally make their way out and cause havoc. Also, the place seems to be a magnet for troublemakers. And you won’t believe how many times the town has had to be rebuilt.” Daring smirked. “Only some of those disasters caused by my partner!” The pegasus cheekily returned Trixie’s glare. “What? Do you want me to share all the details?”

Blaze decided not to upset the blue mare and get the conversation back on topic. “And yet, ponies still like living here?” The stallion could see a vast number of ponies and even a few other species making their way on their daily business.

Daring grinned. “It’s a great place to live. Hardly a dull moment. Besides, it has some strong protectors.”

“I suppose we’ll have to check it out for ourselves sometime if we get the chance.”

There were plenty of passengers waiting on the station platform, but none boarded their train.

“This is not a commuter service,” Trixie explained. “While some may get off here, Appleloosa was the last place passengers could get on.”

“Judging by the number of ponies on the platform, many must work in Canterlot,” Cirrus commented.

“Yes, but not everypony here will be going to the capital. While Ponyville is the largest township in the region, we will soon reach the suburbs, and there will be several stations between here, Mount Canterhorn Central Station, and beyond.

Blaze noticed that the train had not departed yet despite many minutes passing. “How come we’re not going yet?”

Trixie replied, “A lot of the freight that the train has been hauling will be offloaded here. They’re disconnecting and shunting those freight cars as we speak. There’s a marshalling yard nearby where the freight will be collected and taken to various destinations if not unloaded here. Besides, it’s a steep climb up from Central Station to Canterlot city. They need to reduce weight.”

“How high up is it?”

“Look for yourself,” Trixie replied, pointing outside.

Blaze peered out the window and frowned. “I’m not seeing it.”

“No, look up. Much further up.”

The stallion craned his neck up and gasped. “How the hell did they build a city on the side of a steep mountain and that far up?! And why?!”

Daring chuckled. “Probably because they could. A buttload of magic was used in its construction, you better believe! It certainly stands out as Equestria’s capital and the home of the ruling alicorns.”

“And that’s where we’re headed? Wow! I can’t wait to see it up close.”

While they were waiting at the station, another train pulled up on the other side of the platform. This one was obviously the commuter train that Trixie had mentioned because it had no freight cars nor sleeping compartments. The waiting passengers quickly boarded and the train soon left.

Their train departed not long after and the Peregrines headed back to their compartment to pack up the solar charger and their few other belongings. They spent the rest of the trip watching the scenery, spotting ponies and others at work in fields, or hauling goods on the roads. Small factories were located near stations that the train expressed past. They passed two commuter trains going the other way on the second track that had ended at Ponyville. Then the rail line reached the base of the mountain and dived into a tunnel. The darkness was only momentary as they quickly emerged into a large well-lit open area. The Peregrines realized that this was a natural cave that had been repurposed as an underground station. Tunnels had been bored for tracks that led to three double platforms.

“Mount Canterhorn Central Station. Change here for the Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Vanhoover, Seaward Shoals, and Crystal Kingdom lines. Now stopping at Mount Canterhorn Central Station.”

The station was certainly bustling, and many passengers from their train added to the crowd. They were not taking passengers on here either, so once everyone whose destination this was had gotten off, the train departed on its final leg.

The locomotive immediately began a steep climb on tracks that wound in and out of the mountainside. Cirrus was pretty sure it had made at least two complete loops within the mountain to gain altitude before continuing up the southern side of the mountain range. A sharp bend at one point let her see the city ahead, and the way it overhung the sheer drop to the valley below took her breath away. After half an hour of arduous climbing, the track leveled out onto a plateau and the train pulled up to the station placed right next to the city walls.

“Canterlot Station. This is our final stop. All passengers must alight here. Welcome to Canterlot City.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

This chapter was a bit of worldbuilding and some hints that this is not the Equestria you're familiar with.

Kudos to Airy Words once more. Be sure to send him long missives written in passive voice.