Heart Of Fire: You'll Be In My Heart

Chapters

Chapture I: The Changling
Chapture II: Healing
Chapter III: The Desguise And Freinds
Chapter IV: The Queen
Chapter V: Old Friends
Chapter VI: The Couple And The Letter
Chapter VII: Conflict
Chapter VIII: The Crusader Before The Sunset
Ch. IX: Truth And Fear
Ch. X: Promises
Ch. XI: Broken Loyalty
Ch. XIII: The Trap And Discovery
Ch. XIV: Who's Trixie?
Ch. XV: Blessings
Ch. XVI: Attack On The Changelings
Chapter XVII: The Kidnap
Chapter XVIII: The Search
Chapter XIX: The Rescue
Chapter XX: Love And Loss
Epilogue: You'll Be In My Heart
Ch. XII: The Queen's Anger And Together Forever
Prologue: Lost In The Everfree

Chapture I: The Changling

CHAPTER I:

THE CHANGELING

Three Days Later

The sun was just over the mountain line in the east as it rose to glory, starting a new day for life in Equestria. Just outside of the small town of Ponyville, a single pegasus named Blazing Feathers was out stretching his limbs as his yellow and orange zebra striped coat shined in the sunlight. After several good long stretches he stood on his hind hooves then let his body weight fall forward to the ground, his wings stopped his fall just when he was an inch from hitting his muzzle in the dirt, then he continued his exercising with wing-ups.

After half an hour of working out he got to his hooves and took a moment to look back to his flank at his cutie mark. The single, bright red wing bursting into flames made his eyes tear up as he smiled at it. Turning away from his cutie mark he crouched down low to the ground as he spread his wings. He locked his eyes forward, a big grin of determination on his face. With one swift motion he leapt off the ground, leaving a trail of dust in the shape of a pegasus where he once stood. The wind rushed in his ears as he flew around town three times, the exhilaration of the wind rushing through his ears pumped his adrenaline before going straight up in the sky. He flew well above the cloud line before he stopped in mid air. The air was now cold, but he took in a deep breath with his eyes closed as he soaked in the rays of Celestia's sun.

After a few minutes of sunbathing he looked down. Ponyville was so small it looked like a display set. He smiled then took off toward Ponyville, heading straight for the center of town. As he got closer he saw every-pony going about their daily lives. Every-pony soon looked up to see him speeding in with no sign of slowing. Knowing he had an audience he increased his speed going faster and faster until he got only a few feet from the ground. At the last second he pulled up into a three-sixty loop de loop.

The crowd cheered at the site, it was not often a pegasus took the time to put on a quick show for every-pony. Except for Rainbow Dash, but she was usually just practicing her moves to impress the Wonderbolts and she was out of town in Canterlot for a wedding.

Blazing continued to entertain the crowd with aerial acrobatics, diving and performing every stunt he knew. After several minutes he hovered in place above the town, his breathing labored as he smiled at every-pony.

"Still doing the simple stuff, Stripes?" Blazing turned around to find Rainbow Dash sitting on a cloud.

"Dash," he said with a sigh, "you know I don't like it when you call me Stripes." Ever since they first met years ago as foals Dash always called him Stripes for his zebra striped coat. Most of the time he would put up with it but every now and again he would complain about it.

"Aw, don't be such a cry-foal." Dash replied. "Take it like a stallion." Blazing rolled his eyes and shook his head. She may have gotten on his nerves more often then not, but he still enjoyed her loyal friendship.

"So, how was the wedding?" he asked.

Dash's eyes lit up with excitement. "Best. Wedding. Ever!" She screamed as she jumped off the cloud into the air. "The princess had me do a Sonic Rainboom at the end! And we all fought off an entire army of changelings!"

"Changelings?" Blazing asked, an amused smile on his face. "It sounds like you guys had your hooves full. Why don't you tell me everything at Sugar cube? Cupcakes are on me."

Dash didn't answer right away, she looked like she was considering the offer. "Okay, but just one. I need to go practice some new moves for the Wonderbolts." With that, the two flew off.

~~)oOo(~~

The two pegasi left Sugar cube Corner laughing about how Princess Cadence and Twilight escaped the caves by tausing the bouquet at Queen Chrysalis' bridesmaids.

"Oh sweet Celestia," Blazing said, "that must have been a good day for you, Dash."

"Good?" Dash replied. "It was awesome! I only wish you could have been there to get some of the action." Blazing chuckled at Rainbow's enthusiasm.

"I didn't miss much, Dash. The Changelings came here that day. Spark showed up and had Ditzy gather all the pegasi and had them bring the thunder clouds at the edge of the forest." Dash smiled.

"That's awesome!" She said. Blazing nodded. "Well, thanks for the cupcake, Stripes. I need to go and work on my moves." Blazing blinked at the nick name, but shook it off.

"Break a leg, Dash." Blazing said. Rainbow saluted the yellow stallion, then took off into the air. Blazing smiled as he watched his friend fly off.

Now, what to do? He asked himself. He thought about things he did not do in the last month. I haven't been to the forest lately. Blazing liked to venture into the Everfree Forest now and again. It gave him an opportunity to see the only one he knew who had stripes like him.

"To the forest it is, then." He said to himself taking flight toward the Everfree Forest.

~~)oOo(~~

In the forest, when he was in the air, he flew low to the ground to avoid getting tangled in the vines of the trees. After a while of venturing through the forest he heard a sound coming from the bushes. He would of mostly ignored it, but it was not just the sound of a creature sniffing its way around. It was the sound of some-pony crying.

"Hello?" he called. There was no reply, but the sound did not stop. He followed the sound to a bush big enough to hide a pony. He slowly walked over to the bush, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that might attack him. "Is some-pony there?" he called again. The crying went silent, but he pinpointed where it came from. He reached out his hoof and moved the bush aside. What he saw made his heart stop for a second.

Laying on the ground behind the bush was a changeling. The changeling made no attempt to attack or move in any way, it just stared him in the eye. Blazing's first thought was to run, but he was frozen in place, although not by fear.

The changeling was bruised, covered with small spots of blood stains and had a long cut on the side. It’s wings were bent out of shape, apart from having all the holes in them and her eyes were filled with sadness and a slight hint of fear.

"Well?" The changeling said in a female voice. "Are you going to try to attack me, or run away from me?"

Blazing did nothing, his mind split in two. This was a changeling, a creature known for changing its shape to a pony you care for and feed off your love for them. But this changeling appeared hurt and unwilling to fight. She could be playing a trick on him to regain her lost strength, or she really was hurt, being here in the middle of the Everfree Forest.

Blazing spotted a tear starting to run down her cheek. That made his heart sink.

"It's okay." He said finally. "I won't hurt you."

The changeling shot a glare and hissed at him, that made him flinch. "You lie!" She screeched. "You ponies fear and hate my kind. And after the events of the past few days every-pony would want to hurt me and ever changeling!"

"I'm not like every-pony else." he replied. She looked at him in confusion.

"You're not a changeling. If you're not like the others, what are you?"

Blazing did not answer, he just looked again at the changeling’s wounds. He reached out his right hoof to her. She cringed at his hoof like it was a small monster about to attack her.

"It's okay." Blazing reassured. "I know some-pony not far from here who can help with your cuts."

The changeling looked into his eyes. "You would help a creature that attacked your kind?"

"You're hurt and need help" he replied. "Take my hoof, I'll help you." The changeling looked at his hoof, then back into his eyes. After several minutes, she turned her head up.

"Get away from me!" She barked.

"Please, let me help you." He pleaded. She shot a glare at him as she hissed.

"Get the hell away from me pony!"

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing Spent all night thinking about the changeling in the forest. He had pleaded with her to let him help her, but she refused him. Lost in his thoughts he completely forgot the original reason he went into the forest in the first place and made the trip back home without another word.

He looked over at the clock on the stand by his bed. Six-thirty six. He stayed up all night thinking about the changeling. Frustrated, he got up from his bed and made his way to the door, down the stairs into the living room. He opened the front door at the end of the room and saw that Celestia did not raise the sun yet.

He walked out of the house, closing the door behind him and gazed up at the stars. For a brief moment he saw something fly across the sky. He immediately lost sight of it in the night sky. He could only assume it was Princess Luna and smiled, it was extremely rare for one to see the Princess of the night in her night sky. He smiled at his luck and continued to look at the stars as he waited for Celestia to raise the sun.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing made his way through the forest. He had waited in the cold for Celestia to raise the sun and as soon as first light broke he made his way to the forest. Now he was searching for the changeling. Why am I trying so hard to help her? He asked himself. The changelings tried to destroy, not only Canterlot, but Ponyville as well. So why did he want to help her?

Blazing made his way through the forest until he heard it, the same sound he heard yesterday when he found the changeling. He found the source of the sound in the same bush, but he did not approach it this time. He waited a few minutes before calling out, "Hello?"

"Go away pony!" The changeling shouted. Blazing jumped at the changelings snap, but he did not run.

"I just wanna help." He said. The changeling charged from the bushes. Blazing began to move out of the way but stopped when he saw the changeling had collapsed just at the end of the bush.

Seeing her fall to the ground from her being so weak from her wounds made him want to run up to help her. He slowly made his way to her, jumping at a few of her movements. He got to her side and crouched down beside her as she looked up at him.

"What is compelling you to help me?" She asked. "I just tried to attack you." Blazing looked at her.

"You're hurt. I can't just let some-pony, even a changeling, die like this." She looked at him, confusion in her eyes. "Please, let me help you." The only sound for several minutes was the sound of the forest animals. Blazing held out his hoof to her. "Take my hoof." She stared into his eyes, as if weighing his intentions. Finally, she reached up and took his hoof.

Blazing helped her onto his back and carried her through the forest. "Where are you taking me?" She asked.

"To Zecora. She's a zebra who knows herbs and potions that can help heal you." Blazing tripped over a branch, the changeling nearly fell off his back before he regained his balance.

"Watch where your walking pony!" She snapped.

"I'm sorry." He said, continuing on through the narrow path.

The trek was a good fifteen, twenty minutes before Blazing came to a small hut decorated with masks and other foreign items. The trip normally would have taken Blazing no more then five minutes because he knew the way to the hut from venturing it all the time, but he had precious cargo laying on his back. He walked up and knocked on the door.

"Thank you for your knock." Came an accented voice from inside. "The door has no lock." The changeling looked lost and confused, but Blazing read the rhyme and opened the door. The inside of the hut was just as heavily decorated with masks and shelves stocked with bowls and bottles. In the heart of the main room of the hut was a zebra standing by a cauldron boiling with... something.

Zecora looked up from the cauldron and smiled at the yellow pegasus. "Blazing Feathers, how pleased I am to see you. What is it you wish for me to do?" Blazing smiled at her weakly as he turned to show the wounded changeling on his back. Zecora's face went blank as she saw the changeling. "Oh, a creature of scaly black. Is that a changeling on your back?"

"Yes, and she's hurt." Blazing answered. "I found her in the forest yesterday and..."

"Yesterday, you say?" Zecora interrupted. "Why come here today?"

"She wouldn't let me. I wanted to bring her to you when I found her. I even went with out sleep last night because of it." He looked back at the changeling, who looked surprised at his words.

Zecora walked up to the changeling. When she got close, the changeling glared at her. Zecora stopped and looked at the changeling cautiously. "Child, be of good cheer. I only wish to help you here." The changeling looked at Blazing.

"Does she only speak in rhyme?" She asked him.

"Yes." He answered. "It's one of the reasons I like her." The changeling looked annoyed.

"I think it is annoying." Zecora just smiled at the changeling, waiting for her to let her look at her wounds. The changeling looked around the room, uncertainty in her eyes. After several minutes, she looked back at Blazing then at Zecora, and nodded.

Blazing got to his belly as Zecora helped the changeling off his back. Zecora then gathered many plants and a few bowls and sat them on the floor next to the changeling. She mixed the herbs in the bowl turning the mixture into a slimy blue liquid and rubbed in on the changelings wounds. As Zecora applied the herbal gel the changeling flinched and caused Blazing to jump.

"I apologies. I meant not to make you jolt." Zecora said. "It looks like you were struck by a lightning bolt." Blazing's thoughts immediately turned to the other day when he joined the pegasi in moving the thunderclouds to the edge of the forest. Ditzy came to him saying Spark was back and needed the pegasi. She never said why, but she gave the order and later he found out why.

"Well, that should do." Zecora said, pulling Blazing out of his thoughts. "You are good as new." Blazing looked at the changeling covered in the gel, a few bandages and her wings were straitened with small, light planks.

"Thank you Zecora." Blazing offered.

"No thanks is necessary, I assure you." The zebra replied. "Is there anything more I can do?"

"You can promised me you won't tell any-pony about this." He replied.

"You ask me to help a changeling, this much is clear. But, you wish for no-pony to hear?"

"She still needs help. She's not well enough to go anywhere or do anything, so I'm taking her home so she can heal."

"What?!" The changeling cried, earning herself a jolt of pain that caused her to flinch. Blazing ran down to her side at this.

"Take it easy." He said. She gasped and flinched again at the pain. Blazing looked up to Zecora with a pleading gaze.

"The herbs will heal her for sure," she explained, "but for a while she will be sore."

"I'll take care of her at home, but I will come back with her to check up on her recovery." He said.

"Frequent check ups I will allow, but do be careful. Especially now." Zecora said.

"... and you won't tell?" He asked.

"For the knowledge of the changeling to be concealed, my lips from here on are sealed." She replied.

"Thank you." Blazing turned to the changeling and smiled at her as she stared him down. After he was sure she would not attack him he helped her on his back and started for the door. The door opened and a green earth pony stallion with brown and orange mane and tail came into view. He also had brown zebra stripes like Blazing and Zecora.

"Oh, Forest." Blazing said causing the stallion to jump.

"Blazing?!" He replied. "You have a-"

"... a changeling on my back? Yes." Blazing interrupted. "You can't tell any-pony, even your friends, I'm taking her home."

"Mother, are you helping her, too?" Forest asked as he looked at Zecora. She simply nodded her answer and Forest turned back to face the pegasus. "You have my word."

"Thank you." Blazing said. He then gave his goodbyes and ventured back into the forest with the changeling on his back.

Author's Note

Disclamer: Spark Storm does not belong to me, he belongs to my friend mechafone. Thank you mech for letting me use Spark.

Chapture II: Healing

CHAPTER II:

HEALING

Blazing looked out from behind a tree at the edge of the forest to see if anypony was around. The day was almost done, so activity in town was very slow. When he saw nopony around he went back behind the tree and crouched low enough to let the changeling climb on his back. Blazing felt bad seeing her in the condition she was in, but he knew that Zecora's herbs would help when he found the changeling in the forest.

The changeling climbed onto Blazing's back with a little bit of difficulty. When she was on his back he started flying toward the town. He stayed behind clouds, bushes and houses, making sure not to be seen or heard by anypony. After dodging a few ponies here and there as he made his way just past the library to his house. When he got to the front door he helped the changeling off his back, opened the door then helped her inside and closed the door behind him.

He flipped a switch to turn on the living room light. There were pictures all on the shelves and walls of Blazing and several other ponies, including Rainbow Dash and some of the wonderbolts. He walked beside the changeling, helping her to the large couch in the center of the room.

"Would you like anything to drink?" he asked. She looked at him with confusion. He then gave a sheepish smile. "I guess you don't eat or drink anything except for love energy."

"Why?" She asked. Confusion was now on his face.

"Because you’re a changeling, and changelings feed off of lo-"

"No," she interrupted, "why are you doing all this for me?"

"Oh, heh heh." He laughed as he scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing a faint red. "Well, I was always taught you should never judge a book by its cover. I mean, take me for example. Most of the time, I go work out to keep myself strong and ready for a good flight, but on the inside I'm a big softy. I easily get emotional at things and I hate hurting other ponies and all that stuff."

"So, what does that have to do with me?" She asked. "I'm a changeling who attacked Canterlot to feed on love and I attacked you in the forest. What made you help me?"

Blazing looked at her for a second. "Because I looked past the cover and saw somepony who was hurt, sad and afraid."

"I'm not afraid of anything!" She snapped.

"Okay, you're not afraid of anything," he said as he raised his hooves up defensively, "but when you attacked me you were weak from your wounds. You needed my help" The anger in her face died down. After a minute Blazing gave a small smile. "Everypony, even changelings, deserves a second chance."

The changeling looked at the zebra striped stallion with a bit of shock. Blazing was willing to risk his own safety to save her. Any other pony would have ran and got help or attacked her on sight, but he didn't. He came back to help her, even after she chased him away.

Blazing got to his hooves and trotted over to the kitchen whistling as he went. She watched him vanish and heard the sound of water rushing for a few seconds. She got to her hooves and limped over to the kitchen. She saw Blazing standing by the stove with a kettle of water. He lit the stove and placed the kettle on the fire then he trotted over to a pantry and pulled out a box. He pulled out one of the bags from the box and started to put the box back when he noticed she was standing at the door.

"What are you making?" She asked.

Blazing looked at the bag, then back at her. "Hot chocolate." Blazing replied. The changeling looked at the bag in Blazing's hoof. She stared at it for a minute, then returned her gaze to him.

"Can you make some for me?" Blazing's eyes shot open in shock. Did she just ask him to make hot chocolate for her? He soon smiled, the very fact that she was opening up to him meant that his choice to help her may not have been the wrong choice. He nodded his head and pulled out a second bag.

The kettle on the stove started whistling, signaling the water was ready for the hot chocolate. Blazing grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and sat them on the table. He then opened the bags and poured the chocolate in the mugs then grabbed the kettle off the stove and poured the water in the mugs. He put the kettle back on the stove then gave one of the mugs to the changeling, who took it with difficulty. Blazing blew on his to help cool it down a bit, then took a sip.

She looked at her mug for a minute, the heat visibly rising from the hot liquid. She slowly moved the mug to her lips and took a small sip. Her eyes lit up then she took another, larger sip. "This is good!" She said. Blazing smiled at the sight.

After finishing their hot chocolate Blazing showed the changeling all the pictures in the room. Several of them were of him and Rainbow Dash side by side or in the sky racing. There were quite a few of him with a dark blue pegasus when they were young colts. She stopped when she saw a picture of a yellow mare unicorn standing right next Blazing. The two looked happy together.

"Who is that?" She asked. Blazing looked at the picture, his face filled with deep sorrow.

"That was Water Wait." He answered. "She was my best friend at the time." The changeling exchanged looks between the picture and him.

"You loved her." She stated. Blazing closed his eyes and nodded. "What happened to her?”

Blazing opened his eyes, which were starting to glitter with tears. "She was... she died almost five years ago." Tears started to fall down his cheek then he lowered his head. "I'd rather not talk about it." He walked away from the picture whimpering quietly. The changeling looked at the picture then back at him, his whimpering was now a soft sob. He turned back to face her, wiping away his tears. "See? I told you I was a big softy."

She looked at him for a minute then smiled at him. "Queen Chrysalis would have had a field day with you." She said. Blazing smiled sheepishly at the statement.

"Should I be concerned you said that?" He asked.

"Take it as a changeling compliment." She said, earning chuckle from Blazing.

"Hey, I just realized I don't know your name." He observed.

"My name?" She looked puzzled.

"Yeah, you know mine, but I don't know yours."

She looked to the ground. "The queen is really the only one with a name. Only a small number of changelings, like the high ranking ones, have names." She looked back up at him.

"Well, if you're going to stick around for a while you need a name." Blazing scratched his chin with a hoof as he looked at the ceiling. "What to call you?" He thought for several minutes, his mind going through name after name. His eyes shot open, a broad smile on his face. "I'll call you Cocoon."

"Cocoon?" She asked, arching what would be an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it works. Like your queen is Chrysalis, I'll call you Cocoon."

"No." She said stiffly.

"Then what do you want to be called?"

She looked back into the kitchen at the empty mugs sitting on the counter by the sink then back at him with a smile. "I like that hot chocolate you made me. Call me Chocolate."

Blazing smiled at the name. "Chocolate, huh?" She nodded. "Chocolate it is, then! Welcome to your new home Chocolate. Let me show you around." Blazing helped her up the stairs and showed her his room, which was the first door on the right at the top of the stairs. The next door on the left farther down the hall was the bathroom with a sink, bathtub fully equipped with a shower and everything needed with it. And at the end of the hall on the right was the guest bedroom. The bed was set up at the wall to the left of the door. There was a window on the opposite wall showing the library next door.

"And this is the guest room." He explained. "This is where you will sleep while your here." She looked at the room. She never slept in a room before. She limped her way to the bed, Blazing by her side. She sat down on the bed and bounced on it a few times, then looked up at Blazing.

"This is..." she started, looking back at the bed. "I like this. It's better then sleeping on the ground." Blazing smiled.

"Do you need me to get anything for you?" She looked at him.

"You have done more then enough for me already. I would just like to sleep now." Blazing looked out the window. The sun was still up, but he knew the change... Chocolate, had a hard time the past few days. And Zecora did say, she needed her rest. He looked back at her and smiled.

"Okay, I'll be down stairs for a while if you need any thing else." She just nodded as she gave out a big yawn, laying down on the bed with her head on the pillow. As soon as her head hit the pillow her eyes closed and she was fast asleep. Blazing quietly walked out and closed the door behind him. He walked down the stairs into the living room and he sat down on the couch, thinking about the past two days.

What started like any other day, ended up to be the beginning of a new life for him.

Chapter III: The Desguise And Freinds

CHAPTER III:

THE DISGUISE AND FRIENDS

For the next week Blazing took Chocolate to and from Zecora's hut to check on her wounds. While the town was still asleep before sunrise, or inactive they would slip through the streets. Every now and again Blazing saw Rainbow Dash flying around when he was sneaking Chocolate to the forest. Rainbow is the last pony I want to find out about Chocolate now! He thought to himself and looked for another way around the cyan mare. One time, Dash almost caught Blazing sneaking out of town. He barely escaped with Chocolate into the forest before Rainbow caught up with them.

Now Blazing and Chocolate were at his house. Chocolate's wounds were almost gone now, her wing straight and without the board. They were sitting on the couch together drinking hot chocolate while watching an episode of Doctor Whooves. Blazing laughed as the doctor stated to his companion that he was not breaking and entering, he was sonicing and entering. Chocolate couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the comment.

There was a knock on the door that made the two jump. "Stripes, I need to talk to you!" came Rainbow's voice from outside. Blazing leapt to his hooves looking around the room for a place for Chocolate to hide. 'Knock, knock, knock'. "Come on, Stripes, I know you're here. I can hear that Doctor Whooves show on!"

"Just a minute!" Blazing called. His eyes found the stairs. He motioned Chocolate to go up the stairs, which she did. When she was out of sight Blazing took a calming breath and walked to the door. He opened the door and found Rainbow glaring at him, her front hooves folded.

"Hey Dash, What's..."

"What have you been up to, Stripes?" She interrupted. Blazing's ears dropped.

"Heh heh, what do you mean Dash?" He asked with a weak smile.

"I haven't seen you in the air lately, you don't go to the edge of town to stretch and do wing ups, and yesterday when I saw you sneaking around town and you totally tried to avoid me! I wanna know what's going on!" She finished, slamming a hoof on the ground. Blazing smiled weakly, his eyes darting side to side.

"Nothing is go..."

"Don't give me that 'there's nothing going on' deal! I know you Stripes! You never skip out on working out, and you never hide from me when we could be racing or trading stories, unless you have something to hide!"

"Hide? I'm not hiding anyp- er... anything." Dash raised an eyebrow. Her eyes looked past Blazing to the couch in the room. She pushed her way past him, nearly making him fall. Blazing regained his balance and found Dash pointing a hoof at the mugs of hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table next to the couch.

"Why do you have two mugs half full of hot chocolate sitting here? You only need one." Blazing looked at the mugs, then back at Dash. He then let his head drop and sighed.

"Okay, you got me." He said. "I had a new friend over, and we had some hot chocolate together." Dash's expression softened yet remained serious.

"A new friend?" Dash asked. "You've been avoiding me this whole time because of a new friend?" Blazing nodded, looking up at his friends face. Dash smiled mischievously. "Is it a mare, or a stallion?" She asked.

"M-mare?" Blazing replied. Dash's smile increased.

"How far have you gotten with her?" She asked, slowly walking up to him. Blazing backed up, his cheeks flushing red as sweat started down his brow. He started to open his mouth to answer, but he stopped to find Dash was rolling on the floor laughing. "Oh man, you're so easy, Stripes! The look on your face was priceless!" The cyan mare continued to laugh while Blazing glared at her. She looked up at him, wiping a tear with her hoof. "Relax, Stripes. I was only kidding." She got to her hooves, still laughing a little bit. "So, when do I get to see her?"

Blazing's eyes shot open. Chocolate was a changeling and he did not want Dash, or anypony for that matter, to know he was taking care of a changeling, let alone letting her sleep in his house. The worst part is he knew this moment was coming and he made no effort to prepare for it. "Er..." he said scratching the back of his neck. "Y-y-you can see her tomorrow." He said finally.

"Great." Dash said with a smile on her face. "I can't wait." With that Dash trotted past Blazing out the front door.

"See you tomorrow, then.” He said smiling sheepishly. She took off into the air and flew into the clouds. When she was out of sight Blazing closed the door, letting out a sigh of relief. He turned around to find Chocolate standing right behind him glaring at him. He jumped when he saw her. He did not hear her come back downstairs, so her appearance was a shock.

"You can see her tomorrow." She stated. "Do you think, for one minute, she will like the fact you have a changeling as a friend?"

"No, she won't." He admitted.

"Then just how in the world do you expect her to see me at all?"

"You're a changeling." He replied. "You can make yourself look like a pony and nopony will ever know that you are a changeling."

"You think I don't already know this?" She countered. "I wouldn't have a problem with your plan, but have you seen my condition?"

" Your wounds are nearly healed from Zecora's herbs and it's been over a week since I found you in the forest. You should at least be able to change your shape by now."

"Even if you're right, who do you expect me to change into? Not Rainbow Dash, or any of her friends, or even your first love. You've told everypony about her and what happened." Blazing's ears dropped at the mention of Water Wait, his eyes watering up. Chocolate blinked, she had forgotten how sensitive he was, especially about close friends. Blazing let his head drop as he walked to the couch. "Blazing, I'm sorry." Chocolate said, her voice more soft and pony like. "I didn't mean..."

"It's okay." He interrupted her. Chocolate walked up to Blazing and took his hoof in hers. He looked up at her, tears falling down his face.

"How can we pull this off?" She asked. Blazing smiled at her, using his spare hoof to wipe his face. He got to his hooves and walked up to all the pictures on the shelves. He took two and brought them to the coffee table and sat them side by side. One was him standing next to the captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire. And the other was a brown earth pony mare with a blond mane.

"Why not try to do a brown pegasus? A pegasus, so you and I can fly around. And brown because, it's the color of hot chocolate." She looked up at him with concern.

"I don't know Blaze." She said. "Changing to a nonexistent pony is harder than changing to one that's real."

"Just give it a try. A brown pegasus mare with a golden mane."

"And what about the cutie mark?" Blazing blinked. He did not think about coming up with a cutie mark. Cutie marks are very special things that symbolize ones special talent. Blazing looked at his cutie mark, the red wing bursting into flames showing his skill in flying. He looked back at Chocolate.

"What is something you're really good at?" Chocolate looked down at the table. She thought about it for a few minutes before looking at Blazing.

"I don't know." She replied. "I can tell when ponies are in love, but that's something all changelings do. It helps us to know who to change into so we can feed off of love." She blinked. "Speaking of which..." Blazing tilted his head. After a few seconds he realized what she meant.

"Oh! Um." He scratched the back of his head. She looked up at him and saw the nervousness in his face.

"Don't worry." She reassured him. "This town is full of love. Everypony loves each other in some way. If this works it'll be enough to sustain me." Blazing let out a sigh. Then his eyes shot open and he ran up the stairs. After a few minutes he came back with a book. He sat down beside Chocolate and opened the book, flipping the pages until he came to a page filled with heart-shaped cutie marks with descriptions.

"You can have a heart for a cutie mark!" He said. She eyeballed him with a half smile, looking at him like he was crazy. "You can sense love. There are ponies who can tell when other ponies are in love from miles away and they have heart cutie marks." Chocolate Looked down at the book. After looking at the pages for a minute she looked up at Blazing with a smile.

"I have an idea."

~~)oOo(~~

The next day Blazing was at his usual place on the edge of town. He was doing his usual work out while a brown pegasus mare with a golden mane and tale and a golden heart shaped cutie mark watched him. It was not long before Rainbow came flying in, leaving a trail of bright colors behind her. She flapped her wings down, pulling herself to a stop just before hitting the ground, causing some dust to kick up. The chocolate brown mare used her wings to blow the dust away from her and Rainbow looked at Blazing, who was doing his wingups.

"Hey, Stripes." She said, hoof bumping him. Blazing gave her one quick glare and started to protest about his nickname, but stopped himself. Dash then looked over to the brown mare and smiled. "Are you Stripe's new friend?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm Chocolate. Blaze's told me a lot about you." Dash smiled, sticking her chest out and pointing a hoof at herself.

"Who can blame him? I am the best flyer in Equestria after all." Blazing rolled his eyes shaking his head. Chocolate laughed at the two.

"You two make a good couple." She said. Blazing blinked at the statement while Dash just shrugged.

"Nah." Dash said as turned her nose up. "He's too soft for my awesomeness!" Chocolate let out another fit of giggles while Blazing’s cheeks started to flush red.

The three pegasi spent the rest of the morning together, racing around town and every now and again stopping for a snack. The bell rang two o'clock and Rainbow cursed herself. "Horse feathers! I gotta go!" She began to fly toward Sugar Cube Corner.

"Why?" Blazing called. "You got to do some pranking with Pinkie, or you got a hot date?" Rainbow stopped and shot a glare at Blazing. I'll get you later, her eyes told him. He just laughed and Dash resumed her flight.

"She does have a date, you know?" Chocolate said. Blazing looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"I know, I figured it out some time ago. She threatened to rip my feathers out if I told anypony about it." Blazing fought back the urge to laugh.

"Have you told anypony?"

"No, but I thought about it several times." Blazing's snickering started to make him tear.

"Why haven't you?" Blazing stopped laughing.

"Are you kidding? I would hate it if somepony told others about my secret love life." Chocolate smiled at him. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everypony else."

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing first took Chocolate to Sweet Apple Acres to meet the Apple family. Big Mac was out plowing the fields while Applejack was bucking the apple trees. Applejack took a moment to introduce herself while shaking Chocolate's hoof. When Blazing introduced Big Mac, he confirmed with a simple 'eeyup.' The a young cream colored filly with a red mane came running up.

"Hey Blazin'!" She called out. Applebloom ran up and hugged Blazing's leg, then looked up at the new mare. "Who's this?" Blazing looked at Chocolate with a smile.

"Applebloom," he said, "this is Chocolate. She's a friend of mine from when I lived in Canterlot and will be staying at my house for a while."

"Hi Chocolate." Applebloom chirped. "Ah'm Applebloom. Foundin' member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and AJ's lil' sister."

"Hm hm, nice to meet you Applebloom." Chocolate said. "What are the Cutie Mark Crusaders?"

"Me and mah friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, gather together to find ours and others cutie marks. We ain't found our cutie marks yet, but we ain't gonna give up either." Chocolate smiled at the little filly.

"C'mon Applebloom." Said Applejack. "Ya got chores ta do, and Blazin' still needs to show Chocolate around town."

"Sure thing sis!" Applebloom replied then ran off to the barn. She stopped and waved back at Chocolate and Blazing. "By Blazin'! By Chocolate!" Blazing and Chocolate both waved back at the family then flew off back to Ponyville.

~~)oOo(~~

Activity in Ponyville was now couples on dates at dinners and other evening activities. Blazing thought about stopping at one of the restaurants for some dinner with Chocolate, but he did not for a few reasons. First, he wanted to introduce Chocolate to the rest of his friends and he did not want to get to comfortable with her just yet. She was a changeling and she could turn around at anytime to attack Ponyville, or find the other changelings and bring them back to destroy Ponyville. He was taking enough risks just letting her stay in his guest room.

His train of thought was interrupted when a grey pegasus with a blond mane fell from the sky onto Blazing. "Oops! My bad." She said as Blazing looked up to see it was Ditzy Doo. Blazing helped the derp eyed mare to her hooves.

"It's okay, Ditzy." After brushing the dirt off the both of them he turned to face Chocolate. "Chocolate," he pointed a hoof to Ditsy, "this is Ditzy Doo. She's a little slow, but she's very sweet and she has a daughter." Chocolate smiled at Ditsy, but her smile soon died when she saw Ditsy's eyes were not looking in the same direction. She opened her mouth to say something, but bit her bottom lip.

"Speaking of which." Blazing said, looking back at Ditsy. " How is Dinky?" Ditsy's eyes lit up.

"She's doing great." Ditzy replied. Her voice was a little deep and slurred. "She's at her friends house right now and having fun."

"Good." Blazing said with a smile. "Tell her I said hi." Ditzy nodded with a smile then took off, wobbling a little as she flew.

Blazing gave a smile of both happiness and sadness, of which Chocolate noticed. "Blaze?" She said. He turned his gaze to her. "Is she..." Blazing raised his hoof to stop her. They looked at each other for a minute.

"She has always been a little... different." He said. "My oldest friend, Spark would be able to tell you more about her then I can. But ever since I've lived in Ponyville, I always showed kindness to her."

"You could have been her lover." Chocolate stated. Blazing's eyes sparkled with tears. "You wanted to be, didn't you?" A tear slid down Blazing's cheek.

"I never told her anything, but I did care for her so much." As though he read what the next question was, he continued. "I never said anything because I knew she loved somepony else. She wouldn't say anything, but I could see it in her eyes. So I just stayed away." Chocolate looked both confused, yet satisfied with his conclusion.

After a minute Blazing continued to lead Chocolate to the Carousel Boutique. The store sign on the door read 'Closed', which was a little odd because it was not even four o'clock yet. Blazing knocked on the door to see if anypony was inside. Blazing heard some talking from inside, fallowed by hoof steps coming to the door. The door opened to a small young white filly.

"Blazing!" Sweetie Belle cried out, jumping up to give him a hug. Blazing laughed at the unexpected welcome returning the hug. All the noise brought Rarity from the back room to see what was going on.

"Oh, Blazing!" She said, a look of both shock and pleasure to Blazing's unexpected visit. Blazing looked up at the white mare smiling.

"Hey Rarity." He said.

"What brings you here, darling?" Blazing smiled as he looked over to Chocolate standing just outside the door. "And who is this?" Rarity asked with a smile on her face, which quickly switched from welcoming, to pure shock.

"Brace yourself." Blazing told Chocolate. She looked at him, about to ask 'for what' but the words never left her lips as Rarity darted around the room cleaning up any and every item that was not where it belonged. A good two minutes and a few streaks of white and purple dashing from here to there later, Rarity walked up to the front door panting. "That." Blazing said. Chocolate's jaw was dropped, nearly to the ground.

"Sorry about that." Rarity apologized. She then met her gaze to Blazing with a hint of annoyance. "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing a friend over? I would have had the place clean before you got here."

"Sorry," Blazing replied with a sheepish smile, "I was just showing my friend, Chocolate around town. She'll be staying at my house for a while." Rarity turned her gaze to Chocolate with a welcoming smile.

"Well then, welcome to Ponyville. I am Rarity." She said pointing a hoof at herself, then pointing her hoof at Sweetie Belle. "And this is my little sister, Sweetie Belle."

"Hi." Sweetie Belle chirped wile waving a hoof. "Are you Blazing's very special somepony?" She asked. Blazing smiled sheepishly as he felt his cheeks burn. Chocolate giggled at his reaction to the question.

"No, Sweetie Belle, I'm just an old friend from Canterlot." She lied. Blazing then looked at Rarity, whose eyes shot open wide. He started to worn Chocolate to prepare for the next Rarity-Spaz-out-Moment, but was to late.

"CANTERLOT!!!?" Chocolate and Sweetie Belle jumped at the mare's scream while Blazing flinched, his ears folding back. "Oh how wonderful! You simply 'must' tell me everything about yourself darling!"

"Maybe another time." Blazing interrupted. "I still need to show her around town and it's getting late." Rarity let out a pout to Blazing's intervention. "Sorry Rarity, but I need to be going." Of course, the real reason he was in a hurry to get away from Rarity was because he did not want spend to much time with out a full story to tell about who and what Chocolate is. Blazing took off to show Chocolate the rest of town, both waving bye to the two unicorns.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing and Chocolate were almost back at the house before they were stopped by an orange filly. "Hey Blazing!" Scootaloo said making Blazing and Chocolate jump at her sudden appearance. "Who's your friend?" She asked looking at Chocolate. Blazing smiled at the little filly.

"Hey Scootaloo." He replied. "This is my old friend, Chocolate. She'll be staying at my house while she stays in Ponyville."

"Cool! Is she your very special somepony?" Blazing's cheeks flushed red at the mention, which Chocolate laughed at. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo all wanted Blazing to have a very special somepony, but Apple Bloom was less enthusiastic about since the last Hearts and Hooves Day.

"S-she's just a f-friend, Scootaloo." Scootaloo and Chocolate smirked at each other. Chocolate turned to face Blazing.

"Would you like me to be your very special somepony?" She asked him. His cheeks were burning red now. Both the mares started laughing at his embarrassment.

The three spent the next several minutes enjoying each others company. Then Scootaloo rode off on her scooter, while Blazing and Chocolate went back to the house.

Chapter IV: The Queen

CHAPTER IV:

THE QUEEN

The next morning Blazing woke up to his alarm clock at seven AM. He shut the alarm off then sat up on his bed stretching as he let out a big yawn. He got out of his bed and walked out of his room into the hall. He turned right and walked toward the guest room. The door was cracked open, which made his heart skip a beat. He slowly and calmly pushed the door open.

The room was quiet, the bed was empty and the window was open. His eyes shot open wide. "Chocolate?" He called, running to the window. He looked for any sign of a brown, or black, pegasus in the sky, but saw nothing. Did she leave? It has been over a week since he found her in the forest and she was strong enough to change her form. The fact that she was not in the room most likely meant she... wait.

Blazing turned around and left the room, ran down the hall then down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he looked franticly for anypony else in the house. "Chocolate?" He called. Movement came from the kitchen. He darted over the couch toward the kitchen door and was abruptly stopped by a black figure walking out of the kitchen. The two collided into each other and crashed to the floor.

Blazing looked up to see the changeling form of his new friend. "What is going on?" She asked, rubbing her head with a hoof. The collision was mainly met with their heads but Blazing ignored the throbbing of his head as he reached up and hugged Chocolate. She gasped at his action, not knowing how to react. Realizing what he was doing, he let go of her, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Sorry" He said. Chocolate looked shocked, her mouth hanging open with her eyes, unblinkingly, locked on Blazing.

"That was..." She started. "What was that?" She asked. Blazing looked puzzled.

"You don't know what a hug is?" He asked. She shook her head in response, her expression unchanged. Blazing felt his cheeks flush even more as he searched for the words to explain. Then there was a knock on the front door, which made them jump. With a flash of green light Chocolate changed to her pony form. Blazing got to his hooves and trotted over to the door. When he opened the door he was met with a loud BANG fallowed by a rainfall of confetti.

"Surprise!" Shouted the pink, energetic earth pony, Pinkie Pie. "Is Chocolate here? She's going to be late." Blazing shook his head from the shock of the explosion at his front door.

"Late for what Pinkie?" He asked. Pinkie looked at him in disbelief.

"Well, dah!" She said. "Late for her Welcome-To-Town Party." Blazing's eyes shot open with realization. Pinkie always threw a party for every occasion.

"Sorry Pinkie. Where is the party?" He asked.

"At Sugar Cube Corner. Where else?" She replied.

"We'll be there." He said.

"Great!" Pinkie chirped. "But hurry! Everypony will be there any minute and you don't want to miss any of the fun. I made Cupcakes, got balloons and streamers, juice and..." Pinkie was silenced by Blazing's yellow hoof.

"Okay Pinkie. We'll be there." He said with a chuckle.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie began to hop away, then stopped and looked back. "And don't worry Feathers. It's not like Chocolate's going to fly away and bring back an army against Ponyville." Blazing's eyes shot open and stared at the pink earth pony. Did she know? Pinkie just smiled and hopped away. Blazing looked back at Chocolate, who shared the same look of confusion and shock.

They went back in the house to get a few things taken care of then walked out the door, closing it and locking the house up then headed off to Sugar Cube Corner. They fallowed Pinkie through town to Sugar Cube Corner. Everypony Blazing knew and introduced Chocolate to was there, except for his best friend from when he was a young colt. Pinkie announced the mare of the hour saying how she was from Canterlot and that she is staying with Blazing while she was in town.

"Hey, Stripes." Blazing and Chocolate looked back to see Rainbow Dash smiling at them mischievously. "Are you to enjoying your date?" She asked.

"Dash!" Blazing snapped.

"Calm down, Stripes, I was just joking." Blazing glared at Dash, who smirked while raising an eyebrow. After a minute, Blazing broke out into a small smile. "Your a marshmallow, Stripes." Dash said while Chocolate laughed at the two.

Blazing and Chocolate spent all morning at the party. The Cutie Mark Crusaders spent a lot of time getting to know chocolate, which she enjoyed very much. Chocolate was happy to be at this party, she considered it a relief to get away from Zecora's rhyming for a change, but she mostly was enjoying the love given to her by her new friends. She could not help but notice most of the love was coming from one stallion. Every time she turned to look she noticed the yellow pegasus turning his head away to focus on something else.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing and Chocolate were now at the usual place outside of Ponyville where Blazing was working out wile Chocolate watched. Blazing was in the middle of doing his wing-ups when he stopped midway up. Chocolate's eyes narrowed as she saw him stop his exercise. "What is it Blaze?" She asked him. Blazing got to his hooves and looked over at her.

“I was thinking." He replied.

"About what?" Blazing's cheeks started to flush.

"Well, er, how do I put it? Um..." He looked away, scratching the back of his neck as the redness on his cheeks growing deeper. Chocolate's eyes widened with realization.

"Blazing." She said. He looked back at her. There was a long silence before she spoke again. "I guess, I knew this was coming." Blazing's red face was replaced with an expression of slight surprise.

"Being able to sense this kinda thing makes it easy, doesn't it?" He asked. Chocolate nodded. "I don't know what to think about this." He said. "I mean, I always cared for my friends no matter what their race was." Blazing did have a large heart for his friends, it was apart of him being a sensitive stallion. Zecora was a zebra and the best at mixing herbs and potions for those in need and she had stripes like his own which made him feel like she was family to him. Rainbow always challenged him and tried to toughen him up a bit, she really was like a sister to him. But, he felt more than a friend to Chocolate.

He found her cut up and bruised in the forest and helped her, even though she was a changeling. He took her into his house and kept her hidden from the whole town right under everypony's noses. And now he spent every waking moment with her. He may have been afraid of her at times because she was a changeling, but he did not care right now. He just enjoyed being with her and wanted to spend more time with her.

"Let me ask you something." He said. Chocolate nodded. "You should be healed up enough by now to be able to leave." He paused for a moment watching her reactions. "Why haven't you left?" Chocolate looked away from Blazing, her eyes locked on the ground. Blazing looked at her waiting for her to answer.

"You were the only one who showed me kindness." She said, looking him in the eye. "You did what nopony else would. You took me to be healed, you give me a warm comfortable place to sleep and you make great hot chocolate." The last bit made Blazing smile as he let out a faint chuckle. "And after Pinkie's party today, I have more friends then I ever would have with the changelings. Real friends, not simple ponies to feed love off of. I never left because of you. I want to stay with you." Blazing's eyes lit up.

"Does this mean..." He started, but could not finish his question because of her hoof covering his mouth. She nodded as she smiled at him. She removed her hoof from Blazing's mouth as tears started to form in his eyes. There was a flash of green light and Rainbow was sitting where Chocolate was.

"Oh quit being such a marshmallow." The fake Rainbow said in a perfect impression of the real Rainbow Dash. Blazing looked frantically around to see if anypony was around to see the transformation then waved his hooves for her to change back. She chuckled and with the same green flash Chocolate was back to the pony they had created. "See? You don't want anything to happen to me." Blazing smiled then reached up and embraced her in a hug. At first she just sat there not knowing what to do then she slowly wrapped her forelegs around him.

Little did the two realize that in the bushes near the forest was another changeling watching them. The changeling shook his head then turned to fly off.

~~)oOo(~~

The changeling flew in through the rocky mountains in the Everfree Forest. He spotted an opening on the mountain side and flew into the cave. Inside was a large number of injured changelings, many of them cut and bruised, others flat out on the ground groaning in pain and some not even moving at all. The changeling walked past, ignoring all the others. He came to a changeling taller than the rest, who was facing deeper in the cave and she was more bruised and cut up than the others. The first changeling bowed to the taller one.

"Did you find her?" The tall one asked, her voice was deep and menacing.

"Yes your highness." He replied. "She is in Ponyville... with a pegasus."

"Is she feeding off of this pegasus?" She asked. The changeling did not answer. "Well?"

"It seems that the stallion found her in the forest. He had her healed and took her into his home." He reported.

"That is not what I asked." Queen Chrysalis said as she turned her head enough for him to see her right eye. "Is she feeding off of him?" He lowered his gaze, cringing under her glare.

"My queen, she changed her shape in front of him and he was afraid others saw her." Chrysalis' glare started to harden. "A-and, s-she wishes to stay with him." Chrysalis turned all the way around to face her subject. He closed his eyes bowing his head so low his nose touched the ground.

"This pegasus knows what she is and still allows her to stay with him?" She asked, her tone sharp and accusing.

"Y-yes, my queen." Chrysalis arched an eyebrow as she stared at him. He dared to look up at her as she walked past him, causing him to cringe as she walked to the cave opening. The changeling let out a sigh then got to his hooves after realizing his queen had walked past and him followed her. Chrysalis got to the cave opening and stared off in the distance in the direction of the town where she and her changelings were placed in their current condition by the dark blue pegasus Storm Bringer.

What are you doing child? She asked herself. Are you merely gaining his trust as a changeling to feed off him? The changeling stood beside his queen looking up at her.

"Shall I bring her back to you, my queen?" He asked. Chrysalis gaze never shifted. "Your highness?"

"No," she said as she kept her gaze to the town, "I want you to go and keep an eye on her. She may be using him to gain strength." The changeling bowed again before taking off out of the cave. "Wait you fool!" Chrysalis snapped at the changeling. He stopped mid flight and turned to face his queen.

Chrysalis lowered her head, her horn starting to glow with green magic. The changeling closed his eyes and braced himself. There was a flash of green light that shot straight to the changeling. The changeling opened his eyes and looked at himself to find nothing had happened. He looked up at the queen in confusion.

"A simple spell that makes you undetectable by other changelings." She explained with a cold stare. "Report back to me about everything she does. If she truly does feel for the stallion, I'll speak to her myself."

"Yes my queen." The changeling replied. A flash of green flames engulfed him and he was a blue pegasus with brown mane then took off toward the town to carry out his orders. Chrysalis watched as her loyal subject left her behind, het thoughts turning to the one she involuntarily left behind.

My child, forgive me. Chrysalis thought to herself. I never wanted to leave you. I will watch over you now and always. You are the one who must take my place as Queen Of The Changelings. Please do not falter, she closed her eyes and reached out with her magic, ... my daughter.

~~)oOo(~~

Chocolate felt a shiver in her spine. She looked over to the direction of the mountains in the forest. A twinge of fear filled her eyes as she felt something she had not felt since the attack at Canterlot and after the events of the past week she did not like the feeling. She was brought back into reality by a pink hoof waving in front of her. She flinched at the hoof and looked around to see Blazing, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all staring at her.

"Yep, she's still in there." Pinkie said in her cheery voice.

"What's with you?" Rainbow asked. "You blacked out on us for a good five minutes there."

"Sorry." Chocolate answered. "I just... er. I need a minute." She turned and walked away. Rainbow looked at Blazing with a look of confusion and annoyance.

"What?" He asked her.

Dash just motioned her head for him to follow Chocolate. He took the hint and trotted after her. He caught up with her and walked by her side.

"What's wrong Chocolate?" He asked. She stopped and looked back at the other two mares then back at him.

"Can you wait until we get back home?" She asked. Blazing looked at her for a moment then nodded his head. He looked back at Dash and Pinkie waving a hoof at them.

"I'll talk to you guys later." He called. Dashed had that 'what the hay' look while Pinkie just returned the wave. Blazing and Chocolate resumed walking, heading toward the house by the library. They got to the house and walked in. Blazing closed the door behind them wile Chocolate went straight upstairs. As she vanished Blazing started to grow a little more concerned.

He went into the kitchen, put the kettle of water on the stove, took a couple packs of hot chocolate from the cabinet and started to make his friend’s favorite treat. When the hot chocolate was done Blazing put the mugs on a tray and carried the tray up stairs. Chocolate was laying face down on the bed in the guest room in her changeling form. Blazing sat the tray on the nightstand beside the bed then sat down next to her. Chocolate did not reach for any of the mugs.

"What's going on, Chocolate?" Blazing asked. Chocolate raised her head to look at Blazing, fear was visible in her eyes.

"I felt... " she trailed off, fighting a knot in her throat. "I felt... her." Blazing first looked confused, then realized who she was talking about. "I haven't felt her magic like that since Canterlot and after the first few days you found me I hoped I never would again."

"Do you think she knows you're here?" Blazing asked. Chocolate shook her head.

"I can only feel her when she is close, or she uses her magic." There was a long silence. Blazing started to say something but was caught off guard by Chocolate embracing him in a tight hug. "Please protect me Blazing." She begged, tears starting to form down her cheeks. Blazing returned the hug to comfort her.

"It'll be alright. I'll be here for you, always." Chocolate's hug grew tighter making it a little hard for him to breath. Her tears turning to quiet sobs. "Don't cry, I won't let anything happen to you." She loosened her embrace and smiled at Blazing.

"Thank you so much." After one more tight hug the two took the mugs of hot chocolate and headed back downstairs to watch TV. This time was different than usual because they were closer now. They watched a movie about a stallion called Spirit. Chocolate leaned against Blazing's shoulder wile he wrapped a hoof around her shoulders.

Chapter V: Old Friends

CHAPTER V:

OLD FRIENDS

Two days had passed since Chocolate felt the magic of Chrysalis. She was still a little shaken from the experience, but for the most part she had become more calm. She and Blazing spent a great amount of time together since then as well. Every morning when Blazing went to the edge of town to work out she would go with him. She did not work out like he did but she did enjoy watching him. Every now and again she fought back some giggles when he noticed she was watching him and his cheeks flushed red.

When Blazing was done working out the two took off into the air and flew around Ponyville of few times. After their flight the two landed at the town hall. Blazing looked over to Chocolate, looking like he had something to say. She tilted her head a sweet smile on her face. "What is it Blaze?" She asked.

Blazing smiled at her. "I was just thinking. You haven't met my closest friend yet." Chocolate's expression shifted to pleasant curiosity. "Would you like to..." Blazing stopped mid sentence, his eyes wide. Chocolate was filled with a little worry at his sudden change in mood.

"What? What is it?" She asked.

"That may not be the best idea, come to think of it." He replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"What Blaze." She rested a hoof on his left shoulder looking him in the eyes. The only thing she read in his expression was fear. "Tell me, please."

"He lived in Canterlot with the Princess for a wile, but now he's hard to locate at times." Chocolate now understood his fear. For them to go and see his old friend would just be asking for trouble.

Blazing's eyes started to tear. He wanted to show Chocolate to Spark Storm, but he knew it was way to risky to bring a changeling to Canterlot, especially so soon after the attack. Chocolate pulled him into a hug to comfort him. She knew how sensitive he was and wanted nothing more then to comfort him from his worries. Blazing wrapped his forelegs around her in response.

"Ugh, get a room you two!"

Blazing and Chocolate both looked up to see Rainbow dash hovering above the town hall. Her tongue was stinging out and she looked like she just fought back the urge to vomit.

"How long have you been up there?" Blazing asked.

"Just long enough to see you being your usual sensitive self and then make out with your mare friend." Blazing gave her a sharp glare.

"We were not making out!" Rainbow landed beside them, a look of amusement on her face. "And we're not a couple."

"Mhmm." Dash replied with an arched brow. He stared daggers at her in response. "Relax, Stripes. I was just kidding." She said with a chuckle.

"Why do you call him, Stripes?" Chocolate intervened. Rainbow looked at her giving her a look that asked 'are you stupid'. Chocolate already knew the answer to the question, she just wanted to stop a fight before it got serious.

"Have you not seen his stripes?" Rainbow asked. "He looks like a freakin' zebra with wings, for Luna's sake!"

"A simple, because of his stripes, would have been enough." Chocolate replied, with a smirk. Rainbow looked at her for a second then smiled herself.

"So, whatcha been up to, Stripes?" Rainbow asked. Blazing looked annoyed.

"I still hate it when you call me that, Dash." He said.

"Isn't one of the 'big' reasons you like Zecora is because she has stripes like you?" She asked him.

"That has nothing to do with being called stripes." He countered.

"Oh, you two are a perfect couple." Chocolate said. Rainbow looked at her with an angered look. Blazing laughed at Chocolate's comment. Blazing and Rainbow did get in regular arguments like this, but they always enjoyed each others company. Soon Rainbow and Chocolate both joined in with his laughter.

"You know what, Chocolate?" Rainbow asked. "You can have him. He's to soft for me." Blazing smiled at the cyan mare in agreement. Then his eyes shot open.

"Hay Dash?" Rainbow looked at Blazing, hope in his eyes.. "Do you know if Spark's in Canterlot right now?" She looked at him with a frown.

"Sorry, Stripes, but I don't know. My cousin comes and goes so often, he could be in the Everfree as we speak and we wouldn't know it. Why?" The hope in his eyes faded as his ears sank and his head dropped.

"I was hoping to show Chocolate to him, but..." he trailed off, looking for the right words before speaking any farther. "I don't know if he's at the castle or not." Chocolate blinked at the mention of the castle. The memory of the day of the attack flooded her mind.

"What's the harm in going to the castle and finding out yourself?" Rainbow asked. Blazing's heart skipped a beat as the question hung in his mind. He thought about how to answer until...

"Hey Blazing!"

Blazing looked over to see a little bright purple unicorn filly with a golden mane running up to him. A smile stretched on his face as he sat down on his hind haunches raising his forelegs out to the little filly. "Dinky!" He called out.

Little Dinky Doo hopped into his chest, knocking him on his back. The two laughed as Blazing started tickling her on her exposed belly.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Dinky called out through her laughter. Blazing obliged, letting her take a breath for a minute only to start blowing raspberries on her belly, making the filly laugh even more.

Chocolate smiled at the scene. The two were like father and daughter playing together with perfect friendship. In all her years of being with Queen Chrysalis she never once saw that kind of bond. Chocolate started to tear up at the site, starting to wish she had what they shared.

Chocolate was pulled out of her thoughts by Ditzy standing next to her, admiring the site of her daughter having so much fun. Blazing finally let Dinky go from torturing her with raspberries and was once again tackled to the ground by the young filly. Blazing looked up to find Ditzy standing next to Chocolate smiling at the scene.

"Hey, Ditzy." Blazing got to his hooves, lifting Dinky over his head onto his back.

"Hi Blazing." She replied. "Dinky really wanted to see you, so we went to your house and you weren't there." Blazing looked up at the filly on his back smiling proudly at her.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked her.

"Ah huh." She replied with a smile on her face, her eyes closed and single nod of her head. She then looked over to Chocolate, who was smiling at her. She ducked her head into Blazing's mane at seeing this new mare staring at her. Blazing saw Chocolate's smile disappear at Dinky hiding from her. Blazing walked slowly up to Chocolate with a reassuring smile.

"Dinky," he said, looking back at her, "this is my friend, Chocolate. She's very nice." Dinky moved out enough for one eye to be seen from behind Blazing's mane. Chocolate once again smiled at her.

"Hi Chocolate." Dinky said.

"Hi, Dinky." Chocolate's gentle voice was enough to get Dinky to poke her head all the way from behind Blazing's. "Do you like Blazing?" Chocolate asked. Dinky only nodded. "I like him, too."

"Mommy likes him, too." Dinky said as a smile started to form on her face.

"She does?" Chocolate asked. She could already feel the love both Ditzy and Dinky shared for Blazing. She admired every ounce of it. Dinky nodded again as the small smile on her face growing.

"Would you like to go see Chocolate, Dinky?" Blazing asked. After a minute Dinky nodded. Blazing reached back and lifted Dinky off his back and walked with her slowly to Chocolate. A few second thoughts and a cling to Blazing's leg later they reached Chocolate. Chocolate only smiled at Dinky, letting her make all the moves so as not to scare her. Dinky then gave a big smile and bounced up at Chocolate, wrapping her forelegs around her neck. Chocolate put Dinky's weight on her foreleg, laughing at the filly.

"I think she likes you." Ditzy said.

"I do mommy. Can I stay with Blazing and Chocolate, please?" Blazing smiled at Dinky. Ditzy looked up at Blazing, who smiled back at her.

"Do you mind, Blazing?" She asked.

"Not at all, Ditzy." He replied. "I am always happy to spend some time with my 'favorite little filly'!" The last words came with another tickle attack, causing Dinky to once again cry out in laughter. After the laughing was over, Ditzy walked up and nuzzled her daughter, who wrapped her forelegs around her nose.

"Thank you mommy." Dinky said with a happy hum.

"Your welcome muffin. Now behave your self." Ditzy instructed.

"I will mommy." Ditzy looked up at Blazing with a smile. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek then turned around and started to fly off.

"Ditzy, wait." Blazing flew up after her. She stopped mid flight and turned around to see him meet up with her in the sky. "Have you seen Spark lately?" He asked her. She frowned and shook her head.

"Not since he told me to gather the others and bring the thunder clouds to the Everfree Forest." Blazing frowned as he let his head drop.

"Okay. Thank you." He said.

"Why do you ask?" She asked him.

"I just wanted him to meet Chocolate." He replied, lifting his head up to meet her gaze.

"Well, why can't you just take her to Canterlot then. He's got to be there." Once again the thought of taking Chocolate to Canterlot made his heart skip a beat.

"N-no reason." He stammered.

"Then take her to meet him. I know he would like her." Blazing thought long about it. Then nodded his head.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing, Chocolate, Dinky and Rainbow Dash all spent the rest of the afternoon together. They started off their time together by taking Dinky flying around the town. Dinky would only fly on Blazing's back, which made Blazing happy, but at the same time he hoped she would open up to Chocolate some more. However, he was more intent on letting Dinky open up to Chocolate on her own time.

The clock tower rang over the town. "Oh! Horse feathers!" Rainbow cursed. I'm going to be late!" She then flew off to Sugar Cube Corner. She stopped to look back at Blazing, a hint of expectancy on her face.

"What?" He asked.

"No sassy remarks about me going to Sugar Cube?" She asked.

"Not this time, Dash. Go have fun." Dash arched an eyebrow, then flew off. Blazing looked at Chocolate, who smiled at him.

"She's going on a date again." Blazing motioned his eyes behind him to remind Chocolate they had a set of young ears with them.

"Who's Rainbow dating, Blazing?" Blazing looked back at Dinky.

"I... don't know kiddo." He replied.

"Can we go to Sugar Cube Corner and find out?"

"How 'bout we go to see Twilight instead." It was more of a statement then a question, but Dinky said 'okay' and they started off for the library.

They landed in front of the library. Dinky hopped off of Blazing's back, they walked up to the door and Blazing knocked on the door. They heard a voice from inside, fallowed by what sounded like steps steadily getting louder. The door opened to reveal Spike behind it.

"Hey Blazing." The baby dragon said with a smile.

"Hey spike," he replied, "is Twilight here?"

"Yeah. Come on in." Spike stepped aside to let them in the main room of the library where they found Twilight shelving books at the end of the room. "Hey, Twilight. Blazing's here to see you."

"Just a minute, Spike." She said, keeping her focus on her shelving. When she put the last book away she turned with a smile, which only grew when she realized Blazing and Chocolate along with Dinky were the ones who came to visit. "Hello, Blazing."

"Hey Twilight. Can you help me with something?" He asked.

"Do you need books?" She asked. Blazing shook his head.

"No. I was hoping you could send a letter to the Spark for me." Twilight blinked.

"Why do you want me to send him a letter?" She asked. "Can't you just go to Canterlot and find him yourself?"

"You know as much as I he doesn't stay at Canterlot anymore." He answered. "Besides, I know you can get a letter sent faster and I would like for him to meet Chocolate." Twilight looked like she was considering the request in her head. Blazing started to look a little concern she was about to say no. His heart nearly jumped out of his throat when she said 'okay'.

"Thank you, Twilight." Blazing said.

"You're very welcome, Blazing." She replied. Blazing lifted Dinky off his back and let her down then trotted over to a desk where he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill then began to write. Blazing took the time to write the letter to Spark while Twilight and Chocolate played with Dinky. Every now and again Blazing would look up from his writing to admire the scene that unfolded before him. He turned his attention back to his letter and read over it.

My old friend, Spark Storm.

It was great seeing you the last time in Ponyville. Since then I have met a new friend and I would like you to meet her.

I'm having Twilight send this letter to Canterlot for you so that you may receive it faster then normal post. Please write back to me as soon you get this so that I can make plans to come to Canterlot, or where ever suites you best so you can meet Chocolate.

And if at all possible, can we meet some where away from the castle and where the Princess is not around? For reasons I wish not to explain in this manner.

Your good friend, Blazing Feathers.

The letter was simple, but Blazing was happy with it. He rolled up the parchment, sealed it with a stamp then got to his hooves and walked to the three mares.

Twilight looked up at Blazing and got to her hooves. Blazing held up the letter as he smiling at Twilight. She took the letter in her magic and turned to Spike, who was already waiting. "Spike, if you please." She said, levitating the letter to him.

Spike saluted. "Sure thing, Twilight." He took the letter, held it up, took a deep breath and engulfed the letter in green flames. The ashes of the letter then flew out of an open window in the air. "It's on it's way."

"Thank you, Twilight." Blazing said. She smiled at him then he turned to Dinky, who was standing with Chocolate. "Well, shall we go you two?" Dinky smiled nodding her head then ran up to him. He lifted her over his head onto his back. Blazing gave Twilight one last 'thank you' before walking out the door.

Blazing flew Dinky to her home to give her back to her mother then after a few more tickle fights and belly raspberries, gave Ditzy a worm hug and left with Chocolate to there home.

Chapter VI: The Couple And The Letter

CHAPTER VI:

THE COUPLE AND THE LETTER

It was two weeks since Blazing sent the letter and they still had not heard from Spark. Blazing was not all that concerned about it. If something had happened to him at the very least Rainbow would have heard about it with her being his cousin.

Blazing and Chocolate were at Sugar Cube Corner enjoying Pinkie's freshly baked cupcakes. Blazing just stared at Chocolate, smiling at her. He laughed when she looked up and her cheeks flushed red. Their attention was turned to three little fillies chanting and bouncing around them.

"He's her special somepony! She's his special somepony!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders were joined by Pinkie Pie as she bounced in from the back.

Blazing and Chocolate both laughed at the four in amusement. Two weeks ago, if they were to do that, Blazing would have corrected them in a blushing manner, but in this case they were right.

~~)oOo(~~

Two days after Blazing had Twilight send the letter to Spark he was sitting on the couch in the living room. Chocolate was still asleep in her room up stairs.

Blazing's thoughts were locked on Chocolate. The day he found her in the forest, the disguise both he and her came up with, introducing her to all his friends in Ponyville, all up to the moment he was going to confess his feelings for her. He cared about her more then he would sometimes realize and he wanted to show it by making today a special day for her. He did not know what he was going to do, but he knew he would do everything he could to make this day her day.

His thoughts were interrupted by hoof steps coming down stairs. He got to his hooves and looked up the stairs to see Chocolate coming down in her changeling form. She seemed embarrassed at him. "Blazing." She said with a pleasant toned giggle.

"What?" He asked. She just smiled at him for a minute before answering.

"Anymore love coming from you and you could feed an entire changeling armada." Blazing's cheeks burned red at her statement. He had forgotten that she could sense these things. After a minute he looked back up at her.

"Chocolate," he fought back a choke in his throat as the question filled his thoughts. "Do you... W-would you... like to go on a date with me?" He stammered. Chocolate's smile grew. "We'll do what ever it is you want to do. We'll go to the theaters, see the crusaders, I'll take you to Cloudsdale, anything you want." The smile on her face only grew as he babbled on. She knew he loved her, his actions was enough to explain that and ever since they came up with her disguise that love only grew stronger and stronger.

"Blazing, just spending the day with you would be enough." She said.

"But I want to make this day more then just another day with me. I want this to be the best day for you." Chocolate admired his determination. She thought about it for a moment and came to a conclusion.

"Let's start by going around town and showing everypony that we're dating." She said as she pulled him into a hug.

~~)oOo(~~

True to his word Blazing did everything Chocolate wanted that day. The whole town knew that Blazing and Chocolate were together now. At first Blazing was annoyed about it because Rainbow kept on teasing him about it, but after a wile he got over it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were really happy about it and never stopped talking about it.

"He's her special somepony. She's his special somepony!" The four continued until Blazing finally stopped them.

"Alright you four. Everypony knows we're together." He said in a quiet shout.

"And it's so awesome that you are." Scootaloo said. Blazing smiled at the three then looked at Pinkie, who was doing something funny.

"What are you doing, Pinkie?" Blazing asked.

"Your about to get something from somepony, Feathers." Blazing knew now it was her Pinkie Sense talking to her.

"Is it a gift from Chocolate?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Is it something awesome?" Scootaloo asked.

"Is it something sweet for him and Chocolate?" Apple Bloom asked. The bell to the front door rang. They all looked over to see Spike with a rolled up parchment in his claw. He looked around until his eyes met Blazing standing with the rest. He ran up to him holding up the Parchment.

"This is for you Blazing. It's from Spark." Blazing took the letter and opened it up to read it.

My old friend, Blazing.

Sorry I didn't write back to you sooner, but I just got into Canterlot and the princess had me come in, which I was about to ignore until she said she got a letter for me from you.

I would be happy to meet your new friend. I'd come over to meet her myself but, you know.

I have nothing going on here right now and I don't know why you want to meet away from the Princess, butl you can come over anytime that fits you best. I look forward to when you come along.

You old friends, Spark.

Blazing showed the letter to Chocolate wile the crusaders asked 'Who's Spark'. Blazing looked around to make sure nopony overheard the name. He leaned down motioning them to come closer. "Spark is a dear old friend of mine. We lived together here in Ponyville and then he had to leave for Canterlot."

"Ain't Chocolate from Canterlot?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yeah! Maybe she knows Spark." Scootaloo replied.

Their excitement was interrupted when Spike belched. A flash of green flames came from his mouth, swirled in the air and formed another rolled up parchment. Spike jumped up to catch it before it fell to the ground. "It's for Twilight." He said as he ran out the door.

Blazing stood up and looked between the three fillies and Chocolate. "Well, we need to go too. We have things we need to do." Chocolate nodded as the crusaders let their heads drop to the ground.

"Don't be upset girls." Chocolate said, crouching down to their height. "We'll have more time to spend together later." The three cheered up a little to her words.

They all exchanged hugs before Blazing and Chocolate left Sugar Cube Corner to pack and get ready to leave for Canterlot.

Chapter VII: Conflict

CHAPTER VII:

CONFLICT

After leaving Sugar Cube Corner Blazing and Chocolate went straight back to the house and began packing for their trip to Canterlot. Later while they were packing they heard some commotion coming from the Library. Chocolate went to the window and saw somepony running around frantically in the library wile five other ponies and Spike where sitting there watching.

"Should we go see what's going on over there?" Chocolate asked. Blazing came up and looked out the window toward the library with Chocolate then back at her.

"Trust me, Chocolate," he said, his eyes narrow with a half smile, "the last place you want to be when Twilight is having an episode is around Twilight Sparkle." As though on cue there was a loud BANG and the ground shook. Both Blazing and Chocolate looked out the window just in time to see the library land on the ground kicking up dust and chunks of dirt landing all over. Blazing looked at Chocolate with an 'I told ya so' smirk on his face.

They resumed their packing and when they were done they left the house for the train station to get tickets to Canterlot wile Blazing set up some reservations for a hotel for them to stay wile they were gone. Wile they were out they bumped into Applejack.

"Well, howdy, Blazin', howdy Chocolate." She chirped.

"Hey, AJ." He replied.

"Hey, Applejack. What's going on with Twilight?" Chocolate asked.

"Twilight has to leave for Canterlot Castle to take some kind of test for the princess." Applejack explained.

"And there's the explanation for the explosion." Blazing said.

"Eeyup." Both Chocolate and Applejack said in unison. They looked at each other for a minute then laughed.

~~)oOo(~~

Three days later everything was set and ready to go. The six girls and Spike had already left and Blazing had another letter sent to let Spark know where and when they would be in Canterlot. Now they were at the train station waiting for the express to arrive. The train whistled as it came into the station when it came to a stop Blazing helped Chocolate onto the cart as a conductor lead them in. They both sat down next to each other with their saddlebags in the overhead compartment.

Soon a conductor out side shouted 'all aboard' and soon after the train began moving. Another conductor came through asking for tickets and punched Blazing and Chocolate's tickets as he past by. It was obvious he was well practiced in his job because as soon as he took the tickets he gave them back. When they were set Blazing and Chocolate enjoyed a quick meal halfway in the trip.

"Blaze?" Chocolate asked. He looked up at her. "I just realized we're going all the way to Canterlot so I can meet your friend, but you've hardly said anything about him."

"I guess I haven't, have I?" He replied, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, he and I grew up in the same orphanage in Ponyville." Blazing's eyes began to water.

"What is it?" Chocolate asked. He sniffed as he choked on a sob.

"The orphanage was burned down years ago." He answered, his voice filled with a quiet sob.

"Oh my!" She said, placing her hooves to her mouth.

"That isn't the worst of it." Chocolate looked at him waiting for him to explain. "The worst part..." he fought back a sob. "... the worst part was that his adopted mother was in the building when it burned." Chocolate gasped at this news while Blazing's sobbing grew. She wrapped her forelegs around him to comfort him. "S-s-she raised me for four years before I was adopted." He explained. After a few minutes of letting his emotions run their course a voice came from the train speakers.

"Next stop the Canterlot train station. Everypony out for Canterlot. Please be careful with your carry on saddlebags as items in the overhead compartments may have shifted during the trip. Thank you and have a nice day."

There was a click and the speakers went silent. A few minutes later the train came to a stop, Blazing reached up and got the saddlebags from overhead and they both walked off the train. As they left the train station Chocolate looked around at the fully repaired town and frowned. Blazing noticed this from the corner of his eye and wrapped his wing over her shoulder to comfort her.

"Come on." He said. "The hotel's not far from here. I told Spark to meet us at our room." They walked side by side through the town. She cringed whenever she saw royal guards on patrol through the streets and nearly went into panic mode when an alarm went off during a robbery.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing and Chocolate settled in there hotel room shortly after arriving and a little excitement. They just unpacked the last item from their saddlebags when there was a knock on the door. Blazing trotted over to the door and opened it to find a dark blue pegasus with oddly shaped wings and a feather covered in electricity for his cutie mark.

"Spark!" Blazing called.

"Blazing!" The two embraced each other in a brotherly hug as they laughed.

Blazing stepped aside letting his old friend into the room. "Spark," he said, pointing a hoof to Chocolate. "this is my mare friend, Chocolate."

"Hi, Chocolate." Spark said with a smile on his face.

Chocolate's eyes went wide with shock and anger. She backed away from Spark hissing at the blue stallion. Spark backed narrowed his eyes as he backed away with his wings slightly opened wile Blazing ran up to Chocolate.

"Chocolate," Blazing called, "what is it?" She only glared at Spark. "Chocolate, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Storm bringer!" She snapped. Blazing looked over to Spark, who looked confused and surprised.

"What?" Blazing asked.

"He brought the lightning upon my kind!" She replied. It was Spark's turn to say 'what' wile Blazing's eyes shot open with realization.

"Blazing," Spark asked, "what is she talking about?" Blazing started to answer but his attention was turned to Chocolate as she transformed into her changeling form. "WOAH!" Spark gasped as he outstretched his wings threateningly, electricity starting to build up. Blazing jumped up to Spark and knocked him to the ground. Spark looked up at Blazing, surprised by the tackle.

"Spark." Blazing said with a calm voice. "Don't do that."

"Blazing, you do know she's a changeling, right?" Blazing nodded his head with a 'yes' as he held him down. "Then, what are you doing?" Blazing looked back at Chocolate to make sure she was not going to attack then told Spark everything from the time he found Chocolate in the Everfree Forest to when they arrived at the station. Spark listened intently as Blazing told the story, his expression shifting from surprise to shock and disbelief.

"I completely forgot about the day you came back and had the pegasi bring the thunder clouds to the forest." Blazing finished. "Had I remembered that, I would've let you both know ahead of time to make sure nothing would happen." Spark stared into Blazing's eye for a minute before softening his expression.

"Okay," Spark said, "can you let me up now?" Blazing forgot that he was still standing over Spark from his tackle earlier.

"No!" Chocolate snapped. "He'll try to destroy me like he did my mo... my queen."

"Chocolate," Blazing said, letting Spark up from the ground, "this is my closest, most trusted friend. Yes, he hunts monsters, but that's just to protect ponies."

"He brought the lightning on me and my kind!" She snapped. "The next thing you know, he'll tell your princess I'm here!"

"All of Canterlot will know you're here if you don't calm down." Blazing hissed. She huffed, not taking her eyes off Spark. "Please, Chocolate. I don't want anything to happen to you and I know we can trust Spark with our lives." She never took her eyes off of Spark, but her defensive stance softened.

"How can I trust him when he hunts my kind constantly?" She asked.

"He's defended creatures that feed on ponies." Blazing explained. "He was willing to give his life to help one who could turn around and feed on him and one of our friends is half changeling." Chocolate finally broke her focus from Spark to Blazing, shock in her eyes. This reminded her of Blazing when he first found her in the Everfree Forest.

After a few minutes there was a flash of green light and she was once again the brown pegasus, just in time too. A knock came from the door, making all three jump. Spark brushed his hoof through his mane, Chocolate calmed her expression wile Blazing trotted to the door. He opened the door to find a blue earth pony stallion with a strict expression on his face.

"Can I help you?" Blazing asked.

"I'm the hotel manager," the stallion said, "and I just received some complaint about noise and fighting in this room. Would you care to explain?" Blazing searched his mind for the right cover story but his efforts were in vain.

"Sorry about that sir." Spark said. "We were just practicing for a play we are doing out of town. It won't happen again." The manager arched an eyebrow at Spark. After a minute the manager nodded.

"See to it that you don't." Spark nodded. The manager trotted away down the hall and Blazing closed the door then looked back at Chocolate with a hopeful smile.

"See?" He asked. "Spark is willing to risk his neck to help."

"I do apologies for..." Spark was cut off short by Chocolate's hoof.

"I still don't trust you, storm bringer. But I will give you a chance because Blaze does." Spark scratched the back of his neck looking at Blazing, who just smiled.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Spark asked. Blazing nodded.

"I know it's crazy, but I do care for her." Blazing said. Chocolate came up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Spark smiled at the site of his friend finding love again after so long. The last time made Spark afraid Blazing would not make it through the heartbreak, he was so devastated.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing, Chocolate and Spark left the hotel to spend the day together and allow her some time to get comfortable with Spark Storm. They started with a simple lunch at the Dandelion Restaurant. As they ate Chocolate never took her eyes off the deep blue pegasus and Blazing stayed by her side to help ease her nerves. When they finished their lunch they all left the restaurant for a simple walk through the streets.

"Why can't we fly through the clouds?" Chocolate asked.

"Because..." Blazing began, but stopped to look at Spark with sadness in his eyes. Spark noticed this then turned to Chocolate.

"Because I can't fly." He said. Chocolate looked puzzled. Spark started to raise his wings, causing Chocolate to immediately switch to a defensive position. Blazing quickly moved to calm things down before the crowd took notice of the sudden movement.

"Chocolate, Spark was just going to show you why he can't fly." He explained. Chocolate continued to glare at the other pegasus, who was standing perfectly still as he waited for her to calm down. When she settled down Spark stretched his wings out all the way to display the deformation of his feathers.

"See how my wings are bent this way?" He asked. Chocolate nodded in response.

"You'd be able to glide with them, but they can't sustain full flight." She observed. Spark nodded.

Her anger towards Spark softened and she remembered what Blazing told her about Spark's mother and what happened to them when they were young.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with a little less tension between the two and Blazing was less nervous about something bad happening between them. They continued on to the park where they would stroll through the trees and enjoy the sound of little woodland creatures running around.

They walked around a tree when all of a sudden Blazing collapsed to the ground deep in sleep. Chocolate immediately crouched down beside him as Spark raised his wings in defense.

"Lower your wings and we won't have any trouble." Said a voice. Spark did not do as instructed, instead he closed is eyes and a web of electricity spread from his wings around the surrounding area. Almost as quickly as the electrical web began scanning the area Spark was knocked back into the bushes.

Chocolate looked up to search for their attacker with an angry glare and found nopony until a purple unicorn stallion with pink mane and tail came from behind a tree. Upon seeing this stallion Chocolate got to her hooves and bared her teeth as she raised her wings threateningly.

"Ah, ah, ah. The unicorn said as his horn glowed and her wings became locked to her side and she was rooted in place, unable to move. "Such a pretty thing shouldn't fight." The unicorn started walking circles around her as he eyed her form. "Maybe you should consider sompony with better qualities then your friends here.

"In your dreams, sicko!" She barked.

"I don't remember giving you a choice." He said as he came up to face her. "You should spend the night with me babe." He placed a hoof on her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. He started to lean in when there was a loud [ib]CRACK and the unicorn went flying back.

The binding spell holding her in place was broken and she looked back to find Spark bolting from the bushes to the attacking unicorn. The unicorn got up to defend himself, but he was too late. Spark had shot another bolt at him and sent him flying.

When the two were out of sight Chocolate ran to Blazing's side as he continued to sleep. She sat down and repositioned him so his head was laying on her lap. A few minutes later she heard hoof steps coming from the distance. She looked up, ready to defend herself if that unicorn pervert was coming back. When she saw a deep blue colored pegasus coming her way she let out a sigh of relief.

"Is he gone?" She asked.

"I turned him into the royal guard." Spark answered. "He won't be going after another mare fore a while." She smiles and let out another sigh of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Spark." She offered. He blinked at her words then smiled back at her.

"You're welcome."

Chapter VIII: The Crusader Before The Sunset

CHAPTER VIII:

THE CRUADER BEFORE THE SUNSET

"Alright, crusaders!" Scootaloo called out. "What're we gonna do to get our cutie marks today?" The trio were gathered outside the school house. School had just come to a close and all the fillies and colts were rushing home, or to their friends houses.

"Ah can't do anythin' 'ntill mah chores are done." Applebloom said. Scootaloo looked over to Sweetie Belle, who shook her head.

"I've got a homework assignment I need to get done before tomorrow." Scootaloo dropped her head in disappointment.

"Well, what am I gonna do by myself for the day?" She asked.

"Ya could always go see Rainbow Dash." Applebloom suggested.

"I can't. She left town a several days ago and I don't know when she'll be back." Scootaloo answered.

"Rarity's gone too." Sweetie Belle added. "She said something about her and her friends going to some crystal empire."

"Applejack said the same thin'." Applebloom said.

"I wonder what's going on that they all left town for?" Scootaloo asked as she scratched her chin with her hoof.

"Applebloom!" Came an elderly mares voice. They looked over to see Granny Smith waving at her. "C'mon ya lil' whipper snapper! Let's get back to the farm 'n get things done!"

"Gotta go girls. See y'all later." Applebloom said as she ran to her granny.

"I better go, too." Sweetie Belle said. "I'll see you tomorrow Scootaloo."

Scootaloo sighed. "Okay, see you tomorrow." Sweetie Belle walked off, leaving Scootaloo by herself at the school fence. She reached over to a bush by the fence and pulled her helmet and scooter from behind. What can I do? she asked herself. Her eyes sprung open with an idea. She put on her helmet, strapped it tightly to her head, hopped on her scooter and used her wings to bolt forward.

Scootaloo raced through town, jumping off ramps, dodging ponies walking by, and performing a stunt every here and there. She came to a halt in front of a house behind the library. She took off her helmet, sat it on a handle of the scooter, and walked up to the door, where she raised her hoof up and knocked. She heard nothing from inside the house. She knocked again. Still nothing.

She let her head drop. Maybe he's gone too. She turned around and walked back to her scooter. She reached up for where she left her helmet, but felt nothing. She looked up to find her helmet was gone. She looked around for whoever was around, but saw nopony.

"Looking for this?" Came a voice from above. She looked up and saw Chocolate hovering over her with her helmet in hoof. Scootaloo smiled as Chocolate landed in front of her and gave the little filly her helmet while ruffling up her mane. Scootaloo looked around for Blazing, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Bla-"

Scootaloo was cut off as she was swept off her hooves into the air. She looked down to see she was sitting on Blazing's back. He looked up at her with a smile. Her eyes narrowed with a grin and she gave a quick nod. She wrapped her forelegs around his neck and when he was sure she had a good grip he locked his eyes forward and increased his speed. Scootaloo let out a loud "WOOHOO!" as Blazing flew in circles, ups and downs and all around town like a rollercoaster. After a good ten minute flight Blazing landed back in front of his house, Chocolate was standing next to Scootaloo's scooter smiling as the filly hopped off of Blazing's back.

"That was AWESOME, Blazing!" Scootaloo shouted. He chuckled at her enthusiasm. Blazing looked around, then back at Scootaloo.

"Where's the rest of the crusaders?" Blazing asked.

"Applebloom had to do chores and Sweetie Belle needed to finish a homework assignment." She answered with a bit of a frown on her face.

"And Rainbow's out of town." Blazing added as though reading her thoughts. She nodded. "So, you came to me?" He asked.

"Dash said you were cool, even though you're soft as a marshmallow." Chocolate fought back the urge to laugh at the statement, earning an unhappy grumble from the stallion. "And she hangs out with you almost as much as the rest of her friends. What were you two doing, by the way?" Scootaloo asked the snickering mare.

"We were visiting Blaze's old friend, Spark." Chocolate answered with a smile.

"He and I were in an orphanage together when we were colts." Blazing added. "I haven't seen him in a while and I wanted Chocolate to meet him."

"I didn't know you were an orphan." Scootaloo observed. "Are you part zebra, and that's why you have stripes? Are you related to Zecora?" Scootaloo's excitement grew with each question the point she started to bounce in place like Pinkie Pie on an average day.

"Slow down, sport." Blazing placed a hoof over her mouth. "Yes, I am part zebra. No, I am not related to Zecora, but I do think of her as family most of the time." He let his hoof fall from her mouth. "C'mon, Scootaloo. I'll buy you a cupcake at the Sugar Cube." Her eyes sparkled. Chocolate gave her helmet back to her, and she hopped on her scooter. The three then headed off to Sugar Cube Corner.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing and Chocolate spent the rest of the afternoon with Scootaloo until Applebloom came looking for her fellow crusader having finished all of her chores at the farm. The two fillies ran off to do something that involved finding their cutie marks, whatever crazy stunt they could think of.

Blazing and Chocolate were left alone with plenty of time to hang out before sunset. He looked over to her with a smile. "So, what do you want to do now?" He asked. She scratched her chin as she looked upwards in thought. After a minute she looked back at him with a smile. She motion her head for him to follow her outside then flew into the air. He watched her take off then soon followed after her. The two flew up above town until she grabbed a large cloud and fluffed it up a bit, before laying down on it. She looked over at Blazing and padded the empty spot next to her. He smiled at her as he hovered in, accepting her invite happily.

"What are we doing?" He asked as he laid beside her. She smiled at him.

"We are going to watch the sunset." She answered. Blazing smiled at the idea. They lay on the cloud facing the west watching as the sun slowly moved toward the horizon. The sun was a yellowish orange hue causing the surrounding clouds to shine pink and the sky blending in color from a vibrant yellow to a deep, dark blue in the distance. Closer and closer Celestia's sun crept out of sight, until the last inch of the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains.

Chocolate smiled n awe as she had never watched the sunset before. Being the Queen's daughter made sure of that. Her joy and thoughts were short-lived as the were interrupted by a faint sobbing. She looked over to see Blazing with tears running down his cheeks. "Blaze, what's wrong?" She asked him with concern.

"Nothing." He sniffed. "It's just..." he wiped away a tear with his hoof as he started to explain. "... the last time I sat to watch the sunset was with..." He trailed off, choking back a sob with the emotion in his eyes. Chocolate was met with realization. She reached over and tenderly embraced him in her forelegs. He welcomed her embrace by wrapping his own forelegs around her while burying his muzzle n her neck. The two lay on the cloud locked in each others forelegs, neither one wanting the moment to end.

~~)oOo(~~

Blazing opened his eyes to find Chocolate in her changeling form locked deep in her sleep with a smile on her face. He also found they were still on the cloud Chocolate set up the night before for them to watch the sunset. He did not care they were out in the open with her in her natural form. The sun was barely visible over the east mountains, so nopony would be up this early in the morning and the pegasi usually don't clear the skies until the sun was high in the sky.

A few minutes past and Chocolate stirred. She opened her eyes and stretched out in a big yawn. "Morning." Blazing said. She looked at him and smiled.

“Morning." She replied, laying back down beside him and they stared in each others eyes for several minutes. The sun was now above the mountain top. Blazing looked up at the sky to see if there were any pegasi in the air yet, then back at her.

"You should change back to a pony." Blazing said. She looked at him, her eyes asking, 'Do I have to?' as she gave a bit of a groan. "You know as well as I, nopony can know you're a changeling." She sighed in defeat. She closed her eyes and in a flash of green light she was the brown mare she looked like for many weeks now. The two sat up on the cloud and stretched out their wings. When they started to take off Blazing froze in place. Chocolate noticed he stopped moving and looked to him before followed his gaze. Hovering by the cloud was the cyan, rainbow maned mare with her eyes wide with shock.

"D-Dash." He stammered. "You're ba-"

Before he could finish Dash flew right in and collided with Chocolate. The two mares fell off the cloud toward the ground, Dash swinging her hooves at Chocolate. Blazing flew after them at top speed. As the two mares came closer to the ground, Blazing closed the distance between him and them. Just a half a dozen feet off the ground, Blazing caught up with them and grabbed the two in his forelegs then flew straight for the forest.

Ch. IX: Truth And Fear

CHAPTER IX:

TRUTH AND FEAR

Blazing Flew Chocolate and Rainbow Dash into the Everfree Forest. After entering the trees he let Chocolate go so she could fly on her own, but held on to Dash as she fought to break free. Blazing came up to Zecora's hut and dropped Dash at the front door, Chocolate landed close behind. Dash got to her hooves and charged Chocolate only to be cut off by Blazing.

"Outta the way, Stripes!" She barked. "She's not who you think she is." She tried to get around him to Chocolate, but Blazing stopped her again and again. Hearing all the commotion, Zecora and Forest came out of her hut.

"My meditation interrupted by a sound. Who is fighting all around?" The two pegasi ignored the rhyme as Dash continued trying to get to Chocolate only to be cut off again by Blazing again.

"Stripes, she's not Chocolate, she's a changeling!" Dash said charging again at Chocolate.

"I know she is, Dash!" Blazing said as he got a hoof around dash when she charged again. She fought to break free, but Blazing's workouts made him just barely strong enough to hold her back. "Dash, I know she's a changeling!"

"Then let me go, so I can show her a thing or two!" She ordered.

"No Dash! I can't let you hurt her!" Dash looked back at him.

"Blazing, she's got you under some kinda spell or something! We gotta stop her!" She cried, concern rising in her voice.

"No we don't! She's not going to do anything to us Dash!" Dash looked at him with high concern.

"Snap out of it, Stripes," she said, placing her hooves on his cheeks, "she's a changeling."

"Look at me Dash. Do I look like I'm not in my right mind?" Dash looked into his eyes, a look of shock in hers.

"You mean..." Dash started. She shook her head, then looked back at Chocolate. "What lies have you poisoned him with?!"

"Dash, I found her here in the forest!" She looked back at him. "She was hurt, badly. I brought her to Zecora to heal her then I took her home. The week after is when you first met her."

"You mean you were hiding a changeling in your house this entire time?" Blazing nodded, tears starting to form in his eyes. "And you knew about this?" She asked, looking at Zecora and Forest.

"Chocolate was well known to us. Blazing swore us to secrecy with little fuss." The zebra rhymed, Forest nodded in agreement. Dash looked back at Blazing.

"Who else knows?" She asked.

"Only Spark Storm." Dash's eyes widened with shock, she pulled out of his hooves.

"You told my cousin about this, but you never told me?!" She billowed.

"Spark is my closest, most trusted friend, I knew I could trust him." He replied

"But not me!" She snapped.

"Dash, I knew you would react like this. I also knew you would want to tell the princess, being the Element of Loyalty." Dash's fury grew in her eyes.

"And you're right! The princess needs to know about this." Dash started to fly off, but was stopped by Blazing's hooves around her hind legs. She looked back at him, her eyes filled with anger.

"You can't tell the princess! She'll take Chocolate away, lock her up, banish her, or worse! I can't let that happen!" Blazing cried.

“You're kidding, right? You don't think this is that important?" She asked.

"She is the most important thing to me right now!" He stared into her eyes for a minute. "I love her!" Dash's wings stopped flapping, causing her to fall to the ground. She looked up at him from the ground, tears streaming down his face. Chocolate also had tears falling down her cheeks. She knew Blazing loved her, but he never said the words aloud. "I love her." Blazing repeated, more to Chocolate than to Dash.

There was a long silence in the air. Dash still on the ground going over in her head what she just heard. "You..." Dash started. "... love... a changeling?" The question hung in the air. Blazing looked into Dash's eyes, his face stained with tears. "How could you love a changeling?" She asked, her tone calm, but filled with disbelief. The question hit Blazing like daggers in his heart, he didn't answer, he just let his head drop.

Dash slowly got to her hooves, still trying to understand what was going on. Blazing raised his head to Dash. "Look," he started," you have to promise me you won't tell a single soul, not Celestia, not even our friends, Chocolate is a changeling. I can't loose her." Dash said nothing, she just stared at Blazing. "Please, Dash."

Rainbow Dash backed away a few steps shaking her head, she turned and took off through the trees. Chocolate watched her fly off then looked back at Blazing, who let his head drop as his knees gave away under his weight. He fell to the ground with a thud, his sobs filling the air. Chocolate walked up to Blazing and laid beside him. Zecora backed into the hut while Forest ventured off into the forest.

Chocolate rubbed his back as he cried. "It's okay Blaze." Blazing continued to sob. Chocolate leaned closer to him, setting her cheek against his. She nuzzled his face, his sobbing quieting. She then turned to face him and gave him a long soft kiss on his cheek. Blazing looked up at her in surprise, she smiled at him. "I love you too, Blaze." The tears in Blazing's eyes grew as he stared into her eyes. They both reached their forelegs around each other and sat in each others embrace.

~~)oOo(~~

The next few days Blazing and Chocolate stayed locked in his house not letting anypony in and they only left the house once to get food from the market. It seemed as though Rainbow never told anypony about Chocolate, every day somepony came knocking on the door to check on Blazing, never asking about Chocolate being a changeling. Then again, if Dash did tell anypony it would have gotten all over town and everypony would be coming after her with torches and pitchforks. Not to mention Celestia herself would come to take Chocolate away.

Blazing was laying face down in his bed without a word, his thoughts swimming from here to there about everything that had happened that day. Chocolate came in the room in her changeling form with concern on her face. She walked in and sat next to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"Blaze?" She asked. Blazing looked up at her, his eyes filled with both sadness and fear. "Are you okay?" Blazing said nothing, he just reached up and hugged her, who returned the embrace.

"I feel like a huge part of me was ripped out." He said, tears staining his face. "Somepony could show up at any moment and take you away, and Dash may never speak to me again." They stayed in that spot for the next hour doing nothing. Blazing let his tears slide down his cheeks while Chocolate petted his mane.

~~)oOo(~~

Chocolate found herself alone in a dark abyss. She was in her pony form, looking around and calling for Blazing, but to no avail. The area was cold and damp, ideal for a changeling.

"It's been some time my daughter." Came a deep menacing female voice from behind.

Chocolate whirled around, her heart skipped a beat as she saw Queen Chrysalis walking up to her. Chocolate almost could not tell who it was at first, Chrysalis was so scarred and cut up from the day of the Canterlot Wedding, Spark Storm's efforts to defend Ponyville added to her wounds.

"You don't need that disguise here." She said pointing her glowing green horn at Chocolate and with a flash of green light, Chocolate was a changeling. "You found a promising stallion to feed love off of." Chrysalis said. "You should come back now my child"

"No!" Chocolate protested. Chrysalis looked at her with disapproval. "I'm not going back! I like it here!"

"You mean, you like the stallion." Chrysalis said, starting to walk circles around her. Chocolate's eyes shot open with surprise. As if reading her thoughts the Queen answered the burning question. "I've been keeping a close eye on you for some time now my dear. One of my subjects has been reporting to me all your activity in Ponyville, and I must say it's making me upset that you would want to leave me for him."

"I love him mother!" She barked. "He showed me kindness, he healed me and he really cares for me!"

"I care for you." Chrysalis said.

"You only want to use me!" These words made Chrysalis arch an eyebrow. "You only want me to be Queen of the Changelings. I don't want that! I never wanted that! I'm staying with Blaze. I love him and he loves me! I want to be with him the rest of my life!"

Chrysalis eyed Chocolate, she looked displeased. "You're blinding yourself my child. He doesn't truly care for you. He's only keeping you around so he can keep a close eye on you. The second you turn your back, he will dispose of you."

"He's not like that, mother! He's much to kind and full of love to do anything like that." Chocolate countered.

"This will not end well for you my child. If you take this path there will be nothing but loneliness and heartache for you and your subjects."

"Your subjects mother!" Chocolate snapped. "I renounce my title as Princess of the Changelings."

Chrysalis looked at Chocolate with anger. "You will regret this choice. All you have come to care for in Ponyville will be destroyed, starting with the stallion." Chrysalis started to vanish in the darkness, Chocolate felt a cold dark sensation around her. She screamed out for somepony, but no sound came from her mouth.

She sat upright in her bed in the guest room of Blazing's house, sweat streaming down her face. She looked at the window to see if any changeling was out there, but saw nothing. Blazing came in the room and saw Chocolate sitting on her bed. She looked at him, fear, hope and joy in her eyes. "Blaze!" She cried.

"What's wrong?!" He asked as he ran in and sat down beside her.

She wrapped her forelegs around him and told him about the vision, the dark void and Queen Chrysalis. When she was done, Blazing embraced her in his forelegs. For the rest of the night they stayed together, Blazing comforting her while she cried.

Ch. X: Promises

CHAPTER X:

PROMISES

Blazing lay on Chocolate's bed, his forlegs wrapped around her stroking her fin-like mane while she sleeped in on him. She had cried for an hour before falling asleep while Blazing stayed up the rest of the night to comfort her.

Celestia raised the sun some time ago, but Blazing did not care. Chocolate just had a nightmare that frightened her and all he wanted was to comfort her. He loved her, that much was clear. At this point he did not care if enypony else found out about her. If they did he would run away with her. He would run and hide from the world just to be with her.

His thoughts trailed off back to Water Weight. She was the only other mare he cared about as much as he cared for Chocolate, but she was gone. Losing her left Blazing scarred for the longest time. He nearly through everthing away, even his life. Luckily he had friends who stayed by his side the whole time.

The memory of Water Weight brought tears to his eyes as he began to sob softly. He felt a hoof on his face and looked down to see Chocolate was awake, her own eyes filled tears. The two embraced each other in a tight hug as though trying to make sure note to loose one another.

There was a knock on the door. Niether one of them made an effert to get up to see who it was. The knock came again, Blazing only held onto Chocolate not wanting anything to happen to her. A few minutes past and there was another knock, this time from the window. Blazing and Chocolate jumped as they looked to see an energetic pink earth pony waving at them from the outside of a two story window.

Blazing and Chocolate both bolted up off the bed and out of the room, through the hall down the stairs then to the front door. Chocolate had changed to her pony desguise and Blazing opened the door.

"Hi, Feathers!" Pinkie chimed. Blazing and Chocolate ran back through the living room and the kitchen to the back door. Blazing opened the door and started to run out when... "I found you! Wana play again?" Blazing knew at this point there was no escape. Pinkie had decided this was a game and she always found her target no matter where they went to hide. He reached out and pulled Pinkie inside and flew through the house with her in his grip. Chocolate closed and locked the back door, ran to the front door then closed and locked it then followed Blazing up stairs.

She found them in his room, Pinkie was sitting on Blazing's bed, her ever cheerful expression never ending. "Okay, Pinkie," Blazing said, "what are you doing here and what all did you see?"

"I came here to see you two." Pinkie replied." I knocked on the door twice and you didn't answer, so I ran around back to see if you were buisy cooking cupcakes, but you weren't there, so I went and climbed to your window to see if you were still asleep, but you weren't there either, so I climed up the other window and saw you laying with Chocolate as a changeling. That's when I knocked on the window then you ran off and I..." Pinkie was silenced by Blazing's hoof on her mouth.

"I know the rest, Pinkie." He said. After a minute, he lowered his hoof. "How long have you known she's a changeling?"

"Oh, I've known since you first introduced her to me." She replied.

"Dash didn't tell you?" He asked, hope in his tone.

"She told me a few days ago. I saw her coming from the forest and flagged her down but she kept flying, so I fallowed her untill she gave up flying away and told me what just happened, but don't worry I made her Pinkie Promise not to tell enypony else."

Blazing was filled with mixed emotions as he listened to her explanation. He pleaded with Rainbow not to tell enypony and she went and told the most unpredictable pony in Ponyville. However, Pinkie got Rainbow to Pinkie Promise and so long as a Pinkie Promise was in motion it was almost impossible to break it, especially with Pinkie.

"There's a promis named after you?" Chocolate asked.

"Oh, yes." Pinkie replied. "You say 'cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye'," Pinkie performed the proper motions that went with ths Pinkie Promise as she chanted, "and when you make a Pinkie Promise you have to keep it or you'll loose your friends trust and to loose a friends trust is the fastest way to loose a friend... FOREVER!" The last word made Chocolate jump as Pinkie switched from her usual cheery selfe to a serious pony.

Blazing let himselfe fall to the floor with a grewing sob. Chocolate layed beside him, wraping her forlegs and wing around him for comfort. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" She asked. "Is it Dash?" He shook his head and looked up at her, joy in his eyes as tears stained his face.

"I'm not worried about Dash anymore." He looked up and smiled at Pinkie. "Thank you Pinkie."

"For what?" Pinkie asked.

"For Dash." Blazing replied.

"Oh, it was nothin'" There was another knock on the door, more frantic and fallowed by several young voices. Blazing recognized the voices and got up to go and open the door. He trotted bown stairs to the front door, unlocked it and opened it to see, not three but, four little fillies each with a look of concern on their faces.

"Is Chocolate here?" Applebloom asked.

"Is she alright?" Scootaloo added.

"She's not gone, is she?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Can we see her?" Asked Dinky Doo.

Blazing smiled at the four with tears running down his cheeks. He stepped aside pointing a hoof to the stairs. The fillies bolted in the house and ran up the stairs. Blazing heard them all jumping with joy as they saw Chocolate. He closed the door and trotted back up stairs to find all of them in a group hug around Chocolate.

"Did Dash hurt you, Chocolate?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Whah would she wanna hurt ya in the first place?" Applebloom asked.

"Calm down girls." Chocolate said getting their silence. "I'm fine."

"But, whah did Rainbow attack ya? Is she jealous that yer with Blazin'?" Applebloom asked. Chocolate looked up at Blazing who was standing in the door frame watching the scene.

"You mite as well tell them. I know they won't tell anypony." He said.

"Tell anypony what?" Dinky asked, looking up at him. The fillies turned their attention to Chocolate, who instructed them to stand back a little. They did and watched with intent as a flash of green light engolfed Chocolate, transforming her into a changeling. The four fillies gasped as they witnessed the transformation.

"You're a changeling?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"What's a changeling?" Scootaloo asked. Sweetie Belle shot a glare at her.

"Don't you remember those creatures at the wedding?" She asked.

"Oh yeah. Wait, what?" Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom jumped back while Dinky slowly approached Chocolate.

"Dinky, get away from her!" Sweetie Belle called.

"It's okay, girls." Pinkie said. "Chocolate is a good changeling." The three looked at Pinkie in surprise, then back at Dinky, who was huging changeling Chocolate.

Blazing and Chocolate both explained the whole story from the day he found her in the forest to the day Rainbow found out about the turth.

"Aw, that's so romantic." Sweetie Belle stated.

"All, but the part Rainbow Dash attacked her." Scootaloo added.

"You're still the same Chocolate that likes Blazing as much as me and mommy, right?" Dinky asked. Chocolate nodded as she hugged her.

"Yes Dinky. I love Blazing. He's the first pony I ever met who showed me real kindness." Chocolate replied.

"But, girls." Blazing called. The quartet of fillies turned to face Blazing. "You all have to promise you won't tell anypony Chocolate is a changeling."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." The Cutie Mark Crusaders chanted in perfect unison as they performed the movements.

"I will, if you promise not to hurt Blazing." Dinky said to Chocolate. Chocolate smiled at Dinky giving her a warm hug.

"I promise, I won't hurt Blazing." Dinky smiled at Chocolate satisfied with her statement.

~~~

Rainbow was sitting ona cloud above the library looking down at Blazing's house. A familiar pink earth pony came up to the front door and knocked.

Please be going to talk some sence into Stripes. She thought to her selfe. Nopony answered the door when Pinkie knocked. Rainbow watched intently as Pinkie walked around the house to the back. Shortly after, she came back around and started climbing up the side of the house some how to Blazing's bedroom window. Rainbow flew over the house to better watch Pinkie as she jumped down then climbed the other window.

Oh, please be looking to talk sence into him since you're going through all this. Pinkie waved into the window, then jumped down and ran to the front door meeting Blazing as he opened the door. He quickly ran back, Pinkie dashed around to the back and yet again met Blazing at the door.

Blazing pulled her in the house and closed the door. "Pinkie Pie" Rainbow screamed as she flew down by the back window and saw Chocolate vanish from the kitchen. She flew around to the upstairs window and saw Pinkie sitting on Blazing's bed in his room while Chocolate was standing just inside the door. Pinkie was talking, but Rainbow could not here what she was saying. After Pinkie was done talking Blazing fell to the ground crying, Chocolate sat down beside him wrapping her forlegs and wing around him.

Get your love sucking hooks off my friend! She thought. Blazing then left the room leaving Pinkie with the desguised changeling. Pinkie get out of there! Rainbow's heart skipped a beat as she saw Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Dinky Doo come runing in embracing Chocolate. Blazing came standing in the door watching the scene.

Rainbow's jaw dropped as Chocolate transformed into her changeling form in front of the fillies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders showed sighns of fear but Dinky went up to Chocolate and after a minute huged her.

After a few minutes of talking the filies performed the Pinkie Promise wich made Rainbow gasped. No. You can't trust her, she's a changeling! The whole group in the room gathered in a group hug.

Rainbow wanted nothing more then just to fly to the princess in a Sonic Rainboom and have her save Blazing before it was too late, but because Pinkie made her Pinkie Promise there was almost no way she could with out Pinkie some how knowing and she did not want to loose her friendship wih any of her friends. She flew off into the clouds in the sky wandering, How can I help them?

Ch. XI: Broken Loyalty

CHAPTER XI:

BROKEN LOYALTY

Rainbow Dash was sitting alone on a cloud at the edge of the Everfree Forest, her thoughts swimming through the events of the last few days. The first thing she saw when she got back from Canterlot was Blazing with a changeling taking the form of his marefriend. All she knew was she had to help him but he would not allow any harm to come to the monster. Just ealrier this morning she watched as four innocent fillies get involved and promised not to tell. The thing that made her the most angry about it was Pinkie Pie knew the entire time and did nothing about it.

"Why are they defendng that... that monster?" She asked herself. "Changelings tried to destroy Canterlot, they nearly took Twilight's brother away and who knows what they were gunna do with the princess."

"Um, Rainbow?" Rainbow gasped and jumped from the cloud as she whirled around to find Fluttershy cringing at her reaction. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Fluttershy apologiesed.

"No, it's okay. I was just... thinking." Dash said. Fluttershy looked at Dash with concern in her eyes.

"About the changelings at Canterlot?" Rainbow looked up at Fluttershy, both shock and hope in her eyes. "Oh, I heard you talking to yourself about the changelings attacking the castle." Rainbow's eyes darted here and there before looking back at her friend.

"Fluttershy, what would you do if a changeling was making you think it was good?" Fluttershy looked confused.

"What do you mean, Rainbow?" She asked. Rainbow scratched the back of her neck thinking about how she was going to do this with out breaking her promise.

"Um... try to imagin any one of your friends, and they were... uh... protecting a changeling who was claming to be good and won't hurt anypony." Fluttershy hid her head behind her pink hair. "What would you do about it?"

"Well... um..." Fluttershy stammered. "I would give the changeling a chance... if he was willing to change." Rainbow Dash gave a low grunt that made Fluttershy cringe.

"Sorry, Flutters." Rainbow said.

"Um, Rainbow? If it's not to much to ask. Why are you asking?" Rainbow looked away from her friend.

"No reason." Rainbow answered. "I was just asking." Dash took off of the cloud and flew away, leaving her friend alone.

I should have known Fluttershy would say something like that. Rainbow thought to herself. She was filled with disappointment as she flew over town. She did not know where she was going. All she knew was that there was a changeling living in Ponyville with one of her oldest friends and she could not directly tell anypony about it with out breaking her promise to Pinkie. I gota do something, but what?

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow turned to see Ditzy flying her way. She stopped and hovered in place and let the grey mare catch up. "What happened with Chocolate?"

"You know?" Dash asked.

"Dinky came home in tears the other day because she heard you attacked her. Why would you do that?" Dash gulped. The only way she would be able to tell the truth is if she broke her promise. "Rainbiw Dash, I know you. You wouldn't do something like that without a reason."

"It... it was just a m-misunberstanding." Dash stammered.

"What kind of 'misunderstanding'?" Rainbow scratched the back of her neck.

"I thought, for a minute, Chocolate was an imposter trying to hurt, Stripes." Ditzy's eyes were nearly straight as they locked onto Dash, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Why would you think that, Dash?" Ditzy asked.

"I don't know. I guess, going back to Canterlot so soon after the wedding gave me the idea she was a changeling. I mean, Stripes said she was from Canterlot and the changelings nearly destroyed everything there."

"Well, I guess that makes sense," Ditzy said, an unconvinced look in her derped eyes, "but even if she was a changeling she's pulling off a realy good act pretending to be such a nice pony."

"Yeah," Dash laughed, a sheepish smile on her face as she scratched the back of her head, "but what if she realy was a changeling and you knew about it? What would you do?"

"Is the changeling attack bothering you that bad, Dashy?" Ditzy asked. Dash just shrugged. "Well, if she was a changeling and I found out about it I wouldn't do anything about it. She's a nice pony who has done nothing to harm us and my muffin realy likes her, too. If Chocolate was a bad pony my muffin wouldn't want anything to do with her." Dash lowered her head in disapointment. "Rainbow, are you alright?" Ditzy asked.

"I'm fine, I just need to go." Before Ditzy had a chance to say anything else Rainbow flew off, completely disappointed. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Ditzy and the four fillies all sided with the changeling. Would nopony see reason? Chocolate was a changeling. A creature that attacked Canterlot and tried to hurt her and her friends. She was living in Ponyville with Blazing and she could not tell anypony about it.

She looked down as she flew over the town toward Cloudsdale and saw Blazing with Chocolate, Pinkie and the fillies. Blazing looked up and saw her fly in the sky. She stopped and hovered in place, looking at him as he watched her. She was considering going down there to talk to him untill Chocolate noticed that he was looking in the sky and followed his gaze to find Dash. When Chocolate spotted her she shook her head and flew off.

~~~

Blazing watched as Dash flew toward the clouds, his heart sank as she left. He closed his eyes fighting back the tears threatening to burst free. Chocolate wrapped her wing around his shoulder, nuzzling her cheek against his. He wanted to try and confince Dash that Chocolate was not a threat, but with Rainbow being the thick mare that she is, it would take time.

"Mommy!" Dinky called pulling Blazing from his thoughts as he looked up to see Ditzy flying to them. Dinky ran up and enbraced her mother as she landed.

"Hey, muffin." Ditzy laughed as she hugged her daughter. Blazing could not help but smile at the site, the bond between them so strong and beautiful, it made him tear even more. Ditzy looked up at Blazing with a caring smile on her face. After Dinky let her go she came up and embraced him in a warm hug. He welcomed her hug, returning the embrace as he sobbed softly. "It's okay, Blaze. Dash is just a little stird from the attack at Canterlot."

Blazing pulled away from Ditzy looking in her eyes. "You talked to her?" Ditzy nodded. "What did she say?"

"Just give her time Blazing. She'll calm down soon enough." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to Dinky. "C'mon muffin. Let's go home." She pulled the perple unicorn upon her back and flew off. Blazing watched Ditzy fly away, his thoughts on Dash. Did she say something about Chocolate?

Chocolate pulled him from his thoughts by kissing him on the cheek. He turned to face her and smiled at her as they stared into each others eyes for a minute. Soon enough he started to lean in closer, his eyes closing as the distance between them closed. She leaned in the rest of the way to close the gap and there lips met in there first kiss.

Ch. XIII: The Trap And Discovery

CHAPTER XIII:

THE TRAP AND DISCOVERY

All of Ponyville, aside from a few ponies here and there, was overjoyed with the news of the upcoming wedding of Blazing Feathers and Chocolate. Rarity was at her boutique desining the dress for the bride and a suit for the groom. Pinkie Pie was buisy setting the town hall up for a party that everypony was welcome to joine. Blazing asked Twilight to organize everything for the wedding. Applejack and her family were in charge of cooking the meals. Fluttershy hooved the the music with her animal friends and even Ditzy was asked to help with the invitations.

It was a week since Blazing proposed to Chocolate and everything was being planned. The couple were at home just enjoying each others company as Chocolate lay her head on Blazing's lap while he petted her changeling fin-mane. Their relaxing was interrupted by a noise coming from up stairs wich made them jump. Chocolate transformed into her pony form as she got off Blazing's lap. He got to his hooves and assumed a defensive position as he cautiously walked to the stairs. He froze when he heard hoofsteps coming to the stairs. Keeping a close unblinking eye locked on the stairs he let out a long sigh of reliefe whe he saw a dark blue pegasus come trotting down the stairs.

"Spark!" Blazing called as he ran to his old friend and embraced him in a brotherly hug. Spark did not return the embrace at first but quickly wrapped his forlegs around Blazing. Blazing pulled away from Spark. "What are you doing here?" Blazing asked.

"I need your help with something." Spark answered.

"What is it?" Blazing asked. A serious look on his face.

"Zecora needs some medicine transproted to canterlot and I could use you and Chocolate's help with this." Blazing nodded his head.

"Okay but, can it wait till tomarrow? It's getting dark out." Blazing requested.

"No." Spark said. "We need to transport the medicine now. Since it's getting dark we should go together."

Blazing thought about it for a moment, raising a brow at the urgency in his friends voice. This was a little odd that Spark was asking for help like this, but it was for Zecora, so he realy did not want to let her down.

"Okay." Blazing finaly said.

The three left the house together, Blazing and Chocolate walked side by side while Spark stayed in the bushes and behind houses to avoid being seen. After a few minutes Blazing lost track of Spark when he jumped onto a house. We'll see him at the edge of the forest. He thought to himself as he continued trotting with his fianceé.

They reached the edge of the forest and Spark was nowhere to be seen. It would be hard to see him in the dark with his deep blue coat. Blazing and Chocolate waited for Spark at the edge of the forest for a few minutes before starting to get a little uneasy.

"Where is he, honey?" Chocolate asked, Blazing looking toward the town. He was about to answere when he saw a shadow fly through the air from a tree at the edge of town. Spark landed infront of them looking a little annoyed.

"What happened, Spark?" Blazing asked.

"Sorry." Spark replied. "I got held up by somepony." Blazing saw something move behind Spark. He strained his eyes to see what it was that moved. "Blazing, we should go." Spark said, using his forehead to direct Blazing and Chocolate into the forest. Blazing looked back to where he saw something move and caught a glimps of a blue pegasus before heading into the trees.

They were deep in the forest now, Chocolate looked real nervous while Blazing started to think something was off. Blazing knew a path that was, for the most part, safe to traverse and this was not that path. In fact, he was sure they were heading a completely different direction. Spark had taken the lead when they got a good distance into the forest and every now and again looked back to see if they were still behind them.

Blazing looked around in the bushes and trees keeping his ears open for anything out of the ordinary. Sure enough, he saw constant movement and it was not animals.

"We're close." Spark said. Blazing took another look at his suroundings, they were nowere near Zecora's hut.

He gazed at Chocolate, who showed strong sighns of fear. She looked at him with horor in her eyes. He looked up at Spark, he was still walking like nothing was wrong. Okay. What the hell is going on here? He asked himself. Spark looked back at them again. Blazing saw a faint flash of green in his eyes and it was not from Spark's ability to see in the dark. I knew it! He thought to himself.

"Run, Chocolate!" He yelled as he jumped at Spark. As he did dozens of changelings jumped from their hiding places in the bushes and out of the trees. Blazing and the imposter Spark were locked in a hoof fight but Blazing had the upper hoof. This imposter was not nearly as strong as the real Spark, sure he had Spark's build, but it was all fake. He pushed his opponent back enough for him to turn around and buck him clean in the face, knocking him uncauncious.

"Blaze!" Blazing looked up and saw Chocolate was being surounded by changeling, fighting them off as best she could, but they outnumbered her.

"Come now, Princess." One of the changelings said. "Queen Chrysalis wishes for you to return." They were about to grab her when Blazing rammed into four of them. Five of the rest locked their focous on him now while the rest continued to pursue Chocolate. Blazing bucked two of the changelings and used his wings to smack two others all in their faces. The last came straight for Blazing.

"I don't think so." Blazing said as he leaped over the changeling bouncing on his head then flew to the ones around Chocolate. "Get the hell away from my fianceé!" He screamed as he rammed several changelings out of his path going straight for Chocolate. He wrapped his forelegs around Chocolate lifting her in the air and flew through the trees. He flew at top speed dodging solid trees but straight through bushes and vines like they were nothing.

He slowed down when he reached the edge of the forest letting Chocolate go so she could fly and landed just outside of Ponyville. Blazing looked to his fianceé, who looked at him in awe. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked. A nod was all she could manage, he expression unchanged. "What is it?" She looked back at the tree they just came through. Blazing fallowed her gaze then let his head drop in disappointment. The bushes and vines he flew through were all singed and burned, some spots still glowing as smoke raised in the air.

Chocolate looked back at him, her expression switched from shock to concern. "Honey?" He did not react. "Honey, talk to me. What's wrong?" He looked up at her, tears sliding down his cheeks.

"I thought it was gone." He said.

"What?" She asked. He looked into her eyes for a long minute before taking in a deep breath as his ears pinned back.

"When I was young I found out that if I flew fast enough, or built up anough anger, I could leave a trail of fire were ever I went. I never wanted the power, I hate it. Living in fear of hurting everypony around you, having to keep yourself restrained from using your full potential. For so long I went without it happening, I thought it was gone." He let his head drop with a heavy sigh as teas streamed down his face. He felt a hoof on his cheek and looked to see Chocolate smiling at him. She reached up to him and their lips met. He leaned into the kiss, his joy replacing his grief.

They broke the kiss with a jumped when they heard movement coming from the forest. Blazing stood infront of Chocolate in a defensive position, ready for what ever was coming their way. Two familliar zebras walked out of the bushes a look of concern in their eyes.

"My suspicions were correct all the same. Why have you nearly set the forest a flame?" Zecora asked as they stepped closer to the couple.

"Stay back!" Blazing snapped. Zecora looked surprised at this while Forest flinched at Blazing's attitude.

"Blazing, my brother, what's going on?" Forest asked, earning an arched brow from the pegasus.

"Your cries reached our ears in the trees. So we came to help put your mind at eas." Zecora rhymed.

"If you're realy Zecora and Forest, then tell me something only the two of you would know." Blazing glared at the zebras.

"In the times I first came with good will, nopony was in sight in Ponyville." She said. Blazing then turned to Forest.

"What?" Chocolate asked.

"Before Zecora became friends with Twilight and the others everypony in town locked the doors and windows when she came for herbs," Blazing answered, "but that's no secret. Everypony in town knows about that." He then focoused his glare at the green zebra. "And why did you call me brother?" Forest blinked, realizing his mistake he turned to his mother, who smiled at him before truning to Blazing.

"Ever since Forest's creation he has been you brother. The truth is, my dear Blazing, I am you birth mother." Blazing blinked at this as his heart skipped a beat.

"What?" He asked.

"Blazing, Zecora is the one who gave birth to you." Forest explained. "We are brothers, in a way." Tears began to stream down Blazing's face to this new information.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked Zecora.

"The words I speek are pure and true, my life in the forest was not ment for you." She rhymed.

Blazing stood there with the tears sliding down his cheeks. "Y-y-you're my mother?" He asked. Zecora nodded her head once then he felt a hoof slide across his cheek. He turned and saw Chocolate smiling at him warmly before she reached up and kissed him. He wrapped his forelegs around her in a hug for a minute before another question filled his head. He pushed her to legs length and stared her in the eye.

"One of those changelings called you, Princess." Blazing said. Chocolate visibly flinched at his statement. Blazing waited patiently for her respond before asking, "what was he talking about?" She let her head drop in defeat.

"Queen Chrysalis is my mother." She said. "I was to take her place in time, but I never wanted that." She looked up into Blazing's eyes, tears in her own eyes. She was waiting for him to respond, exlecting him to be angry and call off their marriage. He just looked into her eyes, shock present in his expression.

"I suppose you want me to leave now?" She asked as she let her gaze fall to the ground. She cringed as she felt his hoof on her shoulder. After a few second, she looked up at him to see he was smiling.

"I love you, Chocolate. I would never want you to leave my side even if you were some kind of creature that directly eats ponies." She gasped at his words, tears streaming down her face. The two smiled at each other as they stared into the others eyes then leaned in to let their lips meet again.

Zecora and Forest smiled at the two showing their love for each other before they broke their kiss and Blazing looked to Zecora with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Do I have your blessing to marry this woman?" He asked.

"Your love is true for my Blazing?" she asked Chocolate, who nodded. "Then you have a mothers blessing." The two smiled then turned to each other and pressed their lips together again.

Ch. XIV: Who's Trixie?

CHAPTER XIV:

WHO'S TRIXIE?

The day was going so beautiully for Blazing and Chocolate. They started the day by going out to breakfast at Chocolate's favourite restaurant. Blazing wanted to go visit Zecora, but both he and his fianceé wanted to avoid the forest for a while after their ordeal three nights ago.

Blazing's attention was drawn to the sky when he saw a streek of rainbow dashing through the sky. "Dash!" He called. The pegasus stopped for a second before resuming her flight toward the forest. Blazing looked over to Chocolate, concern in his eyes. They took flight in the direction she flew and found her with Twilight and Fluttershy heading back into town. Fluttershy stopped infront of the two looking like she just went through the biggest scare of her life.

"What's wrong, Fluttershy?" Chocolate asked.

"Oh, um..." Fluttershy stammered, a little shaken from whatever it was she just went through. "Rainbow flew into Twilight saying Trixie is causing trouble in town."

"Trixie?!" Blazing asked. Fluttershy hid behind her mane at his burst.

"Who's Trixie, honey?" Chocolate asked. Blazing looked at her, his eyes filled with frustrated annoyance.

"She's a showmare who humiliated Twilight and he others. She claimed to have vanquished and Ursa Mager the last time she was in town and cowered in fear when a miner showed up in a frenzy." Chocolate was wide eyed at the discription of Trixie. "If she's back, that most likely means she's up to more trouble." The trio flew back to town to find Twilight and Dash.

They found a crowd gathered in awe and her a mare screaming about accents. "We need to get her in a nice shade of pink, STAT!" Came Pinkie's voice.

Chocolate was about to go and find Pinkie when she was stopped by Blazing's hoof. She looked up at him and saw he had a serious face on, looking at a cloaked figure in the middle of the croud, casting spells on random things, turning Spike into a ball and bounced him in her magic like he was a basketball. Blazing was filled with rage when she made Pinkie's mouth vanish like it was a puzzle piece on a computer screen.

Twilight tried to convince Trixie to stop, but her efferts were in vain. The only way Trixie 'said' she would stop was if Twilight beet her in a duel.

"A duel?" Chocolate asked. Blazing leaned his head toward Chocolate keeping his eyes locked on the blue unicorn.

"To put it simple, things are going to get prety crazy around here." He answered. Chocolate glanced between the two unicorns, the duel beginning with Trixie making the first move. Blazing let out a laugh when Twilight gave Trixie a loong mustache.

Trixie heated things up when she used her magic to change the town goofs, Snips and Snails, into a foal and aged old stallion.

"How could 'you' know an aging spell?" Twilight asked. "Aging spells are only for higher level unicorns." Trixie chuckled.

"Do you give up?" Trixie asked. Twilight heaved a sigh then lit her horn up, her magic engulfing Snips and Snails, only to resulting in a crying foal and a cranky stallion. Trixie boasted that she was the highest level unicorn and sent Twilight flying out of town toward the forest. The girls ran after Twilight, but Blazing and Chocolate stayed behind, Blazing glaring at Trixie. Trixie smiled at the zebra striped pegasus.

"And, who are you?" She asked. Her horn flashed red and a large fish bowl was placed upsidedown over the entire town. "Do you think you're better then the Great and Powerfull Trixie?"

"Leave my fianceé alone!" Chocolate snapped. Trixie's gaze locked onto the brown mare, causing Blazing to stand guard between her and Chocolate.

"You do anything to my fianceé," Blazing started. "... I'll make sure you never wished you did." Chocolate never saw Blazing so serious. Trixie just chuckled.

"You think you can take on the Great and Powerfull Trixie?" She asked.

"No, but I sure as hell will make you regret messing with my bride." Blazing glared.

"Alright." Trixie said. "I won't do anything to her. You, on the other hoof, Trixie will have fun with." Her horn flashed red as her magic engulfed Blazing. He felt the enrgy surround him as he lost controll of his body. Chocolate gasped when he fell to the ground, his wings were gone making him just a yellow and orange zebra. She flew down to his side embracing him with her wings and forlegs.

He looked up at Trixie, his eyes wide with shock when he noticed the necklace she was wearing. He looked at Chocolate, fear now filled his eyes. "Chocolate," he whispered. "you go find someplace to hide and don't let anypony see you, not even me, untill things calm down."

"I'm not goi.."

"Do it! Trixie's not herself right now and she's out of controll." She looked like she was about to protest. "Go!" She did nothin for a minute, then kissed him before she flew off in the distance. Trixie aimed her horn at Chocolate, about to strike. Blazing expected this and immediately jumped infront of her to intercept what ever spell she was about to cast. Chocolate wanted to stop and help Blazing but fallowed his wishes and flew away from the scene.

Trixie glared at Chocolate as she watched the brown pegasus fly away. She directed her glare at Blazing, now laying on the ground as though he was tied up real tight, struggling againsed his invisable bonds to no avail as Trixie walked up to him slowly. He glared up at her from the ground as she crouched down to meet his gaze.

"Where is the lucky bride?" She asked.

"Take off that necklace and I'll help you look for her." He replied.

"And just what do you know about this necklace?" She asked.

"More then you think." Trixie chuckled.

"Trixie'll ask again. Where is you fianceé going?" She glared into his eyes as hers flashed a threatening red.

"I don't know." Blazing answered after a minute.

"Don't lie to me like that!" She snapped. "Trixie knows you told her something before she flew away!" Blazing just stared her in the eye.

"Trixie, even now you can be forgiven. Take off the necklace and bring Twilight back." Blazing said calmy.

"Trixie grows tired of hearing you speek." She said as her horn lit up. Blazing's mouth was sealed by a zipper that just appeared inplace of his lips. "You'll make a fine trophy when Trixie's palace is built." Blazing struggled furiously to break free, but it was useless. Trixie's magic was to strong, especially when she wearing the alicorn amulet around her neck.

~~~

Trixie's torment carried on for the next few days as everpony was forced to redecorate the town to honor her. Red flags with Trixie's image etched on them were hung on every flag poll and window. The mayer was locked in a cage like a bird and the girls were forced to be Trixie's personal staff, dancing, making the flags, setting up a throne and Applejack was even told to grow apples without the peal.

Blazing was ment to watch the whole thing as he was now frozen in place by another spell, making him seam like a life like statue guarding the town hall Trixie was turning into her throne. The sky was filled with unnatural storm clouds trapped in the giant fish bowl keeping everypony in and Twilight out.

Trixie had left the town hall earlier with Snips and Snails pulling her on a bed fitvfor Celestia. Blazing's thoughts turned to Chocolate, hoping she was safe. He wanted to cry out, but the spell he was trapped in prevented that. His grief was soon replaced with joy when he saw Twilight back with Zecora by her side. She was wearing a grean stone necklace proudly. What is that necklace? He asked himself.

The two unicorns began another duel, Trixie starting off with the same age spell she used on Snips and Snails, this time turning them both to foals. Twilight made a come back by turning Applejack and Rarity into fillies, then made one old whith the other balanced on top of the other and various other things with the others before she turned them back to their normal age.

Blazing was awe struck, but his jaw would not drop. "I can even turn a mare into a colt." Twilight said, aiming her horn at Applejack, who started to run away, but was too late as Twilight's magic flashed around her and she was a stallion as big and musclular as Big Mac. Twilight soon turned her back to a mare, wich earned a swipe of the head with a 'fyew' from her friend.

This drove Trixie past the breaking point. Trixie snatched Twilight's amulet from her neck and removed the alicorn amulet from her own neck. Dash swooped in and took the alicorn amulet from Trixie, who shrugged as she placed the new amulet around her neck.

Blazing felt the magic holding him in place vanish and his wings back on his back where they belong. The clouds in the sky also vanished revealing a clear blue sky not seen in days. Blazing looked at Twilight with realization. She tricked Trixie into thinking the stone she had was more powerfull then the alicorn amulet so she would take it off and loose its strength.

After Twilight and the rest of the girls explained how she was able to pull off such powerfull magic Chocolate came flying in and embraced Blazing with her forlegs and a good long passionate kiss, knocking him to the ground. The two remained locked in each others embrace for a good several minutes after that.

~~~

Blazing and Chocolate were now at home, drinking hot chocolate while just listening to beautiful piano music done by The Piano Colts. They were so lost in the music, they jumped when there was a knock on the door.

Blazing got up as Chocolate transformed into her pony form. When she was ready Blazing opened the door. Who he saw made his heart stop and his stomach sink. Standing at his front door was the tall, regal white coated, colorful maned, high princess of Equestria.

"P-p-princess Celestia."

Ch. XV: Blessings

CHAPTER XV:

BLESSINGS

"Good evening, Blazing Feathers." Celestia said, smiling at the stallion as he looked up at her with an expression flooding with shock, joy, welcome, fear and 'what are you doing here'. "May I come in?" Blazing said nothing for a minute then cleared his mind by shaking his head.

"Oh! Y-yes your highness." He stepped aside, allowing the princess to enter his home. She looked at the pictures Blazing had set up on the shelves, smiling at each of them, especialy the new ones of him and Chocolate side by side. Both looked extremely happy together.

"Can I get you anything?" Blazing asked. "We have plenty of hot chocolate." Celestia broke her gaze from the picture and smiled at her host.

"No thank you." She repied. "I mearly wish to speak with you." She turned her gaze to Chocolate still sitting on the couch, and back at Blazing. "Both of you."

Blazing's heart sank. Does she know? He asked himself. Please just be here to congratulate us on our wedding and let us be together. Blazing broke a sweat on his brow. He offered to let the Princess sit on the couch, wich she turned down with thankful smile. He then sat down next to Chocolate wrapping a wing and foreleg around her shoulder.

"Blazing," Celestia began, her expression was serious and regal, "when I learned you were getting married I felt happy for you, but to whom you were marrying made me curious. You said, Chocolate was an old friend from your time in Canterlot, but I mever met her before now." Blazing felt his body starting to shake, knowing where this was going and did not like it. Chocolate raised a hoof to help comfort him, sharing his fear, but for slightly different reasons. "I did some research on Chocolate and have found nothing about her, not even records stating that she was born." Blazing's eyes went wide with fear. Celestia knew Chocolate was not one of her subjects, and that was not good. "Please be honest with me, Blazing, and tell me what you know about your fianceé."

Tears started streaming down his face as he held tight to the mare he loved. "Please don't take her from me." Blazing said, sobbing softly. "I found her in the forest badly wounded, so I took her to my mother, Zecora, to heal her and brought her here to stay while she was healing. I know I was taking a huge risk by doing that, but, you know me, I couldn't just leave her to die!" Blazing told the whole story from when they came up with her deguise to this very night. Celestia's expression never changed as she listened to them speak intently. When they finished Celestia closed her eyes and odded.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Blazing." She said looking back up at them, a caring expression in her eyes. "You understand my position and what I must do now, right?" She asked. At this Blazing and Chocolate clung tight to each other as he let out his cries.

"I won't let you take her away from me!" He sobbed.

"Blazing, please." Celestia tried to calm him down, but he continued.

"I love her, she is my fi... no... she is my wife and I will not just sit back and let you lock her up, or banish her or..."

"Blazing, calm yourse..."

"If you send her away then you send me away too. I love her and..." He was silanced by Celestia placing a gentle hoof on his moth him in her magic. She raised him up to eye level with her magic, stared into his eyes for a minute then levitated him to his origional place next to his bride.

"Blazing Feathers," she said, looking down on them in a regal and serious manner, "I'm afraid I have no choice in this matter," she paused to watch the two embrace each other in a tight hug, "...but grant you my blessing." Wide eyed the couple pulled away from each other, their forelegs still holding on to the other as they looked over at the princess dumbfounded. "And, hereby command that you take good care each other for the rest of your lives." She smiled at them.

Blazing stared at the princess, trying to process what she had just told them. After a minue a large smile covered his face as he ran up to Celestia and embraced her in a warm, thankful hug, his sobs filling her ear as she wrapped a hoof around him. "Go to her." She whispered. He looked up at her, his tear filled eyes saying 'thank you' before he turned and embraced Chocolate. As they were sharing each others joy Celestia slipped out the front door with a satisfied smile.

~~~

They next day they told the girls about the princess giving them her blessing to get married and was met with shock and joy from the news. Soon the whole town was talking about a simple citizen of a simple town getting a blessing from the Princess of Equestria herself allowing them to get married.

Blazing and Chocolate were celebrating at Sugarcube Corner by enjoying Pinkie's frieshly baked cupcakes when Rainbow Dash came flying in. "Stripes!" Blazing looked back from Chocolate, the smile on his face growing wider. "I need to talk to you." Dash said, a serious look on her face. Both Blazing and Chocolate got up and started trotting to the cyan mare. "Just you, Stripes." Blazing shook his head.

"What ever you have to say, Dash, you can say to both me and I my wife." He said. Dash started to protest. "I'm not keeping serets from her. She'll find out one way or the other." Dash let her head drop in defeat and lead them outside. When they were out of earshot from everpony she glared at him.

"Did you tell the princess the truth?" Rainbow asked.

"We confessed to her when she came to our house last night." Chocolate asnwered.

"And she still gave you her blessing?" Blazing nodded.

"I was about to have a heart attack, but yes. She knows about Chocolate and she approves." Blazing answered. Dash looked at the couple standing infront of her.

"I'm still uncomfortable with you marrying a changeling, but if the princess is cool with it I am too." Blazing smiled.

"Does this mean you would be willing to be my mare of honor?" Chocolate asked. Dash's eyes shot open wide.

"I don't know about that." She answered.

"Will you think about it, at least?" Blazing asked. Dash looked into his eyes, thinking about it in her head.

"Okay, I'll think about it." She answered after a good mnute. Tears started to stream down his face. "Oh, quit being such a marshmellow." Dash and Chocolate said in unison and voice. Dash looked over at Chocolate then smiled with a chuckle as she punched his shoulder. He let out a laugh as he missed her insults and welcomed them back with open hooves.

Ch. XVI: Attack On The Changelings

CHAPTER XVI:

ATTACK ON THE CHANGELINGS

Chocolate, in her changeling form, took a sip from her mug of hot chocolate she had just made as she sat on the couch, listening to Blazing's favourite song by The Piano Colts. Blazing was out of town helping Spark with some trouble involving some high class criminals in Canterlot. Chocolate sat up in the couch, placed her mug on the coffee table and reached for a book when she felt magic ingulf her.

She stood alone in the same abyss Chrysalis brought her to the last time she came to her, the myst was thick and the whole void was dark apart from a faint green light in the distance. "What do you want, mother?" She called to the dark void. Just then she felt Chrysalis' presence, she looked back and saw Chrysalis standing there looking tired and frightened. "Mother?"

"I need your help, my child." Chrysalis said.

"Oh, no!" Chocolate spat. "You're not going to trick me that easily. I'm not going back."

"This is no trick, it is truth." Chrysalis huffed. "In my weekened condition I can not protect our subjects and they can not last much longer against the griffons."

"Griffons?" Chocolate asked coldy. "This is a new low, even for you, mother."

"I am not lying, my daughter. Remember when we slipped into griffon territory five years ago?" Chocolate's thoughts flew back to that day. They snuck in as griffons to feed off love and when they got caught the griffons did not take it well. Ever since then griffons have been hunting changelings down to show them they ment buisness when it came to the ones they loved, and many of them still held that grudge.

"You are the only one who can help us now, seeing as how you have been well loved by your stallion friend." Chrysalis said weekly.

"You leave my fianceé out of this!" Chocolate spat, this earned a raised brow from Chrysalis. "Yes, he and I are getting married and there's no way I am going back to the life I had before he saved me."

"I don't have time for this, you must come to our aid, my child, or we will die. You'll find us in a cave on the mountain side in the Everfree Forest. Please, my child. Save us." Chocolate began to speek when Chrysalis faded into the dark myst then she felt the myst surround her and pull her away from her place.

Chocolate blinked, gasping for air as she found herself once again in her home on the couch. She looked up from the coffee table to one of the pictures on the shelf to her right, she and Blazing standing side by side as she wore her necklace proudly to show her engagement to Blazing. If it were Blazing in her position right now he would at the very least check to see if anything was realy happening.

She got to her hooves and transformed into her pony form as she trotted out the front door, closing it behind her and taking off over the Everfree. She flew for a few minutes over the trees until she came up to the mountain, she shifted her eyes so she could see better and sure enough there were griffons flying around the side of the mountain, swooping down at a cave opening.

"She wasn't lying." She told herself. She then shifted her form to Princess Celestia and flew in toward the attackers. The griffons never noticed her while she charged, she flapped her wings once to kick her hind legs forward and bucked an unsuspecting griffon in the back sending him falling toward the ground.

Two griffons turned at the sound of one of their comrades being attack, she punched one in the face then bucked the other in the gut. By now she had gathered the attention of the others, who charged at her only to have blasts of green magical energy collide with them. After her initial attack most of the griffons flew away from the 'princess' while only a few were domb enough to stay and fight.

The lead griffon charged the 'princess' as he screeched, his claws out stretched toward his target. She ducked under him only to be scratched by another griffon that came in from the side. She let out a scream of pain at the battle scar but quickly regained herself and struck the second with an energy blast. After that comeback he retreated with the rest leaving only the lead.

He dared to smirk at her, his eyes saying 'this'll be fun' as she took an aggressive pose in the air. "Don't be a fool." She said. "Fly away with your comrades and no more harm will come from this." The griffon just snorted and charged at the 'princess' and swung a claw at her wings. She folded her wings to her side letting herself drop a few feet before opening them again and blasting green magic at the griffons belly as she flew back up.

The blast to his gut was the last one, he fell to the forest through the trees and out of sight. Chocolate watched as her defeated opponent fell limp into the Everfree. She then looked up to the cave the griffons were attacking, changelings were staring at her from the cave as she hovered in place. Knowing full well they knew who she was she flew off back toward Ponyville.

When she got a safe distance from the mountai she reverted back to her pony form before reaching the edge of the forest and heading back to the house. She opened the door and trotted inside and used a portion of her magic on the house to help protect it from changelings. It was not much, but it would help.

~~~

Chocolate lay in the king sized bed Blazing bought for them shortly after he proposed, reading a book in her solitude. The sound of the front door opening and closing drew her attention from the book. "Sweetheart, I'm home!" She closed the book, set it on the nightstand and bolted out of the room, down the stairs and jumped onto Blazing, wrapping her forelegs around his neck as she locked their lips in a long, sweet, passionate kiss.

"You're late." she stated flatly after pulling away from him.

"I missed you, too." He replied. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"I saved my mother and her subjects from an attack by griffons." Blazing blinked.

She told him everything that happened two days ago as they trotted over to the kitchen, from the message she got from Chrysalis to the point where she flew back to Ponyville. When she was finished Blazing just stared at her in awe as she sat a kettle up to make some hot chocolate, she looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"What?" She asked.

"You went and saved the others from a griffon attack?" He asked.

"Yes?" She replied. There was silence in the air for a minute before Blazing walked up and pulled her into a loving hug, tears escaping his eyes.

"I am so proud of you." He said in her ear.

"What for? All I did was stop those griffons from killing my kind." She said.

"Exactly." He said. "You told me the last time you were contacted by Chrysalis you told her you would never go back to her. And now they get attacked by griffons and you go to save them." She smiled at him and pulled him into another kiss.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you, too, my beautiful changeling."

~~~

Chrysalis lay deep in the cave alone as she had sent her subjects off, even the more wounded ones, to go and feed off love. She turned at the sound of fluttering wings and one of them land on the ground next to her, appearing recharged and ready for action.

"Is everything ready?" She asked.

"Not quiet yet, my queen." He replied. "The heavily wounded are still regaining their strength, but many are ready for your command."

"Good." She replied. "As soon as the others are ready, proceed with the plan." She got to her hooves and walked toward the cave opening.

"If I may, my Queen, where are you going?" He asked.

"To find a new hiding place. My daughter knows where we are and we can not risck some other pony finding out." She replied. She looked back at him with a stern look, he bowed his head to her. "Go and finish your mission." She hissed.

"Yes, my queen." He replied and flew off from the cave into the distance. Chrysalis watched her subject as he vanished into the dark of the night then flew off herself into the Everfree Forest.

Chapter XVII: The Kidnap

CHAPTER XVII:

THE KIDNAP

Blazing and Chocolate were laying on the new king sized bed in their room fast asleep, Blazing's frolegs wrapped around Chocolate as her back was against his stomach. The alarm clock went of at six o'clock, waking them up to a brand new day. Blazing reached over his fianceé and shut the alarm off. He started to pull his hoof back when it was snatched by her own holy hoof.

"No you don't." She said, keeping his foreleg wrapped around her. He smiled at this as she turned her head to face him, a proud smile on her own face as she reached up to kiss him. He welcomed her kiss as it reminded him of the night before. A moment they wanted to save untill after they were married, but the mood was perfect and their feelings were overwelming, making the outcome inevitable.

When she pulled away from him, he tightened his forlegs around her. "Good morning, sweetheart." He said.

"Good morning, shmoopy doo." She replied, earning an annoyed sigh filled with a deep blush in his cheeks. She adopted the new pet name a few days ago and although she did not use it regularly she loved the reaction she got from him when she did.

He reached down and kissed her again this time she refused to let him go, wrapping a hoof around the back of his head to keep their lips locked untill she was satisfied. He pulled away from her lips, looking her in the eye with a proud smile. "Two more weeks, my love. Two weeks." She slid her hoof over his cheek.

"And every moment of waighting is agonizing." She said, steeling one more kiss from him. Everything for their wedding was ready exept for one thing, her dress and his suit, and that is what today was for. They did not have to leave for at least another hour, so they stayed locked in each others forelegs for the next fifteen minutes before getting up and ready to go to the Carousel Boutique.

~~~

"No!" Rarity snapped. "I will not allowed you to see your bride in her dress before your big day."

"Rarity, aren't you over reacting?" Blazing asked.

"Over reacting? Don't you know it's bad luck to see your bride in her dress before the wedding?" Rarity asked. Blazing was about to speek up but Rarity raised a hoof. " Not another word. Please, wait in the other room untill I am done." Blazing looked to Chocolate for some back up.

"I think you should wait, honey. I want to see the surprise on your face." Blazing sighed as he dropped his head in defeat then looked over to Rarity with a serious look.

"You be gentle with my wife." He said, then turned and trotted off into the next room, the curtains closed behind him.

Rarity turned to face Chocolate, her horn glowing and her red reading glasses placed perfectly on the bridge of her nose as a note pad and pen levitated in front of her. "Now, what shall it be, darling? The traditional white, or did the two of you have something else in mind?"

"Actualy, Blazing and I were thinking of something yellow." Chocolate answered. "To match his coat and my mane." Rarity looked up from her pad in a slight shock. As if reading her next question, Chocolate said. "Blazing thought of it." Rarity's eyes shot open wide.

"Iddeeeaaaa!" She sing-songed as she levitated rolls of cloth and other fabric tools. A tape measure wraped itself around Chocolate's waist, hooves and various other places as Rarity wrote down the measurements on her pad. After a while of cutting, sewing and adjusting Rarity stepped back from Chocolate with a satisfied smile on her face.

The dress fit perfectly on Chocolate. It was yellow, like she asked, with white lining, a frilled drape and a long vaile with flowers and her mane was done up in a bun much like Fluttershy's when she posed for Photo Finish. Chocolate looked at her reflectiin in the mirror, tears streaming down her face as she admired the fashionista's work. "Oh, Rarity..." she said through slight sobs. "... it's beautiful!" She turned and embraced Rarity in a hug.

Rarity let Chocolate enjoy her new dress for a minute before taking it off so she could store it for later. When the dress was put away Rarity opened the curtains to find Blazing looking out the window on the other side of the room. He turned to them then grabbed a yellow suit and held it up to be seen.

"How's this suit?" He asked. Rarity came up to look at the suit. It was yellow like his coat, wich Rarity noted. It had two tails, a whit button up shirt and there was an orange bowtie. "I think the button shirt should be orange, too." He added.

"Blazing, I am surprised on your tast in fashion." She said with a look of approval at his choice. "But you do need a larger size." Blazing did have a muscular build, his daily exercise, flying and active history helped with that.

Rarity's horn lit up and the measuring tape flew around him while the suite he was holding flew out of his grasp and onto a rack perfectly. Rarity made all the necessary measurements of Blazing's physique as she took down notes on her pad then smiled up at him.

"Okay, darling," she said, "everything will be ready for you when your wedding day arrives."

"Thank you, Rarity." Blazing and Chocolate said in unison. The two gave Rarity a hug before heading out of the boutique to spend the rest of the day together.

Blazing and Chocolate left the Boutique with smiles on their faces, thanking Rarity for her hard work. Now it was time for lunch. They trotted happily down the road, greeted by everypony that saw them. They arrived at a restaurant Twilight recommended, ordered some simple sandwiches and enjoyed their meal. When they finished their meal they simply went on a joy flight over the town and in the clouds. Their flight lasted for the rest of the day before they flew back home.

[cente]~~~Chocolate found herself alone in the dark void that her mother placed her mind in two times before yet again. She looked around, filled with annoyance and anger, to find her mother but saw no sign of her.

"Unless you need my help again, I would like to get back to my fianceé!" She called. Then she saw the dark form of her mother walking toward her. She glared at her mother waiting for her to speak. "Well?"

"Your words hurt me, my child," Chrysalis said, her voice dark and cold, "but this has to come to an end."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Chocolate asked.

"It is time for you to come home. No more of this love for the stallion." Chrysalis said.

"I thought I made it clear, I'm not going back." Chocolate counted.

"You have no choice, my daughter. Your subjects need you." Chrysalis began to vanish in the myst. Chocolate called out to her, but she was soon engulfed in the same myst.

She found herself back in the bathroom, two changelings standing on either side of her. They grabbed her by the hooves and dragged her toward the window. She struggled to break free, but these changelings were strong, stronger then she was, wich was not right. What's going on? She asked herself. When she could not breack free of their hold she let out with all her vocal strength, "BLAZING!!!"

~~~

Blazing was sitting on the couch in the livingroom waiting for Chocolate to come back from upstairs. She had been up there for a few minutes before he started to get a little worried. He got to his feet and began to walk toward the stairs and heard something that made his heart stop.

"BLAZING!!!"

Blazing bolted up the stairs and busted down the door to the bathroom just in time to see two changelings carrying Chocolate out the window. "Chocolate!" He screamed as he ran to catch them, but he was too late. He poked his head out the window as the changlings flew toward the Everfree Forest. He jumped out the window and flew after them and he was not going to stop until he got his fianceé back.

Chapter XVIII: The Search

CHAPTER XVIII:

THE SEARCH

Rainbow Dash was relaxing on a small cloud having just finished some flying practice to try and impress the Wonderbolts. She stretched her forlegs out and placed them under her head as she layed back, closing her eyes, ready for a good long nap.

"BLAZING!!!"

Dash's eyes shot open as she sprang up from her comfortable spot on the cloud. She looked for the source of the scream, knowing who the screamed belonged to. "That was Chocolate!" She flew down toward Blazing's house and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw two changelings carrying a third toward the forest with Bazing flying after them.

Part of her wanted to let the changelings take Chocolate away, but Blazing loved Chocolate and she would not hear the end of it if she was able to help and chose not to. "Horse feathers! Why did I have to be the Element Of Loyalty?!" She asked herself as she took off full speed to the changelings. She was about to come up and buck the one on the left in the face but was intercepted by another changeling as it hissed at her. She gasped, but quickly got to the offensive as she dove underneath and bucked him in the back. She was about to resume her chace, but more changelings surrounded her.

Blazing was flying fast enough to leave an unseen trail of smoke behind him. He was close enough now that he could reached up to reclaim Chocolate from the changelings but was pulled away by a pair of hooves. He looked back to see another changeling had him by the hind legs screeching at him. "Get the hell off me!" He showted as he broke free of the changeling and bucked him clean in the nose.

He looked up and saw the changelings had almost reached the forest, Chocolate tried to breack free, but it was useless as more of the changelings came to aid in her hold while others moved to stop Blazing. He tried to get around the changelings but there were too many. When The changelings carrying Chocolate vanished in the forest, the rest flew after them.

Blazing started flying into the forest when he heard Rainbow call him. He looked up at her, both sadness and determination in his eyes. "Blazing hold on." Blazing blinked. Dash had not called him Blazing since they first met when they were foals. He bolted toward the forest without a word. He heard Rainbow call out to him but he would have none of it. His fianceé was just taken away by changelings and now Rainbow called him by his real name.

He flew through the trees for what seemed like hours with no sign of the changelings. He took a moment to stop and take in a deep breath to relax himself. He remembered from his training that in situations like this you must have a clear mind. Just then he heard some rustling in the leaves behind him. He took a defensive position, ready to strike what ever it was coming for him and saw Rainbow Dash pop out of the trees.

"There you are." She said, looking relieved as she flew closer to him. Blazing flew right into her, knocking her back as he pinned her to the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Where is she?!" He asked.

"What the... Stripes, it's me!" She said trying to breack free.

"Then tell me, who is my father?" He asked, keeping his hold on her.

"What? Stripes, y..."

"Answere the quesrion!" He snapped, keeping his voice sturn but quiet.

"Your dad is Winter Breeze." She answered.

"Not the one who married Autumn!" In all of Equestria, apart from himself and his adopted mother, there was only two ponies who knew who his biological father was. He told Rainbow shortly before Spitfire became captain of the Wonderbolts and made her swear on pain of torture and death she would not tell anypony or do anything crazy about it.

"Sunlight Skies." She answered quietly after calming down. Bazing slowly and cautiously let her up. She sat up and brushed herself off as she glared at Blazing. "What was that all about?" She asked.

"You called me Blazing back there." He answered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked.

"You never call me by my real name." He answered.

"I do sometimes." She countered.

"Not enough to make me think you weren't a changeling that helped kidnap my fianceé and try to stop me from finding them." He replied.

"I was trying to help you!" She half shouted.

"Then help me by finding my wife and get her back home safely!" He barcked.

"She's not your wife, Stripes." She said.

"It's close enough to the wedding, and I don't care. You can come with me or go back to nap on a cloud, but I'm going to save Chocolate before the queen does something that will keep us apart forever!" He started to fly off when Rainbow placed a hoof on his shoulder. He looked back at her to see an expression of pain in her eyes. He blinked, realizing what he just said.

"Since when have I ever betrayed you?" She asked. "I may have left when I first found out about her, but... I never betrayed you. I wanted to tell the princess and the others so badly, but you told me not to and Pinkie Pie made me Pinkie promise and even if she didn't I would never betray you or any of my friends like that." Blazing started to tear up at Dash's words. He knew she was telling the truth. He reached up and hugged the cyan mare as she returned the embrace.

She pushed him to legslength and smiled at him. "Let's go get your wife back." She said. He nodded his head and they took off into the trees.

~~~

Chocolate struggled against the changelings strong grip. How did they get so strong? She asked herself. They flew through the trees for several long minutes before coming to an opening in the forest. Chocolate looked around to see the area filled with changelings, most of them almost fully recovered from the day of the royal wedding. They all got to their hooves and gave a long bow to her as the two holding her carried her to the end of the camp and dropped her on the ground. She scrambled to her hooves and looked around untill her eyes met the queens. Chrysalis was stamding tall, her wounds fully healed and her gaze filled with both disappointment and accomplishment. She smiled at Chocolate before opening her mouth to speek.

"SHUT UP!" Chocolate snapped. Chrysalis' smile vanished. "First of all, how could the others posibly be stronger then me? I've been feeding off good, strong, real love! How?"

"My daughter..." Chrysalis began again.

"DON'T you, my duaghter, me! You just took me away from my family and I want to know how are your subjects are stronger then me?" Chrysalis stared Chocolate down.

"I cast a spell on you to make sure your subjects had no trouble getting you back to your real family." Chrysalis answered.

"NO!" Chocolate barcked.

"You must except the turth child. You are, not only a changeling, but the Princess of the Changelings and you must take your rightfull place once again at my side untill it is time for you to be queen."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Chocolate snapped, causing her subjects to cringe at her burning anger. The queen stared at her with increasing disappointment.

"Oh, my duaghter. Too long have you been poisoned by that tallions..."

"His name is Blazing Feathers!" Chocolate interrupted. The queen began to protest but Chocolate would not be silenced until she spoke out what she needed to say. "He is a pegasus pony from Ponyville and he is the kindest, most loving and most caring I have ever met in my entire life! He found me lost in the forest, wounded and left alone unprotected and took me in to be healed regardless of what I was. He loves me and I love him and I will spend the rest of my life with him." She paused looking at the scene of confused changelings looking at her and turned to face her mother. "I will go back to spend the rest of my life with him and there is 'nothing' you can do to stop me!"

She bolted toward the trees to where she came from, but was intercepted by the changelings. The queen ordered them to bring her to her, wich they did faithfully. They held her in place infront of the queen as her horn began to glow a menacing green. Chocolate struggled even harder to breack free, but it was no use.

"Calm yourself, my child." Chrysalis said as she stepped closer. "Soon you will forget all about that stallion and the lies he's poisoned you with." She aimed her horn at Chocolate as she struggled even harder to break free. The magic on Chrysalis' horn grew bighter as she was about to cast a spell.

~~~

Blazing and Rainbow flew through the trees searching left and right to see if there was any sign of a changeling armada, but there was no sign of them. A few times they flew up over the trees to see if they could find anything but to no avail. They were now back on the ground continueing their search when Blazing heard something in the distance. It sounded like somepony was giving a speech about how somepony was the kindest pony they had ever met.

"That's Chocolate." Blazing said as he fallowed the sound. Soon the speech was replaced with struggling, making his heart sink as he kept on fallowing the noise. He came to a clearing in the forest filled with changelings as a few of them held one infront of the queen agaist her will. Blazing's heart stopped as he saw the queen aim her glowing green horn at Chocolate saying she would soon forget all about him. He bolted through the bushes with full force as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"NO!"

Chapter XIX: The Rescue

CHAPTER XIX:

THE RESCUE

Rainbow Dash was flying through the forest searching for any sign of the changelings that took her friends fianceé. She and Blazing got separated nearly fifteen minutes ago. I hope Stripes is having better luck then I am. She thought to herself.

She landed on the ground to get under some thick vines hanging from the trees when she heard a noise coming from the bushes. She stopped dead in her tracks as she leaned back raising her forhooves in a hoof fighting position. "Show yourself!" She commanded. "I ain't scared o' ya!"

The rustling in the bushes continued as Dash frantically searched the bushes for the sorce. "Come outa there!" She commanded again.

"Oh, put a sock in it, cous." Said a familiar voice as a deep blue pegasus poked his head through the bushes. Dash's eyes lit up with joy as she embrace Spark Storm in her forelegs.

"How've you been, Sparky?" She asked. Spark returned the hug briefly before pushing her at hooves lenth.

"Nevermind that right now," he said, a serious look on his face, "we have to get to Blazing before we loose him." Rainbow looked concern now.

"Stripes? Were is he? What happened t..." She was cut off short by his hoof.

"He will die if we don't get to the changelings hide out now!" Spark said.

"Then what are we waitng for?!" The two took off into the trees, Rainbow fallowed as Spark jumped from branch to branch.

They ventured through the forest for several minutes before they heard Blazing's voice echo through the trees fallowed by struggle filled with grunts, crashes and magical blasts. They fallowed the noise untlil it died down and a familiar, menacing female voice was heard.

"This way!" Spark called as he bolted through a wall of leaves. Dash flew through the same place and saw lightning bolts flying at a small army of changelings with Blazing laying on the ground infront of Queen Chrysalis.

~~~

The queen aimed her glowing green horn at Chocolate as she was being held in place by two other changelings. Blazing's heart skipped a beat as he saw the scene unfold. He bolted out of his place in the trees charging the changelings.

"Get the hell away from her!" He screamed. The queen and the changelings looked back at the pegasus and she gave them the order to stop him and they all charged at him. He jumped over two changelings, bucking them on the top of their heads with his hind legs and flew straight for Chocolate and the queen.

The queen Ignited her horn again, aiming it at the pegasus. Chocolate screamed 'No!' as a flash of green energy shot for Blazing. He dodged the blast to his right as be kept flying for them. The queen aimed again toward his head forcing him to dive to the ground. He landed and proceeded to run, using his wings to move faster then his normal run. The queen grinned as she aimed the next blast toward his feet when he landed, the blast forced Blazing off his feet as he fell face first into the ground. Chocolate stared at the pegasus she was going to marry laying on the ground not moving and gasped when he stird.

"Bring him to me!" Chrysalis ordered. The changelings surrounded Blazing, two of them picking him up by his forelegs and dragged him to their queen. Blazing groaned as he lifted his head up to his fianceé with a week smile. A changeling grabbed Blazing by his mane and pulled his head upto face the queen.

"So, you're the one who stole my daughter and poisoned her to thinking you realy care for her." She said, menacingly. "Go on. Tell her the truth. Tell her the only reason you took her in was to hold her prisoner." Blazing smiled at the queen.

"Nice to meet you too, mother." He said. The queen blinked. "And a few months ago, you were both right and wrong." Chrysalis stared at him angrily. "I was terrified of her because she is a changeling, but she was hurt and needed help, and in the time it took for her to heal I fell in love with her and to this moment I would gladly give my life for her." Chocolate teared up at his statement as Chrysalis glared at him.

"Even so you have done well in feeding my daughter with your love. We have no further use of you." Chocolate glanced back at her mother with panic in her eyes.

"No!" She screamed. Chrysalis aimed her horn at Blazing just as the area lit up with lightning bolts that targeted the changelings holding him, blasting them into the air. As soon as he was free Blazing bucked one of the changelings holding Chocolate. With her one hoof free Chocolate punched the other in the face nocking him back off his hooves.

Blazing turned his back to the queen and bucked her in the chest, nocking her back with a grunt then looked up to see Spark using his wings of lightning to strike at the changelings before turning to look at them.

"Blazing, Run!" Spark shouted as Rainbow came up beside them. Blazing looked over at Chocolate, who looked between Spark and her mother before taking off with Blazing and Dash into the trees. They flew through the trees not looking back untill they reached the edge of the forest.

Bazing looked at Chocolate, who was still in her changeling form and embraced her, their lips met in a passionate kiss. They pulled away when they heard some rustling from the trees, they looked toward the forest to find Spark gliding from the tree tops and landing with effertless motion. Blazing ran up and hugged his old friend patting him on the back before pulling away and hoof bumping him.

"How've you been, Spark." Blazing asked, a proud smile on his face.

"Blaze," Spark said, with a concerned look on his face, "I'd love to talk but..."

"The town is asleep and you're here, why can't we talk a little?" Blazing asked.

"Because the changelings are mounting an attack on the town!"

Chapter XX: Love And Loss

CHAPTER XX:

LOVE AND LOSS

Spark went to Ditzy's home and told her to gather all the pegasi with Rainbow Dash in Poyville and Cloudsdale while Blazing and Chocolate gathered with Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy to wake up the whole town and prepare for an attack.

The whole town was gathering at town hall, tired and wondering what was going on. The crowd was whispering to one another as time went on before Twilight stepped up on the stage. She began to explain the situation to everypony when Blazing turned to Chocolate and kissed her. She leaned into the kiss, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. He pulled from her and stared into her eyes, a look of fear in his eyes.

"Chocolate, marry me right now." He said. She blinked.

"Blaze, this isn't the time." She said, both joy and concern in her eyes.

"Chocolate, we don't know what's going to happen today. Chrysalis is coming for you and we may never get to see each other again if she gets to you, so please. Marry me here and now infront of the town with our friends at our side." Chocolate looked into his tear filled eyes, tears filling her own eyes. "Please." Chocolate started sobbing as she nodded her head.

"okay." She whispered. Blazing smiled and kissed her before he looked up. A few ponies were looking their way, looks of shock on some of their faces while others looked pleased and joyfull to their commitment. Twilight was still up on stage instrucking everpony on what to do to prepare when Blazing and Chocolate flew up on stage and interrupted Twilight.

"Where's the mayer?" He asked, looking down at the crowd. "Maye Mare, we need you up here right now." He looked down as a single earth pony with a grey mane walked through the crowd to the stage.

"Yes, I'm here, how can I help you?" The mayer asked, smiling up at them. Twilight leaned up to Blazing.

"What are you doing? We're in the middle of a crisis here!" She whispered in his ear. He helped the mayer up onto the stage and looked back at Twilight.

"Chocolate and I are getting married right now." He said aloud for the whole room to hear earning a bit of whisperes coming from the crowd. Blazing looked around the room and saw Rainbow hovering in place. "Dash, I'm sure Spark is outside. Go get him in here." Dash nodded once with a smile then turned to fly out an open window. She soon came back in with Spark flying behind her toward the stage. Upon seeing Spark flying into the building the crowd began rambling. Blazing was sure he heard a few ponies saying 'what is he doing here' 'that monster' and 'monster hunter'.

The mayer turned to look at Blazing with a look of confusion. "Spark is my best colt, mayer." He ansered her before she could ask. She started to protest but Blazing raised a hoof to silence her. "Mayer, this is very important to me and Chocolate. Please, let it go for now and perform the wedding." The mayer looked at him like she wanted to protest but she soon smiled as she nodded her head. She walked past them so she could face the crowd, Blazing and Chocolate stood on either side of her facing each other with Spark standing beside Blazing and Dash beside Chocolate.

The crowd began to speak out against Spark being in town and walk away but all of the younger groups stopped them. Ditzy, the Crusaders and several others included. Blazing even heard Fluttershy protest against everypony walking out on a wedding, especially because of one outcast. "We better hurry here." Rainbow said.

"She's right, the changelings are coming." Spark added.

When the crowd quieted, the mayer spoke up to be heard. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here at this time to witness the marriege of Blazing Feathers and Chocolate." She turned to Chocolate with a smile on her face. "Do you, Chocolate, take Blazing to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Yes!" Chocolate answered without hesitation and tears in her eyes. The mayer then turned to Blazing.

"And do you, Blazing, take Chocolate to be your lawfully wedded wife?" She asked.

"Not only to death, but to the ends of the earth." He answered.

"And do you have the ring?" Thd mayer asked. Blazing and Chocolate frowned, she did not even have her necklace to give to him so he could wrap it around her neck.

"Hey!" Came a cheery voice from the crowd. "Don't worry, Feathers! I got your back!" Pinkie called out from the crowd. Soon the crowd cleared a path and three fillies came bouning up to the stage. The Crusaders, with the help of a few ponies at the front of the crowd, climbed up onto the stage, they each were holding a pink pillow with the necklace laying neatly on top of it.

Blazing smiled, silently thanking his pink energetic friend as he took the necklace and wrapped it around Chocolate's neck. The two faced each other once again as the Crusaders stepped behind Chocolate.

"If any believes these two should not be married, then speak now or forever hold your peace." The mayer said and waited for just amoment before speaking again. "Then, I now pronounce this couple stallion and wife." Blazing and Chocolate did not wait for Mayer Mare to finish before leening into each other in a passionate kiss. The whole room exploded with cheers and applause causing the floor to vibrate.

Blazing and Chocolate looked out over the crowd, smiling with tears in their eyes as they waved their hooves at everypony. Blazing looked up and saw the light of the sun peeking through the window.

"Okay everypony!" He called. "Fallow Twilight's instructions and let's go!"

~~~

Queen Chrysalis stood in the bushes at the edge of the Everfree Forest glaring at the small peacefull town. The town was quiet, all the lights were off and there was no noise through out the town. She looked left and right and saw her subjects standing at the ready, waiting for her command.

She looked up to see Celestia was raising the sun to start the day and flew up into the open toward the town. "Find my daughter and that stallion!" She ordered and the changelings flew toward the town, screeching and hissing as they flew. They spread across the town breaking windows and blasting signs with blasts of green energy.

Soon in their assault the clouds started covering the town, blanketing the sky in a deep grey canvas. The town lit up with life as the towns ponies charged the changelings, the unicorns blasted the changelings with enegy of all colors lead by Twilight and Rarity while Pinkie and Applejack lead the rest in takling and bucking the changelings. Blazing, Chocolate and Rainbow came flying down with all of the pegasi as the clouds they had just placed in the sky started a downpour of rain on the town.

Chrysalis spotted the yellow pegasus in the crowd of pegasi and flew straight for him but was cut off by a lightning bolt. She looked down, knowing full well who could have cast that bolt and she spotted a single dark blue pegasus standing on top of the town hall with an 'I don't think so' smirk on his face as his wings sparkled with lightning.

She began to charge the pegasus with full force but was knocked out of the sky by Blazing ramming into her back. She looked back and saw Blazing glaring at her as he used his wings to push her to the ground.

"I said it before!" He yelled through the roar of the wind mixed with the rain. "Stay the hell away from my family, Mother!" They came crashing to the ground, knocking the air out of Chrysalis as she hit the ground first. Blazing sat up on Chrysalis, staring at her as she regained her breath. "I'll let you go if you leave right now and never come back!" Chrysalis caughed and glared at Blazing.

"I will leave when I bring my daughter back to her throne!" She turned her head to Blazing and a flash of green light from her horn sent him flying back. He landed on his back and quickly scrambled to his hooves and looked up to find the queen aiming her horn at him again. The blast of green energy nearly hit him as he took to the sky, bucking a few changelings that tried to attack him. He dodged another blast of green energy aimed at him by the queen.

Blazing flew in, dodging energy blasts as he charged his mother-in-law again. They collided into each other and began swinging hooves at each other. Blazing barely got any hit on Chrysalis as she blocked all his blowes and countered with a cross over. She swung at him again hitting him in the face, knocking him to the ground. She stepped over him, iluminating her horn with green light as she aimed it at him.

"I don't think so!" Came a voice from over head. Chrysalis looked up at the last second to see a cyan pegasus crash into her. "Don't you dare hurt my best friend!" Rainbow called as she swung a hoof toward the queen. She never came in contact with the Chrysalis as a changeling crashed into her, freeing Chrysalis from her attacker.

Chrysalis quickly scrambled to her feet and saw Blazing standing a few feet away from her, a smile on his face. He was bruised and cut up from a few changelings that attacked him while she was hit by Rainbow. "What are you smiling at, pegasus?!" He let at a chuckle as he spat blood to the ground.

"I was just thinking. This is my first fight with my mother-in-law and I only just married your daughter this morning." Chrysalis blinked.

"I am 'not' you mother-in-law and she is 'never' going to be your wife!" She snapped. "She is Princess if the Changelings and shall soon take my place as Queen!" She charged at Blazing, her horn glowing as she shot blasts of energy at him, blasting him in the chest and making him fall on his back.

Blazing gasped as he looked up to the queen as she slowly approached him, a smile on her face as her horn continued to glow. "I'll admit you have done better then any other pony that stood against me, but now you must die." Blazing tried to move but he winced with pain in his back. Looking up at the queen, he closed his eyes and braced himself for the blast.

"NOOO!" Came a scream. He heard hoofsteps coming from behind, a blast of magical energy and the sound of somepony splashing in the mud. He opened his eyes to see a flash of green light and a changeling laying infront of him. He took a closer look at the changeling, his heart stopped as he saw a necklace wrapped with diamonds shaped like a flaming wing and a golden heart around her neck. He gasped as his jaw dropped and tears streamed down his face when he saw the changeling laying before him. He looked up at the queen, a look of horror, disbalief and shock in her eyes as she stared at the changeling on the ground.

Anger burned inside of him, his body shaking with the rage building up. Chrysalis looked up at him, her expression replaced with pure horror and fear as she saw him. He pushed himself to his hooves, his eyes never leaving the queen. Blazing's wings were glowing, the rain turning to steam with each drop.

"Y-your wings..." Chrysalis stammered. "... they're... w-what are you?" Blazing never answered, he just glared at with queen, his eyes burning with pure rage. He slowly stepped toward Chrysalis, she backed away untill she bumped into a wall behind her. Blazing continued his approach, his wings outstretched with the rain evaporating into steam as they landed.

A changeling landed on top of Blazing in an attempt to stop him before he got to the queen, but as soon as he touched Blazing's wings he sreamed out in pain as his hooves were severely burned and Blazing whirled around to buck the changeling in the nose. When Chrysalis saw her subjects burns as he lay on the ground in pain her fear escalated. Blazing was now right infront of her, glaring into her eyes like he was about to burn her soul.

"Get... the hell... out of my town!" Blazing said through gritted teeth. Blazing lowered his right wing toward Chrysalis' left foreleg, she screamed in pain as he held it there, burning her shelly flesh with his wing for a few seconds before removing it. She gasped from the burning pain as she looked down to her foreleg, a burn mark shaped like feathers permanently imprinted where Blazing touched her. She looked up st him with tears in her eyes as he glared at her, breathing through gritted teeth.

"Let this serve as a reminder to you. If I 'ever' find out you decided to show your face around here again, or sent any of your subjects to keep an eye on us, the next time I won't be as gentle."

Chrysalis looked into his eyes for a few seconds before taking flight, ordering her subjects to stand down and retreat and they all left for the Everfree Forest. It was not until after the last of the changelings were gone before Blazing turned to the only changeling left in the town, the one laying silent in the mud. He slowly walked up to the body as the pegasi cleared the sky, allowing the sun to shine down on the town.

Blazing layed down beside Chocolate, his eyes filled with tears as he made no effert to hide his sobs. He let his head drop down and layed his chin on his quiet wife as he let his cries fill the air and everypony gathered around, a few sharing his tears while the rest remained quiet.

It was over. The changelings were gone and another loved one was lost to time.

Epilogue: You'll Be In My Heart

EPILOGUE:

YOU'LL BE IN MY HEART

Five Years Later

The alarm clock went off at six AM, signaling the start of a new day as Blazing reached out his hoof to shot off the larm. He sat up with a groan as he stretched his wings and forelegs as let out a loud yawn. He got out of the bed and proceeded down the hall into the bathroom where he to a quick hot shower, brushed his teeth and preened his feathers.

When he was done he took a closer look at his reflection and could swear he saw some grey strands of hair in his mane. He shrugged it off and left the bathroom down the hall, through the living room and into the kitchen where he made some toast.

He looked up at the calendar and saw all the days marked off except for today, the sixth. It was five years ago today that he married Chocolate before the changelings attacked. Tears started to stream down his face as he relived the events of that horrible day.

He finished his simple breackfast and started for the door and when he opened it Rainbow Dash was standing outside with her hoof raised like she was about to knock. She was a deep blue jacket with badges pinned on the pockets and a proud smile on her face. "Hey, Stripes." She chirped.

"Dash!" Blazing cheered as he embraced his old friend. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Manehatton training with the Wonderbolts right now?"

"I'm on my vacation." She replied. "I wanted to come and check up on you. How've you been?"

"Great." Blazing replied with a proud smile. "I was just heading out to the station. You wanna come?"

"Aw, yeah!" Rainbow answered. Blazing stept out of his new cottage and closed the door behind him then the two took off toward the Canterlot Train Station.

The station was scarcely filled with ponies when Blazing and Raindow arrived, except a few buisness ponies, who checked their hoof watches to see what the time was. Blazing glanced up at a clock on the wall, six-fourty-five. Anyminute now the train would be arriving at the station with its passengers and take the ponies waiting to their destinations.

"You excited, Stripes?" Rainbow asked, nudging Blazing in the shoulder. He rolled his eyes at the nickname then he smiled at her with a nod.

"I've been waiting for over a week now, Dash. You can bet your Wonderbolt Uniform I am excited." He replied. The sound of grinding mettle filled the distance, growing louder, signalling the train was getting closer.

The train pulled into the station and came to a stop with the sound of grinding mettle then the doors opened and several ponies trotted out of the carts as the buisness ponied boarded the train. Blazing and Dash looked through the crowd until he pointed a hoof to the cart to their left. They trotted over through the crowd toward the cart. Two pegasi, a mare and a young filly about four years old fallowed by four young mares came trotting out of the cart.

The filly was yellow with a brown mane, she was quite cheery and filled with energy. She saw Blazing and bursted into a run toward him. "DADDY!" The filly chided. Blazing sat on his haunches holding his forelegs out as his daughter bounced into him nearly knocking him down.

"There's daddy's little girl!" He said, kissing her on the cheek and hugging her tightly. " I missed you so much!" When Blazing let his daughter go, she looked up at Dash and bounced up into her forelegs.

"Hi, aunt Dashy!" She said.

"Hey, Cream." Raindow replied, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, Blazing!" The three mares called out. Blazing smiled to each of them.

"Hey Crusaders." Blazing replied. "Have you three been staying out of trouble?"

"Like always!" Scootaloo answered as she bolted to Rainbow and Cream, hugging Dash around the neck. Blazing then looked over to the last mare he had not yet greeted. She had her brown mane done back in a ponytail and wore her necklace with the red flaming wing and golden heart shining on her blue coat.

"Hey, sweetheart." He said with a proud smile.

"Hi, Shmoopy Doo." She replied. Chocolate laughed at Blazing as his cheeks flushed red to the nickname. "I never tire of that!"

"Oh, shut up and c'mere!" Blazing pulled her into a hug as he kissed her.

~~~

Shortly after the changelings left Ponyville five years ago. Blazing sobbed over Chocolate's body, the towns ponies gathered around him, disbaliefe, shock, sadness and remorse all filled their faces. Rainbow and Spark came up behind him, Spark placing a hoof on his shoulder. Blazing looked at the still body laying on is lap, his tears dripping from his chin onto the black shell.

"I love you, Chocolate." He said through his sobs. "I always will. You'll always be in my heart." He gently placed his nose on Chocolate and sat there for a minute before he blinked. He felt her stomach rise and fall slowly. He lifted his head back up, looking at his wife.

"Oh, do stop crying." She moaned. "You're going to make me cry." Blazing gasped, his heart burning with joy as more tears streamed down his face when Chocolate looked up at him. She slowly wrapped her hooves around his neck as he hugged her tightly against his cheek. "Take me home you sweet softy." She ordered. Blazing got to his hind hooves and flew off toward the Ponyville Hospital.

"First, I want to make sure you're okay." He said earning a concerned yet thankfull look from his wifes face. He landed outside the hospital doors and went right inside to have the doctors check on her.

~~~

After Chocolate recovered from her injuries, they packed their things from the house and set everything up to move away from his home town.

"Are you sure you wanna leave Ponyville?" Chocolate asked as she admired a picture of them together infront of the house. "You grew up here." He looked up at her with a smile.

" Honey, we can't stay here anymore." He said as tears started to form in his eyes. "Everypony knows you're a changeling and most of them will not approve of it."

"But, why Canterlot?" She asked, fear rising in her face.

"Don't worry, I have everything worked out." He said with a reassuring smile. "I have a cottage just outside of the borderline so nopony will be able to barge in on us. You can freely walk around as a changeling and the princess has our backs."

She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him. After they held onto each other for a while they resumed their packing. A week later they found themselves in their new home. After they were settled in they got things set up to properly get married, inviting all their friends and Blazing's mother Autumn Leaves, her husband Winter Breeze and Blazing's birth parents, Sunlight Skies and Zecora and his sister Spitfire. Princess Luna, herself, conducted the ceremony with Celestia their to guid her.

After their wedding they decided they wanted a baby and nearly nine months later Blazing and Chocolate were sitting on the couch together in their new home as he rubbed his hoof over her swollen belly and leaned in to kissed her on the cheek. Chocolate gasped making him flinch.

"What's wrong?" Blazing asked in alarm. She looked up at him, panting as though she were in pain. She had been having contractions all evening, wich ment it was almost time to meet their child.

"It's coming!" She said. He blinked. "Sweethear, the foal's coming!" Blazing waisted no time in swooping her in his forelegs and bolting out the front door toward the castle where Princess Celestia herself would aid in the birth. He flew straight for the princess' private chambers in the northernmost tower. He bolted through the winder with Chocolate in his forelegs.

"Princess, I'm gunna be a father!" He yelled. His sudden entrance made Celestia jump, but she quickly regained her smile as she looked up at the couple and ignited her horn to take Chocolate in her magic and set the pregnant changeling on her own bed as she pulled a rope that rang a bell. Shortly after, Princess Luna came into the chamber with a curious look on her face untill she saw Chocolate on Celestia's bed.

"Sister, go get some towels and blankets fast." Celestia said as she looked up to Luna. The younger alicorn nodded and bolted out of the room and came back with a stack of towels and blankets as her older sister instrucked. Celestia took the towels in her magic as Chocolate let out a scream of pain.

"Okay, my little pony," she said as she set a few towels up under the changeling, "let's meet your foal." Blazing sat next to his screaming wife and took her hoof in his to help support her.

She screamed on the bed as Blazing held her hoof in his own, Celestia and Luna at the end of the bed telling her to 'push'. She gave one more scream as she did what she was told, the pain coursing through her body for severl long minutes before hearing little cries.

Celestia took the screaming newborn in her magic and dried her off with the towels then wrapped the foal in one of the blankets and came up with the bundle and a smile on her face. "It's a girl." She said, placing the foal in her mothers forelegs. The two smiled at the little yellow changeling filly wrapped in pink as she giggled at her parents. Blazing kissed Chocolate on the cheek, tears streaming down his face.

"S-she's beautiful, sweetheart." He said as he cried. Chocolate looked up at her husband with a proud, weak smile on her face.

"What are we going to name her?" Blazing thought about it for a minute as he let his tears fall off his chin. The two princesses got up and left the couple alone with their newborn daughter.

"How about, Marshmallow?" The changeling filly giggled. "You like that?" He asked his daughter earning another round of giggles as she stretched her hooves out to him.

"Why Marshmallow?" Chocolate asked with an arched brow.

"Marshmallows go good with hot chocolate." He answered.

"Well, then I'm calling her, Cream." She said looking at her daughter, who gave her a fit of giggles. "I think she likes that better." Blazing smiled down at his daughter with a satisfied smile.

"Cream it is then."

~~~

Every day for the next four years, Autumn Leaves and her husband Winter Breeze would come to see their son, his wife and their daughter. Of course Cream would never get to know her grandmother, Queen Chrysalis, but she would still meet Autumn Leaves, her husband, Winter Breeze and Blazing's birth parents, Sunlight Skies and Zecora.

Upon meeting her grandparents, Cream took an extreme liking to them, though Autumn and Winter still had to get use to the fact that their son was maried to a changeling.

Cream grew up to be quite a hoof full, as well. She was half changeling, so she could not change as much as her mother could, but she did have a good range of pegasi and changed frequently to play games with her parents. She may have been a hoof full, but she was still a good filly. Blazing taught her good morals and to be kind to others much like his mother did when she adopted him and Cream followed her fathers teaching faithfully.

Blazing and his family and friends were all laughing as they caught up with each other on the events of the past week. "Now, who's hungry?" Blazing asked. The small crowd of mares around him all called out 'me' earning a chuckle from him. "Then let's get our flanks over to the restaurant!"

"Honey! Language around Cream." Chocolate protested. Blazing flinched and hugged his daughter.

"You didn't hear anything." He whispered in her ear. She looked up at him.

"Hear what?" She asked.

"Exactly!" The four mares laughed at Blazing while Chocolate swatted him on the shoulder. Then the group trotted off out of the station

THE END

Author's Note

Special thanks to mechafone for allowing me to use his OC 'Spark Storm' and CptConfusion for allowing me to use her OC 'Forest, the zebra'.
And thanks to my readers for reading my stories. Without your support I would not have the motivation to write.

Thank you.

Ch. XII: The Queen's Anger And Together Forever

CHAPTER XII:

THE QUEENS ANGER AND TOGETHER FOREVER

Queen Chrysalis stood alone outside of the cave she and her subjects were hiding. Her thoughts on her daughter choosing to reject her own kind, her blood boiling. Why is she doing this? She asked herself. She belongs here with her kind. Not with an inferior pony. She should be looking down at the scum.

She was so lost in her frustrated thoughts she did not notice the changeling she sent to watch her daughter had landed infront of her, bowing his head as he changed from the blue pegasus to a changeling. "Um... my queen?" Chrysalis blinked. She stared down at her loyal subject as he locked his eyes to the stone he stood on.

"What news have you of my child?" Her tone was harsh, causing her subject to cringe.

"A few days ago that rainbow pegasus saw her change and attacked her." Chrysalis smiled for a second before she remembered the first thing he said. A few days ago?

"She still remains with him?" She asked, the tone in her voice mixed with a hint of concern.

"Just this morning, she showed sighns of strong love to the stallion and she told four fillies and a pink earth pony that she is a changeling under his approval." Chrysalis glared, her anger rising from the report. The changeling infront of her cringed and fell to the ground with his forlegs on his head.

"Even after my warning," she said through gitted teeth. "...she still wishes to remain with him?" The changeling made no movment under his queens anger, waiting for her to strike at him. When nothing came, he dared to answere.

"S-s-she... after s-she got your massage last night, he came to comfort her and she told him everything. They havn't left each other side since... and just ealier they... they kissed." Chrysalis eluminated her horn and let out a flash of green light past the changeling to the trees in the forest, causing some of the trees to fall, birds flew into the air and a fire started to blaze where she struck her magic.

~~~

Chocolate froze in place, feeling a strong cold chill running down her spine. Chrysalis was angry, her magic corsing through Chocolate's body was proof of that. Chocolate slowly glanced toward the Everfree Forst and saw smoke rising from the mountain reagon.

Oh no. She thought to herself. She spread her sings and flew off into the opposite direction of the forest as fast as her pony wings could carry her, leaving Blazing behind without warning or a word.

~~~

Blazing was looking at the list of movies that were available. Blazing Sattles, Black Beauty. Blazing read the list in his head. "What do you think, Chocolate?" There was no answere. He looked over to see that Chocolate was not by his side. His heart skipped a beat as he frantically looked around the area to find her. He's eyes locked onto Chocolate flying off into the distance.

"Chocolate!" He called as he lept off the ground flying after her. She kept on flying away, not responding to his cries. He picked up his spead to catch up wih her, wich was not long. He slowed down to match her speed when he was side by side with her.

"Chocolate, what's going on?" She did not answere. She kept on flying, her eyes locked forward as tears ran down her cheeks. "Chocolate!" He began to tear up from her actions before she began flying to the ground. Blazing looked back to see that they were well outised of town boarders.

She landed on the ground in a small forest area panting from her flight, Blazing landed right beside her, his breathing perfectly steady. He raised his wing and started to place it around her before she backed away from him.

"Blazing, you need to get away from me." His heart sank at her words. "The queen is furious. I just felt her magic coming from the forest." Blazing looked back and saw the cloud of smoke rising from the forest. "You see? That was from her. She knows about us and she will come." Blazing looked at her, determination in his eyes. "Blaze, please no. She will kill you if I stay with you. I can't let that happen to you."

"I'm willing to take that chance if it means spending the rest of my life with you." He countered, tears in his eyes.

"Blaze, enough ponies have suffered and you may have lost your best friend because of me. I don't want any..." She was cut off mid sentence. Blazing had taken her into his forlegs and planted a long soft passionate kiss to her lips. Chocolate fought him at first but soon wrapped her forlegs around him, pressing her lips against his. It was obvious he was not going to let her go easily and it was pointless to fight off his feelings for her. He pulled away from her, tears in both of their eyes.

"I don't care what the risks are, Chocolate. I want nothing more then to be with you." She shook her head helplessly trapped in his strong grip. "I was going to wait 'till tonight, but I don't want to loose you before I get the chance." He loosened his hold on her making sure she would not fly away when he completely let her go. He sat down on his haunches as he reached into his mane and pulled out something he kept hidden in his hooves.

Blazing looked up at Chocolate, his face stained with tears. "Chocolate," he said, a slight sob in his voice. He held up his hooves reviling a necklace with two diamonds, one shaped like a single wing bursting into flames, the other a golded heart. "Will you be my wife?" Blazing asked.

Her tears of fear and sadness were replaced with shock and joy, now at war with herself. She loved him with all her heart and wanted to be with him, but her mother, Queen Chrysalis, would kill him for his actions of taking the Princess of the Changelings away. She took the bracelet and admired the craftsmenship then wrapped it around her neck and ran her hoof over it againsed her chest. She looked back at him smiling proudly as he waited patiently for her answer. She wanted to say 'no' for his protection. Let him go easily. Just say no, just say...

"Yes."

Blazing let out the breath he was holding back, bursting into tears of joy as they both embraced each other. She had said yes. Yes to the very question he thought he would never ask. She was going to be his wife.

Prologue: Lost In The Everfree

Heart Of Fire

Book One:

You'll Be In My Heart

By MusicBrush, Assisted by Mechafone.

I dedicate this story to Pen Stroke. His story 'Past Sins' is what inspired me to wright my own stories and I thank him for his great work.
And to my good friend, Mechafone, thank you for your help with this story. Your guidance in story writing helped make this story turn out good.

PROLOGUE:

LOST IN THE EVERFREE

Equestria was in chaos as an army of changelings swooped down, attacking every-pony in sight. Statues and buildings were falling apart from blasts of magic flying through the sky as ponies were running in the streets, screaming and panicking. The guards were fighting a losing battle as these changelings managed to charge their power with all forms of love before the attack. If they weren't tied up by the changelings' green slime they were being tied up as they fall in direct battle. Any who offered a decent fight were soon dropped after leaving heavy scars on themselves as well as the massive city.

A single changeling stood on a tower of the castle watching her comrades as they flew in taking the form of ponies to feed off of their love as the ponies searched to protect those they loved. Though they were gaining much power through this attack she did not understand why they had to fly in like this. They would have an easier time feeding off every-pony's love if they snuck in quietly or tried to gain their trust through peaceful means, though their love for each other was much stronger with the fear of losing one another was present as they fought to defend those they loved. Another walked up to her and lowered his head in a respectful bow.

"What?" She spat, causing another coming up behind her to cringe.

"Er... we've captured the six mares who were sent to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, my lady." He said, keeping his head down low to the ground.

"And why have you not taken them to the queen?" She asked sharply.

"Er... I'll see to that straight away, my lady." He replied.

"You should have told me, you already have." She turned fully to face her inferior comrade.

"P-p-please forgive me, my lady. I-I-it shall not happen again." He pleaded as he let his head drop closer to ground, his muzzle nearly touching the floor. She stepped closer to him, her horn glowing a menacing green. A flash of green and the sound of crumbling stone filled the air. The other changeling instantly curled up in a ball on the floor, trembling as if in his own personal quake. After a minute he dared to look up at his superior, who glared at him sharply.

"See to it that you don't. The next time will be your head." She ordered to the other changeling.

"Y-y-yes my lady!" He stammered. She turned back to watch the scene of her comrades flying around as ponies while the other changeling ran off at top speed for his life. By this time, most all the ponies were now at the mercy of the invading armada, unable to fight back at the unimaginable strength of these changelings.

"Why must we attack like this?" She asked herself. Just then, she felt a presence in her head and the face of Queen Chrysalis appeared in the back of her mind. "Yes, my queen?" She said.

"You know you need not call me that, my dear." The queen said in a rather gentle voice.

"I prefer to maintain formality while we are amongst others, your highness." She stated. The queen smiled at the changeling, excepting her wishes. "How might I serve you, my queen?"

"Come to me in the audience chamber. I wish for you to be with me at our moment of victory." The queen ordered.

"I shall be there at once!" The changeling said with a deep perfectly practiced bow and broke the magical connection with her queen before she took off from the tower and flew around the castle, watching every-pony running and screaming. She sighed at the sight. She flew down toward the castle and landed on the balcony of the audience chamber.

She saw a few of her comrade changelings flying away from a giant green chrysalis containing Princess Celestia within. Princess Cadence was stuck to the floor by some kind of green slime and Shining Armor hypnotized in place by the queen's influence. The only member of the royal family that was not there was the Princess of the Night, Princess Luna. The changeling saw the queen standing between the two princesses, a look of pride on her face.

The pink alicorn was shouting something to the queen but the changeling ignored her she the princess struggled to break free then several changelings came in with the six mares who threatened to stop them at their moment of triumph. She glared at the mares as they were brought in by her fellow comrades before the queen to face judgment.

"You were saying?" Chrysalis asked mockingly to the young princess. The queen then told her subjects to go and feed, which they did eagerly, then she walked to the balcony to watch the scene unfold. The changeling came up to her and stood faithfully beside her queen, watching as her comrades flew around the capital, every-pony running and screaming in fear.

Chrysalis sang to her victory of having every stallion, mare and foal at her control. There was nothing more this girl wanted in the world. She had it all.

The changeling looked up to her queen before she heard something from behind. She turned back to see that, somehow, Cadence had broken free from her bonds and was now standing by Shining Armor, their horns glowing as their hair flowed as if they were floating in water and raised to the sky.

"My queen!" She cried out, but it was too late. By the time Chrysalis looked back a powerful, magical shield was created from the two lovers and exploded out around Canterlot, sending the queen and all her subjects flying in the air from the capital.

The changeling tried to regain herself, but that blast had caught her by surprise and most of her strength was drained from it. The shield not only protected the city, but with the extra power of love fueling its energy, the changelings were rendered powerless from its blast.

She flew uncontrollably through the air until she flew through some leaves and crashed into a tree and fell to the ground. The crash caused the air to be knocked out of her. She struggled to her hooves, bruised and gasping to regain her breath. When she finally got to her hooves, she reached out with her drained magic to the queen.

"Your highness! Are you there?" She called.

"I live, my child." The queen's voice answered as an image of the queen's face filled the young changeling's mind. Chrysalis looked drained and a little bruised, but nothing serious like her own.

"Where are you?" The changeling asked.

"I am within the Everfree Forest, as are a number of my subjects." The queen answered. Before the changeling could ask her next question, the Queen spoke. "Find your way to the small town of Ponyville at the edge of the forest back toward the direction of Canterlot from where you are."

"Yes, my Queen." She replied before she broke the connection and flew off back toward the direction of Canterlot, where she would find Ponyville. Flying around the trees avoiding the thick vines and hiding from the bigger forest animals to avoid using what was left of her energy.

She came to a clearing where she found the queen and a number of other changelings gathered together while some others came in from the trees, each of which shared their own number of scars and bruises. She sat down next to the queen, who smiled down at her. The changeling could tell that the smile was both sincere and fake to try and hide the fury that was boiling up inside her. The changeling bowed to her queen respectfully.

"What are we to do of this, my queen?" The changeling asked. Chrysalis looked off toward the edge of the forest, letting her smile canish instantly as she pointed her hoof.

"The small town, Ponyville is not from here." The queen explained. "We will go and ravage the town. We may have lost the battle of Canterlot, but we will not stop there. We will take their humble village in stead!" The changelings gathered all buzzed and cheered at the queen's words.

The young changeling, however, remained silent as she looked over to the town beyond the forest. Some small parts of the town were visible, but most of it was hidden by the bushes and leaves. "This can't be worth all of this." The changeling sighed to herself.

~~)oOo(~~

The changeling found herself watching the terrible scene unfold in front of her. Lightning was striking everywhere from one source, a single dark blue pegasus with oddly shaped wings standing on a cloud. He used the thunder clouds above other pegasi gathered together to fight off the changelings. The pegasi on the clouds caused the thunder, sending some bolts to the stallion on the cloud who used that energy through his wings to attack the changelings. A stray bolt flew in the one changeling's direction and struck her on the side, sending her flying back though the trees, into the forest. She collided with a tree, the wind knocked out of her, then fell to the ground, a long burn running down her side and she was bruised, sore and weak.

She looked up from her spot and saw her comrades being chased away by the Storm Bringer as he cast more bolts of lightning through his wings, the majority of them were directed to the Queen. She tried to get up to help her queen, but it was useless. Each time she tried to move, soring pain surged through her body. She was used up from the magical energy field that blasted her and her fellow changelings away from Canterlot Castle and the current battle left her scarred.

Most of her fellow changelings were killed or injured if not chased off by the Storm Bringer they had faced many times before over the years and soon enough the forest was devoid of all other changelings and ponies leaving only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and forest animals braving to come out of their hiding places after the chaos settled down.

The changeling closed her eyes and tried to reach out with what magic she had left to find the Queen. "My Queen...?" She called out with her mind, but there was no response. Not to mention the pain it caused her just to try and use her mind. "Queen Chrysalis?" She called again. Still nothing.

Hours later she was alone, lost in this gods forsaken forest with no sufficient love to feed off of. Not even the animals dared to come close enough for her to get a chance. She lay on the ground in a bush near the tree she had crashed into, her head on her hooves as her body screamed in pain. She knew this was the end for her. She had no strength left to change to a pony if one were to happen upon her and find a way to feed of their love, no animal was enough to give her a jumpstart and none of the changelings were coming back after all the events of the day.

She was done for.