//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Brother of Loyalty // by Prismfire Productions //------------------------------// It was approaching daybreak in Cloudsdale and the vibe was downright eerie. There was a New Moon in the sky and with there being no street lights on this side of town, it was blacker than Tirek's heart and so quiet you could hear a fly fart. It just so happened these were the very circumstances a young pegasus wanted as it flew into an open window on the second floor of a quaint little house. Once inside, the pony's head was surrounded by a soft green fire revealing the head of a changeling. This, however, was no ordinary changeling; instead of pale orbs for eyes, this one's glowed an emerald green. "I am so glad I can use my drones' bodies to travel from place to place to get my most dirty work done..." The changeling mused to itself before softly trotting over to the bed and, after briefly lighting up the room to see which of the two ponies in the bed was its target, set to work. As fortune would have it, the target was the one closest to it. It let a few drops of clear liquid fall from its fangs and into the sleeping pony's mouth and almost instantly the changes took effect as the pony started shivering before a fire surrounded it. When it died down, the pony huddled closer to the other occupant of the bed and tightened the covers in an attempt to get warmed back up. The changeling casted a spell to keep her target from falling through the clouds before quickly resuming its full disguise and took off for the Badlands right as Celestia started raising the sun. "Soon my heir...soon you will be mine..and you will proudly carry on my legacy..the legacy of Queen Chrysalis.." She softly said outloud when she reached the edge of her territory. -Back in Cloudsdale- I woke up and something seemed wrong, dead wrong. Even-though Cloudsdale was at a high altitude, with it being late summer it should still be warm with the sunlight coming through the window. However I didn't feel that at all, instead it felt like I was in a freezer and my shivering woke up the sleeping mare next to me. "Umm..Cloudy, why are you shivering dear? I hope you are-..." She cut herself off and her eyes widened in fear as she turned over to face me. Next thing I knew, I was laying on the floor on the opposite side of the room with her pinning me down with an angry look on her face, which made her look cute. "Where is my fiancé Cloud Dasher at you vile changeling.." She growled. That snapped me out of my semi-sleep state and it felt like I had been hit by a caffeine tidal wave as I was now at full attention. "What are you talking about honey? I'm-" Now it was my turn to fall short as I glanced at myself. Not only did I have the tell-tell characteristics of a changeling such as the holes, sharp curved horn, and fangs; one MAJOR thing stood out: I was now a mare. "Phoenix Starburster it really is me...I am your Cloud Dasher, and right now I am just as confused as you are since not only am I a changeling but a female one at that." "Nice try bug, but I need PROOF of you being my Cloud Dasher or else I am going to pull a Pinkamena on you, and trust me, that won't be pretty." I paled. Knowing exactly what my aunt did to get her "special ingredient" for her cupcakes I knew I had to say something that will squash all her fear. "I am the onlypony who knows that you read Twilight Velvet's "Erotic Stories for Newlywed Couples and How to Improve The Overall Experience" and have a "bad to the bone~" side beneath that otherwise timid and mellow exterior." It looked like I had insulted her mother as her jaw dropped and I could feel every single muscle tighten in her body realizing only I could know that little secret since I had Pinkie Promised not to tell anypony when I found out myself. "Cloud...it reallly is you...." My fiancée softly said in a level that would make Fluttershy's normal tone sound like Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice as she slumped down on top of me and broke down crying. "How did this happen? Were you a changeling all this time and didn't tell me or what?" "No honey I wasn't, this must have happened last night while we were sleeping." I said trying to comfort her but at the same time I could feel something coming from her and after a few minutes I realized it was her emotions. What I could feel upset my stomach, I felt a mix of anger, grief, sadness, despair, and sympathy. It was another emotion that came through after she calmed down that overrode the others and, to my surprise, made me feel like I was full from a 5 course dinner. The only thing I could think of was it HAD to be love from what I heard about Queen Chrysalis' raid at Shining Armour's and Princess Cadance's wedding. "Glad you're calming down my love." It was at this point I realized my voice, even with the noticeable changeling rasp in my tone, still somehow sounded smooth and warming. "How can you tell?" After a moment she facehoofed. "Oh right, you're a changeling now." "I was about to say that, but I am glad you still love me Phoenix." "Now that I know it truely is you I can, I love nopony -err..noling...but you Cloud even if you are a mare changeling at that. Think Queen Chrysalis had anything to do with this?" "Knowing ol' Slug Bug Chrysalis' vendetta against ponies, I wouldn't doubt that a bit. Top question on my mind right now is why me to do this on? I mean, I look pretty close to my regular self, of course that is taking out the anatomy changes due to the gender and species change." I said as Pheniox got off me and I gave myself a fully detailed once-over. "Shoot, I still even have my cutie mark." "Think about it, I might have a logical explaination, you are the brother of the Element of LOYALTY. Since you are now a changeling.." "My loyalty would now include my hive..." I said almost instinctly, but after thinking it over I realized she might be right. "You might have a point, reason she wouldn't target Scoot is because hardly anypony outside the family and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna know Scootaloo is mine and Rainbow's BIOLOGICAL sister. As for me, everypony and their grandmother knows I am Rainbow's brother. Since many ponies still hate changelings, I need you to fly to Twilight and have a letter sent off to the Princesses to have them meet me here. I just hope they don't kill me on eye contact." I finished with a slight gulp. "Good idea, I will be back soon, and after the link night terrors we have suffered from concerning our deaths I really do not want that to happen either. While I'm gone, take a hot shower since I can see you are still freezing and get a bite to eat." "I will take a shower but I don't need the meal. Keep in mind changelings feed off emotions, your love filled me up." I said entering the bathroom. "Well then here is your "after breakfast dessert."" She gave me a passionate kiss, which not only gave me a wing boner, but left me dazed as she flew out the window towards Twilight's castle.