//------------------------------// // A New Chapter In Life // Story: Project Change // by The One With The Crystal //------------------------------// Celestia's sun began to disappeared over the horizon and as the citizens of Ponyville retired to their homes for the day. Scootaloo, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Pyxis left the music shop. Strapped to Pyxis's back was a viola that Octavia said he could borrow for practice. As for now their destination, Sweet Apple Acres. While Scootaloo drove, Pyxis asked them where they were going. Applebloom replied that they have sleep overs every other weekend, but sadly since Applejack, Big Mac, or Granny Smith didn't know who he was or his parents. Though they all knew that they wouldn't want to know. So that left Pyxis with one option. He would have to stay at the clubhouse until morning. Pyxis didn't complain much, after all this would be the second time he got to sleep in a house of some sort. Though this time it would be him and not one of his alter egos. As they arrived at the clubhouse the girls told him about the blankets in the chest along with paper and crayons if he got bored. When the fillies left to head to the farm house Sweetie Belle came back quickly to tell Pyxis something important. "Oh I forgot to tell you...... Scootaloo keeps a secret stash of snacks under one the floor boards. Don't tell her I told you." she said as she hurried back outside. The changeling chuckled to himself as he grabbed a blanket from the chest and wrapped himself in it. He looked around to find a loose floor board and lifted it up. Underneath was a couple of small bags of chips, some snack cakes, and a six pack of juice boxes. 'How does that filly hide all this stuff?' Pyxis asked himself. While the newly found snack wouldn't benefit him in anyway, shape, or form, it was nice to eat something solid every once in a while. Using his magic he pulled up a snack cake and a juice box. Scootaloo would probably get mad at him for stealing her snacks, but for now he wasn't bother with anything else. After finishing his snack Pyxis went to gaze at the stars. He stared at them for hours while his mind ran it's own course. There was so much he wanted to know. There was so much that he needed to know. Yet when Pyxis tried to remember all he would get were bits and pieces. You shouldn't think so much. Ponies go crazy thinking like that. Startled by the sudden voice caused Pyxis to change his form back into that of a changeling. While he was still shocked to see that he was scared back into his changeling form he was even more shocked to be hearing one of his personalities talking to him. It was a little bit unnerving at first and Pyxis was getting freaked out by it. Was it even possible to do something like this or was he really losing his mind. As time went on Pyxis became used to it and started to have a little conversation. The two didn't talk much for Pyxis was getting tired. So they ended their conversation for tonight and drifted off to sleep. As Celestia's sun began to rise over the horizon and as Luna's moon began to rest for the day the citizens of Ponyville were starting to awaken from their slumber. All except for the changeling sleeping soundly in the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse. Curled up in his blanket like a caterpillar in it's cocoon, Pyxis slept like there was no tomorrow. Not even the sound of fillies rushing in disturbed the changeling's deep slumber. "Is he dead?" asked Sweetie Belle as she poked him with a stick. "Naw, ah can hear him breathing. What do ya'll want to do to 'em?" asked Applebloom. The fillies thought and thought, but couldn't think of anything good. Until Scootaloo noticed that the floorboard in which her snacks was now almost fully opened. She rushed over to the board and checked to see if anything was missing. Even though it was just one snack cake and one juice box it was still her snacks. The changeling was going to pay. "I know exactly what to do." said the now slightly angry pegasus. "Scoots, what are you planning?" asked Sweetie Belle as a curious look began to grow on her face. "Don't worry about it. Its going to be funny." said Scootaloo as a grin came to her face. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other before following their pegasus friend out the door of the clubhouse. Within half an hour the girls returned to find that Pyxis was still in a deep state of slumber. They had what they needed, now the only thing left on the list was Pyxis. "I....I don't know about this girls." Sweetie Belle said with hesitation on her breath. "Come on it'll be funny. Its not like its going to hurt him." said the ever anxious Scootaloo. "Are we gonna do this thang or not?" asked an aggravated Applebloom. With all their effort the three fillies lifted up the changeling and threw him in a metal tub with ice cold water. The sudden feeling of wetness and cold forced Pyxis to open his eyes and gasp for breath. Once he made sure that he wasn't drowning his attention now turned to that of the three laughing fillies. "Not. Funny." he said with a low growl. "Thats what you get for eating my snacks!" said Scootaloo "It was just one snack cake and a juice box!" yelled Pyxis as he stepped out of the bin. "I don't care! You ask before you eat somepony's snacks!" replied Scootaloo. "Whatever!" said Pyxis as Sweetie Belle gave him a drying towel. While Pyxis began to dry off the fillies went outside to dump the ice cold water. As the water began to flow out of the tub the fillies' minds began to wonder. They had their cutie marks now, what else could they possibly do? None of them came up with an answer to that question. Their ears began to fall down and their expressions began to change. Was this the end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Is this the last time they would have fun together? These questions made the fillies sink into a deeper depression. "You know. Just because one chapter in you life ends doesn't mean that its the end of the book." said a familiar voice. Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle turned around to see who had spoken. They expected to see the dragon, Iolite, again. Though this time it was just Pyxis, but something was off about him. It only took a few seconds to figure out what had changed. His eyes were now the same color as Iolite and Iolite's voice had took the place of Pyxis's. "What does that mean?" asked Sweetie Belle. "It means that the rest of your future is blank. That its up to you what your future is going to be. Your adventures can't stop here just because a chapter in your life ended. Instead, start a new chapter in life and see what your future holds." said Iolite. Hearing the words of encouragement filled the fillies with a new desire. To be the best at their talents and to see the future that they will make for themselves. The fillies tackled the changeling and laughed. They thanked him for his kind words and he accepted it. Applebloom felt something bump against her cheek. She looked to find that there was a scroll tied to a balloon flying a mere inch away from her face. She grabbed it and released the balloon. As she read the letter she grew slightly worried. Iolite felt her emotions shift and asked her what was wrong. "Pinkie Pie sent us a letter. She says she's throwing a party for us for getting our cutie marks." she answered. "Why is that such a big surprise?" asked Scootaloo. "Because she said 'P.S. Bring Pyxis, or Iolite, or Soaring Sorrows or who ever your changeling friend is at the moment." Applebloom said. Those words made them all freeze in their positions. How in Equestria does Pinkie Pie know that Pyxis was a changeling? Better yet, how does she know who his personalities are? Another balloon came floated into their line of sight. Iolite grabbed it and read it aloud: "P.P.S. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" The fillies seemed to loosen up a bit and sighed with relief. Iolite was left sitting in a sea of confusion now and it took a short walk to explain to him that nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise. Its the fastest way to lose a friend. Then suddenly Pinkie Pie popped out of one of the tree tops yelling "Forever!". She soon vanished amongst the leaves leaving Iolite to stand there in even more confusion. "Can she really do that?" he asked. "Its Pinkie dude. Don't try to figure her out." said Scootaloo "Figure her out? No no no, I'm not doing that. She just made me think of a story to write. Now where is my pencil and book?" said Iolite as he changed back into his dragon form. The girls sighed in slight happiness. Just watching Iolite write in his newly acquired notebook, which they are still weren't quite sure he gets them from, made them all jittery. What new adventures lay ahead of them in this new chapter? None of them knew the answer, but they knew how to find it. Just follow the weird changeling.