Sally screamed and backed into a tree. It was one of those- things! The things that had killed her parents. Her mind raced through a series of emotions, Terror, to a deep burning hatred, then she simply sat down and sobbed into her forelimbs. Thunderlane crept up to the creature and poked it with a hoof, "I don't think its dead, I think its just unconscious." Lyra gave him an irritated look, "Well yeah. Ya think he just decided to take a nap?" Bon Bon walked over to the unconscious insect, "Well what do we do with him? He'll die out here and if we take him home everypony will see us." Both Thunderlane and Lyra shrugged. "Come on you guys! You can't be... Like this."
Sally cautiously crept up to the creature while the other three continued their argument. As she got to the unconscious insect she noticed a crack in his plating that ran the entire length of his back. She raised a hoof to touch it but stopped. This was one of the creatures that killed her parents, but she ran her hoof down the scratch none the less. She was surprised to find the armor-plating to be warm, she ran her hoof up and down the smooth surface and then turned to the insects face. She studied its broken features, its snapped fang, it had a black eye, and one of its ears was nearly torn off.
She jumped away as the creature stirred, angry with herself for getting so close. It was probably some evil magic, making her want to help the huge bug. The argument behind her stopped as the insect opened his solid green eyes to slits, a cough escaping his mouth. Bon Bon hesitantly stepped forward, narrowing her eyes and making her way to the creature, "What are you doing here? Where is the rest of your hive?" The insect raised his head in the cream colored pony's direction but dropped it back to the floor and let out another bone chilling cough. "I said SPEAK CHANGELING!!" At this the creatures eyes shot open at the earth pony's unexpected command, "I am alone, my hive chased me out and I got lost in the Everfree" The changeling unfurled a pair of shredded paper like wings, "They almost tore me apart". He coughed again and Bon Bon let out a sigh, "We've decided to take you back to Ponyville, but on one condition", Bon Bon added as the creature's ears perked up, "You will disguise yourself until we reach my house." Lyra coughed in the background, permitting a small smile from Bon Bon, "Ok, ok, our house." Lyra smiled widely at the correction.
Sally watched Thunderlane as he walked beside the changeling, scowling at it every time it drew his attention. The insect lowered his head in turn and limped onward, his rotted hooves making no sound as they passed along the chill-hardened mud path. He looked up as he noticed Sally staring at him before averting his eyes, not once stopping or slowing his pace. Sally turned back towards Lyra and Bon Bon, who were walking in front of her, close enough so that their flanks brushed as they trotted. Lyra suddenly nudged Bon Bon, making her stumble and almost wander off of the path. Sally thought that the mint unicorn was just being rude, until Bon Bon looked over with a grin on her muzzle and leaped at Lyra, sending them both to the ground. They finally stopped rolling, Lyra standing triumphantly over the earthpony. Thunderlane trotted past the two, rolling his eyes, "mares", he said when he thought he was out of earshot. A giggle was heard from the two mares and Sally turned just in time to see Lyra lean forward and press Bon Bon's head back into the grass with a passionate kiss. Blushing brightly Sally turned and trotted hurriedly after Thunderlane.
After awhile they reached the Ponyville side of the Everfree, hiding in the trees with the changeling, "Hurry up and put on a disguise already." Lyra was staring at the changeling who looked down at his hole-ridden hooves. "Its not that simple". He cast a quick look at the impatient unicorn, "I need time to think about this, its not like I can just think of a pony and become them like changelings do when they impersonate anypony, I need to come up with a whole new form".
Suddenly he opened his eyes, "Ok, I-I think I got it". A brief green flame engulfed his broken-shelled form as he morphed into a pony, he grew a long dark purple and black mane and his skin changed into a light grey. He looked around at everypony in a shy way, "Does it look alright?" Thunderlane shrugged, "I guess its cool, but most won't take kindly to ponies without a cutiemark". He smirked as the now grey changeling stallion turned in a circle to see his bare flank. "Also, you'll have to make due with being only one pony species". The changeling just seemed to notice that he had kept both his wings and his horn, "Sorry, I was only a worker in the hive, I-I didn't go on many stealth missions". Lyra rolled her eyes, "Just hurry up already! I've had time to think think of your back story about three times by now!"
Sally realized that she had been staring the whole time, "I- I think that you should be an actor, because you can copy things rather well". The changeling seemed to light up at the idea as both his horn and wings disappeared in green flames, "Yeah, I like that". He made a small smile before looking at the ground and frowning once more, "But what will I do here. I doubt I can just show up and be a pony, I might need a job. O-or something like that". He stammered as Thunderlane glared at him, "Just remember that I know who you are and if you do anything that I don't like I will find you changeling". Another small flame lit up the disguised insects flanks as a pair of masks appeared on his side. "I- I'll keep that in mind. But, um, w-where will I stay?" Again Thunderlane shrugged, "I dunno. I live on a cloud so you sure as hay can't stay with me". Sally watched as Thunderlane flew off, pulling off random aerial stunts as he went. An exhausted sigh came from Bon Bon as she looked over at the two of them, "Come on. Guess you're staying with us tonight". Sally started to follow but then paused, "Wait what's your name?" The changeling stammered at the question as he thought, Lyra just facehooved and continued walking, "Gotta go, I'll be at your store Bonnie". Bon Bon sat down as the changeling thought, "How about Anyone?" Sally and Bon Bon looked up and spoke at the same time, "What?" The changeling nodded, "yeah my name could be Anyone, like, I can be anyone". He let his gaze wander from Sally to Bon Bon and than back to Sally, who realized that his eyes were a warm goldish-brown color. The disguised stallion noticed her staring and shook his head as if to clear it of something, making Sally look away. Why are you staring? He's a changeling not some handsome colt! Sally shook her head and looked back up at the stallion, "Just go with Andy. Its a little less misleading". She walked over to Bon Bon and they trotted through the town to a small two-story building with a large sign reading, Bon Bon's bonbons in big pink and blue letters. Bon Bon pushed through the door and let them in, meeting Lyra in the lobby, "Consider yourselves lucky. Bonnie here doesn't let just anyone stay in her house"