//------------------------------//
// The Call to Love 
// Story: Family Love 
// by Amethyst-ACE 
//------------------------------//

	Iron Lance had just enough time to tackle the armorless orange pony away from the fire.  Only to get caught by the bulk of it.  The raw arcane force sent Lance skidding across the ground, his armor charred beyond recognition.
“Lance!” Wisteria cried out.
“I'm...okay...” Iron Lance struggled to his feet, but managed to get back up.  His armor was red hot against his body forcing him to remove it. He glared up at the timber wolf who's maw was leaking green steam between sharpened wooden teeth.
“What is this creature?” Iron Lance questioned.  “It has the visage of a wolf, but it breathes like a dragon!”
The creature made an attempt to speak.  Between raspy howls and prolonged snarls Iron Lance managed to make out three words: “You.  Know.  Nothing.”
The timber wolf reared it's head back again, preparing another fiery assault.  Without a moments hesitation, or pause to consider what she was actually doing; Wisteria found herself galloping head first at the monster.
“Wisteria no!” Lance pleaded.
“Mommy!” Cried the boy.
The wolf was about to attack again when it found itself knocked off balance by a forceful ram to it's front left leg.  It stumbled down on it's side and the fire shot out straight across to the right hitting nothing as it faded away. 
“Are you crazy?!” Iron Lance roared.
“I'd be crazy if I let you get hurt.” Wisteria proposed.  She hugged him and helped him up on his hooves.  “Let's go before it can-”
Wisteria was cut off by the wicked snarling of the other two wolves. Their mouths slowly hung open as more green-lit fire began to churn.  Wisteria let out a gasp and Lance hugged her, putting as much of his own body in front of her as he could while the two of them shut their eyes tight.  The sounds of raging fire roared out as the blue pegasus and her earth pony friends looked on from a distance in total horror, as if witnessing an illusion or peering through Sombra's enchanted door.
“We gotta help them!” Shouted the rainbow haired pegasus.  Her attempts to assist were interrupted when she found herself held back by her orange friend.  
The orange mare said nothing, she simply shook her head in silence.
“Wait a minute girls.” The pink one suddenly spat.  “Look at that!”
The three looked harder at the scene.  Something was blocking the fire.  A shield of the exact same color.
When the fire breath ceased Wisteria and Iron Lance opened their eyes.  They weren't dead, far from it in fact.  The two were alive and completely unharmed by the blast.  They looked to the sides to see a ring a scorched black earth all around them; then looked straight ahead and found themselves staring up at Onyx, who was fully mature.
The changeling stood the same size as Iron Lance, blue hair and tail wavered in the whiplashed wind kicked up from the force of the fire breath.  His curved horn was alight with a bright green energy that projected out a protective shield.  Try as the beasts might, they couldn't break the barrier with it's fire breath alone.
“Onyx?”
“What are...Who are...”
Both Wisteria and Lance were at a loss for words.  As the changeling's ward faded he looked back and saw their terrified faces.  “I couldn't let my family get hurt on my behalf any longer.”  His voice was commanding, yet caring.  The tone not unlike that of a prince.  He looked up unflinching at the three behemoth wolves.  “My guise is at an end cowards! What about yours?!”
The wolf who originally attacked Iron Lance let out a  snort. It looked back at the other two, who were standing by, and nodded to them.  The three were bathed in bright flashes of light, revealing that they too were nothing more than changelings.
“How...what?” Neither Iron Lance nor any other pony could comprehend what was going on.  
“Someone wanna tell me what the hay is goin' on?” The orange earth pony turned to her friends, as though one of them would magically have the answer.  They both shrugged.
“So this is where your true loyalties lie.” Coined the changeling leader who had taken the form of the first fire spitting wolf.
“I am protecting my family.” The boy replied.
“You would choose these ponies over your own kind?!” Snapped another.
“We shouldn't have to choose!   Both my brother and I have proven changelings and ponies can co-exist!” He rejoined once again.
“Have you?” The final changeling challenged.  “Have you really?”
The changeling turned to face his would be mother and father.  Iron Lance stood in front of Wisteria who still wore a look of confusion and fear.
“I am sorry for deceiving you both.” The changeling confessed.  “I feared you would not have helped me any other way.  Please try to understand; my brother is convinced that my kind can co-exist with your own.  I have done nothing but fight with him about it since he left us.  I wanted to see if he was right.”
The look of fear in Wisteria's face was replaced with a look of concern.  She stepped out from behind Iron Lance to face her son.
“Wisteria I-” Lance was cut off by Wisteria who gently put a hoof to his mouth.
“Remember who you were Iron Lance.”
Upon hearing this Iron Lance stepped down.
“I understand what you're going through dear, and I understand your concern, and why you did what you did.”  She looked over the boy then frowned slightly.  “But you deceived us both, and lairs have no place in our family.  I am sorry son.”
“I understand.” The changeling replied.  “I will always think of you as my mother.”
“What will you do now?!” The rival changeling barked.  “Your so called family has kicked you out, and the swarm has no place for your treacherous ideology!”
Onyx said nothing, he simply turned and headed towards the edge of town, back towards the Everfree Forest from which he had arrived.  As he left the three remaining changeling ran and flew off; pursued by the pegasus and her friends.

The Changeling entered the forest without uttering a word, but as he reached the entrance, he paused for a moment to remember the last words his mother had said to him. She called me her son, and that is good enough for me.