Chapter 5: Changes
Chapter 5: Changes
The Canterlot palace's chamber was different this time.
Not in construction or appearance, but in feeling.
It felt... different. It felt like it should be wrong, but instead simply... was.
He felt different. Detached. The shadows moved around him but he did not react, as if he did not perceive them. Celestia hung suspended inside a cocoon, but he did not react. The six ponies -- his friends -- walked into the chamber, imprisoned by the shadows, but he did not react.
And there, atop the dias, in the place Celestia should be standing, stood Chrysalis.
Now he reacted. Now he felt the emotion, the fear and awe that her terrible visage brought forth, but it was distant, as if he were merely observing it. His breath sped, his heart pounded just a little harder.
She was toying with them now, toying with his friends. She laughed, her eyes cold and cruel, yet lit by a horrible glee. She was taking pleasure in their defeat.
Then those eyes turned to him.
For a moment, there was nothing else. The faint emotion he had felt vanished. The world of fire and shadow dimmed and faded, receding until it was only a distant memory. His thoughts stilled, and the only thing that existed were those two green eyes, staring into him.
Then sound reached him, as she called out to the shadows.
"Go. Feed!"
The shadows stirred. He turned and flew from the room, and around him, the shadows followed. He flew from the palace and into the insanity of a city under siege. Green flame streaked from the sky as changelings, charged with magic, plummeted down upon the city. Shadows swarmed about the streets and the skies, hunting down their prey.
He saw the insanity, and he flew into it, eagerly.
No rush of panic reached him. No sudden shock or revelation. The dream simply faded...
Sound slowly filtered through to Sky's ears. It was distant, muffled, as if lost behind the haze that filled his head. The haze was simple, comforting. No thoughts or worries disturbed that peace. Only the faint sounds penetrated the murk, teasing at his mind, the only hint of something beyond that comforting nothingness.
One sound caught his attention. Through the muffling distance he heard the sound of Twilight's voice. He focused on the sound, but couldn't understand what she was saying. A moment later, the faint voice faded, replaced by another sound, another voice just as distant.
A pressure was building, weighing down on him. The distant sensation of feeling was alien to him at the moment, a reminder of existence that his muddled mind had let slip from his awareness. Slowly the pressure built.
Twilight's voice returned, slightly closer. He focused on it, his addled mind focusing on the one solid thing it could perceive. Slowly the sound grew, coming into focus.
"...to wait and see. I'm not going to leap into something without knowing the details, and you were just fine-"
"The details?" The shout was louder, aggravated. Applejack's voice was distinctive. "Yah know all the details! We can't just wait for things to get worse, we need to take care of -- Spike! Get yer scaly lil' butt back here!"
A few other sounds of scrambling and thumping echoed through... the wall? There was light, faintly filtering through the haze. He could feel his eyes; slowly they opened. The brightness was painful, stabbing at his eyes, overwhelming his senses for a moment. His head pounded worse as the senses assaulted his mind, the view of the room resolving to show the huge bookcase laid into the wall. It took a moment to connect to sight. He was in one of the rooms of Twilight's library.
...And his head was killing him.
He groaned faintly, stirring a little as reality slowly faded back to him. There were more sounds coming from the other room; he could hear the sound of Fluttershy's voice interjecting in the other two mare's heated discussion, her own voice far too soft for him to make out. He tried to move, body sluggish and unfeeling, the blankets weighing him down. Finally he managed to pull a foreleg free of the covers-
An image of his nightmares rose toward his face, a glossy black limb riddled through with holes.
He screamed.
Fear and adrenaline shot through his sluggish body, bringing him to life as he tried to scramble drunkenly away. His legs flailed out, kicking away at the covers in his scramble. More black limbs flailed about, his black limbs. A body of black carapace was writhing in the bed below him. He scrambled away from the waking nightmare, trying to escape the sight that followed his every movement, until a sudden shock of pain went through the top of his head.
He had ran into something, and as he tried to flinch back, it held tight. Something had grabbed his head, maybe even stabbed into it! He jerked harder, twisting, and with a wooden "thunk" he was free, a dull ache running through the top of his head.
Reflexively he reached up to the source of the ache -- the terrible black leg moving under his direction -- and yelped in pain as his hoof struck a horn. His horn.
I have a horn.
He froze, panting in fear, to see five pairs of eyes staring at him. Drawn by the sudden commotion, the arguing ponies outside had rushed into the room, and now stood at the foot of the bed, staring at him. Applejack glared harshly at him, while Twilight looked uneasy, but curious. Rarity and Spike looked distinctly concerned. Pinkie Pie looked concerned as well, though she was the only one not staring at him, instead looking at her friends. And poor Fluttershy stood mostly-hidden behind her, looking out with fear and concern. She was scared of him.
The pain of that realization echoed faintly behind the panic that still tried to flow through him. Lowering his forelegs, those terrible black limbs moved in their place. He trembled, holding them where he could see them, looking between them, his body, his friends -- his friends who looked at him with fear and anger. His mouth moved, wanting to speak, wanting to ask what was happening to him, but all that came out was a strangled whine.
No. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to accept that this was happening -- No! It wasn't happening! He shrank back against the headboard of the bed, his horn -- his horn! -- scratching against the wall, eyes clenching shut as he wrapped his forelegs over his head. Shut out the world, shut out the nightmare. It's a dream. Just a dream.
He curled in on himself, shuddering. Just a dream.
There were new sounds that faintly crept past the crushing panic. Twilight's voice again. Soft, but firm. It was something familiar, something comforting; he shut it out. He had to shut it out, out there was the nightmare, out there everything was wrong. He had to ignore it. Just a dream.
Another voice, Applejack's, crying out loud enough to punch through the panic. "Fluttershy!"
He squeaked and shuddered harder as the mattress he was sitting on shifted under a new weight, and again when the soft touch alighted on his shoulder. Then he heard Fluttershy's voice, close to him. "He's terrified..."
The voice was sad and compassionate, and sliced easily through his panic. Slowly he opened his eyes, greeted by the soft yellow fur of the gentle pegasus. She was looking right back at him. He could see the fear still there, lingering in the background, but now she wore a timid smile, a show of kindness and compassion in the sudden nightmare. The terrible panic relaxed its stranglehold on his mind, just a fraction, eyes watering.
With that, she moved in closer, forelegs wrapping around him in a firm hug. "It's okay," she whispered, over and over. "It's okay..." Slowly the panic unwound, his mind calming. The throbbing pain in his head was slowly diminishing. In its place, a soft warmness spread, peaceful and calm. Slowly, the warmth of the embrace filled him...
...No. No!
Panic crashed down on him as his mind made the connection With a terrified gasp he jerked away, pushing back at her and shouting out, "No!" Applejack shouted and lunged in to protect Fluttershy, but he was already scrambling away. He fell off the side of the bed, a shocking jolt running through one leg, and scrambled back into the corner. His cheeks were wet with tears as he held up his legs, those black, alien legs, as if shielding himself from an oncoming attack. "N-no, don't... I-I don't want..."
Fluttershy sat on the bed, looking sadly at him a moment before rising up, stepping forward.
"P-please," he said, voice weak and shuddering, his head shaking back and forth.
Applejack moved to keep Fluttershy back, trying to dissuade her, but the yellow pegasus ducked her head and slipped by, leaving Applejack looking after her, full of worry.
Fluttershy's expression stayed strong, that comforting smile, the look of concern in her eyes, not for herself, but for him. He could see it clearly in her face, in her movements... No, that wasn't it. No, he wasn't seeing it. He was feeling it, knowing it, and simply reading it as bits of her expression. He could feel it, and he wanted to feel more of it. He wanted to feel every bit of it that he could, he wanted to take it in and savor that feeling.
He couldn't. He couldn't dare do that. But that's what they did, isn't it? What... he did. They fed on those feelings, and he... "Please, don't," he murmured pitifully. He couldn't do that. Not to Fluttershy. "I don't... I don't want to h-hurt you."
A pained expression flashed across her features, a moment of hurt that was washed away a moment later by recognition. Pity welled up inside the mare as she sat just before him, carefully lifting her hooves to touch his trembling forelegs.
She nudged gently at his legs. He sobbed out a gasping breath, pushing back at her gentle touch. He couldn't let her get close. He'd hold her back if he had to, but he couldn't let her close. He just couldn't...
"Sky."
His trembling went still at the single, soft word. His breathing slowed, and he simply stared at her, tears starting to roll down his cheek. Her smile grew as he calmed, her eyes shimmering softly as they watered up. "It's okay, Sky."
His will dissolved. He gave no resistance as she gently guided his chitinous forelegs aside and moved in close. As her own forelegs embraced him, he finally broke down, burying his face in her soft yellow fur, body shuddering as he sobbed uncontrollably, legs clutching to the only point of hope and happiness that existed to him. They held each other tight as he cried himself out, the warmth of her compassion every bit as real to him as that of her embrace.
Silently, numbly, he stared on as Twilight and Rarity helped the weakened Fluttershy into the bed he had woken from. In a way he felt every bit as alive as he ever had. The pain in his head, the fatigue, all of it was gone, replaced by a feeling of good health and energy.
And he couldn't have felt more miserable.
Fluttershy gave him another weak smile as she finally lay back, and guilt stabbed at his guts like an icy knife. He had fed on her. Fed on Fluttershy, his friend, the most compassionate pony he had known. He had taken advantage of that friendship and compassion, left her drained and exhausted, her head pounding, and it was his fault. He had hurt her. His breath caught, shuddering a moment. If he still had any tears to cry, he would have.
Instead he sat there, silent, full of horror at what he had done.
He barely noticed when Twilight nudged him along, mechanically following the group out of the room, his head hung low. He paced a few steps into the room and sank down to his haunches again, unable to form the will to move any further.
Silence filled the room, and he slowly noted the feeling of their emotions. That faint hint of instinct that he had when judging ponies' expressions still faintly trickled into his mind, even as he stared fixedly at the floor. Mostly he felt nervous unease. Applejack radiated mistrust, and the sharper sensation of fresh anger, most likely at seeing her friend bedridden. Twilight seemed concerned, but it had a more personal feeling to it. Curiosity and compassion lingered behind that. She felt badly about the situation, sympathetic. Pinkie Pie...
That was enough to draw his attention away from the floor. He could feel little from her, just a soft sympathy, yet she was looking about in confusion, wearing an expression as if everypony had gone completely crazy. Why couldn't he feel that? What was different about it?
He glanced timidly around. Everypony else's eyes were fixed on him. Those emotions focused on him. Could he only sense emotions directed at him? Maybe... He looked back to Pinkie, focusing on the faint feeling he received. It seemed to sharpen slightly, the sympathy growing more clear and tantalizing in his mind, and in the background, he swore he could feel a faint hint of confusion.
With a faint shudder, he let his gaze drop again. It felt so wrong to be able to do that, to feel her emotions like that, and it was even worse to feel himself react to it, as if ready to gobble up those feelings. Like he had done with Fluttershy.
Twilight broke the silence, voice echoing her uncertainty. "Well then..."
He found himself speaking without even thinking. The voice, his voice, sounded strange to him. The pattern of speech was the same, the same inflections and emphasis he had always used, but the tone sounded off. It was a small, subtle difference, yet it made his voice sound alien to him. "...Is she okay?"
Applejack's hoof thumped against the floor in agitation, but it was Twilight who answered. "I think so." She sounded reluctant, and as his attention focused on her he could feel the faint wisps of worry for her friend. "As far as I can tell she's just very tired and has a headache. It looks like she'll be fine after a good rest."
He nodded weakly. He wanted to say more, to express his concern, but it just seemed so pointless at the moment.
"Okay, Twilight," Applejack said, voice sharp. "It's up. You've talked. Will you write the letter now?"
"We've barely talked," Twilight replied. "Just give us a few minutes so I can ask some questions, I can write a letter to explain things to Princess Celestia after that."
"W-what?" he gasped, fear suddenly seizing his mind again. Memories of his dreams flashed through his mind, horror dawning on him. "Oh no. No! Please!" He staggered toward Twilight, stumbled, falling to his knees, begging at her hooves. "Please don't tell her, please. She... she'll... she'll throw me in a dungeon! Or banish me! Or k-kill me!"
That last one drew a startled gasp from several of them, including Twilight. "Celestia would never kill another sapient being!" She looked horrified at the idea.
"But I put her in a cocoon!" he wailed, voice full of anguish.
"Wait a minute," Applejack said angrily as she stepped up. "You put her in a cocoon? Ah thought yah said yah didn't remember anything about that!"
"I don't!" he cried out. "B-but I was there! I remember being there, and her... I might have done it. I could have helped her, but I didn't!" He shuddered, reaching out to clutch at Twilight's hooves. "I helped do that to her. And... and I remember you. I remember seeing you in the streets. I remember you being dragged in as prisoners! I remember flying through the streets, all the fear and ponies-" his eyes widened in sudden shock. "Oh no. Sunflower." He sank down until his head met the floor, eyes staring, haunted. His voice was weak and trembling. "Sunflower. She... S-she was so nice..."
He shuddered, voice catching. His throat felt too tight to talk. He just lay there, trembling, unable to cry any more. He could see that horrified face from his dreams, screaming as changelings closed in on her, knowing that they had almost dragged her to her death. That same kind face that had offered him a free meal in sympathy, twisted in a horror that he had inflicted upon her.
"...she is nice," Twilight said quietly, and he felt a faint stirring inside him. Gently, she placed a hoof on his shoulder. Even just that touch of compassion calmed his racing mind. "Not was. Is."
"Twilight..." Applejack growled, warningly. "Don't do this. We need to tell the Princess about it. We should'a already told her!"
"I just..." Twilight shook her head, conflicted. "I don't know. We should wait for him to calm down, find out more-"
Applejack stomped a hoof against the floor. "Yah can't just hide something like this from the Princess!"
"I wouldn't be hiding anything!" Twilight said, obviously offended at the accusation. "I'd be taking the time to thoroughly investigate and provide a detailed report of my findings."
"We don't have the time for that! Yah know the Princess would want you to tell her right away, not study the thing!"
"Princess Celestia trusts my judgement!" Twilight said angrily. "The situation is perfectly under control, so we don't need to rush it. I'll send a report after I've had time to study the situation and come to a proper conclusion, not before!"
Applejack stared in shock for several seconds. "...A conclusion?" She asked, then jabbed a hoof in his direction, saying much sharper and louder. "It's. A. Changeling. That's the conclusion!"
Twilight glared right back at her. "So what? We already knew that!"
Sky looked up in surprise, his weak and trembling voice interrupted the exchange. "...What?"
Twilight looked back down to him, a sudden feeling of guilt coming from her as she looked on his shocked expression. "Er... Yeah," she said, awkwardly. "...We kinda knew you were a changeling..."
Applejack snorted.
"Suspected!" Twilight quickly corrected. "Very strongly suspected."
He looked back and forth between them, his own emotions clashing harshly with those he felt from them, brewing into a wild cacophony of random emotions. Anger, suspicion, fear, betrayal, hope. He reeled under the onslaught. It took several seconds before he managed a weak, "Why?"
Applejack cut Twilight off before she could answer. "Oh, maybe because we found yah crashed in the woods here the day after this massive magical blast that threw every changeling out of Canterlot?"
Quietly, Rarity chimed in, "And your last memories were in Canterlot, moments before the spell went off."
Twilight stepped up, glaring around. "Which is all suspicious, but remains inconclusive on its own. It's not impossible for those to be simply coincidence." With her point made, her voice softened again, looking back down to Sky. "But what couldn't be explained was how you knew Chrysalis's name."
"What?" Applejack said, cocking her head.
"On the train," Twilight replied. "He knew her name, but the queen never said it. We didn't even know it until Cadance told us, afterward. Nopony said it in his presence here, either." She raised a sheaf of papers. "I know, I took notes of every conversation with him, and when we got back I asked everypony he had spoken with, none had mentioned the name. Most didn't even know it!"
"Wait a minute. You mean you girls really didn't already know?"
Every eye turned to Pinkie, who was still looking at them as if everypony had gone insane.
"...What? It was kinda obvious."
A few looks were exchanged before Rarity politely asked, "Erm, and how precisely was it so obvious?"
"How could it not be?" Pinkie replied, earnestly "What AJ said about crashing right after the super-love-boom spell went off is good, but it was obvious the moment he was awake and talking. I mean, he responded just like a changeling would, not a pony!"
"Uh-huh," Rarity said slowly, obviously unconvinced.
Pinkie just rolled her eyes. "And then it just got more and more obvious! He healed up so much quicker when there were a bunch of ponies around, he got all super-energetic at his awesome welcome-to-Ponyville party, and his behavior changes depending on who he's around!"
Sky's mind reeled. Was that really what happened? Did he change depending on who he was around? He could sense the emotions they were directing at him right now. If he weren't aware of their source, could he have mistaken them for his own emotions? It fit terrifyingly well, he had to admit. Feeding off emotions would explain how he could have kept up with Pinkie's insane energy.
Twilight seemed to agree. "...Some of those are actually very good points," she said, reluctantly.
Pinkie giggled, throwing a hoof around Twilight's shoulder. "Aw, it's okay. I really liked yours, too. Good catch!"
"We still need to do somethin' about it," Applejack said firmly.
"Him!" Pinkie Pie said defensively, stepping up to put a foreleg over his prostrate form. "And you don't need to be such a meany-pants to Sky. I thought you liked him!"
Applejack took a step back, clearly surprised by Pinkie's reaction. "...Ah thought Ah did," she said, firmly. "'Fore ah found out he was a faker!"
Pinkie gasped, taken aback by her accusation. She leaned heavily on Sky, supporting herself as she pointed her other forehoof at Applejack. "He was not a faker! And besides, you said you thought he was a changeling before!"
"Ah thought he was probably a changeling," Applejack said.
Pinkie folded her forelegs across Sky's back; he was surprised that having most of her weight bearing down on his chest wasn't making it hard to breath. "So, you liked Sky just fine, even though you thought he was probably a changeling?" She ended with a smug, victorious grin.
Applejack blinked, silent for a moment. "...I wasn't so sure, then," she finally replied, but her voice had lost the fire behind it.
"You weren't so sure," Twilight said, "...or it didn't matter?"
Applejack looked away, jaw clenched. She was obviously displeased, but stayed silent.
"I've got to agree with them," Rarity said.
That earned an exasperated look from Applejack. "You too, Rarity?"
Rarity nodded. "Yes. I acknowledge that this is an... unusual situation, but Sky has behaved like a perfect gentlecolt." She halted, then corrected, "Or at least, as decently as any of us have."
Applejack groaned a little, head drooping.
Sky shuddered, a weak whimper escaping him. The conflicting emotions ran through his mind, and he didn't feel he had the strength to hold himself against them. It felt like he was losing control of his own mind, and he had to fight to avoid reacting to emotions that weren't his own. Particularly anger.
"...All right," Twilight said, quietly, looking down on him. "Enough of this. We're going to give him some time to recover, then I'll talk with him, and only after I've come to a conclusion will I pass my findings and recommendations on to the Princess."
"Twilight..."
"No, AJ, I-"
"Twilight, just stop," Applejack said firmly, raising a hoof. The anger had faded out, replaced with a deep uncertainty. "Tell me. Do you really trust him?"
Twilight looked back to Sky. He felt her doubt run through her and stab into his heart, feeling as if his guts were twisting up inside him. Then the doubt was pushed aside as he watched her think, and a strong determination welled up in its place.
She turned back to Applejack. "Yes."
Applejack sighed, head lowering a bit. "...all right, then. Ah'm with yah, Twilight. Just..." she glanced to Sky, then quickly away again. "Just be careful."
Twilight smiled, and nodded.
Pinkie leaned in. "Hey, should we throw a welcome-the-changeling party? I mean, I know he already had a welcome-to-Ponyville party, but everypony liked him, and this'll get everypony used to seeing him around as a changeling!"
"Err," Twilight looked nervously at Pinkie. "I think we better keep Sky hidden for now. Ponies might react poorly..."
Bitterly, Sky could imagine exactly how they would react. The same way the ponies in his dream had reacted to the changelings. To him. He had no desire to see a repeat of that.
He shuddered a little, trying to focus his mind, to push down the bitterness that had risen in him. Had the argument skewed his emotions so much? Where did their emotion end and his begin? With his mind in turmoil, it felt like he was just clutching to whatever emotion he could find. Things seemed so much simpler when he had just taken the feelings for granted.
He had only just begun making an identity for himself, and now he couldn't even tell if any of it had ever been more than an echo of the ponies around him. It was like waking up in those woods again; hurt, alone, with no idea who he was.
"Anyway," Twilight said, steering the subject back. "I need to talk with him, and I think he's probably a bit overwhelmed at the moment, so I'd rather do that alone. You should all get going. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
Only Rarity objected. "I'm staying," she declared. "For Fluttershy. She could use somepony to keep an eye on her, just in case, and I'm sure you and Spike will have your hooves busy with Sky."
Twilight agreed, while Sky felt his heart sink again at the mention of that name. How could he have done that to Fluttershy?
He shuddered. It had been at least an hour since everypony had left. Spike had gone upstairs to sleep -- most of the day had apparently passed while Sky was unconscious. Rarity had gone into Fluttershy's room to watch over the sleeping mare. He had been able to sit down, calm down, think. He had thought he had been ready to see, but the image the mirror showed him still shocked him. One final, damning confirmation. He looked in the mirror, and a changeling stared back. It -- he -- only vaguely looked like a pony in form. Rather than fur, he was covered in a glossy, chitinous carapace, smooth and hard to the touch. His wings were thin and translucent, and he flicked them through a rapid-fire buzz of flaps, so unlike the weightier feathered limbs he had before. His face was completely different, from the curving, sharp-tipped horn to the sharp teeth and extended fangs, and the eyes, solid and pupil-less. The only thing familiar was the color, that same icy-blue.
A predatory insect, trembling in fear as he looked at himself. It was such a bizarre sight. A vicious-looking, terrifying creature, shivering in fear at the sight of itself. Horrifying, yet pitiful.
Memories of his dreams played through his head. The changelings swarming over the crowds, the ponies running in fear. Every one looked just like his reflection. In that strangely altered voice he murmured, "...I'm a monster."
As he sank down, Twilight shifted uncomfortably. He was trying his hardest to ignore the feelings of emotions, hoping to block them from his mind, but he could still sense the sympathy coming from her.
She spoke gently. "I don't think you're a monster, Sky."
"Why not?" he grumbled. "Look at me! Look at what I... what I helped do!" His voice was rising and shaking, his body trembling as an anger built inside him. "All that chaos and destruction in Canterlot, I was part of that! I hurt ponies! I might have almost killed Sunflower! I hurt Fluttershy! I did horrible things, how am I not a monster?"
He was practically shouting at Twilight by the end. While he felt her nervousness at his outburst, she stood still and firm, not backing away even an inch. Rather than driving her away, her sympathy grew.
When she spoke, it was calm, yet filled with a knowing conviction. "Sky, even good ponies can do horrible things. I know a pony who's done far worse things than you could have ever done, and I am proud to call her my friend, because she deeply and truly regrets what she did. That's what good ponies do, they regret the bad things they've done, and try to better themselves. No monster would do that."
Tears were running down his cheeks again. He quickly wiped a hoof across his face, only to be met by a strange, jerking tug as it scraped oddly against the carapace. He pulled his leg away to look at it. The edge of one of those strange holes in his leg had caught and scraped against his features. Dumb holes, why did he even have them?
Anger. For a moment, it seemed to become a glimmer of normality. That feeling did not come from Twilight of anyone else. Nor did the hatred and sadness. In all the chaos of jumbled emotions, they were his, clearly and undeniably, and he clung to them. Dumb holes, he thought, stomping his hoof against the ground. Dumb carapace, he thought at the strange motions and feeling of this body, so unlike the soft fur he had been used to. He gritted his teeth. Dumb teeth. Why were they so sharp, what did changelings... no, he didn't want to know why his teeth were sharp. Dumb teeth! Dumb horn! Dumb wings!
He was shaking now, raising a hoof to stomp it hard against the floor as his anger grew and grew between deep sobs. Dumb stupid changeling body! He stomped again, then again, venting his anger upon the floor. Dumb floor! Again he stomped, rising up to put more of his body into it. Soon he was hopping in place, turning about as he slammed his hooves against the floor in his rage, crying out an incoherent stream of growls and sobs. Dumb, dumb, stupid DUMB FLOOR! He pounded and pounded, focusing his rage into his blows until there was nothing left.
Trembling, he just stood there, panting. The anger and sadness that had filled him was spent, leaving him feeling tired and empty.
"Feeling any better?" Twilight asked. She was still there, standing right where she had been. Through the whole tantrum, she hadn't backed away at all. The feeling of sympathy held strong.
"...No," he said, slowly drawing a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.
He didn't make note of the voices or sounds of movement until a foreign feeling of concern hit him. He looked to the source, to see Fluttershy standing in the doorway, a very worried Rarity right behind her. Instantly the guilt washed over him again. She looked so weary and worried. He almost missed it when she spoke. "Is everything okay?"
He stared, unable to think. Emotions clashed in his head. He had fed on her. He had hurt her. He had interrupted her rest with his tantrum, filling her with concern. And yet still he could feel the compassion coming from her. There was concern, but it was not a nervousness for herself. It was subtly different. She wasn't concerned that his raging was dangerous, she was concerned that he was upset. All of this, and she was worrying for him. He sank to his knees. "I'm so sorry," he said weakly. "I... I didn't..."
She was slowly walking toward him now, each exhausted step like another fresh stab at his heart. "It's okay, Sky," she said soothingly. "You don't have anything to apologize for."
"I hurt you," he protested, voice growing weak. He shrank back as she neared, trying to focus on anything but the feelings of love and kindness coming from her.
"I'm fine," she countered, stepping up close to him. There was a great sureness to the shy little pegasus. "I'm only tired, and I just need some rest, that's all. You're the one who's hurt."
She... she knew, didn't she? She let him feed on her. He reeled at the thought. "...Why?" he mumbled, then clearer, "Why would you do that?"
"Because everypony deserves kindness," she said, giving him a small, soft smile. "You were hurt and scared. I couldn't just leave you like that, I had to help, regardless of what happened."
His head lowered, shaking, eyes clenched tight. He just couldn't accept this. It was too much. "B-but... Why?"
He felt her hoof on his shoulder.
"...Because friends are always there for each other, even when it's hard."
Friends.
A calm slowly came over him, all the fear and anger and pain receding under the weight of that one word, and the thoughts that followed. She knew what he had done to her, and she didn't blame him. She forgave him any discomfort he had caused her. She had seen him in pain, and she had taken some of that pain upon herself, just to give him some comfort. She knew of what he had done, even in Canterlot, and still she forgave him. She knew all of this, and still would call him a friend.
Tears were again running over his cheek as he slowly looked up to meet her eyes. The corners of his mouth trembled, giving the weakest of smiles, and he was rewarded by her smile growing full and radiant. "...Thank you," he said, barely audible, and she answered by embracing him in a hug.
The wonderful emotions pressed at him, but he pushed back. He would not feed on her now. He felt them so clearly, but held them at a distance; seen, but not consumed. It was surprising how easy it was, now, with his mind calmed.
Eventually he nudged away from the embrace. "You should get some rest," he said.
Fluttershy nodded softly, still looking him over with loving concern. "Will you be okay?"
He smiled weakly, but it was a true smile. "I think so," he said.
She returned the smile, and gave his shoulders one last squeeze before turning to return to bed. Rarity walked carefully beside her. He could have sworn he caught a hint of a tear in her eye.
He sat in silence after they had left. He felt more stable, his emotions much more calm than they had been before. Even glancing back at the mirror, he didn't feel the reflexive horror he had before. His mind, however, was still racing, unable to be quieted.
Eventually he spoke. "...So you really all knew I was...?"
"Strongly suspected," Twilight corrected.
He grunted softly. "Suspected... Why didn't you do anything?"
She hesitated, a faint feeling of guilt coming from her again. "We kinda did." When he looked at her curiously, she sighed, and continued. "Well, we figured there was a good chance you were a changeling, and if so, there were two possibilities. One: that you were a changeling pretending to be a pony for whatever purpose, and by concealing our suspicions we could both keep track of you to ensure you didn't cause any trouble, but also discover what you were up to..."
He winced a little.
"...or two: that you were telling the truth, didn't remember being a changeling, and were already feeling out-of-place enough without one more giant issue thrown into the mix. Once you'd gotten settled, once everything was all sorted out, then we could look into finding a way to break it more... gently." She paused, and sighed. She was very uneasy about something, and he didn't have to wait long to find out what. "...or at least, that's what I thought. I don't know, maybe it was the wrong decision. Maybe I should have broken it to you as soon as I had decided you were telling the truth. Maybe that would have been better."
There was a strong temptation to feel betrayed and upset at having something like that hidden from him, but he pushed those feelings down. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. I wanted to find out about my past so badly. If I found out something like that... I might have been happy to latch onto it. I might have ran off to find other changelings."
"Would that have been so bad?" she asked.
The shudder he gave would have been answer enough. "I... I don't want to hurt ponies. Obviously I didn't always feel that way." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I... don't like that you kept something that big a secret from me, but if the extra time here among ponies I consider friends was responsible for that change, then I'll gladly take it."
She nodded slightly. Another long pause.
Again he interrupted it. "When did you decide I was telling the truth?"
She blinked, then thought on it. "Well... I guess in Canterlot. If you were a changeling spy, you seemed completely uninterested in anything to do with the state, or security, or anything else that might be strategically important. You spent the whole time looking for somepony that apparently didn't exist, and were far more interested in common ponies and personal events. Though I guess the first doubts on the whole "spy" theory was how we found you. I doubt spies would rely on being found badly injured in the woods."
"Hmm," he mused, finding a strange comfort in the growing conversation, the opportunity to let his mind work. "Or I could have just been injured from the shield-spell, and hiding out until I could escape and get back to the other changelings."
"In which case you could have slipped out of town after your welcoming party, when you were mostly healed, rather than travel back to the heart of a city that was on the lookout for changelings," she said with a smile. "No, I'd considered that before, but had already ruled it out by then."
"Or maybe I'm just very bad at being a changeling," he said, wryly.
Twilight shrugged. "If you were that bad, we'd have even less to worry about," she said with a soft chuckle, and seemed quite relieved when he gave a weak chuckle of his own.
Another short silence.
"...Weren't you supposed to be asking me questions, rather than the other way around?"
"Ah, yeah," Twilight said. "I just don't know where to begin. I mean, I have tons of questions about changelings, but most of them would be stuff you wouldn't know because of that whole loss-of-memory thing." She thought for a moment, looking very much as if she was running through a mental checklist of topics. It seemed she finally came across one. "Well, the most obvious is, how does that whole "emotion" thing work? I know changelings feed on love, and obviously you did... something like that. But how does it work?"
"Erg," was his initial reply. He would have rather not thought on that subject right now. Or ever. "...Strangely. I don't know. I can feel emotions directed at me, I guess, and if I focus on somepony it seems like I can get bits of other emotions. For feeding, I just... let them come in. It's... It's really weird and hard to explain. I don't think I quite get it, yet."
She looked very curious at this. "Wait, you can feel emotions from other ponies? You can feel them from me?"
He nodded.
"But... if you can feel other ponies' emotions, how did you not know something was weird? Surely you had to know that's not normal."
"Of course," he said. "But I didn't really know that it was happening. I just... It all gets jumbled up and confused. I've been having trouble telling which emotions are from me and which I'm feeling from other ponies, even after I knew I could feel their emotions. Before, I don't know, I guess I just passed it off as intuition, or reading body language, something natural like that I didn't even know I could actually sense them until-" his voice caught. He forced the rising emotions back down. It's okay. It's okay. "...until Fluttershy comforted me. That's why I freaked out and tried to get away. It was just a bit too much."
She was rather more reluctant to ask the next question. "And what did it feel like, to..." She thankfully stopped before saying it.
"...Good," he said, guiltily. "It was warm, and pleasant. And afterward I felt so much more energetic. My head stopped hurting. I felt more awake and alert. More alive. I just felt better. In most ways..."
"Hmm," she mused. "Wait, do you still need to eat regular food, then? I've always wondered that."
He thought back. "I'm not sure. I think so? I mean, I would get hungry and thirsty, and they'd be better after I ate or drank something, so I assume so."
Again Twilight slipped into thought, sitting back and tapping her hoof to her chin. She sat there silent for a minute before shaking her head. "No, I've got so much I want to learn about changelings, but that's not what's important right now. What's important now is sorting out your situation, figure out what to do there." She eyed him a moment. "So I guess the most important question is, what do you plan to do now?"
He blinked. That was a strange question, he thought. Surprisingly, he hadn't put any thought into his future, being so wrapped up in the drama and terror of the moment. "I don't know," he admitted, still struggling to think the idea through. "Run away, hide in the forest. Or maybe hide in your basement or something." It didn't sound like much of a life. "...Obviously I can't go back to the way things were before."
She cocked her head a little, considering him a moment before saying, "Why not?"
He looked back, quirking up an eyebrow... ridge... thing... Then he raised a foreleg to point a hoof at himself. "Can you imagine the chaos it'd cause seeing this trotting down the street?"
"Well, I'm sure ponies would get used to it," she offered, though he could feel the uncertainty and unease the idea had brought up. "Or you could disguise yourself."
"Disguise?" he said, still looking at her in the same questioning manner. "Don't you think it'd be suspicious if I were suddenly going around completely covered from head to hoof? Not to mention a pegasus suddenly sprouting a horn."
She looked confused a moment, then smirked. "As funny as that is to imagine, I meant shape-shifting a disguise."
It took a moment before a previous, much older conversation suddenly came to mind. "'Take the form of other ponies.' Oh. We... I can do that?"
"Well, yeah," she replied, clearly amused. "Why else do you think they're called changelings?"
"I, er..." He sat back again, suddenly feeling rather awkward. "...sorry. I really don't know as much about this stuff as I should."
"It's okay," she said, chuckling.
There was one slight problem with that, however.
"...so how do I do that whole 'shape-shifting' thing?"
Her chuckle ended abruptly. "Oh. Um... I have no idea."
He frowned.
"I'm sure we can figure it out," she said quickly. "I've studied magic almost my entire life, so I should be able to help work out how changelings shape-shift. And maybe help you with all your own magic at the same time."
"My own... My own magic?" Again his attention was drawn back up to his horn, though he had to look in the mirror to really see it. Was it really just like a unicorn horn? Did he have magic now?
"Yes," Twilight said, her confidence growing. They were venturing into her territory now. "I don't know how similar changeling and unicorn magic is, but it's likely that there's enough of a similarity to make things simple."
He nodded slightly, mind still feeling a bit too numb for all of this. "In that case, where do we start?"
"Well, let's see. Shape-shifting seems like a key magical ability for changelings. I would think it would be to them like telekinesis is to unicorns." She sat back, taking on a somewhat lecturing tone. "All magic involves a wide range of subtle manipulations of energy, some of which are incredibly complex. With experience and repeated use, however, those complex manipulations become more and more ingrained and reflexive."
"It's comparable to walking, in a way. Every step involves dozens of muscles, all coordinated with precise timing. Any change in terrain requires adaptations to the timing, the distances moved, and the force used. A pony has to coordinate all four limbs and the movements of their entire torso to walk. However, we have so much practice at it that it becomes second nature. A reflex. We don't think of each and every muscle as we move it, we just think to walk, and our ingrained reactions follow through on that thought."
"Magic can be the same way. Just as we don't have to think of every muscle when we walk, a unicorn doesn't have to focus on every subtle little manipulation of energy in order to levitate and manipulate objects. They just do it. Quite likely, shape-shifting should be the same for a changeling." She pointed a hoof at him. "You remember how to walk, and talk, and fly. It's quite reasonable to assume that you remember how to shape-shift, and you just need to figure out how to try to shape-shift for your ingrained habit and reflexes to follow through for you."
She set her hoof back down with a proud clop against the wooden floor, while he considered what she said. It seemed almost insane to compare walking with such complicated magic, but then, she was the expert in the field, not him.
"Okay then," he said, doubtfully. "So... what do I do?"
"I don't know," she said, simply. Blunt, but honest. "I guess think of a pony you want to look like and focus." He gave a little nod, recalling his own initial appearance.
"Oh, wait!" she said quickly, and stepped up to him. She leaned her face in close to his -- drawing a startled and confused look from him -- before touching her glowing horn to his. A moment later a twinge passed through his head, and it felt as if a pressure he hadn't even noticed had been relieved.
"...What was that?" he said, surprised, as she sat back down.
Again he felt a feeling of guilt coming from her. "Sorry, I forgot. I put a negation enchantment on your horn while you were asleep. It was just a precaution, we didn't know how you'd react when you woke up, and we didn't want you to accidentally set fire to the place."
"...or if I'd be hostile now that I was known to be a changeling," he said, flatly.
"That didn't seem likely," she said, then after a moment of battling with that feeling of guilt, added, "...Though not impossible."
He nodded a little. He couldn't blame her for the precaution. "So... shape-shifting, then..."
He had no idea where to start. The objective was clear, of course. He even knew what form to take, the same body he had known before today. But how to get there? He didn't know anything about magic. No, he didn't remember anything about magic. Twilight seemed to think there was a difference, but he certainly couldn't see that.
Nothing to do but take a wild stab in the dark, then. Closing his eyes, he imagined his former body, how it looked and felt. He held onto that image and focused, trying to block out every other thought.
Nothing.
He focused harder, his body tensing, teeth gritting.
Nothing.
With a grunt, he tried to push himself harder and harder. His body shuddered slightly as he tried to force it to change by sheer force of will.
The effort came to a crashing halt when he heard the quiet giggle, focus failing as he suddenly became aware of the wave of amusement coming from Twilight. He froze, opening an eye to see her trying to conceal a grin behind her hoof.
"Sorry," she said, still giggling a little. "I didn't mean to interrupt. You were just making some really silly faces."
Sky quickly relaxed, trying to assume a more casual posture. At least he had found one advantage of this strange body. He was pretty sure chitin didn't blush.
"Try relaxing a bit," Twilight suggested. "If this is something familiar, it shouldn't require a huge effort or the like. Just... feel around, gently."
He nodded, closing his eyes again. What would be familiar to him? What would be familiar to a changeling? Emotion. That would make sense. He was already working out how to handle those emotions, how to draw them in or hold them away, and that was a sort of magic, wasn't it? If changelings lived off emotion, perhaps all their magic was like that. Maybe their magic was like feeling. But feeling what?
Desire. That could be it. He imagined the emotion. He could almost feel it as a tangible thing, but it lacked something. It was as if it was without form. Desire for change, for his previous body.
And there, in the recesses of his mind, a spark appeared.
He tried to cling to it, but it flickered, threatening to fade. No, he couldn't just grab it. The focus threatened to destroy the fragile little thought under its weight. He had to be gentle with it. He couldn't just grab ahold of it, he had to coax it in, let it come. It was like... feeding. He relaxed, letting it come in, and did what his body held as natural for such an emotion.
He fed on his spark.
As he did, it grew, spread. More sparks, more thoughts, all connected. His mind wanted to react, to either grab ahold of them or ward them off, but he kept calm. They felt, tasted almost like emotions, but it was different. Every one was formed by him, every one following from the one before it. Each spark touched his mind, and as he fed on each one, he knew what thought to form next. They cascaded over one another, forming together.
Sky gasped as a green flash wrapped around him, visible even through his closed eyes, a bizarre feeling rushing through him. He sat down hard. There was no sharp thunk of a carapace striking the wooden floor, but the meatier thump of his furry haunches. His eyes snapped open, looking down at himself.
Orange fur.
He let out a nervous laugh, touching a hoof to his fuzzy chest. "...It worked. I did it!"
Looking up, he saw Twilight smiling at him. His eyes widened a bit. "...I cast magic. That's... wow..."
Finally, a deep shudder ran through his body. "...Ugh. Shape-shifting feels so WEIRD!"
Twilight laughed at that. "I can only imagine."
Sky happily stood up, prancing about in his familiar body. Oh, this was good. The familiar feel of his hooves, the heft of his wings, the feel of the air going through his fur as he moved. It was good... Fake, but good.
"How about other forms?" Twilight asked, caught up in curiosity. "Can you change to look like me?"
He stopped in mid-strut, surprised by the thought. "I... I can try," he said. Honestly, the idea was a little creepy, and yet... he couldn't deny that he was curious, as well. Of course he probably could, that's what changelings did, after all, but actually doing it was a different matter.
Looking to her, he relaxed his thoughts again. His first instinct was to close his eyes, and he did for a moment. No, he wanted to look at her, make sure he got it right. He opened his eyes again, holding the sight of her in his mind as he formed that desire again.
It came quicker than before. He didn't have the hesitations and false turns, he simply followed the flow. Moments later the green flash washed over him again.
He shuddered. "...so WEIRD." Then he jerked, blinking. If he hadn't felt himself physically saying the words, he would have sworn it was Twilight who spoke. He looked down again to check, already knowing from the voice that he would see that purple fur. The body felt even more weird than he had expected. It felt so wrong to not have wings. At least he had gotten used to having a horn, but still, it felt so weird.
Oh. And "he" was a mare now. That was... different.
"Wow," Twilight said as she stepped up to slowly pace around him, looking over her double. "That is... creepily accurate."
Suddenly he felt embarrassment and unease. He didn't want to creep her out. He wanted to undo the shape-shift, and as simple as that, he felt the desire grow. The change was even simpler and quicker than the last. He had hardly formed the concept before he was racing through the steps again, and a moment later the green flicker of flames washed over him to reveal the black carapace of his natural form.
Twilight sat back. "Well. You seem to have gotten the hang of that quite well."
"Yeah," he said, enthusiasm already fading. Already his mind was following the implications of this. He could be anypony he wanted to be. A perfect disguise that nopony could tell apart from the original. The ability to perceive emotions, giving a tremendous aid toward any interaction or manipulation. What kind of mischief and mayhem could a pony with ill intent wreck with such an ability? How could any pony be trusted with such abilities?
"...Do you really have to tell the Princess about me?"
Twilight frowned, unease and concern plain on her face. She took a long time to answer. "...Yes. Eventually. It won't have to be immediately, but it will have to happen." She reached out, gently placing a hoof on his shoulder. "But you should know, she has always listened to me. She has put a lot of trust in me. I'll tell her everything, including my opinion of you, and my recommendations, and I'm sure she'll listen."
He slumped, head drooping, and he could feel the sympathetic concern growing from her. Was that how it began, then? Was he going to manipulate her feelings to try to protect himself? Sure, he had reacted from his own despair, but he could stop. He could conceal his own feeling in order to avoid worrying her. He could, but he didn't.
"We don't have to do it now," she offered. When that didn't draw a reaction, she continued. "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to be thorough. We could... make a project of it. Discover all that we can about changelings, so we can offer a full, detailed report. It could take weeks, maybe more. I'm sure she'll appreciate your contribution to what could be very vital research. Heck, she'll probably want to thank you for it!"
She was so sure. Even if he couldn't feel her confidence, it was clear in her voice. She was absolutely convinced that it would turn out well, that the Princess she admired so much would be kind to him... But he knew that she could be wrong. Celestia was looked up to like a living goddess by so many ponies, a vision of perfection. Could anypony, even one who had spent so much time with her, even imagine her having flaws? Could they imagine the idea that she might form a grudge against a being who had helped do so much wrong, both to her and to her subjects?
He just sighed. At least her plan did offer some chance of improvement, some chance for him to offer something back, that just might help sway her opinion. And if nothing else, it would delay the inevitable and dreaded moment. "...Okay."
Twilight was overjoyed. After giving him a surprisingly tight hug, she began talking about all the things they would have to do, all the experiments they'd have to run, all the subjects they'd have to investigate and document. He tried to smile encouragingly, but even in her exuberance she soon noticed his listlessness.
"Maybe we should call it quits for the night," she said, giving him a little smile. "You've been through a lot for one day."
He nodded slowly, then looked over at the door to the room Fluttershy was sleeping in. "...where should I sleep, then?"
Twilight just smirked. "After working so hard to get your own apartment, I would have figured it would be the natural choice."
He blinked, genuinely surprised. "Oh. I... I thought you would want to keep me here. Keep an eye on me..."
"You've been living on your own for more than a week now," she said with a shrug. "I don't see any reason that has to change."
"And that's... You're okay with that?"
"Sure, it's not like I'm going to keep you prisoner or anything!" She chuckled.
Sky looked toward the front of the library, as if he could see through it to the streets beyond. He could imagine what was out there. Ponies. Lots of ponies. "I... I don't know if I can go out there."
"Well certainly not like that," Twilight said. "But that seems easy to fix, now!"
"I don't mean that," he said. His own emotions brewed up inside him, battling about in his mind. "I just... There are so many ponies out there, and everything is so different now. I don't know if I can go out there like nothing's changed. There's just... so much that could go wrong."
Her expression softened. "I don't think it's changed that much, Sky." She raised a hoof to lightly tap the side of her head. "You're still the same pony in here, aren't you? That's what's important."
He hesitated, looking plainly uncertain.
Twilight smirked a little. "Besides, you'll have to go out eventually. You can't just stay indoors the rest of your life."
Sky sighed. Maybe he could, so long as he could convince somepony to bring him food. He could hide in Twilight's basement. Or Fluttershy's cottage, he was sure she'd be happy to help him, and it was far enough from town and near enough the forest that he could even slip out occasionally to get some fresh air and wander...
But no, that wouldn't work. It wouldn't be fair to them, and it would hardly be a life for him. If he were going to have any life worth living, he would have to go out there again. Absently, he nodded to her. He could just pretend nothing had happened, go back to acting the way things were, and pretend like he wasn't constantly under the fear of being discovered.
"Twilight," he said, quiet and reluctant. "Do you think, just this time... you could walk with me?" He looked to her with what he hoped was a pleading expression for this strange new body. "I don't know if I can go out there on my own."
Evidently, he had the expression right, judging by the softening of her expression, the feeling of pity and concern flowing from her. "Of course."
Minutes later Sky found himself facing the front door of the library. It felt like a decisive moment, a single action that could change his life forever. A dread lingered over him, his heart beating hard and fast.
He opened the door, and stepped outside.
The streets were less populated this late in the evening, but he could imagine every eye staring at him, as if they could pierce straight through his disguised form. He was sure he had done something wrong, some subtle little detail like the wrong shade of eye color or a new mane-cut that was sure to give him away. True, he didn't see anyone giving him any particular attention, but any moment now, somepony would see, and then there would be running, and screaming. Why did they have to be right in the middle of the town?
A thought occurred to him as he fidgeted anxiously. "Uh, Twilight? How did you get me to your home? Did anyone see... me?"
There was a soft click as Twilight shut the door behind them. "Oh, no, of course not. I wanted to keep that under wraps until we decided what to do. I just teleported us both."
"Oh. You can do that." Well that's one worry down, at least. Wait... "You can do that! You can just teleport me home, that'll solve everything."
She smirked, casually shooting down that idea. "No, Sky. You need to get out there eventually. Best to get it over with as quickly as possible."
He wined, trying to give his most pitiable look, but it just earned an amused scowl from her. "And that's not going to work. C'mon, let's get walking."
With teleportation ruled out, he seriously entertained the idea of flying. A few moments of flight and he could rush into his apartment, slam the door, and hide from everypony out there. Sure, he'd be so much more visible while doing it, and draw extra attention, but he'd be done with it so much quicker. And they were all looking at him anyway, he was sure, even if he couldn't catch them at it.
Of course, he couldn't just fly off from Twilight, especially not now that he had convinced her to walk with him. He settled himself with the fact that, if all the screaming and angry mobbing did occur, she could apparently teleport them both to safety. He walked on, trying not to make eye contact or move too fast.
"You look like you're about to freak out," Twilight said, looking him over.
He tensed. "Does it show that much?" he asked, trying to straighten up and look more at ease.
Twilight's expression told him that his attempt was likely even worse. "...Yeah, a bit. Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen."
"Unless they find out," Sky said. "That'll go bad. Very bad."
She frowned. "Maybe not. Ponies here have gotten used to other non-ponies before. I don't think you've got as much to worry about as you think."
The faint impression of doubt he could feel when he focused on her didn't put him at ease. "Yeah," he grumbled, "Because the last time they found a changeling had been hiding among them, it went so well."
She sighed, rolling her eyes. "That's different. Besides, you've got Celestia's faithful student and one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony here to vouch for you."
"Yeah, and Chrysalis had a captain of the Royal Guard," he mumbled.
"Oh, stop it," she said, sympathy starting to meet with frustration. He winced away from the feeling, guiltily. They walked on in silence for a minute, that frustration slowly fading, replaced with concern.
"...You're not like her, you know."
Sky glanced to her, but didn't reply.
"Even when she was playing a role, trying to blend in as just another pony, she was rude and callous. She manipulated ponies, and disposed of them as soon as they were of no use for her goals. She didn't care for anypony but herself. You're not like that at all."
He grunted softly.
"You're not," she said, firmly. "You've been nothing but a good friend, and a good pony. Is knowing a little more about your past really going to change that?"
He sighed. In fact, it changed so much. How could his life continue as it had? In only a few short weeks, he had thought he had a perfect course for his life. Good work, good friends, plenty of time to do whatever he wanted. Now he knew what he was, one of the monsters... one of the creatures that had caused so much trouble. Everything was different. Of course he was still the same pony... same thing, that he had been before, but there was more to it. That changed things. It had to.
"...No," he eventually answered, though he didn't feel it. In many ways, he was in the exact same position. He had been a changeling then, of course. Knowing that he was a changeling wasn't going to alter his behavior. He had no desire to find others of his kind, much less that monstrosity of a queen that had haunted his dreams through what little he remembered of his life. He liked his life here. He had a good life, even without knowing he was a changeling. Logically, it was exactly the same.
...so why did he feel so unhappy about it, now?
Before he knew it, he was standing at his door. He stared at it for several long moments, too distraught by his thoughts to move on.
"Are you going to be okay on your own?" Twilight asked.
He had a sudden urge to ask her to stay, but he pushed it down. It was selfish. She had already done so much. "Yeah," he said, without any enthusiasm.
"Okay then," she said reluctantly. "You should think about getting back to work in the morning. I think it would do you some good to get back to a familiar routine, and interact with ponies."
He nodded.
Silence.
"Well, I guess I should get back home. Let me know if you need anything. Good night."
She had started walking when he called out to her. "Twilight? Where was Rainbow Dash?"
Twilight stopped, silent. There was more concern, a deep unease at the topic. "...She went home. She was... upset. She was quiet at first. After we got you to my place she started getting angry, and yelling, and then... then she left. Went home."
His heart sank. How angry had he made that confrontation-loving mare for her to quit and leave? Weakly, he nodded. "Good night, Twilight."
"Good night, Sky."
He opened his door and slipped inside.
The dream was different.
Shadows no longer menaced him. The green flames no longer threatened to consume the world around him. The walls around him were not confining, but protecting, for beyond them waited ponies. Dozens, hundreds of ponies, all waiting for him.
He hid in his room, a protective box. The shadows of changelings moved around; he did not like them, but their shadow concealed him from the eyes of the ponies outside. The flames flickered along the walls; the fire kept the ponies away, distant enough that they could not see the flaws in his disguise, the carapace that peeked out through the rents in his fur.
And she was there. The green eyes peered out from the shadows. This time, he didn't move away. This time he had nowhere to go.
The queen stalked toward him. She moved slowly, like a predator approaching a wounded prey. She smiled in cruel amusement, terrifying, and yet entrancing. As she neared, the ponies outside withdrew, matching every one of her steps. Slowly they receded, slowly they faded into the distant shadows.
Then she stood before him, towering over him. The ponies were gone. He was safe.
He looked up to her, fear and awe mingling. She looked down upon him with those hard eyes. Then she crouched, lowering herself to him.
Chrysalis embraced him.
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1124207
Fortunately, you won't have to wait long!
All right, Chapter 5. Where things start getting interesting.
To those who figured out what was going on, please speak to Pinkie about claiming your free invisible internet
cookiecupcake.Not that I made it very hard, I suppose. Fortunately, the story isn't so much about the mystery of Sky's past. Rather, it's more about what happens next, now that he knows, and how it affects his newfound life.
Hey, the entire "pegasus with weird memories of the invasion, crashed in the woods shortly after the defenses were re-established" thing was kinda obvious.
Also, here's a mustachio Spike for you to draw inspiration from:
1126680
Just a bit, yeah
Yes, yes, a 'good' Changeling who wants to be friends with the Mane 6; all very hearts and flowers. The problem is that "Sky" is a lie; it's an assumed personality that was created by his mind to compensate for his amnesia. What if his... its true memories return and with it his true personality and loyalties? Even if it is able to make the conscious choice that it would rather be Sky of Ponyville rather than one of the Hive, his inadvertant attack on Fluttershy suggests that he cannot control his instincts.
Twilight really needs to seperate her emotions from her decision-making process. Sky is a friend; the Changeling is a cunning and highly intelligent predatory animal with a proven talent for deception as well as inherit magc and the ability to appear to be anyone and anything it chooses to be. She cannot risk the safety of everyone in Ponyville on the hope that the "Sky" persona will be stronger than the creature's real self and can continue to rein in its instincts. No need for a pre-emptive termination just yet but precautions that will enable it to be quick and easy should it be neceesary are fully justified.
...oh, ponyfeathers! THAT's why his feelings for RD seemed so sudden! Sky didn't have a crush on Rainbow Dash... RAINBOW DASH had a crush on SKY!
Heh, Applejack always gets to be the bigoted one in those kind of stories.
1922029 Well, Applejack's core principal is being honest and up front, and I can see how she can quickly jump to conclusions about a creature whose whole existence is about deception and lies.
Note how she quickly gets subdued with logic, though her stubborn pride prevents her from changing her mind quickly and completely.
"He knew her name, but the queen never said it. We didn't even know it until Cadance told us, afterward. Nopony said it in his presence here, either."
Twilight, you DID mention Chrysalis' name way back in chapter one.
"...it was my brother and Cadance that stopped Chrysalis, not me."
Wait. Does that mean Rainbow Dash had a crush on him? She's suspiciously absent here...
Heh. A certain dark blue winged unicorn?
Ohh boy, I was right. She did have a crush on him.
Corrections and remarks:
> resolving to show the huge bookcase
There's a double space between "show" and "the"
> There was more sounds coming from the other room
either "was more [sound]" or "[were] more sounds"
> He could have swore he caught a hint of a tear
"He could have [sworn]"
> "Would that have been so bad?" She asked.
Should not have a capital letter on "she".
> She considered, looking very much as if she was running through a mental checklist of topics.
Not sure what the "considered" is supposed to mean there.
> "Why else do you think they're called changelings."
Should probably end on a question mark.
> "I, er..." he sat back again, suddenly feeling rather awkward.
This isn't a "s/he said"-type construction, so the "he sat back again" should start with a capital letter.
> "So... Shape-shifting, then..."
An ellipsis generally act as comma in a sentence. Since the sentence seems to be intended to mean "So, shape-shifting, then." I believe the capital letter behind it isn't necessary here.
> "Do you think, just this time... You could walk with me?"
Same thing as before. This is clearly one sentence, so no capital letter in the middle.
Oh, and Hydraxan14 has a point about Chrysalis' name...
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That is, assuming the changeling invasion was normal changeling behaviour, and not indoctrination of the Queen. Given the fact changelings are equipped with a perfect disguise system to silently blend into any community and feed quietly and harmlessly, and the fact they were, as a species, apparently completely unknown to ponykind up to this point, I highly doubt they'd normally ever go for such a flashy invasion.
As I commented on one of the previous chapters, the question is, would the perceived evil being, without the upbringing that shaped it into the mindset that eventually made it an invader, still be evil? That's the experiment Twilight decided to run, here.
Oh my god that was actually a thing wasnt it? I mean I recognized the fact that he was either a changeling or you were trolling but I didn't catch the behavior changing until now. That is some darn good writing. Kudos to you.
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Or maybe a little of both.
...Alright, you got me empathetic to Sky now. Now I'm in a position to be happy for whatever that sequel brings.
Oooh man, that scene with Fluttershy just cracked my heart. I am very susceptible to flutters feels, darn it! Element of kindness = best pony. Great writing.
Well, Sky's revelation was certainly heart-wrenching.
thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/adjustable-wrench-pinch-red-heart-28950503.jpg
Kudos to your writing on that.
I was tearing up for most of the first half of the story.
Fantastic writing.
NO SKY DON'T GO NEAR CRYSILISE!!! SHE'S EVIL I SAY!! EVIL!!
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Since that indoctrination would be part of the memories and/or persona he might recover, the point about caution may still stand, although lethal force isn't really a Pony thing in all but the most rare of cases... and maybe not even then.
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Well, then you're just heaping on a ton of philosophical questions about the "real self" part in BenRG's original post
Saw this coming from Chapter 1, but good setup.
have run
NO ONE said that name aloud in the season 2 episodes-or in the season 6 episodes, even! Twilight DOES say it during the first episode of season 7, however.
Great story! I know you said last chapter about not going too far into the romance and that that chapter was as much as we were going to get. But I did really like that bit there and especially with the few comments at the end of this chapter about why Rainbow wasn't there...hope we get some more of that!
...I know the story is done but just saying my hopes for the chapters I haven't read yet :P
Oh my god. This is one of the best written chapters with and about emotion I've crossed ever.
Great work!👍
From here on in, I guess it's all going to rest on whether changelings can be independent individuals, or part of a hive mind. I've seen fanfic go either way, though the most recent show episodes tended to point at physically/mentally independent, but politically/socially under totalitarian rule.
>tfw it didn't matter if he was 2011
*Nictis in the background nodding vigorously*
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...
I knew it! Kinda...
It was definitely feeling kinda implied. But still! :D