A Door Opens
Walking the road on the outskirts of town. I should catch a train back, but I'm not in any hurry. At this point... not even sure I should go back.
Pausing to consider. But then, if I don't go back to Canterlot, where will I go? It's not like I can go back to the Hive at this point... and I'm unfamiliar with the rest of Equestria...
Chuckling lightly at the absurdity of it all. I really got myself into a mess this time. I had hoped that going to that party might cheer me up, but I didn't belong there. I don't belong anywhere, now, do I? Of all the rotten luck...
The sound of hoofprints on the path. Looking towards Ponyville, a light blue pony with a black mane is approaching at a gallop. They call out, and pause to catch their breath once they arrive. I wonder what he wants... unless, am I out-of-bounds, here? I'm disguised as one of the Cultural Exchange changelings, and maybe they can't walk this far from the center of town?
“Hey! I'm glad I caught you before you left town! I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't get a good chance at the party.”
“At the party? I don't remember seeing you there.”
A sly grin. “Yeah? Well I remember you.”
“Uh... well, alright then. What was your question, I guess?” Not liking where this is going...
“How long until the Feeder caste sees fit to send an official envoy on one of these Cultural Exchange trips?”
Stunned silence. So... he knows I'm a Feeder. Guess there's no point in hiding that.
“I wouldn't know.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Transforming back to my natural state, a changeling with red eyes, giving him an exasperated expression. “I'm a Feeder, you're right about that, but I wasn't sent by the hive at all. I was just curious.”
He's making a skeptical expression. Can't blame him for that, I guess. “If you weren't sent on the Exchange Program, does that mean you were already in Equestria?”
“...”
“... So you were infiltrating Equestria, and I just blew your cover, huh? So... what are you going to do about it?”
Rolling eyes, shaking my head. “No, look, it isn't like that. I... look, I'm not infiltrating Equestria, I live here. I guess.”
He's staring at me, looking surprised. “What do you mean, you live here?”
“I mean I'm a citizen. I'm officially a part of the nation. You can ask Twilight about it, if you want.”
“Wow. I didn't think that was even possible.”
“How did you find out I was a Feeder, anyway?”
“Lucky guess. We've caught several trying the same stunt... you weren't on the list, so we figured that was all it was. How long have you been a citizen?”
“Only a few months, but... well, I was infiltrating Canterlot for a couple of years before that. I made some friends there, and... well, when Twilight approached me and told me that she knew, I asked for asylum.”
“Oh, I see. I guess you just showed up here because you wanted to mingle with some of your own kind again, huh?”
He's grinning again. What's with this pony?
“I guess you could say that.”
“Right, so, uh... guess you're going back to Canterlot, then? Heh.”
“... Yeah. I guess so.”
“You don't seem very eager to get back to your friends. You seemed pretty down at the party, too, actually.” That line sounded important. Is that why he's here? He's not just investigating a potential Infiltrator?
“Things didn't quite work out as planned.”
He tilts his head curiously, and he looks concerned. “What do you mean?”
“... Well, I was approached by Twilight when the Cultural Exchange Treaty was still in negotiation. By the time we resolved my citizenship arrangements, the treaty was being put into practice, and... it turned out that some of my Canterlot friends weren't exactly supporters.”
“Oh. Oh, oh, no... I've heard about the group of nobles opposing the treaty. Some of what they say is...”
“Yeah. Those are the ones, unfortunately. I never knew they had such strong sentiments about changelings – it never came up.”
“You mean you never told them you were a changeling?”
“I was going to tell them after. I knew that there was a risk they wouldn't take it well, but I thought we would be able to work through it.”
“But, after they publicly came out against the treaty, and... well, and against changelings in general, I guess there's not much chance of that.”
“I'm not thinking so. I... did recently inform them, via letter, of my status. Since then, the only response I've gotten from any of them was a short letter from one asking me to never come near them again.”
“That's horrible! You had just gotten a new home and new friends, and now... and it's not like you can go back to the hive, now, either! They would brand you a traitor!”
Sighing, staring at the ground. Hearing someone else say it really makes it hit home... what am I even going to do?
“Well, now you know. Sorry, I didn't mean to vent to you... I just haven't really spoken about it, yet, and-”
“Don't apologize! I asked, and right now it sounds like you could use some company.”
“I suppose that's why I came to Ponyville in the first place.”
“Yeah, you won't run into problems being a changeling here. Ponyville's about the most welcoming place there is!”
He's beaming, clearly taking pride in his home. “I suppose it must be. I didn't expect a random pony to be so concerned about my well-being.”
“Oh, I don't know how random it really is!”
He's grinning again, and a wreath of green flames washes over him, revealing a yellow-eyed changeling. Worker caste, then. I recognize him, we spoke at the party, though he was disguising his eyes – just like I was.
“Wait... why would you disguise your – are you infiltrating – but no, what, that doesn't... what?”
A Worker wouldn't be infiltrating Equestria! But... is he an Equestrian, then? What's going on here?
“Don't worry, I live here, like you! Though, I've been living here for several years, now.”
“Years? How did that happen?”
“It's a funny story, actually. Remember the big invasion of Canterlot?”
“No. I've completely forgotten.”
“Hey, no need for the attitude.”
“Alright, alright. Yes, I remember. I wasn't a part of the invasion itself – at the time I was still in training, but I was aware that it happened.”
“Well, it wasn't just Soldiers who went to invade Canterlot, you know? I was with a small detachment whose job it was to relay the results of the invasion back to the hive... except, I got lost in the Everfree Forest.”
“Oh, no. And you didn't have any training...”
“Yeah, so when I found my way back to civilization, I wasn't really sure what to do. I actually ran across this nice pony on the outskirts of town who takes care of the animals, and... well, I had to get around my lack of training in Equestrian etiquette, you know?”
“You didn't...”
He's grinning wildly again. I have to admit, when a changeling does that, it does look a little devious because of the fangs. I'll have to watch out for that.
“I did! I did! I disguised myself as one of her animals, and I lived in the Everfree Forest – well, the edges of it – and lived off of her love for a long time! Well, until Twilight came by one day and undisguised me.”
Laughing hard, and barely able to stand. It feels good to laugh again.
“Someday, we need to share that story with the Infiltrators! They'd all get a kick out of it... a Worker manages to infiltrate Equestria as an animal and live off of affection... That's the stuff legends are made of!”
“Heh, yeah. I guess so.”
“So you just live here in Ponyville?”
“Actually, I have a little place just inside the borders of Everfree. Come on, I'll show you, and give you some proper introductions to my friends here. Maybe you should think about sticking around, given how things are going up in Canterlot.”
Is he seriously offering to help me move to Ponyville?... Well, I don't have anything to lose, I suppose.
“Maybe so. Say... I didn't catch your name at the party. What is it?”
“Saro-Terrent. You?”
“Piro-Krittith.”