Spike has a problem regarding inviting two of his royal friends over on the same day! To avoid a diplomatic disaster, can Twilight, Starlight, and Spike prevent these two from meeting? No. No, they can’t. Let’s move on to the real problem.

Thanks to Tired Old Man and Nova Quill for their edits and inputs!

Thorax has had months. Months, of working tirelessly as the Ruler of the Changeling Hive and he is absolutely exhausted. He can barely stay awake when he comes to visit Ocellus at the School of Friendship to see how she's doing.

Ocellus, being the smart cookie that she is, comes up with a plan: She can pretend to be him, and he can go relax for a day.

Desperate, he accepts, but on the condition that he goes to class disguised as her and takes notes so she doesn't fall behind. After that, he can sneak off and finally get to sleep.

But then Smolder and Ember get involved.

Now with a Spanish translation!

This story is a sequel to The Face I'll Wear

Dear Small Pony Book,

Hello. My name is Thorax. I am a changeling formerly of the Badlands Hive, ruled by the terrible Queen Chrysalis. Nowadays, I am fortunate to call the Crystal Empire home, and their Royal Family my friends.

Since I'm rather new to living in pony society—without orders to infiltrate, of course—my new friends have been doing their very best to help me get acclimated to this strange, alien way of life. To this end, Princess Cadence has instructed me to tell you of my experiences so that we might use this as time to reflect together. However, I do find it strange. How am I to discuss my day to day interactions with a book? Especially one without a name? You can't not have a name, that would just be rude. So, I will just have to figure one out for you.

I'm not sure why Cadence is laughing at that, or why Shining Armor is groaning. This is a very serious issue.

These ponies are strange. But I don't think I'd have them any other way.

A little thing for me to fiddle with when I'm bored. Updates will likely be sporadic. Tagged as a prequel/sequel to The Face I'll Wear because it will explore some of the same themes and will show events before and after the story.

Preread by Timaeus.

While returning from a political summit in the dragon lands, King Thorax and Prince Pharynx navigate their way through a dense woods. When gnarled branches and twisting shadows take shape, the brothers find themselves holding their ground against the changeling's former tyrant. But while one brother readies himself for a fight, the other faces his predecessor unarmed, seeking not victory, but answers.

* Edited by Double R Forrest
* Part of the Love Bug Continuity!
* Covert art commissioned by me, created by the always fantastic Percy-McMurphy!