The little yearling was timid and shy. Stinkbug had trouble believing that ponies would so willingly bring their young around him. He looked at her and she peered out from behind her mother to look back at him. She was little, brown, and was wearing a turquoise smock similar to her mother’s.
The love available was overwhelming to Stinkbug, who had only known starvation.
“You’re a bug,” the little yearling said in a squeaky matter-of-fact voice.
“Pebble, he’s a changeling and he’s a friend.” The eternally bored sounding mare blinked once and then asked, “Where is your harpy friend?”
“Doctors took her for more tests,” Stinkbug replied.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Maud gave her daughter a rough shove forwards to get her out from underhoof, and the yearling resisted every inch. “This is Pebble. She’s a chip off of the old rock.”
“My name is Stinkbug.”
“You’re hurt.” Pebble tilted her head off to one side as she stated the obvious. “Okay, I’ve seen the bug. I’m ready to go now, Mother.”
“I’m sorry, Stinkbug, sometimes there’s just no helping how she is.” Maud looked down at her daughter, let out a sigh, rolled her eyes as Pebble once more hid beneath her and was once again underhoof.
“Bye, Pebble.”
The yearling paused, turned around, lifted up one hoof, and then waved. She stood there, peering out from between her mother’s forelegs, looking up at Stinkbug in his hospital bed with wide, curious blue eyes. As it turned out, the little yearling had one final thing to say, a few parting words left within her.
“You’re nice.”
“We’ll be meeting again, Stinkbug, when you settle into the Druid’s Grove. It will be a good place for you and Celaeno to settle in, recover, and get adjusted to your new life. I look forward to working with you.” Maud lifted up one hoof, waved, and then with nothing left to say, she turned so she could head for the door.
“Bye, Maud.” Stinkbug was sad to see her go, but he was thankful to be alone again. He was tired and wanted to sleep. Sleep was where he did most of his healing and his body needed considerable time to repair itself.
And with a thump of a wood and rubber stamp upon a crisp sheet of paper, Stinkbug became a citizen of Equestria. A protected citizen of Equestria, with all of the rights due to a citizen in good standing. He and Celaeno both now had this privilege. His name, written in mildly magical ink that Stinkbug had made himself from his very own ink glands, was going to be filed away someplace.
Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, seemed proud to have welcomed in two of Equestria’s most wanted enemies as friends, causing Stinkbug to believe that anything, however unlikely, was possible. Sure, things would be difficult, there would be some trying times, but Stinkbug had faith that things would work out.
“I’m an Equestrian harpy,” Celaeno said as her goat-like face contorted into a grimace. She looked as though she might start crying at any minute. “I belong somewhere. I’m welcomed. I’m an immigrant and I’ve found a home. See Stinkbug, everything worked out.”
Silent, Stinkbug gave thought to his companion’s words. He had been exiled from his hive, come north, crossed the border, faced hardship, almost was killed, and now, this. He didn’t quite know what to make of it. Now, he was a citizen of Equestria and Celaeno’s agent of conscience, a means to satisfy her doubts as she didn’t always know what to do.
“Welcome to Equestria,” Tarnished Teapot said in a warm, sincere voice to both the changeling and the harpy.
“Yes, welcome to Equestria.” Twilight lifted her head high, her ears perked, and her perfect square teeth could be seen in every inch of her grin. “We’re going to help you get settled in, introduce you to some new friends, and we’re going to help you live your dream of being a hero. Well, Mister Teapot here will be looking after that part.”
Feathers all afloof, Celaeno looked excited even as she started to cry.
“When you’ve healed up a bit, I’d like it if you came to Manehattan with me. The central hall for the League of Extraordinary Tolerance is located there and I think that a good start for relations could be found there.” Tarnish, who appeared solemn, looked down at Stinkbug and Celaeno in the hospital bed. “They’ll help you learn our customs, our laws, our traditions, and would be quite excited if you brought any traditions of your own to share.”
“I’d like that, but only if Stinky agrees.” With slow, clumsy movement, Celaeno wiped her eyes with her wings and something almost like a smile appeared upon her face as she wept. “I finally have a place to call home.”
“Only one final form to fill out,” Twilight Sparkle said as she held her pen aloft.
“What’s that?” Celaeno asked.
“Well, I am sorry for any intrusion”—Twilight’s cheeks darkened a bit and she let out a nervous chuckle—“but we kinda need to know if you are a couple. The, uh, the Crown likes to keep an eye on curious crossbreed potential—”
“Oh stars, bureaucracy!” Tarnish’s blurted outburst was a cry of exasperation.
Fluffing out, Celaeno sniffled and stared Twilight in the eye. “We’re uh, we’re friends. Just good friends. At least for now. We’re just friends, right Stinkbug?”
Saying nothing, Stinkbug nodded.
“Besides,” Celaeno murmured, “I’m sterile. All harpies are sterile. We’re made from unnatural magics.”
“Oh… I’m sorry…” Twilight took a step backwards away from the bed. “I didn’t know… there is so much that we just don’t know… I’m so sorry—”
“Don’t be upset.” Celaeno snuggled up a little closer to Stinkbug as Twilight fell silent. “Unnatural creature that I might be, I still chose to do better. I choose to be good, to be kind, to be generous, honest, loyal, and true to any friends I make.”
“Like me.” Stinkbug nudged his harpy companion with his hardened nose.
“Like you,” Celaeno replied. “Do you like me, Stinky?”
“Yeah…”
Celaeno’s ears caused her bandages to crinkle just a little bit. “That means a lot to me, Stinky.”
For Stinkbug, who was certain that he was going to meet his end, everything now felt like a beginning. He didn’t need his Queen Mother, or his hive, or even his fellow changelings. There was a constant, steady flow of love and friendship to sustain him—with the potential for a little more love from Celaeno. It was more than he had hoped for, this was better than survival, this was thriving.
“I have one final request,” Stinkbug said to Twilight Sparkle in a low voice.
“Go right ahead,” Twilight replied.
“I’ll let you study me as much as you want, but I’d like to meet the other alicorns so that I might know them better, since I’m going to be your ambassador and all.”
Twilight’s smile widened and her eyes had a merry, satisfied twinkle to them. “You know, Stinkbug, I think that can be arranged…”