Two playful changelings were laughing beside each other inside the train. They gave each other hoof bumps as they chatted, talked, discussed, told, remembered, recalled, and conveyed wonderful and fun memories and stories to each other.
It was raining outside. If one were to look out, one would see a pegasus just escaping a thunderbolt, that pegasus speedily fleeing from the frightful sight. The rain pattered hard on the carriage's roof, creating a loud and constant noise for all the passengers—whether pony or changeling or griffon or dragon or yak—to endure. An audible groan from one of the ponies was heard.
Behind the two playful changelings were another two changelings. Their faces were serious or neutral at best as one of them looked outside. The other opened up a newspaper and hummed a short tune as he read the day's events. "So," Nastic said, "it's been a long time since we've seen each other."
"It's only been a few weeks," Hexapod replied, looking away from the gray and foggy outside.
"Our new lives have only lasted less than a year so far, Hexapod," Nastic said. "A few weeks might as well be a few years."
"Right." Hexapod looked at the reading changeling.
Nastic's eyes were narrowed on the lines of information.
"What are you up to?" Hexapod asked, placing a hoof on the wide open newspaper and causing a little rustle. "You still seem to be the same newspaper-reading changeling I remember from last time."
"Things changed. I've learned to love the ponies for what they're doing but that doesn't mean that I'm going to fully accept them, to fully accept all that they say." He flipped to the next page, showing more pictures that depicted more of the day's events. "Always stay cautious—you'll never know when politics stifle everything we've ever seen."
Hexapod blinked at that statement. "Well, alright. I think that's good advice."
"It ought to be. I'm still here." Nastic finally looked away from the newspaper and faced the changeling beside him. "What about you? What are you up to nowadays?"
The rattle of the train's wheels on the railroad could be heard. Coupled with the pattering of the rain and the chattering of the two playful changelings, it made for a noisy ride.
"Just doing whatever we feel like," Hexapod said. "Eucalypti is always excited about the next thing we plan to do. Dorso is trying to apply for the Wonderbolts, although I have doubts about him passing. They never had anyone other than a pony become a Wonderbolt."
"I know what you're talking about," Nastic said. "Read about him on the news. Wasn't headline worthy, but it made it to the front page."
Hexapod's eyes widened. "No way! That cannot be!"
"Yes, it can be."
"What did it say?!"
"Reporter said that Dorso is going to have to wait for a few days for a response. It's likely they accept him and add him in for training, although to actually be a Wonderbolt is a long shot."
"Yeah, Nastic," Hexapod expressed as he slumped on his seat.
Nastic kept on reading the newspaper.
Hexapod tapped him on the shoulder.
Nastic glared at him.
Hexapod recoiled, wimpering a little.
"Sorry," Nastic said. "I've gotten so much into the news ever since I got to my first ever edition of any newspaper. Forgive me for that."
"It's alright," Hexapod replied, although his voice was a little shaky and jittery. "I was just wanting to have something else to talk about."
"Hm?" Nastic folded the newspaper and placed it beside him. "Well?"
"About...those times."
"Oh. You mean with Chrysalis?" Nastic looked around.
He saw ponies talking, ponies reading, ponies sleeping, ponies looking out the window and watching the rain fall towards the wet grass. The clouds in the sky were gray and large, looking imposing. There were the two playful changelings who were still happily talking with much volume.
Nastic covered his mouth and leaned towards Hexapod. "Why do you want to talk about that?" Nastic whispered, sounding distressed.
"I don't see any other changeling who would want to talk about it," Hexapod said. "Maybe you might be interested in a little chat."
"Everyone else is trying to clamp down on that," Nastic answered quietly. He glanced at the two changelings beside them. "Nobody wants to remember that—terrible and evil times. Nobody wants to get depressed and sad about what they did. I say, 'We can learn from history.' They probably don't want to learn from history, I guess."
"I'm not sure if I agree with you on that," Hexapod quietly said, whispering, too. "But, I think that's a little too much on reacting."
"You mean 'overreaction'?"
"Yeah, that's the word."
Nastic glanced again at his surroundings. "Maybe we should talk about it another time. Whispering to each other like this inside a train full of passengers—especially full of ponies—is going to make us look suspicious."
Hexapod nodded as he straightened himself. "Yeah."
Nastic unfolded his newspaper and read.
At one end of the carriage, a door opened. A fancy-looking and pompous griffon with a chef's hat and long mustache pushed a metal cart containing fresh breads that emanated a savory smell that caught the looks and the attention of more than a few ponies—and also two changelings.
"Who here wants some of these delicious delicacies?" the griffon hollered in a fancy, haughty voice.
Several ponies throughout the carriage raised their hooves. The two playful changelings also raised their hooves. Hexapod and Nastic just looked at the griffon.
"Now, just wait there!" the griffon said. "For I, Gustave le Grand, will deliver to you the food that is, au fond, going to erase your hunger!"
"I want it!" one of the playful changelings yelled at him, still raising his hoof.
"I want it, too!" the other playful changeling shouted.
But, the griffon didn't mind as he slowly walked his way on the carpet, sometimes stopping to serve the pony there with a fancy-looking sandwich or an eclair.
"Is that filled with chocolate?" the first playful changeling quickly asked.
"Quiet, Long Winded!" Nastic said. "You're going to be ruining some ponies' trips!"
"Ah, don't you be so anxious about us, Nastic!" Eucalypti spoke, casually gesturing with a hoof as he relaxed on his seat. "We are having so much fun! Why don't you?"
"Because I have better things to do than just talk," Nastic said with a groan before he went back to his newspaper.
"Then, why do you talk with Hexapod sometimes?" Eucalypti asked.
"Because there are times when talking is better."
"Then, why not talk with us?"
Nastic hurriedly folded the newspaper and placed it beside him on the seat. "Fine."
"Yeah!" Long Winded shouted. "We're four changelings together inside a train!"
"We all know that," Nastic said, sounding more irritated. "I don't need somepony or some changeling to tell me that!"
A few moments of silence passed between the four changelings.
Gustave arrived at their seats with his metal cart.
"So, do you want the sandwich or the eclair?" Gustave asked the two playful changelings.
"Eclairs!" the two changelings shouted.
Gustave smiled. "They're my specialty. I'm glad that you've chosen that." He gave them two elairs, one for each changeling.
"They sound so foreign!" Long Winded expressed. "I don't even know what an eclair is. Well, I used to not know until now!"
"Is that why you chose my eclairs?" Gustave asked, looking annoyed at them. "Because you've never heard of them before? Or, is it because they, like you said, 'sound so foreign'? Has nobody told you the greatness of these—"
Eucalypti chomped a bite off his eclair and chewed on it. "Chocolate filling!"
"Chocolate filling!" Long Winded yelled back.
Then, they bumped each other's hooves.
The griffon groaned. "I might as well not grovel over that grotesque desire of my delicacies." He pushed the cart and walked away from the changelings.
"I wonder when this train ride will end," Nastic said as he watched the two changelings eat the eclairs with delight.
Outside, it was still gray and rainy. The clouds covered the sky; gray and dark they were. The ground was moist and, in some places, somewhat muddy. But, the four changelings walked on the moist and muddy road, moving to the left when a carriage was approaching.
"Canterlot during a storm is quite the sight, isn't it?" Eucalypti asked. "I wish I brought my camera!"
"You don't have a camera, remember?" Hexapod said.
"Besides," Nastic added, "cameras are expensive these days. The photography industry in the big cities is going down because of these postcards taking over, not to mention the bigger problem about it—the ten-bit camera is selling like hot cakes. Low quality hot cakes."
"But, they're selling hot cakes there, too, right?" Eucalypti asked. "I sort of missed that on the way out of Manehattan."
"I tried a hot cake once," Long Winded told Eucalypti. "It was good."
"Was it good to the point that you cannot comprehend what you were tasting?" Eucalypti asked. "I want a hot cake that is that good!"
"I don't think there's any sort of food that can make you forget what you're eating, if that's what you mean," Hexapod said.
A carriage passed by and splashed on a puddle, covering the changelings in even more water than before.
"And now, I'm soaking wet," Nastic said calmly, though his anger was in his voice. "Why are we even walking on the road, anyway?"
"Because we can walk on the road, why not?" Long Winded said.
"Let's say that you can fight one of the large dragons in the Dragon Lands," Nastic told, facing his friend.
"Let's not talk about that," Long Winded said apprehensively, holding his front hooves up in defense.
Then, the four changelings walked on.
"Careful!" Joe said from behind the counter as the changelings washed their hooves on the carpet. "I don't want any muddy hooves to be walking on the tiled floor. I have to clean that myself!"
Nastic looked at the three changelings, pointed at one of the tables, and walked towards the counter.
The rest of the changelins walked towards the pointed table and sat on the chairs.
"Oh, it's you," Joe said. "Nastic, if I'm remembering correctly?"
"Yeah," Nastic said as he neared the counter. "The changeling who was witness to Twilight Sparkle freezing almost everypony in this very room? Now, I don't need any more fame as it is."
"Trying to be funny, eh?" Joe said. He gestured towards the display of donuts. "What's your pick for you and your friends?"
"Just give me an assortment," Nastic replied, sitting on one of the tall chairs on the counter. "I'm not in the mood of thinking about what flavors to choose."
"Alright, then."
Joe went to work, grabbing several donuts of several different flavors and placing them inside a paper bag.
While he did that, the sound of the pattering rain was there. There were no rays of sunlight that beautified the donut shop. And, the place lighted up instantly, then the bright light was gone—then, the sound of thunder in the distance.
"What's with the sudden storm?" Nastic asked as Joe checked the donuts. The changeling brought out his bits from his bag. "If there's a schedule for storms, why am I not seeing them?"
"That's because we ponies are used to not seeing any schedule for the weather," Joe said. "It's time to get used to it, I think, Nastic."
"Fine." Nastic sighed a sigh of irritation.
There was nopony else but Joe. There were Nastic and the three other changelings chatting at the table.
The place felt quiet—and it seemed just right. The storm, the gray outside, the tiled floor, the open and spacious layout of the shop, the small amount of creatures inside, the lone pony behind the counter—it all made for a somber yet relaxing place to eat some donuts in.
Joe grabbed the bits and hoofed the paper bag of donuts to Nastic. "Have a good time, Nastic."
Nastic saluted Joe. "Have a good time, Joe."
Nastic flew away towards the table.
"Now, a snack to energize," Nastic announced as he dropped the paper bag on to the table.
The air was cold. The rain went on outside.
Hexapod was the first to place a hoof inside the paper bag. He took his hoof out. "A glazed donut. Perfect!" Then, he munched on it.
"I want a chocolate donut!" Long Winded yelled as he placed his hoof inside the paper bag. He took out a chocolate donut. "Hooray!" Then, he immediately chomped on the donut.
"I'll look." Eucalypti took the paper bag and saw the donuts inside. "Wow, that's a lot of flavors, lots of variety!" He looked at Nastic.
"I just ordered for an assortment of donuts. It's not really that special."
Eucalypti took a donut with sprinkles and ate on it.
"And, I'll just take a normal-looking donut," Nastic said as he took out a glazed donut.
The four changelings ate their donuts together. They talked with each other.