//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Coronation Day // Story: It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling // by MattTOB //------------------------------// It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling Chapter 15: Coronation Day Mandy wasn't looking forward to today. Sure, he was excited that his friend Twilight had just become a Princess – and after such a strangely musical day, too – and sure, he was happy that Celestia had granted him this trip outside of Ponyville to attend her coronation, as well as staying with them while they took a short vacation afterwards. It was just a matter of WHERE that coronation was taking place: Canterlot. Ground zero of the failed Changeling Invasion. And Mandy, the Changeling, was headed back there. The train finally pulled up at the station, and the group shuffled off the train. Mandy's eyes nervously darted around as the citizens of Canterlot began to see him. Some ponies were horrified at the sight of him; others were outraged that he'd be allowed to walk around Canterlot freely after what happened; and a few even tried to approach and take action against him, but were unable to get past the Royal Guards that flanked the group. Mandy hung his head dejectedly, resigning himself to accept this public display. He may not have been bound in chains, but he might as well have been. Pinkie Pie looked back and noticed his mood, then slowed down to bounce beside him. "Cheer up, Mandy! I'm sure that not everypony here hates you! There's gotta be one or two ponies that're at least indifferent towards Changelings!" Mandy groaned and deadpanned, "Thanks, Pinkie Pie..." The party planner, apparently missing the sarcasm, grinned even wider, then bounced forward to rejoin the others. Mandy sighed, and continued trudging along, but almost paused when he saw something out of the corner of his eye: A pegasus filly, no more than 10 years old, was looking at him with wide, curious eyes. She was yellow with brown hair, red eyes, had a needle-and-thread Cutie Mark... ...and was holding a small, homemade Changeling plushie with her front right leg. Mandy raised his head in surprise; the little filly gave him an empathetic smile in return. She waved, and he waved back. Then her mother leaned down and whispered into her ear, and her smile fell. She gave him an apologetic look before her mother led her away. Mandy looked forward and allowed himself a small smile. It may not be ALL bad... Mandy sat in his room in Canterlot Castle, looking out the window just after the sun had set over the Equestrian Heartland. Beautiful rays of reddish-orange light still hung over the rolling hills, painting a picturesque landscape that the Changeling Hive WISHED they could see. But Mandy wasn't actually focusing on it. Instead, he was simply staring off into space, thinking several things over. A knock at the door dragged him out of his thoughts. "Oh, come in!" he said, perhaps a bit too hastily. The door opened with the click of steel shoes against the doorknob, and in walked none other than Celestia. Mandy's first instinct was rather irrational: cower in front of her and pray that she went easy on him. His second instinct was to ask why she had opened the door physically instead of magically, but he reasoned that she was tired from setting the sun. However, the warm smile she wore calmed him enough, so he opted to simply stare at her in disbelief. "Is this a bad time?" she chuckled a little. That shook Mandy out of his daze. "N-no, Princess! What, uh, did you want to talk about?" Celestia shook her head. "It's not what is on MY mind that concerns me; rather, it is what's on YOUR mind." Mandy could only watch in shock as she strolled over and sat down on the bed next to him, as if they were old friends. "What is bothering you?" she asked sincerely. Mandy weighed his options, but ultimately decided to be truthful. "I... Applejack has a crush on me... And... and I like her, too." Celestia's eyebrow raised. "Is that so?" she smirked playfully. "And what, exactly, is the problem with that?" The Changeling sighed. "Well, for starters, I'm a Changeling; even if she accepts me, the rest of Equestria isn't so eager to forgive and forget. I don't want to bring unwanted harm to her just because she's associating with ME..." Celestia silently processed this. "And what else?" she finally asked. "Well, I just... I..." he struggled to put it into words, but eventually just forced it out: "I'm not great with my feelings, alright? I was a social outcast that put on disguises for most of my life; I have no idea how to be... REAL with her, y'know? To honestly share my feelings, to have real conversations – hell, I barely know anything about myself! What if I do the wrong thing? What if she starts hating me again?!" Celestia nodded. "I can definitely understand your concerns. However, I have some advice, if you'd like." Mandy looked at her pleadingly. "Oh, yes please, Princess!" he grovelled, getting down onto his hocks, "I don't like being unsure of myself!" Celestia giggled slightly at his display, then hushed him with a wingtip. "You want to hear my advice?" Mandy nodded vigorously. "Stop worrying about what's out of your control." Mandy blinked. Celestia continued, "You make her happy, and her happiness makes you happy. When the cards are down, that is all that should truly matter to you." The Changeling fell silent, turning the words over in his head as he processed. "And as for your self-expression..." she continued, drawing his attention back to her. She smiled silently as she touched her horn to his, and a weight was lifted from Mandy. The magic-inhibiting ring dropped to the floor. Mandy stared down at the discarded object for a long time, as if looking away would make it reappear on his head. Finally, he slowly, very slowly, turned his gaze up to meet Celestia's. "...don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't be," she finished, beaming down at him. Mandy was utterly speechless. Had she just... Did she really...? All Mandy could do as the tears broke out was lunge forward and tightly hug Celestia's barrel. She continued to wear the warm expression on her face as she patted his back. Finally, once he had no more tears to shed, he backed off and regarded her with utmost respect. "Th-thank you, Princess," he smiled broadly, voice hoarse from the crying. She nodded, then gestured towards the door. It only took three words, but she said everything he needed to hear at that moment: "Go to her." Without another word, he flashed Celestia a goofy grin, leapt off the bed, and flew down the hall as quickly as his new wings would carry him towards Applejack's room. The Princess watched as he left, smiling solemnly. "Good luck, my son..." With a flash of purple-and-green magic, 'Celestia' teleported away, leaving behind a Changeling-shaped plushie. Applejack was absently twirling her hat with her hoof as she walked down the hall. She didn't feel like hunkering down in her room; not yet, not when there was so much to think about. Like... the buzzing she could now hear? She turned, and her eyes widened when she saw a large black-and-red mass barrel straight into her, knocking her to the ground and gripping her tightly. She cocked her hoof, ready to defend herself,– Only to find that her 'assailant' was none other than Mandy, and he was hugging her. "M-Mandy?!" She blinked in surprise, lowering her hoof. "What're ya doin'?" He looked at her with his blue, tear-soaked eyes, and AJ was lost in them for a moment. When she'd first seen a Changeling, she'd only seen those eyes as hollow and featureless mirrors of the monsters they appeared to be. When she met Mandy, however... She'd grown used to seeing those blue spheres; she could see the slight twinkling when he was happy, or the dulling of the color when he was sad; and she could even see the faintest hint of a lighter patch where his iris would be. Now, when she looked at those eyes, they no longer seemed empty. They were more full of life than any she'd ever seen. He had to catch his breath before he could answer. In that moment, AJ glanced upwards, then did a double-take when she saw that the inhibitor ring was no longer there. "Mandy!" she gaped. "What's goin' o–" The Changeling held a hoof over her mouth, silencing her. "I've made my decision," he answered simply, clutching AJ's forehoof with his. AJ's eyes widened. Did he mean... no, he couldn't! Could he? Mandy answered that question before she had a chance to even ask it; he took her in his arms and planted a long, firm kiss on her lips. AJ's eyes widened as her lips grazed dull fangs, but the bliss of the moment soon eclipsed everything else. So she simply closed her eyes and kissed back. Unfortunately, they had to come back up for air at some point, and they parted lips. "Woah..." AJ noted, captivated by the sensation running down her spine. Mandy seemed just as disoriented by the pleasure. "Yeah..." he agreed. They looked at each other, then Mandy helped AJ get up. "Well well, what do we have here?" asked a regally playful voice. AJ and Mandy nearly jumped out of their skin at this sudden and unannounced spectator, whirling around to see Princess Celestia wearing a nightgown and drinking hot tea. Mandy blinked. He hadn't been gone that long; when did she... nevermind, it wasn't important. "I'm sorry for the interruption," Celestia formally apologized. "I was not aware that this hallway was occupied." "Oh, n-no," Mandy countered, more flummoxed than scared now, "We're sorry for getting in your way." Celestia eyed him curiously, her gaze stopping when it came to his head. Her horn glowed, and Mandy suddenly felt as though a thousand prying eyes were poking painlessly through his memories. The sensation only lasted an instant, but he was sure it'd happened because Celestia's emotional aura shifted to... Nostalgia, surprise, and gratitude? As though an old friend of hers had given her a meaningful gift? "I see," Celestia nodded rather hastily, rising to her full height. "Well, then, if you'll excuse me, I have some royal duties to take care of." Before either one of them could respond, she sidled past them and disappeared down the hallway. AJ looked at Mandy, then looked at his horn. "So, ya got yer horn freed?" Mandy perked up again. "Yeah! Celestia was just in my room, and she said..." Celestia quietly slipped into Mandy's unoccupied room, immediately finding the discarded magic-inhibiting ring on the ground. She picked it up in her golden magic and turned it around, finding a telltale scorch mark at the base of the locking mechanism. The Princess tapped her chin in thought, teleporting the device away with her magic. Then her gaze fell upon the Changeling plushie on the bed. Attached to it was a tag that said, "Don't ever be afraid of who you are." The true Solar Monarch chuckled to herself. "Even after all these years, you still find ways to surprise me, Mothy..." With that, she silently left the room. The Coronation went off without a hitch, and Princess Twilight Sparkle was officially crowned. She gave a very heart-felt speech about how she wouldn't be there without her friends, and liquid pride was shed. Then, as they headed down the street, they began singing. Life in Equestria shimmers Life in Equestria shines And for the first time, Mandy joined in. And I know for absolute certain That everything... Yes, everything... Yes, everything is certainly fine! It's fine! Twilight gave Mandy a nod, and, just like they'd rehearsed, he leapt into the air and transformed into the newly-made alicorn. He flew up, and gave out one final exclamation: "Yes! Everything's gonna be just fine!"