It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling
Chapter 26: ...To Reform Another Changeling
One Month Later...
Mandy sighed, finally collapsing into his bed after another long day. He'd just spent another long day meeting with unreformed Changelings, reassuring ones that had doubts, checking up on ones that'd adapted well, and managing the month-long timeskip. Now, he was looking forward to some rest and relaxat–
Knock knock.
Mandy groaned, his aching joints screaming for him to rest, but he got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, he smiled at the sight of Applejack. "Hey, AJ; what's up?"
She adjusted her hat and smiled. "Ah was jus' wonderin' if ya were comin' to the party."
Mandy smacked himself, then yawned, "Was that today? I'm sorry; I'll be right over."
She nodded. "Take yer time; Ah know how hard it's been on ya, bein' ambassador an' all."
He sighed. "Thanks, Applejack. Don't worry; I'll be there soon."
She smiled, before turning and heading off.
Mandy arrived at Sugar Cube Corner 20 minutes later, finding the party in full swing. Applejack was chatting with Rarity, Rainbow Dash was playing Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie was swinging from the rafters...
And Princess Chrysalis, who still had the magic-inhibiting ring on her, was talking with Twilight and Celestia, Prince Mothra by her side.
Mandy gave out a contended sigh, then smiled as he walked in.
AJ was first to notice his arrival. "Glad ya could make it, Mandy."
He pshawed. "I said I'd be here, and I meant it."
Twilight turned at the voice, waving him over. "Hey, Mandy! Come over here; we have something for you."
Mandy blinked, then hesitantly walked forward. What could she want with him?
Mothra looked over and smiled. "Greetings," he said.
"Alright, what do you want with me?" Mandy cut straight to the chase.
Celestia chuckled slightly. "I just wanted to give you this," she pulled out a laminated piece of paper from a saddlebag and levitated it to him. He read it, and gasped.
It was a Certificate of Citizenship. And it was his.
He managed to keep back tears as he regarded Celestia. "Thank you, Princess!"
She nodded. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for us."
He took the document and used his magic to teleport it to his room.
"And there's one more thing," Twilight added, catching Mandy's attention. "Since you're now a fully-fledged citizen, I thought you might want one of these."
She whistled, and Pinkie Pie popped up from nowhere, pulled a key out of her mane, and disappeared again.
Mandy stared at the key. "You got me a key?"
Twilight chuckled. "Well, not exactly. Applejack thought you'd want to live closer to Sweet Apple Acres, so we all pitched in and built you a house!"
Mandy's jaw dropped. A house? Near Sweet Apple Acres?! Made specifically for him!? He could hardly believe it!
"I-I...," he was barely cognizant enough to form words, "I don't... Th-thank you!"
The others, apparently overhearing their conversation, approached. "It was no problem at all, dear," Rarity said humbly, "They just needed me to help decorate."
Fluttershy blushed. "All I really did was a little landscaping... Oh, and I made sure Vesper would be comfortable there."
Pinkie cheered out, "I made sure it'll be fun! You'll never guess where I hid the Party Cannons!"
Mandy rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile.
Rainbow Dash swooped in and boasted, "I made sure the layout of the house wouldn't cause the sun to wake you up in the morning; I just HATE it when that happens!"
Mandy chuckled. "Thank you for being considerate."
Twilight added, "I made sure it was equidistant from both Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres, while still being in a good location."
Mandy blinked, vaguely understanding. "Uh-huh..."
Finally, Applejack smiled nonchalantly. "An' that jus' left the bulk o' the buildin' to me an' Big Mac."
"Thank you, everypony. You don't know how much this means to me."
Everypony dismissed it as nothing much.
"No, really, I can't express how much I–"
Chrysalis gagged. "We get it, you're thankful. Just move on already!"
Everyone glared at her.
She backpedaled. "Sorry, I'm still learning."
Mandy now stood on the path between Sweet Apple Acres and the rest of Ponyville, staring in awe at the new house in front of him. It was roughly as big as Fluttershy's Cottage, but was built to resemble the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres, with an added porch and an observation deck reminiscent of the ones back at the Golden Oaks Library. He looked inside; the interior was structured like the Golden Oaks Library as well, consisting of a main room with branching offshoots.
"So, whaddya think?" AJ asked him.
He turned back towards the farm pony, and hugged her. "It's perfect."
She blushed profusely. "Well, Ah'm glad ya like it."
Eventually, she broke off the hug. "Now, Ah'll help ya move yer stuff in, then we gotta go; Thorax's official Coronation is t'night."
Mandy sighed. "Wouldn't wanna miss that, would we?"
AJ eyed him playfully. "Well, after that's done, we'll have some free time; do ya think, maybe ya'd wanna... Ah dunno... Spend it together?"
Mandy jumped for joy. "Of course! We can play Chutes and Ladders, or practice our distance-bucking, or I could show you the new trick that I taught Vesper!"
She blinked, then doubled down on the flirtation. "Actually, Ah was thinkin' 'bout doin' somethin' involvin' the bed..."
Mandy blinked. "You wanna build pillow forts?"
AJ face-hooved. "No, Ah'm tryna say that Ah–"
She stopped when she saw Mandy's sly smile. "Yer just messin' with me, ain'tcha?"
"I can't help it," he winked, "You just look so cute when you're flustered."
One month earlier...
Spike received a letter detailing Chrysalis's punishment, as well as plans regarding the rest of the Changelings:
Citizens of Equestria,
After some hours of deliberation at the Day Court, a decision has been made regarding the future of the Changeling species.
At Mothra's request, the drones shall be relocated to a new Hive, which will be constructed inside the Ghastly Gorge -- where they shall be confined for at least two months. After this, they shall be allowed to go as long as they have been deemed "fit for integration" by Equestria's Ambassador to the Changelings, Ambassador Mandibles Carapace. The only exception to this confinement shall be officially sanctioned events, such as Coronations, Summits, Galas, et cetera.
To help aide in the reconstitution of the Changelings, also at the request of Mothra, Thorax Glyder and Pharynx Elytron shall be issued new titles. Henceforth, Thorax Glyder shall be known as King Thorax Glyder, leader of the Equestrian Changeling Hive. He shall be responsible for the well-being of its denizens, as well as its prosperity. By his side shall be Commander Pharynx Elytron, Commander-in-chief of the Equestrian Changeling Hive's defensive forces.
In light of this change in power, Chrysalis Rosebud shall also be given a new and diminished title. Henceforth, she shall be known not as a Queen but as a Princess. She will be a Princess by title only, and shall hold no actual power. Furthermore, she shall be put on probation for 1 year. The terms of her probation include restrictions on her magic, constant surveillance, and, of course, her husband Prince Mothra by her side.
And finally, let it be known that, from here on out, any Changelings found within Equestria shall be seen as citizens, and will be treated accordingly.
– Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Princess Chrysalis, Prince Mothra.
Everyone in the room stared wide-eyed at the scroll in front of them. Mandy was surprised that Chrysalis had actually willingly signed the document; Twilight was intrigued by the ramifications of merging Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom; Thorax was on the cusp of fainting at the news that he was now royalty; Pharynx was stoked that he was now leader of the Hive's defensive forces; and Spike was scrutinizing the page closely, making sure he hadn't misread anything.
Thorax was the first to speak (not that it was very coherent, but he was certainly the first one to make a sound): "Wh– tha– K-k-k-King– me?! Me, a King?!"
Pharynx beamed at his brother. "Way to go, bud! Or rather, Your Highness."
Thorax began hyperventilating. "I can't– I just can't! I'm not a ruler; I'm a wuss! I–"
Mandy grabbed Thorax by the shoulders, steadying him. "Look at me, Thorax. You're the most compassionate Changeling I know; you've got this."
Thorax paused for a moment before he pushed Mandy away. "Thanks for trying, Mandy, but I need to go through my own process."
He blinked. "Wow, I actually just failed to talk something through. That's a first..."
Thorax continued to hyperventilate as he stumbled out of the room, Pharynx close behind.
Then Spike piped up, "Chrysalis's surname is Rosebud?"
Back in the present day...
Horns sounded out as Thorax stood at the front of the room, a crowd of Ponies and Changelings (both reformed and unreformed) watching as Celestia addressed him.
"Citizens of Equestria," she began, "It is my great honor to officially present to you King Thorax, leader of the Equestrian Changeling Hive."
She stepped aside to let Prince Mothra approach. The former King took his crown off of his head, placing it on his son's head.
Thorax was still incredibly anxious, but Pharynx gave him a reassuring smile, and he took a deep breath. "I am honored, Princess Celestia," he began, unaware that his chest was beginning to glow. "I promise that my brother and I shall watch over and protect the Changelings for as long as I'm able."
The crowd began to cheer, but quickly stopped; they were enraptured by the glow that was now encompassing Thorax. The glowing cocoon that was becoming commonplace formed around him, and once Mothra touched it, it shattered, leaving behind the reformed Thorax.
He looked down at himself, barely able to suppress an excited squeal at the sight of his new form.
Then he paused, remembering what Mothra had told him about the circumstances that caused this form:
"It sort of works like a pony's Cutie Mark, where it's a combination of sharing love and realizing what your place in society is."
And for the first time since he'd received the news, Thorax was truly confident about this.
Later that night, at Mandy's new house...
Mandy nervously grimaced. "Are you really sure you want to do this? I mean, I've never done this before... At least, not like this..."
AJ chuckled. "Relax, will ya? It'll be jus' fine."
He took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready."
She smirked devilishly. "Then let's do it!"
And with that said, they began their totally non-sexual pillow fight.
THE END