Meanwhile, out of the Frozen North, Spike rode on the back of the purple guard with the yellow guard next to him all the way to the outskirts of the empire.
“So, Spike the Brave and Glorious, you’ve faced the evil changelings before. What can you tell us?” the guard in purple asked. “Well, actually I helped my friends save Canterlot, but I realized that since they’re changelings, they can change into any form of somepony to disguise themselves and feed off your love for others,” Spike said. The guards nodded in unison.
When they arrived at the destination, Spike carefully slid down and then planted his feet into the thick snow. He suddenly shivered a little bit, but he was lucky that his scales would keep him warm.
“Okay, I may not be a guard like you guys, but if we’re going to look for just some changeling, we’re gonna have to split up into pairs,” Spike said. “You hear that? These monsters can look like any of us, so be on your guard,” the guard in purple said, and then the guards replied with a nod. “Okay. You, search the right! And you, search the left! Meanwhile, I’ll... just... search through here,” Spike said. While he searched, Spike suddenly gave up, and sat on a boulder in boredom, but he suddenly felt a crack on the ground and then fell in. When he landed in the hole, he got up and then looked around. “Okay, maybe it’s time Spike the Brave and Glorious went back to, uh, protect those guards. Gah!” he said, as he suddenly saw his reflection. “Phew! Just my reflection.” He suddenly saw a copy of himself, “Huh? Hehehehe... Just my imagination, I hope...”
Suddenly the other reflection of him summoned green sparks, and then it revealed to be a changeling. “Whoa! Changeling!” Spike yelled as he sharpened his claws. “Stay back! I’m warning you! I’ve got claws and fire breath and I’m not afraid to use them!”
Suddenly, a small avalanche of rocky ice was about to fall onto Spike, but the changeling swooped in and saved both Spike and himself. “Sorry about that. I just didn’t want you to get hurt because of me. The ice is pretty slippery too, you know,” he said. “I don’t get it... Why’d you save me?” Spike asked. “You’re a changeling, meaning you’re supposed to be evil, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m really trying to look for some friends, even if I had any,” the changeling said. “What are you talking about?” Spike asked. “Let me explain...” the changeling said, and then a flashback appeared with him as a changeling larva hatching from his egg. He looked and saw many of them going to Chrysalis for comfort, and she levitated one up her hoof and kissed it. “From the moment I’ve spent in the nursery hive as a larva... I was also part of the attack on Canterlot during the royal wedding, but I’d honestly never seen true friendship like that! I knew I couldn’t just steal it and feed on its love. I actually wanted to share it!” he narrated, then he suddenly got blown off during the explosion. “After that, I knew I couldn’t live with my kind anymore. I set off looking for love to share, and to get away from Queen Chrysalis, from the hive!”
“Wow, that’s awful,” Spike said. “I know. But while I was wandering off in the Everfree Forest finding love to share, I suddenly saw a little unicorn filly that led three other fillies and one of them had a little boy with him,” said the changeling. “That’s Thomas!” Spike said. “What happened next?! Was he hurt?!” Spike asked. “No, but when the filly turned out to be a drone, two more appeared and took him to the hive in the Badlands, all the way to Queen Chrysalis herself. She’s been plotting her revenge for like months or even years,” said the changeling. “Wow... I never knew that. I’m Spike, by the way,” he said. “I’m Thorax,” he said, as he shook Spike’s hand. “So, you said you probably know where Thomas is hiding?” Spike asked. Thorax nodded, then Spike thought of an idea, “I got it! Wait here, and I’ll go see about taking you in, but if it doesn’t work, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Thorax nodded and showed Spike the way back to the empire.
Back at the castle, the two guards were waiting for Spike to come back, but they suddenly saw him in one piece. “Oh, Spike the Brave and Glorious! You’re alright! Did you defeat the changeling?!” The purple guard asked. “We’re you lost on the way back?!” The yellow guard asked. “Well, I know defeating a changeling is brave, but maybe the changeling was misunderstood or something.” Spike said. “What do you mean?” The purple guard asked. “I’m just saying it maybe might want to make friends and just share love, if you know what I mean,” Spike said. The guards looked at him with confused brows, but then they burst into laughter. “For a second there, I thought you were serious!” The purple guard chuckled. “Can you believe it? Friends with a changeling?” The yellow guard chuckled back.
“I am serious! He saved my life!” Spike said. The guards continued laughing. “Oh, not only are you Spike the Brave and Glorious, but also Spike the Hilarious!” The purple guard laughed.
The yellow guard chuckled back, “Maybe you should be the jester for the castle, because it sounds like your jokes are on a riot!” They continued laughing until Spike started to feel let down. “Ahem!” a familiar voice cleared his throat. When Spike turned around, he and the guards who stopped laughing saw Shining Armor standing there looking very stern, and Princess Celestia was next to him. “What’s this I’m hearing? Making jokes are we?” Shining Armor asked with disappointment.
The guards gulped nervously, until the purple one spoke up, “Oh, C-C-C-Captain! We... We were just...” Princess Celestia spread out her wings, silencing them both, “Enough. I’ve never been so disappointed or ashamed of both of you.”
“And instead I find you both acting like a bunch of school colts in front of my little brother,” Shining Armor said. “This is not a joking matter! This is serious, and I humbly expect you both to treat it as such, or else I’m putting you both on probation for a month. Understood?” The guards nodded, and then Spike whispered into Shining’s ear. “Spike would also like for all of you to search the castle for the changeling and report back as soon as possible. Go on, get moving!” The guards nodded and went off to search for the changeling in the castle.
“I’ll return to the throne room,” Princess Celestia said. Shining Armor then looked down at Spike, “Sorry you had to see that, Spike. I just don’t know what’s gotten into those two.”
“Shining, I was actually being serious,” Spike said. “But you probably wouldn’t think a changeling could show a sense of humor, huh?” The captain suddenly didn’t understand a word Spike said, so he leaned down and then looked at him, “Why would you ask that? Are you hiding something?” Spike nervously shook his head, “No, not really. It was just a question.”
Shining Armor nodded in reply, “Look, I know that Queen Chrysalis trapped Cadance and put me under a spell. But assuming such a changeling that friendly would exist, I can’t answer if it was true. It would be just hard to believe, if you want my personal opinion.” Spike nodded, “I guess you’re right, Shining Armor. Sorry.”