As Ponyville returns to normal a couple days after the whole colossal timberwolf fiasco, Everchange has decided to try and apply himself to befriend the elements, without Applejack's help or presence, and the first element to start with, was Generosity, Also Known As the snootiest of the elements, Rarity. Because it was a true Rarity to meet anypony who didn't immediately turn on a dime to hate ya.
Everchange approached the Boutique and was about to knock on the door, until there was a sudden click of a lock and the dropping of shades. Rarity was not gonna be easy to earn trust from, but he at least had to try, he's dealt with tougher ponies before.
Everchange knocked on the door, and the unicorn seamstress just mouths the words 'Go Away', before returning to work on a dress. Everchange groaned and knocked on the Boutique door harder, hearing the muffled and audible groans of irritation from the unicorn. Rarity unlocked the door and threw it open, obviously not in the mood for distractions.
"Listen, you, if you think I'm going to let you just take my love so you can have a snack, you've got another thing coming, you beastly bug!" Rarity exclaimed as Everchange just stood silently. Everchange sighed and pulled out a small white card, clearing his throat so he could properly read it without a vocal mishap.
"Element of Generosity, you know me as Everchange Spectical, though you saw my changeling form, that is not the real me. Even if you still think of me as a love devouring monster against nature, I would like to earn back your trust and properly earn your friendship. Today, I'll be your personal... *groan* Errand colt for the afternoon to gather whatever it is you could possibly need, no questions asked. If it means I can have a couple more friends, I'll do anything to earn the right to be called a friend." Everchange read aloud.
He put the card away somewhere in the tattered holes of his clothes as he looked back up to the mare, who was obviously eager to have someone get her things. He was handed a couple satchels of bits and a list that stretched out to the other side of the street. Everchange dropped his jaw as Rarity closed it and pat his head. The Unicorn mare proceeded to also explain the items on the list.
"The Green checkmarks are mandatory items, yellow stars are optional, if you have the time today to get them, and the red Xs are the items to not get whatsoever. Come back when you have everything." Rarity explained, slamming the door and clicking the lock as she resumed her work on an order. Everchange closed his jaw and looked at the list, sighing in relief that he didn't have anything to do right at this moment, so this was already a bit easier.
Everchange bought a couple gemstones from the gem store, picked up some high tension rosemary silk, a few boxes of assorted buttons with colors and patterns and differing shapes, Leather Ribbons, fur and floof, plus a crate full of cotton. Everchange traversed Ponyville on his own hooves as he struggled and struggled to carry every single individual crate and box, and barely got through the start of the list. Everchange dropped off the last of what he could manage, and proceeded to look down to the next few items of the list, mostly consisting of similar stuff from the last few items he just collected. Everchange continues on with gathering materials, mostly consisting of different fabrics, ribbons, laces, and a few other things.
Everchange continues this endless trek for friendship as the sun slowly begins to set, knowing very well that he really didn't have anything to do that day, and just trekked onwards, sweating from the heavy load he'd have to haul back, exhausted with going back and forth, and sore for doing so much.
The very next morning, Rarity is ecstatic to see all of the required and optional items ready for re-stocking. Everchange had slumped up against one of the boxes, passed out and exhausted, and very sleepy. Rarity nudged the stallion carefully, only for Everchange to roll over and continue sleeping. Rarity used her magic, as well as asking for a smaller filly to help her lift the stallion inside, she closed the door to her boutique, and laid Everchange onto the couch, where he just muttered and squirmed in his sleep.
Within the Dream Realm...
As a teen colt trotted through the halls of a huge white castle, he was sneaking around, trying to avoid the guards as he entered a room discreetly. Within the room was a tall mare, wearing a ragged cloak, who just pointed to a potion recipe. The stallion gathered four different ingredients, scale of changeling, feather of griffon, embers of Tartarus, and a strand of hair from an Alicorn. The Alicorn hair was plucked from Celestia's hairbrush for convenience sake. The tall mare watched as the stallion ground up the changeling scales into a powder, and minced the griffon feather and hair strand to pieces, mixing it with the crushed scales as the embers were used to heat up an old Bunsen burner. The stallion grabbed a small vial of blue liquid, and poured it into the beaker being heated by the embers.
The stallion watched as it began to bubble, and the ragged mare gestured for him to continue. He poured the crushed and minced mixture of dry ingredients into the beaker, obviously having a type of chemical or magical reaction as it suddenly went off, enveloping the room in a dark purple smog, causing the stallion to cough and wheeze and hack as the fumes were getting dangerously potent. He bolted out of the room, and felt himself slip into unconsciousness, as he saw two princesses running to his aide. Celestia herself, and another princess he knew too well, he couldn't utter a word until he suddenly blacked out.
Back in the boutique, Everchange jolted upwards, covered in a cold sweat as he tried to breathe. He looked to his side to see a scared little filly backing away, setting down a saucer with a cup on it, full of some type of sweet smelling liquid. Everchange did feel how dry his throat was, and took the cup as he guzzled down the contents, not expecting the sweetness to be a full on staying flavor. He noticed where he was, and for some unforeseen reason, every strand of hair on the back of his head was standing up, and signifying it was time to just be on his way and finish the list, yet he didn't dare move, or look away from the filly, who was slowly walking towards him.
The filly was no older than Applebloom, but obviously this kid had an understanding of common sense. Her hair was curled at the front, splitting off at a mix of Bright pink and a faded orchid purple. her coat was white, much like Rarity's, her flank as blank as it could be, her tail and mane curling as her green eyes shimmered with an innocence he once knew had meaning.
"I'm not supposed to talk to you, but you looked like you were having a real bad nightmare. I fixed you some hot cocoa, though I guess it's just hot sugar water, since I didn't have any cocoa powder to properly mix in." The filly said, a bit uncertain of how to approach the stallion.
Everchange smiled and put the cup on the saucer. "It's easy to find a substitute for chocolate, like vanilla or just strawberries... Who are you, by the way?" Everchange stated, fixating his vision on the filly.
"I'm Sweetie Belle, and I'd like to say, thank you for helping us back in the Everfree, it means a lot, mister." Sweetie Belle said, smiling. Everchange smiled, until he heard the clopping of hooves on the ground approaching, and Sweetie Belle backs away, acting like she hasn't said anything.
Beside the stallion was Rarity, who was ready to put a warm and wet rag on his forehead. "Dreadfully sorry, darling, but you were catching something awful, I didn't exactly know what to do at this point. You fell asleep after bringing my stuff, and you passed out. Darling, you know there's such a thing as 'taking a break', right? No wonder you were coming down with a fever, you've been putting too much strain on yourself, doing whatever Celestia knows what." Rarity stated, rinsing the water out of the rag as he placed it to his forehead.
Everchange's demeanor shifted to silence, and Rarity knew she might've touched a nerve. "Sweetie, could you go out and pick up a couple things from sugarcube corner?" Rarity called out, Sweetie trotted towards Rarity, who gave her several bits as the filly left the boutique.
Rarity used her magic to pull up a chair, and proceeded to sit in it, facing the stallion, who already was a bit thrown off by the mentions of Celestia. The dream played out on repeat through his mind, and every time, he saw the other princess fading into obscurity, while Celestia remained.
"Darling, do try to keep your mind on me, please." Rarity stated, smiling. Everchange snapped out of his daze, and looked at the mare, and just felt a form of uneasiness.
"Look here, Rarity. I'm not in the best place for questions, can I just go and deal with something else?" Everchange simply asked. Rarity cleared her throat and stretched her hooves out.
"Tell me, what is it that you want?" Rarity asked, ignoring his question entirely.
Everchange didn't know what the question meant. "Pardon?" Everchange asked in confusion.
Rarity scoots closer to the stallion, looking into his eyes suspiciously. "What do you want? Love, bits, magic, what could a changeling want with me?" Rarity asked.
Everchange knew what she was insinuating, and didn't properly care for it, not with that nightmare playing over and over in his head. "Look, Rarity, you may think I'm a love sucking changeling, but I'm not that at all. Yeah, I can become them, but I'm not them permanently. But there's no point in trying to explain this to somepony who will never like me. And that's fine, I don't need to be friends with everypony, and I certainly don't need the likes of Celestia." Everchange states, standing up and walking to the windows, looking outside to the afternoon sky.
"No one could learn to love somepony like me, or give me a chance to show I can at least try to help ponies. Applejack might be the only one who can, and is willing to, but you and that Alicorn, Twilight, treat me like the plague. Do I look like a monster? No. Can I become a monster? yes. Do I want to hurt ponies? No, absolutely not. Do I get angry? Of frolicking course I do, everypony does and some of us have short fuses to go with short tempers." Everchange explained, obviously a bit bothered by how someone can judge someone by how they appear. He looks to the Unicorn, who's not swayed by his honesty.
Everchange sighs and looks Rarity in the eye. "I knew the princess a fair bit, Celestia, I mean. She seemed like a nice and fair ruler, until the day she took my only family away, I saw her for who she really was. Someone who cares more about their royal status over the well being of someone who couldn't even fight back," Everchange felt a sense of bitterness and sadness wash over him.
"If I was a changeling for a longer time frame, I'd want all the love Celestia had for everypony, everypony except my mother... who's been gone for years now, and considering I haven't heard from her in so long..." Everchange pondered on the thought, and it just made him angry. Not at the Unicorn, but at Celestia. Everchange hadn't even noticed the tears in his eyes, until Rarity leaned in, and wiped them away with a soft handkerchief.
Rarity's skepticism of the stallion just rose, but a sense of understanding was rightfully understood. She'd probably be in the same position as the stallion if no one believed her that a royal had torn her family apart, but that just raised questions in the mare's mind. Questions she planned to take to Twilight. Rarity couldn't accept that he lied, but perhaps there's more to his situation than he lets on.
"Darling, sit on the couch, I'll prepare something for you. Eating always calms me down." Rarity said, smiling as she trotted towards the kitchen. Everchange sat down, and rubbed his face. It must've taken an hour or so to prepare whatever Rarity was making as she set a bowl full of salad onto the stallion's lap.
Everchange was starving already, and immediately started to scarf down the salad, much to Rarity's surprise as Everchange finished the whole thing in just a few seconds. Everchange wiped his mouth and breathed, setting the bowl aside as he looked to the Unicorn.
"Thanks, I haven't eaten anything for the past couple days, I've just been working non-stop on building a cottage, and I might've forgotten to eat or drink something in the midst of my work... I need to start eating more, it's becoming a detriment on my work." Everchange stated.
Rarity notices that Sweetie Belle hasn't come back yet, as does Everchange. "Is it supposed to take this long to get to that sweets place and back?" Everchange asked, concern in his tone. Rarity wasn't sure and she ran out of the boutique to see what the hold up was.
In front of Sugarcube corner, was a raging monster. It was the size of the building itself, and very bear like. It looked to be made out of the space that the planet resided in, only a deep blue hue was the color of its fur. it had stars all around its body, but it was getting ferocious. This was an Ursa Minor, a dangerous magical beast that was obviously wanting something, and was gonna get real aggressive if it didn't get it.
Rarity came onto the scene, and shrieked, attracting the Ursa's attention. The Ursa Minor slowly moved towards the Unicorn, until Everchange got in front of the Unicorn. "You go get Sweetie Belle, I'll take care of this. I'm starting to develop a knack for fighting monsters." Everchange stated.
Rarity trotted past the beast, as he saw the Ursa Minor look down at him. Everchange cycled through his forms, and landed on Tyrani-Taur. He slammed the crystal down, and began to change.
His Pony Physique didn't change too much, he felt his tail get longer and thinner, the brown and pink hairs faded and a bunch of fiery red, golden orange and pine green colored hairs grew in their place. His tail was wrapped in some kind of special fabric, as was his torso. He felt a white solid object form onto his back as he felt his hooves changing as well. His short hair and mane poofed out, curling at points where the brown was a fiery red, and the pinkness in his hair and mane became a pine green or a golden yellow color. His coat stayed the same color, all except his eyes. He felt a Horn-like appendage sprout from his head, patterned in Blue and green stripes as a black and white mark patterned downwards through the middle of his face, stopping on the end of his muzzle. He felt the gem protruding from his forehead amongst the markings, and he roared out, yelling and laughing like crazy as the flash of light died down.
The stallion looked at himself to see what he had become. "A Kirin? Well, there goes the not-all-walks-of-life-can-be-scanned theory. But this is useful, nonetheless. Alright you Behemoth of a Bear, Prepare to face the might of Scoville Hooves!" The Kirin Stallion said, smiling as it charged forth. Scoville Hooves leapt towards the Ursa Minor, but got swatted away as he skidded onto the ground.
"Alright big boy, you wanna get rough? I'm game." Scoville Hooves came charging once more, this time he blasted a blistering blue fireball from its mouth at the Ursa Minor, sending it back as it roared. Scoville Hooves fired more fireballs, even using the horn to use a teleportation spell to dodge the Ursa Minor's attacks.
Inside Sugarcube corner was Sweetie Belle, Mrs. Cake, Mr. Cake, Pinkie Pie, and several well behaved compatriots, who were scared of the Ursa Minor outside, hence why Sweetie wasn't home yet. Rarity hugged her sister, going on about how worried she was. Everyone was watching the Kirin fight back the Ursa Minor, but it would prove to be a bit risky, fighting in the town like that.
"What do we do?! We can't let that Ursa Minor get the kids!" Mr. Cake panicked, holding his wife as the two cowered. Everypony was scared of the Ursa Minor outside, as it fought the Kirin, who was trying to run it off. Rarity was so worried about Sweetie Belle, the very idea of her getting swallowed whole by an Ursa Minor would drive Rarity up the wall if she had come to that conclusion.
Meanwhile, Scoville Hooves is firing flame after flame at the Ursa Minor, only for it to brush off the attacks as it kept on trying to swat at the teleporting Kirin. Rarity didn't know truly what to do, and thought on what would be best for the situation. Stick your fabulous neck out for a shapeshifting stallion, who insists they aren't actually changelings, but are still trying to keep the Ursa Minor from hurting anyone, or stay in the shop, and hold your sister tight, hoping that it'll be over soon.
Back outside, the time limit for Everchange had run out, de-transforming the stallion back into a normal earth pony, which was a bit of a problem. Everchange ran through the town, the Ursa Minor not too far behind, and he was trying so hard as to not trip over himself. It roared aggressively, and he nearly tripped over a couple rocks, until he eventually tripped over himself, skidding onto the ground as the Ursa Minor loomed over him.
Everchange braced himself for how bad this was going to hurt, until he heard something collide, but not with him. He looked to see a magical field above his head as the Ursa Minor relentlessly slashed away. He looked around and saw Rarity and Trixie, focusing their magic to make the shield withstand the powerful hits.
Everchange quickly ran out from under the shield, and he took a moment to inhale some air, get his thoughts together. Trixie let the field disappear and created another one, above her and the stallion. Rarity ran past The Ursa Minor, and fired small petering beams of magic at the Ursa Minor, which was trying to swat its claws at the ponies, only to be met with a sudden echo of calming music.
The Ursa Minor was getting calmer, and more relaxed as it suddenly became lulled to sleep, resting easy as Trixie let down the shield, and Rarity let up on her magical assault. The music itself was coming from the alicorn herself, Twilight. She managed to lull the creature to sleep, but she was pissed at somepony. Twilight landed in front of the two ponies, and was not amused. Rarity backed away and dove back into the shop, watching everything else from the inside.
"Back to your old ways, Trixie? I thought you left Ponyville after what you did." Twilight said, glaring at the unicorn. Everchange was confused, and wasn't in the best mood either, after all, he did fight off an Ursa Minor.
"And what did Trixie do that was so bad she had to leave town?" Everchange asked, getting in-between the mares.
Twilight groaned and looked at Everchange with irritation. "She challenged me to a magic duel. She won with the help of a dark artifact, and it warped her into being Ponyville's ruler! You were here for this, weren't you!?" Twilight explained, getting more and more infuriated.
Trixie just sighed, taking her magician's hat off and looking upset.
Everchange glared at Twilight. He could deal with a lot of stuff, but as far as he was concerned, Trixie only wronged him for not immediately caring about Snips and Snails when they got nabbed by the Mycelium. "So what if I wasn't here for that? I know that Trixie isn't the same Trixie who helped me fight off a giant sentient Mycelium underneath the Everfree, subsequently saving all of Equestria from being terraformed by a monster plant! If that artifact warped her mind, she didn't have any form of control over herself, the dark forces within it had overshadowed her and she had no recollection of what she had done, because she didn't do anything, but the dark forces within that artifact made her a puppet for their deeds. She doesn't need to be berated on what she hasn't done, she deserves some kind of forgiveness, a word you aren't too familiar with, miss 'Want It Need It' spell." Everchange stated.
Twilight was about to retort, but she catches herself and groans furiously, mad that he brought up the Want It Need It incident. "Look, Trixie is bad news. Here's a lesson for you, be friends with someone that won't get you into constant trouble, or tick off another Ursa Minor." Twilight stated, using her magic to carefully carry the sleeping Ursa Minor back to its cave.
Everchange looked back at Trixie, who was just moping. Everchange was gonna give Twilight what for when the time came, but before Everchange could continue thinking on such a thought, he saw Spike step in front of him, as well as Rarity. Everchange's sour expression changed to that of expected irritation.
"What, come back to call me a love sucking bug... or a monster?" Everchange asked, expecting the insult. What he got instead were smiles and a wrapped up box. The stallion, was now confused.
"Consider it a gift, darling, or my way of apologizing for my rather uncouth behavior; It's just not everyday you meet an Earth Pony who can change shape and form. Could you learn to forgive the transgression, Darling?" Rarity said.
Everchange didn't know what to say, until Rarity immediately stripped him of his ragged Canterlot wears. "Also, I'll be trying to spruce these up, give them a thorough washing *sniff sniff* AAUuugh! These smell so... so... rancid! Definitely needs a thorough scrubbing. You can wear that for the time being while I attempt to fix this. It was something I put off finishing when I heard of your unique abilities, but I decided to finish it up and hope you decide to accept my apology. Anywho, Au Revoir!" Rarity stated, trotting away as she held his former clothes away from her face with her magic.
Spike remained, and just lifted up a slightly opened scroll. "What is this for? I thought the princesses only wrote to their proteges or other kingdoms." Everchange stated, confused even more by the presence of the scroll.
"I got it before Twilight rushed off to deal with the Ursa Minor. But the letter wasn't for her, I saw it was for you. I don't know who wrote it, but I just belched it up out of nowhere. It was so odd, I couldn't figure out who sent it." Spike explained, curious as to what information the scroll held. Everchange rolled out the parchment onto the ground, reading it thoroughly.
Everchange Spectical (if that even is your real name),
You do not know of us... and know that soon, everything will be coming full circle to the likes of you. We are in the shadows, constantly waiting for the moment a filthy commoner like yourself to show your true non-pony colors. We're not sure what you are... but your kind, if there is more of what you are... You are not welcome in PonyVille... Or Equestria as a whole.
Everchange swallowed and looked unnerved. He kept reading.
Know that if the princess in training will not see you immediately as a threat to Pony kind, then you are to be dealt with... by the council of Artemis. Should you continue to keep meddling in affairs you have no business in, you will not like what happens next. Consider this, your final warning.
~C.N
Everchange closed the scroll. Everchange was just more confused, and concerned. Who was this, and why are they after him of all ponies? Everchange took into consideration at the Acronym Signature. C.N... who the hay has a name like that?
"I saw that Twilight had a couple of these letters addressed to her, all from the same person, but she told me to not look at them. When she fell asleep last night, I looked at the letters. Who is this guy?" Spike added. Everchange looked at Spike quizzically.
"Here's a question, why are you helping me? I thought you didn't want to be involved in my business." Everchange asked, skeptical of the dragon.
Spike smiled nervously before looking concerned again. "I think Twilight's hiding something. Whoever this is, they have something to do with the princesses. We have to do someth- *belch* we have to- *buuurp* we have to do something before this esca- *BUUUURP!!*" A stream of green fire spewed from the little dragon, showing a scroll fall to the ground, officially marked by the princesses.
"That has to hurt." Everchange stated as Spike pulled himself together. Spike peeked into the scroll, and handed it to Everchange with confusion. "Uh... It's for you?" Spike stated with confusion. Everchange took the scroll and darted off to the Everfree Forest, wrapped up box on his back and a Scroll in his mouth.
Spike was about to follow him until he heard Twilight calling for him to head back.
As Everchange came to a stop and opened up the scroll, he read it in the moonlight.
My dearest Everchange My dearest Nephew,
Come back to Canterlot and Please come back to Canterlot, according to how much time has passed since your departure, we have a lot to discuss, especially about your family OUR Family... Come to me on equal footing, and we shall talk like rational adults... if you're willing to forgive me, at least try to smile.
-Princess Aunt Celestia
P.S: Come alone, and tell no one of our encounter.
Everchange said nothing. He unwrapped the box Rarity gave him and got dressed into his new digs quickly. Now wearing a Black sleeveless vest with a neatly adjusted collar and a short sleeved white shirt with a red ring around the shirt's hole for the head. Everchange looked back at the scroll, and re-wrapped it, stuffing it under his tent to keep from prying eyes.
His green eyes glistened and shone in the moon's light, but all he could do nothing but shed a few silent tears. Everchange walked over to the timberwolf and hooked on a big red collar, entrusting the wolf to guard his little camp while he made a silent and subtle getaway to the train station, ordering a very expensive ticket to Canterlot as he tried to steady his nerves, and hide the still coming tears from other train riders.
'Get ahold of yourself, Everchange. You're finally heading home after so forsakenly long, the least you can do is be professional, and not a teary eyed mother's colt.' Everchange thought to himself, sniffing as he wiped away the tears, keeping a stern expression. To his left was a bigger, but happier stallion, holding a picture of a mare of the same age, and a swaddled up newborn baby pony.
It made Everchange want to cry, but he was headstrong. He looked to his right, and saw two siblings, one pegasus colt and a unicorn mare playing and having fun while their mother and father admired their children having fun. Everchange felt envious, and he knew why, but he didn't think such a simple sight would resurface old memories.
"Sir, are you quite alright?" A feminine voice rang out. Everchange looked up to see one of the helpers on the train, looking at him quizzically.
"Uh-uh *ahem* yes, I'm quite fine, just exhausted... and I'm currently on my way to see family... been a long time since I saw them... and we aren't on the best terms, so I'm a bit nervous of how this could go, but at least I'm gonna see em again... some of them anyways." Everchange said, muttering the last part.
The helper mare gave Everchange a neck pillow as the lights went out, everypony was heading to sleep. Everchange wasn't one to sleep, but he always knew of the same dream, playing out more and more as the nights went by. By the time he had fallen asleep, the train came to a stop, awaking everypony as the night was still long, and he felt everything shake as he finally arrived in Canterlot.
"Here we go." Everchange stated.
Back in PonyVille, Twilight walks around her library, constantly looking over every book, every tome, every page just to find something. The other elements and Spike were watching Twilight as she was having one of her infamous 'Freak-outs' again.
Twilight slumped to the floor and whined. "Why can't I find anything! It's like they aren't supposed to exist! There's no documentation!" Twilight whined, kicking a small golden piece to her friends. It was the mark of Artemis, the group after Everchange, and on thin ice with the Princess of Friendship.
"Twilight, I'm sure everything's fine, just take a deep breath and we'll help you find something. Okay?" Rainbow Dash offered, helping her Alicorn friend to her hooves.
"Rainbow's right, Twi. Let's not lose our heads just yet, I'm sure whatever's wrong, you know you can count on us to get you out of it." Applejack stated. Twilight looked at her friends, despair and worry plastered on her face as she frantically looked over several tomes.
"Who are they... Who's this Council of Artemis?" Twilight said aloud, like she thought her friends had an answer. She threw a crumpled up scroll at the wall in frustration, which Rarity uncrumpled and beheld the scribbling on it. She felt a shiver go down her spine
Twilight Sparkle,
How disappointing that you intervened yet again... We were trying to get that Ursa Minor to get that lowlife Stallion monster out of Ponyville... but you just had to get in the way. Sleep with one eye open, and keep your friends, close, your highness... Things just got a whole lot less safer for the citizens of Ponyville.
~C.N
Back in Canterlot, Everchange had made the daring traversing trotting of a trek up the stairs to get to the castle front door, which were guarded by two pure white unicorn guards. The guards went wide eyed as they saw the stallion, and almost immediately greeted him like a royal guest. "W-Welcome Back, your high-"
"Stuff it and not another word, this isn't a permanent thing... It's like your job if you even finish that degrading and meaningless welcome... Temporary." Everchange snapped at the guard, who immediately shut up as they bowed to the stallion. Everchange looked upon the walls, knowing very well how insulting it was to walk these halls once, and to never do so again.
Everchange reached the entrance to the throne room, and saw two more guards, who were quaking and shaking, scared of the stallion who stood before them.
Everchange took a deep breath and glared at the guards. "Move. This is business for the Royal Family. Make yourself scarce and make sure No one and no THING tries to get in." Everchange's voice boomed. The stallions opened the doors and immediately ran past the stallion in fear.
Everchange trotted inside as the doors began to close. Up top one throne was Celestia herself, the Princess... no, the Queen of Equestria. Everchange trotted forward, his expression unchanged as he saw the Queen stand and trot up to him.
Celestia hasn't changed much in the last 1,000 years. She wore Blue and Gold royal regalia, a blue crown with gold detailing and a purple diamond-esque gem embedded into it. One could argue that the colors in her hair had gotten a bit darker over the millennia, but she looked the same as she did centuries ago... on that faithless day.
Celestia looked down at the stallion, a slight scowl being present on her face, but nothing but remorse, regret, sadness, and guilt was present in her eyes. Everchange tried to look invested in whatever she had to say, but his eyes said rage, pain, betrayal, bitterness, resentment, and hate.
"So... did you call me here to do with me what you had done to my mother, your highness?" Everchange asked, venom lacing every word in his tone. Celestia's scowl turned to an expression of agony, as she bowed to the stallion.
"Everchange... My dear Nephew..." Celestia started.
"We are many centuries past the formalities and the titles of family, Celestia. I just want my mother back... I looked into what you did... and she'll be back. She might be angry at you, but I know she won't hate me, because I didn't split our family up over some superstitious facsimiles you could call factual rumors." Everchange hissed.
Celestia looked up at the stallion, and stood tall once more, looking down on the obviously still healing stallion. "It's been centuries... and you still haven't tried to hear me out. All you care about is having your mother back, and you can't even give me some respect, even after all this time?!" Celestia yelled.
"Because I know what I saw, Auntie.You banished my mother, my only mother, to the freaking moon!! HOW DID YOU THINK I WAS SUPPOSED TO REACT?!" Everchange exclaimed, his voice booming.
"I expected you to be rational, to think about what had occurred!" Celestia yelled back.
"SO, BANISHING MY MOTHER BECAUSE SHE CARED MORE ABOUT ME WHEN YOU DIDN'T WASN'T ENOUGH OF A RATIONAL THOUGHT FOR YOU, WAS IT!! JUST LIKE EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU, I TRIED TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO IMPRESS YOU, TO MAKE YOU PROUD, AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN BAT AN EYELASH TO WHAT I, OR MY MOTHER, HAD DONE TO MAKE CANTERLOT FLOURISH!!" Everchange yelled back, the castle shaking with every scream. The guard ponies nearby backed away and ran for cover.
"YOU RAN AWAY, AND DIDN'T LET ME EXPLAIN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE LONG GONE, BUT WHEN I GOT WORD FROM MY OWN STUDENT, THAT YOU WERE HIDING OUT IN A SMALL VILLAGE WHERE MY PUPIL CURRENTLY IS, I COULDN'T LET HER GET TANGLED UP IN FAMILY MATTERS!!" Celestia explained.
"DIDN'T STOP YOU BEFORE, WHEN SUNSET WANTED THE SAME THING FROM YOU, AND SHE UP AND RAN TO YOU KNOW WHERE!! WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HER NOW?! SHE COULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU COULD'VE DONE SOMETHING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT!!" Everchange exclaimed back. Celestia looked down at the stallion, angry as her eyes welled up, tears in her eyes as she gritted her teeth.
"DON'T YOU DARE BRING SUNSET INTO THIS! THAT WAS NOT MY ERROR, SHE MADE HER CHOICE, AND IT LED HER ON A PATH I COULDN'T SAVE HER FROM!" Celestia yelled back, her voice breaking a bit.
"WHY SHOULDN'T I?! MAYBE I SHOULD'VE GOTTEN YOUR NEW STUDENT WRAPPED IN THIS MESS SOONER!! LET HER SEE WHAT KIND OF HEARTLESS RULER YOU ARE WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH FAMILY!! WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT ON THAT NIGHT, YOUR TITLE, TO YOU, WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD!! MOTHER LOOKED UP TO YOU, SUNSET LOOKED TO YOU FOR GUIDANCE, AND I ONCE DID THE SAME, I HAVE EXPECTED HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF EVENTUALLY, SO GO AHEAD, BANISH ME LIKE YOU DID THEM, LET'S SEE THE REAL YOU, RIGHT NOW!!" Everchange yelled back, a couple tears streaming down the stallion's face as the walls and windows cracked beneath the pressure of the yelling.
Everyone in Canterlot could hear the screaming match going on, and it was like the end of the world was right on Canterlot's doorstep.
"THAT WASN'T MY CALL!!!!! I DIDN'T WANT TO BANISH HER OR SUNSET!! I WANTED LUNA TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND SUNSET MADE HER OWN MISTAKES!!" Celestia gritted her teeth and yelled out in anger, blasting a random bolt of magic at one of the stained glass mirrors, shattering it in a blinding light.
There was a sudden sound of silence. You could hear a pin drop on the thick carpet due to how suddenly quiet it had gotten. Celestia was panting as tears left her eyes. Everchange was doing the same, tears left his eyes and moved down his face as things got so heated. The sun cutie mark on Celestia had deepened in hue a slight bit before returning to normal. Everchange's cutie mark showed a slight distortion with his cutie mark before it too returned to normal.
Everchange turned around and walked back to the exit, only to hear Celestia call for him.
"Everchange!" Celestia screamed, her voice slightly hoarse and sore from the yelling. The stallion glared back at the ruler, who had more tears to shed.
"We are both angry... at each other... and at ourselves... When she does come back... When your mother comes back... let me make things right... please.." Celestia weakly stated, turning her back as she trotted off to her royal quarters. Everchange trotted down the halls, each guard bowed in respect and fear, knowing that this... was just the start of either a family falling more to pieces... or finally making amends.
As Everchange left the castle for the train station, he suddenly felt like narcolepsy had finally overtaken him, as he suddenly fell to the ground out cold. No pony seemed to notice that something... or somepony was dragging the unconscious and sleeping Stallion somewhere.
In an undisclosed location, Everchange continues to slumber in a cell, whereas in another cell next to his, was Twilight's Cell, where she was blissfully sleeping, unaware of her location.
A robed stallion trotted away as it began to plot what to do next.