(Well, here it is. The sequel to the sequel. Brace yourselves, this one is far different than my others.)
You rolled out of bed, the day starting like any other. You rubbed a hoof across your face slowly, trying to force the last bit of sleep from your mind. As you slowly came to a state of full wakefulness you climbed out of bed. Your hooves were slightly unsteady beneath you, but you managed to stand. Groggily, you made your way to the bathroom, and you stared at yourself in the mirror. And, same as you did every day, you shed your disguise, opting to look at your true self. The creature staring back at you almost struck you as alien. It’d been years since you had last laid eyes on one of your own kind.
A stream of memories threatened to rush in and remind you of all you were, and all you are, but you managed to stop it before it could even start. You shake your head for a moment, and then you look back at yourself in the mirror. Slowly you bring a hoof to the mirror, and you watch it make contact with the mirror. For just a moment, if you tried hard enough, it would seem as if there was another changeling there, looking back at you, sharing the sadness that you felt.
You turned from the mirror, and you swiftly took care of everything that needed to be done in the bathroom, and then you returned to your bedroom. With practiced ease you brought your disguise into place once more, the appearance that you had assumed coming so naturally you sometimes forgot that you were a changeling, and not a unicorn. You walked from the bedroom to your small kitchen, and you noted that today was market day. Not because you really needed to go shopping, but because you needed to get a dose of emotions.
While you lived near the town that you called your home, it wasn’t close enough to warrant visitors, and that suited you just fine. Once a week you’d venture into town, mingling some, and buying a few groceries. It wasn’t the love you craved, but it was better than nothing. The food that you ate supplemented the emotions that you couldn’t get, but you still had occasional cravings for real emotions. You opened the door to your home, and you took a deep breath of the brisk morning air. It wasn’t really a beautiful day, but it wasn’t very bad either.
You made sure to both close and lock the door behind yourself, and soon enough you were walking down the path, the road well worn from your trips. You couldn’t recall just how long it had been since the failed attack and the subsequent betrayal. You didn’t live all that far from Canterlot, and you sometimes wondered about how wise it would really be to have you so close. Then again, Princess Celestia had personally placed you in that house, and you didn’t want to disagree with her.
As you continued down the road your mind wandered back to that fateful day. For the ponies of the land it was a day of triumph, as pony-kind successfully beat back the terrible invaders that threatened their capital. For you, and the rest of the changelings, it was a day of unimaginable suffering. Countless changelings were killed in the magical wave of energy, and even more died due to starvation in the days after the event. You distinctly remember crawling along the ground, near this very town, nursing a broken leg when you saw the rainboom occur over the city.
It took you days to finally make it to where your Queen had landed, and when you got there you found her surrounded by countless other changelings, all of whom were clamoring for her attention. When she spotted you, though, you couldn’t explain the wave of gratitude and love that you felt. It ended nearly as soon as it began, though. That meeting of changelings was a tumultuous one.
“Quill! Has it really been a week already? I feel like I just saw you yesterday!” You looked to the burly earth pony as you walked by. You slowed to a stop before him, and he stretched out a hoof, eager to give you the hoofshake he gave you every week. He had been the one to help you move into your home, at Celestia’s insistence, and he had been more than eager to help out. Tumble always believed that you were royalty, or some such, but you couldn’t tell him how close to the truth he really was. Instead you opted to do what you did every week.
“Yeah, Tumble, it’s been a week already. A stallion’s gotta eat, doesn’t he?” Tumble laughed heartily at your poor attempt at humor, the same as every week. It’d become a bit of a routine, but one you did gladly, since Tumble genuinely liked you. The emotional burst you got from him always did wonders for your disposition, and the two of you were soon swapping some raunchy jokes. “Well, Tumble, I gotta get going. People to see, and places to be. I’ll be sure to swing by on my way out of town, though.”
“Right, Quill. Enjoy your shopping. And let me know if ya get a letter from that mystery mare of yours!” His laughter echoes behind you, and you feel a small smile come to your face. Few things brought you pleasure in this bleak existence. But that mare was one of them.
It had started with a forced meeting with Canterlot royalty, something having to do with a set of stolen artifacts. You had been there for the meeting, and it was then that you spotted her for the first time. She had a beautiful coat, and her mane was even more beautiful than her coat was. You couldn’t recall the events of that meeting, but you knew that it was serious. By the end of the meeting you had nearly every facet of the mare memorized, and she quickly became a focal point for you. Most of your free time had been spent thinking about her, and so you endeavored to find where she lived.
Without even thinking about what you were doing, you sent a letter to the Princess, asking about the mare. As soon as you sent it, though, you realized what a fool you were, and you began planning your escape into the countryside, hoping to escape the wrath of the solar, or lunar, princess. To your continued amazement, though, she had responded with a name, and an address. Attached to the name and address, though, was a very descriptive letter from Princess Celestia, in which she elaborated on all the ways she could make you miserable if you hurt one of her ponies.
Needless to say, that letter alone was enough of a deterrence to prevent you from acting right away. Several months passed, and then you sent your first letter. It wasn’t anything elaborate, nor was it even signed. But it was a start, and from there a relationship had blossomed.
“Quill, you going to buy something, or are you just going to stand there gawking like an idiot?” You realized that you were standing in front of the mare from whom you bought most of your food, and she looked ready to buck some sense into you. “You’ve been standing there for almost five minutes just looking at nothing.”
“My apologies, Blueberry. I was lost in thought.” You offered a small bow along with your apology, and it seemed that it was enough to mollify the mare. “I’d like my usual assortment, if you don’t mind.” The mare rolled her eyes at your expected request, and she rummaged through her wares for a few minutes before she came back to you with a couple of bags.
“Seventy bits, just like last week.” You counted out the coin for the mare, along with ten extra. You waited patiently for her to count it all out, and as she finished counting she moved to push the extra ten back towards you.
“Those are for you, Blue. Consider it an extension of my earlier apology, as well as a token of my appreciation for what you do.” The mare narrowed her eyes for a moment, and she soon responded.
“That’s kind of you, Quill.” You could make out the reluctance in her words, but her emotional makeup was far different. There was a real level of thankfulness present, as well as a degree of true friendship. She’d never admit it, but she liked you some. You bowed to the mare once again, and then you resumed your trip through the town, stopping at the usual shops and stalls to browse their wares, and purchase the essentials that you needed to last you the week.
Soon enough you had everything you needed floating behind you, and so you turned to begin making your way out of town. Tumble was there waiting, and he gave you a wave as you passed by. As you began putting some distance between you and him you realized that you forgot one of the most important stops. You turned to look back to town and you realized that you were already more than halfway home, so, with a sigh, you decided that you’d drop off your groceries before heading into town again.
You approached your home slowly, and you reached out with your magic to open the lock, and it yielded to your magical touch. It took almost an hour for you to sort and store everything that you had purchased. A low rumble came from your belly, and you decided that you could soothe your hunger in town, and make it a little splurge for yourself. You hardly ever took the time to treat yourself to anything, and so you figured that you’d allow it this time.
Again you locked the door, and you started your trip back to the town. Oddly enough Tumble wasn’t in his usual spot, and you figured that it had to do with the fact that he wasn’t expecting you to come by. You shrugged mentally as you passed by his home, and soon enough you were approaching the post office. The door burst open when you got closer, and there stood the pegasus you were hoping to see. Her dull gray coat, blonde mane, and bubble cutie mark identified her as the one and only Ditzy Doo. She smiled when she saw you, and for a moment both of her eyes looked at you. She trotted over to you, and her smile widened with each step.
“Quill, I’ve got something for you!” You smile back at her, already anticipating the letter, and the emotional rush that would come with it. She rummaged about in her saddlebag for several minutes before she finally emerged with a letter clasped firmly between her teeth. “It’s a letter!” You chuckle at her declaration, but your smile vanishes when she keeps it out of reach. “Wait, this isn’t your letter… Give me a minute.”
Once more she dives into her bag, and you stare in wonder as she manages to submerge nearly her whole head into the bag. You want to say something to her, but your own befuddlement keeps you from answering. With a cry of success the mare emerges from her bag, a different letter than before clamped between her teeth. “This one’s yours for sure. I can see your name on it.” You reach out a hoof to the mare, and she lets you take the letter.
“You have my thanks, Ditzy.” You pull out a few bits, and give them to her. “Go get yourself a muffin, my treat.” The mare’s eyes widened at your gift, and she gave you a quick hug before she took flight. That hug had more emotion behind it than a full day spent shopping in the markets, and you relished the burst of energy that came with it. With a notable spring in your step you made your way back to your small house, and you placed the letter on the table in the dining room, all thoughts of getting something to eat forgotten in the haze of what you’d gotten.
You sat down on the couch, and you held the letter in your hooves, looking at the hoofwriting that adorned the piece of parchment. Although calling it hoofwriting was inaccurate, since she used her magic to write. Anyway, you slowly undid the wax seal, and you smiled widely as you read the letter. With a fine eye for detail, having read every letter she’d sent you many times, you could make out the emotions that had run through her as she’d written it. Clearly she was still infatuated with you, but there was something else there, some niggling doubt.
You’d seen it develop over time, but it wasn’t quite enough to discourage her yet. You felt bad for what you were putting her through, but your fears were enough of a deterrent to keep you at bay. But much like Rarity, you had your own doubts. It’d been years since the changeling attack on Canterlot, surely it’s something that the ponies had come to terms with, and had moved past. You sighed loudly as you realized you were moments away from arguing with yourself again.
You pushed aside your own feelings for a moment as you continued to read the letter. She went on about some stallion who finally confessed their love to a friend of hers, and you stopped as you read into the emotions behind it all. Rarity was happy for her friend, but she wanted something like that for herself. Generosity is a great thing, yes, but not when it costs oneself so much.
As you finished the letter you came to the part that always triggered the rush of emotions stored within the letter. The final words of a letter always speak volumes about the emotions felt within a letter, and indicated the degree to which it was meant. A letter signed with sincerely was something one sends to a distant friend, simply concluding the letter, and indicating honesty. Wishing somepony the best was also a weak conclusion. But the way Rarity signed it was just one word, and it was enough to trigger the influx of emotions.
You felt energized as the love came pouring out of the letter, and it flowed into you. While it could never replace the love lost after the failed invasion, it was certainly the closest you could ever hope to achieve. Your moment of bliss didn’t last long, though, as a loud explosion shook your home. It wasn’t anywhere nearby, that you could tell from the sound, but the intensity was what really let you know how serious things were. The rumble reached you here, and the train tracks were almost a mile away.
You rushed to the door of your home, and for just a moment you hesitated before throwing open the door and making your way to the train tracks. Along the way you met up with several other members of the town, all of whom were rushing to the scene. The smoke was visible several minutes before you made it to the scene. You heard some other members of the town call out into the wreckage, and you also began calling out for survivors. A ragged voice answered your call, and you used it to home in on the survivors.
As you crested a small rise you looked down on a mare and a stallion, both of whom were in terrible condition. The mare was looking down at the stallion, and you felt a wave of sadness that nearly overwhelmed you as you looked towards the couple. The mare leaned down close to the stallion, and even over the roar of the fires nearby you could make out her words.
“I love you.” The stallion’s eyes just continued their inexorable trip towards closing, and the mare grew more frantic with each passing moment. Several other townsponies came up beside you, and you all watched in horror as the stallion died in the orange mare’s grasp. Her cry of anguish pierced the heavens, and it also shook all of you out of your stupor. You dashed towards the couple, and you pulled the mare aside so you could begin treating her. But, despite your efforts, she refused to budge from where she was. Tears streamed down her face, and you finally gave up on attempting moving her, instead resolving to inform the princess of what was happening.
The message was hastily crafted, and it was based more on emotions than actual words. Regardless, you hoped that the princess would respond quickly, since a distraught Element of Harmony would not bode well for anypony involved. Almost a full minute passed before a response came, and when it came it was not a message, but was a pulse of magical energy as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and a pegasus you’d never seen before arrived. All three quickly descended upon the grieving earth pony, and after a minute the pegasus took several steps back and he pulled a piece of parchment from his armored suit.
With surprising grace he wrote a letter, and then he looked at you. “Changeling, send this to Twilight Sparkle, of Ponyville. Use her dragon as the focus for your destination.” With no more instruction than that, he turned his attention to the other members of the town.
You focused your energies to your horn, and then you let out the tiniest pulse, searching the land for a dragon in the town of Ponyville. It took some time for the pulse to return, but when it did you knew the destination for the scroll. With a quick spell you sent the scroll on its way, and then you turned back to the scene behind you. Already the bigger earth ponies were clearing away piles of wreckage, and the unicorns were dealing with the fires.
You moved to start helping out where you could, but a hoof came down on your shoulder before you could take more than a few steps, and you looked behind you to see an upset looking Celestia staring back at you.
“Wasn’t me, I swear.”
(Hope you enjoyed it. More to come, so fret not!)