The trip to the schoolhouse had been interesting. The thestrals all took to the sky and moved as one, the only sound being the occasional flap of wings. I stayed grounded with Vigilant, who was nursing another cup of coffee that had been generously provided by Amber.
The thestral also joined us on hoof, more than happy to have a conversation between the two of us.
"So, you really left your hive?" she said with surprise. "Even though you could've been... y'know?"
I nodded sadly. "It was scary," I admit to her, "but I knew deep down inside, there was a better way, and I knew that I was likely the only changeling willing to look for it."
Amber nodded as I spoke. "That's good" she told me. "Takes a lot of guts to do the right thing sometimes, especially if everypony you know thinks that's wrong or stupid."
I had to agree with the statement that everypony, or everyling in this case, thought what I was trying to do was stupid, and I suppose it did take some guts to find a way to leave the hive. It certainly took a lot of guts to approach Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor and ask for a chance to learn about friendship from them.
Even with Spike backing me up, I was still quivering in my chitin at the possibility of everything going south like a bunch of geese with their tail feathers on fire.
Amber, Vigilant and I got to the schoolhouse about five minutes later. Standing outside the schoolhouse were some of the thestrals and a pony mare. She looked tired, but her eyes widened and she became more alert as soon as she saw me.
"So he really came?" she said in a questioning manner.
"He did" Orion responded. "We asked him if he minded speaking here at the schoolhouse so that we didn't disturb the ponies in town."
He then gave her an apologetic look. "I sorry that we had to wake you up so late," he told Cherilee, "but I didn't feel right just barging into the schoolhouse without at least asking for permission."
Cherilee waved him off with a yawn. "That's quite alright" she tells Orion. "While it is a rather late hour, I do appreciate the consideration. You're free to use the schoolhouse whenever you wish. All I ask is that you lock it up and leave the key in its usual place."
"I'll remember to do that," he assured her, "and thank you again."
Cherilee gives a nod and heads to a small cottage behind the school house, the building most likely her home.
"Well," Orion says while turning to me, "now that we've gotten permission, why don't we head on inside so that we can have this little meeting get underway?"
"Sure thing" I saw with a nod as I follow the old thestral inside.
The schoolhouse was, surprisingly, quite spacious on the inside. It was one room, with a wall that had a chalkboard affixed to it, as well as some rolled up maps and diagrams that the school teacher would use to educate the students on various things.
The desks that the students would normally sit at had been moved off to the side and stacked on top of one another when it was clear there wouldn't be enough space with all the desks on the floor.
Once there was enough clear space, the thestrals filed in and began sitting side by side. A little more than half fit on the floor of the room, which caused the remaining ponies to take up roost on the rafters holding the roof up. Once everypony had found a place, Orion led me to the front of the room, where the teacher's desk sat on an elevated platform.
"Friends," Orion said to the gathering, "Miss Cherilee has graciously provided us use of the school house so that we may hold our meeting and ask our questions to Thorax. I ask you to give your thanks to her at the next possible chance, as she has been a friend of ours for some time now."
The thestrals all voiced their agreement or nodded in agreement with Orion's sentiment. Orion continued speaking.
"Now I will turn the floor over to Thorax here. I will allow him to speak how he wishes to speak to you and if you have any questions for him, which I'm sure you all do, I ask you to raise your hoof and wait to be recognized."
Orion turns to me with a smile. "The floor is now yours" he says as he backs away from the group of thestrals and offers the spot where he was standing to me. I step forward and look at the group of gathered ponies.
Several sets of eyes look back at me, all different colors but appearing to glow; a likely result of the cat-like nature of thestral eyes. I clear my throat as I begin to speak to them.
"Hello everypony" I say to the group. "I'm really happy that all of you have been so welcoming of me tonight. I can say with all honesty that this was a much warmer reception than what the earlier gathering was like."
I felt kinda bad saying it that way, but it was the truth and I refused to lie so freely anymore. I elect to push on with the meeting, knowing that Vigilant would like to return to the castle and get what rest he can. In truth, I wouldn't mind going back to sleep either.
"As Orion has told me," I continue, "you are all quite curious about me and likely have many questions. I ask you to hold onto those, because I intend to say a few things about myself, and in hearing them, you may have the answers you were looking for."
After that, I began giving them what was effectively my life story. How I was born different, how I grew up and realizing how much I didn't fit in, the attack on Canterlot and my decision to leave, and my ultimate trip to the Crystal Empire.
Once I was finished, I looked around at the gathered thestrals. Each of their faces considered the story I had just told them. Some looked sad. Others looked enraged, but their anger wasn't directed at me. All of them seemed to have made up their mind about some facet of the story.
I decided that now was as good a time as any to let the ponies who were still curious ask their questions.
"If anypony still has any questions..."
While there were hooves that did go up, I was surprised that the total number was significantly lower than what I had been expecting. In total, there were only about five or six hooves altogether in the air.
"Okay, let's start with you" I say as I gesture to a thestral colt sitting near to the front.
"What's it like to eat love?"
The question isn't surprising, as I expected somepony to ask it at some point. Nonetheless, the have it out there right off the bat catches me off guard just a little bit.
"Umm... It's kinda hard to explain" I tell him. "We don't consume love in exactly the same way ponies eat normal food, but at the same time, when we absorb it, it quells the need for it like a pony feeling full after having something to eat."
Another hoof is raised and I call on the pony; a mare.
"Have you ever drained a pony before?"
My ear stalks fold back against my head and I wince a bit. Two questions in, and I must lay my sins out before these thestrals.
I can only hope they're at least understanding, if not forgiving.
"In the hive, love is taken from any creature unfortunate enough to be captured by changelings and put into a pod, so... yes, I have."
"Do you feel sorry for it?"
The thestral in question, a stallion, didn't raise his hoof, but he really didn't need to. Orion goes to call him out for the question, but I raise a hoof to stop him.
"Not a day goes by that I don't regret the things I needed to do to survive" I say honestly. "I always knew deep down inside it was wrong and that there had to be a better way. All I can do now is hope that any of the creatures I've hurt can understand, and perhaps forgive me for what I had to do."
I hang my head in shame as I reflect on all the times I had to feed while living in the hive. More-so, I think back to the night I attacked Soothing Dusk and my regret is tenfold.
The thestrals see my remorse and decide not to propose anymore questions... until a young filly's hoof goes up.
"Can you really turn into anything you want?"
I look up at her as she looks at me expectantly. I get an idea and smile as I use my magic and turn into a duplicate of her.
"I can" I reply in the filly's voice.
Immediately, she laughs and claps her hooves together. The adults looking on are surprised that I was so able to accurately copy the young pony and clap along as well. Soon enough, there are calls for me to imitate almost everypony in the room.
Orion takes this as his cue to cut the meeting short.
"Okay, everyone!" he calls out. "I think that's enough questions for Thorax for one night. If you want to speak with him further, then I recommend getting into contact with Princess Twilight Sparkle at the Castle of Friendship to arrange a private meeting with him. Now, though, I think he would like to return to bed and so would the Crystal Guard assigned to keep an eye on him."
"Thank you, everypony, and have safe travels through this glorious night."
The crowd of thestrals bows to Orion and begins to file out of the school house. Once the majority have exited, a few stragglers move the desks back into their original positions so that the next day's classes can commence without delay.
After the desks are put back and the remaining thestrals leave, I look to see Vigilant standing by Orion and Amber. The young mare looks at Vigilant apologetically.
"I'm sorry about earlier" she tells the guard. "I wasn't sure how to approach and by the time I decided on how I should do it, you'd all went to sleep."
Vigilant waves it off as he finishes the rest of his coffee, this newest cup being decaf. "It's okay. I understand the curiosity about the first changeling to actually peacefully coexist with ponies, and I also understand the skepticism and uncertainty as well."
"It wasn't so much uncertainty as it was nervousness" Amber admitted. "Despite how the evening started earlier, I try not to be rude."
"Regardless," Vigilant persisted, "message received and message understood."
Amber gave a nod and turned look at Orion, who had just put the key for the school house inside a small pot hidden behind some larger planters. "All ready to go?" she asked him.
Orion gave a nod. "I left a note on the desk thanking Miss Cherilee again for allowing us to use the school house. Be sure to say thanks the next time you see her."
"I will" Amber told her father.
Orion nodded and then turned to me.
"Thank you for taking the time to speak with all of us thestrals" he told me. "If we want to speak with you again, we'll try to do it in the afternoon when you not likely to just jump into bed at any minute."
"It wasn't a bother for me" I tell the old stallion. "I was more than happy to answer a few questions and clear up any uncertainties."
Orion gave a nod and flexed his wings. "We'll be getting going now. Amber has a job she must go to, and I have a meeting with some other members of the thestral community on another matter. I again thank you for your time and wish you safe travels in your future."
"Thank you, sir" I tell him in response.
Orion smiles and launches himself into the air, getting to a high altitude and gliding off in the direction of the town. Amber gives me a smile and wave goodbye as she too launches herself into the air and off towards Ponyville, leaving me and Vigilant alone.
"We should head back" the guard tells me. "If anypony decided to check on us and we weren't there, it'd be a panic and you'd most likely be thought of as a criminal."
I winced at the accusation. "That's probably a good idea" I concede as I begin moving in the direction of the castle, Vigilant falling in behind me and keeping a close watch for anything that could cause us harm.
We move quietly for about ten to fifteen minutes before a question comes to mind that I decide I need to ask.
"Vigilant" I address the stallion. He responds by stopping in place and looking at me.
"Do you think Soothing Dusk will ever forgive me for what I did to her?"
I can tell he senses the regret inside me. He doesn't answer for a few seconds.
"I don't honestly know," he finally says, "but I do know that you meant what you said and you do regret having done that, even if you probably weren't in your right mind at the time."
My confidence deflates a bit as I hear him tell me the truth. He was right in that he couldn't predict what her reaction would be, but he also knew that knowing something like that was next to impossible.
"I know one thing" he adds as I look at him again. "If you are sincere in your words and you have friends there to vouch for you, I'm sure you can at least get her to understand, if not forgive you."
I consider what he says and give him a smile. "Thanks, Vigilant."
He smiles back. "Not a problem, Thorax. Now, let's get back to the castle and get some shut eye?"
I nod in agreement and we again start heading back for the castle, with thoughts of what could happen tomorrow dominating my mind.