//------------------------------// // CH 53 (on the way back) // Story: Accepting Change // by drFraud //------------------------------// Patchwork   I froze before I even stepped properly into the house. I could not, in good conscience call it messy, or disorganized, but it did make me wonder about my friend. The ground floor was divided halfway by a wall into two even parts from what I could see, with the archway to the next room being near the far end. I could also spot a stairway following the curvature of the wall on the far side right next to the archway. I was stepping into the living room directly, from what I managed to see, but it was the state of it that made me pause. Other than the few necessities one would need to call a room a ‘living room’ in its very center (a light-green couch, a yellow low, pony armchair, a white stone framed fireplace, a brown wooden end-table, and a coffee table, a thin reddish carpet) the room could, in a way, only be described as organized chaos. The wall I looked at, with the stairway leading up, has several wooden display shelves underneath the stairs that are sticking out slightly. On my right is a meter-tall bookcase spanning the entire length of the wall up to the archway on the far right and on my left is a series of display cabinets and bookshelves in a pattern of cabinet-bookshelf-cabinet-bookshelf up until the fireplace facing the couch. All of that is fine, just fine, what isn’t fine, however, is that every single shelf and empty section of wall was filled, covered to the brim with figurines, action figures, mini-figures, dolls, books, scrolls, pictures, frames, snow globes?, posters, and various other knick-knacks that I couldn’t figure out on first glance. The blue wallpaper was barely visible from all the pictures covering it. What also isn’t okay is that in front of each shelf and bookcase is a stacked tower of four wooden boxes in various states, either open or closed, and each of those towers is surrounded by smaller boxes with numerous little figurines scattered around them. There was barely any space to move for even a unicorn let alone a pegasus like myself. I vaguely remembered that Ogres and Oubliettes are a thing in Equestria as the figurines remind me of D&D, but it absolutely faded out of my mind at the sheer quantity of items on display here. “Welcome to my home,” Night Light passed me by with a smile on his face. I could feel the eye twitch coming back with a vengeance, “could you just close the door behind you? Oh, and please don’t touch anything unless you can put it back where it belongs. Remember: everything has a place, and there is a place for everything.” I think I closed the door; I know I heard a click, but fuck me… I felt my head tilt to the side when I saw how effortlessly my blue unicorn friend weaved between everything. “Umm… Night?” “Hmm,” he turned his head around and I could see something click in his head when he noticed my problem; this house was not made with wings in mind. “Oh, right, sorry… give me one minute.” Three flashes of magic from his horn shoved some boxes and items to the side, the blinds were closed on the windows and the low armchair (with enough space on it to curl up) was slightly turned to the side to provide more space than needed for my Night Front disguise. “Feel free to be yourself,” he chirped while going to, what I guessed is, the kitchen, “my folks aren’t here and they won’t be back for at least two hours.” “Erm… Okay.” A quick flash and I felt my horn just barely brush up against the ceiling, and it made me inwardly cringe a bit; I have gotten used to having more room to move. Still, shrugging my feelings to the side I made my way to the armchair only to turn and lie on the couch with my legs under me. There is more space on it, and there were several figurines on the table next to the yellow lounger that I worried about knocking over somehow. “So, how did the whole changeling thing go?” Came a shout from the kitchen. “It’s still going. I traded one huge immediate problem with a smaller more annoying one,” I huffed in frustration. The short quiet that followed allowed me to properly look through the room. Now that I was in the center of it, I could see that there was far more space in the room than initially observed, even though the volume of stuff on the shelves still made me reel back slightly. “Night,” I called to my friend, “what’s with all the boxes?” I traced the wooden boxes that blocked the majority of the room and the floor. “Dad has been rearranging the figurines. He does it by season,” I focused on the visible upper shelves. I only now noticed that all of them featured yaks predominantly. “Is this that O&O thing?” I asked looking at the end table that featured a fairly large yak holding a bagpipe-looking instrument in his front legs. “Eh, some of it,” came a shout, “The Yak Companionship that you see there is from a griffon ga… Sweet Celestia!” His shout of surprise made me jump and I found myself balancing precariously with two legs on the sofa and the other two sliding on the coffee table. “I forgot how tall you are,” I frowned at his reaction, and a scratching sound made me look down. In order to get a better grip I scratched the table. “Sorry about that, Light,” I moved back down to the couch, being very careful not to scratch it as well. “Ah, no worries,” Night Light stepped into the room carrying a silver star-shaped tray with two glasses of juice in his magic. Coming over and sitting down on the armchair he placed the tray on the table while looking me over, “Seriously, do you stop growing at some point?” “I don’t think I’ve grown at all in the last, what, month, since I left,” Lifting the glass with my magic I took a sip of juice humming in delight at the taste of apple. “You did,” he squinted tilting his head left then right, “by roughly five percent since I last saw you.” “I didn’t notice the difference,” I shrugged. “Maybe you should stop hanging around tall ponies then,” Night smirked and I stuck my tongue at him. “Seriously though, how are you doing? Are you finished with… whatever it was you had to leave for?” With the glass halfway to my lips, I sighed before emptying the whole thing, “I’m doing fantastic,” I put the empty glass down, “on another note I’d rather swan-dive off of Canterlot with my wings tied down than go through all that again.” I pursed my lips in distaste while Night pulled his head back in mild shock while mouthing the word ‘swan-dive’. He may not understand the word itself, but he is smart enough to know what I meant. Shaking his head he looked at me sadly while sipping his own juice, “I’m sorry to hear that It was bad. Anything I can do to help? You aren’t going back there again?” “Nothing you can help with, my friend,” I scratched behind my left ear, “and I have to go back. It’s not AS bad as it was, but… it wouldn’t feel right to just leave them all like that.” “Sounds more like you would rather be anywhere else.” “Just about,” I snorted, “but Celestia hasn’t given up on this country in, well, ever. I should follow her example.” “True, but there is nothing honorable in breaking yourself over something you are struggling with,” a small sympathetic smile got me to smirk. “The situation is not as simple as that, Night, but thank you nonetheless,” I let some silence slip between us for a moment. I never gave him the full information, but I did tell him some basics. “So how have things been here? Your parents left in a hurry or what?” I looked around at half-open boxes. Messy or not, something told me that Night’s family isn’t the type to just leave work half finished. “Kind of. Some bigger noble houses have been raising a fuss over all the changeling stuff,” that got my ears to perk up. White Light told me a bit about the noble situation, but I also wanted to hear someone else’s opinion, “So they have started pulling smaller noble houses, like ours, to kind of, convince the Princess to… I don’t know, do something. They have their plans about the whole thing,” He continued and I felt a frown coming on. “I heard a bit about it, but this only sounds like trouble.” “It is trouble… At least, that’s what Mom and Dad say,” he gave it a quick noncommittal shrug. “Princess Celestia already told them all to give it a break…” Another shrug. His disinterest gave me a short reminder that my blue unicorn friend is still young. Not THAT young, but still, just enough that big things like ‘politics’ aren’t AS important. Still, maybe a bit of push in the right direction could make him understand how some things are at least important enough to pay attention to… Not that I was any better. “What’s your opinion on this whole thing?” I smoothly rolled my left claw in his direction, prompting him to speak. I smirked at his incredulous look. “Umm…” He coughed into his hoof, clearly uncomfortable about being put on the spot, even by his friend, “I think…” I couldn’t see his tail as he is sitting but his ears started twitching in the same way his eyes looked everywhere but at me. “Take your time,” I know that his opinion would be well thought out. He just needs some encouragement now. “Well… I kind of agree with nobles,” Now this I had to hear, he had my full attention, “But I also think that they aren’t doing it for the right reasons, and… a-and I think that Princess Celestia understands it.” “Okay,” I drawled out, “why do you agree with them though?” I only had one side of the story so far. I will have to chat with Celestia before I leave… go back. “Oh… um…” His eyes drifted up as he was thinking, “Well, from what mom and dad said the other, bigger… eh… nobles want to reach out and offer the changelings help in exchange for being able to, what was it, benefit from the natural resources of the Badlands.” I rolled my claw again, prompting him to continue, which got me a smirk from him. It would seem I picked up some habits from my marefriend. “Anyway,” I wiggled a bit to sit more comfortably, “I think we should offer our help. Changelings could be our allies, but not if we are doing it so that they owe us something… It’s what I think.” “And I agree,” I happily chirped my approval. At the same time, I was concocting some ideas. I didn’t simply assume that nobles are either stupid or gullible, but maybe if I get Celestia and Chrysalis talking something good could come out of it. After all, if they are eager to pour bits our way for a few baubles I say let them… So as long as changelings don’t allow ponies to run the show. That will be a bit tricky to pull off. I am happy to drop the top for a while more. I wanted to hear what my friend was up to since I left, no reason to dwell on political mind games any more than necessary. … I frowned heavily while looking over Celestia’s notes on the noble activity over the last couple of weeks… more specifically regarding changelings. I wanted to shake off the foul mood I was in since about two in the afternoon but when I sent a quick message to Badlands (via a communication plate from one of the lings that come with me) I did not expect a near instant reply of ‘Everything is fine’. It pricked at the back of my head constantly and it made what little fur I had stand on end… I need to go back, and soon. But this cannot wait. I needed more info on what the nobles wanted with changelings and who better to ask than, well, Celestia herself? I also tested the waters by calling her ‘mom’ when I found her and the look on her face, along with the cup of tea that just dropped when her magic stopped from shock was well worth it. The punishment for wasting a good cup of tea (her words, not mine) is me, stuck under a large white wing, reading over notes while she brushes my mane and tail Celestia was also mulling over my little idea from this morning about talking to Chrysalis, humming every once in a while, and making notes with a quill on a piece of parchment held in her magic at the same time. And I thought that my multitasking ability was good. The notes she gave me weren’t very revealing. Even when I asked her Celestia looked like she wasn’t sure if I should see them or not, maybe she thinks I’m not ready or something. Anyway, not detailed enough for my liking, but what I did find was good. The larger, wealthier, noble houses ARE trying to organize a few expeditions into the Badlands in order to check for any deposits of either ore, gems, or anything else worth noting. They have been pushing smaller houses to take part in order to make it seem like everyone is interested in this ‘new’ area and to reduce the flak they would get for going around Celestia’s order. They technically aren’t interfering with changelings (or me) but they are only… where was it… ah, ‘Worried about Equestria’s safety and its market’. All with an excuse to ‘help’ a new rising pony-like nation… bunch of bullshit If I could talk to Chrysalis and sort out some patrols we could… (‘I did tell Dicty to look into the rare ores and minerals we could use for trade’). “The lands are technically under changeling sovereignty even by Equestrian law,” I muttered out loud. Raising my head up in thought I scratched idly under my chin, a loud ‘hm’ from the side got my ear to twitch but nothing else, “Hollow Shades and the surrounding forests belong to Thestrals even if they are part of Equestria… “Say,”  I turned to look at Celestia who stopped writing at some point and focused entirely on me, “if we push the whole ‘the lands are ours and you do as we say’, would that cause some issues?” “Depends on how far you ‘push’ It,” brush set to the side I got one quick squeeze with her wing before she stood up and fluffed both of her wings. “So as long you keep the control to a reasonable level,” She pulled several scrolls from the nearby bookshelf, quickly unrolling them and then closing them after a glance, “I do not see why they, the nobles, would do anything to cause any trouble directly. Although, a bit of help to keep yourself safer…” A scroll stopped in front of me encased in golden magic after about five minutes of reading and writing. A short storm of paper left me honestly mesmerized. “What’s in this?” I grabbed the scroll in my claw and a quick buzz of my wings got me up and on my legs. “Something that you already know about,” I glanced at the scrolls in my claw, “A brief summary of what Thestrals did in order to secure their forest. Should provide ample help in the right hooves… or claws,” She smiled widely. “Ah… What about my idea though?” Not knowing where to put the scroll in my claw I gingerly placed it under my elytra. “To talk to Chrysalis? I would have to make some time, but I could just as well send someo-pony trustworthy with you.” “True,” I agreed, but I still felt some disappointment. I want to spend more time with her, to get more used to… everything. It must have shown on my face because I got a gentle nuzzle and a sad look from Celestia. “I know you want me to be there with you, but it is, unfortunately, the position we found ourselves in; I have Equestria and you your changelings,” I nodded, agreeing but I also did not. “Eventually, once Chrysalis settles back into power, you may step away from that position, but for now… please…” ‘Do not make this harder for everyone,’ were the unsaid words. She is right, no matter how we both felt about it. Knowing her she can and will make time to come and help, but she is needed here now, giving me time to prepare Changelings to the best of my ability. Thankfully, Chrysalis seems to be able to take over once her mental state is sorted… Speaking of. “You know, I could use a psychologist.” … Flying above Badlands, this time as myself (had to leave Canterlot as Night Front first though) I let the cold high-altitude air and wind brush my worries and issues away. White Light stayed to continue his research (said that he would make his way back in a week) as did the changelings that came with us, Velvet was slightly more understanding but still upset and a psychologist would be on route as soon as possible. At least Velvet was mollified with the phone but we have yet to actually test it. Hopefully, she won’t try to do something foolish again if it proves that it doesn’t work. I checked on the saddlebags on my back to make sure that everything is still in it (the phone, Celestia’s scroll and four books I wanted to bring with me on magic and an anatomy book) before I started my slow descent to the only place I know that housed changelings. Roughly three days away made me expect some changes to the place with what I have seen so far, so seeing the former black castle complete, looking like an off-white mountain hive with large patches of flowers looking like entrance and exit markers. Tilting my head from side to side, trying to create a full picture in my mind, it kind of looked like a more jagged version of those cartoonish versions of a beehive I watched as a kid combined with an… anthill is the only thing that came to mind. If this is what changelings have to look forward to (a softer shade of a pony, with a shaper edge indicating something different) I could easily say I like it. Kind of reminds me of how the Crystal Empire looked pony made but clearly shaped by the rough location surrounding them, shaper edges, and crystal spires. Letting myself fall into a soft dive I hoped for the best but prepared for the worst. Three days is enough time for things to go awry.