//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 
// Story: Camo the changeling 
// by M Specter 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 16

It has been a week since I had last been in Ponyville, my mind needed a break from the constant worrying and planning and nightmares so I resided to just lying on a cloud to rest. I've been on this cloud ever since I left the slumber party. Over this week I've seen the crusaders look about for what I can only assume is for me or changelings. At one point during the week Rainbow Dash found me and told me that the three inseparable fillies were looking for me.

I told her not to let them know I was here and to tell them that I was safe, since the crusaders haven't found me yet I can only assume that she hasn't told any pony. Watching has been peaceful enough and I was able to come to terms with the nightmare I had encountered a week ago. Although about mid-way through the week I saw a multitude of Pinkie Pies all saying fun decimate town. They were able to rebuild their town and somehow they got rid of all of the Pinkies and just in time to because there was a parade coming soon.

I didnt know much of the details about it but I knew it was important enough for a lot of town ponies to start to build floats for it. Before I could return to lying about an aching feeling came upon my forehead someone must be trying to contact me. The aching feeling isn't bad it's just mildly there so it reminds me that someone wants to speak with me. I connected to the hive mind to see who it was when a familiar voice resounded through my skull “Camo are you there?" It was Diamond Tiara " Yes I'm here what is it?" 

“What that's all I get after you disappeared for a week you know I'm responsible for your wellbeing don’t you?” I did know that and I knew she had been contacting me throughout the week but I didn't want to talk with anyone including members of my own kind. “I had to keep Red off my back for almost the entirety of the week but I’ll let it slide this time, I have something I want you to see come by the Everfree forest." Seeing as I had no choice in the matter I told her "sure" and drifted toward the forest. I landed off my cloud at the front of the Everfree and waited for her. She arrived a couple minutes later and she led me into the forest, not too far from the entrance we stopped “were here" she said as she returned to her changeling form. I returned to my natural form and said "what are we doing?" 
"you'll see" was all she replied to me; the pink maned changeling used her magic to lift a boulder from the ground. I have to admit at this point I was slightly intrigued as to what she wanted to show me.

We went through the hole and down a flight of steps until we reached the edges of what I could only describe as a lake. “This is the mirror pool, pinkie used it a couple days ago to create copies of herself" 
“and how do you know this?" I asked a bit intrigued 
“I heard her say it" she replied.
I looked into the pool and at first all I saw was my reflection but then a pink hoof pounded on the other side of the water. It appeared to be pinkie or at least her clones I stepped back a bit and said “so what are we going to do with this mirror pool?" 
She rolls her eyes and said “well obviously were going to clone the infants so that we have a never ending supply of changelings." I thought about the possibility of doing that and while technically we could have a large army of changelings eventually using the mirror pool may cause them to mentally challenged or something along the lines of that. I saw what the plethora of Pinkies did to Ponyville they all seemed to be a bit different than the original Pinkie, what if when we cloned changelings they just became a hassle and more of a nuisance. 

"Look Tiara were not going to use the mirror pool their can be serious repercussions if we did, I mean look at what they did to the town." she put her hoof up to her chin and nodded " yes your right well at least it's here for when we may want to use it but without our queen we won't be able to create more soldiers." I knew we were in a tough situation without our queen but using the mirror pool would take up a lot more of our resources and if most of us die there wouldn't be any way to revive our race, will just die off. As we walked out of the dark cave that housed the mirror pool I thought about the situation at hoof. Without a queen it means no more infant changelings and since I haven’t found our queen in Ponyville I think it may be time for me to leave.

I think it's time to check up on red and the other council members and see how their progress is going. Although I’ll have to tell Diamond though she is my protector after all, I wonder if I was seen as a protector for the queen. I mean I was a normal changeling before she found and raised me to be second best. I guess that makes Diamond second best now although this situation still doesn’t feel right. For the entire time we have been walking closer and closer to Ponyville and I was so deep in thought that I hadn't noticed until I saw some of the buildings come into view. 

Where we were going I didn't care as long as Diamond was there to protect me I wouldn't be reprimanded later. " While you were away I made a new friend her name is Babs seed and she's the cousin of that half pint Apple bloom" 
" why isn't she hanging out with her cousin then?"
" Because we tricked her into abandoning her" she said smugly. “Wait we?" I asked confused she looked at me with realization plastered on her face. “oh yea I haven't introduced you to Silver spoon yet, come on there at the crusaders club house."  Wait a minute they took the crusaders club house that isn't good why do I foresee bad things happening. Without much problem we reached what used to be the crusaders club house there were some ponies that waved their hoof at me while we walked by although I think they were at my welcome party and just wanted to acknowledge that they remembered me.

We walked up the steps and diamond knocked on the door, quickly afterward a gray colored earth pony opened the door, followed by a brownish tan filly. ”Hey girls this is Camo he's an old friend of mine." They both said hello and we entered the club house. “So Babs what are you going to do next to the crusaders?" Diamond asked. “Don’t know yet but whatever I do it'll be a douse." 
"Babs Diamond here told me that Applebloom is your cousin and if that's true why you are terrorizing her and her friends." She looked away somberly before saying “I’d rather not talk about it." I felt sadness emanating from her but I also felt sadness deep within Silver Spoon. I couldn't just out right talk to them about past problems so I decided not to bring anything up. 

“Camo I couldn't introduce you to Silver Spoon before because she has spent most of her time with Specter.  He's a family friend of Silver’s; he spent some time with her before he ended up disappearing about a month ago." Silvers face darkened when she heard her friends name again. "Well whoever he is he must have meant a lot to you Silver and I'm sorry he's disappeared." She let out a barely audible "thanks" and smiled a bit making me smile back. “ He used to take care of me before my parents came back to Ponyville he left because the Princesses had sent him to the crystal empire but no pony has seen him sense.” Wait a minute he went missing after going to the crystal empire a month ago the same month Sombra attacked the empire? Something is fishy here. “What’s the color of his fur?” 
“Brown “
“What’s his cutie mark?”
She hesitated a moment before saying “… A star”
So Specter is the stallion that’s been going around and messing with the hive. He’ll pay dearly for this although judging from how Zecora and Silver have spoken about him he must have been a good pony I guess will have to find out the details after we capture him and find out his purpose for doing what he’s been doing for the past month.
“Is there a reason you asked?”
“No I was just curious”

I checked my love reserves and it turns out that I was almost on empty I'm going to have to talk to the crusaders at some point why not now. “I’ll see you girls later I'm need to go find something to eat" Diamond raised one eyebrow at me and I motioned to my none existing horn, she seemed to understand the gesture and I left the club house. I wandered back to Ponyville and walked around the streets, my mind set on not really doing anything. I knew I needed some form of love to replenish myself but I didn't want to talk to the crusaders yet. I wonder what they thought of me, now that I left without saying anything. Although they did look for me according to Rainbow Dash and they did say I'm one of their best friends. I sighed without my queen I feel like I'm nothing, I never noticed this before but she was the only being to give my life meaning.

I only am what I am today because of her teaching and training. My deepest wish is that I can repay her in some way when the time comes. “Camo is that you?" I looked up to see Scootaloo staring at me a little ways away. The look on her face was a mix of emotions I couldn’t decipher what she was thinking at all. I rubbed my hoof sheepishly on the back of my neck and said " hey Scootaloo how have you been" her face immediately turned to anger and she ran towards me, I tried to turn and run but before I could even turn she pulled me into a tight hug. I heard her crying softly probably trying to hide it and said " where have you been this entire week don't you think we care about you she wailed " you had us worried sick when you weren't on your cloud the next morning and we spent the whole day looking for you." Her tears were now flowing freely and I felt a pang of guilt which was odd because I haven’t felt guilt for anyone before let alone for a pony.

" and to make matters worse that mean old Babs seed has been tormenting us since the day she got here" I rubbed my hoof affectionately through her purple mane I was glad that we weren't on a busy street or it would have been more embarrassing than it actually was. Eventually her tears subsided and she was able to pull herself together." Scootaloo I said apprehensively I'm sorry about leaving you guys without saying anything I just had something on my mind and then there was some family problems so I couldn't come see you guys, but I thought Rainbow Dash told you I was fine." She sniffed a bit and said "yea she did say you were fine but she wouldn't tell us where you went."
She punched my shoulder albeit pretty hard and said “you better not do something like that again alright" I nodded but apparently it wasn't enough for her “no you have to Pinkie promise me you won't do that again." I felt my face scrunch up into a confused look noticing my confused expression she explained how to do it and the words that go with it. After a couple tries I was able to do it correctly and she smiled thinking that it was good enough and that was the end of it.  It was one of the most embarrassing things I have ever done and I was glad that no one else saw it but her.

"So after I left you've girls have had a bad time?"
She nodded and said “yea things have been a rough ride this week but it doesn’t mean we can't handle it, plus we think we have a plan to beat Babs” she said this while rubbing her hooves together maliciously. They definitely have something evil planned to do to her but I'm not gonna be involved. “Well I gotta go do something I'll see you later as I made my way to leave she jumped in front of me. I have to say she did surprise me on her jumping ability. “Hold it you have to see Sweetie Bell and Applebloom it wouldn't be fair if you only saw me and not the others" I gotta admit her logic behind it was reasonable. I sighed and said "fine" 
“Ok I'm going to lead you to Sweetie bell and then I gotta go get the thing at the place." 
I had no idea what this 'thing at the place' was but I assumed it was for their plan and left it at that.

We walked to carousel boutique and Scootaloo left me at the front door. Upon entering the boutique I was met by Rarity who had glanced at who came in when the doorbell rang. She had to do a double take and then stopped what she was doing and said " Camo dear is that really you?" 
" Yes its really me, I came to apologize to Sweetie Bell about what happened a week ago" 
" Well it looks like nothing happened to your figure this past week but I love the new necklace you have." My confused look probably told her that I didn't know what she was talking about, she motioned downward towards my neck and I saw that the orb was replaced by a necklace of tiny blue beads. How did I not notice it sooner but can you blame me I've been going through some tough times. " Sorry Rarity I haven't noticed it's been a long taxing week of thinking."
" You’re sure you’re alright I could make you some tea if you'd like" not wanting to sound rude I accepted the offer. 

As I sat on the sofa in the living room waiting for the tea Sweetie Bell entered into the room. She had this determined look in her eyes but it was hidden beneath the innocence of her smile, although once seeing me her face went from determined to confusion then to happiness. She ran towards me and gave me one of the second best bear hug I've had in my life (the first belonged to Scootaloo). 
" Camo we were so worried when you weren’t on your cloud the next morning".

“I came to apologize Something's have come up and I had to leave town for a while, still friends" I said as I held up my hoof, she bumped it with her hoof and said “yea still friends". She got up from the couch and headed up the stairs returning shortly afterward with a saddle bag on her back. Rarity had just set the tea on the table and I began to stir some sugar into mine.

Sweetie Bell headed towards the door and said " I'll see you later Rarity I have to go get something before I go back home." She nodded towards Sweetie bell and sat across from me drinking from her own cup of tea.

"Rarity if you don't mind me asking aren't you a little worried about what Sweetie Bell is up to?" 

" I don't mind at all and of course I'm worried about what she's up to but she is a child after all so I let her have her adventures." I nodded my head sagely and began to drink my tea. “Rarity this tea is delicious" I said as I continued to drink. " Thank you Camo I was able to get the recipe from Canterlot the last time I was there." 

" Camo may I ask you a question?" 
" Sure"
" I've never met such a nice gentle colt at your age you must tell me who played a part in your upbringing."
" My mother took care of me I never knew my father."
Her face turned into a dour expression "Sorry for bringing it up but it would take a woman's touch to teach their son to be like this."
Once we finished the rest of the tea I thanked her for it and said bye to her after which I made my way to Sweet Apple Acres. Just one more apology to make and I will complete one of the promises I made to Scootaloo. I entered into the barn of Sweet Apple Acres to find that Applebloom was arranging supplies and pushing destroyed wood away. Maybe there plan has something to do with a float? 
Well whatever the case I need to apologize. “Applebloom" as soon as her name left my mouth she dropped the wood she had in her mouth and turned around. " Camo?" I chuckled nervously and said “Yeah it's me." She walked towards me slowly and then punched me in the leg. I wasn't expecting to get hit so when she hurt me the pain made me jolt. “Ow" I rubbed my hoof on my leg “What was that for?" 

"That was for leaving" she then pulled me into a tight hug” and that's for coming back". I merely stood there shocked; I don't think I'll ever understand these ponies. " I'm sorry I disappeared on you girls I can only imagine what you girls were feeling when you woke up the next morning."
" Don't ever do that again" she said as she broke the hug “I won't I already pinkie promised Scootaloo that I wouldn't abandon you girls like that again." 

“You better not no pony ever breaks a Pinkie Pie promise." I was about to ask her about the supplies she had when a brown collie burst through the barn doors and began to lick Apple blooms face. She began laughing and said " Winona stop" Winona didn't stop until a little while later, that dog must of loved  her very much. “Camo this is Winona, Winona this is Camo" she began to sniff at me when she stopped her face scrunched up into confusion, she probably didn't know what to make of me. I mean I'm not a pony but I'm disguised as one I must have the scent of a changeling but since she's probably never smelled one before she probably doesn't know what to make of me. “That’s weird usually after Winona sniffs someone she begins to like em." 

" That is strange, well I'll be taking my leave now hope whatever plan you girls got cooked up works" I rubbed my hoof behind Winona's ears and then continued out the barn.   

“Winona has never acted that way to any pony before I'll have to get to the bottom of this soon."