//------------------------------// // Temperance // Story: Through Alien Lives // by Woorali //------------------------------// Waking up to see six mares staring down at me, the events of last night came crashing into my mind. “Don't worry, Woog, you're safe! We're your friends!” Pinkie Pie said. “Twilight told me everything, and we decided it would be best if we told you the truth, darling.” Rarity added, levitating a pillow under my head. “Sorry, Woorali, but you didn't fool nopony. We know you're a changeling.” Applejack said. I blinked. Just my luck. I shut my eyes, and let my natural colors return. “Go ahead. I cannot escape. So, just get it over with.” I sat up, eyes still closed. I imagined I could see them glaring down at me. “Get what over with?” Rainbow Dash finally said after a full minute of me sitting perfectly still. “Prison, banishment, execution, whatever it is you do to changelings.” I said, sighing. This was so unfair. Celestia knew all along, and this whole trip....what was the whole trip for? “Why? You're just a pony like us, trying to help your princess...err...queen. That's not bad...right, Twilight?” Fluttershy looked at the purple unicorn. “Right. Every other changeling tried to do something horrible. You walked into town and introduced yourself. Then, you warned us about the timberwolf instead of running away and letting it eat us.” Twilight explained. “The Princess was right about you. If anypony can convince Chrysalis to stop scheming against ponies, it's you.” she smiled at me, and I felt nothing but kindness from them all, tinged with pity and relief. “I am loyal to my Queen.” I said softly. “Exactly. Look, we aren't angry at you, and we don't want to hurt you. You can tell.” she bowed her head, and I felt, rather than saw, images of my stay in Ponyville. She was right. The ponies were not the enemy. Even if they had me cornered. Even if I had nothing to fight back with. Even if...I realized I was hyperventilating. “It's okay, Woog. We will help you find Chrysalis, and you can help every...changeling.” the butter-yellow pegasus smiled as she patted me on the head. “I do not need your reassurance! I am a changeling! You are food!” I hissed, jumping to my hooves as I scuttled to face each of them. “Hey, listen, we're trying to help!” Rainbow Dash stepped in front of me, her hoof on my shoulder. I bit down without thinking, before running into the bushes. Where I was greeted by a now familiar violet aura of Twilight Sparkle's magic. The bubble containing me rose into the air and hovered as the Elements gathered around me. “Stop it!” Twilight yelled at me, and I stood still in the bubble. “It's on, bug-boy. I'll kick your flank to Manehattan and back!” Rainbow Dash yelled, shaking her bitten hoof at me. “Hey, now, he's just scared. Let's take care of that there bite before it gets all infected.” Applejack steered the angry blue pegasus away from my bubble. I watched as the ponies took care of Rainbow Dash. She looked angry, but as soon as the bandage fit snugly against her hoof, she flew up to me, and looked at me, eyes scanning every part of me. I flinched when she moved as if to kick the bubble. “Copy me for a second and I won't break your fangs off.” she said simply, grinning. Without thinking, I shifted into her shape. She smirked before kicking off the magical sphere to do a loop around the ruins. I let the shape drop. I hated having to do all the colors. “I think she forgives you, Woog!” Pinkie Pie called up to me. I nodded. “But, I'm not letting you out until you promise not to run away.” Twilight spoke. “You are our chance to talk some sense into Chrysalis before we have to use the Elements. More than that, you are our chance to make friends with a whole new species!” “And, if you don't mind me saying, you have good fashion sense if you can turn into a stallion like that.” Rarity spoke up. “I think you can do lots of good 'round Equestria if you didn't keep tryin' to conquer everythin'.” Applejack tossed an apple up to me, which passed through the bubble without trouble to land next to me. “What am I supposed to do with this? It is your pony food.” I said, confused. “It's a wax apple, not food. Won't go bad. Hold unto it and think 'bout things. We'll be right here, but I don't wanna hear a word from you 'til you've learned to stop bein' paranoid.” the earth pony nodded, satisfied, and began to pack up her tent. Soon, they were on their way, and I floated above them in Twilight's spell, looking at the wax apple. Why would ponies have fake food? Why give it to a prisoner? After several hours, they stopped walking, and Twilight lowered my bubble prison to the ground. “Now, I am going to let Fluttershy in, Woorali. If you do anything that hurts her, I WILL hurt you, understand?” she growled at me, and I nodded. When Fluttershy moved into the bubble, I considered holding her hostage, or maybe just biting her out of spite. The chances any of them stopping me before I could seemed slim. But, as I looked at Pinkie Pie, I realized I could not let her down. Clutching the wax apple in my holed hooves, I moved towards her slightly. She flinched, but stood her ground. “Um...hello?” she said. “We already met, but this,” I indicated my body. “is the real me.” “Fluttershy, will you be alright in there for an hour or so?” Twilight asked. “Yes, I think so.” the pony nodded, her gaze meeting mine. “If he tries anything, I'll give him the stare!” “That sounds ominous.” I said, putting the wax apple between us. Maybe the fruit would protect me from the hypnotist pony. Or, maybe Chrysalis would pop out of nowhere and get rid of the ridiculous, dangerous ponies that foiled my plan within a day of its creation. “You just sit there and be friendly with Fluttershy, mister. If you behave, we might let you walk with us again soon.” Applejack tipped her hat to me and stood up. “I hope it's real soon.” Twilight whispered. The spell must be tiring, I decided. So, I could escape yet. But, looking at the pegasus sitting with me in a giant magical bubble, I thought better. They sent their weakest to me. They wanted me to give ponies a chance. Even their Princess wanted me to be free and alive. I could not just escape now. I had to understand.