This is a work of total fiction, made entirely for entertainment purposes. No money is gained from the production of this prose.
It had been a few days since Xeno's regeneration.
The ponies had no idea what to think about it. Despite being told of his impending transformation, it was difficult to process the fact that this was no longer the Xeno they knew. They knew for a fact that it was Xeno as she had information only known to him...her? Plus, they did see the transformation with their own eyes.
But this new Xeno was totally different from the man they had come to know and love.
For one, she hated physical activities.
"Hey Xeno!" Called out Rainbow Dash. Turning around from her book, Xeno saw Rainbow and Applejack approaching her with a hoofball. "You wanna join us for some hoofball?" She asked.
"No thanks." Replied Xeno in a sweet voice.
"What!?" Cried Applejack. "You love hoofball!"
"We used to play for hours!"
"Maybe the other Xeno did, but I don't like the idea of rough housing and getting all sweaty and dirty."
"You never cared about that sort of thing before!" Rainbow challenged.
"The other Xeno didn't care about getting dirty. He did whatever he wanted without a care in the world." Supplied Applejack.
"Now he's dead." Responded Xeno.
Her words effectively shut them up. Unable to reply, the two sportsmares walked away and Xeno returned to her book.
This new Xeno seemed to be far more domestic. She hated doing anything that could get her dirty, and preferred things like cooking or reading to drinking and playing sports.
It didn't take long for the ponies to learn that Xeno didn't like being reminded of who she used to be. She hated being compared to her previous incarnation, and she was hurt at any implication that they preferred the old her as to who she was now.
According to Luna, she frequently had nightmares about the ponies running the new Xeno out of Equestria. She felt inadequate and feared rejection.
She even ried to sneak off several times.
Luckily they always caught her. She felt that the ponies would be better off with her gone, that way they would be able to properly mourn their dead friend.
"Please, just let me go." Xeno pleaded. She was in the Throne Room with Celestia, Luna and the Element Bearers.
"We won't let you run off like this." Chastised Celestia. "The old Xeno would confront every challenge head on!" She challenged.
"The Xeno you knew is dead and gone!" Yelled Xeno. "He's not coming back! Even if I regenerate a billion times, that particular persona will never resurface. I will never be the Xeno you knew ever again!" Xeno was openly crying.
Xeno never cried.
"All I ever hear is 'Xeno did this' or 'Xeno would', I will never be the person you once knew. That's the point of this curse. I remember everything, but all that is dead now. I've said it before, I don't have eternal life, I have eternal death." She covered her face with her hands and cried.
She fell to her knees on the polished stone floor, covering her face as the sound of her sobs reverberated off the walls.
"This isn't fair. You deserve to properly mourn your friend. You can't do that while i'm here. This isn't fair to me either. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be compared to a dead man!"
It wasn't long before she felt warmth surround her. She felt hooves and forelegs envelop her in a protective embrace. Lowering her hands she saw she was held in a group hug by the ponies. Even Celestia and Luna wrapped them up in their wings.
"W-we're sorry, Xeno." Whimpered Fluttershy.
"Yeah, we didn't want to make you feel unwelcome." Added Pinkie Pie. For some reason her mane and tail had lost their curls and were now straight.
"We're sorry." They all said simultaneously. They all meant it. Xeno could tell.
It was difficult, but she reached out with her arms and hugged those closest to her. She could never hope to hold them all.
"It is...difficult." Said Luna. "When we speak, we can hear remnants of the Xeno we knew. Perhaps you will say a particular phrase, or some obscure hand gesture that reminds us of him. But then we look at the bigger picture. You are nothing like the Xeno we knew. And that is okay. Our friendship can withstand this." Luna hesitated.
"That is, if you still would like to be friends?" She asked.
Xeno laughed. It was different from the other Xeno's laugh, not to mention far more feminine. But it was a good, happy laugh.
"Yes, of course. I would love to be friends with you all." She said with a teary eyed smile.
Rarity stepped forward and addressed Xeno with her cultured accent.
"Then, let me be the first to say: It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Xeno. Welcome to Equestria."