I arrived at Belmont Stakes. It had been five years since I visited.
The first thing I noticed were the non-horse operated cars being driven around the suburb.
Even if Equestria forced my dad out, they certainly had no qualms about keeping one of my dad's inventions.
Or were these cars driven in the changeling hive? The tales always suggested that these bug-like creatures were more skilled with technology than ponies.
I noticed a line of taxis parked by the train station. They were eagerly awaiting passengers. I had three options: walk to my mother's house which would take an hour and a half, call my mother to pick me up at the station, or take the taxi for whatever the fee was.
I decided to go with the taxi.
I got in the taxi at the front.
The driver was a young earth pony stallion. He couldn't have been much older than me.
"Where to, miss?"
"30 Sycamore Drive."
"Hey, Bon-Bon. Remember me?"
I did. Tackle Touchdown, he was the quarterback of the hoofball team at Belmont Stakes High. Tackle was one of the most popular ponies in my grade. Every teenage filly wanted to have his babies, not me, but I was weird like that. He wanted to go pro. I can see that is working out quite well.
"I do. How are you? Tackle Touchdown."
"Doing a-ok, but I had to get married."
"Congratulations?"
"Good and bad. I am stuck with that catty bitch, Daffodil, who I knocked up but I love my son, he's named Kicker. He's gonna be a real champ someday."
I smiled and told him, "That's something of which you should be proud."
"Thanks Bon-Bon. How have you been these days?"
"Living the good life at Ponyville."
"Ponyville? Hah! That's in the middle of nowhere, huh."
I was a little annoyed by his ignorance but said politely, "there's a surprising amount of things to do at Ponyville."
"Eeyup."
I smiled. At least his ignorance didn't appear to be malicious.
"I won't be here for long, but I would love to meet your son."
"Sure thing. He's quite the kicker."
I politely chuckled at his corny joke.
We arrived at my mother's house. It was a small ranch in a mostly affluent neighborhood. I say mostly affluent because my family lived there. The ranch was at the very end of the cul-de-sac. The other houses were twice as large on average. Regardless, it was home for me.
I thanked Tackle for driving me to my mother's house and approached the door. I rang the doorbell.
There was my mother, Candy Crush. We looked very similar. I clearly took after my mother. She was a cream-colored earth pony with a brown-colored mane and she had a chocolate ball with sprinkles as her cutie mark. With such a tasty cutie mark, I am surprised that she was very skinny - skinnier than me.
"Bonnie, I am so glad to see you", said my mother enthusiastically, "it's been far too long."
We hugged.
"Me too, mom. How have you been?"
"The usual. I keep on making and selling candies."
"Mmmmm. I'm getting hungry."
My mom smiled at me and we moved into the kitchen. I could see all sorts of candies wrapped up ready for sale: jelly beans, lozenges, lemon drops (was that my father's real name?), gum squares, lollipop heads, and jujube clusters.
If Lyra thought I was talented at candy-making, she was in for a real surprise with my mom, Candy Crush. She's the best.
"I am so glad to see you at this time of year", said my mom, "I thought your job would keep you away."
"There's something we need to talk about, mom."
She turned nervous. Something tells me that she had some idea.. it was probably the only thing she ever hid from me.
"I figured your visit was about something serious", said my mother with a sigh.
"Don't think of it like that, mom. It is just.. oh... I learned something interesting about myself."
"I knew this moment would pop up eventually. Have some candy and we'll talk."
After about a half hour of pleasant conversation avoiding the halfling topic, my mom finally initiated it.
"Bonnie, you are something out of this world.. something special."
"If it's so special, why did you choose to hide it from me?"
"I..I...didn't know for sure... I wanted you to be safe. I wanted you to live life like a normal pony."
My mom can't see the changeling eyes. She probably wasn't lying when she said she wasn't sure.
"I have been approached, mother, by a changeling."
"Heavens.. you are old enough to make your own decisions.. and.."
"I want to hear more about my father."
"Your father? He was a kind and brilliant pony with a lot of big ideas. At the same time, he was or is a changeling."
"The changeling told me that Daddy is still alive."
"He might be", said my mother with her voice cracking up, "I.. hope he is okay.. wherever he is. He had to leave us. There were royal guards all over Belmont Stakes looking for changelings to take in to the camps."
"I didn't ask if Daddy had to go to one of those."
"Oh, your father always planned ahead. As soon as the guards had went around Canterlot and boasted of getting rid of every changeling, then he told me he would have to leave. He left before many of the others who mysteriously 'disappeared'."
I thought about the ponies who mysteriously disappeared the same year my father left... were they all changelings? Was the little old unicorn mare who used to run the bookstore a changeling? What about the weird rich pegasus stallion who used to dress like a homeless pony ranting about the end of the world? All of those ponies were gone. I shuddered, I hoped that they were as lucky as my dad apparently was.
"Damn Celestia", I muttered.
"Behind the benevolent exterior of Celestia lies a power-hungry mare, I believe she views the changelings as a threat to her reign and that's why she has made efforts to get them out of Equestria."
"Mom.. I am a halfling.. where does that leave me? Am I in danger?"
"I believe you would only be in danger if you take on the powers of the changeling."
"This changeling I met has offered to teach me how to become one."
"I think you would make a fantastic changeling... your father didn't talk much about his life as a changeling, I usually saw him in his pony form... but where he is from... I think he is a prince."
A prince? I laughed. That was ridiculous. I might be fit to be a changeling, but certainly not one of royalty.
"Mom, don't you realize how silly that sounds?"
"If you knew your father the way I did, you would see that is quite plausible."
I certainly didn't.
"So, you always knew that dad was a changeling?"
"Not always. He told me after the third date. Lemon Drops was so smart, so witty, and so thoughtful. I am blessed to have two brilliant children from him."
"So Brainy is a halfling too?"
"Of course, he would be. Why wouldn't he be one?" Something told me that I wouldn't find out from her whether Brainy was the product of adultery.
"Oops, lapse of judgment on my part."
My mom laughed nervously. There was Jockey. He made his way into our family like a stepdad. I never liked him much, but he got along better with Brainy Brawn. I always had my suspicions that Jockey was Brainy's father. However, Brainy conveniently looked a lot like our mother for us to not know for sure.
"It's okay, even a super genius like you can have such lapses of judgment."
"I am tired. Work has been killing me lately."
"My poor daughter.. I know that you worry so much about everything. This changeling thing must be driving you nuts."
I laughed and nodded my head. It's all I could think about.
"Bon-Bon, what did this changeling say to you exactly?"
"He told me that he needed my help. He wanted me to learn how to become a changeling to help the changelings. It would destroy my corporate ambitions forever."
My mother laughed and said, "Really, darling. You shouldn't care so much about that stupid Barnyard Bargains."
I snorted.
"I d-d-d-on't know.. everything was going splendidly and then this shit falls right onto me. I think I could tell the changeling that I'm not interested."
"You know that you would be aiding and abetting the Equestrian Empire and what it wishes to do with changelings."
"I.. know.. and that's why it's so hard for me. Mom, I always knew there was something different about me. So many things actually make sense now that I'm a halfling. Perhaps I need to accept the fact that this new information about myself will lead to changes in my lifestyle."
"Aren't you curious at all about learning how to change forms?"
"A little, I guess. As long as I could stay alive."
"I wish I could be a changeling."
"You can't be serious? My life has become so much more complicated now that I have the genetic makeup of Equestria's most hated creature."
"Changelings are far from the most hated. You could be a dragon."
"Dragons are big, powerful, and strong. Changelings are weak, scrawny bug-like things."
"A really powerful changeling could turn into a dragon."
Turn into a dragon? My curiosity piqued.
"That's right. Your father could turn into anything he wanted. He told me that only the most skilled changelings could transform into a wide range of living beings. Most changelings can only turn into ponies."
"I am glad I visited you. You seem to know a lot about changelings."
"Lemon Drops taught me everything. He trusted me above all else. Despite what you may have heard, changelings are a lot like ponies. Do you think you can trust Lyra?"
"Yes, I can. Lyra Heartstrings is the one pony in Ponyville I can definitely trust."
"Have you told her you're a halfling?"
"I've been holding off on that.. work's been a bitch."
"You should tell Lyra as soon as possible if you truly think you can trust her."
"I know.. I should.. I don't think she'll judge me, but I can't let this be widespread."
"You don't think Lyra can keep a secret?"
"She doesn't always think before she speaks."
"Seems like you don't fully trust her."
"Mom, you know how I am. I can't let my guard down."
My mom nuzzled me and said, "I know you're too smart to let yourself be vulnerable but you have to take some risks."
I knew I was incredibly risk-averse. It was my way of surviving. On the other hoof, wasn't I born due to my mother taking a risk? She still chose to be in a relationship with my father after finding out that he was a changeling. I wouldn't have been born otherwise.
"I know. No matter what I decide, I should tell Lyra, right?"
"Yes. Unless you don't think you can trust her."
"I trust Lyra."
I knew that Lyra would do her best to keep my secret, perhaps I should tell her. It might not even be such a risky move.
"Good. From what you have told me about Lyra over the years, she is perhaps one of the few ponies you should trust."
"I agree."
"Promise me you won't back out on telling Lyra if you truly trust her."
"I promise, Mom. Don't worry about me. You have your own life to worry about."
"I know, sweetie. I want you to be happy and safe."
"Yes, even though you are working for the corporation which is going to drive me out of business."
"Barnyard Bargains will sell your candies in their stores."
"And take in most of my profit? No thanks!"
"But Mom, think about how much more money you could make. "Candy Crush", all over Equestria. Wouldn't it be grand?"
"It wouldn't be grand, dear, besides, I would have to turn my candies into second-rate to meet up with all the demand."
"Barnyard Bargains would find suitable candy makers to help you."
My mom rolled her eyes. It was clear she didn't like this idea one bit and I should shut up.
She smiled at me and said, "You're a good pony, Bon-Bon. Too good for those corporate hotshots."
"We employ plenty of ponies. Mom, Barnyard Bargains is the future!"
"We? It's amusing to listen to you talk about Barnyard Bargains like that."
"Can I still sleep over?"
"Sure, but in the morning, I will have brainwashed you to no longer be brainwashed by the corporation."
"Good luck", I responded with a chuckle.
It was good to be home. I spent a couple more hours with my mother and then finally went to bed.
I was in a courtroom. I had cuffs around my front hooves and watched as Princess Celestia stared down at me from the judge's seat.
"Halfling", Celestia snarled at me, "your existence is an abomination. Your existence is the product of one of our sacred laws being broken. Ponies and changelings shall not have children together. What does the jury decide?"
I saw twelve ponies and they all said one by one, "Guilty." Each guilty stung.
"Very well then. As the leader of all of Equestria, I decide on the sentence. Sweetie Bon-Bon Drops, I sentence you to spend the rest of your days on the moon, hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
I cried, "You can't send me to the moon. I didn't choose to be a halfling. I'll be loyal to you, I promise. Just don't..."
"Yes..yes..good, Bon-Bon. Be loyal to me and I promise you will not suffer."
Thank goodness. It was all a dream.
More like a nightmare.
I knew the consequences of developing my changeling powers. I would be on Celestia's "Wanted" list.
Ponies who were on the "Wanted" list were ones who she wanted imprisoned.
I did have a decision to make. It seemed my mother also wanted me to help the changelings. She did love my father dearly and still chose to marry him even after learning that he was a changeling in disguise.
Changelings did have a lot of advantages over ponies. We could stay hidden. Only those with changeling blood and extremely magically advanced ponies could detect changelings, which unfortunately I'm sure Celestia was.
On the other hoof, the story was that Celestia failed to detect that Queen Chrysalis was pretending to be Princess Cadence.
Hmmm, perhaps it wouldn't be so dangerous after all.
I hugged my mother goodbye and took home some candy. I was prepared for a sugar crush.
I arrived back at Ponyville by late Saturday afternoon and saw Lyra. She was on a street corner playing a lyre while a stallion named Noteworthy was singing quite nicely. Lyra saw me and waved with joy. I waved back.
"Lyra, there is something I need to tell you right now. But we must discuss this in private."
Noteworthy gave Lyra a corny wink. I didn't even have to try to not laugh.
We got back to the apartment.
"I made fifty bits today. Isn't that great? That same old pony stopped by and gave me thirty bits alone. He must be super rich, huh?"
"He must be. That's awesome. Soon, you'll be making more money than me."
Lyra giggled and said, "I'm that good at the lyre, huh?"
"You sure are. So, there is something important I really need to tell you and I hope you won't be mad at me."
"Of course, I won't be mad at you."
I smiled at Lyra and said, "Lyra, I am a halfling."
"What's a halfling?"
"Half changeling and half pony."
"Omigosh, that is so awesome!! My marefriend is a changeling!!!", she hugged me quite tightly.
I sighed. At least, Lyra took the news well. Thanks Mom.