Twilight stared at the Changeling with sympathy. It was a changeling, and Twilight wasn't exactly fond of them, but the poor thing was crying so much, it may have died from dehydration. Twilight felt guilty for what had happened. if it wasn't for her, than this poor little creature would by happy. Though, she wasn't sure which was better, as she didn't want Doctor Whooves to have all of his love drained from him. Yet, somehow, she was beginning to doubt her choice to expose the changeling. Twilight reluctantly walked towards the crying figure. It still hadn't transformed back, which was odd. She put a foreleg around the figure's shaking shoulders. It tensed up, but it stopped crying. Then it remembered who Twilight was, and what she had to do with her sadness, and curled into a soggy ball of wet fur and feathers. "H-hey. It's alright. I know I screwed up, but I think I can fix this." The changeling looked up at her, smiling a little, both at the thought of fixing it, and the thought of how it would probably fail.
"T-twilight? D-d you r-really mean it?" Twilight had a determined face. This made the changeling smile even more.
"Of course, changeling. Octavia, leave!" Octavia fled like a scared puppy. "Though, for my plan to work, you will need to be your changeling self, not Derpy." The changeling gave her a nod. a beam of green light shot up from the spot where the changeling sat. In the spot of the ditsy, pouting mailmare was a sleek, overly confident looking purple changeling with glowing blue hair flopped over her left eye. Twilight stood in awe at how the female changeling was so much happier in this form, and she had to admit it looked pretty cool like this.
"Oh, and Twilight? My name is Thunder Strike."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little while later, Twilight had managed to explain to most of Ponyville why she was walking with a changeling named Thunder Strike. Applejack agreed to come on their journey, and she brought some Hard Cider Muffins. Rarity came to return Thunder to her true love, as that just seemed right to her. Twilight sent a telegram, and convinced Cadence to come if things went South. Somewhere along the way, Thunder ran into Gilda, and their meeting went... hilariously. "Wow! A griffon, I didn't know they lived in Equestria!" Gilda smirked.
"I think it's rarer to see stuff like you. What are you exactly?" Thunder deadpanned.
"Where were you during the Canterlot wedding fiasco? Living under a rock? I'm a changeling!" Gilda stared.
"Oh, yeah. I heard rumors about your lot. I never would have expected how awesome you look, though."
"Well, I'm a unique changeling. I look different from the others." Thunder toyed with her mane unconsciously.
"Unique? Is that like Special Ed? If so, I don't like you anymore." Thunder fumed.
"Wait... It's you! You're Gilda! You're the one who roared at Flutters! This behavior can not and will not be tolerated! You will suffer the wrath of the mighty Thunder Strike!" Her voice grew more and more distorted as she talked.
"Uh, h-how about a bargain?" Thunder stared at her, eyes glowing blue.
"What kind of bargain?"
"If you don't hurt me, I'll help you with something!" Thunder contemplated this.
"Hmm... I suppose you could help me on my quest tomorrow. I need to talk to someone who kind of ran off, and is probably halfway to Appaloosa."
"Deal."