//------------------------------// // ... the tough get going! // Story: Changed // by Dream Seeker //------------------------------// Star Watcher heaved himself over the next ledge, groaning in agony. He was almost to Canterlot, and cursed his lack of foresight. "I should've taken wings instead of my horn..." he groaned. After a few more steps, he felt an armored hoof grasp his. "Are you okay, citizen?" the Royal Guard asked, clearly concerned. "I'm... fine..." Star Watcher panted. "I probably should have taken a train, is all." "How far have you walked?" "From the Everfree." Star Watcher muttered. "Longest walk I've ever done." The Royal Guard frowned. "You need to get hydrated. Here, I have a canteen you can use." Star Watcher guzzled the water, grinning. "Thanks, I needed that. I'll be on my way, then!" "Where are you off to?" "I have to see Princess Celestia. It's an important issue, if it goes right I could stop a war." Star Watcher said seriously. The Royal Guard cracked a grin. "You, stop a war? Please, I think that's my job... Rose." Star Watcher looked up in astonishment. "B-but... How do you know?" "I'm Silent Whisper!" the Royal Guard said with a larger grin. "The best place to hide from Celestia is under her own nose!" Star Watcher laughed. "You have no idea how relieved I am to see you. Fecal matter has hit the industrial cooling device!" Silent Whisper smirked back. "Oh, you have no idea. I've been trying to track down that traitor of a Changeling who stole all the love, under cover of course. The guard corps thinks I'm investigating a series of petty thefts. He's come that close to catching me from behind, as well." "So you're making progress, I presume? I'm here to stop an entirely different war from breaking out, between the Changelings and the Ponies. Thanks for the help here, if a real guard were here they would probably reveal me as a Changeling." Silent Whisper chuckled nervously. "I thought I was a goner before I found out who you were." Silent Whisper nodded slowly. "What do you plan on doing to Celestia?" "I plan on talking to her," Star Watcher said seriously. "If I can convince her that Changelings can live in harmony with Ponies, she'll help us. I'm sure." "Are you sure that will work? I don't want you to be killed if you fail." Star Watcher stared Silent Whisper in the eyes. "If I don't try, the war will kill not only me but countless ponies and Changelings. I die if I don't, I might die if I try. Good enough for me." Silent Whisper frowned, but nodded. "You have my blessing. Come back alive, please. Many would hate to see you dead." Star Watcher nodded back and entered the city, marching through his old city with new determination. He traveled through the familiar streets to Canterlot Castle, entering the magnificent building with a confidence he'd never had before becoming a Changeling. As he strode into the hall, he realized just how much he'd changed over course of a few short weeks. Princess Celestia sat in her ornate gold throne, looking down on him with a warm smile. "Star Watcher," she said. "I've been expecting you." Bugze grinned at the four Changelings guards surrounding him, as he pulled a makeshift smoke bomb from a hole in his leg. "Insert One-Liner Here!" Bugze yelled as he threw it into the ground, escaping in the resulting dark cloud that billowed up from not just the bomb, but the dirt surrounding it. He sprinted towards Dark Claw's tent, stopping to pull a hidden flamethrower and a gas mask out of a tree. "Are you my mummy?!" he screamed as he entered Dark Claw's tent, flamethrower blazing. Dark Claw teleported out of the way with ease, only for the entire tent to collapse on the two of them. Bugze dropped his flamethrower, only to unsheathe his hidden blade replicas from Assassin's Creed: Ponyhood. He clawed his way out of the fabric and stabbed down at Dark Claw, only for the blade to deflect off his hard carapace. Dark Claw chuckled, green flames surrounding him as he stood up. The flames consumed the fabric as he grew, larger than even the Queen or King, until he was larger than an Ursa Minor. Bugze scowled. "Oh come on, is this some sort of three-part boss battle?" Dark Claw drew out a long sigh. "Of course not. If you hadn't spent all your time sneaking away to the arcades and the movies, you just might have turned into a decent soldier, you know." "Less talking, more killing!" Bugze yelled, galloping forward. "Falco, PUNCH!" Shady Dark walked into Manehattan, ready to meet with his first client for his new job: Cocoon, of the changelings. Shady went over his notes on her one last time before meeting her. Changeling Name: Cocoon Disguise Name: Golden Waves Disguise Race: Pegasus Disguise Cutie Mark: Wave Notes: Cocoon/Golden Waves is intelligent, but funny, as well as willing to do what needs to be done, regardless of the personal consequences. You should have no trouble finding her a spot in the accounting industry. The trouble will come, of course, with the ponies who will try to throw her out, or deny her a job. You have my permission to crack down hard on racism wherever necessary, in whichever means you think would work best. I look forward to seeing how you handle this first job. -Princess Celestia of Equestria With that last glance at the info sheet Princess Celestia had given him, Shady Dark entered the building in front of him. He sat down at his desk, quickly rearranging things to better suit his organizational methods before sitting at his desk, hooves crossed, staring at the clock. He wanted to make a good first impression.