//------------------------------// // The Newest Friends // Story: Salvation from the Stars // by PhycoKrusk //------------------------------// “I come from a planet called Equus.” The changeling called Flick sat on his haunches as he addressed his host. The building they occupied was a simple, one room dwelling with minimal furnishings that had been created as needed; even the cushion that Flick sat on and the cup holding water for him to drink hadn’t existed until they were conjured into existence from nothing. All it had taken from his host was a quick application of magic. “I don’t know why it’s called that, but it is,” Flick continued. “All kinds of different species live there. There’s changelings like me, but also ponies, griffons, zebras, goats, minotaurs, all kinds. We didn’t used to get along very well, but now we don’t have a choice. About two years ago, these weird storms started to appear in remote areas. No one thought anything of them at first, but after a few days, they started to get bigger, and the land under them started to dry out and the plants started dying. We found out that the storms were draining the energy and magic right out of them, and that was making them bigger. “Things didn’t start to get really bad until the storms started moving, and they started moving towards villages and forced the creatures in them to leave because it wasn’t safe. They went to different places, but in the land that I come from, Equestria, they started going to the capitol city of Canterlot, hoping that the Princesses there could do something. They researched and tried different spells and everything they could think of, but nothing worked. All that happened was that the storms started to get even worse and started spreading everywhere, even the Badlands where the changelings lived, and then even we weren’t safe. “That’s how we came to live with the ponies. Queen Chrysalis hated them, and even now she only tolerates them, but she knew we would die without them, so she brought us to Canterlot to do what we could to help. We aren’t as good at most things as the other species, but we can do a lot, so we could still help a lot, even if the ponies weren’t really happy that we were there.” Flick stopped there, pausing to take a drink of water form his cup before he resumed. “We were all hoping that it would get better, or that the Princesses would figure out what to do, but it just got worse. The storms kept getting bigger and closer. We lost contact with the other cities before long, and even though so many ponies and everything made it to the mountain, not all of them did, and we don’t know if they’re doing ok or not. Eventually, the Princesses and Queen Chrysalis combined their power and raised a huge barrier around the Canterhorn and some of the surrounding lands to keep the storms out, even though it was so difficult on top of everything else. They all tried different things to get rid of the storms, and kept trying even when what they tried didn’t work. They all worked so hard to save the rest of us, but Princess Twilight worked the hardest. She’d spend days through through every book she could find, looking for a solution, even in the forbidden archives where all dark magic is kept. “She found a spell that allowed her to put almost everyone except for the changelings into stasis, so they wouldn’t need food, but it took so much of her power that she can’t help keep the barrier up, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have to keep the sun and moon stabilized, so its mainly Princess Cadence and Queen Chrysalis who keep the barrier up and it’s killing both of them. The spell was supposed to give us so much more time, but it barely gave us any more at all! “Then, there’s Discord, who would normally be able to do something, because he can do almost anything! But the storms have been draining his power somehow, even when he hasn’t been anywhere near them, so even he can barely do anything. The last thing he did before he collapsed was make the scout ships we’ve been using to look for help. That was three months ago. I don’t even know if he’s still alive. “And that’s why I’m here, because we’re running out of time, because nothing else we’ve tried has worked.” A brief silenced passed before Flick spoke once more: “Because we can’t do this on our own, and we’re going to die if we don’t find help.” His host, seated in front of him, hummed thoughtfully. “I know that it’s a lot to ask of someone I’ve just met, but we’re desperate,” Flick said, his voice pleading. “Please. Is there anything you can do to help us?” The being across from him, the elder of his race, sat with his eyes closed in quiet contemplation, and Flick once more considered, if not marveled, at how different something as seemingly straight-forward as distance — even if cosmic in scale — could make something. Like a changeling, the elder had no fur, but had neither chitin nor carapace either; only tough-looking green skin that looked tired with age. Like a changeling or even a pony, his eyes were on the front of his head, facing forward, but were so much smaller, sitting above a pointed nose and no muzzle to speak of. Two small antenna reached outward from his forehead. His ears were large and pointed, but were on the sides of his head, rather than the top. But the biggest difference were the legs; rather than four, the elder got by on two, like a minotaur. A minotaur that had no hooves, and walked on the flat of its feet with the heel touching the ground, rather than just the toes. Like a minotaur, its arms ended in hands with fingers, although it had five rather than only four, and each was tipped with a sharp-looking nail. Though he was the elder of his race, and doubtlessly very important, he did not dress like a king or a prince, preferring instead a plain white tunic reaching to his ankles, blue vest and simple, brown shoes. The only accoutrement that might have indicated his position was a simple, wooden staff that rested next to him. The only true indication that he was of any real important was the throne he sat upon, but even that was relatively simple. After several seconds of silence, the elder smiled and opened his eyes. “Actually, they may be something we can do for you, although I cannot make any promises,” he said. Flick could barely contain his joy. “Anything will help!” he replied. The elder nodded. “Carac,” he said, turning to the bodyguard that had been silently watching from the side. “Yes, Elder Moori?” “Spread word to the villages to bring the Dragon Balls quickly,” Moori instructed, taking his staff and rising up to his feet. “New Namek has new friends, and they need our assistance.” “Thank you, Elder Moori!” Flick said as he all but scrambled and tripped to Moori’s side, happy tears spilling from his featureless eyes. “Thank you! I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you, but we will! Thank you!” With little more than a nod, Carac took his leave. Moori smiled down at Flick, placing the palm of his hand atop the changeling’s head. “We’re happy to help. No repayment is necessary,” he said. He removed his hand and gestured to the exit. “It will be some time yet before we are ready. Why don’t we wait outside?” Flick simply nodded, and then followed the elder Namekian outside, hope warming his chest more than it had in more than a year.