//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: A Changeling with the name Shallow night 
// Story: Lumis: the Caliginosity chapters 
// by Ultimaexe24 
//------------------------------//

Deep within the Everfree forest the sounds of the wildlife can be heard, but suddenly they all ceased as a low flash appeared revealing Queen Chrysalis and her changeling children as she says,
"Possibly...do...that."
She blinks a few times and looks around and recognizes their current location, she breaths a heavy sigh as she says,
"That infernal dragon actually transported all of us to this forsaken forest without any proper directions to this castle, still I'm quite amazed for him on accomplishing  this feat, he must have a tremendous amount of magic."
she looks with a frown to see her changelings, some were shaking the heads trying to regain their composure, while the others were either looking around jumping at even the slightest noise and shaking in fear with the look of panic in their eyes, or comforting those that are scared and confused. Chrysalis continued to look around all the while getting a head count when a voice said to her,
"My Queen."
She looks to see one of her Changelings walking towards her. The changeling looked like the rest of her children but with a few differences, for one his eyes are a different shade,
"What is it Thrax I am busy at the moment."
Thrax slowly bowed and said, 
"Forgive me my Queen, but I took the liberty of sending a small team out to scout ahead to look for that castle the dragon was talking about and.. and I believe they have found it."
This sudden news had made the queen smile as she said,
"Ah excellent work Thrax, you have pleased your queen. Now tell me, who was on the team you've sent so that their queen can thank them as well."
Thrax lowered his head as he shuffled his hooves on the moist ground, all the while trying to answer. This made the changeling queen's smile to fall slowly to a glare as she said,
"Well... out with it, who was part of the survey team?"
"It was Buggy, Stock, Wisp and Shallow Night."
Chrysalis just blinked and scratched her ear and said,
"You have to speak louder my little drone I can not hear you."
"It was Buggy, Stock, Wisp and..." Thrax gulped, "and uh Shallow Night my queen." he quickly closed his eyes and started to shake nervously out of fear as he waited an unavoidable and painful response. A few seconds have passed and nothing happened, Thrax raised his head as he opened his eye to see Chrysalis eyes shot wide open to the size of dinner plates, her pupils shrunk to the size of pin picks and a single drop of sweat dropped to the ground. He tilts his head to the side and said,
"M..m..my queen?"
In Chrysalis's mind her thoughts ran a million miles a second, one thought kept resurfacing o the front of her mind,
'No....no....no..nonononono. Not those four they'll ruin everything.'
Her distant expression change into one of anger and hatred, as she gritted her teeth. She lets out a low growl as she said,
"Especially that pony raised drone Shallow Night."
"My queen?" Thrax said giving a questionable look towards the changeling queen.
Chrysalis shakes her head, sighs and says,
"I suppose it can't be helped, Very well." she turns the little changeling "Thrax I take it that they've returned, unharmed I hope?"
"Well my queen they have returned, but.." Thrax said
Chrysalis arched a brow and said, 
"But..?"
"Well it's Shallow Night, although he is not badly injured he insist on well... you must see for yourself." Thrax said as he pointed to four figures in the distance. 
"Very well. Thrax assemble all of the others while I see to Shallow night." Chrysalis said as she started heading towards the figures.
Thrax bowed and said, "As you command my queen." and went about to his task.
Back with Chrysalis, she getting closer to destination but something catches her eye, although she recognize three of the figures as her changelings the forth she didn't. The figure sat on the ground with its back turned while the changelings were on the ground resting. The figure was taller than the others, seemed almost as tall as her but more burly and seemed to give off a sense of safety, she could make out a horn on the top of it's head as it glowed of a low light green aura that seemed to sway to a nonexistent wind, she looks to the three changelings on the ground and notices that the same green aura has surround their bodies and is healing their wounds. Moving closer towards them, the three changelings notices her approach and bowed to her. With the sounds of shuffling hooves the large figure's ear twitched, and without facing the Changeling queen it said with a voice that seemed to be devoid of emotion,
"Your highness, forgive me for not moving to bow in your presence but it takes a lot of concentration to cast this healing spell for my fellow changelings here."
Chrysalis diverted he gaze from the bowing changelings to the larger figure and arched a brow to see a dark blueish grey unicorn stallion, with a jet black mane and tail with two white streaks through them and a cutie mark of the moon what seems to be hiding under a shallow pit of water, throughout his body are cuts and bruises, even on his right flank there are three claw marks across his cutie mark, all trickling of green fluid.
Chrysalis shook her head and said,
"Honestly Shallow Night, I know you've been raised by ponies and have a soft spot for them, but I would at least thought that they would have taught you something about treating your wounds before anything else."
The burly unicorn just sat there silent as the glow from his horn dissipated, he let out a heavy sigh and said,
"My short up bringing from my adoptive pony parents has nothing to do with how I take my comrade's well being before my own, your highness."
"If you must be that way then so be it, but at least change from that insufferable pony form, it's an eyesore to your queen."
unbeknownst to the changeling queen, Shallow Night gritted his teeth but then let out another heavy sigh and without making an attempt to turn around said,
"If that is your, wish your highness, I shall do as you ask."
and just then a dark green flame appeared out of no where engulfing Shallow night covering his whole body. Soon the flame slowly started to wither away and reveling a different a figure entirely sitting facing away from Chrysalis, it was a Changeling dawned with a dark green helmet but compared to the others this one was different. The first was the color of the creature, although the other changelings were a greenish black this one was a dark ashen gray color with a few spots of black, next was it's horn, although curved it was longer and jagged on the sides. Next was the size of the creature, compared to the other three this one was a bit taller but not as tall as the changeling queen. Shallow night remained sitting, unmoving like a statue staring at the tree filled sky, he inhaled then exhaled deeply as to relax himself. He lowered his head a little and said,
"Is this to your liking your highness?"
Chrysalis shook her head and said, "Yes this pleases your queen my drone."
Shallow Night gritting his teeth even more at the phrase "drone". The very word brought a bitter taste in his mouth, even more so hearing it from Chrysalis. A slight shiver coursed through his body as he tried to maintain his composure. 
"Thrax has informed me of you and your team finding the castle." Chrysalis said as she walks closer to him
With each hoof step is heard his ear would twitch as if something within him was telling him to be wary of the owner of he sound. Shadow night just remained silent as Chrysalis moved even closer to him but unknown anyone or any changeling there each step was causing his repressed angry to rise, which would be evident if one would look to his face as he's gritting his teeth all to keep his anger in check. As Chrysalis was an ear shot away she lowered her head to his right ear and whispered as she patted him on the head,
"You've done well for your queen my little drone, it seems you have finally learn where your place is."
Chrysalis raised her head back up and started walking back as she continued with a wicked smile,
"As long as you keep on pleasing me,that little village and your little pony friends will remain safe from harm."
the three changelings could look in slight horror as Chrysalis walked away, not because of what she had said but because unknown to her there was a rather large tree branch with it's ends sharpened covered in a green glow, floating only mere inches from her head. They could only stare mouths agape at the object floating in the air, suddenly it slowly lowers down to the ground and the glow vanishes. Shallow night lower his head as he remains motionless to the world as many thoughts run through his mind, some of anger for not finishing the job he so desperately wanted to do, some were thoughts of worry for the family of ponies who took him in and treated him as if he was no different from them, as well as the little village that so kindly treated him. He remained lost in his thoughts until he felt a hoof tapping on his withers, he looks to his left and sees one of the changelings was looking at him with a worried expression. He raised his head and smiles to the changeling and says,
"Do not worry Wisp I am fine, are you and the other feeling better?"
Wisp just tilts his head and answered,
"Yes sir we're fine but what about you?" he points to Shallow night's closed right eye "You should let us treat you eye for you before it gets infected."
Shallow Night traced his eye with a hoof and felt three gashes going down to his cheek, he winced a little to the slight pain of the injury. As he removed his hoof he notice a green substance on it, it was blood but to be precise it was his blood. Shallow Night looks to the other changelings then to his hoof back to them and back to his hoof and thought,
'So that's why they wouldn't look at me directly, and here I thought I made out of it with just a small scratch.'
He looks back to his fellow changelings, smiled then waved dismissively and said,
"Don't worry yourselves about this, I'm perfectly fine all that matters is that you're all safe."
The second changeling trotted up and said, 
"To fight a beast like that and make it out with just one injury is really amazing, I don't think even the queen could to that."
Shallow Night let out a chuckle and said,
"Well buggy I guest that's one more thing I'm better than her at, but still to think we would run into a giant blue bear deep within this forest, I would have thought one of the ponies would have ran into it or even that zebra."
"She did say that that one was only a baby." Buggy said as he shuddered, "I couldn't imagine something that big being only a baby, just thinking about the size of it's mother scares me."
Shallow Night chuckles, He then looks over to see the third changeling shuffling through a nearby bush. Moments later the little changeling came trotting to him holding in it's mouth a small brown pouch with a string tied to it. The taller changeling looked at it with puzzlement and whispered,	
"Uh Wisp, whats in that pouch that Stock is holding, it doesn't look like it's full of her little knickknacks."
"No sir, actually its medicine that the zebra mare gave us. She noticed your eye and thought you could use it." Wisp answered.
Shallow Night just looked at the changeling Stock as she placed the pouch in front of him and sat down next to it, he just smiles and said,
"Thank you Stock but as I told the others I am fine, you don't need to go out of your way for me."
Stock just shook her head then stared at him with a frown while pointing to the pouch and then to his eye.
"Oh come on I already told you I'm...." Shallow Night said,
but was interrupted by Stock stomping a hoof on the ground forcibly then pointed to the pouch and then to his eye again.
"Sir she's just worried about your injury just as we are, let us patch your eye up for you. You've done much for us, the least we could do is this. We're just lowly drones and you go out your way just to keep us safe but when it come to helping you, you don't want let any ling do anything....why?"
Shallow Night just blinked as the three changelings waited for his answer, as he sat there in thought as familiar memory played out in his mind.

Sometime earlier in a small village town of Fairpass.

In the middle of he night of this dusty village filled with dirt roads and several homes built out of lumber with stone chimneys some large some small, a school house with a bell located at the top, a well in the middle of this town and others are establishments that sell items for the homes,  confectionery delights and provide entertainment. There are ponies walking around either to their homes for a nights rest or go to have a fun night with friends and loved ones. But inside one particular house a familiar young dark blueish grey unicorn stallion, along with an elderly earth pony Stallion who's coat was tan brown color and eyes of the same color. His mane, mustache, beard and tail was the color black with a hint of grey colored in, and with a cutie mark of a hoof print overlapping a metal hammer, and a grey unicorn mare who had a mane and tail of the color of light grey with strands of white through them. Her eyes were the color of bumble bee yellow and a cutie mark of a glittering gemstone with a thought bubble over it. The young stallion was wearing a pleading expression as he says,
"But why, it would do a lot of good if I can go to the princess and worn her before they arrive."
"Because Shallow Night it's too dangerous, not to mention the travel is long and far, even if you were to make there on time how would you be able to see the princess, it's not like you could go in and say 'Hey princess Celestia you will listen to me or else the city will be in danger' I seriously doubt that you would be able to walk out a free pony" the unicorn mare said.
"But I can't just sit here and do nothing so many lives could be in jeopardy....no... many lives are in jeopardy unless some pony either stops the threat or for the very least warn them of the coming threat." Shallow Night said.
"There is nothing you can do right now Shallow. I won't have you running off head first into danger again, it's only been a month and a half since that diamond dog incident and you rushed into that as well." The unicorn mare said.
"But I had to do something, fire light and swiftly skies were taken, I couldn't let them take my friends or their families and waiting for the guard was out of the question, I just..." Shallow Night said but the earth pony mare place a hoof on his withers and said,
"I know that and I thank Celestia that you and everypony else came back, but you were hurt so bad that I thought you were going to die, and now after your all healed up you wanna go and rush into danger again just because some ponies far away might lose to some queen bent on taking over Canterlot even with the princesses being there, no I'm not...." the unicorn mare said as sobbing and tears started to fall from her eyes
The earth pony stallion walked up to the mare and placed a hoof on her back, she turned to him and said,
"Hard hoof say something to him."
The elder stallion named Hard hoof stroked his beard a few times and walked over to Shallow Night and sternly looked at him for a few moments, then smile stretches on his muzzle as he says,
"You know sometimes ah forget your not really our son, what with you um what is it you said 'taking his form' was it." Hard hoof said.
Shallow night ears folded to his head as he slowly nodded as he ignited his horn with green aura and just then a green flame quickly started to engulfed his body. As quickly as it came it dissipated and revealed a changeling. Hard hoof head jolted back a little as he said,
"Whoa, never could get use ta that there changeling hocus pocus." Hard hoof coughed into his hoof and continued, "As ah was sayin you may not be our real son but you have his heart though, and ah know if our son was here today he would want to do the very same thing that your wantin ta do. So ah won't stop ya son" 
Shallow Night's face just lights up and wing buzz as he said,
"Really Hard hoof sir um...I mean father." 
"Of course Shallow. There is some thing that mah pa would say at times like this, he would say 'somethings a stallion's gotta do what a stallion's gotta do' course he also says dogs can't look up and trees can grow upside down but that's beside the point." Hard hoof said with a slight chuckle.
"Hard Hoof!" the unicorn mare said with a huff, "You can't seriously have him go out there and...and...."  
but she was interrupted by her husband dismissively waving a hoof as he said,
"Now now  Glimmering dream, you and ah both know that even if we tell him no he'll still up and go out to Canterlot. So it's best to just let him go with a little bit of worry in our hearts than for him to go without us knowing, finding out an worrying a whole lot, besides he a grown stallion an his mind is made up."
"I know, it's just that.." Glimmering dream said with her hooves covering her eyes as she wept.
Shallow Night walked over to her and hugged the elderly unicorn and said,
"Don't worry Miss Glimmer I'll be back safe and sound and who knows hopefully I'll have a great story for the students upon my return." 
Glimmering dream embraced the changeling and said with the last of her tears falling to the wooden floor and a sad smile,
"I know, I know just be careful son."
Shallow Night closed his eyes, unknown to either the Hard hoof or the mare in his embrace he takes in the emanating caring emotion, his insect like wings buzz as he is being filled by the loving emotion from the mare. As they released their embrace there was a knock on the door, 
"Ah wonder who could that be?" Hard hoof said as he walked to the wooden door.
As Glimmering dream watches Hard hoof as he starts to open the door, she quickly realizes that Shallow Night was not disguised as the blueish grey unicorn that they know. She quickly turns to him and says,
"Shallow quick change back before Hard hoof...."
but it was too late, Hard hoof had opened the door revealing a slight pudgy steel blue unicorn Stallion with a dark grey bushy Mustache, mane and tail, wearing a black formal jacket and tie as well as a top hat and a cutie mark of a black top hat and cane. Glimmering dream saw him, breathed a sigh of relief and said,
"Mayor Tiptop it's so nice to see you. What can we do for you this evening?" 
The mayor tips his hat and says,
"Evening Miss dream, Hard hoof. We've heard that there was a problem and we just had to come and help."
"Problem?" Glimmering dream asked,
"Yes. You see it's been brought to our attention that a certain hero of our fair little town of Fairpass, needs to get to Canterlot before a certain incident happens." The mayor said.
"Yes, but how did you..." Hard hoof said.
"Oh come now Hard hoof I'm the mayor. Surely you of all ponies should know that nothing escapes these here ears of mine as well as how fast the *ahem* 'word of mouth' travels in this here small town. I was bound to hear it sooner or later," Tip Top said, "although I wished to have heard it sooner so I could help out more." 
"Wait Mr mayor," Shallow Night said, "You said 'We', who else is with you sir?" 
"Well...." Tiptop said before removing his top hat and walking in.
As the mayor waked into the home, at the entrance stood two figures. One was a peach-yellow colored Pegasus mare with a lime colored mane with a few stripes of light colors, she was wearing a long mud brown cloak that seemed to cover the rest of her body. Next to the mare was a Earth pony colt, his coat was the color of dull grey with spots of black on his left eye, right foreleg and his chest, his mane and tail although messy was the color of dark blue. The mare looked around until she spotted the changeling and frowned. Shallow Night saw this and immediately hid behind Glimmering dream but the mare stomped a hoof and said,
"Shallow Night I know that's you, quit hiding behind your mother and look at me."
The Changeling winced from behind the elderly mare and slowly did just that, at the same time Tiptop walked over to young mare and said,
"Now now sweetheart you can't be too mad at him, he's only trying..."
"Yes I can dad." The mare said, "He's going all the way to Canterlot just to try to stop an invasion that may or may not happen, from what I've heard it's going to be just a regular wedding the captain of the royal guard and some princess."
Shallow Night slowly walked over to the mare and placed a hoof on her withers and said,
"Miss Goodwill you must understand I'm the only one who can do this..."
but Goodwill swatted away his hoof and glared at him with with tears staring to form in her eyes and said,
"No your not the only one who can do this. They have hundreds of guards of both Princess Luna's night guard and Princess Celestia's day guard as well as both princesses as well and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and you think that this queen Chrysalis has a chance of getting into that city."
Shallow Night frown and shook his head as he said,
"Yes I am the only one who can do this, and I know she can get into the city she's done something like this in the past. It doesn't matter how many ponies there are around or who's there, it only matter on how even one changeling can sneak in to get the job done."
"Then what about just talking to this queen Chrysalis, maybe she could settle everything peacefully." Goodwill said, "she can't just want war just like that.  She wouldn't anything to gain except heavy losses."
The changeling's frown deepened as he answered,
"She will not want to end things peacefully, she's just too....pigheadedly stubborn. She'll trample over who ever she can just to get what she wants." 
Shallow Night then looked at everyone and continued,
"Look I know I told Glitter... I mean mom and dad this but..." he looked towards his adopted mother and father and saw Hard Hoof give him an assuring nod. He takes a deep breath and continues,
"We changelings are very....unique compared to every pony else, you see we don't eat like you, we eat emotions all kinds of emotions but we prefer to take in love." 
The mayor and Goodwill gasped while the little colt just looked with confusion.
"What love, but how its..its.. unheard of." Tiptop said.
"Well I won't go into too much detail but it's kind of like breathing in air, and we have a bad reputation with dragons, griffons, Minotaurs, Zebras as well as some pony places so we have to disguise ourselves and draw in the love from the unsuspecting. At times we foalnap an unsuspecting target and cocoon them, while the the changeling would disguise them selves as that target and take their place the hive feeds off of who is captured because of this ." Shallow Night said. 
He looks to the mayor and Goodwill as they had a look of shock and horror, he quickly shook his hooves in the air and said,
"Oh no no no. Don't get me wrong, all hives do this and after a time they release them who would have no recollection of what happen, but for me I haven't done that in about a little longer than I've been here."
"So, for eight years you haven't done that to any pony here?" Tiptop asked.
"Well nine and a half but yes that's correct. After being among everypony here I felt I didn't need to, the love you have for each other was just radiating throughout the town, and when Mom and Dad found out who and what I was they took me in and treated me as their real son." Shallow Night said but then quickly shook his head and continued, "But back to the invasion, Chrysalis is doing this just so she could feed her hive, and if she's going all out just to take Canterlot then they must be starving and desperate, the fact that she didn't come to a town like this first just proves that fact."
The little colt walked up to the changeling, tapped on his leg, Shallow Night looked down and looked at the colt. The little colt asked,
"Will you come back Mr Shallow Night?"
The Changeling playfully ruffled the colt's mane answered,
"Of course I will Silent Step. I can't leave you kids alone with miss Goodwill, you'd drive her crazy."
The little colt, Silent Step giggled while Goodwill puffed her cheeks, which in turn every pony laughed at her display. Shallow Night sighed as he looks at everypony laughing and thought,
'This feels right, Ponies and changelings living together without fear. Maybe I can show all the others that there is another way to live, that this is another way for us to live.' he then whispers "A better way."
Once the laughter died down the changeling looked around to see a saddle bag siting in the corner of the area, his attention of the saddle bag diverted when Mayor tiptop said,
"Well then Shallow my boy seeing as you're so dead set on going, how do you expect to get there?"
"I was going to fly to the nearest town with a train and from there take it to Canterlot." Shallow Night said.
Goodwill looked at him in shock and and disbelief then said,
"The nearest town with a train is east of here and it's over a ninety miles from here, can you really fly that far for long."
Shallow Night Puffed out his chest with pride and said,
"Well if I use the night to hide and quickly travel by hoof for a few miles I can fly the for a few more miles, if everything goes well with only time to rest a little I should get there a day and a half two being the latest," he furrowed his brows and rubbed his chin with a hoof, "as long as the form I take can be maintained."
"Well I figured as much." Tiptop said as he pulled out a folded piece of paper and gave it to Shallow Night, "Once you get to the next town take that letter to the station, there's a friend who I asked for help on transporting you to Canterlot."
"Thank you mayor." Shallow Night said.
"Think nothing of it my boy, it's the least I could do by providing 'The Hero of Fairpass' some help." Tiptop said.
Shallow Night walked over to the saddle bags and placed the letter within it the turn to everpony in the room and said,
"I should get going if I want to make it there on time." 
he then closed his eyes and a green flame engulfed him once again, as it dissipates revealing him to look the same but instead of a unicorn he was a Pegasus. Shallow Night turn back towards the saddle bags and saw that they were engulfed in a golden yellow magic and levitated onto his back, looks over to Glimmering dream and said,
"Thanks mom."
The unicorn mare wiped a tear from her eye and nodded. Hard hoof walked over to Shallow Night, placed a hoof on his shoulder and said,
"Son before you go I wanna give you some advice that I gave my real son before he departed the guard," Shallow Night looked to the stallion as he continued, "Help those you can, and protect those that you can and above all come back safe to us. Can you do that for me Shallow Night?"

Back in the Everfree forest

As the memory fade he could here a voice from one of he Changelings saying,
"Shallow Night sir, if you do not wish to tell us why, then we will not ask again."
The taller Changeling looks over to the three changeling in front of him and shook his head,
"No it's ok. The reason is something my father said but that's not important right now." 
"Yes sir, Oh by the way we've received word about that place you asked about." Wisp said.
"Oh and what were you told?" Shallow Night said.
"Well sir everypony there is safe and it's just as you've said, the positive emotions there is just radiating from there it's like it's made out of love."
"Good that puts my mind at ease for now, but tell me what of the ones I've asked to be looked after." Shallow night said.
"Well sir um the one called Goodwill has given birth of twins, the father an earth pony by the name of Satchel was over joyed." Wisp said
'Heh I knew those two would end up together and now they have twin foals, congratulations Satchel and Mrs Goodwill.' Shallow Night thought as he breathed a sigh of relief, "Tell me Wisp did our informant mention anything on the foals" Shallow Night said as he placed a foreleg around wisp.
"Just that they were a unicorn and an earth pony." Wisp answered.
"Good, and what of there others I've asked about?" Shallow Night said as he stood up.
"Well sir about them it seems the one called Hard Hoof got hurt during a Diamond dog attack shortly before the foals were born, he's fine now but he's just taking it easy." Wisp said.
"And Glimmering Dream?" Shallow Night asked with a little fear in his voice.
Wisp's ear folded back as he said,
"Well sir the first few months she was in a deep depression after she found out about what happened at Canterlot, thinking that you had died but Mirage had revealed herself to her and told her of your whereabouts, to be honest I think that was rather foalish of her to do but it seem to work and calmed the mare's worries in fact the whole village knows who she is and has accepted her within the village. "
Shallow Night placed a hoof on his chest, closed his eyes and thought,
'Mirage shouldn't have revealed herself with the risk of the royal guards finding out but knowing the ponies of Fairpass she will be fine, and mom was always a worrier, and Dad just had to be the hero but I'm glad they're safe.'
A tear runs down the side of his muzzle as he quietly said,
"Times like these I wish I was their real son"
Wisp tilts his head in confusion and asked,
"Sir are you okay, you're starting to cry?"
Shallow Night opened his eyes, sniffed and wiped his muzzle and answered,
"Yes Wisp I'm fine, must be the injury that's causing it." 
Upon hearing this the Changeling Stock quickly picked up the small poach of medicine in her mouth then pointed to his eye, Shallow Night just chuckled at her display and said,
"Okay Okay you win Stock you can treat my eye but first we should start heading back to the others to see what her royal highness wants before she has a fit, wouldn't want to be in that."
Stock nodded eagerly, and the small group of Changelings started their way to the other Changelings.