A Shift Of Life

by World Trotter


The explanation

After a few minutes off waiting in Sweetie Belle’s room Shift finally heard the door open and saw her coming in with a basket containing a plate, a loaf of bread, knife, and some butter.


“Sorry I took a bit I needed to be quiet so I didn't wake up my sister.” She explained before placing the plate on her bed and put the bread on it and cut it. After she did that her horn started to glow and so did the bread and then the bread seemed as if someone had put in over a fire


“That's okay. But what is this?” He questioned looking closely and smelling the cooked bread suspiciously.


“Have you never had toast before? It's one of the most eaten things ever.” She responded with a slight chuckle at his confusion. She then started to take a few slices of toast with a knife held with her magic and then started to spread butter on them.

“I have never heard of such a thing. Changeling's don't really eat we feed of emotions.” He explained when she finished preparing the plate.


“Oh” she responded shyly “I didn't know that. You don't have to eat this if you don't want to.” She said quickly before he walked up next to her.

“I might as well try it since you already finished it.” He said before she pulled the plate to him. He then grabbed a piece of bread and nervously took a bite out of it and started to chew. It was weird since he had never actually eaten anything before and at the same time there was a unicorn filly watching him.

“How is it?” She questioned looking at him straight in the eye. He had to admit it tasted okay, he would eat this all even though there could have been something else that tasted better.

“It's good, it's really crunchy.” He admitted making the unicorn giggle at him a little.

“It's supposed to be that way.” She explained before he finished the slice he had before taking another one, after that she also felt a little hungry and levitated a slice for her. “Hey um” she started curiously “why were you in the Everfree forest?” She questioned making him stop before taking another bite.

“I was uh…” He started before he seemed to get upset a little.

“I'm sorry you don't have to say if you don't want to.” She said quickly realizing he didn't want to talk about that.

“No it's okay, it's just(sigh)” he started but took a moment to think about it “I was exiled.” He finished closing his eyes with his head down.

This causes Sweetie Belles eyes to widen from shock and just stare at the young changeling “What happened to you.” She asked nervously before he told her the story.

(Shifts p.o.v for flashback)

About 2 and a half months ago I was still living in the changeling hive all alone with no friends or family just the other changeling's and the queen. We were awaiting for the signal from their queen to attack Canterlot just as she had planned when the barrier was down. As soon as it went down the hive charged down in the city ready to round up all of its citizens and take the city.

I saw many other changeling's corner families and trap guards while others were searching for more stray’s. While searching around I found a earth pony mare and two kids with her as they were running out of the city to escape. I was going to catch them but then I noticed above them was a boulder that was coming down the mountain directly for where they would be when it hit. I noticed this and just couldn't let these ponies die, so I flew as fast as I could to get them out of the way.

When it was to late the mare looked up to see the boulder only 5 meters above them and pushed her son and daughter ahead to save them. But before it hit her I grabbed her and flew past the Boulder before it landed causing me to fall with her to the ground. When I got up the two children ran up to their mom worried and were crying tears of joy to see she was alive. After that she turned to me I was expecting a look of fear or disgust, but what she had on her face was a smile as she cried looking at me.

She then told me “thank you.” With joy in her voice as she and her kids walked away while I sat there.

Before they were 2 yards away the kids ran back to me and hugged me pushing me to the ground while yelling at me “thank you for saving our mom/ thank you Mr.” They were full of joy and love and all the while cried with their excitement before they ran back to their mother and continued away. I then stood up full of confusion, our queen always told us that ponies were horrible and they could feel live if it was forced out of them.

I learned that day that she lied to us, she tricked us to forcing love out of them and draining them of their life and soul. I then flew back to Canterlot but stopped after I looked back at the city, the barrier was back and I saw my hive being blasted away along with the queen. I then turned around and saw the barrier behind me not blasting me at all.

I flew further until I got up to it and left it, I then turned around and it let me back in as if I was just another pony. I was to shocked to do anything else so I flew away back to the home of our hive, while flying I saw the three from earlier and they waved at me goodbye.

After 2 months of flying exhausting me I made it back to our home, it was a cave inside of a mountain with green slime around the outside. As I entered I gained strange looks from the other changeling's which confused me, and before I knew it they were directing me to the queen.

“Yes my queen.” I said bowing before her as she towered over me.

“Why are you here now and not blasted away like the rest of us.” She said gaining a look of anger on her face.

I didn't know what to say, I didn't know why it let me inside the barrier but it did and I couldn't deny that fact. “I do not know, my queen.”

“Would it have something to do with the fact that you saved a ponies life!” She shouted at me with a look of disgust causing the other members of the hive to gasp in shock. I froze, my eyes were wide with shock “don't you dare think I didn't see that disgusting act.” She continued making the hive glared down at me.

“I thought we were just to trap them.” I said quickly hoping it would save my shell.


“Yes but it doesn't matter if a few die in the process and not only that but you let them go on their Mary way.” She finished before looking the hive seeing all of the rest take in the information. “From this moment on you are hereby banished.” Everyone froze and I was not able to think or do anything “you may never come back to our hive, and shall stay away until the day you die!”.

After that I was pushed and shoved by three armored changeling's out three miles away from the cave before they flew back leaving me.


(End flashback staying in shift p.o.v)

She was just sitting there with her hooves covering her mouth from shock as I finished the story up.

“I was going to try to look for the family I helped, but I thought that I would be sent away or thrown in prison by other ponies. So I just have been living in the forest for half a month since and then I met you.” I finished off with my held hung low in sadness before I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

I looked up to see her with one good over her mouth and crying a lot from my story “I'm so sorry.” She said before leaning against me.

I then had a weird feeling in my stomach when she leaned in me and then looked outside to see the moon quite low meaning only a few hours till dawn.

“You should go to sleep it's almost sunrise.” I told her as I got her off me then approached the window.

“Where are you going?” She questioned me wiping the tears from her eyes.

“I don't want to keep you up any longer so I was going to head back into the woods and sleep.” I answered but was stopped when I heard shuffling behind me. I the turned and saw a blanket and pillow in the floor laying out in front of her.

“You can sleep here if you want you just might want to be quiet.” She said climbing under her sheets on her bed.

I just stood there before slowly got under sheets in the ground, it felt like nothing I ever touched before. At the hive we slept in rocks with no covering and in the forest I slept on dirt or in a cave with only a pile of leaves to make it able to sleep.

“Goodnight.” She told me before turning off the lamp and turning away from me.

“Goodnight?” I said questioningly not knowing what it meant making her giggle before I settled down.

I then was falling into a deep sleep not knowing that this day was going to be the start of a new life for me in ponyville with real ponies and making real friends knowing the real me.