Equestria's Mark

by MasterZadok

Ch 17: Little Changes

It was deathly quiet. I marched along the empty path with no idea where I was or where I was going. Silver snow, like glass dust, filled my vision and bleached everything save for the iron grey stones and the stoic pine trees. By them, I knew I was walking along the shoulder of a mountain or within the jaws of a vast canyon. To my left, a frosty wall of granite, and to my right, a whirling abyss of clouds. Winter’s sharp lips kissed every inch of exposed skin, not a sign of Equestria’s tame weather, but the feral mistress of Earth. My footfalls landed silently in the powder. It was deathly quiet.
I belonged there. The isolation, the stillness, and the silence were a welcome reprieve to my tumultuous mind. I had yet to fully fathom the full weight of my actions against the changelings and I was conflicted every time I tried. Instead of spending my days and months prior to the wedding trying to pacify them, negotiate with them, or even understand them, I had strove and struggled and fought to forcibly and violently subdue them. Conquer them. I thought I had done it all out of necessity, all for the safety of my family, but after facing Chrysalis, seeing the fear in her eyes, feeling her heartbeat, I had been reminded that I wasn’t fighting soulless minions. I had passed judgment on an entire race of living, breathing beings without really knowing anything about them or their motives. I selfishly traded Chrysalis’s family for my own. I wavered between justice and villainy. I walked a path between a stone wall and an abyss.
What was I? Was I a conqueror like the queen? Was I a guardian like Celestia? Was I a soldier, like Shining Armor? Was I a peacekeeper, like Twilight Sparkle? To these questions, I had no answer. But even as those thoughts were still forming in my mind, I saw it.
A small shape lay curled in the path in front of me. Even through the icy whisper of the wind and the howling of the abyss I could feel the subtle whisper of life within it. A tiny grey wolf pup, barely furry enough to protect itself from the biting cold, was tucked away half-buried in the snow.
Without thinking, I knelt down and ran a tender hand over the pup’s warm flank. There was no response, and I didn’t have to look twice at the barren landscape around me to know that leaving it where it was would be a death sentence. Yet somehow, the thought of abandoning the creature to its fate never crossed my mind. To me, the pup was a picture of innocence and I wanted nothing more than to protect it. It didn’t matter if was a wild animal, didn’t matter if it was a predator, and didn’t even matter if one day it might grow up to be-
A deep rumble cut through the air.
I lifted my eyes to see a brawny alpha male wolf stalking its way down the rock wall to my left. Its dark eyes flickered like amber jewels and its muzzle was wrinkled in a snarl, but the beast hadn’t come for me. Step-by-step, its steely claws crept closer to the helpless pup. The creature at my feet whimpered feebly at the approach of its fate. Either by the kiss of Winter or the jaws of its elder, the infant was facing its last moments of life.
“No.” I moved only enough to tear a low branch from a nearby pine tree. “This one is under my protection.” The piece of wood felt like splintered bone and the scaly bark bit into my palms, but I held it before me like a knight saluting his challenger.
The alpha finally brought his gaze up to meet mine, spitting his growls through naked fangs. For a while he only circled, measuring me as I stood defensively above the young wolf. At last, though, the battle lines were drawn and the silence of the scene was broken by the chaos of battle.
I don’t remember how many times I struck or how I evaded the alpha’s jaws, but I remember the rush, the torrent of heat and noise that flowed from me as I broke my makeshift weapon upon my opponent’s hide and then continued striking him with the pieces. As quickly as it had begun, the battle was over and the fully grown wolf was sent scampering back down the path, crying in fright and pain. I ran after it for one or two steps, just to make sure my point was driven home. And then, everything changed.
Still howling, the alpha came to a sudden bend in the road. Its claws skid on the icy stones and with one final yelp, it vanished over the cliff's edge into the white void.
“No…” I breathed. “No, please no.” My feet crept as close as they dared to the edge of the path, but I already knew I wouldn’t find the alpha. Everything was silent once more and I was alone save for the pup that I had rescued.
“No, no no!” Instinctively, I held the infant wolf close to my chest. “That’s not what I wanted! That wasn’t supposed to happen!” Instantly, all the questions came back to me like a flock of shrieking bats. Did I do the right thing? Was I a killer or a savior? Was there a distinction between the two if one must die for another to live?
All around me, the world began to crumble like chalk in water and the snowflakes that flecked the air hesitated in flight like countless crystal stars. Even the pup began to fade and it was then that I knew that I was dreaming.
That didn’t make it any better.
“Luna!” I shouted into the abyss. “Luna! If you’re here, answer me! Did you do this!? Did you make this dream? Is this what you wanted me to see!?”
Immediately, the scene ceased to deteriorate and I could feel another mind brush up against my own. The veils of snow that hung in the air split like curtains and the dark blue shape of the Princess of the Night entered the world. I looked at her with illusionary tears boiling in my eyes, the weightless shape of the wolf pup still held to my chest.
“Why…?”
“Be calm, Mark.” The princess soothed. “Know that this dream was not our doing.”
“It’s not? But how is that possible? It’s so…”
“Appropriate? I agree wholeheartedly." The princess studied my face a moment before continuing. "It was only natural to assume thy sleep would be troubled after everything that has transpired. Thus, we thought to watch over you tonight, but again, I had no part in this vision you have conjured.” Her eyes fell to the furry object in my arms, the last piece of the mirage that my mind had tried to hold intact while the rest of the dream faded.
“I didn’t mean for it to go so far.” I explained. “I didn’t mean to hurt the other one. I just…” A vision of my hands mercilessly striking the adult wolf swelled up before me. My throat swallowed the imaginary knot in it. “Why would I do this to myself? Why would I dream this? Why would I want to feel guilty all over again?”
“You misunderstand, Mark.” The alicorn smiled softly. “This vision is not a punishment, but a lesson.”
“How?”
“Yours is not the first dream we have witnessed where the heart answers a question the mind is vexed by. And if I may venture a guess, it would seem that you asked yourself why you fought Chrysalis as you did. Are we wrong?”
“No… I suppose that’s right.” I conceded, trying to becalm my breathing rhythm. “But what does it mean?”
“Some visions, only the dreamer can understand.” Luna began wandering past me as if to give me space to think. “So tell me, what did you see?”
“I saw a wolf.” My fingers caressed the small shape I held. “It didn’t matter what it was, it needed my help. I saw it as innocent. Precious, even.”
“And?”
“And another wolf. It was determined to kill the first one.”
“So you?”
“Fought it off.” But it was the next part of the story where the lines of morality got tangled.
“Did you kill it?”
“No. Well, yes. Not at first, but it still died because of me.” I swallowed hard. “And that’s all.”
“On the contrary, the dream continued.” Luna glanced back at me, the frozen snowflakes causing her eyes to glint with a hidden light. “Tell me, how did you feel after those events transpired?”
“Terrible.” It was true, I took no pleasure in the animal’s death. In fact, I felt it was a waste of a beautiful creature. A loss that I honestly would have prevented if I could. “I didn’t want it to die. I just wanted it to stop.” I drew in a breath of illusionary air as I realized what the dream was trying to tell me. I may have fought, but I took no pleasure in pain. “Then, that means-” The princess nodded knowingly.
“Face this day in peace, Mark.” Luna encouraged me. “Walk confidently and know that you are no monster. You do not fight for pleasure, but instead you stand against those who do. We all make mistakes, but calm your fears and know, deep down, yours is still a good heart.”
“Thank you, princess. For that.”
A distant memory bubbled to the surface of my mind, a scene of an old doctor and a scrawny young man standing face-to-face in a cramped examination room. The worn doctor looking desperately for a hero and the nervous young man looking desperately for a chance to be one. The eager Doctor Erskine asked Steve Rogers,
“Do you want to kill Nazis?”
“Is this a test?” Young Rogers asked cautiously.
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to kill anyone.” Steve admitted simply. “I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they’re from.” A subtle shadow, a wave of relief, flitted across the doctor’s face. He had found his champion in a world of brutes.
“That’s a lovely quote.” Luna admired, glancing upwards. “I can tell it means a lot to you.”
“You what? Oh! Right. Forgot this was a dream. Sorry, didn’t think you could hear that.” I rocked from foot to foot awkwardly. With the initial emotional rush dying down, I found myself embarrassed and even a little uncomfortable by the fact that one of my friends was literally standing in my mind.
“What time is it, by the way?” I asked casually, even if only to change the subject.
“’Tis nigh ten in the morning, if we are not mistaken.”
“So I slept in. Well, if it meant I didn’t have to go about the day with a moral raincloud hanging over me, I’d say it was time well spent. Thank you again for that.”
“It was a beautiful dream. If only we could take credit for it.” Luna grinned. At that moment, a sudden shock jolted the fragile landscape. A large swath of stone wall fell like a silk curtain into oblivion. The princess glanced at the new void warily and added, “Though, it appears our time is coming to an end. You have quite a day ahead of you without having to worry about your exchange with Chrysalis.”
“What a way to start a morning, huh?”
“Indeed.” Another tremor uprooted a nearby pine tree which fell into the sky. “I’ll let you awaken now. Best not to keep her waiting.”
“Keep who waiting?” I asked, but my words turned to dust. The snowy scene finally unraveled, taking with it my voice and even my sight. The only thing remaining was the sensation of the young wolf held tightly in my arms. My dry eyes flickered open and I found myself staring into a pair of giant lavender irises. Twilight Sparkle was leaning over the edge of my mattress mere inches from my nose.
“Mark!”
“Gah!”
“I’ve been trying to wake you!” Twilight snapped.
“That was you?” I tried to squirm out from under her accusing gaze. “I thought the Ringling Brothers had come to town!”
“Sorry, hon, we told her to let you sleep in.” An apologetic Applejack appeared behind the purple pony along with the rest of the girls and Spike.
“I did!” Twilight Sparkle kept her face pressed into mine until she had practically crawled onto the bed.
“Yeah, for two-point-five minutes.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
“This can’t wait any longer!” A wrinkled piece of paper slapped me in the face. I untangled one of my arms from the bundle of sheets I had clamped to my chest to examine it. After a few seconds of blinking in the morning light, I realized it was my own letter I had left in the abandoned mines. Twilight now had three hooves on the bed. “You, mister, have some explaining to do!”
“So it would seem…” I continued looking at the paper as if it was a subpoena.
“You knew!” Twilight Sparkle accused. “You knew everything, but you shouldn’t have! You couldn’t have! But you did! But you can’t! How is this possible?”
“Twilight, there’s no need to holler when the boy’s two feet from you.” Applejack soothed.
“And I’m not going anywhere, so you can stop stalking me.” I was running out of mattress to retreat on. “I already planned on telling you everything anyways.” My eyes drifted over the small herd of ponies crowding into my room. “But can I at least get dressed first?”
“No!” Twilight barked.
When explaining to your best friends that you used to think their lives were a mere tale of fantasy until fate unceremoniously dropped you right in the middle of it, careful wording is important. In a perfect world, the process should have taken me about five minutes, long enough to ease the ponies into the overarching concept, and short enough that I didn’t lose anypony’s attention. (*cough* Rainbow *cough*) My strategy was to introduce the girls to the idea of what it was like to step into a story world and gradually wind down to how that knowledge affected day-to-day living. Twilight Sparkle, however, was my reminder that we did not live in a perfect world. Twitter Twilight wouldn’t let me pass more than 140 characters before cutting me off or interrupting me and her constant demands for details meant that the whole process took a little more time than I had estimated.
By ‘a little longet’, of course, I mean that our party had eaten, our luggage was packed, and we were on a train bound for Ponyville and we were still muddling through it.
“So you knew the changelings were going to invade and you didn’t stop them?” Twilight Sparkle asked incredulously.
“Technically, I did stop them, but remember-”
“And you came up with the idea to use Shining Armor’s spell against them?”
“No, I can’t take credit for that because I saw it happen already when-”
“But what if your plan went wrong?”
“Well, remember, I got Luna to-”
“But did going back in time create the story you knew or did the story you know come from the you that interfered with the story to begin with!?” The unicorn’s voice gradually grew higher until the word ‘with’ was a deafening squeak.
“If you’re talking about the episode where you went to the past and didn’t change anything, that’s-”
“That was an episode too? You knew what I was trying to say before I told myself what I was trying to teach myself?”
“But it all turned out, and I brought you doughnuts to-”
“So THAT’S why you got the big box!?”
“And then I asked you about time-traveling friends, and how-”
“You were talking about yourself the whole time!?” By then, Twilight was bouncing in her seat like a hot kettle with no vent. I sat back and swept my eyes over the rest of the train car. Applejack and Rarity were watching Twilight and I like spectators watching a particularly intense tennis match. Fluttershy was behind them, attentive, but wishing that our discussion involved more talking and less yelling. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were off on their own, having gotten bored with Twilight’s interrogation long ago.
“Then it shouldn’t change anyth-”
“It changes everything!” Twilight insisted. “We can't just do whatever we want anymore, we have responsibilities to consider! Now we have a future to protect and every time you interfere, you create a new story that you might not know the ending to!”
“You think I haven’t thought that before? You don't have to worry about that, I-”
“Honestly, it’s a miracle the wedding was the same. You’ve been here for so long, it’s a wonder you even recognize the episodes anymore!”
“I’m not interfering! I’m just keeping you safe when-”
“Oh, sweet Celestia! That’s why you insisted I study long-range teleportation algorithms Spike was chasing the dragon migration!”
“See? You girls were the real heroes, I just-”
“And when Flim and Flam came to town, it was your idea to help the Apples!”
“No, technically, it was your idea at-”
“And the Mysterious Mare Do Well, and Philomena, and the hydra, and Pinkie’s birthday, and Discord and-” Finally, Twilight even cut herself off. “…And Nightmare Moon?”
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to open that can of worms any more than I had to. I simply took a deep breath, (partly hoping that Twilight would emulate it) and resettled myself in my seat. It wasn’t hard to see what she was thinking. For as long as Twilight had been a hero, I’d been watching her back.
“All right, let’s just everypony settle down and put our heads back on.” Applejack finally got a word in edgewise. “Twilight, you can't stress about things that haven't happened yet, that's just silly! You'd know, too. Look, ya gotta remember that this here’s still your friend and he’s not any more happy about this arrangement as you are. In fact, I’d bet you dollars to doughnuts that Mark’s even more uncomfortable about it, am I right?”
“Why do you think I put it off so long?”
“There, see?” Applejack waved a hoof at me. “And he's already done all the worryin' for us, so you can relax." The orange mare winked at me from beneath her hat. "Though, I gotta say, knowin’ a gal’s story beforehand sure explains how y’all were able to find me way out in Dodge Junction.”
“I may have dropped a hint or two…” I winked back at the orange pony, but quickly added, “But like I said, I haven’t changed anything! Don't get all worked up about 'stories' or 'roles' or 'destiny' or any of that stuff. Your lives are still your own, I promise.”
“But that doesn’t change the fact that you could alter anything! Everything!” Twilight fretted. “Our adventures, our choices, our very destinies are in your hands and it could all spin out of control at any moment like Professor Silkwing’s ‘Butterfly Effect’ theorem and the tiniest change could alter something down the line and another and another until you’re overwhelmed and lost and nopony knows what to do and-” Applejack stuck a firm hoof in the purple unicorn’s mouth. Casually, the earth pony glanced at her previously-silent companion.
“What do you make of all this, Rarity?”
“Well, as Twilight said, when considering what Mark could have done in his position, he seems to have portrayed quite the gentleman.” The white unicorn inclined her head. “As far as I can see, he’s only used his… premonitions… with the best possible intentions. If he’s changed anything at all, it seems it was only so that he could meet us and settle himself in Ponyville. To have such an admirer, ah, it’s actually quite flattering!”
“P-too!” Twilight spat out AJ’s hoof. “But is he an admirer? Just a harmless fan? Or does it just look that way because he already knew us?”
“Ouch…” I winced. So did the rest of the train car.
“Twilight!” Rarity scolded. “I would think you of all ponies would recognize an authentic friendship when you find one.”
“Rarity’s right.” Applejack nodded. “Just listen to yourself, Twi. You’re getting’ so worked up about your ‘butterfly effects’ that you’re forgettin’ everything you know about Mark. He’s a far cry from a unscrupulous wheeler-dealer.”
“But we can’t know that anymore!”
“Sure we can! Watch.” Applejack leveled her emerald eyes at me. “Mark? Are you gonna take over the world with your know-how about the future?”
“Uh, no.” I almost laughed.
“There, see?”
“Just like that?” Twilight gawked.
“Trust don’t come cheap.” AJ explained. “An’ I trust this boy more than most.”
“But the butterflies...” The purple unicorn pleaded. “The chaos theory is bound to spiral out of control. It’s inevitable! Any moment now, everything could collapse!”
“But… What about butterflies?” A small voice rose from the yellow pegasus behind Applejack. Fluttershy looked from me to Twilight and back.
“It’s how little changes can make a big difference further down the timeline.” Twilight Sparkle whimpered. “Like what if a butterfly bruised a sapling, so the tree grew crooked? Since the tree grew crooked, a storm knocked it over. Since the storm knocked it over, it fell into a river. Since it fell into the river, the river changed course. Since the river changed course, a valley dried up. Since the valley dried up, a forest died. Since the forest died, a kingdom was famished. And all because a butterfly bruised a sapling.
“Just like now. Because Mark’s here, we’re talking about him. If we’re talking about him, then we’re not talking about other things. If we’re not talking about other things, then we might not talk about magic. If we don’t talk about magic, I might forget to add something important to my homework. If I forget to add something important to my homework, then I might not learn an important spell. If I don’t learn an important spell, then we might be unprepared when the next threat comes to Equestria! If we’re not prepared when the next threat comes to Equestria, then we might not be able to stop it! If we aren’t able to stop it, then the world could be doomed! And if the world’s doomed, then we’re all doomed!” Twilight Sparkle waved her forelegs in the air like a tree in a tempest. Seven pairs of wide eyes watched her in a silent mixture of awe and concern. Applejack’s hoof was frozen in mid-air, ready to cork up the unicorn’s mouth if she started going again.
“Boy…” I sighed. “That escalated quickly. I mean that really got outta hand fast.”
“But you see what I mean, don’t you?” Twilight’s lavender eyes searched Applejack’s face, then Rarity’s. Finally, they alighted on the yellow pegasus. “You understand, don’t you, Fluttershy?”
“Well, I mean, I guess I don’t really mind. About Mark, that is.” Fluttershy piped up. “He’s been so nice to us. I don’t think we should, well, treat him any different. He did just save the wedding, after all…”
“Don’t sell Shining and Cadance short, though.” I reminded. “They were the real heroes.”
“But you set it all up!” Twilight said. And the conversation had officially come full-circle.
“And for the record, I’ve got a whole ‘Hiroshima-slash-Nagasaki-moral-quandary’ going on about that one, so can we change the subject?” I appealed.
“I’m with Fluttershy on this one. I don’t really care, either.” Rainbow Dash called from the other side of the car. “I mean, sure, it’s kind of creepy and all, but it doesn’t change anything, right? Like when Twilight was messing with her time spell. That didn’t do anything.”
“This is fundamentally different!” The magic student bawled.
“But you know, I gotta ask,” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and hovered above her seat with glimmering eyes. “Do I ever make it to the Wonderbolts?”
“Heh!” I smiled warmly. “If you did, would you really want me to tell you?”
“Uh, yeah!” The blue pegasus looked expectantly.
“How about I tell you how the next Daring Do book ends?” I muttered slyly.
“You wouldn’t!” Rainbow gasped, her wings locking in place.
“See, Dr. Caballeron breaks into Daring’s house to steal the mystical golden-”
“No! Stop! Please! Lalalalala! La! La! Lalala! Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!” RD dropped back onto her seat, both forehooves and both wings pressed desperately against her ears. “I get it! Please! No more!” Her shouting and humming continued for a good twenty seconds before she finally pried a wary eye open. When she saw my lips weren’t moving, Rainbow Dash cautiously uncovered her ears.
“Oh? Not a fan of spoilers?” I chuckled. “Trust me, Dash, some things are worth the wait.” (I didn’t have the heart to tell her that by the end of Season Four, I’d only seen her become a cadet.)
That only left Pinkie Pie. The bubblegum-colored earth pony was strangely quiet, staring determinedly out her seat’s window. I don’t know how I had expected her to react to my big secret, but it certainly wasn’t like that. Cautiously, I asked,
“Pinkie Pie? Everything ok?”
“Oh, everything’s just hunky-dory peachy-weachy, thanks for asking!” Pinkie waved an exaggerated hoof. “Nothing bothering me! Nope! Nuh-uh! Nada! Diddly!”
“Sorry, Miss Cellophane, but I can see right through you.” I rolled my eyes.
“I mean, come on! How could you do this to me?” She spun around, her blue eyes filled with tears. “How am I ever going to surprise you on your birthday if you already know all the surprises!?”
“… Wait, what?”
“At first, I was like, ‘oh, I’ll just change the surprise’, but then I thought, ‘no, because he’ll see that coming’, and then I went, ‘I’ll change the change’, but what if you’re like, ‘I expected you expecting that I expected’, and…”
“Oh, Pinkie…” I shook my head in amusement and relief. “You’re getting worked up over nothing. Remember, I only knew the story that didn’t have me in it. So if it has anything to do with ‘Mark’, it’s brand new.”
“Oh! Then never mind.” This assurance helped lighten Pinkie Pie’s mood considerably and by the time we screeched to a stop in Ponyville, she was back to her usual, bouncing, self. On the other hoof, reminding everypony that I was an unaccounted variable had the exact opposite effect on Twilight Sparkle. The purple unicorn marched behind me like a panther, waiting for me to do something, anything, that could change the fate of the world.
"Then I guess there's no getting around it." The magic student declared with more than a touch of gravity. "I'm going to help you."
"Help me what?" I asked hesitantly. Her offer, strangely enough, didn't sound reassuring.
"I'm going to help you keep everything on track. We'll make sure that everything that's supposed to happen in your TV show happens just as it's supposed to in Equestria!" A silent exchange of glances between ponies was fired off in the train car like a spaghetti western firefight. After a moment of being riddled with questioning looks, I asked,
"Um... what makes you think you can help?"
"Applejack's right. I know what it's like to worry about the future and I don't want you to go through the same thing I did."
"... It's a little late to be talking about..."
"So, I've decided to support you as your friend! Between the two of us, we'll make sure every episode from here on out has its happy ending." Twilight Sparkle flashed a wide grin up at me, but I couldn't find it in myself to return the gesture. Slowly, I tried to explain why I couldn't accept her offer.
"Hey, Twilight, I'm touched, ok? Really, I am, but this is one issue we can't share."
"Why not?" Her ears drooped slightly.
"One: I just told Rainbow Dash that I can't give out spoilers. Two: besides that, you just can't live every day trying to divine how every little action might impact the future."
"But we have to! It's because-"
"No, you don't have to." I held up a finger to stem the unicorn's protests. "You have a life. Enjoy it. Live it. Don't get all tied up in thinking you have some sort of 'destiny' you need to fulfill, because it will just drive you mad! You'll be frozen at the breakfast table, paralyzed because you don't know if you're supposed to have strawberry or grape jelly on your toast that morning." A round of snickers floated about the train car. "Trust me, you don't have to do anything."
The entire train car leaned forward as the train finally pulled to a stop in Ponyville Station. I could tell that Twilight's tongue was wriggling behind her teeth, her expression rive with objection, but as we all stood up to leave the car, all she finished with was,
"It's not just your story anymore."
“Need a hand with that?” I asked Spike as the little dragon collected our luggage from the car. As I reached to grab a particularly bulky bag, however, a purple light snatched it away.
“We’re fine, thank you.” Twilight’s voice was cold enough to deliver frost bite.
‘Right, because God forbid I accidentally knock the planet off its axis with a valise.’ The angry retort crawled to the tip of my tongue like a swimmer on a diving board, but I swallowed it back down. The exchange, however, wasn’t lost on Applejack and Rarity. The two ponies exchanged a subtle glance between each other and hovered a little closer to Twilight and I.
Ponyville was just as idyllic as I had left it. The smell of thatch-roofed cottages and fresh meadow flowers greeted us as our car opened and we stepped out onto the train platform. Before us stood a veritable battalion of ponies, all waiting for the passengers to unload and at first I mistook them as travelers bound for the now-freed city of Canterlot. A few seconds later, however, I realized that the waiting ponies were simply welcoming their friends and families home.
“Oh thank goodness, you’re safe!”
“We saw the shield fall! What happened up there?”
“It was just terrible! The sky turned black!”
“We saw the whole thing!”
“Did they hurt you? What did they want?”
“How did you escape?”
“Changelings, you say?”
“What was that white light?”
“They still held the wedding? After all that?”
“Well, you’re safe now.”
I paused for a moment, watching as family and friends were reunited after the terrifying events of the day before. There was still a lot of speculation flying around, a lot of facts that got garbled as they rushed down the mountain from Canterlot, but the one thing that mattered most was that everypony had come home safely. That was worth remembering.
“Father! Mother!” Rarity and Sweetie Belle ran forward to meet two unicorns waiting under the platform’s awning.
“Granny!” Apple Bloom and Applejack ran right into Granny Smith’s knobby forelegs and Big Mac’s bearlike hug.
“Oh, I know it sounds silly, but we were just so worried about you.” Mrs. Cake smiled bravely at Pinkie Pie, giving the pink pony a quick hug while juggling Pumpkin Cake with her free hoof. Mr. Cake was right beside her, smiling warmly as he wrestled his hat out of Pound Cake’s mouth.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Mrs. C!” Pinkie beamed like a headlight. “Sure, everything looked hopeless, our fates were sealed, our curtain called, but it turns out Mark’s a time-traveling world-jumper from the future with a birds-eye view of fate’s destiny and he’s got a soft spot for happily-ever-afters bigger a mile wide, so he got it all cleared up!”
“He what now?” Mrs. Cup Cake blinked.
“Now, Pinkie,” I cooed, “it wasn’t that bad.”
“You’re right. It was way worse. I mean, did you see the queen? So grumpy! Seriously, somepony get that girl a cupcake!”
“There was a queen?” A nearby eavesdropper’s ears perked up.
“When was this?”
“A changeling queen?”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
A number of curious heads turned towards our group with freshly-ignited attention. I was just about to explain the full extent of the invasion, even if only to ensure Ponyville that they no longer had anything to fear from Chrysalis, but a wave of lavender magic wrapped around my limbs and dragged me off the platform.
“I’m sure the mayor will explain everything in her official report. Now, please excuse us.” Twilight Sparkle said to nopony and everypony at once. Then, more quietly, she muttered to me, “Now you’ve done it.”
“What did I do?” I protested, still sliding along the ground as if I were strapped to a dolly.
“The last thing we want to do is start a panic.” The unicorn hissed. “I’m taking you home before you can do any more damage.” I wanted to argue, but seeing as I was cocooned in my friend’s telekinetic grip, I was hardly in any position to do so.
Applejack looked up as I was being carted off and muttered something to her family before trotting to catch up with Twilight and I.
“Hey, Mark!” She hailed. The magic hold on my body flickered at the purple unicorn glanced behind her.
“Yeah?” My voice was remarkably casual for the bondage I was in.
“How’s about you pay Zecora a visit while we, uh, meet up with the mayor?” Applejack asked. Twilight only frowned.
“The mayor?” The magic student clarified.
“’Course! She’s bound to be just as curious as anypony as to what happened yesterday. Figured we could cut through a lot of gossip if she just heard it straight from us.” The earth pony inclined het hat towards the burbling crowd around her.
“Zecora too. The poor dear is sure to be positively fretting by now!” Rarity piped up. “You’d best be on your way, Mark. And don’t you worry about your bags, we’ll take care of them for you. Just be sure you remember to take Harry along. As I recall, Fluttershy asked if you would take him on a walk when we got back.”
“She did?” I blinked.
“I did?” The pink-haired pegasus glanced at us from behind her dainty suitcase. She caught a knowing glance from Applejack and quickly nodded her head. “Oh, yes. I did, didn’t I? Thank you for helping out, Mark.”
“All right, partner. Day’s not getting any younger. Best get to it.” With a feeling of being pulled out of a pool of Velcro, Applejack extracted me from Twilight Sparkle’s spell and hustled me along the walkway. From the corner of her mouth, she whispered, “We’ll try an’ work on her while you’re away. You know Twilight. She just needs some time to think.”
“Thanks, Applejack.” I couldn’t prevent the relief from tainting my voice. Twilight had already given me two exhaustive examinations, one when I first arrived in Ponyville, and the other when I said I came from Earth. Somehow, I had been plucked from the jaws of a third (and far more imposing) one. “I owe you.”
“It’s the least we could do.” The country girl replied. Like an oversized tory car, AJ gave me one final push and sent me down the road towards Fluttershy’s cottage. I kept a brisk pace, letting the train station fall away behind me and with it, the sounds of Twilight wondering when Zecora had ever been known to ‘fret’.
Harry himself was happy to see me again. As I approached Fluttershy’s humble home, the oversized teddy greeted me with a sleepy smile and an enthusiastic nuzzle that nearly knocked me down. My days leading up to the Canterlot Wedding had been spent mostly cooped up in Twilight’s lab and my hiking companion made no secret that he was raring to go on an adventure. He even pulled a big metal bucket out of Fluttershy’s garden, his way of telling me that he was looking forward to fishing.
“Oh, you want to make a day of it, then?” I asked casually. “Sure, we can do that. I’m just killing time anyway. What are you in the mood for? Trout? Pike? Catfish?...”
“Arrraww.” Harry lifted his nose and wiggled his lips.
“Crawdads?” I tossed the bucket to myself a couple times. “Good choice.”
The Everfree forest was tamer than I had ever seen it before. Birds were whistling in the canopy, dragonflies danced in the still air, and rays of sunshine fell like ribbons from the crystal blue sky. I’d even go so far as to call it ‘cheerful’ if caution didn’t demand I maintain a critical eye on everything. Over one shoulder, I carried a net and the metal bucket while the other toted a pot and a survival kit I’d kept at Fluttershy’s place. My car-sized companion was waddling at a brisk pace, sticking his nose in old logs and rooting through various bushes for snacks and treats.
In retrospect, it was a good idea that Harry had suggested fishing, since the meeting with Zecora didn’t last very long. In fact, she wasn’t even home at all. A note pinned to the door explained that the zebra had left that morning to collect more obsidian oil (a key ingredient in her changeling-detection cream) and wouldn’t return for at least another day. I know how to unlock the house in the event of an emergency, but without Zecora, there was no need to. Her tree was as quiet and dark as any other in the forest.
Thus, Harry and I spent the afternoon wading through a rocky creek, turning over rocks and chasing the dark shapes that swam out from underneath. It was slow going, but the cool water and shady sun melted away stress better than any spa. Eventually, and despite my friend’s constant snacking, our bucket had a collection of about a dozen jumbo mini lobsters and I was debating whether to eat them there or save the meat for jambalayas. My mind debated between the two options as vehemently as a pair of lawyers in Law and Order while I strolled down the forest path behind Harry. The bucket of hapless crustaceans swung beside me as I whistled absently, unaware that my reprieve was rapidly drawing to an end and my culinary decisions were about to become the least of my worries.
“Rugh? E-raaugh!” Harry suddenly stopped, his ears rising like satellite dishes and his hackles flaring like a dorsal fin. Instantly, the crawdads slipped from my fingers and before they had even hit the ground, I had crouched into a ready stance and my bag had produced a Molotov cocktail. My wide eyes pierced the surrounding vegetation and my ears strained to any sign of movement. Yet, all was still, save for the bemoaning bear ahead of me. Even the birds continued singing, albeit from a distance, usually a sign that there were no timberwolves in the area.
“What is it buddy?” I dared to whisper.
“Aaraaah-unhh!” The bear’s saggy lips bellowed reports of ‘danger’ and ‘be wary’, but it was no specific call. Nothing that I had heard before. My only clue was the vigilant black nose astride Harry’s muzzle, dancing in the breeze.
“The bushes?” I glanced between my companion and a seemingly benign hedge of underbrush a couple yards away. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the spot other than a couple scattered stones and a sunny breach in the tree canopy. The resulting shaft of light fell slantwise into the forest, as if highlighting the dais of the Master Sword.
“Grumph, gruunh! Graaanph!” Harry insisted, waddling two steps forward and one step back.
By all rights, we should have retreated right then and there. There were any number of poisonous plants or carnivorous fungi or ambush predators in the Everfree Forest, but against all Darwinian logic, the unidentified threat only stoked my curiosity until I was burning with it. Harry was in a tizzy, but he hadn’t taken off running, and whatever was hiding in the bushes hadn’t presented the slightest evidence of its existence. To the bear’s dismay, I began circling around the hedge, drawing a sleep grenade out of my bag as I did do.
As I cleared the tangled underbrush, my eyes fell upon the last thing I ever expected to see. It was small, barely longer than my boot, and lay on its side with all four legs limp. A pair of wings, glinting like morning dew, sprouted from tar-black shoulders and from its forehead sprouted a fledgling horn. I never thought I’d see another one, let alone an infant. I never expected to see a changeling again.
It was impossible to tell if my mind went blank or if the white noise within my skull was, in fact, the sound of a thousand thoughts rushing in at once. Either way, several long seconds passed before I finally remembered how to move my body. In spite of Harry’s objections, I found myself inching forward.
My eyes remained fixated on the dark shape, taking in every detail, watching for any sign of movement. The limbs remained paralyzed, but the belly stretched ever so slightly as the faintest sign of breath cycled through its tiny frame. The large eyes were shut tight, hiding the iconic hollow gaze of the changelings. The insect-like webs of its wings appeared torn and crumpled and a single gash ran from behind the creature’s left ear down its neck. The wound was still oozing a clear, sap-like liquid.
A glance at the surrounding forest floor and the branches above told the story of how the creature had arrived there. Violently. It was lying in a shallow crater, identical to a thousand others that now potholed Canterlot. The shaft of sunlight I had seen earlier was, in fact, the result of a trail of snapped and splintered branches, their void leaving a hole in the leafy canopy through which I could clearly see Canterlot sitting on its mountain. I turned my attention back towards the creature.
I knew what it was. I had seen what its kind was capable of. I had personally defeated a dozen of its brothers. I had stepped on their black hides. My eyes once again saw Chrysalis’s fiery magic. My ears heard her laugh. My heart felt her malice. And yet, it wasn’t enough that I had fended off an entire nation of her servants, life had given me one more of the little monsters to deal with. One more threat to Equestria. One more danger to face. I knelt down beside the creature, extended my hand over its neck,
And gently touched its shoulder.
“Hey there.” As my fingers brushed up against the black skin, the changeling tensed, but its eyes remained sealed. “It’s okay… It’s okay, you’re safe. I’m not going to hurt you.” My words emerged softly, as if I had stumbled upon a fragile mirage, and a harsh breath might dissipate it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The edges of my vision became blurry but I hastily blinked away the water accumulating in my eyes.
Call it redemption, call it salvation, or call it a second chance, but I never knew how much I needed it until I found it in that clearing that day. I wasn’t foolish enough to think that sparing one injured changeling could possibly atone for all the damage I had dealt to their swarm, but perhaps, just perhaps, it was a step in the right direction. The way my heart ached to see the little creature, broken and bleeding but alive, proved beyond a shadow of doubt that it was still working as it should. A sign that my humanity was still intact. I finally understood just how Kiritsugu felt when he found young Shirou.
“Come on. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
“Urrawh!” Harry argued loudly as I yanked a thick blanket out of my emergency kit. I ignored him, instead searching the changeling for any further injuries. Much to my surprise, and relief, the only mark upon it was the cut behind its ear.
“Kh-…” The tiny body grunted as I carefully bundled it and picked it up. It was a pitiful sound, but it was another sign of life, and I cherished it.
“Urrgph! Uwaah.”
“Your objection has been noted.” I curtly told the bear. The changeling was now little more than a cozy little burrito in my arms, its face the only exposed part of its body. The blanket was snug, without being suffocating, and I had placed a temporary bandage over the cut to prevent unwanted friction from opening the injury back up. All the while, I kept a wary eye on the changeling’s tiny mouth and the needle-like fangs within.
“Grrrmmm-” Harry pouted.
“That’s quite enough, thank you.” I snapped. “We’re not just going to leave them here.”
“Awawww…”
“I don’t care about the crawdads! They’re yours if you want them, but if you haven’t noticed, I’ve got other things to worry about right now.” And it was true. The first of which was the fact that I couldn’t very well waltz into Ponyville clutching a young changeling in my arms. Not after everything that had just transpired and the wave of paranoia that was sure to accompany it. Well, technically I could, but it would be a fuss fit for the history books if I did. Hiding the creature was also nigh out of the question. I myself had become a certain purple unicorn’s focus for a lot of attention and scrutiny.
But it wasn’t a choice. It didn’t take a biologist (or an entomologist) to know that the creature I was holding was a mere juvenile and as far as I could tell, it had been lying helpless and motionless in the forest for about twenty-four hours. It needed shelter, first aid, and food. The third necessity was a point of confusion, since I didn’t exactly know how changelings ‘eat’ love, but I’d be (darned) if I wasn’t going to try and provide it.
My first thought was Zecora. There hadn’t yet been an ailment or conundrum I’d encountered that she wasn’t able to help me with. Unfortunately, her aid heavily depended on her actually being home. Without my mentor, there was only one place that might be able to help me. I told Harry,
“Let’s head back to Fluttershy’s.”
My step lacked its usual bobbing motion as I gingerly escorted my precious cargo back through the forest. The thoughts in my head swirled around like a thunderstorm, cloudy, confused, chaotic, and punctuated every once in a while with a burst of subdued joy. Mostly, though, the confusion could be summed up as a single phrase running on a non-stop loop,
“I’m going to be in so much trouble. I’m going to be in so much trouble. I’m really going to be in for it. I’m going to be in…”
My choice to trust in Fluttershy was primarily because I knew she’d sympathize with the ‘good Samaritan’ role, but also for her medical know-how and the fact that her cottage didn’t get many visitors. No, what worried me was the inevitable moment I’d have to explain myself to Twilight Sparkle. By any logical measure, the creature I was carrying should be isolated, quarantined, even imprisoned. At least until we knew more about it and what it was capable of. Very little was known about the changelings and for all I knew, my new friend could be another future queen. Ponyville hadn't so soon forgotten the last ‘cute’ bug that was brought into Ponyville from the Everfree forest and that fact that it (they) nearly ate the whole town. By that line of thought, however, I too should be locked away, but I wasn’t. I would just have to trust the ponies to give the changeling the same chance they gave me.
By the time Fluttershy’s cottage came into view, I still had no idea of how I was going to explain myself to Twilight and the princesses, let alone how I was going to make it through the rest of the day. I even tried telling myself that all my fears were just bridges that I’d cross in turn, but by that metaphor, my future looked about as bridge-y as Snoopy playing cards in Venice. Harry hung back as I lifted my hand to knock on the pegasus’s front door, still shaking his head in what I knew was disapproval.
“Hello? Oh, Mark! I… What’s wrong?” Fluttershy’s face went from cautious, to cheerful, and finally to concerned when she saw me standing on her doorstep. Judging by the way her eyes filled with apprehension, one would think that all my worry was dripping off my face in an expression akin to someone who had just committed a crime.
“Fluttershy, I need your help.” I explained, hastily. “Well, actually, someone else needs your help. Um…”
“What happened?” The gentle pony squeaked.
“I found something in the forest.”
“What did you find?” By then, Angel Bunny had crept up behind one of Fluttershy’s legs and was staring at me critically.
“I… Just promise me you won’t scream, all right?” My voice had a pleading note to it. “I know it might look scary at first, but…”
“Is it a baby dragon? Or a little phoenix? Or maybe a cragadile hatchling?” Fluttershy craned her neck to see into the knot of blankets I held.
“Heh, you’re not far off.” My chuckle was so dry, it carried dust on it. I pulled away the fabric, revealing the little changeling’s face. It still hadn’t opened its eyes, and it was breathing fitfully, but I could feel its strong heartbeat through my chest.
“Oh…” For such a small word, Fluttershy’s gasp spoke entire paragraphs. Instead of a surprised ‘oh’, or an accusatory ‘oh’, or even one of my oh-darn-spit-just-got-real ‘oh’s, the pegasus’s voice was filled with tenderness. A wave of relief showered me as she smiled at the tiny creature.
“I think it crashed into the forest.” I explained. “Probably been there since the wedding, but it’s not moving and it won’t wake up.”
“And it’s hurt, the poor thing.” Fluttershy gently examined my hastily-applied bandage. “Well, you should come in. Have you told anypony else?”
“Came straight here.” I lowered my head and ducked into the warm cottage. The usual band of critters scurried out from underfoot as we picked our way between the pieces of humble furniture to get to the bathroom. Once there, Fluttershy directed me to continue holding the changeling while she cleaned its cut and wiped the smudges of dirt off it black body.
“There, there.” The pony whispered encouragingly as she washed the dried scabs from the changeling’s neck. “You’re not all that scary, are you?”
“Well I’m glad you think so.” I said gratefully. “I can’t imagine the rest of Ponyville feels as forgiving as you at the moment.”
“Aw, but she’s so tiny. Oh dear, I can’t imagine! Staying out in the Everfree Forest for a whole night?”
“She?” To answer my question, the yellow pony merely gave a shy smile. I adjusted my grip on the changeling as I digested this new information. “Okay, so it’s a ‘she’ now. Perfect…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Just the fact that despite all better judgement, I just came up with three potential names for her.”
“Well, we don’t know. She might already have a name.” Fluttershy reminded. “And a family. And what if they’re looking for her. And they’re worried. And… Oh, sorry.” Her words faltered as she looked up into the cloudy expression that was my face.
“No, that’s alright.” I grunted. “It’s not anything I haven’t already been thinking. Still, it seems kind of weird. There isn’t a changeling city nearby or anything like that, is there?”
“They have cities?”
“Exactly! We don’t know. All we know is that a bunch of them tried to attend the wedding without invitations. A takeover. Now who in the hoof would take their little girl to a hostile takeover?” Fluttershy flinched a little beneath the edge in my voice. I apologized, “Sorry. I’m just thinking aloud. If she didn’t come from a nest or a nearby hive, then why is she here at all? For all we know about changelings, she might have been born during the Canterlot campaign itself! The first generation to feed on the city.”
“She might be only a couple days old.” My friend whispered in awe.
“We may never know.” I agreed. “But I’m getting distracted. All that matters for today is stabilizing her.”
“Well, she’s looking much better now.” Fluttershy stepped back and dropped a dirty rag into the sink. The changeling’s body glistened like oiled leather and its cut had been medicated and dressed with fresh gauze. “Has it eaten anything?”
“Another simple question with no easy answer.” I shook my head. “Perhaps we should just start with some water?”
“I have just the thing!” Under Fluttershy’s guidance, I returned to the living room and sat down on her sofa with the changeling curled up on my lap. The pegasus brought out a bowl of water and what looked like a turkey baster (obviously, not for basting turkeys) and showed me how to hand-deliver a drink to our sleeping guest. After a couple tries and a little patience, the tiny mouth began swallowing drop after drop of clean cool water with dreamy, instinctive motions.
“That seems to be working.” Fluttershy and I both sighed with relief. “What now?”
“I can’t say.” My friend admitted. “Until she wakes up, all we can do it keep her warm.”
“No complaints here.” I breathed, pulling the blanket back over my lap. An eternity could have passed and I would have been content to simply sit there, settling into the cushions and watching the little changeling’s shoulders rise and fall. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, and the sun was already beginning to hang low in the sky like a piece of ripe fruit. After a moment, I whispered,
“But what are we going to do about Twilight? She’s bound to be wondering where I am by now.”
“That’s right…” Fluttershy trotted over to me with a bowl of apples and a plate of cheese. “Are you sure we can’t just tell her what you found?”
“I wish we could. I really do.” I muttered, nibbling on a slice of cheddar. “But yesterday really shook her up, and introducing her to our new friend here would be like throwing oil on a fire. Remember how upset she was about the ‘butterfly effect’?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, out of all the boneheaded things I could have done to possibly change the course of the show, this has to be the most sapling-bendiest.”
“Oh, right, the story… You mean this changeling isn’t a part of the tee vee show?”
“Eyenope! After the wedding, I don’t think Chrysalis or her minions are ever mentioned again. At least, up through the end of season four. They aren’t even brought up when Pinkie Pie’s doing her…” (Mirror pool) “…Well, let’s just call it her idea of ‘multitasking’.”
“Then I guess she’s lucky you were there to find her.” Fluttershy mused.
“Hm?”
“I mean, otherwise, you know, she’d still be out in the forest…. And…” My friend visibly shivered. She came back to herself and assured me, “If you want to stay here for a couple days, I’m sure I could convince Twilight to let you. Um, that is, until our little friend is feeling better, at least.”
“But how?” I almost laughed, but stopped myself. “I mean, I think I’m grounded for a couple moons after what I just told everypony. How could you convince her to let me stay?”
“Oh, I’ll just let her know that she doesn’t actually want you in the library for today.” A grin so subtle that it was almost invisible pulled at the corners of Fluttershy’s mouth. “Just leave it to me.”
I was having a hard time envisioning Fluttershy convincing anypony of anything, especially a headstrong pony like Twilight Sparkle, but I was desperately low on options and if Applejack and Rarity hadn’t been able to calm the magic student down by now, then delaying my return to the library would only exasperate her frenzy. Reluctantly, I placed myself in the yellow pegasus’s hooves.
“Alright, if you think you can do it.”
“Oh, I know I can.” My friend winked. “I’ll just tell her you accidentally surprised a skunk in the forest and can’t come back to the library just yet.”
“Ew! Gross… Okay, I could see that working.” I grimaced. “After all, she knows first-hoof how unpleasant the wrong end of a skunk can be.”
“Shew!” A spotted skunk beside me chittered.
“No, no, I didn’t mean you, Mr. Handstand. We’re cool.” I placated.
“Alright, then. I’ll be right back.” Fluttershy trotted towards the door, leaving Angel Bunny behind to stare at me like a policeman just waiting for me to make a wrong move. “Is there anything you’d like me to get while I’m out?”
“Not that I can think of, but thanks anyway.” My gaze fell back upon the young changeling.
“Alright, see you soon.” The door closed behind the pony’s silky pink tail and I was left alone with the sleeping girl on my lap. Well, as alone as was possible in a house with three dozen other animals, all staring at the bundle in my lap as if it were a pipe bomb. I didn’t mind, so long as it meant a few more moments of peace for the changeling.
Even in a best-case scenario, even if Fluttershy and I fully revived the creature, there was still the matter of what to do with it afterwards. The ethical choice would have been to send it home, like what Spike did for Peewee, but since I didn’t know what a changeling’s idea of ‘home’ was or even if it existed after Shining Armor’s love nuke, there was every possibility that it would have to stay in Ponyville. Not surprisingly, I was ok with that idea. Being an alien myself, I had found Equestria to be a very welcoming place once ponies got comfortable around you. The changeling, however, had its own hurdles to face. Although I stuck out in crowds like a sore thumb, I had no choice. A shape-shifter, however, could look like anypony, and that inevitably brought up the issue of ‘should it?’.
Personally, I was a believer in the ‘be yourself’ mantra, and it had worked out pretty well for Zecora and I once the townsponies got to know us personally rather than by appearance. Why wouldn’t it work for a changeling? Unfortunately, there was the issue of, ‘this probably isn’t the best time to introduce the town to a creature they would inevitably focus their fear and condemnation towards’ and it might be best for all ponies if the changeling just hid her true identity for a while. Unfortunately, that was a slippery train of thought, and asking the newcomer to lie to everypony from the get-go would be tantamount to proving their inhibitions about changelings instead of encouraging them to overcome their bigotry. Where would it end?
“Hmph…” I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts. Here, I had barely known my new guest for a couple hours and already I was trying to figure out how she could join me in starting a new life in Ponyville. It was a crazy pipe dream and I knew that, in all reality, Celestia or Twilight would probably send the changeling back into the wild as soon as it was able to fend for itself, but until then…
It was a beautiful pipe dream.
“Mark!” A pale yellow bolt burst into her house via the back door. Fluttershy flew into the living room and skid to a halt on her rug. Her breathing was heavy and her mane was eschew.
“Fluttershy?” I leaned over to peer through the backyard’s door. “What gives?-”
“She didn’t believe me!” The pegasus squeaked, her legs trembling. “She doesn’t think you met a skunk! She’s on her way!”
“… What?” I could practically feel my pupils shrinking. As quick as I dared, I set aside the changeling bundle and leapt for the front door. Sure enough, a glowering unicorn was marching up the path to Fluttershy’s cottage with all the grace and poise of a Roman legion. A rock lodged itself in my throat and a clammy sweat broke out on my forehead.
“She says you’re just avoiding coming back to the library!” Fluttershy bawled. “But, I mean, I guess you are, but not in the way she thinks you are. Oh! I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault!”
Ignoring the stream of apologies coming from my friend, I spun around and took in the entire living room at a glance. There were a couple places where I could hide the changeling, perhaps behind the couch cushions or under the drapes, but there was nothing that could prevent Twilight Sparkle from dragging me off like a caveman’s hapless date. All around me, the beady eyes of a dozen critters watched me silently. Then I got one of my bad ideas.
“Mr. Handstand!” I crossed the room in a single step and untangled the changeling from its warm cocoon. “I need your help!”
“Chi?”
“C’mon, please. Do me a solid.” Like a matador, I flapped the blanket open and held it up like a painter’s canvass. “I need you to spray.”
“Mark?” Fluttershy gasped.
“Just a little. Just on the blanket. Hurry!” My head swiveled from the skunk to the front door and back so quickly, I could have sworn my cervical vertebrae were generating heat. A purple silhouette was drawing ominously close.
“Mrrrmrr…” The skunk looked noncommittal, glancing nervously at Fluttershy.
“Please, Mr. Handstand?” The pegasus joined me.
At that moment, there was a series of sharp knocks on the door as if Gandalf had just brought a bunch of dwarves to tea. A lot of things happened at once. Fluttershy skipped into the air, Mr. Handstand lifted his tail over his back like some great splotchy toupee and prepared to scamper off, and I brought the blanket down on him like a giant net. There was a surprised screech, a telltale hiss, and the blanket instantly began reeking with the sickeningly-sweet smell of fresh rodent musk.
‘Go! Answer the door!’ I mouthed to Fluttershy, as I grabbed the blanket, tossed a pillow over the changeling and dashed into the bathroom. I didn’t have to tell her twice. Twilight’s incessant hammering on the walls was reaching Kool-Aid man levels of force. It seemed as soon as the pegasus turned the handle, Twilight Sparkle burst into the cottage like a plum torpedo.
“Mark! Mark, I know you’re here! Stop hiding! You can’t just k-uk” One second, two seconds, as soon as the third second hit, Twilight’s throat gave a compulsory lurch and her stream of shouts was dammed. (No, I spelt that right.) I took that moment to casually stroll out of Fluttershy’s bathroom, sans shirt and with a dirty towel in my hand and a mop of wet hair on my head.
“Hi Twi.” I continued scrubbing the damp cloth over my face. “This is kind of embarrassing.”
“I-” The unicorn tried to speak again, but another whiff of skunk stopped her. Twilight wrinkled her nose, adding to her prune-y appearance. Finally, she managed, “I thought you were avoiding me. I didn’t think-”
“That I might actually be trying to spare you and your library a smelly fate?” I smiled suavely, but kept my distance. Any closer and my friend might realize that I wasn’t, in fact, the source of the stench. “I understand your suspicion, but no, this is just one of life’s good old-fashioned… curveballs.” I resisted the urge to glance down at Fluttershy’s couch and the misplaced pillow thereon.
“Well…” Twilight’s face was a battlefield of emotions. It was no secret that she wanted nothing better than to drag me back to her lab and slap a polygraph on me, but scent was one of the brain’s strongest recall senses, and she had more than her fill of bad memories attached to the aroma of Pepe Le Pew. Her first Winter Wrap-Up hadn’t been kind to her. That, and it seemed Applejack and Rarity had been softening her up after all. “I…”
“Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll keep an eye on him for you.” Fluttershy chided. Twilight Sparkle pursed her lips defiantly, but couldn’t bear to stand beneath the skunk miasma any longer. She exhaled like a pressure cooker,
“Augh! Fine! But tomorrow-”
“Yeah, yeah. We can pick up where we left off. Got it!” I rolled my eyes. The purple pony backed her way out the door as slowly and stiffly as if her horseshoes were made of wet tar.
“Just get yourself cleaned up. I’ll... go research some anti-skunk spells. See you tomorrow.” With that, the door closed and Twilight was gone.
“Phhheeewww…” I let out a long breath.
“Grr rrrnk!” Mr. Handstand waddled out from beneath a chair, his hair as ruffled as his composure. His beetle-black eyes leered up at me and he folded his stubby forelegs.
“Sorry for jumping you, but seriously, you’re a champ. Thanks.” The skunk had more than earned the thumbs-up I gave him.
“I can’t believe that worked.” Fluttershy said in awe. “You did really well. Even I would have believed you. But, um… How did you take your shirt off so fast?”
“Years of practice.” I explained, pitching the smelly blanket out the cottage’s back door. As I tugged my shirt back on, Fluttershy proceeded to purge the stench from her cottage by flinging open every window she could find.
“Well, what now?”
“I guess there’s no avoiding it, it’s official. We’re Mike and Sully. All we’re missing is a mop, a couple of lights and some chair fabric. Maybe I can pass her off as my cousin’s sister’s daughter. She’ll be a BIG hit! I can already hear Twilight calling out the 23-19.” It took every ounce of my willpower to stop myself from naming the changeling ‘Boo’ right then and there. “I can’t believe this has turned into a hide-the-kid story. How cliché. I mean, really, after all the life experiences Twilight and I've shared, all the adventures we’ve had, it kills me to fool her like…” As I pulled away the pillow covering the changeling, my voice died away. The little creature stirred, its tiny mouth stretching into a silent yawn. At last, its large eyes fluttered open.
“Oh…” Fluttershy gasped.
“Well, hi there…” Lightly, and without any sudden movements, I knelt down next to the couch. Our guest stared out at the world with her turquoise-blue gaze, unblinking, silent, and expressionless. A stillness fell on the whole cottage as all of Fluttershy’s critter friends waited anxiously to see what would happen next, but I didn’t notice them. I cooed, “Look who’s finally awake.”
“… Unk…” A wavering note escaped her.
“It’s okay.” It was hard to keep the excitement from carbonating my voice. “It’s okay. I’m here to help.”
“Hits unkay…” The small black mouth worked around in an exaggerated gesture.
“Oh? What was that?” I encouraged.
“Uhnts ogay… Imm heer choo ‘elp…” Still strangely devoid of either confidence or fear, the changeling sounded out a warbled phrase.
“Oh! So you can talk?”
“Oah… Sso yew can talk…”
“Or are you just copying me?”
“Orare you jus copying mee?”
“That’s pretty good.”
“That’ss pretty good.” The changeling blinked while it awaited more lines to parrot. Even in such a short exchange, it had begun to sound out words with uncanny precision and was even making a jab at copying the timbre of my voice. Not an easy feat, considering that my chest cavity was larger than the creature itself, but that didn’t stop her from trying.
“That’s amazing!” Fluttershy trotted forward to join me, but the sudden motion caught the changeling off guard.
“Kh!” The obsidian tyke scrambled to it hooves and dove behind my arm like a shallow barricade.
“Eep! I’m sorry!” The yellow pegasus froze in place and held a foreleg up in front of her mouth.
“It’s okay.” I soothed, gently caressing the changeling with my free hand. “It’s only Fluttershy. She’s not going to hurt you. See? She’s nice…” The great blue orbs continued panning around the room. From her new vantage point behind my elbow, our little guest got a clear view of the cottage, including the dozens of critters staring at her with rapt attention. I could feel her breathing grow faster.
“She looks scared to death, poor thing.” Fluttershy’s smile was warm enough to melt the polar ice caps, but it did little to coax the changeling back out from behind its battlements.
Angel Bunny eventually broke the stalemate by hopping up and onto the couch itself. He probably just wanted to investigate the newcomer for himself, but the sudden appearance of a new pair of eyes so close to her and so suddenly caused the changeling to startle.
“Kik-khh! Kh.” It squeaked in surprise and hastily dove for the closest shelter it could find, the open neck of my shirt.
“O-oh! Okay, we’re doing this now.” Forcing myself not to yelp as the little bundle of slick black skin scampered down my chest, I quickly caught the squirming shape through the fabric and pulled myself into a sitting position. The changeling immediately turned right-side-up and poked its wary gaze out from underneath my chin.
“Angel, oh dear! You frightened her.” Fluttershy’s wispy voice was never very suited for scolding, and that was probably the closest she’d ever come to it. Angel Bunny turned to the pegasus with his paws open helplessly and his whiskers twitching irritably.
By then, all the animal critters in the house were getting worked up, stepping over each other, chittering to one another, and climbing up adjacent pieces of furniture, all trying to get a better look at the creature sticking its head out of my shirt like a kangaroo joey. I could feel her spiny hooves, like chitinous crab legs, digging into my skin. Fluttershy came to my rescue, though, when she flew up into the air and announced,
“Hey! Um, I almost completely forgot dinner time. So… Who’s hungry?” In one accord, all the noses and beaks and snouts turned away from the changeling and locked onto the yellow pegasus. “Let’s all head on into the kitchen and I’ll fix up a snack.” The crowd of critters moved like a herd of Hollywood lemmings (since real lemmings don’t mass-migrate), scurrying, scuttling, and scampering after their pony host.
“There, is that better?” I sighed, looking down at my friend.
“… that better?” She mumbled, watching the crowd retreat.
“Yeah, I think so too.” The armored hooves relaxed slightly. “What about you? Do you want to find something to eat?”
Silence.
“Or… we can just relax. That’s cool too.” I leaned back on the cushions and watched as the changeling spied on the rest of Fluttershy’s cottage from the safety of my v-neck.
The yellow pegasus was an excellent hostess, and even though she insisted that her animal friends mostly took care of themselves, you never would have guessed it from watching her doting behavior. She soared around the compact kitchen, whipping out bowls of diced leafy greens and distributing chopped fruits and vegetables to all her animal friends. Even Harry poked his head in through an open window to lick up a severed carrot top, but wasn’t hungry enough to stick around for a full meal. Eventually, though, the kind pony’s attention turned back to the living room and the two people left in it.
“Are you ready to eat, Mark?” She called.
“Just a sandwich would be awesome, thanks.”
“And what about our, um, guest?”
“I’m not sure. You think we should try giving her some solid food? Or maybe we should just start with milk. Ooh, or what about honey? No, I know some species can’t digest honey if they’re too young.” Humans are weird that way.
“I’m sure we can find something.” Fluttershy disappeared back into the kitchen and returned with a sample tray of almost everything he had in the house. There were slices of apple, some cherries, various leaves and sprouts, crackers, cereal, five different types of juice, two grades of milk and even some vegetable broth.
“This is pioneering territory. For all we know, she eats grass and safety pins and things.” I decided to start with the milk. Much to my relief, it was an instant hit, but despite my success, Fluttershy and I still thought it would be prudent to try a variety of dishes and we quickly learned that changelings were more finicky eaters than my lucky first-try would have us believe. Our guest enjoyed almost anything liquid, including the fruit juices and some applesauce, but turned her nose away from the solid foods like bread and cheese. This corresponded with what I already knew of Chrysalis and how she could barely force herself to swallow even something as delicious as the pastries Applejack gave her.
Soon, the sun sunk into the ocean of the horizon and the vast majority of Fluttershy’s other guests vanished into their dens and holes for the night. The pony herself lay on the couch with me and watched contentedly as I balanced the changeling in one arm and held a spoonful of jelly in the other. The last licks of the fruit preservative vanished and I quietly dabbed away the remaining smears that clung to the creature’s lips.
“She’s so tiny…” Fluttershy repeated.
“Perhaps, but she just drank her own weight in cream. If she keeps eating like that, she won’t stay tiny for long.” I didn’t have the heart to speculate that perhaps all changelings were lactose-intolerant and we had just poisoned our fragile guest.
“Maybe we’ll get to watch her do just that.” My friend glanced up as a pessimistic shadow crossed my brow. “Oh, don’t think think like that, Mark. Of course Twilight won’t send her away. Not when she realizes what a helpless little sweetie our new friend is. And it’s not like she’s going to hurt anyone. I mean, she can barely walk.” It was true. The changeling wobbled on her hooves like a young giraffe on stilts.
“Were it so easy.” I said in my best Arbiter voice. “Fluttershy, it’s not about threat. This little girl hardly seems capable of surviving somepony accidentally sitting on her, let alone an angry unicorn magician. No, this is about philosophy, and right now, nothing poses a greater threat to Twilight’s world view than this critter. After everything I told you all about what I knew about your lives and futures, Twilight’s been left grasping for what little control she has left, and introducing a changeling throws all of that to the wind.”
“Does she think it will change our story?” Fluttershy wondered.
“Undoubtedly.” I nodded.
“Well, I’m not worried.” My friend hopped down to the floor and began retrieving a fresh blanket from her closet. “We’ve never known the future before, so… If you start a completely new story, then it can be new for all of us. I guess… nothing really changes after all. I mean, as far as I see… Would you like to sleep upstairs tonight, Mark?”
“Huh? Um, no. I’ll be fine here. Thanks.”
“Sure. Well, then… goodnight.” Fluttershy handed me the blanket before turning toward the stairs. “I’m sure tomorrow will work out, just wait.”
“… Goodnight…” I echoed.
“Goodnight.” The changeling mimicked. Behind me, the sound of pony hooffalls ascended to the second floor, leaving me staring at the blue-eyed bundle in my arms. Despite her inextinguishable optimism, I had no such assurance that the next day would go well. In fact, I went to sleep that night fully expecting it to be the last time I could hold my tiny friend before they took her from me.
Correction, before they tried to take her from me.
It shouldn’t have surprised me when I found myself dreaming about Bioshock that night. I dutifully patrolled the halls of Rapture in a Big Daddy costume, fending off Splicers and keeping a vigilant eye on the Little Sisters. For as much fun as that sounds, my sleep became increasingly troubled as I saw that all the Sisters’ eyes were turquoise-blue and all the Splicers spoke in the voices of my closest friends. Finally, I remember the moment I refused to fight an opponent who sounded like Rarity. The Splicer threw me on my back and the fragile halls of the sunken city began to crumble on top of me.
When I woke up, I found myself lying on Fluttershy’s couch with the young changeling sitting on my chest like a kitten. She chirped expectantly upon seeing my eyes open, but something was different about her face. It looked brighter, more energetic, more expressive. At last, I realized that my friend’s eyes had whites to them, with wide dark pupils and aquamarine irises. Confused, I blinked and tried to sit up.
“Good morning.” I said cautiously.
“Good morning.” She repeated.
“Sleep well?”
“Sleep well?”
“You look… good. I mean, am I missing something? No offense, but where did your other eyes go?”
“Mark? Are you awake?” Fluttershy appeared at the top of the stairs behind me. The changeling glanced up with a gasp and in a moment, her eyes flicked back to the blank turquoise fields I had seen last night.
“Ha! That’s so cool!” My chuckle almost shook the changeling from her perch.
“Ha. That’s so cool.” She echoed uncertainly.
“What is?” The yellow pegasus scooped her rabbit up in her forelegs and floated down into the living room.
“Changelings have double eyelids. Like birds and lizards!” I explained. “That’s awesome! I wonder what they use them for. Come on, show Fluttershy.”
“Come on, show Fluttershy.” The changeling remained unmoved.
“She’s probably just shy.” Exhaling, I scooped the critter up in my arms and sat up on the couch. “But look at us, we’ve already uncovered one of the great mysteries about changelings.”
“What’s that?”
“Why Chrysalis’s eyes were different from all the others.” I ran a reassuring hand down the changeling’s back. “Next, we have to find out why the queen was the only one with a mane.”
“Status, perhaps?” The pegasus offered. “Oh, how exciting! But… maybe we should just get ready for the day first. Twilight’s probably going to be back soon and we haven’t even had breakfast yet.”
“Sure.” Fluttershy and I repeated the scene from the night before, with her laying out a banquet of seeds and nuts for her animal friends while I tested the changeling’s appetite for a suitable meal. Almost instinctively, my young friend made a beeline for a box of apple juice and remained silently latched onto a straw until she had finished almost a quart of liquids. As I chewed on a bagel, I surreptitiously checked myself and Fluttershy’s couch for any sign of where all those fluids were going.
However, the morning matured and I still hadn’t seen hide or hair (literally) of Twilight Sparkle. In an attempt to distract me from my new hobby of glancing out the cottage windows, Fluttershy asked,
“Mark, um, would you and your friend like to help me collect some fresh flowers from the meadow? I just, well, thought it would help freshen things up a bit.”
“Sure, if you-oh!” I suddenly realized what she was asking. “You’re still talking about Mr. Handstand’s cologne, aren’t you? I’m so sorry, I completely forgot. Of course we’ll help.”
“Of course we’ll help.” The changeling burped, licking juice from her chin.
Fluttershy grabbed a shallow wicker basket and led the way out into the radiant hills behind her house. A couple seconds later, I followed, coaxing along the timid and hesitant changeling. My new friend gazed out at the sun-drenched world through the protection of her nictitating membrane, reluctant to abandon the shelter of the cottage for a world of rippling grass and fathomless skies. After a few seconds of encouragement, though, the changeling hopped down into the springy turf and trotted after my heels. In spite of myself, a broad smile grew over my face as I thought of how quickly she was learning to coordinate her body.
“I think she’s taking a liking to you.” Fluttershy observed quietly. “Is it just me, or does she already look stronger?”
“It’s not just you.” I agreed. “A good meal and a good night’s sleep and now she’s as spritely as Tinker Bell.” My train of thought hesitated as the sound of panting reached my ears. I scooped the little black bundle up in my arms and added, “… Even if she doesn’t have any endurance yet.”
Fluttershy parked us in the middle of a living watercolor. All around us, the hills were painted in hues of rich gold and royal purple, a sea of a million flowers each straining to shine the brightest in the white sunlight. Honey bees, bumble bees and butterflies danced through the air like fairies, sniffing each blossom in turn and drinking a banquet of ambrosia. The scene was so picturesque, I half-expected to see Julie Andrews dancing through it. Our group began harvesting a collection of the most fragrant displays and putting them in the basket.
“So, um, have you thought about, I don’t know, finding a name for her, yet?” Fluttershy asked as she plucked a daisy up in her mouth.
“I have.” I added a handful of lavender stalks to the basket. “I’ve been trying not to, but I have.”
“Why not?” The pony looked shocked. “Don’t you think she needs a name?”
“Of course I do. At first, though, I didn’t. As a certain Mr. Wazowski once said, ‘Once you name it, you start getting attached to it’. And I didn’t think my heart could take it if we started getting attached to her only to have someone else take her away.”
“Did something change?”
“Oh yeah! I decided we’re going to keep her.” I said matter-of-factly. "No matter what Twilight says."
“Oh, good!” Fluttershy clapped her hooves. “I’m so glad to hear that. But, um, you still aren’t trying to come up with a name?”
“Worse.” I groaned. “I’ve come up with dozens.” I sat down on the grass, held up my fingers and began counting, “Mimi, Ditto, Odo, Mystique/ Raven, Doppel, Envy, Gandrayda, Tonks, Loki, T-1000…”
“And none of those fit?” My friend asked.
“Well, none of them fit because they’re all of the same theme and the theme doesn’t fit. All of those characters are face-swappers from their different series. Paper Mario, Pokemon, Star Trek, X-Men, Monster Musume, Fullmetal Alchemist, Metroid, Harry Potter, Thor, and Terminator. I realized that, as much fun as it would be to name a changeling after her special ability, I figured it was pretty shallow. Even names like Mira, Mirage, Shadow and Xerox wouldn’t work. If she’s going to live with us, then I’m going to make sure that ponies see her for more than just a copycat and her name is the first step.” I rubbed my chin. "Though, 'Cat' would be a cute name..."
A tiny black hoof pawed at my leg and when I glanced down, I saw the little changeling with a hyacinth in her mouth. Her eyes were clear as she glanced between myself and the flower basket.
“Aww, are you helping too?” I reached down and accepted the humble gift. “Thank you.” Instead of parroting me, however, my new friend stared thoughtfully at the growing collection of flowers. All of a sudden, she skipped off into the meadow and returned with a bright orange poppy. I thanked her again and this time, a spark comprehension ignited her features. As fast as her clumsy hooves could carry her, she began running back and forth, fetching every flower that caught her eye.
“Pastel might be a good name.” I mused, as much to myself as to Fluttershy. “Something artistic, something beautiful, and matches the chameleon from Tangled. Or perhaps Echo. No, that goes back to the ‘identity crisis’ problem. Nyx would just confuse people, since that’s already a character. Not to mention, Penstroke might get me for plagiarism. Then again, she is a monster girl that I found unconscious in the woods… Maybe we could call her ‘Alice’ after Miss Fateburn, but on the other hand, I’m not going to admit I know who that is…” The tapping on my pants came again.
“Thank you.” The changeling declared as she dropped a mouthful of flowers at my feet.
“No, sweetie, these are flowers. Can you say ‘flowers’?”
“Can you say ‘flowers’?”
“Close.” I held a finger to my chin and annunciated, “’Flowers’.”
“’Flowers’.”
“Very good!” I beamed at my little student. “And I say ‘thank you’.” My fingers closed around the dainty plants. “Thank you!”
“Flowers…” The little changeling’s brain was working so quickly I could almost see steam rising from her spiked ears. She dashed off and returned with a prized black-eyed Susan. With a flourish, she presented it and declared, “Flowers!”
“Thank you!” My heart felt like it was going to burst through my ribcage it was swelling so much. “And I have something for you.” I laid a little chain of the collected flowers over the changeling’s shoulders. At first, she shied away from the gesture, not sure why I was ensnaring her in a wreath or why I would give away the things we had been so diligently collecting. Things became clearer when I tilted my head and exclaimed, “Oh, you’re so pretty!” The changeling chewed on that one for a good seven seconds.
“So pretty…” She finally mumbled. “Thank you!”
“Now you’ve got it!” I don’t think even the fresh sun could have beamed brighter than my face in that moment.
“Eee!” The little girl squealed and flashed a ticklish smile. She pranced in a small circle, trying to get a better view of the garland around her shoulders and then ran up to Fluttershy so that she could see too. “So pretty!” She cried.
“Yes, you are. Very lovely!” Fluttershy giggled.
Suddenly, a bright blue monster with four scaly wings swooped down on the three of us. It glided right over the changeling, hounding her and diving for the necklace of flowers she wore.
“Keee!” The little girl shrieked, her second eyelids sweeping back into place. She dove into the protective cover of my arms just as the invader made another pass at her.
“Now, now, don’t be shy.” I was biting my lip to prevent myself from laughing at the spectacle. “It’s just a butterfly. See? He just wants to be your friend!” Attracted by the scent of fresh blossoms, the minuscule blue insect flitted though the air like a leaf on the wind. It alighted on the basket and began drinking nectar from the colorful buds before they vanished forever into Fluttershy’s cottage.
“Friend?” The changeling chirped nervously.
“Butterfly.” I corrected. “What is that? It’s a butterfly.”
“Butterfly.”
“There you go!” In addition, I explained, “And if you ever don’t know what something is, just say, ‘what is that?’, ok? ‘What is that?’.”
“What is that?” The changeling kept her wary eyes on the bug.
“That is a butterfly.” I repeated. “It’s a gliding insect that drinks nectar and helps flowers grow. They’re known for their fragile, but lovely wings, and the dramatic change they go through from being a caterpillar.” It was just a trial run to teach her how to ask questions, and I didn’t expect my new friend to understand most of what I was saying, but I went with it anyway. It was never a bad time for a science lesson, but besides that, nothing seemed to calm the changeling down quite as effectively as listening to me ramble. In another few moments, the butterfly had gone on its way and the little girl once more began her crusade for increasingly lovely flowers. I watched her scamper down the hill with an affectionate gleam in my eye.
“Oh dear, this is serious.” Fluttershy chided.
“What is?” I asked, feigning innocence.
“You’re completely taken with her!” The pony exclaimed.
“Mebbe…” I admitted sheepishly. “And maybe I’m just a good Samaritan. I mean, I just wanted to make sure she could find somewhere safe and welcoming. After everything she’s already gone through, it’s the least I could to.”
“Hmm… Are you sure there isn’t anything... more… you see in her?”
“Hey, adoption is still way out of the question, alright? I don’t know the first thing about taking in a filly, let alone a changeling, let alone the fact that I’m still borrowing a bed in the local library, let alone-”
“I never said anything about ‘adoption’.” Fluttershy grinned slyly. “I was talking about, well, how you might feel responsible for what happened to her. But, you know, if there’s nowhere else for her to go…”
“Let’s not go there. Trust me, I’m not cut out to be a foster parent. I mean, honestly, that’s still a long way away for me. Let’s just take one thing at a time.” I tried to chuckle, tried to lighten the mood, and was currently fishing desperately for a new topic, but a stifled cry pushed all other thoughts out of my head.
The sound came from the base of the hill, a brief ear-splitting scream from a very small throat. Unlike the incident with the butterfly, however, this shout was abruptly cut off, silenced before it even ran its course. I leapt to my feet as if weightless and began a mad dash down the grassy slope in the direction of the voice. I could see a small, unassuming pond nestled between the flower-laden knolls, a little spit of water almost too shallow to pay any heed, but cold terror seized me when I saw a small black shape floundering in it, breaking its smooth surface with white bubbles.
“No, no, no! God, no!” I slid down the last few feet of hill and careened right into the pond. Like a heron plucking a fish from the water, my hands plunged into the murky liquid and rescued my changeling friend. The little girl was sputtering, her wings flapping erratically and her hooves nearly tore my shirt with how tightly she gripped it, but she was safe. I told her so. “It’s ok. You’re safe. It’s ok. Take deep breaths. That’s right, get it all out. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
“Couh! Couh!” The changeling spat grey pond water. I pulled long and stringy plant roots off of her as I tried to soothe her.
“That’s better. Good, good. You’re ok.” It was only then that I realized I was standing knee-deep in slimy water and my shoes were being consumed by silt. I looked down at the head still buried in my chest and wondered, “What were you doing all the way down here?” To answer, the changeling lifted her eyes, revealing a single pale pink flower still clutched in her mouth.
“Flowers.” She explained, setting her prize in my open hand. “Flowers so pretty.” Looking around me, I saw that the pond was lush with lily pads, each one flaunting their blossoms like an armada of sailboats. For someone who had never seen a pool before, the lush plants could have easily passed for a floor of green tiles, and the grey water they rested upon, a surface of glass.
“… Thank you…” I whispered. Then, to no one in particular, I repeated, “Thank you.”
Above me, Fluttershy watched with relief on her face as I sloshed my way to shore and began trekking back up the hill. There was a knowing look in her eyes that said it all. She didn’t have to point out how fast I had leapt to my feet or how quickly I had run. She didn’t have to address the flush in my cheeks or the blood hammering in my ears. I was smitten, hopelessly and irrevocably, and I couldn’t have been happier.
“Mark?” A familiar voice caught my attention. It was a musical voice, one that I had heard countless times before, but when I caught it that morning, it sounded like someone had clicked the hammer of a gun behind my head. Slowly and deliberately, but smiling with grim defiance, I turned around to face the speaker.
“Good morning, Twilight.” I greeted. The purple unicorn stood with her hooves slightly apart and her back to Fluttershy’s cottage. Spike was on her back, his claws still clamped onto her neck, a sign that she had just been running, probably summoned by the same scream.
“Morning.” Twilight said absently. “Um, Mark?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“What is that?”
“It’s a lily.” I explained, holding up the flower.
“What is that?” The changeling echoed quietly.
“Oh…” The purple pony’s ears twitched. “No, I mean, what is THAT?”
“Don’t mean who is that?” I corrected. “This is our new friend. I found her in the forest yesterday. She was hurt pretty bad, so I brought her back here.”
“Oh…” Was all Twilight said.
“Whoa! Is that a changeling?” Spike exclaimed. “You actually found one?”
“Yup, and she’s pretty young. She just learned that water is wet.”
“Can she turn into stuff?” The dragon pressed.
“Um… No. Not that I’ve seen, at least.” Interestingly enough, the changeling hadn't tried to change.
“So, Mark.” Twilight Sparkle found her voice again.
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Is this the reason why you didn’t want to come back to the library last night?” She said deductively.
“Yeah, I didn’t get hit with a skunk.” I confessed. “I mean, there was a skunk, but that was just an excuse. I figured…”
“Yes?” The magic student lifted an eyebrow.
“Well,” I figured I’d let you ease into this nice and slow, perhaps over the span of a couple days, instead of slapping you in the face with a suddenly life-twisting introduction to the story because you and I both know that you don’t handle change very well and you’re just as likely to start running around like Marie Antoinette’s chicken if I dropped all this on you at once, so you should be thankful for the time you got because from here on out there’s no going back. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t think it was the right time.”
“Mark, if this is the next episode, just tell me.” Much to my surprise, Twilight’s posture relaxed and her face eased into a look of reassurance. “I'm sure you saw this coming a mile away, right?”
“Eeeeeyyyeee… “I held up a finger, but it wilted. Technically, I could have told her anything. I could have said that the changeling was canon, that it was supposed to be there, perhaps even that she was supposed to find it during her next trip to Zecora’s, but there was one very serious problem with that. Applejack and Rarity made it perfectly clear that they trusted me with their futures and with their destinies. To abuse that trust would effectively strip them of their humanity, the thin line that reminded me that these were real people and not just characters in a show. True, it was tempting, but to take advantage of it would be to no longer see the ponies as my friends, but as my pawns, devoid of all dignity and rights and at the mercy of the new writer, myself. In simpler terms, it was lying and I was done with it. I restarted with a resigned breath,
“Look, I could tell you it is. I mean, if I said so, who could contradict me? But the truth would have to come out sooner or later, so let’s just rip the bandage off right now. In fact, I’m glad you’re here. Really, I am. I was already regretting playing 'Linguini' last night, hiding Remy from Skinner and all that.” I looked Twilight in the eye and explained, “I’m just as surprised to find this changeling as you are.”
Twilight melted. First her ears, then her cheeks, then her tail and even her legs wilted as she processed what I was saying. A haunting look of incredulity filled her face as she stared at the little black shape I was holding.
“Cool!” Spike cried. “New characters!”
“No…” Twilight looked at the changeling. “No.” Then she looked at the way I was cradling it. “No!” And finally, she looked at the unapologetic determination in my face. “NO!” The purple pony reared, nearly sending Spike tumbling to the ground.
“Look, I know what you’re thinking, but-”
“But?” Twilight cut me off. “But!?”
“Twi, please, there are children about-”
“There is no but!” The unicorn whinnied. “How could you do this to us? To me? Do you have any idea what this could mean for the future of Equestria?”
“As far as I’m concerned, it means there’s one less corpse lying in the forest.” My voice was chilly.
“Were you even going to tell us? How long were you going to wait before telling me? I thought you were done with your silly secrets!” Twilight pawed the grass frantically.
“I was going to tell you. I didn’t want to alarm you.” I cleared my throat at the increasingly frantic pony.
“You were going to tell me?” Her voice pitched. “So you really were planning on keeping this a secret?”
“You didn’t let me-”
“Why didn’t you tell me this!?”
“I was going to make you an omelet and tell you!” My voice grew in strength, even if only to be heard over the shouting unicorn, but it was unnecessary. Twilight Sparkle did the scariest thing she could have possibly done; she became very quiet. She stared at me for a long moment, her ears twitching, her jaw locked. At long last, she pried her teeth apart enough to mutter,
“You’re going to keep it, aren’t you?”
I nodded remorsefully.
“What’s wrong with that?” Spike asked, leaning over Twilight’s rigid neck. The only reply he got, however, was when the pony abruptly spun on her hoof and marched back towards Ponyville without another word. I watched her go with a mixture of regret and apprehension. Regret, because I had failed spectacularly at getting my friend to empathize with the changeling. Apprehension, because I knew that our ‘discussion’ was far from over.
“I was hoping that would go better…” Fluttershy squeaked. The pegasus had been as silent as a tree up to that point as if trying to vanish into the background. Now, she trotted up to me with the last shreds of optimism dangling from her voice. “Do you think she’s upset?”
“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.” I declared, staring after the vanishing shape of Twilight Sparkle.
“Oh dear, um, what’s the bad news?”
“The manure’s officially hit the fan.” My lips twisted as if I had just drank sour milk. “A brand new friendship problem for us to work through.”
“And… and the good news?”
“Her name’s Lilly.” My head bowed and I gave the little changeling an affectionate nuzzle.
Not long after that, my feet marched (well, squelched) their way back to Fluttershy’s cottage where I immediately began emptying my emergency bag of all its contents. The pegasus watched nervously as I discarded knives, matches, lengths of cord, a tent and a bag of herbal medicines and laid them on an empty countertop. Lilly looked on silently, her mouth preoccupied with a juice box.
“Grape juice…” The changeling muttered thoughtfully.
“What are you going to do?” Fluttershy asked, poking at my collection of pyrotechnic potions.
“I’m going to march right over to the library and see if we can’t get this straightened out before it blows up into something everypony is going to regret. I’ll use my big boy voice if I have to, but I can’t let Twilight Sparkle leave the way she did. She had that look in her eye.” I set my jaw like a knight preparing to face off against a dragon.
“What look?”
“Oh, you know the one. A little frantic, a little eccentric, a little blood-curdling. You may have seen it the day she was almost tardy on her homework to Celestia. Or, more recently, when she was trying to prevent a disaster that would never come. The one that means she’s taking matters into her own hooves, usually not for the best.”
“But you weren’t here for… Oh…” Fluttershy frowned to herself. “You saw that too?”
“Yeah, those episodes were ‘episodes’.” With the bag finally empty, I proceeded to stuff a soft towel into the bottom of it.
“Then, what do you need the bag for?” The pegasus cocked her head inquiringly.
“Because I’m a nice guy.” I growled poisonously. “There may come a day when Lilly can walk down the street in her own skin without being stared at, but it’s not this day. So unless she can quick-change into Apple Bloom right now, I need a way to take her with me without causing a riot. Mark my words, Ponyville is going to have a changeling resident and they’re going to like it, but until they know that, I just want to get things sorted with Twilight first.”
“Oh my. Well, um, I hope you both have a nice long, quiet, talk and, um, good luck.” Once again, Fluttershy was showing off her baseless optimism. Though she wished for the best, the kind pony still excused herself from coming with me. In her defense, though, her tender ears were probably still ringing from the train ride down from Canterlot.
“Come on, sweetie.” I lifted the changeling up and into the newly refurbished nest-bag. “Let’s go pay our favorite librarian a visit.”
“What is that?” Lilly asked as she inspected the inside of the backpack.
“It’s a backpack.” I cautiously slipped my arm through one of the straps and tested the weight. “It’s just like hiding inside my shirt, but way more comfortable. For both of us. Now don’t worry. I’m right here, see?” With the top straps cinched down, Lilly was completely hidden from the casual eye. All that could be seen of the changeling was the gap just beneath the backpack’s flap where she peered out at the world with her glowing blue eyes.
With a hasty farewell and a couple fervent expressions of gratitude to my host, I left Fluttershy’s cottage and made a beeline for Ponyville and the Golden Oak Library within. As I passed the outskirts of town, nopony seemed to suspect the jittery human or his mysterious shifting backpack. Apparently, the sight of me and my increasingly-bizarre potions homework had made such a sight fairly commonplace in the sleepy town.
“What is that?” My backpack wondered.
“That’s a tree. A big plant useful for growing wood or fruits.”
“What is that?”
“An outdoor stall. That’s where ponies buy stuff. This one is selling strawberries.”
“What is that?”
“That’s an earth pony. The physically strongest of the pony tribes, they’re closely tied to the land in an important way.”
“What is that?”
“That’s Cranky Doodle, a donkey, and the guy who totally thinks I’m talking to myself right now.” The old burro watched me for a few awkward seconds before shaking his head and continuing on his way.
Eventually, and just before I ran out of bullets to sweat, I burst through the library door and slapped it shut behind me. The place was completely empty.
“Hello?” I called uncertainly.
“Hello?” My backpack echoed.
There was no reply. Even as far as libraries went, Twilight’s was uncharacteristically hollow without its studious tenant. The wooden walls and bound tomes returned my voice as a muffled reverberation and the shades had been pulled shut over most the windows. Upon inspecting the front door, I realized that the ‘closed’ sign had been hastily draped over the doorknob. Whatever Twilight was doing, wherever she was going, she had wasted no time in undertaking it.
I was at a loss. Granted, it was rare for bookhorse to abandon her bookhouse, but it wasn’t impossible. She was her own mare, not a cartoon character, and sometimes, in intermittent circumstances, errands needed to be run. The fact that I was 99.97% sure that whatever ‘errand’ she was running had to do with Lilly was what scared me.
“Where could she be?” I asked my reflection as I peered out one of the windows. “She could be anywhere. Talking with anypony. What is she planning?” My teeth nearly chewed through my lip in frustration. Twilight had an issue. She knew I opposed her on the issue. Thus, she was probably out trying to rally supporters to her side of the issue using her (incomplete) knowledge of the situation. That meant that she could be trying to find her friends, the mayor, or even just running through the streets gathering a mob of frantic ponies to her cause. A brief image of torches and pitchforks filled my mind.
“I hear the Everfree is lovely this time of year...” I deliberated.
Shaking the thought from my mind, I pried the front door back open and plunged into the sunlight. I needed more information, some good advice, and a few sympathizers for Lilly wouldn’t hurt either. Rarity and Applejack had been the last ponies to have a heart-to-heart with the panicky unicorn, so if anypony had a clue as to what was going through her head, it would be them. Therefore, and while avoiding the main streets as much as possible, I steered my course towards the Carousel Boutique.
Upon arriving at the elegant shop, I took a moment to collect myself. Once I had slathered a generous dose of nonchalance on my face and double-checked to make sure that my backpack wasn’t mumbling, I pushed the door to the boutique open. The musical brass bell announced my arrival as I stepped over the threshold.
“Ding ding!” It sang.
“Ding ding!” My backpack chirruped in reply. My wide eyes glanced over my shoulder towards the gap where Lilly was staring back at me. Before I could warn her to keep silent, however, a lacey voice floated from one of the back rooms.
“Coming! Coming!” The voice was followed by a white unicorn with ribbons of silky purple mane. “Ah, Mark! So nice of you to stop in.” I matched Rarity’s welcoming smile with one of my own. Her warm demeanor and expectant gaze were likely indicators that Twilight hadn’t confronted her yet. She had no idea what was coming.
“Hello, Rarity.” I greeted. “Do you have a moment?”
“But of course! Though, I am expecting some company over for tea.”
“I see. I’ll try to be quick, then.” I shuffled a little under the weight of the backpack. “Has Twilight Sparkle spoken to you yet?”
“Twilight Sparkle?” Rarity blinked her sapphire eyes. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday. Applejack and I escorted her to the library, you see…” Her voice faded as she watched a somber expression fill my eyes. “Why? Did something… happen between you two?”
“You could say that.” Unable to bear the weight of my casual mask any lower, I began to sink onto a sofa.
“Well, please, take a seat, dear, and tell me all about it.” Rarity subsequently offered the couch while she herself took a chair across from me.
“What exactly did you and Applejack tell her yesterday?” I asked, setting my bag between my feat. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can’t thank you enough for doing that and she seemed to be a little more understanding this morning.” I quickly assured my friend that my current trouble with the purple student was in no way a result of her input, and that I was simply trying to get a better idea of where she was coming from.
“Oh, well let’s see.” Rarity daintily placed her hoof on her chin. “As I recall, it was nothing that hadn’t already been iterated on the train. Applejack and I merely explained that if you’ve been spending all your time trying to preserve the story you already knew it, then why should anything change now that we’re aware you’re doing it? Of course, it was more in-depth than that and I believe Applejack made an interesting remark about how your so-called ‘episodes’ are actually the least changeable scenarios, seeing as you’ve already seen how they begin and end. Come to think of it, that alone seemed to do wonders for the poor girl’s nerves.”
“I see…” I mulled this over like a tankard of ale.
“Mark, dear, if you’d just tell me what’s happened…?” Rarity asked cautiously.
“I found a changeling.” I said resignedly. “It was hurt, so I took it in. Twilight’s not pleased.” My latest strategy for breaking the news involved an assassin-like approach: underplay the weight of the issue while going right for the heart of the problem. In theory, it was better than dropping hints or pussyfooting or dancing around the issue or otherwise letting my audience’s imagination run away with them. In Rarity’s case, though, I wondered if there was any correct way to tell her.
“… What?” The finely-trimmed lines of Rarity’s eyelids arched up in surprise. Her gem-blue eyes first looked at me, and then locked onto the mysterious package I had placed on the floor.
“No, it’s not dangerous.” I explained in a laser-level tone. “It’s an infant. Barely old enough to talk. I’ve been calling her-” As I unstrapped the flap, all my synapses fired at once, leaving my body wide-eyed and paralyzed. The bag’s mouth fell open to reveal Lilly in her little nest, but as soon as I peered into the container, I was met with an empty sack. The changeling was gone.
“Hello!” A tiny voice piped up from beside the boutique’s podium. Rarity and I both spun around to see the little changeling trying to greet a half-dressed mannequin. Rarity’s eyelids threatened to surpass her horn in altitude and her mouth had fallen uncharacteristically slack. Softly, and suppressing my demand to know just how the escape artist had bypassed the backpack’s buckles, I called out,
“Lilly! Come over here, please.” The changeling cast one more glance up at the fitting doll before trotting back to where I sat. With Rarity still impersonating a codfish, I scooped up my little friend and set her on my lap.
“What is that?” Lilly stared at the unicorn sitting across from me.
“That’s Miss Rarity. Say, ‘hello, Miss Rarity’.”
“Say hello, Miss Rarity.” The changeling hesitated, but quickly worked out her mistake. “Hello, Miss Rarity.”
“Hello there.” The white unicorn responded automatically, slowly coming back to herself. I waited patiently as she processed what she was seeing. Rarity took into account the size of the creature, the way it gazed uncertainly out at the world, and finally the bandage running along its neck. As she released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, my friend admitted,
“I don’t know how to put this, but, hmm… When we assured Twilight that everything would work out in the end, I can’t say this is what we had in mind.”
“I don’t believe anyone had this in mind.” I agreed. “Even me.”
“And you’re sure this... Lilly… isn’t a part of…?”
“Not a part of the show, no.” I shook my head.
“Oh dear. And to come at such a delicate time…”
“You’re telling me!” Whoever came up with this story arc had no finesse. “I couldn’t have planned this worse if I had tried!
“And Twilight?”
“Reacted as you might expect.” My eyes cast a wary glance out the boutique’s windows. “If we’re lucky, she’s out collecting the rest of our friends to come and have a lengthy discussion over what’s to be done with Lilly.”
“And if we’re unlucky?”
“Does the term ‘lynch mob’ convey an effective mental image?” My words are so dry, they nearly chapped my lips.
“Ding ding!” Lilly cried. Confused, Rarity and I both glanced down at the little changeling, but in the next instant, our meeting was interrupted by the appearance of three new ponies.
“Ding ding!” Rarity’s father, a sturdy off-white unicorn with a perpetually smiling moustache, glanced curiously up at the bell as he pushed his way into the room. Beside him cantered his wife, a tickled-pink unicorn, and his little filly, Sweetie Belle. As carefully as I could, I caused Lilly to vanish back into her backpack while Rarity rose to meet her family.
“Oh! Mother, Father! So nice of you to visit!” Rarity leapt forward, laughing nervously. Though my friend hadn’t expressly stated that she sympathized with my current plight, it did not go unnoticed that she had intercepted her family early, allowing me time to casually slip my backpack on and inch towards the back door.
“Visit?” Hondo Flanks, Rarity’s father, gave a throaty chuckle. “Whatever happened to our family day?”
“Family-” Rarity balked. “Oh, yes, our tea time! I remember now. Not sure how it slipped my mind.” She giggled. “I even had the kettle on and everything. It’s all in the kitchen.”
“Ah, it’s no wonder you’re flustered. I mean, after everythin’ you’ve been through, my poor baby!” The pink unicorn, Cookie Crumbles, smiled courageously, fighting to keep tears from growing in her eyes. “Really, I don’t know how ya do it. I would be just a wreck if we had been in Canterlot two days ago. A complete wreck. It’s just awful!”
“I was there too…” Sweetie Belle looked up at her mother uncertainly.
I had just turned to make my escape, had just lifted my hand toward the knob, had just dared to excuse myself unnoticed, when my cloak of invisibility slipped and the ponies were suddenly aware that there was another figure in the room.
“Oh! And Mr. Mark’s here too. Fancy runnin’ into you here!” Rarity’s mom caught me. I turned slowly, trying to pass off my guilty smile as a genuine one as I greeted the unicorns.
“Hello, Ma’am.” My still-clawed hand gave a stiff wave.
“Look at him over there, so modest.” To my horror, and Rarity’s dismay, the rest of the family members surrounded me like a pack of hyenas. Cookie Crumbles gushed, “You just can’t believe how thankful we are, mister, we just wanted to let’cha know. Our Rarity told us the whole thing!”
“She did?” For lack of anything else to say.
“Absolutely! Stalion of the hour right here!” Hondo Flanks clapped me on the shoulder, nearly knocking me on my face and giving my backpack a terrible lurch. “Uncovering a secret plot? Staring down a queen? Fending off an army? And if that weren’t enough, you brought my two girls back home safely! What a champ, huh?” Another affectionate blow to the arm.
“I did?” I blinked.
“Ha! In case you haven’t noticed, mister, you’re a bona fide hero! You ask me, you should be wearing the Golden Halo for what you did!” Rarity’s father aimed another poke at my chest.
“What is that?” My backpack finally broke its strained silence.
“Why, it’s a medal of valor given by the princess herself!” Hondo apparently hadn’t realized that my lips hadn’t moved. “For her champions, you see. Can’t have a hero without a medal, I always say! Why, my own trophies-”
“Mr. Mark was just on his way to an important meeting!” Rarity cut through the conversation like a light saber through butter. “He merely dropped by for a moment, but we really can’t keep him for any longer.”
“Is that right?” Hondo and his wife turned towards Rarity. “More folks who need ya? Can’t say I’m surprised. Well, in that case, don’t let me stop you, Mr. Hero. And thanks again!” Rarity’s father gave me one last affectionate shove before turning back towards Rarity’s kitchen. He and Cookie Crumbles gave me a final look of gratitude before the owner of the boutique ushered them at last into the next room.
“What is that?” Lilly repeated as I rubbed my tender shoulder.
“Rarity’s daddy.” I explained.
“What is that?”
“A daddy? Well, to be a daddy means he loves her, he takes care of her, and he protects her. He’s a big part of a lady’s life because he promised to always be there for her no matter what.” Genetics aside, it was an effective description and Lilly seemed to like it, falling quiet once again. Rarity poked her head out of the kitchen and sang,
“You’d best be on your way!” Then, silently, she mouthed, ‘We’ll speak of this later.’.
“Very well.” Then, silently, I mimed, ‘Thank you!’.
However, just as I prepared to depart for my ‘important meeting’, it turned out that the meeting had found me. The door opened and I found myself confronted by a spiral piece of lavender bone aimed at my nose. Twilight Sparkle’s grim smile froze me in place and paralyzed l my limbs like an elephant taser.
“Estoy muerto.” A squeak wriggled out of my throat.
“There you are, Mark!” The unicorn said triumphantly. “We need to have a talk.”
“Hey, nice! We found him!” Rainbow Dash hovered low enough to look in through the boutique’s open door. Glancing over Twilight’s shoulder, I could see exactly what she had meant by ‘we’. The rest of the main cast (including Spike) were assembled on Rarity’s doormat, all in various states of emotional expression. Applejack looked worried, Fluttershy looked guilty, Spike looked confused, and Rainbow Dash looked excited. Pinkie Pie was a little ways off, trying to out-duckface a mallard.
“Yes, we do,” I took a deep breath to steady myself, “but I don’t think this is the best place. See-”
“Nope! You’re not getting out of it, mister. This is an intervention!” Twilight marched right past me, followed closely by the rest of the gang. I stared helplessly over their candy-colored hides as they all filed into the boutique.
“You don’t understand!” I hissed. “Rarity’s family is here!”
“Good!” The purple unicorn tossed her head. “Maybe we can get their opinion as well. Or were you planning on only letting Fluttershy in on your secret, hm?”
My first instinct was to lash out at the magic student, say something seething or sarcastic that would help her realize how petty and tactless she was being at the moment, but I thought better of it. A lifetime of denying such hostile instincts had trained me to swallow such words, take a step back, and reply in a polite, measured tone.
“Very well.” I said. “Let’s talk.” Emphasis on the word, ‘talk’.
“Mark? Is everything-” Rarity emerged from the kitchen, but her voice fell silent as she saw the somber gathering in her boutique. She nervously looked from myself to Twilight and back again as she strode into the main room, the faces of her curious family appearing in the doorway behind her.
“Rarity! Thanks for joining us.” Twilight’s voice was like corn syrup, sweet and fake. “Mark here was just about to explain to us why he thought it was a good idea to bring a CHANGELING into Ponyville.”
“Did I hear that right?” Cookie Crumbles gasped.
“I think so.” Sweetie Belle confirmed.
“Where is it, Mark?” Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.
“Can it turn into an alpaca?” Pinkie Pie danced on the tips of her hooves.
“Why’d you try to hide it?” Applejack wondered.
“The floor is yours, Mark.” The purple unicorn motioned to me as if I was a prized pig at an auction. Squelching the dirty look I wanted to throw her, I shed my pride like a cloak and held the backpack in front of me.
“She needed help.” I said simply. The room was silent for three swollen seconds as if everypony was expecting me to continue, but nothing else was to be said.
“And?” Twilight pressed.
“And?” I repeated, a note of mock-amusement in my tone. “Since when does Ponyville need more reason than that? When was the last time they turned their back on someone who needed a hand?”
“Ooh! Ooh!” Pinkie Pie shot a hoof into the air. “Zecora before we all played in the poison joke?”
“A perfect example.” I said calmly. “And one that I think we all learned a lot from.” By the way I leveled my eyes at a certain magic student, I made it perfectly obvious that Twilight Sparkle was the ‘we all’ I spoke of.
“That’s completely different!” The purple pony insisted.
“How so?” My refusal to join Twilight’s boiling emotional spectacle only added fuel to her fire.
“How about the fact that it’s a parasite?” My friend snapped. “Or the fact that it could obliterate the timeline! Or, here’s a novel thought, how about the fact that it’s species is based on lies and manipulation? Your ‘little friend’ here might actually be Chrysalis herself!”
“Hoo boy…” Hondo Flanks glanced warily at my backpack before stepping protectively between myself and Sweetie Belle.
“I don’t think…” The rest of what Fluttershy said was lost in her mane.
“Twi makes a good point.” Rainbow Dash conceded. “You might be under its spell, Mark. Like, why didn’t you come straight to us when you found a changeling? That’s kind of a big deal.”
“For the same reason you didn’t admit you like reading books, Rainbow Dash.” My voice was laser-measured. “I didn’t know what I had found or what everyone’s reactions might be, so I needed some time to think. Each and every one of these questions you’ve brought me is exactly what I’ve been trying to solve since yesterday. The very same questions Twilight just asked me.” I took a deep breath. “After careful consideration though, I not only believe that Lilly is harmless, but that we have a duty, as representatives of Equestria, to take care of her in the absence of her family.”
In that moment, a bright green flame consumed the backpack. Its emerald light was reflected in all our faces as every eye turned toward the spectacle and the air fell still as every breath was held. After a moment, a small black shape fell out of the bottom of the bag and the flames dimmed, leaving my hands and the now-empty bag unscathed. The only difference was that there was now a young changeling sitting between my feet. Apparently, changelings could phase-walk. One more mystery solved.
“Eeek!” Cookie broke the silence that had bound everyone and the room instantly filled with noise. Shouts, screams, accusations, threats, all voices turned to soup in the air. All I knew was that I fell into a defensive crouch as Twilight Sparkle leveled her horn at Lilly.
“Don’t you dare!” I roared, sparks flying from my teeth.
“Get out of the way!” Twilight demanded.
The situation crumbled like Alka-Seltzer in water. Lilly gripped my ankle desperately at the sudden onslaught of sound and her second eyelids immediately snapped shut. Pinkie Pie stuck her face right into the changeling’s, trying to introduce herself, Fluttershy began crying, Rarity was begging for order, Hondo Flanks was trying to escort his family out of the building, and Applejack was trying to prevent Twilight’s horn from pointing at anypony.
“It’s really tiny.” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“Aww! A baby buggie!” Pinkie Pie pranced around me.
“That doesn't make it cute.” Rainbow Dash opined.
“Settle down, now.” Applejack begged.
“Mark! Get out of the way!” Twilight ordered again.
“No!” I fumed.
“That thing’s dangerous!” She shouted.
“So am I!” Reaching into the deepest reserves of my lungs, my roar shook the ground and caused the silk drapes around the room to sway uneasily. A stunned silence momentarily interrupted the quarrel. Already, it felt as if I had torn my larynx, but I continued, “So was I… and you kept me anyways.”
“Mark…” Rarity stepped forward.
“Did you know that I considered running away?” I swallowed the tingling sensation in my throat. “Two hours on Equestrian soil and I considered running as hard and as fast away from Ponyville as I could. Why? It was the only way I could be sure I’d never taint the story with my interference. I would have done it, too. Instead, you took me in. An alien, a refugee, a carnivore for crying out loud. Twilight, if you adopted Spike and Pinkie adopted Gummy, then what’s so different about us taking in Lilly?”
“They’re all a part of the original plot.” Twilight said icily. “Mark, you’re so bewitched by your own selfish fantasy, you’re not even thinking about us ponies!”
“-And dragon.” Pinkie Pie proffered.
“Just imagine what this… this thing… could do to us! To our lives! You’re willing to risk all your friends and their futures just because you found some monster in the forest? If you really cared about us, you wouldn’t try to change the story like this!”
“I do care about you.” I took a step backwards as if Twilight had thrown a sword through my heart. “But when does caring for you mean that we need to sacrifice a defenseless girl?” Up until that point, I had the distinct impression that Rarity’s family was sympathizing more with Twilight, but as I invited them to see the changeling as a person instead of a creature, their stance wavered. Hondo Flanks pulled Sweetie Belle a little closer, his face softening slightly. I continued,
“Pinkie?”
“Yes?”
“What do you think we should do with a non-canon representative of an exotic and historically violent race with unquantified abilities and a predator's appetite?”
“Say 'hi', silly!”
“And why do you say that?” I smiled knowingly at Twilight.
“Because... Wait, we're still talking about you, right?!” The pinke earth pony poked me in the stomach.
“Yes.” I said pointedly. “We're talking about me. Isn't that right, Twilight?”
“No!” The unicorn’s violet horn blazed and the room descended into commotion once more. A number of bodies moved at once, including my own. With a stifled cry, Lilly was plucked up in my arms and vanished back into the safety of her backpack. Her wide eyes stared at the frenzy boiling around her and panicky wisps of green fire began to flicker along her horn as I continued shouting,
“Because that’s what this comes down to! If you can’t bring yourself to give Lilly a chance, then why should I be any different?”
“Maybe you’re not different after all!” The magic student shouted.
“How can you say that after everything we’ve faced together!” I cried.
“Maybe we don’t need you after all!” Twilight leaned dangerously close to my precious cargo. “All this time I thought you wanted to be our friend, but you’ve only been looking out for yourself!”
“You know that’s not-” Before I could give my throat another round of abuse, a hard orange object plugged up my pie hole. I blinked to see Applejack standing between Twilight an I, a foreleg blockading each of her friend’s mouths. Without the two main competitors barking at each other, a bizarre peace settled over the scene.
“That’s quite enough nonsense from the both of y’all!” She scolded. “Listen to you two, squabblin’ like a pair of roosters who’ve just got their spurs! Now you’re going to get a hold on your tongues ‘fore I get a hold of them for you!” At this, I glanced cross-eyed at the hoof still held firmly in my mouth.
“Arguing isn’t going to fix this any faster.” Rainbow Dash added.
“Worse.” Rarity clicked her tongue. “You two were veering dangerously close to saying things I just know you’ll regret.”
“Just… please don’t get angry at each other.” Fluttershy pleaded.
“This is no way to talk to a friend.” The country mare added with a heavy dollop of finality.
“I quite agree, Applejack.”
I couldn’t express my astonishment on account of the carrot-colored cork in my face, but I could still turn a pair of plate-sized eyes towards the front of the boutique. There, standing motionless save for her rippling mane, was Celestia. For all her imposing stature and glowing presence, nopony had noticed her enter or knew how long she had been watching.
“Princess!” Twilight Sparkle knocked away Applejack’s hoof and dashed over to her mentor. I found it odd that she didn’t sound surprised or even abashed to find the princess in Ponyville. In fact, as the young student trotted up to Celestia, I thought I caught a confident smirk thrown back at me. “Princess! I’m so glad you could make it!”
“Make it?” I echoed. Only then did I realize what Twilight had done. In her panic upon finding such a radical change to her story, Twilight Sparkle hadn’t simply recruited her friends to face me, but had gone right up to the highest authority she knew. She had summoned Princess Celestia, a nigh-literal ‘god of the machine’, to descend upon the quarrel and end it with an overwhelming show of status and power. Twilight wanted her immortal friend to crush me beneath her ages of experience, lecture me about how flippantly I've been abusing the frail threads of destiny and, most likely, convince me to repent of my small-minded error in judgement.
Amusingly, the plan back-fired almost instantly.
“Princess Celestia.” Twilight Sparkle pulled on a mock-stern face as if tattling on a particularly juicy offence. “Mark here decided he could hide a changeling in our city and didn’t even think about telling us whether-”
“I am well aware of the situation.” Celestia nodded curtly. “I am also well aware of the points you made in your arguments.” She glanced down at her young student. “I am also well aware of the unbecoming way you addressed them.”
“Ooooohhhh…” Pinkie Pie whispered. On my part, I remained as still and silent as Mt. Rushmore, choosing to wait and see how this new twist would play out.
“But, but…” Twilight’s ears lowered as she realized, “You heard us just now?” Considering the fact that that Rarity’s light fixtures were still swaying, Celestia took that as a rhetorical question.
“Theatrics aside, let me see if I understand this.” The princess began softly. “Am I to take it that Mark found a changeling in the Everfree Forest and brought it to Fluttershy to tend to? Afterwards, Twilight, you discovered his secret and now you want him to turn it over to authorities?”
“Yes…” The purple pony nodded slowly.
“But he has decided to continue caring for it under his protection?”
“Yes!” Twilight’s eyes snapped back up. “And I can’t think of anything worse!”
“Really?” A musical note, almost a laugh, rang in Celestia’s voice. “I can’t think of anything better.”
“Huh? But-”
“No ‘but’, Twilight. I have already heard your argument and his.”
“Then you know what could happen if that creature stays any longer! You know all the dangers it represents to the future!” Twilight Sparkle glanced around the room, her number of supporters slipping out from under her like Jenga blocks. "... The butterflies!..."
“Indeed.” Celestia said patiently. “And it is a perfect illustration of the burden Mark carries each and every day for your sake.” The princess waited a moment as the full weight of her words settled on her student. Immediately after, though, a wave of kindness filled the alicorn’s eyes. “Twilight, I am going to tell you the same thing that my sister and I told Mark when he explained his unique gift. Equestria’s story is his story now. Our home is his home. For the better, I think. His revelation changes very little, but it does serve to remind us of what must be done.”
“What is that?” Twilight asked somberly.
“Trust,” Celestia said, “and encourage.”
“You think we should just blindly let him do whatever he wants because we need to ‘trust’ him?” The purple unicorn recoiled from the thought as if it were a spoonful of bile.
“On the contrary.” The princess explained. “Trust, because this isn’t a filly's bedtime story. We are still as free as ever before and our choices are still as important as ever before. I trust the choices Mark makes, but not even he is omniscient and every day he has spent in Equestria was a day spent facing the very fears that now haunt you. He needs support. He needs his friends, now more than ever. Trust and encourage. Trust, because he knows much. Encourage, because he does not know everything.”
“So where does that leave this… this changeling?” The magic student glanced back to where I was standing as expressionless as Rarity’s mannequins.
“The timing could not have been better.” Celestia beamed at the room of astonished faces around her. “Especially after the wedding, Mark needs to remember how limited his gift is. This changeling is that reminder.” With a single step towards me, the white alicorn indicated me and my backpack. “Mark? Would you kindly introduce me to your new friend?”
“Of course…” With shaking fingers, I opened the bag to see a little white unicorn filly with short pink locks staring up at me. Gently, and ignoring the gasps from Cookie Crumbles, I scooped out the copy of Sweetie Belle and cradled it over my shoulder. A rustling noise circled the room like a prowling breeze. Sweetie Belle herself looked at her doppelganger with a mouth dangling so low it almost brushed the floor.
There was no mistaking my Lilly, though. The figure in my arms clutched my shoulder tightly, her bright green eyes flitting over the ring of surprised and critical faces around her. Even as she twisted to stare at the spectators, I couldn’t help but notice a flaw on this copy of Sweetie Belle; a pale scar upon her neck, a jagged gash running behind the left ear.
“Hey…” I whispered to Lilly. “Hey, look over here. Don’t look at them. Look at me.” Finally, I caught the changeling’s eyes. “That’s right. Look at me. You’re alright. I promised, remember? You’re safe. You don’t have to hide, you’re safe.”
The green eyes flickered aquamarine and the body of the white unicorn filly began to burn with green magic flames. Before long, I was holding the sleek black form of an infant changeling. Fresh sounds of unrest came from all parties, astonishment from those who had never seen a changeling disguise before, and skepticism from those who were all-too-familiar with it.
“Thank you, Mark.” Celestia glided forward as gracefully as a swan over a lake, lowering her voice and tucking away her wings to look less imposing. With a silent glance up at me, she gestured towards the changeling. In reply, I could only nod dumbly and watch.
“Hello.” The princess’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “I’m Princess Celestia. What’s your name?” Lilly refused to look up at the radiant alicorn, but muttered,
“… Celestia… What's your name?” Then, in my voice, she added, “Her name’s Lilly.”
“Lilly? That’s a lovely name.” The princess smiled.
“So pretty…” The changeling muttered.
“You can’t call her L-”
“Shhh!” Rainbow Dash but Twilight off with a leer.
“Lilly, do you know where you are?” Celestia asked. The infant, however, gave no reply. “Do you know where your home is? Where you come from?” Still no reply. When the princess tried again, her words were so soft, so tender, that they almost carried a note of sadness in them, “Do you know where your mommy is? Or your daddy?” The changeling still remained mute.
“Princess,” Twilight Sparkle tried again, “Even if it’s too young to know anything, it’s still too dangerous to keep. It’s an exponentially disruptive variable, but besides that, you saw how it copied Sweetie Belle just now. What if-”
“Mark…” Lilly said.
“Hm? What was that?” Celestia invited.
“Mark… is daddy.” The little girl explained. Everypony blinked at this unexpected response. Twilight stared at me pointedly as if to accuse me of training the changeling to say that, but I just shook my head. My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Instead, it was Lilly who spoke again,
“To be a daddy means he loves her, he takes care of her, and he protects her. He’s a big part of a lady’s life because he promised to always be there for her no matter what.” She recited my simplistic definition. “Mark is daddy.”
“I didn’t teach her that.” I gulped, smiling weakly.
“On the contrary.” Celestia winked. “I think you did. By example.” The princess turned back to her pupil with a twinkle in her eye. “Now Twilight, who am I to take a little girl from her daddy?”
The purple unicorn didn’t answer immediately, instead taking a moment to weigh the expressions everypony else wore. All of them had a tinge of worry, a hint of fear of the unknown, but only enough as was healthy when dealing with new species. Overall, the balance had swayed in Lilly’s favor, with most ponies looking at her with sympathy or even admiration. Eventually, even Twilight Sparkle’s rallying cry of ‘butterfly effect’ crumbled and she looked up at me helplessly.
“I can’t believe it…” She grimaced as if her tongue was a clump of wormwood. “… but I guess this is happening.”
“Yay!” Pinkie Pie leapt into the air and floated there. “Lilly stays! Lilly stays! Lilly-” I probably would have joined the pink pony if I wasn’t holding the most precious thing in the world at that moment. However, Twilight was quick to criticize,
“But Ponyville already has a ‘Lily’!”
“That’s why Mark spelt it with two ‘llll’s!” Pinkie continued floating, unconcerned. “Well, technically three ‘llll’s, but two 'llll's where the second 'llll' should be.”
“That’s… Actually right.” I admitted. “How did you know that?”
“Must've seen it written down somewhere.” Pinkie Pie glanced up and smiled.
“I’m curious about the name as well.” Celestia inclined her head toward the bundle in my arms. “Why ‘Lilly’?” I smiled down at the changeling.
“On Earth, lilies are a symbol of natural beauty. I wanted her to know that I thought she was lovely just the way she is. But beyond that,” I glanced apologetically at Twilight’s sulking figure, “They are also a symbol of tranquility. Specifically, peace in the face of worry. From the saying, ‘… Consider the lilies of the field. They do not toil or spin, but not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these… Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.’.”
“Indeed.” Celestia pondered that for a moment. When she opened her wings again, it almost looked as if she was brushing a great weight off Twilight’s shoulders. “That should be a reminder to all of you. The future is never certain, but that’s no reason to give it power over us.”
“I understand.” The student replied quietly.
(It was such a touching scene, I didn’t have the heart to explain that ‘Lilly’ could also be short for ‘Lilith’. Just as a ‘mark’ could represent a badge or a curse, Lilly’s name could refer to a flower or a succubus. It was her choice, and her name would always serve me as a note to be cautious around the changeling. No matter how innocent she seemed in that moment, only time would tell what she would become.)
“I must agree with Twilight, though.” Rarity piped up. “It seems a rather short name and confusion is simply inevitable what with two Lilies in town.”
“Ok, then…” I pondered for a moment. “How about ‘Lilly Limn’?”
“Limb?” Rainbow Dash chuckled.
“Not ‘limb’, ‘limn’!” Pinkie Pie cleared everything up.
“’Limn’ is the verb for painting or sketching.” I explained. “And, for better or worse, this changeling is going to limn the ponies around her. It’s inevitable that one day, she’s going to grow up as a representation of the world as she was treated.”
“Could’ve just called her ‘mirror’…” Rainbow Dash grumbled.
"Briliant!" My eyes almost rolled off my face. "Why didn't I think of that?"
“Awesome! What a cute and fun name!” Pinkie Pie extolled. “Oh, Lilly Limn, you’re the second luckiest girl in the world right now! I’m first, because I get to give you your first Welcome-to-Ponyville Party!” The bouncing earth pony reached into her airy mane and produced a vibrant pink cupcake. “Or do you want the full-sized cake?” She started fishing around in her hair again, but I stopped her.
“Uh, Pinkie? She doesn’t eat solids. Only liquids.”
“Whaaa…?” I thought I could hear the sound of clockwork coming from Pinkie’s ears as she considered this new information. There was a slight ‘ding’, like an egg timer going off, and the earth pony had a novel solution. “Well, then, if you can’t have cupcakes, then how about a welcome-to-Ponyville cupshake?”
“Eep!” Rarity sidestepped just in time to avoid the bolt of pink lightning that shot off towards her kitchen. “Pinkie? What are you doing in there? Pinkie! Put that down! That’s my blender! You’re getting frosting everywhere!”
“I don’t have to remind you what a big responsibility you’re taking on, Mark.” Celestia mused as if she didn’t notice the fiasco in the kitchen. “This may not be a temporary arrangement and you may very well be caring for Lilly indefinitely. As if tending fillies isn’t complicated enough, changelings are a very... sensitive issue right now. Suffice to say that a rather impressive mountain of paperwork awaits me back in Canterlot. Still, I trust all the ponies here to handle this situation… delicately.” She glanced toward the corner where Rarity’s mother and father stood with Sweetie Belle. Previously silent, they hastily bowed and assured,
“No trouble here, princess! We won’t say a thing!” Hondo Flanks wiggled his moustache.
“If the princess says it’s all right, then of course we’ll make this little critter feel welcome, right, hon?” Cookie Crumbles still looked anxious, but put on a brave face for the princess.
“Is Lilly going to come to school?” Sweetie Belle had already found another simple question with no easy answer. The idea of her baby going to school side-by-side with a changeling caused Cookie to grimace as if she had just swallowed an eel, but she said nothing.
“We’ll… cross that bridge when we come to it.” I assured. “Probably not for a while.”
“… Lucky.” The unicorn filly pouted.
“Well, then, if everything’s… sufficiently sorted,” Rarity appeared at the door to her kitchen, a tea set levitating behind her and a drop of icing on her cheek, “I just happen to have a fresh pot of tea here. What’s say we welcome our newest member properly?”
Her proposal was met with hearty cheers and the mood of our gathering instantly lightened. Pinkie Pie mysteriously produced a package of jam cookies, Applejack found a bottle of cranberry juice for Lilly, Rarity set up an additional table and even Celestia agreed to stay for a few minutes longer. But no face brightened more so than Fluttershy’s, who took turns holding Lilly for me while I answered the endless stream of questions directed towards the changeling. Only Twilight refused to join the conversation, silently stewing her thoughts as she nursed her tea.
Eventually, the party ended and each of my friends wandered back to wherever they had been before the emergency meeting. Finally, only the purple unicorn remained along with Spike, Lilly and myself. The door to Rarity’s boutique closed behind us and Twilight Sparkle finally broke her silence, nudging me gently on the elbow.
“Hey, Mark?”
“Yeah, Twi?”
“I’m… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier.” Her ears were folded back in a blend of shame and embarrassment. “The princess is right. You’re already a part of our story and… and I’m glad you are.”
“And I’m sorry if my recent actions seemed selfish.” I added. “I’m sure this could have all gone smoother if I had just trusted you a bit more.”
"No, I was selfish." Her response caught me off guard. " All this time I was losing my head over 'butterfly effects', and I never once realized that you've been fighting them every day since I met you... Thank you... for that."
A moment passed where Twilight and I merely stared at each other, both trying to find what to say next. The pony was the one to break the silence,
“So, then… Adopting a filly, huh?” She exhaled sharply and cast an affectionate glance behind her to where Spike was sitting on her back. “That’s a big step. Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“I don’t know. Probably not.” I admitted. “I don’t know if I can be the Kiritsugu to Shirou, the Odin to Loki, the Xavier to Raven, the Professor Utonium to the Power Puff Girls, the Gru to Margo and Edith and Agnes, the Mimic to Shantae, the Mordecai to Esther, the Bruce Wane to Robin, or even…” My throat choked up, “… or even the Kirito to Yui.”
“Well, at least you won’t have to do it alone.” Twilight shrugged resignedly. “I've got plenty of books on the subject! Not to mention, Lilly has at least six pony aunts and a dragon big brother to make sure you don't ruin her.”
“Aunts?” I looked down at my friend, not sure if I was more astonished or grateful.
“Of course.” The unicorn didn't look at me. “After all, someone has to save you from your good intentions… ‘dad’.” She tossed her head and began trotting down the road back into town. “For now, let’s just head back home.”
“Let’s just head back home.” I agreed.