Brony Recon: To Live and Love in Equestria

by Freescript the Bard

Changeling

This is gonna be a sadder chapter, as this is not only the beginning of the end, but I had a hard time doing this to a character that I loved developing and writing about. To balance it, I wrote in a happier ending for the Ben/Derpy ship, as well as doing a little intimate part for my OC. It may be longer than other chapters but there's a continuity here that cannot be denied. Enjoy!

Not without regret,
-MarkusBrony (Skyblaze)

>>><<<

Shift's POV

"What 'cha doin' Twi?" I asked as Twilight shifted furniture around the library in preparation for testing a spell.

"Testing the spell that we studied, Shift," she said, "remember, we were studying detection spells and disguising magic?"

"Oh, right," I said as she finalized the room for the spell, "and what would this spell do, exactly?"

"Well, since the wedding, Changelings have been spread across Equestria, that one we found is an example," she explained, "this spell is designed to detect Changelings and dispel their disguises."

Uh oh. "Um… really, you don't say," I said nervously, "hey, um, if the spell were to hit a Changeling, what would happen?"

"Hopefully disrupt their disguise," she said, looking over her notes again, "it not, it will still knock the wind out of them."

I'm in trouble. She's gonna cast the spell, and I'm gonna lose her. Nopony loves Changelings. She will run away from me when she sees that I'm one of those monsters. "Okay, Twilight, I don't wanna bother you so… I'll be downstairs," I quickly said, then fled down the stairs. On the ground floor, Spike was busy dusting. "Spike, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Shift," he said, setting down the duster and leaning on the shelf, "what's up?"

"Can you not tell Twilight about what you're about to see?" I pleaded, "I don't want to lose her."

"Um, what are you doing?"

"Spike, you will feel betrayed, lied to, and above all, freaked out. All I ask, is that you don't tell Twilight."

He gave me a raised eyebrow. "What do you--"

"Here we go!" came the call from upstairs. Through my horn, I could sense the magic building. It was an impressive amassing of power. Suddenly, there was shockwave of lavender, and I was thrown back into the bookshelves. It didn't hurt much, but my vision was hazed with green. I looked around, and saw I was on the other side of the room.

Spike was staring at me with a fearful taste coming from him. "You're… you're a…" he stuttered over his forked tongue, "…Change…"

I heard hoofsteps, alerting me to Twilight's approach. I quickly flashed my disguise back on, but the baby dragon was still staring at me. Luckily, I didn't knock any books off the shelves, or Twilight would get suspicious. But I still had to deal with Spike. And no, I don't mean kill him, I'm not that dark.

"Hey, Twi," I said, "I think your shockwave paralyzed Spike." The dragon was still staring stock-still at where I was thrown.

She giggled. "He'll be fine in a few minutes," she said, "it's happened a couple times before. Hey, you wanna go to the park?"

"Sure." So I left the library, hoping Spike would hold to his word.

>>><<<

"Ow… what in the…" I grumbled. The last thing I remember was walking out the door with Twilight. Then… nothing. "Ugh… my head."

"Well, look who's finally up an' at 'em," said a familiar voice, "how're ya doin' this fine evenin'?"

"Well, Applejack, maybe you tell me…" then I realized my hooves were roped to my sides, and I was tied to a chair, "why am I tied to a chair?"

"Ugh… Shift? Where are we? Why am I tied up?"

"Twi? What happened?" Everything was dark, so I couldn't see anything, but there were plenty of emotions floating around, coming from different ponies. "Pinkie? Rarity? Fluttershy? What the hay is going on?"

Suddenly there was a bright flash as a lamp was turned on over my head. There was a dominance of hatred and suspicion in the room that made me wonder. On the other side of the table was Twilight, tied up in the same way. "Okay… this is a prank, right Pinkie?" asked Twilight. Silence. "Pinkie Pie?"

Rarity appeared before anypony could answer. "Shift, thou hath been witnessed with these charges," she said regally, pulling out a roll of parchment, "suspicion and confirmation of false witness, suspicion and confirmation of being a shape-shifting creature known as a Changeling, and lying to Twilight." She adjusted her reading glasses. "Your defense shall be… trial by Applejack!"

Oh… schist. "Um, what is going on here?" Twilight asked. Oh crap. That's why they had Twilight. How did they know…

"Twi, I'm sorry," I whispered. She got a confused look.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack stepped into the light. Applejack stood near Rarity, facing Pinkie Pie, who dragged Fluttershy into the light as well. "Pinkie, in by witness of Applejack, do you testify that you and Fluttershy, whilst passing the home of Twilight Sparkle," Rarity continued, using the false accent, "witnessed the unicorn known as Shift drop his disguise as such, and appeared as a Changeling?" Oh dear Celestia have mercy on my soul.

Twilight looked around. "Wha--?"

"I do," Pinkie said said, giving me a glare.

Applejack nodded. "She ain't lyin'," she declared, then turned her gaze on me. Oh sweet Luna help me. "Shift are ya or ain't ya a--

"Changeling."

Everypony looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Come again?" asked Rarity. Every emotion in the room had turned to confusion.

"Twilight, please, promise me you won't run."

She looked concerned, her feelings matching. "What are you talking about, Shift? I would never--"

"No, Twi. This is huge. I have lied to everypony. I hate it, every moment. But then I met you, and I didn't want that to go away, Twi. I don't want you to leave. I love you." I sighed, "But… there is a reason I can taste emotions, a reason I'm better at magic when you're around, a reason that the Changeling could speak to me."

Twilight had a scared look on her face, as did the rest of them. But it hurt, and there was no way out. I had to do this. I concentrated, a green light emanating from my body. I tried to make the change as gradual as possible, but there was no stopping it. In seconds, I felt fangs in my mouth, insect-like wings on my back, and a carapace around my body. I looked up, Twilight's face now one of horror as she looked upon my true form.

"Twi…" in a lavender flash, she was gone.

Applejack smiled. "Ha, we did it, y'all," she said triumphantly, "how's it feel to--" She stopped as she turned to look at me.

I sobbed like I never had. Twilight was gone. She wasn't coming back. I'm a monster. An emotion-stealing monster. Tears flowed from my eyes as I wished my life to be over. I would never again read with her, feel her love, sleep next to her to dispel my nightmare. No more picnics, books, or kisses. I felt my body drain of the energy I had gained from Twilight's love, but it did not matter. Yet what did matter was the taste that disappeared along with it. The love, Twi's love, was gone, leaving me nothing but the shell I was trapped in. And so I continued crying until I blacked out from the wooziness.

Storm's POV

"C'mon, I saw them bring him into the barn!" Dash said, Aegis, Rain, and I in tow. Earlier, Pinkie had knocked out Shift and Twilight and began dragging them, with the help of Fluttershy, into the Apple family's barn. We ran up the dirt pathway, right up to the doors, and Aegis burst in.

Everypony stopped as they saw what was tied up in the center of the room. Shift was in his Changeling form, unconscious. Tears ran down his carapace. I glared at the four other ponies. "What… did… you… DO TO HIM?!"

"We…" Rarity began, but I rushed to Shift's side, cradling his head. He was cold, too cold.

"Shift… my brother…" I stammered angrily, "what did you do?"

Applejack looked scared "He's a--"

"I BUCKING KNOW WHAT HE IS!" I yelled at her, making Fluttershy cringe. Then I realized why he was cold, why he was crying. "You made him show Twilight, didn't you?" Nopony moved, confirming my suspicions. "You… monsters…"

"But he was…" Pinkie started, her hair deflated slightly.

"Did you honestly believe that he was feeding off of Twilight?" I accused, "don't you get it?! SHE was feeding him WILLINGLY! Whatever love she felt, it was for nopony else. And he loved her back."

Rarity gave a slight glare. "Changelings don't feel--"

"Then how 'come he's crying, Rarity?" I glared back, "tell me he how he's crying if he can't feel emotion." No answer.

"We was just trying' to protect our friend…" Applejack countered weakly.

I gave her a glare that not even Nightmare Moon could pull off. "Then protect her from yourselves. You monsters… Fluttershy?" I noticed her pull away from the group.

"I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen," she said quietly, "I saw that Shift was a Changeling, but I also saw how happy he made Twilight, and how happy she made him." She glared at the three culprits. "You should feel ashamed of yourselves, especially you, Applejack. You out of any one of us can tell when a pony means true, just like Shift." Wow, Fluttershy just went Iron Will.

Applejack drooped, along with Rarity, and Pinkie's hair was now fully deflated. "Ah… ah feel right horrid fer this," the farm pony said, "ain't there any way we can make it up to ya?"

I thought for a moment, then had an idea that trumped all ideas before. "Yes, actually, but it's gonna take all of us to pull it off!" I exclaimed, "Applejack, we're gonna need catering for a large get-together, including drinks. Rarity, I want you to take Shift to your place. When he wakes up, fit him for a military-style formal dress suit, Changeling style. Pinkie Pie, you get the most important job of all." The party pony's hair inflated slightly. "In the park, on that hill where Twilight and Shift had picnics, I want a party tomorrow night. A big one. And invite all our friends, including Ben and Skyblaze in Canterlot. Oh, and get DJ Pon-3, if you can."

Skyblaze's POV

Luna may have had the eyes and voice of a filly, but she still could fly just as well. I flew alongside her, and we laughed from the exhilaration of flight. Being smaller, we could perform more… intimate… paired maneuvers. For example, hugging in midair and not getting thrown off-balance by Luna's usual extra weight. And so, through the night, we danced in the air.

At a point, we climbed to a high altitude and went into a dive when facing each other. We fell at the same speed, staring into the other's eyes as the wind whipped through our manes. When we reached the cloud layer, I pulled Luna close and we shared a kiss at near-sonic speeds. But the ground was fast approaching, and we were forced to separate and glide in a spiral to a stop next to a lake. There, I pulled the midnight pegasus to my side and we stared up at the stars. They were hardly as beautiful as usual, Celestia not possessing Luna's artistic talent. "It's too bad about the night sky," I remarked to my love.

"Yes, I feel disappointed in her effort," she huffed, sounding adorable, "she could at least change the brightness of… wipe that grin off your face."

I realized that I was giving a toothy smile at her cuteness and chuckled. "But you're so cute," I said making her glare, "and I don't just mean when you're a pegasus."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, but there is one advantage to you being so much smaller," I said playfully, "I can do this." I hugged her with my wings, a sign of the deepest trust and affection toward somepony. Especially when that other pony is of the other gender. Because of Luna's smaller pegasus form, my wings met on her back, fully enveloping the mare I loved.

I felt pressure against my feathers as she pressed her midnight primaries into mine. Preening was one thing, the activity being sanitary and insecure. But the feeling of her wings against mine was intimate, giving the feeling of compassion and pleasure, of trust and affection, but most of all, love.

There, in the moonlight, we shared one of the most passionate kisses yet. In Luna's time, they must not have been as intimate as nowadays, as she gave a slight start when I showed her the finer points of tongue dexterity. But she did not pull away, instead returning the favor, writing her name with skill in my mouth.

Our wings unfurled to full draw, extending to the point of rigidness. However, I managed to keep Luna in a wing-embrace. Luna leaned into me, causing us to topple, the midnight pegasus landing on my chest, still lip-locked. Had she been an alicorn, she would have crushed me. But as a pegasus, her weight on my body felt… right. Like she and only she belonged there. And so we lay there, falling asleep and napping until midnight, then agreeing that it was time for night-lunch.

Kind Greetings' POV

"Wow, you know the Princesses personally?!"

I chuckled at Dinky's excitement. "Yeah, I'm kinda an important pony, so I stay here at the castle."

Derpy, still bedridden, smiled at her happy child. "So what do you do Mister Ben?" the wall-eyed mare asked.

"Oh, I'm a… foreign correspondent," I said, and she gave me a confused stare, focusing on me with one eye, "I'm sort of a pony that officially makes choices for a group of other ponies."

"Really?" wondered the grey filly at her mother's side, "who are they?"

"My five friends. You met Skyblaze, but the four others, Aegis, Rainchaser, Shift, and Storm, are in Ponyville right now."

"Oh, I've seen them!" Dinky said excitedly, "Aegis is the one that looks like Big Mac, right? Only darker."

I nodded. "I should introduce you guys to them, they would love to meet you."

"Great! I love meeting new ponies!" Derpy said, almost as excited as her daughter.

Just then, a tan pegasus stallion with an Equestrian Postal Service bag stepped into the room. "Um, I have a letter for a Kind…" he trailed off, facehoofing as he saw Derpy, "not again, Derpy…"

"Oops, my bad…" Derpy ducked her head in embarrassment, which I found extremely cute, "I just don't know what went wrong…" I was about ready to give a fanboy squeal.

I managed to hide my mirth and turn to the stallion. "I'm Kind Greetings, sir." He hoofed me a letter and, with one last glance at Derpy, went off to his business. I opened the pink envelope, only to have confetti blast out of it, which was strange because the original envelope was too flat to have concealed any sort of confetti-blower… thing. I took out the decorated hot-pink card and read it.

Kind Greetings, you have been invited to a party to be held in Ponyville at sunset this evening. Catering will be provided by Sweet Apple Acres. The event will take place in the park, on the most westerly hill. You are encouraged two guests of your choice.

Hoping to see you there,
-Pinkie Pie, Lead Organizer

"Wow, it must be some party for a decorated card like that," said Derpy, "Pinkie Pie is the best at throwing parties!"

"It says I can bring two guests…" I wondered to myself, "hey, would you guys wanna come with me?"

"Yeah!" came the simultaneous reply.

"Okay, then. Derpy, the nurse told me you're good to go in an hour or so," I told the wall-eyed mare, "I have some paperwork to take care of, so I'll pick you up for the train ride home in two hours." I looked back to see that Dinky had spontaneously fallen asleep at her mother's side. D'aww.

As I was trotting out the door, Derpy made a noise, to which I turned. "Why didn't you say anything about my eyes yet?" she said, surprising me, "most ponies will feel sorry for me, or even make fun of me, but you didn't. Why?"

I looked at the mare. She stared at me with one of the straightest gazes I've seen her manage. "Because I can look past that, Derpy," I said, "Part of friendship is accepting everypony, regardless of how they look or act. What matters is what's on the inside."

She smiled at me. "Thank you, Ben. That means a lot to me." Her gaze focused for a moment, fixing me with that golden gaze. It was a magical moment where I had a realization, and it confused me beyond belief.

As I left the room, I tried to wrap my mind around my revelation. I was in love with that gaze, that filly, and the mare that was on the cot, her wing in a cast. I had fallen in love with Derpy.

Comments

[Sean1471]

aw snap dat plot

[Nightshade Dawn]

d'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[ShadyCanopy]

Shift....

[Swift Agies]

OH DAYUUUM!!!! SHIT HIT THE FAN REAL FAST!!!!

[Chrome Masquerade]

"Oops, my bad…" Derpy ducked her head in embarrassment, which I found extremely cute, "I just don't know what went wrong…" I was about ready to give a fanboy squeal.

Ha! She said it!