The Lion's Roar

by I Am The Night

Chapter 11: Libaax

Twilight stirred herself awake from her slumber, a shivered groan leaving her throat as she raised her head. Rubbing her tired eyes with a free hoof, she wondered what had happened, where she had been. Her memory had seemed jumbled at first, but it took only a glance at the parchment before her, wet with drool, that she remembered.

"Right. Letter. Letters."

She didn't go to sleep right away after last night. She spent the first hour after returning to the library writing quick letters to Princess Celestia, informing her of the situation, but insisting she not act on it right away. Her explanations were vague—she feared giving away Lyon's identity just yet—but she ensured her mentor that things were okay, being sure to write all kinds of ways to verify it was really her and not just a fake—something she and Celestia practiced just a few years before.

Another request of hers was to have her and her friends' luggage returned to Ponyville, as they had no sure intention of returning until they were sure of it.

Twilight wondered what might've gone through their heads when she left. Did they even know? Were they too busy focusing on finding stowaways? Of course, she'd understand... but if Shining were there with her, she could only imagine what he would do to Lyon—

Lyon. Lyon...

Even now, Twilight didn't believe it. She couldn't. She refused! That couldn't have been Lyon before her! He may have taken his form and his voice, but not who he was inside!

But spells don't lie. They never can lie. Every question he answered rang green. Everything he said was a hard truth. He wasn't lying to her or to any of them.

No matter how hard she wanted to deny and rebuke it... he was Lyon. The same Lyon that came to Ponyville five years ago, like he always said. The same Lyon that strutted his archery skills to her before the Summer Sun Celebration. The same Lyon that came to Canterlot to participate in her brother's wedding.

The same Lyon that kissed her lips.

Twilight found herself staring at the parchment before her, watching it with interest for several moments. She must've passed out before she was able to write anything down. She looked at her surroundings, trying to point out Spike, but the young dragon was nowhere to be seen. Regardless, she could hear his snores echoing throughout the library's empty air.

She let out a snort of laughter for a second before returning to the parchment. The smile and laughter faded as she picked up the quill in her aura and began to write. Slowly, as she had no clue what to say.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I'd say I've been thinking about it all night, but that'd be a lie. The reason I haven't told you the full truth about the changeling is... well, frankly, even I am hesitant to see it as truth. Regardless, I can't lie to you, but I need more time to work on this issue myself, along with my friends.

The truth is, the changeling is

Four consecutive knocks at the front door took Twilight out of her focus. She cleared her throat and put down the quill.

"Coming!" she yelled as she walked over to the front door. She wondered who it could've been. The first guess was one of the girls, as the sign hanging by the door still said 'closed' on account of the wedding, and she had yet to flip it around. Though it might be a couple more days than that.

She caught a glimpse of pink by the window and assumed it to be either Pinkie or Fluttershy, if not another pink maned pony in town. She unlatched the lock on the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, Pinkie was there, standing a few feet away from the door.

And Lyon stood before her, just two feet and face-to-face. She recoiled briefly, and Lyon stepped back in response. She could feel her heart skip a beat unsteadily.

"... Hey," she said simply.

"Hey."

The two said nothing for a moment, as if trying to compose another question, or something of the sort to say to one another.

Lyon sighed. "Before you say anything, I want you to know that I never wanted to lie to you. Ever. To any of you. I told you a lot of truths since we've met. I couldn't tell you who I really was because I didn't want to think about it. Apart from... forgetting it, I guess—"

"Why are you here?" Twilight interrupted. It hurt her a bit to cut him off, but anything else would've just delayed it. Even he realized that, she noticed.

"I'll tell you everything. Everything I can stomach. That's what you wanted, right? The truth? I'll tell you the truth."

Twilight eyed the floor for a second.

"I did. I did say that. I..." She let out a breath of air. "Come in, then."

"No. I mean... Not now. Tonight, at my place. The others will be there. It's better to have all of you there to hear it instead of one at a time. Yeah?"

Twilight scrunched her lips in protest, but inevitably admitted he was right. And given they were back in Ponyville, they all had jobs to tend to. Neither of them could yank them from their duties for too long. And she had no doubt this would be more than a few minutes' talk.

"Okay," Twilight agreed. "Okay. Tonight... you said?"

"Yeah. Around nine PM. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. That's okay."

Twilight's hoof hung on the door, ready to close it. She glanced at Pinkie, who stood silently behind Lyon, giving the stallion a hopeful smile. She eyed Twilight and smiled at her too, as if assuring her it was okay. She knew Pinkie long enough to know when she faked a smile, and she saw no such facade on that mare's face. Even then, she couldn't stop feeling uneasy about it.

"I'm sorry," Lyon eventually said to her. "I'm sorry for lying to you. But I had a good reason for it. I swear."

Twilight nodded.

"It's okay," she lied, and she knew he knew in some way.

The three exchanged a brief goodbye, and Twilight shut the door slowly. Despite it, she refused to lock it shut, having feeling no reason to do so. She exhaled and returned over to the nearby desk, the wood beneath her hooves creaking.

She overlooked the parchment that still sat on her desk, a small dot of ink where the quill had sat forming nearby. She grunted as she wiped the ink away with a tissue. With no motivation or need to complete it at the moment, she curled up the parchment and set it aside for the time being.

Twilight then heard a yawn come from the stairs as Spike emerged from the corner, rubbing an eye with his hand, but his face was already shadowed by intrigue.

"Twilight?" he asked. "Who were you talking to? It sounded like Lyon."

"It was," she admitted, looking at the desk. "I... I think. I still don't really know if I should..."

She then turned up to eye the drake.

"He wants us to come over to his house tonight. He said the others will be there, and he'll explain everything."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Do you believe it?"

"He never gave me a reason to doubt him last night," Spike explained, tilting his head. "Why? Do you believe it?"

"I..." She paused. "I don't know. I want to believe him, but after what happened... and last night... but that spell wasn't miscalculating anything. I would've felt it."

"But if it didn't, then why are you doubting it? Or at least doubting him?"

She snorted, her body shivering as goosebumps ran up her spine.

"I guess I'm not looking forward to the answers... no matter how badly I want them."

Spike made his way down the rest of the stair steps and approached the unicorn. "Well, if you're nervous, I can only imagine how the others must be feeling."

"What about you? Aren't you nervous?"

"I mean... a little. But I trust him. If he wanted to hurt me, he would've done it back in Canterlot. But he needed my help, and he even tried to protect me on the train. It's weird... but isn't that a good thing?"

Twilight walked over to the door and looked out the window, watching through it as Lyon and Pinkie seemed to part ways. Pinkie, with a weak smile, walked in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, whereas Lyon retreated in the direction of his home.

"I hope so."

---

Hours passed, and soon the great sun began to set upon the land. The sky turned a bright orange, only to slowly fade into a calm blue that sparkled and shimmered with hundreds of stars. It was such a peaceful calm.

A potentially contrasting catalyst, Twilight thought as she made her way down the streets of Ponyville, Spike and the other Elements of Harmony by her side. All of them had this unsteadiness to them, and it was clear that nopony in the group was anticipating the journey. And of course, why would they? They felt lied to for five years, even with the claims that nothing was hidden. At least... not everything.

Despite that, there was still the faint glow of curiosity and determination of knowing. They needed to know the truth, and they weren't leaving until they got it.

Twilight glanced over to her friends, and all of them shared the same expressions: sadness and uncertainty. Rainbow Dash seemed to be in a bout of thinking, almost distracted by a potential train of thoughts. She seemed to be the most unpredictable one of the bunch next to Pinkie. One minute she was brash and her usual self, and the next she was... there. Twilight couldn't understand it enough.

Spike seemed nervous, his eyes unable to sit straight for more than a few seconds, but nonetheless darted forward in the direction they walked. Almost a bit of faux pas determination, yet still legitimate to assure Twilight.

"I know we all agreed on this..." Applejack spoke after several moments of silence, "... but can we really trust him?"

Doubt, such a delayed reaction, yet all the more expected the closer they got to the household, which steadily crept up from the corners of other houses and trees.

"Sure, we promised on it, but... I can't shake the feeling that we could be walking into a trap."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "As much as I wanna agree on that, it'd be a pretty stupid trap, considering we kinda blasted his backup halfway across the world. And besides, even then, we've got the Elements. A shape-shifting nutcase wouldn't be enough for a million magi-tons of kickbutt!"

"... Magi-tons?" Twilight asked, craning her head towards the pegasus.

"You know... magic and tons? Magi-tons?"

She darted her eyes across her friends.

"... None of you got that? Come on."

"Getting back on track," Rarity interrupted. "I can see what Applejack is trying to say. But surely we aren't going to get anywhere if we automatically assume every changeling is out to get us. And if this is really Lyon judging from what we saw last night, I can't see him immediately attacking us... though, I can't say I haven't had some doubts..."

"I don't think he'll hurt us," Fluttershy claimed. "I don't think he wants to hurt us at all. Just like Spike said."

Rainbow eyed the typically timid pegasus before her, now holding up a shred of bravery.

"You seem to be defending him... or it an awful lot. It's a little suspicious, you know?"

But Fluttershy just shook her head.

"There's nothing suspicious about it," she stated. "If he wanted to hurt us, he would've done it already. He probably would've even left town during the night to find his siblings. Instead, he took the time to write us letters and visit us."

"Maybe he's in it for the long con?" Rainbow questioned.

"Or maybe he's right?"

Rainbow Dash scrunched her lips and sighed. "I mean... he could be right. But I... I just..."

She fell to the ground and tucked in her wings, snorting again.

"Anything but that, you know? I mean, Lyon was cool! A wacky kinda guy, but down to earth, right? But this? It's just... I don't know how to explain it."

Twilight turned to Rainbow with a comforting smile. "We know what you mean, Rainbow. It's gonna be tough to walk through... but it's better to rip the band-aid off now than let it bubble up."

"Yeah... right. Yeah."

With that, Rainbow retreated slowly until she was at the back of the group, slinking away with her shoulders lurched low. She sighed with a clearing of her throat, and her posture seemed as if she'd be shaking if stationary.

Twilight noticed it again; Rainbow acted almost as different as Fluttershy had. It was almost a drastic change from her usual temperament. Her eyes would dart up towards the front of the group, then down to the paved sidewalk like she was trying to hide her gaze. It wasn't the Rainbow Dash she knew at that moment.

But of course, were any of them themselves at that very moment when they were confronting their changeling of a best friend? With all the secrets and gossips and private information they potentially told it?

Him. It was still him. Twilight knew that now. All that was left to know is how much of it really was true.

Another minute later, they finally approached the front steps of Lyon's cottage. It was a fairly decent-sized home—a tad bit smaller than the average home in town, she noticed—but still cozy if the living room still had more than enough room with all of them in there.

With a slow jolt of her hoof, Twilight knocked on the door a few times, loud enough that it could be likely heard across the household. After a few short moments, the sound of muffled hoofsteps could be heard from behind the wooden pallet. A moment after that, a lock from behind clicked, and the door opened.

In front of them stood Lyon, the way he always had looked—tan fur, gray and dark-gray mane and tail, and a bow-and-arrow cutie mark. His green eyes still twinkled even in the growing darkness of the evening sky. The mere sight of his form unnerved her now, but she knew better than to run.

"Hey," Twilight said simply, attempting to break the tension as the group stared at one another for what had to have been several seconds.

"Hey," Lyon replied after a moment. "You're right on time."

"As we promised. Right?"

"Right... right. Um... well, come on in, then?"

Lyon stepped aside from the open door and pulled it back further, allowing the girls to enter his home. Other than Spike, Pinkie, and Fluttershy who gave him a brief smile and gaze of their eyes, the rest of them not necessarily refused to look at him, but seemed simply to not have the strength to do so.

As soon as they were all inside, Lyon shut the door behind him. He let out a puff of air and headed over to the living room, where the group had all started to take their seats on the couch almost in the exact same order they sat in just yesterday, while Lyon took his place on the small chair near the fireplace.

"I don't know if this is kinda weird to ask," he began, "but do you guys want anything to eat or drink? We might be here a while, and I don't exactly want you guys feeling hungry or thirsty the whole time, right?"

Twilight and the others eyed each other, but ultimately everyone shook their heads.

"With all due respect... Lyon," Twilight explained, "I think it's best we get this over with now instead of delaying it anymore, don't you think?"

He nodded. "Yeah, of course. Just wanted to be sure, that's all."

Twilight said nothing else as her horn began to glow, and already Lyon knew what it was meaning. Saying nothing else, he sat patiently as the familiar truth spell from last night began to worm its way into his body, a also-familiar feeling coursing even through his very veins like a chill of wind. But as quick as it had began, the feeling left Lyon's body, and Twilight's horn dimmed to nothing.

"How do you feel?" Twilight asked him soon after.

"Nervous," Lyon admitted almost immediately, and as it had before, Twilight's horn glowed a steady green to show them he was telling the truth. "But I'm ready whenever you are."

Twilight gave Lyon a steady nod and pulled a small notebook from the satchel around her barrel. Rainbow Dash's unsure expression changed into a familiar un-amused look as she saw the unicorn flipping through the first couple pages, but then turned back to Lyon, and the un-amusement was gone.

"Guess we should start with the basics, huh?"

"Sure."

"Right."

With a lick of her lips, she looked to the first question on the paper, then turned back to Lyon.

"What is your real name?"

"Libaax," he answered, adjusting his posture briefly. "Ell, Eye, Bee, Ayy, Ayy, Ex."

Green again. "Can you tell us what that means?"

Lyon nodded. "In my people's mother tongue, the name "Libaax" means 'great warrior.' The name was more so a term for my people, for those who were believed by their birthers to help lead our kind to victory. I am the only changeling I know that is named Libaax."

"Why is that?" Twilight asked with a curious tone, yet more confident as green filled her vision once more.

"My m... Queen Chrysalis had faith. When I was born, that's all she ever had. Faith."

Green shone again as Twilight looked down at her notepad again, darting her eyes across what Lyon presumed to be her next question. Instead, she stopped and looked up again.

"What do you mean by that? Why faith?"

Initially, Lyon looked away from the group, eyeing the wall to his right. He snorted. "Even around the time I was born... our species was struggling for dominance over the little land it harbored. Strength in numbers was a necessity. Back then, warriors were determined by physique at birth. If you were below a specific number, you were considered a lesser. To some, they were lucky."

"Why?"

"If our kingdom was ever attacked, they'd be the last to die, and the first to surrender."

That statement seemed to unnerve Twilight again, prompting her to shuffle in her seat subtly. She glanced at Fluttershy, then back to Lyon. She too could see the discomfort on his face. It was clear he didn't like to say it that way, but the ping of green in her horn made her realize he didn't have a choice regarding that specific answer. She moved on.

"Does Libaax have any other meaning?"

Lyon snorted a laugh for a moment, earning a raised eyebrow from most of the girls. Lyon looked back up to them.

"Translated into Equestrian... Libaax is the changeling term for "lion." Ell, Eye, Oh, En."

Rainbow held up a single hoof. "Wait... seriously? So your name is really Lion?"

"Yeah. Well, Lyon as in Ell, Wye, Oh, En. For most of my life at least, it's been that way. It just sounded more real that way, I guess."

"So it wasn't always Ell, Wye, Oh, En?" Twilight questioned.

"Not during the time I lived in the hive, no," Lyon answered with a shake of his head. "All changeling names are typically that of direct terms in our language. And it's only specific names that are given to some if they are believed it is through fate."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, warriors were determined by physique at birth. Others are determined by hoof-eye coordination, reflexes, and intelligence, especially regarding a future ruler."

"Future ruler?"

"It's a process every... so often. One of us, when the current queen or king is weak and near death, will be crowned the new ruler of the hive to govern. They are the most equipped of the next generation. But as our species dwindled... well... there wasn't as much variation as in the start, so we've been told."

Twilight's horn glowed again, and she found her curiosity piqued about more than just the rulers in question. There was so much more to know, if this is the case!

"Tell me about your kind."

Lyon swallowed the spit in his throat, letting out a small breath. His body posture changed slightly, a sign to Twilight that he was hesitant.

"Take your time," she said.

It was quiet for a few moments, the girls eyeing each other back and forth, whereas Spike continued to look at the stallion before him.

"Where should I start?"

"Your species' age, perhaps? How long have changelings existed?"

Lyon adjusted his posture once more. "About as long as ponykind, just shy of a thousand years less."

"The modern pony had existed for twenty-two thousand years. Your species is twenty-one thousand?"

"That's right. Or, so we've been told."

Twilight's horn turned green once more. She proceeded to write down Lyon's statement in her notebook.

"Can I ask somethin'?" Applejack asked Twilight.

"Of course, if that's okay," Twilight replied, turning to Lyon.

"Of course."

Applejack scrunched her face, as if already regretting asking that question, but she knew it was too late to turn back.

"Why do... why do you steal love?"

He had a feeling he knew why she asked that specifically. He sighed slowly.

"... I don't."

Applejack turned her head in disbelief towards Twilight's horn, expecting to see a blistering red piercing the air. Instead, she was greeted yet again by the color green. She turned back to Lyon.

"For the record, I would never steal love from any of you. I never had to."

"Because we'd just give it to you?"

"No. I haven't had to consume love in years."

"If I may?" Twilight spoke up, earning Lyon's attention. "How does that work? "Consuming" love?"

"Love is a collective energy in all of us," Lyon answered. "It's part of our overall life force. Whenever we fall in love or feel happy around someone we care about, that energy only amplifies. When we share it, it expels outward. You don't see it, but you can feel it. Casting a spell without knowing it or ever casting it."

"Magic. Got it," Rainbow concluded.

"... Yes. To put it simply, magic. But it's still part of us as a whole. Even the smallest bit of love is practically gushed out on a typical day. Even that can be enough, given time."

"But... if you can consume love that way," Twilight began, "why don't you?"

Lyon sighed deeply. "We did. We used to."

The stallion pushed himself further up onto the chair, leaning his right arm against the armrest. From there, he began to recount the story...

---

My mother... Chrysalis... is the only queen of the Changelings. She has been for as long as Equestria has stood. But she wasn't always alone.

When my mother was born, thousands of years ago, she was one of three sisters. She came first, then her middle sister, Aurelia, and her youngest, Kell. Their mother, Queen Pupa, saw great things in them. They saw power, kindness, but most of all, love.

According to the last historians I knew, my mother and her sisters were... well, inseparable would be a vast understatement. They more than cared for each other, eager to see fit that our kingdom, an empire then, would prosper in the generations to come.

Before her death, Pupa gifted all three of them the title of Queen.

Three queens ruling at the same time? How is that possible?

The same way Princesses Celestia and Luna have ruled Equestria for thousands of years. Together, using their combined leadership and the words hoofed down from their mother, the three Sisters would go on to unite the Changeling Empire with the world like never before. Trade routes and relationships were among the first examples of bringing us together, and there were benefits on both sides. Lands like Equestria and even the early variants of the Far East would obtain some of the rarest resources and goods only our Empire could produce, and in return... we earned their love and trust. Willingly.

Equestria? The changelings... worked with Equestria?

Yes. This was long before Luna and Celestia had even been born. By this point, Equestria was merely an infant, but steadily growing. By this time, the three Sisters had ruled for two-hundred years, and our prescence by then had already been announced to the world.

I'm guessing it wasn't too pretty, for the most part?

Actually... it was the opposite. Admittedly, creatures were... uneased when they learned of a changeling's ability to change form. But they didn't let that simple thing change them. Unlike my kind today, the changelings of the old world didn't believe in violence, in terror, in any kind of intimidation to get what they want. Because they knew it would only create enemies and lead us down paths we may never come back from. Out of all three, my mother was desperate to make sure we never risked our survival for something as trivial as fruitcakes or necklaces.

Your mother... she seems like a completely different person.

She was. She was the kindest person anyone of the old world had the pleasure of meeting. Of loving. She was the epitome of love amongst a world of uncertainty and even hatred. She was love.

... And then her sisters died.

---

The room went silent as everyone seemed to hold their breath for several moments, before releasing the air slowly and as quietly as they could.

"Died...?" Twilight finally asked.

Lyon nodded somberly before looking up at her. "I'm not getting off topic for you, am I?"

"No... no. I... I'm sorry, I..."

Twilight paused, finding herself lost at what to say. It was a sudden change in tone that she hadn't expected. Looking towards Lyon, she saw that discomfort from before growing in his eyes. Spike and the others seemed to share almost the same mix of emotions as her and him.

"It's fine, you don't need to be sorry. But... if it's alright with you, can we... move onto another question? Just for now?"

Twilight nodded. "Of course."

The mare looked at her notebook of questions, unsure of what to ask the stallion before her. She hummed instinctively, but paused when she felt the eyes of the others gazing her down.

After a few moments of pondering, she closed the notebook.

"You said earlier that you don't consume love like your siblings, correct?" Lyon nodded. "How is that possible? The way you describe love, you act as if it's your food source."

"Well... that's because it is. Or depending on the changeling... was. In the early days of the changelings, we consumed basic foods like any other creature. It provided the usual sustinence you would expect from a fruit or a vegetable. But when it came to love, it could feed us more than most foods ever could. Combining the two, a changeling could do the work of five working bulls in six hours and still have the energy for more."

"Ahhhhh," Rainbow Dash sighed with a slight grin, "so you guys were perfect mating candidates, right?"

"Rainbow!"

Lyon stifled a grin himself and laughed awkwardly with a faint blush on his face.

"Well... depends on the changeling..."

"A-Ahem," Rarity cleared her throat. "If you haven't noticed, there's a certain young dragon in here?"

Spike turned to the mare beside him. "I know what mating is, Rarity."

"And I wonder why?"

"Uh... from Twilight?"

Rarity scrunched her lips and sat back.

"Right. Well, go on then, something about food? Changelings and food?"

Lyon smiled briefly at Rarity before continuing.

"To put it simply, we didn't need to rely entirely on love to sustain us. But it helped us prosper, and so the changelings established all kinds of relationships to keep us supplied. And the most important thing to say about this: Every relationship was genuine. My mother was willing to die for those she cared about, whether they were a griffon or a pony or cattle. She loved her kind, and she loved other kinds as much."

Lyon could feel himself smile a bit as he recounted the documents of the changeling historians, and how his mother cherished the world around her. But his smile faded when he remembered what happened next, and only then did he realize he was going off topic again.

"It wasn't until she lost her sisters that my mother lost herself, and with her, our empire. Or at least, what was left of it."

"What happened?"

Lyon focused his attention to Twilight. "We were attacked. By the Rougeland Empire."

"The what now...?" Applejack asked confusedly. But the look she saw on Twilight's face knew she was about to know herself.

"The Rougeland Empire was one of the first generation of empires to rise. They were around long before Equestria was ever founded. They were a powerful nation comprised of the most brutal of warriors and leaders. Historians say they never took prisoners or captives. Whatever or whoever they saw..."

"They destroyed," Lyon finished. "Right?"

Twilight nodded somberly.

"We were one of the last kingdoms they ever invaded before they collapsed. We never stood a chance against an army of that magnitude. And my mother..."

Lyon paused to sigh.

"My mother was the only one to escape. Her and a few hundred changelings. All that was left of an empire. It didn't take long before our allies followed suit. Some were wiped out entirely. Equestria, at that point, was powerful enough to repel their attacks.

"After my mother relocated, our kind struggled to get on proper feet. Without the guidance of her sisters, my mother... was willing to do whatever it took to feed the remnants."

"Willing how?"

"How else do you think the Rougeland Empire fell?"

The room went dead silent as Lyon's words connected with their ears. Twilight was more attentive than ever.

"The Spymasters."

"Spymasters?" Rainbow Dash repeated, prompting Twilight to turn to her.

"The Spymasters were a supposed tale of ancient folklore surrounding the Rougeland Empire. It was believed ancient creatures with the power to disguise themselves infiltrated the confines of their kingdoms. The main causes of their fall came after the arrival of the Spymasters. Pestilence... famine... fire. From locusts to the Blue Plague, it took only a few years for the empire to collapse... so we've been told."

At the mention of the creatures, everyone turned to Lyon.

"The creatures... changelings," Twilight finished, and the stallion before her nodded his head.

According to our historians, it was the first ever act of violence and deception my mother performed. At a time of desperation and fear, she pretended to be someone she wasn't to get what she wanted. But deep down, many of us believed it was purely out of revenge.

Ten years after the first fall of the Changeling Empire, Rougeland was next. A siege on their ruined government and a torching of their architecture was all it took to ensure nothing could be salvaged. But unlike their leaders, my mother took prisoners. They weren't hostages. They became our food source.

My mother swore to her children that it was all with good intentions, that she would never harm someone unless they deserved it.

It all came to change when she invaded Barbosquell. Barbosquell was a small nation to the far east of Rougeland, and presumably made up partially of refugees fleeing Rougeland. It was a few years after Rougeland collapsed that my mother approached the small settlement hoping to make peace with them. They refused initially, but when word got around that one of those alongside my mother was involved in the siege all those years back, they dragged him into the town square and...

... And what...?

They killed him. They hanged him in the square without even a second thought.

But how could they have known he was there?

According to some of the changelings there that day, the refugees from Rougeland recognized him solely on a scar on his lower lip, and a faded gash on his abdomen. That alone was seemingly all it took to kill him. They attempted to do the same to Chrysalis and the other changelings that came with her, but they fled the town.

The next day, she returned to the town with more changelings than the town had settlers. They didn't have time to react before they were hauled off in cocoons, and the town burned to the ground.

Dear Celestia... did she kill them too?

When they had nothing left to give, yes. She would kill them and didn't care much where the bodies went. She always would claim they deserved to rot in the dark.

After Barbosquell was destroyed, my mother continued to attack other settlements in order to sustain the colony. Allegedly, she claimed it was always after they acted first, and some accounts seemed to support the claim. But after only a few years, my mother's behavior began to worsen, and it wasn't long before she was the one attacking first.

Our race had become so fixated on the idea of love as a food source that we completely did away with physical consumption altogether. No longer did a changeling have to eat an apple or scarf down a pizza to get fed. They just had to love someone in all the right ways, and they were set for life.

But even some of those in the hive knew it would bite us sooner or later, and that came true during the Great Scorning.

That period is rarely archived.

For most societies, yes. Very few chose to document that time, and its effects on global relations. Because the Changelings had gained enough an influence to become a global pariah, distrust grew across the nations of the world. Mutual partners a hundred years before were now sleeping with one eye open and pitchforks in their hooves and claws, waiting for the moment they'd have to use them. Everyone was questioned every day, a random question every time, just to be sure they weren't someone they weren't. Contrary to its ideals of friendship, Equestria was on the brink of war with Griffonstone. There was no love left anywhere. The world hated itself, all because of one single race.

The changelings suffered for years, known to us as The Love Famine. Many changelings died because there wasn't enough love to sustain them. Some even tried to eat basic foods, but by then it did nothing. Our systems had grown accustomed to love that nothing else would fill us. Because of my mother's greediness, we were on the verge of extinction.

But it was, in its own darkly way, a silver lining. Soon before the famine ended, we went into hiding. Some changelings were then reportedly sent out as decoys, changelings who would, under disguise, spread the word that the changeling empire had been vanquished. Despite this... the only way to properly convince anyone was to use our own dead as evidence. The decoys dragged wagons full of bodies to towns and cities across the nearby nations. Mail carriers would deliver the news to the rest of the world, that the malevolent Changeling Empire was no more.

The world boomed in population by the end of that year alone. And with the passing years, it meant more food for my mother. But she knew better than to go out as she had before and risk our destruction. So she and her children remained hidden, deep in the shadows beneath the earth, preying on few at a time, until the time was right to reintroduce us to the world.

And it drove my mother mad. Gone was the gem of the world, and replacing it... the shadows, even paranoid of itself. As the centuries passed, she became obsessed with power, of ensuring that the changelings would never be vanquished, even if all but one had been destroyed. She convinced herself all her deeds were in the name of justice and fairness.

And she dared to kill anyone who said otherwise.

Then I was born, and everything seemed to change. Slowly... but surely.

Change how?

I betrayed my kind and left the hive as soon as I had the opportunity, and I never looked back. And that uncovered the insanity that became her very being. The very insanity that brought down Sanctity.

What's Sanctity?

Sanctity was...

---

Lyon let out an unsteady breath as he uttered that word. He remembered recounting it in passing at the wedding, but it was a moment's speak.

But now here he was, faced with more than just a word, but with the memories carried with it. He could feel his chest grow heavy, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years, at least not this heavy. Every time he opened his mouth to keep talking, an invisible force it felt like was keeping him from saying another word.

"We can stop for tonight, if you want," Twilight suggested, seeing the visible discomfort on Lyon's face. As much as he didn't want to drag it on, he reluctantly nodded.

Looking over to the clock, Lyon noticed that only an hour had passed since they first sat down. He found himself even more exhausted in that instant than the entire time he talked. Still so much to say, and still so much time left to say it in. He brought his hooves to his temples and rubbed them gently to allow himself a better momentary focus.

"Wait," Rainbow spoke up, "what happened next?"

Lyon sighed, hesitating to answer it even in a jesting manner. "A lot, but... if it's alright with you guys, I'm gonna need some more time to digest all this than I thought. It's gonna take my brain a couple days to properly catch up, if you know what I mean."

Before Rainbow could think to complain, Twilight replied, "We understand. We can continue this on Thursday. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Thursday. It should be enough time. But I can always push forward a bit, if—"

"No, no," Twilight rejected, "We can do it Thursday, if it's comfortable."

Lyon didn't want to argue of it any further, so he nodded his head. He glanced once more at the clock, only a few moments having passed, before he turned to the door. The window had been cracked open to let in cool air from the outside. A brief chill ran over Lyon's skin as soon as he remembered it, and he found himself subconsciously brushing himself gently with a hoof.

"Well... it is getting late. Perhaps it's best we all head home, get some shuteye now, then... cobble more stuff together tomorrow. No interviewing or interrogating, just... talking about things. Maybe your time before you came to Ponyville. Normal things. Sound good?"

Lyon shrugged his shoulders. "Depends on how I feel by that point, but... sure."

The lavender unicorn nodded her head to the stallion before looking down to Spike and pointing her head to the door.

"Ready to head home?"

At first, Spike hesitated to answer the question, looking to the others and even Lyon as if wanting their help. But inevitably, he gave Twilight a nod and the two started for the door. Lyon saw Twilight shiver briefly as a cold breeze came in, no doubt stronger at the door than near the fireplace.

"Wait," Rainbow spoke up again, stopping Twilight and Spike in their tracks and turning them around. "Shouldn't we have one of us stay here? You know... just in case?"

Lyon glanced up at her. "Do you still think I'm gonna try and run?"

"No... just... I don't know. I..."

"Rainbow," Twilight said with a sigh. "He's not going to do anything. Right?"

She turned to Lyon for reassurance, and he nodded in return.

"And you know I've been telling the truth too," Lyon added, referring to Twilight's spell. "I would never hurt any of you. You understand?"

Another faint glow of green against Twilight's horn would further confirm his statement. The sight of it seemed to calm Rainbow's nerves only a bit, but she couldn't help but still feel a little unsure.

"Look... if you're still that wary, you can... stay the night, I guess." Lyon glanced around the living room briefly to find a large green blanket he'd used mostly on cold nights, and pointed to its place on the top of the couch. "You can take the couch, but... only if you want to stay."

"Lyon, I don't think it's really necessary—" Twilight tried to speak, only to be cut off by Rainbow Dash.

"Actually, if you're cool with it, then... I guess I could stay the night. Tank should be fine till tomorrow."

"I can check on him before I get home, if you want," Fluttershy suggested kindly. Rainbow turned around to grab the blanket from the couch top.

"He's a tough little guy, but... yeah, I think he'd like that."

Fluttershy nodded and proceeded to remove herself from the couch.

"Well," Applejack spoke up, "I guess it's time I headed home myself. Gonna be a bit of a hassle workin' tomorrow."

The mare paused, hummed briefly, and turned to Lyon.

"If it's alright with you, Lyon... perhaps it might be best if you took a break from work for a few days, till everything gets sorted, you know? I'll pay you for it."

"AJ, you don't have to—"

"I know, but... shucks, I can't exactly punish you, can I? Especially after tonight?"

Lyon opened his mouth briefly, only to close it a moment later and nod in place. Twilight and Spike continued to stand by the door, only now ready to leave.

"We'll see you tomorrow... okay?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow," Lyon answered.

Once the unicorn and drake left Lyon's home, the others followed, giving their goodbyes and promises to return tomorrow. Each mention of tomorrow only made Lyon feel a bit more uneasy. He knew Twilight promised not to talk more about what they discussed tonight, but even talking about himself wasn't something he was entirely keen on doing.

But what was he to do? He couldn't ignore them; it was never in his nature to ignore them, no matter how frustrated he could ever be with them—the wedding coming to mind.

—you wouldn't have abandoned your best friend when she needed you the most!

Maybe a bit too much.

Pinkie was the last to leave, shutting the door behind her. As soon as the others were gone, Lyon let out a deep sigh and slumped in his chair, letting his body practically sink into the cushion as his muscles relaxed.

"You, uh... you good?" Rainbow asked after a moment of silence.

"It's been a long day..."

Rainbow shifted on the couch.

"Yeah... it has. But, hey... at least we were able to clear up some things, right?"

Lyon sighed, clenching his eyes for a moment and letting the chair recline as he stretched.

"That was nothing, to be honest."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, snorting with a faint grin. "Really? All that was 'nothing'?"

"There's a lot more stuff you guys don't know about," Lyon admitted, turning onto his side to face Dash. "And frankly... I wanted it to stay that way. And it would've... but trust me when I say there is a lot of stuff you've yet to know about us. And we haven't even started talking about me yet."

"Well... we know your name is really Libaax, so... that's something."

Lyon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, one thing."

"And the fact that you told the truth."

The stallion turned onto his back again, looking up to the ceiling. He let out a slow, deep breath.

"After all this, you're gonna wish I lied. Believe me."

The remnants of a grin on Dash's face quickly faded, not out of fear, but of concern.

"What could you have done that was so bad?"

Lyon glared at the ceiling.

"Not me. Her."

Traitor.

"Always her."

He hummed and turned back onto his side, this time facing towards the fireplace.

"It's getting late," he said. "We should get some sleep too. Unless the reason you stayed was to talk?"

He didn't notice that Rainbow had been looking at his form, taking in his words. Given what she only knew of the Queen so far, she could only imagine what kind of evil she had wrought against him, at least to warrant leaving the hive. Rainbow wanted to doubt that was the case; part of her wanted to believe that Lyon wasn't the real Lyon they she knew, and that he was only playing for the long con.

But Twilight's magic didn't lie. So why would it start now?

"Nah. That can wait till tomorrow."

"If you say so." Lyon yawned as he stretched his legs and let his head rest against his arm.

"You want a blanket too?"

"No... I'll be fine."

"Cool," Rainbow said, plopping herself down against one of the pillows on the couch, briefly basking in the sheer softness of the fabric. "Well... goodnight, I guess?"

Lyon laughed softly through his nose. "Goodnight, Rainbow."

But he could only wish it'd be a good night. Already, Lyon felt himself unable to sleep, and his eyes forcing themselves open. He found himself staring at the wall adjacent to the fireplace. Though the lights had been shut off, there was still enough of a faint glow around the house to allow him to see—not that there was much to see on this particular wall, anyhow.

But it kept his mind busy.

He didn't want to tell them. From the very moment he remembered it all, he knew at some point he was going to have to tell them everything. He could refuse, sure, but what would stop them from taking it wrong or even resenting him if they chose not to blast him to the moon?

They didn't deserve to know what he knew. It wasn't worth it. He knew it wasn't.

And he didn't want to have to remember it again.

"zzzzZZZZzzzz..."

Lyon groaned softly. Suddenly, sleep didn't sound so bad after all.

Author's Note:

Hi again. I didn't mean to do that.

But yeah, this story's back after a hiatus of four months. A plethora of things has kept me lingering on this chapter since, ranging from heartbreak to depression and laziness...

And maybe that global pandemic people are talking about, I guess.

But while I'm stuck indoors, I'm going to try and dedicate my time into getting back into the groove of things. I can't promise always weekly updates for this story, but I can at least go for semi-weekly. Regardless, I'd love to keep this story going.

I apologize if the ending seemed rushed. Sometimes endings are tough depending on how it goes.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Alternate story tag in accordance with the series finale (unless it isn't needed since this is fanfiction anyway).

From what I've gathered, it depends on how much you deviate from canon.

[Muramasa]

I like the method of introducing your own Changeling lore here: Lyon is the first to tell the group these things because up to this point, Ponies and Changelings hadn't interacted for years.

Glad to see this back. Keep em' coming!

[JazzTheFox53rd]

Really loving this story!