Chapter 26: ...To Reform Another Changeling
It Takes a Village to Reform a Changeling
Chapter 26: ...To Reform Another Changeling
One Month Later...
Mandy sighed, finally collapsing into his bed after another long day. He'd just spent another long day meeting with unreformed Changelings, reassuring ones that had doubts, checking up on ones that'd adapted well, and managing the month-long timeskip. Now, he was looking forward to some rest and relaxat–
Knock knock.
Mandy groaned, his aching joints screaming for him to rest, but he got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, he smiled at the sight of Applejack. "Hey, AJ; what's up?"
She adjusted her hat and smiled. "Ah was jus' wonderin' if ya were comin' to the party."
Mandy smacked himself, then yawned, "Was that today? I'm sorry; I'll be right over."
She nodded. "Take yer time; Ah know how hard it's been on ya, bein' ambassador an' all."
He sighed. "Thanks, Applejack. Don't worry; I'll be there soon."
She smiled, before turning and heading off.
Mandy arrived at Sugar Cube Corner 20 minutes later, finding the party in full swing. Applejack was chatting with Rarity, Rainbow Dash was playing Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony with Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie was swinging from the rafters...
And Princess Chrysalis, who still had the magic-inhibiting ring on her, was talking with Twilight and Celestia, Prince Mothra by her side.
Mandy gave out a contended sigh, then smiled as he walked in.
AJ was first to notice his arrival. "Glad ya could make it, Mandy."
He pshawed. "I said I'd be here, and I meant it."
Twilight turned at the voice, waving him over. "Hey, Mandy! Come over here; we have something for you."
Mandy blinked, then hesitantly walked forward. What could she want with him?
Mothra looked over and smiled. "Greetings," he said.
"Alright, what do you want with me?" Mandy cut straight to the chase.
Celestia chuckled slightly. "I just wanted to give you this," she pulled out a laminated piece of paper from a saddlebag and levitated it to him. He read it, and gasped.
It was a Certificate of Citizenship. And it was his.
He managed to keep back tears as he regarded Celestia. "Thank you, Princess!"
She nodded. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for us."
He took the document and used his magic to teleport it to his room.
"And there's one more thing," Twilight added, catching Mandy's attention. "Since you're now a fully-fledged citizen, I thought you might want one of these."
She whistled, and Pinkie Pie popped up from nowhere, pulled a key out of her mane, and disappeared again.
Mandy stared at the key. "You got me a key?"
Twilight chuckled. "Well, not exactly. Applejack thought you'd want to live closer to Sweet Apple Acres, so we all pitched in and built you a house!"
Mandy's jaw dropped. A house? Near Sweet Apple Acres?! Made specifically for him!? He could hardly believe it!
"I-I...," he was barely cognizant enough to form words, "I don't... Th-thank you!"
The others, apparently overhearing their conversation, approached. "It was no problem at all, dear," Rarity said humbly, "They just needed me to help decorate."
Fluttershy blushed. "All I really did was a little landscaping... Oh, and I made sure Vesper would be comfortable there."
Pinkie cheered out, "I made sure it'll be fun! You'll never guess where I hid the Party Cannons!"
Mandy rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile.
Rainbow Dash swooped in and boasted, "I made sure the layout of the house wouldn't cause the sun to wake you up in the morning; I just HATE it when that happens!"
Mandy chuckled. "Thank you for being considerate."
Twilight added, "I made sure it was equidistant from both Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres, while still being in a good location."
Mandy blinked, vaguely understanding. "Uh-huh..."
Finally, Applejack smiled nonchalantly. "An' that jus' left the bulk o' the buildin' to me an' Big Mac."
"Thank you, everypony. You don't know how much this means to me."
Everypony dismissed it as nothing much.
"No, really, I can't express how much I–"
Chrysalis gagged. "We get it, you're thankful. Just move on already!"
Everyone glared at her.
She backpedaled. "Sorry, I'm still learning."
Mandy now stood on the path between Sweet Apple Acres and the rest of Ponyville, staring in awe at the new house in front of him. It was roughly as big as Fluttershy's Cottage, but was built to resemble the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres, with an added porch and an observation deck reminiscent of the ones back at the Golden Oaks Library. He looked inside; the interior was structured like the Golden Oaks Library as well, consisting of a main room with branching offshoots.
"So, whaddya think?" AJ asked him.
He turned back towards the farm pony, and hugged her. "It's perfect."
She blushed profusely. "Well, Ah'm glad ya like it."
Eventually, she broke off the hug. "Now, Ah'll help ya move yer stuff in, then we gotta go; Thorax's official Coronation is t'night."
Mandy sighed. "Wouldn't wanna miss that, would we?"
AJ eyed him playfully. "Well, after that's done, we'll have some free time; do ya think, maybe ya'd wanna... Ah dunno... Spend it together?"
Mandy jumped for joy. "Of course! We can play Chutes and Ladders, or practice our distance-bucking, or I could show you the new trick that I taught Vesper!"
She blinked, then doubled down on the flirtation. "Actually, Ah was thinkin' 'bout doin' somethin' involvin' the bed..."
Mandy blinked. "You wanna build pillow forts?"
AJ face-hooved. "No, Ah'm tryna say that Ah–"
She stopped when she saw Mandy's sly smile. "Yer just messin' with me, ain'tcha?"
"I can't help it," he winked, "You just look so cute when you're flustered."
One month earlier...
Spike received a letter detailing Chrysalis's punishment, as well as plans regarding the rest of the Changelings:
Citizens of Equestria,
After some hours of deliberation at the Day Court, a decision has been made regarding the future of the Changeling species.
At Mothra's request, the drones shall be relocated to a new Hive, which will be constructed inside the Ghastly Gorge -- where they shall be confined for at least two months. After this, they shall be allowed to go as long as they have been deemed "fit for integration" by Equestria's Ambassador to the Changelings, Ambassador Mandibles Carapace. The only exception to this confinement shall be officially sanctioned events, such as Coronations, Summits, Galas, et cetera.
To help aide in the reconstitution of the Changelings, also at the request of Mothra, Thorax Glyder and Pharynx Elytron shall be issued new titles. Henceforth, Thorax Glyder shall be known as King Thorax Glyder, leader of the Equestrian Changeling Hive. He shall be responsible for the well-being of its denizens, as well as its prosperity. By his side shall be Commander Pharynx Elytron, Commander-in-chief of the Equestrian Changeling Hive's defensive forces.
In light of this change in power, Chrysalis Rosebud shall also be given a new and diminished title. Henceforth, she shall be known not as a Queen but as a Princess. She will be a Princess by title only, and shall hold no actual power. Furthermore, she shall be put on probation for 1 year. The terms of her probation include restrictions on her magic, constant surveillance, and, of course, her husband Prince Mothra by her side.
And finally, let it be known that, from here on out, any Changelings found within Equestria shall be seen as citizens, and will be treated accordingly.
– Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Princess Chrysalis, Prince Mothra.
Everyone in the room stared wide-eyed at the scroll in front of them. Mandy was surprised that Chrysalis had actually willingly signed the document; Twilight was intrigued by the ramifications of merging Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom; Thorax was on the cusp of fainting at the news that he was now royalty; Pharynx was stoked that he was now leader of the Hive's defensive forces; and Spike was scrutinizing the page closely, making sure he hadn't misread anything.
Thorax was the first to speak (not that it was very coherent, but he was certainly the first one to make a sound): "Wh– tha– K-k-k-King– me?! Me, a King?!"
Pharynx beamed at his brother. "Way to go, bud! Or rather, Your Highness."
Thorax began hyperventilating. "I can't– I just can't! I'm not a ruler; I'm a wuss! I–"
Mandy grabbed Thorax by the shoulders, steadying him. "Look at me, Thorax. You're the most compassionate Changeling I know; you've got this."
Thorax paused for a moment before he pushed Mandy away. "Thanks for trying, Mandy, but I need to go through my own process."
He blinked. "Wow, I actually just failed to talk something through. That's a first..."
Thorax continued to hyperventilate as he stumbled out of the room, Pharynx close behind.
Then Spike piped up, "Chrysalis's surname is Rosebud?"
Back in the present day...
Horns sounded out as Thorax stood at the front of the room, a crowd of Ponies and Changelings (both reformed and unreformed) watching as Celestia addressed him.
"Citizens of Equestria," she began, "It is my great honor to officially present to you King Thorax, leader of the Equestrian Changeling Hive."
She stepped aside to let Prince Mothra approach. The former King took his crown off of his head, placing it on his son's head.
Thorax was still incredibly anxious, but Pharynx gave him a reassuring smile, and he took a deep breath. "I am honored, Princess Celestia," he began, unaware that his chest was beginning to glow. "I promise that my brother and I shall watch over and protect the Changelings for as long as I'm able."
The crowd began to cheer, but quickly stopped; they were enraptured by the glow that was now encompassing Thorax. The glowing cocoon that was becoming commonplace formed around him, and once Mothra touched it, it shattered, leaving behind the reformed Thorax.
He looked down at himself, barely able to suppress an excited squeal at the sight of his new form.
Then he paused, remembering what Mothra had told him about the circumstances that caused this form:
"It sort of works like a pony's Cutie Mark, where it's a combination of sharing love and realizing what your place in society is."
And for the first time since he'd received the news, Thorax was truly confident about this.
Later that night, at Mandy's new house...
Mandy nervously grimaced. "Are you really sure you want to do this? I mean, I've never done this before... At least, not like this..."
AJ chuckled. "Relax, will ya? It'll be jus' fine."
He took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm ready."
She smirked devilishly. "Then let's do it!"
And with that said, they began their totally non-sexual pillow fight.
THE END
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Interesting
oh wow What a story so Finally after all the planning and everything and giving chrysalis Punishments for the wrong doing she did Which I'm sure everything will be OK for her now mandy Became the Citizens of equestria after all hes been through and thorax Finally transform and become king of the changelings Way to go buddy and pharynx by his side He won't do this alone And with that this was a really good story and I notice something your page says the end but your other one just say incomplete Is there a more to it 🤔 I guess we are not done yet And we'll have to wait and find out
Edit oh ok I guess you're fixed it the story is done lol oh well Awesome story 😊
10440285
Now why did you have to go and let us down like that?
I’m not being serious
I feel like Chrysalis gave in a bit too easily. It's like a switch was flipped and suddenly she was reformed. It takes a while to let go of that kind of spite, especially when one has an ego her size. She's captured, so they'd have plenty of time to work on it assuming she doesn't escape.
10442025
I realize that, and that's why I'm currently working on a follow-up series. Thank you for the constructive criticism, though.
10444426
Like if you cry every time
10440198
Initially, I was gonna publish a chapter I cut, but I realized that I only wrote 100 or so words before scrapping it (It would've been Mandy helping Spike with the pet-sitting in "Just for Sidekicks"), so I scrapped my plan to publish the scrapped chapter (how ironic). Once I made that decision, I changed the status to "Complete".
10449209
Apple Bloom felt bad for jumping to conclusions about Mandy, and wanted to make it up to him. She held nothing against him specifically.
But yeah, I do suppose it is a rather quick turnaround.
10450626
Actually, yeah! You've got some pretty good stuff going with Thorax and Pharynx.
8/10 very good story. I think the accidental ship works wonderfully because they are both very honest people. I hope you do write that sequel.
10483693
hi i read and well i never like were she reform into color so i like black instead i like they way she is hope im not offended you
10498096
I agree, which is why her reformed color scheme is only marginally more vibrant.
10521489
aaah
10587195
i dont think thats what i meant but i dont remember what i was reffering to so yeah
From snakes and ladders to pillow fights, he's growing up in the world!
10620985
I meant what will she do when she sees Mandible?
I think that it's funny that you named a male changeling after a female kaiju.
10622132
Was Mothra female? If so, I genuinely didn't know that.
10622279
I know; I simply said he isn't the best, since he's more prone to letting his emotions influence him (for example, his years-long crush on Rarity).
10622575
Mothra is the female moth kaiju and Battra is the male moth kaiju.
"managing the month long timeskip" I love these little details tbh
Yeah her dad really liked that sled
10625558
And it sucks that it's my longest chapter out of ALL of my stories.
10647165
Not anymore! Episode 1 of my Fan Season has officially beaten it, and it's all original content!
10693725
That’s good to hear, sorry if I came off harsh
10700065
Yup, I drew all the art utilized in this story, as well as several of my others (except for the cover of Pinkie's Bug Surprise, simply out of convenience).
i really liked this story, solid from beginning to finish.
10694363
If anything, it should be me hoping I didn't come off too harsh. Mudbriar tends to have that effect.
10707644
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Why, thank you!
10710201
I mean this is still functionally that trope but like love takes weeks if not months if not years. I just think it’s irresponsible to have your emotivores feed into that idea that it can happen almost immediately
10742818
Ah, I see. Have a link to the original?
10742852
I said that it was in chapter 5.
10743511
Ah, sorry, didn't read the comment properly. "Oh, this again?" He is SO done with everything. X)
10742626
I did not mock anybody; I simply said they outraged. Outrage means "an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation". Somebody can be outraged for good reasons, and somebody can be outraged for bad reasons.
Although I can see how you came to that conclusion. And yes, I agree that it's the weakest chapter of this story, as well as a somewhat weak episode overall.
Maybe I should rewrite the chapter...
10753731
Sure feels like mocking. Because it seems meta. In story, what fandom? Ouraged why? But meta, ooohhh, meta gives reason enough. Many people were pissed off, but nobody heard arguments from them. Speaking of meta, what does being alicorn means? I assumed it means stronger magic, at LEAST. Boost x10, or something. But no, Twilight, an alicorn, Element of Magic, and generally unicorn, who was in Celestia's school for gifted unicorns LOST in POWER to a random SCRUB. Who LEVITATED herself at the same time. I mean, what even was the reason for ascension then? Twilight started to make WORSE decisions, decisions that fandom berated her about, despite them being the ONLY decisions that made sense. She got NERFED in power(remember how she levitated an Ursa and a water tower to a cave, SOMEWHERE in everfree forest?), she got nerfed in desision making, what the f*ck is this?
10759714
Meta humor is just my favorite kind of humor. There's plenty of it in the rest of the story. Take, for instance, when Mandy reacts to the cutaway gag in Chapter 10:
I've loved meta humor ever since I watched Emporer's New Groove as a kid. I acknowledged the split in the fandom because it was a defining moment in the show and fandom, and I wanted to make some light out of it.
As many people have said, reality is often more absurd than fantasy. And no matter your stance on the 'Twi-licorn' debacle, in a cosmic sense, a bunch of grown-ups arguing about the storytelling and creative decisions in a children's show designed to sell toys is one of the most absurd things you can think of.
I'm not arguing that they didn't mess up the execution, because they absolutely did (almost nothing changes about how she's treated, she loses the ability to fly between seasons, and several other problems come to mind), but the idea of Twilight becoming a Princess does have actual potential. Her flanderization is not inherently tied to her Princess-hood, it's a writing fault that eventually happens to most good shows.
Tl;dr, It was just meant as a joke, not a critique on the fandom (which certainly has legitimate reason to not like the change), can we please just agree to disagree?
10763402
TL:DR; don't treat it as a joke.
Feels way too insulting, still. And it's not JUST that it's meta. It is because as a side note. It looks condescending.
"Yeah, this happened, and everyone flipped."
It's not even humor here, it's that everyone was seriously pissed off. If I find the pic(if I don't forget to look for it) - I'll show it to you. In there, Twlight is laying there on the ground, and is crying, seemingly. And there is a text.
"Not everyone wants to be a princess. Some only want to drink lemonade after working hard through the day". Setup for Alicorn Twi was stupid, and don't get me started on how she became WORSE after. She was DOWNGRADED to alicorn. I can list a number of reasons if you want, but that's not for this argument.
I enjoyed your story. I had fun. It took me about twenty minutes to find this story again just to get back and continue reading this. It was worth it.
10840952
No, just no. These things make my eyes hurt. And it takes changelings away as a whole, because many things break. Are there more hives? How do they increase population? Where did they even came from? With conclusion of the series many things remain unawnsered. And broken.
10773772
Thank you for taking the time to read!
10842229
No probs. I loved it.
10919889
I don't remember commenting this.
10924316
I don't remember a lot of things.
10981676
Same sometimes.
Very amusing little changeling story and the Growth of Mandy as a character was great.
I saw comments about images in the early chapters but they seem broken are they still available somewhere to see?
11777485
Ruh-roh! Didn't see it until now; I'll try and fix them!
11839089
Looks like they are working again. Wooo time for a reread