When Marco woke up in Twilight's Library, his life changed drastically-in more ways than one. Now, as Equestria's first hybrid - Half human, half changeling, he has to deal with a new world, new powers, new creatures… He'll get used to it- after all, every human has the ability to adapt to new environments. But can Equestria do the same, when a morally grey being falls into a black-and-white world?
The story takes place in an Alternate Season 3 where Discord wasn't released or reformed. This is my very first fanfic, so there will be a few mistakes. Leave any criticism or ideas in the comments.
Additional tags will be added as the story progresses, and it's rated "Teen" for some foul language and violence.
“So Twi, why'd ya ask all'a us to come to yer place?” Applejack asked, She and the rest of the Mane 6 were at Twilight's library, all staring at the newest addition to the building. “Is it b'cause of…it?”
Lying there on the floor was a large, furless, bipedal creature, nearly twice the size of a full-grown pony. It had a short black mane, yellowish skin, and wore a black shirt with cargo pants. Despite the amount of chatter in the room, the creature was still fast asleep. it's hands and forearms were clad in a tough, black armor of sorts. Earlier that day, Twilight had found the creature knocked out on her doorstep, covered in bruises and scratches.
Rainbow Dash was hovering above it,. Fluttershy was busy tending to it's injuries. Rarity was silent, completely focused on it's clothing. Over at a corner, Pinkie and Spike were checking out it's bag and glasses, which they had removed earlier on. Meanwhile, Twilight was flipping though at least a dozen books, muttering under her breath as she watched the pages fly.
“Yes” Twilight finally replied, her horn glowing as the books levitated back to their original positions. “I noticed the creature was covered in injuries, so I called for Fluttershy, since she have the most experienced in caring for other creatures. You and Rainbow Dash, need to make sure it doesn't harm any ponies, or itself. The creature may be disoriented after waking, and may attack. I have faith in you two to handle whatever comes next.”
AJ nodded, and Rainbow puffed up her chest in a show of bravado. “You got it Twilight! If that two-legs tries anything funny, I'll deal with it in ten seconds flat!”
Rarity had insisted to accompany them upon hearing the creature was wearing clothing (“This may be my only chance to discover fashion styles from other worlds!” she gushed.) As for Pinkie Pie, she was bouncing all over the place (literally) with joy (“Omygosh! I get to plan a party for an unknown creature! This will be THE BEST PARTY EVER!!!”)
Twilight nodded, and turned to Fluttershy, who was still bandaging it's wounds. "Is the creature going to be fine?" She asked. "Oh yes, The wounds were minor, but the creature is quite fatigued. It needs to rest so it's muscles can heal.' Fluttershy replied. Twilight thanked Fluttershy, and trotted up towards the still-sleeping creature. "I'm going to cast the awakening spell now. Get ready girls. Oh- and Pinkie?" “She faced the bubbly pink pony. “Try not to assault it with your questions just yet. Okay?” Pinkie Pie gave a huge grin, and a mock salute. “Okie Dokie Lokie!”
Twilight stood next to the creature's head,, and pointed her glowing horn at it's face. As the glow faded, she lifted her head, and saw it stir, then open it's eyes. Wincing, the creature got into a cross-legged sitting position, but then noticed the group of ponies staring at it. It squinted it's eyes, felt it's face, then looked around, resting it's gaze noticing pinkie, who was staring at it, the glasses in her mouth. Rising up, it made it's way over to her, knelt down, and extended its arm. AJ and Rainbow prepared to charge, in case it attacked, but then before they could move, it spoke.
"小妹妹，你可不可以换我的眼镜阿？" <Little girl, can I have my glasses back?>
Pinkie, nor anypony else had the slightest clue what it just said, but she saw it was staring at the glasses, and placed them onto it's outstretched hand. The creature smiled, and ruffled her mane in a playful manner. "谢谢。" <Thank you.> It said. Pinkie grinned widely, and the Mane 6 relaxed a bit. Even though they couldn't understand it, it seemed to be friendly. The creature put them on, the legs of the glasses resting on top of its ears. When it faced them again, it's expression changed to one of total shock. It's mouth opened, but then no sound came out. Trying again, the creature produced short wheezes, like it was being strangled.
By now, nopony had the foggiest what to do. Twilight decided now would be a good time to inform Princess Celestia about the strange creature in her house. "Spike!' she called, snapping him out of his thoughts. 'I need to write a letter." At the word "letter", it snapped it's head up, and Twilight. "You understand what I'm saying?" she asked, surprised that it would understand Equestrian. The creature nodded, pointed at the blank scroll and quill Spike now had in his hands, then pantomimed a scribbling motion in the air. "You can write!?" Rainbow blurted out in surprise.
It shot her an irritated look, clearly offended by her comment.The creature then picked up a spare scroll and quill, and began to write. After a minute of writing, it handed the scroll back to Twilight, who read it and frowned. "What? What does it say?" Pinkie asked, as she and the rest of the mane 6 crowded around to read the scroll;
我在哪里？我为什么看到天马和独角兽？
"I…don't know." Twilight replied. "It looks a bit like Neighponese. Wait, I got it!" Twilight's horn flashed, and the characters glowed purple, then morphed into Equestrian.
< Where am I? Why do I see Pegasi and Unicorns?>
The creature's eyes widened in surprise, and stared at the new words on the paper. "It's a Translation spell" Twilight explained. "I normally use it for old texts or to read foreign works. And to answer your question, you're in Ponyville." It's narrowed it's eyes and pinched it's brow in frustration. Clearly this was not helping. Applejack walked up to it, and poked it's leg with a hoof. "S'cuse me Mister…are ya even a guy?" The creature nodded. "Yeah, so Mister, y'all mind answerin' some' o our questions?" He wrote down his response, and once again, the complex characters shifted into equestrian.
好。但是回答问题之前，你们可不可以帮我做一件事？ <Fine. But can you help me with something first?> "We'll do what we can, as long as you answer out questions.' Twilight said 'What do you need help with?" The creature smiled sheepishly, and jotted down his request. 我的声音消失了，你们有没有办法解决这个问题吗？用这个方法来回答你们的问题很痛苦。 <Somehow my voice disappeared. Can you help me fix it? It's hurts too much to keep writing down the answers. >
Twilight nodded, and stepped up, pointing her horn at him. "I can try to find the problem, but it'll take time." As she scanned the creature's anatomy, Twilight was astounded that there could be creatures so different from the ones found in Equestria. 'I must ask him to tell me all about his land' she thought 'Wait, what's this- Oh sweet Celestia!'. she gasped, and her horn flared, wrapping the creature in a magic sphere. "What the-!!" He shout.ed, not noticing he could talk again. Ignoring his protests, Twilight turned to face her friends. "Spike!" Twilight's urgent tone made him jump. "Prepare to send Princess Celestia a letter. He's a Changeling."
-----
“Look, I've told you again and again! I. Am, Not. A. Changeling!” I sighed. 'What's the use? Eight tries, and I still get "Save your words for The Princess." Tch, Rainbow-hair's got quite the attitude.' I sat down in my cell, and looked around, bored out of my mind. ‘天啊，闷死我了。<God, the boredom's killing me,> 我的袋在哪儿…阿！<where's my bag… oh right!>’ “You- uh…the purple one.”
“My name is Twilight.”
"Okay then, Twilight. If I give you solid proof that I'm not one of those "changelings" you think I am, will you let me out of this…bubble of yours?"
Twilight lifted a hoof, then motioned a hoof, beckoning the other ponies to gather around. A hushed discussion went on for a while, before Twilight spoke up. "Well, we'll decide after we see your proof." she said. Well, that's good enough for me!
“Great! So-“ A rumbling sound drowned out my words. We all turned to see Spike (or so Twilight calls the little reptile) puff out his cheeks, and let loose a stream of fire which then faded, revealing a scroll floating in midair. Twilight levitated the scroll towards her, and read its message. “What’s it say?” Rainbow dash asked, hovering just above Twilight. “It says ‘Keep the changeling there. Shining Armor and I are on our way.'” Twilight gasped in surprise. "My brother's coming too!?" Suddenly, the door flew open, and several armored ponies rushed in, horns glowing and swords drawn. “Stand down, changeling!” One of them barked “The Princess and Captain have arrived!”
'Fuck'
Preview of Chapter 2:
"What she means is that you are no longer what you think you are. Not changeling, nor a human. You are now both- A Hybrid."
“Say, what do you ponies eat?” “Flowers, hay, cakes, fruit and the like. Why'd you ask?” “Just curious." I frowned. 'Damn. that doesn't leave me with much to choose from. Unless...' "Hey, have you heard of Tofu?”
Author's note: Hey, I'm sorry about the giant absence. Guess trying to write a decent chapter during exam month wasn't the best thing to do after all. Anyways, I decided Chapter 2 was getting a bit long, so I split it up into 2 parts. Enjoy!
Changes from the Far East- Chapter 2, Part 1
‘Now the law thinks I’m the bad guy. Fan-fuckin’-tastic.’ The good news was that Twilight had let me out of that magic bubble she conjured as soon as the guards arrived. The bad news was that the six guards had surrounded me, their weapons aimed at my throat. I wondered if this was how I was going to go; Stabbed to death by little ponies. Suddenly, I heard a calm voice from the doorway. “Stallions stand down. Princess Celestia and I can take it from here.” In a flash, the soldiers sheathed their weapons, and stood to attention.
In strode a unicorn clad in a red military uniform. His blue mane stood out against his white coat, and I spotted a mark on his flank- a six-pointed star inside a shield. This must be the Captain the guards mentioned. I noticed that his eyes flickered towards Twilight, and a smile flashed across his face before he turned his gaze back at me. I returned his gaze, only breaking eye contact for a brief moment to look at the other pony.
Right behind the Captain was a tall, slender pony that sported both wings and a horn. Her multicolored mane somehow managed to stay afloat, despite being indoors, and she had the image of a sun on her rear. The crown helped peg her identity as The Princess. The winged unicorn bent her head down to exchange a few words with Twilight, before focusing her attention on me. “Greetings. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. This is my Captain of the guard, Shining Armor.” The pony in red gave a brief nod. ‘I really don’t like where this is going…' “We have some questions we’d like you to answer, so could you please-" The rest was drowned out by a deafening crash, as I knocked the door clean off its hinges in my run from the law. ‘I can tell this day is going to be FAN-FUCKIN’-TASTIC already.’
-----
“Halt changeling, or we will fire!” Oh, great. Even the cops back home just shut up and take you down. “Come back here ya varmit!” yelled another pony. The Stetson-wearing one, most likely. “Ain’t happening!” I yelled back. “There’s no way I’m gonna be locked up for being different, you racist bastards-AH!” I dove through a market stand narrowly missing the rainbow-haired Pegasus’ dive-bomb. After dodging magic bolts, screaming ponies and teleporting unicorns, I somehow managed to shake them off and hide in an alleyway behind a small, conveniently placed Police Box. Once the sound of thundering hooves had faded, I peeled my cheek from the glass, and exhaled. ‘Thank god that box was just tall enough to hide me. It’s almost like it was built for huma-wait a minute...’ Looking closer, I realized I had previously seen this box before. My English teacher once showed my class an episode from a British tv series, featuring a blue police box, and… “Excuse me, but I’m afraid you’re blocking the enterance to my TARDIS.” A brown pony with a british accent spoke up, his blond Pegasus companion staring at me with interest. I turned to face the speaker, and my eyes widened.
Brown mane and coat. Time-related symbol on his flank. British accent. TARDIS. “…You’re Doctor Who?”
The brown pony raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Doctor Who... I haven’t been called that in a long time…I go by Whooves here. Now tell me, what’s someone like you doing in this Universe?” I sighed in relief. “Look, Doc, you gotta help me. There are racist ponies out to get me, and-” I heard a guard yell “Over there, in that alley!” ‘No! I don’t want to go to jail!’ Frantic, I gave the Doctor a silent plea, and after a few tense moments, he finally nodded.
“Very well, I’ll hide you for now.” From his companion’s bag, he took a metallic tube-like object in his mouth, and aimed it at the door of the TARDIS. It emitted a blue light and a whirring sound, and I heard something unlock. “Quick, get inside!”
Seconds later, the approaching ponies saw a bright white flash appear from the alley, but when they arrived, it was completely empty.
“Wh-what the” Twilight spluttered. “Where did he go!?”
Celestia just closed her eyes, and activated a scanning spell. As she sorted through the ambient magic and energy levels, she discovered the reading she was looking for. “One moment, my little ponies. I found him, along with an old acquaintance of mine.” She said, charging a teleportation spell… ----
“What just happened?” I asked, as the loud hum began to die down. “Oh, we teleported back to the Doctor’s house!” his companion replied. She was a grey Pegasus with a blond mane, and bubbles on her flank, and one of her eyes occasionally strayed off. It was quite cute, to be honest. “I’m Ditzy Doo, Ponyville’s mailmare. Although most ponies call me Derpy.” She offered a hoof. “Nice to meet you!” Grinning, I shook her hoof. “Likewise Derpy. I’m Marco…” I trailed off, before realizing I was staring at her lazy eye. “Oops, heh. Sorry about that. Your eye kinda distracted me. Is it hard to go around like that?” Derpy shrugged. “Sometimes. It makes me miss objects, and so I crash into them. But it’s not too bad…they did rebuild the town hall, so it’s okay…right?” Ignoring my dumbstruck expression, she continued. “So Marco, what’s it like walking on two legs?”
“Um…” I scratched my head. “Never thought about that.” “What are these?” “Hands. Pretty useful, really.” “Can you still see out of that blue eye?” Wait, what? Blue eye? “What’s it like being a halfie?” A Halfie? As in mixed race? “Derpy, what are you talking about?” I asked. She flew off, and came back with a full-body mirror. “See? Halfie.” When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I swear I could feel my sanity straining at its limit. ‘WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO ME!?’
My left eye was no longer brown, but an electric blue eyeball, with a pale blue iris. My hands and forearms were wrapped in a pitch-black exoskeleton, replacing the skin there. But the change that caught my eye was what grew through my shirt – Wings. Two giant insect wings.
“Hey, hey. Did you hear me?” When I didn’t respond or react, Derpy flew up to me, and waved in front of my face. “Hellooooo, you okay?”
At that moment, The Doctor reappeared from...where was he? I didn’t notice him leave. “Ah there you…are you okay?” No answer. Frowning, he turned to Derpy. “Do you know what’s wrong with him?” She just shrugs. “Dunno. He just looked at a mirror. Guess he doesn’t know he’s a halfie.” This seemed to perk The Doctor’s interest, as he took out that little screwdriver-thing of his, and used it to scan me. “Interesting combination…” I heard him murmur. “The readings say that he’s a human, but with traces of Changeling DNA.”
“Wait, what?” I snapped out of my daze. “I have what in my genes now? And what’s with this “Halfie” that Derpy keeps calling me?”
“That would mean you’re a hybrid.”
“Excuse me?”
"What she means is that you are no longer what you think you are.” The Doctor explained. “Not changeling, nor a human. You are now both- A Hybrid." I stared at my reflection, taking in my new features. ‘New hands, new eye, new limbs…what else is new?’ “So now that’s over with…what-”
*FLASH!* “-Now?” I blinked from the light, and found myself back in the alleyway. Only this time, my pursuers barred our exit. “What the heck just happened?” “Ah, yes. I forgot Celestia could track the TARDIS’ with thaumic displacement generated.” The Doctor cheerfully replied, waving at the Princess. Looks like him and Derpy got dragged along too. “Hello again, Celestia. You haven’t aged a century since our last encounter!” “Doctor.” Celestia curtly nodded “I see you’ve gone for a new look. Is this your ninth regeneration?”
“Tenth, actually. I-”
“We’ll save the chit-chat for later, Doctor. I have a Changeling to question.”
“Actually, You may have made a mistake here, so-”
“Save it.” Celestia interrupted again. “I’ll hear it later, along with your explanation for assisting him. Guards.” She stepped back, and the six guards that accompanied her began to close in on us.
“Doctor.” I said. “Are the guards trained for close quarters combat?”
“Well, they usually use spells to subdue threats, so…not really. Why?”
“You’ll see…” I cracked my neck, and took a fighting stance. ‘Now…which is better? Magic or Martial Arts?’
“YOU WANT ME?” I yelled, feeling slightly more confident at their hesitation. "THEN COME AT ME PONIES!"
Author's Note: Wow, I know I said chapter 2 was getting long, but I didn't expect the second part to be this long! Well, hopefully this doubly long chapter will make up for the doubly long wait.
‘Uuugh.. That’s a hell of a migraine.’ Wincing, I slowly brought myself to a sitting position, despite my body’s protests. After some fumbling about, my hands finally locked onto the familiar shape of my glasses. ‘Now where the hell am- oh.’ I was in a barren stone room underground, with bars surrounding me. In other words, I was in jail.
‘…Shit. I’m not dreaming.’ I looked behind me, and saw my two insect wings trailing down my back like a cloak. I gave my new…limbs an experimental buzz, and they instantly whirred to life, kicking up clouds of dust in the cell. “*Cough* *Cough*…Yep. Definitely not dreaming. Still half bug.” I muttered. “Haaagggh…”
Then again, was it really a surprise I was locked up? After all, I did face off against royalty upon first contact, and quickly beat the tar out of the guards. Seriously; these ponies were clueless when it came to close combat. But then again, I don’t think they’ve seen humans before. And they learn fast. I remembered one of the unicorns wrapping me in glowing ropes, while another bucked me in the gut (strange that I don't feel much pain there...) I guess I hit my head on the ground and passed out.
‘But was it really because of the fight? If you recall, they did try to lock you up minutes after you regained consciousness.' A voice in my head spoke up. It’s true though. The one called Twilight imprisoned me in a bubble when I did nothing wrong, and alerted the Princess, who then instantly ordered my arrest. ‘Huh, but is that all to this? What if-’
My thoughts were cut short by a low screech as a door swung open, followed by clopping hooves and chatter. Leaning against the bars, I saw that they were Shining Armor and the Doctor. Strangely, Derpy wasn’t with them.
They approached me, and I gave them a nod in acknowledgement, before speaking.
“Hey Doc. care to explain why I’m sitting in a jail cell?”
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “ Hello there. Glad to see you're taking this better that I expected. Officially, you're locked up for unprovoked assault on Law enforcement.”
I snorted at that. “Seriously? It was self-defense! I know I kinda lost it back there, but I didn’t hurt them that bad, right?”
Shining Armor answered that one. “According to the medical reports, we have a guard suffering from muzzle fractures, one from a concussion-”
“Whoa-wait-wait-wait-wait.” I shot him a disbelieving look. “How did that happen?”
“You slammed your hands against his ears, and he dropped like a rock. Fortunately, his eardrums are intact.” The Doctor replied. “As for the third chap…well, you kicked him in the jewels.
I winced. “Oh. Well…shit.” The thought of (unintentionally) causing this poor soul excruciating pain made me feel quite guilty. “I didn’t make him sterile, did I?”
“Thankfully, no. Or we’d really have to leave you down here. ” Shining Armor replied.
“Oh well that’s a reli-wait, what? I can go now?”
“Yes and no.” The Doctor replied. “After explaining the situation to the princess, she has agreed that she may have…jumped to conclusions. She wishes to talk with you before making her verdict.”
I shrugged. “Works for me. Shall we go?”
-----
I have to say the castle is damn fine. Stained glass windows, marble floors, magnificent architecture…the works. Compared to the dungeon I was in, it was like stepping into paradise.
As I was escorted through the halls, I saw many ponies bustle about the castle doing various things…were they servants? Some stopped to gawk, others were to busy to notice me, and carried on. Strangely, I felt something akin to a tank slowly filling up inside me-just from being around the ponies. ‘The hell? That’s another thing I’ll have to ask about- Along with why the fuck they wanted to arrest me!’
“Hey, Shining?” The Captain’s ears perked, and he turned to face me. “I-uh, wanted to apologize for what I did to your guards. Especially the last one.”
He shrugged. How do ponies do that? “I won’t hold your actions against you, given your friend’s testimony,” He jabbed a hoof in the Doctor’s direction. “ And the fact that my guards will be back in service within the week. Now come on, we’re almost there.”
The two ponies led me to a lounge room of sorts, with a massive window opposite the doors. In the center was a round table, where Princess Celestia and another winged unicorn sat waiting. However, this one was smaller than Celestia, was indigo and black, and had crescent moon on her flank. Her ethereal mane and tail reminded me of a clear starry night, filled with shining stars. The only other ponies in the room were the guards that watched over the entrance.
As I entered, Celestia and Luna quickly engaged each other in hushed conversation. And don’t ask me how, but I could sense that the blue one, as well as several ponies on the other side of the door were…curious about me. Strange.
-----
“Well, there he is Luna. What do you think about him?” Celestia whispered, as the Hybrid was brought into the room.
“He is the Changeling hybrid thou spoke of” Luna replied in disbelief. “We can see the Changeling resemblance, but what manner of creature is his other half?”
Originally, Celestia didn’t want to involve Luna in this, especially at ten in the morning. However, when Luna, overheard a servant whispering about this strange, sentient creature, her curiosity and desire to know more about it overpowered her fatigue. In other words, she did a Twilight.
“He’s a Human...or was one.”
“And thou said thou tried to arrest him, thus leading to his escape, and the violent dispatching of thy guards?” Luna recounted, earning a rather sheepish nod from her sister. “We must say; it is most unlike thee to make such hasty assumptions, dear sister.”
“Oh quiet, you.” Celestia huffed, before taking on a more serious tone. “Don’t forget Chrysalis’ invasion was only weeks ago. We cannot afford to take chances.” She reminded Luna, before turning to the waiting Hybrid.
“Hello again, Hybrid.” Celestia said. The Hybrid just sighed, and rolled his eyes in annoyance, drawing several gasps of shock and anger from the ponies in the room.
“Hey Celestia.” He replied, giving a casual wave “Thanks for actually letting me explain myself. And can you all please stop calling me the “Hybrid”? It makes me sound like a lab experiment.” It was then that he noticed the amount of attention he was getting. “Uh…did I say something wrong? I get the feeling they’re either shocked or angry.” He asked, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.
Celestia just gave a soft chuckle. “Ignore them. They’re usually like this…um, I’m afraid I don’t know your name.”
“Call me Marco.” He held out a hand, the black shell segments glinting in the daylight. “It’s nice to meet you under more…civil circumstances.”
Celestia smiled, and shook his hand. “Likewise, Marco.” She then turned to Luna, who was still staring at him with that amazed look still plastered on her face. “We’ll get down to business as soon as my sister Luna snaps out of it.”
Marco just shrugged. “I can wait.”
He didn’t have to wait for long, thanks to Celestia’s impatience and a well-aimed cushion.
-----
“…And that’s when there was a bright flash, and we found ourselves in the alleyway.” Marco said, concluding this morning’s events. “She sent her guards to capture me, and…well, I guess I didn’t take that very well.” He chuckled in embarrassment. “So yeah. Next thing I know, I’m in a cell.”
Celestia nodded in acknowledgement, her mind busy drawing up a detailed profile of the Hybrid. By obtaining information from a subject through questioning, then cross checking it with already-known information, or Intel provided by her own network, she could tell if the subject was being dishonest, or withholding information. It was an ability that had served her well over the millennia.
In the meantime, she continued listening to the conversation, as Luna began asking her own questions, while Shining Armor and the Doctor listened, and occasionally chipped in.
“How did thou defeat Sister’s guards?”
“Martial arts. I took lessons for a few years. Never thought I’d use it though.”
“What are Martial arts?” Shining Armor was interested in leaning about the technique that beat his subordinates so easily.
“Basically, it’s the study of close combat: How to take down you opponent in the most efficient manner.” Marco explained. “There are many styles spread across the planet, some involving weapons.”
“Planet?” Luna asked, now even more intrigued. “Thou hails from another world?”
“He does, Princess.” The Doctor replied. He comes from the planet Earth. Marco’s kind- the Humans, are a race more technologically advanced than Equestria.”
Luna wanted to know more, but was cut off by a knock outside the door. Moments later, it opened, and a servant mare walked in.
“Excuse me, your highnesses, but lunch is about to be served. Will the other guests be joining you?”
Celestia gave her trademark smile, and nodded. “They will. Thank you for informing us.” She turned back to the group. “Shall we continue our discussion over lunch?”
Marco blinked in surprise. “You mean I’m not going back to jail”
“I see no reason to do that, as you’ve given me no reason to doubt your testimony.” Celestia replied. “So? Will you join us?”
Marco beamed. “Of course. Lead the way!” As they passed by a group of servants outside the room, he bent down and grinned at them, his inch long incisors giving him a slightly menacing look. “You know, eavesdropping on royalty’s a very dangerous habit.”
Sensing their nervousness, he chuckled. “Relax, I’m not gonna snitch on you lot. Just try to be more discreet next time.” He then stood up, and jogged down the hallway, quickly catching up with the group.
-----
On the way, we bumped into a noble. He was a tall unicorn with a white coat, blonde mane, and wearing a tuxedo.
“Good afternoon.” The unicorn greeted us with annoyance. He looked up at us, frowning. “ Aunt Celestia. Aunt Luna. Captain Armor. And…” His gaze moved onto the Doctor and me. “Who are these two? Lower-class commoners?” Wow. No need to rub it in, you prick.
“Blueblood! Show some respect.” Celestia chastised him. “This is the Doctor, an associate of mine. The Biped is Marco, a traveler from a foreign land.” Traveler? Is that what she calls aliens these days?
Blueblood snorted in irritation. “Whatever you say Auntie.” He stood up, and began moving past us. “I really must return to work now. See you at dinner. Oh, and you two.” He stopped in front of us, and my eyes widened at the dark rings around his eyes. “I…” He looked like he was swallowing a tennis ball. “I apologize for my abrasive behavior. Old habits die hard, and as you can see, today has been absolute shit for me.” With a curt bow, he trotted off.
“Wow…he's a charming guy.” I sarcastically remarked.
Celestia snickered. “Believe it or not, his attitude’s far better now, compared to last year. Back then, you had to have the emotional level of a rock in order to tolerate him.”
“You’re serious!? What the hell could have changed an ass like him?”
“Would you believe a one-way trip to Stalliongrad?” Shining Armor said, chuckling. “After a certain fiasco in Canterlot four months ago, Princess Celestia finally grew fed up with his behavior, and dumped him in the middle of Stalliongrad, with a note telling him to make his own way back…on hoof. Took him five weeks before he staggered into the throne room.”
“Wow…” I was amazed. “And he changed for the better, just like that?”
Luna snorted in amusement. “Define “better”. Our nephew has always been a jerk, and nothing can ever change that. The entire castle is simply grateful that he has deflated his ego, and is actually getting his work done.”
“He’s lucky he did, or I’d have bucked his sorry flank out the castle.” Shining Armor growled.
“He looks like shit though. Doesn’t he get any sleep?”
“Ignore that. He’s still getting used to seven hours of sleep. Now come on.” And with that, Celestia cantered off to the dining hall, clearly eager for food.
-----
“Say, what do you ponies eat anyway?” We were sitting at a table in one of the smaller dining rooms. While waiting for the food, I decided to make some small talk.
“Flowers, hay, cakes, fruit and the like. Why’d you ask?” The Doctor replied.
“Just curious...” I frowned. 'Damn. That doesn't leave me with much to choose from. Unless...' “Hey, have you heard of Tofu?”
“Tofu?” Celesta asked. “You mean the white jelly-like food from Dragon Kingdom?”
Dragon Kingdom? Must be what they call China here. “Uh, I guess so. Do you have some in the castle?”
“We do.” A servant suddenly appeared beside me, causing me to jump out of my seat. “I apologize for startling you..."
'Yeah right. Wipe that grin off your face, then we'll talk.'
"...but lunch will be served soon, and the chef asks if the newcomer has any preferences.” She finished
I frowned in thought. It wouldn’t be good to eat red meat in front of herbivores. ‘I’ll skip the meat. For now…’
“I’ll have a green salad. Oh, and a bowl of cold soft tofu, with some brown sugar on the side please.” The servant blinked at my request, but bowed and headed off. 5 minutes later, another servant came wheeling in a cart. My eyes lit up as the bowl of white, nourishing goodness was placed in front of me.
‘Looks…so…tasty…’ were my last thoughts before attacked my meal like I had been on a 4-day fast.
[15 minutes later…]
“So I assume you enjoyed your meal?” Celestia asked, making no effort to hide her amusement.
“Hah! Words do it no justice.” I replied. Who knew salad could taste so good? That was soon followed by a burp, followed by gout of emerald fire. “Holy mother of- What the fuck was in that salad!?”
“Oh, that wasn’t the salad. You’re simply able to do Flame magic now!” The Doctor clarified, suspiciously unsurprised at my sudden imitation of a flamethrower.
“I can do WHAT now!?” My mind was somewhere between disbelief and excitement. “I must have missed something. Did you say Flame magic?” Seriously, why is it that just when I’m starting to get used to this world, some more crazy shit pops up to make me question my sanity?
“You heard the pony correctly, Marco.” Princess Celestia assured me. “You are now able to control, shape and manipulate raw magic at will, as well as disguise your…Marco, are you okay?” She sounded concerned, but I could see the mirth in her eyes. ‘Wow, I wish I could see my own face now.’
“I’m good…for someone who had the shock of his life.” I replied, standing up. “Well, let’s see what I can do.”
-----
As the ponies (and hybrid) made their way out of the dining hall, nopony noticed another guard trot away from his post, and through a side door.
Nor did they notice when his eyes flashed green.
Going down a winding flight of stairs, he entered a small cave. Stopping, the guard looked around, resting his gaze on a black, bug-like pony.
“Covert drone #18 reporting. Bipedal creature identified as “Human-changeling hybrid”, and responds to the name Marco”. The guard reported in a monotone. “Assumed to be allied with our enemies. Drones #12 and #5 report overhearing that he defeated three royal guards effortlessly, presumed a future threat.”
The Changeling replied with a series of hisses and clicks, but the guard seemed to understand it.
“Orders received and understood.” He droned. “Covert drones will neutralize threat.” With that, he turned and began making his way back to the castle.
As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Author's note: Well, here you go guys- Chapter 3. Let's hope I can write up the next chapter just as fast. I also notice my chapters are getting longer... As usual, your opinions on this chapter are appreciated!
After lunch, Shining Armor and the Doctor returned to their jobs. Who knew the Doctor was also a clockmaker in Ponyville? Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna led me into a massive library, presumably to teach my about my magic.
“Now remember Marco, magic is a fluid energy, able to take countless forms.” Celestia said. “The caster gives the energy form, thus shaping a spell- like so.” To emphasize her point, she created a golden force field. Needless to say, I was impressed.
“Whoa, awesome! How did you make that?”
Celestia smiled at my enthusiasm. “I will teach you in due time, young one. So listen.”
‘Ugh…I’m not a kid, I'm sixteen.’
“Hah!” Luna snorted. “Sister is 3003, while I’m in my 2500’s. You are in diapers, compared to the two of us.” Apparently, she’s getting the hang of modern speech, although she sometimes reverts back to ye olde tongue.
Celestia and I gaped at her, me out of shock that she could read my mind, Celestia more out of embarrassment. “L-Luna!” She stammered. “Don’t just blurt that out to anypony!”
“But Marco is not a pony.” Luna countered, a smirk on her face. “Besides Tia, what do you have to worry about when you look 1/100th your age?”
Celestia huffed, her crimson face reminding me of a cherry on whipped cream. “Whatever! Back to the lesson!” she huffed.
‘Women are touchy about their age: apparently a universal truth.’ I thought, trying my best not to show my amusement.
“I heard that, young colt!” Celestia threw book at me, while Luna rolled on the floor laughing.
‘Damn...’ I grimaced, gingerly rubbing the new lump on my forehead.
-----
“My dear Twilight Sparkle.
I am writing this letter to inform you that the situation has been resolved peacefully. Marco (the creature’s name) was merely confused, and has no relations to the changelings. He is a hybrid, part Changeling, and part Human- the mythical race of war.”
Princess Celestia looked up from the letter she was writing, wondering if she should tell Twilight about Marco’s abilities. ‘No.’ She eventually decided. While a genius, Her student had the unfortunate habit of overthinking scenarios, and working herself up into a state of panic…or mania.
“Rest assured, He’s quite friendly, and has assured me that he will not cause harm to anypony. Should anything of importance come up, I will not hesitate to inform you.
Your mentor, Princess Celestia.”
She rolled the scroll up, and teleported it to Spike, before hearing Luna shout “HAVE AT THEE!” nearby.
Rounding a bookshelf, she saw Luna helping Marco practice his shield spell. The biped, however, was clearly fatigued. Fortunately, the giant window behind him was intact, thanks to the multiple enchantments making it as strong as diamond.
“I…I’m at my limit…need break…please.” Marco groaned, his shield dissipating into green mist. After blocking magic bolts, projectiles and one weapons-grade shout for nearly a quarter hour, his reserves had hit rock bottom.
“Alright, you did well. Take a 10 minute break, then we’ll move on to Changeling magic.” Celestia replied. “It would be best not to leave the library, as it’s quite easy to get lost in the castle.” She added, before heading to the kitchens to get a drink…and maybe some of that wonderful cake the chefs had made earlier.
-----
“Marco, can you come over here for a- Marco! Art thou alright??” I heard Luna ask through the blurriness.
“Ow… will be in a minute…” I replied, fumbling for my glasses. “Where is that goddam- oh, there it is.” I put them on, and watched as the big blue blob sharpened into the shape of a certain Alicorn.
“What happened? Why art thou- I mean, why are you sprawled on a bookshelf?”
“Tried to fly.” I answered, rubbing my head. “Long story short, too much acceleration, and I don’t know how to turn.” Note to self: those bug wings pack some serious power. “So Luna, you wanted something?” I asked, getting back on my feet.
“Yes. But first, you must know that in Equestria, your species is perceived as a myth. In the past, Sister has encountered them once, but she refuses to speak about it.”
“Really? Who knew?” I casually remarked, levitating the bookshelf back upright. “What were the humans like in myths?” I asked, picking up fallen books and placing them back on shelves...by hand. Magic’s great for heavy lifting, but I’ve still got a lot to learn…like how to lift multiple things at once.
“Actually, that is what I wanted to ask.” Luna replied, levitating a large dusty book to me. She then flipped through it, stopping at a chapter that was given the title “Humans.”
“It is one thing to read about your species, and another to hear it firsthoof.”
“Oh, you want me to read the tale, and give my opinion on it?” She nodded. “No problem.” I replied, grabbing the tome with my magic- I mean hey, practice makes perfect.
The chapter was basically a personal account from a pony travelling in the “Deserts of Saddle Arabia” (Why are all the locations I’ve heard so far puns on places found on Earth?), who encountered a group of Humans facing off against several giant desert scorpions and a Djinn (a fierce humanoid creature composed of sand and fiery magic). And the humans were winning.
“…Shoulder-mounted rods that shot fire and brimstone, blasting through armor that had resisted the strongest of spells. However, their weaponry could not harm the intangible Djinn, and so with great haste, the bipeds retreated, carrying their wounded into a metal behemoth that rose into the air as gracefully as a Pegasus, using nothing but a tornado of blades…”
“…Wow. Where do I begin?” I remarked, levitating the book to a nearby table. “For starters, those humans were probably soldiers. The “rods” fire RPGs, which are basically flying explosives. Since this Djinn isn’t solid, projectiles and bombs won’t work on it.” Luna just nodded, egging me to continue.
“Finally, the flying vehicle is called a Helicopter. The blades generate lift, allowing it to take off and land vertically. It’s versatility makes it extremely useful In situations where you need to get in and out of the area quickly…kind of like a Pegasus.”
Luna wanted to know more, but at that moment, Celestia returned to the Library, licking something off her muzzle...was that icing?
“Ah, good, you’ve recovered. Let us move on…”
-----
Now, for those of you who think all magic is a simple case of “point, chant, and receive awesome effects”, I’m afraid you are sorely mistaken. There is a reason you have to learn magic. And sometimes, even the best teachers run into situations that they can’t explain.
Take Princess Celestia, for example. She taught me that Changelings were natural spies and assassins, able to effortlessly shape-shift into a carbon copy of any creature they choose- A pureblood changeling, that is.
Here’s the current situation: There are three beings in the Library. Luna, Celestia, and me, disguised as Celestia. However, one Celestia is in shock, while the other is somewhere between extreme discomfort and confusion. Meanwhile, Luna is busy laughing her flank off.
“Um…Celestia?” The uncomfortable Celestia asked hesitantly.
“Yes Marco?” The shocked Celetia replied.
“You said I would turn into an identical copy of you…right?”
“Well, technically you did…”
“Did you take our species into account?” I sighed, crossing my arms over an…ample rack.
‘Whoa, we got dem fine tits!’ A voice in my head cheered.
‘…Shut up, me.’ I groaned, brushing a prismatic curtain of hair away from my eyes…again.
Yep, I transformed into a Human Celestia complete with multicolored hair, golden Rolex (with her sun mark on the watch face), and white business suit (thank god- I’d have died of a nosebleed if I transformed into a nude Celestia…that, and she’d probably trample me me for ogling.)
“…I’m afraid I didn’t.” Celestia replied. “This has never happened before… Maybe it’s because your kind have aren’t native to magic...”
“You mean the human part of me is screwing with the transformation.” I repeated, releasing the disguise.
“Why did thou change back?” Luna choked out between gasps. “That was incredibly amusing!”
I shot Luna a dirty look. “Because I like my balls to stay where they’re supposed to, alright?” Luna fell silent, her face taking on a reddish tint.
“So, how are we going to deal with this…issue?” I asked. “None of my transformations are going to help me blend in.”
“If your human side is affecting the transformations, why not switch to a pony form first?” Luna suggested.
“What? Is that even possible?” I questioned. Both princesses nodded vigorously, giving me no other reason to decline trying. I shrugged, and closed my eyes, concentrating on an outline of a pony. I heard the familiar roar of emerald flames surrounding me, changing my form. Then without warning my world suddenly flipped, and whacked me on the face.
‘OW, SONUVA…oh hey, it worked.’
-----
As the roar of changeling magic died down, Celestia and Luna looked back at the dissipating emerald flame pillar, only to hear a loud “Thunk”, followed by a pained curse.
“吊<Fuck> !” As the flames cleared, a teenage colt was revealed, lying on the very spot Marco was. “Man, I never expected to pitch forward.” The colt commented, gingerly rubbing his muzzle. “Hey, my vision’s perfect now!”
“…Marco? Is that you?” Celestia hesitantly asked.
The colt merely nodded, shakily rising to his hooves. “Yeah…it’s me. How do I look?”
As a colt, Marco wasn’t tall by pony standards, slightly shorter than the average stallion. However, that could be because of his young age. He was well built, although slightly on the pudgy side. Marco sported a midnight blue coat and horn, and his mane and tail were black, with a cyan streak going down both.
Celestia also noted the Changeling features had remained, among other subtler differences. Marco’s heterochromia remained, the blue eye on the left contrasting to the brown one on the right. His ears were slightly pointier than most ponies, and the shape of his eyes was different. Marco also kept his insect wings, now tinted the same color as his coat.
“…More inconspicuous.” Celestia finally replied.
“…Really? I thought the wings would stand out.” Marco commented, glancing backwards before staring up at the two Alicorns. “Whoa, you two are pretty taaa- oof!.” Marco lost his balance and tipped backwards, landing on his flank. “This is going to- Ow. Take some- Ow. Getting used to.” He grunted, trying and failing to stay on his hooves. “Mind helping me out here?”
-----
“天啊，现在已经那么晚呀？<My god, it’s that late already? >” Marco (now back in human form) groaned, staring at his watch. Not too long ago, Princess Celestia and Luna had to cut the lesson short in order to “perform their royal duties”, as they called it. When he exited the library, a guard was waiting outside, stating that he was to guide the creature to his room.
‘Jesus, this bed is comfy.’ Marco thought, sprawled on top of the covers. ‘It’s like sleeping on air. The maker of this mattress must be a billionaire by now…’
A loud knocking on his door shattered his thoughts. ‘Eh? Now what?’ The Hybrid thought, slightly annoyed at having to leave his comfortable state. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by an assortment of guards and servants, their expressionless faces unnerving him.
‘There’s something off about these guys...I can’t sense any positive emotion from them, just hunger and deception.’ He thought, body tensing for a fight.
‘But what if it's just paranoia? we can’t just plow through the staff!’ Another voice in his head reasoned. ‘The princess will buck us out of Canterlot!’
“Um…can I help you?” Marco finally spoke, deciding to play it safe.
“You are the creature detained in Ponyville, correct?” A servant mare stated in a monotone.
“Er…yes?”
“You are a hybrid between a changeling and an unknown creature, correct?” Another droned.
“Yes…why’d you ask?”
“No questions! You have subdued three royal guards with ease, correct?” A guard in the group spoke.
‘Oh, so this is what it’s about…’ Marco thought. “Look, I’m sorry about that, okay? I panicked, and…”
“Silence!” The ponies shouted in unison, causing him to flinch. “We have found our target.”
‘The way they speak as one is really creeping me out here.’
“You are a threat to the hive, and the reign of Queen Chrysalis. You will be terminated.” With that, all 20 ponies began advancing menacingly.
‘Did they just say…terminate?’ Marco thought, backing up to the balcony. ‘Shit!’
‘RETALIATE OR DIE, YOU FOOL!’
“Stay back!” He yelled, thrusting his hand forward to cast a barrier. Instead, a torrent of green flames gushed from the open palm, engulfing the ponies.
Marco just gaped in disbelief as he stared at his handiwork. ‘Holy mother of- did I do thaaaaaaOOOH SONUVABITCH WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?’
Like demons wading through brimstone, black, equine creatures burst through the fire. With their black shell-like exterior, legs holed like swiss cheese, ragged wings and the fire eating away their disguises, they looked like the bug-ponies from hell.
‘Shit, they’re fireproof! What do I do now!?’ Marco thought, frantically searching for an escape route.
‘Well, we are on a balcony…you could jump.’ The voice in his head suggested.
‘JUMP!? You’re insane!!’
‘笨蛋。<Idiot.> We have wings!’
‘YOU THINK I KNOW HOW TO FLY RIGHT NOW!?’
A green bolt of magic flew past Marco, inches away from his neck. Something told him that he wasn’t going to be so lucky the next time.
‘Shitshitshitshit…’ was all that was going through his mind as he saw a bug-pony readying another shot.
“SHIT!!” Marco roared, charging up a spell and making a swatting motion with his hand.
Now it is a common fact that changelings absorb the positive emotions of others for sustenance and to amplify magic. However in dire situations, they can actually use what little emotions they have for power, as long as it’s strong enough. And few are stronger than the will to survive.
A glowing green hand the size of a minibus (Toyota Coaster- for size reference) slammed into the bug-like creatures from the side, and pinned them against the wall. Fearing the…whatever-that-spell-was wouldn’t last long, Marco quickly bolted out of the door…
…Only to be knocked down by a wall of metal and flesh. As the swirling stars faded from his vision, he made out the shapes of the palace guards. One of the guards stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the scorched carpet, before focusing on the bug-ponies struggling to escape from their prison. Marco saw a look of shock briefly flash across the pony’s eyes, before reverting to their usual stony gaze.
“Mother of Celestia…” The guard whispered, before facing his comrades. “Surge. Armory. Go inform the Captain and the royal majesties of the situation at hand. Everypony else, detain the changelings.” The guard then turned to the stunned biped. “Sir, please follow me. It would be best if you told the Princesses what happened here.”
-----
[THRONE ROOM]
“Changelings!?” Celestia gasped. “To think they’ve managed to infiltrate the castle without suspicion…this is worrying news indeed.”
Celestia, Luna and Shining Armor all traded worried glances, remembering the changeling invasion a few weeks back, and how close they were to being defeated. Marco listened on, occasionally chipping in to correct facts, or voice his thoughts.
“Changelings are a cunning species, masters of disguise and deception.” Luna remarked, remembering how they had deceived her into thinking that all was well that day. “How did you realize something was amiss?”
“Um, well…I, ah…” Marco stammered. How could he explain something he barely understood? “I don’t really know myself.” He admitted. “It’s like I can now sense the emotions of others. And with this,” Marco tapped his blue eye. “I can see those emotions.”
“Changelings barely have any emotion, only hunger and deception. No regret, no individuality. They’re like machines.” He yawned, sitting on the steps beside the throne. “Man, it’s been a helluva day…” The day had taken a huge toll on him, and it was beginning to show.
Princess Luna smiled, and trotted over to his side. “Rest, Marco. It has been a long day for you.” She said, casting a dreamless spell over him.
Marco grinned weakly, removing his glasses as the spell took over. “Thanks Luuu…” He slumped forward mid-sentence, and began to snore lightly. Celestia then levitated him behind the throne, propping him up against it’s back, before the three ponies left the room.
-----
Out in the castle gardens, a beam of moonlight shone upon the statue of a patchwork Draconequus named Discord, the avatar of chaos, who was imprisoned in stone. Unknown to all, the natural chaos in Equestria was slowly chipping away at the stone, creating minute cracks here and there. Today, one of the cracks tripled in size, creating a inch-long fracture.
Inside his prison, Discord smiled.
“Marvelous! A being of chaos in this realm! I must see this for myself.”
A small tendril of yellow energy snaked out of the crack, and into the castle through a balcony. Travelling through the vast halls, the yellow wisp drifted into the throne room, where Marco slumbered.
“Ah, my unknowing aide, I have much to thank you for, allowing me a chance to escape.” The wisp began circling his head slowly, before entering his mouth. Marco coughed a bit from the new sensation, but didn’t wake up. “Here, a little…token, of my gratitude.”
Discord’s ethereal voice faded, and the quiet night passed on, with nary a soul the wiser.
Two weeks have passed since Marco came to Equestria, and I am happy to say that he is adapting well. Now I have decided that it is time for him to learn how to live in a pony community- Ponyville, to be exact.
Marco has happily agreed to travel to Ponyville, and will be arriving tomorrow afternoon sometime tomorrow. Due to an unfortunate mishap with Luna’s teleportation spell, he is now wandering around the Everfree forest. If he does not arrive by tomorrow afternoon, please send me a letter, and I will dispatch guards to escort him.
I hope that you and your friends will be able to get along with Marco and support him, as he is still very new to the world of Equestria.
Your mentor Princess Celestia.
P.S: I will be sending his belongings to you for safekeeping. I believe you will find some of them to be very intriguing, especially the technological marvel he calls an “iPad”.
-----
One would think that a pony would encounter many hindrances while crossing a dangerous forest like the Everfree. Maybe they would have to cross a gaping chasm, or a face off against a wild beast. Heck, there’s even the possibility that they would stumble upon some cursed zombie town, complete with real zombies!
Me? I got stalkers tailing me since dawn. Since they weren’t a threat, I’ve pretended not to notice them…but it’s still unsettling to be watched. Even though I’m in my Pony form, I still stand out from the average crowd.
After another ten minutes of aimless wandering, I decided that enough was enough, and stopped.
“Alright, come on out you three. I can sense you hiding in the bushes to my right.”
After a few moments of silence, said bush rustled and parted, as three young fillies emerged; a white unicorn with a two-toned lavender mane, a yellow earth pony with a red mane and bow, and a orange pegasus with a fuchsia mane. All three looked about twelve years old, and looked up at me sheepishly
“Hi Mister!” The unicorn spoke. “How’d you know we were following you?”
“Hey, no need to call me mister.” I said, flashing them a smile. “And I could hear you three ages ago.” I actually spotted them because my left eye displayed emotions in the form of colored lights within an outline, overlaying whoever I was looking at. “A word of advice: Try hiding behind bushes instead of inside them when tracking a moving target. It’s much quieter and easier to switch cover.” The trio brightened up a bit after hearing that. “So…why were you following me anyways?” I asked
The yellow filly tapped a hoof on her muzzle in thought. “We were tryin’ ta get our Cutie Marks in Everfree Explorin’. Then we saw ya, an’ we thought you were some lost pony. But Scootaloo saw yer wings an’ eyes, an’ said y’all were some kinda foreign pony…” She spoke with a southern accent, vaguely reminding me of the Orange Stetson-wearing mare from two weeks ago.
‘Ah, like the ones from Saddle Arabia.’ I thought, remembering seeing the surprisingly normal-looking horses talking with the princess from the astronomy tower (or Luna’s hidey-hole, as Celestia called it.) ‘I wonder if there are other pony species elsewhere.'
“…An’ so, we decided ta ask.” The earth pony finished. “What kinda pony are ya?”
“I’m Firebug, traveler from the east and flame-user.” I introduced myself with a polite bow, using the alias Celestia and I agreed on. “I’ll tell you more later, depending on whether Ponyville accepts me or not…" Maybe I should find out whoever lives in that tree a kilometer or so back, just in case.
“Why’d you think Ponyville wouldn’t accept you?” The unicorn asked.
“Let’s just say that not all ponies are as welcoming as you three.” I answered, the memory of that upstart aristocrat yelling about an ape freak lurking the castle still fresh in my mind. Oh well, nothing a concussion didn’t fix.
“Well then you don’t have to worry!” The unicorn assured me with a grin. “Ponyville is the friendliest city in all of Equestria! Right girls?” The other two nodded in unison. “If you don’t believe us, then we’ll have to take you there to prove it!”
‘…Well that’s convenient.’ I thought. “Heh, guess I’ll have to take you up on that offer.” And so I followed the three ponies through the forest, striking up small talk along the way.
“How’d ya get yer cutie mark” The yellow filly pointed to the mark on my flank; Three verdant stripes that curved into the shape of a flame.
“Uh…when I performed my first fire spell.” ‘And nearly turned the royal library into Canterlot’s most valuable bonfire…’
“Why are you called Firebug?” The orange pegasus asked. “You don’t really look like a bug.”
“Actually, that’s because of my wings. My mother’s side of the family had some…unique ponies.” I explained, flaring them out to full length. “But enough about me. What are your names?”
“I’m Applebloom” The earth pony said.
“I’m Sweetie Belle.” The unicorn added.
“I’m Scootaloo.” The pegasus chimed in.
“And we’re the CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” They cheered in unison.
“Ow...” Holy shit, they are loud. “I mean, that sounds fun. What cutie marks did you try to get?” Their response is beyond surprising. Hang gliding, performing, bakers rock stars…the list seems endless, topped only by the property damage they’ve caused.
By now, the sun had risen in the sky, revealing the edge of the forest, and the village beyond. Other than being covered in a blanket of snow, I still easily recognized Ponyville; the quaint architecture, the ponies frantically searching near the border of the forest…wait, what?
“Hey Applebloom, do you know those ponies?” I poked her, and pointed at a familiar orange mare calling out Applebloom’s name, as was the huge red stallion beside her. Nearby was the white unicorn with an indigo high-maintenance hairdo, that was looking for Sweetie Belle, and a rainbow-haired pegasus scanning the tree line. Those four caught my eye, as the worry they emitted made them stand out from other ponies like flares among Christmas lights. I recognized the others as Twilight, the hyperactive pink pony, and the timid yellow pegasus.
“Sure I do! They’re mah two older siblings, Applejack an’ Big Mac!”
“And the white unicorn’s my sister Rarity!” Sweetie Belle beamed.
“And that’s s Rainbow Dash, the fastest pegasus in Equesria!” Scootaloo proclaimed.
“Well, they seemed to be worried sick about you three. Didn’t you tell them where you went?” I asked. The Crusaders suddenly looked very sheepish, like a child just remembering something important at the last second. “…You snuck out to play, didn’t you?” The fillies reluctantly nodded. ‘Well no shit. They’re too hooked onto adventure and fun to understand how worried they made their family members.’ I thought, thinking back to when I was in a similar position. ‘Kinda like me when I was younger.’
“What’s with the frowns? I’m not going to scold you.” They looked up at me with confused expressions. “You’re not?” They asked in unison. I shook my head in reply. “Not my duty. You should return to your siblings though. They’re worried sick about-” A terrifying roar shattered the quiet of the forest, and drew all eye towards the source. I looked back, and gulped at the approaching cloud of hunger and thirst for blood. In the tree line, I saw a small pack of…something making their way through the trees. They didn’t know where we were yet, but that was going to change very soon.
“You three.” I hissed, my voice taking on a hard edge. “Run and get help. Something dangerous is approaching.” The trio nervously looked at where I was staring, then at me. “Are you sure you’ll be fine?” Sweetie Belle asked.
‘Hell no. I'll be lucky if I survive four minutes.’ “I’ll be fine for a while. Now go! I’ll hold them off until help arrives!” With that, the fillies dashed off to safety. Satisfied that they were going to be in good hands…er, hooves, I transformed back to my human form, and immediately regretted playing the hero, as the sudden light had alerted my multiple pursuers.
“Why can’t I ever get a break?” I muttered, charging up a spell.
-----
Twilight and the rest of the search party were both relieved and worried as they saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders galloping towards them unharmed.. Rainbow, the Apple Siblings and Rarity eagerly embraced the fillies in relief, but quickly became concerned at the sight of their panicked expressions
“Rainbow Dash! There’s a colt facing off against something dangerous in the Everfree! You gotta help him!” Scootaloo pleaded. Without another word, Twilight, Big Macintosh and Rainbow ran towards where the Crusaders pointed, leaving the remaining mares to comfort the three children. As they neared the forest, the ponies could hear the sound of a timber wolf pack, and the yells of what sounded like a young stallion.
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash called, zipping towards the source of the noise. “Are you the one Scoo-ooOOOH WHAT THE BUCK IS THAT!?”
The creature trying to fend off the timber wolves looked nothing like a pony. Instead, he towered over the ponies by standing on his hind legs, like a Diamond Dog or a Dragon. However, he had no hair or scales covering him, save for a short black mane on his head, and a tough black shell covering his claws and forearms. The rest of the biped’s body was covered a shirt, cargo pants, strange hoofwear, and a dark jacket, from which his large wings protruded.
The biped was didn’t notice them yet, currently busy protecting himself from four timber wolves by using two gigantic hands of glowing green magic to swat them away. Although his blows were accurate and powerful , they failed to penetrate the tough wood, and failed to cause much damage.. Rainbow also noticed that his movements were slowing down as he became more and more fatigued.
One wolf leapt towards the biped, aiming for his neck. But the biped ducked, allowing the wooden beast to sail above him. Canceling the strange spell, he aimed an open palm at the surprised wolf, and uttered a single word.
“ 烧<Burn>” Green flames blazed into existence and formed a small fireball in his palm. He launched the fireball at the wolf, setting it alight in seconds. But it was clear the fire wasn’t very strong, as the lit timber wolf merely ran off into the forest, yelping in fright. The biped didn’t get to savor his small victory though, as another wolf swiped at his legs. “Agh, YOU USELESS PIECE OF WET FIREWOOD!” He spat, knocking it back with a vicious kick to the jaw. That insult merely angered the timber wolves, and they pressed on with their attack.
It was at this moment that Twilight remembered where she had seen him before. “Hey! Are you Marco…the hybrid we met last month?” Twilight called out, grabbing the biped’s attention. “It’s me, Twilight Spa-”
“IF YOU HAVE THE FUCKING TIME TO STAND THERE AND TALK, THEN SHUT THE FUCK UP AND HELP ME!” The colorful outburst was followed by a loud growl as another timber wolf pounced on him, pinning the biped to the floor. “AAAAHHH SHIT IT’S ON TOP OF ME” He yelled, frantically pushing the wolf’s jaws away from his neck “GET OFF YOU WOODEN SONUVA BIT-”
‘Thank Celestia that Applebloom ain’t here to listen ta that.’ Big Macintosh thought, looking at Twilight’s mortified expression. ‘If he weren’t fighting for his life, I’d scrub his mouth ‘till his tongue went raw.’ Wordlessly, the crimson stallion charged towards Marco, and sent the wolf careening into a tree with a well-placed buck. The other two wolves were subdued just as quickly, thanks to Twilight’s beam spell and Rainbow’s head-on charge. Once certain that no other enemies were nearby, the three ponies faced the hybrid, who was sitting, examining his wounds.
“Thanks for saving me.” He said, his tone much friendlier than before. “Sorry about our first encounter, it wasn't the best of introductions, I know...” The ponies just stared wordlessly at him, not sure how to respond to this drastic change in attitude. “What? You’re giving me the silent treatment this time…I screwed this one up, didn’t I?” He groaned, collapsing onto the ground.
“…Are you alright?” Twilight asked, surprised that the biped went from foul-mouthed and violent to friendly and calm in a matter of seconds. Marco merely shot her a deadpan look. “I’ve repeatedly avoided death over the last few minutes. I can feel numerous wounds all over my body, and my knuckles, shins and feet are in agony from repeatedly hitting those sons of beeches. Of course I’m feeling alright.” He groaned sarcastically. “I think I can still walk, though…hang on a moment, just need to blend in.” The ponies jumped back in surprise as green fire swirled around Marco, engulfing his form.
When the fire died, the biped was replaced with a young… ‘Winged unicorn.’ Twilight concluded staring at him. His tinted insect wings were folded back, blending in with his charcoal coat. His mane and tail were pitch black, with a cyan streak running down their lengths. Twilight also noticed that he had a cutie mark; three verdant streaks that curved to form a flame.
Rainbow’s eyes widened, remembering a similar sight from the disastrous Canterlot wedding. “I knew it! He’s in cahoots with Queen Chrysalis! Lemme go give him a piece of my mind!” She began to fly towards the surprised colt, but was held back by Big Mac chomping down on her tail. “What the-? Let me go, Big Mac!”
“Nnope.”
“He’s right, Rainbow.” Twilight agreed. “So far, he’s given us no reason to think he’s the enemy. We’ll need to question him, and find out the truth…” Her eyes briefly glazed over at the prospect of learning about a new species. “Yes…find out all there is to know about him…” A slightly manic smile began to creep onto her face.
“Uh…should I be afraid about that smile?” Marco asked, trying (and failing) to stand.
“Eeyup.”
-----
“What was that green fire you used?” Twilight asked.
After a hasty introduction involving reactions ranging from joy (The CMC, and the pink pony), to mistrustful (Applejack and Rainbow Dash), I was given a very brief tour of the town, courtesy of a certain pegasus that noticed my pained grimace during the CMC’s group hug, and literally dragged me through the streets, before arriving at the strange tree-library where I first met them. Applejack was in a (one-sided) discussion with her brother about yours truly. Rainbow was perched on a bookshelf, glaring at me like I was some convict on parole, The white unicorn (Rarity, was it?), the pink pony, a small purple dragon, and the Crusaders were all gathered around, watching me and Twilight talk. Finally, the yellow pegasus that hauled my sorry ass here was bandaging my numerous wounds, despite my insistence that I could just bullshit my way through a doctor’s visit later.
“One sec…” I murmured, examining my Ipad (after reclaiming said device and my bag from the claws of the dragon), and discovered that the repeated tampering meant that I had to wait for an hour before unlocking it. “How long have you been trying to unlock this?” I asked, bemused.
“Just answer my question!” Twilight blushed with embarrassment. Shrugging, I opened my bag (Enchanted by Luna to house a Hammerspace dimension. Basically, that means that I can easily store anything I want in there, regardless of size and weight. Sadly, the first attempt decimated my old backpack.), and pulled out a small bottle of pills and a water bottle. I popped two pills into my mouth, and washed them down with water, before packing the bottles and the tablet computer away. “Done…ah, I remember now. You were asking about the green fire, right?” Twilight nodded, her quill and scroll floating at the ready.
“It can incinerate anything, even magic. I guess you could call it my unique skill.” I said. “As far as I know, the flame can either become harmless…” My eyes briefly flashed green, and Twilight’s scroll was engulfed in fire, and fluttered towards the ground. Another flash, and the fire disappeared, leaving the paper no worse for wear. “…Or burn what it touches until nothing remains.” I pointed a hoof at a diamond the purple dragon held in his claws, and with a roar, the gem dissolved into a ball of green fire, earning me wide-eyed stares from the ponies, and an indignant “Hey!” from the reptile.
“On the- ngh! Downside, the more powerful the flame is, the more energy I use, limiting its usefulness in combat.” I finished, wincing slightly at the pang in my gut signaling my magic reserves were almost at rock bottom. Twilight nodded, focusing on the scroll in front of her. “Alright…next question. How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“What kind of creature are you?”
“I’m…I was a human, before appearing in Equestria.” I admitted. “Now, I’m a Hybrid part human, part changeling.”
“What’s a human?” Scootaloo asked.
“A creature from another reality, according to Celestia.” I said, turning to the yellow pony that had spent the last few minutes bandaging the last of my wounds. “Thank you for taking care of me…uh, I’m sorry. I never never really got your name.”
“O-oh, um…I’m…Fluttershy.” She mumbled. “Um…I noticed the incisors you have…and…do you eat meat?” The question was followed by a muted “Please don’t harm my animals.”
‘…D’aawww.’ I grinned at the adorable sight before me. ‘How can anyone say no to that face?’
“Well, I can eat meat, but it’s not a necessary part of my diet.” I answered. “Since I found out you have an ample supply Tofu, beans, rice and other protein-rich sources of alternatives, I can easily live of that.” This seemed to please Fluttershy greatly, as she gave me a small smile. I also noticed Applejack breathe a sigh of relief, some of the fear inside her dissipating.
“Have you been to a party in Equestria before?” The pink mare suddenly asked.
“No, I don’t believe I’ve had the chance to attend a paaaa-what the…” My jaw fell slack in surprise as the pink mare shot up like a spring, looking like I had just grown another head.
“I’ll fix that! You’re in need a welcome party, stat!” She declared. Suddenly, two huge baby blue eyes engulfed my vision. “Hi I’m Pinkie Pie and I need to know what cupcakes you like Do you like vanilla chocolate strawberry butterscotch lemon…*Inhaaaaa-” The pony paused to suck up an impossibly large amount of air.
‘Holy shit…Cartoon physics working their magic here!’
“*-aaaaale!* And finally, our Hearth Warming special: Peppermint Cupcakes!”
‘Yep…definitely ADHD.’ I thought.
“Nice to meet you Pinkie. Call me Firebug” I replied, smiling. “I’m flattered that you’d plan a party for me, and I’m definitely interested in the Peppermint cupcakes. Thank you.”
“Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie chirped, before blasting out of the door in a flurry of…streamers?
“…Damn, how much caffeine does she take?” I asked rhetorically.
“Please…never mention that again.” Rarity shuddered, speaking with a classy transatlantic accent. “The filly has more than enough energy the way she usually is.”
“Huh…you mean she normally acts like this? Impressive.”
“…You’re taking this awfully well. Marco.” Twilight noted. “Most ponies would have been surprised, at the very least.”
“Before I answer that, could you please call me Firebug when I’m in pony form, since ‘Marco’ is a strange name for a pony to have.” Twilight, the other ponies, and the dragon nodded in understanding. “Also, I was born with a condition similar to your pink friend, so…ah shit.” I grimaced at my slip-up, as a psychotic grin slowly began to creep up on Twilight’s face again.
‘Here we go again…’
“You mean you know the mysterious reason behind Pinkie’s actions?” She began to walk towards me. As I contemplated how to make my escape, I noticed a magenta glow surround the windows and doors, barring all exits. “You will tell me everything you know about it. EVERYTHING!”
-----
Celestia paced the statue gardens, enjoying the peace and quiet of the statue gardens. As a princess, she rarely had time to get away from her duties, making her appreciate what free time she could get. Although Luna made for good company, sometimes Celestia felt that she needed to be alone, free from the burden of her duties.
“You look happy, Celestia. Finally removed that stick up your flank?” A voice spoke next to her; a very familiar voice, belonging to a very unwelcome creature.
“Discord…” Celestia hissed, turning towards the speaker. Sure enough, there was the avatar of chaos, floating on a candyfloss cloud. “How did you break free from your stone prison?” She demanded, a blinding ball of nuclear energy forming at the tip of her horn. “If you’re aiming at retaking Equestria for a third time, Faust help me, I will launch you into the next galaxy!“
“Now now, don’t get your tail in a twist.” Discord tutted, whipping out a pair of sunglasses. “Your boring little kingdom is safe.” With a snap of his claws, the miniature sun promptly exploded into a shower of confetti. “For today, at least.”
“Answer my question, Discord!” Celestia barked. “How did you break free of your prison?
“You’re so hostile, Celestia. I’m hurt.” Discord teased, dropping of his cloud, which then flew off into the distance. “The answer to both those questions was in your possession…until the other day, when he was sent to a little village near the Everfree...” He laughed as comprehension dawned on the goddess’ face. “That’s right, I’m talking about the human newcomer. Chaos comes off him in waves. And all it took was one little crack in order for me to harness that energy, and wear the harmonic seal down from the outside.”
“That’s impossible. Marco’s actions are far from the likes of yours” Celestia said. “And even if that were true, I would have detected chaos energy the moment we met.”
“Ah, but that’s the beauty of his species..” Discord countered. “Despite their talent for war, humans are beings of neutrality, have long made peace with the chaos inside them and melding it with harmony. As for the human's behavior…” Discord scowled, and for a split second, he looked more like the Discord that had wrested complete control of Equestria from Celestia on a whim. “Meddlesome ethics and laws, always ruining a perfectly good species.” He spat.
“What are you planning, Draconequus?”
“Well if you must know, Today’s actually my off day. Maybe I’ll head to Ponyville, celebrate my release at a party, catch up with my favorite mares, and maybe meet the honored guest. After that…” The avatar of chaos smirked. “Well, I’m sure you’ll find out. Ciao!”
Before Celestia finished processing what he said, Discord snapped his talons, and covered her in a thick layer of gooey cookie dough, before flying away on his candyfloss cloud. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to give chase, Celestia broke through the dough with a burst of heat, and galloped off to the main hall.
“Guards,send two squad to pursue to go after Discord. Also alert Captain Shining Armor to the situation and tell him to prepare a squad for teleportation to Ponyville!"
Deep down, the solar princess feared for her subjects, her kingdom, and what would happen to them if Discord cast his magic on Marco. During the weeks of training, she witnessed the hybrid’s potential for combat, and how it was subconsciously limited by his kind nature. But should he be corrupted by Discord, he would become a real danger for all.
“Finally, prepare a chariot and rouse my sister! We must head for Ponyville immediately! ”
Important note! (no, this isn't a new chapter…yet)
I just wanted to give you readers the heads up that while Chapter 5 is making headway, it's going to take a while before I publish it. Sucks, I know. Also, I wanted to say that I'm not abandoning "Changes" anytime soon. It's just going to have a very slow update speed, as usual. This is because the next couple of years are gong to be very important (and thus, extremely hectic and stressful) for me, as I study and work for my IB Diploma, as well as selecting potential universities I want to go to. This leaves me with very little time to write. I will get some time to write during the holidays, but about 90% of that time will be dedicated to essays and exam revision.
I'm sorry for making you guys wait. With luck, I'll have the next chapter up by Easter.