The rainfall had stopped in the night and the sun had already dried the remaining water on the ground, the soldiers and citizens of New Liberty had gathered on the edge of town where a line of graves had been dug by Changeling defectors. Among those attending were the Princesses of Equestria and a battalion of Equestrian Royal Guards, all of whom were respectfully wearing their dress uniforms with their hats removed. The families of the dead ponies were seated at the front, and their comrades in arms stood just behind them.

Dominic stood to the side, refusing to sit in the presence of the dead. Jen and Johnny were next to him, wearing the cleanest clothing they could find. A detail of seven uniformed soldiers stood with their spell bows in their grasp, each one looking like a stone statue. The American flag had been lowered to half mast and flew slowly in the breeze. The eulogy was given by the families of the dead, and the names of those who had fallen were read one by one in a moment of silence.

Dominic watched the tearful face of Sonar from his place, his own expression one of hardened sorrow. Seeing the look of anguish spread across her face when she heard her husband’s name called sparked anger in him, but he knew that all that could be done was already done. After the changelings had their ceremony that day, he and Chrysalis would sign the peace papers. Any changeling still loyal enough to Gigant and his government to fight would be dealt with.

For now though, Dominic stayed his rage. Jen, who happened to be standing to his right, could see him clenching and unclenching his fist. She herself had been surprised at just how high the death toll had been, it brought tears to her eyes as she watched one of the foals try to run towards one of the graves, only to be pulled back as it cried for its lost parent. That was where she heard a sniffle beside her, she looked to see that Johnny had tears running down his cheeks. She’d never seen him cry, ever, but perhaps the cries of a child were what had finally gotten to him.

“Detail!” Shouted the uniformed stallion in charge of the stallions out by the graves. “Present arms!” The twenty one soldiers presented their spellbows, the time of silence had ended. “Take aim!” The weapons were pointed at an angle towards the sky, away from the group of onlookers. “Fire!” The soldiers pulled the triggers, firing a simultaneous volley. “Fire!” Another volley. “Fire!” And another, on an on until a volley for each dead soldier had been carried out.

“Company!” Shouted another officer among the onlookers. “Present arms!” A wave of salutes washed over the group, Americans, Changelings and Equestrians alike. “Dismissed!” Gradually the group began to filter away, soldiers putting their hats back on as they did so. The families made their way to the graves of the dead to offer their own final farewells, Dominic lingered where he stood, watching the scene unfold. It was a scene he was far too familiar with. In the distance he could see Chipped Blade and Rolling Thunder sitting by the grave of Errant, he could understand why that was. Word had spread quickly that Chipped had gone off the deep end, something the thestrals called a ‘Bloodlust’. Dominic wouldn’t hold it against him, not at the moment.

On the other side of town near the POW camp a different ceremony was beginning, the Changeling defectors had all arrived as fast as they could while the POWs waited where they stood. The bodies of the defectors and the enemy soldiers alike had been set in a funeral pyre, and the gathered changelings all stood as silently as they could. Chrysalis and Mizu emerged from their tunnel, each of them had their faces coated in dry white clay. They wore the closest they could get to Changeling ceremonial attire, which amounted to little more than a pair of silk robes.

As they passed by their fellow changelings the defectors and a good portion of the POWs dropped into bows, those that continued to stand were an uncomfortable minority. Eventually mother and daughter reached their destination, front of the crowd overlooking the pyre. A camp fire had been lit and a pair of torches rested next to it. Chrysalis handled the sight of her dead children with as much grace as she could, Mizu did the best she could as well, though it was still difficult to look at. Chrysalis cleared her throat before she turned and addressed the crowd, her voice caught in her throat for only a moment before she spoke out in the Changeling’s native tongue.

”Sons and daughters, we are gathered here to bid farewell to our family.” The Queen began, the gathered changelings didn’t speak. ”I am heartbroken that we have done this to ourselves… That brother has turned on brother… Such a loss of life, inflicted by our own hooves.” Mizu bowed her head quietly, nonetheless she kept her eyes on the pyre. The bodies had been arranged respectfully and doused in ceremonial oil that had been recovered from the Changeling’s encampment. They had been covered as best they could with sheets.

”We must now make sure that such a tragedy does not happen again.” Chrysalis continued as she looked towards the pyre, a solitary tear running down her cheek and leaving a line in the clay. ”I wish my children a safe journey to the great beyond, may the light of flame guide you and protect you.” The Queen looked to one of the torches and lifted it with her magic, Mizu did the same and both touched them to the fire to set them ablaze. Chrysalis began to hum a loud tone, occasionally speaking an ancient tongue, until finally they had reached the pyre. “In unison, Mizu.” She said quietly, her daughter nodded. “Now.” The two of them dropped the torches to the oil soaked sheets, the flames spread rapidly as the two of them backed away and watched. The oil gave off a white smoke as it burned with the sheets, the heat of the flames was intense enough to be felt near the POW camp, but the changeling royals stood closer nonetheless.

Among the dead were the soldiers that had been killed in the encampment, including Gigant. Not matter how bad he had been, Chrysalis would not stand to see him have any less than a true Changeling funeral. At this point it was acceptable for the Queen to openly mourn, and mourn she did. Her sobs were quiet, drown out by the flaming roar, and Mizu was the only one present to comfort her.

Among the other changelings, a chant had begun within the defectors ranks. It was gradually spreading to members of the POW crowd as well. Over the flames Chrysalis could hear it, and it sparked a small amount of joy, even if it was overshadowed by the immense grief she faced. It was in the changeling tongue, something spoken very rarely. The changelings had taken to using the common language regularly to help them blend in, and so it was very rare that such a chant was heard.

”Long live the hive! Long live the hive!” Echoed in the background, a fitting accompaniment to the funeral of so many of its members. An assurance to those going to the afterlife that their home would stand even without them there. By now the American guards were returning to their posts and watching the fire burn, the defectors began to return to their own duties, until eventually only Mizu and Chrysalis remained to watch the fire. The POWs watched as best they could, but most of them had been confined to their bunk houses after the previous night's escape attempt.

Chrysalis eventually heard footsteps off behind her, as did Mizu, neither of them turned to look however. Both could sense the familiar emotions of self loathing and depression. Dominic eventually silently came to stand beside them, watching the flames despite the heat. After an hour or so of standing in silence the fire began to die down, still going strong, but it was clear that the ceremonial oil had been burned off. Only now did Chrysalis turn to face the man, his face still impassive as he continued to watch the flames.

“I came to pay my respects…” He said, not looking away for a few moments before he turned to face the Queen. “I’m sorry for your loss, your highness.”

“And I for yours, Mister President.” Chrysalis replied, she tiredly stood up and brushed herself off. “Let’s sign the papers quickly so that our war may end…” Dominic nodded and gestured towards the capitol building in the distance. Mizu stood and followed the two heads of state as they began the silent walk, outside of the building Dominic could see Luna and Celestia standing there. No doubt they would want to act as mediators, but the terms of surrender had already been discussed. He occasionally glanced at Mizu but said nothing, she didn’t seem like she would cause trouble. “This is my heir, Mizu, formerly known as Distortion.” Chrysalis said as she noticed Dominic’s curiosity.

“Ah, I see.” The man said simply, as they reached the front of the capitol building they saw that a table had been set outside and several American’s with black armbands stood at attention on one side. On the other were defectors in their marked green armor, also wearing black armbands. Equestrian Royal Guards watched from around them, as did the rest of the town's occupants.

Dominic made his way to his side of the table while Chrysalis and Mizu took their spot on theirs, General Bulwark approached and stood beside the president in his dress uniform at attention.

“The papers, please.” Dominic said, the general saluted and looked to the soldiers standing at attention. A hush fell over the town as numerous documents were produced from one of the soldier’s saddlebags and handed to the general. The general took them and dutifully handed them to Dominic who approached the table and laid them out flat. Chrysalis approached and looked them over.

They would mean the end of her nation’s war with the United States and establish an alliance between the two countries, reparations would be paid in land and money, but the changelings had amassed a large amount of money over the years and had nothing to spend it on. All of it seemed in order and all of it agreeable, Dominic’s change in terms was much appreciated by the changeling Queen. From an inkwell on the table Chrysalis lifted a quill and lowered it to the paper, there was scribble and a scratch, then another and another before the papers were slid over to Mizu. She signed with her new name before turning the papers to face the president and his commanding general.

Bulwark signed the papers dutifully before handing the quill to Dominic, the man paused and took a deep breath before committing his name to the papers. Just like that, in less than a minute, the war was over. A sigh of relief ran through the town, but there were no cheers or bands, the day’s prior events didn’t justify that. They would have their celebration when the scars weren’t fresh. The smoke from the funeral pyre continued to rise in the background as the papers were collected and handed back to the general. Chrysalis used her magic to summon an item from her robe, her sword. She laid it flat and bowed her head before offering the blade to Dominic.

The man took it and handed it to Bulwark, the general sheathing it in his own belt. The changeling defectors and the American soldiers saluted each other wordlessly. Dominic sighed quietly and walked around the table to Chrysalis and Mizu, he extended his hand to the Queen first and she shook it. There was the flash of a flashbulb from several Equestrian correspondents, both heads of state ignored it. Dominic then offered his hand to Mizu, the mare shook it as best she could.

“Thank you all for standing by and watching this moment.” Dominic said as he turned to address the crowd. “This marks the end of our first bloody struggle in the name of freedom and peace. With our new allies we will work together to make the world a better place for all of us, no matter the cost.” There was applause at the end of his words, even from those who were grieving. “The Queen and I will address any questions the press may have at a later date, today is a day of mourning and we should all be with our loved ones. Thank you.”

Dominic turned and walked into the capitol building while Mizu and Chrysalis turned to return to their tunnels with their fellow Changelings. They would depart for the hive on the next day, for now they wanted to rest and reflect on what had happened. General Bulwark entered the capitol behind Dominic with the sword and papers in his grasp, he quickly filed the papers before following the President up into his officer.

“Close the door, General.” Dominic said as he took a seat in his office chair, the General nodded and closed the door before standing at attention. “Sit, please.” The stallion nodded and sat down. “What is our defensive readiness?”

“As it stands… Not good.” Bulwark said quietly. “Even with the defectors that chose to stay our forces our down, hell, the population is down as well.” Dominic sighed and rubbed his temples. “I’m sure we’ll get plenty of defectors from the hive, but that still won’t help much. We need new blood.”

“I’m aware of that…” Dominic said with a sigh, he leaned back in his seat. “Did Sonar say if there were any Diamond Dog packs operating in this area?” Bulwark raised his eyebrow at the question but nodded nonetheless.

“From what I heard there were quite a few, now that the changelings are going the peaceful route I’m sure we’ll have to deal with them sooner or later.” Dominic nodded and looked down at his desk.

“I want to get into contact with them, why fight them when we can make them our friends?” Dominic mused, Bulwark paused and raised an eyebrow again.

“How would we get them to work for us? They’re pretty self centered.” He asked, Dominic reached to his desk and opened the drawer that contained his revolver. He examined it for a moment before closing it and leaning forwards in his chair.

“A show of force.” Dominic replied simply. “They will inevitably attack us, when they do and when we crush them, they will see us as the alpha. Assuming they’re like normal dogs of course.” Bulwark nodded again, Dominic slid forwards and steepled his fingers. “Once the reparations have been paid I want you to make a rather odd purchase for our military.”

“What would that be, sir?” Asked Bulwark.

“I assume that your world has bulldozers, correct?” Dominic asked, the stallion nodded again. “I want you to buy five of them and have them shipped here, as well as more trench plate and welding equipment. Some steel piping as well.” Bulwark raised an eyebrow at the request.

“Forgive my asking, sir, but… Why?” The general inquired, Dominic waved a hand as if there was no need to apologize before he pulled a piece of paper from his desk, followed by a pen and made a quick sketch.

“In my world, they were called Tanks.” He explained as he went on. “They had tracks that allowed them to move over most terrain, heavy armor that protected against enemy fire, and large weapons called cannons that could dish out damage.” Dominic turned the paper to face the general, revealing he’d drawn a rough sketch of what he was looking to build. “No other nation in this world has one, do they?”

“No, sir…” Bulwark responded as he looked at the image on the paper.

“We have used human weaponry in combat, we cannot turn back now.” Dominic stood up and walked towards the window to watch the flames from the funeral pyre outside. “I am generally a peaceful man, Bulwark… I don’t do this lightly. I have a plan that will help a lot of people on my home world, a plan that requires these weapons…”

“I understand, Mister President. It will be done.” Bulwark said as he stood up and saluted, Dominic turned and returned the salute. “I’ll be sure to order plenty of fuel too.” Dominic nodded.

“We’ll experiment with designs on these five, once we have one we like we’ll order more bulldozers and begin mass production.” Dominic reached into the cigar box on his desk and withdrew one, bit off the cap, and lit it quietly. “Hopefully by then we’ll have a facility where we can build them here.” He puffed on his cigar as the general nodded again. “Oh, please, send Jen and John up when you get the chance… I’ll need to have a word with them. You’re dismissed.

“Yes, sir.” Bulwark responded once again, Dominic nodded to him and took a seat as the stallion exited the office. The man sighed quietly as he frowned, in all honesty his previous confidence had been a show. He had no plan, just a vague idea of how he would make his dream of helping his race a reality. It involved armored vehicles, that was for sure. He wouldn’t send his people into his world without some form of mechanical protection other than their armor. He knew that he’d have to train his forces to evade and function without direct commands, that was where Jen came in. From what he’d heard she was a Sergeant in the National Guard, that meant she had command experience, she’d be able to aid in the training.

Johnny, well, he seemed to be good at improvising. That was a quality Dominic wanted to instill his armed forces as well. He’d make the announcement about what he was planning once things with the Diamond Dogs had been sorted out and the reparation funds had been delivered. This was the sort of operation that would normally need to be voted on, but this time he was going to issue an executive order. His thoughts on the matter were cut short, however, as he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.” He responded, the door opened inwards and Dominic expected to see the two humans. Instead he saw Luna, a faint smile crossed his lips, but he quickly hid it away. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her and her feelings towards him, he didn’t want to give her false hope. The mare trotted in and sat down, she appeared very tired. “Hey…”

“Hello.” She responded in a neutral tone as she looked over Dominic’s desk, pausing as she saw the drawing he’d made. Dominic picked up the drawing and looked it over himself before setting it back down. “We came by to see how thou were feeling, thou tend to get a bit testy after events such as this…”

“I’m fine… Just working on the plan…” Dominic replied as he tapped the picture on the desk. “Zombie proof, you see? In case we have to go out and get people in the middle of nowhere.” Luna nodded slowly as she saw the image.

“They also appear to be arrow proof, and magic proof, if thou art planning on gold lining them…” Luna added, Dominic looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “We assume thou can understand our concern when we see things like this? Thou were adamant that human weaponry would not be used here.”

“I said I wouldn’t use it unless absolutely necessary, and as it turns out, it was absolutely necessary.” Dominic countered, Luna frowned. “I don’t have much choice, Luna. We’re on our own out here, I won’t let us face another pyrrhic victory.” The princess sighed quietly and stood up, she trotted forwards and put a hoof on Dominic’s chest just above his heart.

“We...I am so sorry…” Luna said quietly, Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Look around thee, Dominic. Thou art changing into something that thou should not be. If we… If I had never come to you and manipulated thou…”

“We’ve been over this before, Luna… It’s okay-”

“No it is not!” Luna interrupted the man. “Thou are not a general, nor a politician, but I have made thee into one!” She pulled him into a hug, he was a bit surprised at first, but eventually returned it. Dominic held her for a few moments before she pulled away, honestly looking more upset than he’d ever seen her. “Doth thou not see?” Dominic slowly felt himself trembling, he sat back in his seat as the weight of it all came crashing down around him.

“I see…” He said quietly, quickly wiping at his eye. “But what can I do? These ponies rely on me now, I can’t stop…” Luna stared at him for a few moments, then nodded slowly. “What should I do?”

“We cannot say…” Luna said quietly. “All we can do is help thou, this is our mess after all.” She sighed and stood up. “For now, do what thou must, once we have helped your race, perhaps then we will be able to find a solution…” She turned to trot away, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Dominic looking at her with a caring expression.

“Don’t beat yourself up, Lu… Leave the self beating to me.” He said calmly, adding a little smile at the end. He was trying to cheer her up with a joke, and Luna genuinely smiled at the effort. “It’s going to get better…” Luna nodded again before she stood up and began trotting out of the office, when she was gone all he could do was sigh. “I just hope it gets better soon…” He mumbled to himself before picking up his cigar and puffing on it a few times.

An hour or so passed with him sitting alone with his cigar and his thoughts, the glow of the pyre outside cast its light through the window, eerie shadows sprung to life as a result. The smoke of the cigar hung in the air like a fog as Dominic leaned back in his seat, he could swear he felt hands start to grab at him, but he knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He was just staring off into space now, trying to ease the turmoil of his thoughts.

There was a knock on his door that brought him back to the world of the sane, he set his smoldering cigar into his ashtray and cleared his throat.

“Come in.” He said, sitting up straight and flattening his suit jacket. The door was opened by Bulwark, the thestral nodded to the President as Jen and Johnny entered the room. The general closed the door behind the two of them, each looking at Dominic with curious expressions. The man cleared his throat once more and gestured to a pair of seats off in the corner. “Please, have a seat.” The two of them shrugged and walked over, then dragged their seats back over to the desk where they sat down.

“I’m sorry I had Bulwark come and grab you…” Dominic said quietly as he looked at the two of them. “I’ve been a bit busy lately, otherwise I would’ve come to you myself.” The man sighed and tossed his finished cigar into an ashtray. “I’ll be frank, you folks deserve that much.” He picked up a fresh cigar and bit off the cap, then spit the bit of tobacco aside before lighting up. “I’m putting together a special task force, this task force will be crossing into our world and evacuating whatever survivors we can possibly find. I need your help in training them.”

“Whoa, slow down there…” Johnny said, sitting up straight as he watched the president puff on his cigar. “You want to go BACK to our world? You really are a crazy fuckin’ elmo-”

“John.” Jen cut him off with a glare, Dominic wordlessly exhaled a puff of smoke as if he hadn’t heard the outburst. “He does have a point, as much as I hate to admit it, going back there does seem unwise…”

“Letting our species die is wise?!” Dominic said, almost pounding his desk. “Leaving behind everyone and everything we care about behind is wise!?” The man bit down on his cigar for a moment before sighing and calming himself down. “You two are living proof there’s more people out there. I know, you haven’t had it easy here, lord knows I’ve been in the hospital at least three times, but you gotta admit it is a helluva lot better than what they’re going through.”

“Forgive me for saying this, because, it’s going to sound very cruel… But… Who do you have left back on earth?” Jen asked slowly, Dominic stared at her for a few moments. “You said ‘We’, that means you too, doesn’t it?” Slowly the man lowered his cigar to the ashtray and turned in his seat, then stood up and walked towards the liquor cabinet. He poured himself a glass of scotch and quickly drank it before returning to his desk.

“I remember last night we were talking, for a moment you mentioned you were with the Colorado National Guard…” Dominic said slowly, Jen nodded and watched him carefully. She noted that his jacket was hanging behind him, the patch on the shoulder in full display, on the hat rack was a metal steel pot helmet, and there was a shotgun hanging on the wall. “Does the word ‘Evergreen’ mean anything to you?”

“Holy fuck! Evac Point Delta is compromised!”

“Open up on ‘em!”

“What fresh hell is this…”

“I’m sorry…”

“Jen…?” Johnny asked quietly, giving the woman a shake on the shoulder, she jumped a moment later. Dominic was staring at her intensely, she could still hear the sound of helicopter blades in her head.

“Y-Yes… Yes, it does…” Jen said in a whisper, she took a few deep breaths, Dominic let her take her time and instead continued to watch her closely. “I was on an evacuation helicopter bound for the high school there the first time… But I was there again recently, right before I ended up here.”

“I’m from Evergreen…” Dominic said softly, he drummed his fingers on the desk quietly. “Used to camp out in the bar down town, you know, right by the dam?” Jen nodded rapidly, her eyes going wider. “Well, I used to have a friend… Her name was Maria. All these years I thought I’d been forced killed her, only recently I found out that-”

“She got picked up by a national guard convoy…” Jen finished for him, her tone becoming very shocked. Dominic’s eyes widened, she could see that the gears in his head were starting to grind. “Holy shit… You’re the guy?”

“What guy?” Dominic asked out of instinct, still trying to process what was happening. Johnny had no idea what was going on himself, but he didn’t want to run the risk of derailing the conversation and thus kept his mouth shut.

“The guy she kept talking about, you’re THE guy. I never bothered to get your name, she just kept talking about you like you were some sort of Roman god or whatever. I’m not kidding, she was specific about you being Roman…” Dominic felt a genuine smile cross his lips and he wiped his eyes for a moment before the smile faded away.

“Well… She’s the one that I’m starting this for, but I intend to save everyone I can…” Dominic said, trying to get the conversation back onto his original topic. “I’ve got a dog in this fight, I’m sure you guys do too.” The man picked up his cigar and puffed on it to calm his nerves, internally screaming with joy to hear that this woman had met Jen. He could say with certainty that Discord wasn’t lying about her being alive. “We have the resources, the manpower, and the goddamn guts to make this work. I admit that I don’t have a real plan yet, but I’m working on one, and it’ll be a lot fuckin’ easier if I have help.”

“I’m in.” Jen said quickly, Johnny looked at her with a surprised expression. Dominic shared the expression, honestly he hadn’t expected either of them to say yes right away, let alone that fast. The woman looked at Johnny quietly. “This is the universe giving me a chance to balance things out…” The man looked her in the eyes for a few moments, then his face softened.

“What the hell, I’m in too… Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you.” He said, Jen smiled and the both of them looked to Dominic. He leaned back slowly in his seat and puffed on his cigar, a thoughtful expression on his face. Jen suddenly sat up and began reaching into her pocket, digging around for something before finally…

“Here!” She withdrew the mp3 player and showed it to Dominic, the man stared at it for a few moments before reaching out and taking it from her. “Discord gave this to me, don’t ask me how, because I really don’t know… He said to give it to you.”

“Alright…” Dominic said, setting the device on his desk. “I’m sure we’re all a little tired, so, let’s take today to relax. The first planning session for the task force will be held a week or two from now, get your thoughts together…” Jen and Johnny nodded and began to stand up. “Oh, hey… Jen?”

“Yeah?” The woman asked.

“Can… Can I…” Dominic paused mid question, he wanted to ask about Maria, about everything that had happened, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, he wanted to hear what had happened from Maria’s own lips. “Never mind…” Jen just shrugged and turned, she and her boyfriend Johnny left Dominic’s office. The President puffed on his cigar and looked down at the music player, he unwound the headphones and turned it on, selecting a random song. With the earbuds in and the player in his breast pocket he walked towards the window and stared once again at the giant pyre. David Bowie’s ‘Cat People’ played through the earbuds as he puffed on his cigar, watching the flame and smoke continue to climb into the sky.

[♦]

Chrysalis and Mizu sat in their alcove, stripped of their robes and with their faces cleaned of the dry clay. It was here in the silent underground that Mizu would begin her first true lessons on her road to one day take her mother’s throne. Chrysalis remained silent as she watched her daughter’s horn begin to glow.

“Close your eyes…” Chrysalis said, Mizu nodded and closed her eyes. “Use your magic to draw the water from the earth, Mizu. Concentrate on the water…” The Queen watched as her daughter’s horn began to glow brighter. “Slow and steady, Mizu… Water is powerful over time…” Mizu nodded, gradually her horn began to glow less and less. The princess, as was her title now, could feel the drops of water around her. Slowly they pushed their way through the soil with her help, glowing a light green all the way.

Eventually a few drops pushed past the dirt and flew to the center of the room where they hovered in Mizu’s magic. It was a small amount, no more than a teaspoon, but eventually Chrysalis knew that her daughter would be able to move buckets if she wanted to.

“Very good, Mizu… Open your eyes.” Chrysalis finally commented, Mizu opened her eyes and smiled as she saw the floating water before her. “It’s a very good start, far better than I did on my first try.” The Queen levitated a small wooden cup she had taken from the changeling encampment beneath the water. “Drink, Mizu.” The princess lowered the water into the cup before she took it and swigged the small amount. “Nature provides us with the things we need, water chief among them… The world is more than willing to give to us if we are willing to be patient. Meditate on that.”

“Yes, mother.” Mizu said with a bow of her head as she lowered the cup to the floor, Chrysalis returned the bow respectfully. “Mother, may I ask a question?”

“You just did, Mizu…” Chrysalis noted with a slight chuckle. “I kid, of course you may, what is your question?” Her daughter looked up at her quietly, blinking for a moment or two. Her eyes had begun to change to indicate her promotion to royalty and as such she was having trouble seeing.

“The war with America has ended, and we have lost a portion of our territory to them, as well as a sizable amount of money…” Mizu began, she paused as she heard the sound of marching hooves overhead but they eventually shifted away. “What will we do now?”

“In the future we will work with the Americans for peace with Equestria and the world… I have no doubt that some of our hive will come to their ranks, Gigant is sure to have frightened some away.” Chrysalis began to speak, she trailed off and appeared to think on something. “For now though, we will need to find some form of food… The American’s have been feeding us, but that will end when we depart tomorrow.”

“A good choice…” Mizu said, she sighed as she contemplated her mother’s words. It occurred to her that though she had fought in the town and even been near it for some time, she’d never actually explored it. “Mother, I would like to see the town… Before we go. These ponies are fascinating.” Chrysalis nodded and gestured to the door.

“Go, then. I shall be waiting here when you return, don’t worry.” Chrysalis said with a slight smile, Mizu stood and bowed once more before leaving the alcove and making her way to the entrance to the tunnel. She stepped out onto the desert sand as the fire continued to burn off to her right, a couple of the American guards watched her from their posts at the POW camp but shrugged and left her alone. Mizu walked towards the town with a bit more confidence than she normally had, knowing that the war was over gave her a bit more relief.

She passed by a couple store fronts that were being converted into various places of business, as well as the saloon which had now been decorated with a white sheet over the sign, there was a large red cross painted on the sheet. She recognized that symbol, it was a hospital of some sorts. Feeling obligated to visit some of her wounded brother and sisters, she began trotting towards the building.

The American standing outside the door looked tired and in all honestly like he belonged in the hospital himself, his eyes had bags beneath them and he was practically falling over. Still he straightened up when he saw her approaching, smiling as best he could beneath his helmet.

“E-Evening, miss…” He stammered.

“It’s midday…” Mizu responded, examining the stallion closer. She could tell that he was sweating heavily, more importantly, his emotions told her that he really wasn’t doing well. “Are you okay?” The stallion nodded.

“Y-Yeah, just got a bit of a headache is all… Caught a bit of a hit to the head yesterday and they’ve had me out here all night… But I’m probably just tired, I was fine last night...” The stallion waved a hoof as if to say he was fine, only to stumble for a bit. He blinked a couple times and shook his head, then straightened up again. “F-Fortress Wall, pleased to meetcha…” He tried to extend a hoof but nearly fell forwards.

“Maybe I should help you inside?” Mizu offered, the stallion shook his head again.

“I gotta stand guard until they relieve me, it’s my… My duty…” With that Fortress Wall stood up straighter, and immediatly fell forwards onto Mizu. She gasped and quickly caught the stallion in her hooves, his helmet rolling to the floor. She could see there seemed to be blood trickling from a wound on his head that perhaps he hadn’t noticed or shrugged off.

“I need a doctor!” Mizu yelled as she lowered the stallion to the ground and looked him over, a couple ponies rushed out and took a look at him. “He was all tired and he slurred and he just passed out.” One of the doctors crouched down and examined his eyes.

“Get a stretcher!” The doctor shouted, but before anyone could get one two Americans came out and lifted him up to carry him inside.

“Is he going to be okay?” Mizu asked, the doctor looked at her for a moment, as if he couldn’t come up with an answer, before he rushed inside after the two other stallions. Mizu paused and looked down at the helmet that had fallen to the dirt before she picked it up and examined it, noting there seemed to be a couple items in the liner. For instance a pack of cigarettes, a picture, and some gum. She decided that rather than leave the helmet outside she would give it to one of the doctors.

Cautiously she entered the hospital and looked around, tables were covered with linens that were clean or bloody depending on how fresh they were. Thestrals and changelings alike were laid out, some groaning in pain while others seemed to be sleeping. There was a cough to the left of her and she spotted an Equestrian Royal Guard that was watching her.

“The stallion who just came in, he dropped his helmet… Could you give it to him?” Mizu asked politely, the unicorn eyed the helmet for a moment then nodded and used his magic to float the helmet over. She noted that the unicorn paused to pull a cigarette from the helmet and light it, his hoof shaking as he did so. Mizu didn’t say anything though, the stallion just lit his smoke as if he was trying to calm down.

Off to a not so great start, Mizu left the hospital in search of something that would perhaps be a bit more jovial. Not too much, considering there had been two mass funerals that day, but at least something. It didn’t take her long to come across a familiar pair of bipeds, the two humans that she had heard of through her mother. The male, John if she remembered correctly, was hard at work in the storefront of the building he’d been given. Specifically he was removing the shelves from the premises. The female, Mizu didn’t know her name yet, was sitting outside the building in an old looking chair next to a simple patio table. She had her hair tied back and she wore a tank top, she wore a pair of fatigue pants like the Americans did and heavy leather boots.

It took a moment for the female to notice Mizu, as she had her head leaned back against the building and her eyes closed. When Mizu stepped on a small stone the woman opened her eyes and looked around, then spotted Mizu. The changeling gave a timid wave, the woman returned it and then made a gesture for her to come over. Being ever curious, Mizu approached and gave a respectful bow.

“Hello.” The human said with a slight smile, offering her hand to the changeling. Familiar with the greeting, Mizu extended her own hoof and expected a shake. Instead the woman bumped her hoof lightly with a fist. Mizu assumed that was some other form of greeting in the human world, made more clear when she saw the woman’s face light up. “I’m Jen, nice to meet you.”

“I am Mizu, though I used to be called Distortion.” Mizu replied, Jen nodded and gave another smile. John could be heard swearing inside as he tried to move a particularly heavy shelf. “May I ask, what is he doing?” Jen glanced over her shoulder and gave a slight chuckle.

“He’s starting a bar, at least, that’s what he’s trying to do. My money is he’ll get tired of it by dinner.” The woman explained as she looked back to Mizu. “Mizu… That sounds Japanese…” Jen seemed to commenting to herself, tapping at her chin. “Son of a gun, guess Sarah was right…”

“I’m sorry?” Mizu asked, Jen shook her head and looked back at Mizu with a sheepish expression.

“I was just rambling about one of my friends back home, we had this bet going about aliens and stuff.” The woman trailed off again and sighed as she leaned back in her seat. “You know, you’re a lot cuter than I thought you’d be? Like, when I first heard of you guys I thought you’d be all scary, but you’re really adorable. I just wanna hug you.” The woman rambled for a moment, Mizu perked up as she heard the last part. A hug was essentially an invitation to feed, and if the woman knew that she was a changeling… Mizu decided just to be on the safe side this time.

“If you hugged me I’d be able to absorb your emotion, would that be okay with you?” She asked, Jen paused for a moment and shrugged, then opened her arms wide.

“I’ve always wanted to hug one of you guys.” She said warmly, Mizu smiled and approached the woman he gave her a very tight hug. The emotion that Mizu felt was joy and happiness, certainly filling emotions, the hug lasted for a few moments and already Mizu felt ten times better. “That didn’t seem that bad, I don’t even feel different.”

“Interesting.” Mizu commented as she patted herself down. “You are an oddly happy person, especially on a day like this…”

“I’ve just got a lot to be thankful for, I guess… I’m alive, I have my health, the person I love is close by… Gotta enjoy the little things, you know?” Jen smiled good naturedly and gestured to the spot beside her, as if she wanted Mizu to sit. The Changeling obliged, genuinely intrigued by the human’s actions. “I come from a place very different to this… Where this amount of death is common… It doesn’t get to me like it used to… Or at least, it’s different…” The woman’s voice seemed on a knife's edge between sorrow and neutral musings.

“I hear tell from my mother that your world is filled with monsters.” Mizu said, Jen nodded once again. There was crash from inside the store, followed by more cursing, but Jen ignored it in favor of paying attention to her new conversation partner. “Is that why the one they call Dominic hates himself so much?”

“He hates himself?” Jen asked, looking at the changeling with a raised eyebrow. Mizu nodded and looked towards the capitol building.

“I can sense it now… He’s a very sad soul, I’m honestly surprised at how long he’s gone on… Most creatures as sad as he is tend to commit suicide…” Mizu’s tone was a bit sad, as if she pitied the six foot behemoth of a man. Jen’s eyes looked towards the capitol building as well, wondering just what was going on in the head of the man upstairs. “Yet there is a hope in him, perhaps that’s what keeps him going…”

“I hope so…” Jen said quietly, looking at the floor. “He deserves to be happy for once, if what I think about him is true…” Mizu raised an eyebrow at the woman, sensing the rapid shift in emotion.

“You’re an odd creature, Jen. Your emotions change on rapidly.” The changeling noted, by some miracle it was loud enough to be heard over all the noise inside.

“That’s because she’s a woman!” Johnny shouted from inside, he began laughing loudly until Jen glared at him through the window. “Okay, jeez, sorry…” Mizu chuckled quietly and looked back forwards, again Jen’s interest was piqued.

“What now?” She asked, Mizu just smiled wider and shook her head. “Come on, tell me, is he thinkin’ nasty thoughts about me?”

“They could be perceived that way.” Mizu giggled, a sudden blush spread across Jen’s face. A comfortable silence settled over the two of them as they just sort of sat there, occasionally watching the soldiers on patrol march by. They had been American’s for the last couple turns, but as it reached the top of the hour they saw that the patrol shifted to those of the Equestrians. They carried themselves differently, especially around Jen. “Odd…”

“What?” The woman asked again. “You just say one thing and that’s it, it’s kind of hard to gauge what’s odd…”

“They seem to dislike you and your companion…” Mizu said, staring at a couple of the guards. Her eyes really were starting to go now, she’d be left to see only with her sense of emotion in a couple days, that would be for a week or so until her new eyes opened. “And me.”

“That’s to be expected, I did try to kill a few of them, so did Johnny…” Jen said with a slight sigh, she reached down and began to fiddle with the laces on her boots. “To be honest though, they were being jerks… If I was in the same situation again I’d still take the shots…”

“Conviction is an admirable quality.” Mizu commented again, Jen smiled as she sat back up. “I am sure it will be tested, they are coming over here.” Jen took note of four of the patrolling Equestrian’s approaching her and Mizu. “I would recommend going inside… I have sensed stallion’s like this before. My vision is hazy, but I assume they have a red star emblem on their armor, correct?”

“Yes.” Jen said as she spotted the emblem easily.

“Solar Elite…” Mizu muttered bitterly, following it up with a few swear words that had no real english translation from the changeling language. “Hurry inside, these stallions are not to be trifled with…”

“I won’t be intimidated.” Jen said coolly as she sat up straight and took a deep breath. “If they want a fight I’ll give them one…” Mizu shook her head and held out a hoof as if to block Jen.

“Patience…” The changeling said simply, repeating it over and over again in her head, remembering the words of her mother. Jen watched the changeling for a few moments, honestly a bit freaked out now that the mare’s eyes were starting to get kind of white. “Jen, do you happen to have a strip of fabric, I sense my eyes make you uncomfortable.” Jen wordlessly nodded and removed what she’d used to tie back her hair, Mizu tied it over her eyes and took a deep breath, now relying solely on the emotion of those around her.

All she could see was blackness, but eventually the group of guards appeared as hazy read figures. Jen gave off an orange aura herself, and the rest of the town was varying between purple and black.

“Look what we have here.” Said one of the Solar Elites, a unicorn with a light brown mane, Jen sighed and leaned back in her seat.

“Really?” The woman asked sarcastically. “That’s the most cliched starting line for intimidation I’ve ever heard. You may as well just scream ‘Am I intimidating you yet?’.” Mizu could sense change in the emotions of the guards, at first confusion, then more anger.

“Stupid cow…” Muttered one of the guards. “Think you’re real hot stuff because you can do a fancy trick, eh? Well because of you are sarge is gonna get kicked out on medical.” Mizu could sense Jen’s emotions, a bit of fear was creeping in, not that she’d let it show. “Well, we saw you sitting over here and thought why not return the favor, eh? And look at that, a bug, even better…” Jen got ready for a fight as Mizu sensed one of the guards going for a club on his belt.

“That would be unwise.” Mizu warned, the guards turned their attention to her. “Here is why. One, you’re in American territory. Two, Celestia is close by. Three, I could easily incapacitate you, and I’m blind.” The guards stared at the changeling for a few moments before starting to laugh, Mizu only smiled as she felt reason number four come into play. “Four. You’ll be angering someone with an axe to grind.”

“And who’s that, huh? You?” Asked another one of the guards.

“Afternoon, officers.” Came the snarky voice of Johnny, Mizu had sensed him come to the door of the store moments ago. The guards turned and looked at the man, Mizu could sense their disgust. “I’d normally love to invite you in… But we’re a tad busy… So scram.” Mizu couldn’t tell what it was, but she could tell that the man had something in his hands.

“Put that pipe away, monkey. That could be viewed as a weapon.” Said the fourth guard, Mizu’s smirk grew as she felt reason One stepping up to bat. Meanwhile, Jen just seemed to be sitting there patiently.

“And you could be viewed as a nuisance, you fuckin’ Canterlot Creeps outta get away from them before we toss you in the stockade.” A pair of American’s had rounded the corner and were approaching the Solar Elites, the Equestrians knew that they’d been out matched. With a few parting insults they turned and walked off, Johnny flipped them off before going back inside and the Americans went about their normal routine. Mizu smiled and turned towards Jen, eyes still hidden by the fabric.

“Patience…” She could see the woman’s aura shift to blue, a hand reached through the void and landed on Mizu’s head. The changeling tensed for a moment but ended up letting out a purr as she felt the fingers give her a scratch behind the ears.

“Thank’s, Meez.” Jen said, Mizu would’ve raised an eyebrow. “Okay, Mizu, no nicknames.” Mizu just chuckled and shook her head. So far it seemed that her tour through the town was shaping up well, even if her vision had practically gone on her already. “Do you mind if I ask what’s up with your eyes?”

“Not at all.” Mizu said with a smirk, she could sense that Jen grew a little happier at the prospect of more conversation. “I am Mizu, but as I said before, I was known as Distortion. I only acquired my new name last night, when my mother, the Queen, named me her heir.” Mizu found herself suddenly picked up in a hug as Jen let out a fangirl squeal, not that Mizu minded, she enjoyed another dose of happiness.

“Sorry! I just, I can’t believe I’m talking to another princess… Still, doesn’t explain the eyes.” Jen said, Mizu chuckled and put a hoof to her face to feel the fabric.

“As you’ve noticed, normal changelings don’t have pupils, but royalty does. “ Mizu began to explain, she sat back and relaxed as she did so. Even though it didn’t really matter, the changeling closed her eyes. “As I am now royalty, my body is changing so that I can better perform my duties. My sight will return, but for now I must use my sense of emotion as a guide.”

“Some sort of spirit quest type of thing?” Jen asked, Mizu chuckled and gave another slight nod.

“Perhaps.” The changeling turned and looked at Jen, she could practically see everything about her. There was a bubbly happiness on the outside, but inside she sensed a familiar despair, it seemed that all of the humans had a similar emotional make up in that regard. “I’ve got a lot to learn, but my mother has started to teach me. I suspect allowing me to wander is one of those methods.”

“She sounds like a nice lady… Mare… Mareling? What’s the word?” Jen asked, Mizu just shook her head with that same smile of hers.

“Changeling is fine.” The Changeling Princess paused once more, she could sense emotion over head. A mixture of anger and sadness, no doubt from the day’s earlier events. She looked up to try and better sense who or what it was. As it turned out it was another familiar thestral, Chipped Blade if she recalled, and he was currently practicing aerial combat moves by the look and feel of it. Mizu moved her head back down and looked back to Jen.

“Well, you know, Johnny and I were going to have a nice little dinner here tonight, but if you and your mom want to come, I’d be happy to set a place for you.” Jen said, Mizu raised an eyebrow at the proposition. She’d been invited to dinner parties before, but again, she had been in disguise those times.

“I… I would like that, I would need to ask my mother though.” Mizu responded, she sensed Jen’s nod and sighed in relief.

“I get it, well, I’ll leave a place for you guys anyway, just come when you can.” Jen’s voice was sincere, and Mizu could sense a bit of excitement in the tone. Seeing the world through emotion was far different from what she’d expected, but it made things seem so much more honest. There was a crash from inside, followed by a stream of curse words, Jen sighed and stood up. “He’s gonna hurt himself… I’ll talk to you later, Meez- Mizu.” The woman began walking towards the door, Mizu just nodded with a smile.

“For you I’ll make an exception.” The changeling waved goodbye to her new friend and began walking away from the store front. For half an hour she wandered through the town, using her senses like she had never used them before. She could sense ponies and changelings long before they saw her, she could practically see them through walls. That was what made avoiding the Equestrian patrols so much easier, especially the elites. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them, but earlier had just been proof that they didn’t like her.

Mizu sighed quietly as she came upon a bench that was seated across the street from the saloon turned hospital, occasionally she’d sense a couple changelings walk past, when she did she was able to see a bit more due to their connection to the hivemind. She felt a soft breeze flow past her, the loose fabric behind her head fluttered in the breeze. After a few more minutes she sensed a particularly burly group of Equestrian Solar Elites rounding a corner to her left, she sighed and began to get up, but they had already spotted her.

Mizu sat back down and waited for them, she knew they’d come over to hassle her, she wasn’t in armor and she had a strip of fabric over her eyes. The changeling never could understand how Celestia could allow such boorish stallions in her guards, let alone her ‘Elites’, but Mizu wasn’t about to ask.

“Hey, is that a blind roach?” Mizu heard one of the Equestrian’s say a bit too loudly, she ignored it of course, sitting there quietly and patiently. The guards got closer still, it was apparent these were the same guards from before. It was likely, considering New Liberty was relatively small, that she’d have to deal with them again. She didn’t want to, but she knew she might. “Hey, it’s that one from before, the monkey’s friend.”

“Aw, what happened? Your friend get bored of you?” Asked another, the group approached her and seemed to crowd around her. Mizu could only sense their auras, they were angry and they had quite the superiority complex, something she desperately wanted to destroy. Her mother’s words echoed through her mind though, and so she chose patience once again. She continued to sit there wordlessly, unmoving and uncompromising. “Makes sense, who want’s a broken toy anyway?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me.” Mizu replied flatly, the guards chuckled and Mizu felt one of them push her a bit. She scowled but once again chose patience over violence, so what if she could destroy the guards like tissue paper? The war had just ended, she didn’t want to fight anymore.

“At least the cow is only ugly, you’re ugly and blind.” Said the third guard, Mizu smirked quietly and gave a slight giggle.

“That’s to my benefit.” She said simply, her smile widening. “I am spared the view of your own ugliness. After all, it would take an ugly creature to know an ugly creature.” Mizu’s words stunned the guards, a couple even giggled at the expense of their comrade who seemed to be getting angrier and angrier.

“Why you… You… You little bitch.” The guard said through gritted teeth, Mizu didn’t seem to care how angry she’d made him. She continued sitting there calmly, the breeze still blowing through the fabric that covered her eyes. His aura was a deep crimson, she could tell he was close to blowing his stack. “Do you think just because we’re in this stupid village we aren’t the law?!”

“Considering this ‘Stupid Village’ is outside your jurisdiction… Yes, yes I do.” Mizu said simply, the changeling could practically see the vein pulsing on the stallion’s forehead as he snorted and stamped at the ground. His comrades were starting to become a tad concerned, Mizu chose patience once more, waiting for the stallion to either make a move or to back off. She wouldn’t be the one to cast the first stone, that was for sure. Once again she was relieved to sense more emotions, a pair of American’s on their own patrol, and they were just around the corner.

“Well, just in case you’re in Canterlot, lemme give you somethin’.” The Elite began reaching for his billy club, and it seemed the American’s were being held up by something, the time for patience was over. Using the energy she had absorbed earlier from Jen, her horn began to glow. She focused for a moment on the club she sensed on another one of their belts and quickly levitated it in front of her like a sword.

“Go away, this is the only warning you’ll-” The elite swung his club at her before she could finish, cutting her off as she moved her own club to stop the blow. Being that she was apparently blind, her sudden movement had shocked the guards. The elite shook it off and went to try for another blow, again it was parried and Mizu offered a whack of her own, a ringing tone echoed through the street when her helmet smacked the guard’s golden helmet. He took a few steps back and held this head, groaning loudly. Meanwhile Mizu had the club waving back and forth slowly, as if showing the other guards that she was not to be trifled with. “You I have no physical malice towards, please leave… This is between him and I.” The guards decided to back off, Mizu nodded and set the club on the bench beside her.

“The fuck… You fuckers again!?” The American’s had arrived, the three guards that hadn’t been involved took off.

“Shit, it’s the MPs!” Mizu heard one of them yell as they took off, the guard that had taken a swing at her had finally recovered from the ringing in his ears only to see the two very annoyed American’s trotting towards him.

“That’s it, you’re coming with us, creep. No sudden moves.” Said the other American, the Solar Elite growled and started towards the soldiers, not slowly, but barreling towards them in a charge. Mizu flared her magic one last time, sending the club by her side hurtling towards the elite’s head. There was a loud clang and he ended up skidding through the dirt.

“Guh… Did anyone get the number on that carriage?” The guard said dazedly, the two Americans were quick to secure his hooves and pick up the tossed club.

“Damn, she really smacked him silly.” She heard one of them remark, the other nodded and began trotting towards her. Mizu sighed and prepared for some sort of reprimand, but to her surprise she sensed more concern from the American than anything.

“You alright, ma’am?” He asked, Mizu nodded in response. “Sorry about that, these cretons think they’re still the law around here. It’ll quiet down once they’ve shipped back where they belong.”

“I hope so…” The changeling commented quietly. “I would like to file a report, if that’s possible?”

“Don’t worry about it, miss. This one’s goin’ straight to the stockade, you can have a chat with Celestia if you want though.” The MP replied, his compatriot was already hefting the unconscious guard onto his back. “Heck, I might join you if you do, that’s not the first time I’ve had to cart one of these mooks off.”

“Thank you, I think I will, if you don’t mind setting it up?” Mizu asked, the American just nodded again and gave a wave. He turned around and went back to his comrade who was carrying the Equestrian off towards the POW camp, they had had to clear one of the bunkhouses to act as a holding cell because of how rowdy the Solar Elite’s had been. Mizu just sighed and went back to her sitting, staring occasionally at the hospital across the street. She could sense misery over there, some of it she was sure she had inflicted.

Concern for the stallion she’d run into earlier rose into her mind, so she resolved to stand up and make her way across the street. She stumbled once or twice, using emotion to navigate was still relatively new to her after all. Until finally she had arrived at the front door once again, carefully she pushed through and looked around.

The aura of the wounded made it clear where she was to go and look, but she worried that the doctors and guards on duty would stop her. Nonetheless she pressed on, trotting passed a couple wounded changelings in the process. It occurred to her that she had no idea what Fortress Wall’s aura really looked like, she hadn’t thought to get an actual read on him, just what he was feeling in the moment. With a weary sigh she turned to one of the doctors and cleared her throat.

“Excuse me?” The pony turned and looked at her, she could sense worry at the sight of her covered eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m okay… I was actually looking for someone.” The doctor let out a sigh of relief.

“Who’re you looking for?” Asked the stallion a pegasus, most likely an Equestrian.

“A thestral, Fortress Wall… He came in earlier today?” Mizu asked, the stallion paused for a moment in thought before she saw his aura point off towards the other side of the room. Without waiting for another word the changeling turned and began trotting towards the cot that had been indicated, she could sense a very sleepy presence in front of her as she sat down next to the cot.

“H-Huh?” Asked the tired voice of the soldier, Mizu could detect more confusion in the stallion’s aura. She rested a comforting hoof on his shoulder, getting his attention. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. “I remember you… What happened…?”

“My eyes are changing.” Mizu explained simply. “As for you, you passed out on me a while ago, I wanted to come and check on you.” She detected a slight shift in his aura, she could’ve sworn it almost seemed like a blush.

“Aw, shucks ma’am, you didn’t need to do that… I just got a little bump on the head…” Fortress’ voice was still a bit tired and slurred, Mizu smiled faintly. “I appreciate it though.”

“I’m glad you do.” Mizu said, adjusting her place on her seat. “I’ve got a bit of time before I must return to my Queen, would you perhaps want to chat a bit? I find you American’s quite interesting.”

“Been called a lot of things before, ma’am, not one of them is interestin’.” Fortress said, trying to add a bit of mirth to his voice. “Shoot, I won’t say no to company.”

“Great!” Mizu smiled even wider as she and Fortress Began to chat, mainly about things like the weather at first. Family was another topic, both of them were a little worried to bring it up at first. Mizu was the Queen’s heir, and she was worried that would get her in some hot water with the stallion. Fortress was just shy, in a way his name seemed to fit him well. Mizu found it difficult getting him to open up, perhaps because he’d built a few walls around himself, but eventually she got through.

Mizu had detected a warrior’s heart in him, but as she continued to chat with him over the hours, she learned he was far from a warrior’s mind. He enjoyed music and tinkering, he worked well with machines and other items. Fortress, for his part, learned that the Princess of the Hive had started out as a simple drone, and that she was worried that she would be unable to fill her mother’s place. In any other circumstance, perhaps they wouldn’t have even glanced at each other, but by the end of it both were glad to have had the discussion.

By then the sun had started to set and Fortress was tired, Mizu wished him a speedy recovery and left, feeling a bit warmer than she had before. Maybe it was his manners, or maybe his aura was just a more soothing glow, whatever the reason, Mizu was happy. As she returned to the tunnel to speak with her mother she could hear voices, both of whom she recognized.

Mizu paused as she trotted down the hallway, the thickness of the dirt and earth limiting her ability to scan the aura’s of those present. The voices sounded familiar, eventually Mizu recognized one as her mother’s. As she got closer she could hear the other’s was Celestia’s, from the tones they used they were speaking cordially. Finally the changeling stopped just outside her mother’s alcove, she could hear the conversation inside.

“I apologize for my soldier’s behavior towards your daughter.” Celestia said, Mizu leaned against the wall to listen closer. “The Solar Elites have been getting more and more rowdy lately.”

“They lack discipline.” Chrysalis responded, pausing for a moment. There was a sipping sound followed by a soft sigh. “I know that you care for your ponies very much, and I can sense your hesitance to punish them, but sparing the rod will spoil the child.”

“I know…” Celestia replied tiredly. “I appreciate you taking time to chat with me again, I’m sure you’re busy preparing for the return to your hive tomorrow.” There was a slight giggle from Chrysalis, Mizu smiled faintly. The prospect of peace with Equestria seemed to be coming along as well, the day was shaping up to be a better day than it had started out as.

“I’ve been prepared for a long while, I’m more concerned lately about my heir.” Chrysalis said, Mizu could tell the Queen was looking towards the door. “Mizu, there’s no sense in you standing there, come in.” The changeling blushed nervously and walked forwards, there was a gasp from Celestia, most likely due to the eyes. Chrysalis was as calm as ever. “I see your eyes have changed, I’m surprised you didn’t come back when they did.”

“I adapted as best I could, Mother.” Mizu said with a bit of pride, she could sense her mother’s own pride swell for a moment before it fell. Understandable, the Queen had to beware of her ego, it was one of her most prominent flaws. Celestia blinked a couple times, glad to see that the damage to the changeling’s eyes hadn’t been inflicted by her guards. “I was coming to tell you we’ve been invited to dinner by the two new humans, but I see you have company.”

“I was actually just about to leave.” Celestia said, Chrysalis gave a wave of her hoof before lifting something. The aura’s outlines made it difficult to tell what everything was, but as she saw her mother take a sip she realized that it was a cup of tea.

“I hope we speak again soon, Princess.” Chrysalis said, bowing respectfully. Celestia returned the bow and turned to walk out quietly, Mizu entered the alcove and looked around for a moment. “Things with the princesses are progressing well, but I doubt we are close to anything yet… They are wary of me still.” The Queen poured a cup of tea and offered it to Mizu, her magic grasped it and brought it to her lips. “I sense… Daughter, did you feed today?”

“The woman, Jen, offered a hug willingly.” Mizu responded, there was a slight pause from Chrysalis as if she was unsure. “I made her aware of what I would do, she still consented, I would not force such an act.”

“I know, Mizu, but you know we must be careful now.” Chrysalis’ tone was slightly concerned, but still in relative high spirits. Mizu drank her tea quietly, enjoying the feeling of the warm liquid running down her throat. “You mentioned dinner with the humans, correct?” Mizu nodded. “Did they say it was a formal affair?”

“Jen seemed relatively relaxed about it, I’d say she doesn’t care about our attire.” Mizu replied, Chrysalis hummed for a moment.

“We have a journey ahead of us tomorrow, we cannot stay very long if we’re to get proper sleep…” The Queen began, she could sense a bit of disappointment from her daughter. “Very well, I suppose it would be alright. We know so little about them.” Chrysalis stood up and walked out of the alcove, Mizu following close behind her. “You seem to have taken a shine to the humans.” Chrysalis emerged onto the surface with Mizu, the younger changeling following her mother’s aura as a guide now.

“They’re strange… I can sense a capacity in them for so many different emotions, both liquid and solid.” Mizu explained, Chrysalis nodded as she contemplated the words. “I meditated on patience today, I found that my patience is boundless when not physically threatened, and when it is…”

“You have the power to dispel your problems with as little force necessary.” Chrysalis finished for her. “Celestia mentioned the number you did on her elite, I found it quite humorous. You should know, at your age, were I in your position, I would have acted a lot sooner.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” Mizu said with a slight bow, by now they were just down the street from Jen and Johnny’s place of residence. She detected two pinkish aura’s from the top floor, a slight giggle coming to her throat. “On second thought…”

“Are you kidding?” Chrysalis asked, looking at her curiously. “They’ve had plenty of time together today, I’m sure they’re just snuggling or something.” Mizu just nodded and the two of them continued to the storefront, Chrysalis raised her leg and knocked on the door loudly. A few moments later she saw the familiar aura of Jen coming down the steps, still glowing a bit pink.

Chrysalis regarded the human for a moment, suppressing a chuckle. The woman’s hair was a bit disheveled, but aside from that she seemed fine. Dressed in a tank top, her fatigues, and her boots, she was just as normal as ever. Jen smiled widely as she saw the two changelings at her door and quickly moved to let them in, it was obvious she hadn’t expected them to come.

“Hello!” She said warmly, watching the two of them enter the storefront. Chrysalis was shocked to see that there seemed to be a big pile of wood in the corner, but didn’t bring it up, perhaps it was a human thing. “Sorry about the mess, my boyfriend’s been renovating lately, he wants to put in a bar down here.” The room was still relatively dark, lit only by a candle that Jen had brought down with her.

“It’s quite alright.” Chrysalis replied as Jen lead them towards the stairs in back that would lead them to the top floor, the candle light made it an oddly eerie experience for Chrysalis. Not so much fo Mizu, since she couldn’t see the candle light. Eventually the group emerged into the top floor of the building, there was a decent spread set out on the old table. The Johnny was reclining on the bed, wearing a fresh t-shirt. Thankfully the Princesses had thought to pack extra clothes before the trip.

“Johnny, get up and say hello to our guests.” Jen chided, the man gave a grunt as he got up and approached them. His jeans were cleaned as well, even if his boots were still a mess from his escape attempt. He approached Chrysalis and Mizu carefully, uncertain of what to say to them.

“Uh… Hello?” He said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck before offering them his hand, Chrysalis and Mizu shook it daintily before offering their own bow. “As she said, I’m Johnny, nice to meet you.”

“I am Chrysalis, this is my heir Mizu, it’s nice to meet you as well.” Chrysalis responded, Mizu nodded. Meanwhile Jen had gone to a cupboard near the wood stove that heated the room and withdrew four glasses, as well as a bottle of liquor that she’d acquired from one of the American soldiers. Alcohol in New Liberty was running a bit short as a good portion of it had been used in the battle, but Jen used a few of the trading methods she’d heard Johnny talk about to procure some.

“It’s nice to have some company.” She said as she walked back to the table and set the glasses out, by now Johnny and the others had sat down. The food on the table was a mix of canned rations and an odd type of noodle in meat broth. Chrysalis and Mizu eyed the mixture curiously, as Changeling’s rarely took part in meat eating. At least, those that dealt mostly with equines didn’t. “I was just saying how much I missed eating with more than myself and Johnny, back home we all used to eat real close.”

“Yeah, bet you never got the good stuff.” Johnny said as he poured himself a glass of the booze and eyed the ramen noodles that he’d been hoarding since he’d first arrived in Equestria. “In Newark, what we’re eating amounts to a week’s pay. Here though, it’s pretty worthless.”

“Your economy is run on food? Was it always that way?” Asked Mizu, Johnny shook his head and leaned back in his seat.

“The yankee dollar, the greenback, the dead presidents. Money. That’s what our economy ran on, then it all got fucked up, so all that paper get’s used as fire starter.” Johnny explained as he began to eat his noodles, Chrysalis had taken a taste of hers and found it oddly satisfying.

“Where I’m from we used to just trade stuff, no real currency, since we’d get supply drops from Colorado Springs every month or so.” Jen added, Mizu raised an eyebrow at the mention of all the different towns, she assumed they must have been human cities.

“Our hive collects numerous currencies from around the world, since we have agents around the globe.” Chrysalis explained, beginning to enjoy her noodles a bit more. “That’s how we were able to pay off the reparations, we’ve stockpiled for so many years and had nothing to spend it on.” Jen took a sip of her own drink, watching the changelings curiously. Mizu could detect her curiosity and turned to look at her, even if she couldn’t really see.

“Did you have a question, Jen?” She asked, the woman paused and looked off to the side. Jen shook her head after a moment.

“No, I was just thinking about something…” The woman replied, Mizu could sense a bit of trepidation in the woman now, as if she were contemplating asking something that could be a bit touchy. Mizu could understand that, she herself had some reservations about asking certain questions to the human. Specifically she wondered more about what had made the human’s world so awful, she’d read that there had been a great outbreak of disease, but beyond that she had no real idea.

The dinner continued peacefully and without incident after that, Miz and Chrysalis found that sharing the company of humans was similar to a mixture of ponies and griffons. Occasionally the Jen and Johnny would fire off barbs at one another, but they always laughed as if it was some sort of joke. The positive emotions and the physical food helped to fill both Mizu and Chrysalis’ and both of them felt a lot better at the end of it.

It was dark out when they departed for their alcove, leaving the two humans to clean up and do whatever it was humans did. For Jen, that was quickly washing the dishes before getting comfy in bed. For Johnny it was a bit different, as he had hatched the perfect plan. There was a real shortage of alcohol in the town, and Johnny was a man of the people at heart. He knew how to fill that shortage, and he’d do it, as long as he got something for his trouble.

He sat at the dinner table with a pen and paper, scribbling away at a list of things he would need. Thirty pounds of brown sugar, a pound of yeast, thirty gallons of pure apple juice, a large tank, a hole in the ground, and a big fire, as well as a couple odds and ends that he’d need to scrounge. Johnny had seen his bosses get rich on the same mixture, and for a time he’d worked in the trade, but it wasn’t profitable unless he was the one on top. Now that he was the one in charge it was worth his while.

Of course, this was just the first step in his plan, the rest he hadn’t planned out yet, but he was on his way to something.

“Johnny…” He heard Jen call from across the room, he paused his scribbling and looked over at her. “Come to bed, sweetie… You look tired.” Johnny was about to protest, but he could never say no to those eyes. With a slight sigh he stood up and walked over to the bed, stripping down to his sleeping attire as he did the previous night before crawling under the covers. Jen snuggled up next to him and gave him a kiss on the lips, when she pulled away she could see that Johnny was smiling faintly. “What’re you working on?”

“Just the bar thing…” Johnny replied quietly, looking towards the ceiling. “It’s kind of been a dream of mine for a while.” Jen raised an eyebrow at him. “Ever since I was a kid and I’d watch those old spaghetti westerns, the heroes would always hang out in some bar before the big action. I wanted to meet Clint Eastwood, so I figured if I opened a bar he’d breeze in or something…”

“That’s kind of cute.” Jen commented as she laid her head on his shoulder, Johnny just nodded with a sigh.

“Yeah, but now it seems kind of stupid.” He said, the candle on the other side of the room burned out, leaving the moonlight through the window as the only source of illumination. “I’ve still got the dream, but maybe it’s for different reasons.”

“A dream’s a dream, John.” Jen said as she turned his head to face hers. “The reason behind it doesn’t really matter, as long as it makes you happy.” Johnny smiled and kissed her on the nose, leaning his head back once again.

“Well I guess I’m living the dream then, because you’re in it.” He said, suddenly he heard a giggle from Jen and looked at her. “What?”

“That was so cheesy…” Jen said between her giggles, pulling the covers up a bit more over herself.

“I happen to know you like it when I’m cheesy.” Johnny retorted in a good natured tone. “I saw that novel you hide in your jacket.” A fierce blush went across Jen’s face as Johnny cleared his throat and spoke in a scholarly voice. “His broad shoulders and long dark hair marked him as the man of her dreams, and he spoke in such a-”

“Stoooop!” Jen whined, giving him a light smack. “I only read parts of it…” She crossed her arms and pouted, Johnny leaned over to give her a hug but she pushed him away. “No, I’m mad at you now.” The man only smiled and cracked his knuckles, then started to tickle her side. “Stooop! I’m seeerious!”

“Say uncle.” Johnny replied in a childish tone.

“Uncle!” Jen replied, Johnny halted his tickling and instead wrapped his arms around Jen’s waist to pull her closer, he sighed quietly and closed his eyes. Eventually he fell asleep, leaving Jen to the land of the waking world. She herself was a bit flustered by the previous events, but let it slide, she knew it was only teasing. She instead began to think of ways she could get back and Johnny, a couple sprang to mind. A smile crept across her lips as she too fell asleep, safe and secure next to the man she loved.

Author's Notes:

And here's another one hot of the presses. I remembered seeing some form of bulldozer in the show, or maybe it was a crane, either way it had tracks. That's sort of where the idea for the tank thing came from. Writing this chapter was a bit of a challenge, I'm still sort of planning out how this is going to go from here on. The next chapter may or may not contain some more raunchy scenes, I'm not sure yet, I'm still sort of recovering from New Years Eve and I don't want to make any decisions like that till me head stops throbbing.

Anyway, I wish you guys a happy New Year, hopefully it'll be full of lots of cool stuff. Like Li-Fi, that thing that lets people send wireless through light waves, that'll be pretty bad ass, especially if it get's developed more. But I'm rambling now. Remember to leave a comment and a rating, if you haven't already faved this story yet, please do... It'd be weird if you haven't though, because how would you have gotten to chapter fifty two without faving, theoretically it could happen I mean, it just seems like it would be more difficult... I'm rambling once again. I'll cut myself off here. Have a good one, ladies and gents.