My legs were aching. They have been for a while now.

Just ahead of me was sanctuary, albeit it was in the form of a tattered, abandoned castle with its sturdiness as tough as a withered branch- nonetheless it was still sanctuary.

The majority of the canopies were eaten away by wear and the lack of maintenance. I could see the roof caving into the castle from here, brittle pieces of clay from it clinging desperately onto the edge.

I walked along a stone-paved aisle towards the gate. The bricks had become decrepit with mold and weeds.

Along the pathway were several beams of stone that used to support some sort of marble construct during archaic times.

Of course, some of them fell over, forming into ivy-covered rock formations. Some of the ruins even had exotic flora growing on them.

I couldn't care less for those, however. I was practically on the verge of collapsing.

I panted in exhaustion, heavy breaths fading away from my lips as my trembling form slumped on the stony floors below. I was mere feet away from the large entrance into the castle.

How long have I wandered through that cursed forest? Perhaps a few days? No. It felt like it took much longer than that, though weeks would seem like hyperbole.

I flipped through my recollection in deep thought, but I honestly forgot how long I was lost in those tranquil, yet hostile glades.

Every tree looked the same. Every path paved in dirt had no distinctions. For the majority of the time that I was wandering in there, I thought I was placed in some sort of loop!

I swore that I was about to lose it back there...

I brushed my mane, tidying it up. A changeling queen's habit; can't resist when I have the opportunity.

A low grumbling sound echoed from my stomach. I was hungry. Utterly famished.

I've even forgotten how long it's been since I have feasted on love. Fortunately, queens can go on for a long, long time before eventually starving to death.

I furrowed my eyebrows intently, rubbing the side of my skull.

A haze was drifting in my mind; I couldn't recall much after that incident happened several months ago.

Though, I can still remember the major parts of my journey.

Ever since my failed attempt at bounding Canterlot to my whim, I've been forced to wander ever since.

I've threaded through mires damp with so much mud that I thought I couldn't dispel the plaguing muck off my body for weeks.

I passed through a cave that seemed to be an abyss of darkness- I suppose that one of the many traits of a changeling queen is heightened perception in shadowy places.

After that... I stumbled around the Everfree forest, thus leading me into this dumb, abandoned castle. Though, truth be told, I’m lucky I managed to find this forsaken place- it’s going to be much better than spending the night in a bush somewhere.

I poked my head into the castle, curiousity gripping away at my mind.

The noon's soothing rays of fleeting sunlight peered into the room. Cracks and breaches in the ruined ceilings gave passage to the sun's warming embrace, basking the whole room in an orange glow.

The holes on the ceiling allowed entry for vines to suspend itself in the air into the room below them.

There were a few tables still standing in the corners of the room, though they were plagued with layers upon layers of dust. Miscellaneous objects decorated the tables such as candles, plates, and among a myriad of several other things, vases.

The walls were decorated with portraits, though most of them were seized with dust. I managed to barely discern a depiction of the sun from one of them, though.

In the middle corner of the room was a staircase. It was, like everything else in this room, withered and worn. It's lumber was littered with holes and cobwebs.

A very large silken carpet dyed in a red color laid upon the middle of the floor. Woven into the middle of it with yellow thread was a rose-like design. On its edges were intricate braids.

Right beside the carpet was something less alluring; the rather expensive looking chandelier sundered into metallic shreds of metal and steel lying on the ground might be an indication too.

I suppose time caused it to rust and decay to the point that it fell to the floor, meeting it's demise; breaking apart tragically as it hit the ground.

Such a shame that it’s in a state of utter disrepair. I happen to have a fondness of quaint furnishings.

I leaned onto the entrance's side for support, glancing at my own shadow casted upon the floor.

I prolonged a deep breath, a cascade of air filling my lungs as I stood still. Honing my eyes, I examined the castle a bit more finely.

I grimaced bitterly.

The floors succumbed to chronic exposure to the weather, exposing the barren moor of placid dirt below. The cracked floors were housing green mosses. The exposed soil that was once underneath the floor sprouted small plants.

Next to that patch of dirt was its polar opposite, however.

The other mound of soil was pallid and lifeless; nothing could be able to grow from it. The corridors from the interior reeked with lifelessness itself. Dull as bones; as vibrant as gray, as opaque as a room decorated with nothing.

I'm not sure why I have this distaste for barren things. I suppose it's just a quirk of mine.

I listened intently. Nothing but silence emanated from the interiors. It's as if the castle itself resonated with the sound of boredom.

Not like I have any reason to complain; a dusty piece of shelter is still a shelter nevertheless.

Absent-mindedly, I paced around in a circle, kicking off dust from the ground. So lifeless--nothing but dust and debris mounding the floors as far as the eye can see.

I lowered myself further; the fatigue and the numbness in my limbs becoming unbearable. Chin resting on the floor, I let out a sigh.

The howls of the forest's breeze found their way into the castle, echoing off the walls, boring coldly into my body.

"My existence is the epitome of boring...." I snatched a loam of dirt into my hoof. I examined it- it was coarse, rough, and infertile. The small plants are lucky to have taken root here.

Scattering it around haphazardly, the dirt returned to the floor in a small cloud of dust.

"I might as well count the colonies of dust mites that have made their homes in this rotten place." Turning away from the shattered flooring, I looked upwards.

I noticed that the weather suddenly just worsened; darkening nimbus clouds blotted the sky with their darkness, eclipsing a dim shade over the entire Everfree.

“How off.” I placed my hoof under my chin, my eyes fixated on the sudden shift in weather. “The skies were fair just a moment ago.”

The ceiling was missing. The absence of the canopy remained as a mystery in my head, considering that I could spot no such ruin anywhere to where it should have landed, should it have fallen.

I dismissed the unproductive thought, seeing that I have something more urgent to pay mind to.

There, among the distant greenery, I heard an unnatural rustling--that caught my attention almost in an instant.

My ears perked while keeping my eyes keen. Narrowing my vision towards the lush, dense foliage, I took myself up. I walked towards a fallen stone beam. Peeking through one of the cracks, I darted my eyes back and forth through the shrubbery.

And indeed there was an off rustling among the greenery.

I squinted my eyes as my head began to contemplate my options.

"Doesn't sound like any beast I've observed in my history of traveling... but why would anyone be bothered enough to wander off this deep in the forest?"

The flattening of leaves, the twigs and kindling snapping at the pressure of steps grew closer; whoever it was is nearing in on me.

Finally, I could hear something with a semblance to that of an annoyed groan. It seems that somepony is not having a good day.

Rearing its head from the abyss of emerald green trees and ivy, it stepped out of the haze of bushes.

I could see it--her. The pink mane accompanied with streaks of brown. The vanilla-white coat. The bushy tail of pink. It was one of them- a pony. A unicorn to be more specific.

I could feel my temper spark and light aflame, my mind was shook with a turbulence of conflicting emotions, I felt as if my breathing halted completely; I was tense. Very, very tense.

The floor that I stood on glistened as trickles of sweat vined down my head, sullying my mane with its dampness.

I could feel a piercing pain embedding itself deep within my chest. An inferno of contradicting thoughts seared and seethed my blood.

Unforgiveness was still fresh in my mind. Too fresh. I’ve yet still to come to terms and accept what the Two Royal Sisters did to my hive.

My legs were shaking; quaking to the point that I thought that I was just moments away from collapsing. My stance was as steeled as ever, though.

"Uh- hey! I see you! Care to help me out-"

Thunderous lighting speared through the heavens, resonating a high-pitched cry as it flashed light for a brief second.

She yelped at the suddenness, jumping ahead in surprise. "Hey! Come on! I don't deserve the silent treatment!"

Soon enough, the cloudburst began. Heavy drops of water into the dirt, splashing dirt as they landed. Whirlwinds and ambient thunder in the distance sounded from the skies. Shadows loomed every cranny as the sun's brilliance was diluted by the thick clouds.

The miasma of moss and ivy mingled with the gusts.

It also grew cold extremely fast. As a queen, however, I am naturally more resilient to bitter frost than ponies.

"Ah! Can't you see that I am a damsel in distress right now?" She fastened her pace, the rhythm of her steps accelerating in tempo.

My eyes flashed a glimpse of a mixture of panic and dread. Taking a swift retreat into the castle, I leaned myself on the wall.

My vision regained its clarity, my heartbeat no longer pounded at my chest at a frantic rhythm, and my mind managed to ease up. I soon found myself in a lucid state.

"Hey? I know you're in there! Uh. Don't be afraid! I'm just another lost traveler like you!" The voiced persisted on calling out to me.

I still have yet to choose one of two options. It's either I confront whoever is calling out for me, or simply flee.

Unfortunately, contradictions in my mind kept me hesitant.

I was reluctant to escape... Uncountable days spending your travels in absolute solitude is nightmarish. I haven't even spoken any conversational words to anyone but me these past months...

...Or is it these past years?

I'm afraid that I might plunge into insanity if I perpetuate my loneliness any further.

Yes. I worry about my mental state at this point.

The other factor contributing my indecision is due to my... poor relationship with their ilk. I don't too talk much about my history in fear that I might begin reminiscing about a certain chain of tragedies that is lodged deep in my recollection.

But if you have to know, I've done something many would consider... volatile.

‘No.’

That wouldn’t be enough. No words can be used to compare my past actions.

I shot a determined face at nothing in particular. 'No. It's about time that I forgive at least one of them-'

"Uh- hello?" This time, the voice originated just a few steps behind me.

That voice- those words, they echo in the boundaries of my mind. For the first time for what seems to be forever, I heard a voice that isn't mine- quite surreal, really,

I jumped back in reflex, my blood flowing coldly.

Turning around in unrivaled dexterity, I faced the sudden appearance of the unicorn.

"Manners--do you have any semblance of it? Do you even understand the concept of it? Don't be a sneaky one with me, cur!"

‘For the first conversational words I’ve ever spoken in a long time, they could have been better...’

She spoke nothing in reply. She simply stood there, gazing at me unblinkingly.

“Um? Hello?” Once more, no reply. She completely spaced out; completely motionless, her eyes wide open and looking at something miles away.

I looked at her with an arched eyebrow, glancing at her with a skeptical look. She held her pose as still as possible- perfectly motionless had it not been the steady rate of her breathing.

The silence was becoming intolerable. Only a few ambient sounds could be heard; the grazing of the leaves blown away by wayward gusts among the chipped stone floors, the howls of winds- and the drops of rain drizzling down on the earth.

“Changeling!” She darted away from me, stumbling as she almost fell over an inconveniently placed rock. She backed further away from me as I watched her with an amused smirk.

She found her back being blocked by a pillar laced with ivy. Trembling, she yelped out incoherent desperate pleads for mercy.

“Don’t eat me! I swear I’m not as tasty as I look!” she finally yelled out with coherence, bringing her front legs up to shield her face. "I promise!"

“Eat- eat you?” I suppressed a giggle with my hoof. “Why on-” Suddenly, a spark of realization flickered in the back of my head.

‘What sort of fool type of stories are the ponies murmuring to each other nowadays?”

I suppressed a chuckle with my hoof. A sense of mischief caused my lips to slant upwards, forming a smirk of malice. Deviancy within me began scheming a form of jest.

I narrowed at her shivering form with a predatory mien; a sly smirk, a determined face, and half-lidded eyes.

I reared towards her; my 'prey'. My steps were slow and my head was lowered as if I was preparing to lunge at her; throwing in kindling for the suspense every inch I closed in on her.

I got to get a finer observation on her. Her saddlebag, unlike a veteran traveler's one, was relatively untouched and was new. She had the scent of perfume--possibly strawberry-based. It was freshly applied as well.

Whoever she is, she is a novice at exploring. Who'd allow her to venture out here in these woods alone?

I took another step further towards her quivering form. Finally, I was just a single step away from where she stood.

I could feel her emanation. It was warm. It certainly made a noticeable contrast from the cold whistles of air around me.

I've not the chance to feel another's warmth in so long that I've forgotten how it felt.

Torrent after torrent of raindrops fell, pelting the dirt with water- the storm worsened. Puddles began forming, the ground began to be muddled with murk; perhaps I should save this drollery for later.

Though, I've the feeling that I won't have the opportunity to use this joke any time soon.

She was shivering alarmingly, fear and coldness apparent in her demeanor. At this rate, she’ll be ailed with a fever, or perhaps worse if she stays outside for any longer.

I shrugged off my menacing appearance. I elevated my head a bit, casting away that predator's stance.

Walking a few steps ahead of her, I spoke, "Please. Do come in. You'll find it unbearably cold out here at night."

"Huh?" Without even glancing at her, I noticed her gaze pointed at me. “W- what? Uh. I think I’ll take my chances on staying away from this place… Very far away.”

“Oh? I insist that you stay. At night, the real predators lurk about.” Despite being indoors,me rain still managed to find its way into the interiors. Stepping over to the more drier places, the ones with the roof actually still remaining, I dried my mane off. “With you wet and without shelter, you’ll find yourself either freezing to death or possibly worse.”

She hesitated, her head darting around the place.

She turned her head to glance over to where she just emerged from; the bushes.

She examined the drenched strips of land brimmed with overgrowths. The flooding of water caused the ground to resemble that of a marsh, should she attempt to traverse through that, I doubt that she’d be able to go too far.

“It doesn't really look l have a choice.” She began walking towards me, her pace hesitant. “But you’ll have to promise not to eat me, got it?”

"If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't be doing this, now would I?" I chuckled at that, shooting her a smirk. “Sure, sure. I think I’ll have no objections to that proposition.”

With one last step, she approached my side. Nodding, I gestured her into the castle. “After you.”

She leered towards me with scrupulous eyes.

I groaned. Rolling my eyes, I turned my head towards her. “I promise that this is not a trap.”

“Sorry if I’m a bit… uh. What’s the word?” She cocked her head in one direction slightly as she looked at me.

“Distrustful?”

“Yeah. That. Sorry. It’s just that I’ve heard stories about changelings.” Her eyes flared up. Flustered, she nervously smiled. “Uh. Not wanting to be offensive, or anything.”

She spoke that last part with a sheepish slur to her tone. How amusing.

“Do tell me more about these stories.” I dismissively wave my hoof around. “I’d love to hear the words that circulates about changelings.”

"Gah. I'm getting soaked here." She brushed off her mane drenched in water aside her head. “How about we get inside first?”

“Hm? You’d wager your life by inviting a blood-thirsty changeling inside?” I spoke with a chuckle.

“Uh. I guess so. I mean, you don’t look as blood-thirsty as the stories describe you.”

“Eh? What do you mean by that?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. I didn't expect changelings to be this, um, friendly-ish."

"Really," I deadpanned with a snort. "Me? Friendly?"

"Hey. Just trying to compliment you, I think." She closed her eyes as she pondered. "Unless you changelings don't see that as one. You do see it as a compliment, right?”

“I’m not sure. Back when I strode the paths of Equestria, I was called the most tenacious and ferocious from my peers.” I began to ponder, my chin resting on my hoof. “Perhaps time’s made me softer now?”

She shrugged once more.

‘Honestly? I wasn’t sure what form of answer she was going to use for that question of mine.’

"Hm. You've got zeal." I applauded her with a clap. "I admire that."

She brushed off the specks of water in her mane with a flick of her hoof. "Huh- what do you mean?"

"You came here alone into this forest, despite all the grim rumors revolving around this place." As I said that, a hint of sorrow sparked briefly in her eyes for a second. I wonder what that's about? "Quite brave."

She paid not so much attention as she took a gander into the hallways of the castle. "Uh. I guess I am-"

She was cut off however as another deafening roar of lightning split the air. She jumped into the air with a gasp.

I giggled at the sight. "Ha. Yes, yes. Very brave indeed."

"Shut up." She eyed me with a facade of a frown. She couldn't help but smile as she finished her sentence. "Weather's so random here! It's not like other places."

"Hm. I don't doubt your bravery at all."

"Oh. Really? Why so?" She flashed a grin at me.

"Not a lot of ponies have the brass to converse with a changeling royal so casually like this." I held my head high boastfully at my title.

A nervous chuckle escaped from her. "Ha. I got this weird nature of warming up really fast to other ponies."

I rolled my eyes. "Except that I am not a pony, obviously."

"Aw. Don't give me that. You're pretty nice like everypony else. Um. I guess." She brushed her hooves together, letting out a warm breath onto it. "In fact, you're not like the changelings I've heard so much in stories."

"And how are the changelings like in your stories?" I slanted over my head towards her.

"Well- Er. Not exactly sure on how to say this without probably offending you, but they say that the changelings are parasitic animals that consume love and will do anything to get it."

"Anything to get it, eh? Such as?"

She was absorbed in thought, letting out a steady hum, as her eyes wandered around as she looked for an answer. Finally, she lit up as if she recalled something.

"They'll deceive, manipulate, and back-stab others just to get it." She quickly added, "According to what I've heard, of course."

I struggled not to plant my hoof into my face. Sighing out deeply, I looked towards her.

"If those stories had any truth behind them, wouldn't you think that I'm trying to manipulate you as we are talking?"

She shrugged. "I don't think you are."

I recoiled slightly back. "Why not?"

She shrugged once more. "I'm pretty sure you're not."

“Hm. Aren’t you interesting?” I spoke with a warm sharpness. “Pardon me, but I don’t think I’ve caught your name. You wouldn’t mind sharing it with me, do you?”

“No problem. It’s Astra Astral.” Her face seethed red in embarrassment.

I jerked back at the unusual nature of her name. “Astra Astral? Really?”

“I know.” She shook her head, raising her front legs in questioning. “Don’t know what my parents were thinking when they gave me that name.”

“I don’t mind it, really.” I patted her on the head. “It’s oddly suiting for you.”

She strafed backwards, breaking contact from me. She adjusted her mane. In several swift flourishes, she spruced up her mane with only her hooves alone.

‘Huh. Tidiness of her mane seemingly matters a lot to her vanity.’

“Right. Well, you have my name in your head now.” She took a step towards me, a curious smile plastered on her face. “So how about yours?”
“Chrysalis,” I stated with firmness and egotism. “Perhaps you’ve heard of it before?”

“Wait… I know that name! Queen Chrysalis?”

“The one and only.” I did a mocking bow as a gesture.

“I… I actually don’t know much about you.” She shot an ashamed smile at me. “Sorry. I did hear your name somewhere before.”

I deadpanned her with a bemused look. “And here I thought I grew famous.” I sighed.

She regarded my slender, tall physique. “Hey- you’re a changeling queen, aren’t you? How come you’re all alone in this place? Where’s your hive?”

“Ah. About that… How about we talk as we enter deeper into the castle?” I suggested, taking a few steps deeper into the stone structure. "At this rate, the storm will flood this entrance. We don't want to be here when that happens, right?"

"Yup." She trotted to my side without any hesitation.

'Damn her innocence and her shallow naivety! I can't comprehend how... adorable this is.'

“But if you must know, the lore behind that topic is a bit lengthy and dull. I hope you won’t find it boring.”

“No worries!” Walking alongside me, she beamed with optimism. “As an astronomer, I can confidently say that I’ve read books more boring than you can imagine.”

“You? An astronomer?” A feeling of astonishment tugged at my mind. “Sorry. I just can’t see you bearing the title of something so admirable.”

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" She let out a flustered groan. "My little head can identiffy any constellation in the night sky in seconds!"

She let out a laugh- a rather nervous one. “I’m just a newbie, though.”

“You’ll get better at it eventually.” The further we went deeper inside the interior, the dimmer it became. I noticed the green vines and withered plants on the floor. There, scattered across the rooms were wooden furniture wilted beyond repair.

This castle truly has been abandoned for a long time.

“Yeah… Anyways- Oh! Look!” She extended her hoof, pointing it at a relatively open area.

It was presumably the the main lounge of this keep. It was large and spacious. The walls had several windows- and cracks that acted as additional windows. Through the breaches in the structure, I could see the streams of raindrops volleying downwards.

“Hm. Good eye. That would work for a suitable camping spot.”

“Huh? Not that- the huge crack in the wall!” She charged in forward, placing herself in the middle of the lounge. “That’ll give us a good view of the meteor shower!”

“Meteor shower?” I repeated. “There’s going to be one occurring soon?”

“Yup! Tonight! That’s the reason why I’m here! I’ve heard that this place has the best view possible for it!” She sat down in the middle of the room. Gathering a clump of woodwork and withered lumber, she channeled her horn with magic.

I stared at it as it went aglow, almost in a trance. It illuminated the dimness around the room with a teal glow. With a swift motion, she shot a small spark at the firewood.

The wood ignited with a crackling sound. Soon enough, fire began to permeate around it. The orange glow lit the room fairly, allowing me to inspect most of the room that were once obscured by the lack of light.

Giddily, she rummaged through her bag as she placed it down on the wilting bricks of the floor. “Ah. Such a shame. I forgot to bring anything to eat…”

She stared at me with pleading eyes.

“What? Do I look like I have food?” I deadpanned. “We changelings only eat occasionally, as our primary source of nutrition comes from love.”

“Ah. Well. I guess it’s fine. Anyways, you changed the subject.” She retrieved a flask from her saddlebag. Unscrewing it, she took a sip from it. “You said you’d talk about your hive-thing as we entered.”

“Oh. Right. I suppose I shouldn’t delay it any longer. Listen up, you.” I let out a sigh. I’m about to reminisce like how my mother used to tell her about the days where she dominated the Badlands.

“I, like any changeling queen, had a hive. That changed however when the Siege of Canterlot happened. You do know of it, right?”

“Woah. Don’t tell me you were the one responsible for that!” She looks taken aback; her face forming a slight grimace, her body tilting to the opposite direction of where I sat.

“I was staying at a hotel there! I was enjoying myself with their popular harlequin ice cream, and before I even knew it, I nearly died thanks to you bombing the place!”

I shook my head in snide. “No bombs were involved, I can tell you that.”

“Well… Whatever you did nearly blew to bits! I expect you a ‘sorry’ after you nearly killed me!”

I bowed mockingly. “Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. If it makes you any better, I did not intend for any casualties on both sides. I prefer enslavement over genocide, really.”

She squinted her eyes at me. “No. Not by a bit. Especially since you added that last bit.”

“Oh. I guess I don’t know how to keep my mouth closed.” I let out a soft chuckle.

“Ha… Back there, where you stumbled upon me…” I trailed off, unable to find any words to continue that with. “So why didn’t you try and flee? Captivated by shock and fear, I presume?” I jested.

“N- no. Not that. I’m kinda tired out from all the adventuring… and I didn’t even had enough magic to teleport myself out of there. I must admit, I’m happy I didn’t run away.”

“And why is that?”

“I get to enjoy your company!”

“Heh… My company? You truly are not like any I’ve met before.”

“I’ve heard so many awful things from my friends about your kind. I’m glad that they’re mostly false.” She looked at me with concern glistening in her eyes. “Anyways… So what happened to your hive?”

“Oh. Right. You do know what happened after we were sent flying, right?” My expression withered to a much more grim one; my face turning into a neutral look. “Most of my changelings- they died upon impact.”

I noticed an eerie silence following my words. I took a glimpse at her--she was staring at me intently. Her eyes reflected the moonlight seeping into the room.

Wait- night has already settled in? Time seems to be thaw faster when spending time with another. Did it always go like this? I can’t even remember anymore.

Clearing my throat, I prepared myself to speak further. “I was lost. Lost for a long time. Eventually, I was reunited with them. For a few days, I was brimming with joy.”

I glanced over to the cracked floors. My head drooped as the air around me permeated a sense of melancholy.

“That joy didn’t linger for too long. I was appalled when they were actually killing changelings unprovoked nearing their borders.”

Her jaw went agape. “W- wait! Celestia couldn’t be the one who ordered that!”

I shut my eyes. My teeth were biting against each other hard. “Don’t mistake your monarch as some being with radiant divinity, lass. When my hive was scattered across Equestria, she made efforts in finishing us off.”

“What?! No… That’s not true. I haven’t heard anything like that!”

“What do you think? She ensured the operations were hushed.” I stared her over with a fierce, but emotionless face. “She wouldn’t dare sully her flawless public facade.”

She kept silent, prompting me to continue.

“After that revelation came to light, I personally made it my goal to raze at least one of their towns.” I took a step back, the once fleeting memories cascading in my mind once more. “So, I set off, the remnants of my hive following me.”

The storm suddenly stopped; the sound of rain pelting the roof no longer echoed, the clouds dispersed, and the violent whirlwinds stilled. The dark, thick firmament cleared up, allowing the celestial figures high in the sky to be viewed.

It grew noticeably brighter as the illuminance of the stars and the moon were no longer hindered by clouds.

“So, I managed to spot a settlement- I can’t even recall its name anymore.” I shrugged, a groan escaping my lips. “I set it ablaze. For some reason, though, I let all of them live. The town was reduced into ashes, but I didn’t let a single one of your ilk fall bloodied.”

“You let them live?”

I paused at the sudden question, thrown into a daze. I simply nodded.

“I- I…” She paused, uncertainty causing her to mouth fidget. “Thank you for that…”

There was a thick hesitation clinging onto my throat. Gulping down, I conveyed a faint smile at her.

“It was nothing.”

I cleared my throat once more with a cough. “After that… It was all too grim for me. Far too grim that I don’t even want to recall it, but I will. It didn’t take long for word of my assault on one of her towns to reach Celestia. After that, well. I think you can figure why my hive is all gone now.”

A grim listlessness befell in the castle corridors. Not a single creek, no tapping of water, not even a evanescing howl of wind--the silence was overwhelming.

“After that, your princesses contemplated on killing me, but instead they opted for the cruelty of mercy. They hexed me with some sort of curse. I can no longer shapeshift and I have lost the ability to use magic. Oh, and they also stated that if I am spotted near equine territory, they will have me dealt with.”

“That’s really… horrible.” She stepped towards me. Before I could even realize it, she held my hoof in her own. “Is there any way to break it?”

I felt my heart thump in my throat as she said those words.

I averted my eyes away from her, focusing on the blank ceiling. “There is one way… but I doubt that I’ll be able to reach it.”

“What! Why not?” She desperately clung onto my hoof, shaking it around frantically. “Come on! Tell me! I’m sure I can help!”

“Hush now. Look skywards.” I stared intently towards the stellar blackness of the night sky above.

My eyes began to reflect a sudden brilliance in the night sky. “What you’ve come for has arrived.” I extended my right front leg, pointing at the breach in the wall giving a clear view of the azure above.

There, in the distant firmament were a number shining astral spheres bleeding across the high cerulean sky, leaving a shimmering trail of glimmers.

She looked upwards, awestruck as she beheld the marvel.

“Now then. Enough about me, why is it that you’re truly here?” I didn’t bother myself to look at her, but I’m absolutely certain that she suddenly snapped her head at my direction. “I know that you’ve not come here alone in this unruly wilderness just to get a good sight for this. I must admit, however, this truly is beautiful.”

“But I was being honest…” Her words were awfully inaudible; they were almost indecipherable.

“No.” I stared at her. “You weren’t.”

She let out a vague, feigned laugh. “Ugh. I give up. I really wasn’t. Why do you gotta be so sharp?”

I hung my head high slightly, a smirk appearing itself on my face. “A queen’s perception.”

She slowly shook her head with a smile. "Ah... I'm not actually here for that,” she waved her hoof towards the sky, the meteors still trailblazing across it, “but that is a really nice bonus. I came here... to run away from them."

"Apologies, but I don't follow. Who do you mean by 'them'?" I arched my eyebrow in criticism.

"My friends--or at least who I thought were my friends. I guess... I've been called a criminal and was chased away."

"And what exactly did you do in order for others to brand you an outlaw?"

"There... There was an accident, okay? Some young one pickpocketed my telescope." She reached out for her bag. Fidgeting with its locks, she opened it. Shuffling her hoof around its contents, she retrieved a picture of her.

Fixing my eyes on the photo, I noticed a compact, quaint-looking scope held firmly on her hoof.

It had a casing of brass with engravings on it. Of course, the picture was faded beyond my ability to decipher whatever it said. The rim of it had a ring of what appeared to be some sort of metal that I am not so acquainted with.

"Huh. I presume that optical piece bears significance to you?"

"Yeah. My family had it for so long. So long that even my grandfather forgot the date it was made."

"Really? It must be centuries old. I can see why you'd abandon lawful living for it."

She furrowed her eyebrows intensely, her stance stiffening. "But I didn't do a thing, and that what ticks me off so much!" that shout echoed throughout the castle for several moments before it died down.

She stared at me, her chest beginning to contract and expand rapidly. "That- that… little bastard stole it. Took it somewhere--I think it was an orphanage. I pleaded to the authorities, but they were unable to find it at all!”

She brushed off a tear from her face, taking a brief pause. “I doubt that they even cared."

Despite her attempts to pretend trying not to act all teary, her vining tears seeped from her eyes.

"And that night happened. That night... I couldn't sleep. I could barely rest on the bed, let alone close my eyes! All of a sudden, I saw orange light coming from my windowsill. I could see it from my apartment window--fire. The orphanage was a fiery wreck."

I sat still, motionless and silent. I did not wish to disturb her.

"I didn't what to think... Then I noticed the law enforcement rushing all over the town. That was good... or so I thought. They were rushing into the apartment- they thought I was the one responsible."

She paused once more, wiping off the tears wetting her face. “I- I took my bag and went. It was pretty scary--a mob of Royal Guards running after you.”

My face lit up at the unexpected mention of those words; ‘Royal Guards’.

“Forgive me, but did you just utter that the Royal Guards came after you?”

“Well… Yeah. It’s kinda their job, you know?”

“Do you not recall the Royal Guards being stationed in Canterlot, not Ponyville? If what you said adheres to any truth, they were alerted beforehand. A whistleblower before you committed that act of arson?”

“Hey! Like I said, I didn’t do it!”

“Then it is what I thought- you were framed.” I shifted uncomfortably as my heart quickened. It’s been a long time since I felt adrenaline like this surging through my body. “Tell me, do you have any enemies?”

“N- none that I can think of. I normally don’t pick fights with anypony.” She closed her eyes, delving into deep-thought. “But… My family is pretty influential- they own a renowned company. I think we’ve made rivalries with some others.”

“Then isn’t it obvious?” I clapped my hooves together. “You were framed. An adverse company has set their sights on you in an attempt to cripple your family’s reputation.

Her eyes widened as she took a staggered step back. “That might be right- no! That’s definitely right.”

“Intriguing. I might be of use to you. I can help you find those who happen to have a grudge against you.”

Her eyes lit up as she flared her body high. She dashed towards me, placing herself close against me. “Really? Isn’t that too much of a hassle for you, though?”

I hesitated to answer. Her smile, the endearing glint in her eyes, the aura of well-being profusely emitted from her pink and brown mane--I couldn’t possibly attest to helping her.

“Not at all.” I took a hasty step back. “I’ve done nothing but aimlessly travel since I got exiled from basically everywhere.”

“Wait- that’s a problem, though.” Her smile shifted to that of a frown. “You said you can’t shapeshift anymore, and if they see you… I don’t want to think of what would happen next..”

I lowered my head close to the floor. “That is true.”

“You said there’s a way to break it?”

“Yes. I’ve said that. The only way for me to reattain my abilities would be to have the chance to have a taste of love. Seeing that I can’t disguise myself, I can’t exactly- ”

Before I could even blink, she brushed her body against mine. She locked her lips with my own. Our tongues suddenly intertwined in a wrestle for dominance.

My mind went blank. I haven’t felt anything like this in months, if not years. In mere seconds I was lost in the ecstasy of the taste of love.

I feel the emotion whirring in my system. As if like a flame being rekindled, I felt myself rejuvenated with its warmth. This warmth that I’ve thought I could no longer feel any more--it truly feels like I’m in dream.

But I’m glad I’m not in one right now. At least I don’t think I’m in one. Everything felt too lucid.

She took a step back, breaking the ardent kiss.

I could see her cheeks redden into a crimson shade as she buried her hoof into her face, obviously flustered.

“On normal occasions, I’d turn you into ashes…” I stared at her with a skeptical look. She fumbled about, her cheeks still blushing. “But for now, I think I’ll be lenient and let that go unpunished.”

“I can’t believe I did that…” She brushed it off with a laugh. “Anyways, did that work?”

I smirked. I focused my renewed magic into my horn. It took a few seconds of sheer concentration--I was rusty, but I managed to magnify enough of my energy into a spherical green ball of flame. I let it discharge, the emerald flames licking my body back and forth.

As the flames died out, my figure came to view. My body transfigured itself to the one standing right in front of me.

She gawked at me with uncertainty. “Wow. Looks like I’m looking at a mirror.”

“Changeling disguises are quite accurate, don’t you think?” I asked, to which I received a nod in response.

I shifted around; pacing about back and forth, stretching my limbs, turning round and round. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the body of another.

“I can’t tell you how thankful I am,” I placed a hoof on her head as I spoke those words. “I truly am.”

“Ha…” She yawned. “Don’t worry about it.”

I turned around, my chest hanging high.“So! Now then, shall we head out and-”

In the corner of my eye, I noticed that she had fallen asleep on the floor. How adorable.

“Hmph. It isn’t exactly the best of things when somepony like you lies down on the floor to rest…” I whispered as I strode quietly to her side. Placing myself beside her, I embraced her. “Not sanitary, but your body’s heat will make me forget about the colonies of dust mites scattered about.”

I gazed once more at the sky, noticing that the sun has already peered itself through the velvety, lush clouds of white. Dawn had already emerged- it seemed that I’ve lost track of time.

“I suppose our little quest can wait.” I closed my eyes, allowing the bliss of sleep to come to me. “Tomorrow is there for us to deny your false guilty charges.”

I whispered inaudibly as I let my body accept the peace of sleep:

“Thank you… thank you for this chance to redeem myself.”

Author's Notes:

Pre-read by:

Golden Script

FTDLulz

TSLSmokey

Check these guys out. They're pretty awesome.

Oh... and as for the cover art. I'm not actually sure what the source is. It's been sitting my PC for a long while now.