I get to the sweet shop and sit down at a table. Mr. Cake comes over with a notepad, in his usual chipper ‘customer service’ manner. “Hello, Anthony. What do want today?”

I let out a sigh. “Ten screwdrivers on the rocks. Very high rocks.”

He looks at me in confusion, brows furrowed. “Uh... I don’t get it. There’s a hardware store to the East of here...”

“Just forget it.” I wave off the request and try again. “Gimme a strawberry milkshake.”

“You got it, champ!” He seems so happy. I see Pinkie Pie come down the stairs, and she rushes over to me. “Hi there! How are you doing?”

Mr. Cake hands me my milkshake and I grab the cherry off the top, tossing it at the wall, but Pinkie catches it in her mouth with her strange speed. “Thanks!” She grins, then realizes my rather depressed mood. “What’s wrong Anthony?” I decide keeping it bottled up doesn’t help, so I tell her what happened with the Star-Swallower.

After I’m finished, she looks kind depressed too, but also a bit quizzical. “So this thing eats stars... and it came for you... but you’re not a star, you’re a humananan!”

“It thought I was a star.” I say, glumly.

Now its her turn to wear the ‘color me confused’ expression. “Why would it think that?”

“Stellar physiology.” I explain, mixing my spoon around in the sweet treat that for once in my life is unappetizing.

“Huh?” She cocks her head curiously, looking like a bird or a cat.

I Spark up as a demonstration. “This. Like this, I’m pretty much a baby star. At least Luna says so.”

“Wo~ow!” her eyes go wide and she reaches out a hoof to paw at my leg, which is shining through my pants. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah, but I don’t even know why I’m like this. I just... am.” I wipe away the vestigial starts of tears before they can grow. “I thought this was a gift with all the things it lets me do but-”

Pinkie Pie shakes her head. “No, it is a gift,” her hoof moves from my leg to my chest, “You’re a hero Anthony. You help anypony who really needs you. Even when Discord was causing all that trouble, you did something, because you didn’t want anypony to get hurt. You’re a good person, and your powers help show that.”

“Wow Pinkie, I... I... thanks.” I give her a big hug. I needed this. She hugs me back and we stay like that for a few minutes. Her coat is soft, and she’s warm. I feel so much better. I feel comfortable. I needed this. I know she isn’t fully aware of the less-than-heroic things I’ve done, but it still helps. Element of Laughter my ass, this pony right here is the Element of Confidence.

I leave Sugarcube Corner a lot happier than... well, happier than I’ve felt in a long time, even before I came to Equestria. I’ve already accepted that I may not go back home given the general disinterest in attempting it I read from Twilight, but right now... I think I can consider these ponies my family now, and I intend on protecting my family.

I think about Chrysalis and the things she said, about how she needs my help. I don’t want to just stand by while a species goes extinct if I can help... but I also remember how I got in that position. I need to know more about these creatures. Twilight’s smart, I’m sure that if she doesn’t have a book on Changelings, she can tell me a bit about them.

I walk in the library and look around. “Twilight?”

Spike speaks up from a desk. He has a comic of some kind in his hands. “Not here. You just missed her. What do you need?”

I think on who I could get as a substitute. “Well, I suppose as her number one assistant, you must be pretty smart too...”

He puffs out his chest, eyes still not coming up from his comic. “I don’t like to brag, but...”

“How much do you know about Changelings?” I ask, getting straight to the point.

Now he looks up. “Uh, not much. Actually, not many ponies know a lot about them. I think Twilight has her notes on them somewhere in this pile over here.” He begins rifling through the mass of information the librarian has gleaned over her life. It is quite impressive, I must admit.

A few bundles of notes checked later, “Found it! Changelings. That’s... all it has as the title.”

“Oh well, let’s see what she’s discovered.” I say as I take the notes and begin to leaf through them.

I sit down in my chair and flip through the notes. I then come across something Chrysalis didn’t mention, and probably would avoid if asked: The process of ‘feeding’ involves taking the form of the victim’s loved one, posing as them, and feeding off the love that the victim feels for the loved one. The process is painful and draining for the victim.

I don’t believe it, the Changelings are parasites! A bunch of deceiving, abducting, scheming, mindless emotion-leeches. I can’t believe I might have trusted Chrysalis! Although... These are Twilight’s notes, they must have been gained from personal experience, which means that it’s possible they could be biased, even just a little.

I think back to Discord. He was almost what Twilight described him as. Yes he was dangerous, but Twilight made him seem like a monster, not just an irresponsible prankster with no thought of ramification. Perhaps... could it be the same with Changelings? Is Twilight exaggerating? I can’t tell.

I continue poring over all of her notes late into the night. I don’t realize I’ve fallen asleep until I wake up, sunlight streaming through the window. I stand up and stretch. My back aches.

Groaning, I ask aloud, “Geez, how does Twilight do this without getting a sore back?”

From behind me, Twilight replies, “Well, I usually have a bit more support for my spine, for one.”

Turning and blinking sleepily at her, I yawn. “Oh, ‘morning Twi.”

“Good morning.” he eyes narrow as she spots my reading material. “Wait... are those my notes?”

“Er... yeah.” Something plausible... ohh, I know, “I don’t know much about Equestria, and since you have firsthand experience with a few things, I figured I could see what you’ve discovered.”

“I see, well, thank you. I’m glad you trust my expertise.” She looks very proud of herself, like she’s expecting a gold star sticker or something. “So, what are you looking at now... Changelings?” As the word leaves her mouth, she gets noticeably more rigid and tense.

“Yeah, the name sounded interesting, so...”

“There’s not much you need to know, Anthony. They are heartless, emotionless beasts that want nothing more than hostile takeover and total control over Equestria.” She replies dead serious, taking the notes in her magical grasp and putting them back with her other research.

“That’s... a bit harsh. How do you know?”

“I know because my friends and I had to fight them and their queen! If it weren’t for my brother and Cadence, Equestria would have fallen into Queen Chrysalis’ hooves already.” She says, looking both righteously angry, and a little scared.

Interesting. I decide to change the subject, but still get a few answers. “So earlier, during events that I feel would best be explained by the princesses, a certain location was brought up.”

Twilight is rifling through some more of her notes, re-alphabetizing what Spike had messed up.”Oh? And what location is it?”

“What do you know of a place called Everfree?”

She raises her eyebrows, her stance no longer the angry-defensive, but curious. “The Everfree Forest?”

“I suppose so.” I say unsurely.

She smiles, and a few tomes and notebooks come over in her magical grasp. “Well, what do you want to know?”

“Well, what do you know of it?” I ask, then continue with, “Do you have experience with it?”

“Yes, I do!” she says, perky once more. I swear, ponies are like puppies; catch their interest and they stop being upset. “I suppose I can tell you the story of my first venture into the Forest.”

“What happened?”

“Well, let’s start from the beginning.” she settles onto a cushion. “I was in Canterlot, reading a book, when I came across a passage mentioning the Elements of Harmony...”

“And then, there was a huge reunion party for the princesses, and I’ve been living here in Ponyville with my friends ever since.”

“Wow, that’s... quite the story.”

“Indeed.” she says, nodding.

“So the Everfree Forest is dangerous?” I ask for clarification. It sounded like most of the problem was from Nightmare Moon than the forest actually being a challenge.

“Immensely so, there’s a lot we don’t know about it from what lives in it, to what secrets it holds.”

Huh, alright. “I think I’d like to check it out sometime.”

“Really? Are you sure that’s wise?” she says, looking baffled. “You know even less about it than anypony in this whole town!”

“What can I say? I’m curious. Don’t act like you’ve never had a question you wanted to answer by experiencing it firsthand.”

“As right as you are, I cannot advise that you do this without proper protection.” Twilight says, a touch patronizingly.

“Oh alright, I’ll bring some condoms.”

Her entire expression is disrupted. “Some what?”

“Nevermind, just...” I chuckle. “Nevermind.” Guess they have different names for them. If they have them at all. Ew.

I approach the forest and I can see clearly that its thick canopy prevents light from shining through. I walk forward into the darkness, some coal fashioned into a machete in case any foliage blocks my way. As I’m walking, I hear something rustling in the bushes. I turn, but see nothing.

“A- Anthony?”

Huh? I turn around and see Fluttershy. “‘Shy? What are you doing here?”

“I- I saw you come into the forest. It’s dangerous in here, we should leave before something bad happens.” She starts looking around frantically. Yep, definitely lives up to her name. Anyway, I’m not in a very contrary mood, so I shrug and follow the yellow pegasus and then I realize how she saw me so soon. The Everfree Forest is pretty much her backyard. I’m pretty sure there should be some zoning regulation about that but... whatever.

So I walk into Fluttershy’s cottage and it smells like wild animal. Joy. I sit down on the couch, making sure to stay away from any birdhouses. I don’t trust birds, especially the pretty ones. I see Fluttershy doing something in another room and I start to think.

“Hey Fluttershy, why didn’t you want me to go into the Everfree anyways?”

“Because it’s dangerous.” she says matter-of-factly, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

That stops me for a second. “But... you hardly know me. I mean, we haven’t even seen each other since the day I first woke up here in Ponyville.”

“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t think that would matter...” she says, sounding unsure now.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t really, but I don’t see why you’d be so worried about my safety.”

She looks back at me, looking a touch hurt and confused. “But, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

Friends? Huh? When did that start? “Are we? This is the longest we’ve ever even been together.”

“But you’re a friend of my friends, so doesn’t that count?”

I think for a moment. Out of all the ponies in Ponyville, Fluttershy knows the least about me aside from whatever stories she may hear. I speak up. “Fluttershy, do you think I’m a bad person?”

“Wh- what?” Now she looks... well, she looks like a young lady stuck in a small room with someone who just asked a really awkward question. And is shy.

“Do you think I’m a bad person?” I repeat.

She looks down at the ground and shifts on her hooves nervously.”Well, I... um... I...” Suddenly she finds words. “I’m not sure, if that’s okay with you?”

She’s honest, I’ll give her that. “But you still consider me a friend? Even if you think I’m bad?” She lets out a little ‘Eep!’ at this. Guess that is kind of a big question. Seems she’s going to try answering anyway.

“W- well... maybe you’re not bad? Just, um... confused?”

Well I am, but not in the way she seems to be implying. “Confused?”

“I understand that our world is very different from yours, and you come off as... distant.” she says, shifting on her hooves and not meeting my eyes. “You react to things so differently from a normal pony, and... well...”

“Let me tell you something, ‘Shy. Even back in my world I wasn’t normal. My brain is messed up on the inside. It’s like the world is a puzzle, and I’m a piece that just doesn’t fit.” Three cheers for autism!

“Maybe... maybe you do fit, but not in the place you think you do.” Her voice is quieter now, and getting harder to hear.

“You think so? You think I have a place in this world?” That would be a first, honestly. Though I am a bit dissatisfied with the idea that I’d be considered normal. Who wants to be a ‘Normie’?

“I’m positive you do, you just have to find it. And you don’t have to look alone, there are friends you can rely on, if you just let us.”

I scoff. “That’s... kind of the problem.”

“What?”

I cross my arms. “I don’t know this world, how do I know who I can trust?”

“You can trust me.” She gives me a startlingly fearless hug. Oh my god this pony is so soft... like, crushed velvet is sandpaper compared to this coat of fur. I hug her back.

“Can I?” I whisper.

“I’ve always trusted others, even if I don’t know them well.” she says, voice also low enough to be a whisper. “You never know what you can gain from being kind to those who you don’t understand.”

“Like the manticore?”

She leans back and gives me a surprised look. “H- how’d you know about that?”

“Twilight explained the story of how you six met, and your fight against Nightmare Moon.”

“Oh, well then yes. Like the manticore. Sometimes we just have to give something the benefit of the doubt, even if it seems dangerous.”

“Okay Fluttershy.” I nod, “I... I’ll give it a try.”

“Thank you, Anthony. Remember, if you ever need help, you do have friends, even if you’re not sure we are.”

I think about the decisions I’ve made in my life, both this one and my previous, as I walk away from Fluttershy’s cottage.

I feel like I’m being watched from the forest... I turn and see a bush shift. I walk into the forest after it. I see another bush move. I realize that whatever this creature is, it’s leading me somewhere. “I know you’re there, and I know what you’re doing. Show yourself.” A figure walks out of some tall grass. A Changeling. Of course. “...Take me to your Queen.”

I’ve gotten Twilight’s side and Chyrsalis’ side, now I want to talk to her about Twilight’s side.

The Changeling nods and walks off. I follow, taking careful note of the way I’m going.

After a while, the Changeling leads me down a hole, and as I continue through the cavern, the ground becomes that of the strange material of the hive. We come to the chamber where I was brought earlier. I can tell because it seems not all of the Changeling blood has been washed from the floor.

“So, you have decided to return.” Chrysalis.

“Yes, I have.” I see her from the balcony. She looks down on me, and her horn begins to glow a bright emerald green. I blink and I’m in her chambers once more. “So, Anthony. Have you made your decision?”

“I’m not sure...” I know these creatures wish pain on others, but it’s for their survival. Was I much different as a human? Our history of violence and greed, murdering for what we wanted? No, it was different. These Changelings do it because they must do it to survive, and they don’t kill, either. “What would happen once the Changelings have eaten and are strong enough to... whatever it is you need to do to fit in with the ponies?”

“Well, we’d be able to take our rightful places! As the fourth tribe of ponykind, of course.” She says.

“But... you aren’t actually ponies, right? So... wait, what is a Changeling anyhow? I mean you don’t look like ponies and you don’t act like ponies... why do you want to be ponies?”

“W-well... if we’re ponies, we’d be loved, and then we’d be just fine, and not need to take hostages or anything.” she says, nodding as if that was perfectly acceptable.

“Uh... sure. Okay. And once that’s done, what are you going to do? The ponies already have a leader. Granted she’s not exactly my idea of a great ruler.” I say, shrugging.

“Well, I’d lead my changelings, of course, they can’t really think without me. And they’d be loved, and I’d be powerful, and you would share in that power, of course. Haven’t you ever wanted something you couldn’t have? Well, you’ll be able to have it then.” she says, batting her eyes at me.

I roll my eyes. “Something I want... Yeah I doubt you can grant telekinetic powers or an endless supply of chocolate.”

“Oh, but I can. Through the hive, you have access to magic, limitless as the love of a nation for its rulers, and you will be able to do anything you want.”

Interesting point. King of the Changelings would mean a bunch of slaves to do whatever I want... but I already kind of do whatever I want. “And how would we start all this? It seems your previous attempts don’t seem to put you in a good light with the ponies. How do we win them over?”

“Hmm... here, I have a spell that will grant you something of a vision of the future. It isn’t true prescience, mind you, but it lets your mind build the most likely results of the future from a choice. I’m sure you’ll find the answers there.” she says, a touch evasively. Once again, I find that she’s moved her face a bit closer to me than is strictly comfortable.

“Personal bubble, but yeah, alright. So do I just stand here and have the vision when you cast the spell or what?”

“It would be best if you laid down, and got... comfortable. I have a bed you may use.” she says, gesturing towards a side passage that, presumably, leads to her bedroom.

Yep, same room I was in when I was here last time, the one she called her ‘chambers’. Man, who talks like that? Then again I guess she’s gonna be a little off due to being so estranged and all. I lay down on the bed, large enough for four of me, and Chrysalis decides to get comfortable too, laying belly-down on the bed. “Alright, get with the vision-thingy, let’s see what we get.”

She lays her hooves on my chest and brings a viridian-shrouded horn to my forehead, a tingle across my brain giving me my only warning before the wo-

I stand on the balcony next to Chrysalis, all the changelings in front of me. I sit down on a throne and I have to make a decree that I am hungry before the brainless ants come to my side. It’s pretty rough dealing with changelings since they don’t think without me or Chrysalis. Changelings make up about 50% of the Equestrian population now and I’m still their king so technically, even though my throne is in the hive in the forest, I have subjects in as many places as the princesses do, and since they don’t govern the changelings, I do, I basically own whatever my Changelings do including where they live.

So I half run Equestria. And it’s boring and stupid. My subjects are everywhere, but they are drooling morons, zombies without me around. I walk up to a Changeling and knock on it’s head to see if anything’s home. Nope, no reaction. I figured once they integrated with ponies they’d gain sentience but... no.

That said, the changelings listen to my every word. The ponies have pretty much ostracized me, which is fine I guess. Nobody to talk to other than Chrysalis though. Not sure what to really do with myself. I have an endless supply of pawns, but nobody to play with.

I step out of my throne room, and furrow my brows at the layer of dust on the floor outside. Looking around, I notice that the tapestries and paintings are faded... tattered. There wasn’t a battle, I’d have heard it, but... well, nothing had happened this week. Or... month. Not sure how long I’ve been in that room. I step out of the castle, finding empty rooms and stationary, gray changelings, practically petrified in place from the coatings of dust on them. Outside, the the sun and moon hang in place overhead, night and day weirdly split in the area between them like a bad photoshop gradient effect.

All around, the world is baked dry, silent, and dead.

H-how long have I been in that throne room? Nobody has come by in... I don’t know how long. I can’t remember. And... everything died. Everything. There’s nothing. I’m alone, even more than I had thought.

I have all the power in the world, and now... I have nothing. But wasn’t it about yesterday, or something, that I... no, I just ordered some changelings around.

I figured the world would fall apart without me around, but not literally, this is crazy!

I look around for something green, but just get gray and more gray. And brown. No primary or vibrant colors anymore. I just sat there, king of a bunch of zombies until I outlived literally everything. Celestia and Luna included. Now I truly can do anything I want... but I’m all alone. So alone... was it always this cold? The silence is driving me nuts! The world is just dust, an endless expanse of nothing! I might as well be dead too, a king of nothing! How could it come to this, just sitting on a throne day after day week after week month after month, year after year... no attendants, nobody to talk to, nobody to tell me what was going on... The gentle touch of time took me unaware as everything went to ruin.

How could Celestia let this happen? How could I let this happen? How could I not notice that my ruling a bunch of mindless drones would leave me with nothing at all? T. S. Eliot was right. It all ended with a whisper... if even that. I kneel on the dust-covered ground as I take in the ghosts of what used to be grass and trees.

I’m alone.

Alone...

Alone. Forever.

I come to with a gasp, waking from the horrific vision, on Chrysalis’ bed. “Woah. That was heavy...” I turn to Chrysalis. “So that’s the future?”

She shakes her head. “I may be powerful but not that powerful... yet. That was just a possible future, one of many... if you choose to join me. So what did you see? Did you imagine what it would be like to be my husband?” She stares at me intently, a sultry look on her face.

“That aspect didn’t even cross my mind or play a role.”

“Awwww, I thought you liked me...” Chrysalis pouts.

“I haven’t decided on that yet.” I clarify. “Anyways, let’s say you teleport me back to Ponyville and I’ll give your offer some thought.”

She winks at me. “I hope you make the right decision.”

“Same here.” I say and Chryssi seems to have gotten the wrong idea as she claps her hooves together. She’s at least cute when she’s happy. But otherwise, nah, not my type. Anyway, Chryssi’s horn glows and I’m back in Ponyville and it looks totally normal! Grass, trees, sunlight, houses, ponies everywhere... it’s beautiful! I move through Ponyville happier than I’ve been in a while. Today is just fantastic! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Rainbow Dash is about to crash into me!

Wait a sec- *WHAM*

“Alright Anthony, that’s it, you’re gonna get yellow, and you’re gonna do it today!”

Oh well. “You got it, Dashie, I’ll go get the paint if you round up everybody at Town Hall!”

“Don’t try to- Huh? You’re... gonna do it?”

“Yup!” I grin.

“Really? No tricks? You’ll do it?”

“Of course!” I give Rainbow Dash a big hug.

“Jeez, man. Did you swap brains with Pinkie Pie?”

“Nope, I’m gonna go get that paint, now. Meet ya at Town Hall!”

I run back to the library to get the paint, leaving a very confused Rainbow Dash.

I grab the bucket and brush, take it to Town Hall, and tell the mayor that I will be putting on a very special performance. No point in spoiling the surprise for anyone.

I look out at the crowd, and yes, all of Ponyville is here. Every. Single. Pony.

Rainbow Dash approaches me. “Alright, this is gonna be awesome! I’ve been waiting a while for this.”

“Yup, and you’re going to get it. Everyone here is gonna get it. Hope you enjoy the show.”

Rainbow gives a smirk. “Oh, I will!”

I walk out onto the steps and clear my throat, all the ponies quieting down and shifting their attention to me.

“Hello everyone. By now, most of you know me, so I doubt I need to introduce myself.”

I get replies of nods and sounds of agreement. “So, I will get to the reason you are all here. I made a deal with Rainbow Dash. We got into a competition to see who was the fastest.”

A few ponies chuckle, others gasp. Apparently a lot of ponies know how fast Rainbow Dash is.

I continue. “And, I lost. I was beaten rather easily, and now, I will face the consequences, as per our agreement. Rainbow Dash, you win, so I’m going to do this for you.”

Rainbow Dash leaps up into the air, wings flapping and pumps her hoof into the air “Yes! This is gonna be good!”

I sigh and strip down to my boxers, the crowd giggling in anticipation of my humiliation. Dipping the large brush into the bucket of paint I proceed to slather the paint all over my body, the wet paint smelling fiercely and clinging to my arms and legs especially. My stomach is the last to go and I’m soon finished, covered in yellow from my toes to my neckline.

Rainbow flies up onto the stage and gestures to me in a presenting manner as if I was a giant trophy. “Good, now finish it.”

“Finish it how?” I ask.

Rainbow Dash grins and picks up the paint bucket and flies up into the air with it. She comes down with a cloud which she’s dumped the paint into. She kneads it for a while then kicks it hard and a large sluice of paint hits me right in the face. Sputtering, I shout out. “This was not part of the deal!”

“It is now!” Rainbow yells, laughing out loud as she comes in for a landing. She stands in front of me, making a large mistake.

Dripping wet with paint, I give Dash a big hug, smearing the paint all over her as well. and run off, grabbing my clothes.

I walk back to the library, carrying my clothes. I walk in and I see Twilight. As soon as she sees me, she holds her book up, away from the paint. “Shower. Now!”

“Oh, totally, this paint is getting itchy.” I say.