We all stared at Feather, shocked as she recalled her entire journal entry in a monotone voice. Like a class of children reciting their good-morning class-ritual after a year of saying that at the beginning of every day. I remember having to do that.

She had clearly read through it many times. The only one to directly react, other than staring in disbelief was, understandably, Ebony. As soon as the story ended I made the effort to think some happy thoughts at him, he gave me a disturbed look, but upon seeing my sorrowful gaze, he realized I was trying to cheer him up, I wasn't just idly thinking happy thoughts at a time like this...

"I haven't seen any of my group from that day ever since...Other than a gift I got... earlier. It was from Corporal Tornado." Feather said, once she was done. Oh she's the one who sent the manticore plush. She looked up at me, and kicked my journal, still on the floor, over to me. "...But you have, Dan."

"What do you-" I realized what she meant.

"The description fits Dan. That mare... was my Corporal" She said. 'MY' corporal, not 'OUR'. She really does have issues locked away in there, but right now... the locks are open...

Luna eventually spoke up, after a pause. "We... remember that, it was not the Equestrian military's... finest hour, so to speak." A pause. "My condolences, for your loss."

Feather gave her a pained look. "The Tornado I knew died in that explosion Luna, she would have visited, or sent a letter, or something! We were like sisters, she would not just leave me..."

Luna sighed. "Feather, Corporal Tornado... went undercover a day after you both got back. She hid herself, she told the military it was... for YOUR safety. She said 'revealing her position would put her in great danger' and left it at that. She took a great risk if she indeed sent you a gift."

Feather's eyes grew understanding. "He... He's been hunting us, all this time...hasn't he?" As if answering my thoughts she continued. "Forge, must hate us for what we all did. That pony was all 'right and wrong' about everything, and even I think what... I did... was wrong. He's most likely the one who cut the words into me and Tornado that day... He probably took the other two out into the desert to die... He's the one who killed Corporal... He's the one who killed Chrome!" Chrome, who was now awake, and a lot more sober, shifted awkwardly. "He knows where I am... he knows who my friends are..."

Her irises were two black spots, pin-pricks really. There was a pause as she panicked on the spot, not moving her body, but I could see her mind rushing.

"Dan!" She screamed suddenly, flinging herself at my legs, she hugged them and I almost fell over. "You've got to help me!" I looked around the room awkwardly.

"Why me? Out of everyone in this room? There are guards, one of your best friends, a probably immortal-" Luna nodded "Wait really?" She gave a look of 'Is now really the time', "Meh, okay, But we'll talk later." She rolled her eyes, "An immortal Princess and aaaaa..." I was pointing at Ebony who was staring at me in fear. I was seriously about to say changeling. Dammit, this is why I should not be told secrets! "...aaaa -nother guard!" They all looked at Ebony, then to me, then back to him.

We both stood there, hoping they would brush it off. I was doing my best to think 'oh my god I'm so sorry' thoughts at him, but that's a little to specific and I didn't have any thoughts to think of besides the current situation.

Luckily we were saved when Celestia burst through the door. "Thanks Luna, for broadcasting that to me." Broadcasting? Why is that even a word here? "Dan... Ebony..." She eye'd us, "...we'll talk later." She turned to feather. "Feather, we are talking, now." She left the room.

Feather stood confused for a second. "Wha-" is all she got out before Celestia reappeared in the doorway.

"NOW." She said, Feather ran towards her, somehow.

In her position I would be doing the same, but in the opposite direction. They both left and their respective guards followed. Leaving me, Luna, Chrome and my guards in a very awkward room. I decided to distract them from Ebony.

"So, Luna, don't you need to talk to Chrome about something?" She didn't get what I meant.

"No?"

"Er, Chrome, could you look over at that cupboard for a second?" I pointed to an empty wall, he turned. I made use of the little time I had. I leaned in close to Luna. "You know... You and him..." I said, placing my hands together and integrating my fingers. She blushed. "You know for a fact that's not what I meant!... Wait did you...?"

She seemed offended. It was funny. "No, of course not. It was our first meeting after all."

"Dan?" Chrome called. "Wheres this cupboard?" I looked at him.

"What? You can't see it? It's right there!" I called to him. I leaned back into Luna. "You need to ask him, or he will probably just keep passing out every time you mention it." Chrome looked back at us. "Chrome, its right... THERE!" I said, pointing at the corner of the room, he promptly stared into the corner. I love ponies sometimes. Seems cartoon-mode is engaged right now.

"Dan, I said I was going to do it tomorrow." Luna said, sounding quite annoyed.

"No, you said you going to think about it, you need to do it. Now, give him the night to think about it, and..." I looked at him, still staring into the corner, analysing the walls. "... go easy on him. Maybe spend the night." She recoiled. "What?" I started to whisper-yell "He just got told that there is a crazy guy going around with a vendetta against his best friend, having someone powerful close to him will comfort him." Now, I will be honest here, I was trying to get him laid, but what I said turned out to actually make sense, so I stuck to it.

She could not argue with my accidentally good reasoning. "Fine..." She looked to him and smiled sadly. "He... needs to feel protected."

Chrome chose that moment to turn back around. "Dan, there's no cupboard here!"

"No," I said. "There isn't. Now go to bed... you need it." I mean he did just stare at a wall for two minutes straight, trying to find a cupboard.

"Yeah..." He yawned. "I think I do..." He walked into his room without even saying bye. Damn, that's unlike him, he must be tired, or desperate to be somewhere safe...

Luna looked to me, I nodded, she smiled and followed him in a couple seconds later, the door closed behind them. I stared hearing them talking. I fist-pumped again. "YES" I whispered.

I turned around awkwardly as I remembered my two guards. They were staring at me in dis-belief.

"We heard everything." Steel said. Unmoving.

"And?" I asked.

"I'm just surprised. I mean, I heard about your past interactions with Luna, she was showing all the signs of a pony tha-" NOPE

"NOPE." I said simply as I walked into the spare bedroom.

They followed me in. "Dan, you could have had a Pri-"

"NOPE."

"Dan, what I'm trying to say is that-" I said nope, but he talked through me. "I'm surprised your just giving her away."

"You know why I am doing that?" I asked the two guards as I sat on the foot of my bed.

"Why?" Steel asked, both guards now standing opposite me.

"Two reasons. Care to guess?"

They both thought, then both answered at the same time.

"Your scared of her." Steel said.

"Your to shy to ask." Ebony answered.

"No. Well, Steel's, yes, she is pretty spooky sometimes." I said jokingly. "But I'm doing this because- wait, three reasons! Because One: I need her off of MY case. Two: She needs more friends. Three: Chrome is my bro, bro's before hoes, you kno- Oh shit."

They both gasped at my first use of bad language, then basically exploded their lungs at my second use. The reason I swore the second time was because I noticed Celestia had her head creepily peeking into the room through the door. By the look on her face, I could tell she heard everything. I just kind of stared at her disapproving look. The guards slowly turned around to the doorway. Then looked back to me, confused.

Ah, she's invisible again. Then Celestia very slowly and smoothly pulled her head back into the other room, staring at me the whole time with narrowed eyes. Oh my god that's creepy.

Then Celestia walked in like nothing happened, the guards turned around seeing her this time. They looked at me, still confused.

I waved at them dismissively. "Don't worry kids, Celestia was just being creepy. For some reason." They looked even more confused. "Kids also means children where I come from." They looked less confused, but much less amused. Celestia just stood there, looking very serious. I tried my hardest not to laugh at her just kind of... standing there. I failed. And she wasn't very happy.

"I'm guessing..." I said, still collecting breath. "...That it's... 'later' now?"

"Yes, it is."

"Wow, that was fast, gotta give credit where it's due. Welp, come on Ebony. Steel, stay here and..." I spotted my only possessions. "'guard' my clothes." He rolled his eyes but was forced to comply. Ebony slowly made his way to the door, I followed him.

As we entered the main room, I noticed he really did look scared, he was shaking even. I put a arm over the back of his neck reassuringly. He pressed against my leg, fighting for a way to hide himself and failing to do anything but look adorable. Celestia didn't seem to notice or care about what was happening down there and just looked at me.

"So, what is you two's secret then? Hm?" She asked.

"Wow, informal much?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood, Dan." She said accusingly.

"Hey, your the one looking all serious. Anyway, if you knew the secret, which may or may not even exist, it may or may not in fact DARKEN the mood."

"Dan, you should know by now I know what you mean by 'may or may not'."

"Yeah, but he doesn't" I said pointing to the guard, practically hugging my leg for some form of protection. Celestia blinked upon seeing this.

"Wow... is it really that bad? I was expecting this just to be a joke about me or something else like that. I didn't know it was actually..."

"Yeah, well done. Now, I would like to help this situation, but I can't until either something goes horribly wrong or this guy says I can let it out." He whimpered into my leg. "Well? Ebony? I'm sure CELESTIA-" I shot a glare at her. "-will understand. But you don't have to if you don't want to."

"Must you really antagonize me so much Dan?" Celestia asked, not sounding overly amused.

"Yes, it's fun. Now, Ebony? Can I tell the BIG BAD Celestia or not?" He mumbled tearfully into my leg. "What was that?" He did it again. "Take your face off of my leg. THEN speak." He did so, but with his eyes shut tight. It was barely a whisper.

"Yes... but only if she promises not to hurt me."

"You heard him Celestia." She looked at me confused. "Oh, you didn't." I repeated what he said to her. "So, do you promise not to hurt anything within a 10 meter radius of me?"

"That's not what he said."

"That's what I'm saying, yes or no?"

"...yes."

"I want to hear it, Celestia."

"Uuhg, only for you Dan. 'I promise not to hurt anything in a 10 meter radius of you, or your guard.' There, I spiced it up a little."

"Yeah, that's good enough for me. So, Ebony, you want to tell her or do you want me to?" He was balling into my leg at this point. He poked me with his hoof. "Hm, okay."

"Well, what is it?" Celestia asked.

"Celestia. You are all for peace right?"

"Of course, its what's best for Equestria."

"Yes, of course. Now, a hypothetical situation for you. I am a warrior from another realm, I am part of an army, this army has killed and attacked your ponies, but I have never done anything bad to the ponies personally, and have given up all hope in returning to the army as they have been disbanded. I request to live in your country, what do you do with me?"

She looked at me strangely. "I would allow you to live in my country just like everypony else, YOU never did anything wrong."

"Well there you go Ebony, Celestia says she'll let you live here. That's a start." Ebony burst into a new batch of tears, Celestia gave me a mean look.

"Why must you torment my ponies yet be so useful?" ...Useful? ...I've got to ask her what she meant by that some time.

"Cause it's fun. Now, Celestia. What do you think of other races, you know... minotaurs , zebras... maybe some of the more sentient monsters... what are your thoughts on those?"

"If they are not harming my ponies and do not wish to harm my ponies; any and all are welcome here. I really don't see what could be so bad."

"Look, Ebony. I'm trying as hard as I can, and look, so is Celestia! She even repressed the racism that all ponies hold in their hearts, just for you!" Once again, that didn't help quell the torrent of tears.

Celestia rolled her eyes. "I really don't see what could be so bad, it's not like he's a monster or anything, he's a Royal Guard! I guess he could be a changeling, but those things would not serve any pony for more than a year or so before giving in to their primal desires and killing another one just to take its place and Ebony has been a guard for years!" Ebony literally slid down my leg, onto the floor and basically began begging for me to help him in tearful gurgles, while hugging my ankles.

"Wow Celestia, you do SUUCH a good job at calming down your subjects, I see." She stared at the pony around my ankles.

Celestia peiced his reaction and what she said together. "Wait... no... no that's impossible!"

"Think about that hypothetical situation I suggested Celestia..." There was a very long pause.

"Dan, why didn't you tell me as soon as you found out?"

"At first I thought everyone knew." She looked at me strangely. Changelings and ponies living together PERPOSTEROUS. "Turns out its just my ability to see through shape-shifting magic, like you said in the infirmary, when I caught you... doing that thing you do."

"Yes... okay... well, how did you two... meet?" Her stance had shifted into one akin to someone about to attempt to stop a bus with their bare hands; hooves steadily pressed against the ground, head lowered ever so slightly and shoulders ready for impact.

"I sat with him that one time you sent me for breakfast or something at the cafeteria. I noticed that he was a changeling-"

"How?"

"I won't say how I detect changelings, but I had a hunch he was one just by the way he looked, let's just say."

"...Okay."

"Then I thought about emotional stuff really hard, I tried two emotions, I believe the first was sadness, to which he did not react, but when I tried love, he perked right up." Celestia grimaced. "So I then kept thinking about that love-y stuff and used that fake love to 'lure him away' to the guards only section of the palace." Celestia put a hoof to her mouth. "Hey! He had to feed himself somehow! Anyway, once in his private room, I told him I knew, he told me his story-"

"And you believed him?!"

"Celestia. Look at my left shoe." She looked at it. "What is it covered in?"

"Fake tears."

"..." I slowly exhaled, relaxing my hands from their now balled-position. "Celestia... if there is one thing I cannot stand. It's this." I gestured to all of her. "You said anything is welcome in Equestria, as long as it does not desire to harm ponies. Does THAT look like something that wants to harm a pony?"

"Yes."

"Your killing me here Celestia."

"Dan, he's a-"

"No, I meant it. Either let him continue his life as normal, or kill me. That's your choice. At the moment, it seems you have no choice but to kill me, given your current attitude."

"Dan-"

"Oh you choose me? Okay fine." I put out my arms in a 'come at me bro' position. "Give me your best shot." I said in a pleasant voice as I smiled at her.

She sighed. Magic surrounded her horn. I didn't plan to die today, but oh well. At least it will prove a point. I stood there and took whatever she was doing. Her magic surrounded me. Ebony backed away, but not too far. Then the magic surrounded me turned red, with a 'bing' sound. Then it disappeared. Celestia stared at me.

"What?" I asked, "Was that supposed to kill me or something?" I looked down at myself. "Woah, maybe one of my powers is invincibility!" I said, holding my arms in a heroic pose.

"Dan, that was a changeling magic detection spell."

"Oh. Well? Whadit' say?"

"It came back negative. That wasn't his mind control talking?" I stared at her.

"Of course not, as I said, he's not a fucking threat!" I said, waving my arms about. "He's been separated from his hive for years, plus, it's fucking DEAD now. And he's been in YOUR guard for years, if that does not make him trustworthy I don't know what will. I mean LOOK AT HIM!" She did, there was no sympathy in her eyes. She stared blankly back at me, like I was insane.

"You heard what the changelings did to Feather."

"Wha- what? WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?! THAT PROBABLY WAS NOT EVEN HIS HIVE! EVEN IF IT WAS, WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE AN ENTIRE RACE BY ONE ACTION THEY DID YEARS AGO?!"

"...Who am I...?" She asked, her expression taking a very dark turn.

"Oh, I know the answer to that question. And I bet you would not like it." My expression mirrored her own.

"Go on then. Tell me."

"Put up a sound-proof spell, he doesn't need to hear this." She did so, I walked into it. I stood only a couple feet from her now.

"So. Go on. Who am I?"

"You? You are a byproduct. A byproduct created to serve as entertainment for a higher power."

"What are you talking abou-"

"Do you know who I am? I AM THAT HIGHER POWER."

"...What?" She recoiled slightly, backing up and lifting a hoof slightly.

"Oh yeah, you heard me right. This place? This entire world was created to entertain my species. We watch over events, victorys, defeats, all the while we are sitting back, eating our popcorn. Enjoying the show. The visions I talked about? Lies, as you noticed. Really I just thought it was entertaining to watch the ponies figure there way through problem after problem. Like mice in a maze."

"...You..."

"Yep, there you go. That's who you are. A fictional character created to act as the role model, the 'perfect one'. And you ain't looking so perfect right now."

"You... monsters..."

"Oh, is that what I am? You know what my world has that your world does not?"

"..."

"MY world has equal rights and same-sex marriage. What does this place have? A racist leader that pretends to be omnipotent by pointing out simple facts at the correct times."

"..." Her eye twitched. So close...

"You see, the difference between us, is that... I admit when I am not perfect; when I am wrong... YOU don't."

"..." She exhaled. Come on...

"Plus, don't think I have not noticed your love for control. How you planted those two tickets to the gala a couple years back to create conflict between twilight and her friends? Then conveniently having 7 ready and waiting. I saw your face when I mentioned Chrome and Luna being together, you don't want even your own sister to make her own decisions, YOU want to decide. YOU want control. OH, and every dictator must have a scapegoat right? For you? It's the changelings isn't it?"

"..." she grimaced.

"You know, there was a man, a couple years ago on my planet how loved control. He used a scapegoats just as you have. He killed millions of those scapegoats, just as you probably have. He began to take more and more control over the planet, something you've already done. You know what his name was? Adolf Hitler. No, that probably does not mean anything to you, but he is listed as one of the most hated people of all time. In MY world, where bombs have been dropped that killed millions in an instant and wars roll on constantly, it's the seemingly benevolent tyrant that everyone hates. What does that tell you Celestia?"

"...That you were a fool for staying here." She said in a hushed, volatile voice.

"Oh you know why I stayed here? I was all giddy, I thought this place was BETTER than where I came from. When really, it's not. It's not even the SAME. ITS WORSE. Not only does it have the same problems, they are all covered up. WE realized we were monsters and have come to accept that. Meanwhile, you refuse. I wonder why that is..."

That was when the egg broke and the spoils spewed forth.

"I REFUSE BECAUSE I WANT TO PROTECT MY PONIES! IF THEY KNEW THE BAD OF THIS WORLD, THEY WOULD LOSE THEIR INNOCENCE, THEIR CHILD-LIKE WONDER! THE CHANGELINGS THREATEN THAT, I CANNOT RISK EVERYTHING JUST TO ALLOW ANOTHER DREADED SPECIES INTO THIS BLASTED COUNTRY! THEY NEEDED SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN WHEN NIGHTMARE MOON WAS BANISHED! I COULD NOT JUST LET HOPE DIE, DAN!"

"And yet... mine has." I turned and walked out of the bubble, hefted the scared changeling-in-disguise over my shoulder and I left the room.

I left the palace.

I left Canterlot entirely.

Celestia didn't stop me.

Updated: 07/11/15
-Fixed some stuff, I can't remember what, but I fixed it that's for sure.

Aww yeah. I love this one. I don't know why.

For some reason 'stickin' it to Celestia always entertained me. Maybe it's because my father worked with a lot of rock bands back in the day, and they are all about 'stickin' it to 'The Man'.

I am not even half-way through what I have already written, so expect another 10 or so in the next couple days.

Also: CLIFFHANGER!!