If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting my Patreon.

Alternatively, please consider buying me a coffee.

Still nothing so far. No ambushes. No signs of enemies approaching while we are camped out. It is getting close to a full week since we finally started advancing east. Although it is not all bad. The lack of action is giving us even more time to refine our methods and equipment. I have heard that our fletchers are even preparing a massive reserve of arrows tipped with explosive crystal heads like those used on the crossbows of our aerial units. No doubt for heavily armored enemies when a regular arrow cannot find a way through their plate armor.

It unfortunately has not done much for me and my sense of fulfillment out here. Half the time I am marching alongside my allies on the Empty Plains. The other half of the time I am resting in my private quarters in the command center. By this point, I am starting to suspect the emperor may be withholding his soldiers from carrying out an attack just so we can grow more complacent. I would not put it past him.

Things got quiet in the afternoon. While I could not find the will to take a nap, I have been lounging around on my bed. Smolder had the idea to go out foraging for berries in the meantime and received an armed escort to watch over her. That resulted in me being left alone while I allowed my mind to wander.

Before long, I eventually heard a tapping on the window. When I glanced to my right, I saw a shape of light blue beyond the curtains along with a rainbow striped panel. I recognized the colors immediately and reached past the curtains to unlock the window and push it up. Right after I felt a gentle breeze blow in, a familiar pegasus mare still clad in a suit of brigandine crawled on through the curtains. "Hey there, James. Not much going on, huh?"

"Nope. I'm almost wishing we'd run into some resistance around now." I replied as I closed the window behind her. Rainbow Dash sat before me on my bed while I made myself sit up for my guest. My eyes scanned her body before I asked, "Is that stuff comfortable to walk around in for hours at a time?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't think this stuff would be all that comfy, but it's not too bad." She replied before looking over at the door in the corner of my room. "Anyway, somepony else is coming too. And she's bringing a snack."

"She?" I asked before I started to hear the sound of hooves coming up the stairs. Armored hooves at that. And after a brief knock at the door, a familiar earth pony mare stepped in while still clad in gilded barding. "Oh... Hey there, AJ. Getting out of the sun for a bit?"

"Howdy, James. Yeah, this helmet don't keep the sun outta my eyes like my hat does and it gets a lil' too warm when I'm out in the sun for too long. Rainbow had the idea ta stop in and say howdy, so I grabbed a few vittles on the way over." Applejack replied while getting her helmet off. I thought it was resting a little high on her head and I quickly found out why. A trio of bright red apples had been stashed under it. She rolled one off onto her upturned hoof before swinging her head to throw the other two our way. "I'm used ta bein' on my hooves most of the day, but I'm usually bein' a bit more productive than what's been goin' on lately."

"I'm sure. Isn't now about time that Sweet Apple Acres is being harvested, now that I think about it?" I asked in returned while I polished the apple I caught on my shirt. Rainbow Dash did not bother with any formalities and chomped the entire thing down in one crunchy bite.

"It sure is. Applebuck Season should've started by now. I'm wonderin' if Granny Smith managed ta round up enough hired help ta see things through. It's enough work with just Big Macintosh and me doin' the heavy liftin' around there." Applejack replied before chomping down her own apple with a mighty crunch too. She always was one with an appetite.

"If she can get at least five ponies to pitch in like the last time you were caught short of help, I bet it'll turn out just fine. Good thing you're not there to work yourself stupid again, huh?" Rainbow Dash added while looking more than just a bit smug. And Applejack was quick to flash her an annoyed scowl.

I could not recall if I had heard of this incident before, so I then asked, "Hang on. Did something happen before I showed up?"

Applejack rolled her eyes in exasperation as she grumbled, "Ugh, fine... Guess it was pretty stupid of me in the first place..."

Rainbow Dash then explained, "Long story short, Big Macintosh pulled a muscle in his back or something and couldn't help out with Applebuck Season. So AJ here decided to handle the entire orchard on her own. And she wouldn't take any help no matter how many times you asked."

I cast Applejack a cockeyed stare. While I do not get to see most of Sweet Apple Acres most of the time, I know that orchard covers roughly a few square miles. It is deceptively large for being a farm on the outskirts of humble Ponyville and is probably close to the size of the town itself, though that is just a rough estimate. But one mare harvesting the entire place on her own? "Um... How did you even go about that anyway?"

"Ta give ya an idea... I couldn't even bother with gettin' any sleep if I was gonna meet my deadline. I only managed ta get half of the darn thing stripped of apples before I had ta fess up and admit I was in over my head." Applejack replied while looking more than a bit embarrassed about the memory. "I'll admit I was a bit stubborn at the time."

Rainbow Dash then spoke up, "A bit stubborn?"

"All right, a might stubborn! But really, I can't thank you girls enough for bein' there for me when I really needed ya." Applejack spoke a little louder while reeling from the knowledge of the reputation she must have gotten during that time. Although she then asked, "Come ta think of it... Um... What did I do back then? I was really outta it and might not remember properly..."

Our brash and brazen pegasus friend retorted smugly, "You catapulted me right into Twilight's balcony, poisoned a bunch of folks in towns with that whole 'Baked Bads' incident, and caused widespread foliage devastation in town by triggering a rabbit stampede. No really, that happened."

"Oh... Right. Yep, now it's all comin' back ta me..." Applejack mumbled as she took a seat. I could only snicker at the thought. She then took notice of my quiet laughter and said, "Sure, laugh it up, James. The girls and I were quite the ragtag buncha misfits early on. Couldn't even tell ya all the lil' adventures we got caught up in."

"Kind of a shame I wasn't there to witness them, to be honest." I replied while wondering what else I had missed. Equestria is a weird and wonderful world to live in and even in a cozy humble town like Ponyville, it still sounds like bizarre events can happen out of nowhere. At least things never get too dull.

I kicked back and got comfortable as I listened to the two mares reminisce over past events I had not been present to witness. Something about a bitter rivalry during the Running of the Leaves event that I know I have heard before, a time where Applejack led the rest of our friends on a wild goose chase to track her down in another town when her stubbornness got the better for her and making me glad I was not there to put up with that one, the ridiculous feud that happened down south in Appleloosa between the local settlers and the native buffalo tribes, the one and so far only time those troublesome Flim Flam brothers showed up in town during cider season, and even one time where the Cutie Mark Crusaders got a little too caught up in being journalists for the school newspaper. I have no idea how I would have handled that situation had I been watching over Scootaloo at the time that last one happened...

"Man, talking about this stuff really takes me back. Good times, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked as the entire command center lurched just slightly in response to a brief incline in the ground for a moment. It was easy to forget we were basically in a moving vehicle.

"I dunno if I'd say they were all good times, but they sure were interestin' times." Applejack retorted as she rolled her eye at the memories. But she then said, "At least they're somethin' ta write home about."

"A little adventure to spice things up on occasion is healthy, right?" I asked as I finished off my apple and pitched the remaining core into the waste basket nearby. I know I have been on some weird little adventures here and there since my arrival in Equestria. Including some that I probably should have documented at one point or another. Although I then asked, "Hang on... Didn't something happen while I was on Capricorn Island some weeks ago? Something...about there being too many Pinkie Pies or something?"

"Oh, that! Yeah, it'd probably a good thing you weren't here to see that. Don't ask us how she did it, but Pinkie Pie went into the Everfree Forest and came back with a whole army of copies of herself that just ran riot all over town!" Rainbow Dash explained while looking like she was not sure if she wanted to laugh at the memory of that day.

"That...doesn't sound all that surprising, as strange as that is to say." I replied hesitantly while being curious, yet not all that surprised Pinkie Pie would find a way to do that.

"I know it sounds funny, but trust me when I say it ain't as fun as ya think. I know Pinkie ain't the brightest mare around, but those Pinkie winks were 'bout as smart as a box of hammers and caused nothin' but trouble for everypony. Even wrecked a new barn my kin an' I were tryin' ta put up. And Twi had ta get creative ta send those nuisances back where they came from." Applejack explained while looking more annoyed than Rainbow Dash. If an army of Pinkie Pies hopping through town would cause that kind of trouble, I probably would have been compelled to lock myself in my house and ride out the storm if I got caught in that mess. Pinkie Pie is fun, but generally only in controlled doses. That kind of mess would have driven my batty.

When I thought about that last line, I suddenly had a realization that instilled a sense of alarm in me. "Hang on... Did you have an easy way to know which was the original Pinkie Pie?"

"Ehhhh..... Heheheh, it was kinda obvious in hindsight. Pinkie Pie was really upset with herself for causing all that trouble for nothing and I really should've known the only Pinkie Pie in town who was feeling really down was the real one." Rainbow Dash groaned while also averting her eyes. But she then reached out to us and said, "Hey, we still got the real Pinkie Pie here! She passed the test Twilight set up!"

"Oh, thank god... Wait. What even was that test to figure out who the real one was?" I asked as that thought dawned on me.

Applejack then spoke with a very dry tone, "She made them watch paint dry."

"Pfffft hahahaha, that's a good one..." I chuckled while sure Applejack was being metaphorical. But when I saw the two mares giving me an equally unamused gaze, I quickly realized that it was not a joke. "You mean... She really made them sit down and watch a layer of paint dry...? Wow, Twi. That's...uh...pretty mean."

"At least it worked. Twi sent all them phonies packin' with the right spell and the real Pinkie Pie was left behind. And don't go lookin' for that mirror pool thing where they came from. We all made sure it got blocked off and buried ta keep anypony from pullin' that stunt again." Applejack explained while looking relieved that such a mess would not be happening again.

"Hey, I don't think I would've been having a fun time with that either. Sorry you girls had to go through tha... Eh?" I said before feeling a slight lurch below me. When we all looked at the window beside my bed, we saw the scenery passing by at a rapidly slowing speed. In a moment, the entire command center came to a stop before our elevation lowered slightly. The wheels were retracting to set the whole thing down. "We've stopped? Seems a bit early, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, looks like we did... But I'm not complaining." Rainbow Dash said as I saw the outer walls of our camp starting to spring up in a line once again. She then looked at Applejack and asked, "Wanna head back to our place and put this stuff away? I'd like to get outta this gear for the rest of the evening."

"Sure, I'd reckon I can do without all this metal too." Applejack replied before placing her helmet back on her head. "Thanks for havin' us over, James. We'll be seein' ya around, all right?"

"Anytime, girls. You have a good one." I said in farewell as my two friends made their way to the stairs and left my room. Now alone once again, I savored the silence broken only by the muffled sound of activity from elsewhere in the command center.

I eventually rested on my back and gazed out at the window beside my bed. It was facing east. And I knew that somewhere out there, the Heaven's Pillar still stood with the emperor commanding his armies of Hollows from it. And with every day, we draw closer. No sign of enemy activity for a few days, but I could only wonder how long that would last.

Old questions came back to me. Questions that I had wanted to forget. Ones with no answer at the time, but with answers I potentially feared having to hear. I sat up at the edge of my bed and gazed at my helmet sitting atop my dresser. The Element of Humanity set proudly into the front of its brow. That beautiful visage in the form of two white doves linked beak to beak and talons clasped together with wings spread to form a perfect heart shape between them. It has always been a beautiful thing to see. And yet I could not shake the feeling that its presence at this time carried a dark secret.

I stood up and took the helmet into my hand before sitting back down on my bed. I gazed down at the Element of Humanity while it surely gazed back up at me. I began to mutter softly to myself. Or rather, I muttered to the Element of Humanity before me. "This is your fault, isn't it? You have something to do with what's going on, don't you?"

The Element of Humanity said nothing. Not like it could anyway. I continued to speak to it while not expecting an answer. "The emperor made you in the first place. Do you have something to do with him coming back after so long? Did he make you to be used against the Elements of Harmony? Is this war your fault? Or...is it mine?"

I had tried my hardest to push that thought out of my mind. And yet, the knowledge I am intrinsically linked to the very Element the emperor himself crafted so long ago filled me with a dreadful uncertainty. As if the act of me setting foot in Equestria at all was akin to the act of opening Pandora's Box.

Fear gripped my heart. There was so much we did not know and so much we could only speculate on. And yet, my heart would not allow me to be patient just this once. I could still remember what happened during that previous skirmish. Even after successfully skewering one of them on my sword from behind, the other Hollows merely stared at me without any signs of aggression. As if they did not...consider me a threat. Why, when we are enemies? There was a dark truth for us to discover, I was sure of it. I was certain that I had at least some sort of connection to why this war had broken out. And for the first time in a very long while, I felt unwelcome among the people of Equestria I had come to adore.

I needed to get out of there. Get some air and clear my head. It was not healthy to be alone with these dark thoughts, especially when there was no way of knowing how valid they were. I placed my helmet upon my head and set foot into the tub on the floor that held my liquid armor. As if knowing it was needed, that liquid metal crawled up and over my body before hardening into a glorious winged suit of familiar plate armor. I reached for the Lunar Shield, but paused as I knew I was not looking for a fight. I relented and grabbed it anyway before securing its clasps over my left gauntlet as I knew that my allies would object to me setting foot outside the encampment's walls without a weapon. With nothing else to do, I left my room and set off down the stairs.

I did not even reach the door to go outside before Shining Armor spoke up to me nearby. "James? What's up? We've set up camp for the night. Where are you going?"

I turned to face the captain of the guard as he set his helmet on the table nearby. The longer I hesitated in providing an answer, the likelier he would assume something was wrong. I quickly came up with an excuse. "I'm going.....out on patrol."

"Patrol? Now?" Shining Armor asked while not sounding entirely convinced. I suppose patrols would not be necessary when the command center's sensor suite can detect enemy movement a fair distance around us even without the radar devices deployed.

"I got nothing else to do right now. Just...want to make myself useful." I retorted in the hopes that he would drop the conversation and let me be on my way.

Shining Armor said nothing for a moment, but he then shrugged his shoulders. "If you insist. Just be sure you get back to us right away if you run into trouble."

"Got it. See ya." I said in brief before stepping outside. I spread my armor's wings and launched myself skyward before flying north. I had no real desire to go looking for trouble. I just needed to be alone with my thoughts. Away from anyone else that I could possibly endanger with my presence. Or at least that is how it felt at the time.

The sun was starting to get low in the sky in the late afternoon. Still quite bright out, but it would not last. I soon descended as I came upon some woods that were within sight of the camp behind me. A good place to take a relaxing stroll. Upon landing with a clank of my sabatons, I began to walk into the trees before me with their tall shadows falling to the east.

My mind was still not in a good place. I could not stop thinking about the what ifs. What if I really was the cause of this mess? Mankind had been banished from this world for good reason. As noble as the royal sisters' intentions were, was bringing me here a mistake? I have always been nothing but appreciative of everything Equestria has to offer. I would never consider changing anything about it. But now...was I a threat to the world I had come to love?

I am a patient man, but even I was growing frustrated with the lack of answers we have found in the past few weeks during the course of this war. Answers would put my mind at ease. More than anything, it is the lack of knowledge that is eating away at me most. And I could not stop fearing what the answers would bring.

I was starting to wonder if coming out here to these woods just to be alone with my thoughts was a good idea. The solitude was not helping. If anything, the lack of a presence around me was causing me to indulge in my worries even harder as I began to mutter to myself. But suddenly... I stopped talking. And I stopped fearing. At least about what I had been contemplating before. Because I had detected a subtle shift in the air. The kind of feeling one gets when they know they are not alone.

I am not entirely sure what it was that caught my attention. A shift in the wind blowing through the leaves above? A faint scent on the wind? A distant snap of a twig? Whatever the factor was, I froze and became silent. My ears listened carefully through my helmet, its enchanted plating doing nothing to impede my reception to sound of lower decibels. I was aware and alert. What had I just detected?

It suddenly dawned on me. Was I outside the range of the camp's default radar range? All of the sensors had been collected and put away as we passed by them today. Was there a cadre of Hollows nearby? Ready to pounce upon me? I was tempted to reach for my sword, but hesitated when I knew that would be a sure sign that I knew someone was nearby. It might trigger a sudden attack from multiple sides.

I partially spread the wings on my back, ready to launch myself up and through the canopy for a hasty retreat at the first sign of trouble. Now thoroughly distracted from my troubles, I focused on the dilemma at hand. I began to carefully search my immediate surroundings. I had my right hand open and ready, my focus ready to generate magical force at an instant's notice. The trees were of varying heights, though neither too high or too low. And as I stepped lightly to create as little sound as possible, I heard it. Something nearby.

It sounded...small. And it seemed to be just one. The tempo of the steps... No, it was not a hollow. Too many to be just two feet. It stumbled over tree roots. Even rustled a fallen leaf or two. Perhaps a wolf on the prowl? But I began to pinpoint where it was coming from. I passed tree after tree, my eyes set on one that had a thicker trunk than most of the others. A better hiding spot than most.

Tension filled my heart. I began to sweat profusely. I should not have been afraid in my full suit of armor, but the anticipation was killing me. The urge to prepare a barrier spell was strong, but I knew the sound of the magic in my gauntlet flaring up along with that gentle ethereal din that magic auras generate would only give away my position. I had to wait until I had gotten visual confirmation before going on the defensive.

Once I reached the tree, I began to step very softly around it. I could not make out a shadow peaking around it. Whoever was there had cleverly hiding in the tree's own shadow. I braced myself, inhaling deeply as quietly as I could, and then lunged to look around the corner.

A shriek of terror reached my ears as I outstretched my right arm with its golden yellow magic aura flaring up around it. Whoever was now before me was small. Smaller than the average pony. And before my eyes could even focus on them, they...collapsed. Utterly fainted before me. I froze as I stared. The form was unmistakably equine. But dark... An extremely dark, almost black shade of gray. "A...Changeling?"

I had only seen one Changeling before, but it was an appearance that was hard to forget about. And the shriek that hit my ears... Much too high in pitch to be the same one as last time. This was not Thorax. I quickly realized that this Changeling was female. And even smaller than Thorax with more slender and lankier limbs, but not by much. There were still some holes carved out of her limbs and even a few circular bits taken out of her mane, tail, and exposed wings, but were much fewer in number than with Thorax. Some sort of scout out doing reconnaissance? No... No, a hardened scout of any sort would not simply faint when being surprised by a potential enemy. And upon realizing this, I felt genuinely embarrassed that I had just scared this poor little maiden half to death.

"Now I feel stupid..." I grumbled as I dispelled my gauntlet's magic aura. And here I had worked myself up into a borderline panic over one little Changeling who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But now that this little mare was unconscious and helpless, I was puzzled over what I should do. If I left her alone, she would eventually wake up and carry on her way. But there are predators roaming the Empty Plains. If something like a wolf were to happen across her before she could wake up...

As I looked down at the fainted Changeling, I thought I noticed something about another tree's shadow nearby as the wind blew. With the leaves swaying, I noticed something about the swaying shadows that caught my eye. There was something in those shadows. Something that was not swaying quite as much as the rest of it. Something...that should not be there. And when I looked towards the tree, I saw her. Gilda, perched in the branches, her arm outstretched with her little wrist crossbow locked onto the Changeling before us.

I flinched. Was she really considering shooting this helpless maiden while she was down? Convinced that the timid little lady meant no harm, I jumped between the two of them and raised the Lunar Shield to block any potential attack. "Gilda, no!"

"OK, OK, I won't shoot!" Gilda called back as she quickly disarmed the crossbow on her wrist. She then spread her wings and swooped down from her vantage point before landing before me. Still clad in her suit of camouflaged brigandine, she did not leave the encampment without her full set of gear. "Sorry I didn't say anything sooner. I noticed you on your way out and let Spitfire know I was gonna keep an eye on you. Didn't think you'd actually find someone out here and... Wait a minute, isn't this thing one of those weird bug pony things that invaded Canterlot a couple of years back? During that fancy wedding everyone was talking about back then?"

"Changelings. And yes, that's what she is." I retorted while still surprised that Gilda had not only noticed me leave the camp on my own, but had even managed to tail me without me ever noticing her presence. As I looked down at the fainted Changeling, I then asked, "You weren't...really gonna shoot her, were you?"

"I dunno. I was only aiming just in case that thing pulled something on you, but..." Gilda replied before looking like she was considering arming her crossbow again. "I heard these things are bad news. You think I should put it down?"

"Gilda, please... She didn't even try to attack me. If she fainted in fear like that, I don't think she's a hardened fighter. Probably completely harmless." I explained while keeping a close eye on Gilda's hands. "I mean yes, I have heard that the Changelings have been marked as enemies of Equestria, but...still..."

Gilda rolled her eyes before she said with a sigh, "Why are you being so defensive for this thing? You almost sound like you met one once."

"I..." I muttered before I wondered if it would be wise to reveal I had once had contact with one such enemy of Equestria. I then asked, "Can you keep a secret?"

She looked hesitant at first, looking at me with just one golden eye. Gilda then let out a sigh and said, "Sure... You wouldn't do anything stupid anyway. What's the secret?"

I knew Gilda trusts me and I trust her. I did not want her to think I was keeping anything important from her. After glancing at the Changeling maiden to check if she was still out cold, I explained, "I actually bumped into one of these entirely by chance not long before the war broke out. Turned out he was a really nice guy. I don't think Changelings are inherently bad news. It just sounds like they...were dealt a bad hand and aren't currently under the best leadership right now. Just...don't bring this up around anyone. I don't want to cause any problems."

"Desperate types, huh?" Gilda asked while I just nodded. She then looked down at the Changeling and muttered, "I heard that they only eat love... I guess it's hard to get that when you look this freaky and have to play everyone like fools just to get close to them..."

"Yeah, they seem like really unfortunate sorts. I'm glad my first encounter with one went so smoothly or I might be tempted to slit her throat in her sleep." I replied before looking down at our new captive. I then said, "I don't think it's a good idea to leave her out here... Wolves might get her if we leave her alone, but I don't know if she was spying on us..."

"I'm kinda surprised she hasn't woken up yet... You must've really spooked her good." Gilda spoke while giving the Changeling's little horn on her forehead a gentle poke. "It's your call. What're we gonna do with her?"

With a sigh, I came to my decision. I used a levitation spell to lift the Changeling and then cradled her in my left arm while hidden behind the Lunar Shield. She was much lighter than she looked. I had forgotten just how light Changelings could be. "I'm bringing her back. I don't think she meant any harm, but... Just gotta be sure, right? And it would be a bad idea to leave her vulnerable out here like this."

"Right. Let's... Eh?" Gilda started to say before pausing as I used a teleportation spell to instantly transport us right in front of the command center's front door. She glanced around with confusion before asking, "Whoa, what...? Since when could you do that?"

"So long as I got this armor. Anyway, thanks for checking up on me. I'll take it from here." I said before I reached for the door. I then gave Gilda a little smile and said, "You enjoy your evening, Gilda."

"Right, same to you. Have a good one, big guy." Gilda replied while showing a much warmer smile on her beak. As she walked off, I pushed the door open to step inside. The Changeling mare was still unresponsive in my arm. And I was left with a dilemma. Do I tell anyone about her? If I were to hide her in my room, how long would it take for everyone to find out that someone other than Smolder was staying up there with me? And how would I explain everything to Smolder in the first place?

The royal sisters were seated around the nearest round table while sipping coffee and tea, instilling a new sense of dread in me. I knew that Nightmare Moon aside, they had been present in Canterlot to witness the Changeling invasion. They would not be happy to see our new guest. I started to slink to the left upon stepping inside to try and walk up the stairs to put my armor and weapons away all while keeping my shield between the Changeling and any prying eyes who may be looking our way.

I did not get far. Shining Armor came back in with only his helmet missing and asked, "Hey, you're back! Any trouble out there?"

"Oh, nothing. No Hollows. Everything's clear out here." I replied while hoping to be inconspicuous. Unfortunately, with the Lunar Shield on my left arm, I had to step sideways to get to the door while keeping my shield between us. And the stares the three royal sisters were giving me showed that they could see how awkward my gait was. "I'm just going to head up and dress down for the night..."

"James... What do you have there?" Nightmare Moon asked with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Did you find something out there? What are you hiding?"

"I... Uh..." I muttered as I was cornered. Now that everyone could see that the Lunar Shield was obviously concealing something, there was no running. With a sigh, I slowly turned and lifted the shield aside to let them see the unconscious Changeling in my arm.

"Changeling?!" Shining Armor yelped in shock before almost reflexively and quite harshly snatching the Changeling from my arm with levitation and pinning her to the floor. The collision was more than enough to jar her awake as the little Changeling sudden began to squirm and shriek in fright as the captain of the guard lassoed her limbs with rope. Every single guardsman in the command center came running with weapons drawn as the previously calm atmosphere became filled with a deeply uncomfortable tension. Her bright featureless blue eyes opened wide in horror, the Changeling recoiled in whimpering fright as Shining Armor held a spearhead right to her face. "Who are you?! Why are you out here?!"

"Jesus Christ, Armor! She didn't even attack me! She fainted as soon as we crossed paths!" I spoke loudly in shock and even some disgust upon seeing just how instantly rough everyone became towards the hapless little lady. I understood they had every reason to be wary after a full-scale invasion was carried out upon the capital of Equestria itself, but this was still too much! I was absolutely convinced that she was a noncombatant who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Before Shining Armor could even provide a response, Celestia turned to me as she and her sisters all rose from their seats. Her voice was calm, yet firm while she gave me a most dire gaze. "James. The Changeling hive is an enemy of Equestria. You were not present to witness the invasion of Canterlot a few years ago, but the memory is still fresh. Now tell us. Where did you find this one and what happened?"

My eyes scanned the scene before me. Nearly all eyes were upon me. Even the Changeling herself as she gazed up at me with such a look of desperation. Even with her eyes being so featureless, the way the little white dots of reflected light shone off of them... They almost seemed like tiny white irises that helped convey where she was looking. And that gaze looked like she was silently pleading for me to help her. I then began to explain, "In the woods to the north... I thought I was being observed and searched around. I found her...and she just fainted. Didn't try to run or fight. I...scared her pretty good without meaning to."

"Just lurking about with no means or knowledge of how to properly respond in a confrontation?" Nightmare Moon replied while I just nodded. She then said, "That sounds like a training exercise for a potential scout. Very wet behind the ears. Is this true, little one?"

Still too frightened to even speak, the Changeling just nodded rapidly. A scout in training... That would explain the lack of experience and discipline. Shining Armor then brought the tip of his spear right o the Changeling's throat as he spoke grimly, "Then it's best we put this one out of its misery before it gains the skills needed to infiltrate us."

Fright welled up in my heart. Even with their animosity towards the Changeling hive being just... No! Before anyone could agree or object to this, the Changeling herself wailed in terror as tears streamed down her face. "Nooooohohohohoooo!!!! I wasn't even doing anything! I don't wanna hurt anyone! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna diiiiieee!!!"

Then... The horn on her head was coated by a billowing green aura while she seemed too panicked and incoherent to do anything beside weep uncontrollably. A veil of green fire flashed over her limbs, her tail, her wings, her... Well... One by one, her body parts were individually coated by green fire in rapid succession until... Everyone just stared in confusion while she continued to weep in terror as the atmosphere became...very awkward, confused, and extremely uncomfortable.

Her entire body was...made up of different parts of different creatures. Her head was that of a little mare, but the rest of her... Griffon claws, bat wings, a rabbit tail... It was all a ridiculous mishmash of different species that almost looked like a strange parody of Discord himself, no doubt the result of a spectacularly botched transformation attempt. If she was not crying her lungs out, I probably would have even laughed at just how ridiculous she looked. As the screaming turned into frightened whimpering, Nightmare Moon then brought up a rather good point. "Is this...a sort of defense mechanism as a means to confuse enemies to give one enough time to flee? Because...I think it's working."

As absurd as this situation got, it was starting to hurt to see just how painfully frightened this little helpless Changeling was with weapons aimed at her. I felt like I had made a mistake by bringing her back. She did not go looking for trouble. It was all a chance encounter that ended poorly. Like Thorax before her, this little creature's only mistake was being associated with enemies of Equestria by proxy. And I could not stand there and watch anymore.

With everyone not entirely sure of how to respond to this bizarre defense mechanism, I stepped past the guards and kneeled by the whimpering Changeling. I tenderly stroked my hand over her head and whispered, "Hey... Hey, it's gonna be all right. You're not to here to cause trouble, right?"

"No... No... No, I don't wanna hurt anyone..." She whimpered while sniffling pathetically. She had her eyes squinted shut, but a veil of green fire soon flashed over her as she calmed just enough to dispel her botched disguise. "Don't let them hurt me... Please..."

"OK. I won't let them." I said softly before scooping her little body in my hand and pulling her closer to me. I gazed at the armed stallions around me with a firm glare and said, "Got it? She's not here to give you guys any trouble."

"I... James, she..." Shining Armor growled as his levitation spell quivered in uncertainty around his spear. He then flashed a glance at the royal sisters as if awaiting their input. I guess even he could not go through with running a frightened weeping mare through on his spear. Who could, really?

The three alicorns beside us looked at each other without a word. As if trying to decide who should speak first. Nightmare Moon and Celestia soon turned their gazes to Luna, who nodded and stepped forward. She held her head high in an authoritative manner to establish some degree of dominance as she asked, "Do you have a name, child?"

The Changeling tilted her head towards me as if to hide against me, eyes squinted shut as she whimpered, "Ocellus... I'm...Ocellus..."

Another name that sounded in line with how Thorax is named. I kept my arm over her to insure she would be safe, even though I was certain Luna would not resort to any displays of unnecessary force. The Princess of the Night then asked, "And what were you doing out there at the time this man found you?"

Ocellus hesitated. No doubt fearful that her words would result in a harsh response. She only spoke when I pinned her more securely against myself. "Training... For being a scout... I don't want to be a soldier, so...I chose to be a scout..."

"It sounds like you're not very good at it if you fainted as soon as I found you. And if I could detect your presence in the first place." I added while she continued to keep her eyes squinted shut in fear. I could see that she was starting to relax just a bit, but not enough to open her eyes.

The little Changeling let out a whimper of shame. "I'm not... But I don't want to hurt anyone... I don't want to be stuck inside the hive as a worker, but... I didn't want this... Please don't send me back..."

The look on all the faces around me said it all. I do not believe they ever expected to meet a Changeling that is so docile and gentle. They looked genuinely bemused. I could remember how Thorax was not at all proud of his people's standing in Equestrian society, but poor Ocellus seemed to have it much worse. But if things among the Changeling hive really are just that poor...

This told me enough. I stroked my hand along the little Changeling's head and said, "It's OK, love bug. You don't have to go back if you don't want to."

It was only then that her eyes popped open with a look of confusion settled upon her face. Those featureless blue eyes gazed up at me as she muttered, "Love...bug...?"

"That's what you are, right? A little love bug?" I asked while Ocellus even began to blush in silence. I doubt she had ever expected to be referred to with a term that just sounds so cute, although that blue in her dark cheeks... It was a hue that was somewhere between blue and green. I suppose having blood that is not red makes sense for a more insectoid creature, but it still puzzled me for a few seconds over why those patches on her cheeks were that color. I then looked at the royal sisters and asked, "You won't be sending her back out there, will you?"

"I'm not sure that would be wise, now that she's seen our current base of operations. Even if it seems crossing paths with her was more out of circumstance than out of any ulterior motives..." Celestia retorted while she leaned to one side to get a better look at Ocellus, who cowered once more when the gaze of the Princess of the Dawn settled upon her. "James, could I ask you to keep an eye on her while we discuss this turn of events?"

"Just me? Uh..." I mumbled while noticing Ocellus pressing up against me even more firmly. As if trying to retreat into my body for safety. Seeing that she was starting to view me as a source of protection, I nodded. "Sure. I'll keep her with me."

"Then it is agreed. Guards. Weapons down. And release her from her binds." Nightmare Moon declared as the guards around us did just that. They all lowered their weapons while their magic auras coated the ropes tied around the little Changeling's ankles. Shining Armor was the only one who looked very much not in favor of this decision, but that scowl on his face was not as harsh as it was mere moments ago. As soon as she was freed, Ocellus clung to me with her limbs as her little body shuddered. I placed my arm on her back to secure her and began to stand up. "Keep her in your quarters for now. And please do not leave her unsupervised."

"Will do. Come on, love bug." I said before making my way up the stairs and into my chambers. I closed the door behind me, but felt safe enough to not lock it. I then spoke softly while setting Ocellus on my bed, "I'm very sorry about this... If I had known they would get that rough, I would've just watched over you until you woke up out there and let you fly off for home."

Ocellus sat there with her little ears drooping and her featureless eyes gazing somberly at the floor. She could not bring herself to look at me as she said, "I really didn't think I'd find anyone out here... The Empty Plains are supposed to be...empty, right? I really wasn't going to do anything..."

When considering how vast and off the grid the Empty Plains are, it was not entirely surprising that the Changeling hive would have a presence out here. A place where no one would bother them. I then proceeded to set aside my shield and set my helmet upon my dresser before stepping into the tub on the floor to let my armor melt off my body. "Hey, it's cool. I was honestly embarrassed that I had spooked you bad enough to make you faint like that. Felt really stupid about the whole thing."

Ocellus did not seem to be paying my words all that much mind. Her eyes instead were focused upon the liquid metal oozing seamlessly off of me and into the tub on the floor. "Wow... Your armor can do that?"

"Yeah, that's how I get it on or off. Pretty ingenious little quirk that was put into it. Fixes it up too." I explained while I stepped out of the tub. It was while she spoke that I noticed that her voice carried...a unique and adorable sort of buzziness to it. She really did not all that different from Thorax aside from the much fewer number of holes on her body and her slightly smaller size. It must get confusing trying to tell every Changeling apart. "Please don't touch it though. It's not picky about who wears it."

"Oh... All right then." She muttered as the wonder of observing my armor liquefying itself passed. Her eyes slowly gazed around the room, no doubt from lack of exposure to modern society. I stepped over and sat beside her on the bed and quickly found her lying down and resting her head upon my lap. I said nothing at first while I stroked my hand over her very smooth carapace when I heard her mutter, "So hungry..."

I knew what she needed and said nothing. And before long, I felt a subtle...indescribable sensation. Something being drained from me like excess body heat radiating out of me. And when I looked down, I saw Ocellus had a faint green aura around her little curved horn. I then asked, "How do I taste?"

Her eyes shot open as she glanced up at me with a gaze of surprise. I do not believe she expected me to be familiar with how Changeling's feed. That look of surprise got a brief chuckle out of me as I then added, "Go ahead. I have plenty."

Calming herself again, Ocellus rested her head back down upon my thigh and continued to feed. She looked like she was trying to take a nap, but she was just resting while enjoying a good meal. I heard her mutter, "There's...so much... Like it's...almost endless... And it tastes so good..."

I continued to stroked my hand along her smoothly rounded back. I even got a little curious and gently pried one of her wing covers up to slide my fingers along the waxy membrane of her wing. It really felt like the wing of a cicada or dragonfly, but far larger. Ocellus let out a little squeak as she looked back at where my hand was reaching and asked, "Um... What about my wings?"

"I was just wondering. You're only the second Changeling I've ever met." I explained while trying not to say too much. But when I noticed her look up at me in some confusion, I asked, "What's up, love bug?"

"You...met someone else?" Ocellus asked quietly while having stopped feeding entirely. "You found a different Changeling?"

Knowing how nasty the situation could get if the wrong person heard this, I asked softly, "What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room, all right?"

Ocellus nodded readily and listened in silence. I then proceeded to explain, "Very shortly before this mess broke out, I stumbled across a Changeling in the Everfree Forest who had a close call with some timber wolves. I brought him back home to patch him up and he was a really nice guy all the while. Said his name is Thorax, but he couldn't stay long."

Her eyes opened wider in realization as that name seemed to strike a chord with her. "Thorax? Oh, him! Yes, he's one of the nicest Changeling's I know. I mean...they aren't all mean. They don't want to be mean, but... Things are just so hard for us..."

"Yeah, he kind of said the same thing... Being a Changeling is rough, huh?" I replied while gently pushing her head back down onto my thigh. I suspected that she may have been starving if love was so hard to get a hold of while looking so ghastly. Taking the hint, she began to feed again while I kept my hand between her shoulders. "It's a shame. You love bugs are much nicer than your looks would say."

"Why do you keep calling me that..." Ocellus muttered as her horn's aura flared up just a bit. Was it a sign of how much love was coming out of me at once? "I mean I like it when you call me that, but... Why?"

"Because you're a love bug. Right?" I asked while still trying to make her feel better with that endearing little title. "It's cute, right? A cute name for a cute little love bug. Which is what you are, right?"

I did not expect what came next. Ocellus pressed her face down into my thigh and squealed in embarrassment in an utterly adorable fashion. She then spoke up with her muzzle lifted, "But I'm not cute!"

"I mean, sure... Changeling's can look menacing. Thorax even tried to scare me off at first by hissing at me. But...when you're just calm like this..." I replied before stroking my hand over her. I examined her face while she looked up at me. Those big blank blue eyes. Those two long fangs that probably did not have much of a use. And her fairly small form in general. It all came together to make her come across as a certain kind of cute. "You love bugs are still cute. Like...I really wanna just hug and cuddle with you."

Ocellus gazed unblinkingly at me as her eyes narrowed just slightly. Not in contempt, but...I think humble adoration. The green aura around her horn flared up once more as she said, "You...really mean that... I don't know what to say."

"You can tell I'm being sincere? Just like that?" I asked while wondering why she would believe me so readily. We had only just met and I had unwittingly caused her a lot of trouble. I was surprised she was not at least a little bitter towards me.

The little love bug below me smiled just slightly as she said, "Your love...doesn't feel like it's carrying any lies... You really mean what you said..."

I just stared at her in surprise. I suppose one can read someone by how well they can read their heart. But to read my heart by sampling my love? An interesting trait for a Changeling to have. It almost seemed like a distaff counterpart to a trait the kirin possess. "Well... Uh... Thanks for trusting me."

"No... Thank you for trusting me." Ocellus retorted before resting her head on my lap again, quietly feeding on whatever love I had within me. She was very sincere in her tone and I could guess that Changelings have a hard time earning trust when deception is just a way of life for them. Between her and Thorax, I had no reason to believe Changelings could be inherently vicious. I could only hope I would not get a rude awakening if I crossed paths with even more of them. Especially when they come looking for... Oh no.

I felt a chill through my spine as I suddenly made a realization. Ocellus had been out there on a training exercise. If she did not report back... "Do you think the hive will send someone out to look for you?"

I saw her eyes pop wide open upon hearing that. Ocellus even ceased to feed as she muttered, "I... I hope not... I'll probably be in big trouble if they find out I've been captured..."

"Well... I mean... We only crossed paths by accident. You weren't really gathering intelligence from us. I think we can convince everyone to let you go and return home like nothing ever happened." I said while hoping that bringing her back to the command center was not setting up conflict with an extra third party. We had enough to deal with when it came to the emperor's minions out there.

Ocellus hesitated before she spoke softly, "I... I don't want to go back... It's...not very happy there... And I don't want to do anything to hurt anyone... But I don't want to be trapped here... I just... I don't know what I want..."

The poor thing... I wish there was more I could do for her. But if she did not want to go back, then I did not want to see her leave. I then whispered to her, "I won't let them take you. If you don't want go back, then I'll keep them away from you."

"You'd...do that for me?" She asked while looking up at me. I nodded and kept my hand on her back to help her feel secure. Ocellus then tilted her head into my belly while being mindful of her horn. "I'm starting to think...you finding me was a good thing."

"I think it was too. You're a very sweet little love bug." I said in return while finding myself becoming very endeared to this little lady. Very little, to be fair. But her small size got me thinking. Even Thorax was smaller than Fluttershy when I first saw him. But Ocellus is even smaller. I just had to ask. "If you don't mind me asking... How old are you anyway?"

I was unsure if this was a step in the wrong direction since it is common knowledge that most women are not fond of discussing their age. But Ocellus did not recoil at all from my words as she said, "Me? I'm only sixteen."

"Really? I guess you kind of look it." I spoke while being very surprised that she is older than Smolder. Speaking of Smolder, why was she not back yet? Or had she returned while I was outside the camp and then set out to deploy our radar sensors out east? I suppose I could just go downstairs and ask, but I did not want to leave Ocellus unattended. I do not believe I was allowed to anyway.

Moments later, I suddenly heard a voice. Not from my ears, but in my head. The voice of Celestia. "James? Could you please come to the war room? And bring the Changeling with you."

"Oh, sure. I'll be right down." I replied while Ocellus turned her gaze up at me as if wondering if I was talking to her. I doubt she heard that voice at all. I then said, "We need to go downstairs. They want to talk to us."

"Huh? You... Um... All right? Just..." Ocellus muttered before she crawled up me and clung to my torso like a beetle hooking its limbs into a tree trunk. "Please don't let go of me..."

"Sure thing, love bug. Let's go." I stood up while keeping a hand pressed against her lower back for extra support. I descended the stairs leading out of my room and into the main chamber of the command center. I took a moment to glance at the crystal panels that were displaying information being broadcast to us from out east. At least half were displaying data, so Smolder must have been out there dropping the sensors to get the sensor array set up. Although when the few guardsmen got a look at the love bug holding onto me, they cracked a smirk and chuckled at the frankly silly sight of my passenger. Ocellus kept her eyes closed, no doubt out of fear. She would probably not open them until I sat down.

I stepped into the war room and found the three royal sisters seated around the long table with only Shining Armor with them. His gaze intensified the instant he laid eyes upon Ocellus, even while the three alicorn sisters cast us a much more amused stare. Nightmare Moon even cracked a smirk as she said, "I think you have something on your shirt, James."

While Ocellus hid her face from Shining Armor's glare, I placed my hand on the back of her head and said, "Yeah, found her just a little while ago. Cute, right?"

The royal sisters chuckled and giggled while leaving Ocellus looking very confused at this much less hostile reception. When I took a seat at the head of the table, Luna then said, "We have nearly come to a decision. But first, a few questions for our guest."

"Me...?" Ocellus asked while turning her gaze to them. But the instant she saw Shining Armor's glare, she flinched and buried her face into my chest again with a whimper.

Celestia was quick to notice what was antagonizing Ocellus and turned her attention to her subordinate. "Captain, relax yourself. She is not our enemy and does not need to be intimidated."

"Yes, your highness...' He grumbled with a sigh before closing his eyes and turning his sightless gaze towards the table. Only then did Ocellus look back at everyone without much fear.

Now that she had her attention, Celestia turned her gaze to Ocellus and asked, "We have come to an agreement that you are not an enemy combatant and were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We apologize for the rough reception you received."

"OK..." Ocellus muttered quietly while still not exactly comfortable being surrounded by some of the most powerful ponies the world had ever seen. They could destroy her if they wanted to. Even though I could see no hostility in their eyes, I kept my hand on the little love bug's back to try and keep her safe. I felt like I was the one thing standing between her and the risk of bodily harm and was compelled to keep her safe.

Nightmare Moon then spoke up, "With that said, we can see you out at any time. You will be escorted beyond our walls so you can be on your way. If you wish, we can see you to the gates right now."

I looked down at Ocellus while she looked up at me. If she agreed to this, it would mean goodbye. But unsurprisingly, she looked back at them and said, "Thank you, but...I...don't want to go back."

"You...don't?" Luna asked while Ocellus just shook her head. "Then...what is it you want?"

"I... I don't want to go back... But I don't want to be locked up here..." Ocellus muttered while sounding very indecisive. I felt for her. An unhappy home to return to, but an outside world that did not want her. A very unfortunate type of limbo to be stuck within. Even I was unsure of what to say or suggest. All I could do was keep her in my grasp to keep her calm.

Celestia then asked softly, "There must be something you're certain of. Tell us, dear. Where do you want to be?"

Ocellus said nothing at first, but her grip on me softened in response to Celestia's gentle tone. She then gazed up at me while I looked down at her. She then said something I do not believe anyone was expecting. "I want to be...with him. Because I feel safe with him. Is that...all right?"

That was a touching thing to say. And I was left silently reeling from such a sincere admission. Like I had just made a new friend. The three sisters looked at each other with surprised yet approving smiles. Although there was one among them who was not smiling. Nightmare Moon then turned to Shining Armor, who remained cold and unflinching while keeping his eyes closed. "Captain. Do you have any objections?"

It was only then that he opened his eyes and directed his gaze right at me. It was jarring to see him being so stern and harsh. I was still jarred from seeing how unforgiving he had been towards Ocellus at first. I pressed my hand more firmly against Ocellus' back out of concern that he might throw something at her. With a sigh, he averted his gaze and said, "If she stays out of trouble, I'll tolerate her being here."

"Agreed. And you, James? Are you in favor of keeping this one under your watch?" Luna asked softly with no signs of hostility from her or her sisters in the air.

Ocellus gazed up at me with an almost fearful gaze. Not that she needed to worry. I looked at them and said, "Yeah, she can stay with me. I'd be happy to have her around."

"Then it is agreed. Child, you are to remain with James for the duration of the war. If you are to leave the command center, you absolutely must be escorted. For your own safety if nothing else. As for what will happen after the war has ended... We will discuss that when the time comes." Nightmare Moon decreed firmly yet gently. Her sisters nodded in agreement while Shining Armor did everything he could to not look at us. Such a look of bitterness in those eyes...

Ocellus looked up at me with a look of curiosity in her blank blue eyes. She asked softly, "Your name is James...? It's...a nice name."

"It's a human name. You probably don't hear too many of them." I replied while I stroked my hand down her back, happy to know Ocellus would be staying after all. I was eager to help her get comfortable as I looked back at everyone else and asked, "If there's nothing else to discuss, may I take Ocellus back upstairs and get her settled in?"

"Go right ahead." Celestia said before I stood up with that little love bug still clinging to me before I walked back upstairs and locked the door behind me to secure some privacy. Now we were safe.

"I guess this room will be your home for now, love bug." I said while setting Ocellus down on my bed. For once, I could see her smiling just a little. She still looked a little uncomfortable, but that smile was a good sign. "The bathroom is through that door there. You're free to use it whenever you wish. As for where you can sleep..."

I looked down at Smolder's air mattress. Ever since she got here, she has barely even touched it. She always insists on sharing my bed with me every night and that is how we both like it. But with there being an extra unused bed in my room, I saw a solution. "You can sleep here, if you want. It's meant for my roommate, but she never uses... Uh... Ocellus?"

When I looked back at her, I saw that she had found the pillow at the end of my bed and was now hugging it against herself. It was roughly as big as she was while seated and she really seemed to be enjoying the cushy softness. "You got something there?"

"Mmm... Pillows are just the softest... I love how much softer they are than what we rest our heads on back home." Ocellus muttered happily. Now that she was snuggling with that pillow, there was a much more profound smile on her face due to the simple pleasures of resting in a pillow.

"Yep, they make getting to sleep a lot easier. And there's one down here too for you." I replied while pointing to the air mattress. I then asked, "Anyway, I think that's it for the basics. Anything else I can get you?"

"Um... Well..." She muttered while still hugging that pillow. I saw her ears droop before she asked sheepishly, "Uh... I'm... May I have some more, sir?"

"More? More of wha... Ooooh, you still hungry?" I asked while she nodded once. I then took a seat by her on the bed and stroked my hand over her head. "Sure. Eat up. You can help yourself whenever you want."

Ocellus beamed preciously before leaning against me. I watched her green magic aura flare up around her horn as she began to feed again. She let out a sigh as she said, "I've never had so much... And you give it so freely?"

"I guess I've just got plenty. You can help yourself to any whenever you want. I barely even feel anything." I replied while still not fully understanding the concept of how anything can sustain themselves on love in a manner that is not a metaphorical sense. But if I had so much in me that I never had to worry about running dry, I saw no harm in literally sharing some with her. I stroked my hand over her back over and over while I muttered, "You must have been starving..."

Ocellus kept her eyes closed while she continued to feed. For once, she seemed to be truly at peace for the first time since the moment I first laid eyes on her. It was a good feeling seeing and hearing her sound so calm. After several more minutes of silent feasting, I noticed the aura around Ocellus' horn fade. "I can't eat another bite... So full... I've never been so full before..."

"Glad to hear it, love bug." I retorted while lightly scratching her ear. This prompted a precious little giggle from her as she fidgeted at my touch. But it was around then that I heard some footsteps coming up the stairs just outside the door. "Oh? Sounds like she's back."

"She...?" Ocellus asked as her ears perked up in response to that sound. She could surely tell it was not the sound of hooves. What followed was a knock on the door before it got pushed open. "Oh dear..."

"I'm back! Put some berries in the kitchen, got the sensors all set up out there and... Um..." Smolder said as soon as she entered the room. But then she froze before she could even finish closing the door behind her as she and Ocellus locked eyes. Ocellus was as stiff as a plank as she almost seemed to be expecting trouble. Smolder then very slowly shut and locked the door behind her before asking, "Hey... Aren't you that same bug guy who showed... Wait, no... You don't have that many holes in you..."

I suspected Ocellus was aware of how belligerent dragons could be if her apprehensive silence was anything to go by. I placed my hand on her head and said, "Hey, it's OK. Smolder's a lovely young lady. You don't have to worry about her."

"She is...?" Ocellus asked while casting me a glance. I nodded in confirmation before she looked over at Smolder and nervously waved her hoof. "Um... Hello."

"Yeah, hi. So...uh... Where'd you come from? You're one of those Changeling's right? Got caught wandering into the place?" Smolder asked nonchalantly as she showed no real issue with our new guest.

Ocellus frowned sheepishly as her ears drooped. I decided to intervene and said, "I literally bumped right into her in the woods to the north. Spooked her so bad that she fainted right in front of me. Couldn't just leave her out there unconscious, so I brought her back. She'll be staying with us from now on."

"You're gonna be roomies with us? Nice! Snug as a bug on a rug, right?" Smolder retorted with a big smile on her face. It was a good thing Thorax left such a positive lasting impression on her. Ocellus even smiled a little in the face of Smolder's acceptance of her kind.

Before anything else could be said, I decided to make clear exactly what the nature of our guest's presence was about. "Just to make it clear, if Ocellus needs to leave the loft, she needs to be escorted at all times. Changelings...aren't on good terms with the rest of Equestria."

"Ooooh... I mean I never asked with that last one, but..." Smolder retorted with a look of surprise in her eyes. Thorax did not say much about his kind to her and I did not fault him for it, but it was much harder to hide that with Ocellus. The little love bug looked away with ears drooped, all but confirming Smolder's concerns. But instead of getting accusatory, she walked up to the bed and looked at Ocellus with a smile as she crossed her arms. Smolder leaned towards Ocellus to look up at her and asked, "Lemme guess. Most of those bugs back home are a bunch of jerks, right? I know all about what that's like."

Ocellus gazed at Smolder with wide eyes. That was an interesting assumption to make. Although Ocellus then said, "Not...really... We Changelings aren't really...bad. We're just... It's... It's really complicated..."

"Right, right... But you're a good bug, right?" Smolder asked while reaching out and touching Ocellus upon the tip of her horn.

"Ooh! I mean... I... I hope so. I don't want to hurt anyone." Ocellus flinched at the touch of Smolder's finger. I doubt she has much feeling in that horn, but she clearly felt something. But she then asked, "And...it's...really nice to meet a dragon who...isn't scary."

Smolder grinned brightly with her fangs on display. "Aw, that just made my day. We dragons don't got a good reputation and for good reason, but thanks for not grouping me in with the rest. It's a good thing you found her, James. She's a keeper."

"Yeah, she really is. Right, love bug?" I replied while Ocellus held her face in her hooves and squealed sweetly again. She was having a good time, even if she was trying to hide it. "Hey, you OK there?"

"So...much...love in the air right now...!" Ocellus whimpered while she squirmed next to me. "No one's been this nice to me outside the hive...!"

"In that case..." Smolder said before holding out a hand to our guest. "Wanna be friends?"

Ocellus quickly lowered her hooves to look at Smolder with eyes wide open. I found this offer to be just too precious. Dragon and Changeling, now new friends. So much yet so little in common. And while hesitant, Ocellus placed her hoof in Smolder's palm for a gentle shake. "Yeah... Sounds...nice. Friends."

"It's good having friends. I'll have to introduce you to the rest of mine around the camp. I bet they'll like getting to know a nice love bug like you." Smolder said with a smile, although her ignorance was rather alarming.

Not wanting her to drag Ocellus out where just anyone could see her, I quickly reached a hand out to Smolder. "Leeeeet's not get too hasty with that. Almost no one knows Ocellus is here right now and I can promise most people in the militia won't take kindly to her presence. Let's take things nice and slow when it comes to introducing her to everyone, all right?"

Smolder flinched upon hearing this and took a step back. "Whoa, whoa, right! Yikes, wouldn't wanna get you in trouble. Changelings...uh...caused a lot of trouble one time or something?"

Ocellus winced while her gaze darted around the room. At least I think it did. A little hard to tell with eyes like those. "The last big thing was...invading Canterlot during that wedding a few years ago. I wasn't there, but...yeah..."

The dragoness before her just stared at Ocellus in stunned silence for a moment before she could finally say anything. "Wow... A whole invasion? Like...hundreds of you love bugs dropping outta the sky onto that big city up on that mountain? Wow, that really is crazy. No wonder everyone thinks you guys are bad news."

"Uh huh..." Ocellus mumbled before shyly looking at Smolder out of the corner of her eye. "But...am I dangerous to you?"

"I dunno... You got the pointy horn, the big long fangs, that black shiny...bug skin... Yeah, there's something that's just really weird about how you guys look. Like...everything about you just comes together in a way that's...wrong, you know? Just saying. I'm only seeing it when I look really closely." Smolder explained while also being quick to wave her hands in a dismissive manner. I know she was not trying to make Ocellus feel bad, but her observations did make a lot of sense.

Ocellus let out a sigh with her gaze directed to the floor. She then muttered, "I wish I could just be like a caterpillar and put myself in a cocoon and then pop out a while later as a big beautiful butterfly. A new real look without having to hide..."

"Hey, don't be like that." I whispered as I pulled her into my arms for an embrace. "You look fine to me. Really, I think everything about you comes together in a uniquely endearing way. Yes, you do look strange, but strange isn't bad. You're still adorable to me."

Smolder crossed her arms and then said with a smile, "He's right. I said you don't look like everything comes together in a way that should work, but I didn't say you don't look kinda cute. You believe us, right?"

As if in response, Ocellus' horn's magic aura flared up around it weakly. A just like that, she smiled. "Uh huh... I believe you. You both really mean it."

I quickly caught on to why she was so quick to trust us. Ocellus must have scanned our hearts to see if the love they were giving off felt like there was any dishonesty in it. Right after that, Smolder sat down on the bed beside Ocellus and they just started talking. With so much in common between their people, I could see why they warmed up to each other as quickly as they did. Wanting to give the two girls time to bond, I quietly left the room to go downstairs.

The command center was quiet with its assigned personnel going about their duties. The crystal panels that were projecting the information the sensors were detecting were now completely covered in topographical patterns. No signs of movement. Everything was quiet for now. But I did not get far before Shining Armor approached me with a scowl on his face I almost never see. "Any signs of trouble up there?"

"No, not at all. And she's getting along well with Smolder. Should be OK if they're left alone together." I replied while feeling wary of him after seeing just not abruptly rough he got with Ocellus at first. That air about him... It was not normally, especially for such a pleasant guy.

"Good. Let us know if that thing tries anything." He retorted coldly while clearly not at all happy with the presence of our new guest. His gaze then wandered to the stairs leading up into my room. And for just an instant, I saw his eyes glance over at the door leading into the armory.

"Armor... If you try to do anything to Ocellus, I will protect her." I said calmly while hoping he was not seriously considering defying orders to try and murder that poor love bug. He then looked up at me with that cool scowl while not looking like he was all that surprised or bothered that I would say that to him. "She trusts me."

"I wasn't going to, but all right." He said quietly before starting to walk past me. I looked back at him before he soon looked back at me. I think he could tell that I was wondering exactly why he was so hostile towards one little harmless Changeling. And so he said, "You weren't there. That was my wedding and that was my wife they locked away. And I don't even want to know what their queen did while I was under her thrall."

"I...won't ask." I muttered before Shining Armor walked out the door to see to his duties. I was left unsettled by how uncharacteristically cold Shining Armor was over this development. Very bitter. And I was most worried about how everyone else would respond to there being a completely harmless and docile Changeling in the camp. How long could I hide her?

With a sigh, I took a seat at the table nearby and just looked at nothing in particular. While discovering Ocellus had provided a decent distraction from my prior worries, now I was fearing for her. She felt like someone who should be protected. Although before long, someone took a seat across from me. Her words caught my attention. "What troubles you, my sunshine?"

I knew that term anywhere. I lifted my gaze and looked ahead at Celestia as she stirred some honey into a cup of tea. Her gaze was soft and tender, a gaze I was all too familiar with. And so I said, "You think I'm wrong for giving Ocellus the benefit of the doubt?"

"No... No, I can't say you're wrong. She really doesn't seem like she's out here to antagonize us." Celestia spoke before sipping from her cup. She let out a sigh before saying, "I think it was fortunate that Luna and I did not bring you to this world until after that day. Changelings...have always been a cursed people who are to be pitied more than hated. Even well before my time, they were a desperate race who had no easy way of getting the love they needed."

"That long ago, huh?" I muttered while wondering if there was any hope for the Changelings in the long run. If they had gone so very long being feared, was there any hope in Equestria's society embracing them? "If most of them are like Ocellus, I can't understand why anyone would fear them. Although I have heard things about their queen... And not good things."

Celestia nodded with a cooler gaze settling into her eyes. "Yes... The Changeling queen has been a devious schemer since well before my time as well. She has led her people for well over five thousand years, but I doubt the reputation of her people will ever improve while she continues to lead them. It was her decree that Canterlot be invaded back then. And frankly... The silence that followed has only served to worry me. I can't help but wonder what she may be up to now."

I know nothing about the Changeling queen aside from what I have been told. But if the average Changeling generally looks so off to the point of almost looking like an unnatural fusion of pony and insect, then the queen must be a hideous abomination. And when thinking about when she was manipulating Shining Armor during... Ugh, I do not even want to entertain that notion. I certainly hope she never did anything like that to him.

Before the conversation could get any further, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs nearby. Smolder soon peeked out from the stairwell and said, "Hey, uh... Ocellus only just noticed you left and she's starting to get freak out. Can you come back up?"

"Uh oh, sounds like the love bug gets antsy when I'm not around. Let's talk later, all right?" I replied before standing up from my seat. I suppose Ocellus thought I am supposed to remain with her at all times rather than being supervised by just anyone trustworthy.

Celestia was a good sport about it. She even got a chuckle out of the notion of Ocellus seeing me as some sort of security blanket. "Oh my, so sorry for keeping you. I'll let you get back to the little dear then. See you at dinnertime, James."

I hurried back upstairs with Smolder and stepped into my room to find Ocellus rocking back and forth in a fetal position while clutching my pillow in her legs. She whimpered and glanced around uneasily before her ears perked up when those round blank blue eyes looked my way. "They said you were supposed to stay with me! I thought you weren't coming back!"

"Awwww, you know I wouldn't abandon you outta the blue like that. Come here, love bug. You need a hug." I said playfully before sitting right by her on the bed and scooping her into my arms. Almost immediately, Ocellus relaxed and leaned into my embrace. "All better, love bug?"

"Mmhm... A lot better." She mumbled while still clutching that pillow against her body. "And the pillow's nice too..."

"You really like James, but you really like pillows too? That gives me an idea. I'll be right back." Smolder suddenly said before leaving the room. Ocellus and I did not even get a word in before she closed the door behind her.

"She's nice. I like her." Ocellus said softly while glancing at the door. She then looked up at me and asked, "You'll be with me all the time, right?"

"I don't know if I can... I mean I still have to go out there to face the enemy. And there are some times where being alone is required..." I replied while trying to break it to her gently. I knew that she had every reason to be anxious over being left without someone she really trusts when surrounded by people who explicitly do not trust her. "I will have to leave you alone at times. I'm not going to drag you out onto a battlefield."

Ocellus gazed up at me with such a look of unease on her face. She then looked past me at the window before looking back up at me. "Is that why...? You're all out here...to fight? Oh no... Will you be all right? You won't die out there, will you?"

"I certainly hope not. I've got too much to go home too. And I don't think the enemy is even out to get me, now that I think about it..." I explained while adjusting the positioning of my arms to hold her better. "The odds are looking good. I think everything will be all right when this is over."

"Phew... That's good to know." Ocellus muttered while letting out a sigh of relief. She rested her head against my chest while mumbling quietly, "All this love... It just makes me feel like everything will be OK... Like I'll never go hungry again."

"Help yourself to a snack whenever you want, love bug." I whispered while gently sliding my fingers over her. She cooed and nuzzled me while I enjoyed the smooth texture of her chitinous flesh. As I stroked along her back, an idea came to mind. "May I see your wings?"

"My wings? Um... Sure." Ocellus said before her wing covers opened to allow her wings to spread. They were much like those on Thorax, but entirely without any chunks taken out of them. While still smaller than those on the average pegasus, I am sure that a Changeling's light weight was enough to compensate. "Do they...look nice?"

"Mmhm. Very pretty translucent wings you have." I said as I was reminded of wings on a dragonfly or cicada. Ocellus responded with a cute little squeal while her now opened wings rapidly fluttered and generated a buzzing sound on par with that of a cicada. "Heh, you even sound like a cicada in flight."

"Just don't ask me to screech like one. I can't do that." Ocellus said in a joking manner that got a snicker out of me. Once she tucked her wings back under her carapace, Ocellus looked up at me with pillow still clutched in her limbs as she asked, "Am I...a cute love bug?"

"You are an absolutely adorable love bug." I replied softly to try and keep her in a good mood. Ocellus squinted her eyes shut as she giggled with ears drooping in delight. I doubt she was used to so much sweetness and she clearly could not get enough of it. Such a precious little thing. I then kissed her atop her head as she suddenly flinched with eyes opening round and wings springing back out to be fully spread wide as I whispered, "You're the best little love bug."

Ocellus buried her face into my chest as she muttered and squealed, "Why are you so nice to meeee.... This is too muuuuch...."

It was hard not to laugh at how adorable she was being with this overload of positivity towards her. She really was not used to someone being this sweet to her. I pulled her up against me with a hug as I giggled a little myself. "What's wrong? You want me to stop being nice to love bugs?"

"Nooooo, I like this! I really do! It's just... It's just too much loooove! It feels too nice!" She squealed in such an unbelievably adorable fashion. How can something that looks so bizarre and unnatural be so precious?!

Ocellus finally dropped the pillow to free up her limbs and almost jumped at me as she clung to my torso. Her head turned sideways to rest her cheek against me, her grip was firm as if afraid to let go. I placed my hand on the back of her neck, fingers idly rubbing up and down as she muttered to me, "Don't stop... Don't stop being nice to me... I didn't know how good it felt..."

"Sure thing, love bug. Just as long as you're always a sweetheart like you are now." I whispered while just savoring this moment. For being something that feeds on love, she certainly had a lot to give in return. Thorax was a nice guy when we last crossed paths, but Ocellus is just such a sweet little thing. It almost feels like the natural look of the Changelings is a cruel joke by some trickster god. Although I strongly doubt Discord had anything to do with at...

I heard the muffled and unsteady pitter patter of feet coming up the stairs. Was Smolder on her way back up? Sure enough, the door soon opened before Smolder clumsily staggered in before slapping the door shut with her tail. And I quickly saw why she was so unsteady. She was loaded down with a pile of white pillows with her arms and even her wings holding everything up. Ocellus and I just stared in bemusement while Smolder's eye peeked through a gap in the pile. Her muffled voice then said, "Heh, aren't you two being cute together. Anyway, special delivery!"

Ocellus stared with wide eyes as Smolder dropped the pile of pillows to the floor. "Are those...for me? Where did you even get them?"

"I just raided the supply closest for every last spare pillow they had. Nobody minded." Smolder retorted before flinging one at us. Ocellus caught it with some levitation magic while Smolder asked, "You like these things, right?"

"Yes! Pillows are just the softest things to snuggle up with. And so comfy. I get to sleep much easier with one." Ocellus explained while I suspected pillows must be an uncommon commodity in the Changeling hive or that their pillows are not made with the same materials as the rest of Equestria. But we then both watched as Smolder moved the pile towards her air mattress bed. "Um... What are you doing?"

"You're gonna be sleeping on this, right? Then I've got an idea I wanna try. Can you give us a minute, James?" Smolder asked while looking her unused bed over.

"Sure, I'll step aside for a bit." I said before setting Ocellus to the side. She seemed anxious at first, but calmed down when I started to step into the bathroom instead of going downstairs again. I preoccupied myself by just relieving myself, examining my face and hair in the mirror, and checking the supplies I had in there. After several minutes, I knocked on the door and asked, "You girls done out there?"

"Just a bit more... OK, sure! Come on out! Got a surprise to show you!" I heard Smolder call out from beyond the door. And when I stepped out of the bathroom... Ocellus was nowhere to be seen. But what I did see was Smolder standing beside where her bed was. Only now the mattress was covered by a white pillow fort of sort. And towards the end of the bed was a towel draped over what seemed to be a gap of sorts to serve as a window. Smolder looked quite proud of her work and asked, "Pretty good, right?"

"You built a pillow house? Clever girl... But where's Ocellus?" I asked in return while noticing our guest being absent. Smolder just smirked at me with arms crossed, her squinting blue eyes glancing at the pillow fort beside her. Smirking as well, I rolled my eyes and approached the thing before kneeling by the window. I lifted the towel to find a dark face in the shadows looking back at me with big round featureless blue eyes. "That you, love bug?"

"Hi." She said almost playfully now that I had found her. With a push of her hoof, the pillow set below the makeshift curtain was pushed to the floor and allowed her to step out of her little house. "It's ice and cozy in there. Like a fluffy cocoon."

"Now you've got your own little place. It shouldn't fall down after I added some extra support, but don't go pushing on the walls too much." Smolder spoke while looking rather proud of herself. After all that time spent out in the wilds, she must have gained some knowledge on how to erect some makeshift walls for protection from the elements.

Ocellus did not reply immediately as her ears drooped. No doubt from not being sure of how to respond to so much hospitality in such a short amount of time. She did finally ask, "Thank you... But...isn't this your bed? Where will you stay?"

Smolder said nothing. She instead looked up at me with a knowing smile while I smiled back at her. My hand reached for hers before she lifted hers to meet mine. Ocellus let out a quiet gasp of realization as her eyes opened wide. She could sense something between us. Quickly seeing this, Smolder brought up her other hand and held a finger before her lips as she whispered, "It'll be our little secret, all right?"

"Mmhm!" Ocellus nodded without objection. "There's so much love between you two... It's really something special."

"It really is. Smolder's a wonderful young woman. And I'm honored to have her." I said softly before getting pulled over to the bed as Smolder took a seat on it. I could see that look in her eye as she gazed at me. "Wanna just cuddle for a bit before dinner?"

"You bet." She said before gently pushing me down onto my back and holding me with a wing draped across me. But after a minute had gone by, someone else climbed up onto the bed. Smolder lifted her head to look across me and asked, "Ocellus? You want cuddles too?"

The little Changeling looked down at us with a sheepish smile on her lips. She rubbed a hoof against her other front leg and asked, "Please...?"

"Sure. Come here, love bug." I said softly as Ocellus all too readily crawled up to me and held onto me the best she could. Her head nuzzled up against mine with such a serene smile on her face. "You happy?"

"Happier than I've been in a long time... I think bumping into you was the best accident of my life." She whispered to me while sipping from my love again. But only for a few seconds. If love had any physical mass, she would likely be as full as a bloated tick by then.

"How old are you anyway? Twelve?" Smolder asked from across me. I suppose with her small stature and demure personality, it was easy to assume Ocellus was younger than she actually is.

"Twelve? No, I'm sixteen. I'll turn seventeen early next year." The love bug replied while looking confused over Smolder being four year off the mark.

"Sixteen?! Wow, I could've sworn you were younger than me. Heh, guess it just depends on what we've been through, huh?" Smolder retorted with a chuckle once the surprise ran its course. "I'm only fourteen, but people keep telling me I act a lot older than that most of the time."

"Maybe I'll start seeing it too before long. At least...I hope I'll be here long enough to get to know you. You've both been so good to me. I just don't know what to say..." Ocellus meekly muttered as her grip on me tightened. Whatever her concerns were, I knew she was not going anywhere during this war. She would be staying with us most likely long afterward. And I was more than all right with that.

I felt unwilling to move with the dragoness and Changeling mare clinging to me. Little was said as she savored the near total silence. But as time went by and we just barely managed to avoid drifting off to sleep, I heard a voice in my head. "James? Dinner will be ready any minute."

"Ah, thanks. I'll be down in a bit." I retorted as the voice of Celestia echoed in my mind. Smolder and Ocellus looked at me with gazes of confusion. They obviously did not hear her and probably thought I was speaking nonsense out of nowhere. And so I said, "Oh, that was just Celestia letting me know dinner is almost ready."

"Oh, nice. I'm gonna go take a look while they're setting up. See you soon!" Smolder retorted before hopping off the bed and heading downstairs. Spending all that time foraging and deploying our sensor array must have worked up an appetite.

Ocellus looked less certain about going downstairs. She sat up and asked, "Will I...be safe down there? I just know they'll all be angry with me..."

I sat up in bed beside her and stroked my hand over her head. "Just stay close to me and they won't bother you. They at least know you're not here as an enemy."

"OK... I don't know if I'm even hungry, but...I guess it would be nice to try some real food." Ocellus muttered while probably still being very full of love after spending a good deal of time with me.

"Maybe I've forgotten, but...can you Changelings even digest proper food?" I asked while trying and failing to remember everything Thorax told me during our prior encounter. She certainly had teeth for eating with, but would actual food do her any good?

"Oh, we can. It's just...we don't get as much out of normal food as we do with love. Love is much more nutritious for us." Ocellus replied as she perked up a bit. "We still need water... I mean everything does. But we Changelings really can get by on nothing but love."

"You love bugs would have it way too easy in a society where you can just sip a little love off of anyone you pass by." I retorted while finding the concept to be kind of hilarious. If only they were more approachable, Changelings would have the most carefree culture in all the land. "Anyway, wanna head down in ten minutes?"

"Sure... Just...um...give me a little bit?" Ocellus replied before hopping down from the bed and trotting into the bathroom. As I found myself alone, I sat myself down at the typewriter and started clicking away to document some of this day. It has certainly become something to write home about. And I found it amusing how Smolder positioned that new pillow shack right next to my desk. It looked sturdy enough for me to rest a mug of tea on.

I almost lost track of time by the point I realized dinner must be ready. And Ocellus still had not come out of the bathroom. It was quiet too... The fan was not blowing. I got he feeling she was not taking the time to deal with any biological functions. Not when all she had consumed was literal love. A sudden fear filled my heart. Had she tried to make a run for it by climbing out the window?

A mild panic setting into my heart, I stood up from my desk and pushed the bathroom door open. I was surprised that it had not been locked. "Ocellus?!"

I was immediately greeted by a yelp of fright as someone before me jumped back. But the girl before me...was not a Changeling. I reflexively jumped back myself in embarrassment as I stammered, "Oh, dang! Sorry, ma'am! Didn't mean to... To... Wait..."

The only window in the room was still shut. No signs of escape. And there was no Changeling before me. Only a dragon. But I was quick to see that this was not truly a dragon. "Ocellus...? That...you?"

"Mmhm... Do you...like it?" The young dragoness before me asked with a soft and almost buzzy voice. Her form was exceptionally feminine, even by dragon standards. Taller than Smolder, but shorter than Ember. She had such a slender build with fairly narrow wings on her back. Her scales were a dull sandy gold while the scutes lining her undersides and the membrane of her wings were a much brighter and paler hue. She had a fairly narrow jawline much like Ember's with my nose having a prominent point at the top and a longer tail than Smolder's with a narrow oval shape for the tail spade. A patch of that bright sandy hue even coated the front of her long face. Two thick pale brown horns reached up from behind her drooping ears and curled backwards while a full head of vibrant orange hair with long locks reaching her shoulder covered her head. She even adorably wound a lock of her hair around a finger in sheer nervousness. She was just...so preciously adorable.

"Wow... And I thought Ember is the most feminine dragon I have ever seen." I replied as I observed this new disguise of hers. This draconic form was utterly beautiful. Perhaps not as bold and regal in terms of Ember's coloration and majestic wingspan, but just so adorably feminine. I stepped closer while thoroughly intrigued, "Did you come up with this yourself?"

"I...um...kind of based it on Smolder. But taller. And thinner. And...just...trying to look pretty. Is it...nice?" She asked while looking at me with bright orange eyes. I just wanted to hug her so badly.

"Yes... Oh my god, yes. You're utterly adorable." I retorted as I found myself smiling. I even dropped to one knee to bring my face closer to hers in order to be level with her eyes. "This looks so real... May I?"

"Mm... Mmhm." She mumbled sweetly as I reached out to her. I ran my fingers through that full head of hair. Every single strand of hair felt truly natural. And her scales... Just as smooth as Smolder's. I could feel every individual scale my fingers slid across, especially when my hand cupped and caressed her cheek. "This all feels so real... How do you even do this?"

Ocellus did not hear me. She swooned at my touch while such a dreamy gaze settled into her eyes. She inhaled sharply as she tilted her head back. "This love... It feels different from before... It's so warm... So...sweet..."

"Um... Ocellus? Love bug? You all right there?" I asked before she suddenly came out of her stupor and stepped back out of my grasp, her hand clutching her opposite shoulder with a look of confusion in her eyes. "You all right there? You spaced out for a moment. Too much love at once?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... No, it wasn't too much love. It was...the kind of love I was tasting... It was... Wow, it was just so rich... And there was so much of it oozing out of you... Is that the kind of love you feel towards Smolder when you're alone with her?" Ocellus asked while looking very excited over what she had just tasted.

I wish I could emphasize with what she had just experienced, but humans just do not have the kind of senses a Changeling does. I averted my eyes in thought for a second before I said, "I wouldn't know... I can't exactly tell you how my love feels because I can't exactly sense it like you can."

"Oh... Then..." Ocellus muttered before looking at me and asking, "Then...can you tell me what you felt when you saw me like this?"

That much I could do. I considered my words carefully as I let my eyes wander in contemplation. "Well... I... When I saw you... I... I wanted to hold you... To feel you in my arms. To know that you'd be safe and the beauty I am seeing would be too. To make you feel apprecia... Uh... Ocellus?"

She had a hand on her chest. Her breathing was deep and even unsteady. A profound reddish hue was filling the sides of her face. And her eyes were filled with a gaze of shock. What in the world had I done? What was she feeling? "So... So...strong... It's so strong..."

"Ocellus...? Love bug...?" I muttered cautiously as I could only wonder what I was giving off that was overwhelming her. Had I made a mistake?

The false dragoness before me shakily held out her arms towards me. Tears of desperation began to flow down her face as she pleaded, "Please... Hold me...?"

I did not object. I held my arms out to the draconic Changeling as she stepped into my embrace. Her arms wrapped around me like a vice, just being held against me as I heard and felt her whimper pathetically. "It's...so wonderful... This love... It's... I don't want to stop feeling this..."

"Hey... Shhhhh... It's OK, love bug... I'm here." I whispered to her as I stroked my hand over her head and that soft mass of orange hair. I wish I could feel what she was feeling... It might even give me a better understanding of how my own love works. I just wanted her to feel safe. To go from...whatever life was like for her before into what she was living now must have been a very sudden and jarring positive shift in her lifestyle. Perhaps she was still just trying to process all of it.

We stood there for a moment as Ocellus soon slumped to her knees. She panted softly with fresh tears staining the scales that lined her face. "That was...so intense... But it felt so nice... I didn't know...anyone could have so much love in them... So much...of that kind of love..."

"I wish I knew what you meant. I really do." I muttered softly as I slowly rose to my feet while carrying her up to a standing position in the process. Hopefully a good meal would steady her nerves. I gingerly turned my hand over to over her my hand to hold. "I think dinner's ready by now... You want to relax and grab a bite?"

Ocellus glanced up at me while looking more than just a bit tired. That overload must have burned her out for a moment. But she looked at my hand almost in confusion before slowly and hesitantly reaching out with her hand and placing her fingers into my palm. When I curled my fingers over hers, she blushed once more while letting out a delighted sigh. "I... I don't think it would feel this nice if I was using my hoof... Smolder must love doing this."

"She does. She really likes to hold hands with me whenever the opportunity comes up. And...it does feel nice. Something about...holding hands with someone you adore. Especially when most people around here don't have hands to begin with." I replied while bursting to a chuckle. Ocellus too let out an amused giggle as I pointed out how rare hands tend to be in Equestria. But as I felt her hand in my own, I made an observation. "You know... I'm kind of surprised you could take on a form like this. Maybe you could try coming up with a human form sometime."

Her eyes opened wide in surprise before Ocellus said, "Oh! Well... I'd like to, but... We Changelings can't mimic anything that stands on two legs. Minotaurs. Harpies. Humans. I can't do those. I think only our queen can do something like that. Dragons...kind of can do both, but I think a lot of them stay on all fours..."

"Huh... I never really thought about it like that... Good point. Anyway..." I replied before stepping towards the door, my hand guiding hers. "Shall we head on down?"

"Yeah... Just please let me stay close to you." She mumbled hesitantly while gripping my hand even harder. Hoping this meal would go smoothly, I led Ocellus out of my room and down the stairs.

Needless to say, almost everyone in the main room looked at us in confusion when a dragon they had never seen before stepped out of the stairwell behind me. Smolder spoke up first from the buffet line as she asked, "What the...?! Hey, wait... That you, Ocellus?"

"Uh huh... Trying a new and more appealing look... Do I...look nice?" Ocellus asked in return while cowering behind me. I kept a close eye on all the guardsmen around the room. Even though they knew who Ocellus was by then, the sight of her as a very attractive and demure dragoness seemed to soften their attitudes towards her. They looked...less hostile and wary. Rather unfortunate thing to admit, but they seemed more comfortable around her while not displaying her natural appearance.

"You look great! And...wow, you're prettier than me. And you can make yourself look like whatever you want, right? That's gotta be cheating." Smolder retorted playfully while probably not minding the contrast in their general attractiveness. She then carried a tray lined with a steaming pile of creamy pasta and a crisp salad to the nearest table. "Come on, it's still hot! Got some good stuff out today!"

"Wow, it does smell really good... Love is tasty, but it's never this fragrant..." Ocellus mumbled while she began to noticeably salivate. Even if she was bloated on love, it was probably hard for her empty stomach to not crave some good cooking. I let her lead through the line as she loaded up a tray with a modest amount of each type of food they had available. I suppose she really was not all that hungry at all and just wanted to sample something she had not tried before.

I too loaded up a tray and took a seat near Smolder. For the sake of feeling safe, Ocellus sat between the two of us. I watched with interest as Ocellus quickly figured out how to use the provided utensils and sampled one type of food at a time. "Mmmm... So this is what real cooking is like... Yummy."

"I know, right?! Gemstones are great, but nothing beats a hot meal." Smolder replied while Ocellus savored what little she had bite after bite. She was very delicate with how she went about enjoying her first meal in what was probably an unintentional ladylike fashion. But after a minute, Ocellus suddenly stopped. She even nervously dropped her fork onto her tray. Smolder noticed too and asked, "Uh... What's wrong? Really bad case of heartburn outta nowhere?"

I noticed that Ocellus was staring straight ahead. And when I looked, I saw what caught her attention. Shining Armor was standing across the table with a tray of his own lined with a hot meal floating before him in his magical grasp, but his eyes were casting a harsh glare right at our guest. Ocellus was quick to lean towards me and desperately embraced me as she muttered, "He hates me..."

"Armor, please... Not now." I said softly while trying to defuse the situation. I placed my hand on Ocellus' head and even partially covered the one eye she had exposed to him. With a sigh, Shining Armor walked away and down the hall nearby to partake in his meal behind closed doors. Only when I heard the sound of a door closing did I lift my hand from her head. "He's gone. You're OK now."

"Thank you..." She muttered before going back to eating dinner, but with much less enthusiasm than before. Smolder kept a close eye on her while we dined. Right after Ocellus finished her plate, she stood up from her seat before taking a few steps away and then running right back up the stairs to my room.

"I... I think I better go check on her." I said while Smolder nodded to leave me to it. I walked up the stairs and closed the door behind me to prevent any interruptions. Ocellus was nowhere to be seen, but I had a strong hunch of where she was. The makeshift curtain for the pillow fort had been lowered since I had last seen it. I kneeled before the window and gently pushed it aside. "Love bug...? You here?"

"Everyone hates me..." I heard a pathetic tone mutter as I saw the darkly colored form of the little Changeling in the shadows of the pillow fort's interior. She was lying on her side and was looking at nothing in particular. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but they don't believe me..."

"Ocellus... Sweetheart... I won't let them hurt you. Just give them time. Everyone will see what a lovely little love bug you are." I muttered softly as I reached in and stroked the side of her head. Her horn's magic aura flared up gently for a few seconds before fading once again. "Do you believe me?"

"Yes... Hold me?" She asked rather directly as a hoof reached out to me. Ever so carefully so as to prevent the entire pillow fort from crashing down, I pulled her out of her cushy house and lifted the little Changeling into my arms. I then sat on the bed as she rested in my embrace, holding me with a hoof on one hand. "Everything feels...better when you hold me..."

"Let me know if you need a snack. I always have plenty to spare." I replied as I tried to instill in her the knowledge that she was free to partake in it. With a little repetition, I was hoping she would become comfortable enough to feed on my love whenever the need arose.

"I'm not hungry... I just..." She mumbled softly as one hoof rested against my chest. "I'm not eating your love. I'm just...feeling it right now. And it feels...so nice... Like everything is...all right."

I sighed as I took in those precious words. I knew what it was like to have a bad day. Just to spend the last waking minutes of the day with someone you love. No matter how wretchedly awful the hours before were, their presence made everything better. I wonder if that was what Ocellus was feeling...

"Your love is...so deep... Like I could just swim in it. But the best bit of love I'm feeling is...the love that's being directed to me." Ocellus whispered before she looked up at me with a much happier gaze with those blank blue eyes. "There's not much, but...it feels so wonderful... I wish I could describe it. And I hope it gets bigger later."

"Oh, you precious little love bug..." I huffed with a wheezing sigh as I absorbed the sheer adoration in those words. I really wanted her to feel like she belonged. I could tell she deserved it. Whatever Changelings have done to earn the scorn they get from the rest of the world, I could tell that Ocellus had never engaged in such activities. She really deserves better.

"No..." She whispered as I was left puzzled over what that little objection was even for. But I received my answer as she closed her eyes and nestled her head against my chest. Right against my beating heart. "I'll be...your little love bug... If you'll have me."

So precious... So utterly precious. I rolled onto my side and pulled the unsightly yet sweet Changeling into the tightest and most secure hug I could while she cooed at the increasing firmness. I then whispered to her, "I'm glad I found you... Having you here has been good for me too, you know."

We embraced and held each other ever so tightly. I wanted her to feel safe and happy. And I think she wanted the same for me. But before much longer, I heard a knock at the door. I expected Smolder to come in, but there was a delay. And then I heard her voice. "Guys? You there? My hands are full, so could you get the door?"

"They are? Oh, uh... Coming!" Ocellus spoke up before looking over at the door and using levitation magic to turn the handle. The door was then pulled open before Smolder walked in with a big food tray in her hands. I recognized my unfinished meal on it, but there were three bowls as well with spooks sticking out of them. "Huh? What's that?"

"Well, you two got comfy. Anyway, I was just bringing up James' leftovers. And some dessert." The little dragoness said as she brought the tray over to my bed while Ocellus and I sat up at the edge. The bowls seemed to be holding ice cream of some sort. At least until Smolder filled us in. "They used some of the berries I scrounged up today to make that sorbet. Wild berry sorbet, so I bet it's awesome."

"OK, I've gotta try this." I replied before taking a scoop of the treat and bracing myself for the cold. And Smolder was right. It was loaded with sweet fruity flavor. While I did go back to finishing my dinner after that one bite, but hurried so the sorbet would not melt into a watery soup before I could get to it.

We all savored that sweet treat at the end. And by then, it and gotten quite dark outside. Smolder noticed and turned on the lamp next to the typewriter to cast a reassuring glow through the room. Aside from torches lining the paths between rows of tents, I could not make out much activity out in the encampment beyond the window. Things were settling down for the night. And soon we would too.

Convinced that Smolder would want to take a shower before bed, I started gathering up the empty dishes. "You girls wanna wash up first? I'll take these down in the meantime."

"Wash up? Um... Is there a pond somewhere?" Ocellus asked in genuine ignorance. I could only imagine how primitive things must be in the Changeling hive, although I doubt a more insectoid creature would not have to worry about hygiene as often as anything else.

Smolder gently patted her on the head while showing a big smile. "Ooooh, then I guess I'm gonna show you one of the best things about civilized living. Come on over to the bathroom and I'll show you what you've been missing on."

While a bit taken aback by Smolder's enthusiasm, Ocellus did follow her new friend into the bathroom and locked the door behind her at Smolder's insistence. While I heard hot water starting to run, I made my way down the stairs with the tray of empty plates in hand. The buffet line had already been cleared and now things were settling into the graveyard shift for the night.

I took a seat at the nearest table to give the girls some time alone to wash up. I bet Ocellus was having a good time trying something new. I reached for some documents to look them over, but it was just a bunch of logistics I could not make heads or tails of. I then set aside the papers and let my mind wander. Ocellus had proven herself to be a very welcome distraction that day.

"Is all well this evening?" I heard Luna speak as she came my way. The Princess of the Night had likely just finished her duties of sending the moon in the right direction for the evening. "Your little Changeling friend seemed to be in better spirits last I saw. Aside from when the captain came by."

"She's a joy to have around when she's in a good mood. But she's also really sensitive to hostility towards her. I guess Changeling's have a certain heightened sense of empathy to detect trouble." I replied while turning my attention to my royal friend. "Do you really think she's bad news in disguise?"

Luna paused with eyes closed in thought for a moment. "If you want an honest answer... No, I do not believe she is. Far too timid and unprofessional. It might have been a blessing that you found her when you did. It is quite rare, but Changeling defections are not unheard of. Though I could not tell you how many are currently living undercover among our people right now."

I looked towards the stairs leading up to my loft. "Do you think there's hope for her being accepted around here?"

"I certainly hope so. It's easy to see she's a very tender soul. You may have better fortune introducing her to the uninitiated, but I advise patience with those who were present during the invasion of Canterlot a few years back. That was the first major act of aggression towards Equestria in decades, so it was easily the first time many of our guardsmen ever had any experience with the hive. First impressions count for a lot." Luna explained with a rather solemn tone in her voice. She did not seem to hate the Changelings at all. And she most certainly held no ill will towards little Ocellus.

"Right... I'll try to stay around her as much as possible. Which I'll probably do if we're not going to run into any trouble for a while." I said before standing up from my seat. "I think they're about done in the shower now, so I'll head up for my turn. See you in the morning, Luna."

"Sweet dreams, my friend. May your mind find peace." Luna retorted gently while I made my way up the stairs. Once inside my room, I still found that the bathroom door was locked with running water heard beyond it. I could even hear the voices of Smolder and Ocellus beyond it, but the fusion of the two sound sources mixed together to muffle them too much to understand. With nothing else to do for the moment, I sat myself down at the typewriter and continued to chronicle the events of that day.

Not much later, I heard the bathroom go quiet. And another two minutes later was when the door opened. Solder stepped out with a towel draped across her shoulders and looked over at me. "All yours!"

"Thanks. How did... Eh?" I started to say before I saw Ocellus peek out from the door before stepping out of the bathroom. And what a wonder a good bathing session did for her body. Her smooth dark chitin glistened with how shiny and polished it seemed. "Ooh, shiny. Your first shower did you some good, huh?"

"Uh huh... Felt really nice with all that warm water. And that gel smelled great. Really made me shine when I washed it all off!" Ocellus replied while looking quite pleased with the results. She then asked, "Um... You're turn, right?"

"Yep. You ladies get comfortable and I'll join you for bed before long." I said before stepping into the bathroom. I made sure to lock the door just in case Ocellus got too curious for her own good. I decided to just do my business in there first in order to give the hot water supply to restock before finally washing up. That went by uneventfully enough. I grabbed a clean pair of boxers that I always keep in the corner while nudging my used clothes under the sink. I would gather them up for laundry in the morning. With a towel wrapped around my waist, I stepped outside.

I found Smolder and Ocellus looking over one of those Power Pony comic books Spike sent us with the little Changeling looking very intrigued. But when she looked at me, Ocellus' ears perked up. I doubt she was really sure what to expect after what she had seen throughout the day, but it must have been a little jarring to see me just shy of being naked. "Is that...how humans normally look?"

"Yeah, mostly. Is it OK with you? I can put a shirt on, if you want." I replied while knowing I was not trying to be provocative at all. It is not like most people in Equestria wear clothes all the time to begin with.

Ocellus just shook her head and said, "No, it's fine... Just...didn't know what to expect. You look nice. Really...soft."

"Yeah, he is. Those humans are really good at cuddling. But you already know that, right?" Smolder added with a knowing smirk. Ocellus just giggled at her friend's straightforwardness. But as I turned the lamp off to plunge the room into darkness with only the moon shining through the windows, Smolder asked, "Coming to bed, mi amor?"

"Oh my, I can't even see much, but I can feel the love in those words..." Ocellus mumbled as Smolder became much bolder under the cover of night. We both trusted Ocellus to keep our relationship a secret enough to not really hide anything from her. I suppose Changelings are good at secrecy regardless.

"Yeah, we know what we mean to each other. And yeah, let's get ready for bed. It's been a long day..." I retorted as I stepped through the dark with Ocellus hopping down from the bed so she could get snuggled in with her pillow fort. Once I was tucked in bed with Smolder closing the curtain nearby to keep the moonlight dim, I looked to my left and could see the faint dimmed rays of the mon reflecting off of Ocellus' round eyes from inside her pillow fort. "Sweet dreams, love bug."

"You too... Good night." She said softly before draping the curtains over the fort's only window. I then looked to my right and found Smolder smirking at me from just inches away. She placed her hand upon my cheek and pulled me close as her lips met mine. We savored this moment with a wonderful kiss under the protective layers of darkness in the night. Satisfied and glad the day was over, I felt her wing drape itself over me just under the covers. There was a lot of quiet love floating in the air and I fell asleep quite peacefully.

My dreams were uninterrupted. And I awoke feeling so rested that I did not want to get out of bed. But something...felt off. I thought Smolder was sleeping just to my right as she held me while she slumbered. Why did it feel like she was holding me on my left?

I groggily turned to look to my left. And I found out why. Another dragoness was sleeping beside me. One who was not a dragoness at all. Ocellus had abandoned her pillow fort to climb in bed and hold me in her sleep. I suppose I was not all that surprised, but...it was still not something I expected to wake up to.

I decided to rouse her gently and rubbed my nose against hers. A moment later, she started to stir. And her bright orange eyes opened wide when she saw me looking right at her. I muttered softly, "Good morning, love bug."

"Sorry... I... I just... I..." She muttered hesitantly as her eyes wandered. With a long sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment before looking right at me. "I just wanted to be with you last night... I wanted to be close to you."

"I don't have a problem with that. Did you take this form because of the hands to hold me with?" I asked while feeling her smooth scaled hand on my wrist.

Ocellus smiled very sweetly. She looked genuinely calm despite the potentially hostile environment around her. Her grip tightened around me wrist as she whispered, "Mmhm... It's nice...when I hold you. When I look at you... When I hold you... And when you hold me... I feel...home. Like I really belong."

Such a lovely thing to hear... And I whispered to her, "They say home is where the heart is... And my heart is full of love for you to enjoy."

She giggled at that little metaphor before gazing into my eyes with a very sincere smile on her lips. "I want to stay with you... Even if I have to follow you... Will you have me? Wherever you go?"

"Please... You're such a lovely little thing. When this is all over, I hope we can find a place for you close to where I live back home. I really would like to have you around. We'll make it work... Everyone will know you're a sweetheart when..." I started to say before noticing that Ocellus was starting to blush quite profusely as her breathing deepened. "Uh oh... Too much again?"

"Way too much... I'm not used to so much love being thrown at me..." She gasped before letting out a long sigh to collect herself. Ocellus then brought her hand to my face and whispered, "Let me stay with you? Just a little longer until Smolder wakes up?"

"Sure... Here, let me...hold you." I replied quietly as I pulled Ocellus into my arms while Smolder continued to hold me in her wing's embrace. We just stayed there. Holding each other and making each other feel wanted. She truly is a wonderful little love bug who has so much love to give.

Morning went by relatively normally. I have managed to keep Ocellus hidden from everyone else who has visited the command center for now. And after breakfast, I came back up and sat myself down at the typewriter to finish this entry. Ocellus has never left my side once and she is now resting at my feet. I even rub my socked toes over her back to give her a soft rub now and then and it sounds like she enjoys it.

The royal sisters have given me permission to stay indoors for the entire day just for Ocellus' sake. I am not sure if she is ready to go without my supervision for extended periods of time just yet. I really hope we do not find any trouble today. She would be worried sick if I went out there to face the enemy. She really is at her happiest when she is around me. I feel blessed that I found her when I did.

I do not know what the future holds for this wonderful little love bug lying at my feet, but I hope she has a happy future with all of us. She deserves to be happy. I just hope that my friends will be accepting of her when I finally have to introduce her to them. And to everyone else. And I certainly hope the rest of the Changeling hive does not come looking for her.

I think that will do for now. I want to hold Ocellus in my arms for a bit and cuddle on the bed. Goodness knows she will enjoy that.