I was seated in the train from Canterlot bound for Ponyville, the axe that Princess Luna had presented to me lay across my lap, I glanced over the book I was reading to see it's well honed edge. "I'm going to end up naming you, aren't I?" I asked of the inanimate object. It remained unsurprisingly reticent on the matter, and I turned the page of my book. It had been quite illuminating, going over the various species of animal throughout Equestria. I was going through it alphabetically, and was in the "C" section. The page I looked at now had a depiction of pony, but with insect wings and holed hooves, repulsed by this illustration, I read.

The changeling is a creature of deception, taking on the form of a pony's loved ones in order to steal their love. Reports have however occurred where ponies are kidnapped whole sale and drained of all their ambient emotional energies and the leisure of a changeling hive.

I shuddered, as I continued reading, at the thought of having my emotions, my hopes, dreams and volitions, in essence my humanity, ripped from me. That this could be done by a mimic was of little consoling value. What was comforting was that such creatures were purportedly quite terrible actors, often seeming to suffer splits of personality when mimicking a pony. it was only appropriate, anything that could scorn love in such a manner would be incapable of being at one with itself, torn asunder between its predatory aspects and the object it was trying to imitate.

As the train rounded a mountain Ponyville came into view, I was eager to return. To see how Spike was learning to fly, if Doctor Whooves got a date with Rarity, maybe I would return to find that Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle or Applebloom found their Cutie Marks. I snickered, interesting things had the tendency to occur in my presence, not my absence, my having ended up in Equestria alone was evidence of this.

****

Sweetie Belle was sitting in a small grove at the outer edge of Sweet Apple Acres, when the apple trees technically ceased belonging to the apple family as the property lined the Everfree forest. Looking upwards she saw Spike, eager to show off his newly acquired wings. The purple drake descended before the white filly as she stared wide eyed. "Wow Spike, you're amazing!" The dragon's quick grasp of flight was impressive, he had just performed his first loop de loop, just a day after he first managed to fly.

At this Spike blushed, of all the Cutie Mark Crusaders, he had spent the most time with her. They could both confide with one another whenever their respective sisters became to much to bare. Moreover than this similarity, the two shared a passion for music. Sweetie Belle was constantly humming some tune as she went about her day, and was always quite ready to regale the Crusaders and Spike with her dulcet tones. Spike often accompanied with the piano, an instrument which Spike's claws, and newly grown wings, were quite suited to playing. Eventually, the two had found ways of getting away from it all and spend time together.

Mustering himself, Spike spoke. "Thanks Sweetie Belle, that's really nice of ya to say, but its really not that much."

"Spike .... don't sell yourself short." The young unicorn responded. At this point her mind thought of an exciting proposition. "I bet you could lift me off the ground by now."

"What? No way Sweetie Belle, that's a little dangerous, dontcha think?"

"Come on Spike, just a foot up in the air, besides, you haven't even let me say what I was going to bet." The pastel maned filly replied.

Spike lifted a claw to his face. "I know I'm gonna regret this, but what's the bet?"

"If you can fly me up to that branch," At this the filly pointed to a nearby tree with a thick branch about six feet off the ground, the point of the bet was not for Sweetie Belle to achieve a faux flight, but to feel the thrill of Spike's embrace. "Then I'll sing you that song you like so much." Concluded Sweetie Belle.

At this Spike was tempted to immediately agree, but he felt it necessary to know the full terms. "And if I can't?" He inquired.

"Then I give you my rendition of 'Hush Now, Quiet Now'." The filly replied, the bet was very much in Spike's favour, even though he preferred it when Sweetie Belle tried her hoof at softer songs, listening to her loud, flamboyant take on Fluttershy's lullaby would still be of great enjoyment to the purple dragon.

With this in mind Spike said "Deal". He stretched out his wings and began flapping, lifting in place. Leaning forward, Spike positioned himself two feet above Sweetie Belle and reached down as he descended. Grabbing her by the sides, careful to keep his claws from digging in. Spike strained against the new weight he was attempting to lift. Soon however, his internal magic made the feat possible, as both he and Sweetie Belle lifted up and soon she was placed on the branch. "Okay, you got to experience flight Sweetie Belle, now for your end of the bargain."

Nodding her head the filly began. The sweet sounds surrounded Spike as he closed his eyes, the words eluded him as he simply thought on the melody. He sat there for a few minutes before opening his eyes as the filly finished. She looked immensely pleased with herself as she stood up and walked towards Spike, it was only then he noticed something new about his friend. "Sweetie Belle look!" Spike cried, pointing to the filly's flank. As Sweetie Belle looked she cried out in joy, adorning her flank was a microphone with a wire extending out the bottom to the shape of a heart.

Without hesitating the filly began jumping about. "I did it Spike! I did it! I found my special talent! I can't wait to ... tell ... the others."

At this point the white foal's head turned downwards, and Spike asked in confusion. "What's wrong Sweetie Belle?"

"Its just, now, if I tell the other's about my Cutie Mark, we're going to have to tell the others about ... us."

"So?" Spike retorted.

"SO!? isn't it obvious? I mean, you and me, we're different, what would the other's think? What would Twilight or Rarity think?" Came Sweetie Belle's panicked response.

It was Spike's time to act as the shoulder, and his did so admirably, walking to Sweetie Belle and offering his take of the situation. "Look, Sweetie Belle, we'll face the others together, we may have our differences, but we also have our similarities! It's what's on the inside that counts, and if somepony disapproves of us, then they're the fool."

At this Sweetie Belle sniffed, "Thanks Spike, but before we do that, let's just wait a few more minutes."

"Fine by me." Responded the purple dragon, reach a wing over the white filly's shoulder.

****

"I ...." It was all Twilight could think to say after having listened to Trixie's story, that a mare's parents could be so cruel was surprising, and the lavender mare was surpised that Trixie had found the courage, and the wisdom, to realize she had been wrong. Zecora had left shortly after Trixie's story began, returning to her home in the Everfree when it became clear that any bad blood between the two unicorns was washing away.

"So with that, I want to just say once more, I'm sorry." Trixie looked up at Twilight, eyes weary from crying at several points.

Shaking her head Twilight responded. "No, it should be me who should be sorry, when you were run out of town, I didn't  have a second thought as to why you were the way you were."

"I doubt you could have done much good at the time, I nearly died before I realized the way of life I was leading was so ... wrong." The powder-blue mare replied before finishing. "But now that I have realized that, I would like to ask for your help, I want to find some way to be useful."

"Of course I'll help you." The purple unicorn responded without hesitation.

"Come on we can go see the rest of my friends, I'm sure they'll have some idea on what you could do in Ponyville." With this Twilight magicked the door open and the two stepped outwards. Twilight noticed that Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were going about the town square. Twilight though it a serendipity as she trotted up to them. She had hoped to re-introduce the girls to Trixie on her own terms. This desire on her part was soundly demolished as Pinkie turned her head and immediately opened her mouth.

"Hi Twilight! Hi pony-who-looks-just-like-meaney-weaney-Trixie-but-can't-be-Trixie-because-she-doesn't-have-a-cape!" The pink mare gushed in one breath.

"Huh?" Rainbow said as she turned her head and took in the sight of Trixie, eyes narrowing, she flew up to the blue unicorn, bypassing Twilight completely. "What are you doing here? Going to try pulling a fast one on everypony here again?"

Before any could respond Pinkie jumped in "Ooh! I can hold a 'Welcome Back to Ponyville' Party!"

"Wait Pinkie." Rainbow interjected. "How could you possibly want to throw a party for this pony full of hot air?"

As the conversation between cyan and pink mares devolved into an intensive discussion of which cupcakes would be best to smear across Trixie's coat. Aforementioned unicorn turned to Twilight and sighed. "Maybe it would be better if I just left, you could tell your friend's what happened when I'm not around."

At this Twilight gasped. "No! You should tell them yourself! This is important, and I know my friends will take the time to listen just as long as you ... hey!" Trixie was already trotting away, with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow chasing after her. Twilight trotted after them, unaware that she was being followed.

****

I saw before me as I approached the Ponyville Library a strange sight, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and a fourth mare, a blue unicorn were making their way out of town, seemingly arguing. I started jogging to catch up as they entered the forest.

****

Spike and Sweetie Belle were standing up when they heard in the bushes a rustling. The two young ones turned their heads to see two black ponies burst through and his at them. It took as split second to realize that the two ponies were in fact changelings. At this revelation the two screamed just in time for Trixie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to burst into the open glen and time for a moment stood still. All looked at one another, and Twilight began analysing the situation.

Situation: Two changelings are bearing down on Spike and Sweetie Belle. Resources: Pinkius Piecus, Rainbow multichromatius, Trixie Lulamoon. Plan: Have Rainbow Dash usher non-combatants to safety and gather other elements of harmony. Have Pinkie Pie use gatling magic as per discovered during Canterlot invasion while Trixie runs distraction.

Putting her plan into motion, Twilight yelled. "Rainbow! Get Spike and Sweetie Belle out of here and get the other girls here! Trixie! Do what you do best! Pinkie! Changeling chaingun!" Without a word Pinkie and Rainbow dash nodded and began their duties. Rainbow grabbed Spike and Sweetie Belle and flew off as Pinkie grabbed Twilight's tail and began spinning it, ushering form a stream of magical bolts at a rate Trixie thought impossible. Shaking her head, Trixie launched her own bolts of magic at the creatures, casting a blue overtone to the bedlam. The changelings were dodging the magic adeptly, they had been feeding on the love that was coursing around Spike and Sweetie Belle a few moments prior, and only a few stray bolts caught them before Warp collided with Trixie and Stretch grasped Pinkie's mane in his fangs. The two were about to afflict grievous injury, the two changelings silently agreeing to take the pink one, the amount of love coursing about her had given them a boost even with the brief moments it existed before replaced by fear and anger. This plan was interrupted when a tall biped ran on the scene, grasping an axe with his two hands, burst into the glen and Pinkie looked back at Warp.

"You meanies are in trouble now!" Declare the pink mare as her mane flattened and hooves extended, bucking the changeling off of her, and onto Twilight. "Uh oh."