Changelings in Equestria: A Childhood Friend

“Glad you managed to find some time to spend with me. I’ve missed hanging out with you.” a red-coated unicorn confines in Brave Storm. “We used to do everything together.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been meaning to, but everything suddenly got so hectic. It’s the first time in months I’ve been able just to relax.” Brave Storm sighs. “I’ve missed you, too, Soft Glow.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself. We’re both adults now, we knew this would happen.” Soft Glow dismissed the apology with a wave of her cloven hoof. Soft Glow uses her magic to keep her furred coat from flapping against a stiff breeze. “Wish it wasn’t getting so cold already.”

“Good thing we’re out for coffee, eh?” Brave Storm offers, who was notably not wearing a coat. Her body hair had already started to regrow to its full length and kept her warm against the cold. She maneuvered herself to help block the wind from reaching her friend.

The cafe was only a few more shops down and Brave Storm let Soft Glow go first. Pushing open the door, a bell tingled in a nostalgic way that announced their party’s arrival. Soft Glow released a pleasant sigh of relief as the warmth of the building enveloped her. 

“Want to sit by the fire and warm up while I order for us?” Brave Storm offered. She learned the hard way to never trim the coat around her joints if she could help it. Her joints would ache against the cold otherwise. Soft Glow didn’t have a long coat or feathering to keep her warm. 

“Sure. You still know what I like, right?”

“Well, the good thing about December is that peppermint mocha should be available.”

“You’re right!” Soft Glow exclaims with wide eyes and an excited gasp. She gives Brave Storm a quick nuzzle as thanks before happily trotting off to claim a chair in front of the fireplace. The two of them knew the active hours of the cafe like the back of their hooves and they always came in during a low activity period. Brave Storm had to wait only for one pony to make his order before she got to order two peppermint mochas. Of course with whipped cream and crumbled peppermint candy on top with a chocolate drizzle. It should be a crime to have it any other way.

“Thank you. So, we have a lot to talk about.” Soft Glow said, took a careful sip of her mocha, and continued. “How did the Guard trial go?”

“Oh wow, it’s been that long since we talked that you don’t know that?” Brave Storm whistled in surprise. “Well, I got in. But this unicorn named Sword Dancer offered for me to join The Knights of Equestria. I thought it over and planned on joining later this month. But she was there during the ritual and I just told her then. She just said I’m a member and she wants to see me in by the end of the month.”

“Oooh, you’re a Knight!?”

“I’m a page, but yea. Wait, you know the Knights of Equestria?”

“Yea? We learned about them in like middle school, were you not paying attention?” Soft Glow asks, flicking her hoof slowly with a raised brow.

“Guess not, dang.” Brave Storm takes a big lick of the candied whipped cream. “That’s of course glossing over a lot of details, but how about you? Any of your collections get a new member?”

“I found this beautiful cicada body the other day. It wasn’t completely intact, it was missing a leg, but it was perfect for the insect collection.” Soft Glow adjusts to get her hind hooves closer to the fire. “And I think I found a genuine bit! I’m going to an appraiser later in the week to get it confirmed. Sooo, ritual?”

“Right, you remember those flyers that showed up last month? I helped Professor Golden Sage with the research.”

“Oh right? Isn’t she a teacher at the school of friendship?”

“Yea, how’d you know that?”

“My dad went there when it was still operational. He made sure to teach me all of the friendship lessons he could remember when it became obvious I might not get to go.” Soft Glow stretches and yawns. “Honestly, the academic school was enough. I don’t think I would have enjoyed going to two schools.”

“I’m pretty sure they had a Summer program for school-age creatures.” Brave Storm offered, taking a big sip of her drink.

“Oh cool, then my whole year would have been dedicated to going to school.” Soft Glow levitates her beverage so that she can flail all her limbs out dramatically. “Laammmme!”

“That’s fair enough.” Brave Storm concludes with a laugh.

“Do you have any plans later in the month? Non-Knightly plans?”

“Well, Araneus is getting sluggish. I’m told that’s normal for a spider this time of year.” Brave Storm explains. “So I won’t need to take as much care of it for a couple of months. Aside from that Gold Standard invited me to go to a spa in Canterlot with him.”

“Oooo, Gold Standard? Is he that cute buff pony I saw pulling a cart full of desserts over to the refugees?” Soft Glow asks, rolling onto her tummy and kicking her legs back and forth.

“White pony with the golden mane and stripes? Red eyes? Yeah, that’s him.” Brave Storm confirmed. “I’ll tell him you said hi.”

“Oh, please do. What’s he like?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d like him much. He’s a rather high-class Canterlot. Pretty sure the family came from Manehattan before Natural Magic claimed it.” Brave Storm starts and absentmindedly twirls a bit of her tail hair. “But there was quite a bit of travel time and downtime where we got to talk and he’s fun to talk to. Asked a lot of really interesting questions. But I’m looking forward to our spa day and getting to talk under less busy circumstances.”

The two mares chatted along for an hour or so. The two talked and gossiped about the different ponies they encountered lately. Brave Storm made an active effort to not discuss Summer Solo lest she accidentally brought the mood down. Soft Glow complained about a few annoying customers that came into the craft store she worked at.

 The cafe began to get busy. Soft Glow bought a small tub of biscotti and ordered another round of peppermint mochas for the two to enjoy on their way to Soft Glow’s home. The host put on some quiet music for background noise. It was a soft jazzy tune.

Brave Storm shuffled through the books and magazines on Soft Glow’s coffee table as the two shifted into a recovery mode. Buried slightly, there was a newspaper, which was odd for the unicorn to have. On the front page was a beautiful changeling mare that looked ethereal and regal. Brave Storm felt her ears turn hot as she looked at the portrait taken of her standing alongside Princess Dawn Bringer. The photo was clearly a little staged and Brave Storm’s thoughts wandered into how lovely the changeling must look in person.

“Oh dear, how are you going to tell that stallion of yours that you already gave your heart to another? A queen, no less!” Soft Glow was peeking over Brave Storm’s shoulder, and the earth pony jumped and felt her ears go hotter. Without even thinking, she tossed the newspaper back onto the coffee table, like she wasn’t already caught red-hooved in her gawking.

Brave Storm struggled with the Equestrian language for a solid moment and during that time, the only words that made any sense were, “Pretty lady.”

“Yea, Queen Vespa made quite a stir yesterday. Showed up in Canterlot with Princess Dawn Bringer and a lot of ponies revealed they were changlings.” Soft Glow explained after she was finished laughing at Brave Storm’s reaction. “It was far more dramatic in Canterlot and gave a lot of changelings who wanted to reveal themselves an excuse to do so. In Ponyville though? Not so much. Nothing exciting happens in Ponyville.”

“There’s not a lot of ponies- er- creatures living Ponyville. Never really was.” Brave Storm explained. “It’s lame, but Canterlot is generally safer so far more refugees prefer to go there. So there’s also just more changelings there, too.”

“I guess that’s fair.” Soft Glow sighs and her face softens into a look of relief and sincerity. “I’m glad you like Queen Vespa, Brave Storm. It makes what I’m about to do easier.”

“Wha-?” 

And before Brave Storm could even finish getting a word out, a ring of light quickly moves from the head of Soft Glow to her tail, transforming the unicorn along the way. Standing before Brave Storm was a bug-eyed changeling with skinny legs and a softly glowing thorax. She looked rather different, but there was something that was still uniquely the Soft Glow that Brave Storm knew within her.

“This is what I really am. I’m sorry I hid it from you all this time.” Soft Glow shifted nervously, rubbing one foreleg with her buggy toes.

Brave Storm said nothing and hugged her friend to show her acceptance instead. Neither of them knew how long they were in the embrace, but nothing was said until they finally pulled away.

“So you’re not put off by me? You don’t think I’m weird?”

“Soft Glow, I think you’re weird for liking candy corn.” Brave Storm joked with a smile. “You’re not weird for being a changeling.”