Anon in Equestria 7: Anon's Sight Returned and New Agreement

               “It’s like looking into a kaleidoscope,” Celestia dreamily states while looking around your hallway. She marvels at what you’ll soon realize to be the sudden change. True to her statement, the walls have taken on the appearance of multi colored stained glass. While patchy, the sight is truly a wonder to behold as the pieces constantly shift about thin their confined space.


           	“I call it a headache,” you retort. “Come on, the living room should be a straight shot. Do you see any doors in the hall?”


           	“Yes, we’re at the central set.” She looks at each door curiously. “So, which pair of rooms are yours?”


           	“Oh, uh, the ones closest to the exit,” you point a thumb behind you for emphasis.


           	“After I finish my business, I’d like to take a look around. Would that be alright?” She turns to you with a smile.


           	“Be my guest. Just don’t go into the other bedrooms or bathrooms without the owner’s permission. I doubt they’d like anyone snooping through their things.” When you hear Celestia giggle, you turn in her direction.


           	“Did I say something funny?” you ask, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. You’re not exactly mad, if anything you’re curious.


           	“Well, this is a section of Canterlot Castle.  So, if anything, you’ve been snooping in MY rooms.” And just like that, the figurative jig is up. And it only took her two minutes to figure it out.


           	“Fuck, how did you know that?” You can feel the sweat starting to form upon your brow.


           	“Anonymous, as I said, I have lived for centuries. In that time, I’ve learned every nook and cranny of my home. Of course I’m going to know about every little secret section. Besides, this room is based off of one of my personal designs. Those that harness magic can essentially use these walls as a canvas if they so will it.”


           “Huh, I guess that explains why the décor always changes. You’re not mad about us staying here, are you?”


“Oh no, not at all, I haven’t visited this part of the castle in quite a while. I’d rather someone make use of it than no one at all.”


“That’s an optimistic way of looking at it.”


“Indeed, and I guess you could say I’m happy the four of you took residence here. At least now it serves a purpose. And I’m glad I could share the simple wonders this section possesses, even if the ones I share it with aren’t the finest bunch.”


“Aw, I’m hurt Celestia,” you feign, being insulted by frowning and sticking out your lower lip a bit. Celestia’s eyes widen when she realizes how she managed to come off as. But, instead of realizing that it was a joke, she stammers out a response.


“Not that I have a problem with you, Anonymous. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done nothing wrong. But, Discord and his daughters on the other hand,” she trails off before turning her gaze to the end of the hall leading into the living room. What she finds floating there leaves her at a loss for words.


Eris is floating a few feet away, and she’s sporting quite a nasty glare. It’s obvious she’s heard what the sun princess has just said. Her uneven, blood red pupils seem alight with malice as she stares you two down. You swear you can feel the temperature drop, and the now cold, crisp air lightly covers your exposed skin.


“Oh, don’t let me stop you Princess.” You could feel the venom oozing off of her words. “Please, finish what you were saying.” While Celestia is momentarily taken aback by seeing Eris that stunned silence doesn’t last long. The princess promptly shuts her mouth and returns the Draconequus’ glare with her own.


You on the other hand, allowed your mind to picture the rather vivid image of Eris the last night she decided to stay in Equestria before leaving for Earth. Those razor sharp teeth, that calculating, spiteful glare…


“In order to keep this from devolving into petty insults, I shall hold my tongue. I have not come here to criticize your behavior. I’ve co—“ Eris cuts her off with a dismissive wave of her lion’s paw. Almost like flipping a switch, she goes from furious to nonchalant.


“Yeah, I get it. Anon told me you’d stop by after you saw what happened to Manehattan.” You don’t hear Eris approach, so the instant you feel her griffin claws, you yelp, dropping your bag in the process, “And I’ve got him from here. So you can let go.” You grimace when she grips your hand, and when the bag hits the ground, the sickening crunch of the contents inside could be heard by all present, but that doesn’t seem to distract the two around you.


Her eyes never left Celestia’s, even for an instant. While Eris’ voice would indicate that she had no problem with her, the way her eyes bore into the princess’s as if she were searching for a weakness, would tell an entirely different story.


Unfortunately for you, with your eyes being as they are, you can’t see anything that’s going on. But, you can certainly feel the tension in the air, and it’s causing your sweating to intensify. Despite the rather chilly conditions, your body manages to heat up in anticipation of what might occur.


When you feel Eris pulling, you decide to go with it. But, before you get too far, you feel Celestia’s locks tighten around your hand, keeping you from going any further. That does nothing to help your nervousness. If you didn’t know any better, you’d consider yourself to be the rope in a rather odd game of tug-of-war. Why am I here and not in bed sleeping? Why won’t Eris stop being a cunt?


“Forgive me. After your antics in Manehattan, I’m a little reluctant to release one of MY subjects into your care.” Eris scoffs before smirking.


“My family took good care of him when you were stuck on the moon losing your head.” As soon as that leaves her mouth, Celestia huffs indignantly, causing Eris to snicker and shake her head. “Get that stick outta your ass and calm down, Anon’s a big boy; I’m sure he’ll be okay with little old me.” Eris’ smirk soon turns into a mocking grin. The Draconequus is sure to show off her fangs to the alabaster alicorn.  My eye crust hurts, and I’m hungry. Your stomach matches your thoughts perfectly. You hope that you’ll get something worth eating after all is said and done.


Knowing what lies just beyond those crazed eyes and smile causes a fearful chill to travel down Celestia’s spine. This does not go unnoticed by Eris, and her smile widens as a result. But, despite feeling rather insulted by her snide comment, and afraid for your safety, Celestia still decides to release you from her mane.


You breathe a sigh of relief, hoping that this moment would soon pass. The thought of being caught in the middle of a power struggle between two incredibly powerful beings didn’t sit too well with you. In fact, that thought chilled you to the very core. While you’ll never admit it openly, being handicapped like this has left you rather fearful, especially in high stress situations like now and in the Everfree, but thankfully that time will be over as soon as Eris takes care of you.


“There we go. Now, did you ever get the medicine from that zebra? And what’s with the bag?” Eris asks with a raised brow; she sniffs the air before recoiling in disgust. “Okay, I smell blood. Anon, what dead thing did you bring in here?”


“Remember those bugs I told you about? That’s the head of one, as it turns out, she took on Zecora’s appearance and has been her for a full month. She gave me the medicine, she took advantage of my trust, and she,” you sigh, feeling reluctant to tell her about the rather saucy even that occurred.


“What else?” Both Celestia and Eris ask at the same time. You’re rather taken aback by their interest. At this point, you hope a less than subtle hint would sate their curiosity.


“Well, it’s not appropriate. All you need to know is it was one of the factors that led me to feeding her to the wolves.” You clear your throat before continuing, “Anyway—“ Eris stops you from getting another word out.


“You lost your virginity to an insect, didn’t you?” And now you don’t really care if they know.

“Eris!” Celestia hisses. “He didn’t feel comfortable saying anything about it, don’t try to pry it out him!”


“Oh come off it, Ms. High and Mighty. You’re just as curious about it as I am.” What you don’t see is Celestia’s eye twitching from rage. Thankfully, you take the time to step in before it devolves into a potential argument.


“To answer your question Eris, nope, but I got to find out what her mouth felt like.” Eris chuckles before waving her paw in a dismissive fashion.


“See, it wasn’t that bad. It could have been worse.” Celestia looks at her in disbelief.


“Not that bad? Eris, these bugs feed off of love. She used that ability to rape him. You can’t tell me you’re okay with something like that. I know I’m not!” The more you hear the alicorn talk, the easier it is to tell that she’s losing her composure.


“Neither am I. I would be mad, and I’d have killed the bug myself. Oh sweet chaos, I would have torn her limb from limb. But,” she points to the bag, “he killed her and used timberwolves to do it. I’m assuming Anon brought what was left.” Eris scowls at the thought of what mangled mess you managed to bring. “She’s already dead; he got her back for what she did. What’s the sense of getting angry over something that’s out of my control and resolved? It seems kinda pointless.”


While Eris’ nonchalant demeanor over what happened doesn’t sit too well with you, you find yourself unable to refute her point. The situation has been taken care of, you saw to it. There really is no point in her getting angry. However, you find it nice to know that she at least cares enough to be willing to do what you did. Same goes for Celestia; it’s refreshing to hear that some ponies care.


Celestia huffs again from Eris’ offhanded actions, but when she realizes her point, she manages to prevent herself from having an outburst. She still manages to maintain a rather intimidating glare.


“Be that as it may, that doesn’t change the fact that it happened. He’s not the only one who’s experienced it, nor will he be the last. That brings me to the other reason why I’m here.”


“Oh, do tell,” Eris starts.  When Celestia’s mouth opens, Eris raise a paw to silence her, “on the couch. I’m tired of just floating around here.”


“Fine.” As soon as the words leave her maw, Eris hands you the bag, and then virtually drags you into the other room. Celestia follows in close behind. The living room reflects the hall’s kaleidoscopic appearance, though it’s on a much grandeur scale. The pieces of stained glass have shrunken considerably, almost making the wall appear to be vibrating as they colors shift about. Celestia decides to take a seat upon a rather large, stark-white cushion in front of your couch, while you and Eris take a seat upon the now zebra-striped piece of furniture.


“You know, your home doesn’t match at all,” Celestia absentmindedly states while looking over the various sized and multi-colored furniture that seemed to litter the room. Overturned sickly-green chairs, polka dotted bean bag chairs, and various tables make up the rather cluttered space.


“Huh, I didn’t notice.” Eris is sure to make her sarcasm as obvious as possible. “So, let’s get started, shall we? But first,” she turns to you; her features show concern as she looks you over, we need to fix your eyes.” Her eyes widen with a sudden realization, and her confidence seems to be sapped from her body. “But, if the bug mimicked the zebra, how are we so sure she gave you the right stuff?” You’re quick to respond; you were anticipating a question like this.


“She told me that she was going to take me to her queen. I doubt she’d make anything that’d potentially put me in harm’s way. Besides,” you sigh as the memories come flooding back, “I remember that burn. Trust me; she gave me the right stuff to purge your magic from my system. Besides, once she did, and after the wolves brought me to Fluttershy, I was starving for food and desperate for water, just like the first time.” Eris looks to Celestia, obviously hesitant to act. The alicorn merely shrugs in response and adopts a small smile.


“Don’t look at me. I didn’t even know Zecora could make a potion like that. Maybe you should trust Anon. I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about, right?” You nod without hesitation. At this point, Celestia relaxes her posture and adopts a more hopeful gaze in order to try and dispel Eris’ anxiety.
“Now, I know you don’t want to risk hurting him, but sometimes you’ll have to go for it and hope for the best. Besides, isn’t taking chances in your nature as a Draconequus?” Eris chuckles while shaking her head.


“You’re right about that Princess, but I’m not so sure. I don’t wanna give em extra limbs, or turn him into a fish or something like that.” She flashes a nervous grin while looking off to the side. “My magic is risky, Princess, I know you know that. So I’m sure you can understand why I don’t want to end up making things worse.”


To hear her say something like that comes as a complete and utter surprise. Eris comes off as a rather petty creature who wouldn’t mind messing with someone if it made her laugh. She reminded you of her father in many different ways. She forced you into that precarious position on Hearts and Hooves Day without a second thought, same goes for what happened the day before yesterday.


But, then again, you do remember the rather sweet moments she could have. However, those were a bit too far and few in between, so why would she suddenly care? What made you so special that she’d take caution with her magic? You know she likes you, but that’s never stopped her before. Instead of questioning it, you decide to reassure her.


“Eris,” you feel her shift upon the couch so she can look your way, “you won’t hurt me. I promise, let’s just get this over with, alright? I’m sick of being blind.” Silence resides over the room for a few moments before Eris lets out a long drawn out sigh.


“I can’t believe I’m doing this. Alright Anon, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Oh, by the way, it’ll probably burn a little bit, but the feeling will pass.” Celestia’s eyes widen, and she scoots back a little on her cushion when she watches Eris’ talons light up with a sickly purple glow. You have no time to react when you experience the sensation of a hot iron poker being pressed into the side of your temple.


“Fuck that hurts!” you shout before trying to pull away. Eris realizes this, and before you can make your move, she’s already got her lion’s paw on your chest. She applies enough pressure to keep you from getting away. You’re forced to endure the feeling of your skin burning away. You grit your teeth to try and keep from screaming, but that doesn’t last long.


Your body decides to join in with you voicing your displeasure. Your legs spasm uncontrollably, your body twitches and tries its hardest to escape. But, no matter what, Eris’ single talon does not move away from your temple, nor does her hold lose any strength. Physically, she’s much stronger than you gave her credit for. Even when you bring an arm up to try and pull away her limb, she doesn’t budge.


Unfortunately, that little gesture of yours doesn’t last long. Comforting warmth that contrasts the searing heat wraps snugly around your neck, wrists, waist, and ankles, keeping you from moving. With Eris concentrating on her spell, the only other culprit is Celestia…


“I’m sorry Anon, but it’s for your own good. I can’t have you moving around or we’ll have to start all over again in three days. Please, just try and endure a little longer, I can already see the progress Eris is making with you.” Her words would have been comforting, if you could hear them over your own screaming.


What should have taken only a few moments seems to be dragging on for hours. Despite being unable to move your limbs, you can’t stop your body from twitching and wiggling around in its restraints. Your nerves are being overloaded from the ever constant sensation that seems to spread from such a tiny focal point, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do but to wait it out.


But, there truly is a silver lining to it. When you feel what seem to be tiny bubbles rapidly popping within your sockets, you start to realize that the spell is really working. The scabs start to fizz and crumble away, revealing the white lens beneath. The moment the nerves reattach themselves, you start looking around rapidly as the darkness soon gives way to light. And the more your eyes reveal, the lesser the intensity becomes, until finally…


Eris pulls away her talon, and Celestia dismisses the golden rings binding you. As soon as you’re free to move, you place your palm against your temple to find that any harmful sensations have completely vanished. It was almost as if you weren’t touched at all. Knowing that there’s no scarring or damage that can be felt, you move on to the more important thing: your eyes.


While there was still plenty of scabbing and charcoal like substances covering the lenses of your eyes, you could see through the gaps. You blink a few times and the sizzling and crackling increases in number. The scabs break off into tiny pieces, and soon you’re able to rub the particles out of your eyes.


The sudden lights increased strength causes you to squint. These are new, so of course they’d have to get used to lighting. You probably won’t be able to walk about outside without squinting or using sunglasses. Thankfully, you’re still able to make out Celestia and Eris, along with the horrible design for the room. You’ve truly been fixed…
Pure, elation courses through you. You want to jump and shout, to run around and show all your friends, and above all you want to use them to see everything you can. You didn’t truly realize just how much sight mattered until it was forcibly taken from you.


Trapped, alone, vulnerable, these among others would perfectly describe how you felt these last few days. Relief from the unfortunate crippling injury is all that remains. Your grin spreads from ear to ear as you look around the room.


Even the kaleidoscopic patterns aren’t pissing you off. In fact, you say you could get used to looking at something like that. After realizing the two sitting with you are waiting with baited breaths on how Eris did, you decide to let them know that their worries can be put to rest.


“Well, that hurt like hell, and it stings when I open them all the way, but I can see!” You let loose a cry of joy before letting your impulses get the better of you. Eris manages a small ‘eep’ before you wrap your arms around her neck and pull her over. “Thank you!”


After going so long without seeing you, and with her being the one to initiate the hugs you shared in the past, having you suddenly bring her into a rather strong embrace comes as a complete surprise. Eris doesn’t know how to respond and opts to simply stammer out her reply. It takes her a few moments to realize that you’re really hugging her before she can speak.


“Y-you’re welcome,” she stutters before using her snake tail to give your waist a halfhearted squeeze. Her cheeks are aflame with a pink tint, and it only worsens when she glances over to your alabaster companion. Celestia looks over the both of you, a rather small smirk grace her features as she does so.


“Well, I didn’t know you two were so close,” she states before crossing her front legs and adjusting her posture. Eris tries to play off your affection with a short laugh and smile.


“Of course,” the instant she finishes the two of you part, “he can’t get enough of me.” Your rather wide smile drops slightly. She thinks she can save face by playing off as confident. There’s no way you’re going to let her get away with that. This is a rather rare occurrence and you intend on taking advantage of it. Who knows when this side of her will come to light again?

“Eris, isn’t that the other way around? Last time I checked, you were the one who got into my lap when I wasn’t wearing a damn thing.” If Eris’ cheeks could get any brighter, you swear they’d be on fire. The piercing glare she gives you does nothing more than make you laugh. Celestia joins in, but covers her muzzle with a hoof to try and muffle her giggling.


“H-hey, what’s so funny?!” she asks before turning back to Celestia. The alicorn removes her hoof from her muzzle and waves it dismissively.


“It’s nothing at all dear I assure you. Now, since Anon’s eyes have been repaired, let’s get down to business.” Celestia points to the bag by your feet. You nod before bringing it up and setting it upon the table before you.  Eris grumbles before crossing her arms.

“This isn’t over,” she mutters under her breath. Thankfully she decides that Celestia’s reason for being here is a higher priority than the little squabble she was hoping to start. The Draconequus has come to realize that the Princess is quite a challenge to tease or start an argument with when her subjects aren’t in any danger.

“Since Eris referred to them as insects, I’ll assume she doesn’t know about Changelings either.” As she speaks her horn starts to shimmer with a bright, and the top of the bag starts to open.
“Change-what’s it now?” Eris asks with a tilt of her head. As she asks the remains of Duplicate’s head comes floating out of the bag. All three of you seem to be holding back bile while taking in the misshapen features of the victim. The jaw hangs slack and a half eaten tongue lolls uselessly out of the side of her mouth. “Well, there goes my appetite.”
“Indeed. Ugh!” Celestia turns her nose up to the bug’s head before letting it drop on the table, “Anyway, these are the insects Anon was referring to.”  During her explanation, you can tell the princess is bothered by the “distraction” on your furniture. “Using a spell I was able to see the ones who assaulted him. As you’ve already seen Anon, they’re capable of using magic to not only change their appearance, but to attack as well.” You nod to let her know you’re paying attention before she continues, “They can also use their magic for defense. In the past they’d create barriers around themselves, and ram their bodies into buildings in order to do as much damage as possible while remaining unharmed. Their strength varies among their types, and how much love they consume.”

“Yeah,” you point to the head, “Duplicate mentioned something about a Queen. So, what other types are there? And, what’s with the feeding on love thing?”

Celestia sighs, “Well, we have the drones, or the workers. They’re the ones that live as their architects. They create underground chains of tunnels, and they make the housing areas that they all use. Drones can’t take in as much love as the others, nor are they that strong, but what they lack in strength they make up for in numbers. They’re also the most common form of Changeling, and typically the easiest to dispose of. You won’t see them outside of their hives considering they’re horrible at disguising themselves and fighting. If they’re used in a combat role their life expectancy plummets.”

“So, what does Duplicate fall under? And what about the ones who attacked me, what are they as far as type goes?”

“She was a soldier class. They’re a step above the drone, and their specialty is adapting. It’s a rather scary notion to think about. Even my little ponies in the Royal Guard aren’t as versatile. Changelings like her can take any soldierly profession: Infiltrator, Scout, Infantry, etc.”

“Wow, that’s something.” You comment before leaning in. This conversation is starting to get interesting, and you intend on remembering everything, or at least as much as you can.

“However, the soldiers can only fulfill one position at any given time. Their bodies adapt to fill the role given. However, when they choose a role they are stuck with whatever they decide. The infantry are tough to take down, while a scout can be easily disposed of. Infiltrators know how to keep themselves from being caught while being disguised as another creature. You may never know they’re near you until it’s far too late.”

As she finishes mentioning that detail, your thoughts fall upon the question you asked Fluttershy last night, and to the ponies in Ponyville. Knowing that there was at least one in your town and a squad in Manehattan, there’s no telling just how many are hiding in plain sight.  You could have a rather horrible problem on your hands.

“Well, when I first met her, she was in a tree near Sweet Apple Acres, and she’s been disguised as Zecora for quite a while. What would that make Duplicate, a scout or an infiltrator?”

“A-are you sure about that? There weren’t two different Changelings?” The way her eyes widen doesn’t sit too well with you. When you shake your head frown deepens and her mood worsens considerably. When her ears droop you can feel cold sweat starting to form upon your brow.

“Anon, you may have dealt a rather devastating blow to their hive.”

“What makes you think that? It seems like there are plenty to go around. B-but doing a lot of harm is a good thing, right?”

“Not in her case, it’s rare for a soldier to be able to fulfill two or more roles. In fact, it’s very rare, almost unheard of.”

“What are you saying, did I get a special case killed or something?”

“Fulfilling multiple roles can only be done by Changelings capable of becoming Queens. So yes Anon, you really did. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was next line for the throne. Though, now there’s a problem, a huge one.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” you say before chuckling nervously. A rather uncomfortable feeling forms in your gut. You have a feeling you know what Celestia is going to say before she says it.

“Anon, when the Queen finds out you did this, she’s going to be furious. Capturing you will be far from her mind. She’s going to try to kill you, and she’ll do anything she can to see it through, even if she has to be the one to do you in.”

You swallow the lump growing in your throat, but that does nothing to calm you. The sweat comes pouring down your face, the shivering starts after that, and your heart starts to race a mile a minute.

You haven’t felt this way since the first day Discord revealed himself to you, knowing that you’ve messed up this badly fills you with fear that you wished you’d never have to experience again. Dealing with those Changelings in Manehattan was hard enough, but having their ruler angry with you, and trying to kill you…

The ones in the city were only trying to capture you, and they would have succeeded if the guards didn’t intervene. There won’t be a second chance like that again, and you’re sure the Queen won’t make any mistakes in getting to you.

And, there’s a possibility you’re not the only one in danger. She might use Twilight and the others to try to lure you out. By killing off Duplicate you may have just sealed Ponyville’s fate. Knowing that does nothing more than adds guilt to your growing terror.

“Yo Anon, you okay?” Eris places her talons upon your shoulder and gives you a little shake to try and snap you out of it. Her attempts go unnoticed as unspeakable horrors begin to play in your head.

Ponyville, up in flames, as Changelings move about the skies and the ground, laying waste to any ponies trying to escape. All of them chant the same question.

“Where is Anonymous, where is the human?!” they cry while sickening green bolts of magic cut down the citizens. What little guards the town has stand no chance against an angry swarm of insects. Citizens turn on citizens as their forms melt away to show the blackened carapace and glowing green eyes underneath…

“Snap out of it!” A resounding smack fills the air. Your cheek stings from Eris bringing a paw across your face. You’d be angry with her if she didn’t just bring you back to reality from the strike. You shake your head of that horrid fantasy and look around the room.

“Who, wha, huh?” you ask before turning to find Eris smiling at you.

“There we go. You kinda spaced out for a bit, you okay?” Her smile slowly starts to fade the longer it takes for you to answer.

“I’m a bit scared for myself and Ponyville.” When Celestia speaks up the two of you turn to her.

“And rightly so, the Queen will stop at nothing to get to you. So, I’m going to increase the amount of guards stationed in town, I’m going to assign a squad to look after you, and I’ll bring in a few of Luna’s ponies for nightly patrols.”

The added security does make you feel at ease, but even then Celestia’s preventative measures won’t stop everything. The Queen might see her ponies as a minor inconvenience if she’s as strong as you believe.

“While I can’t predict every possible outcome, I can at least give my little ponies a chance if something happens. And, it might be best for you to remain here, in Canterlot. I may even disable the link between your bed and the hallway just to be sure. I’ll let Twilight and the other Elements know what’s going on.”

“I guess my job and Macintosh’s vacation will have to wait huh?” You chuckle before looking off to the side.

“That it will, but you won’t lose your job over this. I’ll personally let the Cakes know that you won’t be available for a little while. I believe they’ll understand that if it involves me, then it’s something important.” With that final bit of confirmation, you allow yourself to relax.

While you may not have any control over your situation, you can at least have some reassurance that some sense of normalcy will remain. That is, if the Cakes are really them and not insects.

“Thanks for that, now, what else do we need to know about those Changelings? Is there any particular way to tell them apart, can we force them to drop their disguises?” Celestia nods before responding.

“Yes, but it isn’t easy. Changelings will study who they plan on mimicking in order convince those around them. But in some cases, an interrogation by someone who knows the pony on a more intimate level will more than likely expose the insect. That’s the non-violent way to find out what they really are. The other way is much more barbaric.”

“And what way is that?”

“Electrocution, some unicorns know spells that produce lightning, or at least static electricity. The shock will be more than enough to disrupt their disguise. For changelings disguising themselves as unicorns, a simple flick of a horn is all that’s needed.”

“What about the other species? From what I saw all changelings have horns, so wouldn’t it work for the others?” Celestia shakes her head, “Why not?”

“It’s rather odd, but when they become a creature lacking a horn, it’s as though they don’t have one. You can wave your hoof around their heads, but you’ll meet no invisible protrusion.” You mull over this bit of information. “Now, I need to get back onto the subject of changeling classes. The one I’ve yet to mention are the most dangerous. This type of changeling is the one who took your sight from you.”

“H-he wasn’t a soldier?” you ask, mystified by her ominous words.

“No, not at all, I can’t seem to recall the proper term. But, my Guards coined the term “Gladiator,” and I have to say it’s a fairly accurate title.” The word plays in your head a few times and images of muscular warriors, bound in little to no armor, participating in a bloody display of strength. You try to compare those thoughts to the changelings you ran into in Manehattan. The one who took your eyes was the same height as the others; he had no defining features, at least none that you could easily see.

“Are you sure about that Celestia? I mean, he didn’t seem big or bulky, and he wasn’t out for blood. Before he hit me, that changeling was trying to keep the others calm.”

“Anonymous, I know we don’t speak often, but trust me on this. If the situation was different, the damage you incurred would have been the least of your worries. Those types don’t get larger until they gorge themselves on love. When they do, it’s a nightmare. They may not be as powerful as their queen, but they’re in a league all their own.” As she continues to explain she leans in and you do so in turn. “If you ever run into a gladiator, don’t try to fight, or hide, you get as far away from it as possible.”

“Why would I do that? They’re half my size. All I gotta do is watch out for their magic and try not to let them swarm me right?” She shakes her head.

“They’ll dwarf you if they get enough love. When that happens their title becomes apparent. Under normal circumstances they prefer to use magic when they fight. It allows them to be subtle. But when they gorge themselves they lose most, if not all of their magical ability and flight capability. In its place their physical strength is second only to dragons and serpents. A single gladiator can turn any one of my towns into a crumbling mess.”

“If that’s true, then how come no one knows about them? Something huge capable of rolling through towns would garner a lot of attention.” Just imagining one of those insects being so large and powerful causes the blood to run cold in your veins.

“That’s because it’s been nearly fifteen hundred years since their last public encounter. They’ve gotten better at hiding among the populace.”

“I don’t even want to know how strong their Queen is.” You shake your head before sitting straight. If the Gladiators are that powerful, then their leader probably dwarfs them both physically and magically.

“As far as she’s concerned, she’s the perfect Changeling. The Queen can do everything any member of her swarm can do, only better. Her strongest Changelings cannot compare to her when it comes to magic. But, as far as her physique is concerned, she’s weaker than her Gladiators, so at least you have that working for you.”

“It’s better than nothing right?” You chuckle nervously. I’m so fucked… Celestia pauses for a moment to take a breath before continuing.

“I guess you could say that Anon, and that’s everything off the top of my head,” a smile graces her features when she adds, “But, I’ll give you this little snippet, if the eyes of a creature flash with green light, even for an instant, do not trust it.”

“Noted, thanks for the heads up Celestia.”

“You’re welcome, now, on to the next order of business.” both she and you turn to the third member of this little discussion.  “Eris?” Celestia calls.

You resist the urge to strike her when you realize she’s fast asleep. How she managed to stay sitting up while napping is beyond you. Almost as soon as you thought that, she slides along the couch and the two of you bump heads. While it did nothing but nudge you, it certainly startled the Draconequus.

“Stop churning the butter!” She screams out in horror before swiping her hands around herself. Eris looks around the room breathing heavily for a few moments before wiping away the sweat upon her brow. Both you and Celestia scrutinize her, wondering just what kind of dream she could have possibly been having.

“W-what the hell was that?” you ask as she yawns and stretches out.

“Oh that, it was a dream, your conversation was so boring I fell asleep.” She shoots the two of you a cocky grin, and then she decides to recline on the couch. Using you as a foot rest she props her legs up in your lap, and decides examining her talons takes a high priority.

 Because Celestia was so caught up in making sure you knew everything she did about the insects that pestered you, neither of you noticed her falling asleep. You figured she was an apathetic creature, but not to this extreme.

“B-Boring, is that what you think? You need to know about this just as much as he does.” Celestia’s jaw drops when Eris plays off her worry with a dismissive wave of her paw.

“Bah, I’ll just wing it. That always works for me.” Celestia grits her teeth to try to prevent an outburst.

“WORKED, you mean. That attitude was what got you turned to stone in the first place!” Some of her anger manages to slip out; Eris doesn’t even bat an eye to it.

“Whatever Sunbutt, now, what’s up with me being in your little castle? Are ya gonna kick me out or what?” Celestia groans, knowing that it isn’t worth getting so worked up about all of this.  She takes a deep breath and you watched through squinted eyes as Celestia takes on a more relaxed posture.

“No, I’m not.” The answer catches Eris’ attention.

“You serious,” when Celestia nods Eris’ smile widens, “Well isn’t that nice of you?”

“Oh, you’re not going to stay without doing something for me.”

“And there it is: the ultimatum! Tell me Princess, what am I gonna have to do to appease you?” She turns her upper body so she can face Celestia. The alicorn’s smile widens as she unveils her plan.

“Nothing much, you’re just not allowed to hurt any pony with your magic, nor are you allowed to run amok. Also, Anon is going to show you the magic of friendship. Hopefully, you’ll learn the error of your horrible ways and turn over a new leaf.” Immediately after the words leave her mouth Eris bursts out into a wild fit of laughter. It gets to the point where the Draconequus has to wipe away tears in order to see. The two of you sit in silence and wait for Eris to finally get the picture. When she sees neither of you are joining in she realizes that Celestia isn’t joking.

“Wait, you’re serious?” Celestia nods, “do you really think I’m going to agree to that?”

“It’s either reformation, or I send you to Earth myself.” Eris puts her paw under her chin in thought for a few moments.

“Ya know what, sure, why not? But, if you want me to buy into this “magic of friendship” garbage there’s one thing I want in return.” Please don’t let it involve me.

“I don’t mind giving you an incentive Eris, though the threat of being banished should be enough, what do you want?” Her smile takes no a more sinister appearance, and when she points a talon at you, you feel your heart stop for a moment.

“Him,” she states.

“Me?” you ask while pointing to yourself, “what about me?” Oh God she’s going to make me be her boyfriend I just know it.

“You’re going to be my special somepony, and you’re going to do everything that title implies,” when she leans over and runs a rather sharp talon under your chin, you swallow the growing lump in your throat, “everything. And if you refuse, then you can forget about me being nice.” You glance between her and Celestia for a few moments before standing.

“Hey, Celestia, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“I’m right here.”

“Alone?”

“Oh, alright then, Eris do yo—“

“Nah, just hurry up so we can shake on it or whatever,” she waves the two of you away. When Eris does you stand and make your way down the hall, Celestia follows close behind. As you open the door to your room, you’re trying desperately to figure out just how you’re going to convey your displeasure at Eris’ terms. You opt for the simplest way. As soon as you hear the door shut behind Celestia you turn to her.

“I can’t do it.” She eyes you curiously as you speak, “there’s no way I’m going to be her damn special somepo— coltfrie— whatever.”

“I figured, but, you know what will happen if you refuse right?”

“Yeah I do, she’ll make your life a living hell.”

“Not just me Anon, every pony in Equestria will be at risk. I can send her back, but I doubt she’ll let me do that easily. Eris will probably do everything she can to harm Equestria before I banish her. In that time there’s no telling what the Changelings will do. It’d be the perfect distraction, my sister and I would be busy with her, the elements would be dragged into it, and that’d leave them to do whatever they want. I’m sure you’d be thrown into the mix too, I couldn’t guarantee your safety if that happens.”

“So, what you’re saying is, I have to grin and bear it?” When she nods you can feel your already poor mood worsen.

“I don’t see any other way around it. I’m sorry Anon.” You take what you hope to be a deep, relaxing breath, and then you flash Celestia a half grin. If you’re going to be forced into this, you’ll at least try to be optimistic about it.

Though, nothing irks you more than being unable to prevent something like this, this feeling of powerlessness is not something you want to grow accustomed to. During your time with Discord you had to play his little game, and with being blind you had to deal with being a bitch to anything with magic that could see. Now, you’re stuck being Eris’ boy toy. Despite the smile you’re giving Celestia, you can’t hide the sound of your knuckles popping as you ball your hands into fists.

“You know what, its fine, there’s no problem here. Eris gave me my eyes, so she probably won’t be a greedy, manipulative bitch. She won’t be that bad, right?” Celestia shrugs; thankfully she’s ignoring your rather rigid posture.

“You’ll be figuring that out. I know it sounds like a terrible time, but you do have one thing going for you.” You can’t seem to figure out why she’s smiling.

“And what’s that?”

“She likes you, a lot. Eris won’t admit it, but you’re probably the only reason she came back to Equestria. And now that she has this chance, I doubt she’s going to make your life miserable. In fact, I believe she’ll try to do the opposite.”

“Do you really think that?”

“Yes.”

“Well, putting it that way makes this seem more tolerable,” you let loose another breath of air, and your anger seems to deflate, “I guess I’ll go with it and see what happens. Though, all of this is a bit much. I mean, just yesterday I thought I was cementing my relationship with Zecora,” you make eye contact with Celestia before continuing, “It hasn’t even been a full day, and here I am I’m similar situation. I know I didn’t spend that much time with Zecora, but I kinda thought I was gonna have something with her, ya know? Zecora made me happy, and, well, I was hoping I could do the same for her. It sucks to know that all I did was waste my time.” Celestia places a reassuring hoof upon your arm, her gentle nurturing doesn’t do much, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Anon, I understand it’s a lot to take in, but the sooner you realize that what happened between you two wasn’t real, the easier it’ll be to move on. Just be thankful you found out early. There are those who’ve spent their entire lives thinking they’re with the one they loved, only to be drained of their emotions. Once they were used up, they were left to waste away alone, and forgotten.” There is plenty of truth to her words, and who knows how many ponies fell victim to one of those bugs?

“You’re right, I am pretty lucky, and it’s not like I’m gonna dwell on what could have been anyway. That won’t make me feel better, and it certainly won’t help anything.” Celestia smiles at your response.

“There you go, that’s the spirit. Now, how about we go back in there and let Eris know you’re fine with being her special somepony?”

“Or, I could just crawl out from under the bed. Either way works.” Both of you jump when you hear her voice, and when she slithers out into the open. The smug grin she’s wearing would piss you off if you weren’t so startled. “Wow, you guys are easy to scare, you know that?”

“Eris, you bitch,” you manage while waiting for your heart to finishing pounding in your ears. She merely laughs in response to your misfortune.

“Well that’s not very nice,” Eris gives you a look of mock hurt before making her lower lip tremble. It’s replaced with a look of indifference almost immediately, “Meh, you should expect stuff like this from me, there’s no such thing as a private conversation if I’m involved.”

“So, you heard everything we said?” you ask. She nods before crossing her arms and glaring.

“Yes I did, and I can’t believe you think of me that way! What the hell Anon?” You pinch the bridge of your nose between your index finger and thumb.

“You had me go on a date with you and Screwball by enticing me with the elements. You nearly killed me with a muffin, and you laughed when Lyra threw up on me. One of those three makes you manipulative, the other two a bitch.” You smile when you see Eris open her mouth to retort; only to find that she has nothing to say other than the occasional stutter. She gives up a few seconds later.

“That is some killer memory you got there.” She smiles nervously and yours  widens in turn.

“Thank you, but if you heard that I’m sure you heard that I’ve agreed to your terms.”

“That I did,” her smile turns sinister, “and even though you’re right about what I’ve done, I’m going to make you pay for it. Trust me.” Her eyes flash red and you gulp, fearful of what she might have in store.

“W-what are you gonna do?” She chuckles.

“You’ll see,” she says before looking up and winking at Celestia. The alicorn’s suddenly rigid posture relaxes.