Changebro 2 (AiE; Changeling, Spike)

>"So then what happened after the wedding?"

>Spike was sitting on the couch, wiping at his face with a towel

>When  he finally came to, he was greeted to you and Ditto holding up a mirror and chuckling

>He was covered head to toe in lewd sharpie drawings

>It turned out to be the perfect plan to keep him here long enough for you and Ditto to explain things

>Because Spike wasn't about to go back to Twilight with 'sperm bank' written on his back with an arrow pointing south

>So while he cleaned himself up, you and Ditto grabbed some ciders and had an unofficial meeting

>Ditto had just finished up the stuff from the wedding when you got back with another round and a glass of milk for Spike

>"The blast of magic hit all of us.  I was guarding some checkpoint so I got thrown into everfree forest where Anon found me.  I was a little wrecked but this guy fixed me right up"

>You two hoof/fist pound as you sit down and hand Spike his glass of milk

>He sets the washcloth and handheld mirror down and takes a gulp

>You hand the bottles to Ditto, who uses one of his chitin leg holes to pop the bottlecaps off before giving you yours back

"Ditto has been hiding here as a unicorn when we go out.  You have to promise not to tell anyone."

>Spike nodded and wiped the milk from his face

>" I guess I can do that but...what if he's really here to spy on us?  Although..."

>Ditto scratched his crotch and belches loudly

>"...he's not like a changeling at all..."

>You shrug and Ditto sits up, taking a sip of the cider

>Oh yea, he's taken a liking to more than just the love on the bottles

>Thankfully he's careful about getting drunk when you're out, afraid his magic might fail

>"There's a reason, little guy.  See Changelings use magic to bond with other races so when I hit Anon with some of it, I copied the memories of his best friend from college.  It's a survival thing."

>He was half right, your old roommate Clark wasn't exactly your best friend

>Just a very prominent part of your life the last few years

>Either way, Ditto inherited a great deal of his mannerisms and while he might be a giant cicada it was nice to have your old drinking buddy back

>"Usually, we'd turn into who we snatched the memories from but humans are weird.  Only a little magic works on them and nothing that could get me to look like him.  Plus Anon saw me as a changeling so it wouldn't be worth the effort."

>"Then how come your Queen didn't know about Twilight and Cadence's dance thing?  Or a lot about Twilight actually?  Didn't she use your memory stealing thing?"

>"Oh, she probably used Shining Armor's memories of Cadence to better serve to extract love from him.  If Shining Armor never saw Cadence and Twilight do the dance, he wouldn't be able to leak that info to Queen Chrysalis.  Did you ever read about psychology?"

>Spike thinks for a moment then shakes his head

>"That's ok."

>Ditto still surprised you with some of the things he had knowledge about

>He did say he was a scout for Chrysalis' army so he likely had to be sharper than the average bug

>"So now that you're all healed up, why haven't you gone back to changeling...land?"

>Speaking of, Spike isn't the dimmest bulb in the box either

>He has asked quite a few good questions for someone with angry eyebrows drawn on his forehead

>"Whatever magic she uses to make me miss her or whatever seems to be busted, either when she was defeated or when I hit a few dozen treebranches.  Plus I'm having too much fun here!  Anon gives me all the free love and cider I ever wanted, why would I leave?"

>He laughed a weird cackle-clicking-buzzing-sound and took a huge gulp of cider

 >Spike forced a laugh back to be polite and sipped his milk again

>You could tell he was still very uneasy about all this

"He's my friend, Spike.  Don't worry his magic flat out doesn't work on you and it barely works on me.  So he can't do anything to ya."

>"I can kick your ass if you fuck this up for me though, dragon"

>You shoot Ditto a dirty look and he shrugs, taking another swig from his bottle

>Spike gulps but you shake your head

"Well almost anything.  But he's chill, don't worry. Sides, that just shows you how much he likes it here, if he's willing to threaten you about it...right?"

>You hope that was enough to keep him calm

>More importantly, keep him quiet

>The ponies would likely run Ditto and you out of town if they found out

>Spike took a deep breath and set his empty milk glass down

>He looked between you and the changeling, scratching his head

>"I...guess if Anon trusts ya , I can too!  I won't tell anypony, not even Twilight!  Dragon's honor!"

"Cool, I believe ya, little guy"

>You hold your hand out

>Spike's claw barely fits in your hand but he gives a good enough grip when he shakes back

>He's stronger than he looks

>Ditto sticks to just a quick hoof to fist pound from him

"So now that that's settled, you guys wanna play some poker or something?"

>Ditto nods and flies off to get playing cards

>Spike looks at his backside through the mirror

>He's still got a bit of marker to clean up

>"Yeah I can hang out longer...and can you guys not draw on me anymore?"

>You laugh and ruffle his head scales

"It was just in case you ran out of here.  Nobody would believe you if you were covered in marker"

>It was also fucking funny but you leave that out

>"Oh...well I wasn't going to do that.  But better be safe, right?"

>You shrug

>Ditto trots back into the room, in his unicorn disguise

>"Rainbow Dash is outside"

>Huh, what could she want, you wonder

>Sure enough, about a minute later she's pounding on the door

>"Come on, Anon!  Check out what I got!"

>Confused, you open the door

>She immediately thrusts two tickets to the Wonderbolt Derby in your face

>"Front row! Isn't it awesome!?  We might get our hands on one of Spitfire's feathers!"

>Oh shit, you completely forgot about the Derby

>Tends to happen when you sleep with a dozen mares in two weeks...

"Oh...yea...awesome!"

>"What's the matter, Anon, I thought you'd be all about this!"

"Yea, it's just that..umm.."

>You turn back into the room

>Spike is trying to shuffle cards but they go everywhere

>Ditto starts laughing and magicking them back into a deck

"Any chance we can get two more?"

>"Two more?  It took me forever to get these!  There's no way I'd be able to get four front row--"

"They don't have to be together, just two more anywhere really.   I feel bad about ditching Spike and Ditto"

>That's a bit of a half-truth

>The reality was you didn't trust leaving Ditto alone in your house and you also had your doubts about how quiet Spike was going to stay

>Maybe if the two of them got used to each other you'd be less worried

>"They can get nosebleed seats if they really wanna go, but I can't say they're gonna be very good."

"That's alright.  I know you were looking forward to us hanging out by ourselves, they'll understand."

>Dash tucked her leg behind her other and looked away to hide a blush

>Funny a week ago you wouldn't have picked up on something like that

>Been hanging out with Ditto too much

>Assuming he's not up to his usual tricks right now

>Is there a mare in this town that doesn't like you?

>"Don't get the wrong idea, Anon!  I just remember Twilight saying you had crazy flying machines where you're from and thought you'd appreciate how fast the Wonderbolts go!  It's not like this is a date or something!"

>Nice save, Blue Fast

"Of course, that's all I meant.  Nothing like some high speed airshow stuff!  Think Spitfire will do that cobra move thing you told me about?"

>"Oh you know she will!"

>You two talk for a few more minutes before you say goodnight

>With Dash on her way home, you come back inside to Ditto and Spike playing what looks like war

>"Dude!"

>Ditto changes back into changeling form, making Spike jump in his seat

>"She totally digs you!"

"Ugh, don't start.  Anyhow, tomorrow, looks like we're going to the Wonderbolt Derby"

>"Cool, I'm totally buying a hat"

>Spike on the other hand isn't so enthusiastic  

>"Anon, tomorrow is shelving day!  Twilight has me move the books from A-Z to Z-A!  I can't miss that."

>You cross your arms

>Spike nervously shuffles around on the couch

>"She'll wanna know where I'm going!"

"We'll tell her, Spike.  Rainbow Dash will be there it'll be ok"

>"Oh, well if you and Rainbow are there then it should be ok"

>You decide you can tell him that him and Ditto will be on their own past the gate tomorrow

 

* * *

 

>Next day rolls around

>Be Ditto the Changeling

>Used to be a scout in her majesty's infiltration division  

>Now I'm disguised as Ditto the inconspicuous unicorn

>Chilling on the Ponyville Express to Fillydelphia

>Can't complain

>It's one of those nice cars with the seats facing each other and a table in between

>Exits in the front, back, and side

>Two roof access hatches too

>Not too many ponies either

>My kind of ride

>Hey you never know when things can go wrong and you have to run for it

>Can't turn those scout instincts off, ya know?

>"This your first time on the train?"

>Oh yea, Spike is sitting across from me

>Anon and Rainbow Dash are sitting in the booth across from ours

>They're talking about flying and stuff

>Dash is definitely into Anon

>Not sure how he feels back, humans have really weird emotions, but he's enjoying himself at least

>As for my company...Spike took having to spend the day with me better than I thought he would

>He's been trying to chat me up but keeps looking back toward Anon and Rainbow

>Don't worry, Spike, I don't bite

"Naw, I took the train a bunch of times right before..."

>I clear my throat and look out the window

"...the wedding"

>Spike swallows whatever he's drinking hard

>Even if I can't get a read on his feelings, it's no mystery I make him nervous

>He's expecting me to turn into a big ferocious monster or something

>Little hypocritical considering I heard he did the same thing not half a year ago

>"So were you like...impersonating the conductor or something?"

>That gets him a laugh

"Naw, Spike, I used it to get around"

>"Oh...that's all?"

"I told ya, I was recon.  I didn't do any nasty stuff.  Only relayed where the Royal Guard was stationed right before the main attack happened."

>"So that's why security went down so quickly..."

"Yup.  We did a good job spreading misinformation too.  Got all the guard ponies all grouped together where they thought we'd come from and we knew exactly where to hit first."

>Spike was nervously tapping his claws on the table

"Sorry, I thought you'd prefer it if I was honest"

>"No it's not that I..."

>He peered over to the booth with Dash and Anon

>Dash just punched Anon in the arm and they both started laughing

>"Anon trusts you but I'm having a hard time...he wasn't around when the changelings attacked Canterlot.  It was really scary.  How can I be sure you're not here to do your spy..stuff?"

>Hmm, this is going to be tough

>Truth was, if I was him, I wouldn't trust me either

>Especially cause if Queen Chrysalis came back and found out I was here...

>Best not to think about that

"Spike.  Let me level with ya.  When I was doing my job, my real job, I didn't know ponies, dragons, or humans.  Now everything is different.  I wouldn't go back there if you paid me to.  It's not a nice place."

>"But don't you have friends or family?"

"Not really.  That's not how things work.  I was hatched one day and some big guy said I was a good sneaky changeling so I became a scout.  Then three years later, we invaded Canterlot."

>"I'm older than you!?"

"Yup.  We grow up fast"

>"Dude, that's creepy"

>I raised my eyebrow and frown

>"N-no offense!  Just saying---"

"Weren't you hatched from an egg?  By someone using magic?"

>"So?"

"We're more alike than you think, little guy"

>I smiled and he seemed genuinely surprised at the connection I made

>Finally, a little progress with him

>Anon told me it was important him and I got along so we can get back to normal

>Banging mares, collecting love, that sort of thing

>It was a sweet gig and I don't want anything messing with it

>The crazy part was, the more I thought about it, the more I wondered what the heck our Queen's plan was if getting love on your own was this easy

"So, we egg-bros then?"

>Spike laughed and nodded

"Cool, we'll buy matching hats when we get there"

>"Really?"

"Sure why not?"

>The train rumbled along, Spike and I switching off from him interrogating me some more and me trying to get him to let me find out if Rarity liked him "that way" or not

>He thought it was cheating if I used magic to get an answer for him

>What a dork

>I know stallions who'd pay money for my kinda help

>Ah well, he'll come around

>Takes another hour before we get there

>The train pulls right up to the stadium and we all file out

>The crowd is backed up practically to train tracks, ponies everywhere

>Gives me old vibes from the hive, how packed everyone was near the entrance

>"Dash and I have tickets already, here's some bits for you and Spike to get tickets and buy food"

>Anon drops a heavy bag full of bits into my hoof

>Sheesh, how expensive is this place?

>"We'll meet back here when it's over, k buddy?"

"Can do, boss!  You ready, Spike?"

>He nods and runs to catch up to me

>"Where are we sitting?"

"No idea, we gotta buy tickets at the door"

>Dash and Anon leave to go in

>They have VIP passes or something like that

>Spike and I get on the line to buy whatever is left

>"So you ever been to a Wonderbolt Derby"

"Nope"

>"How about Hoofball?"

"Nope"

>"Have you ever done anything like this before?"

>I shook my head

"Before the invasion, I never left the hive."

>Spike was almost happy about this

>"Whoa-ho-ho!  Ditto, you're in for a heck of a day then!"

>The line shuffled forward about a meter

"It's amazing already..."

>"Don't worry, this is the lousy part.  The rest is great, you'll see"

>Well hey, there we go

>We're bonding over changelings not having organized sports

>Though I have to admit, even though I saw Canterlot castle, I never went inside

>I was a little worried about getting lost in it

>This stadium was even larger than that

>The closer the line shuffled to the front the larger it got

>You could hear the cheering and other sounds of excited ponies coming from inside

>Not to mention the intensity of emotions, wow...

>I could open my mouth and eat for a month if I wanted to!

"This is awesome, Spike"

>"Isn't it?  Hey we're almost there!"

>We get to the front, I pay for whatever tickets they had left, and Spike leads the way

>Right up till we hit the gates

"Crap on a stick"

>"What's the matter?"

"Magic detectors"

>Over the gate was a bunch of anti-magic things

>Glad to see the month or so I was out of commission didn't make me careless

>"Oh that's to stop you from using magic to cheat, that's all"

"Spike, If I stop using magic, what happens?"

>"Oh...crud..."

>I start looking around the stadium itself

>I see more than one way in, just a matter of getting there without getting caught

>Cause whatever is going on inside is something I really want to see!

>I looked over my ticket to memorize all the information before I gave Spike both them and the bag of bits

"Take the tickets and the bits.  Go buy some snacks but save some money for hats, got it?"

>I start to trot away from the front gate

>"Hey!  Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it, see you inside!!"

>I left the puzzled Spike at the gate and started galloping toward a nearby park

>I had to find somewhere to hide so I could change my skin

>Then hope I looked official and clueless enough that they'd let me pass

>After running behind some brush, I concentrated and turned myself into the most stereotypical royal guard pegasus you could imagine

>White coat, blue mane, gold armor, the works

>I must have worn this disguise the most when I was under cover, ponies don't even think twice when they see it

>Second I was done, I took to the air and flew directly toward the stadium

>So far so good, no ponies flying up to intercept or anything

>Need to get to what looked like a service entrance for pegasi doing deliveries

>Once I got there I could slip in, find a bathroom, and turn back into the boring looking unicorn

>No fuss no--

>"HEY!  Who're you?"

>Just when I was almost through...wherever this door went, someone caught me

>Not even worried

>I turn around and puff my chest

>Let the sun catch my illusionary armor

>"Oh I... I, do you need help, sir?"

>That's better

"Princess Celestia misplaced a horseshoe.  She sent me to look for it"

>The security pony, a pegsasus with aviator sunglasses and a blue security outfit, tilted his head like I lost my mind

>Exactly what I was hoping for

>When you tell a good story, you open yourself up for follow up questions and even worse, potentially having your cover blown if you stumble or aren't consistent

>Ridiculous stories, on the other hoof, need just a bit of confidence behind them

>And a good follow-up before the other party has a chance to think

"Princess Luna has played a very complicated prank on Her Majesty, and it is the job of the royal guard, however undignified, to rectify it"

>I roll my eyes to complete the act

>Mr. Security Guard takes his sunglasses off to look me over

>Likely to make sure I'm actually standing here and he isn't stroking out in a bathroom somewhere

>I pass the 'this is really happening' test and he replaces his sunglasses

>"Alright, go ahead.  Sorry"

>I salute like a champ and run inside before he has a minute to think about what he did

>You know you did good when the guy who stopped you apologizes

>Looks like I'm in some sort of...well shoot I have no idea where I am

>Doesn't matter because in a burst of changeling magic I'm back in my normal unicorn skin

>But now I'm totally rocking that security pony's shades

>They look cool, what can I say?

>I follow a slightly dark path, following some signs that said something about lighting

>When I finally popped out I was literally at the rim of the stadium

>I had to take a moment to take it all in

>Tens of thousands of ponies in this big stadium, all centered around a sort of sky track

>I nearly fell backwards from the magnitude of it all

>This must be why Spike was so enthusiastic about me seeing this

>I closed my eyes and let the energy of the occupants wash over me

>It was amazing, all the love and energy here could feed the entire hive for a month!

>Why didn't we try and harvest it this way?

>It was so easy for me to slip in here and I'm willing to bet those magic scanners weren't around before the invasion

>Maybe the ponies were right about the Queen...maybe it wasn't about survival?

>Bleh, enough of that, have to get out of this security guard look and find my seat

>I found some access ladder and climbed down

>Ran into a maintenance pony along the way who was all but happy to help me get to my section

>All I had to do was feign like I was lost and he was all smiles and directions

>Ponies were really helpful when they thought you were a pony

>I'm glad he was because this place was a maze

>Not to mention crowded!  Holy heck there were ponies everywhere!

>Could barely move a few meters before I was bumping into someone from the front or the back

>Even the bathrooms had lines!  

>I pushed through, the herd of ponies mostly crowding around the concession stands

>Can't blame them, something smelt amazing but I couldn't put my hoof on what

>Spike better buy it, whatever it was

>I kept going till I got to my section

>Again, ponies everywhere

>No sign of Spike

>Not like I'd be able to find a two foot tall dragon in this mess

>Just get to my seat and chill out

>Maybe stare at this place in awe again

>Though from where I'm sitting it looks like I have no choice in that matter

>Section 502, Row W, seat 2

>I facehoof when I arrive

>There is a maintenance ladder right behind us, leading to the lights overhead

>I literally could have came from the other side and avoided all that nonsense

>Oh well, never a wasted moment being a recon-ling

>Still no Spike though, I wonder---ah nevermind

>On cue, there is a large assortment of snacks and drinks seemingly moving up the stairs on their own

>Tiny purple dragon feet the only part of him visible

>I snicker and start making notes of where the exits are

>Ya never know, right?

>"U....V....W!"

"Right here, Spike!"

>He nearly falls backwards but I'm quick enough to grab the mountain of food before it tumbles on his head

>"H-how did you?  And before me?? "

"It's what I do best, shortie!"

>"I don't wanna know...nice shades though!"

"Yea, they make me look badass.  You get enough food there?"

>"I didn't know what cha...err...what you liked!"

"Something out there smells amazing, I think....this!"

>I snatch a red and yellow container from the assortment

>It's filled with golden yellow puffs of something

>Pop one into my mouth

>Crunchy, salty but...butter and sweet too!?

"What black magic is this?!"

>"Caramel corn...you don't like it?"

"It's delicious!!"

>I start shoveling it into my mouth like I'm drinking liquid love straight from...well you get the idea

>"Hey, just in time, its starting!  Oh before it does..."

>Spike shuffled some of the food around and produced two baseball caps with wonderbolt logos on them

>He put one on my head and wore the other one

>"The line for the souvenirs was short I figured get everything done now so we can watch"

>I was a little stunned

>The little dragon bought the hat I wanted

>Only Anon ever...

"Wow...thank's Spike!"

>"Don't mention it, Egg-Bros right?"

>I nod and we hoof/fist pound

>I'm double glad I have the sunglasses now, something flew into my eye I think

>I lower them to rub something wet away when the show began to start

>Fireworks leapt from the center of the arena and overhead the Wonderbolt flew by in formation

>Ponies were cheering as the announcements came over the speakers, who would be racing in what

>Spike was waving a flag with Soarin's cutie mark and screaming at the top of his lungs

>The ponies all around us were doing the same

>I was still sitting, enjoying the caramel corn

>Smiling like a day old hatchling at feeding time