Loyal Defender

It was cold. To you, it felt like it was Frozen North levels of cold. Maybe it was the cool crystals the place was made of, but for a castle, you’d expected a little more...heat. But you wanted that to change. You wanted heat. Warmth, maybe...and a good book. You were out in the hall now, looking for someone to snuggle with. You felt a little embarrassed having to ask anyone...usually you could keep yourself warm, but tonight it was oddly difficult to.You knew of one pony who was the best at keeping you warm (not that it’s been done before...you just assumed), and that was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle. Now, you stood before her bedroom door, feeling nervous. I mean...it’s not the fact she was royalty you were embarrassed to ask this. It was merely the fact it was seemingly a test of friendship. Giving a heavy sigh, you knocked on the door, awaiting your response. “Come in!” Came a friendly voice. Uneasily, you opened the door, warm bedroom light flooding through the crack, widening as you opened it more. “Oh, hey! Didn’t expect to see you up so late. I was just busy catching up on some old dusty books,” She answers before you say anything. “But if you needed somepony to talk to, I’m all ears.” Princess Twilight Sparkle was laying in her bed, underneath a thick fleece blanket, with comfy pillows surrounding the head of it, with a warm lamp illuminating her and her pile of books. You entered and closed the door behind you, approaching the bed. As you approach, she adds, “It was, uhh...also kind of lonely. If you really want to, you can lay next to me. And I assume you’re in here mostly because of how cold it is?”“Y-Yeah..” You answer, wondering how she guessed it. “I’m not surprised, the report did call for freezing temperatures tonight.” She lifts up a corner of the bed with her magic and pats the newly revealed spot, implying to get in bed with her. You feel yourself blushing slightly. This was….rather generous of her. You didn’t even have to speak a word.“Trust me, I know you’re shocked. But when you know a friend well, you know what they want at times. That and I’ve been out in the hall myself, so I can imagine you’d be cold, considering you have no fur.”You got into the bed with Twilight as she lay the blanket onto you. Almost instantly, she scoots you closer to her, sort of bumping her. You two had indeed been bonding quite a bit since Starlight was taking care of Royal business in Canterlot. You and her were close, but...when she was away, you preferred her mentor as company, too. But now it was close to a point when Twilight really liked you. As a friend, of course. You felt immensely warm, but in a good kind of way. “This book I’m reading is about ocean life. I’m almost surprised hippogriffs aren’t in it. Maybe it’s because they were originally land creatures. Do you want to read it?”“Well….I was hoping maybe you could….read it to me?”“Huh….I’d never read TO anyone before...well, not in a moment like this, of course. But sure! Reading helps me relax, so I wonder what it’ll do reading TO someone. But first..I’m sure the comforting atmosphere of the room is making you sleepy. Trust me, it is for me, too. So, uhh….not sure how to word this, but if you want you could lean on me. Even ponies are aware of how soft they are.”You move a bit closer and lean onto the Princess’ shoulder. Almost instantly, her left wing curls around you, almost like a robe. The fur on her shoulder and sides adds to the comfort of your position. “Comfortable?” She asks, and you simply nod.“Alright then. This one’s a good chapter – it’s about porpoises and dolphins, the majestic creatures of the ocean. I mean, heh, that...second part isn’t really in the book. They just fascinate me.”Her voice sifts to a soothing tone as she begins to read. “Dolphins are commonly known for their adorableness and general friendliness to many. They use echolocation to find objects in the dark, and are commonly used in rescue teams. The fins on their backs are often mistaken for that of a shark. However, they…..and like to…….often eat…...”You’re surprised at how quickly you begin to fall asleep. The warmth of the blanket and the room, the softness and comforting feeling of her fur and wings, and her soothing reading voice all combine into a pleasant feeling you get just from listening to her read. You doze off here and there, but slightly wake up from a gentle nudge. “Are you falling asleep already? Or is my reading that actually boring to you?” She jokes. “I’m kidding, hehehe, I know how reading can be. Shall I keep going?”You give a sleepy nod, focusing on nothing now. She continues to read, and you feel yourself falling back asleep. “Whales have sizes that vary…..large stomachs….mostly consist of krill...prey is mostly squid….”You feel yourself falling back asleep. When you momentarily wake up, Twilight has her books stacked back up, a hoof around your shoulder or arm, and you find yourself laying on….her chest? You’re surprised at how understanding she is at snuggling you. You thought this would turn out...much differently, maybe even a questioning look. But it seems like all those hours you spent with her in total resulted in her really trusting you. Now it seemed like SHE wanted to snuggle you. In any case, you felt safe, warm, and happy this turned out well. You closed your eyes again, falling back asleep to face the day that awaited you tomorrow.

“If anyone catches me, we’re all doomed. I’m gonna go find a haystack to hide in. You two make sure reunion crashers stay out!” I didn’t stay to hear their responses, I just took off. Almost instantly there was a hay bale right outside I could hide in, in stacks. So I did. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“There’ll be so many ponies, it’ll be practically impossible to find me in a reunion! AJ, hate to add to your list, but if anyone asks where I am, either don’t answer them, or expose their lies. There’s a bunch of Changelings who’re after me to extract Layol from me, and I gotta make sure they don’t find me!” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“A reunion?” I remembered the names of the members Applejack mentioned when she brought a lot of food. “That’s PERFECT!” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Now, remember – it’s best to tell AJ or somepony, anypony who comes looking for us, asking if we’re around, make sure they’re actually ponies. Just...ask them a question that you KNOW they’re lying about. Maybe ‘are ya here to hurt ‘em’? If they stammer or straight up answer ‘No’, chances are they’re Changelings. Or we could ask AJ that, to ensure SHE isn't a Changeling." ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Yup. Alright, Twiloyport in three…..two….one!” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hmmm….it’s gotta be a place they’d never suspect….why not Sweet Apple Acres? Plus, the country atmosphere it gives off really relaxes me.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“There is one other thing we can try….but it’s gonna be risky. Our Twiloyportation spell. I figured since we both use it, instead of ‘teleportation’, it’s ‘Twiloyportation’. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“….I think they’re not gonna get us. It’s felt like hours. These Changelings are so pathetic.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(A'ight, if you got a time, go right ahead.) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(That’s sew classic, reading a book most would see as boring. But y’never know. After all, books like this have enough threads to keep it going, with interesting material. It’ll leave someone in curiosity-filled stitches, expanding the very fabric of their minds. Anyways, do we timeskip to some time later?) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Sure. Good way to pass the time. Or….honestly, it’s more charming hearing you read it. You know, being a librarian and all.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(They intend to be jerks and kidnap Loy, they don’t have the memories of a pony, meaning if they had a codeword the real pony knew, they wouldn't know it (e.g. klutzy Draconequus), they don’t know how they’d act, they like to overexaggerate ponies’ actions, and obviously they feed off of love.) “So now we just...sit here.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright, alright. So we know we’re not Changelings, thank goodness. Now...how do we know when we’re in trouble?" _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hehehe-good idea! Now it’s---heehee--your turn!” *turns the tables and begins tickling Twilight* _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“H-Hey! Hehehehe, w-why are—hahaha--you tickling me?! *Giggles uncontrollably*” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You mean I have to live with this thought being a nonmalicious pony or Changeling until all this passes?!” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Well….I have no way to tell. I mean if a Changeling forgets how to change back, they’d likely forget if they’re a Changeling or not...aaaaah, this hurts my brain. Can you tell me if I’m a Changeling? I’m freaking out here!” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Then our only option is to wait. And...not get captured. I keep worrying because I’m beginning to wonder which of us is a Changeling. Am I a Changeling who’s questioning his own self? Are you a Changeling being a perfect imitation and I just can’t tell and just trapped myself? Sweet Luna, it freaks me right the heck out. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did you handle the crisis of the missing students and the impending threat of war?

(indeed :3) “I’m not sure. If needed we can contact the princesses every so often to ensure all is fine.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Waaaait…….” I conjured up a giant boulder, placing it on the ground in front of the entry, then placed a couch on it. “There. NOW we’re safe.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Right! Let’s go! They won’t ever find us outside.” I purposefully said, in case any Changelings were nearby. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Sorry, MLPFOrums crashed on meh) “We need a place for me to hide. A place where no one can find me. And you mustn’t tell them either.” Hmmmm...where to go, where to go...Then, it hit me. I whispered to Twi, in case anyone was listening, “The castle’s lower catacombs! You know, where we first found that mirror?” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Oh....huh. A Changeling being a dick to him just to be a dick.) “Tia told me it’s to extract Layol.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________