PyraohXBlaze - You say that like there's a chance he won't ;)

KillerWoW - Lol well, considering I had to look that up to find out who it was... Imma say 'no'.

Lone The Dark Hearted Wolf - Lol don't we all?

Kyguy - I think that'd be going a little easy on them... Umm... I dunno

SquirtlePWN - Yup, lots of stuff happening right now; and fortunately, it's all stuff Blake can actually deal with without going insane.

Chaosstripe - I hope she's going to be interesting in the future :D

DragonLovingBrony - I'm glad to be back too. I think it shows a lot about her character that she could have something like that happen to her and still be the happy mare that she is.

Ponified Bacon Boss - Lol I wish I could've made that stuff up... Oh, you'll find out what's up with her soon enough ;)

Mikalzilla - Perhaps she is... perhaps she's not...

shadows being - Yeah... I'm not a fan of fics where they're all just as big of douchebags as their Queen.

PBJFanFiction - You'll find out why she talks like that... in time

TurnupGrain43 - Will he though?

ShadowfireAngel - Lol compared to what's been happening lately, this is downtime for him...

chipmunkfanatic - We can all hope, otherwise things will go to Hell pretty quick

jack the fic - Thanks :D I wanted to make things a little more interesting regarding her... (Note that 'interesting' does not necessarily mean 'happy')

cking1996 - Neat. Did you go see a singer named Daniel?

RenaTamer - To be honest, I'm sure that if Chrysalis had actually gone to Celestia and Luna and talked to them about her people's plight, that they would have been more than happy to help.

Mort Blackthorn - Lol right?

coldshadow 92 - Thanks for that :D Here's more for you ;)

kalub092 - She'll show up again, eventually

DarkSpider11 - Lol that I do. Hmm... not really to be honest; Blake's presence in Equestria is sort of disrupting canon, so things aren't really happening the way they're supposed to.

Rev Riff - Well that's no good. Can't say I've ever had that problem... at least not for reading fanfics...

DragonLord RyuKizoku - You'll be seeing more of her, so don't worry about that ;)

Zero the Warrior of Chaos - We'll just have to wait and see, won't we ;)

Spirit of Radio - Umm... thanks?

A/N - Howdy everypony! Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes last week, I really appreciated them all. Sorry for the late update this week, I had to install a new video card and drivers so I could finally play Fallout 4 ;) (Don't worry, I put it off so I could do this week's update). I hope everyone who celebrates it has a happy Thanksgiving this year, I know ours is going to be awesome! As always, don't forget to follow/favorite, review, and most importantly; enjoy!

The flight home was a smooth one, if a little too quiet for my tastes. The changeling seemed content to snuggle up in my jacket to keep warm and slowly feed on Luna and my love for one another, which didn't seem to cause anything more than a barely noticeable tingle in the backs of our minds.

The trip back took slightly longer due to the added weight each of us was carrying; I took my own pack, which was the heaviest of the three, as well as the changeling zipped up tight in my jacket, while Luna carried Applejack's pack on her back and Twilight's in her magic, spreading the load fairly evenly between us.

We were flying over Zecora's hut, near the edge of the forest, when Luna finally spoke up. "So my love, what do you intend to tell the others? I doubt they will be… welcoming, of a subject of the mare that very nearly conquered Equestria."

I shrugged and dipped down slightly, starting my descent. "I'll just tell them the truth; we found her in the woods, starving and half-frozen, and I made the decision to help her. I can't say that I think they'll like it, but I doubt any of them could, in good conscience, say that they wouldn't have done the same."

She sighs and looks forward as she starts her own, more graceful landing. "You're probably right; Twilight and her friends seem to be more compassionate and forgiving than most other ponies… well, most of the time at least. I'd still like to give Rainbow Dash a piece of my mind for what she did to you."

I waved a hand at her. "Don't worry about it; it was just as much my fault as it was hers. Besides, she'll come around eventually."

I felt the changeling shifting around in my jacket. "Did… did somepony hurt His Highness?" I nearly fell out of the air at the title she'd given me.

Luna and I landed in front of the house a moment later, and started walking inside. "'His Highness'? Where did that come from?"

The changeling, who had been peeking up at me through the neck of the jacket, looked away. "This one was abandoned… left alone in the woods to die by her Queen, because she thought this one was useless… this one found the Kokello ponies, but didn't know their language, so she couldn't talk to them." She sighed and looked back up to me. "This one woke up the day after His Highness left, and all the ponies were gone. This one barely had enough to feed on among the tribe, and after they left, her belly was empty again. Then His Majesty found her, saved her life, and showed her kindness she's never felt before, so He is her King now. This one is loyal to Him until the day she dies."

Luna stepped up to us, and regarded the little changeling. "That is a sad tale indeed, and unfortunately, I can absolutely believe that that wretch would do such a thing to one of her subjects. I believe you will find that Blake will treat you infinitely better than your old Queen ever could have. Now, what is your name?"

The changeling looks away again. "Th-this one was never given a name…"

I looked from Luna back down to her. "Well, we'll have to change that. First thing's first though; we need to get you inside and find you someplace more comfortable than my jacket to keep warm." I walked up the steps and opened the door to the house, allowing Luna to walk in ahead of me. I looked around as I entered behind her, but I didn't see or hear anyone. "Hmm… I guess they're all off getting ready for Nightmare Night tonight." I headed up the stairs towards the second floor, where all of the guest rooms were located, and picked the empty one directly across from the master bedroom for the little changeling to stay in.

Once inside, I pulled down the sheets on the bed before I opened my jacket and set her down on the bed, covering her up so she could stay warm. Luna watched from the doorway, and walked up next to me as I finished. "If I may ask, why is it that you're so small? Please don't tell me that that vile Queen of yours abandoned a foal."

The little changeling snuggled under the warm covers and shook her head. "This one doesn't know how old she is, but she does know that she has seen twenty summers. This one made herself this size so she could fit inside her dress to keep warm."

Luna nodded. "I see. That was very clever of you. Now, you rest and recover your strength, and when you feel better, we'll help you pick a name for yourself."

I heard a faint buzzing sound, and I noticed the sheets fluttering. I guessed that she was buzzing her little wings for one reason or another. "This one is happy that His Highness and Her Grace found her…" She settled into the sheets, and soon fell asleep.

Luna and I left the room quietly. "Now that I have heard more or her tale… I cannot help but feel sorry for her. I want to apologize for the way I acted when I first saw her, it was wrong of me to wish ill on her simply for being what she is."

I set a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok Lulu; it's hard to think of someone in a positive light when all you have to go on are negative experiences. I don't think we'll have any trouble from her, but I'll be sure to have Aurora keep an eye on her just in case. Now, why don't we go and get ourselves ready for tonight? I bet you're excited for this year."

She smiled warmly. "I am; this is the first Nightmare Night… or any holiday for that matter, that I will be able to spend with a special somepony."

I leaned in and kissed her. "I bet tonight's going to be a great night, Sweetheart, for everyone."

She smiled up at me. "I hope you are right… I can't help but think that that changeling will cause problems, even if they are unintentional."

Just as my hand touched the cool metal of the door handle to the master bedroom, the familiar wood-on-wood clacking of Aurora's toenails meeting the floor caught my attention. I turned my attention to the stairwell, where the sounds originated from, and saw the pup hobbling her way up onto the landing. I glanced down at her stump of a leg as she crested the stairs. The wound had healed quite well, all things considered, and I was relieved to see that she would likely have at least rudimentary use of the limb in the next few weeks.

She yipped happily as she hobbled over to me, and I knelt down and petted her belly when she rolled over at my feet. "Heh heh… you sure do like your belly-rubs, don't you?" She mewled contentedly in response to my question. "Listen Aurora, I need you to do something for me." The little pup regarded me, even in the midst of the attention she was getting. I had learned that she could understand what I said, to a degree, even if she couldn't talk herself. "There's somepony in this bedroom here, and I need you to make sure she stays safe; I don't want anyone harming her, and I don't want her harming anyone else, either. Got it?"

She yipped again and immediately got up and went over to the door, sniffing the crack below it to get the changeling's scent. She gave me a confused expression, but it only lasted a moment before she circled in place a few times and laid down on the wood floor, making herself comfortable next to the door. I snapped my fingers as an idea came to me and headed towards the stairs. "I'll be right back."

I went down to the first floor and grabbed Aurora's bed from next to the fireplace and carried it upstairs to her. She stood up from her spot and set the bed down, allowing her to climb into it. As I stood up, she licked the side of my face with her leafy tongue, and lay down in the bed, wagging her tail.

After giving Aurora one last pat on the head, Luna and I went into the master bedroom to get ready for the night's festivities. I slipped into my centaur costume, which Rarity had masterfully designed to blend my waistline with the costume, making it nearly impossible to tell that it was a costume at all.

Luna got into her costume as well; a stereotypical witch's outfit, complete with pointy hat and broomstick. She had had Rarity make it a dual-layer affair, with the more foal friendly version on top, and a much more… seductive version underneath that I wasn't supposed to know about until later in the evening. Even knowing what the costume looked like underneath, I knew there wouldn't be any faking my reaction to seeing her in it, and I couldn't wait.

Once we were ready, we headed off towards the library, where Twilight was foalsitting Dinky and Scootaloo while everyone else was gone. I discovered that mail still ran on most Equestrian holidays, which meant that Derpy had to work today, while Applejack had to head over to Sweet Apple Acres to prepare her usual assortment of games for the occasion. Twilight had also decided to keep the library open today, so that ponies could do any last-minute research they might need to for the event.

As we walked through the streets of Ponyville, I watched as fillies and colts ran about, already dressed in their costumes, while their chaperones did their level best to keep them reigned in. It seemed that Rarity had offered to watch Sweetie Belle and Applebloom for the evening, giving poor Granny Smith a welcome break, since she would be in bed long before the festivities ever started.

Luna looked around as well, a small smile creeping onto her face. "It's good to see fillies and colts galloping around, celebrating this night rather than fearing it… and me…"

I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't even worry about it Lulu; all that stuff is in the past, and ponies here and everywhere else have come to accept you as their Princess again, and they even love you." I leaned in and rested my head against hers. "Some far more than others…" I whispered.

She stopped walking, and I felt her nuzzling me lightly. "Thank you, my Love… I can't express in words how much it means to hear you say that."

I turned her head and kissed her lovingly on the lips. "Only the truth for my stunning Princess, Love."

She smiled, and kissed me back. "Thank you again, Love; it makes my heart soar to know that you think I'm pretty."

I gave her a loving smile and stroked her cheek. "Luna… to me, your beauty is as otherworldly as the very Moon you control."

She blushed deeply and turned away. "If any other stallion were to tell me that, I would not believe them, but I know that coming from you, it's the truth…"

I cupped her cheek and turned her gaze towards me. "Luna… coming from any stallion it would be the truth. You're a beautiful mare, no matter who's looking at you." I gave her a warm smile. "I do appreciate that my word carries so much weight with you though…"

She reached up and kissed me deeply, neither of us caring that some ponies were glancing in the direction of our less than discreet display of affection. "Your word carries more weight to me than anypony else, save my sister, who is on equal grounds with you in that regard. Now, let us not make poor Twilight suffer the little fillies alone any longer."

I chuckled as she hopped down. "Oh yes, I'm sure she's pulling her mane out about now..."

We finished out short trek to the library, and I knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door swung open, but nopony was there. "I'm down here!" A high, squeaky voice said from below us.

I looked down at its source and nearly fell over from laughter, and was only saved by Luna falling in the opposite direction I had been. Twilight was standing in the library's doorway, no bigger than a hamster, shouting up at us. "Don't just stand there! Help me!" The poor mare's squeaky voice only served to make us laugh louder, and she sat there, glowering at us until we calmed down. "S-sorry Twi... we'll be good now, we promise."

She stood and nodded her head. "You'd better." It was all I could do not to burst out laughing again, and I could see that poor Luna wasn't holding up any better. "Now, I need you two to help… me… oh, for Celestia's sake! Will you two please focus?!"

I took several deep breaths to calm myself down again, and cleared my throat when I thought I was ready. "Ok, I'm really ready this time. What do we need to do Twi?" I reached my hand down, with the palm facing up, so she could climb on.

When she was safely perched on my shoulder, keeping her from having to shout, she started talking again. "I need you two to help me make an antidote potion to fix this; Scootaloo and Dinky tried making a potion of their own, and this is what happened when they spilled it on me!"

Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Impressive… I wouldn't have thought that those little fillies would be able to make a shrinking potion."

"It uhh… it was supposed to be a laughter potion…" I looked to the direction of Scootaloo's voice to see her with a sheepish grin on her face, an equally sheepish Dinky standing next to her. "We're sorry Papa, we didn't mean for it to spill on her; we wanted to show it to her so she could tell us if we did it right."

Twilight grumbled on my shoulder. "Well, you shouldn't have been trying to make a potion on your own like that anyway, I should have been there to supervise you."

Scootaloo tilted her head to the side, and I realized they were too far away to hear the tiny mare on my shoulder. I relayed her message as I walked over to the girls. When I was in front of them, I knelt down and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Listen girls, I can understand your curiosity, and wanting to prove you can do things for yourselves, but things like potion-making are dangerous if you don't know what you're doing… what if that potion had actually hurt Twilight instead of just making her pocket-sized?" The girls giggled, and I waited for them to stop. "Look; I appreciate you girls taking the initiative to learn something on your own, but I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise me that if it's something dangerous like this, that you'll get someone that knows what they're doing to help you."

Both girls looked down at the floor in shame. "We're sorry Daddy, I promise I'll ask for somepony's help if I don't know how to do something."

Scootaloo repeated her words, more or less, and I stood up, satisfied. "Good. Now, we need you to show us exactly what you did to make that potion so we can make an antidote." Twilight was still only teaching me the basics of potion-making, but I did remember that much from her lessons.

The pair scampered around the library, gathering seemingly random things and spouting off instructions as they went. Luna, Twilight and I all tried our best to keep up with it all, and between the three of us, it seemed to be working. When they were finished, they stood proudly behind the bottle containing the oddly colored liquid.

I glanced over to Twilight as she sat on my shoulder, and saw her scratching her head. "I have no idea how that makes a shrinking potion! I mean, all that stuff shouldn't amount to anything more than some dirty water…"

I scratched my chin in thought. "Hmm… I know! Maybe we can catch Zecora before she leaves her hut to come to Ponyville!"

Twilight gasped on my shoulder. "Yeah! I bet Zecora can help us; she knows way more about potion-making than I do."

Luna nodded. That sounds like a good idea to me. You two go and find her, I'll mind the fillies."

I'd seen Luna handle these two before, so there was no need for me to ask her if she was up to it. I gave her a quick kiss and left the library, turning towards the Everfree as soon as I left the building. I held out my hand for Twilight to climb onto and deposited her in the pocket of my shirt before climbing out of my costume, summoning my wings as I rested it against the library. I was suddenly very glad that Rarity had taken the time to make me a set of stretchy cotton leggings to wear under the centaur outfit so I had at least some protection from its scratchier inner surfaces.

As soon as Twilight was situated, I took wing, heading for Zecora's hut at a comfortable speed, which for me as a measly thirty two kilometers per hour. That speed would see us at her hut in only a few minutes at most, so there was no real need to move faster than that. The slower speed had the added advantage of allowing us to search the town below for the striped potion-brewer as we flew, in case she'd left her hut early.

Having not spotted her along the way, I made our way to the only tree-hut in the Everfree, so far as we knew, and landed in front of the door. I knocked on the door and waited. I wasn't disappointed, as a moment later, she opened the door, looking me up and down. She was half-dressed for nightmare night, with her mane tied back in a sort of ponytail instead of up on its usual Mohawk. As I looked at her, I couldn't deny the exotic beauty she held, a beauty that I had noticed some time ago, after our very first encounter.

I pushed the thoughts from my mind and addressed her. "Happy Nightmare Night Zecora. I wish I could say I was just stopping by to tell you that, but we need your help." I motioned to my shirt pocket, where Twilight was poking her head out, holding onto the lip of the pocked with her front hooves.

Zecora looked down to the pint-sized mare in my pocket and quirked an eyebrow. "Twilight Sparkle! I don't mean to sound like a meanie, but how did you get so teeny?"

"Scootaloo and Dinky spilled some potion on me, and I don't know how to reverse it!" Twilight was yelling at the top of her lungs, but I could tell her voice would give out if she did too much of that, so I stopped her and took over explaining.

Zecora turned and walked back into her house. "If you can show me the offending potion, perhaps we can set an antidote in motion."

I reached behind me and pulled the corked bottle from my belt. "Here you go. I even wrote down how they made it."

Zecora set the bottle on a table and read the instructions. "Hmm… I have never before seen this; according to these instructions, this potion should be a miss…"

I quirked an eyebrow and stepped closer as she started examining the potion. "What do you mean 'a miss'?"

"This 'potion' should never have worked, but it would seem that it did, by some strange quirk."

I looked at the strangely colored fluid and tapped on the bottle containing it. "So… do you think you can fix it?"

She regarded the bottle as well and sighed. "I will need time to study this strange brew… with any luck, I can figure it out in an hour or two." She turned to me and smiled. "You are welcome to stay if you wish; or, you could return to Ponyville and sample a festive dish."

I shook my head and took a seat. "Nah. With a skilled mare like you on the job, I don't think it'll take that long. Besides, this will save you from having to track us down later. Not only that, it's been almost a week since we had tea together, and I think it's about time for a visit."

A smile creases Zecora's lips as she starts examining the mysterious potion. "You, my friend, are far too kind. Please, feel free to sit back and unwind."

I made myself comfortable on Zecora's small sofa, which was little more than a large chair to me, and placed Twilight back on my shoulder. "So… I should probably tell you this now… Something happened while Luna and I were in the forest today."

Twilight's tiny ears perked up. "What happened? Are you two ok?"

I gave her a slight nod, trying not to rock her around too much. "Yeah, we're fine. Listen, I don't want to beat around the bush, so I'll just say it; Luna and I found a half-dead changeling near where the Kokello camp had been, and I brought it back here to nurse it back to health."

Twilight's eyes went wide with shock. "You what?! Blake! Why would you do that?! Do you know how dangerous they are?"

I sighed. "Yeah… I got pretty much the same reaction from Luna, but I eventually got her to see things my way. I need your help convincing the others too. She's no danger Twilight; she was freezing cold and starving to death when I found her. Now, I don't know about you, but I wasn't about to let someone die like that when I could do something to help them."

Twilight struggled for words for some time. Eventually, she sighed and slumped to her flank. "You're right… it would have been cruel to leave somepony out there like that… but, what do you plan to do with her when she's all better, and why was she out there in the first place?"

"I'm not really sure Twi… she can't go back to her hive; the reason she was out there to begin with was because her 'Queen'… and I use the term loosely… left her there because she thought she was useless. She found the Kokello, and lived with them for awhile, but she there was so little for her to feed on that she nearly starved anyway. I… I think she was disguised as that mare that served us breakfast and helped me get you into those blankets so I could carry you home."

Twilight quirked her head to the side. "What do you mean she was with the Kokello? Did they kick her out of the tribe or something?"

I shook my head gently. "No… it was the weirdest thing; when we got to where the camp had been, all we found were the packs and a weird note that Wanate had written talking about how they were only waiting for me to return, and that they went off to join their ancestors after we left. I still have the letter at home, so you can read it later if you don't believe me."

The two of us waited around for some time as Zecora did her best to deduce the cause of the should-have-been failed potion while Twilight asked me question after question about the changeling and the Kokello's mysterious disappearance. Unfortunately, I didn't have many answers for her.

"Ah! I believe I have discovered the correct antidote! Don't worry Twilight, I wouldn't get your goat."