"But Bluebeetle," she cried, "I can't leave her behind!"

Bluebeetle flared his insect wings, looming over the changeling mare as he growled, "Leave that thing, Shadowrain. Queen Crysalis has ordered us to defend Shadowhoof!"

"But-"

"NOW! Bluebeetle shouted, causing Shadowrain to jump away from the frightened changeling filly beneath her. The filly looked between her arguing parents, aqua eyes wide in curiosity.

As Bluebeetle left the room, Shadowrain looked down at her filly with remorse in her unchanging eyes. Shadowrain never thought it would be the last time she would ever see her filly. Her insect wings ruffled with hesitation as she stepped away from her filly, but the sharp crackle of Bluebeetle's voice made her run to him in terror.

The filly stayed where she was, watching her parents leave. She chirped softly, waving her front hooves in the air as she sat on the wooden floor. The thundering sounds of fighting and spells echoed outside, gradually coming closer to the house where the filly rested.

The sounds came closer and grew louder, eventually making the changeling filly cry in fear. Echoing crashes were hurting the young filly's ears. She cried and cried, crystal blue tears streaming down her black shelled cheeks, laying down on the floor and covering her ears with her hooves. The noise was becoming unbearable to the young mare's weak ears.

Just outside, a member of the Royal Guard was teleporting to the front door of each house to check for survivors, his baby blue fur and violet-and-blue striped mane shimmering in the sunlight. He heard the filly crying, and went to investigate. The shock of his find was evident on his face, lavender eyes widened in surprise.

"Hi there," he said softly, holding an armored hoof out to the small filly, "My name's Comet Burst!" He looked around the house, murmuring, "What kind of parents would just leave a young filly behind? I didn't think even Changelings would be that heartless."

With a few sniffles, the changeling filly reached out her front hooves and wrapped them around the armored hoof of the Royal Guard. The guard raised his hoof in concern, the little filly giggling softly and refusing to let go. "Hey now little foal, it's a good idea to let go." The filly smiled, cooing in reply.

Comet Burst smiled back.

The sound of other guards outside made Comet jump. With a jolt, the little filly fell to the ground. She opened her mouth to cry, but the guard hushed her quickly. "CHECK EVERY HOUSE," he heard the Captain of the Royal Guard shouting, "DESTROY EVERY CHANGELING YOU FIND! NO MATTER HOW YOUNG OR OLD!"

Comet gulped, looking down at the innocent filly in front of him. "They'll kill you if they find you," he said slowly, shifting from hoof to hoof in an anxious panic. "I can't let them kill an innocent filly." He picked up the filly in one hoof, gently laying her down in his saddle bag as he ran from the house.

His fellow Royal Guards tried to stop him to talk, but he kept on going, teleporting home once out of sight.

Comet walked up to the front door of his home, calling out, "Violet, my dear, I'm home!" Two loud squeals erupted from inside the home, followed by the hoofbeats of two fillies. The door swung open, a young colt with grey and blue speckled fur flying towards Comet at full speed. His equally colored hair waved in the breeze as he flew.

"DAD'S HOME," he shouted, wrapping his front hooves around his father. A young mare followed behind, sparks of excitement shooting fron her horn as she bounded for her father. This young mare had dark grey fur, a wavy red mane atop her head. She followed the colt's hoofsteps, wrapping her own two hooves around her father. "Hello you two," Commet said with a smile, patting each of them on the head.

A dark grey mare strode out the door, her amethyst and magenta mane curling below her ears. "Nice to see you home before dinner, Comet," she whispered, kissing the blue stallion on the cheek.

"Nice to see you too, Violet," he replied.

The young colt jumped in place, looking up at his father with beloved eyes as he asked, "Did you get all those filthy Changelings, dad? Didja?"

"Yeah dad," the colt's sister continued, "did you kick some Changeling botty?"

Comet's ears folded back in uncertainty, walking into his home as he murmured, "Well, not exactly, fillies. Come inside, I have something to show you!"

The two fillies followed their father inside, their mother close behind. "Close the door," Comet whispered slowly.

Violet obeyed, purple eyes narrowed in concern. "Is everything alright, dear?"

"I didn't exactly kick any Changeling butts," Comet explained, "I was on home-check duty to see if anyone was left." He took his saddle bags off, his armor coming with it. "Now I brought-"

The changeling foal burst from the saddle bag, shaking off and stretching before Comet could finish taking.

After a few seconds of silence, the red-maned filly lit up her horn with a spell and shouted, "KILL IT WITH FIRE!" Before chaos could ensue, Comet put a defense shield around the changeling filly to protect it.

"Not so fast, Scarlet," he said softly, stepping in between the changeling and the filly. "Please just give me a moment to explain-"

"She's so small," Violet interrupted, kneeling down and inching towards the filly changeling.

The young colt flared his wings, growling, "Mom get away from that monster!"

Comet loomed over his son, saying through gritted teeth, "That's quite enough, Marble Crush." The colt folded his ears back, looking down at his hooves in shame.

Violet held a hoof out to the changeling, the small creature inmediately wrapping her front legs around the hoof as she had Comet's soon before. The changeling creature chirped, letting off a small smile.

The changeling jumped up a bit to boop her nose against Violet's, the foal's entire body changing into the miniature version of Violet. It continued bouncing softly, not seeming to realize that she had transformed. Comet stared in surprise, stepping towards the filly only for her to jump against Comet and change again.

But the filly didn't fully change into Comet. She turned into a strange hybrid of both Violet and Comet, looking like an average filly. Comet leaned down so his face was at her level, seeming a bit shaken by the filly's appearance. Violet smiled sweetly, not obviously shaken by the way the filly appeared. "Well isn't she just adorable?" she cooed, clapping her hooves together.

Scarlet and Marble squealed in an undeniable excitement, bouncing around Comet and the filly in triumph. "Mom, dad, we have a new sister!" they shrieked.

"N-Now just hold on a second," Comet stammered, straightening himself. "Crimson, c-can I speak with you for a second?" He walked into another room, Crimson following behind.

The filly looked between Marble and Scarlet, ruffling her new wings and slowly crawling towards them before plopping down on her butt. "You need a name," Scarlet said slowly. Marble nodded in agreement, smiling at the filly.

"How about Razor Death?" Marble suggested.

Scarlet rolled her eyes, grumbling, "Be sensible you doofus. She needs a pony name if she's gonna be our sister, right?"

"Right."

"So how about... Sky Swirl?"

Comet came back into the room, smiling at Scarlet and Marble. "Sky Swirl it is," he said with a laugh. Violet trailed in behind him, the same smile on her face. With his smile beaming, Comet strolled over and picked up the filly in his hooves.

"Welcome to the family, Sky Swirl."