Changelings Rise, Chapter II: Ponyville

You rouse from sleep and crack open an eye. You're in a forest clearing, one of several in the Everfree that you had chosen as a place to sleep for the night.

You had slept camouflaged and in a bush. Even though you were miles from Ponyville, and ponies rarely came in the Everfree anyways, you would rather play it safe and not locked up in Canterlot in some dungeon somewhere.

This was the first time you had slept outside of your pod, you realize. That was one of the many things that were going to be different now that you no longer lived in the hive.

Cyrene is probably in Ponyville right now, getting things in the clear before you go to join her. Abdiesus could be doing anything right now, for all you know. You hope Damian is failing at whatever he's doing.

 

You'd like a snack, but you don't think it's likely that you'll eat today. (Hunger Level: 10.)

 

You would have to head into Ponyville in a few days. You figure now would be a good time as ever to start practicing on your form.

You close your eyes and start shifting through various disguises. That's when you realize you... didn't actually plan a disguise.

Were you going to be a mare? A stallion?

White coat, pink coat, brown coat, and what mane style? Any accessories?

You sit down on your haunches and think. Better start from the basics.

Mare or stallion?

 

It's a tough decision. You'd probably be more accepted as a mare, but you were more used to being a stallion. You decide that, in the end, you'll go with mare.

 

Just in case, after you've mastered your mare disguise, you'll work on a stallion as a backup.

 

You close your eyes again and concentrate. A mare appears in your head, and you fuss around with her until she's in a shape you like.

Now we need a species. Earth pony? Pegasus? Unicorn?

 

You apply a pair of wings to your mare. You think it's a good decision, because you can at least fly without crashing and you weren't going to try any magic any time soon.

 

But you'll still need a name and cutie mark.

 

You apply a lime green color to the coat and add a medium length blonde and white mane and tail. You finish it off with a pair of sparkling pink eyes and a cutie mark of a perfume bottle with a snow drop in front of it.

As for a name, you think Snow Drop will do fine.

 

You finish off your disguise and concentrate on it for a few hours, nailing on every single detail. You now know this mare like the holes in your hoof, and you commit her to memory.

 

You can now turn into Snow Drop instantly without any flaws!

 

You open your eyes and peek towards the sky. It's about noon now.

 

You apply your disguise.

It feels a little strange, being in a mare's body, but you've done it before. The spot in between your legs is always the weirdest part. Your mare disguise is about the same size as your changeling form, and you figure you can probably find ways to hint Cyrene off about your new identity, especially if she's looking for you.

You find a nearby puddle and look into its reflection, moving your face around and mimicking expressions of shock, fear, happiness and sadness. They all look fairly genuine. You speak a few lines to yourself and find that your voice is already adjusted to your form. You jump a little as the high pitched sounds of a mare's voice come out of your mouth.

 

Satisfied with your acting, you flap your wings and hover above the ground, looping around the clearing a few times. Turns out flying in your changeling form and your disguise isn't much different.

 

You feel confident that you can pull of your disguise fairly well. All you have to do is watch your words.

 

You camouflage and return to your new best friend, the bush. Curling up in a ball of changeling, you drift off to sleep after a long day of disguising. You can't help but feel that Loki would be proud of your disguise.

 

A few days pass, time that you mostly spent dicking around with your disguise and practicing flying. You tried practicing your spells, but you've already mastered the ones you know, and you're pretty sure you won't be able to learn new ones without Cyrene there to help you.

You figure you've given enough time for Cyrene to get ready for your arrival. You put on your best innocent mare face and head down to the southern road leading into Ponyville. You just hope Cyrene is ready.

 

You approach the town. You don't see anypony besides a single stallion going into town ahead of you. He's big and red, with orangeish hair, and has a green apple as his cutie mark.

 

You doubt that's Cyrene, though. She'd have chosen a disguise most similar to her body shape, to conserve energy. Although for all you know she could be a stallion, just as you were a mare. You realize you really should have talked it over with her the day before leaving instead of getting drunk with Abdiesus.

 

Operation "first contact" is underway. You put on your best dazzling smile and approach the stallion. You come up alongside him.

"Hello, sir!"

He nods and gives you a smile in return.

>"G'day, ma'am. Can ah help you with anythin'?"

You nod in as sweet a manner is possible.

"Yes, actually. I'm new in town, but I think someone got here ahead of me and they ought to be looking for me. Do you know if anyone else is new here? They would have arrived a few days ago."

He shrugs apologetically and gestures to the cart he's dragging behind him.

>"Sorry, ma'am, but I'm just coming into town for the first time in a few days m'self. Got some apples to sell. But I wouldn't mind if you wanted the tour of the town after I've gone and dropped these off. We'll see if we can't find yer friend. Name's Macintosh, by the way. Big Macintosh. You can call me Big Mac if ya want."

 

"That would be wonderful, Big Mac. Thank you."

>"Eeyup."

You head into town together. Big Mac sets up shop in the middle of town, by the town square, and sells a decent number of apples. There are plenty of ponies around, but you don't know which ones are normals and which ones are new. Any one of them could be Cyrene.

You can make a safe guess that none of the ponies who bought apples were her, though, being that changelings don't need to eat food. There were at least a few dozen customers, and Big Mac's cart was almost empty. Around noon, he closed up shop.

>"That's about all we're gonna sell today, I reckon. How's about that tour of the town?"

"Yes, please. That would be wonderful. Please tell me if you see anypony who looks new, though, I might need help finding my friend."

>"Sure thing, ma'am. Is it a mare or a stallion?"

 

"Uh, I'm not sure, actually! I've never met them before. We've been pen pals for a while, and neither of us thought to mention that. They kind of seemed friendly enough to be a mare, though."

>"Aw, idn't that sweet. Alrighty then, I'll keep my eyes out."

Bullet dodged. That was closer than you would have liked. The two of you REALLY could have thought this through more.

You trot around town with Big Mac. He shows you around the place, pointing out the town hall, Sugarcube Corner, the Library, Rarity's Boutique, and a few more landmarks. You're nearing the end of the tour when Big Mac pulls your attention to a pony.

>"Now there's a pretty face I don't think I've seen 'round town before. The white one, not the pink one."

He's pointing to a pair of mares standing in the middle of the street. One of them has a fluffly pink mane and tale. She's bouncing around the other mare, a pearl-white unicorn with a golden blonde mane, in an excited manner. You could instantly tell the unicorn was Cyrene. She had told you that's what she had always wanted to look like if she was a pony instead of a changeling, and had even shown you a few times. Only when she was drunk, of course.

Cyrene looks tired. She looks like she's been put through a lot of horseshit today.

>"Well, I reckon I oughta be headin' back to Sweet Apple Acres. You better come for a visit, if you're stayin!"

You wave Big Mac goodbye and turn to the two mares.

 

You approach with the two mares with your practiced smile.

"Hello! I'm led to believe you're new here. You wouldn't happen to be my pen pal, would you? I believe we sent letters anonymously."

You stress the last word extra hard. Cyrene gives a smirk, obviously catching on. The pink pony's eyes widen and she inhales deep enough to suck in an ocean.

>PP:"Oh my gosh, are you new too!? There are two new ponies here today and no one even told me?!"

She pounces on you in a hug.

>C:"Pinkie, lay offa her, will ya? She only just got here. Besides, I don't even know my best friend's name yet."

Pinkie's brain seemed to collapse on itself.

>PP:"Wow, that's crazy! You guys are best friends and you don't even know each other's names!"

You interrupt her before she has a chance to talk again. "It's, uh, Snow Drop. And yours?"

>C:"It's Marigold. And it's a pleasure to finally be meeting you, Snow Drop."

Pinkie looks like she's about to explode.

>PP:"Oh, that's so awesome! I love watching people make friends. We should be friends! I'm friends with every single pony in town. We should..."

She goes on and on for a few minutes before "Marigold" taps you on the arm and pulls you aside. She begins to whisper with you in private.

>C:"Snow Drop? A mare?"

She's snickering.

"I thought people would drop their guards easier."

>C:"Ah, maybe. But you know I'm never going to let you live this down."

"Shut up. Do we have plans for where we're staying tonight?"

>C:"Yeah. Fuzzbrain over there is kind enough to let us stay at Diabetes Corner until we have a place to stay. We can talk about our plans tonight."

You nod. Pinkie Pie realizes she's alone talking to herself and comes to join the circle.

>PP:"So this is the friend you were talking about? You guys can share a room at Sugarcube Corner just fine! You two are the cutest couple."

Both Cyrene and yourself widen your eyes.

>C:"Oh, no. We-

"We are NOT. Definitely not."

>C:"Nope. Not a couple."

"Just... friends. Good friends. That haven't met."

>C:"Right."

Pinkie Pie gives you both a weird stare.

>PP:"Oooookie Dokie Loki! Whatever you say. C'mon! Follow me, I'll show you guys to your room!"

You both follow Pinkie Pie to Sugarcube Corner. She leads you up the stairs and into your guest room. You sigh when you see there's only one bed. Because you know you aren't the one who's going to get it.

Cyrene pretends not to notice.

"Very spacious. Thank you, Pinkie Pie, this will do nicely."

After about 30 different versions of "you're welcome", Pinkie finally leaves the both of you alone. As soon as she's out the door, Cyrene speaks.

>C:"You would not BELIEVE how much that mare talks. Non stop. All day. For the past 3 days. Anyways. You have any plans? How are we going to get ourselves situated?"

 

You shrug.

"Nothing specific. I was thinking maybe we go get jobs, see if properties are for rent. We could stay here for a while while we scrape up bits, if Pinkie will let us."

Cyrene rolls her eyes.

>C:"Pinkie's a pushover. She'll let us stay as long as we want. But that sounds like a plan."

"Good. We'll start tomorrow, then."

You both sit in silence for a few minutes. Like you expected, she's already claimed the bed.

 

"This floor isn't very comfortable. Could I maybe share the bed?"

She shrugs.

>"Sure, whatever. Come on up."

You crawl in bed next to her and lie down.

"So. Do you think I look cute? I mean, for a mare."

She gives you a weird look.

>"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, like... if you were a stallion..."

>"Which I'm not."

"Yes, which you're not. But if you were."

>"I'm a changeling. I feed off of love. Pretty sure I have a different outlook on what counts as attractive or not."

"Well obviously you have SOME sense about it. I mean, you chose that form."

She gives you a critical glance with her eye.

>"Are you saying you find this form attractive?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I find all your forms attractive."

 

Wait.

Wait did you really just say that?

 

"Uh... not to say... that I've been staring or any-"

>"Just be quiet."

"Okay."

 

You change the subject quickly.

"Do you know where I can learn anything about alchemy? In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have used it for my cutie mark."

>"We can hit the library tomorrow. Just be careful, that's where Twilight spends her time. And before you ask, yes, THAT Twilight. The one that was at Canterlot. She could strip our disguises in an instant. Don't drop your act for a moment."

 

"Right. Also, I would recommend we don't talk out of character until we have our own place. Just in case. Or at least only when it's REALLY important."

>"Fair enough."

 

You both say goodnight and pull up the blanket, going to sleep almost immediately.

 

Several hours pass, and the sun is back up. You're awoken by the sound of birds chirping outside and the sunlight filtering in through the window.

Combined with some obnoxiously loud snoring.

You crack open an eye and see Cyrene, deep asleep with soft, deep breaths.

You have to admit, she looks pretty adorable with her mouth slightly open and her stomach rising up and down with the steady breathing.

 

You don't feel an overwhelming urge to get out of the warm bed, so you sit in silence while you go through your thoughts

 

You decide your top priorities are to learn some alchemy and get a job.

It's 7:00, the time you always wake up, and you don't want to waste any time. You leave the scene of "Marigold" on the bed and head downstairs.

Pinkie is already waiting for you. You would be annoyed if she hadn't made pancakes.

Instead you're just a little depressed because you know you won't be able to taste them.

"Hello, Pinkie. You're up early."

She snorts and ruffles your mane.

>P:"No, silly, I always get up at 5. Got to burn off all that extra energy!"

"Yes. I'm sure you... never have a shortage of that. Pancakes?"

>P:" Pancakes! For you and your lovely marefriend!"

"She's not my marefriend. Really."

>P:"Oh, you don't have to play the denial card. I peaked in early this morning and saw you two all snuggled up in the bed together!"

She squees happily.

>P:"You guys are so cute. Oh, I hope you don't mind me doing that, do you?"

"Yes, actually, I do mind. Thank you for the room and the breakfast, but... please allow me and my friend-"

>P:"Marefriend.~"

"FRIEND. Please allow us some privacy."

>P:"Okie dokie Loki! No problem."

She ruffles your mane again and heads out the door.

You grab a pancake and force it down. It tastes awful, but it's important to keep up appearances. Cyrene joins you a few moments later and partakes in her own breakfast. The two of you exchange small talk before heading out.

 

The walk to the library is short. You follow Cyrene in through the door.

>C: "Hello? Anyone here?"

>TS: "Coming!~"

Twilight appears before you with a book levitating next to her.

>TS: "May I help you two girls? Anything you need?"

>C: "Well, my friend here is an alchemist that needs some brushing up on her skills. I could use a nice entertaining read while she does that, though."

Twilight looks at you and smiles wide.

>TS: "Scholars of all kinds are welcome in my library! SPIKE! Show this young mare to the fiction section."

A tiny purple dragon rounds the corner and points the way.

>S: "Right over here, miss. Might I add you are looking stunning today..."

Twilight watches them go with a smile.

>TS: "Oh, Spike is really working on those manners like I told him. Oh, and, you may follow me. I'll show you the alchemy section!"

You follow Twilight and make small talk with her.

>TS: So, what is your specialty? Mixtures? Chemistry? Medicines?"

"Uh, perfumes, actually."

>TS: "... oh! That's... quaint!"

You have a feeling that if you were really the pony you were pretending to be you would be offended.

>TS: "Well, if you ever need to talk to someone about alchemy, I would go to Zecora. She's a zebra who lives in the Everfree forest. I'm sure she could point you in the direction of some helpful herbs!"

 

Twilight leaves you to your studies. You learn a thing or two about basic alchemy. Nothing related to perfume, but it's a start.

 

Before you go, you have one last thing to ask of Twilight. You call for her and she arrives instantly.

"Could you please instruct me to Zecora's house? I could really use all the help I can get with alchemy."

>TS: "Sure!"

Twilight gives you directions and you take them to memory. You visit Cyrene in the fiction section.

"What are you readin'?"

She slams it shut and levitates it underneath a pile of books.

>C: "Nothing, nothing.Why? What is it?"

"Just... just wanted to let you know I'm going to head over to Zecora's shack right now. She's a zebra in the Everfree, apparently she knows a thing or two about alchemy. Seriously, what were you reading?"

>C: "It doesn't matter."

"Whatever. Also, do you know how to do that brainwashing thing?"

>C: "... the... brainwashing thing."

"You know what I'm talking about."

>C: "Yes, Enthrallment. But I'm just having trouble comprehending how bad at magic you are that you have to refer to Enthrallment as 'the brainwashing thing'."

"Whatever. Can you do it?"

>C: "Of course. Why, you want to bag the zebra?"

"I think it could be helpful."

>C: "We'll see who else there is first. Can only have one at a time, after all. But it's open."

You knock over the pile of books on your way out and get a look at the book she was reading.

"Fifty Shades of Hay".

You sigh and trot out the door.

 

The flight to Zecora's shack is short 'n sweet. You knock on the door, but there's no response.

 

You knock on the door one more time just to be sure. There's still no response.

You try the knob and find the door is unlocked.

You push it open and trot inside.

 

Zecora's cottage is rather damp. It has a certain musk about it as well, as if countless different vapors drifted out of their pots and cauldrons and never really left.

 

You squint in the poor lighting. It's obvious she's not home, but you can't really tell how long she's been gone.

The house is furnished with various things from some kind of culture you don't recognize. Among the clutter is a straw bed and masks all along the walls. Ignoring them, you train your eyes for anything of interest.

You see a table covered in pots. A slight green glow is coming from one of them.

There's a pile of books in the corner. They might have something pertaining to alchemy, which is what you're here for anyways.

There's a small cabinet as well.

There's a closet against set in the wall, but it looks locked.

You figure you have a bit of time before Zecora comes back.

 

You approach the pots and peer inside the one with the green glow. The glow seems to be coming from the liquid inside, some sort of barely-liquid sludge that's swirling around the pot on its own. You notice there's a book behind the pot that you didn't see before, and it's already open to a page. You pull it over and examine the page in use, evident from the fold in the corner.

It's instructions on how to make "Talent Brew". There's a list of ingredients, the main one being poison joke. Apparently, the potion is meant to be imbibed by 2 or more ponies. The magic in the brew will then switch the special talents of the ponies around until no one has their own. The affect only lasts a few hours, though, depending on the amount of poison joke. Too much poison joke would oversaturate it, however, and cause the solution to just apply the affects of the flower instead.

You figure that must be what's currently brewing.

 

You put the book back where you found it and head back outside. As much as you would love to inspect the shack a little more, you think you've risked enough time in there. Zecora could be back any moment.

Your predictions turn out out to be true. After a few minutes of standing outside the door, you hear a rustling in the foliage behind you. You turn to see a zebra enter the clearing with a basket in her mouth, full of herbs from the forest. You're going to go ahead and assume this is Zecora. You call out to her.

"Hello! Are you Zecora? My name is Snow Drop."

You extend a hoof and Zecora shakes it, taking a second to remove the basket from her mouth and placing it on the ground.

>"Greetings, Snow Drop, I am indeed Zecora. I am the local expert on magical flora."

You nod excitedly.

"That's what I've been told! I'm not from around here, but back in my home town I was really good at making perfumes. I always wanted to extend into other areas of alchemy. You wouldn't be able to help me with that, would you?"

>"Certainly, my dear, I am always willing, to help little fillies who's enthusiasm is welling!"

Was she...

>"Follow me into my abode, to be a poor host my mother always forebode."

Yes, she was. She was rhyming every sentence.

You don't even stop to ask why as you follow her inside. Every single pony in this town is crazy, you decide.

You express interest in the glowing green gloop, and Zecora is more than happy to elaborate on it.

>Z: "That would be Talent Brew, a potion similar to very few. One must be wary when working with poison joke, as the flower has a habit of making fools of ponyfolk."

You go over some of the details of the brew and you learn a lot about it. You also learn a thing or two about alchemy. Zecora shows you a map of the Everfree forest that she's made, with specific spots for herbs and other ingredients marked in red.

You can't take the map, but your supernatural changeling memory allows you to memorize it perfectly, just like any disguise.

With Zecora's guidance, you flip through some of her beginner's books, some of which she's kind enough to let you borrow. You put them in your saddlebag to read later.

You spend the next few hours working the basics of alchemy with Zecora, who is probably the best teacher you could have asked for. You now know as much as any rookie alchemist in Canterlot might know.

 

The sun is straight up in the sky, signalling noon. You would love to spend the rest of your day learning from Zecora, but you can't help but feel like you should be doing something else today as well.

 

You say goodbye to Zecora and step outside, unfurling your wings and heading back to town. You find Cyrene as you fly over the park. She's laying on a bench, making small talk with a brown pegasus stallion.

You swoop down and land next to them.

"Hello, Marigold. Who's this?"

>C: "Oh, Snow Drop! This is my new friend, Steamer. Mr. Steamer owns a boat, don't you, Mr. Steamer?"

Steamer bows to you.

>S: "Yes'm, I sure do! O'l Clara Belle's been going up and down the rivers of Equestria for years. Used to be a tugboat over at Horseshoe Bay before I turned her into a river ferry."

You blow him off immediately.

"That's nice. Mari, did you get any leads on a job?"

>C: "A job? No, I was waiting for you to get back before we started on that. You know where we're staying, Mr. Steamer! Make sure to get back to me sometime, I'd love to hear about your adventures on the Clara Belle."

The both of you wave goodbye to Steamer and head down to the town hall, where the job listings are.

>C: "Thanks for interrupting that, genius. I was planning on making him my first meal. Pretty sure that'll still happen, though, boy's completely smitten by me. Which reminds me, you're probably as hungry as I am. Do you have a meal in mind?"

"Nope."

>C: "Well, I'm sure you'll get a few desperate suitors tomorrow anyways. It's Hearts and Hooves Day."

 

You arrive at the job listings.

There's any job you could want in Ponyville.

 

You point out the tow vacant positions at the spa. Cyrene smiles.

>C: "Yes, that'll be perfect. Little snacks all day and some money on the side! Fantastic."

Cyrene tears the poster down and pockets it. The two of you head down to the spa together.

Cyrene leads the both of you. A light blue pony with a pink mane sits behind the counter. She greets you as you walk in.

>LB: "Bienvenue, madams! How may I be of assistance?"

Cyrene pulls out the poster and does the talking for you.

>C: "My friend and I were wondering if we could apply for a job here! We saw this poster in the square."

>LB: ", Oh, bien sûr! Aloe! We have applicants!"

A second pony, presumably a color-swapped sister of the other pony, appeared from behind the counter.

>A: "Oh, merveilleux! I am Aloe, and this is Lotus Blossom. We run the spa. Recently, we've been having more customers than usual, though, so we could use some help."

The spa twins have a sit down with Cyrene and yourself, and you're hired before the evening is over. You weren't even lying about your skills; they seemed absolutely thrilled to have you working with them that they offered to teach you both anything you needed to know about working at the spa. You think you catch Aloe staring at you in a weird way more than once during the interview.

You say goodbye and leave the spa. You start tomorrow. You're both excited.

You've got a few hours left before you should head back to Sugarcube Corner.

 

You're starting to get really hungry. You haven't eaten in a few days, and you really need to get in your game anyways. You tell Cyrene where you're going and she says she'll meet you back at Sugarcube Corner.

You take to the rooftops and scan the streets just as the sun starts to drop. There are plenty of ponies, mares and stallions, roaming the streets.

You could sit and describe them all, but you think you'd rather think up some specific traits you'd like in a feeding partner and keep an eye out.

 

You give up on feeding for the night. You're sure you'll find someone eventually.

You start on your way home. You make it about halfway there before you see a cute looking unicorn having trouble getting her bag out of a tree.

She signals you over.

You're really tired and you already planned to go to sleep, but... what's the harm of helping a nice lady, right?

You swoop down and retrieve the purse from the tree, bringing it down to her. She takes it with a heartwarming smile, and gives you a hug. You can literally taste the ridiculous amounts of love coming off of this mare.

You ask for her name.

>L: "Name's Lyra Heartstrings! And it's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

"Snow Drop. And it's equally pleasant to meet you!"

Lyra gives you her address and tells you to visit later, so she could properly thank you for the help. You say goodnight and part ways.

You make it back to your room exhausted.

It's been a long, full day. You crawl in bed next to Cyrene, who's already there reading a book.

 

You tell her about your day, starting with your journey to Zecora's shack and ending with your run-in with the mint pony. She listens intently.

>C: "You really should visit Lyra later. Sounds like a good snack."

"Planning on it. But how was your day?

>C: "Well, I met Steamer down by the river, where his boat was moored..."

Cyrene gives you an account on how she met Steamer, and their interactions together. It sounds like they really hit it off.

You sit in silence while she reads. After a few moments, she speaks.

>C: "I'm... a bit anxious."

You turn to her with concern. "What's wrong?"

>C: "It's Abdiesus. Hunting is dangerous enough as it is, but it seems so much worse when you know a friend is doing it."

You nod understandingly.

>C: "I just hope he's alright, is all. I mean, I'm sure he is. He's Abdiesus, after all, he can handle himself. I just can't help but feel tha-"

She stops mid-sentence. A horrible shudder goes down her spine.

It goes down yours as well.

You feel... horrible. Like some part of you was ripped out and left to bleed out. You look at each other and confirm that you can both feel it.

"What... what is that?"

>C: "I have no idea, but I don't like it."

You sit in silence for a few moments before the foreboding feeling diminishes. It doesn't completely go away, leaving you feeling like something is wrong at the back of your head.

The two of you go to sleep without any further words.

 

You sleep a restless night. You aren't sure what that gut wrenching feeling was last night, and neither does Cyrene. You keep it in mind, but there's really not a lot to do about it.

You roll out of bed and get the usual breakfast from the obnoxious pink puff. She notices something is wrong, but thankfully has the sense not to ask about it.

You step into the cold morning air and look around. Your first day of work starts today, and you can take any shift you want. You also wanted to stop by Lyra's house later, if you found the time, and the library and Zecora's shack are still open locations if you want to learn more about alchemy.

 

"Let's go to work, Cyrene. Wouldn't want to make a bad impression on our first day."

Cyrene nods in agreement and starts ahead of you.

"Oh, and Cyrene? Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, my special somepony."

 

The look on her face is worth the hoof jammed in your gut.

 

The spa looks closed, but when you try the door, it swings open. You trot inside to find Aloe and Lotus Blossom cleaning the place up and preparing it for customers.

 

>A: "Ah! Bienvenue, my little ponies! You ready to begin your training, yes?

>C: "Of course."

>A: "Excellent! Lotus, you take over Marigold, will you? I'll show Snow Drop how things work, yes?"

>LB: "Sounds fine, sister."

 

Aloe leads you into the back and points out various aspects of the spa. She's most interested to show you the aromatherapy rooms and the product shop, as these were the places you were probably going to spend the most time.

You can't help but feel something weird about Aloe. She always seems to stare at you when you think you aren't looking. Often times you feel like she tries extra hard on the accent, as if to sound more alluring.

You find it funny, a mare trying to seduce a changeling. There's some kind of irony there.

 

You finish the tour and meet up again with Lotus and Cyrene. Cyrene would probably get fed better than you, as her job was more centered around tending to the ponies personally with hooficures and such.

 

You say goodbye and leave your first day of work. You feel you have a grasp of it.

 

You part ways with Cyrene and pull out a book, refreshing yourself on the basics of alchemy on your way to Zecora's.

It's around noon by the time you arrive. Zecora is there to greet you, and she's even kind enough to treat you to lunch. You eat it and pretend to like it.

Zecora starts to branch out into harder alchemy now. Now that you've fully understood the basics of grinding, mixing, and testing, Zecora goes into stoichiometry and other more advanced lessons. From your session, you learn how to make a few more basic potions as a side effect. You now know how to make a few herbal remedies for basic illnesses like fevers and headaches, and one mixture that's fumes supposedly relax the subject upon inhalation. You figure these will be useful in the spa.

The sun is nearing the horizon when you leave Zecora's shack. A couple possibilities go through your head of what you could do next.

 

You arrive at the address Lyra gave you yesterday. She opens the door immediately, with a big smile on her face. She ushers you in.

As you trot with her to the dinner table, you can't help but feel as though something is off. You can't quite place it.

You take a seat across from her. She's set up a rather... lazy dinner, it looks like. The hay sandwiches look like they were hastily made and of no importance. In fact, that's all there is. Just... one hay sandwich on both of your plates.

In contrast, there's a silver candlestick on the center of the table, lit and shining bright. It adds a bit of atmosphere to the dimly lit room.

There's slow music playing from a record player in the next room, supposedly there to add to the atmosphere as well.

As she bats her eyes at you from across the table, you are already getting a light snack. You find it strange that a mare would go all out on a romantic dinner like this just because you got her purse from a tree.

You stare at each other in silence for a few minutes before she takes a bite of her sandwich. You blink and mimic her, taking a bite of your own sandwich. After she sees you've swallowed, she speaks.

>L: "Oh, please. There's no need for you to subject yourself to that garbage. The sandwich is just for show."

You pause mid-chew.

 

You suddenly realize what was so odd about yesterday. How does a purse even get into a tree in the first place, and if she was a unicorn, why didn't she just levitate it down?

Something is up. She might be on to you. You calm yourself and play it cool.

"W-what do you mean? The sandwich is fine."

>L: "I'm sure it would be, if you ate that kind of thing. But we both know that isn't what you eat, now is it?"

"Well, I mean, sandwiches aren't my FAVORITE but..."

>L: "You can stop playing dumb, the gig is obviously up. I reckon you're getting a decent sized meal as we speak anyways."

You squint your eyes and stiffen. Yes, she definitely knew. But how? You could feed off of her, meaning she wasn't a changeling. She was just an ordinary pony.

So, she knew you were a changeling. And yet, she set up this romantic dinner. To feed you.

 

You open your mouth to say something but find that your words fall apart as they exit your mouth. Your eyes start drooping as well.

You turn your attention to Lyra as you start to slump forward. She shrugs apologetically.

>L: "Oh, and sorry I had to drug your food. It was the only way."

You try and curse her as you fall out of your chair unconscious.

 

You wake up slowly. You figure it's been a few hours. As you open your eyes, you see Lyra at the other side of the room, reclining in her couch and playing her lyre. She turns and notices you, and smiles.

>L: "Hey there sleepy head! Again, sorry about the drugs. I just needed to tie you up so that you wouldn't run away, and then we could talk. You don't mind, right?"

You turn your head and look at your hooves. They're bound with rope, and tied to posts on the wall. It looks sturdy.

Another thing you notice is that your hooves are black. And have holes in them. Your disguise is gone.

>L: "Oh, yeah, and sorry about the disguise. I tried another potion I found in a book in the library. It's called 'Changelings: The Hidden Terror.' Terror is such a strong word, isn't it? I think you look pretty cute."

 

Things just got... strange.

 

You take a deep breath and calm down. If she was only guessing before, she definitely knows the truth now.

"How did you know?"

>L: "Oh, I've been watching the new ponies coming in and out of town for ages now. Pinkie makes it easy, the way she never shuts up. Also, when you're talking with Cyrene at Sugarcube Corner, it might be a good idea to close your window."

Wow. You didn't realize you were being so sloppy.

"What do you want?"

>L: "Like I said, I just want to talk. I was afraid you were going to run away, so I did this. I promise I'll let you go in a second."

"Why? Do you hate changelings?"

She raises an eyebrow.

>L: "Hate changelings? Of course not! I'm an enthusiast! I love changelings."

She shows you a large collection of books she has on the subject. There's more studies than you thought.

>L: "I've never had the chance to talk to one personally, of course, but that's just recently changed!"

"How do I know you aren't lying? How do I know you aren't going to turn me into the guards the second after I tell you what I know?"

>L: "I... guess you don't, really. I can't prove I don't want to do harm."

 

She already knows so much about you. She could have turned you in already, if she wanted to. It's possible she's telling the truth.

 

Of course, on the other hand, she could also be lying. It's quite possible she's just trying to get on your good side so she can get MORE information on you, and then she'll call the guards.

 

You decide to take her word for it.

"Fine, I trust you. It'd be easier to trust you if I wasn't, like, you know, tied up."

She squees and rushes to your side, untying you from the wall. She gives you another big hug. You are no longer hungry.

 

The two of you sit and talk until late in the evening.

"How did you even get so interested in changelings?"

>L: "Oh, well, it started back in Canterlot. I was there for the royal wedding, and Queen Chrysalis ended up using me as one of her thralls. Been fascinated with them ever since."

You're starting to wonder if there's something in enthrallment that causes ponies to never really detach from their owner or if Lyra is just naturally obsessive. You're guessing it's a little bit of both.

Lyra pulls out a list and marks off "talk to a changeling". There are a few more things on there marked "with a changeling" but she puts the list away before you can read them.

 

>L: "Well, I think I've used enough of your time. You better return home before Cyr- I mean, Marigold gets worried. And make sure to visit! I can always learn more about you guys. Never be afraid to ask me if you need help with anything! I can be a double agent!"

 

"Could I have that book you were talking about earlier? I want to know what to look out for, in case someone tries to use the techniques to spot me."

Lyra nods and gives you the book with a smile. You place it in your saddlebag and say goodbye, heading out the door.

Lyra mouths the words "double agent" again and rolls off to the side like a hyperactive secret spy, shutting the door with her magic.

You roll your eyes and head home.

 

Cyrene is waiting inside the door. The second you walk through the door, she's on you, making sure you're ok.

"Relax, Marigold, relax. I'm fine."

You trot over and slam the window shut.

>C: "Where have you been? It's been hours since you were supposed to be back!"

You explain the situation to Cyrene. She's a little taken back.

>C: "We have an... admirer? That's... strange. I wouldn't trust her so easy, though. Keep an eye on her."

The two of you crawl in bed again. You pull out the book on changelings and read through it with Cyrene. Most of the advice was obvious, but you learned a few potions and spells that the ponies would try to use against you.

 

"We still need to figure out housing. We can't stay here forever."

She nods.

>C: "While you were gone, I scoped out some places. There's a house for rent at the edge of town. We can afford it with our job, too."

"Good."

 

You sit next to each other in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you... do you think love can bloom? Even on the unseen battlefield?"

You can hear Cyrene shift her head to look at you, but you keep staring at the ceiling.

>C: "Well, I should hope so. I mean, we do want to eat after all."

"Not with our prey, Cyrene."

 

There's a long silence.

 

>C: "Anon, you know changelings can't feed off of one another."

"Who says it's about feeding?"

>C: "The hive forbids i-"

"We aren't in the hive anymore."

>C: "Anon..."

 

You both sit in another silence.

 

>C: "We should get some rest. Another big day tomorrow."

 

The next few days pass uneventfully.

Your knowledge of alchemy is extremely useful in your job, and your sweet smelling perfumes and feminine hygiene products attract tons of customers. Aloe continues to come on to you, which is a welcome snack.

 

With the money made from work, you and Cyrene finally rent out the house at the edge of town. You stay there now.

 

Zecora teaches you more and more alchemy. Your lessons are going by swiftly; you can now craft a variety of potions, poisons and brews, and know where to find the ingredients for all of them.

 

Cyrene is kind enough to help you with your magic, as well.

 

You visit with Lyra every other day. You're always welcomed with utmost enthusiasm, and she's eager to help you in any way she can. She points out flaws in your disguises and gives both you and Cyrene a constant supply of love, even though it isn't needed.

 

Everything is going exactly as you planned. The ponies all accept you, and you're getting places.

 

It's a Monday morning. You're walking to the spa to open up in the morning with Aloe. on your way there, you see something odd.

 

All the ponies in town, including Cyrene, are gathered around something in the town square.

 

You approach them to find out what's going on.

 

>An: "... and then, and THEN. I'm just sitting there, right? And this bug is about to get me? Outa fuckin' NOWHERE. Celestial guard just flies through the wall and kicks the bug in the face. KO, one shot. And I thought for sure y'all forgot about me."

 

You push through the crowd to see what the commotion is. There's some kind of bipedal creature standing in the midst of things, recounting a tale. You recognize it from... somewhere, but you can't place it.

 

You get the attention of Big Mac, who's near the front of the crowd.

"Hey, Big Mac. What's going on?"

 

>BM: "Seems as though Anonymous came riding back into town. Always did wonder where he went."

The creature continues.

>An: "Yeah, so. Changeling hive is like, completely wiped out now. Bunch of 'em ran away but the royal guard got a lot locked up in Canterlot now. Including the queen."

Your face freezes. Now you recognize this thing.

It was that creature in the pod back in the feeding room.

But he's not in the feeding room anymore.

In fact, there is no feeding room anymore.