Ch 1 an unlikely love
Somewhere in the northeastern part of Equestria, is a changeling flying over a forest. She isn't like the more common changelings that are seen, she is a royal which is a term used for a young queen within an age range of a century, which this one is 41 years of age. She is about the size of the average pony. Her mane is short and slightly curls and lips at the ends, it has holes in it and is a bright neon green, and the rest of her body is a bright shade of black, aside from the slightly darker green chitin plating on her back. Her wings are in great condition aside from three holes at the very end of them, and her horn curves to a point, and it arches off from the tip to make another point behind it.
She is also wearing a necklace that is just a black string, with an emerald gem that has 8 sides with a different picture carved into each side.
She is flying at a fast pace and is crying. She quickly flies into the forest and hides under the roots of a very large tree. She lays down in the pit and tries to keep her cries as silent as possible. A few hours have passed, and she finally stops and tries to sleep until she hears multiple faint buzzings in the distance fly over, some land, and she immediately stiffens up in fear keeping as quiet as possible. She hears about five on the ground trotting around looking for her, she can even still hear more still in the air flying over. As she lays there she hears one get close, literally putting a hoof in the ditch before he stops when the others start screeching and flying away. She sees the one close to her turn, and then is pulled away screaming, before going silent after a loud crunch.
The royal gets up after a moment of silence and peeks out of the ditch under the tree. She see's nothing at first but then sees two dead changelings, one hanging from a brunch the other on the ground a few feet left of her. She was just about to get out until she sees a wyvern fly down with another changeling in its claws and begins eating it. She goes back into the ditch a little more and tries looking for another way out through the roots. she finds one on the other end of the ditch but looks small, but can be dug out to be bigger. She immediately begins digging out the way up. She manages to barely squeeze out, and begins walking of however she would have been unnoticed if she had not stepped on a thorn, and cried out a little in pain.
She hears the wyvern behind the tree growl and start moving towards her. She starts running but the pain in her hoof became too unbearable, so she takes flight. The second she gets out of the tree line she thinks she's safe, but the second she calms down the wyvern flies up behind her nearly catching her in its teeth.
She screams for almost a whole minute flying the fastest she had ever flown in her life, away from the wyvern. The wyvern was too fast though flying up, and diving at her, grabbing her then flying back into the air towards a mountain. She struggles for a bit to try and break free, but then gives up and hangs from the monster's grip crying. "Why... why! can my life plummet to a worse state than it is now"?
She continues crying as the wyvern flies past the forest, and over a field, full of hills. She looks up towards where the wyvern is flying, she see's something fly out of a tree, and towards the wyvern at an incredibly fast speed. Next thing she knows, she sees's a spear Pierced through the wyverns neck and feels them falling back to the ground.
She screams as the creature falls hitting the side of the hill. The royal slips from its grasp and hits the hill hard. she rolls down the hill for a second before getting her balance. She looks around to find the figure and sees a pegasus flying towards her direction. She runs off behind the tree hoping he doesn't notice her.
She looks at him from behind the tree, seeing him land, and pull his spear from the wyverns neck. He yells to someone really excited, "hey rookies get over here check out this thing I killed, I think it's a dragon but it looks different"!
She looks off into the direction he's screaming and sees two soldiers come up from behind a hill. The stallion on the left yells back, "oh my Celestia they weren't kidding about this guy"!
They begin running towards him. The royal begins to worry about what will happen when they notice her. When she looks back towards the pegasus she sees him looking at something on the ground. She notices that he is looking at a trail of her green blood, leading straight towards her most likely left from her injured hoof. The pegasus begins following the trail.
The royal begins thinking to herself in a panic, thinking of a way to get out of this. "Oh... if I try to run he'll catch me. Ok calm down I'll just quickly make myself look more pony like and- oww"! As she tries to cast her spell her horn sparks with painfull electrical charges. She looks up to see her horn has a crack. She quickly begins to panic and looks around for somewhere to run to. She decides not even thinking to run but is stopped by a voice behind her. "Hey, there"!
She stops and turns to see the stallion peering from the side of the tree with a friendly smile. "So you're the one I saw being carried by that thing. Was wondering where went, you don't have to worry it's dead. So you alright, you look like you're bleeding"?
The royal looks at the pegasus in front of her confused by the way he responds. During the time, she also gets a better look at him. The pegasus has a light brown coat, and has a much darker brown mane, and tail which has both been cut very shortly. And seems a bit more thick-bodied than the average pegasus, and his eyes are a are a very light blue. His cutie mark being a chess piece knight.
She sees him stare at her like he would anypony else. And still confused the royal looks herself over to see if she had changed her appearance at all, but sadly hasn't. "I... um-uh... uh... I-uh".
The pegasus tilts his head a bit and leans a bit towards her. "Hey, you alright there you look like you hit your, head pretty badly, cause your horns cracked"?
She continues looking at him confused and worried. "I-I'm fine, aside from this cut". She holds out her hoof, which is bleeding very badly, and the pegasus looks at it. "Hmmm... that must of hurt getting. But don't worry one of the rookies coming has a medical kit and training, so you'll be fine. Say what's your name"?
She looks at him even more confused than before. "Uh... it's Emerald. Uh... can I ask you something... why are you doing this"?
Pegasus, "do what"?
Emerald, "save, and talk to me like I'm someone you know".
The pegasus, "why would I not"?
Emerald looks at the pegasus completely dumbfounded by what he said. "because I'm a... changeling".
The pegasus looks at her interestingly. "Wait so you don't just look weird, what is a changing".
Just then the two other soldiers show up. They stop a few feet away, panting from exhaustion. One is a short unicorn, who's armor slightly doesn't fit. While the other is a very large sized earth pony. The unicorn stands straight. "Private Muddy reporting for duty general Daven sir"!
The pegasus replays back to him. "Listen Muddy you don't have to call me general, and your not on duty so stop acting like you are".
Private Muddy nearly collapse from relief and continues panting. "Oh thank you, sir"! He stands there panting for a few second before noticing Emerald. Were in a surprise he backs, up pulling out his sword with his magic, and points it towards her shivering. "C-C-C-CHANGELING"!
The other soldier sees her too, and also pulls out his sword with his mouth. Emerald backs up scared, then is again surprised by Daven, who steps in front of her. "Hey no need for that, I just saved her. Mind explaining why you're acting like a pair of scared fillies"?
Muddy responds back. "S-s-sir their magic can mess with pony's heads. I've read about it".
Daven looks at them both, then chuckles looking back at Emeralds horn. "Hee hee hee. You can do that cool. Listen muddy calm down even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to. Her Horns cracked, and she seems pretty peaceful so far. Put down the swords".
Both Muddy and the other soldier sees Emeralds horn. They put their swords away but seem just as confused as Emerald is. Daven then walks up to them. "Alright then Muddy go patch her up, and you come with me, big guy".
Muddy looks at Emerald, then back at Daven. "Sir you feeling alright"?
Daven responds back as he walks away with the other soldier. "Hmm... now that you say that, I'm actually starving, hurry up and patch her up so we can get back".
Muddy starts to walk up to Emerald very timidly. "Alright, sir".
Muddy walks up to Emerald, pulling out a medical kit from his saddle bag. "Alright show me where you got hurt". Emerald holds up her left hoof up, which hasn't stopped bleeding. He looks at it sort of grossed out, and strangely, "it looks like it's been bleeding for a while, you should have passed out from the amount of blood you're loosing". He begins bandaging the wound.
Emerald continues to look at Daven curiously. "I feel a little light headed but I'll be fine".
Muddy looks at her suspicious. "You did something to him didn't you, that's why he's doing this"!
Emerald turns, and stares at Muddy with a very intimidating look, that gets to him. "He already told you my horn is cracked, and even if it wasn't I'm not the type of pony to take advantage of somepony else after they saved my life". She looks back at Daven. "I don't know why he's just doing this".
She sees Daven walks back to them. "Hey, Muddy go help your friend drag that thing back to the mansion".
Muddy looks at the wyvern, then back at Daven hoping that he's joking. But sees by his expression that he's not. "But you're joking right. What would you need it for"?
Daven gives him a sincere smile. "I think I could give it to a museum, or just stuff it and keep it as a decoration, hmmm... or I could have it made into an awesome suit of armor, I mean look at it wouldn't you agree".
Muddy looks at the wyvern, and thinks about it for a second before he agrees that it could make a good looking suit of armor. " how are we going to get it through town, though. If ponies see this they could freak out, and this thing is still bleeding it would leave a trail of blood in the streets. Something like that would mortify someone".
Daven thinks about it for a second. "Hmmm... that is a good question. Hmm... you two go back, and get a cart or something to carry this thing in, and we'll bring it in through the back fields. I'll stay here and keep an eye on it, and her".
Emerald interrupts their conversation. "I actually think I should go". She tries to walk off but is stopped by Daven. "Hey wait, you can't go yet. At Least stay with me for a day".
Emerald is about to refuse but then remembers she is being chased, and staying with him could keep her hidden. She smiles back. "A-alright I'll stay, but only for a day".
The two soldiers run off. Leaving the two behind under the tree. They come back a half hour later with pulling a cart with them. They put the wyvern's body in the cart, and covering it with a cloth sheet, and start pulling it. On the way, Emerald talks with Daven. "Um thanks for doing this, and saving me".
Daven happily smile's back towards her"Oh, you don't have to thank me, I'll help anyone who sounds like they need it".
Emerald continues to walk alongside him until she realizes what he said. "Wait what meant by "sound" like".
"I heard you crying," Daven says back. "I also heard you say, can my life plummet worse then it is now? It sounded like you were having a bad day".
Emerald is just surprised. "You heard me"!?
Daven laughs. "Yep. What happened to you anyway"?
Emerald looks down with a blank stare and slowly starts to slowing down her pace. Eventually, she stops, now looking incredibly depressed. "... I...I don't... want to talk about it too deeply... let's just say I... can never go home".
Daven looks at her sympathetically. He walks over and puts his hoof over her shoulder. "Listen I may not know what happened or why it did. But I can tell you this. You shouldn't worry about it, it's happened and believe me sobbing about it won't change, or help it at all. The best thing you or anyone your situation can do is play whatever cards you have left the best way you can and hope things get better. And I hope they will for you".
Emerald looks at Daven. Her mood slowly getting better before she starts softly laughing to herself. "You sound just like my mother". She smiles and laughs at what Daven said a bit more before finally saying back. "Your such a strange pony"?
Daven smiles at his at her change of mood. "Ha Yeah, I get that a lot. So do you have any plans when you leave"?
Emerald stops laughing, and smiles as she continues forward. "No. but I think I can manage something. Um... do I have to leave tomorrow"?
Daven runs up beside her. "Well no you can stay as long as you like. Nobody else lives there but me, these two newbies, and a maid. But she leaves before dark,while the newbies patrol outside, so the place kinda feels... creepy when I'm the only one there, so it'll be good having someone else there".
Emerald looks down lightly smiling. "That's good. Thank you again... Wait creepy how"? She looks up curiosity.
Daven star's off a bit uneasily. "Yeah creepy as in absolute silence, you think someone's looking at you, the occasional noises in different rooms that scare the buck out of me, and this one time I heard some really loud whispering coming from under my bed, that kind of stuff". He looks back at her, to see her staring back at him a little scared. "W-what"?
Daven laughs it off hysterically. "You should see you face. Ha ha ha ha"! Emerald laughs back in relief assuming he was just joking. Until Daven suddenly stops laughing. "Yeah but really, it's terrifying I don't think I can last longer alone, and don't worry that stuff rarely happens".
Emeralds laugh starts sounding uneasy. "Ha ha ... you weren't joking"?
Daven seems to ignore her as he points to something. "There it is. Just a few more minutes till we're there".
Emerald looks off towards the direction he's pointing, to see a mansion off in the distance in a field. It looks in great condition and seems unnecessarily way too large for just one person. Eventually, they get to the mansion. Daven tells the two to go to take the dead wyvern to some place in town while he shows Emerald around.
Emerald looks around amazed by all the objects, armors, weapons, and paintings lining the walls of hallways,and rooms. "wow you got a lot of amazing things here, but this place seems a bit too large for one person".
Daven smiles as they walk around the corner to a hall with family portraits going all the way down the hall. "well this place was built for probably around 50 people". He stops at one of the portraits. "my whole family was supposed to live here, but my father is always in canterlot commanding armies while my brother's there training soldiers, there here in this painting if you want to see them".
Emerald examines the portrait she sees Daven when he was a filly, as well his brother who is a blond and white unicorn. And his father who is unicorn has a white mane, and is grayish blue, and she can tell looks like an angry person. And his mother who is white with a brown mane. "so why haven't you left to do something like your father, and brother".
Daven continues staring at the picture of his mother. "well my father, and brother didn't want me to leave because they said someone needed to watch the place, but I knew it was because they're afraid that if I showed how good I am as a general, Celestia would force my dad into early retirement, and my brother would have to listen to my commands. but really I stayed because I didn't want to leave my mom alone here. But she died about five years ago so I've just been here alone mostly, till the annual party my father throws every year".
Emerald looks at Daven remembering a similar event that had recently happened to her. "oh... i...I'm sorry".
Daven smiles back at her awkwardly. "no you don't have to be, you never knew her and it was five years ago, I'm over it now".
They continue walking down the hall. Emerald looks at all the other portraits, and sees a similarity between them all. "it looks like you come from a long line of soldiers, and generals".
Daven also looks around too. "yeah I guess it's because family honor or lineage. But it started there when this family fought alongside Celestia's father in some ancient war". He points to the final portrait in the hallway showing a mare with three fillies, with the portion that has the father ripped off, and missing.
Emerald star's at it confused. "why is the father ripped from the picture".
Daven ignores it and keeps walking. "don't know it's always been like that. I asked everyone I know, and they don't know. I even asked Celestia about it to start a conversation but she avoided the question. it's really odd but it's probably nothing". They see a unicorn with a red mane and sky blue coat walk around the corner carrying a mop and bucket. Daven yells to her. " hey Song Bird how've you been today"?!
SongBird answers back tired, and with a slight accent. "not good, I found a family of possums had found a way into the kitchen and left me with a mess to clean that took me hours. So tonight you'll be eating a salad made of what's left of the food".
Daven walks up to her. "oh food that reminds me tonight make a second meal for Emerald here".
Songbird looks behind him and sees Emerald. Her mouth opens in surprise, the bucket hovering in front of falls and the soapy water spills all over the stone floor, and all she does is stand staring at Emerald. "uh… uh".
Emerald smiles back awkwardly, as Daven realizes why she is so surprised, and cautiously tries to explain to her. "oh… um, Songbird this is Emerald, she's a… changeling. But don't worry she's safe to be around- ACK"! he screams out as Songbird hits him on the head with the mop handle as she yells at him very angrily. "what are you thinking"! hits him once more. "this could end badly in so many ways".
Daven continues to calm her down. "ow… ok um, hear me out ow… I'll pay you double for a week"! the moment after he says this, Songbird stops her attack and puts the mop down. "alright then, I can deal with this now. I'll clean this up you just think about what I said". She begins mopping the water around on the floor.
Daven walks away with Emerald as he. "I'm really sorry Songbird, really take tomorrow off if you won't".
three hours have passed and it already is getting dark. After dinner Daven takes her to one of the spare rooms. "here is the room you can stay in. Mind the dust no ponies used this room in years".
Emerald walks in looking at all the dust covered objects in the room with interest. "I don't mind it's a lot better than a ditch under a tree, I can say that. I really can't thank you enough for this".
Daven walks outside as he answers back. "well goodnight. If you need anything I'm three rooms down". He leaves, and Emerald hears him walk down the hall, then enter a room. She walks around the room looking at all the priceless objects around her. After, she washes in the bathroom, and gets in bed exhausted. "wow…. this is comfortable…. a lot better than…. the one…. I had… zzz zzz zzz". She falls asleep
After some amount of hours pass, she wakes up still very tired, to a cold chill going down her spine. "huh…. what was that".
After a second, she tries to sleep again but, begins to hear a soft whispering under the bed. Curiosity overtaking her, and being too tired to think of what could happen, she slowly looks under the bed. What she sees wakes her up immediately. Under the bed is a green and white mare laying on her side looking at her with a very crazed smile. Her whole body looks twisted with a few broken legs, and her left cheek is ripped off. The wounds look like they belong to an old dried up corpse, but the parts of her that aren't injured looks almost like she's still alive, her right eye is black, with black sludge slowly pouring out of it onto the floor.
Emerald seeing this lifts her head back up and slowly walks out of the room terrified, looking at the bed hoping she doesn't come out. She walks down the hall till she gets to Daven's room, and opens the door. "umm…. Daven"?
Daven slowly wakes up and sitting up from his bed he responds back. "Emerald?... 'yawn' what is it"?
Emerald nervously asks him. "can... I sleep here... with you"?
Daven gets shocked, and confused by her question. "huh! um… w-wait we literally just met today"!
Emerald yells back at his response angrily. "not like that you idiot! Remember what you told me before, that you heard whispering under your bed".
Daven calms down, embarrassed at what he thought. "oh… sorry… so I'm guessing you heard whispering too".
Emerald looks down the hall towards the room she was in still scared the mare would chase her. "yeah I did, and I saw what was making it. So now I really don't want to be alone right now".
Daven gets worried at what she said. "so I wasn't imagining it. um … yeah, you can sleep with me then… for tonight, though".
Emerald walks in relieved. "thanks, and sorry about this". She gets into the bed turning away from Daven who does the same thing. They both seem a bit embarrassed about this, but eventually, Daven falls asleep first. Before Emerald falls asleep she thinks to herself. "mmmm…. that salad wasn't really that feeling… well, I don't think he'd mind, and this does seem like a romantic scene, sort of. But I can't betray his trust like that". She feels the urge of hunger, come over her. "ooh… well, it doesn't effect him at all, so maybe just a little bit". Her horn weakly starts to glow a neon green, and silently sparks from the crack in her horn. The aura reaches towards Daven's eyes, and begins leading a weak energy from him to her, as she smiles pleasantly. "mmmmm…. oohh it's not that much but it tastes so good… oohh I don't think I can stop it tastes soo good". she forces herself to stop, and feeling satisfied she slowly drifts to sleep as she softly smiles. "what is this feeling, it's weird. It feels strange, yet good. well, whatever it is it's... nice".