Changeling
Hey guys! Sorry this took so long, but I haven't been particularly organised recently. This chapter is hopefully a lot more clear and has far better pacing!
With thanks to BlackRoseRaven for god-like editting. Any flaws are my fault and not his, be more than happy to point problems out!
Gliding between the trees, the small body of the disguised Changeling - in the shape of a Pegasus mare - needed to contribute little effort: the forest was not dense and the snarly branches were few and far between.
It finally reached the clearing at the edge of the forest, and Coltsdale. Thankfully for it, the tavern Cinnamon had described in his rushed attempt to help was at the close edge of the thatched roof village. She (as it was a she, now) made her way towards the tavern, trying her best not to look like she was trotting gingerly. Her attempts were unneeded. As it was night, she saw very few ponies, save the ones that stumbled in and out of the tavern, either wanting more cider or risking their lives trying to keep it down.
She opened the door to be welcomed by a surprisingly homely, calm tavern. It was in no way quiet or peaceful, but it was hardly rowdy or destructive. The disguised Changeling made her way to the bar, and sat herself awkwardly on the - once again, surprisingly - comfortable barstool. The bar pony was a rather muscular dark blue Pegasus with a night black, scruffy mane. Certainly a pony to fear down a dark alley, but in the warm and embracing firelight, along with his smooth voice, he seemed like an all right kind of pony. "Can I get you a drink?"
It took the Changeling a few moments to realise it was being talked to as a pony! "Er, no thank you. I'm looking for er, Cinnamon?" The Changeling-Pegasus asked, rather unsure in herself.
The bar pony roared a cheerful laugh, the kind a pony would want to join in with, for no reason. She almost did. "He's upstairs, second room on the left and close the door behind you - only ponies that work here are really allowed up there." The bar pony chuckled, "Cinnamon might actually get lucky tonight..."
The Changeling, unsure of what to make of this, just wriggled in her seat and muttered a small 'thank you' before leaving as quickly as possible for the wooden door basked in firelight toward the corner of the tavern. She quickly opened it and slammed it behind her, before ascending the short flight of stairs and approaching the specified door, and swinging it open with a quick flick of a hoof.
The reddish brown Pegasus nearly leapt out of his seat at the mare. "Are you..?" He cut his sentence short.
The Changeling closed the door behind her with a rear hoof, and returned to its pale self. "Yes."
Cinnamon sighed, relieved. "Good." He pulled out a stool and then resumed sitting on his chair. "Have a seat." The Changeling, completely ignoring the stool in front of it, sat down where she stood. "Er, okay..."
There was a tense quiet, until finally the Changeling mare broke the silence. "Why did you request that I come here?" It doesn't really seem like the kind of thing a monster hunting pony would do...
The stallion replied quickly: "You seemed like you needed help, and you don't seem like a bad pony-" There it was again, 'pony' "-and I'm not a bad person because I take monsters, I could be a force of good looking at it in a way, and besides; it runs in my blood." He swivelled on his chair slightly so it could see his cutie mark, a sword diving into a mug of Cider. "I've always loved adventure since I was a little kid, and this cutie mark was earned through trapping this Timber Wolf pup outside my school - doesn't it just scream adventurer?"
The Changeling shrugged. "Seems more to me like 'Violent Alcoholic', but you can be an adventurer if you want."
The dark crimson pony stared at the insectoid for a few seconds. "Er, yeah. Anyway, how do you know so much about ponies? You can't of learned everything from, well, eating peoples' love."
The Changeling shook its head. "We don't 'eat love'. We can use any emotion to feed ourselves, love is just the nicest tasting - like smooth sugar. Then it goes down, happiness; moodiness; anger; confusion; upset; despair." The insectoid paused. "Also, the hive has an old pony library underneath it and I was really the only Changeling to go down there, so I know more than most about ponies."
The Pegasus nodded his head, and was about to comment when they both heard a feminine pony voice: "Cinnamon, you busy?"
"Buck!" He murmured, then snapped quietly at the Changeling: "Go pony mode, quickly!" The insectoid quickly changed to its former disguise of the blue Pegasus mare, and shuffled up onto the stool. "Yeah, Ginge, lil' bit. Another time?" He said, voice heightened.
The mare, completely ignoring his statement, burst in. "Hey bro I need to borro-" The mare looked down, and the disguised Changeling looked up, their snouts almost touching as they examined each other. The mare was an earth pony, coated in bright orange and with a mane and tail that were only slightly paler, but were curly and wavy. Her eyes were a spectacle of brilliant ruby red that shone like a setting sun over an ocean horizon.
The lengthy stare was shattered with a 'hmph' from the other pony as she walked out and slammed the door on Cinnamon's sentence. "Ginger, wai-" He sighed and facehoofed. "That filly…" He turned to the disguised Changeling. "She's my step sister, don't mind her. Anyway… surely you aren't you the only one that spends time in the library?"
The Changeling remained in her disguise and still stayed mounted on the stool, in a more relaxed manner now that the imposing pony had gone. "I'm not particularly liked amongst Changelings, being an albino and al-"
"Oh, that's why you're white? Why does your appearance matter anyway, surely you could just turn into a nor-er, black Changeling?"
The imposter mare nodded. "Yes, but that's frowned upon inside the hive. That, along with being an Omega means that any chance of returning to the hive was thrown out of the window when I didn't return with my squadron."
Cinnamon paused for a moment. "Omega? Like wolves?"
Once again she nodded. "You ponies really have no idea how complex our hive-pack-monarchy structure is. Too complicated to explain now, so don't even ask." They both sat there quietly. Another long, awkward silence lasted what felt like…what, five hours? "So, how do you intend to help me? This was your idea, after all."
The brown pony shrugged. "I honestly have no clue, but I couldn't leave you there in that state. You can sleep here tonight, do you ponies-never mind, just stay in the room at the far end of the corridor, right side. Stay disguised as-" He took in the mare's body, "-her." With that, the mimicked pony walked out the room and closed the door gently behind her.
After a short while of staring at the door, Cinnamon was about to return to his work when the door opened yet again. "So…Cinnamon Dust, who was that?"
"Ugh, buck off Ginger Nut, I'm not in the mood for talking." He said sternly.
"You're not in the mood? You seemed to be talking to her quite a lot."
"Because she's not as annoying as you are, step sis."
"Yeah, well, at least I don't let strangers into our house."
"Ginge, our house is a tavern, it's full of strangers every night."
"Not the upper floor, that's for family and Storm Chaser only!"
He sighed, exasperated. "Ginge, don-"
She interjected swiftly and brutally, not containing her voice or withholding her noise. "No, no, no! You're not gonna 'Ginge' me! Listen, Dusty-"
He snapped. "Don't call me Dusty! And this house is for who I bloody well want it to be for, Ginger Nut!" He shouted. "Apart from Uncle, I'm the only one who owns this damn place! And is he here? NO! So shut your bloody jealous mouth and get out of my room before I kick you out!" His face was red in anger. Hers was red in embarrassment. "Upstairs isn't for family, it isn't even for employees - Storm Chaser works for the weather team, he only covers as a bar pony part time, you know that! It's for who I bloody well want it to be! Storm Chaser's allowed upstairs because he's my friend! That mare's my friend so she's allowed up here as well; no bloody questions, got it?!"
"I ain't jeal-"
"I don't care, lil' sis. Shut up and get out of my room, before I get more angry or you look more stupid."
With that, as well as a few tears in her eyes, she left the room, knowing arguing would be futile. "Yes, boss." She only called him 'boss' when she was upset.
He calmed down, and leaned back on his chair. Perhaps I was a little too harsh; maybe I'd better say sorry. Tomorrow. Or the next day. He played with an empty cider mug while he thought. I hope she doesn't tell Uncle or Raisin Rum, that'd cause hay.
He got up and traversed to his bed (on the tips of his hooves, as not to disturb Ginger's sulking), and slipped into the covers of the bed. I hope this doesn't give me nightmares.
Sup? Enjoy that? I hope so!
