You know what's funny? As I was writing this, there is a nasty storm outside. :O


Chapter 8: Something that goes Bump in the Night

Fluttershy was snuggled up in her bed, Angel wrapped in her arms. For some reason, he insisted on sleeping next to her that night instead of his little basket.
Angel was determined to stay near her now more than ever since that horrible Changeling was in the next room!

Another roar of thunder followed by a crack of lightning roared over Ponyville, causing Fluttershy's window to light up. The delicate Pegasus let out a weak whimper and hid underneath the covers with Angel. She didn't mind rain, it was big scary lightning storms that got her.
She hugged Angel to her more, "Don't worry little bunny. I-I'll keep you safe from the storm." She reassured. The rabbit rolled his eyes, knowing full well that his owner was the one that needed comfort from the lightning.

Suddenly another bolt lit up the room and a loud pop was heard throughout the house that made her jump nearly out of the bed.
When the fan in her dark room stopped working and the hallway light went off, she knew that the power had gone out.

Angel subconsciously snuggled up to Fluttershy. Being in a lightning storm was one thing, but being in the pitch black of the night in a house with a Changeling was something that secretly frightened the bunny! He'd never admit it though…

Fluttershy was scared, but she felt Angel shivering up against her, "Aw…it's okay Angel…" she tried to reassure, "It's just a little….terrifying…darkness. Nothing to be afraid of…nothing at all-"

She was interrupted by a loud bang come from the downstairs window. She bit her lip and kept silent, perking her ears up to listen.

She thought it was just the storm or maybe a tree branch that hit her window, but then another bang was heard. She whined a little, too scared to really move and nearly squeezing the life out of Angel. Her imagination was going wild, trying to decide what it was that was banging her window.

After a few minutes, nothing else could be heard other than the rain outside.

Fluttershy breathed in and out very slowly, trying to let her fear subside. Nothing, nothing happened. She exhaled in relief, "Whew, I guess it was just the wi-"

BANG!

She jerked so hard she nearly broke Angel at the sound of her window smashing downstairs and glass hitting the floor. For a moment, she thought that the storm had blown her window out. Until she heard the sound of movement below… Terror gripped her now. She released the gasping bunny and leaned forward on her bed, too scared to think.

Knowing that something could be in her home, she made the regretful decision to investigate the intrusion.
Telling Angel to stay put in the bed, the bunny watched with worried eyes as his owner got lit a candle on her nightstand and picked the handle up with her mouth.

She wasn't the only one who was woken by the noise, as Darkhorn was sitting up in his own bed. Fear had taken a hold of him as well, and he was sweating profusely. He heard Fluttershy's door across the hall open and the sound of little hoof trots going from there down the stairs.
He stayed put and listened intensely, waiting for some kind of disturbing noise, though he wasn't sure why he was so concerned.

He shouldn't be worrying about her well being, not at all…right?

Fluttershy crept down the stairs, her candle barely lighting the corridor with its orange hue. When she reached the floor, she looked around, squinting in the darkness to see.
From what she could make out, the living room had been ransacked. Her furniture wasn't torn or broken, but it had been tipped over and the table was flipped, scattering the pots and cages she had lying about. She could see the broken window across the room and took care to avoid the glass all over the floor. Rain was pouring though the window and getting some of her furniture wet.

The Pony could see some of the animals staying inside with her, shaking in fear by what had come across. A crash from the kitchen caused her to drip the candle, but she immediately stomped the blaze out to keep the house from going up in flames.
Now she was once again in the darkness, and the disturbance come from the kitchen became louder. Frightened beyond belief, but driven to protect her animals, she walked one step at a time towards her kitchen.

Her heart pounded as she leaned to see what was inside, and at the sight of it her heart stopped.

A large wolf that looked to be made of tree bark was digging through her refrigerator, looking for food. When he determined there was no kind of meat inside, he snapped his head around to the pony before him.
It was a Timber Wolf, a horrifying creature that she's only heard about from Granny Smith. This one must have gotten separated from his pack in the storm and was looking for something to eat. Her cabin must have been the closest shelter in sight.

The monster stared at her with glowing yellow eyes. The mare before him was meat, she was food.

When his gaze turned to that of greedy hunger, he began to stalk towards her, leaving her refrigerator ajar.

Fluttershy gave out a gasp and tried to run, but he pounced before she could.

She screamed.

Upstairs, the Changeling heard Fluttershy's familiar scream. Without thinking for a moment, he sprung from his bed and got downstairs as fast as he could.

He was confronted with a large Timber wolf that had Fluttershy's tail in his teeth, the poor pony desperately trying to break free.

For some reason, the sight enraged the Changeling. He ran at the wolf and stomped his two front hooves in the side of his face, "Let her go!"

The wolf snarled at the pain and released Fluttershy. The yellow pony ran and cowered behind him. When she was no longer trapped, Darkhorn walked backwards until he was directly in front of Fluttershy, a little scared himself. He heard the pony behind him whimper and push up against his back, scared out of her mind at the creature before them.
He glanced at the mare behind him with pity. She was afraid, she was vulnerable, and one thing became clear in a millisecond.

He didn't want her to get hurt.

Making up his mind, the disguised Changeling stood protectively in front of her and glared at the monster, releasing his own snarl from his chest.
The snarl caused Fluttershy to shiver. She'd never heard a pony make that kind of noise before.

The Timber wolf looked down at the Alicorn, but knew that he didn't smell like a pony. He didn't know what the Alicorn was, but he realized not only was the pony food but he was an obstacle from his original prey, a rival. This caused his instincts of fighting with males to take over and he began to circle him.
The Changeling circled him as well, also having dealt with rival Changelings back at the nest.

As they circled each other, Fluttershy was terrified. She didn't want Darkhorn to get hurt, but what could she do?

At once, the wolf pounced on Darkhorn, trying to pin him, but the Changeling was experienced with wresting others and managed to roll the much larger wolf over so he was on top. They began biting and scratching at each other, rolling around and making a mess. The only light that let Fluttershy know what was happening was the flashing white light that came from the lightning outside.
Fluttershy could only watch the carnage as Darkhorn was fighting back with all his might, but he was still weak from the head injury and starvation. The Alicorn bit into the wolf's arm to try and paralyze him, but to his horror he realized the monster was literately made of wood! Magic must have been what made them alive.

This gave the Timber wolf the upper advantage as he pinned Darkhorn to the ground this time. As the Alicorn struggled, the wolf's claws cause him to gash himself on his shoulder, just above his left wing.

The Changeling screeched as his blood spilled on the floor and was starting to stain it. The animals still in the room cried out and cowered and Angel at the top of the stairs also felt helpless at the scene in front of him. He hated the Changeling, but he was trying to protect Fluttershy, wasn't he? Why would he do that?

Darkhorn, despite the pain erupting from his shoulder, continued to fight back as he had only hooves to defend himself against teeth and claws. He knew the wooden floor he was fighting on was getting wet with his blood, but he paid no attention as his survival instincts took over.
Finding his footing, he managed to put his back hooves against the wolf's stomach, and used what strength he had to kick him off. The force propelled the creature through the air and back out through another window, shattering it.
The Changeling wasted no time, hopping to his feet and out the window to continue fighting the animal off.

Fluttershy was frantically trying to figure out what to do, racking her brain for anything that could help Darkhorn. An idea struck her that she could have just kicked herself for not considering before.

She ran to another side of the room and pulled her oil lamp from the ceiling. Quickly lighting it, she ran to the new broken window and saw Darkhorn continuing to struggle against the monster in the mud.

She called over the storm to him, "Darkhorn! The Timber Wolves are afraid of fire!"

She didn't like the idea of having to scare an animal, but she wasn't stupid. This one was dangerous and it was going to kill them if they didn't fight back.
Fluttershy threw the lamp down to him, it miraculously not breaking or going out. Amidst the fighting, Darkhorn had heard everything she said and looked to the lamp next to him, the little ember barely flickering.

In one desperate move, he swung his hoof down and shattered the lamp. The flame barely lit to the wet grass, but in some kind of miracle it ignited small fire next to them. Upon seeing the blaze, the Timber wolf gave out a howl of fear and jumped off of Darkhorn, cowering from the fire.

Darkhorn pulled his weak form to his feet, but tried to look intimidating. He had to make sure he wouldn't attack Fluttershy again.

"Go away, and don't you dare come back…" he snarled at him, allowing his true eyes to show in his disguise, those pupil-less blue orbs. The wolf was frightened by his horrifying gaze and the dark silhouette the fire was making behind him, "If you come back and harm that Pegasus, I swear I'll hunt you down and light you up faster than a pine tree! Now get!"

He snapped his teeth at the wolf, to which the monster fled back deep into the woods, leaving nothing but the rain behind.

Darkhorn's eyes became their disguised self and he slumped down into the mud, exhausted and hurt. Blood was still pouring from his wound and mixing with the dirt. Though his real blood was green, his disguise was inside and out, giving him red pony blood instead of green Changeling blood.

The fire behind him died in the rain as soon as it was lit, leaving burnt grass behind.

Bleeding, but alive, the Alicorn limped in through her front door.
As soon as he had gotten out of the rain, he grunted at a yellow mare colliding into him, "Darkhorn! You're okay!"

He had to keep from gasping in pain. His whole body was sore, not just his shoulder, as it turns out.

He was wet, bloody, and covered in mud, his blue hair matted to the side, but Fluttershy didn't care as she leaned against him.
Her shoulder and wing was pressed against his chest and her head was under his chin, "I-I was so scared! I thought that you were going to-to…" her voice was drowned by small sobs.

When it registered that she was basically cuddling up to him, she flinched back away, sitting there, "I-I…" tears flowed down her cheeks and she hid her face, blushing slightly, "S-sorry…"

He looked down at her, in shock.

The Changeling had come there to originally drain her into a husk, but that night he had just saved her life. Heck, in some ways she might have saved his…

He looked down to her ruffled pink mane; how part of her pale yellow fur had been stained with mud and blood from his body. She didn't even know him that well, yet she had taken him in when he had gotten hurt and was concerned for his safety as he fought the wolf.

She really was a caring pony, and the fact that someone cares for him, a Changeling of all creatures, so much really touched something within him. Something deep within his heart relished in the concern and it wasn't because it would sate his hunger.

He…enjoyed the good feeling.

Then that feeling vanished when he looked down to her arm.
The bandage was no longer on it and was hanging loosely by her hoof, shaken off when she was attacked no doubt. He could see, even in the darkness, the deep gashes and stitches from his own tooth marks left on it. It was still healing after days, and the sight of what he had done made his heart sink for an unknown reason. He was deep in gratitude for her saving his life.

They were both silent for what seemed like forever.

Fluttershy was about to ask him of his wounds when she felt something tug at her.

Before she could look up, she was pulled back into her original position against him. She shivered as one of his forelegs wrapped across her body and held her closer against him, his chin resting on her head once more.

She heard him barely whisper a gentle, "Thank you…"

Fluttershy felt her face grow hot, but instead of pulling away, she leaned more against him, relishing in the new found safety he gave her. Without intending to, she let her tears flow again and she shook in small tremors against him.

The Changeling didn't know what this feeling was as it washed over him. He felt that rising feeling in his chest again. It made him…happy.

As she buried her face into his chest, she heard a small hum come from him. The little pony hadn't heard such a hum come from a pony before either, but then again she'd never been this close in this way to a Stallion…
He couldn't stop that hum from coming out. Changelings would hum, or purr, when they were happy, and this was the first time ever he had done that.
As a royal guard for his Queen, he was more secluded than the other minions, and more dangerous. He had no time to play or really talk to his brothers and sisters.

So was that really what this was? Happiness? Or…was it…

No…no it couldn't have been that.

He let himself squeeze against her a little harder, but she just continued to cry. A small glow came from his horn and enveloped them briefly, absorbing her emotions of kindness into his own. He felt stronger now, but at the same time he didn't feel the extra energy that came from draining the pony, and she didn't falter.
It was like it was when he was sitting in bed with her caring for him. The absorption came by itself, and once again was not forced by given.

He had no idea what this was or why it was affecting him so, but he tried his best to comfort the sobbing pony against him, paying no attention to the devastating wound gushing with his own blood.

He noticed then a certain bunny peaking his head around the stairs, staring at them in utter disbelief.

He glared at the rabbit until Angel hopped off to start cleaning up the mess.

For some reason, Angel felt it best to give them a moment…


I'd be lying if I said GDeNofa didn't inspire me with her My Little Angel story on the fact that Changelings can get love if it was willingly, though my theory will be a little different. You'll see what I mean...
I suggest you go read her story if you're a little confused about what I said. It's good!