Shadow Equestria: The Poisoned Curse

Well... What is there to tell about a walk to the park? I mean, obviously we met up with Rarity at this really odd-looking giant gingerbread house. The walk itself was pretty uneventful, except that Rarity's cat Opal kept trying to get out of the cage in order to use her owner as a scratching post... Which I will admit, I wanted to as well after hearing the way she talked... She reminded me of the nobles back home, I hated the nobles back home.

"...Well Lyra, whatever Fluttershy told you about keeping a cat is very important... I don't know how she does it but she is able to guess the needs of animals, most of the time, without even picking up a book about them." I had been zoning in and out of the conversation as we walked, well, as they walked. I kept getting snippets of the boring stuff... But what can I say, I was assuming the important stuff would come when I finally get to meet the mare 'Twilight Sparkle'. "...Yes, Fluttershy even knew what was wrong with that Manticore that had stood against us during the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Manticore? This sounds like it deserves my attention..."

"But what about you? I heard that she didn't understand what was wrong with it until what would've been the middle of the fight." Lyra responded with curiosity.

"Yes... Well... I started the fight off pretty well, he went to slash at me with his enormous paws while I ducked and bucked the ruffian right in the face."

Let it be known that I actually winced at that part, I know stories of people on my world getting killed when a horse bucked them in the face... so I assumed ponies were only shorter and would thus end up aiming lower for me... I didn't want to think about it but I did anyway.

"...OH We're here! Is that...? Yes! It's Applebloom, and she's here with Winona. I was really hoping that our pets could have a playmate." We went over to where a little pony, I guessed female by the sound of her voice, was tossing a stick for a dog. I was certainly impressed with how she was able to pick up the stick... something I never thought hooves would be able to do.

"Hello Applebloom." Rarity called, the filly looked over towards us.

"Howdy Rarity... Lyra?! I thought you two didn't like each other?" Applebloom's curiosity got the better of her as Rarity set down the cat-carrier and I leapt off of Lyra's back, at which time Opal and I were set upon by any cat's nemesis... The nearby dog.

When the brown and white dog started barking it had my attention focused solely on it, then she charged.

Has anyone actually told you about real battles? Real battles are short... this? This wasn't a real battle, and I got that after this... Winona... was just happy to chase me. Opal, for her part, had already gotten herself stuck in a tree. I kept my speed up and managed to dodge out of the way of any lunges Winona would make at me. I certainly enjoyed the excercise and I could tell that Winona was having a good time as she began to slow down. Once she had finally stopped and laid down I made my way over to her. She didn't hate cats like the dogs of my home so I happily laid down nearby.

Lyra

We had been chasing Winona and Hikaru for the better part of half an hour when we realized somthing... They were actually just playing along. It sucks that it took us until they had both laid down out of exhaustion. We all heaved a sigh of relief that they were just playing, It's a good thing too... I don't now what I would've done if Winona had forced Hikaru to end that magic spell of his.

Unfortunately, when I looked over at the others, they both wore very suspicious looks. Rarity was the first to speak.

"Um... Lyra, are you sure he is blind? He was moving as if he could see everything Winona was doing." Great, The one thing I didn't need... and it happens anyway.

"Well... You see... He... Uh..." I got really hung up on this part, I had no idea what to tell them... I've got it! You guys should tell me what to tell them! That way they don't get mad! I'll give you a few seconds to think... It's not like I'm going anywhere.

...

...Really? That's the best you got? Fine... I'm going with my idea...

"He's actually managed to train his other senses better so that he could adapt to any situation. I found that out after I got home, it's almost as if he has lived in my house since I moved there... He is really good at navigation." I lied with the best poker face I could muster.

After several VERY tense moments of incredulous staring from Rarity and having Applebloom walk over to Hikaru in order to pick him up, of which I was glad he slipped back into the blind cat routine... I had no idea that he actually had that much accurate movement in that form... Maybe if he could turn into... NO! Not the time for that! Excuses and lies first... then personal needs. Oh I feel so horrible lying about it... but there's nothing else I can do until I can make an appointment with Twilight. I knew that Applebloom couldn't tell, but I knew that he was examining her just as much as she was examining him... I could tell that he was trying to figure out the major differences between her and me.

I exhaled the breath I took hostage when I heard applebloom squee, apparently Hikaru had done something she found adorable, she put him back down and came back over to us after a minute or so.

"Despite him bein' blind... He has the cutest eyes I've ever seen." My heart melted as I saw how happy she looked, yours would've too... trust me, and be glad that I didn't include pictures or else you'd be dead... I mean it. Hikaru is the only being I've met that hasn't already been broken by our weaponized cuteness, I gotta find out how he can do that... You have no idea how rare that is.

My attention snapped to my foreleg, only to notice Hikaru rubbing up against me...

Hikaru, you little bucker... You learned our trick? How in tartarus did you learn to be so cute?

I couldn't resist his newfound cuteness, I scooped him up into my forelegs and just held him so close. I heard Rarity giggle but I ignored that... It's much better that way, trust me. We spent the better part of an hour just talking, Applebloom played with Winona and Hikaru, I spoke with Rarity.

I hate to admit it... I mean I HATE to admit it... But she's not as bad as her first impression had implied. She's actually quite decent to talk to, as long as she has something that keeps her 'precious' hooves clean. I swear, if she had her way, Equis wouldn't have any dirt on it... anywhere... and I mean ANYWHERE.

Once we got finished talking Rarity told me that she had to go speak to Twilight, Applebloom decided that she was finished giving Winona some excercise and said goodbye as she trotted her adorably tiny legs back to her farm.

I like foals... they're so adorable... I wish... *Sigh* I am just wishing for something that won't happen. It doesn't matter... What matters now is getting Hikaru home so I can keep him hidden from the rest of ponyville, that way nopony can take him from me.

I may give an air of joy and happiness... But I'm really scared of letting anypony know about him... I don't want them to think that he's here to hurt them... I... I don't know why, but I have a good feeling that he truly is a good human and my instincts haven't driven me wrong before... Who knows, he could be the stallion for me.

Rarity

"...Must...Get...To...Twilight!" I think to myself as I nearly gallop to the giant tree that serves as the town library. Normally I would actually be in awe of the beautiful and natural design but right now I have a mission.

At my insistent knocking I hear a voice call out, probably darling Twilight... Bless her heart... sending little Spikey Wikey to open the door as she always has him do. In the span of a few quiet moments I contemplate the thought of how she practically has him do everything around the library as far as maintenance and cleaning goes before he opens the door. I almost have to ignore his adorable swooning that he does whenever he sees me... I really wish that there wasn't a maturity difference between us... He certainly acts like the Prince Charming that I wanted my entire life... But that's not the point right now! I must see Twilight.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I Spikey?" I ask with a fluttering of my eyelashes, I kinda feel bad that I know exactly what to do to get my way... Kinda feel bad, It's necessary though.

"Of course not Rarity... Twilight's just talking to Pinkie pie about a cat Lyra has."

That certainly caught my attention, I've known for a while that Pinkie loves to throw parties for every little thing so the thing that struck me as odd was the fact that she had not yet thrown a party celebrating the fact that Lyra has a new cat.

"Then may I come in, I wish to speak with Twilight." He nods and steps to the side to allow me in, such a gentlecolt, I eagerly stride past him to look for my friends. Fortunately it isn't hard to find a pink earth pony and violet unicorn in a tree.

"...You see Twilight! I mean it! My pinkie sense was going crazy about the fact that Lyra's cat isn't a cat!" Well, to say I was surprised would actually have been an overstatement so I casually strolled into the room, catching the attention of my two friends.

"Oh, Hi Rarity, what brings you here?" Twilight, if only you knew... Then again, that's why I'm here. I quickly sat on one of the nearby chairs and got ready to tell them my reasons for coming here.

"Well, since I guess Pinkie already told you about Lyra's cat I just came by to give you a little more information about him." The rest of the conversation went on with me explaining to her about what happened at the park, when I was finished I knew that I had said something interesting because she had that whole 'look' in her eye as she placed a hoof on her chin in thought. I decided to voice my opinion at the time because I noticed that once I had finished speaking... The entire room was as quiet as a cemetery.

"Twilight, Darling, What are you thinking?" I asked with caution, it was best handled this way... she could seem perfectly normal but then a few minutes later she could certainly act like she lost her mind. She didn't answer for a few seconds, in fact, it almost looked like she had ignored me. As I was about to ask her again for a reaction she asked me a question.

"...Do you now what a changeling is?" I'll admit, that question took me off guard.

"...Um... A creature that steals away naughty foals?" I replied, reciting what my parents had told me in order to get me to behave during my foalhood. I can't really say that I didn't deserve the skeptical look she gave me afterward though and she went on to actually explain about them. I was surprised that her lecture only went on for about five minutes, apparently ponies don't know a lot about changlings much further than they feed off of love and are shape-shifters.

We huddled together and began to plan, we knew we'd have to inform Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, right now we had much more important plans to make.

"Ok... Pinkie, when we start the party I want you to put that creature into a false sense of security so that it doesn't try to flee the first chance it gets... once that's complete I want you to make sure you lock the door and keep that thing from getting out." I could only wait for Twilight as I saw Pinkie give her some sort of guard-like salute and bolt off without another word... She even seemed to just... dissapear. I know that I will never be able to understand how she does that but somtimes it's just scary what she can do without even trying.

"Rarity..." I snapped my attention back to Twilight as she began to give me instructions. I knew that when it came to an incognito-party I would need to help with making it convincing, so I would be in charge of the decor. I knew what we needed because I had a giant stash of party decorations in my room in case Pinkie ever decided she was short on party gear... which only ever happened once... I thought that I would cry that day... Now's not the time to think about such things! I need to now if Lyra has a changeling in her home!

With one final nod I left the library so that Twilight could practice a spell that could... supposedly... reveal a creature that is in disguise.

Applejack

With a loud *Thud* I could feel that the tree I just bucked had dropped all of its apples into the buckets, I never truly understood how they landed in the buckets so perfectly but I'm not gonna complain, all the falling did was make luggin' the apples around easier.

In one swift motion I picked up two of the baskets with ease and began to walk to the barn, I turned my head when I began to hear barking and was met with the sight of Applebloom and Winona coming back to the farm. I gave 'em a big smile before returning my attention to the barn where we usually stored the apples... At least, if not more than a few seconds later I felt somepony tugging on my tail. I turned my head to notice that Applebloom had already managed to get across the fence and right behind me, I swear to celestia that she may get a racing cutie mark one of these days, I raised a brow in confusion and I guess she understood my silent question because she began to go off on a rant about the park.

"Applebloom!" I had to cut her off mid-rant, "couldja walk an' talk at th' same time? I need t' get these apples in th' barn." When she nodded her head I began to walk toward the barn with the filly in tow spoutin' off about how great the park was today.

"...And then Lyra and Rarity showed up..." She said, I could hear the exitement in her voice.

"What did y'all do at th' park?" My question hopefully could keep her within my sights, I didn't want her running off again.

"Well... I saw Winona and Lyra's new cat, Hikaru, playin' together... She said that Hikaru was blind but I could'a sworn I had seen him look like he was actually watchin' Winona while they were playin'... The problem was that he did look blind, I couldn' figure out how he could see Winona until Lyra told Rarity and I that his time in the Everfree had heightened his senses so that he could actually move around as if he weren't blind. He was just so adorable! You shoulda seen him!"

I gave a small chuckle and used a forehoof to ruffle her mane, "alright, you should go get washed up so that Granny will make you a late lunch." With a giggle she trotted off away from me and toward the house, she caught my attention as she called out my name.

"I almost forgot... I met Pinkie on the way over here, She wants you to meet her at Lyra's house before Lyra gets there!" I sighed and put the apples away as quickly as I could.

I could only think of one thing as I put down the baskets, "This is gonna be a strange night..."