Brave New World

Nayomi was shocked awake early in the morning by her intense nightmare. She had them before but never like this; this time she could still feel the burning of that white fire on her skin.

She didn't feel hung-over from her trip to the bar except for a splitting headache, on worse than anything she'd ever felt. Then it hit her. What if she was sick, what if she brought an illness from her world over to this new one. The results could be catastrophic. The more she thought about it the more the headache grew. She tried to ignore it getting her gear on. Today she was bringing weapons as she was going to visit the changelings at the store Pendleton recommended to her and get her ID done.

On her way out one of the female Earth pony maids asked if she had been hit in the head or anything. Nayomi was confused and responded with a quite tone "no, no I don't recall being hit in the head at all. I'm sorry I have business to take care of I'll have to talk to you later" She said it like she meant it but she didn't have any intention of talking to her again.

Everypony she walked past looked at her oddly with distrust in their eyes. She didn't understand why, maybe because she was new in town? She didn't really care at this point she had work to do and working was made hard enough by her headache which didn't seem to want to go away.

She saw the store name written on a sign and slipped inside as it started to rain outside. She walked up to the counter. "Hello?" she asked at the empty counter.

A pony started to walk out from the back of the store. She couldn't put her finger on it but something felt... off about her. She was a beautiful white mare with a chocolate brown mane and similarly coloured eyes. "Yes ma'am welcome. How may I help you?"

Nayomi slide the mare the note Pendleton had given her "Pendleton sent me" she said with a hushed voice trying to be herd by the regular shoppers... come to think of it not all of them felt right either, like something was off about them.

The clerk nodded "follow me then ma'am" she said in a servitor tone.

Nayomi followed her and she led her to a room with white sheet and a camera set up. It looked very professional in the way it was set up.

"Just take your place up there and I'll take your picture so we can start" She said with a more casual tone this time.

She stood up in front of the camera and waited for the all clear to move. Three pictures and a short walk to the next room later and the mare was working on details for the ID.

"Y-you're not a pony are you?" Nayomi blurted out with a very nervous tone.

"What do you mean? Of course I am look at me" She answered confidently without stoping her work.

"You're a changeling aren't you?" Nayomi said with a low tone. She almost sounded worried.

The mare stoped typing and turned to Nayomi. "W-what did you say?" The mare sounded very wary of Nayomi now and her tone was almost afraid.

"You're a changeling" She repeated slightly more confident this time.

"H-how di-" She didn't get to finish before Nayomi cut her off.

"You don't feel the same as other ponies, you just have a different.... Aura for lack of better words" She explained almost like she had practiced it.

The mare remained silent and just turned back to the computer and her work.

"Can I see?" Nayomi said in an attempt to continue conversation.

"C-can you see what?" The mare responded with a nervous tone.

"You know.... you. I want to see you" She stated with a large amount of optimism in her voice.

"No" She said that a left no room for any further conversation.

* * *

After another half hour Nayomi's fake ID was done and she was sent on her way with nothing more than a goodbye. Nayomi did the only thing someone in her position would do. She went and bought a keg of beers and drank herself stupid. That was the idea anyway.

When she ended up getting to the bottle store it had just been robbed by a gang of marauders. If she had been there half an hour earlier she would have been caught up in the middle of it, which would have ended badly. She helped the middle-aged Earthpony clean up the mess of a few dropped bottles and she left as the store was now closed. She wandered around for about an hour before she saw something very shady going on down an ally way. She went to investigate and found a green Earthpony with a light blue mane counting bits as a few crazy looking ponies waked away.

"What are you looking at?" The pony asked looking up from his profit.

"A changeling in a very smart business" Nayomi said with a sly grin.

"H-how?" The pony said standing up and looked like he was ready to fight.

"Relax. I don't particularly like what your doing but I do plenty of illegal things myself. As for how I know, its just a sense I have apparently" Nayomi explained. She was prepared for anypony to ask how she knew what they were.

The changeling sat down and went back to his counting, ignoring any further attempts at conversation. Apparently changelings didn't like being found out for what they were so Nayomi decided to drop it an go home. Her pas slowed by her headache that shed been ignoring all day. As soon as she left the changeling it grew even more painful than before.

When Nayomi got home she splashed her face with water and shook her head, which ended up being a huge mistake as shaking her head made the pain stand out way more. She looked in the mirror and almost fell backwards when she saw her reflection. She rose to her hooves gain and looked closely. There was a lump on her fore head. It didn't hurt it was just... there. Like something was growing. It worried her but the more she thought the more pain she felt in her head. Bed seemed like a wonderful option at this point.