I - Riddles, Disguises and Changeling Tears
The changeling woke to a throbbing pain in the back of her head, pulsing and burning in synchronized agony that seemed to originate from her leg. She cracked an eye open, immediately cringing and burrowing her muzzle down into the dew-laden grass from the sunlight's intensity.
She wanted to cry, excluding the fact that changelings are incapable of doing so. The changeling instead curled her body and gnarled limbs into a little ball of black chitin, letting out a dry noise that was probably the equivalent of a choked sob.
What had gone so wrong with the Queen's perfectly planned invasion, why did she have to be blown hundreds of miles away to the deadlands that were the changelings' home, and why did the changeling have to be alone in the forest without her brothers and sisters and great, proud Hive-Mother?
With a rasping heave of a sigh, the changeling lifted her head and opened her eyes again, shuddering with both pain and cold as icy drops of dew dripped down from her muzzle to the underside of her throat. Pain exploded behind her eyes, her vison swimming and full of multicolored stars as she tried to put weight on her left foreleg. She staggered, yet more pain burning across her body like white-hot knives were melting through her chitin. The changeling felt her stomach lurch, the taste of bile filling her fanged mouth, and her curled blue-green tongue spilling out of her mouth along with a belch of foul-smelling air.
Despite being relieved that she didn't just vomit all over herself, the churning in the changeling's stomach remained to be incessant, and she couldn't help but wonder if it would've been better to have actually spit something up.
The changeling sighed again, hobbling forward along a crude path that was really just a trail of crushed plants and soil that'd been packed down by countless paws and hooves and claws walking it over what must've been the course of several years.
It honestly was a stupid idea, wanding down some strange path that lead to what was probably certain doom; civilization, a manticore's nest, a pack of Timberwolves, a flock of angry cockatrice, even a dragon for all the changeling knew. But, then again, with a broken leg and a muddled head, it was the only option she had.
The changeling looked up, pale blue eyes squinted halfway shut to reduce the glare of the slowly setting sun. The sky was soon awash with a brilliant splattering of color, dull indigo tones dribbling down from the heavens and blending with the sun's dazzling blood of pink and orange. These powerful glowing hues reflected off wispy clouds, tinting everthing mottled red and purple like the juice of ripe celestial fruit. As the hours dragged on, the changeling continued to limp slowly through the forest, occassionally stopping to catch her breath and admire the spectacular dusky lightshow.
Civilization was drawing near, and the changeling was hungrier than ever, a cold void inside that simply exploded inwardly as her sensitive nose detected a familiar scent, sweet and creamy like fresh-cooked pralines displayed on a cooling rack in a candy shop, mouth-watering and undeniably addicting. The scent continued to remind the changeling how badly she lusted to sink her fangs into the soft neck of a pony and suck their emotions dry.
Typically, changelings had no need to make physical contact to feed, let alone bite, but magical absorbtion only applied when the changeling was disguised as somepony that was loved. In regular changeling form, it was established that physical contact of some kind, usually taken in the form of a bite, was needed to feed unless there was love directed towards them, in the like of the love that Queen Chrysalis distributed amongst her subjects. She'd never before killed in her feedings, simply breaking the skin enough to tap into the emotion that ran through proverbial veins throughout a creature's body, but then again, the changeling had never been so hungry in her life.
No matter how hard she tried, the changeling simply couldn't resist the scent of pure love, that rich, sweet aroma that only changelings could detect, and from more than a mile away at that. The delicious smell made her mouth water and her head spin, and with her thoughts clouded by desprate hunger for ponies' love, the changeling pushed northwest to the source.
Not long after discovering the intense and irresistible aroma of love, the changeling found herself stumbling through the undergrowth of the Everfree forest, the scent of a potential meal warm in her nostrils and drawing her quite carelessly onward, so eager was she to feed. The changeling's hunger sent her throwing caution to the winds in exchange for the satisfaction of her seemingly perpetual appetite.
Finally a cottage could be seen through the bushes, built into a large tree with a little creek flowing between it and the Everfree, draining into an equally miniscule lake under the simple wooden arch that was a bridge, even including a tiny dock out into that tiny puddle of a lake, ridden with lily pads and cattails as it was.
The changeling crouched anxiously between the bushes and ferns, long slippery ropes of green-tinted saliva dripping in her partially opened jaw at the food ahead, thoughts of sucking innocents into cold, hard shells exploding through her clouded mind. She chittered, an insectiod noise of anticipation as the door to the cottage opened, because she'd soon be able to capture and imitate whatever kind of unfortunate creature lived in that cottage.
There was only one problem; the changeling felt her once-icy heart melt at the sight of something truly adorable. A butter-yellow head poked out of the door, face almost completely obscured by locks of a sweeping light pink mane. Large teal eyes peered nervously out, but the timid pegasus slowly edged outside, a slight smile worn shyly on her muzzle. Each gentle step she took continued to melt the changeling's heart, probably frying what little wit she had left with the pure adorableness displayed.
She couldn't do it. She wouldn't be able to stand tying up, interrogating and eventually killing the innocent mare, but she would do the next best thing; ask (or probably beg) for forgiveness and help in healing and feeding herself. Substantial food would be able to sustain her long enough to find a new source of love, and maybe it would help to interact with ponies in a way that wasn't so... black and white... The changeling had always thought of herself as the predator, and the ponies she fed off of the prey, but now weakened and at her supposed prey's mercy, she began to think differently about such interactions.
With a heavy sigh, the changeling nervously hobbled out of the cover of the undergrowth, missing the heather-clad ground beneath her hooves as soon as she touched the hard-packed dirt of the ponies' dusty roads.
"E-excuzzze me," the changeling rasped shyly, being accustomed to basic drone code, she tripped clumsily over the Equestrian words, her tongue refusing to make the 's' noise it was supposed to and replacing it with a low, humming buzz that made her already unusual voice much more menacing than it should've been. "Yellow pony? P-pleazzze?" She knew how she sounded and suddenly felt self-conscious about the tone of her layered, insectiod voice.
The butter pegasus immediately spun around, large teal eyes even larger than before. She backpedaled, crouching low to the ground in fear of the changeling hurting her, "Changeling!" The mare squeaked, putting her hooves over her eyes, "Don't suck my blood or my love or anything! Don't eat me!"
"No," the changeling rattled, "I need your help, yellow pony!" Her cloudy blue eyes went wide to enphasise her next words, "Pleazzze, I'm hurt!"
The changeling tried to hobble closer, but the butter pegasus continued to cry and whine and scooch away. She invoked more fear in ponies than she'd ever thought, and maybe it would be better if she'd bothered to disguise herself the first time... She didn't even think of it!
Within the next second, a rainbow blur exploded in front of the changeling, sending her flying and landing in agony on her broken leg and one good wing at the same time. A cyan-coated pegasus mare stood, breathing heavily, prismatic mane and tail encompassing all hues of the spectrum, it seemed, dazzling and painful to the changeling's overly sensitive eyes. The pegasus' raucous voice was even worse for the changeling's super-charged senses, forcing her to hold her long, narrow ears down against her skull with only one gnarled foreleg, and even then it was clearly not enough.
"Leave my friend alone," the pegasus barked angrily, "Nopony tries to hurt Fluttershy and gets away with it!"
The changeling shook her head, "No, pleazze," she whimpered pathetically, clutching her shattered leg and trying to hobble forward, "I juzzzt need zzzome help! I juzzzt need zzzome zzzleep and zzzome medizine!"
"I wouldn't help you," the rainbow pegasus spat, "You scum!"
Thick green blood dripped down from cuts all over the changeling's body, and particularly from the reopened wound on her leg. The wide-eyed butter pegasus shook her head, "Rainbow Dash," She cried, staying true to her name and fluttering over to the changeling on shaky wings, "Please! Maybe we can help it, and it can help us! I couldn't let any creature suffer, and all this changeling was looking for in the first place was help, right?"
"Yezzz," the changeling whined, one somewhat bent, but intact wing buzzing nervously, "I'll leave and never come back if it makezzz you happy, rainbow pony, when thizzz izzz done!"
"You better!" Rainbow Dash hissed, dropping her offensive stance. "Fluttershy," she growled, "Go get your first aid kit or whatever, and Buggy here can stay with you while you get it a splint or something. I'm gonna get Twilight everypony else to meet back at the library so we can talk about this.
Fluttershy nodded timidly, "Okay Rainbow," she whispered as Rainbow zipped off with her trademark streak of residual pegasus magic, "Now, little changeling," she said, seeming to gain confidence, "Come along and we'll get you patched up, okay?"
The changeling nodded gratefully, "Yezzz, thankzzz zzzo much!"
The butter pegasus supported the temporarily crippled changeling and guided her into the cottage. The changeling immediately collapsed on the living room couch, heaving for air and dry-sobbing rather pathetically.
At first, Fluttershy thought the changeling was hyperventilating, or having some kind of attack, but the longer she looked at her, the more clearly she could see the invisible tears rolling down her cheeks. Feeling sorry for the changeling, Fluttershy went into her medicine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of generic painkillers, some antibiotic ointment, a roll of hospital-grade bandages, some gauze, rubbing alchohol, and a small cardboard box of those little individually wrapped Band-Aids. After setting these items down on the couch next to the heaving and distressed changeling, Fluttershy trotted into her kitchen, taking a plastic cup (as she knew her more expensive glasses or porcelain mugs would most certainly be broken) and filling it with water to take the pills, placing a half of untouched daffodil sandwich from her refrigerator on a paper plate, and after some rummaging through her cabiniets and drawers, finding a piece of sugary candy to sooth the changeling's frayed nerves.
"What's your name," the butter pegasus asked tentatively, looking carefully at the label of the painkillers to measure the dosage and taking out four tablets. "My name's Fluttershy."
"I don't have a name," the changeling deadpanned through the dry remains of what must've been a sob, "But it izzz certainly not "Buggy" by any meanzzz."
Fluttershy held out the pills and the changeling shoveled them all into her mouth at once, sucking down a huge gulp of water to make sure they all made it down her throat. After that, Fluttershy worked in silence, with only occasional whimpers of pain from the changeling as she sterilized the wound, set, splinted and bandaged it, and fashioned a sling to keep the changeling's broken leg tucked tightly against her chest. Fluttershy - still silent, mind you - set the rubbing alchohol aside, instead gently massaging the antibiotic ointment onto each and every little cut, then patching the changeling's chitin with a Band-Aid or two if needed. The little nurse finally moved to the changelings crushed wing, wincing in sympathy at the damage. The green-veined, semi-transparent chitin was cracked and bent in many places, oozing emerald changeling blood from the punctures. Not only was the chitinous membrane damaged, but the actual bones that supported the wing's joint appeared to be dislocated, and there was most certainly at least one tendon snapped near the base.
"This might hurt a little bit," Fluttershy warned, preparing to snap the changeling's wing back in place, "are you ready?"
The changeling shook her head slightly, taking the roll of bandages and placing it between her teeth as a makeshift bit. "O'hay," she mumbled through a mouthful of bandage, "'m reahdy forh 't. Juzz' 'et 'izzz ovh' wif..."
Fluttershy gently placed her hooves on the changeling's wing, trying to block out the whimpers of pain. Without warning, she yanked back and shoved down, flinching as the changeling wailed in pain through the bit. Despite the agony, it was over in only a second, and the changeling's wing, instead of sticking awkwardly out, rotated so it laid flat against the changeling's carapace the way it was supposed to.
But, the pain wasn't over yet. Fluttershy gingerly lifted the changeling's wing, rubbing ointment gently over its surface, removing the "bit" and carefully winding bandages over the smashed remainder of the changelings wing, but with her limited knowledge that was all she could do.
The changeling eagerly devoured the sandwich she was offered, and her clouded blue eyes went wide at the neatly wrapped caramel proffered before her. Her blue-green tongue hung out of her mouth as she unwrapped it and slowly placed it on her tongue, the sweet, buttery creaminess of the candy unlike any substantial food she'd ever tasted; only heard of.
Fluttershy carefully put all of the medical supplies away and disposed of the cheap plastic cup the changeling had drank out of, finally speaking once she noticed the changeling watching her. "So," she mumbled hesitantly, "Why don't you have a name, little changeling?"
The changeling shrugged nonchalantly, massaging her sore wing, "Noling dozzze," she buzzed flatly, "But I think I'd like to have one."
"Why does your queen have a name, then?"
"I dunno," the changeling slurred somewhat drunkenly, the drugs she'd taken making her drowsy and her buzzing accent even worse, "Queenzzz just do."
"What kinds of names?" Fluttershy asked, curiosity growing.
The changeling shrugged again, "I dunno," she drawled, "You know Chrizzzalizzz, and we uzzzually do namezzz like that. Y'know, Morph, Metamorphzzzizzz, Pupa, Huzzzk, Thorax, Cocoon, Fang, Wazzzp, Hornet, Hive, Web, Mantid, Zzzilverfish, Dull, Mimic, Thorn-
"Can I call you Mimic?" Fluttershy interrupted, trying to cut off the growing list of menacing changeling names.
The changeling waved her good hoof dismissively, "But, y'know how poniezzz have two wordzzz in their namezzz?"
Fluttershy nodded, "Yes," she replied softly, "Do you want to do that?"
"Yezzz," the changeling said with a nod, "Ugh... I feel zzzo drunk or zzzomethin' what'zzz in that medizzzine?"
"I don't understand," Fluttershy whined, beginning to fret, "Maybe I gave you too much, maybe doses are different for changelings!"
"Zzz'okay," the changeling slurred again "Can I be Hex Riddle? I can zzzay Hex right, 'least."
"Hex?" Fluttershy echoed, "Are you sure?"
"Yezzz," the changeling buzzed, hobbling stiffly to her hooves, "But the rainbow pony-"
"Rainbow Dash, you mean?" Fluttershy couldn't help but interrupt quietly, shrinking back as soon as the words escaped her mouth, "Sorry..."
"Zzz'okay, but Rainbow Dazzzh wanted uzzz to meet 'er in zzzome library or zzzomethin'?"
Fluttershy blinked, suddenly remembering where she needed to be, "Oh yeah," she exclaimed, supporting the changeling as they inched out the door, "that..."
The journey back to Ponyville was slow and agonizing, with the newly named Hex Riddle half-crippled and delirious from the painkillers. She limped alongside Fluttershy, constantly stumbling but still managing to find her balance.
Not suprisingly, nopony was awake at this hour, at least not awake enough to be outside. The dark blanketing wings of night had reached their full span, and would remain so for many hours, but that darkness made Ponyville seem foreboding and deserted.
The evening sky seemed ominous and unkind as Hex pulled away from Fluttershy, spinning around clumsily before hanging her head, breathing heavily as her stomach churned and lurched violently. She felt like she was about to vomit, but this time she didn't want it to happen in public. Luckily for Hex, the only thing that came up was a burning sensation down here throat and the rancid taste of bile on her tongue. Hex staggered, blinking rapidly and hobbling past Fluttershy, wanting to reach the library as fast as possible.
At a near gallop, Hex limped even faster, stumbling as she rushed to the large tree ahead. A warm sign hung above the round red-stained door, reading "Golden Oaks Library" in elegant gold-leaf print.
Hex suddenly stopped, kicking up a small cloud of dust and dirt as she skidded abruptly in front of the library's door.
"Yellow?" Hex buzzed nervously, suddenly afraid of what would be behind that door, "What will your friendzzz think of me?"
The butter pegasus trotted over to Hex's side, "Um... My name's Fluttershy," she corrected timidly, "But I think they'll like you. Rainbow Dash is always like that, so don't feel like she tries to make you feel... I mean, Rainbow's really nice once you get to know her, but she's not always friendly to new ponies or changelings or dragons or really anything and anypony she's just met... Um... Just don't worry, Hex."
"Flutterzzzhy!" Hex exclaimed, the drug-induced drunkness quickly fading. "I'm zzzo zzzorry! I didn't even think 'bout your name!"
"Oh, no," Fluttershy assured, putting a hoof on Hex's rough, bony shoulder, "I understand completely; you were in a strange, new environment with strange new creatures and things. It's not a big deal, really."
"But," Hex mumbled, suddenly just as shy as the yellow-coated pegasus, "Do you really think your friendzzz will accept me?"
Fluttershy looked down, letting her long pink mane obscure her face, "Hex, I honestly don't know. But," she said, turning her head back up, "I know you'll react well and make a good impression, and how you act is all that matters."
"Thankzzz-" Hex buzzed, feeling more confident, but still unnerved by something. "But for the Hive'zzz zzzake, I need to work on thizzz buzzzzzz!"
"Don't worry," Fluttershy insisted with a shy giggle, "Just do your best. Or, if you want, I could keep you back at my house and teach you to get rid of your accent and pretend you were too exausted to be moved... Only if you want, of course."
Hex took a step back, "Really? You'd do that for me?"
"Of course I would," Fluttershy replied confidently, "You're my friend, right?"
"F-friend?" Hex could taste the sweet creaminess of love, love that was different than any she'd ever tasted. Despite herself, the changeling leaned in, sinking her fangs swiftly into the side of Fluttershy's neck. The pony flinched and squeaked a little but otherwise made no move to evade. Hex couldn't help but smile inwardly as she sucked up as much of the new love as she could hold, feeling strangely full and warm after the feeding was done.
Like a hammer blow, it just struck Hex that she'd bitten and fed on the first friend she'd ever had, without even asking permission. Her eyes went wide and she yanked her fangs away from the butter mare's flesh, blood still warm on her tongue.
Fluttershy still didn't flinch, her eyes wide and unblinking. Had Hex drained the mare into a husk? She didn't know, still in horrified shock at her own actions. Tears rolled silently down Fluttershy's cheeks, as did dark crimson blood from the two parallel holes in her neck. Her mouth hung slightly open, feathered wings occassionally twitching.
"H-hex?"
"Flutterzzzhy!" Hex hated herself for doing what she'd done, hobbling as quickly as she could back to the shocked mare. She felt a dry lump rising in throat, chest heaving with empty sobs, "I'm zzzo zzzorry!" She keened, sinking down and pressing her muzzle against Fluttershy's fetlock. "I wazzz juzzzt zzzo hungry!"
"I-it's okay," the pegasus insisted, flipping her mane so it covered the bite, "It d-didn't even hurt!"
Hex bared her now-red-tipped fangs with an agressive hiss, "No, it doezzzn't matter if it hurt! It'zzz not okay!"
Fluttershy shook her head, walking quickly in the direction of her cottage, knowing that the changeling would not be able to keep up with her injuries, "It's okay!"
The changeling slunk obediently behind Fluttershy, "P-pleazzze," she buzzed softly, "I have to do zzzomething for you! Anything you want!"
The butter pegasus shook her head, trotting briskly faster, "If anything, Hex, you have to live with me and pretend to be my cousin around other ponies. It's the only way to keep you safe, because after the invasion, everypony's been out for changelings to accuse and do away with."
There was a fierce protectiveness in her voice, a confidence Hex had not seen nor heard before in Fluttershy's demeanor. "Yezzz," Hex buzzed in defeat, "Yezzz Flutterzzzhy."
Hex watched as the pegasus smiled weakly and flapped her wings, floating a few inches off the ground and fluttering back in the direction of her home. Hex hobbled as quickly as she could after Fluttershy, which wasn't exactly very fast as you can imagine. It was only a few minutes at most, but it seemed like hours for the pair to reach the secluded cottage. Together they slipped inside, closing and locking the door behind them.
Fluttershy slouched down on her couch as soon as she got inside, sighing deeply and picking up the box of Band-Aids she'd forgotten to put away. She took one out, peeling off and discarding the wrapper and carefully sticking it over the bite marks on her neck.
"I'm zzzorry," Hex buzzed quietly, knowing it was unwise to push the subject, but she continued it anyway. "I need to do zzzomething more, even if not now. I can wait 'til I'm healed, if you want, but I must do zzzomething."
The pegasus shook her head, "No means no. Not until you're all patched up and you've gotten yourself some sleep. Either way, I promised to help you with your buzz, right?"
Hex nodded feebly, painfully easing herself up onto the couch next to Fluttershy, curling her legs under her and putting her head over them like a dog. Fluttershy tentatively reached out, rubbing Hex gently behind the ear. A low rattling noise escaped the changeling, her little wings buzzing. She thrust her muzzle up under Fluttershy's hoof, still "purring" loudly. The butter pegasus laughed a little, petting and stroking the changeling and taking great pleasure in the satisfied little whines she made.
"Thank you Flutterzzzhy." said Hex, half-lidded blue eyes grateful.
"It's my pleasure, really," Fluttershy replied. "Do you want to start on that accent?"
Hex nodded, "I'd like that," said she with a toothy smile. "Very much zzzo."
Fluttershy smiled wide, "Okay then," she began with a smile, "So how about we start by finding the source of the problem?"
The changeling nodded eagerly, sitting up on the soft couch cushion she'd been resting on.
"Would you mind if I took a look at you?" asked Fluttershy.
Hex shook her head.
Fluttershy gently set her hooves against Hex's muzzle, opening it. She shivered at the sight of so many sharp teeth. There were long, serrated prominent forefangs that protruded from the changeling's mouth, and if that weren't enough, the rest of Hex's mouth was full of jagged canine-like fangs, with somewhat rounded molars towards the back. The soft flesh of the inside of Hex's mouth was a dull greenish color, her long, narrow tongue a similar blue-tinted hue of the same. Fluttershy could immediately locate the problem. It seemed that Hex was perfectly capable of making the proper sound, but she simply didn't know how to do so. With the narrowness and length of that tongue, it would be natural for the 's' sound to be rolled and drawn out, but that was better than buzzing.
As soon as Fluttershy released her grip on Hex's muzzle, the changeling spoke. "Do you know how I can fix thizzz?" she asked. "I don't think thizzz buzzzzzz would make a good imprezzzzzzion on your friendzzz..."
"You're making the 'z' sound when you're trying to make the 's' sound, right?"
The changeling nodded.
"I think I can fix it. You're pressing your tongue against your bottom teeth when you make that sound, rather than your top. Maybe you could try the other way. Only if you want to, of course."
"Okay," said Hex, "How'zss thizss?"
Fluttershy smiled a little, "Lovely," she said, "I think you're getting there. Keep trying and you'll be there in no time!"
The changeling nodded again, rolling her tongue around in her mouth, "How'sss it now?"
"Great!" The pegasus shook the changeling's gnarled hoof, "You've gotten it!" In a little softer voice, she added, "But you do draw it out too long. Only a little bit, though. You'll get it with practice, I think." By the end of that comment, Fluttershy's voice had shrunk to hardly more than a whisper.
"Thank'sss Flutterssshy," said Hex, "it meanss a lot to me." The changeling paused, biting down on her next words. "And I'm s-still improving."
Fluttershy swung her head around and looked at the clock. She looked out the window next, and the sky was darker than ever, Luna's moon riding its high arc in the peppered sky. She smiled a little, "Okay then," she sighed, "I think the only thing we have left to do is come up with a pony form for you to disguise in."
Hex leaned in eagerly, "Can I be a bat pony? Y'know, like a pegasus, but like a bat... Um... Do you know?"
Fluttershy nodded rather feebly. "I know," she said softly, "And if you want to be a bat pony, I have no oppositions."
"Thank you!" cried Hex, her one good wing buzzing excitedly. With a whirl of green flames, Hex transformed. Her chitinous wings turned to dark grey-red membrane stretched between bones, her hard, gnarled chitin becoming thick, soft pony fur. The curved horn protruding from the changeling's forehead disappeared, her fangs shrunk, and her clouded, feral voids of eyes turned slit-pupiled and tame. The changeling's long, pointed ears grew a little wider and tufts of fur sprouted from the ends. She was rather cute, with that typical grey coat of bat ponies gleaming in the late moonlight, and her slightly darker shaggy red-brown mane streaked with black and tan nearing the hue of the membrane on her wings, looking adorably disgruntled. Hex smiled a little, pale blue eyes staring hopefully down at Fluttershy.
The butter pegasus smiled wide, unable to keep a loud "awwww" from escaping her. "You're adorable!" Fluttershy exclaimed, rushing up and hugging the changeling around the barrel, making it feel like her ribs were being crushed rather violently by the sharp horns of an angry bull. Hex wheezed a little, pushing away from Fluttershy.
"Thanks," said Hex, a little faintly. Her voice was soft and gentle like Fluttershy's, if a little lower in pitch and slightly harsher. "I think you just broke my ribs and gave me internal bleeding."
"Oh, sorry!" Fluttershy backpedaled, shyly rubbing her hooves together and hiding behind her mane.
Hex shrugged, rolling her shoulder a little and rubbing her side, "No problem," she sighed with a little smile, "besides, changelings are durable."
"Oh, okay..." Fluttershy paused, shifting nervously for a few moments before speaking again, "What about your cutie mark? You're going to need one, I think."
"Cutie mark!" exclaimed Hex, "I almost forgot!"
Fluttershy smiled weakly, shrinking away from the outgoing changeling, "So, what are you good at?"
Hex blushed furiously, "Weeeellll..." She fluttered her one good bat-like wing nervously. "I'm really not supposed to, but I love to read!"
"Not supposed to?" asked Fluttershy meekly, "Why not, if you don't mind me asking?"
The changeling shrugged and grinned sheepishly, "I don't know. I'm only a guard drone. Queen Chrysalis said something once about knowledge being dangerous. Brings too much creativity, she says, imagination. And she says that creativity and imagination bring individualism, which for some reason is very bad, and will lead us to rebel against her and make the Changeling Empire crumble to bits. Broken, dusty bits and pieces, that is."
"Well," said Fluttershy, "what kinds of things do you like to read?"
Hex smiled, eager to change the subject. "Poetry," she said, "and riddles and stories. But I think mostly poetry and riddles for me. I didn't choose my name for nothing, right?"
The pegasus smiled back, "You're good at riddles, too, I bet."
"I think so," she said, putting a hoof over her chest, "and maybe it can be my special talent?"
With a signature whirl of green flames, the blank grey spot on Hex's flank was replaced by a simple image of a partially rolled-up scroll with a large, elegant question mark written neatly across the center of the scroll. It was perfect.
Fluttershy yawned. "It's getting late," she said, looking over at her clock. "We should get a little rest before morning."
"Speaking of which," Hex interrupted, knowing the meek apology that was coming for the more direct speech, "where'd you like me to sleep?"
"Wherever you'd like," said Fluttershy.
Hex shivered a little bit. "Where do you sleep?" she asked.
"Um... over there," Fluttershy said softly, pointing to a hallway branching off to the rest of the house. "There's a bedroom and a bathroom over there. I sleep in that bedroom... but you can sleep there, if you want."
The changeling nodded, shifting in place, splinted leg held up uncomfortably. "Can I sleep on the couch?" she asked rather feebly, "I mean, only if you want me to."
"Of course you can," said the butter pegasus, "I'll get you a blanket, but you should lie down and make yourself comfortable."
Hex obliged to Fluttershy's firm request, hobbling over to the sofa and hoisting herself up. She curled into a little ball towards one end, broken leg splayed out rather awkwardly across the couch. Her eyelids were heavy with drowsiness, and despite the dull throbbing of her leg, Hex found that she'd never been more comfortable. The changeling purred a little bit as Fluttershy threw a blanket over her, trilling her thanks as she shifted in her makeshift bed.
Fluttershy laughed, rubbing Hex breifly behind the ear before clomping tiredly to her room. The butter pegasus smiled a little more as she flopped down onto her soft mattress, pulling the warm covers over her barrel, tucking her hooves just so over the end as she fell asleep.
____________________________________________________________________________
Hex Riddle awoke slowly. She was warm, for a change. She was full, for a change. She was happy for a change. Changelings weren't supposed to be happy. Changelings were supposed to be automatic, mindless feeding machines that slept on cold rocks each night, not the content patients of feeble nurses in woodland cottages sleeping on soft cushions and blankets.
Hex liked this change. She slid her eyes open slowly, reveling in the soft beams of sun that were beginning to shine through the windowpane. The changelings sat up with a yawn and reared up, setting her hooves on the windowsill and staring out.
The sky was mottled with pale blue and grey and a little yellow, leaking into the stark white shapes of fluffy clouds that floated lazily across the early morning sky. Hex slid off the couch, limping into Fluttershy's bathroom. She relieved herself and then looked in the mirror. She liked her new form, cute and soft and streamlined, maybe even better than her old body. The changeling, despite herself, turned around and hobbled back to the living room, but instead of laying back down on the sofa, Hex went past the living room, through the hall and out the front door.
With a rasping sigh of contentment, the changeling clomped up the two-step rise and made her way across the elegant arching bridge, hopping down two more steps before her hooves touched down on the muddy, wet clearing. It seemed to have rained during the night, tall cottonwood and hickory and maple trees moaning and sagging under the weight of their rain-soaked leaves. Hex looked back up at the sky, taking in the impressive show of mottle purples and greys and yellows that filled the dawn sky as the sun crept up on the horizon.
She heard steps, loudly crunching through the dead leaves that lined the pathway, and squelching noisily through the sopping mud. It was only loud to Hex, of course, with her overly sensitized ears, but someone or something was definitely coming, and she had no way of knowing if it were hostile or docile, or if it were anything at all.
The changeling whimpered, hobbling as quickly as she could back into Fluttershy's cottage. Disjointed phrases in drone code bubbled through her mind, in fear reverting back to her first language.
Yhw od zzzgniht ekil zzziht zzzyawla neppah ot em?
T'nod yrrow tuoba taht won, Hex! Uoy nac od zzziht fi uoy yrt!
M'i yllanif erus! I lliw ton tel gnihtyna teg ot em ekil zzziht, M'i erus zzz'ti tsuj a liam-reirrac ro gnihtemos!
Hex shuddered brushing the thoughts away, as she quickly opened the door, slipped inside, and slammed it shut again.
Fluttershy trudged down her stairs, hair messy from sleep. "What's the matter?" she asked groggily, "Is something wrong?"
"I t'nob wonk!" Hex exclaimed, "T'zzzi lla ozzz gniezzzufnoc! Yhw zzzi ti ozzz drah?"
"What?"
Hex blushed furiously, "S-sorry, I kind of panicked a little..."
Fluttershy now seemed very alert, "What? Why? Is something wrong?"
"Well," said Hex, "I went outzzzide for zzome air and I kind of got ztartled by what I think isss your mail-carrier."
"Um," Fluttershy began, "if you don't mind me asking, what language were you just speaking?"
The changeling blushed even brighter. "Drone code," she said a little feebly, "it'ss the only thing I can speak, sometimes, when I'm angry or afraid or startled... It's basically really weird."
Fluttershy shrugged, "It's okay, Hex. If you want, after we clean up for the day, we can go for breakfast at Sugarcube Corner?"
"I'd love to," Hex replied. "I don't really think I need to get ready much. I'm fine, so I'll just wait for you."
"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Fluttershy argued playfully, "I think we need to get that mane of yours under control!"
The butter pegasus immediately spun around, dissappeared for a moment, and suddenly returned with a hairbrush and a few hairbands. Hex complained bitterly as Fluttershy combed through her snarled mane, even more so as she pulled it back into a ponytail somewhat like Applejack's, though shorter. The changeling had given up on whining as Fluttershy brushed through her tail and tied it in a similar ponytail. After cleaning out the brush, the pegasus brushed through her own silky pink mane. With a smile, she gestured to Hex to come with her, and the changeling happily obliged, smiling somewhat toothily. The pair trotted out the door and down the road in the direction of Ponyville, ready and eager to take on this new and dangerous lifestyle for a change.
That's what I'm good at, Hex thought a little proudly, changing. And maybe, if I can change...
They will too.
