~Mercy Me~

We passed over a little bridge and went up a small dirt path until we reached the cottage. It was rather large for such an out-of-place home, with two floors and a big yard. Flowers were randomly strewn about, giving everything a very wild look. It was a very simple, homey cottage. Yet It only reminded me that I was more than likely never going to go back to my hive; to the lands that, although unwelcoming, I still called home.

I sighed and followed her up to the door, sitting down while she unlocked it. She held a key ring with four worn down keys on it by the tip of her wing, and she unlocked four different locks with them, one for each key.

I got the sudden feeling this mare was either a lock-enthusiast, or very paranoid.

“A-alright,” The yellow mare said as she pushed her cottage door open, “you c-can come in, but shhhh. You can’t wake the animals.” She brought her hoof up to her mouth for added effect.

0h no. “Umm, what kind…”

“Shhhhhhhh.”

Please don’t be big animals. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my earlier run in with a pride of manticores did not help my already shaky view on forest “critters.”

I heard her slowly trot in, stop for a moment, and then continue on. Her hoof-steps getting increasingly quiet as she pushed onwards, leaving me to sit and wither in my own petty fear. When I pushed through the door I was blasted with the smell of wet animal, and slight tinge of urine. It filled me with uncertainty I could actually hear them snoring and breathing, and although unpleasant and disheartening, I opened my eyes.

The cottage was a minefield…

Beasts of all sorts were scattered around the floor, leaving almost no room for movement. They all slept peacefully, and they all looked terrifying to me. A few of the bigger ones seemed to shake the entire cottage with powerful snores. Animals that shouldn’t even be in the area were thrown about, ones that I had only heard of slept in tight bundles.

A scream crawled up my throat and I slammed a hoof in my mouth to stifle it, whimpering instead. They all shifted at once, the sheer amount of animals forcing the others to turn over when one moved. I couldn’t help but be fascinated as to how predator and prey were willing to sleep in the same room together.

“Thank Chrysalis for flight.” I whispered; thin as my wings might be, they saved my life from attacking creatures more than once. And it looked as if it would be no different here; even in the company of the “Manticore Mare.”

I hovered across the sea of fur and noise. The light buzzing of my wings -much to my concern- seemed to stir a few of them, but they kept down and quiet. It was minutes of painfully slow flight before I reached the end of the room and took myself through the doorway. It thankfully lead to a much more placid room, with only a few bird cages and Manticore Mare inside.

“What wass all that?” I whispered while landing. She turned to me and lifted a tray with cups filled with a brown liquid off a counter and onto her back.

“Oh, t-those were my critter friends. I-uh, hope they didn’t bother you.” she gave me an uncertain smile; I couldn’t really tell if she was embarrassed that I found her odd stash of animals or if she was still unsure that I wasn’t going to drink her blood and lick up her soul. I raised a up a hoof and pointed back to the room.

“There wass a ssseal in the…”

At the mention of the seal she lightened up. She took up a seemingly brighter shade of yellow and her eyes glistened. “Ooh that’s just Flippy,” she brought both hooves up to her chin and squeezed, albeit quietly, “Isn’t he cute!”

I brought my hoof down slowly and stared at the display of ever so awkward affection for a moment. No “Yesss, he isss…” Big, and smells like stagnant moss-water “Cute…”

She turned and moved to a table and placed the tray down onto it. She slid out an over-cushioned chair and motioned me over to it.

“You can sit down, um, if you would like, that is; I made tea.” I felt bad, with every word she said she got quieter. Her smile was still plastered on her face, but I could sense the overwhelming fear in her voice.

I knew I was impending and menacing because of my “previous employment,” but I still stood a full head shorter than her, and couldn’t control beasts like trained puppies.

“Thanksss…” I slid into the offered chair and stared down at the cup. It certainly looked nicer than the ‘food’ I had back in my nest, but that didn’t mean it was appetising. “I’ve never had, uh… tea before.”

“O-oh” Her smile turned to a frown and she lowered herself. “Sorry, I uh, didn’t know. Y-ou don’t have to…”

“look.” I said sternly, trying to sport a smile; she recoiled back, surprised that I cut her off. “I never sssaid I wasssn’t going to try it. I know you didn’t know, and I know you’re ssscared. Like me with the manticores. but I already sssaid I won’t hurt you, okay.” I tried to keep my smile, weak though it was, but it didn’t stop her from looking hurt. She opened her mouth as if to respond, but closed it and held her head down. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes.

Uh oh I dun’ did it now.

“Sorry.” For what?

“No, no, you don’t need to be sssorry, jussst not ssscared. I’m trying to be a normal guesst, even being far from normal for you.” She lifted her head up and looked at me, but didn’t stop with the small trickle of tears or the frowning.

“Thats n-not it, I, just didn’t want to offend you.”

“Offend me? You never offended me, what brought you to think that?”

She put her head even lower than before and rubbed some of the tears that stained her face off “S-sorry, it, I just thought that offering you something you aren’t used to was… bad. I’ve never talked to a changeling before, I thought I had already messed up.” More tears began to flow, again, and she slumped down onto the table.

I leaned over and poked her shoulder. This was obviously melting down her conscience -for some unknown reason- and deep down I couldn’t help but feel like a waste for making her feel so… bad. She shifted her head up and stared at me; a frown (which was even more daunting than the smiles I got earlier) smeared across her face.

“You don’t need to feel bad, let alone cry. I’m not offended, and, believe it or not, am getting upsset ssseing you cry over thisss. I’ll try the tea, okay?” It was against everything I was supposed to stand for, feeling bad for one of the “pony kind.” But there I was, speaking as softly as I could to a mare I had just met, in a silly attempt to make her feel better.

I honestly did feel remorse for “making” her feel like this, even if It wasn’t purposeful; or even my fault for that matter.

I was rewarded with a nod and a smile. She sniffled and pulled her tea up to her mouth, and took a small sip. “Make sure not to drink too much too quickly, i-its hot.”

I nodded and looked into the dark pool of… what looked to be dirt-water before me. Back at my nest, we ate this slop that looked like it was regurgitated by a bear and then shoveled straight into the dinner trough. Our food was a yellowish green mush, but I was used to it. You’re really lucky I’m different than the others, miss, or I would puke this back up at you.

I looked up from the cup, she was looking back at me, willing for me to try the tea. “Ohh kay, here we go.” I lifted it to my mouth and blew away some of the swirling steam. I sipped it.

And it was fantastic.

“Thiss isss incredible.” I began slamming it down the tea, and continued until I had drained the cup of the liquid. “Really good.” She gave me a unnaturally wide smile and lit up like a lamp.

“Eee, you like it!” She squeezed and clapped her front two hooves together, Geez this girl has massive mood swings, “I’m so happy.” I would have been slightly put off if I didn’t find it rather cute -get it together- and because she was reverted from her depressed mood.

“I do, for one I can taste it, much unlike the food back in my lands.”

“O-I’m sorry you didn’t…” I put a hoof to her mouth.

“You didn’t have a real reason to apologize before, and you definitely don’t have one now.” I was all smiles, I had only been there for a while and I was already being fed, and with something more edible than wet cement. “Thank you, but um, do you have any more?”

I sat and drank tea for what felt like hours. She had gone to bed not long after I had my second cup, but not before she painstakingly showed my how to make it, plus giving me full access to her cabinet stocked full the stuff. I was getting drowsy, and the sun was actually beginning to rise, marking an end to my eventful night.

She had given me a blanket and pointed me towards her couch in the living room. The animals had awoken at one point, and investigated our conversation, but before they mutilated my face and such, she talked them down. Some, unsettlingly, gave me scowl-like backwards glances when they left. Apparently being told not to kill me was upsetting them; how lovely.

Still, that room was now emptied, and I got a full couch to myself. I laid down on it, feeling the plush cushion beneath me as I pulled the blanket over my head, careful not to rip it with my horn. It was so peaceful, I closed my eyes and let the thoughts run through.

I was out of my once beloved lands but… every second I spent here, I wondered why I loved them. They were hot, and brutal. Crowded due to the confined spaces between living areas. I had no friends there and even less of a family, mainly because as soon as a changeling was born, they were stripped from their mothers; the fathers would never stick around anyhow. Only females could feel true romantic affection, and this lead me to feel no romantic affection for males at all. Why my kind evolved that way seemed silly to me; it provoked lesbianism. Which was outlawed, and that was horribly for me.
Equestrian lands were different though. Everything was happy. I had something to sleep on that was comfortable, and it was all to myself. The first and only pony I came across was all too kind, almost unbearingly so. She gave me good food, and now a place to sleep.

I would have shed tears of happiness if I could.

I snuggled up and into the blanket, and closed my eyes for one last time; and drifted off to sleep, with great dreams to come.

I was awoken by the sound of humming and ceramic against wood.

“Ueeegh.” I slurred rolling off of the couch and onto a heap on the floor. I was a surprisingly light sleeper for someling that had to deal with the sleeping conditions of the hive.

I righted myself and stretched, popping the joints in my legs, and made off to the nearby sound, I entered the kitchen to find Manticore Mare with bowls filled to the brim with more -yay- food. She was singing softly, and it sounded very pretty, and almost flowed through your ears like a warm wind.

It was nice to listen to, but I had to interrupt; there was food present.

“Hey, I see you’re…”

“Eeep!” Her eyes shot open and the singing stopped. She tossed the bowl of ‘good eats’ into the air. I had to use all my wingpower and dive faster than I ever had in my life just to catch it in time.

“Sssorry, ssorry, I didn’t mean to ssscare you, just wondering what you were sssinging about.” She was pushed up to the counter, breathing heavily with her hoof over her heart. I was thankful I hadn’t sent her into a shock, again.

“Oh-oh my, please don’t sneak up on me like that, I get frightened easily you see.”

“I’m very sssorry.” So much for me showing gratitude for the nice place to sleep.

“It’s okay, ummm,” she waved the tension away with her hoof and began to giggle. “I’m s-sorry I never, um, asked your name.”

This filled me with sadness; changelings were never supposed to feel like individuals, so I was labeled rather than named. I had only heard that ponies had names, and even gave names to their pets.

“My name…” She nodded and gave me that hopeful smile and happy eyes. “I don’t really, uh, have a name, really. Everyone just called me CF-9878, for the 9878th female changeling.” I lowered my head down to floor level. It killed my heart to talk about this; I suppose it was due to the fact that my whole life was just like a mirror image to hundreds, if not thousands, of other changelings.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” she trotted over and pulled me in for a bone shattering hug, “That sounds terrible.”

“It really, wassn’t that bad.” I tried to break free, although, my attempts were in vain; she was really strong.

“I-it sounds pretty bad, you seem upset.” She looked at me with a more, motherly and concerning smile than the last one. She also -much to my relief- loosed her hug a bit, giving my lungs room to expand properly. “I know I can never say I’ll know how it feels to be labeled. I-I don’t know how hard it was, b-but at least, you’re away from all that now.”

“I, uh, thanksss.” I smiled and relaxed into the hug, one of the only hugs I had ever gotten. “I just, don’t want to talk about my old home very much… What’s your name?”

“I-its Fluttershy, and I, uh, have a question, if thats o.k.?”

“haha, yeah itss fine.” Her kindness makes me want to eat wood chips.

“Uh, I am fine with you, being, here, of course, but my friends need to know about you. I need you to, uh, make a disguise so you can bring yourself to our weekly pet play-date, and then, show everyone you’re, uh here. Don’t worry about them reacting badly, I, won’t let them hurt you.”

I see you lay it on heavy Fluttershy.

“Are you sssure they won’t assssault me? I don’t like being assssaulted.” I was starting to get queezy, the thought that five other ponies would be meeting with me face to face with me settled rather poorly in my stomach, just like the 13 some-odd cups of tea I ingested the prior night.

She hugged me tighter, squeezing me in. “I’m sure they won’t, they’re very nice. But, you, not to be mean, but, you have to try to not make that hissing noise when you speak, or, they’ll know.”

“I uh, could stop it if I try really hard.” Stopping the hiss was like imitating an accent; all i had to do was move my tongue different but it took full concentration to do so.

“Great, you, didn't do it there.” she released me from the hug and trotted to the bowl, “Come get breakfast, I poured cereal for you.”

“thank you, I've never had that either. Or anything poniesss eat for that matter.”

“I think you’ll like it, and be careful with the hissing please.”

“Sorry.”

I sat down and started pile driving food into my face. It was fantastic, but I wasn't paying much attention to the flavor at that point. I knew I struck gold when I came across this wonderful mare first, but meeting her friends sounded awful for my health; plus I really didn't plan on leaving just after I had settled in.

I could only pray that I would be heading back here with Fluttershy later rather than into a dungeon with arrows in my back.

Author's Note

Sorry that this drags on for so damn long without action, this chapter was suppose to be her just getting settled in.
If it seems rushed, its because it was; this weird holiday (Happy thanksgiving) came out of no-where and interrupted me.

Here's this chapters song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNvCTGWyiL0