A Second Chance at Love

Not Dangerous

That evening Kuray lay in bed and despite the thick blankets and the merry fire burning in the heater downstairs as well as his marefriend clinging tightly to him to stay warm herself, he shivered. Though his chills weren't from the cold but from the harsh words that him and Dusk had exchanged just hours ago. Kuray had been in just about as many verbal arguments as he had physical and he had hardly ever walked away feeling this conflicted. Dusk was his friend, his best friend next to Sweetie Belle and he had said that changelings, even Kuray himself, should be leashed, thrown into dungeons or cast out like common thieves or animals.

But however hanged Kuray got he couldn't help but see some merit to Dusk's way of thinking. What if he was wrong, what if the changelings were like wind animals. Peace can only last for so long between to races that have always been at eachother's throats.

"I can hear those gears of yours turning," sweetie belle said suddenly, her sweet voice cutting through the silence. She picked her head up off Kuray's chest and rested it on the pillow next to his. "What's on your mind love?"

"It's just," Kuray paused to gather his thoughts, "I can't help but wonder if dusk may have been right about the changelings. What if we are like a bunch of wild dogs and the only way to keep ponies safe is to put us down?" He said softly. Sweetie belle lay silent for a moment, thinking over her response carefully.

"If what you've told me is true about the other changeling hives being docile and peace loving then I don't think ponies have anything to worry about," she cooed.

"And another thing, what Dusk said about me being dangerous,"

"Dusk was angry and confused. He just wanted to hurt you and he wasn't thinking about what he was saying." She said cutting him off.

"Sweetie Belle, I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of: I've killed, I've maimed, and I've lied. In a way I'm just like the rest of my hive." He said turning his head to look at her. She could see the fear in his eyes.

"None of that matters now, it's New Year's Day and the start of your new beginning. I don't care what all you've done, I only care about what you will do. I love you, changeling or whatever, I love you. If anything I feel safer with my big, strong colt friend around." She added. He chuckled softly and wrapped his hooves around her. He kissed her once softly before going to sleep.

His sleep was fitful that night and it seemed that the sun would never rise and even afterwards it took Sweetie Belle another hour until she stirred. She woke with a stretch and a cute little yawn. She kissed his cheek softly before getting up and walking into the bathroom. Kuray himself sat up slowly, the joints in his back popping loudly. He rubbed his eyes to wake himself up but it did nothing for him. He sighed and slung his hooves over the side of the bed and walked out of the room and down the stairs.

In the kitchen he busied himself making breakfast and had it all cooked before sweetie belle came downstairs, her mane was tied up in a towel. They ate breakfast in silence while sweetie belle stared at him, easily seeing through his easily noticeable drowsiness. It wasn't until he stood up to put away the dishes and managed to stab himself with a fork did she say anything.

"Did you get any good sleep last night?" She asked softly taking a look at his hoof which was bleeding slightly, four small dots of changeling blood welled up on his hoof. She dabbed it softly with a napkin.

"No, I didn't. I can't get what Dusk said out if my head." He said.

"Screw Dusk, he was angry and he said things he didn't mean." She said setting down the napkin and looking back up at him. "You are not dangerous." She said surely. Kuray smiled weakly, a smile which she returned. She stood up and stretched again and Kuray did the same. "I've got to go to the store market because we ate all of the good food last night, and you're coming with me. Fresh air will do you good." She said tapping his nose with her hoof,  shrugged and put on his coat in the den as sweetie belle walked past him up the stairs. "Be down in a minute," she called after herself.

It was a full twenty minutes before she returned with a pair of saddle bags around her. "Five minutes?" Kuray asked tapping his hoof.

"You know how mares are," she said walking by him, flicking her tail at his nose when she passed. She pushed through the door and Kuray sighed and followed her out the door.

The market was slightly overwhelming. It wasn't like Kuray hadn't been around this many ponies in his time being back, but he had always been disguised; but now he was walking in full view of everypony else. He felt their scrutinizing he's boring into the back of his head. Normally he wouldn't have cared that other ponies saw him but he wasn't feeling, or thinking like himself today. He burrowed deeper into the collar of his jacket as,if trying to hide from view.

Sweetie belle on the other hand could not be more above it. She walked with her head held high challenging any pony who dared to meet her eyes. It was this that caused the crowd to go back to chattering and haggling with eachother and stop staring at Kuray, which he was very grateful for.

Kuray walked alongside sweetie belle through the market, doing his best to not be noticed. Sitting in the shadows when sweetie belle stopped the pick something up or haggle with a merchant. He had to admit, she had some talent at getting ether prices; but he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't say much through the entire trip until sweetie belle noticed the time.

"Horse apples!" She exclaimed causing Kuray to snap out of his daze. "The market is about to close and I still need to go my two stalls, on opposite ends of the market." She said checking the time again and sighing. "Kuray I need you to to go to the east side of the market, find a stall named silver lining, and ask for the parcel for Sweetie." She said quickly.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kuray asked looking around at the crowd.

"Yes, you'll be fine, I'll meet you back here soon." She said and without another word she turned around and galloped into the crowd opposite him. Kuray opens his mouth to call after but the clock in the center of Ponyville chiming six o'clock and he knew he had to hurry. He turned to gallop the other direction as she had and his heart sank to see a very thick crowd of ponies surging away from where he was trying to go. He knew that he couldn't fight his way through that, and then he had an idea. He spread his wings, sent up a quick prayer to Faust above, and took to the sky.

He was honestly surprised that he managed to get off the ground on his first try. He had never had any formal training in flying and hadn't practiced for a long time. He gat roughly ten feet off the ground before he started propelling himself forward.

He laughed in surprise as he found himself over the stall that was indicated it was the one sweetie was talking about and he was still in one piece. He tried to defend slowly and ended up slamming himself into the ground at a slightly slower velocity right in front of the stall making the scrawny smith jump in surprise. The owner of the stall was a small earth stallion not much taller than Kuray, he had an alabaster white coat and a very short mane that was singed at the ends. His white coat was flecked with several angry looking burn scars, some fresher than others and his steely grey eyes told Kuray he was no stranger to pain.

"What do you need sir." He said with a polite sincerity which kind of took Kuray aback since he e pecked a harsh rough voice from the scrawny pony.

"Uh yes, hi. I'm here to pick up a package for my marefriend, Sweetie Belle." Kuray said and the stallion's eyes widened.

"So you're the Kuray I've been hearing so much about." He said walking around the counter and taking kuray's hoof in his own and shaking it. "You really are lucky to have her as your marefriend." He said. He motioned with his hoof for Kuray to follow him into his tent as he turned to walk away.

Inside there were silver wares stacked on top of cardboard boxes, cups, plates, swords, knives, and things of which Kuray had never seen before. The smith picked up a long and narrow package and hoofed it to Kuray.

"Give sweetie belle my regards, oh and remind her that last minute engraving isn't easy." He said chuckling.

"Uh thanks, what is it?" Kuray asked.

"That's for sweetie to tell you, speaking of which I have a family of my own to get home to so if you wouldn't mind." The smith said, somehow maintaining his polite tone. Kuray nodded and stepped out if the tent.

Now that the streets were pretty much clear it was much easier for Kuray to move without flying. He galloped down the street, the parcel on his back and it wasn't more than a few minutes this time before he came back to the square.

Kuray felt the panicked yelp of another pony before he heard it, the sudden change from tranquility to fear jolted his senses. He set down the package underneath a bush and walked softly around the corner where he heard frantic whispering. He poked his heard around the corner into the alleyway and his blood turned to ice. Sweetie belle's unconscious body was propped up against the brick wall while two ponies, one with a muted orange coat and a slightly brighter mane and the other with a very dark shade of blue and a close cut steely grey mane, both of them had their backs to him as they whispered, and upon seeing this something inside of Kuray clicked and he pulled himself up onto his hind hooves and walked out from behind the corner.

"Hey!" Kuray shouted down the alleyway making both stallions jump at his voice.

"Oh just a changeling, buzz off little one the grownups are talking." The Orange one said arrogantly.

"Honestly, I'm getting real tired of the racism in this town," Kuray said doing his best to keep the anger out of his voice or even look at sweetie belle, but he noticed her eyes flutter a bit at the sound of his voice.

"Oh really, and what's the big strong horsefly gonna do about it?" The Orange one said taking a step towards Kuray who was edging towards them slowly and now was only five feet away.

"I'm gonna feed you both your teeth." Kuray said happily as they both stood on their hind legs as well. Before they could make the first move hurry pulled off his leather coat and threw it in the grey ones face before seizing the Orange one and throwing him face first into the brick wall before turning around and dragging the grey one to the floor but the cost he was struggling with and punching him twice in the nose before the Orange one stood back up and grabbed him from behind. He was bigger and Kuray struggled to break free as the grey one got to his feet. Kuray felt his head clouding as the oxygen was cut off and he knew he had to work quick. Kuray clenched his teeth and flipped the Orange one over his shoulder breaking the hold and slamming him on the ground. Kuray delivered a quick but decisive blow to his throat before lunging at the grey one. Kuray caught him by his short mane and forced his face into the dirt. Kuray then placed his hoof on his shoulder and grabbed the forehoove with the other and pulled up, dislocating the shoulder. The grey one howled in pain and Kuray stood up, knowing his job was done.

Kuray turned to his marefriend who was now awake and smiling. "You seem happy." He said somewhat loudly over the grey ones yelps of pain.

"I'm just thinking about what I said last night." She said as she stood up and walked over to him. "You're not dangerous," she said softly as she brush some of him mane out of his eyes. "You're my protector." She said kissing his cheek. "Also, you kicking the hay out of stallions for me is kind of hot." She said slyly and winked at him. "Now hurry up, I'm starving!" She said walking past him.