I'm not quite sure what it is that I was supposed to do when that pony fell in love with me from a distance. In fact, I'm not even sure how she managed to fall in love with me from so far away, but she did. And my Queen doesn't tell me what to do. She never does.
"And a hay smoothie?"
"Yep! That's all of it!"
Nodding, I jot down the order and tuck the notepad under my wing, the pencil going in my vest pocket. "I'll bring your meal in a little bit, enjoy the view."
As the mare and her friends look over the balcony rail, I head back into the restaurant and clip the order to the wheel, spinning it so the cooks now have the order. Then I pick up the waiting tray, balance it on one wing, pick up the accompanying tray, balance it on my other, and walk out to table 8. The group of colts and their marefriends thank me for their food, then go back to being the loudest group in the rather small building. The other couples scattered throughout the restaurant are much quieter.
"Trip!"
I trot back into the separated area where I pick up orders to deliver. There's three trays, and the order I just put up. Setting two trays on my wings, I pick the third up by the edge and tilt my head to balance the quite heavy tray. On my way out to the balcony, I spot a pony looking around a little nervously. I'm curious, but she's talking with somepony and I'm working until closing time, so I just keep going out.
There's some gasps as the mares see me, but I just keep going, then set down the tray in my mouth. "Here's your meal," I say as soon as my mouth is free. Setting down the other two trays, I pull out some straws from my vest and put them down on the table. "If you need anything, just wave me over."
"But aren't you busy?"
"Hearts and Hooves Day is usually less busy than normal. We aren't exactly a romantic place."
"Oh, well, we'll be sure to wave you over if we need you, Mister...?" the yellow unicorn asks, bending over to try and see my name tag.
"Trip. I'm Trip Line," I say, turning around and walking away before they keep talking to me.
Eventually, everypony leaves, and I walk around, wiping off tables and collecting dishes and glasses. Since I'm the only employee here, I have to do all the work myself, but I don't mind. Boss's appreciation tastes good, so I'll continue to do whatever needs being done.
"Trip Line?"
I look up from the table I'm vigorously scrubbing at to see a light green mane on the other side. Raising my gaze, I can see it's the quietest mare among the group I'd served on the balcony. They'd taken a while to leave, but why's this unicorn still here? We closed a few minutes ago. "Um, yes?"
"My friends wanted me to ask if you'd mind going to a show with us tomorrow. You look a little sad, when you're all alone."
"You stayed after closing time to ask me to go to a show with you after you've watched me since you saw me?"
She blushes, her light pink coat turning a little red around her face. She has a definite crush on me, I know. All the mares act the same around somepony they like. "Kind of, I guess. Don't you have friends to hang out with you during your shift?"
I can't help but laugh dryly. "Yeah, no. Nopony wants to be my friend when they find out."
"Find out what?"
Shaking my head, I go back to attacking a stain of sticky syrup. "I'm not going to tell you. You'd just run off like everypony else."
"Are you sure?" she asks, moving around to stand next to me. "I'm not like other ponies...."
"Prove it. What if I was a unicorn who killed ponies, and now I'm hiding from the Guard under the disguise of a poor pegasus working here for a living?"
"Then I'd probably look into any unicorns who've killed ponies before. Then look for ones with your eyes. No matter what kind of transformation spell you used, you can't change your eyes. It's the one thing that's always constant." Now she takes the rag from my hoof and starts scrubbing for me. "But I'd doubt you really are. I mean, why start here when you've most likely got money saved up? You could be working somewhere else."
"This is one of the least popular restaurants in Canterlot. You can go unnoticed easily enough here. If I was a murderer, I'd go for the places nopony would look."
"Like a small town."
"Or somewhere low-key. Like here. Now can I please get back to my job?"
"Nope. I'm helping. You can pay be back by going to the show with me."
I roll my eyes, then go around, piling dishes on the trays I have balanced on my wings. When they get too heavy, I take them into the kitchen and set them in the sink. Since the place is closed tomorrow, I don't have to wash the dishes today. I can go in tomorrow and do it, get a little extra pay and some more appreciation, possibly a raise. It's been long enough.
After an hour and ending with a perfectly clean shop, I lock the door behind myself. The unicorn, whose name I gathered to be Light Holly, is standing behind me as I do so. She's been nothing but help since she started to clumsily flirt with me. I still doubt that I'm going to tell her my secret, though. She didn't woo me in the slightest.
"Do you have a family to get home to?" I ask in way of small talk as we start walking towards the inside of the city. Being on the outskirts of the mountain city, I can easily pretend I have a home on my way out of work, since nopony lives near the edge-- too dangerous. Of course, I don't have a home. I just use other ponies' homes.
"Yep! My mom and dad are at home with my little sister, and they've been keeping an eye on her. Remember when I told you about last week?"
You spoke so much I have a hard time remembering what was last week or before that. "Yeah. You and your sister went on vacation somewhere, right?"
"That's right, Trip! Candy Hearts took a tumble while we were there, and she's still recovering."
"Oh. Well, I hope she gets well soon."
Holly stops so suddenly I have to stop walking and turn around to see her, several steps behind. I almost didn't notice. "I know! You still have to eat dinner, right? You can come over to my house! My mom cooks really good food!"
"Um, Holly, I really don't want to intrude.... You've just barely met me, and you're already inviting me to a show."
"Nope! My family's as nice as I am! You can stay the night, too, if you want!" she says, hopping up next to me. "You don't have a house, right?"
"U-um...."
"It's okay. I've seen you around Canterlot before, so I know what you look like in the mornings before you get to work. You're all dirty and messy and look like the homeless ponies that sleep in shelters. But you don't even sleep in a shelter, do you?"
Who is this pony? She's seen me on my days off, when I'm out begging for bits, leeching off the compassion I get? Nearly nopony I've met has seen me anywhere but my workplace or on the street, never both. "Well.... No. I kinda don't have enough money for a place to live in Canterlot. I've been saving up for a while now, working a couple jobs and a little asking around on the side."
"Begging, you mean. Well, it's okay. My mom won't mind having you sleeping on the couch, since all of our beds are full." She beams at me, happiness simply rolling off of her, my senses ready to drown in it; the most happiness I've felt since.... Ever. "And you're my friend. I've had friends over to crash on the couch before, like Strong Current, the mare who ordered for everypony today. Her family doesn't really like her."
Recalling the many piercings and dark makeup, I can probably guess why her family wouldn't like her much, but I don't mind. Perhaps I can make this a habit, if Holly's family does this for friends all the time? "Um, I guess it can't really hurt to try it for a night...."
"Great! Come on, my house is over this way."
For a while, I just walk behind her, following silently as she tells me everything I could ever need to know to impersonate her perfectly. She even tells me enough I could probably imitate a balloon popping. Literally. When she stops in front of a house, I have to crane my head to see the top. This is going to be the first time I enter a house as Trip, not.... Not a temporary pleasure.
"MOOOOM, DAAAAD, I BROUGHT A FRIEND HOME!!" she yells. I swear I can hear an echo in the house. The ponies that I see, I don't expect. The mare met me in a club, took me out to an alley, and we dabbled a little. Then she went back in. The stallion also met me the same night, and he decided a little fun wouldn't hurt. My shock I hide well, though, smiling meekly as I wave at Morning Glory and Night Shadow. Behind their legs is a young filly, hobbling around with a cast on her left hind leg.
"Hi. I'm Trip Line," I say. There's an almost echo in the introduction.
"I'm Night Shadow," the dark blue stallion says, smiling at me with a question in his bright green eyes. I'd been posing as Trip Line at the time we met. I decide to answer his questions later, after I shake his hoof. "And this is my wife, Morning Glory."
The yellow mare shakes my hoof. She doesn't remember me, thankfully. I'd been wearing sunglasses. And a jacket I'd stolen to hide the cutie mark. Or blank flank, in the case of the pony I took it off of. "Nice to meet you, Trip Line. Do you mind if I call you Trip?"
"Not at all, miss. Ponies seem to like calling me Trip most of the time, anyways."
"Are you Holly's coltfriend?" the filly asks, looking up at me, suspicion lurking in her eyes.
"No, I'm not, sorry. And your name is.... Oh, what was it Holly said? Pain-in-the-Flank? No, no, I don't think so.... Was it...."
The filly nudges me playfully, acting angry. "I'm Candy Hearts! And I've got my cutie mark!"
I look down, and see that the filly does, indeed have a cutie mark. It's a piece of candy over a heart, with a bandage holding the two together, it seems. "Nice. I didn't get mine until I was older than you."
Suddenly, there's a green mane in my face. "Trip! Mom says you can take the couch! And you can have dinner, too! She's going to make a little something for you now!"
Startled, I scoot back, but stop almost as soon as I react. "Oh, thanks, Holly. Did you tell her...?"
"Oh, no. I didn't tell her. She just assumes your situation is like Current's!" she laughs, dragging me over to what I assume is the kitchen. It looks like any normal kitchen, and this one I could probably make a good cake in. If they've got the ingredients, of course. Morning Glory sets a plate down on the table just as we enter. Whatever it is, it looks delicious, and her magic glow, a mint green, pulls out a chair for me.
"Enjoy, Trip. We'll all be off to bed, and Holly can help you out if you need anything."
"Thank you, Miss Glory," I say, sitting down in the chair offered to me. She just smiles and walks out, probably hustling her injured daughter to bed. I take a big bite of the food, and immediately close my eyes as the delicious flavor soaks into my mouth.
"Good, huh?"
After swallowing, I turn my head to look at Holly, sitting at the end of the table next to me. "Really good! I can't remember the last time I had something edible, much less something as delicious as this!"
Another laugh from Holly, and I take another bite, prepared to eat while she talks. "Mom's going to be so happy you think so! She doesn't usually get anypony who appreciates fine cooking. Most ponies she knows live up here, where all the food's made by Equestria's finest. But you, I guess you just haven't had anything so good for so long, probably anything properly cooked tastes amazing."
Nodding I swallow my third bite. "It's been a long time. I think it was macaroni and cheese that was the last thing I ate that was prepared properly."
"Mac and cheese, that's it? What do you eat every day?"
"Well, mostly things I find. Not too much. They don't normally taste good, and I kind of am planning to buy myself a house."
Holly nods. "Well, if you ever need anything nice for a meal, you can come over any time. Mom always makes too much for us four to eat."
"Appreciate the offer, but are you sure your folks won't mind my coming over just to eat?"
"We don't mind, Trip," a deep voice says from the entryway, and I turn my head the other way to see Night Shadow standing there. "Holly, you don't mind if I talk to him alone, do you?"
"Go ahead, Daddy! I know you like to get to know my friends! I'm going to get the couch ready for him!"
Then Light Holly is gone, leaving me alone with the stallion from the night club. He sits down across from me, and I lower my gaze to my plate, eating as if it's the only thing I can even do, my special talent.
"Did you know I live here?"
I almost choke, but I mange to swallow properly. "No. I didn't even know you had foals. N-not that--- I mean, um, well, er, uh--"
His hoof gently touches my mouth, and I stop stammering. "It's okay. I just wanted to make sure. Could you not tell my wife or children?"
"Done."
The soft touch moves from my mouth to my cheek. "I have to run to the office later tonight.... Maybe you'd like to see what I do for work, if you're going to be my daughter's friend?"
"Sure. I don't have work tomorrow, so if you don't mind having a pony sleeping on your couch until noon...."
His hoof strokes my cheek softly before pulling away. "That's fine. Now, when you're done eating, the living room is the first room you come to when you turn to the left."
"Thank you, sir."
"And none of this 'sir' nonsense, okay?" he adds at the entryway.
"Oh, um, okay, I guess."
Then I'm alone. At least, until I go with Night Shadow tonight. What a find....
Author's Note
What is this? Oh, look, a second dump of things sitting around in my brain. Maybe I should do something with my life.
The next day I go in early to wash up all the dishes that didn't get cleaned yesterday. Boss doesn't ask about my limp, and I don't offer up the information. In fact, I tell him nothing, and he says nothing in return.
It's an okay show that I'm dragged to, but I appreciate the free food and the companionship radiating from Light Holly's circle of friends, but I can't shake the feeling that somepony's been following me all day.
"I'll see you later, Trip!" Holly calls out as I start to wander off after the show.
"See ya, Holly," I yell back, waving a hoof as I go around to see if I can spot whoever's been following me all day.
In my wandering, I come across an impromptu stage of boxes and crates in the center of a small square. Lots of ponies are gathered around the speaker, so I take to the skies to see if I can find out what's going on. Nopony looks disgruntled as I settle for hovering above the crowd.
"We mustn't let these changelings take over our lives! It's been only a month since they've begun living amongst us, and already they've been signing up to join the Royal Guard, and there's already ones who have infiltrated the Guard! This is insanity, even if it is coming from our beloved Princesses!"
Oh, it's one of those anti-changeling rallies. I wrinkle my nose at the poor arguments used. Insanity? Really? "Is that really your argument? Insanity?" I find myself calling out. "Nopony's actually been attacked by any of them since they came out!"
"And what would you know about the lack of attacks? Plenty of ponies are still claiming that they've been attacked by changelings!"
"I don't expect you to know this, since you're so high and mighty, but all those stories are fake. I know every single pony who's made a claim like that and they're all homeless and desperate for bits, and you can get a good sum for turning in a changeling. How many of those searches even turned anything up? None of them. But the pony gets the bits, and they couldn't care less that they just did that!"
"Oh, and how am I supposed to believe that?"
"How am I supposed to believe an argument that their being honest is 'insanity' and we should go back to having them lying to everypony?"
Now all of the ponies are watching me bicker with the stallion on the boxes, who's now looking so frustrated his face is turning red. Somepony in a dark hoodie, hood pulled up to hide their face, turns and leaves. Suspicious, but I brush it off as I watch him struggle to come up with an answer.
"He's right, though. The pegasus. I know a homeless pony who admitted to fibbing about a changeling encounter to get the bits."
"Yeah, I know somepony who did the same thing. Maybe he's right, and the changelings really aren't attacking."
"But I was attacked just last night. Some changeling came up and started feeding off of me."
Everypony turns to look at the now-embarrassed mare as she ducks her head. There is a scratch on her neck, but she's otherwise uninjured. I can't sense any emotional trauma when she looks back up at me. "How do you explain that?"
"Are you sure it attacked you? You could have mistaken it for an attack. Could have panicked, assumed the worst."
"Well.... I wasn't expecting to see one, so I'll admit I was surprised, but.... No, I'm pretty sure it was an attack. It showed its teeth, and it made clicking noises at me. When it stepped toward me, I panicked and ran."
I nod. "See? Could have been a misunderstanding. Maybe it didn't know Equestrian, and it was just asking for directions."
"Have you ever met a changeling who couldn't speak Equestrian?" she shoots back, her violet eyes glaring angrily at me.
This one's a risky question, but I answer honestly. "Yes. I have. He had companions who could translate for him, though. Changelings naturally speak using those clicks and chittering noises. I think they have to be taught Equestrian from a young age, like foals."
"Show us some proof!"
"Yeah, proof!"
"I can't show you proof. Where am I going to get a changeling that doesn't know Equestrian in the middle of Equestria? I sure can't just track down whatever changeling she saw."
"No, but you can find one who knows."
I turn in midair to spot one of the large reddish changelings. He's wearing Guard armor, and I assume he's on duty, if the other two Guards behind him are any indication. He's the only one out of the three Guards that's a changeling. At least, an undisguised one. "Oh, um. Are you taught Equestrian, then?"
He nods, walking forward. The silent crowd parts before him and his companions. I'm thinking they were originally there for crowd control, but I'd just roped in their muscle. "All changelings who are expected to leave the hive are taught Equestrian from the moment they hatch. Our native tongue is imprinted in our minds, so it isn't necessary to be taught that."
"There," I say, turning back to the mare. "Misunderstanding."
As she grumbles in grudging agreement, something nails me in the back of my head, and I go down, tucking into a roll before I hit the hastily-cleared area in front of me. I stumble to my hooves and glance around, feeling a little woozy from the hit and seeing blurry doubles of everything. Something dark red appears in front of me, and I feel a steadying hoof on my shoulder, holding me in place. Whoever it is yells something, but I can't hear it properly. Colors blur as I feel myself get lifted off my hooves, and I feel a little light headed, getting dizzier with the lack of ground beneath me. I struggle to keep conscious, but there's a tingle of magic and I collapse into darkness.
Silence is the first thing I hear. I can't move my body at first, but I can wait. I have a pounding headache, which makes me wish I was unconscious again.
"How is he?"
"He'll be fine. Did anypony see him change?"
"No. I'd gotten him here before it happened. He's good, I'll give him that. Unconscious for nearly half an hour and he only loses it when I drop him on the bed."
I blink. The light above and around me is bright and white, but I see two silhouettes on the other side of a curtain. One looks like a changeling. Taking a deep breath, I sit up, feeling stiff and sore. Yawning, I rub my eyes with a foreleg, then pull that leg away in confusion. It's dark orange and riddled with holes. Crossing my eyes, I see that my muzzle's the same color. Turning to look at my back, I see my thin, transparent wings, and buzz them a little bit. Being a pegasus kept them from locking up, thankfully.
"You're awake."
Facing forward again, I hear a slight click escape my throat. It's the changeling that backed me up at the rally. Did he take me here? Wherever here is, of course. He's smiling at me kindly, though, so I relax. I'm not in trouble.
"I'm glad that you're okay. I was worried when you got hit by that brick."
"Brick?" I ask, rubbing the back of my head gingerly. It does hurt, but I assumed it had been a rock, not a brick!
He nods. "It was pretty heavy, too. I'm surprised you stayed conscious like you did."
"Oh. Did you find out who threw it?"
"Sadly, no. But we know what you are now, so we were able to properly treat you. And don't worry. Trip Line can still be an Equestrian citizen and we won't say anything. Everypony assumes you're just being patched up, now."
I nod slowly so I don't get another nasty pain. "Okay. Does anypony else know?"
"I told the Princesses, but you should be okay. They've seen Trip Line around being a good citizen, so I don't think they'll expose you just because you've been hiding for years." He gives me a sympathetic smile. "Hard habit to break, huh?"
"Among others. What about--"
"Is he awake yet??"
Confused, I turn my head to where the voice came from. It sounds vaguely familiar. Whose voice is it? It sounds excited and curious, so I try and sit up a little better. My head has different ideas, though, and I lay back down with a groan, putting my hooves to my face in an attempt to block out the world. It doesn't help at all.
"Princess, I don't think--"
"Oh, I'll be careful, Doctor. Don't worry. I just want to ask him a few questions, and I'll be gentle about it."
There's the sound of the curtain being pushed back, and the changeling next to my bed making some sound I'm unfamiliar with, and somepony's hoof touches my shoulder. A soothing wave of magic softly pushes away my pain enough I can open my eyes. A purple unicorn-- no, alicorn, since she's got wings and a horn-- is staring at me intently. An involuntary squeak escapes and I feel myself curl up a little bit, though it does nothing to hide me under the thin hospital sheets.
"It's okay. I'm just here to ask you a few questions as head of Changeling Research. Nothing too hard, I hope. Oh, and I'm Twilight Sparkle, although I guess you kind of already know that."
