Changing For The Better

Chapter 2

Tangled up in the shrubbery was what appeared to be a small filly. Though she definitely didn’t seem like any normal pony, or at least none like Day Dream had seen. The most notable differences were the curved horn and insect like wings, reflectionless eyes and a hard shell exterior as opposed to a fur coat and holes in her legs and webbed mane and tail.

Day Dream jumped back in surprise, but quickly leaned back down. The small creature looked up at her with wide eyes. The white pegasus looked around, confused and searching to see if there was any creatures here like it, although she saw none. The rain continued to fall furiously against her.

She gently reached a hoof towards the creature, but stopped when the small filly moved away. “I’m not going to hurt you, it’s okay.” Day Dream spoke softly. The smaller equine cautiously leaned back towards Day Dream’s hoof, but leaned a little too far and stumbled forwards a few steps. Day Dream smiled at the innocent filly. “Let’s get you out of there.” she said, pulling the branches far enough apart for the filly to clamber out.

Once the insect like equine had untangled herself from the thorny plant the mare let go of the branches and looked around once more. “Where did you come from?” she wondered out loud. A flash of lightning erupted from the sky, startling both of them. The small creature quickly jumped behind Day Dream’s foreleg, deciding that the unfamiliar mare was currently safer than the storm raging above them.

The pegasus looked down at the filly and sighed. ‘I can’t leave her out here...’ she decided. Quickly she swept the filly onto her back and began galloping away from the forest. She charged through the storm and back towards town, the filly clinging on to the mare so she didn’t fall from her back.

Once they arrived in Ponyville Day Dream slowed to a trot. The streets were empty as by now everypony had retreated indoors  to hide from the sudden storm. Soon enough the two arrived back at Day Dream’s home. Once they were safe inside the warm the mare knelt down so that the filly could safely hop off of her back.

She stood up straight again once the filly had sat down on the carpeted floor. Day Dream went upstairs and grabbed some blankets and towels. She dried herself off and went back downstairs. The filly was in the same place she’d been before Day Dream went to retrieve towels and blankets. She smiled seeing the sleepy filly, curled up contentedly. The pegasus approached the filly and draped a blanket over her gently before lying down on the rug, close to the smaller equine.

Day Dream had never seen a pony like this, and decided that in the morning she would try to find some information on what the little filly could be. She began to drift off and was soon fast asleep, the rain still pouring down outside.

About an hour later the front door was pushed open as Knight Watch entered. The rain had stopped just before he left work so luckily he wasn’t soaked through and through like his wife had been. He looked over to the rug, noticing his wife curled up, fast asleep. A small smile appeared on his face, though it faltered when he saw a smaller shape, covered by a blanket.

    Knight Watch stepped towards Day Dream, his hooves clicking against the wooden floor louder than he’d expected and awakening the mare. Day Dream’s head lifted swiftly and she immediately reached out, pulling the small shape under the blankets closer to her. But the mare relaxed when she saw it was only her husband.

    “Are you okay Dreamy?” he asked. Day Dream nodded and smiled, standing up.

    “Yes, sorry, you scared me a little bit there.” she explained. Knight Watch apologized but the mare brushed it off, telling him it was alright. “So Day Dream, what’s under the blankets?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Day Dream suddenly smiled. “Well, I was at the edge of the forest and you’ll never guess what I found-” she was cut off when the small filly woke up, pushing the blanket off of her as best as she could. Knight Watch caught sight of her and jumped in front of Day Dream protectively, his horn glowing as he prepared to defend his wife.

    “How did a changeling get in here?!” he asked, his voice low and slightly aggressive. Day Dream frowned, confused. “Changeling? So that’s what she is!” the mare thought out loud. Knight Watch glanced back at the mare, frowning. “Dreamy, what happened when you went to the forest?” he asked.

    “I found this little filly, she was tangled up in the bushes and was so scared. I couldn’t just leave her out there.” The pegasus confessed. She spoke in a soft and suddenly timid voice, one that made her other half regret shouting.

“Dreamy, Changelings are very, very dangerous. That… thing… can’t stay here!” the stallion told her sternly.

    Day Dream frowned and stepped back, as if protecting the small creature. “Knight she’s just a foal. She wouldn’t be able to hurt anypony at her age. We could raise her to behave, to act like a normal pony-” The unicorn spoke up before she could finish.

    “Raise it?? Dreamy, changelings aren’t like ponies, they’re different.” He tried to explain. “They’re nothing but useless trouble makers!” This earned a stern glare from the pale pegasus pony. “That’s how they’re raised, if we raise her then she’ll know how to act in a pony society.” Knight Watch flattened his ears against his head and looked anywhere but at his wife. His eyes settled upon the changeling foal, who had retreated mostly underneath the pile of blankets.

“Now, we can raise her together, as a family. Or I can go, taking her with me and raise her on my own.” she spoke in a voice Knight hadn’t heard for a long time. He sighed.

“Fine. She can stay. But as soon as she begins to destroy this town I will be taking her back to the Everfree forest.” he said, standing up straight again. Day Dream flicked her tail in a slightly annoyed fashion. She turned and sat back down next to the filly, lifting her out of the blankets and cradling her gently.

Knight Watch grumbled in a low tone and walked towards the kitchen, only half listening to Day Dream speak to the changeling.

“Do you have a name little one?” the white pegasus asked. The changeling looked up at her for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “Hm, you seem to understand what I’m saying… can you speak?” she asked. The filly took a moment to process Day Dream’s sentence before shaking her head again. Day Dream smiled softly. “Well, don’t you worry. We’ll teach you.” she reassured the filly.

“Now, what should we name you?” Day Dream wondered aloud, tapping a hoof against her chin.

“How about Jinx, since I’m sure I’m jinxing Ponyville by letting her stay.” Knight Watch mumbled.

“Jinx… That’s it! Jinx sounds like a wonderful name for you, little one.” Day Dream said happily. Apparently ‘Jinx’ was all she’d heard.

So that was that. ‘Jinx’ was to stay with the family, until further notice. Knight Watch really didn’t like this idea, at all. But, he knew his wife had felt a sense of emptiness and uselessness after Umber Sky was taken by the forest. Maybe keeping the foal would satisfy the maternal instincts Day Dream had.

‘Please let this all be okay.' Knight Watch hoped, watching as the pegasus went upstairs with the changeling.