Fallout: Equestria - Group Anthology - 2016

Through Azure Eyes

by PrinceUniversa

Do you know what it feels like to be a race unknown to the Wasteland? To be something that feasts upon something that’s extremely rare in what was supposedly post-apocalyptic Equestria? To have what my kindred would say was an unknown destiny just because my eye color was different from my brethren’s green coloration? To be abandoned by my kind and yet saved by not your own? To have a fear of the unknown of this harsh yet changing world? To fear dying just because I’m different? Well, I do and my life would have not been easy if I was not saved by four very kind people who took me in as a friend. A friend… that word was foreign to me for a long time and yet I feel somewhat nostalgic about hearing that word again. I bet you guys and girls don’t really understand huh? Here let me explain a bit better this time…

My name is Noir and well, I’m a changeling. As I said before, changelings were unknown to Equestria for a very good reason. Lack of good sustenance between the ponies here, see us changelings feed on the love of ponies to survive. I know weird right? Anyway, I’m getting a bit off topic. Changeling have the ability to disguise themselves into what they deem fit. Since I’m unknown to the ponies here save a few allies and friends, I disguise myself as a unicorn mare. Now you’re wondering how all this all adds to the topic of love right? No worries people, I’m getting there. I swear you’re all impatient sometimes. Let’s see, where should I start? Perhaps a good area to start would be after Littlepip activated the S.P.P. tower…

Two weeks after the activation of the S.P.P tower

As a little detail I forgot to add, I love children. Not only are they so fun to play with but are rather good to help my love problem. Now don’t get the wrong idea about what I said. My horn is what allows me to feed off of the love so I’m not harming the little foals that are playing around. Anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough. Let’s begin with what I have to say, “Alright kids! Your parents are here to pick you all up!”

They were all sad to hear that their parents wanted to pick them up now. Of course they wanted to stay a bit longer. I had to roll my eyes just from hearing their protests. Children these days, they never want to leave. I can’t blame them though; I had some fun playing around with them. They all resigned and left to the entrance where their parents were awaiting them. I saw their happy faces as many of ran up to their parents. I had a few thanks and what-not and it felt good to be thanked. I waved farewell to the children and parents leaving home.

I was ready to leave back to home when the last filly left in the room ran up to me and hugged me, “Thank you Miss Noir, you’re the best!” Despite his timing of hugging me, I let a smile form as I gently patted the little foal’s head. She was a filly pegasus with a beautiful turquoise blue coat. Her eyes match the color of my eyes and to be honest, I felt like I was looking at myself when I was younger. Well if I was a pony that is.

My smile was beginning to fade from the idea of not being accepted because of who I truly am… The filly was rather perceptive as she noticed my smile fading, “Miss Noir? Why are you not smiling?”

Despite her being worried, I couldn’t smile for so long, “I’m not… hey, aren’t you supposed to be with your parents?” I couldn’t help but realize that her parents are not here yet to my surprise.

I saw her expression shifting to a more solemn look yet she still was a bit cheery, “My parents are rather busy with their jobs. They’re always so busy in their work… I tend to wait for them outside or in here.” I can understand if their jobs made them take longer in their shifts. I wonder what jobs did they have to have to leaver her here.

My smile was returning back to my face, “Hey there no worries, I’m sure your parents will pick you up from here…” I saw her becoming more cheery and a bit excited from my sentence. I did not want to clean this room again from the mess she might make, “Hey now, don’t start…” As I was about to continue, a few knocks was heard from the door. I had to resist a facehoof from the interruption. I hope it was this young filly’s parents here to pick her up. I stood up and went for the door as a few more knocks came by. I opened the door with my magic and much to my surprise yet again, it was not her parents but rather Fluttershy herself, “Oh, hello Fluttershy! What brings you here?”

A small smile formed on her face as I moved out of the way for her to enter, “Oh nothing, I just came by to visit is all. That’s not a problem right?” She shrunk a bit before returning back to a normal position.

Fluttershy, always the shy one, I would be very much caught off guard if she didn’t live up to her namesake, “Oh not really, just have a pegasus filly here who's waiting for her parents.” I saw the yellow, timid pegasus looking at me confusingly. She looked to her left to see the filly I was referring to.

Another small but this time concerned smile formed upon her face as she stepped forward to see the pegasus filly, “Why hello there… Um, what’s your name young one?”

Fluttershy did always manage to somehow manage to let a smile form on even the most unlikely of species. It’s like Pinkie taught her well or something. The filly seeing the gentle Fluttershy in action and adding to the fact that she’s a pegasus like her made her smile as she introduced herself, “Oh! Um… could you promise me to not laugh at my name?”

I raised an eyebrow at that question. What’s wrong with the filly’s name? It’s not like its anything silly or something right? The yellow pegasus beat me to the answer while still wearing her signature smile, “I’ll Pinkie Promise it for you…” She performed the gestures of the famed promise as she was reciting the lines, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye…”

The filly chuckled seeing the promise in action. Guess she never saw it before huh? I saw the filly slowly lowering her hoof and letting her laughter calm itself, “That’s a promise made by Pinkie herself? I think I want to try that myself someday…” We both smiled seeing that Pinkie’s famed promise might still be remembered by the newer generation of ponies. The filly was quick to notice that we were getting off topic. Smart kid I tell ya, “Er… right, um… my name’s Elias…”

Elias? What a strange name for a pegasus filly like her yet one that I have to admittedly like for odd reasons. Fluttershy shared my sentiments though she didn't seem to find odd that her name was expected, “Elias? That's a beautiful name there...”

The filly was actually blushing! Sweet mother of Celestia, did anyone ever said that her name was beautiful? Apparently that would be a no as Elias putted it embarrassingly, “T-Thank you Miss Fluttershy, you're the third pony to say that my name is well... um, nice...”

I can see who the other two were to be honest. Still this came as a surprise for the timid (maybe I should stop saying timid since she won't be for so long) pegasus, “Oh my... no one has ever said your name was beautiful? What a horrible thought...” She looked at me wondering if I shared her sentiments. Well of course I did! I'd probably be the second being here to understand the filly's plight.

I decided to step up next to Fluttershy and said my part, “Yeah, I agree with Fluttershy here. In fact...” I looked at the yellow pegasus in question. My look was enough for her to understand what I wanted to do. She simply nodded as she stepped back a bit. This left the filly confused about what was going to happen. Were I to be in this filly's hooves, I'd be confused as well but I know what I'm doing. I let a sincere smile form on my face. I wanted Elias to know that I mean her no harm even though she may already know. She returned the smile back which made my heart possibly flutter in joy, “I'd like to share a secret of mine to you... Only my friends and Miss Fluttershy know this secret and I'd like to share it with you. But you have to Pinkie Promise me that you'll never tell it to anyone, I... I'm still kind of scared of how people would view me as something completely different.”

The pegasus filly took what I said of me being scared of how everyone feels about my true self rather surprisingly well. Oh sure, she thought that I was crazy for saying something like that when almost all the foals and parents like me, but my true self would have spoken differently to them. She might be able to understand what I’m going through but of course I know she’s just a kid. Yet even with her being so young, I somehow hoped she would understand even if only a little. A small smile formed upon her face, “I'm... not so sure why you'd be scared when everypony likes you but...” Silence reigned for a while as she eyed me with a certain glee, “I'll keep it a secret for you Miss Noir...” She performed the gestures of the Pinkie Promise as she recited the lines.

After finishing the promise, she looked at me with an insatiable curiosity almost rivaling that of Twilight Sparkle. Hehe, wow I can't believe I just said that. I looked t her about a good three seconds before letting my disguise fall. Green flames enveloped me as my body was beginning to transmute itself back into the bug-like body of the changelings. The flames dispelled themselves revealing my true form to the filly. I saw her eyes widen whether in awe or fear I couldn't say, probably both for all I know, “Well, here's my secret shown to you... please don't hate or fear me because of this.”

She took a few steps back. I lowered my head, I knew that this was too good to be true. She's almost afraid of me, I can see- “That... was amazing Miss Noir!” It already...? I looked at her in clear surprise to hear that. She saw my look of surprise and out of nowhere went to hug me, “I don't care about your looks Miss Noir! I just like your for who you are, not what you are...”

This kid... She was definitely smarter than your usual filly almost like Twilight when she was a filly growing up. I think I felt a few tears escape from my eyes as I wrapped her. I was rather overjoyed and glad to hear that someone likes me despite my true origins, “You're the first pony to like me despite me showing my true origins... well, besides my friends that is...”

The three of us (yes, I did not forget that Fluttershy was here) joined in each others laughter. It felt good to laugh like this. Fluttershy stepped forward next to me the and the filly still wearing her smile, “It's good to see you accepting Noir so quickly. To be honest, I thought you might run away from her when she revealed her true colors... no offense Noir...”

”None taken...” I'd share her thoughts as well but you saw how it actually went.

The filly did let a small laugh escape from her, We noticed it fairly quickly and were looking at Elias oddly, “Um... is it bad that I already knew what race Miss Noir is?” We looked at each other first before looking back at Elias. She took the silence as us allowing her to continue with what she has to say, “Although I just learned about Miss Noir's secret, I know that she's a changeling... right?”

Despite us being shocked from hearing that this pegasus filly knows what my race is, I couldn't help but smile at that. My smile was enough of an answer for Elias and she was jumping around a bit, “That's so cool! I heard that changelings feed on the love of beings from family love, to um...” I think the filly understood what she was about to say next as she skipped that part and went onto the next thing about my race, “Anyway, I also read that changelings can become other ponies but to actually see one... It's so cool!”

This was rather something to behold, “So... you don't find my kin to be creepy?” I couldn't find a better word to describe my kindred without being rude to my own kind. I ay have been long abandoned by them but they are still a part of me.

She shook her head looking at me with gleaming eyes, “Nope! I find them to be... um, interesting I guess?” I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

Fluttershy stepped up again, this time next to Elias, “It's great that you know about this and all but um... how and when'd you learn all of this knowledge?”

You know, the yellow pegasus did bring up a good point. She was rubbing her two hooves together, her body language was showing signs of nervousness. Why did I get the feeling that what she might say next is going to be crazy? I saw her looking at me at first before looking to the ground, “I... I always liked them for odd reasons... I don't know why but I've always been fascinated by them...”

A knowing smile formed upon my face. I'm not so sure why, but I think I may have found someone I could speak with about my kind even if she is just a filly, “Well if you want to know more about the changelings, you can always come to me so I can tell you all about the changelings if that okay with you?”

Elias's eyes were gleaming again, “Yes, I'd like that please!” Suddenly, a knock came towards my door. Instinct kicked in as I transmuted back into my pony form. A knock came again as I rose with Elias behind me, “Coming! Just give me a few moments!” I went to the door and opened to see a unicorn mare looking at me with a knowing smile.

Before I could say anything else, Elias went running towards them all happily, “Mommy! I had fun with Miss Noir today!”

The unicorn were smiling at the pegasus filly as they hugged her, “Oh did you now?” She looked at me still wearing her smile, “Thank you kindly dear, sorry that I was late, my job always keeps me busy you know?”

I just gave a dismissive hoof not minding them being late, “Oh it's no worries, I had fun with the little lady here, that's all.”

”That's good to hear, well I got the bits for the...”

I raised a hood stopping her from continuing further, “Keep the bits, you should know that I take care of them for free right?”

An embarrassed blush formed upon the mare's face as she put the bit back, “Right, of course, I had forgotten about that...” She put the filly on her back as Elias gave out a yawn, “Well, I'll be leaving you be, thank you taking care of my child.” I just only nodded as she left me to return home.

I went back inside the room to see Fluttershy standing up and planning to leave. She was at my side looking at me with a smile, “You always know how to handle things huh?”

As much as I wanted to continue this conversation further, I decided to end it here with a few last words to her. We were both tired and it was getting night. I returned her smile back “Always Fluttershy...”