Chapters “Alright, today I’m going to it, I am going to fly!” shouted the little pearl white filly with rainbow mane stated with determination.
Do to diminutive size of her wings, Chroma couldn’t fly very well. The other kids at school, especially these two Earth pony colts, Gold Mine and Rough Gem, two stuck up rich boys, always made fun of her. It was bad enough that she didn’t have a cutie mark yet. Chroma wasn’t anything like her tough mother. She like to read books and was a very timid pony, most likely like her clumsy father. She wouldn’t usually let her emotions get to the best of her, but today, Gold Mine finally called her the one word she hated, an ostrich. Well she wasn’t going to take it anymore. She was going to fly today, and that was that!
“Alright,” she said as she began to flap her wings at rapidly, “Here goes nothing!” She started to run cross the grass under her cloud home. She figured that getting a running start would help her.“Rrrrr….” She began to sweat from flapping her wings so fast. She gasped when her hooves were slightly lifting off the ground. “Oh my gosh! I’m doing it!” she shouted cheerfully, turning to see her wings and not paying attention to where she was headed, “I’m actually…OOF!”
She had smacked into a branch of a tree, which caused her to fall onto the ground and rolled deeper into the Everfree Forest! She had than was caught in a current of a very powerful river. She managed to get out when a sturdy branch stopped her from flowing any further from home.
“Ouch…that wasn’t part of the plain” she said as she rubber her slightly bruised forehead. She shot up her head when she heard a loud howl.
She began to quiver in fear as began follow the river back to home. However, it was very dark and she couldn’t see if she was going to bump into anything. Surely, she did and fell on to her blank flank.
“Ouch…” she said has she rubbed her forehead again.
When she looked up, she was face to face with a Timberwolf, one of the most dangerous creatures in to forest.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH” she screamed as she swiftly backed up, only to find that she backed up into a nearby tree. She was now trapped. She couldn’t go anywhere. The Timberwolf was inching closer to her, growling all the way. Chroma began to cry. “HELP! ANYBODY!” she shouted, hoping that somepony would hear her. The Timberwolf lunged forward, with its mouth hung open, ready to enjoy a meal. Chroma closed her eyes shut, as she lost all hope.
“GET OUT OF THE WAY!”
All of a sudden, a hoof grabbed her and pulled her out of the way, letting the Timberwolf smack his head against the tree she was cowering at. She reopens he eyes to see who had saved her. She was shocked at what she saw. At first it seemed to be a young unicorn, but it had wings, very bug like wings. ‘Was it an Alicorn?’ she wondered. She looked at his bent horn, observing it's weird shape. She then glanced at his legs, which had holes.
“What is he ?” she asked herself.
Her thoughts were caught off when the Timberwolf rose back up and let out a viscus roar. The creature stepped bravely in front of Chroma, as if he was protecting her.
“You listen here!” he said with is echoic voice, “You leave her alone and go find something else to eat! Do you understand me!?”
The black creature’s horn began to glow a limestone green as large amounts of electricity was shot from it. It struck the Timeberwolf, sending tons of watts of electricity through its body. The Timberwolf fell apart into small pieces of wood, for it couldn’t take the voltage of the black creature’s attack.
This astonished Chroma! How could this creature this young be so powerful? Maybe he wasn’t young. Maybe he was full grown. Her mind became deep in thought has she looked up and the creature’s cobwebby mane and tail.
“Serves you right,” he said as he looked at the pieces of wood, “Now why don’t you pick yourself up and get out my part of the woods!”
The black creature sighed. “Are you ok?” he asked as he turned to face the young filly.
“Yeah…yeah, I’m ok. Thanks to you,” Chroma said as she picked herself up.
Her joy was short lived when she saw the creature was giving her a frightening glare.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I…I…”
“Do you know how dangerous it is here?!” yelled the creature in frustration, “And why are you in my part of the forest?!”
The creature looked at her pleading eyes, making feel a bit sorry for yelling at her. “Hmp! Fine, but if you ever come here ever again, there will be consequences! You got that!”
She nodded her head as she picked herself up and followed the creature back up stream. On their way, she noticed a little refined area which began the stream of the river. There was a beautiful waterfall and gorgeous lake, with a single, flat surfaced rock in the middle of the lake with which seemed like a path from it to the waterfall. She then stood side by side with the creature, to get a better look at him. His mouth had one tooth sticking out his top lip, on each side of his muzzle, which had a small scar atop of it. He had a few other scars on his face, most likely from past fights. However, that wasn’t what Chroma payed the most attention to. She couldn’t help but to look at his emerald colored eyes. They shimmered in the dim light of the Everfree. She soon found herself staring into them and couldn’t pull her attention away. She found them so magnificent. It wasn’t until he looked back at her, that she quickly turned to look in forward.
“Why was I staring at him like that? ” she asked herself.
“We're here,” he said as Chroma snapped back into reality.
There it was, the ground where a shadow caused by her cloud home in the sky laid. “Oh…umm… Thank you…umm” she said shyly.
“It’s Efon. Just don’t come back,” he groaned in annoyance as he turned and made his way back into the Everfree Forest.
She watched as he disappeared back into the forest. She was hoping to know more about him, like what was he and why he lived in the horrifying forest.
“Chroma!” shouted a cyan, rainbow colored mane Pegasus. “Oh there you are squirt, what are you doing all the way out here? It’s almost supper time!”
“Sorry mom, I was just practicing on my flying and kind of lost track of the time,” she lied to her mother. She wouldn’t normally lie to her mother, but she knew if she said she was in the Everfree, her mother would flip out and more than likely, ground her.
“Well I bet your doing a great job and working hard,” Rainbow said, as she was glad to see that her daughter was trying her best to fly, “but climb on my back, your dads waiting for us."
Chroma took one last look at the deep, dark forest and then climbed onto her mother’s back. However, she couldn’t help but feel something was wrong, like something was missing. She shook her head as she tried to get her mind off of today.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed my first post of my very first fic! Please tell me what you think of it. And if you have any advice for a beginner like me, please do share! Have a great day everypony! Thecartoonmaster123 out!
Chapter 2: Return of Family
Efon slowly trotted back to his home in the Everfree. He was minding his own business when something along the path caught his attention.
He pondered as he thought of what to do with it. It’s getting late and he was almost home. But he couldn’t just leave it here. “And I can’t keep something like this,” he thought to himself, “I could never keep something like this in my life.” He turned around and made his way back to where he had left the young filly.
Chroma was sleeping in her nice warm cloud bed. She was sound asleep until a sudden noise a woke her. It had sounded like something banged against the glass her bedroom window. She sat herself up on her bed, rubbed her eyes, and made her way to the wind. At first glance, she couldn’t see anything out there. She lifted her window up to get a better look. She looked down on to the window sill, to find a familiar silver necklace and a heart shaped locket, resting there. She quickly but a hoof on her chest, finally realizing that hers was missing. Then she swiftly picked up the one on the window sill up and opened the heart shaped locket. At this moment, she had seen the picture of her and her parents.
“How did this get out here?” she asked to no one.
She then realized that the last time she had it was when she trying to fly that day. “Maybe it fell off when I hit that tree,” she said, “But how did it…” A thought popped into her mind.
“Could it have been him?”
She shut her window and climbed back into bed. She didn’t go back to sleep, though. Instead, she stood up and stared blankly at the cloudy sealing. Thoughts of the creature that had saved her came back into mind. She still had no idea what he was. However, that didn’t stop her from thinking about him. His sleek black body, that turquoise, cobwebby mane and tail, and those shimmering emerald eyes. Oh how beautiful his eyes were. The more Chroma thought about them, the bigger her smile gotten.
“That’s it,” she shouted to herself, “I have to meet him again. I have to know more about him, what he is, where he’s from.” She paused her thought as she looked to her clock on her bed side drawer. “Thank goodness tomorrows Saturday.”
Author's Note
Yeah, real short chapter. But don't worry, the next one will make up for this one. Just needed to find a way to get Chroma's determination high enough so that she could go back to meet Efon. Just to let you know, I write these in Microsoft Word first, then put them into this. So if things don't seem right in these chapters, they might be. I'm not a good writer, but at least I try my hardest. Thecartoonmaster123 out!
Chapter 3: Getting to Know Him
Chapter 3: Getting to Know Him
Chroma was preparing a small basket for her little trip back into the Everfree. She filled it to completion with her homemade muffins, sandwiches, juice, and her favorite, Zap Apple jam. She was very chipper this morning, as she was humming a delightful tune.
“What are you doing up so early squirt?” yawned Rainbow Dash as she entered the kitchen.
Chroma’s head shot up at the sound of her mother. She usually woke during the noon on the weekend because of her very busy week at the weather factory. Chroma turned to face her mother.
“Oh…um…Good Morning…. mother!” she said with a nervous tone. “I…um…just getting ready to go……on a picnic with my friends!” she quickly fibbed.
“Oh, you mean Pandora?” Rainbow asked.
Pandora was Chroma’s best friend. She was the daughter of Rainbow Dash’s best friend Fluttershy and the bearer of the Element of Kindness, as well as the Lord of Chaos, Discord. She was very different from everyone else. She was filly with the body structure of a normal pony, but she had a kudu horn and antler on her head, a lion leg and paw for her fore left limb, and a dragon leg and paw for here hind right limb, along with her mother’s soft, pink mane and tail, and a cream colored coat. She didn’t have any wings, but she was capable of flight with her chaotic powers. Unlike her mother, Pandora has a short temper. Even though she wasn’t like anypony else, Chroma would never let her appearance get in the way of her friendship with her.
“Umm…no,” stated Chroma as she rubbed the back of her head.
“Oh,” Rainbow replied, “Then who are you going to have the picnic with?”
“Umm…he’s a new friend, you haven’t meet him yet.” Chroma was getting more nerve and afraid that she might blurt out the true of where she was really headed.
“Oh, it’s a he,” Rainbow stated with a smirk, “Ok squirt, you go have fun with your ‘friend’, I’ll be here if you need me,” she said while doing a quotation gesture with her hooves.
Chroma blushed at what her mother thought was going on. She quickly grabbed the picnic basket with her mouth and rush to the door.
Chroma didn’t have trouble seeing things from a far. But when it came to seeing things at close proximity, she usually had to squint. She did have contacts, but they didn’t work so good for her. They barely cleared things. She neglected to wear here glasses because the kids at school would make fun of her, calling her four-eyes. Everypony but her three friends, Pandora and Silver Fang, and Camcore Pie.
Just like Pandora, Silver Fang was very different. He was the son of Spike, once the faithful assistant of the Princess of Friendship and element of magic, Twilight Sparkle, and the bearer of the element of generosity, the elegant Rarity. At first glance, Silver Fang looks like a normal pony, until you see his clawed hooves, sharp, white, razor teeth, reptilian, amber eyes, small dragon wings, and the fact that he breaths blue firer. He has the tail of a snake and has two dragon horns in front of his ears. His navy blue mane always covering one of his eyes and he always has a claim, cool, not caring tone in his voice, but is a bit selfish and doesn’t seem to care for anything. No one really except Spike to get with Rarity, but it happened. Camcore Pie was the only normal one out of three. Well as normal as a member of the Pie family could get. He is the offspring of Cheese Sandwich, an orange pony with a brown, poofy mane, who came to town to throw Rainbow one of her best birthaversary ever, only to return to confess his feelings to the one and only, Pinkie Pie, the bearer of the element of laughter. Just like his parents, Camcore Pie is one crazy pony. He has a pink mane like his mothers and a light orange coat. His mane, however, wasn’t puffy like his parents, but instead is spiky. He is the most annoying pony in the world, according to Pandora. He is a huge otaku and is crazily obsessed with manga, always act overly dramatic and for some reason, is always carrying a video recorder around. These three are Chroma’s closest and only friends. Although, today that might change.
Due to her inability to fly, Rainbow and Soarin made a slide made of clouds so that their daughter could get down easily. They also had put in some stairs so she could get back up. Chroma slid down the slide with such joy, mostly because her mother didn’t get to find out the truth. When she landed on the ground, she dashed for the Everfree.
Being very smart and having an incredible memory skill, despite forget about her necklace, she easily remembered where she met Efon. She was still frightening about the fact that she was walking in the Everfree, but she was determined to find out more about Efon. She began to hear the waterfall and the lake she had pasted yesterday as she traveled down the path.
“Hmm” said Efon as he sniffed that air and realized that something was in his territory and for some reason, it smelled familiar. His eyes shot open as he glared at the filly he had saved yesterday. He was not happy about this, and Chroma clearly saw that, losing her smile.
Chroma gently but down the basket. “I know you asked me to not come back and I’m sorry,” she said while rubbing her other hoof, “But I wanted properly thank you for saving me and thought that…” she paused, “…If I could get to know you better.”
At first, Efon was shocked about what she just said, but then started to glare at her again. “Yeah right. Like you would want to talk to a monster like me!”
She looked up him in confusion. “You don’t seem like a monster. You saved me and I don’t believe true monsters would save others. But if you don’t want to talk, then I’ll just go,” she said sadly as she hung her head and started to walk back home, “You could keep the basket.”
“Wait!” he yelled, causing Chroma to stop where she was standing. “Fine, I guess…we could…talk. Follow me.” He turned and began to walk down the pathway to the waterfall.
Chroma beamed with joy as she grabbed the basket. She was about to follow him when she realized that water was blocking her way. Efon turned in curiosity.
“What’s the matter, can’t you fly?” he said, now understanding that she couldn’t when she lost her smile.
He rolled his eyes. His horn glowed a mossy green as a stone path was formed so that Chroma could get across. When they were closer to the waterfall, Efon used his magic to bend the water flow so that when they had gone pasted, they wouldn’t get wet. Much to Chroma’s surprise, there was a small cave on the other side of the waterfall. It was a little damp and drippy, but it had it's little charm to it. In the back of it, there was a small pile of book, along with a circle rug with a pillow and a small blanket beside it. Efon used his magic to levitate the rug and placed it on the floor in front of Chroma.
“Here,” he began, “Sit on this, it’s much better for you to sit then to sit on the hard ground.”
She sat the basket down. “Then what are you going to sit down on?” she asked raising an eye brow.
“I got use to the cold ground, beside, I prefer it anyway,” he said as he lowered down and sat.
She was still a bit confused, but she decided not to speck of the subject, due to the slightly annoyed expression and Efon’s face. She sat down and placed the between Efon and her. Pulled out some muffins and juice, along with some of the Zap Apple jam.
“What are those?” asked Efon as he pointed at the muffins.
Chroma gave him a look of pure confound expression. “Those are…muffins.”
“Muffins?” Efon said in confusion.
He used his magic to levitate a book from his pile. At closer inspection, Chroma saw it was a dictionary. Efon fondled through the pages until he stopped abruptly. “Muffin…” he said squinting he eyes as the scanned the pages. “Ah! Muffin: a small domed cake or quick bread made from batter or dough.”
Efon levitated one of the muffins and began to inspect it with caution. He took a big whiff of it before digging his sharp teeth into the cakey texture. His eye shot open as the sensational taste rushed through his body.
“Wow! These are really good!” he announced as he began to hoover with his uncontrollable flapping of his insect-like wings. “Did you make these yourself!” he said looked to Chroma.
Chroma cheeks began to turn from white to a light pink. “I did, but there not that good” she said with a timid smile.
“Not good! These are outstanding! Incredible! Stupendous! These are the best things I’ve ever tasted!” he stated, make Chroma’s blush even brighter. “It taste just as good as love!”
This had brought back confusion to Chroma. “Taste like love? What do you mean?” she asked.
Efon’s chipper emotion slowly faded. “Well, I say that because I’m a Changeling.”
“A…Changeling?” Chroma asked, not knowing what a Changeling was.
“You haven’t heard of a Changeling before?” Efon said lifting up his head. He thought everybody knew about Changelings and how evil they are.
She shook her head. “I’ve read and study many things about many different creatures. But I never heard of a ‘Changeling.’”
“Well,” Efon began, “We are heartless, shape-shifting monsters.”
“Heartless?” Chrome scratched her head in confusion. “You mean your evil?”
“Well, we are, but when I say heartless, I mean we actually don’t have a heart.” He held his head low. “We are incapable of feeling love. That’s why we have to feed on it. It gives us energy to survive.”
Chroma was still a bit puzzled with this situation. “What do you mean by shape-shifters?” she asked, as it almost slipped her mind.
“Well, we can change in to other creatures. We look in to the hearts of a creature to we are looking to get some love from. Than we choose who we want and turn into them.” He paused, sighing. “And I don’t like it. Not one bit. It just feels so…wrong!”
The cave grew silent. None of them spoke. Chroma was sitting there, trying to understand what she just heard. Efon sat there, looking at the muffin he had taken a bite out of.
Chroma decide to break the silence. “There are more of you, right?”
“Yeah, but…”
“So where are your parents?” she asked.
Efon cringed as if a sword had just been driven into his chest.
“I…I don’t have any parents. I...I was left here since the day I was born.”
Chroma wished that she had shut her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know...” She tried to redeem herself.
Efon, surprisingly, gave a smile. “Don’t be. I rather be alone. Besides, I don’t want to live with such monsters, even if doesn’t change the fact that I’m one of them.” His smile faded, replaced by a grimacing, hateful look. “They sicken me just as much as any pony would be.”
“So you’ve been living in this cave your whole life? Alone?”
“Pretty much, I had to learn everything on my own. I had to become strong in order to survive the terrors of this forest.” Chroma wasn’t sure what she should feel. By what Efon had just spoke of, Changeling are dangerous and should be avoided. But if that was so, then why did she feel more comfortable around him?
“You probably want to leave now, don’t you?” Efon suddenly asked.
“What?” Chroma responded, losing her train of thought.
“Changelings could also sense other’s feelings and right now I could feel your uneasiness, most likely from figuring out that I’m a monster. I wouldn’t judge you if you wanted to leave.”
Chroma was even more astonished at what he said. Sure, she was confused, but she wasn’t thinking about leaving. There were things she wanted know.
“I don’t want to leave. I want to keep talking to you.”
Efon’s head shot up. “Really?”
“Mmhhmm, I want to learn more about you.”
“Even if you would still be talk to a Changeling?"
“Yes…”
“Even if I could be stealing love energy at this very second, daring you dry?”
“I…” Chroma paused to think about that situation. “I wouldn’t mind if you did,” she blushed.
It was Efon’s turn to look puzzled. “Huh? You’re a weird one.”
Chroma gave a questioning look. “‘Weird one’? What do you mean by that?”
“Nopony who came across me never stood this long. How do you think I got all these books? There all from ponies who had dropped them when they were running for their life.” Efon put an uplifting grin on his face. “I guess I’m just too scary for their liking. After all, I’m one of the most powerful creature in this forest!”
He lifted up his front hooves, flecking them. Chroma giggled a bit. She was glade that he didn’t seem upset anymore.
She stopped chuckling and their eyes both met. They were like that for a few moments. Chroma blushed a little, looking into Efon's emerald eyes.
“So... ahh…You wanted to know more about me?” Efon said, breaking the silence
She pondered on what she wanted to know. “What are you interested in?”
Efon didn’t quite get what he was being asked. “What do you mean?”
“You know, what do you like doing for fun?”
“Oh..." Efon simply stated, pausing to think. "I like to fight.”
“To fight?” Chroma questioned.
“Yeah!” Efon stood up with enthusiasm. “Creatures always try to attack me, thinking I’m some kind of weakling. I always prove them wrong! You want to hear of some of those moments?”
Chroma wasn’t a big fan of violence, but Efon looked so excited. This was probably the first time that he had…well ever. She shook her head in agreement.
“Well, when I was five, I was face - to - face with a Manticore…”
“And then, Camcore laughed so hard, that he spat up water and got it over Pandora!”
Efon fell on the ground, uncontrollably laughing and banging his hooves on the ground. “Oh man! Pandora must have been really upset!” Efon said, trying to catch his breath.
“She was! She formed a cotton candy cloud and made chocolate milk rain right above his head!”
“Wow!” Efon wiped away a cheerful tear from his eyes. “That was the hardest I’ve laughed in my life. I still can’t believe that your friends with the lord of chaos’s kid!”
“I know; she is pretty amazing.” Her chuckling slowed down. “So, is there anything else you like to do, beside fighting?”
“Really?”
Efon levitated another book for his pile. It was a sketch book. He hoovered it in front of Chroma’s face, flipping the pages with his magic.
Efon noticed that she was squinting. “Is something wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Just looking at this wonderful picture of this…bird!”
“Why are you lying?” Efon asked with a straight face.
“What?” Chroma began to sweat a bit. “I’m not lying!”
“I’m a Changeling remember. I can sense emotion, and right now I can sense that your nervousness is the same as one who is lying,” he took the sketch book from Chroma. “Plus, that’s a lizard, not a bird. So what’s wrong?”
Chroma sighed in defeat. “I kind of have trouble seeing things up close.”
“Then why don’t you have glasses or contacts?” Efon had a questioning expression.
“I do have contacts, but they don’t work that well, and I don’t like wearing my glasses because…” she paused. “The ponies at my school make fun of me when I wear them.”
Efon looked at her, still with a straight face. “So? Why does that matter?”
“Huh?” Chroma shot her head up.
“I said why does it matter what they think?” Efon said as he trotted to his pile of books, moving them out of the way, reveling a small chest behind them. “You obviously need to wear them.”
“Yeah, but, ponies always call me four eyes!”
“Even your friends?”
Chroma was surprised that he mentioned them. “N…no but…”
“Then you shouldn’t care about what those other ponies think. They’re opinion shouldn’t matter to you.” He levitated something out of the chest. “Your friends accept you for who you are and no one else's opinion should matter. Now…” He turned around and showed that he levitated a pair of glasses out of the chest. Chroma’s eyes had a frighten look on her face, having a hunch at what he was planning. “Let’s see how they look on you!”
As he walked closer, Chroma backed up.
“No. Please don’t,” Chroma coward.
Efon could feel that she was afraid of what he would think of how she looks. He gave a little smirk. “I promise that I won’t make fun of you.”
“Whoa…” simply said Efon.
She reopened her eyes, wondering what his thoughts were.
“You look, cuter.”
Chroma’s sky blue eyes widen in disbelief, as well as a blush now appeared. “Y…you really think so?” She stumbled on her words.
“Whoever is making fun of you is dumb if they can’t see that you look cute when you’re wearing them.”
“Wh…I…I…don’t know what to say…thank…thank you!” She couldn’t control her stuttering.
“No prob.” He paused as he rubbed the back of his head. “Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Um, sure, what’s on your mind?” She asked, wondering what he wanted to ask.
“Well, I...I was wondering if you would want to be friends” he said, sounding uneasy as he spoke.
Chroma looked at him, and then gave a smile. “Of course we could be friends. I was actually hoping we could.”
Efon put on a surprising expression. “You…you were?”
“Well, yes.” She began to blush again. “I find you...interesting," she said, her blush becoming more opaque, "And I really like your personality.”
It was surprising for Chroma to see Efon’s cheeks turn a dark shade of green. She assumed it was a blush.
“You...you like me, even though I’m a Changeling?”
“MMhmm!” Chroma shook her head.
Efon’s mouth hung in disbelief. Suddenly, he felt a little thump in his chest. “Whoa! What was that?” he said has he ran a hoof crossed his chest.
“What’s wrong?” Chroma was very concurred.
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t painful.” Efon was still in shock. “It's gone now but it was weird." Efon lifted his head a saw passed the white filly. From the small openings that weren't blocked from the calm waterfall and could tell the the sun was almost at it's highest point of the day. "its almost noon, shouldn’t you be getting back to your folks?
Chroma’s eyes shot up, realizing how long she has been spending with Efon. “Oh boy your right. I should get home.”
“Alright, I’ll walk you back again, I don’t want anything to try and attack you.”
They walked out of the cave behind the waterfall and walked back the to where Chroma had entered.
“Well, this was fun.” Efon gave her grin. “When to you think we could think of doing this again?”
Chroma had to think about it for a moment. She hadn’t had planned for her visit to go so adequately. “Maybe next week, I have other plains with my parent’s tomorrow and I have school Monday through Friday.”
“I’m cool with that. Well bye.” The Changeling began to make his way back to his cave, before coming to a halt. “Oh before I forget, I want you to have this.
From his magical grasp, Chroma could see that he was giving her one of his drawings. It was a beautiful color pencil sketching of exquisite sunset. The sketching was bewitching, for Chroma was in a slight trance.
“Are you ok?”
“This is…gorgeous!” Chroma was still trying to get how magnificent the piece of art she was holding and that he was willing to part with it just so that she could have it.
“Well, Changelings are experts at most things within the artistic field. It’s so that we are capable of charming our targets.”
“Are you sure I could keep it?”
“Why not? Isn’t giving something that had a lot of work put into it a great tone to friendship?” Efon blankly asked as he was he turned to walk back to his cave. He stopped and slightly turned his so that his emerald eye was looking towards her. He gave a small smirk as he said, “See you around, cutie.”
Chroma’s cheeks heated up as they turned a bright shade of scarlet. She watched as Efon’s silhouette faded into everlasting darkness of the Everfree. A part of her wanted him to come with her.
“Oh, there you are!” a hyperactive voice shouted.
Chroma jumped when Camcore came from nowhere, as usual. Behind him was Pandora and Silver Fang.
“We were looking for you all day!” pronounced Pandora. “When your mom told us that you weren’t home, we got worried.”
“Yeah! We super-duper, scared for your life worried!” Camcore jumped. “Almost like that one time that Natsu was scared that Happy was going to sacrifice his life to stop that demon from blowing up that town!”
“Why do you have to always weave anime into everything!” Pandora gave Camcore an annoyed look. “Gosh, you’re such a nuisance!”
Camcore gave an enormous grin. “Yeah, but being a nuisance is fun!”
“Would you two be quiet?” Silver fang sternly announced.
Pandora ran up to him and started to rub her shoulders against him. “Anything for you my Silver, my love!” It almost seemed that she had hearts in her eyes.
Silver push Pandora a side and walked up to Chroma. Silver was easily the tallest of their little group of comrades. Compared to Chroma, he was a good half a foot taller.
He looked at her in a serious expression. “Why were you in the Everfree?”
Chroma’s eyes filled with nervousness and uneasy feelings run down his spine. Sweat began to run down her forehead.” Wha…what are you talking…about? I…I wasn’t in the forest!”
Silver’s face grew irritated. “I can smell the scent from the forest, along with another scent I’m not familiar with, being part dragon gives me enhanced senses remember, and if I’m ever going to become a royal guard someday, I’m going to have to ask citizens what they were doing when it looks suspicious. So why were you in the forest?”
Chroma pondered on what she would do. If she told them she was a friend with a Changeling, two things could happen: Her friends won’t be her friends anymore or they will go tell one of their parents, who would search the forest, and hurt Efon, or both...
“Umm…I…was getting my glasses, I…was playing a new game called…toss your glasses…and I accidentally threw it too far?”
Her friends gave her a questioning look, all but Camcore, who was just smiling.
“That make sense! I play toss my glasses all the time!” he cheerfully spoke.
“YOU DON’T EVEN OWN GLASSES YOU NUMSKULL!” Pandora summoned a small cloud made of pink cotton candy out of frustration above Camcore’s head with her chaos magic and began to make it rain chocolate milk on him.
“Oh! Thanks, I like a chocolate rain now and then!” said Camcore, still with a great grin. He tilted his head up and let the chocolate goodness drip into his mouth. Pandora rolled her eyes, very annoyed.
Silver was feeling the same until he sighed in defeat of trying to figure out what Chroma was doing. “Huh…I knew you weren’t going to speck. Oh well. By the way, what are you doing wearing glasses, I thought you stopped wearing them?”
“Well…um…”
“And what’s that your holding?” Silver pointed a one of his sharp nails at the paper she was holding.
“Yeah, may we see it?” asked Pandora.
Without saying anything, Chroma passed the picture to her friends, who’s jaws dropped when they saw the master piece they were glancing at.
“Whoa! This is amazing picture!” Camcore shouted, as he held the very close to his face.
Pandora pushed him to the side, knocking over and losing his grip on the piece of art. “Don’t hog it you nuisance!” She turned her attention to the paper. “Wow, it’s beautiful!”
“May I see it, Pandora?” Silver asked, lifting a clawed hoof, gesturing her to lend it to her.
Pandora’s eyes turned into a dream gaze and took the form of hearts. “Of course you can my sweet, handsome Silver Fang!”
Silver was gently handed the sunset image. His reptilian eyes scanned the pencil strokes and blinded colors. “Hmm, looks nice.”
This came to a shock to Chroma and Camcore. Normally, Fang didn’t care for things like art. All he cares about is fighting and becoming strong, training himself so that someday he could become a warrior.
“Did you draw this?” he asked nonchalant tone.
“Well, no.” vigorously rubber her leg, trying to find words to explain herself. “It was given to me…From a friend.”
“A friend?” Pandora questioned.
“But Chroma, were all here, and I don’t think any of us gave you that beautiful piece of art.” Camcore also gave a puzzling look.
“Oh, Wow! Go ahead and make it sound like we’re her only friends.”
"But we are..." Camcore innocently said.
Pandora growled at Camcore. “Gosh, you’re such a nuisance!”
Camcore grin. “Thanks”
Pandora just gave an annoyed grunt.
Fang ignored them and simply asked, “Who is this friend of yours, Chroma?”
Chroma bite her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure how to explain this. She knew that if she told them about Efon, they would judge her. Heck, Fang would probably track him down and fight him off. Efon may be strong, but Silver Fang was also strong, with his dragon strength and his magical fire breath.
“Umm…I can’t say, he wants to keep his identity a secret,” Chroma lied. “He isn’t comfortable with others.”
Chroma gave a nervous grin as Fang’s eyes narrowed. He looked at her with suspension. He then shook his head. “Alright, whatever, it doesn’t matter. If you want to have secret coltfriends, that’s fine by me.”
He began to walk of, not noticing that the tint of Chroma’s cheeks turn scarlet. “He’s not…”
Chroma was about to speck, but was cut off from Pandora putting her lion paw around her friend. “So you have a coltfriend, huh?” She gave a suggestive smirk as she nudged her best friend with her elbow moving up and down.
Chroma scowled at her friend. “He isn’t my coltfriend!”
Pandora was alarmed at the tone of Chroma’s voice at first, but then gave a sly smirk.
“Oh, yeah,” Pandora said, as a mirror suddenly appeared in in front of Chroma’s face. “Those red cheeks of yours sure don’t think so.”
“Yeah!” Camcore popped out of nowhere. “You’re as red as rose, mixed with an apple, and, and…Oh, and that red streak in your mane!”
Pandora grunted in annoyance again. “What a nuisance…” she mumbled.
Chroma looked at her reflection the sight of her own blush made it grow stronger. “I…I…umm…I” She stumbled on her words, as she failed to speck.
Pandora’s smirk returned as she started to trot away, along with the bouncing Camcore. “It’s alright if you don’t want to admit that you have a crush, but come on, let’s go do something!” She ran to catch up with Fang. “Fang my darling, wait!”
Chroma was left behind. She felt her cheeks, the heat irradiating from them felt like she was sitting next to a fire during the winter time. She looked back at the forest, and began to think about Efon.
“Am I really…” She shook her head vehemently, to get her mind off of the subject.
She began to trot after her friend, smiling, and thinking about Efon, and the new friendship she made today.
Back at his cave during the time of the sunset, Efon was lying down on his checkered rug, looking up at the stony ceiling.
“What the heck was with me to day?” he thought to himself. “Why did I conversant with that filly? More importantly, what was that beating in my chest when she said she liked me? Changelings can’t be liked, can they?” He shook his head viscously to snap out of his thoughts.
“Of course they can’t!” His roaring voice echoed throughout the walls of his cave. “Where all a bunch of monsters without a soul! No one could ever be friends with a Changeling!”
He stomped one of his swish cheese hooves on the ground, his angry looking turning into one that had half lighted eyes and an upside down smile. “But if that’s true, then why did she accept to be my friend?”
The tough spirited Changeling gave a little smile, as a memory of Chroma came to mind, wearing those glasses and smiling.
“She looked awfully cute when she was wearing those things, didn’t she?” he asked himself.
A familiar feel in his chest from earlier returned. He quickly put a hoof to his left chest plate.
“Seriously, what is that?!” he shouted in annoyance. A thought came to mind. “No, that can’t be what it is. It’s probably just my stomach or something.” He sighed, as he laid back down on to his rug and rested his head on to his pillow, covering himself with a thin blanket. “After all, Changelings don’t have hearts,” he said softly, as he shut his eyes and drifted to sleep.
Author's Note
I love many ships, but my favorites are the ones where a Changeling and Pony get together (Thanks to Disneyfanatic2364, seriously, this story wouldn't be a thing without you being you!) Now, if you see the word 'Soul' next to any piece of speech, it's because Camcore was originally going to be named that But I felt it wasn't going to a fitting name for the character and personality I'm planning for him. Well that's pretty much I have to say, Thecartoonmaster123 out!
Chapter 4: Defending her Emotions
“It’s time to get up squirt, it’s time for school!
Rainbow Dash nudged her daughter, trying to wake her from her slumber.
Chroma as she sat up, stretching to wake her body. “Good morning mom!” she yawned.
Rainbow pecked her on the cheeks. “Morning squirt, dad’s downstairs in the kitchen. He’s making your favorite blue berry pancakes you like. Met us downstairs when your done with getting ready, ok?”
“Ok, mom.” Chroma returned the kiss her mother has given to her.
Rainbow left the room as Chroma hopped out of the bed. Chroma began her days with some morning exercising. Her mother wants her to keep in shape by doing some sit ups and jumping jacks. She then makes her way to the restroom, took a shower, and brushed her teeth and mane. She looked in her mirror to see her head was lacking her glasses. She quickly stepped out and returned holding her glasses in her mouth. Looking back into the mirror, she removed her contacts and sledded her glasses onto her head. When she was done adjusting them, she tilted her head in many direction, to see all the angles on her face to see how they looked on her. She grins with a little blush, remembering how Efon called her cute when she was wearing them, making her look adorable. She finished up in the bathroom, packed her saddle bag, and made her way down stairs in to the kitchen where her parents were.
“Good morning, sweetie!” Soarin said gladly. “Are you ready for some…” he paused as he turned to see his daughter, along with something he wasn’t expecting. “Well, well, well, look who’s wearing here glasses, honey?”
Rainbow lifted her head from out of the fridge, getting a jug of milk. “Looks like somebody isn’t going to let those bullies’ ignorance influence her anymore, huh?” she said, directing to Chroma.
Rainbow waked up to her daughter after closing the fridge and began to playfully ruffle Chroma’s mane.
Chroma giggled as she did so. “Yup, my new friend said that it shouldn’t care about what others say and that I should be myself!”
Soarin put on a questioning look. “What new friend?” he asked.
Rainbow turned Soarin with a smirk on her face. She trotted to him and whispered something into his ears. His eyes soon shot open.
“Really?” Rainbow gave him a nod to reply, along with a smirk. “Well,” she said, now looking at Chroma, “Whoever this special ‘friend’ is, he has the right idea. He must care about you a lot.”
Chroma was very confused; she could get why her parents where smirking at her the way they were. As she watched her parents set up the table for breakfast, she finally understood what they were getting at.
“Oh, no…mom…dad…it’s not like…that! I…just…” Chroma grew a bright red blush.
“Don’t worry squirt, I know what you mean. He’s just a ‘friend’” Rainbow said, smirking at her child. “Now quit worrying about that and have some breakfast or you’re going to be late for school.”
Chroma felt a bit uncomfortable about the whole situation. First her best friend, and now both of her parents. She obeyed her mother and had some breakfast. After that was done, she said good bye to her father, giving him a kiss on the cheek, as well as receiving one from him, and left with her mother to take her to school. Her friends were waiting in front of the school for her. Rainbow flew down and dropped her daughter off, wishing her a great day.
“Gooooood morning Chroma!” Camcore shouted in a joyful tone.
“Ahh!” grunted Pandora, “Do you have to be so loud in the morning?”
“Well, sometimes being loud could be fun in the morning!” smiled Camcore.
“What a nescience!” Pandora shouted back.
Ignoring the loud noises close to him, Silver Fang spoke. “So your still wearing glasses today I see.”
“I also see them, great Fang!” Pandora’s eyes turned into hearts again. It was always obvious to everybody that Pandora saw Fang as the handsome type. In fact, many of the fillies in the class thinks so and are very attracted to him. However, it's not as much as Pandora.
“Yeah…” Chroma simply said.
“Even though you could…you know,” Fang said with a slight frown.
Chroma wasn’t the only one who was bullied at school. All her friends were made fun of during their school days. Pandora was always criticized because her father once was an evil being and had taken over Equestria before, Silver Fang because of the way he looks and how he was part dragon, and Camcore Pie because his over hyper craziness for anime, however, Camcore didn’t seem to care about being made fun of that much. They would tell their teacher, Mrs. Cheerilee, about this more often if it wasn’t for Rough Gem’s intimidation, threats that if they did tell, bad things were going to happen. Fang once tried to fight Rough on time, but it ended with Fang having a black eye and a bloody nose.
“Yeah, well my friend told me that I should try being myself and not let other’s opinions get to me,” Chroma said shyly.
“Your coltfriend told you that?” asked Camcore as they began to walk into class.
“He’s not my coltfriend!” Chroma shouted as she entered in to the classroom.
“Coltfriend? You wish four eyes!” shouted a voice from the back of the room.
The group turned to see that an earth pony colt with a golden coat, black mane and tail, and a cutie mark with a mine cart and gold over flowing out of it, laughing, along with another earth pony colt sitting next to him with a white coat, light blue mane and tail, and a tough looking gemstone for a cutie mark.
“Yeah!” laughed Rough Gem, “To think that anyone would like her when she decides to wear those nerdy glasses!”
Chroma frowned, taking those words to the heart. However, she then remembered what Efon told her. She than grew a smile and turned back to her friends.
“So, what are you guys doing after school today?” she asked.
The two colts stopped their laughing when they realized that they had just been ignored.
“Ooh! Ooh! I’ll be going to Sugarcube Corner!” Camcore announced joyfully. “You wanna come?”
Chroma smiled, hearing the noise of frustration coming from the two colt behind her. “Sure!” she said turning to Pandora as they walked to their sits. “What about you Pandora? Are you going to come?”
“Only if Silver Fang is going!” she responded, nuzzling her head against Fang’s neck.
“So Fang, what do you say?” asked Camcore.
Out of uncomfortableness, Fang slightly pushed her off. “Sure, I don’t have training to today, I might as well.”
“Alright!” jumped Camcore.
“Great!” smiled Chroma as she sat down, taking a quick peek at the two colts behind her, grinding their teeth. Chroma faced forward with a smile on her face, feeling like she achieved something.
“Take a sit everypony, we have a very important lesson today!” their teacher announced, signaling the start of class.
It was now recess time and the four friends where playing a game of volleyball. The drew and the two teams were Pandora and Fang against Chroma and Camcore. Chroma couldn’t help to think that Pandora used her chaos magic to make sure she was on the same team as Fang…again.
“Here it come, Chroma!” shout Pandora as she spikes the ball, with her lion paw.
Chroma jumped up and try to hit the ball back, but missed it by an inch. The ball landed on the ground and rolled off the course.
“Oops! I’ll get it!” Chroma rushed to fetch the ball.
As she picked, two shadows eclipsed over her. She lifted her head and immediately coward in fear. Gold and Rough were glaring at her, both wearing unpleasant faces.
“I don’t appreciate being ignored, Ostrich!” Gold Mine stepped forward, causing Chroma to coward back.
“Yeah! You flightless bird!” Rough Gem scowled, yelling directly in Chroma’s face.
The yelling from the two ponies caught the attention of the other kids. They all paused what they were doing to observed.
Frustrated, Fang stepped forward, flaring his dragon wings to confront Rough. “Back off Rough, or I’m going to…”
“Do what?!” Rough angrily peered at Fang.
“Yeah, you abomination!” Gold parted in. “You should watch your dragon tongue! I still can’t believe your mom would be with a dragon and have you. There must be something wrong with her!”
Fang felt a sharp pain in his chest, those word pierced his heart like a knife cutting through butter. He backed off, feeling slightly depressed, trying to holding back tears.
Pandora was steaming with anger, literally! “How dare you call my Fang an abomination you jerk!” yelled the little being of chaos, pointing her lion paw claw at the to convey ponies.
“Yeah, your right,” Rough said. “You’re the abomination!”
Pandora jerked back.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t even be here!” pointed Gold Mine.
“Yeah, you should be where you belong, at the Canterlot Gardens with your monster of a father!”
Pandora was sharing the same heart pain as Fang now. She looked down at the ground, a few tears falling from her eyes.
“Aww, don’t listen to them Pandora.” Camcore walked to his friend to comfort her. “They’re just a bunch of meanie pants!”
“Ahh,” Gold said in frustration, “And there’s this freak. Why don’t you go be a weirdo somewhere else?!”
“Stop picking on my friends you incompetent morons!” howled Chroma, stomping her hoof.
A loud gasp was heard from the surrounding kids and her friends, as Rough and Gold slowly turned to face the white filly. Chroma realized her mistake when she saw the ominous look in the two colts eye. Everypony knew they would be pulverized if they called Rough and Gold morons.
“What did you call us?” asked Gold Mine in a low, unsettling tone.
“I…I didn’t mean to…”
“Rough, I think you should teach this little ostrich a lesson and make her learn why no one calls us morons, wouldn’t you agree!?”
“Yeah, I do!” said Rough, who was pounding his two front hoofs together as he walked towards Chroma slowly.
Chroma swiftly backed up. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again!”
“Too late four eyes!” Rough raised his hoof, ready to swing his hoof into Chroma’s face. But as he was going to swing, he was stopped from a hurdling rock bonked him on the head. Rough turned his head the watching kids. “Who threw this rock?” Rough was grinning his teeth so hard that you could hear it.
“You shouldn’t be hurting cute girls,” said a distant, unfamiliar voice. “Otherwise you would be hated by them and you would live a lonely life and die without ever feeling compassion.”
The class looked at the top of the school’s flagpole to see a black furred colt, with an off white mane and tail, and emerald green eyes, which seemed familiar to Chroma, sitting on top of the flagpole.
“Who the hay are y…” began Rough before he was interrupted by the pony in questioned.
“Unless your gay, which, is totally fine by me.”
Rough blushed a bit on the statement. “Are you calling me gay?!”
“I don’t know, are you?” blankly said the mysterious colt.
That question broke a nerve in Rough’s body. He quickly picked up the rock and threw it at him. When the rock was about to make contact with the black furred colt, his horn glowed a bright white, followed by a quick flash. He had vanished before Rough’s sight.
“Where did he…” Rough turned his head find him staring into emerald colored eyes, causing him to tell flinch.
From the crowd of astonished fouls, you could hear them say things like ‘Whoa, he can use teleport magic’ and ‘He must be super strong’.
“How did you…” Rough was about to ask before being interrupted.
“Man you’re a bad shot!” began the anonymous colt. “You wouldn't be able to hit a wall with that kind of throw.”
Rough grinned his teeth, grunting all awhile. “Do you know who I am?!” he yelled, enraged.
With half lit eyes, the strange colt answered, “Somepony who writer erotic fanfiction?”
Every colt and filly's jaw dropped, some gasping, all excepted Rough. His anger had reached the limit, as you could see one of his veins popping out of his head.
“Oh, something good is about to happened, I could feel it,” Camcore said in a whisper, lifting up his camcorder, which semed to come out of nowhere.
The time to begin recording couldn’t be any better. Rough swung one of his hoof straight into the pony’s face, causing his head to be tilted back. Rough gave a satisfying devious grin, chuckling a bit.
“How’s that feel, you punk?”
“It felt pretty good,” responded the pony. Rough’s grin faded once he heard that response. “But…”
In quick motion, the colt’s head came flying towards Rough’s face, giving it a vigorous smack. Rough was laying on the ground, holding his nose with closed eyes, taking in the deep pain and agony. He lifted his left fore hoof to eye level. His eyelids widen as his eyes constricted in fear, staring at the stupendous amount of blood that was covering it. A stream of blood was flowing from his nose, as the kids quivered a bit in both astonishment and terror, all speechless and hoofs over their muzzles. Slowly, Rough looked up at the now towering black furred colt, shaking in fear.
“I’m better,” he said, ominously giving an innocent smile. “Oh, I hope that I didn’t break anything.”
Removing his smile, he quickly began to have a dark, grimacing look, trotting closer to Rough, making him move back until he was halted by the merry go round.
“Now if you ever think about hurting Chroma or anybody else again, I will find out where you live and pay you a visit at night, so that I can rip out your eyes from their sockets!” the anonymous pony darkly spoke. “Do I make myself clear!?”
Rough gave a frighten node.
“Good, now why don’t’ you go clean that mess up and get out of my face?!”
Rough didn’t need to be asked twice. In instance, he was gone, running back to the school building. The pony looked up at Gold, seeing the fright in his eyes.
“Hey Rough! Wait for me!” Gold yelled, rapidly chased after his friend.
The colt lifted his head up, turned and gave Chroma an innocent smile. “So Chroma, what new?” he asked.
“Efon? Is that you?” she responded.
Efon began to rub the back of his head, closed his eyes and gave a smug smile. “Geez, cutie, it’s only been a day since we last seen each other, and already you forgot what I look like?” he said playfully.
Chroma’s cheeks turned a slight shade of red. “I…I…um” she stumbled.
“Aw, that’s ok. I would forget who I was too. After all, I’m always changing how I look,” Efon winked to Chroma.
“How?!” shouted Fang out of nowhere. “How did you do that?”
Efon turned to look at the pony with dragon wings, claws, two curved horns, and sharp fangs. “Judging by your appearance, you must be Silver Fang,” Efon smiled.
Efon reached out a hoof to shake the dragon pony’s clawed hoof, only to be pushed away. “Don’t try to change the subject! Who are you and how did you…”
“How did you completely wreck Rough with just a head-butt? It’s just like One Punch Stallion, but with a head instead of a hoof!” Camcore intertwined, hold the camcorder to his eye.
“And you must be Camcore Pie,” said Efon. “Nice to meet y…”
“HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT THE GREAT FANG LIKE THAT YOU NUISANCE!” shouted the chaotic pony with a lion paw, dragon claw, and snake tail, pushing the pink maned pony a side.
“And you have to be Pandora,” blankly spoke Efon, completely giving up shaking a hoof anymore.
Pandora stopped her over tempered mien, and gave a cheeky smile. “Wow, what gave it away? My mix-and-match animal parts?” asked Pandora, closing her eyes and rubbing her lion paw against her chest proudly.
Efon gave another blank look. “No. It was the face your drenching Camcore with chocolate milk, coming out of that pink cloud.” Efon pointed to the situation mentioned.
Pandora shot her eyes open and look towards the peach colored colt, head tilted and mouth wide open, letting the brown liquid poor into his mouth. She simply rolled her eyes and snapped the cloud away, reserving a downcast ‘aww’ from the spikey maned colt.
“Also…”
Before he could continue, Efon was hoisted up by a clawed hoof, the sharp appendages almost digging into his neck.
“STOP AVOIDING MY QUESTION AND TELL ME WHO YOU ARE, RIGHT, NOW!”
Efon simply looked down at the pony dragon, giving him a smug smile. “I already told you, I’m Efon.”
“I meant where are you from?” grunted Fang, grinding his teeth.
“Look, Fang, buddy, as much as I would love to tell you my life story, I got better things to do.” Efon teleported behind the pony dragon. “So if you want to talk, meet me a Sugarcube Corner.”
“What a coincident! That where we going after school!” said the joyful, tangerine colored earth pony.
“Well then…” Efon turned his head slightly to look at Chroma. “See you there, cutie.”
Chroma’s cheeks turned a bright crimson. They watched as Efon’s figure disappeared into the distance. Chroma gave a faith smile as he left, only to look to the right, beholding the sight of her three friends staring at her, Pandora giving her a devious smirk.
“Guys, I know what it looks like,” turned Chroma, trying to cover her flushed cheeks, “But he isn’t my…”
“He’s totally your boyfriend!” shouted Pandora and Camcore simultaneously.
Chroma’s face heated up in embarrassment. “No…he’s….”
“And what a good one at that.” Pandora said, giving Chroma bedroom eyes, lifting her eyebrows up and down.
Camcore put a hoof around Chroma’s neck. “Yeah! What other random boy that came out of nowhere, stop the two biggest bullies in school from hurting you, and constantly calls you cutie? A boyfriend!”
“For once, the nuisance is right” Pandora looked at Camcore who was smiling at her and the statement she spoke of. “Only a coltfriend would go crazy over his love getting hurt,” she quickly turned Fang with hearts in her eyes again. “Isn’t that right, Fang my love!” There was a short silence, no response from Fang. “Fang?”
Fang viciously turned his head to look at Chroma, his reptilian eyes more narrow, seemingly without eye shine. “Chroma. Who is that guy?
Sweat began to poor from Chroma’s fore head. She knew that when Fang looked and sound like that, he demands answers and wants them now. “Umm…well.”
“Oh come on Fang. Give her a break!” Camcore interrupted. “Let her have her mysterious boyfriends if she wants!”
“ARE YOU CRAZY? FOR ALL WE NOW, THAT GUY COULD BE A THREAT TO US ALL!” yelled Fang.
Camcore gave him a blank stare. “The guy literally saved Chroma from getting a serious beating to one of the toughest guys in school.”
“Yeah but…”
“And now that same guy is now in the bathroom, wiping the blood from his nose. I’m pretty sure that mysterious colt is here to keep Chroma safe.”
“But…”
“I have to agree with the nuisance on this once,” Pandora said shyly. “But I appreciate your concern for us, oh great and strong Fang,” bowed Pandora.
Fang look at his three friends, taking in what they said. He finally calmed down, sighing in defeat. “Fine, whatever. However, he is very suspicious, I’m getting to the bottom of …”
The ring of the school bell stopped his monologue ending recess.
The final school bell had rung and all the fillies and colts jolted through the door. Chroma, Camcore, Pandora, and Fang made their way to Sugarcube Corner, Fang grunting in anger from the fact he didn’t get a response he wanted. If there was one thing everypony knew about Fang, it’s that he doesn’t like being a push over and to him, that was exactly what Efon did. His claws thrusted the door to the sweets shop, giving the bell a loud ring.
“Hello, welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” proudly announced a pale colored teenage colt, with a brown mane and tail. “How may I serv…”
“CAN IT POUND!” Fang furiously slammed his clawed hooves onto the counter, causing Pound Cake to flinch and the other customers to turn their heads towards the scene. “Where’s that colt with black fur and white mane?”
Pound gave a questioning look. “What are you…”
“The black colt with white hair and green eyes! You did see someone that looked like that, right?!”
“Well, he doesn’t have a white mane, but…” Pound Cake pointed a hoof to a table. At the table was sitting a black furred colt, with a light green mane and a spiky mane hair do. His green eyes were a big signal that it was definitely Efon. He was staring right at Fang, smirking at he with a devious grin.
Fang quickly lifted himself off the counter and slowly man his way to the table. Pandora, Camcore, and Chroma walked up to the counter.
“Sorry for the great Fang's temper,” said the chaos filly.
“What’s is it today?” Pound looked at the group of kids with another questioning, but cocky look. “Did that colt poor water on him or something?”
Camcore shook his head. “Nah, Chroma’s coltfriend didn’t answer his question, that’s all.”
“Oh” Pound bluntly said, only to have his eyes shot wide open and turned to the group of friends. “Wait, Chroma’s coltfriend?!”
Chroma’s cheeks turned red as she began to shake her head, almost viciously, while her other two friends were nodding in agreement.
“Yup! Like a knight in shining armor, Efon came to save Chroma from receiving a beating from Rough Gem. I wish my dear Fang would do that for me someday,” Pandora flutter her eyes as she gazed a the dragon pony.
“Whoa, beating Rough. That kid must be something else” Pound stated, knowing that Diamond Tiara’s kid is one of the biggest bullies in school. “You know what, for this victory, shakes are on the house.”
Being regular customers, Pound knew their favorite flavors byheart. For Pandora, a lager glass filled with chocolate liquid, with whip cream, and an orange slice on top. For Camcore, a mango shake with two slice of mango, Fang had a blueberry shake with, for some reason, a spicy red pepper, and for Chroma, a strawberry and lemon smoothie with a single strawberry sitting perfectly in the center.
“So, what about your coltfriend, Chroma?”
“He’s not my…”
“Anything!” Efon’s voice travel through the shop, as the colt was trying to push back a raging half pony half dragon from clawing off his face. “As long as it is sweetie, I’m good.”
“Alright!” shouted back Pound. He began to mix a bunch of fruits into a blender behind him and was concocting one of the sweetest drinks, the Supreme Fruit Punch Smoothie.
Pandora used her magic to levitate the drinks and they made their way to the table with the fighting ponies.
“Thanks!” they simultaneously said, thank Pound for the free drinks.
As they neared the table, they could clearly see the pony dragon lifting Efon up like he did before.
“I’m going to ask you one more time! WHO ARE YOU?!” A small puff of smoke came out of the raging Fangs mouth as he was furiously shouting right in Efon’s face.
Efon waved a hoof in front of his face. “Geez, your breath stinks! You smell like your burning something dead in your mouth!”
“Are you an idiot? I’m part dragon! Of course it would be smelling like I’m burning something! I could breath, FIRE!”
“Fang,” Camcore put a hoof around his dragon pony friend, holding his shake up to his face. “You need to calm down and relax. I don’t think warriors just go and man handle the person they want to talk to.”
Camcore knew that just by mentioning the word ‘warrior’ or ‘knight’ in the sentence would get Fang to listen.
“I would be more obliged if you could put me down.” Efon stated. “It would be very much appreciated.”
Fang sighed in defeat, closing as he did. He put down the black furred colt down on the floor of the sweet shop. Efon began to dust himself off, despite there actually being any dirt on him.
“Seriously though, you need some breath mints,” he smiled at Fang’s direction.
“Oh you are DIED?!”
“HOW DARE YOU JUDGE THE GREAT FANG’S BREATH YOU JERK!” yelled Pandora, as her eyes turned pure white.
There was a moment of a silence for a couple of seconds before Efon broke it. “Wow! Over protective much.”
“What did you say!?” Pandora growled.
“Nothing!” Efon quickly responded, not wanting the princess of chaos to turn him into an orange or something.
“So Efon,” Camcore began, “What’s your story?”
Efon looked at him confused. “Story?”
“You know, tell us about yourself, that kind of thing.”
Efon gave a blank look before it registered in his head. “Oh!” He pauses, pondering on what he wanted to say. “Well…”
“Who are you?” Fang slammed his hoof on the table, causing some of his blueberry shake onto the table.
“Why do you keep asking me that? I already told you I’ m Efon!”
“I’m mean why are you here?” Fang asked in a somber like tone. “Where did you come from?”
“Then why didn’t you ask that in the first place?!” Efon was getting more annoyed with Fang, but it was strangely making him glade.
“DO YOU DARE QUESTION FANG’S INTERROGATION MEATHODS!” Pandora shouted
“Look! That doesn’t matter know. Just tell me where you came from!”
Both Efon and Fang were staring into each other’s eyes, filled with annoyance for each other. The tension was shortly broken when Efon began to chuckle. Fang’s serious expression turned into a puzzling as Efon’s chuckles turned into hardy laughs. Even Chroma was getting a bit freaked out by this.
“Umm, what’s so funny?” she asked in a considered voice.
“Because…. I love ho-how serious he’s taking this!” Efon chuckled between words. “It’s like…were are … in a very important…. business meet or something!”
Camcore began to smile a bit. “And like…Fang is-is the boss of the failing company…”
“And he’s like the super generic angry boss!” Camcore spoke, with a smirk on his face and trying to hold back a laugh.
“Yeah! And he is, he is trying his hardest to get me to come up with a brilliant plan to save the company!"
“But your being that guy that’s like ‘I don’t know, how about this idea that a gave you a few hours ago’!”
“Yeah, ‘You know, after I head-butt that dingus berry so hard that I broke his noise!’”
Camcore broke into uncontrollable laughter, along with Pandora, who spit out some of her drink, and Chroma who put a hoof over her mouth, trying to contain herself.
“Did you just referee Rough Gem as a ‘dingus berry’?” asked Camcore, wiping tears of joy from his eyes.
"What—of course I did. What, did you want me to call?” Efon replied with a chuckle. “‘Douche nozzle!"
Camcore collapsed onto the floor, laying on his back holding his stomach and roaring in laughter. “‘Douche nozzle! You…have…no idea…how long I wanted…for someone to flat out call someone I’m not pleased with, a ‘Douche nozzle’!”
Everyone in the group, excepted Fang, were laughing, finding it very difficult to calm down. After a few moments, the laughter finally subsided.
“How did we get from Fang being a business owner to calling Rough a douche nozzle!” Camcore said with one final chuckle.
“I don’t know, but it was hilarious!” Efon stated.
“Are you don’t with your stupid fouling around and ready to answer my question?”
They turned to Fang, seeing the very annoyed look on his face.
“What’s wrong, Fang?” taunted Efon with a devious grin. “You don’t know how to have a good time?”
“This is a serious matter I’m trying to deal with! Tell me where from!”
Efon could see that Fang was seriously ticked and he enjoyed every moment of it. He decided to mess with him one more time. “Well aren’t you just the example of silver lining !”
Fang had enough of this. That was the stupidest pun ever. “That’s it,” he said in a low tone as he knocked his smoothie over, letting the milky substance leak down the side of the table. “I’m done.” He began to make his way to the entrance.
“Geez, you take things way to seriously, ‘dragonboy’!” Efon yelled to Fang.
A lager gasp was echoed from everyone in the shop, Fang stopping in his tracks.
“Uh-oh!” Pound and Pumpkin, who came from the back room behind the counter, said simultaneously.
“What did you just call me?!” Fang spoke in a deep, ominous voice, as smoke began to slip passed his teeth.
“Aww what’s the matter,” Efon said as the rest began to back away from him. “Don’t like to be called that ‘dragonboy’”
As soon as said that, the customers within the sweet shop vanished, dashing out the front door. Fang turned around, now with blood shot, narrowed eyes which glowed a terrifying red. Pound, Pumpkin, the other three kids hid behind the counter, wearing pots and pans on their body.
“NO ONE CALLS ME DRAGONBOY!” roared Fang as he let out a huge stream of a powerful blue flame.
Efon’s horn light up as his body was sparking with electricity around his body. A second later, Efon had his hoof over Fang's mouth. Fang, along with the others, looking through the glass of sweet treats, couldn’t believe what just happened. They didn’t even see Efon move or use teleportation magic.
Fang was overly astonished and stopped his flame. “How…How did you…”
“What is wrong with you?” asked Efon in a serious tone, pulling his hoof from Fangs mouth.
Efon took a look at his burnt hoof and gave a surprised look.
“Huh…” he exclaimed. He suddenly winched and put his burnt hoof to his fore head, rubbing it gently. He turned to his look at the group who staring at him astonish like. With an innocent and nerves smile, he said “Well, this was fun and all, but I better get going. Don’t want to get this one mad enough to burn this place to the ground,” he pointed at Fang. He rapidly made his way to the door. Before he left, he turned to look at Chroma and gave a bright smile. “See you around, cutie!” He then left in a flash.
Pound, his sister, and the group of kids stood there in silence for a moment, frozen in their position until Pound spoke and thawed them out. “Well, that was something else!”
Pumpkin jumped with joy. “Your coltfriend is amazing!” she exclaimed. She was always the joyful out of her and her twin.
“Your boyfriend is not only super cool, super brave, super tough, super funny, but also he can run faster then what your mother could fly!” Camcore was bouncing up and down with excitement.
“I…ah…”
“When were you going to tell us this?” Pandora asked, holding onto Chroma’s shoulders.
“I didn’t know this myself,” Chroma shyly said.
“Chroma my friend, you have yourself a keeper!” Camcore exclaimed joyfully. “Man, he’s almost as fast as saiyan from Pony Ball Z.”
Pandora glared at him. “Of course you have the mention something nuisance like. What a nuisance.”
“How?” Fang said, catching the attention of his friends. “How can he be stronger than me? No!” Fang picked himself off the ground, his body setting a flame, something that happens rarely. “He can’t be stronger than me! He is nothing but a suspicious nothing! I’ll show him! I’ll show HIM!” Fang made his way out the door, heading to Twilight’s castle to beg her to let him browse the library.
“What was that about?” Camcore rubber his in confusion.
“He so cute when his engulfed in fire from his own rage!” Pandora had hearts for eyes for a short moment. “My dear Fang, what for me!” Pandora yelled as she chased of her crush.
“We better go after them,” Camcore suggested, “Come on, Chroma!”
They began to follow their friends to Twilight’s castle. As they did, Chroma started back to look at the edge of the Everfree, smile at the thought of Efon. She frowned at the fact he was in a disguised the whole time, even though she knew that Changelings weren’t friends with ponies. A question that came across her attention, a question she was going to ask her parents later.
Efon was touting through the Everfree as fast as he could. Two of his hoofs were still disguised while the other two were his deformed, normal black hoof. His face was diagonally split by his disguise and his self. Once he thought he was far enough from the town, he stopped to catch his breath. The rest of disguised vanished as a thin layer of green flames washed over them.
“That…was close” Efon took deep breaths between his words. “I need to learn to not use up so much of my magic when I’m like that.” A smile grew on his face. “Well, it was a good risk, if it meant to be closer to her.” He looked at his right hoof, looking deeply at the burn mark. “I can’t believe he as capable of burning through my disguise with just that simply flame. I like that. It shows that his strong!” Efon shouted his words out in enjoyment. “What a warrior you are, Fang.”
It was dinner time at the Soarin Dash house hold, and it was uncomfortably quiet. Chroma was playing with steamed broccoli, the contact between her fork and the glass plate were making clanging noise. Rainbow and Soarin both looked at each other, both with a concerned look upon on their faces.
“Chroma,” Soarin stated calmly, “Is there something wrong.”
“Huh?” Chroma quickly lifted her head, not paying attention to what her father asked.
“You’re not eating your food. Are you feeling ok?”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Chroma lied, giving a fake smile.
“Alright, what the problem?” Rainbow asked with a demanding tone.
“What do you mean? I’m fine.”
“Your giving me that fake smile.” Rainbow pointed to Chroma’s muzzle, giving it a little boop. “You have something on your mind and you’re going to tell what is wrong.”
Chroma knew her mother was right. There was something on her mind, and wasn’t sure how to deal with it. She did, however, didn’t want to tell her about Efon. “Do…do you know what a Changeling is?”
Silence fill the room again, as both Soarin’s and Rainbow’s head shot up.
“Where did you hear about them?” Rainbow sternly said.
“Umm, I read it in a book at the library!” Chroma lied.
Rainbow shut her eyes, a look full of seriousness that Chroma never seen before. “Changelings are heartless monsters, literally. They are ruthless savages, don’t care about anybody but themselves.”
“Ruthless savages?” Chroma hesitantly asked.
“Yup. Dirty shape shifters that transform into the ones that you love the most and absorb all of your energy.” Soarin spoke.
“Their evil beings that could never be trusted. They have no feels for anything. They only see others as a food source and nothing else.”
“But,” Chroma interrupted, causing her parents to lift they’re head. “What if there was a nice Changeling?”
“There’s no such thing as a ‘nice’ Changeling. They are all evil, heartless monster.”
“But what if…”
“But nothing! If you ever find a Changeling, you need to stay clear away from them! Do I make myself clear!” Rainbow shouted.
“But…”
“Chroma!” Rainbow said in a stern voice.
Chroma sighed. “Yes, mom.”
“Good. Now I don’t want you talking about Changelings from this point on. Now that’s out of the way.” Rainbow stated as she trotted to the
“Apple Pie!” Soarin and Chroma excitedly exclaimed.
Later at night, Chroma was looking up at the cloudy ceiling, deep in concentration, taking everything that her mother and father said about Changelings.
“There ruthless savages. There monsters. They absorb all your energy,” kept ringing in her head.
“But if that’s all true,” Chroma though. “…Then how come he doesn’t do the things a Changeling do?” she asked herself.
She turned her head to the wall. On its surface hung the picture that Efon gave to her. The memorizing pencil strokes and the bright image of a sun going pass the horizon brought a smile to Chroma’s face.
“Oh Efon,” she found herself saying unintentionally. “I guess are friendship would have to stay as a secret.”
Chapter 5: Camping Trip to Winsome Falls
“Camping?” Chroma questioned.
It was a Friday, the beginning of her Spring break, and her mother was suggesting for them to have a camping trip to Winsome Falls, just like her mother did when she went with Aunt Scootaloo years ago.
“Yup. Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and I thought that it would be fun for you and the rest of your friends to explore the great outdoors. What ’ya say? Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“Yeah, I could study the plants I have never seen before!” Chroma began to jump up and down, cheering. “And all my friends are coming well too! This would be so much fun!”
“Hey, you know what? Why don’t you invite you coltfriend along for the ride?”
Chroma immediately stopped her joyful cheering and jumping. “My coltfriend?!” she loudly exclaimed.
“Yeah, Efon I believed it was. Camcore and Pandora told me about how you and him have been getting along with each other,” smirked Rainbow, flexing her eyelids up and down, suggesting the obvious.
For the past few weeks, Efon would disguise himself and visit Chroma at school. At the same time, Chroma has been visiting Efon as his normal self at his cave every Saturday, spending time talking about their week and everything that happened since their previous visits.
“Why not?” her mother blankly asked.
“Because…Because…” Chroma had to quickly think of something. “Because I’m not so sure he likes trees.”
Rainbow gave her daughter a questionable look. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. Why not go see? I have to go and finish backing for this trip.” Rainbow said as she trotted out of the kitchen.
Chroma questioned whether or not if she should go and ask Efon. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
She got out of her seat and put her dish into the sink and made her way to Efon’s place.
Chroma had arrived at Efon’s cave. Ever since they have been secretly meeting each other at his place every Saturday, Efon made sure there was a spell that made a small rock bridge when Chroma came by, allowing her to get across the water, as well as a spell that made the waterfall entrance bend into a doorway shaped opening, so that Chroma didn’t get wet.
“Efy!” Chroma called. “Are you here?”
“Hey, Chroma!” Efon, who, for some reason, jumped down from the cave’s ceiling. “Wasn’t expecting to see you today!”
Chroma jumped from his sudden entrance, but gave a warm smile all the ways. “Well, today’s the first day of…”
“Hold that though!” Efon interrupted. “You need to see this!”
Efon stepped back and lifted his right hoof, tilting it diagonally upward. He shut his eyes tightly, concentrating his Changeling energy into his one leg. Grunting, his hoof began to glow in a layer of his changing green flame. It began to morph, changing into a sharp, pointed edge. The green flame dispersed, leaving a simmering, silver color blade, which replaced Efon’s hoof. Chroma’s jaw dropped at the sight of the blade that had just replaced Efon’s hoof. It looked sharp enough to cut through steel.
“How did you do that?” asked Chroma, on the assumption that changelings could only change into living thing, or their whole body had to change at once.
“I know! I was surprised myself!” said Efon excitedly, turning his hoof blade around, admiring its searing edges. “Didn’t know I could even turn libs separately or into inanimate objects!”
“Yeah, that’s cool, but Efon…”
“Oh, yes. Sorry for interrupting you. What’s up?” apologized Efon.
“Well, you see…” Chroma found it difficult to explain what she wanted to ask of him. “My mother and I, along with her and my friends are going to take a camping trip to Winsome Falls.”
“Ah, Winsome Falls, eh?” Efon said as his hoof turned back to it’s normal, swish cheese form. “Sounds like fun!”
“I know; this will be my first camping trip ever!” cheerfully said Chroma, before she was getting a little of track. “Umm, my mom wanted to know if you would like to tag along…”
Efon’s smile slowly faded and simply and shallowly said, “Chroma…”
“I know. I know.’ Chroma knew how much Efon was terrified by her mother. One time when he was visiting in his disguise, and when he first made contacted with Rainbow Dash, he freaked out and ran away. The Saturday they meet after that situation, Efon referred that looking at Rainbow's eye as looking into the eyes of Medusa.
“Chroma, you know that I can’t stay in my disguise that long, right?” This brought a puzzled look to Chroma’s face. She had thought that since he was so power that you could be in that disguise on for a couple days. “I would need to constantly be feeding on sweet things or love in order to keep my energy up so I could stay in my disguise.”
Chroma’s eye lit up. “Well, I’ll make sure we pack up tons of sweets, just for you! I’ll even make you some of those muffins you like!” Chroma was trying her very best to get Efon to go with them.
“Muffins!” Efon shouted in glee, only for him to go to being in a somber mood. “I…I just don’t know Chroma. It’s really risky for me to stick around somebody for that long, especially if it’s around the Elements of Harmony. There’s just no telling what they would do if they found out that I’m a Changeling.”
Chroma frowned, a look of disappointment and sadness in her eyes. “I understand…” she sighed as she began to make her way to the cave entrance. “Well, see ’ya, Efy….”
Efon watched as her friend with glass was making her way to leave. Efon hated to see Chroma upset, even if it was a little bit. He began to tap at the ground in though. “You know what?” he began, stopping Chroma in her tracks and turning her head to face her Changeling friend. “If it means that I get to hang out with you, it’s all worth the risk!”
A smile grew on Chroma’s face as she ran to the Changeling. She embraced him into warm hug, the amount of force she put into it was enough to get how enthusiastic she was. “Thank you, Efy! This really means a lot to me!”
Efon’s cheeks filled with his green blush, as well as that thump in his chest he occasionally had. “Well if it really makes you this happy, then I guess I have no choose but to go!” he smiled. “ I'll be at the first campsite waiting for you. Just don’t forget to pack those sweet treats you mentioned!”
“Ok!” Chroma pulled away from the hug and rushed out of the cave. “See you tomorrow, Efy!” Chroma shouted, skipping out of the cave.
“Why did you pack so many sweets, Chroma?” the little filly’s mother asked. “This looks like too much for everyone to handle.”
“Umm, most of it is for Efon…” Chroma shyly stated.
“Ah, I see what’s going on,” Rainbow smirked. “The best way to a boy’s heart is through his stomach after all. I learned that from your father.”
“Hey!” The stallion in question exclaimed from the other room.
“I’m joking, Soar!” Rainbow shouts back with a light chuckle. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“Nah, I think it’s a good time for my two ladies to get some bonding time,” said Soarin as he entered the room where the front door was present. “Besides, me and the rest of the guys are planning to go and catch the game. It’s the Red Bulls vs the Blue Tigers.”
“Well, I’m not so sure how much bonding is going to made between me and Chroma. She has some other bonding she has to do with her coltfriend.”
“Mom!” Chroma shouted, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment of how true her mother’s statement is. It was true that she was going to enjoy this time with Efon.
“Well don’t let me keep you up!” chuckled Soarin, ruffling his daughter’s mane. “Go have fun with your boyfriend!”
Soarin gave his wife and daughter a quick kiss and the lips, and helped Chroma, who’s cheeks grew a nice shade of red, on to her mother’s back. Rainbow made her way to the door with the now filled with sweets picnic basket in her hooves. With a quick wave goodbye to her husband, Rainbow took off, increasing the distance between her and her home.
“So Chroma,” Rainbow began, “About your boyfriend…”
“His not my boyfriend,” Chroma shyly said, her face flushed.
“But you do want him to be, don’t you?” Rainbow tilted her head enough to see her daughter’s blushing face, smirking all awhile.
Chroma’s blush grew, as well as her smile. She barely listened to what her mother said, still fantasizing about her and Efon happily trotting through a meadow of colorful flowers, smiling and laughing together, enjoying each other’s presents. Her imagination began to get a head of itself. Efon and her were now laying in the field, side-by-side, looking into each other’s eyes. Their smiles began to curl up as they both closed their eyes and lean forward. Their lips were inching closer and closer to each other. Just as they were going to make contact to each other, Chroma snapped back to reality when her mother spoke.
“Chroma? Did you hear me?” Rainbow asked her daughter. “I said look, there’s are friend.”
Chroma looked down the side of her mother’s shoulders, see that down below was Fang, Camcore, and Pandora, along with their parents. “Hold on, Chroma. We’re going down,” Rainbow said, flying towards the group of ponies. Nearly making a sonic rainboom, Rainbow landed on her hoofs with a loud dud. Both Fluttershy and Rarity jumped in surprise, leaving Pinkie just innocently smiling.
“Hi ’ya Dashie! What took you so long!” bounced the pink pony of laughter.
“Oh! Oh! I know mom!” jumped Camcore in excitement. “Rainbow Dash was on her way here. Then suddenly, out of nowhere! A ferocious, fire breathing 300-foot dragon appeared. Then aunt Rainbow had to go in her super form, just to keep Chroma safe from the jaws of the beast, jabbing her hooves into the it’s chest, blowing it up to bits!”
There was a long, awkward silence, the gang looking at Camcore with constricted eyes, their eyelids wide open.
“How did you come to that conclusion?!” shout Pandora, shooting a very annoyed look at the organ, spikey and pinked mane pony.
“I don’t know, just sounded cool!” Camcore gave an innocent smile at the mix and match pony, causing her to roll her eyes.
Pandora scoffed. “Uhhh, what a nuisance!”
“Pandora!” a yellow, pink maned Pegasus shouted at her daughter. Fluttershy’s appearance had changed over the years, especially her mane. It was shorter than what it used to, only coming up to here shoulders. “What have I told you about calling your friend that? Now apologized!”
Fluttershy gave her daughter the stare causing Pandora to flinch at the sight of it. Pandora sighed in defeat and look towards Camcore. “I’m…sorry” she muffled under her breath.
“What was that?” Fluttershy asked, implying that she wanted her daughter to speak louder.
“I’m sorry,” Pandora stated a little loud.
“Aww that’s ok Pandora!” Camcore said, rubbing the back his head with his innocent grin.
Fluttershy smiled at this. “That’s better,” she simply stated.
Fang rolled his eyes at the situation. “So why where you so late, aunt Dash?” he asked.
Rainbow smiled as she said, “We had a little more thing to put into the basket.” She bent down so that Chroma could jump down. “Let’s just say it’s for someone special to Chroma.”
Fang glanced at his white furred, rainbow maned friend, seeing that her cheeks turning red. “Oh, that loser!” Fang scoffed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Over these passed fell weeks, he and Efon weren’t the best of friends, more like rivals. Each trying their best to prove who’s the better pony, it always left Fang going home to read all kinds of magic books, from levitating huge objects to turning invisible.
“Fang! It isn’t very polite to call someponies special somepony a loser!” the dragon ponies mother scolded. Just like Fluttershy, Rarity has changed the way she looks over the passing years. Though her front part of her purple mane stayed the same, still in its big curl, the back of her mane was now tied into a bun. “Honestly, I don’t know where you got this rude behavior from.” Fang rolled his eyes again, only to get a sharp glare from his mother.
“Where is this special somepony of yours any who, Chroma?” asked Camcore, holding up his camcorder that was around his neck, as if he was about to take a picture.
“He…told me that he was going to wait for us at the first camp sight and…”
Camcore interrupted her with a loud gasp. “Ha! You didn’t try to say he isn’t your boyfriend this time!” He began to jump up and down. “So he is your coltfriend!”
“No he isn’t…his just a friend…at the moment…” Chroma shyly said, her blush growing.
“Yeah, ‘just friends’ she says!” Pandora turns to Camcore with a surprising smirk, make quotation marks with her lion paw and hoof, making Chroma blush even more. It didn’t help that her fur was white.
“Well if he’s already there, we should get going!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Come on!”
The group of friends made their way to the first camping sites, to find a black furred, light blue maned, unicorn colt sitting on one of the logs, with a saddle bag on the side of the log. His back was facing the group, not acknowledging their presents.
“Umm, Efy…” Chroma tapped the colt’s shoulder.
Once she did, the colt jolted forward, causing to drop his sketch book and pencil that he was holding. Quickly grabbing them with he’s magic before they fell, her turned to face his friend. “Oh Chroma, it’s just you!” he smiled. “You made me think something was attacking. Good thing the only thing that is attacking me is your unbearably cuteness!”
Chroma’s face immediately became flushed. She glanced back at her friends and mother for only a second, seeing that they were all smirking at her, even aunt Fluttershy. She jolted her burning face back to Efon, slightly touching muzzles with him. Her cheeks began to burn up even more. Pulling away quickly, she asked “S-so, what are you doing?”
Efon found it very confused at the fact that Chroma was now playing with her mane, curling it in her hoofs. “Well, other than waiting for you guys…” Efon gestured to the group of ponies that where walking towards them. “…And getting lost in your cuteness…” smirked Efon, knowing that was going to make her blush even more, “I was capturing the beautiful scenery by drawing it in my sketch book! See!”
“Specking of beauty…” Efon began, looking past Chroma’s shoulder and look directly at the white mare with a purple mane. In a flash of his lightning, he was standing in front of Rarity in almost a second, leaving Rainbow’s jaw to drop. With a cheeky grin and shimmering eyes, Efon said, “You must be Fang’s beautiful younger sister. Rarity was it?”
Rarity flushed a bit. “Oh, no! I’m actually his mother, but is dearly kind to you say such things!”
Efon blinked and began to rub the back of his head, pretending to be embarrassed. “Oops! My bad! It just didn’t look like you’re a day over ten!”
Rarity glanced at Chroma. “Chroma, whatever you do, don ‘t let this boy go! He is such a charmer!”
“I’m going to rip his head off and put it on my wall!” Fang yelled at himself, his mane a flame from what Efon was doing.
Chroma faintly smiled at what Rarity just said, still blushing. Suddenly, her mother grab the colt and spoke. “Hold the phone! How did you move so fast?!”
Efon looked in to the mare’s magenta eyes, a little bit of sweat forming. He was terrified at the fact that she was touching him. But he swallowed his fear down and spoke. “Well, I specialize in lightning magic. Having to know how to preform it, I took the time to make myself fast as well.” He paused as he took another look at the mare, wondering if he was making himself sound like he is faster than her and it was making her upset. “But of course, I’m nowhere as fast as the fastest mare in Equestria,” he chuckled uncomfortably.
“That’s true,” Rainbow said, putting the disguised changeling down. “There’s no way you’re as fast as me, but you are pretty fast. Chroma…” she turned to her daughter, who look back, “You have a keeper!”
Efon was getting confused with what they were talking about. First was Rarity with that ‘Don’t let this boy go’ talk, and now Rainbow calling him a ‘keeper’? He was going to ask what they were talking about, but was cut off by a bouncing pink pony.
“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie and you are?”
“I’m Ef…”
“Oh wait! I already know! It’s Efon, nice to meet ‘ya!” Pinkie lifted up her hoof to shake the colt’s, who gladly did, immediately smiled.
“Camcore was right! You seem to bring smiles where ever you go!”
“Told you!” the pony in question said, jumping out of nowhere. “Isn’t my mom the greatest!” he cheerfully said, embracing his mom in a warm hug.
Efon gave a simply smile at the sight, which disappeared soon after, leaving Chroma questioning why. His ears pierced back up when he heard the sound of hoofs digging into the ground.
He turned to see Pandora pushing the yellow Pegasus towards him. “Come on, mom! You have to introduce yourself!” she said, pushing her mother along the ground. “Are you ever going to overcome being shy?”
“Aw, it’s ok Pandora. I know your mother’s Fluttershy, the kindest and sweeties pony in all the lands. No need for introductions!” Efon’s soft tone in his face made Fluttershy more comfortable with approaching him. She stood up straight, walked to Efon, and lifted a hoof, shyly, to shack hooves with the boy.
Giving a smile, Efon shook the shy pony’s hoof.
“Well, now that introductions are out of the way, who’s ready for some camping !?” Efon shouted, running back to where he was sitting before. He quickly but on his saddle bag on to his back, filled with other drawling utensils.
“Wait…” Rainbow began, turning her head o scan the area. “Where are your parents, Efon?”
The colt froze once the question was asked, a frown printing itself on his face. Chroma began to get nervous, knowing that Efon didn’t have any parents. Hesitantly, Efon’s frown turned to a faint smile as he began to speck. “I-I don’t have any parents…”
Everyone’s smile disappeared slowly, out of both, disbelief in what they hear, and the sadness that was soon to follow if it was true. It even made Fang raise an eyebrow.
“W-what?” Fluttershy simply asked, her eyes filled with worry.
“I said I don’t have any parents,” Efon slowly spoke, turning his head to face the group. “Never had…”
“What, what happen to them?” Pandora said, trying her hardest not to cry, seeing that Fang wasn’t.
“Most likely nothing.” Efon began, as he stared at the ground, trying to find words to get his point a crossed, being difficult to do so. “I guess they never wanted me in the first place.” Efon shut his eyes tightly, his mouth turning into a vexed frown. “And to be honest, I wouldn’t want them either.”
“You don’t have another relative, d-darling?” Rarity asked, her eyes trying to hold back little tears.
“Nope….” Efon simply said.
“Wait! Where have you’ve been living all this time?!” Rainbow asked in both concern and displeasure. How could anyone give up a perfect kid like him she wondered.
“The place they left me…” Efon took a deep breath, before finishing his sentence. Chroma on the other hoof was sweating bullets.
“Is he really going to tell them?” she freaked out in her mind.
“The Everfree Forest…”
It took everyone a few seconds to process what they just heard.
“The Everfree Forest!” Efon cringed at the loud wave of shouting.
Something came to Rainbow’s mind. “Chroma!” she shouted. “You went into the Everfree Forest!?”
Chroma looked into her mother’s scolding eyes. “I…ah...”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about little Chroma. She’s completely safe with me!” Efon gave Rainbow a comforting smile. “Because if anything in the forest tries to hurt a single hair on her cute, little head…” Efon’s eye widen with an ominous look, and a sinister frown. “I’ll snap their neck!”
The dark tone in his voice caused the group to flinch, causing Fluttershy quiver behind Rarity. Camcore had his video recording on, recording what he called, ‘memorable moment.’
Efon’s innocent smile returned. “Now come on. Let’s forget about stupid things about me and just have some fun!” Efon began to trot joyfully forward.
Everyone looked at Chroma, who only gave them a nervous smile, along with a drawn out shrug.
“Efon’s right,” Fang said, now hovering above everyone else, looking up at the sky. “If we’re ever going to get to the next camping sight before dark, we better get a move on.” Fang land on the ground, planting his clawed hooves on the dirt path. He began to walk the same direction as Efon, until he caught up with the colt.
The group looked at one another, wondering if they should worry anymore on what just happened. They then slowly began to follow the two, young colts. Pandora was walking next to Camcore as they walked and turned to the earth pony to see him writing something on a piece of paper with a pen held with his hair. It still confused her how every member of the pie family could do that.
“What are you writing?” she asked.
Camcore immediately picked his head up, shoving the piece of paper in the half pony half draconequus’s face. “I’m so glad you asked! I’ve been writing everything that makes Efon so cool! See?!”
Pandora used her magic to keep the paper a float in her face. There were a number of things that were listed on to paper, from fast to mysterious. “Why? And more importantly, where did you get the pen and paper to write this?! You didn't pack them on a camping trip, did you” Pandora said with a questioning look.
Camcore look up at the pen that was still being held by his mane. “You know, that’s a very good questions,” he said.
Pandora grunted. “What a nuisance,” she said under her breath, hoping that her mother would hear.
Down the path, further then the group, Fang was walking side by side with Efon, glaring at him. “There’s something weird about him. I feel like there’s something more to you Efon and I’m going to figure out what it is!” he said to himself, determined to find out what’s really going on.
It’s been awhile since the group first started the walk to the next camping sight. The walk was awkward; they quite walk, as the adults of the party were constantly think on what they were told hours ago. The salutation of Efon ended in surprising note, with the fact that he was homeless and lived in the Everfree Forest, running through everyone’s mind. Everyone excepted Chroma, who was more concern with how Efon, or as she referred to he as, Efy was feeling, and Silver Fang, who seemed to not care at all. It was odd, Efon seemed to feel the same way.
“Efon?” the dragon pony said, finally breaking the agonizing silence.
“Oh thank gosh, somebody had spoken!” Efon exhaled, feeling relieved at the sound of Fangs voice. “I was beginning to think that all camping trip were this boring. Whatcha want, dragon boy?”
The parents gasp at that, knowing how Fang feels when he’s called that.
“You say you live in the Everfree, right?” The adults were even more surprised at how Fang responded, especially Rarity. Never has she heard her son ask something so calmly after being called ‘dragon boy,’ even though she could hear a little annoyance in is tone.
“Yup, what of it?” Efon asked, wondering why Fang is suddenly interested in the subject after hours.
Efon wasn’t the only one. Chroma’s head shot up, know intently looking at the two colts from affair.
Fang began to look at the ground as he began to speak. “How is it like?”
Efon turned with a puzzling look. “What do you mean?”
“I mean living in the forest.” Fang paused to pick his head to face the black colt. “What’s it like?”
“Your gonna have to be a little bit more specific with you what your trying to ask, buddy!”
Fang shivered once Efon wrapped a hoof around his shoulders, it feeling awkward. Ultimately, he decided to ignore it and began to speak. “I mean is it hard for you to live with the constant treats against you in the forest?”
“Oh! Well…” Efon paused lifting his hoof off Fang's shoulders and began to taping a hoof on his chin. “Too be honest, it isn’t that bad.”
“Really?” Fang asked with a raised eyebrow. “How so?”
“Well, once you get passed the fact that everything wants to kill you and you lived there for ten years, you could have slightly decent life, I guess.”
As their conversation continued, Camcore, Pandora, and even Chroma walked in awe.
“I can’t believe it…” Pandora simply said.
“What can’t you believe, Pandora?” her mother asked.
“The fact that those two are having a surprisingly calm conversation!” Camcore said, jumping from nowhere and startling Fluttershy. “Usually those two are either yelling at each other or driving a hoof into each other’s faces.”
“What!?” Rainbow and Rarity loudly exclaimed.
“Oh, yeah!” Pandora replied with a wide grin. “Those two have formed quit the rivalry between them.”
“Yup!” Camcore smiled to his chaotic friend. “They are always trying to prove who’s better at random things.” Camcore’s eyes began to shimmer. “They’re both so cool! They’re rivalry is just like Maruto and Sasuka!”
“Young or old?” Fluttershy spoke in an abrupt matter.
“I say the young Maruto and Sasuka.” Camcore answered.
“Oh, that makes sense!” Fluttershy smiled, high hoofing Camcore.
“Ugh…” Pandora grunted at the fact that her mother was the president of an Anime club that Camcore was part of. She was a bit a shamed of herself for being a part of it as well.
“Hey, look!” a voice up the road shouted. Efon was moving some bushes away to reveal the camp site. “We’re here.”
“Well, that took long then I expected,” Rainbow said, crossing her fore hooves. “It’s almost sun down!” She pointed to the horizon where the sun nearly touching the edge of the horizon.
“We better set up camp then!” Efon said with glee.
They began to set up their tents, or in Rarity’s case, a small, portable home. Her tent was the size of a small build, with the color of purple. It was so house like, it even had a small balcony. Rainbow was knocking down some tree branches for a fire.
Pinkie and Fluttershy were clearing away some dry leafs and stick that were near the fire place, not wanting the fire to spread and start a forest fire. Pandora aided her mother and aunt Pinkie by teleporting some of the forest debris into the forest. Being so young, she only knew how to do small things with her chaos magic, like creating simple things out of nowhere, teleporting things to other places, and of course, making cotton candy clouds that rained chocolate milk, only, way smaller than what her father could do.
Efon, Chroma, and Camcore were gathering stones to put around the small ditch that Fang had dug. Once Rainbow placed the last branches into the ditch, Fang spit out a small flame from his mouth, setting fire to the now char-coaling sticks. Once everything was done and they’re tents were up, they gathered around the fire.
Chroma sat next to Efon, who was sitting next to Camcore. Fang was sitting on the log next to Efon’s, along with Pandora, who was rubbing up against him, and his mother. Finally, on the log next to that sat Rainbow, Pinkie and Fluttershy. They started to do activities, like telling stories, eating snacks, and all around having a good time.
“So it’s called a s’more?” Efon was watching Camcore, as he placed a marshmallow on top of a piece of chocolate that was sitting on a gram cracker.
“Yup! They are so good! No! Better than good! They’re…”
“Super-duper, amazingly out of this world scrumptious!?” Pinkie bounce excitedly.
“Exactly!” Camcore responded, putting the final gram cracker on top. He handed the finished s’more to his friend. “Go on! Try it!”
Efon took a small bit and immediately, his eyes shot up. “Mmmm! This is delicious!”
“Told you it was good!” Camcore let out a long yawn, indicating that he was getting tired.
“Guess it’s time for bed.” Fluttershy looked up at the night sky, filled with shimmering stars and the glowing moon.
A wave of ‘aww’ came from the foals. “But mom,” Pandora whined. “We haven’t even had a camping song yet!”
“Yeah!” Camcore jumped. “And you can’t have a perfect camping experience without a good song sung before going to bed!”
“I have to agree, a song would be nice,” Fang simply said.
The adult shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t hurt,” Rarity stated.
“Oh! Oh! And I know who could sing it!” Camcore jumped from his sitting positions. He then took out his camcorder and pointed its lenses to Efon.
When Efon realized what Camcore was implying, he nearly choked on the s’more. “Me?!” he exclaimed, catching his breath.
Efon blushed in embarrassment. “Though that true, I’m not so sure if…”
“Please Efy…” Chroma interrupted, looking up at the dark furred colt.
Efon looked down at the pleading filly, who was giving him her adorable smile and puppy dog eyes. Smiling back with a flushed face, Efon said, “Ok, anything for you, Chroma.” He put a hoof to his chin, pondering on what he should sing. He looked back to the Rainbow maned filly, soon turning his gaze up at the glimmering stars. He smiled again. “I think I got a song, but it would be better if I had a guitar.”
“One guitar coming up!” With a snap of her lion paw, Pandora made a wooden guitar appear, hoovering it to Efon.
Efon gladly took the guitar. “Thanks!” Efon said as he began to tune it.
“It’s what I do,” Pandora proudly held out her lion paw, turning it to look at her nails with a smirk.
After he was done tuning it, Efon briefly strung the hoofs with one simple swing. Satisfied with the sound, he began to play a serene melody. He opened his mouth and began.
“Oh, her eye, her eyes Make the stars look like they’re not shinin”
Everyone’s head lifted up, astonished at the angelic voice speak. Efon’s sing was outstanding. Beautiful even.
“Her hair, her hair Falls perfectly without her trying She's so beautiful And I tell her everyday Yeah!”
Efon turned to face the filly the song was for, smile at those cute eyes and features of her face. Those baby blue eyes, her cute bangs, her glasses, and nervous blush, everything that made her so cute.
“I know, I know When I compliment her she won't believe me And it's so, it's so Sad to think that she don't see what I see But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?" I say,”
Efon’s voice became more passionate the more he looked at Chroma’s face, finding that his own cheeks heated in a red blush.
“When I see your face There's not a thing that I would change 'Cause you're amazing Just the way you are And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a…”
Efon quickly glanced at the group, who were staring at him with wide eyes and jaws looking like they’re about to fall off. “Ah, guys, you know you’re not really supposed to really stop and stare,” he chuckled.
“DON’T STOP!” everyone, even Fluttershy shouted, wanting to hear more.
After flitching, Efon propped his hoof back on the guitar strings.
“And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while 'Cause, girl, you're amazing Just the way you are!”
Chroma looked at the colt, as he turned to face her again. She couldn’t stop staring into his emerald green eyes. It makes her happy to know that’s the only thing that has changed about him. She didn’t enjoy having him in disguised, but it was for the best.“I wonder if there would be a time where he could be himself…” she wondered, still glazing upon
“Her lips, her lips
Efon paused his sing, trying to find a word in the lyrics, blush at what it actually is. “Pretty!” he shouted.
“Her laugh, her laugh She hates but I think it's so pretty! She's so beautiful And I tell her everyday!”
Rainbow couldn’t help smirk at how flushed her daughter was. “She must really like him,” she thought. A frown was brought upon her face. “It’s a shame that such a perfect kid for Chroma has the misfortune…” She paused her thoughs to look at Efon. “To not have a home.”
“Oh you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change If perfect's what you're searching for Then just stay the same So don't even bother asking if you look okay You know I'll say! When I see your face There's not a thing that I would change 'Cause you're amazing Just the way you are And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while 'Cause, girl, you're amazing Just the way you are!”
Efon shut his eyes as his voice had gotten loud and more determined to make Chroma smile even more!
“The way you are! The way you are! Girl, you're amazing Just the way you are! When I see your face There's not a thing that I would change! 'Cause you're amazing Just the way you are! And when you smile The whole world stops and stares for a while! 'Cause, girl, you're amazing Just the way you are!
Yeah!”
Efon was now panting from how much of his voice he was using. Once he calmed down, he heard the clapping of hoofs. Her turned to his right to see it was coming from the pearl white filly, soon followed by the rest of the smiling ponies.
“Bravo! Bravo!” Rarity cheered, smiling with glee. “Simply spectacular!”
Efon found it surprising that he was getting so much praise, especially from Fang.
“I have to say,” the dragon pony in question said. “I think aunt Sweetie Belle has some competition!”
“She certainly those!” Rarity smiled.
“You have a lovely voice Efon!” Fluttershy calmly said, clapping her hooves.
Efon blushed while he rubbed the back of his head. “Thanks, but I’m not good!”
“NOT THAT GOOD!” the group shouted.
“Your voice is just as majestic as Sun Seto!” Camcore vigorously shook Efon.
Efon snapping out of his daze from the shacking, he asked, “Who’s Sun Seto?”
“Oh my gosh!” Pandora face palm with her lion claw. “Here we go!”
“Sun Seto is a mermare who is had to marry this colt named Nagasumi because it the only way to save his life from her crazy father!”
Efon blinked, not really understanding what Camcore was talking about. “Ah…”
“Efon,’ Rainbow said in a serious tone, completely stopping whatever Efon was about to say.
He turned to face the mare, her magenta eyes staring into his soul. Somehow he kept his composure. “Yeah, Miss Dash, what’s up?”
Efon’s eyes shot up. He could hardly believe what he just heard. He then frowned, which surprised everybody, all expected Chroma. As much as she didn’t like it, she knew what the answer was going to be.
“Thanks for the offer, but I have to say no….” Efon sighed, lowering his head in a depressing matter.
Just like Efon done a few seconds earlier, Rainbow’s eye shot up. “No?!” she exclaimed. “I don’t get it. Don’t you want a new home?!”
“It’s not that I don’t want to live in Ponyville…” Efon turned his head in shame. “It’s just that I’m not that comfortable hang around other ponies,” Efon lied.
“Well that would explain why you only visit once a week!” Camcore interjected. “It would also explain that nerves twitch you get before leaving!”
“Nerves twitch?” Pinkie questioned. “Oh! Maybe you have a super sense like us!”
“Are you sure you don’t want to live with someone in Ponyville darling!” Rarity asked.
“Yeah. To be honest, I was a little bit hesitant about coming on this camping trip.”
“Wait, what propped you to come with us then?” Fang asked.
“Oh you know!” Efon smile, turning his eye contact to Chroma. “A little cute, white dove convinced me to tag along.
“Well, if you ever change your mind, Efon…” Rainbow said, standing up, walked up to Efon, and put a hoof on Efon’s shoulders. “The offer will always be there.”
With a warm, but complex smile, Efon said, “Thanks but…” Efon stretched out and yawned. “I really don’t see that happening…”
“I must agree with Fluttershy, this day was rather on the eventful side,” Rarity spoke. She began to trot to her house of the tent, letting the opening. “Come on, Fang darling!”
Fang sat there, deeply gazing into the fire. “No,” he blankly said.
“What?!” Rarity loudly exclaimed, her eyes widening her son’s response.
“Mother, if I’m ever going to be a warrior, I’m going to have to be strong. And right now I’m going to become a bit stronger by sleeping in harsh environments.” Fang stood up and glanced at his mother, his eyes full of pride. “That’s why I’m going to sleep outside.”
Both he and his mother stared deeply into each other’s eyes, each frowning just as much as the other. After about ten seconds, Rarity sighed, which showed her defeat in the fiery eye contact. “Fine, dear. Just try not to get your fur and scales too dirty. Honestly, I don’t know where you get this strange behavior from.” Rarity trotted over to her son and quickly kissed his cheek. “Good night sweet” she said, before making her way back to her house of a tent. Smiling at his victory, Fang laid back down on the log, closing his eyes to catch a few z’s.
“If my love is going to sleep outside, then I must as well!” Pandora shouted. She hastily curled her body on the same log as Fang, quickly closing her eyes tight.
“Oh my…” Fluttershy sighed. “Just as chaotic as her father.” She smiled as she went into her tent and grabbed a pink blanket, and came back to cover her daughter and giving her a little peck on the cheek.
“Me too! Me too!” Camcore shouted, sticking his camcorder into his mane, somehow, and laid on top of the log next to Fang’s and Pandora’s, considering that there was no more room on it for him to lay.
Smiling, Pinkie smiled going into her tent and grabbing a blanket. For some reason, went Pinkie exited her tent, confetti shout out from underneath it’s zipper. She laid the sky blue blanket, with odd characters on it, most likely from some anime, upon her son, as well a small kiss on his soft cheek. “Sleep tight, my little bundle of joy,” she whispered into his ear, before silently making her way to her tent.
It was the middle of the night, the crickets playing their song in the distance, as the camp fire’s flame diminished into low glowing ashes. The five young ponies nest on their log in what seemed to be a deep slumber. At least it was until Efon’s eye began warily open. He slowly blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness of night. He peered his drowsy gaze to Luna’s exquisite moon, smiling at its shimmering light, as it illuminated the camping grounds. He tried to adjust himself, only the halted by weight placed on in body. The looked down to see that the white filly he cares about resting upon his body, head using his stomach as a pillow. Her smile was as adorable as it always was. With a semi flushed face, Efon could help but grin at the sight he was beholding.
"She's so beautiful in the moonlight..." Efon though, as he brushed away her mane bang, just so he can get a better look at her smiling face. He loved the way her glasses were slightly tilted out of place, it made her look even more endearing. His enchantment was short lived, however, as winced and placed his hoof on his forehead hastily. He massaged it with agony, trying to contain himself from waking his friend.
“What?! Right now?!” he shouted in his mind. “But I ate so many sweets! I shouldn’t need feed on anything for a while!” He gently lifted Chroma’s head off of him so that he could get off the log. Then he slowly laid her back down, levitating his sattle bag to use as a pillow for her rest on. He paced quickly but quietly as he trotted into the woods behind the branches. Little did he know, his tail slightly brushed against a certain dragon pony, who’s right eye gingerly opened, watching the black colt entering into the woods behind him.
Efon stopped in a small forest clearing, only a couple feet away from the sight. He was slowly panting as he began to sweat. “Who knew…that…it was going to be hard to stay like this,” he gasped, slowly lifting his hoof up from the ground. “I guess I should change back for at least an hour, then change back before the sunrises.”
“What are you talking about?” a familiar voice from behind said.
Efon flinched at the voice, turning to glance at Fang, who had a judging look upon his face. Efon’s face began to drench in perspiration. With a nervous smile, Efon said, “Oh, hello Fang! Didn’t realize you were up!”
“That was thanks to you and your tail,” Fang grunted, walk towards Efon. “What were you talking about ‘changing’?”
Even more sweat began to leak out of Efon’s pores. “Oh you know!” Efon began his lie, “Changing my mane! You know how much I like to do that!”
He chuckled nervously as the dragon began to glare at him. “What are you?!” Fang asked in a stern tone.
“What?” Efon barely gotten his words out, as Fang leaned closer to Efon’s face, giving him is signature death stare.
“You aren’t normal!” the hybrid shouted, beginning his pacing around the colt who stood before him. “You live in the Everfree! You are too strong for anyone your age! And your certainly too suspicious to be any kind of pony! So what are you?”
All of a sudden, the rustling of the bushes could be heard, as their three friends emerged from them, rubbing their tried eyes.
Camcore stretched his hindquarters into the air, the same as a cat would do. “What’s with the loud shouting, Fang?” he yawned.
Pandora arched back as she let out a roaring yawn. “What’s the matter, great Fang?” she asked tiredly.
“Efon is acting strange!” Fang mange to grunt under teeth. “Chroma!” he sternly said while turning his gaze at the white filly, adjusting her glasses. “What does Efon mean when he says he’s going to change?”
Chroma’s eyes shot open. “Oh no! Is it already that time Efon?! But those sweets I gave you should of made you last longer! I even sprinkled them in sugar.”
Efon saw that Chroma was becoming nervous, as sweat trickled down her face. “Yo, Fang,” Efon said, causing the dragon pony you turn his gaze to him. “It really just means that I’m going to change my mane. And it takes lots of concentration to do so. So if you don’t mind…”
“I do mind!” Silver Fang shouted, cause those who were still in their tents to move around a bit. “If it’s really just has to do with your mane, then prove to me right now!”
“Oh great,” Efon thought to himself, more sweat beginning to build up. “Why is he stubborn! I need to think of something to keep them away from me just of a few minutes.”
There were a few seconds of silence from Efon, causing Fangs suspension to grow. “Well…you see…” Efon spoke, slowly rubbing the back of his head. “I…can’t…really…” Efon stopped specking complete, his eye constricted and his nose catching a familiar scent in the air…and it was getting closer. He turned his head to look into the woods behind him, is ears flicking slightly.
“You can’t really what!?” Fang shouted, walking towards Efon.
“Get back!”
A magical force grabbed the group of four ponies and tossed them away from the black colt.
“Hey, what was that abo….”
A lager, wooden claw appeared from the dark woods in swift motion. It swung onto the side of the black colt, hurling Efon into a tree, making Efon yelped as his back and head dug into large tree’s rough bark. He winced in pain as he lost consciousness. The wood figure snarled as it turned its large muzzle, it’s green glowing eyes now glaring at the group of small ponies, drool spilling from its mouth.
“Timberwolf!” the group of fillies shouted in fear.
"Efy!" Chroma cried.
The mighty, wooden beast slowly creeped up on them, inch closer and closer. The gang slow began to trot backwards in fear. All but Fang. Instead of backing up, he put on a wicked grin and charged at the wood of creature.
“Fang, what are you doing?” Camcore shouted.
“What does it look like?!” Fang yelled with a smile. As he gotten closer to the creeping Timber, Fang slide underneath the beast, mouth wide open, and let out a bright blue flame. The Timber yelped a bit, as Fang rolled out from under the monster and took flight, still breathing fire around the creature, leaving it completely engulfed by flames. He proudly land on his hoof in front of his friends.
“OH YOUR AWSOME FANG!” Pandora shouted, rapping her hoof and lion paw around him.
“Guys,” Camcore said, shack in fear still. “I don’t think this is a time to celebrate!”
Camcore’s shacking hoof pointed to the Timberwolf, now with glowing, crimson eyes. With a furious roar, the flames that were surrounding dispersed.
Fang’s jaw dropped. “What? But how….” He was cut off from the now charging Timber. “Everyone out the way!” he shouted as he pushed Camcore and Pandora to one side and Chroma to the opposite side.
He leaped out of the way of the crashing claw, jumping to where Camcore and Pandora were, leaving Chroma to one side of the clear alone…which was a terrible thing to do. After the recoil of the claw crushing the ground, the Timber turned to Chroma and immediately pounced.
“Chroma!” Fang shouted, trying to make his way to save his friend.
Rustling came from the bushes came from behind them. “Kids what are you doing out here in the…” Rainbow tiredly said. She wasn’t that way for long, because when she saw a Timberwolf rushing towards her daughter, her motherly instincts kicked in. “I’m coming, Chroma!”
Rainbow flapped her wings as fast she could, but with how close the timber beast was, she realized that she wasn’t going to make it to her daughter in time. Chroma started at the beast, its mouth wide open and ready to chop down on her. She shut her eyes ready to accepted what was going to happen. Suddenly, a flash of light zoomed in between her and the wolf. She reopened her eyes to see that her knight in shining armor was holding the jaws of the beast open.
“Rainbow, what’s going…” Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity simultaneously spoke as they trotted into the scene. They’re question was instantly answered, as their jaw dropped at what they were witnessing.
Efon was holding the jaw of the Timberwolf open with his fore hooves, holding it about a foot off the ground. Everyone who was watching was dumbfounded, all but Chroma, who could only blush as she looked at her hero who had saved her for about the fourth time. The other three times, excluding when the first meet, all happened to be furious Timbers.
“You tried to hurt Chroma…” Efon’s voice was spoken in a low, ominous tone, as he spread the jaws of the creature even wide, causing it to whimper.He lift his head up to face the wooden teeth, his slit eyes were glowing a vibrant green. “And now…” Efon tilted his horn, aiming at the jaw. “You’ll pay the price!”
With a devious grin, Efon’s horn illuminated in a bright blue light, an enormous electrical beam shooting from the tip. It engulfed the head of the Timberwolf, shacking the ground with how potent the blast was. The group of campers watched in awe, eyes wide and fixed on the young unicorn and his ray of brawny energy. The beam stretched out deep into the forest, piercing through trees behind the Timberwolf.
Efon subsided his galvanizing blast, it left a headless Timberwolf standing stationary. With a gentle, night breeze, the body of the Timber fell to its side, turning into a pile of wooden, misshaped planks of wood upon impact with the ground. Silence filled the air, as everyone tried to take in what they saw.
“Now…” Efon said as he looked at the pile of the Timberwolf’s remains. The adults and the kids looked at him in confusion. ‘Why was he talking to the pile of wood?’ they wondered. Only Chroma knew the answer.
They watched as pieces of began to float from beyond the forest, gathering around the pile of Timberwolf planks. They all began to float, forming into the shape of a small, yet big Timberwolf. With green glowing eyes, the Timberwolf rebuilt itself. Its ears were splayed back as it looked at Efon’s reptilian, green eyes. Using his magic, Efon had the Timberwolf in a tight grip.
“If you ever, EVER! Try to hurt Chroma, or anyone else, I’ll pay a small trip to your den and fry all your pups until they are nothing but ash! Do I make myself clear?!” Efon grinding his teeth, holding the Timberwolf’s head closer to him. Whimpering, the wolf slowly nodded his head.
“Good. NOW GET OUT OF MY FACE!” Efon yelled, releasing his grip on the Timber. With that, the Timberwolf swiftly vanished into the darkness of the forest.
A large moment of silence fell upon everyone; they’re jaws a gasped They were all still trying to comprehend what just happened.
“That was AMAZING!” yelled the tangerine colt, jumping in air, causing some out-of-place confetti flying. It’s weird how that was passed on to Camcore, but then again, he was part of the Pie family. “There was the stopping the beast’s attack part, and then the cool catch phrase! And we can’t forget about the GIANT ELECTRIC BLAST! That was so cool!” he squealed.
“That was AWESOME!” Rainbow shouted, flapping her wing in excitement, slightly hoovering off the ground. “Even I could take down a Timberwolf one-v-one! Even with my Wonderbolts training!”
Efon smiled as he continued to take slow, deep breaths. He turned his head to the face the flabbergasted group. “Yeah…it…was…nothing…” he huffed.
Promptly, Efon’s body tensed up and his eyes became constricted. A slight whimper escaped from his dry mouth.
“Uh…oh…”
His body began to slowly descended to the ground. As he did, a thin layer of a bright green fire began to cover his body at various parts. The flame hazily navigated over his hooves, revealing gaps and holes upon his legs, his mane turning from a hairy head and tail of hair to a cobweb texture, his muzzle divulging sharp fang, just littles ways over his bottom lip, and finally, the flame dissipated over his back, proclaiming a pair of insect like wing and a hard, beetle like green shell.
Rainbow’s smile vanished at the sight of the shift-shaping being.
“CHANGLING!” roared a pony dragon, who began to charge at the downed, black creature. As he neared the being, he slightly opened his mouth, a blue flame beginning to build up. He stopped has he was a foot away from the changeling, opening his mouth wider. “Burn!” he yelled.
“No!” eyes widen at the sight of the little white filly jump on top of Fang, pushing him over and causing his fiery blue flame blast to just barely miss the changeling. Chroma quickly got back on her hoofs and rushed to the black create, standing firmly in front of him. “Don’t hurt him!” she cried turning to the group.
Shaking his head, Fang picked himself up. “Chroma, what are you doing?” he yelled, staring variously at her. “I need to burn that monster until he tells me what he has done to Efon?!”
“This is Efon!” Chroma immediately yelling back, tears starting to build up.
“What?!” loudly yelled Fang and, at a higher volume, Rainbow Dash.
Chroma looked at Efon, who was just lying on the ground, looking aimlessly in the woods and breathing heavily, and turned to face her mother and friends. “I said this is Efon!”
“Chroma…” Pandora hesitantly said, “Are you saying that…”
Chroma’s head lowered, the tears starting to flow down ever so slowly. “Yes, he’s a changeling…”
Everyone seemed to freeze in disbelief, not wanting to believe what they heard. Everyone’s attention was then pulled to Rainbow, whose face was filled with anger.
“Chroma!” yelled a tomboyish voice shouted. “I told you to stay away from changelings!”
“But…”
“Don’t you know how dangerous they are!”
“But he’s…”
“Get away from that monster Right Now!”
“HE ISN’T A MONSTER!”
The loud uproar from the little filly was more than surprising, however, it didn’t faze her mother like it did to the rest, even Fang flinched a bit.
“Yes. He. Is! Now get away from him or I’m gonna…”
“NO! I refuse!” Chroma slammed her hoof on the floor, backing up so that she was closer to Efon, still in a daze from his lost energy.
“Chroma Soarin Dash! Can’t you see what he’s doing to you! He has you brainwashed! Now come here and let Fang…”
“You’re the ones that are brainwashed!” This final remark that made Rainbow flinch. The look in her daughter’s face was something that Rainbow had never seen on her face before: Angry determination.
“You’re the ones that are brainwashed…” Chroma shouted, a lot softer than before, heavy streams of tears flowing from her wide open, holding a stare towards her mother. “Brainwash to hate…to hate them…to hate him…just because of what he is! Your blinded by that hatred so much...” she paused, sniffling her nose trying to wipe away her steam of tears. “S-so much that you can’t see the good in him, something I see in him!” She paused again to turn her head, looking down at the creature for which she had strong feeling for. She turned to face her mother again. “I love him, mom!”
Efon’s ears flicked at the sound of those words. He began to lift himself from the ground. “C-Chroma…you…love…me…AGH!” Efon yelled and closing his eyes shut, his hoof quickly retracted to his side.
Everyone turned to the changeling, especially Chroma, who’s face turned to one of concern. “Efon what’s….” She stopped specking, looking at what Efon was yelling for.
Efon’s left hoof was firmly placed against his side. He quivered slightly every few second. Between his hoof and hip, the camping group saw a that a teal fluid was dripping from the changeling’s side.
“Oh my gosh!” Chroma immediately bent down and pulled him closer with caution. “Are you okay?!”
Efon winced as he slowly lifted his eyes open, looking down his body. He slightly moved his leg from his side, reveling a giant, deep scar, his bluish-green blood leaking out. “Yeah…I’m…ok…” he painfully said, recovering his injury with his leg. “It’s…just a…scratch…It…will…heal…” He smiled, looking into Chroma’s sapphire eyes. “I’m just glade your safe, cutie.”
A blush grew on Chroma’s face as she returned the smile and wiping away her tears. It was short live, however, as an annoyed look returned when she turned her head to her mother again.
The determined, mad look was still a bit alarming to see from Chroma. “How can you call him a monster after what he did?” She hugged Efon tighter, her cheeks pressing against Efon’s chitin cheeks., causing his cheers turn a dark green.
Rainbow’s looked at the changeling who her daughter was embracing. Mixed feeling began to run through her mind. “Chroma…”
“I love him, mom…” Chroma softly said. “Please…don’t take him away from me…”
Rainbow looked deeply into her daughter’s pleading eyes. She rubbed her head as she let out a drawn out sigh. “Girls!” she said looking toward the other adult, getting their attention off of the changeling. “Huddle up.”
The grown-ups followed Rainbow behind a nearby bush, pulling them closer for them to hear each other’s whispers.
“What do you think?” Rainbow said softly. “Do you think this monster is using a spell on my daughter, or…” She shivered at the thought. “She does Chroma really have feeling for that...that...bug!?”
“To be honest, Rainbow…” Fluttershy said in her low tone of voice, not really needing to lower it to whisper. “I don’t see any problem with it.”
Rainbow felt as if a cloud had just shocked her in the flank. “Fluttershy! How can you be ok with this?! He’s a…
“Changeling,” Fluttershy said finishing her statement. “And I honestly believe it’s ok for Chroma to love him.”
“But what if that thing, that monster, is mind controlling her?!” Rainbow shouted. “The evil creature could be hurting my daughter as we speck!”
“But he isn’t!” Pinkie bounced gleefully. “My pinkie sense would have gone off is something really bad was happening!”
“Wait…” Rarity interrupted, “Why didn’t your pinkie sense go off when the Timberwolf attacked?”
Pinkie tapped a hoof on her chin, trying to find answer to Rarity’s question. “Maybe because it knew we weren’t in real danger, with Efon begin incredibly powerful and all!” She stopped to think of another reason. "Or maybe I'm just getting old!"
Everyone looked at the pink pony’s grin with half opened eyes. “Anyway!” Rainbow said, bringing they’re attention back to the discussion. “It just feels really, really, wrong! I mean, my daughter. Is in love with an evil Changeling!”
Fluttershy and Rarity gave Rainbow a half lighten stare.
“What?!” Rainbow asked as they continued to stare at her.
“To be far, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said, still with a blank expression on her face, “I married and had a child with the lord of chaos and we all thought he was evil some time ago.”
"Yeah but..."
“I have to agree with Fluttershy, Rainbow my dear,” Rarity spoke, “Even though it’s a bit strange and highly disturbing, it isn’t uncommon for a pony to fall in love with someone who is normal portrayed as something evil. Take me and Spike for example. He being a dragon, something ponies aren’t supposed to be fawned of and yet I married him. And let’s all be honest, none of you expected me to return the same kind of affection he had shown me over the past years.”
“Yeah, that was really surprising….” Rainbow admitted, “But this is different! Discord and Spike can be trusted. How could we ever trust a real monster like that insect?”
“Rainbow look at him!” Fluttershy sternly said, pointing her hoof towards the changeling, who had begun a conversation with the other children, as well as seeing Chroma smack Fang across the face after speck some hurtful words about Efon, which was shocking to see. “Look at that wound! Chroma is right; if he was really a monster, he wouldn’t have risked his own life to protect her and everyone else here!”
“Not to mention that he did disguise himself just to be with Chroma!” Pinkie butted in.
“He’s lonely, Rainbow…” Fluttershy said, putting a hoof on his friend’s shoulders. “And maybe having someone like Chroma in his life is all he ever wanted.”
Rainbow sighed. “I just don’t know if we should trust him just like that…”
“Tell you what,” Fluttershy began. “How about you let him tag along with us for this trip, and then we can take him to Twilight and see how she would feel. We could get Discord to see if there is any magical disturbance from a mind controlling spell.” Fluttershy then had a caution look upon her face. “Plus,” she whispered, “We could get you-know-who to see whether if he’s lying or not.”
“Then I could pulverize him?” Rainbow asked raising her head.
Rolling her eyes, Fluttershy said, “Yes you could pulverize him…”
“Fine, I’ll give him a chance,” Rainbow sighed, starting to make her way back to the children. “Right after he answers a questions I need I have.”
The group of kids watched as they’re parents went behind the bush to talk about the situation at hoof. They then walked to Chroma, who was sitting next to the changeling.
“So…ah…you were a changeling the whole time then?” Pandora asked, nervously rubbing the back of her head, looking at Efon and Chroma.
Efon turned his head to the mix and match pony, only to look away, trying not to look at them. “You guy properly hate me now, don’t you...”
Fang opened his mouth only to be pushed away from a certain, tangerine, spiky maned pony. “Are you kidding?! This only makes you even cooler!”
“Yeah, I knew it. You probably just want me to leave and never come…” Efon’s reptilian eyes widen. “Wait…What!?”
“Yeah dude!” Camcore said, jumping up and down in enjoyment. “How many ponies can say they’re friends with a cool shape-shifting Changeling?!”
Efon could hardly believe what he was hearing, even if he knew Camcore was telling the truth. “W-where still friends?!” asked in an alarming tone.
“Ah, duh…”
“B-but I’m a Changeling! How can you be friends with something like me!?”
“To be honest, I kind of already knew you were a Changeling…” Camcore blankly said, rubbing the back of his head.
There was a moment of silence. “WHAT?!” everyone young pony and changeling yelled.
“But how did you…” Efon began to ask, in complete shock.
“It was very simple really.” With that, Camcore pulled out a dry erase board out of nowhere.
“Where did that come from?!” Efon asked, feeling like his mind was beginning to question all aspects of life.
“You see, I figured out from your name, Efon” Camcore said has drew and bubble letter text that state ‘EFON.’ “I learned that Efon in Yoruba means ‘mosquito,’ and as you all know, mosquitos drink blood!” Camcore drew a semi realistic image of a bug winged with a long narrow nose, with and arrow drawn to what was supposed to be a small, red droplet blood. “And where does blood come from? The heart!” he said as he drew an image of a heart and an arrow pointing towards it from the droplet. “And the heart is a symbol of love and changeling feed on love!” With one final sketch of an image that matched to Efon and text that said ‘LOVE’ pointing from it to the changeling image. “And bata bing, bata boom! That how I figured out that you were a changeling!”
The group of kids looked at Camcore with mouths wide open in awe as they took in what was just spoken to him. “Wow...” Efon simply said. “That amazin…”
“Plus, who names a pony Efon? No offence or anything, but that would be weird!” Camcore said, pushing away the dry erase board into the distance.
“Wait, so, you knew the entire time?” Pandora asked, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Yup!”
“And you didn’t mind?” Chroma asked, now stand on her hooves.
“Nope!”
“And you neglected to tell me?!” roar Fang from anger.
“Well, I knew you would probably fry his face off if I did,” Camcore blankly said.
“THAT’S THE POINT YOU IDIOT!” Fang screamed at the anime obsessed pony. “I would of burn this ugly disgusting monster…”
*SMACK*
Fang was cut off by a hoof that had ran across his face with great force. He turned to is Chroma with a raised hoof and her eye peer through her glasses with the sight of rage.
“Don’t you ever call him a monster or ugly ever again!” she shouted, as she gritted her teeth.
Pandora and Camcore was shunned when they saw an emotion on Fang’s face he rarely shown: Fear.
“I…ah…” was all that came from out of the half pony half dragon’s mouth.
“Now, apologize to him!” Chroma said, pointing to her love interest who was sit sitting on the ground.
“Apologize! For wh…”
“Fang!” Chroma spoke in a dark tone.
Fang tensed up and gulped at the sight of rage on the normally passive filly. Taking a step forward, he looked down at Efon, only to turn it to the side, trying to hide his blush of embarrassment. “I’m…sorry…” he lowly said.
Efon looked at Fang, then to Chroma, then back to Fang. “Um…thanks…” Efon said, not sure how to reacted in this kind of situation.
“I’m so glad I recorded that!” Camcore said, as he his camcorder was fixed on Fang. “This is so going on to PonyTube!”
Fang rushed towards the orange pony with gusto. “Like Tartarus you are!” Fang began to chase Camcore in circle, shouting out things like ‘You better hoof over the camera!’ and ‘I’m not playing Camcore!’
“Alright,” Rainbow’s voice called, getting the attention of the kids. “I’ve made up my mind.”
The groups of kids turned to look at the grown-ups making they’re return from they’re private conversation. Rainbow trotted to the towards the changeling, who seemed to tremble as she approached him. Before she could be at a closer proximity to the fearful changeling, her white furred daughter stepped in front of her, scowling at her. Tension built up from the two, as they both stared into it other’s eyes, creating a moment of silence.
“I promise I won’t hurt him,” Rainbow uttered, looking deep into her daughter’s eyes. A few more seconds had passed before Chroma saw the truth in her mother’s statement, she allowed her mother to past.
Efon’s ears splayed back as his greatest fear inched closer and closer. His body began to shake uncontrollably, as well as his constricting in fright. She stopped, standing right in front of him. She lowered her head to face the changeling, directly in front of his face. Her eyes slowly examined his face, pursing her lips as she did so.
Efon didn’t dare to move, not even milometer of movement, as the cyan mare began to circle him, hoovering with gentle flaps of her wings, starting from his right. She continued her movement until she had made it to his left side, where the giant scar was embedded on his chitin, as it was slowly healing. After a hard inspection of the deep cut, she glanced at her daughter, who was watching her movements very carefully.
She began to move again, halting when she was in front of him once more. “So…” she began, causing the young changeling to tense up at sound of her cold sounding word as they hit his ears. “Is it true that you not steeling love energy from Chroma or anyone else here?”
Efon put up his hoof up to his forehead, saluting as he responded. “No, Mrs. Dash! I mean yes Mrs. Dash! I mean…” Efon paused as moisture began to pour from his forehead. “I-it’s…complicated…Mrs. Dash…”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes at his response. “What do you mean it’s complicated?!” she asked sternly. “Explain yourself!”
Efon shuddered at her harsh tone, flinching back. He recollected himself and spoke. “Well…being a changeling…my body needs love, not only for food, but keep my blood circulating through my body. Sooo…my body is constantly absorbing lov…”
Efon was cut off, winching in pain from both the pressure on his cut, and from Rainbow tackled him, pinning him to the ground and raising a hoof, ready to swing. “SO YOU ARE STEELING ENERGY YOU DIRTY LITTLE BUG?!”
“Mom! You said you weren’t going to hurt him!” Chroma shouted, trying to pull her mother off of her friend. “You didn’t even let him finish!”
Rainbow intensely looked at the quivering creature underneath her. She sighed as she backed off Efon, allowing him rise back up on to his rump. “Hmp! Fine! Finish what you were saying!” she said sternly, crossing her hoof as she hoovered off the ground slightly.
Shacking, Efon began to speak again. “M-my body a-absorbs love energy that flows around in the air around ponies,” Rainbow gave him a hard look of rage, causing more fear to erupt in the young changeling’s body. “B-but…” Efon spoke, stuttering in dreaded fright, “I-I have control on how much my body takes in! I make sure that it’s absorbs the very minimum, just enough to keep my blood moving around in my body, Mrs. Dash…”
“And is it safe for us to let you take the minimum amount of love you need?” Rainbow said, crossing her hooves at disapprove of what she was hearing.
The changeling trembled before her, shacking in fear for every word spoken to him. “A ponies love energy could recover over time…” Efon began, “I allow my body to only take the smallest amount so that your body could instantly restore that love energy back to one hundred percent, Mrs. Dash…”
Rainbow continued her sharp gaze at the changeling, thinking whether or not to trust what this creature was saying. Frustrated, she sighed in defeat, giving into to how much her head hurt was hurt from that explanation. “Fine. I guess I could try and accepted this.” She said, frowning at the changeling. “But it’s only because I have no clue how your disgusting bodies actually works!”
“He’s not disgusting…” Chroma lowly said, grinning her teeth.
Even thought it was strange to see her daughter grinned her teeth, Rainbow ignored it, still having a few question for the shape-shifter. “Where did you and my daughter first meet?”
Efon looked at Chroma, giving a lowly smile before turning to her terrifying mother. “Well…the day we meet wasn’t the best, but the second time, where she came back to become my friend…” Efon could help but let his small smile turn into a beaming one. “Was the happiest day of my life…”
“And why wasn’t the first day you two meet the best of days?” Rainbow asked, sternly staring at him.
Efon lower his, his eyes gazing towards the dirt upon the wood clearing. “For one, Chroma was being attacked by a Timberwolf before I showed up and saved her.” He paused, thinking if he was ready to revel something that even Chroma didn’t know. “As for me…” he said, hesitant to say the one thing he regrets the most. “It was the day I was going to end it all…”
Ears perked up, only to splay back down. Eyes wide. Questioning looks were formed. Silence was formed as everybody was tried to see what Efon means.
“Efy…” Chroma solemnly said, her eyes filled with perplex emotions. “W-what…”
“What do you mean you wanted to end it all?” Rainbow finished Chroma’s question for her, a surprising look of concern plastered over her face.
Efon hung his head even lower than what it was. He really wished he kept his mouth shut. It didn’t feel right to have ours feel sorry for him. “I-I was going to kill…myself…”
A large moment of silence was, once again, brought upon the camping group. Efon’s words was a huge surprise to everyone. It was so alarming that they really couldn’t tell how they were feeling. It was a mixture of sadness, disbelief, and confusion.
“That……turned dark really…quick…” Camcore solemnly stated.
“I-it’s something I’m not proud of…I don’t like to talk about it.” Efon said rubbing the back of his head. He turned he’s gaze at his Rainbow maned, white furred friend. “Let’s just say that Chroma gave me a purpose to live…”
He gave a low smile at her, her slight blush forming as her eyes began to water up. He frowned at the sight tearing up for someone like him.
Efon lowered his head even lower. “With my situation between life and death, there was nothing I wanted to do more then to perpetrate my own throat with a dag…” Efon stopped his somber speech, as something grabbed him. He looked to see that the cyan mare he feared so much, now embracing him in a warm, welcoming hug. He could hear her sniffling, as he felt tempered moisture flow down his back side. He lifted his head and turned his eyes to the brave, courageous, swaggering proud mare, tears rolling off her earnest face.
“I’m giving you, one chance…” she said rather softly in the changeling’s ear. She released the young shape-shifting being, getting up and beginning steadily trot back to the camping grounds. “When we get back to the village and I find out that your lying…” She stopped I her tracks, turn her head slightly to glare at the changeling with a very menacing look upon her face. “You better start run!” She began walking again. “Now come on, we have a few more hours of sleep left before the sun rise and we have to keep moving to the next campsite.”
The clearing was filled with silence, excluding the adults from making their way back to the camp sight, bring their children with them. They had left Efon and Chroma, knowing they would follow soon. Efon looked at the direction they had trailed off to, staring in awe. He lifted his head up to look at Chroma, who was standing in front of him. A large, warm, cheerful grin was plastered on her face. She held up a hoof, gesturing for Efon take it.
Efon reached out a hoof to meet Chroma’s. As soon as he got up, he was immediately embraced with a hug from the white. His checks turned flushed as it accrued.
“Y-you…” Chroma began to say, lifting her shimmering gaze to her friend, her glasses allowing her beautiful sapphire eyes to be shown to Efon. “You could stay…” she finished saying. She released him from her grip a pulled him along behind her back to the camping ground. She knew Efon long enough to recognized the face Efon was wearing. It was the same face that he had after she had tried to explain something to him about science or math. Knowing that he need some time to register tonight’s events, she sat him down at one of the camping logs, sitting him down onto it. He was still staring at nothing, bewilderedness in his emerald eyes.
Chroma smiled at the sight, feeling glee for him and a bit for herself. She didn’t really know how to express her warm feeling but one. In quick motion, she gave Efon a quick kiss on his cheek, blushing as she did so. Efon slightly flinched at the touch, but still kept staring blankly. Chroma made her way to the tent her mother was in, hoping that no one saw the kiss.
It wasn’t until the zipper of the tent was lifted up that Efon finally moved, turning his head to the tent Chroma had entered. He stroked his cheek, the one that now was kissed for the second time. Turning his gaze to the still glowing embers left from the camp fire, he blushed deeply.
“W-what just happened?” was all the Changeling could say for the rest of the eventful night.
Author's Note
Oh boy! This was took longer then anticipated! And I was going to make it longer too! Well, now that they know that Efon is a changeling, the next chapter could take many different roots. What root will it take? And who is this mysterious 'you-know-who' that Fluttershy referred to? Find out in future chapters of Outcast Love!
Oh, and for copyright purposes:
Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars
Thecartoonmaster123 out!
Chapter 6: Difficulty-Three Words!
Song birds began their morning sing, as Celestia’s sun began to reach above the horizon and its beautiful raise spread across the camp grounds. Within a cloud shaped tent, a cyan mare began to squirm, moving from the sound of the nearby birds. Her eyelids began to slowly open, taking in the weary gaze of the dim shine of the mornings light. Rainbow lifted herself up into a sitting position, stretching her body as she yawned loudly. She opened one her eyes, lowly gazing at her daughter, sleeping peacefully.
Rainbow gave a soft chuckle. “Heh, whoa what a weird dream…” She stood up, stretching her back, and then she made her way to the tent door, beginning to unzip it open. “For a second I really thought that my daughter was in love with a cha…” Rainbow’s voice stopped work as she saw what was on the other side of the tents opening. Her eyes locked on a black creature, with a smooth body and silk like mane. It’s fangs sticking out from under his muzzle, sitting on one of the camping sites logs, appearing to be holding something. “Oh. It wasn’t a dream…” There was a large moment of silence, the only sound of the soft morning wind slightly brushing against the nearby trees.
Rainbow continued to look at the changeling as he sat there with his head hanging low. “Well, I better say something…” Rainbow though to herself.
“G-good morning, um, Efon…” she said, a bit of an awkward tone in her voice.
Efon flinched as the voice hit his ears. In quick movement her turned to see that the voice belonged to Chroma’s mother. It took him another second to finally reply to her greeting.
“O-oh, g-good morning, M-Mrs. Dash. How are you?” Efon asked in a weary, low tone in his voice, nervous still of Rainbow.
“I-I’m…fine, um…” Another moment of silence washed upon them, Rainbow beginning to look at the ground, rubber one of her forehoof with the other, and Efon just sitting completely still. It wasn’t until Rainbow looked at Efon’s eyes, slight bags in his eyelids. “A-are you ok? You look…tired?” she asked awkwardly.
Efon put one of his hole filled hoofs up to his face, feeling the bags that had form from over the night. “Oh…that,” he spoke, “I-I didn’t go to bed for the rest of the night, you know, after…” Efon stopped speck, not wanting to get caught up in thought of last night.
“After the Timber wolf attack and the whole thing about us finding out that you were a changeling, right?” Rainbow finished.
“Yeah…” Efon said, rubbing the back of his head and turned completely around to have his body facing the cyan mare. From this, Rainbow saw that he was holding the guitar that Pandora had given him to play that song. “…that. It’s just…I’m really confused with the whole thing…”
Yet again, a wave of silence filled the air. However, this one was short live when Rainbow began to trotted over to the changeling, sitting down next to him on the log. “Y-you wanna talk about it?” she asked, still finding everything just as confusing as Efon. She was talking to a changeling!
Efon shook slightly as she sat down next to him, still felling some fear from being so close to her. He quickly swallowed he fear, realizing that he hasn’t replied to her question. “Well,” he began, “It’s just that…I don’t understand why you are even being considering to still let me hang with you, even if you know that I’m a changeling…”
Rainbow shot an unsure glance at him. “How come?” she simply asked.
Efon hung his as he began to pluck the strings of the guitar with his hoof. “Because I’m a changeling, and…” Efon paused, trying to find the word to explain himself. “I-I just feel like a monster like me doesn’t deserves this… any of it…”
Rainbow turned to look at the frown upon his face. She couldn’t figure out why she was feeling the way she did. She was feeling sorry for a changeling. Sighing, not believe what she was about to say. “Y-you’re not a monster, Efon…” she hesitantly said, not exactly saying how she really felt.
Efon lifted his head to look up at the cyan mare, knowing that she was lying. “Sorry, Mrs. Dash, but, I’m pretty sure that anything that doesn’t have a heart classifies as a monster…”
Rainbows head lifted in shock. “Wait…” Rainbow started to question, “Changeling at literally heartless?!”
“Ah, yeah...I thought you knew that already.”
“I read that in a book and heard it from Twilight, I didn’t it was actually true!”
“Well yeah,” Efon said, placing the guitar to his side, “It’s the reason why we need to absorb love energy, it keeps us alive.”
“Huh,” Rainbow said, rubbing her head, looking towards the ground. Suddenly, her face turning into a stern expression. “You know, for someone who say they were living alone their whole life, you know a lot about yourself and what you are.”
Efon looked into her cold eyes immediately responded. “W-well, that also something about changelings, we are born with the knowledge we need to survive, at least I was!” he said, shaking in fear.
Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “Right~” she said, getting up from her seat and walked over to her tent. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to keep to my word and let you still tag along with us, but if you are lying about everything, there will be severe consequences.” She turned her head to the changeling, giving her best death stare. “Ya got it?”
Efon gulped hardly, nodding in response.
“Good, now get your stuff, we’re about to move on to the next site.”
“Um, Mrs. Dash?” Efon said, stopping Rainbow in her tracks.
“Yeah?” Rainbow turned to face the changeling once again.
“Thanks…for this opportunity…” Efon simply spoke.
This was a shock to Rainbow, not expecting for him to thank her. She quickly shook it off as she said, “Yeah, whatever.” With that, Rainbow slipped into her tent, softly specking to wake her daughter.
Efon was left alone again, nothing but the wind, the singing birds, and the guitar that Pandora had given him to keep him company. “I promise you, I will do my very best to gain all of your trust…” he said to himself. “For Chroma’s sake…”
“You may have everyone else fooled…” A familiar voice stopped Efon’s train in though. He turned around to see the dragon pony he called his rival standing behind, staring at him from across the other side of the sitting logs with his amber eyes. “But I’m not falling for it, I know you have something planned! After all…” Fang turned and began to walk into his mother’s tent to awake her. “Your nothing but a dirty monster!”
Efon watch as the dragon pony hybrid zip the tent door closed. “Well, there’s one pony I will never convince that I’m not like the rest of them.” Efon took a deep breath and began to gather his things. “Why do I feel like bad things are going to occur today,” he sighed.
The sound of tent doors opening got his attention. He turned his head to the cloud shaped tent as Chroma stepped outside from it, rubbing her eye with a hoof, giving a slight yawn. He smiled at the sight of her.
Chroma soon smiled back once she stopped rubbing her eye. “G-good morning, Efon!” she said joyfully, a blush appearing on her face as she trotted closer to him.
“Well, maybe today won’t be so bad!” Efon smiled back.
“Huh?” Chroma said, giving him a questioning glance. “Efon, what do you…”
“The real sunrise has finally awoken and already my day feels a lot better!” Efon beamed, a small green blush appearing on his face. “And might I say that sunrise is looking incredibly cute this morning!”
Chroma’s face grew hot, her cheeks now a bright shade of red. She couldn’t help but smile, rubbing her leg with embarrassment. They both looked into each other’s eyes, standing there with a deepening blush printed on their faces.
“Look at you love birds!” Efon and Chroma snapped out of the trance as Camcore’s joyful voice filled their ears. They turned their attention to the orange pony in mention, bouncing merely towards. “You two are so cute together!”
“I…ah…” Efon couldn’t respond to Camcore’s statement.
“Wait a minute!” Camcore suddenly shouted, jumping enthusiastically into the air and landing back down with a thump. “It’s more like a love bird and a love bug!”
“What are you….” Efon tried to interject.
“By the way, how’s your….”
“AGH!”
Camcore’s question was interrupted by a loud grown. The group turned to see Pandora, not looking her very best. Her mane was completely disheveled, her fur ruffled, and her snake like tail tangled in its self.
“Why do you have to be so loud, Camcore?” Pandora had a very displeased look on her face as she yelled at the orange colt.
“Um…Pandora…” Camcore tried to say something about her appearance, but was interjected by another howl of anger from the princess of chaos.
“Do you know what time it is? You probably woke up nearby animals!”
“Pandora…”
“Why do you always have to be a nuisance?!”
“Pandora.”
“WHAT?” she yelled for the final time.
“Your, ah, mane and tail,” Camcore gestured to his own mane, prompting Pandora to look.
“Huh?” Pandora turned to look at her tail, seeing that it was in a nice knot, then panned her gaze up to her mane, seeing it standing straight up. With wide eye, she quickly dashed to her tent. “Oh my gosh! Fang would never love me if he sees me like this!” She entered the tent, only to pop her head back out. “Thanks Camcore, I owe you one!” she shouted.
Camcore waved as Pandora reentered the tent. “No problem Pan!” He turned back to Efon and Chroma, both having a half lite expression on they’re faces. “What?”
“You knew that was going to happen, didn’t you?” Efon asked blankly.
“What can I say, I know comic relief opportunities when I see them,” Camcore said, shrugging his shoulders.
Pandora stepped back outside her tent, her mother trailing right behind her. Her mane and tail was back to their normal state.
“GOOOOOD MORNING!” Fluttershy nearly dropped one of the tents poles from the sudden burst of very audible joy. She turned, along with everyone else, to see that Pinkie was wide awake, jumping for the fun of it. “How’s everypony…” Pinkie turned to and gave Efon joyful smile, “And every changeling doing!?”
“Everything would be better if said changeling wasn’t present.”
They all turned to see Fang walking up, ready to keep moving with his survivor saddle bag resting on his back. His mother was right behind him. His eyes were locked on Efon; a grimace look on his face. It filled him with discuses that a changeling was traveling with them. It goes against everything he was taught from his combat instructor.
“Seriously, Fang!” The dragon pony turned to see his mother pulling the string on the house-like tent, causing it to revert back into portable form. “I understand that you are not very fond of changeling, and I’ll admit, neither am I, but Efon seems to be different than the rest of his kind. Can’t you at least put aside your judgement from all changelings, and just give him a chance?”
Fang stared at his mother for another second, before turn to look Efon, who, looked at him back. They were like that for a good few seconds. Finally, Fang shut his eyes and sighed.
“Fine, but I still hate him with my gut.”
“FANG!” yelled Rarity.
“It’s ok Mrs. Rarity,” Efon said glaring at Fang with a smirk. “Believe me, the feeling is mutual…” he said, speaking directly at Fang.
“Rivalry” Camcore broke the tension by whispering his words into the dragon ponies ear, causing him to flinch out of his glare upon Efon.
Fluttershy finished putting away her tent and said, “Yup, ready to go.”
“All packed here!” shouted the lovable Pinkie Pie, her packed tent and camping supplies hoisted on her back.
Chroma sitting aside, packing up all of her things. She looked up to see that the Changeling she loved doing the same, neatly placing his sketch books and pencils away. It still was a bit hard to believe that everything Efon owned was from ponies that had entered that terrifying forest. Then again, others could make the argument that she went into the forest every Saturday to chat with a Changeling from the morning to noon behind her mother’s back.
“A Changeling…” Chroma’s thoughts began, “a creature at which to be thought as a monster. But…Efon isn’t one of them. He’s kind. He’s sweet. He’s charming. He’s…he’s…”
“Chroma are you alright?”
“Huh?!” Chroma shook her head to snap out of her thoughts.
Efon was looking down at her, his things, even the guitar Pandora gave him, on his back in his saddle bag. He looked her with a puzzling face. “You were just staring into space for a second and your face is a nice shade of red. Is everything ok?”
Chroma’s face flushed more, both from embarrassment and for the fact she was thinking about Efon like that. “Oh it’s nothing!” She quickly lifted her saddle bag onto her back. “Just thinking is all.”
“Really? Because you seem a bit…”
“Hey, Efon!”
The orange colt interrupted Efon by jumping out of nowhere, as usual. Chroma quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, sighing in relief.
Efon pounder on the question for a second, trying to find an answer to Camcore’s question. “Well,” he began, “I guess it has to do with my cells.”
“What do you mean?”
“Alright, let’s go!” shouted Rainbow, seeing that everything was packed.
As they began to walk, Efon started to explain to Camcore. “Since I can turn into many creatures, my cells have that natural healing factor that some animals or bugs might have.”
“I see.” Camcore thought for a moment, trying find another question for his Changeling friend. “So, you could turn into anything?”
“Pretty much. As long as that thing isn’t huge. If I turn into to anything too big at my age, it could kill me.”
The adults raised an eyebrow at this as they shared astonished glances.
“Really?” Efon turned to his other side to see that the question was asked by Pandora.
“Yeah. It all has to do with age and the amount of energy a Changeling has. As long as you have enough energy and up to age, a Changeling could turn into a Hydra if they wanted to.”
“Are you serious? A Hydra?!” Camcore excitedly squealed.
As their conversation continued, Chroma watched from afar, smiling.
“They still treat him as if him being a Changeling didn’t matter” This made her very happy, seeing that her friends still like him. “Well, most of them.” She looked behind her to see that Fang was giving her a disapproving grimace. She frowned and lowered her head in thought as she continued walk. “He just need to prove himself to them. If he could do that…” She looked up at her crush, bring another warm smile upon her face. “…then we could be together…”
The dragon pony walks from afar, a foot behind the group of ponies and…and…that thing! His body nearly heated up to the point his mane sets a flame. He huffed to himself as walked slightly off the path to the next camp site.
“I can’t believe this…How can someone like Chroma, the smartest girl I know, could be tricked into falling for a monster?” He glazed at the ‘monster’, chatting with his other friends. The sight of it made him grunt softly. “He has them under a spell, that’s why! The second he makes a move, I GONNA…”
All a sudden a flash of green light surrounded the group, all but Efon, who was ahead of the rest at the moment.
“What the hey?” Efon asked as he turned to see the emerald green glow. “Oh no, everyone move!”
Efon trotted as fast as his Swiss cheese legs could, but it was all for nothing. A blinding green light blocked him from the rest of group, everypony and Changeling covering their eyes from the sight.
As the flashing light subsided and vision had returned, the group open their eyes to see that they were separated form Efon by a giant, green dome.
Rainbow looked around, observing the uneven outline on the outside of the dome. “Wait a sec…” a sudden realization washed over, for she had seen this kind of imprisonment before, “This is a Changeling's cocoon!”
Fang’s mane went up in flames, as his anger had reached its’s peek. “I knew it; I knew we couldn’t trust you!” He pointed a judging claw to the Changeling standing from outside the doom. “I should just have burnt you to a crisp when I had the chance!” Fang furiously banged the dome at the attempted to escape.
“Efon what’s the meaning of this!” Rainbow yelled, giving a hostile look in her eye.
“I had nothing to do with this!” Efon argued back, raising his right hoof and allowing an electrical flow of energy from his horn to run his leg and surround around his raised hoof. “Everyone stand back; I need to get you out of there before…”
Just as Efon was going to smash through the green barrier, a green energy beam was fired towards him. Acting fast, Efon used his winds to fly away from the green beam. The group turned to see what a had shot it. Their eyes moved quick as a black creator jumped from the darkness of the woods and lunged for the airborne Efon.
The creature had two sharp fang, black, hole filled legs, a curved horn and insect wings. It wore a navy blue armored body piece, along with a helmet. The helmet was mad to allow its two, webbed like frills to stick out, as well an open arc the show its face, its eyes glowing a sapphire blue, no pupil. Enveloped in his green, glowing magic was black dagger, which looked like it was made of the same smooth, black chitin that the creature’s body was made of.
“Another Changeling?” questioned Fluttershy, starting to become worried.
“That’s what a normal changeling looks like?!” Chroma exclaimed, shocked how different other changelings look compared to Efon.
“What in the name of parties and cupcakes is going on?!” Pinkie yelled.
As the charging Changeling grew near, Efon quickly shoved off his saddle bag and let it fall to the floor, earning a loud bong noise to be made for the weight of the guitar within the bag colliding with the ground.
“I hope that didn’t break…” he thought to himself.
His thought was cut off as the Changeling grew very close, the dagger now within his hoof, ready to jab it into Efon’s chest. With its sudden trust, the Changeling attempted to attack.
It didn’t go according to plain as Efon side-flown out of the way of the sharp object, rearing back his right forehoof and swung it into the Changeling’s face once it was aligned, send the armored insectoid fly back towards the ground.
As the Changeling hit the ground with a smack, it squealed in pain from the impact that was implanted on its back. It squeal was short heard as a lightning fast frontal hoof stomped right on the black creature’s chest, a whizzing cough leaving its body.
Saying that the action was ‘lightning fast’ was an understatement, for that Efon’s right hoof was literally sparking with tiny specs of light. This left the imprisoned group of ponies to slack jaw as they tried to comprehend, especially Rainbow.
“Huh…I just…what the….HUH?” Rainbow stumbled on her words upon being shocked at what happened. It was for what she saw. In fact, it was more on what she didn’t see which made her jaw drop.
She saw no movement, not an inch. She didn’t even notice a blur from the young Changeling as he collided his hoof into the other sleek black creature’s chest. Realization washed over her as she finally figured it out: either he used a teleportation spell, or…
“He…he…he’s so fast!” Rainbow slouched as she endured this information. “Faster than me…”
Chroma looked at her mother, fearing that this sudden realization would make her dislike Efon even more from the seer fact of jealousy.
“Alright you scum!”
Chroma’s attention was drawn back to Efon, who was look toward the surrounding trees.
“You’ve seen what I could do to just one of you and how easily I took him out!” Efon's had a serious look imprinted itself on to his face with his eyes shut. “I highly suggest that you turn back now before it’s too late. But if you want to me beat your sorry flanks into the ground,” Efon’s eye shot open, show his thinner green, glowing eyes and a wide smirk on his face, “BE MY GUEST!”
Silence washed over the area, as the trapped ponies looked around for more Changelings.
“Uh, Efon!” Camcore shouted, holding up his camera, ready to record more action, “Who are you talking to?”
Suddenly, the sound of rustling leafs bleached out the silence of the forest as a numerous amount of leaped out of the tree tops of the surrounding maple, all wielding sharpened weapons, from throwing stars to chitinous blades.
This only made the devious grin upon Efon’s face increase in size. “They never want to take the easy way out, do they!” he said mockingly.
Electric sparks start to disperse from the tip of his twisted horn, causing waves of energy to spread around his body. The first constricting row of Changeling made the first move, charging with their weapons within a green, magical grip. One made its way to Efon, only to slam the wielded sword into the ground as the young Changeling nimbly moved out of the way and smacking a shocking hoof in the hostile attacker in the face.
The hit was full of force, sent the insectoid hurtling into other approaching Changelings. However, it didn’t others from coming.
As the circle of monster tighten around Efon. On another weapon was swung towards him, allowing to dodge it and shooting an electric blast at the attacker and kicking another attacker from behind.
The imprisoned group watched, their jaws still hang by a thread, awestruck from what they were witnessing.
“He’s good!” Pandora exclaimed, watching Efon as he stopped an attempted kick from a Changeling and tossed him to another.
“Really good!” Camcore added, his eyes shimmering with joy. “This is just little an epic fight from an anime! This is going on the list!”
“Stop with the stupid list!”
“This is simple unbelievable! Remarkable even!” Rarity glanced at her son, seeing that he was still trying to shatter the dome, his attempts failing with each strike. “His powers are comparable to...”
“RWWWRAAAW!” Rarity’s thought was interrupted from the sound of Efon yelling as a burst of electricity prolonged from his body, pushing back many of the hostile beings.
Efon breathed heavily, panting as he abruptly had to swing a hoof at another attacking Changeling, finding it hard to put enough force into the punch to knock it out.
“Somethings wrong…” Chroma said as she witnessed Efon shocking another one of his kind.
“Huh?” Camcore said as he turned to his Rainbow maned friend, a worried look on his face. “What do you mean?”
“Gah!”
Camcore turned his attention back to Efon finding that he was now the one being rough-housed by the attacking Changelings. Efon was now on the defenses as he tried his best to dodge attacks rather than countering them, feeling his body grow weaker.
“Wait, what happened?! Just seconds ago he was whipping flank, but now he’s the one being pushed around! What’s going on?!” Pandora questioned.
“His energy.”
The groups attention was thrown to Fang, who was still trying to escape the dome by smash hooves against it.
“His energy? What do you mean darling?” his mother asked.
Fang threw a final swing at the chrysalis dome, taking deep breathes as he final gave up. “If what Efon said about how Changelings get love energy, and that he takes the very minimum from us, along with him using most of it to heal that scar of he had gotten from saving Chroma yesterday…” Fang placed his claw back onto the ground, back on all fours. “Then he had very little time to regain that energy back. And on top of that, I believe this dome is blocking any of our love energy to past through to him.”
A loud grunt from Efon alerted them, causing them to turn back to the fight. They turned to see Efon being tossed around with attacks from one Changeling to another. He found it hard to keep his balance and with an uppercut from one of his kind, Efon was forced to stand straight up on his hind hooves, walking back from the whiplash of the attack. He was then grabbed by two other Changelings by his fore hooves, holding him in that position for something.
Efon tried his best wiggle out of their grip as he shouted, “Get your dirty hoofs off of…”
*Slash*
He turned his face to the sound, though his was too late to catch what it was at the moment. Chroma’s eyes widen and began to swell up at the sight. Fluttershy did the same, putting a hoof on her muzzle. Rarity nearly hit the ground from fainting, right before Fang stopped her falling and resting her onto the ground. Pinkie’s and Camcore’s mane deflated into a droopy mane style. The rest were wide eyed, in shock and horror at what they’ve just witnessed.
Efon’s chest was pierced by a long, sharp blade, it’s handle completely halted at his chest, the blade sticking out of his back. A magical aura was surrounding the handle, its owner not to be seen.
Chroma finally broke a tear as she seen her love cough up a blob of teal fluid from his mouth.
“EFY!” she cried out loud.
“You dirty monsters!” Rainbow shouted, slamming a hoof into the chrysalis dome, anger stitching onto her face. “How can you do that to one of your kind?!”
“Well, it’s very simple, Rainbow Dash.”
An echo like voice was heard from the crowd of Changelings. They moved over to one side as a very different looking Changeling made his way to confront Efon. He looked like most of the other Changelings, though, with many differences. For one, he was a bit taller than the rest and wore different colored armor; it having a light grey color on the rim of the very black tone of his chest piece. He had no helmet, thus showing the biggest difference between him and the rest. A mane. However, unlike Efon’s teal, cobweb like mane, his was the same black as his chitinous body and was very rough looking, with it being disheveled and out of placed.
He made his way to the younger Changeling, a devious grin printed on his face. “You see Rainbow,” he said as his magic pulled back the sword from Efon, causing groans of pain leaving his mouth. “All you need to do is take the sword and shove it into the victim’s chest like this!” he howled with a smile as he forcefully drove the sword into Efon’s chest. “Don’t you guys know how torture works?!”
A shriek of pain echoed through the woods, the scream of agony rippling through the group’s ears.
Rainbow slammed her hoof against the chrysalis again, this time with more and even more anger. “STOP IT!”
The Changeling walked up to the chrysalis as she spoke. “Oh! And what are you going to do to make? You’re trapped in there and without the rest of the elements here, you guys won’t be able to do that super pony thing you guys do to escape.” A satisfying printed on his face as he seen the look on Rainbow’s face, knowing that he was right. “So why don’t you just sit there as I deal with our little ‘friend’ over here.”
Rainbow grinned her teeth as she and her friends couldn’t do anything but watch the upcoming event and something told them that they weren’t going to be pretty.
The Changeling went back to face Efon’s face, lifting his face up so he could make eye contact with the deeply gasping, little Changeling.
Efon responded, but not with words. Instead, he puckered up his lips and let a good amount of his saliva, mix with a bit of his blood, onto the elder Changeling face, nearly getting into his eye.
The Changeling brush a hoof over his face, wiping away the spit from his cheek. But with quick motion, he swung the same hoof and smacked Efon right across the face, reserving gasp from the group of ponies and some from the other Changelings, being that some of them were new recruits.
“Tell me Efon how did that feel?” smile the insectoid.
“Why don’t you go buck yourself, Cos?!” Efon growled, only to feel the sword dig deeper into his chest and letting out another painful grunt, tiny droplets of blood flying out of his mouth.
“Now Efon, you should be using those kind of slurs around your ‘friends’. I though you taught yourself better than that!”
Efon grew tired of waiting and growled, “What do you want with me?!”
The smile grew on Cos’s face grew to almost Pinkie’s level. “I’m so glad you asked my little ling, cause this time!”
Cos used his magic to forcefully pull the sword from Efon’ s chest completely, hearing another auditable pain filled grunt from the little Changeling. “You see Efon, I would normally be here to ask you the same question I always come to ask you: Do you want to join your brothers and sisters back at the hive?”
Cos started to walk circles around Efon, hearing the satisfying sounds of the littler ling desperately gasping for air.
“And usually Efon, it always ends up the same way: You fighting me and whatever recruits I have brought with me, and leaves me, and I’ll admit, running back to the hive broken and damaged. But this time Efon, you made one fatal flaw.”
He raised a hoof as it glowed in a green flame. Within seconds his hoof was replaced with claws and in a single movement, he snapped two of his fingers. With that, he two Changeling hold onto Efon, turned him around to face the chrysalis dome that held his friends’ captive.
“You thought it was a good idea to dedicate your life to spending time with this little filly right here.” Cos pointed his talon to Chroma, who was still sobbing away at the pain they were causing Efon. “And you’re doing it because you believe she’s your friend!”
Efon’s eyes widen as a hatefully frown appeared on his face. “She is my friend, and if you dare lay a hoof on her, I’m gonna…!”
Efon’s squirming around and shouting was stopped by Cos’s blade penetrating him again, grunting in pain once more.
“*Nit**Nit**Nit* Efon you got this all mixed up. Changelings and Ponies can’t be friends.” Cos shook his head, ashamed of Efon’s beliefs. “They could only be enemies, and hanging around with our enemies in your normal form is treason in Changeling law.” A devious grin appeared on his face again, as he used his magic to pull the sword out again.
He walked up to Efon again, staring at the broken boy. “And by order of the Queen, we can’t let these actions go without responding to them accordingly.”
He placed his blade in talon and raised it into the sky.
Chroma’s widen at the sight, knowing what was going to happen, though she wished it wasn’t. “N-no…please…DON’T DO IT!” she yelled, shutting her eyes as a stream of tears flowed from her eye.
Rainbow flown back a little and then dashed right into the chrysalis dome, trying to her hardest to break the through with all her might. “STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!”
“I can’t watch this…” Fluttershy coward under her hoof, feeling utterly awful that her fear was getting to the best of her again, stopping her from helping in anyway.
“Come on, Efon! Don’t let them do this to you!” Camcore yelled, trying his best to encourage his friend to get free, finding hard to do so when his eyes started to water.
Pandora, on the other hoof, was shooting bazar magical beams at the dome from her kudu horn and antler, trying to break the dome with Rainbow, and now, Pinkie, who was shooting wave after wave of confetti from her party cannon. “Come on, work! Work!” she shouted at herself. “My sweet Fang, I know you don’t like Efon, but please hel…” She turned he head to find that Fang was no longer behind them, completely gone. “What the….”
“Oh what a shame it is too, Efon” Cos said, rearing the sword higher into the sky, his eye focused on the Changeling’s head blow his stretcher.
“You’ve would have made a great Changeling. But like all great things, they all come to an end.”
Chroma opened her eyes, seeing that he was ready to swing, she cried out, her tears leaking from her eye sockets. “NO, EFY!”
“Say good night Efo…AHH!”
Cos groaned, as something squashed his face in. Efon was shocked, to say the very least, as he saw who had just saved his life. He looked up to see a clenched clawed hoof, engulfed in a blue flame, and smacking right into Cos’s face.
“Sorry, but…” Fang opened his mouth to shot a powerful fire blast towards Cos, sending him fly right into a nearby tree. “The only one that is going to end Efon is me, and I can’t do that if guys do it first.”
Camcore grin grew to a new, excited expression. ""YEAH! Rivalry Save!"
Efon took this as an opportunity to act. He quickly rammed his elbow into the face of the unsuspecting Changeling on the right, knocking him unconscious. Then he swung one of his hind hooves in between the other Changeling’s hind legs, causing it to receding its front hooves to try and comfort his hurting privates.
Efon couldn’t celebrate just yet though, seeing that he and Fang were being surrounded by the other Changelings.
“So Fang, you decided to stop holding back now?” Efon huffed, jokingly asked, preparing for what was about to come, regaining his strength from the stray love energy from his dragon pony rival.
“You knew that I was from the beginning, huh?” Fang asked in response, slowly backing up into Efon as the Changeling’s circle around them grew smaller. “Really thought I was making myself look like a push over at school.”
“Are you kidding? I knew the second I stopped you from burning down the bakery!” Efon said with a grin. “There was no way those punks at your school really got under your skin!”
“ARG! Little bastards!” growled Cos as he struggled to pick himself up, a face of rage shown by the grinning of his teeth. “Changelings! ATTACK!”
“Are you ready to squash some insects, Fang?”
“The real question is ‘are you?’”
The two boys looked back at each other, giving one another a sly grin. And with that, they charged into attacking insectoids.
“What the hey?! How did Fang get out?” Rainbow Dash asked, her face squished against the chrysalis, enjoy the entertainment.
“Cloning magic, darling…” The wakening voice of Rarity caused everyone to look back, seeing Rarity rub her head.
“Rarity are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, flying over to aid her into standing back on her hoofs again. “You lost conscious for a few minutes.”
“Yes, I’m fine dear, it’s just that I’m not used to seeing a someone hurt in such away as Efon was.” Rarity’s eye fixed onto Efon and her son, so many questions running through her head.
“What do you mean by cloning magic, Rars?” Rainbow asked, as she didn’t know a magic like that even existed.
Rarity had to think about, for herself didn’t know that much about it. “We’ll from what Fang’s teacher told me, it makes a copy of one’s self, used to fool one to think it was them. However, it only last a certain amount of time.”
“So the real Fang moved out of the green light and left a clone!” Camcore said in excitement, “That way, he could be ready to help out Efon when things got out of hand! This is seriously turning into an anime!”
“Hah! So that’s who you did it Fang!” Efon pronounced as he tossed a Changeling into a small group of them and then shocked them with his lightning magic. “You little sneaky sly snake, you.”
“RAH!” roared the fire breathing pony as he let out a huge stream of fire from his muzzle, catching a bunch of insectoids in its current.
“Humph…Did you really think that I was going to let your kind trap me? I was trained to be on guard at any given time! HAAA!”
Fang punched another shift-shaper into an incoming attacker, and set them a flame as they flew passed Efon, who was dodging a swing sword and countering it with a forceful kick to swordsmen’s side.
“We’ll props to your instructor!” Efon said, flying into the air to cause a set of Changelings to bump into one another and then shooting a lightning bolt into them.
Cos watched from a far, seeing his men as they failed to land hits on the two. “Damn it! How are they both so good at combat! Efon is one thing, but I didn’t expect that dragon pony to trick us the way he did!” Cos knew he had to stop them. He didn’t know he was going to need bring more than one-hundred Changeling knights! “I have to put a stop this to a stop, and quickly!”
Cos’s glance over to the trapped ponies, watching the action.
“Wait…” Cos thought, “Trapped. Those guys…”
A devious grin spread across his face.
“…Are trapped in my cocoon! Which means I could…”
His horn glowed a very ominous green.
“…Do this!”
In almost an instant, the cocoon that kept the rest of the group captive, glowed blinding green.
“What the hay?!” Rainbow shouted, covering her eyes with a hoof to block the brightness.
Fluttershy, copying Rainbows action, along with the rest of the group, asked “What’s happening?!”
Seemingly out of the blue, the chrysalis dome was suddenly engulfed by a searing chartreuse flame. The sound of the fire starting grabbed the battling boys’ attention.
“Oh no…” was the only thing to leave from Efon’s mouth when he seen the sight.
“‘Oh no’ is right my dearest Efon!”
Efon looked down to the chuckling Changeling down below. “You…You jerk!” he growled towards Cos.
Cos let out one more little chuckle before specking. “All right, this is what’s going to happen…” he said, his horn glowing bright. His spell caused the dome’s circumference to slowly shrink.
Noticing this, the group of ponies within where forced to step back. Rainbow, along with the rest of the adults, moved their kids behind them, trying to keep them safe from the burning heat of the flames.
“I’m willing to make a little deal with you, Efon…” Cos spoke, “I will let your so called ‘friends’ go, in exchange for your life. But if you refuse…” Cos’s magic grew stronger has increase the speed of compressing dome, “You’ll watch them burn alive!”
Efon gritted his teeth in though, gazing over to the dome, close to engulfing his friends.
“Come on Efon, what’s your chose? I’ll even let your dragon friend leave as well, free of charge!” Cos smiled as he waited for an answer, “Their lives, for yours.”
“I’ll tell you what going to happen!” Fang suddenly shouted, “We’re going to rip you apart, limb by limb before…”
“Fang, shut up!”
Fang was slightly startled at the growling voice of Efon. He looked up as fighting partner in the sky, his head hanging low and his eyes shut. A frown upon his face.
Efon didn’t have a chose in the matter. He sighted deeply as he descended from the air, his wings buzzing as he planted his hooves on the ground. He reopened his eyes but kept his head hanging low. “Fine. You win.”
Chroma gasped she heard his answer. “No…”
“Perfect! Boys, surround him to make sure he doesn’t try anything funny!” Cos commanded his remaining men.
Efon watched as he completely closed from all angles by the group of insectoids. “Release them. Now!” he spoke to Cos.
“Certainly, Efon. I’m a Changeling of my word.” Cos horn flickered as the dome dispersed, setting the hostages free.
Once it was gone, Chroma attempted to run towards Efon.
“EFY!” she yelled.
“No Chroma!” Rainbow quickly grabbed her daughter, pulling her daughter back.
“Mom we got to do something to help him!” Chroma protested, trying to free herself from her mother’s grasp.
“I know but…” Rainbow looked at the Cos, picking up a stray blade from one of the fallen Changeling off the ground, walking towards Efon and the other surrounding Changelings. “I just don’t know we could…”
“Hehe! Looks like you finally win Cos.”
The sudden chuckle from Efon was very unexpected, to say the least. “All those times fighting you, me coming out on top all those times. And here we are. The final fight between us and your men coming to an end, you finally winning. You must be proud for yourself, huh?”
Cos, as he final stopped right in front of the young boy. “I have to admit; I was one hell of a story. Almost sad that it’s all coming to an end. But like I said before, all good things come to an end.” Cos raised the dagger up to Efon’s neck, ready stab it into the boy. “However, before it ends, I must ask; do you have any final words?”
A smirk appeared on Efon’s face, a smirk that told Fang he was planning on something.
“Yes, a question actually!” Efon simple said, looking up at the older Changeling in the eye. “Have you ever seen a hoof turn into a blade before?”
In an instant, Efon swung his right hoof, which was engulfed in a green flame, quickly changing its form into sharp blade, knocking the dagger out of Cos’s magical grip.
“What the…Ahh!” Cos couldn’t get his last words out before Efon swung his blade-hoof back to the top of his head.
The group of ponies gasped as they seen Efon’s hoof easily slashed right through Cos’s horn, cutting it completely off. Even Fang was surprised by the action, the thought that Changeling horn were the same as a Unicorn’s horn: almost impossible to be damaged, at the very least to be slightly scrapped.
The remaining Changeling were shocked at the sight, backing away from the young ling. Thoughts ran through they’re head as they questioned the transformation on his hoof. How can this boy’s hoof turn into a freakn’ sword?
Cos was stunned, only let out small grunts of pain as his brain tried to register it all. It wasn’t long before he was caught by Efon’s magic, surrounding and squeezing around his neck as he was tossed. He groaned as he felt the back of his head hit into a tree. That pain, however, was quickly subsided as a different pain grew.
A sound similar to shattering glass echo through the area, followed by a long, breathless yelp of pain. Eyes widen from both the group of ponies, and the remaining insectoids. Efon’s hoof-blade successfully broke through the armor chest plate of the Changeling in front of him, going straight through Cos’s chitin until it passed his body completely and meeting the tree behind his, the edge of the slightly sticking into the bark. The Changelings jaw dropped, a very sign of fear imprinted on they’re faces.
“H-he…!” one nervously began to speck, “He pierced right through royal knight steel armor!?”
They released they’re weapons from the magic that held them, letting them clang when they impacted the ground.
“What the hell is with that kid?!” Another Changeling, shacking in fear for his life, not wanting to have the same thing happen to him.
“This isn’t worth that paycheck!”
“Let out of here!”
The Changeling’s collectively turned ran in the wood in separate directions.
“RETREAT!”
Within seconds, the area was clear of all Changelings, all but two.
Efon heavily breath, realizing that turning hooves into swords and possible other object took a lot out of him. He wearily glanced up at Cos, still in shock from the event. The area around him grew quiet, with the exception of the heavy breathing.
“I…” Cos spoke lowly, breaking the silence, “I…don’t understand…Efon…” He looked down his chest, seeing the turquoise fluid leaking out from his armor and watched it as it slowly ran down his length. “W-we gave you so many chances…”
“Chances?” Chroma quietly question, not understanding the whole situation.
“You’ve could of…been one of us…could have been the Changeling you were meant to be…you wouldn’t have been alone anymore…” Cos started to breath more deeply, felling his energy slow draining. He assumed that the lack of his horn was the cause of the sudden energy drop “But here you are…hang around with ponies…all because of some stupid girAAHH!”
Cos gasp another sound of agony as Efon shoved his hoof deeper into his chest, causing his injury to leak out more blood.
“Don’t you DARE call her stupid, you worthless pile of trash!” Efon growled, his pupils thinning as he bared his teeth. After a few deep breaths, he spoke again. “Do you really believe that I would ever want to be one of you?! A monster that goes around, disguising yourself as someone’s loved one and drain them of their energy and then leaving them weakened!”
Cos didn’t answer. A wave of silence washed over the area again.
“That’s not the life I want to live…” Efon breathed deeply, “It doesn’t matter that we strive on it, stealing love energy through dissipation is wrong!”
Cos stayed quiet, not even trying to speck anymore.
“Now, if you bother me like this ever again…” Efon raised his other forehoof up into the air. It was set upon a green flame as its form took one similar to a mallet. “I’ll mount your head on the wall of my cave!” he growled, “Do I make myself clear to you?!”
Cos had a hunch as to what was going to happen next, and with his energy nearly drained, he found that it was easier to just accepted defeat…again. He gave a slow and exhausted nod to answer the young ling’s requests.
“Good…”
With that, Efon swung his mallet like hoof and forcefully brought it to the top of Cos’s head, striking it with what little energy he had left. Cos’s eyes wide but instantly close as his fell into unconsciousness.
It was done. With the other Changeling gone due to fear and the leader now knocked out, the fight was over. Efon slide his blade from Cos’s chest, transforming both his front hoofs back into actual hoofs, one completely covered in the greenish-blue fluid known as Changing blood.
Some of them had the look of concerned. Some were terrified. Even Fang was having a hard time to find his voice. They were all filled with a bit of discomfort.
All but one.
“That was AWSOME!” Camcore could barely contain himself from yelling at the top of his lungs as he shattered the silence, his body complete filled with adrenaline. “I am so pumped up from just watching that! First Efon was like BANG! And then he threw a POW!” Camcore’s body to start acting on his own, as he began to throw his hoof in the air, making fighting gestures. “And then he was weakened and almost didn’t make it, but then Fang showed up and was like ‘That was a fake me the entire time!’” And then he jumped into the fight and teamed up with Efon! AndthenthereweresomanyawsomequotesandsomanyclichésandAHHH!” He pauses as he let out small yelp of excitement.
“That was just so cool, Efon!.........Efon?”
Efon’s body wobbled as his eyes were starting to blur, rolling up in they’re sockets. His drifted to the right as it began to fall.
“Efy?!” Chroma shouted, her shocked expression turning into one of concern, running to catch his fall.
However, Fang beat her to the punch as he swiftly moved to catch Efon with one of his dragon wings. Quickly resting the Changeling on his lap and ignoring that his scaly fur was going to be stained by the bodily fluid, Fang put two of his fingers upon his neck.
With a surprising sigh of relief Fang spoke. “He’s fine.”
After making it to Efon’s side, Chroma smiled, looking down upon the Changeling, ecstatic that he was ok.
“However, his pulse is very slow…” the dragon pony said as he lifted Efon up, gently laying him on his back. Efon’s legs dangled on either side of Fang, his body’s energy almost completely gone from the changing of his hoofs and all the lighting he was firing from his twisted horn.
Fang looked up in the sky, seeing that was a little ways passed noon. “Come on, we should get going. I believe there’s a small cave up ahead if we keep going straight this way,” he said, slowly starting to walk with the drained changeling. “Do you mind if you carry are bags for us?”
Pandora’s ear twitched at the question coming from his voice, snapping her out of her trance, all with the adults. She beamed as she said, “Of course Fang my love! I would do anything for my sweet!” With that, Pandora levitated both Fang’s and Efon’s saddle bag; it’s hard to believe she would go back to her usual self from a simple request from her so called ‘loved one’.
“Hey, hold up!” Camcore said as he made his way to the rest of the leaving kids. “Fang that was cool what you did back there! I’m so glad that I captured that on my camera!”
“WHAT? I didn’t see you pull your camera out that whole time! How did you record that?!” Pandora yelled in annoyance.
“Well, I always have my camera stuffed in my mane and recording when super exciting thigs happen!”
“YOU ARE SUCH A NUISANCE!”
The adults were soon following their children as they all made their way through the forest.
“Girls…” Rainbow announced to the other adults.
“Y-yes?” the rest simultaneously said, a shocked expression still on their face.
“What was that?” Rainbow simply asked.
“I don’t know…” the rest answered in unison.
As they continued to trot in complete thought behind they’re kids, Fang began to have thoughts of his own.
“So Efon, you’re not the kind of Changeling I took you for…” he said to himself, “You risked your life, just to save everyone’s life…” Fang looked passed his shoulder to look at Efon’s unconscious body. “And your powers, your strength, your speed…” A small grin appeared on his face. “They’re just like mine: overpowered for your age.” His serious expression returned has the group neared the small cave. “I wonder if there is a connection or it’s just a coincidence…”
Efon’s body moved in discomfort.
“N-no…” he softly spoke
He shifted from side to side.
“Oh gosh, please…don’t go…”
He moves franticly under the blanket on top. Efon’s body quickly shot up as he final opened his eye.
“Don’t leave me, Chroma!”
Efon took in deep breathes, trying to get a hold of himself. Once calmed down, he looked around, trying to find out where he was.
The one the closest to him was Chroma, sleeping peacefully in her sleeping page, decorated with white, puffy clouds, connected by rainbows. Efon’s glance was drawn to a med kit, sitting next to the white filly, with the words ‘Property of Fang’ written on it. He then quickly looked down his body to see that his barrel was covered with medical bandaging. Finally, he looked towards the dragon pony who, unlike the others, was sitting up against the wall as he slept.
There was so many things on Efon’s mind right now. Taking a deep breath, he got up and made his way passed the entrance of the cave. However, he didn’t realize that he unintentionally woke someone else up.
After a few minutes of walking, Efon found himself stopping by a flowing river, which lead to a water fall. He quickly dunked his head into the stream, wetting his face to clear his mind. He sat down once he shook his head dry of the cool liquid. Sitting in silence, he watched the water rushing by, thing.
“Efon…”
The Changeling flinched at the sound of the voice. He turned to see Chroma standing behind him, rubbing one of her eyes to get rid of her drowsiness.
“Chroma? What are you doing up?” Efon questioned, wondering why she left the cave.
Yawning, Chroma answered, “I heard you get up and saw that you left the cave.”
“Oh, I’m sorry for waking you.” Efon watched as Chroma walked up and sat right next to him.
“It’s ok, I wanted to know what you were doing.”
“Oh…” Efon said, “Well, other than getting over a nightmare that involved you no longer being my friends after tonight’s events, I guess I just stepped out to think.”
Chroma grew curious almost as much as the blush on her. She didn’t know she was so important to him that he would have nightmares about her leaving his side, which she would never do. “Thinking about what?” she asked.
Efon leaned back, letting his front hooves support him as he gazed into the night sky. “I guess about life. Where it is now and how it could end up.”
“Oh…” Chroma softly said, copying Efon and looking up at the stars.
“Hmm, Luna’s moon is very beautiful tonight, isn’t it?”
They sat there for a while, starting up at the night sky.
“Though, it isn’t anything compared to you,” Efon said as he took a quick glance to see Chroma’s cheeks turn a small shade of pink, “But still good enough to admire.”
Even though she did agree that the star and moonlight were a pretty sight to see, there was something on Chroma’s mind, something that was really bugging her.
“Efy?”
Efon turned to look down to the filly. “Yeah?”
“There’s…something I need to ask you…” Chroma said, frown appearing on her face.
Efon was worried by her mood change, but kept the conversation going. “Go ahead…”
Chroma winched a bit, wondering if she should say. “It’s about what you said the other night…”
The insectoid flinched that the sound of those words. He was really hoping the subject of that night wouldn’t be brought up again.
Chroma continued to speak. “You said…some things…things I can’t help but wonder about…” She paused, trying to see how to approach the situation she put herself in. “Is it true that you were…you were…”
“Going to kill myself?” Efon finished for her.
“Yeah…” Chroma said, feeling as if she was assaulting Efon with the question. “That…”
Efon took a deep breath. “Yes…” he said, looking down into the rushing water once again. “And I’m guessing you want to know why, right?”
As much as she wanted to know why, she felt it would only make Efon feel bad, and she said “No, you don’t have to if you don’t wa…”
“No. You of all deserve to know. You are my friend, and if you want to know about the old me, then I’ll tell you.”
“Oh yeah…he knows when someone is lying…” Chroma remembered.
Efon’s glanced up at the sky again, wondering how to start this conversation. “One thing you need to know about me Chroma is that before I met you, I was a very different Changeling.”
Chroma was a bit puzzled at the statement. “What do you mean?” she asked.
A serious tone was brought upon Efon’s face. “I lied when I said it was easy to live in the Everfree. Each day was a living hell. I was never really happy back then. Sure, drawing, singing and dance brought me some joy, but eventually, sadness from all the torment of the forest creatures and struggle for survival easily trumped that joy. And because of that, I was more ruthless back then. What I did today with the Changelings was nothing compared to what I use to do.”
Chroma was put at a little bit of this comfort from that last sentence. What exactly did he mean by ‘more ruthless’?
“Beside all that…” Efon continued, looking back down to the water. “I think that really caused me to almost take my life was the loneliness.”
He shut his eyes, a single tear flowing from underneath his eyelids. “I was hated. Hated among every other living being in the forest, just because of what I was. Even my own kind didn’t want me at first” He sighed deeply.
“The only ones that had some reason for me were the Twittermites, but that was only because I gave them some of my electric energy in trade for some fake love from them.”
Chroma was a bit intrigued to hear this. She wondered how he fed himself, thinking that he only ate sweet tasting fruits. But the term ‘fake’ made her think that it wasn’t very filling for a Changeling.
“Whenever I saved a pony, I was seen nothing more than just another monster by most of them, wanting the pray for himself. Eventually, the hate and neglect piled up inside to the point where it broke my spirit, losing faith in anything…”
Efon took placed a hoof on his face, trying to cover up his tears. “It hurt, and I wanted the pain to stop! And I thought there was only one way to stop it!”
Chroma’s eyes quickly became watery, listening to his suffering was pulling all kinds of emotion within her. She was so upset at the things that had caused Efon to feel like this.
“There was only one way, at the time, to stop it. I was sitting there, dagger in my hoof, ready to end my miserable life…” Efon sighed deeply, using one of his hooves to wipe his tears away. But then, much to Chroma’s surprise, a smile appeared on his scared muzzle. “But then, right before I was about to end it all, I heard the cry of an angle. An angle that need to be saved.”
Efon turned to meet Chroma’s face, a tint of red forming on her cheeks. “And once I saved her, the way I saw life was completely changed. And when me and that angle became friends…” Efon’s right wing extended and pull Chroma in to his embrace, Chroma’s face growing more red. “I finally felt what it means to be happy.”
Efon felt that thump in his chest as he looked at her. Those glasses really did make her look beautiful, especially in the moonlight. However, Efon wasn’t done talking. It was he’s turn to ask a question.
A smug grin appeared on his face. “Thought, I can’t help but wonder, from what that angle said last night: Does she want to be more than just ‘friends’ with the suicidal monster?”
Chroma’s cheeks flushed furiously. They were redder than any apple grown on aunt Applejack’s farm could ever be.
“I…ah…” was all that came out of the little filly’s mouth for the moment. “You see…um…”
“Chroma, there’s no point in trying to hiding it, I’m a Changeling, remember?” Efon couldn’t help but smile at how much she was blushing. However, there was something important that he needed to ask her first before he goes through with what he had planned.
“Chroma?”
The sudden change in voice grabbed Chroma’s attention, although, didn’t remove her blush.
“Y-yes?”
“I need to know something before I make up my mind…”
Efon took a deep breath and looked down at the water, wiping away the last bit of tears on his face.
“Do you believe that a being without a heart, someone like me, can love?”
The question was a bit more surprising to Chroma, to say the very least. She really didn’t know what to say. She was afraid that her emotions were going to get in the way of her answer. So instead of answer with a yes or no, she was going to answer in a different way.
“Efon…” she began. “There is no way that you can’t love. What you did today proves it.”
Efon’s ear flickered at that statement. “Beating up a bunch of Changelings and stabbing one in the chest with my new found ability proves that I could feel love?” he asked.
“No, not about that. About what you were willing to do,” Chroma said, peering down at the water. “We were trapped, about to be burned alive, and even though you knew you could have easily taken Cos out right there and then, you didn’t take the risk. Instead, you were willing to give up your live just for all of ours.”
Chroma struggled not to let tears build up from the thoughts of what could have happened. “That shows that you care. Not just for me, but for everyone else I cherish in my life, even Fang. And caring is a form of love.”
Efon’ ears twitched again. “She’s right…” he thought to himself, “According to my Changeling knowledge on love, caring for others is a form of affection…Why didn’t I notice that before?”
“So to answer your question…” Efon was snapped out of thought from the white filly’s voice. “You are one of the most loving beings I know.”
Efon turned he’s gaze to her, looking into baby blue eyes. That strange thumping in his chest told him exactly what to do next.
“Thank you Chroma, not only have you made my life worth living, but you also showed that you don’t need a heart to love.” He placed a hoof on her left cheek, feeling it heat up as he touched it.
“And now that is out of the way, I could finally say this…” He brought his hoof farther back behind her head, letting it run through her soft mane. Chroma looked into his emerald green eyes shimmering in the moon light.
“I love you, Chroma…”
It was at this point were Chroma’s heart was set a flame. Her blush was noticeable for miles away.
“Efy…” That was the only thing she could say before Efon brought his face close to hers.
Efon closed his eyes and pushed his lips onto Chroma’s, kissing someone for the first time of his life. Chroma’s eyes slowly shut, letting the feeling of Efon’s embrace take her over. The feeling was incredible for the both of them.
Chroma’s heart was beating so fast that it could of exploded right out of her chest. She felt so much joy, her tiny wings rapidly beat against her back as they flapped furiously. It felt so good to be kissing Efon, it was gentle and calming. Efon felt the same way. Chroma’s affection for him was so powerful and so different from everyone else’s. It tastes so much better, making his stomach feel so warm inside. However, his body was doing something it never done before. It wasn’t using her love to just gain energy. But also, it was pouring an unknowingly force of love back to Chroma, as the thumping in his chest was beating rapidly.
“It’s true…” he thought, “I really can love…Love her…” He pushed a bit hard into the kiss while bring her head closer to his with his wing genially pushing her closer to him. “And I will…I’ll love her for the rest of my life!”
The two stayed like that for a few more seconds, hoping that it wouldn’t end. Unfortunately, the lack of air got to them. They both broke the kiss at the same time, taking deep breathes. The open their eyes until they were half way open, looking at each other with a cheeky smile.
“Wow…” Efon exhale.
“Wow…” Chroma repeating him.
“That was…”
“Our first kiss…”
The embraced each other in a warm hug, Chroma snuggling under Efon’s head and closing her eyes. Efon stroked her silky mane, unable to stop. They enjoyed the sound of the moving water as they sat in silence, not noticing a cyan mare sitting on top of a cloud in the distance behind them.
Rainbow Dash had a small grin appear on her face. “Hmp, what do ya’ know? A Changeling is able to make my girl happy, truly happy.” She sat there, looking at the new couple, a couple that contained her daughter and a Changeling, and she wasn’t upset about it. “I was wrong about you Efon, you’re not the monster I took you for.” A sudden frown found its way onto her face as a thought came to mind. “What would the others back at home think of this? HOW WOULD SOARIN REACT TO THIS!?” Another realization washed over her. “OH MY GOSH, HOW WILL HE REACT!?”
“I love, Efy…”
Rainbow’s train of thought ended once her daughter’s voice hit her ear. Looking down, he saw them looking into each other’s eyes again.
“I love you too, my little dove…” Efon said, rubbing his muzzle against Chroma’s, hugging her tightly
She took off back to the cave, hearing the hoof steps of the Changeling and her daughter doing the same. Again, a joyful smile appearing on her face. “Guess it’s a sacrifice even the coolest of use have to make. Especially if it’s for the equally awesome feeling of real happiness…”
Somewhere deep in the woods that was on the path to Winsome Falls, laid the bodies of the unconscious bodies of insectoids, one with a different appearance as the others leaning against the bark of the tree. The area around the shift-shapers was quite, left so after the events that caused them to be out of it. They weren’t expecting the young ling that was part of their objective to be so challenging. Well, almost all of them didn’t know what they were getting into.
The deafening sound of silence was trumped by the sudden sound of rustling bushes. Soon after, two figure popped out, entering the scene.
“They’re here,” said an echo like, feminine voice.
The voice belonged to a Changeling, a Changeling that looked different compared to the unconscious one on the ground. It had magenta, vibrant eyes, still having the no pupils like the others. Her eyes easily matched he beetle like shell and wings. And like her comrade at the base of the tree, she had a mane. But unlike his, which was just the same color of his chitin, hers branched off from the black of her chitin and bared the same color of her eyes, not changing the chitin smooth texture though. It was a short style of hair, it barely making it to her shoulder, and had an edgy bang, covering half of her left eye. She was wielding long, magic staff with a sharp tip within her pink magic aura.
“Yes,” said another, deep but calming voice, “They are. I’ll start gathering the unconscious. You deal with you know-who-over there.
This second voice came from yet another changeling. He wore a cloak of white, that covered in in weird black symbols. He too had a chitinous mane, one that was very spiky, sitting only on top of his head. His eyes were the color of grey, clouded on the inside. He moved to the bodies of the fallen, using his magic to levitate and pile them up, leaving the female Changeling to tend to the one against the three.
“Cos, wake up.” As she neared the seemingly knocked out Changeling, he held a serious tone in both her voice and face. “Cos, I’m not playing! I had a horrible day!” Growing impatient, she drew her staff directly to the neck of Cos, stopping right before making contact with his chitin.
“GOD DAMN IT COS IS YOU DON’T STOP FUCKING WITH ME I’M GONNA… ”
“Geez Shell, calm yourself before you wreck yourself. Wait, that already happened!”
Suddenly, the insectoid’s body, which was being assaulted by a spear at the moment, engulfed its self in a green flame. As it disappeared, it left a different looking Cos. His mane was at least three times as disheveled as it was before, tough lolling out from between his muzzle, and eyes crossed and having different colored eyes, a scarlet replacing the light blue before. With toothy, open smile, he quickly grabbed hold of the staffs tip and flipped his body upward, balancing himself on the weapon’s edge.
“Yelling like that could break that voice of yours, and you know you need that to make does sweet noises! Hahahahahahah!” Cos crackled, laughing manically with a change in his previous voice, being scratchier and at a higher pitch.
Shell groaned, pulling her staff back fast enough to cause Cos to land face first into the ground. However, Cos’s reaction showed no signs of being hurt, instead, sitting up on his flank and letting out another crackling chuckle.
“Oh man you will never change, you angry dike! Much like our little ‘friend!’”
Shell pointed her staff back to the crazy Changeling again from frustration. “I’m not in the mood for your bullshit, Cos! You know what I’ve been through today! Now give me your report on our little ‘friend,’ or I’ll rip off your ears and shove them down your throat!”
Letting out his final chuckles, Cos spoke. “W-well, first of all, Blindy’s vision turned out to be true, mosquito boy is hanging with ponies. And let’s just say he has been hanging with one in particular. And it’s a filly!”
Shell lowered staff, laying it on her shoulder, sighing at this news. “Well Sting,” she said, turning to the other maned Changeling, “What else did your vision say is going down today?”
Sting finish putting the unconscious in a pile, turning to meet Shell’s gaze. “I’m sorry Miss Shell, all I can say is that we won’t be able to make contact with the young one till a later time, he he’ll be within the enemy’s territory for some time. However, I don’t know when will be seeing him, my powers weren’t what they use to be lately.”
“Great.” Shell huffed, turning back to Cos, a scowl appearing on her. “Is there anything else you have to report, dumbass…”
“Yes actually!” Cos exclaimed excitedly. “That fill just so happens to be the daughter of Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty!”
“WHAT?!” both Shell and Sting shouted.
“Yeah! And guess what, he is also friends with the other children of the elements, including a dragon-pony hybrid that pretty much has the same kind of strength as Efon!”
“Why didn’t you tell me that first you fucking idiot?!” Shell swung her staff fearsomely at Cos’s face, making a scar on his left cheek. But in an instant, the scare healed immediately. “Do you know what this means!? We officially lost him to the ENEMY! Seriously, this should have been the first thing to tell me!”
“Well I would have, but you were too busy shoving your stick in my face.” Cos began to snicker a bit, ready to make a remark. “Though I have to admit, you sure know how work around that pol…”
Cos quickly shut his mouth close as the tip of Shell’s sharp staff was drawn his neck, glowing a hot pink and ready to blast him. “FUCKING SAY IT! I. DARE. YOU! ”
“Shell, I believe we should be leaving now, I don’t want us to be caught by anyone else to night,” Sting stated.
Shell after a few seconds, she lowered her weapon, stopping the bright glow of the projecting light. “Fine. Teleport us back to the hive. We must tell the queen about this.”
“Very well.”
With that, Sting’s clouded eyes glowed a bright white. An equally white glow started to form around the unconscious Changelings, Shell, Cos, and himself.
“Aww man! I love this part!” Cos crackled, starting to laugh manically again. “It always give me that tingle! What about you, Shell? Do you feel that tingle when Sting puts his white stuff all over us?!”
“Oh shut up, you fucking buffoon!”
A bright, but sort light lit the area up and the all the bodies of the insectoids vanished, leaving the area to fill with silence once again.
“We’re here!” Camcore shouted in excitement as he admired the crystal clear rainbow waterfall flowing down a rocky wall.
The others also stopped to enjoy the sight. The surrounding clouds had a flow of rainbow waters flowing from there fluffy bodies, the sunlight making everything glistening and shimmer within the area. The vegetation of the brightly colored flowers bloomed, showing off their beautiful pedals as the nice, cooling breeze flowed through them, causing them to dance in the passing wind.
“It’s more lovely then I remembered!” Rarity said, capturing the beautiful landscape with her eye, “Just simply marvelous!”
“Yeah! Where going to have so much fun! Oh! What should we do first?! Have a race!?” Pinkie excitedly stated.
“Play a game?!” Camcore then continued. “OH! Maybe we could explore the area! It would be great to make a small recording of this place. What do ya think Efon?......Efon?”
Camcore turned to see why his Changeling friend wasn’t answering. He soon found out why. Efon staring right at Chroma, looking deep into her eyes. Chroma was doing the same thing, smiles printed on their faces as they stood there, getting completely lost in each other’s gaze.
With his concentration broken, Efon turned to his orange friend. “Huh? What?”
“I asked if you think a little exploration would be fun.” Camcore took a second to examine Efon’s face, pacifically at the flushed look on his cheeks. “Are you ok Efon? Are you still recovering from the attack from yesterday?”
“Oh no. That is completely healed off.” Efon quickly whisper in to Chroma’s ear. “Thanks to my little dove, and her sweet love.” This gained a blush from the little Pegasus and he could help but smile at it.
“Oh that’s great! So how about a little exploring then?” Camcore smiled.
“Sure, that sounds like fun! How about it Chroma?” Efon asked smiling down at Chroma.
Chroma smiled back at the Efon, blush still upon her face as she nodded her head. “Sure!”
“Great!” Camcore turned to look towards Fang, who was sitting in a meditation position with his eyes close underneath a nearby tree. “What about you, Fang?”
Almost immediately Fang stated, “No. I’m just going to sit here. I need to concentrate on my mental training.”
Efon, along with Rarity, rolled their eyes at Fang’s intention. Nevertheless, Camcore shrugged it off. “Ok then. Pandora, what about you?”
The princess of chaos was a bit torn on what she wanted to do; she wanted to go an look around the area, but at the same time, she wanted to stay with Fang and perhaps convince to go out with her.
“I…um… I’m gonna…”
“I will also need absolute peace and quiet for my mental training. Don’t want to be disturbed!” Fang blurted out.
“Oh please, give me a break…” Efon whispered under his breath, making himself barely heard.
Well, there was Pandora’s answer. She didn’t want to get in the way of Fang’s mental training.
“Ok, I’ll go!” Pandora said, smiling at the little group of friends.
“Ok then, let’s go!” Camcore shouted as they choose a direction and trotted off.
Rainbow smile at the little group of friends as the ran off. “You know what girls?” she said to the other adults.
“What?” Fluttershy smiled, along with the other adults as the watched the kids.
“I think I’ve grown a liking to that Changeling!”
And with that, the group of ponies and the single Changeling enjoyed their time spent at the gorgeous landscape of Winsome Falls.
Author's Note
Yeah...so its been a while since I written a chapter for this story and the reason for that is that I wanted to enjoy my summer vacation and all that, considering that this is the last summer vacation of my High School years. Also because I'm lazy...
...
Any way! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A prepare yourselves for the next one, because we'll be introduced into new Ocs and major plot introduction, as we look into the life that Efon lived before he met Chroma and reveals many things about the little, young Changeling and his strange powers....
Thecartoonmaster123 out!
