Re-Enlistment

It felt strange, waking up. I couldn't hear anything and there wasn't Moon Sight, Night Breeze or Lantern Light to hug or tease me. I still felt surrounded in something, but I could only swish around.

Wait a minute, swish?

I opened my eyes and found myself floating in something. Some kind of liquid. I panicked for a second, thinking I was going to drown, before realizing that I wasn't breathing at all.

Am I dead?

I willed my hooves to move around, and they responded sure enough.

Well, that leaves out being dead.

Looking around, I noticed I was completely submerged in light green liquid that felt like mucus. I took a deep breath, and felt whatever kind of fluid that I was floating in go through my lungs. I wasn't irritated by it, and it felt nice.

Okay, what the hay is going on. This is weird.

I saw that my armor had been removed, as I drifted around the strange pod and poked the sides with a hoof.

Maybe this is something the Changeling did? It doesn't seem harmful and it’s not unpleasant. It’s just strange.

Deciding to enjoy myself, I spun around inside of the changeling creation thing for a few moments before I felt something tap the side of whatever was holding me.

A muffled voice called out to me, "You're still alive?"

"Um... why would I not be alive?" I asked.

"Well you're in a changeling chrysalis. Typically it doesn't go down well with pony physiology."

"Why is that?" I called out to the voice.

"Because they drown!"

Oh. Well that’s unfortunate. Why haven't I drowned then?

"So what does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that I have a mystery on my hooves." It called back, before a bright flash of green fire blinded me.

I fell to the ground as a flood of the mucus-like fluid poured over my kitchen floor. I was soaked in whatever this was, and started coughing up the strange fluid.

"You really should be dead. I was going to use you for food, but you started sleeping instead of melting." The changeling said, standing next to me as I heaved.

The changeling hit me on the backside, causing more fluid to come out of my lungs and stomach. I lay there for a while, catching my breath as it continued.

"Honestly, I didn't expect anypony to come here, let alone have a Night Guard move in. Did they even warn you about changelings?" it asked.

"W-well... They said there was a-a-augh." I vomited more of the sludge out of my stomach onto the floor.

"Nice." The changeling mocked, as I got myself together again.

"They said there was a changeling invasion, so they wanted to take us out of stone to help defend Equestria." I managed, still trying to keep myself from getting sick again.

"Take you out of stone?"

"Yeah. Have you ever heard of the Pony Cotta Army?"

"Oh great, they're bringing -that- back?" it scoffed, leaving me to lay in a puddle of goop.

"Hey, you never told me your name!" I called out, trying to get to my hooves but slipping and falling down again.

"Still don't trust you!" It called back.

"Then I'm just gonna have to call you Bugsy!"

A moment of silence, as I got to my hooves and carefully walked around the corner.

"Fine. I'll tell you then. We aren't given names in the hive. There’s no need for one if you can just buzz someling's frequency."

"Wait, you don't have a name? That’s horrible!" I exclaimed, still getting my balance.

"Yes, yes. Truly awful, yadda yadda."

"Well, I'm going to name you!" I declared, as the changeling spun around to look at me.

"And what makes you think I would allow you to name me? I'm not your pet!" It challenged.

"Well, I'm not going to give you a -pet- name. I'm going to give you a proper pony name!"

"I'm not a pony, I'm a Changeling!" It stomped a hoof accompanied with an angry buzzing.

"Well, then I'll improvise!" The buzzing stopped, as it retracted its hoof.

"Now then, are you a mare or a stallion?" I asked.

"We're changelings. We don’t have a gender."

"Well, what would you want to be if you had one?"

"I've shapeshifted into both Mares and Stallions."

"Did you like one of them more?"

"Not particularly. They're both still ponies."

"I thought you need ponies?"

"For food, maybe. That would be like me asking you what blade of grass you like the most, or what kind of apple you'd prefer to be."

"Oh, I know this one! The Rainbow Apples are the best!"

The changeling looked at me, and facehoofed with an exasperated sigh.

"Come on, don't make me pick for you!" I taunted.

"Why, would that be bad?" It asked.

"Well, I have a thing for stallions, and I still think your eyes are pretty. Besides, you're kinda...cute." I looked down at the floor, rubbing my left foreleg with my right hoof while I blushed.

"You...you..." the changeling stammered.

"You are an impossible pony, Novel Thought." It stated with a defeated sigh. "You are the only pony I’ve seen that is actually -attracted- to changelings."

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, looking up into its wonderful eyes.

"Look at you! You're a Guard of the Night Watch, and you're swooning for an enemy of your country because you think it has pretty eyes! I literally have to drain your emotions to survive, and you don't even care!"

"I'm actually a Lieutenant." I added, and the changeling threw its hooves in the air in disbelief.

"An OFFICER is hitting on me!" the changeling cried to the ceiling, holding its head in its hooves.

I walked up to the changeling that was laying on the floor, hiding its face behind its hooves as I tried to give it a back rub with a hoof. It doesn’t really work well to massage a carapace though.

"What... are you doing?" It growled.

"Trying to give you a back massage?" I replied meekly.

The changeling sighed again, and rolled over on its side.

"I don't even know why I bother with this. You are the most confusing pony." The changeling huffed.

"I was told that I was the Fuzziest pony, actually."

It stared blankly at me.

I stared back.

Then it started lightly buzzing as its body shook!

"Are you okay? You're shaking!" I squeaked, trying to hold him down to make the shaking stop.

It knocked my hooves aside and got up.

"I was laughing, Novel." It brushed itself off, and flittered its wings a bit.

"I haven't had a pony make me genuinely laugh... ever, now that I think about it. Usually that would only happen with my Hive mates if we... well, it doesn't matter. They're all gone now." it sighed.

"Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you can make a bunch of friends here in Canterlot!" I offered, draping my hoof over the changeling and giving it a hug.

"Friends with a Changeling? You -do- realize what you've just said, right?"

"Well yeah. You're not a bad pony, you're just different!" I cheerfully said, letting go of it.

"I siphon the emotions out of ponies in order to live, and I can shapeshift nearly at will."

"And you've got really pretty eyes and you're cute!" I blurted, before covering my mouth with a hoof.

It narrowed its eyes at me, before sighing again.

"You wanted to name me?"

"Yes! You will be the best room-mate ever!" I declared, sweeping up the changeling in another hug despite its protests.

After a moment of intense hugging, I released the Changeling and set it down.

"Please warn me when you're going to do that. I don’t want you breaking my carapace. It's very painful to fix." It grumbled at me.

"Okay, but you've still got to choose whether you're a mare or stallion! Not going to lie, I would really, really prefer if you were a stallion. It’s up to you though, I can deal with it if you want to be a mare." I made a point of being sad at mentioning that it could choose to be a mare, in hopes that it would choose stallion.

"It really matters to you that much?" It asked.

"Well yeah, but... um..." I blushed heavily, realizing that what I was thinking about doing would probably not go well with the Changeling.

"Well, what?" It asked.

"Do you have genitalia?" I blurted before hiding my face.

"WHAT?!" It nearly shouted, making my ears fold back from the volume.

"Did you seriously just ask me that?!" It asked incredulously.

"Y-yes!" I squeaked.

"Impossible pony!" It responded, before flying away from me, leaving me to blush with embarrassment.

***

I avoided the changeling that was cleaning up the spilled chrysalis in the kitchen to explore the rest of my house. I found a basement with nothing in it, and went upstairs to find two bedrooms and another bathroom that was shared between the upstairs rooms. I guess it wouldn't be so bad, given the downstairs bathroom as well.

I flew downstairs and awkwardly drifted past the changeling, and opened the cupboards. There was a few cans of various fruit and vegetable soups, along with bowls, spoons and a moldy loaf of bread. I threw that into the garbage can, startling the changeling with the metallic clang of the lid falling down. I apologized and explored the bedrooms.

They were all identical, each room holding a Queen Size bed, an end table with a lamp and a closet for clothing. I didn't usually wear clothes outside of my uniform, so I decided to use it for personal storage until it got a dresser to store things in.

I had decided to take a nap on the bed, and later awoke to being poked by a hard hoof.

"Hey, wake up!" A voice hissed, and I jumped out of bed, bumping the changeling on accident.

"There’s somepony at the door!" the changeling was really worried.

"It’s okay, I'll deal with it." I said, giving it a quick hug before gliding downstairs.

I opened the door to Shining Armor and two Royal Guard outside.

"Novel! How are you settling in?" He asked, trying to look past me and into the house.

"Doing just fine, Captain! How're you?" I asked, moving myself to block his vision.

"Oh, just heard that there was some rumors going around about changelings having taken up residence in the old buildings we sent you to. Wondering if everything was alright?" He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

"Yeah, everything has been great! Did you know that somepony left behind canned peaches? Those things are great. Didn't have canned food back in my day. I had to use my armored hoof to smash the thing open." I lied, making up stuff as I went along.

"You... smashed a can open with your armor?" He said, slightly reeling from what I had said.

"Well yeah, how else are you supposed to get those things open? I couldn't use my teeth because it was metal!"

“There’s... a pull tab. On the top of the can. You use your tongue." He deadpanned, looking at me like I was insane.

"That’s what that was? I thought it was for aiming." I faked surprise, but was also enlightened that I now knew how to open the confusing cans for later.

"Right... You're definitely not a changeling. Not knowing how to open a buckin-- I mean... See you around, Novel!" He abruptly motioned to his guards that they should leave in a hurry, as Shining tripped over my house's gate in his rush.

I closed the door, and turned to see the changeling with his mouth agape.

"That..." it started, unable to continue.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked, pressed against the door and looking worried.

"That was masterful!" It cheered, crushing me in a hug as it buzzed excitedly and lifted us both from the floor.

"I’m... glad...you...approve." I rasped, before he set us down and smiled at me.

"You're still adorable." I said, poking his forehead.

"You're still confusing." the changeling replied.

We both looked at each other for a moment, before I spoke.

"So, have you chosen what you're going to look like?" I asked.

"You mean if I will be a mare or stallion?"

"Whatever you choose, I'll be fine with. I'd just really prefer-"

"Yes, I get that."

"Because I think you'd be really-"

"I understand, Novel!"

"You're hot!" I exclaimed, face burning at the changeling's expression of disbelief.

"You're not even lying... I can -feel- the attraction coming off of you like waves crashing into me. Most ponies would be disgusted or flowing with hatred, but you're...oh by the Queen. You're horny." it bluntly stated, looking down at my hind end.

"Eh...Eheh. Yeah." I tried to leave and save what little dignity I had left, as my arousal peaked to embarrassing levels.

"Ah, where are you going?" It asked, holding me back with a hoof poking into my chest.

"Um. To hide?" I squeaked.

"Not with all that emotion, you aren't. I still need to feed, but I’m going to make sure you don’t have an emotional meltdown like last time. If I’m going to be your room-mate, since you've been smacked in the head enough to even consider that an option, I’ve got to take care of you."

My head began swimming in fantasies of cuddling and sleeping together, but I was jarred from my daydreams by the changeling swatting my muzzle.

"No, not in that... Actually..." the changeling trailed off, scratching its carapace underneath its chin with a hoof absently.

"That could actually work." it said finally, following after me upstairs.

***

"Now, you wanted me to be a stallion because you're attracted to stallions, correct?" It asked.

"Yeah... I really like how there’s no confusion because stallions are straightforward, and that it’s easier to connect with them in general."

"Amongst the... other... reasons, correct?"

"The sexy reasons, yeah."

The changeling lay next to me belly down, as I lay on my back and continued to be aroused at the changeling's suggestion that we sleep together. Even if it was so it could siphon off ambient emotions that I had during my sleep. It didn't really bother me. I was just happy to have a cutie like that, that was willing to sleep in the same bed as me and not freak out like Lantern Light!

"Is that thing of yours supposed to be erect for this long?" It asked me, poking my erection with a hoof and making me squeak.

"Well, not normally. But there was this one time that--"

"I honestly don't want to know." the changeling stopped me with a hoof to my mouth so I couldn't speak.

"We're going to need a cover story, for why I’ve moved in."

"Mumm, mur muhmmess mn-" I mumbled from the changeling's hoof, before it released my mouth.

"You were saying?"

"Um, you were homeless and I let you stay at my place?" I offered.

"What, out of the kindness of your heart?" It replied sarcastically

"Well, I already asked Captain Shining Armor about it, and he said that it was up to me."

"You actually thought about that before you even got to your house? Do you realize what time you're living in?"

"Um... Not really, no. I just woke up about a week ago." I answered.

"I was going to eat you not even twelve hours ago. Since then, you've announced a crush on me, saved my carapace by giving me asylum from the Royal Guard, and now lay across from me on your bed with a throbbing erection."

"Yeah, and?" I asked, lifting a hind leg to try and cover said erection.

"You're impossible." The changeling sighed. "But you're also very lonely. Don't even say you aren’t, because I can feel it. You're also desperate for affection and attention. I can't generate emotion, not like you ponies can. You all have a level of emotion that is magically enhanced to ridiculous levels, perhaps that is why the Elements of Harmony work in the first place. Regardless, any relationship we would have would be completely one sided. I cannot generate love or affection, otherwise we changelings wouldn't need you ponies in the first place." the changeling explained, while I lay there and fantasized more about its wings, and what I could do with the holes in its hooves.

"Are you even listening?" It asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m just still excited that you're considering being my roommate still!"

It looked down at my hard-on, and gave a pleasant sigh. "I can tell you're still excited. I just can’t understand the -why-."

"Well that easy. It's because you're a nice pony, and you're CUTE!" I exclaimed, pulling the changeling into a hug, hard penis be damned.

It looked into my eyes, before blankly stating, "Your cock is pressed into my underbelly."

I hugged the changeling closer, and wrapped all my hooves and both wings around it.
"Don't care, you're still adorable and I'm not letting go until you feel loved and wanted."

"I think I’m feeling a bit more than loved." It squirmed, buzzing in annoyance as I squeezed tighter, willing every bit of me to love this strange bug pony.

The changeling gasped suddenly, making me alarmed and I let it go. Its horn was glowing a bright pink as I felt warmth draining out of me.

"What emotion is -this-?!" it exclaimed, buzzing rapidly as it lifted off of the bed and I fell off of it in exhaustion.

I groaned weakly, and couldn’t move as my body felt numb. The changeling began frantically flying around the room with a big goofy grin on its face.

"Is this Love?! How did you even- what- How?!" it exclaimed, before looking down at me as it's smile dropped off of its face into frightened shock.

"Oh no. Oh no-ohno-ohno. Look at me! Quick, say something!" It yelled, but I couldn’t feel anything or really be bothered to care at the moment. It was just going to leave me after it was done anyway. There was no point in getting excited about having a roommate if they're going to leave. Just like Night Breeze and Moon Sight. Just like--

"Snap out of it!" It shouted, smacking me across the face with a hoof.

"Oh, this is horrible!" It picked me up, and began buzzing around the room looking for the doorway to the outside.

Why did it care? I was going to eat me anyway. It should just leave me and go on to wherever it was that changelings go to after they drain a pony. That’s what they do, after all.

"I'm going to get you help, I’m not going to let you turn into a husk because I... No! You're not becoming a husk!" It declared, before it burst into a bright green fire and its body changed.

It, or He, had become a pegasus stallion. Dark blue coat and eyes like the sky. His mane was short and spikey, with a three color tone of White, light blue and royal blue from top to bottom. I couldn't see his cutie mark from where he held me in his hooves, but I didn’t really care at the moment either. It was easier to not care.

"I'm going to bring you to a hospital, maybe they can fix this. Oh please just let them FIX THIS." He blabbered to himself, hitting the front door with a sideways slam as it flew open, and he kicked it closed with a hind hoof.

"They've dealt with my kind before, they must have a way to fix this." He continued, as I stopped listening.

We were flying over the rooftops of Canterlot, away from my apartment and to a square high rise building with a large circled P on the roof. Probably for Pegasus. I guess that was the hospital?

"We're almost there, just don’t stop feeling, even if it’s horrible. Don’t stop feeling!" He cried, tears being whisked away by the wind as he sped towards the hospital.

But it’s easier to not feel anything, especially when all I feel is this horrible, crushing and tearing in my chest. It would be so much easier to just give up and not feel anymore. Less painful too.

"We're almost there, we're flying through the doors!" He shouted, bursting through a set of double doors into the hospital lobby.

"Somepony help!" he shouted in panic. "He's turning into a husk, I need help now!"

Being a husk doesn’t sound too bad. At least they don’t have to feel pain anymore.

"Where did you find him?" a mare's voice asked, as I was placed on a bed and strapped into it.

"He was... outside my house! I think he's one of the night guard!" he shouted, helping to push my bed through the halls as it burst through doors.

"He's a Bat Pony? Oh grief, I was hoping we would have more time to go over their physiology before we would have to deal with this!" I heard a familiar mare's voice say, but I couldn’t quite place it.

"Please tell me you can help him!" The changeling as a Pegasus begged.

"We'll do everything we can, Mister...?" the mare asked.

"... It’s not important right now, just help him!"

Why does he even care?

Why do I still care that he cares?

Why does anypony care?

Why are they putting a mask on me?

I yawned.

Wow... I'm really tired...

Darkness.