Lyra's Changelingby ExMedalChaptersChapter 1 Lyra's GuestChapter 2 Caution Chapter 3 StudyChapter 4 CommunicationChapter 1 Lyra's GuestIt was a nice and sunny day in Ponyville. The sky was bright blue, the birds where singing in harmony, and cream pony with blue and pink hair was walking over to her best friends house. Her reasons for going over however weren't as jolly. Bon Bon had thought revealing her secret past life as agent sweetie drops the monster-hunter two days ago was difficult, but this she felt was going to be even more difficult. Bon Bon knocked the door to Lyra's house. A moment later a mint green unicorn with yellow eyes opened it. "Bon Bon! What brings you over" Bon Bon walked in and sat at the kitchen table. "Lyra. We need to talk" Lyra sat in the char next to her. "Is this about the green hair dye I put in your shampoo bottle again?" "No this isn't about that which I will have my horrible revenge for when you least suspect it, this is about your little house guest" The pare looked up to the other end of the table to see the Changeling with its muzzle in a bowl eating left over stew very loudly. The black creature stopped noticing that it was being watched and looked up, licking any stew from around its mouth. Lyra was the first the brake the silence. "What's wrong with having him around the house?" "Lyra! He was AT the wedding!" "Say wha?" "I just past the playground at the school when I overheard some of the kids talk about seeing a Changeling sitting in a char at Crankys wedding!" Lyra looked over at the Changeling. He looked away and tapped his hoofs together looking embarrassed. "Lyra why was he out of the house?" "I don't know? Maybe weddings are like all you can eat buffet's to them or something?" "Yes. We all are very aware of how much Changelings looooove weddings" "Look nopony got hurt, he's not dangerous just...well...I just can't see him being a monster, I still remember when I first met him almost a month ago... Lyra was just leaving the hall where Princess Cadence's wedding was when she felt something vibrate in her saddle bag. Her mobile phone was on silent so as not to panic anypony. She answered it knowing who it was going to be. "Hi Bonnie" "Lyra where are you?" Bon Bon was one of the only other ponies she had given one of her phones to. She sometimes wondered how much she would get off the patent of it. It wasn't her invention, but no pony in Equestria knew that. "I'm in Canetlot trying to find the hairpin I lost at the wedding" "As in the wedding where you where kidnapped and replaced with a Changeling and Shining Armour narrowly avoided getting married to a large bug with legs that looked like Swiss cheese" "That's the one" "...I don't remember seeing you with a hairpin?" "Well I wasn't wearing it! I just had it with me" "Couldn't you gust get another one?" "Nope, I got it from my dad" That was all Bon Bon needed to know. If it was from her farther then Lyra would go though heaven and earth to find it. She never told her much of him despite the fact that he worked in a very exclusive field, but she could tell that he was practically her hero, it also might be the cause of some of her more peculiar behaviours and gifts. The phone was just one of many things Lyra had showed her, but she did admit it was one of the most useful. "And you think it's somewhere there?" "Yep! I had it before I was knocked out by Chrysalis and her guards and haven't seen it since" "Fine! Just don't do anything stupid like go into the underground cave system" "Oh come on its me your talking to" "Exactly!" Lyra paused for a moment to think of a response. "Well on this particular occasion you don't have to worry, I will see you with my hair clip later" Lyra turned off the phone and put it back in her saddlebag and looked around her surroundings, it was a good thing Bon Bon couldn't see that she had already made her way to the caves wile talking. "Now which cave was I thrown into again?" Lyra searched the caverns. Memories of that even went back and forth though her head. Memories of blurred black shapes littering the cave, some in the sky and some on the ground, a messy pink shape with black ones surrounding it, a blue shape near the end and a larger shape with big blue eyes that would always come near her. Lyra shook her head out of that thought and went back to reality. The cavern she had wandered into was the same one in her memory, the one she was put in before being rescued. The cave was empty except for a few shadows and...something moved behind her. Lyra heard the soft yet clumsy sound of something limping over to her behind her back. Slowly Lyra turned her head over too her left side to see the thing in the darkness coming over to her. As the shape became more defined Lyra could clearly see them. The blue empty eyes, the tattered insectoid wings, the sharp white fangs, the black chitin skin, the legs full of holes like Swiss cheese, there was still a Changeling down here, and it was heading right to her. Lyra spun on her back hoofs to meet the creature eye to eye. Instinctively she stepped back away from the black being heading towards her. Lyra's retreating pace slowed down however when she noticed that the Changeling was clearly injured, it was covered in cuts and bruises, it's skin was cracking in places, the wings where clearly unable to grant any lift let alone flight, and judging by the way it was walking two of its legs, the right back leg and left front leg, where in some way broken as each step on them obviously hurt. Lyra looked back up and realised that it had gotten right up to her face wile she was taking in all its wounds. Instantly she jumped back as the Changeling reach over its side later to bring the hoof forward towards her. In its battered hoof was a bright dark pink and yellow flower shaped hair clip, the same hair clip she had been looking for. Looking at the Changeling and back at the clip several times, Lyra sheepishly reached over the extended hoof and quickly took the clip from it in fear of the creature grabbing her. "Ummm, thank you?" The Changeling nodded, and the fell over on its left side. The struggle to walk over and cope with the pain had obviously been to much for it. Quickly Lyra began to walk around the black body never taking her eyes off it. "Well ok. Take care. Buy!" Lyra sprinted to the entrance of the cavern, slowed down as she past it, and finally stopped a third of the way trough the tunnel. She looked down at her hoof again, at the hair clip that the Changeling had returned to her. Why? Why had it given this back? Why was it here? Was it trapped here after the invasion? Lyra looked back at the unconscious form behind her. The love explosion should have sent all of them flying, but this one was right here, underneath everypony, the caves would probably have hold the love like an echo, but not enough to properly live on. Lyra turned her body around to the direction of the cavern. She thought back to the time she was trapped here, one of the Changelings had stayed close to her and, she remembered the feeling of a wooden dish placed by her lips and cold water going down her dry throat. Lyra also remembered that the Changeling had several times touched her butt, and anyway why would this one be the same one as back then, and why would it stay here waiting for her to come get her hair clip back. Lyra was silent for a minuet before sighing in defeat. She walked back in the cavern putting the clip in her saddlebag and taking out a canteen of water she had bought. Carefully she put her hoof under the creatures head and pored the water into its open mouth. The Changeling slowly opens its eyes that shon like blue opal gems in its black head and looked at her. Lyra looked away for her pride as a pony if anything "I...I'm just paying you back for the hair clip...and that time when..." This was stupid she thought, like there was any way this could be the same Changeling as...she stopped when she noticed something squeezing her rump. Lyra sweated the hoof away "at least I know I'm not doing this for a stranger" she said to the injured being in her care. Looking closely at the creatures eyes, Lyra close her next words very carefully. "Look! I'm grateful for the water and the hair clip, but don't think that this makes us square, your a Changeling and I'm a Pony, I think it would be best if you just got out of here and didn't come back, I mean it's easy for you to transform into a guard or something and..." She stopped! Lyra looked carefully at the Changeling, a sudden realisation struck her. "You can't can you!" She said at last "your to beat up to stand let alone turn into anypony" Lyra looked at the eyes of the Changeling again. What was once cold and empty to her where now full of sorrow and self pity. She could just leave it she thought, forget it was ever here and get on with her life, it was a monster that invaded Canterlot and crashed a royal wedding, others would understand. She looked back down at the sad creature half closing its eyes in exhaustion. But she wouldn't, she would always remember, every time she sees an injured animal, a dragonfly or even a blue gem, she would remember the time that she left somepony, even if it wasn't a pony, cold and alone to die in an empty cavern. Her mother always taught her to care for others no mater the species, and this was a prime example. Half reluctantly, she put the Changeling back on the ground and walked over to the wall of the cave to pick up a large brown sheet that had been left there years ago. Slowly she rapped the now sleeping Changeling until it looked like a role of old carpet. Lyra gently placed the hidden Changeling on her back and begun her way back to the surface. "Boy, I wonder what Bon Bon's going to say about all this" Chapter 2 Caution Chapter 2 Caution Lyra had made it back to her home safely. She couldn't help but feel a little bit frustrated that she managed to take a Changeling all the way from the middle of Equestria to her house without anypony batting an eye lid. Just what did the guard ponies do all day? Well anyway she was home now and that's what matters. The Changeling was still out cold when she unrolled the sheet, her parents had both taught her some basic medical knowledge and the injuries weren't as bad as she thought, nether the less without any care it wouldn't have lasted another week, and that's if it hadn't starved to death first. After finishing she stepped back to admire her work, all the limbs had bandages on them, his torso was wrapped, his wings where braced, and a singe bandage was around his head. Now that it's life wasn't in any danger, Lyra got started on stage two. The Changeling slowly woke up in the bed of Lyra's spare room, the window was blocked so no Pony could see inside and the 'Guest' had a leash around its neck connected firmly to the bedpost. Lyra was sitting at its side "well nice to see your still hanging in there considering all the trouble I went trough to get you here" Lyra got off the stool she was sitting on (in her special little way) and started towards the door "this is how it's going to work! Until you are fully recovered you will stay in this room, you are not to leave this room or make any attempted to escape, and once your all better you will leave without attacking anypony and go back to your hive..." Lyra thought about that last part "...or wherever you want to live, just as long as it's not here, I don't know why you where left behind but I can't image it was because you where the Bug Queens favourite" Lyra closed the door behind her and locked the door. Leaning on the hard wood of the door Lyra thought to herself, why did she say that? Didn't all Changelings serve there queen in there hive? Memories of that day once again creeped into her head. Along the cave floor and walls where Changelings, but they didn't act like the ones that attacked Counterlot, they where sad looking, and if she recalled the flying ones seemed to be picking on them, like they where lower class creatures. Lyra's moment of inner thought was broken when she realised that there was a strong musky stink, creeping from behind the closed door. Fearing the worst Lyra unlocked and burst though the door into the room. The Changeling was sitting in the middle of the bed just as it was when she left like a dog that had been waiting for its master to come home, however the sheets directly under it had become a lime green colour, and stank off...Lyra's mouth was wide open, but she shut it realising the stench was going into her nose trough it. "When I said...I didn't mean...oh sweet Celestia!" Lyra ushered the Changeling off the bed and took off the sheets. Luckily the green smelling liquid hadn't seeped down to the mattress yet. She turned her head to the perpetrator who just looked at her with a vacant stare wile she covered her nose. "What the heck do you eat raw sewage!?" Quickly Lyra rushed to the room at the back of the house and shoved the sheet in the washing machine with a large amount off cleaning liquid. Lyra breathed out in relief. Why didn't it say or do anything, why did it just sit there as...she left the door open in the rush! Immediately she rushed back, only to find that the Changeling hadn't moved since she left. Slowly realising something important about her guest, Lyra walked over to the front of the creature until she was sitting eye to eye with it. "Your not just giving me the silent treatment are you!?" There was no response, as she expected. "When I want you to answer a question you can nod for yes and shake for no, got it" she said giving examples as she spoke. The Changeling nodded in reply. Good she thought, at least she knows it's not brain dead. "Now then! You can't talk at all can you" The Changeling nodded. "And you can't think clearly unless somepony else tells you too right. The Changeling looked down in thought for a moment looking rather irritated at itself for admitting it before eventually nodding. "Why? Is this because Queen Chrysalis isn't here to order you around anymore" There was a moment where it looked insulted and angry at the thought of its supposed queen before shaking its head furiously. Lyra raised an eyebrow. "You don't like Chrysalis?" It nodded resolutely. "OK I didn't see that coming, why are you so..." Lyra thought about her words, stupid or imparted didn't seem to suit this conversation. She finally decided on a word "...underdeveloped? Others of your kind can talk, transform and think for themselves, why can't you?" The Changeling just looked at her. "Guess that wasn't a yes or no question huh." Lyra cleared her head and throat "ok, if your going to be here until your healed then I guess I better tell you that if you need to go to the bathroom then go 'in' the bathroom...on the toilet...with the lid open...so it goes into the water...then wipe yourself...and flush...are you following any off this?" The Changeling thought for a moment then nodded, this it held its hoof up and shook its head. "Yes...and no?" It nodded. Lyra had a feeling it didn't know what a toilet was, just how low was this guy in the hive ranks. Waite she thought, did she just use the word 'guy' in that last sentence. This moment was cut off when a low growling noise came of the Changelings body. When was the last time heIT! had eaten anything? Do Changelings even need to eat? She wasn't going to take the chance of finding a dead body in her house. "I'm going to make you something to eat now. Do NOT pee on the bed, I repeat, do NOT pee on the bed!" Lyra left the room to the kitchen. Since it was a prisoner of sorts she wasn't planing on making anything to fancy or elaborate. She make a bowl of warm mashed stuff she found in the fridge, it had oatmeal, cheese and some vegetables in it. Lyra tasted a bit of it from her hoof, it wasn't that bad actually. She made her way to the room with the Changeling still sitting next to the bed with the same waiting dog look to it. Lyra wondered if it really needed the leash, or as she realised, did she need to make it longer so that it could go to the bathroom. The idea of having a bucket did cross her mind but changing it was not something she partially wanted. Lyra took the bowl to the Changeling and placed it on the table at the side of the room. It looked at the bowl and back to Lyra, oh Faust she thought, don't tell me it doesn't know how to eat! "This" she said pointing to the bowl "is food! You put it in your mouth, chew it until it's mush and swallow it!" The Changeling still looked at her. "Like this!" Lyra took a small bite of the meal, chewed it loudly and swallowed. "Now you!" Tentatively the Changeling walked over to the table and looked down at the substance in front of it, before putting its muzzle in and began eating. Somehow seeing it eat like this made Lyra feel...happy. There was a knock at the front door. Lyra left the happily eating Changeling and went to answer it. Bon Bon was waiting outside "Hay Bon Bon" Bon Bon walked in and Lyra shut the door behind her. Lyra turned to face her friend. "So" Bon Bon began "how was your trip to Counterlot?" Lyra looked at her for a moment. She had that 'your in trouble' tone in her voice. "Fine, fine" she said "got my hair clip, came back, nothing to say really!" "Yes. With a new roll of old carpet. Big enough for a body to be hidden in" Lyra's trough dried up "that was kind of a...oddly pacific phrase. "...you went into the caves and found an injured Changeling who you brought back and started nursing back to health haven't you!" "WHAT! No no no, wh...what could make you think that I..." Bon Bon pointed her hoof to her left side to show that the Changeling had walked over wile they where talking. It was holding an empty bowl in one hoof. "Oh...dang I...Waite how did you get here I tied you..." She looked down at the leach and saw that the bed rung she tied it to had popped out and was trailing behind him. Now she remembered why she moved that bed to the guest room. "Fine I will find you something, come on!" Lyra grabbed the leach with her magic and pulled him towards the kitchen. Wile there backs where turned, Bon Bon took out a small back device that looked like a black ball with two antenna attacked to a short black pole. The round green screen on the ball part hummed for a moment as she pointed it towards Lyra, there was a quiet beep and it showed [mind control magic 00%] on the screen. Lyra then pointed it at the Changeling and clicking a button on the side of the stick part. There was another moment of humming before another beep and another message [evolution level 001] Bon Bon cocked an eyebrow and put the device away before walking over to the pare in the kitchen. Lyra was going trough the cupboard trying to find something for the Changeling to eat. "OK I'm going to level with you, I may have needed to go shopping this week. All I can find is this apple from Sweet Apple Ac..." Lyra stopped when she noticed that the Changeling was eyeing the apple like a dog to a stick. Lyra moved the apple side to side in her hoof experimentally and as she thought the Changeling followed it with its head. Picking it up with her magic, Lyra threw the apple into the empty guest room with the Changeling zipping right too it. Lyra jumped in and locked the door behind it and gave a relieved sigh. "Well that was easier than I though it would be" that's when it occurred to her that explaining this might be trickier. Bon Bon was standing right in front of her "Would you believe this is all a dream?" Bon Bon shook her head slowly not taking her eyes off her "I didn't think so" Lyra tried to think quickly. She explained about the hair clip and the memory's she had emphasise that the Changeling didn't seem to be dangerous wile Bon Bon just stood there quietly. Bon Bon opened her mouth and then closed it again. "I know what's going to happen" Lyra raised an eyebrow "what?" "The same thing that happens when you do something dumb or reckless, I will say you have to get rid of the Changeling and you will say no" Lyra agreed "Yep" "Then I will tell you all the reasons why keeping it is a bad idea and incredibly dangerous and will still say no" "Yep" "Then I will ask why and you will give a long winded speech why it would be wrong to get rid of it" "Yep" "And I will give up and help you for the sake of making sure you don't get yourself killed or anypony else dies horribly" "Yep" "So why don't we just skip it and I help you, besides I don't think letting a Changeling loose on Ponyvill unsupervised Is going to make either of us popular" Lyra smiled in relief "Thanks Bon Bon" "But if we end up dead, then I'm going to clobber you" "Deal!" Inside the guest room, the Changeling was snuggled up in the bed purring softly. It had never had a bed before and rather liked the feel of a soft warm place to sleep. It wasn't sure yet, but it thinks that maybe it liked the mint coloured pony, a lot. Chapter 3 StudySince Bon Bon's visit, the two have decided to do some close observation of there guest. Lyra decided to experiment with what it eats. So far she has learnt that the Changeling will eat anything given to it, but it seems to like soup, stew and other bowl foods the most. It also seems it's favourite fruit is pineapple, however it seemed to go wild for Sweet Apple Acres apples and cake from SugarCube Corner. Bon Bon was walking up to Lyra's door on the fifth day of the Changelings arrival when she heard a loud scream coming from inside, followed the sound of rushing water. Bon Bon quickly ran trough the door to find her friend head first in the sink wile the Changeling, who was tied to the table, happily eating from a large bowl. Lyra with her tong hanging out and sweat poring down her red face looked up to her friend. "Appara *pant* apparently *pant*" Lyra shook herself off "apparently he likes extra spicy" The two turned to look at there guest eating. Bon Bon turned her head back to Lyra and looked at her in silence for a moment. "You said he" Lyra looked back at her friend. "What?" "You said he, are you sure your not getting a little too attached to it?" "Wha...no no of corse not!" Bon Bon looked at her for a moment "ok, but watch it in future" She walked up to the table and placed a bad down. The Changeling finishing the contents of the bowl sniffed the air for a second before looked down at the bag and plunging its head into it, there was a series of munching sounds before it came back out licking its lips in satisfaction. Bon Bon took the bag back and tipped out the contents, there where bright red apples alongside an equal amount of fresh apple cores. The apples and the cores all had little tags attacked to there stems, all the untouched apples had various names on there tags wile the cores had Sweet Apple Acre on them. Bon Bon examined the pile of fruit and cores. "I knew it" Lyra looked puzzled "what, so he likes apples from Applejack's farm, can you really blame him?" "You did it again! You said him!" "No I didn't" "Yes you did" The Changeling nodded in agreement. "You stay out of this! And you tell me why a Changeling eating apples is so interesting" "Lyra, you ever hear the old saying, made with love?" "Yeah, what has that got to do with..." Lyra thought about it for a second. "You don't think that...?" "I did a bit of reading at the Library, and it says that a Changeling can get love from more than just ponies, anything made with love, grown with love, heck it even says that they can feed off the love in the air of places that are full of it" Lyra thought about this. Bon Bon made love sound like a kind of background radiation, off corse that might be the reason that the Changelings originally attacked Counterlot and later of Ponyvill, although the latter was more revenge than feeding. Anyway it would explain why the one they had wasn't starving to death. "What about objects like paintings and stuff?" "I think that counts but I'm not sure if they could get the love without eating it" Bon Bon then untied the leash and pulled the Changeling away from the table. "Well anyway it's my turn to watch over him, you have to go to the musicians guild today remember" Lyra smacked her head "that's right! I'm practising that new song for the mayoral dinner next month!" Lyra rushed past the two and grabbed her lyre from a desk draw "don't wreck the house wile I'm gone now!" And she was out off the house and half way down the street. There was a moment of silence and the two characters left in the room looked at each other in puzzlement. "You thought that was a little bit much too right?" The Changeling nodded. Bon Bon then led the Changeling to the basement under the house and tied it's lead to the table. She then took out seemingly from no where a metal ring with lights all around the edge. Bon Bon placed the metal ring on the Changeling's unresisting head and sat on the chair opposite. "The thing I just strapped on your head is a lie detector, it's immune to all forms of tampering magical or otherwise and works on all species" Bon Bon put her two front hoofs together. "Now I'm going to ask you a few questions, the device doesn't need you to actually speak just answer, do you understand?" The Changeling nodded, the lights on the ring flashed green and made a *Ding* noise. "Good! Now then. Are you a spy for the other Changeling's?" The Changeling shoot its head to say no. *Ding* Bon Bon thought for a moment "ok...good, do any other Changeling's know you are here?" It shook its head again. *Ding* "Alright then..." Bon Bon thought about what her next question "are you popular with girl Changeling's?" The Changeling nodded and the lights flashed red and made a *Bzzz* noise. It rocked its hoof to say sort off... *Bzzz* It put its hoofs close together to say a little... *Bzzz* It lowered its head in defeat and shook. *Ding* Bon Bon looked to the side a little ashamed for the Changeling. Now it was time for the seriousness questions. "Do you plan to hurt Lyra?" The Changeling's head shot up right looking surprised as the mere thought of it and shook its head violently. *Ding* Bon Bon raised an eyebrow "...you really care for her don't you?" The Changeling nodded looking down at the table without making any eye contact to Bon Bon. *Ding* Bon Bon wanted to ask more, but she felt she had learnt enough. She took the ring off its head and undid the leash. There was a moment of silence with her holding it, before the came to a decision and took it off the Changeling completely. "Lyra is my best friend, but she's reckless and easily gets into trouble, there are things that I don't know about her, but there are things she doesn't know about me. I only want her to be safe, and happy. So just know if you do anything to hurt or upset her I will come down on you like a rock filled tornado!" The Changeling nodded its head in understanding. Bon Bon looked at the creature again, just what was this thing...no...this guy thinking. He was a monster, but so fare he was proving to be more humane than most others she had met in her past. Waite did she use the word he? Bon Bon started up the stares with the Changeling following. "Oh! One more thing..." She said half way up "mention any of this stuff with the lie detector to Lyra, and I will pound you..." Chapter 4 CommunicationA lot has happened since the lie dictator. The library was blown up, Twilight got a new castle and various other events that have become common place around Ponyvill nowadays. Lyra, Bon Bon and the Changeling where all sitting at the table with board expressions on there faces. Lyra looked up at empty space "is the flashback over now coz that took forever" Bon Bon raised her head "yeah seriously three chapters is a lot for a retelling of past events" Look the audience would want to know what the heck is going on in the story! "Do you really think anyone is going to believe any of this is cannon" Look this is just a fun little fan fiction for people to read and enjoy! Now stop braking the forth wall and let me do my job please! "Fine!" Lyra patted her friends shoulder with her hoof "that was a well put statement buddy" Bon Bon sat up "thank you Lyra, now then..." She turned to face the Changeling "back to our guest problem" Lyra scratched her head "what was the problem again. Errrrrr OH RIGHT his visit to the wedding right!" Bon Bon looked at the Changeling "this might be off topic but has he gotten smarter since then?" Lyra thought about the past couple of days. The Changeling has been more responsive than it was the first day he arrived, he even did stuff like clean up and do the dishes, it even started making its own meals. "Yeeeees...is this about that time you used that black thing with antenna on him wile our backs where turned?" Bon Bon looked at her speechless. "I was listening to the story during the flashback" Bon Bon hung her head in shame and brought the device out "I was only looking out for you" "I know you where Bon Bon" Smiling in relief, Bon Bon pointed the device at the Changeling and waited for the results. [evolution level 005] she put the device down and put a hoof to her chin. "He's risen by two levels since yesterday" Lyra looked at her friends worried expression "is that bad?" "Not necessarily, I did some research on Changeling's and Queen Chrysalis's Hive with the information from S.M.I.L.E and it seems there are four levels in there hierarchy. The Queen is on a level on her own obviously. The generals who where the armour are second and command the army's for the queen. The drowns who do all the work. And then there's his group..." Bon Bon said as she pointed to the Changeling opposite to her "he is at the lowest level of the hierarchy, the weak, sick, old or mentally different, out of all the Changeling's in the hive his group gets the smallest amount of love. It has been discovered though examinations of previous attacks from his hive that a large number of his level of Changeling's are left behind to die to thin out the heard as it where...it's kind of sad really" Lyra stared at the Changeling in silence. She couldn't images what it would be like to be just thrown away by your own kind. "So I guess that's why you aren't to keen to go back to Chrysalis..." "Pffffff" The Changeling had stuck out his tong and pfff'd when she said the name. Lyra pondered for a moment. "...Chrysalis" "Pffffff" Lyra giggled "Chrysalis Chrysalis Chrysalis" "Pffffff Pffffff Pffffff" Lyra whispered "Chrysalis" "Pffffff" Lyra laughed and Bon Bon wondered if she was a bad example on him. "It's a shame he's not evolved enough to talk or we could actually understand him a little more" Lyra wiped her eyes "how evolved does he need to be?" "Well a typical drown is a level 15 to 16, a general is 50 or so...I would say 25 to 30 tops." "But he understands us, he knows what we say, he even reads like a pro" "Maybe but that..." Bon Bon stopped and looked at her "he can read!" "Yeah he's been reading Daring Doo story's all month, he's already at..." "Stop right there! I just had an idea!" Bon Bon rushed outside of site. There was the sound of rummaging before she came back to the table with a pencil and a small stack of paper. "If he can read..." she said with excitement in her voice "then maybe he can write!" The Changeling looked at the pare and then down at the paper. Carefully he took the pencil in his mouth and started scrawling on the paper. However it was having trouble controlling it and was only able to write scribbles. Lyra with a look of curiosity took the pencil out of the Changeling's mouth, took his right hoof and placed the pencil on top. "Try like this" The Changeling held the pencil in his hoof for a moment, rocking it in his grip experimentally. The it picked up one of the sheets and wrote one it. He then passed the page over to the two waiting ponies. LIKE THIS? Bon Bon grinned "Yes! I mean, yes" Lyra beamed "this is fantastic! Now we can know what he wants, what he's thinking and..." Lyra stopped like she just thought of something important. She turned her head to the Changeling "Waite you are a boy right?" Bon Bon looked at her "you didn't know!?" "Well I just assumed that he was a guy" "Well..." Bon Bon looked the Changeling up and down "actually I can't tell either...are you a boy?" The Changeling wrote on another sheet TECHNICALLY SPEAKING! The two ponies looked at each other and then back to the Changeling. "What do you mean technically speaking?" Lyra said. There was more writing and he brought up a page saying ONLY THE QUEEN HAS A FIXED GENDER! THE REST OF US ARE GENETICALLY BOTH! WHAT SEX WE CALL OURSELVES IS OUT OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE! BUT YES I AM A GUY! Lyra looked at the page for a moment. He was defiantly smart there was no mistake about that. "So how do you go to the bathroom?" The Changeling's cheeks turned bright sky blue, it seemed his kind had a different blush colour then ponies. Looking at the two ponies for a moment he took a page and wrote with the face of somepony who had wanted to ask this for days. SO ARE YOU TWO A... He trailed off in thought but Lyra could see what he was going to ask. "Nooooooo, no no no, HELL NO! EVERYPONY THINKS THAT AND THE ANSWER IS NO! WHY DOES EVERYPONY THINK THAT! SHE HAS A COLTFRIEND IN THE ROYAL GUARD AND I AM AS STRATE AS AN ARROW!!!" Lyra fell back on her char and humped, all that could be herd was an angry muttering "mutter mutter slike saying rainbow dash is gay coz of her hair mutter mutter" The Changeling turned to Bon Bon who was blushing violently, she knew what was on his mind. "Oh, errrr, don't worry, my errr coltfrend is stationed in Counterlot so you don't have to worry about getting in trouble or anything" The Changeling then turned to Lyra who had her head wrapped in her hoofs and passed on a new note. SORRY :( Lyra wiped her eyes and slowly grinned at him. "No I'm sorry, it's just something that happens a lot to me, I didn't mean to snap" Bon Bon pulled away from the table and walked in between the two. "Well now that that's been all settled I better get going to the shop, just remember no more going outside, we don't want the whole place panicking over another invasion" Bon Bon stopped as she realised something "sooooo now that we can talk I got to know, what IS your name?" Lyra's eyes opened "hay yeah, we never did ask that did we!" The Changeling wrote and gave them a new note. 586! The pare looked at each other again "no your name not your...number" The Changeling tapped the page. Lyra's mouth opened in shock "you don't have a name!" Bon Bon shrugged "guess Chrysalis doesn't care enough to name her subjects, although after the first 100 I think I would run out of names myself" Lyra looked at the Changeling numbered 586 "so what would you like to be called" Number 586 rubbed his chin and began writing, but stopped after the first letter K... Something beginning with k Lyra though, then it hit her. "Kevin" The pare looked at her. "Why Kevin?" Bon Bon asked "Don't know, it just seemed right?" Bon Bon smiled and left the pare. She was still a little worried but she had a feeling that those two where a perfect Mach for each other. Bon Bon felt even more worried after she thought that last part, she guessed it was good that she didn't tell Lyra the last part of her research. But that would never happen, not between a Pony and a Changeling right, it would like a Pony and a Dragon or...she passed Rarity with Spike helping her shopping on the way to her shop. Oh Celestia help her.
Chapter 1 Lyra's GuestIt was a nice and sunny day in Ponyville. The sky was bright blue, the birds where singing in harmony, and cream pony with blue and pink hair was walking over to her best friends house. Her reasons for going over however weren't as jolly. Bon Bon had thought revealing her secret past life as agent sweetie drops the monster-hunter two days ago was difficult, but this she felt was going to be even more difficult. Bon Bon knocked the door to Lyra's house. A moment later a mint green unicorn with yellow eyes opened it. "Bon Bon! What brings you over" Bon Bon walked in and sat at the kitchen table. "Lyra. We need to talk" Lyra sat in the char next to her. "Is this about the green hair dye I put in your shampoo bottle again?" "No this isn't about that which I will have my horrible revenge for when you least suspect it, this is about your little house guest" The pare looked up to the other end of the table to see the Changeling with its muzzle in a bowl eating left over stew very loudly. The black creature stopped noticing that it was being watched and looked up, licking any stew from around its mouth. Lyra was the first the brake the silence. "What's wrong with having him around the house?" "Lyra! He was AT the wedding!" "Say wha?" "I just past the playground at the school when I overheard some of the kids talk about seeing a Changeling sitting in a char at Crankys wedding!" Lyra looked over at the Changeling. He looked away and tapped his hoofs together looking embarrassed. "Lyra why was he out of the house?" "I don't know? Maybe weddings are like all you can eat buffet's to them or something?" "Yes. We all are very aware of how much Changelings looooove weddings" "Look nopony got hurt, he's not dangerous just...well...I just can't see him being a monster, I still remember when I first met him almost a month ago... Lyra was just leaving the hall where Princess Cadence's wedding was when she felt something vibrate in her saddle bag. Her mobile phone was on silent so as not to panic anypony. She answered it knowing who it was going to be. "Hi Bonnie" "Lyra where are you?" Bon Bon was one of the only other ponies she had given one of her phones to. She sometimes wondered how much she would get off the patent of it. It wasn't her invention, but no pony in Equestria knew that. "I'm in Canetlot trying to find the hairpin I lost at the wedding" "As in the wedding where you where kidnapped and replaced with a Changeling and Shining Armour narrowly avoided getting married to a large bug with legs that looked like Swiss cheese" "That's the one" "...I don't remember seeing you with a hairpin?" "Well I wasn't wearing it! I just had it with me" "Couldn't you gust get another one?" "Nope, I got it from my dad" That was all Bon Bon needed to know. If it was from her farther then Lyra would go though heaven and earth to find it. She never told her much of him despite the fact that he worked in a very exclusive field, but she could tell that he was practically her hero, it also might be the cause of some of her more peculiar behaviours and gifts. The phone was just one of many things Lyra had showed her, but she did admit it was one of the most useful. "And you think it's somewhere there?" "Yep! I had it before I was knocked out by Chrysalis and her guards and haven't seen it since" "Fine! Just don't do anything stupid like go into the underground cave system" "Oh come on its me your talking to" "Exactly!" Lyra paused for a moment to think of a response. "Well on this particular occasion you don't have to worry, I will see you with my hair clip later" Lyra turned off the phone and put it back in her saddlebag and looked around her surroundings, it was a good thing Bon Bon couldn't see that she had already made her way to the caves wile talking. "Now which cave was I thrown into again?" Lyra searched the caverns. Memories of that even went back and forth though her head. Memories of blurred black shapes littering the cave, some in the sky and some on the ground, a messy pink shape with black ones surrounding it, a blue shape near the end and a larger shape with big blue eyes that would always come near her. Lyra shook her head out of that thought and went back to reality. The cavern she had wandered into was the same one in her memory, the one she was put in before being rescued. The cave was empty except for a few shadows and...something moved behind her. Lyra heard the soft yet clumsy sound of something limping over to her behind her back. Slowly Lyra turned her head over too her left side to see the thing in the darkness coming over to her. As the shape became more defined Lyra could clearly see them. The blue empty eyes, the tattered insectoid wings, the sharp white fangs, the black chitin skin, the legs full of holes like Swiss cheese, there was still a Changeling down here, and it was heading right to her. Lyra spun on her back hoofs to meet the creature eye to eye. Instinctively she stepped back away from the black being heading towards her. Lyra's retreating pace slowed down however when she noticed that the Changeling was clearly injured, it was covered in cuts and bruises, it's skin was cracking in places, the wings where clearly unable to grant any lift let alone flight, and judging by the way it was walking two of its legs, the right back leg and left front leg, where in some way broken as each step on them obviously hurt. Lyra looked back up and realised that it had gotten right up to her face wile she was taking in all its wounds. Instantly she jumped back as the Changeling reach over its side later to bring the hoof forward towards her. In its battered hoof was a bright dark pink and yellow flower shaped hair clip, the same hair clip she had been looking for. Looking at the Changeling and back at the clip several times, Lyra sheepishly reached over the extended hoof and quickly took the clip from it in fear of the creature grabbing her. "Ummm, thank you?" The Changeling nodded, and the fell over on its left side. The struggle to walk over and cope with the pain had obviously been to much for it. Quickly Lyra began to walk around the black body never taking her eyes off it. "Well ok. Take care. Buy!" Lyra sprinted to the entrance of the cavern, slowed down as she past it, and finally stopped a third of the way trough the tunnel. She looked down at her hoof again, at the hair clip that the Changeling had returned to her. Why? Why had it given this back? Why was it here? Was it trapped here after the invasion? Lyra looked back at the unconscious form behind her. The love explosion should have sent all of them flying, but this one was right here, underneath everypony, the caves would probably have hold the love like an echo, but not enough to properly live on. Lyra turned her body around to the direction of the cavern. She thought back to the time she was trapped here, one of the Changelings had stayed close to her and, she remembered the feeling of a wooden dish placed by her lips and cold water going down her dry throat. Lyra also remembered that the Changeling had several times touched her butt, and anyway why would this one be the same one as back then, and why would it stay here waiting for her to come get her hair clip back. Lyra was silent for a minuet before sighing in defeat. She walked back in the cavern putting the clip in her saddlebag and taking out a canteen of water she had bought. Carefully she put her hoof under the creatures head and pored the water into its open mouth. The Changeling slowly opens its eyes that shon like blue opal gems in its black head and looked at her. Lyra looked away for her pride as a pony if anything "I...I'm just paying you back for the hair clip...and that time when..." This was stupid she thought, like there was any way this could be the same Changeling as...she stopped when she noticed something squeezing her rump. Lyra sweated the hoof away "at least I know I'm not doing this for a stranger" she said to the injured being in her care. Looking closely at the creatures eyes, Lyra close her next words very carefully. "Look! I'm grateful for the water and the hair clip, but don't think that this makes us square, your a Changeling and I'm a Pony, I think it would be best if you just got out of here and didn't come back, I mean it's easy for you to transform into a guard or something and..." She stopped! Lyra looked carefully at the Changeling, a sudden realisation struck her. "You can't can you!" She said at last "your to beat up to stand let alone turn into anypony" Lyra looked at the eyes of the Changeling again. What was once cold and empty to her where now full of sorrow and self pity. She could just leave it she thought, forget it was ever here and get on with her life, it was a monster that invaded Canterlot and crashed a royal wedding, others would understand. She looked back down at the sad creature half closing its eyes in exhaustion. But she wouldn't, she would always remember, every time she sees an injured animal, a dragonfly or even a blue gem, she would remember the time that she left somepony, even if it wasn't a pony, cold and alone to die in an empty cavern. Her mother always taught her to care for others no mater the species, and this was a prime example. Half reluctantly, she put the Changeling back on the ground and walked over to the wall of the cave to pick up a large brown sheet that had been left there years ago. Slowly she rapped the now sleeping Changeling until it looked like a role of old carpet. Lyra gently placed the hidden Changeling on her back and begun her way back to the surface. "Boy, I wonder what Bon Bon's going to say about all this"
Chapter 2 Caution Chapter 2 Caution Lyra had made it back to her home safely. She couldn't help but feel a little bit frustrated that she managed to take a Changeling all the way from the middle of Equestria to her house without anypony batting an eye lid. Just what did the guard ponies do all day? Well anyway she was home now and that's what matters. The Changeling was still out cold when she unrolled the sheet, her parents had both taught her some basic medical knowledge and the injuries weren't as bad as she thought, nether the less without any care it wouldn't have lasted another week, and that's if it hadn't starved to death first. After finishing she stepped back to admire her work, all the limbs had bandages on them, his torso was wrapped, his wings where braced, and a singe bandage was around his head. Now that it's life wasn't in any danger, Lyra got started on stage two. The Changeling slowly woke up in the bed of Lyra's spare room, the window was blocked so no Pony could see inside and the 'Guest' had a leash around its neck connected firmly to the bedpost. Lyra was sitting at its side "well nice to see your still hanging in there considering all the trouble I went trough to get you here" Lyra got off the stool she was sitting on (in her special little way) and started towards the door "this is how it's going to work! Until you are fully recovered you will stay in this room, you are not to leave this room or make any attempted to escape, and once your all better you will leave without attacking anypony and go back to your hive..." Lyra thought about that last part "...or wherever you want to live, just as long as it's not here, I don't know why you where left behind but I can't image it was because you where the Bug Queens favourite" Lyra closed the door behind her and locked the door. Leaning on the hard wood of the door Lyra thought to herself, why did she say that? Didn't all Changelings serve there queen in there hive? Memories of that day once again creeped into her head. Along the cave floor and walls where Changelings, but they didn't act like the ones that attacked Counterlot, they where sad looking, and if she recalled the flying ones seemed to be picking on them, like they where lower class creatures. Lyra's moment of inner thought was broken when she realised that there was a strong musky stink, creeping from behind the closed door. Fearing the worst Lyra unlocked and burst though the door into the room. The Changeling was sitting in the middle of the bed just as it was when she left like a dog that had been waiting for its master to come home, however the sheets directly under it had become a lime green colour, and stank off...Lyra's mouth was wide open, but she shut it realising the stench was going into her nose trough it. "When I said...I didn't mean...oh sweet Celestia!" Lyra ushered the Changeling off the bed and took off the sheets. Luckily the green smelling liquid hadn't seeped down to the mattress yet. She turned her head to the perpetrator who just looked at her with a vacant stare wile she covered her nose. "What the heck do you eat raw sewage!?" Quickly Lyra rushed to the room at the back of the house and shoved the sheet in the washing machine with a large amount off cleaning liquid. Lyra breathed out in relief. Why didn't it say or do anything, why did it just sit there as...she left the door open in the rush! Immediately she rushed back, only to find that the Changeling hadn't moved since she left. Slowly realising something important about her guest, Lyra walked over to the front of the creature until she was sitting eye to eye with it. "Your not just giving me the silent treatment are you!?" There was no response, as she expected. "When I want you to answer a question you can nod for yes and shake for no, got it" she said giving examples as she spoke. The Changeling nodded in reply. Good she thought, at least she knows it's not brain dead. "Now then! You can't talk at all can you" The Changeling nodded. "And you can't think clearly unless somepony else tells you too right. The Changeling looked down in thought for a moment looking rather irritated at itself for admitting it before eventually nodding. "Why? Is this because Queen Chrysalis isn't here to order you around anymore" There was a moment where it looked insulted and angry at the thought of its supposed queen before shaking its head furiously. Lyra raised an eyebrow. "You don't like Chrysalis?" It nodded resolutely. "OK I didn't see that coming, why are you so..." Lyra thought about her words, stupid or imparted didn't seem to suit this conversation. She finally decided on a word "...underdeveloped? Others of your kind can talk, transform and think for themselves, why can't you?" The Changeling just looked at her. "Guess that wasn't a yes or no question huh." Lyra cleared her head and throat "ok, if your going to be here until your healed then I guess I better tell you that if you need to go to the bathroom then go 'in' the bathroom...on the toilet...with the lid open...so it goes into the water...then wipe yourself...and flush...are you following any off this?" The Changeling thought for a moment then nodded, this it held its hoof up and shook its head. "Yes...and no?" It nodded. Lyra had a feeling it didn't know what a toilet was, just how low was this guy in the hive ranks. Waite she thought, did she just use the word 'guy' in that last sentence. This moment was cut off when a low growling noise came of the Changelings body. When was the last time heIT! had eaten anything? Do Changelings even need to eat? She wasn't going to take the chance of finding a dead body in her house. "I'm going to make you something to eat now. Do NOT pee on the bed, I repeat, do NOT pee on the bed!" Lyra left the room to the kitchen. Since it was a prisoner of sorts she wasn't planing on making anything to fancy or elaborate. She make a bowl of warm mashed stuff she found in the fridge, it had oatmeal, cheese and some vegetables in it. Lyra tasted a bit of it from her hoof, it wasn't that bad actually. She made her way to the room with the Changeling still sitting next to the bed with the same waiting dog look to it. Lyra wondered if it really needed the leash, or as she realised, did she need to make it longer so that it could go to the bathroom. The idea of having a bucket did cross her mind but changing it was not something she partially wanted. Lyra took the bowl to the Changeling and placed it on the table at the side of the room. It looked at the bowl and back to Lyra, oh Faust she thought, don't tell me it doesn't know how to eat! "This" she said pointing to the bowl "is food! You put it in your mouth, chew it until it's mush and swallow it!" The Changeling still looked at her. "Like this!" Lyra took a small bite of the meal, chewed it loudly and swallowed. "Now you!" Tentatively the Changeling walked over to the table and looked down at the substance in front of it, before putting its muzzle in and began eating. Somehow seeing it eat like this made Lyra feel...happy. There was a knock at the front door. Lyra left the happily eating Changeling and went to answer it. Bon Bon was waiting outside "Hay Bon Bon" Bon Bon walked in and Lyra shut the door behind her. Lyra turned to face her friend. "So" Bon Bon began "how was your trip to Counterlot?" Lyra looked at her for a moment. She had that 'your in trouble' tone in her voice. "Fine, fine" she said "got my hair clip, came back, nothing to say really!" "Yes. With a new roll of old carpet. Big enough for a body to be hidden in" Lyra's trough dried up "that was kind of a...oddly pacific phrase. "...you went into the caves and found an injured Changeling who you brought back and started nursing back to health haven't you!" "WHAT! No no no, wh...what could make you think that I..." Bon Bon pointed her hoof to her left side to show that the Changeling had walked over wile they where talking. It was holding an empty bowl in one hoof. "Oh...dang I...Waite how did you get here I tied you..." She looked down at the leach and saw that the bed rung she tied it to had popped out and was trailing behind him. Now she remembered why she moved that bed to the guest room. "Fine I will find you something, come on!" Lyra grabbed the leach with her magic and pulled him towards the kitchen. Wile there backs where turned, Bon Bon took out a small back device that looked like a black ball with two antenna attacked to a short black pole. The round green screen on the ball part hummed for a moment as she pointed it towards Lyra, there was a quiet beep and it showed [mind control magic 00%] on the screen. Lyra then pointed it at the Changeling and clicking a button on the side of the stick part. There was another moment of humming before another beep and another message [evolution level 001] Bon Bon cocked an eyebrow and put the device away before walking over to the pare in the kitchen. Lyra was going trough the cupboard trying to find something for the Changeling to eat. "OK I'm going to level with you, I may have needed to go shopping this week. All I can find is this apple from Sweet Apple Ac..." Lyra stopped when she noticed that the Changeling was eyeing the apple like a dog to a stick. Lyra moved the apple side to side in her hoof experimentally and as she thought the Changeling followed it with its head. Picking it up with her magic, Lyra threw the apple into the empty guest room with the Changeling zipping right too it. Lyra jumped in and locked the door behind it and gave a relieved sigh. "Well that was easier than I though it would be" that's when it occurred to her that explaining this might be trickier. Bon Bon was standing right in front of her "Would you believe this is all a dream?" Bon Bon shook her head slowly not taking her eyes off her "I didn't think so" Lyra tried to think quickly. She explained about the hair clip and the memory's she had emphasise that the Changeling didn't seem to be dangerous wile Bon Bon just stood there quietly. Bon Bon opened her mouth and then closed it again. "I know what's going to happen" Lyra raised an eyebrow "what?" "The same thing that happens when you do something dumb or reckless, I will say you have to get rid of the Changeling and you will say no" Lyra agreed "Yep" "Then I will tell you all the reasons why keeping it is a bad idea and incredibly dangerous and will still say no" "Yep" "Then I will ask why and you will give a long winded speech why it would be wrong to get rid of it" "Yep" "And I will give up and help you for the sake of making sure you don't get yourself killed or anypony else dies horribly" "Yep" "So why don't we just skip it and I help you, besides I don't think letting a Changeling loose on Ponyvill unsupervised Is going to make either of us popular" Lyra smiled in relief "Thanks Bon Bon" "But if we end up dead, then I'm going to clobber you" "Deal!" Inside the guest room, the Changeling was snuggled up in the bed purring softly. It had never had a bed before and rather liked the feel of a soft warm place to sleep. It wasn't sure yet, but it thinks that maybe it liked the mint coloured pony, a lot.
Chapter 3 StudySince Bon Bon's visit, the two have decided to do some close observation of there guest. Lyra decided to experiment with what it eats. So far she has learnt that the Changeling will eat anything given to it, but it seems to like soup, stew and other bowl foods the most. It also seems it's favourite fruit is pineapple, however it seemed to go wild for Sweet Apple Acres apples and cake from SugarCube Corner. Bon Bon was walking up to Lyra's door on the fifth day of the Changelings arrival when she heard a loud scream coming from inside, followed the sound of rushing water. Bon Bon quickly ran trough the door to find her friend head first in the sink wile the Changeling, who was tied to the table, happily eating from a large bowl. Lyra with her tong hanging out and sweat poring down her red face looked up to her friend. "Appara *pant* apparently *pant*" Lyra shook herself off "apparently he likes extra spicy" The two turned to look at there guest eating. Bon Bon turned her head back to Lyra and looked at her in silence for a moment. "You said he" Lyra looked back at her friend. "What?" "You said he, are you sure your not getting a little too attached to it?" "Wha...no no of corse not!" Bon Bon looked at her for a moment "ok, but watch it in future" She walked up to the table and placed a bad down. The Changeling finishing the contents of the bowl sniffed the air for a second before looked down at the bag and plunging its head into it, there was a series of munching sounds before it came back out licking its lips in satisfaction. Bon Bon took the bag back and tipped out the contents, there where bright red apples alongside an equal amount of fresh apple cores. The apples and the cores all had little tags attacked to there stems, all the untouched apples had various names on there tags wile the cores had Sweet Apple Acre on them. Bon Bon examined the pile of fruit and cores. "I knew it" Lyra looked puzzled "what, so he likes apples from Applejack's farm, can you really blame him?" "You did it again! You said him!" "No I didn't" "Yes you did" The Changeling nodded in agreement. "You stay out of this! And you tell me why a Changeling eating apples is so interesting" "Lyra, you ever hear the old saying, made with love?" "Yeah, what has that got to do with..." Lyra thought about it for a second. "You don't think that...?" "I did a bit of reading at the Library, and it says that a Changeling can get love from more than just ponies, anything made with love, grown with love, heck it even says that they can feed off the love in the air of places that are full of it" Lyra thought about this. Bon Bon made love sound like a kind of background radiation, off corse that might be the reason that the Changelings originally attacked Counterlot and later of Ponyvill, although the latter was more revenge than feeding. Anyway it would explain why the one they had wasn't starving to death. "What about objects like paintings and stuff?" "I think that counts but I'm not sure if they could get the love without eating it" Bon Bon then untied the leash and pulled the Changeling away from the table. "Well anyway it's my turn to watch over him, you have to go to the musicians guild today remember" Lyra smacked her head "that's right! I'm practising that new song for the mayoral dinner next month!" Lyra rushed past the two and grabbed her lyre from a desk draw "don't wreck the house wile I'm gone now!" And she was out off the house and half way down the street. There was a moment of silence and the two characters left in the room looked at each other in puzzlement. "You thought that was a little bit much too right?" The Changeling nodded. Bon Bon then led the Changeling to the basement under the house and tied it's lead to the table. She then took out seemingly from no where a metal ring with lights all around the edge. Bon Bon placed the metal ring on the Changeling's unresisting head and sat on the chair opposite. "The thing I just strapped on your head is a lie detector, it's immune to all forms of tampering magical or otherwise and works on all species" Bon Bon put her two front hoofs together. "Now I'm going to ask you a few questions, the device doesn't need you to actually speak just answer, do you understand?" The Changeling nodded, the lights on the ring flashed green and made a *Ding* noise. "Good! Now then. Are you a spy for the other Changeling's?" The Changeling shoot its head to say no. *Ding* Bon Bon thought for a moment "ok...good, do any other Changeling's know you are here?" It shook its head again. *Ding* "Alright then..." Bon Bon thought about what her next question "are you popular with girl Changeling's?" The Changeling nodded and the lights flashed red and made a *Bzzz* noise. It rocked its hoof to say sort off... *Bzzz* It put its hoofs close together to say a little... *Bzzz* It lowered its head in defeat and shook. *Ding* Bon Bon looked to the side a little ashamed for the Changeling. Now it was time for the seriousness questions. "Do you plan to hurt Lyra?" The Changeling's head shot up right looking surprised as the mere thought of it and shook its head violently. *Ding* Bon Bon raised an eyebrow "...you really care for her don't you?" The Changeling nodded looking down at the table without making any eye contact to Bon Bon. *Ding* Bon Bon wanted to ask more, but she felt she had learnt enough. She took the ring off its head and undid the leash. There was a moment of silence with her holding it, before the came to a decision and took it off the Changeling completely. "Lyra is my best friend, but she's reckless and easily gets into trouble, there are things that I don't know about her, but there are things she doesn't know about me. I only want her to be safe, and happy. So just know if you do anything to hurt or upset her I will come down on you like a rock filled tornado!" The Changeling nodded its head in understanding. Bon Bon looked at the creature again, just what was this thing...no...this guy thinking. He was a monster, but so fare he was proving to be more humane than most others she had met in her past. Waite did she use the word he? Bon Bon started up the stares with the Changeling following. "Oh! One more thing..." She said half way up "mention any of this stuff with the lie detector to Lyra, and I will pound you..."
Chapter 4 CommunicationA lot has happened since the lie dictator. The library was blown up, Twilight got a new castle and various other events that have become common place around Ponyvill nowadays. Lyra, Bon Bon and the Changeling where all sitting at the table with board expressions on there faces. Lyra looked up at empty space "is the flashback over now coz that took forever" Bon Bon raised her head "yeah seriously three chapters is a lot for a retelling of past events" Look the audience would want to know what the heck is going on in the story! "Do you really think anyone is going to believe any of this is cannon" Look this is just a fun little fan fiction for people to read and enjoy! Now stop braking the forth wall and let me do my job please! "Fine!" Lyra patted her friends shoulder with her hoof "that was a well put statement buddy" Bon Bon sat up "thank you Lyra, now then..." She turned to face the Changeling "back to our guest problem" Lyra scratched her head "what was the problem again. Errrrrr OH RIGHT his visit to the wedding right!" Bon Bon looked at the Changeling "this might be off topic but has he gotten smarter since then?" Lyra thought about the past couple of days. The Changeling has been more responsive than it was the first day he arrived, he even did stuff like clean up and do the dishes, it even started making its own meals. "Yeeeees...is this about that time you used that black thing with antenna on him wile our backs where turned?" Bon Bon looked at her speechless. "I was listening to the story during the flashback" Bon Bon hung her head in shame and brought the device out "I was only looking out for you" "I know you where Bon Bon" Smiling in relief, Bon Bon pointed the device at the Changeling and waited for the results. [evolution level 005] she put the device down and put a hoof to her chin. "He's risen by two levels since yesterday" Lyra looked at her friends worried expression "is that bad?" "Not necessarily, I did some research on Changeling's and Queen Chrysalis's Hive with the information from S.M.I.L.E and it seems there are four levels in there hierarchy. The Queen is on a level on her own obviously. The generals who where the armour are second and command the army's for the queen. The drowns who do all the work. And then there's his group..." Bon Bon said as she pointed to the Changeling opposite to her "he is at the lowest level of the hierarchy, the weak, sick, old or mentally different, out of all the Changeling's in the hive his group gets the smallest amount of love. It has been discovered though examinations of previous attacks from his hive that a large number of his level of Changeling's are left behind to die to thin out the heard as it where...it's kind of sad really" Lyra stared at the Changeling in silence. She couldn't images what it would be like to be just thrown away by your own kind. "So I guess that's why you aren't to keen to go back to Chrysalis..." "Pffffff" The Changeling had stuck out his tong and pfff'd when she said the name. Lyra pondered for a moment. "...Chrysalis" "Pffffff" Lyra giggled "Chrysalis Chrysalis Chrysalis" "Pffffff Pffffff Pffffff" Lyra whispered "Chrysalis" "Pffffff" Lyra laughed and Bon Bon wondered if she was a bad example on him. "It's a shame he's not evolved enough to talk or we could actually understand him a little more" Lyra wiped her eyes "how evolved does he need to be?" "Well a typical drown is a level 15 to 16, a general is 50 or so...I would say 25 to 30 tops." "But he understands us, he knows what we say, he even reads like a pro" "Maybe but that..." Bon Bon stopped and looked at her "he can read!" "Yeah he's been reading Daring Doo story's all month, he's already at..." "Stop right there! I just had an idea!" Bon Bon rushed outside of site. There was the sound of rummaging before she came back to the table with a pencil and a small stack of paper. "If he can read..." she said with excitement in her voice "then maybe he can write!" The Changeling looked at the pare and then down at the paper. Carefully he took the pencil in his mouth and started scrawling on the paper. However it was having trouble controlling it and was only able to write scribbles. Lyra with a look of curiosity took the pencil out of the Changeling's mouth, took his right hoof and placed the pencil on top. "Try like this" The Changeling held the pencil in his hoof for a moment, rocking it in his grip experimentally. The it picked up one of the sheets and wrote one it. He then passed the page over to the two waiting ponies. LIKE THIS? Bon Bon grinned "Yes! I mean, yes" Lyra beamed "this is fantastic! Now we can know what he wants, what he's thinking and..." Lyra stopped like she just thought of something important. She turned her head to the Changeling "Waite you are a boy right?" Bon Bon looked at her "you didn't know!?" "Well I just assumed that he was a guy" "Well..." Bon Bon looked the Changeling up and down "actually I can't tell either...are you a boy?" The Changeling wrote on another sheet TECHNICALLY SPEAKING! The two ponies looked at each other and then back to the Changeling. "What do you mean technically speaking?" Lyra said. There was more writing and he brought up a page saying ONLY THE QUEEN HAS A FIXED GENDER! THE REST OF US ARE GENETICALLY BOTH! WHAT SEX WE CALL OURSELVES IS OUT OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE! BUT YES I AM A GUY! Lyra looked at the page for a moment. He was defiantly smart there was no mistake about that. "So how do you go to the bathroom?" The Changeling's cheeks turned bright sky blue, it seemed his kind had a different blush colour then ponies. Looking at the two ponies for a moment he took a page and wrote with the face of somepony who had wanted to ask this for days. SO ARE YOU TWO A... He trailed off in thought but Lyra could see what he was going to ask. "Nooooooo, no no no, HELL NO! EVERYPONY THINKS THAT AND THE ANSWER IS NO! WHY DOES EVERYPONY THINK THAT! SHE HAS A COLTFRIEND IN THE ROYAL GUARD AND I AM AS STRATE AS AN ARROW!!!" Lyra fell back on her char and humped, all that could be herd was an angry muttering "mutter mutter slike saying rainbow dash is gay coz of her hair mutter mutter" The Changeling turned to Bon Bon who was blushing violently, she knew what was on his mind. "Oh, errrr, don't worry, my errr coltfrend is stationed in Counterlot so you don't have to worry about getting in trouble or anything" The Changeling then turned to Lyra who had her head wrapped in her hoofs and passed on a new note. SORRY :( Lyra wiped her eyes and slowly grinned at him. "No I'm sorry, it's just something that happens a lot to me, I didn't mean to snap" Bon Bon pulled away from the table and walked in between the two. "Well now that that's been all settled I better get going to the shop, just remember no more going outside, we don't want the whole place panicking over another invasion" Bon Bon stopped as she realised something "sooooo now that we can talk I got to know, what IS your name?" Lyra's eyes opened "hay yeah, we never did ask that did we!" The Changeling wrote and gave them a new note. 586! The pare looked at each other again "no your name not your...number" The Changeling tapped the page. Lyra's mouth opened in shock "you don't have a name!" Bon Bon shrugged "guess Chrysalis doesn't care enough to name her subjects, although after the first 100 I think I would run out of names myself" Lyra looked at the Changeling numbered 586 "so what would you like to be called" Number 586 rubbed his chin and began writing, but stopped after the first letter K... Something beginning with k Lyra though, then it hit her. "Kevin" The pare looked at her. "Why Kevin?" Bon Bon asked "Don't know, it just seemed right?" Bon Bon smiled and left the pare. She was still a little worried but she had a feeling that those two where a perfect Mach for each other. Bon Bon felt even more worried after she thought that last part, she guessed it was good that she didn't tell Lyra the last part of her research. But that would never happen, not between a Pony and a Changeling right, it would like a Pony and a Dragon or...she passed Rarity with Spike helping her shopping on the way to her shop. Oh Celestia help her.
