Pony and the Changeling

Chapter 9

Days have passed, the changeling still refused to come down to dinner. Katana started to change more into a changeling form than a Pegasus. She knew that time was running out for her master to return as a pony if unchanged. One night, however, Applejack couldn't stand this anymore.

"This is getting ridiculous!" she shouted as Katana explained earlier.

"I'm sorry, Mistress, but that is his request."

"Request or not, it's unhealthy to not eat. He needs food."

"But Mistress, you don't understand. He cannot eat food."

"Then why? Why isn't he joining us? Is he gonna-"

"He cannot."

Applejack stood there confused. As she expected a reason, Katana took a deep breath to explain.

"He cannot steal love. The curse allows him to become a changeling, but he is unable to steal love. He's learning to control his hunger by staying away from any pony, for if the curse continues unchanged, he will lose control."

Applejack pondered for a moment. Though his procedure was a truthful way to control if he loses control, however, it still wasn't worth him for starving. She stomped her hooves on the tables and walked towards the door.

"Mistress... Where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk some sense out of him." Applejack demanded.

"But Mistress, don't you remember what happened last time you went in the Moon Wing? If he intends to rage, he'll-"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Besides, whoever said I was going inside the Moon Wing?"

She then left the room, leaving Katana alone. Though she wasn't sure as to what will happen, Katana only sighed for a moment and cleared the table. That same hour, as the changeling glanced at the Everfree, something caught his attention. When he turned around, an apple fritter sat there hot and juicy. Without hesitating, he dove into the meal and started to chew like an animal.

"Looks like some pony is hungry." a voice interrupted him.

As he glanced upward, Applejack stood there with a smirk on her face. The changeling wiped the crumbs off of his face as he regained his posture.

"Miss Applejack..."

"Didn't we agree to drop the word 'Miss' from my name? I ain't some pony royal after all."

"My apologies. I guess it's a habit that I've been raised with and hard to break."

"Yeah. No kidding."

"Anyways," he continued, "Applejack, what brings you here?"

"Since you can't come down at the table and enjoy a fine dinner, I decided to come to you instead."

"I appreciate the thought, but I must decline. Hasn't Katana told you about-"

"Yup, but that doesn't mean nothing to me."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope. Though I understand that your training idea seems great, it still doesn't give you the right to skip meals. That causes you to starve easily."

"Then do you have any recommendations for a changeling, pony?"

"First of all, calm down. I'm just saying that it isn't healthy for a pony. Second of all, the best way for one to control your thirst of love is to learn to face them."

"For a pony, yes, that may seem easy, but in case you have forgotten, I'm a changeling."

"Are you though?"

the tension was heating badly that the changeling had to control his temper. He took a deep breath and glanced at Applejack.

"Look." he calmly stated, "I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don't need any pony's help."

He turned aside and glanced at the Everfree once more.

"What are you afraid of?" Applejack asked.

He sighed and glanced at Applejack. Since he cared of no pony but himself before, he couldn't dare to state a single word towards her. The changeling assumed that she wouldn't understand anything. Though no conversation came through the two ponies, Applejack then attempted to change the subject. As she glanced at the portrait from before, the earth pony did want to know what happened to him.

"Why don't you ever tell me about anything in your past life? You know you don't have to hide them from me."

"I don't think you want to know about me, AJ. You know as well as I do that my parents never cared about me and how I lived my life before then. You, on the other hoof, have family and friends that love you so much even though they aren't related to you."

"That may seem that way, but that doesn't mean you should assume that they hated you. They may have been raise that way before."

"Typical. I wouldn't expect you to know anything about what parents are like."

The changeling turned aside with such hurt. Though he didn't know about Applejack's history, she placed her hoof towards his shoulder.

"You're right," Applejack agreed, "I know nothing about what parents are like since I never knew my parents, but that doesn't mean that I should ignore your pain. I want to help you."

As she placed her hoof on his shoulder, peace started to come into the changeling's heart. Though Applejack started to see something different in her eyes, her heart started to beat.

"I'm sorry, Applejack." the changeling apologized. "I didn't know-"

"It's alright. What's done is done."

"Why don't you know about your parents?"

"Granny never told me about 'em. They were gone ever since Apple Bloom was born."

"I see."

The two sat there silently as if time stopped for themselves.

"Well," Applejack replied as she rose from her seat. "I got to see if my sister's back."

While she walked away from his room, the changeling sat there pondering about something.

"AJ, wait."

"Yes?"

"Would you..." he stated, but couldn't figure out how to finish.

"Would I what?"

He took a deep breath and finished his sentence.

"Would you be willing to join me for dinner tomorrow?"

"Are you attempting to ask me out as your date?"

"Maybe..."

"You seriously need a lot of work..."

She walked away for a moment. The changeling sighed, thinking that she answered with a no.

"If you are wondering," Applejack called out, "It's a yes. Be there."

He smiled as he flew in circles. Excited to be with the pony he loved. He then stopped mid-flight.

'Is this love?'

"No. It can't be. Right?"

He pondered for a moment of this new feeling. Applejack, on the other hoof, as she entered her room, started to feel a harmonious beat in her chest.

"Why...could I be...?" she asked herself.

Ignoring her feelings, she rested for the night, thinking about her date. Suddenly, she realized something.

"I've never been on a date before!"