Blind Heartbeats

"Milky, time to wake up," Mum said soothingly, shaking me. "It's time to get ready for school dear."

"Just five more minutes mum." I moaned, turning over.

"You wanted to go to school like a regular kid, so you're going to school now get up." Mum bossed, pulling blankets off. I shivered and turned back. I opened my eyes to the sound of her moving out of my room. I sat up and yawned, waking up sucks. The morning birds chirped as ponies outside said their goodbyes. I walked towards my closet and went around for my school uniform. I felt it and took it out. I put the shirt on and button up the jacket, then the skirt slid on. I was ready and I grabbed my saddlebags and trotted downstairs.

"Bye Mum, Bye Pops I'm off now!" I exclaimed and went for the door.

"Not so fast Milky, you need to do two more things before going out," Pops said.

"What? Did I forget something?" I asked, spinning around to check.

"One is you would forget your lunch, the second is your disguise," Mum said, giving me my lunchbox.

"Oh right," I said, transforming myself into a brown and copper mare. "There now am I all set?"

"Yes, now have fun dear," Mum said, kissing my cheek. I left the house and walked down the path. I looked around and sensed the warmth of the sun. I turned and continued walking down the path, towards school. I'm a changeling, I was abandoned by my mother at birth and was adopted by my current guardians. I was mischievous as a foal, that's how I was adopted actually. Long story short, they found out I was a changeling after my foal magic wore off, but they still love me how I am. But not many ponies accept changelings, they aren't wrong for hating them, but few aren't bad ponies and shouldn't be grouped up with them. I hide in disguise, with parent permission when guest come or I go outside. I knew this forever though so I'm used to hiding my true side.

The sidewalk grew colder as I continued, at the end of the trail lies the schoolhouse. I hear ponies trotting from all directions, heading towards the same building. I walked up the steps and enter through the door, feeling the breeze of a different life up ahead of myself.

The chattering was everywhere. Something about this or that coming from two different directions.

"Oof, sorry." I apologized as I accidentally bumped into somepony while walking in the hall. "Sorry." As another one bumped into me. I went straight into someone else instead. "Sorry, I'm deeply sorry."

"Sorry now? How about you look where you are going?" He said, intimidatingly. "You should learn how to walk down a simple hallway without bumping into others." I felt meek, and I was nearly cowering, legs shaking.

"Oh, there you are." A voice from behind said. I felt a hoof around my shoulder and being pulled towards someone. "Thanks for keeping her company." The big guy just grunted and walked off. A sigh left the pony next to me as his hoof fell from my shoulder. "You should really be more careful around here and stop bumping into others."

"Sorry, I'm just looking for room 115," I said.

"I'll show you where it is since that's also my class, but you'll be owing me one." He stated. He took off and I followed behind, trying not to lose him. The halls were crowded but for some reason when I'm with him, they seem nearly empty.

We come to the classroom, door open and all. He enters and I follow. I looked around, trying to get a feel for things. I walk towards the back for a desk, try and sit down till class starts. I place my bags underneath the desk and sit down. Then more ponies come pouring in as the bell begins to ring, with the teacher behind them all.

"Welcome students, I'll be your teacher for the year. I'm Ms. Moonlight." The teacher said to the class. "Now we'll begin introductions, so may the first student come up to the front and tell us about them a little." I heard a chair scoot back as a student got up.

"I am Bell Shine, its good you meet you all." She said, moving back to her seat afterward. Eventually, I was up, so I stood up and began walking to the front. So many eyes were on me, I could tell because I was somewhat a new girl.

"My name is Milky Glow, and I hope for a good year with you all," I said gleefully. I heard gasping from multiple directions.

"She's cute!" exclaimed many of the stallions in the class. I begin glowing red afterward and began walking back, trying to hide my embarrassment. I sat down with a little sigh of relief, still with eyes looking at me. The teacher sighed and continued on. The next student got up and walked down the row. Everypony was silent when he got up.

"I'm Crisp Mark, just stay out of my way." He stated. He just walked back to his seat afterward. His voice was familiar to the stallion who helped me out.

"Now is some free time before lunch, afterward you'll be learning your schedule for the day and will go home." Ms. Moonlight said. Once she said that many ponies made their way to me. I was surrounded by them. They began throwing questions at me like, where did I come from or if I was single. It was bombarding and I was getting meek again. Then I heard a grunt of a familiar tone.

"She is nothing new to a school, most of you stallions are just happy because this is basically a clean slate." Crisp said, then the bell rings. Lunch is happening as ponies moved away.

"Thank you," I said to Crisp. I opened my bag and began to pull out my lunch. I heard a growl and turned to Crisp. "Aren't you going to have lunch?"

"Hmmm? No, I don't have anything for lunch" he said.

"Do you want some of mine?" I asked, offering him some. He took some from my box and I pulled back to begin eating myself.

"Guess you paid your debt." He said, munching on one of my cookies. "You shouldn't hang out with me though, just a warning."

"Why not?" I asked. "You don't seem like a bad pony." He chuckled at that statement as we both ate lunch. The classroom felt empty as if no one is eating lunch in the classroom. I wasn't paying much attention at the time. I begin eating my daisy sandwich.

"What school did you come anyway?" He asked. I finish swallowing a bite of my sandwich.

"I was homeschooled," I stated. "My parents were kind of scared for me being in a public school, so they homeschooled me."

"You wouldn't last a week here, but you aren't one of those rich folks so you should be fine." He said with a serious tone. "Plus most of the stallions might have it out for you, so you might make it."

I finished eating my sandwich, I grabbed the apple out of my box and took a bite out of it. "Why are you like that?" I asked. "You're making yourself out to be a bad pony, but you really aren't."

"You only knew me the first day of coming here, if you were at the intermediate school." He said. I continued to eat my apple, hoping to hear more. He didn't continue, so I'm going to take a wild swing and say he did some things back then.

"What are we doing next?" I asked.

"Physical Education, and on first days they want to see what you're made of." He answered. My heart dropped, I'm not good at running or anything, when it comes to anything athletic, I'm a klutz. I jumped as the bell rang, signaling lunch is over. I gulped as now its time for P.E. I grabbed my bag and walked behind Crisp to where we are meeting up for it. I inhaled fresh air as we left the building. The pavement change to grass as we walked to where all the students are meeting up. I heard the teacher come up to the group of students.

"It looks like everypony is here." Ms. Moonlight said. "This is where we'll be meeting up for the exercise period of school. We'll start by stretching and then running around the track, after the warm-up we'll begin class with attendance. I want three laps." Everyone was waiting quietly to begin with the introduction of the class. "Now everyone give me two laps for today, you don't have to run for now."

Everyone went on the track as the few athletes ran and the others walked. I began walking in the front of the slow group. Knowing that I would have to run, it would be better to know how the others act first. Crisp was one of the runners, must be better so get it done while the slowpokes take longer to finish. I completed one lap an was on my second as the runners behind me finished. I continued trotting at a faster pace, trying to finish a bit faster. As I reached the finish line I heard hooves coming behind me.

"Behind you!" said a student. I turned around and collided with another student, who took off running. I fell down, blacking out from my head hitting the track.

I woke up on a bed inside a room. I rubbed my head, trying to get rid of the pain.

"You're awake." A familiar tone said. "You want to say something to me?" realizing it was Crisp who had carried me here.

"I'm a klutz, also where are we?" I asked.

"Nurse's office, but also I'm not asking about how clumsy you are, I'm talking about you." He stated. I touched my head again and realized my disguise was gone.

"What, no no no," I said worriedly. "This isn't what it looks likes." trying to hide.

"It looks like you are a changeling." He said. "So that's why you are so interested in me, eyeing me up to steal my love?"

"What!" I said in surprise. "I'm not here to eat love, my parents sent me here because I wanted to go," I said.

"You sure your parent sent you here for that?" He questioned. "I mean changelings can only..."

"They aren't changelings." I interrupted. "I was adopted and they care for me no matter what I am. This is the reason they didn't want to send me but I didn't care. I wanted to make some friends that weren't children of their friends." tearing up. "So time to spread this around the school that I'm a filthy changeling." Sniffling with tears down my cheeks.

"No." He said suddenly. "I would never do such a thing like that. One is no pony would believe me and two is that it would ruin your life." I stopped sniveling.

"Really... you wouldn't say anything?" I asked.

"I wouldn't, but your gonna have to talk to her about it." He said. I heard hoofsteps get closer as a mare begin speaking.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry I ran into you." She apologized. "I thought you would get out of the way or something."

"I'm fine, it just hurts a bit," I said, rubbing my forehead again. "I may be a changeling but I don't have an exoskeleton to protect me."

"Is she okay?" The mare asked Crisp.

"I don't know anymore." He replied. They began chuckling a bit, and I was very out of the loop.

"Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet." The mare said. "I am Lemon Sweets."

"Its good you meet you Lemon," I said. I sat a bit, cooling down a bit.

"Who was that mare you transformed into?" asked Crisp.

"Oh, she's no one really, I kind of made her up," I said. "It was something a changeling didn't do till now. You could always come to my house to ask my parents about these questions."

"Okay, let's go after school then." Crisp said. My heart dropped again, he wants to come over now?

"Oooo, me too," Lemon added. that's two ponies coming over.

"Okay, I guess that would be fine," I said. "When does school end?"

"About now," Lemon said as the bell rings to signal the end of the day.

I disguise myself as my brown and copper mare persona. I then got up from the bed and took my bag. "Ready when you are." I left and they followed me to my house. My first day of school was over.

I was on the steps of my home with two new friends. I opened the door back to the gentle warm breeze.

"I'm home!" I said after returning. Mum walked up to welcome me back.

"How was your first-day dear?" she asked as she kissed my cheek. "And it looks like you brought guest over as well."

"When will dinner be ready?" I asked.

"In about an hour or so, so why don't you just hang out in your room with your friends till then." She said. I started walking towards the stairs as my friends followed. I opened the first door on the right, into my room.

"Wow, this room is really mundane," Lemon said in surprise. "Knowing the little bit about you, I thought it would be a bit decorative."

"I would agree as well, it isn't anything at all." Crisp said.

"Why would I need to decorate my room?" I asked.

"So that you feel at home inside it Milky, its nothing new." Lemon stated.

"But what's the point if I can't see it?" the room was silent.

"What!" They both gasped.

"You can't be dropping another bomb on us like that," Lemon said.

"Yeah, I think you are trying to play us." Crisp said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Please, there is no way you are blind, you were walking home just fine." He stated.

"I memorized the way and where my house is on the street, I know my address but that also is memorizing more than anything. " I said. "I have no idea what color these walls are, but from feeling them, they must be a darker color for absorbing all the heat from the light."

"What kind of pony am I?" Lemon asked.

"Aren't you an earth pony? You did kind of knock me down and out." I said.

"Nope, I'm a pegasus." She stated. "Also I just noticed that you're still in disguise."

"Oh, I can fix that," I said, transforming to my changeling form. "Is this better?"

"Ooooo, I never noticed how pretty you are as a changeling," Lemon said. "That mane style fits your shy and weak personality sooo well."

"I... I'm not pretty." I said, blushing.

"But these pictures say otherwise." Crisp said. My eyes widen.

"Give me that!" I said diving for the album.

"Why, I thought you couldn't see?" Crisp teased. "We were just gonna take a look at some of these pictures."

"No, they are super embarrassing and I rather not," I said, reaching for the album. I heard the album open up with pages flipping.

"Oh my... sooooo cuuuttte," Lemon exclaimed. "There is little changeling Milky and little pony Milky, this is sooo adorable." I plummet my face into the floor, blushing profusely.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about being blind, in every group picture where you weren't in the middle, you looked past the camera while everyone else looked straight at it." Crisp said. "And the mare being made up, you were the exact same one growing up."

"Now I wonder what else is in here?" Lemon maliciously said. "There isn't anything weird here now is there?"

"What... Why would there be?" I clarify. "There is nothing I own that is of the sort."

"Hmmm? What about these?" She said pulling out something from my drawers.

"What about them?" I asked.

"These socks, come on now no ponies would wear these." She said

"What's wrong with them?" I asked. "They keep me warm in the winter." She sighed in disappointment.

"She's too innocent to be indecent." She mumbled.

"Please, you just noticed that?" Crisp said. "It was one of her shining traits."

"I'm not innocent," I argued. "What do you mean its a shining trait?"

"Please, you were homeschooled and raised by the kindest parents ever, you are one of the most innocent ponies I've seen at school." He stated. I stumbled back a bit at the words, I was always cautious and nice. I never got some jokes at all, they always flew over my head and now, I know why.

"Why do you know more about me than I do?" I questioned myself. There was a knock at the door.

"Dinner's ready," Mum said.

"I guess its time to eat," I said, hoping I could get past this question. We went downstairs to the dinner table where dinner was served.

"I hope everypony here likes spaghetti," Mum said, setting the bowls down.

"Thank you for the meal." Crisp and Lemon both said. We began eating dinner and it was going well.

"What's the story on how you adopted Milky?" Lemon asked.

"Oh, that silly old story, its nothing much," Pops said. I buried my face in my hoofs as he went on. "Me and the Missus went to the orphanage to adopt one day and we found this little rascal acting as cute as ever. After all the paperwork was done, they were willing to part ways with her pretty quickly. One day when she was sleeping, Her magic wore off and she was changeling, now this scared us to death. We realized the changeling was still a foal so she had no idea what was going on. The Missus was like, 'this is still the girl we adopted, even if she is a changeling' and kissed her. I was in shocked and thought it was some changeling magic, but after being scared to death of her for some time, I was left alone with her and had to watch her. Afterwards, I realized it was the same foal as always."

"Wow, that story was interesting at the least." Crisp said. "Didn't think you would have such an interesting origin story Milky."

"Of course I do," I replied. "I deceived them into adopting me as a foal."

"She sure did, but I couldn't be happier," Mum said. We finished up dinner at last and were getting ready for the night.

"Thank you for having us over," Lemon said. "I'll see you, wait how late is it?"

"Around 9 or so," Pops answered.

"What!" She exclaimed. "I won't get home before curfew."

"Then why don't the both of ya stay over for the night?" Mum said. I froze at those words.

"Funny, a boy staying over at a girl's house overnight." Crisp joked. "What problems would that cause?"

"Oh please, like our precious Milky would do anything like that," Mum said. I blushed furiously.

"Thank you very much, Mrs..."

"Cornbread," Mum answered. "You all should get ready for bed though so you aren't tired for tomorrow." I head upstairs to my room while they followed me. I opened my door and let out a sigh of relief.

"You two can stay up and talk. I'm just going to sleep." I said, hopping onto my bed.

"Night to you then." Crisp said. I pulled my blanket over me, and doze my first day away, relaxing for the night.