“Hey, you, changeling!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

“Zex!” He sighed. “My name is Zex! How can you not remember a simple name like that?”

He sounded angry, so I curled in a ball on the ground to make myself invisible.

“Yeah, um, what’s any of this stuff got to do with love? It’s supposed to feel like flying, but all I’m experiencing is boredom!”

“Well, you don’t want to rush love, now do you? I don’t think either of us is in a hurry. Foreplay is important!”

“I’ve got places to go and bullies to dispose of!”

“Fine, Fine. I wouldn’t want to impose on your killing spree, Sweetie Belle.”

“You better not!” she said.

“Hey, Clonie.” He nudged me with a hoof. “Love is like, er, flying. So, are you ready to feel like flying?”

When I looked toward Sweetie Belle for guidance, I got a sigh and a snort in response. “Just say yes, Clonie! Whenever he asks you a question, the correct answer is always yes! Make him believe that he can do with you whatever he wants.”

I sat on my rump and looked up at him. “Yes?”

“Well, go on then. Fly.”

“Um...” With a forehoof, I slid along my back. “I don’t have any wings.”

“And why is that?” he asked.

“I was without them since I can remember.”

“There are wings on my back.” He flapped his insect-like wings. “Why aren’t there any wings on yours?”

“I don’t know.” Shrugging my shoulders, I looked away in shame. He was making me feel even more useless than I thought I was.

“Would you like to have wings? Do you want to soar through the sky the way I can?”

I glanced at Sweetie Belle, but when she squinted her eyes, I quickly turned back to the changeling and answered correctly, “Yes?”

“Well, you can’t!” he yelled at me.

I fell on my back from the shock. My legs pressed hard against my abdomen, but I still trembled like a leaf on the water.

“It’s too late for you, groundling!” He stepped closer to me. “You’re too deformed to fix. Corrupted on a genetic level.”

“I heard changelings were the corrupted ones,” Sweetie Belle commented.

He jerked his head toward her. “You’ve heard wrong!”

My body shook in fear. He seemed angry. As a forehoof approached, I closed my eyes to hide.

It softly brushed through my mane. “But it’s not your fault, victimized youngling.”

I opened an eye. “It’s not?”

“It’s the fault of your creator.”

“Hey!” Sweetie Belle yelled. “Don’t say that!”

“Yeah!” I tried to add to Sweetie Belle’s point but quickly shut my mouth when he glanced at me.

“Think about it!” He turned to Sweetie Belle, surrounding me with his legs from all sides. “Do your parents have wings?”

“Well, no...” she said. “But they’re Unicorns, just like I am. Unicorns don’t have wings. If we did, we’d be Alicorns.”

“And why aren’t you?”

“Why am I not an Alicorn? Well, I haven’t ascended yet to that level!”

“I have a horn along with my wings. No ascension needed! I was hatched with my advanced form.”

“Well, you’re a changeling...”

“I have this superior body because my parents cared for me. They thought about my well-being even before I was conceived. Unlike your parents, who just wanted a pet to spice up their lives.”

“Hey!” She exclaimed. “My parents used to care for me, plenty.”

“Tell me, will you have an offspring?”

She laughed. “I’m not even that old yet...”

“And when you grow up?”

“That’s, like, in the future. I don’t know. Maybe...”

“See! You don’t care, either.”

“I’d take good care of a foal if I had it!” She banged a hoof against the crystal.

“You’re missing the point completely. Cutting off the potential of somepony is just as bad as pinioning the wings of a newborn Alicorn. No proper parent would do that. Evil is what it is! Your genes are bad and you should feel bad for your willingness to spread them around.”

“How dare you!” She clenched her teeth and charged up her horn. “You’ll die for this!”

“Wait, wait!” His horn lit up with a dense green aura.

A thick, magic tentacle wrapped around me and lifted me up between him and Sweetie Belle.

“I’m not ready just yet.”

“You said mean things to me. You deserve to die!”

“I’m sorry. I crossed the line.” The magic tentacle pulled me closer to him. His head leaned on my shoulder. He kept looking toward Sweetie Belle. “Please, just let it go and I’ll show you what loving is all about. For realz this time.”

“You’re using Clonie as a shield, again! That’s not how you ask for forgiveness!”

“Oh! Um...” The green horn-light dissipated, making me fall on the ground. His pushy hoof ruffled my mane. “Sorry.”

I dodged the rough hoof and made a run toward Sweetie Belle.

“If you kill me, you won’t know what love is about!”

I made it to Sweetie Belle. She didn’t pay any attention to me, so I just lay by her side and peeked at the changeling from behind the crystal.

“I don’t even care about that anymore...” She sighed.

“Come on. Don’t be like that. I said I’m sorry.”

“Kneel!” She raised her voice.

“What?” He shuffled his legs nervously.

“Show me that you know your place, and I’ll consider giving you one more chance.”

“Ugh!” His cheeks turned red. After looking left and right he whispered, “Fine...”

Sweetie Belle grinned while she leaned over the crystal. “Kneel before me, plebeian!”

He growled as both holesome forelegs buckled. His head almost touched the ground as he whispered, “I’m sorry—”

“Queen!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

“What?” His eyes shifted up to her as his snout kept facing the ground.

“Address me as you would your queen!”

His teeth clenched. After a while, he silently spoke, “Queen Sweetie Belle, please forgive me.”

She clapped her forehooves together and smiled. “Squee!” She looked at me with mouth ajar then banged her hoof on the Crystal with excitement. “He called me a queen!”

He snorted so hard against the ground that a cloud of dust spread around his head.

“Okay, I forgive you, evil changeling. But don’t say mean things to me again!”

“I’ll try to watch my tongue.” He straightened his posture.

“You can say mean things to Clonie if you need to. She likes it.”

“Um...” I protested.

She gazed at me. “What are you still doing here? Go to him so he can show me what love is.”

“Um…” I tried to express my thought once more. When she cocked her head and half-closed her eyes, my urge to be stubborn all but dissipated. I jumped from behind the crystal and obediently ran to Zex. By curling up into a ball before him, I made myself invisible.

I tried to become even smaller by clenching myself together. Despite my eyes being shut, a hoof found me out. It tapped on me, preventing my nonexistence.

“So, Clonie, do you want to fly?”

“Yes...” I answered correctly while I glanced at him through my tail that covered my eyes.

“Well, you’re too”—he glanced at Sweetie Belle—“inadequate to fly by yourself. So, I’ll help you out.”

“Yes...” I automatically said without even thinking about it.

“That wasn’t a question… Sit up!”

I reluctantly unwrapped myself and sat before him.

He bit at the wrappings around his torso. When he caught me watching, he sat down and spat out the end of the scarf fabric. “You’re probably wondering why we changelings wear these.”

I shrugged my shoulders because that wasn’t a question, so I didn’t have to answer yes to it.

“You see, when we take on a form of a foal, we contract the holes in our bodies, and we become smaller and thinner if needed.” He swung the end piece of the fabric around his body. “However, if we would attempt to imitate a pony who is fat, we’d stumble on a problem if our bodies were slim by nature.” He glanced at my head then at the piece of fabric he held in a hoof. The holes in the leg shrunk as he tore it off. “We can use our muscles to contract the empty spaces, but there is no mechanism that would stretch the holes. Instead, they are expanded unless the muscles contract them. If we wrap a cloth around our bellies, we can relax the muscles, which frees our focus for more important things like thinking about sex, for instance.”

“Why don’t you just admit that you’re fat!” Sweetie Belle giggled.

“I’m not fat; I’m thick holled!” He glared at Sweetie Belle. “Besides, even if I’d fully unwrap myself, my appearance would stay the same. I’d just have to constantly use my muscles to counter the spreading force of my holes.”

“Pulling in your belly doesn’t make you less of a chubby.” She kept teasing him.

He sighed. “It’s our functionality, not a bug.”

“You’re a bug.”

“You may call it what you will—”

“Fatty!”

“Ugh!” He bit on the band and ripped a slice off it. With a hoof, he shoved the end of it among the remaining wrappings then looked at me. “I couldn’t fly if I were fat. Being designed with a lite body that I have allows me to lift some extra burden in the air with me. I’m taking you.”

“You hear that, Clonie?” Sweetie Belle grinned. “You’re a burden!”

I cringed at that.

A green light shone just before me, making me squint my eyes. When the transformation ended, a blue rainbow-mane Pegasus sat before me.

“Are you afraid of heights, Clonie?” The mare asked.

“Yes?” I said. The highest I’ve ever been was when I stood on my hind legs to prevent his escape. I was a bit afraid back then. Not sure if the hight was the reason for that, though.

“Well, this Wonderbolt isn’t, but I can see why a scaredy-filly like you might fret it, so I’m gonna make you wear this band over your eyes. That way, you won’t be able to look down when I hold you in the air.” The blue mare winked at Sweetie Belle and wrapped the strap over my eyes. She fast it tight with a knot behind my head, enveloping me in darkness. “Clonie, are you ready to go on a flight with an awesome Rainbow Dash?”

It was a question. “Yes?” I pressed both forehooves close to my chest.

“Okay, here we go then.” Her hooves slid at my sides and pressed together. Both wings loudly flapped all around.

I put my forehooves above her forelegs, so I wouldn’t slip between them. The force lifted me up on my hind legs. And then I completely lost touch with the ground.

“Up we go! We’re flying, Clonie!”

Sweetie Belle must have thought it funny. I clearly heard her snicker.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle, don’t spoil the experience just because you don’t have wings of your own,” Rainbow Dash said.

Her wings flapped harder.

I was rocked up and down after each of her flaps. If she wasn’t gripping me tightly, I’d surely slip off her and fall all the way down.

“Hold fast, squirt! We’re so high that you couldn’t even touch the leaves of the tallest trees. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what the view is like here.”

“We’re that high up already?” My tail slipped between my dangling hind legs. I perked up both ears to hear the bristle of the branches in the wind, but the forceful flapping of her wings was really loud, and I couldn’t.

“Are you ready to fly on your own now, squirt?”

That was a question. “Yes...”

His forelegs loosened and leaned down.

“I mean no! Please don’t let me go!”

“Why shouldn’t I? This element of loyalty does things solo. Maybe you should try it too.”

“I don’t have wings. I can’t fly!”

“Flying as well as I can takes talent. You either have it or you don’t. I was hatched, err, born with the potential, and that’s why I can use it. If you don’t have what it takes, then that’s your loss, really.”

“You’ll make Sweetie Belle mad if you drop me!”

“We’re so high above the ground that if Sweetie Belle would look straight up, she wouldn’t be able to see us. There’s not a cloud on the height we’re on. And it’s not as if Sweetie Belle could fly to us with her unevolved, wingless body. It’s just you and me here, squirt. Given that I’m a solo player, you better think of a good reason why I shouldn’t just drop you.”

“If you let go of me, I’ll just fall down!” I yelled.

“And why should I care? I’m only loyal to my own interests.”

“Please don’t drop me.” My body slipped down. “I’ll do anything you want! ”

“Tell you what, squirt. I’ll keep you up here for a little longer if you give me a kiss.”

“But that’s gross!”

“Ups, you’re slipping again...” Her forehooves lowered ever more. “I can’t seem to gather enough motivation to keep you up here with me.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll kiss you! Just, please don’t let me go.”

She pressed tighter around my chest and pulled me closer. I could feel the breath on my muzzle when her lips touched mine.

Just when my body relaxed, she pulled back her head and loosened the grip on me, making me yelp in fear, “Hold me tight, Rainbow Dash!”

“I gave ya’ a kiss and you gave me nothing in return.”

“I’ll kiss you. Just, please don’t drop me.”

“I’ll hold you tightly when you put your mouth where my mouth is.”

I leaned forward and gave her a smack on the cheek. “There!”

“That’s not a kiss.” She pulled me closer. “This is a kiss.”

I felt her mouth enwrap my whole muzzle. The rough tongue pressed through my closed lips. I tried to lean back, but her head bowed closer. A tongue wiggled around, brushing against the inner side of my cheeks.

As soon as I got some room, I gasped for air. I cocked my head and spit out the buggy taste on my tongue.

“Are you sure you want to fight me at this place and time?” Rainbow Dash forced her mouth on mine again.

I leaned back and immediately felt the safety hold on me loosening. “You’re not holding me! I’m slipping!”

“You don’t want to give me a kiss, so why should I want to hug you?”

“I’ll fall!” I screamed.

“That’s up to you really,” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Kiss me if you want to get on my good side.”

“Naw!” I retracted my head. “I don’t wanna!”

“Do you prefer to fly solo then?” Her legs spread wide and my hooves slowly drifted down her side.

I tensed all my muscles, but I still drifted down her body. As my hesitant lips pressed on hers, I felt the saving embrace of her legs on my torso. It dawned on me that I forgot to close my mouth, but it was already too late. Her tongue slipped inside. I moved back my head to spit out. As soon as I puckered my lips, her legs spread out a little. I swallowed in fear.

“I’m disappointed, squirt! You’re not cool enough to hang out with me.”

I bowed my head and screamed down, “Sweetie Belle, I’m gonna fall!”

She didn’t reply. It was as if I was too high for her to even hear me anymore. Or maybe she just didn’t care enough about me. I was replaceable, after all.

“Taste the natural selection, earthbound weakling!” Both forehooves spread out and I slipped between them.

“Aaa!” At that moment, I lost connection with the only support that kept me from falling down. Since I wore a blindfold, I had no idea how long I’d be falling to my death if I lost my grip on Rainbow Dash.

Before I could even reach to the fabric which covered my eyes, my legs connected with a surface. I gaped and gasped. Why didn’t I plunge to my death? Was I caught by a cloud? The blindfold was taken off me, but what I saw didn’t make much sense. “Whaa...” I tapped with a forehoof on the solid earth, and it felt quite real. I was safe and sound down on the ground

They both laughed at me.

“You were never even airborne, Squirt!” Rainbow Dash snarled at me as she morphed into the changeling form.

“You should have seen the look on your face!” Sweetie Belle fell on her back, laughing. Her hoof kept pointing at me.

I clenched my teeth and tried to hold in the tears.

Author's Note

Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.

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