A Pierced Heart

Chapter 9: An Autumnal Arrival

Pokey awoke from his slumber well rested, the changeling queen of his hive hadn't bothered contacted him in weeks. Maybe that biddy has finally given up on bringing me back. The disguised changeling stepped down the stairs and began opening shop, eager to get his work done so he could meet with Rarity that evening. Pokey hadn't needed to feed on any other source of love for two weeks now and it felt good, not just the feeding but the fact that he was doing no harm. He had not forced the emotions out of Rarity, or tricked them out of her by donning the form of a friend or family member, she had fallen in love with him, while not in his natural form, in a form she had no previous experience with. The changeling felt as whole and complete as his real legs were not.

Pokey set to taking apart a microwave the Cakes needed fixed after Pound Cake had seen fit to put a fork in it. Pokey located the melted connector and pried it loose. As Pokey shifted his neck as he guided the scrap to the garbage, there was a sickening, audible snap that emanated from his neck. Pokey's magic around connector faded as the blue stallion flinched. Pokey lifted up a hoof. He had an inkling as to what the noise had been. Pokey pressed his horn to his hoof and soon pierced the illusory hide and the chitin beneath. As a chip of blue fur and pink flesh fell to the ground, a small green flame consumed the chunk leaving just the blackened piece of exoskeleton. Great, Pokey thought, I’m moulting. A rare affair for the changeling now that he had long been in adulthood. Pokey would have to wait for at least a day while a new exoskeleton grew in to replace the one he lost. Well not lost, he knew exactly where it would all go.

Pokey flipped the sign to his shop and lifted the piece of chitin off the floor, carrying it with him as he entered his basement. All around were various tools, scrap materials, and spare parts. He walked into a small room to the side and shut the door behind him. In one corner was a small, disused cot.

Pokey lifted a floorboard to reveal a hole in the ground. Pokey dropped the offending chunk into it. The method of disposal was slow, but the horrendous stench that his shell made when burnt warranted the rudimentary composter. Pokey let a green flame work over his body to show his natural form. Pokey lowered his head to his hoof and began scraping at the edge of his wound. Slowly another chip fell off revealing a transparent covering underneath, and below that his changeling muscles and sinew, anchoring themselves to the newly forming exoskeleton.

Pokey laid on his bed and using his teeth tore of a line of shell from his leg. Pokey took his intact fore hoof and pulled at the edge of the line. A thin trail of slime adhered to the underside of his onyx armour as the changeling began force the opening wider, another loud snap sounded as all the chitin covering Pokey's fore hoof snapped away from his next layer of carapace. The experience was not painful; the nerves in his hardened 'skin' had likely died off completely a few days ago. There was only the uncomfortable, brief stretching sensation when he began tearing off his carapace, there was no point in putting it off.

*****

Rarity awoke to the sound of a loud knocking on the door of the boutique. Whatever had made contact had been going at a very high speed to produce the audible noise from below. The white unicorn lifted herself from bed and, remembering what she had done the night before, levitated a robe over her and shut the door to the room behind her. Down at the first floor, Rarity opened the door to the boutique to see a scowling green stallion with a bag lashed to his back.

"Ah, Pressing Order, how nice to see you,” Rarity stated flatly, not bothering to smile.

"Special delivery, one night post, take it and leave me be," the stallion recited as he glared in response.

"One night post? What could be so important as to warrant that?" Rarity asked as Pressing Order fished out an envelope. Rarity levitated the letter and opened it, reading the contents in muttering breaths.

Dear Rarity
This your father writing to let you know that we will be arriving in Ponyville by train this afternoon, and wanted to give you some advanced warning before we dropped in. We are eager to see both you and Sweetie Belle and wish you the best of health.
Love, Daddy and Mummy

Rarity's conclusion regarding the letter was, "Fie." So much for my plans with Pokey tonight, though this does give me the chance to introduce them all to each other. Rarity’s parents had been travelling abroad for the last few years, leaving Sweetie Belle to Rarity's care. Rarity had been quite glad of the fact, she had the opportunity to raise Sweetie Belle as a proper lady. Something which, loath as Rarity was to admit, her parents were unlikely to have accomplished. "Well, I'll just have a shower then I can go see Pokey with Sweetie Belle after breakfast."

When Rarity had told Sweetie Belle of their parents imminent arrival and her plans to introduce Pokey the unicorn filly was ecstatic. Rarity smiled at the jubilance of her charge. Maybe my parents will take to him as readily as Sweetie Belle has. The two sisters had breakfast, which Rarity had made in the interest of solid and liquid foods remaining the same in the process of cooking. Afterwards the two white unicorn mares set off for Pokey's shop.

When the two mares reached the repair shop they both noticed that strangely it was closed. Rarity knocked on the door and when no answer came, she let herself and Sweetie Belle in with a key to the front door she had been given by Pokey. "Pokey darling! Where are you?" Rarity and Sweetie Belle looked around confusedly. Various tools and a disassembled microwave lay on the central work bench, and no notes were visible anywhere. He usually leaves a note if he isn’t here.

"Maybe he's down in the cellar looking for parts?" Sweetie Belle suggested. Nodding, the two sisters made their way into the basement, when Sweetie Belle called out, "Pokey! Are you here?" Rarity had taken notice of a door to her left and tried turning the handle with magic, but found the door locked.

"Sweetie Belle!?" What are you doing down here?" Pokey's voice emanated from behind the door.

"I could ask you the same thing. Rarity and I came here to tell you that our parents are coming to town and we wanted you to meet them!" Sweetie Belle replied as Rarity levitated out her key.

"What? Rarity? You there?" Pokey questioned.

"Yes darling, may I come in?" She tried turning the key, but found the lock incompatible.

"NO! I woke up this morning and was very sick, terrible headache, sore eyes, fever, and nausea." Behind the door Pokey winced, the act of lying to his love eliciting the last symptom he had listed.

"Oh well all the more reason for me to come in and help you! Now could you please unlock this door? I could make you some soup, or move you back to your bedroom," Rarity answered.

"Rarity please I really don't want you or Sweetie Belle or your parents catching whatever I got. It hurts my headache just to talk," Pokey replied. His changeling instinct guided him to head off the offers at the source. "I came down here so the light didn't aggravate my eyes. Please Rarity, Sweetie Belle, I need you to both just let me get some bed rest.”

Nodding to eachother, the sisters said, "Ok," as they each leaned a fore hoof against the door in sympathy. On the other side, the utterly exposed changeling breathed out a sigh of relief as he felt the love of Rarity flow through, followed by... the familial love of Sweetie Belle. This meant all the world to Pokey, to have been accepted as family by the young, singing mare.

The two sisters left the shop to return home, where they found their parents already setting themselves up in the kitchen. Cream coated father and pink colored mother greeted their daughters in a warm embrace. By silent consent Rarity and Sweetie Belle had remained silent on the matter of Pokey Pierce. there was little point in bringing him up if their parents could not meet him. There would be another day for truths told.

As Pokey's new shell formed around his body, the faux unicorn had reached a similar conclusion.