“It’s all your fault,” she called out, her words cutting deep. “Everything is your fault. You should have died, you should be dead.”
Hemlock did not argue, he just silently watched his wife lay in bed on the other side of the room, she looked him right in the eyes, her gaze always copying his. But behind her blue eyes Hemlock could see a cloudy white mist growing ever denser. Her carapace, once black and beautiful, was turning gray and the holes in her legs were growing slowly larger and larger as she rambled.
“You should have jumped in front of the spear of that guard. You deserve death more than me.” She told him, anger and hatred in her voice. “It’s all your fault.”
“I’m so sorry Ivy.” Hemlock said, his vision blurry from the tears. “You're right, I deserve it, I deserve everything.”
“You should just die.” Ivy yelled at him, pointing an unsteady hoof in his direction, only vaguely visible to him. “You are undeserving of love.”
“You're right. You're right. You're right.” Hemlock just said with a wavering, mumbling, voice.
Ivy’s hoof fell limp, hanging off the bed. “I hope all the ponies in Ponyville find you and trample you to dust. They’ll realize that you are not just worthless, but one of the creatures they despise. They’ll hate you, they’ll all hate you, and you’ll deserve it.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of Ponyville, a certain pink pony pauses in her late night baking. A frown spread across her face, her ears went flat, and her stomach was wracked with pain.
Her baking whisk dropped to the ground with a clang, as her eyes widened in shock and horror.
***
When Pinkie Pie arrived at the Golden Oak Library with a frown on her face, ears flat, Twilight knew something was up and quickly let her in with little more than a greeting. There was none of the usual bouncing as Pinkie moved across the room, it was as if she was being pulled by puppet strings, her frown never leaving her face.
The stillness, after Pinkie sat down, was even more unsettling. She had never seen Pinkie sit still for so long. Twilight waited for Pinkie to speak, but the pink pony just stared off into space.
Over a minute passed with Twilight becoming more and more unnerved, as Pinkie remained silent to Twilight’s questions. Twilight began to wonder if Pinkie was possessed by something. But finally Pinkie seemed to focus on the moment.
“I think there is a pony that is going to die.” Pinkie said, her voice low but there was obvious dread in it.
“What do you mean?” Twilight said in shock. “Who are you talking about?”
“I don’t know.” Pinkie said, her front hooves starting to shake, her voice wavering in kind. “My ears went flat, a frown spread across my face, and my stomach hurts, and it hasn’t stopped being this way. The last time this happened, Granny Pie died.”
Twilight shuttered at her words, “Is this another one of your Pinkie Senses?”
Pinkie nodded.
Twilight took a deep breath, “There have been plenty of deaths since you moved to Ponyville Pinkie.” Twilight pointed out in the calmest voice she could muster. “Are you sure it isn’t just a coincidence?”
“I don’t know.” Pinkie said, her eyes watering. “There is so much about my Pinkie Sense I don’t understand.” She suddenly broke into sobs.
Twilight hugged her tightly, trying her best to sooth the pink pony.
“What if it’s you.” Pinkie said between sobs, “Or Rarity, or Applejack, or.” Her sentence was interrupted by her sobbing.
Twilight couldn’t help but feel a hint of fear from her words, but she remained calm on the surface. “Pinkie.” She said seriously. “What were you doing when this started?” If this really was something from her Pinkie Sense, then there had to be some reason why it didn’t go off for every death around her.
“I-.” she started with a sniffle. “I was making a cake for Mr. Hemlock. He’s been so sad because… Well you know.”
Twilight gave Pinkie a squeeze, then stood up. “Let’s go visit Mr. Hemlock then. I still think it might be a coincidence, but we should be sure.”
Pinkie nodded and stood up, following Twilight out of the Library.
***
After ten minutes of knocking with no answer, Twilight teleported Pinkie and herself inside Hemlock’s house.
Although Celestia’s sun had already set, Twilight wanted to assume that Hemlock was away for some reason, but Pinkie assured her that Hemlock hadn’t left his house since he returned from Canterlot after the changeling invasion.
The first thing Twilight noticed, when entering the living room, was the smell of expired food. After Twilight lit a candle she noticed the food itself. The coffee table is stacked with pies, pizzas, casserole and every other meal one can think of, all completely untouched.
Pinkie, who’s frown had never ceased, examined the food. “I cooked him these muffins a week ago.” she said, barley above a whisper.
Without another word the two began searching the house and before long Pinkle called out Twilight’s name with a voice of panic. When Twilight entered the bedroom she gasped at what she saw. There was a gray changeling laying on the bed.
The changeling didn’t seem to notice their presence, it was just staring at a mirror mumbling to itself.
Twilight’s horn glowed, preparing to attack, when Pinkie blocked her with a hoof. “That’s Hemlock.” She said with a voice of certainty.
Twilight looked at her in surprise. “How do you know?”
“Listen.” Pinkie said.
Twilight listened to the mumblings of the changeling.
“You're right. You're right. You're right.” He mumbled, never taking his eyes off the mirror. Although Twilight hadn’t interacted with Hemlock very much, she did recognize his voice.
“Maybe it’s not Hemlock.” Twilight offered. “Maybe the changeling is just mimicking his voice.”
Pinkie shook her head. “He’s dying, Twilight, can’t you see it.”
“It could be-” But Pinkie just glared at her.
“It’s not a trick.” Pinkie said with grim certainty. “I can sense it.”
Twilight took a deep breath. “Well, what do you think we should do?”
“Hemlock is my friend.” Pinkie with a determined voice. “We need to help him.”
Twilight wanted to tell Pinkie no, that that changeling wasn’t her friend, that they should just let the monster die. But the look on Pinkie’s face made her hold her tongue. “We don’t even know what is wrong with it.” Twilight pointed out.
“I think he’s starving to death.” Pinkie said. “I know he can eat Pony food, I've seen him do it. But he isn’t eating any, maybe he isn’t eating any love either.”
Twilight had to admit that her words made sense. But it just left the question. “Why would he do that?”
“Haven't you been listening to what he’s mumbling.” Pinkie said, gesturing to the changeling.
“No.” Twilight answered honestly.
“He’s saying he deserves to die, and I think he’s hallucinating Ivy.”
“Ivy?” Twilight said in confusion. “Why would he hallucinate her, she was a pony and he is a changeling, right.” Twilight had assumed the Changeling took Ivy’s husband’s place, but perhaps…
“Maybe she was also a changeling.” Pinkie pointed out, finishing Twilight’s thought, then she gasped. “Maybe Ivy wasn’t killed by a changeling, maybe she was killed by a pony.”
Twilight couldn’t help but feel sick at those words, she knew that many changelings died during the invasion, but she had always tried not to think about it. Focusing on the dead ponies instead.
She looked at the changeling again, really paying attention for the second time since she entered the room. His carapace was lighter than when they arrived, the holes in his body were also bigger. But beyond that she could see the tear stained face of the changeling, the pure blue coloring of the eyes clouding white.
Pinkie, seeming to have run out of patience ran to the bed and gently hugged the changeling.
“What are you doing?” Twilight hissed, tempted to magically pull Pinkie away from the creature.
“Giving him love.” Pinkie said, before turning to the changeling. “It wasn’t your fault.” She whispered. “You did nothing wrong.”
The blue of the changeling’s eyes seemed to return slightly at these words. “Is that… you… Ivy?” he mumbled weakly, his gaze still locked on his reflection.
Pinkie hesitated for a moment, then said with the most soothing voice she could muster. “Yes. it wasn’t your fault.”
Tears streamed down his face even more at her words, but Twilight couldn’t help but notice that the holes on the changeling continued to grow, joining together in places.
Pinkie looked at Twilight with a begging expression.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Twilight said quickly. “I forgive you for invading Canterlot.”
But, despite her words, there was no visible improvement to the changeling’s body.
“You have to mean it.” Pinkie said.
But how could she mean it, how could she forgive the changeling after what happened to Cadence? They were irredeemably evil, mindless beasts. At least that is what she had told herself.
But now, seeing the changeling laying limp in Pinkie’s hooves, Twilight’s heart couldn’t help but ache.
She wracked her brain on what she could say. Something that would have emotional significance. Then a thought occurred to her.
“I’m sorry.” Twilight said, taking a step further into the room, “I should have discovered Chrysalis sooner.” Her voice cracking slightly she continued. “If I did, then maybe.” She took a deep breath. “Maybe your wife wouldn’t have died. I’m so, so, sorry.” Twilight joined in the hug, a bit awkwardly, but she did it.
Twilight could vaguely feel some of her energy leave her body and enter the changeling. It left in a slow and steady stream and wasn’t as painful as she expected.
The Hemlock’s eyes returned to their full blue color, his head tilted back and forth slightly taking in his surroundings.
“Pinkie Pie?” He said, his voice horse. “Twilight Sparkle?”
“We are here.” Pinkie said softly.
“Ivy?” He asked, a bit more hesitantly.
“She…” Pinkie began, but didn’t know what to say.
“You’ll see her soon.” Twilight said with a voice as comforting as she could muster. Despite their efforts, the changeling was nearly white at this point. The holes hadn’t stopped growing, in fact they had combined into one force that was consuming his legs and nearing his torso.
Hemlock nodded slightly and Twilight was unsure if he understood her hidden meaning. “I’m sorry for lying about who I am.” He said.
“You never lied.” Pinkie said tears of her own falling. “Pony or changeling, you are my good friend Hemlock.”
Hemlock smiled slightly. “Thank you.” He said, barely audible, and closed his eyes. As soon as he did the remainder of his legs disappeared and his body started to vanish as well, within a few seconds his body completely disappeared, leaving Pinkie and Twilight hugging each other alone.
Pinkie broke into sobs, and Twilight, despite herself, followed suit. They hugged each other tightly, not saying a word.
***
Dear Princess Celestia. Twilight began to write, but stopped. She taped her desk with her quill as she tried to think of what to write next. How could she properly explain how she was feeling through words on a page, especially when she wasn’t exactly sure what she was feeling herself.
Yesterday it was so easy to view the changelings as a force of irredeemably evil creatures, but now…
Twilight continued writing
Today Pinkie and I found a changeling in Ponyville. We were too late to save him.
I don’t think there is a risk of a changeling attack here. He seemed to have been on his own.
In the process I learned an important lesson on friendship, but if it’s alright, I’d like to tell you and Cadence it in person.
Please let me know when you are available.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I wrote this for a 2 hour speed writing thing, the prompt was to write something involving changelings, I finished the first draft in 2 hours, but I then spent several times longer editing it.
I rarely publish my writing, since I always have a hard time finishing things. So despite writing non-stop for nearly a decade, this is the first thing I've published in over 8 years.
While part of me wishes I could spend even longer rewriting this story, it's best I move onto other writings. This story is good enough for my standards.
