Changing Honesty

The evening after the training, I took Iron's advice and visited the club he referred me to. I had taken on the same griffon disguise from before and moved through the commercial areas of the station, looking for the entrance. The wide open corridors were lined with a plethora of advertisements and signs from a wide variety of different shops. Ponies and a few changelings alike spent most of their free time in this section, giving it a crowded feeling that no other section could match.

It took me a while to find the small sign 'Stallions Delight' hanging next to an unassuming door. Without Iron's directions, I would have never found the place. The entrance was hidden away through a small corridor and no sign in the main corridor pointed in its direction.

Giving a shrug at the strange name, I moved towards the entrance, already noticing bags of trash stacked on the side as well as strange tube-like objects strewn about on the ground. 'If Iron knew this place, why hasn't he come down with the security on it already?'

The large earth pony in front of the door stopped me as I approached. "Name!" he commanded, his emotions neutral and a stern look on his face. He had the typical bouncer look to him - muscular build and a short trimmed black mane.

"Gabriel Claw," I answered. 'Not giving this shady place my real name.'

He wrote my name on the list he was holding. "This is an exclusive club with a strict code of conduct; any disruptive behaviour will result in immediate and unpleasant consequences." His expression was still neutral, but his emotions betrayed his true feelings. He was already looking forward to kicking me out if I stepped out of line. I could respect that dedication to keep the ponies inside safe. "If you don't like it, you can turn around right now."

"No, that's alright with me. I'm in the mood for something special." I was still unsure what this special actually meant.

Stepping inside the slightly-smelling club made a lot of heads turn in my direction, making me feel somewhat uncomfortable. 'I hate attention, this is why I walk around as a pegasus most of the time.'

Looking at the surrounding ponies gave me a slight shiver - now that I got my discomfort under control I could taste the emotions they radiated outwards - the lust was thick in the air. Every pony in here was a stallion - I could have guessed that from the name alone - and the overly sexual scenes were somewhat discomforting. Sure, we changelings had no problems showing affection in public, even more so when only changelings were around, but seeing ponies be this open about it was a shocking experience.

On the main stage, two dancers in overly sexual outfits made out with each other to an audience of cheering onlookers. Every pony I laid eyes on wore some sort of leather or latex outfit with accessories I could not even begin to describe. Uncertain what to do, I decided to move towards the bar, noticing with a wince the stickiness of the floor.

"Storm, is that you?" Turning around towards the voice brought me almost muzzle-to-muzzle with the recruit from earlier - Lapis, if my memory was correct.

This was the first time I could take a proper look at him without being distracted by my combat instincts and all his armour. His coat was a vivid blue, his mane and tail almost black, both complementing each other rather nicely. His eyes - which were looking at me with a glimmer of hope - had a slightly darker blue colouration.

Looking over the outfit he wore took me fully off guard though, gone was the bulky armour he used during training - instead, he had a collar around his neck with a thin rope that connected to a ring around his tail, keeping it flagged high in the air. The short-black skirt that he wore would do nothing to hide his goods from the view of anyone standing behind him.

My eyes roamed all over his body. When I looked back up at him, he sported a decent blush.

As soon as our eyes met, he averted his gaze. "It's my first time here. I hope I'm not overdoing it," he said, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof.

It took me a few attempts to find my voice. "Yeah, I'm here for the first time as well. Didn't know what I was getting into before coming here."

He perked up as soon as the words left my mouth, his emotions beginning to stand out from the background. "Oh, how did you find the place? If you don't know what you're looking for, this place is impossible to find." He brushed up against me, slightly nuzzling his head on my neck.

'It's obvious to any blind pony what he wants.' I shook my head to clear that thought, the amount of lust in the air clouding my judgment. "A friend recommended the place. I'm not sure if it's the right place for me."

He moved away again, the feelings he was radiating for me weakening as well. "Why? If you're not into colts, your friend wouldn't recommend this place. It's a club for stallions to have a nice time, maybe even get laid."

He had taken my words as rejection. His posture slumped as his emotions started to drift to a darker place. I had no time to think about it too much. ‘I’d like to give it a try at least, maybe Iron is right.' "It's more the atmosphere," I said, giving his withers a small brush with my wing.

The grin he gave me instantly made my choice worth it. It had the same predatory qualities as a changeling smirk, speaking of interesting things to follow. "You love seeing me in this outfit, don’t you?" he asked while striking a pose.

I returned his smirk. "And you are radiating enough lust to feed dozens of changelings." The bright blush that stretched up his ears was very cute. "I'm not looking for a quick fling or something. That's what I meant by atmosphere." I pointed towards the couple I spotted earlier. "It looks like everypony here is in it for a quick roll in the hay."

"Not all of us. I wouldn't mind something more if you're interested." That was as subtle as an elephant in a glasshouse. He started nuzzling me again. "Why don't we take this to somewhere more appropriate?" Lapis asked.

Being able to feel his emotions gave me an unfair advantage. He was clearly interested in me, and the thought made me slightly giddy. He knew I was a changeling and still felt this way towards me. The only thing left was to see if he could accept me for who I am. The most important part of any changeling-pony relationship was an understanding for each other's culture, something most ponies unfortunately lacked. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

There was a quick breath on my ear as he leaned in to whisper. "Want me to keep the outfit on?" 'Stupid disguise, why are griffons able to blush.' "That's a yes, isn’t it?" he finished with a giggle.

He led the way out of the club, giving me an excellent view of his plot with every step he took. With another gulp, I trotted up next to him. The only thing he changed about his outfit was that he untied his tail, allowing it to cover himself up in public. Indecency charges were the last thing we needed.

"So, where do you want to go?" I asked. The corridors were still filled with many ponies moving about. Some of them stopped to give the odd pony-griffon couple a quick glance, but moved on without making a fuzz. I couldn't blame them - griffons were even less seen on a space station than changelings.

"Up to you, I don't mind," Lapis answered. He leaned in again, placing his head on my shoulder, drawing even more attention.

"I don't eat pony food, so I don't know where any good restaurants are."

He tapped his chin, thinking about it for a moment. "There is a nice one just a block down from here near Dock 8. It's a bit pricey, but we can split the bill if it's okay for you."

I waved his concern off. "I'm in charge of the changelings here and have enough bits for a little restaurant."

"Oh yeah, you did look a little bigger than the other changelings I have seen around here. So, you're some sort of leader? How does that work with changelings? I thought they only followed their queen."

"Yes, orders from our Queen are absolute and not to be questioned, but there are other royals as well."

"So, you're under a princess or something?" He asked with slight confusion in his voice.

I gave a small chuckle as we continued on our way. "No, I'm a Changeling Prince. I'm under direct command of the Queen and every changeling on this station follows my orders." I stopped when I noticed Lapis was no longer walking with me. Turning around towards him, I saw him standing frozen in shock, his mouth hanging open as he gasped for air. "Are you alright, Lapis?"

"You... You're a... prince?" He stammered. I nodded in affirmation. Shaking his head, he continued, "Can I see your true self?" He must have mistook my slight flinch for apprehension. "You don't have to if you don't want to." His fear of saying something wrong was a little annoying, but we could work on that later. It was not a deal-breaker in my book.

"It's not that. I just dislike all the attention." I answered to dispel his fear. Closing my eyes, I let the green fire of my magic wash around me, returning me to my true form.

"Wow, didn't notice how huge you are... Well, tall, I mean…" A blush crept back on his face.

Leaning in towards him, I whispered. "I'm also larger than your average pony in 'that' area." His face was now almost completely red - it looked adorable.

He looked over my body and I held still, letting him take in all of my form the same as he had allowed me back in the club. In the end, he even looked underneath me and I could feel his disappointment in not finding what he was looking for. "That's so not fair. You got to see what I have to offer."

"Maybe later. Let's get something to eat, ponies are already watching us strangely."

And there was his smirk again, his emotions warning me of what he was about to suggest. "I don't mind. We can go over there," -His hoof pointed to a small hallway- "and you can show me how large you are while mounting me."

I swatted him with one of my wings. Ponies tended to believe our wings to be fragile, but they were no less durable than pony wings. We mostly lacked the dexterity to use them like pegasi, but swatting a pesky stallion on the nose was totally doable.

The waiter at the entrance of the restaurant eyed us for a moment before silently leading us to an empty table.

"I was half expecting some dress code or something when he looked at us funny," I said as we sat down.

Lapis shrugged. "Nah, that's not something you find on a space station. I think it's more the unusual pairing of a changeling and a pony."

A waitress approached our table. "What can I get you two, lovebirds?"

I was about to ask for simple water when Lapis cut in. "Why don't you bring us a bottle of the Colt Grande?" She nodded and swiftly vanished to get our order.

I liked his attitude. I feared he would be socially awkward at first, but it looked like he enjoyed taking charge, something I could get behind. A strong and assertive mate was something changelings found attractive. It was a sign that he could produce healthy offspring.

As soon as the waitress was out of sight, Lapis remembered something he should have asked sooner. "Oh right, how many bits can we spend?"

I quickly calculated what I had at hoof before answering, "Thousand bits?"

He looked at me slack-jawed before composing himself. "Right, prince... We're not going to spend that much, I promise."

I waved him off again. If Equestria did one thing right, it was paying their officers adequately. Even Iron Hoof had trouble spending all the bits he earned and he was 'only' a Lieutenant.

The waitress returned with our wine shortly after. "Have you already made a choice for your food?"

I shrugged and Lapis quickly selected two dishes for both of us. "You can eat normal food, right?" He asked.

"Yes, but I don't get full from it. I like the taste of it from time to time, though. Most changelings tend to cook some food. It is more of a recreation for them and helps bonding with their mate."

He let out a small laugh. "Good. I was worried I would have to eat both dishes."

He took a sip of the wine. I looked him directly in the eyes before emptying the glass in one gulp - the taste was commendable. There was no risk of getting drunk from it - our metabolism didn't work that way.

After putting the empty glass down, I spotted Lapis eyeing me intently. "If I have to carry your drunk flank home, I'm going to be very cross."

Without breaking eye contact, I took the bottle and started drinking straight out of it. His eyes went comically wide and I had to stifle a laugh. "Changelings can't get drunk," I said after putting the now-half-empty bottle down.

"Anything else I need to know about changelings before we get too far into this?"

A devious smile made its way onto my muzzle. "Our males lay eggs into the host during sex, so you might have to carry a few of them from time to time."

He went pale and looked towards the exit for a moment, panic slowly making itself known in his emotions. I burst out laughing.

"Ha, ha. Jerk." Lapis said, punching me in the shoulder.

It took me a moment to get my laughter back under control before I could speak up again. "Sorry, but I always wanted to make that joke."

He looked at me in shock. "Wait, you never dated before? That's something I find hard to believe; you're surprisingly easy to get along with."

"I am a changeling prince. That alone keeps most of them away. With the ability to sense their emotions, most attempts at dating die before they even get started," I explained.

"That sounds awful."

"I have accepted that I might never find a mate of my own. For now, we should see where this is going."

There was a moment of silence before Lapis spoke back up. "So, is there anything I should know about sex with a changeling? If this is going to become something more, I don't want to find out we're not compatible in bed later on."

"Oh, how forward of you." I fluttered my eyes at him, making him blush again.

He shook his head with a slight giggle. "You can read my emotions, no sense in hiding them."

"You're right. I can feel the 'love' coming from you." I made sure to make quotes with my hoofs at the word love because it was not quite the right word yet, but ponies had no other words to describe it properly. "And no, there is not much difference between a pony and a changeling when it comes to sex. What is different is that every changeling could give birth to a foal, regardless of gender."

"Wait, what... How is that going to work?"

"Well, I could disguise myself as a mare and you impregnate me. My magic would force me to remain in that form until the foal was born. It's a genetic relic from the time we used long-term impersonation to get food. Back then, it was vital for us to blend in as much as possible. And disguising ourselves as a mare often yielded better results in love harvesting."

A moment later, the waitress returned with our food. Lapis had ordered a nice-looking salad for himself and some sort of fried fish for me. "Is there a reason you ordered fish for me?" I asked.

He blushed again and tried to suppress his emotions. "I might have wanted to see those sharp fangs at work."

'Wow, this guy is as kinky as Tartarus.' Cutting a piece of fish, I made a show of biting into it, exposing my fangs before letting them slowly pierce the piece of fish in my magic. I could feel his rising lust bubble up inside of him, but he kept it in check.

"Buck, that's hot."

The rest of the meal went on in silence, both of us enjoying our food. After finishing the last bite, I spoke up again. "So why don't you tell me a little about you?"

"What's there to tell?" He too, ate his last bite and swallowed before continuing. "My full name is Lapis Venture. I'm from a large family of archaeologists. I chose to go into the army and, after training, I ended up here. I just turned 23 a few weeks ago. By the way, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

I gave him a shrug. "I don't mind, but you might want to hold on to something."

He giggled. "It's not like you're going to say ten or something. I know you changelings mature very fast, but you're in charge and must have a lot of experience under you if you made it this far."

"I'm 323 years old."

He looked at me, dumbfounded. "You're joking again, right? I thought you lived only as long as ponies, at best."

"Yeah, but I'm a royal changeling. We don't exactly age. I could easily reach a thousand years, but after that, my usefulness to the changelings declines, marking the end of my life."

"So, you royals live as long as you are useful?" Lapis asked and I nodded. "That's kind of cruel."

"Not really, it's biologically ingrained in us to not be a burden to the Hive. Even the Queen would end her life if she ever felt useless."

"Wait, you're telling me Queen Chrysalis, who ruled the changelings for almost three thousand years, would just step down?"

"Yes, but the chance of having a better queen is almost zero. Before her ascension to the throne, most queens only lived for around a hundred years before being replaced. There was never a better queen than Chrysalis."

"Wow." Lapis looked in awe. "I knew she was smart and powerful, but that." Hearing this level of fascination for our culture was not something I expected from a pony. He locked eyes with me and deflated slightly, something must have given him the idea he had said something disrespectful.

The smile I gave him made him visibly relax. "Anyway, anything you want to know about me?" he asked.

I smirked. "Yes, but we should talk about that in a more private setting."

He shook his head and mockingly pouted. "You already want under my tail?"

His emotions told me he would be up for it, but I was not. "No, we only met after all. I'm just curious. As you said, I want this to last, so we should get all of the talking out of the way first. And a restaurant isn’t the right place for that."

He didn’t object to me covering the bill. After I paid, we made our way towards my apartment, which was closer and had a lot more room.