Chibi Changeling

by Yukito

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Romance, Changelings, Rumble, Slice of Life, Berry Punch
Length: 40763

Berry Pinch is a changeling that gives loves, instead of feeding off of it. Is she okay? Are the ponies around her okay?

Berry Punch and Berry Pinch are a happy mother and daughter that live in Ponyville. They have many friends there, and, despite being changelings, have managed to live a nice life of obscurity for many years.

But when Berry Pinch finally reaches maturity, she learns that, rather than feeding off of love, she gives it.

How will this new revelation effect the citizens of Ponyville, and more importantly, Berry Pinch herself?

Inspired by Karin/Chibi Vampire, by Yuna Kagesaki.

Published 2012-12-20 00:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-02-24 09:53:34 UTC

New Student

Rumble sat quietly in the back of the classroom, staring silently at the collection of book that were made available in the small bookcase. Mostly story books for young foals, as to be expected of an Elementary School, but Rumble had already read most of them, so none really stuck out to him that well. He let out a depressed sigh, and sat down at one of the empty desks in the room.

He thought about how suddenly his brother had come home one day, and told him that the two of them would be moving to Ponyville, and that he would have to be enrolled in a new school all of a sudden. Despite all of Rumble’s protests, and threats to run away, here he was, sitting in the empty classroom at Ponyville Elementary School, while his brother worked through his enrolment with the pony that will soon be his new teacher: Miss Cheerilee.

“Stupid Thunderlane,” he muttered to himself. “Making decisions without even asking me… Who cares if I’m still just a kid? Don’t my thoughts matter at all?”

“But Rumble, we’ve been to Ponyville before, and you said you liked it, right?”

“I said it wasn’t a bad place to go for holidays, but I don’t want to move there!”

“What about all the friends you made there?”

“What friends?! I never even got to speak to anypony last time we went there!”

“Well, now you have another chance.”

“But I don’t wanna move! I like it here! Why are you always trying to boss me around?!”

“That’s enough! We’re moving, it can’t be helped! End of discussion!”

“SHUT UP! Stop pretending like your our dad, because you’re not!”

Rumble cringed at the memory of that fight with his brother, just three days ago. Afterwards, he refused to leave his room except for lunch and dinner, no matter how much his brother threatened to break down the door, or to get Cloudchaser to drag him out… In the end, he reluctantly left the room this morning, but refused to speak to, or even make eye contact with his brother.

It was even worse when he met Cheerilee, his new teacher. She greeted him with a big, warm smile, and he simply turned his head and muttered “hello”. She offered to give him a tour of the school, and he simply said “whatever”, in the coldest tone he could muster. Thunderlane, having enough of his bad attitude, told Rumble to stay in the classroom until he and Cheerilee were done.

Rumble wasn’t too happy with his brother ordering him around – yet again – but if it meant not having to listen to him for a little bit, he was all for it. In fact, he even offered to simply go ‘home’, making air quotes with his wings to show that he didn’t really consider it his home, but Thunderlane warned him that if he left the schoolhouse unsupervised, he would be going to bed without dinner tonight.

So now, here Rumble was, moping about in an empty classroom, listening to the clock tick as he waited for his brother to return, and confirm that he was now stuck here, in this unfamiliar town, attending an unfamiliar school, with ponies he didn’t know, and that he had no say in the whole matter… Today blew. And tomorrow was going to be even worse, he just knew it.

Rumble woke up early the following morning. Sleeping in a new bed, in a new home, knowing that the next day he would be forced to spend time with ponies he didn’t know, instead of his friends back in Cloudsdale, didn’t help the troubled colt find any rest during the night, and it showed in his red, baggy eyes that he couldn’t have got more than about an hour’s sleep.

Rumble let out a loud yawn as he walked through the streets of Ponyville alongside his big brother, who he was still not talking to for as long as he lived, on his way to his new school. He passed by several fillies and colts on the way, also being led by older ponies who he figured were their parents or guardians. He also passed by an arguing couple on the way there. A grey Pegasus mare and a brown Earth Pony stallion, who were apparently arguing about the stallion hanging out with so many other mares.

‘Great, just what I need right now,’ Rumble thought to himself as the raised voices made his headache even worse.

“Hey, are you okay, Berry Pinch?” Curious, Rumble turned his attention to a group of three fillies walking in front of him. The middle one, a pink-coated filly with two-toned purple hair, had stopped and was now breathing heavily.

“I’m fine,” she said to her two friends, who looked concerned for her. “I just… forgot something at home. I’ll be right back.” Before her friends could protest, the filly ran off down an alleyway, in the direction that the grey Pegasus from earlier had just gone.

When he finally got to school, Thunderlane wished him a good day. Rumble ignored him, and simply went into the schoolhouse, despite the fact that everypony else was still playing outside. He found his way to his classroom, which was as empty as it was yesterday. He took a seat over in the corner, at the back of the class, and just slung his bag down onto the floor. Then, he sat down at his desk, and slumped his head down onto his forehooves as he let out a dreary sigh.

He heard the door open, but didn’t lift his head up. So somepony else felt like coming in early? Maybe he wasn’t the only one with troubles… Or maybe it was just the teacher.

“Um…” Nope, definitely a filly’s voice. “Excuse me.” And she was calling out to somepony. Unless somepony had snuck into the room whilst Rumble wasn’t looking, he assumed that she was addressing him.

He slowly lifted his head up, to see that same filly from earlier standing before him, looking much better than she did earlier. “Are you Rumble?” she asked, to which the colt simply nodded. “Miss Cheerilee asked if I could show you around the school, since you didn’t get a proper tour yesterday.” Rumble groaned and lay his head back down.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I’m too tired to walk around right now…”

“Oh, uh, okay,” the filly said, and Rumble could hear her backing up a bit… and her breathing starting to increase. He lifted his head up slightly, so that he could see what was going on. She was now sitting down at another empty table, breathing in-and-out very quickly.

“Are you okay?” he asked out of concern for the filly, and was surprised to see her react so… energetically. She practically jumped up in her seat, spun around so that she was facing him, and began waving her hooves dramatically with a huge smile on her face.

“Y-Yes! Of c-course I am!” she responded, and Rumble could see that she was sweating heavily. “I-I just have a s-slight fever, t-that’s all…”

Rumble nodded, but didn’t believe her… Especially not when her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell forwards out of her chair. Rumble quickly got up and ran to the filly’s aid. He felt her temperature, and found that was burning up!

“You are not alright!” he said, rising to his hooves. “Stay here! I’m going to go find a teacher!” And with that, he ran out of the classroom, and straight to the teacher’s lounge… Or, as straight as he could, without any knowledge of the schoolhouse save for the location of the classroom. He eventually found what he was looking for, though, and Cheerilee hurried along with him to the classroom.

What they found, though, was a perfectly empty classroom, with no sight of the sick filly anywhere. They ran to the nurse’s office, to see if somepony else had taken her there, but the nurse said that nopony had stopped by today. Cheerilee panicked at the idea of one of her students going missing, whilst she was apparently unwell.

Went they went back to the classroom during first period, Cheerilee’s original plan was to cancel her lesson, giving the students some time to study on their own, whilst she rushed over to the filly’s house to see if she had gone home. However, to their surprise, the filly, ‘Berry Pinch’, was waiting for them in the classroom, along with all of the other students, looking quite healthy and cheerful.

Rumble had no idea what was going on, but he felt relieved that the filly seemed to be okay now… Until he passed by her seat, and she started breathing heavily again. He looked at her in disbelief, and she looked back at him, with a look of confusion and fear.

The rest of the day, Rumble never let the filly out of his sight. Whilst she wasn’t as bad as she was before classes started, she was still breathing much more heavily than she should have been, and every now and then, she glanced over at Rumble with that same look of fear in her eyes. As if he was the cause of her current condition.

During lunch, he tried to speak to her, but the moment her got close to her, she immediately ran off, using the excuse that she needed to use the restroom. Rumble was left standing all on his, completely bewildered by the strange filly. He was pulled aside by a blue Earth Pony filly, with a dark-blue mane, and a bow and arrow shaped Cutie Mark.

“Hey, you weren’t picking on Berry Pinch, were you?” she asked sternly.

“N-No!” Rumble answered quickly. “I was just concerned, since she doesn’t look like she’s feeling well today. That’s all.”

The other filly smiled and sighed softly. “You’re new here, so you wouldn’t know, but Berry Pinch hasn’t been healthy recently. It started sometime last week. Her mother says it’s nothing to worry about, but she gets high fevers every now and then, and is often short of breath.”

“Is that really nothing to worry about?” Rumble asked the blue filly.

“Well, it comes and goes… There are times where she’s healthy, you wouldn’t even know she has health problems. But her mother assured everypony that there’s nothing to worry about, and there’s really no reason to doubt that.”

Rumble nodded in response, but still wasn’t entirely convinced. That filly fainted earlier, or at the very least, collapsed onto the floor, and he’s supposed to believe that that’s normal? That there’s no cause for alarm? And also… ‘Why does she keep giving me that strange look?’

School seemed to drag on forever that day, but it was finally over, and Rumble was more than eager to get back to his new home and just sleep the rest of the day away. Thankfully, his brother was still at his new job, so he would get to walk home in peace and quiet.

On the way, he noticed the grey Pegasus and brown Earth Pony that were arguing earlier… now sharing a smoothie together on a park bench, the Pegasus leaning on the Earth Pony and nuzzling him affectionately.

‘Huh… Guess they worked things out… Well, good for them.

Rumble’s attention was immediately drawn away from them when he saw something in the corner of his eye, and quickly turned around to see Berry Pinch whizzing past him, and wandering into an alleyway. The way she was walking looked like Cloudchaser after a Saturday night out, and she had even bumped into a wall as she was walking, but didn’t seem to notice at all.

Worried, and very curious, Rumble followed the pink filly into the alleyway, making sure to stay a good distance behind her so that he wouldn’t get caught by her. She stumbled and staggered her way through the alleyway, taking a few twists and turns, and eventually found her way back into the streets. Rumble continued following her for a while, noticing that, every now and then, she would stop and look around, as if she wasn’t sure where she was going. Also, her horn was glowing a bright green colour. Was she using a spell of some kind? Why?

Eventually, Berry Pinch started to pick up the pace, and was soon running instead of simply walking. Rumble followed suit, but he wasn’t as good an athlete as his brother, and as a result he had lost track of the filly. Deciding to give up the chase, Rumble took a look around him… and found himself lost in a field of apple trees. He realised that this must have been the town’s famed apple orchard, and sighed as he tried to navigate his way through all of the trees, to find some kind of path that would lead him back to town.

“Whooooa, nelly…” he heard to his right, prompting the young colt to turn and see a flash of green further down the orchard. Cautiously, Rumble made his way towards the light, making sure to take cover behind the various trees around him as he did so. He eventually found his way to the source of the light, and gasped at what he saw.

Before him, Berry Pinch and stood in front of an orange Earth Pony mare with a blonde mane, and a beam of green energy was shooting out of the filly’s horn, and towards the Earth Pony’s head. The filly’s eyes were closed, and her frown was slowly turning into a smile, and it seemed her breathing was starting to stabilise.

Rumble took a step back, horrified at what he was seeing…

CRACK!

“Shoot!” Rumble shouted as he felt a twig snapping beneath his back right hoof, and when he noticed Berry Pinch’s eyes slowly open and look towards him, he did the only thing he could think of doing at this point: he turned on the spot, and began running, as quickly as possible.

Filly Meets Colt

Berry Pinch panted and shook on the spot as a familiar feeling passed through her body. ‘Oh, come on! I’m just trying to go to school!’ she thought to herself as she tried to contain the magic that was threatening to burst out of her horn at any second now.

“Hey, are you okay, Berry Pinch?” Archer, Berry Pinch’s friend, asked as she looked down at her with a look of concern.

“I’m fine,” Berry Pinch replied as she stumbled back a bit. “I just… forgot something at home. I’ll be right back.” Berry Pinch quickly turned around and bolted off down the street. She saw a grey Pegasus mare flying through a nearby alleyway, and, as if on instinct, followed after her.

“Time Turner… you idiot,” the Pegasus said as she stopped and sat down on a nearby box to the side. “… Or maybe I’m the idiot. Just because he’s friends with so many mares, it doesn’t mean he’s cheating on me… right?”

Berry Pinch let out a moan as she neared the distraught Pegasus, alerting her to the filly’s presence. Derpy quickly jumped to her hooves, and flushed red with embarrassment, hoping that the filly hadn’t heard her talking to herself. However, she then noticed that the filly was walking rather strangely, and that her breathing was… strange.

“A-Are you okay?” she asked, walking closer to Berry Pinch. She placed a hoof on the filly’s forehead, and her eyes shot wide open. “You have a fever! Where do you live? I’ll take you home, right awa-” Before she could finish, a beam of green energy shot out of Berry Pinch’s horn, and hit the Pegasus on the forehead. Derpy looked frightened for a second, before her eyes slowly fluttered shut, and she drifted off into sleep.

Berry Pinch let out a relieved sigh as she fed her built-up love into the Pegasus, the sickly feeling that had been building up for the past week finally leaving her system.

“So, you can last for about a week, before it becomes too much for you,” a voice called out behind Berry Pinch. Her mother, Berry Punch, walked up to the filly just as she had finished with Derpy Hooves, and caught the Pegasus before she fell to the ground. “Yeah, that’s about right. Most younglings can only last that long at first, but soon, you should be able to last a full month before you need to feed… Though, in your case, I wouldn’t really call it feeding.”

Berry Pinch’s face turned red, and turned her head away from her mother. “… You were watching me?”

Berry Punch knelt down and wrapped her forehooves around her daughter. “Awww, no need to be embarrassed! It’s a parent’s duty to watch over their youngling as they age, especially when they start to mature.”

“But did you really have to watch me…” Berry Pinch couldn’t finish, and her face turned even redder as she looked over at the Pegasus, who was still lying unconscious on the ground. She quickly wormed her way out of her mother’s hold, and let out a depressed sigh.

Berry Punch looked down at her with a sympathetic look, and then began work on erasing Derpy’s recent memories of her encounter with Berry Pinch. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

“But… It’s so embarrassing,” Berry Pinch said. “Why do we have to do this in order to live?”

“Sometimes, nature can just be strange like that,” Berry Punch answered. “All you can do is just… go along with it. By the way, shouldn’t you be at school right now?”

Berry Pinch blinked a few times as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her, and then quickly snapped out of it when she realised that her mother was right. “Oh no! I’m gonna be late!” she shouted as she bolted out of the alleyway, leaving her mother to take care of Derpy on her own.

Berry Punch giggled, and gently lay Derpy down on the box that she was sitting on earlier. “She’s just like me, when I was her age… Except, I had my whole family to help me, as well as my changeling friends…” Sighing, Berry Punch turned around and began to leave the alleyway. ‘I’d better keep a tight watch over her. But all on my own, there’s only so much I can do. If only there were someone else I could count on…’

Despite her worries, Berry Pinch had somehow managed to get to school on time. Feeling much better, she decided to go and join her friends in their games of ‘tag’ outside the schoolhouse. However, she was stopped by her teacher, Cheerilee, who asked her to help her with the new student that was starting today. She wanted Berry Pinch to show the new colt, ‘Rumble’, around the schoolhouse for her.

Berry Pinch didn’t mind, but was a little disappointed that she couldn’t play with her friends before school started up. ‘Oh well,’ she thought to herself, trying to look on the bright side of things. ‘Who knows? We might end up becoming really good friends!’

As she entered the classroom, she saw the colt sitting all by himself at an empty desk, just as Cheerilee had told her. She walked closer to the colt, a big smile on her face… Until she got closer, and the smile faded when a strange feeling passed through her.

“Um, excuse me.” The colt raised his head from his forehooves, and looked at the filly. “Are you rumble?” He nodded, and she continued. “Miss Cheerilee asked if I could show you around the school, since you didn’t get a proper tour yesterday.”

Rumble groaned and lay his head back onto his forehooves. “I’m fine. I’m too tired to walk around right now…”

“Oh, uh, okay,” Berry Pinch responded, the feeling getting stronger and stronger by the second. She took a few steps back, and felt her breathing increase. ‘What’s going on? I just released some love… Is this colt doing this to me? He must really be mad at someone, or something, right now.’

Berry Pinch sat down at an empty table, and her breathing continued to speed up. “Are you okay?” Rumble asked, to which the filly quickly shot up, spun around to face him, and quickly began waving her forehooves, making sure to keep a huge smile on her face.

“Y-Yes! Of c-course I am!” Berry Pinch shouted. “I-I just have a s-slight fever, t-that’s all…” The last thing she saw before she passed out was Rumble nodding. ‘Oh no… Not good…’

Berry Pinch awoke some time later, and slowly rose to her hooves. She noticed that the colt had left the classroom, although his bag was still there. Presumably, he went to get help. She quickly yelped and jumped back when her horn lit up. Was it a reaction to thinking about that colt? Whenever she thought about him, her body began to tingle, and she felt the same hunger that she had felt the last two times she had needed to ‘feed’ off of somepony. The same feeling she got when she was near somepony with hatred in their hearts.

“Oh no… Oh no oh no oh no oh NO!” she shouted, panicking as she quickly left the classroom, and ran as fast as she could down the hallway. Luckily, she had managed to make it to the restroom without anypony seeing her, and not a moment too soon! As soon as she was inside, her magic burst out of her horn. She let out a loud scream as green energy shot out everywhere, destroying sinks, stalls, mirrors, soap dispensers, lighting, and also, the wall tiles.

As soon as she was finished, she looked around at the damage that she had caused, and was thankful that no one else was in that restroom at that time. With a hard blush on her face, she slowly left the now-destroyed room, silently apologising to whoever would have to fix all of that, and walked away with an innocent look on her face.

Well, at least now she was feeling better. ‘I must have not deposited enough love earlier… Or maybe this is one of the ‘hardships’ that mom told me about.’

When she returned to the classroom, she found that it was suddenly populated with students, most of which were talking amongst themselves, and one or two of which were eagerly awaiting for the lesson to start. Nopony paid Berry Pinch much notice, except for Archer and Sunny Days, who both quickly asked if she was feeling okay.

Berry Pinch assured them she was fine, and that there was nothing to worry about. Although, when she saw her teacher enter the classroom, with him walking in beside her, glancing over at her desk. She felt that same feeling pass over her, though it wasn’t as strong as it was before. At least this time, breathing was still relatively easy. That is, until Rumble passed by her desk, causing her breathing to suddenly speed up.

She looked at Rumble with a questioning look, as if he would know what was going on. He simply stared back at her with a look of bewilderment on his face, before proceeding to his seat. The rest of the day, Berry Pinch’s breathing never slowed down. And, she also felt like she was being watched… which was confirmed whenever she turned around, and caught Rumble staring at her. ‘W-Why is he doing that?’ she asked herself, just wishing that the day would finish already.

When school finished that day, Berry Pinch quickly left the classroom, before her friends even had the chance to say ‘goodbye’ to her. She was in a hurry to get home, and just sleep this whole weird day off… Except, fate had other plans for her. She caught a familiar scent in the air, and suddenly, she had lost sight of her original goal to return home.

The hunger returned to her, and she felt the whole world spinning around her as she staggered through the streets, her vision blurry as she just allowed her legs to take her wherever they pleased. She had no idea how long she had been walking before she reached her goal.

Standing before her, bucking the same tree over and over again, was an orange Earth Pony mare, with a blonde mane.

“Stupid… Rarity!” she shouted in-between bucks. “Always… so… fussy… about… every…. little… THING!”

As Berry Pinch drew closer, the mare seemed to take notice, and asked the little filly if she was lost, and if she needed some help finding her way back home. However, all she got in response, was a beam of green magic from the filly’s horn, connecting with her forehead.

“Whooooa, nelly…”

Berry Pinch slowly began to smile, and she felt much better as she released the love in her system into the Earth Pony.

CRACK!

Berry Pinch slowly opened her eyes, and looked past the orange mare, staring ahead into space as she noticed a shadowy figure running away. “Who?” she asked herself, before her magic faded, and she began falling to the ground.

Before she could make contact with the earth beneath her hooves, Berry Pinch was caught in a green magical aura, and lifted gently into the air.

Berry Pinch stared blankly at her mother, who was holding a spoon in front of her face with some hot soup on it.

“Come on, Pinchy. The Friendship Express needs to make an emergency stop in Nummyville.”

“Mom, I’m nine years old,” Berry Pinch said, making sure to cover her mouth with a hoof as she did so, so that her mother couldn’t force the spoon into her mouth. “And besides, didn’t you hear me? I said that somepony saw me feeding!”

Berry Punch used her magic to lower her daughter’s hoof, and thrust the spoon into her mouth. Berry Pinch groaned as she felt the soup pour into her mouth, and swallowed when the spoon was pulled out.

“I’ve already told you, you don’t need to worry. I’ll take care of it,” Berry Punch assured her, scooping up another spoonful of soup onto the spoon. “Okay, open up again.”

Berry Pinch turned her head to the side. “And what about that colt? The one that made me feel… weird, today?”

Berry Punch giggled, and gave her daughter a sly grin. “Well, you’ll have to wait nine years, but I can begin wedding plans now, if you want.”

“I’m serious!” Berry Pinch shouted as she turned to her mother, a mistake she would realise later as the spoon was once again thrust into her mouth.

“Now, now,” Berry Punch said, pulling the spoon out to let her daughter swallow. “It’s all a natural part of changeling maturity. You don’t realise how lucky you have it.”

“… What do you mean?” Berry Pinch asked.

“Well, usually, changelings feed off of love, right?” Berry Pinch nodded, frowning when she was again reminded of just how different she was. “That means that, for younglings that have only just entered maturity, being around a pony who’s experiencing feelings of love causes them to… well, experience what you did earlier.”

“… So, you’re saying that, I get like that whenever I’m around somepony filled with hate?”

“Not filled with it. It’s just because you aren’t used to the whole ‘feeding’ process yet, so even the slightest hint of hatred in a pony is enough to set you off. Youngling are usually sent to live with ponies for a bit, to help them mature, because there’s usually an abundance of love all around.

“However, now that I think about it, I guess you’re not the only one coming of age around here…”

“What do you mean?” Berry Pinch asked, not sure she was following what her mother was saying.

“Well, the ponies at your school are also reaching that certain age, where their own bodies start changing. And as part of the process, they’ll be developing wild moodswings from time-to-time… Much like you, sometimes,” Berry Punch added with a sigh.

Berry Pinch gasped, and raised a forehoof to protest. “I do not have moodswings!” she shouted, receiving a coy grin from her mother. She cleared her throat, and tried again. “… I am quite in control of my emotions.”

“Sure you are,” Berry Punch said, getting up and picking up the bowl next to her. “Don’t stay up too late now. You’ve had a busy day, and need your rest.”

Berry Pinch nodded, and waited for her mother to leave the room, before she began thinking about that colt from school. ‘Rumble… So he’s angry at someone, or something, right now… I guess I should probably just avoid him, then…’

Outside of Berry Pinch’s bedroom, Berry Punch used her magic to bring up an image before her eyes. The image was of a small grey with a black mane, lying down on a bed, staring up blankly into space.

“Hmmm… He hasn’t told anypony about what he saw today… An interesting kid, this one is. I’ll have to keep my eye on him. Though, I’ll be taking a gamble, but…” Berry Punch looked back at her daughter’s bedroom door, and then shut off her magic. “One day, I might not be able to help her out. And when that time comes…”

Investigating

Saturday, for many foals in Equestria, is supposed to be a day to unwind after a long week of schoolwork. A day to hang out with friends, maybe go to see a movie or play some ball at the park. But not today. Not for Rumble, at least.

‘I know what I saw. That filly, Berry Pinch… she was casting some sort of strange spell on that pony. But when I went to check if she was okay…’

“Hm? What d’ya mean? What little filly?”

“The one that attacked you at the farm! The one who cast that strange spell on you that made you pass out!”

The farm pony, who Rumble had learned was named Applejack, simply laughed in response. “Ah think somepony has let their imagine get away from them.”

“But I-”

“Listen, ah’d love ta stay an’ answer some more of your questions, but ah really need ta be goin’ now. Ah have ta find Rarity, fast.”

The orange mare ran off before Rumble could say anything more, leaving him alone and confused in the middle of the road leading towards the farm.

“What was that all about, anyway? Why can’t she remember anything?”

Rumble found the place that he had spent the entire morning looking for. When he heard that the library was a giant tree, naturally, he was a little sceptical at first. However, standing before Rumble, at the address he had received from his teacher, was indeed a giant tree, with windows and a front door.

“Golden Oaks Library… I might be able to find something here.” At first, Rumble thought that it would be best to tell his brother about what had happened. But he then remembered that he was no longer speaking to his brother, so this was really all he had left. Cloud Kicker would just laugh and tease him, and Flitter would just think he was playing a game, and try to play along.

Opening the door to the library, Rumble walked inside and looked around. It was a nice, quiet place, filled with many, many books (duh, it’s a library, after all), and even had a baby dragon cleaning the shelv-Wait…

“AH!”

“WHOA?!”

“A-A dragon?!” Rumble shouted, backing away but finding that the door behind him has already closed.

“That’s right! And who are you?” The baby dragon asked, seemingly annoyed at Rumble’s shouting.

“What’s all the noise in here?” a female voice asked form another room. A blue mare walked from the top of the stairs, yawning loudly as she reached the bottom, and eyed the colt and baby dragon standing at opposite ends of the library. “… Well?”

“I’m not sure,” the dragon replied. “He just walked in and started screaming when I was trying to dust the shelves.”

Rumble tensed when he saw the mare direct her attention towards him, and decided to apologise. “I-I’m sorry. It’s just, I’ve never seen a dragon before, just heard about them. And I… I’m sorry…”

The baby dragon scratched his head, and then leapt down from his small stepladder and walked towards Rumble. “Well, no harm done. I’m Spike. What’s yours?”

“R-Rumble,” Rumble answered, extending his hoof to shake Spike’s claw… ‘Okay, this just feels weird.’

The blue mare behind Spike yawned loudly once again, and walked towards a doorway on the other side of the room. “Well, since Trixie is up now, she may as well make a start on breakfast.”

“Um, are you the librarian here?” Rumble asked, stopping the mare in her tracks.

“No, the Great and Powerful Trixie just lives here,” Trixie responded. “Twilight Sparkle, the one in charge of this place, is still asleep right now. So keep it down, okay?”

“Um, okay… Then, do you know where I can find a certain book?”

“I can help with that!” Spike offered, seeming all-too-excited to help Rumble out. “What’re ya looking for? Cooking guide? Cleaning guide? Something Daring Do?”

“A-Any books on mythical creatures?”

“Ah, I know just the book!” Spike ran toward one of the bookshelves, and quickly scanned across until he came to a particular book with a purple cover. “Here it is! Equestrian myths and legends – A Reference Guide!”

“Thanks,” Rumble said as he walked over to Spike to collect the book. “Do you mind if I read it in here?”

“Not at all! Just try to keep it down, okay?”

Rumble nodded, and then moved towards the table in the middle of the room to read the book, whilst Spike moved back to his stepladder to resume his dusting.

‘Let’s see here… Sea Ponies… Humans… Vamponies… Changelings… Headless Hors-Wait, that last one…’

Rumble flipped back to the page about changelings, and looked at the artist renderings section of them. One of the pictures… A changeling disguised as a pony, ‘feeding off of another pony’s love’, bu shooting a green beam fo magic towards their forehead.

‘Just like Berry Pinch did to Applejack… Could she be a…’ Rumble quickly shook the thought from his head. That was absurd. There’s no way she could be one of these ‘changeling’ things, right? They had revealed themselves just recently, and from what he had heard about them in Cloudsdale, they were vicious, savage beasts. Not cute, meek little fillies. ‘Cute? Where’d that come from? I mean, I guess she’s not unattractive, but…’

Before he got off-track, Rumble cleared his head and poked his head up from the book. “Um…” Spike stopped his dusting, and turned to face the Pegasus colt. “S-Sorry, but, do you know where I can find more information on changelings?”

“Changelings?” Spike asked, receiving a nod from Rumble. “Well, I know one book,” he said, hopping down from his stepladder once more and walking towards a different bookshelf from before. “Why do you wanna know about the changelings, anyway?”

“Um, it’s for… a school project?”

“Really? What kind of project?”

“Um… it’s a creative writing assignment.”

“Cool,” Spike said, grabbing a thick green book from the shelf and bringing it over to Rumble. “Here it is. I don’t know if there’s anything good in there, but I think it’s all we’ve got.”

Rumble took the book and took a quick peek inside. “Can I… borrow this book, please?”

“Sure! Just let me get the item register real quick.”

After checking out the book on a two week loan, Rumble left the library and decided to head towards the park. Why? Because a very reliable source had told him that that’s where Berry Pinch would be in about fifteen minutes. That is, he overheard Berry Pinch discussing her weekend plans with her friend Archer yesterday after school.

Berry Pinch laughed and joked with her friends in the distance, the three fillies enjoying some ice-cream together under the hot sun. Rumble watched in disbelief as the filly he suspected may not actually be a filly dropped her ice-cream, and almost broke into tears, before Archer offered to share her own.

Changelings have no grasp on pony emotions or feelings. Even when disguised as ponies, they are cold, unfeeling creatures.

A filly even younger than Berry Pinch ran past the three, and tripped over onto the ground. She began crying as she held her hind leg, and Berry Pinch quickly rushed over to calm the filly down.

“… No feelings, huh?”

Changelings are very afraid of water. Even small droplets cause them to back away in fright. That’s why, when it rains, you need not fear a changeling attack.

Berry Pinch giggled as she ran around the park with her two friends, spraying water from her water gun whilst simultaneously avoiding incoming water bomb attacks from her friends.

To a changelings, foods like garlic and onions are like poison. Simply get them to take a whiff, and they will retreat immediately.

Rumble waited, and waited, and waited… but no matter how long Berry Pinch and her friends chatted whilst standing next to the garlic stand, the filly showed no signs of wanting to run away.

“Either this book is useless… or I’m just losing my mind,” Rumble said with a defeated sigh. He had been following Berry Pinch all day, and not one thing mentioned in this book about changelings applied to her.

He was about ready to give up, when he noticed that Berry Pinch’s breathing had increased, and she was walking around in a daze.

“Berry, what’s up?” Archer asked, looking concerned for her friend.

“N-Nothing, just feeling a bit tired, that’s all.” Berry Pinch turned her head to look at something to her side, and Rumble followed her gaze to try to find what she was looking at. But whatever it was, it was hidden behind a building that he couldn’t see from where he was sitting. “Sorry guys, but I’m gonna go home and get some rest.”

“It’s fine,” Archer said. “D’you want us to walk you home?”

Berry Pinch shook her head. “It’s not too far. I can get there on my own.”

“Well, alright then. If you say so.”

The three friends waved goodbye, and Berry Pinch ran away down the street in the opposite direction to the other two fillies.

Rumble at first decided to call it a day, and just head on home. After all, he had pretty much confirmed that she wasn’t a changeling, and that whatever he had seen at the farm was probably some kind of misunderstanding. At the very least, she doesn’t seem to be dangerous, so why bother investigating this further, right?

“… Well, my home just happens to be that way, too,” Rumble said to himself as he got up, the library book on his back, and took off down the street after Berry Pinch.

It didn’t take him long to catch up to the filly, and he noticed that she was still looking a little feverish as she continued walking down the street. He decided to go and make sure that she was okay, but before he could get close to her, Berry Pinch turned to move towards a familiar looking house…

‘Wait, that’s my house, Rumble thought to himself as he stopped and hid behind some nearby bushes. ‘What’s she doing here?’

Berry Pinch reached her hoof towards the door, presumably to knock. But what she actually did took Rumble by surprise. She pulled down on the door handle, and just walked in, as if she owned the place.

“What the?” Rumble quickly jumped out of the bushes, and ran into his house to see what was going on. He heard some noises coming from the living room, followed by a bright green glow that reminded him of what he saw at the farm.

He quickly sprinted around the corner, and into the living room, to see what was going on. “Thunderlane?” he asked as he entered the room, only to stop and back away in horror at the sight before him: Berry Pinch, standing above a downed Thunderlane, shooting a green beam of magical energy into the Pegasus’ forehead.

Berry Pinch stopped whatever it was that she was doing, and slowly turned her head to face the now-fuming Pegasus colt standing behind her. Her eyes widened, and she let out a frightened squeak as she herself began to back away. “R-Rumb-”

“W-What did you do to my brother?!"

Meeting Berry Punch

Berry Pinch gasped and released her spell as she saw Rumble charging towards her. She yelped as he grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her down to the ground, pinning her forelegs to the floor to make sure she couldn’t run away. “R-Rumble…”

“What did you do?! Is my brother okay?! What are you, and what was that spell you used on my brother?!”

Rumble shook the frightened filly back-and-forth as he demanded answers from her, and Berry Pinch weeped as the back of her head hit the floor, sending waves of pain through her and sending chills through her body. “P-Please, stop…”

“Fix my brother! Make him better, right now! Or I’ll tell everypony what you are… CHANGELING!”

Berry Pinch gasped, and started to struggle against Rumble’s hold. ‘No! Not that! Anything but that! If the ponies find out what I really am…’ Images of changelings hanging from gallows passed through her mind.

“Pinchy, dear, you must listen to me. This is very important. You must not, under any circumstances, let anypony know what you really are. Do you understand? Ponies and changelings can never co-exist. If it was discovered that we are changelings, we would be forced to leave. Our home would be burned to the ground, and we would be hunted down like animals.

“So no matter what happens, you must keep your true identity a secret. Even from your best friends.”

Berry Pinch stopped struggling, and chocked back a few sobs as she looked up into Rumble’s enraged face. ‘If he tells everypony what I really am, then mommy and I will have to leave! I don’t want to leave! I like it here! I have friends, and so does mum!’

“Well?! Say something!”

“PLEASE, MOMMY! PLEASE SAVE ME! ERASE HIS MEMORY, HURRY! HE’S GOING TO TELL EVERYPONY WHAT WE ARE, AND THEN WE’LL HAVE TO LEAVE! I DON’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN! PLEASE… Please…”

The two remained silent for a bit, and for a while, nothing seemed to happen. However, before Rumble could continue his interrogation, he felt a hoof on his shoulder, and quickly spun around to find a light-purple mare behind him.

“Sleep,” she said, her own eyes glowing with green flames as she stared down into the colt’s. Rumble tried to say something, but soon felt his consciousness slipping away, and soon began to fall forward, eventually landing in the mare’s forehooves.

“Mommy… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Berry Punch shook her head, and reached over to pull her daughter into a comforting hug. “It’s okay, Berry Pinch. It’s all okay, now. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. You know that.” After a brief mother-daughter moment, Berry Punch pulled away and looked over at Thunderlane. “Now to deal with him…” She looked down at the colt lying in her forehooves. “… And this one, too.”

Rumble let out a groan as he slowly opened his eyes. “Ngh… What happened? I remember going to the library, and then…” The colt let out a gasp as he suddenly remembered the incident with his brother, and his eyes shot open completely. He saw the face of the mare from earlier looking down at him, and he soon realised that she was pinning him down onto a couch.

Berry Punch simply smiled at the frightened colt. “Pinchy dear, it seems our guest is awake now! Could you fetch a glass of water please?”

Rumble heard hoofsteps behind him, and tried to say something, but the words caught in his throat as the mare above him leaned her head down, touching her forehead to his own, their muzzles mere inches apart from each other.

“Good. You don’t seem to have a fever. I was afraid, since I’m not very good at using the sleep spell.”

Rumble, not quite sure what else he could possibly do in this situation, quickly extended his forelegs forward, pushing the mare off of him and sending her crashing down onto the floor beneath them. He then jumped off of the couch, and quickly began looking around for an exit. Instead, he found a startled Unicorn filly, holding a glass of water in her magic.

“YOU!” he shouted, stumbling backwards a few steps as the mare picked herself up off of the floor.

“Ow… It’s good that you’re energetic, but did you have to be so rough?” The mare moved over to the couch that Rumble had previously been resting on, and lay down onto her stomach. “Pinchy dear, could you give your dear old mother a massage?” she asked in a whine.

Berry Pinch sighed, and lay the glass of water down onto a nearby table. “Are you going to explain why we brought him here now? I thought we were supposed to erase the memories of those who found out what we are.”

“Yes, well, naturally, that was my original intention when he first saw you feeding.” Berry Pinch began to press her hooves into her mother’s back. “Ooh, that’s good. Anyway, this colt intrigued me. He saw you feeding, and yet, he told nopony. Well, he questioned that farmer pony, Applejack, about you, but never directly told her that you cast some kind of spell on her.

“Not to mention, despite the fact that he was researching you, he still kept his suspicions about you a secret.” Berry Punch looked up at Rumble, who was eyeing them both cautiously. “Tell me… Rumble, was it?” Rumble nodded. “My name is Berry Punch. It’s nice to meet you finally. Tell me, what were your intentions if you had discovered that my daughter was a changeling?”

“… I… I don’t know.”

“Why were you so curious, then? Where you hoping you could sell her out to the Royal Guard? Or perhaps, you were hoping you could blackmail her with that information?”

“Of course not! I wouldn’t do that to somepony! I was just… Well, you changelings feed off of love, right?” Berry Punch nodded. “I… just wanted to make sure that those you fed off of… weren’t being harmed in any way.” Rumble gasped as he remembered his brother. “My brother! Is he okay?! Berry Pinch cast some kind of spell on him! Was she feeding off of his love?!”

“Settle down,” Berry Punch said in a gentle tone, which seemed to have the desired effect on the young colt. “First, to answer your question, ponies that changelings feed off of can either be harmed, or not. It depends on the changeling. Myself, I only ever take what I need, and never too much from any one pony. And Pinchy here is new to feeding, but so far, she’s done a great job at making sure nopony is harmed.” She gave her daughter a proud smile, and Berry Pinch simply blushed and averted her gaze in response.

“So… Thunderlane’s okay?” Berry Punch nodded. “But, what about his love? He loves Blossomforth, and was going to ask her out next week! Does he no longer love her, now that she’s fed off of it?”

“Ordinarily, ponies that changelings feed off of temporarily feel less love. That’s why, as a rule of thumb, I personally only feed off of ponies that have so much love, that the change wouldn’t be a threat to the pony’s relationship.” Rumble looked confused, so Berry Punch decided to elaborate. “Well, you’ve probably seen it before, where couples that were so lovey-dovey one moment, suddenly have fights over seemingly unnecessary things? Or maybe, they even start to hate each other’s guts, only to make up and be back together in a few days?

“When that happens, for the most part, it’s because a changeling is involved. A changeling has sucked away some of the love from the relationship, but that love will inevitably return. However, after experiencing life without that love, it is entirely possible that one of the two ponies in the relationship will decide that they’re better off apart. Do you understand?”

“Kinda…” Rumble looked over at Berry Pinch, who was doing her best not to meet his gaze.

“However, Berry Pinch is different.” Rumble turned his attention back to the mare on the couch. “Rather than feeding off of love, Pinchy gives love to ponies that have hatred in their hearts. It seems that she is naturally able to harvest all of the love she needs in small doses from everything around her, but as a result, the excess love starts to pollute her system, and eventually, she must dispose of it.”

“Then… my brother was-”

“Yes. It seemed that he had some hatred towards somepony running through his mind. Do you have any ideas as to who that may be?”

Rumble looked down at the floor. Actually, he did have an idea. The past few days, he had been completely ignoring his brother, and refusing to leave his room whenever he was at home. He was sure that he was making Thunderlane very angry with him. “… I do…”

“… Well, if Berry Pinch managed to ‘feed’ off of him enough, you should notice a very big change in his attitude towards that certain somepony over the coming days. After that, the love will leave his system, and it will be up to him to decide which way he will go.”

“So then… it’s only temporary?”

“That is right.” Rumble breathed a sigh of relief, and Berry Punch motioned for Berry Pinch to move aside so that she could get up. “Now then… Tell me, Rumble: what do you intend to do now” Rumble looked up at the mare, and felt his blood freeze when he met her gaze. Her eyes were glowing green, and her cheery smile from before was gone, instead replaced by a hard glare that shot fear into the colt’s very being. “Depending on your answer, I may have to take drastic measures.”

“M-Mum?” Berry Pinch asked, taking a cautious step towards her mother.

“Unfortunately, I made the decision not to erase your mind earlier. If I were to do so now, because of how much time has passed, I’m afraid your brain will completely shut down as a result…” A green flame appeared on Berry Punch’s head, and a long, curved, black horn soon replaced it. She raised a hoof and placed it to just under the colt’s chin, against his neck. Rumble couldn’t move, nor could he avert his gaze form her eyes. “Well? Are you going to keep our secret?”

Rumble gulped, and tried to find the strength to run away from the frightening mare – no, changeling – before him. But he couldn’t. His body was frozen. All he could do, was simply tell her the truth. “… I-If you’re not here to e-endanger anypony… then I w-won’t tell a-anyp-pony about you…”

Berry Punch narrowed her eyes as she examined the colt. Soon, she moved her hoof away, and concealed her horn once more. “I see…” Her smile suddenly returned to her face, and she quickly leaped forward and pulled the startled colt into a hug. “You’re such a dear! Thank you so much for agreeing to keep our secret!”

Rumble, completely dazed and confused as the strange changeling continued to hug and nuzzle him, tried to pull away. “I-It’s nothing, really! I mean, there’s no reason you two should be chased out of town, if you’re not hurting anypony.”

“Thank you…” Rumble turned his attention towards Berry Pinch, who was looking back at him with a nervous smile on her face, and tears flowing down her eyes. It must have meant a lot to her that they didn’t have to move, he realised.

“Um… don’t mention it…” The two maintained eye contact for a bit, until they both couldn’t take it anymore, and averted their gazes from each other, their faces both incredibly flushed. “You, um… You aren’t feeling sick anymore?”

“Huh? O-Oh… you’re right…” Berry Pinch herself was also amazed. She was sure that Rumble was the cause of her feeling unwell so much recently, so why was she okay now?

“It’s because your hatred is gone,” Berry Punch said, releasing Rumble and moving back to her couch. She sat down, and motioned for the colt to join her. Rumble decided to simply stay where he was, for now. “You see, changelings are adapted to being able to find sources of great love, and when they do, their bodies respond by making them ready to harvest it. Unfortunately, younglings that have just entered maturity are rather sensitive to this, and the result is high-pitched fevers, and their bodies craving more love than they actually need.

“Berry Pinch is essentially the opposite; she reacts to ponies that have feelings of hatred towards another pony, and suddenly feels the irresistible urge to deposit as much love as she can into them.”

Both Rumble and Berry Pinch blushed furiously at the explanation, causing Berry Punch to laugh upon realising herself how that may have sounded.

“But, I don’t get it,” Rumble said suddenly, looking over to Berry Pinch. “I investigated her all day, and I was sure that she was just an ordinary – if not kinda weird – pony.”

Berry Pinch looked offended at being called weird, but Berry Punch said spoke up before she could. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Well… for example, aren’t changelings afraid of water?”

“Not really, but changelings naturally lack the ability to swim, so, yeah, I guess if it were a large body of water. But we do drink the stuff, y’know?”

Rumble tried to remember what else the book had taught him. “What about having no feelings?”

“Until a year ago, it was believed that Nightmare Moon was just an old ponytale.”

“Uh, I guess… Then, I guess onions and garlic aren’t poisonous to you guys, either?”

Berry Punch laughed at that one. “Oh man, you ponies really have no idea, huh? No, you see, changelings have a heightened sense of smell compared to ponies. So naturally, we don’t like stuff like that, that have strong scents.”

Rumble looked at Berry Pinch curiously. “Then, how did-”

Berry Pinch anticipated what he was going to ask, and spoke up. “Um, actually… I have a blocked nose today…” She sniffled, as if to emphasise her point.

Rumble facehooved. “Okay, that’s just ridiculous!”

“Anyway, it’s getting pretty late,” Berry Punch said, looking up at the clock above her fireplace. “Thunderlane will be waking up soon. When he does, he won’t remember what happened. Naturally, we would appreciate it if you don’t tell him.”

Rumble nodded. “Okay… And, I’m sorry for all the trouble that I caused…”

“No, I’m sorry!” Berry Pinch said quickly. “I-I just… I couldn’t control myself… Please forgive me.”

“It’s fine. As long as there’s no harm done.”

“Well then, now that that’s all settled!” Berry Punch rose to her hooves, and walked over to Rumble again. This time, the colt didn’t feel the same icy fear gripping his throat, but he did hear his mind telling him to run again. “I’d like to ask a favour of you, Rumble. It’s the reason I didn’t erase your memories before.”

Rumble took a cautious step back, but Berry Punch simply took a step forward in response. “W-What kind of favour?”

Berry Punch grinned. “I’d like you to take good care of my daughter!”

The entire room feel silent. Both Rumble and Berry Pinch were once again blushing, and all it took was a moment of brief eye contact for them to both run to opposite sides of the room.

“W-What do you mean by that?!”

“M-Mum?! What are you saying?!”

“I-I’m way too young to be thinking about stuff like that!”

“Why are you always trying to embarrass me?!”

Berry Punch sighed, and placed a hoof to her forehead. “Not like that,” she said, though she certainly intended for it to sound like that. And she was quite pleased with the reactions that she got. “You see, I simply want you to help her out in my stead. Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be there for her, and there aren’t any other changelings that I can trust.”

Berry Punch approached Rumble once more, and then lowered herself to her knees. “I’ve been watching you, ever since you saw Pinchy feeding off of that pony at the farm. And… I feel I can trust you. Please, will you help me and my daughter out, so that we can continue to live here in peace?”

Visit From A Relative - Part 1

Berry Punch yawned as she walked downstairs, and entered her kitchen. Today was her day off, but she had forgotten to deactivate her alarm clock last night, so she still ended up waking up early. And, since she didn’t think she would be getting back to sleep any time soon, she decided to just go downstairs and have some breakfast.

“Morning, mum. You’re up early today.”

Berry Punch looked at her daughter with almost fully-shut eyes. “Mornin’,” she mumbled, her voice raspy from her dry throat. She picked up an empty glass from a nearby cupboard, and walked over to the sink. “You’re up early, too. You’ve even finished your breakfast. What’s up?”

Berry Pinch picked up her empty bowl and headed over to the dishwasher behind her. “I couldn’t sleep well last night.”

“Thinking about Rumble?” Berry Punch teased, before downing a glass of water in one go.

“T-That’s not it! … Well, it is, but not in that sense!”

“What sense?” Berry Punch asked in an innocent tone. “I just asked if you were thinking about him. I never said in what way.”

Berry Pinch let out an annoyed groan. “… Are you sure we can trust him?”

“Are you saying that you don’t?”

Berry Pinch shook her head. “I just… don’t want to have to leave my friends…”

Berry Punch didn’t respond right away. Instead, she put down her empty glass, and walked over to her daughter, pulling her into a light, tender hug. “You won’t have to. You can trust me on that, Pinchy.”

“Mommy…” Berry Pinch eased into the hug, before being startled by the sound of the doorbell. “W-What?”

“Hm? I wonder who that could be?” Berry Punch looked over to the clock. She was expecting company, but at a later time. “… Pinchy dear, shouldn’t you be leaving soon?”

Berry Pinch looked over at the same clock, and gasped. “Oh, no. You’re right!” The filly grabbed her bag from the kitchen table, and rushed over to the door. “See ya!” she shouted as she swung the door open and rushed out quickly, taking only a second to register the pink mare on the other side, before completely forgetting about her as she rushed to school.

Berry Punch walked over to the door to see who her guest was, but stopped and widened her eyes at what she saw. “Y-You’re-”

“It’s been so long, Berry dear!” The pink-coated, yellow-maned Earth Pony mare ran into the house, and threw her forelegs around the stunned Berry Punch. “That must have been my granddaughter I just saw leave the house? And how’s my useless son-in-law doing? Did ya finally ditch him and find yourself a real man?”

Berry Punch’s face turned red as she grew angry, and she shoved the other mare off of herself. “Listen, Crunch Berry, I didn’t dump my husband! He died, a few years ago!”

“Oh, my,” Crunch Berry said, a sad look on her face. “All this time, and little… what’s her name?”

“Berry Pinch.”

“Cute. Anywho, all this time, and little Pinchy hasn’t had anyone to call her father? Oh, that just simply won’t do!”

“She doesn’t need a father. I certainly didn’t need one.”

“Oh, please,” Crunch Berry scoffed. “If you had a father, you wouldn’t have become such a hopeless alcoholic dropout. And you certainly wouldn’t have married that loser of a changeling you called your husband.”

Berry Punch’s glare did not soften one bit. “Crunch, what are you doing here? And how did you find us, for that matter?”

Crunch Berry laughed. “Oh, please, Berry dear. Call me ‘mother’, or even just ‘mum’.” Berry Punch spat on the floor. “As for why I’m here, why, it’s to see my darling little girl, and her daughter, who I haven’t seen since the day she was born!”

“Anyone else would’ve taken the hint that they’re not welcome.”

“Oh, Berry! You say the darndest things sometimes! And as for how I found you… well, it’s a mother’s job to be able to find her lost child! I’ve known your whereabouts ever since the day that you left.”

Berry Punch’s face twisted in fear. “Relax,” Crunch Berry said. “I haven’t told a single soul about where you live. Your secret is safe with me, my daughter.”

Berry Punch sighed, and rubbed a forehoof against her head. She felt like she needed a drink, more so than usual. “And? When do you plan on leaving?”

“Hmmm… After I see that my granddaughter is living a happy life, here in…”

“Ponyville.”

“Right, right! Here in Ponyville!”

“Right, well, as you just saw moments earlier, she’s quite happy! So, if you could just leave now-”

Crunch Berry laughed and shook her head. “Oh, no, Berry dear. All I’ve seen so far is that little Pinchy is rather energetic, and that she is indeed attending school, like a child her age should do.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should just leave anyway! Before your very presence turns her into a ‘hopeless alcoholic dropout’.”

Crunch Berry put a hoof to her chin, and then shook her head again. “Nah! I think I’m just going to go and check things out for myself!” Crunch Berry’s sides glowed green, and soon, a pair of pink wings shot out of her side. “My bags are outside. Be a dear and bring those in for me, will you? Thanks ever so much.”

Before Berry Punch could respond, the pink mare was already on her way, soaring into the skies without a care in the world. Berry Punch contemplated going after her, but knew she would stand no chance. She instead just looked over at the mountain of bags that her mother had brought along, and sighed. “She wants me to carry her stuff in? Fat chance.”

Berry Punch looked around to make sure that nopony was watching, and then transformed into a green Unicorn stallion, and began to lift all of the suitcases with her magic, floating them over a small mud hole nearby.

Rumble stirred in his bed, images of changelings surrounding him and tying him up as she sang their creepy chants running through his brain. “No… No, stop… I-I won’t taste good, really. I…” The sound of his alarm clock awoke the Pegasus from his not-so-peaceful sleep. He climbed out of his bed, panting and covered in sweat, and shut off his clock.

“What’s that smell?” Rumble asked himself as she he left his room. “… Pancakes? Isn’t today supposed to be Thunderlane’s day off? … THUNDERLANE!”

Suddenly remembering the events of yesterday, Rumble hurried downstairs and entered the kitchen. “Thunderlane, are you okay?!”

“Of course I am,” Thunderlane said as he turned to face his little brother, a big smile on his face. “Take a seat, little bro. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“I-It is?” Rumble asked as he nervously approached his brother. “But… isn’t today your day off?”

“It’s my way of apologising for the way I’ve been acting recently.” Thunderlane placed a place of pancakes onto the kitchen table, and pulled the chair back for his little brother. “I know it’s difficult to adjust to a new town. I should have been more sensitive to your feelings. I’m sorry, Rumble.”

Rumble was caught completely off guard by this apology, and shook his head as he sat down. “N-No. It was me who’s been acting out of hoof recently. I know the move was unavoidable. I was just being selfish.”

Thunderlane surprised Rumble even further, by kneeling down and pulling the young colt into a strong hug. “Even so, that’s no excuse for the way I’ve been treating you lately! I love you, little bro, and I shouldn’t have been so hard on you.”

Rumble wasn’t quite sure how to react, other than squirming and trying to get free. ‘W-What the? Is this what Miss Berry Punch was talking about before? Berry Pinch injected some ‘love’ into him, and now he’s acting all mushy and stuff?’ A thought crossed his mind, and he frowned. ‘Oh, no. Blossomforth is coming over today… I’d better find somewhere to hang out after school for a while.’

“Anyway,” Thunderlane said as he released his brother, “You’d better eat up, before your pancakes get cold. And after your finished, I’ll walk you to school.”

Rumble quickly shook his head. “T-That’s fine! Really! I can walk there myself!” He couldn’t let the other foals see his brother like this. That would just be way too embarrassing.

Thunderlane frowned. “Are you sure? It’s important for brothers to bond, you know.” Rumble nodded his head vigorously. “Well, if you really insist… Then, how about if I help you with your homework later?”

Rumble thought about this. “Well, I don’t have any that needs doing right now, but if I get some today, then, sure.” Thunderlane seemed a little too excited about the idea. “But, what about Blossomforth?”

Thunderlane waved his hoof dismissively. “I can send her home early. Family is more important than friends, after all.”

Rumble’s eyes widened in disbelief. Thunderlane never put anypony before Blossomforth! Wasn’t his love supposed to have grown? Or, was it only towards a specific individual? ‘Could the love her gained have been directed towards whoever he hated at the time Berry Pinch fed off of him? In that case, that means that the one he hated was…’ Rumble gulped, and turned away from his brother, lifting the fork that was on the table and starting to dig into the pancakes.

‘I-I knew he was mad, but to think that he hated me…’ Rumble suddenly lost his appetite halfway through his first pancake, but he didn’t want to upset his brother, who had gone through the trouble of preparing this breakfast for him. And so, he forced himself to eat as much as he could, until the clock saved him. “Thunderlane, I should really be going to school now. You can have the rest of these, if you want.”

“You sure?” Thunderlane asked.

Rumble nodded. “I’m sure. And, I might be coming back late tonight, just so you know.”

“Oh. I see…” Rumble left the house without another word, and Thunderlane let out a deep sigh. “Well, I guess I’ll finish these off, and then go shopping… I wonder what happened yesterday that stopped me?”

At lunchtime, Rumble decided to sit alone in the cafeteria as he ate, since he still hadn’t really become friends with anypony yet. It’s not that he didn’t like the ponies at his new school, but he just couldn’t stop thinking about his old friends back in Cloudsdale.

Berry Pinch entered the cafeteria with Archer, and noticed Rumble sitting all on his own. Archer asked Berry Pinch to find some seats for them, whilst she grabbed some food from the lunch line. Berry Pinch nodded, and walked over to where Rumble was sitting. “Mind if I sit here?” she asked, receiving only a simple nod in return.

“… I’ve been keeping your secret,” he said, trying to break the awkward silence in the air.

“Oh. Uh… thank you.”

More awkward silence followed, and Berry Pinch began nervously eating her lunch with slow bites. “Thunderlane’s been acting weird.”

“Your brother?” Berry Pinch asked, receiving confirmation from Rumble. “S-Sorry… I really didn’t mean any harm by it.”

“It’s fine… I think…”

“Ooh, what’s this?” Archer asked as she took the seat next to Berry Pinch. “You two are getting along quite well, huh?”

Both of the foals’ faces turned red. “W-We were just talking!” Berry Pinch shouted.

“Oh? What about?”

Berry Pinch flinched. “Er, it was about… um…”

Archer grinned wryly at the flustered filly. “Something you can’t speak to me about?”

“She was just answering some questions I had about the school,” Rumble said, receiving a thankful smile from Berry Pinch.

“Don’t believe you,” Archer responded. “C’mon, you can level with me. I won’t tell anypony, honest.”

“I said, it’s not like that,” Berry Pinch insisted. “We’re just friends, that’s all!”

“And when did that happen?” Archer asked. “‘Cause last I saw, you two weren’t exactly on speaking terms, for whatever reason.”

“W-Well, that’s because…”

“We’re just friends,” Rumble said, seeing that Berry Pinch was starting to get really panicked. “So just drop it, okay?”

“Alright, alright,” Archer said, holding her hooves up in submission. “Sheesh, ya don’t have ta get so defensive about it. I was only teasin’ ya.”

“Yeah, well, she clearly didn’t like it.”

“She’ll be fine!” Archer said, wrapping a foreleg around Berry Pinch. “Pinch and I, we’ve been friends for years now! It’ll take more than a little teasing to break this filly, trust me.”

Outside the cafeteria window, a pink Pegasus mare with a yellow mane grinned as she listened in on the conversation between the three foals. ‘Seems like my granddaughter has some good friends… But, I’m curious about this colt, in particular. It seems that little Pinchy has taken… quite a shine to him.’

Visit From A Relative - Part 2

As the foals filed out of Cheerilee’s class one-by-one at the end of the school day, Berry Pinch and Archer exchanged a few jokes and giggles with each other. On their way out, they bumped into Rumble, who standing just outside of the schoolhouse in a daze.

“Heya, Rumble!” Archer said as they approached him, but she received no response. She tried again, with more ‘oomph!’ in it this time. “HEYA, RUMBLE!”

Rumble jumped back with a start, and Berry Pinch clasped her hooves against her ears. “W-What the?!”

“Eheheh… sorry, too loud?” Archer asked with a sheepish grin. “What were ya doing here, just staring into space?”

“Oh, uh…”

“Aren’t you on your way home?” Berry Pinch asked. Rumble shook his head. “I’m… actually trying to avoid going home right now.”

“Why?” Berry Pinch asked in a concerned tone.

“It’s… complicated,” Rumble answered, trying not to look Berry Pinch in the eyes.

Berry Pinch nodded, and also averted her gaze from the colt. Archer looked between the two, and grinned like a Cheshire Cat. Even if she didn’t know what exactly, she knew that something was up between these two.

“Well, then,” Archer began, “Wanna come hang with us?”

Berry Pinch’s eyes widened. “W-What?!” she shrieked. “A-Archer, what’re you-”

“We were thinkin’ of going ‘round to Sugarcube Corner, this bakery that does really good cupcakes. You wanna join us?”

Rumble thought about it for a moment. It sounded like a good way to kill some time, and he did like cupcakes… “Is that okay?” he asked Berry Pinch, who looked as if she wasn’t sure how to respond.

‘W-Why ask me? I don’t own Sugarcube Corner, so he can go if he wants to! More importantly, just what is Archer planning, inviting him along like that all of a sudden?'

“That’s a ‘yes’,” Archer said, reaching forward and grabbing Rumble’s forehoof with her own. “C’mon, let’s go! We’ll give you a little tour of Ponyville on the way.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Rumble said. “I’ve already got the gist of it.”

“Too bad! I’ve already decided!” She pulled him along rather forcefully, and placed him next to Berry Pinch, giving a little shove to make sure that their bodies bumped against each other. Both foals blushed at the minor contact. “You two walk together, and I’ll lead ya both around!”

“But, I already know Ponyville,” Berry Pinch said.

“I know, but you’ve gotta keep him entertained while I lead him around.” Archer leaned forward, and whispered into Berry Pinch’s ear: “Try to find out what he likes, and then talk about that.”

“W-Why?” Berry Pinch asked, her face turning even redder.

“Just ‘cause!” Archer giggled, and turned around. “Right! Archer Tour Lines, ready to move out! Forwaaaaard, MARCH!”

Crunch Berry giggled as she sat on nearby cloud, looking down at the three foals as the marched down Ponyville, the blue one shouting so loudly that she could hear her even from so high up. “Wow. That one certainly is energetic.” Crunch Berry sighed as she lowered her head onto the soft, fluffy cloud. “She reminds me of my youth… Oh, it seems they’re going inside that… Is that a house made out of candy?”

“So, how’re you enjoying Ponyville, Rumble?” Archer asked before taking a sip of her smoothie.

“Well, it’s… quieter than Cloudsdale. And I don’t really know anypony here…” Berry Pinch offered him a sympathetic gaze, which he quickly averted his eyes from.

“You know us,” Archer said. “I know! Why don’t you hang out with us and our friends tomorrow, after school! We were gonna go have a picnic in the park. I’m sure the other girls won’t mind ya tagging along.”

Rumble fiddled with the straw in his smoothie nervously. “I don’t know…”

Archer leaned over to elbow the colt, whilst shooting him a sly grin. “What, you shy ‘bout being around six cute fillies all day?”

Rumble, now turning red, glared at the teasing Pegasus opposite him. “If they’re as ‘cute’ as you, I don’t think I’ll have a problem.”

Archer laughed loudly and fell back into her seat. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that!” After she had calmed down, Archer reached a foreleg over Berry Pinch’s shoulders. “But, no. They’re about on the same level and Pinchy here.”

Berry Pinch blushed, and Rumble struggled to come up with a response. ‘Come on, Rumble! Don’t let her win!’ “… I-Is that so?”

…

‘Nice one, doofus,’ Rumble thought to himself as he slammed a forehoof into his face. “I-I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Oh? Because Berry Pinch is so unbelievably cute beyond compare.”

If at all possible, Rumble’s face grew even redder. Deciding that he didn’t want to dig himself any deeper than he already had done, Rumble opted out of retaliating, and instead just focused on trying to down his smoothie one go.

“Is that a yes?” Archer asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“J-Just shut up, alright?” Rumble said, turning his head away. “I don’t think of her that way.”

Berry Pinch’s ears flattened against her head, and she turned her head the opposite way to Rumble’s. Archer looked between the two, and let out a sigh as she shook her head. ‘These two really do have something going on between them, huh?’

Later that day, Berry Pinch told Archer and Rumble that she had to go home to do some chores for her mother. After she had left, the two remaining foals decided to go home too. Archer tagged along with Rumble for a bit, since their houses were in similar directions.

“Hey,” Archer said, turning her head to look at the colt beside her.

“What?” Rumble asked. “If you’re just going to start teasing me again-”

“Do you like Berry Pinch?” the filly asked, before Rumble could even finish.

“Argh! Will you just put a lid on it already?”

“I’m serious,” Archer said in an even tone. “Do you like her, yes or no?”

“… She’s… fun to be around, I guess. I thought she was pretty weird at first, but I guess she had her reasons.”

Archer tilted her head in confusion. “Reasons?”

Rumble mentally cursed himself for his slipup, and quickly tried to fix his mistake. “I-I mean, I just thought she was weird ‘cause she acted different from the ponies up in Cloudsdale! That’s all!”

Archer clearly wasn’t convinced, and Rumble’s innocent whistling probably wasn’t helping him. “… Whatever,” she said, deciding to drop it. Rumble breathed a sigh of relief, though it wouldn’t last for long. “Anyway, I just wanted to tell ya, since I’m her best friend and all: you make her cry, and I’ll make school miserable for you. Got it?”

“‘Make her cry’?” Rumble asked, not quite following.

“Got it?” Archer asked, in a much sterner tone this time.

“Uh… uh-huh.”

Archer smiled, and stopped suddenly in the middle of the street. “Good! Well then, if you ever need any advice, feel free to ask me anytime!”

“Advice on what?”

“On how to win Pinchy’s heart, of course!” Rumble’s brow furrowed, and he immediately began his rant of how he and Berry Pinch were just friends. Archer ignored him, and turned down the street to continue heading home.

“Honestly, that filly just doesn’t give up!” Rumble said, turning around and heading in a different direction.

“She brings up a good point, though,” a voice above Rumble said, and the colt looked up to see a pink Pegasus mare landing in front of him. “Hello there. Rumble, is it?” Rumble nodded, and the mare took a step closer. Suddenly, Rumble could no longer feel his legs, and was frozen on the spot as the pink mare looked down at him with a menacing grin on her face. “I think that you and I need to have a little talk…”

Visit From A Relative - Part 3

Rumble felt a chill pass down his spine, and shuddered as the pink mare loomed over him with a menacing grin on her place. “I need to have a word with you, Rumble.”

“W-With me?” Rumble asked, his voice cracking as he tried to back away, but he found that his hooves were frozen firmly in place. “What about?”

“About a certain little filly that you seem to have recently grown fond of.”

Rumble looked at her with a questioning look on his face, and then took notice of her wings. “A filly? … Do you mean Archer?” The mare didn’t respond. “Look, we were just walking home together just now, that’s all. Truth-be-told, I’m not really that fond of her at all. I don’t hate her, but-”

“You seem to have come to the wrong conclusion,” the mare said, giggling slightly as she patted the top of Rumble’s head. “I was referring to that cute little Unicorn that you and your friend were just with?”

“‘Cute little Unicorn’… You mean Berry Pinch?”

“That’s correct! My granddaughter, Berry Pinch!”

Rumble gasped in shock at this new revelation. Did this mean that, standing before right now, was yet another changeling? What did she want with him? Why does she ‘need to have a word’ with him? And most importantly… “Y-You’re her grandmother?”

“Why, yes. Yes I am.”

“… But… you look so young! About the same age as Ms. Punch!”

The mare giggled, and flicked her mane as she struck a pose in front of the young colt. “Why, thank you for noticing! I know I am rather young and sexy for my age.”

“I didn’t say anything about ‘sexy’,” Rumble muttered, immediately earning a cheek pinch from the mare’s hoof.

“What was that, little boy?” she asked, veins showing in her forehead.

“N-Nothing! I didn’t say anything!”

“Good!” The mare released him, and Rumble quickly rubbed a hoof against the side of his face. “But, just now… you mentioned that I look the same age as Berry Punch, correct?”

Rumble nodded. “Y-Yeah…”

“Oh, my! So Pinchy has already introduced you to her mother! She certainly is her mother’s daughter, that’s for sure.” ‘I’d better make sure she doesn’t get into Berry’s alcohol stash.’

“Um… listen, Ms…”

“Oh, where are my manners? My name is Crunch Berry! And please, drop the ‘Ms.’.”

“Uh… Crunch Berry, I don’t really get what’s going on, but I’ve only visited Ms. Punch once before, and it wasn’t exactly a… casual greeting.”

Crunch Berry tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“It’s… I-It was an emergency… I don’t really want to go into the details, but-”

Crunch Berry’s eyes widened. ‘Of course! Berry Pinch should be awakening soon, so…’ “I see! Let me guess, it involved Pinchy, right?”

Rumble nodded his head. ‘Does she not already know? Maybe Ms. Punch just hasn’t told her yet… I guess I’ll just tell her the whole story.’ “Y-Yeah. Berry Pinch had been acting weird lately, so I grew concerned, and I-”

Crunch Berry raised a hoof to silence the colt. “Say no more! I get the picture.” ‘If she’s awakened, then that means that… I had better make my message rather clear to this young colt.’

Rumble took a step back when Crunch Berry advanced, but was immediately frozen in place once again by some mysterious force. He felt two hooves on his shoulders, and his attention was drawn into the two, large green eyes looking his way.

“Now you listen here, Rumble: I’m glad that you’re being such a good friend to my dear Pinchy, but that’s all I can allow you to be. Don’t go getting any ideas in your head about being her coltfriend or anything.”

Rumble wanted to protest that he had no such thoughts, but he was unable to even move his mouth right now, let alone form any coherent words. “Do you understand?” Crunch Berry asked. “You are forbidden from pursuing a romantic relationship with her.”

Rumble grit his teeth together. Something was stirring up inside of him, and he was beginning to feel angry all of a sudden. Breaking free of the mare’s spell, he was finally able to say something, though what he said shock him.

“What right do you have to decide who she can and can’t date?!”

Crunch Berry glared down at the young colt, and kneeled down to look at him at eyelevel. “That is because I am her guardian angel. Rumble, I am not saying this as a suggestion, or an order.”

Rumble’s breathing stopped, his eyes widened, and his pupils shrunk to the size of dots. He slowly lowered his gaze, and found a pink hoof pressed against his throat. “You are forbidden from pursuing any romantic relationship with my granddaughter. Is that understood?”

Rumble had so many questions to ask her. Why was she so insistent on making sure he didn’t date Berry Pinch. Why was she going to such lengths? Who was this mare? So many questions, but his brain, for the sake of survival, pushed them aside, and assumed control of all of his motor functions to instead just give a simple nod.

“Good!” Crunch Berry, smiling once again as she retracted her hoof and lifted off of the ground by flapping her wings. “Well then, Rumble dear, please do continue being such good friends, good friends, with Pinchy, alright?”

Rumble only nodded once again. ‘S-She said ‘friends’ twice.’ Crunch Berry flapped her wings faster, and took off into the air, flying down the street at a high speed. ‘… M-Maybe I should try to limit the time I spend around Berry Pinch, from now on.’

As Crunch Berry soared through the air, she grit her teeth in anger as a bitter memory played through her mind. ‘Ponies and changelings can never fall in love. Never.’ A familiar scent caught Crunch Berry’s nose, and she stopped her flying as she looked around for the source. She found two ponies, one a green Unicorn mare, the other a cream-coloured Earth Pony mare, sitting a nearby bench together, in an otherwise isolated park.

She overheard the green mare saying that she would go and get some ice-cream, and then watched as she got up and ran off down the park. Crunch Berry grinned, and slowly landed behind the other mare. ‘Maybe I’ll have myself a little snack, before heading back to Berry’s home.’

Rumble opened the front door to his house slowly, and walked inside. With a sigh, he closed it, and then turned around with the intention of going upstairs. Instead, he was greeted to the sight of a black Pegasus pony’s face in front of him, a little closer than the colt would have liked, and yelped as he jumped back.

“Welcome home, bro! D’you have a good day?”

“T-Thunderlane! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Thunderlane’s smile immediately fell, and he reached out and grabbed his younger brother. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you like that!”

“GAH! T-Thunder… lane… l-let go!”

“Thunderlane, what’s going on?” a white Pegasus mare entered the hallway from the living room, and looked at the two sibling with a confused look on her face. “Oh, Rumble’s home…”

“H-Hello, Miss Blossomforth,” Rumble said, remembering his manners despite his situation.

“Hello, Rumble. It’s nice to see you again, but… what is he doing?” she asked, pointing at the colt’s brother.

“I-I don’t know! G-Get him off me?”

“I’m just showing my brother how much he means to me,” Thunderlane said, squeezing Rumble even tighter. “You’re the best little brother a pony could ask for!”

Rumble gagged at the sentiment, whilst Blossomforth simply giggled over the poor colt’s predicament. “Well, as great as it is to see you two finally getting along, perhaps you let go of him now? Before he dies of asphyxiation?”

Thunderlane gasped, and immediately released his little brother, who placed a hoof to his throat as he let out a series of coughs and wheezes. Rumble looked up at Blossomforth. “T-Thanks,” he said with a raspy voice.

“No prob,” she responded, before turning to Thunderlane. “C’mon, Thundy! The movie’s at a good point, and I want to see how it ends.”

“You want to join us, bro?” Thunderlane asked, looking down at Rumble with a hopeful look on his face.

It almost hurt Rumble to have to turn his brother down… No, that’s not true at all. The colt actually took great pleasure in it. “Sorry, Thunderlane, but I’ve had a tiring day, and want to just get some sleep.”

“Oh,” Thunderlane said, sounding upset. As Rumble moved past him and began to move up the stairs, Thunderlane’s smile reformed itself on his face as he turned around to face his younger brother. “Then, d’you want me to tuck you in? Or read you a story? Or-”

“Thunderlane!” Rumble shouted. “I just want to be alone for a bit, okay?!”

Thunderlane was taken aback by the sudden shouting, and bowed his head in defeat. “O-Okay…” As Rumble ran up the stairs and entered his room, slamming his door in the process, Thunderlane let out a depressed sigh. He felt a wing wrap around his body, and turned his head to Blossomforth, who began to nuzzle the down stallion.

“Don’t take it too personally, Thundy. Colts his age just need their space, that’s all.”

“But-” Blossomforth shushes him with a hoof to his lips.

“Besides, this is a good thing. You’re brother’s gonna be up in his room all night, which means now, there’s nothing getting in our way…” Blossomforth leaned forward to kiss Thunderlane on the lips, and as she did so, the stallion felt all of his previous sadness washing away.

Though he still found himself thinking about Rumble, even as he returned the kiss. ‘… What’s wrong with me?’

Berry Punch’s ears twitched, and she let out an annoyed sigh as she lowered her knife and fork onto the dining table below her. Berry Pinch gave her a confused look. “Aaaaand, she’s back.”

“‘She’?” Berry Pinch asked, soon followed by the loud sound of the front door to their house slamming open.

“Berry dear,” a female voice called out, “Would you mind explaining why my bags were found in a mud hole outside of your house, rather than inside, like I asked?”

Berry Punch turned around to give her mother a hard glare. “It’s because you’re not welcome here. Now go away! We’re trying to have a nice family dinner!”

“I’m family,” Crunch Berry pointed out, dropping her muddy bags onto the floor of the kitchen, and approaching the dining table. She noticed the glass of wine by Berry Punch’s plate. “Why am I not surprised?”

“M-Mommy?” Berry Pinch asked, trembling in her seat. “W-Who’s that?”

“Nobody,” Berry Punch replied flatly. “Just a pest that doesn’t know how to take ‘go away’ as an answer.”

“How rude,” Crunch Berry said, using her magic to pull out a nearby chair for her to sit on. “How could you just lie to your daughter like that? Doesn’t she deserve to know who her grandmother is?”

“Grandmother?” Berry Pinch asked in a shock voice. “You’re my…”

“She’s nobody,” Berry Punch repeated, but Crunch Berry simply ignored her.

“Yes, that’s right, Pinchy dear. I am Berry Punch’s mother, and your grandmother.”

Throughout the night, Berry Punch’s headache progressively worsened, and her alcohol supplies were quickly running out. Of course her daughter would take her mother’s side. Of course Berry Pinch would spend the whole night asking Crunch Berry questions about the Changeling Kingdom, and about her mother when she was growing up. And, of course the two would bond so well together!

“More importantly, Pinchy dear, I wanted to ask you something,” Crunch Berry said, after she had finished retelling the story of when Berry Punch got drunk in the middle of a Middle School play. “I couldn’t help but notice earlier, that you failed to react to several sources of love throughout the town today.”

Berry Punch’s ears twitched, and she began to panic. Berry Pinch simply looked at her grandmother questioningly. “What do you mean? Were you… following me?”

“Well, I may have been a little curious about how my granddaughter lives her daily life… Anyway, onto my question! Have you not awoken yet?”

Berry Pinch was about to answer, but her mother cut her off. “Alright, Pinchy! It’s time for bed!”

Berry Pinch looked confused. “But, it’s only nine,” she said.

“Yes, well, you have a big day tomorrow, remember?” Berry Pinch shook her head. “Of course you do! You have that… thing, with the stuff.” Berry Pinch looked even more confused, but was lifted into her mother’s magical hold before she could say anything. “Right! So, go and wash your teeth, and then go straight to bed, alright?”

Berry Pinch looked down at her mother, but only received a stern glare. Moaning, she followed her mother’s orders, though she made a point to emphasis each step she took to the bathroom with a stomp.

“… What was that all about?” Crunch Berry asked. “Is there something you’re trying to hide from me, Berry dear?”

“Of course not!” Berry Punch shouted. “She just needs to go to sleep now! And so do I! Therefore, Crunch Berry, I ask that you leave us be now!” Berry Punch turned to go up the stairs. “Oh, and to answer your question: no, she hasn’t awakened yet.” Berry Punch marched up the stairs, the suspicious eyes of Crunch Berry watching her as she took (and stumbled on) each step.

‘My daughter… what are you hiding? Perhaps I need to look into this, before I head back home, just to make sure that Pinchy isn’t in any danger…’

Visit From A Relative - Part 4

Rumble yawned as he crept down the stairs in his house, a pair of saddlebag on his back and, a comb in his hoof, running through his mane. He stopped in front of a mirror at the bottom of the stairs to check his hair. “… I really don’t know about this,” he said to himself with a sigh.

The previous day, he had agreed to hang out with Archer and Berry Pinch and their friends in the park today. However, that was before he had met Crunch Berry, and now, he wasn’t so sure if it was worth the risk. ‘That crazy changeling will kill me if I get too close to Berry Pinch.’

Rumble heard the sounds of giggling in the living room, and was reminded him of why he had decided to go out that morning in the first place. ‘Right. Those two are still asleep in there, so it’s not like I have much to do here anyway…’

Sighing, Rumble placed his comb into his bag after he had finished fixing his mane, and then proceeded to leave the house very, very quietly.

Rumble arrived at the park thirty minutes before the time that Archer had specified, so he decided to buy himself an ice-cream cone and sit on a nearby bench. He let out a loud yawn as he sat down, and brought a hoof to his eyes to wipe away his tiredness.

“You must be pretty sleepy, huh?” Rumble simply nodded, but then paused when he had finished yawning. He turned to his side to see a familiar pink filly looking his way. “Um, good morning.”

“Good morning,” he said back. Both foals turned their gazes away from each other. “You got here early, too?”

“Yeah… Mommy was acting weird last night, so I thought I’d come out and get some fresh air… Maybe it has something to do with grandma moving in?”

Rumble’s ears twitched, and his body shivered in fear. “Y-Your grandmother?”

Berry Pinch nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t ever known any changelings, other than my mum. My mum and I moved to Ponyville when I was only two, you see. Anyway, last night, my grandma showed up, saying she wanted to see me.”

“… And, how is she?” ‘I mean, besides a complete psycho?’

Berry Pinch smiled. “She’s really fun.” Rumble looked shocked at this, but she didn’t seem to notice. “She had so many interesting stories to tell, and answered so many questions about our race that mommy wouldn’t ever answer for me. But, I get the feeling that mommy and grandma don’t really get along that well.”

“Is that so?” Rumble asked, taking a lick of his ice-cream. ‘I wonder if I should tell her that her grandmother threatened me yesterday?’

“Where did you get that ice-cream?” Berry Pinch asked. Rumble pointed to the ice-cream stand in the distance, which the filly quickly began running towards.

Rumble sighed as he sat back into his seat. ‘What was that all about, anyway? Forbidden from dating her? Who says I want to, anyway? I mean, she’s not bad-looking, but-’ Rumble’s s thoughts were cut short when he saw Berry Pinch returning to where he was sitting, looking incredibly downcast. “What’s wrong?”

“I forgot my bits,” Berry Pinch sulked. “I can’t buy any ice-cream.”

The filly sat down on the bench next to Rumble, and hung her head as she frowned at the ground beneath her hooves. Rumble looked at his ice-cream, and then at Berry Pinch, and then at his ice-cream again. “… You… want the rest of mine?”

Berry Pinch immediately lifted her head, and looked at Rumble with a look of surprise. “R-Really?”

Rumble nodded. “I’ve had enough, anyway. You can have the rest, if you want.”

Berry Pinch smiled widely, and reached forward to grab the cone. She blushed when her hoof came into contact with Rumble’s, and averted her eyes as she pulled the cone towards herself. “Thanks…”

“It’s fine,” Rumble said, his eyes shifting between Berry Pinch and the ground as he watched her eat the ice-cream with a smile on her face. The colt felt his face heating up, and began to wish that he hadn’t given away his ice-cream.

Crunch Berry grit her teeth as she watched the two foals below her sitting together on a bench in the park. “I told him not to get too close to her. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear enough?” She heard the sounds of giggling, and noticed a group of fillies approaching the two. “Damnit. Guess I can’t get him alone just yet… Oh well, I can wait.” A grin spread across her face. “And hey, maybe he’ll change his mind. He is a growing colt, surrounded by such cute little fillies, after all.”

“Is it true that ponies in Cloudsdale carry spears around at all times?” Dink asked Rumble, bombarding him with a lot of questions about Cloudsdale. “Do you really have your own branch of the Royal Guard there? Is it really so big that you could get lost, even if you’ve spent your whole life there?”

“Uh, well,” Rumble began, backing away from the energetic filly with a nervous look on his face, “I-It’s not like we all carry weapon, but the Royal Guard stationed there carry their weapons when off-duty, so outsiders usually mistake them as regular civilians carrying weapons.”

Dinky looked a little sad at that. “Oh…”

‘Why does that upset her?’ Rumble shook the question from his mind, deciding not to bother asking. “And yes, it is pretty big. It doesn’t help that, because everything is made of clouds, the city constantly change shape. One morning, school might be in walking distance, then next week, you might need to take a chariot.”

“Really?” Alula asked, she and her friends all growing interested in the story. “That must be so confusing!”

Rumble laughed. “Yeah, at times…” He spared a moment to look to his left, where he saw Berry Pinch also looking at him, listening intently to his answers to Dinky’s many questions about Cloudsdale.

“What’s wrong?” Archer asked, shooting Rumble a sly grin. “See something you like?”

Rumble quickly shook his head, and turned away, confusing the rest of the fillies in the group.

“Look, will ya just stop and listen to me for a sec?!”

The foals gathered at the park turn to the source of the raised voice, and saw a white Unicorn mare chasing a grey Earth Pony mare. “Tavi, just listen to me, alright?!”

“Save it, Vinyl! I said I don’t want to talk about it right now!”

“But-”

“NOT. NOW!”

“UGH! Why are you so stubborn?!”

Berry Pinch felt something tugging at her heart, and let out a gasp, before her breathing began to increase. ‘O-Oh no… Not again.’ Her temperature started to rise, and her eyes began to water.

Rumble and Archer noticed this, and both started to grow concerned, though for very different reasons.

“Berry? Are you okay?” Archer asked, placing a hoof on her friend’s forehead. “You’re burning up! I think we should cut our meet up short, guys, and get Berry Pinch home.”

The other fillies moaned, but understood. Rumble knew what was really happening, though, and started to panic when he saw green sparks flow out of Berry Pinch’s horn. “Um, actually, guys,” he started, getting up and walking over to the panting filly, “You guys should stay here and enjoy your day. You all planned it out so much, right? I can take Berry Pinch home by myself.”

“Are you sure?” Dinky asked. “Berry Pinch is our friend, I don’t think we should-”

“It’s fine,” Berry Pinch said, though her voice was weak. “You guys have fun… I’ll be fine with just Rumble.”

Archer was about to speak up, but after Berry Pinch’s horn began to glow green, Rumble quickly picked her up and draped her over his back. “We’ll be fine!” he said quickly, turning around before anypony could say anything else. “I’ll see to it that she gets home safe and sound! Don’t worry!”

Rumble quickly ran off through the park, carrying Berry Pinch on his back and silently begging her to hold on until they got to her home. However, Berry Pinch wasn’t sure that she could.

“… That grey one,” she started, “She’s just round that corner. She’s feeling such hatred right now… If I can just get to her-”

“That’s too risky! What if somepony sees you?!”

“But… I don’t think… that I can maintain my disguise much longer…” Berry Pinch’s mane flickered, and began to dim, before being covered in green flames for a moment, bringing back the bright colour that it once was. “Please…”

Rumble groaned, and stopped his running to change his direction. “Fine, just hang on a little longer, okay?”

“… Thank you…”

Octavia sighed as she sat on a bench to the side of one of Ponyville’s streets. “Stupid Vinyl Scratch… I take such precious time out of my life to visit her, and she can’t even spare a single moment for me!”

“Um… Excuse me, miss?” Octavia looked down at the young Pegasus colt addressing her. “Do you know that white mare with the strange glasses?”

Octavia grunted, and turned her head away with a huff. “So, she’s sending kids to look for me, now? Tell her I have no intention of speaking to her any time soon.”

Rumble shook his head. “It’s not that! She’s in trouble!” Octavia’s eyes widened, and she turned back to face the young colt. “She’s passed out in the alleyway! I can’t move her on my own! I need you to help me!”

Octavia gasped, and quickly rose to her hooves. “Where?!” she asked frantically.

“This way!” Rumble replied, turning around and running down the street. “Come on!”

Octavia quickly followed the colt, eventually reaching an alleyway and turning in to it as the colt did. However, what she saw was just an empty alleyway, with no sign of the white mare anywhere. “W-Where is she?”

“Sorry,” Rumble said, before pulling something out from behind a cardboard box to the side of the alleyway. It was a small, black pony-shaped thing, with insect-like wings, and a black, twisted horn on its head.

“W-What-” Before Octavia could finish asking her question, a green beam of light shout out of Berry Pinch’s horn, and connected with Octavia’s forehead. Octavia slowly closed her eyes, and fell down onto the ground in a peaceful slumber, whilst Berry Pinch’s eyes opened wider, and her breathing began to slow down.

“Get mommy,” she said as her strength started to return to her. “We need her to erase this mare’s memory.”

Rumble nodded, and was about to leave the alleyway, when the sight of a pink Pegasus pony landing in front of him stopped him. “That won’t be necessary,” the new pony said.

Berry Pinch gasped in surprise, and her beam of magic suddenly halted as she beheld her grandmother standing before her. “G-Grandma…”

Crunch Berry looked down at the slumbering mare, and closed her eyes and green flames enveloped her. Her wings disappeared, and a horn shot out of her forehead. “I’ll take care of this,” she said as her horn lit up a green colour. A similar-coloured aura enveloped Octavia’s body, and the Earth Pony mare groaned some more.

“… Now,” Crunch Berry said as she finished erasing the mare’s memory, “You two… It would seem that my granddaughter has awoken, though not in the same sense as a regular changeling.” Berry Pinch lowered her head in shame, and Crunch Berry turned to Rumble. “Well, that’s fine. But what isn’t fine, is that this pony, seems to know about you…”

Crunch Berry took a step forward, and her horn began to glow once more. “And we can’t have that, now can we?”

The New Student

“And, I am a changeling hunter.” Rumble frozen immediately upon hearing those words. A changeling hunter? What did that mean? Was he serious? Or was he just trying to break the ice with some silly joke?

“Changeling hunter?” a filly near the front asked. “What’s that?”

“Changelings are a race of monsters that live outside of Equestria,” Archer explained, drawing everypony’s attention, with the exception of Berry Pinch, who shuddered and sank down into her seat. “They come to Equestria to feed off of the love of ponies… Or so the legends say.”

“It is no legend,” Junior said, a grim look on his face. “Changeling are as real as you and me. And, as a fully certified changeling hunter-” The colt pulled out a small badge from his jacket pocket. “-It is my mission in life to hunt down, and slay these foul beasts of Tartarus, even if it costs me my life!”

Berry Pinch sank even lower, and tears were threatening to form in her eyes. Rumble bit his lower lip, and glared at the colt at the front of the class. ‘H-He can’t be serious! This has to be a joke, right?’

The class soon erupted into laughter, most of the foals laughing at the Junior’s proud proclamation, which only served to confuse the colt. “W-What’s so funny?”

“A changeling hunter? Yeah right! You’re only our age!”

“Changelings, real? Please! What are you, five?”

“Actually, they are real. They attacked Canterlot, remember?”

“Oh, please! You know that was just the media trying to liven things up!”

Cheerilee quickly silenced the class, and then turned to Junior. “Junior, I appreciate that you’re trying to liven things up, but perhaps you could just hold back on the jokes for now? Just a simple introduction will do fine.”

“But it isn’t a joke!” Junior declared. “As my father’s son, I have been trained in all disciplines necessary to track down and hunt changelings! That’s actually why I’m in Ponyville in the first place! A changeling is rumoured to be in here!”

Berry Pinch let out a loud gasp, drawing the attention of everypony in the room. She started to sweat madly, and looked around at all the wide-eyed ponies around her, struggling for something to say. Another gasp was heard, and this time, everypony turned their attention to Rumble.

“A changeling, here?!” he asked, getting up out of his seat and running up to the colt, a panicked look on his face. “Are you serious?! This is terrible! What will we do?!”

Berry Pinch wondered what Rumble was doing, but quickly caught on. He was telling her to act as if she was panicked over the town’s safety, to cover up her involuntary gasp earlier. “H-He’s right!” she shouted, shiver in her seat. “Shouldn’t we call in the Royal Guard or… something?”

Some of the other foals also exchanged a few worried glances, and began to mutter amongst themselves about the possible changeling threat. This didn’t help Berry Pinch feel any easier.

Cheerilee turned to Junior with a stern look on her face. “Junior, I would appreciate it if you didn’t spread such horror stories around the class like that.”

Junior, ignoring his teacher’s scolding, put a hoof on Rumble’s shoulder, and gave him a confident grin. “No need to worry, my good colt. Changelings seek out love, which is stronger in adults than in children. Therefore, those of you here in the class have nothing to worry about.”

He walked past Rumble, and past a few of the desks in the classroom, and stopped by Berry Pinch’s seat. Berry Pinch looked up at him with a questioning look on her face, and a hidden look of fear. Before she could say anything, the colt bowed to her, and pulled a rose out of his jacket pocket. “For you, madam.”

Berry Pinch reeled back in surprise, her eyes wide as she examined the rose presented to her. “F-For me?”

“Yes. Never have I seen such beauty before.” The foals around them all gasped, and leaned closer so that they could hear better. Berry Pinch’s face turned bright red, and Rumble suddenly felt the urge to drag the colt away from her. “May I ask you for your name?”

“B-Berry Pinch.”

“Such a lovely name. Fear not, my fair maiden. I shall allow no harm to come to you, or any other of Princess Celestia’s little ponies.”

With a final wink, Junior stood up, placed the rose on the filly’s desk, and then looked around the room. He spotted a desk that was empty, and walked up to it. “Does anypony sit here?” he asked his new teacher, who was just as speechless as the rest of her group after that little display. She simply shook her head, and the colt sat down in the seat. “Then, I shall sit here, if that is alright?”

Cheerilee approved, but Rumble did not. That seat was next to his, which meant that now…

“It seems we’re neighbours,” Junior said to Rumble as he sat back down. “Say, I wonder if you could show me around the school later today? I haven’t the chance to properly look around yet, you see.”

“I… guess I could show you around,” Rumble said, not able to find a reason why he could not.

“Great! I think you and I are going to get along just fine,” Junior said confidently, though Rumble wasn’t too sure. “What’s your name?”

“… Rumble.”

“A fine name, to be sure. By the way…” Junior leaned in close to whisper to his new friend. “About Miss Berry Pinch, would you happen to be an acquaintance of hers?”

Rumble gulped. Did Junior suspect Berry Pinch of being a changeling? “W-Why do you want to know?”

Junior smiled as he turned to look at the filly in question. “I was wondering if you would know of any tips for winning her heart.”

Rumble barely managed to suppress a growl, and turned his head away from Junior. “Sorry. Can’t help you there.”

Junior sighed, and nodded sadly. “Yes, I understand.”

‘He does?’

“You’re still young, but fear not! You will one day grow into a stallion, too, young Rumble. And when that time comes, you too will understand the meaning of love.”

Rumble started to grind his teeth together in an effort to not let Junior’s words get to him. “I see… Thanks for your concern…”

“It is no problem. Some ponies just grow up slower than others. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Further down the classroom, Berry Pinch began to feel queasy. She groaned as she rubbed her head with her forehooves. Archer leaned over to whisper to her: “So, you and that new colt, eh?”

Berry Pinch turned to glare at her friend, who was grinning slyly at her. “What are you saying? All he did was give me a rose.”

“Oh, please. He was practically confessing to you! The big question is, where does this leave poor Rumble?”

“… What do you mean? I keep telling you, it isn’t-”

“Isn’t like that. Yeah, I get it.”

Berry Pinch wanted to say more, but suddenly, her head began to feel hot, and her breathing began to increase. ‘Oh no, not again… What’s causing this?’ She looked around for a possible source of hatred, and found Rumble, facing away from Junior, who seemed to be talking an awful lot, with an annoyed look his face. ‘R-Rumble?’

Berry Pinch let out a moan, and clenched her eyes shut as she felt a headache washing over her. “Pinch? Are you alright?”

“What’s wrong?” Cheerilee asked, noticing that her student seemed to be in pain. “Oh no, are you having one of your sick spells again?”

Rumble’s ears twitched, and he immediately looked over at Berry Pinch. “Miss Cheerilee,” Archer started, “Should I go take her to the doctor?”

“Yes, I think that you should,” Cheerilee said. However, before Archer could get out, Rumble shot out of his seat, alerting the students in the class.

“I-I’ll take her,” he insisted, running up to Berry Pinch and wrapping her foreleg around his neck. “You can stay here, Archer. I can handle this on my own.”

“Are you sure?” Archer asked, giving him a strange look.

“Yeah, I don’t think you should cut class so much, what with your grades being so bad.”

Archer turned red as the foals around them began to laugh, and shot Rumble a spiteful look. “Yours aren’t much better!” she shouted back, but it didn’t do much good, since he was already at the classroom door. He closed it behind him, leaving the foals in the classroom to suddenly start gossiping about the strange occurrence.

“What was that about?” Junior asked, startling Archer as he was suddenly standing next to her.

“W-Where did you come from?” she asked as she caught her breath.

“A changeling hunter such as myself is well-trained in the art of stealth, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend.”

“It’s Archer,” Archer said. “And as for what just happened, it’s just Berry Pinch’s usual sick spell that comes and goes every now-and-then. Nothing to worry about.”

“And the colt that escorted her out? He seemed rather eager, if you ask me.”

Archer rolled her eyes. ‘Well, duh! With you threatening his spot in Berry Pinch’s life, he has to seize every chance that he gets!’

“Alright, you two,” Cheerilee said to the two foals, “Back to your seats now.”

Junior ran the event through his mind once more, and then walked back to his seat to sit down. ‘So, Miss Berry Pinch is a fragile flower, huh? I must take extra care when approaching her then. If I am to win her affections, I must show her what a chivalrous knight in shining armour I really am!’

Rumble stared in disbelief as he entered the nurse’s office. What was there waiting for him couldn’t have been real. This had to be some sort of hallucination, or nightmare. That’s it! This whole things was just one big nightmare!

“This isn’t a nightmare,” Crunch Berry said to the colt, snapping him out of his daze. “And stop staring! It’s rude to stare at a lady like that! I know I’m hot stuff, but-”

“For a grandma,” Rumble muttered, and immediately afterwards, two green auras enveloped his cheeks, and started to stretch them.

“What was that, you brat?!” Crunch Berry asked, using her magic to torture the poor colt’s face.

“N-Nothing! Nothing at all, ma’am!” he shouted, causing her to let go with a huff. “So… why are you here? And where’s the nurse?”

“Off duty,” Crunch Berry said coolly. “I disguised myself as the school’s principal and had her go home. Since I saw you brining Pinchy here, I had to make sure the nurse left, in case Pinchy’s disguise wore off.”

“Isn’t that a little much?” Rumble asked. “It’s only a mild reaction. Her disguise won’t wear off from something like this.2

Crunch Berry raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So suddenly, you’re an expert on changelings?” Rumble flinched, and looked down at the floor with a frown on his face. “No, you’re not. Not like that changeling hunter in there.”

Rumble’s ear twitched, and he immediately raised his head back up to look at Crunch Berry again. “T-That guy, Junior! Was he telling the truth back then?”

Crunch Berry turned her head away from Rumble. “… It’s possible,” she said, confusing the colt a little bit. “After all, he is the son of Prince Blueblood.”

“Prince Blueblood?” Berry Pinch asked, raising her head, and looking a lot better than earlier. “Who’s that, grandma?”

“A changeling hunter,” she said, before sighing sadly, and muttering something to herself. She then turned back to look at the two foals. “… He is also the only pony, to have ever wounded me in battle.”

“I-Is that bad?” Rumble asked. “I mean, I get that you’re tough, but I don’t really know how tough you are exactly, compared to other changelings or ponies.”

“Well, let me put it this way, brat: if I were a member of your Royal Guard, my rank would be Captain.”

“I… I see,” Rumble said.

“Wow,” Berry Pinch said, “That’s impressive.”

Crunch Berry grinned proudly, but that disappeared when Rumble spoke up again. “So, his son… does he know? About Berry Pinch?”

Crunch Berry shook her head. “Nah. I don’t know about that kids’ abilities compared to his dad’s, or if that changeling rumour was about us or not, or was even credible in the first place… but there is one thing that I’ve noticed about him.”

“And that is?” Rumble asked.

“He’s an idiot,” Crunch Berry deadpanned, leaning back in her chair. Rumble and Berry Pinch weren’t expecting that, and just stared at her with blank expressions on their faces. “Complete, one hundred percent, buffoon. Certainly nothing to worry about.”

“I-Is that so?” Berry Pinch asked, sighing when her grandmother nodded. “Well, that’s certainly a relief.”

“By the way, you should lie down. I’ll have Rumble go back and tell the teacher you’re taking the rest of the morning off.”

Berry Pinch nodded, still feeling rather groggy from earlier, and eased her arm from around Rumble’s neck, and then slowly made her way to one of the nearby beds. Rumble turned to leave the room, and was followed by Crunch Berry.

“Wait,” she said, stopping Rumble in the hallway and gaining his attention. “Even though he’s nothing to worry about, you are.” Rumble was about to ask what she meant by that, but she anticipated his question and answered before he could voice it. “I get that he’s an idiot, but remember, it’s feeling of hatred that Pinchy reacts to. Not love. Those negative feelings you have towards that changeling hunter are affecting her, Rumble.”

“… Well… I couldn’t help it…”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“He kept…” ‘… He kept talking about Berry Pinch. About his plans to confess to her, and ask her on a date, and how the date would go… He kept asking about her hobbies, her favourite food, her likes and dislikes…’ “… I don’t know.”

Crunch Berry glared at the colt, causing him to feel uneasy. “In any case, you’re gonna have to try harder to keep those feelings of yours in check, Rumble. Because remember, whether on accident or not, if you reveal Pinchy’s secret…” Crunch Berry’s eyes glowed green for a second, and Rumble gulped, and took a step back.

“U-Understood. I’ll do my best.”

Crunch Berry smiled, and turned away. “Well then, I’d better make sure Pinchy is okay. You go ahead and return to class now… And remember: keep those feelings of yours in check, Rumble dear.”

Class Field Trip - Part 1

“Do you have everything you need?” Thunderlane asked Rumble. “Lunch? Spending money? Scarf? Boots? Books to read? Your comb?”

Rumble groaned and turned his head away from his brother. His face turned red when he heard the sounds of fillies behind him giggling. “For the last time, yes!”

“I’m just making sure!” Thunderlane said. “I want you to have a really fun time, Rumble. And I want you to promise me you’ll be careful out there.”

Rumble backed away as his brother tried to hug him. “I’ll be fine! Now stop fussing already! You’re embarrassing me,” he added quietly, trying not to make eye contact with his brother.

“Is it embarrassing for a pony to care so much for his younger brother that he worries when said younger brother goes away to a ski resort for two days and nights?”

“… Yes.” Cheerilee called all foals to the train platform to start boarding. “Look, I’m going now. Stop worrying so much! Go have fun with Blossomforth or something.” Rumble began to run off, leaving his brother sulking at the lack of a goodbye hug. “And stay out of my room!” he quickly added. “I’ll know if you moved anything!”

As he joined the other foals at the platform, he heard a filly giggling to his right, and turned to see Berry Pinch standing beside him. “What?” he asked, not seeing what she found so amusing.

“I think it’s sweet of your brother to care for you so much.”

“He only cares because of you,” Rumble said, a little more harshly than he meant to. Berry Pinch frowned and faced the floor with a downcast look, and Rumble mentally kicked himself for snapping at her like that. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Actually,” Crunch Berry, who was standing behind Berry Pinch, said, “He wouldn’t have gained such loving feelings for you, if he hadn’t had some love for you in the first place.”

Rumble’s eyes widened. “No way,” he said. “All we ever do, or did, was fight and argue over little thing.”

Crunch Berry laughed and shook her head. “Find me two siblings that don’t, and I’ll give you the right to marry my granddaughter.” Both foals blushed, and exchanged a quick glance, before looking away from each other. “Just kidding. Even if you do, I’ll never hand her over to somepony like you.”

“Will you people stop it with that already?!” Rumble shouted.

“‘You people’?” Crunch Berry questioned.

“… You, Archer, and practically everypony else in our class. Why do you keep on insisting that we like each other.”

‘Because it’s so obvious, you moron,’ Crunch Berry thought, before letting out an exasperated sigh. “Well, I guess I’ll be on my way now. You have fun, Pinchy dear.”

Berry Pinch nodded, but still refused to face her grandmother until the redness of her face had died down a bit. Crunch Berry extended her wings, and took off into the sky, leaving the two foals alone. “… She’s totally watching us, isn’t she?” Rumble asked, receiving only a shrug from Berry Pinch.

“Maybe…”

Rumble sighed. “Great. Just great.”

“It is, isn’t it?!” an excited voice called out from behind the two foals, startling them both and causing them to jump and turn around suddenly. They saw Junior standing behind them, a large smile on his face. “This is so nice! Parents up in Canterlot are so high-strung, they don’t like the idea of their precious little children going on field trips outside of the city. You Ponyvillians are definitely more laid back, that’s for sure!”

Rumble regained his composure, and gave Junior an even stare. “So, this is your first time going on a real field trip?”

Junior nodded. “Well, I’ve been to Manehatten and Los Pegasus before, but on official changeling hunter business only.”

Berry Pinch laughed nervously, and tried to shy away from the energetic colt. “About this ‘changeling hunter’ stuff,” Rumble started, “Are you for real? I mean, aren’t you a bit young to go around fighting changelings?”

Junior grinned and shook his head. “Au contraire, my fine fellow. I assure you, I am a fully licensed changeling hunter, trained in all arts of detecting, capturing, and exterminating changelings.”

‘And might I just say, you’re doing a fine job of that first one,’ Rumble thought, shifting his gaze over to Berry Pinch momentarily.

“Besides, I have my reasons for wanting to hunt down changelings.”

“And what’s that?” Berry Pinch asked, slowly moving behind Rumble as she did so.

“… I was attacked by a changeling once,” he said, shocking both of the foals before him. “I don’t remember much about it. In fact, nothing at all. My father told me that changelings erase the memories of those they feed off of, in order to cover their tracks. It’s a scary thought, yknow? I was attacked, and I don’t even recall it happening. And for the next month, my father and I were forced to be distanced from each other, because all of my love him was sucked out by that… that monster.

“Ever since I had recovered from its feeding effects, I dedicated myself to becoming a changeling hunter, so that I could protect the citizens of Equestria from suffering the same fate.”

Berry Pinch felt a pang of sympathy for Junior after hearing his story, and Rumble looked over at where his brother had been standing moments ago. ‘If Berry Pinch was a regular changeling, would she have targeted Thunderlane’s love instead? His love for his marefriend, Blossomforth? … But instead, she increased his love towards me, and kept his other feelings the same. And yet, I’ve done nothing but complain about the new Thunderlane, all this time…’

“Well, that’s my story!” Junior said, snapping Rumble back to reality. “So, how about you, Miss Berry Pinch?” Junior knelt down before the red filly, and grabbed one of her forehooves with his own. “May I have the honour of knowing more about you, my beautiful little rose?”

Rumble started to grit his teeth at the display, and was about to move in to separate the two, when he felt a droplet of water land on his head. He looked up, to see a lone cloud hanging above him, with a pink mare sat down on it, glaring down at the colt.

‘… Right… Keep my feelings in check. But…’

“Heeeeey!” a new voice shouted out towards the group, drawing the three foals’ attentions. “Sorry I’m later! Did I miss anything?”

“Oh! Miss Berry Pinch’s friend!”

“It’s Archer,” Archer said, glaring at Junior as she reached the group. “And why are you holding Pinchy’s hoof like that?”

“I was merely asking her about her past. It is only natural, since I intend to make Berry Pinch my bride, one day.”

“W-What?!” Rumble and Berry Pinch shouted in unison.

“You can’t be serious!” Rumble shouted, pointing a hoof at Junior.

“And why not?” Junior asked, tilting his head at Rumble.

“Because!” Rumble started, but couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Because we’re still so young!” Berry Pinch said. “And, you can’t just make important decisions like that about me on your own! You can’t just… decide who I’m going to m-marry one day!”

“You tell him, Pinchy!” Archer cheered, wrapping her foreleg around her friend’s neck. “But, hey! On the other hoof, this guy’s father is a Prince, right? Marry him, and you’re Royalty, Pinchy!”

“That’s no reason to marry somepony!” Rumble shouted, and then flinched when he saw Archer grinning at him.

“Oh? Is there something you’d like to say, Rumble?”

Rumble blushed fiercely, but was saved by the final call to board the train by Cheerilee. “L-Let’s go! Before the train leaves without us!”

And with that, Rumble fled the conversation, along with Berry Pinch, who managed to worm her way out of Archer’s headlock. “Ah! Aw, darn it. Those two are so useless…”

“… Miss Berry Pinch’s friend,” Junior said, walking up to Archer.

“It’s Archer.”

“Those two,” Junior continued, ignoring Archer’s correction, “Are they… a couple.”

Archer sighed, and shook her head. “No, they’re not… which is why they’re so frustrating.”

Junior looked confused by that remark. “What do you mean?”

“… You seem like a smart boy. Figure it out.” Archer walked off towards the train, leaving Junior to his pondering.

“Ah! The train’s going to leave without me!” he shouted as he made his way into the train, carrying a large rucksack on his back as he boarded.

“Pinchy, to your left!” Archer shouted, taking cover behind a large tree trunk to dodge the three snowballs heading her way. “Hurry!”

Berry Pinch looked at Rumble nervously, holding a snowball in her hoof and looking around for a bit, before tossing the snowball in the colt’s direction. Rumble ducked down behind a small snow mound, and when he poked his head up, he was greeted to a barrage of snowballs heading his way, courtesy of Archer. He immediately ducked back down, and looked over at Junior, who was simply hiding behind a tree.

“A little help here?!” he shouted, covering his head with his forehooves.

“I told you, I can’t fight them!” Junior shouted back.

“Why not?!”

“What kind of a Prince would I be, if I attacked two fillies like that? No, I simply cannot bring myself to-” He was silenced by a snowball meeting his muzzle. Rumble rose to his hooves, and picked up a new snowball from the ground.

“Fine! If you’re not gonna help me, I’m with them!”

Junior gasped dramatically, and ducked away from the next snowball thrown at him. “Turncoat! I shall see you hanged for this heinous offence!”

“Yeah, whatever! Now come out here so I can pelt ya!”

Junior chuckled, and knelt down to gather up some snow to make into snowballs. “Fool. Against the girls, my hooves were tied. But against you…” Junior quickly rolled out form his cover, and threw three snowballs at Rumble, which the surprised colt was just barely able to dodge. “I am a changeling hunter! There is no way that I will lose to the likes of foals like yo-” Another snowball to the face silenced him, and this time, he could see that it was Archer that had thrown it. The blue filly was grinning mischievously, and walking towards the two colts.

“Hey, how about we call it quits now?” she asked, prompting Rumble to drop the snowballs that he had gathered. “I think we should go do something else, now.”

Berry Pinch couldn’t nod any faster if she tried. “Yes! I agree with that!” she said, running over to her friend and hugging her tightly. “Thanks, Archer!”

“N-No problem,” Archer said, trying to push Berry Pinch away before the other filly broke her neck.

“Well then, what do you suppose we should next?” Junior asked, hopping excitedly over to the tree where his bag was laying. “It just so happens that I have acquired a map of this resort area! There are so many facilities, both indoors and outdoors, that are open for us to visit at our leisure.”

Archer walked over to Junior, and eyed his bag curiously. “Say, what’s in that bag, anyway?” Junior turned to look at the filly. “I’ve been wondering since the train ride. It’s pretty big, and you’ve been carrying it around this whole time. Is it something important?”

Junior smiled, and rose to his hooves. “You want to know?” Archer, and the other two in their group, all nodded simultaneously. “Well, if you really want to…” Junior reached over to his bag, and opened it up. The other three foals gasped when they saw him pull out a large, jet-black crossbow, with the Blueblood family crest painted onto its side in gold paint. “This is my weapon, for hunting changelings. Custom made by the finest blacksmith in Canterlot.”

Berry Pinch shook as she saw the weapon before her, and Rumble took a step closer to her to try and calm her down. Archer whistled, and moved closer to the crossbow in Junior’s hooves. “So, this is what your Cutie Mark means?”

“Indeed. Miss Berry Pinch’s friend, your Cutie Mark is also for ranged weapons, isn’t it?”

Archer nodded. “My father taught me archery at a young age, and as it turned out, archery was actually my special talent.” A thought crossed Archer’s minds, and her face lit up. “Hey, they have a target range at this place, don’t they? Let’s go have a contest, you and me!”

Junior put a hoof to his chin. “What about the other two? I wouldn’t want them to be bored whilst we compete.”

“They’ll be fine!” Archer said. “They can go do something else, if they want.”

“Then in that case, I shall have to decline!” Junior declared. “For I wish to spend the day having fun with all of my new friends, and especially with Miss Berry Pinch.” He winked at the Unicorn filly with his last statement, causing her to back away shyly in response.

“What, you chicken?” Archer asked, prodding Junior with a forehoof.

“C-Chicken?!” Junior asked, shocked by the allegation. “How dare you accuse me, Prince Blueblood Junior, of being afraid of a challenge!”

“Then, let’s go!” Archer shouted, grabbing one of Junior’s hooves with her own and pull him along.

“Wait, I never said-”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun! Unless you’re afraid that you’ll lose to a filly.”

Junior narrowed his eyes, and felt his blood boil. “… Fine then, but don’t regret it when you lose,” he said, placing his crossbow away and slinging his bag over his back.

As Archer walked past Rumble, she leaned over to whisper into his ear: “Now you can be alone with her. Don’t mess this up.”

Rumble groaned, and turned to glare at Archer, who continued to drag Junior along back towards the resort cabin. Rumble and Berry Pinch were left alone in the snowy field, and, after a few moments of awkward silence, Berry Pinch asked Rumble what he would like to do next.

“… How about… we just go check out the ski slope?”

Berry Pinch nodded. “That sounds fun.”

Crunch Berry groaned as she glared at the clock above her head. “I can’t believe you,” she said to her daughter, who was happily downing a glass of wine next to her. “I also can’t believe you actually managed to stop me from following them…”

“You’re damn right I did!” Berry Punch shouted, slamming her bottle down onto the table as she finished it. “Thoshe two need some alone time, if they’re ever gonna finally confessh to one another!”

“… That’s exactly what I was trying to prevent. You know as well as I do, that ponies and changelings cannot-”

“Damnit, shtop being such a downer an’ jush ‘ave a drink or two!”

Crunch Berry sighed, and reached over for her wine glass, which she had barely touched since pouring her drink into it. “Honestly, you’re such a fool. It’s a wonder you’ve gone this long without being discovered…” Crunch Berry took a sip of her wine, and her eyes widened in surprise. “This is… pretty good.” She downed the whole glass in one go, and reached over to the bottle to pour herself another drink.

“Um… I’m starting to have second thoughts about this,” Berry Pinch said as she stood at the top of the ski slope. “This seems a lot higher than it did from the bottom.”

“Do you wanna go back down? You know you’re going to have to take the ski lift again, right? And you didn’t exactly seem too fond of it on the way up, so…”

Berry Pinch gulped, and looked over at Rumble. “D-Do you… wanna ski down?”

“Well, yeah. That’s why I came here.”

“…” ‘H-He wants to ski down. If I go back down on the ski lift, will he escort me? I don’t want to ruin his fun, just because I’m afraid.’

“Listen, if you want to take the ski lift, I’ll-”

“I’ll do it,” Berry Pinch said, taking a brave step forward. “Come on, let’s go!” she said, running forward and beginning her descent down the slope.

“H-Hey!” Rumble shouted, “Wait for me!” He chased after the filly, and also began to ski down the slope, gathering enough speed to catch up to the screaming Berry Pinch, and then slowing down so that two were side-by-side.

Rumble helped Berry Pinch get used to the various techniques for controlling her movement whilst skiing, and soon, the filly’s screaming had slowed to a stop, and she was now laughing alongside the smiling Pegasus colt, enjoying herself thoroughly… until she felt a familiar feeling pass through her brain. A sudden headache struck her, and for a moment, her vision became blurry.

“Berry Pinch, watch out!” Rumble shouted, but was unable to stop the filly from steering off course, and into the sectioned-off woods to the side of the ski slope. There was a slight gap in the fence, just large enough for the filly to go through, and before she knew what was happening, she found herself screaming as she swerved left-and-right to avoid trees in her path.

“R-RUMBLE! HEEEEELP!”

Berry Pinch clenched her eyes shut as she neared a large rock in front of her, and waited for the end to come. She felt herself slowing to a stop… but felt no pain. She heard a pained groan in front of her, and opened her eyes to find out what had happened. She gasped as she saw the familiar grey Pegasus colt in lying on the ground, in-between herself and the rock, with blood trickling out of a few wounds across his body.

“R-RUMBLE!”

Class Field Trip - Part 2

Rumble groaned as he was carried through the woods by Berry Pinch, whom he was surprised to find out was actually a lot stronger than she seemed.

“I’m sorry,” she said, stopping for a moment to check that Rumble was okay. “Should I move a bit slower?”

Rumble shook his head. “It’s fine,” he lied, doing his best to smile, despite the aches coursing through his body. “Besides, we need to get back quickly, before it gets dark.”

Berry Pinch nodded, and continued to walk through the woods, though she slowed down anyway whenever she head Rumble groan. The woods were dark, and the wind blowing past the branches made unsettling sounds, so Berry Pinch decided to try to lighten the mood. “So… have you enjoyed the trip so far? I mean, before this happened?”

Rumble looked at Berry Pinch, and saw the frightened look on her face. “Yeah,” he said. “It was really fun, hanging out with you guys… and Junior, too, I guess.”

Berry Pinch giggled. “He’s not that bad,” she said. “At least he didn’t try to erase your memories.”

“I guess,” Rumble said, laughing along with Berry Pinch. “And he’s also like, the one foal in our class that doesn’t insist we’re a coup… le…” Rumble blushed, and turned his face away from Berry Pinch’s.

“Y-Yeah… I’m sorry for that, by the way.”

“No, it’s fine,” Rumble said. “I don’t really mind, that much.”

An uncomfortable silence followed for a few moments, one which neither foal could tolerate for too long, and they both sought to break it at the same time.

“I-” they both said in unison. Laughter followed, and the two had to stop as they broke into uncontrollable fits of giggling. Rumble had to stop first, since it hurt him so bad.

“A-Are you okay?” Berry Pinch asked, still laughing despite her concern.

“Yeah,” Rumble said, though it wasn’t true. But he had finally brought a smile to the filly’s face, and he didn’t want to lose it now. “What were you going to say?”

Berry Pinch calmed down, and caught her breath before speaking. “I just wanted to thank you, for helping me back there. And for all the other stuff you’ve done for me.” The red filly smiled at Rumble and moved in closer towards him. “I mean it. Thanks, Rumble.”

“I-It’s fine,” Rumble said, sweating nervously as he looked into Berry Pinch’s eyes. “… A-Are you okay? You’re shivering.”

Berry Pinch nodded. “Just cold… And… kinda scared…”

Rumble looked up into the sky, and saw that it wouldn’t be long until it would be too dark to keep moving. He also couldn’t deny the pain that he was in, and that he honestly wouldn’t mind taking a break.

“I think we should find somewhere to stop and rest up,” Rumble said, looking around himself. “We need somewhere warm, and somewhere that can protect us from the snow forecast that was scheduled for today.”

Berry Pinch also looked around, and then noticed a very large tree beside them. “Well, we should be able to take cover from the snow under there, right?”

Rumble considered it, and nodded. “I guess it’s our best bet.” He tried to move towards it on his own, but found himself stumbling as he walked. Berry Pinch was by his side in an instant, and helped him over to the tree. “… I hope they find us soon.”

Junior paced backed and forth outside of the cabin where the class was staying, gritting his teeth together in worry. “They’re late… Where could they be? Has something happened to them?”

Archer walked out of the cabin and up to Junior. “They’re still not back yet? Okay, at first I thought they had just lost track of time, but now I’m really beginning to worry…”

“Has Miss Cheerilee noticed yet?” Archer shook her head. “… I’m going to go look for them.”

“You can’t be serious!” Archer shouted. “We should tell Miss Cheerilee! It’s too dangerous for you to go off; what if you get lost, too?”

“There’s no need to worry about me, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend.” Junior turned around and sot Archer a confident smile. “I am well-trained in the arts of tracking and navigation. Anyway, my friends are in trouble, and I want to help them.”

“But-”

“And besides, no matter how dangerous, I have already vowed to do all that I can protect the common citizens of Equestria. And not just from changeling attacks.”

Archer blushed and felt something in her chest after Junior’s last comment, and was unable to say anything as he turned around and began to walk away from the cabin. Eventually, she snapped out of her daze, and frowned at the retreating figure of the Unicorn colt.

‘… That idiot… I’ll give him fifteen minutes, and then I’m telling Miss Cheerilee…’

Berry Pinch shivered as the cold wind blew past her body, and her fur was standing to stand on end. Her stomach moaned from the lack of food it had received lately, and she let out a slight whimper when she thought she could hear the nearby bushes rustling.

“… You okay?” Rumble asked, looking down at the filly with a look of concern. Berry Pinch quickly shook her head, and leaned closer to Rumble.

“I’m scared… What if nopony finds us out here? Will we be able to find our way back, on our own?” Berry Pinch was taken by surprise when she suddenly felt Rumble’s wing extend and wrap itself around her body, and she looked up at the colt with a two large, teary eyes.

“They’ll find us,” he assured her. “And we’ll definitely make out of here. So try and relax… and get some sleep.”

Berry Pinch smiled, and leaned her head against Rumble’s shoulder, nuzzling it as she sought warmth and safety under his wings. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You’re really kind, aren’t you Rumble?”

“W-What do you mean?” Rumble asked with a blush on his face. “I’m just telling the truth, y’know?”

“This isn’t the first time… that you’ve looked out for me. You’re so kind to me, even though I’m a changeling.”

“… It shouldn’t matter what race you are. You’re you, and that’s all that really matters to me.”

“You’re always helping me out, even though I’m just a burden to you.”

“Not true,” Rumble said. “You’re not a burden, Berry Pinch. You’re…”

Berry Pinch looked up at Rumble expectantly as he trailed off. “I’m?”

“… You’re… a very close friend of mine,” he said, wrapping his wing around her tighter. “And, I care about you. A lot. That’s why, I’m always willing to help you whenever you’re in trouble.”

“… How much?2 she asked, confusing the colt. “How much… do you care for me?”

“… I…”

“Am I a friend?”

“You’re…”

Berry Pinch leaned up, and looked directly into Rumble’s eyes. “Am I… more than a friend to you?”

Rumble swallowed the lump in his throat, and narrowed his eyes as he returned Berry Pinch’s gaze. He had a strong look of determination in his eyes. ‘This is it… I’m gonna say it…’ “Berry Pinch. Actually, I think I-”

“HEY! YOU GUYS!” The two foals jumped in surprise when a flashlight was suddenly shone on them, and they looked towards the source of the light to find a white Unicorn colt running towards them. “You’re okay! Thank Celestia!” Junior grabbed his two friends, and pulled them into a big, strong hug.

“J-Junior?!” Berry Pinch asked as she blushed from the sudden hold.

“CAN’T. BREATH!” Rumble shouted, half out of desperation for air, and half out of annoyance for the sudden interruption.

“You’re safe! I’m so glad! Mon amis!”

“Junior, we’re thankful that you saved us,” Berry Pinch said. ‘Though you could have come a little bit later, y’know?’ “But, don’t you think we should be heading back now?”

Junior gasped, and suddenly released his two friends. “Yes, quite right! The others are sure to be worried about you, if they’ve noticed that you’re gone yet!”

“You mean they hadn’t noticed earlier?” Rumble asked.

“I told everypony that you two were tired after a long day of activities, and were sleeping in your room until dinner,” Junior explained. “I didn’t want to cause any of them to worry just yet.”

“I see,” Rumble said.

“Well then,” Junior continued, “Let’s be on our way! Stay close to me. I have a photographic memory of our way back!”

The other two nodded, and began to move again, before Rumble winced in pain and fell to one knee. Berry Pinch quickly rushed to his side, and wrapped his foreleg around her neck again. “Are you okay?” Rumble asked.

“I’m fine,” Berry pinch said, carrying Rumble along as she follow Junior. He offered to carry him instead, but she declined, insisting that she was fine on her own. Truthfully, though, she was still very tired from earlier, and her hunger wasn’t helping either. But, she wanted to be close to Rumble, and to finally be of some help to him. Even if it was only for a short while.

Upon their return to the cabin, Cheerilee, who had been informed by Archer of the three foals just moments before they had returned, was absolutely livid with the three for causing her so much trouble. But, she was also thankful to find that all three were safe and sound. After a stern scolding, she gave the three foals the meals that they had missed during dinner, and ordered them to go straight to bed as soon as they had finished eating.

They all had plans to play around with the other students after dinner, but they didn’t want to cross Cheerilee when she was already angry, so they all reluctantly accepted.

As they were eating, Berry Pinch leaned closer to Rumble, to speak to him quietly. “Hey, about earlier… what was it you were about to say?”

Rumble took a moment to register her question, and then gulped (and almost choked on his food), as he realised that she was talking about. “O-Oh… that…”

“Yeah. That,” Berry Pinch said, moving even closer to the Pegasus colt. “Well? What was it? Something about what I am to you, right?”

“R-Right,” Rumble said, looking around nervously, and then lowering his head to whisper to Berry Pinch. “Actually, the truth is… I think I… kinda… like you…” The last two words were so quiet, he was sure she wouldn’t have heard them, and was preparing himself to repeat them. However, the filly responded before he could, murmuring something that Rumble couldn’t make out. “I’m… sorry?”

“… You too,” she said, bringing a confused look to Rumble’s face. “I… like you, too…” He heard that, and almost immediately, his face turned red and he turned his attention away from the filly.

“I-Is that so?”

Berry Pinch only nodded her head timidly, and the two sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, before Berry Pinch decided to take the initiative.

Rumble flinched when he felt a hoof rub against his own, and looked down to see Berry Pinch connecting her forehoof with his. He smiled, and accepted the hoofhold, bringing a smile to Berry Pinch’s face, too. “But, you can’t tell Crunch Berry, okay?” he said, shuddering as the thought crossed his mind.

Berry Pinch giggled. “I’ll try, Rumble.”

Sitting not too far away from them, Junior was happily wolfing down his meal with much energy. Archer approached him, shuffling her hooves nervously on the floor as she neared the eating colt. “Um… Junior?”

Junior paused his eating for a moment, and looked up at the blue filly. “Oh, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend! Listen, no hard feelings about telling Miss Cheerilee! You did the right thing, really.”

Archer wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed at the way he had addressed her, or happy that he wasn’t holding a grudge against her for getting him into trouble. “Listen, I just wanted to thank you. You know, for saving my friends…”

Junior stood up, and shot the filly a proud smile. “No, no! There is no need to thank me, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend! It is simply what anypony in my position would have done.”

Archer rolled her eyes. “Most ponies would have fetched an adult.” She then sighed, and looked over at the other two behind Junior… who she noticed were rather close to each other. “… Hey, let’s go sit over there for a bit,” she said.

“Huh, why?” Junior asked. “I’m almost finished, and then I have to return to my room.”

“Well, just slow down for a bit! I want to talk to you.”

“What about?”

Archer thought for a second. “… Tell me about all this ‘changeling hunter’ business. I’m very concerned about the possibility of a changeling in Ponyville.”

Junior suddenly smiled widely, and used his magic to levitate his plate and cutlery into the air. “Oh, I see! Well, if it’s knowledge about changelings, you’ve come to the right pony!”

Archer smiled as she accompanied Junior to another table in the room, and then shot one final glance towards Rumble and Berry Pinch. ‘I’ll give you two some alone time… if you offer me the same courtesy.’ With a smile on her face, Archer sat down at one of the table in the room, and motioned for Junior to sit next to her.

Love or Hate

‘The Changeling Locator 3000(TM)’. A basic device used by all changeling hunters, which uses a sample of changeling DNA to track down its host. It has an effective radius of five hundred meters, and runs on solar power, so on a clear, sunny day like today, it should prove most effective at keeping the town clear of any and all changelings.

“Wait,” Archer said, taking the device from Junior and examining it. “If you need a DNA sample, does that mean you’ve already encountered the changeling in our town?” No response came from the colt. “Y’know, to get his blood?”

“…” Junior pressed his hooves against either side of his head, and screamed loudly. “OH, NOOOOOOOO!” Archer sighed and took a few steps away from the distraught colt as he stomped his hooves and repeated the word ‘stupid’ over and over again.

“So let me get this straight,” she started, though Junior didn’t stop his rampage, “You just spent two hours of your day off, and wasted twenty minutes of my time, walking around with a ‘Changeling Radar’-”

“Changeling Locator 3000!” Junior corrected.

“Whatever! You’ve been walking around all day with this thing, when it has no chance of actually finding your changeling, right?”

“… That about sums it up,” Junior said with a blush, taking the device back from Archer and averting his gaze. He noticed the look of irritation on the filly’s face, and cleared his throat. “I-I’m sorry to have wasted your time like this, Miss Berry Pinch’s friend.”

“It’s ‘Archer’,” Archer said through gritted teeth. “And don’t think you can wave this away with a simple apology! You promised me an epic battle between you and this changeling foe of yours! And instead, you just lead me around on a wild goose chase!”

Junior turned his head and pouted. “It was my fault Miss Fluttershy’s geese were spooked. The least I could do was help round them up.”

“Not what I meant!” Archer shouted, reaching over and grabbing the colt’s ear. “Now listen, you! How’re you gonna make up for the twenty minutes of my wonderful Sunday that I’ll never get back?!”

“Ouch ouch ouch ouch! W-What do you want?”

“Hmmm…” Archer released the ear, and gave Junior a sly grin. “How ‘bout you treat me to some cupcakes, over at Sugarcube Corner?”

“Cupcakes?” Junior asked, receiving a nod. “You know that if you eat too many of those, you’ll get fa-aaaAAH!” Junior screamed and flailed about as Archer once again grabbed his ear. “Alright, alight! I’ll buy you some cupcakes, happy now?!”

Archer released his ear once more, and smiled again. “Yup.”

“Ah, but first, there was something that I wanted from the library.” Junior motioned to the building beside him, which was the Golden Oaks Library. “Related to the homework set out for us by Miss Cheerilee. We never covered the foundation of Ponyville up in Canterlot, so I was thinking of borrow a book about it.”

Archer sighed, and looked over at a nearby fountain. “Alright, but hurry it up! I’ll be waiting for you over there.” She shot him one final glare. “And don’t even think about trying to sneak away.”

Junior scoffed at the insinuation. “How dare you?! I am a gentlecolt! And I will remain true to my word!”

Archer smiled, and ran over to the fountain to wait for Junior. On her way, she heard two mares giggling beside her, and looked over out of curiosity. “Aah, to be young and in love.”

Archer titled her head, and then blushed when she realised that they were talking about her. ‘L-Love?! What are they talking about?!’ “I’m not in love with that nutjob!” she shouted, stomping over to the fountain and sitting down with a huff.

The two mares giggled once more. “Aah, to be young and in love.”

Trixie sighed as she levitated a glass of orange juice in the air, swirling it around in her magic whilst she stared into the air in front of her. “…”

“Excuse me!” Junior shouted as he burst into the library. “I’d like to ask if you have any books here relating to the founding of Ponyville!”

“…”

Junior approached the blue mare sitting at the table in the centre of the room. “Miss?” The mare didn’t respond. She didn’t even seem to notice. “Are you okay?”

Trixie’s ear twitched, and she turned her attention to the colt now standing opposite her. “Oh! Uh, sorry… Got some stuff on my mind right now…”

“What kind of stuff?”

“… Love troubles. A kid wouldn’t understand.”

Junior smiled, and took a step back. “Well, I don’t know about that. You can often find great nuggets of information in the most unlikely of places!”

Trixie didn’t say anything. She simply placed her glass to her muzzle, and began to drink her juice.

“Well, at the very least, have you tried talking to your partner about this?”

“… Not yet,” she said. “It’s… kind of complicated.”

“How so?”

“Well, it’s like, three days ago, I didn’t want to leave the library all day. Not unless Twilight was with me. I just wanted to be with her the whole day.”

Junior nodded. “Sounds like a sweet romance, to me.”

“But, yesterday, I suddenly felt that… I didn’t want to be around her. And I spent the whole day trying to avoid her.”

“Maybe you feel you need time with others for a bit?”

Trixie shook her head. “That’s not it. I hated her.” Junior’s gaze hardened, and Trixie continued. “It’s weird… I just… suddenly started to hate her all of a sudden. And now, today, I tried to break things off with her… but my feelings of love are still there, mixed in with my hatred for her.” Trixie grit her teeth together, and threw the glass across the room, causing it to collide and smash again the far wall. “What’s wrong with me?!”

Junior circled the table, and wrapped his forelegs around the distraught mare. To Trixie, it was a simple hug to comfort her, which she gladly accepted. But to Junior, it was the chance to cast a spell on her. His horn began to glow gold, and he shot a gentle beam at Trixie’s horn.

‘… This residual magic energy… there’s no doubt about it! This is a changelings love-drain spell! A bit amateurish… Does that mean it was rushed?’

“Miss…”

“Trixie.”

Junior nodded. “Miss Trixie, listen closely! You must remember all of the times that you’ve spent with your partner! Remember the love that you share with her! Remember what drew you to her in the first place, and remember that you love her, not hate her!”

“But… it’s not like this is the first time I’ve felt this way for her.”

“What?” Junior asked, confused.

“I mean, I’ve hated her ever since… Well, for a long time, now. And it was only recently that I fell for her. That I realised… I love her. I don’t even know why, I just suddenly realised that I was in love with Twilight Sparkle.”

“That can’t be right!” Junior shouted, concentrating more energy into his spell. ‘What the? This spell wasn’t cast yesterday, or the day before… it was cast some time ago! What’s going on? A changeling fed off of her love, but then she developed feelings of love towards somepony?’

Junior released his spell, and put a hoof to his chin. ‘I don’t understand it, but there’s definitely a changeling in this town! I’ll capture them, and make them explain it! But first…’ Junior pulled back from Trixie, and looked her straight in the eyes with a stern gaze. “Miss Trixie, I’m sorry, but there’s only one thing you can do now…”

Trixie gulped, and returned the colt’s stare. “And what’s that?”

“… You must choose. Whether you love your partner, or whether you hate her. Whether you want to continue the life you’ve led with her, or without her.” Trixie’s gaze moved to the floor beneath her, and Junior turned away. “You must think hard, about which life made you the happiest… and which ‘you’ you would rather be.”

A silence passed between the two for a moment, but was soon interrupted by the sound of the library’s front door opening. “Trixie! You came back!” Junior and Trixie turned to the purple mare that rushed into the library, and wrapped her forelegs around the blue mare. “I was so worried! Where were you all night?!”

“…” Trixie looked over at Junior, but the colt simply turned away. He was telling her not to rely on him, but instead to make her own choice. “… I just… needed some time to think about something.” Trixie returned the other mare's hug, and smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m done thinking now, and I won’t scare you like that again.”

Junior smiled, and decided to leave the two mares alone. ‘That was close… Damnit! This is what changelings do! They destroy the most beautiful things in this world! They suck away our love, and leave us with nothing but hate… But, this time, it was different…’ Junior stopped after taking a few steps outside the library, and went over the incident a few times in his mind, trying to make sense of what had happened.

“… AH!” He turned back to the library, and saw a sign hanging from the door, reading: ‘Closed’. “OH NO! I FORGOT THE BOOK!”

Changeling at School

Berry Punch pulled the thermometer from Berry Pinch’s mouth, and shook her head. “Yep. No doubt about it.” She knelt down and wrapped her forelegs around her daughter’s head. “You have a fever.”

“Which means you don’t have to go to school today!” Crunch Berry shouted from the kitchen table, pumping a foreleg into the air. “Video games and action Anime is the cure for fevers!”

“Bed rest and plenty of fluids,” Berry Punch started, “Is what she’s getting! Honestly, what is wrong with you?”

Crunch Berry waved her hoof dismissively. “I already got to play the ‘boring, stick-in-the-mud mother’ role. Now I get to play the ‘fun, favourite grandma’ role.”

“Well, go play it back in the Changeling Kingdom.” Berry Punch stood up straight, and looked down at her daughter. “And you, young lady, should go straight back to bed! I’ll drop by the schoolhouse to let Cheerilee know what’s up.”

Berry Pinch quickly shook her head. “No! I can’t miss school today! There’s a test, and if I don’t take it-” Berry Pinch wobbled slightly on the spot, and was about to fall over, before her mother quickly caught her with her magic. “Please, mommy…”

“Sorry, Pinchy, but you can’t go to school in your condition! Even if you did, do you really think that you could take the test in your condition?” Berry Pinch didn’t answer her. “I’ll ask Cheerilee to let you take the test another day, but your health comes first!”

“You know,” Crunch Berry started, making Berry Punch cringe, “This might be a good chance to test out a new spell I’ve been working on.”

“What?” Berry Punch asked, looking at her mother with furrowed brows. “Crunch Berry, what are you talking about? My daughter’s ill! This is no time for experimenting with crazy magic!”

“It’s not gonna blow up this time or anything!” Crunch Berry assured her daughter. “It’s a medical spell. I started to take up medical magic after you left. Y’know, to keep myself entertained? Even got a ChD.”

“‘ChD’?” Berry Pinch asked.

“‘Changeling Doctorate’,” Berry Punch explained. “And quite frankly, I don’t believe you,” she said to Crunch Berry, who huffed and looked away.

“Well, it’s true! And, I just so happen to have been working on a spell before I left that’s designed to suppress fevers!”

Berry Punch knew where this was going, and quickly positioned herself between her mother and her daughter. “Forget it! You’re not ‘experimenting’ on my daughter!”

“Oh, relax! The spell’s harmless if it fails.”

“I said ‘no’!”

“Please, mommy,” Berry Pinch said, tugging at her mother’s tail to get her attention. She shot a pair of pleading eyes at her mother, and trembled her lower lip to add to her ‘cuteness appeal’. “Please? I really wanna go…”

Berry Punch tried to tell her ‘no’, but that face she was making was just… too hard to turn down. With a reluctant sigh, she turned her attention back to her mother. “She’d better be safe.”

“Of course!” Crunch Berry said cheerfully. “You know that I would never do anything to harm my little Pinchy!”

‘True enough,’ Berry Punch thought. ‘AS far as I can tell, she prioritises Pinchy’s health quite highly.’

Crunch Berry approached the filly, who was lowered to the ground by Berry Punch. “Now, just remember, Pinchy dear: all this spell will do is ease up the symptoms to a degree that you can still go to school. You will still be ill, and your symptoms will still show, but they shouldn’t hinder you too much. That being said, make sure to stay warm, and do not do anything that will expend too much energy. Do you understand?”

Berry Pinch nodded slowly. “I… think so. Basically, go to school, do the test, attend my classes, then come straight home?”

Crunch Berry nodded. “That’s right. And try not to infect the other students, if you can.”

“I’ll get her a facemask to wear,” Berry Punch said, walking over to the first aid cabinet behind her.

“And finally,” Crunch Berry continued, in a serious tone, “If you start to react to any feelings of hatred around you, come home immediately. Your body is already weak enough. We can’t risk your disguise becoming undone from two fevers stacked on top of each other.” Berry Pinch nodded, and Crunch Berry shot her a smile. “Well, I’ll be watching over you, anyway. So it should be fine.

“Right. Well then, shall we begin?”

Berry Pinch coughed as she entered the schoolhouse, with Rumble and Archer walking beside her, talking about something that she hadn’t heard. “Whoa, you okay, Pinchy?” Archer asked. “You sure you’re well enough for school?”

Berry Pinch nodded. “I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just a slight cold. Nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so,” Archer said. She noticed her friend’s eye and nose twitching, and tilted her head in confusion. “What’s-” She stopped when she realised that Berry Pinch was about to sneeze, and acted quickly, searching her saddlebag for some tissues.

“Here,” Rumble said, offering a tissue to Berry Pinch. Berry Pinch thanked him silently, and snatched the tissues from his hoof.

“A-CHOO!” After two more sneezes, the filly groaned, and threw the tissue into the nearest bin that she could find. “C’mon, let’s just go to class…”

The other two foals shared a concerned glance with each other, before following Berry Pinch towards the classroom. Neither of them had noticed the tissue, which had been stacked at the top of the bin, had fallen onto the floor.

“Aah, what a beautiful day!” Junior sang as he entered the schoolhouse, trotting merrily down the hallway and towards his classroom. “How nice it will be to see Miss Berry Pinch agai-Hm?” He stopped when he noticed a piece of tissue paper on the floor, and frowned a he reached down to pick it up. “Inexcusable! Honestly, ponies today just have no respect for…”

Junior froze as he picked the tissue up with his magic. As he picked it up, the paper opened, revealing its contents. To anypony else, the mucus would just seem to be ordinary, ever day mucus from a pony. But to the trained eye of a changeling hunter, one could notice the telltale signs of chemicals found only in changeling mucus. A simple magical test is all one would need to confirm this…

“Mamma mia! T-This means…” Junior looked around quickly, and then turned back to the tissue paper, glaring at it as if it were a foul evil, threatening to destroy all that he loved. ‘This mucus is fresh! There’s a changeling in the schoolhouse!’

Junior threw the tissue paper back onto the ground, and quickly turned tail and began to run through the school’s hallway. ‘Not good! There’s a changeling somewhere in the school! I have to protect the students! First off, I’ll need to trap it here! I’ll set up a cordon around the school, and then…’

Rumble sighed as he carried Berry Pinch through the hallway, the filly breathing heavily and coughing frequently as they moved. “Geez. To think you’d have a reaction on the same day that you’re ill… This is why you should have stayed at home.”

Berry Pinch slowly shook her head. “… Had to… come…”

“What?”

“I… I had to…”

“What are you saying?” Rumble asked, arching an eyebrow at the filly by his side. “Actually, never mind. The first thing that we should do is get you home. And then, you’re going to get plenty of bed rest, alright?”

Only a little squeak came out of Berry Pinch’s mouth, which Rumble took as a sign that she understood. They continued to move through the schoolhouse, until they eventually made their way outside. “…What the?”

Rumble looked up at the large, blue translucent field before him, surround the entire schoolhouse. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he approached it anyway, out of curiosity. “What is this?”

“Don’t touch it!” a voice cried out. Rumble looked up to see Crunch Berry floating above him on a cloud. “That’s a barrier set up by that changeling hunter brat! It’s designed to stop any changelings going in or out!”

“W-What about ponies?” Rumble asked, looking at the barrier cautiously. “And, wait! Does that mean that he knows?! About Berry Pinch, I mean.”

Crunch Berry shook her head. “Ponies are fine, but you’re touching Pinchy right now, so the barrier will still hit her if you touch it. And as for knowing, I don’t think he knows specifically who the changeling is.”

‘Meaning that he knows there’s a changeling here, but not who it is…’

“What’s wrong with Pinchy? She shouldn’t be suffering that bad from a simple reaction to hatred!”

Rumble shrugged. “Maybe… she’s reacting to somepony with a lot of hate?”

“Come to think of it,” Crunch Berry started, “That kid, Junior, didn’t seem to pleased when he set up this barrier… Though, given his father’s history, I can understand his anger…”

“His what?” Rumble asked.

“… Nothing! Anyway, you need to find the source of the barrier, and destroy it! It should be in there somewhere!”

Rumble looked around for a bit, before looking back up at the cloud. “What does it look like?”

“Trust me, you’ll know when you see i-AH!” Crunch Berry pointed a hoof down at Berry Pinch, prompting Rumble to look at her… and gasp. “H-Her disguise!”

Rumble quickly turned around, and ran towards some nearby bushes, diving into them, just in case anypony happened to pass by. “Hey, Berry! Are you okay?!”

Berry Pinch, now completely exposed as the changeling that she was, opened her eyes slowly, and looked up at Rumble with tears in her eyes. “… I’m sorry,” she said weakly. “This is… all my fault…”

Rumble shook his head. “No, don’t blame yourself. None of us could have predicted something like… well, this.”

“But… if I hadn’t insisted on coming in today…” Berry Pinch let out a few coughs, before continuing. “I just… had to come in, no matter what… I had to come in, and wish you a ha-happy… birthday…”

“… Happy birthday?” Rumble asked, receiving a nod from Berry Pinch. “What do you mean?”

“Today is… your birthday, right? You told me…”

Rumble shook his head. “Berry, I said that my birthday is next week.” Berry Pinch stared up at him with a shocked look on her face, and then groaned and buried her face into Rumble’s shoulder.

“N-Now way1 Then, I did all of this for n-nothing!”

Rumble sighed, and pulled the youngling into a soft hug. “Well, it’s the thought that counts, right? Thanks, Berry, for doing all that for me… But, in the future, please don’t endanger yourself like that, okay?”

“B-But-”

Rumble placed a forehoof to her lips to cut her off. “I can’t very well enjoy my birthday, if I knew you were suffering for it… Just knowing that you’re fine is enough for me.”

Berry Pinch blushed, though it was hard to tell from how red her face already was, and she averted her eyes and she silently muttered: “S-Sorry…”

Rumble smiled, and rose to his hooves. He looked up at Crunch Berry, who was now glaring down at him. He was now conflicted on whether the barrier should come down or not. “Can you keep watch over her, while I go and look for the source of this barrier?”

Crunch Berry composed herself, and nodded. “Fine. I’ll come and alert you if something bad happens.”

“Thanks!” Rumble quickly shot off around the schoolhouse, in search of whatever it was that was keeping the barrier up. He searched all around the outside area, for about seven minutes, before he found something. A large, metallic box, with a symbol on it matching Junior’s Cutie Mark, with a blue aura around it that matched the barrier’s colour.

“This must be it,” Rumble said quietly to himself as he approached the box. “Now, I just have to destroy it…” He picked it up, and started to question how exactly he would go about doing that. However, as it turned out, the box wasn’t that hard to break at all… In fact, it seemed to just fall apart in his hooves. “Huh… that was easy,” he said as he watched the barrier begin to fade away.

He began to make his way back to where he left Berry Pinch, but stopped when he noticed a pink mare flying through the air, carrying something black wrapped in a blue blanket on her back. Breathing a sigh of relief, Rumble dropped the box to the ground. “Good. She’s safe.”

“Who’s safe?” Rumble jumped as he heard a sudden voice behind him, and turned around to see Junior standing behind him, glaring daggers at him. “And why is my Anti-Changeling Barrier Box 2000 lying in pieces at your hooves?”

“Y-Your what?” Rumble asked, before looking down at the broken box beneath him. “O-Oh. That. Eheh… funny story, actually…”

Junior took a step closer, causing Rumble to swallow and take a step back. “This, on your shoulder…” Junior touched a hoof to Rumble’s shoulder, and then pulled it away, showing the colt the sticky substance now his hoof. “This is changeling mucus… the same changeling mucus that I found on that tissue paper, inside the schoolhouse.”

‘‘C-Changeling mucus’? Really?’ “I-Is that so?” Rumble asked nervously, looking around for somewhere to run to.

“It is… So, why don’t you tell me, Rumble?” Junior took another, larger step forward, moving his face closer to the frightened colt’s. “How did it get there?”

Rumble shrugged. “B-Beats me…”

“… You know what I think? I think that-”

“RUMBLE! JUNIOR!” The two colts turned to see their teacher, Cheerilee, running towards them. “What do you two think you’re doing out here?! The test is scheduled to begin soon!”

Junior put a hoof up to protest. “Miss Cheerilee, with all due respect, the school grounds are not safe right no-”

“Oh no!” Rumble shouted, cutting Junior off. “I completely forgot! Sorry, Miss Cheerilee! I was just so concerned for Berry Pinch’s safety that I-”

“M-Miss Berry Pinch?! What do you mean? What happened to her?”

Cheerilee sighed, and grabbed Junior’s forehoof with her own. “She’s just had another one of her sick spells, that’s all. As for you, young colt. You have a test to take.” She turned to Rumble. “As do you.”

Rumble nodded. “Yes, ma’am!” he said with a salute, before running cheerfully back towards the schoolhouse.

“H-Hey, wait!” Junior shouted, but was stopped by Cheerilee, who was still grabbing a hold of his hoof. “Miss Cheerilee, you don’t understand! There is a changeling loose in the school! We have to-”

“Recess is scheduled for after the test,” Cheerilee said. “You can play your games then.” Before any further protests could be made, the teacher began to pull the colt with her back towards the schoolhouse.

Junior tried to free himself from her grip, but found it quite impossible. He had to admit, she had quite amazing strength. She would make a fine changeling hunter, that’s for sure. ‘… Rumble… Don’t think that this is over. I’ll find out what you know, one way or another.’

Changeling Hunter - Part 1

“You seem to be feeling better,” Rumble said as he observed Berry Pinch scoop a spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth, smiling as she did so. “Guess your fever’s gone now, huh?”

Berry Pinch nodded and swallowed the ice-cream in her mouth. “Yep! It lasted a little longer, thanks to grandma’s spell, but I woke up this morning full of energy!”

“On the down side, though, you’ve gotta take the test today,” Rumble said with a grin. “Even though the rest of the school has the day off while the schoolhouse is undergoing maintenance.”

Berry Pinch sank down into her seat, her smile falling into a frown. “Why did you have to bring that up? And why do I have to do the test today, of all days?”

Rumble shrugged. “Maybe Miss Cheerilee just thought it would be the easiest day to work with.”

“But… I was hoping that you and I… could have our first date today…”

“Ssh!” Rumble said, his eyes widening in fear. He quickly surveyed the area around them. “You never know when that crazy grandma of yours is listening in on us!” he whispered to the confused-looking filly.

Berry Pinch giggled. “There’s no need to worry about that,” she said. “Grandma said that she had something important to do, and took off early this morning.”

“… Is that so?” Rumble asked, a tinge of red crossing his face. ‘Then… we’re actually… alone together?’ He swallowed hard. ‘T-There are… no interruptions…’

“W-What?” Berry Pinch asked Rumble, who had got caught up staring at her. She studied his face as it started to turn red, and her eyes wandered down to the colt’s lips… causing her own face to turn red in response. ‘O-Oh no! I didn’t even realise… we’re alone together!’

The two foals simply stared at each other for a while, neither one saying anything or averting their gaze. They didn’t care how silly they looked, and didn’t even notice that somepony was calling out to them. Slowly, the two began to move circle the table that they were sitting at, moving closer to each other.

The sudden sound of chimes from the Ponyville clock tower snapped the two back to reality, and Berry Pinch quickly jumped out of her seat. “Oh no! I’ve only got fifteen minutes to get to Miss Cheerilee’s place!” The filly quickly picked up her saddlebags, and finished off her ice-cream in one go. “See you, Rumble!”

“Wait-” Berry Pinch turned on the spot, and was about to run out of the building, but stopped as she reached the door to press her hooves against her head, and let out a quiet moan. “… Brain freeze?”

Berry Pinch giggled and nodded slowly. “Y-Yeah…”

Rumble held his hoof up to his mouth as he snickered. “Idiot.”

Berry Pinch blew a raspberry, and then walked out of the store after the pain had subsided from her head. Rumble sighed as he watched her leave, and then turned his attention towards his milkshake.

“Rumble.” Rumble turned around upon hearing his name being called out, and was shocked to see Junior standing behind him. “Oh, good. I was beginning to think you had gone deaf.”

“J-JUNIOR?!” he shouted, jumping out of his seat and almost knocking his drink over. “W-What’s up?” he asked, trying not to look or sound panicked.

“Rumble, I need to talk to you about three days ago,” Junior said, narrowing his eyes as he approached the trembling colt. “You’ve been avoiding me since then, but I won’t let you anymore. I need to know the truth, Rumble.”

“The truth about what?”

“You know what.” Junior picked up a hoof, and placed it under Rumble’s chin. He then looked him straight in the eyes, preventing Rumble from moving away.

‘T-This is… just like that time with Berry Punch…’

“You know a changeling, don’t you?”

Rumble’s blood froze momentarily, and he hesitated for a bit, before quickly answering: “Of course I don’t!”

“… You’re lying,” Junior said, glaring daggers at the colt. “Who is it? Where are they right now?”

Rumble shook his head. “I told you, I don’t-”

“Are they still within Ponyville?”

“I told you, I don’t know anything!” Rumble shouted, batting Junior’s hoof away and quickly turning around. “Leave me alone!”

“Wait!” Junior shouted, giving chase as Rumble fled the shop. “Rumble, you have to listen to me! The changelings are a threat to us all! I don’t know what your motives are for wanting to protect one, but they are just cold, unfeeling monsters, that have to be wiped out!”

Rumble grit his teeth in anger. He wanted to turn around, and tell Junior that he was wrong. Berry Pinch isn’t a monster, a neither is her family! ‘No! I have to keep running! I have to lose him, fast!’

“Damnit Rumble! Think about your friends! Think about those you care for! Miss Berry Pinch, and Miss Archer! And you have a brother, right?! Think about them! If you let this monster do as it wants, then-”

“That’s enough!” Rumble shouted. He couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped in his tracks, and turned around to confront Junior, who also stopped as he did. “You’re wrong, Junior! She’s not a monster! And I won’t let you harm her!”

“… So you admit it,” Junior said, taking a step towards Rumble. “You admit that you know the changeling in this town… and that you’re defending her.”

“… That’s right! I am! Because I-”

A scream in the distance cut Rumble off, and the two colts turned to face the direction that it had come from. “That voice,” Junior said. “… Miss Berry Pinch?”

In a clearing in the Everfree Forest, Crunch Berry was lying against a tree, casting magic onto a shallow wound on her left foreleg. “That should take care of that… Now I need to get out of here…”

The pink mare stood up, and scanned her surroundings, before cautiously poking her head out from behind the tree. She pulled it back immediately, narrowly missing the dagger that was flying her way. “You can’t hide forever, monster.”

Crunch Berry cursed under her breath as she heard hoofsteps approaching, and gathered some energy into her horn. “My son may only be an amateur, but I am a professional. Against me, there’s nothing you can do.”

“… You really think you’ve got what it takes ta kill me, Blueblood dear?”

“I almost did, the last time we met. This time, I won’t make such a foolish mistake.”

Crunch Berry grinned, and jumped out with her horn glowing bright. “That was a long time ago, deary! I’ve learned quite a few new tricks since then!” A bright green light filled the area, allowing Crunch Berry a chance to take flight and dash past the stallion Prince before her. “Later, Bluey!”

“I don’t think so!” Blueblood shouted, his own horn lighting up as he turned around to face the retreating changeling. The ground suddenly began to shake, and a beam of light shot up from beneath Crunch Berry, stopping her as she flew.

“W-What the hell?!”

“I’ve been practicing too, Crunch Berry,” Blueblood said, walking up to the changeling that now could no longer move. “That makes two. Now, I just need to capture the third one.”

“Two?! You mean-” Crunch Berry gasped when she saw the youngling sitting beneath a nearby tree, tied up by some rope. “BERRY PINCH!”

“She’s not dead. Yet.” Blueblood pulled out his long sword with his magic, and pointed it at the trapped changeling. “I intend to use her to draw out her mother. Despite being monsters, you still seem to value family more than anything. You, on the other hoof, can die right here and now!”

“STOOOOOP!”

Changeling Hunter - Part 2

Rumble and Junior looked around the empty street for the source of the scream that they had just heard. “That voice,” Junior thought aloud, “I’ve heard it before… It’s-”

“Berry Pinch,” Rumble finished, suddenly taking off into the direction that he thought the voice had come from.

“H-Hey! Wait!”

“Save it! Now’s not the time for your nonsense about changelings being monsters! Berry Pinch is in trouble! I have to help her!”

Junior nodded. “I know. But you’re going the wrong way.”

Rumble tripped over and the fell onto the ground. He quickly got up and turned his attention to the other colt. “H-How do you know?!”

“Because, as a changeling hunter, I am well-trained in the art of tracking down sounds.” Junior point to his left. “The scream came from that direction.”

Rumble looked at where Junior was pointing. ‘That direction…’ Again, the Pegasus colt quickly took off, this time with Junior following him. ‘Just hang on, Berry! I’ll be there soon!’

Junior examined Rumble closely as they ran down the street, before turning his attention to his surroundings, keeping an eye open for any sign of Berry Pinch. ‘He knows something, but now’s not the time. First, we rescue Miss Berry Pinch. And then-’

“BERRY!” Rumble shouted, suddenly turning and running down an alleyway. Junior followed him, but they both stopped shortly after entering. “This is Berry’s saddlebag! Why would it be here?”

Junior knelt down and examined the bag closely. “Looks like it came off in struggle.”

“What?! That means… she was attacked?!” Junior nodded. “B-But why?!” ‘… Could somepony have figured out that she was a changeling?’

Junior stood up and shook his head. “I don’t know. But I won’t forgive them.” Junior’s horn lit up, and a golden glow surrounded the bag on the ground. “… I’ve got it! I’ve managed to pick up her trail!”

“Alright! Let’s go after it, quickly!”

“Hold on. One who charges recklessly into battle, without know their enemy, is one who will surely fall at their enemy’s hooves.”

“Berry’s in danger! Tell me where she is already!”

“Rumble!” Both colts turned around, and saw a purple Earth Pony mare charging towards them. She stopped in front of them, and flinched when she saw Junior. “W-What’s going on? I suddenly got a feeling that Pinchy was in danger, and then I find her saddlebag just lying on the ground in some alleyway?”

“A ‘feeling’?” Junior asked.

“… Call it, mother’s intuition!” Berry Punch said. “Anyway, what’s going on? Where’s Pinchy?!”

“… She’s… been taken away by somepony,” Rumble said. Berry Punch’s eyes widened, and her body began to tremble.

“But fear not!” Junior quickly added. “For I have managed to track her location! After coming up with a proper strategy, we shall-” Berry Punch interrupted the colt by charging up to him, and glaring daggers into his eyes.

“WHERE. IS. SHE?” she asked, punctuating each word by moving even closer to the colt, looking even more threatening each time.

Junior gulped, and turned around to point behind him. “D-Down there,” he said. “She’s heading towards the Everfree Forest, pretty quickly. B-But like I said-”

“Rumble, I’m going!” she shouted, charging past the two colts. “You stay here, where it’s safe!”

“No way!” Rumble shouted, chasing after the mare. Junior, against his better judgement, followed soon afterwards. “If Berry’s in trouble, then I want to help her!”

“It’s dangerous, Rumble!”

“Which is why I have to go! Because Berry is right in the middle of it!”

“… You really care for my daughter, don’t you?” Berry Punch asked, receiving a nod from the colt running beside her. “… By the way,” she whispered, “What is that changeling hunter doing with you?”

“W-We were just talking, when we heard Berry screaming all of a sudden.” Rumble looked behind him, and saw that Junior was far enough away that he wouldn’t be able to hear them. “More importantly, do you have any idea who could be behind this?”

Berry Punch shook her head. “I have no idea. But I’m certainly not going to let them get away with it!”

Blueblood’s eyes widened as he saw a green aura enveloping his sword, and forcing it away from Crunch Berry. He tried to fight against it, but the owner of this aura proved to be a formidable opponent. Finally, he had to fall back, before his sword was taken and used against him.

Berry Punch saw this as her opportunity, and rushed to Crunch Berry’s aid. “Berry dear!” Crunch Berry shouted in surprise. “What do you know? Looks like you really did pay attention in those self-defence classes.”

“Just hold on! I’m gonna release you real quick, then I want you to save Pinchy, and run!”

“So, the final member of the family is here then,” Blueblood said as he took a threatening step forward. He was stopped by a sudden wall of green flames before him, which he quickly reacted to by summoning up his magic. It took some effort, but he managed to dispel the flames. “Good. Now I can defeat all three of you at once.”

“Fat chance!” Crunch Berry said as she charged towards the Prince. “I’m gonna rip that head from yer shoulders, noble brat!”

“I shall ride you from this world once and for all, fiend!”

Berry Punch tried to stop her mother, but was too late. The two were already engaged in a battle of magic, as beams of light shot out of both of their horns, and connected in midair. “You idiot! I told you to protect Pinchy!”

The mare turned her head when she heard hoofsteps approaching, and found Rumble and Junior entering the scene. Rumble quickly found Berry Pinch tied to a tree, and rushed over to her aid, whilst Junior looked over at the battle between his father and Berry Pinch’s grandmother in confusion.

“F-Father?” he asked, trembling on the spot. “W-What’s going on? Why are you here?”

“I’m here to take care of this changeling!” Blueblood shouted, gritting his teeth as his magical beam was forced back by Crunch Berry’s. “This changeling is too strong for a mere child to defeat! But maybe the daughter should be fine for you…”

“The daughter?” Junior asked, before piecing everything together in his head. “… If Crunch Berry is a changeling, then…” He turned his attention towards Berry Punch, whose horn (which he didn’t remember her having before) started to glow green. “… Then… that means…”

“BERRY! BERRY, WAKE UP!” Junior slowly turned his head, over to the spot where Rumble had ran to, and gasped in horror when he saw the colt shaking a changeling. “Berry! You’re awake!”

“… M-Miss Berry Pinch?” Junior asked, taking a step back as the changeling rose to her feet. “No… T-That can’t be… Berry Pinch was no monster… She was… She was…”

“Open your eyes, boy!” Blueblood shouted, forcing his beam of magic forward some. “It was a ruse! Just like what changelings always do! She’s a monster, son! And she needs to be exterminated!”

“You’re wrong!” Rumble shouted, before turning to face Junior. “Junior, you should know! You spent some time with her in school! You got to know who Berry Pinch really is! Do you think that she’s a monster?!”

Junior shook his head repeatedly, his entire body shaking, and sweat dripping down from his forehead. “I… I don’t know… what to think… or who to listen to…”

“Listen to me, of course!” Blueblood shouted, his beam of magic growing stronger, and beginning to overpower Crunch Berry’s. “Son, if your care at all about the safety of Equestria, then you’ll take out your crossbow, and put an end to those two changelings, once and for all!”

“I CAN’T!” Junior shouted, falling to his knees and breaking out into tears. “S-She may be a changeling, but she’s my friend! We’ve spent time together in school! We played together, had classes together, got to know each other…” Junior clenched his eyes shut. “And… I fell in love with her…”

Blueblood grit his teeth, and closed his eyes as a lone tear passed down his cheek. “No, son… Not you, too…” he whispered, before his horn unleashed a bright, blinding light. It disappeared after a second, and suddenly, his beam of magic completely tore through Crunch Berry’s, connecting with the mare’s horn, and exploding upon contact with the appendage. Crunch Berry fell down to the ground, her disguise fading as she let out a cry of pain.

“G-GRANDMA!” Berry Pinch shouted, and was about to run over to the downed changeling, before Rumble managed to stop her.

“Junior… if you can’t do it…” Blueblood drew his sword once more, and this time, pointed it at Berry Punch. “Then I will.”

Changeling Hunter - Part 3

Berry Punch surrounded her body with green flames, undoing her disguise and revealing her true form. “I won’t let you harm my family anymore,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Blueblood. “If you intend to go on, then I will do what I must to protect them!”

“You talk about protecting your family,” Blueblood started, charging forward with his sword raised in the air, “But I intend to protect all of Equestria! You’ll never stop my blade, monster!”

“Try me! You’ll be surprised at what one can accomplish when they’re protecting their kin!” The changeling summoned a green barrier to stop Blueblood’s advancing, then fired a blast of energy at him. The Prince dodged, and used his own magic to break through the barrier.

A glow from Blueblood’s horn was followed by a similar glow beneath Berry Punch’s hooves, prompting her to jump back quickly, just narrowly avoiding an entrapment spell similar to the one that had caught Crunch Berry.

“Is that the only trick you’ve got?!” Berry Punch taunted, opening her mouth and spitting out a thick layer of green mucus at her opponent. Blueblood used his sword to slice through it, but didn’t expect to see a second attack behind the first. Fortunately, he managed to jump out of the way just in time, though a little of the substance still stuck to his left hind hoof.

“You vile creatures! Everything about you is horrid and uncouth!”

“Says the Prince who tries to kill innocent little fillies!”

“That thing is no filly, and she is certainly not innocent!” Blueblood turned to glare at Berry Pinch, who quickly hid behind an angry-looking Rumble. “I know that that thing has awoken. And I know that it has ‘fed’ off of several ponies already!”

“How?” Berry Punch asked.

“It’s simple, really. I’ve had my suspicions about this town, ever since I heard a report about a changeling scout asking a lot of questions about it.” Blueblood turned his attention to Crunch Berry’s body. “It seems the scout was none other than her. But, I was curious as to why she was so interested in this town. So I decided to watch over it, closely.”

Blueblood turned back to Berry Punch. “I found that there was a family of you things living here, but I was unsure of the number. I wasn’t even sure which ponies in particular I should investigate! But, with that young one’s awakening, I was finally given a lead. And from there, it wasn’t hard to determine who exactly the other changelings were.

“In any case, that thing over there, is just like the rest of you! It spares not a single thought about how we feel, having our emotions treated as if they were simply lunch for you overgrown bugs! It just saps all of our love dry, or in that one’s case, forces its love onto us!”

“You can’t tell me you have a problem with her spreading love around, can you?” Berry Punch asked. Blueblood’s glare hardened.

“She is not ‘spreading’ love, she is forcing ponies to love each other, against their will! Regardless of how nice that may seem, she is still playing with ponies’ feelings! And what of those who, after the effects wear off, are unable to decide between their love and their hatred for their partner?”

Junior remembered his meeting with Trixie not too long ago. How confused she was. How angry she was. How sad she looked, and how desperate her voice sounded. “…”

“There have been many cases where ponies suffer psychological breakdowns because they are confused by their conflicting emotions! Many fine ponies’ lives have been destroyed, all just so that you can feed off of our emotions!”

Berry Punch looked down at the ground with a frown on her face. “… Yes, there is always a risk, when it comes to messing around with love, and hatred.” She looked back up at the Prince. “But that it is why, we always do our part. Where possible, I have always avoided targets that I do not believe would be strong enough to handle the sudden change in their feelings. And in Pinchy’s case, I have kept a close watch over all of the ponies that she has ‘fed’ off of.”

“They require no help from you, monster!” Blueblood shouted, charging magic into his horn. “Every single one of your family’s victims in this town will be transported to the Canterlot hospital, to receive special treatment! Whereas you three, will be killed right here and now!”

Berry Punch’s horn also lit up, and began charging towards Blueblood. “Rumble, get Pinchy out of here, now!”

Rumble nodded, and grabbed Berry Pinch’s hoof in order to lead her away. However, the youngling refused to budge. “Berry, we have to go!”

Berry Pinch shook her head. “No!” she shouted. “I can’t leave mommy behind! I have to help her! I-”

“GAAAAAAH!” The two foals looked back at Berry Punch, to find her lying on the ground with smoke rising from her body. Standing above her, Blueblood raised his sword, and prepared to strike his foe down.

“NOOO!” Rumble shouted, running towards the Prince and jumping onto his back. He grabbed the sword and tried to pull it away from Blueblood, but was thrown to the side by the stallion. “UGH!”

“Stay back, kid!” Blueblood shouted. “Do not delude yourself! They are monsters, nothing more! I will be doing you, and all of Equestria, a favour by riding you of these creatures!”

“No! They’re not monsters!” Rumble shouted, jumping up to his hooves and running over to Berry Punch’s body. “I won’t let you kill her!”

“Move!” Blueblood ordered.

“No.”

“I said move!”

“I won’t do it!”

Blueblood grit his teeth in rage, and raised his left forehoof. “Last chance. Move, now.” Rumble simply shook his head, watching the Prince with fear in his eyes. Blueblood swung his hoof, and kicked the colt to the side. “Now, then…”

“RUMBLE!” Berry Pinch shouted, watching as Rumble struggled to stand back up again. She then noticed Blueblood once again raising his sword above Berry Punch’s body. “MOMMY!”

“Relax,” Blueblood said. “You’ll be next.”

“No…” Berry Pinch whispered. Blueblood’s sword began to move down. “NOOOOOO!”

Blueblood stopped mid-swing as he felt something behind him. He turned around to see what was going on, and saw a bright beam of green light heading his way. He quickly ducked to the side, but the beam managed to knock his sword out of his grasp, and send it flying a good distance away from him.

“I won’t let you hurt mommy, or Rumble!” Berry Pinch shouted, staring at Blueblood with a blank look on her face. Her eyes were glowing white, and moments later, she began to float up into the air.

Blueblood gasped and took a few steps back. ‘A magical outburst, at a time like this?!’

“Pinchy…” Berry Punch tried to get through to her daughter, but she was too weak to speak loudly enough for the youngling to hear her.

A beam of light shot from Berry Pinch’s horn, just narrowly missing Rumble, startling the colt and causing him to hover in the air for a second. Another beam of light shot out towards Junior, knocking the colt to the ground. A third beam hit a tree behind the youngling, creating a smouldering hole in it and causing it to collapse.

“Its magic is running out of control!” Blueblood shouted as he conjured up a barrier to defend himself against an incoming blast. His speciality wasn’t barriers, though, and it crumbled easily against Berry Pinch’s magic. “NO!”

The magic continued towards Blueblood, grabbing him and lifting him up into the air. He felt something wrapping tightly around his throat, and choked for air as he was lifted off of the ground.

“Berry Pinch! Stop!” Rumble shouted, running up to the filly. He was knocked back by another blast of magic, and felt a sharp pain in his wing.

“Neigh, child! Stay away from it!” Blueblood shouted, summoning his magic to protect Rumble.

“Shut it!” Rumble shouted back, pushing himself back to his hooves, and slowly making his way towards Berry Pinch. “I’ve gotta help her!”

“You fool!” Blueblood noticed another blast of magic making its way towards Rumble, and quickly used his own magic to divert it. “Run away already! Before it turns you to ash!”

Rumble, ignoring Blueblood’s warnings, made his way closer to Berry Pinch. He managed to reach her without any more sudden bursts of magic hitting him, and he placed both of his forehooves on her shoulders. She looked down at him, and seemed to calm down a little bit.

“Berry… it’s okay…” he said calmly as he pulled the youngling back down to the ground. She landed gently, and he leaned in closer to her. “I won’t let him harm you, Berry. So please, come back to us, okay?”

“Rumble…” Berry Pinch’s magic began to die down, but her eyes still glowed bright white. Until the colt leaned forward, and pulled her into a warm, comforting hug. Berry Pinch’s eyes slowly turned back to normal, and she returned the embrace as she felt her magic calming down. “Rumble… W-What happened?”

“It’s okay, Berry. You’re back, and that’s all that matters.”

The two shared a peaceful moment together in each other’s forelegs, what seemed like an eternity passing them by as they both wished to remain that way forever. However, it was not to last.

“Look out! Behind you!”

Rumble remembered that Blueblood was still there, and quickly pulled away from Berry Pinch, and turned to face the approaching Prince.

“Good. You’ve calmed her down.” Blueblood chuckled, and pulled out a dagger from his bag. “Now, move aside, boy. I’m going to finish that youngling off.”

“No, father!” Junior shouted, rushing to his father’s side.

“Junior? What’s the matter? Surely you aren’t defending this creature?!”

“I am, father! Berry Pinch is my friend! She’s not a monster, and I won’t allow you to harm her!”

Blueblood was shocked at what he was hearing, and let out an angry growl at his son. “You… How could you be on a changeling’s side? You’ve seen the devastation that they cause! You yourself are a victim, so how can you-”

“Because she’s different!” Junior shouted.

“All changelings are the same!” Blueblood responded, turning to the two foals and raising his dagger. “All of them! They’re all monsters! And I will not rest until every last one of them is dead!”

“NO!”

Blueblood began to charge towards Rumble and Berry Pinch, but was stopped by a sudden attack of green magic from his left. He was knocked to the ground by the attack, and let out a pained choke, before his eyes slowly closed shut.

Junior rushed to his father’s side. “FATHER! FATHER!” He placed a hoof to Blueblood’s neck. “There’s still a pulse… Thank Celestia.”

Rumble looked at where the attack had come from, and saw Crunch Berry standing on her hooves, pointing her horn at Blueblood and panting heavily. “Dumbass… Like I’d let something like that defeat me.”

“Grandma!” Berry Pinch shouted as she ran over to her grandmother. “Y-You’re okay!”

Crunch Berry laugh, and patted the youngling on the head. “Of course I am. I’m over a hundred years old. A blast like that may have knocked me out a bit, but no serious harm was caused by it.” She turned her attention to Junior and Blueblood. The colt stood over his father protectively as he met the changeling’s glare. “Now… to deal with him, before he wakes up…”

Parting of Ways

Rumble looked down at the watch attached to his left foreleg. Fifteen minutes and counting. For the past fifteen minutes, Archer had been saying farewell to Berry Pinch. In the form of holding the filly and refusing to let go, and asking why she has to move. Junior had tried to pry her away countless times, but each attempt was met with failure. Rumble sighed, but he had to admit… he was tempted to do the same thing himself.

“Come on now, Archer,” Berry Punch said gently, slowly limping over to the filly and placing a hoof on her shoulder. Junior stepped aside to give her some room. “I know you’re upset, but there’s really no helping it. I’m sorry. And thank you, for being such a good friend to my daughter all these years.”

Archer sniffed, and wiped away the tears rolling down her face. “I don’t… I don’t want you to leave,” she told Berry Pinch, who was smiling, despite also being in tears.

“I don’t want to leave you, either. But it’s like mommy said: it can’t be helped.”

Berry Punch gently moved Archer aside, and leaned down to whisper into the filly’s ear: “I think Rumble wants to say his goodbye now. Let’s give them some room, okay?”

Archer reluctantly nodded, and then followed Berry Punch onto the train station platform. Crunch Berry also decided to give them some privacy, albeit bitterly, and moved around the corner of a nearby building. Junior followed her.

“What do you want?” Crunch Berry asked as she stopped moving and leaned against a wall.

“… Is it really necessary to move? My father’s injured right now. He can’t come after you again for some time now.”

“Yeah, but as long as we’re here, he will come after us,” Crunch Berry said. “That’s the kind of stallion he is.”

“… I’m surprised you didn’t simply kill him. I’ve always heard stories about you, Crunch Berry. And none of them were in a particularly good light.”

Crunch Berry grit her teeth, and banged a forehoof against the wall behind her. “… That doesn’t surprise me. Your father, I’m sorry to say, is a prick.”

Junior scowled at the insult. “I know that my father can be rude and stuck-up at times, even for a noble, but he always has the best of intentions whenever he acts! He messes up a lot, and he says and does a lot of things that isn’t to be expected of a Prince, but he-”

“Save it,” Crunch Berry said in a threatening tone. “Anyway, there’s another benefit to us moving.” She looked over at the two foals around the corner. “… Love between a pony and a changeling can never work. She has to learn that… one way or another.”

Junior scoffed. “So just because you got dumped by somepony, you’re going to take it out on your granddaughter?”

“WHAT?!”

“Don’t pretend, Crunch Berry! I can hear it in your voice, and see it in your eyes! You suffered heartbreak, and now, you’re letting it affect your whole life!” Junior shook his head. “I would have thought that someone as old as you would be a little wiser, but I guess not…”

Crunch Berry growled at the colt for a few moments, but then calmed down when she saw that he wasn’t fazed in the least by it. “…”

“Blueblood dear, this is… I have no words for it!”

“Only the best, for my Princess.”

“Oh, you…”

“Now, you wanted to tell me something?”

“… Promise you won’t be shocked?”

“I won’t be shocked.”

“And you won’t overreact? … Okay, here goes.”

…

“Y-YOU MONSTER! YOU’VE BEEN DECEIVING ME THIS ENTIRE TIME!”

“B-Bluey…”

“Don’t call me that! I won’t let you… I won’t let you get away with this, you MONSTER!”

“… Love between a pony and a changeling can never work.”

Meanwhile, around the corner Rumble was approaching Berry Pinch very slowly. He had planned out several times in his head how he would say goodbye to her. He has thought about all the things that he wanted, needed, to tell her. He had this great scenario planned out, where he would come off as cool, but also caring, at the same time.

But now, he was just a nervous wreck. He had no idea what to say, or do, and he was taking his sweet time approaching the filly in the hopes that the answer would just suddenly hit him as he moved.

“H-Hi!” he said as he finally reached Berry Pinch. “… Uh, I guess… this is goodbye, huh?”

Berry Pinch nodded, her face turning into a frown. Rumble quickly tried to think of something to say to her. “U-Uh, I’ll make sure to write to you every day… once you get settled in…”

Berry Pinch nodded again. “I’ll write every day, too.” The filly shuffled her hooves on the ground nervously. “I’ll also come to visit you as often as I can… And, maybe one day, it’ll be safe enough for me to move back here…”

Rumble scratched the back of his head and blushed. “… Berry, I… I lo-”

Rumble was cut off by a sudden kiss from the red filly. His eyes widened, and it took him a while to register what was happening. ‘B-Berry Pinch… Berry Pinch just kissed me… She’s kissing me…’

The filly pulled away, and quickly turned around to hide her embarrassment. “… Thanks, Rumble,” she said, wiping the fresh tears falling from her eyes. “Rumble… will you wait for me? Wait for me to come back?”

Rumble finally managed to regain himself when he heard her question, and quickly nodded. “Of course I will. So… let’s promise each other, okay?”

Berry Pinch smiled. “Okay.”

“Goodbye Pinchy!” Archer shouted as she waved farewell to the Berry family, now onboard the train pulling out of the station, bound for Appleoosa. “Stay safe! Don’t ever forget about me, okay?!”

“I won’t! Thanks for all you’ve done for me, Archer!” Berry Pinch shouted back. She bit her lower lip for a second, and then took a deep breath, before shouting: “Bye Rumble! I love yoooooou!”

Rumble’s entire face exploded into a red mess, and he was left completely unable to respond.

“Hey!” Archer shouted. “She said she loves you! Hurry up and answer her!”

Junior nodded. “It isn’t very gentlecoltly to leave a lady hanging like that.”

Rumble looked between the two with a disbelieving look on his face, but saw that they were quite serious. He turned back to the train, and closed his eyes as he shouted out his response, as loud as he could.

“You’re awake.” Blueblood groaned as he looked at the white blur looming over him, and tried to move his right foreleg to reach out to it. “How are you feeling?”

“Not very good,” he said. “Why can’t I move my legs?”

“Ah, yes. The doctors said that that may take some time. Do you remember what happened?” Blueblood tried to recall whatever he could. “You were found wounded in the Everfree Forest, and brought here for emergency medical treatment. I’ve been very worried, nephew.”

“… Aunt Celestia, who brought me here?”

“It was a pink Pegasus mare named Crunch, I believe.”

“Crunch Berry!” Blueblood shouted, his eyes opening as wide as they could. “That changeling! What is she after?! Why did she bring me here?!”

Celestia sighed. “Changeling hunting, again? Blueblood, how many times must I tell you? Do not trouble trouble, until trouble troubles you.” Blueblood let out a huff, and turned his head to its side. “Nephew, why do you hold such resentment towards the changeling race?”

“…”

“Lilac! Lilac, what is the meaning of this?”

“Oh? What’s wrong, darling?”

“What’s wrong?! I’ve been told that you’re dead! I’ve been presented with your body, and the proof that it is indeed yours!”

“… Oh? They found that, did they?”

“L-Lilac, what’re you-”

…

“Y-You’re a-”

“That’s right, darling. I’m sorry about your wife, but when she found out about me, I had to do something.”

“You… You killed her… just to get close to me?”

“Heheheh…”

“Y-YOU… FOUL DEMON!”

“… I just feel that Equestria can do without those monsters. That’s all.”

Epilogue - Reunion

Berry Pinch looked up at the clock on the classroom wall. Fifteen minutes left. She looked down at her test paper. No way she was going to pass, so she decided to just spend the last fifteen minutes drawing cute little flowers in the answer boxes that she couldn’t fill. Maybe she’ll get partial credit for being a good artist?

She looked up at the clock again. Time was almost up. She followed suit with many of the other students there, and began to pack away her things. Five… four… three… two… one…

The bell rang throughout the school, and, at once, all of the students grabbed their test papers and ran to the front of the class. The teacher simply muttered goodbye to each student as they placed their paper on his desk and filed outside of the classroom. Berry Pinched wondered if he would he even notice if somepony didn’t turn their paper in, and decided to try a little experiment.

“Miss Pinch, your paper stays here,” he said as she reached the door. She laughed nervously, and turned back to place her paper on the desk.

“Bus-ted!” Apple Sauce said as she pulled Berry Pinch into a headlock. “What’s up? Don’t think you did very well?”

Berry Pinch flailed around and pretended to be choking as she begged for air. “Hey,” the teacher said, pulling out a newspaper from his desk and opening it up. “No horseplay in the classroom.”

“Right, right,” Apple Sauce said, releasing her friend and turning to leave. “You coming? We’re all having a get-together at the Salt Lick Tavern for Melody’s sweet sixteen!”

“Kids shouldn’t be going to such places,” the teacher commented in a bored tone. Apple Sauce simply blew him a raspberry.”

“It sounds fun, but, I have somewhere to be right now.”

“Oh?” Apple Sauce asked, a look of intrigue on her face as the two mares left the classroom side-by-side.

“Remember? He’s coming today.”

Apple Sauce gave her friend a sly grin. “Aah, I see… Your coltfriend, back in Ponyville.”

Berry Pinch blushed, and turned her head away. “I-It’s been five years, since we last got to see each other in person…”

Apple Sauce nodded. “I understand. Hey, come to think of it, I’ve never met the guy. You should totally bring him round to Melody’s party! I’m sure the others’ll be excited ta see him! Well, except maybe the guys…”

“The guys?” Berry Pinch asked.

“You know. All those colts you’ve had to turn down over the years, ‘cause of your special somepony down in Ponyville!”

Berry Pinch stopped, and a look of worry spread across her face. “I-I hadn’t thought of that!”

Apple Sauce simply laughed, and continued walking on ahead, with Berry Pinch shortly afterward. “Aah, don’t worry! That guy’s in the Ponyville wingball team, right? So he should be able to defend himself just fine!”

Berry Pinch smiled, and nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” The two mares opened the doors to the schoolhouse, and stepped outside. “I guess… we could show up to the party. Since he’ll be here for a few… days…”

Apple Sauce stopped when her friend did, and she turned back to see if she was alright. “Pinch? What’s up?” Berry Pinch simply stared into space ahead of her, and Apple Sauce followed her gaze to see what she was looking at. It was a tall, somewhat attractive, grey-coated Pegasus stallion, with a long black mane, slicked back with, in her opinion, way too much gel.

“Um… hi,” the stallion said, waving at Berry Pinch.

The startled mare responded to his words, and quickly began charging towards him. She took him by surprise by tackling him to the ground, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.

“H-Hey!”

“Rumble! I’m so happy to see you again!”

Rumble stopped flailing about on the floor, and simply smiled as he returned the mare’s hug. “Yeah… It’s great to see you again, Pinchy.”

First Meal

Berry Punch woke up with a pounding headache. She groaned as the morning sun hit her eyes, and she felt so dizzy that she had to get out of bed exceptionally slowly. She slowly made her way to her bathroom, her stomach churning with each step that she took, and once she was inside, she took a look at her reflection in the mirror.

“It’s that time again,” she said to herself, her voice raspy. She cleared her throat, and decided to skip brushing her teeth for today. She didn’t feel up to it at all. She instead just trudged her way downstairs, towards the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of water.

“Good morning, mommy!” Berry gulped down the water, and let out a deep sigh. “… That time of the month?”

Berry Punch nodded, raising a hoof to her head as she checked her temperature. “I’m going to have go hunting tonight…” She made her way to the kitchen table, where her daughter, Berry Pinch, was already eating her cereal. Another bowl had been laid out for her, and she began pouring her own bowl of cereal.

“Are you sure you’re not just hung-over again?”

Berry Punch shook her head. “No, I didn’t drink at all last night…” Berry Pinch raised an eyebrow. “Well… One glass… Okay, one bottle, but that’s certainly not enough to get me drunk.”

Berry Pinch sighed and shook her head. “So, I’m walking to school by myself again today?”

Berry Punch bit her lower lip, and looked at her daughter apologetically. “I’m sorry… I didn’t realise that today would be ‘the day’.” Berry Punch lifted a spoonful of cereal to her mouth, and took a bite. “You’re almost at that age now. You’ll find out soon enough what it feels like.”

Berry Pinch shuddered at the thought. “… Do I really have to feed off of love, mommy?”

Berry Punch nodded. “As a changeling, once you reach maturity, you will have to feed off of love in order to survive. There’s no getting around it.” Berry Punch pushed the cereal away, her head aching too much to take than a few bites. “You’ll also have to learn how to shape shift, and erase memories on your own… I can’t keep covering for you forever, you know?”

Berry Pinch sighed, and got up once she had finished her breakfast. “… I’ll be going now.”

“Good luck,” Berry Punch said, causing Berry Pinch to look at her confusedly. “Don’t you have that test today?”

“That was last week,” Berry Pinch said with a frown.

“… Oh.” An awkward silence passed between the two pony-disguised changelings, which was broken by Berry Pinch sighing and walking away.

“See you later, mommy.”

Berry Punch’s ear lowered, and she felt her stomach churning from more than just the sick feeling she had woken up with. “… I’m sorry, Pinchy,” she said to herself quietly. She got up from her seat, and began to wash up the two bowls and spoons that were left on the table. “I wish I could be there for you more, I really do… Why did that stupid Queen have to act so recklessly?”

Berry Pinch walked down the same street that she always did whenever she went to school. She passed by the same candy store, the same bakery, and the same music shop. Everything that occurred that day, was exactly the same as it was every other day. In fact, she could probably make it to school with her eyes closed, if she wanted to.

“Hey, blank flank!”

Ah, the sounds of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, two of the older pupils at her school, giving the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ a hard time… Right on schedule.

“Twitchy tail! Everypony RUUUUUN!”

Pinkie Sense? Okay, so that was new. But that occurred randomly, so she couldn’t really plan for that. Everypony in the area immediately took cover, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen.

After about twenty seconds, a piano fell down from the sky, thankfully not landing on anypony. Looking up at the sky, Berry Pinch saw the pony responsible for it.

“Oops! My bad…”

Berry Pinch giggled at the clumsy Pegasus hovering in the air. Derpy was always a source of amusement here in Ponyville. And this was a nice town to live in. The ponies were friendly, welcoming, and best of all, most of them were quite dense! It was thanks to that fact that Berry Pinch and her mother were able to live here, with practically no fear of being discovered. The only real threat was Twilight Sparkle, but so long as the two kept their distance from her, there was really nothing to worry about.

Yep, this was a fine town indeed to live in. A nice, peaceful life, where nothing bad ever happened, save for the occasional ursa minor attack, or parasprite infestation.

And today was looking to be just as uneventful as any other day. And Berry Pinch wouldn’t have it any other wa-

“Ooooh…” Berry Pinch stopped in the middle of the street, and clutched her stomach. An odd feeling passed through it, the likes of which she had never experienced before. “W-What was that?”

She tried taking another step forward, but the strange feeling only hit her again, even harder than before.

She had to stuff her hoof into her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. Her head started to feel funny, and she heard a strange ringing in her ears. She checked her temperature… And then she turned towards a nearby shop window, to look at her reflection. Her eyes were puffy, and… They were glowing green. As was her horn.

That wasn’t right. So far, most of the symptoms were there. Her stomach churning, her head aching, her high temperature… They were all signs that she needed to feed. They were signs that today, was her first day of maturity.

But, her horn shouldn’t be glowing yet, and neither should her eyes. That should only happen during feeding, when she took in the love of a pony.

She gasped when she saw her coat glowing with a green aura, and looked around quickly. Nopony seemed to have noticed yet, so she took this chance to bolt through a nearby alleyway. ‘My transformation… It’s wearing off!’

Berry Pinch ran as fast and as far as she could, trying to get home before anypony noticed her. She stopped when she caught a whiff of something in the air, and took a moment to take in the pleasant aroma. Was this… Was this the scent of love? There was a pony with high levels of love nearby.

She tried to ignore it for now, since her transformation was already halfway undone, but the urge was so strong… She found herself unconsciously following the scent, her mouth watering as she drew closer and closer to her target.

She eventually found the source of the pleasant scent. It was a rather dirty-looking Unicorn, with a blue coat, and silver hair. She was sitting next to a dumpster, her head buried in her knees, muttering something to herself.

“Stupid Twilight Sparkle… It’s all your fault… They laugh at me because of you. I have nowhere to go, and it’s all because of you! I hate you, stupid… Spoiled… Rich brat!”

Berry Pinch walked towards the mare, alerting her to her presence.

“Who goes the-” The pony’s eyes widened at what she saw. Approaching her, with a look of absolute lust on her face, was a creature she had seen once before, and had hoped never to see again. “A ch-ch-changeling?!”

The mare looked absolutely terrified at first, but then noticed that this changeling was different from the ones that she had seen before. In that it was smaller. Much smaller.

“D-Do you not know who I am? I am the Great and P-Powerful Trixie! It would be unwise for you to continue your approach!”

Berry Pinch didn’t listen. Or rather, she couldn’t even hear anything anymore. She was too attracted to the scent coming from the frightened mare before her, and before this ‘Trixie’ could run away, Berry Pinch’s horn shot a bright beam of green light towards her horn.

Trixie let out a quick yelp, before falling completely silent. Her eyes glowed green, as did her entire body. This continued for a full two minutes, until Berry Pinch let out a relieved sigh, and collapsed to the floor. She was caught by something, but didn’t have a chance to see what it was before she passed out.

Berry Pinch woke up in her room, staring up at the white ceiling, before turning her attention on the familiar wall paper, decorated with various teddy bears, dressed in all kinds of different outfits. In particular, she liked the builder teddy bear, though the policeman teddy bear looked pretty cool, too.

She saw her mother, Berry Punch, sitting beside her, reading a book. “Mommy?” she called out, and then put a hoof to her throat when she heard her own raspy voice.

“You’re awake?” Berry Punch asked as she turned her attention to her daughter. “Thank heavens. I was beginning to worry.” She closed her book, and offered her daughter a glass of water. “Well, it seems that congratulations are in order.”

Berry Pinch drank the water in one quick go, and then handed the glass back to her mother. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“Try to remember. I’m sure it’ll all come back to you.”

Berry Pinch thought for a moment, trying to remember her day. She went to school… No, that wasn’t it. She tried to go to school, but something stopped her… “Ah!” she said as it suddenly all came back to her. “I fed, didn’t I?” Berry Punch nodded, smiling widely at her daughter. “I fed… Off of a pony’s love…”

Berry Punch scratched the back of her head. “Well… Not exactly…”

Berry Pinch looked up at her mother with a confused look on her face. “What do you mean?”

“Hmmm… To be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself. All I know is, that mare you fed off of today… Well, she had very little love to spare. Certainly not enough for you to feed for two whole minutes.”

Berry Pinch blushed, and tried to hide her face behind her covers. “Y-You saw that?”

Berry Punch nodded, and giggled at the youngling’s embarrassment. “Hey, now. There’s no need to feel embarrassed. It’s all a natural part of life, after all… Just, try to be more careful of where you do it next time, alright?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Berry Pinch whimpered. She received a comforting hug from her mother.

“I’m not angry,” Berry Punch assured her. “The first time is never easy. I didn’t expect you to mature just yet… I thought you had at least another year left. I guess you take after your father.”

“What happened to the mare I fed off of?”

Berry Punch focused her magic, and summoned a green screen in the air, which revealed an image of the mare from earlier, sitting in a room filled with books. “I took the liberty of erasing her memory whilst she was passed out. However…”

Berry Pinch watched as a purple mare appeared on the screen, and sat down next to the blue one. They startled to nuzzle each other, and then kissed each other on the lips a few times… Berry Pinch could see their tongues connecting in-between kisses, and quickly ducked underneath the covers, her face as red as a tomato.

Berry Punch laughed at the youngling’s embarrassment, and turned off the magical screen. “It’s quite strange… Usually, a changeling feeds off of love, taking feelings of love away from somepony who had a lot of them.

“But you… You somehow fed off of somepony whose heart was filled with hatred, and now… Well, you saw what happened.”

Berry Pinch came out from her covers, looking at her mother with a look that told she had many questions. “Is… Is that even possible?”

Berry Punch shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve never heard of such a thing before… We’ll have to be careful from now on, and make sure we find out what happened, and if you’re okay.”

Berry Pinch shuddered at that last part, but nodded anyway. As the two sat together in silence for a bit, another thought crossed her mind. “So… What will happen to that mare now?”

“Hm?”

“I mean… Will she continue being like that, or will she… Revert back to her previous state?”

Berry Punch put a hoof to her chin. “… I guess… It’s up to her,” she said. “When a changeling feeds off of somepony’s love, their victim gets to experience life from a different perspective. Whether they get that love back or not depends on which of their two lives they’re happier with. It’s not uncommon for ponies to actually cling on to a life of hatred after being targeted by a changeling, though in those cases, we usually intervene to bring them back.”

“We do?” Berry Pinch asked. “Why?”

“Well, think about it. If all our sources of love stay drained, what will we do in the future? It’s our responsibility, to make sure that there is always love for us to feed off of, and that we never take too much. If we only take a little bit from multiple ponies, then it reduces the risk of ponies choosing hatred over love.”

Berry Pinch put a hoof to her head. “This is… Kinda confusing.”

Berry Punch giggled, and roughed up her daughter’s mane. “You’ll get the hang of it. Anyway, I’d imagine this ‘Trixie’ pony will have to face the same decision… The love you gave her wasn’t targeted towards that other pony in particular. That was a part of Trixie’s true feelings, awoken by the ‘gift’ you gave her.

“Does she prefer a life of love, or hatred? When the love you gave her runs out, she’ll have to choose for herself which path she goes down.” Berry Punch picked up her own glass of water and took a drink. “Of course, if what happened today happens again, you could always just give her another boost of love,” Berry Punch added with a grin after finishing her drink.

Berry Pinch looked up at her mother with a look of worry. “Mommy… What will we do, if there’s something wrong with me?”

Berry Punch reached down and hugged her daughter. “Naturally, I’ll be there for you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that you’re okay… Because you’re my daughter, and I love you, more than anything else in this whole world.”

Author's Note

A strange little idea I came up with whilst writing 'Diamond Tiara Likes Anime'. Don't quite know how far I'm going to go with this yet, but stay tuned for more updates!

Also, turns out this site doesn't have a character tag for Berry Pinch. This saddens me :(

Visit From A Relative - Part 5

“G-Grandma… what are you doing?” Berry Pinch asked, terror ringing through her voice.

“He knows about you, Pinchy dear. We cannot risk anypony knowing about what we really are. Therefore, I’m going to erase his memories.”

Berry Pinch’s eyes widened. “You can’t!” she shouted, shaking her head. “He’s known about me for a while now! If you erase his memories, he’ll-”

“That’s too bad,” Crunch Berry said. “But, it must be done. I must erase his memories, in order to protect my dear granddaughter.”

“I won’t let you!” a new voice cried out. The group was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Berry Punch, sporting both a pair of Pegasus wings, and a Unicorn’s horn. “Crunch Berry, if you want to erase this colt’s memories, then you’ll have to get past me!”

Crunch Berry grit her teeth in barely-controlled anger. “Berry dear, what do you think you’re doing?” she asked in as calm a tone as she could manage. “Not only do you endanger your own daughter’s life by allowing this colt to roam free, knowing full well that Pinchy is a changeling, but then you also defend him when I try and do what you know needs to be done?”

Berry Punch looked over her shoulder, at the trembling Pegasus colt standing behind her. “Run, Rumble! I’ll keep her at bay! You get out of here, fast!”

“Mommy…” Berry Pinch muttered, taking a step towards her mother.

“I won’t allow any friend of my daughter’s to fall under harm, and I’m certainly not going to abandon the colt that’s done so much to keep my our family’s secret.”

“Enough!” Crunch Berry shouted, drawing Berry Punch’s attention once more. “This is your last chance! Move aside now, or I will make you move!”

“RUN!” Berry Punch repeated to the colt behind her, as she charged forward, her horn alight, towards her mother.

As the two mares in front of him became engaged in a duel of magic, Rumble could only stare in awe at the display in front of him, until her felt something tugging his foreleg. He turned to see Berry Pinch, now in her usual disguise, motioning for him to follow her. “Come on! Let’s get out of here!”

Rumble nodded, but then remembered the mare lying nearby. “What about her?” he asked, pointing a hoof at Octavia.

“She’ll be fine. She’s out of the way of their duel, and her memory’s already been dealt with.”

Rumble looked over at the duelling mares one last time, and turned back to Berry Pinch and began to follow her out of the alleyway.

Crunch Berry noticed this, and attempted to run past her daughter to catch up to the two foals, only for her path to be blocked by an extended wing. “I told you, I won’t let you harm him!”

“You fool! I knew you were reckless, and insane, but to put your daughter’s safety at risk like that-”

“There’s no risk! I’ve been observing Rumble for a while now, and he’s a good kid, really! He won’t rat her out, and he won’t try to harm her!”

“Maybe not now, but one day!” Crunch Berry argued, rearing her head back and then thrusting it forward. Berry Punch mimicked the motion, and their heads butted against each other. “One day, he will betray her, and you, too! Because he’s a pony, and she’s a changeling!”

“I trust him!” Berry Punch shouted, casting a spell to make Crunch Berry back away. “He’s already done so much to help her, and even now, I don’t doubt he’ll keep our secret, even though revealing it to somepony would be his safest bet!”

Crunch Berry’s eyes widened. She hadn’t even considered that. She was so caught up in her fight with her daughter, that she hadn’t even considered that the colt would seek out somepony in this town with some power, and reveal that Berry Pinch and her family are changelings, in order to get some protection.

“MOVE ASIDE!” Crunch Berry shouted frantically. “I will not allow my granddaughter to be placed in harm’s way, just because you made the stupid decision of trusting a pony!”

“I will not!” Berry Punch responded, firmly standing her ground.

“Need I remind you of what happened the last time we fought?! This time, my daughter, you will not get away with just a burn mark!”

Berry Punch cringed, and brought a hoof to her forehead, rubbing slightly at the area just below the base of her horn.

“Fine then! I warned you, Berry Punch! Now feel the power of a changeling who has lived for over one hundred years!”

Rumble ran through the streets of Ponyville with Berry Pinch, the latter leading him by hoof, from one alleyway to the next. “Where are we going?!” Rumble shouted. “Why don’t we just lay low in a café or something? She can’t follow us in there!”

“She’s a changeling!” Berry Pinch shouted back. “She can just disguise herself as somepony in this town, erase your memories, and then flee and change her disguise again!”

“Oh… right…” Rumble noticed that he was slowing down, and listened to the ragged breaths that the filly took, and saw her starting to stumble over her own steps. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, receiving a nod from Berry Pinch.

“I’m fine… I’m just not used to running this much, that’s all…”

Rumble cringed when he could clearly hear that the filly was in pain as she spoke. He recalled their times together in Gym class… and she was definitely not the most athletic filly in the school. Energetic, yes, but low in the stamina department.

He pulled on her hoof, forcing her to stop for a second. “W-What-”

“I’m gonna go on ahead,” he told her, earning a shocked look from the filly. “I’m the only one she wants! There’s no reason you have to put yourself in danger because of me!”

Berry Pinch shook her head rapidly. “No way! You’re my friend, Rumble! And you’ve done so much for me, by keeping me secret, and helping me to ‘feed’ whenever I have those… ‘urges’…”

“But you’re clearly wearing yourself out!” Rumble said, noticing that the filly was still panting heavily.

“Well, it’s worth it, to help a friend in trouble!” Berry Pinch’s face went red, and her voice grew weaker, as she asked her next question. “Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”

Rumble own face mimicked Berry Pinch’s, and he turned his head away to answer. “Of course I would, but-”

“Then, please, let me help you, Rumble.”

“But-”

“I’ve got you now.” The two foals jumped, and quickly spun around, to see the pink mare that they had been running from, Crunch Berry, approaching them, with an enraged look on her face. “No escape now, brat.”

“Grandma, please!” Berry Pinch pleaded, but it didn’t stop the mare’s approach. “He’s my friend, grandma! He’s somepony I care for, a lot!” Rumble turned even redder, and Crunch Berry stopped to listen to Berry Pinch’s pleas some more. “He’s done so much to help me, and, we’ve had so much fun together! So please, don’t hurt him, grandma! If you do, I’ll… I’ll never, ever forgive you!”

“… Pinchy, you must understand,” Crunch Berry said, taking a few more steps forward to approach her granddaughter, “He is a pony, and you are a changeling. To them, you are nothing more than a monster, that needs to be exterminated, at any cost.”

“That’s not true!” Rumble shouted, earning a sharp glare from Crunch Berry. “I-I don’t think of her that way! S-She’s not a monster, she’s my friend! She’s somepony I care for a lot, too!”

Crunch Berry didn’t respond, but instead, continued to glare at the Pegasus colt, as she examined him for any evidence of his lies.

“Grandma, he won’t tell anypony who I am! I trust him, and I know in my heart that he won’t sell us out!”

Crunch Berry turned her attention back to her granddaughter, and knelt down to talk to her. “Pinchy, you really care for this colt so much?” she asked quietly. Berry Pinch nodded. “… You love him?” Berry Pinch didn’t respond this time, other than turning beat red and stuttering as she stared wide-eyed at her grandmother. “… Love between ponies and changelings can never be, you know?”

“… Why?” Berry Pinch found herself asking. “What’s wrong ponies and changeling living together in peace? Why can’t our two races get along, and even… l-love each other?”

Crunch Berry closed her eyes in silent meditation.

‘This filly… She knows nothing of our race’s history. A history stained in blood, and betrayal…’

“Grandma?”

Crunch Berry opened her eyes once more, and extended a forehoof to pat Berry Pinch gently on the head. “I was hoping you would never had to, but I guess it’s inevitable… One day, you will learn for yourself, why our race is forever destined to live in solitude.”

Rumble took a step back when he saw the mare rising to her hooves, and turning to face the young colt. “Now then, as for you…”

“I’m off to school!” Berry Pinch shouted cheerfully as she left the house, the sound of the door slamming shut cutting off any ‘goodbye’ from her mother.

Berry Punch winced as she applied a fresh bandage to her foreleg, which was covered in cuts and scratches. “Well, isn’t she in an energetic mood today, considering what happen yesterday?”

“She certainly takes after you,” Crunch Berry said, grinning as she watched her daughter cringing in pain. “If I recall, before you drifted over to alcoholism, you were every bit as cheerful and energetic as young Pinchy.”

“Yeah, but then you drove that out of me,” Berry Punch said, glaring at her mother. “Anyway, I’m honestly quite surprised by what happened yesterday… Why did you suddenly deicide to let him go?”

“… Do not misunderstand. If I had erased his memory back there, I fear that Pinchy may have done something drastic.”

“Drastic?”

Crunch Berry shrugged. “Love makes you do some rather stupid things. Anyway, I couldn’t take the risk… And so, I’ve put that brat on probation, for now.”

“‘Probation’?” Berry Punch asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just what is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I’ll be watching him very closely. And, if I see even the slightest hint that he’s giving away her secret, or causing her any grief at all… I will erase his memories. Sounds fair, don’t you think?”

Berry Punch scowled at her mother. “And, you don’t mind that Pinchy is in love with a pony?”

Crunch Berry didn’t have anything to say to that. Thousands of thoughts whirled through her mind, but she struggled to pick out a single one and convert it to speech. So instead, she decided to end the conversation right there and then. “Well then, to that end, I shall be staying here in Ponyville, with my family, whilst I watch over that young Pegasus brat.”

“WHAT?!” Berry Punch shouted, bring a hoof to her forehead as she groaned. “Oh man. I think I need a drink… Or several.”

“Oh, and about Pinchy’s condition…” Berry Punch raised her head, and exchanged a serious look with her mother. “It’s rather unusual, for a changeling to give love, rather than take it.”

“She’s still my little Pinchy, no matter what happens.”

“I know. But, there’s something you should know… I’ve experienced changelings like that before.” Berry Punch’s eyes widened, and she listened intently to what Crunch Berry had to say. “… They’re almost exactly like regular changelings, but there is one major difference:

“Their lifespans are much shorter than ours.”

As Rumble walked into the classroom, he noticed everypony looking at him for a second, before getting back to their conversation with each other. He figured they must have thought he was their teacher for a second, and then made his way to his seat.

On his way, he passed by Berry Pinch, who pulled away from her conversation with Archer to give him a concerned look.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly to her, though it was obvious that she didn’t believe him. “I just didn’t sleep well last night, that’s all.”

Berry Pinch wanted to say something, but Rumble had already moved past her, and took his seat farther down the classroom. Archer leaned in to ask what that was all about, but before Berry Pinch could think up an excuse, the classroom door opened again, this time for Cheerilee… and a colt that nopony in the class recognised.

“Sorry I’m late, class, but that is because, starting today, there will be a new student joining us.” Cheerilee took her seat behind her desk, and looked over at the colt that was following her.

He was slightly taller than most of the other colts in the class, and most of the fillies swooned when they got a good look at his face. His skin was a very pale white, the kind that was rare to see here in Ponyville, and he had a long blond mane and tail, that looked very well-groomed. His eyes were a deep sapphire-blue, and he had a long, sharp-pointed horn on his forehead. His Cutie Mark was a crossbow, which got Archer excited at the idea of some healthy competition.

What many of the foals noticed about him was that he was wearing clothes. A black jacket that covered the upper half of his body, four brown cowpony boots, one on each hoof.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself, Junior?”

The colt nodded, and shot a smile to the foals in front of him. “My name is Blueblood Junior, or just ‘Junior’, if you please. I have just transferred here today from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. My hobbies include archery, fencing, kendo, jujitsu, and chess.”

‘Great. A talented pretty boy,’ Rumble thought to himself as he looked around at all of the fillies offering their undivided attention. ‘That’s the one thing I was thankful to get away from when I moved from Cloudsdale.’

“And,” Junior continued, “I am a changeling hunter.”