Caring for a Changeling

by alexanderhunt88

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Changelings, Sex
Length: 40383

A kind mare cares for an angry changeling who had smashed into her house, but she sees something deeper that lies inside him.

Fruit Heart, a market-seller mare, finds her house smashed after the Canterlot invasion, and to her troubles a changeling was responsible.

Now broken and hurt; Fruit Heart finds herself looking after the angry creature, but as time goes on, can she help the changeling see what kindness can do, or will his feral instincts force her away.

And will she adapt to caring for the changeling.

New cover image by Manedblackwolf. Thank you very much, much appreciated.

Published 2013-03-13 23:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-15 13:27:52 UTC

Chapter 2: Healing a changeling

What does one do when they find a Changeling in their attic? Do they run away? Do they kill it? Do they tell the nearest guard?

No. For the case of a certain mare, it was neither of these. In her case she did something no other pony would ever think to do

Heal it.

Why? Not even she knows why.

Celestia's own sun rose up into the sky highly, ceasing the end of Luna's night, and signalling the end. The light from the burning mass didn't take long to awake the slumber of a tan-brown mare; the patio doors of her kitchen/living room offering little resistance to the light as it shone out from the garden and into her sleeping space, awaking her ungracefully. "Meh" she muttered out groggily, trying her best to avert her eyes from the sun's light, even pulling up the blanket over her head did little to dim the morning lights of the bright star. "Oh for Faust's sake!" she huffed as she pulled off the covers from her head and reluctantly pushed herself up from her lying position, rubbing her dreary eyes to get the sandmare's dust out of her eyelid's and mumbling some rather... uncouth words to herself unhappily as she pushed the blanket off her body and onto the floor.

As you can tell, Fruit Heart's not a morning pony.

The mare sat up and grudgingly pushed here body off the coach and-Coach!? That wasn't there before She thought to herself. But it was there before. It always had been. "Oh yeah" she realised as to why her coach was in her bedroom; or, to be correct, why she was sleeping on the coach. She allowed a smile to slightly appear when she noted of how dumb she acted now. "Oh yeah" she repeated, now allowing a frown to appear on her face as to WHY she was sleeping down on her old coach instead of her warm bed.

"Him" she said out loud, eyeing her stairs as her face distorted into a small anger. Her mind remembering what had happened earlier that night; making it the second worst day she had ever experienced.

She remembered it all.

The mare walked towards the creature cautiously, vigilant in case it was faking it's unconsciousness. She stood beside it to get full look on it, the light from the candlewick giving off enough for her eyes to see. It's left eye bleeding badly, and it's broken so twisted she wondered if it would ever work again.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" she repeated quickly, unsure of how she should react. She paced back and forth in her attic, her mind stuck on one thought.

"No" she said sternly as she stopped pacing about. "He wouldn't want to me worry, he would me want to act". And her gaze fell on the silent creature "But how do I act to this?" she asked to nopony as she walked to check on the changeling. "Hello" she called out.

No answer.

"I guess you really are knocked out" she mused as she prepped her hooves over and under the changeling, prepared to lift it up. Fruit Heart barely strained to lift the black creature over her body and placed it over her back, "it seems you aren't as heavy as you appear" she smirked as she carried the changeling out the attic and down the ladders; making her way into the bedroom, and preceded to gently drop it onto the bed.

At this, Fruit Heart left the dark creature and made her way into the bathroom, fishing out supplies from the cabinet, and came back with bandages, plasters and other miscellaneous items of medical use, eyeing the changeling as she prepared to help it. "Your'e lucky" she announced to the still unconscious creature "that he would have helped you helped you out. If it wasn't for him, you'd be down in the Canterlot dungeons with nothing but you own blood to keep the company. If he didn't tell me to always know the intentions of a pony before you label him a monster- even if you aren't one- then Celestia's knows what I would have done." And she ended this by unfolding out a bandage, ready to be use.

"Oh yeah" she said as she made her into the kitchens fridge and pulled out a carton of milk, pouring it into a cup conveniently left on the counter. Greedily drinking it all up in one go as she pondered onto what happened next. "At least I've trained a bit on medicinal practice" she murmured with a small smirk as she thought on.

Fruit Heart managed to make quick work of bandaging up the changeling; she added splints to it's broken hoof as she wrapped it firmly around it, making sure they were no loose bits. She taped an eye pad to it's cut eye, not wanting to check if it could see with this large a cut. Guilt stopped her doing so, After this she preceded to bandage around the ripped-off area that was it's left wing, the wing itself nothing more than a tiny pathetic stump of an buggy appendage. She lastly ended the healing by wiping away the last of the dried blood with a damp cloth.

After admiring her, she deliberated on what to do next. Her gaze shifted around the room until she looked at a bunch of old large cardboard boxes stacked along the walls, no indication on what they hold. Only she know what was inside. She trotted to the boxes and lifted down the one box on top of the two.

"Please don't hate me for using your rope" she said out loud in an almost sad tone as she opened up one of the other boxes, bringing out a length of rope before closing the box back up and lifting the other box back in place. After this she walked towards her bed and tied one end to the end of the bedpost, and the other end to the tied firmly to one of the unconscious changelings back hooves, making sure it wouldn't come undone by accident. To note, it was during this time Fruit Heart found out the "it" was a "he", and not in the way she would have wanted to know.

"I'm sorry" she said towards the creature, "but there is no other option" and turned her head to look out the window "we both now that."

"I'm sorry" Fruit Heart said under her breathe, a tear forming in her eye "I know he may be the bad guy but..." she then wiped off the tears from her eyes and continued on "you taught me to always understand somepony, to always hear them out, to always listen rather than dismiss them. And because of this!" She slammed her cup down hard on the counter "I will need to understand him before I do something that I may regret." Fruit Heart's heart filled with unbridled pride; she felt like she could take the world on.

But for now, she had to take a changeling on. Knowing this, the mare placed the milk carton back into the fridge and walked up her stairs, head held high, ready to face the changeling.

And she was not happy.

Fruit Heart stopped moving when she realised she was outside her bedroom door. Closed, of course. Fruit Heart inhaled deeply and walked in, her eyes narrowed to be ready for anything. Inside, Fruit Heart saw that the creature was not lying down in th-her bed, but covered up in the middle of the sheets was the changeling, his whole body squirming around. "You awake, it seems" she said, getting the attention of him. Immediately hearing this the dark creature stopped and startled growling. The changeling flew off the covers of the bed and narrowed his eyes towards the source of the voice, his body positioned as if he was about to lunge at her.

"How are you holding up" she asked nonchalantly, as if she was not talking to a snarling creature that feeds off love, but to a regular pony. The changeling only responded by jumping straight at her; hooves held outwards as if ready to grab, mouth agape ready to bite down on her his body poised out int he air, ready to take her down in one fell-

-and fell face first into the floor, halfway between her and the bed.

The changeling got out from his daze quickly and looked backwards, seeing, as if not knowing, that he was tied down with rope, the thing that stopped him from attacking the helpless mare. His attention now turned to the rope, and furiously started biting and chewing down on it ti free him form the chain.

"You can't bite through the rope" she stated, now getting back the changelings attention. "It's magicked rope. It's just as strong as iron, so you will have no look getting out of that." she finished matter-of-factly. He, however, didn't even seem to listen, as he swiped at the air in front of Fruit Heart, hoping to at lest once hit her.

"What's your name" she said flatly, her face stern and void of emotion. The changeling did seem to hear her this time, as he stopped swiping at her, his body still positioned as if to attack at any time.

"You do have a name, right?" The changeling's body was now more relaxed, and was no longer snarling at her, his mouth closed. "What is it?" she tried to get him to say, but he said nothing in return.

"WHY are you in my house?" Still no answer "oh this is getting me nowhere" she said out loud, annoyed about his silence. He remained that way, and it made Fruit Heart think, if not believe, that he couldn't even talk. She never heard any of them speak during the invasion; all they did was snarl and capture (something she wished to never speak of again) and this one gave no signs of not being a mute.

"Can you understand what i'm saying" she said slowly to him. This time, now, he responded, nodding his head. "Ok good" she breathed a sigh of relief. "At least now i'm getting somewhere. Now, why are you in my house? Why did you come here, and did you break my window." And he only responded by flicking his tongue at her.

"What the-OI,you did that on purpose!" Fruit Heart was sure she had seem him smirk afterwards. Sighing under her breathe, she now thought on what she should ask the mute changeling. "I know, are you hungry?" She perked up at this, and so did the changeling, who nodded quite furiously at that remark. "Good, than i'll get you some soup" and she left, closing the door behind as she made her way downstairs, leaving the changeling on his own.

Turning away, he looked around the room; nothing more than a bed,dresser, closet, and a pile of old boxes. Looking back at the door, the creature was wondering something that was stuck on his mind since he first saw her:

Was she the one who healed me?

Fruit Heart was busy cooking soup in her kitchen, her mind set on making it. After all, she she was hungry too. (So would you be if you forgot breakfast) And soup seemed like a good thing to eat now, or at least to her it did. Two bowls were set aside as she finished her dish, it now cooked nice and tasty. She poured half of the soup into the nearest bowl and placed on a tray, holding it in her mouth as she walked off.

Before she even walked out of the kitchen, she stopped to take a glance at picture frame on the end of the counter, frowning slightly as eyes washed over the picture; a photograph of two pegasi, with young filly under them both. This is all for you.

Shaking her head (and spilling some soup on the floor as she did so) she carried on, walking up the stairs and into the bedroom, where a changeling awaited her, not even appeared to move from his spot when she left. "Um...excuse me?" she said as she saw the changeling was still trying to bite off the rope.

Taking notice, the changeling stopped and and looked at her with his one eye. Staring at her quizzically as his nose caught the scent of the soup. Fruit Heart laid the tray down and slid it towards him, she was making sure she wasn't within reach of him. "It's cream of tomato" she stated. He sniffed at it cautiously, not knowing what cream of tomato actually is, then licked it, then started lapping at it lick a dog.

"I forgot a spoon, didn't I" she laughed, finally happy to see that the changeling is now, as she would think, starting to like her. "I'm going downstairs for my own bowl, you OK here?" She announced and got the attention of him, a grin appearing on his face as he went back to lapping at the soup happily, and left the room. Content on now thinking she has made friends with him.

As she passed the kitchen, her eyes once again gazed at the picture on the counter. Fruit Heart picked it up and looked down it slowly, her eyes mostly transfixed on one of the pegasi: an alabaster stallion in full guard armor. I'm finally making you proud, ain't I? She smiled to herself as she poured the rest of the soup into her bowl, and downed it down I just wished I could have made you proud when I could see you she thought to herself as she continued eating her soup, tears falling down her face as kept on eating.

Soup couldn't fix her problems. She wished it did.

Chapter 3: Cleaning a changeling

Celestia's burning star was at it's highest as it can be in the sky overlooking Canterlot; signalling the time was now midday. Inside the room of a certain house, a certain brown earth pony mare was finishing up the last of her soup, casually leaning on the back of her chair, letting out a small burp of content.

"Pardon" she sighed happily with a big grin splashed full across her face as she plonked the bowl down on the side of the counter. "That was nice". Her stomach now full with (tomato) soup, Fruit Heart got reminded of the other bowl of soup that she made, the other bowl that was made for her prisoner. "Must have finished it by now" she pondered loud, and then moved off of her chair and made her way across the room and to the stairs.

"You finished?" She called out in hope. And once again; no answer. "Still not talking" she murmured to herself, as she climbed the stairs, turning the corner and stopping short of the room where the captured creature now, apparently, resided. Calmly, she knocked twice on the door as she asked "Can I come in?" Fruit Heart heard a small *grunt* from the other side of the closed door, which she believed to be a sign for 'yes'. Fruit Heart, in a slow fashion, opened the door to the room.

As she opened the door and looked inside, she got a jolt of surprise. Rather than be face-to-face with a still angry, changeling (as what she had suspected to happen) she instead saw, when the door opened enough to allow her to properly see, the changeling peering out of the window. It was sat down on the middle of the floor, staring at the pane of transparent material on the wall as if deep in thought, like his mind was far away from Canterlot but his body lay still. He was calm. Oddly calm.

As the door creaked on it's hinges the black creature turned his head and looked Fruit Heart dead in the eyes, but did not budge an inch otherwise. He said nothing back, and his face hadn't changed either. Strangely, the mare was more frightened of him now then she was earlier; no longer snarling and angry, instead being calm and near-mysterious. She in no way liked to see him like this. He was quiet. Too quiet.

"Umm...hello?" she said meekly, trying to, but failing, to start up a conversation, only to be rewarded by a harsh humph form the creature. Trying to divert her eyes from the changeling's creepy stare. Spying around, she saw the bowl of soup on the floor, somehow finding itself on the other side of the room. Preceding to walk towards the bowl, her gaze half-staring at the hurt changeling from across the side of the room, she discovered the contents of the bowl were now empty. Fruit Heart couldn't help but suppress a giggle, as her mind was thinking back to when she saw him lapping at the soup like a tamed dog. A fine image indeed.

"Good, no?" she asked between her giggles, only to receive an simple grunt from the changeling, who was still sitting down in the middle of the floor. Sighing slightly, Fruit Heart lifted the tray, with the bowl still situated on it, using her mouth and turned around, heading out the door and closed it as she made her way down the stairs, leaving him once again to himself. Staring back at the window, he let his mind wander:

How long? How long will I have to stay here? I no longer have a feeling on one of my wings, my hoof appears to be broken, I may be left with only one eye and I'm being held as a prisoner by a stupid pony. Our invasion failed. They're probably all died. And our queen hath forsaken us. No, she is died too, I can bet.

How much more pain do I have to take? It's bad enough that I have to be a capture to an annoying piece of food, and now she's being nice to me! Why?

What is with her? Is she nice to me because she want's something out of me? No, I shalt not allow it. That can be the only reason, it hath to be!

Can it?

No sooner had he finished asking that question had Fruit Heart returned into the room, awaking him abruptly from his inside conflict as she enthusiastically pushed open the bedroom door. Eyeing her, he saw she was carrying something new in her mouth. He was unsure what it was; to him, it appeared to be a small box with a red cross.

To the mare, on the other hoof, it was a nursing box. Laying it gently on the floor, the changeling watched defensively as the mare opened her box, and pulled a fresh roll of bandages and laying it by her side. "Here" she said as she offered out her hoof "Come near me. I want to check your body." Hearing the last sentence, the changeling recoiled backwards until he hit the side of the bed, his ears splashed as close to his head as possible as his eyes reared back in fear. She wants me! He thought. She wants my body to-

"Please."

....What?

"Please." The mare repeated, her tone worried. "I'm do not want to hurt you. I just want to check you wounds. I won't hurt you, I promise" she called out she made her towards him. Hearing a pleads, he, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, even to himself, couldn't help but feel slightly trusted towards her. He could tell she was not lying. He was a changeling after all. If anyling knew about lies, it would be him.

Despite still being cautious towards his capture, he tentatively offered back his own hole-filled non-bandaged hoof. "Thank you" the earth pony said as her smile quickly returned to her face "but that's the wrong hoof. I need you other one." Putting his hoof back down, he looked to his wrapped hoof. "I'm not going to hurt it. I just want to put a fresh set of bandages on them." Looking back at the mare, the changeling saw the sincerity in her eyes, and thus offered out his other hoof.

"Thanks" she said as she grabbed his hoof and started to unwrap it, pulling out the splints when she made contact to his fresh skin underneath. Inspecting it, she placed his hoof down and turned around, not even bothering to push the old bandages aside. "Wait here, please." she said called as she left the room, only to appear shortly after sporting a bucket in her mouth and sliding a large, near pony-sized tray along the floor. The tray itself had larger sides then that of a normal tray; more like a small tub, and had a sponge placed inside. As the mare placed the bucket down, the changeling saw it was filled with water; warm water, as small trickles of steam seared out of the hot liquid.

Fruit Heart slid her tray across the room, making sure it stopped just in front of where the changeling was seated. Curiously, he inspected the tray, and after seeing nothing odd with it, turned his eyes towards the mare, who had now dropped the bucket to her side and was holding the sponge in her hoof. "Can you step in, please" she urged, unable to meet his gaze. "Sorry about this, but" she continued as she bashfully rubbed the back of her head "as I placed your empty bowl downstairs earlier, I thought about how I never" she gulped "properly cleaned you when I was healing you yesterday, so..." she trailed off as she held her hoof out towards him; the one that was holding a sponge. "And seeing as you probably never had a bath in a while" her voice appeared very weak "I thought that maybe, after I checked your wounds I could" Fruit Heart clenched her eyes as she forced out the last sentence "wash-you" she finished quickly.

She waited. Waited for a reaction. Waited for him to reply in some way. A yes. A no. A laugh. Anything. But nothing. No answer. Very slowly, Fruit Heart perked open one of her eyes, but rather than seeing.... anything different, she instead saw the changeling doing.... absolutely nothing. He just stared at her, waiting for her to do something else. "Umm...is that a yes, then?" She asked half-hopeful. In response, he stepped inside the tub: and then continued to stare at Fruit Heart. He did nothing else, as he knew what she wanted to do. He was still defensive, but perhaps he understood her now. Or at least, that's what Fruit Heart thought.

Fruit Heart walked over to the still changeling, grabbing the bucket along the way as she made her way towards him. As she got within washing distance she dropped the bucket carefully down and dunked her sponge in, taking it out and squeezing then dunking it back in, making sure she got it as damp as she could. As Fruit Heart was about to clean him, she stopped when she realized something. "Hold on" she said as pointed towards the changeling's other bandage; the one that was wrapped around his wing "I need to take this off" she announced as she did just so, dropping the sponge in the tub. The changeling peered round to see Fruit Heart take off his other bandage, not an easy feat with one eye still wrapped up, and whimpered quietly when the mare finished with unwrapping the last of the bandage; as he saw his left wing was missing, in it's place was nothing more than a stump of it's former self, barely an inch or two long.

Fruit Heart looked back at him when she threw away the bandage across the room, and frowned when she saw his face was left with sadness. It's eyes staring at the wing in hope that this will make the wing grow back to the former glory that it once was. "Sorry" Fruit Heart said suddenly "That's what it was like when I found you. I managed to wrapped it up as best I can...but" Fruit Heart found the rest of the words were stuck in her throat as if they didn't want to be said "I don't know..what will happen to them now..." she trailed off as she looked down and picked up the sponge, keeping her eyes affixed at the wet object. "I can't take back" she started "what happened to you then but" Fruit Heart then smiled slightly as she looked up to meet the creature's gaze "I can help you know, which really does matter, in truth, yes?" He did not answer, and Fruit Heart knew that he wouldn't answer, seeing as both he did not talk and she was asking a rhetorical question. When the changeling turned his head forwards to as to no longer look at her, Fruit Heart could have swore that a tiny, incredibly small, yet present, smile had appeared on his face just both it left out of her sight.

Seeing that made the mare's smile turn from a small lip seal into a big grin, filling her heart with a sense of accomplishment and warmth. In a happy tune in her ears, Fruit Heart then splashed the sponge on the changeling's back, but recoiled back when he tensed up as he felt the comfortingly warm water hit his back, but relaxed almost instantly when it wrapped around his back like a cover of a warm blanket on a cold Hearth's Warming eve. When she was sure he was ready to be properly cleaned from her, Fruit Heart continued to clean him, doing long round strokes all around his body, hooves and what she could call his mane and tail. She made sure she didn't clean his wing with the sponge; not wanting to see the poor lonely wing get damp and limp. She knew about changeling anatomy as much the next pony, but she didn't want to take the risk off wetting his wing and making the changeling be even more disappointed from having a wing that was too limp to work. She knew better than that.

Fruit Heart did a wash and repeat all over the changeling body, and it wasn't long before she found she was humming a rather cheerful tune as she used her sponge to clean the changeling's body. As she washed him she made sure to steer clear of his eyes; she hadn't removed the bandage over his left eye. She knew about this and she did not want to remove it. She told him there was no need to remove it, as it does not need to be cleaned out, but in truth, she didn't feel like she had the heart to remove it and take the chance that he was blind in that eye forever. She hadn't understood why she felt bad, but she just ticked it off as feeling bad for him. (That and the water had liquid soup in it). She also made sure to clean around the rope still attached to his back hoof, unable to clean underneath it as it was too strongly knotted to move.

Not long later Fruit Heart was done with the washing of the changeling and stood back a few steps, admiring her work. His was most definitely cleaner now, in fact, his back chitin appeared to be sparkling. (Well chitin IS smooth after all). The mare smirked as she admired her work. "I think you're nearly squeakily clean" she joked to, trying to silicate at least a chuckle from the unnerving creature, but to no avail. Sighing, Fruit Heart announced "Wait here, I need to get the towels" and left the room forthwith. Sighing to himself, the changeling stepped out of the shallow tub and shook himself off like a dog, managing to wet his surroundings from the stray flying droplets. "You're really are like a dog, aren't you?" a voice joked, making the changeling turn his head suddenly and see the pony staring at him from the open doorway. She had a rather peculiar smile draped across her face.

As Fruit Heart stepped into the room towards the changeling he saw she was caring a large towel over her back. As she stopped beside the un-moving creature she preceded to wrap the towel around him and dried him off. "First you lap at soup" she started "then you shake your water off your fur- I mean....body" she struggled to say "If you start panting your tongue I'm going to have to start calling you 'Fido'" she joked again. Hoping to see him smile for a second time today. Sadly, as she expected, his face never changed, aside form the fact that his eyes burrowed down slightly. "I was kidding!" the mare said defensively, pouting. Less than a minute later of drying she realized he was dry.

"Done!" she said enthusiastically. "Don't worry about your hoof so much" she said as she was rubbing the back of her head bashfully "It wasn't broken at all." This caught the immediate attention of him, looking at her patiently to await her further announcement. "It was just....twisted that way on purpose." She chuckled sheepishly. "However!" she said suddenly "You're wing and eye are not so well, I think" her smile fading into a face of sadness "I'm not a trained doctor or nurse, so I can't help you with any serious problems like that." The changelings head hung downwards in defeat. "Sorry" she said unhappily, almost regretting that she had told to him everything at all.

Looking around, trying to think of something else to say so the awkward tension lingering in the air was cut, Fruit Heart noticed the bunch of random equipment and objects scattered across the floor. "Well I better clean this up" she announced as picked up the the tub, empty bucket, old bandages and other pieces of earlier used stuff, and walked out of the door, carrying the miscellaneous objects over her back and between her teeth. She walked out the room in out the room, mumbling "sorry" as left the room.

"Thank you."

"What!" Fruit Heart said suddenly as she turned her whole body round to meet the origin of the noise, being greeted by only the changeling, who had his head turned away from her. Smiling, the mare walked, a spring ever-present in her step as she donned the biggest grin she had ever grinned.

"I did it!" Fruit Heart shouted between her teeth, skipping down the stairs of her house. "I did it" she repeated in a much calmer tone. "I did it."

Chapter 4: Disbelief of a changeling

"I did it! I did it!" Fruit Heart continuously repeated in an overly cheerful manner, all her equipment and objects bobbing up and down, clanging against each as they rested on her back and held in between her teeth as she skipped down the stairs of her home. Not too long ago; she listened, she heard a mute, cruel creature, one who just a few days ago was attacking the capital of Equestria with one hundred or so other identical monsters for the sake of conquering the city and stealing the love of all its inhabitants, seemingly thanked her for washing him.

This gave the mare a new found literal skip in her step; hearing a dark and hated creature praise her for doing something most any other pony can do. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her mind still in thought of the changeling who her thanked her, she immediately stopped in her tracks from shock as her brain just realized something, the swift pausing of her body caused all the items she was carrying to involuntary fall off her back and clatter to the ground in a helpless pile of stuff, when an abrupt question popped-up in her head:

Why do I care?

She pondered on this question, ignoring everything else around her as if they didn't matter. Why did she care? She shouldn't. He is the enemy. He was part of the invasion that caused wide-spread fear and panic all around the city of Canterlot. He smashed into her house through her window, made himself a home in her attic and tried to scare her out of her own house. If he is found by the guards of Canterlot who knows what would happen. Would they banish him back to the badlands like the rest of his brethren? Would he be held prisoner and have to rot in jail for the rest of his life? Would they execute him?

For some reason, the last question made Fruit Heart mentally shudder at that thought. The thought of him being executed, killed to show the point of what happens when you face the ponies of Equestria, scared Fruit Heart to death. She couldn't stand the thought of him dying for such a unjustifiable cause. Or at least, it seemed unjustifiable to her. He never did anypony any harm. Well, OK, he did try to steal the love of other ponies, but there's isn't any true harm in that, is there?

Is there?

The pony was abruptly taken out of her thinking by the sound of hoof-on-wood banging. As she shook her head and brushed off her rather...unhappy thoughts from her mind, she eyed the source of the noise.

"Heart, you there?" Asked a voice from outside said pony's front door. "Your deliveries are here" the voice announced. The mare now knew who it was, and preceded to trot over and open the door for him.

If only life was so simple.

Taking only one step forward, Fruit Heart accidentally placed her hoof on the still-wet sponge, as she had not yet noticed she dropped all her equipment and the like on the floor before it was too late, and as such; she tripped and slid on the sponge, falling forwards and hitting the floor face-first with a characteristic *crack* as she hit the ground.

"Is that you in there Heart? I heard something, can you please open this door, I'm on a busy schedule." The unknown voice asked in an impatient tone.

"I'm coming I'm coming!" She huffed as she pushed herself off the floor, rubbing her nose. "Second time this bleeding week!" She whispered to herself in a low tone as she trotted over to the door. Opening it, and rather than meeting the eyes of the pony the voice belonged to, she got a face full of green flank!

"Ahem!" she coughed loudly into her hoof, no longer wanting a green plot stare at her own face. "Hmm" said the voice in an unexpected tone. "Oh good you are here." The pony said as he turned his head round to see her. Fruit Heart instantly recognized him as Box Shipper, the goods delivery pegasus stallion. He is quickly noticed by his brown colored mane and tail, both of which have an odd white streak running straight down the middle, and his simple cutie-mark, consisting of three boxes stacked atop each other. Two boxes were stacked behind, or rather in front, of him.

"Yes I'm here." Fruit Heart announced in a unpleasant tone. "And so's your damn ass!"

"Oh, sorry," he apologized as he turned his own body round to meet her, "the shipping company is having a bit of a panic. What with the invasion stuff an' all, if you haven't noticed."

"I've noticed." The mare replied as she pointed her hoof towards her broken window, resting her own body casualy on the door frame.

"What the Tartarus happened here?" He asked surprisingly, leaving his jaw agape wide enough for everypony around to see inside his mouth.

"What do you think happened?" Fruit Heart rejected as she closed his mouth with her hoof. "They happened." Putting emphasis on her words to relate to the black creatures that attacked the city not too long ago, one of which is still roped up in her bedroom.

Oh yeah, there's still him to deal with. I hope he's OK up there, after all, he is all alone, by himself, no pony else with him.....probably unhappy

"Fruit Heart. You still here?" Box Shipper asked in a concerned way, as he observed her being lost in a sudden, unprovoked thought.

"What?" Fruit Heart said as she snapped out of her own mind, looking back at him with wide eyes. "Do you want something?" She asked in a low, oddly quiet tone.

"Your...delivery...." The stallion replied, confused by her sudden change in voice.

"Oh yes, come in." She ushered briskly with her hoof, shuffling off her door frame and moving inwards into her own house, allowing him access into her home.

"Ah good." He smiled, and at that he turn round and moved behind the two boxes out of sight. "Watch out!" He suddenly announced as the boxes were lifted up and slightly and moved forwards slowly through the mare's open door. Turning the boxes to his left, Fruit Heart watched Box Shipper plant the boxes down on the ground and into the free space in her front room, pulling back the stack truck from under the crates (the tool he used to lift them), a sight she has seen countless times in her life.

"Well then," the stallion started as he let go of his stack truck "sorry about this, but work is work," pausing as he gave off a smirk, "and work waits for no mare. Even after a invasion from Tartarus." He finished as held out a clipboard with a pen attached to to the side.

"Please sign-"

"I know I know" Fruit Heart sighed as she uninterrupted him, taking the pen with her hoof and signing her name on the corrected spot for the umpteenth time of her life. "Can't believe I still have to go to work tomorrow." She mused out load as she finished writing her name down on the paper.

"Don't blame me, blame the system." Box Shipper stated as Fruit Heart handed him back his clipboard. "Well then, I shall now bid you ad-"

*Stomp!*

Box Shipper stopped as he heard a noise come from upstairs. While to him, it was nothing more than a random noise, but to Fruit Heart, she knew what it was. And she was scared out of her skull.

"Hey Fruit Heart?" The stallion started. "What was tha-"

*Stomp!*

"Ummmm do you have guests?" He asked quizzically, unsure of what was making that noise.

Another *Stomp!*

While Box Shipper had focused his attention to the sounds coming from above, he hadn't noticed Fruit Heart's breathing become more rapid and deep. Her body frozen from fear and uncertainty.

Oh no! I completely forgot about him! If he finds out about the changeling in my bedroom, he would go to the guards! What do I do? What do I say? How do I stop him from-

He's gone. Just as Fruit Heart was able to recover from her shock, she became conscious of that Box Shipper was gone. Did he leave already? The mare mused hopefully.

Nope.

"Is somepony up there?" Called out a male voice from behind the mare, and said mare swiped her head round to see Box Shipper over by the stairs, already starting to make his way upstairs.

"Nonononono!" Fruit Heart whispered out quickly. "Notgoodnotgoodnotgood! What do I do know!" Her mind freaking out madder than Discord himself, going at 1000 words a minute. Her eyes flickered left to right frantically in hopes of finding something, anything, that could stop him, until her eyes rested on an appliance that lay lazily atop the kitchen counter, an object she reluctantly wanted to use, but felt she had too.

Not once did she think of just asking Box Shipper to simply stop.

Meanwhile upstairs

*Stomp!* The repetitive noise sounded again, caused by jumping of a certain changeling. Unbeknownst to the stallion downstairs, though known to the mare, the stomps were caused by the changeling himself. What she didn't know, or even think about, was why: he was trying to fly.

Every continuous stomp was caused by the changeling jumping off the bed and onto the floor. Each time, he tried to flap, or rather buzz, his lone wing, each time with hopes that he could fly again. Sadly, his dreams were being cracked with each try, and was more and more likely to shatter with next useless jump.

Blasted, he berated to himself as he landed down on his hooves after another fruitless attempt at flight, if only...

However, the changeling was cut short of trying again when he heard a voice call out from outside the door, the source coming from the hallway of the mare's house.

"Hello. Somepony here?"

Who is that? That doth not sound like the pony that holds me. It can only mean- he gulped in discomfort another! That harlot, she has set upon me a guardspony of this city! She must hath only bathed and fed me to let my guard down, so as not to rise suspicion and be ready to attack back, hence these chains that hold me. That wench!

But then, why did she act like she indeed cared about me? If one was to hold an enemy of the land, why would one go for the time of healing? It seemed more like she wanted to help me rather than hinder me. But that doesn't make sense, doth it...? He pondered, his mind creating two completely different conflicts that would both settle on only the defeat of the other.

Meanwhile, in the corridor of the upstairs of the house

The stallion was walking down the corridor, his head low and his senses sharp, his ears peeking up and standing on attention, trying their best to listen to the origin of the noises heard not too long ago. His eyes on alert to find anything suspicious and out of place.

"Look, I'm a friend of the mare who lives here, I'm not going to hurt you. Please."

A friend? Such a useless lie. The changeling thought as he heard the stallion clearly, even behind the closed door. They cannot fool me. I'm a proud and stoic warrior of my race, even with me being a prisoner. But, if he knows I'm chained up by uncuttable rope, why is he asking these questions? Surely, that pony must hath told thy guard I'm roped. Even she cannot be that redundantly thick.

And yet, why am I feeling very little doubt in her abilities? Could she be telling no lies. Could I be.....wrong about her?

"Are you in there?" Box Shipper called out from behind his chosen door; the door of changeling's (now-living) space, looking at it tentatively, as he believed that he find where the source of the stomping was.

What he didn't notice, however, was a rather peculiar looking earth-pony of the female persuasion sidestepping her way up the stairs, her mouth holding a very nervous smile, her forehead sweating buckets of fear, and her left forehoof curiously out of sight from any pony looking at her from the front, as she was hiding a frying pan behind her back!

Please don't let me use this She thought out of sadness from what she might have to do!

Back in the bedroom

The changeling was unsure of what to do know. He was trapped, chained up and bruised. He, at this moment, could only do one thing, the thing that makes a changeling what they are, who they are; their power of illusions. He knew this, and thus as on basic instinct, he quickly tried to change his appearance, he needed to hide, and this was his only way of doing so. Lighting his horn briefly, his horn glowing an eerie flicker of green flame, he concentrated on trying to change his appearance as he imagined a body morphing into something new.

Sadly, just after a second of concentrating, he snapped, yelping out in minor pain as his mind, and his horn, was suddenly void of any imagined mass.

No! I'm still too weak! I can't seem to change! Am I still too hurt to try to change? Although I didn't attempt to change my appearance till now, I didn't think that I couldn't even be able to do something so simple as to look different. I hath to concentrate. Hath to not give. I'm a feared enemy of all creature's my brothers had encountered before, surely I can do this. Hath to try again. I may not be able to fly:

But I hath to be able to change.

"Are you OK? I heard a noise. Look, I'm coming in." The voice stated, sending a nervous chill down the black creatures spine.

Oh no! No time, it's now or never! His mind rushed as prepared to again try change, his horn glowing anew as he concentrated hard on trying to transform again, his body shaking as flickers and sparks of the iconic green aura came into light, his quaking chest and hooves searing with pain.

He was weak. He lacked energy, but his body cannot falter. Not now.

In the hallway again

"Wait, stop." Called out an agitated looking Fruit Heart, who was trotted down the corridor to meet Box Shipper (a task proven difficult with only 3 hooves.) "Don't go in there."

"Why?" Asked Box Shipper, who rested one hoof on the bedroom door. "There's somepony in there. I can tell." He said as a look of disbelief was slashed across his face.

"Well, for a start, you trespassing in my house, and I could get you arrested for that." She stated in an oddly smug way as she stopped moving just a short distance from the pegasus stallion, trying her best to not reveal the truth to him.

"Fruit, we both know that's not true." He shook his head at her statement, his curiosity of wanting to know whats behind the door ever-increasing. "Now tell me, who is behind this door? I know you're hiding something from me."

"Second, that''s my bedroom, and I wish that you have the decency to respect my privacy." She stated again, as if acting like she hadn't heard Box Shipper's question, but her expression became more perturbed by each passing second.

"That just makes me more curious, you know" Box Shipper replied in a complacent tone, not seeing, however, a bizarre green light suddenly appear then vanish from under the door frame. Neither pony saw it happen, as they were both too focused on each other too notice it.

"Come now Fruit Heart, you know I won't tell a soul about any... sordid secrets that you may have." He teased as he initiated his hoof to push open the door.

She was stuck. She wanted to point at him to stop, hoping that would grab his attention, but could not, as doing so would show said stallion her frying pan, of fall over face-first due to lack of balance. She had only one choice left.

With Box Shipper too busy opening the door, the mare raised her appliance over her-head and posed as if ready to strike it flat on his head! Sorry Shipper she mentally thought in sadness But you leave me no choice.I hope you can forgive me.

Many things can happen in a split second. Misunderstanding can occur, accidents can happen, and mistakes can be made. Or, just maybe, everything can become clear, whether by truth or lies.

Box Shipper, unaware that the mare that stood beside him was about to attack him with a blunt instrument, opened the door to the room. When the doors fully opened, the stallions eyes widened and jaw opened in shock as if just witnessing something he never expected to see. Fruit Heart knew what he had just seen and she had no more time to react and as such preceded to knock out the unsuspecting stallion rearing the pan back over her head in a reluctant manner.

Sorry

"Hey Fruit Heart?" Box Shipping asked suddenly. "Who's he?" he said as he swiveled his head around to face the mare, only to see a metal pan stop just an inch away from his face.

"Huh?" Fruit Heart blinked as her body froze up in still position, completely taken aback from the stallion's question. Out of all the things she expected him to do, asking her a simple question was not one of them.

"Umm Fruit Heart, you 'K?" Box Shipper queried. "And why is there a frying pan next to my face?"

As Fruit Heart was able to regain consciousnesses of her surroundings, she immediately pulled back the pan in surprise. "Oh yes yes fine thank you very much," she replied quickly with a sheepish smile, "you just had a bug on your head, that's all." And nervously chuckled at the end.

"O...K..." Box Shipper said slowly, oblivious to what was about to happen to him. "So then who is he?" He repeated as he pointed to the 'he' in the room.

Remembering who 'he' was supposed to be, Fruit Heart suddenly dropped the pan rushed to the door, nearly pushing the stallion out of the way as he looked at the changeling that was supposed to be tied up in her room was replaced with a different pony altogether. In his place was a black unicorn stallion sitting at the front of the bed, staring at Fruit Heart without a single sign of emotion. Strangely, his mane was just as black as his coat, and appeared to be very short, as if just cut recently. Another off piece about him was that his left eye was closed, and a noticeable, very similiar scar was gashed across it. His right eye, however, was coloured of a normal light teal. What Box Shipper didn't notice was that his flank lacked a certain cutie-mark, though said pegasus didn't seem to look there, and neither did he see the rope he was still tied too, as it was hid plain out of sight.

"Oh him?" Fruit Heart said in disbelief, before sprinting off towards the unicorn, spinning around quickly just before she made contact with him and sat beside him, placing a hoof around his neck in a friendly way. "This is my new friend, uhhh." She stuttered out, unable to think of a name for her new 'friend'.

"Scarface." She finished when she hot the idea from his eyes, and they looked back in dislike for their owners new 'name'.

"Well then," Box Shipper started as he made his way towards the new unicorn, "glad to meet yer' Scarface" and ended by grabbing and shaking 'Scarface's' hoof with his own. "Any friend of Fruit is a friend of Box" He stated as if it was a rule. "How long have you two met, hadn't seem him before?" He asked the unicorn, but got no answer in return.

"Oh just a few days ago." Fruit Heart finished, knowing fully well that he was not going to answer back. "Hold on, didn't you say you were busy today?" She said to the pegasus in an almost accusing manner.

"Oh yes right," Box Shipper said hastily, "well, see ya again Fruit Heart, and nice meeting you Scarface." And at that making his out the room, and eliciting a sigh from the mare. "And one more thing Fruit Heart?" Asked all of a sudden as he stopped just before being out of sight of the two other ponies. "You don't need to hide you coltfriend from me." He smirked as he left immediately without ushering out another word.

Fruit Heart stuttered in disbelief in those words: Never would she have thought that anypony would have called him that. (Then again, she didn't think that anypony would have met him) For some unknown reason, she found herself blushed redder than the ripest tomato in the finest market in Canterlot. Believe it to be out of embarrassment, the mare jumped away from the unicorn and ran to the door, peering out before yelling "He's not my coltfriend!"

Fruit Heart could have sworn she heard a laugh elicit from downstairs, and not a second later she heard the door shut, signalling the annoying pegasus left.

Sighing a heave of relief, the mare turned around to meet the look-alike pony. "He's gone," she said matter-of-factly "you can let your disguise down now." And at that he did just so, as a flash of green flame surrounded the 'unicorn' briefly before fading, revealing the original changeling that she knew. "And thank you. I gotta say, that was some quick-thinking back there, what with you changing your appearance and all," she continued as she grinned in a silly manner, "I forget that you could do that, like all the other changelings I suppose. You could not believe what I was going to do if he found out about you know." She laughed, looking at the changeling, who seemed to show less emotion then ever!

"Ch...changeling? Scarface?" She asked in a concerned tone, confused of why he never seemed to respond. But just as she finished talking, the changeling suddenly tilted to the right, before falling down altogether.

"AHH!!" Fruit Heart screamed as she rushed to the changelings side, inspecting him to make sure he was OK. Luckily, it didn't take her long to figure out the problem. "You'll be OK, you're just weak from lack of energy." The mare established as she lifted the changeling onto her bed, putting his head on the pillows. "You need some rest is all." She said with a small smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes with a snack. Don't go anywhere." She said jokingly as she walked away from the bed and out of the room, looking back just before she left the room, her smiling widening as she saw him already sound asleep on the bed, snoring quietly.

Walking soundlessly back, Fruit Heart gently lifted up the covers from underneath the changeling, making sure as not too wake him, and placed them gently over his lying body, before walking away again.

Scarface she mentally said as she exited the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her what a ridiculous name.

Outside

"Silly Fruit Heart," laughed Box Shipper, who was hovering over the road as he made his way down the street, carrying his stack truck with his hoof and is it rolled down with him "If you had a colt friend, you should have just told me, even if he is a mute." He couldn't help but chuckle at the over-nervousness of the mare's behavior. To him, he choked her nervousness down to embrassement, but he was more than far from the truth.

It's true what they say; ignorance really is bliss. Especially if you don't question why your friend held a frying pan over you own head.

Chapter 5: Releasing a changeling

Outside of a house that was being occupied by a tan-brown earth pony and a sleeping body-changing creature was where said earth pony was busy by her broken window. Right now, she was active with covering it up by nailing a large white sheet over the outside part of the window. The mare did so by folding out the sheet along the top of the window, just above it, and placing a nail at her chosen mark, and using her hammer, which she was grasping in her mouth, to pound the nails into the bricks of her home. After she had nailed in five nails across the top of the window, along with two at the bottom, she was done, and thus stepped back and admired her work.

While it did look shoddy, what with the nails being fastened in at off angles and the sheet being held in rather loosely, it did the job, and that was enough to satisfy the contempt mare. She didn't care what it looked like, she only cared that it was done.

"Hey Fruit Heart," called a perky Manehattan-rich voice from behind the mare, "good day to ya." Turning around, Fruit Heart eyed upon on her friend Bright Glow, looking as cheery and happy as ever.

"And good day to you too." Fruit Heart replied as she dropped the hammer down on the floor. "Going well?" She asked casually.

"Oh yes yes, very good." Bright Glow said in a perky way. "Glad to see your window fixed." She observed as she eyed the covered-up window.

"Oh no no no," Fruit Heart shot back defensively, "It's not repaired yet" (as she didn't know if it will ever be repaired) "But it will have to do for the moment." She said as she stared at the sheet-covered window.

"Strapped for bits, are ya?" The yellow pony asked rhetorically. "Well, at least now you won't have any peeping-colts looking into your house." She laughed, not noticing that Fruit Heart wasn't even seeming to be listening. "I mean it's not like they have a reason to anyway, not that they wouldn't want to look in." She rambled on sheepishly. "But I'm not saying that you have anything in their worth something to them, or something suspicious in there that would catch the eye of on-lookers, but...Fruit Heart?"

It was then that Bright Glow noticed that the other mare was still staring at her window, or, to be more precise, staring into space, as if lost from Equestria entirely.

"Fruit Heart, you there." Bright Glow asked in worry, getting no response from her friend.

Can I get it repaired? And with him being...

"Fruit Heart, Hellloooo?" The mare called out as she shook the other pony, getting a surprising "What?!" in acknowledgement, earning a flew glances from passer-bye's. Bright Glow then realized that Fruit Heart's breathing was shallow and her posture slumped; as if not knowing she was doing either of these things.

"I said that you you don't have anything suspicious lying in your house." The yellow-coated mare asked with concern.

"Wh...what?" Fruit Heart replied in disbelief, as if unsure that she Bright Glow knew what she was talking about.

"You know, with the home and the peeping-colts and the-are you OK?"

"Hmm? What? Oh, yes. I'm fine, just...fine" she replied in a not-completely-altogether-tone.

"You seem stressed out. I mean I know the invasion of those annoying creatures are still being talked about now, but there gone. None are left. Isn't that what is causing ya to act funny?" Hearing those words caused Fruit Heart's eyes to widen sharply, though luckily her friend didn't seem to notice this.

"Umm..yeah. I guess you could say that."

"Well then." She started as she wrapped a friendly hoof around the other earth-pony. "Why don't we go inside and have a bit of relaxing?" As she said this she was carefully moving her friend off the street and walked with her to the front door.

"You seem like ya need a cup of tea." Bright Glow observed.

"Tea? Oh sure, I could use a calm drink right about now." Fruit Heart said with a small smile. Or a swig of cider she thought as she opened her door.

"Yep yep." Bright Glow announced cheerfully. "Now you stay here while your aunt Glow goes and fixes you up some tea." Said mare said as she tentative placed her friend on her couch.

"That would be lovely." Fruit Heart sighed, mind half-not knowing what is going on around her.

"Yep." Bright Glow said aloud as she flicked on her friends kettle "Nothing ales you like a bit of Earl Grey. That was what my mother said. At least she before she went to the asylum for placing bricks in her bathroom and using bottles as her toilet."

"Too true." Fruit Heart laughed as she remembered the green-maned pony's mother, who went crazy expectantly one day in her home. Many ponies have believed this was caused by stress at work related matters. Fruit Heart believed this was because she was just plain off. She did used to hang celery from her door knobs every now and again. "Uhh why can't I think straight?" She said quietly as she tapped her forehead in frustration. "Why am I so despondent right now? What is wrong with my mind? Is this to do with the window? Why am I so attention-less with a broken window? All it does is remind me of..."

"Hey, Fruit Heart?" Bright Glow cut her off as she appeared before her face, her face full of concern. "Do ya need to lie down? You were mumbling about some weird stuff."

"What was I mumbling about?" Fruit Heart asked quickly, as if she forget about her thoughts already. (Because she kinda did)

"I don't know. Some stuff about the window, and it being broken and...something about a him?" She replied, her sentence ending in a not-sure question.

"What...oh yeah, sorry, I'm just not myself at the moment." Fruit Heart started. "I'm thankful for your concern and all, but right now, I'd much rather be on my own, left to my thoughts." She sighed. All she said was true. Right now, all she wanted to do was be on her own. She felt worn out, not from exhaustion, but more from lack of attention. It had been an hour since she had put the changeling, to which is now in her care, to rest in her upstairs bedroom. And in that time, her head had been spinning.

She was unsure about everything! She didn't know how to care for a changeling, she didn't know why she should care; he was still an enemy to the land she lived in, he did try to attack her, but only at first. Now, it seems, he just doesn't care. Does he trust her? Is he waiting for something? Does he even want to stay here with her? Truthfully, he doesn't have a choice whether he want's to stay or not. He can't go, but even if he could, would he go? These questions stung in Fruit Heart's head like a swarm of pissed-off hornets.

"Look Bright Glow, I'm thankful and all with what your doing, but right now-"

"You want to be on your own." Bright Glow interrupted with a smile.

"Y..yeah." Fruit Heart said as she looked at her friend in confusion. "How did you know about-"

"You told me a minute ago." Fruit Heart stated as she walked towards the front door. "Or did ya forget?" She smirked. "Look Hearty, if you ever need anypony to talk, I'm always here." She said generously as she opened the door when she had reached it. "Are you sure you want to be alone? You seem like you need to talk."

"I only want to talk to myself right now." Fruit Heart replied calmly.

"Well then," the yellow mare started as she walked out the door, "Goodbye to ya. Oh, and Fruit Heart?" She asked before closing the door and leaving. "You need to sort out your problems with him." She finished in a wise tone as she closed the door fully, leaving Fruit Heart on her own like she wanted.

"him...." Fruit Heart repeated slowly, strewing that word over and over in her mouth, before realizing "Him."

That changeling. Him. The changeling. Fruit Heart mentally kicked herself for not knowing about it sooner. She had to sort this out now. She needed to know his true intentions, otherwise it would keep festering in her brain and never leave until satisfied. She had to know now.

Upstairs, in the room with a sleeping changeling

The door opened quietly as the earth pony trotted in, carrying a dandelion and tulip sandwich on top of a plate on her back and a small cup of freshly brewed tea held in her teeth. Making sure not to awake him, she softly walked over to the bed and placed down the food and steaming drink on the bedside table. Glancing at the sleeping creature, she sighed submissively.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked out loud in a hushed, sad tone. "What can I do to you? Everypony in Equestria sees you as an enemy. But why is that? Yeah, you attacked us. That much is given. But you didn't kill anypony. That's not what you did. I never heard of anypony actually dying that day, and the only ones that got hurt were the ones that fought back.

You cannot kill a pony can you?" She looked away from the changeling and stared at the window in a melancholy state. "You can hurt them but you can't take your life. You may, at first, had tried to strike at me....but....that was only on instinct. I think. Urrgh this is so confusing!" Fruit Heart said in irate, clenching her hooves to her head. In that moment she inadvertently had awoken up the dozing changeling, who looked at her with a single irritated, yet tired eye.

"Why do I feel more like a warden to a prisoner than a friend to a guest when I think of you?"

Because I am a prisoner to you. Or hath you forgotten that? He thought in an annoyed tone, turning his head away from her, wanting to get some more rest.

"And why is it that Box Shipper annoyed me with his comment?" She continued, completely oblivious that the changeling was overhearing the whole thing. "It's just...baffling....and....now I just feel.......guilty. Why?"

Shut it, will you!

"I don't know what I feel most guilty about?" She sighed as she turned round and placed her head down on the edge of the bed in defeat, shuffling her hooves underneath her face to hide her saddened face. "That I'm taking a changeling, an enemy of the city, into care and hiding him away when I should take him, or that I'm disobeying what he would have wanted me to do."

She feels...guilty about taking me in? The changeling carried on thinking, his mind now in a mix of confusion and attention.

".....I wish he was here today. He would know what I have to do."

And who is this 'he' she keeps mumbling about?

"I feel like I'm risking too much."

Because I am your prisoner.

"But I can't let them arrest you!" She cried unexpectedly into the sheets of the bed.

Your....not going to take me in?

"Your hated by everypony, but you not evil."

This is no trick. No jailer would act this way.

"Even he would have seen that your not a bad pony."

Is all she saying the truth?

"You are just...misjudged."

Is this no facade?

"I want others to see this. But I can't."

And why is that?

"Its sad that I can't do this, because...I want to protect you."

Pro...tect me?

"And I hate to lie to my friends." Fruit Heart finished, burying her face into the sheets. All this time, she had not known he was awake, but she soon found out when she fest a rustling in the bed sheets, followed by a feeling of a hoof rested atop his head. Looking up slowly, she saw the changeling looking down at her, his face still holding on to that monotone position he always had.

Smiling at him, Fruit Heart moved off the edge of the bed and sat down on the floor, signalling for him to do the same. Complying, though without a reason why, he did just so, meeting her on the floor and sitting down just like her.

When apparently ready, Fruit Heart moved close to him and seemed to signal him to stand up by tapping his back hooves, and when he did so, without a warning, she had taken an action that surprised him completely:

She untied the magic rope that bound him, undoing the knots until he was now free from the both metaphorical and slightly-literal chains that had held him,

When she had finished, she dropped the rope casually on the floor and turned round to face him again, looking him dead in the eyes (sorry, eye) with a serious face, staring at him before announcing, looking away from him; "You are free now. You can do what you want. You can leave. I'm doing this to show that you aren't bad, just misunderstood. You can...go." For some reason the last word stung on Fruit Heart's tongue.

Waiting for a response, unable to look him back in his eye, she felt a hoof rest upon her shoulder, and looking up, she got the drift: he isn't going to leave.

You are so stupid. I can't leave. I'm too weak to be able to change, and my home is now lost. There is nowhere for me, but, even though I will never say it, I don't seem to want to leave.

Smiling a genuine smile at him, she walked away from her spot and moved towards the bedside table. Turning around and sitting down, she held out the tea for him with both hooves, blowing on it gently, as he walked towards it. When he reached it, he started to lap at it like before.

Both of them, for the first time since the invasion, felt at peace.

And as he was lapping, an odd thought appeared in the changeling's mind.

I don't what she put in this drink, but it seems to fill me. Actually fill me.

Chapter 6: Surprising a changeling

Both ponies (well, a pony and a...thing known only as a changeling) were happily (well, one was happy) sitting upstairs in the bedroom of the said pony's house, kindly holding up a cup of tea for the changeling to slurp up.

The changeling couldn't help but notice the pony had a rather large, and kind of unsettling, grin adorn on her face as he drank his drink. To him, it was the most stupid, yet offsetting, thing he had seen her do. He wasn't sure if she was trying to freak him out on purpose or she had suddenly caught a new disease right then or there. Or something.

"What?" Inquired the mare as she suddenly noticed the changeling was staring at her with his one eye. "Is there something on my face?" Fruit Heart asked him as she put down the cup and started to inspect her face with her hooves, feeling around her own face in an rather awkward way. Rather than reply to her, as the now unofficial norm for him to do, he looked down to the tea and went back to drinking it.

"I guess not." She pouted in a confused tone. Not a moment later, the changeling looked up from his drink and went back to staring at her.

"What?" She asked again as she stared back at the black creature. After a few moments of an inept silence she finally caught on to what he was looking at. "Oh yeah, nearly forget." Said Fruit Heart out-loud as she turned her head away from the other animal in the room and onto the plate resting on the bed-side table. Walking shortly to get it, she came back and placed the plate down on the floor in front of him, sliding the cup of tea out of the way as she did so.

"Here." The mare started. "I'm not much of a cook, but I sure can make a mean sandwich when I want to" she chuckled, holding out one half of the dandelion and tulip sandwich towards him. "Try it." Fruit Heart urged to the still-unnamed creature. "It's nice."

Cautiously, the changeling slowly reached out and sniffed the sandwich, inspecting it with his nose before he inspected it with his tongue as he followed by licking around the edge of the bread. "You're supposed to eat it." Stated the bewildered mare, holding up the sandwich-half to her own mouth. "See." She instructed as she fake-motioned herself taking as bite out of the sandwich before holding back out for him to do so.

Taking the hint, the changeling took a large bite out of the sandwich and chewed it thoroughly. "I told you it was nice." Fruit Heart chirped to him as he gulped it down, not taking a second longer to munch on another bite of the sandwich. The changeling continued his motion of eating his sandwich, and Fruit Heart continued her motion of holding said food in her hooves as he ate.

That, however, only continued for a moment, and was suddenly stopped when Fruit Heart unexpectedly felt something wrap around her hooves, an action that consequently made her shriek audibly and recall her hooves back in surprise, and as such caused her to drop the sandwich on the floor, and have an also surprised changeling staring back at her in shock.

After a few seconds of a pregnant silence, the changeling picked up the sandwich and went straight to munching on it, as Fruit Heart looked back at him with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry." She said to him nervously. Surprisingly, after she apologized to him, she noticed he was all ready finished. "Well that was quick." She observed in an unbelievable tone, before an idea struck her. "I got an idea!" The mare announced excitedly. "Why don't I show you around my home!" And before the changeling could object, he was pulled off by the pony and shown around her home.

Fruit Heart home was a relatively small house, to say the least. It didn't really take her long to show him around. There wasn't really much to see; just a bedroom, bathroom and an extra, unused room upstairs and a living room/ kitchen downstairs. Oh, and a closet too.

"And that's about it." Finished Fruit Heart after she showed the changeling the interior of her home, something that only took her less than a minute to do. "There's not really much to see." Commented Fruit Heart. "I don't have that much stuff, you see." As the earth pony turned her head round to see the other creature, she noticed he was not there, but instead looking at her bookcase by the wall.

"Any books that take your fancy?" She half-laughed to him when she noticed he did indeed take out a book. "What book is that?" She asked to him as she made her way across to him. Peering down, she examined the title of the book; which read Flour Power, a title she recognized as a cook book about making all sorts of food using flour as an important ingredient.

"Don't tell me you're still hungry?" She remarked dumbfounded, but got only a emotionless glare of a single eye in return. "Don't look at me like that. If you're still hungry I could make you some more food. You just have to ask."

Sadly she forgot that he doesn't ask, and instead he dropped the book down uncaringly on the floor and walked away from her. "And pick this book when you're finished." Fruit Heart muffed. As one would expect of the changeling, he didn't answer, which annoyed Fruit Heart even more.

"Hey!" She yelled out in frustration, her patience ever-wearing thin. "If you're going to stay here, at least have the common decency to clean up after yourself. Don't ignore me."

But so he did. All the changeling did in return was stop walking and stood in place, but did not turn around to look at her.

"Look at me." She said sternly. And so he did, as he turned his head round and stared at her with his eye, looking at her with his usual blank expression.

"See this book?" Fruit Heart started with an expression that matched the changeling's own, pointed at the book left on the floor with her hoof.

"This does not belong, it belongs on the shelf, with the rest of the books." She said in an off calm, low almost eerie tone, the same tone one would hear from a disturbed pony who's living in a mental asylum.

"Now please, pick this up and place it back on the shelf, where it should be, you used it last, which means you have to place it back in it's designated spot. NOW!" She yelled at the last part.

But he did nothing. Well, not nothing, he did turn his round and face the other way. But that was it.

Wrong move. As they say: Tartarus hath no fury like a mare scorned.

Or just really pissed off, in this case.

Without a single thought of what could (and probably will) go wrong, Fruit Heart grabbed the book and launched the book straight at the back of the changeling's head, hitting it dead-on as he collided with the floor after the book collided with his head!

Wrong move. For Fruit Heart, this time. Not the changeling's. He already made a wrong move.

Although, he is about to make another.

Slowly rising up from the floor, the changeling looked down to the floor of the where the book stopped, and then back to Fruit Heart, giving off a glare that could kill and an aura of pure hatred!

Going into the mind of the mare herself: Oh.....buck, why did I do that?

With anger set in his eye, the changeling grabbed the book and threw straight back to the mare, not caring about anything other than this. Luckily, Fruit Heart ducked down at the last second, narrowly missing the flying object as it sailed passed her head and stuck the bookcase with a strong force.

Looking up cautiously form between her hooves, Fruit Heart looked at the changeling across from her, hoping that was the only thing he was going to do. As she looked at him she noticed that he was not staring at her, but in fact, staring behind her. And as she looked back, she again, felt fear fall upon her:

As the bookcase itself was about to fall on her!

But she couldn't move. She wanted to, but her own hooves betrayed her, as she couldn't budge an inch though panic and sheer dread. She couldn't move could. All she could do is scream.

And so she did.

She screamed. Her body couldn't move. All she could do was clench her eye's shut and wait for her demise....

*CRASH*

She waited. Just as before, she waited. She was sure she was dead.

She was probably over-estimating the fact that a bookcase couldn't really kill her. Probably. But at that moment in time, her common sense flew out of the window.

Still trembling from fear, Fruit Heart dared to look up, hoping she had somehow survived that crash (again, her common sense is missing for some reason), but instead of that, she was met with the body of a black, hard-skinned creature on top of her.

The black hard-skinned creature on top of her.

She looked at him.

And he looked back at her with his normal emotionless expression.

And then she looked back past him and towards the bookcase, which lay smack-down flat on the floor, books scattered everywhere.

And at this point, she felt heat rising from her cheeks as she stared at her, somewhat ironic, savoir, who now stood from on top of the mare.

"Th-thank you." The mare said in awe at him, who did not show any sense of responding. "You saved me. Why?" Fruit Heart asked him, not noticing her breathing was deep and slower than normal. The changeling did not acknowledge her question, but instead moved off of the pony and walked away; with Fruit Heart just gazing at him in shock and admiration until he disappeared out of sight.

Because he was now walking back upstairs, presumably back into the bedroom where he slept.

As soon as Fruit Heart was sure she was alone, she felt her whole body slumped down on the floor.

"He saved me." She muttered to herself. "He saved me from getting hurt. Was I too hard on him?" She asked herself as held her hooves up onto her cheeks and clasped them.

"And why has it got warmer all of a sudden? My face is burning."

Back upstairs, in the room

The changeling was furiously and mercilessly munching down on the other half of the sandwich, like a predator to it's prey, his face a mix of anger and confusion.

Why did I save her? He thought as he continued his relentless onslaught to the dandelion and tulip sandwich. That harlot hath dared to throw that book at me. Like a care about her assets, it's not my dilemma about where it belongs. She still holds me, and then she doth dare to expect me to act like a guest in her place! He thought madly as he threw his half eaten sandwich across the room, hearing it slump as it hit the wall.

But then why, the changeling thought as he looked back at the sandwich, why did she go for so much trouble as to feed? The changeling picked up the piece of food and inspect it, opening it up to peer into it's insides And why, just why, did I risk myself to save her? This is...infuriating.

And this remark, he didn't even notice that he was back to eating the sandwich.

And why doth I feel so...content right now.

Chapter 7: Hearing a changeling

*Knock knock knock*

The changeling had turned round to face the source of the noise. As he looked back he eyed the closed door of the bedroom, where the knocking had just been.

Not much time had passed since he the black, hole-filled hoofed creature had selflessly saved the mare from having a bookcase fall on top of her, an act that surprised the changeling himself just as much as the previously saved pony.

In fact, it had only just been five minutes ago since it happened.

Not long really.

*Knock knock knock*

The sound repeated as the changeling trotted off to the edge of the door.

"Hello." The familiar sound of the mare named Fruit Heart called out. "Umm, mister changeling?" He heard her speak in a sort of nervousness tone, thought he wasn't sure of that, considering the sound wasn't very audible being as it came behind a wooden door.

"Can I, maybe, come in please?" He heard her ask him.

Without a second thought the changeling opened the door and looked straight at the mare who was waiting for him. As he looked as her the changeling thought she seemed....off. In truth, this was the only thing the changeling could think off, as her face appeared to be almost unreadable; her mouth was neither pointing up or down, nor was it open or even fully closed. The changeling also saw that her eyes looked low, almost tired even.

"Can I come in?" She asked in an hushed tone.

Why are thou looking down? You never got hurt. He thought, confused at the mare's sudden lack of enthusiasm. Though not knowing her for long, in fact not knowing anything about ponies themselves for longer, one thing he found to be an oddity that even he believed was something she had more of then other's is her outward enthusiasm. He seemed to almost admire her enthusiasm for even the smallest things. Things that doesn't even understand why they are there.

For some reason he doesn't know why this is true. For him, everything about the pony culture was weird.

"Can I?" Fruit Heart asked, almost pleading to him. With a look of unsure-ity the changeling stepped aside to allow her entry to her own bedroom. "Thank you." She said as she walked into the room. The changeling followed her movements with his eye, watching her as she sat down in the middle of the room and looked straight to him.

"I just want to say; thank you, I guess." She said in a nervous tone. "I know I already said thank you, but I wasn't sure you had heard me." The changeling continued to listen to her as she started to shuffle uncomfortably on the floor. "The whole bookcase-falling-on-me was my fault, I I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. I know you wouldn't have thrown the book at me if I didn't throw it first. So, I'm sorry." She finished with a small sigh, looking down at the floor in defeat.

As soon as Fruit Heart said sorry, the changeling immediately felt an odd pain inside him. It was new to him, a foreign feeling he had never felt before. Something that made it hard for him to truly look at her. It was different to him, a feeling which, he presumed to be, was known as...guilt.

It was wrong. That's what he thought. It was wrong. It was not something he liked to feel. At all. Even more oddly, he felt like the pain of...guilt would never go away until he ushered out some words. Some words he never even thought he would say. He never thought he would even speak to her, let alone say those words.

And yet, he felt like it would hurt him more if he didn't speak now as opposed to never speaking at all. Ever.

"Look." Fruit Heart started, inadvertently knocking out the changeling's own demons. "I don't expect you to accept my apology, all I want for you to do is understand that I'm sorry."

How? He thought. How is this pony able to make me feel this way? What kind of pony is she?

"I don't know why I feel like I should apologize again, but I should."

Stop.

"I just feel really sad about something."

Just stop! Now!

"And I think it's because you don't trust me."

...

"And...I can see that. You don't talk to me, you have only ever said something to me once, but, now I think I was just hearing what I wanted to hear. I do not even know if you can talk at all, let alone to me." She sighed. "And even if you don't, I do."

...

"I trust you. And, you know, I feel like that's all that matters really. I trust you. I trust you...quite a bit actually. You could have ran away or attacked me, but you didn't. You could have let that bookcase fall and harm me, but you didn't."

...I...

"I don't care what others say about you, because I know the truth. Your'e aren't evil at all. You have proven to me that you aren't. That's enough for me." As she finally finished her thoughts to the changeling, she stood up and headed to the door, the changeling still standing there, barely even moving.

"I trust you." She whispered out as she passed by the chitinous-skinned creature and walked out the door, smiling slightly as she made her way out the room.

"Wait."

Fruit Heart immediately stopped moving and turned round, her body almost shaking with shock. "Did you just..." She stammered out, not fully able to comprehend what she had just heard. The changeling, on the other hoof, was just in as much shock.

Did I just...

Fruit Heart's gaze rested on the changeling's own, both unable to fathom what just had been said. What he had just said. "Do...you want me to...?" Fruit Heart tried to ask him, but the words were found being stuck in her throat. The changeling, as if knowing what she was going to ask, pulled his head back and pointed it towards the middle of the room, silent, in a near reluctant manner.

Nervously, but boldly, the mare walked back in the room and sat down in the same place she was before. The changeling then after moved towards the mare and sat down in front of her, staring at her stoically with his single good eye.

"Sooo." Fruit Heart started, her nervous having been strangely replaced by the awkwardness clinging in the air. "You told me to-"

"Yes." The changeling interrupted her. This was now the first time the earth pony had actually seen the changeling talk to her. Really talk to her. Not something she might have thought up, but actually say something.

The mare just sat there, dumbfounded by the changelings outburst, her mouth hanging down unceremoniously. (Pretty much making her look stupid.)

"Why?" He asked simply to the confounded mare in front of him.

"I..ya...what?" Fruit Heart stammered, still in shock.

"Why?" He repeated again.

"Why what?" She said to him.

"Why everything?" He said to the mare. As one would expect, she was very confused, not only was this the first time the black creature was truly communicating with her, but he was being as cryptic as possible.

She was almost starting to get annoyed.

"Why everything what?" Fruit Heart asked what again, her tone changing to a more normal one.

"Everything." He asked again, as simple as possible.

"Oh Faust." She breathed out, pulling a hoof to her temple, shaking her head as if to say no. "I don't understand, what's everything?"

"Everything."

"Everything what? That's not a sentence."

"Why...." The changeling started to say to her, but seemed incapable to say more than a few words. "Why do thou trust me?" Or maybe not.

As Fruit Heart looked up to him, she couldn't help but see how...sincere he was being to her.

"Thou doth said thou trusted me, correct?" He asked her. This was now the first time the pony had truly heard the tone of the changeling, and she was quite surprised. It didn't sound like what she had expected; it wasn't bug-like (though she wasn't entirely sure what that meant, she new that it doesn't sound like him) it wasn't too deep, too high, too odd or evil sounding, and it doesn't sound like a distorted echo which makes it sound like two voices are speaking at once. It was...normal. It did sound a little weird, but mostly he spoke in tone true to an average pony.

"I said that?" She replied to him in virtual disbelief. "I did say that, didn't I." She said said in a manner then made it sound like a question.

"Correct?" He asked her again.

"Correct." She replied to him, thinking this was the best way to get answers.

"Why? I'm a changeling, a creature that feeds off the love of others and invaded the capital of this country. I am enemy of this place, and thus an enemy of the citizens, including thou. But thou didn't give me in, instead thou healed me, thou fed me and thou protected me. Does that make much sense?" He said to her as he stared straight at the mare.

"Well..." She answered as she sheepishly scratched the back of her head, essentially bothered by his stare. "No, no I guess not." She managed to finish.

"I hath attacked thou before, and thou had ample opportunity to expose me, but thou hadn't. Thou instead helped me. That's what I don't get, I should be in chains, from what I hath believed, not in bandages in a pony's own home."

"Yes."

"So why?" He finished, dead serious.

Fruit Heart mumbled something inaudible under her breath, to quite for the changeling to pick up.

"Say again?" The changeling asked her, surprisingly patiently.

"I said," she started, sighing, "I don't know."

The changeling had paused for a few seconds, unsure of what to say, before saying "I do not understand." This being the only thing he was able to say. "We attacked the capital. That's make us your enemy. I cannot muster why thou hath helped me."

"It's instinct." Fruit Heart said sharply.

"Instinct?" He said in disbelief

"Yes, instinct." The mare repeated. "To me, that's why I had helped you. It's instinct for a pony, like me, to help those who are hurt. That's the reason why I patched you up. You were hurt, and I felt like it was my duty to help you."

"That still doesn't make any sense." The changeling replied, still in disbelief. "Changeling's shouldn't be treated like this now. We are hated by many, no thing would hath helped me. That is the truth."

"No." Fruit Heart deadpanned, pointing an accusing hoof at the him. "That isn't the truth, that is you belief."

"But-"

"But nothing." She interrupted him calmly. "If you said no thing should help you, then what does that make me? A pony. A thing. That's what I am. I am an earth-pony named Fruit Heart. That's what I am. That's who I am. And no belief by you is going to change that. Do you understand?"

The changeling looked away from her when she had asked him, as if he felt like a fool. "I...guess so. We think differently because we are of different species."

"No." She corrected him, making him look at her abashed. "We don't think differently because we are of different species, we think differently because we are different. As different as next pony walking down the street. Do you see now?" Fruit Heart asked him, smiling.

The changeling looked at her with his one eye and nodded, we earned him an unexpected hug from the mare!

Surprising.

"But..." He stammered, his tone wavering as he felt the mare's head rest on his shoulder. "Thou hath not explained why thy said thou trusted me."

"It's simple." Fruit Heart began, moving her head off his shoulder and looking back at the changeling. "Because you trust me. I see that now." And with that the earth pony stood up and walked off towards the door, but not before looking back at him. "And that's the truth." And then she walked off.

The changeling just sat there, mouth agape in unbelief. That pony He thought deeply as he closed his eyes. She hath a way with her words. I feel...better now. She...is weird. And why now does my stomach feel weird. Were her words laced with love? There feel like they were.

And that's when the truth struck like a lighting bolt. I trust her.

Chapter 8: Other thoughts for a changeling

I trust her? I trust her? The changeling continued to repeat in his mind. What trickery doth she hath on me?

The changeling scratched his head in confusion. Is she a supposed to be a benefactor of some sort? Can she lace words with love?

Why would she lace her words with love?

After a few more minutes of self thoughts about what tricks and possible actions the mare may or may not have done to the changeling the creature decided to stand up and walk out the door of the bedroom.

"Mare?" He called out. "Mare? Where art thou? I have an inquiry I need thou to answer."

After a few moments of silence, he called out again. "Pony mare?!"

No answer.

Where doth that pony be? He muttered under his breath as he walked down the stairs and trotted into the kitchen. Why is there no trace of her? He thought deeply as he scanned around the room. "Hey!" He called out as he walked into the living room part of accommodating house. "Art thou under there?" He said as he looked under the couch for the unlikely chance that the mare would be hiding under the sofa.

She wasn't, because that's just stupid.

"Where did she go..." he trailed off as he again looked around the house, until he spotted a piece of paper taped on the back of the front door.

"What be this?" The changeling said as he took the note off and read it.

Dear um...changeling

Sorry to leave you like this, but I had to go out and collect some groceries. Don't worry, I'll be back in half an hour or so.

Please don't burn the house down while I'm away.

Love from yours sincerely.

Fruit Heart.

"...Harlot."

Meanwhile, somewhere in the streets of Canterlot the named Fruit Heart was idly walking down a un-particularly normal market street; with filled saddlebags on her back and a list in her grasp, which she was checking.

"Let's see," she said aloud, "I've got carrots, lettuce, cucumber and butter. All I've got left to collect is bread and grapes and them I'm all set to go back home." She smiled cheerfully. To go back home the thought resonated in her mind.

Home...

home...

pony at home...

And then the thought struck her. Oh, I hope he's all right back there on his own. Maybe...maybe I should have told him in person that I'm going out instead of using a note. But what if he doesn't see the note? Oh no, what if he does something rash and goes to look for me? He can't do that, Canterlot's too big a place to go wandering around. He could get lost. Or worse! What if he's discovered by the royal guards and-

"-Oof!" Fruit Heart suddenly exclaimed, her mind being taken out of her thoughts as she found herself hitting something, or to be more precise somepony. Still dazed from the shock, she looked up to be faced with a well dressed, and rather dapper, noble unicorn stallion. Fruit Heart couldn't help but smile sheepishly towards the unicorn due to her own clumsiness.

"I say, watch were you're going." The stallion said in a cliche stuck-up Canterlot tone.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry." Fruit Heart apologized to the stallion quickly with a sheepish smile.

"I should say so, madam." He replied with a cold shoulder, and walked off back down the streets. Luckily for our female protagonist she has gotten used to the rude and high-nosed ways of the Canterlot 'snobs'. To her, this was an ordinary day for her. Which is kinda sad really.

Anyway.

As Fruit Heart watched the unicorn walk away she looked away, she immediately went back to her thoughts. But still...I can't help but feel bad for him...oh, why do I feel so weird. I can't even imagine what he's doing all alone by himself. He must be so bored.

And back at home at that exact moment.

*clash*

*bang*

*smack*

These were the sounds of pots and pans hitting each other as the changeling was searching through a small cupboard in the kitchen. Frying pans were scattered everywhere as he was pushing and pulling back other kitchen appliances out of the way, as of searching for something.

"Where?" The changeling muttered to himself as was hunkered down, halfway through the small kitchen cupboard, pushing more objects out of the way. "Where does that pony keep her love storage? She must have excess of it somewhere in this housing."

"Is it in here?" He said out loud into a small wok.

Back to Fruit Heart.

"The poor, poor changeling..." she muttered under her breath.

"Come on now, Fruit Heart." She said as she shook her head vigorously. "Don't think like that. He is fine on his own. After all, he can't do anything stupid at home. It's only my house, not a royal guard barracks."

"Bread! Get you fresh bread here! All freshly baked loafs, cooked and baked today!" Exclaimed a loud voice, grabbing the attention of Fruit Heart, and a good deal of other passer-bys going along the market street.

"Bread..." Fruit Heart said softly. "Oh yes, bread! I need that." She said quickly.

And at least that will take my mind off these stupid thoughts She thought quietly.

As the mare made her way to the stall, her nose caught a most beautiful and pleasant aroma; fresh bread, the envy of all essences. (Or at least that's what Fruit Heart always thought.) She looked upon the stall and stared wide-eyed at the goods staring back at her, unconsciously letting her tongue droop out and drool like a fool! Behind the counter was a couple of ponies: one was a rather large earth pony stallion with a white coat and off-yellow mane. The other was a pegasus mare with a thick yellow coat and bright pink mane.

"And what can I do for you, lovely young lady." The stallion said in a slight, almost welcoming accent as Fruit Heart, acting oblivious to the image of a drooling mare standing before him.

"Urrrr..." was all Fruit Heart said as she continued to stare ridiculously at the nourishing, flour-and-water mix of delectable and scrumptious-

"Missus?"

"Hmm?" She replied, her mind shortly lost for a moment. "What? Oh yes, urr, a loaf of bread please." She answered quickly, wiping off a bead of spittle off her mouth in a sheepish demeanor.

"Of course." And at that the stallion grabbed a loaf of bread and placed in a plastic bag, which was being opened by thr mare next to him. "Here you go miss." He said as he handed the bag of bread to Fruit Heart. "That'll be 4 bits."

Fruit Heart complied with this as she handed the money to the stallion, placed the bag inside her saddlebags and left.

Oh, I need to stop doing that whenever I smell fresh loaves Fruit Heart mentally chastised herself as she walked down the street, now completely forgetting about her worries with the changeling stuck at her home.

Speaking of the devil

The changeling in question was holding a tin of food held in his mouth. The black creature was trying to pry the tin open with his fangs. If one were to look upon his face, one would see it held one of anger and frustration.

As the changeling was uselessly trying to open the tin can, he spoke something (Translated, due to having a tin lodged in his mouth) "Damn you pony, how doth thou open this hardened container of foodstuffs!"

(As this was what the changeling brilliantly thought as to were the mare had kept her love supplies!)

As he continued to try to pry open the 'container of love' he made a rather huge miscalculation; at this moment in time, this changeling had forgotten one rather obvious thing all changeling's seem to posses: fangs. And as at that moment that he forgot about his extra pair of teeth, he reeled his mouth back as far as he could and lunged them into the tin can.

Bad mistake.

As he did so, his fangs also lunged into the can, and when they did so they do so with such force the contents of the can (which it being a tin of cream of tomato soup) where sprayed out. Unluckily for him, they where ejected out and aimed to his eyes! And as the contents of the can of soup where squirted and hit his eyes (one eye, actually still) he yelled out as the liquid hit his eye. As if on instinct, the changeling recoiled from the soup and stumbled backwards, hitting the counter of the kitchen's, which, in consequence, caused a random pot on the counter to drop on on land on the changeling's head.

And then the room fell deathly ill of silence, with the exception of the a low grumbling sound coming out of the changeling's closed mouth. (Which still had the tin stuck in his mouth)

And then he spoke:

"Harlots! Harlots everywhere!"

Aaaand back to the mare

Right now, the mare in question was walking down a different street. On, as one would expect, her way home. In fact, she was walking home with a small smile appearing on her lips. She was what one would call 'contempt'.

And insert plot point here.

As she walked down the street, she walked by a small open cafe, where it was being occupied by two certain old mares.

"I say, Fair Wright, this tea is simply divine." One of the mare's said to the other.

"I know, High Life, and I'm glad this is so much better without any of those pesky changeling interrupting us." The second mare replied.

Fruit Heart stopped in her tracks when she immediately heard this.

"And I say true to that. Ugh, those creature are terrible by all means of the word." The first mare said.

"I mean, there was an important wedding going on, and they decided to, as the young ponies of today would say 'crash it'." The pony called Fair Wright said back.

Fruit Heart's smile faded.

"And let's not forget what the whole fiasco did to the noblepony's of this city." The mare named High Life said.

"Indeed. I mean, how could those uncouth creatures even dare to think about invading our city?"

Fruit Heart frowned.

"I wouldn't even give those things the time of day if I ever met them in public."

Fruit Heart scowled, her hooves starting to tremble.

"Gads, what repulsive monsters."

And that was the nail in the coffin for our female protagonist.

"ENOUGH!" Fruit Heart unexpectedly shouted, an act which caused both mare's to yelp in surprise and shock. "Don't go around insulting others just because you bucking can! How would you like it if other pony's went around and insulted you behind your back!? I don't think you'd like it very much, would upi!?"

"I don't want to hear you guys insult him ever again! You hear me!?" She finished yelled, huffing loudly as she stared daggers at the duo.

An air of tight tension fell over the scene that just befell the outburst that happened a moment ago. And it took another moment for her to realized that everypony in the vicinity had stopped doing whatever they were doing and looked towards the mare who shouted.

Fruit Heart gulped. That was all she thought she could do to respond.

Then she apologized to the two mares.

And then she ran back home like the cows would have done.

And as she ran all she could think Oh buck oh buck oh buck!

And back at home (which was only 30 seconds later).

Fruit Heart practically slammed the door open as she entered her home. Slamming the door shut as she walked in, she called out "Changeling!? Changeling!?" Through panted breaths.

Ne response.

"Changeling!?" She yelled again.

A response this time, coming from the kitchen.

"Changeling." She exclaimed as she rushed to the kitchen. When she looked in, she, truthfully wasn't even shocked to see what mess the said changeling had created, all her mind was set on was him.

"Mare? Doth that be you?" He questioned, unable to see her because he still had a kitchen appliance on his head. (Though the can of soup had dropped out of mouth sometime prior.) As he took the pan off his head, he asked "Mare? Where the doth have thou bee-" but he was cut short of his sentence be the mare hugging him!

And then, the changeling felt something weird. He could smell the love coming not from the kitchen, but from the mare herself. Then he hugged her back! And he thought:

Love. She is dripping from this stuff. I must continue to grasp her to have more.

Fruit Heart was unconsciously blushing at this point. She didn't even care.

Where does she get this stuff? Did she go out to buy more? It was then he noticed her saddlebags. So that's why she had left me alone. Her love reserves had gone dry, and she went out to purchase more.

I was right to trust after all. He admitted to herself.

In Fruit Heart's mind, a weird thought escaped it.

Oh no I forgot the grapes again.

Chapter 9: Befriending a changeling

"Mr Changeling! Mr Changeling!" Fruit Heart called out from the bottom of the stairs, trying to get the attention of the (still properly) unnamed changeling living in her upstairs bedroom.

Oh, and about 2 hours have passed since the last chapter. So moving on.

"Changeling!" She exclaimed again, and this time the changeling had appeared on the top of the stairs looking down at the mare with a bemused expression. "What?" He asked her in a flat tone.

"I'm just going out to see my friend." She answered to him. "I...won't be gone for long, as-as she only works not far away. So I'll see you in a bit...then." When she finished, the changeling noticed a twinge of reluctance, not to mention hesitation, in her voice, and picking up on this, he came to a question.

She seems reluctant to go, I wondeth why that is?

And then he came to a brilliant conclusion:

She must be afraid of this 'friend'. He must hath some terrifying grasp over her. Yes, that must be thy reason why she seems hesitant to go.

And then he says something that surprises not only her, but himself a little bit too.

"Then I shalt accompany you." He announced to her, which, of course, shocked her.

"I...wait, what?" She stammered.

"I said I shalt accompany you. I believe thou doth need accompaniment for your travel."

Fruit Heart was completely shocked by his statement. "Thank you but umm..." she stuttered, trying to collect her thoughts. "How?" She finally answered to him after a pregnant pause. "How can you go out like that, you look like, well a changeling? After all, you are still said to be an enemy of Equestria?" Her last sentence drifted out into a whisper, unable to look him fully in the eye, not wanting him to be disappointed.

However her eyes looked back to the changeling's position when a quick, but noticeable, burst of green light appeared and then disappeared, and as the mare looked she no longer saw the body of a changeling, but that of a black unicorn stallion; the same one she saw the changeling turn into briefly as before (if thou hath forgotten, the changeling turned into an all black unicorn stallion, with a short mane and tail colored the same as his coat. His left eye was still closed, the same as his normal eye, but his right eye had a pony's eye with a light teal color).

Back to our couple and whatnot, Fruit Heart was still shocked to see his transformation.

"I doth feel a lot better now. I feel as if I can stay in this form all day." He announced matter-of-factly. As he was saying this the changeling made his way down the stairs until he was on the same level as her, brushing past her and seemingly headed for the door.

But before he could reach it, Fruit Heart called out to him. "Wait." Then he stopped. "Er, what I mean to say is..." she trailed off, unclear of what she wanted to stop him for. "Well, you see..." And then the thought struck her. A random thought it, may be, but still a thought.

"You can't go out like that, you don't have a cutie-mark."

What!? Of all the things to say, why that?!

Luckily, that thought was enough for the changeling to give her a curious look. "What doth thou meanith?" He questioned her.

"I mean you lack a cutie-mark, the sign all ponies have that symbolizes our special talent. It's something all ponies when they find out what there good at." She stated, slightly hoping that was enough to stop him from wanting to go outside.

It wasn't really, of course.

"Then how doth I acquire a cutie-mark then?" The changeling inquired.

"Umm...well when you find out what your special talent is of course. But then again, being a changeling you probably don't have a special talent." Fruit Heart said, the last sentence ending in a mumble.

Well, I cannot allow thou to go out without a guard by your side. The changeling mentally said, wanting, but at the same time felt this was not the correct thing to say, so instead he decided on another sentence.

"Why doth I need a cutie-mark then?"

"Because if you go outside without a cutie-mark, that would arise some suspicion. And at the moment, that's the last thing I...we want." Fruit Heart said in a stern voice.

Taken a bit aback by her sudden rigid tone, he glared at her and opened his mouth, about to talk back to the mare, until she spoke first.

"Actually..." she said slowly, mulling something over as she rubbed her chin with her hoof. "I think I found a way over this issue."

Outside, walking seemingly casual down the street, were one brown colored earth pony mare and one all-black unicorn stallion. Fruit Heart had managed to overcome the issue of the cutie-mark problem with a incredibly simple solution: covering it up.

As of now, the changeling walking down the street with a pink and yellow striped blouse wrapped around his flank and his under-section, covering up the blank space as to where his cutie-mark should be. To say the changeling was embarrassed to have such a girly (and not to mention ugly) piece of clothing covering his backside was not the truth, as he was too busy concentrating in the mare walking alongside to even really notice this.

And the changeling had no concept of fashion either, being as he never wore clothes.

Fruit Heart, despite looking rather normal as she walked down the street alongside her companion, was very nervous, to say the least. In the short time she met, and cared for the changeling, one thing she understood about him was that he was impossibly stubborn. Impossibly; in that once he stuck to something, it's like pulling gum out your mane: very hard, annoying and pretty painful.

The changeling was, in actuality, just as nervous as the mare. However, it was not down to the fear of being found out. No, once a changeling was able to visualize what they wanted to change into, transforming their appearance into it was nearly effortless. To a changeling, their ability was their pride and joy; they believed they were worthless without their unique form of magic. So this was something the changeling was not even remotely cared about possibly happening. Nope, this changeling was more worried about something else, this 'friend' as she put wanted to see her, but the hesitation in her voice he picked up. He, somewhat unconsciously, believed he was learning more and more about the pony's way of life.

Or at least, this particular pony's way of life.

The pair managed to walk to their destination without so much as a single worried reason to stop. The changeling looked up to where the mare has stopped moving as she looked up to building in front of her. Which unknown to him was a shop.

The building in question was that of seemingly old-style kind of building, perhaps set up over 75 years ago at least, and as the changeling looked into the small building's windows, large and made up most of the side of the closed-in shop, he noticed that the store had a rack of lanterns, candlesticks and over lighting appliances on display, with a large sign up top of the windows spelling out in bright, catching line of bronzed letters:

WICK'S LIGHTING STORE

"Well come in." Fruit Heart ushered to the changeling as she opened the door to the store, a resounding *ting* came off from the bell hung over the door, signalling the those inside of their arrival.

"Hold on, I'll be there in just a sec." A female voice rang from somewhere, as both the pony and the disguised changeling walked into the shop, closing the door behind themselves as they entered the shop. As the changeling looked around the shop he saw many, many, many different kinds of lanterns, lamp, candlestick holders and almost any other kind of lighting device would, and probably are, held in the store.

"Wick', I'm going on my break now." A voice called out from a door at the end of room, revealing a earth pony mare, the one Fruit Heart recognized as Bright Glow. A muffled male voice called out something that neither of them could understood.

"Fruit Heart, my friend!" The yellow-coated mare exclaimed as she rushed from the door to enveloped Fruit Heart into a hug.

Friend? So this must be the 'friend' thy mare had been so hesitant to see. He thought to himself.

He then watched as they both mares gave each other hug.

...Must be a sign or system she uses to say she's done acceptable work. The changeling added without a second thought. But acceptable work for what, I wonder...

"Excuse me sir?" A voice interrupted the changeling's train of thought. It was the mare who the changeling just met. "I don't mean to be rude, but aren't ya with Fruit Heart?" The changeling nodded his head. As he looked behind the mare he saw Fruit Heart give him a curious look. "Well then." She started, grabbing the disguised changeling by his neck with her hoof. "Come with me." She said to him in a bubbly tone, pulling the 'unicorn' stallion with him into another room, Fruit Heart in tow.

In a matter of, well who knows how long it had been (do you even need to know this), the changeling found himself sitting on a pillow by a tab;e, the two mares chatting away as both looked at each other as they talked; the changeling between them. A cup of tea each was on the table, along with a plate of small, flat baked goods the pony referred to as 'Bright Glow' called 'cookies' sat in the middle.

But the cookies were not what the changeling had his mind on, no, the changeling was deftly staring at the pony known as Bright Glow, his gaze not once faltered on the mare in question. Yet not once did the mare even so much as acknowledge him staring at her, as she herself was too busy talking to the other mare, spouting some nonsense about about some high class pony or something. He didn't bother to care.

"Hey?" Bright Glow asked the disguised changeling, not knowing how long he had been staring at her. "Are ya all right? Ya seem bored." She asked with honest concern

What art thou planning? The changeling mumbled to himself in his mind.

It was then his mind wondered on to the other mare in the room; and as his eyes shifted to Fruit Heart, he saw her reach out and grab one of the baked goods with her hoof.

"Don't eat those!" He yelled out to her as he rushed forward from his seat and swatted away the cookie from the earth pony's hoof, smacking the wall where it fell to the floor.

It took a few seconds for Fruit Heart to register what just happened, and when it did, she was not pleased.

"Why did you do that?" She asked him in very displeased tone.

"Those art not fit for consumption." He told her quickly.

"Excuse me?" Called the other voice in the room in a disbelieved tone. "How dare ya," she started with a frown, "I'll have ya know my cookies are nothing but tasty wholesome goodness." The mare said with an air of high vanity. "Ya'd know if ya decided to try one." And at that she quickly grabbed a cookie and forcefully shoved it into the changelings mouth, closing it in his teeth, then started to slowly rub the bottom of his jaw!

"I ain't going to stop this until ya eat it yourself." She stated in a calm, authoritative tone as the disguised changelings eye changed from one of shock to one of narrow, giving her a deathly stare, and she returning it with her own. She still rubbed the underneath of the 'unicorn' with her hoof, but he did nothing in return.

They dared to stare each other down for what seemed like hours (30 seconds actually) until Fruit Heart decided to speak up. "Um, you guys it not that big a deal."

No answer.

Story of Fruit Heart's life.

"And your're both ignoring me." She said pathetically, face-hoofing herself.

"Look!" Fruit Heart started in an annoyed tone. "Can you just eat the cookie please? This is getting ridiculous now. (As if it wasn't ridiculous in the first place.)"

Looking at Fruit Heart with his intense eye, first time since he got into a staring contest with Bright Glow, he peered at her, glancing at her pleading look, decided to do what she asked, as he was stuck without any other option and refused to give up and say they're in the wrong, being as stubborn as any normal male, completely different species or not.

Looking back to Bright Glow, he started to chew slowly, each audible crunch being heard by both mares until he stopped and gulped the chewed baked treat gradually. After swallowing the cookie the changeling continued to (try to) stare the mare down. who now had a cocky smile adorning her face.

"So..." Bright glow said slyly. "How was it?"

The changeling inhaled deeply, letting the time drawl out as both ponies watched with anticipation linger in the air before he looked at Bright Glow with a neutral stare as he finally answered her:

"Stupid."

Bright Glow immediately slammed both hooves on the table. "HOW DARE YA!" She yelled in frustration at the disguised changeling, giving him an incredulous look. "Ya can't say my cookies don't taste nice. No one can. And do ya know why?" The changeling didn't answer, instead just giving her an inactive stare.

"Because the correct mixture of ingredients do not contain the proper characteristics of being tastefully defective."

At this statement both the changeling and Fruit Heart gave her an unbelievable look, puzzled by her rather...intelligent sentence.

"Dumbass. Now, say ya didn't mean it." Bright Glow answered, trying to keep calm

"I shalt not." Replied the ever-stubborn male.

"Do it!" She yelled at him

"No!" He yelled back.

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Oh will the both of you just shut up!" Came a unhappy shout from Fruit Heart herself. "Will the both of you stop bickering like idiots! For Faust sake, just stop yelling at each other over a fricking cookie!"

"But I haft come to the reason that thy mare thou see before thou haft corrupted the baked meal in some form or another for her to continue being predominating of thou." He answered calmly.

"...what?" Fruit Heart asked in total confusion.

"In short, I believed she hath tainted thy food."

"I did nothing of the sort!" Bright Glow retorted towards him. "Where in Equestria did ya get that idea from?"

"From thy other mare." He answered as he pointed to Fruit Heart.

Bright Glow gave him a skeptical look as Fruit Heart gave him an absurd look.

"Wh-wh-what are you talking about? I never once said she poisoned the food."

"Thou didn't haft to. I brought that conclusion on my own. After all, why else would she ask thou to be here." He stated.

"Because we do this every week." Fruit Heart said.

"Yes and I serve us tea and freshly baked cookies ever week." Bright Glow added.

"And why do thou do this every week?" The changeling asked them both in what one might refer to as skeptically.

"Be-cause were friends and this is what friends do. Ya know, like hang and talk and gossip and stuff."

The changeling thought on this for a moment until the though struck him.

"Wait, mare, thou're not here because she forces thou to be here?" He asked Fruit Heart.

"Noooo." Fruit Heart replied, letting the 'no' drawl out. "I'm here because I want to be here, not because I'm being forced to."

"...oh." Was all the changeling simply replied as he rubbed the bottom of his jaw with his hoof. "Sooo...."

"..."

"..."

"Now what?" He asked neutrally.

"I...I think it's time ya left." Bright Glow said exhaustively. "I can't deal with this anymore. Can ya just leave now mr....actually, I don't believe I asked for ya name."

Fruit Heart audible gulped at that remark. She turned towards the pony (if he can be technically called that) who looked towards the other mare with his stoic expression and answered:

"I never intended for thou to know it." He replied simply. "I doth not say what didn't need to be said."

Though whether that was true could cause one to ponder for too long.

"i doth see, I mean, I see." Bright Glow said slowly (trying to understand what he meant) but stopped when she noticed the stallion was standing up and walking towards the door.

"Art thou coming?" The disguised (still, of course) changeling asked to Fruit Heart from behind his shoulder. "The mare doth said it is no longer necessary for us to belong here."

Fruit Heart turned to Bright Glow. "We should go." She said as she promptly, and rather quickly, walked towards the door.

"Ya, I think you should." She mumbled under her breath as they walked out. "And just for the record." She called out to them as they were already at the front door of the store. "My name is Bright Glow!"

The changeling was about to call back "No one doth care!" but decided that it would be best not to waste any more time there and left with Fruit Heart in tow.

They had left the store.

The pair managed to make their way back to the house without a problem. Nothing really noteworthy happened, and as such nothing will be written about it.

Moving on.

As the pair walked into the house, Fruit Heart first, the mare promptly shut the door behind the changeling after he walked in with a firm push. A rather too firm push, the changeling seemed to notice, as it slammed a bit too loudly then what he thought a door should sound like. Thou that wasn't the only thing he was concerned about, the other being, since they left the store, she hadn't said a single word to him, or even acted like he was there. While at first he thought he liked this idea of not being talked to, he soon found it to be...odd. Almost an unnatural thing. He couldn't bear it.

"Mare." He started as he turned back to his original form (thought there was still clothing wrapped around his behind), but she didn't respond instead deciding to walk away without even a glance. "Mare." He started again, but still no answer.

He hated the no answer.

"Why aren't thou answering me?" He asked her. This time Fruit Heart answered him by turning around and staring him deep in the eye. And I mean deep in the eye. The kind that made him thought.

Why doth I sense fear in me?

"Why? Why am I not talking to you?" Fruit Heart yelled angrily at him. "Because I'm just so...so...disappointed with you. That's why."

"...disappointed in me?"

"Yes. Disappointed. I had expected you to behave responsibly and act civilized, and instead you decided to insult my friend." Actually, what Fruit Heart said wasn't exactly the truth. She didn't really know what she expected the changeling to do, as she un-admittedly not thought that far ahead. But she did expect, or rather want, him to not blow his cover. She was at least grateful for that.

"But..." he found himself stammering, "I only did this to protect thou from her."

"But I didn't need protecting from her. Didn't you get that?"

"No. But I didn't know that at the time."

"Then why didn't you just ask?" She said exhaustively.

"Because...because..." He stammered once again, unable to think of an answer.

"Exactly." She finished, looking away from him before almost disappearing up the stairs.

"And take that blouse off of you." She called to him. "You look like a weakling." Then there was silence.

The changeling just stood there, in muteness, before diligently pulling the ugly looking blouse from his rear and absentmindedly threw it away somewhere. He sighed heavily.

What is with this mare? Namely, why doth she angry with me? All thy did was try to protect her from others. Others would hath been grateful for that.

He sighed once again, seating down on his rear.

Yet I feel in thy wrong. And not only that, why doth I keep questioning myself?

The changeling shook his head.

I feel so confused at me own thoughts, and I feel so confounded at why I shalt not have upset thy mare. This just...complexes me so much.

He looked up at the stairs.

Now I just feel like I shalt do nothing but wait. Wait for her...to give her some time on thy own...

This logic seems flawed. He thought But...it's thy logic that seems most appropriate right now.

No, I shalt wait.

And with that final thought, he, rather than walk up to see the mare in question and decided to stay downstairs for the time.

Author's Note

Sorry about the long wait but life's decided to be a bitch to me. Yes I said bitch. This fic is rated teen isn't it (I said sarcastically).

Chapter 10: Talk from a changeling

The changeling, still with no name (it will come up later I swear), was cautiously, or at least what he called cautiously, was marching up the stairs.

The last time he saw Fruit Heart was when she headed up the stairs of her home in a huff, angry at him. That was yesterday, and he hadn't seen her since. He didn't know why, but a part of him told him to stay where he was and give her time to herself. And he did just so. For the night he slept downstairs and woke up not even an hour ago.

Though when they returned yesterday it was around 4pm. Kinda left him bored for long while. And hungry.

But for now he didn't care about those things. He for now cared only for one thing and one thing only: giving that mare a piece of his mind.

He was annoyed. After she left to have time to gather her thoughts, the changeling essentially did the same. He thought about why he was so confused at himself. He didn't believe what he did yesterday was genuinely wrong, he did not see it himself, but a part of him, a nagging, annoying part right in the back of his mind told him he did something wrong. Something.

And he was now 90% sure that he hit the back of his head when he crashed into the ponies home.

But more importantly than that, he blamed all this on the mare. It was her fault he felt so bad about himself. It was her fault for allowing him to be brought along and meet a pony who forced food down his mouth. And it was her fault for leaving him downstairs and hungry without any knowledge on how food works.

And he was pissed.

So, after a nights rest on the couch, and a while for him to remember what specific words he was going to say to her, he walked up the stairs and made his way to the bedroom.

The changeling inhaled briefly as he brought his holed hoof, his brow furrowed and his breathing sharp, he knocked twice on the door and called out "Mare. Mare. Open thy door I doth need to speak to thou."

No answer. Buck that was annoying. More annoying as what he read yesterday.

Some time after Fruit Heart disappeared upstairs

The changeling was bored. Really bored. The kind of bored that leaves a pony (or changeling) too become curios of everything around them. Sitting on the couch, he glanced around, looking at the kind of things the earth pony kept in her home. A painting on the wall of a bowl of fruit. Two crates, or boxes, on top of a rug. A bookcase loaded with books. That garnered his interest. He remembered the bookcase almost toppling down on top of the mare, and his quick instincts and reflexes saved her from being crushed. "Damn mare" he said "should have just let her be crushed." Upon saying those words he started to rub the middle of his throat as a unknown pain found itself hitting that spot. "Huh. Saying that leaves my with a bad feeling in my throat."

Moving off the sofa and towards the bookcase, he examined the contents and read the covers. One certain titled caught his attention; as it read Ye Olde Loveth. Already gaining his attention, believing it spoke it's own language, the changeling took the book out and started to read it.

After a while of reading something he had no idea about why or what he is reading (yes he can read, and don't go calling it convenience he isn't an idiot, just ignorant) he put the book down and thought for a few seconds until he figured something.

"Hole on thy minute. Art thou telling me that in this pony culture Thy means your? Thy does not mean thy?"

He threw thew book away in anger.

"I doth feel lied to." He said solemnly.

Back to normal time

"Mare." The changeling almost shouted, annoyed due to lack of response.

Again, no answer.

"Oh screw thy then." He huffed before holding his hoof up and pressing to the door. "If thy art being stubborn, so shall I."

His body tensed as he was ready to slam the door open.

Then un-tensed for a brief few seconds to say "I mean 'Thou art being stubborn'. Stupid book confuse doth me." The last sentence he said rather quietly.

Using his might, the changeling threw the door open stomped into the room.

"Mare. Mare." He ordered her to answer, but ultimately stopped when he saw her not on the bed, or even awake, but instead lying on the floor, head resting on a pillow and her body turned away from the door.

"Mare." He called to her again. "I doth need to speak to thou." He said as he walked towards Fruit Heart.

"Art thou listening to me?" He asked her as he stopped just before her. Leaning over her, he pulled his hoof up over and around her chest area, and upon touching her he rolled her over so she was facing up.

And then he noticed she was sleeping. But that wasn't the only thing he noticed. He also noticed that was a wet area resonating from underneath her eyes, her skin damp.

She had been crying. And the changeling picked this up.

"Is she....doth she been crying?"

He sat down next to her. Sighing. It was then he noticed that by her side, laid out was picture frame. Pulling his hoof around he grabbed the picture and took a good look at it. In the picture he saw two ponies: one was a young earth pony foal, with a tan body and yellow mane; which he almost instantly recognized as a young Fruit Heart. Alongside the smiling foal was an older unicorn stallion, with white skin color. But the thing that stood out the most of him was that he was wearing golden armor: the same kind that the changeling remembered was worn by the guards that protected the city. This older pony...could he be...her father? She never said anything about thy before.

He stole a glance towards the sleeping mare beside her. I'm starting to feel terrible towards thou. Doth it be that stallion? Why? I doth not know anything about him.

He sighed sadly.

But thy oddly do.

He turned away from her. "Why, no matter, how angry thy am at thou, whenever I see you, thy can't stay mad. This doth not make any sense."

"But yet...thy...thy likes to have thou around." He turned back towards her, looking down at her calm face, listening to her slow breathing, and tentatively pulling a loose strand away from her closed eyelids and then proceeded to caress her damp cheeks with his hoof, doing so for a few moments mindlessly until he stopped and realized.

"And why art thy doing this?" He looked at his own hoof, the same he stroked her with. "Doing this feels so foreign...and yet so natural. Like it feels so right. This should not feel natural...but it does. It...does."

The changeling just sat there for a few minutes, doing nothing but sitting there and staring at her, reading her breaths.

"Thou art an odd one, art thou?" He said suddenly towards her. "Doth that be why I feel glad to see thou around? Or is it just other reasons I'm unsure of."

"Thou art not very intelligent either." He observed plainly. "Thou didn't even sleep in thy own bed. Thou have a perfectly good sleeping furniture right next to thou but thou instead opted to sleep on thy floor. Thou can be really dumb."

Shaking his head gently, the changeling, without uttering a single word, stepped over the still sleeping earth pony and moved to the bed, where he then grabbed the bed's sheet with his hoof and pulled it over itself, then turned around and, gently so as to not awaken the mare, as a part of him told him he shouldn't, and pushed his hoofs underneath her, pulling her up and placing her on the bed, then turning back round he grabbed the pillow the mare was previously resting on and put it under her head. After that he simple pulled the bed sheet back down on top of her.

After staring at her for a few seconds, feeling a sense of, what he could only call pride, though, he was sure there was more to it than that, he grabbed the picture that was sitting on the floor and placed it on the side drawer next to the bed.

After he was finished, the changeling, for the final time, stopped and took a long stare at her, then surprising to himself, smiled at her. and then said "Don't ever change, Fruit Heart. Thou art perfectly fine as thou are."

Turning away, the changeling started his walk out of the room, muttering Thou should not change for any under his breath, finding himself pretty fine with...practically everything there was to be OK with at the moment.

"Hmmm." Called out a slow sound which stopped him dead in his tracks. Turning round, the changeling saw the sleeping mare sleeping no more. Fruit Heart was sitting up from the bed, looking straight forward was half-open eyes. He watched her tentatively rub at her eyelids, mumbling to herself something inaudible before she stopped and looked down at her bed cover, then downwards towards the floor, on the spot where she slept last night on, then moved her eyes to see the changeling staring back at her. She looked back again to the sheet that covered back to the changeling, her not-fully-awakened mind processing what he'd done to her.

"Did you...?" She asked him as she held up the bed cover's, her half question making sense to him as he got what she asked him. The changeling briefly nodded his head to signal yes.

"Oh...OK thanks I guess." She said slowly, after the sounds of hoof steps filled the room as the changeling started to walk away.

"Wait." She said stopping him. He did just so as he stared, not for the first or probable last ever time, at her.

"Look," she started, her gaze unable to meet his own, "I...just wanted to say I shouldn't have yelled at you. I didn't think about your own reasons before my own. And, and I wanted to apologize for-"

"Don't." He suddenly interrupted her impassively. "Thou hath nothing to apologize for."

Fruit Heart said nothing in return, surprised at how truly considerate he was being to her, instead going for staring deep into his single, sole eye, then smiled down at him before getting off the bed. "Thank you." She said in reply.

Walking up to him she stopped as she was alongside him.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him kindly, giving him a honest smile. He nodded briefly.

"Would you like me to make you some soup?" He nodded again.

"Would you want the same kind I made you before?" Again he nodded.

"Well then." She began as started to walk out the room. "Come with me, I will make you some breakfast then." The changeling a second later in tow, trotting alongside her.

Never change, my dear mare Fruit Heart, never change.

Chapter 11: Working next to a changeling

After a quiet, and surprisingly not very awkward, breakfast the changeling, still (bucking) not properly given a name, decided to watch and follow the movements of the mare the may know as Fruit Heart.

Since that is her name.

I mean what else would you call her?

Anyway back to the subject at hoof, he watched her moved towards a door and open it, revealing a very, very small room, of which would what the ponies would call a closet. Peering inside, he say Fruit Heart pull out strange wooden board of some sort, and then another board this one about her length and width more or less, though this hard to 4 wheels on one side, and then after a few more miscellaneous objects on top, though these where colorful and looked to be made of paper, and lastly some rope. He continued to stare as she moved herself while carrying the objects on her back.

She made her way towards the three crates in the center (ish) of the room. There she placed her objects down on the ground and, with the wheeled-board facing down, lifted the three crates (in a move that surprised the changeling on her strong she actually was, just....sheesh. I mean she didn't do it without any effort, she still struggled slightly, and of course he had no idea what was really in those crates, so...) on to the board, then placed the rest of the objects on top. Straight after she pulled out the rope and tied the whole stuff neatly yet tightly around the crates and the board.

Finishing that, the mare turned around and stared back at the changeling watching her. "Mr. Changeling." She began. "I have work today. Would you like to accompany me?" She asked, smiling, armed with the knowledge that she knew her answer.

"Yes." He replied simply. She was right.

"Well then." She flashed him a smile. "Follow me."

As the changeling moved across the room, Fruit Heart started to tie a part of the loose rope around her own body. She then made her own way across the threshold and to the door.

"Oh wait-" she began, only to be cut off as sudden flash of green entered her eyes. Looking towards the source, she saw the changeling had now changed it shape into the practically all-black unicorn. Without uttering another sound, the changeling-turned-unicorn grabbed the blouse off the couch, the last place he left it, and wrapped it around his flank covering up the area where the cutie-mark should be on a normal pony. The changeling then stared back at the mare with his emotionless look.

"Oh...right then." She blurted out awkwardly. Well that was easy. Almost as if he read my mind. Wait can changelings do tha- no way that's just dumb. She stated inwardly before remembering why she is tied to some crates.

And no changelings can't do that. You've seen the two episodes you should expect that to not be the case.

"Let us be off then." She said with a smile as she opened the door.

Outside on the street

Our hero and heroine were walking down the street, the mare carrying the crates tied on her back with supposedly little effort; helped possibly by the fact is was being drawn on a wheeled board and because this was her profession: something that the changeling didn't bother to ask because, well, he just didn't think about it.

What did you expect, him wanting to know everything about female protagonist's life.

Your probably reading the wrong fanfic then.

The changeling, on the other hoof, was too busy searching the area, on his guard. Ever vigilant on protecting himself (and maybe...even Fruit Heart?) from whatever dangers may lurk in the city of the Princesses. Look whatever way possible, picking off ponies that could seem like possible threats was the only thing he was focused on right now. The only other thing he did was walk alongside Fruit Heart and glance at her to check she was alongside him as she herself was constantly glancing back towards the disguised changeling, worried for all the reasons you expect her to be considering her situation.

I seriously hope this isn't a bad idea. She thought as she took a quick glance at the changeling, who was busy staring at the other side of the road to acknowledge her existence.

As Fruit Heart was trying her best to look as conspicuous as normal, which may or may not be considered a hard thing to do since she was hauling three crates roped to her self connected to a wheeled board of which whatever name a pony would call this is lost towards her since she didn't call it anything over than a wheeled board, she found herself at her place of destination.

"Psst." She whispered towards the all-black stallion, her action causing the changeling to nearly jump in surprise as he was lost on focusing on other things, namely what had been said up above.

"What doth it be? Is there any problem?" He asked her in almost near worried tone, something neither the mare or the changeling himself picked up on.

"No. Were here." She replied as started to untie herself from the crates.

"Here?" He asked towards her.

"Yes." She said back simply. And it was then he started to realize where he was: looking around he saw a bunch of many other ponies of shape, sizes and colors setting up stalls with various goods, knickknacks and other things you would call something to sell to others.

"What doth this be of what thy see?" The 'stallion' said in confusion on what one can only guess is what the changeling passed for poetry. For whatever reason.

"Were at the Canterlot market. The finest place to find goods, appliances and all sorts of incredible items sold by the most experienced hard-working ponies in the land!" She said, no stated at him with a large grin.

That grin made the changeling feel very uncomfortable.

Luckily for him that grin didn't last long as the mare promptly turned around and started to pull and place down the all the crates on the side. The changeling watched in awe as the earth pony meticulously grabbed the almost forgotten other board from the pile and unfolded it, which as it turns out the other board was actually a folded up table. She then proceeded to grab the empty plastic things from the side and placed neatly around the fold-up table; three of them if you would count them. He then continued to watch Fruit Heart, sitting down quietly on the floor behind the table and watching with silence, as she opened the three crates, and to the disguised changelings surprise, insides were fruits: The largest crate contained a pile of green apples, the middle crate contained a heap of oranges and the smallest a small mass of banana's.

At least thy can see where thou got thou's nameth from. He remarked internally.

He continued in his watching of the pony of she neatly started place the fruit on top of the plastic things, him calling it plastic things because that's the only name he has for it, with the three different fruit being neatly stacked separately on top of the plastic things. Once they all were set up, Fruit Heart closed the lids on top of the crates, which the changeling glanced at were not completely empty yet (which he correctly guesses was because there was not enough space on top of the plastic things to hold all the fruit.)

A split second later he practically jumped as she shouted at the top of her lungs. "COME RIGHT UP AND GET THEM! APPLES, ORANGES AND BANANAS, ALL FOR ONE BIT EACH!"

So this is what thou do for a living. He thought in a deadpan manner Thou art a seller of fruits.

He watched as she sold two apples to a pegasus mare, talking to her in a sweet, calming voice, the kind he hears her normally talk with, until the pegasus flew off and seconds later she was back announcing as loud as she can the price of her fruits.

Thou I doth wish thou wouldn't do so as loud as physically as possible. Art thou trying to decimate thy eardrums?

A few undetermined because it doesn't really matter the exact length hours later

For the time spent starting when Fruit Heart first set up shop til now the changeling couldn't help but be surprised, and even admire, the effort she did in selling her fruits. And he doesn't just mean how she was able be as loud as she can for as long as she can for whatever reason he does not want to know, he means on how well she worked.

As the hours that had past the changeling watched her go about her business of selling her Fruits to all sorts of ponies; ranging from what some would call high noble unicorns to average-seeming earth ponies that appeared to be farmers. He watched her give simple exchanges, nothing more than a quick question of what the customer wants a quick transfer of goods to money and basic 'goodbye', to a full conversation with a single consumer that lasted longer than needed. The changeling, for some reason, was sure she never met any of those. The only times she had stopped either of these things was when she needed to pack more fruits on the table counter.

The changeling also admired how much energy and spirit she was able to put into something so mind-numbingly simple for so long. Tartarus, if he was in the same position he probably wouldn't be able to last 5 minutes, let alone how many hours it has been out here, in the dry hot sun...with no shade, and nothing to keep the mind preoccu-

"You OK?" Asked the sweet voice with raised the disguised changeling out of his near slumber. Looking at the source of the noise, he peered and saw Fruit Heart looking quizzically at him.

"You're not too bored are you?" She inquired warmly. He simply nodded back.

"Sorry about all this." She said as her smile faded slightly. "I still need to work and all. I hope you're aren't too tired or bored by anything."

"Why art thou apologizing?" The changeling questioned her, which surprised the mare a little. "Thy don't feel the least bit bothered by anything. We creatures have a high tolerance to doing nothing but standing guard for long periods of time."

Her smile came back. "Good to know. Here." She then handed him an apple, which he bit into curiously. "Something to fill your belly with." She chuckled.

After a few munches, he spoke out. "Tastes good." He said slowly.

"It should." Giving him her biggest smile yet. As he stared at her, he felt, what the common pony would name, flushed for some reason and looked away in embarrassment. Damn this pony, my face is starting to feel warm again. Thou and thou'r strange ways are something thy can never fathom.

Luckily for him, his hiding of his embarrassment was short lived as he, and every other pony in the market all turned around as the sounds of fanfares and long trumpet-like horns thing with small signature flags that everypony has seen but nopony knows what in Equestria they are called. As both the mare and the changeling turned to see what the commotion was, a whole, and probably well detailed, image was being set up as, walking along the pathway in between the market, an alabaster and seemingly very-royal male unicorn was trotting his highly self down the way as many ponies was seen ogling at the unicorn whose ego was any higher it would probably reach Cloudsdale.

Hopefully by now you would know which pony were talking about.

"Oh no. Not him again." The changeling heard Fruit Heart murmur under her breath. Looking up at her, and seeing her make, what one would call, a scrunching face, he, for whatever reason, decided to press on.

"What doth thou mean?" He asked her.

What even turning away, she answered: "That guy right here," she paused as she pointed her hoof at him, who was now 'impressing' (if you could call it that) all the pretty mares with his dazzling and charismatic ways, "Is the most pompous and self-centered pony ever in all of Canterlot. He thinks he's the center of the universe and everypony around bows down at his feet simply because he's a prince. Uhh, I've seen the way he really acts, I know what his true colors are like, how can anypony even think he's special in anyways?"

A prince! The changeling thought worriedly. But thy thought the rulers of this land were two princesses. However, his worries were quite quickly gone as he took one long glance at the pony in question.

"Thy see nothing special about this one." He said out loud.

"Exactly. That's the point I'm trying to make. He isn't special at all. Just a egotistical wannabe prince who cares solely for himself."

"In other words, he's a dick."

It was not a few seconds later that he heard her murmur; "Oh no, he's coming this way." She whispered quietly to herself, which was indeed true, as the pretentious pony was making his way down the walkway getting nearer and nearer her table, with an army of adoring fans kissing his backside (metaphorically of course, Faust be damned if that was true).

"Please don't...please don't" She pleaded in a low voice, wanting, wishing for that pony to pass straight by her table and miss her altogether, so she didn't have to spend even one second acknowledging the existence of....that!

If only.

"Excuse me ma'am, but could I perchance see what you are selling?" A voice called out. His voice. That voice.

OH BUCK! She mentally screamed out of frustration. BUCK BUCK BUCK BUCK BU-

"Good morning sir, how may I help you today?" She turned to him (and his bunch of 'adoring' fans, who were standing right behind him) in an almost heel-faced turn, giving the prince a fake-but-not-trying-to-be-fake smile.

This sent a shiver down the changeling spine as he saw her do this.

"And a good day to you madam." He replied back in his charming, charismatic voice of as every fangirl in Canterlot would call it. "May I see what you are selling here today?"

He doesn't know why, but the changeling (remember, still disguised) feels to be on his guard (well, more on his guard then he already is) for now.

"Well, I'm selling apples, oranges and banana's, all for 1 bit each." She said. Hopefully he'll just buy something and leave. She hoped.

He did not. Instead he decided to chuckle under his breathe.

"I don't see what's so funny." Fruit Heart said in confusion.

"Oh nothing much, I just can't help myself to laugh at seeing other ponies going about their silly day-to-day lives." He said with an unflattering smile.

The changeling glared at him in annoyance.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I mean no offence and all, but really this is how you would spend your days; selling some over-ripe fruit and making a few bits a day. What would your parents say if they found out this is your job. What would they do? Be disappointed I'm sure."

Do not let him get to you, I repeat, do not let him get to you. She mentally thought, trying to hold herself together, though it appears that it isn't having as much effect on herself as she wants, as the changeling, who was now staring at the mare, waiting for her to answer, saw the mare's eyes start to moisten and almost cry. But before she could shed a tear, a loud banging noise came from the side of the table, making her, and every pony in the vicinity, looking towards the changeling as he was standing up, one hoof struck solidly on the table, his single good eye giving off an icy stare that would fell everypony in the market if looks could kill.

He was angry.

No, he was pissed.

"Apologize." He simply said, looking at the alabaster stallion.

After taking a second to regain himself, Blueblood replied "I beg your pardon" in a tone that suggests that heard something he shouldn't hear.

The changeling took a single step towards him. "Thou hath heard me. Apologize to the mare right now."

"I shall do no such thing!" He retorted. The changeling took another step towards him.

"Thou shall!" He said loudly, taking another, final step towards him, now being inches apart from each other. Piercing his soul with his single good eye, he spoke in a low growl. "I doth not care what kind of royalty thou are, but thou do not, and I mean not ever insult this mare when thy art present." And as he was saying this, Fruit Heart, who was now trying to be silent because she actually (subconsciously) wanted to know what happens next, could see the prince was quaking in his hoofs.

"And-and what happens if I-I do?" He retorted back, which the changeling could see, even though he tried to act big and tough, was really weak-willed and spineless right now.

The perfect moment.

"Thou shalt see." He whispered in a low growl, giving off a teeth-y, almost psychotic grin. And in one swift motion, he reeled back his head and headbutted the prince to his own, as the action happened the white-skinned unicorn yelped in high-pitched pain as the force pushed his back as he trembled over the floor of the pathway, the audience around them gasping in disbelief as the noise of the headbutting resonated in the vicinity and the prince finally stopped on the pathway with a single 'oof'.

"Do thou hear me?!" The changeling unexpectedly hollow. Not thou, or anyone in this city are allowed to hurt the mare thou see behind me! If thou do... He stopped to, as he, and everypony in the general vicinity, held their breathe as the disguised changeling gave off a soul-piercing glare.

"Thou will hath do deal with thy." He said slowly, letting the words wring out at the tip of his tongue, his face contorting into a devilish grin as he stared deep into the hearts of the crowd, as they all; the prince, his 'fanclub', the other ponies who had silently gathered around them, and even Fruit Heart herself gawk and stared wide-eyed at him, unable to move due to fear.

"Run." Was all the changeling said, it was all the changeling needed to say, and everypony in the crowd, including the selfish prince himself, all shot off and screamed in horror as they all ran away in different directions, which ever direction they could run away fastest from, and in a matter of seconds the earth pony and the unnamed changeling were all alone, in the empty market street, save a few working ponies who just stared at the duo in a mixture of confusion and fear.

Smirking, pride filling him as he looked at the empty space in front of him, he turned around "There thou go mare," he said with his head held high, "do thou feel thankful for-"

*SLAP*

Not even trying to be sure what just happened, the changeling regained himself as he just witnessed Fruit Heart, the mare, the earth pony herself slapping the him without giving off a verbal warning or any kind of indication whatsoever. He didn't know why it happened, but he knew it just happened

With a fuel of anger hitting his veins, his shock turned immediately into anger. "ART THOU MAD!" He spat towards her. "WHY DID THOU JUST DARE TO-"

He stopped. He just realized the mare didn't even so much as flinch at his words. Daring to not continue, but not calm enough to let it pass, the black 'stallion' looked, looked hard at the mare's face, for any hint of reason of why she slapped him across the face.

There was none.

To be more precise, there wasn't any in her eyes, as he himself was unable to see them, as they were covered by her mane. The only distinguishable part of the mare's face was her mouth, which itself was impassive as it possible could be.

"Mare..." The stallion spoke softly, starting to feel, what one would call, worried, for her, and without giving him an answer, she slowly turned away silently, and went towards her work, which were now all packed away securely with rope and sitting on the wheeled board that she used. If one would have to guess, it seemed the earth pony packed her supplies and goods away when no one was paying attention to her and all attention was on the loud disguised changeling.

Tying the end of the rope around, the mare promptly turned down the pathway and left, not even acknowledging the existence of the changeling.

"Mare." He called to her again.

No answer.

"Mare." He repeated.

And no answer is once again repeated.

"Mare!" He called out loudly. Following the pony down the way, trying, but continuously failing to catch the mare's attention, who acted like he didn't exist.

This continued to happen until they got back home. Which happens after the break. Which is right now.

Author's Note

Naw, in fact, I'll save that for next. I kept you guys waiting long enough. See you next chapter, whenever I write it of course.

Chapter 12: Heart to heart with a changeling

And now, after the long awaited break:

"Mare!" The disguised changeling practically yelled at the mare as she still continued to ignore him, his existence practically gone from her absence, all the while from when they left the market to now, which is the pair standing at the door to the pony's house as she unlocked it and let herself in.

"Mare!" The male tried once again to get the female's attention, which she almost vehemently ignored as she stepped into her house, the boxes of fruit and stuff shuffling themselves in as they trailed behind the mare.

"Mare! For doth's sake." He called out again, unable to see the equine as the crates were blocking his view. Trying to sneak a peak at any openings that would be mildly funny if this was animated, he finally stopped until the door was free for access to any as the mare made her way into the middle of the room.

"Stop ignoring thy and listen to thy!" The changeling commanded Fruit Heart, but alas, no avail, as she continued to reject the changelings orders and instead unhooked herself from the crates when they were back in the original position a few chapters back, then, silently, walked over, and then pass, the irritated changeling until she got to the open door.

Then closed, locked it and turned.

The non-pony, seeing this as some sort of sign, dropped his disguise as his body blew up in green flames or something like that and changed his figure back into his natural form. Now looking at the mare with a changeling's frown instead of a stallions frown he said, but in a much less quieter version. "Mare. Talk to thy. Thou art being impossible."

"YOU THINK I AM BEING IMPOSSIBLE!" The mare suddenly yelled at him, the abrupt and rapid yell made the changeling flinch in surprise, and before he could compose himself Fruit Heart got right into the changelings face.

"You're the one who scared off all my customers! You're the one who screamed at a freaking prince of this city! You're the one who now may make it hard, no, impossible to work ever AGAIN!" She screamed right at his face.

The changeling could only gulp down in air as he stayed wide-eyed with his bug-eyes at the pony. Though he may not have known her for very long, he could have at least guessed that she wasn't the type to raise her voice at anything. She just seemed so gentle and fragile that she would run away from danger at the first sign of trouble. Angry was not a word he would ever have used to describe her. Better words he would used would be calm, caring, loving...

Shaking his head and regaining his composure from both the sudden outburst and the...bizarre words that filtered though his head. *ahem* He looked back at the frowned mare and started to stare her down with his own frown.

"This is the thanks I get for saving thou's flank? Thou should be thanking thy, not yelling at thy." He said back angrily at Fruit Heart.

"And who says I needed saving?" She retorted back.

"None, but that didn't stop thy from doing it!"

"But why? Why did you do it? The prince was annoying, yes, but that I never asked for any help. I could have handle this on my own. I didn't need it. So why did you do it?"

"BECAUSE THY WANTED TO PROTECT THOU! ALRIGHT! THAT IS WHY!" He bellowed at her, his breathing loud and strong as he was trying to calm his exhaling and inhaling. "I..." he started, his tone more neutral and his composer returning. "Thy acted on instinct. Thu do not know why, but seeing that stallion hurt thou made thy annoyed. Thy wanted him to leave and make amends for his harsh words to thou." He finished.

Fruit Heart just stared at the changeling, half in shock, the other half in guilt. "I wasn't really hurt by his words. just upset a little." She said slowly.

"That doth not make it any better, though." He replied stoically.

Sighing to herself, Fruit Heart looked at him right in his eyes-er eye. "Thanks." She replied simply, before turning around. "And sorry." She said over her shoulder as she walked seamlessly into the kitchen.

Not deciding to follow, he just sat there in what could been seen as victory. And yet, he didn't feel any better. If anything he felt worse for practically screaming at her. It......just wasn't a victory at all. It felt bitter to him. Wrong. Even being apologized to didn't help at all, as these thoughts became muddled in his head.

Shaking his head, he decided to do the one thing his mind wanted him to do; talk to the mare in question.

Standing up and walking to the kitchen, he noticed the mare was not there, instead he looked more forward, to find a large glass sliding door, which is open I almost forgot to add, with a certain mare sitting down on what could be seen as a very small garden: covering only the width of the double patio doors, and barely that long, the sides of the garden were blocked by a simplistic, brown colored picket fence, a small array of various flowers twisted alongside it, and short, cut grass all in the middle. Right in the middle, however, the pony was looking down, he face unreadable due it being covered in hair in the changelings line of sight, at what appeared an arc-shaped slab of rock...a small gravestone?

Walking up to the open door, the changeling silently walked out of the door and sat next to the pony. Looking out, he noticed that this was garden was what is known to the the ponies as a balcony. Taking a look down, he noticed a row of house are underneath him, as if Fruit Heart's home, and the rest of the houses on her street where on a cliff face or something along those lines. In fact, all along the bottom of the cliff-face-street where nothing but houses. Taking a look left and right, he saw that only a few other homes had balcony's too, though none too near his position.

Looking back at the mare, he noticed how melancholy she is; her body downcast, her face unreadable, and her eyes fixed on the slab of rock centimeters away from face. A slight bit of tears can be seen on her eye if you look hard enough. It was then he noticed leaning on the stone was a rectangle piece of parchment, better known as a photograph.

Trying not to disturb the mare, the changeling, without making a noise, leaned his head nearer to get a better look at the photo. He felt his neck crane a bit as he squinted at the image by the rock.

Before he had to move his whole body to get a better look at the photo, he almost jumped back in surprise as the photograph floated towards him mysteriously. Quickly recovering from that, with a cough or two probably, he saw that Fruit Heart was handing the photo to him with her left hoof, he face had not changed the slightest, however.

"Here." She said in a tone that could almost be called a whisper. Taking the paper without a second word, of a first word for that matter, he examined. In it, he noticed on it where three smiling ponies looking dead at him. His curiosity heightened even more. On the left was a mare, a pegasus to be exact, with a grey coat, a light yellow long hair caught in a bun and a pair of red thin-skimmed glasses. She appeared to be smiling, if only slightly. In the middle, stood a young pony, and earth filly to be exact, with a cheerful disposition, with a similar light brown coat and an off-yellow mane, practically like-

Doth this be thou Fruit Heart in her younger days? He thought to himself, know wondering why the mare had shown this picture to him. He noticed how cute and innocent she looked back then. Actually she still looks cute right now.

Trying to keep that thought away from his mind with a Why doth I keep thinking about that mare like this? He said to himself he glanced down back at the picture in his holy hoof. And then it came to him: If this be an image of a younger mare...then the one on the left must doth be. *click* her birthmother.

So...that should mean that the one her right should be And he was right in what he had thought, and his eyes could not get any more wider.

On the smaller pony's left (the changelings right, don't forget) was indeed a stallion but not one he would have expected to be. The stallion was a of purest white, his body almost shining, with a mane of various blue. No horn was seen on his head or any wings on his back, so he guessed he was an earth pony. But these are not what made his eyes bulge; what did was the glistening plates of seaming gold strapped to him, the metal grasped around his hard, lining his mane into a mohawk as his hooves were surround by more hardened mineral. His eyes have these this ensemble before, not too long ago in fact, not long before he met Fruit Heart, it was the official garments of a

Soldier?! Her father is a-

"Canterlot Guard." Fruit Heart interrupted his thought. Looking up, his eyes met hers, her solemn not lessened even a little bit. Her figure betraying her sudden perceptive mind.

She turned her head away from him and turned back to the rock. Being silent for a few awkward seconds, she spoke up again, as she slightly petted the stone.

"This isn't his real gravestone." The changeling cocked his head in actual interest. "His real grave is in an actual cemetery set up solely for guards. This is just a fake gravestone." Looking at the now rather noticeably small gravestone, he can see the words written:

Raven Shield

ANM 965-993

Looking back at her, he decided to speak exactly what was on his mind; "What doth happened to him? If thou...don't mind saying."

Turning her head back to him, she replied "Died on field, I've been told." The changeling cocked his head again. "I don't know much else, before you ask. That's what me and my mother was told. *sigh* That was all we were told." She said somberly. "I just....they never said what by...who by....even how by...they just, turned up one day at our home with the equestrian flag wrapped up underneath his four sabaton's and just...laid they information on to me and my mum. Didn't even give us a second to brace ourselves or anything. They just said that and left."

She carried on slowly. "I was just a filly back then. Yet the memory still feels fresh in my mind. Can you imagine if one day you found out one of your parents just died then and there?" She asked him.

The changeling couldn't properly respond to that. Sure he, like every other changeling in the colony, was the child of Queen Chrysalis herself, she being the literal mother of the swarm. But again, she was the queen, and acted more like their commander most of the time as opposed to an mother, and they her soldiers instead of a child, but still. His father, like, also, every other changeling in the swarm, knew not who the father is. Or even was. He never heard of the changeling queen having a king, or even something so little as a consort. He sometimes thought there never was king in the first place; but then why is he male then? Such questions he had to leave out of his mind, and concentrate back on to the question the pony had asked him.

He shook his head, but then asked "But what about thou birthmother? I see no grave for her."

Giving him a questionable look, but didn't bother to notice herself, she replied "She's still alive actually." She said lightly, the changeling moving his head nearer to get a better listen. "She doesn't ive here though. She lives in Cloudsdale, being a pegasus and all, working in the weather district. Something to do with paperwork more than actual special work, that's what I know of."

"She doesn't come round much, really. Too busy.

At least, that's what I hope of."

An awkward silence filled the air as she looked back down at the gravestone. The changeling placing the picture, which for all intensive purposes was still in his hoof and he had forgotten all about it for a minute or two, he laid it back against the rock, Fruit Heart giving out a sniffle as she barely even noticed it being placed down.

Then the changeling said something that surprised both of them.

"Doth thou hate thy?"

"..wh...what?" Fruit Heart replied, uncertain of what he just said.

"Doth thou...hate...me?" Almost spitting out the last word in a non-hateful manner.

Slowly she shook her head. "I don't hate you." She said honestly. "I....really, I don't think I ever can hate you."

"Yet, thou art a member of thee Empire. I was an enemy of thee Empire. Even thou father was a soldier of thee Empire. Thus, thou should hate thy. I doth not understand why thou do't hate me now, even when thy had made thou upset. Thou still say you don't hate me? I don't see."

Fruit Heart couldn't help but suppress a small giggle. "You don't understand ponies at all, do you?"

"Thy understand enough to carry out thy missions." He said back.

"But not enough to understand their feelings."

The changeling couldn't reply to that.

I should have thought as such. "Listen...changeling, ponies don't tend to think that way. They don't see the world as black and white, they see it as many colors and shades. They see good. They see bad. But they also see in-between. They don't hate something, or even somebody, without a good reason. At least those who are respectable don't."

"What I'm trying to get at here is that I don't hate you. I've never hated you. Even with the invasion, I still never gave myself a reason to hate you specifically. I didn't know what you had done yourself. I don't even know your own name, let alone all the things you had done that can be considered evil."

The changeling took a few moments to process what she had said. Each line made him think more and more, not just in ponies as a whole, but largely to the mare in question. He finally spoke after too much time.

"Thou art a wise and true creature, Fruit Heart, too wise too be talking to thy."

Fruit Heart couldn't help but hide her blush, looking both down and away. "You...didn't have to put it like that."

"And to illiterate, thy doth not have a name."

Fruit Heart looked back up to him in astonishment. "What do others call you then? They must refer to you as something."

"Other changelings in thy storm refer to each other in the giving numbers we are assigned from birth. If one of us dies, the next born changeling is given that number."

"For example, thy's name would be number 69." He said proudly.

Fruit Heart tried her best not to laugh. Her hoof covered her mouth as to not let a peep go out, her cheeks swelling to comical levels so as not to offend the changeling. Her eyes dared to pop out of their sockets. Her blush and redder than ever.

"What doth be wrong." He said in a rare innocent tone.

"Nothing nothing!" She said quickly, dismissing him with a wave. "It's just..."

"Just..." He repeated

"Just...not used to hearing a pony, or any other talking animal, refer to themselves with a number not a name."

"Like thy said, I hath not need for a name. Doth thou think thy need a name?"

"Well...all ponies have a name. Why don't I give one to you then?"

"What name should though give thy then...wait what name did thou call thy before." He said in thought.

"What Scarface?" The changeling immediately held up his hoof. "From now on, thy shalt be referred to in future reference to as Scarface."

Didn't I call it a ridiculous name She shrugged off this thought.

"It seems to suite you though." She said to him. He nodded in return, before saying something.

"So...thou, really don't hate thy? Not even a little bit?"

In response, the mare turned her body around to face him, before leaning forward to wrap her hooves around his midsection, as she rested her head on his shoulder, the male's body going rigid as he felt his first hug ever!

It felt...right. Like...right.

Moving her head off of him and letting loose her hooves a little bit, an action that the changeling seemed to dislike, she faced him as his head was inches from her own. "I don't hate you at all, not even a little bit."

The changeling breathed in slowly as his voice, no, his mind said to her "Thou art a wonderful mare, Fruit Heart." His brain becoming aware of he fact her body starting shifting forward slowly, her face coming closer to his own as her eyes start to shut and her mouth start to lid open, his body telling him to move away but his mind said to stay as it even said to move himself more forward to meet her own as suddenly-

She kissed him.

His mind exploded at the touch as he felt love, actual, true delicious, consuming, all powerful love inject itself into him. This was not the like any love he felt before. This had no venom, no malice, no hate deluding the taste to what it should be. This was pure, non-distilled, tasteful incredible love. The kind he never knew existed, the kind he never wanted to stop existing. And it was all...coming from her. He wrapped his holed hooves around her midsection, his body leaning into hers, his eye closing as well.

He kissed back

Author's Note

Unedited. No guess why.

If there's any mistakes, don't hesitate to say. Will fix immediately.

Chapter 13: Chains for a changeling

Fruit Heart opened her eyes slowly as sunlight hit her eyes for the first time that day as the sun rays shined through the curtains of her window hit at the right aim to wake her up from her peaceful and relaxing slumber.

But her body immediately jumped up from her bed as the sound of crashing and yelling, and smashing from the not-too-far-off as her mouth gasped in surprise, from the noise that would have woken her up if she wasn't awake a literal few seconds earlier.

Trying to get a hold of herself quickly, she turned her body to her left to see if the changeling , now appropriately named Scarface as, even though he wouldn't understand general knowledge references, was not sleeping by her side and instead not even awake in her room.

Oh wait, you're wondering why the changeling is sleeping in her bed. Or even better, what happened previously. In truth: nothing really too special.

Yeah. Too summarize; after the kiss they both shared, and separated while gazing into each others eyes, and after a few moments of that, the mare soon realized the sun was being pulled down and the princess of the night was getting ready for her shift, she decided it was time to go to bed, as she already felt sleepy, or better exhausted from the day. Separating herself from the male, she walked off to her bedroom, the changeling following shortly behind until she realized he stopped to go to his own bed: the one on the couch.

But the mare stopped him. Instead, she asked, with a prominent blush, to share her own bed with him, as it would be comfier. He agreed. And they slept along side each other. No, nothing sexual happened they just...slept. They must have been really exhausting.

And after that, we cut back to our mare trying to wipe that horrid dust from her eyes, as she looked around her room for any indication that where he is. Nothing.

Another crash can be heard outside, the yelling louder this time.

"Chang- I mean, Scarface!" She called out to him as lifted herself off the bed and onto the ground. But again nothing. She made her way to the door until she stopped when the noise outside became more audible. She could hear, yells, screams, shouts, grunts and what sounded like metal chains being thrown around everywhere, but what really caught her attention was a loud, in-pony like snarl: a snarl she quickly recognized.

Gasping in disbelief at what could be, she quickly sprang out the door of her room, and down to the front door of her home, as her mind could only focus on one thing. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her front door open, not lightly opened though, as if some pony walked in, more like almost thrown off it's hinges, as if a Minotaur smashed in. The outside sounds were getting louder.

Focusing on hoof, she quickly dashed through her broken door, in (oddly somewhat) hopes too find both what the Faust this noise is and where is her changeling. Her eyes only focusing on the outside, seemingly obscured by a convenient light, and after running through the open door her body slammed down onto the hard floor of the street, her legs going stiff and scraping on the ground, pain, though slight, not registered in her brain as she gazed upon a scene she wished she never saw.

The changeling, HER changeling, was grunted and yelling in pain, as four metal restraints with chains attached were wrapped around, trying to pin him to the ground, or at least keep him one place, each one tethered by a unicorn Canterlot guard securing him in place, their magic grasping at the end of their chains as each stood a few meters away. All their eyes fixated on the mad changeling in between them all snarling furiously at them to be free.

All around civilians of the city gathered to watch the forces try to take prisoner the changeling; some gasped in surprise, some roared out in hate, a few even fainted from what they saw, but the pony that stood out among them all was none other than the white-shaded, blue-maned unicorn captain now known all the citizens of Canterlot as Shining Armor, staring down the black creature with fierce hatred.

The changeling's screams of anger and pain echoed through the street as it relentlessly tried to force himself out of the chains the bind him, but his efforts are futile as the soldiers finally managed to pin him to ground, the resounding 'thump' garnered a small cheer from the citizens as the pitiful creature did nothing but cry out in agony as it finally lost this one-sided fight.

Fruit Heart could not take any more as she felt her eyes stung with tears and her body quivered at seeing such a...a...a disgusting site, the cheers at the guards and the hate yelled at him made it evermore worse, she did the first thing that popped into her head

"STTTTTTOOOPPP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs at the soldiers, the captain, even the other ponies themselves as every living creature in the vicinity stopped moving, stopped talking, even stopped breathing, if just for a second, as all eyes aimed directly at the screaming mare, the changeling especially as it opened it's one good eye slowly to peek at her, his body not moving one bit.

"I said stop this now!" She screamed again, this time knocking the Captain out of his trance and his mind going back to where it should be; his protective nature kicking in.

"Oh Ms." Shining Armor said gently as he slowly made his way towards her. "Are you alright? This creature didn't hurt you in any way, did it?" Some malice obvious in his tone. "Don't you worry, we will make sure this thing won't touch you again." These words were enough for her to drive her over the edge from sadness to flat out anger!

"It! THING!?" She bellowed straight to his face, the action causing him to step back and yelp in shock. "Ma-madam I-" He tried to ask but got cut off before he could continue. "IT has a name. IT is a he, and HE is in PAIN!" She screamed at him, not a noise being made by anyone else, the ponies all too engrossed in in what was going on right in front of them to even dare make a sound as all eyes where on the single mare, the changeling especially.

Fruit Heart...

"Release him." She said as simply and calmly as she could.

"Ex...cuse me?"

"I said release him." She repeated. "Now."

Shining Armor finally found the soldier side come back to him right then and there. "Did you just ask me to release this creature." His face frowning in disbelief, his eyebrows furrowed and his speech becoming dead serious.

"I did not ask you, I am telling you, RELEASE HIM NOW!" Almost immediately after saying that did Shining Armor release a small beam of magic to onto the earth pony, as a spell of restraints formed around her chest and pinned her to the ground in a rather similarly shown manner earlier.

"Ms, I ask you not to speak such idiotic things towards us." His voice stern. "Do you have any idea what these things are! They're soul-sucking, rampart monsters of malice who's only existence is to cause a hindrance and dismay towards the honest ponies you see before you."

But Fruit Heart was having none of that. "Do you believe that, or do you just hate the fact they ruined your precious wedding." She spoke softly yet harshly, not even bothering to look him in the eyes. A few ponies in the crowd gasped at her remark.

Almost instantly did the captain use his magic to lift her off the ground and pull her to his height, his face mere centimeters from her own. "I speak of you to NEVER say ill of my marriage."

Fruit Heart just spat at the ground before him."I shall repeat myself, and this time with some kindness; please, release the changeling now." Without saying a word, Shining Armor dropped the pony on the ground and turned away; speaking out loud: "People of Canterlot, do you believe what this pony is asking me should come true." Immediately many, if not all, of the citizens called out 'no'.

"My point exactly." He said without a smirk, turning away and walking towards the changeling.

"Throw him in the dungeon!" An unknown voice rang out from the crowd, followed by a shoe being throwing and hitting the lying changeling dead center, small huff of pain from his mouth.

"Yeah, lock him up and throw away the key!" Another voice yelled as another object found itself being flung at him. More and more yells and shouts began being thrown up by the crowd as more and more miscellaneous stuff began being launched towards the pitiful creature, it just lying down and taking it's punishment, no noise, no rebuffs coming out from him. Just his body showing his single existence.

The voices got louder and louder as the guards themselves started to worry that the crowd was becoming a little too violent to properly handle. "Ponies ponies. I ask of you to calm yourselves down." The captain called out but to no avail, the civilians becoming an almost a full on riot.

"Calm down!" He said louder, the bellows of the crowd drowning out his voice.

"I'M TELLING YOU ALL TO CEASE THIS RIOT RIGHT NO-" But before he could finish he felt himself being pushed to the ground and away, as, momentarily forgetting the mare from a few seconds ago, Fruit Heart sprang up from where she was and sprinted straight towards the changeling, ignoring the flying objects, the calls, the shouts from the crowd before literally throwing herself at him, covering the top of his body her own, which managed to get the changeling to look up at her, his face one of surprise, all gashes on his own head, or the rest of the body, being ignored , as his single eye met her two own. "Sorry for making you go through all this." She whispered to him as she does her best to protect the male with her own body, the yells of the crowds becoming nothing but murmurs as the words stung to him. All that she has done to him, and the little he honestly gave back.

You shouldn't have to go through this.

Those words hurt.

They hurt more than any blade or blunt weapon could.

He couldn't take any more.

And in one fell sweep, he didn't something that caught off guard everypony. In one quick motion, one that could only have happened with the guards grip now loose, he pulled himself up and used his hoof to move the mare on top of him to underneath him, pushing his own body over her to surround her with himself, tensed his own muscles all around his body and then, will a large mighty roar, he yelled out with all of his breath:

QUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEIIIIIIITTTTTTT TTTHHHOOOOUUU SSSSCCCCUUUUMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a single soul made a noise, nor a whisper, nor a movement, as all eyes, Fruit Heart included, look up at at the screaming changeling, his breathing long and ragged. His single eye filled with hatred and confidence. And before any others could speak again he let out.

"Thou shalt hate thy, condemn thy, kill thy, but don't thou EVER hurt the mare that lies beneath, or thou shalt suffer a wrath greater than anything Tarturas has between it's gates! I swear it!"

No one, not even the captain of guard, dared to speak. It's possible to hear a bit drop. "Art thou alright?" He asked Fruit Heart, in a calm, almost monotone voice, his stance and bearing not moving even slightly.

"Ye...yes I'm alright thanks. It's you I'm worried about. Aren't you hurt?" She replied back.

"Fine." He said simply "Just fine."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

As they mare and the changeling were exchanging words, the captain had found the strength he needed to command his soldiers.

"Guards!" And in a flash the 4 Canterlot soldiers immediately brought back their grip on the changeling, the chains tenses around him but he didn't move a muscle.

"I will see to your imprisonment personally for this." Shining Armor said under his breath as he aimed his horn at him, ready to shoot when necessary.

"Said one who needs four lackeys to hold one single changeling down." He spat back with a smug face. "Couldn't handle thy myself, it seems. Thy thought thou were a captain, not a squire." An air of hostility ran between the two. But before they could exchange any more blows of the spoken variety, a new voice rang out of the crowd. One that commanded peace, loyalty, respect and complete servitude, but one with no venom, malice or even hate filled her tongue. One that all the ponies recognized, Shining Armor more so than any others.

"I ask all of you, my ponies, to stand down and back away, I shall deal with this myself."

In a flash, all the ponies, all of them, gasped in disbelief as they saw the one and only riser of the sun walk through the crowd, her benevolence shining down as she calmly made her way through the crowd, her face unreadable as the civilians all backed away and made room for the Princess of the sun to walk to the front of the crowd and by the side of the scene.

"Princess!" Shining Armor called as he saluted Celestia. The other four guards doing the same, but the magic the held did not waver. Without speaking another word, the Princess swayed her eyes from the captain, though not before acknowledging his salute, and onto the the changeling, whose single eye did not dare to show hate towards, but he still kept on the defensive and his stature of defending the mare did not deteriorate, not sure what the alicorn was going to do now that she is mere meters (or feet, or...hooves) away from Fruit Heart.

"Shining Armor." She said as her eyes returned to the stallion, the captain tenses as she spoke.

"We shall leave and meet in my throne room." And with that, before he could reply, before anypony could breathe out, the Princess horn glowed and she, the captain, the changeling, and the mare underneath the changeling disappeared in a flash of light and teleported away, leaving the crowd and guards stunned in confusion, as if there existence was never even there to begin with, the only exception being the chains and the restraints clattered to the ground as soon as the changeling vanished.

A few tense seconds passed as all the ponies tried to gather the information what just transpired, and a sole single unknown pony from the crowd said out loud.

"Well that just happened."

In the setting known to as selected few, or by any, and probably every, soldier of Canterlot, as the throne room of the Princesses, two guards sat diligently by the throne itself, faces stoic and solid as they awaited the presence of the bearer of sun. Well armed, well trained, and well prepared for any adversary that dares to cross their path.

A second later, a bright flash of teleportation magic appeared in the middle of the room, causing one of the guards to let out the highest, most girliest shriek!!!!! to ever come out of any stallions mouth.

Said stallion then covered it own muzzle in embarrassment, as the other soldier gave him a look that could only be described as 'what-the-buck-dude'.

The Princess, the Captain, the Changeling, and the mare, still underneath the changeling. appeared in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia expression did not change as she stood tall and proud among the other ponies. The captain had a look of confusion. The mare just laid where she was, unsure of how to react, and the changeling...

he just started frantically moving his head at every possible angle he eye bulging as he just got hit with a metaphorical disorientation ray. He had never thought he would ever be teleported ever in his life, largely because he'd never even heard of it.

"Don't worry, small changeling, most ponies themselves tend to react the same way when they've been teleported for the same time, especially when they didn't expect it to happen as well." The soothing tone of the smiling Celestia rang out directed to the changeling, which oddly enough seemed to actually calm him down, even if just a little.

Turning her head round to the two other guards guarding the throne she said to them "I wish to be alone with these three. Would you mind leaving for a while until we get this mess sorted out?" The two guards immediately sprang through door, knowing it was not best to question the princess with a tone the same as she bears now.

"I can't believe the squealed like that." On of the soldiers said to the other as they headed to the door.

"Gimme a break it's my first day guarding the throne. How was I to know this a was a common thing that happened." The other replied as they shut the door behind them, leaving the room silent with the set of four mismatched beings in the room as neither the changeling, mare or captain decided to speak. The princess then turned around, heading to her throne seat.

"Do not think," the words made the changeling turn his head to the speaker; Shining Armor's eyes met his though neither his body or his gaze seemed to face him, "this is our Princess is going to let you go free. She is here to deal with you personally, and I shall see to your exile first and fur most."

But before the changeling could answer back with a look of fear in his face, he, and the other two ponies, faced back into the direction of the throne, as the noise of her sitting on her throne vibrated throughout the room.

"Now to start off: Fruit Heart?"

The mare immediately got up form underneath the changeling, and in a flash stood straight up and tensed at having the ruler of the land judge her for any misdeeds. Her mind unready, and her body like it was going to break at any moment as the Princesses eyes seemed to burrow deep into the soul.

"You can relax, you are not in any trouble."

...And only one word uttered out of her reply.

"I'm sorry what."

"I said you need to relax, you are not in a trouble. Please, my subject, you have no need to be tense around me." Celestia seemed to smile a bit

Fruit Heart looked backwards to her changeling with a confused glance, who only returned it with a equal look. Celestia's own look was one of understanding.

"Now, Shining Armor, captain of my own guard." She turned to the stallion in question, but her smiled vanished, and turned to own of a stern visage.

"Ma'am!" The stallion saluted her.

"I am disappointed in your actions." Shining Armor's jaw almost hit the floor. Almost.

"Ma...am"

"Really now. I can see why you would want him removed from this city, even this country,

But did you really have to act this way on a pony you are supposed to protect, simply for helping out a hurt creature?!"

"But, your Princess-"

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" Her voice bellowed, the words stung to him. Fruit Heart and the changeling felt scared, even with her voice not directed at them.

"I am upset at how badly you handled the situation, yes, I know you start didn't the riot, and neither did you encourage it, but that's not what I am focused on. Do you really think you can treat a citizen as lowly as what you've done just because she hated to see a creature get hurt. A changeling it may be, and it's might seem as savage as you may think it to be, but a creature under my sun it still is, and I will not allow one to be treated as scum under my reign."

All Shining did was gulp.

"Only I shall decide the real treatment for it. Not you." If looks could kill Shining would already be six feet under. "It is your job to bring it to me, and to make sure my citizens don't get involved with this problem when possible. You have failed both of these."

The captain looked down at hooves with disgust with himself.

"Now I want you to leave us, AND you must write a 50 page review on what you did wrong, what you should have done and what you will do in the future. No off with you." She finished as she waved to the door.

"Ye-yes your highness." He said as he practically ran out of the door, his figure low and barely seems if he is looking forward. The door closed and left the room silent.

"I apologize for what my captain had done to both of you." Celestia said as she turned to the two others. "I had hopped that Shining Armor would try and control himself if he ever saw another changeling again, it would seem I was wrong." Sadness dripped in her voice.

"However, like I said only I will decide what will happen to both of you, one for being a being that was part of an invasion of my city, the other for harboring such being." These word made both of the other two fell fearful of what would happen to them both.

And a certain mare decided to speak up "Does...does this mean-" but she stopped when Celestia held up her hoof.

"No. And before I make my decision, I would need you to do one thing for me." They both listened in, the silent changeling and the market-seller mare perked their ears up and what she was going to say.

"I need you to tell me your story."

And if you can guess, yes, you are just as confused as the changeling and the earth pony are.

"Please, I want you to tell me how your relationship came to be. For me to make a fair judgement of you two, I would need to know what it is you two have been doing"

And you wanna know something, that's what they did. Both the mare, and changeling in certain parts himself, explained the events of them both. They explained to her from the beginning of how the two met and, unintentionally, how there relationship developed, from finding the changeling, to healing him, to cleaning, to (sort of) have him befriend another pony. The relaid their circumstances to each other, some parts said by the mare, others by the changeling, of which only he could know about. To the changeling, it was strange, here he was, talking about his recent past to the single most powerful pony that possibly lives and yet, the more he talked, the less scared he become.

Course they both left out the part when they kissed. Neither felt brave enough to say that to the Princess, one because its too embarrassing, the other for...probably the same reason.

When the two finally finished there talk, he felt relieved of all things to let out his emotions, and even a little bit of his pain, to both the mare who helped him through his short journey and the alicorn who will decide his fate. And he finished with one sentence:

"Princess, thy ask of thee, take thy life all thou want, but please, spare the pony. She hath done nothing wrong."

"Scarface..." Fruit Heart said under breath.

And then the Princess let out a small giggle, ruining the heartwarming scene somewhat. "You have no reason to worry" Princess Celestia began as started to walk towards the two beings "I am not going to send you to jail. I won't even exile you, In fact-" In an instant she grabbed the changeling round with her hoof and pulled him into a hug as she rested her rump on the floor. His cheek rested against her chest as her wings enveloped his presence. The mare stood wide-eyed at what the alicorn just did, the changeling even more so as he felt all suffering and pain from himself just disappear. Then he did something he hadn't done in such a long time.

He cried.

"-I am going to set you free." She said gently as she softly rubbed his back as he quietly balled his eye out.

"Prin...cess." Fruit Heart said as she watched the scene before her. "What...might you mean?"

"It means, if both you and he so wishes, I will allow him to stay here in Canterlot, if alongside with you." Fruit Heart could believe the happiness she felt right at this moment, as if a great weight was lifted from her back. "I see now he is no real danger to any pony really. Despite what he may seem, he is no threat to anypony, and wouldn't dare actively attack anypony else without a good reason." Fruit Heart cracked a smile.

"Of course, I would have allowed him to be sent back to his own hive if he wanted to but, there are many factors in that plan that I cannot allow to happen, the biggest of them all being that he cares a lot about you then he seems. I know he does not ever want to leave, right?" She said as she looked down at the changeling.

"Thy," he sniffled as he back away from the alicorn and looked her in the eyes, "thy hath no idea where thy own hive is now."

"Long gone, I'm afraid." She said solemnly. "The spell that was used to be rid of the invasion was powerful enough to send them all far away from any civilization under my and my sisters reign. I doubt they are ever returning any time soon. So, unfortunately I cannot get you back to them even if I wanted to."

The changeling wiped away a tear, before turning to look at Fruit Heart then looked back. "Thy'd much rather stay here to protect thou mare then try to find thy hive. I hath no idea if they art still alive or not. I hath feared the worst not too long after the separation. If thou would allow, thy would like to stay alongside the mare for the rest of thy days." He said openly. Almost immediately the changeling felt Fruit Heart wrap her hooves around him in a hug and she smiled with closed eyes.

I don't have to be Cadence to see the love both of these two have for each other.

"Of course. Though I am afraid of how my ponies would react to seeing a changeling in the city." As she said the changeling transformed into his stallion form. "I doth not mind spending the rest of thy life in this form, so long as the mare-Fruit Heart is next to me." He smiled at the pony hugging, who smiled back even more. He then changed back into his regular form.

"If that is what both of you wish, then changeling." The last word she said with authority in her tone. "By the powers that I grant, from now on you are a citizen of this land and a pony under my eternal watch. I will see to it that you are from now on one of my children. Just a small amount of paperwork to do and it shall be done."

They both smiled widely at her as they rushed forward to embrace her in a hug."Now first order of decree, you would need a befitting name. 'Scarface' doesn't exactly roll of the tongue does it?" The couple looked confused at each other. Then the mare smiled. "How about...Kindred Spirit then." She thought to him.

"Thy art fine with name." He replied back then.

Princess Celestia rose up."Very well then, 'Kindred Spirit', as of now, you are now a pony of Canterlot. May you both have luck in your life's journey together. You may now go back home, if you shall see fit. I will have one of my guards send you both off home if you do." They both nodded, as Kindred Spirit transformed into his stallion form,

"Thank you/thou so much Princess." They both said in union as they made there way to the door.

"Oh and one more thing." Celestia called out as they both reached the door.

"Changeling, the old dialect of thy actually means your, not I. It appears you have been pronouncing it wrong all this time." She said with a smirk.

Kindred Spirit only gawked at the Princess.

"I doth feel lied to."

Author's Note

Not edited, but if you find a mistake please tell me.

Epilogue for a changeling

Today, that is, the day after yesterday, a certain mare and a certain stallion where sitting down in a certain familiar spot, with a bunch of again certain familiar objects laying around them as the certain mare was doing a certain task.

Or, in Laymane's terms, Fruit Heart, and the recently dubbed Kindred Spirit (who still has that sweater wrapped around his waist due to them forgetting to give the transformed changeling a cutie-mark. Sheesh.) are outside in the market place as the mare was selling her fruit goods, the changeling-transformed-stallion was sitting ever vigilante next to her, watching over her in case anything like last time would happen again.

Thankfully, no such thing happened.

"Thank you, and come again." Fruit Heart called out to a happy customer who just left her establishment made up of a few boxes, a table and the fruit. Wiping her brow to remove some sweat, she let out a small sigh. Turning her head to the male beside her.

"Are you doing alright?" She asked him, and he turned his own head to face hers, and nodded. "Not to hot for you?" She said as she wiped her head again. He shook his head.

"Whew...it is for me." She panted. "I really need to buy a canopy for here, I hope I have enough money. How can you sit there in this heat?"

"I doth not feel it." He replied as he turned away. "The hive where I grew up in was a desert lest I remember. I think we just get used to it. Either that, or we doth be cold-blooded. I doth not know really." He said matter-of-factually.

She let her smile disappear when he talked about his hive. "You ever think about going back to the hive, then?" The question made the male's head turn so fast you'd think it would keep on going and screw off his head.

Then he gave a sincere smile. "Never." He said simply. She smiled back.

"Oh what do we have here?" A voice called out which made the mares head snap to attention. Standing in front of the table was a pristine white-toned unicorn. Her long, well-kept pink mane flowed out behind and her cerise eyes stared deep into Fruit Heart's own. Yet something about her made seems familiar to the fruit-seller. A scroll can be seen as her cutie mark.

"Fruit I see." The unknown mare spoke in a rather thick Canterlot accent as she stared at the food lying in front of her. She seems a lot friendly than any other 'high-trimmed' pony she's ever met, Fruit Heart noted for a reason.

"Uhhhh ahem-yes, all fruit here is one bit each." She replied, going back to her market-selling demeanor.

Looking, she gave Fruit Heart a sincere smile, before turning her head to the stallion standing next to her.

"Actually I'm more interested in the male right beside you." She said bluntly as she seemed to go googly eyes over the perplexed, and rather confused and wide-eyed...sorry eye stallion. Fruit Heart didn't think her mouth could open any wider. Or lower.

"Excuse me?" She gasped.

"Yes...yes I see. He is most a peculiar looking stallion." She smirked with a confident smile. "Missing an eye, sure, and why his mane and body have the same color make him looks as plain as any other I might never know, but he definitely seems the type to give any mare a ride for her life. So, what do you say mister, interested?"

Fruit Heart's teeth were so clenched together one might fear they'll break from the pressure, as she glared poison tipped claymores at the rather too-forward unicorn.

"What, the Tartarus do you think you're saying?" Fruit Heart rasped under her breath, trying her best to keep from creating a scene. That, and the feeling to pull the mares heart out through her own plot-point. Even the changeling is afraid.

The unnamed mare only looked back to the pissed mare. "Oh what's wrong, is he taken?" She said innocently. Before the male could get his word in, the mare beside him interjected.

"Yes, he is, and I swear to you he wouldn't give to two damns to even look your way. Now, either shove off or I'll make you. I hate to see ponies like you."

"Ponies like me?" The unicorn seemed to feign offence.

"Yes. Upper-class folk like you who feel like the world belongs to them. Well I have news for you. It doesn't. And to people as disgusting as you, it never will. Understand?" Fruit Heart huffed out. The changeling-stallion stared at the earth pony in shock. He felt proud of her. Damn.

The unicorn, however just chuckled as she slowly shook her head. "I know when I'm beat." She said, still with a smile on her face. She turned her body around. "Besides, I think Kindred Spirit here prefers a pony with real morals and ethics than a lady like me."

"Yes he would and-wait." She stopped when she felt something quite not right. "Wait wait wait." She repeated as she turned to the changeling next to her. Who gave her a confused look.

"How do you know his name?" She went from anger to bewilderment in a heart beat. A Fruit Heartbeat, if you will.

"Why wouldn't I know his name, after he," she paused as she stepped forward and got within a few inches of the earth pony's face, "I was the one who gave him it, after all."

It was then, then, did Fruit Heart figure out why the pony seemed so familiar. Not the way she talked or looked, except for those rather akin magenta eyes that looked to burrow themselves in her soul. It hit her. She couldn't believe it, but it hit her. She figured out her identity.

And as loud as she could possibly imagine at the top of her voice she rang

"PRINCESS CELEST-" Her shout only stopped when a white hoof lodged it's way in her mouth. Though, the now uncovered mare was unable to stop the shout in time as every pony in the vicinity dared to stare their eyes at three ponies (well, one pony, a disguised changeling and a transformed alicorn goddess). They all gawked at the three with baffled looks.

A second past.

Then all they stopped the staring and went back to their own life as normal as if nothing happened. The disguised Celestia huffed out a sigh of relief. Under her breath she let out quickly "Yes yes, I am indeed Princess Celestia disguised as a regular pony, just please don't make a it known to anypony else, I'll answer any questions you want answers to, just please don't make a scene." She said sincerely in a hushed tone with a panicked face. Fruit Heart nodded, even with the hoof still in her mouth. The changeling nodded as well.

"Good." The disguised princess then preceded to remove her hoof. "OK, before you even ask, the reason why I'm disguised is so I can blend in and become like any other pony. When I'm in this form, everypony sees me as just a regular unicorn. Here, I can observe the townfolk and see what's happening in this city. I can be anypony else and see what my subjects are actually going on to when they think I'm not looking. I AM just another pony."

"Because when you're an alicorn, everypony treats you like one." Fruit Heart mused.

"Exactly, and when I'm a regular pony, everypony treats me like one. It allows me to see what my children are actually like when I'm not around. I can see what they're like behind closed doors, so to speak."

Scratching her head the earth pony said. "Wow that's pretty impressive."

"For an alicorn as old as I am, this kind of magic is rather easy. How did you think I was able to get to you two in time." She then turned to the stallion. "Impressed?" She asked with a smile.

The changeling nodded his head, still too stunned for words. "I doth be so." Well, maybe except for those words.

Turning back to the mare, she continued: "Anyway, the real reason I am here is to apologize." Her smile faded. "It saddens me to know that many ponies that live round here are not as accepting as you are. It's not as if I can completely blame them but still, the way they acted was just needlessly cruel. If only, if only they knew how to be more understanding I feel as if everypony can be at peace. But that's more akin to a pipe dream than a reality, it seems." A small tear ran down her cheek as she pock in a demoralized tone.

"It's..alright Princess-"

"Please, I would prefer for you to call me Life Scroll, so as not to arise any suspicion." She interrupted quickly.

"Um...OK it's alright Life Scroll. I don't blame you. I don't blame anypony really. I'm not mad by any more."

"Your not? Not even a little?" She seemed so shocked to hear this.

"Well, sure a little but I'm OK now, and more importantly neither is he." She replied as she pointed to the male. Looking at him, he gave her a small smile.

"I was more worried about the mare then myself." He said. "She protected me, and I was doing the same back. It this not doth we a pony is supposed to do?" He asked.

"Yes that is exactly it." Life Scroll said. "If only there was more who think the way you do. I just hope you can accept my apology."

"Apology accepted." Both Fruit Heart and Kindred Spirit said at the same time, both brandishing a grin.

"Thank you." She said softly, before her horn light up, and a stack of papers slammed onto the table before them. "As promised, here are the documents for Kindred Spirit, all here to say that he is now a full member of Canterlot, and has just as much rights as any other has. Or at least, as any other as any should have. Do not worry, the only thing that I majorly changed was his birthday. Congrats Kindred Spirit, your twenty one years old and your birthday is May the 9th."

This made the earth pony think for a brief moment. "Wait, that's today!" She said astonished.

"Yes." Life Scroll gave a sly grin. "So you'd better give a him a special present." She finished as she actually winked at her, which made Fruit Heart blush, though thankfully the male didn't catch on, as usual.

The disguised Princess then turned to walk before stopping halfway. "Oh and one more thing." She said as she, using her magic, pulled a bit out her hair then placed it on the counter, then after taking a banana before she went back to walking away, leaving the two stunned.

"What?" Asked the princess as she took a bite of her fruit. "I like mmmmm bananas."

Much later in the day, the sun was on it's way out as it became dusk, the orange light shone through the windows of the house where a earth pony and a disguised changeling made they're way indoors as the mare locked the door behind, and the changeling, with the crates and other equipment on his back, let it down on the floor.

Yet the mare's mind was a bit in turmoil.

So you'd better give a him a special present.

Why did she have to say that of all things. To note, Fruit Heart was not what one would assign as sly or naughty, innocent would seem like a much better word. Yet, she was no idiot. She did know what ponies got up to in their spare time, it was a natural thing after all, basically all animals did it, probably even changelings.

Or from she had accidentally seen, most definitely changelings.

And why did the PRINCESS of all ponies have to say that? Is nothing sacred? She thought as her mind got interrupted by the sound of the changeling putting the other equipment away by himself, seemingly focused on his own task.

She took this time to study him, to look at him, to think about him.

The stuff he's gone through, most notably of them is his self-sacrificial nature to protect her; a creature many ponies would see as nothing more than love-sucking monsters, but she, she is able to see the soft side that he, and possibly, many others have, even though their is a strong chance that they will never know that.

He deserves something. He deserves her. Most of all, he deserves love.

And by Faust as her witness, she will show that she is his forever, because by Jove that what she knows.

She loves him. She didn't know how, but she knows above all things she has strong feelings for him, and if the recent past is anything to go by, he feels the same. And now is the time to reevaluate their love for each other, in a way she knows mares show their stallions.

"Kindred Spirit?" She called to him as he finished putting the stuff away. He turned to face her as he closed the closet door, then changed into his original physical form.

"Yes." He said as he made his way over to her.

"I just wanted to say...I..." The following words made her nervous, she's never said those three together before in such a long time, and to say these to him. She couldn't help but blush.

So she did so in the only way she thinks she can. Grabbing him by the shoulders she pulled him forward and unleashed a passionate and romantic kiss on the his lips.

The changeling, given no warning, melted into the kiss instantly.

For a few moments, they stayed that way, until she pulled back and looked dead in the eyes (EYE! Sorry!) and those three words:

"I love you."

To which he replied "I love thee back" and the mare leaned into his warm shoulder, basking in the heat that he creates.

Leaning back, the mare said to him, in a nervous and embarrassed, but diligent tone. "Come on, lets go to bed." Grabbing his hoof she hold on respectively as she lead him upstairs a blush on her cheeks but a promise in her heart, she continued.

"It's time you and I did something special together, something that shows you how much I care about you."

"What?" The changeling said. "You've already showed me how thou care about me. What could thou do that shows me more of what I already know?"

Looking back at him as she made her way up the stairs with him, the mare replied.

"It's time I showed you what us ponies do with the number 69."

And then they banged.

The End!

Author's Note

I can't edit for horse stuff.

Man I'm lazy.

Still, enjoy.

Chapter 1: Finding a changeling

Taking place not long after the Canterlot invasion:

Fruit Heart was returning to her home in Canterlot. Not even a day had passed since the invasion of the changeling's; and she was more than happy to be going home.

"Thank Celestia I'm nearly home" she murmured to herself, as she was more than happy to be going home. She walked down the streets of Canterlot, looking around at the ponies still trying to collect themselves from their capture from the dark creatures earlier. She was walking down the public area of the Canterlot district; a place where other ponies, just like herself, lived, for those who were neither fancy, rich or well paid. Despite this the housing estate seemed to differ no more than the other parts of Canterlot, the only real difference being the ponies themselves who lived inside.

Fruit Heart was a tan-brown earth pony mare with a yellow-orange mane, it itself was puffy and quite well-groomed. On her flank was her Cutie Mark, made up of an orange behind an apple, an image that represents her job as a market-seller. As she trotted down the path, she took her time to watch all the other ponies try to re-accustom to their own lives; a task not always easier said than done. Many of the ponies were still shaken up from the ordeal, as Fruit Heart watched a pegasus stallion try to calm down her mare friend, whom the ordeal had left hysterical. She could hear her shout out and yell for the monsters to get away from her, waving her hooves around, just like one would do if one was being attacked by a swarm of bees.

"It was a swarm of something, alright" she mumbled under her breathe, before tripping over and falling face-first into the ground.

"Ow my nose" she said as she picked herself up, seeing a small pony-sized crater underneath her. "What did that, I wonder?" As she rubbed her nose, she realised something; she was home. Fruit Heart opened her muzzel and breathed in deeply, as if smelling a beautiful rose. "Ah home" she said to herself as she walked in, content with just being back to her old place

As she walked inside and shut the door she admired her surroundings; she may not be living fancy, but she lived fruitfully. Her house is small, basic, and, as some ponies would say, boring, but to her, it did the job just right, They wasn't much to say for her front room, it was spread out and seemed to form together with her kitchen, where there was no actual obstacles in the way. It was just one large room, a hybrid of a kitchen and living room.

"Ah, my books" she said out loud as she marked her eyes on her bookcase, smiling to herself as continued. "My couch too" she said as learned on said couch, embracing it as if she had just brought it for the first time. "How I missed you". Since the attack on the wedding, the only thing she ever wanted to do after the real ceremony was to get back home and fall down in defeat. She didn't want to even stay behind for the reception, the invasion itself giving her enough excitement to last her a month. She wasn't the only pony to think that, she could swear she saw some ponies literally charging out the castle to go home; she really could not blame them.

Fruit Heart shaked her head to get rid of those thoughts. She didn't want to remember that. She only wanted to remember her home. "Ahhhh" she sighed out, relaxing as she weakly opened her eyes, her body now in total relaxation.

That, however, did not last long.

As she looked around her house lazily, she immediately shot up as she noticed something on her living room floor, glass, broken glass. "What the?" she said silently as she got off the couch and walked towards it, her green-coloured eyes affixed towards the glass all the while. She stared quizzically, trying to find it's original source. "You have got to be kidding me?" she wished as looked at her broken window. She moved towards it to inspect it, it looked as if some pony threw, well, a pony at it. "Hey Fruit Heart" came an ecstatic voice with a worried tone outside her window. "What happened to your window?"

Fruit Heart looked through the broken remains of her window to find her friend standing outside, looking back with a face full of worry. "Are you OK?" asked Bright Glow, the green maned and butter-yellow coated earth-pony mare. "Did somepony attack you?" She asked, her Manehattan accent coming out as strong as ever. "Oh no no no nothing like that, I think." Fruit Heart dismissed her friend, "Ah thank Celestia for that" Bright Glow sighed, smile full of thankfulness. "But then what?"

Fruit Heart looked around for any clue as too what was the answer. "That I do not know". "All right then." Bright Glow said "Well, I gotta go help my family, my parents are still shook up after the, you know, invasion. Bye."

"Bye, and watch out for the-

*Smack*

-crater" Fruit Heart finished too late, as Bright Glow fell face-first into the ground. As she picked herself up she rubbed at her nose. "Are you OK?" Now it was Fruit Heart's time to ask. "Yeah yeah, I’ll be fine, got to dash, bye Fruit Heart" she replied quickly before trotting off. "I told that girl to never rush things" Fruit Heart muffled to herself, before looking back at the broken glass behind her.

Fruit Heart mentally sighed to herself as she walked off to the kitchen area of her living room, flipping through her cupboards until she found her dustpan and brush. As she preceded to clean away the glass she was left to her thoughts, of course all wondering what had caused it. Did one of those creatures do this? I mean, it could have been, but why. I did not see any other ponies house's get smashed up like this. So why me? And what were they called again....

Fruit Heart was brought out of her thoughts as she realized she had already cleaned up the broken glass, and now seemed to be unconsciously cleaning the air. Seeing that she promptly emptied the contents of her pan into her bin and put away her utensils.

"Now what do I do?" She said to herself. "There's not much to do know....I guess I could just sleep-nah too early for sleep."

She thought it over before saying "Aw, stuff it, I'm going to bed" And smiled at that. She had a long day. Everypony did. At this notion, Fruit Heart turned to her stairs and went up them, happy to finally get some rest from her disappointing day.

But she didn't.

As she climbed up the rest of the stairs and turned the corner, her tracks stopped when she noticed something very out of place; her attic was open. Situated right in the middle of the top floor, the door hung down as limp as one would expect, and the ladders also were down, as if somepony was living inside.

"Hello" a cautious Fruit Heart said "Is somepony up there?"

No answer.

"Hello" she tried again.

No answer.

"Hello!" she said, this time much more louder.

No answer.

"Hmmm" she mused to herself before walking into another room, returning shortly with a lit lantern held dangling in her mouth. "I nefd t gt t th butom uf dis" she announced while dangling the lantern. [Translated as: "I need to get to the bottom of this"]. Now with a sudden sense of courage and bravery, she proudly walked up the stairs fold-up ladders, her lantern firmly gripped in her mouth as she walked up the last of the steps.

As she looked around the attic she saw only what she wanted to see; nothing but, dust, cobwebs and old boxes littered the storage room. But she, however, pressed on, not wanting to quit until she was absolutely sure there was nopo-nothing, in her house. Fruit Heart held the lantern in her hoof and un-clenched her teeth from it, allowing her to speak. "Hello" she said "Is someone up here?"

No answer

"Helllooo" she called out.

This time, however, there was an answer. I small shuffling noise could be heard from across the way from where Fruit Heart was standing. She tentatively ushered forward, her heartbeat increasing from her fears of the unknown....thing that invaded her home. Now, she was sure it was not pony, but some creature that nested in her attic. She did not know what it was, and that was what she feared the most.

"Listen, I don't know who, or even what you are, but you don't need to be scared from me, I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise". In the corner of her watchful eyes she saw a shadow dart between some boxes on the far end of the attic, stopping her in her tracks.

"You can come out, I won't hurt you." And with that, the new entity walked out from behind the boxes. Almost putting her fears to rest. Almost. For what came from behind those boxes, illuminated only from the light of Fruit Heart's lantern, was a snarling, pitch-black creature with impure hooves and insect-like wings. A creature that reaps fear into every pony it saw. A monster that steals the hearts of other.

"A....a...." she ushered out, her whole body shaking with fear. At that the creature snarl viciously at her; baring it's sharp fangs at her like a predator ready to pounce on it's unsuspecting prey.

"A...A...A Changeling!!!!" She screamed out in pure terror

Fruit Heart couldn't believe her eyes. Right out in front of her, was a dark, chitinous creature, one she hoped she would never see again. Ever. Fruit Heart froze up in place, unable to move as if the Changeling had put her under a freezing spell of some kind. As her whole body tensed up the Changeling took a step forward towards her Fruit Heart yelped out, as she tripped backwards and falling down on her rump, dropping the lantern down as it rolled behind her, the light now weakening as it moved away from.

The Changeling took another step towards her, ready to pounce as if to strike in any second. "No, no!" she screamed at at "Don't you come near me!" her voice filling with unbridled dread. The creature itself was unmoved by her screams, and if anything, it just filled it with more anger, as it snarled aggressively at her. "Get back...Get back" she yelled out as she moved backwards, her back hooves refusing to stand up, causing her to only shuffle backwards on her flank. "Don't come near me!" She screamed as the Changeling was closing the distance between her.

As she believed the Changeling was ready to strike, at that moment she felt an object touching her side, looking down to reveal the item she dropped previously. The lantern she thought, eyeing the object before suddenly picking it up in one of her hooves and threw at the Changeling; who was right in the middle of pouncing on its prey. As the lantern hit the creature it found itself flown backwards, landing down somewhere as the lantern light faded, signaled by the sound of breaking glass.

Seeing as she had a chance to escape, she instinctively got up and rushed frantically towards the attic's entrance; now the only source of light able to reach the top room. She climbed down without a moments thought and headed straight towards the nearest room, closing the door behind her and propped herself against for weight as she tried to gather herself; her breathing heavy and fast and her heartbeat beating out like it was on fire.

As she regained herself she cautiously opened the door slightly and peeked out, eyes transfixed on the attic's entrance and hooves clenched to the door if she would ever need to close it immediately. She stared out towards the attic for what felt like hours, but in reality was only five minutes. For Fruit Heart, it was five minutes too long.

Is it still up there? It's got to be, but, why hasn't it moved? Did I get it? Did I do something, I'm sure I hit it. These's are questions her mind simply couldn't answer. Knowing this, she back inside the room to find something to help her predicament. In fact, she realized she was inside her own bedroom, and on her bed-side table was the one thing she didn't wish to see, but now, the one thing she needed: a light source. Or to be more exact, a candlestick. Fruit Heart walked towards her bed-side table and reached in and took out from underneath the table's door the two things she now needed: matches and her dad's old combat knife.

Convenient, no?

As she light the candle with the matches and held her knife in her teeth, a knife she never thought she would ever have to touch again, she pressed on towards her attic. If this Changeling thinks it can run me out of my home, it's got another thing coming. A strong sense of determination filled her body, something she hadn't felt in a long time. Too long....

She pushed those thoughts out of her head as she made her way up the ladders to the attic, and as she reached the top she placed the candlestick down to her side and took the knife out of her mouth with her hoof, holding it out as if ready to strike the moment the creature is seen.

But the changeling wasn't. "Come out, you monster, I won't let you chase me out of my home!" she ordered. "Face me, I won't you out of here right now!"

No answer

The candlestick's light was significantly less brighter than her lantern, and so her visibility was shorter and weaker, but this didn't deter Fruit Heart's courage. "I said come out!" she commanded.

No answer

"Oh for fuc-" she irated as she placed the knife back into her mouth "sek" [Translated as: "sake"] she finished and she picked up her candlestick with her hoof and, slowly but surely, trekked forward, her eyes ever so watchful to seek out an ambush by the changeling. Her stare soon found it's place as she found the body of the changeling, oddly lying down in a heap, but Fruit Heart ticked this off as a trick, a trick to lure her into a false sense of security. She quickly placed her light source down and took out her knife from her mouth, aiming towards the black body of evil. "Get up" she yelled at it.

No answer

Fruit Heart just stood there, and rather then press forward, she used one of her back hooves to slide the candlestick forward along the floor, allowing her to see the body better. However, as she light on the changeling became more clear, she was shocked to see what she had found.

The changeling was unconscious. As more light was shed on the changeling, the reason why became more clear. On the other side of the body was a broken lantern, the lantern of which she threw earlier. I must have knocked him out earlier when I threw it at it. More to her shock, she realized there was more than to this creature than she had previously thought: it was hurt. Dry blood covered the changeling body, along with fresh blood that gathered from one of its eye a gash was seen along it's eyelid, making it hard to decipher if it's eye was actually cut as well. Alongside this Fruit Heart could see the one of it's wings were ripped off, and it's left front hoof was broken twisted out so badly you could even see it from it's hole-filled hoof. .

"Hello" Fruit Heart called out, an odd, yet present, bit of sadness fell in her tone. The changeling only responded by shuffling slightly letting out a faint, but apparent, whine of pain. It was hurt. Badly. Fruit Heart dropped the knife in surprise as she just realized something, something she had never thought she would give towards such a devilish creature. A creature that, not even a day ago, raged a war in her home city:

Sympathy

"Oh..my" She whispered out as she walked slowly towards the creature, no longer feeling any fear, courage, or determination on her, only regrets.