Tears of Destiny

Projects and Prejudices: A Trottingham Family

1-2-1

Dusk Shine trotted up to a shabby, old apartment building in the west side of Trottingham. A green and black quilt hanging on a window still on the third floor signified that this was a safe house for changeling travelers who did not have the maturity to maintain disguise overnight.

The changeling had taken the form of a oranged-haired, elegant-looking Pegasus filly. While he, or she now, rather felt more as ease as a colt, she knew that she would need practice as a filly if she was ever going to understand her destiny and her special relation to it. Her parent had always told her understanding was the first step in overcoming something; this, the third-gendered changeling argued, included destiny.

Dusk Shine knocked the third floor door. She heard the sound of bed coils uncoiling as it were and then some shuffling.

“Hello!” was the cheerful greeting of a slightly not cheerful young stallion. He seemed to be in his twenties. His gray mane looked like he had not had it cut in a few weeks, and the cut he had was not particularly good. His ruffled dark-yellow coat gave Dusk Shine the impression that the stallion had  just woken up despite it being ten in the morning. Reflecting that, he wrapped himself partially up in a blanket, obscuring his Cutie Mark.

What more, this was not a changeling. This also meant either something was wrong or this stallion was just the living battery for the resident changeling. Dusk looked at the stallion before him and decided the latter was probably the chase.

“May we come in. Our friend, Pip, said we could stay over.” Dusk Shine and her little yellow dragon, Spines, were tired after a long flight. While Dusk could have technically gone on for a much longer time, the yellow dragon was really young and needed her rest. Plus, Dusk used her emotions for sustenance which, even with Dusk's control, draining.

The stallion looked into Dusk's eyes at this, frowning, but only for a split second. He changed so quickly to a smile if Dusk had not sensed the change he would have not believed it. “Pip did not say friends were coming by. Did you meet at school?”

“Ah---”

“Dad, is somepony at the door for me?” Dusk had suddenly been cut off by young colt's voice from behind. This was convenient as Dusk, being new to this, had not prepared a cultured response to this. She did not know whether it would be more convincing to say yes or no.

The stallion moved out of the way to reveal a small colt, smaller than even the blank flank filly had taken the shape of was. He had a coat with brown spots and a brown mane. His unkempt hair matched his 'father's'. One thing was obvious to Dusk: this must be Pip.

It was not uncommon for changelings to take on the form of children and getting adopted by unsuspecting parents. The love could make a changeling powerful enough to rule a city if sucessful. Pip had not really aimed high though. There was definitely a lot of love in this stallion, but he was young and did not seemed particularly father-like. Despite the stallions weirdness about him, he did not seem to have an indecent bone in his body.

Now that Dusk thought about it, Pip's choice was at least decent.

“Come in. Dad, this is--”

“Dusk Shine, nice to meet you.” It was common for changelings to interrupt opportunely in order to save the other from not having appropriate information at a key moment. Even Dusk who was new to hiding amongst equestrians knew this.

Pip's dad moved out of the way revealing a spotless if overly simple living space.

“I will make some drinks. Your dragon looks exhausted. He--”

“She, dad,” Pip interjected, using his adolescent changeling senses to discern the gender of Dusk's companion. This move was intended to give his 'dad' a greater reassurance that Pip knew these two visitors. It was kind of excessive, but changelings from the southern hives took every strategic advantage they could.

“Yes, thanks kiddo. Where was I, yeah, she can rest over on the couch. I think I can spare some gems.”

Pip laughed a bit and then said while the two visitors entered their western Trottingham apartment, “Dad, you have more than a few to spare.”

“And Pip, you know me. I am the most humble of ponies. I let my son give me an excuse to let them know I am rich beyond appearances.”

Pip laughed again. Dusk did not know what to think. Spines stopped listening at rest and gems, so she moved to the couch and waited.

Dusk and Pip went a small bedroom. Dusk placed down his saddlebags, which had basic supplies like rations for Spines and her parent's book. Pip took out a chess board.

Strange as it was for two foals to play chess in this day and age, it would not draw any suspicion and probably dissuade suspicious for foals often formed friendships merely because of a shared, uncommon hobby. What separates a pony from the herd also makes a herd, Dusk's parent, or Milky Way as she had been called at the time, said.

While Pip's 'dad' had gotten a chest full of gems and excited the baby dragon with questions about her gem preferences and what it was like to eat gems, promising a full course meal of whatever she liked. Dusk noticed how expertly this 'dad' had bribed her dragon, her tired dragon no less, to divulge personal information about dragonhood. Although, reckoned Dusk, Spines was a sucker for gems, no matter how much I do not want to admit it to others.

“Welcome, Dusk Shine, brother. I am glad to have such a young changeling visit my abode.” Pip was speaking in changeling. A language of vibrations that was silent to other ponies when done in close proximity another changeling.

“I am glad to be welcomed. I just learned my destiny recently. The ceremony was yesterday.”

“I imagine. I am not much older than you.” Pip admitted.

This surprised Dusk. It was not easy for a changeling new to pony culture to integrate into a home. To be fair, there was only one other pony in this home, and he did not look like much.

“What is the name of your dad?”

“Well, he calls himself Neigh Ledge. He is a part time student living on the allowances of his parents while he studies filosophy. Seeing that we are so keen on talking about fathers--”

“I have a parent. You might know him as Starswirl the Bearded.” Pip immediately knew what Dusk meant by parent. Starswirl, or rather the changeling the name was attached to, was a third-gendered.

“I did not know Starswirl had a child. It was long believed in my hive he could not children, no offense. Fortunately, you exist. We wouldn't want the greatest pony both of the changelings and equestrians to never pass on all his knowledge to an heir.”

Dusk was not surprised that Pip saw through her disguise. Despite putting up a feminine aura, any discerning changeling or Equestrian for that matter would know it was not pronounced typical manner.

The youngsters had a battle of the wits. Dusk was not much a chess player, for he did not associate it with the adventure he so desired. Pip was a crafty changeling but fun loving, so he prolonged the game.

“Where are you headed?” asked the browned-maned colt.

“Ponyville,” replied the organged-maned filly.

“That is north of Canterlot, located on a major railway between Equestria and the newly returned Crystal Empire,” Pip explained. Dusk knew this for a map was in his book, though it did not have much contemporary information on the Crystal ponies.

“It should take me and Spines two more days flight to get there.”

“You already flown half a day, so you have a lot ahead of you. You will probably need to stop at Nayern for the night. I know; I have been to Ponyville before.”

“Oh when was that.” Dusk was genuinely interested.

“It was my first year after integrating in Trottingham, and my adoptive father, Neigh over there, had brought me to Ponyville to meet his sister, my aunt now, Derpy Hooves. She is nice, though full of a long sadness. Also, she is a nice challenge in chess too. Not because she is good but because she cannot play the game like a normal player. She always plan these weird surprises from her pawns.....”

Dusk zoned out a bit while Pip continued to detail one of these 'surprises' by pointing at the chess board before them. Apparently Pip's weakness was chess, for the colt changeling did not sense the disinterest.

Eventually, the brown-maned colt returned to a subject Dusk cared about. “During this visit, I got to have my first Nightmare Night, and it was awesome. Since I was from far away, they did not suspect me when I told them this was my first Nightmare Night. So many exciting things happened that you might find interesting. First, Luna came to Ponyville.”

“The princess?” Dusk asked incredulously.

“Yeah, not some fake like they have in Trottingham's celebration. Also, I met some of the elements of harmony. One of them gave me a good laugh because she dress up as your dad.”

“A pony dressed up as Starswirl?” Dusk asked again incredulously. The idea of some mare dressing up as the old stallion made the orange filly's nose to scrunch up.

“You should look at the look on your face. Priceless!”

Dusk held in his frustration with the colt. “This is interesting and all, but I would like to know some strategic advice. All I know is I need to go to Ponyville and find a Miss Twilight Sparkle.”

“Well, for starters, this Twilight Sparkle was the mare who dressed up as Starswirl. A real egghead, if you ask me.” Pip noticed Dusk change from mildly frustrated to engrossed in detailed. He continued to describe Twilight to the best of his knowledge. “She befriended Luna, who you know was saved by the elements from the nightmare. Other than that, she lives in a tree, I think.”

Dusk waited for more information, but Pip remained silent. “Who are the local changelings?”

“There are a few. One is Ditzy. I met her while I was playing games for Nightmate Night. She is tied to my aunt Derpy, not hard to find in later part of the day as she uses the clumsy innocent act to dissuade suspicion. She is real good to be doing that while the real Derpy is in town free to move about. I couldn't find out which hive she belonged to.”

“Any others?”

“I didn't get to really talk much to the other changelings during my trip. I only spoke to Ditzy because she was tied to my aunt. All I know as there are three others. One of them works for the mayor, and another is a teacher.”

Dusk perked up at the idea of a teacher changeling. Not only did teachers have a lot of practice sharing knowledge, being a teacher for Equestrians was a great way to observe them and learn how they understand the world around them. Dusk's father would enjoy if she could find some new insights for his wealth of knowledge.

After a bit, Pip finally let Dusk lose, seeing that they had exhausted all conversation topics. Dusk then turned to see how Spines was doing. She had found a nice place on the couch to sleep, full on gems. She would probably wake up tomorrow. It would seem that either Spines would stay here or Dusk is going to have to find a place nearby to stay.

Dusk then looked at Neigh. She had decidedly not really paid much attention to the young adult, finding him extremely talkative but in the dangerous curious way. Dusk looked at the gray mane that looked like silver on his yellow coat. Normally, this would be a gaudy look, but he clearly did not maintain his look. He had never taken off his blanket the whole time he was talking to Spines, continuing to neglect his appearance.

Pip sensed that Dusk was examining his pops. “Yeah, he not much to look at. Don't worry, he won't bother us when we are talking or playing with us. He does not like to interrupt other people's conversations because he knows he will dominate them. Sometimes I wonder if Neigh has some changeling in him.”

“Does he always wear a blanket?” Dusk asked.

“When he is at home. Neigh likes to feel comfortable at all times and he seems to not care that people find him weird or distasteful.”

“That does not sound very changeling,” commented Dusk plainly. Pip just smiled.

Dusk yawned. “Do you want a place to stay? The apartments in this building are rarely used. We keep them tidy for when we have guests, which are often changelings because you know.” Pip was referencing his being a safe house for traveling changelings coming from or going to the southern hives through Trottingham.

At this, Dusk got up and made way to the couch to levitate Spines. As her magic activated, Dusk got jabbed in the side by Pip. Dusk glared at Pip in annoyance at having her concentration necessary for proper magic casting canceled. Pip pointed at Dusk's wings. Dusk made an 'O' with his mouth and then frowned deeply. Getting Spines out of the house was not going to be easy.

At this Pip whispered into Dusk's ear. “You leave and I will tell dad that you went downstairs to meet your mother and that tonight you want to sleep over and that you will sleep in the guest room. Come back in thirty minutes. I will pose as you, and you as your mother. In the meantime, I will watch over Spines and do my typical 'I going out to the store' charade just before you get back.”

At this Dusk looked at the young colt changeling and then at his young stallion father. Dusk nodded. She said her goodbyes and started thinking about how she would be her 'mother' as she walked around town.