//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 - A Working Discovery // Story: Creatures of Deception // by eggtosser //------------------------------// Before I left the live, I managed to get in a few words with Purple Star before she rushed herself off to their planning base. Because of that, I get that large of a time span to ask some of my questions to her. Though, when I asked her about how she fit into all of this, she told didn't know herself. I wanted to see Flaming before I left, so I asked Purple Star to send my goodbyes instead. The entire situation is escalating rapidly, and it is starting to make me apprehensive on how this period of fighting will eventually conclude. Before, to me, was a win or lose situation, either Chrysalis wins and remains control over the hive or we win and overthrow the mad queen. But now entire hives are being added to the equation, other queens are now throwing themselves into the conflict. A war threatens to break out. This is getting out of hoof too bucking fast. I just hope Fireclaw knows what he's doing. While I retrace my steps back out of the Everfree, I take a mental note to keep informed with these changelings before they do something brash which we'll all regret. These Amethysts may think they know what they're doing but, without the right context, they'll end up killing the entire Chrysalis populace because they don't know who's on who's side. This is going to be a nightmare. I pull myself over the uprooted tree which has fallen across a huge ravine, down below being nothing but a bottomless pit. The tree ever so slightly shifts under my weight, the trunk of the dead tree creaking aloud but refusing to break apart. I let out a small sigh, as much as I love doing stuff like, I do not feel like dying today. My hooves take me to the other side as quickly as possible, but not so much that I lose my stability. If I still had my wings it would allow me to fly over the damned forest instead of having to tread through dangerous terrain. Slowly, I continue my trek through the dark forest, hugging close to bushes and trees. I'd rather not know what is lurking behind the shadows. Along the way, I notice a small twig laying on top of a layer of almost black leaves, out of the many hundreds I've passed over the past hour. Picking it up, I examine the small stick. Shrugging, I put it in my mouth and begin chewing before moving along my way. It is oddly satisfying. When a fang stab against the wood, I realise unexpectedly that I'm not in my disguise. I quickly avert back into my pony form. Going out without my disguise wouldn't exactly end well for anyling. While moving down the barely visible dirt path, I hear something following me by the faint sounds of bushes and crushed leaves following behind me. My eyes scan the corner of my vision, however whoever is following me is remaining concealed in the forest. I'll play their little game, at least that will lure them out into the open once they choose to reveal themselves. Who could this be though? Whoever this stalking presence is looks to be keeping distant from me. A glow starts emitting underneath as soon as my right hoof lands onto something sticking. Looking down, I find hoof pressing down on a green gooey substance that has triggered a faint glow to emanate from it. "It seems seems you really are one of them, it looks like I have found the problem's stem," a zebra emerges from behind a tree, wearing a familiar tattered brown cloak. "Zecora? What is this?" "It is a special concoction of mine, and it seems it works just fine. As much as the result is unexpected, it is the truth that has been baited." "There isn't a need to be cryptic, Zecora. What does that mean and what is this green stuff?" I ask the enigmatic zebra with slight growing anxiousness leaking into my voice. Her unclear answers does nothing but make my worry about what her rhymes may imply. "This solution shows what is underneath, a creature of black is what's beneath. A hidden and deceptive feeder of emotion, a being that's driven by great glutton," the zebra approaches threateningly and glaring daggers into me, her aura of such negative emotion almost making me want to run. She can't be thinking what I think she's thinking, she just can't. It's impossible for somepony to look through a changeling's disguise, even with something like this. Unless, that book... I should have took it when I had the chance. Sighing, I look up to the approaching zebra, hiding away the fear from my eyes. I might screaming on the inside, but I must stay determined and assert myself. I can't lead the zebra into thinking she is in control, to show fear is to show weakness. We both stare each other down as the forest groans tiredly around us. Her threatening gaze doesn't waver as her hoof snakes underneath her cloak, probably reaching for some sort of weapon. I remain stock still despite it, keeping myself concentrated on Zecora who's patience remains as strong as iron. "What is your name little shiftler? Don't lie and make your sins even bigger," Zecora speaks sternly. As much as I want to deny her accusations, it'd do nothing to help my case, but instead succeeding in doing the opposite. Whatever this puddle of green goo is, it has some sort of property which allows it to glow when a changeling comes into contact with it. And I fell into her trap. "We're called changelings, not shiftlers." "Changeling, a fitting name for such who thrives on changing. I'm lead to believe you were given a name, or does your kind not bother with a societal aim?" Zecora says flatly. "We may be changelings but we're not savages; we have a stable society, not like the mindless creatures you believe us to be. My name is Silver," I tell the still unconvinced zebra. Said zebra stares at me before slowly lowering her hoof from the underside of her tattered cloak, pulling nothing from underneath. "So what have you come to steal, to take more emotions till your target can't feel? Answer wisely, or face a toll so pricey." Zecora takes another intimidating step forward in attempts to scare me. It doesn't work. "Nothing, I only wish to live without strife. I've been trapped underground for far too long, I only want to live my life from oppression and hunger. I don't want to hurt anyone, only the ones who threatens who want to hurt the ones I want to protect." Zecora, now standing in swinging distance, looks over me quizzically before softening her stance ever so slightly, but her emotions still remain chaotic. She spends a while observing my form, taking in every inch as if to find a hidden weapon that's glued underneath me or stuck behind a hoof. "You seem different from the changelings I first thought you to be, though are still troubled like a constant buzzing bee. Take great caution around ponyville, I trust you are able to fulfill. However, am I to be worried about the form you take, or is the pony just an imagined fake?" I stare blankly at Zecora before realising what she's asking from me. "Don't worry, this pony you see is made up," I give Zecora my best reassurance in the form of a smile. "You will be granted one and only chance, shatter it and you won't see my lance." "Okay," I squeak out as I finally turn away. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" I ask. "Not a single soul, as long you don't aim for a dark goal. So what is it now that you are going to do? I'm sure you have someone to return to." She says calmly now, her emotional storm beginning to calm. "I suppose I do," I reply back to Zecora. "He is a good stallion, definitely one fit for a battalion. I know you won't dare harm him, for I am sure he is keeping you from being too slim." The zebra chuckles to herself, although the jokes she tries to pull off completely blows over my head. I can feel the trust she holds within Tremor, and she is right, I wouldn't even dare try to hurt the stallion because I've put a certain degree of trust into him as well. "My jokes may have little to take seriously, but my warnings are not be taken very lightly. Good luck little ling, and let judgement now sing." Zebra brushes past me to leave, leaving me alone and a hoof to be cleansed. Sighing, I make the rest of the journey out of the Everfree and to a nearby stream which snakes down the hillside, the same one which cuts through Ponyville. I lie down on the grassy bank, craning myself over the edge to dip my hoof into the shallow waters. Luckily the substance Zecora brewed up doesn't stick and quickly washes away with the current, its glow instantly fades upon losing contact with me. Even after cleaning my hoof, I remain on the bank to finally relieve myself in the time I have to myself. Now I have another layer of problems to add to my ever growing stockpile, but at least this one isn't trying to kill me on the spot. It is definitely one of my most distressing encounters. If looks could kill, Queen Chrysalis would've turned to dust. I dip my muzzle into the stream, letting the coolness of the water brush pass as I close my eyes to relax. I'm worried about the Amethyst Hive being so dangerously close a zebra mare who can see straight through their disguises. Thought it is extremely worrying to me, I don't doubt their capabilities to hide from her. And judging by their concealed location and anti-sensory magic, they can probably remain hidden for a long while. Still, the fact remains that they find themselves deep in enemy territory. I let off a small grunt as I lift myself back onto my hooves, smacking the water out of my face. The trek back to Ponyville is short, and it doesn't take me long until I find myself within the heart of Ponyville. The building of Sugar Cube Corner catches my eye, my stomach then rumbling a comment. A cupcake or two doesn't sound like a bad idea, and I definitely deserve one after today. When I step into the bakery, I take in the sugary air with a delightful sigh before going towards the counter. Within the display case are all kinds of pastry goodness, from turnovers to cinnamon swirls to cupcakes and even cakes. The ponies here look to be content with the food, eating their delectable treats. "Hiya!" A pink mare shouts as she jumps up from behind the counter with a tray of tarts balancing on her... tail? "Me and Mr Cake just made a new batch of these strawberry tarts, wanna try some?" the mare offers in a chipper tone. "Sure, I was hoping to find something to eat here," I reply. Luckily I have just enough bits which I found underneath the duvet of my bed this morning, accidentally discovering it while digging underneath it out curiosity if I could find anything. I really need to find a source income, relying on Tremor will only get me so far. I toss Pinkie Pie the dusty bits, who then hoofs me a tart as the bits land and slide down her mane into the register. I take small of the tart into my mouth, chewing slowly and savouring the taste of the sweet strawberry. I wander if Pinkie would mind if I take her back to Tremor's place for a day or ten. The pink mare grins, proud of her work. Then all of a sudden, the mare's mane begins swinging violently which is then followed by a series of jumps. Strangely enough, both the tray and the tarts stick to Pinkie's mane like superglue. She looks back at me and gasps loudly, a lit bulb literally appearing floating above her head. I don't want to know. "You should work with me as my assistant!" Pinkie voices her idea excitedly and with a bounce. "Wait what. why- How do you know?" I stutter out of pure confusion. "My pinkie sense!" she giggles innocently. "I'm sure you'll be great for this, and I'm sure I can convince Mr and Mrs Cake in letting you work with me. I'll be like your trainer!" As the mare plotted my future, she yanks me over the counter into her iron grip, suffocating me over the counter in an awkward position. "Can't... breath," I wheeze out with the remaining breath in me. Pinkie finally lets go of me, but then swiftly pulls me into the kitchen, seating me in front of a kitchen counter. In front of me is: a half empty bag of flour, a pink bowl, sugar, and a large cube of butter. Right under the counter is a silver oven. I feel the pink pony prop a chefs hat onto my head, happily squealing as she prepares me to use those ingredients. "Pinkie, I don't think this is a good idea. It has been a while since I've actually baked anything." I used to enjoy baking when I was young, maybe that side of my still lives. Although, my problem is the fact that what I'll create will probably be served to the customers. "The more reason to start now!" she beams excitedly. "Lets try making some cupcakes!" That shouldn't be that hard to do, I may not have done much of this during my life, but I have done it successfully with surprisingly good feedback. Hopefully I've held onto that skill long to not fail miserably. "So first we preheat the oven at one-hundred and eighty Celsius." I follow the mare's instructions and turn one of the four nobs of the oven which corresponds to the temperature. "Now take a bar of butter and this sugar, put it together in this bowl and mash it together, like this." She drops the ingredients into the bowl and begins using her hooves to press into the butter and sugar together. "Here, your turn," she says while pushing the bowl to me. I copy the mare's action, digging my hooves into the bowl until the contents inside are fluffy and pale. Pinkie hums approvingly as he pulls the bag of flour and a shiv from the cupboard above. She hoofs it to me without saying a thing. I pour half of what's left through the shiv, shaking the white power over the bowl. She remains silent for the rest of the duration, only speaking when announcing new ingredients to the table: two eggs and a table spoon of vanilla extract. I mix the eggs and vanilla into a separate bowl before mixing it with the rest, beating the contents until they've all combined together. "Great! You're a natural at this, now all we have to do is bake it!" Pinkie Pie pulls a tray, already filled with blue paper cupcake cases and beings pouring the mix into it until all of the cases are filled. She takes the tray and places it into the heated oven. "Now what?" I ask. "We make more of course!" Pinkie cheers excitedly before tossing me in front of another set of ingredients I haven't noticed until now. I might be here for a long while. *** By the end of it all, both me and Pinkie Pie have created more than enough batches of cupcakes and cookies to feed the whole of Ponyville and beyond. To be honest, working with Pinkie is surprisingly much more fun than I intended it to be, and I feel absolutely exhausted because of it. "Oh, that was fun!" Pinkie, even after a long and exhausting day, continues to merrily hop as we approach Tremor's home. "Oh, I also got you something," she says before tossing me a brown bag of cloth that's filled with bits in my hooves. "What's this?" I ask her, examining the bag like I have no idea what the strange gold coins are. "Payment, you deserve it after today. Also, welcome to Sugar Cube Corner assistant. Yup, Mr Cake was secretly watching us and he came down and told me he wanted you on the team. Oh, I'm so excited!" Pinkie runs up to me and wraps me into one of her bone crushing hugs. "Please stop trying to kill Sharp, I don't to be living with a dead corpse." Out of nowhere, Tremor descends from the sky and touches down near me and Pinkie. "Hi Tremor!" Pinkie says before releasing me, my lungs gasping for air after having it forcefully squeezed out of me. The mare is surprisingly strong, it makes me wander what she'd be like if she were to fight against another pony. She is an Earth pony though who are know for their unnatural physical strength and speed. "Hi Pinkie," he replies, rolling his eyes before walking towards me and supporting me up as I recover. "You look like you've been busy while I've been gone, it's good to see you're making friends for once," Tremor smirks at me. "Are you suggesting I can't make friends with anypony?" I reply, playfully pushing him away. "Yeah, but now you're starting to move on with life. I am basically your teacher now." "Talking about moving along with life, I got a job now with Pinkie." I tell Tremor who stares back at me in surprise. He smiles at me while patting me on the back. "You're growing so much." "Well I need to head off now, don't try to get into too much mischief unless it's a party without me~" Pinkie sings as she begins walking off back to where ever she lives. I let off a large yawn before looking up into the sky to see the sun beginning to descend form the sky, leaving the sky in a darkening hue of blue. Huh, I haven't even realised that I've been in there for that long. Bed does sound really appeasing right now, and after spending most of the day with Pinkie Pie, I think I deserve it more than ever. "You want to go up?" he asks. "Sure," I reply as I unlock and push through the door. "Although, I might make something before I go up." I doubt a few cookies and a tart is going to appease my appetite, and a decent meal will be enough to sate my hunger. Hopefully Tremor has something at least edible in his kitchen in order for me to make a meal out of it. "I didn't know you can cook," Tremor comments as he follows me into the kitchen. "I didn't know I could, although I learnt a thing or two about baking with Pinkie Pie so it shouldn't too difficult to make something small." Using what I can find in Tremor's kitchen, I fry a portion of cabbage and rice for me and Tremor who also felt hungry enough to snack on some food before going off to bed. It wasn't that bad, although I think I under-cooked the cabbage and overcooked the rice. After finishing, Tremor volunteered to clean the dishes while I wait and rest within the living room for Tremor to finish. He eventually wraps up in cleaning the plates and comes into the lit room. Instead of going to occupy his usual place opposite me, Tremors comes next to me on the couch. I shift slightly in my seat as I can feel myself blush, though his presence isn't unwanted. "You tired still?" he asks, yawning himself causing him to stretch his body outwards in response. One of his wings falls over my shoulder, draping itself down my spine and ever so slightly wrapping itself around my side. My face heats up even more, but when I look back at Tremor he doesn't seem to notice what he's doing as his eyes begin to droop. His emotions becomes noticeably sweeter with affection. I think he starting to grow attached to me... Oh my. This isn't love, however it is definitely affection I am sensing which is suggesting he may have a growing thing for me. Oh how uncomfortable this, having someone so close to me who is starting to develop emotions for me. I've had it happen twice before in the past, and it only ever ends up terribly or in me almost dying. But this doesn't feel like any of that though, for some reason this is only making me blush even harder. Why is it making me blush at all? It isn't like it would work out anyway. I look up to Tremor, who's now fast asleep with a gentle smile streaking across his face. I let out a heavy yawn before snuggling deeper into his side, pulling his warm wing like a blanket around. This feels nice. "Night Tremor," I finally say before shutting my eyes.