Chapter 4-Leaving Normality
Ten seconds and three days. That's how short of a time it can take for your life to be completely turned upside-down. Why do I give this time frame? Well, after my friends and I realized that I wasn't even a pony, ten seconds later ponies started to enter for the party. It didn't take long for most of them to start putting two and two together, but Twilight had the sense to leap forward and teleport the two of us to her house before questions started being asked.
Nonetheless, the next three days were horrible. Twilight warned me that I should stay inside so that this whole thing could blow over but, it didn't. Apparently, it had gotten around that Twilight was harboring a “dangerous creature” in her house and many ponies wanted me arrested or banished. Now before you think that the ponies in Ponyville are overreacting, think about what happened. That changeling queen and her army almost took over Canterlot. I was there when it happened. So, I really couldn't blame anypony for not suddenly accepting the fact that a changeling was in Ponyville.
I felt terrible though. Not for me, but for my friends. Rainbow was having trouble with the Weather Patrol in Cloudsdale, Rarity was having issues selling her clothes, Applejack wasn't able to sell her apples from the farm to anypony, and the Cakes were losing business because Pinkie worked there. Personally, I didn't think it was fair that my friends were suffering because of me. I also didn't know how Fluttershy was doing. Spike was also upset with me because Twilight came home each day tired, trying to defend me. I was at a dead-end. That was until the third night, when our friends came over to the house.
I had fallen asleep about an hour after noon, so I woke up about 8:00. I was lying on the floor next to Spike's basket. He was asleep in it now, so I was very quiet as I slipped out the room. As I started down the stairs, I heard the wind slamming up against the house. “Right, Twilight told me the pegasus ponies were creating a storm tonight.” I thought. “I hope it isn't a horrible one. I looked at my black hoof and sighed. I had no idea how to change my shape, so I was stuck looking like this. Yet another reason Twilight suggested that I stay in the house. As I made my way downstairs, I heard voices in the library. I stopped moving and crouched down to see. I could tell that all 6 of my friends were downstairs. It wasn't in my nature to eavesdrop so I was going to go back upstairs, until I heard Twilight mention my name.
“I don't know what I can do girls.” she said. “Nopony will believe me that Shade isn't evil.”
“Well dear, it's only been a month since your brother's wedding.” I heard Rarity say. “I don't believe that most ponies will so easily forget.”
“But..Shade isn't evil.” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Maybe, but other ponies don't know that!” I heard Rainbow's voice. “Look, I like Shade as much as all of us, but we need to figure something out. We're all getting hassled for just being there when we saw what happened. Some ponies even think that we're helping him take over the town!”
“But we wouldn't do that!” Twi said.
“We all know that Sugercube.”Applejack said. “But I feel sorry for Shade. It isn't his fault.”
“What should we do?” Twilight said.
I heard everypony in the room sigh. “Maybe we need to give it a little more time.” Twilight said.
“Yeah, you're right.” I couldn't tell which pony said that.
“I'll see you all later.” Twi said. “We all need some sleep.” The other ponies murmured goodbye and left the house.
As I heard Twilight start up the stairs, I flash teleported into the guest room. Twilight turned all the lights off and went into her room. As soon as I heard the door shut, I cast a self-awake spell on myself. The spell was designed to wake a pony up a number of hours from when it was cast. The pony would instantly fall asleep after setting the number of hours. I set the spell for 3 hours and fell asleep.
I came to 3 hours later, the spell wearing off. I stood up and quietly slipped out of the room. I wrote a note to Twilight and looked outside. The storm was going strong. As I prepared to fly out the door, I took a glance out the window and hesitated. The wind was so strong it could have easily become a hurricane. But I knew the weather ponies wouldn't let that happen. “I'm sorry Twi.” I said. Then, in a lightning fast movement, I whipped the door open, slipped outside and shut it behind me. Then I raised my wings and let the wind carry me.
I made a major mistake. Mistake was forgetting that I was a changeling and therefore these wings were REAL. Whenever I used the wing spell, I used magic to flap the wings. Since these wings were real, I was using my own power to attempt to fly. But remember that I had been in Twi's house the last 3 days. I tried my hardest to fly, but the wind was too strong for me. I had risen in the sky first, but had been tossed everywhere by the wind. Now I had no idea where I was and I was tiring quickly.
“Must. Focus.” I thought. I tried using a spell to give me strength, but I wasn't used to channeling magic though my changeling horn. It only ended up tiring me out more. “Smart move, Shade.” I berated myself. “Now you're going to slam yourself into the ground.” As I started to fall, I got a sudden idea. I attempted to put myself in a glide, which was next to impossible because of the wind and rain everywhere. I finally stabilized myself, when a bolt of lightning slammed me in the side. I screamed with pain as the electricity shot though my body. Good thing I had gone to the bathroom before I left....
I stumbled though the air, barely conscious as I fell to the ground. I hazily saw a house in front of me. I put all I could into a flap, determined to fly over the house. No such luck. A wind gust slammed my body into the door. I fell to the ground, looking upwards at the door. I thought I saw a shadow of a pony walking up to me. “no...leave.....me.” I struggled to say. Then mercifully, I blacked out.
…
Twilight woke up the next morning with a yawn. She quietly stepped out of the room as Spike was still sleeping. As she walked down the hall, she saw that Shade's door was slightly ajar. “Must have slept walked or something.” she thought. But that changed when she went downstairs and saw the note for her on the table. It said, “Twilight” in Shade's hoof writing. Worried, she tore it open and read it.
“Dear Twilight,
First off, I want to apologize for the trouble I caused you and the rest of our friends. I don't understand why I'm a changeling but I plan to figure it out. In the meantime, I don't want to be a burden. By the time you've read this, I will have been gone for hours, heading away from Ponyville. Please, do yourself and everypony a favor and do not try to find me. Please. When I've cleared my head , I will return. I don't know when that will be yet. Good bye, Twilight.
Your friend,
Shade
P.S. Tell Spike I owe him a sapphire.”
Twilight looked up from the letter as Spike came downstairs. “Twilight? Why are you crying?” he asked.
Twilight shook her head. “He's gone, Spike.”
Spike took the letter and glanced over it. “Well, maybe he just needs some time.”
“That's not it.” Twilight said. “The weather ponies were conducting their annual hurricane test last night. Shade might not even be alive anymore.” She paced around the room, then suddenly picked up Spike and put her on her back. “Come on! We need to talk to everypony!”
…
Celestia looked out over Canterlot, conflicted. Luna walked up behind her. “Sister. You knew he had to find out soon.”
“She didn't keep her end of the bargain!” Celestia turned and looked at Luna. The smaller alicorn flinched at the anger in her sister's eyes. “You were there with me.”
“I know, and it's true that she did but it's out of our hooves.” Luna said calmly. “Shade needs to find his way for now.”
“Until when?” Celestia said, relaxing.
“Until we-know-who returns to claim him.” Luna said, walking up to hug her sister. "Or unless we find him first."