//------------------------------// // A Tough Day // Story: The Exiled One // by Flareblitzfury //------------------------------// Waking up here is always tricky. You have to look around the second you wake up. Being in the Everfree forest isn't too smart, but he can't go back home. "Ok, what should I shift into today?” A dark red changeling said as he scratched his chin. "I Know!” He said.” I’ll be a manticore!" He said as he jumped slightly in the air as he began to hover. Then, moments later a green like flame engulfed him from his hooves to his horn, almost instantly changing him to a.....bunny. "W-what the! Not again!" He shouted facepawing while he shook his head. You'd think living in the Everfree forest he'd have this down. "Come on now Shifter! You’re a changeling! You should be able to do this!" Shifter whaled as his bunny paws pounded the tree branch he was on, a loud hiss is then heard from below the tree top. "HIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSS!" A large snake is seen slithering up the tree. "Oops!" Shifter whispered as he covered his mouth. He looked down to see the large snake on the ground, he then began to sweat. "I’ve Gotta change to something else!" At that time the snake began quickly slithering up the tree as it continued to hiss. "HIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSS!" The large snake gets closer to Shifter. Shifter then changed back to normal and began to fly away, flying high above the Everfree forest. "That was close." He said wiping the sweat from his forehead. Looking around he realized he was too high in the air, high enough to be spotted! "Darn it! I flew up too high!" He shouted. During this realization, he heard noise from behind him; he then involuntarily changed to a butterfly. "Really..... I couldn't think of anything else, oh well might as well take this chance to feed.” He said in a squeaky voice as he flew towards Ponyville. As he continued to fly Ponyville he realized the sound he heard was the sound of a fear fart, from him. "Darn that's twice now!" He said disappointingly. Shifter, a changeling that sucks at changing, this should end well. As he flew over ponyville he surveyed the area below for potential love to feed on. “Let’s see now, old ponies, neh. They’re always sad. Ooh! See two ponies together!” Shifter shouted still in a squeaky voice, pointing downward with one wing. “Dive! Dive!” He exclaimed as he dive bombed the two ponies. He then quickly halted himself and began to gently and gracefully land on one of the ponies. “Oh look! It’s a cute little butterfly!” said a purple mare with a dark red mane. “Ooh, it landed on your mane Berry!” gently said a light brown stallion with a light brown mane. Shifter was on the top of Berry’s mane, feeding on the love from her and her friend. “Mmmmmmmm! This is delicious!” Shifter thought to himself. Soon after, he had been full on love for the time being. “Look Caramel, it’s flying away.” Berry said in a sad voice. “I know, but it’s got to be free.” Caramel said as he pointed to Shifter flying away. “Awwwww, such a good breakfast.” He said as he flew back to the Everfree. As he flies away he hears a sound from below him. “GRUMBLELELEL!” It's the sound his stomach makes as he continues flying. “What! I’m hungry again!” Shifter said in surprise. Just then, he felt a tingle down his butterfly wings and they changed into changeling wings. “Wha! Oh no! Not again!” he shouted in fear as he began to panic. Shifter looked around panickly, and then his head changed back to normal. “Ahh! No! No! No!” he shouts as his body changes back to normal. “Oh no! Does being in another form, take up that much energy!?” shifter says to himself as he turns fully back to normal. “Okay! Code F! Code F!” he thought to himself. Seconds later he quickly closes his wings together, hitting each side of his body. He then dropped straight down and cratered the ground; a semi-large cloud of smoke clouded the area along with a loud thud! Thanks to his hard changeling exterior him from being to hurt. All the nearby ponies covered their eyes from the dust and smoke. “Ok, next part.” Shifter said as he reopened his wings. He flew off under the cover the smoke to escape. ”Ha! Loser ponies!” he said turning his back around and sticking his tongue out. Then while in the smoke he bumps into a pegasus “Ow! What was that!” said the pegasus as the smoke still blocked its appearance. As the smoke began to clear the pegasus thought it saw it saw something, but then, Shifter flew away before it could see him. “For a second there, I thought that was… a changeling?” the pegasus thought. Shifter managed to escape, but barely. He got just ahead of the entrance to the Everfree forest. Tired and weak he then collapsed to the ground, and passed out. Moments later, he awoke. “What? Oh no!” he said as he hastily awoke. Shifter looked to his left and right and saw nothing but forest. “Few, I’m safe.” He says breathing a sigh of relief. He tried to stand, but fell back over. “Oof! That…. hurts…..darn… I’m too weak to get up.” he said as he struggled to stand. “Gasp!” Shifter hears from behind him. “Uh-oh.” said Shifter as he looked back to see a pink maned yellow pony looking at him in shock. “Got.. to.. fly!” he said with weakness in his voice, as he struggled to fly, but failed. He continued to try to fly, but all he did was have his wings lift the center of his body off the ground. “Y-you’re a-a a-“the pegasus began as she also stuttered.. “D-darn.” said Shifter in a weak voice. “Adorable!” said the pegasus as she began to fly over to him. “What!” Shifter barely exclaimed, eyes wide open in disbelief. The pegasus landed next to him and noticed the small wounds he sustained from code F. “Oh you poor thing. You must be the changeling I’ve heard about.” She says with a sympathetic look on her face. “What do…. You mean, heard about?” Shifter barely was able to ask as he leaned up to look closer at her face. He noticed it was the same pegasus he bumped into moments before. “Y-you’re the pony that I bumped into aren't you?” he asked. “What would make you say that?” she asked as she inspected his injuries. “There’s a new looking bump on your head, that’s shaped like my own.” he explained to the pony. She then stopped checking his wounds and touch the bump on heard, cringing as it still hurt. She looked back at him and smiled. “I knew it was you who bumped into me and caused the ponies in town to panic!” She shouted as she slightly jumped in the air and hovered there for a moment. “I was hoping it was you so I could find you and-“ “Wait, so you mean ponies knew I was here?” shifter interrupted. “So was has nopony come to try to kick me out.” He asked her. “Well at first I was scared to here that a changeling might be in the Everfree.” She began to say. It was at this point shifter passed out from hunger and exhaustion. “Oh no! Is it your wounds? What’s wrong?!” said the pegasus as she began to panic. “I’ll just have to bring him home with me.” the pony said with sternness in her voice. She was nervous, picking up a potentially dangerous creature, but she grabbed his waist, and put him over her shoulder. “Wow, he’s heavier than he looks.” She’s says as she flies them both back to her cottage. About an hour later Shifter wakes up on the ponies couch.”Wha, where am I.” he said looking around seeing many birdhouses, mouse holes, and even an odd lamp. Shifter soon realizes he’s in a ponies home and panics. ”Oh this is bad! This is so bad and-“before he could finish a sharp pain struck his hind legs. “Ugh! My legs, Code F hurt more than I thought.” he says as he grabbed his leg to notice a bandage on it. “Huh?” Shifter hoarsely said in confusion. “Good! You’re awake, that’s a relief.” she said flying back into the room from upstairs. “I know changelings feed on love, but I’m not sure how to get you some.” she said with a cute sad face, looking at shifter. “D-don’t be sad, all I need is to feel genuine love.” he quickly said. Please don’t look sad um, uh. What’s your name?” he asked hoping to get a true answer. “Well… since you will be staying here, I guess so. My name is Fluttershy” she said turning her head to the side and looking down at the floor. “Okay Flut…ter…shy. My name is Shifter.” He replied still not liking this situation, but still not wanting her sad. “Thanks, now I’m not as hungry anymore.” he continued as he began to sit up from the couch. “Oh, what do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. “Changelings feed on all good aspects of ponies, love is just the most filling. Something like you honestly telling me your name was a great example of a quick meal.” he said as he started to sit up. “Okay, I’m glad I was able to help you.” she said with a smile on her face. “Thanks for the snack Fluttershy, but I need to leave before I’m discovered, by somepony else.” he said as he slowly began to fly. “W-wait, you can’t go yet! You’re still too weak!” pleaded Fluttershy as shifter flies past her. After that, Shifter falls to the ground and goes unconscious again. “Oh no! Shifter!” Fluttershy Said as she watched his decent. “I need help, but from who?” she wondered as she saw angel hop outside. “Angel please come back inside! Wait!” She asked Angel. She followed him out the door and went to get him, but Fluttershy forgot her daily apple delivery from Applejack. This can only end well.