//------------------------------// // A new friend // Story: A hard change // by Techy //------------------------------// Deceit had awoken with an aching back from sleeping on the ground. He regrets doing that, but at least he had some childish fun with Spike. He was currently walking outside enjoying the view of the small town, and has even had a few short conversations with the ponies that have passed by him. They mostly noticed that he was new in town and welcomed him, but one odd Pegasus mare looked like she was searching for something. "Excuse me, is everything alright?" He asks. "No, I lost a package." She replies. "Well, I can help you look for it." "Really? Thank you!" She then pounces on him and knocks him to the ground. The mare was a greyish color, with a short blond mane, and now that Deceit could see her up close, he could see that she was a bit walleyed. "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you ok?" She franticly asked him. "Yeah, I'm fine," He replied, with his back hurting even more then earlier, "I just hurt my back is all." "Oh, I'm sorry... hey, are you new in town?" "Yes, I am. My name is Deceit, What's yours?" He asked while getting off the ground. "Oh, well my name is Ditzy, but most ponies just call me Derpy." "Well why would anyone call you that?" She gets a look of pure confusion on her face, "Have you seen my eyes? They're not exactly hard to miss." "Yes I have, and let me say that they are very pretty." Ditzy started to get a small blush, "R-Really? Nopony has ever said that to me before." "Well, you're welcome, but isn't there a package we should be looking for?" Deceit says to get back on topic. "Oh, of course," She said as her blush went away, "We should hurry though, because I'm actually the mail mare around here, and that package was my last delivery." "Well why didn't you say so?" Deceit questioned, "Where was the last place you remember having it?" "Um... the last place I remember having it would be somewhere near the town hall. I was delivering the mayor some mail and that package was my last delivery." "Well then let's go." Deceit replies and starts walking in a random direction. "But... town hall is this way." Ditzy said awkwardly as she pointed the opposite way. "Oh..." They then walked for a bit while talking here and there, but they also made sure to keep a fast pace. The two arrived at the town hall and Ditzy went to look for the package inside. Deceit decided to check the area outside of the building incase it had fallen out of her bag as she was making her way to the next house. After checking all around the building a few times He finally gave up and went to see if Ditzy had found it yet. As he entered he noticed that she was chatting with another pony behind a desk. The pony she was chatting with was a light brown with a light grey mane. "Hey Ditzy, did you find it?" He asked. "Huh, oh! Yeah, I found it." She replied. "Well, why didn't you let me know? I was circling the building for the past ten minutes looking for it," He replied back with a laugh, "I probably looked like a loon out there." "Oh, I'm sorry. Mayor Mare here had found it and put it away incase I came back. After she gave it to me, we just started talking to each other." Ditzy said with a small frown. "Don't worry about it," Deceit said to make her feel better, "I bet I looked pretty funny out there." "Wait a second, I don't believe I've met you yet," Mayor Mare said, "Are you new in town?" "Well, yeah. I'm surprised you haven't heard about me yet," He replied, "I've been meeting a lot of very nice ponies, and a while ago I helped Twilight out with some Timber wolves." "Oh my goodness, well did either of you get hurt?" The mayor said genuinely concerned. "No, Twilight was unconscious for a bit from exhaustion, but neither of us got hurt." "Wow, I didn't know you did that," Ditzy said in astonishment, "Look, it was really nice meeting you, but I'm gonna have to go deliver this now. I can't afford any more screw ups." "See you later, Ditzy," Deceit waved as she left through the front door and a moment later Mayor Mare started looking like she was in deep thought, "Is everything alright?" "Well, If you haven't come in here to get a house, then where have you been staying?" She asked. "At first I was living in a cave next to town for a day, then after helping Twilight out she offered her guest room to me." He replied nonchalantly. "Why haven't you bought a house yet?" She pondered, "You can right now if you want." "Well I don't have any bits to buy one with, and I don't have a job yet." "Well, let me know when you get a job and I'll give you a discount on a house." She said with a smile. "I should probably get going now then, have a nice day." And with that, Deceit left to see if Ditzy delivered that package yet. She sounded like this had happened before, and that she might be in trouble if she doesn't deliver it on time. As he was walking, he asked a nearby pony where the post office was and he gave directions to it. Soon Deceit walked into the office to see Ditzy getting talked to by a tough looking pony. 'He must be her boss, and he doesn't sound happy.' "Excuse me is something wrong?" Deceit asked. "This employee here is always late and she always loses mail." The stallion said as he turned towards Deceit. He then turned back to Ditzy with a stern expression, "You have really tested my patience, and if you mess up one more time then YOU'RE FIRED!" Ditzy had tears in her eyes and hung her head as her boss stomped away, "Hey, hey, It's ok. Don't worry about that guy," Deceit said right next to her, "I'll make sure you don't lose your job, and I won't let that mean guy say things like that to you again." "B-But, how are you going to do that?" She asked as she calmed down, "He's really tough to talk to." "Trust me, I have my ways..." He replied as he got a deviant smile. "Um... why are you smiling like that?" "Huh, uh, nevermind that. I'm gonna have to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" "Ok... you know, you're really weird." "I know." Later that night as it was getting dark out, Deceit watched Ditzy's boss as he closed up and made his way home. Before he could get there though, Deceit undisguised himself so his black chitin would blend him into the shadows, and when he was sure that they were alone he lunged onto the pony and injected him with a venom that knocks ponies unconscious for a short while. The venom is a recipe that all changelings learn at some point incase of an emergency, and can be made with very few ingredients. After knocking the pony out cold, Deceit tied him up and put him in the Everfree forest, but not far enough to disturb any monsters. Once the pony awoke he looked around for a moment and started to panic. Deceit changed his voice to be too deep for a pony to normally have, "I saw how mean you were being to that mare earlier," He said as he stood out of sight, "And I don't like it when somepony is really mean to a friend." "What?! So you tied me up?!" He yelled. "I heard you say you were gonna fire her," He was now using a spell he learned that can throw his voice to sound like it's coming from somewhere else, and is throwing it all around them, "Now why would you do something like that? "Because she's always late on her deliveries, and sometimes she loses the mail entirely!" "Yes, but she always gets it there in the end doesn't she?" "Well, yeah... but she also loses a lot of mail!" "I checked her bag at one point and noticed a small tear in it that was just big enough to have the mail fall out. I fixed it for her, but did you even check that bag when you gave it to her?" "Um... well no," He started to get nervous, "But what do you want from me?" "I want you to apologies and to give her the benefit of the doubt. Even if she messes up sometimes, it doesn't mean she isn't trying her hardest." "Wow... I have been kind of mean, but did you really need to tie me up like this?" He angrily questioned. "Probably not, but I just felt like it. I'm going to put you back now, and I'm going to be watching for that change." "Ok, ok, can we just go now. I really don't want to be manticore food." Deceit then walked out of his cover when the pony wasn't looking and injected him with the knock out venom again. He then untied him and set him back in the area he got him from and laid him against a wall. After waiting for a moment and watching the pony wake up, he made sure that he knew it wasn't a dream by using that voice thrower spell to make it seem like he's whispering in the pony's ear. "You better remember what I said." The pony quickly jumped into the air while yelping and ran all the way home. Deceit decided that he had done enough for today and went back to the library. Once he walked inside he saw Twilight sitting there reading, and she didn't seem to notice him yet. He snuck up behind her and got next to her ear and quickly yelled. "Aahhh!" "Aaahhhh! What the- What- Deceit?! What was that for?!" She yells at him while he rolls on the floor laughing. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist." "So then, did anything happen today?" "Um, no nothing. I did make a new friend, but I should get some sleep. You should too, it's getting late." "Yeah, well I was waiting for you to get home so I could lock the door." "I'm sorry. Anyway, goodnight Twilight." "Goodnight Deceit." And finally they parted ways to go to there own bedrooms and get some sleep.