Ch4-1: Airborne Love!
The night was in full swing. Starlight filtered in through the windows to help the candle on Twilight’s desk illuminate the room. Rarity had returned with Spike piled high with sandwiches, fruits, and other assorted foods. The dragon practically floated across the room, set the makeshift picnic up in a whirlwind of movement, and promptly dropped from exhaustion. He reluctantly retired upstairs since it was past his bedtime.
Consequently, Rarity had been too preoccupied for me to follow up further on what she had meant earlier. Deep down it was eating at me, and I was wondering what exactly I was supposed to do that I had so obviously missed. Even if I was mad at her and didn’t understand, I knew Spike was right. There had to be more to it.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were sitting off to the side eating a few sandwiches, and whispering to themselves. They had ignored me for the most part. Except, Applejack kept glancing my way. She seemed curious, and it appeared to be bothering her to no end, but she politely kept her distance for the time being.
Twilight mulled over her notes for the day with Fluttershy, the two of them huddled around the candle going back over my recount to check for errors or oddities of any kind. They had yet to find any.
I had stayed to myself, but was pleasantly surprised when Pinkie trotted over to feed me. I reveled in the waves of love that passed in through my horn, little tingles of her amazing flavor rolling around my craw as I slowly began to lose myself to her intoxicating presence.
She told me an agreement had been reached to which all present would stand guard over me tonight so we could spend some time together. I was ecstatic that they would allow us the privilege to be together like that.
I shifted into Dreamy for her so she could be more comfortable and warm. Pinkie simply snuggled into me quietly as we lay against the furthest wall from the door. I missed my cubby comb, but Pinkie made the floor rather inviting as she shifted every which way to close each little gap between us.
“I thought she would just repair it…” I intoned absent mindedly as Pinkie squeezed me protectively. I eyed Twilight with furtive little glances of disdain which she returned in kind, looking up over her notes periodically to keep reminding me she was still mad. “How was I supposed to know about damage fees?”
I turned to Pinkie, startled by a sudden thought. “Does everypony have to pay damage fees?”
“Of course silly, it’s a library.” She giggled.
“Wow…” I sighed.
Pinkie stopped in thought for a moment, looked like she was about to add something, but then shook it off, and ran her hoof through my mane. “Dreamy you sure love punishment. You’re always begging for it!”
“I don’t ever remember begging for punishment. I’m rather averse to pain and suffering, thank you!” The others in the room giggled in response, rolling their eyes in rejection of my shrugging claim to innocence.
“You’re welcome! Anyway, you know I’ll always be there to make you feel alllll better, right?” She looked at me with wide eyed expectation over an ear to ear grin.
“Uhm…” I considered my options. This question posed the problem of either emasculating myself and possibly making Pinkie happy, or the contrary on both accounts. Though, I wasn’t sure if I could appear any more weak in front of the others at this point. Making Pinkie smile was something I enjoyed, and perhaps…
Being lost in thought on the matter, it was quite a while before I noticed the room bobbing up and down, and a few more second before I organize my thoughts enough to understand what was happening. Pinkie was nodding my head yes for me.
“See! See! He does love me!” She let out a high pitched series of giggles punctuated by the occasional snort.
I loved her little snorts… Wait! This is far worse on my already tarnished outward ponysona! I had to think fast, I needed to salvage the situation, but what could I do?
Pinkie came under control of her giggles, the rest of her friends stared at me with no small amount of mirth. Except Twilight, who was frowning at me under a glowing horn, but I couldn’t find any target. Her quill and notepad were laying on the table next to her.
I shook my head, refocusing on my current predicament. I looked over to see a face full of Pinkie. We were nose to nose. Her eyes narrowed mischievously. “What’cha thinkin’?”
“Oh, uhm, I was analyzing…”
“Boooring! We haven’t got enough time to be thinking silly!” Pinkie rolled me over, her hooves hovered over my belly in anticipation. “Who’s my good boy?”
My ears perked up. “I ammm…m-m-mean this is not a good time Pinkie! Don’t you think we should be serious about…”
“No! We’re on break. Duh!” She giggled. “Besides, I’m the only mare with a special somepony who’s part dog!”
“Still, I don’t think… wait, dog… what?”
Her lips widened into a grin. “Whos my Dreamy?”
I scrunchy faced in resistance. I threw every ounce of willpower into it I could muster. “I’m not…”
“Whooose my Dreeaamy?”
I could feel my face flush as my willpower snapped. I’m sure I grinned like an idiot. “Me! I’m your Dreamy!”
“Yay!” Pinkie tackled me, scratching all over my belly as I kicked wildly and wriggled back and forth. “See! Everything's easier if you just accept who you are, and go with it! Stop pretending to be a pony, and just be Dreamy.”
I wanted to hide. The embarrassment was eating me alive, but I couldn’t help it. The call of the belly rubs was just too much! I involuntarily shifted back into my changeling form. If it’s what made Pinkie happy, then that was good enough for me. Besides, being expected to just be myself felt good for a change. My tongue lolled out, my legs kicked, my eyes rolled back, and the room began spinning as I swiftly filled up with the most delectable love in all the world. Perhaps a little too much.
Pinkie squeed. “There it is!”
I looked at her dumbfounded as she stopped scratching my belly, pinned me down, and began licking my chest.
“Uhm… Pinkie?” I froze, uncertain if this was something she wanted to do in front of others. Especially since she had wanted to keep it secret earlier.
“Pinkie!? What are you doing?” Rarity looked on in disgust. “I completely understand your frustration of being kept apart for so long, but please show some self control, dear, there are others in the room.”
Pinkie looked up, licking little yellow specks off her lips. “Oh, did you want some too?”
Rarity’s jaw dropped. “E-excuse me?”
“Oh, come on, it’s super delicious!” Pinkie worked her tongue up to my neck.
I looked down at myself. I was covered in little splotches of yellow powder. My breath caught in my throat. “Not this again...”
Twilight eyed me, her brow furrowing a little deeper. “I knew it!” She moved forward, her head lowered. “Get away from him Pinkie!”
I struggled out from under Pinkie, and flipped over onto my hooves as Twilight approached with her glowing horn lowered cautiously.
“What did I do this time?” I backpedaled.
“B-b-but! I just wanted some dessert!” Pinkie pouted, as she clamped protectively onto my neck, pulling me forward from my retreat. “He didn't do anything!”
Applejack stared wide eyed at me. “Shatter, what is that stuff?”
“I-I don’t know! It happens sometimes. It’s never happened before I came to Ponyville.” I couldn’t stop nervously grinning. It was always something. It was always some little thing out of my control that suddenly ruined everything. I pulled harder, intent on dragging Pinkie with me, but the mares flanks seemed glued to the floor.
Twilight’s horn grew brighter. To my creeping horror, I realized I was surrounded by a faint purple glow. “I have a pretty good idea of what it is. There is a thick layer of magic all around you, Shattered Dreams, and it’s getting thicker. In fact it’s already permeated the whole room.”
“So what!?” Pinkie shot back frantically. “There is always some kind of crazy magic around you, Twilight! Dreamy is a magical creature… of course he’s going to have magic, silly! Maybe he just has so much it sweats out?”
“Not now, Pinkie!” Rarity stepped forward. “Twilight, what is it?”
My heart was pounding in my ears, my body felt like it was being sucked into some void in the floor below my hooves, dragging me down on weak knees to some abyss that was Tartarus bent on making my life impossible. I gave up trying to pull away, and leaned into Pinkie.
An argument broke out as Pinkie jumped in front of me, walling off the others. Consequently, my support gone, I dropped to the floor.
I watched on in silence as Pinkie defended me, her pink little nose scrunched up angrily towards her hive. She pounded the floor with her hoof. If only I could be that passionate… Everything that was Pinkie, and it never ceased to amaze me, was always so passionate. I thought about it every day, many times a day, and it still left me awestruck.
Whether she was doing her silly little antics, or reading my mind to find that one thing that could make me smile no matter what my mood was, she always chased away the pain. She brought feeling to my life… not just the food kind.
And now she was standing against her friends, fighting with that scrunchied angry sad muzzle. So passionate…
Twilight shouted over the rest. “Listen, I’ve caught him red hoofed this time! I don’t know much about changelings, and there’s next to no real books anywhere that cover their abilities, but I do know the yellow dots on his carapace are made of the same stuff as the liquid love. Except, it’s also airborne!”
“We’re breathing it?” Rarity gasped in shock.
“Yes!” Twilight glared at me. “I’ve figured you out Shatter. You dust the room with that love to manipulate ponies!”
Everypony gasped. Even Pinkie stepped back a second, a look of confusion flashed across her muzzle. “Dreamy?”
I stared on in horror, fixated on the pony of my dreams suddenly doubting me.
She shook her head in a pink blur of denial. “No! Dreamy wouldn’t do that to us! Not on purpose anyway. There has to be an explanation.” She stared at me, begging for something, anything. I gazed back into glistening eyes over a pouty quivering little lip. I could feel my heart cracking.
Twilight cut in before I could open my mouth. Not that I could say anything anyway as the icy clutches of panic had already gripped my body. “It explains everything.” Twilight’s voice lowered to a steady calm. A small vial of love goo magically popped into existence next to her so she could eye the contents. “It didn’t take much to realize what effects the liquid love has. Mild elation, noticeable changes in mood, dilated pupils, and an elevated heart rate, but nothing that would ever be noticeable unless they knew what to look for.
If I’m right, this stuff endears whoever breaths it to the changeling. It causes the sudden need for a pony to like him. Take Fluttershy for example. She would never invite a stranger to stay in her home. Strangers are dangerous, especially ones that crawled out of the Everfree, but she immediately accepted Dreamy without hesitation.”
Fluttershy looked at me, concern etched over her features. “B-b-but he was so cold and lonely. He just reminded me so much of a poor lost and injured animal. I couldn’t help myself…”
“Exactly!” Twilight grinned haughtily. “You made up any excuse to deny your fear of strangers to accept him. I believe that’s how it works. You treated him like an animal, because that’s what your brain had to do to accept the situation. It’s addicting because it makes you happy, and the more love you feed him, the more dust he rewards you with. You instantly begin to crave more of it. That magical dust makes ponies desperate to accept him, get closer to him, and keep him around.”
Fluttershy gasped, taking a step back as her brow furrowed. “Mr. Dreams, how could you?”
I shook my head, trying in vain to defend myself as Twilight cut me off again. “Then there was me.” She stepped forward, glaring me down. “I made a complete fool of myself, ignored all of the warning signs that something was off about you, and even created excuses for why you couldn’t possibly be a changeling even after you told me you were! I had to be in that state of mind excitedly jumping from one conclusion to another, or else I would have easily figured you out.”
Rarity huffed at me. “Of course! Magic. It all makes perfect sense now. It was an impressive masquerade, fiend, but nopony will buy into your lies any longer!”
“Wait!” I pleaded.
PInkie was biting her lip. I could see her mind racing as she tried desperately to grasp the situation.
A smirk spread across Twilight’s lips. “And then there is Pinkie.”
My heart clenched, a stabbing pain in my chest as my panicked breathing became heavier and heavier.
“Pinkie loves sweets. Her favorite hobby is baking pastries and cakes. I’m not surprised she finds you so delicious.”
I knew I should run, that it was all over, but my hooves were glued to the floor. My legs felt numb. Twilight took another step forward, glaring into me.
Pinkie stared at me, her eyes still begging for answers.
“P-please…” I stammered. “...stop! I didn’t know!”
Dash flapped upwards to hover over Twilight, trying to get a better look at me. “Hay! What kind of crazy plot did that stuff make me…” She paused, the color drained slightly from her cheeks. “...oh, wait. All those nights where I blacked out and woke up next to you. Shatter, I’m going to break you if you…”
“...lyin’” Came the faint thoughtful statement from the back.
Everypony stopped for a second. “What Applejack?” Twilight looked back, her lips still curled up triumphantly.
“I said,” Applejack took in a long deep breath, and sighed exasperatedly, “it doesn’t make any sense, because he just ain’t lyin’.”
The smile fell from Twilight’s lips. “What?”
“In fact, I don’t think he lied once through that whole story of his. If’n it all was true, which you said it was, he didn’t outright lie even once! Trust me, I was hound doggin’ for it the whole time.” She removed her hat and rubbed at a temple. “I cain’t believe I’m saying this, but I don’t believe he really tried to hurt anypony in the first place.”
“Applejack! He attacked me not more than an hour ago!” Rarity shook her head. “He’s a dangerous wild animal! Have you forgotten?”
“How could we?” Dash snorted. “You egged him on! We already know he’s wild. You can’t go up to a timber wolf, kick him in the jaw, and not expect him to rip your throat out.”
“That is no excuse to be a brute.” Fluttershy interjected over a frown. “And! It does not excuse anypony for being manipulative!” She harshly stated in a soft tone while glaring at me.
“Okay. Hold on ya’ll.” Applejack threw up a hoof. “Now I get how the stuff made Twi into a knowledge crazed lunatic, of course Fluttershy got all critter-giddy over there, Dash… well we won’t go there, and it ain’t hard to figure out Pinkies reaction, but if this stuff is so magical then how’d it affect me and...” She paused, and her ears drooped as something dawned on her. “Ah… I get it. That stuff really does play with hearts don’ it.”
“Oh, darling. He got to all of us didn’t he…” Rarity threw her hooves around Applejack’s neck. “Deep breaths. Let it out.”
Applejack took a few deep breaths. “I feel sick…” She whispered.
Twilight turned on me, anger in her voice as she stepped forward past Pinkie. “Shatter, you are too dangerous…” I shut out the rest of her tirade.
I couldn’t bring myself to care as my eyes fixated on Pinkie, and the sadness that was rolling off of her in thick sickening waves.
“Say something.” Pinkie was staring at me, her mouth sounding out the words silently. “Anything!” Her eyes pleaded.
My hoof reached out towards her shoulder, rising up hesitantly, but she shied away. Her head dropped slowly to stare at the floor. The clamor around us became far off and muffled as she turned from me. My vision blurred green.
Then, something snapped with a loud crack! “Enough!”
The word echoed through the room. Twilight’s jaw was still moving, but the diatribe had been lost from her lips.
Everypony was quiet. They stared at me, shock in their eyes as I glanced around startled. It took me a moment longer to realize I had actually said it, and it wasn’t all in my head. I was slightly dizzy from the vehemency of the shout, and my hoof ached from slamming into the floorboards.
I took a deep breath. The apprehension chilling its way down my back was quickly incinerated by a rising wave of indignant anger. Pressure built up behind my eyes, and my teeth ached for a fight. I’d had more than enough!
“I called you my friends!” I gritted my teeth as I looked across my audience, and eventually leveled on Twilight. “I thought friendship meant something. You took me in and made promises to help me when I was scared and lost. You became my hive! And now you all doubt me, or persecute me not because I actually did anything to hurt anypony, but because of what I am. A changeling…”
I glared over at Rarity. “A monster. Well this ‘monster’ found love, and now you are all ruining that! I can’t change what I am. I can’t justify what I feel for Pinkie, because I don’t know how! If I could prove it, I would!”
I turned to Fluttershy. “I’m sorry about the dust. I had no clue, and I can’t help it, but I didn’t force you to do anything.” She slunked away a little. “I didn’t force any of you to be my friends! And, obviously the dust isn’t that manipulating because you are all very clearly making your own decisions to destroy any chance Pinkie and I could have at happiness. Which I, obviously, have absolutely no control over!”
“You chose to be my friends on your own, just like you are all choosing to turn on me now. You’re demanding I justify my actions as a changeling when those actions were already acceptable as a pony. If I was a pony I could scream tribalists at every one of you!”
“But... I’m not a pony anymore, am I?” The statement rocked me to the core, and sucked the fight out of me. I thought I’d gotten over this, but I guess no changeling ever truly moves on. It’s why we have so many drones. I stared down as green drops dripped down my muzzle to patter onto the floor. “I’ve had enough... You are holding me captive, demanding I prove my motivation for loving Pinkie, and I’m probably not even going to survive long enough to enjoy it with her even if you do approve. What is the point of proving anything to any of you when you can just turn on me on a whim, anyway?”
“Shatter, wait...” Twilight stepped forward.
“Shut up!” I growled at her. “You’re the worst. Analyzing me like some stupid and dangerous beast without ever giving a plot about who I really am. I don’t know how ponies love. I don’t even really know how I love. I don’t know how to prove it to you, because I don’t know how to define it! I just want to be happy… with Pinkie. Isn’t that good enough? Am I not allowed to be happy because I’m different? Because I have odd magic that makes ponies happy? Is it so wrong for me to love a pony, or is it just wrong because you all see me as some freak?”
I didn’t care that I was crying. I didn’t care what that meant. None of it mattered anymore as the glowing streams of green blood trickling from my eyes thickened. I wanted to be done with it all. I let the tears flow.
Twilight stepped forward frantically. “Wait, Shatter! Stop crying!” She lifted my head. I was surprised to see genuine panic in her eyes. “Shatter, stop it! I’m sorry! Please, don’t do this!” She turned to Pinkie in panic. “Pinkie! Do something! If he cries it will kill him!”
I slapped her hoof away. “Do any of you really care?” I slammed the floor with my hoof again. “I don’t even care! I’ve already died once anyway!”
My brain scrambled as Pinkie missiled into me. We hung in the air for an eternity as I watched the ceiling creep by. Dropplets from my cheeks arched up and floated above us in slow motion. All it ever took was one hug, and my world gained new perspective every time. I had no idea how she did it.
In all the world there wasn’t a single moment I anticipated more than this. If I were to live for one pony, it had to be Pinkie, and if I were to live for one thing, it had to be all the love that came with her hugs. It permeated through me, instantly repairing the cracks in my heart. I closed my eyes, and lost myself in that sweet embrace as I slipped my hooves around her.
In that moment I lived for, “Parfait…”
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Hi.
It's been awhile, this chapter looks good and...
*reads authors note* ...
... 
... *e-hug deployed*
Hope things are looking up for you now.
4989395
Squee! *Hugs* Thanks! I'm doing waaay better now, especially since I can write again.
Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for reading.
Well damn, that chapter sure hit hard.
Thing is, while he may have been disguised as a pony this whole time, Applejack's already confirmed none of what he said in story or other times was actually a lie. He was honest from day one.
And I don't think that dust makes ponies love him. To me, it reads as an emotion amplifier. Makes sense. If Changelings feed on emotions, it only makes sense that they'd have some way of making those emotions more intense so that they're easier to feed on and more filling. In this case, though, I read the 'ambient magic field' he generates as doing that, whereas the dust seems to be his body releasing an overload of emotional energy.
4989523
Hehehe, you are good. Actually that is exactly what the dust is. It's recumbent. He gets love, converts it into dust, becomes more addicting to those around him, their emotions amplify to the point they have to let them out, and he is able to harvest even more love which results in more dust to attract new sources of food.
What a great story to stumble upon! I started reading it to give it a feel and only stopped cause I ran out of chapters. So many feels! While I'm a sucker for changlings as 'not souless bad guys' and hard luck cases, you truly make me feel for Dreamy. Also a good blend of comedy to keep it lively and upbeat. Masterful writing!
Sorry to read of your RL woes, I hope life picks back up for you. I am very much looking forward to seeing where this goes.
4989975
I'm really glad you liked it so much! I'll keep the chapters coming as swiftly as I can.
RL is doin' allll'right by me. Thanks for askin'!
I have hit max feels...
p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1392172524/8512704.gif
I think I will die of sadness myself if this story doesn't continue.
Your characterization is a bit off in this chapter. The main 6 are supposed to be paragons of friendship, so why are they so aggressive? Sure, they don't trust him, but it seems like they (except Pinkie) WANT him to be evil, especially Twilight. Their attitudes aren't very dissimilar from when Discord turned them gray. It's a bit of a conundrum, though. The drama needs to be toned down a little for them to be in character, but this chapter calls for this much drama.
Perhaps if Twilight wasn't so smug about it, that might make a difference. A fearful paranoia would be much more in-character than angry, crazed paranoia, like you have here.
Still, it's always nice when a dead story comes back to life again. I don't mean to spoil your mood with a bad review; I just want this story to be the best it can be.
4992185
Hehehe!! I'm glad you noticed. Aren't there side effects to eevveerryy brain influencing drug? There are always consequences, and reactions to every action. Oftentimes they are unexpected, or cause the effected to act in manners contrary to their usual behavior. Take Shining Armor for example. He's known his little sister all his life, but Chrysalis' magic caused him to overlook the bond he shared with his sister and become blind to even halfway considering her concerns. Just because it's love magic, doesn't mean it's good for you. And just because Shatter means well, doesn't mean that his love magic isn't going to have some negative side effects, especially since he can't control it. However, it shouldn't deviate too much from their personalities, just add a bit of negative flare like Twilight gloating a bit over her ill perceived victory. I did try not to go too far though.
4992407 tl;dr version: Don't do drugs, kids.
Wow!
It looks like a lot of your emotions from your life come out though Shatter.
It's a good thing a wasn't there, because a lot of what was said could be how ponies see him.
This was a powerful feels chapter. Surprise they didn't wake up, Spike.
If you ever wanted to see the, Mane 6 minus Pinkie, act the bitches without being, OC, here it is!
Great Job!!!
4993430
But drugs are the only things keeping my bipolar tendencies in check... and my Obsessive-Compulsive tendencies... and a lot of other really weird stuff too!
Great chapter, good characterizations of the Mane Six. I'm curious as to what exactly AJ was referring to, though I feel like it's just me missing something...
Anyway, this emotional bomb was just waiting to go off. They've all been pressing him so hard for proof that just isn't there, that I'm surprised he didn't go off sooner. Though I suppose that lunging for Rarity thing might count, but seriously, they all really overreacted to that.
4996688 I said "don't do drugs", not "don't use drugs".
4996696 You didn't miss anything at all. She was referring to something that will be clarified in the next couple chapters.
4993577 Thanks! I hope the next chapter doesn't disappoint. I am going off life experience, and in the next chapter I will be using that experience to expand on what happened here, but on the opposite side of the coin. Sometimes others have really legitimate reasons for being asses.
Of course, I really can't wait to get back to Shatters story. I still have four of the mane six to cover as well as other bits.