A Changeling Alternative

by UsedTeaBag

Day Four

Three days have passed and Alternate still didn´t got used to the castle. It still felt uninviting everytime he went back inside it and he was almost tempted to avoid it on purpose, if it hadn´t been for Angel, that is. Angel had refused to go outside most of the time and insisted that Alternate would stay with him. Alternate in the mean time worked on understanding the bunnies overall language, including body language- would both come in handy eventually. As a Changeling he would naturally learn the language of another creature he impersonates very fast, but because he wasn´t impersonating a bunny -whatever reason a Changeling would ever have to do so anyway-, but a pony, who had entirely different languages-very annoying if Changelings weren´t naturals- he wasn´t able to learn it as quickly. Doesn´t help that the grammar is entirely different too. But Alternate was relieved that he was getting the hang of the language already- he had spent a lot of time with the bunny after all to at least know how to translate the bunny´s body language.

Fourth day in the castle.
Alternate woke up to Angel struggling in his grip. He found himself clinging to the bunny in his sleep more often after having just eaten his love. Alternate chuckled and released Angel, who immediatly jumped away to glare at him. He stood up from the bed and flinched slightly as his hooves made contanct with the cold floor. He shivered a bit from the sensation he had still to get used to. Maybe he could get a rug while he gets the other stuff he wanted to buy, but was too distracted to actually get. He just added that to a mental list in his head and went on about his day.

He walked over to the window and looked outside. The sun was just about to rise and he watched in awe as the light slowly shifted over the hills in the distance. He found it strangely beautiful, even though it is just an everyday small event. But he still found it strange how something as ordinary as the rising or setting sun could stir up those emotions in him.

He shifted his gaze over to the left, expecting to see the tip of his home, the Changeling Kingdom, but he couldn´t see it, of course. Back in Canterlot, he was able to see the tip. But now he was in a completely different location, so his former home couldn´t possibly be visible. He sighed. He found himself missing the Kingdom. Not because of the other Changelings, heck, he felt amazing being away from them! But because it was his home, and he kind of missed his queen- the only even slightly likeable Changeling he´s ever met. As he kept thinking about it, he felt more and more like a traitor. Like he had betrayed his queen and the Kingdom itself. Was he actually a traitor? He wasn´t sure. Would it be weird if he asked Twilight about this? Ask her when someone is considered a traitor and when not? Yes, it would be weird, and it would raise suspicion. He didn´t want that to happen anytime soon.

A tear threatened to escape his eyes and he silently cursed his body for it. Angel looked at him concerned. Alternate smiled softly at the bunny and told him he just missed his former home. Angel assumed he meant the Golden Oak Library and just shrugged it off.

Alternate went out of his room. Suddenly there was a smell that hit his nose and he frowned. He didn´t like that smell. He walked over to what he knew was the dining room and entered. Upon entering he saw Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Twilight sit around the dining table, eating pancakes. Well, except Twilight, she was sleeping and snuggling with her pancakes. Alternate growled in disgust at the pancakes. He had tried eating one- he tried eating pony food every so ofen-, but he had hated it so much that he had to eat the love of eleven ponies afterwards just to get the taste out of his mouth. He still remembered how Bronce Spear talked him into trying one. "C´mon eat it! It´s not bad at all! Just try!", he had said and even though Alternate already disliked the smell and the overall look of the Pancakes in front of him, he still tried just for the sake of trying it. He also still remembered how mischevious Bronce Spear had looked back when he talked him into eating it. He probably wanted to prove something.

Anyhow, he looked at Twilight, who was still fast asleep, her pancakes still in a deadly cuddle-grip and he raised a brow, questioning the image in front of him. The others around the table noticed him and greeted him. He asked them why Twilight was doing what she was doing and they told him about how Twilight kept insisting on helping them all day sometimes until it´s night and like it seemed that she never wanted to leave. Alternate agreed that it became very rare when he actually saw Twilight around the castle. He shrugged though, and walked into the kitchen. He started making tea for himself and while he was waiting for the water to start boiling he opened the fridge and took one of ten small bowls filled with salad and carrots for ANgel. The water was done boiling and he took a cup and two teabags. He placed everything on a tablet and started walking back.

On his way he met Spike. He had first met him three days ago, when Twilight and the rest went on some kind of adventure and left him and Spike back at the castle. Also Spike introduced him to hoofball, which he was not much of a fan of now that he knew what it was about.

"Oh, hey, Spike! What´s up?" he greeted the small purple dragon.

"Oh, hi, Alternate! How are you?"

"I´m good, thanks. But I think Twilight could be better. Snuggling with pancakes, that pony." he explained shortly and proceeded to walk back to his room. Angel was sitting on the bed, reading Alternates book with a confused look on his face. He must have found a Plothole or something like that. The bunny looked up from the book upon noticing that Alternate had put his food in front of him. He put the book aside and began to eat. Alternate started to drink his tea while also keeping an eye on Angel to make sure he´d eat it all.

He just finished his second cup of tea when he suddenly heard arguing coming from the dining room area. He sniffed the air and his eyes widened slightly as he frowned. He dicided to ignore the sound of arguing and asked Angel if he wanted to go outside somewhere. The bunny nodded and then jumped off the bed and hopped over to the desk in the room to grab a paper and hopped back to Alternate to show him the paper. It was the list Alternate had made of the furniture he wanted to buy, implying that they should get that while they were at it.

Alternate nodded in agreement and lifted Angel onto his back with his magic. He walked out the door of his room and out of the castle. He looked up into the sky, the sun was now fully up and was shining bright and warm upon his face. He smelled the air again and gave a sigh before frowning and growling. Angel looked at him confused, but figured he was just in a bad mood. Looking at the list, Alternate frowned even more. All those things he wanted just had to be ALL in different stores! Every. Single. Item. He groaned in frustration and started stomping towards the first store. His mood wouldn´t get any better, Angel saw it coming.
***
Alternate looked at the clock that was just above a painting behind the cashiers desk of the Gardening Shop ha and Angel were in.They had spent the whole day shopping for furniture-still they didn´t get all of it yet.

Alternate paid for the flowers and the two slowly made their way back to the castle. They met Twilight and Spike along the way and decied to walk with them, chatting about magic and the book Alternate owned. Twilight seemed very interested, for she hasn´t even heard of the title of the book, much less the author. An uncommon thing for her except if one takes into the equation that Alternates book didn´t come from (let´s call it) Middle Equestria, but from Eastern Equestria and was writtten by a very, very unknown author.

Upon being asked, Twilight explained to him what was supposedly going on after he had left the room and Alternate got a bit curious as to what they had done to the place in the meantime.

At the giant door they were greetde by all the other five and were led inside. Altrenate looked around and so did Twilight, Spike and Angel. He raised his brow. They hadn´t done anything? He shook his head. No, he had to cut them some slack here. There is no way they could renovate the WHOLE castle in one day! Perhaps they only renovated a few rooms? Must be it.

They entered the throne room and Alternates mouth gaped open in utter amazement. Attached to the ceiling were roots from what he could only guess was the Golden Oak Library and many chrystals hanging from them. They explained that every chrystal held an image of a memory Twilight had made in the Golden Oak Library. Alternate searched a bit, but he found the chrystal with the memory of him coming there. He smiled at that actually not so long ago memory as if it was a memory from many years ago. His ears perked up and his head shot to the side. He narrowed his eyes. He sniffed the air and his frown deepend until Twilight ripped him back into reality, asking him if he were alright.

"Yes, it´s nothing. I just had a bit of a headache. It´s been a long day, you see?", she just nodded in response, still having a concerned look on her face.

"She obviously doesn´t believe you", came the words from Angel. Alternate was now fully able to understand him and nodded.

Suddenly Rainbowdash-while flying- poked his shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, Alternate! You were a guard pony before you came to Ponyville right?", she asked, only recieving a nod as response.

"And you don´t have a job right now, right?", another nod came from Alternate and he opened his mouth in an attempt to explain why, but was interrupted as Pinkie Pie gasped.

"You could TOTALLY work as a guard pony for Twilight now! I mean, she´s a princess, you´re a guard with experience! It all fits together!", her voice was loud and actually gave Alternate a bit of a headache- which soon subsided though-, but he found himself nodding in agreement.

Twilight rubbed her chin with her left hoof to think. It did make sense to her and since she already saw Alternate agreeing to the idea, she saw no problem or issue with it and agreed too. Rarity squealed about how she would so have to create/design the perfect armor for Alternate. AppleJack reminded her that she had to make the armor more functional than pleasing to the eye, but Rarity insisted on the vision she claimed to already have in her head. Twilight, even Fulltershy found themselves giving Rarity a bit of advice how the armor should look like.

Alternate just chuckled at their enthusiasm. He saw down to Angel and saw the bunny yawn. He decided it was late enough and he would go to bed. He told them Goodnight and started walking upstairs with the bunny following him like a loyal dog. He chuckled at the thought.

Upon arriving in his room He put all the items he had bought that day somehwre in a corner of his room. He didn´t care about it at the moment. He just wanted to go to bed and sleep. A sudden wave of tiredness overcame him and looking at it more focused even the floor looked like a comfortable bed. He felt Angel leading him towards the actaul bed, because Alternates sudden tirednessmade him look -or rather act- a bit like he was drunk. But Alternate was almost too tired to care.

Angel jumped on the bed and under the covers first, quickly followed by Alternate, who immediatly- out of sudden instinct- pulled him close and pressed him against his chest, cuddling with him almost too protectively. His eyes fluttered closed and he laid his head against the pillows in the most comfortable position he could muster. He quickly sniffed the air and frowned. His eyes opened again scanning the room. As his gaze fell upon the window, he saw a shadow flying away. He wanted to growl, but his stomach did it for him, signalizing that he nedded food.

He looked at the bunny, finding him fast asleep. He sniffed at his chest and was mildly surprised at how much the love in his heart had grown over the course of these four days. To him it felt a bit unnatural, but he dismissed it. He opened his mouth and breathde in through it. The red dust came easily and without any resistance- which surprised Alternate to the point where he almost stoppped inhaling- from the bunnies small chest and he inhaled it.

After his meal he felt heavy, but less tired. He felt some presence in his room and immediatly got up, while still making sure the bunny would not wake up. He took in a defensive stance, ready to attack any intruder. He had an exact idea of exactly who was there. And he didn´t like the mere thought of it. He sniffed the air. He was right.