//------------------------------//
// Chapter Four 
// Story: Earning Their Trust 
// by UniqueSKD 
//------------------------------//

Thorax stepped out of his new room, his best smile on his face. However, no sooner had he stepped through the door did his hoof slip on something soft, and he found himself getting close and personal with the hard wooden flooring, face first and with a loud thud. He groaned as he lifted his head, a slight daze enveloping his mind. 

There were sounds of muffled childish giggles close by. Shaking his head as he stood back up on to all fours, Thorax turned to his side and was met with the faces of six little foals looking up at him, all of whom were giggling hysterically at the. Behind the little foals, still confined to her wheelchair, Jet Shine sat with a hoof over her mouth and shaking her head as she tried to refrain from letting out a giggle of her own.

Thorax gave his onlookers an awkward smile as he got back up onto his hooves, dusting himself off as he stood to attention in front of the little foals. Jet Shine rolled her wheelchair over to the side of him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Looks like you just learned one of the first rules to working here, Thorax," she chuckled as she held out to him a small soft leathery ball. "Always watch out for the children's toys. The last thing I need is covering a medical bill."

Jet turned to the children still present in the room. She cleared her throat, and they all stood straight and to attention in a line, as though they were presenting themselves to some potential adopting family. "Now children, this here is Thorax; the changeling I told you about yesterday. I know that he looks a little bit scary, but I assure you that he means us no harm."

Jet rolled her wheelchair towards the end of the line and began to roll her way across the line, introducing each foal one by one to the new changeling carer. The first foal was a small Earth pony colt with a messy light-green mane and yellow coat. He had a cutie mark depicting some kind of strange-looking fruit. "This is Mango," Jet said. "He's one of our older residents. Say hello to Thorax. Mango."

"Hello," he said with a small wave of his hoof.

The next foal was a little pinkish-gray unicorn filly wearing large glasses. She had curly purple hair with dark blue stripes running through it. On her flank was a cutie mark of a telescope. "This here is Night Gaze. She's into studying stars and constellations."

"H-hello, Mister Thorax," Night Gaze said with a courteous bow.

Thorax gave a soft smile and turned his attention to the filly next to Night Gaze. She had a soft gray snow slurry colored coat, with a cream colored mane. Her cutie mark was that of a tornado ad umbrella crossed in front of a shield. The look in her eye was that of “Nothing scares me”.

“This is Storm Shield,” Jet smiled. “A word of warning, she's a bit headstrong and can be a hooffull at times.”

“Heh, kinda reminds me of my brothers and sisters back at the Hive,” Thorax said, with a wave of his hoof. “Hooffulls, the whole lot of them.”

The two elders chuckled. They turned back to face the kids. The next in the line was a unicorn and the third filly in line, red with soft blackish gold streaks. On her flank was a Crescent Moon with an arrow crossed in front. She was eyeing him up curiously. Thorax merely smiled as she walked over to inspect him.

“That's Knight Silver,” Jet said. “She's brilliant but keeps to herself, as others push her about making their importance known.”

Thorax nodded, making a mental note to make sure every filly and foal knew that he would tolerate none of their shenanigans.

The fourth one was a sand tan earth pony with a light dirt brown mane. She seemed nervous around him. Her blackish gray eyes darted back to Jet, as if she was avoiding the monster under the bed.

“She's Sandy Pit,” Jet said. “Try to watch yourself around her, okay? Ever since certain..." Jet paused momentarily as though trying to find the right word. "...certain events, she's been scared of Changelings, and she may be hesitant to come close to you, despite Cadence's assurances.”

“I understand, miss Jet,” Thorax sighed softly. “It's okay. I'm sure we'll push through.” Hopefully, he added quietly.

Jet smiled. They looked at the last pony, a steel gray unicorn colt with a fiery orange mane. Thorax noted he had the same eye color as his mane, but he also looked nervous.

“That's Forge,” Jet said. “He's always been nervous, especially after an particularly nasty incident that happened not too long ago that I'd rather not bring up in front of him, if you don't mind.”

Thorax shook his head. "Perfectly fine."

“In that case, that's all of the children then.” she said. "So, do you think you can handle watching them then, Thorax?"

“Well, I think I can sort this out and should I need help, I can turn to either you, or one of the royals should they be free,” he said.

“Good,” Jet said as she turned her chair and wheeled away. "Introduce yourself to them if you would please, Thorax,"

Thorax, smiling, laid down, his front hooves crossed, to show he meant no harm.

The children slowly approached the changeling with looks of curiosity on their faces. I guess not all of these kids have ever properly seen a changeling up close before, if they're not so immediately scared of me Thorax thought to himself as the children circled, oooh'ing and aaahing at the strange new alien-looking creature who would be charged with helping to look after them. All of them save for Sandy Pit, who remained where she was, nervously avoiding looking at her new guardian and kicking her front hooves to and fro...