Aqua awoke slowly and was still tired from all his activity yesterday. He pulled the blanket over his head before he heard voices outside the door.
I hope they leave soon, I'm tired.
He heard Applejack telling someone something and decided to listen in a bit.
"Ah don't know! Tha varmint was there when ah woke up! How am ah supposed ta know how it got in here!" Another pony squealed in excitement.
"This is so exciting! I can't wait to finally be able to study a real one!" A more posh sounding voice cut in,
"Honestly I just hope it's not too grotesquely ugly. Goodness knows they were before." He heard the door open which prompted him to slowly begin rousing himself. He remained under the blankets but swiveled his ear to hear better. Suddenly, the covers were pulled off him eliciting a shiver from him and gasps from the ponies. One said in a smug voice,
"Well well well, I guess it's payback time for Canterlot." Aqua pushed himself upright and yawned widely before rubbing his eyes with his hole filled hooves... hole filled? He looked down and froze as he saw black chitin instead of turquoise fur.
Again?! This is the fourth time I've shape shifted in my sleep this week! At least I'm not a gryphon this time, or a mare.*shudder*
He gulped before looking up at the assembled ponies. It was those six mares from Canterlot! What were they doing here? The purple unicorn recovered faster than the others and said in an imperious voice,
"Ahm... as P-princess Celestia's personal student, I demand you surrender so we can capture and study you! If you try anything changeling we will use force." Aqua shrank back and started quaking in fear. Ponies usually were cute but now they were just plain scary. A butter yellow pegasus with a light pink mane darted over and scooped him into a warm hug. She gave Twilight a disapproving look and admonished,
"Twilight! You're scaring the poor dear!" The others gasped. The rainbow maned one shouted,
"What the hay Fluttershy! That thing's a changeling! Don't touch it, it could do some gross changeling magic or something." The others nodded and began advancing prompting Aqua to cower further against the mare holding him. She just stared at them while saying,
"But look at him, he's only a foal! It would be wrong to punish a poor little foal for trying to get warm at night. So what if he slept in your bed Applejack, would it be a problem if Apple Bloom did?" Applejack grumbled,
"Yeah, but mah sister ain't a changeling." Twilight looked at Fluttershy and said,
"But Fluttershy, we need to learn the location of the remaining changelings as well as any physical weaknesses they may have. Changelings are evil and need to be stopped." Fluttershy huffed.
"If a mean old dragon burned part of Ponyville up would you punish Spike for it?" Twilight looked aghast.
"What? Oh course not, he didn't take part in..." she sighed as she realized what her friend had just done.
Aqua slowly started calming down as the pegasus holding him started gently rubbing his back.
"Shhh, it's okay little guy, I won't let them hurt you." Despite his best efforts he couldn't try to wriggle out of her grip or escape. Not because she was holding him tightly, but because he couldn't bring himself to. She was so soft and quite it was making him all drowsy and calm. Twilight started protesting again,
"But, but we still should notify the Royal Guard so they can come collect it.Even if it is just to bring it to Princess Celestia and she keeps it under house arest." Fluttershy looked at the unicorn pitifully.
"But what if his family is nearby? They would be worried sick! And look at him, he's not trying to hurt anypony." Rarity made a face before saying,
"Honestly darling, do you really think you should hold it? It's so gross and slimy looking!" Fluttershy gasped,
"Rarity! Would you say that to another pony! Besides, this little angel isn't gross or slimy, he's actually kind of silky feeling, and his fangs are so little they're cute rather than scary." She nuzzled Aqua's cheek for extra emphasis. Aqua hummed happily as she did, this mare was so nice, and she was giving him so much love. The curly maned party pony raised her hoof like she was trying to tell a teacher something.
"But what if the changeling is just acting all cutesy-wootsy and is just trying to gobble up all your love?" Fluttershy smiled before saying,
"I feel perfectly fine! And besides, you wouldn't take my love would you little guy." She directed the last part at Aqua which immediately received a response. Aqua looked up at her with a guilty look and said,
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it would be okay if I ate some. I'm sorry for not asking." All the assembled mares jolted in surprise when he spoke. Fluttershy was the furst to recover and gave him a sweet smile.
"Oh it's okay. So long as you don't take too much I can definitely spare some." Before her friends could interject Aqua tilted his head and said,
"Take? Oh no, I'm just feeding off of what you're giving me, you can't get hurt by this!" He knew, Mom explained it to him when he asked if Dad would be alright feeding both of them. Fluttershy smiled and kissed his cheek.
"You're just the sweetest little thing! And so polite too." Twilight scowled,
"That's it. Fluttershy, I demand you give me that changeling!" Fluttershy looked around at her friends and then back at the foal that was now pressing up against her chest to distance himself from the ring of encroaching mares. She closed her eyes and nodded once before lunging across the room and pushing Aqua out the window. Aqua's wings buzzed as he slowed his descent.
"Run! I'll ,um, try to stop them!" Aqua nodded and called back,
"Thank you!" He then made a bee-line for the forest and was soon zipping through the underbrush.
Fluttershy turned back to her friends who were now scowling at her. She blushed and rubbed the back of her head.
"Um... sorry?"
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Aqua panted as he flew as fast as he could through the forest. He finally stopped near a small stream to catch his breath. He looked around and, upon seeing he wasn't followed, sat down heavily on his haunches. He wiped his brow with a fetlock and leaned down in order to drink from the stream. When he had had his fill he began looking for the way back to town. He turned around and... no, not that way. He grew more panicked the longer he looked and after a few minutes sat down to try to remember which direction town was.
It was... backwards from here? Left? Right? I, I don't know!
He continued swiveling his head around and soon decided on a course of action.
"I think I came from... there, so I'll go... that way!" He said to no one in particular. He stood up and trotted down the path he'd chosen, hoping he had the right one.
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"What do you mean you don't know where he is!" Cloud shouted at the collection of six mares in front of him. Twilight stepped forward and gave him a nervous smile.
"W-well, we don't know where he is, but we will hopefully find him soon!" Cloud growled in response,
"Soon? Soon!? I want to know where my son is! You were supposed to be watching him. I trust that when I allowed Aqua to go to that sleepover you wouldn't lose him!" Rainbow Dash pushed her snout against his and glared at him.
"Hey! Don't you go blaming Applejack bub, it's not her fault your son is missing!" Pinkie chose then to add to the conversation.
"Actually, she was the designated chaperone, so she bears full legal responsibility to protect and watch over the foals under her care." She then somehow popped back into place beside Rarity within a matter of seconds. Cloud groaned,
"Great, first the Canterlot fiasco, then the fact that I STILL haven't heard from the princesses about my compensation, and now my son is missing. Just great! I knew I should have moved to Horseshoe Bay!" He sighed and started trotting away.
"Where are you going?" Twilight called out.
"What do you think! I'm going to find my son!" Cloud shouted over his shoulder. Applejack stepped forward,
"Wait fer us and we can ahl look tagether!"
"Sorry, but I'd rather find my son ALIVE! I'm finding my own search team."
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Night had fallen, and with it, so had Aqua's hope. He stumbled along, crying and whimpering to himself, scared out of his mind. A twig snapped and Aqua heard a low, menacing growl. He shakily turned and saw a massive wolf made of wood staring at him with eyes filled with ravenous hunger. It slowly crept forward and Aqua bolted in the other direction. He had donned his pony form long before in the hopes of being found, but now he was just glad that his pegasus wings didn't shred like changeling wings. He kept on running until he reached a cliff. This wouldn't have been a problem, if he hadn't been at the bottom of it, and the entire top and area surrounding it weren't covered in wolves. He knew he couldn't fly fast or long enough to get away. The wolves crept closer and closer, a sea of slavering brown churning around him. He sobbed in defeat, there was no way to escape. If he flew they'd follow him until he was too tired to fly. If he tried climbing the cliff the wolves up top would pounce. He shook as he realized he would never see his parents again, or his friends, or--
Suddenly, there was a gust of wind and a loud "whoosh". Aqua felt something pick him up and fly faster than he think possible into the night sky. Aqua squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared for whatever creature had snatched him away to finish him off. He was surprised when suddenly he was set down and heard a gruff yet feminine voice.
"Sheesh kid, you almost got turned into a dweeb dinner, what the buck are you doing in the forest?" He turned and saw something he wasn't expecting. There before him stood a gryphon. Her feathers were white with purple markings, and her fur was a rich brown color. The gryphoness rolled her eyes and said,
"I know the drill, 'ahh! Please don't eat me Miss Gryphon! I promise I don't taste very--" She was cut off by Aqua pouncing on her, sobbing and shivering.
"T-thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much! You saved my life." He squeezed a bit tighter as he clung to her stomach. She looked taken aback and awkwardly patted him on the head.
"Well, this is new. You're not... scared of me?" Aqua shook his head and looked up at her with adoring eyes.
"You saved my life! Why would I be scared?" She shrugged.
"I dunno, most of you dweeby ponies freak out when you see anything different." She carefully used her claws to pry Aqua off her belly and sat down in front of him.
"So dweeb, what's your name?"
"Aqua! What's yours?" The gryphoness blinked and scratched her head.
"Uh... Gilda. Um... okay! Back to the topic at claw, why are you here?"
"I got lost, and then the wolves attacked and, and then you saved me." Gilda rolled her eyes.
"No duh. But anyway, where's your home?" Aqua bit his lip before looking around. For the first time he realized he was in some sort of treetop nest house. He looked around some more and said,
"Ponyville, I live in Ponyville." Gilda groaned and held a claw to her forehead.
"Just great, exactly where I wanted to go. Listen kid, I can take you home but it'll have to wait for tomorrow. I guess you can stay with me for tonight." She trudged over to a table and poured some water into a pair of homemade bowls. She handed one to Aqua and then curled up in a nest made of various soft materials. Aqua sat down beside the table directly across from her. He cleared his throat.
"So, you live in these woods?" Gilda raised an eyebrow causing Aqua to laugh nervously.
"Right, pretty obvious. So how long have you lived here?" Gilda took a drink before answering.
"A couple months, and what is this, twenty questions?" Aqua gulped and looked down.
"Sorry Miss Gilda." Gilda groaned.
"Just Gilda! And sheesh kid, grow a spine! Don't apologize for everything. I swear you remind me if that wimpy pony from before." Aqua tilted his head before asking,
"Before." Gilda shook her head with a scowl. Secretly, she was glad to have someone to vent at.
"I went to Ponyville to visit a friend and it went bad. I've been staying here ever since."
"Why not just go back home?"
"Because my old home isn't my home anymore." When Aqua remained silent, Gilda continued.
"I got layed off from work and then I couldn't pay rent. So, I figured I'd come visit my friend. I thought I'd crash with her for a bit and then hopefully get a job in town. But, she told me to leave after I blew my lid at a party." Aqua's ears flattened.
"I'm sorry, that sounds bad." Gilda scoffed.
"Yeah, it was. The thing that ticked me off the most wasn't all the dweeby pranks, but the party itself. They had so much food and drinks that I just... where I'm from none of the gryphons can afford something like that. And then that stupid pink dweeb ate an entire cake by herself. That cake could have easily fed the whole bucking town! And she just scarfed it down! That and Rainbow choosing her new friends over me and, and." Aqua moved closer, but Gilda was just getting started.
"It's just, she was the only friend I'd ever had. My parents wanted a son so they didn't want anything to do with me. As soon as possible they shipped me off to Jr. Speedsters Camp just to get rid of me. There, my only friend was Dash and I admired her so much. She was confident and cool and everything I wasn't. So then I come back and at first everything is just peachy. But then her stupid pink friend starts following us and Dash always stops whatever we're doing to talk to her. So okay, that's cool, but then at the party she stood up for her new friends rather than me. The only person who ever gave a rip about me just stood there, basically saying 'Buck you Gilda, I have new friends now. I don't need you anymore!' And she told me to go find a new friend. Friend, singular, like she was telling me she knew I'd never have a big group of friends. Heck, I'd have been happy with just Dash but, but ahe threw me out like yesterday's trash. And so I started living here, but every night when I fall asleep, I can't help but think about how much of a failure I am and hope I don't wake up. But I do, so, I made that." She pointed to a length of vines knotted together with a noose on the end.
"I stood there and tried to do it, tried to make it all stop ,but, I was too much of a coward! I just, I hate myself so much that I wish I'd never been born!" She broke down sobbing. She hadn't really ever been paying attention to her guess for most of her speech, she'd just been holding it all in for too long. She opened her eyes and looked in confusion at the pony hugging her tightly.
"No! You're not trash! You saved my life and I think you're my friend! So that's all that matters to me! You're not trash to me!" She sniffed before pulling the foal onto her feathery chest. She clutched him to her chest and cried until she could cry no more. When she was finished she wiped her face and smiled at Aqua.
"T-thanks dweeb. I, I guess we're friends now?" Aqua nodded before yawning and pressing against her side. Gilda smiled and wrapped her arms around him, holding him like a teddy bear.
"Goodnight Gilda!" Aqua said through a yawn. Gilda smiled and ruffled his mane.
"Goodnight dweeb. I'll see you in the morning." And so, the two slept, unaware that in a town a moderate distance away a certain pegasus was sleepless with worry.