Note: part 1 and made after the episode "Cutiepox"
this happens three days after the last chapter
If this situation had been on one of his team members with less self-control Spy is certain that person would be out sucking love out from the locals. This hunger is putting him on edge, but he ensured Zecora that he can control it. He refuses to let his changeling barbaric needs get the better of him. He is a professional after all.
"My dear Spy, I have to leave you for now." Zecora tells to the changeling there has now been living with her for a while. She has come to trust he is no threat to her or the towns-ponies and thinks it will be safe enough teaching him the changeling's ability of shapeshifting. It might get him in a better mood to be able to mingle with other ponies; he seems like a very social changeling.
"When I return do perhaps it's time I teach you the magic your kind have, let you do your discoveries you so much yearn."
Oh, he never gets tired listing to her words, Zecora is a very interesting per- pony. Still needs to get used to that. "I take you finally trusts me." Spy points out to the zebra there has been very generous with her hospitality and share of her wide wisdom of this world he has found himself trapped in.
The zebra smiles back to him. "Indeed, I have resulted you are a pony to be trusted." And she leaves the hut, not worried he will mess up with some of her potions.
And indeed Spy has no wishes in ruin the zebra many wonders of potions. He is glad she has come to trust him, for all the waiting and practically doing nothing is not helping with his always tense mind and worries if he ever can get home. Fortunately, he has so far kept his mind busy from those thoughts by helping Zecora gathering plants she needed to her potions or keeping her hut clean. Those tasks were also a good training for him getting used to having hooves and not hands anymore.
Speaking of getting used to, Spy thinks he should practice his flying with his wings, like rest of this form; are bug-like. They start flapping rapidly, slowly but steadily makes him leave the ground. Spy has first recently gotten the hang of controlling his wings, he can hover and do simple turns but that is about it. So he is going to need more practice with them.
Spy learns forward and speeds up his wings, making him fly forward and at a quicker pace than just a slow hover. He almost crashes into one of the many shelves but gets his steering under control in last second. Spy flies back to the middle of the hut at a slower pace before trying again now he has a better idea how to control his new limbs. This time he doesn't almost crash and can fly relatively normally when Zecora returns.
The zebra smiles up to the airborne changeling. "Ah, I see you taught yourself the power of flight. That is good, but do come down before you give young Apple Bloom a bigger fright."
Spy notices a young, bright yellow, red mane/tail foal beside the zebra; staring at him with fearful eyes. He lands onto the floor, giving the young filly a polite bow. "No need of fearing me. A friend of dear Zecora will be safe from me." And he is not talking about his hunger for love. He is an assassin and has unfortunately killed children before. Still, he has some very clear rules: one of them that he will not harm a friend's friend unless that person directly tells him to do it. So unless Zecroa one day wants this foal dead, then Apple Bloom here will be safe.
Apple Bloom hesitates, this black insect-like pony is quite scary but he does sound friendly enough and Zecora seems to trust him. "Um, pleasure all mine." She greets him, not sure if she wishes to shake hoof with him, though. They look freaky with all those holes.
Chuckling at the filly's predicament Zecora heads over to gather some of her ingredients. "Now let's fix up your tooth my young friend of youth. Spy, I could use your help, can you get the bottle on the top shelf?"
Spy nods, flies up and carefully takes the bottle with his hoof. He hands it to the Zebra.
"Where's your cutie mark?"
Spy turns to the filly, frowning of what Apple Bloom has been asking. "What is a cutie mark?" He asks this is the first time he hears about it and honestly: it sounds incredibly silly.
"A changeling does not get a cutie mark my dear Apple Bloom, only you and I will get one in this room." Zecora explains practically both filly and changeling. She fills up a bowl of her potion and offers it to Apple Bloom. "Now drink down every little drop and this mixture will fix that chip on top."
Apple Bloom drinks the potions and in a matter of seconds, the chipped tooth has been healed. Spy is as always impressed a Zecora's skills of potion making and what wonders it can do. This time he is not alone as Apple Bloom jumps overjoyed over to the zebra. "Oh my star apples, you did it Zecora!" She looks around the hut as if for the first time. "Golly, you have all kind of bottles for all sorts of ailments."
Spy eyes the zebra while the filly checks out the labels on the many bottles. "How often does she visit you?" He wonders out loud.
"In the end, she has been here a few times my friend." Zecora replies him smiling, turning to the filly. "My brews have helped many to tell you the truth." The smile drops when Apple Bloom says while waving her flank. "I bet you could mix up a brew there could fix anything."
Zecora takes a deep breath before she lectures this impatience filly softly. "There are many mixtures in this room, but none that you want my dear Apple Bloom." She leaves the filly to brew up another potion. "A magic potion does not hold the key. For a cutie mark; time is the only remedy."
Apple Bloom sighs loudly, annoyed being told this again once again. "Fine..." She turns her gaze to the scary looking insect pony there is somehow quite interested in holding a stick on his right hooves. Looking away from the scary looking pony, Apple Bloom watches Zecora put three berries into a bowl and curious heads over to see what she's doing. "What are you going on here?"
"I am brewing up another mix for his rooster and his chicks" Zecora explains and stuffs her head into a rather large pot made out of bamboo, she pulls out a very beautiful flower with its leaves forming like a heart. "It seems the rooster has lost its crow; making mornings very slow."
"Hey, I have seen that flower blooming in Ponyville!" Apple Bloom exclaims excited seeing something she recognizes, but she has no idea what its properties is. "What is it?"
"It is one we call Heart's Desires." Zecora explains and shakes the flower the so the smaller leaves fall down into the bowl. "A batch will ignites the Rooster's fire," The rest she lies down into another bowl as this flower is also used for the potion she makes for Spy. "and keep a certain Spy fed from what he truly requires."
Said changeling eyes the two before he returns back to practice holding objects with only one hoof. He does turn his full attention when Zecora leaves as she has run out of amethyst for the brew. "I must go get this purple flower so the brew will get its full power. Spy could you be the dear and keep Apple Bloom safe in here?" She asks the changeling.
Spy nods and the zebra leaves. With her gone, he turns his gaze over to the young filly. Noticing she is staring at the Heart's Desire flower with eyes he has seen too many times in Scout's eyes. "Whatever you are thinking the plant will accomplice, it won't." He tells her, drops the stick and takes the flower away from the filly, it is still very strange holding stuff in his mouth but he needs his four hooves to walk.
"Huh? I wasn't planning anything." The filly defends herself; she hesitates but does walk over to where the changeling has put down the flower. "I was just fascinated by what it can do for the rooster." He looks down to her and she cannot stop from flinching away from those pupil missing eyes.
"You are a terrible liar." She pouts which Spy ignores and asks her. "Why do you want a cutie mark so badly?" For it is clear this young filly really wants it for some reason.
She looks wide-eyed at him in disbelief. "A cutie mark is everything! It tells somepony about their special talent!" The insect pony blinks and clearly not getting the importance of the cutie mark. She realizes it's because he cannot get one, not being a pony and all. "I want my cutie mark now and that flower can get it for me!"
Spy highly doubts the flower can help on that problem. He still doesn't fully understand the meaning behind a cutie mark and a mark on someone's talent is so important, all he knows is that this filly is desperate enough to try and do something really stupid. Too bad he can't kick the filly out like he would with Scout, guess he has to use his words instead. "Zecora made it very clear that no remedy of hers can give you this cutie mark— and of course you do not listen." He grumbles when Apple Bloom zips past him, grabs the flower, throws it into the brew and drinks the potion in one mouthful before he can stop her. She gives the not amused changeling a cheeky grin. Her eyes wide in sheer happiness when a silver mark appears on her flank. "I got my cutie mark!" She cheers, jumping around the face-hoofing Spy. She stops to give him a smug look, "and you said this wouldn't work."
Now he really hopes this will backfires on her. "Don't come crying when this backfires." He tells her simply and because he did say he would keep this stupid little pony safe. He escorts her through the forest, barely out, Apple Bloom gallops back to the town. "I gotta show my friends! Thanks Mister!"
Spy stares after her, already waiting for disaster to happen for that filly and when it does: he'll sate every moment of it.
He returns back to Zecora and explains the situation of what Apple Bloom has done.
Zecora hums about it for a moment. "Hm, Apple Bloom's impatience for cutie mark will backfire greatly, Spy could you keep an eye on her in case her mistake will get too crazy?" Spy points at his body; clear hint what he is getting at. Zecora chuckles and gestures him over. "Let us use this to our advantages, let me give you changeling powers a better understanding. Your magic allows you to shape-shift, do it right and nopony will know something is amiss."
Spy is starting to understand why he got this form. This changeling magic is practically like his disguise kit, instead of a machine, it is some kind of chemistry or magic inside of him. "Do you know how they do it?"
"Not quite but you will do alright." Zecora smiles, pointing at him. "Something tells me you know the stick to this little magic trick. But if it is any help, do try take my form as your first step."
Maybe he should consider this as his disguise kit, only that instead of a bottom he activates this one with his mind. Spy draws up a mental image of Zecora. A moment later, he feels a strange surge and when he opens his eyes, he realizes he looks like Zecora. Well, that was easier than learning how to fly. He wonders if he only can take form after already existing ponies or if he could take form after one he makes up in his mind alone? Using Apple Bloom and Zecora as his base, he draws up a blue adult stallion with his human hair. A surge of his magic and to Spy's huge satisfaction, he realizes he can make up forms on his own. That's better than the disguise kit!
He eyes Zecora, finding such delight watching her blush at how he probably would look like if he had been turned into a pony. "How do I look?" He asks and turns around himself so she can get a proper look.
Zecora is not sure he is teasing her or not, whatever the case he sure made up a very handsome form. "You are a very handsome sight," She blushes harder of what she has just said, "t-that didn't come out right..."
Spy smirks of her fluster. "Thank you for the compliment my dear." Bowing down as a true gentleman before turning his gaze to his flank which is at the moment completely blank, he knows he should put something there as having one sounded very important for that filly. But he doesn't think putting on his talent backstabbing people would be a wise choice, for who would want to be near a pony with a knife for a cutie mark? Eyeing the zebra. "Any idea for a mark? Something normal and harmless."
Zecora is happy his question shakes her out from her blushing like some filly gushing over her first crush. "Perhaps a flower there hides your true special power?" She suggests, she is fully aware that this changeling is not as harmless as he gives out. Being a changeling and gotten the name Spy should give anypony the hint that this creature is deadly when the situation calls for it. It does come as a bit of a surprise for Zecora that she ever decided to trust him.
There better not come some pony over and asks for his expertise in flowers, for all he knows about flower is which one he should give to women. Spy scan the hut for a flower, spots some white roses and in a quick flash of green, those flowers decorate his flank. This form should keep him well hidden among the other ponies, and hopefully he won't discover what will make this disguise break while being in the town. "I will need to practice this skill of mine. When sure I can hold it without problem, I will keep an eye on that kid."
Zecora smiles very satisfies of his answer.