//------------------------------// // Uncovered and Named // Story: The Fake Changeling // by Listener //------------------------------// It was those fillies again. He didn’t know why they kept coming into the forest whenever the larger ones would become upset at them every time. It was obvious they were being warned not to come into it as both the larger ones, the foals, and even he knew the dangers of the forest. He knew better than most. It had been at least a month since he had appeared in the forest, alone and confused. He didn’t know how he had ended up in the forest but he had quickly learned how to survive, how to avoid the dangers of the forest and those that lived in it. The small, brightly colored fillies stood out in the forest, unlike him and his black exterior. They seemed oblivious to how much attention they attracted. He snorted and shook his head as he watched them enter, before sighing. At least they were taking the path to the one that lived in the safer part of the forest. He stood and stretched, abandoning his watch of the town in his attempt to learn more about them, knowing that the fillies were likely to get themselves in danger. He didn’t know them, and they didn’t know of him, but at least he could keep the danger at bay. He wasn’t the biggest threat in the forest, but those around the path knew of him, and steered clear. With another look back at the strangely colorful town filled with ponies, he set off to follow the trio of happily talking ponies, not knowing what they were talking about in the foreign tongue, but knowing that their voices would draw attention. --- Apple Bloom looked at her friends with a wide smile. “Alright, Ah know that I told you I would ask Zecora if you could come along as she showed me how to make potions, but I didn’t think she would say ‘yes’!” she said with a happy voice. “But, be careful in there! Ah don’t want Zecora thinking I’m too young for the responsibility.” Scootaloo smirked as she rolled her eyes. “Relax! Me and Sweetie will be on our best behavior. Besides, it’s just potion making, what can we do to screw it up just watching?” she asked as the white pony nodded in agreement. Apple Bloom gave her a look. “One word. Cutie-pox.” Sweetie grimaced at the reminder, looking at her friend. “Oh yeah.” The orange pegasus just smiled at that. “Well, I won’t be eating any flowers I see, or drinking any potions! We’re here to see if we can get our potion making cutie mark, not potion tester!” Apple Bloom continued her look with a raised eyebrow before shrugging. “Alright then,” she said, before smiling. The unicorn next to her bumped shoulders with her. “Thanks for asking Zecora, Apple Bloom,” she said with her own smile. Any response Apple Bloom was going to give was cut off by a roar in the distance, the girl’s ears flattening down as they looked at each other. “Ah don’t suppose that there’s any chance that’s not coming towards us?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at her friends. Another, closer roar rang out from the forest as it was Scootaloo’s turn to give Apple Bloom a look. “With us? No. Run!” she yelled as they all started running for Zecora’s hut. --- His head snapped towards the roar, knowing what it meant. Why one of those was so close to this part of the forest he didn’t know, but he knew what it meant. Hearing the fillies start to run only did so much to calm his nerves as he prepared himself for what was to come. The manticore was hungry. --- “It’s getting closer!” “Ah know Sweetie, just keep running! I can almost see the hut!” “We’re not going to make it!” Scootaloo shouted out, the ground trembling as the manticore chased them. Looking behind her with wide eyes as it crouched down and leapt at her. She screamed as it flew towards her, only for a black blur to fly out of the forest and slam into the monster’s side and crashing it into a tree. Pushing off from the monster with a kick, it landed between it and the fillies, its insect like wings spread out in a show of aggression as it glared at its new foe. --- He glared at the scorpion-lion monster, hoping that it wouldn’t call its bluff and attack. It snorted at him, pacing back and forth as he kept himself between it and its intended meal. He snarled again, stomping the ground as he flared his wings again, trying to be bigger than he was. He gave a growl, the manticore glared back, before grunting and leaving through the forest. He kept the stance up for a moment, before looking behind him at the shivering fillies on the ground. He sighed, looking at them and dropping his stance and walking up to them against his better judgement. --- The fillies looked at each other as the black insect like pony looked at them, not sure what he was going do, but knowing that the safety of Zecora’s hut was too far to run to. He stared at them for a good minute before sighing and starting to make noises at them, waving a hoof at them as they huddled together. The three of them watched as it did what they knew well. They were being chewed out by the black creature. Stunned, they could only watch it do so, frozen from the fear of the manticore, and being wary of the new creature. It looked at them for a moment longer, before sighing again as it looked back towards the forest edge out of view and then back at the path the fillies were traveling. It gestured towards down the path that the hut was on, starting to walk down it before looking back to see if they were following. Seeing that they weren’t it stared for a moment, unsure how to continue With a moment’s debate it stepped forward and gently picked up Sweetie, the other two yelling out, Scootaloo going so far as to try and kick him to free her friend. “You’re not going to eat her!” she shouted as Apple Bloom did the same, trying to pull the squirming unicorn from its grip. It just gave the two an unamused look and pushed her back with a hoof, setting her friend on his back, before grunting and rolling his eyes at Scootaloo’s continued assault. It gave her a look as he raised an eyebrow, before speaking in its weird language. It started walking towards Zecora’s hut, looking back to make sure they were following. Seeing that they were, it gave a smile and kept walking as he looked around the forest with a watchful eye. --- He gave the two fillies following him a look as he walked, his mind whirling as he tried to think of how this would end. He had been here at least a month, watching from the forest. He had no idea how the town would react to him, and he had not seen anyone else that had looked like him. Leave it to the danger prone fillies to make him break from his hidden life. He sighed again, before waving a hoof at the look the yellow one gave him. “It’s nothing,” he promised her, hoping his tone would get past the language barrier. He blinked as he shook his head. It had been so long since he had even heard his voice. Thankfully, it was the one thing unchanged in his new body. She said something back, but as always he couldn’t understand a word of it. Idly, he wondered how long it would be before the purple one was scouring the forest for him. She seemed to like the unexplainable from what he had seen from the forest’s edge. His secret was out. --- Sweetie Belle looked at her friends from her new vantage point, the entire situation being weird even for the three of them. “Girls, what just happened?” “Ah think that whatever it is just saved us and then yelled at us,” Apple Bloom said as she looked up at her, her confusion apparent as well. “Well, I don’t think it’s going to eat us,” Scootaloo said after a moment of silence. “After all, why would it be taking us to Zecora’s?” The other two nodded as they looked at their unexpected savior. “What is he anyway? Ah’ve never seen anything like him before. He’s smart though!” she said with confidence. Scootaloo snorted at that, drawing a raised eyebrow from the creature before it went back to scanning the forest again. “How smart can it be if it can’t speak Equish and lives in the Everfree?” “It did sound like Rarity when she’s chewing us out,” Sweetie pointed out, shifting on its back. “And Applejack too,” Apple Bloom added before thinking. “I wonder if it has a name?” “It lives in the Everfree, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo reminded her. “How can it have a name?” Quickly forgetting about her earlier fear, Apple Bloom sped up to walk beside him. “Hey! What’s your name?” --- The yellow one was talking to him. Glancing down, he gave what he hoped would be a placating smile. He couldn’t understand a word they were saying, and they couldn’t understand him. It was a question based on the tilt of her head. “I don’t understand,” he said with a soft smile. Her head tilts the other way before she looked deep in thought for a moment, the unicorn from his back offering her own words. Whatever she said makes the yellow one smile before she sits down and points at herself. He was about to nudge her with a hoof to urge her on again, when she spoke. It was his turn to tilt his head as he looked at her. She pointed at herself again, repeating the same word. His blue eyes lit up as it clicked. That was her name, and the question from before became clear. They were asking for his name. --- The unexpected smile on its face made Apple Bloom smile back as it nodded, thinking for a moment. After a moment, it pointed at her. “Awpble Blowmm,” it tried, giving a look of concentration. Her eyes lit up again as she nodded, repeating herself. “App-le-Bl-oom” She said, stressing her name out slowly. “Awple Blooom?” “Apple Bloom,” she corrected again with a smile. It was quiet for a moment. “Apple Bloom?” --- Judging from the look on her face, he had gotten it right. It wasn’t much, and it was with what he presumed were children, but it was more progress he had had in the month he had been here. He smiled at her, before she pointed at him with the same question. His smile faded a bit as he thought about the question. He was no longer who he had been, he was now someone, something new. His old name had no right to this form. He gave her a shrug, before pointing at her. --- It was pointing back at her, its eyes furrowed in concentration as it thought. “Awple Bloom,” it started, flubbing her name again as it tried to speak Equish, repeating her own question back to her with a pointed hoof. “What es youur namee?” it tried as it pointed back to itself, trying to wrap its mouth around the unfamiliar sounds.” Her confusion showed on her face as Scootaloo sat down beside her, looking up at it. “I think it’s just parroting what you say Apple Bloom. It’s probably just as smart as one too,” she said as she looked at her friend. Apple Bloom shook her head as she looked at her. “He’s smart, he’s learning Equish,” she said as she pointed at him. “What is your name?” she asked again as he frowned, trying again. “What es name?” it tried again, pointing to himself. Sweetie spoke up, her voice unsure. “Is it asking us to give him a name?” she asked, blinking. Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up as she pointed to him. “Apple Bloom give you a name?” she asks, getting a confused look from the creature as she sighed. “What should we call it then?” she asked, looking at her friends and hoping that’s what it wanted. “We could always call it Black?” Scootaloo said as she looked at it. “Too on the nose,” she shot it down. “Says the pony whose entire family is named after apples and works on an apple farm,” Scootaloo said with a laugh. Interrupting what was about to become an argument between her two friends, Sweetie spoke up. “We could call it Onyx!” she said happily, only to get two blank looks. “You know, onyx? It’s a black rock? It’s black and hard as a rock!” she said as she looked down. “It is?” Scootaloo asked as it touched its leg while avoiding one of the holes. It looked down in confusion as she looked up. “She’s right!” “I should know, it put me on its back.” she said as she nodded. Apple Bloom nodded. “Alright then! Onyx it is!” She looked back up at it and smiled. She pointed to herself. “Apple Bloom,” she said, before pointing at him. “Onyx.” --- He couldn’t believe that he had actually gotten the question across. If he was going to be found soon, he might as well have a name that sounded normal to those who found him. He nodded as he looked down at her. He tried his best to repeat his new name, doing all he could to form his mouth around it. “Oinyc?” No, that wasn’t right. Apple Bloom repeated itself for him. “Oinyx?” Still wasn’t right. The orange one, the one who had touched and startled him spoke up, using her front hooves to accentuate the word. It was actually quite cute he had to admit to himself as he smiled at her. “Onyx?” he asked slowly, sounding it out again. Judging by their looks, he had gotten it right. For some reason, he felt proud of himself as he nodded, trying it out again. Speaking in the more familiar language, he nodded again. “I am Onyx.” He couldn’t believe that he had gotten his question across to the small fillies. He wasn’t sure he had gotten the question right, in fact he was almost sure he had gotten it wrong. His new name would help separate who he had been from who he was now. He didn’t know who he was now, but now he had a starting point. Onyx smiled. It was good to have a name. --- Apple Bloom smirked at Scootaloo, “Ah told ya he was smart!” “He may be smart, but he’s still crazy for living out here,” she said, standing her ground before she let out a surprised noise as she’s nudged with Onyx’s muzzle. He said something in his own language, but the intent was clear as she and Apple Bloom got up. “He’s right you know, we do need to get moving,” Sweetie said as they all started walking, the zebra’s hut coming into view after a few minutes of walking. The zebra in question was standing outside her hut, her eyes displaying a mixture of wariness and relief. Before she reached them, Onyx twisted around and gently took Sweetie Belle by the scruff of her neck and set her between her friends, pushing her forward towards the zebra. --- It was still strange to Onyx to see the zebra, looking similar to those he had known but different enough to set him on edge. She was a reminder that he was not where he belonged. He shifted as she got close enough to look down at the three fillies and then back up at him. He gestured to the three of them with a hoof. “They’re your problem now. Escort them back please,” he said, knowing that there was no way she’d understand, but he hoped that his tone would get across. With a nod to the confused zebra, he turned around to leave before he let out a startled noise, looking down at his front legs to see Apple Bloom and the orange pegasus hugging his legs, their words unintelligible to him but their own tone making it clear to him what they meant. He let out a grunt as he felt the familiar weight of the white unicorn on his back. Onyx smiled soft as he nuzzled the two in front of him, surprised that despite his stress earlier about everything he felt the best he had in the time he had been there, in that moment. It was strange, the nuzzling coming naturally to him like that. With a few words from the zebra, the fillies let go of him, Apple Bloom waving at him as she walked back to her. His new name caught his attention. He tried to say the same. “Goyd bie, Apple Bloom,” Onyx said as he smiled, waving before he walked back into the forest, disappearing from their sight. --- Zecora waited a moment before clearing her throat, grabbing the attention of her three temporary students. “I am glad to see you Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. When you did not show up on time I felt worried and was coming to look for you,” she rhymed out. “I gave permission for you three to come and watch my potions brew, but I also remember saying to have an adult accompany you,” she said, looking down with a raised eyebrow. The fillies stayed silent for a moment before Apple Bloom spoke up. “We’re sorry Zecora... We got so excited about coming to see you that we left early, and left a note with Applejack,” she said as she looked down. Zecora looked surprised for a moment. “You say you left early but that’s no excuse,” she gently reprimanded. “But if you left early, the fact that the path takes longer now is certainly news.” Scootaloo spoke up at this point, her normally brash voice sounding sheepish. “That might be because we ran into a manticore,” she said slowly. Zecora looked at her, a bit surprised. “Is that the cries that I heard earlier? I thought that your tardiness had to do with your courier,” she blinked after a moment. “Wait a minute Scootaloo, you say a manticore bothered you on your way through?” The orange pegasus in question nods as Sweetie spoke up, nodding. “Yeah! I didn’t think they came so close to the edge! It leapt at Scootaloo and then Onyx stopped it and scared it off!” she squeaked happily. Zecora took a moment to process this. “Onyx was the creature’s name?” she asked, the fillies nodding to her. “And you’re sure he’s not to blame?” “No!” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head. “He saved us from tha manticore, and then we shared names! Was harder than it looked too!” she said proudly as her friends nod and confirm her story. She’s silent for a moment. “I must cancel the class and for that I apologize, but I think I know of a Twilight Sparkle that might want to know of this creature I did not recognize.” To her own surprise, the trio look a bit unsure about that, not the expected reaction of disappointment at the canceling of their class. “I don’t know Zecora. You know how she gets with new things.” Sweetie said. “I think Onyx just wants to be left alone.” This causes her to pause as she thinks. “I am sorry Sweetie Belle, but to her this I must tell,” she said after a moment. At the filly’s disappointed look. “But in this matter I will take lead, and I will insist on keeping an eye out in her stead.” That seemed to be the right thing to say as Sweetie nods, the other two following along. With a nod of her own she closed her door and looked down. “We will reschedule today for a later date, but if I find out you are coming here alone again no more I will create,” she said as a warning, before making sure that the fillies were following. Seeing that they were she set off, her eyes watching the forest along the path for unseen dangers. --- Onyx’s eyes locked with the zebra’s and he froze. He was sure he blended in with his surroundings, one of the only perks of his new form. But in that moment that their eyes locked, an understanding was passed between the two of them. He could no longer hide from her now that she was aware of his presence. He blinked at her after a moment, and nodded. He could no longer hide, to pretend that the forest and all that lived in it would ignore his presence any longer. His future was changing. As he watched the zebra walk away with the three fillies he set off to follow. He needed to be closer to the edge of the forest, and he wanted to keep an eye on those three. Onyx didn’t know why, but the feeling of needing to safeguard the three while they were in the forest was at the forefront of his mind. It was strange to him. He had counted the days he had been in the forest. But now he was counting the days he had until everything changed. Onyx smiled.