Misery, thy name is Bait.
To say that Bait the changeling was miserable would be an understatement. A week ago, he was one-half of an Infiltration team that had conquered dragon’s nests and pulled off bank heists that had made international headlines. Now, he was barely anything at all. His queen, the one for whom he had committed so many of those impossible acts, was a prisoner in the heart of the enemy’s empire, and he himself was nothing. A hostage, a bargaining chip between nations to ensure the occupation of his home went smoothly, on a chariot surrounded by a half-dozen stallions he had probably fought at some point to Celestia-knows-what. Of course, his being selected for this dubious honor probably had something to do with all those bank heists and conquests he’d carried out in the name of his queen, but it was a little late to reflect on that now, wasn’t it?
He sighed, scratching at the collar around his neck. He was supposed to keep this damned thing on for the next...however long he would be stuck here, allowing it to mark him as a prisoner of Equestria, and any attempt to just remove it would be noticed by every Royal Guard for miles around, and still the damn thing already itched!
Of course, this only earned him a prodding from the handle of the spear being held by the gold-clad stallion next to him. “Stop that,” he said.
“It. Itches.” Bait hissed.
“I can always blacken your eye to distract you, bug. Would you like that instead?” The guardstallion frowned.
Bait clenched his teeth. A week ago, he would’ve gripped the stallion by the ears, used some magic to harden his own skull, nailed the guy in a headbutt meant to daze, then gone for a punch to the throat. Now, he could only fold his ears down, bow his head submissively, and welcome another prod to the flank until he forced his hoof back down. The collar didn’t really itch, he knew that, he just hated what it meant. He was a muzzled dog now.
A large hoof prodded his own, but this one he welcomed. “Don’t antagonize them,” Switch hissed out the corner of his mouth.
“I was just itchy,” Bait hissed back. “Look, we gotta put up with whatever bullshit our new ‘sponsor’s’ are gonna deal us, do I gotta put up with it from the gold-plated figurines here!?”
“No talking!” The stallion prodded Bait again. Suppressing the need to bare his fangs and hiss, the smaller stallion at last complied, staring straight ahead as the chariot raced on through the clouds.
After a few minutes of the wind rushing by his ears, there was another prod at his hoof. “Hey, at least we’re together,” Switch said, and without looking Bait knew the larger stallion was smiling.
Bait let a smile grace his own lips, albeit a small one. Yeah, they were sent to the same area, but that hardly meant anything. He was used to being volun-told for something with Switch, and hey, if this all ended with an angry mob chasing them around town, there was no one else he'd rather have at his side. He could see them running off now, just like the good old days, away from these stupid, idiotic, multicolored, sexy, bright-eyed, unstoppable, amazing, balloon-butted...
He bit his lip until ichor ran. Pinkie’s appearance in his thoughts had nearly broken the dam he’d had to build from the moment they’d parted ways, but damn if he wasn't going to take that emotional wall down now, in front of his partner and all these guards. He was gonna keep that wall up, and build it up as high as it needed to go over the coming months. He was gonna do his mama proud and represent the Swarm to the best of his ability, and most importantly, he wasn't gonna crack. No sirree.
“We’ll be arriving shortly!” The driver shouted back to the pair, the chariot suddenly nosing down. Oh dear sweet Chrysalis, kill me now and spare me the agony! Bait nearly shouted as the town came into view. Which...huh...it did look cozier than he expected. The little town hall had a tiny clocktower poking out on top, which made it the tallest building in the village, despite visibly needing some repair. Otherwise, he saw nothing but a few adorably-themed buildings poking out of a sea of rustic cottages.
Then again, he was pretty sure plenty of serial killers chose rustic cottages to torture fillies in, so that wasn’t much of an indicator of anything. Still, it was a good start.
The chariot flew to a halt in the middle of a street, with a some of the local yokels milling about. Few even took notice of the chariot, but those that did took one look at its passengers and flinched back, their ears folded down. He scoffed as he landed on the ground, immediately flanked by every single guard, all looking ready to tackle him at the slightest aggressive twinge. “Bait and Switch, of Chrysalis’s Swarm,” the lead pony announced, climbing down from the chariot without once looking up from his scroll. “As part of the treaty with the Kingdom of Equestria, you will hereby be kept within Equestrian territory under the care of a carefully pre-selected pony, to whom you are fully answerable for all your actions.”
“Fun times,” Bait snarked, giving another scratch at the collar with the tip of his hoof. He looked out across the street, saw a mare pausing to gape, and bared his fangs until she scurried away with her ears low. The guard didn’t notice, continuing to drone on from his scroll, though Bait still earned a glare from the more attentive stallions.
“That being said,” the lead guard finished, rolling up the scroll. “Remember the rules, check in with your sponsor at least once a day, and enjoy your stay in Ponyville.” He turned to Bait. “You’ll be at Sugarcube Corner, that way,” he pointed with a hoof, then pointed out to the outskirts of town as he turned to Switch. “And you’ll be near the Everfree cottages. Get to it.”
The pair of changelings nodded as the guards returned to the chariot and took off, leaving them in the middle of the street. The moment they were left alone, Bait furrowed his brow, biting at his lip. Something about that name seemed so familiar…Ponyville…
A hoof punched into his shoulder, and he stumbled. “Oww!” He glared up at his partner, who glared right back. “What was that for!?”
“You know damn well,” Switch hissed. “What’re you doing!? Antagonizing the locals like that!?”
“Making sure they’re afraid!” Bait yelled right back. “Better they’re afraid than forming a mob with torches and pitchforks!”
“We’re supposed to live here for Chrysalis-knows-how-long! Don’t you think we should at least try to be friendly!?”
“Oh, come off it, dude! You don’t really think this is gonna end with us all holding hooves with the ponies and skipping off into the sunset together, do you!? You don’t really think we’re just gonna get off that easy, do you!?”
Switch glared. “Pinkie gave you that chance.”
Bait’s thin veneer of masculinity warped and bent. His ears folded low, and his mouth dropped open. Still, he managed a harsh glare. “Well, she’s not here right now, is she!?” He shouted, his glare quickly fading. “She’s…back in her pony home, with her pony family and pony friends, to work her pony job…and she…doesn’t need to have anything to do with an ugly bug-monster now, does she?”
He thanked whoever might be listening that tears weren’t welling up in his eyes, but his throat felt tight all of a sudden. Switch, for his part, darted back, ears folding low, the same pain welling up in his gaze. Bait sighed. They’d allowed ponies, of all things, into their hearts. Not just any ponies, but Element Bearers. If love was blind, then changeling love must have been deaf and half-retarded too.
“Hey, c’mon,” Bait said, holding out his hoof. “Together, right?”
“Y-yeah…” Switch nodded, then some of the old confidence returned and he swallowed, extending his own to complete the brohoof. “Together.”
Bait smiled, then his ear perked at the whispering that had suddenly grown around them. He turned, looking about to see that a small crowd had gathered on the other side of the street and was whispering to themselves, all keeping their voices low and hooves up.
“Alright, show’s over, horsies! No pictures!” Bait huffed, turning to them with his fangs bared. A few of the mares flinched back, but most of the ponies in the group just looked at him, expressions varying from stunned to angry glares.
A moment later, Switch appeared at his side, lowered his body in a threatening pose, and raised his head with a loud hiss, his massive fangs prominent. The entire group turned as a whole, all false bravado vanishing as they galloped off down alleyways, through storefronts, and into sewer grates in a scattering that would make cockroaches proud.
Switch huffed, and turned back to his partner. “Just need the right touch, is all,” he said.
“Yeah,” Bait grinned. “Plus it helps havin’ a mug so ugly even other species wanna run from it.”
That remark earned another sock to his shoulder, which did nothing to dampen Bait’s grin. He rubbed at his shoulder and the pair started walking towards the large, gingerbread-shaped bakery in the middle of town.
As they walked, Bait couldn’t help remembering the old pony’s tales he’d had to study in Infiltration school, the ones about evil witches that lived in enticing sugar houses to lure in little foals for their stew. At the time, he figured that had to be the dumbest thing ever. What foal would be stupid enough to fall for something like that? Maybe pony foals would be dumb enough for that, but not him! As he kept walking though, he realized it wasn’t a matter of stupidity. It was more a matter of desperation. The ponies in those stories had been lost and abandoned by everyone they knew, with nowhere else to go. Suddenly, Bait could relate.
The pair walked on, barely even noticing the ponies disappearing into clouds of dust as they approached, or the shops that suddenly closed for the day, or the windows and doors that spontaneously closed and boarded themselves up, right up until they reached the bakery’s front doorstep. Bait trembled, looked up at it. “She was a baker too,” he said.
Switch nodded. He didn’t have to ask who they were talking about. “Mine took care of animals,” he said almost absentmindedly, gazing out towards the woods. “Think there’s a lotta animals out there?”
Bait looked up at the sign hanging over the door. A wooden, pastel cake suddenly never looked so intimidating. “Pretty sure you can come in. Maybe two of us together can scare ‘em a little, make things easier, y’know?”
“Yeah,” Switch nodded as he held the door open. Holding his chin high, Bait strode in under his hoof, easing onto the creaking floorboards while projecting the confidence he hoped would be able to save his flank here.
The pair gazed around an eating area fit for maybe a couple dozen ponies. Not too small, but not so big it took away from the homey feel of the hoof-crafted wooden seats and tables.
“We’re still closed right n—“ a male voice started from behind the counter, and then a lanky stallion in a little paper hat and white apron appeared from behind the counter. He cut himself off, his eyes widening and his ears folding low at the sight of the changeling duo on his doorstep. Bait had to suppress a smirk. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.
He grinned, making sure to show off every inch of his sizable fangs. “Hey.” He barked abruptly.
“I…uh…” the lanky stallion’s breath heaved in and out for a second as he backed away from the counter, deeper into the bakery. “S-sugarlump?” He whimpered pathetically.
“What’s the problem pumpkin – oh my…” a chunky mare in a frilly apron appeared at the door, looked to her apparent mate, then took one look at the changelings and her jaw dropped. She stumbled, nearly dropping the pie in her hooves as she stared at them in awe.
This time, Bait did smirk. Definitely gonna be easier than I thought. “So, you two run this place, I take it?” He scoffed, turning to Switch as if this were some kind of joke.
“Y-y-y…” the stallion kept staring at them, shivering, and finally he just swallowed and nodded.
“Great,” Bait chuckled, pulling a seat out for himself, making a big show of dragging it out so that its feet scraped loudly against the floor. The pony couple cringed at the sound as he sat heavily, smirking over his shoulder at his partner. “So, you two little ponies are supposed to be my sponsors?”
It was a solid minute of staring before the mare spoke up: “N-no, th-that would be our baker. She’s the one wh-who’s sponsoring you.”
“Well, ain’t that just wonderful,” he grinned and flinched towards them in his chair, and despite being on the other side of the room with a counter between them, the pony couple flinched back. “So, why don’t you introduce me to this baker?”
“That’s…uh…” the stallion stammered and gave a long shiver beneath Bait’s piercing gaze. “L-listen, she’s been through a lot, I don’t think that’d be best.”
Been through a lot, huh? Sure, probably got caught in a bunny stampede, Bait figured as he maintained his fang-filled grin on the couple. Then frowned, thrusting that thought back down. That’s not how she had been, after all. Still, for his own sake, he needed to know what he might be up against here. “Oh, but she agreed to be my sponsor, after all. And according to the rules of the sponsorship program, I’m supposed to meet up with her everyday. You did know that, right?”
“Y-yes, well…” the stallion started up again and paused. His jaw worked up and down like a goldfish being held out of water. His mind visibly scrambled for another excuse, only to come up empty-hoofed. He looked to his partner in defeat.
“I-I guess it wouldn’t hurt…for just a moment…” the mare whispered, her head lowering in shame. Bait grinned. If his sponsor was as spineless as these two, he’d have no trouble running this joint. Chrysalis up above, and here he’d been scared of these wimps. He watched the mare with that hungry grin, making her shiver as she walked over to the kitchen door and cracked it open.
“P-Pinkie!” She called. “S-someone needs to see you up here!”
“Coming…” a sad voice intoned from the other side.
Bait’s hungry grin softened as the sound of slow, dejected hooves clopping on tile approached him. That was the walk of a sad little pony, not wanting to see anyone at the moment. That was the walk of a pony just waiting for him to—
Wait…
His cocky smile faded. His ears must have been playing tricks on him, had to be! His eyes locked on the door and widened in anticipation. His hooves clenched the chair until the wood creaked under them. He didn’t just hear the mare say that name, right?
The doors opened, and luscious pink coat, the color of joy. Mane made out of bubblegum. A face that could put a smile on a toad’s lips. Pert pink lips he’d spent far too long exploring to ever forget. And dat flank…
Bait’s jaw dropped as the mare walked in from the kitchen, a gorgeous baby-blue eye hidden behind her curiously-straight mane. “Puh-Pinkie!?” He gasped, sitting up straight in his chair.
The mare looked up, paused, and then the sad dejected look on her face faded, rapidly inflating into a massive smile. Her eyes lit up into a fireworks display as her mane suddenly popped right back into its familiar poofiness. Utter joy sprouted up from her hooves as she lifted up into the air. She inhaled, and then, she screamed. “AAAAAHHHHHHHH!” The pink tornado of joy screeched as it vaulted the counter and slammed into him in a single bound. He didn’t even have time to recover before his face and neck were completely covered in little, pink lipmarks, her hooves locked tightly around his midsection. And through it all she somehow found a way to smile into his muzzle, boop him, nuzzle into his chest, and whisper some of the most profane and dirty things he’d ever heard into his ear.
“MisterAndMissusCakeI’mGonnaGoOnBreakKThnxBye!” She shouted as she hoisted Bait over her shoulder, rocketed upstairs, threw him onto her bed, and bucked the door shut behind him. He could barely sit up before she was upon him, her nose touching his, her eyes going half-lidded in that way she just knew drove him wild.
“Hi.” She said, blushing like a teenager on her first date.
With a smile on his face and a warmth growing in his heart that he thought had died out, Bait smiled back. “Hi, Pinkie,” he said back, leaning forward to nuzzle her cheek.
“I thought…” she bit her lip, inhaled, tried again. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
A warm smile graced his lips. “I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”
“How could you think that!?” She gasped, her voice high and screechy, her lip quivering. “After everything that happened in the Empire, how in Equestria could you possibly think that!?”
“I…uh…” his pupil-less eyes darted away from hers, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. “I-I don’t know, I thought…I don’t…”
His stammering was interrupted by her lips locking around his. If there was any doubt remaining of the love the Element of Laughter held for the changeling, it faded here, with the sheer amount of passion in this one kiss. His mouth and nose filled with the taste of bubblegum, and his heart nearly burst between the love pouring into it and his racing pulse. When it was over, he fell back against the pillow, and she remained straddling him.
“Pinkie?” He gasped.
“Yes?” She asked, her voice low and husky. She grinned as a little something, though not as little as some stallions, he would insist, appeared between them.
“I-I love you,” he stammered.
She giggled and lowered herself onto him, a hoof caressing him. “I love you too, Bait. Don’t you dare forget it this time, okay?”
He could only nod, overwhelmed as he was by the sudden romance assault his whole body was experiencing. “O-okay…” he eventually managed, and as the day wore on with warm kisses, cuddles, whispered nothings, and a few rounds of passionate lovemaking, Bait realized his time in Equestria likely wasn’t going to be too bad.
Gazing up into those beautiful baby blues and knowing they were only smiling because of him, something warm reignited in his little black heart. “Nope,” he said aloud, sharing a quick nuzzle with his love, his anchor, his savior. “Not bad at all.”
The moment Pinkie had walked through those doors, a bud of hope had blossomed in Switch’s chest. Watching her run off with his friend, he had quickly and awkwardly excused himself from the shocked couple behind the counter and galloped off down the streets, towards the outskirts of town pointed out to him earlier. Again failing to notice the ponies in the street suddenly ducking inside as he shot by, Switch kept moving at a full gallop as he approached the outskirts of town.
…voice of an angel…
The sea of stores soon gave way to seas of cottages, which in turn spaced out as he shot along, desperately trying to close as much distance as he could with his goal.
…love of an innocent…
Switch was galloping along isolated dirt paths now, bounding over hills in single leaps, rocketing along with the kind of enthusiasm one would find in a madstallion. As far as he was concerned, he was sick to his heart, and the cure was just a short distance away.
…smile that lights up a room…
Switch stood at the crest of a rise in the path. Beneath him, the path went along over a quaint, little wooden bridge, through a little patch of daisies, and right up to a little cottage he’d only known from description. Next to the cottage, a whole pile of hutches, cages, and pens housed various animals in every state of health.
…and dat sweet, sweet flank!
“Fl-Fluttershy!” He gasped, galloping down the hill like a massive, black rocket, barreling into the quaint, wood-panel door and plowing into the building with an enthusiasm that could only be described as near-homicidal. The collar around his neck glowed in the darkness of the house, but unlike the outside, there didn’t appear to be any animals in here. Just a quaint little front hall leading into a quaint little living room as adorable as the mare he was certain lived here.
“Fluttershy?” He asked. Silence greeted him. Nothing moved inside. He sighed. There wasn’t even a trace that somepony had been there all day. Dishes rested in a drying rack in the kitchen, but that was the only—
His senses lit up, old instincts taking over. Hooves rising to defend himself, he whirled around, back towards the front door just as it glided shut behind him. The door shut all the way, casting the room in a dim semi-darkness, but with a blink his changeling night vision lit up the room as if it were broad daylight. There, in the corner next to a quaint, little umbrella stand, stood something that his instincts described to him as an alpha predator: an evil that took delight in the cries of puppies being stomped on and stealing candy out of foals’ cribs.
His eyes raced up to meet the eyes of this predator, then slowly scanned down, and down, and down, to a little, white, bunny wabbit – rabbit – with a stern look on its tiny face and its little front legs crossed over its adorable chest.
He lowered his hooves, scoffing to himself. “Switch, you’re gettin’ soft already,” he mused to himself. “Scarin’ yourself with a widdle bunny.”
Despite his gaffe, he could only thank Chrysalis nopony was around to see it…especially a certain somepony…as he approached the bunny. “Hey there, little guy.” He murmured, extending a hoof as carefully and non-threateningly as possible. “You one of Fluttershy’s pets?”
Faster than he could believe possible, the bunny darted forward and locked a set of razor sharp teeth around his hoof. Screaming in pain, he backed away, the hoof flailing around, the bunny locked on like a little white lamprey. More out of reflex, Switch stomped his hoof, hoping to at least make the little demon release him, but the bunny backflipped from his grasp and landed a few feet away, little forepaws raised in a combat stance.
“You little bastard!” He screamed, holding his hoof as ichor dribbled from it. “I’ll roast you on a spit!”
The bunny/hellspawn smirked, as if daring him to try something.
Switch backed away, and the bunny cocked an eyebrow. “Ooh, you scared now, you little white shitbag!?” He shouted, grinning to show off his impressive collection of fangs. He reared up on his hind hooves, gracefully darting from one hoof to the next. “You got the drop on me once, but now your little surprise is spent. Watcha gonna do, huh bitch!? Watcha. Gonna. Do!?”
The bunny deadpanned, as if to say You really have no idea who’s house you just walked into, do ya? Finally, it lowered its forepaws and gave a few stomps with its powerful hind legs.
Switch gave the slightest tense of muscle that might be considered a flinch, then lowered his hooves. He gave a smirk. “Was that supposed to scare me?”
The bunny only smiled, rocking its head to the side.
Switch knew what that cocky little motion meant. He’d seen Bait pull it off too many times before he himself brought a massive hoof down on the back of some hapless thug’s head: Behind you, asshole.
He gave a brief glance over his shoulder. That brief glance turned to him turning right around, jaw dropping in awe. An army of animals was arrayed before him: tortoises, timberwolves, bluejays, hawks, butterflies, and of course, bunnies, all backed up by the largest grizzly bear he’d ever seen. All glowering at him. All with teeth bared.
He turned back around to the bunny. “That’s dirty, and you know it.”
The bunny only smirked, making the motion of the tiniest violin in the world, playing the saddest song.
Fluttershy trudged home after yet another day out in the woods. The usual had been established: the bear family who’s dad had come to her last spring with a broken foreleg was doing fine, the possum family who’s mother was recovering from the flu greatly appreciated the small basket of goodies she’d made for them, and she’d found one or two large birds with wings hurt from flying a bit too close to the treeline. Just another day in the woods, doing her duty, and returning home to a simple meal in her cottage that would cap the day with tucking the various creatures too sick for the outer pens into bed before tucking in herself...alone. Just totally alone.
She sighed, trotting back to her cottage. The loneliness hadn’t bothered her just a few months ago, but now it did creep up now and again. Before, she might have chastised herself for having such a foolish fantasy. Thinking that some stallion out there might actually make her feel safe while being patient enough to tolerate her need for distance and a slow pace had been a dream from her fillyhood, but as she’d grown older she saw it as just that: a stupid dream for a silly filly.
And then he came along and, with a few quick strokes, informed her that he was that stallion. Right before he was snatched away forever.
She sighed. She guessed this was Faust’s way of informing her that she just wasn’t meant for that kind of life, and while before she’d made peace with that fact, now…
Now…
She pressed her hoof to her door and frowned, willing the few tears that had started to well up back down where they belonged. It was stupid. She was a pony, he was a changeling. And besides that, she was a gardener, he was an elite warrior. She was small and meek, he was big and strong. She opened the door, continuing the list in her mind, hoping to drive the tears down as far as she could: she liked gentle quiet, he lived a life of constant danger. She was walking into her cabin on the edge of the Whitetail woods, and he…
...was dangling from a rafter in said cabin, screaming in horror as makeshift spears were jabbed up at his flank from the numerous animals gathered beneath him. “YOU GODLESS HELLSPAWN!” He howled, struggling to free himself from a makeshift net as the chittering, squeaking, clicking, and barking animals beneath him continued using his flanks as a pinata.
“Homygoodness...what in Equestria is going on here!?” She gasped.
In a flash, the animals all paused in their assault. All eyes, including the glowing, blank ones from inside the net, all turned to her.
“Angel Bunny!” She demanded. “I know you’re here somewhere! Come out here and explain yourself!”
After a moment, a puff of white fur hopped out of the group, Angel carrying his trademark carrot over one shoulder. He stomped over to Fluttershy’s hooves, and motioned to the bound changeling, as if Switch’s mere presence was explanation enough.
Fluttershy, however, merely quirked an eyebrow. “And just why did you believe it necessary to assault my...friend when he came to visit?”
At that, a look of dawning horror replaced the stoic determination on Angel’s face. There was a loud clatter, and he turned just in time to see one of the spears hit the floor, having been abandoned by the sudden disappearance of its holder. Along with every other animal in the room. The carrot dropped from his grip, and Angel turned a big, sheepish grin towards his owner, spreading his paws out in a way Fluttershy was only too familiar with: Well shoot, wouldja lookit that. What can ya do, though?
“We will discuss this later,” she replied as she trotted over to the large stallion caught in the net, who stared in awe at this new and assertive mare as she promptly flapped up to the rafters. A few seconds later, he hit the floor with a loud thud.
Switch thrashed about, throwing off the multitude of ropes, before he finally managed to free himself. And there she was. Fluttershy. Standing proud and tall, towering over him, even. Landing as the pitch-perfect vision of demure and grace he knew she was. He remained on his belly awhile, gazing up as his savior landed next to him with nary a whisper.
“A-are you alright?” She asked timidly, breaking him from his spell.
“FINE! Fine,” he gasped, leaping to his hooves. The illusion was broken. She wasn’t a yellow-tinged angel so much anymore as just a pegasus mare in a small cottage in the woods. But boy...as his friend once said, whatta mare.
“Ummm...hi.” She said, blushing over his gaping as her wings rose to cover her face. Only now, she wasn’t cowering in fear, it was more that embarrassment one felt when one knew they were being ogled, he could taste it now.
Blinking, he slapped himself and fell back on his haunches, coming to eye-level with her. “H-hi,” he finally managed.
“Ummm...” she said. “What’s with...” she trailed off, patting her neck.
“What? Oh, this?” He scratched at his collar. “We...kinda all need to wear ‘em now. All of us in the exchange program.”
“The exchange...oh! Oh...wow...” she gasped, her eyes darting to the floor. “So...you’re my...charge?”
“Y-yeah,” he swallowed. One of his hind hooves started tapping the ground nervously. “I-I’m your charge.”
“O-oh...” she said, and her wings parted slightly to reveal a blushing, smiling face. “I-I’m glad.”
Switch never expected two little words to have the power to make his wings flutter until he hovered a few inches off the ground, but here he was, buzzing until he could get control of himself. “Y-yeah, so’m I,” he said quickly.
She squeaked, and when he looked up, she’d ducked back slightly.
“Oh, are you...” he started, reaching for her.
“No, no, I’m fine,” she interrupted, straightening herself. She cleared her throat, letting her breath out in a long sigh. “Now, Mr. Switch, you should know I run a very tight ship here, as a colt in the exchange program, I’m sure you came prepared to do anything required by your pony supervisor.”
He blinked, then it hit him. Her was her charge, after all. He grinned for a split-second before straightening up, saluting like a cadet coming out of the hatching pods. “Yes ma’am, anything you order!” He barked.
She cringed at that, and he allowed his stature to slump a smidge until she regained her steadfast glare. “The animals in the pens outside are to be fed at 8am sharp, every day, no exceptions. In addition, immediately after I will require an escort out to the Whitetail woods to patrol for further injured animals. How much do you know about First Aid?”
“I can restart a pulse with a drinking straw and a paperclip, ma’am,” he replied, hoof still up by his brow.
“Excellent! We’ll need that!” She replied, her soft voice still sounding totally unsuited for the drill instructor’s persona she was attempting. “Lunch and breaks are when I say so, we stop when I say so, we go when I say so! And Switch!?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
At that, she cringed back once more. She looked to the side, as if unsure, then she suddenly rushed into his embrace. It took him a second to realize she was hugging him, partially from how hard it was to feel her soft grip through the armored chitin around his mid-section. However, he eagerly returned the embrace, wrapping his hooves around her hips until she felt ready to turn those gorgeous eyes up to him. That adorable face that shimmered with a gaze that put the clearest natural pools of the Everfree woods to shame.
“Don’t leave again,” she whispered. “Please.”
His translucent wings draped around her shoulders. “Never.”
“Switch...”
“Fluttershy...”
These last words were gasped breathlessly as their muzzles drew nearer, their lips approaching, slowly, effortlessly, drawing to the inevitable conclusion they both craved so--
“FLUTTERS!” Pinkie cried from the door, slamming it open while holding a love-drunk Bait over her head like a plushie. “The changelings they sent are the colts from the Crystal Empire! Can ya believe--”
She was cut off as Fluttershy tore herself from Switch’s grip, rocketed across the room at speeds to make Rainbow Dash’s head spin, and bucked the door shut so hard it upset the picture frames on the shelves nearby. “YES I CAN!” She bellowed. “Now leave me alone so I can kiss the stallion of my dreams already! Celestia above, why is that so bucking much to ask for!?”
Knocked off-balance by her outburst, it took Switch a second or two to process what Fluttershy had just said. He blinked, finally reaching for her shoulder. “Fluttershy...” he said breathlessly. “Did you really mean that about--”
She kissed him. Simple as that. She whirled around and her butter-soft lips locked with his chitinous black ones. His eyes widened at the sheer force with which she thrust herself at him, then slowly glided shut. The kiss eased up, became something more gentle, more light, more...her. His hooves wrapped around her shoulders as hers glided around his waist. An eternity later, they finally broke it off, a thin trail of saliva dripping to the floorboards as they sat there, gazing into one another’s eyes.
“Wow,” he said. “Definitely...gonna need to do that again.” He enthused between heavy pants.
She promptly nuzzled into his broad chest. “Definitely.”
“So...”
“So...”
They let their so’s hang there for a long while, just dangling in place while they gazed into each other, little dumb smiles plastered on their faces. “What happens now?” He finally managed to ask.
She promptly nuzzled into his chest again. “I have no idea,” she whispered. “And do you want to know something?”
“What’s that?”
“For the first time ever, that doesn’t scare me.’
He smiled, planting his muzzle into her mane and inhaling that beautiful, earthy scent. They embraced for a few more minutes, and then Fluttershy broke the hug, informing him that this occasion needed a special dinner, and that she was going to need to gather some mushrooms from the Whitetail. He insisted on going with her, and while she blushed, she nodded her acceptance. So the pair walked out the door, side-stepping Pinkie as she and Bait made out on the porch, with Switch’s strong hoof helping Fluttershy keep her balance as she maneuvered around the pair. The two kept their hooves joined, walking along the path into the woods, never allowing them to leave each other’s grasp. Later, they might invite Pinkie and Bait in, if their makeout session was over, for a bit of dinner, and the strange quartet would laugh and talk over their meals just like before, albeit with the roles reversed. But for right now, the changelings and the ponies were just happy to remain in one another’s presence: be it in the Whitetail woods, on a warm sunny day at a friend’s house, or in one of the tallest parapets at Canterlot palace, pony and changeling would slip off together, finally finding what they had been looking for so long in the embrace of the other. Finally, feeling whole.
At least until the next jackass who tried to take over Equestria popped up. This is Ponyville, after all.