//------------------------------// // Meeting the enchantress, who doesn't do dances // Story: Changeling of the Everfree // by Veryfriedguy7 //------------------------------// The six mares came today, Fluttershy looked terrified. Not surprising. He's known them a while now, a few weeks maybe but they have rarely come to the forest, never while looking for him. Yet here they are. Doing that exact thing. He's learning more words from the zebra even how to talk properly, she started warming up to him and it's nice to talk to her every now and again. He wishes the mares weren't scared of him but that is their choice, still surprised they came at all. "Murex!" Twilight calls, the others doing the same. Why are they looking for him? Much less hesitant than the first time he revealed himself, he walks through some bushes and is quickly heard and spotted by Fluttershy, her squeak alerts the others. Twilight turns to him locks eyes, clears her throat and nervously smiles at the larger figure. Murex subconsciously tenses up. "Celestia and Luna with to speak with you at the library." Twilight states with a strained smile. It raised many questions and he remains silent, staring into her wavering eyes. "A-Are you coming?" Her smile drops, he don't respond, just backs up through the foliage and all but disappears. When he is gone from sight she sighs, thinking he left. "If she wanted talk, why would send you? Why would send all of you? I am predator, animal! Not stupid." Murex calls out, his voice taking a hostile tone as it reverberated off all the trees and bushes around them, even the forest was on his side hiding where his voice was coming from. Even if Celestia couldn't reach him, he would have felt the attempt. Pinkie then blurts, much to her chagrin and soon panic. "No silly! Twilight wanted to study you, see if you could be defeated when you turn on us!" She continues her bouncing, up down up down, unaware of the shocked look from Twilight. "Did you really drag us out for this Twi?" Rainbow questions. "You woke me up from an awesome nap!" "Sugarcube listen. I don't like or trust em' but he's done nothin' bad to us. He even saved Applebloom!" Applejack adds, Twilights cheeks start to glow red. Embarrassment is the least of her worries. "So is that it?" Murex asks before anypony else can add anything. "I help you and you try this? I can answer questions but I am NOT something to study, something to examine. Do you not like me Twilight? Celestia herself has vouched for me and yet you do this? Do you fear me? I would if I were you... You're in my world now..." Murex has never had friends, he doesn't know if that's what they are but hearing this news hurt him. He was angry but wouldn't cause bodily harm to them. Yet. Twilight believed every word. The moment he finished she bolted, he never saw a pony move that fast. Her speed was easily tracked by Murex, a slightly chubby unicorn can move fast but pegasi are infinitely faster. Sometimes scaring them out involves a chase and to keep them out involves catching up to them, not easily done and he is always left out of breath afterwards. When she was gone he emerged from the bushes once more and was almost tackled, still too fast for Applejack's earth pony reflexes. "Was my act that good?" He asked with a forced smile on his face, the sudden change in his attitude shocked the five remaining mares. The anger remained. "Y'all were bluffin'?" Applejack asked still skeptical. So he answered her, unlike Twilight. "Yes." He replied his gritted teeth. "The voice asked to 'keep them safe' I wouldn't harm her," Lies. "But she doesn't know that." He explained, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. This broke Pinkie and Rainbow who exploded into laughter, at least they didn't back up Twilight. His anger was directed at her but emotions don't just disappear. "'The voice'?" Applejack parroted with a raised eyebrow, gaining the attention of two ponies and two more recovering ponies. Murex looked up at the canopy in thought, he said her name under a minute ago but it still took him a moment to recollect. "Celestia, call her Celestia." "An' whats with that weird talkin' you been doin'?" She questioned further, it was really grating on his nerves. "I have been speaking Equish for a little under ten years, before not knowing how to speak at all." He was internally begging to hear that they had forgotten and not that they were secretly stupid. "Didn't your parents teach you darling?" Rarity asked, they did forget. Disappointing but better than stupidity, he had let ponies die over that. Not anymore though. He groaned. "Do you remember when Celestia was freed from... whatever Moon?" Getting nods he continued. "Celestia explained that I was abandoned, I was on my own my entire life. My only interactions being fights before I came to the Everfree. The zebra, you should know her, taught me how to speak in exchange for keeping the forest pony-free. I never asked why, her business is her own. I'm still learning." "That Zecora? She's evil!" Applejack accused and the rest agreed, his anger flared up again in remembrance of the stories he had heard from a few ponies before he ran them out, those times were more out anger due to them painting the zebra as evil although nopony had even seen her beyond when she went into town. "I know where her hut is, if I hear anymore of this 'She's evil but I never met her' talk I'm going drag you there and I will not be nice about it." He warned as he begun to walk away. The zebra, much less joyous than her other stories, told him about the 'evil enchantress' the effect it had on her was minor but she was impacted about how a few of the iterations included him, upset at that fact for whatever reason, it bothered him none. Let them think what they may. One iteration that stuck with him however was that he ate ponies and dragged the leftovers to the zebra for whatever reason. The reason varies but the insult in the words struck a cord in him. Every. Single. Time. Even if he was starving and desperate he would not hunt those lesser than him, that isn't who he is. A meal is the only thing he gains from it. By hunting those who are equal or greater does he strive to not only eat but improve. And those the pet of the enchantress ate? They walked into wood dog territory, he would feel pity but they didn't even try to run, just screamed. If he intervened it would be a waste of effort as wood dogs rarely waste time by screaming or gloating. They hunt to eat, just like him. "Oh yeah? And why would you do that? The evil pet trying to bring it's master more things for her soup?" Rainbow challenged, standing with Applejack protectively in front of the others. Murex stopped mid step, the anger within boiling over. The only noise that dared disturb the silence was the breathing of the slightly panicked ponies. Murex's head slowly turned back to them showing the pure fury sculpted on his face, the trembling lips that pulled back to show his sharp teeth. How dare she. Murex is not a pet. He belongs to none. He growled viciously. They walk in silence, they were obviously scared of the forest but more so of him. He didn't want that but was left uncaring as he led them to the zebra's hut. Only Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy followed, Applejack and Rainbow's tail was in his mouth, their manes getting filthy than they already were as their bodies were being held up by Murex's strength alone. He wasn't soft in his thrashing but he deemed it necessary, less for them and more for him so he didn't lash out at something. They didn't know of the relationship he had with the zebra, how could they? Hiding from something and calling it evil on assumption... He had to ask. "So why is zebra feared? She came into town. What is scary about that?" He asked with the two tails still in his mouth, Pinkie somewhat hesitantly came forth. "She was standing in town square. Menacingly..." She said in a low voice, attempting to intimidating. "Before or after everypony hid?" No answer, he gave a low growl. "Well, coming up on the evil shaman's hut. Anypony feeling like attacking?" Murex asked sarcastically to nopony in particular. Applejack and Rainbow actually both raise a forehoof, surprising him with their apparent consciousness. He 'gently' forces their hooves into the dirt where they both lay face down. "No you don't." He growled out, there was no further argument. The ponies sat and waited anxiously, or lay in two cases, for Murex to knock on the door. When he did the outcome was not the same as expectation. "Greetings kind changeling, have you come to me for something?" She greeted him cheerfully, calling him a changeling again. Whatever that is. "Sorry for disturbance but I was chatting with a few ponies, you were mentioned so I brought them here, maybe you could actually shop in town after." He explains his surprise visit to the zebra who smiles in turn. "Shopping in town would be a great boon, come, I will be brewing a new potion soon." Every time she rhymes like Murex has to try not to scrunch up his face in annoyance. They all walk inside, with great reluctance, and sit down around a table on the side of the room with a small standing mask in the middle, every pony was eyeing the cauldron in the center of the room. Murex could only roll his eyes. Unnoticed by Murex, Zecora saw the forming bruises on Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the color sticking out on their coats. Zecora and Murex don't know much about each other but knew enough to know their basic mannerisms. She knew he wouldn't attack them for nothing, although she was unknowing of his view of hunting, so what had happened that had set him off? She resisted her frown and started with her brew. Having added the basic ingredients before their arrival. They may annoy him, anger him, but their presence is at least distracting him from recent troubling thoughts. He's even had voices interrupt his thinking and it's starting to become worrying. He's talked to the zebra about it and she told him not to worry, that it was a side effect of his isolation. She doesn't seem to know that it's actually a pony doing it. Or that it isn't just Celestia anymore. "So uh... what are ya making?" Applejack asks, trying not to sound skeptical or suspicious as to not upset the black and red being in the same room as her. Again. She isn't a good actor. "A potion that will aid with healing, our mutual friend can take quite the beating." Murex didn't like her teasing tone, never did when it came up. He showed up once. ONCE. With injuries that wouldn't heal on their own and suddenly he's so fragile he might fall apart in a slight breeze. The ponies notice his souring expression and back away slightly, not going far as they were all sitting. "Had no idea that furry things with weird tails spread venom on plants to weaken prey! Was years ago! Give a ling break will you?" He complained, he only eats vegetation to get those nue-tree-ants that they have, like she told him to start doing. He had improved physically and not-consuming-deadly-venom wise ever since. "Ling did I hear you say? Accepting what I am calling you on this day?" She raises a brow at the black mass in her hut. A growing smile on her face. Murex doesn't answer and just shakes his head. Completely forgetting the ponies under his watch, namely the pink one. "Hey! What's this?" The pink menace holds up an uncorked vial of Murex's natural poison, he completely forgot why the zebra wanted it and why he did it. He spots what she's about drink, has a mild panic attack and the mask on the table temporarily becomes a projectile to ensure she doesn't kill herself. It hits her dead on the snout, not the target but still satisfying, and causes the vial to fall to the floor and break, bubbling for whatever reason. Better on the floor than working to end her life. "Now what the hay was that for?!?" Oh apple pony, if only you knew. "Pinkie Pie." He says her name firmly. The tone of an upset parent despite his young age. "Do you know what you almost drank?" A head shake, too busy nursing her snout to talk. Good. "You almost drank MY venom. I make it naturally within my body and I assure you, it is very effective..." The mares' eyes go wide, arguments dying in their throats. His voice was firm and his Equish pronunciation peaked, if only temporarily as he continued. "Celestia told you I would protect you and she wasn't lying though she is incorrect in thinking why I do. It took a while to get that much as I can only make so much so fast, it is better wasted on the ground than working it's magic on you." She never bounced away from something as a safety measure, he can say he's seen her do that now. "I must agree with him, better time wasted than our evening turn grim." Zecora is cool like that. Better we wasted our time than lose a life. "What do you mean you make this naturally?" Rainbow questioned. Murex didn't verbally respond and licked along his foreleg, the very same venom being left behind. He held it up before them. "THIS is what I mean. Do you even realize how much more different I am than Zecora? No you don't because you saw her and assumed the worst before you even met her. Don't do this, it's just stupid and I hate stupidity." They heard him but they were still focused on the venom coating his leg, concerned for his well being or how fast he can deploy an effective weapon is unknown. "H-h-have you k-killed any creatures?" Fluttershy asked Murex with pleading eyes. He only leaned his head forward and gazed at her. She already knew the answer but that doesn't mean she liked it. "Fluttershy, I admire your devotion to everything alive, truly I do, but that is the way it is in the Everfree. You don't have to agree with it but NEVER try to change it. You are good with animals but if there's a hungry manticore out there and it finds a small defenseless pony. What do you think it'll do? You know what it'll do, you just don't want to accept it." He doesn't like putting down ponies but reality is cruel, he knows this fact well. Always better to break a heart so it can come back stronger while she has her friends with her rather than nopony. The zebra is rubbing off on him it seems. Rainbow Dash glares at him for saying that to her but she is wholly ignored as he keeps going. "I want to apologize for telling you like this, but it is out of necessity, do you know how many ponies I have chased out of here over the years? Too many. If I wasn't here those ponies would most likely end up a snack to something in here." He finishes and looks solemnly to the table, ears folded. Many lives were taken on both sides, ponies by the predators and predators by the ponies. He likes to think he stops both sides from going all out by thinning out the numbers of predators and lessening pony loss of life. "It's okay... I understand but I don't like it." She whimpers to him, he looks up and speaks again. "I never asked you to, I only ask that you don't do something stupid. I told you of the ponies I chase out, not the ones I was too slow for. I am only making sure you don't become one of the ones I didn't reach in time." He wasn't trying to scare them but he was doing a good job anyway. "An agreement has come to pass, but the potion has yet to show class." Zecora's annoyance of the potion was obvious from her statement. "It can't be that bad Zebra." Murex spoke without thinking. "Care to test? Try it only at your own behest." She dipped an apple into the mix, Murex didn't recall ever seeing one, he had confidence in her abilities even when she wasn't even sure. "Healing right?" She nodded. She tossed the once red apple, now blue, as he brought forth one of his blades, scaring the ponies, and skewered it midair, causing it to leak green juice which was off putting on it's own. Murex attempted to cut himself on the foreleg, which was a process due to his chitin. When the cut was verified with blood, he took a big bite with little hesitation. He felt like he just ate a wildfire. "Haaaaaaaaah..." He tried not to cry out but it was getting increasingly difficult. It just kept burning. He was too occupied by the contents of his throat to notice the cut had healed like he thought it would, although without the burning. His predicament was quite amusing to everypony that wasn't him if the laughing was any indication. "Okay... Wow... Owie..." He uttered, only just managing to get it out through the inferno taking place in his throat. His reaction was only fuel to their laughing fit. He could say that he was genuinely having fun, surrounded by friendly faces in a familiar place. He didn't hear any voices.