//------------------------------//
// Chapter 70 
// Story: To Be a Changeling 
// by PlagueRat 
//------------------------------//

Before Pupa’s eyes, floating in the middle of a white void, a massive pile of small blocks sprawled out across the surface of a tan carpet. Made up of varying shapes, sizes and colors, each piece appeared to be designed to connect together with another in some way via the tiny cylindrical protrusions that adorned their tops and the open indentations on their bottoms.

Already some of the blocks had been utilized in the creation of a miniature sailing ship, complete with blue and white striped sails. Two legged figures adorned the model in various locations and had been posed in such a way as to appear to be performing some sort of seafaring task; such as, for example, the two on the deck who flanked each side of a tiny black cannon and looked to be pushing it into place.

However it was the partially constructed ship sitting beside the first that really drew the nymph’s attention. The unfinished vessel was almost twice the length of the first and, if the unused bricks were of any indication, would easily dwarf the other boat.

Adjacent to the ship was apparently an instructional booklet on which the two visible pages displayed fully colored diagrams giving step by step instructions on what pieces were to be used when. From what she could tell the captain’s cabin was the latest section being worked on and she searched for the next indicated item, a brown treasure chest full of little golden coins. Upon spotting the desired piece, she reach out with a foreleg to collect it.

Of course instead of having a shiny black hoof enter her eye line, it was a flat pale fleshy paw; and while she knew she shouldn’t have been surprised to see it by this point, the sight of it still caused her to flinch. Though unlike her previous experiences with these ‘visions’, the nymph seemed to have more control over her actions and she moved the slightly shaking appendage closer to her face.

She examined it curiously, noting the barely visible blue and red veins that ran just under the skin’s surface, seemingly randomly, throughout the back of the paw. It also wasn’t quite as clawless as it first appeared and rather than having the sharp curved talons of something like a griffon, a small, thin, flat, hoof wall grew at the tip of each digit; oddly enough, only on the top side.

‘So weird,’ the nymph thought to herself as she experimentally willed the five long extremities to curl inward. ‘Oh wow that’s creepy.’

Finding herself able to control the appendages with an oddly anomalous aptitude, she reached out again for the miniature treasure chest. Using two of digits, a short stubby one and its neighbor, the nymph attempted to grip the box by pinching it between the pair. When it worked without error and she was able to lift the chest up from the floor, she felt a strange sense of promnesia.

Now with nothing really else left to do, the nymph scanned the booklet for the treasure chest’s predetermined placement and made to plant the block in its dictated location. Her ‘claw’ drew closer to the ship and just as it hovered over the captain’s cabin, the piece fell from her grasp to land upside inside the model.

Pupa looked to the suddenly disobeying limb and watched in confusion as it gradually darkened and closed in on itself like a dying leaf. The digits fused together and holes started to form as the flesh hardened into a shiny carapace. Long strands of dark cerulean hair came into being at the edges of her peripheral vision, causing the nymph to realize that, up until then, her lengthy mane had been absent. Glancing down to check on the state of the rest of her body, she was relieved to discover the familiar changeling form she was used to; and reaching up to touch her forehead revealed that her horn was indeed still present.

Surmising that she could use her magic now to finish the model, the nymph attempted to levitate the misplaced treasure chest. However when she tried to summon up the needed energy for the spell, she disconcertedly found that there was nothing there to draw upon.

While she knew it should have bothered her more than it did, the nymph simply shrugged her withers and reached into the open section of the ship to retrieve the piece by hoof. She could climb up walls and hang upside down by her hooves, so there should have been no issue in picking up the chest; yet try as she might, every time her hoof came away empty.

Annoyance and frustration began to build up in Pupa and she recklessly plunged her hoof down again, determined to pick up the piece. The model creaked in protest and then burst apart into bits with more force then it should have. Blocks scattered in all directions, flying outside the proximity of the carpet and vanishing into the empty void to never be found.
Lifting her hoof and looking down, the only part left remaining was the little chest…





The nymph was greeted by a curtain of cerulean hair when she cracked open her eyes. Dazedly she pulled herself up onto her haunches and blew out a puff of air from her muzzle to remove the obstructing strands from her vision.

Quickly looking around told her that she was still in the home of the sassy pony, nestled between the forelegs of Bristletail. The sassy pony was also still present, curled on her side and fast asleep in her chair.

“Did you sleep well, your highness?” Bristletail asked, causing Pupa to turn and look up at the infiltrator.

“I guess…” softly answered the nymph while checking her hooves. “How long did I sleep for?”

“About six hours,” said the infiltrator. “Don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything. The pony has been no trouble and it’s been very quiet.”

“Mom didn’t come back yet?” Pupa questioned.

“No, not yet,” Bristletail answered.

Frowning, Pupa laid her head back down and sighed. As she stared ahead something poking out from between two of the couch’s back cushions caught her attention and she squinted her eyes trying to discern what it was.

“But I’m sure it wouldn’t be much longer till she returns,” continued Bristletail, patting the nymph reassuringly.

Drawing on her magic, Pupa focused on the corner of the object and tried to dislodge it by wiggling it from side to side. Gradually, with some effort, she succeeded and the item was revealed to be another romance novel.

“Why is this here?” Pupa wondered aloud as she looked at the cover and the saucy image on it of a changeling stallion mischievously grinning at a reclining unicorn mare. “My Lusty Bed Bug?”

“Oh, haha, how did something like that get there?” awkwardly chuckled Bristletail as she plucked the book out of the air and stashed it behind her. “That’s not something you should waste any attention on.”

Pupa quirked her eyebrow at the suspiciously acting infiltrator.

“Ahem,” Bristletail cleared her throat and avoided the nymph’s eye contact. “You must be hungry, how about we see if the unicorn has any snacks around?”





Since the kitchen area of the unicorn’s home was directly open to the living room, Bristletail was able to both keep an eye on the sleeping sassy pony and assist in searching for food. Finding edibles such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, asparagus, celery, oats, plain yogurt, and cottage cheese, was discouraging and left the pair of changelings to wonder if their host had faulty taste buds.

Luckily, they also discovered a small cash of more appealing provisions like blueberries, avocados, strawberries, grapes and even a pomegranate.

“Let me teach you something,” said the infiltrator as she levitated a knife, wooden spoon, a bowl and the pomegranate over to the coffee table in front of the couch.

Taking up the knife, Bristletail sliced off the top of the fruit and then made five shallow slices vertically into the skin. When she then split the pomegranate apart it looked like a blooming flower. Next she turned it so the open side faced down, placed it into the bowl and proceeded to thwack it with the spoon.

“Now it’s a lot easier to eat,” she proclaimed, removing the empty skin and presenting a bowl full of tasty looking ruby arils. “Less messy too.”

“Neat!” said the nymph before stuffing her face into the bowl and sending about little gouts of juice.

“Well, it’s not less messy if you eat it like that,” frowned the infiltrator as she watched helplessly.

“What is that awful squelching noise?” asked the blue unicorn as she groggily sat up and rubbed her eyelids.

Pupa pulled her face out of the bowl, revealing that her muzzle and parts of her mane had become stained a dark red. The sassy pony glanced at the splatters of juice that dotted the table and even freckled a bit of the couch, then turned to stare at the nymph.

“What?” Pupa asked.