//------------------------------//
// Sixteenth Chapter 
// Story: New Bodies, New Life 
// by Boopy Doopy 
//------------------------------//

Thornton stared into the mirror, scowling at what he saw. Why was he still a bug?
He’d done exactly as the book on changelings described. Imagined what he wanted to be in his head, and willed himself to change. The book didn't describe how to will himself to change, but he’d turned into a human when he and Reece were running from the fire. When he did, he was barely thinking about it. It should have been easy now that he was concentrating on it, right?
Apparently not, because he was still staring at this dumbass bug in the mirror. No amount of scowling or glaring changed him, nor any amount of active concentration and trying. What the heck was he supposed to do?
He wished there was a creature like him he could talk to. The book he read in the library was pretty vague. It told him his sustenance was love, but he could taste every emotion that was sent out. Not to mention, he ate more than just love. He filled himself up with affection and kindness and sympathy, too. It should have said his sustenance was positive feelings.
And of course, the book said nothing about sharing love like that zebra and Twilight had both mentioned. He was basically left to figure everything out on his own, frustratingly enough. Weren’t there other creatures around he could talk to?
No. Right now, there was only his reflection in the mirror, one he concentrated hard on. He let out his breath and clenched his jaw, trying his hardest to get something to happen. How come he could do it in the forest but not here?
Just let me change into something, he demanded of himself. Anything. Practically every other animal in the world would be better than this. Just let me be a human again!
What changed with the desperate, frustrated thinking, the bug didn’t know, but it must have done something. Thornton didn’t even have time to register that anything was happening when the change was complete. All of a sudden, he saw himself again. The human he was meant to be, complete with the clothes he wore just before going to bed. He let out a small sigh of relief and a cheer of satisfaction.
His fingers and limbs moved at his command, just as they had in the forest, but his clothes didn’t move much at all, refusing to rise more than a centimeter when he tugged on his shirt. That wouldn’t be ideal for things like bathing or using the restroom. He figured it was because he was technically still a bug underneath the changes that were made. Maybe a different creature would be better.
Not yet though. For now, he appreciated the form he held now. Even if his stomach still felt painfully twisted up and sleep refused to come to him, the fact that he could use one of his new powers satisfied him. He wondered how many other things he could turn into, or what the limit of these changes would be.
He didn’t try to figure out those things now. Instead, he headed back to the library, where his mother and little sister sat reading and his father and older brother talked. They had food in front of them that they all shared– cookies and sandwiches with flowers in them– and Reece and his father were both dripping wet from the showers they took. They all turned his way, and the bug-turned-human tasted his family’s surprise before he heard their gasps. It tasted strong, yet flat, maybe a little like bread.
“How in the world did you do that, Thornton?” his mother asked, her eyes wide as she spread her wings. “Is that the changing power you talked about before?”
“Yup,” he confirmed, his voice sounding like his own for the first time since landing in Equestria. “I changed before with Reece when we were in that forest, but I think I figured out how to do it on command.”
“That’s great, son!” his father congratulated excitedly. “Maybe there’s a way this’ll help us get back home! Twilight said she wanted to see what we looked like as humans, so you can use that changing power to show her!”
“I’m gonna try and do that, yeah,” he confirmed. His stomach felt a little less twisted up as he took in the feelings of admiration and appreciation from his family. Even Barney seemed to send a little of the emotion his way, and rubbed his body against one of Thornton’s legs. Feeling less hungry was good.
It was weird how his family was all shorter than he was now. He was only slightly taller than his father on Earth, but now the scale had increased to over two feet. These creatures were short. 
It was also now uncomfortable that he was the only one wearing clothes, but he ignored that fact for now. Instead, he settled down back at the table and went back to reading with a grin planted on his face. He hoped the book in his hands could tell him more about what to do and what kinds of limits he had to his abilities. 
He read the book until Twilight Sparkle came back to talk to them. She, of course, was the most excited about his transformation into a human, and immediately asked if he could turn into his family members, too. She asked many questions about muscular structure and what kinds of bones he had and how his body functioned, none of which he knew the answer to. Maybe it would’ve been better if he paid more attention in biology class. She didn’t seem to mind though, and looked him over thoroughly, drawing what she saw in a notepad. Good thing he had clothes on as a human.
Changing into other people, even just his own family, was strange to say the least. 
He changed into his father first, the human he imitated having long pants and a plain white t-shirt, as well as a five o’clock shadow. It felt strange looking like this, the copy of his dad, and his father reflected that strange feeling back at him. The unicorn glanced between him and the ground, grinding a hoof against the floor, feeling uncomfortable. 
Thornton himself began to feel uncomfortable when he changed into his mother next, now wearing a sundress and a sun hat. Something about this just felt icky, but he couldn’t exactly pinpoint what. He shifted around from foot to foot, not staying very still for Twilight to do her measurements. It took longer for these than it did to measure his father’s human body.
The same feeling came when he changed to look like Denver’s, but not when he changed into Reece. He imagined it was because they were females, and his mind was unprepared for such a change. How his father didn’t ooze discomfort his way at all times, Thornton didn’t know. He didn’t think about it though. 
Instead, he accepted Twilight’s sweet and savory gratitude as he finally changed back into a changeling, flopping tiredly on the couch. It turned out changing into different things in quick succession took energy, not that he was surprised. He still wasn’t tired enough to sleep though.
The purple pony talked to Denver for a while as his mother took the opportunity to sit next to him now and offer up affection. It was a little weird that it didn’t radiate as strongly as his father’s, but his father also had a lot of guilt dripping off of him that enhanced the other emotions. His mother had none, but she did still have love to give as the dragon wrapped a wing around him. It didn’t feel any less natural than if they were both humans and she used an arm to do such. Strange.
Of course though, there were other things there, too, enough that he knew what she was going to say before she did. It was a skill he seemed apt to lately. He let her talk though.
“Maybe you should look like something more like us,” she suggested, although there was no repulsion at the sight of him. In fact, there hadn’t been any of that at all, the entire time they’d been transformed. He was grateful for it, even though it was likely because they were all in the same situation.
“It might make you feel more comfortable,” she continued. “Maybe?”
“Mmm, I don’t know, Mom,” he replied, letting out a long, contented sigh as he settled into her wing, eyes closed. How the heck was he supposed to be able to focus with all this delicious love around him to devour? He wondered what it would be like to go out and meet other creatures in this world. He really wanted to find Fluttershy and spend more time with her, if he could.
“Being able to change back into myself is cool, but it feels weird seeing you all naked already. It’s even worse when I’m the only one that’s wearing clothes. Makes me stand out.”
“I meant changing into the creatures we are, honey,” she told him, a little knowing grin on her face. “If being whatever you are makes you hungry, maybe being something else will mean you’re not hungry? Maybe you could be a moose-horse, a kirin thing like your order brother.”
“It’s not gonna help,” he shook his head. “I’m just as starving as a person as I am as a bug. Nothing’s gonna change, so I might as well just be this.”
“Try it anyway?” she encouraged. He knew she wanted him to be better off, and truly thought this would be the best way. Thornton also knew he wasn’t wrong in what he said, but maybe he’d get more of those positive feelings that sated his hunger if he pretended to be happier. He was already learning that while loving affection was the tastiest and most filling emotion, happiness did more for him than the sympathy she gave off right now.
The emotion came instantly when he changed to look like Reece. He tried to be something different, imagining himself with a black coat instead of a brown one and tan antlers and a green mane instead of red, but just a carbon copy was what he was. Maybe he could only change into things he’d already seen? Or maybe his imagination was just too out there for reality. Not that reality seemed to care much about the laws of physics lately.
He didn’t test the theory, a little more of his energy draining from him as his mother slowly replaced what was lost. She ran a wing across his back, and Thornton closed his eyes to breathe deeply. Taking in the wonderful, positive emotions, and losing focus as he did, was probably as close as he was going to get to sleep. But man, did it taste amazing as she rubbed his back softly and his father gave him a soft chuckle from the sight. This was like a drug.
“I guess that makes you my twin now,” his brother commented as he stepped close to him and took him in. “I wish I could do something like that. I would just stay a human and not care.”
Was he actually jealous of Thornton? That’s certainly what it tasted like as his brother looked him up and down. If he knew how bad Thornton really had it…
“I guess it’s better than shooting fire,” he lied with a small shrug. “Breathing in that smoke felt horrible though. I’m surprised we made it through that. Well, that I made it through that.”
Why that of all things made Reece's anger spike, Thornton didn't know. All he knew was that suddenly, the jealousy had shifted to burning hot anger, as hot as it was when they were in the forest. There wasn't any outward sign that something had changed, but Thornton could feel his anger suddenly burning like flames licking dried wood.
His older brother only twitched an ear. "I obviously didn't mean for that to happen," he said with a roll of his eyes. “And I saved you in more ways than one. It's not like you ever said 'thank you' anyway."
Why was he getting angry at him? Thornton of course knew that he saved him, but why should he say ‘thank you’ when Reece was the one who let Thornton’s lungs be filled with smoke? If he would’ve listened to him in the first place and left when he said he could tell those wolves were gonna hurt them, then—
Wait, why was he getting so mad about this? It felt like a sudden surge of adrenaline just shot through him, one he had to force down. He could feel his body warming up; it wasn’t hot, but it definitely felt warmer than it should’ve been. It was like he was standing next to a campfire on a cold night. The warmth seemed to beg him to come closer, to let it heat him up in the cold. How strange was that?
He didn’t wait very long to change back into what was starting to become normal– his bug form with black skin and holes in his legs. The same second he changed back, that adrenaline left him, the anger evaporating away into nothing and the campfire disappearing. He could guess what that meant for his older brother. He was staring at him, his expression on him looking more like a glare. He didn’t imagine he could do very much to help it.
There were now two members of his family whose positions he didn’t envy.
“Are you okay?” the bug asked casually. It was the wrong move. More of that hot anger radiated off of him as a result. Thornton almost would’ve said this wasn’t an issue for Reece yesterday, but it was, he remembered. 
His older brother only grumbled and took a breath. “I’m fine. Just annoyed that we’re still here… I’m gonna go out and take a look around. Barney needs a walk anyway.”
“Son, please stay here,” both of their parents tried to say. The kirin moved too quickly though, and was out the door before he could be stopped. What were they gonna do? He was almost twenty years old.
Thornton didn’t hesitate, and quickly followed after him before they could stop him either. He might have been the little brother, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a good idea to keep an eye on Reece. Besides, finding out where Fluttershy was would help ease the hunger that was already stealing his attention again.