I awoke to a rough tongue running up my snout, and a sharp hoof nudging my chest.
"C'mon Big Guy. Time to wake up..."
I wanted to kiss her for living, to kill myself for the scabbed-over bite marks that covered her neck.
She licked again, slow and languid. "Big guy?" her eyes were half-lidded in sleep, aura blank in the drowsy morning sleepiness, they peered into mine, apparently searching for signs of consciousness.
I decide to give her a taste of her own medicine. In the quietest voice I could manage I whispered a few nonsense words, just loud enough to be on the edge of hearing. Silver quirked an eyebrow at the noise and leaned in, ear twitching and pointing to try and hear better.
*Shlick* I waited for just the right moment before acting, opening my lips just enough to let my long reptilian tongue slip out and dive into her ear, worming in nice and deep before retracting --earwax tasted absolutely vile, but it was worth it.
Her brain shut down (face frozen in the cutest expression of disgust) for almost a minute here. Just enough time for me to raise my head and smile at her.
The vicious pillow-beating that followed came without warning, the sack of feathers lasting for a few blows before catching on my jagged horn and tearing. then as I struggled to dispel the cloud of white pinions I was tackled off the bed, the smaller mare pinning me with speed and growling playfully "Gimme that ear you disgusting little monster, see how you like drool on your eardrum!"
I laughed inside and blew a raspberry, flattening my ears behind my head and twisting to avoid her mouth. Then I reversed the pin, rlling over and using my far superior weight to hld her down as I shifted into good ol' big mac "Whore you callin' little? Yer the pipsqueak.!" I smirked.
he mock wrestling lasted for a while after, Silver eventually getting the upper hand through sheer tenacity.
Eventually the laughter faded, my tongue-in-ear stunt paid back in full and then some. Silver drooped onto my chest with an exhausted huff, her breath heavy as if after a run. My natural form couldn't sweat, so I was forced to pant like a dog to stave off the heat of exertion.
...
I shifted to Big Mac and curled an arm around the exhausted pegasus after a moment, my expression sad and apologetic as could be "Ah..." I paused, trying to think of some poetic phrase, one that would show how sorry I truly was "Ah... Ah'm sorry Silver. Fer last night, I couldn't control mahself."
She looked up at me, right into my yes with her big saucers. Then she smiled, booping my nose "Don't worry Big Guy, it was my idea, my fault."
I protested, brow furrowing "But it was mah fault Silver. Ah shouldn't have lost control like that."
"I don't blame you, anyone would have lost themselves, seeing a feast during starvation."
"But-"
She stopped me with a wing, pressing it to my lips and hushing me "Shhh, no more of that." her mild smirk returned "Too early in the morning for moping."
I snorted but held my peace, feeling a foal before the mare, even as I dwarfed her in every aspect.
Her smirk grew stronger, the mare forcing her shaky limbs under her before lifting up off me, huffing at the bright light outside "Looks nice out. Maybe we could have a little fly-round, after breakfast and Dad's return." Her hoof went to a suddenly grumbling tummy. "You want anything?"
I checked my inferno, still blazing merrily, to find my two transformations had hardly put a dent in it. I shifted as I rolled to my feet, back in my natural form just in time to shake my head. I motioned towards the bed, and the chain. 'I should probably get that back on my leg' I thought at her.
She took a moment to get my meaning, then nodded "Oh yeah, dad'll get angry if he knew you got it off.
A spring was in her step as she left, heading off towards what I can only assume is the kitchen.
I watched as she went, eyes lingering for a moment on the crusted blood on her neck.
-------------------------------------------
I was laying on my stomach in bed, only a half-hour later, when I heard her shout up the stairs "Big Guy! Dad's back, with company!" she sounded nervous.
Feeling something was off I put a hoof to the ground, closing my eyes and concentrating on the world of vibration.
I could see Silver as she near galloped from the window twards the door, pausing to reach up and grab something from the hallway, then going to hide near the door.
Then the party came into range, all eleven hoof-sets, five shod in heavy steel, six in natural nothing. As they got closer I could hear the clank of armour on four of the shod horses, along with the tink-tink of sword scabbards knocking against the plates. Then came the voices.
"Are you sure it's dangerous?" That was Golden Oats for sure "It was weak as a kitten when we found it."
Then a mare, a very familiar mare "Very dangerous Mr. Oats. If the creature you described is what I think it is, then your daughter might be in terrible peril. That's why I brought the guards and my friends." It was Sparkle, and that meant the other five were the mane six.
I bit my lip, thinking of my apparent name, 'Changeling', it had a ring to it that sounded right.
Applejack spoke up then, as they all stopped by what looked like a fence to my tremor-sense. "How dangerous Twi? Ah ain't heard of no 'changelings' before.
Twilight answered, scuffing her hoof against the hard path "They're a very obscure race Applejack, nobody's ever managed to catch a live one before, and ponies who find one usually disappear without a trace."
That didn't bode well... My inherited memory flashed up then, images of ponies being dragged back to the hive after they found out too much, most usually lasting a few weeks in the caverns.
Rainbow Dash snorted, her arrogant tones carrying far "pfft, I'd like to see one try that on me. What exactly are we up against again?" she asked casually, I could just imagine her examining her hoof nonchalantly.
I listened to Twilight list off a few abilities, most of which I knew about already, aside from one right at the end.
"...And watch out for the fangs, the front two can inject a nasty paralyzing venom." she faded off, the armoured guards-stallions and Golden Oats shunting to the front as they approached the door.
-----------------------------------------------------
Siver opened the door before they could knock, I could feel her anxiety and slight haze of supspicion from all that way away. "What are you going to do to him Dad?" she asked, the vibration of the creaking door letting me 'see' her look from guard to guard to her Father.
Golden Oats took a step back in surprise "Silver!" he stepped forward again "Let the nice stallions in please."
"I asked what are you going to do to him?!" She demanded, moving to block an armoured stallion that went as if to pass her.
I could hear the southern pony sigh "Silver Cloud Lining, this ain't time for yer silly fixation on that thing. Git outta the way!" he barked, temper rising as he advanced.
Silver was panicked now, her hooves rooted and her wings flared "NO! Not until I find out what you're going to do!"
Golden snarled in her face "I SAI-" The way he paused was almost scarier than his anger. His aura was already bubbling, but what he saw or smelled sent it boiling over "Why do you stink of sweat and..." His voice was a dangerous growl "Is that blood!?"
Silver backed up a step, away from her father "It ain't what you thi-!"
"WHAT IN TIREK's name were you DOING with that Fucking MONSTER!" Golden Oats stamped forward, towering over Silver.
To my eternal admiration the mare held her ground, matching him decibel for decibel "Having FUN"
Golden seemed to take that as insulting "FUN? Y'all think its FUN to disobey me! If yer Ma were here she-"
"MY MOM isn't DEAD, she just can't stand to be 'round YOU no more!" I could barely stand to hear the *crack of bone as their skulls met, Silver having headbutted her dad right on the nose, she then used his surprised rearing to shove him off balance, making the stallion tumble out of the porch .
Twilight, the guards and the other mares had watched the exchange in stunned silence, each afraid to intervene in the dispute.
But the guards intervened as Golden got to his hooves again, his anger almost palpable, the threat of violence clear as he made to charge, only beings stopped by an armour pegasi side-tackle.
As the biting, raging stallion was pinned down and calmed the two unicorn guards and Twilight made their way to the door, where Silver once again blocked.
"Miss Lining, I-" Twilight began, only to be cut off by Silver, who snarled
"Drop DEAD, You just wanna hurt him!" her anger was fading into remorse and panicked sobs.
Twilight stepped back slightly, but recovered as A calming, soothing tone spoke "Please calm down Silver, we just want to help." Oh Fluttershy "I'm very sorry, but your friend's dangerous. We don't want to hurt him."
"But he's got to be put down sugarcube, Twi here wrote to the Princess, and She said he's a danger to everyone." Applejack tried her best calming voice.
Epic failure on that part
"You're gonna Kill him!?" Silver screamed the question with anger, anguish and bile in her tone, stance wide and wings outstretched to block the door. "WHY?"
I'll admit I was scared too, but I despised hearing and sensing her distress
Silver didn't allow them to speak, babbling "BG's not dangerous! He's just hurt, and lonely!"
I could almost hear Twilight's glance at Silver's bloody neck. "I'd hate to disagree Miss Silver, but those are some nasty cuts." she stepped forward.
Silver reared and wheeled her legs, lashing out to force everyone back, her embarrassment flaring up "Those aren't his fault!" she barked, dropping into a mumble I had tostrain to pick up "He just got a little rough while he was eating is all."
That fforced a huge spike of panic through the ponies nearest the door.
Twilight asked in a stressed burst "You let him feed on you!?" her voice was a squeak of urgency.
Silver was takken aback by the sudden shift toward ferocity "Uhh yeah?"
"How much!?" Twilight took a step up to Silver's face "How. Much!"
Silver backed further into the hallway, her anger fading into nervousness "Quite a lot I guess? He was really hungry, so I passed out after a minute"
That spiked the panic even higher "how could you do that!? The princess let me go with only four guards because Golden said it was half-dead! What if it recovers!"
Silver found some footing and a little anger, stopping Sparkle's advance "Hey! The Big Guy's a he, not an it. What was I supposed to do, just let him starve to death!?"
Rainbow snorted from where she had been floating, apparently just above Twilight "Would'a saved us a lot of trouble."
Silver barked "Shut up!"
Which was all the opening the two guards flanking Twilight needed, the armoured stallions suddenly charging fowards and tackling Silver in one practiced movement, I could imagine them casting a spell, because in the next moment Silver ceased struggling and fell into a blank-minded sleep.
The hunt was on.
---------------------------------------------
I was panicking, oh ungodly bejeezus I was doing my nut in trying to think of a way out.
I was going to get murdered by ponies, it was a bronie's worst nightmare. Could I even bring myself to fight back if FLuttershy, or Pinkie tried to stop me? Should I hide and wait, or run and hope I could get away?
These were all thoughts that ran through my head as they thundered up the corridor, thankfully stumbling as they discovered Silver had locked several doors in their path.
Eventually my changeling instict bade me to hide, preferably somewhere dark and out of the way. Like that hole in the ceiling. But that was obvious, they'd look there for sure, so I'd need a distraction...
--------------------------------------------------
the thick window splintered in a cacophony of shattering glass and wood as I hurled a torn section of the bed-frame through it. the noise seeming to only spur on the group currently smashing their way through the last door between them and my own portal. I had piled all the furniture I could against it (telekinesis = Awesome) and webbed the whole thing with a spattering of goo-cement.
Then I crawled as quiet as a cat into the dark hole up to the attic, uncaring for the spiders and careful not to disturb the dust. A quick shift shrank me down as far as I could go, turned me an identical dusty grey as the thick layer on the floor, and textured my skin like that of old burlap, making me resemble little more than a small lumpy sack, so long as I kept my face facing away from the hole.
...
Guard #1 "It's barricaded the door!"
*CRUNCH*
Twilight "I could teleport to the other-"
*SMASH*
Guard # 2 "Stay here Miss Sparkle, if it's still in there that would only give it a hostage."
*CRASH*
"Yeah, 'if', you heard that window, it's probably flown away by now.
*THUD-THUD-THUD*
"That might be a trick Miss Dash *BANG* besides the fact that our companions will be watching the sky."
I heard the door give way with a mighty snap and booming sound, before a few wisps of smoke curled up through the hole. Then the clip-clop of hooves below.
Guard #1 "Looks empty to me.."
Guard # 2"Looks can be deceiving. check everywhere."
...
Rainbow "Gross! There's blood on the mattress,"
Applejack "Guess that's where she got them cuts. What's that stain there?"
Rainbow "What?" *sniff* "Oh that's sick! AJ, tha-"
Applejack "Ah know what it is!"
Rainbow "D'you think that filly actually let it..?"
Applejack "Ah dunno Rainbow. Ah don't want to know. Just one more reason to track that thing down"
Twilight "Girls! focus!!"
I was trying hard not to break down as I lay in the dark, listening to them tear the room apart in search of me. Then my breath caught as one guard noticed the hole.
Guard #1 "What about up there?" he trotted to beneath the entryway.
Rainbow volunteered immediately "I'll check"
"Be careful" the girls chorused together, a sentiment the speedster brushed off with a snort.
I was afraid to move, to breath as I heard,sensed her set down on the attic floor, wings kicking up a thick haze of choking dust, making the cyan mare cough.
After the dust settled Rainbow moved slowly forward, kicking at random objects --including my soft, side, which hurt like hell thank-you very much. "I don't think it's up here!" Rainbow called, peering into the darkness (pointlessly, she had already passed me by.)
Guard #2 yelled back "Come on back then Miss Dash, we have the whole house to check.
Rainbow vanished in a flash of colour and mist of dust, whipping wind tumbling me along a little..
Down below they began to assign pairs
Twilight read from a prepared speech by the rustly of paper "Okay people, everyone stays with a partner at all times, a unicorn to each group. I don't know if my scanning spell will work, so I hope you've already chosen your buddy-question. Ask your partner the question every time They leave your sight, even for a second. Here's the pairings I've worked out.
I waited with bated breath as the list was called out, trying to choose who would be easiest to get past.
"Applejack and I will be checking the East " No way I was going that way then. Twilight was a powerhouse of the first order, as was Applejack.
"Quick Spell and Rainbow Dash will be searching the oat-field outside." No thank you Twilight, Rainbow Dash was way too fast.
Pinkie Pie and Valiant Shield are taking the West " Another dud, Pinkie was just too weird.
Rarity and Fluttershy, If it's okay I'd like you to stay behind, we'll put Silver Lining in here to rest, and I need two here in case it comes back for her." I wanted to kiss Twilight, Just too perfect.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The search began in earnest after a few moments. A Pegasi Guard bringing in the slumbering Silver, who was immediately fussed over by the indomitable Fluttershy.
Time for the plan...
With careful hooves I worked a all of goopy green cement into a thick band, ensuring that one side remained sticky with a few careful licks. Then I just had to wait. Wait until Rarity turned to wath Fluttershy, until they both turned their back to the hole. I braced myself. I couldn't stand it, what I had to do...
I crawled more silently than I would have believed to the edge of the hole, then around it. I captured a house spider on my tail as I went, letting him crawl on my back and get comfy. Then I dvanced on the white unicorn, letting my front half drop down as the make-shift goopy gag came out.
She barely let out a squeak, much as she kicked and struggled. I tried to hold my stomach as her blood welled in my mout, rather consentrating on pumping my venom in, and keeping the fashionista silent.
Eventually Rarity went limp, her struggling ceasing altogether. A quick check confirmed that Fluttershy hadn't noticed a thing, more concerned with treating Silver's neck wound.
I was quiter than a mouse as I dragged the floopy pony up back into the hole, working as I went to stow the bleeding from where my fangs dug in, to bind her with goopy cement, and to make sure she couldn't be seen. Now for stage two.
*Flash* and I was Rarity, down to the last minute detail. The real thing could still see me, here eyes following me even while the rest of her was powerless to move. Her emotions were nothing but fear, for herself and for her unsespecting friend.
I crouched down to her level with a reassuring smile on my lips, even if my eyes glittered with something between apathy and hunger --even in an emergency she had love for herself--, I came as close to her ear as I could.
"I truly am very sorry. Don't worry, I just want to escape, I wouldn't dare hurt Fluttershy." I put all the sincerity my voice could gather into those words, pulling away in time to see a few sparks come out of her horn, the venom would be addling her magic and her mind, but a little extra insurance couldn't hurt.
Rarity's aura went from fear to disgust, even to anger as I lapped at her horn with my tongue, the organ leaving behind a thick sheen of slime to block her magic.
Onto stage three
Leaving Rarity bound and gagged in the attic I made my way down to the room again, briefly spawning my wings to keep my landing light. Flttershy was still busy, perfect, because the next part would sorely test my acting skills.
With a gentle hoof I placed the spider on the ground. Sucked in a deep breath...
WIth all the gusto I could conjure I let out a shriek, hurling myself back to slam into Fluttshy as she turned. I threw myself into her arms and babbled in faked panic "SpiderSpiderSpiderSpiderSPIDER!" finishing it off with another scream.
That did it. the first scream sent everyone in the house running towards the room, panic and roiling emotions flaring, the yell of spider and the second sent the running back to the search.
I even managed to catch (to my unending glee) Fluttershy giving a teeny-weeny eye roll, before she placed me carefully down on the ground. "You shouldn't panic so much Rarity" she said "It's just a little house-spider, she's more scared of you than you are of her." the little ball of adorable, huggable butter yellow fur floated over to the spider and picked him up, cooing softly.
I forced down my 'D,awwww' and played the part, making a disgusted face and stepping back as she came back "I don't know how you can care for that thing darling, it's so... Icky."
Fluttershy gave me a tiny hard look and stroked the arachnid whispering and then listening. Rasing her eyebrow and saying "Oh really?"
Oh fuck, I forgot she can speak to animals!' Her aura remained calm, so I was cautiously optimistic
With eyes of steel she turned and held out the eight legged fiend, demanding "Rarity, I want you to apologize."
I hid a sigh of confused relief to reel back, whinnying nervously "Ugh! Why?"
Fluttershy advanced a step "Mrs. Spinner said that you knocked her of her perfectly nice web, and you hurt her feelings with all that shrieking."
I sighed, rolling my eyes to hide my glee at being this close to my favorite pony "If you insist darling..." I recoiled slightly, holding out a hoof to the spider as if it were an electric fence "I'm very sorry for my earlier rudeness Mrs. Spinner." at a glare from the yellow pegasus I shoot it's leg "I was only re-checking up in the attic and didn't mean to take you away from your home.
It was almost absurd how fast Flutterhsy went from stern authority to passive shyness, nuzzling my cheek 'Must... Not... HUG...' and floating away to place 'Mrs. Spinner' on the ceiling with a parting "As long as you're sure."
When she came back down she looked in thought "I'll have to go and make Rainbow apologize too Rarity, apparently she blew far too much dust into the air when she went into the attic.
I nodded "Should we go find her now? I doubt Twilight will like us leaving our post."
Fluttershy gave it some thought and slumped "I guess not, we should just stay here."
I nodded, sitting beside her, then lighting my eyes as if an idea came to me "we could always ask if one of the other teams would watch the room for us." I appeared to think "What about Applejack and Twilight? They must have finished by now" 'And I'd rather not have Them in the way when I'm escaping' I added on silently.
In truth, I knew that AJ had finished, my tremor-sense could see her and Twilight in the kitchen now, having a stern chat with a certain Golden Oats.
Fluttershy gave the idea gave the idea some thought, then nodded as my instinct told me she would "Good idea, lets go get her." She said, standing to leave.
I tried hard to suppress a grin as we went to leave.
That is until Fluttershy stopped my in the doorway, her outstretched wing as good as any steel bar.
Her voice was calm as a placid pond when she said "Just one thing Rarity"
I raised an eyebrow, a niggling feeling in the back of my skull giving me a foreboding feeling.
"Will the real Rarity be okay?"
... Tartar sauce.
-------------------------------------------------------