Dawn silently broke over the Equestrian landscape and with it came the clouds. My eyes snap open when the limited sunlight touched them. I looked down and saw Shy still asleep. I bounce on the cloud several times, testing it's durability for no reason at all. The cloud darkened slightly and I stopped bouncing on it.
"Heh..." I say, glancing again at Shy. "Clouds are good beds to nap on..." I sit back down and look around. The cloud gave me a bad vantage point so I fly next to it and push it over to where I have a good look at Ponyville. At least that gave me something better to do with my spare time. J wanted to fill it up with something I wanted to do all day long. Of course, writing came to my mind. I pull out my notebook and flip it to the first page, slowly reading the words on the page. I smile softly, they were good, coming from the darker part of my life. That was my only story so far. I secretly hoped I could write a story like that again but I knew the chances of that were slim.
I close my notebook and tuck it away just as my right leg started to hurt slightly. Noticing this immediately, I look at it, inspecting it for anything that might've caused the pain. I stare at it for a while before it fades quickly.
Dabuq? I thought. What was that all about? Nothing seemed wrong with the leg at all, unless it was internal. I frown and glance back at Ponyville. The town was very quiet, most residents still asleep. What I did fail to notice though was figures beginning to surround me. They take off and fly up to my cloud. One chuckles before kicking me off.
"W-wha?" I snap out of my daydream as I go into freefall. Before I could spread my wings, I slam into the ground.
Shy's eyes snap open, sensing my distress and quickly flys over.
"Changelings!" She growls. One turns around and totally surprises me by saying:
"Back off mare... this stallion is ours" The changelings voice was soft and almost hard to hear. Shy's eyes narrow.
"No... he isn't.."
"We desire the... power that is his..."
"What power?" She glances at me, not quite understanding what's been said.
"We do not know... but the queen wants it... and what the queen wants, she gets"
Shy glances at me worriedly. Uh oh... the changeling queen? Why? What could she possibly want with Golden?
I reopen my eyes after they closed just before impact. Noticing the surrounding changelings, I reach for my knife then halt entirely, gazing at the appearance of one.
Wait... that... I think, gears slowly turning in my mind. That... wasn't a... changeling Twilight killed.. then what... was it?
Shy's expression darkens. "Let. Him. Go"
The changeling glares back at Shy. "And if I don't?"
"Well... do.you really want to find that out?" She challenges. The changeling pauses, her words finally getting through to him. He glances to Golden, to Shy then to his comrades. He sighs
"Alright... but... we will not stop..." The changeling growls before withdrawing. The others follow suit and fly off.
I blink once, trying to comprehend what exactly was going on. I glance at Shy and she gives me a half-smile. I knew what existed beyond the smile and frowned.
Noticing the frown, she trots over to me. "You alright?" It was a stupid question but it was the only one on her mind.
"Honesty or trying to make you feel better?" My voice was toneless
"Honesty..."
"Alright... I feel like shit... you try getting kicked off a cloud and land... on your back... without breaking anything... it sucks... and when I finally did see a changeling... there... was something..."
She tilts her head in confusion "Huh?"
"Remember... the attack on me yesterday?" She nods. "That wasn't a changeling..."
"Wait... what?"
"It... wasn't a changeling..."
"How could you be so sure?"
"I saw it... with my own eyes..." I get up shakily and trot off.
"Wait!" She sighs softly and quickly trots after. What's his issue? She thinks, shaking her head still slightly angry at rhe incident.
"Ugh..." I trot further ahead, ignoring the slightly angry and.concerned presence behind me. I trot into the forest, keeping head low. Before I or anypony else react, when I turn a corner, a presence shoves me into the forest, putting a hoof over my mouth to prevent me crying out.
"Heh... gotcha"
That voice... I glance up at my assailant. It was the changeling.
"Now... don't try anything... if you value your life" He hissed, glaring at me. I chuckle inwardly. He doesn't know me at all... what an idiot, I think. The changeling nods and six more jump down from trees they perched in.
Seeing this, my self confidence fades slightly. Aw shit... six on one? Not fair... not fair at all...
Meanwhile, Shy continues trotting, still slightly angry at the incident between her and the changelings. Why? Why him? He didn't do anything to hurt them so they have no right to harm him. She thinks, kicking a rock down the trail, finding the silence a relief. Wait... silence?
The grip on my mouth tightens as I try to say something.
"No no no... we don't want that... do we?" I stop my faint struggling and calm down slightly. He gives me a false smile. "Good... now... we wait..."
Silence... since when? She glances back, frantically racking her brain. Since he... turned the corner... I don't see him....her left ear flicks and she turns in that direction.
"Of course... why am I not surprised?" She finishes aloud before trotting into the forest, feeling her anger rise with each step. "Those idiots just had to..."
"So... you are going to shut up..." I smirk under his hoof, sensing somepony all to familiar coming. "What?" He made out just before a blur of purple decks him in the back of the head. His grip slackens and releases me. Immediately, I pull out my knife and the six changelings attack Shy.
Shy ducks as a changeling flies at her and said changeling collided into a tree. It fell to the ground, knocked out by the blow. I tackle one just about to leap onto her and drag the.foe to the ground, cutting his throat wide open.
"Two down..." Shy observes, noticing the changelings regroup. "I should've known they weren't done with you"
I quickly trot up to her. "Indeed... we'll speak about this later..."
One of the changelings step forward and quickly met his demise through my knife. The remaining three growl and scatter off deeper into the woods. Shy spreads her wings and I quickly grab her tail as she takes off
"No Shy..."
She looks back at me, expression somewhere between anger and concern.
"You already done enough to help... no more... you couldn't stop it..." She just sighs
"I... they hurt you..."
"That was before I was yanked into the forest... you were asleep... it is not your fault... it's mine" Her expression softens and she smiles in resignation.
"Alright... just don't let it happen again... please?" My gaze hardens
"No.promises..." I say before trotting away. She follows very close behind me.
Eventually, we make our way back to the clearing and I sit against the tree, sighing lightly.
"What were you saying earlier? About the changeling?" Shy says. I glance at her as she lays next to me
"Alright... it wasn't one... did you see what Twilight killed?"
"Yes... and it looked like a changeling..."
"Well... did.you look hard enough?" Shy pauses at my words, thinking into the incident.
"There was.. something... before it died.. but... I.didn't have the chance to properly look at it. The body... flickered but I dismissed it as something else..."
"So... you think it was still a changeling?"
"Sort of... I'm not sure now..." She falls silent, looking at the grass. "You know... there is a third path out here..."
"Hm? There is?" Shy nods and points to a trail I never seen before.
"I seen it every time I have been here but... I didn't go down it... if we do, try not to get ambushed" She smiles slightly and I laugh.
"I'll try not to" I smile back and we begin trotting towards the path, not quite knowing what to expect.
Quickly the forest closes in on us and the path ahead is bathed in the shadow of the trees. I looked around to see any other signs of life but didn't quite see any. I shrug and look ahead, the path just continued to wind around with no destination in sight. My mind opens up to be more perceptive of any other signs of life but didn't quite sense anything. That is, until we reached a split in the path.
Staring down the right path, Shy says "I say we go down the right path... because... you know... right is always right" She begins trotting down the path. My eyes immediately widen, picking up certain activity down that path.
"Wait!" I call out. She stops and turns around. "Um... you... probably shouldn't go down that path... sometimes right isn't always right... you kinda need to go left.. off the beaten path sometimes... pave a new trail... that sort of thing"
I start trotting down the left path and she follows close behind.
"Alright... Shy... um... the 'right is always right' thing isn't... accurate... I mean... that right right there... wasn't.. good... at least... I think it was bad..." I say softly, glancing back at her. "Trust me on that one... not all right paths are good..."
"And if you doubt what's coming from the left?" I pause slightly and nod.
"Then take the right one... it'll be easier that way... but saying that a certain path or direction is right all the time is like... saying all murderers were bad ponies..."
"But they..." I hold up a hoof.
"No... not all were bad... past tense... as in happened before... some lived normal lives" We continue trotting in silence before I look ahead and see something different. The path looked like it opened up to a large clearing. I pick up the pace, hoping it was just a clearing.
"Aaaaand it isn't!" I yell out as I step into what looks like a small village. Small, two room houses lined the outer edge and shops took up the center.
"They fit all that in here?" Shy asks, looking one of the houses. She pokes ine with her hoof. "Clever... wood... they must've cleared out all this for the settlement.. but why here?"
"Thats a good question..." I glance at one of the shops. It was small, lime green and a sign of a peppermint candy is stuck next to the door. Shy follows my gaze, smile widening.
"Candy?" She says, taking a step toward it. I mimic her step and take another one. Slowly we end up in front of the shop and we trot in.
Once in, my jaw hits the floor. The store had various candies lining the walls and there was even more next to the cash register. My mouth immediately begins to water and I look for what I needed the most. That sweet candy I always kept with me. Butterscotch. Me and it have a rather inseparable history together.
There it was, along the back wall of the shop. I quickly grab a bag and glance back at Shy. She was picking out some mints and chocolates. Being a fan of those, I pick out a bag and trot to the cashier. Shy hoofs him the bits and we trot out.
"Best feeling in the world... having a fresh bag of butterscotch in your bag" I quip, pulling one out and sticking it in my mouth.
"Yep! Just don't let the chocolate melt on you... that is the worst experience anypony could ever have."
I laugh and smile. "Are you quite sure of that? Last time I checked... what happened to me was the.worst experience."
"Touche..." We make our way back to the exit, looking back. Nopony was wandering around outside and the houses looked rather empty for the time of day. Naturally, Shy picked up on that right away and told me about her observations.
"Ya know, I did notice the cashier pony was... being a little off... he didn't smile, talk, he just took the bits..." I observe. "This village is strange... but strange is good on occasion.. I can go back here next time..."
"So... what's our next plan of action?"
"Well.. I was thinking-"
It struck
It struck hard...
Immediately I felt my head began to hurt. Colors began to blend together and swirl as I put a hoof to my head and buckle under the suprise. Slowly, I felt a presence enter it. It didn't quite feel hostile but if you told my reactions that, they would just laugh at you and lash back.
The more I fight it back... the more it presses against my mental barriers. I fight it more and more but it felt like the aggressor was winning.
Shy blinks once, not expecting the sudden collapse. She lends a helping hoof with the mental struggle by connecting to my mind and helping.
It wasn't needed. With renowned vigor and a glint of silver in my eyes, I push the presence far out of my mind and right there and then, something clicked inside of me. At first, I wasn't quite sure what it.was because I was recovering from being attacked.
Eventually, my pulse slowed and I shakily got up, Shy providing a hoof for me to help.
"What was that all about?" She asks, concerned. I shake my head and blink, trying to confirm the building energy inside me.
"An attack... on my mind... not sure how, who, or why... but it's the thought that counts." I say, the power still building inside me, yearning for a release.
"The thought of an attack?" I nod and she frowns. "You ok?"
To be honest, I didn't know if I was fine or not. There was that strange power stirring inside me. I accessed the link between us and she read into my thoughts.
"Well then..." She says, glancing at me not as worriedly as before. "Shall we go?" I nod and that was all the answer she needed. We made our way back to the split in the trail and the presence brushed up against my mind again. Paranoid, I throw up mental barriers and it withdrew. I wasn't sure if it was a different pony or if it learned its lesson this time. I shrug it off and keep moving.
"Say... what is down that path?" I ask, Shy just shrugs.
"I can't sense it... whatever it is... maybe it's magically cloaked or something?"
"Maybe..." We travel along in silence, enjoying the forest as we did before. I glance back at her, unsure if she really sensed it or not. Clearly, something was up with that. Her inability to sense what was down there threw up a few red flags. I didn't quite know how far her powers went in detecting other ponies. If I could detect something she couldn't, either that ability is more refined inside me or the presences were intentionally hiding themselves from her. I secretly hoped for the former option.
Eventually, we make our way back to the clearing. After a few days of being in Ponyville, it pretty much grew on me. The concept of a small village where everypony pretty much knows everypony is rather heartwarming. Knowing you'll have somepony with you just in case something manages to go wrong (and it typically does) is a rather comforting feeling.
Over the past several days, Shy and I became rather inseparable, which was a good thing for me. It came to the point where she always was by my side wherever I went. That and, I didn't quite want to leave her be for fear of a relapse in certain behaviors. I knew I could tell her anything at any time without being looked at any differently.
Yet, there were certain things I didn't want to share with her. There were things I kept bottled up inside. I know that somepony, eventually, would want to know what it would be. Naturally I wouldn't say a word to them, even if I was on my deathbed.