“I have the same dream every night.” The room is dark and the only thing to be herd is the gentle breathing next to me, I feel the soft fur of the hooves that hold me, and I feel her warm body against mine. These are no comfort to the nightmare rattling in my brain. In the dream, that dream I have every night since we met and I fell in love with her that mare I love, I awake as my true self. The cold, insect like monster pony kind has come to fear. We feed off of love and affection. We hide in plane sight, we are the Changelings and we must feed. I awake like that wrapped in her loving hooves and then I turn to see the look of shock, horror and hatred on her face. “We can never be together” I mutter in my sleep, tossing and turning. BE-BEEP! BEEEEP! BE-BEEP! BEEEEP! The alarm rings on, swiftly I get out of bed leaving her alone and cold. Rushing to the bath room I check my reflection in the mirror for what feels like the millionth time. A sigh of relief escapes my lips just as it dose every morning. Same face I’ve worn since I’ve met her. Same lavender eyes, same gray fur and mane and the same purple musical cutie mark. “I…I am Octavia Melody.” I mutter to myself in a moment of self actualizing. Another sigh, I stare into my own lavender eyes. “Octavia Melody.” I repeat the lie. A changeling, that is what I really am and what I always will be…I know this but I hope I am aloud to lie one more day. So long as it means I get to spend one more day with her, Vinyl Scratch.
I hear a yawn from the other room, hoof steps coming to the door, quickly I grab hold of the brush to make as if I had been grooming my mane the whole time. “Tavi?” Vinyl yawns leaning against the door frame. Its six a.m., Sunday, in our Manehatten apartment. I never liked the place, it was always in a bad neighborhood…but she always made me feel safe here. “D’you have that bad dream again?” I put down the brush, no use in pretending. Yes, I see the irony. I don’t say anything just look right past her…I can’t bare to look into her wonderful crimson eyes. A warm foreleg drapes over the back of my neck and I burry my face into your white fur. Minutes of this go by to soon I pull away and apologize admitting to having the same nightmare I’ve always had. I still refuse on telling her what the dream was about, like always Vinyl gets rather annoyed by this. “Come on Tavi we’ve been together for over a year now you know you can tell me anything. I don’t even mind your little habit of eating your pea’s one at a time. Nothing can be worse than that.” I can think of several things, being a bug pony highbred that is feeding off of her love right now is one of them. We don’t do it on purpose. Changelings, and eating love that is to say…its just natural for us to siphon it…even if it makes the other creature weaker. She’s gotten thinner since we’ve met even if she won’t admit it to either of us, I’ve noticed. This leads me into thinking my dream is true…at least in one aspect we can’t be together…it’s killing her. I find my bow clip, Sunday, a day for us to spend together even if you’re more than a little tired from the week end gigs that took place these past few nights. Always the party animal, or at least I’m told by every pony I’ve ever met since we’ve been together.
Vinyl crawl back into bed, slumping her head on the now cool pillow yawning loudly. I smile despite my fears. “I’m sorry I woke you…” I mumble out quietly gently kissing her fluffy, white, cotton ball of a cheek. My cello rests in the corner inside it’s case, quietly I pull it out and begin to play a sweet lullaby. As I play I hear her mutter something incoherently in her sleep. I’ve gotten rather fond of the cello. Originally I only learned to play to impress Vinyl but frankly I’ve become quite good at it. The sound of the music relaxes me and my dear Vinyl drifts quietly off to sleep. Silently I place the instrument into its case and sneak into the other room to make breakfast.
As a changeling I don’t really require normal pony food, I can eat and digest it just fine but eating is merely for pleasure and for looks. The smell of pan cakes and hay bacon strips…which when you think about it is odd in itself. Hey bacon strips? Does this mean there are regular bacon strip, and if so what are they made of? My am I distracted this morning. The smell of pan cakes and hay bacon strips fill the small dirty kitchen/living area/dinning room/place where Vinyl likes to leave things laying around, things that are not important, things that enviably get lost or thrown away. The smell that is filling this particularly dirty area is intoxicating and wonderfully covers up the smell of dirty socks that are for…personal reasons. I place one of my records onto the player silently enjoying my breakfast accompanied by its haunting melody as the sun rises over the Manehatten sky line. Bits of orange, red, slight pinks and some dark purples and blues peek past the massive sky scrapers and the tiny shops that adorn this large metropolises. Its quiet now, peaceful. Its moments like this that I’ll miss the most when the cat is let out of the bag so to speak. I know I can’t keep up this act for much longer. Octavia Melody is a changeling, a monster feeding off her best friends love. That alone is reason enough for me to logically leave, but there’s more. I’ve felt it for the past few weeks. Something is coming. Something I prayed would never come back. The changelings are here.
Quietly I place my dirty dishes in the sink and begin to tidy up. This place is more than a mess. It’s a pig pen. It takes roughly two hours to clean up making the time around ten o’clock in the morning. Yes, that makes sense. Our conversation must have lasted longer than I thought it had. With a loud thud I here Vinyl drop out of bed, she was never really one for grace. Another sign of Vinyl being awake, a loud yawn is herd form the bed room and then the shuffling of hooves. Magically the door opens and her white form appears in the living area with all the elegance she can muster she scratches her flank and mutter out, “Do I smell pan cakes?”
I smile and nod warmly, “Yes dear you smell pan cakes and hay bacon strips I saved you some of the batter and some of the uncooked bacon strips on the stove. I could cook them for you if you’d like.”
With a flip of her amazing blue mane and a glow of gray magic you float the batter, the bacon strips, and the pan over to the stove with ease. “Nah, I got it Tavi don’t worry so much.” A horrid pet name I’ve grown to love…just like the idea that your magic changed color after we had become…more than just friends. It was an interesting fact about unicorns you shared with me that I didn’t know up until that point. I would have never guessed that unicorn magic was fueled by a unicorns basic image of what is most important to them…I became very flattered when you’re magic turned a very light, very pleasant gray. I sigh contently at the memory. Changeling magic isn’t like that, it’s cold, calculated. It’s not nearly as whimsical as Unicorn magic, regardless I miss using it. I should have shifted into a Unicorn. “Something wrong Tavi?” Vinyl asks with a muzzle full of ugh…bacon pan cakes. What ever gave her such a stupid…yet ingenious idea I’ll never know. Probably some silly cartoon she watched, she’s such a filly…I love it.
I sigh again, “No Vinyl everything’s fine…I love you.” A faint blush appears over her muzzle and white fluffy fur, its nice to know that those words still have such an effect on the mare I care so deeply about.
Vinyl gulps loudly, “L…love you t-too Tavi.” she says embarrassed and looking away still eating her pan cakes with hay bacon inside of them. I don’t even need her to say it back. Dear Celestia I didn’t even need to be a changeling to know that Vinyl Scratch is in love with me. Her face says it all, her syrup covered, bright red face. Vinyl finally comes up for air after inhaling two bacon pan cakes in about two seconds, “So any coffee?” I should have known this was coming. I should have predicted she’d try and sneak some of that reached black tar that makes her breath stink and act like a nit wit.
I should have known, but because I didn’t I take a very long pause. Vinyl waits with a dim witted expression on her face. I can only describe it as Vinyl because I haven’t seen anypony else make a face of both exhaustion, dumbfoundness, and something I cannot describe in front of fillies. Make her stop looking at me like that. Stop it! STOP! “No Vinyl I didn’t make any coffee…You know what that stuff dose to you.” Vinyl also knows I threw the can she bought last week out…three bits neither of us will ever see again.
Her look shifts from Vinyl to angry Vinyl…which is the same look as before but a little miffed. “Octavia it keeps me awake! I have to work tonight!” She pleas, even though Vinyl in fact does not have to work tonight and I know that. I remain firm, the only thing coffee does is make her bonkers…and a bit horny. Her look then goes from angry Vinyl to disappointed Vinyl, which like angry Vinyl is all the looks that are part of her normal Vinyl expression with a large lump of sad eyes tossed in for good measure. “Please Tavi? I’ll be good…” I know she’ll attempt to behave but we both know she’ll fail miserably.
I sigh heavily, “Alright Vinyl you win this round. Go get me my bag.” She bounces around like an existed school filly who had just been told they can get that silly new toy they were eyeing while they thought their mother wasn’t looking. She was looking, and you looked very stupid Vinyl. With a massive heave hoe from her magical arm Vinyl tosses my saddle bag onto my back. “I’m only going to get you one small cup. Alright?’ I emphasize the word small as best I can but she still looks so eager to get that cup of coffee. With a gentle peck on her muzzle I leave the apartment and head for the elevator. “Hold the doors!” I yell to the two ponies inside. I’ve yet to identify them but move from a walk to a light trot. The doors remain open with a light badge magic.
Sadly I did not realize before getting into the elevator and the doors closing shut behind me what a horrible idea taking this magic metal death box was. “HEYA TAVIA!” Ugh…Lyra Heartstrings and her mare friend Bon Bon…or were they married now? I could never keep track of our floor mates lives. That was Vinyl‘s…and with her snuggly back at our apartment I have no choose but to socialize solo. Celestia help us all. “So, what’re you up to Tavia? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?” Are all unicorns this bouncy and hyper active or just the ones I know? “Tavia~” Lyra sings out, Celestia and Luna in Canterlot I hate that nick name! Just say Octavia its only two letters more!
Lyra continues to bounce around the elevator as Bon Bon mutters out what I assume is an apology as she puts her head in her hoof. “Yes Lyra, hello, I see you.” I say calmly trying not to explode from rage, “I’m headed down to Star Buck’s coffee shop for Vinyl.” I’ve had enough of her antics and yell, ”Also…STOP CALLING ME TAVIA!” Lyra stopped bouncing and looked down rather down trotted. “Oh dear…Lyra I’m sorry I didn’t mean to yell. I haven’t gotten much sleep lately.” Lyra and Bon Bon both snickered, “What?”
I began to piece together what they found so funny but refused to admit to it until Bon Bon asked, “You and Vinyl have a fun night again Octavia?”
Ugh, these mares will be the death of me. Them or other changelings, either way not a fun end. “Now Bon Bon you’re bed room is right next to Vinyl’s and mine…if we had a “fun night” as you so presently put it don’t you think you and Lyra would be able to hear us?” Bon Bon puts up a hoof to protest but I cut her off, “Don’t answer that, allow me to answer for you. Yes, yes you would. I know this because Vinyl and I hear you and Lyra very frequently. Do you want proof Bon Bon of a thousand voices because I could beg you like Lyra dose to use that one voice and call me a hu-”
Bon Bon cuts me off cheeks a flame with embarrassment, “Stop! Stop! I get it!” Despite how rude I am to these two…they are my only friends aside from Vinyl, and they are a lovely couple. “Lyra! Apologize to Octavia now!” Bon Bon demands.
Lyra began to protest that she didn’t do anything but I stepped in, “It’s alright girls really. I simply had a bad dream. Nothing to worry about.” I sighed loudly and with a thud planted my flank on the floor as the elevator slowly made its decent to the ground floor. “Nothing at all…” I say a bit distraught.
Lyra and Bon Bon both feeling the tenseness of this situation come over to comfort me, Lyra gets there first placing a warm mint green hoof over my back. “Taviaaaaaaa…uuuuhhhhh…Octavia” Lyra caught herself at the last minute fixing my name. She laughs a bit to try and make things a bit lighter, it doesn’t work. “Octavia.” She repeats sounding more serious. “You know if you ever need to talk to somepony…somepony who isn’t Vinyl I mean. You know, you always have Bon Bon and me. We’re right next door so we can all just play music together, eat some of Bon Bon’s awesome Bonbon’s, bitch about Vinyl and just chill…Sound good?” Lyra pulls her hoof from my back and shoves it in front of my face asking simply for what some of the younger set (oh Celesita I’m old) call a “bro hoof.” With a slight pause I regrettably clap hooves with Lyra who squeals loudly and begins to hop around the now grounded elevator in delight.
I leave the apartment complex with a small smile on my face. Today is turning out to be an adequate day after all. I still live with the mare of my dreams (even if she’s been in more nightmares than dreams), I still have two very delightful friends (even if they are a pain in my flank) and I still have yet to be found by any other changeling. In fact the changelings have been very quiet since the Canterlot Wedding fiasco but what did Queen Chrysalis, in her infinite wisdom, think would happen after she replaced that princess with out back up and then had all of the changelings break the dome her false fiancée created? A dome she let him create in the first place none the less. It was and is the stupidest plan I had ever herd in my life as a changeling (which is a difficult feet because all of us are suppose to be connected to one hive mind). I almost immediately decided to take a different course of action.
“We feed on love.” I though to myself back then as I made my way into Canterlot before Queen Chrysalis, praise be to her where ever she may be, even made her switch. On the train way from Manehatten to Canterlot I saw a fiddler pony with canary yellow fur, a dark blue mane and a mark on her flank that I would adopt as my own. The treble clef. I felt some alterations needed to be made before I could properly make my appearance on the train. Turn the yellow fur a light gray, turn the blue mane a gray as well but darker than the fur. Then there was the treble clef, I couldn’t simply leave it dark blue…so I mad it purple. Then with a pilfering of a pretty pink bow clip I was ready. That was when I saw her Vinyl Scratch in her infinite beauty and that was something I was not made ready for. My seat was across from hers and though at first glance you were very uninterested in me as the trip went on we became very good friends, we even stayed at the same hotel and when the wedding came around I saved her from the changelings. Going against everything I was taught, everything I had ever known and loved I chose Vinyl Scratch and I would do it all again in a heart beat. If I still had a heart that would give a beat. That’s a bit of changeling humor, we don’t have hearts in the traditional sense…this might be why we feed off of love to begin with.
“NEXT!” I’m awoken from my daze and memories by a loud screeching voice. This voice belongs to Star Buck the coffee mare. A cameral colored mare with a long flowing blond mane that is tied up into a pony tale. She wears a green apron with her own face on it, though the picture looks much happier than the mare before me. “What do you want?” She asks coldly, she eyes me and then smiles a wicked smile that makes my stomach turn. “I mean, what will you have miss…?” she trails off asking me for my name.
Assuming its for the coffee wait I tell her, “Octavia…umm I’ll have a small-”
She cuts me off, “We don’t have smalls we have tall’s.”
I clear my throat a bit taken aback by this nonsense of calling a small cup a tall cup, “Umm…alright then I’ll have a tall cup of decaff coffee.”
“Flavorings? Milk, sugar, with or with out whipped topping?” She continues.
I soon feel, “I…I would just like a small…TALL…” I quickly correct myself. “cup of BLACK, DECAFF coffee…please.” With a huff she fills a very small, almost minuscule cup of coffee that looks and smells like tar mixed with urine. Why anypony would drink this is beyond me.
She tosses me the cup of coffee and gives me the same creepy smile that chills me to my bones. Something about it feels so familiar. “Eight bits please.” She commands with her creepy smile that shows way too many teeth for my liking.
Wait…eight bits!? That’s outrageous! “Excuse me…don’t you think eight bits is a bit high?” I ask trying my best to sound pleasant. There is a glint in Star Buck’s eye that tells me its time to just pay my eight bits and leave. I place the bits quietly on the counter, grab the coffee and leave. The bell on the door chimes happily at my exit. Only a few slow dreading hoof steps away from that coffee shop from hell do I hear the bell ring again…and then hoof steps right behind me. This fact doesn’t seem to alarming if you aren’t on the run from an army of shape shifters who could be any where or any one. I don’t bother to glance behind me, no need to panic Octavia plenty of ponies live out this way, even a few donkey’s and that one gryphon with a temper problem…or was that every gryphon? Not “dose every gryphon live out this way” but “does every gryphon have a temper problem” why does that gryphon have such a temper any way? I never did anything to her and…oh dear how did I end up down this ally? The hoof steps are still behind me and I turn to see…Star Buck’s? What is she doing out of the shop? It doesn’t close for a few hours. “Star? What are you doing out of the shop…you don’t close for several hours.” I just said that didn’t I? The coffee mare draws closer, her eyes turn from hazel to a bright emerald green, the pupils became slits and soon she grows taller. Her fur became black and more scale like, holes appeared in her now regal changeling legs and I have no choice but to bow before queen Chrysalis.