It had been late, later than I had expected it to be. Yet, it had been a very good day. To see the pink Mare had apparently brought us a Fortune, in Changeling terms. I guess you could say I have the equivalence of a Hangover? Yet, I'm not about to regret anything.
Within the Hive, I need not worry about wealth or possessions. I perform my duties and have everything I need.
Right now I have a headache. I had too much love the other night. Way too much of it. I know part of the problem is that we've been starved for a good while. Back then, it led to Queen Chrysalis got desperate and gambled everything on taking over the Wedding at Canterlot, and we all lost. Since then we've been alone and on the run. Hiding from any and all Ponies we could see.
In this state, Pinkie Pie had presented us with what looks like our Salvation. If it had been any other Pony, we would have taken it for a trap. Maybe we shouldn't have accepted her offer, the Proposition she came to us with, but it is too late to turn back now.
Actually, I'm not the only one with a Headache, Hitomi and Chihiro are both doing just as bad. Apparently, they weren't better prepared than I was.
We all have fairly regular beds, in the style common for Manehattan Ponies, that is. They're not all that bad. I could have enjoyed it, even in my regular or Pony form. Now I had been staying as the girl. I'm still the Scratcher. Maybe I had merely forgotten, after a long day, scratching Ponies. I had spent hours with three different Ponies.
The first night was only open for marketing Purposes. No public service and no income, short of a large supply of Kikokoro Soup. I guess it is more valuable to us than any amount of Bits or Gems ever would be. The only reason for me to look for them is in order for us to buy food items so that we can keep running the Establishment and to pay the rent.
Ruby, Wind and Nimbus had all had a large bowl of soup the previous night. I had refused, as good as the scent from Flame's had been. I need to be careful with Love for a while, until I have gotten used to it.
I think Wind and Nimbus will be scouting the surroundings, once they wake up. I'm envying them, even if just a little. I had enjoyed my job, my duties the other day, even if it made me intoxicated.
Apparently, Pinkie Pie originally gave us three Floors. I'll be hiding in the basement for a few hours. Maybe I can think clearly, down there. Besides, I need the solitude.
The top Floor could be a great Restaurant, if only we had the Ponies to work as waitresses, right now we're terribly short on staff. We just managed to keep the opening Night level and that's mainly because we limited it to VIP Critics in the first place.
At least, now we know Flames could prepare the soup for us. With the Soup, we can last for a week, or keep working well beyond normal standards as Scratchers.
I had found several small rooms, just right for hiding a single bed in. We had a dozen beds on the middle floor as we arrived. I'll ask Ruby if we could move them down to the lower floor. On the front of the Basement, there is a local that looks as if it had been intended for a small store. It's empty, short of the equipment for said store.
All of a sudden, it hit me, just how refreshing it is with quiet, no sounds, no Ponies, no Love and no nothing. Just standing quiet. Slowly pondering the situation. I hadn't even realised I'm still in the Form of the scratcher, the Girl I had been the other Night, even if I had changed my nails and hooves back to the blank, shiny standard. Hitomi and Riku had done the same.
Some of the small rooms down here would be converted into storage space for the Shop, once we got it going. Just that for now, we have barely enough Staff to handle the Scratchers restaurant on ground level. Besides, we need to stock up on Items to sell, before it is time to open our Shop too. From our Position, there are a few segments of items we could, or should sell. Love Toys could be interesting, not so much because I care about them, but due to the kind of Ponies I expected to buy them. Another section would be magic trinkets, nothing powerful or dangerous, just good enough to be worth selling, something to peak interest among Ponies.
I had spent at least an Hour of solitude down in the Basement before I once more walked up to the Ground Level to see my friends, now feeling a bit more refreshed. I found them laying in bed, enjoying the time off, after a hectic and stressful night at work, as enjoyable as it had been.
Flames had left her bed, as had both Wind and Nimbus. Ruby had just slipped out of bed too, thankfully.
“Morning, Ruby, Hitomi and Riku. There are great looking bed rooms in the basement, you should check them out. There is also a Shop we could run, we just need Items to sell and Staff to run it. I take it Flames went to her Kitchen? Wind and Nimbus would be out, flying?” I enquired.
“Morning, Chihiro. Yes, Flames hit the Kitchen early. She's ecstatic over having a real Kitchen again, like in the good old times. Hitomi and Riku, you had better go inspect the rooms downstairs in order to see if they would be serviceable as your Rooms. We're short of staff for the Scratchers as it is, but it's good to see what we have in order to plan ahead. I hope Wind and Nimbus will find reinforcements. I know we left most of the old Hive behind. Most of them probably found other hives to serve, yet there is bound to be at least a few of us Changelings who would love to serve our little Hive right here in Mainhattan too. Even if I may have to oversee a few minor misdoings from the past? For now, I guess I can do that!” Ruby responded.
“Morning, Chihiro. We'll be down there in a moment!” Riku stated.
“Morning, Chihiro. I'm right there with you, Riku. I could enjoy a simple job right now. If there are better rooms for us down there, I'll love to find them right now!” Hitomi stated, just rushing off with Riku in tow, following the directions down to the Basement.
“I didn't realise it was so much work, setting up a new Hive, but I just inherited our old one. Besides, I had all the Changelings I could use back then and we didn't have all these new and strange Tasks to perform either!” Ruby stated.
While my two fellow Scratcher Girls went down to inspect the Basement, in order to look into the Bed rooms I had found, and the Shop, I went upstairs, in order to see what the third Floor had to offer.
I am currently on the back of the second floor. To the right is a hall, lined with a door to each and every small room I was soon to find fitting for sleeping quarters, if only we had a bed in each of them. Right now they are empty, naturally, since none had taken the effort in filling them up with anything yet. They could have been store space, if it is what you desire too, ofhorse.
To the left I found another hall. There are small rooms, serviceable as storage, or sleeping chambers, but for now we have no needs for them. Behind one of the doors, I found a locale with tables and chairs. I had apparently found a perfect setting for another restaurant, only without an additional kitchen. There is a small room with a food lift. I also found a separate entrance to this Restaurant.
Since there is nothing more to see, I went down the stirs. I like to be down in the basement right now. Only then it hit me, I need to have something to eat, even after the lovely job as Scratcher the night before. With that I ended up in the Scratchers, and soon found Flames.
“Could you fix me one Daisy salad?” I asked her.
“Certainly, Chihiro. A Daisy salad coming right up!” she announced, as she slipped back into the kitchen.
“Thanks, Flames!” I responded as I waited for her to fix my meal.
“Here you go!” she then stated as she placed the bowl of salad before me.
“You're the best, Flames!” I responded, as I carried my salad to the nearest table and slowly enjoyed what she just prepared for me.
Slowly stabbing the vegetables, just a few at the time, slipping the fork into my mouth, then chewing carefully. Apparently I had placed my concentration and focus on stabbing the vegetables, and chewing them thoughtfully, making this simple task take me an entire hour.
Maybe I had enjoyed this moment too much. I had gotten into the role more than I had imagined possible. Even if I know my form is less common and more different than every form I had ever tried out any time before. All the *Vegetables are still both good and enjoyable for me, that's not it. Though there are a few more radical changes in me, not so much having hands instead of hooves, but then it hit me. Instead of the fangs I used to have, maybe it is my long nails serving the same purpose? I had been constantly scratching a girl for an hour. I know it isn't exactly common to spend more than a few minutes, doing this, in my own form.
It wasn't just that I had been expected to scratch her, but I had enjoyed it way too much to pull back prematurely. Even if I had not realised what it was I was doing, back at the time. Maybe I had distracted me from realising it, just by doing the joy I was expected to perform? I need to explain my discovery for my friends and fellow Scratchers. They need and deserve to know.
Once I had finished my Salad, I had carried the bowl back to the Kitchen, before I take the now familiar Stairs down to the Basement. After peaking into every little Room, I found the both of my Scratchers in the small Shop. Apparently they had finished examining the small Rooms as I had pointed out, they needed to do.
Hi, Hitomi and Riku. What do you think of the Rooms and the Store down here?” I enquired.
“Hi, Chihiro. The Shop seems great. I could see myself sleeping in a Room like these. I find them more to my likings, the once upstairs, as if they had been designed for us in the first place?” Hitomi responded.
“Hi, Chihiro. I sure could see myself sleeping on a Room like any of these down here, makes me feel right at home. Just a feeling I just couldn't quite put a Finger to. The Shop looks great, but it isn't my shop to tend to!” Riku pointed out.
“Yeah, these rooms made me feel right at home too. As you said, a feeling you can't put your finger to? Just feeling as if we had been back at the Hive, with all the comforts of home. Speaking of that, there is a small detail I think you need to know. Something that just hit me, as I was enjoying a bowl of Salad, just before I went down to see you. We're not quite as toothless as we may look. Just because your Mouth lack fangs, doesn't mean we can't feed. You sure felt that yesterday Night. Just as our Forehooves turned into hands, our Fangs turned into Nails. Sounds impossible, but it still makes sense, if you think back at how things went down the other Night?” I put forth.
“The first part. Hooves to Hands, I can't deny. I can clearly see my hands before me right now. I can clearly see my Nails too, even if the leap to making them replace my Fangs is a bit out of my bounce. Yet, I felt her Love as I was scratching her, so I guess it still does track. I guess we should still go by your idea and see if it tracks. If your Idea is Correct, we need to make Adjustments accordingly!” Hitomi pondered.
“We should approach Ruby with this, after next Opportunity. And they laughed at us for being these utterly bland Earth Ponies? I feel we're getting the longer Straws here!” Riku Stated firmly.
“We still take our beds down here!” Hitomi suggested.
“There is more than enough room for all of us down here, if we like to!” Riku stated.
“Maybe Flames and Ruby like to stay up there. Flames may like to stay close to her Kitchen!” I said.
There is a chance Wind and Nimbus may enjoy the top floor, they're Pegasi, after all. I think they may enjoy staying close to the Balcony too!” Hitomi pointed out.
“Let's go up and forward the suggestion before Ruby. She's our Queen, even if we're supposed to act as if we're Ponies and Scratchers!” I announced.
“That certainly makes sense!” Riku responded as she rushed towards the Stairs, then all the way up, just to find Ruby sitting at a Table by the Kitchen.
“You're certainly looking uncharacteristically excited, Girls!” Ruby pointed out, as she saw our faces.
“We've just checked out what the pink Mare gave us. I can see you and Flames keeping your beds here, next to the kitchen. Though we're pondering moving ours down next to the Store down stairs. It just feels like home down there, to us. Furthermore, if Wind and Nimbus feel like moving their beds up to the other Restaurant, I can see the joy to them. They should have the Rooms by the Balcony!” Hitomi spoke.
“Yes, I'll stay here with Flames. It's after all her Kitchen!” Ruby pointed out.
“You're right, I stay by the Kitchen. That way I can serve you better. Though the Room closest is great by me. If you like to have the next Room, Ruby, I'd be happy!” Flames stated firmly.
“Just as I thought. Then the two of us take the two Rooms next to your Kitchen. If you Girls like to take down stairs for your Rooms, please do, by all means. I'll tell Wind and Nimbus they can move their Beds up, once they're back!” Ruby confirmed.
“We can as well spread out now, before it get crowded here. Every Pony or Girl can live, where they find their Comforts. I could teleport up or down as I please. Maybe I should take three Beds down right now!” Flames suggested.
“Since you have a moment off your cooking Duties right now, you would save the rest of us plenty of efforts, if you would like to do that!” Ruby pointed out.
“Even if it is just a second Floor of the Restaurant, you may like to check the floor upstairs. Since you are helping us with the beds, check out the Store down stairs, these may be good points to start from too!” I mentioned.
“I'll just go down to pick my Room!” Riku said.
“Then I'll be right with you!” I said, following her down the flight of Stairs, picking a Room next to the stair case on the side towards the Shop.
Riku and Chihiro chose Rooms next to mine. I guess they like the comforts of staying close together and I felt the same way. Leaving a few rooms next to the Shop itself, for who ever was to handle this Busines. There is also plenty of room for storing merchandise for the Shop close by. Better plan ahead, then get stomped when time changed.
Then I hear the sounds of Flames, as she moved around in our Store. We burst off to meet her, helping her find where we chose to live. Then she Teleported up, picking our respective Beds down to our chosen rooms. She soon vanished out of sight, leaving us to ourselves.
Hitomi left me in order to make their beds, arranging their rooms. I knew Flames and Ruby would have some work, fixing their own Rooms. This left me with some time to deal with my own room and contemplate a few matters at hand.
As I had finished my work, arranging my room, I opened the door to the room, only to notice a sign on the door. Flames had apparently given me a door sign. She had given Riku and Hitomi their own signs as well. It's obvious which door leads to an empty room, and what's behind the other doors now. The signs are all in Equestrian, and the common Mainhattan type face. If any other Pony would see the signs, they would be no wiser as to who we are.
I just walked back into my room, lying on my bed for a moment of rest. Apparently I had stayed in the form since I came here. I hadn't even reflected on it. I feel comfortable, looking like this. How or why is something I wasn't really considering, should I?
Whatever had possessed Pinkie Pie to make her grant us this favour, this new chance at life still escaped me. I don't know Ponies, or this particular pink Mare well enough. I can see two mane reasoning behind it. Either she wanted to get us out of the way, where we could gather together, so she could finish us off in a single sweep, or she wanted to help us. I couldn't tell which option was true. I just knew what I had been told about her, how she was the Element of Laughter.
I chose to hope for the better. In this case, the City of Manehattan would be ours for the taking. We're basically free to roam and ravage as we please. The only limitation, keeping them from realising we're Changelings.
She may expect a free Scratch from time to time, if and when she happened to be in the City. As to the rest, it is up to us to secure our standings here.
Since we have a hold in this City, we could decide what Changelings could live here. It is ours, and we're not going to allow any Pony take this Opportunity away from us. We don't even need to hurt any of them, in order to make our living here.