//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: A Storm of Questions // Story: The Changing Heart // by TheChaosMage //------------------------------// Chapter 5: A Storm of Questions ----- The remainder of the dinner was pretty quiet, and once Storm left, Lynx and Neon finished closing up and went to their respective rooms. As Lynx stood in front of his mirror he looked to the open window as the curtain ruffled slightly, closing the window with his magic he peered out seeing no pony around, going back over to his mirror he sighed softly and in a blaze of green fire turned back into a changeling. Once again he found himself looking at his own reflection, pondering for a moment as he tried to remember the reason why he changed. He was drawing a blank as to when he actually began to feel this way. Giving an unamused stare at his own reflection he groaned banging his head on the dresser that the mirror lay upon. A knock on the door caused him to stop beating himself up and transform back into the form of Lucky Star. "Was I being too loud?" He asked himself trotting over to the door and finding a very tired Neon Comet standing on the other side. "What are you doing in here that's causing all that banging?" He asked in a groggy almost half asleep voice. "Um trying to think, but punishing myself for not figuring it out." He admitted, wondering just how long had he been doing that. Neon looked like he had already been asleep for at least an hour. "What you thinking about?" He replied rubbing his eyes awoken by his friend and now slightly curious. Lynx slightly panicked he couldn't just flat out tell Neon what he was really thinking about. Neon would likely call the guards and then his new life would be over. Thinking fast he thought up a tiny fib to tell his friend, "I was just trying to figure out something Storm said to me." "And that is?" "Well you see... When you went to go make dinner I complemented Storm on the hat she was wearing telling her she looked cute in it.. Then she said you 'you don't look so bad yourself'... I'm not sure how I should feel about that?" "How long have you been in those woods?" Neon asked showing himself into Lynx's room sitting down on a chair, "The mare likes you man." Lynx blushed looking away sitting down and rubbing his burning cheek, "Nah that can't be right..." "Look I don't know what chemistry you two have, or even if you have any at all, but I don't think she's playing the subtle card. So even if you have lived in the woods all your life you should be able to pick up on the fact that she likes you." Neon said rolling his eyes getting up and going to the door, "Now if you would refrain from banging your head any further-" A yawn cut him off as he stepped through the door, "This pony would like to get some sleep." And with that Neon vanished down the hall and into his room. Lynx was left sitting there having completely forgotten everything he was worrying about before, his eye softly twitching in confusion, "Whaaat?!" Lynx sat there for a good long while before going to bed, unable to sleep he continued thinking over what could possibly cause such a rapid change. But yet another knock totally destroyed his train of thought once more, but this one was odd, it was coming from his window? ----- Upon finishing dinner Storm began walking home in the cool brisk air of the Canterlot night. Her cap was still resting atop her head, stepping through a puddle which reflected Luna's light almost perfectly, only to be ruined by her hoof. She turned her head hearing the sound of clopping hooves behind her but saw nothing. Ignoring it she began to walk again only to have the clopping return as well, "I know your back there!" She said turning instantly to see the unicorn behind her. The mare gasped falling back the sound of armor clanging against the ground. Storm noticed the golden armor worn by the Canterlot guard and flushed rushing to help the guard pony up, "I'm so sorry!" "No don't worry about it, I probably should have been upfront with you anyways." The young sounding mare said as she was helped back onto her hooves. "Upfront with what?" Storm asked, curious as to why she was being fallowed. "Well you see, with the captain of the guard out on his honeymoon, and with most of the guards are still recovering form the changeling attack, the royal guard had to hire some extra help." "And this has to do with fallowing me how?" "Oh it doesn't but, well you see there was an incident last night, a small team of four or so changelings got pat our cities defenses... and we only caught two. So I was tasked with going out and looking for any pony suspicious." "There's changeling's in the city?" Storm said looking around. "Oh crap I wasn't supposed to tell you that part, my bad, could you do me a favor and not spread that around?" "Sure." Storm looked around nervously, the fact that two changelings where stalking the streets genuinely spooked her now. What if a changeling came around the corner and caught her off guard like in the invasion? She still remembered the gleaming green eyes staring into her soul, the sinister fanged smile, the odd mane that set it apart form the others. Shaking it off she noticed the guard was still talking seemingly non-stop. "-So you understand the importance of not telling any pony right?" "Um yeah sure, I should really be getting home." "Hold on a second, I still have to use the detection spell, sorry miss its just standard for anyone who's out this late at night." Nodding Storm stood still as the spell washed over her doing nothing to change her appearance. The guard smiled and bowed her head, "Have a nice night ma'am!" Storm nodded and deciding walking was too slow, rocketed off into the air at record speeds in order to get home as fast as possible. Rushing to get into her house she locked the door and slid the small chain into place. Sure she knew it wouldn't keep a magical changeling out for long, but it was the thought that counted. Walking over to her hat rack, she placed her Golden Elixir cap on it and walked over to turn on the lights. Her house was just as she left it, over sized and with little furniture to fill the empty space. She silently wished for Lucky to fill that space even offering it verbally to him but he refused and now she knew why, he already had a place at Neon's. She walked into her bedroom and gazed at her bed with a small smile before collapsing on it, "Oh I missed you" She said nuzzling the soft sheets kissing them softly before rolling over and looking up at the ceiling. She blushed thinking of Lucky at that moment and hid her face in the pillow, "Urg what is it about that stallion that makes me feel this way?" She lay there with her head in the pillow before trotting over and flicking off the lights, returning to her bed and laying in it, pondering; what made her attracted to him in the first place, was it how hard he worked? No this developed before that, maybe it was just a silly little crush. Closing her eyes the mare sighed pulling her covers up over herself and falling into a light sleep. Her thoughts of Lucky completely pushing the worry of the two changelings at large out of her mind. Her breathing was soft as parts of her mane drooped over her eyes as she slept. ----- The young guard walked carefully down the street continually looking for any suspicious ponies, her eyes darting to the sides as a look of worry was stricken over her face. What where the ponies in charge thinking sending new recruits alone to find battle ready changelings? The mare gulped and nearly leapt out of her armor at the sound of a barrel falling behind her and a cat walking out, looking at her briefly, then darting off. Shaking her head she looked around sweat building under her helmet, "It was just a cat, of course it would be a cat, but isn't that how it always starts in the movies?" she asked herself as she patrolled the dark streets. It was then she remembered a spell that might help, her horn glowed softly as a light shone in the direction of where she was looking, giggling in delight and clopping her hooves together, "Yes now I can see!" Continuing her patrol she saw a shadow dart from ally to another in the shape of a pony, "Hey hold up!" Running after the shadow and shining her light down the ally she saw nothing, and there were no turns in that ally either. "H-hello?" She called out into the darkness not daring to step into the ally. "Help me!" A mares voice cried out from down in the darkest depths of the alleyway, "Some pony please get this thing off of me!" the voice shouted again. Galloping at most haste down the alley she searched around for the source, "Yes I'm here, where are you?!" The guard pony cried out looking around trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. She had darted to the end of alley which supported a dead end, but where was the mare in trouble? The guard pony froze solid as she heard a small thump behind her, she really didn't want to look behind her knowing exactly what she would find. The voice that came from whatever was behind her sounded like a mare but had an insect-like hiss to the voice, "Oh you ponies, so quick to help one another you don't even noticed a plainly set trap. That's why you will always be put in situations like this... because you value things like loyalty to your fellow ponies." The young guard mare turned to see a changeling that looked much like a mare with a unique mane that covered one of her soul piercing eyes. Frozen with fear she was not prepared to handle this alone, this was the first changeling she had seen since the invasion. The sight and proximity of the Changeling paralyzed her to the point that she couldn't even launch a defensive spell. It was just like the movies, and now she was going to suffer for it. "Where is the one they call Lucky Star?" The Changeling demanded. "I-I don't know any pony by the name of Lucky Star I swear." "Well then I have little use for you," The changeling grinned transforming into the mare and casting a magic spell upon her that caused her to fall into a deep sleep. "Ponies, they truly are useless." Stripping the guard pony of her armor and putting it on herself the changeling teleported a barrel to the end of the alley. Encasing the pony in the changeling resin was simple and with the small bit the changeling had placed on the mares muzzle it would keep her from talking until she came back. Stuffing the now captured pony in the barrel she closed it right before another guard walked by. "Hey whats going on down there?!" The guard hollered down the alley. The changeling stepped out shaking her head, "I thought i heard something but it was just a cat pay it no mind. Say you wouldn't happen to know a pony by the name of Lucky Star would you?" The guard stroked his chin, "The name sounds familiar, why?" "I need to find him, sooner rather than later." "Part of the Changeling investigation?" "You could say that," Outside she gave him a cheerful smile, but inside she was grinning ear to ear with a dark and sinister look. This would take less time than she thought, and in the body she was in she would have no trouble finding her target.