Chapter 17
3rd Person POV
Diamond Tiara continued to look at the badge, trying to see if she could trying and tell if it was fake. Engraved in pure stainless steel, the large number 65 was printed on the 6 pointed star. "But... How?"
"That's not important right now. What is important, is that you don't tell anypony else about what you saw, ok? I'm going to start showing ponies, but for now I want to keep it under wraps, got it?" Ghost asked, a bit of edge to his voice. "There's no need to start something."
Diamond Tiara nodded dumbly, still a bit frightened at what Ghost actually was. His black chitinous shell looked unnatural, and his icy blue eyes made her knees lock up. She remembered a word that her daddy was called his kind, Pretenders. He hated when ponies weren't honest with him, and changeling abilities were the ultimate form of dishonesty. "I... I won't say anything. Just... don't hurt me."
Ghost tilted his head in confusion, before his eyes widened. "Oh no! I'm not trying to threaten you. I'm asking you to not tell anypony. They only one stopping you is who."
She relaxed a bit with those words, but still held an air of defensiveness. He might've said he wasn't trying to hurt her, but changelings weren't the most honest bunch. "Alright then. I guess... I'll see you at school tomorrow..."
"Thanks Diamond, you're not as bad as I thought you were." Ghost replied, going forward and wrapping his hooves around her shoulders. She tensed up at the contact, about to scream out for the help against the changeling attacking her, but she calmed down when she realized that the contact wasn't malicious, but in fact friendly.
She awkwardly reciprocated the hug, before Ghost let go and walked out of the room. She stood there a bit, before sighing and walking over to her vanity mirror. Using her brush, she began to ready her hair to go to bed, the strange changeling colt at the forefront of her mind. "Maybe he's not as bad as I thought either..."
Ghost POV
I walked in the moonlight back towards Sweet apple Acres, eager to see Applebloom again and asked her how it all went at the bowling alley. I could also tell her that Diamond Tiara wasn't as bad as everypony thought, just a bit misguided. She just needed a few friends to help her out with her self image.
As I walked through the Town Square, I looked at the clock tower in the distance and saw that it was already going to be 10PM. I began to quicken my pace to not be as late, knowing that Applebloom could have an episode while I'm not there.
I made it back and found that a few lights were on, the living room and my room, which was strange because I didn't remember turning it on when I left in the morning. I opened the door and saw Granny Smith in her rocking chair, scowling at me playfully.
"Well it's about time ya got home! Ya missed yer suppertime! Ah left some o' it on the kitchen table if yer feelin' a bit peckish." Granny Smith scolded, but I shook my head appreciatively.
"Thank you ma'am, but I'm not that hungry right now. Applebloom's upstairs right?" I asked.
"Why are ya so eager to go and see mah granddaughter?" Granny Smith accused, causing me to lock up in shock. I failed to create any form of coherent speech, only being able to utter babbling and nonsense.
"Uhm, well because um... you know I hafta... uhm..." I muttered, before Granny Smith started laughing up a storm.
"Oh, look at you gettin' all flustered! She's upstairs sonny."
I gave a weak thanks and ran upstairs, feeling heat beginning to build in my cheeks. I ran towards my room and shut the door behind me, trying to calm myself down before I went to go see if Applebloom was still awake.
"mhmm... ghost..."
The muttering I heard brought me back to my senses, immediately turning around ready for anything that might have been there. I charged my horn at what lay before me, before giving a small gasp. Applebloom was asleep in my bed, her hooves wrapped around my pillow as if it was all that was keeping her alive. The lantern was burning brightly, acting as a sort of nightlight, illuminating the room to a brightness that normally would hinder anyone from falling asleep.
"Um... Applebloom?" I whispered, slowly creeping towards my bed.
With that, her hooves immediately shot out and wrapped themselves around the nearest source of noise. Unfortunately, that source of noise was me. With the kind of strength that only Earth Ponies had, she pulled me onto the bed and began to bear hug me. "Grp! A-Applebloom!" I choked out, but all that came out were a few choking sounds.
She was beginning to shake, but it couldn't be from the cold, she was covered from the forelegs down by a thick blanket. She also began to sweat and mutter in her sleep, gripping me tighter as she did so.
"get it off... help me......" She muttered, making realize what was going on. She was having a nightmare about what happened at Smokey Mountain. Not knowing what else to do, I wrapped my hooves around her midsection and sighed, knowing that I was going to be stuck her until morning.
"Don't worry Applebloom, I won't let anything hurt you." I whispered, closing my eyes as I tried to go to sleep. All I could do was hope that Diamond Tiara held up her promise and didn't tell anyone about my true nature.