Because of how empty the train was this late at night, Amber and Lyra were the only two ponies in their car. It was a very relaxing experience to have the full cozily decorated room-sized space to themselves. For Lyra it was like having a friend over to just hang out. For Amber it was a novelty to have someone else within the same room as her and not be bound and gagged.
Lyra lay down on her back, stretching out along one of the bench seats as the train whistled and begun to slowly chug it's way down the tracks. Amber sat on the floor, her back to the wall as she gently cleaned her guitar with a small silk cloth. Lyra gave the other mare a few moments before asking, “Soooo where did you get a guitar?”
“Well this one was made for me by an old friend. He's pretty good at carving instruments, as you can tell. This was the first guitar he made, but it works better than it's predecessor did. Then again, I did beat her to hell dragging her all over the place with me.” Amber answered, breathing on the silver runes to polish them.
Lyra rolled over, facing Amber as she continued, “Yeah but I mean, that's a fictional instrument. Or at least it's supposed to be.”
Amber gave Lyra an odd look, “Well... sure... I guess they are not common here. I'm not actually from Equestria. I'm from a country to the north west. These are pretty common up there. Not electric guitars though, these are still pretty rare. But you need one to play the old songs correctly.”
“Oh cool! I've never met a foreign pony before.” Lyra flashed a grin at Amber, her reservations against talking about her hobby slowly falling away, “So you know that the guitar is the signature instrument of humans? Is Human Mythology popular where you come from?”
“Yeah I know that, but Human Mythology is not popular in Duskvale. Sure the music is loved, but that's mostly because of a Batpony five hundred years ago who managed to get some runecraft working which lets you play these with the proper electric guitar sound. The music takes on such a different quality when played with the right instruments. It's almost magical. Some people think that ancient ponies may have used the Myth to hide a music based system for casting spells from the government of the time. So it's popular for that reason. Basically, they think its magic and want to use it.” Amber ranted, lovingly polishing the circle of runes on her guitar to a gleaming shine.
“What do you think?” Lyra asked curiously.
“I think that humans had some damn good music which gets your blood pumping and your body shaking when played just right.” she replied.
'Could she also believe they were real?' Lyra felt her heart skip a beat. 'She would be the first person I ever met in person who dose...' Trying not to seem excited and failing Lyra asked, “Why do you say that? Do you think they were real?”
Amber turned to look at Lyra for a moment. “Well... I do have all the known songs memorized, and I can play them, sing them. I can even write them. I've also traveled all around, seen a lot of different things. You really can see human influence everywhere. Doorknobs for instance, tricky to use with a hoof, piece of cake for a hand.”
Lyra hopped up to her hooves, “Oh my gosh that's exactly what I think too! I've never met anypony else who believes they are real too. We should totally compare notes! Oh um, are you a just like a lore fan or a LARPer? Because that would suck... I'm more of the cryptozoology type.”
Amber held up one hoof in a warding gesture, “Whoa! Don't have a heart attack. I'm not a nerd... Ok I am a nerd, but humans existed. There is just too much proof.”
Lyra sighed, “No there isn't. All we have is speculation... I am so sure that there have to be artifacts out there though.”
“Um,” Amber bit her lip for a moment then started to rummage through her box for a few moments. “Hold on. I honestly forgot that roomer about your country...”
“What roomer?” Lyra asked curiously, twisting to try to see what Amber was looking for.
“There is a roomer in my home country that your nobility actively suppresses certain intellectual discoveries. You know, in order to keep the status quo of your culture going unchecked.” Suddenly Amber grinned, “Ah ha! Here it is.”
Amber winked to Lyra and said as firmly as she could, “This is not authentic. It's a reproduction from sketches of a piece some Dro- um, some miners found while excavating a mountain.” Amber withdrew her hoof from the box taking a dull gray piece of armor from the box and holding it up to Lyra.
Lyra's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, “Sweet Celestia that's a gauntlet!” It looked nothing like the types of Gauntlets which were described in the books Lyra had read, this design was far more protective looking. Instead of only the wrist and back of the hand being plated the gauntlet had an attached leather glove with segmented plates running along each finger to give as much protection as possible without sacrificing dexterity.
“Yep! Officially they say the original must have belonged to a female Minotaur, or a Diamond Dog with a slim frame or dainty hands. But I think we know better right?” Amber winked.
Lyra gingerly lifted the gauntlet with her magic, bringing it closer to inspect. Her eyes drank in every rivet, noted how each plate curved, where they suggested the fingers would have to bend. “There is no way a Diamond Dog's paw would need a three sectioned finger guard. As for a Minotaur, maybe a foal, or caff, or whatever they call their young-ones could use this... But I am really sure that even they don't send children to fight.”
Amber nodded and gently took the gauntlet back, her green aura gently taking it from Lyra's own. “Yep. So it has to be human. Or an ancestor of humans... Possibly some other ape species. But I'm gonna hold out for humans.” Putting the gauntlet back in her box Amber returned to caring for her guitar.
Lyra twirled a lock of her mane with a hoof idly. “So you carry around a replica piece of human armor, a human instrument, and know a lot of human music...” Lyra stopped talking, her voice trailing off in embarrassment.
“What?” Amber asked.
“Oh, um, nothing!” Lyra shouted with a shaky, embarrassed grin. 'Pull yourself together Lyra! It's too early to ask her out.'
Amber raised an eyebrow as the sudden sharp spike of love which welled up in Lyra hit her tongue. 'That's strange... Why dose it taste so good?' Her eyes widened as she remembered what she had been taught in school, 'By the Hive! She is falling in love with me! Um...' Amber faked a cough, hoping to hide her stunned expression in her hoof as she quickly went back to polishing. 'What do I do? If I let her get too close to me she could find out that I'm not a pony... but damn that's delicious... and I will need food...'
The two ponies spent a few minutes in silence as the train chugged on. Each to embarrassed to talk further until Amber came to a decision and cleared her thought. “So, since I am intending to move to Ponyville for at least a few years, I will need someone to help me find a place to stay... Some help getting a job... and at least one friend. Wanna hang out sometime?”
Lyra's face fell at the word friend, 'Friend? Like... only a friend? But... I... No...' Her body went limp as she plopped to the bench.
Amber could feel a crushing wave of sadness flood the train car the second Lyra went limp. 'Ack! How can her despair be this bad every time?' Amber mentally shouted.
A few tears started to run down Lyra's cheeks, “The first pony to ever share my hobby and be into mares and I get friend zoned!” she sobbed.
Amber winced, Lyra's sadness had been disgusting at the train station but this was the single most putrid tasting emotion she had ever had the displeasure of tasting. “No, I was-” Amber's attempt to explain she was being coy died as she felt her stomach churn. 'Oh crap! Why did I eat that bagel back at the station?'
Lyra continued to sob, not noticing Amber queasily backing away. “I should have known better than to get my hopes up... I must not be anyone's type.”
Amber's face scrunched up, she had always been sensitive to negative emotion. Coming right on the heals of that potent love made it far worse, as she had unintentionally eaten a good mouthful of it. Amber's eyes opened wide as she felt her guts contract, “Oh god! Please stop being sad!” she moaned.
“Oh I'm sorry. You only destroyed my first happy moment in months, friend!” Lyra shot a tear filled glare at Amber.
Amber opened her mouth to object, gagging instantly as the action allowed even more of the soul crushing sadness to slip into her system. “Seriously, stop it! I-urk!”
Lyra sank into the seat, eyes turning to the floor. “What do you care?”
Amber couldn't take it anymore. Feeling everything in her system rushing back up she turned away from Lyra and entered into a violent retching fit as her thought fought to keep down what her guts said had to go.
The sound made Lyra look up. Seeing the other mare shaking, and looking away from her she almost said something mean but then the sound the mare was making clicked, “Are you going to be si-”
The distinctive sound of vomiting filled the train car along with Lyra's scream of “Oh ick!”
The second she felt herself stop Amber moaned, and wiped her mouth off with her magic. Seeing a large amount of green changeling spittle mixed in with the orange and dark purple sick she winced. “Oh god that's nasty...” 'Well better hope she has never seen a Changeling's spit-clay before.' The sudden taste of surprise told her that Lyra had.
Amber winced, her stomach was still protesting too much for her to be able to fight. If Lyra decided to attack her she wouldn't be able to fight back.
“Y-you're a Changeling aren't you?” Lyra asked in a surprised but peaceful sounding tone. 'Well I certainly didn't think I would ever have a friendly chat with one...' Lyra's eyes suddenly narrowed, “Where is the real Amber Fire?”
Amber turned around slowly, “I am the real Amber Fire. I made this shape up.” Amber scrunched her face up, spitting out a few splotches of orange, “Go ahead and kill me if you must, just don't be sad. Your sadness tastes like the rotten asshole of a road killed skunk slathered in cheep beer.”
“You were feeding off me?” Lyra asked in a panicked tone, “You were gong to make me a zombie weren't you? Well screw that! Twice is enough for me!”
“Ugh, no I wasn't!” Amber protested, “All Changelings can eat emotions that are just in the air, it's not healthy to drain a person directly... Even if that dose let you pick the good tasting emotions out.”
“Oh.” Lyra noticed she had leveled her horn at Amber. She sat down as slowly as she dared, fearing a sudden attack. “Hold on, why should I believe you?”
“Dose it look like I am lying?” Amber demanded.
“Um... no it just looks like you are sick.”
“Because I am! I can't handle negative emotions. I am guessing you were attacked by Chrysalis? Well she's not normal. In fact, she is gods damned crazy, and so are her groupies! She found a way to eat all types of emotion at once and then use the positive to convert the negative directly into magic. Her plan was to use that power to take over a few kingdoms to impress our High Queen.” Amber squirmed and held up a hoof, using her magic to scoop up all the vomit she could and nodded at the window, “Can you open that? This reeks.”
Lyra nodded and opened the window. Mostly by reflex on hearing someone ask her for help. If Amber was telling the truth that was a lot to take in.
Amber quickly tossed the wad of sick out of the train and shut the window, “Thanks... Ugh... Look. Changelings are not normally predators. Chrysalis thought we should become predators. She was in a huge debate wither mom over that before our Hall was taken over by a dragon. I am alone, I didn't agree with Chrysalis's philosophy, and I am just looking to find a place to live. I've had a really shitty life, like you have no idea how bad it's been ok?”
Lyra squirmed on the bench. Changeling or not Amber was talking like a pony, not some monster. 'But isn't that what Changelings do? Gain your trust then drain you dry?' Lyra wondered. Suddenly a way to figure out the truth hit her. “I... I think you are telling me the truth. But I want to be sure. How do you know about Ponyville?” Lyra locked her eyes onto Amber's body, 'If she shows even a single sign of lying...' Lyra didn't actually know what she would do.
Amber fidgeted for a moment before sighing, “This will sound bad...”
“Just tell me the truth.” Lyra ordered.
“Ok. I was a prisoner at Fort Champron for the last decade, Princess Twilight came to see me to try to learn about Changeling magic and when I learned that there was a place that treated an alicorn like a normal pony and tried to accept everyone I finally had a place to escape to. So I broke out. Then you got me a ticket.” Amber winced, expecting a hostile reaction.
“A decade? Were you a part of the Canterlot invasion? Because your people zombafied me and made me attack Twilight and Princess Cadence!” Lyra asked accusingly.
“No! I was living with my roommate in Trottingham and was attacked by guards. I guess they did a sweep for Changlings after the attack. I never knew why I was arrested until today...” Amber trailed off, kicking the floor with her right fore-hoof gently, “I know why they didn't let me go though... When they arrested me I fought back... I accidentally killed a guard. I only meant to hurt him enough to get away.” Amber sighed. She hated killing without a purpose. It showed as her ears fell and her mouth pulled into a frown.
“You killed a pony?” Lyra asked in fear.
“I seriously didn't mean to! I heard that pegasus were resistant to electricity, so I figured a lightning bolt would just stun him... I um, well... only know one lighting spell. It's apparently too powerful for a pegasus to tank. Look, I really do regret killing him. The worst thing you can do is kill without the need to. It removes a food source, makes all the people in the area sad or angry so no one can eat around there for a long time, and worst of all someone isn't alive anymore who didn't deserve to die.” Amber lamented.
“I believe you.” Lyra said. It shocked her a little, but she meant it. Nothing said Amber was a lie as far as she could tell, and her tone was sincere and regretful. Just like her's had been when she had to come out to her parents knowing it would hurt them.
“You do?” Amber asked.
“Yeah.” Lyra affirmed sliding down into her seat relaxed once again. “So... you're a friendly Changeling. That's well new.”
Amber shook her head. “It's actually very common. It's just... to come to Equestria we have to fly over a large stretch of glacier through Windigo territory so we usually don't come here. Back home we were friends with a colony of Batponies. Normally my people are symbiotes, companionship and protection, in return for food and well, companionship. It just looks like you've had bad experiences with our more... war hungry faction.”
Lyra hummed in interest, “Really? That seems so... wired.”
“Yeah really. Some of us even had Batpony lovers.”
“Hold on, how dose that work? You're bugs. Do you even have sexes?” Lyra asked confused.
Amber gave Lyra a heated glare, “That's really racist you know. Of course we have sexes. Most of us are female. Besides we're shapeshifters, I can be any sex or combination of sexes I want. Watch.”
With a series of flashes of green fire Amber switched herself from female to male, and then cycled between three different blends of stallion and mare traits. After her display she changed back into her white unicorn mare form, “I just so happen to enjoy being female. After all it's what I feel like I am in her.” She tapped the side of her head gently.
Lyra nodded impressed, “Point taken.” 'That was weirdly arousing...' Lyra realized, blushing gently.
Tasting Lyra's interest Amber blushed as well, “Right... I'm going to pretend I can't taste that.”
“You can taste-” Lyra asked blushing deeper.
“It's an emotion isn't it?”
“Oh...” Lyra squirmed embarrassed for a few moments before asking the first thing that came to mind to try and distract herself, “Um, so, what do you really look like?”
Amber frowned, “I'm sure you would find me ugly... and I would rather not taste your disgust. Your sad is bad enough.”
“Please? I want to see... I just, I need to see it so I can be sure I wont be afraid of you.” Lyra informed. 'Because Changeling or not, you just might be my only shot at another relationship. I can't just let someone else who likes humans go just because of their species can I? I mean she is a Changeling so it's not like what she normally looks like matters. She can look like anything she wants... Ohhh that could get fun!' Lyra thought, a silly grin forming on her face.
Amber sighed and closed her eyes. In a flash of green fire her lovingly crafted pony form vanished. Lyra stood up and walked around Amber, taking in her true appearance. She was black, but more glossy looking than the Changelings Lyra remembered. Her chitin had a sort of opalescent shine to it, and her shell was a pale amber color that shimmered in the light giving it the appearance of being on fire.
Lyra dipped down to inspect Amber's hooves and wings more closely. The appendages lacked the holes she remembered others of her kind having, and her mane and tail didn't appear mangy. She couldn't see Amber's head crest through her mane, which had the same shape as her pony form's but at a much smaller volume and size and was colored charcoal gray and black. Her horn was still short, and too Lyra's surprise her face had the same structure as in her unicorn shape. Amber's eyes were the same amber hue as her shell and unlike the changelings Lyra had been attacked by, they didn't appear to be glowing.
“There... are you happy?” Amber asked.
“Yeah. You are weirdly pretty.” Lyra answered surprised by her answer. “How come you-”
“I don't have the holes because I am not overeating or starving. Our bodies can't handle the extra energy and it slowly burns away at parts of us.” Amber closed her eyes, returning to her unicorn form in a flash of green, “Do you really find me pretty like that?”
Lyra nodded, “Yeah. I don't know why though. Maybe it's the shininess... Hold on, both eating too much and eating too little cause the holes?”
“Yeah. You burn your body with too much food, or your body burn's itself for food.”
“And you were a prisoner... How come you don't have the holes? Did they feed you?” Lyra asked suspiciously.
Amber laughed, “I escaped by tricking a guard into getting me my things. Here hold on.”
Amber reached into her box and pulled out a small reddish gold metal flask, “This is called an Estus Flask. The liquid inside it restores your body to it's prime. No, you can't have any. It's hard to get, and it wont work on a pony anyway.”
“Oh.” Lyra smiled, “Sorry for being suspicious.”
“Nah that's ok. I suppose you have a right to be. Oh! Right. So before I puked...” Amber bit her lip, 'Why is this so hard suddenly? I just want to ask her to help me get settled... Is it because she thinks I'm pretty? No that can't be it that's just silly.'
“What?” Lyra asked curiously. It was clear from her posture and tone that she had come to accept that Amber didn't mean her any harm. Besides, her love for the strange and exotic humans was helping her slowly come to love the equally strange and exotic species Amber belonged to. 'Or well, just her at least.'
“I was trying to mention I was being coy... You know, with the 'let's be friend's' thing.” Amber admitted. “It was kinda because you taste amazing when you are happy but well... I don't know... You actually seem really nice. So screw it! I'll give you a shot. And if we just can't click after a while I would like to be friends. Especially because you know who I am.”
Lyra frowned, blushing lightly, “Are you asking me out?”
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Amber admitted.
Lyra smiled, 'Its not like I'm in a position to turn down a date... Changeling or not.' Slipping into her favorite 'sit like a human' position Lyra added, “I won't tell anypony what you are. You just want to live your life. I won't take that from you. I'll help you find a place to life in town too. But as for a date... I'm sorry but I won't let you ask me out.”
Amber blinked, her ears drooping. “But you said I was-”
“Amber,” Lyra winked flashing the changeling a grin, “I'm a top. A stallion asks a mare out on the first date, it's tradition. So Amber, wanna go out sometime?”
Amber laughed, almost falling to the floor. Shaking her head she smiled brightly, “Ok now I really do have to go on a date with you. You are hilarious! Sure let's go out sometime... But we go to a restaurant or something, I have had enough Sad a la Lyra for one year.”
The two mares giggled at the joke for a while before continuing to talk, getting to know one another until Lyra at least felt she had to sleep. Yawning, she stretched out on the bench and curled up. Noticing Amber getting out some parchment and a pencil she asked sleepily, “Aren't you gonna sleep?”
“Nah I don't sleep. I wait.” Amber quipped.
Lyra was too tired to question that statement. So with an “Oh, ok.” she rolled over and quickly fell asleep.
“Lucky...” Amber muttered starting to sketch out a starry night sky over a mountain range, “I'd kill to get to do that again. It's gonna suck being all alone for the next few hours.”
The scratching of Amber's pencil was the only sound in the train car for the rest of the night.