//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Love is Strange // by PaisleyPerson //------------------------------// Chapter 2 “Mmm,” Mindy groaned, head throbbing. She lay still for the time being while she drew up the courage to move. The mule didn’t even want to open her tired eyes, but she could tell that it was still dark out, so she couldn’t have been out for long. A curious rustling eventually tickled her ears, and prompted a reaction. She peeked one eye open, and gasped. The changeling. The previous events came rushing back and Mindy leapt to her hooves, but was too stunned to get any farther. This changeling must have been the one to produce the cry she heard; it was small enough to fit her estimated age bracket. It was currently rummaging through her takeout bag, and only its lower half was visible. But there is was, with its punctured hind legs, fin-like tail, iridescent blue shell and all. ‘Oh Celestia, oh Celestia!’ Mindy began hyperventilating. She knew the attack on Canterlot hadn’t been all that long ago, but she had been assured that all the changelings had been taken care of! Was this one just now arriving, or had it been left behind? But then again, if it had been left behind, why didn’t Shining Armor and Cadance’s magical blast expel it with the others? Was it... not dangerous? Was that even possible? Mindy attempted to steady her breathing, and became so focused on this task that she didn’t notice when the rustling stopped. ‘At least it hasn’t eaten me yet... but maybe it’s just preoccupied with the takeout.’ She turned to search for it, and found that the changeling had sat itself down with the bag still hugging its head. She tensed, and didn’t dare make a move. Slowly, the cover slipped, and those two bright orbs met her once again. ‘Definitely dangerous!’ She reeled back. ‘Definitely dangerous! Very dangerous! Very... hurt?’ She happened to notice a stub where its horn should have been, bright green sparks occasionally flying off. ‘That would explain the eerie glow,’ she thought. This new discovery caused her to linger a minute longer. It looked like a relatively recent injury, but considering that she couldn’t see any sign of blood or the horn itself, the changeling had probably been like this for a few days. Wait, a few days? How long had this changeling been wandering the streets? Surely somepony would have seen it, and reported it to the police. In fact, that’s what she should be doing right now! Mindy began mentally plotting a course to the station until she remembered her purse. It had been discarded in all the commotion, and she now eyed it, wrinkled but unharmed, settled behind the creature. That pouch contained everything she owned. ‘The police will return it,’ she kept telling herself. But being new to the city and owning very little as it was, Mindy couldn’t bring herself to leave it. No, she had to retrieve it now. But she wasn’t willing to get too close to that mongrel and its creepy, blank blue eyes, either. She reached a compromise and reached for a long stick instead, slowly. The changeling watched her curiously, never moving. “That’s right, little guy. You just stay put,” she bit her lip. This stick didn’t quite reach her purse strap. There wasn’t anything else in the vicinity that she could use to retrieve it, though, so she inched forward to close the gap. The changeling tilted its head. “Stay,” tears of hysteria pricked Mindy’s eyes. “Stay there and don’t eat me. Oh, Celestia, don’t eat me!” Speaking of, what had it been doing for food? Changelings fed on love, as Mindy understood. So where were its victims? Wait, could it even take victims? Its horn was broken, and without magic, it couldn’t change form to trick anypony into loving it. But while it was thin, the changeling didn’t look overly malnourished. In fact, it looked quite satisfied at the moment, a slight bulge showing in its abdominal area. ‘Oh, that’s right,' she recalled. “You were in my takeout bag, weren’t you? I guess changelings can digest actual food, too.” The changeling cocked its head, and she realized with a start that she had made the mistake of speaking aloud to it. “Easy, now.” Luckily, it had stopped moving, so she made another attempt to rescue her purse. The changeling’s head whipped around to see what she was doing back there. Mindy squeaked with terror, accidentally flinging her stick in the process. So much for that idea. The changeling looked at her purse, glanced at her, and finally settled back on the crumpled, stripe-patterned fabric. “Wait, what are you... don’t you dare!” The changeling hopped up, and woozily trotted towards the bag. “No!” Too late. The parcel was already clenched between its tiny, fanged jaws. Mindy sagged, the shame of defeat clinging to her like a thick fog. Fine. Well, now that she didn’t have anything to stick around for, she could go get the police and hope to get her belongings back by the end of this. She glumly turned and began shuffling down the block. The police station was... left. No, right. Definitely right. She hadn’t gotten too far when she heard the *clip clop* of tiny hoofsteps behind her. Her curly black hair stood on end, and her blue, terror-filled eyes glanced back to confirm her suspicions. The changeling was following her! “No, no, no! Stay back! Get away!” Her urgent tone of voice only seemed to attract the creature. “Stay awaaaaaay!” Mindy was sprinting and screaming and crying all at once, blindly stumbling in the general direction in which she thought she would find the police station. However, with her vision blurred by streams of salty tears, there was no way to tell if she was going the right way or not. In fact, she was pretty sure she had made a few wrong turns somewhere along the line. If only that little beast would stop chasing her... It was gone. At least, she thought so. Mindy slid to a stop, kicking up a murky cloud of dirt in the process. Looking behind her, she neither heard nor saw any trace of the changeling. She had lost it. That would make the police ponies’ job harder, but at least she was safe. Mindy collapsed on the wall of a brick building to steady herself, vaguely registering that this was her apartment building. ‘The only fortunate event of the night,’ she ruefully thought, shifting her weight so she was again stable on her own four hooves. Her legs still threatened to give out from under her, unable to handle the stress of this little escapade. Her knees knocked with fear and her entire body felt an extra twenty pounds heavier. ‘Just your imagination, old girl,’ Mindy gritted her teeth, still struggling to support herself. ‘This is a figurative weight we’re talking about, remember?’ Or was it? The so called “imaginary” weight shifted on her back. Mindy progressed from a trembling leaf to a rigid stick in under a second. Her heart beat desperately against its confines. It wasn’t... it couldn’t be... The soft, metallic clinking of change distracted her from those horrible, horrible thoughts. The soft fuzz of fabric tickled her hoof. She moved her leg, sure that she felt something on her back shift with the movement, but she didn’t dare turn around lest she confirm her worst fears. Instead, she focused on the fuzzy thing that had landed beside her. It was... her purse? She couldn’t ignore the fact anymore. The changeling had found her, deposited her purse, and was now perched on her back. The mule took several shaky, deep breaths to calm her nerves. If she didn’t think this through logically, she was liable to become dessert. She just had to shake it off, grab her purse and make it to the third floor of the apartment building before it had time to recover. Mindy violently bucked the air in hopes of throwing it off, and could later boast that she was quite successful. The changeling tumbled through the air, flailing to right itself as those frail insectoid wings would most definitely NOT break its fall. Mindy’s hoof had just touched down on the stairwell when she heard the cry. Not the terrible, horrible screech of a bloodthirsty (or lovethirsty) monster, but the pitiful wailing of a child. An innocent, defenseless child. Mindy’s mind urged her to go onward, but her body would not obey. Her hooves were cemented to the ground. She could not go forward, but in the back of her mind, a voice was told her that going back was an option. ‘It’s just a child.’ ‘It’s a changeling!’ ‘It’s scared, and alone. Are you just going to leave it to die?’ ‘Yes!’ ‘Come, now. You’re the one that said you wanted children in the first place.’ ‘Yes, children! Not a changeling!’ “What’s the difference?’ ‘For one, regular children don’t feed on your love!’ ‘Neither does this, one, evidently. You watched it eat physical food.’ ‘They’re dangerous!’ ‘You don’t know that. In fact, it has done nothing of consequence to suggest that it holds any ill will against you.’ ‘The rest of its kind has. They attacked Canterlot and nearly invaded all of Equestria! Who’s to say this one won’t try and do the same?’ ‘Look at it. Does that look like a dangerous killer to you?’ Mindy peered through the handrail grating. Admittedly, the sobbing creature didn’t look at all threatening in this state... ‘I’m sure none of them do when they’re young. But I know what that thing will grow up to be!’ ‘Do you? You’re just making excuses. You could raise him to be something better than another changeling drone.’ ‘Stop that. It’s an ‘it,’ not a ‘him.’’ ‘HE isn’t even dangerous. His horn is broken. He can’t change form. He probably can’t feed on love. He may be a changeling, but he’s still an innocent, defenseless child. You even acknowledged yourself that he very well could have been left behind in the changeling invasion, and if the banishment spell passed over him, then it obviously deemed him harmless.’ ‘I also considered the possibility that it may have arrived late. Look at those tiny wings! It couldn’t possibly have kept up with the adults.’ ‘Even if he did sneak into the city after the fact, he doesn’t seem to have caused any trouble besides raiding a dumpster or two in search of food. Look at him! You can’t just let him starve to death!’ ‘How do you know it’s a ‘he?’ What if it’s a ‘she?’’ ‘You’re talking in circles.’ ‘I’m arguing with myself, and losing, which is even worse.’ ‘Are you going to take it in or not?’ Mindy’s face contorted in disgruntlement. No matter how many times she tried to talk herself out of it, her subconscious came up with reasons why she should take the plunge. ‘No... don’t give in... just walk away.’ Her hooves were still anchored to the stairwell. She finally made it one step, two steps... and three steps backward. Mindy brayed with fury as guilt dragged her back. The changeling was as she had left it, sobbing on the sidewalk, but it ceased its wailing when it heard Mindy return. “Alright, look, changeling,” Mindy growled, pointing an accusatory hoof. “Against my better judgement, I have opted NOT to turn you in to the police. And even crazier is that I somehow talked myself into letting you STAY with me in my apartment. But know this- one slip up and you are OUT. You got that?” The changeling gurgled, and continued to stare at her with those disturbing, pupil-less eyes. Mindy shuddered, and tried not to focus on that. “Alright. Then hurry up and get inside. We caused such a racket I’m surprised nopony else has called the police yet.” “Gla?” The changeling cocked its head, but made no move to get up. “Oh, fine. I’ll do it myself. Eck!” Mindy picked up the changeling, but took care to dangle the revolting bug-creature a safe distance out from her. The changeling, however, didn’t seem to like being held, for it began to squirm and wriggle, grunt and even cry out. “Shh! Shh!” Mindy silenced, dropping it. Landing with a thud, those two beady eyes swiveled around towards her. “Fine, walk by yourself, then. Just come quietly, won’t you!” Its fangs flashed with glee, and it immediately hopped back up onto all fours. “Alright, then,” her black curls bobbed with satisfaction. She turned to leave, and heard the light buzzing of wings before a weight was deposited on her back. Her muscles tensed and her breathing quickened. ‘It just wants to ride piggyback. Nothing more. Not like it’s going to eat you or anything...’ ‘You know, if he’s going to be staying in your house, you should probably get used to touching him,’ Mindy’s subconscious resurfaced. ‘And start thinking of him as a ‘he.’ ‘Shut up!’ Mindy stiffly trod towards the stairwell with it- he- in tow.