“Gah, whatzat?”
Daniel’s awakening was less then graceful, his head fuzzy and his vison unclear. With a snort he tried to sit up, one hand lifting him up from what felt like a bed while the other rubbed his forehead. He felt soft sheets below him, and he looked down while blinking to try and figure things out.
…Only to freeze when he saw that he wasn’t just resting on soft pink bedsheets, but was wearing one as well.
‘What the…?’ It was as plain as day, the pink fabric a far cry from his smart-casual work uniform. It had been crudely sewn up at the sides and the ragged hole that his head was through indicated that it had been a last minute arrangement. Still, it raised far more pressing questions once a slight breeze drifted over his bare legs and through the seams in the sides.
“Fuck,” he swore while bringing his legs in and holding down the bottom of the makeshift gown with his hands.
The breeze on his pair of Devil’s Marbles was a clear indicator that his dependable pair of Bonds under-trunks had been removed, and a shudder went down his spine at the thought of it. Given his current company, he highly doubted that there had been innocent reasons involved.
Next, he noticed the smell. Raising an arm to his face and taking a sniff, Daniel identified the floral scent as being primarily comprised of lavender. It wasn’t unpleasant, and at least offered some explanation for his sudden change of attire.
‘Okay, relax,’ he told himself with a calming breath. ‘I’ve been stuck in the wilds for a few days, probably stank like town camper, and god knows my clothes were filthy. All they did was give you a wash... while you were out cold.’
He placed his face into his hands, grimacing at the scene in his head. “Shit.”
The sound of movement turned his attention away from his shame, Daniel glancing to his left and finding his glasses sitting on a tiny bedside table next to him. The spectacles were soon put on and adjusted, allowing him to properly see his surrounds in full detail.
He was lying on not one, but three small beds. Evidently none were even remotely designed for a human, so whoever had set them up had dragged the trio together and placed them horizontally together to account for his height. One had pink sheets while the other two had blue, and in an attempt to find out where they were from he glanced around.
They had placed him in a small house from the looks of things, all one big room with a kitchen to the left and a tiny living area to his right. Directly across was a small door that was slightly ajar, Daniel assuming from the wooden basin inside that it served as a bathroom. Sunlight streamed into the house from a large window next to the outside door, the glare preventing him from seeing outside for now.
More movement and a scuffing sound, Daniel looking over towards the living area with the hopes that Boris was at least nearby to explain things.
Instead he caught a glimpse of red mane before it was lost behind the brown-coloured couch, Daniel’s curiosity peaking when he recalled that neither his friend nor acquaintances had any hair save for their ash-grey tails. With a grunt, he swung his legs over the side of the beds and stood up shakily. He felt wood panels under his bare feet, before he slowly ambled over towards the couch to investigate.
‘Oh,’ he sighed at the sight. ‘Come on guys, fuck’s sake.’
The nurse-pony had obviously been crying for a while if the tear tracks were any indication. A taut rope was looped firmly around her neck with the other end tied around a supporting wall post, a line of frayed fibres at both ends where the creature had likely tried to chew her way free. Her wings were also bound with heavy rope and the round rug she was sitting on was dotted with the occasional grey feather.
Wide eyes stared at him, the pony’s breathing visibly quickening while she madly scrambled back from him. She managed to get her back up against the wooden wall before the rope pulled taut, her attempts got more frantic while her hooves scraped uselessly at the floor panels.
“Whoa,” he raised both hands and took a step back making sure to show his palms. “Easy there, I’m not going to hurt you.” Taking another step back to highlight his point, he paused and waited for her to calm down.
At first there was no change, but slowly the tension ebbed. Whether it was due to his deliberately non-threatening behaviour, his rather comical clothes, the rope cutting off some of her air supply for too long, or his innate Australian ability to sooth a terrified and potentially dangerous animal, the pony eventually stopped trying to desperately escape and instead sank down onto her belly. Curling up on the rug with her forelegs covering her eyes, the small horse started to make some odd sounds.
It took him a second to get it, Daniel still not completely used to the human-like way that the equines acted.
“Hey, don’t cry,” he tried, getting no response.
‘This isn’t my forte at all.’
It was true. He’d never been much for empathy or sympathy, a trait that had caused numerous problems in his earlier life. Not very susceptible to his own emotions, let alone those of others around him, he was completely out of his depth when faced with the crying horse.
After all, even a self-confessed bastard like himself still felt a small twinge for the sobbing pony.
Figuring that he needed some way to connect if he was to attempt a consolation, and not able to ignore his own parched throat, he turned towards the kitchen and started to make his way over.
Glancing back at the pony, he continued on after seeing that she hadn’t even registered his movement.
The kitchen bench and small sink was clean and tidy save for a smashed glass that rested within the sink itself. Searching around, he found two clean glasses in a side cupboard and retrieved them. Daniel had to bend down to work the tiny tap, but soon both glasses were filled with sparkling clean water. He took a sniff of one, nodding to himself when he recognised the tell-tale scent of rainwater, courtesy of the tanks that resided at the old family home.
With his refreshments-slash-conversation starters in hand, he returned to the crying mare with the peace-offering held out in front. Slowing upon nearing her while keeping a mindful two metres distance, he crouched down and carefully set her glass down upon the floor before backing up.
The pony shifted at the clinking sound it made, a glistening eye opening to peek out from the flowing mane. It stared at the offered liquid before looking at him.
“It’s just water,” he reassured, making a show of raising his own glass and taking a gulp. Tasting it, he raised his eyebrows and gave the glass an approving nod. “Huh, tastes just the same as back home.”
Thoughts on that put aside, he carefully sat down on the floor while ensuring that he didn’t flash the unfortunate equine thanks to his lack of underwear. Continuing to sip his drink, he maintained a close watch on the equine while it glanced back towards the water.
With a sniffle, it shakily got to its hooves and took a few steps towards the offered glass. Her red eyes looked up at him, as if to ensure that he hadn’t moved, before she carefully trotted to the glass and picked up the edge with her teeth. A tiny amount splashed onto the rug when she lifted it up, before the pony retreated back to her spot by the wall and sat down.
Daniel watched while she took a sniff before tasting it with her tongue. Evidently it proved safe to drink, and with one fell swoop she once gain grasped the edge with her teeth and lifted the glass up. The mare drank greedily, the water quickly vanishing down her throat with large gulps. Once finished she set the glass back down onto the floor, eyes warily focusing back on him.
“More?” he asked. Upon getting no reply save for the stare, he raised his own empty glass. “More water?”
Either the pony didn’t understand him or didn’t dare give him a reason to approach her, Daniel sighing again at the lack of response.
“Look, I’m not too keen on what’s happened either,” he tried to explain. “I know that you’re scared, pony, but at least try to make an effort when I’m trying to help.” She continued to watch him, so he rubbed his belly with a smile. Daniel completely missed the way her ears flattened and her body tensed. “Do you want something to eat then?”
The pony immediately began to sob again, collapsing back down to the floor on her side. It curled up into a ball and began to shudder, and he finally clued in to what he had done wrong.
“Oh for…” he stopped himself from swearing, and forced himself to calm down.
‘She doesn’t know any better, they all obviously haven’t met a human before so you scare the shit out of her.’
He got to his feet, slightly irritated at the communication breakdown. “Pony, I’m not going to eat you.” He moved forwards, well past the point of taking it easy and slow. The mare didn’t notice him approach until he had knelt down beside her, Daniel grabbing her withers and rolling her over so she was facing him.
It was a mistake.
The pony let out a half-neigh, half-scream that was accompanied by a flurry of her forelegs. Wincing at the hellish sound, he had no time to back up before a flailing forehoof smacked him in the chest.
“Fucker!” he cursed at the impact, a sharp burst of pain shooting through his chest.
Instead of running away to avoid further hits, he only gritted his teeth and redoubled his efforts. It was far less of a gentle approach than before, the mare having pissed him right off. Another hoof cracked into his meaty shoulder, certain to leave a mark. “I swear you stupid little shit, I’m not taking this crap!” He leaned on her side to pin down her hind legs and body, with his right arm grabbing her forelegs and forcing them to the floor.
Daniel was a big guy, and his anger only fuelled his strength as he immobilised the pony’s legs and used his left hand to grip her around the muzzle. Her forced her mouth shut and made her look into his eyes, the pony still struggling in his grip.
“Stop!” he ordered with a growl, putting more pressure on her muzzle with his hand.
Just like when he used to do the same to the misbehaving family dogs, the pony stopped her struggling and ceased her cries. Both lay there for a few moments, chests heaving while Daniel continued to use his considerable body weight to pin her down.
“I’m going to take away my hand,” he told her slowly, continuing to stare into her teary eyes. “You seem reasonably intelligent for a horse, so I’m going to assume that you now realise that if I wanted to hurt you then I easily could right now. If you bite or kick me again, I will bloody hurt if I have to, understand?”
He used his hand to make her nod, the mare closing her eyes with a shudder.
Slowly he relaxed his grip, and her eyes opened with confusion evident while the fingers slipped away. Daniel still kept his hand at the ready, wary for any more yelling.
Either the mare understood him somewhat or was just too afraid to make a move. Regardless his tactic had worked, so he maintained eye contact.
“Right, now I’m going to get up. Don’t run and fight or we’ll have to start this all over again.”
With those words he began to sit up. First he relaxed the arm that was pressing down her forelegs, followed by shifting his body. The pony didn’t move throughout the process, not even when he was sitting up fully over her without making any contact. Instead she puffed and stared while continuing to lie on her side, Daniel making sure to soften his tone before continuing to speak.
“See, we can both act like reasonable creatures now, can’t we?”
She actually looked up at him this time, before she struggled to sit up. Forelegs between her hind hooves, the pony remained still and merely stared. Slowly, Daniel extended a hand towards her, holding it out while her sight was focused on it.
“I’m Daniel,” he greeted, figuring that continuing to talk would help calm it down. The pony hesitated, before she tilted her head sideways and slowly lifted her left foreleg in response. He could see her shudder at first when he reached out and gripped it, but as he shook the fur-covered limb she relaxed and instead seemed to be curious.
Daniel let the leg go and instead reached for the rope around her neck. Once again her ears folded down, but she’d apparently realised that fighting wasn’t going to achieve anything and so remained still. She ducked her head down once she realised what he was going for, the nurse-pony uttering a soft neigh while his fingers tried to undo the knot.
‘For things without hands, they sure can tie a bloody good…fuck!’
He was making no progress, the mare looking at him while he stood up and headed for the kitchen.
‘This is probably going to freak her out, but stuff it.’
He pulled out the first wooden draw he found, searching for any sort of large kitchen scissors. Instead it was only filled with spoons, so he tried the next draw and then the next. There was nothing save for plates, bowls, and baking equipment, so with his patience running out he just went for the easy route and grabbed a sharp knife from the block on the counter.
“Now, don’t spaz out on me,” he warned, the nurse shrinking and folding back her ears. Slowing his pace, he made sure to bend down and clearly indicate that he was only going to cut the rope acting as her leash. It took a few moments, but the blade made quick work of the heavy rope and with the last fiber cut the leash fell to the floor.
The pony stared at it, before she looked back up at him with another neigh.
“Come on, wings next.” He beckoned her closer, figuring that it would be better if she approached him instead of the other way round. He pointed, the pony following his finger and actually brightening. Her hooves made light clopping sounds on the wood as she approached, and she carefully watched while she presented her side to him.
The second rope lasted even shorter than the first, and with a final slice the pony was once again free. Immediately the pony smiled and stretched out the feathered appendages, flexing them before folding them back up. She glanced at him before trotting to the window, peeking out from the edge to lay eyes on what lay outside.
Immediately the pony hurried backwards, crouching down low to the ground while her breathing quickened. Daniel got to his feet and wandered over, a quick look outside confirming why the mare was acting so distressed.
Evidently he had been brought into town, the same one that had been attacked if the smashed doors and windows of the other houses were any indication. The street outside was clogged with a mass of bug-horses, the creatures all quiet as they looked towards the unseen end of the street. Judging from their perked up ears and attention there was some kind of speech going on, and Daniel tried to spot Boris out in the crowd.
It was like trying to find a specific Ethernet cable in a government server room.
He gave up and looked back down at the pony, the mare slowly backing away to hide behind the couch. Daniel understood her fear, after all the bug-horses so far had been pretty disappointing in their treatment of her.
However, now that he was no longer occupied with his lack of clothing or the panicking pony, he recalled Luna’s reaction to his news…
“What? A changeling attack!?”
Daniel winced, and he slowly set the tea cup down.
“Uh, well there was this town, and the big bug-hor… changeling had the others attack it.”
“Where!?” Luna rose to her hooves, Daniel staring up at her with a flat look.
“I don’t even know what planet I’m on, remember?”
“You have been already told that it is named Eques.”
“I refuse to accept that name on the basis that it is silly.”
Luna frowned down at him, and she stamped a hoof on the study floor. Slowly, Daniel reached for the tea-cup again, ready to throw it at her if she decided to charge him.
“This is no time to be a fool,” she condemned. “Changelings are evil creatures that feed on the love of others-“
‘Bullshit,’ he thought with a roll of his eyes.
“-and Queen Chrysalis is vicious indeed! There is no time to waste!” She trotted over towards him, and extended out a wing. For the first time since he had met her, Luna actually made physical contact with him when she placed the wing on his shoulder with a pleading look. “I beg of you, friend. Please tell me anything you know of this village so that I may help my subjects.”
Ignoring how real it all felt, Daniel long having accepted that dream-horse wasn’t a figment of his twisted imagination, he met her gaze with an even look. “I’m sorry; it’s near a forest and has only a few houses and buildings. That’s all I know.”
Luna spun around with a huff, the princess pacing backwards and forwards with a grimace. She thought for a moment before looking back at him, Daniel still holding his tea-cup at the ready.
“You could help free my subjects,” she suggested, nodding to herself. “Or create a signal with smoke that I will instruct my guards to look out for. Then, when the changelings are defeated and driven out of Equestria for good, you can stay in Canterlot with me and my sister.” Her frown softened, and she smiled at him instead. “It will be fun, and we could meet in real life and not just dreams.”
Daniel sighed, Luna’s smile dropping. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and pinched the bridge of his nose, before he looked back up at her.
“I’m sorry Luna, I really am. But… you’re asking me to help you fight against the creatures that’ve helped me and, to be honest, out-number me a thousand-to-one. “
Luna tilted her head, her mouth open slightly.
“But they are wicked,” she explained as if he was an idiot. “They are merely using you for their own means.”
“Maybe, but they also give me food, water, and aren’t really that bad.” He shrugged. “Their ‘Queen’ seems like a bitch, and I actually don’t really feel that keen about being stuck in the fight you have going on, but I don’t really know what you expect me to do.” He sighed again. “I’m sorry, but it’s just survival Luna. You’ve been nice, but just turning on the guys I’ve been leeching off for a week who probs helped save my life would be a dog of move.”
Luna’s glare softened at Daniel’s explanation, but she still looked very upset.
“So, you are choosing their side then?”
“I guess I am,” he clarified. “Look, I wish I didn’t have to and it’s not you-“
“Enough.”
The study began to distort, the fireplace extinguishing with a wisp of icy air. It threw the room into darkness, Daniel only being able to just make out Luna.
“I must leave you, as I have a town to save,” she told him through the blackness. Daniel wasn’t too sure, but he could have sworn that there was a brief sniffle. “I… I doubt we will meet again under cordial circumstances.”
“Wait, Luna there’s no need to be like-“
“Goodbye, my friend.”
And with that the dream ended, Daniel jolting up awake.
“Gah, whatzat?”
“Stupid…” Daniel muttered to himself, before turning to look down at the nurse-pony. “Hey, relax. I won’t let them just tie you up again.” She returned the look and replied with a few hesitant neighs, before hanging her head low.
It was plain to see that she had been hoping to escape, but there was no chance of that with the swarm that was waiting outside. While he wouldn’t be too fussed if she managed to fly off and away, Daniel was quite certain that the bug-horses would have a different point of view.
After all, he seemed to have gotten himself involved in the middle of a war.
“Just great,” he grumbled, moving over towards the couch and taking a seat. He filled up most of it, and the tortured furniture gave a pathetic creak under his weight. “Stick in an equine feud, with rulers on both sides hating me, and I don’t even have my pants anymore. Wonderful.”
“-so feed while you can, for when the sun rises tomorrow we shall fly on to the next town and take it like we did this one! The ponies shall rue the day that they dared to defy me!”
A buzzing cheer rang up from the gathered swarm, both verbal and over the mind-link. Burrow however remained silent, his mind on other matters.
Glancing backwards through the crowd, he could just make out the house where Mr Growls had been placed for recovery. He could see no sign of Aphid around, something that only increased his worry.
‘She better not disturb him after what she did,’ Burrow frowned to himself. ‘She’s lucky that he didn’t wake up and smack her like he did to the Queen.’
He shook his head at the thought. While he agreed that yes, Mr Growls had begun to emit a rather strong odour and had become rather ragged-looking over the past week, Burrow did not endorse stripping him down and having the four harem members give him a bath while he slept. Legitimate points aside that both the biped and his clothing needed a good clean for health reasons if nothing else, Aphid’s curiosity and creepy enthusiasm with helping and directing the task had been quite disturbing.
Burrow doubted that Mr Growls would have been very happy to wake up in a soap-filled, almost comically under-sized equestrian bathtub with four drones and Aphid scrubbing him down while giggling constantly.
In fact, he wasn’t looking forward to the biped waking up and finding out that it had happened either. The makeshift bed-sheet covering would certainly be a major tip-off to a being that seemed very familiar with complicated clothes.
The crowd began to move off towards the town hall, eagerly chattering while the Queen led them to where the prisoners were being kept. Burrow decided that there were more important things than feeding at the current time, turning and weaving through the crowd as he made his way towards the house.
‘Besides, it’ll just be small scraps left by the time I even get to the Equestrians,’ he reasoned, knowing that Chrysalis would have the others drain the prisoners to a mere inch of their lives in her present mood. He wasn’t really feeling that hungry, anyway.
While he received a few stares along the way, news having spread of the pony nurse that he had been allowed to acquisition, no-one caused any issues. Those that had been part of the original group largely liked Mr Growls, and those that had arrived with Chrysalis were far too intimidated by the large queen-punching creature to openly question just why he and his carers received such privileges.
Reaching the heavy wooden door, Burrow pushed it open and trotted through into the main room. While it was certainly humble compared to the houses he’d seen in the Equestrian capitol, it certainly beat the small and shared unfurnished living quarters back at the Hive.
He immediately noticed the set of beds, noted that they were empty, and with a sinking heart realised that Mr Growls was staring at him from the couch by the wall.
‘Great, he woke up.’
“Hey there,” he awkwardly greeted, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof after shutting the door. “Um, now I know that you may be a little upset about your clothes…” Burrow trailed off and blinked as he noticed the broken ropes on the floor. “Where’s the pony?”
He spotted the nurse as soon as he had finished asking the question, a flash of red tail easily visible from behind the couch. Burrow narrowed his eyes and began to storm towards her with Mr Growls forgotten.
‘She chewed through the rope that fast? I knew I should have used phlegm!’ he fumed, darting round the side to come face-to-face with the nurse.
“Please!” she pleaded while sinking down and ducking her head. “Stay back!”
“You troublesome-!”
It was all of the reply he could muster, before something grabbed him around the back of the neck and pulled back. Burrow found himself jolted back, falling back onto his rump when his hooves failed him. He looked up with surprise, wide eyes meeting a very cross look.
“Graw!” Mr Growls ordered with force that Burrow had only seen from the Queen herself. “Grab grawab rawb!” A finger was pointed towards the cowering nurse, then to the rope on the floor. A glint caught his eye, Burrow noticing the knife that was resting upon the couch’s foreleg rest.
‘Oh…’ he figured it out, but Mr Growls wasn’t done.
“Graw, gaw rab rarg!” the biped brushed a hand down his bedsheet smock. “Greb rag rabba!” another point towards the nurse. “Gra, grung grenga rung!” With the last grunt, Mr Growls tapped his own head and glared. Burrow remained still, not willing to risk it.
Then, slowly the hand let go, Burrow getting back to his hooves with his ears folded back in shame.
“I… well I…”
Burrow’s explanation faltered, Mr Growls letting out a sigh soon after.
“Grawb.”
The hand came down again, but this time it rested gently upon his head. Burrow looked back up, Mr Growls staring off at the wall.
Evidently he had been somewhat forgiven.
It was not quite over yet, however. Burrow furrowed his eyes when Mr Growls muttered under his breath, and the nurse pony gave a gasp when she was pulled out from her hiding place by a hand.
“What are you…?”
She was forced to sit down a few hooves away, the pegasus freezing up while she stared at the changeling that was just in front of her. Burrow was equally confused, but before he was even unable to voice a question he found his left foreleg grabbed.
Mr Growls moved his hands so that Burrow’s forehoof made contact with the nurse’s, both equines flinching at the contact.
“Gra, grung ra.” Mr Growls announced with a nod, the pegasus shivering while she stared at the hoofshake.
“W-what does he want?”
“I…” Burrow paused. “I really don’t know.”
“You don’t?”
“You think I’d be doing this if I did?” he whispered back, forcing a smile up at Mr Growls. “I mean… yay, it’s so nice that we’re… getting along?” He tried to move his hoof away, but the biped fixed him with a pointed glare. Burrow quickly returned his hoof to the pony’s, the pegasus remaining in a confused state of stillness. “Okay, okay I’ll keep it here.”
‘What is he doing? Doesn’t he know that changelings and equestrians… oh, right. Still, you’d think he’d get the hint.’
“Can you let go now?” the nurse whispered, Burrow surprised that she had the courage to address Mr Growls directly.
“I guess it’s not that bad,” he cut in before a growled answer could be given. “At least he’s happy just making us have a hoofshake.”
‘Stuff that line, I’ve got a much better food source!’
Aphid merrily trotted down the street with a grin on her face and a swish in her tail, heading to a plain thatch-roofed house that was her main objective. The Queen’s speech had been rather interesting, although Aphid wasn’t too concerned about the plan to secure more food along with the conquest. After all, one big and huggable biped was more than enough for her.
‘He looks so adorable when he’s asleep,’ she recalled, smile growing wider.
She had taken it upon herself to get the biped and his clothes clean, having organised with the four drones and coordinating the process. It had been a most interesting experience, Mr Growls even stranger without the protective coverings. There were many answers she intended to get from him once he was awake, and hopefully Burrow would be called away for some other duty in the meantime.
After all, he hadn’t been pleased at all when he had returned from running an errand for the Queen to find an unclothed and freshly-bathed biped sleeping peacefully.
‘He worries too much,’ she thought while pushing open the house’s front door with a hoof. ‘I’m trustworthy.’
Aphid trotted in, her steps pausing and head tilting when she was met with an unexpected sight.
Mr Growls was up and awake, the biped lounging on the much-too-small couch that took up a fair amount of the small home’s main room. Squashed up beside him, looking very uncomfortable with the arrangement, was Burrow and the pegasus nurse. Aphid stared at the awkward pair, the two sitting together with no signs of restraints on the pony raising many questions.
“Grawba,” Mr Growls pointed towards her with a slight frown, Burrow and the pony looking right at her. Batting her eyes, Aphid shut the door and just decided to roll with it.
“Growly !” she greeted with a cheer. She rushed towards him with a smile, the biped quickly leaning back. It was no use; Aphid stood up and hugged him around the waist regardless. She took extra care to rest her body against his crotch, and smirked when she felt him flinch at the action. “You’re awake again and all better!”
“Gra…”
“I know, I know,” she replied to the hesitant stammer. “It was really tough work getting you all nice and clean, but it’s better now isn’t it?” She sprung up and landed in his lap, the biped’s eyes going wide. Aphid leaned forwards and whispered in his ear. “Don’t worry about the drones, I took it upon myself to wash that certain place that you are oh-so protective about…”
“Gr… Grawba?”
“Aphid!”
She turned her head to roll her eyes at Burrow, the other changeling still squashed up against the pegasus. “Oh calm down.”
“Calm down? Aphid, first you undress him and get the drones to wash him and his clothes, then you come back in here and start to tease him. Why do you have to do this all of the time?”
She blinked. “Well duh, it’s fun.”
“I can’t believe-“
“Plus we took his pants,” nodded Aphid sagely. “Now he can’t run away.”
“Oh Celestia, these changelings are insane,” the nurse whispered to herself while shivering.
“His pants?” Burrow stared at her. “Aphid, you are going to give them back.”
“I will, just relax.” She tilted her head at him, glancing pointedly towards the nurse. “Besides, it seems like I’ve trotted into something most unusual here.”
Burrow followed her gaze towards the nurse, the male soldier jolting when he realised what she was getting at.
“Mr Growls wasn’t happy about us tying up the pony and has been trying to get me to make friends with it. I don’t think he gets it at all.”
“Friends?” Aphid let out a laugh, the pegasus shrinking down in her spot. “With a pony? Ha! Growly, listen here,” she placed a foreleg over his shoulder, the biped still unmoving. “You see, ponies are just food for changelings. Kind of like you, except that you’re more than twice as large as a changeling and scare most of the others.” She paused to nuzzle him. “But me and Burrow know that you’re just a big softie.”
“Aphid, you know he can’t understand you-“
“Shh! Quiet Burrow, I’m talking!” she smiled back up at Mr Growls. “Well, you’re also lucky enough to be friends with me as well. Anyway, this pony here,” she pointed a hoof at the nurse. “Is just a walking bag of love and happiness, granted a pretty cute one.” Aphid paused again to wink at the mare, the pegasus admittedly not looking too happy or loving at the moment as she winced at every word. “Now I guess she’s here to help us look after you, so now she’s your personal pony. Kind of a waste really, since you don’t feed on emotions and all.”
A thought popped into her head, and Aphid glanced at Burrow. “Talking about food, have you fed him yet?”
“I haven’t gotten the chance. I’ve been stuck here on the couch since I got back from the Queen’s address.”
Aphid sighed and made a point to roll her eyes once more. “Great. If you want something done right, do it yourself.” With that, she pointed with a hoof towards the pegasus. “You, Pony, you know about solid food. Make him a sandwich.”
The nurse flinched but quickly nodded, her hooves hitting the wooden floor while she hurried towards the house’s kitchen.
“Ragrawb?”
“Hush,” Aphid murmured, leaning back with a content sigh against his bedsheeted chest. “We’ll get you your clothes back after the pony has made you some food.”
“Uh… please don’t get mad,” the pegasus meekly said from the kitchen, Aphid glancing over with a frown. The pony flinched under her gaze. “But what does he… um, eat?”
“Well, berries and meat-“
“Aphid!”
She stopped at Burrow’s interruption, her comrade frowning and gesturing back at the pony. Looking over, Aphid could see the pale equine quivering on her legs.
“What? Ponies are naturally skittish and she’s been acting like that since you captured her.”
He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, and he raised a forehoof up. “Just stop, I’ll handle this.” Turning to the pony, Burrow sighed. “Look, he’s not going to eat you or any other pony. Just… make him something that you would eat and I’m sure that will be fine.”
“O-okay, I’ll t-try.”
The mare got to work, Aphid huffing when Burrow shot her a smug look.
“Softie,” she grunted, crossing her forelegs and leaning back further into her living pillow.
Daniel grimaced as he withdrew the last piece of hay from the sandwich, the pegasus sitting opposite him having lowered her head. The two bug-horses sitting on either side of her were watching him with curiosity, and he was still keeping a close eye on the female one while he attempted to eat.
Taking a final glance inside of his sandwich and ignoring the pile of hay that had been placed back on the plate, he only saw a slice of cheese, mashed egg, and lettuce. Deciding that it was now fine to eat, he took a single hesitant bite.
It was as expected from an egg-salad sandwich, Daniel chewing with a neutral expression. While it wasn’t the best sandwich he’d ever had, it wasn’t like he could blame the small colourful horse given the current circumstances.
“It’s decent,” he admitted, pausing to glance at the depressed pony. “Thanks, uh… flying-pony.”
The mare looked up but didn’t say anything, Daniel pausing when he noticed her eye the sandwich mournfully.
‘Hang on,’ he wondered with glances towards the bug-horses. ‘Have they not fed her anything?’
Glancing down at the sandwich and figuring that he wasn’t really losing much, he carefully tore off the bottom half of it and held the morsel out towards her. “Here, you did make it after all.”
This time there was no hesitation from the pony, the small horse leaning forwards and reaching out with her wings.
Daniel stared while the feathered appendages took the offered half from his hand, the pony using them almost like hands as she pulled the sandwich back and mumbled a soft neigh. Then she began to eat, taking petite and cautious bites with her eyes staring straight down at the floor.
‘Well, it’s some improvement,’ he figured, finishing off his own half before fixing the pair of bug horses with a stare.
“Now,” he asked, pointing at the both of them so he had their full attention.
“Which one of you took my pants?”
“Typical.”
Burrow muttered to himself while he trotted down the sparsely populated street, many of his fellow changelings ducking in and out of houses with glee as they looted the rare comforts of equestrian society.
Torn between not trusting Aphid with Mr Growls and the pony, and sending her out on the important errand, he had been overridden by her higher status and sent out himself to retrieve the missing clothes. Burrow could only hope that the biped would be able to fend her off, a hurry in his trots as he acknowledged that Aphid would have no qualms about inappropriate harassment.
He spied his destination, a two-story thatched-roof house sitting at the end of the dirt street. The front door was ajar and nothing was heard from inside, Burrow moving towards it with a slight frown.
The four harem drones were usually rather loud.
Upon getting closer, he slowed his steps and cocked an ear when he heard muttered whispers.
“…you do?”
“For the fourth time Muddle, nothing!”
The sharp hiss was followed up by a clatter.
“You must have done something.”
“Or maybe you did Cypher, you were the one who put them near the fire to dry!”
“Don’t blame me, they were fine when I looked at them!”
Burrow pushed open the door and trotted inside, the four drones whirling around to face him with wide eyes.
A fire was blazing behind them in the house’s fireplace, pictures of ponies hanging above it on the wall while the large windows let in ample sunlight. The four drones had bunched up, suspiciously placing themselves as a sort of barrier that blocked his view.
“I’ve come to collect Mr Growls’ clothes,” Burrow informed, gazing at all of them. “What’s going on?”
“His c-clothes?” Mirror stammered, glancing towards her fellows. “Ah… they’re still drying.”
“Yes, drying,” Muddle nodded with the others following suite.
“Besides, that sheet is so slimming on him,” added Cypher. “Very nice.”
“I sewed it up myself,” smiled Meddle, taking a step forwards. “So we’re sorry sir, but it’d be such a shame to give him wet clothes back. Come back in a few hours, and I’m sure it will be all ready for him.”
Burrow wasn’t convinced.
“It’s be a whole night and morning,” he pressed. “They would be more than dry now. Hurry up and hoof them over, I left Aphid alone with him and you know what she’s like.” He moved forwards, not missing the way the drones stepped back with panicked steps. “Move aside.”
The drone in front of him, Meddle, glanced back towards the others. Then, she refaced him with a strained smile.
“Well sure, we’ll give them to you.” Burrow jolted when she moved towards him and gave him a small peck on the cheek. “But first… well, surely you’re not opposed to lending me a few minutes of your time. A simple drone like me just can’t resist a big, strong soldier like yourself.” A hoof caressed his side, Burrow holding his tongue while his face heated up. Meddle leaned in to whisper in his ear. “While these three are finishing up, why don’t you and I head upstairs and test out one of these pony beds?”
“I’m not sure that’s a good-“
“Nonsense,” Meddle cut him off, pressing against him and herding him towards the stairs. “After all, if I’m in the harem then I better demonstrate that I’m suited for the job. You’re next in line in the command chain, so who better to judge my… work ethic.”
Burrow didn’t know what to say, the suggestion an admittedly temping one. It had been a while, and his changeling instincts were urging him to go along with her plan. He found himself breathing heavily while she stared into his eyes, while his heart pounded in his chest.
‘I can’t.’
“No.” He gathered himself and ceased backing up, Meddle leaning back in surprise at his reaction. He didn’t give her a chance to work her female ways on him any longer, quickly sidestepping her and moving back towards the fireplace. “The offer is tempting, but my friend needs me back.”
“Wait, I-“
“Meddle,” he stated forcefully. “No more excuses, don’t think I don’t know what you were trying to do. Drones, hoof over the clothes now.”
“But we…”
“See it’s like this Burrow…”
“Oh, what’s the point?”
Everyone stopped when Muddle groaned, the drone shaking her head. “Look, he’s going to find out anyway. If it’s not Burrow, then it’s going to be Aphid. We tried.”
‘Uh oh…’
“Look, Burrow sir,” she continued while sitting down. “It wasn’t our fault, alright? All we did,” she waved her forelegs in the air. “Was wash the clothes in a tub and hung them up to dry. We used a small amount of pony cleaning stuff and brushes, that’s all. How were we to know what would happen?”
He stared at them, all of the drones lowering their heads.
“What. Did. You. Do?”
“Girls, show him,” Meddle sighed.
Burrow stared as the drones parted, revealing a small wooden table that had been placed next to the fire. On it sat a few pieces of cloth, Burrow’s mouth falling open when he realised what they were.
Mr Growls’ clothing had been, for lack of a better expression, shrunken down to a point where even a massive burst of weight loss provided no hope of him even fitting into them again. The pants were small enough that he doubted even he would be able to wear them, the shirt was now about the size of a tea towel, and the undergarments looked more like a small patch of coloured fabric.
In other words, it appeared that bedsheet mutilation was going to become a lot more common.
“What…?” he began. “How…? I just… shrunken…”
“We just washed them,” Muddle explained. “Honest, that’s all that we did.”
Burrow trotted towards the table, lifting the ruined pants up with a hoof as he stared at the horrifying aftermath. “Why did they shrink?”
“We don’t know!” Mirror wailed all of a sudden, burying her face in her forehooves. “We just don’t know!”
“Okay, calm down.” Burrow let the pants drop back down, his head spinning. “We can deal with this, there’s no need to panic.”
“Yeah… he’s right,” Cypher agreed with a deep breath, the others looking up and ceasing their panicking. “Mr Growls likes us after all, and it’s not like losing some clothes is the worst thing to happen. Also, it’s not like he’ll blame all of us for one teeny, tiny accident… right?”
Burrow had frozen up, a chill running down his back. Cypher noticed, her resolve wavering.
“…Right?”
“Rawg, graw…”
Scarlet continued to stare at the scene playing out in front of her, unsure of whether she should intervene or not.
“Oh come on Growly, just a little kiss.”
The changeling that had been left to guard her was currently sitting on the very uncomfortable-looking biped’s lap, her forelegs on his shoulders while her wings fluttered occasionally.
“Grawb!” the creature shook his head, frowning down at the changeling named ‘Aphid’.
“Pleeeease?”
“Grawb.”
Another shake of the head, rather futile considering the changeling’s continued ignoring of it.
It was strange, Scarlet examining the two on the couch while she sat. While scary, the big creature the changelings called ‘Mr Growls’ had so far been pretty nice to her, at least far nicer than the changelings had been. She recalled her attempt to escape the house and town, particularly how he made no attempt to stop her. Was he also a prisoner of the evil shapeshifters?
Scarlet doubted it as soon as the thought emerged, noting the way Mr Growls gently pushed away Aphid’s head when she tried to lean in and kiss him.
‘He could easily escape from them,’ she thought. ‘And he’s far too nice to them.’
It was confusing, from what she had heard changelings were wicked and evil. Heartless creatures that captured ponies for food weren’t supposed to be nice to other creatures. Even the way the other changeling in charge, Burrow, talked to Mr Growls was odd.
‘Maybe he’s their pet?’ Scarlet wondered, right as Aphid laughed and launched another assault on the creature in question. ‘Ponies have dogs and cats, so do changelings have big things that walk on two legs?’ The closet creature she could think of was minotaurs, but she didn’t know much about them as the only ones she had seen were during her trip to Manehattan. ‘But he acts a bit like a pony, not like a pet.’
She gave up trying to puzzle it out and instead sighed and laid down. Resting her head on her forelegs, she watched while Mr Growls finally got fed up and pushed Aphid over onto her side.
“Oh, someone likes it rough,” the changeling teased with a giggle. "I sure know that I do."
Scarlet tried her hardest to ignore every innuendo the lewd creature made. ‘I guess the important thing is that he seems to like me,’ she supposed. The examples were many, such as the cutting of her bonds and the sandwich-sharing. ‘Maybe he’ll even help me to escape, when they let their guard down.’
The only thing to do was to wait and hope that she’d avoid irritating her captors, until an opportunity presented itself.
Any further thoughts on the matter were put on hold as the door opened. She lifted her head to see five changelings trot in, one with a brown sack on its back. The one at the front was slightly larger, and after a quick glance at the underside she identified it as a male. Scarlet assumed that it was Burrow, a guess that was confirmed when he sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Aphid, what are you doing?”
The changeling in question was currently on her back, legs splayed while she grinned up at the biped. Scarlet noted that Mr Growls was pointedly diverting his gaze away, even as Aphid prodded his bare leg with a hind hoof. “Nothing, just trying to cheer him up.”
Scarlet highly doubted that it was either the real reason or an actual solution.
“Yeah, well he’s not going to be much happier after this.”
That caught Scarlet’s attention, her right ear cocking. Looking over her captors, she realised that despite their weird appearance, the four females behind Burrow seemed to be far from comfortable. They kept on glancing towards the sack, a nervous energy filling the room.
“What did they do?” Aphid huffed, before she sat up hurriedly when Burrow approached.
The male changeling placed his hoof upon the biped’s knee, Burrow swallowing a lump in his throat before looking up.
“Now, don’t be mad. They were only helping and to be honest no-one has any clue how it happened. Just… please don’t be mad.” The last sentence was a bare whisper, Burrow glancing back at the four females. “Drones, empty the sack and show him.”
“I do not fear the creature, Scuttle. He is but a gnat compared to my power.”
Chrysalis frowned while she approached the house holding the biped, her dependable commander by her side. Sometimes she wished that he’d give her an excuse to be rid of him, with his annoying habit of using being right about things when arguing with her.
“He did manage to knock you out, my Queen,” Scuttle replied with a much heavier buzz than usual for a changeling. “The fact that he achieved that is a worry in itself. Confronting him is unwise if we do not yet know the full extent of his abilities.”
Chrysalis’ glare hardened.
“I don’t care,” she growled while the distance to the house was reduced. “He is not keeping a vital bit of food to himself, for whatever reason. Ponies are for draining, only I am permitted to use them for my desires.”
“I do believe that the pegasus was taken because she is a medical nurse,” Scuttle informed without a hint of hesitation. “When you think about it, it makes a fair amount of sense. A pony nurse would be far more suited to diagnosing problems with a solid food-eater and it means we do not need to waste a changeling nurse on him. The payoff is more than worth it.”
“Stow your tongue!”
She hated having to resort to that order with Scuttle, as it tended to mean that she was unable to come up with any logical counter-arguments.
He did as asked, and offered no more complaint as she reached out a hoof to push open the door.
“Nothing will change my mind, we will confront the beast and he will bow to my whim!"
Chrysalis was prepared for anything, a confident smirk on her face while she pushed open the door...
Only to jump back in fright at the roar of sheer rage that came from within the pony house.
"Ragarawga! Grawbra gunt!"
There was a crash as a wooden chair shattered the window and flew out to land in the street, surrounded by shards of broken glass. It was followed up with a wooden coffee table, Chrysalis and Scuttle backing away slowly while it continued to rain furniture.
"Perhaps... another time," Chrysalis decided, Scuttle nodding in agreement while not making any comment regarding the earlier 'Nothing will change my mind'.
"A wise choice, my Queen."