Seeking A Quiet Afternoon

by Tired Old Man

Ch. 2-2: A Mother's Child

---------------------------------Canterlot Castle------------------------------

Princess Celestia was pacing about the floor in her room. The prophecy Mender spoke troubled her. Chrysalis coming back to take her castle again, when she almost did so before? That was a scenario she would NOT repeat.

She had doubled, no, tripled the number of active guards posted within the castle's exterior walls. She had sent a letter to the Crystal Empire requesting that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence come to Canterlot immediately. Their barrier spells would be necessary to keep the changelings at bay, just as before. In the meantime, increased guard count would have to suffice until they can get here.

If this prophecy was true, and she had no doubt in it being a lie, then Canterlot would be facing a danger it was unprepared for last time. This would not be the same now.

It also helped that her sister Luna was here to assist in preparations. She doubled the active night guard without delay as soon as they entered Canterlot. Although her guard was smaller than Celestia's, their ferocity in battle would be most useful for the invasion that seemed inevitable.

Until Shining Armor and Princess Cadence arrived, Luna decided to put up a barrier herself. This barrier was a midnight blue in color, and enveloped the entirety of Canterlot in less than a minute. Being powered by an alicorn, its strength easily surpassed that of Shining's barrier. However, even an alicorn barrier paled in comparison to the joint barrier that both Shining and Cadence put up. Luna had only heard of it, but its power was undeniably strong, according to Tia. If such was the case, then if both came here, both Princesses had no doubt that the changeling attack would fail.

Celestia had also sent a letter to Twilight just after their arrival in Canterlot Castle a few days ago. She had asked that Mender be taken to Canterlot as soon as possible after he has recovered. The prophecy wants him present, so he must have some role to play here.

She could only hope that whatever Mender would do, it would be to save Canterlot...neigh, all of Equestria. Time was of the essence now, and they couldn't afford to wait for long.

------------------------------------------Mender's Home-----------------------------------------------

Fluttershy, at Mender's request, was asked to care of Crunch ever since he woke up from the hospital after Point attacked him. Mender initially expected to pay for such a service, but Fluttershy's fascination with the pet changeling was so monumentally large since she learned about it, she refused payment in favor of studying Crunch instead. Mender didn't object...though he did warn her that his bite's quite strong.

As she approached the old house, fear began to set in. She clenched her lip as her eyes noted the broken windows and the overall eerie feeling she got from the place. As scary as it was to her, she had an animal to tend to, and she'd braved the Everfree Forest. This should be no problem for her...she hoped.

She opened the front door. The creak it let out from the hinges caused her to "Eep!" in surprise, and she backed away a few steps. When nothing came out to jump at her, she took a deep breath and entered the house.

"Crunch?" she called out in a whisper.

The changeling didn't hop out like it did for Mender. Instead, she heard a whimper from the second floor. At that sound, her fear dissipated in an instant. She flew down the hallway and up the stairs.

Crunch was lying at the foot of the bed...but it was holding its forehooves over its head and whimpered again. Then it tried to run, its legs feebly kicking in the air.

Fluttershy realized that the changeling was having a nightmare...or at least it looked like one. Instinctively, she placed a hoof on Crunch's head and began to pet him softly. She didn't want to try anything else, lest the changeling decides to bite her...or worse.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crunch was running down a dark, green-lit hallway. The walls and the roof looked eroded, brimming with holes and holes and more holes.

The buzzing of bug wings filled his ears. He looked behind and saw a massive wave of changelings chasing him. The droning buzzing noise was so loud he couldn't hear his own heavy breathing, his heart pounding as he continued to run away from the mass of teeth and wings.

It would be futile. The changeling horde easily outpaced him, and in an instant he was surrounded. Buzzing and hissing became louder and louder in his ears as he felt hundreds, no thousands of eyes bearing down on him. Crunch feebly closed his eyes and curled up into a ball, a final escape

Then in an instant, the noise vanished. Crunch opened his eyes, and the changelings were all gone. There, now standing in the hallway, was a large changeling...but this one was different. It was a large female, roughly the size of an alicorn, albeit skinnier. She bore the same features as other changelings. Tattered wings, holes in the legs...but her eyes and facial features were more reminiscent of a pony's. Her eyes were a mix of emerald and bright lime green, and her horn was jagged in shape.

This changeling then did something that caused Crunch to shiver. She smiled, the tips of her fangs showing as Crunch began to hear a voice in his mind.

"My son, I've finally found you."

Son? What did she mean? Was she his...

Mother? The thought came out as a word he could voice in his mind.

"Yes, my son. I am your mother, your queen. I am Chrysalis."

Crunch took a step back. This wasn't right. Her voice was all too familiar...but he had someone else now. Someone who cared for him where she did not.

No! You're not my mother!

Chrysalis's smile faded, but she remained calm. "Son, I know this is difficult to understand. I have been looking for you for many years now...but now I've found you. I want you to know that Mother Chrysalis is coming for you, okay?"

Her voice was strangely soothing to him, but it still felt wrong. Being pacified by her words was something Crunch was NOT comfortable with. Again he resisted, and took a few more steps back.

Stop talking to me! You're NOT my mother!

Now she became angry. "INSOLENCE! What ill thoughts have entered your head to think I am not your mother?!"

The force of her thought was overpowering, and Crunch found it difficult to stand. At that moment, he felt a different kind of soothing feeling, and a light was glowing behind him in the hallway. He couldn't turn around to figure out what it was, but the look in his "mother's" eyes made it clear. Whatever was there, she was scared of it.

In this light, Crunch found his inner strength and stood tall, and proudly proclaimed...

"I already have a mother!"

The light behind him intensified, consuming the holey hallway and Chrysalis. Her scream was the last thing he heard before he woke.

And there in full view of his eyes was a yellow pony with long, pink locks of mane hair.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy was relieved to see that Crunch was alright. Whatever happened in that nightmare was something he triumphed over as she noticed him smiling.

What she didn't expect was his horn touching her forehead soon after he woke up, and suddenly she could hear his thoughts as his horn glowed a light blue-green, matching his eyes.

"You're the nice animal loving pony!"

Fluttershy's surprise couldn't be any larger. The changeling was talking to her, even if it's through thoughts.

"How...how can you talk to me?"

"I dunno, it's just something I learned from the dream I just had! It was a bad dream, too. Some nasty old ladybug tried to tell me she was my mother!"

Fluttershy's shock was now replaced with concern. If that "ladybug" was who she thought it was...

"But then I told her she WASN'T my mother, and this warm, soothing light came behind me and sent her away!"

"She...wasn't your mother?" Now Fluttershy was confused. "So then...who is?"

"The pony that's as nice to me as you are!"

Fluttershy thought about that for a moment...and realized Crunch was talking about Mender. She had to suppress a giggle before asking Crunch for confirmation.

"You mean Mender, don't you?"

"Is that her name? It IS! I know mama's name! Mama Mender! Mama Mender!"

Fluttershy weakly smiled, trying her hardest not to laugh now. However, she now had a dilemma.

She had to now consider whether or not to tell Crunch the truth about-

"Crunch? Is that what that noise is that she uses to call me? Is that my name? Oh boy! I LIKE that name! Did Mama Mender come up with that name?"

Fluttershy blinked, then pushed Crunch away so that his horn was no longer in contact with her head. As soon as she did so, she no longer felt his presence in her mind. She could now guess that he could read thoughts using his horn like that, even if she didn't want him to.

But back to her dilemma. Fluttershy now had to consider the option of telling Crunch that Chrysalis was really his mother while Mender was his adoptive father...for lack of a better term. Crunch seemed so adamant about believing that the changeling queen wasn't his mother...and was there any harm in thinking that? Fluttershy didn't think so...but what about Mender?

It would harm Mender for certain...but it sounded like a much better alternative than admitting to Crunch that Chrysalis was indeed his mother. A little white lie this would be then, just for his safety. She touched her head to his horn again.

"Yes...Mama Mender gave you that name. Mender cares for you so much, you know."

"I know! Mama feeds me those round things that taste so delicious and sweet!"

It was at this point that Fluttershy realized that Crunch really didn't know much about the world around him. The poor thing, he couldn't sound more lost and confused if he tried. That must have been why he ran as soon as Opalescence attacked him...though that was more understandable for more obvious reasons than this.

"You seem to trust Mender so much...but you don't know what you've been fed?"

This gave the changeling a moment of pause...then he smiled widely. It was a smile of blissful ignorance. "Nope! I don't need to know what it is to know that it's tasty!"

Fluttershy smiled, and pet Crunch a few more times. He purred. Dear Celestia, that's cute.

She didn't want to distract herself too much, however. This changeling should have some common knowledge of the world...and if Mender would allow it, she could teach Crunch like she had her many other animal friends.

"Well then, how about I get you one of those apples then?"

"is that what they're called? Apples? I like the sound of that!"

Fluttershy giggled, and removed her head from his horn. She beckoned for him to follow, and he giddily pranced after her as they made their way down the stairs for a delightful lunch. Mender had given her permission to use his food for their meals. He complained he had too much anyway.

------------------------------Ponyville Medical----------------------------------

Nurse Redheart was making her rounds in the hospital just as she was passing by Mender's room. She stopped, and looked through the small window to see him sleeping, as usual.

Ordinarily, she would let him rest, but something she heard back at that interrogation a few days ago bothered her, and it wasn't the prophecy Mender spoke.

She opened the door and walked inside. She stopped near the bed and looked him over. She realized this was the first time she saw him in this bed without him having sustained any serious physical injuries. Something in the back of her mind told her this would probably be the last time too, considering his track record so far.

She gently nudged him a few times with a forehoof to wake him. He turned his head and looked over her with glossy eyes.

"N...Nurse Redheart?"

She responded with a slap.

"OW! What the buck was that for?!" Mender yelled, placing a hoof over his cheek.

Her face remained surprisingly calm and collected, but her tone was angry. "How many times am I going to see you this hospital bed, Mender?"

"I don't know...but if that's how you're going to greet me every time I come here, maybe I should ask to be transferred to another hospital! Gah, son of a buck, that hurt!"

"There's no other hospitals around for miles, Mender. You know that."

He did know that. Still, his cheek stung like it was burned by the fires of Tartarus. He wasn't sure he wanted that again. Scratch that, he definitely didn't want that again. Earth ponies knew how to hit, and she might hit harder next time. He gulped at the thought.

"I know, I know...and I'm sorry. I'll try to cut down on my patient visits here, but I can't help it if I get seriously injured protecting my pet or suddenly become possessed by some mad prophet pony."

At this, Nurse Redheart tensed slightly, her tone less angry than before. "Actually...that's the reason why I came here, Mender."

"What? Come to talk to me about my mad prophecy? It's fine, Twilight came in here earlier and told me about it. I'll be going to Canterlot as soon as I recover here, which looks like it'll be tomorrow."

"NOT that." Her slight yell made him stop whatever he was going to say next. "It's about your pet."

"...oh, OH! Right, you haven't heard yet, have you? I kinda...let that slip in there, didn't I?" Mender sighed. "Well, I guess there's no denying it now. Yes, I own a pet changeling."

He couldn't tell whether or not Redheart was shocked by this, but she asked what he thought was an odd question. "Why a pet changeling?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"Changelings have been considered a threat ever since the wedding in Canterlot. Why did you take this one in as a pet?"

Mender took a small breath before speaking. He dreaded having to tell this explanation over and over again, but she deserved it.

"I had heard news of the wedding at the time, but not of the changelings that attacked there. I didn't even know what a changeling was at the time, either. I was busy traveling to Ponyville, and didn't have time to catch up on recent events. I found my house here, and there a young creature resided. I treated it well, despite how fearsome it looked, and it decided not to kill me. I was thankful for that. Things went...well, you know. After I recovered from the filly attack, Fluttershy told me that it was a changeling I was harboring within my home...and by that point, I didn't care what it was anyway. It was friendly to me, and that's all that mattered then. That's all that matters now."

"However, I understand that this town still bears some ill will towards changelings, which is why I want news of this to be gagged until I figure out a way to better incorporate him into the town. I don't really know when or how this will happen (I've got ideas, but they may not pan out,) but I've been able to convince Princess Twilight and her friends...not to mention Princesses Celestia and Luna, that I can prove them all wrong in that all changelings are evil. If necessary, I'll prove this to you, too. Until then, I want news of his existence here to be kept on the down-low."

Redheart looked to be deep in thought for a while...then smiled, though she still showed concern. "Mender, I trust your judgment in this...I just hope it's the right one. Also, your secret's safe with me. Doctor-Patient confidentiality, remember?"

"But you're a nurse."

"Nurse-Patient confidentiality then."

"I'm not sure that's an actual thing...but it's good enough for me." Mender chuckled, then winced when his cheek burned again.

Redheart shared his chuckle. "Alright...but if I may ask, what's your business in Canterlot so soon after your recovery?"

"Like I said, it's about the prophecy. Princess Celestia wants me in Canterlot to further discuss any plans as to the first threat I mentioned in it. I currently have no reason to refuse...even though I want to badly. Thus, I'm taking the train tomorrow to go there as soon as I am recovered."

At this, Redheart winced. "Mender, if you get hurt out there, how are you going to get yourself fixed up?"

"I'm a medic. The first rule to being a medic is Survival. Keep yourself alive in order to keep others alive. Don't take risks to save lives if you don't have to. You're no good to others if you end up dying yourself. Martyrdom is highly discouraged. That last part I added in for myself."

"In any case, I definitely don't plan on being as lax there as I am here. Once I'm in Canterlot, I'll be serious and on my guard at all times. I won't die, Nurse Redheart. I can promise you that...but I won't promise I won't get hurt."

"I'm going to slap you again if I find you here in this hospital bed, you know." Her eyes narrowed.

"And I'll probably have suffered worse by then, so by all means, hit me if you wish. Just...maybe a few days after I've recovered from the worst of it, alright?" Mender grinned carefully so as to not cause his cheek any more pain.

"No promises there, either." Redheart smirked, then left the room. Mender understood, he had distracted her from her duties long enough.

As Nurse Redheart left the room, she spotted three fillies outside the door. The Crusaders were talking amongst themselves, and giggling in between sentences. Redheart knew they were up to something. They were always up to something that usually ended up with one or more of them in this hospital. She sighed, knowing she could do little to stop them from whatever they were planning anyway. She quietly reminded herself to order more bandages and braces this afternoon.

Author's Note:

Hahaha haaaaa haha...Hiya Folks. Old Man here.

Oh Celestia! This is going to suck for Mender when Fluttershy tells him about his pet's perception of him.

I don't even care about what those Crusaders are planning. I'm just thinking about that moment when Mender's told about what happened, and I'm imagining what his face will look like.

...BAHAHAHA!

That's all. I have nothing else to say. I can't say anything, or I'll laugh again.

Comments

[Aquanova]

Y'know what?
That authors note is more or less my exact thoughts on this chapter.
So that's my comment for this chapter, but with the added: HOLY SH** CRUNCH CAN SPEAK?!, and of course: there's the questioning of a changeling I've been waiting for.
Although I do find it slightly odd that fluttershy didn't even try to correct mender's gender (hah, that rhymes).
Anyway as always nice job with the story so far and looking forward to more.

[Tired Old Man]

3716381
Well, Fluttershy could have corrected that, but then she'd be caught in a tight spot. If she explained that Mender was his father, Crunch would certainly ask who his mother was out of blind curiosity.

I'm not sure if Fluttershy would be that well-prepared to answer such a question at that moment, especially considering that the real mother is the one Crunch adamantly denied in his dream.

Thus, a little white lie was born for Crunch's protection. Hopefully Mender will understand.

...scratch that, he'll be pissed. And I'm still laughing.

[Aquanova]

3719498
I suppose that makes sense, but now mender is thought to be a female, and crunch will probably want to know who his father is. So while its probably the best that could be done for crunch it still rises those two problems.

[Tired Old Man]

3721691

The six did share their stories before he arrived in town, but Mender didn't know that. He simply added on that the story he was giving also covered his cutie mark. He had no reason to think that would garner such a reaction from the Crusaders as it did.