Chapter Seventeen
Spike just wanted to read his comic in peace. That wasn’t too big a thing to ask for, right? A library was a perfect place to get quiet, right?! Wrong!
He had the newest edition of Power Ponies. It was going to be this epic showdown of Power Ponies against Mane-iac! She was going to trick ponies into having the same accident as she did, so she could have a powerful mane wielding army! It was supposed to be the best issue yet!
Only problem was that Twilight was making a ton of racket in the basement. Spike couldn’t focus when every couple minutes Twilight’s wings popped open then knocked something down. Or a spell misfired.
So Spike decided to go someplace quiet. Sugarcube Corner was out for obvious reasons. Carousel Boutique too, he’d only focus on Rarity. Spike should really consider getting a pair of headphones from Morgan’s world. He ended up choosing Whitetail Woods.
He searched it for maybe twenty minutes to find a clearing. Ponies weren’t going to have the Running of the Leaves for another two weeks. Spike walked for some twenty minutes to find a clearing. It was a little close to a cliff, but that wasn’t what made Spike nervous.
It was the pony there already.
Thorax laughed at the comic book in his hooves. He’d been bored today, and the past month. He had noticed it a month ago, when he came by her house for a date. Thorax felt her grief like a pony feels a hurricane. Raspberry had been going through something personal. He’d tried asking her, but she always told him she was fine.
He made a stop by the bookstore. Raspberry’s house was usually filled with at least twenty books at a time, so he figured she’d like a book to pick her spirits up. Thorax thought going to the library would mean seeing Twilight, who he was naturally averse to seeing again.
Thorax ended up buying himself a comic, a new book of his favorite hero; Captain Equestria.
He went to Whitetail Woods, because who else would go to Whitetail Woods before the Running of the Leaves? He took of his disguise and got to reading.
That was an hour ago.
“I’d like to see Pierce talk his way out of that! Take him down Bucky!” He shouted.‘My Queen, Bucky is awesome.’
Spike blinked again. “Changeling!”
“Huh?” He looked up, seeing Spike holding a comic book but a terrified look on his face. Thorax looked down at his pegasus-OH SHIT RIGHT! HE WASN’T DISGUISED! “Ah!”
“Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changeling!” Spoke screamed again.
Thorax just stared. This was when they said something sarcastic or witty, right? He’d seen Bucky do it a couple times. Before the changeling could say anything, Spike dashed away.
“No, wait! Come back!”
Spike screamed louder.
Thorax grunted. He had to go after the little guy now. Especially because Spike was running blindly towards a cliff face.
The changeling leapt into action just as Spike tipped over the edge. He caught the dragon by the tail. He spent so much time as a Pegasus he had forgotten that he could’ve used magic.
‘Instead I have to worry about biting him with my fangs. Good job, Rax.’
The dragon looked up at Thorax, surprise on his face. “This is unexpected.”
Thorax lowered Spike on safer ground. “The woods are pretty messed up.” Thorax stated. He would be using a lot of mouthwash tonight. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
And now Spike would run back to Princess Twilight, who would tell everypony there was a changeling, and then Starry would be asked to hunt him down and Thorax would be thrown out of town, best case scenario.
He didn’t, though. The small dragon just looked at his accidentally savior in confusion. “You...saved me?”
It wouldn’t last long, Thorax knew. Spike would turn tail and tell everyone there was an idiot changeling in Whitetail Woods. Why wouldn’t he? They weren’t friends. They hadn’t even met before today.
“It’s okay. I know you don’t wanna be friends.” Thorax sighed, accepting his fate. He started flying back towards Ponyville, wondering if Starry would take his comic. It might cheer her up, except for when she remembers her changeling coltfriend gave it to her.
“Wait!” Spike shouted. Thorax paused, hovering in the air. Did Spike want credit for his capture? It was the least the changeling could do, after nearly getting him killed. “I don’t understand. Changelings are supposed to be evil... right?”
“Evil?” It was a kind of harsh word, though Thorax could understand the assumption. “Oh, not me. All I’ve ever wanted is a friend.” Thorax explained.
Now though, Thorax could say he had a marefriend. Did that count?
“From the moment I first split my egg in the nursery hive.” He could still remember his brother, Carapace, hissing in his face. He shuddered.
Spike was listening attentively. He knew he should be telling everypony about the changeling, especially Twilight. There was a part of Spike that said listen. Thorax did save his life, he owed him.
“I was part of the attack on Canterlot during the royal wedding, but I was supposed to attack Raspberry Stardust.”
His Mother had told him and his brothers to attack her without mercy.
“She was willing to die for you all, and for Lilac. I’d never seen true love like that!”
He could still remember being blinded by how brightly she showed loved. Thorax later wondered if his brothers had seen it, but knew better than to ask them. Raspberry was willing to tear them all apart for her friends, for Lilac more than anypony.
“And I couldn’t just steal it and feed on its love. I wanted to share it! She kicked out my tooth for my trouble.”
It took Thorax three weeks to grow it back. Yeah, changeling could regrow teeth. Not everything about them is scary!
“After that, I knew I couldn’t live with my kind anymore.” Thorax sighed. It had been easier than he thought to leave the Hive, nopony guarded any of the many holes in the walls. “I set off looking for Raspberry, but...”
“But...what?” Spike asked.
“But I can’t tell her I’m a changeling!” Thorax shouted. “She’ll get the wrong idea. She already thinks I’m a pegasus, especially because she met my hue-man self. It’s drivin’ me crazy!”
He changed into Bumblebee, watching Spike’s eyes grow large. Spike recognized the stallion from his human self back at Canterlot High.
“You’re that guy!” Spike gasped. His expression turned deadpan. “Raspberry’s not going to like this.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Thorax asked, taking off the pegasus disguise. “Why would Raspberry Stardust would want to date a changeling?”
Spike, however, had another idea. He knew how happy Raspberry eventually was when Twilight knew about her powers. Raspberry liked being honest with them now, liked showing them the human world.
Besides, the human Bumblebee-err, Thorax, took it well. He accepted Raspberry for what was in her heart, and Spike had a hunch changeling Thorax would too.
“What if I told you there was a friend of Raspberry’s who could help you explain?” Spike tried, grinning knowingly.
Thorax frowned. “If only that were true.”
“It is!” The dragon shouted to lift Thorax’s spirit. “I mean, it’s me! I’m Spike, Raspberry’s friend!” Spike cheered.
Thorax blinked, then smiled. “Oh! But I was raised by an evil queen.” He stated. Spike winced. “I’m Thorax. I can’t believe you want to help me.”
“Why? Hasn’t anypony ever just been nice to you?” Spike asked.
Thorax hissed. “Uh! S-Sorry! Genuine kindness like that kind of brings it out.” He brushed his hoof over his muzzle. “I had to go undercover in another town to try and stop it. Can’t exactly hide that hissing thing from Raspberry Stardust.” He paused, taking a deep breath.
It had been Cicada’s idea. She explained to her idiot of a brother (her words, not his) that Raspberry Stardust, the Great Betrayer, is said to be smarter than Princess Celestia. Cicada advised (funny enough, the advice actually made Thorax hiss again) her brother to spend time in other pony towns to help him get over his nervous tick. He stayed in five pony towns for
He looked up at Spike, with his compact changeling eyes. “Do you still wanna be my friend?”
“Of course!” Spike cheered. “And I am one hundred percent sure Raspberry’s going to understand once you tell her everything.”
The note was laughing at me. Screw the fact that it was an inanimate object, I’ve seen Discord turn gravity off. Paper can laugh at you.
Tracy hadn’t noticed I took it. Shows how fucking great the Centre’s security is. Then again, it had been a month since I originally gave it to them. They hadn’t been able to find anything. If they did, they didn’t tell me about it.
Maybe they just gave the fuck up. They couldn’t have, though. Our birthday was in a week. How could I have our birthday without my twin sister? It just wasn’t right!
If I was following the note, I would have found the guy by now. His name, his address, his favorite color, his pet, and even what clothing brand he wore at his sixth grade play. Alright, that might be an exaggeration, I’m bad at colors. Why do you think Lilac chose the colors for our houses?
I was lying on my couch in Ponyville. The red couch felt too soft against my fur. Everything here just felt too soft, too cartoon. Killjoy had hated it here at first, now I was inclined to agree. There was some bright sides to Ponyville. Lilac and Cookie started school today. My friends, people that I knew actually believed in my work, were here. Cheerilee gave me the day off, to help Cookie transition to school life.
If I went Home, Mom would remind me that I was grounded. There was a large part of me that said I should just ignore her. It was logical, I was 199 and she was 35. I didn’t live in her house, I had two children of my own, I had a well paying job. Why was I still listening to my mother’s ridiculous groundings which I got by trying to save someone’s life!
...because deep down I still love Mom. I may have stopped living under her roof, but I still knew better than to just completely disregard her. She was family, even if she didn’t respect me I still owed it to her.
Besides. I’d already been grounded a month. It’ll be over before my birthday. There had only been three magic attacks since then. Mom couldn’t keep me grounded if I was actually getting better. It didn’t mean I liked it.
I let out a low sigh. It was just all hitting me at once. Mom didn’t trust me, we weren’t going to find Darcy before our birthday, and Cookie had gone off on her first day of school. Commence silent crying.
My front door swung open. Tilting my head over the couch just a tad, i saw Bumblebee standing in the doorway. He was slightly panicked, but was trying to play it off and be cool. He was muttering something under his breath that sounded vaguely like speak from the heart. There was a comic book under his wing.
Wow, I bet I looked gorgeous.
He noticed me on the couch, becoming even more flustered than when he asked me out. “What?” He asked, laughing nervously. “Stallion can’t come see his marefriend?”
I sniffled. “N-no. I-It’s fine.”
His panicked expression faded when he heard that.
My coltfriend trotted up to my side. He picked up a box of tissues that I had left , setting them by the couch.
Bee handed me another tissue. I wiped my tears with it, sniffling. “Thanks.”
“Where are the girls?” Bee asked, softly. He sat by me, reaching his hoof over mine.
I sniffled, smiling inwardly at the contact. “First day of school. Cheerilee said to take the day off. They’ll be out for another three hours...I think. They might go hang out with the Crusaders after.”
“Right. You told me that yesterday. Slipped my mind.” He looked over to a wall clock. “Aww. I kinda wanted to see Cookie again. That girl was so nice.”
I glanced at the comic book under his wing, blocked by his yellow feathers.
“The comics?” He acknowledged, using his wing to pull out a book I recognized as this worlds version of Captain America, Captain Equestria. “Yeah. Bit of a comics stallion, over here. I didn’t know that had a comic section at the bookstore, and I bought...too much. I met the dragon, Spike. We talked about...ya know, just boring guy stuff. He’s a fan of Thor. Good kid, good taste.”
I shrugged, just feeling numb. “More of an Iron Stallion fan myself.” I admitted flatly. It helped that in my Iron Man travel, he was family. I should really go back there sooner or later.
Bee blinked. “No way. You like Steel Stud, the Iron Stallion? Genius, billionaire, playcolt, philanthropist? Come on! Captain Equestria’s better than that.”
“Silver Charger’s good.” I added tiredly. I had at least remembered Steve’s name in Equestria. “I just like that Steel doesn’t take shit from anybody, and just does what he wants without being scared that everybody hates him.”
“Everybody?”
“Uh...everypony. Sorry. Long...month.” I sighed tiredly.
“Thought you’d like Black Widow.” Bee commented. “Gotta warn ya. She’s on my Would-Date-List. If I ever meet her.” He gave me a ‘you know’ look. “Things are going down.”
I smiled fondly. Natasha was nice, I met her when she was pretending to be the secretary. Not to mention she could kick my ass, and that’s not a compliment I hand out willy nilly. Darcy could beat me into next week...oh shit I’m thinking about her again...
“I like Loki.” I admitted. Bee’s response was to smirk. That was Darcy’s response too, and it was never good when we were talking about boys. Though I probably shouldn’t mention I’d met the Asgardian prince two years ago. “I ever see him, things are going down.” And they kinda did.
He snorted. “Did we just become that couple that copies each other’s sentences?”
I shrugged, resting my head on the couch. “Probably.” Sniffling, I used another few tissues. My sister promised me that if I ever met Loki, and she was around, she wouldn’t stop at anything to make sure I ‘got it on’ with him. She wasn’t there though, so all that happened was intimate eye contact and deep conversation. “Just...my sister loved Black Widow.”
“Ah.” Bumblebee scratched the back of his head. “The sister you don’t want, or even like, talking about.”
I grunted an affirmative. My eyes were getting misty.
“Uh...is...is there some anniversary thing-” Bumblebee cut himself off. “Birthday. Next week.” He sat on his haunches. “I’m an idiot.”
I grunted another affirmative, sniffling. The pain didn’t soften much, though my coltfriend’s ridiculous behavior was helping.
He snorted. “I deserved that. I am an idiot, forgetting my marefriend’s birthday. You’re gonna be 21 right?”
“You know what that means? Drinking all night at Frosty Mug! Fuck yeah! Come on Razzle, my boss is buying!”
“Y-Yeah.”
I hate GL.
“My sister was my best friend.” I admitted, wiping at my eyes. “I was bullied at school, all the time, since I first walked in. She...she was there, and it made me want to keep going. Being called a nothing, a weirdo, a...a freak...they hurt less when she was there.”
Bee kept close to me. He didn’t say anything, just waited. “The other kids called me the worst names, sometimes the teachers did too. Mom and Dad never noticed. My sister...Killjoy...she never made me feel less, and I made sure she never did either. I hung her artwork on the fridge, signed the report cards for her, Story I could say a bajillion other things I did for her.”
“And then that falls into my lap.” I sneered, feeling more sadness and anger rush through me. “The perfect way to get her back. And low and behold, when I track down the artifact all I have to show for it is that piece of crap.” I gestured to the note. “Just a stupid note with stupid taunts and just...stupidness.”
Bumblebee looked like he was about to ask about the note, until his face lit up with understanding.
“You love her.” Bee explained, sounding surreal. “She was your rock.” I nodded, feeling more years burning in my eyes. “Mine is too.”
“R-really?” I sniffled.
“Yeah.” Bee got this goofy grin on his face. “She’s the best little sister a guy could ask for. I haven’t seen her in a while, though. Things are weird back home.”
I sniffled, wiping at my nose. I looked up at him, wanting to hear him talk.
“Yeah.” Bee added, catching on. He sat on his haunches, hoof still on mine. “I mean, ever since I was born I knew I was different than the rest of them. Then there was this…event.” He looked at me meaningfully.
If I didn’t know better, and if this was a romance movie, I would think he was saying it was because of me.
Bee sighed, a content smile on his face. “I knew I wanted something bigger, so I ran from home and Mother to get it. When I told my sister why I was leaving, she was the only pony to ever understand what I was saying.”
“And not make it feel like she was laughing at you, or just pretending to get it.”
“Yeah!” Bee cheered. “She was totally on my side for it.”
“She always felt like the only one that would.”
“Duh.” “Hey. You’re doing that thing where you say out loud what I’m thinking, cause you’re thinking it too.”
“Hey. You’re doing that thing when you’re too smart for your own good.” I teased, still sniffling.
I could just say it. I could spit it all out right now. ‘I’m a princess from another dimension and I’m really this thing called a human and my name is Morgan. My sister was too, she died saving me from my own people. I love you and want to call you my boyfriend.’
He read comic books. He would understand it all, right? Not right now, as perfect a moment as this was, I couldn’t put all of this trouble on him. Plus, if Tracy got her hooks into him, I had no doubt he’d run away screaming.
“You should take a nap.” Bumblebee insisted, voice reassuring. “Like, really. I bet a little sleep would fix you right up.”
The idea sounded heavenly. “Yeah...I’d like that.” I lowered my head into my hooves. My eyes suddenly felt heavier than before. “Bee?”
“Yeah Star?” His hoof was still holding mine, though I didn’t pull away.
“...love you.” I yawned.
There was a pause before he kissed my cheek. “Love you too, Star.”
I was asleep as soon as I shut my eyes.
You had one job, idiot. You were supposed to tell everything! From the heart, like Spike said!
Thorax just looked lovingly at Raspberry.
She liked comics. She had a crush on Loki the Trickster god, who has been known to change forms at will. She would like Thorax, right?
He could just say it. He could spit it all out right now. She was asleep anyway. She wouldn’t really hear. It might help Thorax get a little boost to actually tell her.
“My name is Thorax.” He stated, checking to make sure she was still asleep. “I’m a changeling.” He kneeled down, brushing a lock of her blue mane from her muzzle. “And I know ponies think we can’t, but I think I-I know I love you.”
Thorax draped a pegasus wing over her, though he wanted to use his real wings. She smiled in her sleep, cuddling closer to him. Raspberry had only known him three weeks and she was cuddling with him.
He was going to break her heart, wasn’t he?
He felt himself starting to fall asleep. The couch was big enough for the two to sleep side by side, though it’d be a tight squeeze. Thorax quickly snuggled into Raspberry’s side, keeping a pegasus wing draped over her side. It was too late for him to stop his eyes from going dark.
The loud clap of the door hitting the wall woke my up. My head shot up to attention, quickly looking for whatever threat had come into my home...
...and realizing that Bumblebee had fallen asleep beside me, with his wing over my back.
Now, as an Equestrian guest, I wasn’t completely aware of pony customs. Though it didn’t take much effort to know that draping a wing on somepony’s back was probably a pretty big show of affection.
The yellow pegasus woke up too, though he was a bit groggier than I was. He seemed to noticed how close the two of us had gotten in our sleep, turning his head to look me in the eyes.
“Mama! Mister Bee! That is a couch, not a bed!” Cookie giggled from above us.
Though, I kept staring back at Bee. He was subtly asking if this was alright. I smiled back, answering by nuzzling his cheek with mine. His blushed a bit, which in my opinion made him even cuter.
It suddenly hit me as to why Cookie flying above me wasn’t a normal thing.
“Hold on, Cookie?” I looked up at my newest daughter. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at school!”
“It was a half day.” Lilac explained. “Remember? That’s why Cheerilee-”
“-wants me in tomorrow, because that’s when she needs all the help.” I sighed, dropping my face into the couch. “I remember that. Thank you, Princess.”
My girls giggled.
Bee kept his wing over me, talking to the girls. “Don’t half days usually end at like, noon? It’s three.”
We slept here for three hours? The thought made me blush, so I kept my face buried in the couch. Holy butterball turkey on a stick. I slept next to a guy for three hours. Dad is so gonna kill me when he finds out.
“The Crusaders wanted to meet at the clubhouse-”
“I’m a Cutiemark Crusader, Mama!” Cookie cheered, lowering herself onto my back. She hugged my neck, forcing my head up.
“Perfect dearIE!” I choked. It made Cookie laugh, hugging my neck tighter. My horn glowed, lifting the griffon up into the air. I took a deep breath, airway clear. While she giggled, I lowered her back onto the carpet.
My daughter buzzed around the living room. It had taken a lot of work the past month to remind her not to crash into the picture frames. That didn’t mean she
Bee chuckled beside me, wing holding me just a little tighter.
“Mom, why’s Mister Bumblebee on the couch with you?” Lilac asked, wary.
I blushed, trying to cover it up with anything. “Uh. I’m-He was-We were-uh.”
“Your mom needed a hug.” Bee explained. “So I hugged her.”
Lilac looked at him dryly. It softened after a moment. She was warming up to him, thankfully. Cookie, well she had zero warm up time. She leapt onto Bee’s back. The pegasus grunted, rolling off the couch and nearly taking me with him.
With a mischievous smile, I pushed his wing off my back. “Long live the queen.” I hissed dramatically as he fell.
My two daughters laughed loudly at the Lion King reference. Cookie had cried when she first saw the movie, until Timon and Pumbaa came onscreen. To be honest, I think Cookie just loved how excited Lilac had been when they came on.
Bee just groaned in annoyance. “Wow. I feel so betrayed right now.” He stood up with Cookie on his back.
Smiling softly, I turned to Lilac. “So, how was school and crusading?”
Lilac shrugged. “It was okay. Babs Seed sent us. One of the members of the Cutiemark Crusader Manehattan branch got his cutiemark!”
“Sweet.” I cheered, holding my hoof out to her. Lilac gave it a quick bump. “Bet the rest of you were eager to get cutiemarks after that”
Lilac shook her head. “Scootaloo wanted to try, especially because we brought Cookie into the Crusaders, but Sweetie Belle wanted to practice her magic for Twilight Time. Then that started us arguing about what Cookie would do at Twilight Time-”
Cookie lifted her claw. “I wanna play ball!” She cheered. She dashed off to the door, coming back with a small rubber ball. She threw it into the next room, chasing after it and flying back. “See?! I’m great at this game!” The griffon repeated the process, making her sister and I giggle.
“Is it supposed to do this?” Bumblebee suddenly asked in a panicked voice.
“What?” I turned to see the note glowing bright green in his hoof. “What happened?”
“I touched it, and it started doing that.” Bee defended himself.
He threw the note my direction. I caught it on my hoof, not wanting to risk using my magic on it. The green glow was still strong, a beacon almost.
What was happening? Did it seriously need Equestrian magic? I’d been here two days with it, why hadn’t it done anything? There wasn’t much time to think on it, all that was running through my head was that I had made more headway than Tracy and her stupid scientists. I knew if I had handled it then I would’ve done it faster.
“Mom?” Lilac asked.
“Mama, ball!” The griffon cub cheered, tossing the ball at me.
I caught the ball in magic, quickly tossing it away again.
“Gotta go to Twilight’s.” I mumbled, eyes locked onto the note in case of any change. “I’ll be back in time for dinner. Lilac, keep playing fetch with your sister. Bee, if we had a date tonight I’m gonna need a rain check.”
There. They were all sorted. I slipped the note under my wing, taking a mad run to the door.
“Mom, no wait!” Lilac called out.
I didn’t call back. This was a life or death emergency. There wasn’t any time. My sister needed me...cause something with Equestrian magic took her away. Something with bright green Equestrian magic, and I can only think of one species like that.
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Welp, after that ending, Bee's plans may have to be put on hold. Not much good would come of that right now. Also, I was reading when a realization hit me. During the wedding bit, Morgan was able to see through changeling disguises, but she never saw through Bumblebee's. I can't help but wonder what caused the difference there.
In any case, I'm SUPER hyped for next chapter! Keep up the great work and I hope you and your family are alright after the hurricane hit.
Best Wishes,
Knight.
7644516 I think I explained it in the Wedding chapter. Raspberry had been hit by changeling magic as a foal, accidentally letting her see through changeling disguises. Morgan inherited this when she became Raspberry.
In the wedding, Cadence and Shining's love shield blasted away all changeling/changeling magic. This included the magic letting Raspberry see through disguises. That's why she ended up in the infirmary just after, screaming about her eyes.
So, yeah. Sorry for any confusion.
7644702
Ah, thanks. I guess I just forgot. That's a common problem with fanfiction; you're reading so many stories with mostly the same characters that you forget the little details. Once this story is done I'll have to go back and reread it all again.
Still looking forward to next chapter. Someone's about to get a beat down!
Best Wishes,
Knight.
Oh wait, so if Thorax wasn't sent then who.... Well that's no good!
Seems the importer broke a few paragraphs here and there FYI.
Also, sorry for forgetting to read this, Chrome must have gobbled up the tab on accident.
Keep going! ;)