The Changing Heart

by TheChaosMage

Chapter 7: The Canterlot Surprise

Chapter 7: The Canterlot Surprise

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“What the-!” Lynx said as he was immediately taken to the floor, “Para, is that you?”

“The one and only” She giggled climbing off him, “You have no idea how good it feels to see you after so long.”

“It’s only been a few days Para, we saw each other at the siege of Canterlot remember?”

“That was before we all got mutated.” Her gaze shifted to Dox, “Have you not told him about the Canterlot Condition yet? It’s very important.”

Dox rolled his eyes, “Yes I was getting to that before you so rudely- Lynx, pony form, now.” He commanded as he turned into his ash grey pegasus from, and lynx stood taking his form as well.

The guard hovered down and landed in front of the Golden Elixir intending to investigate the green flashes. Knocking on the glass door he waited for some pony to answer.

Neon’s head turned upon hearing a knock at the door. Sighing departed his room and stepped into the hallway, only to hear the voices from Lucky’s room. Doing some investigating of his own he spotted the two other ponies in his employee’s room, “Um Lucky?”

“I can explain, this is-”

“Thunder Trot, and my sister Moon Spark. Lucky here is our brother.” Dox answered quickly to throw off suspicion

“Really? Lucky never mentioned family.” Neon asked raising a brow.

“Yeah sorry about that Neon, to be honest I didn’t even expect them to be here in Canterlot.” Lucky said stroking the back of his mane, “I hope my family didn’t wake you?”

“No, no, I was already awake. But Lucky, next time you have family over; be sure to tell me so I can properly greet them, alright?”

“Will do.” He said with a small smile.

Neon nodded walking downstairs to discover the guard pony at the door. Sighing he trotted over to open it, “How can I help you at this late hour?”

“Excuse the lateness of my visit, but I would like to investigate some strange activity on your upper floors.”

“What kind of strange activity?”

“Oh nothing you need to worry about.”

“Look let me level with you; it is what, two in the morning now? I need to sleep so I can open up bright and early tomorrow morning. Now what I don’t need is a night guard knocking at my door, and keeping me awake for no reason at all.”

“But I saw some a strange light from the upstairs window.”

“You saw a light from the upstairs window huh? Well that was probably me getting a drink of water, which I’m pretty sure isn’t against any law. So either you come back with a legitimate reason to search my home, or go back to catching real criminals.” Neon growled as he shut the door in the guards face before going back up stairs.

The guard stood there blinking for a moment and then flew back up to his cloud mumbling.

-----

Dox waited for Neon to pass before returning to the real issue “Alright then now if there will be no more distractions, I would like to explain a few things.” He scowled shutting the door with his rear hoof.

Lynx nodded and sat down on his bed while Para looked around the room and at Lynx’s new possessions.

“The Canterlot Condition is what our queen has taken to calling the special mutation that has started arising after the failed attempt to rule Equestria. The spell that repelled us on that day imprinted pony traits within our hearts and minds. It freed us from our queens control Lynx. We now have free wills of our own.” Dox shook his head slightly, “But that’s not all either. It gave us emotions, attractions, wants and desires. No doubt you’ve already discovered this.”

Lynx took a moment to take all of this in before giving a subtle nod. Suddenly his attraction to Storm started to make more and more sense, “And this mutation? Can it be fixed?”

“Yes our queen sent us to come get you and bring you back so we can all be reverted together.” Para said looking over her shoulder to Lynx.

“Then I’m not going back.”

Para and Dox both turned to their brother. Dox was furious as he stomped his hoof into the floor, “What do you mean you’re not going back!?”

“I mean what I said, I’m not returning to that life!” Lynx repeated standing up and butting heads with his brother, “I like my new life, and this mutation! I am not going to be her puppet!”

“Are you listening to yourself? That’s the mutation talking you idiot, now come back before you say something even more stupid!”

“For the last time Dox I’m not going back and that’s final, I like having free will, and emotions of my own, I’m in love for crying out loud!” Lynx covered his mouth almost as soon as the words slipped from his lips.

Dox took a step back looking at Lynx in disgust, “You love a Pony? Do you know how disgusting that sounds, you two aren’t even the same species, or does she even know that?!”

Para jumped in between them, “Stop it both of you!” Para turned to her brother, “If Lynx is staying so am I.”

“Damn it Para I don’t need your mutiny on this too.” Dox growled, “We’re going back at that’s final!”

Para teared up looking at her brother, “You can go back Dox, but I’m staying here. Now that I’m looking back with a clear mind, I want to make up for it all. I want to keep these feelings, I want to live!”

Dox looked away confused and angry at the situation he was put into. A choice between his sister and their queen. Looking back at them he grunted, “I need time to think it over... Where can I sleep?”

“I’ll ask Neon; assuming he isn’t already calling the guards or planning to fire me.” Lynx sighed walking out and knocking on Neon’s door, “Hey Neon I need a favor.”

Neon opened the door, “Family issues? I couldn’t make out what you guys were saying but it sounded like it got pretty heated in there.”

“Um yeah family issues, look my brother and sister might be staying awhile so I was wondering-”

“Say no more, I’ll prepare some sleeping arrangements so long as you promise they will be quiet.”

“Thanks Neon, I promise.”

“Thank Celestia, I might actually be able to get some sleep.” Grabbing some keys from his dresser he unlocked another spare room, which was rather empty. Wrapping two sleeping bags in some magic he set them out on the barren floor, “Here I was planning on making this into some kind of living room when I get more bits, but for now it should do the trick of a make-shift bedroom.”

Lynx nodded with a small smile, “Thank you again.”

“No problem Lucky.” Neon said with a short yawn, “Now if you don’t m-mind I’m going to bed before I collapse on that comfy looking floor.” Stumbling back into his room Neon collapsed onto his own bed and fell asleep.

Lynx walked over, and back into his own room, “Okay I got you some place to sleep, but you need to be quiet or we will all be on the streets got it?”

The two nodded and followed Lynx into the room so they could get some rest.

Stumbling back into his own room and crawling into bed Lynx let out a soft yawn, “What-a-night.” It didn’t take him long to fall asleep after that night of excitement.

-----

Dox lay awake, his mind spinning with new emotions and thoughts that conflicted against everything he once thought right. Looking over at his sister comfortably asleep he thought about what Lynx had said. Flipping so his back was to his sister and his face to the wall he thought long and hard what he would do next. The pony side of him wanted him to stay with his brother and sister, while the changeling side longed for his queen’s control. Soon he drifted into a deep sleep unsure about what the next day would bring.

He woke up to the sounds of jingling bells and noisy pony’s downstairs. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, the first thing he noticed was his sister missing from her bed. Darting up and out the door he rushed down stairs to find her amongst the crowd wearing a hat of all things.

Para waved over to him as she finished taking an order and passing it on to Neon, “Hey brother, good thing your awake, Neon needs some help behind the mixing table; these orders are piling up.”

“Moon Spark, what is on your head?”

“Oh this, this is a hat, pretty neat huh? I got a job here; I figured I gotta start somewhere, right? Oh and please call me Sparky all my new friends are.” She smiled and darted back to get her order to the customer’s.

“Sparky?” Dox asked lagging behind his sister. Looking around for Lynx he spied him behind the cashier. Trotting over Dox sighed, “What have you done to our sister?”

“I got her this magical thing called a job, lots of ponies have them Thunder.”

“We were supposed to be going home.”

“No I believe it was you who was supposed to go home, not us. Sparky wants to stay, so I’m giving her the chance to, now if you don’t mind I have customers to serve.” He said waving up one of the ponies behind Dox, “Sorry about the wait-”

Dox took a step back trying to process all this in his mind, his eye starting to twitch. His mind must have finally broke in two because he started screaming and ran out the front doors.

Neon leaned over to Lynx whispering slightly, “Is your brother going to be okay?”

“I don’t know Neon, I think we broke him.”

“Okay then, back to work.”

Lynx nodded “Back to work.”

As the day rolled on Para became more immersed in her work and enjoyed herself. However she also had time to pick up on subtle looks she caught between Lynx and Storm. Gears began turning in her new pony mind until they came to the conclusion that Storm was the pony Lynx said he loved.

When the day finally ended and Storm left to go home Para confronted Lynx when they were cleaning the back room, “So Storms the one huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play stupid, Storm’s the pony you’re in love with isn’t she?”

Lynx froze in place unable to deny it yet unwilling to accept that someone knew besides Neon.

“Ha! I knew it! Thank Celestia my brain is working enough to have figured that out!” Para Bragged.

“Please don’t tell her!” Lynx begged his sister.

“Oh I’m gonna tell her.”

“Please Sparky I’m begging you.”

“No way, she’s the reason you had the guts to stand up to Dox, so it’s only natural that she knows.” She said teleporting out to the streets and galloping at full speed to catch up to Storm.

Lynx tried to go after her but was stopped by a smiling Neon.

“Please Neon this is a matter of life and death!”

“Precisely why I’m not letting you go.”

“Aw come on!” Lynx shouted trapped in the back room and trying to push his way past the bigger stallion.

***

“Hey Storm wait up!” Para called out to the grey pegasus.

Storm stopped and turned to see Para running towards her, “Hey Sparky what’s going on?”

“I have something really important to tell you.”

“Oh really? So important you needed to rush after me huh? Let’s hear it.” She smiled to her new friend curious what it was she was going to say.

“Lucky’s in love with you!” Para said in a cheerful voice, a wide smile growing on her face.

Storm stood there for a moment her face beat red and the world around her dead as those words rung in her ears, “Lucky’s...In love, with me?”

Author's Note:

Well here's chapter 7 a little early. I had a ton of fun writing this one and please tell me your thoughts in the comments bellow

Edited by: Frantic Starz

Comments

[Deathclaw2014]

Um... Isn't it illegal to obstruct the law?

In other news, I wonder if that yellow pony is coming back. Or if Para and Dox get their own pairings.