The Friendly Changeling

by WezzaHD

Chapter 5: the Power

Shadowflight had been in Ponyville for a few days, now. He had gotten to know his six new friends very well. Rarity was very generous, if quite vain, and a bit of a drama queen. Fluttershy was sweet and kind, but also very sensitive. Applejack was always honest and hardworking, but extremely stubborn. Pinkie Pie confused him. Her cheerful personality did not distract him from seeing that she was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He still didn't know how she got in his house. Then there was Rainbow Dash. He felt odd about her. Over the past few days, he had started to think about her more and more.

Finally, there was Twilight. He didn't know what to make of her, but not in the same way Pinkie did. When he saw her far away, she appeared alright. But she was always more tense whenever he was around. None of the others felt this way around him. He just wasn't sure. Did she not trust him? Did she know his secret? How? He had been so careful. No, if she knew, then he wouldn't be here thinking about this. But it was clear she was suspicious of him. Rainbow Dash was the only one of the six he really considered a friend, the rest were just acquaintances.

It was a weekend, and the sun was shining brightly, as usual, so he decided to take a stroll. That was what he usually did nowadays, he just went on walks through Ponyville, they helped relax him. He should also probably get some shopping done, as well. He couldn't eat any of the things he bought, but it was so that no one would find it suspicious that he never ate food.

He decided to take his usual path down by Sweet Apple Acres and through the outskirts of Ponyville. He began and went through to where the Acres were located. He saw the three fillies that were there before, they were doing something different, today than they were on the day he first saw them. They were on top of a very tall tree, with strings attached to their bodies and the branches, and looked ready to jump. He looked, and saw that the branch was barely holding the threes weight. And if they were going to jump down, then their weight and the force of them going down would break the branch and they would fall, and he didn't see anything at the bottom that they could safely fall into, just the cold, hard ground.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER BUNGEE JUMPERS!"

He he flew as fast as he could towards the three as they jumped down. He watched as the branch broke off from the tree. They saw it, too, and screamed. He caught Applebloom and Sweetie Belle in his arms, while Scootaloo was flapping her wings in an attempt to fly but to no avail. Just before she landed on the ground, she could feel a green aura, which she nor did the others notice as their eyes were all closed in fear. As soon as they were all safe, he fell to the ground with the knowledge that they were all safe, tired. When Scootaloo opened her eyes, for a split second, she could've sworn she saw a black, curved horn on Shadowflight's head.

As soon as he got his bearings back, he looked angrily at the three.

"What were you three thinking? Do you have any idea how hurt you three could have been?"

"Sorry Shadow, we wanted to get our cutie marks in bungee jumping" the sorrow was clear Sweetie Belle's voice.

"Is everything alright? We heard screamin'!" Applejack and her brother ran in.

"These three wanted to get their cutie marks in bungee jumping. I saved them before they got hurt"

"Well, thank ya, Shadow. Ah don't know what ah'd do if Applebloom got seriously hurt"

"Yeah, it can really have an impact on you." He replied "It did on me..."

"What was that?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Sorry" he came out of his daze.

"Bye, Shadow!" Applebloom waved as she went off with her siblings, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went separately.

"Hey, you're Scootaloo, aren't you?" He asked.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Rainbow Dash mentioned you a couple of times, I think.

"She did?" She suddenly brightened up.

"Yeah, she said you were a nice kid"

"Wow! She did?" She was really excited about just one little complement. She really idolised Rainbow. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit; he had once had an idol.

---

Rainbow Dash was sitting in her home, thinking. Her room was a mess, she didn't really feel like it, she was too busy thinking about things. She thought about Shadow, how he has come in and started working for them. He had something about him. He mumbled a lot, and always had that sketchbook of his with him. It was hard to stop thinking about the guy, so she buried herself in her new Daring Do book. She wondered if he read, at all.

There was also that whole "changeling" thing Twilight was stressed up about. She knew that she really hated changelings, more than anything else, but all they can do is just keep an eye out. But Twilight was really concerned about it. It wasn't bad, but she'd seen what Twilight can be like when she got stressed.

She began to read to lead her mind away from everything.

---

Shadowflight continued his walk back to home, with some shopping and the knowledge that he had just saved three fillies lives. It was a good day for him. He felt like he was finally starting to fit in, but starting was a strong word. He wanted to show his true form, but he just couldn't do it with Twilight around, he actually felt a little bit of hostility from her the last time he saw her, which set him off. Maybe she did know and was just waiting for something, like Celestia and her royal guards to show up and take him away.

He then thought back to the fillies, he had used his magic to save the life of that pegasus. Although if he hadn't, she might have very well died if he hadn't, he just didn't like using it. While most changelings had horns as well as wings, they had little to no knowledge of magic. He was one of the select few that did, and had quite powerful magic because he was a special case. His brother and sister had both been able to use powerful magic, and they both had more control over theirs. Whether that was his refusal to use it, or simply some mishap at his birth, he never knew.

All he did know was that it couldn't be contained. He had to use it every once in a while, and not in a small way, like with levitation, that would only slightly delay it unless he was using it for a long period of time. He knew it had to be used, otherwise it would force its way out, but it didn't make him like it any less. He could barely control it even when it wasn't in some enormous surge. He just got lucky.

"I can't believe you didn't think of that, you idiot!" a voice said in his head.

Nothing he could do about it now, he had to make do with what he had.

He opened his door and entered. He turned the light on and went upstairs. He began to feel weak. He hadn't eaten in days. He didn't know how long he could hold out. But he had to, he had to show, that changelings and ponies, could live together, that Nightcrawler didn't die for nothing.

---

The group scouted the area for any clues they would lead to his location, but had to far gotten little to no clues. The leader was standing guard to make sure no ponies wandering in the woods would happen to see them. She was also patiently waiting for her soldiers to return with some clue as to where he went.

"Nothing, yet, Princess Silkshade" One soldier reported. She sighed.

"Very well, continue" He saluted and resumed his search. She was alone, now.

"Silkshade, we think we might have found something!"