The Changeling Trials

by PastCat

XV: Butterflies and Bugs (part 1)

Given what Zinnia had mentioned when describing Glow Wings, Luna was not sure that the direct approach would work. It was far more likely to scare the poor changeling. When she mentioned the possibility to Eclipse, the ebon unicorn had shaken her head. “No way, no how, Luna.” She had said bluntly. “I can barely get that one to speak with me long enough for me to catch her name. Even with Buzz Words’ spell I can barely make her out most of the time. You are going to need the help of someone from outside if you want to get anything out of her.”

“You sound as though you have some pony in mind.” Luna had commented.

“I do.” Eclipse’s answer was somewhat surprising to Luna. “Mayhaps you should contact Twilight Sparkle’s friend in Ponyville. Not the pink one; that would be a disaster. No, I mean the pegasus, the one who lives with all the animals.”

Luna had felt surprised, then understood. Fluttershy was herself a soft spoken pony who was used to dealing with a variety of non pony animals. It was worth a try. She sent a letter to Twilight Sparkle via Spike before going to bed in the morning. By the time she awoke in the evening, she had her answer. Fluttershy was scared, but she would come. According to the note, Rarity would be attending Fashion Week in Canterlot anyway and Fluttershy had agreed to fill in for one of her friend’s models after the latter had tripped and sprained an ankle a day before. The pair would be here in a few days.

True to Twilight’s reply, Fluttershy arrived with Rarity a few nights later. The latter pony had taken advantage of Luna’s offer to quarter them both in Canterlot Castle. At Fluttershy’s request, Luna agreed to allow Rarity to join the nervous pegasus in interviewing the skittish changeling. Luna cast the spell over both the visiting pegasus and unicorn then sent them towards the barracks with a pass to show the guard. Luna had notified Glow Wings via Zinnia of the visitors, so the changelings were both waiting in the interview room when the ponies arrived. It was a quiet evening, and even Rarity seemed subdued (though that might have been the effect of the mismatched furniture and décor of the room).

As soon as they entered, Rarity’s focus was drawn to Zinnia. “Oh darling, I have never gotten a chance to talk with a changeling before! I mean, I have fought them and such of course, but I do not know anything else! And Princess Luna tells me you have travelled all over Equestria! I want to know all about it!”

Luckily, Zinnia seemed to take the fashionista’s squees in stride and, after giving her friend a final squeeze with her wing, led the ebullient white unicorn to another corner of the room to talk. Fluttershy took the changeling’s place. She moved slowly, softly and gently. Glow Wings seemed confused and frightened. The motherly urge in Fluttershy was activated upon meeting the scared bug pony. “It is all right. You are safe here. No one is going to hurt you.” She murmured softly. She reached out a wing, but seeing that the changeling flinched away, the pegasus withdrew it. The pair sat in silence, Fluttershy waiting patiently for Glow Wing to make the first move.

“Zinnia says…” The changeling stammered a little. “She says that you can… can help me… I do not know what is going on here…except for her I am all alone… and I am scared.” Fluttershy reached out a hoof and took the changeling’s trembling hoof in hers. Glow Wings did not pull away.

“I know. I have felt the same way. It feels as though no pony is there for you.” She stroked the changeling’s leg, tracing the holes in her chitin. “But you are right about one thing. Zinnia is here for you. She cares for you and does not want to leave you alone.”

For the first time all evening, the changeling lifted her head and made eye contact with the pegasus. “But… she has been talking about leaving. She wants to go be a spy or something for the princess. I want her to live her dreams, but I do not want to be left all alone either.”

The changeling fell silent. Had she been in pony form, there would have been tears streaking her face.

Fluttershy continued to stroke the changeling’s hoof. “Were you always this frightened?” The butter colored pegasus asked.

Glow Wings shook her head. “I … do not think so. Zinnia was always the braver one though. Even when those two unicorns…” she cringed.

“You do not want to go back to them, do you?” Fluttershy whispered, not expecting an answer and not receiving one. “More happened to you than happened to Zinnia, but you are unable to talk to her about it. That's not okay; that's worrisome. You need to tell someone, otherwise it is eating you from the inside out.”

The changeling still said nothing. Fluttershy reached out with a wing and began caressing the bug pony’s back, between her wings. The pair sat in companionable silence. “If… if I tell you everything, will you tell it all to the princess?” The changeling asked at last.

“Only if you want me to.” Fluttershy answered serenely. “If others are being harmed, though, then I think the princess should know.”

The changeling nodded in understanding. “I will tell you everything, miss.”

The pair continued their subdued conversation as the changeling haltingly describes some of the scams she had been made to take part in that could have been harmful or frightening. There were stories about false tonics, wild stunts, and being chased out of town after town as those false promises had been proven fake. After many years, it had worn on the poor changeling mare’s nerves, which had been stretched near to their breaking point when the Flim Flam brothers had unveiled their changeling repellant spray. The rescue that had the sound of an epic adventure according to Zinnia was more akin to a traumatic kidnapping for Glow Wings. “And Trek has not spoken since.” The changeling had concluded, sounding far older than her age.

The pair sat in silence for a while after she had finished, with only the background noise of Canterlot and the ringing discussion of a San Franciscolt designer trend coming from the opposite corner of the room audible to both parties. As the latter grew to a crescendo, it drew the shy pair’s attention away from their discussion. “She is not going to change her mind,” Glow Wings whispered to Fluttershy softly. “Zinnia is surprisingly stubborn when it comes to clothing and she is very fond of Groovy Summertime’s style.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Rarity prefers more elegance than casual, I am afraid.” She whispered in reply. “Some pony who turns tye-dye into fashionwear will always give her conniptions.”

For the first time all evening, Glow Wings smiled. The pair returned to their spectating, enjoying the growing debate with all the interest of a circus audience watching a lion tamer go through his paces.

“The funny thing is,” Fluttershy whispered, “Rarity is here for Canterlot Fashion Week. She wants me to model for her.”

Glow Wings looked surprised. “You?”

Fluttershy shrugged. “I have done it before; it is not something I really enjoy though. I am good at understanding the way clothing should be constructed, but I do not like being in the spotlight while wearing it.”

Glow Wings looked thoughtful. “I wonder,” she began hesitantly, “would Princess Luna let Zinnia out to model for Rarity? I mean, I have seen her shift into all shapes and sizes and she can play pretty much any role. If you do not want to be in the spotlight,” Here the changeling let out a slight giggle, “and Zinnia is probably meant for it…”

Both ponies watched the debate for a minute or so longer, then lost their composure completely at the sight of Zinnia strutting around Rarity in her impression of some high-class society noble, complete with nose in the air and erect wings. Through her giggles, Fluttershy could have sworn she saw the bold changeling give her a wink before turning back to the fashion designer. “I think you are on to something, Glow.” The pair shared a conspiratorial glance before they had to part ways at the end of the night.

Back in the room, Fluttershy cautiously broached the subject with Rarity. The unicorn snorted. “That Zinnia? She is even wilder than Rainbow Dash. I can not imagine how difficult it would be to get her into a dress, much less one of the evening gowns I am modelling tomorrow night! I mean, come now Fluttershy! She considers tye-dye a fashionable pattern! I mean really!”

It did not take much of an imagination on Fluttershy’s part to imagine the conversation happening back at the barracks. But she knew she had an in when Rarity murmured to herself, “although it would be nice if the model for the blue dress were a bit darker in color and heavier…”

Comments

[nioniosbbbb]

The changeling fell silent. Had she been in pony form, there would have been tears streaking her face.

Woa woa woa woa woah... you mean to tell me changelings can't cry? Or at least your headcanon says so? This be cruel. CRUEL AS SHIT.

[ssokolow]

5377852

A lot of reptiles can't cry either. That's why you see them licking their eyes to clean them.

[tsaukpaetra]

For a little while we thought Glow Wings would be the one for modeling, but this version fits better.

[theRedBrony]

You really need to work on using contractions. It sounds so stiff and unnatural when Fluttershy says something like this:

“I have done it before; it is not something I really enjoy though

It changes the 'voice' of the character, and many of these characters we are all very familiar with.

[Ragnar]

5380984
My guess is that it's because this was written for NaNoWriMo, and the author was trying to expand the word count. This might also explain the spelling of things like "any pony" as two words instead of one.

I almost want to offer to proofread for this, but 1. I have no credentials, 2. no one asked for my opinion, 3. I may have less free time than I think I have, and 4. not editing is actually an important part of NaNoWriMo, since the whole point of that is to write for the sheer joy of writing with as little pressure as possible. There's no shame in an unpolished NaNoWriMo novel.

[DarkPinkie]

Wanted to be a spy... Became Canterlot's next top model...

When life gives you Lemons... You complain because Oranges are totally better. (I like Lemons though.)

[TheGreatEater]

Something to keep in mind is that the show's ponies use contractions. It reads weird seeing them talk without them.

[Razzy]

Well, not being able to cry makes sense with their eyes, which are surely much more resilient than vertebrae squishy eyes, so they don't require the extra moisture and soft cleaning.

Cya
Raziel-chan

[origami]

“although it would be nice if the model for the blue dress were a bit darker in color and heavier…”

A fashion designer that doesn't want their model to look like a walking coat hanger?