• Published 11th Jan 2016
  • 13,322 Views, 1,386 Comments

A Penny for your thought - Damaged



A human finds himself yanked out of his own life and plunged, with no field guide, into Equestria!

  • ...
48
 1,386
 13,322

PreviousChapters Next
7 - Making tracks

Heads up! There was a chapter between the last and this, over here

Trains are trains, but one thing I couldn't get over with this one was how much room there was. Instead of wall-to-wall sardines we were the only ponies in the whole carriage and each spot was effectively a wide pillow for us to sit on. Despite that we sat close, real close. I knew she was drinking from me, just little sips constantly, but I really couldn't even tell she was doing it.

"When you snuggle, you taste better." She couldn't have been reading my mind. Can you?

The thought went without comment and I giggled and leaned a little more. It certainly didn't hurt and I was getting more and more comfortable just enjoying her company. What was the word… oh, squish, like a crush but less. "What is it like, I mean?"

She closed her eyes. "Back in the old hive, it was bad. There were a few ponies who wandered too close to us, they were stuck in pods. Oh, Chrysalis wasn't a complete monster, she would let them out before they died but a few ponies was never enough to feed everyone. I was, I looked after the breeders, the big… males, that help make more changelings. It meant I got more food than others but the queen made sure we never got too much." Her head turned and lay across my back. "She didn't like even a hint of competition, even if little drones like me couldn't be queens."

I took a deep breath and leaned up, my own tufted ears giving a little twitch as I nibbled gently at one of her own curved ones. "How was she raised? Who looked after her?" I didn't think she had heard me, maybe fallen asleep, but she gave a sigh.

"No one really knows but, I guess I see your point. If someone raised her to be queen and to mistreat… could that really make her such a monster?" The questioning in her tone, I could tell she was surprised at her own words.

"Problem could be, she eats love, devours it. You dehumanize… deponyize, food. You call it less than you because otherwise you would admit to yourself you are a monster. Doing just that, it can make you one every bit as bad." I had to adjust a human word, to get it to fit. Hadn't done that in a while, they normally just flow. "The first step, even if you have gone all that far, become such a bad pony, is to admit it, if only to yourself."

I squeezed Stick, my mouth finding her mane to work at gently. Her head shot up and she blinked, looking accusingly at me. "You, you lied!"

Drawing back, scared and worried, I tried to ask what but she talked over me. "You told me you don't like stallions or mares!"

I leaned forward and butted her with the bridge of my nose, pushing her off balance on the big cushion. "Silly, I don't. What's between somepony's legs could never make me love them. But, you," I braced myself, mentally, "you I like." I flopped forward on the changeling, laying over her and giggling.

She struggled a moment more from shock at the lie then, with a giggle, rolled so we were just laying beside each other again. "So, friends?"

I nodded. We both knew there was a little more than friends involved but were comfortable just naming it such.

"So you knew Silver Lining before he came here. Was he such an adventurous pony even then?" Stick's question about my lost-then-found friend made me smile.

"I knew him well, though we had never met. He wasn't quite as… well I guess he did travel around a bit, going to conventions… big meetings, to sell his things."

"You like him too?" The changeling's simple question made me blush and look down. "You do!"

Deciding to end this line of inquiry before I made any more slips, I reached out for Stick and tried to tackle her to the cushions. "That's not an answer!" Stick's chitter was all but gone from the words, but there was a lot of giggling.

"Ponyville. Ponyville next stop!" The conductor's voice jolted me back awake. Stick beside me seemed to twitch like she had awoken too. Why couldn't they have had trains this comfortable back when I was human? I pushed the question away and stretched.

"You look like a cat when you do that." Stick's words made me giggle, but I kept stretching until I felt free enough to walk easily.

The train was obviously slowing, giving a little shudder every now and again as brakes applied down the length. The last little jolt saw us queuing up at the door to leave. Our possessions all gathered, we stepped off the train in the much smaller town. "Should I choose a form to blend in better?" I turned to Stick as she asked, but shook my head.

"No, probably a lot of ponies here that don't even know about the changeling cutiemark thing, best to be open with yourself, it will also let us know who are not nice ponies."

We were interrupted then by a pegasi mare who was approaching the train's baggage car. She had a slightly oversized pack on and I recognized her immediately as a particular postal worker. Her grey fur and blonde mane/tail combo was the clincher but she wasn't looking at me, she was staring at Stick and looking more than a little worried.

"Hi there!" I waved to her and she seemed shaken from her shock by the casual greeting. She turned back to get a small bundle of letters from the train and secure them in her packs before she wandered over.

"Are you a changeling?" Her naked curiosity told me that her initial reaction was not outright fear, but interest. A good thing.

Stick blushed a little but nodded, keeping quiet out of embarrassment.

"Oh! Can you do me?" This got a blush from me now. Why did all ponies ask this of the first non-hostile changeling they saw. Stick replied with a giggle and a nod and in a flash of green fire there was a second Muffins. "Oh, oh!" She clopped her hooves in delight but squinted, which with her eyes was a whole new kind of adorable. "Your cutie mark is not right!"

Stick-Muffins gave a nod. "We keep it that way, that is how you can recognize a nice changeling pretending to be a pony, from a not nice one." Muffins seemed to contemplate this and nodded. My own thoughts soared at this. It was perfect, making a good impression on a pony who visits so many others during a day would be a great start to letting them know there is a changeling, a nice changeling, in town.

Stick turned, showing off her tail and form, getting more giggles from Muffins. "Oh, I need to deliver the mail, but would you like to have a bite to eat later?" Her question actually shocked me. My mind had settled her firmly into 'background pony' status and I had almost discounted her as a pony in her own right. Basically I was being a terrible pony!

I looked to Stick and we both nodded together. "Lets, but I have to warn you… where are my manners?" Stick blushed furiously then with a flash of fire was herself again. "I am Stick."

"Muffins!" Muffins' reply was so enthusiastic and, apparently the two very different ponies with similarly odd names happily accepted each others.

"Muffins. I will warn you that being so far from my hive, if you are willing, would you mind me sharing your happiness just a bit?" Stick's words reminded me about her odd need. This would certainly be a good way to help her along, if a few ponies were willing.

"Share… you need love and happiness?" Muffins grasped easily the meaning but looking a touch pensive. "Does it hurt?"

I broke into their little chat. "Nope, can't really notice it at all, except you end up a little hungrier than normal." Muffins broke into a smile and she nodded.

"I really gotta go now, dinner at the hayburger?" We both nodded to the mare and she headed off, wings spreading and flapping. It occurred to me that although she might not be the fastest of pegasi, Muffins would certainly be one of the steadier fliers, considering she was always flying so much and with cargo.

"See?" I made to walk off the platform, Stick keeping up beside me. "You already have a friend in town and you only just got off the train."

Stick blinked a few times at this but nodded. "I have, do you really think the Elements will be so nice? What we did to them was… it was terrible!"

There was a gasp from some fillies as we left the station but since they had dashed away before we even did more than see a flash of a silver tail we couldn't do much about it. "Ignore that. Come on!" I tried to keep my tone and Stick's spirit light.

A few other ponies in town seemed to stop and stare, only to get smiles and waves back from us, but as we neared our target there were less and less overt looks. Stick was trembling like a leaf when we were finally in front of Carousel Boutique. Lifting a hoof I gently knocked.

The door opened even as my hoof was about to tap it one last time and a small figure looked up at us, eeped and it closed again! "Who is it dear?" Rarity's voice called inside.

"Ch-ch-ch…" Sweetie Belle's voice stammered back and, before she could actually get out her word the door opened again and Rarity herself looked in shock at my friend, only noticing me after a moment. Shock passed to poise quickly as the mare turned her attention to me. "Well, I knew you were going to be interesting, darling, but not quite to this extent. I hate to ask, but should I call on assistance or are we not under attack by changelings?"

I looked to Stick and discovered what it was that had turned Rarity from 'ahh a changeling' to 'what is going on', the girl at my side was trembling in fear.

Rarity's question went unanswered for a little moment while I leaned over and put one foreleg around Stick's withers and pulled her into a hug. "She isn't here to fight, she helped make your delivery." Thankfully Stick hadn't dropped the bag, her fangs the likely reason.

"Well, come in then, lets get your friend some tea to calm her and see what you two have." I wondered briefly if Stick could even drink tea, but followed Rarity into her shop. It was as glorious as the show, she had the most amazing outfits around, some in a state of assembly, others finished and clearly ready for delivery. "Sweetie Belle, dear, please bring some tea."

We were led to a little pair of couches that had a table between them, not unlike a typical living-room. Stick hesitantly set the bag on the table and Rarity smiled when the first trinket tumbled out, revealing the care we had taken in wrapping them individually. "Very nice work." Rarity levitated the package up and was unwrapping it as she went, turning the little cluster of opals over to investigate. "Yes, these will be perfect."

The rattling of china was heard as Sweetie Belle nervously carried the tea set in her own magic. "I am glad to hear, we have worked hard on them." Rarity was already lifting more free, giving each her full attention while a nervous filly started pouring the tea. Despite how worried Sweetie was, she didn't spill a drop. I smiled when she offered me a cup in her magic, clearly expecting me to grasp it with my own. "Oh, uh… I am still learning to use my horn," I said quickly as she reacted with shock, "I grew up a long way from the city, we didn't have a school to learn horn magic at."

The words appeased her and I could see that she had stopped trembling. The next cup was for Stick and, like me, she let it drift to the table. It was then I pondered on the fact that I hadn't seen her use her horn at all. I filed that question away to ask when we were more relaxed. Leaning in and sipping my tea, I was pleasantly surprised by the fine dark tea flavor. "Oh this is delicious!"

Sweetie Belle seemed to brighten further, praise bringing out the same pride as her big sister had in great measure. Stick sampled her own and I saw her relax a little further. "Well, I am satisfied with these. I will make sure to mention to any admirers their source." Rarity had set all the trinkets together. "Now, it is a little late to trouble the girls for their time, you simply must stay until tomorrow, we can have some time to relax and discuss future business."

I had an inkling of what Rarity intended. "Sure, we had planned to stay, I need to go and thank the princess for… for something she did." Stick was just taking a drink of her tea then and if not for the need to not inhale the beverage she would have jumped. Rarity took this in stride.

"There is a little place to stay, if you head left outside you can't miss it. Run by some wonderful mares, do let them know I sent you." I tried to remember what buildings we had seen outside but I was distracted at the time, I mean, I was actually IN Ponyville!

"Thank you." Stick's words were tainted by a lot of chittering, as happened when she was tense about things, or so I had discovered.

Rarity smiled back and replied in her typical high-born style voice. "Darling, you have shown nothing but manners and displayed a most wonderful talent in your work. Mind, others in town may be slower to drop any, prejudices," the word dripped with scorn, the way she said it, "but know I will have only good to say of you."

I nudged Stick with a hoof. "Toldya." Rarity beamed at the obvious claim that she was as nice a pony as her reputation.

Stick looked to the mare with a growing smile and held out her hoof. "My name is Stick, I am very glad to have met you!"

Rarity reached over and bumped the hoof. "Rarity. It has been a pleasure."

I could not be prouder of Stick, the formerly trembling changeling was sitting straight now, pride in her work and that it had been praised by others. "We really must dash, it would be good to secure somewhere to stay the night and get something to eat." I finished my tea and started to rise, Stick doing the same.

"Do drop in, in the morning." Rarity reminded us, as we made our way to the door. We said our goodbyes and the door was closed behind us.

"Just wait until the girls hear I met a changeling!" An excited filly's voice came clear through the door and even Stick giggled as we turned left. A little sign on one building revealed it to be a Day Spa, while another said B&B.

"Guess this is the place." Stick gestured with a hoof at the building and I nodded.

Stepping up to the front door my friend gave a little clop at it. It took almost a minute to open, revealing a very pink earth pony mare with blue tail and mane. "The spa is closed for the day, may I help you?" Her accent was certainly new but not hard on the ears.

"We were looking for a place to stay the night. Miss Rarity told us that you might be able to help?" I had been about to ask but Stick, infused with confidence by one of the masters, took the initiative.

The mare blinked twice, it was all the surprise she displayed before replying. "Of course, be welcomed to our home, we have two spare bedrooms that we offer to ponies needing short-term accommodation. My name is Aloe." Implied was a question as to if we needed separate rooms.

"Oh, one room will be perfectly fine." Stick's reply had me blush. The spa pony didn't even bat an eyelid. "And my name's Stick!"

"Wonderful. Would you like it now or will you return later?" Her question reminded me about Muffins' offer, but Stick was on top of things.

"We will be back later, we wanted to see a little of your lovely town before settling in for the evening." Stick's voice was bright, nearly completely devoid of chitter.

The mare just gave a wide smile, a happy little squeak seeming to come from her. "Well, just knock when you are back, we might not be open but we are always prepared in case of an emergency."

My head spun as to what kind of emergency could require a day spa keep watch for, then I remembered where I was. Damn it was nearly impossible to not smile here.

Author's Note:

The start of this was very relaxing to write, the later parts a bit more trouble. Between netflix and mlp wiki, I was shunted around episodes to listen to ponies so as not to mess up speech patterns. Please pull me up on it, if you think I have messed something up :)

Support me on Patreon or fuel my writing on Ko-Fi!

Join me on Discord. Warning, said chat may contain NSFW material and should be considered adult in nature.

PreviousChapters Next