Revenant

by Zimprus Nalune

Covert

Author's Note:
Pyrite Dreams is the OC of Lucius Seneca and Stillmatic.

---

It was a short flight before I touched down in front of the hospital. I looked around me to be sure that the unicorn hadn’t somehow followed me. Confident that she hadn’t I let out a sigh of relief and walked back into the hospital. I let out a smaller sigh as I entered the lobby and didn’t spot her among the ponies. Whom I immediately started draining love from again.

I walked up to the receptionist and asked her where Pyrite was. She directed me down the hall Pyrite and I had gone down before and up the stairs at the far end. Pyrite’s room was 210, just after the stairs.

I walked into Pyrite’s room and found her lying on a bed, looking completely bored. I cleared my throat loudly and got her attention, her face practically lighting up when she saw me. I smirked as she waved me over, obviously relieved to have some company.

“Enjoying our great town so far?” she asked, with just a hint of sarcasm. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head.

“Yeah, not so much,” I said. “There’s a lot of crazy ponies out there.”

Pyrite giggled softly. “Yeah, I’ll admit, sometimes even I’m not sure I like it here.”

“I take it you’ve run into a few crazies?”

Pyrite’s smile turned to a frown. “No, not crazies, just… somepony I don’t like so much.” She gritted her teeth in disgust. “She’s ‘special’.”

I raised an eyebrow at Pyrite’s reaction. There was obviously something between her and whoever she hated so much, but I decided to let the subject drop in favor of something more relative to the present.

“How long is that going to keep you here?” I asked, gesturing to her injured leg, now wrapped in white bandages.

“Just until Quickfix comes back,” she answered. “He said that my leg wasn’t hurt too badly, and he can fix it with a spell.” She sighed. “That may take a while though… Ponyville hospital can tell you what’s wrong, and then fix it two hours later.”

I chuckled. “If you knew that spell yourself, we wouldn’t have to wait on anyling.”

“I suppose not…” Pyrite admitted. “But I’m too busy to have time to learn a healing spell.”

I looked at Pyrite’s cutie mark, a vase being dusted off, and was reminded of what she did. “Does archaeology really take that much time?”

Pyrite smiled fondly. “That and more.”

I sat down in a chair next to Pyrite’s bed. Our conversation had come to a stop, and I immediately became bored again. As my thoughts wandered, I realized I had a problem. I had no place to stay, and no money to use. I looked over to Pyrite, who was looking out the window next to her.

“So…” I began uncertainly. “Have you got a place to stay?”

“Yeah, I’m staying at a friend’s house while she’s out of town,” she answered, still looking out the window. After a moment of silence, I opened my mouth to speak again, but Pyrite turned to me and cut me off. “Yes, you can stay with me.”
My mouth hung open. How did she know I was going to ask that?

"Are you using a mind-reading spell or something?” I asked, worried that she might actually know one. Pyrite laughed.

“No, you’re just that obvious.” She stopped laughing but kept a smile. “And besides, you’re a changeling. I’m pretty sure you don’t have a home, considering you didn’t have anypony to change into.”

I frowned. “That’s kind of why I’m surprised. I’m the changeling who injured you. Why are you helping me?”

Pyrite shrugged. “You helped me get back home. I owe you that much. And you can help me next time I go into the Everfree.”

It was my turn to shrug. “Sure, I guess. If it’ll mean paying you off.”

Before we could say any more, Doctor Quickfix came into the room, walking right up to Pyrite.

“Alright Ms. Dreams, time to get you all fixed up and out of here.” He suddenly noticed me and turned to me with a smile.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Wing,” he said. “This’ll only take a moment.”

Quickfix turned back to Pyrite and touched his horn to the bandages around Pyrite’s leg, both of which lit up with a green glow. The glow came and went quickly, and the bandages fell off Pyrite’s limb. She jumped off the bed and stood on all four hooves for the first time since our fight. Her excitement was obvious.

“Thanks doc,” she said, but Quickfix waved his hoof.

“No need to thank me, I’m just doing my job.” The doctor said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some other patients that need attending.” He swiftly walked out of the room and left Pyrite and I alone.

“Well,” Pyrite began. “Shall we go?”

I nodded, and we left the room, walking back downstairs and stopping in the lobby briefly, where Pyrite checked out of the hospital and I had what was best described as a snack. Finally, we left the hospital for good, and headed off to another part of Ponyville.

“So…” I began. “Where’ your friend’s house?” I looked around us at all the houses, trying to guess which one we would be staying at.

“It’s not too far,” Pyrite replied. “We just have a bit of a walk.”
I nodded and relaxed, lessening my attention on walking and focusing on the trickles of love I continued to absorb from the air of Ponyville. I found that by concentrating on them and giving a mental ‘tug’, I could actually increase the flow.

“There he is!” A loud yell caught my attention. I looked behind me to see the unicorn and lizard from the marketplace following us, and catching up quickly.

“Pyrite,” I said, stopping and turning to fully face our pursuers. “We’ve got company.”
Pyrite turned around, gritting her teeth when she saw the unicorn and lizard catching up and slowly moved into a low fighting stance.

The pair quickly caught up to us since we had stopped moving. The unicorn ran straight up to me and stuck a hoof in my face as the lizard jumped off her back.

“You! Just who do you think you are!?” she yelled.

“I’m Night Wi-“ I began, but the unicorn cut me off.

“Don’t lie to me! I know you’re a changeling!” She poked me in the chest. “How did you get into Ponyville!?”

Pyrite suddenly cut in. “He came here with me. And he’s not a changeling.”

The unicorn looked from me to Pyrite, her expression softening and becoming sympathetic.

“I’m sorry that this changeling fooled you,” she said, placing a hoof on Pyrite’s shoulder, but it was immediately and harshly shrugged off as Pyrite glared at the her.

“Nopony’s fooling anypony,” Pyrite declared. “Night Wing found me injured in the Everdeep and helped me get back to Ponyville.”

“That’s just it trying to get on your good side,” the unicorn said. I felt my left eye twitch involuntarily. “That’s how they infiltrate pony society.”

“Why don’t you leave my FRIEND alone, Sparkle.” Pyrite practically spat the name out. The unicorn cocked her head.

“Do I know you?” she asked. Pyrite rolled her eyes.

“You used to, apparently,” Pyrite said, rolling her eyes before resuming her glare. “Pyrite Dreams. We went to magic kindergarten together.”

The unicorn’s eyes lit up in recognition and she smiled widely, obviously oblivious to Pyrite’s distaste for her.

“Celestia, Pyrite, I didn’t recognize you!” she said excitedly. “How have you been?” She then turned to glare at me again. “Other than being tricked by changelings, which I don’t blame you for.”

Pyrite gritted her teeth and stamped her hoof down on the ground. “For the last time, he’s not a changeling, Ms. Snitch!”

The unicorn cocked her head again. “What do you mean?”

“Oh how could I forget!” Pyrite exclaimed. “It seemed like every time somepony was even the slightest bit out of line, there was always one pony who ran to the teacher! Guess who I’m talking about!” Pyrite breathed heavily before continuing. “And while I could just maybe understand that, there was the fact that you were always playing teacher’s pet! Of course, you always had your head buried so far into whatever you were studying to show up the rest of us, that you didn’t even notice nopony like you!” She started seething by the end of her speech, clearly having opened some old wounds.

“Hey!” The lizard next to the unicorn looked about ready to blow a fuse, its hands clenched into first by its sides. “Twilight’s a great pony, and she has lots of friends! So leave her alone!”

Feeling a little left out of the conversation, I lowered my head so I could look at the lizard eye-to-eye.

“I suppose you can prove that?” I asked, glaring at it. “What are you, her pet lizard?”

“I’m a dragon,” the unicorn’s pet growled. “And I don’t have to prove anything. Ask anypony and they’ll tell you.”

I slammed my hoof down next to the dragon and brought my face slightly closer to his, snarling and locking eyes with him.

“Why don’t you crawl back into whatever egg you came out of, and tell your foal-sitter to leave us alone, or I’ll make you wish I was a changeling.”

The dragon’s angry and resolute demeanor shattered instantly. “Um, Twilight? I think we should leave them alone…”

“Come on, Night Wing,” Pyrite said, turning to leave. “We’re going.”

I scoffed at the unicorn, “Twilight Sparkle”, and her pet dragon before turning and walking away with Pyrite, muttering about how unwelcoming Ponyville was just loud for them to hear.

I quickly caught up to Pyrite, who was walking rather rapidly. I stopped muttering and turned to her, noting how visibly angered she still was.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that that ‘Twilight’ was the pony you’re not too fond of?” I inquired, receiving a deep scowl in return.

“I despise her,” Pyrite growled. “I wasn’t kidding about what I said. She was the most obnoxious pony in magic kindergarten, always showing somepony up in one thing or another.”

I nodded sympathetically and decided to stop talking about the unicorn.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too much longer before Pyrite made a sudden turn and walked up to a two-story building that I assumed was her friend’s house. She walked up the steps and used her magic to fish a small golden key from a planter that hung underneath a window next to the front door. She quickly opened the door and walked inside, gesturing for me to follow. I did so, and Pyrite close the door as soon as I was inside.

I took a moment to look around the interior of the house, or at least as much as I could see from where I was standing.

Directly in front of me was a hallway, with a set of stairs at the end. To my left was a kitchen, with a single table and four chairs, and a counter that took up most of the far wall, with a sink located underneath a window just a bit out from the corner of the room and a set of cupboards.

To my right was a living room, furnished with a couch, a large, low table in front of it, and several comfortable-looking chairs, two of which sat across from the couch, separated by the table. Pyrite made a beeline for the couch and leaped up on top of it, letting out a huge sigh as she landed and sprawled herself out.

Now that we were in private, I shapeshifted back into my normal self with a flash of green flames. I let out a sigh as I ruffled my wings, feeling so much better in my real body, and slightly surprised at how my voice sounded just a little bit different. I shrugged. After all, it was my real voice. If anything, it sounded better.

I walked into the living room and hopped up onto one of the chairs across from Pyrite’s couch, feeling so much lighter and more agile than my alicorn body. I couldn’t help but grin.

Pyrite stirred slightly, slowly rising a bit off the couch and looking at me before flopping back down.

“Just remember to not let anypony see you,” she said drowsily. I rolled my eyes and smirked. I wouldn’t forget.

I shifted in my chair, the silence between us comfortable, but slightly boring. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, Pyrite sat up and looked at me. “What?”

I shrugged. “Got anything to do around here?”

“You could always go to town hall and check the billboard for a job,” she suggested. “There’s usually a few plastered up there. Simple things, usually.”

I frowned. “Simple enough to keep my cover?”

Pyrite laughed. “I’m pretty sure. I can only think of one or two ponies that would even suspect you, and they’re pals with Sparkle anyway.”

I shrugged again and returned to ‘Night Wing’ with a flash. “Be back soon, I guess.”

Pyrite waved farewell as I got off my chair and left the house somewhat reluctantly. I closed the door behind me and sighed once more. I hoped I wouldn’t run into any more trouble.

Comments

[M E]

*cough*

no changelings here

[thelazycommenter]

no romance? okay.....
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/082/456/Okay.png

[Zimprus Nalune]

902722
Description: "Tags and characters will be changed as story progresses." There's some hope for you yet.

899209
Changelings? I don't know what you're talking about...

898645
Do tell. I'm certain you've never heard of her...

[Stillmatic]

933971

Fuck that story, it's horrible! Whoever wrote RRR deserves to be deported!

[Zimprus Nalune]

935129
Then you'd better get da fuzz outta 'ere.

[Stillmatic]

935583
Darn, okay.

[kazoie1]

id be worried that twilight would have a plan to expose me/capture me in the middle of the night.

[nobodyreallyimportant]

how did twilight see through that brilliant disguise? i mean, come on, everybody has batwings and flaming hair, not to mention a conspicuous lack of a CM