Shed My Skin

by ItchyStomach

Chapter Three

The number of missing ponies after the invasion is gradually dwindling as more and more of them are found. They are mostly unharmed, but all of them must receive physical and mental examinations before we allow them to return to their homes.

The interrogations of the arrested changelings continue. Conventional methods are proving effective enough in acquiring small bits of information, though none of the drones’ speech levels indicate advanced individual intelligence. One thing that seemed important and was also confirmed by more than one changelings is the use of so-called special agents that were deployed to Canterlot prior to the start of the operation. None of our reports confirmed the existence of such agents after the spell was cast, except for the changeling queen, who disappeared following her defeat. The matter will be given further attention after the status quo is restored in the capital.

Perimeter reports confirmed an escaped changeling that avoided capture and disappeared into the forest below. Reason for the lack of stupor present in the changeling is as of yet unknown. As we are being stretched thin, further efforts of finding it must fall to the local forces.

Report snippet from the Royal Canterlot Guards’ Bureau

***

Morning came all too quickly.

“Get up, bug! Time for some fast and quick!”

“W-what? What’s going on?”

“Morning exercise, obviously. Or do you want to tell me you don’t feel like waking up?”

I shielded my eyes against the sun that shone through the open window flaps on the tent. Or at least I tried. Having holes in your leg makes such tasks a challenge.

“A little faster than that, new boy. Did those ponies make you soft?”

I quirked an eyebrow at the changeling just as it turned to leave the tent. Then, I sat up with a grimace, as the weight was lifted from my wings. The other cots were empty, and I could hear the rhythmic fall of many hooves from outside. The nameless changeling looked back from the doorway. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what this is about.”

Oh, I did, and it was awfully similar to the morning routines back in the Academy. Except that, while my earth pony body was reasonably capable of drilling through the various exercises, this one was well below average. I was mercifully excluded from the shapeshifting and combat-magic rounds, but not from the hoof and wing-related ones, which turned out to be like what I saw the pegasi do. My amusement afterwards regarding my ability to hover without my eyes watering was met with the expected level of enthusiasm.

“Got that wing problem sorted, I see,” Hussk told me after I touched down, completely ignored by everyone else. I didn’t even recognize him until he spoke. “You and I will run down a few laps of transformation before heading out.”

I felt a pang of fear. “Head out where?”

“We’ll take a stroll through the town. I need to do recon on an outpost and get food, and you need some field experience.” He turned, showing off a pair of saddlebags. “Gotta put that advanced training to work, right?”

That should have put me at ease, but it didn’t. “Are you sure one trip will make a difference?”

“It’s better than nothing. We will run out of food soon, and I could use the help carrying it all back.”

“Wasn’t the whole group supposed to take part in that?”

“Change of plans. We saw more pony patrols than yesterday. We need to pick up the pace if we want to make it back to the Hive safely. Only the two of us will go to the own while the others continue on.”

He produced another bag and held it out to me to put it on. I did a round of swapping bodies, and when Hussk was satisfied with my progress, we set off ahead of the pack. The two of us moved much faster than them, who had to carry all the equipment on their backs.

On the way, Hussk convinced me that it wasn’t just ponies who tended to keep on talking, even when their audience was unable to comment on anything they were saying. He went on about what he experienced on his missions as a pony, not realizing he had lost me after the first sentence, they were so mundane in nature. When he stopped to have a drink at a stream, I used the silence to ask something that had me thinking ever since I turned into the red unicorn yesterday.

“Can you use your magic as a pony? A unicorn, specifically?”

He lifted his head, wiped his mouth, then buzzed his wings and touched down on the other side. I choose to wade through.

“No,” he said, resuming our previous pace. “Ponies are different from us in that regard, too. They create spells ranging from simple levitation to complex enchantments, while we mainly use it to alter our whole body. We have combat spells of course, but those are just counter-attacks, really. As a pony, we can use the same spells as they do to an extent, but you’d never be mistaken for a royal magician. Or even an ordinary adult.”

“So that’s why I don’t see you levitating things that often.”

“That’s right. You’re not discouraged from trying, but many just tend to stick with what works.”

We walked in silence, for a change, listening to the birds around and our own hooves stirring the leaves on the ground, until Hussk stopped me at tree marked with an old sign. Between the trees, I could just make out the first houses of the village.

We both assumed our pony forms in silence. Hussk took the looks of a blue pegasus stallion while I turned into the now familiar red unicorn I had named Scarlet Shaft.

“My name is Cloud Swarm,” the pegasus explained, “and we are brothers travelling from a town far away, and have been staying in the town for four days. Don’t get into more than that. Who are you?”

“I’m… Scarlet?”

“Okay. Generic enough. We’re good pals, all right?”

With a lump forming already in my throat, I nodded. “Sure. Lead the way then, Cloud.”

With each step passed the first houses, my nerves got more and more frazzled. I stole a glance at Hussk’s casual stroll and forced my legs to fall naturally. I was a pony in a pony town. Nothing I hadn’t been doing my entire life.

There were, predictably, ponies everywhere. I caught a few eyes but not one of them held my gaze longer than usual. Letting out a deep breath, I felt my shoulders loosen up. First line passed.

“Have you ever been here?” Hussk, now Cloud Swarm, asked as we ventured deeper.

“I don’t think I ever left Canterlot, actually.” My voice, though alien to me, still carried my intonation, giving me some confidence. “I was born elsewhere, but I obviously don’t remember that.”

“I suspected as much,” he said. He talked just like his usual self as well.

I looked at my orange hooves. “Yeah, so, no. You have, I suppose.”

“A few times, on long recons. There are some great places to eat. Country folk do know how to fill a belly the right way.”

I shrugged, not being one with fancy taste buds. Before us, the street lead straight into a busy marketplace. I pointed my fears of losing Hussk out to him.

“There are two things to keep in mind,” he said, leaning close. “The shortest way out and places to change shape. But you can just pay attention to me, too.”

“Well,” I pulled back a little. “if you decide to turn into, say, a mare, while I’m not looking…”

He gave me a perplexed look, then coked his head. “We can sense if a pony is actually not a pony, you know.”

I stopped short at that. If that was true, my escape plan just sprung a leak.

Hussk massaged his forehead. “Okay, I get it… Just…” He watched a group of ponies walk by. “Just stick close.”

He resumed walking and I quickly followed. If I couldn’t hide from changelings just by pretending to be a pony, hiding and finding my way back to the castle will be a lot harder.

“Is that common? Or am I just not good at magic yet?”

“It’s probably just a matter of time until you get it,” Hussk said. “I don’t really know a single one of us that can’t do it to at least some degree. They might need to magically touch you, but they will know.”

My pegasus partner directed me around the center of the market. My nose was filled with different appetizing smells at each booth we passed. At one point Hussk stopped at one selling vegetables. I remained out of line, gazing at the passing ponies, deep in thought.

“So,” the pegasus intoned as he stepped up to me with a smile. “How many did you memorize?”

I started. “Memorize…? Oh, you mean...” Lucky for me, changelings weren’t telepathic. At least I was pretty sure they were not. “Sorry, I kind of zoned out. Got a lot on my mind.”

He poked my side with a celery stalk. “Bury your concerns for now. Part of why I like coming here is to loosen up a little, and you of all people should be the most casual. Just enjoy the morning and the walk, and take an occasional long look at a good-looking fellow for later use.” He got moving again, signaling with a wing for me to follow. “You’re gonna get bored of the same look eventually, if nothing else.”

I followed the blue pegasus that was deep down a changeling.

Trying to do as my partner suggested, I let my eyes linger on ponies longer than usual, trying not to be creepy about it. The people in this country town dressed differently than the majority of the Canterlot ponies, and I soon came to accept that no clothes were just as normal as giant bowties and fancy vests. It made my bare body much less strange. I even got a few glances back here and there, not something common before the spell. I stole a look at my hooves again, thinking about my beloved, if clumsy former body. With the relative ease of creating entirely new appearances, one’s value was quickly diminishing.

Hussk fished something small with strings attached from his saddlebags and began untangling it. I stopped too, realizing it was a pouch. From the jingling, with bits inside.

“I have an assignment for you,” the blue pegasus announced, after managing to tie his own feathers into a knot with the string. He was clearly not so dexterous with his wings as a real pegasus. “You should go and buy something for us and the guys back home. There is a filly who sells great fried hay. I love that stuff. Oh, for the love of… Ow…! All right, take it. Damn thing…”

He put the string around my neck. I felt the heft of the coins inside, surely more than enough to buy some of food in a town like this. “Where did you get the money?” I asked, swiping blue feathers from my coat.

“Just a little bit here and a little bit there,” he said, folding away his wings. “I know some people with rather sticky hooves.”

“Right… Where is that fries vendor?”

Once again in the flow, my brain was starting to swim in all the colors of a rainbow, so I moved on to focus on cutie marks. Staring at stallion flanks would have had some awkward side effects, so I started with mares, which earned a few smiles as well as frowns. Cheeks reddening, I scooted past a group of fillies with my eyes to the ground.

“Am I doing this right?” I muttered to Hussk.

“Perfect, Scarlet. Never seen such obvious ass-watching. Come on, this way.”

We slipped out of the flow of the market into a small alley, and soon were walking past lovely homes with well-kept gardens and a kindergarten. The foals were inside, only the wind moving the swings. I remembered what the changelings were planning, and my ears flattened to my skull.

Soon, we walked past the local police office. My steps slowed slightly as I looked it over. Despite having nothing particularly interesting about it, the building still represented a childhood desire etched into my brain, a drive that recent events weren’t able to dull. To me, my dream was as real as ever.

“That’s the guard outpost I mentioned,” Hussk said, looking back at me. “Which is full of guards. Can we move on?”

I nodded, tearing my eyes away. “Sure. Sorry.”

He kept looking at me with an eyebrow raised. “Are you thinking about your original assignment?”

“No. I mean… In a sense. As a kid, I always wanted to join them. That’s why I enlisted when I was old enough.”

“Your mission was to infiltrate? How come you dropped out? I would have sworn you were designed to get into lower ranks at least.”

I kept my retort regarding his choice of words down. “I was deemed unfit for service. Behavioral and motoric issues.”

“You had behavioral issues? What did you do?”

I gave him a bitter smile. “Insubordination and relentless curiosity.”

His face went stoic for a second, allowing me a quick glance at the changeling beneath. “I have a hard time believing that,” he admitted.

“They managed to get under my skin.” The outpost disappeared behind the corner, and my legs moved more easily.

“And the curiosity? Did you felt the need to steal certain things? And what was that about motoric issues?”

I grimaced. I was beginning to regret being so forthcoming with him, again, a stranger in many ways. “I kept poking around and wasn’t stealthy enough, which gave me a reputation, even though they didn’t have any hard evidence. They were glad to use a medical report to get rid of me.”

“What was that report about? Come on, don’t make me pry the story out of you. It’s not like it was your real life, was it?”

I stopped and raised a hoof to the side of my head. For a second, I lost my grasp on the present, seeing reality open wide before my mental eyes. I got a glance of the weight of what had happened to me, how my life was thrown off-course in a matter of minutes, and how high a mountain I would have to climb to get even a part of it back. Reaching the royal castle and the pony who cast the spell will be only the first step.

Hussk shook me by the shoulder. The town reasserted itself around me, snapping me back to reality. My legs felt heavy, and I had to resist the urge to purge this fake body from myself. What was I even doing here, pretending to be just another pony, enjoying a few new toys, lost in denial? I looked at his concerned eyes that darted over me then across the street for potential eavesdroppers.

“Hey, Scarlet, what’s the matter? Did you feel something?”

Feel? You bet I did.

“I’m fine,” I said slowly. “It was just… I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting tired, is all.” And so lost.

He took a step back, his eyes still reflecting concern. “Are you sure? We can cut this thing short if you want, but we can’t just leave with empty hooves. We have a job to do.”

“You want those fries so badly?”

He stared at me. “I’m not talking about the fries. There is a place I have to visit today, and you need to learn. Seriously, Scarlet, are you okay?”

I looked at my hooves, the street around us, then finally at Hussk. “Of course. Just a passing nausea. I might have eaten something bad.”

Hussk didn’t fall for the admittedly generic excuse. “If you think something’s up, that we might be in danger, let me know. This is not a game.”

I took a deep breath and raised my head. “Where is that vendor you wanted to visit?”

Hussk eyed me for a few seconds, breaking eye contact just as I was about to do so. “Come on.”

We walked in silence, until Hussk extended a wing towards a diner wedged between two taller buildings. The sign above promoted hay fries, greasy and juicy. “You’re up. Her name is Pearly Twine. Ask for two plates, and four for takeaway.”

Nodding, I walked up to the counter. Ordering food seemed the most minor thing possible.

The diner had two tables set before it with two seats at each, all empty. As the smell hit my nose, I grimaced. I had my fair share of smelly fast food in my old apartment, and was not thrilled to experience it again.

The counter was littered with plates and glasses, but nopony was behind it. I had to look harder to notice a mare, standing with her back to me, deep in the shadows of the diner’s kitchen.

“Excuse me?”

The bun on the back of her head bounced as she looked back, dripping water from a sponge held in her magic. She quickly dropped it into the sink and trotted into the sunlight.

“Hi! What can I get you?”

She was an orange filly with undoubtedly fewer Hearth’s Warming Eve parties behind her than me. Her butter-colored mane was done up in a tight bun that gave her an older look from afar, likely to keep it from falling into the grease that spattered her coat. Her smile dazzled in the sun, as she swept a bit of her hair out of her eyes. The forlorn thought from earlier were pushed back.

“Hi. We, uhm…” What does an undercover changeling do when faced with such cuteness? “Two plates of fries, please, and four for takeaway.”

“That will be forty bits, please.”

I fiddled with the pouch, but eventually produced the coins. Whoever made the thing, didn’t think of earth ponies. “Here you go.”

“Thanks! Is there something wrong with your horn?”

I looked up at her, realizing what she meant. “I… I hit the wall yesterday. Doctor said I should lay off the magic for a while.”

She frowned. “Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you get better soon! Take a seat, your fries are on their way.”

Levitating four plates off a shelf, she went to the fryers. I joined Hussk, already occupying a chair. As soon as I tugged my legs under myself, he leaned closer.

“Colors, cutie mark and any unique features?”

I blinked. “You mean her? It was just a couple of…”

“A few seconds should be enough, don’t you think?”

“But… Well, okay. Light orange coat, yellow mane, light blue eyes.”

“And?”

“I don’t know. I think she was wearing an apron.”

“No apron on her flank,” he grinned. “She has spots all over herself. She never wears an apron, in fact, just ties her hair up.”

I gave him a look. “It’s not your first visit, is it?

He shrugged. “Like I said, it’s the best fries in town. Does that answer your question?”

We both leaned back as our plates soared over to us in bright magical auras. The filly stepped closer to wipe the table with a piece of cloth, allowing me a glance at her indeed apron-less and, admittedly, not unattractive flanks.

“The takeaways will be ready in a minute. Anything else I can get you? Lemonade? Apple cider? Ketchup?”

“That’ll be all, thank you.” Hussk gave the filly a polite smile and she returned inside.

“Well?”

“A fork in a plate of steaming plate of food. Figures.”

“That’s the other thing. Ponies don’t use forks, so how come her talent is represented with it? I get the meaning behind it, but it still doesn’t make any sense.”

“Actually, unicorns in Canterlot do use them, when they are in public, at least.”

Hussk rolled his eyes and pulled his plate close. “Don’t expect me to follow suit.”

We dove into our meals, or at least Hussk did. The fries were indeed good, but I was just sick of the smell. My pony stomach loved it, though. My tutor looked up at the gurgle coming from my lower regions, then at my full plate.

“Something wrong? Why aren’t you eating? You certainly sound hungry.”

“That’s not the issue, I just had to live above a similar eatery for a long time, and I’m not fan of the smell anymore.”

His eyes widened. “You lived that close to a place where they sell this stuff? That’s amazing.”

I smiled, and nibbled some more. “My thoughts exactly when I moved there. It took me a month to realize why it was so cheap.”

“One day…” He took another bite and chewed. “One day, you’ll have to tell us all about your life up there. You must have so many good stories about ponies.”

I looked at my plate and took a bite. “Yeah, one day.”

Half of my plate ended up in Hussk’s stomach, too, and it took him a few seconds to climb down from the chair. He bagged the takeaway while I waved goodbye to the filly, who gave a smile and a wave in return.

***

“That was long overdue,” Hussk said and adjusted his saddlebags containing two portions of food with a wing. I carried the other two. “This would warrant a siesta, I believe. Pony spas are an experience to behold. Have you ever tried one?”

“I can’t say I have. Never been into that sort of thing.”

“Of course you haven’t. I keep forgetting your... How do I put it...”

I rolled my eyes. “My boring old life of a single objective.”

“Well put. Once you’re memory has been fixed, try to get an assignment that includes going to one. It would loosen you right up.”

“I’ll try to remember.”

“Heh, yeah... Just don’t forget to take off anything before changing shapes if it comes to that. If you’re not careful, you could fuse something with your body and that’s not pleasant.”

I shuddered. “Is that common?”

“It happens.” He shrugged. “Rarely, but happens. A hat or a simple piece of clothing is fine, but anything uncomfortable or too complex might cause problems. Same with mud or water.”

We turned down into a less frequented portion of the town. The meticulously mowed gardens gave way to places with tall weeds and missing paint on the fences. I’ve seen homes in worse conditions, but it made me wonder what Hussk had in mind that necessitated an environment like this. After another turn, he extended a hoof at a small house in particularly bad condition.

“Here we are. Don’t worry, it’s empty. There is a hole in the fence if you don’t want to climb over.”

“What are we doing here?” I asked as I followed him to the building. It didn’t look safe.

“The preparations for the last thing we need to do today, combined with me showing you our safehouse.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “This place?”

“It’s the last thing a pony would want to visit, and it’s in the least populated part of the town.” He stopped at the fence and held out a hoof. “After you.”

I hesitated, and Hussk gave me a shove. “Come on. It’s not that bad. I’ll cast a listening spell so I know when somepony might want to disturb us.”

I turned in a little circle while Hussk prepared the spell. The place was an ancient excuse for a safehouse, with holes in the ceiling and badly boarded-up windows. There had to be quite a few enchantments that made this place safer than sneaking out into the forest to do changeling business. My nose wrinkled at a faint odor lingering around a corner, suggesting another type of business that took place in the house. Rounding up my survey, I raised my eyebrows at my tutor. By his smug smile, he was certainly more at ease than I was.

“First off,” he began, “this lesson is not going to be sufficient for any kind of serious task, so don’t think about it too hard. Consider it fun. I certainly do.”

I gestured for him to cut it. “Are you gonna stand model for me again?”

“It’s more than a fancy,” he said. “We still need to get some proper food. Fries aren’t going to last long and I devised a plan to get a little discount, but it needs two mares.”

“Why not steal it? I mean, it wouldn’t fall far from your moral code...”

He merely batted an ear. “It’s easier to simply buy what we need. Somepony might notice the theft. The money we have hasn’t been earned by honest work, though, so don’t you worry.”

“Right... What am I supposed to do, then?”

“I saw your eyes on her, and I asked you to describe her. You should have a pretty good idea what to strive for.”

My mind turned. “You mean...”

“Exactly.”

I hung my head, but there was a twitch on my lips, wanting to turn into a smile. It didn’t last long.

“That’s not what her hair looked like,” Hussk said some time later. “Make it a bun, if you can’t picture it loose.”

“Do you know what her hair really looks like?”

“Yes, in fact, I do.”

I felt a pang of irrational jealousy.

“She invited me inside a couple of days ago, when it was raining,” Hussk explained. “Don’t worry about it, worry about how your head looks! Make it as good as your butt.”

I covered my blush by adjusting my too short mane.

Hussk followed my progress with interest, offering help when needed. Truth was, having a male mindset for my whole life with barely any female contact made my job of producing a convincing look for a filly challenging, and Hussk always found details to criticize. It was more irritating than alarming, then, to hear a knock on the door. Fear wasn’t far behind, tough.

“Hello?” Somepony said from outside. “Is anypony there?”

I exchanged a look with Hussk. He lit his horn, checking the spell. With a grimace, he tiptoed to the door, peeking through the cracks. The stranger outside tried to open it and knocked a bit more earnestly.

“This house is off limits, kids. Open the door.”

Hussk made a hurried gesture at me, which I took for a sign to change back. I donned the orange pony as fast as I could. Hussk undid the bolt and cracked open the door just enough to peer out. “Hello, uhm, can we help you, sir?”

His imitation of a colt caught in the wrong was convincing, and I suspected he used some real trepidation to help sell it. I stepped behind him to have a look at the intruder.

He was a stallion who stood tall in his old age. His horn was letting out a soft glow, and his face showed determination.

“What are you doing in here? This place is not a safe place to be in, whatever you’ve been up to. I can understand kids to play hide and seek, but you’re too old for that.”

Hussk used a rear leg to shove me backwards and out of sight. I checked myself for faults, but found none. I did, however, see a belt with a lock made for earth ponies, coiled up behind the door. I stared at it for a long moment.

“Apologies, sir,” Hussk intoned, “we weren’t aware this place was unsafe. From the looks of it, nopony bothered to look inside for a long time, and we figured it would be a good place for some privacy.”

My ears warmed as I closed my saddlebags with the belt inside, but my mind was busy forming a plan.

“Do you see me as a fool, son?” the stranger said, unmoved. “There was a clever ward around this house. I walk past every day, and never once did I feel it. Can you explain that?”

“Oh, a mere precaution, sir, to help me know if somepony might be onto us. I didn’t mean to disturb anyone.”

I went over the possible plans this situation might present to me, and found a doable one.

“Seems fishy to me,” the pony said. “Let me take a look inside and see what you’re hiding.” Even before he finished the sentence, he was pushing the door open, against Hussk. The changeling gave up after a short while and allowed him to look over my bags on the floor, me with a foreleg shielding my eyes against the brightness, and the otherwise empty room. I could see the stiffness in Hussk’s rear legs as he backed up and made an attempt to cover me.

“If you don’t mind,” my partner said, and levitated the bags on my back. I cringed, but he didn’t notice the extra weight. “We’ll be leaving now. Sorry for the trouble...”

The stallion didn’t move out of the doorway. “What’s your name, son?”

“Cloud Swarm, and this is Scarlet. If you would, we-“

“Where are you from?”

I fastened my bag’s straps.

“Just a few blocks from here. Sorry again, but we’d be going now.”

A day in the Academy sprung to mind, during hoof-combat period where we were learning how to disable a threat in close quarters, using the innate weaknesses in each tribe. Thankfully, he spared me from making the decision. As he slowly retreated from the door, he fixed Hussk with a stare. “Don’t ever step in here again. Now get out of my sight.”

We took the advice and slipped out of the safehouse and back onto the street. Just as we were had the hole in the fence behind us and Hussk leaned closer to say something, the stallion’s voice came from inside the house.

“Hey! Just what sort of weird magic were the two of you doing in here?”

I didn’t need to told to move. We both picked up the pace. The pony’s voice followed us, turning a few heads in its way. “Come back here for a second! Is this changeling magic?”

“Go, go, go!” Hussk whispered loudly, and we broke into a gallop. I was a good thing I had experience being chased, and I had no doubts Hussk had his fair share of blown covers as well. He took the lead and I followed him in the general direction of the forest.

Most ponies, when hearing the word ‘changeling’ applied to two running individuals, scramble to get out of the way and protect themselves and their loved ones, but there are always brave ones, who feel the need to give the authorities some civilian aid. Not one guard happened to be in our path, but there were at least three buck after us already. It was a good thing I listened to my gut and prepared for a run. Hussk was not to making catching us easy. I was struggling to keep up in the sharp turns with my bags pulling at my back.

My mind was racing as well. That little nagging thought in the background was working on the plan. A long shot and a drastic act, but it would get me closer to my goal. My conscience rebelled, but what did I owe them and to Hussk, specifically? They made the first mistake when blindly assuming which side I was on. I just had to ensure my plan would work and he wouldn’t be able to counter it.

Hussk’s jumps from corner to corner and around other obstacles left both of us winded, but gave us the benefit of distance so we could have a breather. When we finally stopped behind a pile of overturned boxes, I was ready to collapse. Unicorns weren’t meant for physical strain.

“Be ready to move,” Hussk warned. Sweat dripped from his forehead and his legs were trembling as he sat down with his back to me, and peered around the corner. “Think of a new form while you rest. Doesn’t matter if not perfect.”

His side was rising and falling fast and he had a foreleg pushed against it, just below the ribs. I swallowed and pulled out the belt as silently as I could. I stepped up to him, running through the moves in my head in advance. He glanced back at me, but I hid the belt and glued my gaze at a window on the other side of the street, and he turned forward again. My heart was hammering in my ear, but I couldn’t back down now. I was never going to get another opportunity like this. I bit down on the belt to free up my hooves.

My first strike landed precisely in the right spot, under his hoof, into his aching side. In the same time, I raised my other leg to catch his neck as he jerked forward on instinct, and hit the aching part again before he could cover it. Grabbing his foreleg just as he moved to hit back, I got behind him and turned the limb in an uncomfortable angle, forcing his torso to rotate as I pleased. Right now, I wanted him on the ground.

He quickly realized my intentions and moved to counter them. I was ready for it and twisted his leg harder. He let out a cry of pain and kicked out with his back legs, barely missing my stomach. I twisted my neck and looped the belt around the leg in my grip, with the intentions of grabbing the other one, but he wasn’t making it easy. His horn glowed and my throat tightened up. I showed his whole body into the ground and knocked the air out of his lungs. His struggles weakened, but his magic didn’t. I reached out and gave his horn a good smack. That did the trick.

In the short pause that followed I looped the belt around his other foreleg and pulled both ends behind his back, finishing up with stepping on the lock. It clicked, and I released my former partner and sat down hard. In the distance, I heard somepony say something, but for now, we were still in the clear.

Hussk tried to pull out of the belt, but I learned in the Academy how to tie up a pony fast and tight. He realized it, too, and went for magic again. In his position he couldn’t move his head far enough, and I repeated my previous method before a spell manifested. I wouldn’t be able to stop him if he attempted a shape shift, but I doubted he’d take the risk of changing while bound up this tight.

“First of all,” I began, offering at least some explanation. “I wish it didn’t come to this—“

“Spare me the cheesy apology,” Hussk spat. “I was an idiot to trust you in the first place. I thought you wasn’t going to accept us easily, but you played the clueless innocent too well, I told myself I was being paranoid.”

“I wasn’t playing. I was considering your side, but I can’t let you hurt innocents and I can’t let you drag me to the queen to have my memories erased. I have my own plans.”

He stared at me. “You have your own plans? What possible plans could you have other than returning to the Hive? You can’t play the super-spy anymore. You barely know how to change your damn form.”

“I know. There has to be a third way.”

A pegasus-shaped shadow crossed the ground and the shouting returned. I began forming a new disguise as fast as I could.

“Are you planning on staying pony? You’ll be found in no time. All of us remaining will be looking for you.”

“I might find help.”

“You won’t find anypony who would help a changeling. You’re digging your own grave.”

“I’m in a unique position. I can find a solution for myself.”

I stood and watched Hussk trashing on the ground and was ready to stop him, but he only managed to get on his side. “Where did you even find this stuff? I never let you out of my sight.”

“From the abandoned house. It was on the floor behind the door. I noticed it when you pushed me behind it. That gave the idea.”

For the first time since I knew him, Hussk’s face formed an emotion that gave me a burst of satisfaction and guilt at the same time. It was fear.

“I was protecting you!” His voice trembled with disbelief. “Your eyes had slits in them. You forgot to change them back!” He looked the way we came, then turned back to me. “Have you been looking for an opportunity since we left camp?”

“Not quite. I...” I trailed off and listened. They were close. I had to leave. I looked at him for the last time. “Listen, I’m sorry. If it matters, I—“

“Go to hell.”

“If it matters, you changed my opinion on changelings for the better.”

He fell still and stared at me. I closed my eyes and donned the form I’ve been preparing, an all-black earth pony. Immediately, the shouts became louder. I gave one last look to Hussk then fled into the shadows. I could hear cheers, but I couldn’t go back to make sure. I crouched low and continued from shadow to shadow.

I felt sick to my stomach, but I couldn’t stop until I was in the clear and back in a normal body. I probably eluded my pursuers and only bumped into a foal, who ran away, but I kept going, looking for a suitable spot to change. An experienced changeling would have found one in no time, but to my untrained eye, every dark corner was like a pedestal. Finally, I sneaked into somepony’s shed and closed the door behind myself. I listened to my heartbeat as it gradually slowed. I really did it. It was hard to believe. I didn’t feel triumphant.

The interior of the shed was occupied by a woodworking table with tools on top, along with a seemingly fresh bowl of fruit. I looked them over idly, until my eyes caught a picture frame. I picked it up and held it under a sunny spot to study it. I had my template.

After four or five attempts, I was satisfied enough with my modifications of the colt on the photo. I can still make little changes later if needed. I set the frame back where I found it, snatched up an apple from the bowl and left the shed.

I placed one hoof before the other in a mechanical motion. I cut my ties with the changeling group, no doubt. If one of them were undercover and following us, they would have either helped us escape or would have been on me already, but if not, they would piece it together soon that it was me who led to Hussk’s capture. Not that I wanted to go back to them. At least that’s what I told myself. It wasn’t like they were the only allies I had.

I still had my money pouch and two servings of cold hay. I left the latter in a trashcan, lest somepony drew a parallel between me and Hussk’s similar two servings we left in the safehouse, and aimed for the forest. My stomach was considering a rebellion, and my head was demanding a nap. I had a place to satisfy the latter, at least.

***

Instead of shouting, galloping and sounds of magical discharges, as I had feared, I awoke to birdsong and gentle breeze in the tree I had chosen as my napping place, deep in the forest. I climbed down, grimacing as my limbs regained proper blood flow. My little pack still hung on a lower branch where I had put it, and I used my hooves to get it down. My horn still refused to do any non-combat spell. I fished out the apple and munched on it, following the end of the rope dangling from my makeshift bed, purposefully avoiding thinking about last night too much. My life has taken a sudden turn twice in the span of a few days, and I felt as if I was just barely holding onto whatever was directing it.

I closed my eyes and envisioned each proper form I knew I could cast upon myself. It was a pitiful lineup, with only three to choose from, which were my old, trusty earth pony, the filly from the diner, neither capable to help me blend in, and the orange unicorn whose horn I couldn’t use. I also had a few dozen incomplete pictures of various ponies from the town. It was far from a hundred and forty, that was for sure.

I went ahead and tried a few of the latter group, but none looked convincing enough. At night with some clothes on I could have pulled them off, but I didn’t want to wait for the whole day to pass. It was time to put my artistic vein to the test and see if building a form from scratch was indeed as difficult as Hussk had said.

The sun descended a considerable amount the next time I had looked up with a pair of light green eyes, from an elegant dark green body, framed by a short-cut mane the color of the sky. My legs were resting on my chest, following its rise and fall. I rolled over to my side, squinting my eyes at the beginning of a headache. I looked over my craft once again, lingering on the picture of a glass of ice cream with a straw sticking out of it that adorned my new flanks. I hoped the filly I met at school wasn’t going to mind that I copied it. Piecing together an original coloration with the right proportions for a male earth pony that matched my age turned out to be not that difficult, due probably my years of living amongst ponies, but actually applying it to myself was another thing. It took me several failed attempts to get at least the shape right before I could move on to colors, and in the end, I had no desire to create a brand-new cutie mark as well, so I went with one I used to admire from a distance as a foal. Without mirrors, I couldn’t verify the design properly, so craning my neck and twisting my back had to suffice. When I was satisfied, I let myself wonder how easy it was to think about ponies as mere templates, and envisioning them in my mind like dresses in a store. Were they seen only as sources of disguises and food from the changelings’ perspective? Did they ever see the people beneath? I feared I was going to become like them.

To steer those thought away, at least for a while, I turned my attention to the businesses I needed to attend to first. I needed a proper place to sleep and better food than grass and flowers, since stealing everything had more against it than mere ethics. To earn those, I needed money. For that, I needed a job. For that, I needed to find somepony willing to employ a total stranger never seen before in town, and pay him preferably at the end of the day. While taking care of those, I would have to craft a plan of somehow earning back my place amongst ponies, while not having to worry one of them was some sort of agent, ready to capture me for the changeling queen. At least for the moment, I felt reasonably safe from them.

I found the path back to the town fairly easily. I used the time to craft a name for myself and some sort of backstory that explained my presence in the town. I expected guards at every corner, especially where the path led into the town, but I saw only regular ponies. Stopping to take a few breaths, I recalled the route to the marketplace, then, with the gait of someone belonging there, I reentered the town of Sunshaft.

The streets were far from empty, but not nearly as packed as the day before. The air smelled fresh, free of the mishmash of the many vendors. I’ve come across more than one pair of patrolling guards, but none of them gave me a second look as they marched past me. I wondered if the residents knew what went down the night before.

I found a café and decided to spend a few of my bits on some tea. The waitress quickly brewed me a cup of fruity deliciousness, which I slurped slowly, while keeping my ears open.

“…my neighbor’s daughter actually used to go in there, alone, when she was young. Thank Celestia, they grow out of that…”

“…you think there are some of them left, still in the town? Looking like your creepy friend or something?”

“…heard that it was poor Cherry who discovered them, and they haven’t stopped bothering him since. Can you imagine? At least give the old colt a break…”

“…it was a young pegasus, but she was certainly not from here, since there is only one buck with similar colors that I know of. Poor Barrel, he’s been questioned ever since.”

“…hope this doesn’t affect the spa’s open hours. I need my daily pampering, you know what I mean?”

Tea was good, warm, and untroubled. I slumped lower in my chair, trying not to be noticed.

Taking to the streets again, I wondered if the best course of action was to relocate to a different town altogether. I heard Ponyville was close to Canterlot, and enough weird stuff happened there that my presence would fly by under everybody’s notice, but it was also almost at the complete opposite side of Canterlot and then some.

I went into the first building with the words ‘hotel’ on it, asking if there was anything they needed help with. They wanted to pay by the end of the month, which was three weeks later. So did the second place. The third offered daily payment, in exchange of doing uncouth things with my ‘sweet bod’. Others, including various vendors and farming places outright refused to accept a stranger into their circles, considering recent events, as they put it. The fact that they were absolutely right about my real identity didn’t make it easier to keep a straight face as I uttered my understandings and left. My droopy ears perked up only when a certain smell reached my nostrils. It conjured up the image of a yellow filly, whom I knew by profession, so to speak. I followed the smell.

I saw her scrubbing the counter from the distance, oblivious to my eyes on her. She glanced up and I had to remind myself that I couldn’t show I’ve met her already. Just another lie on the heap, bound to grow with time.

She flashed a smile when it became obvious I was heading to her. “Hi there!” She said with the same enthusiasm as last time. “What can I get you?”

“One plate of fries, please.”

“Coming right up! Take a seat.”

I took the same chair as Hussk did last time. It had a good view of the street stretching before me. There was a small bar not that far on the opposite side. From my left, I saw a bunch of mean-looking ponies trotting by, then enter the bar one by one, except the last one, who stayed outside.

The filly returned a few seconds later with my full plate. My stomach growled.

“Enjoy! Can I get you anything else? Apple cider? Ketchup? Both freshly made!”

I returned her smile. “That’s all, thanks.”

She barely turned her back to me, I was deeply involved with my food, wondering if having different stomachs each day messed with my taste. Maybe magic required more food than I had realized, or the fake pony bodies digested it with less efficiency than the real ones. In the back of my mind I sensed that I was missing something significant, something I had yet to grow accustomed to, but it there would be time for that later. Only noises made me look up from my plate.

The shouting came from the bar. Several pedestrians stopped to watch as well. The sound of shouting and stomping grew clearer, and cultivated in a pony flying out at an odd angle and crashing on the street, kicking up dirt. A group of four stepped out behind him, whom I recognized having passed by a minute ago. They went straight to the pony struggling to get up, and pushed him back down. They said something to him, but they were too far away to understand. I looked around, not sure if this was something of a custom here, but all I saw were averted gazes, just as if back in Canterlot, where the guards would come and settle everything. They were notably absent here, though. I half-rose from my chair to go and help, obeying training, then sat back down as I remembered who and where I was.

Three unicorns came galloping down the street, aiming to the scene. The downed pony made another attempt of escape but one of the thugs laid a solid kick in his stomach. They made room for the incoming trio, who, not wasting any breath, lit up their horns and enveloped the stallion in a multicolored aura.

Despite not having a horn at the moment, I could still feel the magical power. It was all too familiar. The victim lit up in greenish flames, making everyone around take a step back, but I knew it wouldn’t hurt them. His cries must have carried all the way to the outpost.

The fire died out, leaving something behind that looked like the charred remains of a pony. A collective gasp sounded as the changeling shifted and tried to stand up, but swayed like a drunk and fell over. One of the unicorns staggered and had to lean on one of the others for support.

Sounds of heavy hoofsteps and clinching of armor came from the distance. The little circle around the changeling scattered before the guards rounded the corner, leaving him behind, and were completely gone when the two pegasi reached the bar. Only a broad-framed pony remained, standing by the entrance, who exchanged a few words with the guards. While one of them talked to who I presumed was the owner of the bar, the other tied the helpless changeling’s legs together then hefted him onto his back. The owner went back inside after a short while, and the two guards walked away with their captive. The gawkers slowly dispersed, only a rough patch on the ground remaining as evidence of anything that happened.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I blinked, realizing I’ve been staring at the empty spot for the past minute, and my fries were getting cold. I looked up at her. She had managed to get right beside me without me noticing. “Huh?” I managed.

The filly’s frown turned into a smile. “You look like someone who saw a ghost.”

My own mouth twitched into an ironic smile. “I’m fine, miss, but thanks for the concern.”

She edged a hair closer. “Right… You look like someone who wants to say something other than ‘fine’ and ‘no problem’, too. So, what’s going on?”

My dismissive remark died on my lips, as I looked deeper into her eyes. She was a stranger, all things considered, and I was… not the best company, even on better days. I couldn’t help but humor her for a moment, though, the lack of suspicion was a welcome surprise. “Why would you say that?”

She lifted her rump onto the other chair and snatched one of my fries.

“Hmm… cold… Why? Because I like helping ponies and you look like a suitable candidate. Are you new in town? When are you leaving? Do you have a place to stay? By the way, my name is Pearly Twine, but just call me Pearly.”

“I’m Mint Flower, and I’m from Canterlot. I’m… Travelling.”

She didn’t seem to mind the curt answer, as her eyes widened with unmasked interest. “Oh, Canterlot, really? Did you see the changelings, Mint? Did you see when that bubble tossed them away?”

I took a piece of hay into my mouth, too, but couldn’t hide a grimace. They were indeed cold. And a little limp. “Kind of,” I said simply. “Didn’t have a very good view.”

“I saw them,” she beamed. “A whole bunch flew over our heads. I didn’t see where they landed, though, they were too far away. I’ve heard one or two have fallen close to the mountain, too, but none of them got here. Well, at least, not that I noticed, but the guards would have stopped me from taking a look anyway.”

Wanting to steer the subject a somewhat different direction, I gestured towards the pub. “This wasn’t the first such incident, was it? They all seemed pretty sure what to do. Even the guards didn’t seem all that upset.”

She chewed on another limp hay, unbothered. “It’s getting more frequent, it seems. There were a couple of incidents with changelings before, but with one caught tied up yesterday and now this one, it seems like they aren’t gonna give up on their dream of… I don’t know, taking over Equestria? Whatever it is, if they keep blowing their covers, they aren’t gonna get far.”

“A couple before yesterday?” I studied her face. “This has been going on for some time, then?”

“A month or so. There’s been two I know of, one was a guest in a hotel, whom the guards captured, then there was one in the forest, who I believe got away. I know because a local found him first, and told everypony about it.” She flicked a stray hair from her eye. “He was hiding under some bushes, then just walked up to that pony. He was undisguised and looked like he was drunk out of his mind. Imagine that, taking a stroll and suddenly a giant bug-thing asks for water… By the time the guards went there, the changeling was gone. I think he was captured by others who took him to Canterlot. They have dungeons there, right?”

“I believe so… Not to be rude, though, but being so excited about the subject doesn’t seem like the safest thing to do these days.”

She sighed. “I’m fortunate enough to be in close relations with the mayor. I get hurt, the town gets free janitors. Besides, it’s not like I attract too much attention anyway, so...”

Awkward silence started to descend on us, but the filly was quick to chase it away. “By the way, you said you had a place to stay?”

I shook my head. “I’ll be looking for one shortly. The problem is that I don’t have all that much money and couldn’t get a job either.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “Tell you what. I just happen to have all my rooms free, and I could use some help around the diner. I’m afraid I don’t have enough bits floating around to pay you full, but I can certainly give you a room.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure! Why?”

I looked over the little restaurant that occupied the ground floor, the curtained windows above, and raised an eyebrow. “You have a hotel? Above a place where you sell fried hay?”

She nodded. “Yup! So, what do you say? I’d be happy to have you around. You strike me as a nice pony.”

I didn’t answer right away. Partly because she just called me a ‘nice pony’, and partly because I didn’t want to believe my luck. But did I have a better solution? Entertaining the idea, I fought the urge to grimace, then failed as I put the inevitable conclusion together. “Oh, dear... Do you happen to have a room facing some other direction, maybe?”

“No, these four is all I have, plus mine on the other side. Why? Don’t you like the view? Are you afraid of loud ponies eating here at night? Don’t worry, I close at sundown.”

I waved a hoof. “It’s not that. It’s… well… Not to be rude, but it’s the smell. I’d been living in a place above a restaurant for six months, and I…”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I see… I wish I could do something about that, but I don’t have other rooms, and I just met you, so mine is out of the question as well. So, your answer is no? Too bad...”

I let out a sigh. “No, it’s okay. I don’t have a lot of options at my disposal. Besides, I don’t think I’ll be staying here for too long, anyway. I have things to settle in… Other places.”

Seeing her clap her hooves together in glee made the afternoon a little brighter. “That’s fantastic! I’ll set you up as soon as I can. You let me know when you want to move in, okay?“ She slid off the stool. “Where did you sleep so far? I hope not in the forest. It’s not the best idea even in better times.”

My slight hesitation was answer enough. She gave me a look, to which I shrugged.

“I’ll take your offer tonight. Uhm…” I regarded my empty plate, realizing I haven’t paid yet. “Let me just get a few bits and—"

“Oh, no, you don’t.” She rushed in to snatch the plate off the table. “I can’t charge you after I ate half of it. The talk was payment enough, don’t you worry. I’m afraid you’ll have to entertain yourself from now on. I must run across town for some supplies now, but drop by later to settle things. I’d be happy to talk some more.”

“I’ll do that. Thanks for the help. Take care!”

“Bye!”

She waved me off as I trotted away with an uplifted spirit and no particular direction in mind. I was still unsure whether to accept her offer, or, backtracking a little, to come back to her at all in the same body. The number of times available of reintroduction wasn’t quite endless, but significantly higher than it has ever been for me. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the prospect, and even though I knew, logically, that doing so would mean playing with fire in a maze made from hay, I entertained the idea for a while.

***

The first stars were starting to appear when I finally made it back to Pearly’s diner and hotel, but they were gradually tuned out by rain clouds. The route would have been shorter, were I not deep in thoughts. The filly’s enthusiasm was one thing, but her attitude towards changelings was certainly convenient. Besides, I could always opt out with a change of forms, if things went sideways.

The tables and chairs had been cleared, but there was light coming from inside. I hesitated, considering using another form to test her for... something, but that was probably just paranoia. I stepped up to a side door with light pouring out from under and knocked. After some ruffling noises the door cracked open, and an eye popped into view. As soon as its owner recognized me, the eye widened with surprise.

“Oh, it’s you!” Pearly exclaimed. “Give me a second… I thought you would come earlier, so I made a bit of a mess of the place.” She retreated, leaving the door ajar, then after some more moving stuff around, she opened it all the way. “Come in! I’m in the middle of cleaning, so I apologize. Just go ahead and make yourself home in the kitchen. There are chairs and some apples too. I’ll be with you in a second.”

The first word that came to mind as I laid eyes on her home was ‘crowded’. The second one was ‘how’. The door opened into a corridor of sorts, with both walls lined with shelves of… stuff. From kitchen appliances and cleaning supplies to rolls of fabric and boxes of animal food, every inch was covered with something. My eyes, after I successfully peeled them away from the mess, finally centered on the filly’s smiling face. She stood by the closed door, wedged between potatoes and unopened cans of food. Her hair was halfway in the process of escaping her bun, with the rest following close. An old lantern floating by her head allowed a scar on her left ear to be noticed, a detail I’d missed earlier. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind my early arrival in the slightest.

“Go on, the kitchen is behind you, at the end of the hallway.” She pointed the way. “I need a few more minutes, and, uhm… I guess I’m gonna have to wrap this up quickly, won’t I? Never mind, I can finish later. Just please, don’t eat all the apples.”

“Sure, take your time…” I said, but she was already back to cleaning the floor. With some difficulty, I turned around and walked into the kitchen. The décor was similar to the corridor, but with much more room around the fryer and the counter. One of the stools from outside stood next to the sink with a basket of apples sitting in it. The room was lit by two more lanterns, hanging from bent nails in the ceiling. The walls were adorned with framed pictures of ponies hugging and smiling to the camera.

I grabbed a big and juicy-looking apple, and took a seat on the stool. The dim lighting was in stark contrast from what I was used to in Canterlot, where everything had to be illuminated with the power of the sun. It was altogether homey. Outside the rain has started in earnest.

The light of Pearly’s lantern danced as she worked the broom closer to the kitchen, the light clopping of her hooves on the floor playing a staccato tune. I munched on the delicious apple and tried to relax, but it wasn’t easy, and not just because the stool didn’t have a back. I distracted myself with eyeing the picture frames. It took me a moment but I recognized filly Pearly with a black doll in her grasp, smiling, with a stallion beside her.

The lantern reached the door to the kitchen and flew straight to a hanger by the door, followed by Pearly, who deposited the broom to a dark corner and went straight for the apples.

“Good, isn’t it? I brought it in from an orchard in Ponyville. I know a couple of ponies there, they told me to try them, and they are just peachy, so to speak. Anyway…” She gave me a quizzical look, which took me a moment to understand.

“Listen, I’m sorry I just barged in, but—"

She held up a hoof. “Oh, it’s okay, really. I don’t mind having you here, I just thought you’re gonna sleep somewhere else after all, but if you need a place now, there is nothing in the way. Why, though? Did something happen? Was it that poor changeling?”

“Nothing serious, really. I wanted to go back to the forest to my camp to get my stuff, but apparently some animal or something else had already been there, and I realized there wasn’t any point to it not to sleep in a proper bed, after all the sleeping in trees, and I figured you’d be still awake, so I came. I didn’t know you’d be in the process of cleaning your house at night...” I trailed off, as her words registered. “Did you say poor changeling...?”

She chuckled. “You slept in trees? I can see a pegasus doing it, but not you or me. Anyway, I don’t have a ton of free time during the day and I haven’t cleaned in weeks, and Fluffy Tail can’t tell the broom’s head from its handle. She’s my little assistant. Don’t worry about it. Now, onto business…” She walked to a cabinet on the wall and used her magic to open it, revealing four keys in two rows. “Do you have a preferred number? I have two, four, six and eight.”

I eyed her for a moment, then decided I probably misheard. “You have four rooms, with those numbers?”

Her ears sagged. “Not much, I know… But running a hotel is expensive and I can’t maintain more rooms in a small town. Do you want number two? It’s the best one.”

“Sure. Are you doing all this by yourself?”

“The diner yes, and to be honest, the hotel as well. Fluffy means well but poor thing has four left hooves. Uncle makes me give her work, though, and pays her instead of me, too, and I do need the help, so no big deal. Anyway, room two it is, and we’ll discuss your end of the deal tomorrow.” She unhooked the key and floated it over to me. A string hung conveniently from it, which I put my head through.

“Come on, I’ll show you around.”

She grabbed the lantern and floated it before her. I grimaced as the smell of petroleum hit me. “What’s up with the lighting? Don’t you have power here?”

“Don’t worry,” she spoke over her shoulder back at me. “The rooms have proper lighting. I just love the old ways, you know? It’s much more romantic than, say, Canterlot with artificial light shining around the clock. Prefer not to burn my retinas out at a young age. To be honest, I’ve never been to the city, but all the pictures show such strong lighting…”

We passed the collection of various animal food and rolled up fabric that I guessed were sheets, right next to each other. I hoped my pillow won’t smell like dog breath.

We reached another room where Pearly immediately turned right and went up a staircase. In the brief moment when her lantern shone into the unlit room, I saw a counter and a few chairs, then followed her up. Here the walls were painted white and were free of any clutter. At the top of the stairs she flicked a switch, and the whole upper floor was bathed in familiar white light. There were five doors, with numbers two, four, six and eight, and finally one marked with the figures of two ponies.

“Where are the other numbers?” I asked, as she went straight to the first door on the left.

“It was my mom,” she said without hesitation. “She didn’t like strange things, so she simply jumped over them when she started the hotel.”

“Strange?”

“Yes, because, you know… odd…”

I rested a hoof on my forehead. “Okay… I see. But why, really? Should I even ask?”

She merely grinned and opened the door of room number two and turned on the light inside. It wasn’t even locked. Beyond it I saw a cozy little place with a bed, a desk, a chair and a mirror with a sink under it. The walls were decorated with pictures of dogs, cats, rabbits, and… was that a manticore? And that a hydra? I glanced at Pearly, and let my ears drop. No, I shouldn’t ask.

“Well?” she chimed.

“It’s lovely,” I said and stepped into the room. “Very homey. I suppose I will have to work quite the hours, won’t I?”

“Let’s leave that for tomorrow. You just go and get some sleep. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“I may as well not have…”

“Then stop worrying about how to pay me. If you need anything during the night, I’m sleeping downstairs in the first room to the left. The next one is the closet, and you don’t want to see that, so don’t get them mixed up. I might not hear you right away, so be rude and loud if you really want to wake me up. Bathroom’s behind the ninth door this floor… I mean fifth door. Come down to the kitchen when you wake up, and I’ll give you some breakfast. What else… Oh, I’ll have Fluffy bring you new towels and sheets in a few days, don’t be alarmed.” She half-turned to the stairs. “I’ll be leaving now. Have a good night.”

Before she could close the door behind her, I put a hoof on the knob. She looked back at me, with an eyebrow raised. “Yes?”

I took a breath. “Thanks for all of this, but there is one other thing I need to ask.”

She turned to face me proper and put on a curious smile. “Let’s hear it.”

“How do I put this… If anypony asks, let them be guards or not, I’m not... I’m not new here. You’ve known me for some time, and this is not the first time I’m staying here either. I don’t want to cause trouble or anything, but I don’t want anypony to come and question why would you let a stranger stay-“

She grinned and rolled her eyes. “Oh, you master spy! Afraid to have your cover blown? Listen…” She put a hoof on my chest. “Whatever is your reason, you’re not the first with secrets here, and not the last. I completely understand. I’m not gonna asks touchy questions, as long as you don’t start walking around with a neon sign above your head reading ‘Attention’. Now go on, and stop letting it bug you.” She gave me a push. “There is soap in the shower. You’re gonna need it.”

“All right. Thanks. Good night, Pearly.”

“Sleep tight!”

The door swung closed, obeying her magic. The lock clicked. I stood there until the sound of her hoofsteps died, and only then I let my exhaustion get the better of me. I slumped to the floor with a grunt and lay my head across my forelegs. Despite her apparent understanding of my request, I couldn’t shake the sense of wrongness I was feeling. I took another look at the room from my position on the worn parquet. It screamed temporary. I was a temporary guest in her hotel, in her life, and I was a temporary member of ponies as well.

Comments

[Kirtai]

I like this so far.

He gave me a perplexed look, then coked his head.

cocked

Not one guard happened to be in our path, but there were at least three buck after us already.

bucks

Hussk was not to making catching us easy.

"was not to making"? This sounds strange.

[ItchyStomach]

8940446
Whoops it seems my proofreader could use a proofreader of his own. Thanks for pointing these out.

[JazzyWaffles]

She held up a hoof. “Oh, it’s okay, really. I don’t mind having you here, I just thought you’re gonna sleep somewhere else after all, but if you need a place now, there is nothing in the way. Why, though? Did something happen? Was it that poor changeling?”

I think she maybe knows but feels bad for how the changelings are being treated. Maybe. We'll see.