Shed My Skin

by ItchyStomach

Chapter Four

Captured changeling reported in Sunshaft by civilians, bound up and conscious. Residents insist on another one that had escaped. The captured one was taken into custody. Interrogation attempts were unsuccessful, but signs of higher than usual intelligence, compared to the previous ones was observed. Local patrols were informed of the alleged escapee.

An aerial recon team engaged a small group of changelings in the forest, at half a day’s walk from Sunshaft, in the direction of Canterlot. Our guards, acting in self-defense, obtained an artifact from a downed changeling. The rest ceased fight and fled the area. The artifact and the changeling were carried back to Canterlot for further examination. Initial observations of the device include metal and gemstone construction, magical in nature, meant to be worn on the head, apparently non-functional. No clue to its purpose was found on the scene or on the changeling.

Report snippet from the Royal Canterlot Guards’ Bureau

***

There are things that a change of clothes can do to a pony. There are also things a change of bodies can do to a changeling. But certain things just remain the same no matter how many gowns one has, or how many forms they go through. A full bladder was one of those things.

I was glad for the absence of other guests on the hotel, as the only bathroom was accessible through the common corridor. When I looked into the mirror after washing my face, I realized I was still a pony, but my pupils were of a changeling again. I vaguely remembered a dream… Well, many dreams over the course of the night, which featured changelings bursting into flames and often ending up dead on the ground before my hooves. I remember being forced to take my own form, the grey stallion, and me dreading the effects. It wasn’t completely in my head, as I apparently did change my eyes at some point. I hoped Pearly didn’t see or hear anything. Shaking the last afterimages of the dreams from my head, I went to see if she offered anything for breakfast besides fries and import apples.

Judging from the noises, my host was in the kitchen. I crossed the corridor and entered the diner’s section to see her happily chopping a heap of fresh hay, then sweeping them into a bowl. The fryer behind her was already filling the interior with fumes. The tables and chairs stood outside, empty in the morning sunshine. What time was it, again? Looking around I didn’t see a clock in sight, but I did spot the same basket of apples with a few sliced up on a cutting board. I scooted over and snatched one.

“Hey! No eating the merchandize, please!”

I grinned and stuffed the slice into my mouth. Then dodged the truss of hay coming for my face.

“Sorry,” I said after swallowing. “That was the first edible thing I saw.”

She sighed, tucked a flock of hair behind her ear that escaped her bun, and gave me a look one usually reserves for children. “There is a bucket over there you can eat from. Did you sleep well?”

I stepped to said bucket and took a slightly misshaped apple. It still tasted amazing. “Pretty well, thanks. I almost forgot what a bed is like.”

“You couldn’t possibly have been on the move for so long to forget something like that, though I imagine sleeping on treetops is not the best experience.”

“Most definitely not,” I said, thinking about the camp’s cots, which reminded me of the previous night, which then reminded me a certain changeling. Then a ticking clock. I quickly finished the apple, my appetite gone.

“So,” I began, stepping up to her, “what work did you have in mind for me?” I might as well distract myself with some manual labor.

She swept the cut food from the cutting board then jabbed a hoof at the sink. It didn’t seem like the pile got smaller since yesterday. “Let’s start with that.”

It wasn’t that I hated doing dishes, but scrubbing greasy remains off plates with hoof-gloves that were too small made me wish Pearly had other things needed to be done. The word I consoled myself with was ‘temporary’. My struggles and the occasional vocal remark didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hmm…” Pearly leaned against the sink and swept a bit of foam from my mane, while wearing a contemplative expression. “Maybe I shouldn’t leave them sitting overnight… I rarely have to use other than my horn to clean them.” She picked up a dirty plate and magically pried off some remains. “Makes you wish you could just magic up a horn for yourself, doesn’t it? Like a changeling? You could just have some green flames make you a unicorn for a day! Oh, wait, they do have horns by default, don’t they…” She trailed off and kept her eyes on me, as if waiting for a response, but when she saw my expression, her smile gave way to a concerned frown. “Hey, don’t look so grim, I’m only joking.”

Not so sure about that, I eyed her, evaluating whether I should act on my plan from the day before and start with a fresh form. If she knew... But if she did, she wouldn’t be making casual jokes about it. I produced a fake smile. “I get it. It’s just...”

She put the plate back into the sink. “Hey, if I’m too much, feel free to tell me. Celestia knows, you wouldn’t be the first one.”

“No, it’s not that,” I said quickly. “It’s just, with what had happened in Canterlot, I wasn’t expecting ponies to joke about changelings so soon. Especially with the incidents recently.”

She stepped back to the fryer and started wiping the counter with a rug. “Everypony is too quick to judge them and treat them like dumb animals. But tell me, to imitate a pony, you’d have to be able to think like a pony, wouldn’t you? And would you treat a pony like a dumb animal?”

“Of course I wouldn’t...”

She waved a hoof. “No, I didn’t mean you. I know you are better than that, judging by the way you looked at the poor fella yesterday. Just ponies in general tend not to give them a chance.” She glanced up at the street. “Though I admit, invading a city doesn’t help their cause.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like, you actually sympathize with them? With changelings?”

She nodded. “Uncle said I should keep it a secret, and I do, generally, but it doesn’t seem fair.”

“That’s not something you hear every day,” I said cautiously.

“Eh, perks of being the niece of the mayor. Nopony’s gonna give me a hard time for saying weird stuff.” She shot a glance at me. “You’re not gonna call the guards on me, are you? I remember what you asked me yesterday, so I don’t think you would, but...”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to pay for your hospitability by giving you a hard time. I think it’s rather refreshing to hear such an open-minded opinion.”

Her lips pulled into a smile. “Thanks,“ she said, and we went back to work.

Pearly’s words led me to another train of thoughts. Maybe there was another way I had yet to consider. I looked at Pearly’s glowing horn as she worked the cleaning rug with her telekinetic spell. There was a spell for anything these days. Why didn’t I think of it sooner?

I scrubbed the plates, putting together a vague plan. Several moments of silence later I took a breath to catch her attention. “So, Pearly… Where did you learn magic?”

She had moved on to watch the fryer, adding spices. “Where unicorn fillies usually do, silly. In magic kindergarten! Although…” Her ears sagged a bit. “Only for a year or so.”

“How come?” I prodded.

“My family moved here before I finished and there was no magic schooling here at that time, so I went to a regular one. I wasn’t the only unicorn student, but we had only earth pony teachers, so... My dad taught me a few tricks, and gave me books to read. I remember only what he showed me, though. The school didn't make a lasting impression either.” She indicated at the picture on the wall, showing a stallion with a yellow foal in his forelegs.

“So, you never got any proper education?” I said, then I realized how that came out. “I mean…”

“No, it’s okay, and no, I haven’t. I do have something special, though!”

“And what’s that?”

She gave her rear a little shake. “It’s my talent! Can you guess?”

I blinked. “Uhm…”

“Two stallions came pretty close to it a few days ago, in fact. They ordered exactly what you did yesterday, and even sat at the same spot.”

“Did they…”

“Well? Nothing?”

Hussk had said something about how special her fries were. “Your talent is making excellent fries?”

“Warm, but not quite. Let me show you.” She grabbed a good plate’s worth of fries from the fryer and gave it a squeeze in midair, and the excess oil dropped back into the fryer. “When I was little, I saw how Mom used to squeeze clothes after washing so they would dry faster. She also kept complaining about all the fast food Dad used to eat and how greasy it all was. Then I thought, why not combine the two? I was already doing levitation at that time, so when Dad next took me out for dinner, I tried it on his fries and it worked! Dad got crispy, less unhealthy food and I got my cutie mark!”

I hid my smile behind the back of my hoof. I had a hunch she wasn’t the first to think of that trick, but she was probably the only one to earn a cutie mark from it. “What did your mother say?”

She put the half-finished fries back. “She made me do the same with clothes in the cleaner shop. I got some pocket money for it, but never liked it as much as making food, so when I got old enough, I bought the equipment for this here place. I’ve been feeding ponies happily ever since.”

“And your Dad? Did he become a regular customer?”

“No… He had an accident and had to be tended to by nurses. Mom moved away soon after that, leaving the hotel to me. In retrospect, ‘happily ever since’ might be an overstatement, but I’m genuinely content on my own now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is he all right?”

She turned her head. “He’s as well as he could be.”

I took it as my cue not to prod further. Silence stretched out between us, until Pearly spoke again. “And what about you? Are your parents still together?”

“My parents left me when I was young,” I recited the story I knew was fake, but it was still better than nothing. “I was raised by an old stallion, a retired royal guard. He died when I got into school, and I was taken into an orphanage, but I left as soon as I could to join the Academy to become a guard myself. I’ve never really met my parents, didn't even see pictures of them.”

“That’s so sad, I’m sorry you lost them so soon. No wonder why you wander alone. Did you succeed, though? Did you become a guard?”

“I dropped out halfway through. Long story.”

From her expression, I saw that it came out curter than I intended. “Not that it’s a secret, I just don’t like to think about it. Not one of my fondest memories. What I originally wanted to ask you is that if you had a library in town. I need… To find something.”

“I understand. A library, though? I’m afraid the closest one is in Ponyville, which is a little difficult to access right now, I believe. The librarian is the protégé of Celestia and she’s probably busy nowadays. She’s very kind, though. Dad used to borrow books on magic for me, and he told me she was most enthusiastic about helping a little filly unicorn learn magic. Why? What do you need?”

“Nothing serious, just something I’m curious about.”

She eyed me, then mischief glimmered in her eyes. “Oh, secrets… Is that thing you’re seeking illegal? Can’t I help you find it? I have more horns than you do.”

I seriously considered her offer, even if only for a second. “I’d rather not drag you into it, but thanks. How far is Ponyville? Do you think I could make the trip in a day?”

“With all what’s going on? Even if you did, the library is probably closed. The librarian went to Canterlot for the wedding and I don’t think she returned yet. Besides, that whole town is a magnet for weird.”

I wasn’t ready to write the possibility off just yet, but I accepted her words with a nod.

“Does your secret involve, you know...” She lowered her voice. “Changelings? Or the guards? Are you hiding something from them?”

“What? I’m not...”

She blushed and waved a hoof. “Just a thought. Don’t take it seriously. Are you ever gonna tell me? I love surprises.”

“Maybe, one day, but even I’m not sure about it. I’ll fill you in if I make up my mind.”

“Well, if you think so… Oh, you almost finished! Great job. I already like having you around.”

Two ponies approached the counter and Pearly went to take their orders, while I stayed behind to finish off the last of the plates. A spell to remedy my situation was a long shot, but one that seemed worthy of pursuing. I watched the filly serve the customers, levitating crisp, freshly squeezed hay to their plates, wondering if she deserved to be dragged into the pit I was in.

***

As much as she appeared to be, Pearly was not a pony fresh out of Naïve Town. She knew how to organize her extensive collection, from cleaning supplies to spare parts to her cooking equipment. I never got the impression whatever I was asked to do was only to pass the time, either. Given the current amount of ponies in the hotel, maintaining four clean rooms was really just maintaining one clean room, but as the clock hit noon, the diner saw more hungry mouths than I’d expected. Why she didn’t buy a bigger accommodation for her business was on my list to ask her sometime, but I was busy learning to be a waiter. It was not just standing around and asking if the customer wished for more wine, as I saw in Canterlot. More than once I considered making myself a horn during a break, to make things easier on my back.

The afternoon consisted mostly of cleaning plates, again, before she said the magic words.

“That’s all for today. You did great, though. Those years studying to be a guard did pay off, didn’t they? You didn’t even ask for a break… Oh, are you sure that will do? You do have a bed upstairs.”

Had I had a horn, that bed would’ve floated right down, even if it took the rest of the afternoon.

“Come on now. I won’t carry your grown-up flank anywhere. Didn’t you mention you wanted to take a walk in the town? The sun’s still up, and I want to sweep the floor.”

Walk, yes, but not in the town. And after some rest.

“Don’t be such a baby,” she chimed and crouched down beside me. “Do you want me to tell you scary stories of how the bad changelings will get you if you don’t obey?”

I stiffened, despite knowing she was joking.

“Oh, you do! Well, probably there is one around, watching you right now. Should I get him?”

I turned my eyes on her. Girl, if only you knew. “Okay, okay, Mom. Can I have money for ice cream?”

She stood up, laughing. “Sure, honey… Wait, really? Uhm, yes, actually. We made quite the sum today. Go knock yourself out.”

I got to my hooves and accepted the coins. Ice cream hadn’t been in the plans, but hey. I deserved it.

She cast a look at the broom, and I could tell she was tired as well.

“You sure you won’t need me today?” I asked.

“No, go ahead. I’ll close up after you’re gone.” She smiled at me warmly. “Thanks for the help again.”

I saluted. “At your service.”

My route towards the center of the town brought me past the guard outpost. Two armored ponies stood at the entrance, following me with their eyes as I strolled by. Part of me enjoyed the little secret I was carrying under my green pelt, no matter how eager I was to get rid of it. Green, as I had come to realize during the day, wasn’t my color.

I found a sweet shop and ordered some apple and strawberry-flavored ice cream with cinnamon topping. They went remarkably well together.

Ice cream spent, I set out to find a suitable place where nopony would disturb me. Hussk's safe house was obviously out of the question, and I didn’t want to break into anypony's property, so once again, I set course for the forest. There was bound to be a place secluded enough for me to play around with magic for a bit, with no sentient audience.

Half an hour later I stood in a small but clear place, formed by four trees. I couldn’t see the town’s buildings, and I presumed ponies there couldn’t see me either. I inspected the surrounding bushes and rocks and even looked at the sky for any movement, but I was completely alone. I took a breath, and finally burned away the green pony.

I went through every form I knew, doing a check to make sure I remembered the details correctly. When I got to my old form, I lingered on it for a few minutes, before replacing it with the native one. Maybe one day, I will see use to it again.

Inventory check done, I chose the orange unicorn to wear and picked out a thick fallen branch as a target for my next exercise. I wanted it to break in half upon the touch of my magic. I concentrated, imagining it falling to pieces, but all I could muster was a beam of light that didn’t even scratch it. I tried again and again, but my horn refused to recreate the vision in my head. I changed back and tried it as a changeling. If not breaking in half, the branch did take damage, assuring me that I was doing at least something right. As a pony, my magic was only comparable to a torch. I was intent on producing at least something useful while disguised, so I moved on. If nothing else, I could figure out how to levitate it.

I spent what had to be around two hours trying every trick that came to mind. The grass around me was littered with splinters and torn leaves. Further away was a pile of rocks and sticks, considerably fewer in numbers. I sighed and made a sweeping motion with my horn, intent on magically scattering the remains to hide my presence here, then watched the pieces fly every which was. As a last attempt I tried to set the stones apart, but my magic only threw them at a nearby tree, like a blunt instrument, and not at all like what I intended.

Movement above made me stop and peer around. I heard animals moving around in the forest before, but this one seemed closer. I looked back at the last rock, enveloped in my magic. If there was a pony around, I had to leave. A lonely pony practicing magic in the middle of the woods didn’t feel like a solid cover story.

The leaves parted and two pony eyes appeared in the nearest bush. Without thinking, I whipped my head around and launched the rock. My head immediately throbbed with pain.

“Ah, what? Ouch, that hurts…”

My eyes widened. I just hit a pony. A civilian, by the looks of him.

“What was that?” another pony said, coming fast to aid the one I just hit. I gaped at the young pegasus rubbing his forehead furiously, wanting to say I was sorry, but a voice in my head held me back with a simple order. Run.

Obeying it, I left the poor pony and abandoned the clearing. I barely noticed the still quite wet mud that clung to my fur as I darted through the undergrowth. I wasn’t especially quiet, but I was at least hard to spot. It ran through my mind that changing back to my native form would allow me to use more magic to aid my escape, but even if I wasn’t covered in mud, I didn’t have the time to change.

Walking here took half an hour on clear ground. It was substantially more time consuming and tiring on the way back. By some miracle, I reached the outer fences alone. I stopped, listening, but whoever they were, they weren’t coming after me. Or they were setting an ambush. Or calling guards. I weighed my options. I used the edge of the fence to clear much of the mud off. It still left very noticeable mark on my orange pelt, and I abandoned the idea of changing to something else completely. With my heart still beating in my throat, I hurried towards the hotel, casting occasional glances behind me. Nopony seemed to be following me and I slowed my pace somewhat. I was getting a few strange looks, but nopony said anything. Walking around dirty was probably not without precedent in a rural town.

***

Night has fallen when I reached the hotel. There was light coming from Pearl’s room above the hotel front. Quietly as I could, I opened the side door, then remembered to wipe my hooves in the grass. Sneaking upstairs and straight to the bathroom was done fast. I took the steps two at a time. Only after the click of the bathroom’s door did I let the shaking start.

Operating the shower’s knobs with trembling hooves was difficult, and I didn’t even bother with shampoo, mainly because I left it in my room. As soon as the water was flowing and it was acceptably warm, I collapsed in the tub and let it ran across my mane and fur. I kept on the pony body, just in case I fell asleep and Pearly decided to check on her only customer. Would the disguise remain if I were to do it? I wondered how would she react to finding a changeling nesting in her bathtub, unconscious from tiredness and lack of love. I didn’t know what would happen if I ran out of reserves, but I assumed keeping up any form but the native one was slowly sipping power while on. Casting spells must have cost even more, and there was no shortage of that today.

I blocked the drain with a hoof and tried to enjoy the warm substance for a while, then moved to let the water out. It took the mud and leaves with it. I used the remaining water to scrub myself over then reached for the towel.

Back in my room I finished drying my coat and mane, then made sure both the window and the door were closed, and finally shed the disguise. It proved to be a little harder than earlier, supporting my theory on lack of love, but it felt better to be a real changeling than a fake pony.

My bed was calling, but there was something else I wanted to do before laying down. I needed my horn to properly obey me, not just spit out random spells when in danger.

I knew Pearly wouldn’t be thrilled if I made a mess of her room, so I made sure I only used the smallest amount of magic. I concentrated on the used towel in the middle of the floor. Every child could do it, I told myself, as an aura of green light enveloped my horn and the damp fabric. Every pony in their adolescence floated small objects with ease, so why wouldn’t a specially trained changeling agent be able to do the same? The aura shimmered as I pumped more energy into it. I could feel the towel’s texture, as if I was touching it with my hooves, but in my mind. I could see it moving a little, too.

There was a knock on the door. My half-formed levitation spell imploded and I became aware how high a rate my heart was beating. I looked at the door and frowned. I did not want to talk to anyone right now. Leaving the towel where it was I gathered my mental strength, took on my usual pony form, unlocked the bolt and stepped back.

The door opened, revealing Pearly and a fresh, folded towel hovering beside her head.

“Hi,” I said, trying to sound welcoming. It wasn’t difficult, upon seeing her, but my success was only moderate. “Room service?”

Her initial smile wavered and she eyed me for a long second, then peered into the room behind me. She finally checked the number on the door, and levelled her eyes at me.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, looking at the number as well. It was the letter two, as it should be.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said, as if talking to a stranger, “but this room is already taken. How did you even get in here?”

I blinked. “What? Sir? When did you start calling me that, Pearly?”

Hearing her name, her ears flattened to her skull and she took a step back. Then recognition flashed across her face and she edged closer, looking me over with fresh interest. “Wait a minute. Are you... perhaps… a friend of… the pony staying in this room?”

This was getting very confusing. I looked myself over, too, to see if there was something wrong with the form I had assumed, but I was in the body I always used. Did I mess up some detail, then? I had my grey coat, straight, short mane, and the little shield on my flank. I looked back at her crunched face, her narrow eyes. Then it hit me.

“Oh, crap.” The blood drained from my face and I took an involuntary step back, then another. I’ve made a huge mistake.

Pearly’s reaction was not what I expected, though. A brilliant smile spread across her face and she followed me into the room, the towel thumping to the ground behind her, forgotten. “Oh, I knew it!” She practically squealed the words. “I knew you existed! You were what kept Mint Flower in the town, since he couldn’t carry you with all the guards around. But where is he? Is he with you? Is he okay?”

“I… What? Who are you talking about…“

She spun around, looking for something. There wasn’t much space to hide things in, whatever she expected to find, so she rounded on me again. “Where is Mint? Is he in trouble? Did the guards find him? Did you come for help? Does he need me to tell Uncle to release him?”

Her voice was raising, making me think she was losing it. “Points for not copying his looks and going for something original, though. But, come to think of it, maybe it would have been a wiser choice to go with what I’ve already seen, since you were clearly counting on me finding you! Good thing I’m the only one currently living here besides him...”

I finally found my voice. “Pearly,” I said quickly. “Please, slow down. I know what you see is confusing, and I can explain, but you need to let me.”

“I know what I’m seeing! I see a changeling in my friend’s room!”

Despite her upbeat voice, my heart skipped a beat. Or maybe because of her lack of terror I’d expected.

“I don’t know why he felt the need to keep you a secret from me, maybe he just wanted to keep me safe, but he’s a good pony, and I want to help him. Whatever his plans were, he doesn’t deserve prison.” She paused, and her expression darkened. “Or maybe I’m wrong, and you aren’t here to get help. Maybe you’re here because you let him get captured.”

My heart was now thumping like back in the abandoned building. One half of my mind was busy eyeing up the door behind Pearly and trying to guess how hard I would have had to shove her to the side in order to escape. The other half was sweating bullets attempting to come up with something to say to remedy the situation. I let the latter have a go first.

“Please, let’s calm down and let me explain—"

“I don’t want to hear what I know you’re just making up right now! I want to know if Mint is alright.” She paused, squinted, and her horn glowed, making me take another step back. “I’m not sure what he told you about me,” she said slowly, “but my sympathy for your kind won’t make me hold back if it turns out that you let Mint get captured by changelings or get dragged to Canterlot by guards for helping you! So? Where is he?”

I could practically smell the magical charge in the air, and thought about the little filly, who, when she was upset, cast a spell a decade ago that didn’t lose strength ever since. The part of me that insisted on fleeing felt cornered, and the other could only suggest excuses that were probably going to make Pearly angrier with me.

To put it simply, I bailed.

“T-there is no other pony,” I said, looking her straight in the eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, or where did you get the idea of this hidden changeling, but there is only me.” I took a deep breath. “Or, rather… Uh… You see, there is something…”

As I was looking for a way to say it, she arrived to the conclusion before I could to spell it out for her. It was indicated by a loud gasp and the bang of the door swinging shut behind her, obeying her magic.

“You are the changeling!” she exclaimed. I merely stared, and her previous seriousness evaporated. “Oh my gosh, Mint, I was so close… I thought… You were so shocked by the event that happened with that changeling in front of the bar, I was sure you were hiding one in the forest or somewhere, maybe an injured one, for some reason… That you had something to do with… With that changeling they found tied up…” Her eyes took the shape of saucers. “Was that you too? You know what that was about, right?”

“Please, there is more to it than you think...”

“But if you weren’t hiding a changeling, why… Oh, were you with that one? You must have set him up to save the town, and now his friends are after you?”

“That’s not incorrect, but—"

“Then you were responsible for the attack on Canterlot, too, but then you came here to hide, right? You were… Oh…”

And there it was, that look of worry I was afraid about. I took in a breath to tell her that I was different, but she didn’t need much convincing, as her hooves wrapped around my neck proved it.

“Oh my gosh,” she muttered into my mane. I stood like a statue with four hooves rooted to the ground, still hoping that she would finally allow me a chance to explain, although it didn’t feel so urgent anymore. “I was convinced you were hiding one, then it turns out you are a changeling yourself… You can’t imagine how I feel right now. I have so many things to ask, and I know I should go and tell the guards before someone else finds out, but then you’d just change and disappear forever…”

She slowly withdrew and I saw my chance to speak. “Yeah, please, don’t tell anyone. Truth be told, you weren’t supposed to find out either. I knew you weren’t hostile against changelings, but I never thought you’d—"

She jabbed a hoof at my chest, cutting me off. “You knew how I felt about changelings and you still didn’t plan on letting me know? That’s… I don’t know, selfish! What were you afraid of? That I’d tell somepony? Do you even know me? At least I didn’t lie to you about who I am!”

I found myself pressed against the wall, quite literally. “No, not at all. I just didn’t want you to have to lie when asked, or get into trouble if I was discovered. I saw what those ponies did to that changeling a few days ago, and I couldn’t imagine they would be much kinder to whoever supported them, either.” She listened and I felt the table turn my way a little. “I’m sorry I kept you in the dark, and I promise I’ll explain why I’m different than the rest of them.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re different? How? I mean, I suppose you are, but...”

At least this part I’d had enough time to mull over. “I don’t act on behalf of the Changeling Hive, at least not anymore, but I’m not actively against them, either. I sort of belong in the middle. I don’t want to hurt ponies, but I can’t just pretend I’m a pony, either, and I can’t fight these changelings all on my own. They are probably keeping an eye on me, too.”

“So, you changed your mind, then, to support ponies? Surely then you’re not the only one. Have you met others like you? Can’t somepony in town help you find them?”

“It’s not a good idea to ask around. And there aren’t any more that I know of. You see, I’m not a regular changeling.” I sat down and she did the same. “I was selected as a special agent…”

I told her the story of how I came to know what I was, and how the changelings in the camp convinced me and helped me accept it, and why I did what I did with Hussk in the end.

I finished with the conundrum I was currently in. “I sort of have a plan to turn things around, but there are a lot of obstacles. Honestly, I could use your help.”

She studied the floor for some time, and I waited. If there were a clock in the room, I could have heard the ticking, but there was only my own breathing to listen to. Outside darkness had fallen, and I wondered just how late it was.

“So…” Her head was still lowered, but I could tell she wasn’t merely thinking aloud. “What you’re saying is that, by some miracle, from all the changelings still lingering around, you’re the only one not wanting to feed on ponies, and you choose my place to hide.”

“I…” I wasn’t certain she wasn’t accusing me of something. “If you don’t want me here, I can leave.”

“No,” she said quickly, “that’s not it. It’s… Never mind.” She raised her eyes to meet mine. A small smile sat on her lips. “I’m just lucky, it seems. I could have ended up with one with hostile intents, but it’s the complete opposite. And he needs my help to boot. Now, I can’t say ‘of course’ right away, but I can promise you whatever little I can give, I’ll do it, let it be just a room. Or...” The smile stretched into a grin that had a mixture of curiosity, eagerness, even lust, one that was low on the list I thought I’d see on her. I had a good guess what was coming.

“Show yourself, and you got it.”

Not what I expected, and my expression said as much.

“I mean,” she elaborated, leaning forward ever so slightly, only adding to the effect. “I want to see the changeling beneath. I’ve only seen pictures and plushies of them. Can you do that for me?”

“Sure, I just thought you’d ask for something more… interesting.”

“I’d call having a living changeling in my room interesting, thank you very much. Now let’s see the bug!”

A thought that had been on the back of my mind surfaced. “Let’s just stop for a minute. What’s behind this obsession?”

Her ears dropped and she grimaced. “Are you stalling? I’m crazy, if that’s what you want to hear. I always have been the weird one, liking odd things, giving everypony a second chance, even if they weren’t ponies. I always wished I could be somepony else, whom nobody would recognize as the mayor’s weird niece. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

She had the eyes of a little, lonely filly. My heart was beating against my chest. “All right, Pearly. Give me some space, please.”

She was quick to do so. I closed my eyes and made sure I chose the default form. To her credit, she didn’t cry out as I burst into green flames inches from her. A sharp intake of air was all I heard, but after the flames subsided, she was all over me.

“Oh my gosh, you do have hard skin! Are there bones under it? Don’t those holes feel weird? Do they hurt when stuff gets caught in them? Oh, your wings are so thin, I can’t believe you can fly with them. I guess a bee can fly with similar wings, though, so maybe they’re stronger than they look… And even your horn isn’t straight like a unicorn’s. Do you have spells like we do? You must show me what you can do. Maybe you can teach me some sweet changeling magic. Oh, and… I’m not gonna look closely, I swear, but the rumors that you didn’t differentiate between mare and stallion seem true, too…”

“All right, I think that’s enough sightseeing,” I pulled her muzzle from under my belly, feeling like blushing again. Could changelings blush? I still haven’t figured that out. “I promise I will fill you in on the details, but I’m half-dead from exhaustion, and I need to—"

“Oh, you’re not getting away just now. This was only a warmup.”

“For what?” Were I not so tired, I think I would have guessed her request. As I was, it caught me off-guard again.

“For copying me.”

It was the safe house all over again. “You?”

She stomped a hoof. “One more thing and I’ll let you hit the hay. Copy me, turn into me, or however the appropriate phrase goes. I always wanted to see myself from outside, and you’re the perfect pony… person for the job. What if we postpone, and when I come see you in the morning, you’re gone with the wind, and I have to make due with boring old mirrors?”

All the warnings the commander had told me resurfaced in my mind. “Pearly, that’s not safe.”

“I don’t care. I promise you, I’m not gonna freak out. Why would I, if I was anticipating it?”

“That’s a good point, but…”

“Please, Mint, if that’s your real name. Won’t you do it for me? Please?”

Cute fillies and puppy-dog eyes. It must be in their genes. I sighed, swallowing my remarks about my low reserves. I needed her support, and this was maybe not that drastic a price to pay. “All right… Give me a minute.”

“Oh, thank you! Take all the time you need.”

I circled her a few times, more for her sake than mine. I didn’t feel like telling her I already had her looks memorized, though I did find some minor details that had escaped my attention before. She did her best to stand still as a statue, but I couldn’t not smile at the obvious anticipation radiating off her. Her affinity towards changelings still had me worried, but at least her curiosity was genuine.

I stepped back from her and gave a last look-over, then concentrated, and the flames swept over me. It wasn’t even that difficult, like I’d just tapped into some reserves I didn’t know about.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing a bit lower than usual, with a few strands of yellow hair falling into my vision. Pearly stared me with wide-eyed wonder, her mouth forming soundless words. I averted my gaze to let her take a good look at me, then looked back up as he stepped closer and touched my side. Her hoof was trembling as she ran it up my neck and mane to tuck that little flock of hair behind my ear, like she always did with hers.

“I was wrong,” she muttered. “It’s even better than I imagined. This is perfect. Exact match.”

I craned my neck to look at her, but she didn’t meet my eyes. “Satisfied?”

She let out a little giggle. It didn’t sound right. “Even your voice is correct. Imagine… Nopony would notice if little Pearly suddenly became a tad quieter. All it would take is one spell and you could feed on me until I’m empty.”

“Pearly?”

She met my eyes now, but I had a feeling she was only admiring my work. Her hoof kept stroking my mane, then wandered onto my cheek. Under different circumstances, it would have been pleasant. “With enough time, I bet I wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the real me and the fake me, but once you’d had enough of me, you could throw me away and become the real Pearly, couldn’t you?”

A shiver ran down my spine. I stepped back and before she had the chance to complain, I shed her form and took on the green one she knew me by. The ease of the process barely registered as I stepped up to her again and took her hoof that was still hovering in midair. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re the real you.”

This time her eyes focused on mine for good. “I know, silly.” She smiled and squeezed my leg. Her dreamy eyes told me was still under the effect of what happened. “Thanks. You just supplied a year’s worth of freaky dreams.” She leaned closer and touched her forehead against mine. “I could use some sleep right now to see some of them.”

I felt warmness inside, but not the kind that was familiar or even appropriate. I held her silently as my mind raced, putting pieces together. I was a changeling, who needed love to survive. So far, I tried not to think about the source of that love. This new sensation inside me was a sign that I found the solution, and my instincts latched onto it. I felt ashamed.

She must have sensed my stiffness, but leaned against me nevertheless. I tried to convince myself that it was okay enjoy the moment. We stood in the middle of the room in silence for a minute or two, and I was getting better every second. I felt the need to say something, to let her know what was happening.

“Hey, uhm…”

She withdrawn to meet my eyes and I saw she knew. “Don’t worry about it,” she said gently. “It’s what you do, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be silly.” She chuckled. “You’ve earned it.” She sat down and cocked her head to the side. I sat too. The warmness persisted.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” she said, hesitant. “You said you were a spy, so deep undercover that even you had no idea you were one. Where does the pony part come from? You couldn’t have just made it up. Where is the pony you are inside? Is there a you at all? Or is the person before me just patches of souls long forgotten?”

I studied the floor’s many scratches. “Perhaps. Do I look like a faulty patchwork? Because I feel like it sometimes. I felt like it my whole life. Everypony told me it was because I grew up as an orphan, that there were lots of others like me, and I could still learn how to make my life enjoyable. Turns out I don’t even have a life. It’s just pieces of random ponies they captured and… I don’t know, copied? Everything I know is just junk threw together for a temporary framework. I was designed to forget all of it once I fulfilled my purpose, but here I am, stuck with a bag of loosely tied memories. How can I tell who I am? I’m just fragments.”

“Don’t say that. You do have a life of your own. It’s just… different. They might be fragments, but they work together. There are ponies in much worse condition than you are.”

I opened my mouth to protest but she continued. “I know it’s a cliché, but maybe it can help. You have your conscience and your skills, and if your plan works, an opportunity to start again. Don’t feel like you owe anything to the changelings. They made the mistake of showing you what ponies are like. You just decided to follow your heart.”

“Yes, that sounds lovely, but look outside the window. Ponies are terrified of the likes of me. They would never—“

“Do I look like I’m not trusting you? That’s what you want to say? I know for a fact you know how much of a risk I’m taking right now. Hiding you, and giving you willingly what you usually take by force? They would strangle us on sight, and make a public display out of it, and if not them, the changelings would. How many days passed since you changed?”

“Three, but—"

“Three days, during which you escaped that group of changelings and found me, your only ally. Ponyville’s library is probably out of the question, but I can teach you what I know. Maybe we can figure something out.” She reached out and tapped my foreleg.

“I know a place in the forest we won’t be disturbed.”

I sighed. “Sometimes I wish I let myself be captured back in Canterlot.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s what everypony says when facing something difficult. You made it so far. Are you gonna honestly give up now? I bet that’s the reason they gave you time to think, so you will get cold hooves. Don’t prove them right.”

A different kind of warmth spread across my chest, and it made me smile. She didn’t love the changeling in me as a fangirl, she loved me, the imposter. The pony.

Pearly returned the smile. “What is it?”

I shook my head. “That’s the best pep talk I’ve ever heard.”

“My father was great at saying things like that. It runs in the family, it seems.”

“Yeah, maybe…” I looked around. My eyes caught the discarded towel behind Pearly. “What’s with the towel? I only used mine once.”

She grinned and looked at the object in question. “Actually, your towel was not fresh… I mixed them up a few days ago, and put the old ones back to the rooms. I meant to swap them out but completely forgot. I told Fluffy to do it, but she remembered something and left, so I took the opportunity to bring it up myself and maybe have a little chat.” She grinned. “I’d say it was worth the trouble.”

She stood and examined the one I used earlier, and then put the new one in place. “I was hoping I could do the change before you returned, but I was held up. Didn’t you notice it smelled?”

I shrugged and got to my hooves too. The mood of the events was slow to leave my mind. “I didn’t really mind. I was pretty tired when I got back. Thanks for remembering, though.”

“It’s my job, silly.”

We shared a few seconds of silence. There might have been perfect words to say just then, but they eluded me by miles and, apparently, eluded Pearly too. It was she who broke it, though, by walking up to me and placing a kiss on my cheek.

“Good night, bug-pony.”

“Good night, hay-squeeze.”

She turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway. “I do hope you decide to stick around. I could think of a few ways to pass the time while you’re still here.” She closed the door behind her before I had a chance to respond.

Comments

[Kirtai]

Poor Pearly.

As I laid a hoof on the first step it let out a creek, and the talking cut out at once.

creak

Whishing that her hooves would stick to the ground

Wishing

[changeling khaos]

Man, this guy just cant catch a break.

[JazzyWaffles]

Hearing her name, her ears flattened to her skull and she took a step back. Then recognition flashed across her face and she edged closer, looking me over with fresh interest. “Wait a minute. Are you... perhaps… a friend of… the pony staying in this room?”

Hahaha yup saw this coming

“I mean,” she elaborated, leaning forward ever so slightly, only adding to the effect. “I want to see the changeling beneath. I’ve only seen pictures and plushies of them. Can you do that for me?”

...plushies?

She met my eyes now, but I had a feeling she was only admiring my work. Her hoof kept stroking my mane, then wandered onto my cheek. Under different circumstances, it would have been pleasant. “With enough time, I bet I wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the real me and the fake me, but once you’d had enough of me, you could throw me away and become the real Pearly, couldn’t you?”

Uh... does Pearly have some weird fetishes I should know about?

[fractalman]

This time her eyes focused on mine for good. “I know, silly.” She smiled and squeezed my leg. Her dreamy eyes told me was still under the effect of what happened. “Thanks. You just supplied a year’s worth of freaky dreams.” She leaned closer and touched her forehead against mine. “I could use some sleep right now to see some of them.”

I think by freaky she means kinky.

[ItchyStomach]

9322689
You should have seen the first draft of that scene. It wasn't quite so family friendly.