• Published 15th Mar 2019
  • 4,706 Views, 331 Comments

Learning To Live Again - Speedy Quill



A changeling, abandoned to die after the Royal Wedding, is shown that there's life beyond the hive. Laughter, villains, and committee meetings ensue.

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The Forest

Shadows already covered the forest as I put the finishing touches on my newest timberwolf trap. Sunset wasn’t far off, and darkness would soon consume everything beneath the leafy canopy. I ran my hoof over the branch I’d put in place, briefly admiring my work. A sudden pinch of pain caused me to flinch and withdraw. A sliver of wood had made its home in my hoof. I removed the splinter and gently pressed my hoof against some nearby moss. The cooling sensation elicited a sigh from my body.

Distant rustling triggered my senses, the usual paranoia setting in. My ears strained to identify the source. After a minute, it was evident that the perpetrator was small and likely non-hostile. The tension in my body began to dissipate slowly, but not entirely. I’d survived...how long had I been stuck here now? Ten months? Maybe more? It was hard to keep track anymore.

The colors of the forest faded with the light. The time had come to retreat to the shelter; a group of boulders with a small gap at the center. It was the obvious choice for protection in this cursed place. I wish I had found it closer to my arrival, but such thinking wasn’t going to change anything.

Foliage covered the entrance, concealing my hiding place from any wandering eyes. Several fragrant plants dotted the foliage, helping to mask my scent from any predators. Though unpleasent to the nostrils, these pungent flowers had saved me on a few occasions.

I sat down and grabbed for some nearby berries, popping them into my mouth one after the other. They didn’t fill me up nearly as well as love did, but they and some other odds and ends from the forest had become my new diet. And oddly enough, they were beginning to grow on me. The first few times I’d tried to eat something other than love, I’d heaved it right back to the forest floor. But now? My stomach had learned to adapt and was a little more accepting.

Memories of love filled my head, recalling the last feast I'd had. It must have been prior to the Invasion... That felt so long ago now. How would my body react once I had a chance to consume something normal again?

‘Snap’

My thoughts were interrupted by a branch. Had something wandered near one of my traps? I listened for a minute, waiting for any sort of sound. Nothing came though. Perhaps it had been further out in the forest.

‘SNAP!’

This one was louder. Closer. And definitely sounded like one of my traps. I leaned forward to my wall of foliage, trying to find my trespasser. The leaves were dense and didn’t allow for many places to peer through. Some gentle nudging created the hole I needed. My eye quickly searched for my trap, hoping some small animal had set it off by accident. The clearing seemed to be deserted. What concerned me more was that the ground appeared barren. I could have sworn I’d left the trap directly across from my shelter...

Several branches flew across my line of sight. A chill crept up my spine as they fell to the forest floor with barely a sound. They were broken and mangled, like they had been chewed up and spat back out.

And then came a low growl.

I braced myself against the rocks as a timberwolf come into view. It was sniffing the ground, obviously searching for more of my scent. Fear told me to back away and hide. Experience told me to not take my eye off the predator. The timberwolf sniffed the remains of my trap and raised its head. Each breath it took in its attempt to locate me caused my heart to pound. It was no more than ten feet away but didn’t seem to catch on to my hiding place. Thank goodness for those flowers.

The timberwolf seemed frustrated at not finding any prey. A sigh of relief began to escape me as it moved away from the rocks.

And then a second wolf came into view.

This one announced itself with a snarl. I flinched and felt my hoof slip from the wall of rock I was pressed against. It made a scraping sound that echoed between the rocks. And if that didn’t seal my fate, my hoof hit another stone and received a deep cut. The blood came quickly. All control was lost as my body began to tremble.

What little light there was left in the day seemed to disappear instantly as a shadow filled the entrance of my shelter. The foliage was ripped away in a second and I gazed up at the beast. Its eyes were gleaming in the darkness, happy to have finally found what they had been searching for. I pressed myself against the back of the small space. There were no other way out. As the realization of my imminent death hit me, I let out a scream. It was drowned out by another snarl as the timberwolf lunged toward me.

It grabbed me by my leg. And it was my bad leg too. I felt the bones break immediately as I was dragged outside. The other timberwolf was waiting in the clearing, impatient for its meal. The last solid memory I had was of the two wolves looking down at me as I shook with fear. When they bore their fangs and leaned in closer, everything went black...

-----------------------

The briefest moment of consciousness came after that, blurred in a haze of agony. The wolves were retreating and a new creature was approaching me. After that split second of comprehension, the pain hit me faster than I had crash-landed into the forest. It was immense and unbearable. I blacked out again, knowing that death was approaching. And honestly...I welcomed it.

-----------------------

My senses began to manifest themselves once again, signaling I was still alive for the moment. A fire burned in every part of my body. The pain was intense enough to throw me back into the void. My eyes slowly pried themselves open, wishing to see how I’d survived the ordeal. In that moment I realized that simple fact; I had survived. By some unseen miracle I had gotten away from the timberwolves.

My eyes opened at last, taking in the surroundings. The clearing I had called home was gone. I was...in a tree? I blinked a few times to make sure my eyes were working properly. Why would I be inside a tree?

There were bottles, vials, and masks covering the interior. Where in Equestria was I? Amid the oddities decorating the walss, I found a window, the forest clearly visible and far too close. My heart ached knowing I was still in the forest. Then again, the pain could be due to the timberwolves.

The wheels of my mind began to turn, connecting the facts together. This was obviously a home of some kind. Which meant that someone lived here. Which means someone saved me! I marveled at the thought of having been rescued. Who would risk their life for me, a weak changeling?

A door creaked open on the other side of the tree, revealing what appeared to be a pony. But she was unlike any pony I’d ever seen before. She was covered head to hoof in stripes. Her eyes locked on to me immediately and a smile formed across her lips. Didn’t she know what I was? Or perhaps she didn't care? Either way, she didn't see me as a threat. I don't blame her. There were plenty of other dangers to worry about out there.

“You’re awake and that is good. I’ve brought along some tasty food.”

My limbs screamed in protest as I attempted to stand. My knees buckled halfway through. The short fall was enough to illicit a grunt of pain.

“Standing will be a challenge indeed. How long has it been since your last feed?”

I stared at her, weighing my options. If I could stand I could attempt an escape. But that would require actually having a normal amount of strength. I couldn’t stand, so that left flying out of here. I hadn’t flown in months after spraining one of my wings, but I’d have to risk it. Hopefully they had more strength than my other limbs. I flexed my back, readying for takeoff. I was about to smile when I noticed something...off.

I couldn’t feel my wings.

A dozen scenarios played through my mind as I turned my head. Every inch of my back and shoulders were covered in bandages. Blood was seeping through the fabric at an alarming rate. The striped pony approached as my bandages turned red.

“I’ll remove this and start to mend. You may not want to look my friend.”

Nothing could make me look away as I prayed to whatever deities there were that my fears weren’t true. The bandages were unraveled and pulled from my bleeding body. The reality made my stomach churn, forcing me to look away as the tears came.

My wings were gone.

The timberwolves had torn my entire back open, taking my wings in the process. I don’t know how I could still be alive from such a wound. The first tear rolled down my cheek as the striped one began pouring something over my wound. I groaned in protest but allowed her to continue. She was obviously trying to help. If she had meant for me to die, she’d have left me to the wolves.

I stood still as she stepped away to grab supplies, turning enough to see the progress in my peripheral. There was all manner of colored powders and salves covering the wound. I looked like a rainbow. The striped one returned and began wrapping a new bandage around me.

“Zecora is the name I bear. What is the one you choose to wear?”

Zecora. An odd name for sure. What was the second part though? The one you choose to wear? I shook my head in confusion as I sat down. She chuckled to herself and raised a hoof to her chest.

“Zecora.”

The hoof turned out until it was pointing at me. Oh! She wanted a name. Well...that was a problem. I hadn’t used a name in ages. Especially being alone in the forest. I wasn’t like the younger changelings that had started to identify themselves. I shook my head.

“I-“

My first word came out with a wheezing cough. I hadn’t had to speak to anyone in ages. The same result occurred on a second attempt. Zecora held up a cup of liquid and I took it without hesitation. It could be poison for all I cared as long as it got rid of this dry feeling. The liquid fell down my throat sending a cooling jolt through my body. Plain water never tasted better! The cup fell to the floor as I sighed.

“I...I don’t have a name.”

The confusion was apparent as her head tilted.

“No name of your own? Not even at home?”

“Maybe when I was young. But it’s long lost now.”

Pain shot through my limbs as I forced them to stand me up.

“How long have I been here?”

Zecora stretched out a hoof as my knees shook. I grabbed hold without thinking, and steadied myself.

“Three weeks under my caring touch. The timberwolves did not leave much.”

“Did you scare them off?”

“A howl of fright I did hear. I ran to see what caused such fear. I found the wolves amid their feast. And chased them off, those awful beasts.”

A tentative step nearly sent me to the ground again. As Zecora pushed me upright, I asked the obvious question.

“Why would you save me? A changeling that is.”

“There are no enemies beneath these trees. I saw with you much pain to ease.”

Another step yielded better, though still shaky, results. A literal step in the right direction! I took another step. What confidence had formed was instantly dashed away as my nose hit the floor.

“Damn!”

Zecora chuckled and walked to one of the nearby shelves.

“In time you will regain your strength. This occurs when you sleep at great length. Potions will mend your muscle and bone. And soon you will walk on your own.”

I sat back down on the makeshift bed Zecora had set up. I had a chance now to examine the other work she'd done for me. My bad leg was set between two boards in a splint. The muscles throbbed against the healing bones, causing me to flinch every few seconds. The hoofwork was impressive. It was better than what I had attempted months ago after landing in the forest. That had been the first time the leg broke. Lack of medical experience had left me with a limp. Now that it was broken again, maybe I’d regain some mobility. Or, knowing my luck, it would be worse than before.

Zecora approached with a vial of blue liquid and held it out to me. The threat of poison still persisted in my mind, but recent events left me wanting to trust her. The cork made a popping noise as I pulled it loose, the smell nearly knocking me out.

“You can’t really expect me-“

The foul liquid slid down my throat without warning. I hadn't even seen Zecora tip the vial to my lips. As soon as my airway was clear I began coughing.

“Are you trying to kill me?! I’m pretty sure being mostly dead once was enough!”

———————————

Several days passed without any excitement. It seemed that Zecora’s home wasn’t a place that the bigger beasts wandered near. Potions became my diet and exercise was pacing the floor. My bad leg was a nuisance in its current state. So, I hobbled around the room, regaining my strength.

My back was starting to knit together with scar tissue. Zecora had kept the bleeding to a minimum even with me moving around more. Every so often, my eyes searched for my wings, breaking my heart with each glance. I couldn’t believe I’d actually have to walk everywhere from now on. Exhaustion began to set in as I sat down, my legs thanking me for the respite. A book laid open on the table. Perusing the visible page, I noted it was a book on potions. Interesting...

I pulled the book closer, turning back to the first page. My mind began to take in the various uses for potions. Then it was on to the individual recipes. Zecora’s personal notes on certain elixirs offered intriguing insight. I turned another page over and found that I had reached the back cover. A moment of confusion passed as I registered what had happened. I’d forgotten just how fast I could consume information. It had been a while since I’d needed to use my gift. Well over a year ago by my recollection.

‘Creeeeak’

“What is it you wanted to show me Zecora?”

Fear took hold of me as two bodies came into view. Zecora was the first through the door. But behind her, a lavender pony was entering. The new pony found me after a split second, causing us to both freeze. A fleeting moment of uncertainty passed through the room as the situation sunk in.

“Zecora! There’s a changeling in your house!”

I braced myself for the inevitable attack, watching the unicorn light her horn. Zecora jumped in front of the pony, holding herself in a defensive stance.

“I will not have a battle here. Put out your horn now, Twilight dear.”

Twilight. I recognized that name. She’d been at Canterlot during the attack. In fact...she was the one that discovered Chrysalis! The one-

“Why do you have a changeling in your home? Don’t you realize how dangerous they are?!”

Her questions snapped me back to the present. I cleared my throat, bringing Twilight’s attention back to me. The table creaked as I brace myself against it.

“She saved my life. I would have died without her help.”

Twilight seemed to finally take in the whole scene in front of her as I worked on standing up. Half of my body was bandaged after all. I took a wobbly step forward and stood as tall as I could.

“Why are you here, if I might ask?”

Confusion set in for a few seconds, her eyes only leaving me for a moment as she addressed Zecora.

“Why did you bring me Zecora?”

Zecora smiled.

“His health is on the mend. But he is alone and needs a friend. The changeling Queen he cannot follow. A place in his heart has long been hollow. Friendship can fill this empty space. But in Ponyville, not this place.”

“You...you want me to be his friend?”

I’m sure I had a shocked look as well. That didn’t seem like a good idea. Horrible in fact. Especially with past events considered.

Zecora was unfazed by the reaction. Instead, she motioned Twilight to approach me. The unicorn's eyes reflected my uncertainty. Even with that fear, she moved closer. I stood my ground, hoping it looked like I was in command of the situation. The truth was that I didn’t think I’d be able to take a step without either falling or crashing into Twilight. She stopped a few steps from me and slowly held up her hoof.

“I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Princess? That was new. I stared at her hoof for a moment, trying to remember how this worked. I hadn't been around ponies in so long. I slowly raised my own hoof, mimicking her.

“I’m-“

Damn. This name thing again. I didn’t want it to look like I was hiding something. But the longer I stood there, the more uneasy Twilight became.

“Do you...have a name?”

What sort of name fit a changeling? I tried to recall the names of the younger generations. Nothing was coming to mind!

"Well..."

I looked around, hoping something would provide an answer to my dilemma. My eyes found the window that looked out into the forest. And something in my head clicked. I turned back to Twilight with a small smile.

“Shade. My name is Shade.”

The changeling that had crashed into this forest was gone, buried somewhere among the trees. I had survived a year in the shade of the forest canopy before the wolves. No Chrysalis. No hive. Just me. And so, despite my hatred of this cursed place, I would keep this new name as a reminder of where I was reborn. I was Shade. And I was going to survive.