Emotional Support Changeling

by Twinkletail

Seeing It Through To the End

“Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I thought you were the most amazing creature I’d ever seen.”

Ocellus nodded to Huckleberry, keeping her smile up but feeling weak at his words to Sugar Maple. Why couldn’t somecreature say that about her instead of him?

~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re absolutely beautiful. Not just in body, but in mind and soul.”

Ocellus could barely keep her eyes from sparkling, but it was in vain. Berry Bliss’s words were for Citrine Spark, not her.

~~~~~~~~~~

“You light up my life. The sight of you can make the most lovely dream out of the darkest nightmare.”

It was the third time Spike was in here, but that didn’t change the sadness in Ocellus’s heart as she heard his words for Rarity and imagined somecreature feeling like that about her.

~~~~~~~~~~

The door creaked open. Smolder typically liked to bust right into her room, not caring much at all about stealth or carefulness. Today was a different story. The last thing she wanted to do was burst in and interrupt one of Ocellus’s sessions. A quick glance around the room revealed that she had successfully avoided doing that. The dragon walked into the room proper, chomping on one of the peppers she’d roasted. Just because she was cooking food for her friends didn’t mean she couldn’t have some too.

“Cell? I’m back.”

She’d already noticed Ocellus sitting on her bed in her initial glance around the room, but hadn’t gotten a good look at what was going on past the fact that nobody was busy practicing their confessions at the moment. If she had inspected closer, she might have been more aware of what was going on, but since she didn’t, it was the first sound of a sniffle that clued her in.

The roasted pepper forgotten, Smolder zipped over to the bed, talons clenched.

“Ocellus!” Smolder shouted. “What happened? Are you okay? Who made you cry? When I find out I’m gonna...”

“It’s fine,” Ocellus squeaked, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I-I’m fine, really!” The changeling offered a smile, receiving a flat look from Smolder in response.

“You’re not fine,” Smolder stated. “You’re crying.”

“N-no I’m not!” Ocellus tried to protest. “It’s...um...seasonal allergies?”

If Smolder’s look was any flatter, it would have fallen through the floorboards.

“You think I’m gonna buy that?” Smolder asked, crossing her arms. “Tell me what happened. Who made you cry?”

Ocellus let out a deep sigh. She tended to be a decent actor–it was a fairly necessary skill for changelings to possess, after all–but her skills had failed her this time.

“No one made me cry,” Ocellus said. “I mean, not intentionally, at least. And if I tell you what happened, you’re just going to tell me that you were right all along.”

“You really think that’s how I’m gonna react?” Smolder asked, more offended than angry. “From the way you say that, I can only guess that this is about your idea.” The dragon rolled her eyes as she received a nod from the changeling.

“It was a good idea!” Ocellus insisted. “Um...up until the point where all these creatures busy professing their love to me but intending it for someone else made me wish someone would feel that way about me. And...then the crying started. And then you came in. And now you’re caught up.” She tried to offer another forced smile in Smolder’s direction, but Smolder was having none of it.

“I told you it was a bad idea!” Smolder insisted, barely able to contain her frustration.

“Oh, come on, Smolder...” Ocellus said, finally sitting up proper. “You’re telling me you knew it would happen exactly like this?”

“No, but I knew something would go wrong!” Smolder shot back. “And here we are!”

Ocellus bit her lip, looking away as her own frustration threatened to start the flow of tears again.

“Well, congratulations on your prediction then,” Ocellus responded coldly. It wasn’t a tone that she typically took with Smolder–or anyone, really–but she couldn’t help herself. She heard Smolder let out a frustrated sigh, but refused to look back in her direction, lest she be treated to another round of gloating.

“So are you going to stop being an emotional support changeling?” Smolder asked. “Now that we’ve seen what kind of negative effects this is having on you?”

Ocellus stayed silent for a good few moments. Even though she was still sad, a flash of anger was starting to show its face. She didn’t like to show her stubborn side too often, but it had a way of rearing its head on occasion. As much as she cared for Smolder, she was doing a great job of triggering that stubborn side with the way she was rubbing her victory in.

“No,” Ocellus finally stated.

“What do you mean, no?” Smolder exclaimed.

“I mean just that,” Ocellus said, forelegs crossed much like Smolder so often did. “I’ve only got three more appointments today anyway. I’ll stick through it today, but I can’t cancel that because I said I’d do it.”

Smolder stared incredulously at Ocellus. She opened her mouth to say something, then chose to just walk into the bathroom.

Ocellus let out a soft sigh. Now besides all her other worries, Smolder was mad at her. It took a good amount of willpower not to start crying again, but luckily for Ocellus, she still had a good amount of willpower left.

“Four.”

Ocellus looked up in confusion at the paper that Smolder was holding out to her.

“Huh?” Ocellus asked.

“I picked your signup sheet up for you while I was out,” Smolder grumbled. “You have four appointments left today.” She dropped the paper into Ocellus’s hooves and turned to exit.

“Thanks?” Ocellus offered. The sentiment was either unheard or ignored as the dorm room door closed.

Ocellus let out another sigh, staring at the paper. At least it was nice of Smolder to collect it for her. And what was the harm of one more appointment? Just these four more appointments, and then she’d call an end to it. That had to be enough data for the assignment, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ocellus was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally.

The last three appointments really took it out of the poor changeling. Stage Tales in particular had been so sweet and romantic in his planned confession to Strawberry Scoop that Ocellus’s tears had nearly started up again right on the spot. She had been able to soldier through, though, and now all that was left was one final appointment, namely the new one that she hadn’t been aware of.

For the briefest of moments, Ocellus considered leaving a sign on her door to inform the last applicant that she wasn’t feeling up to it. In truth, she really wasn’t. The loneliness had really ramped up since the beginning of the day, and she was barely holding herself together. She even got as far as writing the apology note before deciding to just deal with it. She had come this far, after all, and she would be disappointing both the last applicant and herself if she called it quits. The note was quickly and regretfully discarded, and the changeling flopped back onto the bed.

Ocellus’s latest flop ended up being cut short as she heard a knock on the door. She hadn’t even realized that it had gotten so late already.

“Just one more and I’m done...” Ocellus reminded herself as she trudged to the door. She stopped at the door, put on a practiced smile, and opened it.

“...Smolder?”

“Yeah, yeah...” Smolder muttered as she walked in. The dragon looked pent up, more so than Ocellus had ever seen her.

“Uh...have you seen my last signup?” Ocellus asked.

“I am your last signup,” Smolder told her.

“You?” Ocellus asked, shocked. “I thought you thought this was a bad idea?”

“Well, I’m here now!” Smolder answered, even though that didn’t really answer Ocellus’s question.

“Okay...” the changeling said. “Well...just tell me who-“

Before Ocellus could finish her sentence, she was cut off by an energized Smolder.

“I’ve been wanting to say this for...I don’t even know how long,” Smolder began. Ocellus raised a brow, startled by the sudden beginning.

“Smolder, you haven’t-“ Ocellus tried again, but she was cut off once more.

“And do you know how hard this kind of thing is?” Smolder practically shouted. “Us dragons don’t share our feelings much. It’s not like us! It’s not tough or cool or anything like that!”

“Smolder...” Ocellus tried one last time. Once again, she was steamrolled.

“But when it comes to someone like you, you just...bring it out of me!” Smolder said, stomping a foot on the ground. “You’re so nice and sweet, and some creatures think that being nice and sweet means you’re weak, but it’s not true, because you’re the strongest of anycreature I know! Even when you’re confronted with something that can bring you to tears, you keep pushing forward because it’s the right thing to do, and that’s one of the strongest things anycreature can dream of doing! And even when you do something that...that pisses me off like this, even when I’m trying so hard to tell you that you shouldn’t be doing it, you still keep at it, because you care about others so much, even more than you care about yourself. And that makes you tougher than half the dragons in the Dragon Lands combined! You’re amazing, and gorgeous, and everything I could want in a special someone and more!”

The dragon, now out of breath, flopped onto the floor, letting out a small jet of flame over her head that just barely missed licking at the ceiling.

Ocellus stood, slack-jawed, as she stared down at Smolder. Never before had she seen such a display from her. Carefully, she crept over to stand next to Smolder.

“S-Smolder?” Ocellus whispered, as if the slightest sound could cause an explosion. “You...you never told me...who you wanted me to transform into...”

Smolder stared at Ocellus as if she had three heads. Finally, she sat up. One talon reached out and grabbed one of Ocellus’s hooves, holding it tightly.

“You’re exactly who I need you to be.”

Comments

[RainbowDoubleDash]

D’awww...this bug really needed that right now. Well timed, Smolder.

[Ri2]

It was the third time Spike was in here, but that didn’t change the sadness in Ocellus’s heart as she heard his words for Rarity and imagined somecreature feeling like that about her.

Spike, give it up, man. It's not gonna happen.

[Silent Whisper]

Well, alright, now I'm tearing up, that was so sweet

[FairyFun]

“S-Smolder?” Ocellus whispered, as if the slightest sound could cause an explosion. “You...you never told me...who you wanted me to transform into...”

Smolder stared at Ocellus as if she had three heads. Finally, she sat up. One talon reached out and grabbed one of Ocellus’s hooves, holding it tightly.

“You’re exactly who I need you to be.”

GASP!!!

[Natedogg2006]

Alright that was already a super well done confession, but geeze that last line really put it over the top. Also I think I have a cavity. So thanks for that. Can't wait to finish.

[Utopia]

amazing story, I can't expect a more exciting story.

[Evil Paladin]

“S-Smolder?” Ocellus whispered, as if the slightest sound could cause an explosion. “You...you never told me...who you wanted me to transform into...”

Smolder stared at Ocellus as if she had three heads. Finally, she sat up. One talon reached out and grabbed one of Ocellus’s hooves, holding it tightly.

“You’re exactly who I need you to be.”

That's an incredibly Mr. Rogers esque love confession.
Mr. Fred Rogers would be proud.
He'd love it.

i.redd.it/zisq2iql0m911.jpg

i.pinimg.com/originals/20/95/c4/2095c41850592a3595e471ff726bc004.jpg

Edit: Another picture of Mr. Rogers, where it expands further into the quote. Words and punctuation.

[Mi Amore Skylenza]

I KNEW IT!!! MAH SHIP HAS SAILED

[Ded account]

I NEW IT!

[Humble Quill]

I saw it coming, but the confession still made me feel warm and gushy inside

[Carnelian-Fox]

That was absolutely beautiful! That last line especially was so powerful in this context.