A thing or two about changelings and their habits saga

by Young discord

CHAPTER 18 (AKA: Family values)

Pacifica wasn’t too happy about all this, she knew what Mark was hiding, after all their link works both ways.

“Can’t wait to see your uncle again, huh?” Mr. Cake replied, attempting to strike some sort of conversation of this mundane sea of silence

“…”
That wasn’t the answer that Mr. Cake was expecting but that he wasn’t going to give up just yet

“Been to maretropolis before?”

“…”

“Crazy weather today, huh?”

“…”
A few minutes later the Stallion finally subsided and left Pacifica to herself who was now going through a lot of things right now, the attack, her going to Maretropolis, Mark and Celestia working together… this most certainly won’t end well, if the masses find out about this, he will end up as a punching bag for them… if he’s lucky.
Pacifica humphed, she was still mad at him for not letting her stay with uncle Discord, she hasn’t seen him lately and she was missing him badly, after all, he was the only family she ever had for a while now.
The train was slowly inching its way across the numerous landscapes like a small red vein revealing itself across the green lush skin of this world’s cusped hands.
Eventually the train arrived, the fields having long ago been replaced by concrete.
The skyscrapers surrounding Pacifica weren’t just buildings, they were works of art, the organs of this city making it seem even more alive than it already was.
The train stopped, they have finally arrived, the trip was mental torture to Pacifica, but it was almost over.
Bigmac and Mr. Cake Began their escort mission through the city.
They were in the belly of the beast, the city slowly breathing in and out with constant rush hours and the insane mix of emotions was even more overwhelming than at Discord’s shack.
This city was the ultimate cure for any overblown ego for one would have to just stand in the streets for a few minuntes to truly feel insignificant.
Pacifica was taking in the city as they were crossing the zebra crossing, leading from the train station to the main square, surprisingly the family flat was not far off, in fact it was no more than 5 minutes… The Price of the flat must have been outrageous with such a location.
Mr. cake looked at the door
Then he looked down on the paper with the address
Then on the door again… He approached it and knocked.
Some shuffling and hoofsteps could be heard
A red-coated mare with a high blond curly mane opened, Pacifica could tell she was a changeling… changelings know these sorts of things.

“Ma’am” began Mr. Cake

“Yes, how may I help?”

“I have been requested by Princess Celestia to escort this little lady”
The Mr. cake pointed at Pacifica in her disguise

“To this address”

“Princess celestia?”
The mare was surprised by that statement

“Yes, it is my understainding that you are this filly’s family”

“Family?, from who’s side?”

“I think this letter will explain everything”
Pacifica handed her the letter, the mare opened it and began reading it.

“Oh, Mark, I see… I didn’t know he had kids, well that’s fine sir, we’ll take it from here, come on in Pacifica”
The mare opened the door and let Pacifica inside

“You wait here for a moment, I’ll call Percy”

“???”
But the mare was out of sight already, how rude, she didn’t answer her question and so Pacifica didn’t know who this Percy pony was.

“WHAT???”
Pacifica could tell whoever this Percy pony was, they’re not going to get on the right foot, and indeed moments later, a grown stallion, in changeling form trotted up to Pacifica and before she could introduce herse-

“Out”
Pacifica looked at the towering stallion who now changed into his pony counterpart, a buff stallion, with a coat of mad orange and shortly cut opal mane

“???”
Percy opened the door and pointed outwards

“I said, out”

“Percy dear, there’s no need-“

“No, I’m not having any of it, we already have one mouth to feed, we don’t need another freeloader on our hands”
The couple was now in a clash, and the Mare wasn’t doing too well on her part.
Pacifica decided to step in

“My guardians already left, I can’t go back now”
The cherry coated mare plastered a fake smile on her face

“Ha ha! I guess we have to take you in now!”
Pacifica was quickly pushed from the corridor into the main room.

“Oi! I ‘m not finished!”
The doors shut.
The 2 storey flat was wrapped with a wallpaper containing gross pink flowers in a puke yellow background and of course the floors were carpeted with red.
A small coffee table could be seen beside the stairs leading to the second floor in the tight corridor.
Strangely enough, no pictures could be seen hung anywhere, and this was one of those flats where one would expect heaps of tacky family pictures hung on the wall and set on the mantelpiece right next to the white china decorations.
Pacifica was seated at a chair opposite some colt who seemed to be roughly her age.
Percy joined the family and sat down in silence.
And awkward moment jammed itself through.

“Well isn’t this nice? Let’s introduce ourselves, shall we? My name is Shelley and I’m your aunt, this is my husband, Percy… he’s your uncle”

“…”
Shelley gave a commanding look at the colt who was shyly looking down on his uninteresting schoolbook.

“Come on dear, introduce yourself”
Only the colt’s eyes uneasily looked towards Pacifica

“…Mongtgtrr…”

“Speak up dear”

“Montgomery” replied the colt without taking his eyes off his unattractive homework.
Pacifica could tell, this was a family with secrets, things were happening under the table and the wrong was seeping through Shelley’s polyurethane mask with that luminescent smile of hers, the son’s eyes on the other hand were contorting in every possible direction in order to not look at anypony, again a mask.
It was sickening, everything, the seemingly happy go lucky attitude of the wife and this whole “family time” charade, they were changelings, and especially her family if any of the things Mark told her was true.

“So, you’re his daughter?” began Percy, his tone ordering a reply.
Pacifica nodded too afraid to play the quiet one.

“…and he can’t take care of you?”
Once again a nod.
Percy gave a little disapproving shake whilst smiling slightly and returned his attention to the food outside the window.
Pacifica would give him a piece of her mind if she weren’t so scared of the consequences

“Tell me, what do you think of this whole… incident at Manehattan?”
Pacifica couldn’t think of anything but to shrug

“You know, Shelley, I heard those changeling pioneers are recruiting members, you think our son could do with a little elbow grease?”
Percy burst out in a wholesome laugh, despite telling a joke that was uncalled for, Montgomery shrank further into his homework.

“Dear!”

“Oh, what now! A stallion can’t make a joke in his own house? So how is my wonderful brother? Is he still thinking of opening that restaurant of his?”
A specific emphasis could be heard on the word “wonderful” as if it were an insult.
Pacifica did not grace her uncle with a reply, she may be scared but her anger was currently prevailing.
Mark’s brother didn’t seem to be the last bit worried about him, after all it was the family that pressured Mark into joining the army (or at least that’s what Mark told Pacifica) during the assault on Canterlot so Percy most likely knew about all this and he seemed to be indifferent to the fact that Mark may have died or been injured.

“I don’t know what kind of manners Your dad taught you but in this house its rude not to answer a question”

“…”

“Well?”
Shelley decided to disarm the situation by pulling out the family album that was closest within reach of the nearby bookshelf.

“So, Pacifica, do you know much about our family?”
Pacifica took the chance as gladly as she took the album from Shelley but Percy wasn’t intent on letting go anytime soon.

“Not now, mare”

“Oh, but it’s just a little fami-“

“I SAID, NOT NOW!”
Everypony’s masks fell off.
Montgomery jumped for a second yet his gaze didn’t come off the schoolbook, he seemed to be used to experiencing these kinds of scenes on a weekly if not daily basis.
Shelley stood in place giving off that sort of smile you tend to see on a person’s face for a split second before they burst into tears, yet the aunt was too afraid to start crying.
Somepony had to break the tension.

“I think I’ll go to bed now, thank you” said Pacifica
Percy whipped Pacifica with his eyes.

“You’re not going anywhere until you answer my question”

“Monty, show your cousin where she’ll be sleeping”

“What?”
Percy was stunned at his wife’s reaction

“B-but mum, I don’t know whe-“

“NOW”

“Montgomery, don’t you dare go to your room”

“Go, sweetie, I need to talk to daddy”
Monty had no idea what to do and so Pacifica aided him in making the decision, she grabbed his hoof, took the album and rushed out before “daddy” could say anything,
Perhaps Shelley finally snapped.

“Upstairs” whispered Monty but Pacifica already guessed that.
The two little changelings stopped at the corridor.
By now they could hear two sets of screams and shouts coming from downstairs.
Seconds later Monty realized that the reason they were standing in place was because Pacifica had no idea where to go from this point.
It was obvious to Montgomery that Pacifica sure as hell won’t be staying at dad’s and mum’s room and they didn’t have any spare room for guests so the only option left was his own room.
Monty pointed and led his cousin into his room.
The room was nothing special, generic at best and that was what made it stick out like a sore horn.
Generally speaking, a pony’s room always has something that made that room unique, much like every pony has a cutie mark, every pony’s room had something one of a kind in it… with the exception of this room.
The room had dark-blue walls, though at this point they were more dark than blue.
Right opposite the door, stood a window looking out to a building considerably taller than the dwarf house they were in.
To the right of the window, in a corner, lay a bed with neatly folded bedsheets (a rare and unusual phenomenon in a colt’s room)
To the left of the window, side by side, stood a generic PONEA white DIY shelf full of toys (mostly action figures) and right next to it a wardrobe big enough to fit in an entire lion and a witch with room to spare, possibly for another wardrobe?
Monty approached the wardrobe and with a determined look failed to open the doors.
Montgomery let go of the one door he was attempting to open, and the full force was now focused into throwing him onto the closest wall.
The spring-loaded hinged door mechanism shut whatever was open moments ago.
Montgomery got back up with ease, he also seemed to be accustomed to being hit here and there every now and then.
Monty resumed his attempts, but this time with his cousin’s help.
The doors gave way this time, much more easily.

“And now the second one”
The doors revealed a plethora of bedsheets and linens.
On the inside of each door, Pacifica could make out hundreds of pictures and art posters of the ponies, that Monty’s action figures were supposed to represent.

“???” Pacifica pointed at the collage on one of the doors.

“Oh, these guys? They’re the Rumbling Stampedes, do you know them?”
Pacifica gave Monty one of those “I thought the answer to that was obvious” stares.

“They’re awesome! They’ve won the world trisport tournament!”

“…”

“Three times!”

“…”

“In a row!”
That still didn’t tell Pacifica anything, she had no idea what a trisport was in a first place.
Pacific shrugged.

“You know, the Rumbling Stampedes?”
Another shrug

“Third year champions of the trisport tournament?”
Yet another shrug
Monty was running out of options and so he decided to ask, with a begful tone, one last question.

“You know… the trisport tournament?”
That one last shrug killed him off

“Oh come on! How do you not know about the trisport tournament! Its only the most awesome and incredible thing of all time!”

“…”

“Nevermind… I’ll tell you about it tomorrow” Monty finished off as he rolled out the futon that was effectively muffling the sound of the argument that was seeping through the floorboards.
Montgomery was about to signal Pacifica to get into the futon but she was already in her bed…
In
Her
Bed

“Hey that’s my bed!”
Pacifica gave Montgomery a cat’s indifferent look

“Come on!”

“…”

“Get off my bed! I’m not sleeping in that futon!”
Pacifica’s gaze continued.

“Well, I’m going to sleep in my bed even if I have to sleep with you in it!”
Before Pacifica could silently protest, Monty was already having his way with the bed.
Almost instantaneously light grunts punches, shoves and kicks ensued and eventually the two reached an impasse and had no choice but to share the bed.
Despite the argument below, the two barely teen changelings eventually fell asleep each going into their own universe, every problem seemingly so far away that one just couldn’t focus on anything but on the wonderful world of dreams.

Author's Note:

Expect the next chapter this week folks!

Comments

[PinkiePieFox]

one...

One wee...

ONE WEEK!?!?!?

AHHHHHHH!!!

*I can hardly contain my excitement! This story is amazing!*

[Young discord]

4706182 In that case I think you'll be glad to hear that this is a part of an entire saga that I have in store for you guys, at least one or two more stories directly related to the events that happen in this fanfic, but I'm not going to spoil it for you guys, am I now?

Also, thank you so much for that comment that's the best compliment and motivation any artist could ever have!