Chapter 11: Working next to a changeling
After a quiet, and surprisingly not very awkward, breakfast the changeling, still (bucking) not properly given a name, decided to watch and follow the movements of the mare the may know as Fruit Heart.
Since that is her name.
I mean what else would you call her?
Anyway back to the subject at hoof, he watched her moved towards a door and open it, revealing a very, very small room, of which would what the ponies would call a closet. Peering inside, he say Fruit Heart pull out strange wooden board of some sort, and then another board this one about her length and width more or less, though this hard to 4 wheels on one side, and then after a few more miscellaneous objects on top, though these where colorful and looked to be made of paper, and lastly some rope. He continued to stare as she moved herself while carrying the objects on her back.
She made her way towards the three crates in the center (ish) of the room. There she placed her objects down on the ground and, with the wheeled-board facing down, lifted the three crates (in a move that surprised the changeling on her strong she actually was, just....sheesh. I mean she didn't do it without any effort, she still struggled slightly, and of course he had no idea what was really in those crates, so...) on to the board, then placed the rest of the objects on top. Straight after she pulled out the rope and tied the whole stuff neatly yet tightly around the crates and the board.
Finishing that, the mare turned around and stared back at the changeling watching her. "Mr. Changeling." She began. "I have work today. Would you like to accompany me?" She asked, smiling, armed with the knowledge that she knew her answer.
"Yes." He replied simply. She was right.
"Well then." She flashed him a smile. "Follow me."
As the changeling moved across the room, Fruit Heart started to tie a part of the loose rope around her own body. She then made her own way across the threshold and to the door.
"Oh wait-" she began, only to be cut off as sudden flash of green entered her eyes. Looking towards the source, she saw the changeling had now changed it shape into the practically all-black unicorn. Without uttering another sound, the changeling-turned-unicorn grabbed the blouse off the couch, the last place he left it, and wrapped it around his flank covering up the area where the cutie-mark should be on a normal pony. The changeling then stared back at the mare with his emotionless look.
"Oh...right then." She blurted out awkwardly. Well that was easy. Almost as if he read my mind. Wait can changelings do tha- no way that's just dumb. She stated inwardly before remembering why she is tied to some crates.
And no changelings can't do that. You've seen the two episodes you should expect that to not be the case.
"Let us be off then." She said with a smile as she opened the door.
Outside on the street
Our hero and heroine were walking down the street, the mare carrying the crates tied on her back with supposedly little effort; helped possibly by the fact is was being drawn on a wheeled board and because this was her profession: something that the changeling didn't bother to ask because, well, he just didn't think about it.
What did you expect, him wanting to know everything about female protagonist's life.
Your probably reading the wrong fanfic then.
The changeling, on the other hoof, was too busy searching the area, on his guard. Ever vigilant on protecting himself (and maybe...even Fruit Heart?) from whatever dangers may lurk in the city of the Princesses. Look whatever way possible, picking off ponies that could seem like possible threats was the only thing he was focused on right now. The only other thing he did was walk alongside Fruit Heart and glance at her to check she was alongside him as she herself was constantly glancing back towards the disguised changeling, worried for all the reasons you expect her to be considering her situation.
I seriously hope this isn't a bad idea. She thought as she took a quick glance at the changeling, who was busy staring at the other side of the road to acknowledge her existence.
As Fruit Heart was trying her best to look as conspicuous as normal, which may or may not be considered a hard thing to do since she was hauling three crates roped to her self connected to a wheeled board of which whatever name a pony would call this is lost towards her since she didn't call it anything over than a wheeled board, she found herself at her place of destination.
"Psst." She whispered towards the all-black stallion, her action causing the changeling to nearly jump in surprise as he was lost on focusing on other things, namely what had been said up above.
"What doth it be? Is there any problem?" He asked her in almost near worried tone, something neither the mare or the changeling himself picked up on.
"No. Were here." She replied as started to untie herself from the crates.
"Here?" He asked towards her.
"Yes." She said back simply. And it was then he started to realize where he was: looking around he saw a bunch of many other ponies of shape, sizes and colors setting up stalls with various goods, knickknacks and other things you would call something to sell to others.
"What doth this be of what thy see?" The 'stallion' said in confusion on what one can only guess is what the changeling passed for poetry. For whatever reason.
"Were at the Canterlot market. The finest place to find goods, appliances and all sorts of incredible items sold by the most experienced hard-working ponies in the land!" She said, no stated at him with a large grin.
That grin made the changeling feel very uncomfortable.
Luckily for him that grin didn't last long as the mare promptly turned around and started to pull and place down the all the crates on the side. The changeling watched in awe as the earth pony meticulously grabbed the almost forgotten other board from the pile and unfolded it, which as it turns out the other board was actually a folded up table. She then proceeded to grab the empty plastic things from the side and placed neatly around the fold-up table; three of them if you would count them. He then continued to watch Fruit Heart, sitting down quietly on the floor behind the table and watching with silence, as she opened the three crates, and to the disguised changelings surprise, insides were fruits: The largest crate contained a pile of green apples, the middle crate contained a heap of oranges and the smallest a small mass of banana's.
At least thy can see where thou got thou's nameth from. He remarked internally.
He continued in his watching of the pony of she neatly started place the fruit on top of the plastic things, him calling it plastic things because that's the only name he has for it, with the three different fruit being neatly stacked separately on top of the plastic things. Once they all were set up, Fruit Heart closed the lids on top of the crates, which the changeling glanced at were not completely empty yet (which he correctly guesses was because there was not enough space on top of the plastic things to hold all the fruit.)
A split second later he practically jumped as she shouted at the top of her lungs. "COME RIGHT UP AND GET THEM! APPLES, ORANGES AND BANANAS, ALL FOR ONE BIT EACH!"
So this is what thou do for a living. He thought in a deadpan manner Thou art a seller of fruits.
He watched as she sold two apples to a pegasus mare, talking to her in a sweet, calming voice, the kind he hears her normally talk with, until the pegasus flew off and seconds later she was back announcing as loud as she can the price of her fruits.
Thou I doth wish thou wouldn't do so as loud as physically as possible. Art thou trying to decimate thy eardrums?
A few undetermined because it doesn't really matter the exact length hours later
For the time spent starting when Fruit Heart first set up shop til now the changeling couldn't help but be surprised, and even admire, the effort she did in selling her fruits. And he doesn't just mean how she was able be as loud as she can for as long as she can for whatever reason he does not want to know, he means on how well she worked.
As the hours that had past the changeling watched her go about her business of selling her Fruits to all sorts of ponies; ranging from what some would call high noble unicorns to average-seeming earth ponies that appeared to be farmers. He watched her give simple exchanges, nothing more than a quick question of what the customer wants a quick transfer of goods to money and basic 'goodbye', to a full conversation with a single consumer that lasted longer than needed. The changeling, for some reason, was sure she never met any of those. The only times she had stopped either of these things was when she needed to pack more fruits on the table counter.
The changeling also admired how much energy and spirit she was able to put into something so mind-numbingly simple for so long. Tartarus, if he was in the same position he probably wouldn't be able to last 5 minutes, let alone how many hours it has been out here, in the dry hot sun...with no shade, and nothing to keep the mind preoccu-
"You OK?" Asked the sweet voice with raised the disguised changeling out of his near slumber. Looking at the source of the noise, he peered and saw Fruit Heart looking quizzically at him.
"You're not too bored are you?" She inquired warmly. He simply nodded back.
"Sorry about all this." She said as her smile faded slightly. "I still need to work and all. I hope you're aren't too tired or bored by anything."
"Why art thou apologizing?" The changeling questioned her, which surprised the mare a little. "Thy don't feel the least bit bothered by anything. We creatures have a high tolerance to doing nothing but standing guard for long periods of time."
Her smile came back. "Good to know. Here." She then handed him an apple, which he bit into curiously. "Something to fill your belly with." She chuckled.
After a few munches, he spoke out. "Tastes good." He said slowly.
"It should." Giving him her biggest smile yet. As he stared at her, he felt, what the common pony would name, flushed for some reason and looked away in embarrassment. Damn this pony, my face is starting to feel warm again. Thou and thou'r strange ways are something thy can never fathom.
Luckily for him, his hiding of his embarrassment was short lived as he, and every other pony in the market all turned around as the sounds of fanfares and long trumpet-like horns thing with small signature flags that everypony has seen but nopony knows what in Equestria they are called. As both the mare and the changeling turned to see what the commotion was, a whole, and probably well detailed, image was being set up as, walking along the pathway in between the market, an alabaster and seemingly very-royal male unicorn was trotting his highly self down the way as many ponies was seen ogling at the unicorn whose ego was any higher it would probably reach Cloudsdale.
Hopefully by now you would know which pony were talking about.
"Oh no. Not him again." The changeling heard Fruit Heart murmur under her breath. Looking up at her, and seeing her make, what one would call, a scrunching face, he, for whatever reason, decided to press on.
"What doth thou mean?" He asked her.
What even turning away, she answered: "That guy right here," she paused as she pointed her hoof at him, who was now 'impressing' (if you could call it that) all the pretty mares with his dazzling and charismatic ways, "Is the most pompous and self-centered pony ever in all of Canterlot. He thinks he's the center of the universe and everypony around bows down at his feet simply because he's a prince. Uhh, I've seen the way he really acts, I know what his true colors are like, how can anypony even think he's special in anyways?"
A prince! The changeling thought worriedly. But thy thought the rulers of this land were two princesses. However, his worries were quite quickly gone as he took one long glance at the pony in question.
"Thy see nothing special about this one." He said out loud.
"Exactly. That's the point I'm trying to make. He isn't special at all. Just a egotistical wannabe prince who cares solely for himself."
"In other words, he's a dick."
It was not a few seconds later that he heard her murmur; "Oh no, he's coming this way." She whispered quietly to herself, which was indeed true, as the pretentious pony was making his way down the walkway getting nearer and nearer her table, with an army of adoring fans kissing his backside (metaphorically of course, Faust be damned if that was true).
"Please don't...please don't" She pleaded in a low voice, wanting, wishing for that pony to pass straight by her table and miss her altogether, so she didn't have to spend even one second acknowledging the existence of....that!
If only.
"Excuse me ma'am, but could I perchance see what you are selling?" A voice called out. His voice. That voice.
OH BUCK! She mentally screamed out of frustration. BUCK BUCK BUCK BUCK BU-
"Good morning sir, how may I help you today?" She turned to him (and his bunch of 'adoring' fans, who were standing right behind him) in an almost heel-faced turn, giving the prince a fake-but-not-trying-to-be-fake smile.
This sent a shiver down the changeling spine as he saw her do this.
"And a good day to you madam." He replied back in his charming, charismatic voice of as every fangirl in Canterlot would call it. "May I see what you are selling here today?"
He doesn't know why, but the changeling (remember, still disguised) feels to be on his guard (well, more on his guard then he already is) for now.
"Well, I'm selling apples, oranges and banana's, all for 1 bit each." She said. Hopefully he'll just buy something and leave. She hoped.
He did not. Instead he decided to chuckle under his breathe.
"I don't see what's so funny." Fruit Heart said in confusion.
"Oh nothing much, I just can't help myself to laugh at seeing other ponies going about their silly day-to-day lives." He said with an unflattering smile.
The changeling glared at him in annoyance.
"I'm sorry what?"
"I mean no offence and all, but really this is how you would spend your days; selling some over-ripe fruit and making a few bits a day. What would your parents say if they found out this is your job. What would they do? Be disappointed I'm sure."
Do not let him get to you, I repeat, do not let him get to you. She mentally thought, trying to hold herself together, though it appears that it isn't having as much effect on herself as she wants, as the changeling, who was now staring at the mare, waiting for her to answer, saw the mare's eyes start to moisten and almost cry. But before she could shed a tear, a loud banging noise came from the side of the table, making her, and every pony in the vicinity, looking towards the changeling as he was standing up, one hoof struck solidly on the table, his single good eye giving off an icy stare that would fell everypony in the market if looks could kill.
He was angry.
No, he was pissed.
"Apologize." He simply said, looking at the alabaster stallion.
After taking a second to regain himself, Blueblood replied "I beg your pardon" in a tone that suggests that heard something he shouldn't hear.
The changeling took a single step towards him. "Thou hath heard me. Apologize to the mare right now."
"I shall do no such thing!" He retorted. The changeling took another step towards him.
"Thou shall!" He said loudly, taking another, final step towards him, now being inches apart from each other. Piercing his soul with his single good eye, he spoke in a low growl. "I doth not care what kind of royalty thou are, but thou do not, and I mean not ever insult this mare when thy art present." And as he was saying this, Fruit Heart, who was now trying to be silent because she actually (subconsciously) wanted to know what happens next, could see the prince was quaking in his hoofs.
"And-and what happens if I-I do?" He retorted back, which the changeling could see, even though he tried to act big and tough, was really weak-willed and spineless right now.
The perfect moment.
"Thou shalt see." He whispered in a low growl, giving off a teeth-y, almost psychotic grin. And in one swift motion, he reeled back his head and headbutted the prince to his own, as the action happened the white-skinned unicorn yelped in high-pitched pain as the force pushed his back as he trembled over the floor of the pathway, the audience around them gasping in disbelief as the noise of the headbutting resonated in the vicinity and the prince finally stopped on the pathway with a single 'oof'.
"Do thou hear me?!" The changeling unexpectedly hollow. Not thou, or anyone in this city are allowed to hurt the mare thou see behind me! If thou do... He stopped to, as he, and everypony in the general vicinity, held their breathe as the disguised changeling gave off a soul-piercing glare.
"Thou will hath do deal with thy." He said slowly, letting the words wring out at the tip of his tongue, his face contorting into a devilish grin as he stared deep into the hearts of the crowd, as they all; the prince, his 'fanclub', the other ponies who had silently gathered around them, and even Fruit Heart herself gawk and stared wide-eyed at him, unable to move due to fear.
"Run." Was all the changeling said, it was all the changeling needed to say, and everypony in the crowd, including the selfish prince himself, all shot off and screamed in horror as they all ran away in different directions, which ever direction they could run away fastest from, and in a matter of seconds the earth pony and the unnamed changeling were all alone, in the empty market street, save a few working ponies who just stared at the duo in a mixture of confusion and fear.
Smirking, pride filling him as he looked at the empty space in front of him, he turned around "There thou go mare," he said with his head held high, "do thou feel thankful for-"
*SLAP*
Not even trying to be sure what just happened, the changeling regained himself as he just witnessed Fruit Heart, the mare, the earth pony herself slapping the him without giving off a verbal warning or any kind of indication whatsoever. He didn't know why it happened, but he knew it just happened
With a fuel of anger hitting his veins, his shock turned immediately into anger. "ART THOU MAD!" He spat towards her. "WHY DID THOU JUST DARE TO-"
He stopped. He just realized the mare didn't even so much as flinch at his words. Daring to not continue, but not calm enough to let it pass, the black 'stallion' looked, looked hard at the mare's face, for any hint of reason of why she slapped him across the face.
There was none.
To be more precise, there wasn't any in her eyes, as he himself was unable to see them, as they were covered by her mane. The only distinguishable part of the mare's face was her mouth, which itself was impassive as it possible could be.
"Mare..." The stallion spoke softly, starting to feel, what one would call, worried, for her, and without giving him an answer, she slowly turned away silently, and went towards her work, which were now all packed away securely with rope and sitting on the wheeled board that she used. If one would have to guess, it seemed the earth pony packed her supplies and goods away when no one was paying attention to her and all attention was on the loud disguised changeling.
Tying the end of the rope around, the mare promptly turned down the pathway and left, not even acknowledging the existence of the changeling.
"Mare." He called to her again.
No answer.
"Mare." He repeated.
And no answer is once again repeated.
"Mare!" He called out loudly. Following the pony down the way, trying, but continuously failing to catch the mare's attention, who acted like he didn't exist.
This continued to happen until they got back home. Which happens after the break. Which is right now.
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
1,059 users online
15,212 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
*screams* UPDAAATE!
Will read immediatly.
*Edit
Oh my, yep thats how I imagine blueblood.
Good chapter and nice to see you at it again =)
4341923 Will be thankful immediately.
This is going to be fun ^W^
Oh, look, my favourite changeling fic just got updated!
4342252
well they can't call him a changeling since they diudn't see him in his true form and he didn't change once during the entire encounter.
4342565 OK.
And sex happened! Nah, I jest.
And no changelings can't do that. You've seen the two episodes you should expect that to not be the case.
Gotta luv narration breaking the 4th wall
Nice cameo with Blueblood. The headbutting was perfect!
4342929 That's where most of my humor lies.
Just a question, isn't "thy" the old way of saying "you".
But I could be wrong....or reading it wrong
4346164 It's the way I say it for this fic.
4346631 So the because i say so reason huh
, I like it 
, I'll try to remember that for the next chapter 
4346774 Thank.
You sir, are in need of a good editor. Lots of minor mistakes, a few grammar issues (when I spot some there are usually more) and almost everything you have put in brackets needs to be cut or properly worked in.
To be brutally honest, you've got a good fic.
BUT
Everything after ch.7 starts dropping in quality. To the point where I found myself wondering if the authors changed.
You've got spelling errors all over the place as well as incorrect words. Some of which won't be caught by spell check.
You've got grammar errors and considering I brought in 2 editors in to fix mine, that's a bad sign.
You switch characters fairly well but your character views switch in a few places from first person to third... to objective third (which is extremely jarring)
Your usage of "Ye Olde speak" is atrocious, to the point where I wonder if you just throw whatever in wherever you can... Although kudos on an interesting concept.
Having a changeling completely away of pony behaviour is very hard to do without a good excuse, yet you've managed to pull it off well... At least until ch.7
If you had an editor before I think you need to get their help again... If you didn't I suggest you get one.
Just advice from an editor/author... I'm still reading but I hope the quality goes up again soon.
4348298 Thanks for the advice.
Yeah, I definitely need a editor. I'm not good at re-reading my own work.
4674005 Thanks.
5218762 5218758 5218798
Thanks for the constructive criticism.
For fuck's sake, I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANY MORE!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOO many breaking of the boundaries of reality! SOOOOOOOO many mentions of the author, the audience, the chapters, the very addressing of this story as fanfic! IT'S ALL JUST TOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!
5222741 If you don't like it, you don't have to read it.
I'm OK with you doing that.
5222752 Fine by me, all I want is for you to go back, read your own chapters and think about what you've written.
Also, if anyone starts telling you that your story is bad DON'T TELL THEM TO STOP READING! The most reasonable thing to do is to ask what's wrong, and take advice to heart if it's given in a constructive manner.
Clearly the rage I threw up earlier does not translate well as clear criticism, so here's a less angry version: Stop referring to this fanfic AS a fanfic within the context of the fanfic, especially when you're trying to take this seriously! It's very distracting and it induces a lot of frustration.
5233071 I was not saying you shouldn't read any more of my fic because of your criticism, all I said was you don't have to read any more if you son't want to. It's your choice if you want to read me fic or not, not mine.
5235762 Sooooo.... Your not going to change anything?
5236789 I don't know. I haven't updated in a while due to personal reasons.
I'n not finished with it yet, though, I still want to complete it.
5236830 Fair enough, though a different presentation will make me want to keep reading it. I wanted to like this story, I really did, but the way this is written now I can't bring myself to keep going.
5236848 OK. Thanks for reading it.
I take it you are having trouble naming the changeling? I can help!
A good way to name changelings is with small simple names, maybe something organic like gel, chitin, plates and so on. Or maybe adjectives for types of small movement, like flourish, flicker, flip, hop, shimmy and tumble. Names based on small sounds are also, such as chirp, chippy, squeak or growl.
If you wish for a more civilised name, choose names that are based on aspects of stealth or deception, such as Illusion, mimic, sneak, or vanish.
Names of insects work too, like Cricket, mantis, ant, aphid and moth
If you wish to be really sophisticated then use names derived from the scientific names of insects, a few good ones are Actias (Actias luna : Luna moth), Hemaris (Hemaris thysbe : Hummingbird Clearwing), Gryllus (Gryllus texensis : Field cricket) to name a few.
Hope this helps.
5392855 Uhh...thanks. Did not expect to see a comment like that.
5392904 That's me, randomly helpful.
I also do random words of wisdom, interior décor, weddings and rather silly comments.
Windows on request.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Its on hiatus! My poor babies!
5515758 Kill me now! I find an interesting story and it's on hiatus...this goes into the "hopefully-it'll-be-finished-one-day" folder! I'm not reading it until it's finished, if it'll ever be. I've burned myself this way a couple of times before, so I just don't get invested into a good story until it's done!
5632986 I don't know when I'll update this story, unfortunately.
5633325 Oh, it's ok! I'm quite patient, and at least that means I have some future prospects in regard of changeling fics, before I read ALL THA CHANGELING FICS here! (well, the romances anyway, I'm not into the overly sad stuff, and definitely not the gory ones, ugh) xD
It's a promising story, so as long as it gets finished, I'm ok with it, but please don't let what you already wrote go to waste, that would be so sad!
5633363 Yeah me too.
And I DO hope to continue this story one day. Mainly when I get a job.
5633401 Will be waiting for it, and good luck with the job!
5633410 Thanks.
Heh, he humiliated her. Whoops!