Chapter 4: Disbelief of a changeling
"I did it! I did it!" Fruit Heart continuously repeated in an overly cheerful manner, all her equipment and objects bobbing up and down, clanging against each as they rested on her back and held in between her teeth as she skipped down the stairs of her home. Not too long ago; she listened, she heard a mute, cruel creature, one who just a few days ago was attacking the capital of Equestria with one hundred or so other identical monsters for the sake of conquering the city and stealing the love of all its inhabitants, seemingly thanked her for washing him.
This gave the mare a new found literal skip in her step; hearing a dark and hated creature praise her for doing something most any other pony can do. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her mind still in thought of the changeling who her thanked her, she immediately stopped in her tracks from shock as her brain just realized something, the swift pausing of her body caused all the items she was carrying to involuntary fall off her back and clatter to the ground in a helpless pile of stuff, when an abrupt question popped-up in her head:
Why do I care?
She pondered on this question, ignoring everything else around her as if they didn't matter. Why did she care? She shouldn't. He is the enemy. He was part of the invasion that caused wide-spread fear and panic all around the city of Canterlot. He smashed into her house through her window, made himself a home in her attic and tried to scare her out of her own house. If he is found by the guards of Canterlot who knows what would happen. Would they banish him back to the badlands like the rest of his brethren? Would he be held prisoner and have to rot in jail for the rest of his life? Would they execute him?
For some reason, the last question made Fruit Heart mentally shudder at that thought. The thought of him being executed, killed to show the point of what happens when you face the ponies of Equestria, scared Fruit Heart to death. She couldn't stand the thought of him dying for such a unjustifiable cause. Or at least, it seemed unjustifiable to her. He never did anypony any harm. Well, OK, he did try to steal the love of other ponies, but there's isn't any true harm in that, is there?
Is there?
The pony was abruptly taken out of her thinking by the sound of hoof-on-wood banging. As she shook her head and brushed off her rather...unhappy thoughts from her mind, she eyed the source of the noise.
"Heart, you there?" Asked a voice from outside said pony's front door. "Your deliveries are here" the voice announced. The mare now knew who it was, and preceded to trot over and open the door for him.
If only life was so simple.
Taking only one step forward, Fruit Heart accidentally placed her hoof on the still-wet sponge, as she had not yet noticed she dropped all her equipment and the like on the floor before it was too late, and as such; she tripped and slid on the sponge, falling forwards and hitting the floor face-first with a characteristic *crack* as she hit the ground.
"Is that you in there Heart? I heard something, can you please open this door, I'm on a busy schedule." The unknown voice asked in an impatient tone.
"I'm coming I'm coming!" She huffed as she pushed herself off the floor, rubbing her nose. "Second time this bleeding week!" She whispered to herself in a low tone as she trotted over to the door. Opening it, and rather than meeting the eyes of the pony the voice belonged to, she got a face full of green flank!
"Ahem!" she coughed loudly into her hoof, no longer wanting a green plot stare at her own face. "Hmm" said the voice in an unexpected tone. "Oh good you are here." The pony said as he turned his head round to see her. Fruit Heart instantly recognized him as Box Shipper, the goods delivery pegasus stallion. He is quickly noticed by his brown colored mane and tail, both of which have an odd white streak running straight down the middle, and his simple cutie-mark, consisting of three boxes stacked atop each other. Two boxes were stacked behind, or rather in front, of him.
"Yes I'm here." Fruit Heart announced in a unpleasant tone. "And so's your damn ass!"
"Oh, sorry," he apologized as he turned his own body round to meet her, "the shipping company is having a bit of a panic. What with the invasion stuff an' all, if you haven't noticed."
"I've noticed." The mare replied as she pointed her hoof towards her broken window, resting her own body casualy on the door frame.
"What the Tartarus happened here?" He asked surprisingly, leaving his jaw agape wide enough for everypony around to see inside his mouth.
"What do you think happened?" Fruit Heart rejected as she closed his mouth with her hoof. "They happened." Putting emphasis on her words to relate to the black creatures that attacked the city not too long ago, one of which is still roped up in her bedroom.
Oh yeah, there's still him to deal with. I hope he's OK up there, after all, he is all alone, by himself, no pony else with him.....probably unhappy
"Fruit Heart. You still here?" Box Shipper asked in a concerned way, as he observed her being lost in a sudden, unprovoked thought.
"What?" Fruit Heart said as she snapped out of her own mind, looking back at him with wide eyes. "Do you want something?" She asked in a low, oddly quiet tone.
"Your...delivery...." The stallion replied, confused by her sudden change in voice.
"Oh yes, come in." She ushered briskly with her hoof, shuffling off her door frame and moving inwards into her own house, allowing him access into her home.
"Ah good." He smiled, and at that he turn round and moved behind the two boxes out of sight. "Watch out!" He suddenly announced as the boxes were lifted up and slightly and moved forwards slowly through the mare's open door. Turning the boxes to his left, Fruit Heart watched Box Shipper plant the boxes down on the ground and into the free space in her front room, pulling back the stack truck from under the crates (the tool he used to lift them), a sight she has seen countless times in her life.
"Well then," the stallion started as he let go of his stack truck "sorry about this, but work is work," pausing as he gave off a smirk, "and work waits for no mare. Even after a invasion from Tartarus." He finished as held out a clipboard with a pen attached to to the side.
"Please sign-"
"I know I know" Fruit Heart sighed as she uninterrupted him, taking the pen with her hoof and signing her name on the corrected spot for the umpteenth time of her life. "Can't believe I still have to go to work tomorrow." She mused out load as she finished writing her name down on the paper.
"Don't blame me, blame the system." Box Shipper stated as Fruit Heart handed him back his clipboard. "Well then, I shall now bid you ad-"
*Stomp!*
Box Shipper stopped as he heard a noise come from upstairs. While to him, it was nothing more than a random noise, but to Fruit Heart, she knew what it was. And she was scared out of her skull.
"Hey Fruit Heart?" The stallion started. "What was tha-"
*Stomp!*
"Ummmm do you have guests?" He asked quizzically, unsure of what was making that noise.
Another *Stomp!*
While Box Shipper had focused his attention to the sounds coming from above, he hadn't noticed Fruit Heart's breathing become more rapid and deep. Her body frozen from fear and uncertainty.
Oh no! I completely forgot about him! If he finds out about the changeling in my bedroom, he would go to the guards! What do I do? What do I say? How do I stop him from-
He's gone. Just as Fruit Heart was able to recover from her shock, she became conscious of that Box Shipper was gone. Did he leave already? The mare mused hopefully.
Nope.
"Is somepony up there?" Called out a male voice from behind the mare, and said mare swiped her head round to see Box Shipper over by the stairs, already starting to make his way upstairs.
"Nonononono!" Fruit Heart whispered out quickly. "Notgoodnotgoodnotgood! What do I do know!" Her mind freaking out madder than Discord himself, going at 1000 words a minute. Her eyes flickered left to right frantically in hopes of finding something, anything, that could stop him, until her eyes rested on an appliance that lay lazily atop the kitchen counter, an object she reluctantly wanted to use, but felt she had too.
Not once did she think of just asking Box Shipper to simply stop.
Meanwhile upstairs
*Stomp!* The repetitive noise sounded again, caused by jumping of a certain changeling. Unbeknownst to the stallion downstairs, though known to the mare, the stomps were caused by the changeling himself. What she didn't know, or even think about, was why: he was trying to fly.
Every continuous stomp was caused by the changeling jumping off the bed and onto the floor. Each time, he tried to flap, or rather buzz, his lone wing, each time with hopes that he could fly again. Sadly, his dreams were being cracked with each try, and was more and more likely to shatter with next useless jump.
Blasted, he berated to himself as he landed down on his hooves after another fruitless attempt at flight, if only...
However, the changeling was cut short of trying again when he heard a voice call out from outside the door, the source coming from the hallway of the mare's house.
"Hello. Somepony here?"
Who is that? That doth not sound like the pony that holds me. It can only mean- he gulped in discomfort another! That harlot, she has set upon me a guardspony of this city! She must hath only bathed and fed me to let my guard down, so as not to rise suspicion and be ready to attack back, hence these chains that hold me. That wench!
But then, why did she act like she indeed cared about me? If one was to hold an enemy of the land, why would one go for the time of healing? It seemed more like she wanted to help me rather than hinder me. But that doesn't make sense, doth it...? He pondered, his mind creating two completely different conflicts that would both settle on only the defeat of the other.
Meanwhile, in the corridor of the upstairs of the house
The stallion was walking down the corridor, his head low and his senses sharp, his ears peeking up and standing on attention, trying their best to listen to the origin of the noises heard not too long ago. His eyes on alert to find anything suspicious and out of place.
"Look, I'm a friend of the mare who lives here, I'm not going to hurt you. Please."
A friend? Such a useless lie. The changeling thought as he heard the stallion clearly, even behind the closed door. They cannot fool me. I'm a proud and stoic warrior of my race, even with me being a prisoner. But, if he knows I'm chained up by uncuttable rope, why is he asking these questions? Surely, that pony must hath told thy guard I'm roped. Even she cannot be that redundantly thick.
And yet, why am I feeling very little doubt in her abilities? Could she be telling no lies. Could I be.....wrong about her?
"Are you in there?" Box Shipper called out from behind his chosen door; the door of changeling's (now-living) space, looking at it tentatively, as he believed that he find where the source of the stomping was.
What he didn't notice, however, was a rather peculiar looking earth-pony of the female persuasion sidestepping her way up the stairs, her mouth holding a very nervous smile, her forehead sweating buckets of fear, and her left forehoof curiously out of sight from any pony looking at her from the front, as she was hiding a frying pan behind her back!
Please don't let me use this She thought out of sadness from what she might have to do!
Back in the bedroom
The changeling was unsure of what to do know. He was trapped, chained up and bruised. He, at this moment, could only do one thing, the thing that makes a changeling what they are, who they are; their power of illusions. He knew this, and thus as on basic instinct, he quickly tried to change his appearance, he needed to hide, and this was his only way of doing so. Lighting his horn briefly, his horn glowing an eerie flicker of green flame, he concentrated on trying to change his appearance as he imagined a body morphing into something new.
Sadly, just after a second of concentrating, he snapped, yelping out in minor pain as his mind, and his horn, was suddenly void of any imagined mass.
No! I'm still too weak! I can't seem to change! Am I still too hurt to try to change? Although I didn't attempt to change my appearance till now, I didn't think that I couldn't even be able to do something so simple as to look different. I hath to concentrate. Hath to not give. I'm a feared enemy of all creature's my brothers had encountered before, surely I can do this. Hath to try again. I may not be able to fly:
But I hath to be able to change.
"Are you OK? I heard a noise. Look, I'm coming in." The voice stated, sending a nervous chill down the black creatures spine.
Oh no! No time, it's now or never! His mind rushed as prepared to again try change, his horn glowing anew as he concentrated hard on trying to transform again, his body shaking as flickers and sparks of the iconic green aura came into light, his quaking chest and hooves searing with pain.
He was weak. He lacked energy, but his body cannot falter. Not now.
In the hallway again
"Wait, stop." Called out an agitated looking Fruit Heart, who was trotted down the corridor to meet Box Shipper (a task proven difficult with only 3 hooves.) "Don't go in there."
"Why?" Asked Box Shipper, who rested one hoof on the bedroom door. "There's somepony in there. I can tell." He said as a look of disbelief was slashed across his face.
"Well, for a start, you trespassing in my house, and I could get you arrested for that." She stated in an oddly smug way as she stopped moving just a short distance from the pegasus stallion, trying her best to not reveal the truth to him.
"Fruit, we both know that's not true." He shook his head at her statement, his curiosity of wanting to know whats behind the door ever-increasing. "Now tell me, who is behind this door? I know you're hiding something from me."
"Second, that''s my bedroom, and I wish that you have the decency to respect my privacy." She stated again, as if acting like she hadn't heard Box Shipper's question, but her expression became more perturbed by each passing second.
"That just makes me more curious, you know" Box Shipper replied in a complacent tone, not seeing, however, a bizarre green light suddenly appear then vanish from under the door frame. Neither pony saw it happen, as they were both too focused on each other too notice it.
"Come now Fruit Heart, you know I won't tell a soul about any... sordid secrets that you may have." He teased as he initiated his hoof to push open the door.
She was stuck. She wanted to point at him to stop, hoping that would grab his attention, but could not, as doing so would show said stallion her frying pan, of fall over face-first due to lack of balance. She had only one choice left.
With Box Shipper too busy opening the door, the mare raised her appliance over her-head and posed as if ready to strike it flat on his head! Sorry Shipper she mentally thought in sadness But you leave me no choice.I hope you can forgive me.
Many things can happen in a split second. Misunderstanding can occur, accidents can happen, and mistakes can be made. Or, just maybe, everything can become clear, whether by truth or lies.
Box Shipper, unaware that the mare that stood beside him was about to attack him with a blunt instrument, opened the door to the room. When the doors fully opened, the stallions eyes widened and jaw opened in shock as if just witnessing something he never expected to see. Fruit Heart knew what he had just seen and she had no more time to react and as such preceded to knock out the unsuspecting stallion rearing the pan back over her head in a reluctant manner.
Sorry
"Hey Fruit Heart?" Box Shipping asked suddenly. "Who's he?" he said as he swiveled his head around to face the mare, only to see a metal pan stop just an inch away from his face.
"Huh?" Fruit Heart blinked as her body froze up in still position, completely taken aback from the stallion's question. Out of all the things she expected him to do, asking her a simple question was not one of them.
"Umm Fruit Heart, you 'K?" Box Shipper queried. "And why is there a frying pan next to my face?"
As Fruit Heart was able to regain consciousnesses of her surroundings, she immediately pulled back the pan in surprise. "Oh yes yes fine thank you very much," she replied quickly with a sheepish smile, "you just had a bug on your head, that's all." And nervously chuckled at the end.
"O...K..." Box Shipper said slowly, oblivious to what was about to happen to him. "So then who is he?" He repeated as he pointed to the 'he' in the room.
Remembering who 'he' was supposed to be, Fruit Heart suddenly dropped the pan rushed to the door, nearly pushing the stallion out of the way as he looked at the changeling that was supposed to be tied up in her room was replaced with a different pony altogether. In his place was a black unicorn stallion sitting at the front of the bed, staring at Fruit Heart without a single sign of emotion. Strangely, his mane was just as black as his coat, and appeared to be very short, as if just cut recently. Another off piece about him was that his left eye was closed, and a noticeable, very similiar scar was gashed across it. His right eye, however, was coloured of a normal light teal. What Box Shipper didn't notice was that his flank lacked a certain cutie-mark, though said pegasus didn't seem to look there, and neither did he see the rope he was still tied too, as it was hid plain out of sight.
"Oh him?" Fruit Heart said in disbelief, before sprinting off towards the unicorn, spinning around quickly just before she made contact with him and sat beside him, placing a hoof around his neck in a friendly way. "This is my new friend, uhhh." She stuttered out, unable to think of a name for her new 'friend'.
"Scarface." She finished when she hot the idea from his eyes, and they looked back in dislike for their owners new 'name'.
"Well then," Box Shipper started as he made his way towards the new unicorn, "glad to meet yer' Scarface" and ended by grabbing and shaking 'Scarface's' hoof with his own. "Any friend of Fruit is a friend of Box" He stated as if it was a rule. "How long have you two met, hadn't seem him before?" He asked the unicorn, but got no answer in return.
"Oh just a few days ago." Fruit Heart finished, knowing fully well that he was not going to answer back. "Hold on, didn't you say you were busy today?" She said to the pegasus in an almost accusing manner.
"Oh yes right," Box Shipper said hastily, "well, see ya again Fruit Heart, and nice meeting you Scarface." And at that making his out the room, and eliciting a sigh from the mare. "And one more thing Fruit Heart?" Asked all of a sudden as he stopped just before being out of sight of the two other ponies. "You don't need to hide you coltfriend from me." He smirked as he left immediately without ushering out another word.
Fruit Heart stuttered in disbelief in those words: Never would she have thought that anypony would have called him that. (Then again, she didn't think that anypony would have met him) For some unknown reason, she found herself blushed redder than the ripest tomato in the finest market in Canterlot. Believe it to be out of embarrassment, the mare jumped away from the unicorn and ran to the door, peering out before yelling "He's not my coltfriend!"
Fruit Heart could have sworn she heard a laugh elicit from downstairs, and not a second later she heard the door shut, signalling the annoying pegasus left.
Sighing a heave of relief, the mare turned around to meet the look-alike pony. "He's gone," she said matter-of-factly "you can let your disguise down now." And at that he did just so, as a flash of green flame surrounded the 'unicorn' briefly before fading, revealing the original changeling that she knew. "And thank you. I gotta say, that was some quick-thinking back there, what with you changing your appearance and all," she continued as she grinned in a silly manner, "I forget that you could do that, like all the other changelings I suppose. You could not believe what I was going to do if he found out about you know." She laughed, looking at the changeling, who seemed to show less emotion then ever!
"Ch...changeling? Scarface?" She asked in a concerned tone, confused of why he never seemed to respond. But just as she finished talking, the changeling suddenly tilted to the right, before falling down altogether.
"AHH!!" Fruit Heart screamed as she rushed to the changelings side, inspecting him to make sure he was OK. Luckily, it didn't take her long to figure out the problem. "You'll be OK, you're just weak from lack of energy." The mare established as she lifted the changeling onto her bed, putting his head on the pillows. "You need some rest is all." She said with a small smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes with a snack. Don't go anywhere." She said jokingly as she walked away from the bed and out of the room, looking back just before she left the room, her smiling widening as she saw him already sound asleep on the bed, snoring quietly.
Walking soundlessly back, Fruit Heart gently lifted up the covers from underneath the changeling, making sure as not too wake him, and placed them gently over his lying body, before walking away again.
Scarface she mentally said as she exited the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her what a ridiculous name.
Outside
"Silly Fruit Heart," laughed Box Shipper, who was hovering over the road as he made his way down the street, carrying his stack truck with his hoof and is it rolled down with him "If you had a colt friend, you should have just told me, even if he is a mute." He couldn't help but chuckle at the over-nervousness of the mare's behavior. To him, he choked her nervousness down to embrassement, but he was more than far from the truth.
It's true what they say; ignorance really is bliss. Especially if you don't question why your friend held a frying pan over you own head.
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I love it! I love it! I love it!
2586596 I thank you! I thank you! I thank you!
Awesome chapter.
Yay another chapter
As I've said before on your other Chapter's excellent read my friend.
With the addition of Herr Shipper into our little party, I do see interesting event's taking place.
She is delivery.
Great job I love this chapter, but it's only going to get better.
2586867>>2455844>>2588222 Thanks
2588033 He doesn't really play that a big part in this story
2588061 Changed. thanks
2589360
Even so, interesting events ensue. Even the smallest addition can create interesting surprises. Ever here the story about the butterfly flapping it's wings?
2589766 No?
2590186
Well, it's a small bit in Chaos Theory. Now, I'm not talking about a fiction story, I'm talking about the actual Theory.
The story goes that when a butterfly flaps it's wings, the small wind caused by this can fold in on itself slowly picking up force until it causes a tornado on the other side of the world. Now, this story isn't meant to be taken literally, but figuratively.
By giving Herr Shipper any part in the story you have added Chaos into the mix. Even if it is a small part, it will still be felt by both Fruit Heart and her Changeling friend.
2590210 That does make a lot of sense. But what do you mean by "Herr Shipper"? You mean Box Shipper?
2590219
Yes. Herr is German, it's the same as Sir in English.
2590232 Oh... (Wouldn't his name be Herr Box Shipper then)
2590235
Well no. Herr is a sign of respect for the person, or in this case pony. Such as Herr Hitler, his name isn't Herr Hitler is Adolf Hitler. Herr then takes the place of the first name of the person you hold respect to, doesn't have to be a higher rank or social standing just that you have high amount of respect for the person. Which I do, for anyone in the mail industry.
2590248 O...k......cool
I love this fanfic too.
2590263, he's saying that herr is basically German for sir. Sort of.
2592576 Thank you kindly
Scarface?
2594853 He has a scar on his face: Scarface.
I thought he was in the attic. Not the basement.
2608908 She doesn't have a basement
2609732 "He smashed into her house through her window, made himself a home in her basement and tried to scare her out of her own house."
That was right after when she thought "Why do I care?"
Or am I missing something?
2610063 Changed. Thanks for finding that mistake.
2595246
well now somepony owes me 10 bits
i didn't think you'd really do it. but i look forward to what happens next
2610986 Would 8 bits be sufficient? It's all I've got on me
images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121114050622/mlp/images/thumb/e/ec/Applejack_collecting_bits_S01E03.png/200px-Applejack_collecting_bits_S01E03.png
FRYING PAN!
Can't wait for the rest of the story... so far i like this one.
As soon as I saw 'Scarface' I thought of this...
even if he is a friend, i don´t think he should just look around the house.
honestly, why does he think, she had to tell him this?
I can tell he is no bad Pony, but i don´t like Box shipper, he doesn´t know what he is not allowed to do, and he doesn´t know about privacy.
He even seems to be like someone i know, he needs to know everything.
However this is a good story, and i don´t want you do change anything, but i don´t like Box shipper till now, at least not that much.
this is where you loss me. Box Shipper has no right or reason to go into her house.
Like a few people have said, the author begins to loose me starting at this chapter. When characters act so unrealistically as these two do, then it just pulls me right out of the story. It damages my suspension of belief. There is an obvious reason for noises to be coming from a single adult womans bedroom. Its unbelievable that she can’t come up with a reason to stop the delivery guy and its unbelievable for a delivery guy to stomp up to a single adult woman bedroom and find it acceptable to simply walk in.
This really is the beginning of loosing me, because I found myself actually yelling at the main character during the next two chapters because of how comatose she is acting. Again, no one with the intent of hiding a fugitive would act this way. Its just so unrealistic that it just yanks me right out of the story.
Just me constructive two cents.
Don't get me wrong, I do like the story.
Box... You dolt.
*hums Push it to the limit*
6212447
Sadly I expirience real people act like that. All it takes to have country where tresspassing isn't an item. And ponies in showseem do lean toward reduced privacy bubble as well.
Box is a creep!