Vlad the kirin, Minion the changeling. Different creatures of different origins. This is their story in Equestria or to be specific, their story in Ponyville.
This is the story of a kirin named Vlad and his outstanding changeling henchling Minion. Two different species of unknown origins had suddenly appeared in Ponyville. This had obviously placed the townsfolk on the edge and were weary of their small presence in their community.
No one knows who these new creatures are or what purpose they had to be in town, no one but the strangers themselves.
Ponyville, home of the Elements of Harmony. Six amazing mares that had faced countless trials that no ordinary pony could finish. A group of friends that could do the impossible, no matter the challenge, they always saved the day.
This is the town where they rose above the norm to meet their destiny head on as the heroes of Equestria and vanquished the terror known as Nightmare Moon.
That was how their story started, and this is how a certain duo shall begin their own. Because this is their story.
A lone changeling stood upon a hill, she stared at the town ahead and watched the ponies in the distance. She was named, Minion. Minion looked like your everyday changeling, black carapace and blue eyes. She wore a small circular green shades on her face, and a purple scarf around her neck. But the most notable feature of hers was the scar that started on her right brow and ended down on her right cheek.
This changeling was here for one thing only, and that is for whatever her master had planned.
So without wasting anymore time, she stretched out her wings and took to the skies. She flew over to the town and hovered above the clouds. Minion watched the ponies below going with their daily lives. That is until Minion herself landed right in the middle of the crowd.
Everyone's reaction was not really surprising.
"Changeling!" A random pony screamed.
This caused a chain of events, starting with panic, then running away, and lastly hiding. All in a span of six seconds. The once busy street now vacant of any other souls besides Minion's. She could only stand on the dirt she landed on with a passive face, not letting any emotion to slip out. Minion swiveled her head left to right and noticed a few ponies watching her with obvious fear as they cowered behind their covers, be it barrels, wagons, or the thing that she couldn't really understand, below their own hooves.
If Minion didn't have any control with her body, she would've slapped her own face with her own hoof to show a great amount of disbelief towards them. If Minion had not been told to not hurt anyone, she would have started with the dumb ones for the sake of the future generations.
Her ears twitched as she caught the noise of flapping wings behind her. Minion jumped out of the way in time as the ground she was on erupted into a cloud of dust. She looked over to the source and found an alicorn hovering in the air, Minion bared her teeth after learning about who this pony was, they were none other than Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.
"Dang it, I missed..." Twilight muttered.
"Twilight Sparkle," Minion scoffed. "I didn't believe what they had all said, but here you are with those pair of wings. Equestria had enough alicorns already."
"Stand down changeling, I may not know what Chrysalis is planning, but my friends and I will put a stop to it!"
"She has nothing to do with why I'm here, pony! I am just letting this town know that I am here in Ponyville!" Minion said as she kept her eyes trained on Twilight.
"And you'll be out of here in ten seconds flat!" Rainbow Dash spoke before tackling Minion down, when Dash stood back up, she was met with her own face looking back at her.
"Hey! Don't steal other pony's faces!" Said Dash.
"Stealing!? You're the one stealing faces here bub, just because I'm the coolest mare in town doesn't mean you gotta steal my looks!" The other Dash said.
"You think you're cool? As if! I'm the only cool and awesome Rainbow Dash here and that's just how nature intended it!" Said the original Dash?
"Well I- gah!" Dash yelped as she was hit by a harmless spell. "Twilight, it's me!"
"Woops, I was trying to break her disguise, sorry!" Twilight apologized.
"Listen, I don't want to fight!" The imposter said, trying to prevent things to go bad. Minion then transformed back to her original form and raised her hooves in the air. "Just calm down..."
Minion's hooves were then caught by a lasso from out of nowhere, she snapped her head towards the other end of the rope to find the rest of the Elements had entered the scene.
"We don't want a fight either, so no funny business or this rope will be going through all those holes in yer leg!" Applejack said as she tugged on the rope in her teeth.
Minion hissed at them, she then lit the lasso on fire with her magic, allowing Minion to snap the rope and set herself free from the bind.
"I mean no harm, just stand down and let me explain!" Minion said to them, eyeing each mare with an angered look while keeping her distance.
"You wanna talk? Let's talk." Twilight spoke before lighting up her horn, an obvious sign of aggression.
"If you don't want to listen, then I'll just leave." Minion said, and the mares became confused when Minion made the decision.
"Leaving, just like that?" Rarity asked. "What exactly are you planning?"
"Yeah, what are you and that bug faced queen planning!?" Dash said as she hovers in the air.
"Are you all ready to listen to me?" Minion asked her own question.
"Fine, we'll hear you out." Twilight finally agreed to listen to what Minion had to say. "So why are you here changeling!?"
"Okay, this may be odd," Minion began speaking, still eyeing the mares for any sudden movements. "but I was sent here to introduce myself to everyone."
"And why did Chrysalis wanted that, huh?" Twilight asked another question.
Minion looked at Twilight with her own confusion. "Chrysalis? I wasn't sent by Chrysalis. Like I said, she has nothing to do with me."
Twilight raised a brow at Minion. "Then who?"
"That would be me!" A new voice spoke from behind the Elements.
All focused on the new creature who had just joined the conversation, it was a creature that they have never seen before. It was an odd looking stallion with a white coat and lime green mane that reminded many of a lion's. He would have looked liked a regular pony if it weren't for the twisted horn on his head and the chestnut brown scales on his back, as well as his ox like tail. His crimson red eyes moved from one member of the Elements to the other, looking at them with a hint of curiosity.
"Discord?" Fluttershy said the one name that came to her mind just by looking at the strange creature. His strange appearance had reminded her of the abomination of chaotic magic.
"Um, no. I'm Vlad, the kirin..." He corrected her.
"Kirin?" Twilight repeated, she had never heard of that race of creatures before. She made a note to look into the subject later.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Dash asked him.
"Oh, I am the new residence of Ponyville. And I am happy to introduce myself to you all. I hope Minion didn't cause any trouble." Vlad motioned a hoof for Minion to come over to his side, and before the mares knew it, Minion was already standing next to him. She glared at the Elements before taking another closer to Vlad and letting out a hiss as she did so.
"Wait, residence? Hold on a minute, you two are moving into Ponyville?" Twilight asked as she easily connected the dots.
"Yeah, I just finished unpacking our belongings at our new home and then I heard of a changeling causing trouble while I was heading towards the market. So I ran over here as quick as I can to see what the problem was." He explained. "But all I could get from this, is that this was all a misunderstanding. You see, I told Minion here to go on ahead and introduce herself, but it looks like she was a bit too...intimidating."
"It isn't my fault that these ponies are a bunch of chickens." Minion muttered to herself, but Vlad had heard her and he quickly shushed the changeling.
"So she wasn't sent by queen Chrysalis?" Twilight asked again to which Vlad shook his head no. "And she was only trying to introduce herself?"
Vlad nodded to her. "Yes, and it's entirely my fault. If I hadn't forgotten how most ponies are a bit uneasy around things that are as scary as a changeling, then maybe we could have introduced ourselves in a much more peaceful situation." Vlad bowed down before Twilight, Minion had reluctantly followed as well. "Please forgive my mistake your highness, I will try and make sure that neither I or Minion shall ever cause trouble in this beautiful town."
"S-sure, you are forgiven..." Twilight was caught off guard by Vlad's sudden gesture of acknowledging her royal status.
"This guy serious?" Dash whispered to Pinkie.
"No clue." Was Pinkie's answer.
"Um...you may rise?" Twilight didn't know what to say right now, there were many things running through her mind, and all of them were about the new additions to Ponyville.
Vlad nodded towards Twilight before standing straight up with Minion. "Thank you your highness, for giving Minion and I a chance."
"Yeah, thanks..." Minion said with obvious disinterest.
Vlad quickly shoved his elbow into Minion's side.
"Thanks, your highness." Minion said forcefully through her teeth.
Twilight shook her head. "No need with that 'your highness' thing, please, call me Twilight."
"As kind as she is friendly, you have my gratitude Twilight Sparkle. Guess this is why you got your own castle, a mare such as yourself truly deserves the best. I would love to chat more, but Minion and I have to go now, so that everyone can calm themselves after the misunderstanding. Please tell them all that she will have to introduce herself next time." Vlad said as he glanced at the ponies who were still hiding, he also noticed that a few curious ones were watching him and Minion.
"Yeah, sure, we'll tell them..." Said Twilight.
"Thanks again, well this is goodbye. Please give us a visit when you're around, our house is near the cemetery on the outskirts of town. Let's go Minion, I want to get started on my plans and I don't want to waste any second more." Vlad took hold of Minion with his magic and began walking away.
"What the fuck did I say about picking me up!?" Minion cursed as she was being taken away, and she struggled in the red aura that enveloped her.
"Minion, language!" Vlad scolded her.
"Oh eat a fucking dick!" Was her response. She cursed and threatened more as she and Vlad were already out of earshot.
"Oh dear..." Was all Fluttershy could say.
"My word, that changeling had such a mouth." Rarity said, and tried not to faint upon the amount of fucks that escaped Minion's mouth.
"We're not just gonna leave them are we?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight. "I mean, Vlad and Minion. Vlad and Minion! What kind of names are those!?"
"I'm with RD, those two just don't sit well with me. Especially that kirin feller, never seen or heard of his kind before. And Ah rather not find out what he could do, besides regular magic." Said Applejack.
Twilight nodded. "We can't just ignore them, I'll have to check my books for kirins later. For now we will have to keep a close eye on the two new creatures in town."
Pinkie had suddenly bounced over to Twilight with a wide smile on her face. "Oh, does this mean I can throw them a party!?"
"Yes Pinkie, you can." Twilight smirked as an idea came to her mind. "And I know the perfect place."
On the outskirts of Ponyville, just pass the cemetery was a simple house. One floor only, walls painted white with a red tiled roof, and a single window on each side. Lastly there was a metal chimney pipe sticking out of the roof with a rooster shaped weather vane on top of the pipe.
This home is the picture of comfort, not too far from town and quiet as it can be. Only a few ponies would ever come across this house on their way to pay respects to the dead, and they would sense a welcoming aura from the house itself once they set their eyes on this cozy little home. It had enough room to grow some crops or a beautiful garden, maybe even a fruit tree depending on the owner's taste.
And this house was Pinkie's main objective for today, for you see, this house is currently occupied by Ponyville's newest addition, Vlad and Minion. This anomaly of a duo had shocked the town with their mere presence yesterday, creating an unease tension in between the citizens of this great town. And it's up to Pinkie to break that tension by befriending this two newcomers. Or so she thought, because in truth she was sent over to spy on them, sent by her friend Twilight Sparkle.
Pinkie was chosen for this job due to her friendly and bubbly personality as well as her special skill of party planning. Twilight had told her that Pinkie's skill will play an important role to her plan.
With determination written all over Pinkie's face, both metaphorically and literally, she cheerfully bounces towards the house. Once she was close enough, Pinkie finally noticed a very odd scene, the area that surrounded the house was completely void of grass, not even a single weed was present on what Pinkie assumed the land that Vlad owns. It was a large empty plot of land that stretches from the house up to the road, no one would notice it at first glance, but once you looked past the cozy and welcoming aura then you finally notice the lack of life on the ground. Not even the the animals that lived nearby would come over on the empty field, which was the least oddest thing Pinkie would discover, especially when she just noticed that even the pebbles and rocks were gone. Of course they are just below the surface, but her time on her family's farm and the small rock sensing skill she acquired tells her that the stones were deep into the earth.
Looking at it now, this house no longer looks like a picture of comfort, without the green and scrumptious grass the house was just completely bland. No longer does she feel cozy just by looking at this house, she only felt a strange feeling in her gut that was telling her not to lay a hoof on the dirt as if something would come out and devour her whole.
"Psst!" Pinkie was immediately snapped out of her trance, her head whipped around searching for whoever had called for her attention. "Up here!"
Pinkie then faced the sky and discovered a cloud floating just above her head with two pairs of eyes staring at her, one was magenta while the other was purple. Before she could even ask who it was, Twilight's head pops out of the cloud.
"Pinkie, what's wrong? You were just staring at the ground for a minute there." Twilight asked her friend, obviously concerned for her.
"Yeah Pinkie, it's like you saw a scary monster." Dash spoke from inside the cloud, her eyes then squinted. "Did you?"
"Nope!" Pinkie answered. "Just find it kinda weird how Vlad has a nice looking house but he has such a weird lawn like this. Don't you girls find it strange?"
"Pinkie, you do realize other ponies could do whatever they want with their property, you do know that right?"
"Dash is correct, but you have to focus on the mission Pinkie, get in there and get some information out of that kirin, we'll be just outside in case there's trouble." Said Twilight before retreating back into the cloud.
Dash's eyes bobbed up and down, agreeing with the alicorn. "And you don't have to worry Pinkie, just call out and we'll come storming!"
"Okay!" Pinkie gleefully said, she glances at the cloud before taking a single step on the soil.
The strange feeling returned and Pinkie quickly took a step back, just in time as something erupted from the soil and nearly caught her by the tip of her pink mane. Minion who just popped out of the hole she just made loudly hissed at the party mare who escaped her trap. Before Pinkie could even greet the changeling she found herself being pulled into the hole with Minion, and the last thing she heard before everything was consumed by darkness was her friends calling out her name.
Applejack was feeling a little bit tensed, just yesterday the town was ready to collapse on itself after two strange creatures came out of nowhere and just moved into Ponyville. And now everything was back to the way it was, but with a strange looking pony in the picture. Speaking of strange pony, Applejack was currently watching Vlad speaking with the mayor. It appears to be that Mayor Mare was giving Vlad a little tour, she was completely eager for some odd reason and Applejack was almost curious as to why.
Applejack felt a shiver run down her spine when Vlad's eyes landed on her, she didn't like how she doesn't know a single thing about him. Only that he wasn't a unicorn at all, just something different. She hadn't heard of a creature called kirin in her life before. And as much as she wanted to give him a chance, the fact that he brought a changeling with him had already made her cautious.
"Hello Applejack!" A silent whisper caught the farmer's attention, she looked over to find Fluttershy shyly place a pouch of bits in front of her. "How are you today?"
"Just fine sugarcube, a little anxious but I'm still doin' fine." Applejack answered.
"Oh my, what's wrong?"
Applejack raised an orange hoof and points it behind Fluttershy. "That kirin over there, somethin' isn't right about him. I can definitely feel it."
"Oh Vlad? He actually spoke to me earlier this morning."
"Really? What did you two talk about?"
"He only asked me questions about the town, questions like the history of your family farm." Applejack's curiosity grew when Fluttershy mentioned the farm, adding more questions into her mind.
"Don't you find it kinda odd of how that colt is askin' about the farm? And weren't you scared?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Oh I was frightened, and I did wonder why he asked about it. But after having a little chat with him, you learn that he is a very kind kirin."
"Really now? What else did ya' find out?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Fluttershy suggested to her friend.
"Ask who?" Fluttershy let's out a yelp and shot up into the sky, Vlad who was originally standing behind Fluttershy could only gawk at the cloud above him with a pegasus shaped hole through it. "Oh..."
"Ahem," Vlad looks away from the cloud to meet Applejack's gaze, the mare was lightly tapping away on the top of her stall. "mornin' Vlad. Need somethin'?"
He smiled before shaking his head. "Oh, nothing really, just wanted to talk to you both."
Applejack raised a single brow. "What do ya' need?"
"Well it's not really what I need, it's just that I'm here to answer a few questions if you have any." Vlad shuffled slightly on his hooves as he awkwardly stared at the ground. "I was planning to go speak with princess Twilight, but her castle was completely empty."
Just when he told her about the castle being empty, Applejack had recalled about Twilight's plan from yesterday. She now realizes that the princess of friendship's plan would be unsuccessful if the kirin was not back at home. A single sweat ran down her cheek as she silently and intensely stared at the kirin. But an idea came into her mind, if she was quick enough, then she could bring him back to his house.
"Well that's an interesting idea Vlad, but why do you want to answer some questions out of the blue?"
Vlad tapped a hoof on his chin. "Well, I heard about how princess Twilight likes to learn about new things, so I thought maybe a few trivial facts about my kind would help me to get to know her as well as everyone in town!"
"That's a great idea Vlad!" Fluttershy whispered.
"What happened to you? I imagined that you wouldn't be so scared of Vlad anymore." Applejack shook her head. "Guess good 'ol Fluttershy is still the pegasus we all know and love."
The kirin gasped. "Oh, I am deeply sorry if I scared you." A light bulb flashed over his head. "How about I make it up to you, we can have some coffee back at my place. Minion is making a batch of cookies back home, if we hurry now we can enjoy them while they're fresh!"
"You d-don't need to do that Vlad, I'm fine... Maybe next time-"
"We would love to!" Applejack immediately cuts Fluttershy off and wrapped her foreleg around the pegasus. "Right sugarcube?"
"R-right..."
Vlad smiled upon their answers. "Great! You would really love the cookies, I guarantee!"
Applejack mentally gave herself a pat on the back, "I sure am excited, right Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy's answer was a whimper as they began making their way to Vlad's humble abode.
"So Vlad..."
"Hmm?" The kirin looked over his shoulder and faced Applejack as he lead the two mares to his home for a friendly chat.
"Ah' have been wondering about where you were from, since Ah' never met a kirin before." Said Applejack.
Vlad chuckled lightly. "Well, there's this village hidden in a valley located on the east side of Equestria. I think the strange old stallion called the mountain that surrounds my village 'Peaks of Peril'."
"P-P-Peaks of Peril!?" Fluttershy who was silent ever since they left town had finally spoke.
Applejack's eyes narrowed at Vlad. "Well that's certainly an interesting name for a place where kirins live in."
"Yeah, but the only peril I ever experience there was the lack of hayburgers!" A sigh escapes from Vlad. "Don't get me wrong, kirin recipes are great, but something about fast-food meals keeps me coming back."
"Ah' think you should keep off those greasy hayburgers, they're not healthy fer ya'."
"W-what exactly are other kirins like back at your village?" Fluttershy asked.
"To be honest, I don't really see much difference between kirins and ponies. Besides the fact kirins are a bit friendly with nature." Vlad spoke before stopping in his tracks to let a mother duck and her ducklings pass by before continuing. "Kirins respects all life on the planet, from the biggest elephant to the smallest ant, as well as every living plant. We must respect them for the roles they play in this world, for it is us who are given the responsibility for the world they live in."
"You're right!" Fluttershy practically sang, completely agreeing with his point. "Ponies as well as other creatures are always growing and expanding, removing less and less room for the wild life. And in the far future there might not be any room at all! It's up to everyone to make sure that that the planet does not suffer from our actions."
"Yes, I totally agree!" Vlad smiled and Fluttershy did the same as they began talking about nature even further, but their conversation started changing from how they could help the environment to how adorable squirrels are. Applejack mentally facepalmed herself as she watches the two ahead of her.
Applejack silently grunts. "Excuse me tree lovers, but weren't we talking about kirins? Not that Ah' don't care about the environment, but we started with a different subject."
"Oh, your right. How about we continue right after I serve cookies? We are nearly there-"
The three came to a complete stop as they all finally notice the anomaly in front of them, Twilight Sparkle was furiously attempting to pull out a pony who was stuck in the ground by the tail with Rainbow Dash digging her hooves into the dirt while threatening said soil of how she'll kick them "to next tuesday".
"She's really in there good!" Said Twilight, tugging on the cotton candy like tail even harder with her magic.
"What?" Was all Vlad could say.
"What you said..." Said Applejack.
"I'm as confused as you are." Said Minion as she held a smoothie in the air.
Both Twilight and Dash paused upon hearing the changeling and sets their eyes on her, Minion did not flinch under their gaze and took a long and loud sip out of her smoothie.
"You!" Dash pointed an offending hoof towards Minion.
"Me." Minion said nonchalantly.
"Yeah, you! I'm gonna pummel you with my hooves and turn you into a smoothie!"
Dash threatened, but it fell on deaf ears as the changeling snorted a laugh. "Could you be a little bit original? Just because I'm holding a smoothie doesn't mean turning me into one would even scare me."
"Oh I'll be original alright, when I'm done with your face it would be a piece of art!"
"Oh blow it out your ass!"
"Why you!"
Before things could escalate even more, Vlad leaped between the two. Hooves elevated just above his shoulders to keep them far apart from each other. "Enough! Minion, what did you do?"
She growls audibly and furiously tossed her smoothie aside. "Hey don't you fucking dare pin this on me! They were trespassing, I'm just upholding your dumb rules!"
"Did they break into our home, Minion?" Vlad questioned her before taking a single step forward. Minion stumbled a little as she kept their distance. "If so, then you are free to do anything that is needed, just as how I've told you last time. So I ask again, did they break into our home?"
"N-no. I-I... Well t-they... FUCK!" Minion stuttered and cursed before turning tail and retreated into a hole that Vlad or the rest had not notice before. "Choke on a dick!" They all heard one last time from Minion before she disappeared into the darkness of the small tunnel.
Vlad could only let out tiring sigh before facing the mares with him. A sheepish smile meet numerous silent and awkward gaze of the mares.
Vlad awkwardly coughed into his hoof and averted his eyes. Not wanting to make contact with their judgment stares. "I am so sorry you had to see that, please let me make it up to you! Uh, Minion!?"
He called out for the changeling, his voice echoed in the tunnel but no answer was given.
"Are the cookies done!?" He asked the hole, but still no answers. Vlad glanced behind himself, the mares were still staring at him. He even felt as if Pinkie's rear was also watching him, and that was not a pleasant picture in his mind. "Heh... I uh... I have some juice in the fridge..."
Twilight was caught in a dead end, all her research did not help her with the current situation. A lot of things had transpired yesterday, things that could have gone better. She learned from her friend Applejack that Vlad had visited the castle while she was out, and as much as she wanted to slap herself for leaving her castle, she still understood that it was only by chance that Vlad had left his home to visit Ponyville. But she still blamed herself a little for not thinking her plan through. Luckily for her, and thanks to Applejack, Vlad had returned to his house.
And with great timing as well, because Minion had apparently left to buy a smoothie and returned the same time as Vlad. If he had came after Minion, then there would have been a fight between Rainbow Dash and the changeling.
Before Twilight could continue his adventure through memory lane, the doors to her library open and a tiny dragon waltzed right in with a shield in their claws. Twilight immediately rushed over to Spike and quickly relieved him of the shield before giving him a proper thanks for completing the errand she had given to him. Now inspecting the round circular shield, it depicted the same species as Vlad, a kirin. She checked her notes from her research, it had certainly fit the description of Vlad. It was said that kirins were kind and honest, which was what she thought Vlad of. His kindness was comforting, his answers to her questions were truthful, even Applejack could tell that he wasn't lying. He truly was an honest kirin. But through out their "interrogation", she couldn't help but feel as if there was something more to the kirin.
Which is why she had requested Spike to borrow the shield from the museum back at Canterlot. And her assumption was correct, with the shield in her hooves she had discovered a small detail about the kirins. From what Vlad had told her, his village located at the Peaks of Peril was inhabited by other kirins, but what he didn't tell her about were the niriks. Fearsome beasts of pure fire. And from what she could get from the small information that she had, these niriks were the polar opposite of kirins.
Both may look alike, but they were definitely different. From what Twilight could gather, the niriks were obviously some kind of subspecies of the kirins. It made a lot of sense, both had scales but only one was covered in flames, it was obvious that this species had some kind of dragon heritage. And with the knowledge she had with dragons is that niriks were obviously destructive. But the motivations were still unknown. The questions that is currently in Twilight's mind could be easily answered if she only ask Vlad, but she did not consider that option because her head was too deep in her research.
And unbeknownst to Twilight, a shadowy figure was silently spying on her.
Minion glared, oh how she glared. Who did she set her fiery stare upon you may ask? Well it was none other than Vlad. She glared at him so intense, she was sure she could set him ablaze. As for the reason, it was all because of a unicorn mare named Rarity sitting on their couch. She was invited over by Vlad and she willingly accepted the invitation, which peeved Minion off. She was especially still mad about yesterday, of how she was wrongfully accused of being wrong. Minion had enough reason for assaulting the pink one, they were attempting to trespass!
But enough of the pass, time for the present.
The changeling was currently in the kitchen preparing tea for everyone, four tea cups ready and a bowl of sugar cubes as well as a lemon. She had prepared everything while still glaring at Vlad through doorway to the living room. She listened closely on the two as they went on with their conversation. The subject did not interest her one bit at all because it was mostly about clothes. Minion fought off the urge of taking the the unicorn right now and throw her out the door before burying Vlad in the cemetery nearby. She was mad, that's for sure. But her anger was so great you could hear the kettle whistle.
"Um...excu-EEP!" The other creature in the kitchen yipped away when Minion's glare shifted over to them.
Minion had nearly forgotten about Fluttershy, she also had the same story as Rarity. Invited over for a chat and some tea. And the pegasus had the nerve as well to offer a hand to help Minion prepare the tea. Minion hated her the most, she was obviously the weakest among her friends. Frail. Fluttershy was too frail and cowardly. But the mare had some respectable aspect, such as taming the chaos lord Discord. And not only Discord, but other fearsome creatures that both Fluttershy and her friends had encountered. As well as how much she reminded Minion of Vlad, his kindness was almost comparable with this mare, if not better than Vlad.
With a silent sigh, Minion felt her anger dissipate. "Yes?"
"W-well, the kettle is done with the tea, so..." Fluttershy avoided eye contact and made sure to lower her head a little to show that she wasn't a threat. Not that she is.
"Right." She simply said before facing away from Fluttershy and turned towards the cupboard behind her.
After sorting through other kitchen based items, Minion retrieved a small bowl. And with the final piece of the puzzle she and Fluttershy have finished the tea and was ready to serve. Minion then placed the kettle on a tray with the other tea essentials as well as a lemon which was placed into the bowl and a knife before bringing it to the living room. Once she went through the door way with Fluttershy on her tail, Vlad immediately smiled.
"Ah, Minion!" He called out to her with enthusiasm. "Thank you for making everyone tea! Now where were we?"
Minion silently growled, she hated how he just gave her a simple thanks before dismissing her and went back to talking with the walking marsh mellow. But as angry as she was, he was only trying to make friends, and she was alright with that. As for Fluttershy, she immediately retreated over to the couch where Rarity and Vlad sat in when she heard Minion growled. The mare would rather not be near the changeling right now because she sensed the anger coming from Minion, which the others don't seem to notice.
After Minion had placed the tray on the table she began slicing the lemon for the tea. Once she was done she took four perfect slices fit for the tea and inserted them into each cup while the rest of the lemon were placed in the bowl. And instead of letting Minion do all the work and being a good friend he is, Vlad had decided to serve everyone tea. He and Rarity spoke with each other as he poured her and Fluttershy a cup. Once Fluttershy and Rarity received their tea, they brought it up to their lips, eager to experience and taste the tea that was generously brought to them.
"My, that is simply divine! Your changeling really does know how to brew some delicious tea." Rarity spoke and complimented after tasting the beverage. Fluttershy hummed happily, agreeing with Rarity.
What Rarity didn't know was when she said "Your changeling", Minion heard it as an insult instead of a compliment. It was as if she was just a pet for them, and Vlad was her owner. Her hoof twitched a little, the urge she had felt before had returned.
But just as she thought she hit her limit, Minion felt a hoof on her shoulder. She glanced over to find that Fluttershy had left her safety on couch to comfort Minion after overcoming her fear. If it was anyone that wasn't weak, Minion would've snap at them. But since she was sure Fluttershy couldn't stand a chance, Minion simply held back. She realized that she needed to hold back her temper or else she would get in trouble.
"Oh Minion is actually good with a lot of things. Not only is she talented in the art of acting, but she's a great cook as well!" When Vlad mentioned the changeling's skills, Minion couldn't help but feel pride.
Rarity faced Minion with intrigue. "Then I simply must try a dish!"
Fluttershy who was still next to Minion nodded. "I also want to try."
"Sorry, but I'm not feeling it." And much to Rarity's disappointment, Minion had decided not to cook for them today.
"Well alright then, we'll schedule it for tomorrow lunch. How about it Minion?" Vlad asked the changeling who was just drinking her tea.
With an irritated groan she agrees. "Fine. But only you three!"
"Yay!" Fluttershy cheered.
"Oh let me tell you something, Minion's lasagna is the best I have ever had!" This earned Vlad an enthusiastic "Ooh!" from the two mares. "I highly recommend it, trust me, you will not ever regret trying Minion's pasta. And I promise you that her chocolate dream cake truly is a 'dream'."
"Oh please, say no more!" Rarity dramatically pleaded. "I don't think I can take your teasing any longer, now I'm even more eager for tomorrow!"
"Me too, I'm just as excited as Rarity!" Fluttershy had a bright friendly smile on her face.
Minion barely showed any emotion, but in truth she was actually happy that they wanted to try her cooking. She liked the feeling of being appreciated, it always made her feel special inside whenever anyone gives her any sort of praise. Especially when they show her how much they love their meals, overflowing with emotion. Overflowing with love.
But sadly she does not actually want to give these two mares her cooking at all, and if it weren't for Vlad, she would've refused. No wait. Minion would actually cook for Fluttershy, she liked her better than the white one. She could just think of a way to get rid of Rarity somehow. And before she could even think of an idea, she had caught something in the corner of her eye. Fluttershy who was next to Minion had noticed the changeling's sudden shift. Her eyes followed hers and found them facing the same window that Minion was staring out of. Fluttershy didn't know why, but it seems that Minion became focused on the pair of squirrels that were lovingly cuddling each other as they sat on the windowsill.
"Oh wait!" Vlad startled everyone as he shot out of the couch and onto his hooves. "Fluttershy, could you help me with something?"
"Oh my, what's wrong?" Fluttershy was concerned.
"I just remembered that there's a bear in my shed and it's not leaving. I have been meaning to ask you for help."
Before Fluttershy could speak for herself, Rarity had chosen to do it for her. "Of course, she would love to help you Vlad! Well darling? Go on now, help Vlad with the bear problem so we can resume our conversation."
"O-okay..." Fluttershy only whispered before nodding to Vlad.
Vlad motioned a hoof for her to follow and led her to the front door. He opened the door and allowed Fluttershy to leave first before himself. But just as he was about to step outside, he gave Minion one last nod. Minion had chose to ignore it.
And now the two were alone. Rarity would've simply enjoyed her tea in peace, but she couldn't help but feel a little disturbed of how Minion was staring at her intently. It was then that realization hits the mare as she understood that she was alone with a changeling. One with an intimidating scar mind you. Especially when that changeling was just blank watching you. A shiver ran down her spine as time passed, and Rarity does not notice that the teacup in her magic was slightly shaking.
Rarity didn't really want to feel this way towards Minion, but her previous experience with changelings had taught her that they were the enemies of Equestria. Which is what Twilight is also trying to say. Especially when when both Vlad and Minion were still an enigma to all.
The unicorn then mentally scolded herself. From her experience with the two creatures, especially Vlad, she had learned a lot about them. Vlad was kind and she could not see any evil in his eyes, while Minion is still in debate. That's it, that's all she knows... Though Rarity is still quite interested to try her cooking...
"You know," Rarity nearly spat out her tea she was drinking once Minion began speaking. Her cheeks bulged with the lemon tea and she had to swallow it down with a slight blush. "I heard a lot about you Rarity. How talented you are with fashion, it reminds me of... a friend..."
This piqued Rarity's curiosity. "Well, they must be an interesting creature."
"Well he's a unicorn like you, a bit boring to talk to though. Like a brick wall. But he had a good sense of fashion like you, his ideas are more on efficiency though, but he is still creative."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's the one who gave me this pair of shades to go with my scarf." Now that Rarity sees it, the shades did help the scarf to make her stand out more. "There was this pair of green boots to go with everything though, but I didn't like it. Vlad did, but I didn't."
"Well I would like to meet him someday, we would definitely get along." Rarity began feeling calmer than before, she mentally thanked Minion for starting the conversation. "Is he... If I may, what does he look like?"
And with a burst of green fire, Minion was replaced by a gray stallion with a short blond mane. Rarity gasped and blushed upon laying her eyes on the changeling in disguised. He was fairly handsome and very tall. And when his deep blue eyes made contact with hers, she felt her heart rate rising. The beats were faster and louder than before, so loud that Rarity thought her ears were right next to it.
"Even though-" Rarity held a hoof over her chest once he began speaking, his voice was deep and calm, there was something about his voice that made Rarity everything but the sound of his voice. "-he doesn't really talk much and is boring to talk to, he still brings up very interesting subjects..."
"W-which is?"
"Tell me Rarity, do you believe in true love?"
The mare swallowed a lump in he throat. "Y-yes."
"Well, I believe as well, love is an amazing concept. And don't we all want it? Do you want it?"
"Yes."
"I want it as well, but I do not know where to begin to find love..."
"T-there are plenty of places where you could find love, anywhere! Even h-here."
He smirked and placed a hoof under her chin and gently lifted her head up just to lock both their eyes at each other. "Then tell me Rarity, will you help me look for it?"
"Yes!" Rarity felt light headed, her heart kept beating even faster. She couldn't even keep herself up on her hooves as they buckled, threatening to collapse under her. Her breath became hitched as he leaned towards her. A siren was screaming in her head as he inched even closer. Rarity could not move nor could she find the strength to do so.
And only then she realized what was happening. But it was already too late, and the evidence to that was the green hue in her eyes, she had already fallen for Minion's spell. And just as he was an inch away from her, she fell off the couch and onto the floor. Slowly losing conscious as the shadows slowly crept towards her.
"Listen," Rarity used what's left of her strength to glare at Minion who returned to her changeling form. No words could be made as she drifted closer and closer to sleep. "I have nothing against you or something, but this is just part of the plan."
A wide grin found itself on Minion's face as she watched the mare lose what remaining strength she had.
"Sleep tight."
"You know, the bear was actually really nice!" Vlad said as he and Fluttershy returned, only five minutes had passed since they both left.
"He was, though I am so sorry that we had to give away your shovel." Fluttershy spoke with a small hint of guilt for what had transpired. "If you ever need a shovel, you could just ask me."
"No need! Minion is quite the digger, she actually have a tunnel starting from here and ending at the cemetery."
She tilted her head slightly to the left. "What does she need with the tunnel?"
"It's how she gets around, she also said it made her feel at home when she goes through the tunnels she created."
"You know I'm here right?" Both Fluttershy and Vlad stopped their chatter and shifted their attention to Minion.
The changeling was just finishing her tea on the couch with Rarity by her side, the unicorn seems to be far more cheerful than before.
"Well I'm glad to see that your bear problem is over, Vlad." Rarity before she adopted a pout on her face. "But how come you have not mention your unicorn friend to me? He and I have a common interest yet you choose not to speak of him?"
After letting her words set in, Vlad finally understood what she meant. "Ah, so Minion told you about Stoic. Yeah, he's a great guy, kinda quiet though. But the thing is, it's been a month since we kinda talked. But I can totally introduce him to you, if you want."
"That would be great darling." A yawn escaped itself from Rarity's lips and into her hoof. "My, I must be tired from this tea. Fluttershy dear, we should leave now."
Fluttershy lowered her head upon hearing Rarity. "Right now? But we've just-"
The pegasus tried to reason, but Rarity was already at the door. "Sorry dear, but I need my beauty sleep." Fluttershy silently followed her friend, not really eager to leave just yet. "Good bye Vlad, Minion. Have a great morning!"
"Oh, guess we'll see you tomorrow then. Take care!" Vlad waved his hoof good bye.
Right before she went through the door, Rarity silently glanced at Minion to which earned her a devilish grin from the changeling, this didn't go unnoticed by Fluttershy. She had noticed that there was something different in Rarity's eyes and the pegasus could only wonder what. And just as she was out the door, Fluttershy saw Minion's empty stare as the door closes. A shiver ran down her spine as the changeling's eyes lingered in Fluttershy's mind.
"Is something wrong Fluttershy?"
Her deep thought was broken when Rarity spoke. "Oh, it's nothing... So what did you think of Minion?"
"She's interesting, a bit vulgar when provoked. But she seems to be a fine drone..."
"I see..." With that, none of the mares spoke through out their journey back to town. Not a single word was said and Fluttershy was left feeling awkward as she trotted.
Something was absolutely strange about Rarity. And yet Fluttershy could not tell what. Only in the future could she find the answer. And hopefully Fluttershy was simply mistaken.
The sky was scheduled to be clear for the whole day, and the sun shines even brighter today. And Rainbow Dash was not enjoying it one bit. She and her good friend Pinkie Pie were currently doing a job that Twilight had given them, which was spying on the local kirin.
And it was a boring job, Vlad was not doing anything noteworthy, only shopping for regular things.
A whole hour doing nothing, Vlad was plain as everyone else in the town, unlike Dash. No sign of danger at all, or anything to help Dash stretch her legs. She was just bored out of her mind, even with Pinkie it was rather dull. No matter how much the party pony tried, she couldn't turn their mission into a fun one. Of course her stories were entertaining, but Dash was already bored of it as well.
"This is boring!" Dash finally complained. "He's just shopping for stuff and not doing anything cool!"
"Oh don't say that Rainbow Dash, if you see it from a different point of view, then he's definitely doing something cool!" Pinkie tried to reassure her friend.
Dash kicked up dude with frustration. "Yeah, but this is totally lame! I thought we'd be getting something juicy, but here we are! Watching some dude buying some carrots."
"But what if, he's buying carrots for some awesome magic show!?"
"If he's going to do some magic show, then what does he need carrots for?"
Pinkie snorted a laugh. "Well duh! He needs carrots for the bunnies!" Pinkie waited for Dash soak in the information, but she seemed lost. "You know? With the hat trick thing?"
"Alright, I'm going home." Dash declared and turned away from Pinkie, only to come face to face with her target. "Gah!" She yelped before she fell on her rump.
"Woops, sorry Rainbow Dash!" Vlad apologized.
He held out a hoof and Dash reluctantly accepted it. Once she was on her hooves she gave Pinkie a glare since she didn't warn her of the kirin.
"Hey Vlad!" Pinkie fretted him gleefully.
"Alright, what do you want?" Dash rudely asked.
"Well, I saw you girls and thought maybe you would like to hang out today? I'm free until lunch, so I got nothing else to do."
Dash thought about it for a second. She wasn't really doing anything as of now. And she was told to spy on him. So what better way to spy on someone than pretending to hang out with them?
"You know what? Sure, I got nothing better to do today." She turned to face Pinkie. "What about you Pinkie?"
Pinkie shook her head. "Sorry, as much as I would love to stay, I'm on a very important mission!"
"Pinkie, we don't really need to do that, we can just hang out with Vlad."
"But Rainbow Dash, our mission is important!" Pinkie whispered loudly. Vlad could only give her a confused look, he wondered what this mission was exactly.
"Whatever Pinkie, just try not to hurt yourself."
"Okie dokie loki!"
With that, Pinkie was gone, vanished like a forgotten memory. Now Vlad and Dash were alone.
"So..." Dash began to speak. "What do ya' wanna do?"
Vlad only shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I didn't really expect that you'd actually accept my invitation." He pondered about the situation for a second. "We could get some coffee, if you want some that is. I know a place where they serve some really good brew!"
"Sounds like a plan." She said, still uninterested as before.
Vlad led the mare to the place he had mentioned, it was just around the corner, which made Rainbow Dash glad that she didn't need to walk that long.
There were a lot of free tables, there were barely any other occupants besides an earth pony sitting by themselves. Both took their seats and a mare was already at their side with a notepad ready. Vlad had given his order to the mare, caramel white coffee. As for Dash, she simply asked for black, nothing else.
"This place seems alright." Said Dash. "It's kinda quiet, but it's cool, sometimes we all gotta get some peace and quiet."
Vlad nodded and agreed with her.
"So, any cool stories you could share? I have been really bored all day and maybe you could give me something to think about..."
Vlad froze, his eyes were wide wide open. A full minute had passed, and their order had already arrived. Dash could only stare back at the kirin, as if she was conversing with a statue instead of a living creature. Another minute went by before a very goofy grin was made on Vlad's face. For the first time since they had met, Vlad was finally acting strange in front of Dash.
"You want to listen?" He spoke, and for an odd reason, Dash felt as if she had just made a mistake. "I... I am actually happy that you'd want to listen! Oh where do I begin!? There are a lot of things I can tell you!"
He paused and took a sip of his drink.
"I can totally tell you about my time on the other side of the world! But there's just too many to choose from..."
What was once a feeling of worry turned into intrigue. Dash was honestly interested in what the kirin would say.
"Let me tell you, the world is gigantic! I mean, there's so much things out there, beyond Equestria! Things that I never thought to discover! And there was more to see... sadly, I couldn't stay."
"Why not?"
Vlad stared into his drink, he held it tightly in his hooves. "You see, I got homesick... As much as I love traveling the world, I just couldn't get it out of my mind. Funny, I had promised my friends so many things, and yet I couldn't deliver. But enough about that, we haven't really talked much, so you must be as curious about me as the others."
"Well that's true, and I do have some questions. Like, is Minion your pet? And how do you feed her?"
Vlad shushed the mare. "Don't say that, Minion doesn't like it when she is called a pet. Anyways, Minion is a changeling, that we know. As for what she feeds on, well she feeds on me. Whenever she's hungry, I give her some forms of affection, such as petting and hugs, which apparently is enough."
"Doesn't that hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt, really, it just tires me out. But it's a price I would pay to keep my best friend going. Besides, she's my star!"
"Your 'star'?"
"She's just so important to me, that I'd do anything to make sure we'd stay friends, yeah, friends forever... Anyways, I bet you're curious about what's on the other side of the planet." Dash gave an eager nod. "It's awesome out there! Fearsome beasts, skillful warriors, and treasure! So many things to find, so many people to meet!"
Vlad leaned back on his seat, the goofy grin returned.
"And because of my adventure across the world, I have gained so much experience. Like, did you know I can light myself on fire!?"
Dash was taken aback by his claim, she tried to understand what he meant or why he even considered doing something so dangerous. Of course Rainbow Dash wasn't a stranger to danger, but even she has her limits.
"Yeah, I wouldn't believe myself either, but it's true!"
"Can you really light yourself on fire?" The only other patron of the cafe spoke. A random stallion with a lime green fur and a moppy red mane. "That would be awesome if you could!"
"Shamrock?" Vlad muttered with a smile. "Shamrock Clover!? What are you doing here!?"
"Uh, do I know you?"
Vlad stood up from his seat and left Dash by herself. "Dude, it's me, Vlad!"
The pony only shook his head. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell."
Somehow, Vlad began to ignore Dash as if she wasn't there at all and took a seat in the same table with Clover. "Oh, Sham, always a joker!"
"Y-yeah... I'm such a funny guy, right... Rocky?"
"Vlad."
"That's what I said!"
"Anyways, Sham. Do you wanna hang out today? It's been so long, we should catch up."
"Well if you show me that fire trick you were talking about. Then sure!"
And with that, both Vlad and the random pony had left, and Dash was alone. Vlad didn't even finish his coffee, and he wasn't done telling her about things she never actually knew. He just simply got up and left Dash by herself completely, leaving her with his unfinished coffee, which was bad because it meant that she had to pay for him now.
And worse of all, she was still extremely bored.
Minion glared at the clock on the wall, there was only a few minutes left before twelve, and the food was almost ready. But the main issue was that Vlad didn't come back yet. And Minion had to prepare everything by herself. First she made the lasagna, which was currently in the oven, then she finished the desert. A sweet chocolate dream cake, as Vlad had requested from yesterday.
And much to her disappointment, he hadn't showed up to help her with anything.
Luckily for Minion, she heard the door open and close, signalling the return of Vlad. Hurried hooves rushed into the kitchen, and a very tired Vlad greeted the drone.
"I'm sorry I'm late! I got caught up with an old friend."
Minion only made a displeased snort and went back to watching the lasagna through the oven window.
"Oh come on Minion, I'm pretty sure you won't be mad if I tell you who I met."
She was still silent, the changeling ignored Vlad completely.
"I'm telling you Minion, you'll be laughing your lungs out once you find out who it is!"
Minion hissed at him. "I don't care if you were fucking a chimera! You were supposed to help me cook today, but you didn't show up all morning! Now here you are, trying to kiss my ass and asking for forgiveness."
"Language Minion. How many times do I have to say this?"
"How many times do you eat shit? How about you die now?"
He sighed. "Minion, I know you're mad-"
"Oh, I'm far from mad." She interjected.
"-and I'm really sorry. Okay!?"
"Sorry doesn't cut it. Just go set the table before Fluttershy gets here."
"Fine, but we gotta talk after."
With everything said and done, Vlad retreated into the dining room to go and set up the plates and cutlery. Once he was done, Vlad returned to the kitchen to check on Minion. There he found the drone taking the pasta out of the oven and placed it on the countertop to cool.
He tried to strike up a conversation, but a single glare from Minion and her glowing horn had kept him silent. Vlad could feel the negative aura she was letting out. It would be unwise to speak with her now. So with nothing else to do, Vlad had decided to stand somewhere else. After a second of mindlessly walking, Vlad somehow had ended up outside and he couldn't really understand how. He was sure he was headed for the dining room, but for some odd reason, he was here.
Something was urging him to keep moving, it was an odd feeling, his hooves moved on their own.
It was then that he realized it, the strange feeling he felt was magic, not just any kind, but one that tampered with the mind. Which only meant one thing, Minion had used her basic hypnosis to get rid of him. And the strange green hue in his eyes proved his suspicions.
He tried to scream out his frustrations, but couldn't as his body was not his own right now. He doesn't know why he could even think, but he just knows how Minion was able to control him.
Of course Minion was able to do as she pleased with his head, she had been feeding on him for so very long that he was sure that she could just take one completely. But Vlad wasn't afraid of that ever happening, they're friends. And though he was currently marching towards the Everfree, he was sure that she just needed some space to cool off. But, this didn't justify her decision to force Vlad to aimlessly walk into a very dangerous forest.
Hopefully, Minion had only ordered him to stand at the edge and not inside.
"Oh, this smells delicious!" Fluttershy complimented Minion's work.
The lasagna on her plate was truly mouth watering. She was really excited to try them, especially the cake. The vile temptress of a pastry practically dared her to take a bite.
Fluttershy was really excited for what's to come. And she would certainly enjoy the pasta on the table.
Minion who was just across the table smiled proudly and accepted Fluttershy's compliment. "Thanks, I have been trying out a few things, but I'm sure you'd really love what I've made today."
"I'm really looking forward to it! It's a shame that Rarity couldn't make it though."
Minion had diverted her face away from the pegasus to hide the devilish grin on her own face. "Yup, shame that she doesn't have time."
"Anyways Minion, how come Vlad isn't here?"
Minion's mood turned sour upon mentioning the kirin. "Vlad? Pfft! Who needs him?"
"Oh my, did you two had a fight?"
Minion sighed. "No, it was more of an argument... I mean, I shouldn't really blame him, he said he met an old friend today. But I got really mad that he would just forget our plans, so I kinda kicked him out."
"I am very sorry, I really hope that you and Vlad make up." Fluttershy paused for a second, a question suddenly ran through her mind. "Excuse me, but I'm actually curious about something."
The changeling gave her strange looking stare, as if Fluttershy had traversed into uncharted waters. Minion's eyes narrowed. "About what?"
"About Vlad," Minion let out a sigh of relief. "I wanted to know if his name really is Vlad."
"Well... His name isn't Vlad actually, I'll be honest, the past three years I have never really learned his true name. Back then, I only ever called him Kirin. But if you're curious as to why he even called himself Vlad, it's a character from some book he used to read, the name really stuck to him."
"Must be an interesting character then."
"Yup, you're right about that. Vlad the Impaler really is a very interesting character." Fluttershy had to make a double take after learning the full name, or title in this case. "Yup, really interesting."
"C-could I ask you why he chose such a name?"
"Well, did he tell you about our old job? We were part of a traveling theater that did a lot of plays in Equestria."
This was something that Fluttershy didn't know, so she could only shake her head in response.
"Vlad may had mentioned that I am 'talented with acting' yesterday, can't really remember. You see, he and I used to be in a traveling theater where we both perform plays. He would direct the show and act in it if there was a lack of members. And I was practically the best he had, his 'star' if you will, all thanks to me being a changeling. Anyways, one of the plays he had taken part in was the story of Vlad the third, right from the book itself. And Vlad couldn't find anyone to play the role, so he became the lead, and somehow it ended up becoming an origin for his current name."
"Well, that is actually great." Fluttershy commented. "You and Vlad should really go do a play again! If that's alright to you, I mean..."
"Oh, Vlad would be happy to do it again, but not me. Sure I'd do it, but I don't feel the same way as Vlad does. But enough with that, let's get to know each other more instead." A sinister light flashed in Minion's eye just for a second. "I heard that you've tamed Discord, could I ask where he is right now?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say tamed, it was more like I befriended him. As for where he is at right now, he's away for the time being, said something about 'plot convenience'."
"Shame, I would've loved to meet him for once." Minion said before she dug her fork into the lasagna in front of her.
Minion doesn't really eat much, she only does it to taste to see if she needs anything else as well as actually enjoying her own work. Love was all she needed to keep going, but after being introduced to cooking, she couldn't help but try all kinds of meals and making them herself.
"This is bad..."
"What is?" Fluttershy asked curiously.
"This lasagna, it's fucking bland."
"B-but Minion, it is really good, it's sweet and saucy. I don't really see why it's bland."
"This... This is the first time in years that I have ever eaten a regular meal without Vlad by my side..." Minion sighed before releasing her fork onto the pasta. "To be honest, when Vlad didn't come back and I was busy preparing lunch, that was the longest time that we were separated after all this time. Guess that's why I got kinda pissed."
"You two must be really close for you to think that way." Fluttershy could see that from Minion's eyes that her words had helped the changeling a little bit.
"Yeah, guess we are... Thanks Fluttershy, I really needed that." She smiled only for a second before a frown had taken its place. "This just makes me feel really bad for what I'm about to do, I'm really sorry about this, I honestly am."
"What do you-"
Fluttershy couldn't finish her sentence, she was completely interrupted by the sudden appearance of changelings. The numerous green flames had lit up the room for a short moment. The mare couldn't comprehend it quick enough as she was immediately tackled to the ground.
She was still questioning many things, such as, "Where did they come from?" or, "How did they sneak into Ponyville?".
She looked up at Minion who was simply busy with her meal, as if Fluttershy wasn't being dragged away by other changelings. Fear had wrapped Fluttershy's heart as she realized that she was lured into a trap, she couldn't even scream for help. And with a new piece of clue on the table, Fluttershy could finally understand why Rarity was different to her, all evidence pointed towards the idea that she was no longer Rarity or anyone she knew.
She should've known, and she should've listened to Twilight.
"Minion!" A deep and distorted voice called out to her. And everyone in the room froze still.
Minion growled as she heard her name, the fork was almost close to her frowning lips. The door at the front was slammed open and a set of hooves stomped it's way into the kitchen. Once they entered the kitchen, it was revealed that it was none other than Vlad himself. He glared at the changeling with a literal fiery glare.
Minion only gave him a sideways glance before she returned to her meal.
"Minion!" His voice sent a shiver down everyone's back, except for Minion who was just casually eating her lasagna.
"What." Said Minion.
Before he could even berate his friend, Vlad had just begun to notice the addition of changelings in the room as well as Fluttershy in their hooves. The fire began to die out as confusion replaced his rage.
"W-what's going on?"
"Vlad, help!" Fluttershy had managed to find the strength to call for his aid.
"Minion! Explain yourself!"
Minion growled once more and slammed the fork into the table. "I really wished you hadn't come back so soon."
Before Vlad could even say a thing, another wave of changelings had popped out of nowhere and attacked him from behind. He couldn't even make a move as one of them had struck him on the head with a random plate, which caused Fluttershy to cry out for the kirin.
"Hey! Don't hit him too hard, okay!?" Minion scolded the changeling that hit Vlad.
"S-sorry." The changeling apologized.
"Whatever! Just bring them both into the basement with the others, and bring some water to use on Vlad in case of emergencies. And also bring the rest of the food on the table to the prisoners."
She gave Fluttershy one last glance before averting her eyes from Fluttershy's.
"I'm sorry..." She muttered before she took Vlad's appearance.
Minion then walked out of the room before Fluttershy was taken away along with Vlad.
She tried to call out for help, but couldn't find the strength that she had before. Fluttershy could only squeak as she realized that the creature she thought was her friend had just betrayed her trust. Such as the life of a changeling, a race of creatures that are the personification of deceit.
As for Minion, she could only accept the decisions that she had made today, and the only direction she could take was forward.
