Post by Mal on Apr 29, 2016 23:59:50 GMT -5
Zelenia left the castle far behind her, some hours after her talk with the strange bat pony, in a mild daze of thought. There felt like something, an answer, just beyond her reach that had been sparked by her talk with such an odd stranger, but she couldn't be sure. Furthermore, it wasn't in her power, if it was possible at all. The brow of her disguise furrowed a little as she walked through the marble Canterlot streets, puzzled with it. She might chase the thought later, give it time to come to her.. It was about time she looked towards leaving Canterlot; what she sought, she couldn't really find here. It wasn't a good feeding ground anyway, too much work with the closed off, snooty ponies who lived here. She just thought.. she might find others who'd managed to to sneak back in despite what happened.
Bygone Specter found himself wandering the busy streets of canterlot with a treat in his mouth and a small box of cupcakes held upon the top of his hat. How the pastries didn't' fall off was a miracle what with the way he was bouncing. Dissy and Luna were... asleep perhaps? Probably, he hadn't seen either of them as saddening as that was. The little changeling in disguise ducked through one busy street and decided to be a smart potato and use an alley. When he quickly emerged though he'd just about (or did) hit a pony that was walking on the other side! The box of cupcakes toppled but were, mercifully, caught in his magic even if he were to bounce off the pony and fall! The cupcakes were most important here ~ Even more-so than his hat!
Zelenia admonished herself for her earlier thought, to think any of her hive would return to this place. It was hopeless, even for such things as petty revenge. She snorted softly to herself as she walked further down the street, where there were plenty of ponies about under the spring sunlight. Their distasteful looks for her dark coat (or whatever else it was) were entirely ignored or unnoticed, with her eyes looking ahead, but focused inward. Zelenia hadn't heard anypony coming her way, until the little emerging figure had run into her! She jolted out of her thoughts and looked around to find.. a little foal, with an oddly large hat. After the bat pony with their ribbons and paint.. Ponies were so strange. Though if there was anything about this one to be determined.. "Oh, hello!" His arrival out of the alley went unquestioned by her, she who still spoke or moved a little oddly as she tried to find her way amongst these creatures.
Bygone Specter quirked his head to the side as he stood himself back up from where he'd stumbled and fallen onto his rump. "Hello Miss! I'm sorry about running into you!" The changeling in disguise was nervous, curious, AND actually regretful that he'd run into the pony before him. Doing so wasn't very nice indeed. "I was heading back to the castle..." he chanced a glance n that direction only to look back at the rather odd (hypocrite) pony. "Are you new in town? Your colors are cool! Much more practical than the bright things around here! Though dark fur implies a pony could have something to hide!" Indeed! Dark fur was good for ponies who wanted to hide, he knew that well.
Zelenia hardly moved other than to shift one of her hooves away, as though she were going to give him and his floating box of cupcakes space, but didn't. "I'm not hiding!" The words were out of her mouth the moment he'd said that and she cringed inwardly. "I mean, I am new to town. A visitor, only." Zelenia caught the mention of the castle and glanced back at it, seemingly nervous, but it was gone as she returned her pink gaze to him. Running the rest of what the little foal said in her mind. "You're forgiven though. I.. think that is a cool hat." She lifted a hoof to gesture at it.
Bygone Specter was taken rather aback by the sudden blurt from the pony before him. However that was quickly shaken from his head whenever she confirmed what he did know, forgave him, and thought his hat was cool! The little changeling smiled wide and hopped some "Thank you! I enchanted it myself!" Indeed ~ If it weren't for the spells the hat would bounce right off of his head. "What were you visiting for?" Alas curiosity, every foal's weakness.
Zelenia couldn't be sure if she had surprised him, or what, but she blinked at his hat when he told her it was enchanted. She didn't know much about ponies, or about unicorns in general, but she wondered how early they learned magic. It was neat. Zele pulled herself out of the beginning wanderings of her thoughts before she zoned out and made it weird. "Visiting? Oh. I was looking for some ponies, but they're not here. I thought I would find them, but Canterlot isn't the place." Zele had answered honestly enough, it was true; she just left out the convenient fact that it was other changelings she sought out.
Bygone Specter made a face and looked upon the pony. "Ooooh... That is no fun." he'd say with a somewhat sympathetic expression. He knew how it could be to look for others and not find them. "Do you want any help? Perhaps they are hiding! I mean ~ Not everypony wants to be found!" The changeling had explored a great deal of the city ever since he'd been cleansed. Canterlot had always been the city that had been denied to him before! There was soooo much to explore. "I could probably help you find them! Unless they're changelings of course, then they could be aaaaanypony!..." was it luck that was letting him do these things? Quite probably yes. Come to think about it ~ It had been foreeever since he'd seen one!
Zelenia didn't see what help she would be able to get from a pony foal. They were.. well, she didn't know very much about foals. They were aimless and didn't do any work, but they learned. Zele couldn't hide a slight twitch when the little one went on to mention changelings. "Hiding.. What do you know about changelings? I am very curious." Zelenia went out on a chance to ask. The other few things she knew about pony children was that they could be rather honest, or at least open. Maybe he would know.. but no, if she couldn't sense any in this city, at least yet, there was no help to give.
Bygone Specter sat on his haunches and brought a hoof up to a thinker pose. "Ooooh... Weeeeeell ~ Changelings don't tend to come this close to the pony diarchy for one! And.. Well, normally there would be a hive, yes? If you found one you'd find more theo-re-rectically." he'd say only for a discrete laying back of his ears to occur. "Of course then there are the changelings that have nopony... Simply blending in." This elicited a bit of a pause before he immediately perked back up again. "But Miss Luna is nice! She'd help!" Would she? He was a bit of a 'special' case in a sense? Who knows.
Zelenia listened quietly, though she thought to finally move to face him and sit down. Opinions of the public at large didn't matter to her, that she was sitting by the mouth of an alley talking to a strange foal. Her eyes widened slightly when he mentioned 'Miss Luna,' Princess Luna. Zele shook her head a little vehemently. "I could not. It isn't safe for.." Zele bit down on the sentence and waved it away with a hoof. "There was the hive that attacked this place, they were scattered." Zele had been proven right that they wouldn't return here. "What could somepony do if they wanted to find them again? How could they be found?"
Bygone Specter inclined his head to the side some. "I... Don't know, actually." he'd say with a scuff of his hoof and ears laid back. "Those never having a hive wouldn't know whre to find it." he'd say only to stiffen and then quickly roll on and try to play over it. "Besides! Um.... Why would you want to find them anyways?" The little changeling in disguise looked upon the pony with curiosity. It wasn't like he encountered a pony that was actively seeking out changelings after all!
Zelenia wilted, just a little, when the foal had no answer. What was she expecting from a pony anyway? Though there was a tone to his voice.. The 'earth pony' stiffened a little at the question and fumbled for an appropriate answer. "Well... curiosity. Personal reasons?" Her voice had a questioning lilt, even though it was also true. She was seeking out any members of her hive; or if not of her hive, at least other changelings. There was a faint idea gathering, but she just couldn't be sure.. Zele shook her head and used a shrug to indicate her uncertainty. "It's hard to explain.."
Bygone Specter quirked his head to the side and nodded. "I kinda-sorta gave up on that myself... When miss Luna and Dissy fixed my chaos ~ I guess I decided that it wasn't worth the travel anymore. I wasn't gonna find any." In any case he turned and took a few steps away towards the castle... He wondered if either of them would be awake quite yet! But... maybe not. The sun was still out after all.
Suigyoku was skipping along through Canterlot. After his mishap with the other two ponies he was sure he -- made a veritable ass of himself. Rat was very sensitive when it came to -- hurting others. Their happiness, little did he know, was his survival. One that fed off happiness and goodness he has learned to siphon excess off ponies to survive. Without a hive the Changeling has taken to finding a means to survive one way or another. Born and raised in Manehatten, well hatched, his attitude seemed a little out of place by Neigh Yorkers were quite friendly, if not busy and quick to get through the day to get to leisure faster. Today was such for Rat! His pop pop was coming on the ferry to pick him up tomorrow so he wanted to get a bit more glass so he could finish off the collection. In his muzzle the green-furred pony carried a lovely emerald stone, around his neck hanging his writing board.
Zelenia's mouth fell open and she gaped a moment at the foal, uncertain what she'd just heard. Did he.. ? Was he? "Wait!" She squawked when he turned away, facing towards the castle and its tall, ornate towers in the distance. Her voice became hushed when she spoke next. "Are you a changeling? I-I am!" It was a risk she was taking, saying that, not knowing what this foal was, or if pony foals were clever enough to draw such information out with a few, careful phrases. Her eyes jolted up briefly at a splash of moving green nearby, but no.. it was just a pony. Odd for Canterlot, if she'd known it better.
Bygone Specter was looking towards the castle when whatever the pony said hit him with the force of a freight train! Blink - Blink - Blue-screen eyes.... Those glowing magic-enhanced and quite lamp-like changeling eyes looked back at the mare only for one blink to restore his normal pupils. "Oooooh ~ Y-you are? Cool!" he'd say as he hopped back to the mare and looked up at her. "You I-I think the second I've met out here! Maybe third!" The excited foal was bouncing somewhat in front of her. Meeting other changelings was always soooo cool! "You a-part of a - " he paused and looked unsure. "Group?" Yes ~ Proper secretive way to ask about hives. He'd never seen a hive before! His attention was captured by a green pony that was... skipping? Even his face screwed up oddly... Skipping ponies looked funny!
Suigyoku was no native of Canterlot, which was probably why he looked so strange, maybe. The pony looked toward the others and smiled. Oh look ponies today. Sitting down they would set the stone between their hooves and diligently raised the board. Using his muzzle he would squeak the ink filled tip along the soft board front. Turning it around it would read: 'Hello fellow ponies.' Of course, to Rat, they were. he had never been a changeling nor met others. IN his head all there was, was static. No hive had ever made connection to him, no family to call his own. He was all alone, him and pop pop.
Zelenia didn't flinch back when he turned to her with changeling eyes, but her own widened; had her trip to Canterlot been successful after all? Yet, what was she to do with this information other than know where other changelings were? She didn't know. There had been something earlier but the idea slipped away from her already. Just the knowing of them was good enough, she supposed, perhaps to provide each other with support without a Queen. "Oooh? Who are the others?" Zelenia asked a little excitedly, trying to keep her voice low, hunching a little towards the younger to mask what they were talking about. "Yes and no. They were scattered from Canterlot." Zele said and looked up when the green, skipping pony halted to greet them with words on a board. She squinted a little, trying to remember what reading she'd learned. "Oh, hello!"
Bygone Specter could only smile some as the mare seemed to get rather excited! However then his ears fell. "I-I don't remember their names. There was this nice pony in ponyville who was a changeling ~ Oh! And cap'n crimson! I ran into him a few times in the Everfree!" He was fixing to say something else whenever the green pony suddenly slid into view with a board that had...writing? Poor little changeling couldn't read but then again he might know that greeting! At least some part of it. "H-hello! Including fellow pony might imply you weren't a pony but was wearing the skin of a pony to some ya know!" Perhaps he was insightful but no... he was just being a impish little twerp much like he had when he first ran across the dark furred pony.
Suigyoku smiled when they seemed to greet in return, but that was strange.... they weren't... tasty? Cannibalism was a nono. He opened his muzzle, only for a chirp to escape. Cleaning off the board the green pone would write something else. 'I am pony.' They frowned a little. Sure they looked a little strange without their body on but -- he was a pony. Pop pop said so. He drew a shaky questionmark before restarting and adding to the writing. 'How are pony friends today? Are you sight seeing great town?'
Zelenia briefly turned her head back to the babbling foal; he was unlike what she expected changeling foals to be like. If he was a changeling foal in the guise of a unicorn one. She sometimes did some caretaking when the hive had been in one place, until the call to assault Canterlot to feed.. It was why she wasn't so great at blending with ponies, knowing how they talked and moved. "I'll keep that in mind." Zele whispered to him. So she.. sort of had been correct when she thought she felt others? Ponyville was the place, then. His response to the green pony made her blink, slowly, and she leaned forward to eye the board. It was good they wrote simple words, otherwise she would probably be having trouble recognizing the symbols. Huh. "I am from out of town, only visiting." About the same reply she'd given the foal earlier.
Bygone Specter let out a bit of a humm as he looked at the board. "Okay, I guess you are a pony." The little changeling in disguise turned and looked up at Zelenia. "Yeah! There were more there than here. I've just been staying with Miss Luna and Dissy! ~ Soooo much food!" He grinned wide and inclined his head to the side. "Especially when Miss Luna and Dissy do that thing on the bed with Dissy standing on top! I have to put a concealing spell on me before that happens otherwise I'm knocked out I eat so much!" Yep... Nopony told Bygone he wasn't supposed to talk about that... And he didn't know what the big deal was. That was just another good way for food! Of course the fact that he was talking about the nuances of feeding on sexy-time emotion in front of a 'pony' completely escaped him. Potato....
Suigyoku seemed glad that he was being paid mind to and smiled. This was a good day. He looked down to the young one who agreed to his pony-ness. Yes. Good he was great pony. Well -- sub-par, but still. The green, earthen pone blinked as the foal spoke. he did not understand that such behavior was normal Changeling behavior so he felt -- uncomfortable? He wrote something, holding it up to Zel, a little concerned. 'His parent...?' Was she the one exposing him to such things? Well it was bout the age they did start learning where foals come from but, than again -- 'Um?' He had no idea he meant -- feeding from emotion because to Rat it was quite unnatural and strange. Nopony's ever explained it to him.
Zelenia seated herself, wrapping her long tail of bunched curls around one flank and her eyes going to the foal again. She didn't know who this 'Dissy' person was, but she knew of Princess Luna; he had mentioned her to her earlier. It seemed this little changeling was lucky enough to get near the princess for food-.. Zelenia blinked and peered down at the foal with some surprise. It was curious information. She didn't have any use for it, nor wanted to know it, but it was.. curious. Yet he was just a little one. Zel knew of what he spoke of, had found out about it a little on her travels; not personally, not when she preferred simpler affections over.. lust? or what-have-it. Ponies were strange. Zel caught the green one's word-questions and both shook her head and shrugged, confused- for the most part. What could she say? "Strange thing to be around."
Bygone Specter looked between the two and shook his head. How in Equestria could she be mistaken as his parent? After all, they had so totally different pelt colors (hahaha) ~ Then again Bygone didn't know how that could work. The purple princess had a snow furred brother.... Then again Luna and her sissy's fur were two different colors. Thinking about it made the little changeling's head hurt! "umm.... oh! cupcake?" Thus he pulled the near forgotten box in front of himself and offered both the changeling and the 'pony' a cupcake!
Suigyoku grunted a bit. The little foal seemed in good health. He wasn't sad or anything. that was good. Rat looked to Zelenia and nodded. They were probably bothering them. Erasing the words they scribbled a bit more. 'It is a warm day. Have you seen smooth rocks?' Looking down at the offering the green pone squealed softly with its malforming speech. "Uppy ate!!" Cuppy cake. He held out a hoof, hoping the foal would share. He would blink and reach into his bit pouch, which hung on his neck, behind his board. He offered the foal one.
Zelenia was, thankfully, distracted from any further talk on such a topic when the foal changed gears and offered cupcakes. Cupcakes looked like they would be nice, with their neatly swirled pastel frosting, but it was pony food. Changelings didn't really.. eat ponyfood, could they? Zel sniffed with some interest, but ultimately.. "I cannot." She refused gently and looked up at the green pony, seeing the movement of writing again. "It's a nice day, but I have no- Oh! The river has a lot of smooth rocks there." They lined the riverbank, mostly, worn down by the flowing water. She remembered. Her ears perked at the strange exclamation, which certainly explained why on the writing.. "Why do you seek rocks?"
Bygone Specter happily levitated one of the cupcakes form the box and floated it to the green pony. He looked somewhat stricken that she didn't take one as well. What blasphemy it was to not take a cupcake! Cupcakes were a-ma-zing pony food! The best thing ever made! Alas he was distracted as the conversation took the direction of rocks..."Oh! there was a pony that sold rock in the market. I saw him there! You could check there." he paused and then blinked. "And like miss ~ Uh...." he drift off as he realized he had no name for her. "Missy said you could go look on the river-banks. There could also be shells there!" Or was that the beach? Confusion...
Suigyoku seated himself and seemed engrossed with the cuppy cake. It as the next best thing to happiness on top of his morning cereal! He took the cuppy cake in his hooves and chirped a bit, the sound mostly the escaping air between his teeth and tongue. "Roooukzzz!" He looked toward the river, as he had not thought of that! As one could guess there weren't many accessible rivers in Manehatten and gallivanting in the sewers was frowned upon. He looked to Bygone with a most serious face. "uuuo ell rokz?" What creature sold rocks and he has never heard of this -- this amazing thing?!
Zelenia's eyes were on the green pony, who seemed so delighted with his cupcake. She was staring, sort of, but not something she was aware of; some things she kept forgetting were considered 'rude' by ponies. Her gaze broke from him to the disguised changeling foal when he struggled- oh, her name. "Zelenia." The mare supplied. Zele pondered for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly the earth pony was crooning. Uhh. She could guess. "Some ponies like rocks, or crystals." Did that answer his question? Unless she had figured it wrong.
Bygone Specter smiled wide as he got the other changeling in disguise's name! "pleasure to meet you Miss Zelenia! I'm Bygone Specter!" However his attention then turned back to the green pony as he seemed confused that somepony would sell rocks. "Well... Crystals are useful for enchanting and... smooth rocks are actually a good medium for ward stones." he'd say with a bit of a sheepish grin. "I actually go there when I want something to practice carving on!" And he went through a lot of stones because of that....
Suigyoku munched on the cup cake as they spoke. They didn't understand him properly. It was a usual occurrence, one he did not feel badly for anymore, but it was still a bit problematic when he couldn't get information without writing on his board. He smiled and nodded. "Anku." He thanked them before finishing off the cupcake. Licking his hoof clean he would settle back to writing. 'Thank you for helping. I am Rat.' Though it was probably not his real name, but what they called him, and he certainly did look like a drowned sewer rat with his matted blonde mane and short, greasy looking fur. He wasn't the healthiest pony.
Zelenia turned the first smile of the entire odd meeting onto the young changeling when he chirped up beside her. She usually didn't make much expressions, being unused to them; in time she would learn to be better at pretending pony. "A pleasure to meet you too, Bygone." Now she had a name for him, rather than thinking of him as 'young one' or 'the foal.' "A pleasure to meet you too, Rat." Zelenia offered him the same respect, for he was a pony. A pony who spoke oddly, but nonetheless, it would avoid suspicion. Or.. looking rude in this case. Zel gave Bygone a perplexed look. Changelings couldn't really do magic other than telekinesis and their shape changing.. could they? She had never tried. "You can do that?"
Bygone Specter smiled at the quickly identified Rat. "And I'm Bygone!" just in case he hadn't heard when he introduced himself to Miss Zelenia! Alas the changeling's gaze turned back to the mare and he hummed. "I-It is what I made ~ make a living on.... I carve and enchant toys. Why? Is that weird?" he looked at her for a moment before he took his hat from his head and reached into said hat. When his hoof was pulled out again he was holding his trusty (and rather worn) daring do figurine. It was looking around in confusion from having been pulled out of the hat. It had been 'playing' capture the relic with Ahui back at the cart after all.
Suigyoku was a craftspony so could be one to appreciate hoofwork. When Bygone pulled out the figurines they cooed. They would, from a distance, try to discern the level of workponyship. Tapping his hoof on his chin the sickly, guised Changeling moved to write again. After a moment they turned the board. 'You are a good maker. Have you given them names?' Naming that which you created was important to give the work life! At least to him.
Zelenia considered the question for a moment and shook her head at the same moment she shrugged again. She couldn't tell him about changelings in front of another pony so she could only settle on looking uncertain. "I cannot. I don't have that.. ability." The mare had been about to say 'magic' but she bit down quickly on that too. The figurine he pulled out was looked at with some interest, and to her astonishment, it was moving on its own! Movement called her back to Rat, asking Bygone a question. "Names are important." She put in a little awkwardly; she didn't know craft, or what went into it.
Bygone Specter looked really puzzled about that. "But... I've not been able to... not learn anything." he'd say with an absolutely perplexed expression. Of course since Dissy took his memories from 'before' away he'd forgotten that his magic was just 'unique' in that way ~ for a changeling. All of the experiments, no? Long as he wasn't a Dissytwo, right? Alas the little changeling looked to the figure in hoof and hummed. "Thanks Mister Rat ~ But I've always just... called her Daring like the character she was based on. And Ahui the same..." he'd say as the figurine looked between the two strange ponies with narrowed wooden eyes. They weren't like that cop pony right? 'She' was still rather smug about the 'toy army' had handled him!
Suigyoku laughed squeakily and looked toward a shop nearby. Folding his ears back he sighed. Squeaking the marker over his board he turned it around to them. 'Good friends, Rat goes. time is late. Sleep.' His writing had to be short as the board was smol and allowed only so much writing... He pushed to stand, bowing his head. "Baaahi!" He giggled, grinning and turned to leave, waving his hoof. Something was kidna strange about him. He had some static... like he had something to say, or do, but whatever it was, was incomplete.
Zelenia focused easily on the pair as they either spoke back and forth to each other or to her. Bygone's confusion with her answer drew her brow down, only for a brief moment before her face smoothed out again. She had an answer, but she would wait, if there was time to tell him. Zel looked up to Rat, her ears perking forward at the soft squeak of marker. She looked faintly disappointed when he said he had to go. He was nice for a pony, a little different. For Canterlot. "Goodbye, Rat!" Zel exclaimed with a little wave of her own hoof. Zel turned back to Bygone, searching for the right words. "I don't know how to do magic like you do. I don't think many changelings do. It sounds like a useful gift to have learned."
Bygone Specter made a bit of a sound. "Awww... okay Mister Rat! Sleep well" he'd say as he gave a sweeping bow of sorts only to turn back to Zel with an inquisitive look. However something clicked and he bound over to hug the pony's foreleg briefly. Then he bounced back to Zel as she searched for the right words and started to explain that she didn't know how to do magic like he; and that it might just be... because it just isn't learned? "Ooooh ~ Okay!" The little changeling smiled some and rubbed the side of his head with a hoof. "I guess that makes sense." he gently reached the hoof with the figure back into his hat to put her 'back' and then the hat was once again placed upon his head again. "I've never been part of a hive so I guess sometimes I'm just...more pony than changeling." his ears laid back and eyes lowered.
Zelenia followed the foal's bouncing movements over towards the retreating Rat for.. a hug? She observed this with some curiosity, her head following Bygone as he returned to her. He seemed sad? Zel raised a hoof, remembering she could reach out to comfort the other changeling with a 'there, there' as ponies used, but she wasn't sure. Her hoof hung awkwardly until she put it back down. "I have learned enough about ponies that they are not all bad. To each other, but I don't know how they would react to us. If you did not grow up with a hive, you shouldn't worry. You have just managed to survive better with ponies."
Bygone Specter scuffed a hoof upon the ground and nodded. "I-I guess that is true." he'd say only to turn and look back towards the castle. "I suppose I should be getting to the castle again to... Who knows when Dissy or Miss Luna will be up!" he smiled some and turned to the changeling in disguise. "If you wanna find me just ask for me there! The guards can sometimes find me! If he wanted to be found of course. And if he got into trouble.... Which considering the way he tended to prank ponies sometimes... was kinda.. often? He just wanted to get reactions from the guards!
Zelenia looked up at the sky when Bygone made it clear he would have to leave too, for the castle. The sun had moved across the sky from the position she had last seen it at. Getting late, like Rat said. Zel nodded, turning her pink eyes back to him. If she was brave enough, she could try to seek him out again the next time she wanted to talk. "Okay. It was nice meeting you, Bygone." Zel would have offered her hoof to shake, but there was no need for pony customs amongst changeling, unless it was something adopted or habit. She stood and made to turn away, raising her hoof. "See you around."
Bygone Specter smiled some and nodded.... However she hardly got to start turning away before he bounced forward to try to hug her leg. "Nice to meetcha miss Zelly! Hope to see you soon!" And with that he turned and started to bounce his way back towards the castle... The box of cupcakes lazily floated to follow.
Bygone Specter found himself wandering the busy streets of canterlot with a treat in his mouth and a small box of cupcakes held upon the top of his hat. How the pastries didn't' fall off was a miracle what with the way he was bouncing. Dissy and Luna were... asleep perhaps? Probably, he hadn't seen either of them as saddening as that was. The little changeling in disguise ducked through one busy street and decided to be a smart potato and use an alley. When he quickly emerged though he'd just about (or did) hit a pony that was walking on the other side! The box of cupcakes toppled but were, mercifully, caught in his magic even if he were to bounce off the pony and fall! The cupcakes were most important here ~ Even more-so than his hat!
Zelenia admonished herself for her earlier thought, to think any of her hive would return to this place. It was hopeless, even for such things as petty revenge. She snorted softly to herself as she walked further down the street, where there were plenty of ponies about under the spring sunlight. Their distasteful looks for her dark coat (or whatever else it was) were entirely ignored or unnoticed, with her eyes looking ahead, but focused inward. Zelenia hadn't heard anypony coming her way, until the little emerging figure had run into her! She jolted out of her thoughts and looked around to find.. a little foal, with an oddly large hat. After the bat pony with their ribbons and paint.. Ponies were so strange. Though if there was anything about this one to be determined.. "Oh, hello!" His arrival out of the alley went unquestioned by her, she who still spoke or moved a little oddly as she tried to find her way amongst these creatures.
Bygone Specter quirked his head to the side as he stood himself back up from where he'd stumbled and fallen onto his rump. "Hello Miss! I'm sorry about running into you!" The changeling in disguise was nervous, curious, AND actually regretful that he'd run into the pony before him. Doing so wasn't very nice indeed. "I was heading back to the castle..." he chanced a glance n that direction only to look back at the rather odd (hypocrite) pony. "Are you new in town? Your colors are cool! Much more practical than the bright things around here! Though dark fur implies a pony could have something to hide!" Indeed! Dark fur was good for ponies who wanted to hide, he knew that well.
Zelenia hardly moved other than to shift one of her hooves away, as though she were going to give him and his floating box of cupcakes space, but didn't. "I'm not hiding!" The words were out of her mouth the moment he'd said that and she cringed inwardly. "I mean, I am new to town. A visitor, only." Zelenia caught the mention of the castle and glanced back at it, seemingly nervous, but it was gone as she returned her pink gaze to him. Running the rest of what the little foal said in her mind. "You're forgiven though. I.. think that is a cool hat." She lifted a hoof to gesture at it.
Bygone Specter was taken rather aback by the sudden blurt from the pony before him. However that was quickly shaken from his head whenever she confirmed what he did know, forgave him, and thought his hat was cool! The little changeling smiled wide and hopped some "Thank you! I enchanted it myself!" Indeed ~ If it weren't for the spells the hat would bounce right off of his head. "What were you visiting for?" Alas curiosity, every foal's weakness.
Zelenia couldn't be sure if she had surprised him, or what, but she blinked at his hat when he told her it was enchanted. She didn't know much about ponies, or about unicorns in general, but she wondered how early they learned magic. It was neat. Zele pulled herself out of the beginning wanderings of her thoughts before she zoned out and made it weird. "Visiting? Oh. I was looking for some ponies, but they're not here. I thought I would find them, but Canterlot isn't the place." Zele had answered honestly enough, it was true; she just left out the convenient fact that it was other changelings she sought out.
Bygone Specter made a face and looked upon the pony. "Ooooh... That is no fun." he'd say with a somewhat sympathetic expression. He knew how it could be to look for others and not find them. "Do you want any help? Perhaps they are hiding! I mean ~ Not everypony wants to be found!" The changeling had explored a great deal of the city ever since he'd been cleansed. Canterlot had always been the city that had been denied to him before! There was soooo much to explore. "I could probably help you find them! Unless they're changelings of course, then they could be aaaaanypony!..." was it luck that was letting him do these things? Quite probably yes. Come to think about it ~ It had been foreeever since he'd seen one!
Zelenia didn't see what help she would be able to get from a pony foal. They were.. well, she didn't know very much about foals. They were aimless and didn't do any work, but they learned. Zele couldn't hide a slight twitch when the little one went on to mention changelings. "Hiding.. What do you know about changelings? I am very curious." Zelenia went out on a chance to ask. The other few things she knew about pony children was that they could be rather honest, or at least open. Maybe he would know.. but no, if she couldn't sense any in this city, at least yet, there was no help to give.
Bygone Specter sat on his haunches and brought a hoof up to a thinker pose. "Ooooh... Weeeeeell ~ Changelings don't tend to come this close to the pony diarchy for one! And.. Well, normally there would be a hive, yes? If you found one you'd find more theo-re-rectically." he'd say only for a discrete laying back of his ears to occur. "Of course then there are the changelings that have nopony... Simply blending in." This elicited a bit of a pause before he immediately perked back up again. "But Miss Luna is nice! She'd help!" Would she? He was a bit of a 'special' case in a sense? Who knows.
Zelenia listened quietly, though she thought to finally move to face him and sit down. Opinions of the public at large didn't matter to her, that she was sitting by the mouth of an alley talking to a strange foal. Her eyes widened slightly when he mentioned 'Miss Luna,' Princess Luna. Zele shook her head a little vehemently. "I could not. It isn't safe for.." Zele bit down on the sentence and waved it away with a hoof. "There was the hive that attacked this place, they were scattered." Zele had been proven right that they wouldn't return here. "What could somepony do if they wanted to find them again? How could they be found?"
Bygone Specter inclined his head to the side some. "I... Don't know, actually." he'd say with a scuff of his hoof and ears laid back. "Those never having a hive wouldn't know whre to find it." he'd say only to stiffen and then quickly roll on and try to play over it. "Besides! Um.... Why would you want to find them anyways?" The little changeling in disguise looked upon the pony with curiosity. It wasn't like he encountered a pony that was actively seeking out changelings after all!
Zelenia wilted, just a little, when the foal had no answer. What was she expecting from a pony anyway? Though there was a tone to his voice.. The 'earth pony' stiffened a little at the question and fumbled for an appropriate answer. "Well... curiosity. Personal reasons?" Her voice had a questioning lilt, even though it was also true. She was seeking out any members of her hive; or if not of her hive, at least other changelings. There was a faint idea gathering, but she just couldn't be sure.. Zele shook her head and used a shrug to indicate her uncertainty. "It's hard to explain.."
Bygone Specter quirked his head to the side and nodded. "I kinda-sorta gave up on that myself... When miss Luna and Dissy fixed my chaos ~ I guess I decided that it wasn't worth the travel anymore. I wasn't gonna find any." In any case he turned and took a few steps away towards the castle... He wondered if either of them would be awake quite yet! But... maybe not. The sun was still out after all.
Suigyoku was skipping along through Canterlot. After his mishap with the other two ponies he was sure he -- made a veritable ass of himself. Rat was very sensitive when it came to -- hurting others. Their happiness, little did he know, was his survival. One that fed off happiness and goodness he has learned to siphon excess off ponies to survive. Without a hive the Changeling has taken to finding a means to survive one way or another. Born and raised in Manehatten, well hatched, his attitude seemed a little out of place by Neigh Yorkers were quite friendly, if not busy and quick to get through the day to get to leisure faster. Today was such for Rat! His pop pop was coming on the ferry to pick him up tomorrow so he wanted to get a bit more glass so he could finish off the collection. In his muzzle the green-furred pony carried a lovely emerald stone, around his neck hanging his writing board.
Zelenia's mouth fell open and she gaped a moment at the foal, uncertain what she'd just heard. Did he.. ? Was he? "Wait!" She squawked when he turned away, facing towards the castle and its tall, ornate towers in the distance. Her voice became hushed when she spoke next. "Are you a changeling? I-I am!" It was a risk she was taking, saying that, not knowing what this foal was, or if pony foals were clever enough to draw such information out with a few, careful phrases. Her eyes jolted up briefly at a splash of moving green nearby, but no.. it was just a pony. Odd for Canterlot, if she'd known it better.
Bygone Specter was looking towards the castle when whatever the pony said hit him with the force of a freight train! Blink - Blink - Blue-screen eyes.... Those glowing magic-enhanced and quite lamp-like changeling eyes looked back at the mare only for one blink to restore his normal pupils. "Oooooh ~ Y-you are? Cool!" he'd say as he hopped back to the mare and looked up at her. "You I-I think the second I've met out here! Maybe third!" The excited foal was bouncing somewhat in front of her. Meeting other changelings was always soooo cool! "You a-part of a - " he paused and looked unsure. "Group?" Yes ~ Proper secretive way to ask about hives. He'd never seen a hive before! His attention was captured by a green pony that was... skipping? Even his face screwed up oddly... Skipping ponies looked funny!
Suigyoku was no native of Canterlot, which was probably why he looked so strange, maybe. The pony looked toward the others and smiled. Oh look ponies today. Sitting down they would set the stone between their hooves and diligently raised the board. Using his muzzle he would squeak the ink filled tip along the soft board front. Turning it around it would read: 'Hello fellow ponies.' Of course, to Rat, they were. he had never been a changeling nor met others. IN his head all there was, was static. No hive had ever made connection to him, no family to call his own. He was all alone, him and pop pop.
Zelenia didn't flinch back when he turned to her with changeling eyes, but her own widened; had her trip to Canterlot been successful after all? Yet, what was she to do with this information other than know where other changelings were? She didn't know. There had been something earlier but the idea slipped away from her already. Just the knowing of them was good enough, she supposed, perhaps to provide each other with support without a Queen. "Oooh? Who are the others?" Zelenia asked a little excitedly, trying to keep her voice low, hunching a little towards the younger to mask what they were talking about. "Yes and no. They were scattered from Canterlot." Zele said and looked up when the green, skipping pony halted to greet them with words on a board. She squinted a little, trying to remember what reading she'd learned. "Oh, hello!"
Bygone Specter could only smile some as the mare seemed to get rather excited! However then his ears fell. "I-I don't remember their names. There was this nice pony in ponyville who was a changeling ~ Oh! And cap'n crimson! I ran into him a few times in the Everfree!" He was fixing to say something else whenever the green pony suddenly slid into view with a board that had...writing? Poor little changeling couldn't read but then again he might know that greeting! At least some part of it. "H-hello! Including fellow pony might imply you weren't a pony but was wearing the skin of a pony to some ya know!" Perhaps he was insightful but no... he was just being a impish little twerp much like he had when he first ran across the dark furred pony.
Suigyoku smiled when they seemed to greet in return, but that was strange.... they weren't... tasty? Cannibalism was a nono. He opened his muzzle, only for a chirp to escape. Cleaning off the board the green pone would write something else. 'I am pony.' They frowned a little. Sure they looked a little strange without their body on but -- he was a pony. Pop pop said so. He drew a shaky questionmark before restarting and adding to the writing. 'How are pony friends today? Are you sight seeing great town?'
Zelenia briefly turned her head back to the babbling foal; he was unlike what she expected changeling foals to be like. If he was a changeling foal in the guise of a unicorn one. She sometimes did some caretaking when the hive had been in one place, until the call to assault Canterlot to feed.. It was why she wasn't so great at blending with ponies, knowing how they talked and moved. "I'll keep that in mind." Zele whispered to him. So she.. sort of had been correct when she thought she felt others? Ponyville was the place, then. His response to the green pony made her blink, slowly, and she leaned forward to eye the board. It was good they wrote simple words, otherwise she would probably be having trouble recognizing the symbols. Huh. "I am from out of town, only visiting." About the same reply she'd given the foal earlier.
Bygone Specter let out a bit of a humm as he looked at the board. "Okay, I guess you are a pony." The little changeling in disguise turned and looked up at Zelenia. "Yeah! There were more there than here. I've just been staying with Miss Luna and Dissy! ~ Soooo much food!" He grinned wide and inclined his head to the side. "Especially when Miss Luna and Dissy do that thing on the bed with Dissy standing on top! I have to put a concealing spell on me before that happens otherwise I'm knocked out I eat so much!" Yep... Nopony told Bygone he wasn't supposed to talk about that... And he didn't know what the big deal was. That was just another good way for food! Of course the fact that he was talking about the nuances of feeding on sexy-time emotion in front of a 'pony' completely escaped him. Potato....
Suigyoku seemed glad that he was being paid mind to and smiled. This was a good day. He looked down to the young one who agreed to his pony-ness. Yes. Good he was great pony. Well -- sub-par, but still. The green, earthen pone blinked as the foal spoke. he did not understand that such behavior was normal Changeling behavior so he felt -- uncomfortable? He wrote something, holding it up to Zel, a little concerned. 'His parent...?' Was she the one exposing him to such things? Well it was bout the age they did start learning where foals come from but, than again -- 'Um?' He had no idea he meant -- feeding from emotion because to Rat it was quite unnatural and strange. Nopony's ever explained it to him.
Zelenia seated herself, wrapping her long tail of bunched curls around one flank and her eyes going to the foal again. She didn't know who this 'Dissy' person was, but she knew of Princess Luna; he had mentioned her to her earlier. It seemed this little changeling was lucky enough to get near the princess for food-.. Zelenia blinked and peered down at the foal with some surprise. It was curious information. She didn't have any use for it, nor wanted to know it, but it was.. curious. Yet he was just a little one. Zel knew of what he spoke of, had found out about it a little on her travels; not personally, not when she preferred simpler affections over.. lust? or what-have-it. Ponies were strange. Zel caught the green one's word-questions and both shook her head and shrugged, confused- for the most part. What could she say? "Strange thing to be around."
Bygone Specter looked between the two and shook his head. How in Equestria could she be mistaken as his parent? After all, they had so totally different pelt colors (hahaha) ~ Then again Bygone didn't know how that could work. The purple princess had a snow furred brother.... Then again Luna and her sissy's fur were two different colors. Thinking about it made the little changeling's head hurt! "umm.... oh! cupcake?" Thus he pulled the near forgotten box in front of himself and offered both the changeling and the 'pony' a cupcake!
Suigyoku grunted a bit. The little foal seemed in good health. He wasn't sad or anything. that was good. Rat looked to Zelenia and nodded. They were probably bothering them. Erasing the words they scribbled a bit more. 'It is a warm day. Have you seen smooth rocks?' Looking down at the offering the green pone squealed softly with its malforming speech. "Uppy ate!!" Cuppy cake. He held out a hoof, hoping the foal would share. He would blink and reach into his bit pouch, which hung on his neck, behind his board. He offered the foal one.
Zelenia was, thankfully, distracted from any further talk on such a topic when the foal changed gears and offered cupcakes. Cupcakes looked like they would be nice, with their neatly swirled pastel frosting, but it was pony food. Changelings didn't really.. eat ponyfood, could they? Zel sniffed with some interest, but ultimately.. "I cannot." She refused gently and looked up at the green pony, seeing the movement of writing again. "It's a nice day, but I have no- Oh! The river has a lot of smooth rocks there." They lined the riverbank, mostly, worn down by the flowing water. She remembered. Her ears perked at the strange exclamation, which certainly explained why on the writing.. "Why do you seek rocks?"
Bygone Specter happily levitated one of the cupcakes form the box and floated it to the green pony. He looked somewhat stricken that she didn't take one as well. What blasphemy it was to not take a cupcake! Cupcakes were a-ma-zing pony food! The best thing ever made! Alas he was distracted as the conversation took the direction of rocks..."Oh! there was a pony that sold rock in the market. I saw him there! You could check there." he paused and then blinked. "And like miss ~ Uh...." he drift off as he realized he had no name for her. "Missy said you could go look on the river-banks. There could also be shells there!" Or was that the beach? Confusion...
Suigyoku seated himself and seemed engrossed with the cuppy cake. It as the next best thing to happiness on top of his morning cereal! He took the cuppy cake in his hooves and chirped a bit, the sound mostly the escaping air between his teeth and tongue. "Roooukzzz!" He looked toward the river, as he had not thought of that! As one could guess there weren't many accessible rivers in Manehatten and gallivanting in the sewers was frowned upon. He looked to Bygone with a most serious face. "uuuo ell rokz?" What creature sold rocks and he has never heard of this -- this amazing thing?!
Zelenia's eyes were on the green pony, who seemed so delighted with his cupcake. She was staring, sort of, but not something she was aware of; some things she kept forgetting were considered 'rude' by ponies. Her gaze broke from him to the disguised changeling foal when he struggled- oh, her name. "Zelenia." The mare supplied. Zele pondered for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly the earth pony was crooning. Uhh. She could guess. "Some ponies like rocks, or crystals." Did that answer his question? Unless she had figured it wrong.
Bygone Specter smiled wide as he got the other changeling in disguise's name! "pleasure to meet you Miss Zelenia! I'm Bygone Specter!" However his attention then turned back to the green pony as he seemed confused that somepony would sell rocks. "Well... Crystals are useful for enchanting and... smooth rocks are actually a good medium for ward stones." he'd say with a bit of a sheepish grin. "I actually go there when I want something to practice carving on!" And he went through a lot of stones because of that....
Suigyoku munched on the cup cake as they spoke. They didn't understand him properly. It was a usual occurrence, one he did not feel badly for anymore, but it was still a bit problematic when he couldn't get information without writing on his board. He smiled and nodded. "Anku." He thanked them before finishing off the cupcake. Licking his hoof clean he would settle back to writing. 'Thank you for helping. I am Rat.' Though it was probably not his real name, but what they called him, and he certainly did look like a drowned sewer rat with his matted blonde mane and short, greasy looking fur. He wasn't the healthiest pony.
Zelenia turned the first smile of the entire odd meeting onto the young changeling when he chirped up beside her. She usually didn't make much expressions, being unused to them; in time she would learn to be better at pretending pony. "A pleasure to meet you too, Bygone." Now she had a name for him, rather than thinking of him as 'young one' or 'the foal.' "A pleasure to meet you too, Rat." Zelenia offered him the same respect, for he was a pony. A pony who spoke oddly, but nonetheless, it would avoid suspicion. Or.. looking rude in this case. Zel gave Bygone a perplexed look. Changelings couldn't really do magic other than telekinesis and their shape changing.. could they? She had never tried. "You can do that?"
Bygone Specter smiled at the quickly identified Rat. "And I'm Bygone!" just in case he hadn't heard when he introduced himself to Miss Zelenia! Alas the changeling's gaze turned back to the mare and he hummed. "I-It is what I made ~ make a living on.... I carve and enchant toys. Why? Is that weird?" he looked at her for a moment before he took his hat from his head and reached into said hat. When his hoof was pulled out again he was holding his trusty (and rather worn) daring do figurine. It was looking around in confusion from having been pulled out of the hat. It had been 'playing' capture the relic with Ahui back at the cart after all.
Suigyoku was a craftspony so could be one to appreciate hoofwork. When Bygone pulled out the figurines they cooed. They would, from a distance, try to discern the level of workponyship. Tapping his hoof on his chin the sickly, guised Changeling moved to write again. After a moment they turned the board. 'You are a good maker. Have you given them names?' Naming that which you created was important to give the work life! At least to him.
Zelenia considered the question for a moment and shook her head at the same moment she shrugged again. She couldn't tell him about changelings in front of another pony so she could only settle on looking uncertain. "I cannot. I don't have that.. ability." The mare had been about to say 'magic' but she bit down quickly on that too. The figurine he pulled out was looked at with some interest, and to her astonishment, it was moving on its own! Movement called her back to Rat, asking Bygone a question. "Names are important." She put in a little awkwardly; she didn't know craft, or what went into it.
Bygone Specter looked really puzzled about that. "But... I've not been able to... not learn anything." he'd say with an absolutely perplexed expression. Of course since Dissy took his memories from 'before' away he'd forgotten that his magic was just 'unique' in that way ~ for a changeling. All of the experiments, no? Long as he wasn't a Dissytwo, right? Alas the little changeling looked to the figure in hoof and hummed. "Thanks Mister Rat ~ But I've always just... called her Daring like the character she was based on. And Ahui the same..." he'd say as the figurine looked between the two strange ponies with narrowed wooden eyes. They weren't like that cop pony right? 'She' was still rather smug about the 'toy army' had handled him!
Suigyoku laughed squeakily and looked toward a shop nearby. Folding his ears back he sighed. Squeaking the marker over his board he turned it around to them. 'Good friends, Rat goes. time is late. Sleep.' His writing had to be short as the board was smol and allowed only so much writing... He pushed to stand, bowing his head. "Baaahi!" He giggled, grinning and turned to leave, waving his hoof. Something was kidna strange about him. He had some static... like he had something to say, or do, but whatever it was, was incomplete.
Zelenia focused easily on the pair as they either spoke back and forth to each other or to her. Bygone's confusion with her answer drew her brow down, only for a brief moment before her face smoothed out again. She had an answer, but she would wait, if there was time to tell him. Zel looked up to Rat, her ears perking forward at the soft squeak of marker. She looked faintly disappointed when he said he had to go. He was nice for a pony, a little different. For Canterlot. "Goodbye, Rat!" Zel exclaimed with a little wave of her own hoof. Zel turned back to Bygone, searching for the right words. "I don't know how to do magic like you do. I don't think many changelings do. It sounds like a useful gift to have learned."
Bygone Specter made a bit of a sound. "Awww... okay Mister Rat! Sleep well" he'd say as he gave a sweeping bow of sorts only to turn back to Zel with an inquisitive look. However something clicked and he bound over to hug the pony's foreleg briefly. Then he bounced back to Zel as she searched for the right words and started to explain that she didn't know how to do magic like he; and that it might just be... because it just isn't learned? "Ooooh ~ Okay!" The little changeling smiled some and rubbed the side of his head with a hoof. "I guess that makes sense." he gently reached the hoof with the figure back into his hat to put her 'back' and then the hat was once again placed upon his head again. "I've never been part of a hive so I guess sometimes I'm just...more pony than changeling." his ears laid back and eyes lowered.
Zelenia followed the foal's bouncing movements over towards the retreating Rat for.. a hug? She observed this with some curiosity, her head following Bygone as he returned to her. He seemed sad? Zel raised a hoof, remembering she could reach out to comfort the other changeling with a 'there, there' as ponies used, but she wasn't sure. Her hoof hung awkwardly until she put it back down. "I have learned enough about ponies that they are not all bad. To each other, but I don't know how they would react to us. If you did not grow up with a hive, you shouldn't worry. You have just managed to survive better with ponies."
Bygone Specter scuffed a hoof upon the ground and nodded. "I-I guess that is true." he'd say only to turn and look back towards the castle. "I suppose I should be getting to the castle again to... Who knows when Dissy or Miss Luna will be up!" he smiled some and turned to the changeling in disguise. "If you wanna find me just ask for me there! The guards can sometimes find me! If he wanted to be found of course. And if he got into trouble.... Which considering the way he tended to prank ponies sometimes... was kinda.. often? He just wanted to get reactions from the guards!
Zelenia looked up at the sky when Bygone made it clear he would have to leave too, for the castle. The sun had moved across the sky from the position she had last seen it at. Getting late, like Rat said. Zel nodded, turning her pink eyes back to him. If she was brave enough, she could try to seek him out again the next time she wanted to talk. "Okay. It was nice meeting you, Bygone." Zel would have offered her hoof to shake, but there was no need for pony customs amongst changeling, unless it was something adopted or habit. She stood and made to turn away, raising her hoof. "See you around."
Bygone Specter smiled some and nodded.... However she hardly got to start turning away before he bounced forward to try to hug her leg. "Nice to meetcha miss Zelly! Hope to see you soon!" And with that he turned and started to bounce his way back towards the castle... The box of cupcakes lazily floated to follow.
The End.