Chapters
-
Amie's hopes for Wes's magic were dashed, however. In the next day of hiking they had plenty of chances to stop, plenty more practice for her brother.He had plenty of headaches, plenty of annoyed outbursts for her pressuring him. But of actual transformations, he had no luck. By the second night, he shoved her off, radiating frustration. "That's it! Amie, I don't think I can! Your powers and mine might not be the same. We don't know if I'm even the same kinda bug as you!"There was no need to ask if he was…-
195.0 K •
-
-
Amie stared, transfixed by the changeling before her. He was familiar enough to recognize as a member of her own species—but not identical to the campers of Stella Lacus. His fins were bright orange instead of green, a color matched by his eyes and the faint glow of his magic.Even stranger, his forelegs were covered with... tattoos? There was no other way to describe them—marks set into his shiny coat, lines of ink that left faint indents in the carapace. White lines twisted and swirled together in a…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
They were still in the warehouse. Amie had the keys now, left by the hunter from another changeling tribe. This building was apparently a supply-dump for others like him, but she didn't know too many details. She knew almost nothing about the other changelings, because he hadn't stayed to tell them. Only what she could pick up from the subtle signs he radiated, and the tidbits he had shared. When he left, it was with a single instruction. "Wait until after dark before you leave. Anyone who watched to see…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
Amie ascended a set of rickety wooden steps, wrapping strangely through the frame of the building. It felt more like they’d been added long after the initial construction, making her duck between the walls of rooms in a way no rational engineer would design. The boss might want his own space, but he wasn’t claiming somewhere that the Rent-a-Friend facility could use in some other way.There were no lights, only the occasional window to light her way. It would be more than enough if she still looked like…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
It was still dark outside when Amie brought her brother across Agate, and led him up one of several back ways into the Rent-a-Friend building. There were so few other ponies around that there was almost no one to see anything suspicious. Those few who were still up at that late hour wouldn’t see two changelings, just one ordinary earth pony mare and another small pony wrapped in a cloak made from an old shipping cloth.“I can’t believe you pulled it off,” Wes whispered, following behind her up…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
“You in here, Amie?” Bud asked, rattling on her door. Amie sat up from her academic stupor, dislodging several textbooks onto the floor around her.She managed to get her hooves under her by the time Bud let himself in. Transforming was more than just changing how she looked on the outside—every body had its own characteristics, different ways of moving, holding herself.This one couldn’t sit still now that she was in motion, bouncing subtly up and down. She levitated her pile of books hastily up…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
The base gym was far more impressive than any of the facilities at Stella Lacus. There was all the standard weights and gym equipment off to one side, albeit in shapes that fit pony bodies better. There was a pool, a huge rock wall, and plenty of obstacles. They weren’t as difficult as Stella Lacus’s rope course. But campers were primates with opposable thumbs, not horses with flat stumps. How could they be expected to climb over such steep slopes, or swing over perilous drops to foam below?Somehow,…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
So went the next few days. Amie visited the base in the mornings, and spent more and more of her days with Ivy afterwards. Her fear over discovery and swift execution soon faded into the background. After a week, even the occasional suspicious looks had turned to friendly greetings. Ponies didn’t know her, but they knew Ivy, and seeing the young mare happy for a change was something her friends couldn’t just ignore. It didn’t hurt that Ivy was exactly the kind of kid she was used to teaching at…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
Amie watched in silence as her brother transformed. The process was not as quick as she’d come to be, nor did it proceed as easily. For a moment she wondered if the magic would ever finish, or if he would just burn away everything in his stomach. Did it even work that way for him?But then the light faded, and another creature stood before her. Or technically—an exact duplicate stood in front of her. The fake pegasus, right down to the familiar creamy feathers on her wings. For a few seconds Amie stared…
-
195.0 K •
-
-
Tailslide’s crassness was attracting attention. Ponies turned to stare in their direction. A few of them actually radiated concern for Amie, afraid that this obviously unwell, muscular stallion might be a danger to her. He might be, depending on just how unwell he was. But probably not for the reasons they feared. I can’t stay to talk to him now, or I’ll be even later than usual for Ivy. She can’t think she’s an afterthought. She closed the distance between them, lowering her voice as quiet as…
-
195.0 K •
-
- Previous 1 … 50 51 52 … 222 Next
