Chapter 2

                The next morning Green Apple awoke to the sound of the timber wolves howling in the distant Everfree forest. He was still somewhat depressed about how his friend had gotten so angry with him but he was starting to get over it. He knew that his friend wouldn’t stay mad at him for too long anyway, he never did.

              After eating his breakfast he got his saddlebags and his lunch ready for school. He waved goodbye to his parents and set out for school. On his way there he saw Blaze over near Sugar Cube Corner with Emerald and a mare that he could only think to be emeralds mother. I guess I should just leave them alone for now, he thought not wanting Blaze to hate him. But he couldn’t resist listening in on their conversation.

“Hey Blaze how are you today?” Emerald asked.

“Oh I’m fine.”Blaze answered.

Blossom looked a bit confused and then asked. “Emerald who is this?”

“Oh he’s just Blaze, I told you about him last night.” Emerald said with a smile.

“Oh so this is the famous Blaze that you were talking about. So are you two?” Blossom said happily.

“NO. It’s not like that at all.” Emerald said blushing.

“Well if you say so.” Blossom said winking.

“So I guess that we should go to the school now?” asked Blaze.

“Yeah sure let’s go.” Emerald said.

                They started to walk toward the school and Green casually walked after them. He could see their mouths moving but wasn’t close enough to where he could hear them. So he just decided to run up to them.

“Hey Blaze what’s up?” Green asked.

“Oh, hey, Green,” said Blaze

“So who is this?” asked Emerald, pointing at Green

“Him? He’s a good friend of mine. Have you two not met yet?”

“No we haven’t” Green said.

“Well this is Emerald. Emerald this is Green.” Said blaze.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Said emerald warmly.

“Yeah nice to meet you too.”

“Well all greetings aside I think we should get to school we are about to be late” Said Blaze.

“Well then let’s hurry up before we’re late for class” Emerald said.

                The three of them rushed to the school barely making it inside the door before the bell rang to begin class. The class day went on as normal; Cheerilee went on how things in the everfree should not be disturbed from their natural environment. After that the bell rang for lunch and recess to begin.

“Well that was interesting.” Said Emerald

“Not really I think I fell asleep during it” Blaze said yawning.

“Well I think that the Everfree isn’t that dangerous. I mean all that’s out there are some manticores.” Said green

“That’s not all that’s in the Everfree Green. There are tones of other things.” Emerald said.

“Really? Like what?”

“Well there are changelings.” Blaze said.

“How would you know that?” Emerald asked.

“Because I saw one in the Everfree forest before.”

“Oh… Well what do you think of them?”Emerald asked nervously.

“I don’t really have an opinion on them they haven’t done anything to me.” Blaze said casually.

“Well I think that they are evil creatures that have no right being even near Ponyville.” Said Green.

“Oh… Well I don’t think there is anything wrong with them.” Emerald said.

“Hey guys I forgot my lunch in the classroom so I’ll be back soon ok.” Green said.

                After school Green had to leave early so that he could help his family on the farm leaving only Blaze and Emerald.

“So Emerald where do you live?” Blaze asked.

“Oh I just live with my mother over there.” She said pointing to the house next to Sugar Cube Corner.

  “Oh well where’s your Dad?”

“He’s… On a business trip.” She said with shifty eyes.

“oh really?” Blaze asked suspiciously.

“Yeah… He won’t be back for some time.”

“You really are bad at lying.” Blaze said rolling his eyes.

“How would you know that I am lying?"

“I can tell because of your eyes they look uncertain.”

"Well then you are very observant.”

"Yeah so can you tell me where he really is?”

“No…”

  “Well then tell me when you’re ready then.”

“Well how about you? Where do you live?”

“Not going to tell you that.”

“Why won’t you?”

“Because you are still lying to me.” Blaze said with a somewhat annoyed look.

“Can you tell through my eyes again?”

  “Yeah no pony has Emerald green eyes like that.”

“What are you getting at?"

  “Let’s go to your house first I’ll tell you there.”

“Why there?”

“Because I feel you will be more relaxed there.”

“Oh well ok but I’m not hiding anything.”

                The short trip to Emeralds house felt like it was hours to Emerald. They were both silent, neither of them even looked at each other.

“I wonder why He’s acting this way.” Emerald asked herself.

“Mom I’m home, I brought a friend over also.” Emerald said aloud.

“Okay you two have fun then.”  Blossom said.

  “Okay lets got to the basement.” Blaze said walking towards the cellar door.

“Okay were down here now what?” Emerald asked.

“Well now you tell me who you are and what you are.”

“Well I’m Emerald and I’m a Pony.”

“Come on Emerald I’m not that stupid.” Blaze said still looking very annoyed.

“What do you mean?”

“Okay just show me what you really look like Emerald.”

“What I really look like…”

“Yes.”

“Well…

“I’ll keep it a secret.”

“Promise?”

“I Pinkie promise.”

“Well… Okay then…”

                A ring of fire formed around emerald as her legs began to turn black with holes. On her back fly like wings appeared and her entire mane turned as black a coal. Blaze just looked at her in shock and aw.

“Wow I knew you weren’t a pony but I wasn’t expecting you to be a changeling.” Blaze said with wide eyes.

"Well do you hate me now?”

“No I don’t Emerald why would I?”

“Well that’s because a lot of ponies hate Changelings after what we did.”

“Hey like I said before, they haven’t done anything to me so I don’t hate Changelings.”

“Well it’s glad to know that there are at least two ponies that think that way.”

“Really, who else?

“Blossom she didn’t mind that I was a changeling when she first found me in the cave.”

“So she isn’t a changeling?”

“Nope just a normal Pegasus.”

  “Well so only Blossom and I know?”

“Yup nopony else does, I’d like to keep it that way please.”

“Yeah of course.”

“Okay now I have to go do my homework so see you later Blaze.”

“Yup I’ll see you later Emerald.” Blaze said as he was walking out the door.

                Blaze kept walking away not once turning back to look at Emeralds house. He was walking towards his house. It was on the far edge of Ponyville, not to noticeable since it’s at the end of an alleyway.  There was a door at the end of it which lead into a bar type area.

                There were older Stallions and mares everywhere in the bar. Blaze just walked passed them and up the stairs in the back. At the top was a small apartment complex, the first room was the living room. It had a small TV, a large table and a couch. His sister was passed out on the couch with beers scattered around her. Blaze wasn’t surprised at this since it was normal for him to see her like this.

                He just walked passed her and into his room. His room was small; it had a bed and a small dresser. He laid in his bed just so that he could end this day in peace.  He was asleep for about five minutes when he heard the door to his apartment open. He shot up out of bed and looked out his doorway.

               He saw a shadow near his sister and started to panic. He didn’t have time to think he just charged out of the room at the other pony. But then he noticed that this wasn’t some random robber, it was Emerald.

“What are you doing here?!” Blaze yelled

“Well you were acting weird so I followed you…”

“How were you able to follow me? I never saw you.”

“I’m a changeling remember.”

“Well you shouldn’t have followed me anyway.” Blaze said sounding annoyed.

“Keep it down you will wake your mother.”

“That’s my sister and she’s so drunk she won’t wake up till noon tomorrow.”

“Oh well where are your parents?”

“Don’t have any.”

“You don’t have any?”

“Nope they’re dead”

“Oh well I’m sorry…”

“its fine just leave here and don’t tell anyone about this ok.”

“Oh well ok…."

“Okay. I’ll see you at school, tomorrow okay?”

"Yeah… bye…” Emerald said as she left the apartment

                Blaze wasn’t happy that he had to be so rude to Emerald but he knew that it was the right thing to do. He just went to bed trying to forget everything that he had done to Emerald.