Down the Rabbit Hole

by Equestrian Clock


Cobalt Chance

"...That's why," I said, just as the three fillies got hit by the changelings that snuck up behind them. "Ahhh-" I broke down again. It hurt so much. I didn't want to trap them, especially Sweetie Belle,she was so beautiful, but the hivemind pressed in on my skull. It told, no forced me to distract the three fillies while they were snuck up on. Only once the job was finished was I relieved of the pressure. Even so, I was that close to escaping. But I never got out from one of the extraction chairs. I only told them part of the truth. I really was being held prisoner at one of Chrysalis' camps, but I was actually held captive for rebellion. See, I am not really a pegasus. Only partly. My other half is actually changeling. I can't shape shift like the other changelings, but I can feed off emotion more efficiently.
The hivemind was pressing in on me again, but not as strongly this time. I mean, it still hurt like crazy, but I was still able to think effectively. It was telling me to come back to the camp. I tried to stop it, but it wouldn't relent. The pain only got worse. I still fought but more and more weakly as the the pain got worse. Finally, I couldn't take it any more. I stumbled and fell right there. And for a couple of seconds, I was able to hold on to a few shreds of consciousness. Then my mind fell into the blackness.

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I woke to the sound of metal clanging on metal. I looked up to see that I had been put into a cell, the guard walking away. Though they didn't put me in alone. It looked like those three fillies were in here too. Oh no, I thought.They are going to kill me. Another thing that I realized; I was disconnected from the hivemind. The pain was absolutely gone. I let out a sigh of relief. It looked as if they hadn't learned their lesson from last time. But no, there was something still there. Apparently they were still listening in to my thoughts. Maybe they had learned. Anyways, back to the ponies in front of me. I might as well try to communicate. See, that's what I got in trouble for; using the hive mind to talk to the prisoners and rally them in a rebellion. But seeing that I was a prisoner too, what's that gonna do? I was only trying to wake them up. "Here goes nothing," I said aloud, concentrating on the fillies in front of me. I felt around for their minds. Doing that was like floating through the dark, following little pinpionts of light. It didn't take long, but I found them. Their response to his mental touch was almost... conscious. That's weird. I thought to myself. It seems as if their minds are awake, but their bodies aren't. Like lucid dreaming, except more fluid, like their minds were in bodies somewhere else, but their actual bodies were here in this cell. Weird. Whatever, Time to get up. I would like to speak to you. When you wake, please don't kill me, I thought to them. After a minute or so of waiting, I finally saw, I think her name was Sootaloo, eyelids flutter open as she stood up.
"You!" She accused, menacingly. "You distracted us so they could knock us out!"
"I'm sorry. They were forcing me. I was incapable of stopping it," I pleaded my case. "It wasn't my fault. Please don't kill me!"
"And how do I know you aren't faking it? We almost trusted you last time, but that's gone now," she exclaimed. "Gone, ya hear. Gone!"
"Please, you have to believe me, it wasn't my fault!" I started getting desperate. How do I convince her? What do I do!?!
"Urgh, what's all the *yawn* commotion all about?" Asked, uh, oh yeah, Sweetie Belle.
"He is trying to convince himself that he is trustworthy!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Except that he already proved to us that his loyalty lies with the other changelings!" She's kinda cute when she gets all angry.
"Okay, let me ask one question." I said.
"Alright, you can have one question," Sweetie agreed.
You like her, don't you? my inner voice asked.
Cut it out, brain! I thought to my inner self.
"Well what's yer question?" Apple Bloom asked, apparently having been awake long enough to hear the first part.
"Well, why am I in this cell with you?"
"He does have a good point," Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Why is he in here?"
"Fine, but I'm not talking to him,"
"Well, I do have a spell that will let me see into his mind, but I need his full participation, and he'all be out for a little while," Sweetie suggested.
"That would work," Apple Bloom agreed.
"Alright," Scootaloo gave in, but reluctantly. "Let's put it on him."
"What's yer name again?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Cobalt," I replied.
"Cobalt, I need you to look into my eyes and focus on me. We need both of our unflinching attention. Got it?" Sweetie asked.
"Got it," I replied.
"I'm going to start the spell now. Concentrate." Sweetie Belle told me. Focussing on her was so easy. It even made it easier to do that because she was so beautifu-Shut up brain! I'm trying to concentrate! I thought. Now the hive mind seemed concerned at the spell she was doing. They started getting inside my head again, and it hurt. The only thing stopping me, were those gorgeous green eyes of her's. I fell unconscious with the thought of those eyes and a smile on my face.