//------------------------------//
// Changelings 
// Story: A Flare of Light 
// by NightSky 
//------------------------------//

	The sun had just begun to rise over the horizon when Flare flew over the top of his former home. He landed on the summit of the mountain, where the tracks from the chariot still left marks on the ground. It really hasn't been that long, has it?

He started to walk down the trail to the cave, where grass had just begun to grow along the beat path he had walked every morning. He paused to look down on the town again, to watch it's day begin. He soon felt a strong sense of nostalgia, and began to walk again.

He hesitated when he reached the cave entrance. The events in his nightmare still haunted him. He quickly calmed himself then stepped into the cave. Everything was as had been when he left. His fathers tomb was whole and intact, and his mother's frost white form still lay curled up beside of it. He breathed a sigh of relief as he walked farther into the cave. He sat in the middle and looked at his parents.

He heard a rustling behind him. He spun around in time to see two black blurs shoot out of the shadows at him, their horns glowing a sick shade of green. He breathed a torrent of flame into the first one, stopping it in its tracks. He caught the other in his hand and slammed it into the ground, continuing his stream f fire until the first creature stopped moving. A strange stench filled the cave, but Flare ignored it as he turned his attention back to the second creature which he held.

It felt strange. It had a smooth exoskeleton, like a giant insect of some kind. It's eyes glowed light blue, with milky white pupils. Its horn was crooked and it's wings were thin and translucent. It's hooves were holed. There was no fear in its eyes, only triumph. Flare barred his teeth at the creature.

"What in the name of Equestria are you?" He growled.

"We are whatever you love and hate, we are what is seen and unseen," the creature said, but it spoke no words. Flare heard the message from inside his own mind, "We are whatever we wish to be. We are the hive, we are the Changelings."

"Why are you here? What do you gain from invading my home?" Flare said, tightening his grip.

"We gain many things from our actions here," the changeling taunted, "We bring the mighty beast away from it's duty. We learn your weakness, and we use it."

With that, the changeling transformed in a burst of green fire. Flare no longer held the insectoid, but instead now clutched a copy of his father. It grinned victoriously at Flare shock.

"Yes, your surprise, your love, it satisfies us. But what is this? the creature said as Flare felt it sorting through his mind, his memories, consuming his feelings like bread, "Another pony? Interesting...Ah, her..."

The changeling transformed again, this time into Luna.

"It is a shame," the changeling chided, "That you will never see her again. As we speak, my brothers and sisters are destroying your precious Canterlot. No pony will be spared. Not the pegasus who despises you, not the unicorn who teaches you, and certainly not the alicorn you so adore."

It began to pour images into his mind. Changelings surrounding the city, hammering on its wall as cracks slowly began to appear. 

"And no guards will see us until it is too late. They are all at the wedding. You should have paid attention to the warning yesterday while you still could. That purple unicorn was very observant, so we had to eliminate her," the changeling said victoriously, "our wolf in sheep's clothing is very powerful now. Your lands will fall, all because you could not see through the fog of love."

Flare's fear suddenly began to boil into a white hot rage. The monster he held continued anyway.

"You must understand, we do this with no hatred against your kind, but simply for the survival of our own. We need food, and you provide an ample source. If you strike me down here and now, you will do nothing to stop us. I am merely a finger of the hive, an appendage that has served its purpose to buy time for the rest of the hive. Do your worst."

It grinned darkly at Flare. Flare complied with its request, tossing it and its counterpart out of the front of the cave, then charged into the sky, turning towards Canterlot and flying as fast as the wind could take him back.

Hang in there, Luna. He thought. I'm on my way.


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Author's Note:

Sorry about this being a little on the short side. I needed to put this scene in but the time break between the other scenes and this one was I felt too long to include within another chapter.