The Hive of the Changelings was huge and was located deep within the Everfree Forest, where even a griffin was very unlikely to be. Had a pony or griffin showed up there, the sentries would have sounded the alarm, for nopony, nobody for that matter, could be allowed to give warning of a changeling hive to the outside world. Inside, the Queen walked amongst her people feeding gently off the love of the entire hive. Contrary to belief, love was not the only food of the changelings; if it were; changeling hives would find it difficult to survive. Love was their favourite food and was needed to stay healthy; much like ponies needed apples to stave off scurvy, yet would only start suffering from scurvy if they went for months or years without apples. But where love could not be found, they could feast on fruit, fungus, bread, meat, even fear.
The Queen was not a tyrant; anypony who had never encountered a changeling might have assumed that the large holes in their legs and wings were the result of the most horrible torture. Not the case, it just lessened the energy needed to shift shape. Nor was she an elitist like some monarchs were. An elitist queen who shut herself away from her people would risk losing their love and would have to go outside the hive to look for it, risking a coup’ d’état. She stepped to her podium and the changeling chatter died down.
“Attention, everyling. The building of this hive has been a great success. As is customary at the finishing of a hive, I will spell out the few rules of the Changelings, passed down from generation to generation, known as the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Do not harm or steal from a fellow Changeling; when you go out on a mission, you go in threes. One to replace a target, and two to carry the target back to the Hive and put him or her in a cocoon so the Hive may feed. Grubs are fed first; they are the future of our people. Do not foul the food supplies or the water of the Hive, everyling depends on it. If you fight with a fellow Changeling you do it in the Thunderdome, and to the death. If a fellow Changeling is in danger, aid him or her. Lastly, a traitor is the worst thing possible, be it to a fellow Changeling or to the Hive itself. When undercover, never betray yourself or another.”
“Now that the formalities are out of the way, you are free to go out as scouts and feed if you can. Everybody you bring back in a cocoon will strengthen our Hive and our entire people. Go now, and may the odds be forever in your favour.”
***
Three young changeling friends, who nicknamed themselves the "Love Squadron" flew due Westward as high as they could safely fly without too much danger from cold weather or lack of air. Only when they got close to their target did they change into what for now were random pegasus ponies with random cutie marks. There they began searching for the right kind of pony. Foals were good targets, easy to capture and there was a lot of love to be found, but few changelings had the patience to act foalish for years until they could *grow up* Coupledoms were another good target, but the problem there was that they had to have at least a rough idea of how to act to fool the other half of the coupledom. The best possible target was that of a rich young colt or filly who was old enough not to be a foal, but not quite fully grown either. The lucky changeling in this position had a bright future ahead of him or her.
Brightwing smiled when she saw the magenta pony with the glittering tiara on its head and the tiara cutie mark upon its flank. That one must be mine; I can so sense the love her father has for her. To be her would be a dream come true.
Amongst their own kind, changelings had limited telepathy. Providing a changeling wanted it to, another changeling could read it’s thoughts whilst close by. Her friend Beauty replied, You saw her first so she is yours-if we can catch her alone. They followed a while, and got their change when she went to the mare’s toilets. As she came out, one of them fanged her before she could react, the poison putting her into a deep sleep, and the other two spun a cocoon rapidly over her, before flying her up into the sky leaving only her tiara behind. A tiara that Brightwing put on, before changing shape within seconds and going out to where Filthy Rich waited for her.
***
As soon as Brightwing saw Filthy Rich, she could feel the love radiating off him and got as close to him as she could without seeming strange, wondering of course why they were there. They stopped at a jewelery shop. "I think Emerald Bar would love this, it'll look perfect on her for her Cute-ceañera," Filthy said, pointing at an elegant strand of pearls with a magnetic clasp. "Plus it's like Silver Spoon's and you know how much she likes Silver Spoon." After they got back to the mansion, Brightwing turned to her *father* and said "I had the best day with you" before planting a light kiss on his cheek. Contrary to what some ponies thought about them, a Changeling in role was often far sweeter then the average pony they replaced. The sweeter they were after all, the more love they gained in return. Over the next few hours Brightwing gorged herself on the love that was meant for Diamond Tiara. That night she set off on a secret flight, not wanting her hidden wing muscles to wither away from not being used. She looked back in the direction of the hive, where the real Diamond by now would be hung up in a feeding chamber, and wondered how her fellow changelings were doing. The next day she decided she would go out and make some brand new friends.