Creatures of Deception

by eggtosser

Chapter 1 - Run

I must keep, keep running and don't look back. I can hear them chasing me, the buzzing of their wings, the snapping sounds of branches as my pursuers smash through them in an attempt to get to me. My legs are aching, protesting after each and every step I take, but I can't stop not even for a single second. If they catch me, I'm dead; I refuse to let that happen. Just keep running.

I can feel my green blood slithering out of cuts across my black chitinous body from my escape. The other didn't make it, they're d- NO! Shut up, they're alive! It'll take more than that to bring them down. But I can't help but doubt, maybe after this, I can return and look for them, heck they may even look for me. I can't stop thinking about them if they're still alive, what if they have been captured by her and being tortured?! No, I must stop thinking, there are more important things I need to handle like getting rid of Chrysalis' guards.

Jumping and sliding over obstacles and through the wet mud feels like someling is rubbing vinegar and salt into my wounds, eliciting small whimpers from me but never slowing me down, I can't afford to. The night sky is shrouded by the storm clouds above, releasing a monsoon that is drowning the forest in a torrent. The thunder's low and thunderous cracks, and bright flashes of lightning shroud my senses, making it even more difficult to tell where I'm going.

I want to fly, to get off the ground, but I can't. They'll spot me and all it will require is one clean shot at me to take me down. And even if I attempt to, my fragile wings are in ruins and are beyond its capabilities to even take me off the ground for even a moment. Looking around my surroundings to see if I can find a place to hide, all I can see are trees and large boulders that are scattered across the landscape like dragon eggs. Growling, I take a sharp left hoping to at least throw off them for even a few moments to allow me to figure out something, anything to get me out of this predicament.

I breach through a wall of shrubbery only to stop dead in my tracks. My front hooves teeter at the edge of the cliff, that descends a great distance into a river below. I turn around, hoping to find another way out, but it's too late. I can hear them coming closer and closer. I'm trapped. There is only one way out of this; it is stupid, suicidal, but if I want to survive I have no choice. Swallowing my fears and doubts, I seal my eyes shut, praying quietly to myself that I will live to see the dawn of day again. I can hear them, only meters away now.

Taking in what might be my last breath, I jump. The wind rushes past me and through the holes of my hooves as I hurtle towards the river underneath. Opening my eyes, I watch as the cliff face rush upwards into the sky, four tiny black heads poking out from where I jumped, peering over the edge to see me falling to what will possibly be my death.

Pain erupts through my body as I crash against the freezing cold water. I try to scream, but water only seeps into my mouth causing a sharp pain in my lungs. My hooves instinctively start to claw themselves out of the water, fighting the strong currents that are pulling me painfully fast to the unknown. I surface from beneath the raging water in a coughing fit as my lungs expel the intruding water, only to be dragged down underneath the water again while spinning out of control like a one-winged bird falling from the sky. Again, I attempt to claw myself out of the water but only managing to keep my head about water for a mere few seconds before being pulled back down once again.

I frantically flail my hooves around, hoping to find something I can latch onto so I can escape this water slide of death. But I can't, there is nothing. I collide into the bank, tossing me through the water like a ball. After what feels like hours of trying to stay afloat, my muscles finally give in to letting the water carry me to where ever it may lead. Then miraculously, I find myself thrown out of the river and into the sweet sweet grass. I unleash in a torrent of coughs before my vision fades into darkness.

***

I can hear chirps, the fluttering of birds as they take off from their nests within the trees. I can feel the warmth of the sun falls over my back, bathing me in a light warmth after almost being drowned in freezing waters. Groaning, I force my limbs to stand up despite their burning protests. As soon I place pressure on my right forehoof, I recoil back, yelping in pain. My injured hoof begins to throb with pain underneath the cracked chitin.

"Damnit, I think I sprained my hoof," I mumble to myself, biting back a hiss as I try to move. "I'm alive though, I'm alive." After all that, despite all the odds stacked against me, I'm still alive.

My eyes wander upwards into the great blue expanses, a small smile appearing on my muzzle while I take in the light and warmth from the sun I thought I'd never see again. Looking down to examine my external injuries, I've sustained quite a few cuts and bruises all across my body, but luckily the bleeding has stopped, replaced with the dried blood that is acting ling a plug. My wings, if you can even still call them that, are beyond repair. They hang off the side of my body, looking like they've been chewed up and spit out. I let out a small sorrowful sigh, looks like I'm never going to touch the sky again.

After finally ripping my gaze from my useless wing, I check my surroundings. Around me are many trees, but not the thick ones like where I was being chased, these ones are thin, tall and vibrant. Its leaves seem to glow as the light shines off them. The raging river behind me flows steeply downhill before turning off behind the rocky hill. The birds fly through the air, singing their songs for all the woodland creatures to hear. The sight is calming, a nice change after my grand escape.

I have to start moving again though, I may have lost them but there is no doubt that they are looking for me right now. With that in mind, I start hobbling quickly into the woods. The ground is still wet after yesterday's storm but is significantly drier to my joy, this makes moving so much easier for me. I have to keep an eye out in case anything is following me. In my state, I doubt I'll even be able to hold off an aggressive fox, let alone of Chrysalis' guards who are fully trained, armed and ordered to kill.

Sighing, I keep traversing through the brightly lit woods. All around me are endless amounts of flowers that mirror the rays of light that are penetrating through the treetops, bathing the woodlands in a warm, tranquil orange glow. Seeing insects of all different kinds climbing the diverse amounts of plants and tree and darting quickly through the air is joyful, to say the least. I stop off to grab a few berries from a bush to sate my growing hunger, it isn't much but it'll last me for a bit.

Scanning around the environment, I continue to push forward in the search for civilization. Then as I push through a piece of shrubbery, I stumble over slightly onto a path that is running through the woods. I gasp as my sprained hoof throbs with pain as I almost fall onto the dirt ground. It takes a few long moments before the pain begins to wear off, but leaving an annoying numbing sensation to make its presence aware to me. I look up and down the path that is devoid of any travellers luckily, I'd rather keep my existence to a minimal.

I can't remember exactly but I believe if I head downhill from here, there's a small town which I might be able to stay at. Unfortunately, however, it's home to the six elements of harmony bearers, the same ones we were taught during training that we are to avoid at all costs. If they even find out that changelings have been living within the population for centuries, feeding off their love by taking the forms of others, then there is no doubt in my mind that we are in trouble. It's a risk, but a risk I'm willing to accept over being imprisoned within the hive.

I start following the path downhill but from behind the trees, trying to remain concealed behind the bushes and trees in case there is a pony. My eyes constantly scan around me in case there is anyone following, but fortunately, there seems to be little evidence of any activity. As I near the forest edge, my eyes catch a glimpse of the top of a building that is hiding the bushes. I stop behind a bush that is between me and the small town, Ponyville I think they call it. Very creative indeed.

In the centre of it is a very tall building, what I think is probably the town hall, which has similar looking buildings surrounding. Their roofs are made of thatch, with white painted walls which have beams of woods running along then. Humming to myself, I envelop in a light green flame that quickly disappears as fast as it appears. My body, instead of having black chitin and an eerie green carapace that is littered with cuts, is now a light beige Earth Pony with a brown curly mane and has a cutiemark of a sword.

Her name is Sharp Point; I created her when I was training back when Chrysalis wasn't the Queen of our hive and ever since I've used her when on missions or collecting love energy for the hive. I enjoy being her out in the pony world, it's fun and really interesting. I'd always look forward to coming out here with her, but ever since Chrysalis came into power everything changed and now I am forced to hide.

Hopping on three legs, I hobble around the bush and begin making my way to Ponyville, the beginning of a new life. "This'll be fun," I mumble quietly to myself as I draw closer.

Comments

[DJ_Whowhatwidit]

This is pretty good, and I will be tracking it. However, a single spelling error near the beginning could be fixed.

[eggtosser]

7683608 Thanks! As for the spelling mistake, I've read through the first couple of paragraphs and found nothing so far. So I have developed a theory that shall ease your tremors. The word I think you are referring to is, 'someling', which can be, understandably, be mistaken as a spelling mistake for the word 'something'. But worry not good sir, I am delighted to inform you that this was not a mistake but intentional. Why is that? I hear you ask, Well don't worry as it'll come to you eventually. And if this is incorrect then I have succeeded in making a complete fool of myself and will be thoroughly disappointed. If you have managed reading this unnecessarily long block of text, I'd like to congratulate you.

- King of Eggs

P.S ;P

P.P.S. I'll stop now

[DJ_Whowhatwidit]

7683725 A l r i g h t y t h e n

[AdamAperture]

I like is so far, but...

Before the events of that one invasion that failed

Before the wedding invasion.... or before the most recent invasion?

[eggtosser]

7685445 Let me change that, I got this,

[AdamAperture]

7685516 Lol I was still confused, but now I understand because I thought at first he was running from the royal guard after the invasion, but he was running from other changelings. I understand now lol
also it's invasions* with the s

Oh also second paragraph this part right here "I can't not stop thinking about them" is wrong, it's
"I cannot stop thinking about them" or "I can't stop thinking about them"

[eggtosser]

7685545 Thanks for pointing that mistake out, I try my best. And don't worry if you're confused about this, because I am confused about this as well. I'm just winging it off the top of my head, although I know roughly where this is going.