> Texture and the changlings > by Hkh4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://twibooru.org/2774976?q=Oc%3ATexture&sd=desc&sf=created_at Texture and the changling's Texture a little filly slunk her way through a changling hive sticking to the wall she was colored as. nervously looking around as she went. The smell of food kept her going further despite her fear. After several nerve-wracking minutes of walking, she eventually found herself in some store room where there were lots of vials/crystal things of a glowing pinkish-red substance lining the walls.  She ignored the vials and instead went for the crate filled with vegetables and stuck herself in unaware of the fact her camouflage had worn off. After a few moments of her eating, an insect thing came into the room and immediately spotted her and yelled in alarm. Immediately alerting any guard changeling's in the hive to her presence. She whipped herself around and before she could do or say anything she found herself pressed against the wall by a changling with a spear. "My queen, we found this thing raiding the food stores!" A changeling drone said as it flung a blue pegasi  filly with a draconic tail and a few canines in front of the grayish black queen with a dark purple mane. The queen did a quick look over of the filly being a tad surprised at what she saw "I see I will think over what will be done with it." As she finished what she was saying the filly's whole body changed to match the stone she lay on though her outline could semi-be seen. The drone that had brought her in jumped. "That is most interesting!!" the queen said as her magic grabbed the escaping filly and drug it over to her as it kicked and yelled. The queen ignored this as it brought the filly to face her she tapped its chest noting it was as hard as the stone it looked like. "What would your name be invader?" She asked the filly in a neutral tone. "My-my name is t-t-t-text-ture!!" The filly started shivering in fear as it abruptly returned to its original exterior as it began to cry some. "Why have you raided my food stores?" The queen asked in a slightly softer tone. "I was h-hungry and lost I heard a-activity com-ming f-from here and walked rig-ght in smelled th-the food and followe,wed it!" Texture responded to the queen with a pleading face.  "How did you get past the guards and so deep into the hive?" The queen demanded "I-I blended myself sl-li-iding along the walls!" "One more question before  I send you away. Why did you get caught?" "It-it, takes a lot of focus for m-m-me to be blended. While eating i lost that focus" The queen nodded putting her down " take her to a cell and make sure she has what she needs. I'll have to study this one a bit more." She ordered the changeling guard.  He nodded  then grabbed Texture with his magic pulling her along. The filly gave little resistance at this point but continued to cry as she was carried away.  When she was thrown into a cell she immediately huddled herself against a corner and changed her exterior, trembling in fear.  A few minutes after her cell door was closed she looked around her cell. It was dimly lit by a glowing orb of slime around the middle of the sloped ceiling which gently curved into the walls. She noticed what looked to be a minimal cot on the floor with a thin blanket atop it. She slunk herself over to it and wrapped up the best she could while keeping her wings free. She sat on the cot watching the door for what felt like an hour nervously chattering her teeth and biting on the end of her scaled tail. She ignored that it hurt. Finally the door opened and the changeling that had drug her here came in with a bowl of some sort of stew and a wooden cup filled with water. She watched the ling cautiously as he placed the food down for her  "You best eat, the queen will decide what she's doing with you soon." He commandingly said to her as he closed the door. Texture came up to the food cautiously sniffing it before sticking her muzzle in. hunger getting better of her. It was thick with bits of chopped-up vegetables floating in it. After she finished consuming the stew she then sniffed the water. It had a pink hue to it and smelled vaguely sweet. She then lifted the cup with a jittery hoof. Not entirely used to lifting things with them yet. And took a sip  She gasped as she felt a spike of an unfamiliar sensation as the water went down her throat. It was faint but warm. She threw the cup down, not entirely enjoying the feeling.  She sat on the cot jittering some again her mind trying to process what she just felt. She sat like that for a while till finally the guard returned to take her. Before she moved she asked a question. "W-what was in that water? It made me feel weird!" She nervously asked. This question surprised the changling. "It was some liquid love magic. Your kind can't usually detect it. Though you don't really seem like a normal pony." He answered and thought aloud. "What is a pony?" Texture asked. the changling was going to answer then shook his head. "Enough questions. Move!!" He yelled at her, jerking his head to the hall. She hesitantly got up and moved towards the door and into the hall where she was then poked to move back the way she had been pulled to arrive in the cell. She very nervously walked forward constantly looking behind herself at the guard. He would occasionally poke her to indicate direction they should go after a few moments of walking and her being leered at by some of the changlings of the hive. They arrived at the throne room which had significantly more guards within it than the first time all the guards while remaining at attention immediately started watching Texture intensely. She slowly walked up to the throne as the Queen watched her mildly amused by how nervous the filly was. The queen rose once she thought Texture was close enough causing the filly to immediately shrink into herself or at least try her best to become smaller. "First question before I hand out my verdict." The queen said, staring intensely at the filly. "Is, where did you come from?" Textures mouth flapped open and closed for few moments before answering "I d-d-don't know. One moment I wasn't the next I w-w-was." The queen stared down at her clearly not believing the filly. While from what she could sense it seemed to be telling the truth. "Where did you appear then?"  "Somewhere straight from the entrance I came in. There were some stones. T-t-that's all I know."  The queen communicated with her changelings through the hive mind instructing drones to have one leave from each entrance and go search for the "stones" She then sat herself on her throne's cushion relaxing some. " make yourself comfortable, we will wait till I get reports"  she then said to the filly. Texture sat herself down and after a few moments of quiet she nervously asked "W-w-what is a pony?" This made the queen sit up a bit more as she tried to judge if the filly was actually asking a question. " A pony is this." She said as she changed her form to be a tan pony with a light brown mane. Texture looked at herself then twitched her tail some. "A-a-aa-am I a pony?"  She asked, looking back at the queen as she returned to her original form. "Yes and no. I think." She answered as she sat herself. "You appear to be somewhat draconic as well and a little bit of something else. What it is I do not know but it is very strange." Texture curled into herself biting on her tail as she processed the new information. "What is draconic?" She mumbled out from her ball. Glancing over her tail at the tall Queen. She was about to answer when something jolted her attention. "They found it!" She rose  "come!" She instructed Texture and some of her guards as she began walking towards the said scout. Texture very nervously got to her hooves and slowly moved to follow only speeding up when a spear jabbed into her rear. Her wings flapped, lifting her into the air some as a result.   They walked for what felt like a long time ending up very deep into the jungle surrounding the hive. Texture occasionally getting prodded by one the guards as they grew closer Texture started to get a very wrong sensation in her gut " I-ii-iii don't ffffeeel good!" she exclaimed  causing the Queen to look back at her. She immediately noted a very slight purple hue to the filly's coat. More of that something else as well "What is it?" She harshly asked. "m-mm-my g,guts th, they fee-eel l-l-like they're twisting up!" Texture responded pain evident on her face. "Well, we aren't very far from my scout. We can't turn around now." the queen assertively said. She turned and continued moving silently instructing the guards to more intently watch the filly.  As they grew closer Texture's pain grew worse and worse and her coat grew  more purple. By the time they reached the scout she was in agony, Crying in pain. The Queen was first to see the stones and began inspecting them noting they all had what appeared to be runes. Texture on spotting the stones coat went completely dark purple; the whites of her eyes, mane, and tail went deep black  and her irises and spikes of her tail went the same purple as her coat. Her teeth became misaligned, some sticking out of her mouth.  pixelated-looking black and purple flames came out of her mouth with each breath.  The Guards immediately went to attacking her but she seemingly did not care she quickly went to the stones some force within her compelling her to incinerate them. She blew a steady stream of flames onto the closest stone seemingly wiping it from existence.  Before she could get to the second stone the queen's magic grabbed her. And swiftly cast something to knock the filly out. Texture's coat began to return to its natural state and blood began seeping from her wounds. "That was interesting to say the least!!" the queen said as adrenalin began to fade from her system and she looked to her guards instructing them to dig up and bring the second stone back to the hive.  She began to fly back to the hive with 2 of the guards flying alongside her. As she mulled over what to do with the filly. > Chapter 2 integration begins > --------------------------------------------------------------------------   When Texture awoke she was in her cell again but with a slightly nicer bed it felt a little rough  on her coat. She winced as she started to move, feeling the wounds missing had taken. She looked herself over noting several bandages around her midsection and her rear/tail. She heard movement near the door of her cell. As someone ran off down the hall.  A moment later her door opened and a familiar changeling stood at the door looking her over. "Queen Lysandra will be coming soon, best to make yourself as presentable as possible." He said in a slightly mechanical tone. "I'm Not happy about it myself but she has deemed you as a guest." he said with a slight scowl and turned to exit the cell and closed the door with a latching sound. Texture proceeded to shuffle herself around doing her best to appear proper without agitating her wounds. After about 10 nervous minutes of her wondering how she got so injured and what was going to happen. She heard the door unlatch and in came. Lysandra who ducked her head to fit through the door then stood at full height before the little filly who instinctively wrapped her tail tighter around herself. "I trust you slept well?" she said as she looked Texture over.  Texture weekly nodded then asked  "w-w-what happened t-to me?" she asked as she looked over her wounds again. Lysandra blinked in surprise. "you truly do not remember?"  Texture Shook her head "a-a-all I r-r-remember is my gu-guts t-trying to rrr -rr-ip thems-selves ou-ou-out." Lysandra noted this. "What happened was something about those stones triggered some magical event within your body, I believe."  Unleashed something that if you were older it would have been rather dangerous, she thought to herself. Lysandra lowered herself to be face to face with the filly. "I would like to try to integrate you into the hive after a few experiments. Would you be willing to try that?" she gently asked."  Texture unconfidently nodded as she asked: "w-w-what kind of exper-rements?" "one's to try to establish the current extent of your abilities." Queen Lysandra answers as she stood back up. "Come" Lysandra led the filly out of her cell while mentally sending a message to ensure that the remaining stone be kept far away from anywhere Texture may go, approximating the proximity of when the filly had started complaining about pain and adding a few yards to it.  After ensuring there would be no risk of the filly going haywire again she returned her attention to Texture. "The first thing I wish to figure out about you is the limits to your camouflage." she said as she led Texture through the winding halls of the hive towards a form of stadium noting that most of her hive continued to glare and appear disgusted at the little filly. That will have to be addressed, Lysandra thought to herself.  "what k-kkind of ma-materials?" Texture nervously asked. "You will see shortly."   Second test to see if you can regularly access those draconic abilities without that form, Lysandra thought to herself. They arrived at the stadium entrance and Texture gulped nervously looking around at the stands of the stadium seeing 2 changlings sitting as if to observe both with some form of clipboard.    They hadn't noticed her yet. She tried to shrink back into the tunnel but Lysandra pushed her forward. So Texture nervously walked towards the objects sitting in the middle of the stadium. There was what appeared to be a freshly pulled out and replanted tree alongside what appeared to be a pool of water and a small fire. "Why couldn't this have been d-done outside?" Texture asked Lysandra. "because there are uncertainties to what will happen!" Lysandra replied  "Now attempt to disguise yourself as the tree!!" Texture went up and touched the tree and near immediately her exterior changed to be a wood like material she looked herself over the wood slightly creaking as she moved. Her eyes being the sole portion that hadn't changed besides her pupils colour. Her eyes wandered to the stadium then Lysandra. She then without being commanded stepped in the pool of water she once again changed her exterior though her insides became visible. Causing the changelings in the stadium to gag. Meanwhile Lysandra simply took mental notes.  " So far can manage living materials and even fluids. An interesting chain so far"  "Now change back to normal and attempt to touch the fire!!" She commanded the filly, Texture instead of returning to normal went to  stone as she reached her hoof into the flames she could feel a pleasant heat through the stone covering her leg. She touched the fuel source of the flame and stepped back and willed herself to become the flame. Some sparks came off her as her magic short circuited and she collapsed. Lysandra approached and demandingly asked. "what happened!?" "I'm tired and feel empty!" Texture weakly replied. She did not quite understand it herself, but her magic reserves had basically run dry, as well as her wounds aching. She tried and failed to stand her body having both very little caloric energy as well as magical.  Lysandra looked at her in pitty/annoyance and used her magic to lift the filly intent on taking her to the dining hall. Texture slightly squirmed in the magical grasp. "It's too tight!" she exclaimed at Lysandra who slightly loosened her grasp. Texture did her best to relax as she was being carried, despite the still constant glares she received. Lysandra wanted them to stop but she understood she could give orders and they'd obey but their minds would still hold disliking or resentment of Texture. so she opted to let them naturally acclimate to the filly.  She would intervene if things got violent though.  Texture felt her magic recharging as they entered the loud cafeteria. It quickly went quiet and all the changeling's stood at attention when Lysandra was noticed. She waved a chitinous hoof to tell them to relax. The noise resumed as she walked over to the table with a large regal looking chair she sat as she placed texture down along the side of the table she levitated an empty chair over for Texture to sit on.  Texture weakly hopped up onto the chair. Her magic was charging but her body was still running on empty. Lysandra called for food to be brought out through the hives link. After a few minutes. A rather fancy-looking meal was brought to the queen and stew along with a cup of water was given to Texture.  She noticed the stew smelled a bit differently this time little chunks of white something floating alongside the vegetables. She lifted the spoon with her hoof and began to eagerly eat the stew. A chunk of something caught in her throat a few spoons in and she sprung her leg towards the cup of water grabbing it and rapidly bringing it to her mouth and using it she dislodged the accursed object to continue down her throat.  Texture inspected the remaining water now that her throat was clear; it was completely clear this time she noted. After a few moments of catching her breath, she resumed eating her stew more carefully this time. She rather liked the white chunks within it. Soon enough she had finished her meal while Lysandra was still eating, occasionally sipping from a chalice filled with the vile pink fluid. Texture sat quietly as she felt her magical energy continue to  charge from the room's environment. To the surprise of everyone in the hall, she suddenly burst into the flames she had previously been trying to shift to. Her entire exterior was a flickering reddish-orange flame her eyes glowed a consistent red. Making her look like something straight out of Tartarus. After a moment however she got control over it and returned to her normal self blinking in confusion followed by balling into herself in shame plus fear as the entire cafeteria continued to stare at her. Lysandra however was a bit bemused at what had just happened. She continued to wonder what were the limits if there even were limits to what Texture's body could imitate.  She could be an incredible tool to fend off other hives so long as that purple form didn't show up again! > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Texture returned to her cell as Lysandra had other matters to attend to. Texture noticed her wounds were bleeding a little as the shift to flames entirely destroyed any bandages she had. She called out to the guard at her door. "Si-sir, I'm bleeding again." Not too long after she said that what appeared to be a medical changeling came in with bandages. She inspected Textures wounds carefully cutting at one on her tail before pulling small tweezers from her bag. "You've got some broken scales digging into this one." Texture winced as the scale was removed. After a few more minutes she was fully re-bandaged. The medic out of habit started pulling a piece of "candy" from her bag to offer to Texture  Said candy faintly glowed pink and smelled of the foul fluid but Texture took it anyway. She popped it into her mouth and almost spat it back out as the sensation hit her again. Deciding she needed to get used to this material if she was going to live here. she let it simply run through her  As the candy melted and  went down her throat she felt the warmth spread through her and her magic charged some as her body converted it to her own kind. She felt rather comforted for some reason. -swap to Lysandra. Her two researchers stood before her  "well? Do you have any ideas as to what powers her?" The older of the researchers stepped forward. "Closest thing to it I can think of is some old pony myths though she does not seem remotely as powerful as that." "and the stone?" Lysandra pressed  "Aside from the etchings in it it appears to be mostly composed of an augite crystal mix." short of chiseling into it about all I can tell you my queen." "What of the magic in the stone!?"  The second researcher stepped up  "It is indefinable same as the fillys own. It  appears far older however." "just.." Lysandra sighed, shaking her head some. "So we've had an old indescribable magic sitting in our backyard for God knows how long and it suddenly decides to do something, thankfully not bringing some at least immediate calamity. Who knows what that filly will become with age."  Lysandra chuckled darkly to herself, waving off the researchers. "I need a drink! And speak of this to no one else!" she stalked towards her wine cellar. She got a ping from her daughter who was curious about Texture.  Lysandra felt a moment of fear wash over her at the thought of the two meeting. "Patience, my daughter. Wait till I have a better grasp over IT," some of her concern slipped through at the very end. -back to Texture  The sensation had fully worn off by now she felt her magic reserves significantly more charged from it. She was now faced with a new feeling of boredom. She called out to the guard at her door "could I get a book or something? I'm quite bored here." She heard the guard grumbling to himself for a moment before he  responded. "Wait a bit, I'll ask someone to get you a bit of a variety, While you are deemed a guest the queen doesn't really want you walking around the hive yet." Texture softly sighed as she huddled herself back on her bed and proceeded to wait for a while. Eventually, a smaller male changling came in with a bunch of books held in his magic grasp "I brought you a large variety so you could see what interests you."  he kindly said to her as he piled them all beside her bed. She quietly thanked him as he left her chambers.  She quickly went to looking through the books. The one that caught her eye first was one more on the history/general knowledge of the hive. She opened it up and several hours disappeared to reading till she eventually found herself rather sleepy.