//------------------------------// // Chapter 39 - A Pretty Changeling... // Story: The Pony Dreadfuls // by No one is home //------------------------------// Z-978 is not a silly bug. And she is not a stupid bug. She is a pretty bug. And she is a clever bug. And she is a soldier. Z-978 is a big sister. And Z-978 is a little sister. She IS a good sister. But Z-978 is a mother. And she can’t leave the hive with the Facehugger. And Z-978 can’t leave Facehugger here alone. It is not that Z-978 does not trust the Fast Change it is that Z-978 does not like the Fast Change anymore. Z-978 was NOT wearing a disguise to fool ponies! She was not! “Hey Z, are you doing okay?” It is the stupid guard, Chitin who Z-978’s bratty sister would flirt with but Diane is not here, “I heard some news from Baltimare.” “Z-978 is NOT an ugly bug with too many legs!” Z-978 shouts in the Chitin’s stupid face. “She is tired of not being able to go outside. Her sisters are missing. And she doesn't want to be this changeling! She wants to be the changeling she was!” “Z… I’ll talk to Fast Change, but you do realize that this is for your own good don’t you?” Z-978 hates the Chitin’s stupid face. “Look, Z it’s rough, I know but there's bad things going on out there. I know you're worried about Diane, but she’s fine, I promise. Hell half the guard’s terrified of her.” “Z-978’s sister Diane is a GOOD changeling! She would NOT do the thing that the stink bug princess lied about!” Z-978 does not want to talk to the Chitin if he is going to say mean things about her sister. “I didn’t mean it that way, I swear.” The Chitin looks like he feels sorry. The Chitin should feel sorry. “I just meant that Diane can take care of herself, and after this is over we’re going to find her and we’re going to bring her back. You’re not in trouble, either of of you. We’re not doing any of this to punish you. I came to bring you some good news about Carrot Plate.” “They have found Z-978’s sister and she is okay?” Perhaps Z-978 hates Chitin’s stupid face a little less now. “Well, she’s not one of the ponies they interviewed for the paper, but they do have a list of all the ponies injured or killed, and Carrot plate’s not on it. So she’s fine.” Chitin is not a mean ugly old stink bug, but Z-978 still does not like him. And she does not like ugly princess! “It is not fair to make Z-978 be a changeling she does not want to be!” Z-978 is NOT sulking. It is NOT fair! “You did not make Diane be a spiny little bug covered in stabbing!” “First off,” Chitin is making that stupid face again, “there’s a difference between looking more pony like to try and fit in, which is basically what we’re supposed to do, and well… what you’re doing. You can’t just spend your whole life pretending to be some changeling you’re not, Z. It’s not healthy and it can get you in a lot of trouble.” “Z-978 didn’t mean to get the Train Wreck in trouble! She did not mean to make him disappear!” Why does the stupid Chitin want to make Z-978 think about this! “Train Wreck was never in any real trouble Z. The whole thing was a ruse by Princess Celestia to lure the Nopony out into open. And he didn’t vanish because of anything you said. He was a former human, and sometimes they appear and disappear out of thin air. He’ll come back.” The Chitin is lying to Z-978 and she does not like it. Z-978 wished the Train Wreck would disappear and he did. Anypony can clearly see that it is her fault. “You’re not in trouble and he’s not in trouble, but we’re all going to sit down and talk about things when he does come back, okay?” “Z-978 doesn’t want to be an ugly bug with too many legs!” Of course it is not okay. The Chitin is a stupid bug to ask that. “You’re not an ugly bug, Z.” The Chitin is laughing at Z-978, and she hates him for that. Z-978 hates the Chitin. “And this is why we can’t let you shapeshift right now. It’s not healthy to hate yourself like that. You’re a pretty changeling filly, and you’re probably the friendliest changeling in the hive. We’re not like Chrysalis. No changeling here is going to be mean or do bad things just because you’re different.” “Z-978 is not different! She is not a smarty pants changeling, but she is a normal changeling and she is not a fily! She is a mare and she is a soldier! Z-978 is a mother and she wants to see her pretty grub! The Chitin will take Z-978 to see Facehugger!” Z-978 is tired of talking about stupid things. “Facehugger’s in a feeding cycle in the nursery. And you need to eat too. Come on, there’s some volunteers in the pods. Mostly friends and family of ponies taking shelter in the hive” Chitin will take Z-978 to see her grub later. Z-978 does not like this, but she will have to make do. “Z-978 does not want to feed from a stupid pod.” Z-978 is hungry, but she does not want pod love. “Z-978 will be fine until Carrot and Train Wreck come back.” “Come on Z, not this again. Those nice ponies are volunteering to donate love to feed us.” The Chitin’s face is stupid. “Please don’t make me drag you in there and make a big scene in front of the ponies like last time. I’m your friend, Z, that’s why I volunteered for this job, but it is my job. You know Fast Change is going to get mad at me if you don’t eat.” Z-978 does not want the Chitin to get in trouble, so she will feed on stinky pod love even though it smells funny. Buy she is still mad at the Chitin and she must make sure he knows this. “If the Chitin was Z-978’s friend he wouldn’t make her be an ugly bug with too many legs!” “I’m sorry Z.” The Chitin SHOULD feel sorry, because he is bad friend and Z-978 should not feel like she is the one who is not being a good friend.