//------------------------------// // 2 - Endure // Story: Forward // by Dconstructed Reconstruct //------------------------------// Though trembling before his queen, now was the only chance he would ever have to voice himself. If he faltered, he would live out the rest of his life in absolute regret. He couldn’t imagine a worse fate than that. “What have you got to say for yourself? What could have possibly crossed that little mind of yours to make you think you are better than the rest of us!?” Chrysalis bellowed, her throne room swarming with hundreds of other changelings, all staring straight at him. He stood tall and resolute before his matriarch. “I believe we no longer have to cling to the old ways,” he replied. “Look around, my queen! Civilization has changed, and I believe it would welcome us with open hooves! But we have to stop taking, stop subjugating, and stop conquering. We have to coexist!” There were murmurs all throughout the hive. A scant few voices were of unsure agreement; the majority were sneers of profanation. Her horn lit up, and with it arose greater magics only fit for deities. Arcana saturated the very air, and he felt warm as the glare of his queen fell upon him. “Do you befriend the water in the river before you drink it? You are a waste,” Chrysalis hissed. “Your words are treason!” The magic in her horn, now charged to its fullest, struck him, forcing him to his knees. “Guards. Pick up that piece of… filth… and remove him.” She turned to face the rest of the room, all changelings present cowering before their leader. “From this day forth, his name is to be stricken from our memories.” She shot another bolt of magic, this one striking a pillar of ancient stone, which exploded and crumbled into dust. “The hive’s laws are absolute. Only by following them will we endure.” “WE WILL ENDURE!” Thunderous stomping and deafening echoes erupted with nary a sign of hesitation. Chrysalis looked on with a wide grin on her lips, only sparing one last look at the one who had dared challenge her might. “He is but a single fool,” she muttered. “I am still queen. I will always be queen. Soon, all will bow to me!” He woke up with a start. Despite the numbing soreness, he stood back up, ready to resume his fight. He was shocked to not only see no timberwolves, but no ponies either. Even the once bright afternoon had turned into an all-encompassing night. Must have scared the hunks of wood off, he thought as he stretched his forelimbs and neck. Still, I must have been out longer than expected. One final check of his surroundings and he set forth into the unknown, trying to recall just what direction he had been traveling before his scuffle with the timberwolves. Every step he took led him deeper and deeper into the void. Perhaps more worrisome was the cold sensation running down his spine. Something didn’t quite feel right, but stopping was not an option, so he kept moving with a determined grin firmly planted on his lips. Still, every step sapped his strength. As the rumbling in his gut intensified, it quickly became very clear to him what he had to do. At the idea of starvation, his thoughts turned back to the ponies he had rescued. What had become of them? He hadn’t spotted any further signs of a struggle when he had awoken, so the safest bet he could think of was that they had indeed escaped. But if they had, couldn’t they at least have taken him with them? He shook his head at the question. Of course, they wouldn’t. Maybe a bit too much to ask from younglings. Nonetheless, he wished they were still around. Maybe then he could feed just a little bit. I mean, just a nibble or two of their love. What harm could it do? He shook his head at those thoughts. I am not going to give in to that base instinct. I can get by for a couple of days with food. Should be enough to get me out of the Everfree. He looked to his surroundings, his eyes only spotting bushes, dead leaves, and trees that looked as if they had existed forever. His grin wavered ever-so-slightly as he gawked at the only thing that looked remotely edible. He shrugged and set his full attention on the first bush that looked appetizing. He hadn’t even eaten more than a few scraps of leaves before he was regurgitating them back. “Gaaa,” he wheezed out, wiping the bile off his lips. He sat on his haunches and placed a hoof on his gut. Me and my bright ideas. The sounds coming from his stomach was now becoming overbearing, each one wracking at him and driving his instinctual self into a frenzy. Just gotta keep moving, he told himself, standing back on his hooves. So close to the exit. I can almost taste it! He sniffed the air, his lips watering. Actually, there was something alright, though what it was eluded him. The majority of his mind gave in to the aroma, with only a small fraction questioning just why he was so attracted to it. The closest explanation that formed in his mind was that it somehow reminded him of better times, followed closely by the sensation of pure jubilation and bliss. He stepped into a clearing, passing by some oddly shaped trees and bushes that looked far too composed to be natural. Past the trees—which he now recognized as being formed into an impromptu entryway—his eyes met something he hadn’t at all expected. A quaint settlement tucked in the middle of the Everfree. The inhabitants, cheerful ponies, looked at him with eyes full of nothing but love. “Well, hello there! Welcome to our village!” one of the inhabitants—an older stallion of a light-brown coat and dark gray mane and beard—cheerfully exclaimed the instant he had set a hoof into the settlement. He gave the stallion a wave. “Hello,” he said, a smile on his lips, but a mind full of uncertainty. “I’m sorry to be a bother, but I seem to be lost. Is there any way that I can rest here for the night?” His eyes fell on the beaming faces of the townsfolk as they gathered around him and the elder stallion. Each one emanated enough love that he could feel his arcana rapidly increasing despite not actively feeding. This is incredible, he thought as he scanned the crowd before him. With this much love, I could not only feed an entire hive, I could become as powerful as Chrysalis herself! “Why of course you can stay the night!” the elder stallion said, grabbing hold of his hoof and shaking it vigorously. “In fact, you can stay here tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that!” He turned to the crowd. “We would all love nothing more than to welcome you as a permanent member of our community. Isn’t that right?” The crowd’s cheers answered the elder pony’s question. He was stunned. Never before had he been welcome anywhere with such joy. Certainly not back in his old hive, and not even back when he had chosen Canterlot as his new home. “Thank you very much for the offer,” he replied, setting his eyes on the town elder, “but I only need to stay the night.” He turned to look at the crowd. “I… really appreciate the sentiments. Really! It’s just that… I have to get back home.” The grin on his lips doubled in size. “After all, ponies are going to need plenty of treats during the rebuilding of Canterlot!” “Why don’t you sleep on it?” the town elder said. “I’m sure you are weary and fatigued from your travels. A night’s rest will help you think clearer.” He nodded in reply. “Right this way then,” the stallion said, the crowd parting to give the two room. As the ponies of the crowd parted, they kept their eyes on him, their love for him still unwavering. If anything, the emotion only seemed to strengthen. He grappled with his baser instincts, demanding he gorge on the free emotions in the air. Any other changeling would have long gone mad with gluttony. The town elder led him towards a single-storey house a bit towards the outskirts of the settlement. It was colored white, with a black roof and with red windows and door. “I do hope you forgive us for this shack. It’s the only house we have right now that’s vacant.” He gave the stallion a nod. “Hey, shelter’s shelter. Am I right, or am I right?” The elder raised an eyebrow and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You are quite the strange fellow. If there is anything I can help you with, do not hesitate to call.” The stallion gave him a bow and turned back towards his town. “Now, if you would excuse me, I must return to my people.” He waited for the stallion to vanish from sight before turning his full attention to the house. It really did look as if it had seen better days, but as he had said earlier, it was shelter. And really, he wouldn’t be spending more than a night, despite his every instinct yelling at his stupidity for choosing to pass on a nearly endless supply of love. The interior was shockingly spartan: there was only a single bed, a small couch, and a small kitchen that, as expected, was nearly empty. He headed for the bed, where he flopped his body and allowed himself to relax. He just needed to shut his eyes for a bit and think things in more detail. “Yeah. Just a little bit of rest…”