Some say that the universe was created in a mass collision of particles, others say that a higher being created all we can see or touch. I have lived through countless ages, in countless universes, and it is always the same. Mostly the power falls into the higher beings court as it is a lot easier to believe that something somewhere intentionally created what we live in, then it is that a coincidence that happened long ago set everything in motion.
I have to guess that something out there would laugh at the state of the universes as the inhabitants make their own unique assumption about how they were made. I however know I was neither made nor created, I simply am. Never given a name for I held no parents to give me such a title, I merely am what I do; a snatcher of bodies.
Getting into the meat and bones of what it means to be a body snatcher is something that can’t be explained with simple letters and words, though I can try my best. I can not remember the first time it happened nor the person or thing it happened to, all I know is that when I enter the host’s body I hold the dominant control and can move freely as if it was my own from the start. My previous memories rush into the host’s mind where around 90% can withstand the mental stress and will suffer no backlash after my time in their own body is up, the other 10%, (I can only guess) suffer from backlashes of extreme mental fatigue and having some residual memories that are not their own.
This would be easy to cure if they were of all the same species, but as I have come to find I have no say as to who or where the next host will be. This means that they could have the memories of my short life as a fly or my life as the great race of fish like beings called Aquams (very strange that was). I have been countless things from the universes; from the lowest of animals to the most civilized being, from the lowliest of peasants to the highest of royalty. Heros and villains alike, and for those wondering some villains with good reasons where I continued their ‘evil’ quest and succeeded to ones with no reason at all who would find themselves with a nice quiet life and a not too nice but reliable job when I left.
With each body came a differing mind-scape, it simply being the place in which their memories reside until forgotten or the death of the person, some mind-scared are large castles others are just blank and a solid color. Though the mind-scape I find myself in is the most vast I’ve seen so far crafted with care as a small sun hangs in the middle like a chandelier, below it holds a large table made of crystal with multiple seats surround it as if there was a meeting to hold. A large valley of flowers and forested area surrounds the large marble floors underneath the table as memories float around the large open area. Interacting with another's memories for the first time is always confusing when you first do it, the feeling of your mind merging with someone's or something's mind is less than pleasant. I mentally prepare to feel the eventual pain that would happen when entering another host but strangely the feeling never came instead the memories I gathered were the ones that happened to touch me as I walked to the pavilion housing the table. The situation opening more questions then answers much to my displeasure.
The most difficult thing to fathom is that my host still holds control and is unaffected by the rush of memories that comes with harboring me if there was any rush at all as the flow of memories seems unaffected by my presence. That is when I notice them more so feel them, magical wards some mental some physically placed by a mage, all trying in vain to force me into submission as my very being struggled for control over the host.
“A very talented mage this being must be.” I mused to myself in fascination. To be able to force my very essence into defense was something I had never come face to face with until now. “A being such as you should be someone I would be quite interested in living as,” then a thought popped in my head something that I hate to admit made me feel old. “But I have been in control for longer than some stars have shown in the sky,is it selfish of me to take a break?” I asked to my host receiving no answer, but the answer was already clear. Though to make such a choice was not something I made easily, I was always in control and to be something that can only look at the options provided never to choose was almost unknown almost in the realm of being taboo for me.
Giving a rather large sigh as I settled into one of the larger chairs seated around the crystal table, my ‘soul’ if I even had one no longer fighting with my host the act of making my decision enough to science my own instincts, thinking about my host someone or something that I would likely have to apologize to in the future I found it time to explore the small world they had ‘given’ to me writhing their mind.
Looking around the spacious pavilion my eyes wandered over a cage. Inside was a large dark purple almost black raven with piercing blue eyes looking back at me. Woven into the golden bars that held the bird captive were a plethora of wards and ruins causing me to realize that the cage I faced was in fact a prison.
Standing and straightening out my tail coat I walked over to the raven, who showed no fear only slight irritation to being woken up. Looking closer at the ruins I frowned as most were to suppress ‘darker’ magics, moving my attention to the bird I smiled. “What is a bird that cannot fly? To stretch it’s wing and soar up high. Locked away in a cage of ruins, blocking what it once was and all it knew.” I chuckled to myself despite the darker meaning of the small rhyme “Forgive me I had a body once that was a writer of poems and held a soft spot for birds, but how did you come to be locked away in such a place?”
The raven simple minded as it was cocked its head. The question was more for myself then the bird anyway as I decided it was time to start going through the memories of my new host. Snapping my fingers the floating memories all flew towards the crystal table and in a flash of light a large book appeared, nodding to myself I left the raven to its own devices and began to read what this new host has done so far, but not without whisking up some tea to drink along with it.
Celestia’s quill tip broke causing ink to blot on the scroll she was writing. She sensed a foreign entity enter her mind as the mental wards she placed fired immediately. The surprise of the entity trying to forcefully take control of her mind and body caused her to have to take action herself as some of her ward did not act fast enough and were bypassed. Cursing whatever it was invading her mind her horn lit up and the force was almost extinguished. Even with its metaphorical back against the wall the entity was still fighting and even got stronger causing Celestia to push a bit harder to keep it on the defensive even as it struggled to remain where it was. However in a matter of moments the force vanished though the entity still remained.
Confused and on guard Celestia placed herself into her mind-scape to either force this invader out or get them to leave of their own accord. Even though this pony forced their way into her mind she would still show mercy and give them a chance to do the right thing as being thrown back from casting such a spell would surely have repercussions. However when she entered and the smell of flowers entered her nose she caught the sound of the pony humming to themselves as if they were out in the park on a beautiful summers day.
She did not know whether to be furious or mildly annoyed perhaps even both, as not only had this pony caused her to struggle in a place she excelled, magical power, but had the audacity to ignore the fact that they invaded another's mind. The punishment for invading a mind was up to five years in Canterlot’s dungeon, but it would be even worse as it was her own mind the Princess of Equestria!
Softly sighing to herself as she prepared to talk whatever crazy or insane pony down and into a mental hospital she stepped into the pavilion but no amount of preparation could prepare her for what awaited her.
A large bipedal being sat in one of the larger chairs humming to itself as it flipped through page after page of a large book of unknown origin. A large top hat placed beside it on the table with what she assumed to be gloves onto. It’s black hair combed neatly to the side a nice contrast to it’s pale skin. Due to the sound of it’s humming she thought it to be male but was unsure what to think, she never seen such a creature though her first thought was it was some form of Minotaur but that was quickly ruled out when she saw it’s polished black shoes lightly tapping to the beat of the song it was humming. Flipping a final page it snapped it’s slender fingers and the book burst in a flash of light as the small bits of memories went back to floating lazily around the pavilion.
Celestia knew something was missing when she first arrived but she was too busy focusing on removing the entity to bother with the slight change, looking at the now floating memories she felt her anger well up surpassing the surprise and curiosity. Learning that this creature went through her memories made her feel violated and vulnerable, almost naked. It would know everything about her and she would know nothing about it. Then she remembered the most important thing in her mind-scape and looked to the cage happy to see it had not been touched in the slightest.
A small cough caught her attention and she found the creature to be standing and looking straight at her. Almost instantly the anger she felt died when looking into his eyes as it was replaced with fear. She could feel as well as see an immense amount of knowledge behind them as well as power perhaps more than her. If power was the only concern she would have been fine perhaps she could think of a way to beat this entity that forced its way into her mind, but when she looked to its eyes all she could see was a darkness that would make even the most evil beings trapped in Tartarus shudder under its gaze. This gaze caused her to unknowingly take a step back in fright causing her royal demeanor to crumble.
I could feel her eyes burning into me as she looked over me, scanning for any sign of hostility. Though even with the little time I had with her memories it was quite a productive session. I had learned a lot about the new world as well as host I found myself in, her name was Celestia long ago shedding her family name. The most interesting parts were the battle between her and her sister a thousand years ago ending in her sister's banishment to the moon something that caused her to become a solo ruler and hurt her in long run as she was forced to watch her friends die, I could honestly care less but there were some significant figures to the history of this world that she held close causing me to learn more about them. Shutting the book and snapping my fingers caused the memories to spread back out and float around.
‘Though I suppose with her huffs of anger it is time for introductions.’ I thought to myself as I started getting up and straightening out my tailcoat once again, I let out a soft cough when I noticed her looking, well more like glaring at the raven. She surprised me as the immense anger I could feel was replaced with fear. Trying to ease my imposing figure I smiled politely at her only for her to step back, raising an eyebrow I sighed and sat back into the large chair.
“It is rude to keep guests waiting your highness.” I said simply hopping she would understand my intention. The light clip clop of hooves minutes later let me know she had finished with her panic attack as she sat across from me fear still evident but masked with light anger and curiosity.
“Allow me to start Princess, I am Snatcher.”