//------------------------------// // Rage Against the Pegasus Device // Story: Certamen // by DarkBunny91 //------------------------------// A changeling. A bucking changeling. I had a crush on a parasite? My luck has to single hoofedly be the absolute worst on all of Equestria. Well, it did have a certain irony to it. I was a blood sucking parasite, so I guess that made me the worse monster here. “Raindrops?” I asked in a shaky tone. She turned her head away, shoulders visibly shaking. “Changeling, what do you know, how is your hive involved?” Trixie growled. “Does it really matter what I say? You aren’t going to believe me anyway.” Raindrops mumbled. “Maybe you start by giving Trixie a reason to trust you, why are you here?” Trixie asked with a despondent tone. “My Queen wanted an infiltrator to use the show as a gathering point for love. She said it was such a ratings monster that we would be able to feed the whole hive for years with the stockpiled love. It was my job to gather love and send it back with a few contacts who had replaced supporting staff. I tried to contact them when everything went crazy, but there has been nothing but dead air in the hive mind. I’m out of reach of anyling.” “That’s actually pretty believable,” Trixie said after a brief pause. “Well it’s the- you believe me?” “I mean, you'd have to be pretty dumb to use that as an actual cover story if you got caught. So, either you made it up on the spot, which is possible, or it’s the truth which you’d have no reason to not share since we are all in this together.” “Trixie, I never realized you were capable of thoughts that deep,” Lyra jovially mocked. “Yes, Trixie is amazing.” “Never mind, there it is.” Lyra sighed. Raindrops shifted uncomfortably while the two started arguing so I looked to her to address her myself. “So, where is the real Raindrops?” I asked. “She lives somewhere around Ponyville. I saw her during this water gathering thing for Cloudsdale. I think she’s part of the weather team. I just took the form because my queen said we needed a pegasus and she was the first one I thought of.” Raindrops said with a shrug. “So, no kidnapped damsel in distress for me to gallantly save after defeating the horrible changeling menace? The Menace is the damsel all along? What, is every breezietale a lie?” “Did you actually just snap?” Raindrops questioned. “Maybe, so this whole time, it was you?” I replied. “Yeah, I don’t even know if the real Raindrops even knows you exist.” “Dude, I live in Ponyville. Now that I think about it, I've definitely seen Raindrops in passing at Sugarcube Corner. How did you come to have her disguise?” “Oh, that’s easy, the wedding thing.” “The wedding thing?” “We’re not allowed to talk about it, the Queen literally gutted one of my sisters the first time someling talked about it after it happened.” “That’s pretty messed up.” I looked to see what Trixie and Lyra were doing, but they were still arguing about what to do with the changeling so I figured I’d try to learn a bit more about her. “So uh, what’s it like being uh…” I gestured my hooves in a general pony outline before pointing at her. “A changeling?” She prompted. “Yeah, that.” “Well, I mean, I could ask you the same about being a unicorn. Honestly, we’re not that different all said, I mean, the big differences you probably already know about. I eat love, which is why I had to find a source here, you. Which I think is what you really want to ask me about.” “Yeah,” I sighed, "I really do." "Well, I won't sugarcoat it, you were a tool to me. A source of food and nothing else. Originally, changelings aren't meant to be able to make attachments with ponies. The queen actually keeps all of her harvesters unable to build attachments of any kind. Oh mother, this conversation would be a lot easier to have if it were still that way. Ever since I first lost contact with the swarm, everything possible that could go wrong, has. I failed as an infiltrator, I was distracted. Distracted by you. At first I didn't know what to think, but the more I thought about it the worse it became. I needed to find you, be with you. Apart of it was survival instinct. I knew you were attached to me. I could feel it dripping off you like honey and I needed to eat. There was something more though. A need to just see your smile. Hear your laugh. Smell your mane. I've never felt anything like it before and honestly, it scares me to death. And seeing you today risking everything to save me, it made up my mind. I need you Vinyl, like the grass needs the sun. I was so worried that monster would kill you and I'd never be able to tell you what I felt. So, please Vinyl, while it is in your full rights to do so as I lied to you from the beginning. Please don't send me away. I need you." "I..." I trialed off. It was so weird. I had this alien creature professing its love for me after revealing its own duplicitous nature. I'd have to be an idiot to not believe her. So, my logic dictated that she must have been telling the truth. I tried to speak, but the words just failed me. My pulse was racing and I could feel the corners of my eyes getting damp with blood again. I lurched forward, wrapping my hooves around her neck and burying my muzzle into her chitin. Shocked, she latched on tight. I could feel the sleek hard shell of her carapace, but I could also hear the steady rhythm of her heart. "Raindrops, I want to trust you. Please, I really need you to not lie to me anymore. I just couldn't handle it if you were right now." She clung in tighter. It was like a little moment of heaven, just the two of us, our hearts beating a million miles per hour. "Hey," Trixie yelled, pulling me out of my daze. We have way bigger fish to fry right now." I turned my head and gasped. Lumbering towards us were several really rough looking ponies. Not in the 'wrong side of town' kind of way, more of a 'they've been dead on the side of the road for several days' way. Lyra looked at the shambling cadavers and asked, "Are those really zombies?" Trixie's horn burst into a nova awash with eldritch flame. She bounded forward hurling a ball of fire straight at the first horror. Black tongues of negative energy joined the pyre as they ate at the rotting beast, slowing its’ movements. Despite the damage, it trudged forward one shambling step at a time, driven by some lifeless goal. “Trixie needs everypony to grab onto each other. She's not very good at teleportation, but we need to get out of here.” I grabbed Raindrops and dove towards Lyra as Trixie started to channel her magic. Oh sweet Celestia, that tastes like blood. I looked around to see I wasn't the only one who had lost the contents of their stomach; although, I was the only one who looked like they were at the site of a homicide. Trixie rose to shaky legs. She helped pull Lyra out of the puddle of booze and half digested food that she was sprawled on her back in. We were going to need baths or else we'd smell like the end of a frat party. I checked on Raindrops, who looked a little shaken. She was panting heavily, but it looked like she was at least spared the nausea. I rubbed my foreleg across her back and squeezed her close to me. She was shaking hard, vulnerable. I could feel my fangs poking into my lips, my mouth salivating. I could smell something, not blood, but definitely life. I pulled myself back. I couldn't do it. She turned towards me, and I could see my eyes glowing, reflected in in her hard icy blue ones. I needed to feed, and I needed to leave fast. _____________ “Trixie, Trixie-” Belch “Trixie, where's Vinyl Trixie.” “You need to lie down Lyra, you're really drunk.” Trixie scolded me. I wasn't drunk, because if I was drunk, I would have known I was drunk. You don't become a college drop out without that knowledge. How much did I even drink? How much does Trixie's flask hold? Wait, maybe I was drunk, because I think I threw up, but maybe I should sleep. But the zombies, we had to do something about that. I tried to cast a healing spell on my leg, but I couldn't remember how to. So, I laid down on my side. When I wake up, we can face the problems. _____________ Think Trixie, what would Twilight do right now? There's gotta be some answer, some little mistake I'm overlooking. In the caves, the rubbings, the underground facility; there had to be some sort of connection, what am I missing? The thestral had come off like she was in charge, but if that was so then why was this all happening? There had to be a bigger player at hoof… Octavia! We had to find her. She has to be involved somehow. Her apparent attack on Lyra is proof of that. “DJ, do you think you can find Octavia on the island?” I asked, only to be met with silence. I looked around the clearing I had teleported us to, but beyond a scorched spot where we emerged, it was all but abandoned. Oh, right, Lyra did say something about her leaving. This is literally why we had problems before, you can't split up in a crisis. Oh, and apparently our only real ally is a changeling, this is amazing. I lowered my head, my ears dropping and my eyes watering a bit. We're all idiots. We are all going to die on this island. And worst of all, nobody is going to remember me as anything more than the total flank who enslaved a city and perpetually screwed things up. Well, if I was going to die, it would be by my terms. This place wasn't going to break me! I am going to be more than a hoofnote in the annals of history! I'm a sorceress for Celestia's sake! I won't be some corpse lost in a cave! I won't go down without a fight! Whoever is behind this, whatever is going on, it won't break me! I looked around for my hat but to my horror it was nowhere to be seen. It had to still be at our old camp. “Lyra? Hey, Lyra,” I said, nudging her in the side. “Wazzat? Trixie? Did Vinyl come back?” “No, but I'm going to find her and go get my hat back. I can't carry you, but I can't leave you here like this. You're not going to like it either. You're really drunk but the alcohol should have done it's job by now, I'm sorry.” She looked at me in confusion, her drunken stupor leaving her unable to really track what was going on. I lowered my horn to her and started casting. _____________ Blood everywhere. I could smell it in the air, hear it pulsing through the veins of animals, but they didn't interest me. I could smell her perfume and hairspray. Years of being roommates had well acquainted me with her smells, and she was close. Octavia, I needed to find her. Raindrops didn't think I knew she was following me, but I could hear her wings flapping. She had transformed back into her pegasus form and was tailing me. I had tried to lose her several times, but she was undeterred. The rhythmic flapping of her wings set the pace as I charged forward. Ahead of me is the small out building with the entrance to that complex. I should've gotten the others, but they can't even keep up. They're both exhausted. So, I went alone. I have to keep them safe. I braced myself as I kicked off the ground, smashing my shoulder into the door. Figured I'd just let myself in. Clapping? Who's clapping, her… “Octavia,” my voice was not my own, “why?” “Vinyl, I'm so glad I get to see you again before it’s all over. My master told me to kill you, so I sent some of my puppets to your camp. I'm glad you escaped, really.” “You almost killed Lyra! I almost died! Ponies have died! How does that not matter to you?” “Because we will all be dead soon, reborn into a new world, free of famine and war, where everypony is equal, and life will start anew.” “Do you really believe any of that? That sounds ludicrous.” “Please believe me, I feel truly awful for what I've done, for the things I will do.” she almost whimpered. “I want to, I really do, you're my best friend, please, just tell me who you work for.” “Do you really think after all I've done I could ever find redemption in this life? Bah, it's too late now, as dusk falls, so too does the time of mortals.” “Octavia, what happened to you, was it all a lie this whole time?” “No Vinyl, I really do love you, even with your wubs and bad taste in mares. But, this will be the last time we talk  as more than enemies. This world with its princesses is going to burn in the power of my lady. All brought equal and the world restored to it's natural order.” “Then for this last time can we truly part as friends?” I asked, forelegs thrown out to gesture a hug. She looked at me hesitantly, before taking a careful step forward. “Okay, one last time,” she said, a tear in her eye as she threw herself into my embrace. “I really did love you, you idiot Octi.” Her screams and thrashing did not last long, her blood quickly sated my thirst as I took her essence into myself. As I pulled back she almost looked relieved, the life fading from her eyes. “I'll see you again Vinyl.” “Goodbye Octavia.” Her heart stopped, she was gone.