We talked a lot about each other, from how my colony planned the invasion to how Indigo got her cutie mark. Apparently she got it while she patched someone in her class up on a field trip when 6 years ago. The boy had a somewhat deep cut, and she handled the antiseptic and bandaging very well.
*6 years ago, edge of the Everfree forest, 3rd POV*
“Indie, help!” Yelled an orange little filly with a red mane, trying to find her friend.
“I’m here. Are you alright?” A certain purple pegasus rushed to him, a med kit strapped on her side with a rope.
“I cut my right hoof!” Bits of tears dropped down the little earth pony as the pain he was feeling was agonizing.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.” Indigo grabbed an antiseptic bottle and some cotton. After opening the bottle, she gave it to the filly and held the cotton.
“Can you squeeze the bottle a bit, please?” The little earth pony did so with his spare hoof and puts the bottle onto the ground.
“This is going to sting a bit, alright?” She looked at his eyes, a bit of desperation appearing on them.
“Can I hug you?” He asked sheepishly. Indigo chuckled, before letting the boy do so. He was a bit screamish but Indigo cleaned his wound before he started to scare every creature, putting a bandage onto the cut.
“Thanks a lot, Indie! I owe you so much!”
“You’re welcome. It’s part of my job” Indigo giggled and soon realized that a flash appeared from her flank, and her cutie mark appeared, a med kit and a medicine bottle on the front
“I got my cutie mark!” She screamed, jumping up and down in excitement.
*Back to the present in Jame’s point of view*
“So that’s how I got my cutie mark. We eventually got back to the crew and that was one of my favorite days of the year!” Indigo looked at me, smiling at the memory.
And we talked more about my memory when I planned the attack.
*2 weeks ago, Changeling hive, Badlands, 3rd POV*
“Madam, we found a large potential love source.” A changeling bowed to Chrysalis.
“Great job, Tarsus. We really need the love to get our rule of Equestria back.”
“It is going to take a bit of waiting though. The love source is the wedding of Shining Armor and Cadence in the next 2 weeks, your highness…”
“It’s still a very great potential love source. I will accept the wait.” Chrysalis nodded, pleased with the new love source. The changeling has been hungry for years. And finally, now’s the chance to be fulfilled.
“But who should you replace to drain the love?” Tarsus asked, a bit curious about who to kidnap.
“I still am not sure. Who’s the one setting up the Canterlot barrier?” Chrysalis puts her hoof to her chin, waiting for a response.
“It’s the prince, madam.”
“Well…I’ll fake the Princess then. When I get the love soul of Shining Armor, we will control the barrier, and we will be able to charge in with our full army.” Chrysalis laughed at her genius plan.
“So shall we do this?”
“We shall. Thank you for your helpfulness, Tarsus. You’re a loyal subject and a hero for the changeling kind.”
“Thank you, your highness. I will discuss more plans with other people in the army.” The changeling walked out of the Queen’s room and went ahead to discuss about tactics wise.
*Back to present, in Jame's POV*
I fought the urge not to drain her love, or so I thought. But I felt like I have never been hungry, something surprising for a changeling that has been so for years.
“How long did it took you to plan and invade this place?” Indigo asked. I tried to remember how long it was. I just giggled, thinking about how much time the whole scheme took.
“Around two weeks, funny enough...Ever since the news about The Prince’s marriage spread, we already started to plan it out. We waited for the perfect time to invade, when the Queen drains love from the prince. That’s when we attack”
“How come the name’s James, and not...I don’t know...Tarsus and Mandible?”
“Well buck! You knew my real name…” I murmured to myself. My real name is Tarsus Changeling, and it sounds a bit weird. The tarsus is the end-joint of the legs of insects. The name means (in changeling form) I’m the person who supports everyone, judging that the end-joint of an insect’s leg means they usually carry the weight of the insects,
“I knew your name is not James!” I realized I murmured it too loud, and Indigo heard what I said.
“What are you...talking about?” I looked at her, but then I just looked down, blushing in shame.
“Don’t lie...I know you’re lying.” Indigo looked at my expression, before gleefully remarking my question. “And it’s clearly obvious. The name came directly from a book made by someone named Lyra, the pony that admitted to have found more creatures in this world named humans on her journey out of Equestria.”
“How would you know this?” I accidentally blurted out, and I covered my mouth as I realized what I said. But it was too late.
Apparently she went with it, however.
“I mean that’s the least changeling-like name ever. It’s not even insect-related. I imagine Changelings like you should have name after their parts or specie that is in the world, for example, say Wasp or Antenna. I mean the closest name would be Anthony in my record because Ant puns you guys probably have thought of before us or how you misspell Antenna.”
“I just want to be like you guys, alright? With a good name and stuff...” I sigh, admitting why I chose the name. I only read the book from the pony named Lyra Heartstrings because it was so fascinating, to the point I risked getting caught to read it.
This made her giggle even harder, however.
“What?” My black cheeks seemed to change color, as it got hotter.
“The name James is not even pony related. There’s nothing related between your name and what you look like or what you do!”
I was about to argue as well, but Indigo is a purple pegasus...so it did seem to make the argument that I would make useless.
“So should I just call myself Tarsus?” I asked the pony, who just shakes her head.
“I’d rather you have the name James. It sounds better in my opinion.”
“Well, thanks I guess…Although…” I thought for a moment about what is going on. I wanted to take the opportunity to do the things a changeling does, catching her off guard. But I never felt this full in my life. And I guess I’m just going to lose trust from her if I tried to do that.
“I really wanted to say this...” I looked at her blue eyes, “from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. You made me realized that I don’t have to force myself to drain love from the ponies to be happy. I gave you a chance to live, and you helped me feel happy. I don’t know how much I could thank you.”
Indigo hugged me at the response, of which I returned the favor. We stood there, our breath and heart beat seemed to sync with one another as our embrace continued for minutes. Her warmth seems to spread to me, and vice versa. It felt like our hug lasted for hours on end.
I broke the embrace as soon as I hear a loud explosion, I looked at the “wall” of the place to see a pink bubble suddenly expanding from the left to the right, and all of the changelings that was hit by the bubble seemed to be flung off somewhere.
“Shoot…our plans must’ve failed…” I looked at the place, a bit shocked as I got through the “wall” and tried to break the bubble that was a few feet away from the home Indigo was in. I tried to hit the bubble with all my might, but it didn’t seem to be breaking through at all. I flew back to Indigo’s basement, of which I started to panic.
“Indigo help!” I looked at her, my eyes filled with fear as I looked around, scanning a way out.
“Don’t worry” She walked to a corner of the room to the right. She looked at some sort of metal object and pressed a few numbers. A door suddenly appeared and it opened, revealing a hallway filled with lighting filled the whole way, of which I estimate to be 100 feet long.
“I got your back, James. Now go, before your hive notices you’re gone.” I looked back at her, before nodding.
“Can we meet again?” I ask the pegasus. She gave me a pat using her wing, before nodding back at me.
“Any time, James.” I looked at her, and chuckled at the response.
“How about tomorrow? 7 at night?” I asked, blushing as I thought it was weird to ask out a pony.
“Sure, why not?” She looked at me, before giving me one last hug before I go back. Her wings gave me so much warmth as I felt like I’m about to be overloaded.
“I felt like the luckiest changeling…” I closed my eyes as I responded, only to open and saw two more pegasi going through the “wall”
“I’m runnin’. See ya!” I released the embrace and flew my fastest to the end of the corridor.
“What have you done to our Indigo! Come back here you wasp!” One of the pegasus screamed out. It’s definitely a girl.
I got to the invisible wall of the other side of the corridor, flew through it and looked back. The two pegasi gave up the chase. I looked back and the semi-sphere was behind me. I sigh in relief as I made my way back to my hive.