Chapter One: Wake Up, Sleepyhead!
*BOOOOOOOOOOM*
My eyes jerked open at the sound of the massive explosion. Looking around, I realized I was trapped in a cocoon-type thing. I bucked and kicked until the cocoon split open with a wet tear. Naturally, gravity decided to take hold at this moment and I fell out of the cocoon with a splash. I stood up, shook myself off, and fluttered my wings. Wait, I have wings? Looking back, I saw a pair of holey, insectoid wings. Then it all came flooding back. I'm a Changeling. Chrysalis put us all into stasis as the bombs were falling. But wait, if I'm waking up, that must mean that all of my brothers and sisters are too.
"Hello? Anyone?" I called out with no response. Sighing, I walked away from the stasis chamber down the hallway. I found a hooflocker and tried to open it, to no avail. Trotting to the next one, I missed the small hole in the floor and almost fell through. I fluttered my wings and flew back into the storage area. I finally got to the second hooflocker and found that it was open. Peering inside, I found a set of leather armor. It was just my size. Then again, all female changelings are the same size except for the Queen. Leaving the rest of the lockers, I heard a groan and skittering from the next room.
"Brother!? Sister!?" I yelled frantically. Sprinting into the room, I saw the source of the skittering. A giant cockroach was crawling towards an Earth Pony mare. I recoiled in horror from the roach, until I noticed the mare was still breathing. Hoping I could save her, I leapt foward and smashed the suprisingly fragile bug with one of my hooves. The mare coughed and turned over. "Hello? Is there anything I can do to help you?" I asked.
"Med-X... left pocket of... my *cough* saddlebag... inject it in... my back leg," the mare rasped. I didn't know what 'Med-X' was, but sure enough there was only one needle in her left pocket. I pulled it out and jammed it into her hindleg. After a couple seconds she shuddered and got to her hooves. She opened another pocket on her saddlebags and pulled out a glass bottle with a bright purple liquid in it. She pulled the top off with her teeth and downed the bottle with two gulps. "Ahh, much better. Thanks... AAAAAAAAAA!" she retreated into a corner after she saw me. "What are you!?"
"A changeling," I replied flatly. "The one who injected you with the Med-X?" She raised an eyebrow at me and tossed the empty bottle away.
"Huh, that's a new one. I thought they were all extinct." She responded. My eyes grew wide with fear.
"Extinct!?" I cried. I drooped my head, holding back a sob. How could my kind be extinct? We're one of the most resilient races on Equis. I laid down and bawled into my hooves. I was alone when I first woke up and now I know why. I felt a hoof on the back of my head.
"Hey, it's alright. I'm sure you're not the only one left. There's bound to be more out there somewhere." She cooed while rubbing the back of my head. I gave her my best Changeling smile and wiped my eyes. I finally got a good look at the mare. She had bright green eyes, a wicked scar above her right eye, and a shortly cropped purple mane. Her fur was a dull white that was pockmarked with bloodstains, dirt, and grime.
"So, I never got your name." I spoke while sniffling. "Mine's Vice Versa."
"Rose," she offered a hoof. I bumped it. "Don't ask, please." She chuckled.
"How'd you get that scar?" I inquired. She rubbed the back of her hoof against the scar. She took a deep breath then sighed.
"It's a long story, you got time for it?" she asked. I nodded. "Alright, It was about four years ago, I was hunting up by Zebra lands, when outta no where this invisible lizard thing attacks me. I backed away just in time and narrowly avoided losing my head," she gestured to the scar. "Bastard cut me up good. Nearly got me too, but then some zebra shows up and kicks the crap outta the thing with some fancy kung-fu stuff. He gave me some healing bandages and just left. Never said a word to me." She sighed and rubbed her scar again.
"That's a pretty cool story," I replied. She smiled at me.
"So, why didn't you attack me? I always figured that Changelings hated ponies." She asked. I winced a little and sighed.
"According to my superiors, I have something called 'empathy sickness'. Changelings aren't supposed to feel emotions, seeing as we feed on them. I was in and out of prison until the day the bombs fell." I adjusted my armor. She gasped. Being very uncomfortable discussing this, I changed topics quickly. "So, what was that giant roach thing?" I asked.
"You've never seen a Radroach before?" She asked flatly. I shook my head.
"Remember, I've been in stasis for 200 years." I responded.
"Right, I got just the thing for ya." She began digging through her saddlebags until she spit a book out in front of me.
"The Wasteland Survival Guide by Ditzy Doo." I announced "First copy free for every family," I added, after reading the bottom. "What's a wasteland?" She facehoofed.
* ** ** ** *
After about three hours, I finally finished the book and slammed it shut. Rose had apparently been nodding off because she jumped a foot in the air.
"All done! It seems I've missed a lot in the last 200 years," I said. She just gaped at me. "What? A Changeling in stasis can last as long as a millenium. The last thing I remember was being put in my chamber when the bombs were going off."
"Wow, that's crazy. Why'd you wake up?" She asked.
"I dunno, I heard a huge explosion and my pod deactivated." I replied.
"Heh, that was my fault, she said sheepishly. "I was trying to blast my way through a cave wall and I must have hit a gas line or something."
"What were you trying to get into?" I inquired.
"Just a supply cache on the surface. I think I might have crossed a wire or something because it blew up and I ended up down here. Demolitions was never my strong suit." She began digging through her saddlebags again after putting The Wasteland Survival Guide back and pulled out a bottle. "Sparkle Cola?" she offered. I took it in my magic and looked at it a bit hesistantly. "Something wrong?" she asked as she pulled one out for herself.
"I've never had this before," I responded a bit sheepishly. She gasped.
"You don't know what you're missing," she said in a singsong voice as she twisted the cap off of her Cola. I opened mine and took a test sip. I was pretty good, a bit carroty for my tastes, but then again, love is the only thing I've ever had.
"Not bad," I said, taking another sip. She giggled. "So, where to now?" Her eyes widened.
"Oh, horseapples. I gotta get back home!" she exclaimed.
"Why? What's wrong?" I asked, a bit worried for my safety.
"I was supposed to be home hours ago! Oh, I'm so dead." She whined
"You're dead?" I got into a combative stance. "Who's going to kill you?" I looked around the room. She facehoofed again.
"It's a metaphor, meaning I'm in a lot of trouble when I get home." she spoke matter-of-factly. I laid back down. She giggled again. "If we're gonna go back, we- I mean you'll need a disguise and a backstory." I thought for a moment.
Pegasus, mare. My horn lit up and surrounded me in a green light. Blue coat, dark blue mane, pink eyes. The glow began to subside and features took shape. Slowly, my body changed into that of the pony I was describing. I opened my eyes and found Rose gaping at me. I giggled at her. "Careful, a radroach might fly in." She laughed.
"You don't have a Cutie Mark," she said while pointing at my flank.
"I haven't thought of one yet, duh," I replied. I thought about my Cutie Mark. What do I want it to be? I got it! I focused my magic and my flanks were suddenly decorated with a fancy camera.
"Cameras? That's a weird cutie mark for the wasteland," Rose said.
"It fits my pegasus name doesn't it?" I asked. "Flash," I announced while gesturing to something in the distance. She tried to see what I was pointed at until I pushed her over. "We should get going."
"Right, of course," she said while securing her saddlebags. We exited the room and started looking for a way out.
* ** ** ** *
After about an hour of fruitless exploring, we came to a huge room that went up several stories. Caves were all throughout the room, and went off in practically every direction. A massive throne sat in the center that was richly decorated with diamond gems. I realized that I recognized this room. I fell to my haunches.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked.
"This is the Queen's Chamber. It's where she went over the plan for the Invasion of Canterlot. It's also where she ordered Mass Recall." I whispered.
"Mass Recall?" she inquired. I rubbed my hoof on the throne.
"When the bombs started falling, our agents near Cloudsdayle sent word to Queen Chrysalis and she relayed the order for Mass Recall to all Changelings able to get back. Once we got here, we were put into stasis. That's pretty much all I remember. Of course, I hardly left the Hive." I got back up and went around to the back of the throne. "Ah ha, I always knew she kept it here." I grabbed the Starblaster with my mouth and showed it off to Rose. She gasped when she saw it.
"Chrysalis had a Starblaster!?" She yelled. "Those things are crazy powerful."
"I saw it once when Celestia counterattacked several months after the invasion. The Princess was almost killed by it. She ordered a full retreat after that. We lived in relative peace until Judgement Day." I tucked the Starblaster and several boxes of ammo into a pocket on my armor. "I think I know the way out," I announced to Rose. We walked through a rather large hallway until we came to a large set of double doors. "This is it." I spoke while pushing on the door. "Gimme a hand here, will you?" I grunted to Rose.
"Uhh, sure," she replied and took up a spot on the other door. After a couple minutes of pushing the doors finally separated and we were greeted by the gloomy atmosphere of the border between Equestria and the Badlands. "Follow me. It should be about an hour's trot." Rose called out to me.
* ** ** ** *
The trip back to Rose's village was mostly uneventful, save for one encounter with a Radhog. She skinned the beast and put the meat into several plastic bags. I licked my lips, remembering the delicious taste of bacon. "Not much further now, a couple minutes at most." Rose nickered.
We came to a gate that was about four ponylengths tall. It was mostly made of old scrap, the same as the rest of the wall. The guard, taking notice of us, piped up and yelled down to us.
"Halt! What is your business with Acropolis?"
"It's me, Hardaim," Rose replied in a bored tone.
"Rose? Shit girl, your folks have been out of their minds with worry! You better get your keister inside. Wait, who's your friend?" Hardaim questioned.
"My name's Flash. I helped Rose out of a jam," I called back.
"Oh, well I suppose any friend of Rose's is a friend of mine. Go on in." He pulled a lever on the other side and the gate rolled apart with a slight squeal. We trotted in and I trailed her to a house on the other side of the compound. Her house was magnificent, for a 200 year-old wreck. All of the rubble was cleared away and the house was painted a bright blue. Rose cleared her throat and I followed her inside.
She cautiously opened the door and was immediately tackled by an older unicorn mare with a red coat and a magenta mane and pegasus stallion with a bright green mane and coat. The unicorn's cutie mark was a pair of scizzors cutting blue fabric and the pegasus's cutie mark was a blackened cloud and lightning bolt.
"Oh honey! We were so worried! What happened?" the older mare whinnied between kisses.
"I was wiring up some explosives when they went off. I was almost eaten by a Radroach," she admitted. "But Flash here saved me!" She beamed while gesturing to me. I was about to say that it wasn't any trouble, (it really wasn't) when Rose's mom tackle-hugged me.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you so much!" For such a skinny mare, she had an iron-grip hug.
"Can't... breathe..." I rasped.
"Oops, sorry dearie. I"m just glad that my baby is alright." her mom let go and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Rose just rolled her eyes. I gasped for breath.
"So, I never got your names." I said while rubbing my wounded ribs.
"I'm Rhubarb, and this is my husband Striker," the older mare said kindly.
"Charmed," Striker said in a surprisingly deep voice. He held out a hoof and I bumped it. He noticed my cutie mark. "That's a strange cutie mark, you a photographer?" He asked.
"I am- er, was. My village was attacked by a pair of Hellhounds. Only myself and my sister survived." I said while trying to cry.
"Oh you poor dear," Rhubarb cooed while rubbing the back of my head.
"Well, it's late. We all should be getting to bed," Rose voiced while supressing a yawn. Whew, saved by the mare.
"Alright, g'night girls!" Rhubarb called to us as we walked upstairs. We arrived in Rose's room and she shook off her saddlebags. She took out the Radhog meat and put it into a refrigerator.
"Uh. I can't maintain my disguise while sleeping. Any place out of the way I can crash?" I asked. She pointed up. I looked up and saw that the roof was covered with rafters crossing the length of the room. I took off my armor and put it down in a corner. "Good night," I called down to her while flying up to the rafters.
"Good night," she replied while covering up. I found a nice spot in the corner of the room. I stretched and shed my guise. Laying down, I was asleep in moments.
(A/N)
Level Progress: 50%
Changeling: You have the ability to select from a set of Sub-Perks based on your current cutie mark.
Current Sub-Perk: Papparazi: You know just how to get all of those incriminating photos for your magazine, as well as talking your way out of sticky situations when caught. +10 to Sneak and Speech