//------------------------------// // Chapter 02 // Story: To Be a Changeling // by PlagueRat //------------------------------// He was silently watching, while he clung to the mane atop the large insectile horse’s head, as each new grub was being cared for. One at a time the other larva had been cleaned upon hatching, feed a regurgitated meal and now crawled around at the hooves of his perch. Slowly they wormed up the larger creature, giving off an occasional little hiss before finding a resting place in one of the many holes in her legs. This didn’t seem to bother the creature in the slightest, if anything, he somehow could sense she was pleased. The fact that he knew what she might be feeling just made him even more confused on top of everything else. Okay, just what was going on? His little white ears rotating backward as he questioned himself. None of this feels right. I feel like… like… I feel like I’m missing something. I just can’t figure out what that something is... I’m not supposed to be a… a… whatever I am. Am I? The two smaller caretaker insect creatures approached and started talking to the larger one. He had no idea what they were discussing and every word they said seemed just beyond his understanding. Both of the caretakers bowed down to the larger one and then trotted over to a blanket that was draped over a large hole in the cave wall. One of their horns glowed a with a soft green light, then a similar glow seemed to grip the bottom corner of the blanket and lift it up. He got a brief view of a dark tunnel and the figure of yet another one of the creatures standing just outside the cavern. That one was a little smaller than the two that just left and oddly enough, looked like it had some kind of helmet on that was shaded close to a royal blue. Once the doorway was covered up again the large creature with the long mane surveyed the room while saying something to herself. After finishing her scan, she then trotted over to a large patch of green moss and gently lowered herself to the floor, carefully resting her limbs out to the side of her body as not to crush any of the little grubs that nested in her legs. She started to softly hum to herself, or maybe she was humming to the grubs. Her long crooked horn started to glow green and then he felt himself being lifted by some unseen force once again. With care he was slowly lowered and placed between her two front legs. Turning to look up at her, he couldn’t help but notice the smile on her muzzle as she looked back down at him. While continuing to hum her tune, she lowered her head down, her long hair surrounding him like a curtain, before she gently nuzzled her cheek against him. At first he tensed up at her touch, but then a feeling washed over him. That same feeling that he felt so many times before he hatched, telling him to calm down and that he was safe. He relaxed and found himself nuzzling her back. Her body wasn’t covered in a hard unyielding exoskeleton but instead it felt like she had more of a thick skin, covered in warm soft peach fuzz fur. Her head lifted and she gently started to stroke along his back with her hoof, he could sense a happiness radiate from her. She’s treating me so nice, I wonder who she is. He thought while looking up at her. And she’s so different but also beautiful. Should I try to talk to her? Will she understand me? Can she tell me what I am? I’ve got so many questions… He opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure what to say. The creature looming above tilted her head a little to the side and regarded him curiously. When he opened his mouth again and attempted to at least say “hello” all that came out was his long forked tongue and a hiss. He closed his mouth quickly, almost biting his tongue, shocked at the noise he made. That didn’t seem to bother her though and she glanced around herself, checking the other grubs. They all seemed to be sleeping now. She looked back down at him and then said something. After a moment of silence, her looking down at him and him looking back up at her, she said the same thing again. Okay, she is trying to talk to me. He thought. It sounded like she repeated what she said. Maybe she is asking me something… Maybe she asking if I’m comfortable. Should I just nod? I’ll just nod. He nodded his head up at her. She stuck out her bottom lip a little, once again checked over the other sleeping grubs and then said something to him. After a pause he nodded again. The creature smirked, closed her eyes, and then a lump visibly traveled up her throat. His eyes grew to the size of plates as she held out another pink globule on her long tongue to him. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no! He was internally freaking out. She was asking if I was hungry! Will she get mad if I don’t eat it? Wait… Did my stomach just growl? Oh god… should I be worried that the smell of it is making me hungry?! Now she is giving me a concerned look. It’s not like it tasted bad… It tasted good really. Am I really about to eat that again? Am I supposed to be eating that? He opened his mouth tentatively, some faint part of his brain screaming at him not to. He watched her smile return and then the “meal” rolled off her tongue and fell. A small part of him felt disgusted as he caught the ball of slime out of the air, but then he tasted it and the rest of him no longer cared. Again her hoof stroked over his back a few times while she hummed to him. After he finished eating she rested her head down against one of her front legs. Her long hair blanketed over him as she closed her pretty green eyes. Laying there silently, peeking out from under her mane, he just listened peacefully to her slowly breathing before falling asleep.