//------------------------------// // CH 13 (closer to freedom) // Story: Accepting Change // by drFraud //------------------------------// Patchwork   Thicker chitin, stronger lungs and oxygenation, slightly improved reaction time and reflexes, stronger mana core, and improved shapeshifting. All the upgrades we were able to do in the span of two, hellish, horrible months. If it weren’t self-inflicted I would have thought that these ponies were torturing me. But no, I wanted this, wanted it so hard and White Light made absolutely sure that I was not only able to do it but that was also equipped to do it again should I need to. Thorough knowledge of various anatomy books as well as a medical book or two certainly helped matters. And of course, it was only reported within my purview. Not that I believed it fully, but it was the thought that counted. I was now sitting in the living room, going over my shapeshifting flame and trying to upgrade it. Normally the transformation starts from the bottom up, but that way is way too slow in my book and slightly impractical. I needed to shift in a flash or as close to that as I can get. In whole honesty, there is a reason why it takes a second or so to transform, normally, but I was a human; making something more efficient is part and parcel of our species. Incidentally, I also figured out how to cover myself in flames when I'm flying to improve my speed… and I also made a mess of the living room when I smashed my head on the ceiling. Note to self, learn to fly in tight spaces. Plucking and stringing my inner strings I made notes on which is which, again in English, rather than Equish. I still did not feel safe with others knowing stuff like this in detail. In either case, I noticed that a fairly large cluster is responsible for the ignition of the transformations. It would take me a bit longer than an hour to do this, but I did not have the time today. Shield Strike wanted me to go through a few mock tests to gauge my current level of knowledge and readiness for the actual test. They will hold it here, keeping the secrecy for as long as possible. I wasn’t looking forward to the written part, even with my memory, but I was really looking forward to the physical. —---------------------------------- “What exactly am I looking at?” I held what looked like a brick in my claws. And while I had a faint idea of what this is, it still confounded me that ponies managed to make it. “What does it look like, changeling? It’s a long-range communication device… We still don’t have a name for it, but we will figure something out.” Was Little Zap’s response as she was digging through her saddlebags. “I guessed that much,” I mumbled turning the device around in my claws. For all intents and purposes, the device looked like a bright pink brick, reminding me of the old-fashioned radio devices I used when I was a kid. It was made from a material I did not recognize but it felt like plastic and was light enough not to be immediately felt. On the front was a blue crystal-like screen, with six buttons underneath it (one green, one red, and four directional buttons), and an antenna protruding from the top. I raised my head to ask Zap why she brought this to me, when I spotted her on the other side of the room, with a similar-looking device in her hooves. Suddenly an awfully familiar ringtone came from the device. It wasn’t overly loud, but it was still loud enough that my ears pinned themselves against my head. Lifting the device, I noticed some text in Equish on the ‘screen’ saying ‘incoming call’. I let the device ring for a few seconds, mulling over the implications of what they created before I pressed the green button. I expected a voice to come out, but I did not expect Little Zap’s muzzle to show up on the screen. They jumped straight from a telephone to a video call. “Well,” came her smug voice from the device, “What do you think?” I had half a mind to chuck the damn thing at her head, but instead, I had to settle for being a jerk. “Considering you practically stole the idea; I’d say you did great,” I stated with a shit-eating grin. The sour look on her muzzle was the trumpet of victory far as I was concerned. “But in all honesty, Zap,” she put on a more neutral look now, “considering how complex the little thing is to make, you did great.” Now she wore a proud smile, showing off a row of pearly whites. “Thank you.” She giggled, “You have no idea how hard it was to jump from radio waves to this.” That kind of made me pause for a moment. ‘Radios? They have radios!?’, was my upset thought. “Hold on,” I gripped the phone copy tightly, “Why didn’t anyone tell me you guys have radios? I could have listened to some music by now!” I always enjoyed music, and I, perhaps rightfully, assumed that they had nothing close to even a gramophone. Let’s be honest, the show makes the portrayal of equestrian technology go all over the place. “Why wouldn’t we?” She asked, still looking through the communicator. “Just because we are technologically stunted unlike you humans, does not mean we are some backwater race of hillbillies. Even if some earth ponies act like it.” She muttered that last part, but this device has an amazing microphone as it was able to pick up her quiet ramble.  I turned off the device and flew over to her. Landing and giving her back the device, I scratched behind my head thinking something over. “So, when do you guys plan on making this widespread? Cause you guys just jumped several decades of technological advancements. You don’t even have satellites.” Little Zap put the devices In a pair of saddlebags she was carrying before turning back to me with a thoughtful look on her face. “I’m not sure.” She started, scratching her chin with a hoof. “To be fair, right now we can only connect two devices like this directly.” She sat down, biting her bottom lip worryingly. “As we stand, right now I have three pairs of these devices: one for the Princess and her Captain, one is back in the lab, and the other is here, as a thank you demonstration.” “Aw, thank you.” Was my quick intermission. “And while we don’t have satellites, I do have an idea on how we might be able to expand this. But right now, I’m thinking…” She lifted her hooves up, clacking and counting on the segmented parts of her hoof, “Another year, maybe two, before we can even consider mass production. Magiplast is easy to come by, so that’s not stopping us.” “Magiplast?” was my question, but I had an idea of what she was talking about. “The material the communicator is made out of. A by-product of unicorns working on gems. It’s very easy to make, and in decent quantities.” She said, matter-of-factly. “Huh.” Was my only reply. The fact that ponies were able to make something like this, and fairly easily, made me wonder why they haven’t done so before. They really dug themselves into a rut when it comes to technological stagnation it seems, but with magic involved it could be that I just couldn’t understand it correctly yet. After all, my current level of magical understanding is rather limited at the moment. “Anyway, I just came to demonstrate and, honestly, brag a little.” Zap got up and started walking away. Before she left however she turned around, “Thank you for your help, Patch. You have no idea what you did for ponykind. I talked to the Princess and the moment things go into production, you will get a portion of the sales and stocks. Consider it my thank you for helping me feel like my cutie mark means more than just fixing meager electronics.” The somber tone in her voice surprised me, as she rarely talked to me like an equal. I was even more surprised, as I thought that she was a technology expert. But then again in a place where radios are, to my current knowledge, the pinnacle of technology, it makes sense. “Hold on a second, what was that last part?!” I suddenly shouted. Little Zap however already left, and I was only just realizing my predicament. “I’m gonna be rich…” I whispered. “How the fuck did that happen?!”  —---------------------------------- I took a deep breath as I exited the cocoon for the third time since my arrival. Turning my head I saw my molted carapace swimming in the gel-like substance. Hooking my claws to the side I pulled myself free and into a wall of feathers. My safe/home. Some shadows approached and I hissed at them, provoking a hushing sound from the feathers. I gave the feathers a gentle chitter/click and a nuzzle, feeling myself more in control than last time. I felt the wall of feathers giggle while I tried to push myself as deep into its soft cover as I possibly could. I know who the feathers belonged to, and I was rather surprised that she is here in the first place, especially since I have told nobody about my third molt. Whatever the reason for it, she was here, and she was ready, with a nice towel that was gently cleaning me down. The reason I needed the cocooning was due to the changes I forced on my body. Or at least I am assuming that is the reason. Usually my molt/cocooning coincided with my growth spurts every six months, but this was one was unusually early, and I already felt much better physically than I did a week ago. I had a feeling in my gut that whatever changes I made were now properly settled down and taken care of. I was about to nap in my safe feathery fort when a flash of light interrupted it. I opened my eyes, spotting Torch Burst with a camera. I hacked a wad of resin at him gluing his hooves to the camera and his face. No one should disturb a nap after molting, it’s a stressful ordeal. Celestia giggled again and I settled down for a nap. It’s been a year and a half since I came to Equestria. In a few months, I will get my guard exam, and hopefully, by next year, I’ll be a guard. If nothing else, Celestia assured me that I will be able to leave this place. It is a home, but I want to see the world.   Chrysalis   Another piece of furniture was flying through the air as a result of my rage. It nearly hit one of the cretins that scuttled away as to not be the next target of my anger. Out of the corner of my eyes I spotted the messenger that brought me the latest report from Equestria. Growling and snarling, I picked her up with my powerful magic and dragged her on the floor until she was under my hooves. She attempted a resigned look on his face, but I could see her body quivering in fear. Good, perhaps she will remember not to fail me again. “Do tell, dear Mosca, why did you think it was a good idea to come back to my kingdom empty hooved?” “I didn’t, your highness.” She said between her chattering teeth. “The ponies gave us another six bottles of pure love. I thought…” She had a harder time finishing the sentence as I pressed her down with my magic, demonstrating my displeasure. “Six bottles of pure love is it, my dear?” I lifted her up until she was at eye level with me. “And how, exactly, do you intend to feed us all with measly six bottles of love, hmm?” Mosca was quiet for a second, but that was enough for me. I let go of my magic dropping her on the ground where she tried to scramble into a bow. “I’m sorry for my failure your Majesty…” she started, but I cut her off. “You may be sorry, but for all we know ponies poisoned this batch of love and are just waiting for us to keel over.” Dropping my head down to her level I raised her head slightly with my magic to look me in the eye. “You are lucky enough, my child that they have not, and that we are desperate for food in the first place, but such failure will not be tolerated in the future, are we clear?” I got a jerky nod as a response, and I let her go. Mosca gave a quick bow and immediately ran out of the throne room. “This is what they are doing to us, my children!” I raised my head so that all in the throne room could hear me. “The Equestrians are toying with us, forcing one of our own to do their bidding, while they send us scraps. What happens when they finally have us where they want us? At what point do we take this abuse? They are using our own lings, our own family to supposedly ‘help’ us.” Walking up and down the throne room, I could hear the mutterings of the swaying tide. “You need to remember, my children. The ponies are not our allies, they do not wish to help us. They want to do what they did to the other nations of this world: to weaken us until we have only but one option, to be their SLAVES! Or worse.” I whispered that last part, but only loud enough for others to hear. By the sound of other voices, I got their attention. Sitting back down on my throne I looked around the room, surrounded by my changeling supplicants. Time for the next part. “We have to stand strong against this test of our might.” Turning around I pointed my hoof at my commander. “Spine! I want you to organize my infiltrators, find your brothers that equestrians took. And bring us more ponies. We have more tricks up our sleeve than they think. The ponies will not out-maneuver us yet.” Carrion!” My vizir immediately jumped into a bow, “Take these bottles and give them to be tested and filtered. We will use this ‘generosity’ against the ponies.” Everyling else,” the rest of the changelings snapped at attention, “prepare yourselves. The ponies are issuing us a challenge and we will rise above it. We will not let them dictate the tempo of this battle. Dismissed!”  ... Sitting alone in the throne room, I have been rubbing at my temples for the last ten minutes, trying to alleviate this terrible headache. “These blasted idiots will be the death of me.” Celestia’s ability to find my lings and her offer of love may have fooled some of them, but I still had a firm hoof over these fools. I am still their queen, and I would not be denied. Rising up from the throne, I checked it over for cracks of any kind. The obsidian throne was enchanted to only let changeling magic be used in a large radius around my castle, and any cracks and imperfections are a threat to that enchantment. The ponies may think it’s an anti-magic field, but their stupidity is my success. Not spotting anything wrong with my throne I nodded to myself and walked out the room and towards my private bedroom. The ever-shifting walls of my castle were my only company aside from the occasional guard patrol that bowed low at the sight of me, giving reverence to their queen and mother, as they should. Occasional sobbing also reached my ears, but I have since grown deaf to it. Using my magic, I made a brief entrance to my room and entered the sparsely decorated area. The room only needed three things, a bed, a mirror, and a chest with my belongings. A giant, obsidian greatsword, with heavy enchantments, is leaned on the wall next to the bed, but I rarely used it. I preferred the personal touch of my magic. Plus, there wasn’t anything in the Badlands that could stand up to me and my might. Standing in front of the mirror I looked at my visage. What looked at was nothing short of a powerful being that proudly carried the title of Queen. And while my body carried the occasional scar from the few holes I had due to lack of food, my teal mane and tail were still untouched. The black chitin still shone with power and polish, and the blue-green midsection sparkled due to the efforts of early morning attention from the hoof-fillies. My dark green eyes occasionally sparked with power, as did my gnarled horn. A mark of just how powerful I have become over the centuries. I grabbed a brush from the nearby chest and started my evening brushing routine before bed. “They may be the death of me, but at least they are bringing something. I’ll need all the power I can get.” Putting the brush down, I admired myself in the mirror before going to bed. “After all, the time is drawing near. My sister will be coming soon, and I will join her when that blasted Princess of the Sun is finally defeated.” I laughed to myself letting the sleep finally take over. The sobbing at the back of my mind continued.