//------------------------------// // Defeat // Story: A Changeling's Heart // by BlueHeartTattoo //------------------------------// Everything had started so hazy. My eyes had trouble opening at first; my lids felt heavy, and my vision blurry. Unfortunately, it led to a minor headache which seems to be distracting me from my surroundings. All I can pinpoint from that moment was the familiar sound of buzzing wings and the warmth of the dry, desert air—which led me to believe that I was back home. But something had felt different. Finally, my vision starts to clear, and I took advantage on what was around me. Turns out I was back home to the Changeling Kingdom--- but I wasn’t alone, and we are very much far away from our dens. Numerous of changelings—practically our entire army—had been woken up as dazed and confused as I am. All around me, each one of us either checked on each other for injuries of some kind or reason and wander around the desert that surrounded our kingdom in a very idly fashion. It doesn’t make any sense. Why were we lodging around the sand like worms when we should’ve been preparing for--- The invasion. Now I remember. The plot to kill Nameless. The invasion to overrule Equestria. The whole battle with the Bearers of Harmony and their allies, including that traitorous Discord. And the bright pink flash that sent the entire Changeling Army—myself included—far from the battle. That would explain the headache I’d experience upon waking up. But where’s the queen, I pondered confused. She must’ve been blasted away with us but looking through the sandy dunes and the crowd of changelings looking idly lost, she doesn’t seem to be anywhere. To me, it wasn’t a good sign. “Gypsum!” I quickly recognized the owner of the voice which has been calling to me. I turn to see Nabis running towards me with worry before kneeling down to my eye level. “Are you alright?” “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on?” I asked so that he could filled me in what happened after the magical impact. He had told exactly as I expected it had happened, but there was one question that wasn’t addressed yet. But after an unfortunate pause, Nabis can only reply with uncertainty, “We don’t know. But the General sent scout to Equestria to get answers.” “Have they come back yet?” Nabis could only shake his head. Just for a moment after, the changelings started walking away from the area and towards west, in which Nabis was quick to response, “The General’s leading the colony back to Kingdom. We better catch up to them.” With that, Nabis helped me up from the ground and lean by me closely as I felt my legs barely trying to stand on my own. Nabis had always been gentle and a bit more rational compared to the other changelings in our pack, which made them see him as unusual. As I still think of him as an annoyance, having him assigned to me at the General’s request, I won’t deny that his sensibility is somewhat useful on a few times during the plot to invade Equestria. It even reminded me of the times back when we were younglings, back when I was nothing but a naïve, strong-willed trainee who serve under the Queen when … When it came to a certain prisoner… In an instant, I shook that memory away before I can think of the pleasure of reliving it. It was a long walk before we saw the sharp outlines of the castle in the distance and bit more reaching to the cave that led to the village that lie underneath the presence of the grand yet daunting palace. All of residents, soldiers included, were ordered to stay within the boundaries of the village before the scout will come with news in regards of their queen and the results of their defeat. Defeat. I barely hold that word in process as I took everything else in. We had lost a great battle we’d work so hard and carefully to make sure our Queen’s plan would succeed. It was hard for me to take it in as I was a very strong-willed mare and I believe that, given the right opportunity, we would rise up to take advantage of our current situation to become stronger. The Queen is just as determined as well, so I believe all will be well when she arrives back to her throne. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The wait for the news had been longer than the kingdom expected. A month, if I remember correctly. Within the first week, the yearning hunger within us was hard to tolerate as we didn’t think on how to survive when we are to stay in quarantine. There wasn’t another civilization miles from us and with our recent defeat, it would be unwise trying to eat from them again, lest we want to be captured—or possibly worst. With the General’s warnings, we could send but a few--less than 4--to venture out of the kingdom and bring back enough substance that would satisfy our hunger for only a day or two. What usually came isn’t enough to feast on a whole day, as they had come from animalistic creatures that aren’t as intelligent or emotional as ponies are. But still, we all could save sparingly with what we had, which came with many struggles. Though it was just for a month, the wait had been internal. It is so that almost all of us were starting to feel either antsy from the confines within our space or idly losing all hope of a future return to the surface. The hunger from the many half-fulfilled meals didn’t really help as well. From the circumstance we stand in now, fear began reaching to our minds, telling us stories of lies and assumptions that would make us think that maybe the scouts are coming, maybe our queen will never return….and we are all left to die. I never cared to such thoughts, but even then, I could still feel its eerie presence lurking around me. Even within my dreams, I could sense it, coming to dimmish me and the hope for a uprising to reclaim our glory once again. But then it happened. Within the distance, a fellow village solider had spotted 3 small dots in the sky. Figures of the scouts the General had sent so long ago. The solider was practically in hysterics as he screams and shouts as to announce their arrival. It was as if he had felt our relief and joy at this sight, which made us all really anxious for the news of our Queen. But that joy diminished as soon as the exhausted scouts land to the ground crestfallen. The General made his way to the front of crowd, meeting the scouts concerned. “Well?” The General asked, “What news do you bring?” Out of the three of them, only one felt obliged to speak, “Equestria has been recovered from our attack. The prisoner, Nameless, had been relieved somehow and news from the ponies say that she will be reunited with her element in due time. Within a year or so.” The changelings had expressed confusion on what had happened to the pony who they assumed dead, with the exception for Nabis, The General, and myself. We knew from this that the sleeping death spell Chrysalis has placed upon Nameless had been broken, with a true love’s kiss from Discord no doubt. As surprising it was to think he had somehow escaped punishment from the princesses, I was caught myself stupid as I did not believe that she will be awaken--- well, except for Nabis. Oh, that fool must be beaming himself proud by now. “And… of the Queen?” General probed, anxiously to find some light news in all of this. A pause along with a pained stammer from the scout made us think of the worse. “It appears that… from the magic of the element had kept our Queen at bay and….” The other scout behind him reluctantly shows the General and the crowd the broken shambles of stone, which held details of her armored shoes and her crown. I realized then, with great horrors, that my fears that I had pushed aside with ignorance was coming true. The scout finished, “….Our queen… is dead.”