“What am I?” When I had fallen asleep after doing some more packing I had decided to try out the new creature I had unlocked. “Also where am I?”
It was dark and damp but I could still see. I could tell I hadn’t arrived around Ponyville but must have still be on the same planet, probably.
“Hey you.” A creature who looked just like me, black with wings and a horn and filled with holes approached. “Why are you partially disguised as a pony while inside the hive?” It took a moment to realize the voice wasn’t spoken aloud but in my mind. Wait it isn’t the only voice I can hear.
“Um, am I?” I tilted my head.
“Yeah bug brain.” The creature poked my flank. “You still have a cutie mark.” Sure enough My mark was still there.
“Hey don’t call me a bug brain.” I growled and bared my fangs with a hiss.
Instead of the other creature getting angry it laughed. “Nice to see you’re not a soft infiltrator, unlike drones.” He,she, it? I couldn’t tell the gender easily, It continued laughing as it walked past me wherever it was headed.
I shrugged off the strange encounter and thought about what was said. So apparently I’m a Changeling, never heard of those from Twilight’s books, and an Infiltrator at that.
As I walked around the hive I continued to learn more about my new situation thanks to the constant buzz in the back of my mind. It’s almost like the internet. I made sure to not share information about myself except for the bare minimum else it would have been bad.
Changelings could apparently sense emotions which we fed off of, along with shapeshift. I tried this out by turning my right forehooves into a hand. “Cool.” I changed it back and continued walking the hive and giving some aggressively friendly greetings to my fellow lings since that’s what they seemed to like.
What I really found myself enjoying was not having to learn names, they just kind of flowed into the front of my mind when looking at someling else. Picking up the lingo real fas, better be careful.
“Infiltrator four zero four, come to the throne room right now!” An authoritative female voice rang out in my head. Somehow I knew she was referring to me so I listened. Ha my changeling name is ‘not found’
Traveling through the hive was made particularly easy thanks to the hive mind directing me along with my newfound ability to fly and walk on walls.
When I arrived at the throne room I politely bowed before the queen, Chrysalis. “Yes my queen?” I casually asked, apparently I didn’t act scared enough and this surprised her along with the guards.
She buzzed her wings and slowly stepped off her throne to get closer to me. “Who are you?” She circled me while sniffing me.
I wasn’t repulsed by her actions and just tilted my head. One thing I had noticed was while other changelings had eye plates mine were the same as the queens, silted and more pony like.
“You’re connected to my hive mind and yet I can’t just pull information out of you. I don’t remember any of the females giving birth to someling like you either.” She spoke in a two tone voice that I found strangely alluring. Good to know she doesn’t birth every changeling like actual insect hives.
I noticed the guards had lowered their spears. Maybe I’ll get that fight after all. I smiled at the thought of finally getting some of my anger out, it wasn’t like I was going to kill anyling though. From what I gathered off the hive mind fighting was how they operated.
As I pondered this the queen turned away and started walking back towards her throne. “Guards throw him in the dungeon while I decide what to do with him.”
As they approached I yelled at her. “Do it yourself coward!”
Every changeling in the room went silent, even the buzz of the hive mind dimmed.
Chrysalis turned around ever so slowly. “What did you just say worm?”
I gave her a cocky smile and took a short step forward with each word until I was muzzle to muzzle with her. “Do. It. Yourself. Coward.” I then licked her cheek. Why the heck did I just do that?
She immediately fired off a blast of pure magic and I went flying into the back wall with a sticking crunch.
“Clean that mess up.” She dismissively waved her hoof and sat back on her throne.
“What mess your majesty?” A drone asked.
“The one I just made of four zero four.” She huffed at the idiot.
“There isn’t one.” The drone replied.
Chrysalis blinked slowly then rubbed her cheek where she had been licked. “Just who was that.” She mumbled to herself.
I awoke with a sharp intake of air and breathing deeply. I was getting used to this routine whenever I died. “Dang she’s strong, didn’t even get to actually fight.” I laughed a bit but also felt sad and frustrated. “Her reaction when I licked her was cute though.”
I checked my phone and noticed I still had a couple hours before my alarm, not that I had work. Today would be bringing my stuff to the farm then calling the realtor to start preparing to sell off my house.
“Going to be a long few weeks.” I fell back onto my pillow.
“Grr what is going on with the hive mind today.” After the incident in the throne room Chrysalis had returned to her bedchambers to scan the hive. She had found a disturbing gap in the minds of her citizens.
Quite a few of them had apparently seen four zero four but none of them could remember what he looked like or any other definite details. Even she could only remember vague information such as how he had licked her and changed her in the throne room. “Gah, what on Equis is wrong with me.”
She rolled back and fourth on her bed then had a startling realization. “A royal… it’s the only thing that makes sense. No ordinary changeling could survive that blast or hide themselves in the hive mind.”
She knew other hives were out there but they rarely had contact. For the first time in ages chrysalis stopped worrying about ponies but about her fellow Changelings.
Twilight was having a strange day. She had remembered something about the box given to her by the tree.
“Are ya sure there was another pony with us Twi?” Applejack asked while scratching her chin. She had been the first friend she was able to find after rushing out of the library.
“Yes. The only problem is I can’t even remember if it was a stallion or mare or what tribe they were. It’s like something took my memory of them.” Twilight groaned and a few other ponies glanced at the new princess as they walked through market street.
“I believe ya sugar it’s just I don’t even remember another pony being with us though that night was a strange one. For some reason I spent the whole party at the farmhouse until rarity found me.” Applejack passed over a few apples to the latest customer.
“Did you call darling?” Rarity, who had been shopping, walked over to the stall.
“Nah I was just telling Twilight about how you came and got me from the house on the day we found that box.” Applejack waved a hoof.
“Oh yes. Speaking of which you must tell me about your romantic encounter that day.” Both her friends gave Rarity a confused look. “With the pony you spent the day with instead of coming to the party?”
“Uh, Rarity I don’t remember spending the day with anypony.” Applejack made another sale but Cheerilee looked interested more in the gossip than the apples.
“Of course you did. Why…” Rarity tapped her chin. “Actually I can’t remember what they looked like.”
“Ah ha, see I’m not the only one.” Twilight’s friends looked at her. “There’s a mystery pony none of us can remember.”
“What mystery pony.” Pinkie gasped. “Did I throw them a party.” She mentally checked her records. “Phew, I did throw them a party.”
“Wait, Pinkie you know who these two are talking about?” Applejack paused until her recent customer coughed and she apologized and finished the sale.
“Nope.” Pinkie gave a Cheshire smile.
All her friends and even a few nosy ponies groaned.
When I finally woke up properly I quickly finished my morning routine and sent work an email. They knew I was taking time off but had requested exact dates of when I should be back. “I love my job but dang all companies are the same. Maybe I should quit here soon if I’m going to be working the farm.”
On one hand it felt like a waste of my degree but on the other it would be nice being my own boss. “Plus I have my new opportunity.” I pulled out my phone then sighed. Some things were going better but others weren’t.
On my phone was a text from my sister about the funeral arrangements and how she had finally gotten ahold of our youngest brother. “Great, still have to deal with this mess.”
I pocketed my phone and headed towards the front door to start the day.