//------------------------------// // A choice[SR] // Story: Shifting Priorities // by FaelaArts //------------------------------// Changeling number 666 donned his disguise as he left the house, not bothering to lock the door. Some ponies greeted him, but he ignored all as he headed for the location of his queen. Surprisingly, she was in the middle of town. All he had to do was go around one corner and- “Skid!” her blinked and turned to face the 5 mares coming toward him. He wondered where the yellow one was, but then she had been gravely injured, she wouldn’t make it; another pro for his queen. He shook his head, returning to his character and greeting them all with a gentle smile. “Hello Dash, Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity; were you looking for me?” Twilight’s eyes narrowed and she took a step towards him. “I believe you have something you want to tell us?” He turned his gaze to her, and his eyes narrowed in response. “What exactly do you want me to say Twilight that would make any of this better? I cannot change who I am!” The other four looked between them, confused looks and Twilight pointed at him. “He’s a changeling; he has been all this time!” The others gasped and suddenly they were all suspicious of him. He sighed, closing his eyes, he had no time or patience for this, his queen was waiting. “Yeah I am, but how does that change what transpired over these days? I didn’t tell a single lie, I only omitted truths.” They blinked, and all bar Twilight took a step back. He made to turn away, when suddenly something tackled him to the ground, dragging him past the building and into the sight of the main circle. “Hold on a second…Buster?” He pulled himself up as Rainbow Dash saw what he had been heading towards. The changeling force turned, and Queen Chrysalis turned and laughed at her luck. “There you are my lovely loyal recruit. I was wondering what had held you up; you were bringing my present straight to me.” Skid bowed and nodded once. “Yes, My Liege.” The others pulled around the corner and formed a protective circle, Twilight’s gaze switching between Skid and Chrysalis. “You betrayed us!” He flinched slightly before he connected more strongly with the hive mind and straightened back up. “How could I betray something I could never truly have?” he asked her. As he walked to join his brothers, he never heard her answer. Turning around as his Queen passed to inspect the ponies in front of her, she mocked them. “If you couldn’t even defeat my subjects, how do you hope to defeat me?” Twilight stamped her hoof, and the others back her up. “Celestia will come, and without Shining Armour love you won’t stand against her!” His Queen’s laughter filled the air, and all subject but him joined in chorus. He still had his eyes on the ponies, he knew they were resourceful. “And how long do you think it will take for her to come all the way from Saddle Arabia?” his Queen mocked. Skid saw Twilight blink in shock, seems his Queen knew something they didn’t. “We-We can still fight! Come on girls!” Twilight began to cast a spell, but Chrysalis meetly gave her horn a gentle thwack and Twilight collapsed to the ground, horns tended to be fragile during spell casting, even he knew that. Rainbow Dash tried to kick her from the side, and she merely gazed at her as she continued to punch the rock hard shell that protected the Queen. Rarity caught Rainbow Dash as he was flung away by Brute, who had been nearby waiting for the chance to strike. That left Applejack, the most level-headed one of the bunch. She simple turned her gaze toward him, and sighed sadly. “Ah give up.” Skid blinked in surprise, Twilight and the other turned their heads and blinked, Chrysalis merely grinned in victory as the four mares and Skid said. “What!?” the mare simple sat down and gazed straight at him. “Ah give up, isn’t that what you wanted?” He blinked what he wanted? He almost replied when the hive mind once again rose and he blinked, and was once again simple another one of the hive. If he had been aware, he would have seen the sad glance Applejack gave him, before glancing to the others, who all frowned but followed Applejack’s lead. Chrysalis had won; she tied up the five ponies and began preparing the cocoons for them to sleep in. Skid expected to be placed on the guards guarding the five, but instead he was tasked with staying close to his Queen as she oversaw the conquering of Ponyville. “I was once just like you Skid” she began, getting his undivided attention as he distanced himself from the hive mind slightly so he would be able to reply properly. “I assumed ponies could care for our race too, but when it came to the punch they abandoned me, just as those six did to you. Speaking of six, where is the last one of them, the yellow one?” He frowned, why didn’t she remember? He discarded it and replied as he always had done. “She is at the hospital recovering from injuries My liege.” She mused for a moment and gently tapped him before motioning in the direction of the hospital. “Go and capture her and bring her to stay with the others.” He bowed, and flickered his wings and prepared for takeoff. “Yes, at once My liege.” As he was about to take off she spoke one last sentence that made him pause. “Oh and Skid, you’ve made the hive proud. One day you may even be running it.” She seemed to be joking about the last part, but even he had to admit things were looking up for him. He was no longer just a simple infantry; he was going to be a captain, and who knows? Maybe one day he could be King. As he flew toward the hospital he didn’t even notice he passed five depressed mares, holding onto a scrap of hope that was slowly fading. “Room 45” he spoke to himself, opening the door and entering the abandoned hospital. Most of the people were evacuated, but the higher floors were still untouched as they had to do it in secrecy and that meant Fluttershy would still be there. As he opened the door she saw him and her fearful eyes turned into evident relief. As he came over he saw she was well enough to be moved, but she would not be capable of moving. “O-Oh my Skid it is good to see you, W-Where are we going?” He glanced to her and felt a small pang of guilt, no one had told her. “Forgive me Fluttershy, but I am simply following orders.” Before she could try to understand what he meant, he transformed in front of her and her eyes widened in horror at the fact her saviour had been a changeling all along. He slowly unstrapped her from the bed and gently picked her up bridal style, standing on two feet and changing back in one movement. With careful precision he walked toward the window and after carefully weaving most of himself outside he jumped out and took to the sky before he started falling. He glanced down to her, seeing her shivering in fear, at him. He raised his head, and made a beeline for the place the others were being kept only to realise they were being ferreted into the clearing where he had just stood beside Chrysalis not that long ago. Coming to a landing on two feet was hard, but he managed to do it with only minor discomfort to Fluttershy, she whimpered and Dash tried to come to her aid, even when held back by too many changelings to count. “LET HER GO YOU BASTARD!” His ear flicked once in response, and he brought Fluttershy over to the others and gently placed her down and stepped back. They knew she wasn’t going anywhere, so they only lightly bound her. He turned and bowed to the Queen. “Just in time Skid, it’s time for your next assignment.” He glanced to Twilight as five changelings dragged her away from the others kicking and screaming to stand in front of him and Chrysalis. Their eyes met, and he looked to his Queen. “We have won a battle, but to win a war we need to bite the head that feeds their race, Celestia.” Twilight growled, “You won’t get away with this!” Chrysalis chuckled and lent down and cupped Twilight head in the ankle of her hoof. “My dear, I already have.” Twilight’s eyes held a fierce determination to hold out until the end, but even her eyes dimmed as she glanced toward Skid. “Skid, your new job is to drain Twilight Sparkles essence so you can fully become her and fool that pathetic queen into putting her guard down so we may rule over the land.” With a gentle hoof, she connected their two horns so he could begin the process, and stepped back. The world faded around him. He didn’t see the four ponies crying out for him not to do it, and the quiet one cry in fear and hopelessness. He didn’t see the changelings step back from him, and crowd around the queen for protection. All he saw was her eyes, still holding onto a slight hope he wouldn’t do this. “I’m sorry Twilight, orders are orders” he said sincerely, and her eyes filled with tears and she opened her mouth to speak. “I’m sorry Skid; I shouldn’t have been so judgemental just because you were a changeling. Maybe things might have been different.” He flinched, and only self control kept him from jerking away completely. She closed her eyes, and a single tear dropped as she prepared for the end. Skid gazed at her, and knew he had a choice. “I’m sorry” he spoke.