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// The Attack [R] 
// Story: Shifting Priorities 
// by FaelaArts 
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Spawn number: 666
Name: Skid

These were the two things that defined him. Due to the vast number of his kind under the command of their Queen, his Liège, she referred to them in the order they had spawned in. It was understandable, it allowed her to both remove any personal attachment to her soldiers, and greatly reduced the amount she had to say. After all she could simply say two numbers, instead of a string of names.

‘Spawns 405-718; are you ready for your one moment to shine in the history books?' That included him, so he joined his brothers as they silently saluted their queen and answered in unison.

'Yes, My Liege' they all spoke, their voices a mixture of thoughts that sprung to their minds as they tried to stay official about the process. Skid understood the problems with that; it was hard to keep up a sense of identity amidst a thousand others while at the same time keeping yourself quiet enough they could obey their queen when ordered. It could be considered a hive mind, but they were each their own changeling outside of the link. The only time they ever connected like this was for when there was an emergency, or an invasion. He realised his thoughts had trailed off, and the link had grown distant, so he quickly refocused on his queen. He tried to blank his thoughts, and succeeded for the most part, probably from years of experience. In his mind, he was a loyal soldier and nothing more, who he was or what he felt didn't factor into the equation. 

'Before we go; I believe all you loyal to me deserve a little desert from this imbecile of a Unicorn I have fooled.' Skid felt a wave of emotion cross through their mental links, equally distributed among the hundreds of changelings. As he felt himself enjoy the rare taste of love, he felt his second heart quicken as its power grew. He didn't know much about his hearts, only that his second one stored the love his liege game him, enough to keep them from going hungry, but not enough to keep them strong. Skid assumed it was to stop a novice changeling jumping the gun and getting killed. After all, who would go challenge a Hippogriff or Gryphon if they barely had the energy for anything other than walking around and the occasional spar with the other changelings to keep them fit. He felt strong and ready to attack Canterlot and take it for his own. They would feast, and then send the love to their queen who would store it for them, so they never starved. Glancing around, he felt a few who would ferry a small amount in their second hearts to make sure they had a little backup. Skid wasn't one of them; it wasn't his place to decide if he deserved strength. His job was to simply follow orders, and they were simple. 

'The element bearers are heading for you 405-718, be ready to fight them back, they cannot reach those stupid trinkets!' They all responded, and the chaos that was the Canterlot attack began. Skid and his cohorts smashed away at the shell that remained of the shield from the Unicorn Chrysalis had sucked dry. After a few attempts, it shattered under their assault and they dived toward the city, spreading out to do their tasks. He saw one group land and begin trying to devour the civilians, he saw two ponies still unaware bartering over some fish, and he saw the element bearers looking up at them, and preparing for a fight. As Skid fell, he turned his attention to the two ponies, an amused smile fluttering over his face as the pony selling it declined the deal, leaving the other pony in dismay. He turned away shortly after as they became aware of the changelings attacking around them. He focused on his task, taking down the element bearers. One by one the forces around him landed, and they gazed at the six ponies they had surrounded. The rainbow one tried to attack first, and blinked in shock as one of them changed into her, right down to the beady little eyes. As they began to change into one of the six ponies in front, Skid felt a smile upon his face. It was more of a smirk but it felt good being powerful for once. They faced off, neither one moving for a moment, and then as a sounds was heard from some distance away, a cry for help, they all sprung into action. Skid dodged a blow from the white one, transforming into the yellow one and forming with the group to take down another yellow one. However she turned out as a changeling so they separated and he found himself face to face with a pink pony as the others dealt with a purple unicorn firing spells off, and a rainbow mare kicking their light out. One of his co-workers; a bully who had been at his neck since he had spawned, mocked him through the link. Skid didn't think it would surprise anyone to know his name was Brute, but it was irreverent in the long run what his name was.

'Careful Skid, Don't want to mess up transforming or sliding on a banana peel.' A few of the other chortled at the comment, and Skid's pride burned. Once upon a time he had trouble transforming once while doing the obstacle course, designed to toughen up Changelings. While a whack to the head would cause most changelings to lose their disguise completely, Skid had managed to hold some sort of oozing half pony half changeling shape as he spread around the course. When he glanced away to see what they were laughing at, he failed to notice one of them had put a banana peel on the track. He hadn't noticed it until he slipped, and he skidded to a stop in front of the commander in charge of supervising training. They have called him Skid ever since. His eyes narrowed, he had trained hard since then, and even now he could do what most changelings could not. He could keep up his form even when hit in the head, and he was quite adept as shifting quickly to suit the situation. Skid stood in front of the pink pony, and demonstrated his skills to any changelings watching while he waited for the right chance to strike. Imagine his surprise when the pony seemed to relax and squeal in delight. 

"Ooh do me do me!" Skid frowned, and rolled his eyes and stood on two feet as he transformed, making a ‘tada' pose as he waited for her to say how perfect his disguise was. She paused, and then brushed him off, wounding his pride as a changeling and earning him more laughs in one simple move. 

"Eh… I've seen better" and saying that, she pulled her purple friend up to face him, and their eyes locked for a moment, her determination clear as day, before she closed her eyes and Pinkie pulled her tail down as if she was a gun and he was the target. His eyes widened in shock, and he felt himself fly backward from the force of the spell, his illusion fading as if it was paper, and the spell was flame. Skid landed, hard and winded over a nearby railing, snapping it and making him fall down to the streets below. He layed there for a moment; gasping for breath before he managed to pull himself up, his wings flickering in immense annoyance. Jeers and laughter filled his mind as his spawn member, especially Brute, laughed at him skidding to a stop once more, as they put it. He was never going to live this down, but as he was about to fly up and join his brothers he noticed them flying in all directions, and the six ponies heading back toward the building his queen was in, and he blinked in shock. Did this mean they had the elements, or that they couldn't get past their forces? He glanced toward where the elements were and saw an army of changelings smirking in the distance and smiled, settling back on the pavement to take a moment to recover from the blow the spell had given him. He didn't notice the fall of Celestia, nor the two lovebirds reuniting and trying to cast the shield together. However, turning his head and feeling a blush on his face, as their spell took effect he felt their love for each other as such a strong force, he fell immobile under its power. He was unable to defend himself as the pink shield caught him, far away from the other changelings who were also being pushed away, and sent him spiralling through the air, severing the link with his queen and brethren. The force made his eyes blur and he couldn't tell what direction he was going nor which way was up. However, it was the force on impact to one of the thicker trees on the outskirts of the Everfree forest that knocked him out. As his consciousness left his body, all he could think while his eyes passed over the tree was ‘this is going to hurt.' And it did, right up until the moment he blacked out.