//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Is Blood Thicker Than Water? // by Authora97 //------------------------------// 43 years ago *BOOM* Cocoon heard the explosion from under the rocks. It must've been close for a couple of stray rocks fell on her hiding place. She had felt safe underneath these rocks. Her whole life had revolved around them. But today rocks were an enemy. They were killing as much as they were saving. It didn't help that nopony held any love. They were killing changelings left and right but changelings were too weak to fight back. If they had the smallest drop of love a few changelings might survive. But not enough. Cocoon was only 7 years old. A changeling life span was about 75 years, if they didn't get caught, but hers was just about tripled. She was the only child of Chrysalis the Changeling Queen. "Princess, we must move." She heard. Moving one of the rocks, Cocoon saw one of her changeling guards. "It is safe but not for long. We must be moving." He told her. Cocoon swiftly jumped out from the pile. "Then let us go." She said. The guard guided Cocoon away from the violence and towards safety. He had seen the violence and nearly all the changelings carcasses lying in the hive. Stallions were barely getting scratched. The changelings had barely been given any love so they had little strength to move let alone fight. So many changelings were dead. Cocoon was the regular height of a filly. She had her mother's hair but it was red. Her eyes were a shining red that almost immediately made you think of love when you looked into them. She had the crown atop her head that her mother did, but the little buds at the top were red instead of blue. It wasn't too long after they moved thru the halls of the Hive that a stallion ambushed them. "Not so fast changelings. I ain't gonna letcha go and escape." He told them. "Cocoon get out of here." The ChangelinG Guard ordered as he charged the pony. Cocoon ran out from the fight. She didn't want to die. She was gonna turn 8 in a few months. She wanted to see her mother again. Cocoon kept running. Nopony had seemed to stop and attack her. It was almost like they wanted her to escape so she could know that nopony would want her or give her any love. "You will not win Chrysalis!" Cocoon heard. She stopped where she was and she looked inside the Grand Hall. Her mother fighting a pony that was different than the rest. She was taller than Chrysalis by about three inches, not including the crown and horn. Her mane had four sparkly colors flowing in the wind that Cocoon couldn't find. Her eyes weren't blue like the pony that had attacked her earlier. They were pink. Her white coat only had one thing staining it. A sun, with orange flames and a yellow circle in the middle. She was pretty. "I would not make such assumption Celestia. I am Queen of the Changelings. I will not be defeated by a pony!" She yelled. Her mother charged the beautiful pony but it appeared as though neither of them touched. They began firing spells at their opponent, neither side winning this fierce some battle. "Just give up Chrysalis and admit defeat. I can see you are getting weaker." The majestic pony Cocoon now knew as Celestia told her mother. Before Cocoon could hear her mother's response, she was dragged off in a dark green aura. Away from the hive. She was locked inside a cell with another changeling, who looked dead. Cocoon wanted to scream for her mother to come find her, but knew it wouldn't do her any good. Her mother would either be hurt because of the distraction or Cocoon will be killed so as to silence her. But, looking around Cocoon saw so much more than what happened in the Hive. Ponies. A lot of them. Bleeding inside a nearby tent. They looked so broken, so sad, so empty of all the good emotions Cocoon had been told about. She came to the quick conclusion her family did that to them. Sure, the ponies were attacking the changelings but the wounds Cocoon saw made her quickly forget about the hate she felt from them. Now, she could feel heartbroken at the idea that Changelings were as brutal, if not more brutal, than ponies. This war was going to end, but both groups would suffer greatly because of it. Cocoon felt so alone after thinking that. Who else wanted neither side to win? Who else just wanted the war to stop all together? Come to think about it, what would the Ponies do to her beloved home if they won. And that pretty pony fighting her mother, she said Chrysalis was getting weaker. Cocoon was sure her mother would be dead by night's end. Thinking that just made her want to cry. So she did. Cocoon cried herself to sleep. Many hours later, a hoof banging on her cell woke her up from her nightmare. A stallion with purple eyes and golden battle armor with only a few green stains of Changeling blood on it. "The Princess wishes to see you." Cocoon thought his voice would scare her stiff, but it seemed to bring her out of her fearful state. Cocoon climbed out of the cell, her wings were too weak to fly. She was gonna learn when she turned eight. Though, she knew she wouldn’t make it til then. Her peaceful home was gone now and her mother was gone as well. She quickly found she was in a purple aura. "Sorry bug, but its the rule." He assured her. Cocoon felt a small amount of love in him, enough to let her shrug her shoulders. She walked the battle camp of the ponies. They were packing everything up, the war won, so they could return to their families. She guessed the war was just about over, no more bloodshed, no more of changelings hurting ponies and ponies hurting changelings. Their wounds would heal, their lives would go on as if nothing had happened. Cocoon knew she wouldn’t have that luxury. Her mother was without a doubt gone now, even if she did survive that loving and caring nature would vanish. She didn't like having such sad thoughts but as hard as she tried Cocoon couldn't have a happy one. It wasn't long til she arrived at a red tent with golden tassels on the edges. Two stallions with golden armor and grey costs guarded the opening. The stallion walked up to the guards "The prisoner the Princess requested to see." The guard that was with Cocoon told the grey stallions who quickly step aside. Cocoon was moved inside when she noticed the Princess was the same white pony that had fought her mother. Cocoon also found she was filled with love. Slowly and carefully, she trained gaining some so she would be able to walk and talk. "So this is the changeling found by the Grand Hall?" The Princess asked the stallion. He gave the Princess a nod. "I noticed she looks a great deal like the Changeling Queen and thought it was best to take her in with other changeling prisoners." The stallion explained. "Thank you Arrow Holder. You can release her now." Cocoon was suddenly dropped onto the floor. Thanks to whatever love the princess had and from the stallion Cocoon was able to stand. "What is your name little one?" The Princess asked Cocoon. "Cocoon." She answered quickly. The Pretty Pony had hurt her mother, what if she did the same to her? "Pleasure to meet you Cocoon. My name is Princess Celestia, but you can call me Celestia." The white pony greeted. "Nice to meet you." Cocoon greeted. "Where is your mother?" Celestia asked. Cocoon felt a tear slip out from her eye, she could still see the image of her mother being slowly defeated by the white pony before her. "Last I saw she was fighting you." Cocoon finally answered. "Is my mom gone now?" Cocoon looked up at the princess with her love red eyes. The Princess shook her head. "Your mother was weakened during the fight, but rest assured Cocoon she is alive." Cocoon felt as though a giant weight was lifted off her shoulders. Her mother was alive. But, Cocoon still knew the mother she had would be dead and some monster would take her place. "Now a more important question is what do we do with you Cocoon?"