//------------------------------// // The Interview // Story: A Filly called Pet // by Templar22 //------------------------------// They want me to start from the beginning. I was born in the hive just like any other chang-… what’s with the funny look? Anyways, I was always a little bit different than other changelings. I had been born without wings or a horn. Mommy always said that I was just special. So special, that I got to stay with her in her own chambers. It was lonely. I didn’t ever leave her rooms without guards, and even then I didn’t get to go out very often. Mommy was so scared of something bad happening to her “special Pet”. There was one time I left all by myself, but that didn’t end well. The foragers were returning as usual, but this time was different. They actually brought a pony back from the outside! I knew because a drone ran in to tell Mommy about it. Mommy told me to stay in the room and she ran off with the drone. I was going to stay put like a good changeling, but then I heard the pony scream and shout. It was very scary. But her voice sounded just like mine. Mommy always told me my voice was different from the other changelings because of something called an “im-impediment”? So I guess this mare had the same impediment I had, and I decided to go and see her. Maybe she could tell me why I so different than everybody else. I didn’t even get close enough to see her. As soon as I left the room, I was stopped by drones. Their horns were glowing, and I saw the hungry look in their eyes. At the time I didn’t know what they wanted, but I learned they had wanted to feed off me. I screamed for Mommy to come save me, I was so scared. By some miracle, one of the drones was actually one of Mother’s guards, and he quickly tossed me back into the room while shouting at the other changelings to buzz off. He came in a moment later; I was so happy, I couldn’t wait to thank my rescuer. I didn’t expect him to hit me. Yes, right across the face… Of course it hurt! But it was for my own good; it taught me never to leave Mommy’s rooms without an escort. There were a lot of desperate changelings; Mommy said food was scarce in the hive. I wasn’t sure if that was true, though, because I always had plenty of hay. Mommy said part of the reason I was so special was because I would be able to help with that problem. It wasn’t until about a year later that Mommy decided I was old enough for “feeding”. At first I didn’t know what she meant. I was already being fed twice a day. That night I learned what she meant. It was very painful, and I hated it at first. Mommy said she was very hungry. Her horn glowed and she enveloped me in her magic. Then my stomach felt like it was getting pulled apart. She was feeding off of me. My insides really hurt, and so did my head. It was like the happiness in me was being yanked out, one drop at a time. I begged her to please stop; I couldn’t believe Mommy was hurting me like this. I hadn’t done anything wrong; I had been a “perfect little Pet”. She said she had never had so much fresh “love” in one feeding before. She left me feeling like I had just thrown up, which I think I did soon after that first terrible feeding. I had nightmares about it. But it wouldn’t be the last. But one night, Mommy made it all better. She had been feeding off of me about two or three times a week for about a year when things in the hive went from bad to worse. The foragers were bringing in less and less food. Which meant the hive was getting hungrier and hungrier. I was still getting my two meals a day, and when I tried to offer some to Mother she told me that only “special” changelings like me could have real food. She was in such a good mood that morning, I-I don’t know if it was something I said or if things in the hive were worse off than she told me but, that night, she… she hit me. It was during her feeding session with me. I had become fairly used to the hurt now, and I knew it was my duty to the hive. But that night, she seemed almost starving. It had never hurt so much. Soon I had nothing left to give, but she was still hungry, and that made her very, very mad. She shouted at me, called me stupid and ugly. She demanded to know why I was holding back. But I wasn’t holding back, I had given her everything. I felt like a rag after it’s wrung out. All I could do was lie there and listen to her tirade; I was so exhausted I couldn’t even try to defend myself as the first blow came down. I couldn’t believe it at first. Mommy was hitting me. Hard. For what felt like forever she sat there, beating me with her forehoofs. When she finished, I could barely move. She sat back on her haunches and regarded her hoofwork. A bruised, bloodied, and sobbing me. Then she talked to me, her voice sounded funny. “Do you want the hurt to go away?” “Yes, please Mommy… why did y-“ “Do not question your queen. You were withholding love. You must learn to give it all.” “I’m so sorry Mother, I-I didn’t mean to-“ “Hush now, my pet.” Her horn began to glow again; I thought she was going to try to feed. “Mother will make you all better.” She enveloped me in her magic and immediately everything was ok. I couldn’t feel any of the hurt, and I loved Mommy even more than before. I had never felt so happy. I fell in love with the green magic. Now, no matter how much Mommy fed, no matter how much it hurt, I always felt happy after. It filled my mind with happy things and I loved Mommy even more. She was so nice with the magic, she let me have some everyday after feeding and she fed more and more. When I didn’t have the green magic, I felt worse than ever before, but none of it mattered. She always gave me the magic. And everything was happy. But not too long after she started giving me the magic, Mommy left. She took one last feeding, the most she had ever taken. She praised me for the amount I had given her without passing out, but she didn’t give me her magic. She said she was “preparing for something big.” She said that after this, she would never have to feed off of me ever again. And then she left me, and I never saw her or her magic again. I was all alone. Again. I think she left with most of the hive because I never saw anypony besides the guard’s outside. They still brought me food, but it wasn’t as good as before. Sometimes I would hurt, and I wanted Mommy’s magic really badly, especially at night. The nightmares came back and I needed the magic. But the guards couldn’t give it to me. So I went on hurting. But then my whole world changed again. I heard a bunch of noises one day. Shouting and explosions. My guards were no longer outside, and I stuck my head out the door. There were dozens of white and gold demons running around. Some of them were firing magic at we few remaining changelings, while others were herding them into a corner. Then one saw me. I closed the door as fast as I could but the monster simply bucked it down. I had never been so scared. But I was ready to die for the hive, as was my duty. But instead, he took off part of his head and dropped down to about my height. He asked me who I was and how I had gotten here. I tried to hit him. He seemed confused as to why I did that. So he took me with him and the other demons and brought me here, where I sit at a small table across from several very sad and angry looking demons. … Do any of you know where my Mommy is? _________________________________ Sergeant Silver Spears almost staggered out of the interviewing room, his normally impassable face stuck somewhere between shock and disgust. She actually believes the lies that monster told her. He took notice of the two guards looking at him curiously. “Private Swift, a message to the princess! Tell her this filly’s had it in a bad way.” “Yes SAH!” The pegasus made as if to take off before pausing for a moment. “Is that all sarge?” “No, tell her this filly needs a friend. She needs help.” He looked through the one-way glass at the helmetless soldier putting a comforting foreleg around the shaking young one. “And I think I know just the pony.”