//------------------------------// // 03 Let nature take over // Story: Changes of a unicorn // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// For weeks on end had Rarity continued her endeavors with the stallions for pleasure. The sheer manipulation of her friends and family continued like it was nothing. Her skills had been shaved into clean and round edges. Nopony suspected as much as a thing from her as they still saw the tailor she was. A fact that more or less had died over that period of time. A slut, whore even, she could be called. But through all of that she still remained the lady of dignity for the outside world. A double life, one might say. A double life that would become her life.         Though as silent as one may be about the events, there are always eyes and ears that were open to catch up what happened. And some ponies had taken air of what she did and one by one they walked into the depths of the Everfree Forest, only to disappear in its darkness to never be seen again. Yet the oddest part had to be, that nopony ever saw them enter to begin with.         With a few more days that passed by and Rarity had become –or considered herself– a smooth talker, master manipulator and a true femme fatale. Yet she kept her class and status very high as she would have done per usual. The mare still made some dresses to have at least some sort of income. Though the joy she once had in it, had faded away over time with the introduction of her secret, double life and only did it to live. The mare even refused taking orders if the price she could ask for it wasn't to high enough in her eyes. A change that was picked out rather easily.         But it wasn't just the unicorn who had changed over all that time though. Even the Carousel Boutique itself had gone through a drastic change in both appearance and feeling. It went from its normal and friendly look to nothing more but cold, unfriendly and even harsh from time to time. The last one was only revealed if the lights were standing right. Yet there was nothing changed inside.              Rarity woke up as she did every single morning and looked out over the rays of the sun with a smile. Though it was something that was followed up by a small sneeze from her. After she had sniffled her nose, the unicorn left the bed and with her magic, laid the blankets back into their respectable position before doing downstairs. Only to continue upon her work as an even smaller tailor than she already was.         Though on a day that was almost as every other as. The sun was being blocked by the clouds and the shadows were cast over the land. Rarity had the feeling that something was going to happen in the times soon enough to come. She just couldn't place what or when though. Yet it would be something that would be a discovery made rather quickly.         Because it was just after the mare had taken place on her sofa in order to get some well-deserved rest from all of her work, that the sound of a knock on the front door did its turn through the living room. It was something that shocked the unicorn up and out of her light slumber. "This better be of interest to me," Rarity muttered to herself. She then hoisted herself out of the sofa.         With elegance and grace, but also with a bit of tiredness had she made her way over to the door. Once she was close enough did the horn charged itself up and was thus coated in the magical aura. The doorknob gained the same color around it. It was unlocked and opened for her to see her mysterious visitor. While the door opened and the outside world was revealed, her sapphire blue eyes fell upon two stallions who stood on the outside, who seemed to be waiting for her.         Before either party could speak words or do deeds had Rarity done a quick look over the two of them. One of them had a brown coat whereas the other had a blue one, their postures reminded her greatly on that of Big Macintosh. It was something that originated from their body build as it was strangely similar. The coloring of their eyes remained unknown to her, as the black hair covered most of the face. And last but not least she quickly gazed further than them and noticed a chariot. A chariot that was standing behind them which appeared to be of royalty of some sort. But not any she had seen in her life.         “Afternoon miss Rarity, we are from the palace and the princesses would like that you come with us. In order do what you do best, make a pair of dresses for your highness's,” the brown one spoke in a deep voice. One that was eerily calming towards her ears.         While the words being processed in her mind, the unicorn didn't trust the stallion one bit. She knew the manner of working for the princesses all too well. And thus she decided to play a little fishing game. She wanted to know more, thus started to ask the both of them questions. “Might I ask, if the royalties really want a dress, why don’t they just send me a concept drawing of what they want? As they always do,” the mare returned to him in a calm manner. Yet her eyes were giving the two of them the sharpest looks she had ever given to anypony.         “That's because they need you right now. They know that you love to take your time with the many designs. Though excuse my words, but you hardly have the right materials in your boutique to make the requests they are asking. But in the palace you have everything you needed for the dresses.” the blue coated stallion answered on her question.         Rarity rose an eyebrow to the worlds the further he continued. Yet when he was done with his talking, she shook her head in response. “I still don’t believe the two of you,” Rarity said then in a calm manner. She wanted to close the door without saying goodbye or anything. ---   It was exactly that response that frustrated the blue stallion to a level higher than anything. He appeared to become mad from the words but it resulted soon enough in a burst of green fire. Something that caused the mare in the door to freeze and gasp for air.         After the fire had died down and Rarity prepared herself for the worst possible sight, the stallion wasn't dead or burned. Instead he revealed his true form to her in the clear day. The form of the insectoid, collective minded race that was living under the name of changeling. A creature that was all black, had big fly like eyes that were bright blue of color, a horn on top of their head, insect wings in their back and possibly the most unique feature, holes. Nearing the end of their legs, there were complete holes that were just there. The mane in their neck was nothing more but a fin while the tail was pretty much that of a fish.         The eyes of the unicorn became as big as they could. Then they shrunk back and she fainted on the spot of the horrible sight. She fell towards the ground under a loud ‘ooh’ sound. The brown stallion also erupted in a burst of green fire and revealed his form as well. With the two being revealed in bright daylight, they had to make haste but instead began to buzz against each other in an angry manner. Even though they bickered with one another, the two of them managed to load the unconscious unicorn into the chariot with great ease.         Both of the changelings took place before the chariot and took off with it. The ran it out of town through the easiest route. Once they had cleared Ponyville, they went straight into the depths of the nearby Everfree forest without any thought in their minds. Nopony had seen the events happening, for it was late in the afternoon and it all occurred in not even ten minutes.         The two changelings ran for hours on end as they were going deeper and deeper into the forest. They were heading down to a part where nopony –that was actually a pony– that has ever gone in ever managed to come out alive again. The very Hive of the changelings. ---                         All the time they were driving was the mare out cold and sunken deep within her mind. But all the sudden they stopped by a big rock and unloaded their ‘cargo’. Sadly it was one of the two who was unlucky enough to carry her and buzzed annoyingly in response as she was dropped on his back.         The other one opened the rock with the help of his green colored magic in order to reveal a tube. A tube that seemed to have been made from organic material and was just pulsing with the magic it carried. These pulses went through the walls every so often and they didn't even look at it. The insectoid creatures entered it and followed the lights to the very core of the Hive.         The changeling that carried the unconscious Rarity kept buzzing annoyingly as the other one hovered a little above the ground with the help of his wings while buzzing something a manner of that he need to shut his mouth. The two of them kept going over many intersections as the rock had closed itself once more behind them. The only light in the tubes of rather squishy organic materials was that of the magic that came by.         Yet their fellow brothers and sisters wanted to know just what these two were going to do with a perfectly fine pony like Rarity. They could only predict it would be an offering to the queen of the hive. For she only deserved the best of the best. And the unicorn was definitely that. Drool made its way passed the. Hundreds, if not thousands of changelings they passed on the way. Each of them wanting to set its sharp fangs right into her soft flesh and tear it to pieces like it was nothing.         After what appeared to be minutes of walking and hovering, they did reach the inner sanctum of the hive. The very place all the light was leading them to. The two changelings allowed their blue eyes to gaze a little bit upon the room they entered on their hooves. They walked right into an enormous darkened room with torches which burned with a green fire. The walls were covered in dark green veins and organic crystals that sat here and there. It was truly a place that had never seen the light of day and never would.         Both of the changelings held their pacing and bowed deeply in front of a dark throne holding a figure covered in shadows. “Very good, you have brought the one I asked about before me,” an eerie feminine sounding voice spoke to them, “lay her on the ground and remove yourself out of my throne room and sight.”         The two changelings buzzed lightly and did what the voice said before bowing again and left without a buzz. The two of them flew away into different tunnels and tubes only to be lost in the buzzing of millions of others. “Now, the waiting game begins,” the voice said just before an equally eerie giggle would have filled the whole room the being was in.