An Unwelcome Change
Monday morning
He watched as the townsfolk retreated to the town hall. They barricaded themselves in. As he walked past the abandoned buildings nearby he witnessed the destruction they had caused. General stores and various other buildings were burning. The roof of the saloon had collapsed on itself. Bodies littered the streets. As they closed in on the town hall the sounds of ponies crying grew. Mothers began to comfort their children for the last time. Fathers prepared to fight to protect their families. Though a fight would not take place. No last battles or opportunities for escape. It would happen like every town before this one. The remaining handful of ponies would always fall back to some form of shelter. Whether it was a town hall, store, or house the outcome would always be the same. It was what she demanded.
Take the place of as many ponies as possible…destroy the rest.
The changelings formed a semicircle in front of the town hall. He stood a small distance back still weighing his decision. More than most he knew what being replaced does to ponies. He knew that feeling a pony feels when they find out the person they loved or cherished is a monster. Replacement is not what these ponies had to worry about. These ponies would perish. They had too. This was his task. It was his destiny. It was what she decreed.
Sunday: The Night Before
A slender changeling approached the horde. Her mane was darker than most changelings yet still shined under the moonlight. Her horn radiated with a bright green aura as she spoke.
“Today is the day Appaloosa is…changed.”
Bits of laughter spread through the horde as she continued with a smirk.
“I have direct orders from our queen to make this trash heap suffer. So we WILL make them suffer. Their homes will burn. Their supplies will burn. Their precious apple trees will burn. After everything has been burned…. then and ONLY then…will they burn!”
The horde released a roar.
“It is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that I will not be the one to burn them. In my place will be my little brother…Night Spark! Worry not! I will be here to make them suffer. Then after my flames consume everything I will leave the remaining survivors to him and a small number of you. The rest of us will move towards Fillydelphia to meet with the others. This is his first raid so I ask that you treat him as you would me…. otherwise I will enjoy watching you charred husks crumble into ash. Am I clear?”
Silence hung in the air. She smiled.
“Excellent. Now attack.”
The horde began its decent on the town. The darkness of night concealed their attack, leaving the town completely defenseless. Night Spark observed the chaos for some time before she noticed him.
“Breathtaking isn’t it brother?”
Night Fire held a devious grin as she circled him in the same manner a predator circles its prey.
Night Spark said nothing to her. Instead he lightly brushed past her and walked slowly towards the town. He knew what she was doing. She had done it the last raid he was on. Night Fire enjoyed teasing him for being scared.
“You are actually going to kill something tonight right? Mother will not allow you the pleasure of being a coward again and for that matter neither will I”.
He continued his silent walk, which began to infuriate her. She darted in front of him and pushed him back. Her eyes glared at his.
“Are you actually going to be useful for once? Answer me brother! Every second you breathe with this fear of killing ponies is a disgrace to our family. Do not think for one second that I will sit back and allow you to fester like the little disease you are. If you do not pull your weight I will remove you from this family myself.”
While she was more experienced in using her magic Night Spark was still capable of hurting her. This was not the first time she belittled him and it would not be that last. Every now and then she pushes his buttons too far. Still meeting her glare he took a step closer to her. His horn began to glow along with his eyes. He spoke in a low stern voice.
“Know this sister. You may kill mere ponies. You may burn down villages and spread mother’s hate. But if you continue to treat me like one of those worthless maggots under your command…”
He leaned in closer to the point where their eyes were mere inches apart.
“I wonder how mother would think of me if my first kill was my own sister. Would she be wrathful? Would she embrace me with love seeing as I rid her kingdom of such an obnoxious mouth? The more I think about it the more enticed I am.”
With that her pushed her aside and began to fly over the town. She called out to him sarcastically.
“I love your humor brother!!! You always were the funny one!”
As he flew overhead he could see the small number of canterlot soldiers being swarmed. They put up a valiant effort and tried to buy time for the town. However the swarm simply overtook them. After some brief flashes of magic the soldier’s bodies lay still on the ground. With them gone the horde continued on to the heart of the town. Some of the ponies were able to take down multiple changelings on their own. Many of them were earth ponies and had natural brute strength that far surpassed anything a changeling could have without magic. Night Spark noticed one pony in particular. He had a yellow mane and an apple for a cutiemark. The pony impressively kicked multiple changelings at once sending them flying or knocking them unconscious. Night Spark flew down to this pony. As he approached him the changelings continued to attack.
“Leave this one to me. I will take care of him. Continue on to the rest of the town.”
The changelings did as Night Spark commanded. Leaving just him and the yellow pony in front of the saloon. The pony spoke.
“Ya think you can take Braeburn on by yerself?! Do ya know who I am? I am a stallion of the Apple family. Earth ponies don’t come any stronger than this!”
Night Spark observed the pony and stayed silent. After a short moment he replied to the earth pony.
“You are indeed much stronger than I am. At least for now that is.”
With that Night Spark dashed forward and landed a hoof in the yellow ponies face. However the farmer recovered quickly and used both front hooves to land a powerful barrage of kicks on Night Spark. He slid on the dirt a few yards away.
“Serves ya right you monster. Your kind disgusts me. Look at what ‘cha doin’ to these good folk. Yall aint nothing but a plague. “
As Night Spark stood up he spoke in pain.
“Listen to me…Braeburn…you are a powerful pony. Powerful enough to maybe make it to Canterlot. I will give you an opportunity that no other changeling will offer. Run. Go and spread the word of what has become of Appaloosa. Reassure them this is no small attack. The changelings are going to begin a full-scale assault on fillydelphia next. Make sure-“
Braeburn interrupted him.
“You coward. Can’t fight me so ya try to git me to run away?! Ya aint got no shame do ya?”
Night Spark stood tall and charged his horn. His eyes began to glow with a bright bluish white light. His horn became engulfed in electric energy. The changeling released a growl and shot out magic at the saloon right behind Braeburn. The resulting explosion blew away a massive chunk of the second story. Wood chips and other debris began to fall all around the two. The beams holding up the roof of the saloon gave way and the building collapsed. Braeburn watched with wide eyes. Night Spark spoke in the same low voice his used when speaking to his sister. As he spoke his mane began to shift colors.
“This destruction will spread whether you stay here to die or flee. It is too late to save your town and your people. However it is not to late for Fillydelphia. If you warn Canterlot… If you warn the others… You can save them from sharing Appaloosa’s fate.”
By the time he finished speaking Night Spark literally mirrored Braeburn. This caused Braeburn to take a step back. Night Spark placed a hoof on his chest.
“The horde is here to replace as many of you as possible…then kill the rest of you. I will say that you died in that saloon behind you. Now go.”
Night Spark began walking towards the center of the town. He hoped the pony would take his chance to flee. Braeburn called out to him.
“Why are you helpin’ me?”
He continued to walk away from the pony. Why was he helping him? He should take the kill. Make the Earth pony suffer. He didn’t know Braeburn or any other pony for that matter. Night Spark spoke over his shoulder.
“Fate chose for me to be a monster. But in my short time I have realized…there is no fate but that which we make.”
That answer seemed to be enough for Braeburn. He dashed off as fast as he could towards Canterlot. Night Spark remained with his form. As long as he held it he had the strength of “an Apple Family Stallion”. As the night went on Night Spark walked through the street witnessing the carnage. There were times were many ponies would rush him thinking he was the real Braeburn. Instead of breaking there spirits even more by revealing his true from, he tried to assist them. He kept up the form until the brink of dawn. By then the streets were empty and the few remaining ponies were all falling back towards the town hall. While the horde pursued them Night Fire flew in from the farmland, which was now a field of smoldering ash and embers. She approached Night Spark and observed his new form. Her face was one of disgust.
“Please don’t tell me you’ve concealed yourself as this for the whole night. Did you even kill this pony? Or did he get to run away like the last time?”
She didn’t even let him answer.
“Honestly you are pathetic. So much raw power and yet you sit like a little filly and do nothing every time we take a town. Well not anymore brother. Just as soon as the last of these vermin inevitably lock themselves in a building you will be responsible for finishing them. Mother left me specific instructions. I will leave 13 of my personal troops to accompany you. If YOU do not burn that building down upon those ponies then my troops will have the pleasure of not only beating you senseless…but beating you senseless while making you watch as they burn anyway. This is your day brother. Prove you are more than some worthless annoyance that festers in our minds.”
She flew away and directed the horde from the sky. Night Spark began his walk towards town hall.
Monday: Present
Take the place of as many ponies as possible…destroy the rest.
The 13 changelings stood silently and watched him. He knew based off their looks they wanted him not to burn the building simply so that they could beat him. Their faces changed when they saw his horn begin to glow.
Damn her. She wants me to kill? She wants me to burn something? She wants me to prove I am not some worthless waste of space?
The electricity began to overflow and spread to the rest of his body. The ground underneath him began to catch fire. His anger began to fuel his magic. Night Spark could see the frightened ponies through the window. He knew it could not be any other way. Death was going to reach them by his hooves or the monsters around him. They knew the next few seconds would hold their fates.
Fate.
Almost suddenly Night Spark stopped channeling magic. The 13 changelings noticed this and began to move towards him with sinister smiles. Though all he could focus on was the faces of the ponies staring back at him. He exhaled and closed his eyes. The words quietly slipped out from his mouth.
“No fate but that which we make….”
Almost instantly he re-channeled his magic and released a large blast of forked lightning to his left. The 6 changelings were instantly turned to ash. The remaining seven slammed into him and began to beat him with their hooves. He was trapped. His vision started to fade. Hooves continued to pound into his sides. One of the changelings shot a quick burst of magic to the town hall and instantly set it ablaze. The ponies inside began to scream. The fire was spreading quickly and was weakening the roof of the building. He could hear the wooden beams creak. Just before he blacked out Night Spark shifted into Braeburn's form and used his hind legs to buck all the changelings off of him. He dashed forward to the closet one and stomped once on its neck instantly snapping it. The other changelings started to get up. He shifted back to normal and released a frenzy of blasts from his horn. Due to his weakened state the blasts did not instantly kill the changelings but it left them broken. Watching the injured changelings Night Spark snarled as he spoke.
"How is this for burning?"
He channeled his magic again and picked up the 6 remaining changelings. He faced the building on fire and yelled.
“GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!!!”
The ponies screamed and shifted away. He slammed the monsters through the door and broke some of their wings. The ponies poured out. They were coughing and some of them had light burns but they were alive. As the last ones ran out Night Spark shot one last blast and collapsed the entrance trapping the changelings in the burning building. The ones that were still conscious screeched as the flames consumed them. The small crowd of ponies stood away from Night Spark. As he approached them they stepped back. He realized they were fearful of him. It was understandable even though he did save their lives. He knew his appearance was not exactly something normal to most ponies. Nopony enjoyed the presence of a monster. So he did the only thing that he thought would assure them that he meant no harm.
“Citizens of Appaloosa…I surrender.”