I opened one eye. Grass. I could see grass. Was that good? I opened my other eye.
Where was I? Where was...everyling? And what was I lying down on? It felt like rock, but it was rough on my chitin.
Using what little strength I had left, I placed a hoof on the rough ground below, then tilted my head as little as possible in order to look at the...whatever this was.
NO! No it couldn't be! Concrete!But this can't be, I remembered flying away! I remember being banished with the others!
I dragged my other three hooves back under me,but a searing pain in my side forced my body back to the earth.
The sound of a spear hitting the floor made flew through the sky and into my ears. i instinctively jerked my head up, sending more pain my way. That was when i heard a changeling and for one glorious moment, I felt like I was back at the hive. No, that wasn't right. how could it be? I lifted my ear to the air and heard it again! This was no ordinary cry of a changeling, but a cry for help, a cry of pain. This wasn't something we were known for so the situation had to be dire.
Forcing my eyes back open I could see them, the same faces that went into battle with me....or at least i think those were their faces. Some changelings preferred to stay in disguise during the canterlot attack.
Sharp pain found it's way along my back and i allowed only a small whimper to escape me. The last thing I needed was to hear myself sounding weak. I AM NOT WEAK!
"You think it's dead?"
so there were ponies here, but could not see them. Pony. Definitely pony and by the deep voice, royal guard!
"Kick it again."
I clenched my back muscles to prepare for the pain.
****
My tension proved useless when the blow hit me. Something cracked within and I could feel blood trickling down my side as hoof met chitin. This time, I allowed myself to yelp in pain and tried to fly away only to be greeted by the sound of more cracking as my bones snapped and my muscles ached in denial.
"Careful BlackSky! Remember, the princess wanted these bugs alive."
"Oh, the thing's fine!"
I rolled on my side to get a better look at my captors.
"See?"
The large earth pony they called BlackSky came my way, waving a hoof just inches from my face. I winced and reached out to bite him, but due to my condition, he easily pulled away, leaving me to a face plant onto the hard floor.
"Let's just get these things packed up so we can get out of here!"
BlackSky looked at his friend, then faced me. His eyes showed no mercy as he jabbed his hoof into my side for the fun of it. The world swirled and then went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I awoke, I was no longer outside.(thank goodness) But where was I? I placed a hoof to my head, finding a purposely placed bandage. Lifting my head, I could see my body had been treated to quite recently, but the pain was still there.
It only took one glance around the room to tell this wasn't the place a changeling like me was meant to be kept. Somepony was working overtime.
The walls WERE brick, but the floor was wood and there was a plate of pony food sitting on a side table by my...bed. A soft bed with covers and pillows. A luxury a changeling would usually never experience in their true form.
Trying to get up was just as much painful as it was useless for I could now see the chain that was harnessed to my neck.
And then a door opened...