//------------------------------// // A Thousand Other Things // Story: Five Changelings In Equestria: Ling // by Bucking Nonsense //------------------------------// "So, your parents had to choose between keeping you or staying with the pack?" Fifteen minutes earlier... Omega read the message on the chalkboard, then nodded. With a surprisingly eloquent shrug, he cleared the board, then wrote a response. "Exactly. Tradition is that, if a dog is disabled, they must leave the pack. Any sort of a handicap means that you are a drain. You can only consume resources without giving anything back." After he confirmed Ling had read that, he cleared the board, and wrote, "Nowadays, you get put in an orphanage. It used to be a lot worse. When my parents refused, Rex, the king of the diamond dogs, banished my entire family. The only way he'll let us back in if we can get enough bits to buy our way back in." A drain...? ------------------------- Three years ago... Lieutenant Mole Cricket, no, Commander Mole Cricket now, was looking pensive. Ling really couldn't blame him. The youngest commander in changeling history had just found out that his lifelong aspiration, the rank he had gained just a few days ago, was now just a glorified whipping bug for when the queen messed up. While he was still a big bug amongst commoners, that would only last until the queen's next colossal blunder. Even Ling, the queen's sister, knew that Chrysalis was not even a fraction of the queen their mother was... and probably never would be. The two were inside of the commander's temporary office, while the swarm was at rest. This had apparently been the office of a king's personal secretary, but while the changelings were occupying the city, the commander had decided to make use of it. Cricket sat behind a desk, in a comfortable looking chair. Ling remained standing as she waited for the commander to acknowledge her. Cricket held his helmet in his hooves, staring at something inside. After a moment, he let out a long sigh, slapped the helmet back on, then addressed his guest, asking, "So, why are you here?" Picking up a pen and paper, Ling wrote, "I want to help you." The commander read Ling's message, steepled his hooves in front of him, then leaned back in his chair and asked, "Why?" Ling began writing again. This time, it took her several minutes to put into words what she wanted to say. When she was done, she passed the note over to the commander. "The greatest crime against the swarm is to be a waste of resources. I can't speak, and I can't change my appearance. My sister has to put up with nobles pressuring her about me every day, demanding that I be cast aside as useless, that I should be exiled, or maybe even extracted. If I can be of some value to the swarm, that pressure will go away, or at least be lessened. One less thing she has to worry about. I'm not sure what I can do to contribute, but I'm not going to sit around, doing nothing, while everybuggy else is working their abdomens off, trying to make sure everybuggy else has enough to eat." After he finished reading her note, Cricket smiled, then said, "Well, having read that, I can't possibly say no. I don't think you'd be officer material, but I can introduce you to a few bugs who can teach you some useful skills." At Ling's dour expression, Cricket held up a hoof, then said, "No offense intended, miss, it's just that you don't seem like the type who'd be able to handle being responsible for the lives and welfare of others. I may be wrong, but I'd like to think I have an eye for that kind of thing." Ling wanted to argue, but couldn't. The youngster had to admit, she was glad that her disability rendered her ineligible for the crown, due to traditions going back a thousand years. She could see what the burden of responsibility was doing to her sister, and while Ling wanted to lessen that load, she understood that she'd never be up to being a true leader... Cricket's expression turned a more serious as he said, "There are things you can do to help out around here. A bit of training will be needed if you plan on hanging around with the military branch, but that won't be a problem. If you're as good with a pen and paper as it looks like you are, I could definitely use a secretary, especially if you can handle map-making for me." At Ling's enthusiastic nod, Cricket smiled briefly, before continuing with a stern expression, "But don't think I'll go easy on you, just because the queen's your sister. The sort of work you'll be doing will be hard, but it will be no less important than what everybuggy else does. If you say you want to pull your weight, you'll be expected to carry as heavy a load as anybuggy else your age, mute or not, magicless or not. If you're willing to accept that, we'll get started right away." Ling nodded, then saluted, grinning. ------------------------------- The chalk scratched furiously on the board as Ling wrote exactly what she thought of that. "If they think you're a waste just because you can't talk, it's their loss. If you have a strong back, you can still carry your own weight. If you've got a good head on your shoulders, then you can think of a way to help others. If the king couldn't see that, who needs him? The most important thing is, you still have a family that loves you enough that they'd choose you over a stupid tradition any day of the week." Omega read her message, then, smiling, gave Ling a hug. While the diamond dog didn't write anything else, his gratitude was clear... Ling had to admit, ever if he was a little bit smelly (he was a diamond dog, they all have a certain... aroma), he didn't seem like a bad dog. Beta, rolling his eyes, said, "Don't get too attached to her, sparky. We're on the clock here. Stick to business." Omega turned back towards his uncle, then blew a big raspberry at him. Beta snorted, then said, "Fine, whatever." Ling couldn't help but notice that the big dog was smiling, though. Turning back towards Alpha, Beta asked, "Any sign of Delta yet? Alpha, peering out a window, said, "Yeah. I see her now. She's running. Something must have gone wrong..." Delta, the female of the group, burst in, then said, "We need to turn her over to the authorities right now." She was obviously distraught, shivering with fear. "I was caught when I tried to deliver the note. Silver Lance said that... well, he made it clear that if we didn't return his daughter to him, unharmed, we'd regret it. Big time" Alpha, clearly perturbed by his wife's distress, hugged her tightly, then turned to look at Beta. "Give the girl back her necklace, and get ready to leave." Plucking something out of his wife's fur, he said, "On second thought, we'd better stay right here." The thing he held was thin and wispy, to the point that it was almost invisible. "It appears that they put a tracker on you. I expect that the guards be here shortly." Outside, there was a sound, quiet first, but slowly and steadily growing. A great thump, as of a thousand hooves marching in unison, could be heard. It grew and grew, to the point that it was almost deafening. Then suddenly, it stopped, and the front of the warehouse began to glow. Alpha turned towards his family, then said, "Everydoggy on the ground, paws behind your head. Don't make any sudden movements. It's over. We're as good as caught now" Beta, his head hung in sorrow, complied, as did Delta and Omega. It was pretty clear now that whatever the big plan was, it had failed utterly. Within less than a minute, a hole had opened in the wall, and Ling could see dozens of ponies outside. Her foster father, Silver Lance was there, with the princesses standing beside him, looking concerned. Off to one side was a tall pony who was covered head to hoof in a hooded cloak. Was that... Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, something huge and lupine fell down, pinning the princesses down with its mighty paws. With a voice that held such depth that it was felt as much as heard, the monstrosity said, "Surprise." ----------------------- One year ago... Staring in awe at the result of the tiny changeling's work, Ling could hardly believe what she was seeing. A small army of hardened warriors had been taken down in the blink of an eye. The sphinxes had possessed the element of surprise, and yet a changeling youth had devastated them before they'd had a chance to do more than spring out of hiding. Ling pulled out her chalkboard, then wrote down, "How did you do that?" After reading the message, Leiurus Quinquestriatus simply said, "Magic." Clearing the board, Ling wrote, "No, how were you able to do any of that so quickly? Weren't you surprised? Or scared?" Ling had been frightened to the point of immobility by the sudden attack. Had she been allowed a few seconds, she would have reacted, but by the time she'd come to her senses, the fight was over... After reading the message, the Deathstalker said, "Fear is nothing more than a primitive function of the mind that exists only to warn of potential dangers. Once the danger is identified, the only thing left is to respond accordingly. My training allows me to overcome the hesitation that would normally be brought about by fear, so that I can strike immediately in response to any potential threat." Ling wrote upon her blackboard, "Can you teach me how to do that?" After a moment, Leiurus said, "Affirmative." ------------------------- Ling was moving while everypony, and everydoggy, was still staring, stunned, at the massive beast that had suddenly appeared. As she ran by Beta, she snatched up the necklace that the diamond dog had been holding in his paws, and snapped it back on. With her voice back in operation, the changeling leapt, then began flying, making a bee-line for the Canis Major. --------------------------- "Oh, the things I have planned for the two of you," Sirius said, grinning evilly down at the two alicorns struggling beneath his paw. "What's wrong? No spells? Too scared that you might level your precious city if you try what you did last time? I remember the forest we last fought in didn't fare too well. Ashes and dust everywhere. Such a pity. I've had a thousand years to plan this, and I promise you, I'll enjoy every second of it. The two of you?" Licking his lips, he finished, "Not so much." Suddenly, he felt a tug on one of his ears. Turning, Sirius saw that changeling brat flying besides his face. How she'd managed to get up here so fast, he didn't know, or care. He turned back towards the princesses, and was about to continue with the monologue he'd rehearsed for centuries, when he heard a voice say, "Let them go." Turning towards the voice, he saw that little changeling again, her hoof on that little necklace of hers. Snorting, the Canis Major said, "No. Now scram, before I decide you'd make a good appetizer." With that, he turned back to the princesses. "Let them go, or else." Sirius turned back toward the tiny creature, her expression one of fierce determination. She was threatening him? That was adorable. With a snicker, Sirius asked, "Or else what, you'll tickle me? Buzz off." Her expression strangely serene, the twerp took a deep, deep breath, placed her hoof tips at the corners of her mouth, and... -------------------------------- Two years earlier... "Strength can be a weakness," Orchid Mantis said, grinning, "And weakness can be a strength." At the confused look Ling, gave her, the combat expert chuckled. "I suppose I should explain." Even now, after having been tutored on the basics of combat for a year by the older changeling, Ling still couldn't get over the resemblance that Orchid had to Mole Cricket. While it would be impossible to prove, the youngster was almost certain that Orchid was the commander's mother. However, it was likely that, unless they both stood in front of a mirror and looked, the two of them would never notice it for themselves... Gesturing at a changeling sitting nearby, Goliath Spider, possibly the biggest changeling ever, Orchid said, "Goliath here is a titan. He once ripped the grand golden gates of Sphinxopolis off of their hinges, in spite of their massive weight, and tossed them aside as you or I might throw a pebble. In terms of raw, physical might, Goliath cannot possibly be beaten." Chuckling, she said, "But due to his immense size, he can't go into any small spaces. He's too large for most buildings, really, and he's too heavy to fly. That means that if he comes after you, your best bet is to run and hide someplace too small for him to catch you, or just fly off." "Meanwhile," the elder changeling said, gesturing towards the younger hatchling, "you're quite small, but you're also quick and nimble, and can get into places most changelings cannot. If you were to crawl inside of Goliath's ear, you could do a great deal of damage." "Those especially proud of their strength fail to see their inherent weakness before it's too late. Sphinxopolis was quite proud of the grand gates they possessed, and their city walls were so tall that it was difficult for even a pegasus to fly over them. However," Orchid said with a chuckle, "when Goliath ripped the gates off of the city wall, they had little defense against the swarm at their doorstep." Gesturing towards a set of crude drawings, Orchid said, "Minotaurs are proud of their size and strength, so moves that turn their own power against them are highly effective. Sphinxes are so keen on clever strategies and schemes that they are often confounded by a direct attack." Grinning wickedly, she added, "And I have yet to meet a canine of any species, anywhere, who wasn't proud of their sensitive nose and ears. But an strong scent or high pitched sound can be a distraction, or even a weapon, provided you know the right way to do it." "Here, let me show you how." -------------------------------- Glass windows throughout the city of Canterlot rattled, then shattered. Dogs around the city began howling. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Omega fell to the ground, clutching their ears and whimpering. And Sirius? Sirius shrieked in agony, his paws involuntarily reaching up to cover his ears, releasing the princesses in the process. Since the sound was so high pitched that only canines could hear it, the ponies and changeling were not harmed, but for those who could hear it, the sound of Ling's whistle was louder than anything that could be imagined. It often surprised others that Ling could whistle as well as she could. While her muteness prevented her from making any kind of noise from her throat, she had a great pair of lungs, and there was nothing wrong with her lips. That's all there was to whistling, after all: You just put your lips together... and blow. The princesses quickly rallied, and readied to strike back against their attacker, but it seemed that Sirius wasn't in any condition to fight anymore, as he writhed in pain on his back, suffering greatly from Ling's relentless assault. When Ling stopped, briefly, to catch her breath, the beast tried to rise, but was not fast enough. Ling renewed her sonic assault, the whistle seeming even louder than before. It was too much. Sirius was immune to mundane attacks, but his ears were sensitive in the extreme. While he couldn't be 'damaged' by the sound, he could still feel pain like any creature, and his exceptional hearing was now a liability. Worse, since he was 'invulnerable', his hearing would not be dulled by this attack, so Ling's assault would never lose its effectiveness, even if she were to whistle like this for a thousand years... Unable to take it anymore, Sirius shrieked, "ENOUGH!!! UNCLE!!! STOP!!! PLEASE!!!" The whistle stopped. ----------------------------- Four years ago... "Okay Ling, look at me." Ling, doing her best not to let the pain of her injured leg show, looked Ladybird in the eye. She'd tripped over a pebble, and fell, twisting her leg badly. Her chitin had shifted painfully, and cracked. The broken plate would have to be set in order for her to heal properly. Quick as lightning, Ladybird slapped the younger changeling in the face, hard. Before Ling could react, there was a loud crack, as the nursemaid slipped the fractured plates of chitin on her leg back into place. Ling had barely even felt it. "Sorry about that, miss," Ladybird said, as she began putting a splint around the leg in question. "Setting chitin back into place after a nasty break like that is tricky, and it can hurt ten times worse if you squirm. Worse still, if the plates aren't set back properly, it'll hurt a lot worse when they have to be broken again and reset a second time. But if you're still reeling from a slap like that, you'll hardly feel it going back into place." With a sigh, Lady finished her work and said, "Sometimes, the greatest kindness can seem like cruelty. If you don't do what needs to be done, you'll end up having to go back and fix a more difficult problem later." ----------------------------- Ling set down on the fallen Canis Major's chest, then walked across, over towards the beast's face. The monster seemed to be in bad shape. As is often the case with a creature immune to most forms of injury, this one simply wasn't built to withstand pain like most creatures were. "No more," the creature said, weakly. "Mercy..." Ling smiled sweetly, then placed her hoof upon her necklace. "Does this look like the face of mercy to you?" Before the massive canine could react, Ling placed her hooves back to her lips, and blew one more time, louder than ever before. The dread beast that had come within seconds of ending the reign of the two Princesses promptly passed out with a whimper. ---------------------- Once it was clear that the crisis was over, Ling flew over to where the princesses and Silver Lance stood, still shocked with their mouths hanging open. Ling placed a hoof on her necklace and said, "Whatever you need to do to get him under control, do it fast. I don't know how long he'll stay unconscious." Luna and Celestia nodded, then both expressed their thanks by giving the young changeling a hug, before moving on to take care of the stricken foe. Silver Lance asked, "Are you alright, Ling?" The little one nodded, smiling. Silver promptly pulled her into a fierce hug. The tall, cloaked figure asked, "Why are you letting him call you that?" Silver, still hugging Ling, turned towards the lady who had helped in recovering his daughter, asked, "What do you mean? That's her name." Looking down at her, he asked, "Isn't it?" Ling blushed brightly, embarrassed... Reaching a hole-filled foreleg up to her hood, the figure bared her face for the first time since they had met today. The face of the changeling before them was... weathered was the best way to put it. She carried a number of scars on her graying chitin, and her mane was cut short, stopping just below her chin. She was clearly not young anymore, but she could not be any older than fifty, at most. "I can assure you," she said, her tone grave, "I would never have given my daughter a name that would make light of her disabilities."