//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: A Different Kind of Monster // by AzelTheMantis //------------------------------// "So, are you ready to talk now?" I could hear a voice ask me. A strange mixture of concern and rage could be felt the way it addressed me. A sick grin came across my face as I stared at the four royal ponies standing in front of me. Behind them were a dozen or so guards as well as Prince Shining Armor who was the one responsible for the magical restraints around me and my two companions. "Don't tell him anything" the changeling at my side whispered to me. "Somepony's gonna die, one way or another" I replied. I still had my gaze fixed on the monster in front of me, The so-called son of Celestia, Christopher. "Great! Now they still won't answer our questions" Shining Armor groaned before he walked to the corner, frustrated at the lack of answers we gave him. We merely chuckled at seeing how annoyed and frustrated they were. I could've easily answered the alicorns but it was somewhat mandatory for all changelings to speak in only the ancient language in situations like this. "Bālor's got this, Craft. Don't worry" the bigger changeling told the first one. "Snapper's right. There's no way she's gettin' out of here alive" I told the spotted changeling, pointing at the white mare who was standing beside Christopher. Unfortunately, Celestia noticed me and she softly brushed Chris away before she locked her eyes on mine. I could sense her anger as she approached closer. I was starting to regret bursting in like an idiot and trying to kill Chris but somehow I managed to keep a straight face. "Why are you here?" The Grand Princess asked. The next moment, I found myself being levitated a few feet above the floor. "To kill him" I simply replied, staring at Chris who shot me a puzzled look. The bipedal, winged creature was the main reason why me and the rest of the hive had to relocate some months ago. Because of him, his mother and a little changeling called Willow, our nest was destroyed and the queen, MY mother almost died. "He doesn't belong here. Lemme do you a favor and dispose of this...cancer to your and our societies before he causes the near destruction of another species because of his damn actions" I added without even thinking for a second. As expected, everyone in the bedroom, including Craft and Snapper gasped when they heard what I said. More than half of the guards looked ready to decapitate me at any second while the princesses glared at me, giving the impression that they were ready to shoot lasers of princess-ship or whatever. " What the heck are you doing? Do you want to get killed? Stop talking to them" Craft whispered again. Ignoring the concerns and pleas of my friends, I resorted to speaking with Chris before the princesses were able to respond with their own words of offense. "You know I am right. Don't you, Chris?" I asked the prince with a smirk. "Shut the hay up, you fiend!" Shining interceded, bringing a spear close to my neck, "I've enough of your lies. I have half a mind to thrust this spear right through your throat even if you're pretending to look like one of us". Cadance immediately pulled her husband away before he was able to do anything rash. He kept his eyes fixed on me as he calmed down a little. ..well, at least calm enough to stop thinking murderous thoughts. I turned my head to Celestia who had placed a wing around a visibly shaken Twilight. Honestly though, I couldn't blame Shining for his overreaction. If the same guys who crashed my wedding had returned to re-murder a good friend, I would've probably snapped too. Me, Craft and Snapper had sneaked into the castle under the overdone disguise of guards. It wasn't hard to locate the prince's bedroom in the dark so we had thought assassinating him would be a breeze. However, we didn't count on his advanced alicorn hearing and after stepping a single hoof inside, we were immediately subdued. The one thing that was really strange was that Craft and Snapper were stripped of their disguises quickly but by some means, I still had my normal unicorn disguise still on. "You almost killed my mother. I'm not gonna let that slide easily and if we can't get the job done, somebug will eventually" I turned my attention back to Celestia. "She wanted to kill my son!!!" she yelled in retaliation, stomping her hoof for emphasis. "Because he made the wrong decision of hanging out with a changeling!!!" I retorted. "Wait!" Chris interrupted Celestia before she could react, "What do you mean "mother"?" "She's a mother to all these monsters, Chris" Shining growled as he returned the spear he held to one of the guards. "That's not completely true" Craft suddenly talked, much to my surprise, "Queen Chrysalis is the one who organized us all. Only Bālor is her true offspring". "A Changeling Prince?" Cadance, the Princess of Love raised her eyebrow in puzzlement. "My niece, I am just as surprised as you are" Luna told her,"I've never heard of a Changeling Prince before either". "Enough of this!" Celestia's grand voice silenced every one else's, "YOUR kind tried to ruin my niece's wedding and now YOU tried to kill my son, twice. I find no reason as to why YOU deserve to live any longer. YOU are nothing but a plague to eveypony in Equestria". The words kinda cut deep into me and it pissed me off. If the restraints hadn't been on me, I would've gladly pounced at her and end her immortal life in a single, vicious bite. After all, this was the same mare who misjudged my mother because of her narrow-minded love for her monster of a son. She didn't know my mother and she never will. "Who's the monster now?" I calmly asked Shining. " He's gonna get us killed" Craft told Snapper who responded with a scared nod. Silence reigned for some time in the bedroom of Christopher as the three changelings and the ponies stared at the opposing group, no one having anything important left to say. The silence was eventually broken when Twilight spoke up. "I still can't figure how he can continue to look like one of us despite the Nullification Spell I casted" Twilight said to Chris. "There's something about you....Who are you again?" Chris asked me as he knelt down to one knee, meeting me eye to eye. "Christopher, get away from that thing!" Celestia ordered with a furious look on her face. "Mom, just let me talk to him. Maybe we can work something out" Chris countered. "There's nothing to negotiate about. Your mother attacked mine because of you. I'm just here to make sure I get rid of your existence, your highness" I chuckled. "I'm not gonna let you hurt anypony, especially my family" Chris said adamantly. "I'm a prince, buddy. You can't control me" I scoffed at his reply. "We'll see" he added without any expression before he turned to Twilight, "You were saying? " "Ah yes! From what I've observed, there's can only be two logical reasons as to why he isn't changing back" she replied, "Either he's more powerful than us or he's not a changeling". "Too bad you can't cast a single illusory spell like I can!" I grinned, "And you know who's more powerful than me? MY MOM!!" As if on cue, the door swung upon to reveal a Princess Celestia lookalike. Me and the two changeling smiled when we saw our rescue come in the form of my mom. However, something unexpected happened. My mother quickly reverted back to her changeling form much to her and everyone else's surprise. "Chrysalis? How dare you return to this place after all you've done?" Celestia yelled. "How dare I? How dare you capture my baby?" Chrysalis shot back. "He tried to kill me and my son!!" Celestia retorted. "That's because you destroyed our home" Chrysalis countered. "Enough!" I yelled. I was tired of their bickering and I wanted an answer and I wanted it now, "Why am I still a damn pony?" I asked Twilight. "Because..." Twilight replied before she hesitated for a few moments. "You're not a changeling" Chris finished the sentence. "What!? It's impossible!" I recoiled back, trying to believe it wasn't true. "Bālor, calm down" Craft tried to help but I quickly brushed his concern aside. "He's as stubborn as a mule, he won't listen to you" Snapper told him. I turned to my mother for answers. At first she smiled a little, trying to make me feel alright but I was having none of it. Her smile slowly turned upside-down as she lowered her head. All eyes in the room were on her as she prepared to deliver her answer. "It's not" Chrysalis said lowly. And then my mind broke.