//------------------------------// // The Beginning // Story: Mask Charade // by Marina Oceania //------------------------------// MASK CHARADE THE CHANGELING by: Mariner Ace This is my story, This happened a few years back at the time when Queen Chrysalis failed to Conquer Canterlot, I was still a pupa inside my cocoon waiting for my destiny, we will start from the beginning till we reach the ending only to unfold a new chapter of my life as a changeling. One Day in the changeling hive, I hatched not knowing that I had a destiny that will forever change the meaning of being a changeling, But like every other changelings we are nameless, alone, and uncared for, Forced to forever do the bidding of our queen Chrysalis though it is for the survival of our kind, pushed and shoved with the others we were sent directly into a changeling school where they taught us how to change forms, basic speaking and language, and how to drain the love given to us by others, lucky for me I was one of the changeling species that were highly intelligent fit for infiltration and espionage. Ten Years have passed since my birth and I have grown into a very intelligent and cunning young changeling, Queen Chrysalis has trained and prepared us to invade and infiltrate a nearby village next month, Those who will show true potential will climb up through the ranks and can even command a swarm of their own. I was a very independent changeling, Over the years I have trained my skills and knowledge to be someone they made me to be, I did not ask questions or even had doubts, but one day she changed me, from the moment I saw her I knew she was very different from all the others, She was always alone at class and even when walking back to the cocoons, so I decided to talk to her. "Hello there may I ask your name?" "Hi my name is Shelly Chitin, nice to meet you umm ... what's your name?" She Bashfully replied. "Sorry I haven't yet decided on what to call myself because I think names are useless but you can call me whatever you want." I Nervously replied with a grin. "So is it alright to call you friend?" She asked. "Sure no problem Shelly, but why friend?" "Because a friend is someone who cares about you." she replied as she smiled showing her little fangs. After that we were always together for the past weeks but I always asked myself why did she call me friend and what does that mean? but she was the reason why I have changed, she was the one who first opened my heart to emotions and feelings, she was different but in a very good way, when I am with her I smile as she talks about life outside the hive and the places that we can go, at night we look up on a hole in the hive to see bright lights twinkling in the night sky. "Hey friend what do you think are those things up in the sky?" Shelly asked. "I don't know either, they didn't taught us about those things." "Do you think there is more out there?" "you mean outside the hive?" I replied "Yeah and what is our purpose in life I mean is draining love and hurting others all there is?" That is when I wondered there are many things I still don't understand but because of Shelly I will gladly do my best to Understand them so I can answer her hundreds and thousands of questions for she is what she calls me "A friend." At first I thought that this is what I was meant to be, a creature that feasts on love to survive and must do everything in our power to take it, but this all changed when one stormy night Queen Chrysalis Ordered us to Attack and Infiltrate a nearby pony village, and with the growls and snarls of the Changeling Generals we flew through the stormy night. Shelly was flying near me when I saw some of our Brothers and Sisters were having trouble flying through the storm. "Shelly I don't think they will make it." I said. "Then we must help them, Come on." She hastily replied. We then supported their flight as we approach near the village. Now for the first time I felt pity and dismay as if my mind is contradicting to this kind of act, as I watch my brothers and sisters abduct little fillies and colts and replaced them. Shelly cried and said "Are we monsters? they are just little foals like us who have families, I just can't do this." With a confused look I replied "They are just prey and we are the predators, its them or us Shelly." I regret saying those words as she cried and flew back to the hive, I felt that I have done something wrong because I don't want to lose her, she is my only friend, I had to make it up to her and that I will do, so I just watched my siblings as they terrorized the village, I saw and understood what Shelly was talking about, the cries of the little fillies and colts were heard through out the night, that was when I doubted my purpose as a changeling. As the stormy wind blew and the rain fell hard, while thunder and lightning clashed into the night sky I saw a filly being carried off by one of the adult changeling when suddenly a lightning bolt almost hit them, the filly took that opportunity and bucked the Changeling hard enough for them to fall right out of the sky. I did not know what happened but I instinctively flew through the forest and see what has happened to the filly and the changeling, I was relieved that the filly was a pegasus and that she was safe and sound, the changeling also left because he was injured pretty bad, When suddenly lightning struck! *Crackle* it hit the old tree on the trunk enough for it to fall down, My heart rushed and my body suddenly moved to push the filly to safety as the tree almost fell on her. The filly giggled and thanked me but when she turned around to see her hero her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as the hero that saved her is one of the villains that took her in the first place, before she could say anything I ran back to the hive,I heard her faint shouts through the night as if she wanted to tell me something but I was already too far away. As I was running my mind was filled with unusual thoughts and questions, Why did I save her? what is this that I am feeling? I don't understand, I Can't Understand.