Flesh
It was a dark and stormy night, which meant a heavy workload for the weather team. The storm had to be the right intensity so a calamity could avoided. Rainbow Dash’s team was not strangers to the tedious job, but they still complained all night. The moment that work was declared finished the majority made themselves scarce.
‘I can’t wait to go home. I can taste that warm meal. Still, I should see if Lyra is back first so the rain won’t bother her. Sometimes being in charge of the weather has really good perks.’ Lyra had left Ponyville early that morning for some kind of guard thing, Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure, but she was suppose to be back rather late.
Rainbow Dash banked towards the train station as said train rolled in from Canterlot. She watched for the familiar spark of gold colored magic. For trips like these Lyra usually took her harp instrument thing. ‘She probably would correct me with that silly grin on her face. Oh wait, there she is!”
Rainbow Dash swooped above the clouds where Lyra was about to exit and parted the clouds. She watched with barely contained glee as Lyra stepped off the train with her harp case in tow. Lyra tilted her head, and looked around to confirm that there was still rain, just not any on her. A half smile appeared on her face when decided to look up.
“Dashie, I am so glad to see you, so happy that I am going to ignore this obvious abuse of your powers and not report it.”
Rainbow Dash rolled over and stared at Lyra upside down with a sly grin. “I have no idea what you are talking about. This hole in the clouds was here before you got out of the train. I can fix it for you though.”
“Nah, anypony that is upset over a hole in the clouds clearly has too much time on their hooves.” Lyra sighed as her eyes drooped and her tail dragged along the ground. “Too much time on their hooves.”
“Come on, I’ll walk you home.” Rainbow Dash pushed a trail of clouds for her herd mate to follow. It was a slow trip home which made Rainbow just a little impatient. Her anxiousness faded when the warm appearance of home came into view. The only light on was the living room. ‘Lero must have got caught up in a book. Usually when it’s his turn to cook the kitchen light would be on.’
When Lyra reached the door, Rainbow landed next to her and shook the water off herself. She looked up to see Lyra with an amused raised eyebrow. “Did you just escort me home just so you have shake water next to me?”
Rainbow chuckled as she ruffled her wings. “My bad.”
Lyra opened the door with a spark of magic. “Lero, Rainbow and I are home!”
“Hey there!” Their stallion called out from the living room. “Shoot, I forgot dinner!”
Lyra and Rainbow chuckled as they watched him jump off the couch and stumbled into the kitchen. “It’s fine. I think I want to lie down for a bit.” Lyra said, “My pillow wants to talk to my muzzle.”
Rainbow nodded as she grabbed the nearby towel. It smelt like it was used recently. Odd. Did somepony visit? Rainbow mentally shrugged as she threw the towel on the rack. ‘Maybe Twilight forgot something and came back.’
Lero moved around the kitchen at a fever pace, he looked nervous. Rainbow slinked up behind him and waited for the perfect moment to strike. She leaped out and pulled him into a hug from behind and nibbled on his exposed shoulder. “Were you enjoying yourself, big guy?”
She was surprised when she felt Lero tense up. His whole body was rigid. “Whoa, calm down. It’s just me.”
“Right, sorry about that.” Lero forced a chuckle. He quickly turned around and returned the hug. “You really shouldn’t do that to a guy holding a knife. Somepony could get hurt.”
“My bad, did you cut yourself?” Rainbow rubbed her muzzle in his neck.
“Naw, love.” Lero broke the hug and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He turned around to continue his task when he stumbled again.
Rainbow Dash cried out and moved to catch him. “I got you!” She quickly wrapped her forearms around him and slowed his fall. She felt him breath rapidly as she sighed in relief until something caught her eye on the floor.
“What’s that green stuff?”
Rainbow felt a chill go through her body. The hair on her back stood up as her wings froze up. Rainbow’s instincts screamed at her and she listened. She bounced away just in time to avoid a quick slice of a large blade. But not fast enough to avoid a small, shallow cut on her shoulder.
Rainbow looked up; her eyes wide open, and met the dead glare from her human stallion. His bulky form loomed over her with a meat carver in his jerky hand. The knife was slightly stained with red and green on the blade. Lero had the look of a killer.
A stunned Dash shrunk under Lero’s long shadow. Did she do something wrong, why did he react so violently? “What are you doing Lero?”
Her answer came in the form of a cold chuckle which spooked Rainbow to her core. Before she could say anything Lero was on her again. He struck with a clumsy but swift vertical strike that forced Rainbow to dodge. She almost tripped over the table chair she knocked over. Dash didn’t notice. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Come on Lero just calm down.”
“Oh, sorry. I just realized how much of a joke this all is.” Lero face palmed with his green stained wounded hand, he continued to chuckle. “I’m actually screwing a horse. How wrong is that?”
Rainbow’s ears trembled against her skull. She couldn’t believe what she heard. Lero has told her in the past how he felt about his relationship. While it was not entirely normal for a pony to marry outside their species, it was not unheard of. For Lero, a human paired up with a human, anything else was considered perverse. What was the word? Bestiality. He didn’t call their relationship that though, he said it was xenophilia.
“What we have is not wrong.” Rainbow strained to say, her heart was heavy and ached. Like a minotaur decided to stomp on it. “How can it be, who told you that!? After everything we’ve been through. After all our doubts and struggles how can you possibly question that?”
Lero’s features softened as his grip on the knife loosened. “You really believe that?”
Rainbow sniffed as she held back tears. He doubted what they had? She took a slow step toward him; she still had a submissive posture and really, really hoped he calmed down enough. Dash wasn’t sure how long he’s been tormented by these feelings, but he needed a hug now. “Y-yea you big lug. Just put the knife down and we can talk about it.”
Lero kicked his heavy foot out and caught Rainbow in her muzzle. She crashed through the table behind her as her vision blacked out. Dash’s senses were dulled and her ears ringed, but her trained mind did not fail her. Rainbow rolled to the side as a rush of air sliced through her mane. She blinked rapidly as her vision returned. The large knife was embedded in the table as Lero struggled to pull it out.
‘This can’t be him, there is no way. Lero just wouldn’t do this. He’s sick. Maybe some kind of magic spell did this?’ Rainbow pulled herself back up. She felt a small trail of liquid go down her lips from her nose. ‘For better or worse and in sickness and in health. I will always be there for you.’ The vow solidified in her mind as she gathered her resolve.
Rainbow jumped up behind Lero and wrapped her forearms around his arms. She beat her wings hard and dragged Lero away from the blade. “Calm down, please. This isn’t you. I can get help.”
Lero realized he couldn’t get his weapon back so he chucked his body back and slammed Dash into the wall behind them. Rainbow felt the air knocked out of her as her grip loosened. Lero quickly broke free and swung around with a backhand. Rainbow ducked it and tackled him to the ground. She hugged him tightly, she was not about to fight back. She would just hold him close and everything would be fine.
Lero rolled over so he could be on top. He pulled one arm free and used his free hand to wrap his fingers around her neck. Then he started to squeeze her throat tightly. Rainbow’s vision blurred as her thoughts became frantic. Then she noticed something wrong.
‘He’s not wearing my feather. He hates me!’
A sneer grew across his face as he doubled down on her.
‘Le..r…o…’
The quiet hum of magic filled the air before Lero was thrown off Rainbow and out the window. A horrible mixture of sorrow and grief plagued Rainbow Dash as she laid there. “W-what was that!? What the buck was that!? I...wa...why...”
“Oh this is really bad.” Rainbow heard Lyra’s voice but did not respond. She curled herself up into a tight ball as tears dampened her face. Rainbow started to cough as she tried to hide from the world in her forearms.
“Lero just went crazy and he...and he wasn’t wearing my feather. ” She felt the warm body of her herd mate hug her close. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Rainbow, you have changeling blood all over your neck.” Rainbow froze, and looked into Lyra’s large eyes.
“What, what are you talking about?” Rainbow blinked slowly. ‘Lero did bleed green on the hand he cut himself on. Lero’s blood is red, not green. So that wasn’t him. That wasn’t him! It was a bug the whole time!’ Rainbow’s tremors that racked her body ceased as her mind started to calm down.
‘Changeling...don’t they? Oh no. If that was a changeling, Lero is in trouble. A changeling came into our home as one of us and not only tricked him, but kidnapped him as well.’
Rainbow stood up from her fetal position. She could feel Lyra as she rose up next to her. Dash started to breathe hard as implications dawned on her. ‘A changeling took advantage of him in our home. In our home! He could be calling for help right now!’ Rainbow’s vision tinged red as a fire burned in her gullet. An electric charge coursed through her being as her wings hardened by her side.
“Lero’s in danger!”
“Don’t panic.” Lyra grabbed Rainbow’s face and sharply pulled it close, their muzzles a hair’s breadth apart. “We can’t afford to do something stupid. I’ll chase down the changeling and you get Twilight and tell her what has happened.”
Rainbow felt her heart tighten as she shakily nodded. “Be careful, please.” Lyra quickly flicked the door open with her magic and Rainbow flew out of the house.
She swooped above the cloud line and immediately broke the color barrier. The Sonic Rainboom destroyed the weather that she had worked all night on. Rainbow didn’t care; already her mind went through the worse case scenarios.
‘Did they hurt him? Did they kill him!?’ Rainbow Dash let loose a primal scream. Her gut flared with rage that consumed her body and mind. She was ready to rip changelings apart.“Buck this!”
Rainbow slammed into the ground in front of the library tree, the earth quaked beneath her and the trees in the area swayed violently. The force blew the door open to reveal a shocked Spike. The welcome mat was now in a small crater.
“R-rainbow?” Spiked gulped.
A small part of Rainbow told her that she probably scared the poor baby dragon. She’ll have to deal with that later. “Twilight!!!” She bellowed just to make sure Twilight knew that she was there.
Not even a moment later, a bright purple flashed announced Twilight’s arrival. Her mane was up in a ponytail and wore oversize orange goggles. To say she looked disheveled would have been an understatement.
“What, the hay Rainbo...” Twilight’s eyes grew large. “Rainbow you have blood on you.”
Rainbow panted hard as glanced at herself. “Lero has been kidnapped.”
A beaker, that Rainbow didn’t notice, Twilight had in her telekinetic grip dropped to the floor and shattered. Twilight gapped before she quickly regained her wits. “By what you have on you, I would say by changelings.” Rainbow heard a growl erupted from Twilight as flames sparked in her eyes.
“Spike, code omega.” Spike saluted, he took out parchment and started to scribble furiously. Twilight started to pace. “A changeling means that he must have been stalked for a few weeks. Tell me what happened.”
“You should come to the house and see for yourself.” Rainbow flared her wings aggressively. She was eager to get back to Lyra. She hoped, to all things, that she might have found it.
“I’ll meet you there; I need to grab a few things.” Twilight vanished in a purple flash. Spike had sent the message and was already started to stuff a bag full of things.
“Dash, you’ll get him back right?” Spike asked.
Rainbow’s harsh eyes looked at him, but softened as soon as she saw his barely contained tears. “We will. No bug is going to hurt him.”
Rainbow took off again; if she had stayed a second longer she would have gotten a letter back from Princess Celestia. She noticed the confused townsfolk outside as Rainbow flew past; when Rainbow reached the house, Twilight just teleported into the living room with random equipment.
Rainbow was right by her side and regaled to her what had happened when Lyra and she got home. Twilight nodded and pointed out the door. “See if you can help Lyra. I’m going to try and figure out when Lero was taken.”
Before Rainbow could fly out the door, Lyra trotted in with the changeling in tow. It only had one wing now. “No need, I have it right here.”
“You!” Rainbow snarled as her rage boiled again. A strong tent of red colored her view as she grabbed the changeling by the neck. “Where is he!?
It hissed defiantly and was punched as a result. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“Rainbow, stop.” Twilight called out. “We can’t force it to say anything like this.”
“Twilight, it stole his body. This thing had to have seen him in order for that to happen.” Rainbow glanced at the changeling’s injured hoof to make sure that this was the one she fought.
“Drones don’t talk.” Lyra spoke up. “There has never been a successful interrogation done on one, ever.”
“So it’s useless to us?” Rainbow started to stalk around the changeling like a predator. She wanted so badly to tear into it, even if it didn’t help.
“Not quite.” Twilight took out an odd machine that Rainbow was not sure what it did. It beeped and clicked furiously as a small peg danced on a scale of numbers. “I can find out how many were here. Anti-changeling detectors have come a long way since the Canterlot invasion. The magic signature should still be fresh.”
“Those would have been helpful during that invasion.” Lyra placed a hoof on Rainbow to try and calm her.
Twilight scanned the area as the device beeped erratically. Twilight followed the marks carefully as it took her upstairs. Rainbow stayed close behind as Twilight clopped into the bedroom. ‘Oh no. Don’t tell me.’
Rainbow heard a surprised squeak from Twilight. “The energy readings are strongest here.”
A cold chill went down Rainbow’s spine as her heart skipped a beat. “Did a changeling get him in here?”
“Not just any changeling.” Twilight snarled loudly which made Rainbow jump. “That monster has decided to violate the sanctity of my family twice now.”
“The Queen.” Lyra softly answered. Rainbow heard fear in her voice. She would have never thought Lyra would have been afraid of anything. “Oh this is bad.”
“Fine, we find her and tear into her.” Rainbow Dash stomped her hooves on the floor. That giant bug was about to be a grease stain. That monster took advantage of her human stallion. Just the thought clouded her mind with violent fury.
“This is the Queen, Rainbow.” Lyra got in her face, worry was etched on her. “This creature would take you apart and laugh in your face.”
Rainbow tore her eyes away and lurched towards the prisoner. “Is this some kind of revenge scheme?” Rainbow asked the changeling. It looked up at her confused before it laughed.
“Not even clossse.” Rainbow gritted her teeth as she punched the changeling’s face. The punch was strong enough to knock it out cold.
“That was not a normal response.” Twilight tied the changeling up in magical rope. “It laughed at us.”
“So this more than a revenge plan.” Lyra looked at the bed. She looked a little greener than normal. “The Queen probably thought he was exotic and took him for herself.”
Rainbow’s stomach sank. “No. She wouldn’t.”
“No she won’t.” Twilight muttered darkly. “Ladies, our stallion has just been kidnapped. There will be Tartarus to pay.”
***
“This day has been perfect.” Aimee sighed deeply as she led her entourage of changelings. There was a skip in her step and her eyes twinkled. She sung a small ditty that made sense to only herself. Lero was restrained in rope and magical grips. He was asleep for most of the trip to the kingdom, but the moment he awoke he struggled nonstop. He couldn’t say anything, but she can taste his confusion and anger.
“I can find pleasure in that we probably caused a lot of pain for Sparkle.” The Queen grinned wickedly.
“Who cares about that pony, this man made me feel alive.” Aimee drew behind Lero and placed a hand on his shoulder. He visibly flinched. Terror, rich flavor. Always nice to have after love.“Oh, you poor thing. I’m going to remove the gag, don’t bother screaming. We are miles away from help.”
Aimee removes the gag. Lero glares at her for a few moments. She savored the taste of how close to the breaking point he was. “You weren’t Twilight earlier were you? Who and what are you?” Lero growled to her. Rage, a strong flavor. If not careful can overpower the other dishes.
“Mwah? I am The Queen of the Changelings, and I am Aimee Chevalier. Former human, I think. Probably. You stand before greatness mortal. I have to say you were horrible in bed. You’ve spent too long with ponies.”
“Is that so?” Lero glared with an unamused tone. “Why have you kidnapped me?”
“Because when I want something I take it!” The Queen snarled.
Aimee draped an arm around him and traced his jaw line. “You make me feel complete, even if you are an American.”
Disgust crossed over Lero’s face. Sour, not really enjoyable.“You used me. I don’t belong to you; I made a vow to my partners. I will never let you have me.”
Aimee’s grin vanished as she leaned in close to his face. The Queen grabbed the hair on the back of his hand and twisted. “Let me make myself clear. You. Don’t. Belong. Here. You will always be different, you will never fit in. I saw the way the ponies looked at you, even the friendly ones. I am not alien to that world.”
Lero continued to glare at her. “You think I am not aware of the alienation? Despite all that, they still accepted me. Lyra accepted me, Twilight accepted me, and Rainbow...Rainbow helped me to move on. Do I miss home? Of course I do, but this is my home now.”
“You say that, but in her heart she desires a stallion. I can feel it, it is only natural after all.” The Queen let go of his hair and poked his chest. “Has she said on a few occasions how strange you are sometimes?”
Lero remained quiet, but stern. Aimee smiled as she pointed at one of the changelings. “Change.”
Green magic flames sprouted around the changeling. Its formed changed into that of another human. “See that, I can give you back your home. Any of them can change into any kind of human you want. They will act like them, eat like them, and talk like them.” Aimee waltzed towards the human as it accepted her hand. “This one is named Timothy.”
Lero cringed as his face paled. “Why would I even participate in this charade?”
“Why?”
Aimee cheerful demeanor and was replaced by something cold. “Do you have holes, Lero? I have holes. Holes everywhere. My body and my mind are covered in holes. I feel like thorns wrap themselves around me and just cover me with holes.” She took one of Lero’s restrained hands and forced a finger to poke her forehead. “I have a big festering hole right there, that has eaten away at me all my life. So many things are missing. Was it taken from me, was I born like this, or maybe there was a hole there, but it’s gone now.”Aimee let go of Lero’s hand and started to cradle her head. “The holes were covered up by so many distractions, but all that did was hide the problem.”
Aimee looked up at Lero. She did not move. She did not blink. “I don’t like holes. You, Lero, are going to fill those holes in.”
“Yes, there is a double meaning to that.” The Queen chuckled as she beckoned him a finger. “Your love makes me feel powerful. It is wasted on ponies.”
“I am not giving anything to you.” Lero closed his eyes. His voice was tense, but calm. “You are clearly insane, and you are clearly demented.”
He yelped when The Queen drilled a sharp nail into his forehead and broke the skin. “Listen human, nothing in Equestria can tell me no. I told you, when I want something I get it. I will take your mind and turn it into a vegetable if I have to.”
“Don’t try to call her bluff. She will do it.” Aimee sighed as she caressed his cheek with one hand. “So many ponies, dragons, griffins, and other creatures have fallen to her will.”
Lero returned her gaze and stared intently. Though smaller in stature the gaze reminded The Queen of a dragon’s glare. The taste of power, an apex predator. Intoxicating. “You are asking me to give up to you. Why should I when Rainbow, Twilight, and Lyra will fight with everything they have to get me back?”
“And what makes you think that they would do that when they know it is a lost cause?” The Queen grinned, all her teeth were sharp.
“Because, I would do the same.”
Aimee frowned and spoke in a low voice. “Lero, what year were you born?”
He studied her and decided to answer carefully. “It was after the turn of the millennium.”
“What happened after the Germans invaded? I don’t quite remember the year, but France was...lost.”
Lero blinked vacantly as he tried to process the question. Confusion leaves an odd taste. “They lost the war. The Germans were eventually defeated.”
"I see.” Aimee stared at the ground murmuring gibberish before her head shot up and flashed Lero a smile. “I told you that you would be filling in holes.”
“Good night, we’ll reach my kingdom tomorrow.” The Queen flicked his forehead. A green spark of magic flickered for a moment. Lero was able to resist for a moment (a moment longer than The Queen expected), but soon his eyes turned green as his eyelids drooped. “Just like all the others.”
“It has been a long day.” Aimee carefully laid Lero’s body down on top of a changeling's back. “I want to dream again.” She looked up at another changeling and nodded. It transformed into another human.
“Daddy.” Aimee hugged it with complete affection. “Everything will be better soon Dad. Tomorrow is a new day.” Her eyes grew heavy as the stars faded.
***
What was once a pristine forest of beauty was now a wasteland. Bombs had wrecked the land. There was still a line of trees that still stood, but the forest was nowhere as thick as it once was. Charred cars that were still on fire could be spotted on the side of the road.
Aimee shuddered as they drove past another family. Timothy glanced at her. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. His eyes darted up at the sky every few moments and his movements jerked around sporadically. The trip wore their nerves thin.
“Turn down this way.” Aimee pointed towards an old gravel road with a mailbox.
“R-right.” Timothy sighed in relief with the cover of trees. “So your home, what’s it like?”
Aimee watched the canopy of trees go by as she played with the door lock. “Well it’s been in the family for a while. Our family a long, long time ago took care of horses. Breed, trained, and raised horses for nobility and knights.”
“Then you guys had enough and killed your King.” Timothy chuckled darkly as he shook his head.
“Ya, there was more to it than that, but that is the gist of it. We still have horses, but it is mostly a recreational habit. Dad’s a researcher.”
“Big name researcher on top of that. I saw his name on the board of directors for the school.”
Aimee smiled quietly. “It was because of him I got into university.”
Some time past before a familiar house rolled into view. It stood two stories tall with the wears and tears of an old weathered home. Weary stones covered in moss lined the walls. Red window panes hanged loosely to allow light inside. Trees obscured most of the house, and vines are wrapped around the awning. Dad’s rose bushes had grown fairly large. It’s good to be home.
“How very rustic.” Timothy stopped the car in front of the walkway.
Aimee nodded as she opened the car door. She froze when she looked at the walkway. Heavy boot prints were printed everywhere, and the door looked like it was kicked open. Her heart skipped a beat as Aimee’s breath stopped.
“Oh no.”
Aimee dashed towards the house. She brushed up a little too close to one of the trees and scrapped herself on one of the thorns wrapped around it. She ran into the living room, the place was torn apart. She found papers thrown around, furniture overturned, and windows broken. Valuables and family heirlooms were gone. Aimee ran up to the second floor. There were no signs of Dad.
Aimee opened the back door. The barn doors were partially off their hinges and all the animals seemed to have scattered. There is nothing here. They took everything. Aimee didn’t have time to meditate what happened when she heard heavy machinery overhead. ‘Do I hear planes?’
Explosion.
Aimee fell over as the house was rocked. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted towards the front door. Her ears ringed as she stumbled over fallen furniture. The smell of melted metal and chemicals permeated the air. Aimee exited the house; the smoke choked her lungs and burned her eyes. She gasped as her hand covered her mouth. The car was gone, as was Timothy.
Another explosion.
Ears hurt. Aimee picked herself up off the ground. Her arms failed as she fell down again. Bones ached and her muscles screamed out in pain. ‘What? Why am I on the floor? Everything smells like ash.’
Aimee struggled back up only to fall down again. She passed out.
Her face is wet. ‘Something is licking me.’
Aimee eye’s cracked open. A tongue invaded her vision and continued its invasive action.
‘Something is sniffing me.’ Aimee strained to turn over. She didn’t have the energy. Something pushed her over. “Amie? When did you come back?”
Her horse snorted as she knelt down next to her. Amie’s warm body soothed Aimee’s aches and the soft coat was welcomed over the cold hard ground. Aimee grabbed Amie by her withers and weakly pulled up. As soon as Aimee was draped on her back Amie carefully got up. Aimee got a good look at what was left of her house. Fire licked charred remains of furniture and centuries old trees laid low in the ruins. The chimney shifted slightly before it fell down into the ashes of the old desecrated home.
Tears flowed down Aimee’s face. “It’s gone.”
She didn’t know how long she stayed there. She just watched the flames burn away whatever existed of her old life. “Let’s go, Amie. I don’t know where, but I just want to go.”
Her horse slowly trotted away into the woods. The trees crowded in on them as they went deeper. The canopy slowly darkened the trail. They plodded along with no real destination in mind.
“Aimee.” Someone called out to her from beyond her sight in the darkest part of the forest. “Dear child, come this way.”
“Who’s there?” Aimee looked around. They were in a clearing with Foxglove everywhere. Amie neighed aggressively. Suddenly her horse took off and almost threw Aimee off. She held tightly to her horse’s mane as the trees flew by; Amie galloped long and hard, enough to make her nose bleed. “Amie, why are you so scared? Stop, you’re going to hurt yourself!”
Amie slowed down to a plod. She heaved loudly as her legs trembled weakly. Aimee slid off and grabbed Amie by the muzzle. “Calm down. It’s ok. Shhh.”
“Aimee.” Someone called out to her. “Dear child, come this way.”
Aimee froze. The voice followed her. She looked around and discovered they were back in the clearing surrounded by Foxglove. They glowed now. “W-who’s there?”
Someone with pastel rainbow hair appeared before her.
***
A buzz irritated the Queen enough to wake her from her sleep. An alarm jolts her up, Lero had escaped. Her face twisted in rage. “How is this possible!? I had him under mind control.”
She picked up one of the unconscious changelings. A green spark woke it. “Explain, how was he able to escape?”
The changeling quickly answered with telepathic memories. Lero had broken out of the mind control only five minutes after she had gone to sleep. He slipped out of some of the restrains and broke the rest on a changeling’s head. This one immediately went to capture him, but Lero grabbed it and slammed it into the ground. As its vision fades, it watched Lero escaped through the forest.
“No, we can’t let him escape!” Aimee cried out. She looked up at the forest of Leota where he disappeared into. The Queen breathed in deeply before she unleashed a horrifying roar that would have made dragons tremble. The hive heard and it will answer her call. The entire hive. The sky blackened as the swarm approached; the moon and stars disappeared from view like a blanket over the world. “Find the human! Let nothing stand in your way.”
“We can follow the trail he left behind.” Aimee told The Queen with desperation.
“No need to panic, he has no idea where he is.” The Queen grinned. “The forest is large and can be confusing, but we should not leave anything to chance.”
The Queen and Aimee dug their foot into the ground before they sprinted off into the forest. Animals, both mundane and magical, fled before her as she ran through the brush. Her emerald eyes shined brightly, which cut through the darkness. The swarm high above broke into formations and covered the forest.
Aimee ran until she came across a rotted sign. “Welcome to Iron Shoe.”
She looked at the abandoned ghost town where the human foot prints entered. It was a settlement beyond Equestria’s borders made by ponies that did not wish to live under the crown. Not Celestia’s crown, but an old unicorn kingdom. They had formed an odd government that voted in a council who controlled the village.
There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with the village structure; they had successfully controlled the dangers of the forest much like how Ponyville did when it was founded. The town became well known for its iron based products. They built things to last, the town itself still stood after all this time. Too bad they made a home next to a changeling hive.
“Haven’t been here in a long time.” Aimee contemplated as she pushed the old splintered sign over. She should just send a squad of changelings inside while she searched the forest.
“It would take too long to run through this old town. We can cover more ground—“
A bright beam of light erupted from epicenter of the town. It stretched high into the sky for all to see and turned away the darkness. All the magical lamps in every building turned on at the same time. The old village that had slept for eons sparked to life once again. The large mansion that overlooked the town shined brilliantly. Aimee covered her eyes.
Something in the town blew up as the all the lights died at once. A billow of smoke rose from the center of town. Aimee rubbed the soreness from her eyes. “I think he turned on the generator and over-clocked it.”
“He’s trying to send a signal for help!” The Queen growled then howled into the sky. The changelings began to converge to her. “Form a ring around the town; nothing will get in or out. I want some to help me search.”
Aimee walked down Mane Street towards the center of town. Her entourage of changelings that followed her occasionally broke off to search the buildings. The old wood buildings were covered in overgrowth and the paint was worn off, but they still stood strong. Earth ponies made sure what they build lasted a long time. Most of the street lamps that had not fallen over were homes for cobwebs and crows.
Aimee reached downtown and stopped. She allowed a smile to grow on her face as she took a deep breath for her royal voice of yore. “Lero, you have no way to escape! Your gamble for help has failed, you foolish American!”
“Don’t bother coming out now! I want to hunt you down! When I find you I will break one of your legs! Then I will drag you back to my kingdom where you will stay for the rest of your life!”
“I will use you to make a human world! With your love I can create changelings to be just like humans! They will talk and act just like them; go to work, ride on ponies, and make love! It will be a perfect little world!”
“I am your future, Lero! Your body, mind, love, and soul belong to me! Don’t you realize it? I was with you the whole time the past few weeks! Any of those times you thought you were with your herd mates was me! I know you!”
“We slept together! Can’t just let that go! Sure, you were awkward because of only having pony partners, but I will teach you! We can go on dates, meet each other’s parents, get married, and have little children!”
“I will take your love and make a new world!”
“We will make love and it will be beautiful!”
Such a rich flavor in the air. The Queen grinned as she cracked her knuckles. That was her favorite thing to do now. She was about to have fun.
Explosion.
Aimee’s vision darted towards the sky. A rainbow colored shockwave broke through the changeling fence. A streak of color bends towards downtown as the air rippled with magic energy. Gold chariots follow far behind the streak with an army of pegasi soldiers. The rainbow streaked impacted the ground before Aimee, which forced her to look away briefly.
Rainbow Dash looked up at her and growled. In an instant a purple flash announced the arrival of Twilight next to Rainbow. Her horn did not cease its glow as Twilight summoned more magic. A powerful purple shield erupted from her; it passed through Rainbow with no effect and slammed into The Queen. Her world was turned upside down as the magic barrier dragged her across town. The other changelings that had followed her were also caught by the shield and were squashed against some of the houses.
The Queen dug her feet harshly into the ground as she pushed back against the barrier. She raised a fist and punched it as hard as she could. The Queen didn’t destroy the shield, but she was able to phase through it. She was now on the edge of town again with the barrier behind her. Looked like the little pony mage had copied a spell from her brother.
The Queen seethed as green sparks of energy tendrils jumped off her. “Kill them. Kill them all!”
Transparent dragonfly wings erupted from her back as she charged back in town. Black and green magic melted from her fist as her feet pounded against the earth. She reached downtown in a matter of seconds. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were gone and in their place waited a brigade of soldiers.
“Stand your ground mares.” The dark Pegasus field commander calmly glared at the target that rushed at them. Commander Nightshade’s blue bat wings twitched with anticipation as their foe closed in. A silver scabbard hanged on her back and her wings were covered with tainted black blades. Her golden eyes calculated their next move. “Unicorns, suppress her!”
There were five groups; in each one five earth ponies with heavy armor took point with spears and gauntlets. They held their ground with earth pony magic. The three pegasi wore light armor equipped with razor wing tips, perfect for flank maneuvers and sharp enough to cut through dragon scales. The two unicorn mages provided support with shield magic and bolts to attack from afar.
Multiple bolts fired past The Queen. The energy made the air crackle with heat. Magical discharges missed her by inches as she used her lithe form to dance around them. When she spied the commander The Queen smiled as she grabbed one of the bolts out of the air, twisted it around her body and flung it back towards her target.
The bolt zoomed far faster than when it was first fired and Nightshade only had time for her eyes to widen. A green hoof flashed and deflected the shot past the commander. She let a sigh of relief as she looked over to her savior. “Auxiliary Guard Heartstrings, it is good to see you. That would have not ended well for me. Though I must ask, why are you not looking for the target?”
The ever still Lyra took the traditional Still Way stance. “I can’t cover nearly as much ground as Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. Besides, this one is personal. You don’t mind if I join you Commander Nightshade.”
Nightshade small smirk only allowed a single fang through her lips. “Would be honored.”
“Here she comes.”
“This is where we stop her until backup arrives and the target is rescued.” The mares yelled out a war cry and readied their weapons. “We are the combined might of the sun and moon. We are the strongest that our princesses have to offer. This monster s has been blight on our kingdom for eons. Make sure to run her back underground.”
The Queen allowed a murderous grin to break across her face before she leapt high into the air. “Ready your shields, don’t give her a chance!”
The Queen landed a devastating blow to the point group’s magic shield. It shattered instantly like she popped a bubble. The group scattered as she landed with a heavy thud. Aimee looked up as the point group quickly surrounded her. The five earth ponies all stabbed with their spears in perfect unison. The Queen swiftly sidestepped the barrage of steel and grabbed two spears by the wood handles.
The two earth ponies dug into the ground and poured their earth magic into their hooves to hold steady. “Stop her, we are barely hol--!”
Aimee lifted the mares off the ground by their spears and swung them around like a top. The other three soldiers were knocked aside by their fellow comrades. Then she slammed her two flails together which produced a sick crunch.
“Pierce, Lance! No!” One of the pegasus swooped down low with her wing blades outstretched. The Queen recognized the emotion connected between herd sisters. She quickly ducked under the slash and grabbed the pegasus by her tail. Aimee threw her at the other pegasus that tried to flank her, their blades clashed each other as they crumpled to the ground.
“What are you all doing!?” Nightshade bellowed out. “Why can’t you grab her?”
The unicorn mares grimaced as their horns burned brightly. “Our telekinesis is not working on her. She’s resisting our spells.”
Nightshade quickly glanced over to Lyra. “You are in a herd with a human. Tell me you know of any weakness we can use?”
Lyra’s horned glowed as she reached out. “Everypony focus on her knees. Don’t bother with a full body grab.”
A magical aura surrounded Aimee’s knees slowing her down to a crawl. The Queen snorted and rolled her eyes. “You should run now.”
A ring of green flames blazed around her before she thrust them out. A wall of armageddon bore down on the ponies. “Unicorns’ shield now!”
Commander Nightshade jumped next to Lyra as she created a gold shield to cover them. She winced when she heard the brief cries of pain from those too slow to escape. All Lyra and Nightshade could see was green flames of fury. Then, without warning, they dissipated rapidly.
“Hello Lyra.”The Queen whispered behind them a killer’s grin split her face.
Lyra quickly bounced to the side and dodged a kick. Aimee followed up with a downward elbow strike towards Lyra’s temple. Lyra calmly deflected the blow with a magic block. Nightshade came in from behind with a sliver magic sword in her mouth and attempted to run the monster through. Aimee felt the sun blessed blade and back flipped over her opponent.
Aimee threw her weight down on Nightshade and grabbed her head. “I wish to talk to Lyra.” Aimee’s eyes turned solid green. “Do you mind taking care of your subordinates? Good girl.”
Commander Nightshade’s eyes became heavy as the familiar green tint poisoned her. Nightshade slowly got up and stalked her way towards some down soldiers. A golden hue of magic wrapped around Nightshade’s leg and tripped her. Nightshade fell muzzle first into the ground. Another magic attack surrounded her head and smashed it into the ground.
“Well that wasn’t nice. You knocked her out cold.”
Lyra breathed calmly as she took a stance. Her bright golden eyes pierced her opponent. She was balance, all things flow with all things.
“You can’t hide the fear from me, Still Way master.” The Queen calmly slinked towards her. “You have every right to be. I completely nullified your training the first time we meet. You want to hear something even better? That was before I took the groom’s love. I was powerful enough to defeat your princess after I took it. Lero’s love made me stronger then when I defeated her. Do you hear me, I am stronger!”
Lyra snorted as she carefully kept her distance. “There is a difference this time. You had Prince Armor’s love backing you up the whole time. Tell me, does Lero love you right now?”
The Queen hissed as her anger sparked. “Cute little unicorn, let me tell you something. I can taste the varying strengths of love. He does not love you nearly as much as the others.”
Lyra glared as the first sign of emotions crossed her face. It lasted only a second as she breathed another calm breath. “I know that. Lero’s love for me is not like that of Rainbow Dash or Twilight. The love he has for me is unique because he loves me for who I am. This is not some competition, but a state of companionship. Besides...”
The Queen raised an eyebrow. “...you must have been imitating me poorly.”
“Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Horny.” The Queen answered in Lero’s voice.
Lyra’s horn barely glowed before a golden gleam tried to wrap itself around The Queen’s throat and ankle. Her foot was pulled out from under her and The Queen was slammed into the ground. A pegasus soldier that had waited for an opportunity dove down for a sagittal slash. Aimee broke free from Lyra’s grip and kicked the pegasus’ throat before the weapon got close. Lyra grabbed the ankle that The Queen used and threw her again.
An earth pony soldier was fast enough to buck the monster as she flipped. The Queen flew back from the powerful kick and would have crashed into the ground if she had not decided to use her wings. She glared at the earth pony mare and raised her hand. A telekinetic green hue wrapped around the soldier and lifted her up from the ground.
“Stop her, stop her, stop her, stop her!”
Her cries for help were cut short when Aimee smashed her into the other soldiers. The Queen’s maniacal joy was cut short when something tugged on the articulation of her wings. Lyra gritted her teeth as she harshly pulled down with her magic on the monster’s appendages. The Queen was cut off guard and teetered in the sky before she landed. The few unicorns that were still up fired magic bolts on her. The Queen growled as green flames sprouted around her.
“I don’t think so!” Nightshade slashed down on Aimee and stopped her attack. A fresh head wound forced Nightshade to only use one eye, but it did not hold her back. Silver blade in mouth and on wings the legendary three blade style was put to full use. Sparks flew as the blades crossed paths with each other.
“Keep going, I got her!” Lyra yelled out as she grabbed, yanked, and pulled all over the monster. The Queen’s balance and concentration was thrown off. Every step she took almost collapsed, her movements became sluggish, and her throat had a vice wrapped around it. Lyra was really trying to kill her with everything she had.
The soldiers closed in. “I guess I should stop playing around.” Aimee grabbed the blade much to Nightshade’s surprise. “This body is still rusty, but it has been interesting. However, I really should go find Lero.” With unreal strength, Aimee shattered the silver magic blade and kicked Nightshade hard.
Sickly green slime erupted from the ground; all the ponies around her were immediately entangled. The goo captured all her foes in a matter of seconds. The Queen looked around with a pleased grin, she turned around and found Lyra was only a few centimeters away from her with an outstretched hoof that glowed.
“Is that the legendary Necrosis Touch? I’m surprised they still teach that. You really wanted to kill didn’t you; that move would have liquefied all my nerves if you had hit.” The Queen leaned down into Lyra’s uncovered ear. “Does your herd know you can do that?”
Something hit her, hard. The Queen’s world spinned uncontrollably as body skipped across the ground. Aimee planted a foot in the road and anchored herself. She plowed about six feet of dirt before she came to a stop. The Queen looked up to see the furious Rainbow Dash. The moment lasted a second as Rainbow Dash uppercutted her into the sky.
“You raped him.” Rainbow Dash snarled as she continued to wail on The Queen. “I am going to tear you apart!” She carried the monster high into the sky. “How long were you hunting him? How many times did you steal my body to trick him!? Never. Again. Will. You. Touch. Him!”
A cone was building around Rainbow as she flew faster and faster until finally she pushed hard enough to do it. Rainbow Dash tackled The Queen with a full on Sonic Rainboom. “He made a vow, and you took advantage of it!”
Rainbow Dash arched down and grabbed Aimee from behind to hold her in place. A stream of rainbow light could be seen from a distance until it crashed into the ground. A prismatic mushroom cloud exploded and covered the area with a thick fog of dust and dirt.
Rainbow staggered away from ground zero. Her breath was rapid and shallow after performing the one move she would have never thought to use on anything in her life. Her muscles screamed and her bones ached as she looked back to where she dropped The Queen. She was lying there still as stone.
“Six.”
“Wha--!!!” Slime covered Rainbow’s legs and grew up to her body. She tried to spread her wings to fly away, but was too slow and exhausted to escape. After she flew full steam to get to this town, find Lero, and blasted away the monster she was just entirely out of energy.
Aimee struggled to get up. She coughed profusely as she made her way up to the pony. “I’m impressed, had you done that to me on a normal day I would have been down and out.”
“Like I told your herd wretch, I’m on a schedule.” Aimee poked Rainbow in the middle of her head. She made an attempt to bite her. “You will never see him again, and to make sure. I will take your wing.”
The Queen’s claws carefully played around Rainbow’s frame. “I’ll just take one.”
The green ooze around Rainbow Dash turned an ugly brown. Aimee raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
The ooze exploded off Rainbow Dash. The Queen quickly tried to slash down on Rainbow, but she disappeared in a purple flash. Aimee looked up to see Twilight Sparkle with a cold glare. She wore a tiara on her head. Twilight’s mane threw off sparks of flames.
‘A tiara? Wait, Rainbow Dash is wearing a necklace.’
“You got lucky last time.” Twilight snorted. “This time however, your reign of terror ends.”
A brilliant white flash appeared before them; Princess Celestia in all her glory stood tall and with her the other Elements of Harmony. The sun started to rise. The Queen had wasted too much time.
“All right you big meanie greenie pantie. You hurt our friends, you get the business end of friendship!” Pinkie Pie bounced next to Rainbow Dash.
The Queen growled as green flames exploded around her. The ground quaked as fissures appeared in the ground. She will not lose now, not with everything on the line. The Queen pointed a finger at Twilight as hot energy glowed on the tip. She wanted this one gone.
Princess Celestia’s eyes glowed white. “I think not.”
A gold shield enveloped them all as Aimee fired her beam. The barrier resisted for a few seconds before it cracked under the power. The Elements of Harmony dodged the attack only for it to blow up a village block that stood behind them. A mushroom cloud was born from the explosion as a shock wave shook the earth.
Green flames billowed high in the sky as the fire spread across the village. The smoke was thick and the air smelt of magic fallout. Aimee looked around to find her opponents scattered around. The smoke was whisked away as Princess Celestia appeared from the dust with her wings and mane outstretched. The Queen shook with anger when she stared at the alicorn.
Something caught Aimee’s eye behind Princess Celestia, on the end of town was Lero. He was about to be picked up by an envoy. Her gut sank as small gasp escaped her lips.
“No.” Aimee mumbled.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
Aimee/The Queen’s body turned black as holes appeared all over her body. Six transparent wings ruptured from her back as long claws became longer. Her long hair turned into green flames with black outlines. Her long sharp teeth grew from her mouth. Her eyes became like pits with no end. Her human body turned into a humanoid monstrosity.
“NO!”
Aimee/The Queen flew past Princess Celestia with a roar. The air crackled as they buzzed through the air. The town blurred around them as their focus tunneled to one target. A golden aura tried to grab them, but they merely shrugged it off. Aimee/ The Queen grinned when Lero noticed them. His pupils shrunk as his hands darted into his pockets. He took out a knife, not just any knife, but a small paring knife. Lero did not have that before.
The Queen/Aimee came upon him with outstretched arms. They planned to pull him in and fly off into the forest. The fire blazed behind their back draft when they stopped in front of Lero. Desperation was all over his face. They couldn’t help but smile.
“You are mine.”
They enveloped him in an embrace.
There is a hole now.
A scream.
Aimee heard a scream.
Lero did not scream, she did not scream. It did not sound like a pony scream.
It was a shrill wail from someone in mortal pain.
It was...
The Queen.
That little paring knife was in her chest. That made no sense. How could such a small blunt iron weapon have pierced her? The Queen was powerful, even more so now. She’s been run through with spears before, but this was something else.
The Queen’s back arched as she fell to her knees. She felt a fire that burned from her chest. It promised to consume her. Her nerves and muscles lost any semblance of control as her arms suffered spasms. A headache crashed through her head like a hammer. The Queen couldn’t feel her extremities. She was about to fade. Darkness...
Aimee could only stare at the sky. All her changelings, the entire hive, looked like a seizure epidemic swept through them. The Queen still screamed. That hurt her ears. Aimee forced her head to look at Lero.
“W-what?”
Lero looked ill and very scared. He gulped as he stared at her. “Iron is a fae’s weakness.”
Aimee furled her brow in confusion. “F-fae?”
Lero backed off. He stared at his hands drenched with green. Lero stumbled and fell back.
The Queen stopped; she stared at him and stretched out a claw.
“L-love m...e...”
The Queen is dead, long live The Queen.
Aimee sat there alone. She couldn’t hear anything, not the changelings or the Queen. Aimee trembled as she hugged herself. Tears rolled down her face as her clawed hands clasped each other. Something flashed behind her and hummed with power. Aimee looked back and saw the six mares with the Elements of Harmony about to activate.
She remembered Discord.
Aimee tried to utter a no, but failed. She delved deep in her powers. The rainbow appeared. It was beautiful. Aimee stared in awe as green flames struggled to form around her. She melted into the ground as changelings disintegrated from the holy blast. The rainbow of light closed in on her as darkness embraced her.
Darkness.
Then candlelight.
Aimee emerged in her room. She dropped to the floor. Fatigued burned her body and mind. Pain echoed throughout her body as she crawled to the mirror. Her leg bumped into the knife that had followed her. Aimee looked down with morbid fascination as she picked it up. She glanced at the mirror.
“Why?”
Aimee dragged the rest of the way to the mirror and pulled herself up.
“What happened to me?” She placed the tip of the knife on the mirror and dragged it across the surface.
“This isn’t right, when did I become...a monster? T-that’s exactly what I am, a monster. Oh my, all the lives I took. I wasn’t taught to be this way. I’m a caregiver.” Aimee cradled her head as she leaned up against the mirror.
She looked back up at the mirror, rage started to build. “Tell me why.” She pointed at the mirror, at that thing that stared back at her. “Tell me why!”
The mirror did not answer her back. Aimee screamed as she punched it, a small crack was created. “I wanted to grow up and follow my father’s footsteps. Be recognized for my talents, make him proud. Make up for...mom. Find a husband and have children.”
“Why--” She punched the mirror again. Crack.
“--Am I—“Another punch. Crack.
“—a monster!?” Aimee grabbed the frame and squeezed. The entire mirror cracked. Aimee stared at her shattered image. Her eyes were wide as she stumbled erratically. She collapsed as adrenaline burned out of her system. Aimee’s last vision was that of the knife before sleep finally stole her away. One last dream, one that she had never had before.
***
“W-who’s there?” Aimee clung to Amie as she looked around the foxglove garden. She heard soft footsteps wade through the flowers. Aimee looked up and saw a beautiful woman with pastel rainbow hair. Her eyes were black as coal and her skin was as pale as ivory. She wore a see through white gown that sparkled like pure snow. Flowers adorned her hair like a crown and her feet were covered in crystal clear slippers that shined like stars in the night sky.
“Hello child, welcome to my garden.” Her voice was like a mother’s lullaby. She didn’t open her mouth when she talked.
“What are you?” Aimee strained to speak.
“Don’t be rude, child. Honestly, children this age. You may call me Lady.” Lady pulled her long sleeves back to reveal a small table with tea cups on it. The table cloth appeared to be made of spider silk that collected water droplets. Lady beckoned Aimee to come closer as she sat on a red toadstool with white spots, she was almost sure it had eyes that tracked her. Aimee took small steps and inched cautiously towards the other toadstool. “To answer your first question, I am the queen of the fairies.”
Aimee watched her hostess; she made no effort to hide her shock. She clasped her hands together tightly. “The queen? Are you Melusine?”
Lady laughed, it sounded like church bells that were perfectly tuned. “No child, she was a Queen, but she turned into an ugly creature.”
“I see...” Aimee looked over to her horse that was still struggled to stand up. Amie eventually gave up and lied down despite her trepidations.
“Child, you haven’t touched your tea yet.” Aimee glanced at her deep orange tea, steam still waft into the air. “I made it with morning dew with a spirit of an orange.”
“Forgive me if I’m a little wary. Even if you were human I wouldn’t trust you.”
Lady sighed as stirred her tea. “I imagine losing everything to war would make you difficult. Your animal was rather nervous as well. I almost lost you thanks to her.”
‘I don’t really blame her.’ Aimee shuffled as she started to sweat. “Please don’t be upset with her, she gets spooked easily.”
“I see.” Lady softly smiled. “How is the world of men? It has been eons since I’ve walked this earth and now you can rain fire from the heavens.”
Aimee picked up her warm tea cup and held it close in her hands. “We manage. I don’t know when the last time you came, but we have traveled the whole world now. We had a great war that was supposed to end all wars, but it really didn’t change anything.” Her tea started to smell good now.
“Ah yes, the Germanic tribes have always been rather barbaric, but what about the fire from the heavens? I thought magic was lost to humans.”
“It is a chemistry thing; mixture of compounds produces an explosive amount of energy.” Aimee answered. “We had magic?”
Lady waved her hand dismissively. “It was a long time ago; a fae stole it in a rather brilliant move. Though it did make this world a lot more dangerous for us, and now humans can hurt us with iron.”
“That explains a lot.” Aimee drew her tea close to her nose. She couldn’t help but sigh contently. “So why are you here with me?”
“To fulfill a business arrangement.”
Aimee opened her eyes and tilted her head. She placed the cup back down on the table. Aimee tried to read Lady’s face, but it was like a porcelain doll. Blank and a little creepy. “What business?”
“One of your ancestors made a deal to marry into royalty, but in exchanged he said someone in his bloodline would owe us a favor. Quite clever actually, he got what he wanted and didn’t have to suffer any consequences for it. Now I am here to collect.”
A chill went down Aimee’s spine. She pushed herself away from the table and tried to sprint away. The toadstool she was on suddenly grew arms and grabbed her. “Let me go!”
“Child, child, child I am not going to kill you. I am giving you an opportunity.” Lady appeared in front of Aimee in a blink of an eye. “In fact I am going to give you power.”
Lady knelt down and cradled Aimee’s head. “I am going to give a family that will adore you, a kingdom that will serve you, and all you will need is love.”
Aimee glared up at her as she struggled. “Why would you? The fairies in the story I read about only serve their own interests.”
“I lost my knight. I lost him to an arrogant beast. She and her sister broke the rules and they need to be punished. They didn’t banish him or kill him; no they sealed him with all of his powers and properties and there is no way we can get him back.” Lady hissed as black ashy smoke started to ooz out of her eyes. “Then they unjustly sealed their world with thorns and magic making it almost impossible to travel there. To be denied such a bounty is barbaric, and for once all the other Courts agree. Though they just want my knight’s power.”
Aimee thrashed until she was able to get loose. She kicked the toadstool away and jumped away from Lady. Aimee ran over to her horse. “Amie we need to go.”
She placed her hand on the horse’s shoulders and it melted into her. Aimee’s eyes widened as she tried to pull away. Lady sat on the horse’s back with an amused look. “Child, where do you think you are going? I told you I came to fulfill a bargain and I always collect.”
Lady grabbed Aimee by her chin and forced her to look at her eyes. “This is a special case. For the first time all the Courts will be involved with you. I don’t think you understand how unique this is. You will be the first changeling to be a product of all the Houses. The possibilities of such a union makes me shudder. Oh, the possibilities are endless.”
“I don’t want to be used.” Aimee whimpered.
“If it makes you feel better you should be able to forget you old life when we are done with you.” Lady glanced over at the toadstool that lost its cap from Aimee’s kick. “Most changelings just lose their minds, but we will shape you and mold you to exactly what we need. You will be an antithesis to those princesses and be a thorn in their side as a reminder of what they did. They will curse you and you will laugh.”
Lady kissed Aimee.
“Come child do not worry, we will make you a queen. A beautiful queen with a glorious crown and subjects that will adore you. You will rule a powerful kingdom unlike any before.”
“All you need.”
“Is Love.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.029 seconds
Total duration
819 users online
1,267,817 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Whoo! Can't wait to read!//dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Twilight_crazy.png //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/lolface_Queen_Chrysalis.png
Well, here goes...SWEET CELESTIA'S BEARD!!!
Seriously, this is THE BEST origin for the Changeling Queen I've read on FiM fiction, BAR NONE!!!
The idea of a human, moreover, a fae of all things, bonding with a French girl from WW2. And on top of that, having the queen and her little bugs defeated by Iron. Our Aimee still has the powers of a changeling, however, if her escape is any indicator. Beyond that though...well, this just got a lot more interesting. As it is, what will happen to Aimee? Where does she go from here?
I don't know about you, but you unleashed a monster with this one!! Well done, well done indeed!!!
2667960
Thank you. Unfortunately for Aimee her entire life of being a monster and the torture that transformed her into what she is has left her practically catatonic. Will she recover? Don't know yet.
scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw6245-Mother_of_me....png
*shivers* I never thought I would feel sympathy for Queen Chrysalis...
Oh this was flat-out Epic!
Very interesting and entertaining read. I liked the mystery and eventual payoff of Aimee and the scene with the lady was very gripping. This is a rather unique Idea that was executed pretty well. I am glad I gave this story a shot and will look for more of your work in the near future.
2668817
Thanks. Just don't read the Mario crossover stuff I have. While I will finish that one it's just not as well written in my opinion. At least not yet (it smells of beginners first story).
crap. now i feel sorry for them all argh. good story though. have a mustache
Scary and intense. I can't really describe it as much else than that. Oh yeah: brilliant.
A bit disjointed near the end, and with some wince-inducing grammatical errors, but taken as a whole, this was epic. I always love stories that give changelings a fae aspect. Fantastically done.
Oh,
ChrysalisAimee. You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? You'd think after the first time she'd have learned to keep far, far away from Twilight Sparkle. Ah well. Such was her folly, and such was her undoing. Thank you for a magnificent story.2669960
I'll gladly accept that mustache.
2670696
See you can have horror without painting the room with blood.
2670960
Given that the majority of the story is from The Queen's perspective everything does become rather disjointed towards the end. She just kept falling down that rabbit hole. Before this she was 1-1 with Sparkle. She beat Twilight at the wedding and lost to her during the Secretariat Comet incident. This time she lost badly.
If you find any grammatical errors please point them out. Thanks for enjoying this story.
Impressive, very interesting read. It raises just as many questions as it answers and leaves me wanting more as a story should. Does this story take place after the comic arc by any chance, or was that discarded in this case?
I must admit to finding the Queen's power trip towards the end to be annoying. Then again I tend to be rather upset when the big bad makes a mockery of several times their weight in soldiers, without even fumbling.
2671676
If only the admiral was there to help Lero. The story takes place after the comic arc. They practically happened back to back anyway.
The soldiers didn't do too badly against her, some of them did score hits. They were going up against a monster that not too long ago beat Celestia and has fighting/magic experience going back to the dark ages. Changelings seems to be able to change their size and mass at will. She might have looked smaller than Lero, but Chrysalis could probably change her weight with no problems.
The mad queen was drunk with power for sure.
I just enjoyed the bit where Lyra, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash went to war against Aimee over Lero's sake... as well as Lero believing he was making love to his herdmate when it was actually Aimee.
2672055
When you have three of the deadliest mares in the realm backed up by the greatest superpower on that planet coming after you. You better believe war is coming.
Lero is not the first to be tricked like this. Changelings have been doing this for centuries.
Wow, Mike. This was so damn good! I usually hate Lero in these stories. He reads like the bastard child of a Gary Stu and a Self Insert.
But this was... damn this was awesome! The fight scenes was epic, the bit of headcanon about Still Way was cool, and the love scenes were a bit cheesy, but then it was the Queen, so I guess that was the point.
One question: The3 whole time, The Queen and Aimee were in the one body, the human body, right?
Epic tale, brah!
Got here through archonix's recommendation, read it over lunch and found it really entertaining, looking forward to more good stuff from you :)
2672425
Lero is a nice guy. That's it. There are people like that.
They shared one body, changeling and human. They just both shared dominance randomly at different points in time. Glad you enjoyed it.
Fun Fact: The human body she turned into was based on what she saw in her dreams. However, she didn't actually look like that before her abduction. Dreams are funny like that. Missing details and such.
2672431
Thanks, hope I don't disappoint.
The Fae part seems a bit weak. In another story, the Lady (Lero´s keeper) was portrayed according with the Fairy Folk´s lore: unnaturally beautiful, cruel, capricious and with a touch of alien insanity. This one in comparation seems kinda...normal, like a magical evil noble.
2674813
Really? Huh I thought I portrayed her better. Lady was the main focus in that story, here not so much.
2680060
Is there anything I can do to help?
SEQUEL, sequel, sequel, sequel!!!!
Oh so was this that "Something else"? If so, I hope you can get a chapter of your SMG story up soon. Oh yeah, and this was a really good story. Good job!
2671383
I noticed several grammar errors while reading, not enough to truly detract from the story but enough to clutter the comment area on this page if I mention them all.
What would you have me do?
EDIT:
I forgot to mention it because I felt it went without saying, but this was quite an enthralling story.
Very well done. Thank you for sharing it with us.
2707177
A PM should do nicely. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
2779189
Well I would, but I have another story I need to finish. Glad you enjoyed it though.
Interesting ideas I must say. Timey wimey wibbly cosmic stuff was rustled by throwing Chrysalis ages before Lero have even been "stolen" but it's actually not a problem, after all faes, labirynth...yeah. Time is not a thing we humans or any sentient being showed in this story, really understand or see like this can be seen.
So yeah, good read. Like and all. Nice fighting scenes, only Luna was there missing but maybe I missed something being sleepy like hell.
Oh, warp, there was something about "knight with all his powers and properietes"... hope this will be in another story as well. Seems like Lady have done much more than only kidnapping a human.... maybe that's why he was able to run into labirynth? She gave him enough to him to use it against her. Classic villain error, keeping victim aware of what is going on to them and all.
2854450
Hold on, let me check my notes.
That knight was Discord. In the fae court the power ladder goes queen/king then knight. Lady is the Queen of the Court of Fall. Discord was her knight. When Discord was turn to stone all his powers and stuff was sealed away from the other fae. This ticked off Lady so she made a changeling that would bring suffering to the ponies. Everything the Changeling Queen did was programed that way by Lady (and other fae) who then planted her when the equine world was born. All the suffering throughout the ages inflicted on the ponies are Lady's fault and she got away scot-free.
Chrysalis was programed with the desire to hurt ponies, but she was also designed to fail if she tried to kill them all. Lady just wanted her to inflict suffering for all time. Every time Chrysalis would try to pull off a grand scheme to finally win over her sworn enemies she would fail to her own undoing. She wouldn't even know why she failed. She was just created to fail.
Fun fact: Changeling magic was designed to be effective against all inhabitants of whatever world Equestria is set in. Lero is not from that world. The only reason the Queen was able to put him asleep was because she was at her highest power level, even then he woke up five minutes later. If she had taken him back home she would have never been able to control him. It would have ended badly.
2854701
You're crazy, this story is crazy, and I BUCKING LOVE YOU FOR IT!!!!
Thank you for the epic read!
I just couldn't get into it. The big problem was the dialog. The original xenophilia story had great dialog that sounded good and flowed naturally. Your dialog... doesn't.