Hive Mind

by canonkiller

From the Shadows

"Look, 1416-"

"-Vocem-" 352 yells down the alley.

"-I really think we should get going. We still have five more Changelings to find, and we have no idea what Chrysalis is doing while we wait around."

1416 shrugs, rolling onto his other side. "I'm not awake yet. Don't tell me things."

"Well, wake up then!"

"Wake up!" 1378 adds helpfully.

He opens his eyes, glaring at us. "I understand your urgency, but we have time to burn. There's no way Chrysalis would come after us this soon. She may be able to, but she likes a challenge."

"I think we've challenged her enough already."

I turn to 1378 - that's the most words I've ever heard her say!

She doesn't notice me gaping, and continues. "We fought hoof and tail against her for at least three years before she could get rid of us. I think she'd attack whenever she had a chance."

"Well I've been with her since she banished you, and trust me, she'll wait!" 1416's eyes narrowed, and for a second, I thought I saw them flash green.

"I say we move as fast as we can, and find the others before she does!" 1378 protested.

"I'm the only one who stayed loyal to our mission!"

"As if waiting on that witch's every command is our mission."

"Stop it, both of you!" I yell. I feel my magic building up, but it's gone almost as fast. I open my eyes.

352 is standing next to me, his horn lit gently as he drains my access magic. Meanwhile, he's projecting it into levitating my two companions.

"You two should not fight until our battle is over. Then you will either be too happy to care, or dead. Understand?"

"Yes." 1378 mumbled.

1416 faced 352, eyes blazing green. "Put me down."

352's eyes turned a similar shade, his magic sputtering as he dropped 1416.

"You did nothing to help any of us while you were here. You shall not interfere with our decisions."

"Of course." 352 replied quietly. "Of course."

"You said you'd never do that." I muttered, watching as he shook a few spots of chalk off one hoof.

He turned towards me, evidently having forgotten I was there. "I-I... no, I..."

"You said we never used our powers on each other!" I shouted. I felt magic oozing onto my skin, scales forming and body growing stronger.

"No, 3217, please... let me explain..."

"You just did." I growled. Spreading my now-bat-like wings, I took off, shooting up between the narrow walls and stirring huge plumes of chalk dust from them. I landed on the roof beside it, looking down at my claws.

I'd always liked dragons. Figured I'd chosen them as a way to escape.

I looked back at the gap. I could go back down, apologize...

"3217! Come back!"

...but I'd lived this long on my own.

I spread my wings and took a running leap over the next chasm, catching a small updraft and soaring up above the cement wasteland. Surely people could see me, were taking pictures as they stared in fear.

Buck that. I was going home.

I turned slowly, still rising, and started flying away. He'd come find me anyway, I was weak compared to them.

I discovered that moment that a dragon can't actually cry.

-----

I shimmered back to my original form, throwing caution to the wind once again as I dropped.

The cloud dipped slightly under my hooves, but held. I circled a few times, learning that either I bent physics or that clouds did. I could ask 141...

That train of thought went spiraling into an infinite darkness as a tiny little Changeling held up a dismantled section of track with a frown.

I grunted and lay down, watching the sun slowly dip below the city in the distance. With a little tug, a section of cloud broke away from the rest, anchoring back as I patted it down around me.

The last beams of light faded, and it was dark. I sighed and closed my eyes, alone with the stars.

-----

"Ten more minutes..." I mumbled, pulling the cloud over my eyes against the sun. It wasn't long before I realized there was something curled up beside me.

"AUGHWHATAREYOUWHYAREYOUHEREWHAT'SGOINGON-"

The Changeling flattened her ears, magically lifting a book from her hooves and waving it. "Waiting for you to wake up?"

"Wha... do all of you do this?!"

"What?"

"Just show up somewhere and be all 'oh yeah, nothing much, how's your day been' while I'm freaking out?"

"I don't quite understand."

I ran a hoof over one eye. "Who are you?"

"1271, recon and investigative power."

"'Course." I muttered. "And your sisters?"

"Out foraging for food."

"How are you reading that?" I nod towards her novel.

She rolls her eyes. "I do investigative work. Of course I know this language by now."

"Am I basically the only one that forgot they were a Changeling?!"

She nodded happily. "Pretty much."

I plunged my face into the clouds with a tired growl.

-----

Okay, I know this is a midget chapter that is pathetically small compared to the time I took to publish it. The next chapter will get rolling pretty fast and then the story is going to start coming to a close.

In other news, I'm going to go to AnimeNorth next year as a Changeling/Raptor Jesus/(Wolf Link or Ametaresu or DarkGreymon).

Sorry again for the midget chapter, and thanks for sticking with me.

Comments

[Morphile]

FIRST!!

it's a chapter, I'm okay with it as long as I can read it.

[canonkiller]

665311

NO

fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/143/9/a/changeling_by_iceofwaterflock-d50usik.jpg

Plus, can't you get banned for that now?

[TundraStanza]

665337
Sadly, they cannot. We can only glare at them angrily and wave our fingers at them (or whatever you want to wave at them).

[themanesix]

convenient unification is convenient