• Published 5th Nov 2014
  • 19,425 Views, 537 Comments

Re:Changeling - Robomac



After a fatal tragedy, Twilight wakes up in a situation unlike anything she had experienced before. How is she supposed to react when she finds herself reincarnated as the daughter of Queen Chrysalis, the very one who orchestrated her assassination?

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Re-Gime

Author's Note:

For those who haven't noticed yet, Wordsmith is my personal take on a 4th wall character. He has traits like Pinkie/Deadpool, and traits like Discord/Q, but he is capable of something beyond what they do. I'll explain him next chapter, but I'd like to see your speculation until then.

Thanks again to docontra for helping.

PS: It's come time for me to earn my Dark tag.

Just like every morning before, we were woken by the sound of Wordsmith's 'good mornings.' He was more subdued than usual though. "Up and at'em everyone. Today's going to be a special day, I can feel it."

'Yeah, this is the day Chrysalis plans to leave.' I had finally gotten to the point where I could trust Chrysalis to do what is right. Things were looking up enough for me to see myself being able to tell Chrysalis who I am. I've seen what changelings are really like; Formica and even Chrysalis have shown that they weren't really the monsters everypony thought they were. It wouldn't be easy, but I was in a perfect position to arrange friendship between ponies and changelings.

First, I'd have to try and convince Pinkie Pie. I couldn't imagine what it was like for her when I went away. Just like how I couldn't imagine how she'd react once she realizes that her lost friend has returned. Maybe she already knew somehow. One way or another, it would end up being the biggest Pinkie party ever.

My other friends would be confused. Applejack would be really suspicious at first, but if I made sure to be up front and honest, I'd be able to convince her. Rarity would eventually warm up to me so long as I didn't do anything by accident. Fluttershy would be scared of me, but only time could help with that. Rainbow Dash would be the hardest: I could easily see her getting in my face and making threats within seconds of me revealing myself. I'd need the others to help reign her in. Spike, he must have gone through so much heartache: he's known me his whole life. Once I'd convinced him, he wouldn't leave my side for at least a month. And finally, Starlight. Harmony knows how poorly she had reacted to losing a friend that first time. I could only hope that the rest of our friends had stayed by her side. 'Hold on everypony. I don't know how long it will take, but I am coming home.'

"Group ahoy!" Wordsmith yelled out with all the energy of a sailor spotting land for the first time in ages. I tried to look up to see what he had spotted, but I'd completely forgotten about my temporary blindness in my excitement. Wordsmith had no such limitation. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I smell excitement in the air. See ya."

And with a stampede of one, he was gone. I suddenly heard the laughter of the eldest zebra off to my side. "That Wordsmith is a strange one, but it is with him can be found much fun," Faraji said with his subtle double rhyming.

Chrysalis scoffed at him in an attempt to hold on to her usual character. "I agree…he is strange, but I've seen stranger." Seconds passed by without the followup question that would be expected from a comment like that. Chrysalis had proven time and again that she would not be sharing anything that could be linked to her past. Only Wordsmith could trick a response out of her, and doing so usually had her clamming up for hours afterwards.

It wasn't long after that exchange that I could hear Wordsmith's voice addressing us excitedly. I felt some of his excitement until suddenly, it changed. A small yet dense chill pervaded the air...and Chrysalis was the source. "No," she whispered just loud enough to hear. "It can't be him. No no no nononono." She took a sharp breath through her teeth and leaned towards Formica as inconspicuously as possible. "Try to remain calm. If something happens, flee. Fly away as fast as you can. I'll distract them and find you later."

I had gone from excited to terrified in seconds. What or who could get such a reaction out of the normally stern queen? In hindsight, it should've been obvious. There were only a few ponies who could do so, and only one was a stallion.

"Hello everyone. These fine guardsponies are Leo Shard, Ralph Fell, Don Spell, and Pike Jello," he said, gesturing towards a stallion with a blue mane, red mane, purple mane, then orange mane respective to each name he shared. They all looked to have some green markings on their white coats when I squinted.

The orange one immediately doubled over laughing while the red one got into Wordsmith's face. "What kind of names are those?" They're Wordsmith variety names. "You don't even know our names!"

"Sargent Heat, that's enough!"

'That voice…it can't be.'

"I'm Captain Shinning Armor, and these guards and I just want to take a few minutes of your time. All I ask is that you remain quiet and let us do our work." I was shell shocked. What were the chances of running into my brother out here? And why Captain? He's supposed to be a prince.

"So you're not going to tell us what's up with the green paint jobs?" asked Stacked Bits with suspicion.

"Hopefully you won't have to find out. Will you all please come to us one by one." I couldn't believe it. We couldn't have possibly been close to the Crystal Empire, in fact, I believed we were in the southern half of Equestria. "Why don't you go first?" I wanted to be happy about the encounter, but his harsh tone and my knowledge of exactly who was only one step away from me effectively crushed all the joy I could muster.

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Stacked walked up to the guards and was led away by Shiny and the purple maned guard while the others, Wordsmith included, positioned themselves to block our view. Judging by his stance, the red one wasn't too happy with the story teller's proximity.

"Next!" Why was my brother doing this, why was he being so cold? He always firmly believed in showing his softer side when dealing with new ponies. It was like he was treating everypony here like an enemy.

One of the zebra left, but I couldn't tell who it was. Just like before, they were hidden behind the line of ponies.

"Next!"

"Next!"

"Next!"

"Next!" The Zebra were gone. We didn't know what was happening. I was scared.

"Next!" Sky Cutter.

"Next!" There went Surehoof. If only I knew what was happening. All who were left was Chrysalis, Formica, and me. This had to be when something would happen. I wanted to remain hopeful, I wanted to think that it would be just fine. "Next!"

Chrysalis gave us a sideways glance. I couldn't fully make out her expression, but I could feel her trying to keep it as neutral as possible. "Be ready."

She walked forward, giving all the presence of a criminal being incarcerated. That's when it happened. Wordsmith, I could see him as clearly as if he were right in front of me. As he turned his head to look back at where Chrysalis and Shiny were, I could make out individual hairs on his coat. What stood out the most, however, was an expectant grin on his muzzle. Just as the still blurry guard next to him turned to share in his curiosity, Wordsmith took a deep breath then screeched at the top of his lungs, "Changeling!"

In a flailing of limbs, he knocked both of the guards next to him over and kept screeching about changelings. It was funny, but only out of context and without him running straight for us. Formica splayed her wings out and took to the air before the impending collision. As my first trip into the sky since my death, I never missed my wings more than in that moment. And of course, the illusion had to fade in that moment. Receiving a clear and nauseating view of the world shifting around me made it all the more unpleasant. "Get her!" came a yell with my brother's voice.

When Formica banked, I was given clear view of a pegasus guard taking off into the air only to get shot down by Chrysalis' magic. Most of her body was still transformed, but her head was back to normal aside from a few green streaks over her black chitin. "Flee! I will hold them!"

"Don't let her get away!" Formica was already well off the ground and the only pegasus guard was still recovering from Chrysalis' attack.

There was no way he could recover fast enough to give chase before Formica dived out of sight. She banked again, giving me a clear look at the other pegasus I forgot about. She saw him too and redoubled her efforts. It didn't matter. I could tell in moments how much of an inexperienced flyer Formica was. The me from just a year after gaining my wings could've easily outpaced her. With a name like Sky Cutter, he would be far better than that.

She dove closer to the trees, likely hoping against all hope that they would help her lose her pursuer. With a flash of flame, she dove deeper into the trees and returned to her changeling form. Aided by her insectoid wings, she darted between trees and branches with an agility that only the most skilled flyers wouldn't envy. In a forest, this more than made up for her loss in speed. It didn't hurt that her sudden transformation may have disoriented Sky Cutter long enough for Formica to dive out of sight.

Unfortunately, I realized that her agility wasn't perfect. Time and again, I noticed her having to kick off a branch or outright bumping into one. These were clues to her location...a trail that could be used to follow her movements. I wanted to warn her, but any distraction would be disastrous. All a pegasus flying above her path would have to do was wait for her to slow down before dive bombing. This escape was doomed, and she was too panicked to realize it.

It took a minute for her to actually stop to take a break. Her gaze swiveled side to side as I braced myself for the inevitable. Seconds crawled by at an agonizing pace, yet nothing sudden happened. When she dropped to the ground, I was confused but slowly beginning to relax. 'Maybe he isn't very good at tracking, maybe she wasn't kicking off the trees too hard, and maybe he lost us right after diving in.' For every second that he didn't suddenly pop up, I became slightly more hopeful.

After a few minutes of frantic walking and looking around, Formica finally stopped at a tree where some small animal had dug a hiding place in between its roots. She only had to do a little more digging before there was enough space for her to fit...and so there we lay, waiting for the events to blow over.

Only minutes passed before we heard it, the sound of hooves pounding against the forest floor. I was terrified of who it could be…and of whether or not they'd find us. It was obvious that Formica felt the same way. It's for that reason that we froze when the pony laid down with his back up against the roots. All it would take was him turning his head, and he'd find us.

"Whew, that was fun!" It was Wordsmith. His voice was jovial despite the events, "Who could've predicted that Maternity Wing and Scorched Sands were really a changeling and Queen Chrysalis herself!" He spoke a question, yet his tone was more of a statement. "Those guards certainly suspected changelings…it would explain why they have that green paint that reveals the truth beneath the surface."

The description was familiar to me, until the memory hit me like a Reckless Dash. 'The timeline when Chrysalis won!'

"That also explains why Equestria is so interested in shaman. It has something to do with Princess Twilight being killed by by a changeling: Equestria is readying for war."

"WAR?!"

"No, not war...an extermination." The following chuckle unleashed a wave of ice that froze my soul for an instant. "That begs the question…what was Chrysalis doing out in the open?" My heart thundered in my chest at the growling tone he asked his question in. "That foal wasn't a pony she found, it was her child. It couldn't be safe out here, which means it was more dangerous with other changelings."

With every word, his tone shifted from jovial into something deep and dark. With every sentence, he hit the nail on the head. "Now what would've happened if I never convinced the others to stay at that abandoned town? The drone would've died and two paths would open for the Queen and her child: starvation, or finding a pony town. After she spends a few months settling in, Equestria would make its move by sweeping every town at once. She'd be caught off guard by more guards she could handle and lose everything. Eventually, the changelings will fall."

The laughter that followed seemed to make the world tremble. "Death, death, and more death. How…boring. But now, death's door is closed. Where oh where will the story lead now? Only the future will tell."

I was reeling from his tale. Piece by piece, I took everything that I knew and combined it with Wordsmith's words, and only found one thing lacking: Would the Princesses really be willing to perpetrate such a thing? I had to believe that they didn't want that.

"Well, that's enough of a soliloquy. I've played my role, so Chrysalis, Formica, and the princess are on their own…for now at least."

I couldn't process it. He knew too much…things he couldn't possibly know. I could only banish him from my mind and hope I never saw him again.

I was so focused on my thoughts, so riddled with questions, that I failed to notice when he departed. Formica was still tense, her thoughts more than likely as muddled as mine.

It wasn't long before more hoof-steps began closing in on us. Shadows covered the ground around our hiding spot and just stayed there. "Come out! We know you're there!" It was Stacked Bits, ensuring that we didn't get a moment of rest.

Formica retreated more tightly into our hiding place and rivaled a Chihuahua's shivering. There was laughing: Sky Cutter's. "I can't believe how stupid you were! Did you honesty think that I lost you?! I watched you crawl into that hole. I kind of hoped that freak would spot you so I could see him panicking again. That was hilarious. Shame I couldn't enjoy it. You know...monsters to chase down and all that!"

"Enough," Surehoof said with an icy monotone. His hooves soon tore into the tree roots and split all our cover apart. That left the two of us looking up in fear at two ponies with deadly serious expressions on their faces.

Sky Cutter's expression was a cross between a sneer and amusement. After a few seconds, the latter emotion began to overcome his expression before leading into raucous laughter. His two partners gave him a sideways glare until he finally gained control over himself. "I can't believe we were worried about her magic!" He stepped closer and flicked Formica where her horn once was. "Kind of hard to do that without a horn...ISN'T IT!" he yelled right into her face before slipping into another round of laughter.

I was angry. She was helpless, and he was mocking her. I glared with all the ferocity I could manage. If I could harm him with my gaze, I would've. Instead, I only drew his attention. He blinked in confusion once, twice, then jumped back in shock and pointed a hoof at me. "What the buck is that thing?!"

There was only a half-second delay before Formica spun around and cradled me out of view. All of a sudden, her body was no longer shivering. She had become a firm wall between me and a perceived threat. I could easily visualize her bared fangs as she pushed them back through the force of her hissing alone. They looked between one another in uncertainty at the idea of dealing with an aggressive changeling, magic or no magic. Unfortunately, the intimidation tactic did not work for long.

With a flare of magic, Stacked Bits, who I finally confirmed to be a unicorn, threw Formica back into the tree. The movement rolled me over enough to clearly see my caretaker's eyes being filled with fear. It lasted for only a second. What followed was a ferocious determination, much more than you'd expect from a glorified babysitter. Those were the eyes of a mother, protecting one of her own. "Don't. You. Touch. Her."

There was a moment of silence before it was broken by Sky Cutter's laughter. "Or you'll do what?!" He approached me, punctuating every closing inch with a stomp of each hoof. Formica struggled and growled, but she wasn't strong enough to escape Stacked's magic.

Once he reached me, Cutter rolled me across the ground with a nearly painful amount of pressure. Even with my head spinning literally, I couldn't possibly miss Formica's guttural roar. The red stallion only smirked triumphantly before raising high on his back hooves. Time seemed to slow as I recognized what he was going to do. I wanted to move out of the way, but I was frozen in fear. I could only watch as he came down. "PRINCESS!"

His movements hitched before his hooves landed next to my head. He looked between the two of us in shock before laughing yet again. "Oh this is too rich! We've got the bug princess herself here! What should we do with her guys?! I say squash her."

"No!"

Two of them ignored Formica's scream, but Surehoof looked directly at her then at me. "It's a baby. Changeling princess or not, that don't sit well with me."

Cutter snorted at the response before looking to Stacked, who appeared lost in thought. "What about you boss?"

She continued thinking for a few seconds before reaching a decision. "She's just a baby, right? Who's to say that she'll even remember any of this. I think we should sell her off. There's no telling what kind of bits those nobles would pay for a prize like this."

Blood drained from my face as Cutter developed a malicious grin. "And that's why you're the boss. Any complaints big guy?"

"Nope, so long as I have a little chat with our friend. Make sure she don't fly away."

A flare of magic threw Formica to the ground, after which, she wasted no time in shielding me with her body. "Stay away!" The threat came out weak. There was no way that she would be able to keep them at bay, and they knew it.

Even with Formica cradling me, I could see Surehoof approaching with all the presence of his namesake. Once he was just out of the reach of Formica's fangs, he stopped and stood over us like a tower. He glared down at us, daring Formica to lash out at him. It was a dare she would not rise up to, for it would mean leaving me unguarded for an instant. The instant she pulled in tighter, he spoke, as if her retreat was the opening he was waiting for. "Where is she?"

In her confusion, Formica loosened her grip on me. "Who?"

He was on her in a flash of green, one hoof holding her head firmly to the ground. She pulled me tightly into her undercarriage and froze. "Where is the real Maternity Wing?"

There was a moment of silence that passed between the two before Formica finally let out a snort. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The confidence and assured tone in her voice was a shock to him and me. For so long, she has been uncertain and reserved. Being in a do or die situation can have that effect on anypony it seems.

Surehoof leaned in close with a snarl plastered upon his face. "Try me."

I could not see it from where I was, but I could practically hear the smile in her voice. "You're stepping on her."

"Don't toy with me!" he screamed into her face.

Even with the angry stallion standing over us, she was as firm as steel. Something about the situation had tempered the soft and brittle caretaker I've come to know into a guardian statue. "Pink mane and a while coat. It's as easy of a change as they come, and not even a creative one. I didn't even come up with my own name, and I didn't have to act like anypony else. Everything Maternity Wing was is right in front of you."

"You're acting pretty different to me!"

"There's no point in being scared of what you'll do to me for being a changeling! Not when you're already doing it!"

Surehoof flinched as if hit with a piercing blow. I could see the gears turning in his head as the seconds ticked by. He raised his hoof from her slowly before suddenly stumbling back. He looked at her with wide-shaky eyes that seemed to symbolize something changing within him. His gaze shifted from me to her time and again before he finally reached some kind of decision. With resolution in his eyes, he stood and faced his two friends.

"What's going on here?!" yelled a voice that interrupted whatever Surehoof was going to say.

'Shiny!'

The three ponies remained silent as my brother trotted into view. He gave the area one quick scan before settling his cold gaze upon the two of us. Gone was the warmth that I've always associated with my brother. He was the same pony in name only. "Good job you three. I'll make sure you're rewarded."

At the prospect of a reward, Stacked had managed to find her words. "That's not the best part, Prince Armor. See that big worm she's holding." She gave him a moment to pick me out from Formica's limbs. "That's the changelings' princess."

The cold in his gaze became a blizzard in an instant. Unrestrained magic sparked across his horn as I felt something towards my brother that I couldn't have possibly ever imagined feeling about him: true fear. There was a flash, then I was no longer in Formica's grip. "NOOOOOOO!" Formica's scream was silenced suddenly with a dull thunk. I turned to see her trapped beneath a dome shield, bucking and screaming in futility.

I was forced to look at my brother when he picked me up and began inspecting me like he would an apple he wanted to buy. "So you're Chrysalis' daughter. I wonder if she even cares about you." My heart beat like a drum, and yet blood drained from my face. "She certainly didn't care about my sister." He released his magic, dropping me harshly. "I wonder if she'll feel what I feel. She was a good pony, one of the best. Now...she's dead."

Realization struck me. I looked up at him, the pain from landing ignored in favor of looking at him with fearful and tear filled eyes. 'No, this isn't you. Don't...don't do this!' I mentally pleaded.

His snort shattered my heart. "Cute. You can blame your mother for this." A blade was pulled from his armor and held over me. "I think...I think she'd be ashamed of me for this, but she's gone now. Cadance would be ashamed too, now that I think about it." The small spark of hope I felt was extinguished instantly. "But an eye for an eye, family for family."

"Stop!" We both snapped our gaze to the side to see Surehoof in an aggressive stance. "She's just a baby!"

He only snarled at the earth pony. "Stand down." Shining only said that much before rising the blade higher. There was the sound of hooves slamming against the ground before a green blur crashed into my brother's side. The blade fell into the dirt harmlessly as the green and white stallions wrestled across the ground. The other three, Formica included, stood frozen in shock over Surehoof's actions.

The tussle continued until a burst of magic threw Surehoof high into a tree trunk before crashing harshly on the ground. I couldn't process much more before black limbs snatched me from the ground and began carrying me away at high speed. Apparently Formica's prison fell in the middle of Shining's distraction. He was still able to erect a barrier that she had to turn her back towards so I wouldn't be hurt by the impact, but the shock still caused pain. Another flash of light teleported me again to Shining's hooves. "That's enough. Goodbye, Princess." I watched in slow motion as the blade was aimed at me again. Formica and Surehoof were too stunned to help again, and the others wouldn't help. I was going to die again...in the most ironic way possible.

A wrathful scream shook me from my sense of finality, followed immediately by a beam of green magic sending my brother flying. Another set of black limbs pulled me from the ground and went to Formica. A wall of green flame surrounded us, appearing to burn away the world around us and replace it with another. Gone were the ponies, the barriers, and the blade. Soft pre-noon light filtered through the tree leaves, basking the small section of forest in an aura of peace. It was safety, so I cried. I cried, for I finally understood what an idealistic fool I was.