Into the Dark

Love is endless, it is not something you can run out of by chance.
Like the gentle notes of a song bird's music, it is made as it is given.

“won't you sing me your song?”

As changeling we pick up on this love and it sustains us.
Perhaps it was not so wise to let the ponies of Equestria know of our diet all those years ago when we arrived here.

Equestria was a different place in those days, full of mistrust for those who were different, it was only natural that they would be distrusting of my hive and I by appearance alone.
Though still, we tried, but fate was not on our side as news of our arrival began to spread.
With each passing ear something was added or changed.

“Was peace really such a strange concept?”

It soon became a necessary to use our shifting ability to even visit town as things became worse, but we
could only assume the form of some living pony we had seen.
Slowly they found out and more rumors spread about us, ones darker than before.

Saying that we had come to steal their lives and families, to feed on the love once given to kin.

I would often journey deep into the nearby forest to contemplate a course of action, but no plans other than returning home ever came to mind.

“could we really do that? Pack up our new lives and return to the waste land that had once been our home?”

If it had ever really been an option, it was only so in my dreams.
The constant droughts had withered away our once proud nation into a wispy desert, with only memories to bring force hope.

“so many dark memories of loss.. could we really stay away? Could we really find that in this land?”

Sometimes I would give hope a chance.

“perhaps things had gone back to the ways they had once been? A drought could not last forever.”

But it was a foalish dream, and I would not risk the lives of my people to return to see if it was reality.
We had already gone so far, seen so much.

Things would get better with time, they always did after all.

But it seemed that even that had been a foalish hope when one day the rumors and ignorance turned to violence.

She had been such a hopeful filly, so full of life and ambition. She had been foolish enough to believe that she could change the ponies minds with kindness.

She had been watching the pony young and had wanted to join in on their games, and when she had worked up the courage to join them, she had been struck down by a fearful parent.

My mind was a storm of hatred as we gathered around to bury the young one, I stood still as the foals huddled around me.

I couldn't cry in fear that I may lose myself when they needed me, but then what did they need?

“A home.... safety...”

We could not get that here, but we had worked too hard to leave and some were not strong enough to travel.

The young ones could not leave and I would not leave with out them.

Making sure that they were safe with some of the few elder changeling's, I fled into the forest.
Trotting faster and faster as I went out of earshot, finally I stopped and with a heaved breath I looked up towards the moon.

For a dizzying moment it felt like I would fall forward into the inky void, as I fell, I welcomed it but hit the ground instead.

Suddenly it was too much as the tear's broke free, my body shuddering mournful sobs.

We could not even fight back lest it make matter's worse.

“Oh, poor little changeling far from home, To be honest I'm surprised you made it this far.”

I jumped up reacting to the strange voice, Had I not been alone?

“who is there?! Show thine self!”

I shouted, as I looked about in the darkness attempting to find the one who had made himself known.

“Is the recent crime of your kin not enough? Must you also interrupt my mourning?”

suddenly a figure stepped forward into the moonlight, I stepped back in horror.
This was no pony, I could not tell for sure what it was, it was like a mixture of many things.

“what are you? What do you want?!” I yelled, as I backed further away.

I had heard strange tales about this forest but had never believed them, could this be a monster of legend?

The creature stepped forward giving me a bow.

“I am guardian of chaos, though you may call me discord. And it is not about what I want, it is about what you want.”

“And what do you mean by that?” I asked, taking a slow step forward.

“Is there really nothing you want?” asked discord who suddenly took the form of a young changeling.

“Is there nothing you ever lost?” he asked, suddenly dropping to the ground in mock death.

“you are a vile creature,” I said in disgust, “surly there is nothing you could do to help us, why do you insist on tormenting me?!”

What did I want? The ponies dead? No, it would be far more poetic to simply become what they think we already are, to show them what a real monster could be.

But would that be alright? Would my hive want to become monster's?

“Oh there is, though I was merely giving you the heads up before I move in and take over, maybe you can use the confusion to your advantage?” asked Discord with a grin.

“what do you mean by that!?” I yelled, but it was too late, the creature had already shifted forms and disappeared in the inky black of night.

I trotted back home slowly as I pondered the strange creatures words, what had he meant by them?
The young ones had already bedded down for the night, so I took my chance and headed into the inner chamber of our cavern dwelling.

With a groan I lowered my self into a pile of hay, deciphering Discords ominous words would have to wait for morning.

*** *** ***

I dreamed.

I walked through town watching the ponies go about their business, some carried crates of food, other frolicked among the tall grasses.
The sounds were vivid as I heard the sound mares calling the young fillies and colts in for lunch.
Something was off though, even though I stood there at the center of it all, none reacted to my presence.

It was if I was invisible to them. Slowly I took a few step towards one of a nearby colts and waved my hoof in front of his face.

“hello? Can't you me me here?” I asked, my voice echoing strangely in the summer air.

I walked onward only stopping to take passing glances through open windows, none of them could see me? I was suddenly enthralled by the idea.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live among them unnoticed?

Such a thing was impossible with our shifting abilities, since we could only take the form of a living ponies. But to be invisible would be grand if not just for now.

From a distance I saw a group of fillies fetching water from a well, suddenly I thirsted for it coolness.
My throat had suddenly become dry as I thought of it, trotting forward I stood waiting for them to make room.

“Somethings happened!” said a voice.

I quickly looked around for the one who had spoke, but there were only ponies who were still going about their business as if I wasn't there.

“Meh, tis only my imagination,” I said to myself.

Again I brought my attention to the well, it dark water's made my mouth dampen with anticipation as I came closer.

“You must hurry!” came the voice again,

raising my head again, I called out.

“why must I? Where are you?”

I listened for the longest moment, but the voice had not returned and no pony made their sentience known.

Again I looked to the well water, but this time I noticed something I hadn't before, a reflection that was not my own, it was that of a pony!

At this point I was the only one standing at the well, I looked in curiously.

And suddenly it all clicked as I looked down towards my hooves, I had transformed! And I knew not the pony whose form I took.

“this is impossible,” I yelled as I turned and began to run away from the cursed well, and crashing into a mare who had been standing out of sight.

We both fell to the ground, as she got up she turned to me held out her hoof.

“are you okay?”

she had seen me!

My mind erupted with unexplained fear as I got up without answering and ran towards the edge of town.

Faster and faster I went as the voice returned.

Wake up it said, “WAKE UP!!!”

without warning the grass gave way to cliff as I tumbled over, falling into darkness.

I opened my eyes as I saw the one who had been speaking.

“Queen Chrysalis, there is something strange going on outside! You need to see it.”

I got up stretching my legs, what could be going on?
Had the ponies finally come to drive us out?

Together we walked to the exit of the cavern.

My eyes widened in surprise as I saw it! Trees were uprooted from the ground and floating across the sky, which had taken on a checkered pattern.

And a short distance from where I stood I could see a group of bird flying backwards!

“Are you impressed?”

I knew that voice!

“Discord! Where are you? Come out and show yourself!” I screamed.

The creature flew into sight with an arrogant smile spread across his face.

“what have you done!? How is this possible?” I asked.

“don't you remember what I told you? I am guardian of chaos! This what I do,” he replied with a luagh.

“And now I am king!” he shouted suddenly sprouting a crown from his head!

I fell to the ground as the weight of his words hit me, this was no normal magic and this Discord was no normal creature.

What had he done?

“Poor little changeling, one would think that these things would please you! Think of all you can do now that the ponies have been dethroned.”

I didn't respond, I could not respond.

Discord quickly grew bored of my silence and flew off into the distance.

I watched him go not knowing what I could do, so with no solution in mind I turned to the crowd that had assembled and told them to return into the cavern, I followed them in.

as I through a glance over my shoulder I knew at once things were about to take a turn, whether that be for good or bad I didn't care, all I cared about was the hive.

*** *** ***

Six Years Later

It began not long afterwords, it had been surprisingly easy to convince the hive of our new found freedom in taking.

We would show them what monsters truly were by walking among them.

We would take what we needed, and leave them to suffer.

And the work Discard had done made the task all the more easier.

We had become the monsters they had made us out to be and I can't deny I was having fun.
And the fun was to last for a number of joy filled years.

We sneaked into families and were gone before the were any the wiser, we stole their fillies and replaced them for a while, their true young safely hidden in a magic induced sleep.

Why shouldn't we do these things?

Why should we not take the opportunities granted to us?

As far as I was concerned, we had been given permission when they made their claims.

The chaos was beautiful.

And then one sunny afternoon it ended, two ponied from another land had come to challenge Discord and from the end of chaos, it was made apparent who had won the duel.

The two were made royalty among the ponies and were admired for the magical prowess.
Not that I cared, my kin and I carried on as usual.

Our feast would not end simply because the old fool had grown arrogant enough to be defeated.
Surely that was the only reason for his downfall.

But I had underestimated the two, it was not long before they knew of out presence among them and the eldest of the two saw fit to pay us a visit.

She strolled into our cavern and called me out, surprised by the ponies audacity, I cam forward.

I was stunned by her beauty, she seemed to glow, even in the dim cavern light.
Her face was that of kindness even with the stern expression she held

light seemed to poor from every movement she made as she trotted forwards and I wasn't surprised to see her cutie mark was the image of the sun itself.

It certainly fit her, after all, hadn't she taken responsibility raising and lowering it?

Before her it had been the job of unicorns, what fun it had been to watch a group of them gather, grunting with effort to raise it into place and then lower it.
“I am Celestia,” she said introducing herself with a gesturing hoof.

“and I know what you and your kind have been doing.”

“what do you know!” I asked, I was not as impressed with her words as I had been by her appearance.

“I know many things about you, for example. I know of the land you came from and I know that you did not choose this sort of life. But we can change all that-”

“what do you mean!? Change? The ponies had their chance long ago, there is no going back!”

I yelled at her, telling her about all that we had been through since coming here, the rumors, the lies, the violence. I kept screaming at her as if- As if she had been the cause of all our strife.

It was as if I was finally getting a chance to have my say.

Celestia stood quietly as she listened and as I stopped I looked to her.

What was that look in her eyes, was it pity?

Celestia looked to the ground for a moment before looking up to me again and with a shaky sigh, she spoke.

“I understand, and I will return once I've figured out a way to prove to you that change is possible.”

“yes.. and perhaps Tartarus will freeze over,” I said, my voice dripping in sarcasm as she left.

Who did that pony think she was?
Well, with luck we won't have to deal with her for a while.

And as it so happened I was wrong again.

THE END

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