Change of Life

by Lil Penpusher

7 - A new pair of eyes

Thunder scratched his head as a massive headache overcame him. Actually, it wasn't just a headache. He felt pain all over his body. He couldn't even open his eyes or stand up. He had no idea why this was happening to him, not that he could focus on that anyway, the pain was way too much for thinking about that. After about a minute the pain slowly became less tense. He still hadn't opened his eyes, neither could he remember where he was. Suddenly though, he heard a well-known voice.

"Open your eyes."

Confused, Thunder opened his eyes. At first he stared at holey legs which stood infront of him, as he looked up though, he looked at a Queen Chrysalis who herself looked down at him.

"Chrysalis...what happened...?"

Rage built up in Thunder again at the pure sight of the changeling queen in front of him.

"Ah yes, the typical. You don't remember the ceremony, do you?"

Thunder had no idea what had happened, neither did he know what "the ceremony" was supposed to be.

"What. Happened. I won't ask again..."

Chrysalis chuckled as she walked past Thunder who kept a suspicious look on her.

"My dear, please. There is no need to be so mad. After all, you have just gained a whole new bunch of brothers and sisters."

Thunder froze in place as his mind processed what she had said.

"What are you..."

"Saying?" She interrupted. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

She promptly made a mirror appear in front of Thunder. Thunder's eyes grew bigger the longer he inspected the image that the mirror showed him.
He moved around, shook his hooves around, everything. But it was to no avail, the image copied every exact move he made...the changeling in the mirror made the exact same moves as he did...

"No...no...no,no,no,no...NO!"

His pure confusion turned into raging anger. As Chrysalis made the mirror disappear, She smiled at Thunder, smiled at Thunder's anger at what had happened and what he had been turned into...by her.

"Congratulations my son. Welcome to the Hive."

That was too much for Thunder to handle.

"NEVER!"

He yelled as he began charging at Chrysalis. Right before he reached her though, he was pulled back. He realized it was magic that had him in it's grasp but Chrysalis' horn wasn't glowing, she was simply staring at him with a malicious smile.

"I'm sorry Thunder..."

Thunder knew that voice all too well. He turned around to face Shade who, once again, restrained him with his dark magic.

"Let me go you traitor! I've got a Bug to kill!"

Shade looked at Chrysalis for a moment who simply nodded at him.

"Calm down Thunder. Everything is alright."

Thunder kept trying to reach for Shade but the magic kept him unable to do so.

"Alright!? You are kidding me! I'm a changeling! A dirty, little bug! And you are saying it's alright!?"

Shade sighed as he looked at the ground.

"Look, I need you to calm down. I get that you are angry and all but...I'll explain everything to you."

Thunder looked at him in disbelief and spit in Shade's face.

"Yeah, right. You'd have an awful lot of explaining to do to explain THIS. I don't think there is much to be explained here. You...monsters, insects, bugs, whatever, you made me one of you so that I join your dirty bug family. But guess what? It ain't happening."

Shade wiped off Thunder's saliva from his cheek as Thunder talked.

"Please Thunder, I can explain. You just gotta believe me on this. I don't mean to harm you. There's lots of things you don't understand or know of yet."

Thunder simply looked away from Shade at this point.

"Pfft, believe you...good joke...after all you've done to me? After all you've done to the Princesses? After all you've done to....her...?"

Thunder could feel the sorrow in his friend. Not because he was a changeling, but because he remembered what he did to the Princesses. He remembered what he made him see in Luna's room...He felt horrible for everything he had done to him...He just wanted it all to be over. Wanted it to be forgotten by him so they could be best friends again.

"I'm...sorry...I really am...that's all I can offer you for now..."

Thunder turned around to see tears running down Shade's cheeks. All of the sudden he...felt bad. But...why? Why would he feel bad for a changeling? He was his best friend but...wait...no, he wasn't...right? It was all just a trick...right?

"I guess I have no choice anyway...might aswell hear your stupid explanation for all of this..."

Shade wiped away his tears in hope to maybe...just maybe, get the chance to get on Thunder's good side again.

"Thanks Thunder...I'm sure you'll understand."

Thunder crossed his arms and looked the other way.

"Don't think I have forgiven any of you. I only agree to this because my schedule is fairly empty as of now. And I hope your "explaining" is more entertaining than sitting around, doing nothing."

Shade chuckled as he freed Thunder from his magic. As Thunder stood up, Shade walked towards him.

"Don't you dare come near me..."

Shade scratched his head awkwardly and walked back a little.

"Heh, sorry. Force of habit, I guess."

Then it was Chrysalis who interrupted their conversation.

"Ahem. If the two of you would excuse me, I have important matters to attend to." She then turned towards Shade. "Shade, I trust you to take care of him for the next few weeks until he has lived in."

Shade nodded and bowed before Chrysalis. Thunder simply grumbled as Chrysalis looked over to him, not surprised that he didn't bow before her.

"Well then, I shall leave you two to it then. Try not to kill eachother."

With that, her horn lit up and she disappeared. For a moment both of the two changelings were looking at where she had stood, it was Shade who began talking first.

"So...I guess we shouldn't talk here..."

Thunder rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Uh huh, and why not?"

Shade turned towards the doors with a smile.

"Well, if you wanna stay in the room that transformed you into a changeling then..."

Thunder's eyes grew as he looked around the room. Soon he caught up with Shade who was opening the doors.

"Actually, leaving doesn't sound that bad."

As they left the room, Thunder looked at a bunch of tunnels in the earth. The Hive was underground after all, and it was dark as all hell with barely any light sources.

"Um...one question though..."

Shade turned around to him after closing the doors with his magic.

"Yeah?"

Thunder scratched his head awkwardly while looking at the different tunnel entrances in front of him.

"Where exactly are we going now?"

Shade chuckled as he walked towards a tunnel on the right of Thunder. His voice echoed through the tunnel as he entered.

"My home."

Author's Note:

Edited on 10th September 2016

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[Lil Penpusher]

"Blessed by the Ancients" and "A new pair of eyes" have both been edited. Thanks to my friend Toasty who keeps giving me great advice and ideas