A Changeling in Friendship

by Dreams of Ponies

The Beginning of Nothing

I crept slowly out of the Everfree Forest, the tall grass concealing me beneath the moonlight. The dim light of Ponyville's homes shrouded the town in an ominous glow. My objective was situated near the outskirts of the town, the large tower of vibrant crystal standing out easily from the smaller homes.

I quietly moved forward, keeping adjacent to Ponyville until I could easily make out the home of Twilight Sparkle, my queen's greatest enemy. Her interference was the reason I was called on this mission, and no-ling would fail to recognize the gravity of situation before them. I thought back to my audience with the majestic Queen Chrysalis, who had decided it was best properly motivate me in person.

---

I walked purposefully to the entrance of the throne room, the guards at either side giving me a once over before nodding to me to enter. I pushed the double doors open, stepping calmly inside and stopping midway to the throne, and then bowed deeply to my mighty and wise queen.

"Your majesty," I said reverently.

"Rise, Null, I have a very important task for you," Queen Chrysalis said, smiling wickedly down at me.

I raised my head just as she looked past me, and then commanded, "Guards, close the doors, and inform any-ling that I'm not to be interrupted!"

The doors slammed shut behind me, and then her majesty returned her gaze to me.

"You have a very special skill, Null, and I have found the best way to utilize it for the benefit of the hive," she said, leading into her explanation.

I gave her a small nod, affirming to the queen that she had my full attention without having to speak out of turn.

"Now," Queen Chrysalis continued, "you will sneak into Ponyville, by way of the Everfree Forest. This mission will need to be accomplished in the span of one night, so you'd best move quickly, and are not to be seen."

She eyed me closely, before saying, "You are to infiltrate Twilight Sparkle's castle, which will be mostly unguarded—according to our intelligence. Then you will find the sleeping princess and use your skills to learn everything about her and her friends," the queen stopped to let those details sink in. "Report back all findings, and under no circumstance are you allowed to fail," she bared her teeth at me and then hissed in a low voice, "You know what happens to failures in this hive, Null."

"Of course, my Queen, when do I depart?" I asked her, snapping firmly into attention.

"Tonight, after you've eaten and prepared any supplies you need. All the specifics about her security, as well as anything else you need, can be found in your briefing document. Be sure that you read it," she said, scowling at me.

I bowed to her again, before she snidely remarked, "This is your chance to prove to me that you're worth more than nothing."

---

I patiently waded through the grass, a silent shadow in the night. When I felt like some pony was watching, I would freeze in place, becoming nearly invisible. It wasn't necessary, of course, as there were hardly any ponies who had business this late.

I have infiltrated many pony towns after sunset, in order to gather love energy, which is essential to the hive's survival. The Queen has told me that I have a particular knack for dream infiltration, stealing emotions without having to perform the social tap dance, for which other changelings have to study for years. Why risk exposing yourself in such a manner, when you can sneak into their dreams, without ever saying a word?

Tonight's mission was different, however, for tonight I was tasked with extracting information from my target. Dreams can often reveal secrets and weaknesses about an individual, but with a little practice, I've come to understand the mind's base structures.

I lay in the grass, quiet and patient, observing Twilight's home from about twenty meters away. There were two earth pony guards posted at the front, both whom looked tired and bored. Instead of the front entrance, I intended gain access by way of the second floor terrace, which looked completely empty from here.

I spread my insect wings, and after making sure the guards weren't looking my way, I fluttered into the air. The balcony was void of life—which wasn't surprising. I would have preferred pegasus wings, which are normally quieter and better for gliding, but that would have violated my orders. I had been given only a few stipulations on this missions, but that rule was the only one that had come as a surprise to me.

Project Midnight Sparkle, mission brief-

Operative assigned-Null

Mission objective: Infiltrate Twilight Sparkle's castle at night, locate her, and then extract all useful information—without being detected.

Special parameters for mission as follows:

1. Remain undetected during the entire duration (this includes being seen in disguise).

2. Under absolutely no circumstance, are you permitted the use of magic prior to finding the target, this also includes any threats on your life. We have reason to believe that the castle has magic detection spells in place, so you are to sneak onto the premises without the use of a disguise.

3. Violation of either of these rules will result in death, either by pony torture, or by the queen's wrath upon your return.

So here I was, fully exposed in the castle of my enemy, carapace and all. I stepped past a velvet curtain and stopped as my eyes observed the room inside. I had entered the second floor of a large ornate room, in which sat six large majestic chairs circled around a crystal table. But it was the luminosity that emanated from the ceiling that really drew my attention. A large assortment of precious gems were dangling from what seemed to be ancient tree roots. Each gem shimmered with multiple colors, and I had to fight hard not to fly up to get a closer look.

I buzzed my wings, hovering up and over the side of the small railing, before floating over the table. Each chair had an emblem engraved upon it, which our intelligence reported, belonged to each of her closest friends. I look up, entranced by the shimmering lights of the chandelier. The hive just didn't have anything that colorful and bright, even in the queen's chamber. Especially in the queen's chamber. I moved forward to the ornate doors, assuming they were the exit, and gently pulled one open. I peeked through, looking and listening for any sign of life. When I felt it was safe, I slipped into the hallway and quietly shut the door behind me.

The hall was lined with doors, up and down each side, leading who knows where. I stepped lightly, the halls still having enough light for me to be easily spotted. I paused at each door, before closing my eyes, so that I could more closely detect any emotions a pony might be releasing. After passing a half dozen rooms, I caught just a whiff of happiness. I stopped, looking around before spotting an ornate door, which had a purple star insignia hung in the center.

Looks like we have a winner!

I walked carefully over to the room, the sense of emotion steadily increasing, all while nervously glancing around to check for guards. I pressed my ear to the door, and after a moment of silence, I could make out the sound of a mare snoring. I pushed against the door gently—sending a prayer to the queen. I was relieved to find the door opened soundlessly as I crept inside the bedroom.

I looked around, observing the large queen sized bed, some very ornate furniture and bookcases, and for some reason, a small basket with a folded blanket resting on top. I stood quietly, simply listening to Twilight Sparkle's snoring, before closing the door gently with a "click". I stepped forward, one hoof at a time, checking the ground for anything that might make noise. Apart from a few stacks of books, the floor was clear of any obstructions, so I quietly moved towards the sleeping purple pony princess.

As I approached the bed, I could clearly see Twilight Sparkle's expression, which was caught between bliss and serenity. Slowly, I sat down as close to the bed as I could, before leaning over to touch my curved horn to Twilight's. She let out a low groan, shifting slightly, before settling comfortably back into dreamland. I lowered my head, and slowly brought forth the smallest spark of magic. I touched our horns together, and allowed my consciousness to slip into her dream.

Author's Note:

So the inspiration for this came to me from a song, one which I wont name now, otherwise it might spoil things later. This is just the setup, and I hope I'm able to make this story as amazing as I'm envisioning it in my head.

Comments

[Emperor]

Ah, you're doing a first-person view this time. Interesting. The writing is a little bit chunky at times going through this first chapter, but good otherwise overall.

[JackRipper]

Good ol' top tier Equestrian security back at it again. Those guards don't have a job anymore.