Changeling - Henry Hoof

by destinedjagold

Epilogue

Mount Edge, located south-west, on the edge of the continent of Equestria.
Mount Edge, long ago, was but a peaceful mountain homed by the early Earth Ponies.
They made the whole mountain into a dungeon-like labyrinth, with dried clay from the earth.

The peak was where they used to worship their gods and goddesses.
The rock pillar's purpose was for them to put their offerings; food and flowers.
Their gods at the time, were the pegasus ponies, who will fly down to take their offering, and in return, they'll change the weather to the earth ponies' desire.

After the war against Discord, the mountain was slowly abandoned.

It would have been a perfect home for the brown changelings, but unfortunate circumstances led them to their extinction by the green changeling's queen, Chrysalis.

The four changeling races feeded on emotions; green for love, brown for hate, yellow for happiness, and white for loneliness.
Each were given the four pieces of the Emotion Stone; Heaven's Tear, Ocean's Tear, Forest's Tear, and Earth's Tear.

Celestia gave them each of these pieces, as a way of showing them her trust towards them, and to hold true to their promise not to cause chaos.
This vow was broken by Chrysalis after she became queen of the green changelings.

She believed that the stones may hold the power to make them powerful.
Or it could possibly manipulate a creature's heart.
Theories existed, but the real power of the stones, it was unknown.

Now, Mount Edge is the resting place of the fallen brown changelings.
Under the wonderful bright day, that place holds none to value the joy of the day.

A yellow earth pony, clearly severely injured, had recently regained her consciousness and immediately greeted by a powerful pain her body was aching.

Her mind couldn't handle all of those painful aches at once, and she swore she'd faint from it all.
No.
Earlier, she swore she'd be dead.
It was impossible for her to survive such a fall.
But earlier, one faint explosion sound, as if by a miracle, made her open her eyes in the slightest, just in time to catch a glimpse of the multicolored wave that passed through the heavens.
What it was, she did not know.
The only thing she knew, that it saved her from escaping life.

Regaining control over her entire body, she discovered her right hind leg is broken.
She couldn't feel her hoof on that leg.
She would be crying from such horror, but no, it was not the time to cry.

She found herself on a large boulder, sticking out of the perfectly vertical cliff.
She looked up, she had to.
There, on top of that mountain, that's her destination. That's where she needs to be.

Now, she's almost there, climbing up towards the flat peak of Mount Edge.
If she were to fall again, it'd be her end, but she had to do this.
Her body cries to die instead of prolonging the pain, but she didn't care.

She needs to be there; to save her brother, to be with her brother.
She needs her brother, and she knows her brother needs her.

It was clear to her, a few days ago, that his brother was not a pony.
But she disregarded that fact.
She felt him true, his love was true.
What she seeked was with that one brown changeling; brotherly love.

And now that she reached the peak, her body begged to rest, but no, not yet.
She saw everything, through her blurred vision.
Dead black creatures around the peak, and there, near the rock pillar was one black changeling.
The one she seeked, the one she needed, the one she loved.

"...brother..."
Though tired, she dragged herself towards her brother, even able to create the tiniest smile.
There he is...
Just a few more steps...
She knew she can reach him...

And finally, she sat down, right next to him.
She slowly put her brother's head on her hind legs, his dying face facing hers.

Her vision was watery.
Tears started to form, and as quickly as they appeared, they too quickly ran down her scarred face.
It dropped to his brother's face.

"...brother..."

And as if a second miracle had happened...
No... She thought, this is too good to be true.
This must be a dream, but no, this is all real.

His brother slowly opened his eyes.
His brown eyes, though out of glow, was still catching the small highlights of the sun.
She can see her own face, reflected back to her.

He smiled. He remembered his goofy joke when they were captured.
"...thank...goodness..."
He was able to say it. His voice, too dry, but she knows it's his.
This is his brother.
And finally, they're together again; a brother and sister.

And of course, her smile widened.

They both heard something moving nearby, but they payed it no mind.
All they needed was each other, and nothing more, or so they thought.

They need help.
They need to heal.
They are both badly wounded, and so was the one who knows this fact.

"I'm...glad..."

The yellow earth pony slowly turned her head towards the source of the voice.
There, before them, was a changeling, recently got back on its four feet.
His green eyes, like her brother, was also out of glow.
She knew him, but one thing stood out; he is skinnier than before.

"Miss...Daisy... and Sir Henry... I'm really glad..."

He stopped himself, and tried to bow.

"I ask...for forgiveness... I have..."

"Cloth..."

The yellow pony interrupted him. Cloth slowly returning his head to face them.
Daisy flashed him a weak smile, and she then turned to her brother.
His eyes are closed, but his shallow breathing and the smile on his face assured her that he's alive.

She just noticed something...
His brother's neck is still bleeding.

"Brother... Your neck...!"

"I know... I...know..."
He slowly said.
He knew his blood is slowly flowing out of him.
He knew that it'll only take him a few more minutes before...

"No... Please... I need you...!"
And after a moment of silence, she received no answer.

Ponyville is too far away.
Where in Equestria will they be able to get help?
Their bodies will not be able to serve them on their way back.

She remembered what she read, a few days ago...
The thought scared her, but...
"Take my life..."

The sudden offer shocked both the brown and green changelings.
Henry, despite his tired body, qiuckly opened his eyes, seeing his sister, her face, full of determination.
"I could...not do that..."

"I want you to live...!"

"And so do I...!"
He realized that he used the wrong words for some reason...
He looked away.
"I mean...you, to live..."

"This is no laughing matter..."
She cried...

"I'll...give you my life instead..."

They both turned to the green changeling.
Henry didn't like the idea.
And it would be a lie if Daisy thought the same.

"Cloth, you can't..."

Cloth raised his foreleg, a sign to stop what his highness was saying.
It was also a sign of disrespect, but he didn't care.
He failed to protect them. It was suppose to be his job, his duty.
What is worst...

"Consider it...my way...to be reunited...with my brother..."

It was a stupid idea, both Henry and Daisy thought.
You are alive. You should continue to live to honor them.
You may not know it, but they must have sacrificed their lives to save yours.
And you will simply throw it away?

---

They did not bother looking back at the days.
The only important thing was they're here... They're home...

Henry, Daisy, and Cloth walked through the forest for days to no end.
Despite their crying bodies, they made it.

Cloth gave a bit of his energy to Henry, enough to at least stop the bleeding on his neck.
He may have failed to save them back there, but he had a new mission.
A mission to safely bring the two back home.

He remembered the day when he was still under Chrysalis.
Their attack in Ponyville, for him, it seemed like it was just yesterday.
He locked his sight on a small yellow filly.
She was sure to be a good meal, he thought that day.
She was just trembling in fear, somehow disabled herself from fleeing.
No more time to waste. It was time to feast.
But as soon as he spitted green slime towards the small prey, a much older orange pony blocked his attack's path.

He regretted what he did back then, more when he found out it was her he tried to kill.
He took someone important from her, but now...

As he stared at them as they exited the forest, a smile flashed in his face.
Finally, he accomplished a very important mission. Two, in fact.

One, he safely guarded them back to their home.
And two... He was able to return something he stole.

And after he felt the feeling of accomplishment, he faded into the shadows.

Henry, leaning on his sister to aid his walking, somehow felt his most loyal subject's joy.
He couldn't hide his smile.

"Cloth, are you...?"
Daisy slowly turned her head back towards the forest, but all she saw was nothing but the trees and the shadows.
Worried, she slowly turned to her brother.
"Cloth... He's..."
She wasn't able to continue what she was about to say after she noticed her brother's warm smile.

"He'll be fine..."
He assured her.
He remembered one certain day.
An hour before they flew to Ponyville to feed, he was able to gain the courage to talk to his mother's most loyal subject.
That is, after his little brother left him alone, and then he went to him.

"Cloth?"
"Yes, your highness?" the green changeling quickly turned to him and bowed.
"I remember you said you feed on love."
Cloth simply nodded.
"And I remember that we are suppose to feed on loneliness..."
"That is correct your highness."
"Well, what if, we're not really feeding on emotions?"
Cloth couldn't stop himself but to give him a confused look. "What do you mean, my prince?"
He looked to his left, staring at the trees. "Well... Uh... What if...we're really feeding on a creature's life? And..."
"And...? Please continue, my prince..."
"And um... What if this whole emotion thing is just a lie?" He faced the green changeling.
And both became quiet for a while until Cloth was the first to break it.
It was his first time to be asked for his opinion, and he was obviously not feeling like himself.
"Uh...Then it...would probably mean that we truly are feeding on their lives..."
He doesn't seem to be convinced. It only sounded like Cloth repeated his question, and simply turned it into a statement.
Ever since Cloth came in their kingdom, he trained each of them to sense and feed on 'love' instead of 'hate'.

"He accomplished...a lot of things..."
Henry said with his eyes closed, still wearing the same smile.
"I'm sure, he's going to accomplish a lot more."

But as he finished, he immediately dropped himself to the ground, surprising his beloved sister.
She quickly tried to help him get up, but he no longer had the energy to stand.

She remembered the days when they were getting through the forest.
Cloth was able to take down a number of predators, and even allowed his brother to absorb their energy.
But, where did all those go?
Why is his brother still weak?

She's in Ponyville.
She's home!
Help must be within reach here!

She quickly looked around, and found that they're just outside Ponyville.
But, to her surprise, ponies have already gathered a few distance away in front of them, gasping and whispering.
The fear in each of their faces made her realize something; she was helping out a changeling.
But despite this, she was desperate to ask for help.

She cried at them, shouting and begging for help.
Anyone to help, not her, but his brother.

Henry's no longer moving, and his breath are swallow and slow.
The thought of him to die like this scared her, and realizing that none would offer help...

The crowd broke a path, for a large white alicorn to pass through.
The commotion had probably made her wonder what this was all about, and to her surprise to find out what it was.

The yellow pony, despite her broken hind leg, quickly worked her way towards the princess, begging her to help his dying brother.
Her cry to help a changeling took her aback as two royal guards blocked the yellow pony from reaching the princess.
Her tears flowed down her face.
She shouldn't be doing these in front of their princess, but all she cared about now is her brother.
Losing him is definitely not an option for her.

The princess however, was still doubting to aid her, and the changeling.
Ponies and Changelings are not suppose to make contact.
After Chrysalis' attack, she was sure to dispose of them if ever they'll threaten ponykind again, but...

"PRINCESS CELESTIA! PLEASE SAVE MY BROTHER!"

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End of the Epilogue
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Comments

[JazzyWaffles]

Deus Ex Cloth. (Need I repeat that the issues persist?)