Experiments: Shielded Soul

by TRIBOT 4000

The Eighth Chapter

"Alright Fly, let's see about this place." I said before mentally kicking myself with an annoyed grunt, "I'm talking to myself again, dammit." It was a bad habit and one I don't tend to engage in unless I'm alone. However, it's not uncommon for changelings to talk to themselves. Being part of a hive for so long will effect you, whether or not you've cut it off.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention. I'm a changeling. Now stop gawking and listen. My name is Fly. I am on a special paid mission from Celestia herself to solve almost forty connected missing persons contacts, the latest of them being a unicorn named Solid Gold.

Exactly 332 hours ago, or about 14 days, Solid Gold, a recently injured member of the Royal Guard, was foalnapped from the hospital. The mission he was injured from was connected to my missing creatures case. I followed his captors to an abandoned smithy in the middle of Everfree forest. I've been scouting the place since then, and I've arrived at a few conclusions. If I wanted to get in, I either had to be hired by the madpony who runs the place or captured for their so-called experiments. The latter isn't an option.

Now, you might be thinking "Why would a changeling ever subjugate himself/herself to the wills of ponies?" Well, to answer that you specieist bastard, I'd like to say that not all changelings hate ponies. Most of just realize that our integration would have to be slow, although, not all of us, myself included, want to be revealed. But that's... a conversation for another time.

I put away a pair of binoculars and take a file out of my jacket. On it I have the identity of a unicorn by the name of Specter. He was hired by a Doctor Fleisch (which means Flesh in Germane in case you're wondering), who may very well be running this operation, after being charged with several assaults due to alcohol addiction. I don't have enough information on the doctor, but with what I've gathered from Specter, I should be able to take his identity for a little while. I'm sure he won't mind.

I turn around and look at the unconscious stallion behind me. he didn't put up much of a fight. Even working for this Doctor he's still a lackey. Take the form of a mare that seems screwable, get him alone, and boom! Instant captive. Get yours today.

One flash of green later and I'm a blue coated teenager with a pink mane and needle for a cutie mark. I get dressed in the former Black Ops wear he had before I'd put him down and slid on the helmet. I was now an honorary member of the... well... whatever you want to call it.

I marched up to a group of ponies that had gathered around the smithy. They were talking and joking amongst themselves, and I chose to mingle. The conversation was weirdly robotic. The ponies laughing gave no signs of happy emotion. The ponies in heated debate gave off no angry emotion. Everything was fake... so I guess I fit right in.

Without warning, everypony stopped talking and stood at attention. I did the same quickly and followed them as they started a single filed line towards the building. Before we reached it, the ground around it appeared to split and move up, moving, picking up the structure with it. I'd seen this happen several times, so it wasn't much of a surprise.

We entered the now very large door in perfectly synced steps. I won't bore you with the details of the place, mainly because there were none. We marched for about an hour through pristine metal hallways until we reached a type of barracks. There were beds lining the walls, all with perfect folded pillows and blankets. Everypony went to their respective beds and sat, waiting.

I kept still, like them, so as not to draw attention. If my assumptions were correct, none of the ponies here knew about this double life they lead. When my counterpart woke up, he would likely have no idea where he was, if a nearby timberwolf doesn't eat him first. Oh well, he got himself into this mess.

I looked around and noticed that nopony was paying attention to me. I took the time to meditate on what I needed to do. The information I need is based on an incident years ago. The one who runs this place is responsible for a ridiculous number of missing ponies, none of which had ever show up until a mere few weeks ago. A mare, whatever her name was, who had gone missing started burning places and ponies in the Badlands, without the aid of magic. How this is possible is beyond me. What I do know is that my mission is clear: get info, free prisoners, and destroy this place.

Not any easy fete for most creatures, but then, they aren't me.

I'll bide my time, gain the trust of the other ponies here, and work my way up, replacing creatures as I went. No one seemed to know anyone else so I wouldn't have to interact with other guards too much. I just have to keep from seeming suspicious.

I know this will probably be the hardest thing I've ever done though. Don't get cocky. That's a very important rule in my book. Cockiness leads to acting like a cock, and then you die. Seen it happen plenty of times. Damn idiots, each of them.

I glanced with my eyes to make sure no one was watching. Since they weren't, I turned my attention to other things. Vents, doors, room size. It's all important. Once I have the timing of the guard shifts down, I'll be able to sneak around and make a plan. This place wasn't going to exist for very long. I have hope.

Besides, I wanted my roommate, Solid, back.

Author's Note:

CLIFFHANGER!!! And the whole thing is exactly 1000 words. Go figure.

This is what Fly looks like. Art done by Mr Scroup commissioned by Asher 23 who created the OC.

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