• Published 18th Oct 2020
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Changing Expectations - KKSlider



What does it mean to be a Changeling? To the former human Prince Phasma, that means doing what you can to survive and thrive in an utterly alien world.

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14- Icarus

It was a cool day out in the drylands.

I took in the sights; the ground was rocky and unsurprisingly dry with not a blade of grass in sight. In the distance, mesas rose up from the uneven ground. For miles around the hive, there was nothing. Not a hill, not a tree, not even a Starbucks.

We were far from civilization.

The sky was clear, yellows, oranges, and pinks being painted across the blue canvass by a hidden setting sun. The sun was setting mostly behind the hive, casting a shadow over the plains in front of us. The hive itself was a towering, dark structure, its details hidden by the contrast of the light.

“Now we have some room to breathe,” Eucharis said, drawing my attention back to the ground. He had stopped about thirty paces out in front of the entrance and had turned around to face me.

I walked up and stopped in front of him.

“Let’s begin. Our changeling wings give us far more maneuverability than pegasus or thestral wings. We can hover, move sideways, directly up and down, you name it. They may have us beat on speed and gliding, but we are far more nimble.

“I want you to vibrate your wings as fast as you can.”

With my wings already out of their hardened housings, I tried making them vibrate. They beat at a respectable speed, but far from what you’d consider a vibration.

“You have to let go, and let the wings move themselves.”

Tarsus and the guards watched from near the entrance as I worked up a sweat, moving my thin insectoid wings as fast as I could.

“Faster! And stop flapping them manually, you have to let your body do the work!”

I relaxed my control over my wings, and their beats slowed down.

‘But they’re still moving!’

“Very good, Your Highness! Now, imagine yourself lifting off of the grou– Yes!”

I looked down and saw my hooves were wobbling above the ground, rather than planted firmly on it. My movement of looking down caused me to tilt forward, and I saw the ground rush up to meet me. My chitin protected me from collecting any scrapes, which would have been my only injuries from the no-speed impact of hitting the ground. Still, it was embarrassing.

Chamberlain Eucharis walked up to my side. “Why do we fall, Prince Phasma?”

“Because gravity pulls us downwards,” I responded, stating the obvious. I flipped myself over and got back onto my hooves.

“We fall so-”

“I know, Eucharis. I know.”

I looked at my back and saw my wings were extended once more. The fall hadn’t damaged their fragile structure. Once more, I vibrated them and started to lift off the ground.

I fell four more times before I got more than five feet off the ground. Being so close the first few times, I quickly learned how to recover my wings using my elytra before I hit the ground.

That is a valuable skill all changelings learn with little input from their tutors. Apparently it was just a natural reaction to aborting flying.

Eucharis rose off the ground to meet me at eye level. Before he could tell me the next lesson, I heard a buzz behind me.

“Yo Prince Phasma! You’re doing far better than I did when I first started flying! You’re taking to this like flies to sh-”

“Next, Prince Phasma,” Eucharis glared at Tarsus, “it’s time to do more than hover.”


‘So no shit there I was, fifty feet off the ground as a royal insect horse on another world…’

I slowly buzzed around a few of the lower hive spires that were jutting out from the base of the hive superstructure. Despite how tired I was becoming due to the constant work, I was enjoying myself.

Eucharis was flying next to me, giving me points on how to adjust my momentum and center of mass. It had only taken an hour, but I could fly without hitting the closest object in sight. Usually the ground right beneath me.

Tarsus was flying a bit back, but with Eucharis right next to me, we kept our conversations very limited.

Now the sun had dipped below the horizon, the last few rays staining the dark sky yellow.

“Alright My Prince, it’s time to turn in.”

“The night is still young, Cham-wow!-... Err, Eucharis…”

I dodged a massive spire that had come out of nowhere. Well, I flew in a straight line at it, but it’s not my fault they built it there.

Seeing that he was right, I adjusted my slow, bumbling course and headed back for the entrance, wobbling as I came in for a landing.

Behind me, two guards landed a distance back. They had never left me out of their sight, or further than fifty hooves– ‘Feet!’– away from them. Tarsus landed closer. “That… was slow. But still fun, Prince Phasma. If you can’t get some time to play hoofball, then we should definitely go flying.”

“With my flying lessons,” I said between pants, “that just might be more doable.”

“It’s time to head back up, Your Highness.” Eucharis motioned towards the hive entrance. We talked as we walked, the guard retinue and Tarsus filing in behind us.

“... As easy as it is for most of us,” Tarsus broke the silence from behind, “I know some changelings that struggle with flying. It just doesn’t come as easy to them.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of that, though I’m not surprised,” I explain.

‘Flying really is something else. Something tiring,’ I thought with a yawn. 'And painful.'

“There should be some classes available to the drones of the hive. Not all of us have a private tutor, ya know. I mean, My Prince.”

Eucharis looked back at Tarsus with a neutral expression, before turning back forward.

“I’m sure that while a few changlings may benefit from such an expenditure, it would be a waste of valuable time for our more experienced fliers.”

“...It’s an idea to consider, at least,” Tarsus grumbled.

"And I will. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Tarsus," I softly told him.

We walked on in silence until we had passed the usual turnoff for the infiltrator classroom. My back was really starting to sting at this point.

“This is where we part ways, My Prince,” Tarsus spoke up from behind me. I turned to give him a smile.

“Thank you, Tarsus, for your company. I will see you and the rest of the class tomorrow.”

Our retinue continued without him up the hive.

“You’re becoming close with this Tarsus classmate of yours,” Eucharis said in a low voice. “I would advise caution, My Prince.”

“Not every ‘ling has an agenda, Chamberlain. You need to calm down and take a step back.”

“My Prince! He just spoke to you and suggested how to run the hive, that’s not something to be shaken off! He uses your companionship to whisper into your ear!”

Eucharis. Tarsus is just looking out for what’s best for the hive. He has no secret agenda to push.”

“You are making bold assumptions, My Prince.”

“Enough!”

I was tired, my back was starting to hurt, and a part of me sticking off my back was definitely hurting. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night, or any night for that matter.

‘Fuck, I’m treading dangerous waters here. Tone it back.’

I sighed, putting a hoof to my head while walking forward. “My apologies, Chamberlain. I know you’re looking out for my best interests but… I’m just tired. There’s no magic lessons after this, are there?”

“No, My Prince.”

“Thank the Weaver for small miracles.”

When we reached the royal wing, I continued into my room while Eucharis stayed in the hall. I shut the door behind me and flopped onto my bed.

‘Too tired to study. Too hungry, too.’

Normally after magic lessons Officer Katydid had a meal for us to eat together. It was a short, brief thing, consisting of just the love-gel, but it was nice enough.

Still, some extra time to myself was nothing to scoff at, and I took the extra hours of sleep.


A loud noise jerked me awake.

“Wha? Whuzzit?!”

I flipped over to face the door and saw Queen Chrysalis looking down at me. My body still ached from last night’s lessons.

“Mother... I can’t recall the last time you’ve woken me for lessons personally,” I said as my brain rebooted.

She chuckled. “You have not been asleep that long, Prince Phasma. It is still night.”

I blinked the crust from my eyes and looked at her.

“Night…?”

Chrysalis nodded, “Yes. The Chamberlain has informed me that your disguising and flying lessons have gone well today.”

I sat up, facing her. “Yes, Mother.”

“Show me a disguise.”

‘Oh, come on!’

Suppressing a sigh, I hopped off the bed and stood in front of Chrysalis, ignoring the protests from my body. I pictured a pony in my mind. Unicorn, white coat, blue mane and tail, horseshoe Cutie Mark.

Orange flames covered me as I channeled magic. With my disguise in place, she paced around me. My horn started to sting from the overuse.

“Acceptable. Now, who am I looking at?”

‘Figured this is what Infiltrator Sclerite was talking about when she said combining lessons. Thankfully, I am prepared.’

“I am Big Iron,” I said in a voice that was deeper than my own and with a rougher accent. “I am a blacksmith from lower Canterlot.”

She stops in front of me. “And what do you do for a living, Big Iron?”

My stomach growled.

“I just said, Ma’am, I am a blacksmith. I forge bits and pieces, made to order.”

Chrysalis leaned in close, “And what is your opinion on the upcoming Summer Sun celebration, Big Iron?”

‘The fuck is that?’

“Well, err…. The celebration itself don’t bring me business, but the partyin’ does do damage that customers are fixin’ to have fixed.”

She didn’t move away from my face. “No, I want to know your opinion on the Sun Princess herself, Big Iron…”

‘Chrysalis is really drilling me here. Damn it woman, give me a break! I just woke up!’

“She– I do think highly of our dear Princess, Ma’am. Where’n would we be without her raisin’ the sun erry’ morning, and her guard protectin’ us and whatnot?”

Chrysalis finally leaned back. She still stared at me, though.

“....Acceptable,” she repeated her mediocre praise after a moment. “Dispel.”

I dispelled the disguise, my horn now flaring in pain.

“You did well for a first disguise. But ‘well’ will not be good enough. Canterlot citizens do not have as thick of an accent as you put on. Your disguise would not hold up to scrutiny.

“Still, you did admirably, Prince Phasma. Your classmates have received extra portions in their meals to offset their increased activities. Do not think I have forgotten you, My Prince.”

I tilted my head at that.

She looked behind her and brought over a sealed pot. My stomach started to hurt at the sight.

‘Ohhh yesss! If there's a catch to this, then future-me can pay it!’

“This is a bit stale, but you won’t mind.”

I already can hear the whispers of the sweet succor.

“Thank you, Mother,” I said, swallowing saliva. My jaw started shivering. “I am… most grateful.”

As I took the jar in my magic and popped it open, Chrysalis continued to address me.

“You have done as well as is expected of you in your Infiltrator class.” I barely caught the next statement, I was so involved in consuming every last wisp of love from the jar. “But I’m afraid you will be too busy to attend the traditional expedition to Equestria with the rest of your class.”

‘Mmmmmm….. Wait, what?’


“M-Mother?” Prince Phasma said in a stuttering voice.

‘It’s always adorable to watch him eat,’ Queen Chrysalis thought to herself. ‘Just keep it up, little Prince, and you will have all the love you desire once we conquer Equestria.’

“You still have lessons with me, Prince Phasma. There is no time to go gallivanting about, playing with your prey.”

Phasma swayed slowly from side to side as he spoke, “I w-was under… the impression that, uh, I was with the class specifically for the expedition?”

She sneered, “Then you had the wrong impression. You were in the class to… reaffirm your lessons.”

‘You don’t need to know the truth. And don’t think I don’t know about your…. friends, young Prince.’

“Tomorrow, your lessons will cover the dangers of outside opinions,” Chrysalis steered the conversation away from the infiltrator class.

Chrysalis watched as Phasma blinked slowly and shuffled his hooves in his slower-of-mind state.

‘Yes Prince Phasma, I am always watching.’

But it was Chrysalis’s turn to be surprised when Phasma asked her a question she, quite frankly, didn’t expect.

“Mmmm… Mmm-Mother, who’s my dad?”

‘Where did this come from?’

“...I am all that matters, Phasma....”

I suppose I should have expected this question. Did it slip out now that he's unguarded of mind? I could train him to be used to the feeling of love, so that he is not so... weak, when consuming it. But I think I'll have him keep that particular vice...

The Prince mumbled something in response as Queen Chrysalis backed out of his room and closed the door.

‘That nymph vexes me.’

Author's Note:

Changing Expectations has surpassed my favorite story in likes, and that just breaks my heart.

As such, I'm shilling it to you all. Prey and A Lamb is my second favorite series ever, and top favorite on this site. I'm not going to do a full review here, so I'll just say if you love evil villains/anti-heros, then please give this story a read!

The author puts far more skill and forethought into their writing than I do mine. Be warned, it is a Tragedy story, despite the lack of a tag for it.

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