59- Anansi
Hunger was my closest companion. I would have preferred it if I could leave the hospital and visit the town proper but I couldn’t for obvious reasons. So instead, I had to settle with slowly feeding off the sympathy of the staff of the hospital. Not a very filling emotion, nor could I consume large amounts of it.
It was like digging away a hill using only a shovel. Over the hours, I could do it, but I was not enjoying it. Still, the pain lessened as the day progressed. Nurse Gentle brought me a lunch that did not taste bad, but it did nothing for my stomach as usual. This was, I suspected, going to be the norm while I was disguised as a pony.
Then the guards came.
Having been warned about this, I had pondered if I should feed off them. I came to the conclusion that, though it may be hilarious to consume the emotions of the very prey that is attempting to hunt me down, being caught by feeding on the only ponies in the town who might be trained in what to look for in changeling feeding is not the way I want to go out. Not that I believe they received such training. The Battle for Canterlot happened only around two weeks ago, so the crown has had little time to send Royal Guards out to train the local town militia and guardsponies in changeling detection. If they knew at all how to detect us, that is.
They entered the room as a group of three. They didn’t even bother knocking; I immediately became alert for any hostile attitudes or potential trap questions. I was staring out the window when they came in, wondering just how big of a town Hooferville was. When they entered, they stopped in a line at the foot of my bed, my right ear flicking in their direction as their hooves clip clopped on the tile flooring.
I did not taste any overbearing emotion as they entered. A bit of nervousness, a growing hint of admiration, but nothing else.
“Ahem. Are you Far Sky?”
‘I’ll be friendly as long as they are.’
“Yes.”
I tore my gaze away from the window to look at my three visitors. The pony on the left was a dark blue earth pony stallion. The middle was a large washed-out-red pegasus with a light blue and grey mane. The last pony on the right was a cream colored unicorn mare with a lavender mane peeking out the bottom of the helmet she wore.
They all had matching grey metal armor. It was very simplistic, sparse, and almost rigid in design, a far cry from the opulent and extensive covering of the Equestrian Royal Guard. The armor did cover their flanks so I didn’t see what their marks were.
The pony in the middle had his helmet under a wing as he spoke to me in an attempt to appear more casual. It might not have been an intentional decision, but it was one I recognized all the same.
“Nice to meet you, Far Sky. My name is Sergeant Search, and this here is Private Dew and Lance Corporal Bray.”
The excitement I tasted as they entered grew as the two junior guards were introduced.
“I’m glad to hear that you are recovering well. Your rescue caused quite a stir and panic in the town. You made the front page of the Hooferville Weekly, even. I can’t recall the last time a civilian has, uh, dealt with a dire wolf. Now, as the town’s guardsponies, we need to ask you a few questions about what happened. The staff here at Hooferville Hospital filled us in on a few of the broad strokes but couldn’t give more than that due to privacy concerns. Let’s start with the most important questions; how many wolves did you see when you were attacked?”
“... Five.” My voice was quiet. I was playing up the part of a shy stallion and the exhaustion that had never truly left since I first woke up aided my efforts.
Search nodded, “Good. That means we got them all. Now that we know there isn’t a threat, why don’t you tell us what happened?”
“... I was traveling. Between towns, with my bag. I was sticking close to the river when I heard a bush rustle. Then, they came at me. I tried to fight them off, but one of them tackled me and we rolled into the river.”
The unicorn glanced at the Sergeant but did not speak up. The Sergeant looked at her in the corner of his eye briefly but otherwise remained focused on me.
“Hmm. For what reason were you traveling between towns?”
“Work.”
“Work? Were you delivering something?”
“No. I was looking for work.”
While Search thought for a moment before answering, I internally lamented my current situation.
‘The whole world is moving on without me.’
“You were looking for work. But instead of taking the main roads, you traveled through the woods themselves?”
‘Going to be stuck in this bed for days.’
“Yeah.”
“Why would you do that?”
‘Hopefully not weeks. I can’t imagine being stuck in a goddamn bed for that long.’
“... I get too hungry on the road.”
“Hungry?”
‘I need to link up with the Lodges, but not the Legions. Don’t know how I’m supposed to do that, but I have to.’
“Nothing to eat on the roads.”
“That’s why you bring food with you. Did you run out at some point?”
‘Then there’s Luna. I… She’s a ticket to a better future, clearly. Is that all she is to me?’
“Never had any to begin with.”
“Surely you purchased some at the previous town you were staying at. Which town was that, by the way?”
‘Luna is nice looking. I think. Not too sure on what qualifies beauty for any of these non-human species. We’ve got a lot in common. She cares a lot for me, which is quite a rarity here. She… I really need to get to know her better. Then there’s this idiot!’
I was starting to get annoyed with the guard’s questions. It was really distracting and he was starting to corner me and poke holes in my cover story.
“... I didn’t have money, and I didn’t catch the name of the town I came from. I…” I feigned sadness and turned back towards the window. “I didn’t have much. Now I don’t have anything. The only things I had were in my pack, and that’s somewhere in the river...”
‘Maybe it would be better to turn myself into Luna. I could get a vacation from all this shit! A vacation in… a dungeon. Daybreaker needs to go.’
There was growing amounts of sympathy I could taste in the room. That was good.
“I... I apologize if I am pressing too hard, Far Sky. We have security concerns, you see.”
“No, I don’t.”
“After what happened in Canterlot, The Princess has, err… stated concerns of infiltrators throughout Equestria.”
I slowly turned back towards the guards, now feigning confusion.
‘Time to be told about changelings.’
“Canterlot? Infiltrators? What…?”
“You kn– how long were you in the forest, exactly?”
“I lost track… Maybe sixteen– no, fifteen days…. I think?”
The guards all shared a look with each.
“Fill him in, Dew.”
The teal earth pony spoke up, “Almost two weeks ago, invaders attacked Equestria. They made it all the way to Canterlot without being detected. Any settlements south of the city, well…”
‘And here is where I slide in my origin story.’
“South? Fillietown is south of Canterlot…”
“Fillietown, that’s the town where you’re from?” Search asked.
I nodded.
“Well, the good news is that most ponies in that area have been recovered.”
“Recovered?”
“These invaders, these changelings, they foalnap ponies. Stuff them in jars, basically. Creepy stuff.”
“... What?”
“Err, but don’t worry! All those ponies were saved. Unless, Fillietown is in the Southeast or Southwest…?”
“Just south.”
“Then don’t worry!”
There was an awkward pause.
Search broke the silence, “Ahem. I think that’s enough of that for now. Let’s get back to the forest. You were fished out of the river clutching a wolf’s body. This was the wolf that pounced on you?”
I nodded.
“That wolf had some strange injuries. We would like to know how you did that exactly.”
The unicorn leaned in as her Sergeant asked me. I shirked away, making myself smaller. I was playing up shyness, after all.
‘How docile are pony civilians? Chrysalis said they are fleeting creatures, but I’m not sure if that meant fleeing as well. They did panic a lot when their towns were attacked.’
“Oh. I, uh, killed it. Using water.”
“Water?” Bray asked.
“I was in a river. All I could think of was how cold it was and that there was a wolf attacking me. I realized that I could solve that… second problem…”
“What did you do exactly?”
“I took the energy out of water as I forced it into the wolf’s mouth. The ice then… uh…”
Bray nodded and smiled, “Most ponies wouldn’t think of doing that. They, if they fought back at all, would try to attack the dire wolf’s hide. You went straight for the weak spot!”
That must be where the ever growing taste of excitement is coming from.
“I did?” I asked quietly.
“Was it just a standard ice conjuration spell, or did you use something else?”
‘Well considering I don’t know what spells are available to ponies, I’m going to take the out she offered.’
“Ice conjuration…”
“Wow! I wouldn’t ‘a thought of using that! You must be very quick on your hooves!”
I glanced at my right shoulder. As intended, the ponies got more sympathetic for me.
‘More sympathy means less suspicion. They haven’t even checked if I am a changeling!’
“You said you’re between jobs, correct?”
I looked up at the Sergeant and slowly nodded.
“You know, we could use a clever unicorn like you over in the guard. With the whole invasion thing, Princess Cel– Princess Daybreaker, as Her Highness now calls herself, ordered the recruitment of more guards. You could sign up with us and get free room and board as well as a steady paycheck.”
‘Signing up with the guards? Ha! That’s hilarious! There’s no way in hell I’m going to be a Royal Guard, what with all the security checks and now what are almost certainly frequent examinations for changeling replacement, but a town’s guard? That… that could work. In the short term, at least.’
“I don’t want to be… tied down,” I replied.
“That’s fine. In fact, that’s probably better than having you signed on fully. I don’t think the Royal Guard could accept you in your current health. Your handicap would mean that you couldn’t do the required training.”
“Then what do you want me for?”
“We could use another talented unicorn, especially one that can hold their own against the angry critters of the Blackthorn Forest. As it is, we’re rather short staffed. If you don’t want to take a permanent position, then we could at least use your talent for as long as you’re in town. Who knows, maybe you’ll decide to stay.”
‘Fat chance.’
“... What would the job entail?”
“You would receive a little bit of training first. Then, you would tag along with the occasional patrol. Or if that doesn’t work, you’d stay at the station and would be retrieved when we need your help.”
“So you want an all-purpose spell caster?”
“Essentially.”
“My utility spells are rather… lacking.”
“I can teach you some!”
I smiled at Bray, “That’s awfully kind of you…”
“Tell you what, you sleep on the offer. Free food, steady money, and a roof over your head. You don’t have to decide right now, you’ll be in the hospital for a while yet.”
“... Are you really that desperate for help?”
Search laughed, “Ha! The forest has been rather uppity, ponies are on edge right now, and we’ve been rather stretched thin. Then you come in having, survived an entire dire wolf pack on your own. That’s one tartarus of a resume!”
‘The best place to hide is right under their noses. I need to move on and find the Lodges, but honestly? There’s no way in hell I’m going to catch up. I’m too weak to move. I’ve got no wings. I’m missing a leg. Meanwhile, the Legions are in full retreat. The closest one, probably Swarm Group East considering I’ve been walking east, is in an uncontested retreat. They’ll be out of Equestria within days, if they’re not already gone by now. Swarm Group Center? I’d have to get through Equestrian lines first.’
I let out a sigh and slumped as I accepted the truth.
‘No. The more I think about it, less possible it seems. I’m stuck here, behind enemy lines. I’ll have to get back in touch with the changelings later. In the meantime, I have to get healthier and find an infiltrator who can make a healing pod for me. Building up a store of bits so I can travel easier is a very good idea. It will also be a great opportunity to learn about Equestria, both for blending in and for… Right, alliance with Luna. Not going to tear down the kingdom, so there’s no need to know how it works from the inside. Still, this is a great opportunity.’
“I can leave when I want?”
“I’d like some warning first, but yes Far Sky, you would not be signed into the guard completely.”
“Then I’ll think about it.”
The answer was yes but I had built a persona of being shy. This was not a decision that a shy person would make immediately.
‘It seems I can never escape the military. From commanding one side to helping the other!’
“We’ll come back tomorrow.”
I nodded.
‘I wonder what Luna’s up to?’
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You were supposed to destroy pones and friendship!
not become one of them!
probs trying to stop her sister
To say nothing of what you might have done on Earth; we only know that it ended in you being shot...
Interesting developments...
Day 3, Hunger is still present but I have manage a supply although small and not that filling. Royal Guards impress by my exploit offer a job in time, the idea seems promising, flexibility in moments throw town, a stable source of information on the outside, the customs of ponies, their magic attributes and even some small intake on their combat knowledge. I will take the job on the condition of been able to leave when the times comes.
In the meantime I will keep feeding, search for a Doctor…search for Luna. See how is she, and how are things going on with her sister. Will Daybreaker stay or like Nightmare Moon her days are counted, either case I must remain alert, survive, feed, and look for other infiltration, I need to heal and recover my limbs .
The rebellion party maybe?
Someone quoted that she had him bad...WELP, he's not different either
Hah, Phasma is building himself a cover story and securing a source of income for his persona already. Even in a state like this he's doing the whole infiltration thing better than almost every changeling behind enemy lines I read about. Seriously, most of the time changelings in a story find themselves in Equestria they seem to build the most shoddy persona possible. Glad this is not the case here.
"Just wait till you meet Idol Hooves, Far Sky. Bit on the weird side, but we're sure you'll get along swimmingly with him!"
10719247
Idol: "I am the law."
Phasma: "And I'm the alicorn of war-crimes."
Anansi. African God of trickery and stories if I remember correctly, usually depicted as a spider.
Fitting considering Phasma's situation.
Me: A new chapter! Yay, time to read chapter 59,
Anal-I mean, anansi!10719261
I laughed so much that is funny
"Welcome to the Royal Guard, auxiliary".
"Great, now I have to arrest myself. I have the right to remain silen- HEY COME BACK ME. STOP ME!"
Can't he create it himself?
Hmm, so the South has been retaken before the ponies could be dragged off, but the Southeast and Southwest are either still in changeling hooves or they dragged off their captives before the settlements there could be retaken.
Either way, that's at least a third of the conquest lost. Quite a painful setback.
Absolutely brilliant chapter
Things start to look up. Magic training, perhaps mana effective use can be learned.
Cant wait for the next dreamdate
I wonder if they hug or play hoofsies under the table 
Huh... They basicly stayed so vage, if i didnt know any better i say they surprise him next chapter that the attackers are Griffons or Yeti. Storm King is big in slavery after all...
I guess with all the war in the air Friendship is magic is on ice for now...
I want a Pinkie Pie hug
How is Cadance and Shining doing i wonder...
O crap... With war on the mind of everypony i doubt Naysay and his ilk wouldnt use it to spread Xenophobe race campaigns and shit...
10719153
Became the very thing he vowed to destroy.
10719361
10719327
Think I've answered this before; he can make one himself, yes, but you need someone to watch the pod and its inhabitant. It would be very, very bad if something went wrong. Think of it like a lifeguard at a pool. You don't need one, but if you decide to go to sleep while floating on the surface, you're going to need someone to make sure you don't somehow fucking die.
There's also a fact I haven't mentioned yet. It's an extremely minor spoiler, moreso a world building detail that has yet to find its way into the story than anything else, but healing pods need to have love pumped into them on occasion.
Awesome chapter
"Day three of being behind enemy lines. The fools have no idea that I've infiltrated their ranks."
"Hey Sky, we're getting ice cream, you want some?"
"I'm monologging!"
10719376
Ops... over read that one.
The hole invasion in a nutshell
10719261
Jesus Christ- I choked when I read that. 'The Alicorn of War-Crimes' indeed.
10719401
"Wait a second... Did you just say that you were monologuing? That's what the villains do! Catch him!!"
Poor
SyndromeI mean Phasma... He couldn't resist a good chance to monologue, huh?10719426
"You sly dog, you got me monologuing!"
10719401
i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/029/439/cover4.jpg
An unexpected development but a logical and interesting one
10719476
Hah, I'll admit this one kinda surprised me too. I don't have too much planned for this arc, which allows a lot of freedom so long as I get from point A to point B with events X and Y happening between them. So now things are slow and calm and I can play them by ear.
Goddamn you're a fucking moron KK. Not even understanding that identity movements not only do not represent the identity they claim to be as a whole, but thinking that gay people in general are just one big monolith.
I can immediately tell you're well within the Progressive echo chamber with a huge stick up your ass thinking you're morally superior to everyone else because you wave the correct flags and say the politically correct words. You don't even understand you're a small fringe minority compared to the rest of the population.
The biggest thing that makes people hate YOU and LGBT's in general that you people are so incredibly hostile to anyone that calls out your bullshit, you act more like hyper offended Orthodox religious nutjobs than actual Liberals.
The interaction between our hero and the Guards felt as organic as if I had been standing there myself. It flowed smoothly and with a subtle perfection that cannot be understated. I look forward to the next chapter.
I kinda hope that Phasma trusts his fillyfriend enough to show off and explain stuff like what Ariandel actually is, and perhaps show off other video game landscapes during their dream dates.
Phasma "Far Sky" has joined the local guard. I wonder if he can suppress his tactical militant mind.
*A horde of monsters attacks the town*
Phasma leads a portion of the towns defense effectively.
Sergeant Search: what did you do in your last job?
Phasma: Uuuh... Accounting.
10719651
No one even knows what Napoleon did before the revolution
10719153
but the good side has cookies and rainbows.
Nice chapter and really let's hope Phasma manages to escape with a relative slap on the wrist, after all he was technically in a no-win situation since his rebirth and had to serve Chrysalis or probably die.
10719788
Wha? It's actually well known
10719788
us.v-cdn.net/6029252/uploads/editor/pi/1fxlyfl0lcn0.jpg
10719788
... He was an officer in the French army.
10719888
no problem, but like my point stands because before he was trained, he was just like our man sky here
Only now I thought about whole ponies-in-pods stuff in this fic.
Does podded ponies eventually run out of love or changelings can feed of them perpetually? And if that’s like that does that mean that there are ponies who have been in pods for decades? What’s author headcannon about this?
P.S.
“Handicap” don’t know about that particular word but usually word like that replace with “hoof” counterpart. Like for example: handle - hoofdle (if I remember correctly)
For a moment I thought he was getting so distracted he was giving himself away.
10720103
Ponies do not run out of love in this fic. As for the handicap word, when changing 'hand' to 'hoof' makes the word completely unrecognizable, then I'll keep the incorrect hand-word instead. It's better for both me and the readers that way.
10719401
... ... ... 
👍
10719412
PRICELESS
10719438
Priceless Pinkie logic moment
10719491
FOR THE SOLAR EMPIRE
10719613
The magic of deception
10719633
O my Luna! I love your comment
Gamer Luna confirmed?!
10719651
I laughed for at least 2 brutal minutes... Love your humor man
10719882
Fear my SNUGGELS!
Meh... Dark side has double chocolat chips cookies and evil good hugs
10720103
Good point on frasing. There are story that get a bit on detail on it. Basicly after 3 months muscle start to atropy, do to the pod inhabitant to not using em( if there a non Changeling). What makes it easyer for the Changelings watching the pods to keep the body supplied with Nutrition since less muscle means less daily calories needed. It fucks up the poded being but it helps the Changelings emotion extractors to keep em alive and healthy despite there lack of ressources.
10720122
Yep... That some seriouse multitasking. Royal brain structure for the win
10720164
Fair point. Still can we keep using words like 'facehoof' cuddlepile, tackle-hug and cuddlebugs?
Well, since he can't remain clandestine, building reputation and alibi is the next best thing. Who knows, maybe he can further the cause from outside...
10720164
Given how the guards speak of Daybreaker,it seems she has not crossed certain lines...yet.
How long will that last? Until the 'changeling problem" gets solved and she can focus entirely on her ponies?
More chapters plzz dis story is one of da good ones.
:3
10719615
Oh, you mean the guy from the Nigel stories? Yeaxme too, that guy is awesome.
Po-nay foals! Foalnap 'em! Feed on them! Stick 'em in a jar!
Things are getting good, looks like Phasma is gonna be able to learn some non-combat related spells and get a good look at what pony culture actually is.
Also totally calling it that a a changeling lands in town at some point and creates a dilemma for Phasma
Maybe it’s thorax?
10721326
A forum, duh
10721473
I think you're missing the question but okay