Dark Side of the Moon

by Rust

Tredici (Incompiuto)

Shapeshifters.

Where do I even begin?

They are here, there, everywhere. Without them, life on the Moon would be impossible, and yet for all their necessity, shapeshifters are rather troublesome. They are nourished by positive life energy, a curious trait that allows them to dwell in the most inhospitable of places while only needing to venture out to sate their thirst.

To be fed upon by a shapeshifter is unavoidable. They are everyone and no one. A pleasant conversation with an old friend back in town could be far from reality. Simple warm greetings from a stranger across the street are like popcorn to them.

One might think --- why tolerate that sort of thing? They could be anywhere and anyone around you. They could be in your home, right now, and you'd never be the wiser. Of course, the truth is never so simple. Shapeshifters require life energy --- content, soulful energy, mind you ---- because they cannot generate their own. They are parasitical in nature, though they do not simply take their vittles.

They exchange for it.

It isn't the need for more energy that drives a shapeshifter to feed, it is the need for fresh energy. They absorb it from us, the various peoples of various societies, and it nourishes them for a time, but eventually, they must return what they took. Every ounce of life-force harnessed from your spirit by a shapeshifters is instantly replaced by the energy they had stored. Of course, too much transfer, too fast, will produce negative effects, but for the most part, you won't even know you've been fed upon.

Your essence, your spirit, your life-energy; it is not meant to be a stagnant thing. We are meant to grow and change as we slip through the seasons. They till us, turn the dirt and scatter fresh seeds. Shapeshifters are the pollinators for the gardens of the soul.

And, if they cannot find any positive life energy, they create it through good deeds and inspiration. That street performer on the corner may not need those coins you toss him for brightening your day. The nurse in the infirmary who delivers the good news may have worked harder than the surgeon, for more than one life was at risk.

Shapeshifters are a paradox. We need them, and they need us... even if some choose to ignore it. How could one expect a creature who requires your happiness and contentment to live to be truly genuine? A vexing argument.

Still, most tolerate them. Some of the creatures even deign to walk openly among us, chitin and fins bared to open starlit sky.

There is a problem with their nature, however. The Hive seeks happiness in all peoples, obviously, and so often will often support causes they believe would result in the most net happiness. Wonderful for charities and social programs, of course...

...But what of war?

The Hive will back the contender who's victory will be best received by the people. And having agents on your side who could be anyone is far better off than not having any. Many, many times over the cycles, the Hive has lent the Kingdom critical support to overcome a foe or quell an uprising. Showing myself at their door as the Second-In-Command of Luna's little rebellion... it could end poorly. I was taking a gamble by attempting to reach out to them.

Either they would help me, or they would kill me.

---

Comments

[BradtheBrony]

Yay! An update! And I don't care if it is short, just that one of my old favs has got an update!

So does this mean the story will be off hiatus and getting regular updates soon?

[Arcanist Ascendant]

Rust updated a story?
s2.quickmeme.com/img/02/0280432aac8b0a26013ed3488adba48017f03d7f93a33fa6a3803caa547c6d2d.jpg
I don't even care that there isn't much to this chapter. The possibility that you're returning to us is enough. This used to be one of my favorites, and I'm happy that it could be one again.

[jqnexx]

Oh whoa. Nice to see this again.

[khatre]

Until the story updated i did not realize just how long it had been since it updated ..
Come on Composure! You can Do IT TOO!

[Tomi]

Welcome back

[tehspeleengpolise]

Waht the fcuk, this UPDATED? I certainly did not expect this to pop up on my feed! Hole shit.

6963857 I echo this.

6964735

Come on Composure! You can Do IT TOO!

Aye, we can hope! Certainly Rust's return after essentially 3 years of inactivity is encouraging, however futilely.

[Alondro]

The Hive will back the contender who's victory will be best received by the people.

Adolf would have loooooooved these things...

This is why no one trusts shape-shifters! Especially THESE shape-shifters. Which are clearly CHERNGELERNGS!!

[Lasairfion]

Yay.

[dafiltafish]

And so it goes on, apologies for my previous criticisms.

[Remnant Viscera]

I would like to see this finish someday.