A Changeling's Heart

by BlueHeartTattoo

Avalanche

My head was so wrapped up from last night that I never had a chance to get enough sleep. Nevertheless, a new day arrived, and I must be set for my mission.

At the crack of dawn, I already left the motel and roamed around the streets to search for any signs of love or any soul that I can trick into giving it to me. Unfortunately, my focus had been distracted and I kept thinking back to that voice.

That voice in my head… My queen.

It wasn’t something that was recurred in a memory, or anything related to that. It was involuntary—it felt I was being forced to stop and listen. Almost like a spell. But I don’t remember a time where I was placed a curse, any that I was aware of. Somehow a piece of her had lodged its way to me. Was this a sign? Is this an omen? Or is insanity finally coming up to me, to bring my end?

Before I could think any further, I bumped into a pony that I failed to see was walking in front of me. I caught both of us by surprise and left me embarrassed.

“Hey, watch where you’re going,” a masculine voice called out, from the pony I bumped into. I took notice of the stallion—he was a very thin yet lanky pegasus with teal green coat and a blonde, messy mane wrapped into a top bun. He dusted himself off before picking up a long scroll he seemed to drop.

“My apologizes, sir,” I quickly excused myself, “I didn’t see you and I’m not at my best right now.”

I swear, as soon as I opened my mouth and he finally took a good look at me, his whole attitude change.

“Oh, no- pardon me, miss”, he replied in a smooth tone, “I was too distracted to notice you gracing in my way and giving you a bad impression.”

He leans towards me with a smirk and a suggestive look. Already I can sense what he felt towards me. It had the same waves as love, but it leaves a vile and bitter taste—what he was feeling was lust. Like love, it feels great, but without genuine meaning behind it, it leaves us almost nothing to drain in. Most changelings would usually welcome it for the pleasure it gives, but the notion makes me sick to my stomach.

it was clear now, with this stallion leaning closer to me, that this morning is going to be grueling.

I try my best to brush him off as bluntly as I can, “Oh, no need, sir. You gave me plenty of an impression.”

But before I can walk past him, he quickly blocked me.

“Oh, you wound me,” he stated dramatically, “Surely there must be some way that I can repay you. You know, I am currently residing in the palace temporarily—”

“Don’t care.” Once again, I slip past him before he starts following me.

“Oh, you are persistent—I like that.”

I rolled my eyes in disgust and stop him at the spot before he can resume driveling.

“Look, mister. I have things to do—much more important things to focus on than to hear you drooling and groveling over me. So I must ask you to back off before I do something much worse to you.”

“ZEPHYR BREEZE!”

Both the stallion and me were caught surprised as a blue, rainbow maned pegasus mare coming in our way. I instantly recognized her as one of the current bearers that fought in the battle for the element. It was then I noticed that the stallion grew nervous as I was as the mare trotted closer to him irritated.

“There you are!” the rainbow-maned mare exclaimed, “you really think you would escape my sight for a second?”

“Whoa, Rainbows- it’s not what you think,” the stallion turn his smooth, laid-back tone onto the mare. “I was just looking for the quickest route we need to go.”

The mare only gave him a deadpanned look, “Uh-huh, sure. If that’s the case, then why did I see you creeping up on this mare?” She pointed towards me.

“We were just getting acquitted,” he puts his arm around me and glanced at me with a wink, “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Resisting a bile building up my throat, the only response I care to give him was using my magic to grab his ear and forcefully drag him away from my body. I was satisfied to hear a muffled cry of pain from the stallion.

As soon as I let him go, he quickly recovered and his smug smile returns, “Ya see?”

The mare only groaned at his response, giving me a feeling that she hated his guts as much as I do. And then she shifted her focus towards me. “Whatever Zephyr has done to you, I’m really sorry.”

As nervous as I was with a great, specific enemy whom I fought before, I can’t let her see my fear—not unless I want to blow my cover and risk capture. I quickly gulped a large bump into my throat, before I could talk, “No, it’s alright. That ear-tugging actually made me feel better.”

For a moment after, I saw that my comment made the pegasus smirk.

“Heh, I like you. You’re not afraid to defend yourself from creeps like him.” She pointed to the stallion to prove her point.

The stallion called out, “In my defense—she bumped into me first!”

“Just go and follow the list we gave you before I sent another lightning cloud after you!”

Finally taking a hint, he shifted his direction to the road with a scroll in his hoof and began trotting down the path. We both chuckled at the satisfaction of his defeat.

“Well, I better go babysit him some more,” the mare started following after him before she turned to hoofbump me on the side, “You take care of yourself, alright?”

I stood there, motionless, as I saw the two ponies walk further into the distance. It was only then I started to feel…. Good. Which was odd. I wasn’t draining anything, and I didn’t sense any love to steal there. Unless it was that touch the mare gave me. Once I concluded this to be a sufficient supplement for my mission, I shrug it off.

But... I dare to admit… it was also odd to be in face with an enemy and all they did was treating me like I was one of their kind—with friendship and goodwill. It was sense because I was disguised as one, but not even the changelings—with the exception of Nabis—had ever experienced this.

Back home, it was always everyone for themselves—we salvage what we take, and we hold ourselves in pride, not allowing any weaknesses to uphold us. The only thing we had ever had in common is that we exist for our queen and our hunger. We had given everything we had for her, so that we help her rise for power and her goals to conquer Equestria. But once that is over, we hold no more purpose than to survive.

Every changeling had followed this life, even back to the changeling war where our past queens would sacrifice everything and everyone just to win over the ponies and their land. That cycle had always continued with each generation.

Still… it doesn’t seem to be the life that the ponies had live in. No feuds, no schemes and practically no resentment towards each other. There might be a few disagreements—a few questionable ones like this Zephyr there--but it’s nothing more than a slight annoyance. Maybe it was through my time hiding amidst the enemy that the experiences has already messed up my sanity. But for some reason, it reminded me of Nameless. Not as a nuance for the changelings to bear. But as someone I knew…. Like an old friend.

Without a warning, my head buzzed with a ache. It was the exactly feeling I’ve felt the night before, but this has grown with intensity. It was like it was punishing me for thinking such things. And once again, I hear the Queen’s voice:

As long as we exist, the ponies will not rest until we are wiped from Equestria. Unless we do something about it. If you, as well as the rest of the clan, listen only to me and follow my commandments, I will guarantee you—Equestria will be ours for the taking.

The pain is so great that I kneel to the ground, my whole body suddenly not willing to stand anymore.

“Are you okay?”

Through my blurry sight, I can see that the rainbow mare had return back to me, this time with worry etched on her expression, along with her male companion.

“You don’t look so good. What did you do to her, Zephyr?!”

‘N-Nothing—I swear!” He raises his hoof, afraid of this mare’s rage.

My head continued pounding as I try my best to brush off the mare’s concerns, “I-I’m okay. I—”

BOOOOM

I didn’t time to finish as a loud, sonic boom echoed through the air that than transitioned to a violent tremor underground. But as soon as it happened, it stops right after, leaving me, the rainbow mare and the surrounding ponies near us confused.

“Uhhhh….. what was that?” Zephyr asked rather anxiously.

Neither one of us had a time to response as another booming sound echoed once again, though this time from high behind us. Soon everypony realized with horror that the top of the mountains had exploded, and the remains are rolling down to an avalanche.

The screams of the ponies started to mix with the looming sound of rolling rocks. Not within a moment, there was already panic throughout the streets. The rainbow mare jumped into action as she grabbed the arm of her male companion.

“Come on, we need to get back to the castle!” she turned to me before she can unfold her wings, “You need to get somewhere safe and stay there until further notice! Come on, Zeph!”

“Quit pushing, I’m coming!” he shrieked, following the mare cowardly at her tail.

My instinct pushed me into listening to the bearer, even if this isn’t the most ideal situation to comply for the enemy. Otherwise, I would be dead. I quickly bring myself to my feet before I start running—didn’t care where though as I was trying to emerge myself with the panicked crowd.

What was once a quiet, peaceful morning had been turned into chaos within a second. My senses can immediately taste their fear and anxiety every second they ran aimlessly throughout the city. Not only that, but the small boulders that was able to roll through the building first had created a dire threat among them as it endangers the citizens either with the rocks or with building piece falling to the street. It was only a matter of time before the massive pieces that was imbedded in the mountain base can crash its way to here.

At the corner of my eye, I then noticed a few streams of light and two winged figures flying among the rocks and holding them back. I recognized them being the rainbow mare from before and the alicorn princess Twilight Sparkle. It seems that the bearers finally came out to take care of the situation.

I instantly froze when I hear only one voice within the crowd—hers.

I stop on my track and quickly instinctively to pinpoint where it was coming from. I was finally able to see her long pink mane within the crowd. She seems to be on crowd control, guiding and urging the troubled crowd, young and old, to where they can hide in safety. It has been a while since I last saw her—back when I was determined to kill her while Ponyville was still busy handling their random encounter with some magical vines.

I am not entirely sure what caused me to freeze over her. Maybe it was because I wasn’t expecting her to be here in all places with her own kind. Maybe it was my soldier instinct to finish what I started and kill her on the spot here. The latter seems to be really tempting, but I don’t think that was why. Something was missing…. Almost like I missed her?

The Queen’s voice then came back to me, the headache shaking me violently than before. My helpless cry must’ve alerted the pink and yellow mare as through my blurred vision she is now rushing towards me.

“Miss! Are you hurt? Do you need help?” The same bell-like voice of Nameless entered my ears more clearly than the screams that filled the air. I almost flinched looking back at those teal eyes, but something huge entered my sight. A large boulder must’ve jumped away from the stampeding pile as it comes crashing from the sky like a comet.

“Look out!” I push the pegasus out of the way as the ponies who noticed the boulder coming scrambled way from its impeding impact. But an magical glow encase the boulder before it can fit the street and a few ponies who didn’t move quickly enough. It hovered for a second until a flash of light transforms it into bubbles. An act from Discord, no doubt.

I must admit though, upon seeing Discord in the sky like that—it made me think back of how he threatened to kill me with the rage on his face and the strong grip against my neck. It was lucky that Nabis acted quickly to save me. Though I know that, once that monster recognizes me, nothing can save me now.

Then I realized that Nameless is right next to me—along with the fact I just saved her from that boulder. Once I saw Discord’s shadowy figure coming near us, I push myself away from her and ran away into the crowd.

I can hear Nameless’ voice calling for me before the draconeqqus’ voice joined into her.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, that mare pushed me out of the way!”

I tried pinning my ears shot as I focus making my way to the edge of the city’s cliff. That area must be deserted from all the panic—I can easily make my escape while the citizens and the bearers are distracted. I just need to enter through that alley and--!

“LOOK OUT!”

That rainbow mare’s voice called to me as I turned to see a huge shadow looming over me. I was too slow to see another flying boulder falling towards me. The actual mare stood in front of me as she zooms into the boulder, shattering it to pieces upon impact.

THUD

---

Everything went dark without a warning as a large piece from the boulder hit me in the head, the force of it causing me to collapse. The avalanche must’ve come to a stop as soon as I regain consciousness.

But I wasn’t at the same place as I was before.

Then I realize with horror that my disguise was gone, and I am now in some dungeons. I must’ve lost focus on my spell once I fell.

Well, damn. I’m done for.

Comments

[Annie_TC]

I really like the way this is written, the passing, the POVs, the action scenes, everything is just so amazing and super cool to read
And the element of kindness is one of my favorites fanfics already, so finding out that you made a sequel is excited
This is awesome and you made an outstanding job, and considering the fact that you're still working on the element of kindness audio drama is even more impressive and amazing from your part
Great job