Changelings Are-A Changing

by ScarlettDaze

Chapter 3

By noontime, Ponyville is in a state of-surprisingly benign-crisis, and Mayor Mare is doing her best to keep the town from falling apart.

Honestly, at this point the changelings are only half the problem, her biggest issue is twofold; the civilians are panicking and not following procedure, and the Elements are no where to be seen. Mare had never realized it before, but even just having the Element Bearers running around, visibly in the process of trying to solve the disaster of the week, it helps to keep ponies calm. Even when said disasters aren't solved for a few days, or are even caused by the Elements themselves, that... assumption of competent help, it shows ponies that something is being done, and ponies end up being much more amenable to leaving things to the professionals, so to speak.

Without them, her citizens just keep getting more anxious and scared, a negative feedback loop that's not helped by all the different kinds of changeling that have started to crop up, all acting differently. In fact, that's one of the main things that she has the few Ponyville guards reporting on, the different kinds of changeling and the odd plants that had popped up all over the town, one such guard coming by to give a verbal report just now.

(Honestly it's a relief, both for the information and the break from trying to write a letter to Canterlot that could somehow explain the situation.)

"Report Guardsman, how are things looking out there? What can you tell me about these trees that have popped up?"

"Yes ma'am!"

The stallion gives her a crisp salute, which is pretty amusing. Must be a stallion fresh out of training, recently transferred, none of the Ponyville guards that are here more than a month act so stiff.

"Currently there are 5 confirmed unidentified magical flora, with one currently unconfirmed but suspected out in the Everfree, only sighted by our flying guardsmare. Confirmed UMF's have been found at Golden Oaks Library, Sugarcube Corner Bakery, Sweet Apple Acres, in the local cloudscape of Pegasus Perch public flight zone, and out on the town outskirts leading to the Crystal Mountains. A volunteer Unicorn cast some diagnostic spells when requested, and the UMF's all radiate dark magic. The changeling-like beings seem to be spawning from holes in the UMF's, or at least emerging from a magically expanded internal space using them."

"Mmm," Mare taps at her chin, trying to ponder on what is happening. "I almost want to say that this was some targeted attack on the Element Bearers, but the one out on the town outskirts is a wrench in that idea, let alone the potential one out in the Everfree. What about these changeling... subspecies, lets call them. What do we know so far?"

"We have 3 confirmed sightings of changeling subspecies, 3 suspected but unconfirmed. Jestlings from the Sugarcube Corner hive, Bravelings from the Sweet Apple Acres hive, and Brightlings from the public flight zone hive have all self-identified when questioned, which is where we got the names for them. We've had some potential sightings of the other three suspected subspecies, but no official interactions, and descriptions of all are in the dossier, as requested."

That they are, as Mayor Mare can see. Each subspecies is quite distinct, even if they still share some general traits with each other and baseline changelings. The Jestlings, for example, are described as being ant-like, while the few Bravelings seen so far seem modeled more after large beetles. As for the Brightlings, well, they've definitely been heard, but only glimpses of them flashing by have been caught so far. All that's known about their description is that they seem to be a mix of black and any two random colors, they are incredibly fast, and they emit a constant humming that one farmer compared to 'the largest dragonfly he'd ever done heard', end quote.

Other sightings are coming in as well, but with all the chaos it's near impossible to tell if they're just more sightings of the confirmed subspecies, or hints at other changeling-like creatures that are just better at hiding than these first three. At the very least, while all of them seem quite chaotic-and not particularly good at obeying social conventions-they don't seem to be actively malicious. All injuries reported so far have been from stampeding or from shock and surprise, rather than anyone actually being assaulted.

"Well, keep up the good work, mister... apologies, but I don't think I ever got your name?"

"No worries ma'am, I didn't give you one!"

It takes a moment to process that, but Mare snorts at the little joke. A little levity does her good in these stressful times, after all.

"Well, would you like to tell me it now?"

"Can't do that, ma'am!"

"... and why is that?"

The stallion seems to hesitate for a moment, a complicated expression visible under the guard's helmet, but continues after a moment.

"Don't have one, ma'am."

"Ah. Would I be right in assuming that you are, in fact, a changeling?"

"Not quite, ma'am! I'm a Braveling, which we're pretty sure is different!"

With a flash of orange flame, the stallion is replaced by an even bigger, bulkier Braveling, who shuffles in place at Mare's stare. In the back of her mind, the appearance of the Braveling tickles an old memory from back in her university years-something about a nation to the northeast of Farasi, though she can't remember what it was called. Apparently the native race there were called 'rhinos', and the Braveling in front of her looks like a bug-like version of the drawings she'd seen, though the horn shape is a bit different.

"And... why did you disguise yourself as one of our guards?"

"Too many cooks in the kitchen back at Sweet Apple Acres, ma'am! Figured I could do some good here in town by helping keep the peace!"

That... what?

"And why, exactly, do you want to help keep the peace?"

"Right thing to do, ma'am! Our Queen is still gestating, but even in her dreams she projects the values of hard work and helping your community. Hive comes first of course, but Ponyville is part of our community now, too!"

"Huh... well, I will take that into account at least. For now though, you do realize that I'll need to have you arrested for impersonating an officer?"

"Oh. Uh. I did not know that was an arrest-able offense, ma'am. That being said, I'll pony up to my mistakes!"

Well, that's good. As Mayor Mare gets up to call in a guard-hopefully an actual guard this time-for the willing detainment, she mulls over what, exactly, this 'Queen' could mean for the situation. With a bit of logical deduction it's simple to assume that this must be a different queen changeling to Queen Chrysalis, the one who started that invasion in Canterlot. That being said, there's no gaurentee that she'll continue to keep directing her drones to cooperate once she wakes up. After all, as the Braveling said, 'The hive comes first'. And if Ponyville and the Hives end up coming into conflict, well, she's got no idea how they could survive.

Mare really needs to get that letter finished and on its way.

Comments

[Aiwhisper]

Ok this is already really interesting.

[Richer19]

You have my curiosity and now you have my attention.

[Gargon94]

I hope Mayor Mare realizes that the locations of the trees is the same as where each of the Mare six live. I can't wait for the names of the other three Lings is discovered. I'm interested in seeing how Applejack's family react to seeing her in her hive's gestation pod.

[Greenhorn]

This is really pretty good, intriguing story so far. Suddenly, Ponyville's residents seem to increase several times within one day. I already pity Mayor Mare for the upcoming mountains of paperwork.