Extraterrestrial #51

by TundraStanza

Ch. 4: I Will Not Be Left Behind

I Will Not Be Left Behind

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A Place I Call Home

"Get up, drone. You're stronger than this."

I only hissed in response.

I was never fond of the top twenty-five changelings. All they ever did for the hive was grind the lower drones into the ground with their so-called "training". Worst of all, they were complete sycophants in the eyes of Her Majesty. Such was the order of my race. Those that provided our queen with the most love were given promotions to positions that held no hoof work. The rest served as their personal stepping stones.

Thirteen was an exceptionally frustrating superior. She always knew exactly which parts of her opponent to attack so that the damage would be invisible to others, but the most painful to her victim. I suppose that's why she earned my queen's respect. I learned a lot from her unforgiving lessons. But, I would never give Thirteen the satisfaction of knowing that her techniques have been useful.

Twenty-two was in charge of shape-shifting training. I don't know why. He just sat in his recovery egg sac while his underlings practiced taking the forms of prisoners. Come to think of it, I don't believe Twenty-two has ever been injured. Resting in recovery was hardly doing his light-weight muscles any favors. Yet, he hasn't atrophied for the past nineteen years. Asking out of turn was grounds for the torture chamber, however, so I never asked him why he stayed in there.

Today, I decided to take out my aggression on Ninety-nine. He always provided an appropriate scapegoat that I could blast with my frustration without repercussions. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to whimper, but he refused to let any noise aside from a growl to leave his mouth. He understood that imitating the emotions of ponies was pointless around here.

I am the fifty-first drone of Her Majesty Queen Chrysalis. I have no sympathy.

At least, that's what I thought.

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Someplace Unfamiliar To Me

Where was I? There was a distinct lack of comforting caverns. Yet, when I tried to voice my confusion, I found even my own thoughts to be muffled. Some other force was taking dominance.

"Fan-tipping-flastic. I've killed my phone and I've caught a cold."

What? Why was I saying these things? My race did not catch viruses. I couldn't believe I would even consider such a ridiculous notion. Also, what was a... "fohn"?

I felt numb to any motion that my body seemed to make on its own accord. It ignored my will to take reasonable flight and properly view my surroundings. Instead, it seemed to waddle in a rather undignified manner toward a reflective panel. Why was my own face shocked to see me?

That's when a feeling of an earthquake crossed with a tornado rattled my mind. Recollections of someling else's life and their inner thoughts flashed through, insisting that the memories belonged to me. I wanted to hold my head. I wanted to shake out the sheer pain of these impossible images but my body refused to move. The sound of my heavy breaths brought the images to a sudden halt.

A human. The entity that was in my body and controlling it was a human. The idea was nonsense, but it was the only thing I could realize without any other viable evidence in my vicinity. Absentmindedly, I tried to feel out the presence of Her Majesty.

I cannot sense my queen, I thought, Perhaps the distance is too great between us.

Apparently, my thoughts had volume to them, because the human guiding my body stopped and blinked.

Where did that thought come from?

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Outside The Unfamiliar Building

"Dad!"

I saw the father of this human fall to his knees. Something twitched inside me. There was an unusual urge guiding my conscience. Was I... feeling something? It tasted of vengeful rage.

You... are my enemy, I thought with a growl. Thirteen would have been a smirk of all fangs if she ever saw me use her precision training in my magic. A couple blasts left the threatening humans weaponless. But, Cier Dylan was quick to regain his control as a rapidly changing whistle noise sounded.

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After Returning to the Human's Home

A pony was here. I knew that the draconequus had started something like this between the worlds, but I hadn't anticipated meeting one of his victims so soon. I was even less expectant of this being Cier Dylan's mother. I didn't understand why she had cried her exclamation to a ghost. I thought ponies normally voiced their emotional outbursts to their princesses. Celestia or Luna, for example.

"Change shape?" asked Arlene/Spirit Redeemer, "What does that even mean?"

Remember what I said human, I decided to remind Cier Dylan, My race can change as long as their target is actually there.

He was too easily impressed by the ability I used almost every day back home.

Later that evening, he was using my hoof with that uncomfortable pencil. Still, he probably understood his technology better than I did, so I didn't object. However, when he opened up something with a motion picture, I practically threw that stick to the ground in shock.

My queen! I silently exclaimed. Her Majesty Chrysalis was facing the draconequus that had started this mess.

Didn't see that one coming.

Neither did I, Cier Dylan. Neither did I.

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Threesday
8:30 AM
Cier Dylan's Bedroom

While I could get up without an alarm, having one always made it easier to convince myself not to go back to sleep. I mean, it certainly helped make early school mornings more productive. I'm pretty sure today would have been Thursday if it were a normal week. Though, I saw that my calendar impossibly marked today as "Threesday".

Heh, three, I mentally chuckled, The number that Valve can't count to.

How does a valve count in the first place?

You know how to search my memories, Fifty-one, I reminded him, You can figure it out.

I waited for about fifteen seconds as he presumably went memory searching.

A production joke. I don't know why but I find that... somewhat amusing.

Maybe I'm rubbing off on you, I joked.

Yes, I suppose I would be affected by your Empathy Sickness.

You say that like it's a bad thing, I smirked. If he were physically right next to me, I would have playfully elbowed him.

If I start caring about others, I might hesitate when tasks become necessary in service of my queen.

Concern and compassion aren't a weakness, I seriously thought, In fact, mankind has proven time and time again that feeling empathy and showing kindness may be the strongest sides of humanity.

Forgive me if I remain skeptical.

Another strength of us humans is that we can agree to disagree, I added.

The discussion of the minds seemed to end there. In any case, I figured I might as well do Fifty-one a favor. I now knew roughly where Chrysalis was. Chances were that she would head to New York with all the events that had happened regarding that city recently. There was just one problem. I was all the way back here in California. New York was on the opposite coast. How was I going to get there?

Driving over, even starting now, would probably mean missing several events of importance especially with Discord involved. Flying over there was even less feasible. As tough a bugger as Fifty-one was, I doubted that I could use his wings to cover that distance without food and rest. Plus, I kind of looked the part of one of Equestria's enemies, so any true fan of the show might whack me on sight. Heck, even non-fans might whack me just because of my insectoid appearance.

Then, there was the thought about taking a plane flight. While that was probably the most feasible option, it came with its own set of problems. Plane tickets were frigging expensive especially when purchased at the last possible minute. There were I.D. checks for passengers of ages eighteen and older. (Yes, I was older than that.) I currently didn't look anything like my I.D. picture. Last but not least, I got airsick really easily.

*Gurgle* *Urgle*

I guessed that worry would have to wait until after breakfast. Something did smell good down the hall.

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Threesday
8:35 AM
Kitchen

It was a good thing I wasn't Derpy, or I might have had an orgasm at the muffins set before me. As it was, I only barely registered any taste as I munched on the baked goods. Yeah, changeling taste buds were just some of the things I wouldn't miss after getting back my body.

Dad was walking around picking up like he normally does. If I hadn't witnessed the gunshot myself, I never would have known that his shoulder was really injured just yesterday. After eating my fill of muffins that smelled good but tasted bland, I followed him into the living room.

Mom was on the couch, still in the body of Spirit Redeemer. She kind of looked like she was sleeping in a crouched pose. Although, I saw her briefly open one eye as I approached her.

"Good morning," she smiled before closing her eye again, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," I answered before inquiring, "What are you doing?"

"For some reason, I have this strong urge to meditate," she replied, "like it'll somehow appease the phantoms in my head."

"Oh," I said, though not entirely sure I knew what she meant, "Is it working?"

"Right now, sort of," she exhaled, "Besides yours and mine, I'm only hearing one other voice. It... says that it's the one whose body I'm in."

"I know that feeling," I nodded, "Well, I'll leave you two alone for the time being." If she was going to have to use that pony's body, then it would be a good idea for them to get properly acquainted.

I walked over to Dad, who was already doing something on his laptop.

Might as well tell him sooner than later, I thought, Right?

"Hey, Dad, do you have a minute?" I piped up.

"Sure, what's up?" he responded without taking his eyes off the screen.

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Threesday
8:45 AM
Living Room

Basically, I told him about my most recent discovery and the current dilemma. Chrysalis was on the east coast. Fifty-one was antsy to be with his queen. I needed transport to New York as soon as possible. As of a little over twenty-four hours ago, my I.D. had become useless.

With a straight face, Dad said, "You'll be happy to know that I've taken the liberty to book a flight for us tomorrow morning."

Wow... I was not expecting that.

"The price was a bit steep, but that's nothing new for airlines," he added.

I chuckled at the truth in his words. Then, a thought gave me pause.

"Wait... us?" I pondered.

"Yep," he nodded, "Mom and I had a little discussion before you woke up. We had a feeling you'd end up asking something like this and we've decided that we're going with you."

"Man, you guys are good," I muttered with a smirk.

Though, something else was still bothering me.

"What about the I.D. checks?" I asked in concern, "Mom and I don't look anything like our pictures."

"That's partially what I'm working on right now," he replied still typing away.

"Huh?" I tilted my head in confusion. He seemed to finish whatever he was doing and shut his laptop before standing up.

"I'll show you what I mean during my lunch hour," he promised as he gathered his work items. He gave Mom a quick kiss before heading out the door.

"I don't get it," I shook my head.

"I guess we'll find out after noon," guessed Mom while still meditating.

"How did you know I was going to ask about going to New York?" I asked her.

"I tend to pay attention to details when I watch the news," was her answer, "It just stuck to me when that one pony said, 'New York'."

Satisfied with her answer, I went back to my room for my daily dose of internet.

A Dance Dance Revolution question and answer special starring Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie? I looked in awe, This I gotta see.

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Threesday
12:45 PM
A... Gas Station?

"What are we doing here?" I asked. It seemed like we drove quite a ways just to arrive at a run-down station. It must have been pretty old. The gas price sign still had numbers under three dollars.

"You'll see," he remained vague. After opening the doors to let Mom and I out of the Prius, Dad walked on over to what appeared to be this station's convenience store. There was actually a catchy jingling noise when he opened the door.

"Big Zeke!" he called. There was one man in there sitting on the counter reading a magazine. Upon hearing my Dad's voice, he looked up almost immediately. His indifferent expression changed to a friendly smile.

"Yo, Terry my dawg!" he returned by slapping Dad's hand in a firm grasp before giving him a shoulder pat. I guessed this was 'Big Zeke'.

"Ow, careful, I just got that bandaged up," winced Dad.

"My bad, T, my bad," Big Zeke backed off a little before turning to look down, "And who do we have here?"

"Zeke, this is my wife, Arlene," Dad responded.

"Hello," Mom nodded.

"And my son, Cier," Dad continued.

"Uh, hi?" I greeted while moving my hoof as if to grab my shoulder... which I didn't have anymore.

"Hoover dam," chuckled Big Zeke, "Time's sure are changing if you can marry other species. What did I miss?"

"Apparently there's a worldwide 'disease' of sorts that's been turning people into horses from a cartoon," answered Dad, "What was it called again, Cier?"

I didn't like being put on the spot like that. Some shred of stubbornness in me still felt uneasy about sharing my opinion about what society called a show for little girls. Nevertheless, I didn't want to be rude.

"M-my Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," I managed to blurt out before averting my eyes. There was a bit of an awkward pause.

"Cool, cool," said Big Zeke with a nod, "So what can I do for you, brother from another mother?"

"We need to get to New York as soon as possible to aid the potential solution to the situation," explained Dad, "The quickest way there is by flight, but there's just a little issue with the validity of two out of three of our I.D.s."

"Yeah, you probably look a lot older than your picture," responded Big Zeke. He and Dad shared a laugh.

"I think I get ya," nodded Big Zeke as he walked over to a door that was out of the way from the rest of the convenience store.

"Yo, Li'l Z!" he hollered to the other side, "I've got two 'special assignments' for you!"

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Threesday
12:50 PM
Back of the Convenience Store

Wow, I never expected to see this kind of equipment in such a place. It turned out that Li'l Z was a natural at making alias I.D.s. He was also Big Zeke's son. That made sense since he pretty much looked like a younger Big Zeke.

After Mom and I had our individual pictures taken, Li'l Z got to work with a few keystrokes and clicks. In just a short time, I was holding a genuine California I.D. with my name and Fifty-one's face on it. Well, technically Dad was holding it at an angle which I could look at it, but it was the thought that counted.

"Color me impressed," I said with a small smile.

"Are you sure this is legal?" pondered Mom as she looked up.

"Strictly speaking, no," answered Li'l Z, "But then, this isn't a very strict practice."

Mom looked like she was about to say something but then put a hoof to her mouth. Her mutter came across as a cough.

"Thank you," she finally settled on.

"Sure, sure," waved Li'l Z almost dismissively, "If you need anything else, be sure to drop by. Pop and I are always open."

"Will do, Li'l Z," responded Dad.

Out of a last minute decision, Dad bought three Power bars from the front of the store. Big Zeke went right back to reading his magazine as soon as Mom, Dad, and I started heading out.

"See you later, Gustaf!" Dad called before walking out.

"You too, Terrance!" called Big Zeke without looking up.

"Gustaf?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Yeah, we're on a first-name basis," Dad answered.

So, does that make 'Big Zeke' his nickname? I silently wondered as I hopped into the car.

I was amazed at Mom's dexterity. Holding the bar between both hooves, all she had to do was twist her head a bit for the wrapper to open sufficiently. I almost felt like I was cheating using a fang to pierce my wrapper.

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My recovery sac... It feels so cold now...

Why would you purposefully throw your life in harm's way for another?

I do not strive to be the strongest. What would be the point of chasing an impossible dream?

Even if the only goal is to be a servant of a higher power...

I must live.

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Threesday
1:45 PM
Living Room

I lifted my head. The visions of some dream slowly faded to the point that I couldn't remember them. I also couldn't remember when I had gotten on the couch, but that was where I was. I let out a yawn as I stretched my hooves. I felt my wings give a quick buzz before they became still. I felt a chilly breeze along my back.

Wait, I thought, That breeze isn't coming from the direction of the broken window.

I turned my head to the right and saw something that shouldn't have been possible. An earth pony with whited-out eyes was floating in midair.

"Mom!" I exclaimed with eyes open wide. She slowly moved her lips, but the voice that emerged sounded like a cross between a demon and a vocaloid program.

"Be... careful..." it whisper-shouted.

As quickly as her levitation show began, it ended. She fell to the floor sprawled out. Fairly concerned, I hopped off the couch and trotted over as quickly as I could manage.

"Mom?" I voiced.

She moved one of her hooves to rub her head and she let out a groan.

"What happened?" she asked in her normal voice. I was relieved that her blue irises had returned to normal as well.

"Well, besides your impromptu phantom message," I informed, "Nothing at all."

"I..." she started, "I was talking to... Spirit Redeemer and then... something else shoved us both into a corner and...and... I don't remember what happened after that."

"I'm guessing it was that 'something' that said, 'Be careful'," I noted, "Any idea what that could mean?"

"Beats the heck out of me," Mom shook her head.

"Let's hope something like that doesn't happen at the airport tomorrow," I remarked half-seriously.

"Yeah," agreed Mom, "That would be more than a little embarrassing."

Comments

[TundraStanza]

Here's a late Thanksgiving update.

[theRedBrony]

Well ThanksforGiving me another chapter!

[Masterweaver]

1666840

Are you already in the group e-mail about changelings? Cause if you're not I need to add ya.

[Seeking Dusk]

Tim LaHaye reference. Cool.

[Rocky Runner]

And now we continue on to New York... this should be fun.

[JazzyWaffles]

Another strength of us humans is that we can agree to disagree, I added.

Unless we don't do that and start a war instead, which is what historically happens most of the time.

"Apparently there's a worldwide 'disease' of sorts that's been turning people into horses from a cartoon," answered Dad, "What was it called again, Cier?"

"What's it called again?"
Yes, of course, the human being that definitely exists who can't name My Little Pony. I'm fairly certain literally everyone in the West can name MLP even if they've never seen a single minute from a single gen. XD

" B e ... c a r e f u l ..." it whisper-shouted.

Oh shit thanks I nearly tapdanced on these legos with no shoes on, I'll be more careful

[sansjr]

9213158
you are awesome

[sansjr]

a changeling in an airport?
good luck getting that past security.