Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #57: Switch

It was a normal day. We were assigned to scout a number of regions of Equestria, our closest source of food. The other changelings in the brood had all split off earlier, leaving this one to scout a desolate path by itself. The brood had all disguised itself as unremarkable ponies, aiming to imitate travellers, or other folk that would not attract attention for being alone in unusual places.

This drone was proceeding along a path when it came upon a young pink pony beside the path, laying down. Despite the pony's weak physical condition, this one could feel a great outflow of positive emotion from the pony.

"H-Hi there," the pink pony said, breaths heavy and slow, "I don't suppose that you could help me out? Pretty please?"

"What is the problem?" this one asked.

"See, I wanted to go to Ponyville, so I sort of snuck out of home so mommy couldn't stop me and keep me on the rock farm forever and ever." The pink pony paused, gasping in what hive memory told this one could be physical distress. "But then I took a bad tumble, and I haven't had anything to eat or drink in ages, and I haven't seen anypony else on the road at all."

The pink pony's face twisted in what this one was sure was physical pain.

"And my hoofsies and legs are super-duper sore. I can't walk far at all. I just need to get to the next town, so will you please help me?"

This one reached out with its mind, attempting to contact its brood-folk, but got no reply. It did not know if its brood had been caught or killed, or were simply too far away to respond, but that meant it had to deal with the situation.

"Allow me to assess your condition," this one stated. Using the odd personal words felt strange to this one, but it was stressed to this one in the breeding pods that it was the correct way that would not alert the ponies to this one's true identity. This one placed its hooves on the pink pony, feeling with both magic and touch.

"Your legs are broken."

"Oh bummer," the pink pony said through clenched teeth. This one considered its options. It could leave the pink pony here, and continue with its assigned mission, and this was the most efficient option. From its senses, it could tell that the pink pony would not survive without urgent medical care as not only were the pony's legs broken, but a number of open wounds were infected. It could also help the pink pony to the next town, wherever that was, but that could raise questions about what this one was. The pink pony did not know this one as anything but a fellow pony, and it could use some nourishment. It could also drain the pink pony, leave no witnesses to its presence. The hive memory showed this one how such a thing could be done, but lacked much of the details. it was not a long-term feeding strategy, the hive memory told, but rather extracted everything from the pony, and allowed the drone to survive independently for long periods of time.

"I can help," this one said, "just close your eyes, and think of happy thoughts."

The pink pony nodded, and followed his one's directions. The positive emotions began to raidiate out from the pink pony, and this one shifted back to its natural form, and bit into the pink pony's neck, binding the pony's mouth shut to prevent the pink pony from crying out.

****Time****

So much emotion flowed into this one. So much happiness, so much joy, so much love, that this one felt like it would burst. And then the memories came. The hive memories had told this one nothing about this aspect of the feeding. It could remember both being born in a pod, deep underground, in a brood of similar changelings, and it could remember growing up with sisters, it could feel the love the pink pony had for her sisters, but deeper still this one drew on the pink pony's emotions and thoughts. And for the first time, I could feel the need to feed completely disappearing. For the first time, it-I felt full.

The body of the pink pony who had given her life to nourish me-this one lay on the ground. It was the work of a moment to shift this one's front hoofsies into something that was more suitable for digging, and a moment later to place the drained corpse of Pinkie Pie, her memories whispered to me, into the hole, and cover it back up.

And it was only once that was done did this one realise that I could no longer feel the connection with the brood. I could no longer even feel the distant connection between myself and the main hive. This one was then left with a problem, and a natural solution presented itself. The queen would not notice a single drone going missing, even if she noticed the drone at all, except to order them. There was a young pony that was recently deceased, and this one - I had her memories. I could take her place.

Magic flowed around me, shifting me into an exact replica of the pony that I had drained, and armed with her memories, I set out to make a new life for myself.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #57: "Ch-ch-ch-changes"

The prompt: Despite how easily he changed physical appearance, the changeling remained utterly the same and unvarying on the inside...until the day he met Pinkamena Diane Pie.