In the far north, where changelings live, change begins -- a single changeling learns to think...
In the far north, where changelings live, change begins -- a single changeling breaks out of the collective mind, becoming an individual. The story follows the life and adventures of Chip -- a changeling that will bring upon a new era in the Hive.
The sun’s heat made the air quiver. Underneath its unyielding gaze lay a wide canyon, riddled with holes and jagged rocks. A silent shuffling noise constantly echoed back and forth, betraying signs of life in this forsaken place. Pitch black chitin bodies moved in the darkness, accompanied by snickering and sickly, buggish cackling. As wide and long the canyon, it was home to one of the most terrifying creatures in the lands – the Changelings.
As large as a regular pony, these creatures were covered head to hoof in a thick chitin plate; with a twisted horn and insectoid wings to complete the picture, they were a horror to behold. Their pale blue eyes always darted about, looking for food and victims to take advantage of. All of a single mind, controlled by the ominous presence of their Queen, the changelings inhabited the northern lands where nopony dared to venture. It was a hot climate, the sparse amounts of water available indifferent to the monsters. They didn’t feel or want, think or need. They served their Queen without question, as they knew nothing else. In their natural state, they were nothing more than mere animals, acting on instinct. Well, at least most of them.
* * *
In one of the many caves in the canyon side there lived a changeling like no other. Its hooves tucked beneath it, it stared down into an item resembling…a book. In fact, it was a book. Changelings didn’t understand words or concepts, but this particular creature tried anyway. The pretty symbols it saw meant nothing to it, but it somehow felt compelled to stare down the book, gently flipping pages with its magic from time to time. That compelling feeling was one of the many strange changes the changeling underwent just a few days ago.
When a changeling was born, it had to mature really fast. The hostile environment and ever-present will of the Queen quickly turned the new-born into an adult, a deadly servant to her powerful mind. The changeling occupied with reading the book was no different. The thing that set it apart from his brothers and sisters was…hard to describe. The young one didn’t know many words yet (having learned what a word is not that long ago, and having understood what learning is, and having grasped what understanding is…you get the idea), so it could only feel it as a sort of spark. Or a cold pebble, lodged somewhere in the back of its head. That tiny thing existed outside the changeling hive mind – it felt as if a single body housed two different worlds. One, in which only the will of the queen was known and the senses of his siblings were around and within him, and another, which was…empty. The concept of solitude or individualism was unimaginable to any changeling, should they have the capacity to imagine. But to this one, it was real, and somehow it felt good. The whole idea of feeling anything that wasn’t felt by each and every of its brothers and sisters was fascinating. So many words and concepts!
The book was a phenomenon in itself for the changeling. Under normal circumstances, it would have already been torn to pieces. But that spark, that cold pebble that seemed to have a mind of its own, compelled the beast to put it down, open, and stare. Against all odds, the meaning of words and illustrations seeped through to the mind of the changeling. It understood it was reading, but it didn’t know what was in the text. Fortunately, the creature wasn't yet able to grasp this unworldly paradox that would have put many ponies into a dazzle. It was reading. It was learning. And it “felt” good.
Many a time the changeling tried to share this experience with the hive. It soon discovered that there was no way to do so – the rest of the hive did not operate on images or sounds or anything else. There was a single mind, which he knew and was part of, and that mind was in no way similar to his unique spark. A kind of fear prevented the changeling from being too intrusive into his siblings' thoughts – the looming presence of the queen wasn’t threatening, but it wasn’t kind either. Once the changeling understood what an “idea” was, it found it a good one not to be overly visible or out and about its special, um, situation.
* * *
The book closed with a snap and the changeling stood up. Physically it didn’t differ from the millions of its brothers and sisters (gender being hardly distinguishable anyway), but there was something about the way the changeling looked at things that hinted at there being something more to him. Maybe, somehow, that spark reflected in the beast’s eyes?
The hive mind was buzzing as always, and the changeling found it desirable to step out – as he did so, he saw others do the same. A subtle suggestion from their queen pushed the species into stretching their wings and exercising outside. Some of the creatures started rolling down, fighting each other for practice; others darted around, chasing some invisible foe. The spark bearer felt conflicted. It was always like that when the Queen “spoke” – on one side, he obeyed, while on the other, his mind wanted to do something else. It was a miracle the conflict didn’t hurt the changeling – in the end, the stronger suggestion prevailed, and in this case the Queen didn’t exert her power forcefully enough. So the changeling went on a stroll. To think.
Thinking was a magnificent thing to experience. It felt like reading, but there were no silly symbols – at least not in plain sight. The words and images were inside. The changeling felt that if it closed its eyes, it could see them as plain as day. That never really worked, and many times made it bump into other angry changelings. During one such thinking session, the changeling decided to give itself a title – each book he mowed down had one, etched in all sorts of colors on the spine. He gave himself the title of Chip, thus probably being the very first changeling minion to be creative. And have a title.
Chip walked slowly, trying to find a sweet spot of focus between the hive mind and his “personality”, if that was the proper word for it. He was aware just enough not to bump into anything, but far enough gone in his “thoughts” to feel pleasure. It wasn’t the kind of pleasure the changelings liked to consume – it didn’t have a taste or smell. It just was, inside him. Many times he wondered if that is how emotions were felt within their victims. If so, taking them away left… nothing. Chip knew he would have his hive mind to retreat to, should his spark ever fade…but the thought of losing it felt non-pleasurable. He grew accustomed to his gift, having abandoned trying to bang it out of his head against a wall long ago.
* * *
The contemplation of his existence – the second, independent one – was brought to a closure by a wall applied to his face. Chip got too consumed by his spark (one would say, as always) and didn’t see where he was going. As he focused back to the senses of his body and the bodies of others, a terrible realization came upon him – he somehow managed to venture to the far north corner of the canyon. This part was shaded from the sun, green goo thickly covering the walls. It was the one place where changelings did not venture unless summoned. For in the dark depths lay the lair of their Queen – Chrysalis.
As Chip tried to turn around and quickly leave the scene, he was stopped. His own will got bent and broken, and the overpowering command of the hive ruler singled him out. His body froze and his primary mind numbed. His spark tried to regain control, but it was futile – it was way too fragile and new to be capable of beating the ancient mind of the Queen. A sound of shuffling wings neared, and soon after the Queen landed in front of the petrified changeling. She towered above him, a sleek figure of black with a greenish, greasy mane. Her horn flickered with venomous green, the colour of her eyes. Her slit shaped pupils focused on the small changeling before her. The mental grip on the changeling doubled, almost squeezing the existence from its body. A sensation like no other followed – as if someone was peeling the insides of his skull away, checking and controlling each part of it. Before he knew it, he felt the presence in his other mind. Should Chip understand the concept of horror, he would be the very avatar of this emotion. His one little precious thing was exposed and seen. It wouldn’t be long until it would be extinguished…
Instead of hearing a crack of breaking glass or feeling the nauseous sensation of being torn apart, the changeling felt…a gentle, dry desert wind sweep through his other self. It was rough, but in a way tender. It wasn’t there to harm him. He felt his spark in the grip of the Queen, but it was not being squeezed or blown out – it was being…admired?
This feeling went away as soon as it came, and Chip fell to his knees as the regal presence of the Queen backed away and returned to its perch above the collective mind. The Queen’s expression was as wicked as always, but in Chip’s eyes, something changed. She was no longer a master, to which he was only a servant. She was…a harsh mother that did what she did for the good of her children. This perception of Chrysalis made the changeling almost not notice that he was still singled out in the hive mind – he could barely sense his brothers and sisters, as If he somehow got carried away very far.
“So…Chip?” said the Queen in a cackling voice, a subtle reverb causing it to sound malicious.
The changeling froze again, this time of its own accord. The Queen spoke. In a voice. Her own voice. She said words, and he kind of understood them. What was a Chip? He knew and liked that word. Chip was something important. Yes, it was him. He was Chip. She addressed him – a changeling, one of many. But he wasn’t one of many. He was single. Now in more than just one way!
The queen rolled her eyes and began circling her subject.
“Yes, you…”, she snickered, causing Chip to lie low in a bow. The motion surprised Chrysalis, as she didn't order him to do that. It only proved that Chrysalis was correct in her suspicions, which made her more excited than she already was.
“I will speak to you now, so focus your silly little…mind.” Chrysalis paused and started circling Chip in the other direction. “Somehow, you got…corrupted. Broken, in a way. I sensed that there were, and still are, many like you within my hive. Individuals. Changelings that have a way of denying what I ask of them.” She stopped and looked the changeling in the eyes.
Chip was mortified. His other self desperately flailed about, trying to understand what the Queen said and make sense of it. So Chip was a failure? Broken, unfit for a changeling? With the primary collective mind almost gone, he could not think as straight as he hoped he would – never before in his life did he have to rely so much on his other self. He had to keep track of breathing, the muscles in his body, even blinking. Blinking was horrible. A blink was when the world went completely dark. What little visions he still had from the connection to the hive wasn’t enough, and he felt terrified.
Chrysalis was looking at him, and under that gaze he managed to calm down a bit. He once again felt the embrace of Chrysalis in his hive mind – this time it wasn’t as violent and predatory as before. It was the embrace of a mother, a protector. Chip’s vision sharpened and his muscles finally started listening to his other self – hazily, he stood up. He felt the support of his Queen, his…mother. This was only his to witness – never has he felt Chrysalis be so…like that…to any other changeling.
“You are a young one. And your ‘spark’ is still a very delicate thing,” uttered the Queen, inspecting the changeling both visually and mentally. She could barely hide the excitement and joy from the discovery of Chip. His autonomy, if used correctly, could serve her master plan that she so tenderly arranged for the past decades, if not centuries. Chip could be the first of many that could help her achieve the thing she dreamed of since she was small…
Chip’s mind was a mess, but the soothing sensation of the desert wind came back and rocked him into a comfortable state of mind. There were thoughts buzzing in the other self, and they threatened to take over again – that they didn’t was the work of the Queen, as she delicately put them away, or placed them in different formations that seemed more…coherent.
“I never thought I’d be doing this” said Chrysalis, allowing herself a small smile “Teaching a changeling how to think…”.
Thinking. Yes, Chip liked thinking. And learning too. He learned a lot from books. But Chrysalis was better than books. She spoke to his mind better than the symbols and illustrations. He understood her more. He wanted to learn.
The Queen was again a little bit startled when this time the changeling tried to mimic her voice and say something. It was a failed attempt, as a series of hisses and wheezes from a throat not used to speaking (in its unchanged form) cannot be considered a sentence. But in Chip’s mind, she heard the question clearly: “Who am I?”
“You are a changeling. As plain as the others…and as special as none of them. Don’t try to think too much over that, or you’ll just hurt yourself”, said the Queen in reply, making sure the chaos in Chip’s head didn't cause some actual damage. “From now on, you will learn under my personal tutelage. I will return you now to your brothers and sisters – but I expect you to focus on your other…mind. Tomorrow, come sunrise, I will summon you for our first lesson”
* * *
As promised, Chip was summoned the very next day. The call wasn’t an overpowering order as the changeling expected it – it was an offer (that should not be refused, but still) that he felt he had the control of accepting or not. Moreover, he hadn't heard the call in his primary mind. Chrysalis spoke directly to his spark. To the Emptiness that didn’t feel as empty now. Faintly, as if on the border of his five senses, he felt the Queen, her presence. It was comforting. And he would not make her wait for him.
As he entered the greenish road to the Queen’s lair, he felt the sensation of being torn away from the hive and embraced by Chrysalis. His spark started panicking again, but this time he managed to control it and calm himself. He still could hear whispers of the collective mind, the presence of the Queen and his own. Now his body possessed three spirits, he thought.
The Queen was as magnificent as ever. For him, there was no greater beauty in the world. Neither was there a more predatory and regal air than that around Chrysalis. She flew over to Chip and…nuzzled the air around his neck. The changeling froze as he tasted the sweetest of all emotions being exerted from the Queen – care and affection. Under normal circumstances, a changeling would have wolfed down such a treat and looked for more, even attacking if necessary. But not only was Chip removed from that instinct’s origin, he also didn’t desire to let the emotion fade away. He relished in it for as long as he could, until it got replaced by a different one – steel and discipline.
The changeling bowed before the mighty figure, daring to look up only for a short while. The Queen was smiling.
“Very good, my dear Chip. This was the first lesson that I gave you and you need to understand it well. The mind that you listen to every day, and which is the extension of my will, is no longer controlling you. You are not allowed to disobey me… ” she hissed, but quickly returned to her normal speaking voice: "but you should listen more to what your other self tells you. It is that mind that we want to train, bring out and strengthen. If you obey, you shall have whatever you wish. If you can imagine it. Try and betray me…” she hissed again, unexpectedly tearing into Chip’s mind, “and I will extinguish you!”.
Chip didn’t manage to react before the Queen retreated from his skull. The threat left him in disarray, but not for long. He was learning to control his talent…
* * *
Days passed and Chip was learning many things. The most basic was controlling his body while not under the hive influence – at first, he was clumsy and forgot to breathe most of the time. The Queen was moderately patient, but would scold or mangle Chip if he failed too many times. It was tough. Still, the rewards were worth it. After each session, that is when the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon, if the changeling did well, he received…affection. A simple nuzzle, pat on the head or rarely an embrace was all that he needed to keep wanting to best himself. Somehow, the emotion that would normally be his nourishment and a tasty treat was better to be savoured without actual consummation.
One day, after an exceptionally good performance (the changeling was learning to speak properly and managed to put together a full sentence), Chip wanted to ask if he could possibly stay with the Queen overnight. Tired, he resolved to telepathic communication, trying to put together coherent reasons for such a request – but Chrysalis felt his true reasons as plain as day. The changeling really liked her company and desired to stay with her. Close. If she ever had to be honest with herself, she enjoyed Chip’s presence at least a tiny bit as well – all the beating and scolding aside, the changeling was a refreshing distraction and someone to actually talk to, and receive words that she did not suggest back. Dialogue was the word, and it felt good to talk and exchange thoughts.
Permission granted, Chip was allowed to sleep at the far side of the lair, while the Queen resided on her greenish throne. The small changeling admired his teacher from afar – she even slept with grace, her side moving up and down in rhythm with her breath, the obscure rays of the moon reflecting on her polished chitin. Chip got accustomed to not hearing the chatter of his primary mind and learned to rely more on his own personality – as such he could truly admire the beauty of the Queen and crave her vicinity.
Trying to be as silent as he could, he approached Chrysalis step by step. Soon, he was nearly face to face with the mare. Her eyes were closed, and Chip could feel the air she blew out from her nose. A funny cold ran through his back, a pleasurable shiver. His other mind gave him crazy ideas about…snuggling up to the Queen. Or at least fitting into that space between her head and front legs. His thoughts conflicted, so he finally decided on sleeping a foot away from the Queen’s side, watching her. It was a tiring day, and he fell asleep almost instantly.
Chrysalis was always vigilant and observed with her mind’s eye Chip’s sneak attempt at approaching her. He was a wild card and she could not predict his actions – it was kind of exciting, a new feeling to her. She could not tell what her subject would do, but should he even dare to “snuggle up”, she would break his neck, stitch it back with magic as painfully as she could and then break it again, leaving him to stare at his flank for a day or two before fixing him permanently. Luckily for Chip, he decided to sleep just a step away from her. She looked through his eyes and hooked up to his thoughts – they were warm and fuzzy, the kind that gives power and tastes delicious. But instead of consuming those…she just felt them. She felt them until the little Changeling faded into sleep. The Queen realised that she was also learning something from her little student – something maybe not entirely reasonable or useful…but in a way…precious. Without a sound, the Queen moved Chip just a little bit closer with magic and put a wing around him.
Chip’s training finally reached a stage where he was supposed to use magic. The Queen noticed that her subject’s physique started changing – he became more bulky, a bit taller, more…more like a typical adult colt. Changelings usually didn't grow beyond the height of a young adult mare, so this kind of evolution intrigued the Queen. Could it be that under no control, the body itself grew? Was her influence actually crippling the strength of her subjects? Or was it just Chip? Those and many other questions could not be answered, as Chip was the only changeling so far to be found bearing the gift of self-awareness. The Queen knew there were others, but it was hard to discern who and where it was. On multiple occasions she tried to find these specimens, but failed. Chip was deep into his personality at the time of his uncovering, and even then Chrysalis probably killed hundreds of other changelings while trying to pin-point the location of the independent will she felt.
Now, the colt before her…no, the changeling before her was ready to begin magic training. Shape shifting was easy for a changeling, at least for as long as the Queen exerted her control over it. Chip learned to fare on his own and sustained only a remote connection with the collective mind – she could barely feel him in the muck of scents, visions and sounds. As such, she was unable to guide his body and magic through the process necessary to transform. Of course she could have just yanked him back and taken over, but that would be missing the point – which was to train an independent agent, one that could act of his own accord and have independent ideas. And Chip was a smart one. She could still remember the shock she was under when the little devil managed to outsmart her in a game they were playing. She had to stitch his head in several places afterwards (the board for the game was much more sturdy than it looked), but luckily Chip’s mind didn’t deteriorate, nor was the changeling mad about it. He accepted a whole lot of punishment, deserved or otherwise, just for the sake of serving her. He strained himself to exhaustion many times, even to the point of needing medical attention. One would think he was hurting himself on purpose just to be tendered back to health…
“My queen?” said Chip in a low tone, a subtle reverb akin to hers snapping her out of contemplation. This tended to happen a lot as of late, and was starting to worry the Queen.
“What? You will wait as long as it takes, you insolent rut!” she yelled, slapping the changeling with telekinesis across the cheek.
Chip didn’t flinch or move – he got used to such treating. Even liked it to some degree.
“Shape shifting isn’t easy in the slightest, and the smallest mistake on your part will cause me grief and the need to put you back together”. Was that a faint smile on Chip’s mouth? “The first thing you need is somepony you want to copy. For this example, you will shape shift into me. A normal pony is much more complicated to mimic, as most of them don’t have horns or wings at the same time”.
Chip looked at his leathery wings and flapped them a few times in disbelief. Chrysalis still remembered how the changeling darted around the room, so proud of himself, before finally losing control and crashing into a wall. He broke both his front legs, and the horn on his head was devastated. She had to scold him for damaging himself so badly and pushing away the magic training until he healed, but deep down inside, she felt…pride. Not because of what Chip did, she would not call it that. She was proud of herself – she was a great teacher and was moulding the perfect servant. One that would be smart, fast, athletic and cunning. One that could aid her in the master plan, fulfil her dreams…all of them…
This time Chrysalis shook out of contemplation by herself. If Chip was aware of that or not, she could not tell – she decided not to invade upon his thoughts long ago.
“Alright, now. Take a good look at me. You need to copy each and every detail of my body, or you will fail. In the outside world, a half-baked disguise will get noticed right away, and questions will ensue. You don’t want to be questioned – you want to be the one asking the questions. Getting the answers. Using them against those that loathe us.”
She loved…liked…to see the expression on Chip’s face when she talked about hating other ponies. She managed to inspire a kind of fire, righteous and innocent, against the dwellers of this world. She knew he would do anything to please her, and even more if it meant hurting those she taught him to hate.
The tall mare stood still as Chip inspected her, looking up and down, nearly touching her chitin with his face. He really grew a lot and was only a head and a half shorter than the Queen. For reasons unknown, it felt kind of awkward to be ogled like that – she resisted the urge to buck the changeling in the face when he inspected her tail and flank. She had to restrain some sort of shivers when she felt his faint scent while he looked at her horn, mane and face. He was focused on the task, bent on doing his best, if not more, to please her.
The first transformation went quite good, all things considered. At least Chip didn’t manage to turn himself inside out, which was what the Queen expected. He totally missed the eyes, and his hind legs didn’t change at all. The masquerade would easily be seen though, and the changeling brought to questioning.
“You did well, but that is not enough.” Said the Queen. “Again!”
* * *
It took a day to master transforming into another changeling, and a week or so more to excel at transforming into any form Chip could see. During that time, ponies were being kidnapped from the south and brought to Chrysalis’s lair. Chip would then proceed to mimic the victims. As he gained expertise, it took him less and less time to transform and his accuracy was improving at a staggering rate. By the end of the seventh day, Chrysalis could not find a flaw in the changeling’s disguise.
“Well well, you finally got it, hmm?” mocked the Queen with a playful smile. “Took your sweet time, didn’t you. Now, dispose of this pony and then we shall continue your education”.
Chip smiled and transformed into the victim again. The mare was screaming as her look-alike dragged her by the mane outside. The screams faded away in the distance, and Chrysalis allowed herself to smile even more. She adored the way Chip instilled fear into ponies. He was a wonderful student, and it was barely a month since she first took him under her wing. With time Chip stopped trying to sneak over to Chrysalis and sleep alongside her (which the mare kind of accepted as they went along) and instead vowed to bury himself in books and study materials at his own cave (which, for comfort’s sake, was right under Chrysalis’ lair). He was making great progress as well – ever since he learned to read, Chrysalis was steadily feeding him books about history, magic or just plain stories to gain knowledge of the language. He gobbled these tomes up, large and small, faster than she could procure them.
She was kind of worried that the colt (or changeling, she didn’t mind calling him either) would start having stupid ideas after some of the tomes, but he remained as focused as ever and a truly loyal subject. Every now and then Chrysalis would have to face an awkward question, such as “Why are we changelings?” or ”Why are we banished?”, though A simple slap and shout would usually do the trick in such situations.
Chip seemed to have a great affinity for spells as well. His horn was magnificently curvy and powerful. The Colt learned spells that a skilled unicorn would need years for in a matter of days. His favourites were an invisibility spell (with which he tried to prank Chrysalis, but ended up with a broken jaw), a teleportation spell (one does not need vivid imagination to guess how the first tries looked like) and shape shifting itself. Each and every incantation was excellent for sneaking and espionage, the main objectives that the changeling would eventually be tasked with. Chrysalis couldn’t be happier. Or at least so she thought.
While Chip was straining to produce a lightning bolt to zap one of her minions standing still (moving target practice would come later), he accidentally backfired – an electric charge somehow skimmed across his majestic plating, energized his wings, concentrated in his tail and fired right at the monarch (who was ironically standing back not to get hit). The scene happened too fast for anyone to register, and only after some minutes passed both the Queen and her student understood what happened. The bolt of pure energy did, indeed, fire backwards. It should have hit Chrysalis. Instead, a smouldering pile of ash was gently fading away beneath her hooves. Another changeling jumped in front of her and took the full blow.
The thing was, she didn’t do it. And no changeling would have the will to break out of her grasp. None, except for one. Chip. He, somehow, must’ve took control of that single minion and threw it to save her. If that was true…if it really was him…
“Chip…” whispered the Queen.
“My lady… I…” replied the flabbergasted colt.
“Hushhh….”
She approached him and looked him in the eyes. For some time now she was noticing something about them. Pupils. Barely visible slits in the clear blue of his eyes. He was looking at her, uncertainty on his face.
“You did me very proud today…Chip.” She embraced him. He gave back the hug.
Chip’s newfound abilities were finally drawn out from the shade – his unique personality, which he still liked to call “the spark”, grew to such strength that it was capable of sending meaningful messages to the hive mind network. It was clumsy at first, and controlling even one changeling was a strain for the student. Each day he exerted his power to their limits. It was far more complicated than maintaining his own body (which was now second nature to him) – he had to breathe, think and feel for the creature under his control. Many changelings given under his care eventually died of suffocation or muscle cramps so severe they would break bones. But he was learning zealously, and only two weeks later, he proudly trotted about with two fully controlled changelings at his side.
Chrysalis taught Chip not only how to control his new minions, but also how to use them in what they were best – sneaking up, mimicking others, and gathering information. It became a fun game to battle with changeling minions to the death – the Queen didn’t seem to pay attention to the victims of their fun; Chip was uneasy about the issue at first, but eventually got over it. He started acting like she did – with a cold demeanour and royal air about him. He grew even more, and was now almost as tall as Chrysalis. His frame was magnificent, his chitin shiny and strong. The wings he sported were probably stronger than her own, but she would never admit that.
* * *
As more and more time passed, there was less and less the Queen could offer to Chip – he learned all she knew. At one point a creeping fright started making its way into the back of her head – what if he betrays? What if he slays her and takes the throne? Her paranoia eventually lead to a confrontation.
Without much warning and in his sleep, Chip was ambushed by several dozens of changelings. Defeating them was easy, but the reason behind the attack was unclear to the colt. He didn’t waste time and went to the Queen immediately, only to be attacked again, and in greater force. He fought furiously, anger and frustration building up beneath his skin, until…well, he just stopped. A pile of his dead brothers and sisters lay in the room, and Chip just stopped and dropped to his knees in a bow. He ignored the little gnawing changelings, which eventually penetrated his heavy armour and started tearing into his flesh. Only when first blood was drawn from the colt did the Queen stop herself. She had a blank expression on her face. Without much thought she probably slew her minions, as they fell off the large changeling lifeless. Chrysalis approached the stallion that Chip was now and looked at him. Much of his carapace was broken, and a nasty gnash sprung dark green blood down the colt’s body. The Queen delicately bent down and licked the wound, tears building up in her eyes. A soft green glow soothed Chip’s physical pain, but a sense of dread and betrayal persisted in his heart. He could not understand why Chrysalis would do what she just did. And now heal the damage she had done.
“Chip,” she started in an unusually small voice. She shook her head and looked the changeling straight in the eye. “Chip,” she began again, her tone strong and royal now: “you proved your loyalty to me and your obedience. What just happened was one of the final tests, and I am fond you passed it.”
Chip nodded from his crouching position – his mind however, was not certain the mare’s words were true.
“You are now ready to face the outside world. You have been kept precious for long enough – you are strong and trained, and you shall now work for the education and care I gave to you. Return here in the morning – there won’t be any more testing as intense as this, so sleep well. You will need much strength for the task ahead of you.”
Chip again nodded and, limping, left the Queen’s lair. His body was aching, but it was nothing compared to the pain somewhere deep inside him. He never felt so out of tune, so misplaced. He refused to believe what his delicate senses told him – she was lying, and in a horrible way. The colt could not sleep that night, waiting and mowing down the events of the night till sunrise.
* * *
Chrysalis arranged a good-bye with all the glory and splendour that he read about in his books. Many changelings saluted him, there was a speech he didn’t pay much attention to, and tears…false tears…of pride.
“Chip, my most faithful student and loyal subject,” intoned the Queen in a breaking voice. “From here on out you are, by my decree, assigned on a special mission. You are to infiltrate the southern kingdom of Equestria. Your main task is gathering information, spreading false rumours and preparing the country for our arrival. You shall act as our glorious Vanguard, the spear that will split apart first Equestria, then the world!”.
The whole room cheered, but Chip knew those puppets didn’t know what they were actually doing. He loathed them, hated everything at the moment. A throbbing scar under his newly regrown carapace kept reminding him in the rhythm of his heartbeat about last night, the night he was turned upon. He really wished she would just end him back there, as he intended. He was betrayed and not worth her trust. He lost something incredibly precious – and it wasn’t even his own fault. The Queen wanted him to be this way, so he was. What else could he do?
His grim thoughts didn’t distract him from giving an upbeat speech about loyalty, servitude and the glory which is his Queen. By now he was able to think, read, speak and do magic all at once, a feat impossible just a few months back. Time really did fly – but in the wrong direction. If it could only rewind just a little bit and stop…
* * *
The ceremony ended fast, as there was little in the way of partying between the changelings – what needed be said was said, and everyone had their orders. Chip packed a saddle with some of his favourite books, concentrated hard and leapt forward. A green light enveloped him, and with a loud pop he vanished into thin air. He really loved blind teleportation – it was fun, at least as long as he kept a safe distance from the ground and mountains. He managed to stuck himself or part of him in solid rock, some trees or deep underground many times. The precious moments needed for recasting the spell could have cost him his life more than a dozen times. Looking back at all the times he got injured, nearly killed even...he wished he would be left alone then. A fond memory of his feats and potential would remain…not the sour taste of rejection and fear.
Chip spread his wings and flapped them lazily, the wind blowing delightfully in his face. Despite the rainclouds gathered under his skull, he still found pleasure in flying. He tried hard not to look back north, towards his former home he knew he would never come back to.
What little contact with the hive he had was severed – the Queen wanted to make sure he "wasn’t distracted in the slightest". Or so she claimed. Most likely she was afraid he could hijack some of her minions and do…something. He doesn’t even know what went wrong. He was working his brain over every day he spent with his Queen, his teacher and…mother. If there was a fault to him, he was too blind to see it. Or maybe there was a fault. A grave one, one that he kept secret. Could she have known? Was it possible she somehow found out?
Chip remembered the first day when he was supposed to mimic other ponies...
* * *
The mare that was dragged into the Queen’s lair was screaming like crazy, her whole being wafted with fear, regret and pity. He didn’t know what to think of that creature – the hive mind told him to loathe and hate the pony. But his spark was more…curious of it. It was, after all, another living and sentient being, just like him. Or at least similar in a reasonable way – they both had roughly the same outlines, both had hooves, eyes, ears. He read a lot about ponies – their habits, history, how they looked and acted. The Queen always spoke with such hate and bile about the ponies from the south that Chip was sure they were evil, twisted beings. Yet, the mare before him, almost dying of fright, could not in the slightest be the horrible enemy Chrysalis spoke of.
Trying not to betray his thoughts, he did as he was told and mimicked the pony. The fear on her face intensified as a failed copy of herself appeared – the mane seemed like it was one fleshy lump, hooves were riddled with holes exposing pink muscles, and from the sides there sprung ugly insectoid wings.
“Now, Chip”, snickered the Queen, approaching her student, “as I promised, changing into a pony isn’t that easy…”
Chrysalis looked at the mare. Moments later, a green flame engulfed the queen and a perfect copy of the victim emerged before Chip – every single detail, starting from the mangled yellow mane, through bloodshot eyes and undernourished look ending on the recent scratches and bruises was copied perfectly.
“At least, for you.”
Chip gasped, losing his concentration. The captive mare fainted as Chip’s violent transformation back to himself tore apart his disguise. Pieces of a yellowish coat flew all over the place, dissolving in mid-air.
“It isn’t as easy as walking or talking, now is it?” spoke Chrysalis, her voice now sweet and missing the reverb he liked so much. “You will try again and again, until you do it right. This ability is the most crucial part of your training, and I will make sure you’ll give your best, or DIE trying.”
* * *
It took Chip two days to finally get the hang of it – Chrysalis wasn’t allowing him much rest and pushed him more than ever. The hostage was in terrible shape – her eyes were blank and she stopped screaming after she understood that each sound she made would end up in a ruffing up. Her whole body was shaking, and the fur around her eyes was constantly saturated with tears.
Chip found it amusing at first, as it was a challenge to copy the new details as they appeared – new scratches, missing hair, the depressed look...but seeing the prisoner being treated in such a harsh way stroke a discordant chord somewhere within himself. He wasn’t being treated with too much kindness, but he had a thick carapace and strong body used to taking punishment. The watering eyes of the mare, the pain on her face and muffled hisses of agony brought up an emotion he didn’t know existed within the changeling race – something referred to in books as “compassion”. The feeling definitely didn’t stem from the hive mind. As far as guessing went, he thought it was “his own”. It was his choice to feel that way in the face of such unjust treatment. And he knew better not to let those thoughts slip - something told him his Mother would be displeased
* * *
“Well done, Chip” said the Queen with a smile, looking over the two identical mares standing before her.
One of them started prancing about, the mask of horror replaced by that of joy – Chip finally did it, he conjured up a disguise that pleased his teacher.
“But do not celebrate just yet my young pupil,” snickered Chrysalis, stopping the altered changeling in mid-air with magic. “This is just one pony. You took your time to master her appearance – but one creature is not enough. You need to be able to mimic ANYpony you come across, blend into ANY environment you will be sent to,” spoke the Queen, accenting her words with stomping her hooves. She narrowed her eyes and grinned as an idea struck her. “You will also need to learn how to…dispose of the pony whose skin you wear. First lesson starts now…”
The captive mare’s eyes widened in horror as the transformed Chip approached. A shriek of terror erupted from her mouth and she began to struggle in the goo her hooves were wrapped in.
“My dear Chip. Take this pony to your lair…and do with her as your instincts tell you.”
At this moment, the changeling colt felt a pressing sensation from the hive part of his mind – images of pain, torture and feasting drilled his skull. He approached his victim and grasped a mouthful of her mane. As he pulled, the goo let go and the mare started flailing about, screaming inaudible words. Chip pulled and tugged, eventually dragging the victim out of Chrysalis’s lair and in the direction of his cave.
The victim stopped resisting and gave up at the entrance to Chip’s lair. It wasn’t large, and what space it had was full of books, parchment and strange trinkets he got from the Queen. The changeling let go of his victim, allowing her to slump to the floor. She didn’t move, but her fast breathing told Chip she didn’t pass out. He looked around his den and allowed himself to transform back into a changeling.
His horn glowed an acid green as he cast a spell Chrysalis didn’t yet teach him – a sound muffling spell. Oh yes, he knew that and many other spells. He learned them on his own, swallowing magic books one by one and training in solitude instead of sleeping. He didn’t know how or why it was so easy for him – again, the only explanation he had was that his “spark” was different from all the other changelings. And now, come to think of it, ponies had a great affinity for magic as well. He read a lot about wizards and magicians of ponykind that could achieve great feats in matters of years. And since changelings lived a lot faster than ponies, wouldn’t it make sense for him to learn proportionally faster? Did that make his special “spark” of…pony origin?
Chip’s train of thought crashed when he heard a whimper from below. Snapping back to reality, he looked down to see the poor mare at his feet, now shaking violently. She had her ears facing down and eyes closed tightly shut. The changeling didn’t know what he should do with her. On one side, it was obvious – the hive mind supplied him with a whole manual’s worth of torturing techniques. On the other side, the Queen said “do with her as your instincts tell you”. She didn’t specify which instincts. Slowly, Chip sat down. He nudged the pony with a hoof. She screamed, turning into a ball of shivering fur. The sound crashed against the sound muffling spell and dissolved, just as Chip expected it to. Nothing was heard from the outside.
“You,” started Chip, causing another shriek. The changeling sighted. “Shut up,” he intoned.
The mare whimpered, tears running down her unhealthy looking face. Yes, it was going to be a “great” and “fun” experience, talking to this mare.
* * *
Some time passed in silence as Chip tried to find a way to rid the mare of her numbing fright of him. Finally, an idea brightened up his mind, and he darted towards a stack of random items he had been hoarding. Amongst them was a pair of bags, each decorated with a blue star. The same symbol was visible on the mare’s flank – it was a Cutie Mark, according to the books. Inside he found a few items that he recognised from pictures – a brush, sunglasses, something called a sandwich and books which he already had before. He threw the bags over to where the mare was, sat down and waited.
The bumping sound startled the pony, and she hesitantly opened one eye. Her belongings were right in front of her, and the monster in the corner was watching her intensely. He was unique, she could tell that much – much taller than the rest, more bulky and with eyes that spoke of something more than just cruel instinct. The mare’s numb, aching body didn’t allow her to move, so she just looked at the bags. One of them was open, and…a sandwich. Food. She hadn’t eaten in... She couldn’t remember how long. The revelation somehow managed to beat the strain her body went through and she reached with a hoof towards the food.
Chip observed as the pony clumsily shuffled on the floor. She was reaching out towards one of the bags. She grabbed the sandwich which was the closest and started dragging it towards her mouth – on the way, the thing broke apart on the uneven surface of the cave, and only a mangled piece of bread made it to her mouth. A new wave of the feeling of “compassion”, tinted with something else that he couldn’t yet name, hit him and Chip stood up. The mare froze as he approached and scooped up the scattered bread, daises and salad, putting them back together with magic. Slowly, he put the sandwich near the mare’s mouth. Tears ran down her face.
The pony wolfed down the sandwich. She was barely chewing and nearly choked a few times. Changelings could eat regular foods as well, but they were flavorless to them, just like air. The sweet aroma and delightful bouquet of flavor that emotions were could not match anything Chip knew thus far. It took great self-control from his side to not lunge at the pony who started feeling more positive emotions all of a sudden – the bright and delicate smell of hope and the chunky aroma of gratitude hit him with the force of a tornado, nearly clouding his vision. Courtesy of the weak link he still had with the hive mind, his mouth began to water and horn started tingling with magic.
“No,” he said in his mind, “not now. Not this one.”
The mare on the floor was eyeing Chip with hesitation, unable to tell what the changeling was struggling against.
“Who… Who are you?” she said in a feeble, but soft voice.
The sound managed to avert Chip’s attention from the overpowering hunger he felt. Communication. The mare tried to talk to him. He would talk to another pony that wasn’t a drone, or wasn’t his Queen!
“I am Chip,” he replied with enthusiasm, sitting down with a thump. The violent motion scared the mare a little, but she did not back away.
Chip’s face got brightened with a foalish smile, and his whole body was shaking with excitation. In a way, the changeling reminded the pony of her own foal…waiting at home…for her mommy…
The changeling got puzzled by the sudden outburst of tears. If this is how ponies reacted to meeting somepony new, he didn't know. The books spoke nothing of such behaviour. Ponies were supposed to be crying when hurt, sad or depressed. The mare wasn’t exactly sad, but she wasn’t exactly happy either. The mix of flavours he felt made him uncomfortable – he felt he should…do something. So he poked the pony with his hoof and said
“What is your name?”
Surprised, the mare stopped crying and turned her bloodshot eyes upwards.
“Night Star,” she sobbed. “My name is Night Star.”
Chip noted in his mind that poking ponies is a good remedy for crying
“Where are you from?” he asked excitedly.
* * *
The moon’s light crept into Chip’s cave, in which a tight voice muffling spell hid away the conversation between the changeling and Night Star. As time passed, the pony loosened up a bit; not only was she now answering questions, but also started asking some herself. This was probably the first instance of a dialogue between the predatory changelings and a representative of ponykind, which usually would serve as prey.
Chip learned that the mare had a family of her own – a filly and a husband, both of which she loved very much. She even had an album with pretty pictures of them (an item Chip took for an odd, useless book). The changeling asked a lot of questions, most of which would concern how does feeling feel, or what does she think about thinking. The pony was utterly confused at those, but would not dare to disappoint or dismiss the queries – for one, the changeling was a lot larger than her, and she didn’t want to risk displeasing it. On the other hoof, something about the creature, a kind of pure and simple foalish fascination with the subject of existence, brought out her motherly instincts and habits – she would lecture him, tell him about life and use big words that would make the changeling’s eyes sparkle with glee. From time to time she even forgot she was being held against her will, all aching and miserable, probably at the end of her days.
Chip himself was extremely excited during the conversation – he constantly kept guessing what the mare would say and failed each single time! He was so enchanted by the words that came out of her mouth that he totally didn’t feel the time pass. It became apparent that it was late when the mare started yawning and her head begun to sway a bit.
“Are you feeling alright?” asked Chip, cocking his head curiously.
“Yes,” replied the mare. “Just a bit…tired. That’s all.” Star’s face broke in yet another wide yawn.
“Oh, tired? Well… Umm…” Chip searched for words, but his head was blank. Now what? He brought the mare here. He was supposed to deal with her. The way of “dealing with her” was clearly laid out in his collective memory.
Still, she was great at talking (something Chrysalis always refused to do, calling it a waste of time) and just doing what the hive mind constantly whispered him to do…didn’t sit right with his spark self. He had to find a way to conceal her presence. Or even better, get her out of here, somewhere far away. Maybe even back home? A teleportation spell!
Without as much as a word, Chip dove into a stack of books he remembered had magic spells in them. He was certain one of them had a fairly simple relocation spell – something he didn’t care to test just yet, as there was no need to go outside of his home canyon.
Aha, and there it was. A bit out of shape, with the letters on its spine obscured and unreadable, but a book full of interesting incantations nonetheless. A quick magical versing later, Chip found the spell he was looking for – it required him to know the location he would transport to…which was a problem. He would need to actually leave the hive without anyling noticing, find a safe spot and return. With a deep sigh, he turned around.
“Okay, listen,” he said, pointing at the book, “I think you can’t stay here, although I’d like to keep you. You’re the first pony I’ve met and it was fun talking to you. But I think you have to go.”
The mare straightened up, looking sheepishly at the book.
“Ummm…excuse me,” Night Star whispered, looking past the letters and at the changeling. “…I’m not a Unicorn. I can’t cast spells-”
“I noticed,” said Chip, a hint of irritation in his voice. “I will be the one performing the spell. But there is a requirement here – I must know the place I want to take you to. To do that, I need to leave the cave, sneak out of the canyon and find a spot for you. You will need to keep quiet and hide yourself just in case someling comes poking around in my things. That should not happen, but this book here,” spoke Chip, pointing to a criminal fiction story, “tells me that everybody is always watching. Now, just how do I leave this place undetected…”
“Umm…” started the pony, clearing her dry throat, “maybe…an invisibility spell?”
Chip’s eyes snapped to meet those of the captive’s. She was brilliant. Such a waste to let her go…
* * *
As the sun rose to shoo away the moon, Chip was vigorously appearing and disappearing from sight, forcing himself to perform the spell as many times as possible before having to go to his mandatory sessions with the queen. Night Star was sleeping under a pile of inconspicuously arranged blankets the changeling had.
The hope and expectations she had (which Chip feared would blow the mare’s cover) were utterly distracting to Chip’s hive instincts, so his body didn’t manage to completely vanish a single time – sometimes it would be reduced to a lone hind leg, be left headless or with the changeling’s organs visible underneath a transparent skin. He should be sleepy, or at least tired, but somewhere in his chest he felt a burning desire to keep going – it was a fantastic sensation, one that would probably allow him to carry mountains should such a need arise.
He finally felt the calling of Chrysalis, ready to squeeze whatever juices he had left in him with the shape shifting training. Before leaving the cave, Chip took a last look at the pile of blankets. He felt good about himself. His spark told him that.
There was a new victim Chip had to copy this time, and staying up all night didn’t help his concentration. The captive mare was still new to the whole situation and shrieked like a banshee, receiving brutal punishment in return.
“Chip, chip, chip,” tsked the Queen, “you mean to tell me that yesterday’s performance was a fluke? That you just got lucky?” Chrysalis raised her voice dangerously.
“Of course not, my Queen!” exclaimed a mangled half-changeling, half pony “I was taking care of the prisoner as you told me to and in my thoroughness stayed up almost all night…”
The Queen raised her eyebrows and smiled faintly. She was spying on his thoughts the day before, necessarily maintaining only a vague link to the changeling's mind as to not disturb him. She felt overpowering joy and satisfaction flowing from him, a hunger that got saturated by the pony prisoner. With a small tear in her eye she remembered her first victim – the taste of love for a foal was the most delicious treat she ever had.
Her focus returned to Chip’s body which was shifting like mad, but to little effect. It was obvious to Chrysalis that there was no juice left in him; the colt’s mishaps made her burst into laughter.
“Oh Chip, stop it,” she snickered, wiping a tear of joy, “I can see you are useless today. Return to your lair and rest. You will work your flank twice as hard tomorrow. That, or you won’t have a flank to sit on when I’m done with you.”
A sigh of relief left the apprentice’s mouth, complimented by silent words of gratitude and humility. Chip lazily flapped his wings and, half conscious, left the Queen’s chamber. He didn’t see her turn to the prisoner who went silent all of a sudden.
* * *
Back at his cave, the changeling felt the stench of fear and uncertainty. It took his tired mind a few moments to remember he was hiding away Night Star under a stack of blankets – totally inconspicuous blankets. He cautiously approached the heap and whispered:
“It’s me. Come out.”
The material started jerking and a yellow head poked out from beneath it. The mare gave out a weak smile and crawled out of her hiding place.
“I’m tired,” said Chip. “I’m going to sleep.” And with that, he fell into unconsciousness.
Left to herself, Night Star listened to the loud snoring of the changeling. He really was a big one, intimidating with all that shiny chitin and horrifyingly curved horn. At the same time, the mare couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the lumbering giant. He was a very bright…creature, well versed and read, but his simple demeanour and cluelessness about the world and its workings stroke a note of sympathy with the pony. Silently, she put a blanket over Chip and approached a stack of books, looking for something interesting to read.
* * *
As the changeling woke up, he felt a new sensation leave his body – and it wasn’t the piece of cloth sliding from his torso. He could faintly recall having visions, pleasant ones, that somehow involved the mare that looked over her book to meet Chip’s stare. The memory of those images faded away despite the colt’s will and only that faint fuzzy feeling remained. His happiness doubled as the sun shooed away some clouds to greet him. He still had a lot of time to master the invisibility spell.
* * *
Several hours later, day gave way to night and the moon shone brightly above the changeling inhabited canyon. Most of Chrysalis’ minions were sound asleep; those that weren’t observed the ground from air, patrolling for anything suspicious. But even their superior eyes could not pierce the veil of the invisibility spell Chip cast on himself. For convenience, the colt flew as high as he could, looking around for a place to eventually set his mare free. The cool midnight air sent ripples of pleasure down his spine – he really loved to fly and the weather was perfect. He flew for a longer while, landing every now and then to inspect a cave or promising rock formation. His wings and instinct guided him south, towards the borders of Equestria.
As he advanced the land became greener, sprinkled with valleys, hills, and lakes. The grass beneath his hooves was pleasurable to say the least – even more so, rolling in it was a fantastic feeling. An involuntary smile brightened the colt’s face as he thought about the wonders of the world he thus far only read about. He really wished he could somehow share it with his siblings, with his Queen, to show them this beautiful world that wasn’t as bad as he was taught. The moon smiled back at the changeling, silently cheering on its search.
* * *
Luna’s moon still managed to see Chip find a perfect spot for Night Star to seek refuge in – it was a few hours march from the borders of Equestria, and a natural rock formation would shelter the mare from any unfavourable weather conditions or curious eyes. The changeling’s spark did make a few remarks, though, demanding for some shifts and elevations for beauty’s sake. At the end of it all, the structure was pleasant to look at and totally inconspicuous. To Chip.
Now came the hard part. It was only a while till the sun would dawn, so the black colt had to use a spell to get home fast. An incantation he never practised before. Teleportation.
Chip took a deep breath and began focusing on the spell. He felt his body, muscles bulging under the heavy carapace, blood flowing peacefully through his veins, and the rhythmic drumming of his heart. He encapsulated all that in a single thought, holding it mentally in front of himself. Chip then summoned the vision of his cozy little cave – its curves, the way the stone reflected sunlight, all the stacks of books and items he was attached to. He placed that image a long distance away, in the direction he thought his home canyon was in. A tingling sensation invaded his forehead as magic channelled through his horn. Gathering his courage, he delicately poked the thought that was his whole existence into motion.
Slowly at first, his imaginary self started moving. Chip could swear he was feeling a pulling sensation, as if his stomach was sucking itself in. The thought he cast gained speed and the sensation tugging at his innards intensified. Panic crept inside the colt, the feeling of being compressed into himself overpowering his senses. As he was about to cancel the incantation, the image cast what seemed like eons ago reached its destination.
* * *
Chip flailed his hooves around as he fell to the ground. A startled Night Star gave out a muffled yelp from under her blanket fort. The changeling picked himself up, feeling utter relief at the fact that his belly remained untouched. Excitedly, he cast aside the materials covering up the frightened mare and gave her a solid hug.
“I did it!” he roared, sending ripples across the silencing spell at the entrance, “I can go anywhere I waaaaant!”
There was no end to the changeling’s laughter and prancing – even Night Star joined in, her joy and relief tasting so sweet.
“So I can go home now?” she asked, tears filling up her eyes.
Chip stopped and took on a worried expression. His thoughts drifted towards the most recent captive the Queen introduced. If ponies were at least remotely similar, that one would like to go home too. That is, if the Queen lets him “take care of her” as well. A plan begun budding in the changeling’s mind. One that he would need to carefully orchestrate.
“Good, good!” exclaimed Chrysalis as her student stood beside an unusually quiet victim.
There were a few flaws here and there that the Queen’s eye caught, but Chip’s disguise would fool all but the most observant of ponies.
“Fix the back of your mane and draw in the abdomen. Good, good. The eyes are a little bit off…and, yes, that’s it,” said Chrysalis with a pleasant smile on her face. “You are learning fast, Chip. I never realized I had such a great talent for teaching, ” concluded the Queen, striking a majestic pose.
“It would all be impossible without you, my honoured teacher,” said the black colt, bowing before the magnificence of his mentor. With a hint of anxiety in his voice, he asked: “Would it be alright if I…practiced ‘disposing’ of this victim as well? I believe that my previous…performance was ill and unfitting for the adept of your royal highness.”
The Queen bore her teeth. Not only was Chip a valuable asset, he was also as eager as she was to punish these ponies. The black mare flew over to her throne and lay down comfortably on it.
“Oh, please do so, Chip” she said, temptation in her eyes, “Do it here, so I can watch and guide you.”
The colt froze. He let go of the captive’s mane and faced the Queen. His spark mind went blank and a moment later he felt heat build up in his cheeks and chest. She wanted him to do it here? In front of her? He would…he would have to do all these things the hive mind told him to?
“M-my lady,” he gasped, eyes darting around as if looking for an answer, “I-I’m not s-sure it is such a good idea…”
“Oh, I am so sorry. You actually though that was a suggestion? Do you wish for me to REITERATE my words?” The threat in the Queen’s voice left little room for discussion.
The changeling felt a new sensation build up in him – he was breathing air, but felt suffocated at the same time. It was a choking sensation that originated somewhere in the throat and made him gulp loudly.
The pony in front of him lay still, her eyes almost lifeless. Her green coat was a mess and some of her brown hair was thinned from constant pulling and ripping. She was breathing lightly, but didn’t move otherwise. The changeling colt could feel the mouth-watering emotions beneath all the dread, misery and pain the mare suffered.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Get to it!” the Queen hurried Chip.
He nearly blacked out from the conflicting thoughts he had. He HAD to obey if he wanted to have a chance to save at least one mare – the one that was waiting back at his cave. He DIDN’T want to hurt this one – he decided that he had no grudge against ponies and that they were actually fun to be around. And being accepted and liked is something totally different from the harsh love the Queen gave to Chip. He read about friendship, but it was nothing compared to the real deal. And now, all that he planned for and begun to accept as his opinions and world views would be ruined by…this.
Sensing an anxious vibration from the hive mind, his spark went into a numb state. His body was no longer his. He saw through his eyes as a green light enveloped the captive mare – she turned into a tight ball of shaking fur. The feeding begun. Chip tried to cry out to his body. He tried to stop it, tried to make it go away – all to no avail. His senses were flooded with the taste and smell of love, compassion and all the other juicy bits that still resided inside the mare. Chip wanted to cry, but his eyes remained dry and fixed on his victim. This feeling of powerlessness in the face of his own self… it was indescribable. He was a prisoner of his own nature, the very thing that made him stand apart was torn away in an instant. All the times he thought himself better than the drones he passed by each day were reduced to a painful memory of a vain colt, too sure his ways were the only true ones.
The sensation of feeding gradually faded away and he felt the pony become hollow. Her coat lost its shine, and it was not the dirt and rusty stains that caused it. The flickers of life in her eyes faded away. She was alive, yes, but Chip was horribly and painfully aware that…such life had no meaning. It was empty.
“Excellent, my dear Chip!” laughed the Queen, wafting with excitement. “You made your Queen proud this day! You may do what you wish with this doll – she is all yours…I guess it is time for you to also learn…other ways to gain pleasure from a pony.”
Chip’s mind was blank and he felt his body again heed his will. He felt every muscle, every heartbeat, each breath. His whole self was satisfied and invigorated by the meal he just had – his mind was devastated by what he just witnessed. Waves of pleasure flooded his thoughts, but it was a tainted sensation, one that he wished would stop. Repressing it, he caught the almost lifeless mare by the mane and dragged her out of the chamber.
* * *
“What happened to her?” asked Night Star, looking at the lifeless mare and then at Chip.
His expression was that of horror and dread.
“I...I did something horrible,” he said, feeling his eyes finally let go of the tears that built up. He felt a wave of compassion as his mare friend came closer to him.
“Stay away from me!” roared Chip, darting to the darkest corner of the cave. Facing the wall, he wept. “For your own good…just…just stay away from me…”
“Chip,” said the yellow mare in a soft, motherly voice, “please, I want to help you. What happened, can you tell me? Please.”
“Can’t you see?” asked the colt in a weak voice. “The way she is now…it’s all my fault. I had no choice. No, I had a choice, but I was too STUPID to take it!”
He smashed his head against the wall, following up time and time again with even fiercer blows. He heard and felt his chitin crack. There was no absolution for the deed he just committed. Crack. He could not forget, even if everyone forgave. Crack.
A firm tackle from behind made Chip fall over. Night Star was horrified by the changeling’s behaviour and the emotion was plain on her face.
“Stop it! Stop it THIS INSTANT!” she slapped him across the face, causing a cracked piece of armour to fall off. “You did…you did something. You didn’t want it, did you?!” she screamed.
Chip didn’t manage a word before the mare roared at him again:
“You did something, maybe even something horrible. But that… that mare! She is still ALIVE, for Celestia’s sake! Do you know what that means?! Do you?!”
Chip couldn’t help but stare sideways. His mind went blank again. His ears heard more loud words:
“Being alive is what matters! You can lose hope, you can give up. But as long as you live, you have the chance to change, to become better! You can get back the things you lost, get back to those that you love!” her eyes got wet and her voice started breaking under the heavy emotions Chip wished he couldn’t detect. “You stupid, stupid foal…look how much you hurt yourself…” Night Star timidly ran a hoof against the creature's head.
It felt empty and a dull pain crept from place to place, but somehow the touch soothed him. As did Night Star’s words:
“Chip. I believe in you. You are a kind and gentle pony. You would not do something horrible to another, not by your own will. Have a little faith in yourself. You are strong. And I need you. Me and that mare that lies there,” she pointed to the recent victim, still lifeless on the floor. “Gather up your courage and move on. Better yourself, find a way to defeat this…this weakness you blame yourself for.”
The colt felt drained, as if he was being fed upon for some time. At least, that is the feeling he thought he had. It didn’t last long, though. The rest of the mare’s words drowned out as the changeling slipped into unconsciousness.
Night Star approached the mare that lay motionless on the ground. Whatever Chip did to her…no, whatever that large, black changeling mare made Chip do to her…it looked really severe. The victim didn’t even blink when the yellow pony waved a hoof in front of her eyes.
“Oh my,” whispered Chip’s friend. She felt sorry for the captive – the things that the changelings did to them were horrible, to say the least. With nothing else to do, Star pulled out a blanket and covered the apathetic mare. She then snuggled up to her, hoping to give out at least a little bit of “warmth” to her. She slowly dozed off as time trickled by.
When she finally awoke, Chip was on his feet again, reading something. The pony that she had in her embrace had her eyes shut and the delicate moves of her sides suggested she was sleeping. As gingerly as she could, she backed away and approached the changeling.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled in a grumpy voice, flipping a page.
“You’re forgiven.” The mare nodded. “I can only imagine the torture you went through…if you want, you can share that…burden…with me.”
* * *
The recap of that day’s events wasn’t as painful as Chip suspected it would be; he even felt some kind of relief. Tension gradually left his body and only the throbbing sensation in his head persisted. His carapace would heal before tomorrow, but the inside of his skull felt like it was full of “honey” – a liquid known for being sticky and moving quite slowly. At least Chip hoped that was a good analogy.
“Oh, and one more thing.” He took on a curious expression. “The Queen said something about learning how a mare can please a changeling in a way other than being…eaten. What did she mean?”
Night Star’s face went from surprise, to frown to a full out blush in a matter of seconds.
“Umm,” she cleared her throat, “I thiiink you’re a bit too…young to talk about those things.”
“Nonsense,” replied Chip, cocking his head. “I’m as mature as any changeling, if not more. What did the Queen mean? Tell me!”
His excitement made the yellow mare even more embarrassed. She scrambled for words – when a colt really loves a mare? When a colt and mare get together and…
“No,” she snapped, her face furiously red.
“Why? Tell me!” pleaded the changeling.
The budding quarrel was cut by a weak moan coming from under a blanket. The most recent prisoner was coming to.
* * *
Chip hid himself with the invisibility spell he managed to master recently. It was agreed that seeing the changeling might not be a good idea just yet. Night took the time to assure the colt that she won’t be angry with him once the situation is explained properly. When the green coated mare opened her eyes, the room was inhabited only by another pony.
“Hello there,” started Night Star. “Are you feeling all right?”
A barely noticeable nod would have to do for an answer.
“Are you hungry? Do you want something to drink?” continued Chip’s friend, uncovering some fungus and a water canteen from under a stack of trinkets. Night Star was told by Chip that changelings usually don’t take more food than they can eat on the spot, but him being special, he could take some spare rations on the account of growing and needing more calories. The truth was that the colt didn’t at all feel the need to eat more.
“It may not smell too nice, but it will get you up and running in no time,” explained the mare, feeding the pony on the ground. It was a hard process, as the victim had barely any strength to chew or swallow on her own.
From his corner, Chip watched the two mares talk and eat – he had a great urge to meet the new pony and talk to her, but guilt and fear bogged him down. And a giant head ache on top of that. His spark mind was unusually quiet and only a faint static buzzing came from the hive collective. He tried to review the things he read about pony anatomy – assuming that they are similar in structure to changelings, the punishment he gave himself could have fractured his skull or something. Did that mean his brain would leak out? How would that have affected his thinking? Would he be…oooouch. To stop thinking was probably the best idea for now.
* * *
The new mare, going by the name of Dawn Hope, recovered a bit under the watchful and caring eye of Night Star. The thought of being in a changeling nest and, moreover, in the cave of her recent torturer scared her out of her mind, but the presence of another pony kept her senses more or less in their place. The mare she just met tried to convince her that the giant creature that drove her to the border where life and death shake hands was, in fact, a good friend and kind creature. And that he found a way to get them out of this wretched place.
“Dawn, I will now want you to stay calm.” The tone of Night’s voice was serious, but hesitant. “Whatever you do, remember I’m here, okay? And remember what I said – Chip isn’t going to hurt you. Okay?”
“Why? No, don’t tell me…don’t tell me it’s coming back?!” exclaimed Hope, her fur rising in terror.
“Dawn, dear, he was here all along. I told him to wait until you calmed down a little. Chip, you can come out now.”
Great ripples went through the silencing spell as the black colt materialized in the far side of the cave. Chip lowered his head and ears, trying not to look at the mares.
“Shhh, calm down, it’s okay, I’m here, ” chanted the yellow mare, hugging the terrified Dawn close to her.
The darkness of the night descended upon the canyon, unaware of the terrible screams coming from below.
* * *
The moon had journeyed half-way across the sky when the green mare finally calmed down. Her eyes were still wide as she stared unblinkingly at the monster in the corner, but at least she didn’t scream. Or was not able to do so anymore. Chip was as motionless as a statue – every time he would shift or move, Dawn attempted to dart away towards the exit. The tight embrace of a worried Night Star prevented that, but Chip didn’t want to provoke a dangerous situation either way. Everypony in the room was exhausted by the stalemate.
After some more hours, sleep finally swept its cloak around the ponies, just in time to miss the sun rising on the horizon. Wrapped in each other’s hooves, they looked more or less peaceful – their manes and coats were mangled and dirty, stained with rusty dots…but they lived. Chip could save them, eventually. Just not yet. He had to make sure the Queen would stop kidnapping ponies to make him practice. He had to ace every change and then drag the victims down, into his lair. The thought of again performing the tainting feeding ritual made him sick, but he had a goal larger than his own conscience. His plan was still salvageable.
As he quietly left the mares to meet the Queen, he recapped the events he planned. First, stop the madness with kidnapping ponies. Then, during the next few months, or maybe even years, try and convince Chrysalis to leave the canyon (maybe as a form of field study?) and experience the beauty of the green grass and soothing wind. Finally, perhaps, he could mention something about meeting other ponies. In their natural habitat. It was obvious his “mother” already met ponies – but she only knew them as prey. The other side of the equine coin was obscured from her view and Chip vowed to help her flip that “bit”. Finally, when she would understand all the things she believed in thus far were far removed from reality, maybe they could visit Equestria together – meet new fascinating ponies, learn their ways…make friends. Don’t hurt anypony anymore. Be happy. Together...because he really loved his mom.
* * *
This time, the mare the Queen introduced to him was totally different. More bulky, more feisty, less crying. Her blue coat and short, black mane were rugged and Chip was surprised to see one of his brothers lying unconscious on the floor.
“Chip,” said the Queen from her throne, “today you will be practising something a bit different. So far, you have copied only mares – weak, timid creatures. Today, you will become a real colt, my student.”
Colt? Wait, a colt? A male pony? He would get to meet a colt! He surely HAD to ace this transformation. And get her…err, him, out of the Queen’s grasp.
Chrysalis’ eyes were wide with amazement – she didn’t even manage to drift into unrelated thoughts before Chip mimicked the stallion with stunning precision. Her trained eye couldn’t find a flaw in the disguise.
“Not bad, Chip,” she snorted, a form of jealousy pricking her pride. She remembered her first attempts at changing and she was nowhere near the rate at which the changeling colt improved. “Seems you are done for the day then?” she summarized.
Chip lowered his ears.
“Are you displeased, my Queen?” he asked with an apologetic note in his voice.
“Of course not!” exclaimed Chrysalis, approaching the held stallion and her student. “You make me quite proud, young Chip. At this rate, we will continue with your training in a matter of days!”
“Thank you, my Queen!” said a happy Chip. If he was done for the day, that meant he could spend a lot more time to meet this new type of pony. “Shall I take care of the prisoner then?” he asked with sparkling eyes.
The Queen chuckled.
“Oh Chip, your devotion truly makes my heart sing,” she smiled wickedly. “But you had your fun with the mare yesterday…time for me to have some fun as well with this…not so bad looking stallion.”
Chip felt the Queen prick the colt with a hungry stare. The flailing pony stopped, his body betraying signs of concern. She ordered a dozen of her drones to transport him to her throne – he resisted with the remnants of his strength, probably more out of desperation than anything else.
“Now, Chip…leave. Come to think of it, it is good you finished early. Chrysalis can’t remember when was the last time she had some ‘fun’ .”
* * *
As the changeling returned to his cave, his thoughts were conflicted. Why didn’t he feel sorry? He should feel devastated – another pony got wronged and this time, there was absolutely nothing he could do. Even if the stallion survived whatever Chrysalis would do to him, there was little to no chance that he would be given to Chip. Why didn’t he fell guilt? Did the feeding do this to him? What about the tears and pain from before? Did they mean nothing? Did he grow numb?
As the black stallion entered his cave (feeling the tingling magical sensation of the voice muffling spell) he didn’t expect the welcome the received. The new mare, Hope Dawn, came up to him shyly and…thanked him. Nuzzled him even. A slight warmth ignited in the young changeling’s heart – the same feeling he got when Night Star got better, when they shared conversations together. So he didn’t grow numb. Mares still filled him with a fuzzy feeling and the urge to protect. Was it just colts then?
“Are you alone today?” asked Night Star. “And why so early?”
“I finished faster than usual. It was a colt this time, and the queen kept him for herself. She said something about having the kind of fun I had yesterday. What does she mean?”
His tone of voice, despite being calm and factual, made the mares' reel back in horror. The following onslaught of questions startled him into taking a few steps back.
“What color was his mane!? What did he look like?! What was his cutie mark?!” yelled the ponies.
Chip's head started pounding in the racket, so he silenced the girls with a brief zip-it spell.
“What does it matter? The Queen has him and there is nothing I can do about it.” He paused, seeing tears in Hope Dawn’s eyes. Well, if it was that important to them… “Azure coat, black, shot mane and tail. Bulky, feisty and a grey shield with two crossed swords on his flank,” recited Chip from memory.
“Something like this, ” he added, taking on the form of the recent victim.
The mares were surprised at first, but let out a sigh of relief in unison just a while later.
“Thank Celestia…it’s not my Rufus,” said the green coated mare, sitting down.
“Nor is it my Autumn Leaf,” replied Night Star, lowering her head.
“Why is it that important?” asked the changed Chip. The colt’s voice felt weird, so he immediately changed back to his larger self.
“Umm…well, you see…” tried Star, “Some mares care about certain colts. Umm…I don’t know how to explain this to you…”
“Please try?” asked Chip with a spark in his eyes. He read about romances and knew that colts and mares wanted to be together, but he never understood for what purpose.
It was well into the night when Chip finally got his answer – more so, he managed to be annoying enough on the subject of “What pleasurable things can a colt do with a mare?” that Hope interrupted the awkward stalemate with a…thorough and illustrative description. Or at least Chip thought about it that way. He still didn’t get much of it – changelings went about reproduction in a more hassle-free way and on a greater scale. Come to think of it, if this is how ponies mated, why were they the most popular species in the lands instead of more effective creatures, such as changelings?
Before Chip laid down to rest, he had to apply some healing magic to both himself and Hope – in his naivety, the changeling requested that the pony allows him to gain hoof-on experience in the subject, rationalizing that it is what the Queen requested of him anyway. What was supposed to be a 'two birds with one stone' scenario (Chip gaining knowledge and the Queen’s order being fulfilled) turned out to be a 'sore face winded hoof' one. Chip noted that ponies can muster quite a punch when enraged, at the same time remembering not to return to the subject of colt-mare relations around Miss Dawn. And what was Night Star so happy about, anyway?
* * *
It was the 6th day of Chip’s shape shifting training. The Queen seemed to be in a foul mood and warned Chip not to anger her today, or ever again for that matter. Did she not have a good time with the colt?
That day was a bit different, as several mares were introduced in succession. The Queen didn’t say if she would give all of them to Chip – if she did, that would be quite some problem. His cave was small as it was, and he didn’t have the time or resources (he already picked up more food than was safe) to support more fugitives. It was imperative to stop delaying and release ponies, starting tonight.
Chrysalis noticed her student observing his victims with a mixture of bewilderment and fascination. She was furious at how her previous night turned out – she wished to erase it from memory, but Chip staring at mare flank only made her remember. The changeling certainly got the hang of it. And why should she reward him anyway? Why did he only get to have all the fun?
* * *
“That is enough, Chip,” said Chrysalis in a flat tone.
It was dark outside and the cool night air swept sweat from the changeling colt’s brow. The Queen really wasn’t in the mood today and had all sorts of different ideas – of the five mares that were present, he had to mimic parts of bodies from different ones, change into mares he previously “had dealt with” (all except the colt, strangely), or create totally new ones. He prevailed, however, and would now have to try hard to get all these ponies out of here.
“My lady,” he started, bowing graciously, “may I…”
“Take them away Chip. I don’t care what you do. Just leave me alone,” snapped back the Queen, startling the changeling.
As fast as he could, he took one after the other into his den – it would be easier to teleport them there, but that would blow his cover and unnecessarily raise eyebrows. He had to keep an extremely low profile now – tonight would be the night of the grand escape.
Inside his den, Chip had to wrap his head around the chaos that ensued. The new mares were all over the place – screaming, clawing at the magically closed exit (yet another handy spell the changeling had to learn fast) or simply fainting. Night Star and Hope Dawn tried to control the situation, but it was more than they could handle. Their fur was ruffled and they suffered a few bruises trying to explain the situation. Irritated, Chip cast his teleportation spell and left the hiding place. Hopefully, it would be a lot easier to calm everypony down without his presence.
A sundering headache hit him upon arrival – he cast the spell with less concentration than was reasonable and had to make due with a migraine for the next couple of hours. The soothing night wind, clear, dark sky and tingling stars didn’t help much – the colt was tired, a bit hungry and on top of that wanted to crush his head against a wall. With determination worthy of a better cause he started vacuuming the nearby grass, paying no attention to the tasteless food.
Having somewhat pleased his stomach, Chip turned his focus on the head-splitting sensation he had. It could be anything – from incomplete teleportation, leaving half his brain flopping around in his skull (he begged his Queen that would not be the case) to just plain stress and over usage of his powers. Shape shifting, although a natural ability to changelings, seemed to be a kind of magic that put strain on the user. It wasn’t physically changing his appearance, as that would require time, energy and would probably be painful. Chip understood shape shifting as altering the world’s perception. He told the world he was someone else – the better he could communicate, the better he was understood and the guise would be more accurate.
If it really was that way, did that mean that the world is responsible for shaping things? A unicorn with sufficient knowledge and…uhh…instincts? could probably be as good as a changeling as he was. In fact, if one could tell the world that he was something different, could he probably point to, let’s say, a chair and say “That is a carrot?” Would the chair really become a carrot, with all its juices and edibility? If it would turn back, would the splinters harm the consumer?
Another throbbing spike crashed Chip’s train of thought. And the timing couldn’t be any better – the changeling sat on the barren ground for at least a few hours, probably transcending into sleep a few times – it was but a few moments till dawn. Deciding not to risk any more teleportation feats, he spread his leathery wings and dashed north, towards his home. Hopefully, he would be able to cast an invisibility spell. Or find a good excuse for being outside.
* * *
Back at the cave, the chaos was under control – the new mares sat silently and listened to the tales of Night Star and Hope Dawn – how they were kidnapped, how they met Chip, what he was like. Some of them were more confused than the others, but it was generally agreed upon that they would try their best not to freak out when the colt came back.
Thankfully, none of them made a Pinkie promise – Chip appeared in their midst, towering over them, sparking another fit of panic and chaos. Torment on his face, the changeling took a deep breath.
“SILENCE!!” he bellowed, strength and a death-threat in his voice overpowering the girls. For a second Chip was sure he overdid it – the silencing spell at the entrance bent and warped, but eventually held. The changeling made a mental note to refresh it sometime, as it was getting quite old.
“Chip, are you alright?” finally spoke Night Star. “You didn’t have to yell so loud, you know…”
“I’m sorry,” whispered the colt, shaking his head slightly. “I just have this gigantic head ache…ugh…”
“Now, now,” chimed in Hope, “you’ve had a tough day. Just relax, okay?”
“Uhum,” replied the changeling weakly.
* * *
When Chrysalis called him, she could swear she never saw Chip in a fouler mood. His head was swaying and the colt snapped at the changelings that were exiting the lair. A smirk graced her royal lips. At least someone else was having a bad day yesterday as well. Curiosity of the stallion's “adventures” had to be restrained for now, as today would be the last day of the shape shifting training for her student. A mere formality, but important nonetheless.
“Chip,” she started, rising from her throne, “ today is the last day that we will learn transformation. I have to make sure you are doing everything like it was supposed to, so I will bury myself into your mind and watch you perform.”
It took a moment for Chip to process the information – and the sudden realization flushed his mind clean. The Queen would sit in his mind, monitor him? His thoughts? His MEMORIES?! What if she found out? What if she saw the image of 7 mares sitting in his cave, waiting to be safely taken out of custody?
As if reading his mind, the Queen said: “I’m also very curious to see how you fared with your victims. You seemed pretty tired last time you came around…and today it must’ve been even more interesting.”
Blank thoughts, don’t think about anything. The presence of Chrysalis was there. She was looking around. He wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing. He fumbled. Does she already know? She smiled! She knew! No, she was just laughing at him, he could feel it. Don’t. Think.
“Eh eh, Chip…” said the Queen, visibly displeased, “you are so tense. And your mind is so…bleh. I can’t stand being there. If your Queen so much disturbs you, I guess I’ll make do with what I have. Transform for me Chip.”
Her presence lifted from his mind. It was the most precious feeling he ever felt – he managed to keep his thoughts to himself, shield himself from the Queen. Without breaking a sweat he finally mimicked the screaming victim. He was so happy, it showed. This would be the last one. Then he would officially learn magic, in the meantime releasing the captives and continuing with his plan without a hitch. He didn’t listen as his Queen made a snickering remark about the time it took him to master the skill – he simply took the prisoner with Chrysalis’ blessing.
* * *
Bracing for another fit of panic, the changeling cautiously entered his den. It was still light outside, but he could not see any mare in sight. The wall spell that he left behind was untouched, so they couldn’t have gotten out. The new victim broke from Chip’s embrace and pressed herself into a corner, screaming wildly. Moments later, random piles of items started shifting, revealing his “friends” – the changeling sighed slightly with relief.
“All right, ” he said, muting the screaming pony. Everypony else was calm – they kept their distance, but at least nothing indicated that a wild storm would erupt in the den anytime soon. “Today is the last day I was being tested. Today is the day I will start setting you all FREE!” He had to yell the last word out as screams (this time of delight and joy) ensued.
The scent of positive emotions nearly drove Chip mad. Saliva was dripping from his mouth and he had to focus hard not to lunge at the now prancing mares. Fear and the still fresh memory of hurting Dawn fortified his will – with a bit of pride in his willpower, he steered his thoughts towards organizing this escape. There were 8 mares in total, so he would have to perform the spell around 24 times – transport a pony, move himself to check if she was all right and return. Such stress could be unbearable even for him…yet the challenge felt tempting. He even considered keeping track of the time it would take him to finish the operation.
“So…when will we start?” asked one of the bolder captives.
“Soon. Maybe even right now,” replied Chip, setting his horn aglow. The mares went silent and watched the changeling.
“I’ll go first,” said Night Star. “I trust you. And thank you.”
The bit of nuzzling she did didn’t break Chip’s concentration – still, it was a lot harder than he had anticipated. He knew his body full well and creating the mental image for that was easy. Focusing on another being called for much more precision and keeping track of other things. On top of that, his target was a pony! Chip strained under the pressure of keeping the spell together – without knowing it, he reeked his hooves against the solid rock of his den. That and the huffing and puffing he made were the only sounds to be heard – everypony had their eyes on the valiant mare, wrapped up in a green light. With a pop, she disappeared. A gasp went through the room as Chip followed.
The changeling’s head was starting to throb. That was a bad news. The good news was that Night Star was hugging him, tears in her eyes and words of praise on her lips. She was set free. She could return to her husband and foal. This emotion, as any other, smelled delicious and caused salivating – but Chip knew he would not dare to devour it. It was the same feeling as the desert wind, one that he felt with Chrysalis – a most precious thing offered to him, something he wished he could feel for the rest of his life. It was a balm that could sweep away all the wrongs, soothe all the pains.
With a final wave, the mare trotted off towards the Equestria border that was an hour or less away. The beautiful feeling left Chip, replaced by a lurking migraine. He could do it. It would take more time than anticipated, but it was possible. Finally something was going according to plan. And it was great.
The trip along memory lane got suddenly interrupted when Chip crashed straight into a dark cloud. It was pitch-black inside and he felt tingling on the surface of his armour, small jolts pricking at his head and hooves. A violent dive allowed him to leave the grumbling raincloud.
All around, there was water coming down from the sky. The changeling had his eyes wide open, seeing the phenomenon for the first time in his life. He read about it – it was called rain. Rain was when a cloud had too much water in it and was so heavy that it fell down like this. All of it was made by ponies – the clouds, the rain, the weather in general. Chip did not understand why would anypony want such things floating around – he was soaking wet, almost as if he had fallen into a lake. The taste didn’t differ much from normal water too. And the grim atmosphere the grumbling clouds made were in contrast with what he remembered from his last trip outside the hive.
* * *
The colt decided to travel on hooves for some time – while he could fly with wet wings, it wasn’t the most pleasurable thing. And something in the sky’s murmuring told the changeling that it wouldn’t be wise to fly anyway.
The rain intensified, causing small lakes and rivers to emerge all around. The grass was slippery and flailed wildly in the wind. Chip was irritated at this – he couldn’t see far ahead and already managed to trip a few times. If this was freedom, he regretted it even more – back at the hive it was nice and dry, warm, and he had a lot of things to do. Even if it was just reading the same books over and over again or repeating a spell for the hundredth time, it felt more appealing now more than ever.
Chip finally reached a place to shelter himself from the rain. It was a cosy little rock formation, shielded from the elements and view of others. It took some time for him to realise it was the same spot he chose to release all his friends to! A small tear (or was it just rainwater?) fell to the ground as Chip remembered their faces – each one was so full of gratitude, hope and sincerity.
So maybe his plan didn’t work out as expected. Maybe he would not be able to show Chrysalis the brighter side of life. Still, he did something meaningful for those mares. Doing good things brought him joy. He would continue to do good things for ponies, learn about them. That was a good cause to work with.
His spirits up, Chip looked around the small interior more closely. There were a few items here that he did not recognise – a burned out wax candle, a piece of paper with something scribbled on it and several vegetables and fruits, all rotten and stinky. Upon closer inspection, the paper had a drawing of something that resembled a changeling – black carapace, crooked blue eyes and overly large green wings. The caption beneath read “CHIP”. Was this a message for him? Who left it here? Did anyone know of this place as well? There was nothing on the other side of the drawing, so Chip disregarded those thoughts and looked out south, towards his goal – the border of Equestria. The monotonous rain beating the ground and the serenity of the landscape lulled the changeling into a nap.
* * *
It was dawn when Chip opened his eyes. He slept dreamlessly, but was well rested and ready to tackle the day. The rain clouds moved on their way a long time ago and now the waking sun was working on cleaning up all the water left behind. The warmth of the day sent ripples of pleasure down the colt’s body. This would be a good day.
He took to the skies, delighted at the breeze present just below the clouds. He could see something in the distance from up there – was that a building? Yes, it had to be – the rocks were of one shade of grey and there were elements here and there that definitely weren’t natural.
A sudden thought struck the changeling – how would they react to his appearance? Did they even know what a changeling was? It would be a lot safer to masquerade as one of their own and gauge the situation. There was no need to scare anypony. Especially if there was a possibility of colts being there!
Chip was so excited he nearly crash landed on the ground – he left behind a long trail of skid marks and was vigorously spitting grass. Having collected himself, he now had to decide which disguise to take.
* * *
The ponies living in one of the many border barracks were as vigilant as ever. Their sentry spells picked up somepony coming before they could even see her. Along the north path trotted a mare with a yellow coat and purple mane. She seemed very happy about something and was grinning from ear to eat, picking up the pace as she approached. The guards braced and prepared their weapons
Chip, disguised as Night Star (she was the first that came to mind, no particular preference, really) approached the ponies that were pointing long sticks at him. He saw those before too, in his books. Those were called weapons. They were used for hurting. Why would they want to hurt him? Did his disguise fail him?
His slight panic got quenched when one of the guardsponies smiled and lowered his weapon.
“Night Star!” exclaimed the pony, hugging Chip. “I’m so happy to see you again! Come to check up on your husband? I’ll fetch him right away. Oy, Autumn! Your wife is here to see you!”
The gravity of the situation struck Chip with the force of a hurricane – there was somepony who could look through his disguise. He would be found out! His instincts told him to leap at the other guard and then play a complicated game of cat and mouse, where he would one by one…
No! That is not how Chip does it. He would wait out and see if he can talk to this Autumn. Maybe the changeling’s knowledge of the mare would fool him enough?
“Albert, you must be mistaken, Star is taking care of our foal to-“ The colt paused as he caught sight of Chip. His facial expression went from surprise, through suspicion, ending on something that didn’t suggest anything good. “Ah, yes,” he said in a flat voice, “silly me. That IS my wife. Come now, dear. I have something I want to talk to you about…alone…”
Chip noticed that the weapon strapped to the stallion’s side budged. This could not be good.
The guardpony and Chip travelled the barrack corridors in silence. Instead of windows, the changeling saw thin crevices, letting only a few rays of light disperse the darkness of the interior. The colt got lead to a small room with four beds, hooflockers and a weapon rack. Before he could open his mouth, his body literally froze. He couldn’t move a muscle, not even look around properly.
Without much warning a gigantic pressure brought the false Night Star to his knees, facing the guardspony. In the darkness, Autumn’s horn glowed a bright blue.
“I didn’t believe this,” he started, staring at Chip. “At first, I thought Night Star was making things up. All this...” He waved his forehooves around, looking for the words. “All these ponies that weren’t ponies, only bloodsucking creatures of the night!”
Chip wished to correct Autumn, but his mouth didn’t want to open. The memories of being held in his body without any control came flooding back. He suffered in silence with a blank face.
“But you have your limitations.” The pony approached the masqueraded changeling. “Night cut her mane when she came back. She now wears a nice, short and stylish hairdo. Your hair is long.” A smirk graced his lips. He felt totally superior to this creature – and was relieved that the love of his life wasn't crazy. On the other hoof… “Celestia save us!” he yelled. “There’s more of you, isn’t there!?”
Chip involuntarily watched as Autumn panicked and mumbled to himself. The changeling’s eyes were beginning to sting – he couldn’t even so much as blink. What kind of spell was he under? Would it still work if…
Everything happened in a split second. The spell encasing Chip backfired when the changeling dropped his disguise – a blue projectile hit Autumn in the head, knocking him over. Before the stallion fell to the ground, the black colt was already pressing him to the ground with his full weight. A brutal smash to the face knocked the guardspony unconscious.
Chip fought with his now adrenaline flooded body – his muscles ached as he stopped himself from sinking his teeth into the knocked out Autumn.
“What now…” he sighted, taking a good look at his surroundings. The small crevice on the wall was too thin to squeeze through – even if he would manage to somehow make it wider, it would be only a matter of time before the guard woke up and sounded the alarm. Then, Chip would be a very sought after creature. A different approach was in order. An idea formed in the Changeling’s mind as he took on the guise of Autumn Leaf.
* * *
The guardspony woke up with a splitting headache. He remembered nothing – the whole world was a swirling mess of colours. Slowly, but surely, his vision sharpened – the sun was setting. It would be high time for him to go back home. He tried to turn around, but found his hooves glued to the ground. A green slime was wrapped around them – and something told the pony that it wasn’t snot. Memories were coming back to him, as if he was watching a movie – sipping coffee at the bedrooms, somepony calling him down, him seeing somepony that looked like his wife, him dragging the suspect to the bedroom, immobilising him, then a blur, pain… The changeling! The monster was loose!
Autumn tried to call out, but his lips were sealed. He felt the familiar tingling of magic in his mouth. A zip-it spell.
“You’re quite the bother,” said a shadow before him. Where was he anyway? This place looked unfamiliar – a cave of sorts. The creature’s hideout? “Don’t try to get out. I underestimated you. But I learn fast.” The form stepped into view – the beast was tall, taller than he was. It had pitch black armour, a vile, twisted horn and leathery wings. Its hooves were dotted with holes through which he could see the ground. And its eyes. The eyes of a killer – cold blue orbs with small slits of black. Focused on Autumn.
Chip sighed. The guardspony struggled and tried casting magic, but the changeling thought about everything. Complementing the zip-it spell, he put out an inhibition ward, rendering all spells that weren’t his void. This was a taxing thing to maintain, so the changeling colt had to quickly persuade the guard that he was not a bloodthirsty monster. Because killing him would probably make somepony else sad – did he say he knew Night Star?
“Now listen, and listen carefully. My name is Chip and I am a changeling. You seem to know my friend, Night Star. It is I who set her and the other mares free. I do not wish to hurt you or anypony else. I have been banished from my kind and would like to seek refuge in the kingdom of Equestria.” Chip stopped, remembering some of the better words and lines he read in a political fiction book. “I mean you no harm and guarantee none shall fall upon you or your friends for helping me. I can be a valuable ally – all I require is a little bit of trust. As a goodwill gesture, I will let you speak now. Just no funny business, okay?”
Leaf felt the pressure sealing his lips lift. Instantly his jaw dropped to the very ground. This was the Chip Night Star spoke about? Autumn was dead sure his love meant a pony. A kind and gentle pony that helped her escape whatever she got herself into. The fabled hero and the one who brought his wife back was…this creature?
“Chip…” repeated mindlessly the pony. “The Chip. A changeling.”
“Yes, yes, exactly!” said the black colt excitedly. Communication was the key to everything, just like the books said. If it was that simple, why did the guardspony start out so aggressively towards Chip? “Will you help me? Please? I really mean you no harm!”
An awkward silence fell between the two. Autumn’s mind was racing a thousand miles per hour – Chip was content with observing the stallion and comparing him to what the books said.
“So you’re…Chip,” sighted Autumn, a bit of tension leaving his body. “I...I always wanted to thank you. It seems that a simple thank you won’t be enough now, won’t it? Since all this…nonsense about changelings is all true. A real threat…” he said to himself.
“No no, I’m no threat!” interrupted Chip, shuffling in place anxiously. The ward was starting to cause a migraine and the changeling learned to treat it as a warning sign that he was reaching his capacity in magical energy. “I’m good, I don’t want to hurt anypony! Will you help me, please? I promise I won’t be a bother. I just want to learn more about ponies!”
The ward broke, sending small ripples of magical energy through both colts. They knew what that meant. Who would make the first move?
“I guess…” started Autumn, eyeing Chip, “… I guess I can help you. By Celestia, I don’t know why. You’re big, you’re strong and know a lot more about magic than I do. But you didn’t hurt me. And you saved my wife.”
A simultaneous sigh broke the dense tension in the cave and a light breeze cleared the remains. The sun was hiding behind the horizon.
* * *
“Chip, I have no grudge against you…but this ‘costume’ of yours makes me…feel awkward,” said Autumn, staring at a copy of his wife. It was unnerving to know that behind the sweet, rose eyes there lurked two cold, terrifying sapphire spheres.
“I’m sorry,” replied the changeling, putting his ears down. “But it would be awkward if you went with your wife up north for some ‘alone time’ and then returned with somepony else.”
“I did what?” gasped Autumn Leaf as they both reached the gates.
The stallion wasn’t happy about the situation, but didn’t flinch at the whistles and snickers thrown his way. His irritation was doubled by Chip acting all cocky and alluring, as if they had the best time of their lives not that long ago. Imagination getting ahead of him, Autumn had to cover his mouth with a forehoof – the vision of mating with the giant changeling was…disturbing.
The guardpony and Chip travelled the barrack corridors in silence. Instead of windows, the changeling saw thin crevices, letting only a few rays of light disperse the darkness of the interior. The colt got lead to a small room with four beds, hooflockers and a weapon rack. Before he could open his mouth, his body literally froze. He couldn’t move a muscle, not even look around properly.
Without much warning, a gigantic pressure brought the false Night Star to his knees. From the shadows emerged a white mare, probably as tall as he was.
“Hi theeeeere~” she intoned, a wide grin giving her face a maniacal expression. “I am Princess Celestia. And this is… TO THE MOOOOON!!”
Chip’s insides churned as he was propelled upwards, through the stone roof. His chitin softened the blow, crumbling on his back. His bare skin began to burn as he flew higher and faster, tears of pain clouding the changeling's vision.
With a thump he landed on a dusty, gray plane. There was not a single landmark in sight, the ground littered with craters. He was as confused as one could get, but not for long. Before him, a wisp of bluish smoke erupted and another mare appeared. As tall as the previous one, she had a black coat, light blue armor and a flowing night sky mane.
“Who dares interrupt me in my sanctum!” she bellowed, looking down at the cowering Chip. “Celestia, you stupid… UGH! DON’T SEND TRASH MY WAY!”
Another vertical jerk definitely caused the changeling's stomach to go all the way up his throat. He felt heat as he approached the surface of the green earth – he was aimed straight at a giant castle attached to a mountain.
The colt's head burst with colors as he collided with one of the statues in the royal garden. His chitin was a life saver, but with each crazy mare there was less and less of it protecting the changeling. He felt naked, burned and stunned.
“Ho ho ho, what do we have here?” asked a snickering voice from behind. “I say, aren’t you an interesting creature? I wouldn’t think of such a fun way to portray a pony even if I tried!”
Chip turned around to see…something. It was neither a pony, nor a dragon, nor anything he had ever seen. A talon of an eagle with a lion’s paw acting as hands? Pony and bat wings? The creature was hideous.
“Well, thanks for letting me out anyway. You came from up there, didn’t you?” Discord pointed up at the moon. “Aww, it looks so sad without you!"
As the draconequus snapped his fingers, the moon started turning. Chip wasn’t sure if his eyes were fooling him or not (with this kind of head trauma, everything was possible), but the satellite in the sky had developed a face. A really angry looking face.
“I may be the spirit of chaos, but if there is anything that I won’t stand against, it would be true love! Now.” He snapped his talons. “Kiss.” Discord vanished in a puff of pink smoke that smelled faintly of candy.
The moon rushed towards the earth, gaining speed as it went. With a catastrophic, ground shaking explosion it impacted, sinking deep into the surface of the planet…
“So, uh…Chip,” said Autumn, leading the changeling along a dirt path. “You mind maybe…I don’t know…changing your appearance or something?”
“What for?” replied Chip, still dressed as Night Star. “It seems perfectly reasonable for the two of us to travel together. And the ponies back at the outpost were very happy to see us.”
“Ugh…you really are a bit clueless when it comes to mare-colt relations, aren’t you?” sighed the stallion, shaking his head miserably. Tomorrow he would have many stupid grins and lots of mocking to endure. “Just…please…pick a different disguise.”
The changeling shrugged, but didn’t want to argue. Without stopping, he let a green flame go over his body, changing him into the colt he remembered at the Queen’s lair. This outfit seemed to please Leaf a lot more.
“Pretty neat. You can really copy anypony you see? Just like that?”
“Yes. How does this look?” said the changeling, taking on the guise of Autumn himself.
Leaf squinted slowly at his doppleganger, a slight frown growing on his muzzle. “That can’t be right,” he said finally. “No way I have such a large gut. I’m all muscle and bones, son. I eat healthy, I work out… Nu-uh, you’re not as good as you say you are.”
“Oh…okay. If you say so.” Chip was near certain he did everything right – but who was he to know the ins and outs of a pony?
The rest of the way to Autumn’s home was silent, save for the sleepy chirping of birds. It was a beautiful sunset – one that the black colt never saw before. In his home canyon, everything was so uninteresting and dusty. Here…the colours in the sky, the smells on the ground – all of that made him feel truly alive, as if awoken from a deep slumber.
* * *
“Darling! I’m home!” called out Leaf, putting down his bags and closing the door. The hut wasn’t large, but it certainly felt comfy. Chip could smell the mouth-watering scent of love, caring and tenderness in the air. He shuffled out of the way of a charging filly, who lunged herself at Autumn with a squeal.
“Daddy daddy!” squeaked the little pony, snuggling up to her dad. “You know what I did today?! Do you, do you?!”
“What is it dear? Show me!” replied the colt enthusiastically. He was trying to inconspicuously locate where the changeling stood – the faint signature of the invisibility spell the creature cast before entering was extremely hard to locate.
“This way daddy, this way!” shouted the filly, dragging her father by the mane towards a structure made from colorful blocks. “See? This is where you work! And there you are!” The little foal was excitedly showing the building miniature to Leaf – for a 6 year old, Autumn thought she certainly did a great job. She really loved those cheap building blocks he got her for Heart's Warming.
Chip was stunned at the amount of positive emotions his senses picked up. He could just be draining them all day long and burst without anyone noticing the difference! He never knew this kind of love was possible - it was dense in the air, shifting and dancing around his delicate senses, sweeping chills over his entire body.
If the changeling ever felt challenged before, it was nothing compared to this. His nature clawed at his mind, demanding he wolf down everything, straight down to the tiniest morsel. It took all his remaining willpower and restraint to not give into the urge, lest his concentration on the spell faltered and he revealed himself prematurely.
“There you are Autumn. Had a good day at work, dear?”
There she was – Night Star. She really did wear her mane shorter now. Her features were a lot less bony now, her mane and coat having regrown properly. The hair had a certain shine to it, looking healthy and pretty much like in Chip's books about anatomy. He couldn't help feeling something stir under his heart, distracting him from the urgent hunger. It was the same feeling he had back in those caves...
“You look troubled. Everything okay?” asked the mare, cocking her head slightly and nuzzling her husband slowly.
“Yeah, sure!” said the guardspony a bit more excitedly than it was necessary. He ruffled the little giggling filly’s mane, picking her up. “Now sweetie, mommy and daddy need to have a talk, okay? You can tell me all about your day when we are done. Just stay in your room, okay?”
“Yes daddy! I love you!” squeaked the little bundle of joy, hopping on the bed as the doors to her room closed. A cute little painting of a yellow pony and a black colt was attached to them.
“What’s the matter?” said Night Star in a worried voice. She rarely saw her husband act like this – he was certainly looking for something, squinting and waving a hoof in the air.
“Come out now, we need to talk. If you’re still there.”
Both ponies jumped as the large changeling appeared between them. He was no longer wearing his disguise and had maybe a foot or two of space between his head and the ceiling.
“Chip!” shouted Night Star, totally surprised. She threw herself to hug the changeling, sending ripples of pleasure through his body.
He couldn't help but murr delicately at the sensation. Did he miss Night Star? She certainly was a pleasure to see. She was the first pony he ever met. The first one he set free. She was kinda...special, at least to Chip and his still developing spark.
“Yes, that’s me” replied the changeling, deadpan.
“What are you doing here?”
* * *
Chip told the story of his ascendancy and subsequent fall from grace, the way the Queen threw him out and the awkward situation at the barracks. Night Star was full of compassion towards her, from lack of a better word, friend, but turned furiously red on the face after hearing the last part of the story.
“You what?!” she whispered sharply. “How could you do such a thing! You know how embarrassing meeting those ponies will be now?”
Taken aback, the changeling shrunk in his seat at the table. “I’m sorry. I thought it was a good idea…”
The mare sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to live with that for a while…I’ll go check up on Silver if she’s asleep”
“Silver?” asked Chip, cocking his head.
“That’s our foal. Silver Heart,” explained Night Star, silently opening the door. She smiled and beckoned the two colts to join her. “Look,” she said.
Inside Chip saw a small earth pony, fast asleep. She was lying on her back, her belly moving to the tact of her breath. She was talking in her sleep – the words the changeling could make out were “Daddy” and “Mommy”.
He didn’t understand the sense of pride and joy emanating from the owners of the foal. Then again, changelings weren’t exactly ones to care much for their young. As soon as they could walk and fly on their own, which happened within a day or few, they became just another appendage to the hive mind. A collective that he would likely never feel again.
* * *
Midnight was approaching when everybody decided it was high time to go to sleep. Chip finished sharing his plans of venturing deeper into Equestria and learning to live amongst ponies just as the clock's hands aligned.
“Chip, you are an okay changeling. But from what you say, your kind generally isn’t loving towards us pony folk,” said Autumn Leaf, taking a swig of his hard cider from a mug. “It is my duty as a guardspony to inform the other outposts as well as our Royal Highness of this…force in the north. From your tale it is apparent that we will have to deal with this sooner or later. I’m sorry to say, that will make your journey quite difficult.”
“I wouldn’t worry,” replied Chip with a brave face. Inside, though, he felt a bit disappointed and scared at the motion of having to be on the run and on his toes all day and night. “I’ll make due. Thanksh you for your hoshpitality and this…strange liquid.”
“Ha, you’re welcome! Want some more?” asked the guardspony, pouring more alcohol into Chip’s mug.
The changeling was starting to feel a bit fuzzy, but could not understand why. He read something about apples and cider, but the exact book title and words eluded him, dancing around in his head. This should be worrying to him, but other parts of his body told him to simply not dwell on it and pour more of the golden drink into his throat.
“Leaf, really, you want to get him drunk or something?” snapped Night Star silently, taking away the beverages. “I can bet he doesn’t even know what cider is. Or do you, Chip?”
“Chi-wha?” hiccupped the changeling. His head felt really funny by now. He wanted more of that tasteless liquid. He was sure there was more in at least one of those twelve mugs Night Star and her five sisters were carrying.
“See what… done?” he heard a muffled voice. “He’s… unk like a…. flank!”
Without much warning, the wooden floor threw itself at Chip. He tried to release himself from its embrace, but the beast was strong. After a brief struggle he yielded, allowing himself to be held by the floor. It wasn’t that bad – it was nice and cold. They could be friends. As a gesture of good-will, Chip even shared some of the fine liquid he drank with his new wooden friend. It was as tasteless as before, but hopefully the floor wouldn’t mind much.
Slowly, thoughts and feelings blurred into one kaleidoscope of colors, noises and tastes. He felt he was being picked up and thrown onto an even softer new friend. Chip tried to share some of the liquid with this acquaintance as well, but found no more of this “cider” in himself. Maybe in the morning. After the books stop flapping their pages, herding all the small foal-changelins into the giant head of Chrysalis.
Upon consideration, the sounds seemed to come from the outside. They traveled through his ears and stayed inside his skull, bouncing around his brain.
CREEK. CREEK. HUFF. HUFF.
The changeling felt a pressure on his body – a thousand ton thing was crushing him; wind blew with the force of a hurricane in his muzzle. It smelled like candy; the sweet scent made Chip nauseous, encouraging his stomach to convulse dangerously.
Hesitantly, he opened one eye. He felt like the eyelid was made of stone and wasn’t used in at least a hundred years. Hay, he could hear the ancient rock crumble and groan as it slid.
The colt could not make much of what he saw – the colors registered in his eye, but got lost somewhere between the socket and the mind. Maybe the second eye could help out?
It didn’t. The image was still there, but he had no clue what he was looking at. Hot lava poured through his head and a dry carpet was present in his mouth. He tried spitting it out and was very confused when the material seemed to be stuck deep in his throat.
Chip decided to engage a hoof in investigating the rogue rug – yet again a bad idea. He literally felt each muscle groan and come to life as his fetlock bent and approached the face. A millennium later, he managed to touch the dry object in his mouth. It was a very thick carpet. And was kind of squishy too.
Then, it stuck him. It was a tongue. Moreover. It was his tongue. The discovery was so mind-shattering, Chip had to stop for a moment to process it.
Out of nowhere, a booming voice assaulted his sensitive senses: “MOMMY, MOMMY, WHO IS THIS MISTER LYING ON THE BED?” It was a hundred brass bells being rung by merciless giants, hammering away in the accompaniment of shrieking harpies.
Chip literally wanted to unscrew his head, put it away somewhere and go back to sleep. He even put some muscles into motion to execute his brilliant plan when, finally, the eyes established a miraculous connection to the brain.
Before him, a wooden ceiling. Covered by a silver furred head with big, green eyes. A nose was below that, huffing air into his muzzle. A mouth was even lower! A smiling mouth at that.
“Leave the mister alone, darling,” said a voice from the side, a soothing balm of barely hearable words. “He’s, umm, sick and , uhh, needs to rest.”
“OKAY MOMMY,” boomed the gray head, causing Chip’s head to explode with the force of a thousand hypernovas. “HOPE YOU GET BETTER SOON MISTER.”
The crushing weight on his abdomen vanished -- silently, the changeling thanked for that small blessing. And then he passed out.
* * *
The sun knocked on Chip’s eyelids. It was mighty polite of it to be so discreet, so the colt decided to let it in. Struggling less than before, he opened his eyes. The connection to his brain worked perfectly now, sending near crystal-clear images to his mind. He was in a room made of wood, lying on a soft bed. From the corner of his eye he saw a window – the sun was high up in the sky and not a cloud could be seen. A perfect day to finally get up!
“Nnnnope,” said Chip’s body, refusing to move. His hooves were petrified and the stallion panicked – has he lost feeling? Could he no longer control his body!? Was it happening again?
Something was flailing at the lower part of his vision. He focused on the black, hole ridden rods that waved below him. Those were his hooves? Why couldn’t he feel them?
The answer came crashing down on the changeling as he tried to get up. As he cocked his head, a cascade of pain supplemented by nausea and vertigo nearly knocked him out. Everything spun around in a wild dance, settling down only when he collapsed back onto the bed.
Something broke in my neck, concluded the changeling. He could move his body, but not feel anything besides excruciating pain and confusion. His mind felt bogged down, his memory refusing to cooperate and bring up his medical knowledge from various books. What was happening to him?
* * *
“You okay, Chip?” asked a voice. “You’ve been out cold for most of the day now. Say something, please!”
“Whhhr,” hacked the colt.
“Gosh! He’s okay darling!” called out the voice. “What was that you were saying?”
“Wahhher,” croaked Chip, feeling his throat peel away at the strain it was put under.
“Water? You want water? Right here, drink up.”
He felt pressure against his muzzle – the pressure was wet. Greedily, he sucked, hydrating the carpet he now remembered was his tongue. As the liquid gushed downward, Chip felt nearly ecstatic – it was a nectar, the finest he has ever drank. Because it was wet. It gently sloshed down the wasteland tunnel of his throat, peppering it with motherly kisses of bliss.
“Whoa, slow down, breathe!” laughed the voice.
The water went away. Chip didn’t want it to go away. He tried to protest, but noticed he couldn’t make a sound. His torso begun convulsing as the body finally realized it needed air to operate. His guts churned, threatening to let go of the nectar that rested in his stomach.
“There we go, settle down. Dang, I’ve never seen somepony get this kind of hangover. Night was right, you don’t have a head for drinking. Sailed away after one mug?” The voice was mocking Chip. He didn’t like that. Still, somewhere under his skin he felt that the voice and the wet liquid which he desired so much were mystically connected. He decided not to take chances and possibly offend the voice that could summon ice cold relief to his lips.
“Waaater,” pleaded Chip in a hoarse voice. He winced, offering a dry smile to the keeper of water.
“Of course, drink up. Nice and easy, small sips. Remember to breathe…that’s it…don’t worry, there’s plenty where that came from…”
The changeling was happy he met the voice. It was nice to him. He wanted to cry and sing praise to it and the glorious beverage that was water. He would call it 'Ode to the Water Spirits' and would get down to laying out the verses just after closing his eyes for a few seconds.
* * *
“Daddy daddy! The mister is awake again! You are, aren’t you mister?”
A small creature was standing on Chip’s torso, looking at him with large, gleaming green eyes. The changeling’s memory chugged and strained, like a giant clockwork mechanism, retrieving information about the filly he recognized. Silver Heart. Foal of Autumn and Star.
“Ugh,” started Chip, feeling the dryness of his tongue impede his ability to talk. “Wahher,” he gasped.
“Oh, oh! I’ll fetch it for you! Mooom!” yelled the filly, jumping down and vanishing from sight.
The little thing was back, carrying a tray in her mouth – there was a cup on it, a simple clay mug. Cautiously, Chip raised his head; whatever was broken seemed to have repaired itself pretty well. In slow motion, he reached for the cup with both hooves, carefully picking it up and resting it on his chest. The filly disappeared once again, but that did not matter.
The liquid inside the mug once again sloshed down his throat – it was like drinking liquid love, something that didn’t make much sense in a physical way. The changeling sat more comfortably now, watching his surroundings.
“Feeling better?” asked Night Star, smiling. “I’m really sorry for what happened. I should have acted sooner. You really gave us a solid scare there, Chip. Seriously, nopony has ever reacted like this to cider. Haha, Autumn was scared out of his mind that he killed you.”
“Ughh…” concluded Chip, trying to swallow away the dryness in his mouth.
“ I bet you need more water. Sweetie, could you bring more water for the nice mister?”
“Yes mommy! Daaddy!” shouted the filly, taking a sharp turn around the kitchen.
“Such a precious little angel she is. We were afraid she would be…well, afraid of you. But when she saw you, she just came up to you and started asking questions. Especially why you have both a horn and wings – she assumed you were a princess or something – and why do you have holes in your hooves.” The mare paused, looking at the changeling’s legs. “Come to think of it, why do changelings have holes in their fetlocks?”
“Brrgh…” said Chip sagely. He swallowed again, irritated at the lack of saliva in his mouth.
“Oh, you poor dear. Silver, darling! Where are you?”
“She’s coming,” replied Autumn Leaf, holding a jug and cup in his magical grip; the little filly pranced in her father’s wake. The two items landed on the tray Chip had in front of him. The mug was obviously ignored – it was empty. As fast as he could, the changeling gulped down the contents of the pitcher. This time he made sure to take small pauses to breathe.
Chip got filled in on what hard cider and a hangover were as soon as he could make the first hazy steps out of bed, which was right around midnight. Silver Heart was disappointed she had to go to sleep before the changeling was able to communicate properly – she showered the guest with attention, prancing, questions and her artwork depicting a black colt and what presumably was a princess in distress, in different stages of being rescued. Chip later learned that was supposed to be Night Star.
“Well, this certainly was something…new,” said Chip, rubbing his temples slowly.
“Again, I’m mighty sorry, Chip. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”
The changeling smiled - did it really work that way? Did surviving a new experience make him stronger? He would need to sometime check that theory in practice with another mug of alcohol.
“Indeed. Although I don’t feel particularly strong right now.”
“Well then, how about you take a rest, huh? It’s really late anyway and some real sleep for a change will do you some good,” offered Night, smiling sincerely.
“I appreciate your offer,” replied Chip, reveling in the positive emotions cast at him, “but I should move on. I have stayed in one place long enough. And if the guards are aware of my kind just outside Equestrian borders, I do not wish to endanger you.”
“I haven’t told anypony about the changelings yet,” confessed Autumn with a sigh. “It didn’t seem right, with you in bed the whole day and all.”
“I appreciate the gesture. Thank you. I will remember your kindness and pray for good fortune to visit this home as often as possible,” recited the changeling. The lines from a feudal fantasy book seemed proper in this situation.
“Umm…thanks, I guess. So you’ll be leaving now?” Autumn raised a brow. “At this late hour? You have any idea what lurks in the Everfree at this time?”
“Everfree? The Everfree Forest? I think I read about it. Mythical creatures, unusual weather, a mysterious place where nopony goes unless necessary.” Chip was quite proud of the knowledge he had. Reading books couldn’t have paid off better.
“More or less, yes,” said the guardspony, nodding, “and the forest is just a leap away. No way are you going out there. Wait until morning, we’ll get up early and I’ll take you to the forest entrance.”
* * *
Night Star was right – a good night’s sleep on a comfortable bed was a good thing. He never felt so rested in his entire life of sleeping on rocks, grass, green goo or other changelings. Beds were another thing added to a growing list of things for which ponies should be loved, not hated. Chrisalis' reasons for hating ponies grew bleaker for the changeling with each passing day in their presence.
The shapeshifter refused to take any rations or tools – he had his magic to work with and could eat just about anything; it was all tasteless anyway, so there was no use wasting fancy food that could benefit the family.
The little filly was a different problem overall – she woke up to the sound of Autumn and Chip shuffling about in the morning and insisted to come along. She was barely standing on her hooves, her little head still lulling towards dream land. A threat of tears was made when Autumn refused, so the whole leave had to be delayed so that the small filly could say her good-bye to the strange pony that was not a princess.
Chip once again glanced at the drawing he received. It had two characters, a large black colt and a small gray pony. The captions beneath read “Chip” and “S.H.”, followed by a small heart and a small “Good luck!” cramped into the lower right corner. The filly confessed she had been drawing that instead of sleeping last night, which almost caused an argument between her and her father. The situation was diffused by the changeling himself, offering his thanks and hugging the little pony, convincing her to get back to sleep and listen to her parents, because they were the best parents ever. How could a pony not trust such a nice and big colt with funny holed hooves?
“This is it.” Autumn Leaf stopped right before the wall of dark green trees. Between them lay a path, sinking into the dark depths of the Everfree forest. “ You be careful now, you hear? And please don’t be causing trouble – I’d hate to see you on the wanted list on any dashboard I come across. Deal?”
“Deal,” replied Chip, clapping his hoof against Autumn’s.
Immediately, Chip took on the guise of an azure pony with a black, short mane. Without hesitation he galloped into the forest, the thrill of adventure and hope of something interesting happening sending ripples down his back.
Autumn Leaf looked back one last time before making his way to his barracks for his shift. It would be a hard day, as he would have to convince his colleagues that there are creatures like Chip lurking in the north. Also, he would have to endure the suggestive glances and whistles thrown his way, courtesy of Chip’s masquerade the other day...
* * *
It was hard to tell which hour it was – not much light managed to pierce through the thick leaves and branches of the ancient Everfree trees. Chip was bored – he ran at a steady pace for some time and nothing had happened. No timber wolves, no spooky voices or trees grabbing out for him.
Dead silence haunted the colt. Was it possible he was feared? Chip never thought about the implications of his presence in the local flora and fauna. His kind were natural predators, probably unmatched by typical creatures he read about. The animals described in his books had only limited magical capabilities, if any at all. It would have been fun to down a monster or two for the sheer fun of it, but no one was there to challenge him.
A growling from below made Chip jump back, landing in a prone position, eyes and ears darting in all directions. The hideous sound could be anything – a manticore, hydra, maybe cockatrice? There it was again! Was something attached to his stomach? Oh…
The colt looked at the foliage around him. He was so worked up over his journey he totally ignored the sucking sensation in his gut. He didn’t eat much for the past few days – it was doubtful he would feed on emotions ever again (at least, not voluntarily) and it didn’t make much difference what he threw in his stomach, as long as it looked interesting. Grass was too cliché to snack on, the moss looked too squishy and…
"Hello? What do we have here?" asked Chip, measuring up a field of blue plants. The changeling couldn't tell what they smelled like, but the sensation was tingly in his nose, almost energetic. "Would you like to be my dinner?"
Chrysalis plowed through the web of connections she shared with her minions. It was a giant network, confusing and natural at the same time. The Queen had control over each and every creature, at the same time not being able to discern to well which was which. They were all more or less the same to her – some might have differed in appearance, gender or scars that marked them, but that made absolutely no difference in their psyche. All identical, ready for her to guide them, simple little puppets.
And in their midst there were those that were just like Chip – as dangerous and potentially useful. Tracking them down was an insanely difficult task – the more the Queen indulged herself in scanning her minions, the more pestering the feeling of pointlessness was getting. Without guidance, these minions would not grow like the renegade did. Or would they? Was it worth stopping to find out?
Those and many other questions weighted heavy on the royal mind while she walked the valley she called home. It was merely, what? a day? maybe two? since the changeling left. Or rather, since Chrysalis made the foolish mistake of giving into some kind of motherly instinct and letting the damned mutant live. He should have been slaughtered or at least brainwashed, as the original plan suggested. But no, she had to go all “he’s just like me, I was like him too” on herself. Reasoning and planning out the window.
“Hopefully, the little trash will get caught or killed somewhere out there. But if he does…hmm…another mistake. Am I getting that old? Stupid, stupid-” The Queen stopped and jerked her head upwards. She felt something. A wild rush of excitement went through her as she brutally tore at the delicate links of the hive mind. Close, somewhere really close!
Chrysalis disregarded the groans and erratic behavior of the changelings around her – some would die from the overload of psychical strain caused by the sweeping. All she needed was that one precious gemstone…
One…
Single…
There…
Up there!
“Why, hello there, my sweet. How was your day?” The Queen smiled as a tiny changeling, probably a female, huddled before her. The other consciousness, akin to what Chip called “the spark”, was flickering faintly on the edge of her senses. The black mare thought that she had already decided to extinguish each and every sign of this abnormality…but maybe with a female things would go different?
The Queen now knew what to look out for, what to avoid. Less personal space, more indoctrination. Let her grow just a tiny bit – exterminate at the first signs of developing a stronger connection with the hive mind. She needed lieutenants, not generals. This would be the one last try to create a super drone. And maybe even an assassin…to dispose of a loose end she let slip…
The field of blue was literally ravaged by Chip. What little was left of the fragrant plants had to be left alone, as the changeling’s gut was dangerously pressing against his abdominal carapace piece.
With a satisfied belch, the colt continued his stride through the forest. It was getting warmer and he could see a transparent mist rise from the ground. The damp air was leaving droplets of water on Chip’s shimmering armor - it was a really uncomfortable feeling and the stallion had to shake the moisture off every now and then. Other than that small inconvenience, the forest was very enjoyable. The rich variety of smells, colors and sounds made the changeling’s head spin – he tried hard to put a name to everything he saw and heard, identifying most of them correctly…or so he hoped.
* * *
For some time now, Chip felt like he was being followed. He wasn’t sure if it was the subtle rustling of leaves or a faint smell of emotions, but something told him that it couldn’t be a wild creature. It was already concluded that beasts feared him and it would be impossible for that theory to be rendered null all of a sudden. With that thought in mind, the colt stopped and looked around.
His ears twitched – a bush to the left moved slightly. Despite the now heavy layer of fog near the ground, it was visibly more energetic than the rest of the foliage in the windless forest. With a wild grin, Chip vanished from view.
The plant shrugged. Chip followed the sound of rustling leaves, trying to move as silently as he could. He noticed he was being circled…was he seen? Was it possible that his spell didn’t work in the forest? He paused to look at his hoof, which of course wasn’t there. Instead, a puff of white followed upwards. Chip grunted, displeased – it was so obvious. The mist he was standing in was disrupted by his body. Gloves off, then.
Springing sideways, Chip mauled the air with his wings, leaving a trail of white in his wake. He crashed into something, tumbling a few feet until painfully hitting a tree. He held tight to the kicking and biting thing – he could barely see his hooves (as a figure of speech of course, they were still invisible), let alone the spy that was tracing him. Picking himself up, he held the flailing creature above the mist’s surface. And allowed his jaw to drop.
Kicking and squirming in his forehooves was none other than a gray, soaked filly. Her green eyes were panicked; her mouth moved, but no sound came from it. Snapping out of it, the changeling made himself visible in his true form. The foal got startled for only a little while before going limp and staring at Chip with her large eyes.
“Umm…” She swallowed, breaking eye contact and trying to look innocent. “H-Hi there… Mister…”
“Silver… Heart…” hissed Chip, trying to figure out what was happening. Why was the filly here? Was she sent here to find him? Why hasn't she just approached him? And why would Night Star or Autumn Leaf send their child after him? “What…are you doing here?”
He put the filly back on the ground. The fog swallowed her up to her neck, making the red blush even more vibrant on her face. Was this some kind of pony thing? Come to think of it, it was quite practical. A young one was lighter and therefor faster to carry messages around. And definitely more stealthy, as was proved by her managing to trace him almost flawlessly. If he knew any better, he would think she had some changeling blood in her. Thankfully, it was biologically impossible. Probably.
“I, umm,” started the filly, shuddering. “I, umm…I snuck out of home…to come and see you. I-I’m sorry,” she wept, sinking into the mist.
Chip grabbed her by the coat and placed on his back. “Why did you follow me, little one?”
“I just…you’re a really nice colt. Mommy told me a lot about you. And I wanted to meet you. But I couldn’t, because you were sick and all…”
“I had a hangover,” explained Chip.
“What’s a hangover?”
“It’s when you drink too much alcohol and then have a bad time. I should not drink at all, because that is what only grownups do,” recited the changeling the explanation he was offered way back at the cottage.
“Well, aren’t you a grownup yourself? I mean, you’re really big and all.”
“Huh. Good question, Silver Heart.”
What was a grownup anyway? By pony standards, he is even younger than the filly. By changeling trends…what was he anyway? He was overgrown, abnormal, totally unique. How to classify himself in his own species?
The answer would have to wait, as the filly was squirming around uncomfortably on Chip’s back. In silence, she was inspecting his flank, neck, tapping at his carapace and irritating his ears with her muzzle. She was curious. And Chip felt…some kind of sweetness in himself. It was a happy feeling, but one he could not name. It was pleasurable, like watching the sun rise or flying high up in the air, but at the same time was a lot deeper and closer to the heart rather than spread all over the body.
“Say mister, you don’t have a cutie mark, don’t ya?” The filly almost slipped off the colt’s wet back, tapping his thigh.
“No. I don’t have such marks. None of my kind have,” replied Chip, fighting with his thoughts. What should he do now? The foal didn’t seem to want anything with him, save for a talk. Should he take her with him? Return her home? It would be a shame to go all the way through the forest again and land in the same spot the morning after.
“So, uh, what do you want to do?” finally asked the colt.
“I don’t know. What do you wanna do?”
“Well, I’m going that way,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction they came from. “Hopefully I’ll reach some kind of settlement and learn about ponies.”
“So that’s what you do? Learn about ponies? Are you a scientist?” The filly was excitedly bouncing on his back, occasionally dropping on her belly to not fall off the slippery surface. “Wow, mommy told me you are smart, but she didn’t mention you’re a scientist! Oh, oh! I know! I’m a pony, right?” She turned around, proving undoubtedly she was a real equine. “You can learn about me! I can come with you and tell you all about ponies! Please, please! I’ve always wanted to go someplace else, but daddy said there was no need…that it was too dangerous.”
“I’m a bit disappointed as well – everything seems to be afraid of me,” grumbled Chip.
“Well, I’m not! I like you!” she snuggled to the changeling, climbing onto his neck and poking her head above his. She tried to look him in the eyes, but his curvy horn made that task difficult. “We can be best friends! I never get to meet anypony else, except for daddy’s friends and their foals. They are all so boring. But you’re cool!”
“Umm…thanks.” Chip smiled and cautiously turned around, securing the filly in place between his stretched leathery wings.
* * *
The journey continued , but there was no room for silence anymore. Silver Heart was very excited and kept asking questions Chip tried to answer to the best of his abilities. Together they put names on trees (making some of them up, pretending to be the first ones to ever discover them), laughed or just talked about themselves. Silver didn’t understand much of Chip’s tale, though – all this about hive minds, shapeshifting, drinking emotion, it didn’t make much sense. She heard a few grownup things she couldn’t remember later as well.
The colt listened carefully to the filly’s story and was taken aback at how different the changeling culture was from the pony one – the very premise of not sharing thoughts, emotions and basically all their life functions with one another was mind blowing. Each pony was trapped in their own little mind, feeling closeness only through communicating with words, gestures or touch. The whole idea of communication was alien in itself. It was difficult to imagine how one such as this foal could learn to walk, talk and do other things without guidance. Chip remembered the time he was learning how to function and it was difficult – certainly lethal should he had to do it by himself. All this confirmed a lot from what he had heard in his cave a few months back.
Silver Heart was a bit startled by Chip when he decided to travel in his azure colt disguise – she fell off his back during transformation, but claimed to be okay. She even managed to beg out a short display of the costumes he had – she squealed especially loud when she saw her own image standing just a hoof away from her.
“It would be really fun if you pretended you were me – we could say we were twin sisters!” repeated Silver for (almost) the hundredth time, lying her head on the short black mane Chip now had. She was still chewing a leaf from the recent meal they had – unfortunately, the black colt was unable to find the fragrant blue plant he liked so much earlier.
“You’re too short for my taste. I got used to seeing things from above.” The stallion yelped as he received an bite to the back of his neck
“Meanie,” grumbled Silver Heart.
* * *
The little creature on Chip’s back fell asleep around the time it became colder and darker in the forest – the changeling himself was starting to feel tired. Every once in a while he made sure the sleeping filly didn’t fall off. Looking at her like that made him feel the warm fuzzy feeling again. It was a good idea to bring the kid along - her energy and curiosity matched that of Chip and the foal was one of the nicest ponies he had met thus far. He felt comfortable around her, appreciating the fact she accepted him for who he was.
Feeling that his hooves would carry him no more that night, Chip stopped under a tree and fit himself between the exposed roots. He would prefer a cave with just one exit, but the wet forest bedding and hard wood around his body would have to do for now. As delicately as he could, he put the foal under his belly. She snuggled up to his fur, mumbling something in her sleep. Her warmth against his skin radiated through his whole self – he could feel her delicate breath and a suggestion of a gentle heart beat in her small chest. This creature was so defenseless, so reliant on him. It trusted him so much, even though he could probably snap her in half with just one hoof, or drain her clean of emotion in less than a heartbeat.
The weight of protecting and caring for this filly was a pleasurable baggage in the plethora of thoughts flowing through the sleepy mind of Chip. As he begun to sail away into dream-land, he wished he could have Silver Heart for himself. He would make a splendid…daddy.
Chip’s internal alarm clock rang right on schedule. With a jaw winding yawn, the changeling woke up, remembering who and where he was. The little filly under his belly was sound asleep – she had her little mouth open, snoring slightly. From time to time her little hoofsies twitched. The colt smiled and positioned the foal more comfortably – she instantly snuggled up to him, pressing her tiny head against his wide, blue torso.
The feeling of joy was as strong as yesterday – if this was how parenting felt like, he kind of pitied himself for not being able to have a foal of his own. He would just have to make the best of the time he could spend with her, then.
Something was trying to draw Chip’s attention in the dew-heavy morning and it took some time for the changeling to realize the forest was not silent anymore – birds were chirping around, leaves were rustling, here and there a shadow dashed in his peripheral vision…
“Aghhh…mmmm….” Silver Heart stretched herself, nuzzling Chip’s forehooves. “Good morning,” she said with a smile, her wonderful green eyes still kind of unfocused.
“Good morning. Slept well?” asked the colt, trying to understand why all of a sudden the woodland creatures swarmed around him.
“Yeah, I think so. Oh look, a bird’s nest! Wow, what beautiful birdies!” The pony was jumping up and down now, trying to peek into the low hanging nest. She paused after a while and looked Chip straight in the eye. “I’m hungry. Do you think there are any hay fries around here?”
“Hay fries?” The changeling raised his brow. “No, I don’t think so. There is plenty of foliage around – you can eat that.”
“Foliage?” Silver raised a brow of her own, causing the colt to chuckle – the way she tried to mimic his face was just too precious. “Hey, what’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Chip, wiping a small tear. “Let’s eat. There is a long way ahead of us today.”
With some inaudible grumbling, the foal jumped off of Chip’s lap and begun snuffing the ground. She finally settled for some deliciously green leaves growing above a small den.
The colt bent down and took a mouthful of the wet grass beneath him. He spat it out the moment he felt it on his tongue, startling Silver.
“What’s the matter? You alright?” asked the worried filly. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”
“This…” Chip started, fighting for words, “This…has taste…I-I can feel…”
“Of course it has, silly,” mumbled the foal with a full mouth. “That’s why it’s called food.”
This was incredible. But how? How did his tongue suddenly pick up flavor? As far as he knew, no type of food ever prodded the taste buds of changelings – to be honest, he wasn’t sure such things even existed in the changeling body. And yet, here it was – was it the forest? This particular grass? With a bewildered expression he jumped off to another spot and tore at some moss. Taste! A purplish plant. It’s juicy and sweet! Red bulb! Sour and sticky!
Silver Heart was watching silently as Chip pranced about, taking bites out of anything that he laid his eyes upon. She winced as she heard the dry crack of wood being mauled, followed by a hiss and giggle. Her new friend was so excited she couldn’t help but join him! Together they sampled the local plants – some of them were icky, others were sweet as candy. The pony refused to eat the more stinky vegetation, which wasn’t the case for Chip – he crunched and munched with real tears of joy in his eyes.
* * *
“And that one that looked like a giant balloon?! I never tasted anything like that! It was like eating a cloud or something!” Chip was so happy he kept on rattling about his new experiences non-stop. In this magical place, he could feel the taste of things. The joy managed to push a more urgent question out of his mind, though – one that would bite him in the flank later. Literally.
It looked like it would be another hot day – fog was gathering at Chip’s feet, so he chose to let Silver ride on his back again, so she didn’t get wet or cold. The filly listened eagerly as the changeling relayed how a red long stalk plant tasted like, so she didn’t even notice a shadow creep up from behind.
Unexpectedly, both of the traveling friends fell over – the colt was screaming, trying to buck away a creature made of twigs and leaves. It was a timber wolf; it held the changeling’s hind leg in a steel grip, growling madly and trying to drag him away.
Chip was bewildered beyond reason. He tried to magically slap the monster off himself, but found himself unable to reach to his horn. He couldn’t even change back to his original, taller, stronger and more armored self. The weak skin and fur of a pony offered no protection against jagged teeth the timber wolf sported. All he could do was kick with his free leg, again and again, losing hope with each blow. His eyes darted around, stopping on a shadow lurking behind Silver Heart.
* * *
The filly lay unconscious in a shallow cave Chip managed to drag them to. One of his hind legs was mangled badly, and he had several bruises and scratches (not to mention splinters) all over his body. He was drained and aching all over. Whatever made him feel taste again seemed to have rendered him magically disabled as well. It was a miracle he managed to fend off the beasts with just this frail shell. But he would not let anything hurt his best friend.
He again carefully inspected the filly – she wasn’t hurt, but just a while back she fainted when she saw the wound on his leg. Chip felt powerless, so the only thing he could do was check over and over again, pleading Silver to wake up and shaking her gently.
The changeling’s heart skipped a beat when the foal moaned, finally starting to move. Disregarding the pulsing pain in his leg, he dragged himself up and nuzzled her.
“Are you alright?” he whispered.
“Yes,” came a weak reply. “But you’re not okay…”
“It’s nothing,” said Chip gently, hiding the wet and sticky wound. “I’ll manage. I’ll be okay.”
“You promise?” asked Silver, returning the nuzzle.
“Of course. I would not dare to lie to you.” He sighed with relief. It was more bearable to go on, now that he knew the filly wasn’t hurt. In the maelstrom of growls, pain and tumbling, he couldn’t tell what was happening. The red haze that overpowered him, probably some kind of instinct, didn’t leave many memories. All he knew was that the aggressors left them alone – at least for now.
“What do we do now?” asked Silver Heart, standing up on her shaking hooves.
“We go on.”
* * *
The filly refused to be carried by Chip and therefore was swimming in fog, her head held as high as she could. The colt was tripping quite a bit, but managed to keep a good pace through the forest. The pricking in his flank dulled down and blood wasn’t flowing as vigorously as it was just a few hours ago.
His sudden fragility worried him – did, by any chance, he permanently change into a pony? All the evidence pointed to this – sudden gain of taste buds, inability to use magic (his disguise was, unfortunately, that of an earth pony), weak skin and soft fur… He became a real pony. Pinocchio would be green with envy.
Under different circumstances, he’d be happy – that meant nopony would go after him and he could mingle with other equines normally. In this scary forest, however, without his chitin and magic, Chip felt naked. And there was also this pressing sensation under his tail he had never felt before. It was gathering for quite some time now and became quite a nuisance. With each step, something shifted in his flank, itching to escape through…where?
* * *
The changeling promised to himself he would never speak again of this moment. He would even try and forget it if possible. Silver Heart was looking at him awkwardly and the colt felt really embarrassed by…ugh…
To put it in gentle words, Chip learned how eating and digestion work for real ponies. And that it was a bad idea to mix things up in a pony diet. The changeling really appreciated the way his kind went about consumption – nothing was apparently wasted. Everything stayed inside. Ponies on the other hand had all sorts of crevices that prevented the food from staying where it was supposed to. Especially one such hole was positioned in a totally atrocious spot. He didn’t even want to look at his tail. What he felt was embarrassing enough.
On the bright side, the pressure he felt finally lifted. It took a few tries, but it seemed his new pony body was satisfied. Quite contrary to the frowning Silver Heart.
“I’m sorry,” repeated Chip for who knows which time.
* * *
It was dark when Chip finally managed to wipe his tail clean against all the various bushes and plants they both passed. Silver Heart seemed to have finally come to terms with what she witnessed and was prancing about – she didn’t go far, though, darting back to the changeling at the very first sight of something moving or making a sound.
The stallion’s wound darkened and seemed to harden, the pain almost entirely disappearing. There was a tingling sensation under his skin, but it did not impede his ability to walk. This body wasn’t so bad, once one got hold of all the nuances of controlling it.
The pair stopped at a fork in the road – one of the ways lead ahead, while the other stopped at a peculiar looking tree – it had holes shaped like windows in it and several artifacts, looking like faces hanged around a door. As far as Chip knew, trees didn’t have doors or faces.
Deciding it was too dangerous to continue down the path in the forest, Chip scooped Silver Heart close to him and approached what he hoped was a house.
“Don’t worry, I’m here. Nothing bad is going to happen,” assured the changeling. It was as much directed to the filly as to himself.
In the dark, the two could see a small light burning inside one of the windows – a candle perhaps. The whole setting seemed quite creepy, especially the masks staring down at the incoming equines. Chip could swear he was hearing some kind of low growl coming from the tree’s direction, a monotonous bubbling sound.
The colt stopped a hoof away from the doors. Silver Heart was trembling behind his back. Gulping, he knocked, the sound ominous in the setting night. A few birds flew out from above, causing the two to drop flat on the ground. Being this defenseless didn’t sit well with Chip. It was humiliating that he jumped at every shadow.
From inside the tree-house came hoofsteps. With a blood-chilling creek, the doors opened, revealing the strangest pony Chip has ever seen. He jumped back, huddling around Silver.
“And who is this at such an hour, Interrupting my evening shower?” asked the black and white striped pony, standing in the frame of her door. She wore a mohawk on her head with the same color pattern as her body. Golden rings clanged silently as she took a step forward and squinted at the shuddering intruders.
“A stallion and filly lost in the wood? Or is there something I misunderstood?”
“Why does she speak so funny?” whispered Heart, glaring at the mare.
“Umm…” started Chip, picking himself up. “Yeah…I mean no…we’re not lost. We were, umm, following that path,” he said, pointing from where they came from, “but it is getting dark and we thought we could find shelter here…or around…”
The stare of the black and white pony was full of suspicion. Chip did his best to put on a convincing smile – somehow his self-confidence evaporated along with his changeling powers.
“Travelling Everfree is dangerous, There are many traps and monsters,” she said slowly, looking past Chip into the blackening thicket. “If it is shelter you seek, You are welcome here to sleep. Ponyville isn’t that far away, but it is better to travel in the light of day. Come in, now don’t be shy, being a good host I will try.”
* * *
Silver Heart was the first to break the ice with some questions – why was the pony colored like she was? What were all the masks and potions? Why did she live in the forest?
Chip was stunned to learn that aside from ponies and changelings, there were also zebras. Apparently there were a lot of lands and countries he hasn’t heard about and the world was so much more than just Equestria. Zecora, if the colt remembered her name right, was a fascinating representative of her species – thanks to Silver’s barrage of questions, Chip could just listen and inhibit the mood and smell of this place. A strong herbal note was soothing for his nerves, making him sleepy along with the deep voice of the zebra, who always talked in rhymes.
“Your friend is very quiet. Is he perhaps on a word diet?” asked Zecora. Chip got nudged on the side by his filly, snapping him back to the present.
“Huh?” he said sheepishly.
“If it would not offend you, I would like to know you too.” The zebra smiled warmly.
“Umm, I’m Chip,” offered the changeling. “I’m…well, from very far away. Maybe even further than you, miss Zecora. I uhh…there isn’t much to say about me. Just your regular pony, hehe.”
“He’s being modest, Zecora!” laughed Silver Heart, glomping her friend. “He’s very special! Did you know he can have a horn and wings at the same time? Just like our Princess Celestia!”
“Oh, is that so? Where did those things go?” asked Zecora with a raised eyebrow – she didn’t seem convinced, eying Chip.
“Yeah, c’mon, show her!” The filly was excitedly jumping up and down.
“Oh my,” said the zebra. She pointed a hoof at the red clump of fur on his hind leg. “Is that a wound I see? Did it happen in Everfree?”
“Yeah…don’t worry, it’s nothing. It’s healing nice I think.” Indeed, the scar didn’t hurt anymore, but moving the leg caused a slight stretching sensation, as if he had a muscle cramp or something.
“Dear Chip, that wound of yours will get you knocking on heaven’s doors!” exclaimed the zebra, picking herself up and bolting to a shelf with colorful bottles. She browsed quickly through them and picked one, a venomously green high vase. Before the changeling could react, she came up to him and poured the contents of the vessel onto his flank.
The pain bloomed in his hind and crept along the back, stiffening his body. Chip’s hiss turned into a legitimate yell when smoke rose from the bubbling wound.
“What are you doing Zecora?!” shouted the filly, dancing on her hooves in panic. “Stop hurting him!”
“I wish to hurt him not, but the healing hurts a lot. This wound is deep and dirty, we need to cure it swiftly. Otherwise, your friend could die, causing tears in your eye.”
Silver Heart was still unsure what to think of this situation, but remained silent. Chip was hissing and squirming, held down by Zecora who mumbled something in her native language. The little filly nuzzled the changeling’s muzzle, whispering some words of encouragement. That was the best she could do for him now – be there for him.
The pain was great and it came in waves, rippling through his body straight to the skull and drilling a hole there. Chip’s nostrils were filled with the stench of burnt flesh, making him cough. He was on the verge of passing out, but didn’t quite manage to breach the surface of unconsciousness. Magma seeped from his flank and he couldn’t feel his legs – somewhere in the background he felt Silver’s touch and the weight of Zecora pinning his convulsing body to the cold floor. If only he could place that bleeding leg on its surface, he was sure the pain would go away. He couldn’t voice anything other than moans and screams, though, so he just struggled to turn to the other side.
* * *
A surge of pain in his hind woke Chip. He didn’t remember going to sleep, so he must have finally passed out at some point. Bewildered, he bucked, hitting something with his hooves.
“Settle down you crazy colt! Do you want to knock me out cold?” he heard from behind.
“It’s alright Chip.” That was Silver Heart – she soared into view, holding his muzzle in her hooves and hugging him. “She’s just trying to clean the wound, okay? It may hurt a little, but you’ll be brave, okay?”
Strange. How could such simple words bring tranquility to him? Chip allowed his body to limp – the fire in his flank was burning out, but deep under the skin he could still feel it, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation. Most of his view was obscured by the face and worried green eyes of Silver Heart – he managed to see a part of his wounded leg, furless and red all over. He could swear there wasn’t much skin on there either.
“Ugh, it was a nasty night. Back there you gave us quite a fright,” said Zecora, cautiously returning to shaving the colt’s leg with a knife she held in her mouth. She looked very skilled at handling that thing, tracing the blade around the inflamed spots – the cool surface of the tool brought a soothing chill with it.
“Another mystery is inbound; Blue stripes on your skin I have found. This symptom I know well – the work of Poison Joke I smell.”
“Poison Joke?” asked Silver Heart, turning to face Zecora. The filly's mane smelled like herbs, as far as Chip could tell. And it was soft. And his nose was full of it now.
“It is a tricky little plant that lives in Everfree. Do not worry, the cure for it is known by me.”
“But what does it do?”
“It plays a joke on anypony that touches it, although some of the effects might not be funny one bit.”
“What do you think it did to Chip?”
“It is hard to tell, really. Poison Joke can be quite silly.”
“Oh…wait…” Silver Heart snorted, remembering something. “I think I know what the Poison Joke could’ve done to him. It wasn’t very funny. And it didn’t smell nice either.”
Zecora shrugged, deciding not to indulge into the subject, focusing on bringing the stallion back to a working condition.
“This is the best I can do. My advice is rest for you. To cure the Poison Joke effect, go to Ponyville spa direct. They’ll know what to do when they hear the name, the herbal bath I showed gave them fame.”
“Does that mean we have to go now?” asked Silver Heart, looking back at Chip. He was awake, but his eyelids fought to shut down.
“Oh no, sorry I made you feel like that Silver Heart. You may rest here as long as you need while I go to the mart. Now don’t let Chip get up just yet; He needs to wait for the cure to take effect.”
* * *
It wasn’t until noon that the colt got restless and wanted to continue his journey – Silver Heart wasn’t nearly as heavy as Zecora, but she tried to hold Chip down regardless. She even threatened to tell the zebra on him or buck his wound if he so much as sat up. Not wanting to argue, the stallion resolved to laying on a make-shift bed of leaves.
The filly was eyeing him with slightly blood-shot eyes – she was up all night helping Zecora tend to his festering wound, enduring the smell and sticky blood on display. Chip was impressed by her dedication. Did ponies look out for each other like that? When a changeling got hurt, it either healed or died, crippled. They were all tools and a tool that couldn't be used had no right to exist. Especially when there were thousands of them, all capable of doing the same thing.
Come to think of it, him caring for the foal just a night back wasn’t natural to changelings either. All this again pointed to the pony origin of his spark mind which he grew so accustomed to. With not as much as a whisper coming from the hive mind part of him, his own thoughts were all that was left. Sometimes, he felt half-dead inside – not hindered in a physical way, but kind of slower and more unsure of what he was doing. There was nothing guiding him, he had to rely purely on his own judgment.
Being a pony is hard, concluded Chip, closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep. The comfortable weight of Silver Heart by his side shifted a bit – the foal was already snoring, a light smile gracing her muzzle as she traveled through her own dream-land. The changeling-now-pony couldn't help but move his head slightly, nuzzling into the warm filly fur.
Chip was angry with himself for sleeping through the day – it was dark outside when Zecora finally allowed him to stand up and have a walk. The colt felt weaker than before and the wounded leg was unreliable – he couldn’t lean on it as it would just collapse beneath his weight. Silver Heart marched alongside him, trying to balance the colt when he threatened to tip over.
“You seem to be feeling better, I think you’ll be going later. Now it is night so let us rest, Tommorow how you feel we shall test.”
“I had enough sleep already,” replied the anxious changeling. He effectively lost two days he could have spent getting to know ponies in this Ponyville. A place full of equines seemed very exciting – each individual had their own experiences, thoughts, dreams and what have you. Chip swore he would get to meet everypony and be best friends with them, just like he was now with this little filly.
A filly he would have to eventually return. The colt didn’t know much about raising children, but if he felt this attached to her and the thought of her disappearing was unpleasant, he could only fathom the emotions Night Star and Autumn Leaf were feeling now. Causing grief to those that helped him didn’t sit well with Chip; it was settled he would send her back as soon as he found a way to get his magic back…which he hoped would take just a little bit longer.
* * *
Come sunrise, Chip delicately nudged Silver Heart to wake up – he was up for the last few hours, waiting for the sun to get up so they could leave. He appreciated the zebra’s hospitality and invaluable help, but his desire to indulge in pony society was far greater. The colt made a mental note to thank the sleeping zebra at a later time – he’d probably think of something nice once he understood equines better.
Silently, the duo left the cottage and begun their journey towards Ponyville. Chip was a bit slow – he felt drained and the hind leg was a nuisance to him. Luckily the forest wasn’t as damp or hot as he thought it would be – a gentle breeze stirred the air, mixing fragrant flower scents.
Silver Heart was moaning for some breakfast when they both reached the exit from Everfree – for the first time in some days they saw the sun in the blue sky above them. And the town below.
It was magnificent. Chip read about architecture, but he never thought that the buildings would be so pleasing to look at. Elegant, brightly colored, very straight. No curves like in caves or dens, no moss or dirt – everything was so neat and organized the changeling felt like howling with joy! And even from this far he could tell that there were tons of pones living there. The colorful crowd moved about the town, the faint sound of conversations, cheers and everyday life luring Chip to move in closer.
Almost forgetting his injury, the colt trotted a few steps before falling over with a hiss.
“Careful now Chip! You don’t want to hurt yourself more, do you?” Silver Heart helped the colt back on his feet and walked alongside him, observing his face. She never saw such sparkles in his eyes before. His head was ready to fall off from the amount of twisting it did – he was trying to see everything at once, unable to focus on just one thing.
Inside his head wasn’t any better. His thoughts were a whirling storm; questions and opinions fought hard for attention. What is that? What is this? Why is she carrying that? How does that thing work?, his brain buzzed. If he could, he would just split himself into hundreds of changelings and run up to everypony and jabber away. Maybe he would even do so when he got his magic back.
One of the more unusual items the duo passed was a white carriage, lined with gold. It was standing next to a most peculiar building – the top looked like it was covered with chocolate and cream, and hanging sign to the side read “Sugarcube Corner”. There were two rather tall Pegasus guards at the entrance, scanning the crowd that passed by. One of them saw Chip and whispered something to his colleague. The other one nodded and took a position directly in front of the doors.
“Excuse me, sir,” started the guard who noticed the changeling. He was coming closer unhindered, as everypony went out of their way to avoid bumping into the stallion. “Is this your foal?”
“Uhh…” Chip gulped. “Well, umm, not exactly…well, kind of…” The guard sighed. “Allow me to rephrase my question – are you the father of this foal?”
“He’s not my daddy, he’s my best friend!” fired away Silver Heart, standing to face the guard.
“And what’s your name, sweetie?” asked the white stallion, eying Chip suspiciously.
“Silver Heart, mister.”
“Really? Is your daddy Autumn Leaf? And your mommy Night Star?”
“Yes!” squeaked the filly. “Do you know them?”
“No,” replied the guard, squinting at Chip, “But we got a message you went…missing. Your mommy and daddy are very worried about you. I think we should take you home. And have a talk with your…best friend.”
“I guess…” The filly looked a bit sad, but shook it off and smiled. “Okay. Is mommy and daddy somewhere around?”
“No, sweetie. They’re still at home. We’ll let them know you’re here and they’ll come pick you up. And you, mister…”
An awkward silence fell. Chip was waiting for the guard to finish his sentence, which seemed to irritate him a bit – he was frowning more and more as seconds passed by.
“He’s Chip,” offered Silver Heart, nudging the changeling. “He’s not from around here.”
“I…see…” The guard's tone wasn’t exactly polite or calm – the colt had a bad feeling creep over his spine.
“He’s sick and wounded you see,” continued the unaware foal. “He needs to go to the spa for a cure for Poison Joke.”
“Poison Joke?” repeated the guard. He seemed to have noticed the scar and blue dots on his exposed flank, causing him to lighten up a little. “I see. That explains a lot. Then we shall have our talk after you take your bath.”
“Bath?” Chip was ignored by the guard who picked up Silver Heart and started carrying her towards the carriage.
“Wait, I’m going now? But I haven’t said good bye to Chip yet!”
“Don’t worry, you’re not going anywhere yet,” assured her the guard. “We’ll just put you here, so we can have an eye on you. Your dad would be even sadder if he found out you were found and then got lost again. You just stay put here and wait, okay? I’ll take your friend to the spa, have a small talk with him and then be back. Okay?”
“I guess…” mumbled the filly, turning her head away. “But you promise, right? Dad says that when a stallion promises, he can’t break a promise. So you promise, yes?”
“I promise.” The guardspony let slip a smirk and turned towards Chip. “Let’s go.”
* * *
The changeling felt kind of oppressed by the guard – he stuck to Chip like glue, silently drilling the colt with his eyes. The walk was short and soon the two entered a luxurious resort, ran by two earth ponies.
The mares were nearly bent in half to honour the guard, who seemed like an important pony. His bath, whatever that was, got prepared lightning fast and soon Chip was staring down into a rather large tub of herbal smelling water. There were no other guests at the spa, so only the quiet ambient music could be heard in the building.
“In you go,” said the guard, tapping his hoof.
Chip dipped a hoof in the warm water. It was wet like any other water. And he didn’t feel thirsty. Sheepishly, he looked at the irritated guardspony.
“I said…in!”
The changeling got shoved into the water with a splash. He feared his wound would hurt, but it seemed to have closed up properly now. What caught the changeling’s attention was the sudden sense of release he witnessed – his body felt like it unglued itself, the skin of his disguise soaking up water and dissolving. The changeling saw as bits of fur fell off his hooves, replaced by the black of his carapace armor. Green flickers consumed the floating pieces of coat and mane.
Most importantly, Chip could finally flex his stiff wings. And he felt the water swirl around his jagged horn. It was safe to say he felt like a newborn changeling – relaxed, calm, finally back to his old self. Not a care in the world could shoot down his good mood now. He was starting to lose breath though, so it was high time to get out of the water.
Chip broke the surface of the water rather violently, causing a wet geyser to erupt and spray at the guardspony and a spa pony that was approaching. The changeling got startled straight off the bat by two things – a screaming light blue mare and an equally surprised Pegasus stallion.
Oh. Yeah. He was a changeling now. His disguise dissolved back in the water. Hmm..oops?
With even more splashing, the black colt took flight and gauged the situation. The spa pony was backing away shrieking like mad; the guard was spreading his wings in a low stance, ready to lunge at Chip. It was time to leave this place and approach Ponyville from a different angle. It was a shame he would have to leave Silver Heart behind…maybe he’d manage to slip a goodbye before she had to go back home?
Steam flooded the room as the changeling bathed himself in green light and disappeared. The guardspony backed up against a wall and was throwing bewildered looks left and right, looking for the monster that popped out of nowhere. The spa pony finally calmed down, courtesy of being unconscious.
Chip silently landed near the exit, taking a last look at the room. Water, a half-empty tub, a confused Pegasus and fainted pony. He smirked, making sure his invisibility spell worked properly. His carapace still felt rather hot from the flame spell he cast on himself – he learned a lot from his experience with the Everfree fog -- water breaks camouflage.
The changeling stepped into the light of day, his head deep in thought. He was no longer a pony. That meant no more icky surprises from his own body, more resistance and the ability to fly and cast magic. On the other hoof, he would miss tasting things and feeling the touch of fur on the naked skin. Now, come to think of it, there were other things missing here and there that he didn’t pay attention to earlier. If he could only remember what those were…
Chip was too deep in his own contemplations to notice a large white alicorn exit Sugarcube Corner while talking to a purple unicorn. The white coated pony’s attention snapped to the guard who darted out of the spa, shouting something incomprehensibly.
The changeling snickered as he snapped back to reality, observing as the white stallion relayed the recent happenings. There was a lot of hoof waving, erratic wing movement and sound effects that Chip enjoyed. Everypony stopped and listened as well, so it was easy to approach the carriage on which Silver Heart still sat.
“What could it be Princess?” heard Chip as he passed the purple unicorn. He noticed she had a star with several sparkles on her flank.
The colt was about to speak to Silver Heart, who was less than a hoof away, when he had ice slide through his back.
“A Changeling.” The voice was so close to his ear Chip jumped back surprised, nearly losing his grip on the invisibility spell.
She was looking at him. The tall white mare with a sun as a Cutie Mark was looking him straight in the eye, her horn aglow with a gold. What gives? Chip quickly checked his hooves – they were nowhere to be seen. He didn’t feel wet as well.
“I thought they were just a rumor,” continued the pony, taking a few steps to circle the vehicle. Yes, she was still looking at him. And heading his way. “But it seems I was mistaken.” With that, the black colt felt pressure rise around him. Barely visible golden mist enveloped him – the same that surrounded the mare’s long horn.
“What are those…changelings, Princess? Princess Celestia?” The purple unicorn was ignored as the one named Celestia re-entered Sugarcube Corner.
Chip felt dragged, floating just above the ground. He was unable to move and could only watch the doors open before the crowned pony. A rather kind looking blue mare with a mane that brought cotton candy to mind bolted immediately to her side.
“Left anything behind, your Royal Highness?” she asked in a nervous voice.
“No…I’m sorry, but I have the most odd of requests.” The voice of the princess was calm – too calm for the grip that she had over Chip’s body.
The changeling tried to struggle, flexing his powerful muscles, but to no avail. He didn’t want to hurt anypony, but dread started getting the better of him and he wanted to cast any spell that would break the alicorn’s concentration. Nothing happened though. Fire, Teleportation, Telekinesis, nothing worked! It was not possible. He didn’t feel an inhibitor ward anywhere. How could he not reach out to his magic!? Wait, what did that…Celestia…ask of that fat pony again?
Without another word Chip got dragged up the stairs to a small room. There were several balloons and party decorations there, along with a few chairs around a gramophone sitting on a table. The doors shut right behind the changeling’s flank, mechanical clunk coming from the knob.
Without much warning, his invisibility spell was torn in half and the colt himself fell to the floor. He was dazed – not much from the fall as from the sudden rending power that broke his grip on the illusion spell.
“A changeling,” said Celestia calmly, standing in front of the stallion. “In my kingdom. I heard stories of your kind. Very bad ones. Even downright cruel tales.”
Chip finally recovered and stood up. They were almost the same height, him and her. The colt was slightly shorter, but more bulky. And the thick chitin made him look more dangerous compared to the crystal clean white coat the mare had.
“Why did you come here?” she asked.
Silence.
“Do you know not how to speak?”
Silence.
“You may choose – answer my questions or let me think up my own answers. I would prefer the former. Please.”
“I’m Chip,” finally replied the changeling. He felt like the stupidest equine alive. One moment of bliss and forgetfulness and here he was, talking to this powerful creature who would probably end his fantastic journey through Equestria before it even began proper. “I came here to study ponies.”
“So, you are a spy,” concluded Celestia, straightening herself.
“No. I came here of my own accord. This has nothing to do with my kind.”
“And why should I believe you?” The royal brows lifted, the eyes underneath them scanning the changeling’s body.
“You asked me to answer your questions. Those are your answers.”
“I wish I could trust you,“ sighed the Princess. “The stories about the changeling race do not allow me to, unfortunately. Confusion and masquerade are in your very nature – am I correct?”
“I can change forms, true. But I am nothing like the rest of my brothers and sisters.”
“Pray tell, why?”
“I have a soul,” blurted out the changeling. Now that he thought about it, it sounded stupid.
“What would you mean by that?”
“I…I have a mind of my own. And that mind led me here. I hoped I could mingle, be accepted here…at least here…” Chip sighed. He decided that truth was the only way to maybe escape this situation. Truth and humility.
He bowed to Celestia, just like he has many times to his Queen. Facing the floor, he said “I give my life to you. I wish no harm to you or your people. I am an outcast of my own kind, thrown out for who knows what.” A small light bulb shone in his head. “There are ponies who know the real me. They can testify of my…my good intentions. I don’t ask that you believe me – I only plead for some kindness.”
Chip closed his eyes, hearing his heart pound in his ears. Hopefully, he would hear the words the Princess had for him…
* * *
“Princess, what is happening?” asked Twilight Sparkle as her mentor came out of Sugarcube corner. For some time now the young adept noticed that the white mare’s horn was glowing. She was casting magic – but what for?
Without a word to anypony else, the regal pony addressed the filly that was lazily watching the whispering crowd that just wouldn’t dissolve, despite the commendable effort of the royal guards.
“Excuse me, miss Silver Heart.” The little foal jumped up and slowly locked her giant green eyes with those of the princess. Her small mouth opened in awe. “Would you please come with me?” asked Celestia in a sweet voice.
“What the hay is going on here!?” exclaimed a bewildered Twilight, watching as her teacher once again entered the building, Silver Heart following her nervously.
* * *
Chip was once again stranded in…well, whatever it was that held him. He had to admit that the mare had quite a powerful horn, being able to keep someone like him locked down and unable to perform magic of his own.
He spent only a few minutes in silence, alternately scolding himself for carelessness and hoping that the Princess will turn out to be as kind to him as he once was to the helpless mares in his den.
That was how a prisoner felt. Dread, uncertainty, fear. He felt like hiding under that tiny table, closing his eyes and hoping that things would just turn out well. Or end fast enough for him not to notice.
Chip was still calculating just how much he would have to suck his gut in to fit under the stool when the Princess returned, followed by Silver Heart.
The colt’s vision went black for a second and his heart missed quite a few beats – did Celestia think that the filly was a changeling too? Would she hurt her? Would she torture her in front of his eyes for information on his kind?
Panic caused him to struggle even more against the spell – his guts churned with worry and hysteria to the point he was ready to throw up.
“Silver Heart,” said Celestia, “Do you know who this is?”
The foal smiled and approached Chip, nuzzling his forehooves. From her perspective, the changeling was standing still with a blank face. “Of course I do! He’s Chip! Cool huh? He has a horn and wings just like you! Are you two related? Huh huh?”
Celestia was only slightly taken aback by the outburst of words. She didn’t know the extent of changeling powers, but a subtle scan didn’t give her even the faintest hint of the filly’s mind being tampered with.
“So, you know him. Did he take you away?”
“No, your Royal Princess,” admitted Silver, fitting herself under Chip’s belly. She looked uneasy and the words that followed were more mumbling than anything else.
“What was that, sweetheart?” asked the royal mare, taking a few steps forward.
“I ran away from home so I could spend time with Chip,” repeated the filly. She was blushing heavily and didn’t meet Celestia’s eye at all.
“Is that so? But why would you run away? You don’t like your mom and dad?”
“I love them very much! But I…Chip is my friend. I wanted to spend time with him and play. But I couldn’t, he was sick. He had a hangover,” proudly said Silver, much to the confusion of Celestia. “So I snuck out of home and went looking for him. We met in the Everfree and then had some adventures! We met a zebra! Do you know what a zebra is?”
“Yes,” smiled the Princess. “So, Chip here is your friend, yes? How long do you know him?”
“A couple of days,” admitted Silver. She didn’t lose her resolve though and continued: “My mommy knows him better! She told me stories of Chip and how he helped her and the others get back home! She was just like a princess trapped in a castle of an evil Queen and Chip was a knight hero!”
“Your mother knows Chip? Hmmm…very well then. Could you please wait downstairs while I have a word with Chip?”
“Wow, Chip,” chuckled the filly, “everypony wants to talk to you! That’s what you wanted, right? Right?”
The changeling didn’t move an inch, staring into space with a blank face. The Princess gently pushed the filly out of the room before she would get suspicious and locked the door behind her.
Chip felt the spell keeping him still lift – he flew forward and straight onto his face. His tense muscles were aching from all the strain he put them through – the whole conversation he was struggling to break free.
“A wonderful child chose you as her friend. Very honest and cheerful.”
“Please, leave her out of this,” begged Chip, picking himself up. “If you need somepony to punish, just punish me, please. Please…”
“Nopony is going to get punished. For now,” remarked the Princess, spreading her wings. “I’m still hesitant to believe your story. We will have to check everypony you had contact with. And we shall begin today. During that time, I wish for you to disguise yourself as a regular pony. If you behave, I will not have to keep you locked down like I did just now. Try anything, and I do mean anything, and I shall have you kept in the dungeons until my investigations are done. Are we clear on that?”
The purple unicorn Chip saw earlier developed a twitch to her eye, repeating like a broken record the question “Princess, what is going on here?”
“All in due time, my apprentice,” replied Celestia, guiding the masqueraded changeling to her carriage. The mare gave the guard that recognized Chip a sharp look just before he managed to say anything. The stallion shuffled his hooves and looked away.
“Hi Chip!” squeaked Silver Heart. “Where are we going?”
“I think it is time for you to go home, little one,” spoke Celestia, giving the guardsponies a sign to take her away. “I would love to meet your mom.”
* * *
Chip was astonished at the speed at which they reached Night Star’s home – it was getting dark outside by the time one of the guardsponies, apparently not tired at all, knocked on the heavy wooden doors.
“Coming!” sounded from inside.
Autumn Leaf opened the door, first surprised then startled by the regal presence of the Princess. His attitude changed greatly when he heard a high pitched “Daddy!” coming from the carriage – Silver Heart jumped down to meet her father.
There was much rejoicing, and Chip could swear there was a tear somewhere in Celestia’s approving gaze. The scene indeed was touching, with all the hugging, nuzzling and words choked by emotion. He himself didn’t feel compelled to cry, yet something pleasurable stirred around his body. It didn’t manage to push away the thought that Silver Heart would no longer be ‘his’. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
The Princess’ demeanor was calm in the face of the overly enthusiastic and grateful hosts. She allowed herself to be treated to a cup of tea and some biscuits, indulging in some idle chatter to loosen up the tense atmosphere a bit. Chip felt invisible, although he was quite sure no spell was cast on him. Did the royal mare have that effect on all ponies?
Come to think of it, Chrysalis wasn’t any better. Heh, no, she was a lot worse – on the other hoof, she didn’t have to care about her opinion amongst her subjects. The drones would love and adore her till death should she will it so.
Chip snapped back to attention when the conversation went from something…well, unimportant, to the subject of changelings.
“Night Star, is it true you know Chip here?” asked the royal mare, sipping from her cup.
The yellow pony looked at the colt, as if noticing him only now. She gasped and then smiled.
“Chip! Yes, yes I do your majesty.” Her face was momentarily drawn by horror. “Oh no…”
Celestia raised a hoof. “Before we go any further, I’d like you to know nopony is being put on trial here. I met this colt…Chip…quite recently and found him a very interesting creature. I wish to verify his story of seemingly being different from his kind. Would you care to share your version?”
The addressed pony was silent for an agonizing moment. The changeling begun to think Night Star would be mad over the whole mess with her filly and would downright shoot down Chip’s one and only chance at saving himself.
“As you wish, your highness,” she finally replied with a curt bow.
The story was told with many stutters and breaks for restoring her composure – all in all, the wounds in her heart and mind were still relatively fresh. The Princess was very supportive and did not push the mare, allowing her all the time she needed to finish her tale. Her husband stuck by her side, a hoof around her back softly stroking her mane and neck, tugging to his wide chest whenever her voice would break.
Chip was horrified by the narration – his imagining of what the prisoners felt was nowhere near the relation he heard now. Night Star wafted with fear and dread of memories past, shaking in the hooves of Autumn. This made the changeling feel guilty, although technically he was not the cause of this. This kind of feeling, the shame for his entire race depicted as ruthless barbarians – it stung. He wished he could return to being a pony – there were limitations, but at least he would not have to carry the burden of being a monster.
The story ended as the moon peeked through the windows. Night Star managed to get through the part of her being rescued much easier, reassuring the Princess a dozen times over that Chip was a decent colt – smart, curious, honorable, maybe a little bit clueless at times, but not evil. It was hard to tell how the tale was received, though – Celestia retained her mild smile through the whole visit, only her blinking eyes and moving torso indicating she was not a statue. Not to mention the flowing mane, of course.
The Princess bid everyone a good night shortly after – the departure was delayed however by Silver Heart, who sleepily asked if she could come along. She didn’t want to listen to any measure of convincing, not even from the Princess.
“Silver Heart,” whispered Chip, nuzzling the small filly, “me and the Princess have some very important things to do. We’d love to take you, but your mommy and daddy haven’t seen you for a very long time. Don’t you want to spend time with them, too?“
“I guess…” mumbled the foal, pecking at dirt with her hoof.
“So here’s what we’re going to do – you go back home and be good, okay? I’ll be good too and if the Princess allows it, we can meet each other soon! But I won’t behave if you won’t.”
“I’ll be good, I promise!” smiled Silver Heart, hugging the blue stallion that Chip was now. Nopony rushed them and the embrace felt nice…too nice to break off. He had to remember that feeling. The warmth, the sweet scent of love and friendship. He looked at the Princess, a plead in his eyes.
“Of course Chip will be allowed to visit, once we finish our little trip,” nodded Celestia, much to the joy of Silver Heart and her friend.
With a last wave and good bye, Autumn Leaf and his family sent the royal carriage off.
* * *
During the trip, the changeling dosed off a bit, put to sleep by the gentle lullaby the wind sang to him. He didn’t notice when the carriage landed in front of a giant castle of white. Half-asleep, he saw there were other buildings around, pretty much like in Ponyville, but more fancy; they were riddled with streets and alleyways all the way up to the gray stone wall of a mountain the whole city was latched onto.
Under escort of four guardsponies, feeling the shackles of some very subtle wards, he was shown to his temporary quarters – a room even larger than his den back at the valley, with a large bed, several drawers and items he could not name, let alone say what they did.
“Now, Chip,” said the Princess, standing in the door. Her eyes were tired and bloodshot, but that did not lessen the regal air around her. “The rules are as we agreed upon – no magic, no shape shifting, no nothing. If you give me the slightest reason to even think your intentions are vile, you shall be confined to the dungeons.”
“Yes, Princess. I shall remain in this disguise and stay out of trouble. I wish with all my heart I could spare you the trouble of confirming my credentials…”
“This kind of trouble is actually less than I expected from my first contact with your kind,” gently smiled Celestia. Chip noticed she did smile a lot – her face looked…just right with that expression.
“I too wish there was a surer and faster way. Distrusting somepony on account of their heritage is cruel in itself, and I hope you understand I do this not for my own amusement, but for the good of the ponies whose lives depend on my judgment. One more thing…troubles me. It was mentioned your kind feeds off of…other ponies. In a way I’m afraid I can’t accept-”
“Do not worry about that, Princess!” shot out Chip enthusiastically. “We- I mean, I, can eat anything a regular pony does. It nurtures me all the same, but has no taste. Changelings simply prefer emotions due to-”
“I’m glad there won’t be any trouble with that,” cut in Celestia. Was she suppressing a yawn just now? “We’ve been up all night, so I guess you’d like to rest now. You will stay here for some time while I search for the other mares that were mentioned to have experiences with the changelings. If you need anything, just tell it to one of the guards at your doors. It is their job to bring you whatever you may need, within reason of course. Goodnight.”
“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” said Chip to the closing door. He was alone in this large room, sun peeking curiously through the curtains. How long it would take, he didn’t know. But he was optimistic – should it be Chrysalis, Chip would already be sprawled on the floor with his mind shattered after a violent investigation, left to be sucked clean of emotion and then thrown to rot in the sun. Celestia was a different type of ruler, one that the subjects could actually look up to.
This was the type of Queen that could lead a hive to being more like Chip – kind, curious, friendly. Should the changeling be given such a chance, he would swear loyalty to Celestia. He loved Chrysalis as a mother, but began to loathe her as a ruler – after all, he was betrayed, thrown out and now on the mercy of what was supposed to be a mortal enemy. An enemy that was supposed to be cattle for the mighty predator Chip was.
As the colt lay to bed, a good mood overtook him – the soft beneath his skin was indescribably pleasant, he didn’t need to hide much at the moment (save for pretending to be a regular pony) and the future looked bright. He was looking forward to maybe exploring the place he was at. Should he be allowed to, of course.
Chip woke up like he never did before – rested, head burrowed in faintly scented pillows and sprawled amongst a sea of blankets. The sun greeted the changeling with its gentle warmth, pouring through the high window.
In all his life, he never felt so secure and relaxed. He realized that no matter the circumstances, his life would always be in some kind of danger or under pressure – be it the hostile northern lands, his nights with Chrysalis or in the forest, he had to be at least somewhat vigilant. Here? He didn’t have a care in the world.
Optimism overflowing, the colt jumped out of bed and begun scanning his surroundings. There were a lot of drawers and wardrobes here, filled to the brim with pink accessories and clothes, rarely a blue or green material peeking out. He tried putting some of them on and didn’t feel any more pretty or special – another thing that he would have to ask a pony. Just why in the hay did they dress?
One of the furniture pieces was exceptionally interesting, though – it was a low cupboard on which sat an oval, filled with what looked like a copy of this room. There was a blue colt in the middle of that picture, staring back at Chip. Both of them got closer, bumping their noses against the cold surface of the object between them. Small puffs of mist settled on the surface where their noses sniffed, trying to understand what it was. Maybe the pony on the other side could answer that question.
“Hello!” said Chip . The stallion on the other side seemed to have said something at the same time. “Umm, I didn’t quite catch that.” There he was, talking again as he did! Was the intruder mocking him?
A sudden thought struck Chip – that character behind this strange window was none other than the colt the changeling was imitating!
“So you got out safely! Thank heavens! How did you get out?”
Chip was getting really annoyed now. Come to think of it, that pony was mimicking everything he did. He raised a hoof and so did the other. He stuck out his tongue just to see one stuck at him.
“I promised Celestia I wouldn’t cause trouble. But you are bothering me. Stop, please.”
There was no reasoning with that creature. As a last resort, Chip trotted over to the doors of his chamber, from the corner of his eye seeing the annoying pony do the same in his room.
Now was the hard part. Was he supposed to knock to let the guards outside know he wanted something? Did he just have to shout? As delicately as he could, he tugged at the door knob – it was locked tight.
“What’s going on?” sounded from the other side, making Chip jump back a bit. Seconds later, the voice continued: “Hello? Is that you?”
“Khem, yes! Yes, it’s me! I have an, uh, problem!” yelled out the stallion.
“Well, what is it?”
“There is somepony in my room and I don’t like the way he mocks me. I don’t want to cause any trouble…but he is really annoying me!” As he finished his sentence he ran up to the flat window-like oval and looked the prankster in the eye. There was fire in his eyes as well – it was on.
“There is another pony in there?!” Quickly, the doors were unlocked and two guardsponies barged into the room, their heads low and weapons high. They swept the room with their gazes, but there was nopony there – only the prisoner, or as Celestia wished for him to be called, “guest”, staring at a perfectly polished mirror. The changeling pointed an accusing hoof at it.
“There! You see? He’s mocking every single thing I do! I swear to Chrysalis, if you won’t settle him down, I’ll go in there myself and kick his flank!”
The guards were first taken aback, then found themselves rolling on the floor with laughter. Through spasms, one of them managed to pronounce the word “mirror”, followed by “stupid”.
A light bulb illuminated the damp cellar of Chip’s skull. A mirror. He read about such things in a catalogue. 135 bits on sale, whatever that meant. Mirrors were used to see one’s appearance, just as somepony else would see him or her. Huh, would you look at that. Celestia was kind enough to give him a mirror!
Now the colt felt kind of silly, panicking over nothing. He didn’t appreciate the guards who were now struggling for air on a colorful carpet. Chip snickered, imagining that it would be easy for him to now escape, maybe stunning or binding the funny ponies to the ground with some spell.
He patiently waited until the chuckles were over and tears of joy were wiped. He then made a curt bow and apologized for causing the disturbance.
“Haha, I haven’t laughed like that since…” the rest of the guard’s sentence was shut off by the door slamming and the lock clicking. Chip’s words seem to have been ignored altogether. But it didn’t matter. A plan was hatching in his head as he looked through a shelf containing some colorful pictures of mares and stallions in classy poses.
* * *
The mirror image of Chip was looking at him with mild disdain. There was way too much eyeliner on his face, and not only around the eyes. Lipstick didn’t suit him well, and licking it off didn’t yield good results. He wiped it off on an accessory that had a color similar to the crimson red he used.
His attempts at styling his mane without using magic were horrible as well, and what was supposed to be “the mane that shines like a thousand stars” now looked like “a sky that bears a thousand meteors coming at you”. Maybe too many beads? And the colors were all too red, whereas the picture had explicitly silver star shaped adornments.
He looked ridiculous as it was. The suit he mocked up from what was available only sealed the deal. Pink ruled on his torso, along with frills and a too short skirt that went only as far as his cutie mark. All this was very exhausting to wear – both uncomfortable as well as suffocating, due to a too tight collar.
Still, maybe despite the inaccuracy of his dress (that hurt his changeling shapeshifting pride in a way) he would be considered a normal citizen of Equestria? Maybe in this outfit it would be easier to mingle? It read in the magazine that everypony was doing it and that it was the current trend, to wear clothes that shouted out “It’s me! I’m fabulous!”
He felt reluctant to ask the guards for advice, and rightly so – when he requested to be let out to take a tour of the city, he was refused near instantly. Chip begged, pleaded and reasoned, finally asking for Princess Celestia to speak to.
The doors opened and one of the guards was going to say something when his face got struck by a severe case of jaw drop. From that position he did a back-flip and nearly choked himself to death, fighting for breath each second. His colleague already had a smirk on his face when he peeked inside, but only when he saw the stunningly pink-blue mess with a tornado on its head did he fall over and laugh his lungs out.
Angry, Chip shut the door with force; a couple of times in fact, as they bounced back from the excessive treatment. When he was finally shut off from the roars outside, he nearly tore off his failed attempt at trying to be more like a pony. This was what he got for trying to be nice and friendly here.
He missed the honest way Silver Heart accepted him as he was, even after he had his little accident (which even now made him peek suspiciously at his flank). She wouldn’t laugh, or at least not so bluntly. Chip could bet she would tell him how to dress better.
* * *
Several hours passed, along with the changeling’s good mood. He was bored. He already read all the flashy magazines, all of them calling out to him to be more hip. How did each of them manage to call different things the “top trend for this year”, Chip did not know. Maybe there was a lot of room for those things at the said top.
The stallion was bored to the point of stacking random items until they collapsed. The self-imposed challenge of creating the highest clutter-tower kept him occupied for some time, but eventually even that became tedious. Chip concluded he could do that in a jiffy with magic and it was pointless trying to do that otherwise, anyway.
The fake pony was close to actually calling out for the guards again, when a commotion broke out on the other side of the doors. He heard one of the guards saying something and a voice he did not recognize responding. There was some shuffling and raised voices, until suddenly the doors glowed light blue and flung open.
“Please, don’t trouble yourself, I’m sure aunt Celly won’t mind. I’ll be here just a few days and I can get along with anypony. Hi there!” The last words were directed at him.
The owner of the pleasurable voice was a pink, tall mare, probably the same height as he was. She had a horn and wings, which made her an alicorn. On her flank Chip noticed a teal heart within a gold lace – most likely her cutie mark.
What struck the changeling almost immediately, apart from the strong aroma of flowers, was the mouth-watering scent of love, passion and friendship. There was so much of it emanating from the pony that Chip almost toppled, subconsciously extending his head towards the newcomer, but forgetting to move his hooves while at it.
“Are you alright?” asked the pink mare, smiling gently. It was the same smile Celestia had, but her purple eyes made it look more playful and youthful compared to the Princess.
“Uhg. Ye. Hi,” spat out Chip, struggling against the alluring treat barely a hoof away from him. He could barely make out what the guards outside were saying in raised voices.
“Eh, I told you, don’t worry!” the pony turned around, closing one wing of the door. “I’m sure we’ll get along fine. I’m going to meet Shining Armour in just a while, so I’ll just leave my stuff here and go, okay?” And with that she swiftly levitated a briefcase inside and shut the doors, cutting the protests of the guards.
“Oh, where are my manners!” giggled the mare, extending a hoof. “My name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can just call me Cadence, okay?” She winked, blowing away a rogue dark violet hair. Her mane actually was composed of three colors – violet, pink and cream, all neatly combed and perfectly styled.
“Uh… Chip,” mumbled out the colt, shaking her hoof absent-mindedly. He felt drool gather at his lips and then break free.
The Princess frowned slightly at the sight, but was courteous enough not to point out the puddle that sank into the carpet. “Umm…I’m sorry I barged in like this, hehe. This is usually my room when I visit Canterlot. It happens so rarely it seems auntie decided to lounge her guest here! Hope you don’t mind me staying here for a short while?”
“Wha? Uh, no, of course not!” Chip shook his head violently, trying to shoo away the ungodly scent of emotions. “You may stay here…Uh, as long as you like! I was bored anyway…”
“Splendid!” Cadence smiled and begun unpacking her stuff. She paused and cocked her head when she saw the messes that were present in the wardrobes. Her mouth formed to ask a question, but instead she shrugged and threw everything out.
“Sorry for the mess! Somepony seems to have made a poor job at cleaning since I was here last, haha.”
“No problem,” grunted Chip, relieved she couldn’t see the blush on his face. Just a few hours earlier and she would have caught him in the act, stuffing fabric forcibly until the doors would finally close.
“So, who are you anyway?” asked the pony without turning. She was folding the dresses and pieces of clothing with speed and expertise.
“Umm…I, uh…” Chip stuttered. Just how much was he supposed to say? Who was this aunt Celly she spoke of? “I’m…a guest of Celestia…” he finally concluded, slowly pronouncing each word.
“Figured as much,” she smiled closing the cupboard and opening the next one, from which an avalanche erupted. “Really, I’d think the mares and colts responsible for cleaning would do a better job. Don’t you agree?”
“Umm…maybe.”
“You seem tense, Chip. Are you sure I’m not bothering you?” the alicorn stopped her folding and approached the changeling, making him almost black out from the intensity of emotions wafting from her body.
“I’m…fine…just…” He stopped to draw in the gushing drool. “Hungryyy…”
He couldn’t take it anymore. His senses were literally on fire and it hurt restraining himself from sinking his magic and extracting her untainted, pure, delicious love for somepony.
* * *
“Are you okay? Wow, you got me worried there. You should’ve said earlier you needed to eat!”
“Huuuh?” mumbled Chip with a dry mouth. Oh no. He didn’t remember lying on the floor. What was he…no memory. He blacked out. Did he do something? That overpowering smell – did he cave in?! Oh nononono…
His eyes opened, revealing the head of Cadence. She looked fine, albeit a bit worried. So she was okay. Chip didn’t reach for her succulent, delicious, luscious-STOP.
He violently shook his head and stood up.
“You don’t look good. I’ve sent one of the guards to get a medic – you made the most bizarre of faces at me and then just collapsed!”
“I just…sorry,” apologized Chip. “Didn’t mean to scare you…you just smelled so nice,” he blurted out in a hushed voice.
“Oh my…I didn’t know I had that effect on colts. I’m afraid I’m taken, though,” she winked at him, approaching the door. “Well, now that you’re feeling better, I really have to get going. I’ll be late for a date!” she giggled like a filly and pranced outside.
The doors closed behind her, once again leaving the changeling alone. He looked around, finally managing to focus his thoughts. There were still some clothes lying on the floor, and the luggage the pony brought in was unopened. She seemed like a really nice mare – as much as he wanted, though, Chip would not allow himself near her anymore. Too high of a risk and torture for him. He would have to discuss the matter with Princess Celestia before Cadence came back. But in the meantime…
“How did she fold that again?” he mumbled to himself, approaching the heap of clothes and beginning to fold them one by one.
Hooves weren’t exactly good tools to work with material, Chip decided. He did his best, folding dress after dress and putting them on shelves, but they were nowhere as flat or unwrinkled as the ones that Cadence tended to. It was the thought that counted, right?
Why was he folding clothes anyway? Aside from the obvious boredom, he owed nothing to the mare…he just had a “why not?” moment of sorts. She was so energetic and friendly towards him it just felt natural, doing something good for her.
In the end he finally managed to populate the wardrobes and not cringe at the results. Looking around, the only stuff that was unsorted were the contents of Cadence’s luggage. Now, Chip knew something about privacy – without it, he wouldn’t be here, waiting for Celestia to find the ponies he saved from doom. Yet he was very curious what the mare brought with her; it would be doing her a favor, and she wouldn’t have to do it when she finally came back. And that could be late at night, as the sun was already beginning to set.
Choking his conscience with fancy and not entirely coherent logic, Chip finally approached a briefcase. He loomed over it for a while, a tiny voice telling him to stop fighting a losing battle to the tides of curiosity. Slowly, a blue hoof pressed against the lid. It wouldn’t budge. More force didn’t help either. Nor did teeth. The wall wasn’t helpful at all as well.
“Seems this is a bigger problem than I thought. It’s jammed,” mumbled Chip, huffing and eying the tattered luggage. It was firmly shut, bearing bite marks on its lid and some scratches along the opening. “She’ll thank me once I unstuck it. If I unstuck it.”
* * *
The changeling got startled when the doors to his room opened without warning, making him slip off the baggage he was jumping on. A brown coated pony with glasses and a white suit barged in, doors closing behind him in a teal glow. The newcomer was a unicorn; behind him floated a small bag. Underneath the steel mind Chip felt irritation and tiredness.
“Hi there, my name is Doctor Hoffenweiser. I was called here to examine a certain colt who passed out. Would that per chance be you?” He nearly slurred out the sentences in one long line without pausing. Chip didn’t like him the moment the colt entered.
“I guess that would indeed be me. But I’m okay now, if not a bit hungry.”
“I was instructed to examine you, so here I am. It’s way past my working hours, so please don’t make this more troublesome than it already is.”
Yeah, the changeling didn’t like him one bit. Especially after the bag the doctor had opened to reveal several strange utensils the stallion didn’t know – a long stick with red liquid in it, something that looked like a…dagger? And some bottles with swirling green liquids.
“Say aaaah.” Said the doctor, squinting.
“What for? Aa-AAAGHRGH” Chip choked and bit at the metal shoved down his throat. There were more subtle ways of killing him, but the doctor didn’t seem to care. He was irritated when the changeling bit the tool and spat it out, fleeing to the corner of the room.
“Oh, what the hay?” he uttered, approaching Chip again. “Just stay still, okay? We’ll get this done in a jiffy and everyone will be happy and go home, like they should an hour ago.”
“You won’t take my life so easily,” hissed Chip, lowering his head. “If this is some kind of cruel test made up by Celestia, know that I shall pass, magic or without!”
Hoffenweiser stopped, cocking his head. He did indeed feel somewhat in a murderous mood, given the love of his life would probably again tell him off for coming home late. She would not believe his this time true story of working overtime by the order of Princess Celestia…
“Listen, uh, just let me do my job, okay? You never been to an examination or what?!”
“Examiwhat?” replied Chip, eying the metallic dagger floating in the air. If he could jump fast enough and grab it in his teeth, the pony’s throat would be an ideal place to leave the weapon in.
“Sweet Celestia, were you raised on a farm or what? Uh, never mind, don’t answer that…” The doctor sighed and gathered his composure enough to continue. “Okay. I can do this. Listen here. This is an examination. I am here to judge how well your body is feeling and what is wrong with you. This thing here is a spatula. I use it to check how your throat looks like, if it has any infections and the likes.”
The metallic object gently floated in front of Chip, who reluctantly sniffed it. It didn’t seem that pointy after all and would take some time and energy to slit a throat with that.
“Next up we have a thermometer. It is used to check your body temperature, which tells me if you have a fever or not. If you do, you are sick, if not, you are healthy. Is that clear so far?” The doctor levitated the device with the red liquid to the changeling’s eye level. There were numbers running along the length of it, in the range of 34-41 of something called degrees Celsius. It looked quite tame, so the blue stallion merely nodded.
“In my bag I still have my stethoscope,” continued the brown pony, showing him something Chip might have took for a rope to strangle somepony with. The doctor put two ends of the thing into his ears and a third loose end towards the changeling. “See? I use this to listen to your heartbeat, your breathing, checking for irregularities. ”
Now that was an interesting thing. Irregularities in a disguise is something Chip had an eye for and he never considered ponies being able to check if his innards are accurately mimicked. He would have to remember that one and make sure to pay extra attention to that. Which brought up the question – was his current disguise good enough?
“Okay,” said Chip into the device.
The doctor jumped back, as if he were struck by lightning and shrug off the stethoscope. He hissed in pain, putting forehooves to his ears and rubbing.
“We won’t be using that I think,” he yelled, despite the changeling being relatively close. “So, can I please continue with the examination and return to my most likely awake and definitely bonkers crazy wife?”
“I guess so,” whispered Chip, still squinting with distrust at the doctor’s bag.
* * *
It wasn’t that bad after all. The doctor was more delicate now, watching out to make no sudden movements and saying a bit louder than it was necessary what he was doing. The spatula went deep into his throat, causing Chip to witness strange contractions in his stomach, but nothing seemed to be wrong otherwise.
The thermometer also went in his mouth and the red liquid inside went all the way to the number 38. The doctor placed a hoof on Chip’s forehead and furrowed an eyebrow, mumbling something about broken cheap equipment.
With only a curt bow and a fast goodbye, Hoffenweiser finally left the room, slamming the door shut. He was a strange pony, and Chip didn’t get to hear if he was alright or not – or rather was his disguise convincing enough.
His thoughts wandered away from that question, quickly returning to the issue of the jammed briefcase. It was mangled and had scratch and hoofmarks all over it, yet remained sealed. Chip was certain there was no other way than magic to open it. Using even more force would eventually wear the material down, but something told him that the container would come in handy in case Cadence wanted to leave. He shrugged and returned to the biggest problem of them all – boredom.
* * *
The growling of his stomach startled Chip, which wasn’t a good sign. Changelings didn’t feel exhausted from lack of nourishment, but they would finally collapse once all reserves were depleted. And the monstrous demanding of food coming from his abdomen was the herald of passing out.
Shyly, he approached the doors and gave them a small knock.
“What?” heard the changeling from the other side. “Want to show us your latest creation?”
The stallion waited through the salvo of laughter before continuing: “I’m sorry to bother, but I’m hungry. Could I perhaps have some grass or something?”
“You go, I was running errands last time,” he heard in reply, complemented by an irritated sigh.
“Umm, hello?” tried again Chip, the monster in his stomach demanding a sacrifice.
“Hold your horses will ya? Darius went for a chef. You must be somepony really important – if it wasn’t for the Princess’ orders, you’d be going to bed on an empty stomach.”
Was he really that special to Lady Celestia? Did that mean that not everypony was treated around here like he was? Now that was interesting to hear. He of course felt grateful that despite being a prisoner (in a way), he was gifted such privileges. And he would thank the royal mare on the very first occasion.
As the changeling started putting words of thanks together in his head, which didn’t work well with the song his stomach growled, the doors to his quarters opened. This time, a chubby looking pony stood in the frame, eying Chip with what looked like joy. Indeed, compared to his last visitor, this one had a lot more cheer in himself. Something like passion.
“Ah, the fine guest of Princess Celestia!” he exclaimed, shaking Chip’s hoof. “My name is Chef Gustav, and I am one of the best cooks in Canterlot! I swear I’m not boasting, everypony who eats meals made by Gustav purrs in delight like little kitty cats!”
Chip was a bit thrown off by this gushing personality of Gustav – he was jovial in every possible way, inviting himself in without warning, pushing the blue colt back.
“So, you share a room with our precious Princess Cadance? Lucky you, lucky you! She is such a gentle and sweet mare! And you would not believe the amount of hay fries that one can consume in a single sitting! I say, where does she put all that?!” he laughed heartily, causing a smile on Chip’s face as well. This character was quite likable, he thought.
“But there I go, babbling about nonsense, when I can clearly hear your stomach playing the song of its people! That is the most dreaded tune for each Chef, let me tell you!” He waved a hoof in front of the changeling, taking on a serious expression. “Aha, but I got just the thing to hush your growling gut. Believe me when I say, I can tell what a pony likes by just looking at them! Really, I do! It’s a gift!” With that, he squinted at Chip, drilling him with his gaze for a moment.
Before the whole situation became uncomfortable, he returned to his cheerful self and smacked his lips.
“I can see that you are not a simple one, Mr. Chip! Nono, your tastes are much more refined than simple dandelion or poppy. This will be a challenge, but not one that the mighty Gustav will back out of!”
“Uh, really, don’t bother yourself too much,” finally managed Chip, lowering his ears. “A simple patch of grass will do. I mean, lots of it, actually.”
The chef frowned and then laughed. “You are too much, my friend! Grass! Ha, that is what ponies without a roof over their heads eat! Really, you almost had me there!” The pony punched him on the shoulder, which was probably a friendly gesture. But it hurt.
“Nono, do not fret! I shall have a delicacy for your palate done in no time! We shall of course begin with an appetizer!”
As Gustav clapped his hooves, the doors opened again, allowing a pony dressed in a tuxedo to enter. The unicorn was levitating a plate with tiny meals, gently displaying them for chip. They smelled nice – each looked like a little sandwich on a stick, composed of some vegetables such as tomatoes or salad along with some things he didn’t recognize. They were quite small and only a dozen, so Chip devoured them before anypony could bat an eyelid.
The Chef gasped, while the other pony just bowed and exited the room.
“My my, you really seem hungry my friend! And your manners do need some refining…but fear not! Gustav will teach you, Gustav will show you!”
At those words, Chip’s ears perked up. It was never too late into the night to learn, especially from such a friendly pony like Gustav. Maybe they could be friends?
“First things first, my friend!” exclaimed Gustav, clapping his hooves again. A bunch of unicorns entered, carrying what looked like a table, chair, plates…all that landed in front of Chip.
He got swept up from his feet as the chair slid under his flank. Before he could protest, a bib nearly choked him, wrapping itself around his neck. All the various spoons, forks and knives arranged themselves around a place on the table, which was covered in a white cloth.
Gustav was beaming as a few of his helpers brought in some strange looking furniture and bowls of food. The changeling’s stomach gave out a call to the vegetables, plants and fruit of all shapes and sizes, many of which he never saw before. Maybe some of those blue plants would be there as well?
“Fine, my dear Chip! Lesson one! Hunger is a primal instinct – something everypony experiences at least once in their lives. Some have the luxury of not remembering that sensation, others will stuff themselves to the brim just not to feel as you do now!” The pony fiddled around with some levers and dials on the furniture pieces set around him, conjuring a fire over which he put a pot.
Chip stared in awe, drool dripping onto the cloth beneath his face. He listened as the Chef continued: “Hunger does not much differ from fear or pain – we have little control over it and it may happen just out of the blue! But ponies are smart creatures, oh yes! Fear can be mastered! Pain can be suppressed! And hunger, my dear friend – hunger can be defeated!”
With lightning speed, the pony switched attention between pots and pieces of food which were being cut by magic. The fat colt’s horn flared with green magic, a lighter shade than Chip’s natural color. Whatever he was making, it was beginning to smell – and that enraged the demon within the changeling even more. The meager sacrifice consumed earlier did nothing to quench the fire in the changeling’s stomach.
“How one would do that, you ask? Your proposal of grass would be one way of doing it,” he chuckled, tossing vegetables in the air and scooping them back into the pan he had over a fire. The motion looked really simple and Chip noted to ask if he could try it later.
“But for stallions such as us, Mister Chip, there are things of higher nature, more sublime, richer – the only remedy for true hunger is a royal dinner!”
Chip’s ears were registering the words that followed; there was something about the history of food, facts and curiosities about types of consumable plants and the likes…but nothing really mattered when the godly smell of the goods in the pots and pans hit the stallion with its full force. The aroma was difficult to describe – mainly due to the limited vocabulary of things Chip knew. He could tell how grass smelled, some of the Everfree forest plants also left their mark in his memory. But they were all nothing compared to the rich and many layered fragrance of the steaming food just a few feet away.
“I can see that look on your face, Mister Chip. I ask that you be patient just a little bit longer. Gustav would not want to keep his guest waiting, but Gustav will also not disgrace himself with half-baked food. Everything must be just…right…” With those last words, he spiced up whatever he was arranging on the dish in front of him. As far as the changeling could tell, it was very colorful, almost flashy, arranged in a pleasant to the eye fashion.
Then, at last, when the final grain of spice landed on the plate, the food begun to move. It levitated carefully onto the table and slid in front of Chip. It was a holy grail, a meal that smelled so stunningly it deserved admiring.
The disguised colt admired the food up to the point when his face contacted the plate. Gustav understood what was happening before he could take action – as he yanked the plate away, with a sigh of relief he saw it was in one piece, albeit empty. The tablecloth however was rapidly disappearing in Chip’s frenzied mouth. It took a few seconds for the stallion to understand what he was munching on, and even less for his throat to reject the inedible intruder.
“Mister Chip, I am afraid that our mutual enemy got the upper hand in this battle, despite the victory. Those were definitely not good manners at the table. You didn’t even bother to use the forks! But, you are forgiven. The enemy was strong this time, and we should celebrate our success with a dessert!”
The unicorn henchmen of Gustav took away the soaked and torn tablecloth (with professionally smiling faces) and replaced it with a new, fragrant piece of material.
“Now, this time, Mister Chip, I ask that you control yourself. Let the food, not the stomach, speak to you. For dessert, we will have the most delicious slice of apple pie your tongue has ever tasted, topped with exquisite cold vanilla ice cream.”
Another hoof-clap later, a plate with a piece of pie and what was presumably the ice-cream floated in. Gustav looked hesitantly at Chip, who was eying the dessert. A bit on edge, the Chef put down the plate, ready to pull it back in case of an unexpected assault. There was no such thing, luckily, and the blue colt waited patiently for Gustav to give him a sign.
“Good, good! You are learning fast, my friend! Now, for us unicorns, using a spoon is very easy. We just levitate it and manipulate to our hearts desire. For earth ponies, professional restaurants have special hoof braces. Of course, Gustav has such an item; it would be a shame for him not to!”
The fat pony procured something that looked like a bracelet with a round hole beneath it. It slid on his right forehoof, followed by a spoon. The utensil locked in with the bracelet with a click; Chip waved it around a bit and it didn’t fall off.
“I can tell this is the first time you use such things, Mister Chip. Do they not have restaurants where you live at?”
“I’m afraid not, Gustav,” replied Chip.
“Oh, poor you! I insist you visit my restaurant at least once while in Canterlot! I’ll make sure we’ll always have a spot ready for you, so you can appreciate the air and delicacies at Gustav’s Food Paradise. But back to the pie…”
* * *
Fuller than before, Chip watched as Gustav expertly guided his helpers with taking the furniture and utensils out of his quarters. The jovial pony once again recommended for the changeling to visit his restaurant before wishing him a good night.
It was a very interesting night, Chip thought. He kind of wished he could taste all the food he ate, just like before – according to the description of Gustav, the pie was moist and sweet, along with the cold ice cream mixing into a harmony of flavors that could comfort even the most regal of palates. Maybe he would ask Celestia about that as well, later on.
It was getting late and the colt was a bit sleepy now – the excitement of the day washed out from him, there was only a pleasant warmth and fullness in his tummy along with overall exhaustion. He still decided he would talk to Princess Celestia before retiring for the night. He knocked at the doors.
“May I speak with the Princess please?” he asked in the nicest voice he could muster.
“What for? Don’t you know she has better things to do than talking to the likes of you?” heard the changeling in response.
“Of course, you must be right. I was given a single room, two guards and the inability to leave this place because I am unimportant. Also, you were ordered to do heed to my wishes, which you are doing ever so zealously. I’ll make sure the Princess learns of your dedication once she comes here by herself.”
There was a silence at the other side of the doors – Chip wasn’t sure if he used the right words to poke the guards into thinking their situation over. Truth be told, they couldn't know much about Chip and his origins – otherwise they wouldn’t be so careless when allowing guests in or entering themselves. Celestia was a force the changeling would fear, but certainly one he could avoid with proper care.
Finally, the changeling heard hoofsteps fading away – one of his guards went for the Princess. It wasn’t so hard, now was it?
“Oy, just don’t expect the Princess to come right away, you hear? She might be busy and come when she’ll have the time.” The voice outside seemed much more friendly and respectful than before. Chip was overwhelmed with joy – his stay in Canterlot just got twenty percent better. Relatively speaking.
* * *
As the guard predicted, the royal alicorn was busy and would meet Chip in some time. The changeling decided that taking a nap would help pass time faster.
A dream of his stomach playing war drums on top of a very large Gustav was broken by a knock on the door. The following silence allowed him time to fully wake up, shaking off the vision of the pony Chef trampling tomato fields.
“May I come in?” asked a female voice from the other side.
Chip blinked, remembering that the Princess was to visit him.
“Y-yes! Of course, your Highness!”
Gently, the doors opened, allowing a tall, blue coated mare entry to his chamber. Her mane and tail were flowing just like Celestia’s, but they had a dark color, resembling the night sky. They even had some stars in them, which was probably what the fashion magazine from before aimed for.
“You wanted to see me?” The pony, which was obviously an alicorn, eyed Chip head to toe with her cyan eyes.
“U-um? You? I asked for the Princess,” mumbled Chip, awestruck by the sight. This was already the third unicorn with wings that the changeling saw in his life. There were similarities with Celestia, but this particular pony seemed more approachable – maybe it was her relaxed pose or the sparkles in her eyes…just like Cadance's.
“I am the Princess. The Princess of the Night, Luna. Co-ruler of Equestria? Master of the Night?” Luna furrowed an eyebrow, remembering something. “And you are Chip, correct? My sister told me of you…”
“Sister?!” interrupted Chip.
“Yes, sister. Princess Celestia. You know what a sister is, right?”
“Yes, indeed. I’m so sorry to bother you, Princess!” Instantly, the changeling dropped to his knees, much to the confusion of Luna. “I hope I didn’t interrupt any of your business, my Lady. Forgive my confusion; I am new to this country and, well, my situation…”
“Your situation is known to me. Celestia told me to keep an eye on you and answer your questions, should you have any.” She cocked her head and added: “I was curious about you myself, to be honest.”
“You were?” Chip risked raising his head. The Princess was smiling. It wasn’t the type of smile Chrysalis had, which would appear usually after the changeling got mangled or beaten up. It wasn’t the gentle facial expression of Celestia either. It was more akin to that of Cadance, a genuine token of being happy. It was a nice smile.
“Well, of course! I heard a lot about your…kind, and your exploits in particular interested me. You see…I kind of understand how you feel. I…heh.” Chip felt a shift in the Princess’ mood as she shuffled her hooves. There was a touch of sorrow, the dark kind, something that Chip would feel also when remembering his time of being cast from the hive mind.
“My Princess?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she shrugged and smiled. “Let’s just say I understand what you went through. Maybe we will speak of that later, when and if time allows. If you have something to ask of Celestia, I can answer for her – it is both my duty and honor. What troubles you, fair Chip?”
“I don’t mean to be ungrateful for your sister’s hospitality, Princess, but…why am I being kept here? Why can’t I go out?”
“We still know very little about you, Chip,” replied the Princess, looking around. She spotted a chair and levitated it to herself. “Celestia is still looking for the other mares that you rescued. If all their stories of you and your deeds match, you will no longer be confined to these quarters.”
“Does that mean I’ll be able to go and continue my research of ponies? And visit Silver Heart? ” asked the changeling with a note of hope in his voice.
“I’m afraid…I don’t think so…” sighed Luna. She shifted uneasily on her chair and continued: “Even if you turn out to be a good colt, which I don’t doubt of course, you are still a changeling. You will have your own quirks and things that may be normal to you, but scary or harmful to others. Such as your…eating habits.”
“I already told Celestia I would not hurt anypony, that I can eat normal food just like the rest!” Chip angrily stomped his hoof.
“I know, I know…but please, do understand – as the ponies in charge of everypony else, we simply cannot take words, even the most true of them, as be all end all. It pains us that your dream of learning about us is ruined in such a way…” Luna went silent and stared at her hooves.
“Heh. I guess…it’s alright.” Chip sat down and took on a miserable expression. “This is better than living with changelings anyway. It’s clean, soft, I get what I want, mostly…a beautiful golden cage…”
“You’re not a prisoner, Chip. More like, a guest.” Luna smiled feebly, trying to believe in her own words.
“A guest? This is how your kind treats guests?” the changeling furrowed a brow. “No, I am not a guest. I am being kept here, not allowed to take even the simplest of strolls. Have you any idea how it is? To spend most of your life trapped far away from a land you dreamed about, and when you finally reach it, you are being treated like this? Feared, suspected of doing the most vile of things? Untrustworthy?”
The Princess hung her head, remembering something. An uneasy silence fell between the two – Chip felt bad for his outburst. He didn’t really think that way, at least not in such harsh words. He did meet some nice ponies who liked him, and the ones here didn’t exactly hate him…
“I’m sorry, Princess,” apologized Chip with a bow. “I am an ungrateful guest. It must be this late hour that causes me to speak nonsense. Please, forgive me-”
“No.”
“E-Excuse me?” the changeling felt ice climb his back. The blue mare’s stare was determined, her eyes focused on the colt.
“I know what you speak of, Chip. I know it better than anypony else, I believe…” She paused, still fighting with some thoughts, leaving Chip sweating for a moment. She then continued, nodding her head slightly: “You are our guest. At this moment, since I am in charge of the night, you are under my care. I feel that this room needs some windows opened, its stuffy in here. But we can’t have opened windows in here, you could possibly escape…”
The colt was confused at the Princesses’ monologue. Where was she heading with all this? Indeed, she reached out with her magic and opened some windows to the night air, which was cool and refreshing.
“Since the windows are open, I guess we can’t leave you alone here, right? And I have royal duties to attend to. Guess I’ll have to keep my eye on you personally. Come along now, Chip.”
The doors were open and the Princess was looking at Chip expectantly. The changeling hadn’t a clue what was going on – the guards outside were probably more than willing to keep a close eye on Chip while Luna was away. He was about to say that, when the mare grunted and beckoned him towards her.
“I haven’t got all night now. Come.”
Puzzles finally fell into place and Chip’s face nearly broke in half with a wild smile – he was being shown out of the room! Outside! The Princess would take him for a walk!
The guards were looking suspiciously at the leaving pair, but said nothing – they knew better than to question the actions of a Princess. The guardsponies simply closed the doors behind them and resumed staring into nothingness.
* * *
The royal mare was walking slowly, eying Chip curiously – the changeling’s head was twisting and turning, which would probably lead to it unscrewing from his body. His eyes were everywhere, and his mouth was wide open – he reminded her of a foal, first time out in the big city, trying to see everything at the same time.
Personally, Luna didn’t think of the scenery to be that interesting – the gardens they were in now and the castle itself was beautiful, but she saw those things every day.
“Wow…” silently sighed Chip, looking at the night sky. Stars above them were twinkling in the pitch blackness, with the moon shining brightly in its full glory.
“It is something, isn’t it?” said Luna in a dreamy voice. “I love the night sky. It took me forever to make it look like this.”
“You made this?” Chip’s eyes were wide in awe.
“Of course – I am the Mistress of the Night, after all. This is my domain.” The Princess could not mask the pride in her voice; out of the not so many things she could brag about, the night sky was definitely the most well done creation of hers.
“Wow…” repeated Chip, now staring at Luna. The mare blushed a bit and looked away. “I think it’s beautiful. Why isn’t it like this during the day?”
“Well…uhm, good question, actually.” Luna looked up. “Why does Celly make the day sky look so boring? A few sparkles here and there would make it much more interesting…but I guess that the day is beauty enough for ponies. My subjects usually sleep at this time of the night, and all this hard work is only for me to witness…”
“Not true!” said Chip eagerly. “I loved to look at the stars above, back at home. It was so peaceful and quiet, and the sky was sparkling so beautifully. But I guess I wasn’t your subject at the time, so it didn’t quite count. Am I your subject now?” asked the changeling.
Luna stopped for a second and gave Chip a strange look. These questions of his were so random…
“Umm, I guess so,” she shrugged. ”I didn’t really think about it.”
Chip simply nodded and returned his gaze to the sky above. He and the Princess spent some time in silence, together taking in the atmosphere of the night.
“Tell me, Chip…do you miss the Mare in the Moon?”
“Who’s that?” The changeling cocked his head.
“It’s what we called the silhouette of a unicorn that was on the surface of the moon…do you miss it?”
“I…don’t remember seeing such a thing. When was it?”
“She was visible for a thousand years…she disappeared maybe a few months back…”
“Hehe, I wasn’t even born a few months back!” chuckled Chip. “Then I guess the answer will be – I can’t miss something I didn’t see. Why you ask? Was she pretty?”
“Eh…I’m not one to judge that…” the Princess sighed and pecked some dirt under her forehoof. “You don’t know who she was?”
“No, there was nothing about her in my books. Tell me please?”
His eyes, resembling that of an adorable puppy, were too much for Luna to handle. She cleared her throat and begun the story.
“Long ago, there was a mare who strayed from the path of good and kindness, becoming evil. At least, everypony thought it was evil – in truth, it was just frustration and sadness. And loneliness. Nopony appreciated the filly, she didn’t have any friends besides her sister. The mare had power over the night and refused to let it end, making all the ponies witness what she thought was beauty.”
“So, she was like you?” asked Chip.
“Yes, she was…very much like me.” Luna looked away and continued: “That mare didn’t listen to reason nor to her sister, who was the ruler of day. The sorrow that the filly’s heart was wrapped up in formed a cocoon, an impeccable armor that did not yield to any amount of pleading and tears. It didn’t take long for good and order to triumph, though – the mare was stripped of her powers and sent to the moon, where for a thousand years her image would be etched into the moon she cherished so much…”
Luna stopped and looked up again, drowning herself in memories.
“So, what happened to that mare? The Mare in the Moon?”
“Well, she came back. And she was defeated again…but she learned. She asked for forgiveness and was accepted as a friend by others. She was, and still is, happy.” Luna looked at Chip and smiled. “And now she is boring the most interesting creature her eyes have ever seen with a sad tale of old mistakes.”
The last bit confused the changeling. It took some brainpower and time to figure out what was obvious – Luna was speaking about herself. She was the Mare in the Moon.
“Wait, so you were evil? I can’t believe that. You are one of the nicer ponies I’ve met so far…”
“Hihi, thank you,” giggled the Princess, “but is it really that hard to imagine? What about you? Isn’t your story somewhat similar? A creature that is considered evil, but in reality just misunderstood and lonely?”
Chip proceeded to analyze his past and compare it to the tale he just heard. It was true, some elements were similar – but all things said and done, Chip was still a monster to the ponies, while Luna was an equine that just strayed away from society. He appreciated that the royal mare sympathized with him though, for whatever reason she thought suitable.
“From your perspective, yes, it may seem like it. But from the changeling’s point of view, there is little in the way of redemption to be had. I’m banished, even though my Queen didn’t use those exact words, and I’ll never be able to come back and make friends. Not that one can be friends with somepony who thinks and feels just like the rest of the species. ”
“Oh, right. I tend to forget about you being…well, not a pony. I’ve never seen a changeling before. Would you mind showing me how you really look like?”
The request startled Chip. He was vigilant however and with a smirk replied: “I’m sorry Princess, but I am not allowed to use magic or drop my disguise. Those were the rules your sister set for me and I do not wish to trouble anypony.”
“We’re here alone and it’s dark. And I’m a Princess too you know,” smiled Luna. “I decree that for this occasion only you are allowed to change your appearance so you can show me how you really look like.”
“Umm, are you sure, my Princess?”
“Of course I am!” exclaimed the mare, sitting on her haunches.
“But, uhm, your royal duties?” Chip was fidgeting under her curious gaze – for whatever reason, changing in front of her felt wrong. Indecent perhaps…
“Oh, I just made that up so we could have an excuse to take you outside,” said Luna, waving a hoof dismissively. “Now, c’mon, show me!”
The colt gulped and tried to wiggle his way out of the situation, but the more he resisted, the more the alicorn pressed for Chip to change. She was literally just a hoof away now, towering over his disguised form, eyes wide with excitement, repeating the word “Pleaaaaase!” over and over again.
With a grunt, the changeling finally gave in, focusing his magic in the horn sitting comfortably under his fake skin. As he changed, heatless flames of green swept over his body, chewing away fur and leaving only black chitin in their wake. The colt grew, developing wings and a curvy horn – all under the awestruck gaze of the Princess, who backed away just a little bit.
The transformation finished; Chip stood in all his changeling glory, staring Luna straight in the face without having to look up. The mare gasped and slowly begun to circle the motionless stallion. Very carefully, she peeked over his wings and body, stretching her neck to see the tip of his horn or bowing low to look through the holes in his hooves.
“Well?” asked Chip, the reverb in his voice a sound he hadn’t heard in quite a while.
The mare just nodded, still taking in the view of Chip’s body from different angles.
“I thought you’d be shorter,” she finally said, smiling at the changeling.
The moon curiously peeked from behind the clouds at the Canterlot maze below, where a large black colt strolled with an equally high blue mare. Chip was mostly doing the talking, as Luna kept asking the changeling questions about himself, his kind, his culture…
The black stallion was grateful for the opportunity to stretch his cramped wings and flex the muscles that were otherwise restrained in his cloaked form. The royal mare decided that it was dark anyway and nopony ever wandered the labyrinth even during the day, so it was safe for Chip to take a stroll in his natural form.
As much as the colt enjoyed his conversation with the pony, his mind was starting to play tricks on him – his jaw was already winded from all the yawning and his eyelids fought to close on their own.
“Oh my, it truly is late,” sighed Luna with a bit of embarrassment. “Please, forgive me for keeping you up so late into the night…I totally forgot you are not a night pony…emm, changeling.”
“That is no problem, Princess. It was a very…” A yawn unsuccessfully suppressed, Chip managed to continue: “It was a very pleasurable night. Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
Luna beamed at Chip, nodding and saying “With pleasure!”
Barely awake now, the changeling summoned his disguise and got led to his quarters, where a fresh duo of guards saluted the Princess. He got a goodbye smile from the royal mare and once again found himself confined to his room.
On the bed he saw a sprawled Cadance, mumbling something in her sleep. Her briefcase was open and empty, which meant that she managed to unstuck it on her own. Good for her, although it did pinch Chip’s pride that a mare would be capable of unjamming a container and him, a young, large and powerful stallion couldn’t.
Afraid to come closer to the pony (whose scent already made Chip’s tummy rumble), the changeling lay as far away from the bed as he could, curling up and falling asleep almost instantly. It was one of those rare nights that he actually remembered his dreams – he was traveling alone through a green high maze. He felt someone’s gaze on his back, just out of sight – for some reason he could not turn around and look the shadows in the eye.
* * *
The dream shattered as Chip felt somepony poking him on the head. His still sleepy eyes recognized the regalia of Cadance, who was smiling down at him. Her smell was as alluring as ever, but the changeling was thankfully still not fully awake.
“Princess Celestia told me to wake you up while she prepares the carriage. You’re going on some kind of trip or something. She didn’t say to where, though.”
“Thank you,” mumbled Chip, getting up hazily. He staggered towards the door, not paying much attention to the mare that resumed combing her head in front of a mirror. Before the colt could knock on the doors, they flung open, revealing Celestia and a bunch of guards in the frame.
“Oh, I see you’re awake. Had a pleasant night?”
“Y-yes, my Princess.”
“That’s good. Please, follow me to the carriage. I found one of your friends in Manehattan. She goes by the name of Hope Dawn.”
Chip’s ears twitched as he heard the familiar name. He would see Dawn again and meet her family. Hopefully she still remembered Chip as a kind savior…
* * *
The visit to Dawn’s apartment was a pleasant one – Chip again noted that ponies tended to ignore him in favor of Celestia, who was showered with gifts, praise and nervous bows. The mare herself was relaxed and kind, giving her subjects time to adjust to the unexpected visit.
The questioning also went quite smoothly. Dawn was a lot less emotional while talking about her captivity, which was impressive given she was subject to being fed upon. A giant weight dropped from Chip’s heart when Hope finally recognized Chip and told a story nearly identical to Night Star’s – she swore the changeling was different, kind, intelligent and a little bit clueless. The clueless bit was irritating to the involved colt, but upon reconsideration, he had to honestly admit he didn’t know much about ponies. But it would still sound better if he was just 'uninformed'…
“Now we have two testimonies to your story, dear Chip. How does it feel to visit old friends?”
“Strange,” replied Chip, cocking his head. “I know them a bit…but these ponies now…they aren’t the same. They are relaxed, groomed, happy…like the others.”
“Like the others?” asked Celestia, stepping onto the carriage.
“Well…I don’t know how to explain this. You see, changelings are all alike – they look the same, act the same, you know,” Chip flailed his hooves around a bit, trying to find the words. “Back there, at my cave, there were only a few ponies. Each one was different – their manes, their coats, the shapes. They were individuals, unique.”
“Yes, they still are, dear Chip. They haven’t changed that much.”
“It’s not that they have changed…the setting…tgh…” Chip put a hoof to his forehead. "How to explain this? Well, here, when we look down – we see other ponies, right? Some of them have the same coats, manes, some look very alike. It’s hard to tell that that mass below us are hundreds, maybe thousands of individuals, with their homes, families, dreams…”
“That is an interesting perspective. To tell the truth, many ponies are similar – that is why we have fashions, trends, societies… They want to belong to a group which they can communicate with. With whom they cannot only talk, but also understand, share the same ideas and dreams…”
“So, in fact, they want to have what the changelings have? Be together as one?” cut in Chip.
The Princess pondered this question in silence for a few moments before replying.
“From what I gather, changelings do not have individual personalities. They don’t require alone time, don’t have their personal secrets…so not exactly, Chip. Ponies would like to read the minds of others when it is convenient and be alone when they like to.”
“So…they would like to be somepony like me? Back at home, I could feel the hive and myself at the same time…be in a group and alone simultaneously…I miss my hive,” he added unexpectedly. A tear fell onto the white carriage floor.
Chip wasn’t banished that long ago – yet compared to how long a single drone can live, it would be quite some time for a regular pony. The changeling got used to the silence in his head, but it still felt awkward – empty even. As if a chunk of his head was missing. There was no buzzing, no images or sensations from another. Just himself. Blink after blink, breath after breath…
“Are you alright, Chip?” asked the concerned Princess.
“Y-Yes, my Princess…I was just thinking. Of home.”
* * *
After returning to Canterlot, Chip’s life wasn’t exactly exciting – he talked with Cadance about her special somepony, who turned out to be the Captain of the Royal Guard; Gustav came every now and then to teach the changeling about “real food”, as always inducing a smile and cheer with his jolly personality; Luna would spirit Chip away for a night stroll in the maze, talking about nothing or just silently watching the stars.
The colt grew to like all these ponies – hay, even the guards outside became a tad bit friendlier towards him. Of course they didn’t talk much, but there was no longer any snickering behind his back or second guessing each and every of Chip’s demands, which weren’t numerous anyway.
Princess Celestia did a fine job in finding the rest of the saved mares – every few days she would take the colt away to a different city or town, to meet a pony that greeted them kindly and testified to Chip’s kind nature. Haypton, Ponyville, Fillydelphia, Bucksdale – each place he visited was different from the last. Ponies wore their hair differently or had funny accents.
It took a month to locate and interrogate all the ponies that were ever involved with Chip – there were a few slip ups with incorrect names or similar ponies that weren’t the ones they were looking for. It was a happy time and the changeling was looking forward to seeing the end of this journey. What would lie in wait for him next?
* * *
Chip waited impatiently at the doors to Celestia’s chambers. He has been summoned here a day after they found and talked to the last mare that was safely rescued by the black stallion.
The guards outside kept their eyes locked on some point in the distance, ignoring the pacing around colt. Chip was obviously nervous – what was happening now would decide on the rest of his life here, in Equestria. Or maybe he would get banished? 'Okay, he was a nice changeling, but this was not the place for him; he should go home' – would that be the verdict?
Finally, the doors to the Princesses’ quarters opened and Chip was invited inside.
“Dear Chip,” started Celestia, showing him a seat near a small table. In the room there were no guards, only the white mare and, surprisingly, her sister – at this hour shouldn’t she be asleep or something?
“I and Luna have come to an agreement. My original intention was to keep you here in Canterlot – you’d be given an escort that would allow you to move about the castle. Luna here convinced me that there is no such need. Even better, she found a useful function that you could take. Would you care to hear it?”
“Yes please!” exclaimed Chip. Luna winked at him and smiled, raising the changeling’s hopes even higher.
“You see, we still know very little about your kind – try as we might, we just don’t have enough time on our hooves to study you carefully. Instead, we will allow you to be studied by another pony – a mare I completely trust and have faith in her diligence. I believe that she may be able to teach you a whole lot about ponies in exchange for the knowledge about your kind.”
“T-Teach me?” stuttered Chip. “I…I could really learn about ponies? From another pony? My…”
“Yes, yes. Luna told me how very important that is to you, and that it would be cruel to just take from you, after all you’ve been through and all that you’ve done for us. Your kindness has earned our gratitude and the trust of many here in the castle – it is only fair we reciprocate.”
“So…that means…I…”
“Should you accept this proposition, you would be relocated to Ponyville and share quarters with Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student and your future guardian. She would research you, you would research her. What do you-”
“YES!” shouted Chip, throwing his hooves up and to his face, which now beamed in a giant smile. “YES!”
* * *
There were no guards this time to escort him back – probably none would even match his speed. Chip was sprinting with all his might to his quarters. He would lie down and wait, counting the minutes till his departure that was planned for tomorrow at sunrise. The original idea was to wait another week to make some preparations, but Chip’s enthusiasm and authentic foalish joy overwhelmed the Princesses who finally gave in. What kinds of preparations were needed anyway? Chip proved he is pure of heart and could be a valuable ally, as well as a friend.
As the colt dashed along, something made him stop just as he was passing the entrance to the Canterlot maze. A feeling that tingled somewhere deep within his head. It was strange, and very irritating. Without much though, the colt entered the cool shade of the green labyrinth, looking around with suspicion. It was cooler here than out in the sun, and this sudden change in temperature sent ripples of ice down his body.
Stop. A tiny prickling feeling was born under his chin. The sensation intensified, as if something was forcing itself upon his throat. He raised his head high, but the feeling was very strong now – the colt had no doubt something sharp was being pushed against his neck. From the corner of his eye, he saw a green, soft glow.
“Long time, no see, Chip,” he heard a voice from behind. The subtle reverb dissolved within the green walls, deep within the maze, where nopony ever wandered…
It felt like…ice. His whole body turned into a solid chunk of frost, petrified by the sound of the malicious voice. There was nothing else in his world other than the skin stretching sensation of the sharp object threatening to tear into his throat. The cool shade provided by the tall maze walls was illuminated slightly by a ghastly greenish glow.
“What’s the matter?” snickered the voice. “Cat got your tongue? You suddenly don’t feel like talking? Or is it just family you don’t want to speak to?”
Chip was too afraid to even gulp – not that his mouth contained anything to swallow at all. Nervously, thoughts ran through his head, each one more panicked than the last. Should he change? No, the blade would slit his throat before his natural armor would emerge. Should he use magic? No, he would need to uncover his horn, which would again be noticed. Buck? He wasn’t even sure the owner of the voice was behind him.
What to do…what to do?! he panicked in his head.
“One could think you are a statue now,” sounded the voice in front of Chip. Slowly, as if a veil was sliding of its body, a changeling appeared. It was a lot shorter than the colt, but was definitely taller than a regular drone. The creature was slicker than the stallion, had a lot less thicker plate and a short, greasy teal mane on her head. It was a she, that was for sure. The changeling’s eyes were blue with hints of green around the edges. And they stared with pure delight at the panicked Chip.
“Oh, Chip…I heard a lot about you,” said the changeling, observing the colt. “I kind of have to thank you, you know? If it wasn’t for you, I would never get the chance I got. The Queen noticed me and helped me. But I’m no failure. I’m not like you”
The mare begun circling Chip, a victorious smirk making her face look even more wretched.
“I watched you for a very long time, you know? It took some time to track you down…but I’m good at what I do. It’s what Queen Chrysalis taught me. And with her guidance and power, here I am, with you. As it was meant to be.” She now whispered into the stallion’s ear: “I can feel it, you know? Everything inside you, it’s so delightful. You’re just like a pony. All these emotions, scents… Now I truly see why you were a failure. You’re tainted. You’re broken. Not like me.”
The changeling strolled into Chip’s view once again. The colt felt the object at his throat move upwards, scraping his skin, cutting down the fake coat that dissipated in green puffs of smoke as it fell. The thing was circling under his chin in big lazy circles, surprisingly not cutting.
“Mmmm, yeeesss…I can feel it all. You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? You still remember how…failed...changelings are treated, right? There is no room for weakness in the hive. You are something even more than a failure, you know? You are a traitor. A disgrace to your own kind.”
The mare approached Chip, almost touching his muzzle with hers.
“But you needn’t worry. I’m here to fix it all. Repair the damage you’ve done. I have a whole life ahead of me, contrary to you. It will all be alright – nopony will know of the changelings. Even if it means that each and every pony will be put to eternal sleep. I’ll start with that big Princess one. She should prove fun to play with. Then Her sister. Your friends. Some of them are already gone, you know? Remember that sweet little cottage near the border?-”
Time slowed down. Cottage? Border? Barracks. Down the road. A home. A filly with her family. No. Just…impossible. Lies. Lies. No.
“NOOO!!” yelled Chip, butting his head with as much might as he could muster.
The changeling mare got knocked back and the colt felt the sharp object go along with her. A sharp pain followed – the knife cut his chin. But it didn’t matter now. Adrenaline, combined with the essence of fear and hate fueled Chip into action. The terrible images his head spawned blurred his vision out completely…
The enemy recovered just in time to see the colt reassume his original form. The bottom of his muzzle was covered in green ichor, spurting wildly to the ground. Chip lunged at the mare with a wild scream, disregarding the knife that blocked his path. He felt and heard the blade scrape against his plate as he mounted the downed changeling.
Helplessly, the assassin flailed the blade around, looking for an opening – that is, until the first head-butt dazed her. Another followed, causing a cracking noise. And another. And one more…
Almost unconscious, the mare could feel the blade sliding against thick armor. If she could only…
A crack…
Shove the…
Just a bit deeper…
* * *
Chip was lying on his side, eyes reduced to but flickering candle lights. There was barely any blood dripping from his chin. The wound inflicted by the dagger stuck in his shoulder, where two plates didn’t quite meet, didn’t hurt anymore. It was getting cold, despite the sun being high up in the sky. It looked down at the scene where grass wasn’t the only green; lots of changeling blood sunk into the ground – some of it was still puddled around Chip, while the rest belonged to the headless carcass of the mare assassin. Her head was smashed to pieces, right into a small crater in the ground where a sticky pool still persisted.
Surprisingly, Chip didn’t have many thoughts. Most of them were just memories – of Chrysalis, of the mares, of his dearest friends and the Princesses. He tried to call out again, but his jaw wouldn’t even budge. He wasn’t sure he even had a mouth anymore. It was strange. He felt light as a feather. He could be swept away by the slightest breeze, should one ever visit the labyrinth which nopony ever ventured into.
The changeling wasn’t sure that he saw anything anymore. His whole world was that of images of the past. Those were warm, at least a little bit, so he tried to move closer to them. The ponies in the visions smiled at him, beckoning him towards them. They reached out for him, helping Chip get up. He felt safe, perhaps for the second time in his whole life. Secure, with his friends and all the smiling faces around. Nothing hurt him anymore. The ponies were talking to him, and he smiled. He could stay like that forever.
“Chip! Chip!” shouted a gray filly, running up to the changeling and snuggling up to him. “Do you think we can play now?”
“Yes, I think so.” replied the colt.
Together, along with Night Star, her husband, Gustav, Cadance and everypony else, they went towards the setting sun, which blinded them…but in a good way. Chip was happy.
Everypony was chatting happily, basked in the pure white light. There were smiles, laughter, and joy – not a care in the world. Chip was happy. He felt light, filled with the omnipresent radiance…in a way, he felt really clean. Not scrubbed/polished/waxed clean, just…clean. The kind of clean you feel when exiting a really relaxing bath, or dancing in the summer rain. From where Chip knew how those felt was a mystery in its own right.
The changeling didn’t notice when he and his company reached a giant, majestic gate. It was made out of white marble, with winged ponies at each side, carrying strange stringed instruments in their hooves. Harps or something like that.
“Chip, we’re here!” squealed Heart, trotting over to the doors. “C’mon everypony! Let’s get inside! I bet all the ponies would love to meet you!”
“Meet me? But I’m…I’m a changeling! Wait, let me just put on-”
“There is no need for that,” whispered Celestia at his side. “Here, everypony knows who you are. They’ll grow to love you for who, not what, you are.”
“L-Love me? But they don’t even know me! What if I do something stupid or-”
“Don’t worry. Here, nopony judges,” Luna assured the colt, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “This is the place you have always dreamed about…”
As she said those words, the gates opened soundlessly. Behind them…a whole village. No, it was bigger – many, many times bigger than Ponyville. It was a gigantic field of cottages, hovels and homes, surrounded by green fields and ancient trees. The sun was shining through the thick crowns, giving the whole setting a magical feel to it. And amongst all that, ponies – every kind Chip ever read about. There were Pegasus, flying up high, greeting each other like old friends; Unicorns, laughing with their friends or performing tricks; Earth Ponies trotted about, some of the younger ones playing games with balls or other items.
“They are all here. And I’m sure they’ll like you, like all of us did,” smiled Cadance. “I bet they’re eager to meet you – why won’t we go inside?”
“I don’t know…” hesitated Chip. This was all that he ever wanted. The dream of being with ponies, getting to know them. Of being understood and liked for who he was. These friends of his told him all would come true; all it took was a step over the doorstep of the giant gates…
But somehow…somehow, that small simple move felt like it was important – final, in a way sealing all that was behind him. What was it that he left way back there? He couldn’t remember…he couldn’t recall what was just before Silver Heart and the rest came to pick him up and…
“Is something wrong Chip?” asked a worried Silver Heart. All of them were already on the other side with concerned faces.
“I…I don’t know…”
“Don’t you want to play with me? Spend some time together? Meet new friends?”
“Of course I do! It’s just that…”
“If something is bothering you, just tell us, Chip. We’re here to listen,” said Night Star.
“Why can’t I remember?”
“Remember what, Chip?”
“How I got here...there is nothing…nothing before now…”
“Well, there was nothing before now, silly. Even if it there was, it doesn’t matter here.”
“Where is here?” pursued the changeling. He felt compelled to just shut up and take that step…but why did his mind refuse, why did it keep showering him with doubts?
Silver Heart looked around and shrugged.
“Well…here is here. There is nowhere else, at least not now.”
“So there was something else earlier?”
“It doesn’t matter. Come on Chip, stop fooling around and come play with us!”
“I…no, it does matter. Something is…is…”
“Is what, Chip? Spit it out!” chuckled Gustav.
“Wrong.” As Chip whispered those words, he suddenly felt a pull from below. The force knocked him off his hooves and left him sprawled on…were these clouds? Puffy, soft…how could he have not noticed before?
“Chip, nothing can be wrong here!” exclaimed Celestia with a nervous smile. She shuffled on her hooves a bit before extending her forehoof towards the changeling. The rest did the same.
“We’d hate for you to miss out on anything – you’ll have all the time in the world to figure out what’s wrong, just come with us, okay?” Was that the voice of Autumn Leaf? It sounded like him, but…something was…
Wrong
Another violent pull from below made Chip sink into the clouds, submerging his legs in a liquid below the puffy cloud surface. The fluid was sticky and uncomfortably hot; it churned beneath his hooves, not burning, but definitely heating his skin.
Why didn’t he have his chitin?
This time, only his head was left above the cloud. His friends at the portal gasped and reached out even further. Why didn’t they cross the doorstep to help him!? He was sinking!
“Help!” he gasped, feeling as the hot liquid rolled over his body in sticky masses, burning and squeezing.
“C’mon Chip! Just make a step! You must make it! You have to, or we won’t see each other again!” yelled Silver Heart, tears in her eyes.
“Chip! Please! Just come over here! Everything will be alright!” Who was that? …
Chrysalis?!
Why was she here?! Why…how…
A sharp pain went through his shoulder – the blade hit deep, probably piercing a lung. His head hurt and he felt it crack, but he kept on butting, full of rage and grief, each blow sapping his strength and delivering a wet splatting sound
The colt’s eyes opened wide. His view was being obscured by more and more white fluff. Memories flooded his head with pain and fear; he felt dirty, his whole insides were being burned alive by the molten fluid around -- it was squeezing itself into him, seeping through the thin skin.
Soon, all he saw was darkness. Darkness that gradually changed to red. Whatever he was in was hurting him. It burned, it stung; he just wanted it to go away. What did he do to deserve such pain? All the changeling could do was curl up into a shaking ball of misery and mind-numbing agony.
He wished he could slip into unconsciousness. But he was wide awake, feeling every inch of his body burn. His mind was being invaded as well. Some sort of growling, some sickening shrieks, and above all a murmuring. It sounded like an angry mountain was chanting a mantra – the kind of incantation that brought about bad luck and grief.
“Chip” said the mountain, blowing away the changeling’s mind with the multitude of meanings that simple word had. “So be it” Each single syllable was packed with knowledge and ancient power – Chip was sure he didn’t understand whatever the voice said, and nopony else in his place would either. This…this sound. It was above all that everypony ever knew…
* * *
Celestia walked into a simple room with a bed, some medical aperture and one chair. On the bed, lying unmoving for three days straight, was Chip. It was hard getting him here unnoticed – he was heavy and not responsive most of the time, slipping in and out of consciousness several times before reaching one of the Canterlot guest rooms.
Doctor Hoffenweiser was another problem to be dealt with – time was running critically short and there was not a moment to spare on explanations. As a few of Celestia’s guards tried opening up the thick carapace to reach the two wounds the colt suffered, the medical pony was told that he would be rewarded dearly if he managed to save the life of Chip.
Fueled by greed and the obviously distressed Princess Celestia and (surprisingly) Luna, the doctor did whatever he could to stitch the wounds and keep the colt alive. The changeling’s heart stopped so many times Hoffenweiser was ready to quit on the second day, but the regal mares pressed and pressed, going so far as even mildly threatening the pony to not even think about letting Chip’s life slip away.
By the end of a very stressful third day, Chip stabilized – there was no way to replenish the blood loss he suffered, as all tests (despite being conducted in an ugly and fast manner) confirmed his organism would refuse any type of pony blood. It was a matter of time now – the doctor swore on his life that there was nothing else he could do but wait and pray to the sun and moon that the stallion woke up.
* * *
It was beginning to dusk and Celestia was ready to leave the room, having wasted her free day on watching over Chip, when a faint sound caused her ears to twitch. She turned around, nearly winding a hoof…
The changeling’s forehoof moved. Just a little bit. As little as the tear of joy and relief that formed in the royal eye.
Chip felt warmth. It wasn’t the scorching sensation from a few moments ago; it actually felt comforting. This heat spread over his body in waves, going along his belly, reaching to the very tips of his hooves, flowing gently around the head…life. It was the warmth of his own body.
He was numb and unable to move a leg, but the comforting sensation of warmth made it irrelevant. On the edge of his senses the changeling knew something was going on around him. There were sounds, faint smells…it all blurred together into a colorful cloud; the hues shifted and turned -- blue danced with green, which then shifted to red. Blobs of colorful smoke filled his vision, slowly assuming forms and shapes. The colors settled down, molding themselves into faces and objects.
Then, his body stopped being numb. It was sore and worn out, like an old jacket worn for way too long. The warmth from before was settling in, sinking into the aching muscles. Voices were clearer now – there were two of them, both female, each asking him a question. What was that again?
“Chip? Are you alright? Speak to us, please! Doctor, are you sure he’s alright?” The worried voice seemed to be coming from a blurry white face, very close to Chip’s own.
“Yes, yes, of course! He’s coming to as we speak. Please, My Lady, give him time! Honestly, I’m surprised this…thing still lives. It’s a miracle, I’m telling you!” This voice didn’t have a face, and it sounded like it was far away.
Another muzzle came into view. This one was blue. Was that a smile?
“Look, Celly! He’s opening his eyes! Chip? Chip, can you hear me?”
The changeling finally understood the voices that spoke to him. Shyly, his mind started reminding him words and images that should have always been there – Luna. Celestia.
“I’m…” started Chip in a crooked voice, unable to finish due to a fit of coughing.
The blue mare was shoved aside, replaced with a face of Doctor Hoffenweiser.
“It’s nothing dangerous. He’s just really tired, and if I may speak as a professional doctor, please, I’d advise you let our patient rest! This crowd and constant stimuli isn’t good for his current health state!”
“Alright, doctor…we’re sorry. This was such a…stressful time, for all of us,” sounded the voice of Princess Celestia, calm and regal as always. “You did a great job and we shall see to it that you are rewarded accordingly. We would also like to remind you that what you saw here is-”
“Extremely confidential and not to leave these four walls. Yes, My Lady, that is perfectly clear to me. What kind of a doctor I’d be if I went about talking about my patient’s private matters?”
There was some shuffling at the far side of the room Chip was in, then a loud wham and silence. Sweet, empty silence…
And a dream…
* * *
It was dawning when Princess Celestia gently knocked on the door to Chip’s room. Carefully, her sister’s head poked out, squinting at the royal mare. Seeing nopony else, she let the sun-goddess inside.
Chip was sitting upright in his bed, bandaged no more – it was troublesome with his chitin regrowing all the time, so the doctor decided to let the changeling body handle itself. His shoulder and chest plates were smaller than the rest on his body, but they already looked as healthy as the rest.
The colt himself was staring into the window to his left, through which a portion of the royal maze was visible. The place where things changed and got out of hoof. Once the changeling could more or less think and remember things, it became clear to him that the original plan of going to Ponyville was no longer viable – Chrysalis was hell bent on killing Chip, and hurting the ones he loved.
“How is he?” silently asked Celestia, eying Chip from behind her sister’s mane.
“Silent. When he came to, he just asked a few questions; did the assassin flee, about some ponies near the north borders, any other casualties…”
The white mare nodded and slowly approached the bed. Chip spared her a glance and a weak smile before locking his eyes back onto the window.
“How are you feeling, Chip?”
“Tired,” whispered the changeling. “Any news on-”
“We’ve sent guards to check up on Autumn Leaf and his family just a few hours ago. They’ll be back with a report near noon. I’m sorry, Chip.”
“It’s okay. And her?”
“You mean the assassin?” the Princess sighed, remembering the bloody view. “The doctor ran an autopsy on the body. You…well, kind of removed her head. And she was dead long before we found you two. There’s not much else to say. A roll call showed no missing staff or guards in the castle, and officers are checking the city for any casualties.”
“Good.”
“Chip…about you moving to Ponyville-”
“I know,” cut in Chip, turning his head to look at the Princess. The sad face didn’t suit her. “The situation has changed. Chrysalis found somepony else, similar to me. She came all the way here, to Canterlot, without being noticed. She almost killed me, and was targeting you next…there is no time for fun and games anymore. I’ll understand if you’ll want me gone from your country, so I don’t cause trouble… ”
“No Chip, you are only partially correct,” spoke Celestia, waving a hoof at Luna. The blue mare understood the sign and went outside the doors to stand guard.
The white mare herself flared up her horn, producing a sphere of light. As the orb traveled the room, the royal mare used telekinesis to close the window shut and cover the curtains. The light made a round alongside each wall and around the ceiling, finally returning to Celestia who brightened up a little.
“What was that?” asked Chip, adjusting himself in the bed.
“A spell I rarely use…one that I guess I’ll have to teach you. It is meant to uncover all things hidden – in this case, anypony who would want to eavesdrop on our important conversation here.”
The white princess took a deep breath and sat on the chair, moving it a bit closer to the bed.
“It is vital, now more than ever, that we learn of you and your kind, Chip. Your Queen has made a move, one that she will regret in the long run – but we need your help to put her to justice.”
“W-What?! Princess, I can’t…I can’t hurt my mother!” yelled the changeling, squinting in pain as his chest burned.
“We’re not going to hurt anypony, Chip. I used the wrong words. What I meant was, we need means to protect ourselves from her. Not a sword, a shield. We have to learn what she knows about us, how to distinguish changeling from pony…we must not allow any more acts of violence upon our subjects.”
She delicately put a hoof on his good shoulder and smiled faintly.
“Seeing you in that puddle of blood, it was…a terrifying experience. Equestria prides itself in maintaining relative peace, and what just happened down there, in that maze, is a great shock for me and Luna. We can’t have our friends fret for their families and lives.”
“Friends?” repeated Chip.
“Yes, friends, Chip. You are a friend. Your terrible past follows you around and you will not face it alone. But the only pony that can give us the tools to help is you. Will you help us Chip? Do you think you can?”
There was a heavy silence after those words. Chip was torn – he loved the Queen as much as the Princesses. Now it seemed that all his hopes for peace between the two nations were naïve and foalish from the very beginning – the changelings were the issue here, not ponies. It was impossible for the wolf to shake hooves with the sheep…but then again, wasn’t he a tame wolf himself?
“Princess…I-I will help,” said Chip, sighing. “But there is…one condition. I will not allow violence against the changelings…if necessary, I will deal with them myself… I-I have to try. I have to try and convince Chrysalis to change her ways. I’m not sure I can, but I’ll try. That is why I need to learn about you as much as I can as well.”
“If you could convince your Queen to live in peace and harmony with us, we would be very grateful, Chip. I have faith in you – you are a kind and rational colt. You are a bridge between two different worlds; if anypony would be capable of uniting our two nations, I believe it could only be you.”
“Or someone like me,” corrected Chip. “So, we have a plan. To learn, to defend, to unite…but what to do now? Anypony could be another changeling waiting in disguise for the right moment. You are all in danger while I’m here, and the pony, this Twilight Sparkle, will be in even a direr situation with me at her side.”
“I know, Chip. We gave all this a lot of thought while you were lying in bed. The original plan remains unchanged – you will travel to Ponyville and stay there, learn about ponies and teach about changelings. We will just have to spirit you away from Canterlot without anypony noticing”
The smirk on her face made Chip feel a little bit more confident. And a bit less sore.
* * *
Cadance dropped by to visit Chip. Most of his blue coat was wrapped up in bandages and his black mane was a total disaster. The mare found him talking to Gustav, who was as optimistic as ever, spreading laughter and the faint scent of cooking oil around the room.
“Ah, Miss Cadance! Have you come to visit our clumsy friend here?”
“Of course!” smiled the pink mare, sitting on the chair that Gustav emptied for her. “You really should be more careful, Chip! Those stairs are reaaaally long, you should be thankful it’s just some scratches and a broken leg!”
“Yeah, I know,” replied the colt, blushing.
“So what, you’ve been here for a week or so? When are they releasing you?”
“Quite soon I think. The doctor said that the bone is healing nicely and I’ll be able to walk maybe even later today, without any stunts of course.”
“Glad to hear that!” Cadance patted Chip on the back.
The trio was interrupted by a discrete cough from the doors where Celestia appeared.
“I’d like to speak with Chip in private, if you don’t mind. Chef Gustav, Princess Cadance,” said Celestia, closing the doors behind the duo.
The Princess cast her light orb spell, sweeping the room carefully before approaching the changeling.
The colt immediately dropped his disguise and jumped out of bed. His body was healed, armor as shining as ever. Eyes blue and full of life, the spark of intelligence visible behind the thin black cat-like pupils.
“We have finally found a colt similar to the disguise you use, Chip. He will take your place around midnight – Luna will make sure everything goes smoothly and according to plan. Remember – I’ll send you straight to the Ponyville Library, where Twilight Sparkle will be sleeping. Don’t startle her too much and make sure she reads the letter from me. From there, just stay hidden and work as hard as you can, dropping off reports for me personally in the spot we agreed upon.”
“Behind that fake wall, right?” Chip pointed at the masterfully hidden high-security stash.
“Yes. I’ll make sure this room is arranged as a library for books from my…khem, personal collection, so nopony ever has to wander in here.”
Chip snickered uncontrollably, causing the white face of Celestia to redden slightly.
“It’s a plan as any other, nothing funny about it,” mumbled the royal mare.
“Of course, My Lady. I have a question though.”
“Yes?”
“Would you mind if I read some of those books later on? I believe I haven’t-”
“What could have gone wrong?” repeated Chrysalis again, pacing around her lair. “It was all perfect. I was this close. Where is the fault?!”
The Queen stopped and put a hoof to her forehead, calming herself.
“Okay. Just stay calm. Again. Let’s analyze this again, step by step…minute by minute…”
* * *
The female changeling was barely standing in front of her master. The small mare, who was already showing signs of growth, had chipped armor in many places and was panting heavily. The rough training session she’s just been through left behind a dozen or two changeling corpses.
“Good, good. You finally know a bit about hoof to hoof combat,” approved Chrysalis, looking down on her minion. The Queen could not help but think of Chip when she stared into the sky blue eyes of her newest pupil…the memory of the stallion brought both a sense of loss and hatred. But this time it was different. She kept careful watch over the thoughts and actions of the unnamed changeling (yes, she was not allowed to be given a name), gently altering or steering them as she saw fit.
The black mare was feeling happy at the moment, having received praise from her teacher and mother. As with the previous one, no matter the amount of punishment Chrysalis would give out, it was always received humbly and with a grain of gratitude. It was attention this young one craved – and the medium didn’t matter. The Queen could just simply beat the mare senseless and still cause her to smile before fainting. Which, truth be told, happened a few times.
Barely half a month passed since Chrysalis begun training, and the mare knew most of the basic things Chip did. When would she stop comparing her to him? Never mind…this changeling would not be as independent as the failure anyway. She was reliant on the Queen; her body didn’t know how to act on its own and most of the spells she used were cast from her hive mind. All she really knew was how to think. Thinking was all Chrysalis ever wanted in a changeling – a second pair of senses to whisper to her. Because no matter how well the Queen could steer a single drone, it was difficult to focus while thousands of others had to be maintained as well.
“I think this should be enough. We have wasted enough time as it is. Each second that traitorous changeling roams free is against us. Do you understand the gravity of your mission, drone?”
“I understand it is important to you, my Queen,” hissed the black mare, bowing to Chrysalis. “That is reason enough for me to be eager to begin my journey.”
“Good, very good. Then we shall not waste time. You shall leave immediately. I will keep a close eye on you, young one. I’m curious as to how will you fare in the outside world…”
* * *
It didn’t take the mare long to reach a building obviously created by ponies that marked the borders between nowhere and Equestria. Flying over it while invisible was the easiest thing ever – sensing the flow of search spells allowed the infiltrator to dodge detection without even breaking a sweat.
The question was, where did Chip go to? Both Chrysalis and the unnamed changeling debated that point for the majority of the trip; they finally concluded that the fool would probably look for the first largest settlement he would find. That would be a good place to start looking for him.
Fortunately for Chrysalis, the minion was very curiously looking around. The Queen wanted to painfully remind her to keep her mind specifically on the task at hoof, when something on the ground caught her attention.
The black mare felt compelled to land and hide in some nearby bushes. From there, still cloaked, she watched a family of three – a colt, mare and foal – go down the road, chatting about stupid pony things. The female was of interest to the Queen, so the changeling stared at her intently.
“What?!” gasped Chrysalis. “Impossible. But how? What…Chip?!” Chrysalis was breathless. Before her mind’s eyes was the image of a pony she remembered as Chip’s first victim. There was no doubt – she looked a lot healthier and had a shorter mane cut, but the mark on her flank and the colors gave her away.
“How is this possible?” gasped the Queen. “Could it be…I was right. I knew I had a hunch. I was right…I was right” She broke into a sob. So she was betrayed. That traitorous Chip, that trash, that useless pile of meat set the pony free behind her back! Why did she trust him so?! Why?!
“But wait. If this one is alive…then the rest…”
The conclusion nearly knocked Chrysalis off her hooves. Every pony she thought was dead, all the victims she so fondly remembered screaming in agony, were alive. And out there. Back in Equestria. With the knowledge of the changelings. With Chip helping them. This was a dire and grim reality that had to be dealt with right away.
“Kill them and hide the bodies,” whispered the Queen, venom literally oozing from the command.
“My Queen,” hesitated the changeling minion, surprisingly resisting the sudden urge to kill. “Is it…is it wise?”
“You dare question me?”
“No! Of course not, My Lady!” whimpered the black mare, feeling her insides churn and twist under the rage of her master. “B-But we can l-learn where the raitor…is…”
She was allowed to breathe once Chrysalis looked past the veil of her own emotions. The changeling was right. These could be sources of information. They could be killed at any later time. But now, even more than ever, Chip’s death was very important.
“Fine…then capture them. Question…then kill.”
“My L-Lady…” started the minion again, shrinking at the mental feeling of displeasure wafting from the Queen. “T-That stallion…he looks like one of the guardsponies at that border. Don’t you think ponies would suspect something if one of their own went missing so near the border?”
“These vermin get lost all the time. One or three missing doesn’t make a difference,” snapped Chrysalis, ready to punish her subordinate again for questioning her motives.
“B-But milady…if they know of us…if they are informed about our ways, how we act, from where we come…don’t you think that they would be suspicious?”
Again, the small young mind proved to be wiser than the millennia old Queen. She was right. If Chip was a traitor…no, because Chip was a traitor, the ponies must know of the changelings. When she sent scouts, they were never allowed to kill anypony. They were never allowed to be caught either, dissolving or exploding if caught. That way, the element of surprise was preserved until it could be used to deal that one, precise, fatal blow.
But they already knew what the changelings could do, so the element of surprise was weakened. Still, the exact time and place of such a strike was not known to them – thankfully she did not share her plan with Chip. So there was still hope. Maybe they could all be lulled into a state of security once that rotting traitor was out of the picture. Yes. She could wait some more time. Train some more minions like this one here, this little one who proved useful twice already…
It was disturbing that Chrysalis was so blinded by her personal emotions for Chip and his actions that she nearly made two critical mistakes on a whim. That would not happen again. Once the Queen gathered her composure, she spoke to the mind of her waiting minion.
“Good. You can be happy with yourself. You did me very proud today. I expect that you keep up this level of dedication and spirit through your mission. We shall wait until the ponies go to sleep – then, you will inspect their thoughts, learn what they know of Chip and us…”
The black mare, still concealed in the bushes, smiled.
“Yes, my Queen,” she whispered, moving like a shadow behind the happy family of Night Star.
* * *
They were all so innocent in their sleep. So defenseless. The doors provided absolutely no protection – the changeling simply teleported inside, through the window. The Queen hated these figures, and the assassin mare understood why – they had filthy hair all over their bodies, no wings and only the male had a teeny tiny horn that could do next to nothing to a mighty changeling such as her. These creatures really deserved nothing else than to be feasted on.
A short scavenge through the house equipped the mare with a sizable knife, ideal for cutting throats. Chrysalis and the unnamed one were both tempted to see how it worked in practice, but it was already settled that killing these particular ponies would be left for later. In the least expected moment of their lives…
The changeling minion approached each pony with her horn aglow, searching their thoughts and dreams. Night Star didn’t prove useful – she dreamed of the filly being all grown up, smart, having a great job and…bleh, whatever. The colt was no better, having a kinky dream about his wife doing something Chrysalis only laughed about in her head.
Now the filly. She was useful. Of course wading through all the cotton candy and bunnies her dreams provided was horrible, but when the changeling reached Silver Heart’s mental image, it was accompanied by Chip himself.
“Oh look, Chip! It’s your friend! Hi there!” the filly smiled and waved her hoof to the minion who was ready to throw up from all the nausea she felt.
“Hello there friend! Would you care to join us for some tea? This is the best tea in Canterlot!” exclaimed the traitorous colt in a voice that was distorted and nothing like the real thing.
“Ugh…no, thank you, I’m in a hurry,” managed the unnamed one, trying to stop her stomach from churning.
“Oh, that’s too bad! This is the best tea party ever! Princess Celestia herself will be here any moment now! You sure you don’t want to stay?”
“No, thank you, child. I need to ask Chip a very important question. Can I speak to him for a moment?”
“Sure!” squealed the filly, excitedly jumping up and down on her chair.
“Alone?” huffed the changeling mare.
“Oh! Are you his mareriend? Are you, are you?!” The foal was clearly too excited, and the imaginary Chip was already starting to approach Chrysalis’ minion with starry eyes.
“Arghh…just…just tell me where you are, Chip! Where did you go to?!”
“Me? I’m here, my love,” replied the Chip, doing a spin as he came closer. “In Canterlot. The place where dreams…come…true…”
* * *
The changeling female finally allowed herself to vomit behind a bush, having raced to find a secluded spot for a few seconds. The filly’s imagination maybe was straightforward, but she damn well knew how a kiss looked and felt like. And it was probably Chrysalis’ fault that the dream colt slipped a tongue into her mouth…
“Pff! How dare you insult me! I would never!...ugh!” The Queen watched with satisfaction as her minion hurled again and again, nothing but green bile leaving her mouth after the second or third stomach contraction.
It took some time for the assassin to gather her wits again and stop shaking – the scene that etched itself into her mind was both gross and humiliating. Another reason to kill Chip – the changeling traitor who lived comfortably in Canterlot, the capital of Equestria.
The night was still young, and a gentle breeze made flying towards the mountains in the distance very pleasurable. Even with the terrible feeling in her mouth.
* * *
Finding Chip wasn’t exactly difficult. Without any kind of shame or common sense he traveled through a green maze with a mare at his side during the night. She could end him right there, when she first saw him, with the knife she spirited away.
But that would leave the mare to deal with. No casualties in civilians, at least, not yet. The changeling would have to wait.
Days and nights passed with the minion relentlessly dogging her target. He was in his quarters most of the time, ponies coming in and out of his new lair. There was a pink mare that was pretty tall and good looking for a pony, a fat colt who always smelt of burnt food and some others that rarely came by. The guards at the doors looked bored most of the time, and the changeling infiltrator amused herself with distracting them while cloaked. A pebble to the head, a gust of wind in the face or an adrenaline-rising talk while disguised were the pleasures that Chrysalis supervised and approved. It was funny to her too.
Once in a while, a white mare who looked like a pretty important pony would take Chip away in a carriage. The changeling learned she was referred to as Princess Celestia, the ruler of these lands. A very important figure to keep in mind. And the mare that spent time with Chip during the night sometimes was her sister, Princess Luna. It seemed Chip was useful after all – marking all the important ponies saved Chrysalis the bother to look for them.
Personally, the changeling assassin didn’t think much about anypony or anything. She just fantasized about the way she would cut Chip into ribbons, leave his body somewhere in view and then manipulate everypony into paranoia. Some of the scenarios she even proposed to Chrysalis, much to her delight and approval. The two were getting along really great and the unnamed mare felt a connection to her master – something more than just puppet-master…maybe something like…
Similar to…
Perhaps a…
Friend?
* * *
About two weeks of waiting finally paid off – Chip was trotting at full speed alone, near the maze. It was now or never.
The changeling dove into the labyrinth and exerted some pheromones specific to the changeling race. They were rarely used at all, mainly to mark targets or to distinguish a changeling from a real pony when the Queen had to maintain many spies. The bait worked, luring the disguised pony-Chip into the cool shade of his final resting place.
Swiftly, the knife flew to his throat, gently pushing against his chin. The feeling delivered by his sudden fear and confusion was ecstatic to both the assassin and Chrysalis. Revenge would be finally served, with all the succulent torture and grief as an appetizer.
“Long time, no see, Chip,” said Chrysalis and the infiltrator in unison.
* * *
Chrysalis took over almost entirely, guiding the changeling’s mouth to torture Chip with images of death and despair. He deserved that. Those maybe weren’t facts just yet, but his friends would die sooner or later. If the colt could die with disgrace, topping it with guilt and grief only made the whole moment sweeter.
But then something went horribly wrong. The Queen mentioned something about the cottage they passed and…the next moment, Chip was on top of the assassin. His chin was sprouting green blood and there was murder in his eyes.
The first blow came. The infiltrator lost connection to the hive mind for a second, causing her to panic. She wanted to teleport away, run from the pain, the confusion that suddenly hit her like a cargo train. Her head was hurting like it had never before and she felt her plate split in half where the stallion’s horn sunk into it.
The second blow. Her thoughts scattered, but the hive mind returned to her. Confused, the changeling begged Chrysalis to take her away. She could not perform anything alone. She wanted to leave, to live, to go away. She wanted it so very, very much. But there was nothing. No compassion, no fright. Nothing from the Queen.
Third blow. Her forehead was torn with pain. She lost her vision and the sounds were muffled – something wet was streaming down her face. It was sticky and hot.
“Please…away…mother…” mentally whimpered the changeling.
But there was nothing. Her body not her own, the assassin felt telekinesis reach for the knife and stab at the towering Chip. It was looking for an opening. The Queen would…
THUD. Pain was her whole world. She wanted to cry, to beg, to apologize. She wanted to live. But then, through the mist of red, she understood something – she never truly lived. She existed, as a tool. She was nothing. Just a leg, maybe even less. A pair of eyes, two pairs of hooves, wings and a horn. She was what her mistress wanted her to be. A knife that still searched for a place to stab at…
thud. She didn’t even feel that. Her whole body jerked violently. Colors flashed in all hues that ever existed, burning and piercing her little precious spark. She was being extinguished. Just like that. One last time, she begged the Queen to help her. To save her. But…there was nothing. Only a shove of a blade.
When did it end? She could not tell.
What would happen? She did not know.
Was she even here? It was a mystery that would never be solved.
Chip was pacing around his little room – he couldn’t decide if it was nerves or excitement. These kinds of events were exactly what some of his books were about – dark secrets, meetings at midnight, ponies doing dangerous things tinted with a looming threat or ugly complications.
The moon was barely visible through the heavy curtains, but it was certainly around midnight by now. The changeling walked in circles in total darkness, from time to time illuminating the chamber with a search spell Celestia taught him. She was a way better teacher than the Queen – where Chrysalis administered pain and snickering, the Princess gave applause and words of encouragement. It was obvious the colt had a great affinity for magic - he learned a lot in just a week, including some really difficult spells that Celestia used very rarely. Chip’s most favorite one was a mind melding spell – it was designed mostly for interrogating ponies during their sleep. It was particularly fun due to the fact that you had to actually participate in the dream to question the target.
Chip found Celestia’s dreams to be very abstract – a large room with a ceiling and walls too far away to see, basked in darkness, with all sorts of weird items flying around – a melted clock, some chairs with three or two legs, paintings of ponies and places long past…either the royal mare was a very strange character or she was prepared for Chip’s arrival, preparing the testing grounds for him. The colt mentally noted to try it out on her while she least suspected it.
The stallion got caught by surprise by a flash of blue light in the center of the room. It lasted but a fraction of a second, so even if it did pierce the heavy curtains at the window, it was unlikely somepony saw it. The silence that fell was broken by a voice:
“Why does the night have shadows?” it asked.
“Some secrets aren’t safe even at night,” replied Chip, sighing with relief.
The passcode was accepted and the changeling approached the middle of the room. He gently bumped into somepony, immediately getting touched by a hoof.
“Chip?” asked Princess Luna, straining to see in the pitch-black room.
“Yes, my Lady,” confirmed the colt, guiding her hoof to his face and recognizable horn. “I am ready when you are, Princess Luna.”
“Good. Maski, you will wait here for my return. Don’t move an inch.”
“Yes, Princess,” replied a voice that Chip did not recognize. But it did somewhat sound like him – an untrained ear would probably not know the difference.
“Good. Let us proceed then. Chip, hold on to me tight…not that tight,” gasped the Princess, gently pushing the eager changeling away. “And do keep your hooves a bit higher.”
“Sorry,” managed the colt. Before he knew it, the twisting sensation of teleportation invaded his innards. It didn’t last long enough to become discomforting, though – Luna proved to be a very skillful magician.
* * *
The faint light of blue magic faded away as fast as it appeared, casting a brief glow over thousands of books in the Ponyville library. It was brighter here and Chip could make out several shelves filled to the brim with tomes, scripts, scrolls…his eyes were never that wide before. All that knowledge. Right in front of him. Who needed a pony? There were thousands of equine souls poured into ink and paper right before his very hooves! He’d definitely start with that big one there, oh, or maybe that red one! Could he read two at once? It would take some flexing but probably…
A kick in the flank finally snapped Chip out of his dreamy mood. He was totally oblivious to the Princess who was trying to ask him something for some time now.
“Chip! The hay is wrong with you?!” She sounded both irritated and concerned by the sudden unresponsiveness of her friend.
“Oh, sorry Luna…I just…look at all those booffsss…” The hoof that filled his mouth was followed by a very displeased hushing and nervous looking around.
“Not so loud. We don’t want to wake up Twilight Sparkle or her assistant, Spike.”
“Spike? There was no mention of this Spike. Will he be a problem?” whispered Chip, facing the Princess.
“Oh no, not at all. He’s a very charming young dragon, I’m sure you’ll like him.”
“Dragon?” asked the colt, cocking his head. “What kind of a pony is that?”
“It’s not a pony. A dragon. You know. Wings, fire breathing, gem eating…no? Nothing? Well then, you’ll get to meet him anyway.” The royal mare sighed and put a hoof to Chip’s face, looking him deep in the eyes. A smile lit her face.
“You behave now Chip,” she whispered into his ear. “We hope you and Twilight will find a way to prevent a disaster that might happen…and personally, I sincerely hope that your dream will come true, or at least part of it. Good luck, my friend. I will miss our walks in the night.”
Unexpectedly, Chip hugged Luna – it was not the bone shattering embrace from just a few moments ago, but a sincere, warm hug.
“I’ll miss you too, Luna. Maybe…maybe we’ll get to see each other soon? I’ll miss our walks too. Send my best regards to Princess Celestia as well. I’m sure that together with Twilight Sparkle I’ll find a way to help the Queen see you all as I do – as great friends, with giant hearts and smiles that never cease to amaze me.”
The Princess nuzzled the colt on the cheek and gave him a curt bow.
“Goodbye,” she said, covering herself in blue smoke. “Or maybe…till next we meet.” And with that, she vanished.
Chip was alone. A clock somewhere in the room ticked and tocked, counting down seconds till sunrise. The whole operation ended at fifteen past midnight. Somepony upstairs gave out a wild snore that made Chip’s ears twitch.
The gravity of the mission, the realization that he alone had to do it all, along with this stranger…it no longer seemed so exciting. Maybe he was just exhausted, or maybe the books that were here, their smell and alluring covers gnawed at his priority list. Whatever was the case, going upstairs, waking the pony up and giving her the letter felt like an impossible task in itself. He didn’t want to start just yet. It was very early, he reasoned, and it was rude to wake somepony up.
Deep down inside he knew that time was very important. Chrysalis could have had a whole army of this kind of assassins. They were dangerous, and if one almost killed Chip, who was trained and naturally gifted as a predator, then what chance did a mere pony have? His friends and allies were in danger all the time – thankfully, Celestia assured Chip that Silver Heart along with her family would be relocated to a more secure place. She even gave him some letters that the filly managed to write to Chip – most of them were only a few words, asking him when he would come back and play or tell him that she did something exceptional that was important to her…
Those little parchments were left behind and burned. Nothing could point to the newest location of Night Star’s family. It was a sad thing to do, and the inability to reply hurt, but it was for the better. He had to have only a minimum amount of contact with his friends. Once this was all over, he’d apologize, in person. And have fun with Silver Heart and Cadance at Gustav’s restaurant. Yes. That was a plan. A great one.
“Work first, pleasure later,” huffed Chip, hesitantly taking the stairs up, towards the demonic growling that came from the bedroom.
* * *
Midway through the staircase, Chip put on his pony guise – a silver unicorn mare with white hair, yellow eyes and a Cutie Mark consisting of two masks, one sad, one happy. There was no known pony that looked like him, so it was easy to forge official papers. From what he remembered, his name was now Wub.
Wub was an actress, a fairly unknown little star in some backwater pony village that barely anypony knew. The fictional character traveled across the country and could be identified by several ponies, all of whom were faithful servants of Celestia in disguise.
The amount of work put into his fake identity impressed Chip – he or the Queen couldn’t have done it any better. On the other hoof, there was no need for such things with changelings – even if they mimicked other ponies, their personalities were quite secure with the original victim being taken care of and laid to rest, preferably several feet under.
When he finally reached the bedroom, he was startled by the mess the room was in – the ground was littered with stacks of books, some of them open. Amongst the chaos was a basket in which something moved under. And the source of the snoring…
The source of the awful growl was a purple unicorn mare sprawled over a lectern, drooling on a piece of paper that was scribbled with small text. A quill was resting near her mouth, and it seemed some ink got into the pony’s violet hair. The cutie mark on her flank left no doubts this was the Twilight Sparkle Celestia spoke of – a large reddish star surrounded by several smaller ones.
This wasn’t how the changeling expected a prized pupil to look like…but upon reflection, did he look any better while under the Queen’s tutelage? At least her body wasn’t injured, and the pose she was in, although awkward with her flank stuck out, was nothing compared to some of the ways Chip fell asleep in back in the day.
Stealthily, Chip maneuvered between the stacks and reached his target, gently tapping her on the plot. There was no reaction first, so he pushed her harder. Nothing. Using more force…
“Yeowch!” yelped the mare, jumping in shock. Her flank bore a red hoofmark and was sore. The dream she just had faded away, replaced by the face of a silver-coated mare with glowing yellow eyes.
“AAA!” screamed Twilight Sparkle, flaring up her horn and lashing out at the intruder. It was action before thoughts, so the unprepared Chip flew to the other side of the room, straight through the frame and tumbling down the stairs. As soon as the librarian’s brain took over, running all the routines and executables required for logical thoughts, the purple mare gasped.
“Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh,” mumbled Twilight feverishly, running down the stairs. The pony did show up unexpectedly, but it still was wrong of her to use such force. What if the pony broke her neck? What if she was bleeding out down there?! If she died because of Twilight’s stupid reaction, what would happen then?! Pony prison? No, Celestia wouldn’t do that – she would banish her! She would be a disgrace to her teacher who would be put on trial! Celestia would be ridiculed and she would lose her royal status! And then…and then who would raise the sun at dawn?!
“Please, pleasepleaseplease be okay, for Celestia’s sake!” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the intruder in a grotesque position under a pile of books that fell on her.
The lights snapped to life with a flicker of magic from the panicked mare.
“It’s alright, it’s alright, just calm down Twi. Check if she’s alive. You know CPR, right? Right?” As she said so, she put a hoof to the silver-coated throat. “Pulse! You have a pulse! I’m saved, Celestia, I’m saved!”
From beneath the tomes came some groaning. Chip was trying to push away the pile of paper on his soft body. He really felt tempted to just burst out in his original form and execute some payback on the psycho mare.
Seriously, who punches you in the face on a first meeting? mused the shapeshifter. Is this some kind of weird custom? A joke? She is a prized student?
“Ohmygosh, I’m so,so sorry. I didn’t mean to…you startled me! It’s the middle of the night! Who in their right mind sneaks up on sleeping ponies in their homes, huh?!”
The mare continued with her tirade, in the end concluding it was totally Chip’s fault for waking her up and putting her preciously arranged tomes into a state of utter messiness. At least she helped the disguised colt crawl from under the books, which she then begun to rearrange on the shelves.
“Ugh…yeah. Whatever,” said Chip in a high and cocky voice. Presumably, this character he was pretending was quite adventurous. The voice chords the changeling developed for her worked perfectly. “Listen. Hey, can you put those books down for a second? Ugh. I have something for you.”
Twilight spared a glance at a sealed scroll and was just about to say something snappy when her eyes bolted back to the seal on the paper. It was a royal Canterlot wax staple. Sealed by powerful magic. It bore the signature of Celestia herself, and it was meant for Twilight…
Immediately the books were discarded and the parchment snatched from the telekinetic grasp of Chip. With a dry snap the seal was broken and the purple mare sunk into the short note that the Princess wrote to her. The colt wasn’t sure what it said, but as Twilight’s eyes moved from left to right, they became larger and larger.
The silence that fell was regularly disturbed by the tick and tock of a clock nearby. The scroll was floating gently in front of the mare’s muzzle – her mouth was open so wide, Chip was sure she was going to consume it quite soon.
“My,” started Twilight, slowly turning to face Wub. “Celestia…wh…ag. Aha…”
“Hey, Twi, what’s all the commotion about?” sounded a male voice from above.
Chip looked away for just a second to find the owner of the voice – doing so made him miss the moment that Twilight fainted, falling to the floor with a loud thump. From upstairs a most interesting creature was approaching the scene – it moved on two legs, had scales and large, green eyes…it was short. And looked very surprised to see Chip.
“What in the hay?...Twi, who’s this? Twi? Twilight! What did you do to her?”
Chip stepped away from Twilight, taking on a confused expression and shrugging.
“Nothing. I just gave her this note from Celestia. Are you Spike by any chance?”
“Yeah,” snickered Spike, shaking Twilight forcefully. “What’s it to you? Who are you anyway? What’s this…note?”
The small creature, which apparently was the dragon Luna spoke of, showed the same symptoms as Twilight after reading the note – he turned towards the changeling, mumbled something incoherently and fainted.
“Yes. Prized student. Fantastic researcher. Gah…well, at least there are books here. This one looks interesting…”
And with that, Chip sat on his haunches and totally sunk into a book called “Supernaturals”. The two would eventually come to, and the changeling would not risk being thrown across the room a second time that night.
The clock in the room startled Chip who was reading his third book. According to the contraption, it was two in the morning. The changeling monitored the still unresponsive Twilight Sparkle and her dragon from time to time, but they didn’t really move. They were uninteresting. These books, however…
“Supernaturals” was a pleasant read. Lots of images, colorful descriptions about obscure herbal medicine…one entry in particular put a smile to Chip’s face. It was about Poison Joke – a plant that was from the Poison Oak family, but instead of causing an itchy rash, it played a joke on the pony who contacted it. The plant looked exactly like the blue flowers the changeling ate quite some time ago in Everfree. So that was the whole deal with him changing into a pony? A joke? Well, nopony was laughing…that particular plant could have been broken, right?
The second book the colt got his hooves on was “Obscure Unicorn History”, a really large tome that surprisingly got swallowed up by Chip in a matter of half an hour. All the stories, myths, names and events were amazingly detailed, and the stallion nearly felt there, in the past, amongst the ancient fathers of unicorn kind. There were even quite a few articles about the Princesses – the fearless rulers of day and night, defending their people from threats and leading them to welfare.
The third tome happened to be some kind of fiction book, titled “Daring Do and the Frost Stallions”. It was fairly well written, although the heroine was too cocky for Chip’s taste. She put herself in dangerous situations far too frequently to call her sane, and most of the traps she fell for could be avoided from miles away. Nonetheless, he continued to read on, as some of the twists and miraculous escapes were entertaining to read about…
“Ughh…” moaned Twilight Sparkle, shuffling on the floor half-consciously.
Chip furrowed a brow and spared a glance at the pony. She was coming to, apparently. But Daring Do was just about to fall into a pit of lava, so there wasn’t much time to pay attention to the crazy purple mare.
“Spike…ugh. There you are,” whispered the librarian, nuzzling her sleeping assistant. “I had the wildest of dreams just now. Somepony snuck into our house and nearly died under a stack of books. And there was a letter from the Princess herself, saying that-”
The note was lying there, on the ground. The words were exactly like in her dream – all written in tidy and curvy golden letters. Princess Celestia wrote to her. It wasn’t a dream…and there, by the table, bent over a book was…was…
“Uhm. Excuse me,” squeaked Twilight, scrambling to her feet and giving out a wide, totally-not-fake smile. “A-Are you…by chance…”
Chip grunted, straining to look away from the page on which Daring Do was just about to dodge a giant Frost Stallion’s hoof. His eyes finally unglued themselves when the heroine did a miraculous backflip, during which she threw the Heart of Phoenix straight into the jaw of the monster, causing it to roar in agony.
“I’m Chip,” said the disguised colt plainly, putting the book away with a heavy heart. It was a really good read, all things considered. “And you’re Twilight Sparkle, yes?”
“Y-Yes!” nodded the mare, a bit too energetically. She scooped up the scroll her teacher wrote and read it again. “A ch-changeling…whoa. I just-”
“Yes, I am a changeling. Can you show me that for a minute? I’m not sure what the Princess wrote anyway-”
“NO!” yelled the mare, hiding the paper behind her. She nervously giggled and backed away a bit. “I mean, um, it’s addressed to me. And it doesn’t say that anypony else should read it. Nnnope, nowhere to be found, hihi.”
Chip’s good mood instantly faded, blown away by a red flag raised in his head.
“Did the Princess tell you who I am? In that note?”
“O-Of course! Chip, changeling, scientific name…umm, hehe. I don’t think there is any yet.” The grin on her face was so not-fake that it hurt to watch. “Friend of Princess Celestia and Luna. My new…research buddy.”
Chip squinted, slowly approaching Twilight.
“Why did you say friend in such a way? ”
“What way? Whatever do you mean? Hey, what are you…give it back!”
Chip managed to bring the paper to his eyes and read “My most faithful student” before the scroll burst into flames. Well, it more exploded really – the changeling’s silver fur got charred mildly by a flame licking his face.
“See?! I told you! My eyes only. The Princess must have set a spell to prevent anypony else from reading it.”
“Then why is your horn glowing?”
“Glowing? Where? Oh, this! I…um…hehe…”
The silence between the two was chilly. Chip was cautiously observing Twilight with half-closed eyes and the mare was exercising her facial muscles in yet another I’m-totally-not-hiding-anything-esque smile.
“Uhh…Twi. Whoa. I just had the wildest dream…you were there, and that freaky thing Celestia told you to-”
Chip again shot a cold look towards Miss Sparkle, who fed the baby dragon with her hoof, effectively stopping it from finishing the sentence.
“You silly dilly!” intoned Twilight, patting Spike on the head. “That was not a dream! The changeling- I mean, Chip is here! And that was totally not a dream! Princess Celestia indeed wrote a letter! And it totally burned down when our friend here was trying to read it!”
Alright, something was definitely wrong here. The two Ponyvillians were exchanging meaningful glances and looking at Chip as if he were a ghost. Why? What did Celestia write in that letter? Was there something that he should suspect?
No, that was just impossible. The Princesses, especially Luna, would not do something…unexpected behind his back, right?
They were friends, right?
Right?
* * *
Awkwardness persisted, as did the smell of thousands of books and dust in the Ponyville library. Twilight finally gathered her wits and suggested the trio sat down and got to know each other over a cup of aromatic cocoa.
“You can drink cocoa, right?” asked Twilight, hoofing the disguised colt a cup.
“I’ve never drank it, so I don’t know. Only one way to find out.” And with that, he drank the liquid in one go.
The mug got violently smashed against the table and Chip’s eyes watered heavily as he looked around in panic.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?!” Twilight was dumbstruck by the silver-coated mare who was now grabbing herself by the throat and sticking out her tongue.
“Hoooot” gasped the changeling, still looking around for something to cool his burning throat with.
As soon as he saw a vase with some flowers, he pounced the jug and fell its contents breathlessly. The flowers stuck on his face and his wet torso didn’t matter – the demon that drowned his innards with fire was defeated, causing Chip to sigh with relief.
“Wow…you really didn’t drink cocoa before, have you? ” giggled the purple mare, loosening up a little.
“That. Was not. Funny.”
“Oh, sorry, khem…I guess I should have told you it was…warm.”
“I still think it was funny. But you could have spared the mug,” snickered Spike, who had to collect the broken cup and clean some spilled brown liquid. “At least none of the books got stained. Now that would be a disaster.”
“Hihi, true, true,” nodded Twilight. Her eyes were locked on the silver mare, studying her every body part – the tail, cutie mark, legs, torso, neck, and head. Chip looked just like any other pony in Ponyville. What was so special about her? Or him?
“So, um, Chip-”
“Call me Wub…just in case. You never know who might be listening,” interrupted Chip, glancing left and right, as if expecting to see somepony eavesdrop.
“Okay…Wub. Umm, mind telling me exactly what does a changeling do? You look pretty much like a regular unicorn to me.”
“Oh? Didn’t your letter from Princess Celestia tell you anything useful about me? Hmm?” Chip took on a smug expression as Twilight blushed and put her ears down.
“Hehe…no, not exactly,” she admitted, scraping the floor with one hoof.
“Alright, listen here Twilight Sparkle,” started Chip, approaching the mare. Spike tried to stand in the way, but was shoved gently aside, much to his displeasure. “I am here to help. I don’t really care what was in the letter. If there was something only for you to see, so be it, I won’t ask. But from what I understand, we have to work together. You and I have to be able to trust each other. You may not like me, but if you won’t be sure that I’m being honest, how do you imagine our cooperation?”
“No no! I-I don’t dislike you or anything…but…”
“I don’t like buts,” cut in Chip, standing now face to face with the purple mare. “When you say ‘but’, you basically throw away everything you said before. There can’t be any ‘buts’ in our work. It is very important that we don’t second guess each other and finish our task as fast as possible. You do know what we are supposed to do, right?”
“Y-Yes! Find a way to defend ponies from…from changelings…” Twilight was evading eye contact. There was something more…
“I’m beginning to have doubts about our possible cooperation. I don’t feel I can trust you. I’ll have to speak with Celestia about this…”
Twilight cringed at the sound of her mentor’s name. The pony was squirming under the unrelenting gaze of Chip, who somehow managed to tower over the mare, despite being the same height as her.
“I-I…wait…” It looked like the pony finally yielded. She sighed and looked Chip straight in the eye. “Princess Celestia wrote to me – it was a very personal letter. She told me that our mission, this task that she put on me and you, is by far the most important thing anypony could ever do. I am willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. You asked if you can trust me. You can trust me just as much as I can trust you. You are a pony…a changeling that I am supposed to find a shield against. I don’t know you and have my doubts…but Princess Celestia trusts you. She spoke very highly of you, and that means a lot to me. If she puts faith in you and tells me to work with you, I will. You must understand…”
Chip put a hoof on her shoulder and smiled.
“It is all so sudden,” admitted Twilight, again looking away. “One day I’m researching friendship and the origins of baby dragons…and then wham, the other I have to drop everything and focus on a super-secret project that Celestia herself put on my shoulders, together with a mare that I don’t even know!”
“A colt” corrected Chip.
“Well, you look like a mare, right?”
“Ah, yes, true.”
“So, eh, I guess I’ll just need some time to adjust…and time is all that we don’t have, it seems.”
“This type of situation is new for me also,” admitted the changeling. “I had my doubts too before I got here…but there are ponies in my life that I want to see, places I want to go to. I need to finish this so I can carry on.”
Twilight sighed. She suddenly felt very tired.
BONG! BONG! BONG
The old clock made everyone in the room jump. It was really late.
“Eh…what am I saying.” Twilight put a hoof to her face and rubbed her eye. “It’s late. This talk is getting nowhere with my mind like this. I don’t know about you, but I need to sleep at least a couple of hours to think straight. Do changelings sleep?”
“Yes, they do, and we like it too. We don’t have many dreams though…”
“Okay. I hope you don’t mind we wait with beginning our project till morning? I mean, I could take notes right here and now, but I can’t guarantee I won’t fall over and snore through some vital information…”
“I’m tired too. I think I’ll rest as well.”
“Umm…Spike? Spike- oh, there you are.”
The baby dragon was sitting quietly, listening to the two talk. He didn’t make a sound during the conversation, deep in his own thoughts. The letter from the Princess was definitely a big life changer. This would be the biggest thing Twilight was ever caught up in. And this time, her friends would not be there to back her up. Only this stranger, this representative of the beings they are supposed to defend themselves against...
“Spike? Could you fetch some spare blankets and pillows for our guest?”
“There’s no need. I’ll sleep here, on the floor,” said Chip, lying down.
“Really, it’s no big deal-”
“I insist. We’ll work everything out in the morning, including a proper place for me to sleep and for us to do this research thing.”
“If you say so,” grunted Twilight. “Should I leave the lights on?”
“No, it's best nopony is tempted to see why there is light in the middle of the night…”
“Oh, yeah, true…well, good night!”
The lights were turned off and Chip heard hoofsteps fade away on the staircase. The changeling lay his head on his forehooves and let his thoughts wander.
This mare. This Twilight Sparkle. She was a strange one. The colt knew how a shocked pony looked and acted like – this was nothing compared to the rude awakening the pony would have when she'd see him in his real form. Still, there was something wrong in this whole situation. She was way too tense about the letter and its contents. The blame was thrown on the sudden introduction and gravity of the mission, but even considering those factors…
Chip had a hunch. The bad kind.
Eyes closed, the changeling listened to the monotonous tick and tock of the clock on the wall. It lulled him into an uneasy sleep, shadows haunting his dreams.
* * *
He dreamed of Celestia, Luna, Twilight and Spike, hunched together, whispering something. Chip couldn’t make out anything, no matter how close he came, and he could not speak out to them or draw their attention.
The whispers were malevolent and stopped suddenly when the four raised their heads and looked at the colt. Wicked smiles cracked their faces, revealing razor sharp teeth. Chip found himself naked, without his plate and unable to move. All around blades, drills and other kinds of sharp medical equipment appeared, slowly closing in on the petrified stallion. His friends, old and new, watched as the utensils drew closer and closer…
Twilight Sparkle was lying on her bed, thoughts churning in her worried head. She couldn’t decide if the task frightened her to death or excited her beyond belief – she was doing something nopony else in equine history has ever done before. That meant there were no manuals, no scripts, no tips that she could look up to for guidance. She would have to document every single thing by herself, which meant that she would have to be diligent beyond her even wildest dreams of organizing and creating checklists.
The mare’s mind was racing – did she have enough paper? Was the ink supply sufficient? Celestia, what if they broke too many quills? Today was Wednesday, and if they went out by Thursday, that would be 3 days before a new shipment arrived!
“Spike? Spike! Are you asleep yet?” urgently hissed Twilight, squinting to see the basket in which the baby dragon usually slept.
A loud snore erupted, the kind that was associated more with sawmills rather than ponies. Or dragons. Did he always growl like that? How in the hay Twilight could sleep in such a racket? She would have to look into ways of thawing that noise in the future…
“Ugh, what am I thinking about!” she whispered to herself, knocking her head with a hoof. “I need to get some sleep, otherwise I’ll perform poorly tomorrow. Today, I mean. Oh dear, it’s already three in the morning. Only four more hours before sunrise…”
Try as she might, Twilight Sparkle did not sleep that night.
* * *
Chip woke up rather tired. The dream he had faded away, leaving behind a faint feeling of worry. The sun was beginning to rise, illuminating the library and the multitude of colorful book spines arranged neatly on the shelves.
The changeling yawned, looking around the room. Apart from books, there wasn’t much here – a few tables, windows, doors, the staircase from which he fell… Not a good place to do this whole research thing. It needed to be a secluded area, where nopony could enter, preferably with heavy doors and no windows. A cave in the forest or some kind of secret room…
The colt picked himself up from the floor and approached one of the doors. Behind them was a Ponyville street – so that was the exit from the library. Obviously not a good choice. The second door led to a small, sunny kitchen. Only one window, but no locks and way too little space for some of the things Chip was forming in his mind.
The next door looked promising, though. It was heavy, wooden with steel reinforcements. And it was definitely closed shut. Well, at least until Chip cast a spell taught to him by Celestia. He wasn’t a locksmith and didn’t understand much of the clicks he heard from inside the locking mechanism – all he knew was that he had to arrange the holes inside into a pipe, adjusting heights of each lock element. It took some time, but soon the doors were wide open, allowing Chip entry into a dimly lit chamber.
This was perfect. A staircase down led to a space that didn’t have any lights and was littered with some strange contraptions with light bulbs and needles and things. If all that got removed, there would be enough room for him and the mare to “research”. And since there was only one exit from the room, there was no possibility of eavesdrop, other than direct teleportation into the room. Which meant the changeling had to ask the librarian just how many ponies knew of this place, and if any of them were unicorns that could jump on them unexpectedly.
“Hello? Anypony in here?” sounded from above. “Ch-I mean, Wub! Where are you?”
“Down here!” yelled the changeling. “This place is perfect to work in. One door, no windows, hidden…what?”
“I thought that room was closed” said Twilight, cocking her head. “Spike, did you do anything in the laboratory last night?”
“No ma’am” replied the baby dragon, standing in the frame of the kitchen door. “Why?”
“I opened the door myself, Twilight Sparkle” admitted Chip, causing a stern look from the librarian. “What?”
“Didn’t anypony teach you it is rude to poke around in somepony’s things?!”
“Rude? I was just looking around. It’s not like I broke into your house or anything.”
The purple mare deadpanned. “Really? You didn’t?”
“No, I was brought here.”
“Aaaaha. Still. It’s not nice. To poke around. In other pony’s stuff.” The look on Twilight’s face was a mixture of bloodshot eyes, an angry look and worried expression. She didn’t look healthy at all.
“Ugh…Spike,” she addressed the dragon, “I’ll need a double extra strong black coffee. Hold the sugar this time. Wub, you want something to eat? I personally feel sick and can’t even think of food right now…”
“I’m fine, for now. The sooner we begin, the better,” replied Chip, beckoning the mare to follow him down to the laboratory.
* * *
There was quite some arguing between the two about the usefulness of the equipment stored in the underground room. Chip wasn’t stubborn about most of the items, and once he learned what they did he decided to leave them alone until further notice. Some of the tables and chairs naturally had to go – the changeling did the heavy lifting while Twilight was cringing, trying to swallow the extra strong drink she ordered.
Half an hour later, it was time to begin – the purple mare still looked out of shape, but the rush of caffeine made her a bit more lively and organized.
“Okay, first things first. We need to organize the work as much as possible, so we don’t encounter any unforeseen obstacles that will delay us. Is there anything you need that we have to get for you?”
“Like what?” asked Chip.
“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking! I haven’t got the slightest clue what you need! Moonstones to change forms? Some rare types of candy? The blood of a mare sacrificed at midnight in the name of Smooze?”
“Yeah, I’ll need that last one. And pronto,” nodded Chip.
Twilight froze, one of her eyes developing a twitch. “R-Really?”
“No, but I’d like to see it nonetheless. What’s a Smooze?”
The librarian sighed with relief, lowering her head. “Are you even taking this seriously?” she asked with irritation.
“Yes. Why would you think otherwise?”
“I have no idea if you are discording me or not. But this is no time for fun and games, we need to get to work…”
“What’s discording?”
Spike, who was listening to the conversation with mostly a straight face couldn’t help but giggle, trying hard not to fall down and erupt into full blown laughter.
“This is getting us nowhere. There is no way we can organize work like this…”
“Okay, listen,” interrupted Chip. “Let’s try this – you ask questions, the things you want to know, and I simply answer them to my best ability. Is that okay? Just ask questions.”
“I know! But there are those important questions that need to be asked first and there are those that are irrelevant or only mildly important. What if I ask the wrong one? What if the answer will spawn another question that will lead us off topic or worse-”
“Ugh, just stop!” cried out Chip. This mare was obviously insane. She talked too much. “Less talking, more doing. Don’t think, just ask. It doesn’t matter what – we’ll sort it out later. Right now, you need to know something about me, anything that can help us.”
“B-But that-”
“No buts! Just ask! Anything!”
The silence that fell in the room was frustrating. This was all that Celestia had? An undecided pony that could not make up her mind? A stuttering mess that could not think fast on her hooves?
“MoC?”
“Excuse me?” Chip furrowed a brow.
“MoC. Mare or Colt.” Twilight blushed, putting her ears down. “I’m sorry, that’s a dumb question, I just-”
“Colt.” Replied Chip, snorting. “Keep going. There are no dumb questions, only stupid answers. And I’m not one to make fun of our work.”
“Umm…okay…” Twilight briefly smiled, lightening up a little. She hovered over a piece of paper, quill and ink and wrote down a single word – Colt.
“So I take it changelings have colts and mares?”
“Yes, for some reason yes.”
“Do you reproduce, umm, Like normal ponies do?” The purple mare blushed again, her eyes wandering around the room.
“I don’t think so. We are born from eggs which a single changeling – our Queen – lays once a year. The eggs are hatched during the next twelve months according to demand. ”
“Wait, hold on a second,” said Twilight, furiously writing everything down. She made a few arrows, each coming out from a different word – Queen, eggs, once a year…
This wasn’t an ideal way to conduct research. No, this was no way to do any kind of scientific work. But it was the best thing available at the moment.
* * *
There was no clock in the room and Twilight only noticed the passage of time when her stomach begun to growl loudly. It was an embarrassing sound that stopped Chip mid-word and caused a surprised look on his face.
“S-Sorry. I haven’t eaten breakfast or anything. W-Would it be alright if we took a break? Five, maybe ten minutes?”
“Hmm. Why not. Just show me the notes that we have so far. I’ll be down here when you come back,” said the changeling to the leaving Twilight.
He looked down on the several pieces of paper, all populated with neatly written letters, some arrows and things scrawled on the sides. There was a lot of information about the changelings in general – their physical attributes, some habits, a few pages about the Queen herself. It felt weird reading this. His words were now encased in ink, and they would last for some time. Would this become a book? Would it get a shiny cover like the rest of the tomes upstairs? What would be the title?
Ponies would read Chip’s words. That realization...he thought that writing a book involved more of something. Something highly spiritual. The author would close his eyes, reach deep into his red hot soul and pour it onto the pages. Letters would then be left to cool and turn dark, finding their place on the paper scraps that eventually formed a book. What he did here…it wasn’t like that at all. He just answered obvious questions, nothing magical about that. His words got written down in plain ink, on plain paper that was lying around everywhere.
“I’m back, sorry for the wait,” shouted Twilight from above, startling Chip slightly. She was wiping her face with a napkin which she later threw away, hitting the baby dragon that followed the mare.
“Oh, sorry Spike. Shall we continue?”
Twilight excitedly levitated over a fresh page and dipped a white feather quill in ink. The doors to the laboratory closed, cutting off the unsatisfied growling of Spike who returned to his daily chores.
* * *
“Twilight” said Chip, pacing around the room. “So far, all you did was ask me to tell you something. You take all my words for granted. Don’t you think that’s weird?”
“Huh? What do you mean? You weren’t lying, were you?” The mare pointed the quill at Chip who stopped.
“No, of course not. But wouldn’t it be easier if you actually saw a changeling? Me describing it to you sounds…silly.”
Twilight was reaching for another page, wanting to draw how a changeling looked, when the silver coat of the mare in front of her burst into green flames. The librarian yelped and threw herself back, gathering as many flying notes as she could. The fire was burning only for a second or two and when it vanished, the pony’s jaw made a clanging sound when it hit the floor.
Before Twilight stood a large, black stallion. He had a long, curved horn, thin, wasp-like wings and hooves riddles with holes. His whole body was encased in some kind of chitin armor, quite thick from the looks of it. The changeling’s eyes were focused on Twilight, light blue spheres cut in half by cat-like thin pupils. Beneath that predatory gaze was something more than met the eye – a kind of spark, an intelligent look that made the whole towering creature look…a little less scary than it normally would.
“Well?” intoned Chip in a deep voice, a reverb in his voice causing Twilight to jump a bit.
“I-I wasn’t expecting…this…”
“That only shows that changelings are masters of disguise. Of course, now that I think about it, the changeling you see before you isn’t a good example of a typical valley-dweller. I am unique, you can say. A regular drone is around your height, less muscular, more slender…are you writing that down?”
“What? O-Oh, yes, yes, of course!” Twilight gathered her dropped utensils and wrote down what Chip said in his charming, yet threatening voice.
* * *
“Twilight, it’s getting late, I think it’s- What the hay?!”
Spike closed the doors with such force that they recoiled, revealing a fleeing tail of a screaming baby dragon.
“What’s up with him?” asked Chip, watching as Twilight bolted up the stairs.
“Oh, feathers! Spike! Spike! It’s okay, it’s Wub! Come back!”
And with that, Chip was alone in the room yet again. He felt mildly tired and his body was telling him it was time to eat. Heh, it was funny really – he was so focused on telling the tale of his people that he totally disregarded everything else. He didn’t even remember if the pony had an emotional scent or not.
He was having fun. At first the purple mare was hard to cooperate with, yes, but once she got into the spirit of things, her quill would not stop unless a page got filled to the brim with ink or Chip had to ponder a tricky question. There were around forty pages now, some of them bearing small sketches of changeling body parts – faces, hooves, wings, some armor pieces… Twilight was a very good writer and drawer, Chip had to admit that much.
Chip’s stomach communicated once more in a series of growls and sucking noises that it needed something. Yes, it was time to eat. Disguised as Wub, the changeling made his way up the stairs and closed the doors behind him. He turned the key in the lock and took it with him to the kitchen, laying it down on the counter.
Upon inspecting some cupboards and one container that was cold inside, Chip found himself some salad to munch on. As always, there was no taste to his meal. For only a second he wished he could eat at least a nibble of the Poison Joke. Just enough to awaken his taste buds to the wonders of pony cuisine. Gustav’s meals would finally get the applause they deserved and Chip would have yet another nice thing to look forward to during his days.
“Wow, Spike got really scared,” said Twilight, entering the kitchen. “I didn’t expect him to react in such a way. Sorry.”
“Fo whut?” managed the changeling, chewing a mouthful of green leaves.
“Well, you could’ve felt offended or something. I know I wouldn’t like if ponies screamed when they saw me.”
The changeling swallowed and ripped out a fresh leaf of salad. “I got used to it.” He mumbled.
“Oh…I see…”
“It’s late,” noticed the changeling, hearing the cuckoo clock bang nine times in a row. “How about we call it a day? I can see you’re tired.”
“No no, I’m fine,” smiled Twilight, scooping some salad for herself. “But I guess we shouldn’t overdo it on the first day. Now that we have something to work with, it should be easier to start out with a fresh mind tomorrow.”
“Yeah, something like that,” agreed Chip, finally feeling full.
“Oh, shoot!” Twilight stomped in frustration. “I totally forgot to arrange a bed for you! This time I insist that we do something about it. We can’t have you sleeping on the floor forever!”
“I’ll be sleeping downstairs, with the notes. I’ll close the doors from the inside and open them in the morning. This is the only key, yes?” asked the changeling, levitating the silver trinket to Twilight’s eyes.
“Yes, it is. Are you sure you want to sleep down there? It can get really hot and stuffy during the warmer days.”
“Even better – at least it will remind me of home. A bit.”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “Okay, suit yourself. You want any blankets or something?”
“No, thank you.”
“Fine. Then I’ll just write a letter to the Princess and go to sleep…”
“What letter?” Chip furrowed a brow, stopping Twilight in the door frame.
“About our progress here. I bet she’s eager to hear something, even if it is this late at night…”
“You can’t write to the Princess. Mail can be read by anypony smart enough to catch it as it flies to Canterlot. I’ll deliver a report to the Princess personally.”
“Oh…really? I think it will be less hassle if we-”
“No. The Princess told me to personally leave the letters for her in a safe spot in the castle. We can write it together if you want, but I alone will deliver it. Trust me.”
“If that is what the Princess said...”
* * *
Silently, Chip popped into existence in a dark room. He cast the search spell, briefly illuminating a few shelves of books that were populated with rather thin books. Nothing was hiding in the room except for the special stash, which only Celestia and Chip had the right to open. The report he put in the safe spot was brief – Twilight met Chip and their cooperation, although bumpy at first, yielded the first 42 pages of changeling physiology, habits and history. It was planned for the next week to look more in-depth at the changeling body, what it consisted of and how to disable it without causing harm.
It was time to go, when a wild idea appeared. Chip noticed that some shelves had double rows of books. The tomes at the back were hard to see. Just how many times a day did Celestia have time to read books anyway? Not much, probably. So would she notice a tome or two missing from the back row of a top shelf in the corner of the room? Probably not. And even if, Chip would return it the next night. “100 funny facts about mares and colts” sounded like quite an educational title, and the changeling was promised he would learn from Twilight Sparkle about ponies. A little aid in the form of a book would be ideal to help him understand!
Smiling and satisfied with his reasoning, the changeling teleported out of the room. It was not nice to poke around in other pony's stuff…but it’s not like he was stealing or anything, right?
Twilight woke up fresh and rested this time. Spike was already shuffling in the kitchen, the aroma of pancakes urgently tugging the mare by the nose. She felt a lot better compared to yesterday – all the tension went away somewhere, now that she knew Chip or Wub or whatever wasn’t such a bad guy. A bit awkward and straightforward, but Twilight could see why the Princess would trust him – he was honest.
The pony went down the stairs and greeted her number one assistant who presented to her a stack of mouthwatering pancakes, with some of her favorite syrup to boot.
“Did you call our guest for breakfast?” asked the mare, pouring the honey-like liquid on top of the delicious mountain.
“I tried to, but she said she was busy. He. Whatever. That thing. ” grumbled Spike, cleaning the kitchen.
“He’s not a thing. I know you got scared when you saw him in his…true form. I was dead scared too.”
“You were?”
“Yeah, terrified. But you know what? I remembered that it was the Princess who sent him here. And she would not do that if Wub would be dangerous, right?” Twilight gobbled up the first pancake, causing her face to crack up in a smile of pure delight. “Mmmm…Spike, you’ve really outdone yourself this time. I have a feeling this is going to be a great day!”
“I think so too Twi!” cheered the baby dragon, turning away from the sink. “After all, today Rarity is going to show us her latest fashion design! She said it was for somepony from Canterlot!”
A pancake stopped in midair and then fell back on top of the stack.
“Because I have very important research that needs to be finished as soon as possible! Every minute counts. Gah! What to do, what to do…Spike, you’ll just have to go alone. I’m sorry,” apologized the mare, lifting Spike’s sad face to her own.
“I really, really wish I could go. But you understand…this is bigger than…”
“Friendship?” suggested spike, frowning.
There was an awkward silence in which the librarian tried to solve this sudden problem. She couldn’t just leave Chip hanging like that because she had a friend to meet. Friends were important, but Equestria was far bigger than that.
Rarity would understand. Hopefully.
“No, nothing is more important than Friendship. That is why it prevails through all sorts of hardships. Like this situation now. Please, tell Rarity I’m so very sorry I can’t attend, but some very important research…you get the idea?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Spike waved her off, still looking a bit displeased. “At least I won’t have to lie much – you will be studying hard down there with that…whatever he-she is.”
“Telling them that I have work to do should be enough. They don’t have to know about our job here. The fewer ponies know, the smaller the danger.”
“Ehh, whatever…”
* * *
There was a knock on the door upstairs.
“Who is it?” asked Chip in his Wub voice.
“ It’s Twilight. I’m ready when you are.”
“Why does the sun travel across the sky?” asked the colt, his eyes locked onto a book he had in front of him.
From the other side of the mighty reinforced doors, there was a sigh.
“So it can get to the other side. Now can you let me in?”
A twist of a key later, Twilight entered the room. She saw Chip lying on the ground, focused on a book that lay in front of him. To his right there was a basket with some fruits and vegetables. Right now, the disguised colt was levitating a lemon to his mouth…
“I would watch what you’re trying to eat, Wub. You don’t want to eat a lemon whole,” giggled the pony, locking the doors and making her way down.
Chip lifted his head to look at Twilight, putting the lemon into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, some of the juice dripping down his silver fur. He then swallowed very loudly, sending chills down the mare’s spine.
“No taste buds. I thought we covered that yesterday.”
“Yeah, right, hehe, sorry. So, uhm, what you reading?” asked the purple mare, cocking her head to look.
It was a mistake. As soon as she saw two ponies locked in a very tight embrace with their mouths open and tongues doing…things, she squeaked and backed away.
“Chip! Holy Celestia, are you reading clop?” Twilight was shocked beyond belief.
“Clop? The title is ‘100 funny facts about mares and colts’. I would debate the hilarity of the ‘facts’, but overall this book is very informative! Did you know that a mare and colt can be in ‘heat’? Did you know it doesn’t in fact involve temperature but-”
“I perfectly know what you mean,” mumbled Twilight, turning a deep shade of red on her face.
“Oh. Did you read it then?”
“NO!” yelled the pony, embarrassed beyond belief by the high pitch her voice reached.
“Oh. Well, wanna read it together when we’re done with our research for the day?”
Twilight was speechless. Either Chip was really good at discording, or he honestly thought that reading kinky stuff like that was actually a fun pastime.
“No,” she said in a grim voice, closing the book in front of Chip. “Where did you get it anyway? There is no such thing in this library.”
“I borrowed it,” shrugged Chip.
“From who?”
“A friend?”
“Gah…whatever,” groaned Twilight, putting a hoof to her face. “J-Just return it from who you got it later today, okay? Reading or talking about such things in public is…awkward. Ponies don’t go around bragging about what they do in private, and neither should you!”
“We’re not in public. This is a private room.” Chip made a sweeping motion, showing that nopony else was here. “So that means I can read and talk about anything I want. And I do believe the Princess told you I’m doing my own research about ponies as well?”
“Yes, she did- oh no. No. NO. HAY NO.” Twilight backed up straight to the wall, squinting dangerously at Chip. “Nu-uh. I am not going to help you in that kind of research. No way. Not gonna happen. Forget about it!”
Chip didn’t understand what the mare was so worked up about. The book said that these things were normal and nopony should be ashamed about it. In fact, it claimed that everypony liked it. Maybe ‘fun’ fact number 52 would help Twilight relax a bit about it?
The changeling closed his eyes and pumped his horn with magic. The book didn’t specifically tell what kind of energy it should be, so he tried happy thoughts for starters. He then traveled his thoughts through the air, searching for Twilight Sparkle’s horn. As soon as he contacted it, he embraced the magical instrument in the energy he bore and begun swirling it around according to the diagrams in the book…just like that-
WHAM!
A table was unfortunate enough to be behind Chip when he flew through the room. Tiny splinters bit into his skin, changing a yelp into a full blown scream. Dust erupted all around, obscuring the view of a bolting Twilight, who swiftly exited the chamber. Was she crying?
“What was that for?” moaned the changeling, rubbing his muzzle. The telekinetic blast he got straight to the face was powerful enough to behead any normal pony…or at least it felt like that. Chip got away with a dislocated jaw and wood in his back.
* * *
“Umm, Twilight?” tried Chip, cautiously peering from the staircase into the bedroom.
“GO AWAY!” shrieked the mare.
The changeling was fortunate enough to duck, as a book hit the place his head was just a few moments ago.
“What gives? What did I do?”
“What did you do? What did you DO?!” her voice was full of anger, but it was breaking apart due to sobs and a shallow breath. “You…you…! GO AWAY!”
“Look…” said Chip, bravely tip-toing his way closer and closer to the mare on the bed. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, okay? I thought you were tense and wanted to help. I really, really meant no harm…”
“Yeah, sure, I’m sure you didn't!”
The colt didn’t stop his approach, despite another book hitting his sore back. He cringed.
“Where does it hurt? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have used this kind of trick without preparation…I’m sorry… ”
Twilight was silent, save for the sobbing. Chip didn’t know if she calmed down a little bit or just ran out of books to chuck at him – he was too afraid to raise his head to check.
“It…it didn’t hurt,” admitted Twilight. She sounded a lot less aggravated now, so the changeling risked looking up. The mare was lying on her bed, her tail in her forehooves. She was looking somewhere ahead, probably deep in thoughts.
“I-It even felt…you can’t do such things to ponies, you know?” Twilight was slowly stroking her tail, sobbing only from time to time now. “Those are private things. Each pony has their private space, you know? Do you understand what privacy means?”
“More or less, yes,” admitted Chip, trying to sound as apologetic as ponily possible.
“Well, that book you had. It was about a lot of private things. A mare and a colt together…uh, why am I saying this.” She finally sat upright and faced the colt, wiping away some wetness from her eyes. “Okay. Listen. I’m not going to repeat this twice, okay? A mare and a colt together can do lots of…things. What they do is their private matter and it is considered bad manners to talk about it with anypony you don’t share a special connection with. You follow?”
“You mean friendship?”
“No, something more. Friendship is important, but there is a feeling above that. It is love. Do you know what love is?”
“I know how it tastes and smells like…”
“Have you ever felt love?”
Chip was stumped. Did he feel something like that? He thought back to all his friends – he bore some deep emotions to each and every one of them. But was it love or just friendship? What was the difference?
“Where is the difference between love and friendship?” tried the changeling, sitting on his haunches.
“Hard to tell, really. I guess you just…feel it. I mean, ponies feel it…I-I don’t know about changelings. How your kind feels or thinks…it is something I just can’t imagine. Maybe your love and the pony definition of love just doesn’t cut it. I don’t know. And that is why we are doing this research…I mean-“ Twilight sighed and stopped to gather her thoughts.
“Wub…I know you for barely two days and already you’re giving me my second head ache…”
“I’m sorry,” Chip lowered his ears and head. What could he do? Maybe everypony was right – the changeling was clueless, much more than his friends admit it. And it could be downright hurtful, given the current situation.
“It’s alright. I’m not mad, at least…not that much. You startled me. Seriously startled me. No colt ever ‘touched’ me like that before…and if you don’t mind, I’d like to keep it that way. I mean, you’re not a bad guy, but I barely know you and…well…”
“Don’t struggle,” said the changeling, reaching out to Twilight but stopping just inches away from her shoulder. “I understand. No funny facts or private mare-colt stuff. I should have learned my lesson back at the den…”
“Huh?”
“Oh, nothing. Nothing. So, uhm, do you need some more time or should we…?”
“Give me a minute more, okay?”
* * *
Chip felt the awkwardness in the damp laboratory air. Twilight was still feeling strange emotions towards him – they tasted a lot like confusion and distrust. Well, he did goof up big time. His natural curiosity and disregard for social customs led him down dangerous paths before and displeased at least a few ponies. He was a fast learner, but it seemed that sociology just wasn’t his thing.
“Wub,” begun Twilight, opening a book she brought from upstairs; the spine read 'Eastern Pony Medicine – The Art of Acupuncture'. “Look at this picture.”
The image Chip had to look at was a pony seen from the side and front, riddled with dark points, each with a description. Most of them were written in some funny language and didn’t make any sense.
“This is a pony body. There are hundreds of pressure points on it; some of them, when stimulated, may heal or hurt a pony. Do you understand what acupuncture is?”
“No,” admitted Wub, curiously peering at the multitude of dots.
“Well, it’s a form of applying point pressure to one of the points on a pony body. Usually with needles. It’s something like massaging, but goes under your skin.”
“Do ponies use that for torture?” Chip furrowed a brow.
“What? No! As I said, it is mostly used for healing. But some points, when put pressure on, can cause you to faint or lose control of your body. Some may disable you, others can even cause death when held long enough.”
“Healing, huh?”
“Oh. Even conventional medicine, such as drugs or shots can be harmful if applied wrongly. That’s not my point. What I want to ask is, do you know of any such points on the changeling body? Any spots that cause your knees to jerk or send shocks down your legs when stroked?”
“Uhm…no, not really. Each changeling wears armor, so it would be hard to get to the skin in the first place…”
“You’re not wearing your chitin now I see.”
“Then you can try one of your points on me. Go on, try. I guarantee it won’t work.”
“Uhh, I don’t have a needle…and I’m afraid I’ll hurt you…”
“You can use magic. Or a quill. And c’mon, I deserve it for what I’ve done to you. Please,” asked Chip, fighting against Twilight’s doubts.
“O-Okay. Just, just tell me when it hurts, okay?”
The mare focused some of her magic into a solid entity and hovered it in front of Chip. The changeling had a smug face…at least until he received a blow to his torso, where the solar plexus was.
For a moment the changeling lost his breath and feeling in his hooves. The hit wasn’t powerful, he barely registered it, yet his body just decided to let itself go. He now lay on the ground, fighting for air, a worried Twilight jumping around him.
“Ohmygosh, I’m sorry! Are you alright? Speak to me!”
“I’m…fine…” gasped the colt, gathering himself up clumsily. “What…was that…?”
“That was your solar plexus.” Twilight smiled faintly, supporting the changed stallion as he got up. “It seems you have one too.”
“Impossible. Although…if that thing is supposed to be on the body of a pony…wait,” said Chip, rapidly changing his form. The pony thankfully didn’t jump this time.
“Try now,” proposed the towering changeling.
Twilight frowned, but complied. She hit the same spot on his torso and…nothing. She tried harder, but there was no effect.
“No no, try under the armor,” instructed the changeling.
“What? How? I don’t know how thick the plate is. I could hurt your insides or something…”
Swept up in the moment, Chip didn’t give much thought to his next action. With a yelp, he tore off his breastplate, revealing really short fur on black skin. Twilight backed away a bit, frowning at how the area quickly dampened with green sludge.
“Owww…did that hurt?”
“A little,” squeaked the changeling. “Try now.”
Twilight hit the uncovered creature, but nothing happened. She tried striking points around the place where the plexus should be, but to no effect. In his true form, Chip wasn’t that easy to down.
“But why did it work when you were a pony?”
“I think it is due to the way our transformation works. We don’t change our form, we make the world see us as somepony else. Even if I have chitin, the world is convinced I do not, and so normally I can be hurt like any other pony. It would be quite silly if I got hurt and there wasn’t a bruise or scar to show for it, right?”
“Yes, true…so we need to understand how your transformation works. In your pony form, normal rules apply. But as a changeling...we’ll have to work out something else.”
“How do you want to do this?” asked Chip, inspecting his open chest. There were tiny crystals already forming in the gap, and before he would wake up tomorrow he would already own a shiny new plate.
“Just stand still and I’ll hook you up to some of my measuring machines!”
Twilight was absolutely beaming as she levitated over some devices with colorful lights, some tapes and wires…
* * *
Decorated like a Heart’s Warming Eve tree, Chip was standing in the middle of the room, all sorts of machines buzzing around him, spitting out rolls of papers with diagrams, numbers and Celestia knows what else.
“Okay. This is an Ether Animation Monitor. It will keep track of magical alterations that happen in your body – any kind of shifts, accumulations or usage will be noted on the diagrams with timelines! Isn’t that neat?”
“Yeah. I think so.” Truthfully, Chip didn’t understand a word she said. But the mare was so worked up and happy about it, he just didn’t have the heart to break it for her. Compared to the morning slip up, she was really happy right now, excitement alluring the changeling with its subtle, sweet smell.
“Okay, you can shape shift whenever you’re ready.”
Chip focused and swiftly covered his body in flames, taking on the form of Wub. Strangely, the wires he was attached to were still coupled to his body, more or less in the same places they were before. The helmet on his head was a bit big now, though. And the lights were irritating…
“Huh. This can’t be right. Something must be…miscalibrated…” Twilight fiddled with some levers and knobs, mumbling to herself.
“Okay. Let’s try it again. Change, please!”
The colt did as he was told, yet the mare was even more displeased than before. She adjusted some more knobs, flipped some more switches and levitated a heavy, large book to her, furiously flipping pages.
“Give me a second, okay? Something must be broken…”
“Why?” The colt cocked his head, looking at the paper spat out by the machine that had a name that Chip forgot. The diagram consisted of flat lines, or nearly flat ones, with some minor hills and valleys, but almost unnoticeable ones.
“Well, for starters, my Monitor doesn’t show any activity. Only white noise. That is impossible, it is a very delicate instrument…it can detect any kind of magical activity…”
“Then maybe it isn’t broken and I’m not using magic?”
Twilight stopped and raised her head from the tome she was scanning. She smiled and then giggled, waving a hoof at Chip.
“That’s impossible. You clearly are casting a spell. You must be using magic. This thing must be really old and not working as it should. That is the easiest answer.”
“Well, if I’m doing magic, can you change shapes too?” asked the changeling, rising his brow.
“Well, uhm, I bet there’s a spell somewhere that allows me to look like somepony else…”
“Look, maybe yes. But I don’t simply look like another pony. I am another pony. I can get hurt, I can be stunned and have that plexus thingy you hit me in. I don’t wear a pony coat. I am a pony.”
“Well…if it’s not magic, then what is it? What, you’re a chameleon on steroids?”
“What’s a chameleon?” asked Chip.
“It’s a lizard that can change the color of its skin to match that of its surroundings.”
“Well, does that lizard use magic to do it?”
“No. I see where you’re headed, but it is just impossible! This is too complex to simply be a…an attribute of your body!”
“That would surely be a more obvious explanation. More so than a contraption you never had any troubles with acting up just now.”
Twilight put a hoof to her mouth and thought hard. Could it be possible that changelings wielded such a powerful ability? It would kind of make sense – anypony with magic abilities could feel magic being cast. Changelings were stealthy predators, so they needed to be undetectable in a crowd. Which made them a powerful adversary, one that could be anywhere at any time.
The Princess was right. This was a mighty foe that needed to be stopped before he had a chance to strike…
“Okay. Fine,” conceded the mare, sighing. “Let’s pretend for a moment that you indeed are a giant chameleon, capable of not only changing his skin color, but also your guts, bone structure and muscles. How do you do it? How does it feel?”
“Normal?” tried Chip. He never really gave it much thought. Back at Chrysalis’ lair, when he was still learning magic and shape shifting, he did feel a subtle difference between casting an incantation and changing his body. The former required concentration, mostly around the area of the horn, while the latter…he had to feel it. With his whole self. It belonged to his hive mind. The one that he lost quite some time ago.
“That doesn’t tell me much…those flames that you burst into obscure much of the transformation. Do you have any control over your shape shifting?”
“I can change into anypony I want-”
“That’s not what I meant. I thought more in the direction of…I don’t know…doing it slow?” Twilight waved her forehooves around, searching for the right words. “Or not turning into a ball of flames?”
“Huh. I never really tried. I’ll give it a go.”
First time, he went with his reflexes and just changed his form. Embarrassed, he apologized to Twilight, who was staring at him intently, quill, ink and paper at the ready.
The second try, he felt something awkward. He tried to stop his body mid-change, but a surprising wave washed over his body, causing his transformation to complete. He shook it off involuntarily – was that pleasure? It was…
The third try was even more exhilarating. He forcefully made small stops during the transformation, causing ripples of pleasure to go back and forth through his body. He felt warmth in his abdominal area. And he wanted more of it…
“Chip!” shouted Twilight, covering her eyes and turning red.
“What?” gasped Chip, feeling hot. His mind was a mess – he wanted more of that pleasurable feeling. A lot more.
“What in Celestia’s name are you doing?!”
“What…what you asked me to!”
“Well, you can stop now. I don’t want to see this anymore…”
“Oh, but why? It feels so good…”
“I don’t dare doubt that,” mumbled the mare, turning away from the colt. “You can do it all you want when we’re done for the day. Or, uhh, w-wait..ugh!!”
“What’s wrong Twilight?” Chip lost that feeling he just had and was very displeased. He had to remember to try slow transformations later on – he had a hunch there was much more to the exciting experience he had just now.
“Just…let’s just take for granted the fact that changelings can change without the usage of magic.”
* * *
Chip had no idea what he did this time, and Twilight stubbornly refused to return to the subject. Hay, she didn’t even want to look him in the eye anymore, blushing or turning away as he looked at her. She even tore the page that she was making a drawing on, claiming that it “didn’t belong in a professional document that anypony could read.”
“Okay, so you are a perfect shape shifter,” concluded Twilight, putting the last bunch of cables back where they belonged. “How do you identify each other then?”
“We can smell eachother.”
“How? Wouldn’t a smell be obvious to other ponies?”
“Not this kind of smell. Only changelings can detect it. I think. Try sniffing now.”
Twilight inhaled cautiously, but couldn’t feel a thing. Chip in the meantime let loose a small dose of pheromones. His nose picked them up right away – it was a heavy aroma, indicating a male changeling. His eyes even kind of saw a yellowish mist spread across the room – it was a visual representation on the identificator, brought into view by his senses doing their magic in his body.
“I can’t feel anything. Only dust.”
“Exactly,” smiled Chip. “I’d be heavily surprised if you could feel it. After all, changelings work in the field, mostly. They need to be able to identify each other without being noticed. Just like with the shape shifting.”
The librarian was noting the words down, when a knock came from upstairs.
“Who’s there?” asked Twilight, covering her eyes from the green flame Chip used to disguise himself as Wub again.
“It’s me, Spike. Open up, Twi!”
“Why does the sun travel across the sky?” intoned Chip.
“Oh, will you give it a rest?” chuckled Twilight, going up the stairs.
“No, this is important. Don’t you dare open that door until…ugh!”
The colt scowled, eying Spike as he entered the room.
“I have a message from Rarity Twi…oh my! What is that beautiful smell!”
Twilight had a confused expression as the baby dragon sniffed around her.
“New perfume or something? Wow, it’s really great! ”
“Spike, you know full well I don’t use…” She paused, suddenly realizing something. “Come down here, Spike. You have to tell us something…”
Together the two approached Chip, who was still unhappy that his safety protocol was breached so carelessly.
“Wub, would you mind doing what you just did again?”
“It’s too late to ask for a password…”
“No, not that! The smell thing...give out your smell!”
The changeling shrugged and let out another puff of yellow smoke. Spike instantly caught on, sniffing around the colt, eyes wide.
“Well well…hehe…too bad you’re such an ugly monster beneath that pretty pony skin. Oww! Twi, what was that for?!”
The baby dragon was massaging his head while Twilight was making notes. Dragons could smell the changeling pheromones. That was definitely valuable information.
* * *
The trio soon enough decided it was time for some dinner. Chip was talked into having a meal with them instead of looking through the notes they had, which was quite a solid pile of paper by now. And it was only two days of work, go figure!
At the table, Spike finally got over the smell he kept describing as subtle, beautiful or even lovely. He chowed down on some hay fries with eggs when a sudden realization fell upon him. He quickly chewed and swallowed.
“Twilight, oh hay feathers…I totally forgot!”
“What is it Spike?”
“Rarity…I told her you were busy with your work and all. And she said it was okay.”
“That’s good to hear,” smiled the mare, wiping her face with a handkerchief.
“Well…she also said that the show doesn’t have to be at Carousel Boutique. She wanted all her friends to see it so…she said she would bring the piece over to the Library!”
Spike duck under the table just in time to dodge a stream of coffee spraying from Twilight’s mouth. Chip was not amused at the stains on his coat, looking down deadpan.
“WHAT?!”
“I’m sorry, Twi! She didn’t want to listen to me! She told the rest of the girls to be here at six!”
“Six?! That’s..that’s in thirty minutes! What took you so long to tell me?!”
“I’m sorry! Please don’t be mad! I stayed a bit longer at Rarity’s and then totally forgot to tell you when we were downstairs…”
“Other ponies are coming over?” asked Chip. “Twilight Sparkle, we can’t have that…what if somepony-”
“I know, I know! They’ll definitely ask why I was so busy that I couldn’t come over! And I’ll have nothing to show them to prove I was really busy! They’ll think I’m making up excuses. That I don’t like them, that our friendship isn’t important to me! And then, and then-”
“Twi, stop working yourself up again!” spoke up Spike, shaking the mare violently. “They’re coming over, that’s a fact. We have twenty minutes to get ready.”
“Yes, yes, of course! We have to clean up!” Twilight nearly ran out of the room, followed by the baby dragon.
Chip was stumped. He got totally ignored. Ponies, other ponies that he didn’t know were coming over. They were dangerously close to him, and to their research.
“Twilight!” yelled the colt, standing in the kitchen door frame. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What? Ohmygosh! You’re totally right! Snacks! Spike, quick, run to the store and buy-”
“No, not that!” interrupted the colt, impatiently tapping his hoof. “Our research perhaps? I’m not thrilled to have other ponies this close to so many pages that are classified and for our eyes only.”
“Oh, that, yes…umm, we’ll just close the door?”
“What if they’ll want to enter?”
“They won’t, trust me. I’ll just tell them it’s a mess in there and there’s nothing interesting in there anyway.”
“And they’ll take your word on that? Just like that?”
“Well, yeah, why not?”
Chip pondered for a minute. If they were friends, then why not? Still, somepony like himself wouldn’t mind dirt. It was a poor excuse in his eyes.
“I’ll be inside then. I’ll close the doors and not open them unless I hear the passcode this time. And I’m not joking.”
“Okay, okay, fine, do what you want! Feathers, only 15 minutes left! Where is Spike!”
* * *
Back at the laboratory, Chip looked thought the new pages Twilight Sparkle populated with words, diagrams and images. The language she used was very fancy, most of it words the changeling only mildly understood. Not only did the pony learn a lot – the colt himself was facing questions he never asked himself before, even when he was wondering about his own kind.
There was so much he didn’t know about his body it was strange. He lived inside himself for all his life, and yet this whole slow shape shifting was a total surprise to him. Would he ever have discovered it if he worked with Chrysalis? Did she herself know about this intriguing attribute? Chip would ask her about it one day. Maybe even teach her a few tricks. Yeah, number 52 would definitely help his Queen relax. And it would be okay to do it to her, because…because he still loved her. His mother. Queen Chrysalis.
Chip sat at the door, peeking through the keyhole. A few minutes after the clock announced it was six, some mares started arriving one by one. There were around five intruders, at least that many were visible. How many spies or assassins were cloaked in the room he could not tell. The changeling nervously checked the room downstairs, expecting to see somepony stealing notes or trying to destroy the fruits of his and Twilight’s work. Periodically he performed the reveal spell, making sure nopony was here except for him.
On the other side, in the main library room, a party begun. Pinkie Pie brought some streamers, cupcakes and her special punch. Rarity complained that it was not that kind of party and that the mares would eventually spill something on her precious creation.
Twilight was having fun, and was thankful none of the girls asked about her work yet, but expected the question to come up sooner or later. She was constantly trying to find an excuse for not having notes or at least a checklist – Spike burned them down by mistake? The Princess had her materials? She gave them to somepony else to proof-read?
“So, what’s up, Twi?” asked Rainbow Dash, nodding her head to the beat of the music Pinkie Pie turned on.
“Oh, you know. Busy busy busy, hehe.” Twilight gave her best to smile authentically. She was as bad a liar as Applejack, even worse sometimes.
“You sure? You look kinda off to me. Something bothering you?”
“Oh no, it’s…it’s nothing, really! Great party Pinkie Pie!” The mare jumped over to the pink pony, leaving Rainbow to eye her friend suspiciously.
“I know, right?! Rarity said there should be music, just like when we did that small fashion show for Hoity-Toity! Oh, oh! This is one of my favorite songs!”
For some reason the playlist that Pinkie prepared consisted of calm, upbeat music as well as electronic, ear-drilling-ground-shaking dubstomp. The books on the shelves jumped in the beat of the heavy bass thumping. Rarity was displeased and tried to voice her objection, but the music was way too loud to even attempt communicating.
Chip was very alert and kept fidgeting at the door, trying to see as much of the room as possible. In such a racket, a pony could scream for help or have her throat slit without anypony even noticing.
Finally, Rarity managed to make sense of the DJ equipment Pinkie brought in and stopped the awful racket. That did not stop the bouncing pink mare, though – she probably went deaf by now, as the rest of the gang did, and was dancing from memory.
“ALLRIGHT GIRLS, GATHER ROUND!” shouted the white pony, beckoning her friends towards her. Behind her was a mannequin shape covered by a blanket under which resided the ‘star’ of tonight’s show.
“I present to you my latest creation! It took forever to find just the right gems for this piece, but it was worth it! Girls, feast your-”
“WAAAIT!” yelled Pinkie Pie, swatting away Rarity’s hoof from the fabric. “Twilight, won’t your friend join us for the show?”
“Spike? But he’s right here, see?-” Oh no. Holy Celestia, no, please no. Of course Pinkie Pie didn’t mean the baby dragon. She meant the pony that was in the library, locked away behind the reinforced doors. Pinkie Sense. How could she not have anticipated this?! It was obvious her party friend had an amazing power that defied the laws of this realm and could simply…sense new ponies in the vicinity.
“W-Whatever do you mean, Pinkie Pie? There’s nopony here except us!” Twilight smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. Unfortunately, her friends didn’t buy it.
“Twi, you’ve been acting weird all this time. Like you’re troubled or something,” noticed Rainbow Dash. “C’mon, we’re your friends! If something’s bothering ya, you should tell us!”
“An’ introduce us to this ‘friend’ Pinkie mentioned,” added Applejack.
All Twilight could do was sweat and break her face in a smile.
* * *
The mares on the other side were arguing about something. Chip heard some single words, but couldn’t make much sense of them. Then, something terrible happened. Twilight was heading for the door, waving her forehoof and saying something. What in the hay was she thinking?!
As fast as he could, the changeling bolted down the stairs and started collecting notes. He picked them all up and flared up his horn, teleporting himself to Canterlot. He disregarded the pain in his forehead, the side-effect of not casting the incantation properly and…
“What?!” gasped Celestia, dropping a book she was levitating over to her side.
“Uh, I…don’t mind me!” shouted the changeling, quickly scanning the room. It was clear as always and the colt stuffed all the notes into the deposit in the wall.
“What is going on?!” asked the royal mare, worry on her face.
“Nothing, nothing! Just uh…testing something! Goodbye!”
The colt arrived back at the library just in time to hear knocking on the door. What should he do? Cautiously, he peeked into the keyhole…only to see a blue eye staring right back at him.
“Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?”
Chip lost his cool for a second and jumped away from the door. Somepony tried to open it, but to no effect.
“Why is she locked in there sugarcube? What the hay is goin on here?”
“Ehehe, girls, I, that is…umm…”
“Twilight, darling, speak to us! Why on earth is that pony closed in your basement?”
The voices were constantly nagging for an answer…but Chip was already on top of things. He was a changeling. Deceit, lies and camouflage were all second nature to him. He took a deep breath and inserted the key into the hole.
* * *
Twilight’s head was empty – as simple as that. Her friends were assaulting her for answers, save for Fluttershy, who was just looking at everypony, worry on her face. What now? Admit to doing a super-secret project? Deny the obvious and say that nopony was in there? What to-
Fortunately for the librarian, salvation was just around the corner. Or in this case, behind the doors that slowly opened, causing the mares to go silent. In the frame there stood a silver-coated mare with a white mane and yellow eyes.
The new pony stood there and stared at the six ponies. Pinkie Pie was the first to break the silence, naturally.
“I knew it! Twi, how could you be so rude as to not introduce us to your friend! Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie! But I think I already said that…what’s your name?”
“Wub,” said Chip softly, taking a step out of the basement and closing the door behind himself.
“Oh boy, you’re new in town, aren’t ya?! Because I know everypony, and I mean everypony around here! So, where did you come from? How long will you stay in Ponyville? How did you meet Twilight?”
The barrage of questions was left unanswered as Wub focused her eyes on Twilight. The mare had a sheepish expression on her face, totally clueless as to what was going on. Chip sighed and came closer to the mare, discreetly bumping her flank against his.
“You are right, Pinkie Pie, I am new in town. I came from Oatsdale, a small village near the southern borders of Equestria. I think I’ll stay a while in Ponyville; I’m a travelling actress, so there just might be some work for me here. I met Twilight Sparkle by accident – I was looking for a place to stay and this generous, generous pony here offered me a room.”
“Well, that’s mighty kind of ya Twi. But why didn’t ya tell us, sugarcube?”
“I’m sorry,” interrupted Wub, “but it was due to my request. I’m not very fond of crowds and the likes, so I asked Twilight if she could keep my living here a secret. Which obviously didn’t work out quite as expected.”
“Oh, in that case, we are terribly sorry to disturb you, Miss Wub,” gracefully said Rarity. “Should we have known Twilight had a guest we would not impose or cause such a disturbance.”
“Well, the cat’s out of the bag anyway, so why don’t ya join us now? There’s plenty o’ treats to go by, and I’d like to hear how y’all live in Oatsdale,” smiled Applejack.
“Oh, oh! And you can tell us how it is to be an actress! I was on stage once, but it ended up with a pony-buffalo war, hihi!” giggled Pinkie Pie, bouncing around excitedly.
* * *
Pinkie Pie was eventually convinced by Rarity to forfeit the heavy songs in favor of more fitting music. The white mare was still slightly displeased though; it seemed that Wub got the attention of the spotlights instead of her dress, which was of course greeted with ‘oooh’s and ‘aaaah’s, but the focus was brought back to the actress way too soon. According to Rarity, that is.
The silver mare herself warmed up to Twilight’s friends quite fast, laughing, answering questions and re-enacting some scenes from plays she was in. Right now the mare was parading in a tablecloth, pretending to be a legionary for Princess Celestia who was sent to apprehend her own sister. The ponies were very impressed by the role – Wub displayed drama and conflict masterfully, sighing and reciting a monologue that depicted the tragedy of conflict between duty and sisterly love. Rarity was actually so touched that she had to carefully wipe tears off her eyes, trying not to ruin her makeup.
Twilight…Twilight’s mind was still in the null-zone. She was afraid to move, speak or even think in fear of screwing something up. Chip/Wub was very convincing; in her confusion the librarian wasn’t sure if the story of his/her arrival was true or not. Time passed really slowly for this mare and all she wanted to do was to bid her friends goodbye and then beg Chip to not report this slip-up to Princess Celestia, who would surely think that Twilight was irresponsible and should not be tasked with such an important mission…and since she already knew so much, there was only one place she could not cause any further damage – on the Moon.
As the librarian was trying to come up with a checklist of things that might be useful on the moon, Wub finished her performance. She blushed as a salvo of clapping and whistles followed her gentle bow towards the audience.
“I must say, Wub, you have a great talent for acting! Maybe I’m not an expert in the subject, but I can recognize a pony that is a veteran of the spotlights when I see one. Bravo!”
“Yes, that was…beautiful,” finally said Fluttershy, hiding behind her mane as the others looked at her in surprise. It was rare for the timid Pegasus to talk to strangers on the first day she met them…
“Oh my, will ya’ll look at the time! It’s been a great night everypony, but ah got ta wake up early tomorrow. Got some Golden Delicious to buck through, so uh, sorry!” Applejack stood up and waved her hat at everypony. “See ya’ll later!”
“Bye bye Applejack! So, girls, anypony else wants some more punch?”
“No thank you, dear. Applejack is right – it is quite late and we shouldn’t be overstaying our welcome. Thank you all, I’m glad you liked my new dress. And Wub – good luck with your job hunting! I’m looking forward to seeing you perform on stage quite soon!”
The changeling smiled at Rarity who picked up her mannequin and left the library.
* * *
Finally, everypony went to their homes. Pinkie Pie insisted that there should be an after party, as not all of her favorite tracks were played, but the idea died due to lack of interest. Wub said she was tired and locked herself in the basement; Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took off together, thanking Twilight for the great time.
With only Spike in the room and total silence around, Twilight allowed herself to slump to the floor. She was mortified – her insides were churning as she looked at the clock. Nine o’ clock. It was late. They should already have sent a report to the Princess.
The librarian was really close to throwing up now that her eyes focused on the doors to the laboratory. Behind them would be Chip – probably a very displeased, disappointed, perhaps even furious large changeling colt.
“Is everything alright, Twilight?” asked a worried Spike.
The mare shook her head and feebly picked herself up. Each step she made towards the heavy doors was loud and stomach-twisting. Her imagination ran all sorts of scenarios, including those in which she would open the door and see Princess Celestia with her guards, ready to take her to the moon.
The pony breathed heavily, her panicked heart beating furiously in her chest. It was quiet.
KNOCK KNOCK
Her hooves made the noise sound so threatening she was ready to jump back and flee upstairs. She felt really weak, almost on the verge of passing out as a voice from the other side said:
“Why does the sun travel across the sky?”
“T-To…get t-to…the other. Side,” stuttered Twiligh, feeling that her legs would crumble under her weight quite soon.
The doors flung open, revealing Wub with a neutral expression. Without a word, the disguised changeling cast a search spell, making sure the coast was clear before dragging the paralyzed Twilight inside the dark interior of the laboratory.
“Twilight, grab a quill please,” said Chip, looking through some of their today’s notes.
That was it. The last straw, the final nail in the coffin. Twilight would have to write the report about her inexcusable performance and the inability to keep a secret. Her life was over.
“Write please. Dear Princess Celestia…”
* * *
Chip delivered the fresh report to the secret hiding place in Canterlot. He was still in shock after Twilight threw herself at him, her eyes in tears, thanking him for Celestia knows what. There was something about going to the moon, being unfit for duty and unworthy of trust…but Chip had none of that. There was a situation and it needed a remedy. All in all, nothing bad happened, and there was nothing that the Princess needed to know about, save for their results for the day. Twilight acted a bit awkward, but at least didn’t blow Chip’s cover .
And yet again, the changeling found himself facing the books of Celestia. He scrupulously put the “100 funny facts about mares and colts” where it belonged and scanned for another interesting title. But should he really be reading this stuff? Twilight seemed quite upset last time he did. But she didn’t have to catch him, right?
Hesitantly, he picked up a book called “Forbidden Gardens”, which according to the back was a fiery, passionate love story of two colts. Two colts? Meaning, two pairs of mares and colts, seen from the perspective of the males? This should prove interesting – a stallion’s view on relationships would surely push Chip’s understanding of pony emotions in the right direction.
Chip woke up quite early that day. He risked a short trip upstairs to make sure Twilight was still asleep and would not disturb him while he read his latest story from Celestia’s collection. The cover was quite pleasant to look at – a rose garden with two colts looking at each other in a friendly way.
As the changeling suspected, it was about two pairs of colts and mares, each having their own lives. There was some complaining involved, fights and bitter words…then a very teary break up that Chip did not understand…followed by the two colts meeting for the very first time, hanging out together…
And it was then and there, around a quarter into the book that things started getting confusing. The writer must have clearly made some mistakes, as it was impossible for a colt to…
Oh wait…
Did he just?
What?!
“Ponies do that?” said Chip to himself, eyeing his hind suspiciously.
This was certainly a new way to look at things. Half-way into the book, the colts seemed to have established an emotional relationship, spending lots of time together, having fun, caring for each other and performing fun facts 31 and 60 without a mare involved. Some of the descriptions were too much for Chip’s taste, but he was determined to force himself through the lecture – research was research after all. And he had a feeling that if he asked Twilight about it, the sturdiness of the walls around him would be unnecessarily put to the test.
Near the end of the book another conflict rose – a third colt engaged in a romance with one of the main heroes. There was some confusion and talk of priorities and cheating…Chip liked that part more. Deceit was his thing, and there seemed to be a lot of it in this love thing he only knew as a tasty snack. The descriptions of emotions were very informative and the changeling was all in all happy he picked up the book.
As he closed it, his head was filled with strange images he wasn’t sure what to think of. This colt-colt relation possibility gave love a whole new dimension – he had to explore the possibility of mare-mare relationships at some point.
* * *
Twilight arrived right on time, knocking on the door and obediently going through the question/answer ritual Chip so liked. She was smiling from ear to ear, chatting the changeling up with mundane questions such as “How do you feel today?” or “Had any nice dreams?”
Eventually her good mood made its way to the changeling who by now came to terms with what he read about earlier in the morning – come to think of it, it was exciting. Maybe colts weren’t as touchy about the subject and asking one about love would not end up with him sprawled on the floor, wall or ceiling?
“What should be focus on today, Chip?” asked Twilight, sipping a coffee Spike brought her from upstairs.
“Well, we already know one way of downing a changeling. But it obviously doesn’t work on me when I’m my normal self. I suspect our bodies are too well prepared for such tricks – so it is the mind we have to focus on.”
“Hmm, interesting idea…but that won’t benefit earth ponies or Pegasus.”
“We have to start with something,” shrugged Chip.
“Alright, fair enough. Developing a magically charged trinket later on should be a piece of cake. I’ve done literally hundreds of those before…oh, never mind. You were saying?”
“Changeling mentality. I can only guess you never shared your eyes or ears with anypony else, did you?”
“Well, no, not exactly…I mean,” reflected Twilight, thinking back to the days she fought Discord, “There was that time that I used a spell to make my friends remember our friendship…but I’m not sure that counts…”
“Show it to me. Let’s see what it does,” said Chip, changing into his changeling self. Twilight was thankful he did it normally, instead of doing that awkward slow changing that made his…
“Are you alright Twilight? Your face is all red,” commented the changeling, cocking his head.
“O-Oh, no, it’s nothing! Um, the spell, yes…but we don’t have any memories we can share. I think. I mean, I guess we can try remembering the things we did yesterday. That should work! At least, if this spell will work at all on you…”
“Let’s try it. What do I have to do?”
“Just stand still…”
* * *
Twilight jumped back, as if struck by lightning; Chip did the same. They both panted heavily, looking at each other confused.
“What just happened?!” they asked in unison.
“That was…weird” said the librarian, shaking her head violently.
“You…you can say that again,” replied Chip, rubbing his forehead.
Together they had the strangest experience yet. Twilight Sparkle cast her spell and tried to look for a memory in Chip’s mind – what she got instead was a mental image of a crossroad. Well, it wasn’t exactly that; it was hard to describe something as metaphysical as being in somepony else’s mind. Because that is what the purple mare was certain what happened. Instead of recalling a memory, she found herself in Chip’s head.
There were two paths she could follow – one was dark, damp and scary, while the other felt empty, kind of lonely and…similar to her own. She obviously took the more desirable road. Twilight didn’t know if she was moving, floating or whatever – after a short while that could have been an eternity, she felt it. She felt the presence of another…it wasn’t inside her head. She wasn’t inside her body anymore. It was a limbo, a space without volume or time, no dimensions at all. The other presence was all there was for her, and she knew it was Chip. At the same time, she felt her own existence – the recognizable memories, thoughts, opinions…it smelled and felt like her.
So there were two beings in the same place that didn’t have a single dimension. Science wasn’t even near the place where she got herself to. Neither could it explain the feeling she had, a rising pain that encompassed everything she ever was and will be. It wasn’t a hurting ankle or strained muscle – the radiating feeling was all around, in a place she could not find.
Twilight could also feel the agony of Chip – he experienced it too, the pain. It was scary, in a primal way. Mortifying. She felt that her whole existence was threatened, that her soul was being crushed and warped by forces unknown…
“We shouldn’t try this again,” whispered the purple mare, trying to calm her breath.
“We…we should,” said Chip with a stern face.
“What?! Are you crazy!? We could get hurt…in ways we can’t even understand!”
“That’s the point, right?” growled Chip, limping closer to the mare. “It is our duty to understand what just happened. Maybe we can use it, maybe not. That feeling, it was terrifying, I know…but maybe this way we could cause a backlash in the hive mind. Disable a drone or something. We have to try again.”
“Really?...” whimpered Twilight. “I’m scared.”
The colt was a bit lost – they both knew they were scared out of their sane minds and instinct told them not to meddle with forces that they just experienced. Under the spur of the moment, he did the only thing that came to mind – he embraced Twilight, pressing her softly against his hard plate.
“It’s going to be alright. This time we’ll know. We’ll be careful. Okay? Just try to understand something. I swear I saw some images, heard something, maybe even felt, but I was too panicked to pay attention to that. Please, can we try again? We’ll break off as soon as thing become too frightening.”
Twilight Sparkle was very silent. She didn’t struggle or try to hit him – no, she was shaking in his hooves. She wafted of fear, the kind he knew back from his den. She was afraid for her life. Afraid for her life…
Changeling’s lives were all expendable. One drone could easily replace another, so there was no need for preserving any of them. Part of that doctrine still remained in the colt’s mind – he didn’t fear death as much as he should, he felt. Maybe because he never understood what passing away meant?...
“Okay,” whispered Twilight. “Let’s…just, please, be careful. I-”
“It’ll be alright, Twilight Sparkle. Trust me, okay?”
Chip gave the pony one last hug before backing away and bracing for the spell.
* * *
There were lights and sounds. Twilight didn’t know where she began and where Chip ended. They were one entity, merged in the dimensionless place that wasn’t a place at all. The images were blurry and looked pretty much like two slides of a film being projected at the same time, one over the other. Were those their memories, combined into one inconsistent mish-mash? Could they separate them and make sense of those?
None of them knew which one invented the idea. Unison was their whole world – a world that started hurting, instilling that primal fear they barely recovered from. Just a little bit longer. There was some space. It wasn’t space, more like a point that didn’t have volume or mass – it felt similar to the thing they had here…maybe one of them could use it? Was it possible to shift just a little bit to…
* * *
The two woke up on the floor, stiff and aching. Their heads were pounding with a dull pain.
“Are you alright?” they asked in unison, trying to stand up.
“It felt better than the last try…ugh…” Chip groaned, helping the weaker Twilight to her feet.
“Yeah. All we need is…some more control. This time it…not bad…” managed the mare.
Their bodies noticed their masters came back from wherever they were and assaulted them with messages that were delayed for far too long …
Stomach ache, we need food!
Pressure between the legs, it’s time to go!
Muscle cramps, you were lying there for too long, time to move!
Weakly, they smiled at each other – bolting up the stairs immediately afterwards; Twilight locked herself in the toilet while Chip flung the fridge doors open and started consuming random things. Tomatoes, carrots, wasabi sauce, it didn’t matter, he was hungry…hold on? What was that prickling? On his tongue? It felt like…
* * *
Twilight gave out a sigh of relief, closing the door behind her. She strode into the kitchen only to see Chip in his Wub costume drowning in the kitchen sink.
“What the hay?!” she cried, swiftly pulling the colt’s head back.
The changeling fought for breath, his face soaking wet, mouth wide open and panting.
“What were you thinking?! What’s going on!?”
“I don’t know.” feebly whispered Chip, waving a hoof in front of his mouth.
“Alright, calm down. Tell me what happened.”
“I-I…” Chip couldn’t stop coughing, his tongue still burning like the fires of hell. “I came to eat…and ate…and then my tongue caught fire!”
“What?! How?! Did you eat something warm again? Wait, there can’t be anything hot in the fri-” She stopped. A half-empty wasabi paste tube lay on the ground, a bit of the green stuff dripping from the end.
“Did you eat this?” asked Twilight, levitating the paste to Chip’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“And you felt burning after eating it?”
“Uhum,” nodded the changeling, still trying to wipe his tongue against his hooves.
“This is wasabi, Wub. It’s the spiciest thing in the world. But…I thought that changelings didn’t feel…taste.”
They looked at each other in confusion.
“Taste? No I shouldn’t…wait. G-Give me that…that salad…”
Cautiously, Twilight picked a leaf from the vegetable lying on the counter and levitated it over to the open mouth. Slowly, Chip’s teeth sunk into it.
The changeling’s eyes got really large and he let go of the salad. Because it was juicy and delicious.
Before Twilight could understand what was going on, Wub was all over her, cheering and crying.
“It’s juicy! It’s fresh! I love it! I love salad!” Those and other statements confused the mare even more.
She herself felt strange. A smell invaded her nostrils, something she never experienced before – it was sweet, mouth-watering and…it came from Chip. His whole body had a scent of cotton candy. While the changeling was jumping up and down, crushing her neck in a tight hug, she was drooling like she never had before, an urge to inhale the scent overpowering her…
No, she didn’t want to simply smell it. She wanted to taste it. Something, a vague memory perhaps, told her that she would be ecstatic about the taste of this…what was it? Why did she remember this? What the hay was going on?!
The mare stopped Chip and looked him in the eyes. Her stern face and slightly widened pupils alerted the changeling.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tongue dancing along his teeth, searching for whatever leftovers there were of the delicious vegetable.
“You tell me! I feel…I can smell something. Something strange. From you. This will sound totally insane, but I think I can…I can…taste that you’re happy.”
Chip’s face went from squinting, to surprise, finally ending up on deadpan. He yanked the mare out of the kitchen and into the laboratory, making sure the doors behind him were closed.
“You can smell me? My happiness? Are you sure?”
“I-I don’t know. This is crazy. Really…b-but that is what…that is what I believe I feel. I mean smell. I mean-ugh!”
“Calm down Twilight…calm down,” said Chip. He himself was beginning to worry – try as he might, but the air smelled of dust and dampness. There was no confusion that surely was all around Twilight. Nothing. Not even his own feelings…
There was silence in which the pony and changeling tried to understand what has happened to them – it didn’t take a genius to understand thought.
“The spell,” they murmured at the same time.
“I…w-we switched traits?!” yelped Twilight.
“I can taste food, you can taste emotions…I can see no other explanation.”
“I-Is it permanent?! Ohmygosh,” groaned Twilight, stepping away from Chip. “This is frustrating. I feel like I could…I just want to…I want to taste you, bleh. We have to fix this, and fix it soon!”
“Well, if you say so,” shrugged Chip. He didn’t have anything to actually complain about – not having to keep his guard up all the time and being able to taste food was fantastic!
“Hey, this is serious! Have you any idea how…just how frustrated I feel now?! I want to have you, but I don’t know how!”
“I think I understand perfectly clear,” grinned Chip, stepping away nonetheless. The looks Twilight was giving him were disturbing, to put it lightly – who knew what a pony afflicted with changeling lusts could do.
“We, we have to cast this spell again. Put it right, unmeld or…whatever! Just take this stupid smell away from me!”
“Just calm down,” repeated Chip, changing into his changeling form. It felt a bit off, but he was still a large colt with a curvy horn and leather wings, all wrapped up in shining chitin.
“Let’s do this,” he murmured, bringing his head close to hers.
* * *
They became one entity again, in that same place that consisted of overlapping images of sounds, crushed into a zero dimensional place somewhere in another plane of existence. Twilight/Chip was panicked to say the least. Only now it occurred to him/her that it could get worse. What they did was touch with elements they didn’t understand; with something that ponykind would call souls – the uncharted territory where science didn't dare thread.
There was no time to waste, as the feeling of pain was creeping slowly but surely to the melded changeling-pony. They remembered and sought out the empty space they felt before and tried to move there. It was a hard thing to do – there were no barriers or matter to move around in, and the place that was their destination felt like it existed in another universe altogether. It felt like being trapped in a glass box and looking at another glass box barely a hoof away. But there was no exit.
Twilight/Chip was straining to separate his/her thoughts – their identities no longer knew any physical bounds, combining like water from two different sources.
But we are not water, they thought. One of us is from a totally different world. One of us is a pony. One of us is a changeling. These two cannot be one and the same. There has to be a way to…
Maybe there was. That dark path Twilight/Chip felt, the one that felt threatening and was disregarded. They needed to try and meld again.
* * *
Twilight found herself again at the crossroads where Chip’s mind was divided – to her astral left was the crawling, snickering dark path of thorns. To the right, the light and familiar plains that she so wanted to go into again. But she couldn’t. No, she shouldn’t. She still remembered the terror when she woke up, feeling even stronger than before the scent of Chip. And the urge to sink her teeth into his neck.
With her thoughts shaking heavily, she pushed herself into the dark and damp part of Chip’s mind. She felt there was a gate there – one that was chained down and locked. The doors were huge, wooden, and old. The shackles around them felt daunting, forged from black steel and locked with an enormous lock that was…staring at her. There was an eye in the keyhole – a green iris, cut in half with a cat-like pupil. It felt ancient, malicious and most of all, cold.
This way was closed by a will far stronger than that of Chip – Twilight could feel a faint smell from behind the doors – a smell that brought to mind images of thousands of rustling wings, a cloudless night over a dark landscape, a green chamber that was empty…
What now? Terminate the spell? Return to the torture of drooling her mouth out at the tempting smell she felt from Chip? No, no way!
With determination the mare threw herself at the chains, tugging and biting, bucking and striking. Metallic clanging echoed in the nothingness around. The green eye traced Twilight’s feeble attempts…
Stop looking at me! yelled the mare, digging her hooves into the keyhole. She felt something slimy and slick envelop her hooves before she was bathed in stickiness and warmth. A terrible shriek followed, something that chilled the pony to the very core.
For a brief moment, the shackles fell apart and the doors swung open, revealing the image of thousands, maybe millions of changelings, all piled up on each other, their blue eyes focusing on Twilight. It looked like a solid wall of chitin bodies, sickly leathery wings, and those sky blue orbs…
The shackles reassembled themselves swiftly, knocking Twilight away. Before she lost control of her spell she managed to see the lock return to its place, a new eye glaring at her with unrestrained hate.
* * *
The spell was no longer working. Twilight was sure of that. Yet, she didn’t feel anything. After the backlash from the gate she just flew and flew…maybe through space, maybe through time. She couldn’t tell – it was all so unworldly. She weighed nothing, she was nothing – just a spark in the dark. A spark that desperately needed a home. A warm place to stay at.
Such a place came into view quite soon, and Twilight dove for it. The home, that particular spot, it was comfortable. She knew and liked it. Yes, she would stay there.
* * *
“Hey, you guys! Wake up! Stop scaring me like that!” yelled a distressed Spike.
Chip opened his eyes to the sight of the little baby dragon bowing over him.
“Are you alright?” asked Twilight’s assistant with a worried face.
“Yes, I’m fine. Go…go check up on Twilight. I think...I think something was different this time-”
“Huh?” Spike seemed confused, putting a paw to Chip's forehead. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah…I just…got knocked out or something. I flew…and then found my home. My spark…ugh, my head. Why does it hurt so much?”
“Just settle down, Twilight. It's fine now. I heard you guys screaming like mad and when you didn’t answer, I had to force the doors down…”
Indeed, the heavy wooden doors were broken out of their hinges. Their outer side was charred, full of scratches and bent metal pieces. It must have taken a lot of effort to open them…
“Spike, go check if Twilight is okay…”
“But…Twi, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m Chip,” hissed the changeling, trying to gather himself up from the floor but failing miserably. “Now stop fooling around and go to Twilight!”
“You are Twilight! For Pete’s sake…Chip! I mean, Wub! Wake up, I think something is wrong with Twilight!”
The dragon was clearly confused. The colt was going to say something when his eyes finally looked at the pony that lay before him…a silver coated mare with white hair, who was coming to now, blinked rapidly with her yellow eyes.
Slowly, the changeling looked at his own hoof. It was purple. He looked up. Something purple that looked like hair was hovering over him. A mane. He looked at his back. A flank the color of grapes, with several stars on the hind leg. And a tail. A long, purple tail.
Chip looked again at the pony who now came to and was staring at the colt.
“Spike, since when do we have a mirror here?...oww, my head!”
“Wub…uh, we don’t. Guys? What’s going on? You’re acting weird. Should I call a doctor or something?”
“Twilight,” whispered Chip.
The body that should have been his opened its eyes wide.
“Chip…?” whispered Twilight.
The body that should have been hers opened its mouth wide.
Spike gasped as the two ponies closed their eyes and fell to the floor with the most unpleasant of thumps.
* * *
The clock in the library announced it was ten. Spike was nervously pacing around the room, looking at the two unconscious ponies lying on the sofa. What should he do? Call a doctor? No, he would make things more complicated, especially with the monster. Call Celestia? He wasn’t allowed to send messages to the Princess regarding the creature.
"What to do? What to do!?" feverishly kept repeating the pacing dragon.
Finally Twilight budged, followed by a twitch from Wub’s hoof. They both groaned, coughing viciously as they tried to get up onto their shaking legs. Their eyes met – it was terror at first sight. None of them could utter even a single word. Everything was racing in their heads.
Something went wrong. The spell, something that Twilight did, it caused their bodies to switch. Chip was inside Twilight. Twilight was inside Chip. This dire predicament would be an exciting event to research, but having to experience it was absolute terror. The sheer volume of thoughts each of them had was spilling from their minds, choking them, taking away their breath.
“Twilight,” stated Chip, sitting down helplessly.
The mare who was now in an alien body did the same, fighting for breath.
“You guys, what the hay is going on!” yelled Spike, trying to shake them out of this worrying state.
The two slowly turned to face the baby dragon, still unable to talk. There were no words to describe their emotions, their thoughts – even if there were, they would all be synonymous to fear or terror.
They switched bodies. Celestia knew why, how and for how long. They managed to dislodge their minds, their souls, from the places they should be in and put them somewhere else. Would that hurt them? Did that mean they lost connection to the material realm? What was the material realm now? A place when one can just pop out of their shell and wear another one?
Scary, scary, scary, terrifying…
“TWILIGHT! WUB! ANSWER ME!” shouted Spike at the top of his lungs, violently shaking the absent minded ponies. This physical stimulus, the feeling of the baby dragon’s claws on their skin and fur jotted them to life.
“Spike,” stared Twilight who was now Wub. “Switched bodies.”
“Huh? What does that mean?!” yelled the assistant, focusing on the changeling body.
“I am Twilight. He is Chip. I am him. He is me. We switched bodies.” The voice that came out from the pony’s mouth was totally washed of emotions.
“Uhum,” nodded the body of Twilight, now controlled by Chip. “Ghosts in shells…”
“You aren’t making any sense!” snarled the angry dragon, sitting down. “How can you switch bodies?! There is no such spell! This is ridiculous! If this is some kind of joke, it’s not funny at all. Just stop it, okay?”
“This is no joke, Spike. I am now in Chip’s body. Hehe.” That was not a cheerful laugh.
“Yeah. I am now Twilight Sparkle. Yay.” Neither was that a cheer.
The two sat there, on the cold floor, observed by Spike who had no idea what to do.
* * *
It took nearly an hour of silence, interrupted by some meaningless statements, before Chip and Twilight were ready to face the facts – they somehow managed to switch bodies. They didn’t accept it, and hoped this was all just a bad dream…but it obviously wasn’t. The pinching test proved that.
“What do we do now?” asked Twilight, rubbing her sore cheek. She forced Spike to use all his might to twist it and now the pain, which was connected to this new body, assured her this was not a nightmare – just a nightmarish reality.
“We have to tell Celestia, or Luna,” replied Chip, holding an ice bag to not his own face.
“We…we can’t. We shouldn’t.”
“Why?! This is major. Nopony else did this before…and we’re in deep trouble if we stay like this...”
“We can handle this, okay?”
“I can handle this,” said Chip, pointing to his body. “But in no way can you handle this,” he continued, placing a hoof on the still disguised changeling body. “You remember the smell you wanted so badly to go away?”
“Y-Yes…oh no…” Twilight covered her nose, but it was no use. Now that she started paying attention to it, her new body flooded her with scents and memories of tastes of emotions. Her mouth filled with drool and she had to swallow time and time again, the crazy smell of Spike and Chip flooding her with a desire that she knew could be fulfilled with ease.
“We have to write to Celestia as soon as possible. About this. And we have to lock you up somewhere, Twilight.” Chip sounded very serious. His body wafted with fear, encased in determination. The mare could just simply fill her horn with magic, it was so easy, and then just… A little bit…
“Twilight!” screamed Chip, jumping away from a green bolt that nearly hit him.
The librarian blinked away the thoughts that sieged her barely sane mind, looking with disbelief at the mark left by the spell she unwillingly cast.
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to! I-I’m scared!” wept Twilight, slumping to the floor.
Spike tried to rush to her side but was tackled by Wub.
“Don’t come near her. She can’t control it. Stay, away,” murmured the stallion. He knew the pain she felt now, the hunger that was drilling her guts in all directions. He got used to it, being around ponies for a very long time – but there was no way Twilight could withstand this kind of torture.
Slowly, the pony and dragon backed away. Twilight noticed that and through sobs and tears reached out to them.
“Please, don’t leave me alone like this. I don’t want to be alone! I don’t want to be like this! Help me!”
Gently, Chip shoved Spike upstairs towards the bedroom. He made his mind up about what he was going to do.
“Twilight, I will need you to trust me now, okay? Can you do that? Can you focus and listen to me?”
“U-Uhum,” wept the librarian, trying to crawl her way to Chip who kept a distance from her at all times. Soon they danced along the walls of the library.
“I will now write a letter to Celestia and leave it where it was supposed to be. A simple report telling her that we don’t have anything interesting to show just yet, but are on our way towards a breakthrough. As such, I’ll be gone for literally just a few moments okay?”
“G-Gone?” gasped Twilight, following Chip around with bloodshot eyes. They were now entering the laboratory and slowly descending the stairs.
“Yes, but I promise it is just for a short while, okay? Just to drop the letter. You’ll have to stay here and focus. Focus really hard. Not on the hunger, not on the pain – focus on your own thoughts. Think about yourself, who you are, who you want to be.”
“Who I want to be?” she repeated mindlessly.
“Yes, exactly. Think happy thoughts. I’ll be back in just a few moments and help you out, okay? You won’t be alone. Now I just…”
Chip managed to dodge another bolt of green energy and run up the stairs, closing the doors behind himself. The key clicked just in time to stop Twilight. The colt had no idea how much the doors would hold out, being broken and all, but for now they stood strong against the wailing and scratching of the mare inside.
As fast as he could, the changeling ran up to the bedroom. Spike tried to say something, but was hushed by Chip who started hastily writing something.
“Listen, Spike. Whatever happens, don’t go down until I return. Put a pillow on your head, perhaps two, and just go to sleep. Don’t come down. This is important, very important for Twilight, okay?”
The baby dragon nodded. What else could he do? He watched as the body of Twilight lay down a quill and vanished. He did as he was told. One pillow. Another one. The thumps from below were still haunting him…
* * *
“Twilight!” called Chip, appearing at the bottom of the laboratory. His head hurt – he knew how to use magic, but a pony horn was different from his usual one, and he probably overstrained it with teleportation. It was hard to adjust to this new body…and now he would have to do something even more daunting.
The mare who was now reduced to a ravaging, crying creature turned away from the doors which were close to falling by now. She nearly leapt down, insanity mixed with lust in her eyes.
“Twilight, I know it hurts. But it will go away. I promise. You can trust me, right?”
She didn’t answer, looking at him with those crazy eyes. Her horn was glowing a green, eerie light.
Chip inhaled and exhaled deeply, remembering a certain scene from his past. There was a time he believed he did something horrible to another pony. He then believed there was no absolution for such a crime. What he intended to do now wasn’t an attempt at erasing that sin – he wanted to try his own medicine. Underneath the fear he felt, there was a tiny bit of fascination; what would it be like?
Twilight came really close to Chip, her silver horn a brilliant green torch, pointed straight at him.
Thousands of miles north, right around the time Twilight and Chip were looking for a way to unmeld their minds...
* * *
Chrysalis was minding her own business – managing the thousands of drones under her control, sleeping or just hating on ponies. It was a day like any other and she already got fed up with searching for a new spark bearer for the day; the activity was quite draining, as it was hard to reach out to something that didn’t quite connect with the hive mind.
So far she had no luck and was angry with herself for so carelessly throwing away the previous one. There was a possibility Chip was dead, but she wanted to gloat over his lifeless body, sink her sharp teeth into the flesh. He was more of a pony now than a changeling. He betrayed his own kind, and for what? As far as she could tell, he was a mere slave. What did those ponies offer that she already didn’t give with all her love? Why was she destined to be alone, to be betrayed around every corner by creatures that could think more abstract thoughts than her regular subjects?
Deep in her own sorrow, the Queen didn’t notice a faint sensation tugging at the mental net of the hive mind. It was as if a wind blew, shaking up the delicate threads that connected the drones and Chrysalis. The black mare’s attention was drawn to this phenomenon when the tremor gained in strength.
A link that she forgot about so long ago was causing the stir – one that she recognized, but could not bring back to memory. There were a lot of dead ends in the hive mind – some of them were the rotting minds of dying changelings, others just connections that the Queen didn’t care to fix or erase.
Cautiously, the Queen shifted her mental weight over to the disturbance, inspecting the troublesome node. It wasn’t broken – it was sealed. She could tell it was in good shape, but for some reason it was neatly severed, a job that only she herself could so masterfully accomplish. Gently, Chrysalis blended into the consciousness that was on the other side – it felt strangely familiar. It was a changeling…it was…
Stop looking at me! Chrysalis heard in her head. And then it happened – a powerful surge knocked her away, a pulse of blinding pain that was burning, crushing, electrifying all her five senses. The Queen ran away, hurting, feeling the painful signal travel from node to node, from drone to drone, causing them all to howl with pain. Her mental net, the hive mind, was ablaze with white light; it shook violently, breaking apart, causing her subjects to die off by the dozens. She herself felt on the edge – the pain was crystal clear and all around.
She had to do something. Focus! Chrysalis gathered her resolve through tears and agony, making her resilient body an entry point for a counter-attack. Slowly but surely she forced her will along the feeble threads that scorched her mind – one by one her minions settled down, slumping to the floor or losing consciousness. As the Queen gathered momentum, 'curing' her minions from the blazing assault of pain, the signal throbbing from the suddenly open node weakened. She now knew what it was. She hated it. She banished it a long time ago. It was Chip.
The changeling somehow managed to reconnect to the hive mind. He was alive, and he wanted to kill her. Well, not today traitor scum!
Burn in hell, pony! shrieked the Queen, putting as much force through the node as she could. She felt the mind behind it bend, stretch and then snap off. There was no time to check if she managed to fry the changeling’s brain – she swiftly closed the node and broke it away from the hive, casting it into oblivion. For safety measures, she then also destroyed those points that were adjacent to the intruder – a few minions less was a small price for not giving the enemy a chance to try again.
* * *
The black mare came to when it was totally dark outside. Her head hurt like it had never before – her whole body was stiff and aching. It took some time to remember what just happened. Yes, Chip was still out there. And he was trying to get his revenge. Hopefully, Chrysalis at least reduced him to a vegetative state. It was hard to tell in the mental world what was what – one could not trust feelings, let alone images that were spawned there.
The Queen once again inspected the net, with relief confirming the danger was over. It was an unexpected attack, one of great force, and should she be less fortunate…only a husk would remain in the chambers in the northern part of the changeling valley.
Chrysalis couldn’t decide if she felt more sorrow, hate or satisfaction – probably a bit of each at the same time. She was sad that it has come to this – it would be best if Chip was just dead, not trying to hurt his former Queen; she was angry that the changeling was alive and that he grew in strength so much that he nearly extinguished her; she was happy, as this was the final straw, a challenge that would finally bring this cold war to an end. It was on. The ponies declared war on the changelings.
Chrysalis tried to keep this personal, just between her and the changeling. But it seemed that ponies decided it was high time to rid Chrysalis of her rule over her minions, using Chip as a direct assault weapon. Well, that was not going to work. She would remain alive – and she would be the one gloating over their ruined bodies, in a burning city, surrounded by despair and fear.
With a wide grin, the Queen limped towards her throne. She called out to her minions, which she regretted dearly as a thumping pain in her head nearly cracked her skull in half. The drones came nonetheless, ready to obey her every command. Without a word they moved the throne, revealing a hidden passage to a damp and steamy chamber.
It was huge, covered in green organic goo that gave an eerie green light to the room. Etched in the slime were eggs that she lay nearly a year ago – her future minions, obedient servants that would not dare betray her. The only ones she could trust, as they were in truth herself, spread across thousands of bodies.
“It is time to wake up, my dears. Mommy’s plans got a bit changed. Rise, my children. Mommy needs a new dozen of assassins.”
Chip was comfortably wrapped up in a sea of fluff – curled up in a ball, the changeling could feel every inch of his body clothed in the most delicate and warm fabric he had ever experienced. It was a whole new level, even compared to the bed at Canterlot castle. All around, rainbow lights lazily swam, piercing even the colt’s closed eyelids. He felt…
Happy
Yes, pure joy of being here, in this harmonious of places, overpowered Chip. He felt like cheering, laughing, prancing around – but there was no need to. It was bliss as it was – curled up in a ball of happy thoughts, underneath a sea of rainbow fluff. He felt…
Comfortable
Not a single place was getting too much or too little pressure. Perfection in even the slightest details. He would snuggle up to this fabric, inhale deeply the scent it probably had, rub his whole body against it…but there was no need! Why bother perfection? In this tight embrace, he felt…
Secure
Like in the hooves of a mother, a loving, caring mother. The silky fabric lulled him gently, taking away all his cares and grime that was probably just his imagination. He could just open his eyes and smile at the motherly face above him, touch it, pet its mane…but not just yet, just a little bit longer. He felt so…
Loved
It was the same kind of emotion, the connection that he shared with his friends. He loved ponies, especially those that appeared in front of him now! Night Star, the first pony he even met. Silver Heart, the filly he treasured so much. The regal sisters, Luna and Celestia, who took him as if he were their own. Cadance, Gustav, Dawn, Twilight…all these faces, he loved them so much! He wanted to hug them, feel their embrace! They were quite some distance away, so he would need to fly over to them…this is where he started feeling…
Pride
He was a great flier. Each time he flew, he felt proud to have such great wings. Strong, agile, capable of carrying him all over the world – his wings were the most awesome thing on the planet! The refreshingly chilly wind that cuddled him for so long now felt great; the light that flickered under his eyelids, as if he was looking at sunlight from the bottom of a lake, reminded him of something. Yes, those were his…
Hopes
He had great aspirations. He wanted to be one with ponies. He dreamt about it, studied for it. It was his purpose. He knew he would eventually realize his dream – it felt like it was just a hoof away, somewhere in the darkness around.
Yes, the pitch black around was fascinating. Not a sound was heard, not an image was seen. He huddled his body into a tighter ball, feeling the pleasurable cold of what was probably an autumn night. This bliss was interrupted by some heat that was somehow present in his chest – it stung, felt out of place. It disturbed the emptiness that was always in his mind, in his heart, in his whole body. He let it go. It was never there to begin with.
Silence. Emptiness. It lulled Chip into nothingness. His mind shut down, descending into the void, closing in on itself. He didn’t feel a body, not that it was supposed to be there anyway. He was a pure thought. An abstract construct that didn’t have its place in time and space. Null. Nothing. It did not exist…
* * *
Twilight Sparkle woke up on the floor, curled up in a ball. She yawned, stretching her body, unleashing delightful chills that scattered around it. The mare never felt so refreshed, so alive. It was like being born anew, with a fresh mind, new pair of eyes, straight-out-of-the-box muscles and skin. Each color was vibrant and bright – the sounds she heard, she could listen to them forever…
“Mmmmm…aahhh…this feels wonderful,” gasped the librarian, preparing to leave the room. Unfortunately, something lay under her feet and she tripped.
“Ouch…oh, what is that…thing…doing….here?”
Twilight saw the most odd of things at her hooves – it was a ball of fur, roughly her size. It had a purple color, the dark variety, with a mane and tail. And a horn…
The hit of memories from last night sent the mare into a spin. Chip. They mind melded. The corridors. The gates. An eye. The switch of bodies. The horrible, painful hunger. Loneliness, sadness, terror…then hope. A faint smile. And a green light.
The librarian looked at the shape which was Chip, in the body of Twilight Sparkle. Unmoving. Cold to the touch.
“Chip,” gasped the mare through a tightened throat. Memories kept coming back, gnawing at her, spoon-feeding her the images of her…of her doing it to Chip. She was eating him. She didn’t know how, or why, but it felt good. She craved it so much and she got it. The pleasure she then had was the polar opposite of the dread she felt now.
“Chip?” repeated Twilight, gently pushing the body, as if trying to prod it to life.
“Chip.” She shoved harder.
“Chip…” She shook the body. Nothing.
“Chip…!” gasped Twilight in a hoarse voice, hugging the lifeless shell. She looked into his eyes – they were blank. Nothing behind the purple irises.
“What have I done…” she sobbed, still trying to shake Chip awake. Mane got into his open eyes, and he didn’t even blink. She swiftly took it away, checking his forehead. It was cold. Stone cold.
“Please, just stop it. Wake up. I didn’t mean to…why did you let me…why?!”
No response.
“I can’t…what have I done. Why, Chip, why?! Answer me, you hear me?! Please, I beg of you…”
Not even a sigh.
“Chip…”
All she could do was embrace him. Close to her. His cold body against her warm skin. She wanted to give it all back. Give back the things she took away. She wanted it so very badly. She didn’t mean to. It wasn’t hers!
Twilight rocked Chip back and forth, wetting his mane with tear-filled eyes. No words would come out of her throat now. She felt sick. Her head hurt, she was dizzy. This couldn't be undone. He was gone. Not coming back. And it was her fault. She did this.
Her eyes were too wet to see the rhythmically moving nostrils on Chip’s muzzle.
* * *
At some point, Twilight must have passed out, exhausted, still wrapped around Chip. Her body warmed his. He couldn’t feel that though. He was nowhere. In limbo. Non-existent…
If he was nothing, then why was there something? It was sound. He remembered what sound was. It was pestering him, filling up the space that wasn’t there. How was that even possible? Nothingness is the opposite of Somethingness. These two could not exist at the same place, even if calling it a place meant nothing. And yet…
The sound was a word. A single, short word. It managed to expand the nothingness, causing it to stretch and bend with the volume that it brought. Volume was an alien concept in this world of nothing. It didn’t feel right, and it was ignored for as long as it could.
Like that wasn’t enough, a second thing – something more physical – joined the fray. It was temperature. Warmth. Great, now the world that was empty contained a warm word. No, wait. These things weren’t together. Then where did the other come from? Asking that question turned out to be a bad idea – another volume, this one colossal compared to the word, jumped into the world of nothing.
A body. The warmth was connected with the body. Also, the word did something too – it moved. It moved to the top of the body, sinking inside it.
Chip was scared. All this felt so wrong, so alien. Nothingness was secure, it was good, it was predictable. This body, this warmth, this sound, it all came out of nowhere – uninvited and without a reason.
But this would not be the end of it. More things followed, literally bombarding the peaceful dimension of nothing with otherworldly somethings – sensations of touch, smell, thoughts that did not belong. It all zipped around, almost hitting Chip. He dodged as best as he could, avoiding images and noises like wildfire. Some of them hit him though. It felt like drowning in honey for an eternity – colors or sounds that were blurry reached out for him. He didn’t want them. Nothingness was where he belonged.
In this whole confusion, the colt didn’t notice he was coming closer and closer to the top of the body. He was so focused on escaping that he finally tripped into the head of the body. That’s where he saw the word. He heard it.
Chip.
* * *
Feebly, a purple leg budged. An eyelid tried to close, only managing to move a little in the end. A grape-colored tail moved an inch or so.
Twilight felt the motions and in her sleep adjusted herself, tightening the embrace she had on Chip.
“Chip…” she murmured, causing a purple ear to twitch.
Twilight felt a faint scent of candy. No, it wasn’t candy. It was something better. Something that made her mouth water and horn tingle with sparks of energies. She opened one eye – in the dimly lit room, she saw her former body wrapped around hers in a cuddle. That was the source of the smell. Yeah, it was time for some breakfast…
“No, wait!” the mare snapped to a standing position and quickly shuffled away from the sleeping Chip. She felt that smell again, the fragrance that made her go crazy with lust long ago.
“No, not this time. I’m stronger than that. I’m stronger than that!”
The aggravated pony’s words caused Chip’s ears to twitch – his hooves moves about, uncertain, looking for something. The nice warmth that accompanied him and which he grew to accept left him. Some of it remained inside him, and that heat felt important to preserve. To do so, the changeling feebly curled up into a ball.
Twilight was so happy she nearly went blind with tears – he was moving, he was alive, he would be alright. But she needed to stay away from him. Chip had to wake up soon and tell her how to control his hunger. She didn’t want to be an animal that attacked her friends. She didn’t want to be a changeling to begin with! The mare sat on her haunches, mustering all her resolve, drawing thoughts away from the intensifying aroma of re-emerging emotions.
What did she do prior to this body swap? Ah, yes, that strange path, the dark one. She tried to unlock it…and then she dug her hooves into an eye spying on her. And then she got blown away by some kind of force. It must’ve been at that moment that she lost contact with her body. Did that mean that she could do it again? That her spirit ccould be dislodged at will by something like that mind-blast?
It was scary. Twilight sometimes read about out of body experiences, ghosts, ‘wanderers’ that were looking for abandoned bodies…what seemed to be non-scientific mumbo-jumbo turned out to have at least a grain of truth in it. She needed to remember those articles. Or better yet, read them again. If she only had the time…
In the other corner of the room, Chip was coming to. His body was stiff and tired, but it obeyed the colt’s commands, at least to a certain degree. It allowed him to open his eyes, but moving his head was a no-go. Moving his legs around was fine, but standing up was not included in the package. Still a bit dazed, the changeling focused his view on the pony that was staring at him from across the chamber. Silver coat, white mane, yellow eyes…oh, that’s right. It was him. No, uh, it was Twilight. Yeah, they changed bodies. But there was something else…ah yes. She felt the hunger. Was she alright now?
Of course. She fed on him.
That realization wasn’t as scary as he hoped it would be. By no means did he feel daunted by Twilight, nor was he urged to scream at the top of his lungs. It wasn’t that bad. He had no memories of how it all went, so that was a bit of a bummer. Still, he was alive, she was fed and all would turn out well. If he could only get up.
“Twi…” whispered Chip, reaching out for the mare.
“Chip! Chip, are you alright?” Twilight stood up and shuffled in place, uncertain if she should come closer or not. The aroma was very tempting…
“I can’t come closer…I’ll hurt you again!”
“Hurt? Oh, that,” Chip put a hoof to his face. “You need to control it, Twilight. You can’t let the hunger rule you.”
“I know! I don’t want it! But it just…it just happens! Chip, how do I stop it?”
“Eh…let me get my thoughts together. Hold on.” With great effort, the colt managed to sit up against a wall.
“Come over here,” he said, smiling faintly.
“No!”
“Come on, I promise it will be alright. Just listen to me, okay? Take a few steps, okay? If the feeling will be too strong, don’t back way. Don’t move forward either. Keep yourself on the verge, you understand me?”
“No, not at all! I’ll just, I’ll just wait till it passes!”
“It won’t pass. A changeling is always hungry – the Queen regulates that feeling for every changeling…but I’m not connected to the hive. So you feel everything a feral changeling would. A broken, let loose one. I managed to suppress the feeling on my own. You need to do the same. Now, come on.”
Twilight took a deep breath and held it for a few moments. She took a step, feeling compelled to trot over and do that…thing again. She let go of the air and nearly dug her hooves into the ground, straining against the force that wanted her to advance.
“Good, good. Fight it Twilight. I know you can.”
“It hurts,” cried Twilight.
“I’m sorry. I really am. But there is no other way. You can do it. C’mon, next step.”
Twilight put another hoof in front of her, nearly falling over. She wanted to embrace him so badly. Is that what changelings had to live with for all their lives? Is that what Chip felt around her? This gut-twisting hunger?
Now it was time for the hind legs. One step. Her confused senses were picking up a lot of mouthwatering goodies – compassion, hope, a bit of fear…all of it came from Chip. She could see how he felt like.
Another hoof.
Being a changeling meant you could tell what a person thought of you. So all this uncertainty she felt towards the colt, he picked that up? Did that mean he could read minds? No, rather not. Either Twilight was unable to focus, or the changelings didn’t have such super-natural powers.
Another hoof.
She almost lost herself there. Her body nearly tipped forwards as her knees unexpectedly sprung forward.
No, just stay calm. Stop.
This was as close as she could come now. But then again, she maybe moved a foot or two from her starting point. And this was her limit – just an inch closer and she would lunge at him, again sinking her mental teeth into his barely recovered mind.
“Very good Twilight, you’re doing great. Come on, just a little bit further now.”
“I-I can’t. Don’t make me come closer…”
“You have to. Trust me. You can’t stay in that corner forever. We must continue our research, even under these…extreme conditions,” Chip huffed and puffed, finally standing on all fours, leaning heavily against the wall. It was not the body that was tired – it was his mind that was drained.
Twilight gulped down a mouthful of spit and took another step. Moving forward was easy; it was standing in place that caused the problems. As if she was a horseshoe and Chip was the magnet. She wished for nothing else than to embrace him…no, it wasn’t her. It was the changeling body. It was not part of her. The body couldn't rule the mind!
With that bold thought in mind, sweat wetting her brow, she moved forward again. The smell was very intensive from here – her senses picked it up as taste, smell and images all at the same time. It was like eating a rainbow – she could bite into thin air, feel it on her tongue, but it was somehow eluding her, not giving her the satisfaction that she knew and loved.
“Twilight, just a few more steps, come on.”
His voice, which belonged to her original body, helped a bit. She tried hard to see a pony in him – a friend, a colleague. Not a snack, not prey. Fighting against this primal instinct was tiring. Each second she hesitated to take another step burned her muscles from the inside – she was working against herself. Against the lust, the desire to feed.
She closed her eyes and decided it would be now or never. A deep breath…and a few fast tip-toes…
* * *
It was around three in the morning when somepony opened the doors to Celestia’s private library. Shelves upon shelves of books with questionable contents lay there, in the darkness. The intruder didn’t try to flip on the light switch – that would give her away.
Instead, she went straight for her target…but it wasn’t there! The space was empty! But how?
It was late at night, so there was no way Celestia could have taken it just yet. How did it leave the room? Did somepony else take it? Maybe it wasn’t there in the first place?
The figure looked through the shelves.
No, no… Not here… It's not here!
Somehow, it vanished. Maybe Celestia had it with her? Was it worth risking a trip to her room? Probably not.
On second thought, what the hay. What was she going to do to her anyway? They were sisters, right? Huh, but what would be her excuse? ‘Hi, um, listen, you remember that book, Forbidden Gardens? Yeah, it’s not where it is supposed to be and I was wondering if you took it.’ No, that sounded stupid. Well, she would have to be silent, then. As Mistress of the Night, it should be easy to conceal herself in shadows. If she got found out, she would just grab a hairbrush and leave the room. Yeah, hairbrush. Celly never gave her back the stuff she was borrowing all the time.
Luna really wanted to read that book tonight. With a faint smile, she made her way to her sister’s chambers.
* * *
“You did well, I’m proud of you,” whispered Chip, delicately casting aside the wet white mane from Twilight’s eyes. She was still visibly shaking and didn’t say anything just yet, but she did it. She was leaning against him, her eyes closed tight shut…but she was controlling it.
The mare herself was going through hell. Her body told her to start feeding. But it didn’t do so without her consent this time. Why? She felt his vicinity, every single strand of delicious emotions she wanted inside her so badly. Why didn’t she take it?
Then it came to her. She didn’t see him. She needed to see him to cast the spell. Strange. She wanted to eat, yet nothing told her to open her eyes. Why?
“Chip?” managed Twilight.
“I’m here. How are you holding up?”
“Barely,” whispered the mare, cuddling up to the changeling. “Why do you need to see the ones you consume?”
“I do?”
“I…think so? I mean…I want it so badly. To do this thing to you again…but I can’t. The spell is drilling under my skull, but it won’t come out.”
“Strange,” said Chip, observing Twilight more alertly now. He never noticed it before. Truth be told, he only fed once, and he was so panicked back then that he didn’t pay attention to what was happening.
So a changeling needed to see its victim. Would a blind changeling be harmless, then? Would it not be able to hurt other ponies? That is definitely something worthy of checking out. But maybe later. When he got his body back…
“Okay, so you can’t feed on me now. That is some progress. We must try and give you back your body. Do you remember how it happened? Can you focus enough to tell me?”
“Y-Yes…I can.”
* * *
Chip was fascinated by the story. So he still had a connection to the hive mind – it was locked away somehow, but that path was not physically severed in his brain. On the other side, that part of him still could hurt him badly. At this moment, it could hurt Twilight. And he didn’t want that.
She was still shaking, but not as hard as half an hour ago. Their embrace calmed them both down a bit, and Chip found himself stroking Twi’s white mane almost thoughtlessly.
“It is too risky to try doing this again. This spell is a very dangerous one. We have to try it the other way... When our minds united. We felt that other empty space, remember?”
“Yes. Do you think we can reach it?” asked Twilight.
“We have to try, I guess. That, or you’ll have to be blind for the rest of your life.”
“That is not funny…” Yet, she snorted.
They both giggled a bit, the stress slowly leaving their bodies. It was one crazy night.
“Do you think you can focus now?”
“A bit…maybe.The smell, the hunger is still big…but I think I got used to it a little.”
“Okay. Do you think you can cast your memory spell?”
“I-I don’t know. Maybe. Your horn feels…different than mine. Let’s try. Touch my forehead…”
Chip did as he was told, and was immediately sucked inside. Somewhere.
* * *
He was standing at a mental crossroads. On one side he felt the sensation of the hive mind – it felt warm, welcoming, almost calling out to him. On the other side was confusion, emptiness, solitude… A mind that seemed quite foreign. The colt felt tempted to inspect that which was known and friendly… But in the end followed the other path.
They were one being once again. Trapped in the dimensionless space, with the images and sensations blurred and not making sense. But there was something new, something that was not there before. The blurs overlapped from time to time, creating split-second scenes with audible words. They recognized them – they were from barely a few hours ago. Right after the body switch.
What does it mean? asked Chip/Twilight. During those brief moments of synchronization, another sensation was felt – the pain that would overcome them by now was somehow reset, reduced to a lingering threat that was banished each time an image appeared or a sound made sense.
They decided not to look too much into it – there was no telling how much time they had this time around and if these new things happening were good or bad. They needed to separate. So they heaved and pushed, almost without any noticeable effects.
Did you feel that? one of them asked. There it is again! I think…try and push, try and pull when the images show themselves, okay? Okay…
It was working. As an image popped into view, the combined minds of Twilight and Chip pulled slightly apart – it was like trying to separate two books that had their pager interspersed. Slowly but surely, they felt a sticky sensation in a point between them. Most importantly, they started to recognize who was who.
It took Celestia knows how long, but they finally did it. They were together only by a thin thread now. For some reason, the frequency at which sensible images showed up increased, sometimes amounting to even a few second slide shows from their recent pasts. Twilight flailing in despair behind the closed door. Chip levitating in a green light. Spike being told by the colt to stay put and cover his ears…
“You stay here, I’ll take a leap towards that space. I think I can reach it,” said Chip, who now knew he was Chip.
“Okay. Just be careful,” replied Twilight, now fully aware of herself. She was relieved that the changeling’s body did not haunt her here. She was free of the monstrous pain and sucking in her guts.
The last thing connecting Chip and Twilight broke. Everything around changed. He felt like…like a drop of oil, one that got flung into a sea at high speed. He pierced this environment, full of swirling energies, somehow remaining himself. The entirety of the unknown kept pressure on his mental self – it was being squeezed so tightly he didn’t know what was happening or where he was…
That state might have lasted for a very long time or just a second. An eternity passed before Chip left the ocean, breaking a barrier into another world altogether.
It was him. Whatever was before here, he had no clue. It felt like his whole self was here all along. He saw the images of his past, the voices and sensations as clear as day. Somewhere, on the edge of his senses, he could tell that Twilight was still there, in that other place that could not be described with regular three dimensions.
All in all, the transition wasn’t that scary. Apart from the confusion in the sea of thoughts, and compared to all that so far happened to them, this was even pleasurable. He was alone. Comfortable, safe. And alone. Almost alone.
No, it wasn’t Twilight…there was…
* * *
The spell broke off. Chip blinked rapidly until his brain finally started properly relaying his five senses to him – he was hugging a warm body, felt the smell of perspiration, his mouth was dry and he heard panting. Only his eyes displeased him – as they focused, Chip saw a silver coat and white mane, pressed against his purple torso. The spell did nothing. All that work left them where they were at the start.
“Chip?” asked a voice from below. The changeling looked into the face of Wub, who still contained the mind of Twilight.
“I’m here. Still in your body,” sighed Chip, frowning. “The spell did nothing. We have to find another way…”
“No,” said Twilight slowly. She raised her hoof and started touching him, seeking something. She finally stopped on his muzzle. Eyes still closed tightly shut, she smiled faintly, running her hoof down his chin. “I think it did exactly what we wanted it to.”
“No…I am still you, and you are still me. How is that supposed to ‘be working’?”
“I think…I think that it is our fault, not the spell’s. Look. When I first cast the spell, I saw a crossroads – one to a horrible place of many voices, the other one was where I met you.”
“Horrible place? What do you mean? There were no voices there.”
“What? Oh…you mean there was no gate? Then-”
“There was a gate. But that place was a good one. It was the hive mind, a place I thought I had lost quite some time ago…”
Twilight went silent for a moment, eyes darting around under her eyelids. She wasn’t shaking as much now – her mind was wholly focused on this riddle, the one she was really close to solving.
“So there was a gate…figures that we would have different views on how our minds look. Yeah, it makes sense. Regardless,” she jerked her face upwards, “the spell did the same thing, twice. When I first cast it, I was at a crossroads. The second time around, there were no crossroads, and you appeared a bit later, kind of blended into me…so, each time, it was the pony that was the one to enter. Enter the changeling.”
“What makes you think the changeling body is the host?”
“Well…think about it. Changelings feed on emotions. Our minds, who we are…emotions, thoughts, they define us. Spirits. It’s silly I even say this. As a scientist…pff, anyway, we have to accept what we experienced. Two times, it was the pony mind that was drawn in…”
“But I’m a changeling. How could I be drawn into you?”
“Huh…your mind didn’t exactly feel like a changeling. That other place, sure, it was alien…and scary…but your mind, it is more like mine. And we did manage to have that connection that allowed us to split apart…”
“Uhum,” nodded Chip. There might be something to this weird reasoning…
“So, continuing. This other place. The one we saw, the one you came to. Did you reach it?”
“Uhh… Yeah, I did.”
“And?” urged Twilight?
“It’s hard to describe. As if I swam through a sort of…lake or something. And straight into a cave.”
“What was in the cave?”
“Umm…me. My thoughts, my memories…”
“Yes, that makes sense. Yea, I think I got it. When you left me, the images solidified for me. I could clearly see and feel I was alone. That I was the sole inhabitant of that…place…space…whatever. Almost as if you never were there in the first place.”
“What are you getting at?” cautiously asked Chip. He had a sneaking suspicion of what he was about to hear. And he was kind of right.
“Those spaces – those are our bodies. We can see and feel them. The spell, when cast on a changeling, draws the pony inside. By itself, it should just share the memories of ponies, awaken them, bring them out. Changelings by nature take that all away, so I got sucked in...and we got cramped into your mind, melded together. Then, when I tried to open that gate thingy…I got blown away. Did you feel that too?”
“Y-Yeah. I think so. Something did launch me away from my...my space.”
“So, we got disconnected,” continued the mare, allowing herself another faint smile. “And then found our ways into each other’s bodies! That means…if we can cast that spell again…if this time you stay and I move…everything will be alright!”
“Are you sure Twilight?” asked a concerned Chip. He felt really tired by now – be it because of the whole mind mumbo-jumbo or the late hour…he didn’t exactly feel like experimenting anymore.
Contrary to Twilight, who was still being prodded into action by the sickening hunger she felt. The sooner she left it behind as a memory that she would try hard to forget, the better.
“Y- I think so. I,” she sighed. “You don’t want to do this?”
“I don’t know,” admitted the changeling, turning away. He was a pony once before, and it was surprising, to say the least. But here and now, there was no hunger, no smells. He felt weaker and confused by the movements of his body, and there were parts of him he didn’t understand or feel correctly…but…
“I-If you aren’t ready…w-we’ll wait.” The mare let her head rest upon his chest. Chip didn’t know how, but he knew she was let down. She didn’t want to wait.
“Let’s do it,” he said, closing his eyes and lowering his head to touch hers.
“We can wait, really. No problem…”
“I said – let’s do it.”
* * *
Straight for the empty, unwelcoming place; where Twilight probably was.
Together again. They focused on splitting, tugging away from each other as images and sounds aligned. Calm. Methodical.
They were hanging by a thread now. Twilight was shifting, like oil on the surface of water, in the direction of the empty space that was her original body.
Any last words? said more Twilight than Chip.
See you soon, replied more Chip than Twilight.
She bounced off him, severing the thread by which they were connected.
Then it all shifted. The images were his again. The memories, smells, feelings. They felt complete now…more than before. Things that he didn’t notice were missing started popping up – smells were complemented by his usual changeling senses, granting him insight into the emotions of ponies in the images. This felt like being at home, finally, after a long journey. He fit here like a glove.
The colt looked through his mind’s eye in the direction where Twilight’s body was supposed to be. Something was amiss…it wasn’t empty anymore, that was true. A kind of stir rose around that non-place…
* * *
Chip woke up. The spell lifted. It never felt so good to be in a body – every muscle, every piece of skin and hair welcomed back their rightful ruler. It was like a giant celebration that started near the tip of his tail and went in ripples all the way up, to the end of his horn.
A content smile got erased from his lips as he looked up into the eyes of Twilight. Something was off. Why was she shaking?
“Twi? Twi!” He shook her as her eyes shifted up and into her head.
* * *
Twilight was in her body. But it was tainted. Something…someone else was here.
This is my body! said the Twilight and entity in unison. There was hostility, a lot of it. Despair. Determination. And a lot of sorrow. Who was it?!
I saw it first, it is mine now! they yelled, violently stirring in the maelstrom of thoughts and images. It was chaos, just like the first time Chip and Twilight merged. This was even scarier than that. This was an alien being, she was sure of that. The fuzzy scenes that played all around were dark and caused the mare grief.
Who are you?! This is my body, I live here!
No! It was empty! I found it! I have been looking for so long! MINE! MINE!
As each word struck with the force of a hammer, Twilight felt being pushed away. It was not the tugging of being willingly separated – it was a sensation of being squeezed away, like toothpaste in a tube. The mare and entity felt panic and even more determination. She/He wanted this body. Only the reasons didn’t align.
GET OUT! thundered the thing, almost knocking Twilight away. It was strong, Twilight felt weak. Little by little, the distinction was becoming visible – images popped into view, ones that were but shadows, swimming in dark places that would make the mind burn out.
“Twilight!”
That came from outside. It was a voice that came for Twilight. It was Chip.
GET OUT! The thing hammered again and again, keeping the mare at the edge of an imaginary bubble. She was on the surface of the space that belonged to her. It was hers.
“Twilight!”
The mare bounced on the surface of her body. For a brief second, she was again in the sea of energies, hard pressed into a mental bubble. Then, she dove, like a bullet, biting hard into her body.
NO! yelled more Twilight than the entity. She was weak, it was strong. But Twilight had a purpose. Her friends. The Princess…and Chip. She wouldn’t let this thing be close to her friend. No, she would not give up after what he did for her.
GET OUT!bellowed the mare, pushing the entity. It was slippery, it bent and twisted. The mare felt she was in the center of it, surrounded by the being’s existence. She was being crushed.
NO! thundered the librarian. She pushed, ‘growing’ herself into the space that was her body. The entity was trying to prevent it, but any point that it chose to attack from Twilight immediately countered with unrelenting pressure. Now, the thing was on the run.
LEAVEEEEE! shouted Twilight, retreating for just a second and following up with something…something of a haymaker. A mental blow, wild and strong, full of purpose. Her whole essence was focused into that single wave of mental energy. And it worked.
With an inaudible plop, the intruder was gone. Twilight was whole, and it felt…right. Things that she didn’t notice in Chip’s body started appearing – the images were complemented by what her body felt at the moment, including taste…
* * *
Chip was panicking now. The mare was breathing and stopped jerking erratically a few moments ago, but her eyes would not open. What should he do?
The books in his head didn’t help. How did one snap a pony out of something like…this? Was she even in there? Did she manage to get into her body? What if she missed? Would she get lost in the sea?
"Oh, dear Celestia, please be alright," he whispered, petting her mane erratically.
If he only knew the spell! He would draw her in, back where she could be safe…so stupid! It was his fault! His stupid fault for being a changeling. By nature he had to disappoint or hurt those he cared about!
“Chip…”
Yes, that was the name of the trash. The defect. The disappointment…
“Chip…”
That word should be banned. Yes, he would forget it, drop it. He didn’t have the right to have a name. Ponies had names. Changelings didn’t. No, drones didn’t. He was a drone. A big, bulky, broken down-
Something touched his face. A hoof. He looked down at it. Purple coat, followed by a purple shoulder…neck…muzzle, slightly grimacing. And two purple eyes. One was slightly closed. Both of them had life inside. A spark, hidden deep beneath flesh and bone, stored in a place that didn’t even exist in this realm.
“We’re home…” she whispered, smiling weakly.
That was a terrible pun...so why was he crying with joy?
Neither Chip nor Twilight could quite believe it. They held on to each other, in silence, their heads empty of thoughts. It seemed like this whole mess started years ago…how much time passed anyway? No, that was not important now. They wanted to savor the moment – get a feel for their bodies once again…
And of each other. Chip was still wearing his pony guise, so he felt the warm body of Twilight nearby – her chest was steadily rising and lowering with her breath. Her coat tickled his skin. Her hooves connected on his back in a hug gave him comfort. He felt something new – under his heart, a heat was rising. It didn’t feel threatening – it might as well been a left-over thing from this whole mind-melding.
The colt looked down at Twilight – she tilted her head upwards to meet his gaze.
“How do you feel?” he asked in his own voice. Celestia, that felt wonderful.
“A bit sore…and very tired,” chuckled Twilight, also enjoying the sound her own mouth gave. The smile on her muzzle softened a bit, and her ears lowered slightly as she asked: “And you? Does it…hurt?”
“I’m tired too…but nothing seems to be hurting-”
“You know what I mean,” she whispered, breaking eye contact.
“Oh,” said Chip after a while. “That…I told you. I got used to it. You needn’t worry, I got it under control.”
“I’m sorry,” blurted out the mare.
“For what?”
“You know. What I did to you…”
“Oh,” sighed Chip, looking away briefly. “You don’t need to be. Let’s just forget about all this mess. It’s in the past now. Let it stay that way.”
Twilight shrunk a bit and gave out a small chuckle.
“If it only were so simple…flip a switch and forget…”
“We’re tired. We’ll feel better once we get some rest,” reasoned Chip in a soft voice. He felt compelled to brush the mane off her face. As he did so, the mare looked briefly at him, before turning away, blushing.
“You’re right…tired. I wonder how Spike is doing…”
“Oh.”
* * *
Leaning against each other, the two managed to climb the stairs to Twilight’s bedroom. It was an exhausting endeavor, and they were close to collapsing by the end of it.
The small basket in which Spike used to sleep was covered in pillows. It didn’t make a sound, and Twilight and Chip decided that if the baby dragon was asleep, they best not wake him up. Having to explain what had happened in their current state could end up in more confusion than necessary.
With the last of her strength, Twilight rolled onto the bed. The mattress felt divine – soft, comfortable, a totally different world compared to the hard floor they spent many, many hours on.
“Goodnight,” smiled Chip, turning away and dragging his feet towards the staircase.
“Chip,” hissed the librarian, making an effort and pushing herself to a sitting position.
The stallion stopped and looked at her with a half-conscious gaze.
“Don’t go.”
Tired, Chip slumped into a sitting position, puzzlement on his face.
“Why?” he asked in a whisper, eying the basket. It didn’t move.
“You don’t have a bed…and you might fall off the stairs in the dark. You can…you can sleep here,” offered Twilight, moving to the side of the bed. “There’s plenty of room…and it feels really...soft.” She again collapsed onto her bed, waving a hoof at Chip.
“Are you sure?” groaned the colt, forcing himself to stand up and approach the bed.
“Yes. But only for sleeping. Uh, you know what I mean,” yawned the mare. Her eyes were fighting a losing battle with the comfortable bed and tired body.
“What else can you do in a bed?” asked Chip. He didn’t expect an answer – he was too tired to listen anymore anyway. The bed was really soft. And bouncy; just enough to make it feel really comfortable.
The colt was on the verge of consciousness in a matter of minutes. He took a deep breath. He felt Twilight beside him; she smelled of relief and comfort, mainly. There was something under the surface too, but it was too subtle for the tired mind to identify. Maybe in the morning…
* * *
Spike woke up after a restless night of on and off sleep. There were screams, banging, and all sorts of weird noises coming from downstairs. He didn’t budge from his basket, just like Wub told him to. Cautiously, the baby dragon peered from under his pillows – he scanned his surroundings, noticing two lumps under Twilight’s bed sheets.
Hesitantly, the number one assistant put away the pillows and stood up. He still couldn’t see the heads that were poking out from the covers. He had to move. But he promised not to…frustrated at this point, he looked around for something to aid him. The mirror at Twilight’s drawer! Yes, it was tilted downwards, helping him see what was in the bed!
Her best friend was sleeping, her purple mane a total disaster, as always in the morning. Just to her right was Wub, with her white mane all over the place. That one had her mouth wide open, but surprisingly no snoring was heard. Their bellies were moving rhythmically and they looked perfectly fine. So all was good?
Cringing, Spike took a step out of his basket. The world didn’t end, nor were there any explosions or sirens, so he followed up with his other foot. Nothing. So far so good. Little by little, the baby dragon approached the bed and looked at Twilight’s head. Horn was where it was supposed to be, coat as purple as always, no strange marks or signs on her muzzle. It was all good.
The memory of Wub’s hungry eyes, the stare that chilled his whole back...no, it was a bad idea to wake them up. It was best if Spike wasn’t in the room when they came to. Who knows what the hay was happening. Maybe downstairs he’d find an answer.
* * *
Chip woke up first. He closed his dry mouth, running a tongue over his sandy lips. Straight of the bat, he felt the fresh scent of emotions – fright, curiosity, those came from somewhere below and were faded. A lot closer were comfort, happiness, and that covered up scent that felt like…huh. Intriguing.
The changeling shifted to look at the purple mare. The back of her head was all he saw. He touched it delicately, retreating when she shifted and turned to him. He was afraid he woke her up…but no, she was still sleeping, a faint smile slapped on her face. Her hair was a total mess – stiff, divided into strands that poked out in different directions. Most of it obscured her horn and eyes, causing Chip to giggle silently. She looked cute, if that was the right word to use.
As delicately as he could, he slipped from under the cover and down onto the floor. His joints snapped as he moved them about, causing a little bit of relief to ripple through his tired body. His mind felt fresh, though. All that transpired just a few hours ago felt like a bad memory now, something that couldn’t have really happened.
Chip looked at Twilight yet again, wondering how she'd feel after waking up. Would she remember any of it? Would she still like him? The mare did live in his body for a short while…she might think he was a monster now. More so than before, at least. Hopefully, that wouldn’t hinder the research that still had to be done - the silly task that seemed so insignificant now, after all these intense, life-changing events.
As the colt made his way down the stairs, he thought hard about it. There would be a lot of words to put into a new report, and they needed to decide what was important and relevant. Discovering how magic works on changelings was monumental, yes – but they would need to back it up with the story they agreed the Princesses didn’t need to know of. Maybe Twilight would change her mind now, that everything was okay?
Chip was going to enter the laboratory, the doors to which were in really bad shape, when he felt a smell come from the kitchen. Someone was cooking. Cautiously, the changeling peeked around the corner and saw Spike overseeing some pot with boiling water. That’s right, he totally forgot about the baby dragon!
“Um, Spike,” began the colt.
The startled dragon jumped, spilling some water onto his belly.
“Geez, dude…uh oh,” gasped the dragon, falling off his stool and retreating into a corner. “Twi, please don’t eat me! Please!”
“Settle down, Spike. It’s me, Wub,” said Chip in a reassuring voice, slowly approaching the scared dragon.
“Y-Yeah? What is the fifth law of spellbinding, variant C, special rule I?!” Spike yelled in defense.
Chip stopped and squinted in confusion. “What?”
“Oh…okay. Then you’re not Twilight. Phew. So everything is normal now?”
“Uh, y-yeah…what was that just now?”
“Well…hehe…I figured that Twilight would recite the rule even in her sleep. I guess that wasn’t the brightest idea, huh?” blushed the baby dragon, much to the amusement of the changeling.
An awkward silence fell between the two. Some water began spilling from the pot, snapping Spike back into reality.
“Oh, uh, care for some breakfast? I made too much anyway.”
Chip’s groaning stomach was answer enough. He took a seat and waited patiently as the dragon finished up preparing pasta, covered in some red goo the dragon got from the freezer. Hopefully, it wasn’t some kind of red wasabi.
* * *
Twilight gradually woke up from a dreamless sleep. She felt stiff all over and her head was pounding in a steady beat. She moaned and put her hoof forward, expecting to feel Wub’s fur. He wasn’t there. Hesitantly, one eye opened. The image was unfocused, so the other eye came to the rescue. Their forces combined, Twilight was able to look around the empty room. No Chip, no Spike. Some sounds were coming down from the staircase.
The mare pushed herself down from the bed and reveled in her joints snapping into proper positions. The librarian looked at herself in the mirror – her muzzle was smiling right back at her from under the storm of a purple mess on her head. She levitated a comb over, noting how the thudding in her head intensified, and gently brushed away until her mane settled down, unmasking her glowing horn. She looked good. Her mind felt fresh, contrary to her body, which was probably still a bit sleepy. She gave herself a shake and slowly descended the stairs.
The smells and voices from the kitchen drew her in. The mare saw Chip sitting at the table, noodles dangling from his face; Spike was looking at him intently, a mentoring expression on his face.
“Right, good. Now, draw them in with your mouth. Just suck them in.”
“Like tfis?” asked the changeling, his full mouth distorting the words. He bent down slightly and begun sucking the pasta in, really slowly, his chest heaving.
“No, you’re breathing again, not sucking the noodles in. Didn’t you suck on a pacifier when you were small?”
“A what now?” said the changeling, making his meal escape his mouth onto his plate. Spike deadpanned while Chip looked down, clearly amused. “It fell,” he commented, cocking his head.
Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at the scene. Chip and Spike jumped slightly, turning to the mare who was standing at the doorframe.
“Twi!” shouted Spike, running up to her dear friend and hugging her “You’re up! How are you feeling? Does anything hurt? Are you hungry? Did you sleep well?”
“Settle down, Spike,” smiled Twilight. “I’m alright. A bit stiff, but fine.” She looked at Chip, feeling her lips curl up into a smile. His muzzle reciprocated.
“That smells delicious,” said the mare, sniffing the air and approaching the table.
“I can’t tell,” shrugged Chip, not letting his eyes off of Twilight who sat beside him.
Spike observed as the two stared at each other with those stupid grins slapped across their faces.
“What were you doing down there? Huh?”
“Oh, uh,” they stuttered, looking away.
“Long story,” shot Twilight.
“Complicated. Maybe later,” added Chip.
“Okay, whatever. You guys will have to share the food though. I already ate mine, and Wub never has pasta before, so I was trying to teach her how to do it properly. But she just doesn’t get it.”
“Really?” asked Twilight. “Oh, uh…Wub?”
“Help yourself,” replied the changeling, pushing the dish between them.
“It’s really simple,” said the mare, levitating over a fork and stabbing at the pasta. She drew in a few strands and put them in her mouth. “Now, all you do is…suck!” And with that, the pasta vanished in her mouth, some sauce splattering over her lips. “Oh, excuse me! You try!”
“Okay.” Chip looked really focused. He stabbed the noodles violently and managed to pick up barely three strands. He put them in his mouth and sucked. Probably more air got into his belly, but in the end the food vanished in his lips.
“Not that hard, see?” smiled Twilight, picking up another forkful of the pasta.
They ate in silence from the same dish, each entrenched in their own thoughts. Chip was happy that Twilight didn’t cringe at the sight of him, but wasn’t sure if this wasn’t just a play; the mare herself was thinking back to her experience with his body, and how to thank him for helping her.
They both didn’t notice as the last of the pasta lifted into the air in between them. Each was sucking on their end of the food, and soon their muzzles turned so that they faced each other.
The two snapped out of their thoughts when it was all said and done – the last of the pasta disappeared between their pressed together lips.
Spike’s jaw lay heavy on the table. His eyes were wide open, taking in the image before him. He tried to blink several times, but no matter how much he tried, it all remained the same – Wub had her lips tightly pressed to those of Twilight, whose face was steadily turning a shade of red.
The noodles trapped between their mouths finally broke off. There was nothing more sealing their lips together, save for the sticky sauce on their muzzles. Slowly, Twilight kind of…broke off this...awkward position. She backed her head away, her lips still tightly squeezed together. Monumentally, as if her neck was made of stone, she shifted to look at Spike. The small dragon just stood up and walked out of the room. No rush. None at all. He just raised himself and went out. Of the room.
The mare continued turning her head away from Chip, feeling her whole face burn. If she would ever put her head in a barbeque set, that wouldn’t even be half the feeling that she felt now. Her head and heart were thumping in one, solid, fast rhythm. The librarian’s brain, usually on top of things and quick to manage any kind of crisis situations, sat there, with a what-just-happened expression on its imaginary muzzle.
Twilight had no idea what just happened. Time for a recap:
She was showing the changeling how to eat pasta.
Check.
She was hungry, so she asked if he would share.
Check, except she didn’t explicitly say “Can I have some”, or any variation of it. Still, a pass.
She was hungry, so she put the food in her mouth via fork input.
Check.
That motion was repeated several times.
Three.
The fourth motion…she slipped into her thoughts.
She was thinking about what happened between her and Chip.
Check.
She was thinking about that whole mess with feeding.
Check.
She was thinking of a way to repay him.
Check.
She kissed him.
…
…
…
check?
* * *
Chip cocked his head and stuck out his tongue. In one swift motion he scooped the sauce from his face and into his mouth. He wished he could taste it – for sure it was delicious, judging by how stunned and confused Twilight was now. Her scent was a giant maelstrom of confusion, insecurity, panic, fear, and a few more positive emotions that smelled too similar to discern in the chaos. Could food induce such a state in a pony?
Sweet Celestia, he should have checked that while in Twilight’s body! Moreover! He should have checked how it felt to be a mare! He had a one-in-a-million chance to feel how it was to be a female pony! And he forgot to remember it…he just didn’t pay attention to his former body. Eh…maybe, someday, after they’d be done with this whole research thing, Chip would learn that body changing spell and ask a mare, maybe Celestia or Luna, to trade with him?
* * *
Twilight wasn’t sure what she felt now – given the changeling was sitting quietly behind her, he was probably observing her. Sensing her every emotion. She was naked to him. But what did she really feel now?! Overwhelming confusion! Something that wasn’t there before suddenly came to life, somewhere in her chest, and infected her face with this hellish blush. At the same time, thousands of other things tried to voice their concerns! ‘You’re tired’, said some of them. ‘It was an accident’, confirmed the others. ‘Kiss him again!’ yelled a few, obviously crazy. ‘Don’t turn back!’ yelled most of them.
So she didn’t. She didn’t even dare to move an inch. She was waiting for him to move. How did he interpret this? Friendly sign? Affection? Meaningless motion? Did he understand it at all?!
* * *
Chip was looking sadly at the plate. It was empty now, and having eaten only half the portion…well, roughly half of it, he managed to scoop some from her mouth back there…his stomach wasn’t sated at all. There was some empty space left.
Twilight was still struggling with something, and he didn’t feel it wise to try and interrupt her. He didn’t understand ponies enough, and since there were no books here…heh, since there were some sharp objects here, he dared not risk ‘startling’ her. As silently as he could, he rose from his stool and stood behind Twilight.
* * *
Ohmygosh. He stood up. He was looming over her. She felt it. His breath on her neck made her hairs rise to full attention. The heart she swore would eventually shatter her ribs started working double-time. Her cheeks found some extra fuel to chug into the fire, causing her to physically sweat now.
What would he do? Turn her around, look her deep in the eyes and s-say some words…some words that started with L and rhymed with Dove? Or Solve?
W-Would he simply whisper to her, tell her that he’s sorry and t-that it didn’t mean anything? That it was an accident and she should treat it as s-such?!
Twilight didn’t know which was better, if any of them was worse, Celestia, she just wanted somepony else to make the decision for her!
Manual! There must be a book! Somewhere! Around! she assured herself.
But would she dare move?!
* * *
Chip tip-toed to the fridge, jumping when Twilight abruptly bolted out of the room, launching a chair into the counter with a loud WHAM. He cocked his brow, but shook it off as ponies being ponies. The fridge contained some vegetables he decided to stuff his mouth with, sadly noticing their lack of taste.
* * *
Twilight was fortunate! He didn’t simply want to turn her around and t-tell her what he wanted to tell her…he decided to go around the table, kneel, and tell it to her face in the m-most corny way possible!?
“Twilight, I think you know what I feel to you, you guessed it from the very start, but I am too shy to say the word. The L word that rhymes with Dove,” said Twilight’s imaginary Chip back in the kitchen.
“I just came here to say this was an accident. We both know that we are just friends, that Princess Celestia is the most important pony in our relationship, and we should not distract ourselves with anything other than strictly professional, colleague friendship that shall end when out paper is done,” said Twilight’s other imaginary Chip back in the kitchen.
Yes, she shot out of the room before he could reach her. It was probably rude, she knew, but he would thank her for that later! They both needed time; Twilight needed time, to understand what just happened! And there was only one, universal, true and holy answer to all and any doubts – books!
The mare frantically jerked all the tomes from their shelves, creating a banging-clanging mess, looking for that one book she knew she should have read eons ago, but didn’t care to! Not that anything like this would ever happen to her. Not even in her wildest, most ‘hot’ dreams did she imagine such a scene. The L word belonged to the world outside of the library – it happened to other mares, other stallions! And now, n-now she had the potential probability of inducing a theoretical L word situation! And there she was thinking that actually switching bodies was the worst possible thing!
“CELESTIA, WHERE THE HAY IS THAT BOOK!” bellowed Twilight, sweeping everything aside.
Bling…
Like a holy grail, there it was - the red cover framed by a gold thread. “A beginner’s guide to the L word: What to think about feeling.” The mare swept the book from the mess and teleported upstairs, hazily scanning her surroundings. She swiftly threw out the confused Spike, ignoring the throbbing in her head.
“Clean up downstairs, please, thank you, sorry, don’t come upstairs!” she said in one breath, throwing the book on the bed. As a measure of extra precautions, she put a bubble around the room, several alarm spells…and lay down on her bed so that she could see the only entrance to the room.
She had to swallow the book whole if she wanted to keep the situation under control. As fast as possible. Disregarding her aching and adrenaline-pumped body. She couldn’t savor the author’s notes, nor scan the index for the interesting bits first. Everything was important, everything could help. But it needed to be read now!
* * *
Chip was helping himself to some left-over hayfries that looked…soggy, when some loud banging from the main library room caught his attention. Slowly, the stallion closed the fridge doors and tried to snatch a peek at what was going on.
“CELESTIA, WHERE THE HAY IS THAT BOOK!” he heard Twilight scream, a voice that took him back to the times of Chrysalis.
On instinct, the changeling pressed himself against the wall, waiting, listening, his ears twitching. The room literary wafted with fright, excitement, and bucket loads of confusion. Twilight was distressed. Very distressed. Could it be some kind of side effect from the mind-melding? A defect, rearing its ugly head just now?
Chip heard hoofsteps upstairs, followed shortly by something tumbling down. Holy Celestia, she fainted and fell down the stairs!
As fast as he could, Chip jumped into the room and to the base of the staircase…only to see a mountain of books on the floor and poor little Spike rubbing his head.
“Ugh…Twilight!” shouted the baby dragon, picking himself up. “What gives?!”
“What’s going on?” asked Chip, looking around confused, trying to cover his muzzle from the overpowering stench of strong emotions.
“Hehe. You tell me,” snickered the baby dragon. He obviously knew something Chip didn’t.
“I have no clue what happened. One minute me and Twi are eating like a bunch of ponies, then she freaks out and does…this,” Chip flailed his hooves around the devastated room.
“Hehe, you say it like nothing really did happen. Heh…wait. You’re not kidding, are ya?” The baby dragon scratched his head. “You really, really think that that kiss was okay?”
“Kiss? What’s a kiss?” Chip cocked his head, a spark in his eye.
Spike’s jaw dropped yet again that day. When it returned to its original place, it got broken by a smile and then violent laughter. It was so severe a case, the dragon was rolling around in the messed up books.
Chip got a bit gloomy at Spike’s reaction – it was not amusing as ponies tended to make fun of him not understanding their society.
“You…you just," heaved the dragon, stopping to draw breath. "AAHHAHAHAHA…and then she…she throws a- BUAHAHAHAHAA...I’m…I’m gonna dieeeee- AHAHAHAHAHHA.”
Chip had enough. He grabbed Spike by the leg with magic and shook him violently. Instantly, silence fell.
“Not funny. See? I’m not laughing. What happened? What did I do?! Is Twilight okay?”
“Ehe..hehe. Well, I think she should be. Just go upstairs and tell her you didn’t know that you kissed her. She’s probably already in overdrive mode now – if you manage to speak some reason into her, she should calm down.”
“Okay, true, I don’t know what a kiss is. I mean, I read about it. In my books. But it is just something ponies do. What difference does it make? It’s like a hoofshake or a nod, or whatever…”
“Oh, Wubsy Wubsy. You have a lot to learn, I tells ya. A kiss on the cheek, yeah, that’s friendly. Sometimes. On the hoof, that’s what gentlecolts do. But on the lips. On that particular area. Well, listen…”
* * *
It’s all good; it’s going to be fine, alright, clear as sky and dandy!
She had a good pace, around 4 pages per minute, and the book wasn’t that thick, only around 100 pages. 25 minutes and she would know everything there was to know. She even made notes! Yes, these would come in handy.
So far, she learned that the L word could strike at any moment. That made sense, given that breakfast in the afternoon was as good a moment as any other. It was also written that it was confusing to many mares and colts at first. Bingo! This book totally got her. She lo-err, really appreciated it!. Why didn’t she read it earlier?!
She was now in the chapter that spoke about dealing with this L threat. Was it a threat? Did she really feel threatened by Chip? The book told her to ask herself that question.
Did she like Chip? Yes she did.
Was it more than just a meeting from time to time? Well, they had to meet every day, out of necessity. Did that count?
Was it more than just talking about work? Gosh, they were just learning how to eat pasta. This was none-work related! And there was that time when he brought the book. Ohmygosh!
Does his touch send chills down your spine? Uh…that one time with the book. It was something more than just chills. Did that count? Was it even a valid criterion!? Wait, wait, they also touched back there, down there, after all that spell-minding stuff! How did she feel then? Was it good? Was it neutral?! AGH…
Did you want to see him again? Did she? Well, not right now! Was that okay? Did that fail the test?! Did it pass it?!
Did he want to see you? HOW COULD SHE TELL?!
* * *
“Oh…Weather wings,” murmured Chip. Another valuable lesson learned.
“You can say that again, hehe. Now, can you please put me do- YEOoow. Thanks for nothing,” grunted the angry dragon, caressing his head.
The changeling looked at the staircase – he could swear he heard some demonic growling and hushed hissing coming from upstairs, as if Twilight's body was inhabited by something entirely else.
Okay, he had to admit it; he was totally bad around mares. Be it Night Star, Dawn Hope, the little Silver Heart or the Princesses, he always did something to fumble or earn himself a slap.
But with Twilight? Disaster train has reached…nay, crashed into Awkward station. All living passengers were asked to crawl out of the wreck, as a nearby explosion from Mt. Inevitable Confrontation could cause more fatalities. Thank you for using Chip express. Have a nice day, cue sarcastic eye roll.
With a loud gulp, Chip gathered his wits, said his last prayers and took a step towards the only entrance to Twilight’s Den…uh, bedroom.
He only hoped she didn’t bring any forks or knives. Chip had a short life, and wished to continue it, with Twilight’s permission.
Chip was quite sure his soul was standing at the bottom of the staircase, wearing one of those You-go-first-I-watch-your-back expressions. Each step Chip took was announced to the world at large by a loud thump of wood clashing with hoof. There was no way he could sneak up there, take a sneak peak and return, convincing himself that she was perfectly capable of reaching the same conclusion he did – that it was an unfortunate accident and he was sorry he put her in such an awkward situation. Again, in only like, two days.
On the other side, he had to pick up the pace. He and Twilight had research to do. Very important research. They wasted enough time with the mind mess, and spending it again on small stuff was unacceptable. What would Princess Celestia think of him? No, he would not let her down!
With his resolve renewed and hardened, Chip took another step. The loud clang of his hoof against the wooden stair demanded for him to convince himself anew that he wasn’t crazy. And that he'd live to greet another day.
* * *
Twilight was 17 minutes short of finishing the book when one of her alarm spells set off. Inside her head, an alarm clock rang, signalizing that an intruder was climbing the stairs. Spike? No, too big. Could it be Chip?! NO! NO, nonononono, she wasn’t ready yet! She barely managed to answer those impossible questions!
What now?! She couldn’t just shove him down the stairs – he’d climb them again, and again, until she would be too tired to push him back. She didn’t want to talk to him, not just yet! She never, ever participated in important conversations without preparing herself to the brink of possibility. This meager little text wasn’t even an ounce of the usual research she would have done beforehoof!
What now?! He was still climbing the stairs. The protection bubble would stop him, sure, but for how long? The colt was adept at magic, and he probably knew a counter spell. He’d tear it down faster than she'd manage to put it up. Then what?
What now?! Omhygosh, what if he’d get tired of her resisting and simply teleport to her bedroom?! He was here a few times before; no doubt he remembered the place! Twilight could already feel the magic tingle in front of her, the image of the colt in a mare’s disguise pushing itself through space and time to be here, to tell her what he thought!
“Yes, it is true what you think, it was no simple accident! Embrace me, for I have embraced you! Hurt me not, as my heart lays in front of you!” shouted out the imaginary Chip in front of Twilight, making her cheeks burn up again, a flame that could tackle the most dire of icebergs, one that could turn the cold of void into a bright sunny afternoon.
“Yes, it is true what you think. Our lips pressing against each other was an unfortunate and totally unrelated accident, and I believe that apologies are in order. Allow me to express my grief over my clumsiness, and accept my humble apologies alongside a promise that this shall not happen again. Let us continue our simple, yet full of tension friendship that shall exist only as long as our mutual goal, the research of my noble race, is unachieved,” said another imaginary Chip in a tone that stole away Twilight’s heart into another dimension, leaving a black hole that would consume her, the library, Princess Celestia and everypony else whole.
“End of chapter 5,” whispered Twilight, snapping back to attention. “What? WHAT?! Chapter 5?! But I just read chapter 4…oh, nononono!” The terrible realization came onto the librarian with the force of Ponyville Express – she just lost 4 minutes reading something she didn’t pay attention to. 16 pages were lost to her memory, and each second she tried to recall them was time taken away from the possibility of re-reading.
The mare couldn’t help it – she repeatedly introduced her head to pages 56 and 57, each time producing a muffled bang.
* * *
Chip had to stop. There was something blocking his path. He could already see a glimpse of Twilight’s room from the staircase – there was no eerie light, and the murmuring that he heard earlier stopped, abruptly cut by a very startling yell. That same sound prompted Chip to go and check up on his soul at the bottom of the staircase, but a stern and worried look from Spike encouraged the colt to return to his quest upwards.
But there was no helping it now, was there? There was a blockade here, so somepony didn’t want him to enter. Probably the mare herself. He could just bypass it by teleportation, but then again there was the probability of a few knives or forks being spirited away from the kitchen. By Twilight. Just in case.
Chip gulped. He knew what he had to do – run the hay away from here. But his spark, which with all its might reminded the changeling who was boss around here, wanted to meet with Twilight. Tell her what happened, apologize, and comfort her if necessary. And judging by the smell, she desperately needed some reassurance. The fragrance was thick, so thick one could cut it with a knife. A tool that just might have been in the room ahead and in the manipulative vicinity of the distressed librarian mare.
“U-Um…T-Twilight?” chirped Chip.
* * *
His voice jerked her away from the book. Her mane was a mess, and the head underneath it was throbbing. If it was confusion or the very futile attempt to muscle the book into her head, Twilight didn’t know. How could she already feel tired? It was barely morning…
Alright, the clock said it was a bit later. That would explain the pasta for ‘breakfast’. And this whole mess? What was wrong with her? He was just a friend. A changeling, sent there by Celestia, her teacher, the only pony she loved, apart from her parents and Shining Armor. Why was it such a big deal?
The book already told her why. The Kiss. The First Kiss. The text said that it would be a very special thing, exciting, a first step into a new world. Well…all it really was, was confusing. She could still taste the slightly salty sauce, the one he had on his lips when they ‘touched’. Probably because she didn’t wipe it. And yes, stains were left on pages 56 and 57. It was a tragic event…
What was the matter with her! She acted like a little filly again, overthinking things. It was Magic Kindergarten all over again – everypony was laughing at her, pointing their hooves and snickering. Twilight gave too much thought to too simple things, so the teachers though she was slow. Her parents knew better, and so did Shining Armor, who was very protective of her…but those foals, they were ruthless.
This is a no-brainer, they chimed.
Answer now! roared the teacher.
But there are so many answers! she'd reply.
You’re stupid and slow, cried the fillies with glee, causing Twilight to huddle on her desk.
Twilight, Twilight, Twilight! laughed the little demons, mockingly pointing at the poor mare over and over again…
* * *
Chip’s ears twitched, picking up the muffled sounds from the room that was still blocked by a protective bubble. Was she crying? Was Twilight sobbing?
He didn’t know she took it that seriously. Spike did explain to him that it was something important and connected to emotions, and with special someponies and complicated ‘love’ lives, but to cry over it? Was she in pain? Was she sad? Did Chip make her feel that way? Well, obviously yes…
Okay. Sharp objects or not, it was time to act. His whole changeling nature, one that always opted for patience, stealth and reason, all that was shoved aside. The colt burned away his disguise and cast himself into Twilight’s room, appearing with a small pop in all his glory in front of the mare.
Her head was buried in a book and she was sobbing – so she was just reading a sad story? Just like that? What relief…
* * *
Twilight heard a sight in front of her. The hairs on her body sprung to attention as she saw the black carapace of Chip, in his true form. Ohmygosh. He was here, he was smiling. And he didn’t wear his disguise. Holy Celestia, he was going to say it…and she felt red, red all over, more red than Big Macintosh’s coat with nasty sunburn.
“Geez, Twilight, you got me worried there,” sighed the colt, the reverb in his voice traveling about the otherwise silent room. The mare dared not to breathe. Each and every noise she would make could tip the cosmic balance that prevented her from either reverting into a curled up position or simply fainting.
“Did you like it?” he asked, pointing at her. Did she like it? Did it feel nice? That question was asked by the book, and she read it several times. Twilight was a smart mare, and she knew a lot of answers others wouldn’t even know the questions to. But this particular one…
“Twilight? Are you feeling okay?” Again with the feelings. She didn’t know what she felt, okay?! Chip was a friend, one that came very close in a very short time. The experience they both shared…it was life-changing, and the ripples of that event would be felt by her and the colt for years to come…
He came closer, his face shifting into concern. Twilight was silent – she needed to say something. Anything.
“Did you know that a bee dies as it stings its victim, while a wasp can sting multiple times without suffering such a fate?” blurted out Twilight.
* * *
Was she referring to the book or something? So she liked it or not? The answer wasn’t obvious at all – he waited patiently, taking into account the fact that Twilight liked to think long and hard about even the simplest things, such as writing something down or asking a question.
Hesitantly, the colt sat near the mare’s bed, looking her in the eyes without having to look up – their eyes were perfectly leveled with each other. Hers, hiding away embarrassment, confusion, self-criticism and memories of Magic Kindergarten; his, unable to tell if hers developed a spark of insanity yet or was it still safe.
And yes, the silence. Tick tock, tick tock, went the clock overhead. Should the window be opened even slightly, the chirping of birds could probably break the tension. Should Spike not be such a coward, his appearance could have shifted their attention to him, unloading the atmosphere. If the bed creaked just a little bit, they would probably smile and chuckle, making the awkwardness, suspicions and unspoken words vanish into thin air.
But none of that happened. And it was silent. Tick tock. Tick tock.
“Twi…” started Chip, causing the mare to jump. She broke her stare away from the clock. “About what happened…”
“I-” she tried, but he interrupted, blurting out the words.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was such a big deal, don’t be mad, okay? I didn’t mean anything wrong, I didn’t even notice something was wrong, I swear! I didn’t want to hurt you, or make you feel embarrassed like that…other time. Forgive me please?” He let his ears drop and eyes close, bracing for any possible retribution. Hopefully, his chitin would prevail.
The big stone, probably rivaling Rarity’s Tom in size, finally dropped from Twilight’s heart. The mare didn’t know if that was good or bad, as the emptiness she felt instead was as uncomfortable as the boulder before. Chip, the real Chip, finally spoke. And he didn’t sound anything like the two other colts in her imagination.
What was she to say now? No problem? I didn’t mind? It kind of felt nice?
The book before her had roughly twenty-three pages of unread mystery. Maybe it would contain that answer, the one she was seeking. It couldn’t be difficult; every answer could be simple, once you got to know it that was.
The mare shifted slightly on her bed, closing the book. Maybe later she would finish it. Maybe not. Twilight coughed silently and drew in air, weighting each and every word that would come out of her mouth.
“Chip,” she started, looking at the colt who in the meantime was squirming, as if being smitten by invisible books or knives, “I understand. It was an accident. I’ll be honest here and say that I was…confused at first. I’m still learning a lot about friendship and what it means. The thing that…happened. That is higher grade material. One that I have to get to, in my own pace.” She paused, trying to read Chip’s face. Did he understand what she was trying to say?
Chip listened carefully. Twilight used words instead of physical objects to relay her message, and the least he could do as means of thanks was understand. So she was saying what? That she forgave him? The changeling himself was learning still, and he felt for the mare when it came to confusing situations. They both had research to do, and bumping into walls or falling into traps were one of the many perils of progress.
“Chip,” continued Twilight, slowly crawling down from her bed, “the last twenty-four hours were crazy. For both of us. But we have a job to do. Research.”
Was she reading his mind?
“We can’t let ourselves be distracted anymore. The Princess urgently needs our results. We can…we can settle this after we are done. If you’d like. If you’ll want to. If you’ll be allowed to,” she finished with a sigh and slight smile. Now that she said it, Twilight felt better. She didn’t reject him, nor did she fling herself at him. Friends, that is all they were now. There was an important job to be finished, and that came first. Personal research on the topic of friendship and the L-word could come later.
If they would still both want it.
“I guess that is reasonable,” nodded Chip, allowing his own personal stone to drop from his heart. He couldn’t agree more, there were just too many awkward distractions up till now. “But what if something…like this happens again? I want to be honest with you Twilight, I don’t know a whole lot about ponies. Some medical facts, stuff from books that are obviously a bit misleading. What will we do if I fumble again?”
Twilight sighted. “We are friends, right? The basis for friendship is trust. We have to trust each other. I-I promise to try and not jump to conclusions if you ever happen to do something strange.” She raised a hoof and looked at Chip with playful sternness. “But don’t you dare take advantage of that, okay?”
“I promise! I’ll be on my best behavior from now on!” swore Chip, relief plain in his sound.
“Pinkie Promise?” asked Twilight, raising a brow. She was smiling now.
“What’s that?”
The mare sat down and begun reciting the most powerful of promises known to ponykind. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
Chip looked at Twilight sitting there, with a hoof in her eye.
“Now your turn,” she said.
“Umm. Cross my heart and hope to fly…stick a cupcake in my ey-eeeYEOWCH.”
“Ohmygosh, are you alright?” gasped Twilight, looking at the large colt rolling on the floor.
“Medic,” he whimpered.
* * *
Sugarcube Corner was bustling with life today – it was a hot day, and ponies literally swarmed by the ice-cream stand. The crowds’ eyes got big at the sight of the colorful, chilled balls of milky goodness leaving their tubs and onto cones. The treats were hoofed out by Pinkie Pie who was the savior of the day, drawing in big balls of ice-cream and wishing everypony a good day as they happily trotted off.
The pink mare was slapping yet another ball of ice onto an already impressive cone when her ear flopped. Then, her tail waggled. Her left hind leg’s hoof felt like thousand little ants crawled under it. That combo…that combo could mean only one thing. Somepony made a Pinkie Promise. And she knew where it was coming from.
“Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” called out Pinkie, hoofing out the cone she held to the drooling colt in front of her. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake! There is an important thing at the place that I have to go to! Can I please have a break?”
Mr. Cake’s yellow head appeared from around the corner, smiling at Pinkie.
“Sure, why not. How long will it take ya?”
“Oh. Um. Five minutes or so. Somepony made a Pinkie Promise, I have to make sure they know they have to keep it. Forever,” added the mare, her voice disturbingly dark compared to the vibrant and bright smile on her face.
“Uh. Okay, Pinkie. Whatever you say,” nodded Mr. Cake, standing behind the ice-cream stand and grabbing a cone. “Five minutes. Try and not get caught up in some other stuff on your way back, like last ti-” The colt stopped, noticing he was talking to thin air. Oh, that Pinkie Pie….
* * *
“C’mon, open that eye. I know it hurts, but I have to see it,” said Twilight, leaning over Chip who was refusing to take his hoof away.
“But what if it flows out?” whimpered the colt.
“Don’t worry, it won’t. The eye is much sturdier than you think, and I’m sure your eyelid closed just in time. All you did was poke your eye a bit too hard. Now, please, let me see it.”
Chip sighed. He slowly removed the offending hoof, revealing a closed eye.
“Now, open your eye. Come on. You promised to trust me, okay?”
“Y-Yes. But that promise made this. What kind of a sick pony thing is this, anyway? Poking your eye out to make a point…”
Twilight giggled, earning a hurt look from Chip.
“Don’t worry, I nearly poked my eye out the first time I did this too. Pinkie Pie did that too…probably.”
With a sigh that spoke of humiliation, pain and worry, Chip squinted, trying to move his eyelid upwards. It stung and felt uncomfortable, but quite soon it was open, and the colt blinked.
“See? Nothing is flowing out. It’s perfectly fine…I can’t even tell if it got red or not. You have a pretty big iris. Look to the side please.” Twilight leaned in closer. “Nope, it’s alright. You’ll be fine. Eh, yet another distraction. You are a hoof-full, Chip-”
“FOREVERRR.”
Twilight tipped over, right onto Chip, who sheepishly looked at the staircase entrance. In it, a pink mare was standing on her hind hooves, panting like wild. She had her front legs high above her in a scary-monster pose, a mean face added to complete the picture.
Pinkie Pie returned to all fours and instantly stretched her face muscles into a wide smile.
“Oh, hi Twilight. Sorry, didn’t know you were that busy. I guess I should have listened to Spike when he was like ‘No, Pinkie, don’t go up there!’ and I was like ‘but PINKIE PROMISE!’” The mare chuckled, cocking her head. “Hey, since you’re taking a break in that super-duper important research thing you were doing, maybe you’d like to come with me to Sugarcube Corner for some ice-cream? It’s the bestest of bestest cream frozen in the freeziest freezers in all of Ponyville! There is no way you can get more ice or cream than that!”
Twilight tried to keep an eye on both Pinkie Pie and Chip. The former was standing there like nothing was happening. The latter was probably getting over the shock and taking on an expression that didn’t bode well.
Pinkie Pie was standing there, stairs right behind her, wearing her trademark innocent smile.
Twilight Sparkle lay on top of a giant changeling, one that was whipping its tail and wings frantically. Her eyes were focused on the colt.
Chip didn’t feel the weight of the mare on his stomach. All he cared about was the intruder. A pony that was glaring at him with two blue eyes. She saw his true form. She saw a changeling. Nopony was supposed to ever see one, save for those whose mouths were sealed and identities concealed, courtesy of Princess Celestia.
The implications were quite simple for Chip. He could not manipulate the mind to unsee things. The next thing he could do was seal the lips that could tell the tale. Then, disable the hooves that could write the story. Finally, make sure the body cannot undo the secret. The result? Extermination. Quick. On the spot. Preferably not messy, for Twilight’s sake.
“Intruder,” hissed the colt, curling up his lips, displaying jagged teeth attached to red gums. “Catch her!”
Casting Twilight aside, Chip leaped, twisting his body mid-air and stretching his hooves forward to tackle the pink pony.
“Oh!” exclaimed Pinkie, “Oh! Oh! You’re it!”
Chip did not anticipate that. The mare turned on a dime and dashed down the stairs, giggling life a filly, leaving behind empty space. The changeling couldn’t catch that, so naturally he collided with the very first thing behind his target – namely, a wall. If it wasn’t for the hooves, his muzzle would probably be more reminiscent of a pancake than an equine snout. A burst of electricity went down his legs, the impact causing his joints to crackle dangerously.
The changeling didn’t care for the damage, shaking his hooves back into a working condition. He needed to neutralize this giggling threat to his mission. Celestia would want that. He dared not disappoint her – not out of fear, but out of love and respect.
Twilight was shouting something at him, but he was already at the bottom of the staircase, drawing a bead on the pink pony who was bouncing around the library happily. As soon as she saw the changeling, she stopped and leaned forward slightly, as if preparing to jump.
“Come on! Catch me, catch me! Weee!”
The pink menace jumped at the same time Chip did. His purpose was to inflict harm, preferably the mortal variant. Pinkie’s purpose was to jump over Chip, using his frame like she would in a game of leapfrog.
Chip’s jaw slid across the floor with an ear wrenching sound, followed by his heavy body. The pink mare gracefully landed near the bookshelf with the letter G.
“That was fun! Let’s do it again, again! Wanna switch?”
She was taunting Chip, he could tell that much. His jaw slightly winded, the colt gathered himself from the floor and slowly turned around. He could not beat her in agility. So he would do so in magic.
A green glow enveloped Pinkie Pie as Twilight appeared in the staircase, looking in horror at the expression Chip wore on his face.
“Chip! Put Pinkie down!” she yelled, pointing her horn at the colt.
Everypony froze in place (Pinkie mainly because she couldn’t move a muscle).
“Remember what we just talked about? Trust?” Twilight slowly took a few steps towards the changeling. His eyes were darting between her and the pink intruder, whose life was probably hanging by a thread. “I want to trust that you won’t hurt Pinkie now. Put her down, nice and easy….”
“But she saw me,” hissed the bewildered colt, “she must be silenced. You know it must be done.”
“No, Chip, it doesn’t.” Her voice was strangely calm, considering Twilight’s guts were shaking with worry. She didn’t know what spell he was casting; it might have been just simple telekinesis for all she knew. There was no way to determine how to disarm that. Their research would come in handy now…if only it was completed.
“Listen carefully. Look at me. Pinkie is my friend. You can’t hurt her. Let’s talk to her first, and then get all hot-headed later, okay? Can you hear me? Answer me, Chip.”
She kept talking and coming closer. The changeling’s blue eyes were so cold, she was terrified. And to think just a few moments back she was confused? Well, this stare, this face, it left no doubts. Changelings were different. They were not ponies. Twilight wouldn’t even think about hurting anyone who’d spy on her. She would catch him, talk to him, maybe turn him in to her superior, such as Princess Celestia…but never would she take matters into her hooves like this.
“Chip, please. Let Pinkie go. Can you do that?” How would he react to a sedative spell? Just how much did she have to use? Would that hurt him? She was very close now, almost in range of the spell. She had to cast it immediately, so that he wouldn’t know what hit him.
Without much warning, Pinkie’s body fell to the floor. The sound chilled Twilight to the very core. The green glow faded from Chip’s horn. The colt straightened himself, allowing a few joints to get back into their proper sockets.
The pink mare giggled.
* * *
“Well, that was fun,” admitted Pinkie, hopping to all fours in one fluid motion. “So I’m it then or what? I never played by unicorn rules. Twi, am I it or what? Cause if I am then…tag!” She poked Twilight’s flank and ran for the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
The librarian let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she murmured, hesitantly taking the last few steps towards the unmoving colt. He was very intently eying the hideout Pinkie found for herself.
“If she flees through a window, I’m blaming this on you. And sending a letter urgently to the Princess right away. And-”
“I get it,” cut Twilight, resting her head against Chip’s side. It was cold and hard. Very unlike a pony. “There won’t be any need for that. We’ll talk to Pinkie Pie. She can keep a secret, trust me. And I think it would be wise to finally…disguise yourself. Because I would have to write to the Princess about that as well.”
The daunting frame of Chip shrunk and humbled as he quickly masqueraded himself.
“Um. Heh. Heh. Well-”
“I get it,” Twilight cut in again. “I just wish this day would end. Come on.”
They both made their way to the kitchen. As Twilight predicted, it was empty, and Chip was just about to open his mouth when the mare flared up her horn. The fridge doors swung open, revealing a pink pony, her teeth chattering.
“A-a-awww. T-T-Twi, I t-t-toally f-forgot-t-t you kn-n-n-ew this h-h-h-hideout!” Pinkie managed, popping out of the top shelf and shaking herself wildly. How she managed to squeeze in there was a mystery even larger than Pinkie Sense. “So, I’m it again?”
“Pinkie, stop, please. There is something important we must talk to you about. Sit please.”
The pink mare knew a serious tone when she saw one. She immediately took on a blank expression, fixing her eyes on Twilight, and sitting behind the table.
“Okay, so here’s the deal. You already know Wub, right?”
“Yeah, she’s fun! But I think you still cheated in that game of tag. I’m pretty sure the official rules don’t allow unicorn or pegasi magic or flying. That would be unfair to earth ponies, you know!”
“What, Pinkie? You know that Wub is…” The librarian just sighed. Yet again, the power of Pinkie Sense was underestimated. It was obvious the filly knew about Chip right when she entered the library. Why wouldn’t she be able to tell he was a changeling as well?
“So, you know that Wub isn’t exactly a…pony,” said Twilight, glancing at Chip who didn’t seem to want to talk. Or move any facial muscle for that matter, wearing a deadpan. “You need to understand that what I am going to tell you now will require the most solemn of Pinkie Promises you have ever made. Do you think you can keep a secret that is really sensitive? Not not-tell-your-friend-you-hate-fashion sensitive, but Equestria-will-be-in-trouble-if-you-breathe-a-word sensitive?”
Pinkie Pie considered those words for a moment before putting her hooves together and nodding. “Yes, Twilight. There is that one special Pinkie Promise. It’s very special. Not cherry-and-apple-pie-with-whipped-cream-sprinkled-with-chocolate-chips special, but hot-apple-pie-with-vanilla-and-toffee-ice-cream-with-whipped-cream-and-hot-sauce-topped-with-white-chocolate-chips special.”
“Is that even edible?”
“Mmmmm, it’s the best stuff you ever tasted Twi! I’ll make you some once you come round to Sugarcube Corner,” smiled Pinkie, immediately putting on her serious face afterwards.
“Whatever. The gist of it is, you must promise you won’t tell anypony about what you saw here. That you saw Wub in that…other form. And that I didn’t call Wub by her name. Can you do that?”
“Oh, was that supposed to be a secret? Huh?” The mare glanced at her friends that were obviously scared by something she said. “Not that I talked with anypony about it.” They looked a lot better after sighing with relief. “I just thought everypony knew. I mean, Wub is an actress, and she has to wear all sorts of costumes. It’s pretty clever to be dressed as a pony. Maybe I should dress as a cupcake sometime!” The thought immediately excited Pinkie, whose leg begun to twitch with anticipation.
“Pinkie? Swear, please. For your own good,” added Twilight, unable to read what the colt was thinking.
“Okay, okay. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” said the mare, placing a hoof on her eye. She then lowered her face and, somehow, managed to look…scary. “And if I lie to Pinkie Pie, I can kiss my flank goodbye.” The last word hung in the air like a threat, echoing in a way that was not physically possible.
Chills ran down the spine of Twilight. Whatever the reason was, the promise sounded downright scary. She never heard her friend recite it, and she hoped never to do so again.
“Are you satisfied, Wub? She won’t tell a thing. That’s a…special Pinkie Promise.”
Chip pressed his lips together more tightly and nodded slowly.
* * *
Despite Pinkie’s pleading to finish the fun they were having, she was shown out the door, the excuse being more stuff that the mare couldn’t see and would have to swear even harder not to tell about. Since the pink mare didn’t have any more powerful promises at hoof, she simply smiled and trotted off to Sugarcube Corner.
“We should follow her,” commented Wub.
“Don’t worry. She treats those silly promises really seriously. So seriously in fact, it’s a bit scary,” Twilight managed a faint smile. “So, do you think we can get back to our research? It’s late already. How about we grab some late lunch and get down to studying, hmm? No pasta this time,” giggled the mare.
“Yeah. No pasta,” said Chip, his face finally relaxing in smile emerged.
It was the smile of a pony. But deep inside, it was a maw full of jagged teeth, broken in a wide and deadly grin.
“Spike? Spike!” called out Twilight, looking all over the tree house for the little dragon. He was nowhere to be found. Could he have gone out? Without a word? And where to?
“Twilight?” The changeling seemed quite irritated, sitting at the table with a carrot in his mouth. “Don’t tell me there is yet another urgent thing that requires your attention?”
“What? No, no, of course not. I was just wondering where Spike went to…” The mare chose to eat an apple from the fruit basket on the counter.
In silence, save for the munching and crunching their food made, the two ate their light meals and moved down to the laboratory. The doors were in very poor shape, and Twilight couldn’t decide if she should order new ones right now or just stitch them together with some magic. After all, their research could get unintentionally seen, and Celestia only knew what Chip would do with a stranger the librarian couldn’t vouch for in the slightest.
“Guess a spell will have to do,” she mumbled, setting an alarm spell in place. It was the least taxing thing she could do, considering she had to focus on the task at hoof. Which was changeling research.
* * *
“Is it just me, or are we doing slow today?” asked the mare, tapping her quill at the half-filled page.
Both of them seemed quite distracted and absent-minded. Twilight couldn’t think of many good questions to ask, and Chip took forever to answer even the most basic ones. This place, the laboratory, it brought back memories. Disturbing ones. Add that to the recent drama, and it was certain that this day was not meant for work.
“Yeah…there is something in the air that I don’t like,” mumbled Chip, pacing around the room, anxious for no obvious reason. What used to feel like a secure location, one far away from pesky eyes and curious ears, now felt like a hostile den, a faint smell of dread filling the air.
“Maybe we should take a walk,” proposed Twilight, putting her writing utensils away and smiling at Chip. “You know, I read somewhere that when a mind is too focused on one thing, it simply cannot see past certain difficulties or take on a different point of view.”
“We don’t have the luxury of time to do that, Twilight Sparkle,” snarled Chip, whipping his tail slightly. Everything was irritating him now. The room, the equipment, the pages filled with text, the quills, even Twilight herself, with that bored look on her face.
“Come on, Chip. I can see you’re worked up and restless yourself. Think about it,” she said, extending a hoof to stop the nervous colt. “What would you think Celestia would want? A brilliant, informative paper that could save Equestria from the potential threat of war? Or a rushed stack of pages filled with useless facts and anecdotes?”
“Are you suggesting I’m providing you with ‘useless’ answers?” whispered the changeling, lowering his head dangerously
“No, of course not!” denied Twilight, chuckling nervously. “It’s just that…eh, be honest. Do you feel like working right now?”
The changeling had to pause, his mouth opening and closing before he looked away and muttered: “No.”
“Do you feel frustrated, angry? Does this place, I don’t know, bug you for some reason?”
With a deep sigh Chip turned his head the other way, uttering: “Yes.”
“Well, that is reason enough to leave it for now. Come on, don’t be stubborn about it.”
“But what if the Princess doesn’t approve?” He let out a sigh, allowing his face to relax slightly.
“Listen, I’ve been there, done that. The Princess is really understanding. I once obsessed over my own research too, pretty much to the point that all of Ponyville was stampeding around, crazy over my Smarty Pants doll.” She stopped to giggle at the memory, earning a clueless look from Chip. “Never mind, that’s a long story, maybe later. Bottom line is, I’m pretty certain the Princess will pardon us if we take it easy one day and rest. Breakthroughs don’t have to occur each day.”
“Eh. Maybe. Fine. Then what do you propose we do?”
“How about…” Twilight put a hoof to her mouth and smiled. “How about that ice-cream at Sugarcube Corner? It’s still fairly light outside. And I haven’t been outside the library in like ages now.”
“Outside?” Chip groaned, looking upstairs with something reminiscent of uncertainty. “But…I am a changeling. I shouldn’t be out there. Not yet anyway.”
“But you look like a pony, right? I don’t think anypony else should see through your guise, and I already told you Pinkie is trustworthy.”
“Okay, perhaps, but what if somepony comes down here? This is a public library after all. They might come looking for a book or something and stumble upon our research-”
“I’ll just close up early. Really, there is no harm in going outside every once in a while. Plus, um, we can treat it as a form of field research. For your own research, right? You still want to learn about ponies, hm?”
“Yes, yes I do,” said Chip, livening up substantially.
“Then do we both agree that going outside and getting some refreshing ice-cream is a better idea than rotting down here and banging our heads against a wall?”
“I…okay.”
* * *
With a click, the library doors were closed, and Twilight hung a “Closed, sorry!” sign. Chip was squirming at her side, having second thoughts about this whole trip thing. Yes, he was thrilled to the very core to finally get to know more ponies, observe them in their natural habitat and all that. But what if Celestia would really be displeased with his actions? He didn’t ask for permission, and the Princess did keep him under guard while he stayed at Canterlot.
Did Twilight make a mistake by taking him outside? Would they both be in trouble if the ruler of day found out about this little field trip? Would she punish him or the librarian, or maybe both? How severe would be the punishment? How did the equine punishment system work anyway?
“Wub,” started Twilight, startling the changeling into jumping. “Relax, okay? Everything will be alright. Just try and relax. Breathe in the fresh air.”
Chip listened, inhaling deeply. The smells all around flared up his nostrils, telling him stories about ponies that lived all around – some of them happy, others in love, one or two sad or depressed. It was like a giant crossroads of scents, something he barely noticed while he first came to Ponyville, still under the effect of Poison Joke. Oh! That’s a good one, their research could explore how the plant worked with changelings.
“Hey. This fresh air really is working,” smiled the changeling, taking in another full breath of delicious smells.
“Told you so,” giggled Twilight, beckoning him to follow her to Sugarcube Corner, still under siege by ponies demanding sweets.
* * *
They both stood in line, one that was quite long. Twilight didn’t mind, discreetly looking at the disguised colt. His head was whipping around, ready to fall off at any moment, and his ears kept twitching and shifting as if he was listening to several things at once. He behaved far better than Twilight anticipated. She kind of feared that the changeling’s hunger would best him and that her not-too-well-thought-through plan of loosening up would fail. Hay, if it were her, the Royal Guards and Celestia herself would already be here, trying to pry Twilight away from a random, undeserving victim.
What kept his primal instincts, those strong urges, under such great control? Probably the same thing that made him resemble a pony so much - his spark, or whatever he liked to call it. Something that was nearly absent in the changeling race, a rare mutation or sign of evolution. If more changelings had it in them, would they even need to be here right now, looking for a way to defend themselves? The creatures weren’t innately evil, although they did have their own set of instincts and…reactions Twilight secretly frowned upon. But right here and now, nopony would even dare suspect that in their midst, right next to them there was a creature nearly twice as tall and bulky than themselves. A changeling that could gobble them whole, reduce them to shivering, drooling shells.
“Oh, hi Twilight! Hi Wubsy! What can I get you guys?” asked Pinkie Pie, extending her usual smile even more than it was ponily possible.
The purple mare snapped out of her thoughts. Everypony behind her was getting restless as she ‘umm’ed and ‘aahh’ed, only now noticing she was at the front of the line.
“Uhh, strawberry, Pinkie. And hold the sauce,” she finally decided. “How about you Wub?”
“Got anything spicy? And I do mean really spicy?” asked the changeling, cocking his head. The tubs filled with colorful cold stuff smelled nice, and it was a shame he would not be able to taste it.
“Oh, you like hot stuff, huh? Well, I always have a bottle of my special rainbow sauce! In case of sauce emergency, you know. But do you know why it’s called like that? Because it’s a real rainbow!” The mare procured a bottle filled with a swirling liquid, colors shifting and changing all the time.
“Where did you get that from, Pinkie?” suspiciously asked Twilight, already licking her strawberry cone. The cold cream felt divine on her tongue, earning a thankful sigh.
“Oh, from the factory in Cloudsdale. Remember when I dipped my hoof and was all like-” Pinkie Pie stopped and performed a complicated chain of twitches, hoof jerks and wacky facial expressions, followed by a barely audible ‘Hoooot!’ “Well, that was when I scooped some into this here bottle. It’s so spicy I use it only for special cupcakes,” giggled the mare. “But I can spare some for you Wubsy, if you feel you can take it.”
Was that a challenge? Pinkie’s cocky expression, the bottle tipped over a cone of vanilla ice-cream, a small droplet dangling like a threat from the bottle’s skirt….
Narrowing his eyes, Chip shot a hoof out and tipped the container, pouring a big portion of the gooey liquid onto his future cone. The pink mare giggled as she retreated her precious special spice.
“Are you sure you want that, Wub?” asked Twilight, looking at his rainbow colored ice-cream with horror. Nopony could eat that and survive, she thought.
The changeling deadpanned. “Pfff. It will take a bit more than words to frighten me.”
To make a point, he bit the ball of ice whole and gulped it down before anypony could utter a single sigh.
* * *
Spike was returning to the library after having, well, ran away for some time. He was hiding behind the large library table when the changeling was chasing Pinkie around, and then felt his guts churn when Twilight approached the beast, who for sure was going to hurt the pink pony.
Everything turned out more or less fine, with the wacky mare shutting herself in the kitchen and Twilight talking some sense into the colt. As they both went to talk with Pinkie, Spike fled the scene, afraid that he would be the next one to get ‘the talk’. He felt like he disappointed Twilight, being unable to stop anypony from doing anything.
The dragon was about to reach for the door knob when a commotion broke out near Sugarcube Corner. A bunch of ponies rushed towards the edge of town, along the road that led to the Ponyville Hospital.
Wait. Was that Twilight running behind the stampede? Yes, it was her! But why did she look so worried?
Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! I’ve done it now. Let’s go outside, have some ice cream! Great idea Twilight! You’re a genius! Yeah, go ahead, let him sprinkle his ice-cream with a ton of industrial rainbow that wasn’t even approved as a consumable! Sure, what could go wrong! Take a changeling for a walk, it’s not like he is going to fall over and play dead in the middle of the city, huh?
The purple unicorn galloped behind the crowd who was carrying an unconscious Wub, her face swollen and red. She didn’t move and a few ponies were keeping her head in a position that would allow her to breathe.
The ponies at the front shouldered the glass doors, nearly shattering them against the hospital walls. A Pegasus filly dashed towards the reception, explaining in erratic words that a unicorn needed immediate help. The nurses and doctors reacted with amazing speed and coordination – the patient was put into a room and swarmed with nurses and doctors running checks and asking ponies what exactly happened.
“Let me through! I must see her! She’s my friend!” yelled Twilight, fighting for a spot between the agitated crowd.
“She’s your friend? What happened? Never in my life have I seen such a swollen face!” said a nearby colt wearing a white coat.
“Well, it was like this….”
* * *
To everypony’s amazement, Wub consumed the ice-cream in one bite, gulping it down loudly without a flinch. The pony turned around and smiled to the crowd who was beginning to cheer. Their voices got cut, however, by the unicorn’s face color changing from pure white to green. Then yellow. No, red. Orange. Purple. The kaleidoscope of colors continued to run through the oblivious mare’s face, until it finally stopped at red.
Wub turned sideways, looking at Twilight and squinting slightly.
“What’s this I f-” The rest of the sentence got drowned out by a loud gurgling. Wub fell to the ground stiff as a board, her face growing to the size of a healthy pumpkin. A nice, red pumpkin. With two bloodshot eyes and a swollen tongue sticking out of a malformed muzzle.
“Wub!” screamed Twilight as she was shoved aside by a brown colt.
The pony quickly bent over the mostly white unicorn, putting a hoof to her neck and checking for a pulse. It was there, but was rapidly slowing down. And her breathing was very erratic, with increasing times between inhales.
“Quickly, we must take her to the hospital! This must be an allergic reaction!” shouted the stallion, beckoning a few others from the queue to help him. In a few swift motions Wub was placed firmly between a few stallions. One of them, a Pegasus, kept the mare’s head leveled with his wing, as instructed by the brown colt.
“W-Wait!” called out Twilight, finally ungluing herself from the spot and catching up to the crowd. “Is she going to be alright? Wait!”
Sugarcube Corner emptied faster than anypony could say Chimmy Cherry Changa. Pinkie was left alone, her hair a bit less fluffy than usual.
“I told him it was spicy,” she murmured. Guilt nibbled at her conscience, as she was fairly sure she felt a combo right before the whole rainbow-face-collapse-run-to-the-hospital scene. Double ear twitch. Knee itch. A slight pause, followed by a tummy gurgle. That combo meant…pony in danger.
* * *
“Nurse! Adrenaline, fast!” called out the pony doctor, on the fly picking up a syringe and sticking it into Wub’s neck.
“Everypony, out! The doctors need to focus, please!” The nurses fought back the worried crowd, muscling them out.
Twilight, despite claiming to be a close friend of Wub, got thrown out the doors too. Unable to see what was going on in the room, the crowd slowly drew a bead on Twilight, who shrunk in size under their stares.
“She’s your friend, huh?” asked the brown colt who reacted to the situation first. “If you two are friends, then how could you take her for ice-cream she was allergic to?”
“I…uh,” muttered the mare, her ears shooting downwards.
“Yeah, what gives? I mean, you just stood there and watched her lie there?!” shouted another pony, repeating the concerns of other by-standers.
“And that rainbow? What kind of an idiot eats something like that?”
“Is it even legal?”
“Wait till the proper authorities hear about this!”
“Shame on you!”
Those and other voices kept assaulting Twilight. As if she wasn’t sick with worry herself.
What if he changes in the middle of whatever they are doing in there? What if he wakes up and attacks them in his bewilderment? Oh, how could I have been so stupid! Irresponsible! It’s all my fault. I hope he’ll be alright…
“Excuse me, miss!” A nurse pony shook Twilight’s shoulder. The ponies around were quiet now, staring with stern faces at the librarian. “You are the closest pony to a relative, yes? Please, come inside.”
As the mare entered the room, she could still hear hushed voices calling her names and pointing out her inconsideration and foolishness. All that was thankfully cut by the solid frame of the closed doors.
“Oh, there you are, Miss…um-”
“Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle,” shot out Twilight, looking over the medical pony. “Doctor, how is she? Is she going to be alright? What did you do to her?”
“Settle down, Miss Sparkle. Her life isn’t in any immediate danger. I must say, I’ve seen anaphylactic reactions before, but never so severe! Her face was as large as a Nightmare Night pumpkin! Her recovery is also probably thanks to Celestia’s blessing,” sighed the doctor, scratching his head. “She is still unconscious, but stable. We’ll keep her here until the swelling subsides. We’ll need to run a few tests-”
“What tests?” shout out Twilight, turning away from the unmoving Wub, her face still a large tomato.
“Oh, nothing fancy. We’ll take a few blood samples, check if everything is in order, then some routine-”
“You can’t!” yelped Twilight, feeling the weight of the puzzled colt’s stare. “I mean…Can’t we wait till she’s up? She’s, uh, very sensitive when it comes to that kind of examination.”
“What?” asked the doctor, furrowing a brow.
“Can it please wait? I, uh, gotta write to her relatives! Yes, they have to know something like this happened! You need permission from them, right?”
“Not really, these are standard tests, we do those a dozen or more times a day and-”
“Pleaaaase, just wait!” whimpered Twilight, waving her hooves around in frustration. She needed to tell Celestia what happened. The situation was still salvageable. Even if the mare would have to be banished or stripped of her most faithful student title, this was more important. To keep Chip’s identity a secret. Hay knew if he could mimic pony blood. And if he couldn’t….
“Fine, we will wait with the tests until our patient wakes up. Not that it matters that much,” shrugged the doctor, noting something in his notepad. “I’ll need you to come with me to the reception and fill out as much data about our patient as possible. Right this way please.”
* * *
Panting wildly, Spike finally reached the hospital. He always had trouble keeping up with ponies at full speed, given his legs were just too short. And there were only two of them, each hurting from the exercise the baby dragon had.
He let a group of whispering ponies exit the building first, noting that the overall tone of their conversation must’ve been something dreadful. Single words such as “mare” or “irresponsible” stood out, but didn’t shed any light on the topic of the discussion.
Straight from the doorway Spike recognized a purple, star bearing flank – Twilight was standing at the reception, filling some papers out with a levitating quill.
“Twilight!” called out Spike, waving a hand and trotting over to his friend’s side.
“Oh, Spike! Perfect, just great!” said the mare. She didn’t seem that thrilled though.
“What happened? I saw some ponies running to the hospital, you hot on their heels. Something wrong?”
“Yes, Spike. Something is very wrong. And we need to write to the Princess, pronto!” Twilight glanced left and right, finally grabbing the baby dragon and galloping out of the building. She managed to steal away the quill and an additional form, much to the anger of the receptionist.
“Sorry! I just need these for a minute, promise I’ll give it back!” she called out to the closing glass doors. Without much delay, she jumped sideways and behind some bushes.
“Quickly, Spike, write! Princess Celestia. Write, Spike, write! Princess Celestia. Wub in Ponyville Hospital. Need help urgently. Will be waiting in front of hospital. Twilight.” The mare was pacing around anxiously, scooping the paper barely after Spike wrote the last letter. With a bright purple glow, the parchment was rolled into a tight cylinder, one that could only be opened by Princess Celestia or a very determined spy. Hopefully, the latter didn’t exist or would miss this particular, extremely important piece of rolled patient form.
“Send it, Spike, send it now!” hurried Twilight, watching as the small dragon engulfed the paper with flames.
The green sparkling dust hovered in place for a second before bolting into the air and making a tight turn northwards – towards the majestic Canterlot castle.
All Twilight could do now was wait. Wait and hope the Princess would not hate Twilight to the point of…to the point of disowning her as a student. Or a friend.
Spike had many questions to ask, but the sad face of Twilight told him that it wouldn’t be considerate. He did all he could at that moment; came close and hugged the mare, allowing her head to rest no his tiny shoulder.
* * *
Chip woke up with the most obnoxious face itch he ever had. Come to think of it, his whole face never itched like that. His muzzle a few times, the chin, the tip of the horn maybe. But never his whole face. He slowly pulled a hoof upwards, noting how hard the motion was, bumping into soft and swollen skin.
It felt squishy and burned under the spot he touched. He felt like scratching. Which wasn’t such a good idea. If he ever would have magma poured over his face, he would at least now know what to expect.
He felt like shouting. That wasn’t possible, as his swollen tongue could barely move in the small space his mouth now was. He tried to swallow, but the large bulb in his muzzle didn’t want to go away. It was irritating, to say the least.
Since he could not do anything else besides staring, he indulged in the activity. The room was plain and uninteresting. Bed beneath him, a table to the right, some machinery hooked up to his right hoof, beeping constantly. Well, so much for that. He remembered being in a similar room back in Canterlot, after that one moment of reunion with his hive that wasn’t so friendly or casual.
What happened to him this time? All he remembered was eating that cold ball with the rainbow poured over it. He felt a rising heat in his stomach back then, the sensation creeping all the way to his face and staying there. He thought he was blushing, which could have been a normal pony reaction after consuming the ‘ice-cream’. Suspicions of something being out of place arose when the heat in his face begun to increase, his muzzle feeling like it was being inflated from the inside. He tried to ask Twilight if that was normal, but he lost consciousness before he managed to finish the sentence.
And now, he was here. Where was Twilight anyway?
* * *
A bright flash of light caught Twilight’s attention. As she came to inspect it, she bumped into the wide chest of none other than Princess Celestia. The regal mare was as always a beautiful sight to behold, with her multi-hued mane flowing in the solar winds, her regalia shining in the sun’s rays…and her face full of worry.
“Twilight Sparkle, what is the matter? I got your message and-”
“Oh, Princess, please, I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault, I swear! I didn’t think it would end up like this, I promise it wasn’t intentional-”
The Princess put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. It was a light touch, yet the librarian’s knees gave in, sending her into a shivering bow.
“Twilight, please, calm down. Tell me what happened, please.”
* * *
The royal features, beautiful in every aspect, were concentrated on Twilight’s face. The tiny purple mare couldn’t keep eye contact for long and shrunk even more before the Princess spoke.
“That is troubling, Twilight Sparkle. We must take our mutual friend away from here. Do you still remember your teleportation spell?”
“Yes, my Princess,” eagerly nodded the Twilight, pressing her muzzle against the dirty ground in a low bow.
“Good. Then we shall meet in the library. Me, you and Wub. Please, try and not raise any suspicion. I shall take care of the formalities in due time.” Without another word, the royal pony spread her wings, which reflected the almighty sun in a burst of light.
Twilight blinked away the dark spots in her eyes. Her mentor was gone, having teleported away. It was reasonable not to stay too long in the open. It would be bad if anypony saw her casually lounging in the bushes near the hospital, talking to her student in a hushed voice.
“Spike, go to the library, pronto,” ordered Twilight, turning around. She grabbed the quill she borrowed and slowly made her way to the hospital entrance. As inconspicuously as she could and with a wide, I’m-not-doing-anything-suspicious smile glued to her face.
* * *
Chip was lying here for maybe what? Five minutes? Yet he was bored almost like it had been a few hours, or days for that matter. He couldn’t call out to anypony, and there was no item to interest him in the vicinity – not even a stupid ball he could throw against the wall. If he would ever do such a thing in the first place.
To his great surprise and delight, the doors opened and a purple head poked inside, a smile as genuine as jewelry sold on the street by a cloaked, rugged pony adorning its face.
“Fwaywayt” spat Chip, cursing under his breath the inability to speak . The curses oozed down his furry chin, eventually leaving wet marks on his green overalls.
“Oh, Wub, you’re up!” whispered Twilight, squeezing herself through the small gap she made. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to open the doors fully?
“Good, good,” continued the mare, her horn vibrating with purple magic. “Hold on tight. And think happy thoughts. Those might be the only nice things that will happen to us in the near future.”
The mare leaned forward, a grimace running through her face as a bubble enveloped her and Chip. It sparkled for a second or two before popping, making her and the swollen Wub disappear with a small plop. The machines near the bed beeped for a while before finally flat lining, automatically calling in nurses and doctors to the room. An empty room.
Princess Celestia was looking through the library shelves when a delicate ‘pop’ sound caught her ear. She turned around to face a panting Twilight Sparkle and Wub, the masqueraded changeling’s face swollen to the point of being barely recognizable.
“My goodness,” gasped the Princess, cocking her head slightly at the sight. As strong as her power of will was, a totally un-regal snort escaped her lips. “I’ve never seen somepony so, uh...” She felt her composure falling apart, so the royal mare covered her face with a wing and coughed, discreetly wiping a tear of joy. On the inside, she wished she could drop to the floor and roll with laughter.
But it would be very inconsiderate of a Princess to laugh at somepony else’s misfortune.
“I’m sorry Princess,” wheezed Twilight, who seemed to have put quite some energy into her recent spell. “It’s all my fault, please, punish me if you must. It was my idea and I am prepared to take responsibility for my thoughtlessness.”
Chip wished to voice his own opinion on the matter of guilt, but all he managed to do was spit some more on his fur and overall. After all, he was the one who chose to eat the damned treat, not Twilight. Should he be a bit more careful with pony cuisine, they would be already relaxed and ready for some more work.
“Twilight, Wub-” started the Princess, but was swiftly interrupted.
“Princess! My fault, I did it, I swear! It was my idea, I proposed we go out and take some fresh air…”
“I understand Twilight, still-”
“Please, don’t mix Wub into this, she’s already got her share of trouble with that…face,” pleaded the mare, waving her hooves in Chip’s direction.
Just don’t look, thought Celestia, don’t you even dare giggle. No, his face does not resemble a tomato. With two large, golden eyes. And a white mane. I told you not to look. Damnit! The princess really wanted to be cross with the two. But the sight of the changeling, and the mare’s imagination that put the swollen head on the true bulky changeling body Chip had….
Totally confused, Twilight and Chip stared as the Princess convulsed in held back laughter, her eyes watering lavishly. What could be so funny? Their mission was nearly put in jeopardy and Celestia thought it was hilarious?
“Princess?” asked a worried Twilight.
“I’m sorry Twilight,” replied the regal pony, cooling her blushing face with her wings. “It’s just that Wub looks just so…you know.” And she lost it again, laughing like she hadn’t had the occasion to in the last couple of days.
Chip tried to pout, but that did very little to change his facial expression. Still a bit lightheaded, the changeling picked himself up, being extra careful not to touch anything with his sensitive face.
“Oh, I’m so sorry Twilight Sparkle, Wub. It’s just that these last days were…intense to say the least. And now this. It’s as if everything is fighting against us, my friends,” the mare sighed, finally calming down. “We need to talk. In private, only the three of us.”
“Oh, yes, of course Princess…Spike! You, uh …”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll just bugger off,” complained the baby dragon, waddling towards the library door. As they closed behind him, a click was heard – the library was closed by Twilight.
As the librarian trotted around the room closing and covering all the windows with their curtains, Princess Celestia performed her spell, making sure that nobody else was in the room. Chip continued to stand on his shaky legs, gently poking his disfigured features.
“Right. As I said, this incident couldn’t have happened in a less desirable moment. I’ll start from the beginning, as that will be simpler than the two of you guessing and asking unnecessary questions. You see, right after Wub left…”
* * *
It didn’t take long for the most trusted servants of Celestia to finish securing the room that contained her private collection of books. To be honest, she knew only one or two titles, but figured that an indecent set of tomes would be a perfect cover up for keeping such a chamber under guard and a secret. But this was just one thing that needed a cover up.
The other was the changeling assassin’s body that they recovered. It was a pity the head was destroyed, but the creature would prove useful even in this state. Finding a suitable place to store it wasn’t as hard as trying to do it while juggling everyday duties. Even her little sister, Luna, was to be kept away from the research, in fear of her safety. While Celestia did not doubt the capability or devotion of the Night Guards, she dared not underestimate the guile of the enemy either.
Luckily for the Princess the mines under Canterlot, old and forgotten, were just the right place to conduct research of such delicate nature. Deep within the heart of the mountain that housed Canterlot, surrounded by gems of unimaginable beauty, the royal mare lay the body along with the equipment she believed would come in handy. It took a lot of time to prepare the site, placing all sorts of trap spells and false walls to hinder anypony that would wish to snoop around, or be unfortunate enough to wander down there.
The first day Celestia stayed well up into the night, cutting and prying the chitin away, a task that turned out to be a lot harder than anticipated. The damn plates were nearly knitted into the skin, something more of a solid coat rather than armor. As the mare put away various parts of the black carapace, she wondered just how much a changeling could feel through it. It seemed to be very durable, and the rate at which it healed was mind-boggling. At least, she saw that much on Chip.
The monster’s body bare, the Princess believed it to be feminine. It was hard to discern, given no feminine or masculine organs were present. Her bone structure didn’t differ much from that of a pony, save for the strange hooves. They were riddled with holes, something that seemed to be more of a weakness than strength. A form of defect? Maybe those parts were missing to lower the overall mass of the creature?
Reluctantly, the mare had to stop for that day – she could feel she spent nearly half the night prying and cutting. Her white coat was stained with bits of green blood that still resided in the layers between the chitin and skin. A quick cleaning spell fixed that nicely, although Celestia would have to endure her fur being a bit more fluffy than usual – the spell used ionization to clear away dirt on a microscopic level.
* * *
“That doesn’t sound so bad, Princess!” said Twilight with a glint of hope. It was good to know that her teacher also did her own research. That way, they could independently and using different techniques verify acquired data. And check if Chip was lying or not.
“Yes, indeed, the first day wasn’t bad, despite me being tired later on. But it was the second day that things started going downhill…”
* * *
It was night yet again, and the Princess teleported to the mines below. She appeared mid-air, making sure to land on the right spot. Waving her horn around, she disarmed or delayed certain traps and moved walls, slowly making her way to the table surrounded by medical apparatus. The lifeless body of the changeling lay there as it did yesterday, bare, its armor neatly arranged on the floor to resemble that of the creature’s structure.
“Now, where were we? Ah, yes, the hooves…”
The Princess worked on the appendages for some time, gently removing skin and considering what she saw. These holes didn’t seem to be random at all. Each leg had the same amount of holes that were of the exact same sizes. There was no doubt that this did serve some purpose.
Curious, Celestia set the body straight and put the hoof to the ground. Not a sound. She did it again, a bit harder this time. Nothing. When she slid the leg across the surface of the table, yes, there was a scraping sound. But when the hoof connected to the floor from above...
The changelings could sneak very effectively. Somehow, the arrangement of holes in their hooves absorbed the vibrations of hoofsteps, nulling them out or at least making them nearly inaudible. This theory was further enforced by how flexible and muscled their legs were overall – their shoulders could dislocate slightly, probably allowing to fall down like a cat would from high places. The bones were even elastic to a degree, bending just a little bit.
The Princess again slammed the hoof against the desk. There was a faint sound, but it did not come from the point of impact – it was a bit higher, where the last of the holes was. Remarkable…
Next on the list was the torso. It felt a bit disgusting to open it like that, but there was no way around it – the fewer ponies were involved, the lesser the danger of anypony getting hurt. Comparing the organ structure to the book she brought along helped a lot. Most of the organs were right where they should be, although some of them were smaller or bigger. The heart and lungs were larger in particular, probably giving the changeling more stamina and endurance overall. The stomach was quite small, and whatever passed for intestines was meager and ended before it even reached the flank. As the Princess noted, the changeling didn’t have any way of, um, waste disposal. That is to say, the hole was there, but the pipe didn’t quite connect.
And that would be enough for the night, thought Celestia, feeling a bit sick by now. At least now she knew she would not be a good doctor or veterinarian. She felt dirty and desperately wanted to take a bath.
She wanted to turn around when something in the still open torso caught her eye. It was a small sack, right next to the stomach. It was nowhere in the image the Princess looked at, and compared to the rest of the slightly greenish innards, this thing was bright red.
Carefully, she tugged at the thing, plopping it out of place effortlessly. Huh, it wasn’t connected to anything. What could it be? It felt cold to the touch, a chilling sensation that managed to travel down the Princess’ hoof. The mare yelped as something icy ‘bit’ her shoulder, causing her to fumble and drop the organ.
It hit the floor, splattering like an egg, unleashing a red fluid. It quickly solidified into tiny quicksilver-like balls that gathered at Celestia’s hooves, sticking to her royal horseshoes. She felt the cold again, creeping upwards with threatening speed.
Panicked, the mare took flight, shaking off the aggressive whatever-it-was, causing it to bounce around the floor for a few moments. Slowly but surely, the liquid returned to form one solid shiny ball under Celestia. It seemed to be reaching for her.
Cautiously, the mare flew a bit to the right. It followed. She moved forward. And so did the ball. She flew higher. It did not move, still trying to raise itself to catch the mare.
“Day’s light save me, what is that thing?” whispered Celestia, eying the fluid.
* * *
“Oh my…What was that Princess?” asked Twilight.
“I still have no clue, Twilight. I managed to close this liquid in a container, sealed by a very potent spell. It remains there to this day, probably pressed against the glass…”
“Chip, do you know what it could be?” The librarian turned to Chip, who still looked ridiculous.
Deciding that an elaborate answer would fall flat and wet on his stomach, he just shook his head. He saw many a dead changeling, some of them were even sometimes consumed. He didn’t pay special attention to any red things, though.
“Well, since that thing is contained, it’s not all bad, right? We can still test it, right?”
“I wish that were true, Twilight Sparkle…”
* * *
The third day, Princess Celestia had a bad feeling creeping up her spine. As usual she snuck out at night, cautiously making her way to the room with a table, a dead changeling and a vicious bottle with a fluid that daunted her in a way she could not understand.
“What else can we learn from this…” hummed the mare, glancing mindlessly at the various scalpels, tongs and drills before her. “Maybe it’s time for some magic?”
Opening yet another book on medicine, Celestia started forming a plan. She needed to know how changelings reacted to certain spells, or stimuli. It would be best if perhaps a tranquilizer spell would work, or a simple put-to-sleep spell. It was hard to check that on a dead body, though, so she had to settle for tracing how the nervous system worked.
“If only you had a head,” tsked the mare, flipping the pages in search of something easy and effective.
She finally chose one and concentrated, trying to replace finesse and the required experience with sheer force and power. As she predicted, the effect wasn’t much like in the book, but some veins of yellow light appeared on the skin, all tracing back to the spine that shone brightly. Everything was more or less as the book said. The hooves had a much denser net of nerves than usual, which made sense, as a sneaking changeling should be able to feel the ground beneath his hooves.
The spell was very taxing in Celestia’s rendition, but she kept sustaining it, flipping the body as fast as she could and tracing the threads of light on the body. Her focus made her oblivious to a dangerous fact, though. The body was twitching, in a resting position.
Too tired to continue, the mare broke the spell, panting and sitting on her haunches. She turned around to scribble a few notes. The body’s leg scraped against the desk.
“Hmm?” Celestia turned around. The jar was still where it was supposed to be, and the liquid inside was…stirring?
Another hoof twitched, this time observed by the royal pony.
“What? Could this be a side-effect of the spell?” she asked aloud, cautiously approaching the carcass.
Without warning, the body leapt from the table, startling the Princess into taking flight. It kept wiggling on the floor, the convulsions shaking the already loose innards, making the mare feel sick. The jar on the shelf was rattling, the red liquid inside banging around in a frenzy.
“What’s going on?” gasped Celestia, uncertain if she should flee or act.
Before she could do anything, it all stopped. The fluid settled, oozing down the container’s wall. The body was motionless again. Looking at it made the mare taste her own supper a bit.
She still hovered in mid-air, trying to understand what just happened. To her bewilderment, the body begun to fizzle, collapsing on itself, forming a small puddle beneath the desk that served as an operation table. The vicious liquid no longer tried to press against its prison, turning a darker shade of crimson.
It was but a few moments, and the body was no more. In its stead there lay a puddle, one that looked slippery and reeked foully. Covering her face, Celestia finally flew down and levitated over a spatula, prodding the gooey mass. At this point she was ready to believe it would spawn a maw and attack her.
“Nothing,” uttered the Princess, unable to take a deep breath in the hideous air that filled the room. It wasn’t just the smell of death, it was something else entirely. Something like this would probably be found in a bog; one that nopony ever came to, a place inhabited by mythical creatures, poisonous and deadly.
* * *
“And then what, Princess?”
“I left it there, sealed the room and…wasn’t sure what to do next,” sighed Celestia, allowing her wings to slump slightly. “I was hoping that Wub could shed a little bit of light on what has happened, but in this state, he won’t be able to talk for a day or two at least.”
“We’re sorry, Princess…if we only knew! We’re so sorry!” Twilight bowed deeply, again pleading her teacher for forgiveness.
“It’s…fine, Twilight. I was a little worked up before. As I said, these few days took their toll on me. I don’t like showing weakness, especially in public like this.”
“Princess…” All Twilight could do now was stare at her teacher. Little by little, she came closer to her, looking into the tired eyes of her mentor. She was a pony too, after all, and a very old and tired one. She had a country to rule, a threat to expect at any time and moment…
The librarian was close now, softly touching her muzzle against Celestia’s chest. The regal pony sighed and put her head down on Twilight’s.
“Don’t worry, Princess,” whispered the purple pony, shyly patting the hoof of the ruler of Equestria. “I’m sure everything will turn out just fine. We’ll finish our research, find a fail-safe way to defend ourselves.”
“And then what?” asked Celestia. “Wait?”
The two went silent, each mulling over their own concerns.
Chip on the other hoof was still astonished after hearing the story. So many things he didn’t know about himself. What was that strange red organ, tucked away under his belly? Why did the body melt all of a sudden? Was it a coincidence it was the same day that Twilight and Chip had their mind-switching adventure?
In any case, he had to wait until he could speak to voice his concerns.
“Once again, thank you for your help, Princess,” said Twilight, bowing to her teacher.
Chip did something of a curt himself, almost touching his sore face against the wooden floor.
“You are welcome Twilight, Wub,” replied the Princess, nodding.
“What should we do now? Wait for Wub to heal up and continue? I promise this is the last time something like this has happened.”
“I believe you my faithful student. Still, I would like our friend to take a look at his, uh, former kinsmare. Preferably as soon as possible. I’m not sure if she’ll be able in that state-”
Chip raised a hoof, causing Celestia to go silent. He then proceeded to wave his legs about, regrettably with little to no effect. All he got was blank stares. Chip had no clue how to show something, say that he was ready there and then. Save for the tender face, he felt mostly fine.
“Maybe you could write what you want to say, Wub?” proposed Twilight, furrowing a brow and still trying to guess what the disguised colt wanted to say. In a way, his flailing around reminded her of Pinkie Pie – the mare not once tried to relay a message that was very complex using only a few simple motions that didn’t make any sense.
The changeling was hoofed a piece of paper and quill. Slowly, he wrapped his hoof around the feather. And fumbled it. The piece of paper wasn’t any simpler to handle. Even when held down with one hoof, it fidgeted.
“Maybe you can try-” started Twilight, but was hushed by yet another extended forehoof.
“Fi fot fis,” spat the changeling, straightening the quill between his hooves. He attempted to grab it in his teeth, and that was yet another no-no. The pain that went through exactly the muscles he needed to move his jaw caused him to chomp down on the writing device, severing it in two. Involuntarily, the colt swallowed the part of the feather, feeling it get stuck somewhere in his throat.
He coughed and spat, the damn thing dancing up and down his windpipe. After a moment of hesitation, Twilight jumped in and begun patting the colt on the back.
“Are you alright? Celestia, you’re a walking disaster…oh, sorry, Princess,” added the mare apologetically towards the regal pony.
With some more effort the offending feather was coughed up, covered in drool and something green. It was all gooey and sticky, encased tightly in a fidgeting, jelly like mass.
“Eww,” yelped Celestia and Twilight in unison. For it truly was ‘eww’. So ‘eww’ that the two ponies backed away just in case.
“Spike will clean that, I’m not touching it,” groaned the librarian, again trying to address Chip. “Listen, why don’t you just use magic to operate the quill and paper, hmm? Wouldn’t that be easier?”
A tiny light bulb lit in the depths of Chip’s mind. Of course, it was so obvious.
* * *
“So you say you are ready?” asked the Princess, hoofing Chip back the piece of paper he was writing on. So far she learned that the changeling felt fine, save for the swelling, and he was willing and eager to accompany her back to Canterlot. He was also sorry for what happened. One and a half pages of sorry. Very elaborate sorry.
Chip simply nodded in response, eying his forehoof that wished nothing more than to dive into the itching jelly of its master’s face.
“Perfect. Is there anything you need to pack?”
The changeling shook his head slightly, putting the shaking hoof away. Sun and moon, it wanted to scratch so badly.
“Princess! What about me?” asked Twilight.
“I’m sorry Twilight, you must stay here. It would be suspicious if you vanished all of a sudden.”
“Oh…yes, that makes sense. But will Wub be back? I mean, we have our mission and-”
“We shall see what the future yields, Twilight. Maybe our friend here will find out something very important, and there will be no further need for this research. In the meanwhile, please, stay out of trouble.”
“Yes, your highness,” replied the mare, sagging visibly. She couldn’t decide if she felt so let down because her research would get postponed, with the possibility of never being resumed again, or…or would she simply miss Chip these few days.
Yes, he was scary. Sometimes, even very much. He wasn’t a pony, even if he sometimes looked like one. But at heart, she could feel he was gentle and kind. And that he wanted so much to fit in. Just a year or so ago Twilight wouldn’t understand that urge to be accepted. But now, now that she had her friends with whom she went through so much with…she wouldn’t trade with anypony.
“We shall be off then, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia, spreading her wings and nodding at Wub. The disguised colt approached the Princess, glancing briefly at Twilight.
As a gold aura enveloped him and the sun-goddess, the changeling again picked up the paper and quill and scribbled something hastily on it. The utensils were still in the air when both he and the royal mare disappeared in a flash of light, transported miles away, in the direction of Canterlot.
The brown paper gently flew down, landing a hoof or two away from Twilight. She picked it up and read the last sentence. It made her smile.
In an untidy writing, one reminding her of a kindergarten foal, the letters read:
‘I’ll be back Twi’
* * *
Chip could still feel the quill in his telekinetic grasp when he arrived in a brightly lit room. He didn’t manage to finish his last one. Hopefully, the mare would somehow understand that he meant to write ‘I’ll be back Twilight, you still owe me some pony research.’
Dismissing the thought quickly, the changeling took in the chamber he was in right now. It looked something like his Canterlot suite, but it was a bit smaller and consisted of a giant bed, one with fancy red veils around the edge, some drawers and wardrobes as well as what seemed like a balcony. There were lots of flowers there, so it was probably some kind of outdoor buffet. Chip would have to ask Celestia about that in the near future, when he could finally speak.
“This is my bedroom,” explained Celestia, approaching one of the many furniture pieces and looking through the contents. “Since it is still light outside, you will have to wait until I’m done with my duties before we can safely descend to my, um, field laboratory.”
The mare threw a few colorful cloaks and rags onto the bed, her face growing sourer by the second.
“We will have to disguise you as somepony else…but for the life of me, I don’t have any clothes that would be your size!”
Chip shrugged. It wasn’t a problem at all, he would just shift his form into something bigger. After all, colts could get bigger and-
Shape shifting was a process that required the skin to be altered. Chip didn’t fully understand why. That was the main reason behind the pain in his face right now. As green flames washed over his body, a sensation of pressure and pain filled his muzzle. It felt like it would explode at any minute.
Without thinking his situation through, the colt reverted to his original form. A form that had thick chitin carapace over almost every part of his body. An armor that now pressed hard against the tender skin of his face, igniting flames and causing the changeling to howl in pain.
“Chip! What’s the matter?!” jumped Celestia, looking away to see the tear-filled muzzle of the colt.
He tried to change, one last time. He focused hard on allowing his broken face as much space as possible. The green light went over him, coloring his coat a deep red, extending his rugged tail into a beautifully groomed blond masterpiece and his muzzle…well, it didn’t hurt. He kind of knew what to expect, especially after Celestia’s features twisted into something between disgust and surprise.
“Oh my, are you alright?” asked the Princess, sitting in front of the colt. “Does it still hurt?”
She gently raised a hoof to his face, backing away immediately as she saw Chip cringe.
“Poor thing,” she whispered, leaning in to inspect his muzzle. It wouldn’t do at all. He could not go around Canterlot looking like that…he would have to stay here.
“Is everything alright, Princess? I heard a scream an-”
Chip and Celestia turned to meet the stunned face of a royal guard. His expression gained more depth when he saw the diabolical face of what looked to be Celestia’s…
“I’m sorry to interrupt!” yelped the Pegasus, closing the door and trotting off.
Nonono, that was impossible. thought the pony, slowing down around a corner. But…but. Princess Celestia gone for some time, late for an appointment with her guests from Fillydelphia? Check. Lots and lots of clothes on a messy bed? Can’t deny it. Celestia’s hooves around something that unmistakably was a colt? Can bet both my eyes I saw it. But his face? What the buck happened to his face? Was she into that kind of stuff? Dear Ce-…dear Luna save me. I gotta tell the guys!
* * *
Meanwhile, in the library, Twilight was looking through the notes and drawings she made of Chip. She took the time to correct some errors that somehow made their way into her tidy writing. Not that there are that many, mentally shrugged the mare.
Her eyes were drawn to a book, stuffed between some unused equipment.
“I think I told that pervert to return it!” shouted Twilight, bringing the title to her face with mild disgust. “Oh. This is something else? Huh…’Forbidden Gardens’? Never heard that one before…huh. Seems like a love story of sorts. Passionate love story of two colts? You mean, like, two pairs of colts and mares, right? Curious. Chip was reading romance? Or is this some kind of…oh well. Don’t judge the book by its cover, Twilight. You learned that a long time ago.”
The mare looked around. There wasn’t anything much to do here anyway. She could go and meet her friends. She wasn’t outside to properly relax in days as well. A picnic would sound about right.
“Nah, who am I kidding, books rule,” chirped the satisfied librarian, curling up her forehooves and lying down. She spread the tome in front of her and begun reading.
“Anon and Melel, two good foal-hood friends, were sitting side by side in a cinema. Their beautiful wives by their sides, the four watched a movie called…hm, this doesn’t sound too bad.”
It was a sunny and warm afternoon – perfect weather for the picnic Melel and his wife Sun Flare had planned. The two packed a few sandwiches and light deserts, wrapping it all in a red and white squared sheet. They would probably pick up drinks on their way to the park; the lemon stand owned by Mr. Floaty was one of the best on this side of Manehattan…
Twilight smiled briefly. This wasn’t so bad. It was surprising that Chip read something decent for once.
“Wonder where this is all going. It’s only like…a tenth of the book so far. Everyone seems pretty happy and content so far,” she said to herself, adjusting the position she was lying in and pinning her stare to the book.
* * *
“Thank sun and moon you switched appearance before that pony came in.” sighed Celestia.
Even if he did, there wouldn’t be much trouble in catching him, thought Chip.
“Well, now that you have been seen, there isn’t much we can do. You will have to stay here, as your current…state would raise too many questions. And I don’t have any clothes you could put on your back. All the ponies who think of themselves as high society tend to wear at least a tie, and I have nothing that could fit you. Nothing coltly, at least.”
The changeling shrugged. Another fun fact about ponies. They liked to cover their bodies, and that made them ‘high society’, whatever that meant. Did that mean that they had ponies, this ‘high society’ thing and then the Queens, err, Princessess? Not being able to ask such a question irked Chip more than the fact that he would have to spend at least a few hours in this boring room.
“I’m really sorry, but I’m late as I am right now. Please, stay here, don’t open the door, don’t let anypony see you. Nopony should enter here anyway, but you can never be too sure,” said the Princess, opening the door and peering outside. Nopony in sight. “I should be done in four, maybe five hours. If Luna will come around faster, I’ll be relieved even earlier, but I doubt that sleepy head will even try and do something nice for me for a change. Eh. Anyway, stay safe my friend.”
With those words Chip was left alone in the room the sun goddess slept in. Stuck in a disguise with a swollen face, barely capable of swallowing saliva or even breathing, he decided to lie down for a while.
The bed was so soft the changeling panicked for a second, certain he would get enveloped in the sea of blankets. They indeed end up wrapping around him, obscuring view and igniting his sore face.
Chip fought for a while, tumbling left and right, hearing strange ripping sounds that he would probably regret later. Finally, after some time the sheets yielded, falling off the bed ever so gently. The room floor was now covered in what looked like expensive dresses and a sheet that one could put a hoof through in more than just one place. It kind of reminded the changeling of his former den, but without the books and other clutter he so much treasured.
I wonder what Chrysalis did with my stuff. She threw it away? Kept it? Burned it? I miss my books. I miss my hive. I miss being a…a changeling. Chip loosened up, allowing his thoughts to darken and give birth to some rainy clouds above his head. Great time to get homesick, he thought, staring at the ceiling and remembering his former life. One that he had barely a month or two ago.
* * *
”Have another, Anon. Bright Twinkle threw you out of the house again?” asked a worried Melel, hoofing a beer over to his friend.
“Yeah,” sighed the colt, swirling the liquid in his mug. “I just don’t know what's wrong. I mean, I love her, she loves me, but sometimes…sometimes, I just get the feeling that she doesn’t understand me. That we are in two different, uh, worlds. You get what I’m saying?”
Melel closed his eyes and wrinkled his forehead. “Well…maybe. Kind of. Me and Sun Flare love each other too, but…yeah, sometimes we fight. Over nothing. Why the curtains are red instead of magenta, why do I spend so much time with you, and so on, and so on…”
“Mares,” chuckled Anon, sipping his beverage. “They totally don’t get stallions, now do they?”
The librarian craned her neck left and right. After some adjustments a relieving click sounded from the back of her head. Not like she read long enough for her to be stiff or anything but…
A loud groan erupted from her belly.
“Yeah, I guess it’s time to eat something. This isn’t such a bad book. Can’t wait to see how they’ll solve their problems. Maybe…” The mare blushed, shooing away thoughts of a certain non-pony she had lingering thoughts about. “Nah. It’s just fiction. This is not a manual. You are not a manual,” she said to the book. If it could, it would feel offended for being thought lesser of.
“I wonder if Spike is home…Spiiike!”
* * *
In the barracks huddled close to the Canterlot castle walls, a group of guards listened carefully to their friend as he relayed a story out of this world.
“…and then, I heard a smack. As if, you know, somepony broke a chair or something. I come to the door, you know, not sure if I should check up or not. I mean, this is the Princess, you know what I’m talking about?”
The others nodded with understanding. There was no set of rules or codices that described how to act around the Princess, and the mare herself always encouraged her subjects to ‘loosen up’ around her. It wasn’t that easy when somepony towered over you, her mane and wings with horn reminding you of her awesome power and immortality.
“So, I just respectfully knock and open the door a little bit. I was like, ‘is everything okay, your highness?’ And then I froze.”
The others waited, egged on by the dramatic pause the pegasus guard made.
“Holy Luna, I’ve never seen such a mess. Clothes everywhere, the bed was all ruffled up, I swear I saw some blood on the floor. And there, just in the middle, she was there. Princess Celestia. I mean, wow, she was as stunning as ever, but that expression! It was…it was…I don’t even know!” The guard waved his hooves around, causing ripples of whispering through the crowd. “And there was a guy in there too. Big, beefed up, almost as big as her. But his face, oh Luna, his face! It was like a mashed tomato with a side order of ketchup. All red, swollen, sun and moon she must have smacked that poor bastard hard. But you know what? I think he liked that. He was kind of smiling, if you could ever read that thing he called a muzzle.”
“And then what? Did she want you to ‘come in and help?’” Everypony burst out laughing, silenced by a single hoof of the storyteller.
“You stupid? I just excused myself and ran for the hills. Luna, if she ever finds me, I’m done for! I can only imagine the stuff she’s been doing with the bloke. I mean, we all knew the Princess had it in her, right?” A grunt from the audience prompted the guard to carry on. “I never even would have suspected she liked it that rough.”
“You know, power over the nation, power over the bed,” said somepony in the back, a salvo of laughter following his words.
“Yeah, that could be it. Anyway, let’s thank that poor colt, whatever his name is, for quenching Princess Celestia’s, uh, thing. So that we, as loyal guards that swore to do anything She asked of us, don’t have to. Thank you unnamed colt. You did us a favor. May you live on to ‘fight’ another day.”
United in the only thing colts could truly unite in, the audience and story-teller went silent, each reciting their own personal wishes and prayer to ‘The Princess Tamer’.
* * *
Chip felt like sneezing. He was curious how his body would handle that with…with an obstructed wind…wind…w-
AchooeyeeelPFFFHhhh
When air wanted to get out, it simply did. It didn’t matter if it was the mouth, the nose or any other crevice. Nothing can stop a sneeze, not even a heavy allergic reaction. Pain or comfort weren’t a factor that air cared about. It was like an arrow, it had just one purpose – to escape. It could ride a tide of snot or saliva to just burst out from even the thinnest of mouth or nose holes.
After Chip stopped hissing in pain, he took the closest, least fancy looking cloth piece and begun to gingerly wipe his face.
“Ow. Ow. Ow…ach. Ow.”
Well, at least the dark clouds got blown away for good. The changeling’s good spirits were returning from their trip to somewhere else when the colt decided he was clean enough to lie in bed again. He returned his gaze to the ceiling.
Sweet Celestia… he sighed internally, reaching for the cloth again and beginning to wipe the ceiling.
* * *
Anon and Melel stood there, in the rain. None of them brought an umbrella. Not that they had any back at home…not that they had a loving home to come back to.
Neither knew where rain begun and tears ended. This has probably been the biggest fight they had with their loved ones since forever. Words that should not have been said escaped their cages, ripping and tearing at everypony’s hearts. Truth never did as much damage as it did in that time.
“I knew they wouldn’t understand, Melel,” said Anon, his voice choked down and breaking.
“Nopony understands,” whispered Melel. His thoughts were in disarray, but he knew his friend needed a shoulder to lean on more than he did. He was so timid…
“What are we going to do now? Where can we go?”
“I…I don’t know yet,” said the taller colt, gently stroking his friend’s mane. It was all wet and stuck to his skin, which was only a bit warmer than the summer rain. “But for now, we should find some shelter. Uhh, that shed should be alright. Let’s go,” he whispered into Anon’s face, giving him a reassuring, warm smile.
Hoof by hoof, they slowly strode to the shack, finally leaving behind the hail that the Manehattan pegasi planned today…
“Huh?” Twilight frowned slightly, again searching for that wonderful crack in her neck. “Such a fight over spending time with friends? Are those mares insane or something? Of course everypony needs friends! You can’t just tie down somepony just for themselves…ahh,” sighed the mare, finally experiencing the sweet release of her spine aligning itself properly in the back of her head.
“Spike! Are you back yet?! There is something gross on the floor that needs cleaning!” yelled the librarian, but to no avail. The baby dragon was away for some time now.
“Maybe he went shopping or something,” shrugged Twilight, returning her reluctant gaze towards the book.
* * *
The ceiling was no longer pristine white. As hard as Chip tried, there was just no way of wiping everything clean and dry with this one piece of cloth. Hopefully, Celestia didn’t sleep on her back too often. And even if she did, she would probably not connect Chip and the barely visible stain together.
“Whatever. I gotta find something to do,” grumbled the colt, incinerating the useless piece of cloth. It burned down into nothingness within a second.
Chip looked around the room again. Apart from the many wardrobes, there were some dressers whose contents could prove entertaining.
The colt opened the first one…
* * *
“Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. NOPE,” repeated Twilight, dashing up the laboratory stairs. “Nope, nope, nope, nu-uh, nope, nope,” she continued, full speed ahead up her bedroom staircase. “Nope, nope, no, no, nope, NOPE,” she finished, in one fluid motion diving under her blankets and covering her head with a pillow.
She wanted to mute out the voice that constantly repeated the last few sentences she read in that hell-spawn book. Alas, it was impossible. The voice along with gross images attached to it persisted in her mind, rewinding and fast forwarding like the worst short clip ever.
I knew it. I. Knew. It. Chip is a pervert. The book is evil. Who writes stuff like that?! Who owns books like that?! Where the hay he got it from?!
The mare was fighting with herself, twitching and fidgeting under the blanket. She should have known something was amiss when the two colts nuzzled each other. She should have guessed it was coming when the author spent like half a page describing colt anatomy in a very suggestive way. And now?! Ugh.
Twilight had nothing against literature in general, but as any reader, she had her tastes. She didn’t pay much attention to romance mainly because the scenarios within were over the top and too heavy for her. And now, now that she decided to give the genre a chance, she got surprised like that. Surprised from behind, of all things.
Chip flipped a page with his hoof. The book that lay in front of him was something he learned to call an album. It was mostly pictures, just like Dawn had way back in his cave.
The colt could not believe that Celestia and Luna ever were so…small. At the beginning of the book there were mostly images of black and white. Two alicorn fillies playing, eating, smiling. Yes, smiling a lot. They looked happy, and the changeling faintly felt joy coming from the delicate and aged photos.
The further he went, the more grown the fillies were. One strange thing the stallion noticed by now was lack of any adult ponies in the frames. Dawn usually had a few pictures of her parents, her husband, little Silver Heart. These were absent in this album. Only pictures of Luna and Celestia. Smiling. Eating porridge. The small sun-goddess looking away innocently as her sister cried with a mane full of oatmeal.
By the time the pictures became full color, the mares were already roughly their current size. Wearing royal regalia, their images were less and less cheerful. Their features were smiling, yes, but for some reason those smiles seemed tired. They had a different flavor from the foalish grins at the beginning of the book. Did growing up change a pony that much? Or was it just an alicorn thing?
Three quarters into the book, Luna suddenly vanished from the frame. There was only Celestia, striking majestic poses, looking over her land from a balcony, sitting on the throne. Yes, she looked tired. And sad. Could that be the time that her sister was banished to the moon? If so, the burden of losing a sibling and managing the whole kingdom single hoofedly was visible on the royal face.
The last batch of photos looked more recent. The colors were vivid and the pictures themselves were printed on some shiny kind of paper. Again, only Luna and Celestia, together or apart. The night-princess usually had her photos taken during the night, with an aura of mystery and secrets. She looked at the stars in most of them. Her sister, go figure, was shot during the day, the sunset always somewhere in the background. The views reminded Chip of his very first trip outside the hive.
It was a curious habit, to collect memories in such a form. The changeling could definitely feel emotions weaved into the tome. They were barely edible, but as with most things pony, Chip chose not to consume this treat. It felt precious. It probably was.
“Maybe I should make my own album?” hummed the changeling, looking out the window. The great orb in the sky was already setting, heralding the long anticipated night.
“Maybe after I’m done. Yes. Definitely. I’ll ask Twilight to take pictures of me,” he smiled. It hurt his tender face, but it just felt so right to grin right now.
* * *
Twilight Sparkle finally managed to scrub her thoughts of the terrible images that haunted her all day long.
It was ridiculous. Whenever she tried to focus on something else, a random image or word would pop into her head and ruin her concentration.
Research on friendship? Why not. Friendship was important. Everypony should have a friend. A special friend that could comfort, that would ease the pain. One that could just reach out and touch…
NOPE.
Cleaning the library? Okay, that should be simple. Spike finally got rid of that green goo Chip spat out. He complained about it whenever he caught sight of Twilight, mourning the loss of his trusty cleaning rag. That thing was really disgusting. It looked so sticky and gross. Almost like somepony just sprayed…
NOPE.
Ummm, maybe just sleeping? You know, lying around, doing nothing, just breathing. Deep breaths, closed eyes, mouth slightly open…
…
It was at that moment, when the mare was ready to bang her head against the nearest bookshelf, that she remembered she was a unicorn. And that unicorns could do magic. That’s right! There had to be a memory spell that could help her!
It took only half an hour of frantic book juggling to find the right spell, and yet another hour to learn the incantation. The spell would seal away a part of her memory, locking it with a specific word or gesture. It was mainly used to treat patients who lived through traumatic events. So yeah, it fit.
"Spike, I need you to find a word that you will never use in public. Or in private. Just invent a word that I could use to make me forget.”
“Huh? What for Twi? Something wrong?” asked the dragon, worry slowly creeping onto his face. Spike didn’t know about the book, and thank Celestia he didn’t go down there yet. Not only would his developing mind be spoiled by such indecencies…he would probably think less of Twilight for even having a book like this!
“Never mind, just say a word, fast. Whatever, it can be gibberish for all I care,” ordered Twilight, preparing the incantation in her mind.
She gathered the dreadful memories that made her stomach flop and stuffed them into a figment of her imagination representing a closet. She then locked it with a key and zoomed in on it. Its surface was shining with an eerie, golden light.
As the dragon said his strange word, the letters engraved themselves onto the mental key, each one burning out a silver shape that shone brightly. That would be the phrase that needed to be said in order to access the memory.
The spell was finished and Twilight felt her imaginary closet retreat into the part of her mind that she could not willingly access. Whatever was in there, she could not remember a single thing. For some reason she felt good with that.
“Thank you Spike,” nodded the mare, trotting towards the kitchen, humming a tune.
“Huh?” grunted the dragon, scratching his head.
* * *
There was only one way for sound to move faster than light, and that was through gossip. Especially the one that plagued Canterlot castle.
As one could imagine, the story of a guard that wished to remain anonymous caused quite a stir within the castle staff environment. The tale of Celestia’s doings behind closed doors spread like wildfire and grew in size as each mouth added their own suspicions and imagination. By the end of the day, each group of servants had their own story.
The maids were certain the Princess liked to torture her subjects, each day selecting a random colt to ride mercilessly. Those that had husbands felt uneasy about the rumor.
The guards believed that Celestia finally came out of the closet and would be available for those that had the guts. Drinking games ensued and one ‘lucky’ stallion would be sent to her quarters after the Princess retreated to rest for the night.
Cooks and servants were one of the few that managed to pull the story in a more sensible direction. They believed that the sun-goddess was merely helping a poor sod out, and that the guard who eavesdropped was full of rubbish. Needless to say, the two groups always waged war against each other. Where one would cook, the other would devour, leaving nothing but dirty dishes and filthy mugs in their wake.
How the Princess herself or any of the higher born aristocracy didn’t hear the rumor, nopony could tell. There always was a thick barrier of communication between those that had the money and those that needed it.
* * *
The Princess entered her bedroom. The room was just like she left it. Clothes everywhere, a messy bed, open closets. No Chip.
The alicorn furrowed a brow, casting the spell that could reveal that which was hidden. Nothing. Did he go out against her will?
Before the mare could become seriously worried, one of the closets opened and a large stallion showed himself, throwing away some garments that didn’t want to let go.
“You got me worried there for a moment,” she sighed, allowing herself to slump onto her bed. It was so comfortable. So warm and soft. She hadn’t slept well in those past days.
“Srrly,” slurred Chip, standing at the base of the bed. His face was still a horrible mess, but then again it was a miracle in itself that the changeling got away with just a malformed muzzle.
“No matter. I’ll just catch my breath and we’ll get down. There is a lot I have to show you. I hope you can make head-”
THUMP
Both Celestia’s and Chip’s heads shot towards the doors. They recoiled from the forceful closing, silently opening on the well-oiled hinges.
The alicorn and stallion rushed outside, catching a glimpse of a tail turning a corner. They dashed through the corridor, their minds and bodies flooded by adrenaline and fright.
The royal mare flared up her horn as she made the turn, blindly firing a white beam. It flew for what seemed like an agonizing eternity before dissipating, turning into a net weaved of light. Inside, there was somepony struggling, albeit weakly.
Celestia let out a sigh, trotting over to Chip who was already inspecting the eavesdropper. It looked like it was one of the guards. He reeked of alcohol so strongly the princess had to cover her muzzle.
“I’m shory! I zidn’t shee anyshing!” moaned the guard, rolling around in the net. “It-it wasssh thir idea! Zhey made me shoo it!”
“What shall we do with him, Princess?” asked Chip in a cold voice. He knew very well what would happen to the stallion, but he wanted to hear it from her. Yes, it has been quite some time since the changeling had a proper feeding. And he felt no pity over somepony who wished the Princess ill.
“Take him to my quarters. We will deal with him there.”
“With pleasure,” snickered Chip, heaving the flailing pony onto his back and lightly following his Princess.
* * *
Lucky Draw was terrified. He knew he shouldn’t have participated in that stupid drink game. His head was the weakest! Stupid ‘friends’ calling him chicken! Why did he think it was a good idea to show he had a pair of rock solid balls?
As soon as the sun set, nearly half the guard crew stalked Celestia, waiting for her to enter her room. When the mare disappeared behind the bedroom doors, the ‘lucky’ colt got shoved into the corridor. He felt something being forced into his hoof, a bright red ball with two straps on its sides.
“Ssssrly? Guys?” slurred Draw, balancing his body on three hooves.
“Go you git! Go and have the time of yer life!” chuckled the others, egging him on and subtly poking him in the direction of the room.
Lucky smiled and made his way towards the heavy doors. They were huge. And he had a bad feeling about even touching them. Unluckily, the amount of alcohol he consumed prior to his moment of truth drowned all sorts of safety breakers and let loose the tides of stupid bravado.
With a last grin towards the crowd behind him, he put the gag in his mouth and silently opened the doors, poking his head inside…
Damn that stallion was ugly! How could Celestia beat the poor sod so badly? Was it a good idea to interrupt?
The sun goddess was lying in front of him, pure delight on her face. There were clothes everywhere, and from the corner of his eye the guard saw a strange mark on the ceiling. What the…
“I’ll just catch my breath and we’ll get down. There is a lot I have to show you. I hope you can make head-” said the alicorn, pure lust in her voice. Lucky Draw felt wrong about being there. And they were obviously busy. So why linger around?
Before the Princess could finish, the guard retreated. Unfortunately, he lost balance and instead of silently closing the doors he smashed them against the frame.
Panic kicked in. His friends were already gone, only puffs of smoke left in their wake. Lucky heard shuffling in the room – they heard him! What should he do? Stay? Beg for forgiveness?
Lucky Draw was a simple stallion. He had a wife and foal, some friends at work, pay that was more than enough to live humbly in Canterlot…in short, he was happy. His jimmies were in perfect condition, rustled lightly every now and then by the white noise of a simple and fulfilling life.
Right now, he felt like his jimmies were flipped by a dragon, stomped upon by a cow stampede and sent to the moon with hellfire tracing a blazing path in its wake.
There he was, bound like a pig on a rodeo show, the shadows of Celestia and the mysterious monster stallion looming over him. Alcohol was just a faint memory by now, replaced by a stream, nay, a torrent of adrenaline. His stomach practiced backflips and somersaults, asking his bowels to drop whatever they were doing and join in. The colt’s eyes were darting between the two figures who just stared. They watched him for an eternity, a time in which his mind skimmed through many scenarios of the near future. Most of them made his buttocks tighten themselves so much they could probably crack nuts.
“Explain yourself, guard,” said Celestia, her voice chilling the very marrow of Draw’s bones.
“I, uh, um, I-” gurgled the eavesdropper. He was slowly starting to develop wall eyes from trying to look at the mare and colt at the same time.
“Why were you spying on us?” asked the princess again, lowering her head. As soon as she took a sniff, she retreated, wrinkling her nose and lowering her ears. “Ugh. You smell of alcohol,” she complained, waving a hoof.
Lucky Draw gulped. His left eye focused on the stallion. His horrible face was hard to read, but he could swear that the brute was smiling. Luna, what an ugly mug.
“I doubt he is a spy,” sighed the sun goddess, catching the attention of both colts. “It is disappointing to see a royal guard in such a state. I’m afraid that some form of punishment is due.”
This is it. Oh Luna, please, help! I promise I’ll stop drinking! I’ll spend more time with family, I’ll even buy my wife something nice! Just please, please! I like my holes just the size they are now! wordlessly pleaded Lucky Draw, watching with rising horror as the malformed muzzle of ‘Princess Tamer’ twitched in something that could be taken as a smile. Or a rape face.
He tried to speak, but his swollen features distorted the words, morphing it into mumbling sprinkled with spit. The brute stomped his hoof in frustration.
“Settle down, friend,” said Celestia, extending a hoof to him. “I’ll take care of this.”
So this was it, huh? Celestia herself would unleash her wild side on one Lucky stallion. What would it be? What does royalty use? They probably have some kind of fancy custom made stuff one does not see on shelves at all. How would his face look after this? Would his wife even want him afterwards? Was there room for a second ‘Princess Tamer’? Was it a paid job?
These and many other thoughts were cut off as Celestia’s horn lit up in a golden glow, enveloping the unfortunate guard in a cocoon of tenderness. Lucky didn’t get the chance to feel panic as his mind got flooded with tranquility. He felt a presence somewhere on the edge of his perception, but it would be too much of an effort to focus on it. All was good now. Lucky Draw’s jimmies were returning where they belonged
* * *
Chip waited impatiently for the spell to finish. What would Celestia do? Crush the guard’s body into a small cube that she could throw in the trash? Suffocate him and teleport the body away, implying suicide? Explode him, then gather him up and explode him again, leaving the body unrecognizable?
The wisdom of criminal novels did not predict what the princess did. She simply put the pony to sleep?
“Huh?” spat the changeling, trying to raise an eyebrow.
“Don’t worry, he’s fine. I tampered with his memory a tiny bit. He will know he did something wrong, but he won’t remember what it was. The guilt that will haunt him should be punishment enough.”
“Huh?” repeated Chip, cocking his head. So, the spy was allowed to live? Just like that? A changeling would already be playfully torn apart by his or her kin. The books he read usually ended with a body or two being bagged. Why did Celestia just…put him to sleep?
A flash of yellow light briefly illuminated the room, catching the stallion by surprise. He stopped himself from rubbing his eyes and settled for blinking away the darkness dancing in his vision. The guard was gone now, probably teleported somewhere. Hopefully to a construction site where fresh concrete was placed.
“We have wasted enough time, friend,” stated Celestia, again warming up her horn. “We must go.”
* * *
The laboratory lit up as the final safeguard was lifted. It was just as Celestia left it – a dirty table, some tools lying here and there, jars lined on shelves…and a puddle of changeling in the middle of it all.
Chip was looking around curiously, slowly approaching his late assassin. This place was a lot roomier and secure than what Twilight had to offer, and it didn’t smell like dust or parchment. It was shiny in a way, the gems in the walls magnifying the faint light that lit the room. Cozy, almost like his home cave. A stack of books and random stuff in the corner and he could practically live there.
The stallion sighed and gave Celestia a questioning look. The princess motioned towards the puddle that lay next to the table. It was grayish, and despite lying there for some time already, it didn’t evaporate or change consistency. It was still kind of a liquid, thick as bog water.
Chip sniffed the remains. There was something about this stuff that prodded his nose, but he couldn’t tell what it was. It was possible that his current state hindered his ability to investigate, in which case he would have to come back when the bloody swelling lifted. If it would ever subside, that is.
The changeling’s face was getting closer and closer to the murky surface, almost touching it. He inhaled deeply, but the words to describe the sensation he felt eluded him, dancing around on the tip of his tongue. A tip that shot out unexpectedly and dipped into the cool liquid.
In his brain, the stallion felt some memories stir. They were blurry, very fragile figments that he could not focus on. Like ether - feelable, but not quite there, escaping the moment you face them.
Chip cautiously dunked his mouth in the sludge and sipped, oblivious to some strange gurgling sounds behind him. Images flared with lively colors for a split second, accompanied by sound and sensations only a changeling could feel. His eyes went wide and he gulped again, time after time experiencing the flashes of memories he could not grip.
It felt like watching an ultra-speed slide show. The impression was there, but no details. He understood that those were changeling memories. He knew how pony ones looked, how they felt, since Twilight’s body interpreted his own experiences through what it knew. Chip felt that the assassin was something more than just a changeling – there was something sour and inexplicably spicy about the taste he felt. That meant emotions, something a regular changeling could only consume, not produce. And this specific flavor was grief, or regret.
There was very little of the stuff now and Chip cursed his inability to hang onto the images that assaulted his mind. As he managed to lick off the last drops, the sensations ceased. Nothing changed, almost like he didn’t just consume some form of leftovers of his sister. He learned nothing, and that meant that Celestia wouldn’t be happy.
The changeling pressed his ears against his neck and turned to face the Princess. If his face could allow it, he would express surprise. The mare was on her knees, panting and coughing, staring into a puddle of…something. Oh, maybe she found some more changeling? Maybe that was what was missing?
* * *
Chip, having dropped his disguise, finished writing and levitated the paper over to Celestia. She still looked kind of sick and didn’t look the changeling in the eye. The stallion himself didn’t dare to even turn his head in her direction.
He learned all too late that the thing the princess was leaning over wasn’t changeling. And apparently it wasn’t supposed to be edible. At least, not twice. Celestia made it crystal clear by shouting, repeating ‘what is wrong with you?!’ over and over again. She went silent after she suddenly bent over and generously poured some more into her private puddle.
Chengelings did something similar, but it was more practical than pleasurable. Chip could eat normal food and gain some form of nutrition from it, but there were parts that sometimes resisted digestion. Those lay heavy on the stomach for days, aggressively mowed down until nothing but goo remained. The body then prompted the release of this material, which was mostly used to build hives and somehow always had the color of blood – green.
The stallion added that information as a ‘Fun Fact’ at the end of his report, hoping that the mare would be less mad at him. He didn’t look at her, so he couldn’t tell if she at least smirked or not. Well, if that wouldn’t work, Chip would make it a point to show her the real deal someday. Twilight would appreciate it, she always rattled on about how theory and practice should go hoof in hoof.
Why would Celestia, as her mentor, be any different?
Celestia did not smile. Not even a trace of a smirk. Not a single muscle contracted on her face. Yes, it was pure deadpan. Her eyes traced the text, stopping a few times here and there, and little else happened.
“What happens now?” wrote the changeling, trying to break the silence that started feeling awkward.
The Princess took her time to think before answering. “I would prefer you stay here, in Canterlot. While I do not doubt Twilight’s abilities, I would like to be more personally engaged in the subject of changeling research.”
Another piece of text flew to Celestia. “Can I stay here,” she read aloud. “You mean here, in the cave?”
Nod.
“Well…I don’t see why you couldn’t stay here. But wouldn’t you prefer your former room up there, in the castle?”
Head shake.
“Oh…okay. Are you sure? I won’t be able to check up on you during the day, and you’ll be alone here for most of the day.”
Shrug.
The Princess sighed. “If that’s what you want, then fine. Nopony should disturb you here, so this might not be the worst place for you to stay in after all. Umm, do you need anything? Food? Drink?”
Head shake.
“Oh, right, you just…ehm,” coughed the Princess, suppressing another wave of nausea. “In that case, I think I’ll be going. It’s getting late and, uh.” She paused, staring into Chip’s eyes. The changeling seemed to lose his cheer all of a sudden. Did that…thing he did somehow affect him? Would he be alright? “Goodnight,” she finished, giving a small nod and vanishing in a bright nova of light.
Chip blinked away the shadows dancing before his eyes. He kept staring at the same spot, his mind mostly wandering. The room was silent, lit by some kind of magic source that wasn’t visible to the naked eye. For the first time in a very long while, Chip was alone.
* * *
Miles away from Canterlot, far up north, something moved in the pitch black of the night. Several figures dashed through the landscape, a subtle dim light surrounding their bodies. Their colors blended with the darkness, barely visible to the naked eye.
Their target was in sight now. Under Luna’s moon, the valley looked almost peaceful. The nearly vertical walls were riddled with thousands of holes, each bearing a mystery. A secret that was deadly enough to warrant the use of the Princesses’ most elite scouting forces.
Silverline, the leader of this operation, stopped and dropped on his belly. He didn’t have to turn around to know his ponies did the same, soundlessly following his every move. Seconds later one of them crawled beside him, a strange apparatus attached to his head. The soldier looked around, causing a lens to extend and retract from the machine.
A few short moments later the pony started gesticulating with his hooves. Silverline read those movements as an “All clear, no hostiles”. He hoped it would stay that way, but the many missions he already participated in taught him to predict the worst possible scenario at any given time. With a soundless sigh, the silver-maned pony turned around and begun briefing his men using gestures.
“Objective is to scout out enemy forces. No magic. Terminate mission on contact. There will be no coming back for anypony.”
They all knew this already. It was the same as with any other mission that they were called upon. Princess Luna and her sister Celestia used Silverline’s troops only when there was no other way to solve a problem. While scouting wasn’t their usual line of work, it didn’t mean that the ponies didn’t know how to sneak around or loose pursuit.
As soon as each pony got their assignment, the group dispersed, dashing from cover to cover with trained precision and discipline. Their eyes were darting from shadow to shadow, always vigilant and ready to tackle any enemy sentry that might have had the misfortune to bump into one of Silverline’s ponies.
As trained as they were, knowing full well whom they were facing, it was all not enough. Deep in the goo covered nest, Chrysalis smirked under her nose. She knew they were coming as soon as one of her changelings felt them at the edge of the canyon. They were well hidden, she had to give them that – she didn’t know how, but their smell was only faint, something that could have gone unnoticed should the hive be well fed.
“What could the ponies want from poor little ol’ Chrysalis, hmm?” hummed the Queen, stirring the hive to life. Yes, she would let them come a little bit closer and capture them. She would need to act fast though, as the enemies were all blasted unicorns. Having your prey teleport away was the most infuriating thing ever.
“Time to feast, my darlings….”
* * *
Chip tried to sleep on the cold stone floor, but for some reason he felt uneasy. Something was bugging him, and he couldn’t quite put a hoof on the problem. Was it the loneliness? The silence? The faint smell of changeling?
“I guess I should have taken the suite…maybe I could talk to Luna then.” He paused for a second, looking up for no particular reason. “I wonder what Twilight is doing?”
Well, it was just a few hours since they parted. She was probably asleep, looking forward to meeting her friends or going out somewhere, doing some pony stuff. Come to think of it, would she feel relieved now that Chip was gone? Changeling research kind of confined her to the library walls, and the only time they went out ended disastrously. Did he actually apologize for causing so much trouble? Should he? Was it actually okay to do that?
Chip got rid of sleep for good now. Little by little he was reaching the conclusion that checking up on the mare wasn’t such a bad idea. After all, the Princess didn’t say that he couldn’t talk to her. And apologizing for the trouble he caused as well as thanking her for the time they spent together seemed like a pony thing to do.
A green light filled the chamber and with a muffled pop Chip disappeared.
* * *
She was asleep. The changeling was finishing up a letter that he had been writing for the last half an hour, glancing ever so often at the sleeping mare. She was kind of cute, all silent like that, her mane a purple and lavender hurricane. Not to say Spike wasn’t adorable in his little basket – he had his tongue lolled out, his small body sprawled across the blanket he should be sleeping under.
Adorable? Cute? Where is this coming from? reflected Chip, gingerly placing the note beside Twilight. As he was leaning over her, her gentle breath blew across the swollen changeling’s face. It smelled of some kind of flowers. And it was nice.
The sun was rising agonizingly slow. All around, the valley was stirring to life – dark figures were descending down the vertical walls, buzzing and sneering in an insectish manner.
Silverline was hanging upside down in a well shaded chamber, surrounded by his unconscious troops. This mission was the biggest disaster he has ever witnessed. What was supposed to be a quick recon mission turned into a last stand against literally thousands of changelings, creatures that were faster and stronger than anything he had ever seen. Now he cursed his boldness and the faith he put in his training – they all should have legged it the second they heard the first rock tumble down from one of the holes in the walls.
The battle itself lasted maybe a few seconds. Silverline and his ponies shot volley after volley of multi-hued subdue spells. To no effect. Before the first of the beasts lunged at them, it got shot in the face with a potent piercing spell, one that could rend and shred a thick safe door. To no effect.
Now that he thought about it, it was a mistake to try and use magic against a foe that had both wings and a horn. They should have ran.
“Oh, I see one of the little pony spies woke up,” sounded a voice below. It was a horrible sound, haunted by a reverb that made Silverline flinch in his green goo prison. ”Good, good. We can finally get down to business.”
“I have no business with you, changeling,” calmly replied the stallion. “You won’t get anything from me. No amount of torture will make me betray my country!”
Chrysalis merely chuckled at the statement and licked her fangs. “Dear pony, why would I want to hurt you? Don’t you know that changelings choose love over war? Lots and lots of love. Come, let me show you just how...loveable, I am.”
The last thing Silverline thought before a green light enveloped his mind was:
We should have ran.
* * *
Chip was silently pacing around Twilight’s room. Conflicting feelings kept popping up in his head, buzzing around and pestering him with stupid questions that came out of nowhere.
Is it okay to be here? Should I leave? Can I wait till she wakes up? Can I flick that rogue hair from her face? Why am I even here? thought Chip, glancing at the sleeping mare. She sure looks pretty. Why does she look pretty? Since when can a changeling be a ponyphile? Is it even possible to- hold up! The changeling stopped dead in his tracks. These thoughts were getting dangerously out of hoof.
He silently smacked himself on the face, suppressing a whimper as his own hoof left a burning sensation on his cheek. This was no time for these kinds of questions. He had to help the Princess get whatever information she needed. Maybe then, once it all has been done, he would be given the luxury to debate such questions. Preferably with Twilight. Here, in Ponyville.
The morning light shone through the bedroom curtains, surprising Chip. He barely noticed he stayed up all night long in the room of his friend. A smirk found its way onto his face as he remembered the very first time they both met – she was screaming, he was falling. Reliving that would be fun…but maybe another time.
With a silent pop, the changeling vanished. The gust of air that his disappearance caused moved the note he set next to Twilight. The piece of paper gently flew down the bed and slid under it.
* * *
For the next few days, Chip was bored out of his sane mind. The Princess seemed very distracted during her visits, most of the time asking the same questions over and over again or spacing out, staring into the ceiling, apparently heavy with thought. The changeling could feel the scent of worry and fear all over her, but asking questions about it only earned him dead silence.
Slowly, his face was healing, and quite soon the stallion could talk properly. When it finally stopped hurting, he kept rattling on about how strange his voice sounded now that it was back. Celestia patiently listened to the stallion. Her mind was thousands of miles away anyway, in a not so safe place.
“And you know what the strangest thing is? I can hear myself talking,” said Chip, a note of awe in his voice. “I mean, you usually can hear yourself talk all the time. But you don’t pay attention to the sounds your mouth makes, right? Now that I can hear them, they sound so strange! Is my voice really this hoarse all the time? And what’s with that strange echo all the time? Do I have something in my throat, or was it like that all along? Oh Sun! What if there’s something in my throat? I can choke!”
As Chip kept spiraling down the panic path (complemented by various regurgitation sounds), Celestia had her own worry spiral started.
Silverline should have been back a week ago. Where is he? Did he get captured by the enemy? Is he dead, alive? Under their control? Will he ever come back? Can he come back? thought the Princess, oblivious to the Chip who was now trying to shove his hoof down his throat to find the object that kept making his voice “sound weird”.
* * *
Silverline gave out a sigh of relief as Chrysalis’ hoof ran along his chin and neck. His green eyes were focused on the changeling queen, unblinking and full of devotion. For the last week the stallion had the best time of his life.
At first, he totally unreasonably shouted blasphemy at the mare he now loved and adored. He was stubborn, unwilling to cooperate. But in her infinite wisdom and love, she gave him a chance, over and over again. Every time he remembered how he treated her wrong made him feel bad. Thankfully, in the end, her true love and affection, care and attention helped him see. Made him understand the changelings, their ways.
They were not evil creatures. Everything Celestia ever said was a lie, propaganda of the worst kind. Changelings were in fact a gentle and emphatic kind of pony. They lived in perfect harmony, without starvation, wars or politics. It was utopia, one that everypony should strive for. One that could be given to the Equestrians.
“Now, my dear Silverline, are you sure you’ll be okay?” asked Chrysalis, worry plain in her eyes. Her deep emerald eyes were set on him, making the stallion’s heart flutter and spirit lift towards the heavens.
“Of course, my love! I am the best of the best, and I shall not fail you!” fervently replied Silverline, earning himself a kiss on the cheek.
“Good boy. Now, go. Make me proud,” smiled the love of his life, watching as the stallion vanished wrapped in a red nova of magical energy.
“Go, and tell me exactly how to reach your pony brothers. So we can all ‘share the love’.”
Chrysalis’ cackling spread far and wide across the canyon, where thousands of changelings were practicing more intensely than ever for the upcoming invasion.
A Pegasus guard burst into Celestia’s throne room, galloping past the ornate glass windows depicting the heroes and events of Equestria’s history.
The regal pony stopped writing something on a piece of parchment and focused her sore eyes on the newcomer. She wasn’t sleeping well during the previous week, so it took some time for her to make out who actually came in.
“My Princess! I bring news from the northern border!” said the winded Pegasus, dropping to one knee in front of his goddess. “One of our troops came back, gravely wounded. He said his name was Silverline and that he had vital information for you, my Princess.”
Celestia’s heart didn’t know if it should leap or sink. Silverline made it back, she thought, but alone and in bad shape. But is it really him? Could it be a changeling? Will I be able to tell?
“My Princess! The soldier is in no shape to make the trip to Canterlot, and he refuses to pass the information to us. What are your orders?” repeated the guardspony, trying not to notice his ruler bite her lip.
“Yes, orders. Prepare the carriage! We are leaving for the northern border forts in half an hour!” said Celestia in an unnecessarily raised voice. Before the guard could even salute, she added: “We’re taking another pony with us. Make sure there is enough room for me, him and the wounded soldier.”
“Yes ma’am!” saluted the soldier and dashed out of the chamber.
The sun goddess looked absent-mindedly at the report she was writing up. After a few moments she crushed it in her telekinetic grasp and took one last look around the empty room. Satisfied, she lit her horn with golden energy, enveloping herself in a silky-like cocoon. With a bright flash, the ruler of Equestria vanished.
* * *
Chip was blissfully rolling around on the floor, enjoying the scratchy surface that worked miracles on his thick and extremely itchy carapace. Changelings were heavily armored by nature, but what they had in protection they lacked in comfort. Sometimes, a pebble would get stuck between the plates, or the skin under the carapace got stingy, and there was no way to scratch. The best way he and his people could think up (which was a great feat in itself, considering the nature of the hive mind) was grinding against jagged surfaces in the hopes of stimulating the skin underneath. Sometimes it worked, but more often than not the scratching changeling would manage to damage his chitin or dislodge it completely…which wasn’t too bad either.
The stallion was in a worse situation than most though. His abnormal growth made him develop an even thicker protective layer, and having it grow back was too much pain compared to gain. With nothing else to do though, Chip kept rolling around the floor, tiny pricks of relief showering his back and stomach.
At one point, he could swear that he hit something. A thump and surprised yelp was proof enough that indeed something noisy has been poked. Upon stopping, Chip noticed Celestia on the floor, a small thread of blood by the side of her lip.
“Oh sweet Sun, I am so sorry Princess!” yelped Chip, gathering himself up from the floor and helping Celestia stand. “I totally didn’t see you there, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do it! You weren’t supposed to come here this early anyway, so you can’t blame me for what happened! I mean, you can, you are the ruler of all Equestria, you can have me hanged right here and now-”
“Chip, be silent for a second,” said the regal mare, checking her snout and making sure it wasn't not broken. Whatever the changeling was doing, it felt like a cannonball just hit her knees. Luckily nothing seemed to be broken, only sore. “We’re going on a trip today. I need you for a very important mission.”
“Oh! Me? Really? Important mission!” gasped Chip, childish glee on his muzzle. In his eyes, he would finally be of actual use of the Princess. He would get to be used, like any good tool does! And the mission was important, and Celestia went to him to ask for help!
“Settle down and listen,” calmly said Celestia. “We are going to the northern borders, where a good friend of mine was doing a very important thing for me. I need you to tell me whether or not he indeed is my friend.”
“Why? I don’t know your friend, Princess,” said Chip, cocking his head slightly. The cogs in his brain, rusty from hardly any use, gave a pained groan as they were brought to life. “Oh. Wait, you mean…you mean you think he could be-”
“Yes, exactly. I will need you to tell me whether or not he is a changeling. Or under their control. That friend of mine has something to tell me, and I must be one hundred percent sure he is telling the truth and is still loyal to me.”
“I will not disappoint you, my Princess,” said Chip, bowing deeply. He could not help but smile – the Princess needed him, more than anypony else! And by all the gods, suns, moons and other stuff ponies worshiped, he would not fail.
* * *
The trip wasn’t exciting or particularly long. The pegasi that pulled the carriage were fast and strong, unburdened by the usual golden armor they wore. Time was essential, as it was not certain how long and if the soldier, Silverline, would last.
Princess Celestia discreetly kicked Chip in the flank when the changeling asked about him, a clear sign it was way too secret to talk about in the open. The stallion was proud of himself for understanding such a subtle gesture – it meant that his mind was now more at ease with pony ways of thinking, embracing that which kind of felt alien during the whole mess with mind trading with Twilight.
When the couple finally arrived at their destination, the Princess wasted no time and barked out orders in a manner the colt never saw before. She was decisive, fast, and truly regal. Even Queen Chrysalis seemed less daunting than this new face of Celestia that Chip witnessed. The soldiers around obeyed every single command, opening doors, scrambling to show her the way or briefing her on the soldier’s condition.
Almost running the party with the sun goddess in the center entered a makeshift operating room, one in which the stench of blood was thick and many strange medical apparatus lay on different tables. In the midst of it all was a silver-maned unicorn, hooked up to some beeping machines. His mouth was sealed by a tube that connected with a mechanism that seemed to piston air in and out of his lungs.
The scene struck a note of compassion deep within Chip, making him want to help – it was overpowered however by the joy of experiencing such a motion towards another pony. The guards around did their best to ignore the stallion’s wide smile.
“How is he?” asked Celestia, addressing an earth pony wearing a white jacket with crimson stains on it.
“Stable, but very weak. We have no idea what got him, some of the wounds he has I have never seen before in my life. I don’t think that even a Manticore could mangle a pony in such a way.”
With a single flick of her hoof, Celestia caused the entire room to just stand up and leave, save for the patient on the bed. It was amazing how the mare was on top of things.
Chip’s thoughts and budding feelings were smashed by the mare’s voice: “Check him. Take as much time as you need. Don’t hold back on anything. I’ll lock the doors.”
“Y-Yes, my Princess!” barked the changeling, deciding to ask Celestia about her amazing leadership skills later. Right now, he had an important task to attend to.
* * *
The wounds were no doubt made by changelings. The bite marks, specifically shaped bruises, a barely feelable aura of emotions beneath an ocean of apathy. And of course, the smell. Chip could tell that the soldier was captured and put into the green goo. That usually spelled doom for a pony, either by changing him into a renewable food source or just leaving him to die and rot away.
How did this one manage to escape? Was it even possible? Well, he was a unicorn. Chip did not know the true extent of his magical abilities, and his general knowledge about pony magic was sparse. Maybe a spell was capable of melting the prison away, allowing for escape?
Okay, so even if he did manage to break his binds, he would have to escape from the nest of one of the most skilled hunters and predators in the northern lands. His state suggested he fought valiantly, but most of that had to be clever running, teleportation and deceit. Changelings didn’t usually let go of their prey – Chrysalis had little regard for drones and tended to make games out of stalking her victims. Maybe this time she underestimated the pony and he managed to slip away?
If so, he would still be pursued no matter what. But if he made it here, would Chrysalis be desperate enough to blow her cover and tackle a fort full of ponies? She could, no doubts about that. She could replace everypony without anypony actually noticing. Anypony except Chip.
So she would not risk being found out, now that she knew Chip was with the ponies. She would also not risk secreting in a controlled spy, any changeling could tell the symptoms of possession with a single glance. It was a bit harder if the pony was possessed for a longer time, but still possible – lack of appetite, frequent overexcitement, feverish defense of the changeling that controlled the pony were just a few of the many subtle hints of mind control.
“My Princess,” finally said Chip, opening his eyes and raising his head from above the stallion he was inspecting. “This is definitely a pony, and I am sure he was captured. Somehow, I don’t know how, he managed to run away and show up here. Now, I can’t tell if he is possessed or not until he will be conscious. Shall we wait here?”
“No,” calmly replied the Princess, opening the door. “We will have him wake up. This is too important to wait.”
* * *
The field medic tried resisting the goddesses orders, but in the end he was talked down and had to wake his patient. Chip felt the disapproval seeping from him, an unjust emotion considering how the Princess herself was feeling. She was devastated that her friend was in such a state and that she had to put more pain on top of an already large plate of agony.
Slowly, Silverline opened his bloodshot eyes. His gaze was unfocused and he was fidgeting weakly in his bed. As the tube from his mouth got retracted, he coughed wetly, each contraction apparently very painful. Chip wished he couldn’t smell the stallion’s feelings right now.
“Silverline, I’m sorry,” started the Princess, sending Chip to guard the doors. A single tear rolled down her muzzle and stopped on the tip of her nose. “Where are the others?”
The soldier tried to speak but ended up coughing again, spitting some blood over Celestia’s coat. When he settled down, he let go a whisper. A single word. “Gone.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have sent you there. It was foolish, so very foolish,” said the Princess, unable to stop her voice from trembling and breaking. She was the decisive ruler no more. The mare turned into somepony full of regret and compassion for the loyal subject she unwittingly sent to his near-death.
“No,” whispered the stallion, closing his eyes and pressing his lips together. He was shivering all over, the medication that kept him asleep giving way to a rush of pain from every part of his body. “Necessary.”
“We could have prepared more. I acted too soon. I wanted too much too fast. We could have gone about this another way,” lamented the Princess, her eyes wandering between the blood stained surgical trinkets and Silverline.
“No. Doesn’t matter,” hissed the soldier. He was still in great pain, but something in his scent changed to Chip. Determination started overpowering the dread he felt, a force of will so strong it nearly impressed the changeling. With that kind of mental constitution, was it possible for a changeling to charm somepony?
“Princess. You were right. They are there,” said the soldier, each sentence paid in cough attacks and hisses of pain. “Lots. They are preparing. Heard plans. Will start soon. One by one, replace ponies. Like a tide. From the north.”
After the last word, the soldier’s eyes unexpectedly escaped to the back of his skull and he fainted. Strange red foam bubbled up from his mouth.
“Doctor!” yelled the Princess, shoving Chip aside.
* * *
“He’s stable, Princess,” reported the field medic, wiping his hooves into a red and soggy napkin. “His recovery will be a long and difficult one. He’s a strong pony though, I’m nearly certain he’ll make it through.”
“Thank you, doctor. Please, accept my sincerest apologies,” said Celestia, giving a slight bow to the surprised pony.
Chip was still impressed with Celestia. Apparently she could switch between benevolent ruler and full out dominatrix mode easier than he could switch skins. She adapted to the situation and acted according to her best judgment, even while it conflicted with her emotions.
The two ponies talked more about the soldier and providing him with better medical care and equipment, but Chip wasn’t exactly listening. What bothered him were the words that Silverline spoke. About an invasion. And soon.
His brothers and sisters would be here. Controlled by Chrysalis, his mother and Queen.
During that time with the assassin, he was nearly felled because of his conflicting emotions.
Would he manage to find it in himself to fight his kin again? Were these ponies more his family than the changelings that he shared blood with?
And most importantly – was Silverline even speaking the truth?
Silverline’s mind was clouded by pain – he swam in it, drowned in it, got pulled down by it gnawing at his body. As he sunk into unconsciousness, a dream filled his vision. No, a memory. One that he learned to cherish.
* * *
“My my, you sure are a strong little pony, aren’t you?” chuckled Chrysalis, watching her ceiling-bound prisoner struggle against her magic worming its way into his mind and heart. “Why do you pain yourself so? Wouldn’t it be easier and more…pleasurable, to just give into the feeling? Embrace-”
“Shut up!” yelled Silverline, both to the creature below and the voices in his head. It left like a thousand tiny whispers buzzed inside his skull, trying to maim him with sweet nothings. He was given promises he yearned for since he joined the army – proper recognition and retirement, allowing him for a family of his own. He heard voices of reason turn him against his ruler. That he was left for dead, that the mission was a suicide one. Above all, however, there was one alluring whisper, a sound that soothed the storm he struggled against. Silverline wasn’t sure if those were words or not, but they felt nice. The kind of nice he was taught to resist and throw out.
“Isn’t that precious?” cooed Chrysalis, observing with rising interest how her pony soon-to-be-slave huffed and puffed, flailing like mad in the green goo he was trapped in. “I am actually impressed by you, pony. There is something different about you. You’re not the weak, helpless victim that squeals for mercy at the sight of a fang. No, you’re made from an entirely different type of clay.” The Queen looked around the ceiling where Silverline’s troops hung in different stages of being fed upon. “Even these other ponies aren’t half as special as you are. What makes you capable of resisting me for so long? What. Makes. You. Tick?” asked Chrysalis, licking her fangs hungrily.
Another flash of green light made Silverline faint from effort.
* * *
The silver-maned soldier didn’t know where he was or what day it was. For all he cared, it could have been the end of the world and he could be dead. Nothing mattered. There was nothing but the empty, cold void inside his chest.
The only company he had were the whispers. Voices that kept rattling on about things he didn’t care for anymore. Stuff he didn’t actually know.
“You are a most interesting specimen, pony. And might I add, you fit my tastes perfectly,” chuckled…something from below. “A perfect combination of sour battle hardiness and sweet, sweet love for the ponies you swore to protect. Regret works well with Purpose, and the Pride magnificently bubbles up as you consume. Brilliant.”
Silverline felt something around his body, a thing that kept him more or less warm, dissolve and let go. Gravity took him in his not-so-caring arms and smashed him against the floor of the chamber. Not even the dull pain of the impact mattered for the stallion.
“I guess that with you, pony, we shall have to reach to changeling tradition. Magic can only substitute this much, after all,” smiled the changeling Queen, guiding the indifferent Silverline outside. Towards the sun.
* * *
Little by little, Silverline got his will of life and fight back. For some reason he was no longer held captive and was allowed to walk wherever he wished. He was mostly ignored by the monsters around him, and he did nothing to interact with them.
As his mind became sharper and higher cognitive functions kicked in, Silverline started considering escape from the valley. It was around that time that Chrysalis approached him again, towering over the small pony.
“So, pony, how do you like it here, hmm? I can already tell you’re feeling better. Soon you’ll be ready.”
“I have a name, monster,” hissed Silverline. “Whatever you plan on doing, unless you confine me again I will escape this place. It is best you kill me now, for I swear I will do anything in my power to bring you down, changeling!”
“Oh my, such courageous words. Don’t tempt me with your valor, Silverline,” smiled Chrysalis, enjoying the shock on the stallion’s face. “Of course I know your name. Your friends were very helpful in learning about you and Equestria.”
“My squad! What have you done with them!” Feeling his rage grow, Silverline tried to charge his horn with magic, but it was no use. He wasn’t fully recovered yet.
“Don’t worry, they are all alive. You can go see them if you want to,” said Chrysalis, showing the stallion the way to her lair.
Reluctantly, Silverline followed the mare. Questions about what she was planning and how he would escape distracted him enough to disregard the thousands of eyes that stared at him intently.
* * *
They all looked horrible. Each pony was undernourished, sad looking and totally unresponsive.
“That is not how you treat prisoners of war, monster!” shouted Silverline, the blood in his veins boiling from both frustration and anger.
“Oh, is it? I am so sorry. We do not know of any other ways. How do ponies treat their prisoners, hmm?”
The stallion’s jaw literally dropped to the floor at the statement. They didn’t know how to treat captives? What ridiculous nonsense! Wasn’t it common sense that ponies needed food and water? And the position they were in, it was a health hazard!
“If you tell us how to look after your friends, we will,” suggested Chrysalis, settling herself down on her throne.
Was she for real? First she tried to maim him, now she acted all nice and as if nothing has happened?
“What are you up to, monster?” asked Silverline.
“Me? I’m just trying to make your stay here as comfortable as possible. When you’ll be fully recovered, I will show you something. And then give you a proposition you’ll gladly accept.”
“Me? Huh? You’re insane. I would never agree to anything, you beast!”
“Never say never, my dear,” cooed Chrysalis, a playful spark in her eye.
* * *
During the next two days, Silverline kept coming across acts of kindness from the enemy – his men were transported to a cave and locked away behind a thick layer of goo. They were no longer fed upon and were recovering, supplied with food and water that the stallion fed to them. Each step the soldier took was constantly watched by thousands of eyes.
At first, Silverline thought that they were following him, making sure he would not flee before their Queen offered her “proposition”. The truth revealed itself when the stallion was scouting out the edges of the valley, trying to find a suitable focal point for a siege of this cursed place. One hoof put in the wrong spot made the ground under his feet crumble, sending him down the slope of jagged rocks that would surely turn his body into a bloody pulp.
Before the stallion managed to think about using a spell, a dark figure darted beneath him, catching him and settling safely down at the bottom of the canyon. The teleportation spell that Silverline prepared was buzzing around his horn as the colt stared into the blue insectish eyes of his savior.
“Thank you?” tried the stallion, not believing the awkwardness of the situation. He was actually saved by the enemy. What in Tartarus were they planning to do to him?
Without a word, the drone flew away, joining his brothers and sisters in one of the caves. Where thousands of eyes stared.
* * *
Silverline’s heart was put at ease when one day he came into his squad’s prison and heard them talk. They still looked horrible, but at least they were alright. Dropping the burden of worry for his ponies felt great. Now they could start hatching a plan of escape.
“Silverline,” said a brown colt, raising his eyes to meet those of his leader. “You’re alright.”
“Yes, and so are you,” replied the soldier, sitting with the others. The weak smiles they mustered helped warm the colt’s heart. “Don’t worry, we’ll be out of here soon enough. For some reason the enemy trusts me and allows me to roam free. I’ll try and find a way to escape this wretched place, preferably with you all. If necessary, I’ll go alone and bring back the armed might of Equestria with me, and get you colts home.”
“But Silverline. You said this mission was a ‘no coming back’,” pointed out a blue-maned buff stallion.
“Well, things have changed. I won’t leave any of you for these monsters to feast on. We’re coming home together, or we die here,” said Silverline. “Now, I have to go. Their leader wants to show me something and propose something I ‘will surely agree to’. I’ll humor them for a while,” he chuckled.
As he rose from his seat, the others followed, saluting their leader in a neat formation. With his spirits high and will strong, Silverline made his way to Chrysalis’ chambers.
* * *
The room was filled with changelings. A clear path was left from the entrance to the throne upon which sat Chrysalis, a wide grin on her mischievous face.
“So you came, dear Silverline. Please, come in. We have a lot to show you.”
With only a moment of hesitation, the colt braved the distance, not paying attention to the ghastly blue eyes in the sea of black that followed his every move.
I wonder. If I would lunge at their leader, would they react? Could I actually hurt this beast? Is it worth a try? No, not now. The time must be just right, thought Silverline, sitting in front of the Queen.
“So I am here. What is it that you wanted to show me?” asked the colt, crossing his fore hooves on his chest.
“Straight to the point, are we? I like that,” smiled Chrysalis. For some reason it was no longer the fanged grin of a praying mantis. More like…a proud, legitimate smile. “We are all here to tell you the story of the changelings. About us, our culture. We wish to tell you the truth, nothing else.”
“Propaganda? Are you serious?” laughed Silverline. “You are trying to convince me with words that you weren’t trying to hurt me or my men?”
“Well, you are alive, aren’t you? I know that a pony as intelligent as you will understand. We would rather speak to you through images and feelings, so that you would have a clearer view of who we are…but I gather that you aren’t a fan of changeling magic,” giggled Chrysalis, making herself comfortable on her throne. “So we are left with words.”
“Fine then. Humor me, changeling.”
“Our tale begins long ago, many lifetimes before mine. We used to be just like the ponies – industrious, brilliant, and eager to get the best of life. We had rulers good and bad, tried many types of governments and organization…but everything failed in the face of the core changeling nature. It is a flaw present in almost every sentient being – and that is greed. Selfishness. The inability to care for another regardless of your own situation. Time and time again, the changelings rose to great heights only to fall a century or so later to anarchy, riots and destruction. The poor would rise against the rich, becoming the new middle class for some time. From that mass then emerged the new poor and rich, and as you can guess, history went round and round in a circle.”
“There were many that tried to break this vicious cycle of destruction and rebirth. Technology was a dead end, as it made changelings lazy and indifferent to their surroundings. Magic fared better for some time, but those with lesser potential shunned those that were gifted, and the inequality between talents brought upon more conflict than gain. In the end, it was a single mare whose name got spirited away by time that found the solution.”
“The greatest burdens of social life were misunderstandings. One changeling meant something the other didn’t understand. Emotions were hid behind masks, fake smiles or false tears. The mare that brought upon a revolution in communication invented our shape shifting abilities. The idea was simple – by using some medical engineering and magic, one could literally be in the skin of another. Change his form, try and understand better. It worked for a short while, changelings were happy that they could become who they wanted to be. City streets were filled with perfect and healthy specimens.”
“You can probably guess what went wrong at that point, right?” asked Chrysalis, pausing her story to look at the stallion.
Silverline blinked a few times. “Umm…you were even more false to each other?” he tried, uncertain where all this was going. So far the story was pretty uninteresting, and definitely nothing that could be used as a bargaining chip in favor of the Queen.
“Precisely. Instead of stepping into other changeling’s horseshoes, they moved even further away, not only covering their minds but also bodies. The ingenious mare saw that, and moved her crazy idea to new heights. If you could not tell what another felt, maybe you could smell it? Many animals exerted pheromones that acted as a way of communicating between individuals. Again, using magic and technology from olden ages, the changelings learned to feel the scents of emotion. With this kind of powerful tool, communication was easier than ever before. You could tell that someone was happy, or sad, in love or anger. After an unstable decade, our culture flourished and the overall happiness of the populace increased.”
“Everyling thought that they needed no more. That this was the peak of evolution, that nothing more could be achieved in the field of happiness. They were wrong. The genius invertor’s next of kin decided to continue the life work of her predecessor.”
“While emotions were free for everyling to see, thoughts still remained a mystery. How many brilliant ideas got lost in the minds of those that chose not to speak? What about those that could not speak at all, trapped in sick bodies? This time the breakthrough took time, patience and many sacrifices. The art of telepathy was a difficult one to master, and somehow always had the same sad side-effect. When two creatures shared minds, it was inevitable that one would overpower the other, effectively subduing and enslaving it. It was all the same, no matter how many tests were made and research done.”
“Those that chose to live with the gift, or burden, of telepathy were kept in a specially isolated village. Scientists didn’t pay them much mind at first, but as time flew by, they noticed that that society not only grew, but was living in a state of utopia.”
“With only a single mind to rule over many, there were no misunderstandings, no hazards, evil or cruelty. It was the purest form of tyranny, yet nopony complained. They didn’t have to make decisions, they worked in unity and harmony, never wronging another or making mistakes. It was all perfect. Changelings still had their thoughts and opinions, ones that they could debate wordlessly with others. At the same time their overseer watched over them, a gentle figure that selflessly cared for her flock, guiding their bodies for them, coordinating efforts to reach new heights of efficiency.”
“How long do you think it took for everyling to accept telepathy as a gift, rather than a dead end?” asked Chrysalis, a spark of pride in her eyes.
“This is ridiculous. So your culture feeds on a single…changeling doing all the work for them? You’re trying to tell me that these creatures here are living, breathing individuals?”
“These toys?” asked the Queen, pointing at the crowd. “Of course they aren’t. Let me finish my story first.” Chrysalis hemmed and continued.
“As I was saying, many decided to accept telepathy and being ruled over by another. Soon there were many overseers controlling thousands, millions of changelings in their day to day life. It was bliss. No more pain, hurting, conflicts. Nothing but happiness. We lived like this for a few millennia, enjoying the peaks of evolution while Equestria was but a budding kingdom.”
“All good things are said to last only so long. Unfortunately, that was the case for our miracle answer to life as well. With time, changelings were less and less eager to make decisions by themselves. The overseers were tired, yearning for someling to care for them as well so they could enjoy sweet laziness as well. Little by little, the amount of changelings controlling others declined, until only one remained. She was my grand-grandmother, a changeling of amazing willpower and dedication. She accepted the burden of living the lives for others. At the same time, she wept at how the society declined into brainlessness.”
“Soon, her mind was the only thing that kept the changelings moving at all. They lost all desire to think, locking themselves away, leaving behind bodies that required attention. It was silent. Noling to talk to, share ideas with. It was cold. There were no emotions to go by. Nothing but the buzzing of thousands of bodies.”
“On the brink of depression, my ancestor was saved by something that came from the outside – a pony. It was a settler that was looking for new lands to conquer for Equestria. He was warm and smelled of adventure and boldness. He met one of the Queen’s drones and just said ‘hello’. The ruler of the changelings brought him to her lair and they spoke. Such a simple thing, to communicate…”
“Hold up,” protested Silverline, not amused by the story at all. “So you’re telling me Equestria knew of changelings?”
“No. The settler never came back to his kingdom,” smiled Chrysalis.
“You murdered him,” concluded Silverline.
“No. He stayed. He joined the hive mind and lived out the rest of his life happy.”
“You enslaved him,” growled Silverline, waving Chrysalis away. “That is even worse than death.”
“You are incorrect again, Silverline. You see, the settler had an open mind. He decided to try the changeling way of life. To become one with the Queen-”
“So he did get enslaved!” triumphantly shouted the stallion. The grimace on the regal mare’s face made him settle down instantly.
“Let. Me. Finish. No, he was not mind controlled. The Queen did not know how to control a pony. But the link worked. They could exchange images, experiences, thoughts. It was what the scientists wanted to do so long ago. Understanding without domination. The Queen and the settler believed that changeling and pony minds were too different and simply did not mix.”
“If it is all so great and perfect, why didn’t you reveal yourselves? Why didn’t you talk to the rulers of Equestria? Why do you hate us so now?”
“The settler ruined it all. In the end, his selfishness surfaced in the form of treachery. When the Queen decided to look for more ponies to link with, perhaps form an alliance with, the vile creature stabbed her in the back. He did not want to share this gift with anypony. He wanted to remain special and only hers.”
“The wounds weren’t deep, but they healed for a long time. The blow that her faith in pony kind sustained did not heal, however. It was sad that the southern culture, your culture, is still locked in the barbaric times of our pasts. We could offer so much more, help in ways you can’t even imagine. But we can’t do that while your attitude is still the same. For did you not come here with ill intent? To spy on us, to find our weakness and use to your advantage?”
“I-“ gasped Silverline. It was obvious they came here seeking information. They were told who the enemy was…but not why. He never questioned Celestia’s orders. Then again, he never spoke to the other side like this. “No.” he finally shook his head. This was all aimed to confuse him. Propaganda. “Why do you blame the whole country for the actions of a single individual?”
“So you claim to be an altruist yourself? That you would not put your own desires ahead of others?” asked the Queen, smiling slightly. Everything was going smoothly thus far.
“Of course! I live and breathe for my country, for my ponies!” zealously replied Silverline.
“Oh really? Then tell me this – should you stumble upon a changeling, a badly wounded one, would you help him? Would you even come close, knowing he is your enemy and might hurt you or the ones you love?”
“I-”
“Exactly. You would not. You are devoted to your own kin. Your altruism reaches only as far as the borders of your Kingdom do. As the settler’s did. The changelings go beyond that – we offer our love and goods beyond ourselves eagerly. We believe in the good that lives in the hearts of others – we can sense it after all.”
“That’s idiotic. Helping everyone who just comes around? You’d be doomed!”
“Because others would use us, right? Like you wanted to use our hospitality, escape and ‘come back with the armed might of Equestria’?”
Silverline remained silent. The changeling logic confused him – did he really just try and use them? But they hurt him and his men! Well, they did just capture everypony. And they were well now, with not even a single scratch. The changeing's intentions weren’t evil, yet Silverline and his stallions used lethal spells against them. Was it self-defense, or offense? They came here, uninvited, snooping around. What could they expect? They thought they’d receive death. Instead, they got…
Kindness.
“I can tell you are starting to see, Silverline,” said Chrysalis, nodding her head approvingly.
“Wait. You’re still trying to confuse me. I…I believe in my superiors. They would not give me a mission against innocents!”
“If they could benefit from it, why wouldn’t they? Can you claim that they are as good-willed as you are? As kind, generous or devoted to their country as you are? Has anyone even told you why you were sent to spy on us?”
Before the stallion could counter, Chrysalis cut in: “Because of a traitor. One of my children opened up their inner mind. Can you imagine that? After many centuries of silence, another voice in the web of thoughts? I was blinded by love towards this new being. I gave it all I had – my heart, my love. And in the end, it left me alone. It fled to Equestria, wishing my death. Spreading lies about the changelings, wishing to be one of a kind. Wanting control over these useless dolls,” said the Queen angrily, staring down one of the drones. The creature bent under the pressure of the gaze and collapsed, not moving at all.
“Can you understand my sorrow, Silverline? My disappointment?” wept the queen, a single tear rolling down her face. “All I want is someone to share myself with. I…I don’t want to be alone. I want to trust again. I want to help.”
“But…I…” started Silverline, but was unable to say or think anything coherent. Here she was, the enemy, the beast, exposed and crying, confessing her innermost desires. She wanted to be there for somepony. Could it be that, perhaps, Princess Celestia was wrong? That the traitor to the changelings was poisoning her mind?
No. These thoughts were outrageous. The sun goddess didn’t make mistakes. Right?
“Silverline…” whispered the Queen, slowly standing up and approaching the tense stallion. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. All I want is…is to share. Can I share with you? For just a little while? I promise, if you won’t like it, I will stop. And set you and your kinsmen free. We don’t wish to hurt you. And even if we end up being hurt by you, you will at least know our full history. Hopefully, it will not die out…”
Is she serious? thought Silverline. She will let us free? This is a trap. Or is it? Was she lying? She wasn’t using magic, and the whispers were long gone. Maybe…maybe for a little while, I could humor her?
“Alright. I will share this,” he paused looking for a proper word. “This thing. With you. But if you try any funny stuff, I will defend myself.”
“I know. But you won’t. I promise.”
* * *
Two days later, Silverline was sitting with his troops, telling them about the amazing experience he shared with the changeling Queen. It was as if his mind was locked away and hid under a heavy rug, one that got lifted after the minds of pony and changeling met. His ponies were terrified at first, believing that their leader has been maimed by treacherous magic.
Their attitude changed when Chrysalis shared her link with them as well. It was a whole new world, so delicate and fragile. A thing worth protecting and fighting for. And most of all – something that deserved to be shared with others.
“Chrysalis, we can help,” said Silverline, emerging from the metaphysical world that was the Queen’s mind. A most beautiful and artistic mind.
“Really?” beamed the mare, baring her fangs. Long ago, he would read that as an evil grin. Now that he understood the changeling, he read it as joy and excitement.
“Of course. That is the least we can do. What I can do,” said the stallion, bowing. His squad followed, smiling and assuring the Queen of their will to participate as well.
“Thank you, everypony,” replied the touched changeling mare. “But how could you help? It’s not like you can change your kinsmen in a day or two. How could you make them see what you now understand?”
“Do not worry, my Queen. I already have a plan. It will be a difficult and risky one, but I’m fairly certain we can do it,” said Silverline, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “We will do what we do best – be the vanguard for you, your majesty. We will prepare Equestria for receiving you. Whether they like it or not.”
“You mean, an invasion?” gasped the mare. “No. I will not allow it. I’m sure we can do it peacefully and-”
“No, your majesty,” calmly cut in the stallion. “If the enemy, that other changeling, keeps seeping poison into the mind of Princess Celestia, it will be only a matter of time before things escalate into an all-out war. And I will not allow you and your gifts to vanish. They deserve to be spread!”
Silverline’s words were applauded by his squad and a small, shy smirk from Chrysalis. The stallion was getting used to her physique, and now that he thought about it, he found her rather attractive. Intelligent, loving, very caring and generous. Maybe, after the ponies understood and embraced the changelings, they could…
* * *
The stallion gave out a sigh of relief as Chrysalis’ hoof ran along his chin and neck. His green eyes were focused on the changeling queen, unblinking and full of devotion.
“Now, my dear Silverline, are you sure you’ll be okay?” asked Chrysalis, worry plain in her voice. Her deep emerald eyes were set on him, making the stallion’s heart flutter and spirit lift towards the heavens.
“Of course, my love! I am the best of the best, and I shall not fail you!” fervently replied Silverline, earning himself a kiss on the cheek.
As he enveloped himself in a teleportation spell, he heard Chrysalis say something else, but it was too late to go back now.
He popped up in the middle of the canyon, surrounded by thousands of dolls controlled by his Queen. The stallion steeled himself and gave them a sign that he was ready. He had to argue this point of the plan heavily with Chrysalis, but in the end she reluctantly agreed to mangle him. It was required that he looked and felt the part of a stallion that barely escaped the monster. Then, when he would recover, without being suspected he could relay information to the Queen. Tell her exactly what she needed to start an invasion.
And then, when everypony would be certain of their deaths, they would receive love and kindness instead. They would all be one, with Chrysalis. Silverline wouldn’t even need to confess his feelings to the Queen – they'd be plain for her to see, and much more vibrant than the petty words that ponies used now.
So much good. He would be doing so much good. And not for himself. For others. Like a changeling. Selflessly, regardless of anything else.
Silverline closed his eyes the moment the black tide of chitin and sharp teeth descended upon him.
A few boring hours later, after Celestia was done with all her ruler work which consisted mostly of barking new orders and arranging better recovery conditions for Silverline, Chip got summoned to her private study.
It reminded him of his hive home – a stone interior with tons of books and clutter stattered about, with a heavy desk in the center. Celestia’s flowing mane cast small rainbows on the walls, which contrasted heavily with the mare’s serious face.
“Chip. I want you to listen to me carefully one more time,” she spoke, weighting every word, her brows furrowed. After a short pause she continued. “Can you tell me without a shadow of a doubt that Silverline is free of changeling control?”
“I wish I could, your majesty,” reluctantly replied the colt, bowing deeply. It was hard to discern anything in his state, and the changeling didn’t know the subject well enough to know how it acted before this whole mess.
“I suspected as much. As we stand now, there are two options. Either he really escaped and is telling us to immediately prepare for an invasion, or he is lying and is, in fact, a double agent now.” She bit her lip, her eyes stuck somewhere in the floor. The sun goddess sighed and looked Chip straight in the eye. “I need you to spy on him now.”
“Huh?” The changeling scratched his head at this. For him, the matter was simple. The wounded soldier was a potential liability. He should be terminated, both because he could be a traitor and was no longer fit for combat. Equestria had lots of stallions that could fill his place. “How, my Princess?” he cautiously inquired, deciding to not test his master’s judgment in her current state.
“That’s the part of the plan that I don’t quite like. But I see no other alternative,” sighed the Princess. “Hear me out. Maybe you’ll have a better idea yourself.”
“Silverline is a special pony. Not a regular soldier like these here, no. He is, or rather was, part of an elite force I used seldom, and only in dire need. They are highly trained ponies, veterans of many fields, their tradition and skills reaching back to the times I first founded their organization during the Disharmony Wars. Long story short, I’d wish for this particular colt to stay on our side,” grimaced Celestia, picking the stone floor with a hoof. “Now, the way I see it, he needs new recruits. His squad has been wiped, regardless of circumstances. The usual procedure is to select top guardsponies in the Kingdom and recruit them into the special corps. I’d like for you to be one of those recruits, Chip. Disguised, of course.”
“As you wish, my Princess,” replied Chip. He didn’t think much of the plan, and it was far better than his idea of sinking a fang or two in his throat to end his misery.
“There is one problem, and it worries me the most,” said Celestia, pacing slowly from wall to wall. “You have proved to me, and not once for that matter, that you know little of our culture. And that leads me to believe you know even less of our laws, traditions, politics…”
“Yes,” remorsefully replied Chip, allowing his ears to drop. Of course, he did read some books, but the Princess knew better. She was the leader here.
“Yes…uh,” sighed the regal mare, turning once again to look at the now sitting black colt. “I’m afraid I will have to put you through a crash course of guardspony duty. I just hope that my captain will be able to handle the likes of you. I ask of you, please,” said the Princess, coming closer and touching Chip’s cheek, “please take this seriously and do your best.”
“I have never done less than the best I can, my Princess,” assured the stallion, proudly displaying his black armored chest. If his ruler wanted him to become a guardspony, he would become the damn best watchdog the Kingdom has ever seen.
“I do not doubt that. But even with your supernatural abilities, will you be able to understand it all in just a month?”
“A month?” repeated Chip, deflating a bit. “Why so long, my Princess?”
“Long?” echoed the regal mare, surprise on her face. “Guardsponies are trained for years. Their bodies are strengthened, they are taught the law and various martial arts, as well as codes of behavior for those that deal with royalty. A month to fit that all into your head isn’t enough.”
Chip smirked. “Of course, a pony couldn’t handle it. But changelings are different, my liege. We adapt and learn extremely fast. We don’t live long compared to you, so we have to compensate. Do not worry…I assure you I’ll be as good as, no, better than whatever guardspony you can imagine!”
I just hope you’re right, thought the worried Celestia. Only you have a chance to save Silverline and the heritage he represents…
* * *
“Atteeeention!” shouted a white unicorn stallion. He wore a purple and gold armor chest piece and a helmet of the same color, adorned with a crest of electric blue hair. His name was Shining Armor, and the changeling was fairly certain he heard it before. But where? And from who?
Everypony, including the changeling wearing a red stallion skin, puffed out their chests and stood there motionlessly. Chip was quite excited to be honest – he barely got to know the captain and already they would play a game that he knew from his books. It was called “Simon says”. Shining Armor didn’t follow the rules exactly, but being a Captain and wearing such fancy armor, the changeling concluded that he was the one that makes up the rules.
“As you may know, my name is Shining Armor. You will call me either Captain or Captain Shining Armor. Is that clear?” he asked in a loud voice, directing a hoof at a colt right of Chip.
“Sir yes sir!” barked the soldier, earning himself a displeased grunt from the captain. Noticing his mistake, the recruit corrected himself, shouting: “Sir yes sir, Captain Shining Armor sir!”
“Better!” lightened up the white pony, inspecting the troops given under his command. He paused in front of Chip, staring him down with most unwelcoming eyes.
“What are you looking at, yellow belly?” spat Shining Armor, closing in the distance between their faces. Should the unicorn advance any closer, he could effortlessly poke out Chip’s eye.
“Sir, Captain Shining Armor sir?” asked the changeling in a confused tone. Celestia told him that the captain was made aware of his presence and that, apart from regular training, he would receive additional lessons from the white pony. Did Shining Armor not recognize him?
“You don’t look like a soldier to me!” barked the captain. “You look like a hillbilly stallion, brought here straight from the muddy fields and thrown here as a prank!”
Everypony around fought to suppress giggling and evil grins. What gives? thought Chip, unable to do anything besides staring back into his ‘superior’s’ blue eyes.
“Look at yourself! You came here to Canterlot thinking guard duty is just drinking and complaining near the town gates? Well, you were wrong!” continued Shining Armor, his steel gaze actually managing to irritate the changeling.
“This is serious business! We are the royal guards of Equestria! We have served the Princesses ever since this damn Kingdom was united under that banner!” yelled Shining Armor, forcibly turning Chip’s head towards a flag flapping in the wind. Under his skin, the masquerading colt was ready to bear his fangs at the insolent pony’s behavior.
“So I ask you again – the hell are you doing here, coming from the dirty fields and spreading mud all over the pristine castle floors, huh?”
Chip risked a glance down. He noticed his hooves were as clean as the next pony’s.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you, pony!” barked Shining Armor, slapping Chip across the face with an armored hoof. The strike wasn’t exactly hard, but it did turn his head and produce a nice wet slap that everypony else regarded with delight. “Now, don’t make me ask your stupid face again! What did you come here for?!”
“To be a royal guardspony, Captain Shining Armor sir!” barked back Chip, displeased and angry at the colt before him. If it wasn’t for Celestia’s explicit orders, the changeling would already gleefully be watching the ‘pristine white floors of Canterlot’ run red.
“Finally! Sweet sun, took your brain damaged flank long enough!” sarcastically replied the captain, laughing out loudly. “That’s right! You are here to become real stallions! No more running to mommy or cowering under your blanket! This is real business! This is about protecting the very Sun and Moon! You are here to give your lives so they can peacefully devote theirs to the well-being of our country! Remember that, and be proud of it! Be proud of being the royal elite of the guards!” he yelled, earning a round of cheers from his ponies.
* * *
All the new recruits were in high spirits while entering the cool barrack interior. All except a sulking Chip, who at the moment was allowing his imagination to murder the smug Shining Armor for the twenty-seventh time.
Once the introduction was done, the Captain toned down with the shouting a bit and showed his colts around, introducing them to the local field medic, Lovely Ladybug, and the smithy who preferred to be called Smithy.
Everypony was chattering and struggling for the best beds and spots when Shining Armor came inside, his helmet removed, revealing a short mane the color he wore on his helmet’s crest.
“Supper is at 1900 hours. Be late, and you don’t get to eat. We’ll have some evening exercises at 2000 hours, so don’t take too long eating. Ponies that show up late will do double time and twice as much. Lights are out at 2200 hours and we start our day with morning exercises at 0500 hours.”
Everypony, save for Chip, gave out some form of understanding grunt and resumed their bickering for a comfortable bed.
“You. My office. Now,” finished Shining Armor flatly, pointing a hoof at Chip.
The room pretended not to notice this, but as soon as the changeling’s brown tail disappeared behind the door frame, excited whispers and giggling commenced. Everypony was happy that the captain already found somepony to shout at and unload frustrations on, in addition to providing some pretty amusing gossip material.
* * *
Chip was happy too. If the captain wanted to have a go at him alone, in his own office, he hoped to Celestia the castle hired good cleaning services. He’d have Shining Armor spread all over the walls, as equally as possible, preferably beating him up into a bloody pulp beforehoof.
The two ponies marched across the training grounds and into a tower, watched all the time by several ponies off duty. Word spread fast around Canterlot, especially the staff, so everypony already recognized the poor soul that got on Shining Armor’s bad side simply because he existed.
The white stallion led his recruit up the stairs and into a room that looked like his office. There was a merry fireplace crackling near the north wall (a perfect place to bake some Shining Armor shish kebab ) a bed in the corner (maybe it had springs in it? They would be most useful) and a large desk with lots of paper and quills on it (Chip could practice hoofpainting even after the ink was gone!).
The Captain stopped in the middle of the room and closed his eyes, allowing his horn to glow a shade of purple. It kind of reminded him of Twilight’s magical aura. An aura he hasn’t seen in some time now. Maybe he should visit her now that he was well? Maybe she already had an answer for him? Or maybe she threw away the letter without even reading?
The changeling’s space out was interrupted by a pink bubble washing over him, a spell he did not recognize. He was now trapped inside with Shining Armor, surrounded by a rather firm looking barrier. Not that it mattered. The spell would fade away after removing his horn anyway.
“Redberry,” started Shining Armor, addressing the changeling by his fake name, “let me start off by apologizing for shouting at you so much. Sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you too much with my punch? I tried hard to make it sound right, but using some force was necessary.”
The sincere and embarrassed expression of the stallion before him made Chip loose his battle hardiness.
“Huh?” was all the changeling could muster.
“Alright, let me start from the beginning. As you know, I am Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard. And as far as I know,” said the white stallion, pointing at Chip, “you are Redberry, somepony who needs to learn the ins and outs of a guard’s duty in less than a month. Correct?”
“Uh-huh,” murmured Chip, still taken aback by this sudden change of tone. Little by little, his red coat became more intense on his cheeks. All the murderous thoughts he had up until now made him blush and mentally bash himself for not thinking straight.
The words that followed should have been obvious for Chip. “I had to make up a story that would justify you meeting me at strange hours. Ponies around here aren’t too sharp, but they ain’t stupid either. This is military work after all. Sorry, but I thought that it would be more believable if I simply had a go at you, rather than favoring you for no apparent reason.”
“Yes. Of course,” mumbled Chip, his embarrassment reaching new heights with each second. Celestia was right – he knew nothing about politics and intrigues. It seemed that being a changeling didn’t grant him special powers in that regard. He might have had a good instinct about it, but experience was what mattered in these situations. Experience and knowledge of who you were dealing with.
“So, I hope that since we have that cleared up, we can begin proper. I’m not such a bad colt once you get to know me, I promise,” chuckled the stallion, extending a hoof in a friendly gesture.
Chip accepted and shook his arm, excitement coming back to him in waves of questions he wanted to ask.
“Oh, just remember this. Outside this room, outside this bubble to be more precise, I am the angry and bad Captain Shining Armor that hates you. Please remember that, okay? I will shout at you, probably force you to do a lot of stuff you don’t deserve et cetera,” said the pony, apology in his eyes. “Know that I don’t have anything against you, and once this is all over, once your mission is over, maybe we could grab some cider or something.” The word cider made Chip feel a bit bad to the stomach, but he didn’t let Shining Armor notice that. “I could even introduce you to my fiancée and sister. I’m sure you’d like them, they are both great mares.”
Chip smiled and nodded. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster after all.
Chip’s return was mostly ignored by the recruits in the barracks. The changeling registered a few sympathetic notes coming from the corners of the room, but they were rather fleeting emotions, overshadowed by smugness and a sense of relief. As advised by the Captain, the stallion wore a face of anger hidden beneath a deadpan. It seemed to work and nopony even questioned him about the subject of Shining Armor’s need to see him.
With some relief the disguised colt fell down on the only available bed, right next to the entrance. He wasn’t really that much exhausted, but thinking about murder all day long had its ways to put a changeling on edge.
* * *
“EVERYPONY UP! C’MON NOW, UP AND AT' EM!” hollered a magically enhanced voice.
Most of the fresh recruits woke up with girlish screams of surprise, some of them even going so far as jumping or falling out of bed. The more hardy colts, those that would become excellent guards in the future, woke up instantly and began making their beds, knowing that an inspection would be made further on.
Chip was still prancing about happily in lala land. Naturally, his changeling senses weren’t any duller in his changed form – his body felt the Captain approach several minutes before he showed up. His instinct just didn’t find the order justified or as urgent as it sounded, allowing for the changeling to sleep peacefully in the racket of a scrambling team.
Shining Armor saw that and gingerly, tip toing, approached the bulky red form wrapped in a pale green bed sheet. He ignored the snickering and hushed excited whispers going through the room. Everypony was looking forward to the Captain entertaining them first thing in the morning.
“Private Redberry,” whispered the white stallion, gently prodding the changeling on the side. The changeling gave out a loud, undignified snore and wriggled around a bit. “Private Redberry, wake up sleepy head,” tried Shining Armor again, tugging at the bed sheets. In response, the fake colt turned to his side, tightly wrapping himself in the cover and smacking his lips loudly.
Everypony in the room was silent and focused at the scene at hoof. Way in the back of the barracks there were even bets on the way that Shining Armor would wake up the unfortunate recruit. So far, the most bet on was “a cold shower”, while the least probable was “gentle and dignified awakening”, bet on by just one colt.
With a small, totally not evil smile, Shining Armor shook his head and exited the barracks. He came back a moment later with a bucket and horn held in his magical aura. The sight elicited a ruckus at the back – nopony bet on a combo and everypony was arguing whether or not somepony actually won.
The light rose aura around the horn shone brighter as the Captain drew the instrument to his mouth. At the same time the bucket positioned itself above the changeling’s head.
Everypony was blown back by the sound of the horn, a single note that roared out with the force of a hurricane across the barracks. At that point, Chip opened his eyes. He saw a bucket. It was tipping over. His body told him to roll off the bed, then roll under it and assault the enemy’s ankles, preferably with razor sharp teeth or his jagged horn. Chip’s barely conscious mind suppressed the motion however, embracing the situation. It was for the good of his mission.
With a ‘surprised’ yelp Redberry, soaked to the skin, flailed his hooves around in his bed, fighting the wet blanket that held him in its ginger embrace just moments before. His struggle caused him to slip off the mattress, producing a satisfying wet slap upon impact with the ground. Everypony laughed and pointed at the unfortunate changeling.
To Shining Armor’s surprise, a single colt made a move towards the dramatic scene, but seeing the overall commotion decided not to step out of line and simply gave a half-hearted smile.
Will have to definitely remember that one, thought Shining Armor, refocusing on the growling recruit before him. It was time to scream some more.
“Private Redberry!” yelled Shining Armor, bending over the sore and soaked changeling. “What hour do you think it is, huh? What hour?!”
“Huh?” managed Chip, earning himself a slap on the muzzle.
“Huh? Huh?! ‘Huh’ isn’t an hour you excuse for a hillbilly maggot! I want NUMBERS! One, two, three!” counted the captain, slapping the red colt on the head repeatedly. “Get my drift? HUH?! Or do I need to teach you to count to sixty?!”
“Sir!” yelped the changeling, “I don’t know what hour it is Captain Shining Armor Si-yelp!” squawked the recruit, rubbing his sore cheek.
“That is not an answer, recruit!” spat Shining Armor, causing Chip to shrink on the ground. The white colt raised his head, causing the other ponies to drop their grins and puff their chests out. “Recruits! Can you tell me and dimwit Redberry here what hour is it now?!”
The bolder ones tried to mumble out an answer, but the hard look in their superior’s eyes made everypony go silent.
“It’s 0500 hours sir Captain Shining Armor sir!” barked somepony at the back of the room.
“Who said that?” asked the white stallion, straining to see the owner of the voice. As if by magic, the ponies leaped out of his line of sight, exposing a single gray coated stallion with yellow eyes. His short mane was an electric blue, similar to Shining Armor’s. \
“What’s your name private?”
“Thunderlane, sir Captain Shining Armor sir!” replied the stallion, saluting with a hoof and gluing his eyes to the ceiling.
“So, only one? Only one colt in this room of featherbrains knows what hour it is?! Or does EVERYPONY need me to teach them personally how to count?! Huh?!” Armor stepped over the huddled Chip and approached the nearest stallion who began sweating like a pig. “Private! What hour do we have now!”
“Um, sir! It’s 0500 hours! Sir! Captain Shining Armor!...sir!” stumbled out the pony.
A meaty slap followed by a yelp made the whole room flinch. “Of course it is not, you pathetic excuse for a pony!” shouted Shining Armor, literally barking down the future guardspony into a shivering ball of fur. “Do you think time will stop so your stupid head gets your dumb answer right?! Huh?! Time stops for nopony! And it always, marches, forward!” said the captain, accenting each word with a higher tone of voice. “You!” suddenly shouted the colt, pointing to an adjacent recruit, “do you think it’s still 0500 hours? Do you?!”
“N-no! Captain Shining Armor, captain!” stuttered out the recruit. “It’s uh, sir! More like 0502 hours now, sir Captain sir!” he said, squinting and bracing for a slap to the face.
Shining Armor’s brows went up and he put a hoof around the tense and somewhat surprised colt. “Sweet sun, son, you are a bucking genius!” barked the captain, shaking his recruit in an overly excited manner. “When I get the chance, I’m going to write a letter to your parents, and tell them that their son has a bucking IQ of over 120! Why can’t I have more soldiers like you, huh? Or do I?” asked the white stallion, grabbing and drawing in the next pony. “What hour is it? Huh? C’mon, tell me!”
“It’s 0503, sir Captain Shining Armor sir!” said the recruit, closing one eye and leaning away from the iron embrace of his superior.
“Celestia bless this day! Are you colts twins or something? Amazing intelligence! And you’re not even unicorns!” roared Shining Armor, hugging and shaking the wildly grinning recruits. “You know what guys? I’m so afraid the next stallion will turn out to be an idiot, I’m going to settle for you two and Thunderlane! You’re going to be my second in commands! So intelligent, so brave! This is what the Royal Guard needs! You are the shiniest examples of what a real stallion should be! I’m so touched now!” shouted the stallion, wiping a non-existent tear from his eye. “In fact you colts got me in such a good mood, I’m going to let the whole team do the morning exercises and then go for breakfast! Ah, what the hay! Double rations for everypony!”
The room exploded with a mighty cheer. The hollering and excited voices hushed down as soon as the captain stepped away from his chosen ones and opened the door.
“Well? You fillies need an invitation?! JUMP TO IT!” shouted Shining Armor, observing with smiling eyes as his recruits scrambled and nearly trampled each other. The door frame gave a strained groan as everypony fled the room. Everypony except Chip, who barely managed to pick himself up and shake off the water from his coat.
From the corner of his eye the changeling saw one of the recruits glance at him for a split second before disappearing behind the door. A fleeting emotion of compassion and perhaps understanding rubbed over his senses, quickly overpowered by the mixture of feelings Shining Armor had. Chip had to hoof it to the pony – he was really good at what he did. During his whole scene act, all the emotions he bore were naked and true. He was really angry, really proud and really generous. Now, he was mildly annoyed on the surface, and thoroughly apologetic on the inside.
“Well Redberry? Get your bucking flank out there! On the double! One two three four, one two three four!” yelled the captain, bucking (but not too hard) the poor changeling outside, where the rest already assembled in a more or less tidy line.
* * *
Morning exercises were a pain, at least for Chip. In his earth pony form, he felt quite limited. Most of the stuff they did, such as crossing mud, running, climbing walls, could be done with a proper amount of wings or horns. The changeling was surprised that those that could did not use their special talents. Everypony acted like they were earth ponies.
There was also the question why were they doing what they did. These tame conditions, the flat landscape, the lines that supplemented their climbing, it was all so dumb to Chip. But even with all this, there were ponies that failed to complete some exercises. Falling off the wall, faceplanting into mud or falling behind on running was met with shouting so fierce even the fake colt was impressed. Shining Armor had amazing lungs, and his intimidating posture kept everypony focused on the task.
The air was filled with tension, mostly in the form of rivalry. Ponies were trying to match up to the three chosen ponies, Thunderlane in particular. That colt, compared to the others, was probably the strongest and seemed to know what he was doing. He got praised a lot by Shining Armor, set as an example more so than the other two, which were mediocre at best.
Chip himself got shouted at the most. For one, he did not understand most of the things they did, so he got smacked repeatedly while Shining Armor ‘beat into his head’ the knowledge how to do something. Incidentally, the changeling was always the first one to do a new exercise. He would have to ask the captain about it later – as much as he understood that the colt had to keep the game going, he could tone it down just a little bit.
Another matter were the punishments for being ‘smug’. When somepony observed that something was wrong or could be done better, he was praised to the high heavens, with Shining Armor almost kissing the ‘genius’ who exhibited ‘perception and intelligence beyond anything that he has ever seen in a recruit’. When Chip noticed something wrong, like the hoops that they were jumping through being arranged in a suboptimal pattern, he got called names and forced to do pushups or other physical exercises as punishment.
At the end of it all, most ponies were wheezing and out of breath. Chip had to simulate being tired – this type of play was a lot tamer than the stuff he did back at the hive, where the heat of the scorching sun made everything harder. Thunderlane was less tired than the others too, drawing in deep, steady breaths and standing at attention.
“Sweet sun and moon, you colts make me so proud!” shouted Shining Armor, going back and forth along the line of tired recruits. Each one tried to stand straight and mimic Thunderlane’s pose. “You all did great! You have shown me today that you do, indeed, have the guts to become real stallions, ones that will one day protect our Princesses! I can see so much potential in you! You! You too!” said Shining excitedly, pointing at everypony but Chip. “You make your parents proud. You make me proud! You’re going to make Equestria and every single bucking pony that lives in it proud!” he shouted, pumping his hoof in the air. The other ponies calmed their breaths and puffed out their chests even harder. “Now! What time do we have! You!” asked the captain, pointing to a random pony.
“It’s 0700 hours, sir Captain Shining Armor sir!” barked back the pony, a smile on his face.
“Yes, yes it is!” applauded the white colt. “And that means it’s time to grab some grub! Go on, you’ve earned it! Double rations for everypony!”
* * *
Of course, Chip got a half ration. He also got to sit alone at a table in the corner of the room. For some reason, he didn’t like this face of ponykind. They all looked so full of themselves, so cocky and careless. They had their bellies full, everything provided for them, they didn’t have to do anything, or at least not much, to get what ‘they deserved’.
The food was tasteless, and Chip could tell it wouldn’t have much taste even if he had working taste buds. He kind of missed the jolly chef pony, Gustav. He made food sound and look like a whole new world. The bowl in front of the changeling might as well have been the primordial soup a new world could crawl out from. Gustav would call it an abomination and probably nuke it into oblivion, quickly whipping up porridge so fragrant and spiced even the changeling would understand its peculiar beauty.
The fake colt’s stream of thoughts was disturbed by a shadow that appeared next to him. Chip looked up to meet the face of the pony who, for some reason, kept taking sneak glances at him during the morning routine. He smelled nice, much kinder than the rest. With a butter-yellow coat and striped purple-pink mane, he looked down with kind and uncertain eyes at the empty seat opposite the changeling.
He obviously wants something, thought Chip, staring back and feeling a rising note of awkwardness slip into the air. Why is he staring at that chair so much? Does he want it? It’s not mine, so I guess he can take it. Or can he? Are pony chairs public property, or do they belong to the ones that have their flanks on it? But would that mean that everypony is struggling and fighting over territory and the right to rest their bodies on pieces of wood?
“Um…can I sit with you?” asked the newcomer, again crashing Chip’s train of thought. The changeling shrugged and took another bite of the bog-like stew they had for food.
The recruit sat down and placed his bowl in front of him. Chip observed with mild interest as the Pegasus positioned the dish and operated a spoon with just his feathers. In that regard, pony wings seemed to be much more durable. They might not have been as compact and light as changeling ones, but they gave a whole new degree of freedom in manipulating objects. On the other hoof, changelings used magic to move objects around, a thing pegasi couldn’t do.
At one point the recruit stopped, noticing Chip staring at his wings intently. The yellow colt blushed slightly and withdrew his wings, folding them tightly at his sides. He reached for the spoon with his hoof.
“I-Is something wrong?” he asked the changeling.
“No,” replied Chip, dipping his muzzle in the bowl and slurping down another bit of the porridge. One more such gulp and he’d be done with his portion of the food.
“I,” started the Pegasus, throwing a quick glance left and right before continuing, “I think that the Captain is treating you…a bit unfairly. I mean,” he paused again, looking away, his ears dancing up and down as he strained to present his opinion. “I mean, it’s like he’s bullying you. It’s not nice. We’re all here to learn to protect others, not be shouted at for nothing.” His last words were hushed and barely audible.
The changeling finished his proto-soup and considered the colt’s words. For one, the stallion seemed too nice to fit in around here. During exercises, he didn’t do better or worse than others, and he seemed to take his fair amount of shouting as well as the rest. Upon closer inspection, the changeling sensed a drive and sense of justice the others were lacking.
“Ehm…I,” started the colt again, putting his spoon down and looking around bashfully. This was one awkward stallion. “I don’t think I can eat more. You had less for breakfast, and you’re bigger than me...do you want some?” asked the yellow colt in a hushed voice.
Chip didn’t sense pity. The feeling was sweet, something akin to care, perhaps love, but different. It was something he felt near Celestia while he was trying to prove his trustworthiness. It was an air of caring for a greater good. Not towards Chip specifically, or anypony for that matter. A form of altruism, one that prefers those who truly needed it. Something a changeling couldn’t naturally understand.
“Thanks,” cautiously replied Chip, “but I don’t think it’s a good idea. Sticking around me can get you in trouble.”
“Oh,” sighed the stallion, staring at his food for a longer while. “Well, uhm…I don’t know. This seems wrong. I can’t handle wrong very well. A-And I don’t mind what others think of me,” he murmured out, an inaudible ‘much’ following. “If you’re hungry, just go ahead.”
“Thank you,” stiffly replied Chip, moving the food towards him. He wasn’t really hungry, at least not swamp-water-eating hungry, but he understood that this porridge was more of a symbol than actual food. It would make that pony happy and feeling good about himself. If Chip could do so little to give so much, why wouldn’t he?
* * *
When everypony finished their food, it was time for lessons in law. Chip stayed at the back of the group, having already been shoved and pushed around by the ignorant recruits at the front. If it wasn’t for the Princess, they would all be healing particularly deep fang wounds on their throats down at the field medic tent.
Contrary to exercises, theory lessons were held in a giant room full of chairs arranged in a half-moon, all focused around a single desk and blackboard. Chip sat down at the back, and the stallion from before, who finally introduced himself as Butterscotch, sat next to him.
The lessons were quite enjoyable. There was no shouting from the teacher, a bearded brown unicorn, and the things he talked about were fascinatingly outlandish for the changeling. Pony laws were indeed complex, and many a time Chip noticed they had loopholes that could be easily used to avoid punishment.
At some point, the fake pony reached a conclusion that, by comparison, changeling law was easier, as there was no law. The queen did everything and there was nobody to judge whether it was wrong or right. The whole definition of those two words was non-existent for the changeling race, in which only a single mind could actually make them up.
To his right Butterscotch was furiously writing down the teacher’s words in a notebook. Chip had no such thing and was worried that it was yet another pony thing that slipped past him. Others seemed to not mind the teacher at all, so it must have been just the pegasus fussing over details. Chip would simply remember all these laws, precedencies, sentences, dates and figures. Pretty much like the rest of the knowledge that dwelled in his spark-mind
* * *
Apart from law, the recruits were also given an introduction lesson in hoof to hoof self-defense. Everypony was whiny by then, mainly because dinner time was just around the corner. One pony even tried to complain.
The teacher, a rather tiny and nimble Pegasus mare, shut him up by flipping his large body across the room almost effortlessly. With a smug smile she stared down the others, who suddenly learned to shut their traps.
“Whoa,” sighed Chip, truly impressed by the might of the tiny warrior. “How did you do that? Is it magic?”
“Magic? Nope,” replied the teacher approaching Chip. The colt didn’t even move, contrary to the others around him who visibly took tiny steps to the sides. Even Butterscotch edged away slightly, but not enough to move away from the changeling’s side. “It’s simply practice, some practical knowledge and a black belt in martial arts. I can bet my right hoof that I could defeat all you stallions, even if you came at me all at once.”
Everypony was silent, much to the disappointment of the trained.
“Oh, really?” asked Chip, raising an eyebrow. “That’s impossible, I mean-”
The changeling made a fatal mistake. He tried to point to the teacher’s small size, noticing how the others could just crush her with their mass. His outstretched leg was immediately grabbed by the instructor’s firm hooves. Chip lost balance and tripped, starting a dance in the air that made use of his own weight and confusion. His instincts managed to take control of his body mid-technique, however.
Instead of landing face-down on the floor, the changeling spun around causing the teacher to lose her balance and sit on her rump. Before she could recover, Chip was already on top of her, his open jaw inches away from her throat. Satisfied with its work, the changeling instincts let go just in time to prevent Redberry’s jaws from closing on the teacher’s neck.
Everypony was silent, either too afraid to talk or too amazed at what just happened. Chip was merely embarrassed and hoped that ponies would let this slip up go.
* * *
Of course, word of Master Nindo being beaten by a fresh recruit in hoof to hoof combat traveled around the castle fast. The other recruits were impressed and even spared Chip a word or two of praise before dinner.
Despite his bashfulness, Butterscotch was rattling about the incident all the time during dinner, which consisted of the same muck-soup they had before, but in a more solid form.
“And I mean, wow! The way you just flipped around her hoof and pinned her to the ground! Amazing! And you even had the balls to kiss her after that!”
Yes, that was another fairy tale that Chip had to quickly extinguish before it got out of hoof. Apparently nopony noticed that the changeling was going to rip out his teacher’s windpipe. Everypony saw a bent over Redberry, with his face near hers, and they automatically concluded that he went in for a kiss. The teacher herself, after dislodging the apologetic changeling, was very red on the face and wafted of embarrassment and arousal.
“I’m telling you. I did not want to kiss her,” repeated Chip, all the while chewing the sorry excuse for a dinner into a form that could be swallowed without choking hazard.
“Then what did you do? Huh?” smiled Butterscotch, taking a sip of water and grinning.
Chip had nothing to say to that, which seemed to be the same as saying that he indeed wanted to steal a kiss from the ‘hot teacher’s’ lips.
* * *
Shining Armor’s hollering and slaps were a welcome change after the awkward self-defense class. Of course, the captain addressed the incident in a manner most appropriate – by beating Chip repeatedly on the head and having him do a couple hundred pushups, complemented by additional rounds of running or swimming.
“What Redberry did was dimwit’s luck!” hollered Armor, pushing Chip down with a hoof while he did his pushups. “You see, ponies that are less intelligent, or just blatantly stupid can sometimes do things like this. Luck isn’t something that is allowed in our line of work! Each and every one of you must rely on your skill, training and intelligence! You are bucking geniuses, I know you understand it all too well! We don’t want our precious Sun and Moon to be protected by dumb luck.” The captain lifted his foot and took on a dopey voice, prancing around Chip like a school filly. “Oh, look, Ah’m Redberry, and I wants ta’ save tha Princess! Ah didn’t train and tripped a teacher at school, so I can beat those mean big bully ponies wielding spears!” He stopped and stepped onto Redberry, who collapsed on the ground due to his armored superior’s weight. “What do you colts think would happen, in such a situation, huh?!”
“He’d get beaten down into the dust, sir Captain Shining Armor sir!” replied Thunderlane, everypony else repeating after him.
“See, Redberry?!” yelled Armor, lowering his head to look into Chip’s eyes. “Everypony in your team knows you can’t rely on luck! I think that you were given here to me so that the resultant IQ of the group wouldn’t exceed the predicted value! You are a tool, Redberry, a tool! The same kind you use to harvest the crops in your fertilized hillbilly farm!”
“No,” said a small voice behind Armor’s back. When the colt turned around, it was obvious who spoke up – the rest of the recruits moved away quite obviously, leaving a yellow Pegasus in the open. He tried to look hardy, staring into the air, but his legs were shaking like leaves on the wind.
“What did you say, recruit?” asked Shining Armor, slowly approaching the distressed colt. It was the same pony that the captain observed before – the one that actually showed some compassion towards the mistreating of Chip. An interesting gem that could turn out to be a diamond.
“Speak up son, I didn’t quite hear you. What did you say to me?” asked Shining Armor in a calm voice, silently wishing for an answer.
“N-n-n-o,” stumbled out Butterscotch, his whole body shaking like jelly.
“No what?”
“I-I-I,” stuttered the recruit, glancing nervously at his superior who was just a hoof away. “Unfair,” he finally gasped out.
“What? You think that I’m being unfair? You really think that?”
The yellow Pegasus nodded slightly. Shining Armor decided not to push the poor soldier further, at least for now. The recruit looked like he could soil himself any moment now.
“Of course it is unfair!” yelled out Shining Armor, eying the rest of the group who (by now) were a good few feet away from Butterscotch. “I’m surprised you bunch noticed it only now. What’s your name, son?”
“B-B-B,” said the Pegasus, gulping down an enormous clump in his throat before squeaking out an answer: “Butterscotch, sir Shining Armor Captain s-sir!”
“Butterscotch, I can see you have the proper instincts and balls to become a great guardspony!” applauded Shining Armor. “You already had your first law class, did you not? What were the first things you learned? About injustice? About what justice is? Well, do you think that me beating the living crap out of Redberry for no reason is just? That I am above the laws that bound our kingdom for over a thousand years? That this fancy helmet,” he continued, dropping his helmet and unbuckling his chest plate, “and this expensive armor gives me greater power than words written down in Ancient Equis, a language so old that the Princesses have trouble reading it? Do you?”
“No, sir Armor, sir. It shouldn’t. It doesn’t” replied Butterscotch, who now seemed taller and stronger than before.
“Of course, that should be as plain as day! And why do I see only one pony, one colt standing up in the face of injustice? What in Tartarus and Discord’s name is this place? A theatre? A place that you can stand by and watch? Huh?!”
The others remained silent, looking at the floor. Before Shining Armor managed to continue, Thunderlane broke the line and trotted over to Butterscotch, saluting.
“Sir, permission to speak, Captain Shining Armor sir!”
“Granted,” barked back Shining Armor, hiding a smile.
“I believed that you being our superior gave you the right to form us into soldiers according to the best ways you found fitting. Now I have understood that there are bounds, and you have crossed them, sir! I request that you stop punishing private Redberry, Captain Shining Armor sir!”
“I won’t,” dully replied Shining Armor. To his delight, Thunderlane didn’t even flinch. The now confident Butterscotch remained calm as well. “I am your superior, and I have not made a mistake here. I did what I thought was right. And that is another thing you must learn, Thunderlane. And you, Butterscotch. Your superior is always right. Your superior is always smarter and knows more than you. What you did was admirable, and everypony should question the orders of their superior if they find them crossing the line between morality and villainy.” The white stallion took a few steps back and looked at his recruits. “You must understand. The guardsponies are not machines. They are all colts and mares, all having their own minds, eyes and hearts. No two are alike, and that is both a strength and weakness. Some of them will be above you, ordering you around and making you do things that you might not agree too. Others, when and if you advance in rank, will give their lives in your hooves just the same. All this, it is not an invitation to being yes-men. It isn’t an excuse to be rebellious either. When you stand up to your superiors, be ready to face the consequences. If you follow an order you know is wrong, be prepared for after-effects. You, Butterscotch,” said Shining Armor in a much kinder voice. “You stood up to me. You disobeyed your superior because you thought it was wrong. The others apparently didn’t think so, maybe except for Thunderlane. I commend you for that. At the same time, I will have to punish you for standing out of line. Do you understand all this? Do you know why?”
“Sir…I think so, Captain Shining Armor. Sir,” calmly replied the yellow Pegasus.
“Fine. Then, as punishment, you will help Redberry here do his pushups. You too Thunderlane. All three of you will do a sum of two hundred push-ups. I don’t care which one does how many. I wanna hear two-hundred at the end of it. The rest of you,” smirked Shining Armor, “you will do two hundred push-ups too. Individually. For being cowards, or not listening to professor Lawson. I know you boys ain’t dumb, so I’ll just assume you were too shy to speak up.”
Everypony did their punishment in silence. Some were mowing down the concept of justice that Shining Armor just revealed to them. Others didn’t care much and concentrated on hating Redberry for being such a tool and irritating Shining Armor. The brighter ones decided to put more effort into watching Butterscotch, Thunderlane and Redberry.
* * *
Supper and evening exercises were pretty much uneventful compared to the afternoon drama. Chip noticed that Shining Armor eased up on the shouting and beating a bit, all the while observing Butterscotch who seemed to tense up each time the white-coated superior would raise his voice.
It was half past nine when everypony came back to the barracks. Groups of friends strolled around the room, talking, laughing or, more often than not, complaining. Chip didn’t have an occasion to sit down alone this time – Butterscotch stuck to his side like glue.
Now out of his shell, he turned out to be a good-natured and chatty pony, content with talking without much input from Chip. In return, the changeling enjoyed listening about the Pegasus, his life, how he decided to join the guardsponies and what were his life plans. For some reason, Thunderlane was leaning on a wall nearby, his ear twitching every now and then as he eavesdropped on the two.
“So, you know, mares really like the uniform. I heard that the Captain himself had somepony from higher society as a fiancée. Nothing’s official yet, but rumor has it she’s a real beauty, and that they’ve been dating in secret for some years now.”
“Interesting,” replied Chip. Apparently the captain was good with secrets. Butterscotch would never guess how good indeed.
Before the clock struck ten, the captain entered the barracks and called Redberry to his office. Butterscotch tried to object but was held back by Chip with a hoof and a wink. Whatever the pony understood, it was enough to allow the changing to go out without a scene, almost unnoticed by the ponies who were preparing to go to sleep.
* * *
“What an eventful day,” said Shining Armor, relief crawling into his features. “Good thing this group is learning fast. I don’t know how much longer my throat could stand this shouting and all. Everypony learned quite a few valuable lessons thanks to you and Butterscotch. That pony will go places,” smiled the white stallion.
“How so?” asked Chip, sitting down.
“Let’s just say that it is thanks to ponies like him we can sleep peacefully during the night and enjoy the sunlight during the day,” said the captain, pulling out a big tome from a drawer. “Anyway. Today I think we’ll expand on what you learned about pony law, since that subject already bubbled up today. You ready?”
After the first week at boot camp, Chip found himself trapped in a rather dull routine. It reminded him of the life in his former hive - days seemed to merge together, becoming formless blobs of time spent on training and eating. Even the lectures, which he was looking forward to each day, became unbearably boring. The pace was sluggish and the teacher kept repeating the same bits of information over and over, as if learning could be achieved by rubbing knowledge against one’s face long enough.
The only thing keeping him afloat were the private sessions with Shining Armor - while his style of teaching wasn’t particularly coherent or rich, the changeling enjoyed listening about pony history, the customs and rules in their society. The equine was also keeping up a reasonable pace - unlike his other teachers, he had to cover a lot of things in a much smaller amount of time.
“Are you sure you got all that?” asked the captain, looking at his student with unease. He knew that this particular stallion was special, and he trusted Celestia when she said the future soldier was a prodigy. Still, the pace at which they kept exploring Equestria’s history and the silence of the red-coated giant filled him with a tiny bit of doubt. “I mean, if you have any questions, I’d rather you ask now than fail later,” he finished, eying the colt.
Chip cocked his head. “Should I have any questions, sir?” he asked, uncertain of what the guard wanted of him. All this time he smelled the bother in him, thinking hard how to counteract it. The changeling was certain he could repeat almost word for word this and the previous lessons - like with his books, he had a way to make himself remember important bits of information instead of letting them fade out like most of the day to day noise. After all, a regular bug’s mind was pretty vacant, and his unique spark had all that space to work with…
“No. I mean, yes...maybe,” stammered Shining, sighing. “I just have the impression you’re not really paying attention.” He rubbed his eyes. These extra activities put an annoying irregularity in his daily routine, an additional stress point on top of the looming wedding ceremony he hasn’t even started preparing for. The stallion cleared his throat and looked the red colt straight in the eye. “Okay, pop quiz. Date of the first Griphon Conflict?”
Not this again, thought Chip with a groan. He had it with pop quizzes and tests. Apparently it was common practice in pony society to not trust the student and assume he didn’t pay attention to the time the teachers spent to share their knowledge. What sane person would do that? Nonetheless, if the pony really needed this, he would comply.
“Officially started and ended on 345 Anno Deae, but the conflict went on as a cold war for three more years”
“What was the name of the leader of the Sea Dragon Bay Buccaneers?”
“Candy Flush, and he was also the admiral in the first mercenary fleet of Equestria, The Jolly Plunderers.”
“What is Princess Celestia’s favorite food?”
Chip smirked, stifling a giggle. “Chocolate cake,” he chirped.
The so far content Shining Armor suddenly furrowed his brows and frowned. “No, it’s banana slices with slim vanilla and dark chocolate cream, topped with a cherry. See, this is all too fast for you.”
It was Chip’s turn to look surprised. “What? I’m pretty certain she loves chocolate cake the most.” Seeing his superior’s features darken even further, he bit his tongue, continuing with a sigh: “Right. Okay, I got one answer wrong. So what? You can ask my teachers, this would be the first thing I ever remembered wrong. Sir.” Even if I didn’t, he thought to himself.
The captain slowly turned around, looking at the fire. “That’s not good enough, Redberry. You need to be perfect.” He glanced at his student briefly. “Or rather, I won’t put my signature under anything less than perfect. Do you even know what you are trying to do?” The stallion turned his gaze sideways, where many paintings of well known historical figures hung.
The changeling followed his gaze, recognizing the first top row of olden heroes from the brief descriptions of his lecturers and Armor. There were three other sets of paintings that he had no clue about.
“You see, if it were just the guard, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Even the elite royal guards, as you can see, let a few bolts and nuts shake loose,” continued the stallion, absent-mindedly staring at the historical figures. “In the service, we are all aware we are just mortals, designated to safeguard our goddesses so that they don’t have to deal with the mundane and unimportant. We pick out the most promising - the smartest, the strongest, hell, even the wise-asses who skim by on confidence alone. But the special forces?” The captain turned around, slowly walking towards the fake pony as he continued: “They don’t officially exist. They are off the record and only the Princesses know how they are chosen. There isn’t a single file on them, their actions or contributions to anything. All I really know is, the Princess wants and expects you to be above and beyond anything the royal guard boot camp can teach you. You must be stronger, faster, smarter and more versed in virtually everything than...well, even me,” sighed Shining, shaking his head. He sat in front of the recruit, staring at his amused face. “Do you understand that? All this, something that I personally worked hard on for years, has to be put into your head and body in less than 3 weeks,” he said, accenting his words heavily.
On his side, Chip didn’t really see the issue. In fact, if what the captain said was true, they were wasting precious time now by explaining to him what he already knew.
“Sir, with all due respect, I do understand. I’m terribly sorry I upset you with my wrong answer. I promise that it will never happen again and that I’ll do more than just my best.”
Shining smirked weakly, putting a hoof to his snout and rubbing it. “Yeah, I know. Don’t get me wrong kid - from my point of view, you’re the best damn soldier I had the pleasure to train, and don’t you forget it. I’m really proud of you, recruit,” he smiled, nudging the changeling’s shoulder lightly. “I guess that it’s just really stressing for me as well. If you’re not prepared enough, I would be letting the Princess down, you know? And the worst part is, I can only do so much with the time we have. Keeping up an act, having to study up on everything myself as well, along with some private stuff in my life as well...”
Chip felt uneasy. He grasped the basics of compassion, but he didn’t know how it all worked in a captain-recruit relationship. He wished he could feel it better, since all his rational thoughts on the subject usually ended with him having trouble over it. With a bit of hesitance, he smiled at the pony.
“I understand, sir. You’re doing a great job. Together, I’m sure we’ll make the Princess proud. I wouldn’t have chosen a better captain myself if I could, Captain Shining Armor, sir” he declared, bolstering himself with lines from a dramatic war novel he read way back when. It seemed to have worked, as the aura around the stallion got tinted with some hope and purpose.
“Thanks, Redberry. I wouldn’t have chosen a finer student either,” he smirked, sighing sharply and picking himself up. “Alright. We wasted enough time as it is. Think we can double-time it and get to Colonel Bluesnout’s valiant last stand before midnight?”
* * *
“You came back to the barracks pretty late yesterday. Captain Shining giving you more flak than usual?” asked Butterscotch, moving along in the line for some nutritious breakfast of undisclosed origin.
“Nah, I’m fine. Sorry I woke you up,” replied Chip, reluctantly presenting his bowl to the burly cook. The stallion had the most bored expression stuck on his face, his hoof mechanically dipping a large spoon in a giant, bubbling kettle and depositing the muddy substance in front of him. The changeling noticed before that if you weren’t fast enough with the plate, you ended up with half a ration, or even no food at all.
“Oh no, you didn’t! I guess I was just worried, hehe. I just, uh, have trouble falling asleep,” he stuttered, swiftly skitting his plate under the cook’s hoof before his food got dumped on the counter.
The smell of confusion and something sweeter wafted from the skittish pegasus, but Chip was too preoccupied with his thoughts to give it any further mind. He had to think up a plan to cram even more knowledge into his head and actually exercise for once. All the activities the ponies partook in were hardly straining for a changeling of his build, and he was certain that he’d either need weighs on his back to feel any strain, or spend a lot more time jumping hoops or climbing ropes to actually gain any muscle.
“A change of diet could also help,” he muttered, observing with mild amusement as his spoon, despite being at least a foot away from the plate, was still connected with the main mass of the muddy food through a thick, solid strand.
* * *
The changeling was working harder than ever before to at least warm up his muscles, but to no avail. No amount of running, climbing, jumping or pushing up could make him break a sweat. Back at the hive things were simpler - you pushed a rock, tackled a boulder or wrestled gravel. When you were tired or squished enough, you stopped and called it a day. Simple and efficient.
“C’mon everypony, pick up the pace! Even Redberry here is keeping up with me!” shouted Shining Armor, bringing Chip back to reality. Without realizing it, the fake pony pushed on ahead of the group, with the captain panting by his side. He immediately slowed down, much to the relief of his superior who had droplets of sweat running down his muzzle.
“Why didn’t you say this was a breeze for you?” hissed Shining, glancing back at the recruits who only now were catching up. “If you’re a lot stronger than this, get some weigh straps from the requisition office, on my authority. I don’t know how you do it, but you can’t be running ahead of me like that - it would lower morale and raise suspicion.”
“Sorry, sir,” mouthed the changeling, finally merging into his panting group. He found Butterscotch at the very back, out of breath and red all over his face. The pegasus smiled meekly, still bravely trotting onward.
“Wow,” he coughed, lowering his voice, “you got some steam in ya, buddy. I think you even gave the, heh, captain a run for his money.”
All Chip could do was reply with a smile and continue running.
* * *
The changeling managed to slip out after dinner without anypony noticing. It was a feat to lose Butterscotch, who seemed to follow him around almost everywhere, but even the persistent stallion was no match for the stealthy capabilities of a seasoned predator. Or, at least, for the shapeshifting capabilities of one.
After the green flames around his body burned down his temporary disguise, Redberry trotted into the small requisition office. It consisted of a grated window behind which a bored blue pony wearing a uniform sat, a ceiling light and a plain chair. With confidence, the changeling approached the officer, putting his hooves against the glass.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” he asked, pressing his face against the cold surface. The stallion on the other side gave him a disgruntled look, opening a small gap at the bottom of the window.
“What do you want, recruit? You’re way too early in your training to even be here,” snorted the guard.
Chip raised a brow, sliding his snout down to the opening and pushing it in. “I was sent here by Captain Shining Armor to get some training weighs, sir,”
The guard was getting more irate at the newbie’s shenanigans. He gave the muzzle poking onto his side of the glass a shove and started rummaging through a stack of papers. He retrieved a form with a note attached to it stating that, indeed, a stallion by the name of Redberry was to be handed whatever size training weighs he desired. It was marked with a red highlighter as extremely important, much to the surprise of the officer.
“What was your name again, trainee?”
* * *
“Too light,” stated Chip for what was probably the eleventh time. The changeling felt the guard’s rising frustration and anger with each returned set of heavier weights. He felt kinda guilty about giving the poor soul a hard time, but his mission was way more important than the comfort of a single soldier. He had to find training gear that would challenge his body into growth, waking up from a way too long state of stagnation.
The irate officer cast the heavy bags aside onto a growing pile, going to the back to fetch some more. These goddamn cadets, he thought to himself, furiously stomping down the aisle with punching bags and soft helmets, think they’re so much better than a seasoned veteran! I’ve served at the southern bastions, goddamit! I didn’t get a promotion like this to sit around and pamper to some yellow belly who thinks he can carry his own weight in sand-bags!
The stallion stopped at the nearly empty shelves where training weights were. He looked over the black pouches, silently muttering to himself. “10, 15, 20...nope. Oh, it’s too light, I managed to take two steps in it, ne ne ne ne nenene.” He sighed in frustration. He was supposed to be somepony important here, handing out gear to real guards, maintaining equipment, keeping accurate record of inventory! He would not go back for the thirteenth time to fetch this newbie his bags.
Chip smiled dopily at the returning stallion, who was dragging behind him another set of straps that could weigh down his hooves and back. The feeling of being sorry intensified as he felt the tang of hatred in the pony’s mood - an emotion changelings naturally avoided. He decided that he’d just accept the weights, thank the officer profusely and come back another day, when he’d be in a better mood.
With a strained “oomph” the servicepony slid the straps to Chip, giving him a deep frown. “These are the heaviest we got. In my life, I’ve only seen a couple stallions carry that weight. I’d be really surprised if you could even do a push-up in those,” he hissed through grit teeth, impatiently tapping his hoof while the changeling strapped on.
This was more like it. The fake pony took a few steps in his new gear, the force of gravity viciously pulling against his flexing muscles. He dropped on his belly and did a couple push-ups, causing the other guard’s jaw to hang agape in wordless amazement. He didn’t look at the mass, but he could tell it was more or less at least as heavy as his bulky changeling carapace. He shot the stunned pony a wide grin and bowed.
“Thank you for bearing with me, sir. These are excellent. I will make it a point to relay how helpful you were to the Captain. I wish you a nice day! Sir!” he said, saluting briefly before walking out on the still frozen in place officer.
* * *
Walking back to the camp was pleasantly hard. The black pouches stuck to his skin like glue, the one on the back making every effort to break the changeling’s spine. He hadn’t felt so good in a long time - he totally forgot the simple joys of changeling life. I mean, this isn’t rock-quality fun here, but at least I’ll start feeling tired as much as the next guy, he mused, trotting a short distance, relishing in the warmth the setting sun lay upon his straining muscles.
“This is where the real training begins, my Princess!” he whispered to himself, standing at attention and facing one of the many Canterlot Castle’s towers. “I promise I’ll make you, Captain Shining Armor...and Twilight Sparkle, proud!”
Shining Armor still had his doubts about Redberry, but the stallion worked really hard to put them to rest. Ever since they had that heart to heart, the earth pony worked harder than anyone else to better himself. He observed the recruit strain and groan, but never complain, working out with his black weight pouches attached to his limbs and back. The Captain didn’t know how much he wore, but it was obvious by the sound his hoofsteps made it was a lot - the first time Redberry jumped down from a wall with a ground-shattering thud, he was certain the pony broke something. His worries were put to rest by what could only be described as a delighted grin on the stallion's muzzle.
Chip was enjoying himself much more now that his body had to work for its meals. He felt adrenaline course through his body as he struggled to keep up with his platoon. The burn in his muscles, a sensation he hadn’t felt in so long, drove him to a near primal state of euphoria. He was truly happy doing squats, jumping hoops or climbing ropes. He loved the quaking feeling his body went through when he jumped down, almost robbing him of breath and feeling in his limbs.
He lost himself so much in improving his body that lectures became an unwelcome break between exercises. While he still paid attention to what the teachers said and dutifully answered his tests, all he really longed for all day long was to gear up in his bags and gallop around the camp.
As the days went by, Chip started noticing a problem. A very serious problem. He was hungry. And the scent of Butterscotch was so enticing…
* * *
The butter-yellow pegasus was doing a fine job, if he could say so himself. He was fit, scored decently and even started making friends with the other recruits. What they thought was timidness turned out to be righteousness, a quality Captain Shining Armor said was very important in a Royal Guard. The others were very eager to know more about it, and Butterscotch was happy to deliver, even if he wasn’t clear on how to pass down the sense of moral justice to another.
While not talking a whole lot to the others, he always found himself having a lot to say around Redberry. The stallion was mostly silent, but turned out to be an excellent listener, sometimes inquiring about things the pegasus said or did. Him and Thunderlane, a pony who usually just floated in the vicinity, were someponies Butterscotch could perhaps call friends.
As of late, Redberry became a lot more active, happier to a degree. While he was still being the target of the Captain’s nagging, he took it well and exerted a lot of confidence, something Butterscotch didn’t have in copious amounts. He felt naturally drawn to the earth pony, feeling safe whenever he was around. It was strange, really. He never had anypony in particular who he looked up to in his life. His parents were good folk and raised him well, but the pegasus wanted to be someone more than just another gray face in the streets. He went way out of his comfort zone and applied to the military, and was lost for some time, stubbornly continuing down his path despite not being able to draw any pleasure from it.
With Redberry now, he felt he had the backbone to actually focus on something, strive for more than just being part of the group. He never talked to the earth pony about it, but he treated him like somepony he could lean on in case he got...well, scared. It was a great feeling, to finally get out of his shell. Whether the red stallion knew it or not, he helped Butterscotch catch wind in his wings, so to speak.
* * *
Butterscotch chatted up Chip on their way to the dining table. The pegasus was excited, having just scored top of the class in the law case study they had. He happily chirped away at how he reached the conclusions he did, not noticing the peculiar way his listener stared at him.
The changeling took deep, long whiffs of Butterscotch’s emotions. The pegasus was happy, excited, proud of himself. He felt the bond that connected them both, the mouth-watering sweetness of friendship. It was as vibrant and strong as it could get. It was just inches away from his face. All it took was perhaps a small flash of transformation to whip his horn out and begin to feed. His body and mind were hungering, the physical strain demanding proper nourishment. Chip had to make a conscious effort to not jump Butterscotch over the table.
“How about you, Red? I know you did excellent as always, but what do you think of these cases?” asked the yellow treat, snapping Chip out of his trance.
“Huh?” gulped the deceiver, his muscles pent up and ready for a pounce. “Oh, uh, yeah. It seemed fine to me. Why?”
Butterscotch raised an eyebrow, stopping his spoon mid-way to his mouth. “Are you kidding me? The law back then was so horrid! I mean, all the poor sod did was get some wheat for his family! She shouldn’t have been-”
The rest of the pegasus’ fiery speech was lost on Chip. The bouquet of scents his senses were constantly barraged with threatened to overwhelm him. He had to do something about it. He had to consult Celestia about his needs. It was, after all, her idea. He knew the talk would be extremely hard, as he himself was very much against the idea of feeding on another pony. But with his body requiring real energy in order to grow, there was no way around it. As it were, he could finally reach a point at which he’d attack an innocent in a frenzied rage, unable to stop himself from blowing his cover and failing the mission. That was unacceptable.
“I’m sorry Butters, I have to go,” said the changeling, standing up and stiffly walking away, much to the silent surprise of the yellow pegasus.
* * *
“You want to talk to the Princess? But why?” asked Shining Armor, scratching his head. They have barely begun their lesson for the night when Redberry made a request to talk to the sun goddess herself. “If it’s something regarding your training, you can tell me. I’m here to help, remember?”
Chip shook his head slowly. “No, Captain. This is a matter that I need to discuss with the Princess, and as fast as possible. It would be best if you even brought her in now.”
“You can’t be serious, right? She’s probably fast asleep by now. What’s so important anyway?” asked the Captain again, both intrigued and worried.
The recruit stood up, a grim expression on his face. “Sir, if you won’t bring her to me, I will be forced to go there myself. This matter is extremely important, and it’s between me and the Princess. I’m afraid...sir, don’t take this the wrong way. It’s best you not know.”
Shining pursed his lips together but didn’t reply. He worked in the military long enough to sense when it’s best to just drop the subject. It just seemed really weird that the Princess did not provide this pony with means of contacting her, magically or otherwise. This was all very mysterious and over his head.
“And you’re sure this can’t wait till morning or anything?” asked Shining, already knowing the answer by the way the red pony looked at him. It was a rock gaze of determination. Almost like looking into a mirror several years back. “Alright, I’ll do my best. You wait here - it’s best if only I go around making a commotion with my unreasonable demands.” He exited the safety bubble of his office, briskly strutting towards the inner parts of the castle. Despite his better judgment, he decided he would ask the Princess what was going on. Maybe he could help in a more efficient way if he were briefed better on the current mission?
Princess Celestia delicately sat her rump on a pillow, the stinging sensation chipping away at her patience. All this stress, irregular meals and plenty of things to do made her develop a peculiarly nasty medical condition. The alicorn already tried some creams and medications, still unable to fathom how her immortal and well kept body could give out like this.
“I’ll need softer pillows,” hissed the day princess, squirming around. She rubbed a hoof at her tired eyes, stifling a yawn.
She was jolted awake by gentle knocking on the door. At this time of night, she would already be asleep if it weren’t for her little problem. More irritably than she should, the mare trotted over and flung the door open.
Shining Armor backed away a few steps, the beast before him nothing like the regal Princess he knew. Her mane was matte and still, the colors mixing into a disheveled pattern. Her bloodshot eyes developed slight bags, the nasty frown beneath them looking no better.
“I-I’m sorry to bother, Princess,” nervously said Shining, bowing as deeply as he possibly could. “T-There is something that R-Redberry requests of you. Normally I wouldn’t dare to bother Your Highness at this hour, but the stallion insisted it was urgent and needed your attention.”
Celestia stood still, looking down at the huddled figure. Her brain took a detour while trying to figure out who Reberry was and why would he ever need anything from her. “Who?” she blurted out, taking a few steps outside and gingerly closing the winded doors behind her.
“T-The pony you put under my command. The one who has to complete training in a month?” tried the captain, shuffling back to make room for the towering alicorn. He felt her angry gaze scorch his neck through his golden armor.
“Oh!” Chip wanted something of her. Of course. “What did he want again?”
“He wouldn’t say, Princess. He said it was for your ears only. Maybe I could help somehow?” suggested Shining, by now almost pressing his muzzle into the pristine marble beneath him. “You seem tired, milady.”
“No, it’s fine, Shining,” sighed Celestia, batting her unruly mane into a state of lesser chaos. “You have a wedding to worry about. I already put too much on your plate as it is. I can handle this. Where is he?”
“I-In my office, milady. We will have to walk since-”
Before he could finish, there was a blinding flash of light followed by searing pain in his brain as the powerful alicorn teleported, tearing through his protection spell like it were paper. It felt like his head being split apart with a flaming chainsaw in a freezer. He dropped to the floor, biting down on his teeth to not scream in agony.
* * *
“Shit,” cussed Celestia, seeing the purple bubble that enveloped the room deflate and dissipate. She ignored the stunned Redberry for now, raising a barrier of her own, her bogged down mind realizing what she must have done to the poor guard who put it up.
With a heavy sigh she teleported the squirming and groaning Shining Armor into his office. As fast as she could she cobbled together a painkiller spell, applying it to the unicorn who immediately went limp, breathing heavily.
“What happened to him, Princess?” asked Chip, looking between the alicorn and guard, recoiling from the heavy odors of pain, anger and confusion wafting from the pair. “Is everything alright?”
“You tell me,” cut Celestia. She tried sitting on the rug, but as soon as her flanks settled on the soft surface she felt the annoying burning in her rump. “Shit,” she cussed again, standing up stiffly. “What do you want?”
“I-I’m sorry,” blurted out the changeling, bowing before the clearly upset mare. “I-I wouldn’t dare to summon you if the situation wasn’t dire. A-As much as I’d love to get to the point, uh...” He hesitantly pointed at the Captain, giving the princess a meaningful stare.
“He’s out cold, don’t worry. He’ll be fine. You can speak freely.” Celestia summoned what little composure she had left, slowing her breathing and managing a smile. “What was it that you needed to tell me, Chip?”
“I’m terribly, terribly sorry Princess. It’s just that...when I started training, for real, the strain in my body…I started hungering,” he muttered out.
“Go on.”
“While the food that I eat lets me function, I’m afraid that a changeling body...or maybe just my body needs real food. I’ve tried to work past it, but being amongst the ponies I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to just-”
“You didn’t attack anyone, right? I won’t be hearing of recruits missing anywhere?” cut in Celestia, rising a hoof in unease.
“No! Nonono, Princess,” blurted out the changeling, lying on the ground and bashing his head to the cool surface. “I would rather take my life than defy your commands. But...as it is now, I am a danger to the camp. I have to struggle to keep myself in check, and as such my capabilities are hindered. I have no idea what I should do, Princess.”
Celestia looked at the bowing figure, biting her lower lip. “This is a problem, truly.” She began pacing around the room, absentmindedly glancing at the war heroes of the past. Most of them she recognized. Many were her friends at one time or another, all laid to rest centuries ago. All faithful servants of the Crown. She glanced back at the changeling, his face still humbly glued to the floor. Even this one, an alien to their kingdom, did what he could to aid them. The changeling traitor. The biggest strength and liability she had to deal with since her sister’s awakening to the Nightmare.
“There’s no way around it, yes?” asked Celestia in a serious tone. A faint nod from the shapeshifter made her purse her lips even tighter. She sighed and straightened herself. Maybe it was her dulled state of mind, the stress or the inflammation, but she really didn’t find it in herself to seek a solution when one was readily available. Even if the prospect of calling upon it was grim at best. “Fine then. I am here. You can feed on me. I trust you.”
Chip’s heart skipped a beat, the immoral offer striking him like a hammer. With renewed fervor he backed away a few steps, closing his eyes shut. “No, Princess, I can’t! W-We’ll find a way! I-I’ll fight through it!” he assured, shaking his head vigorously.
“Chip. No. I’m too tired to look for another way out. We’re out of time. You need to be fit, more so than me. I have my sister to help me out, while you are here alone, a wolf in sheep’s skin. I appreciate your dedication and sacrifice - with that in mind, it would be wrong of me as a dutiful and just ruler to idly sit back while you endure torture, heeding a command that goes against your very nature. I always accepted the possibility of having to...provide for you at some point.”
“B-But, my Princess! No! I’m sorry, I-I can’t! I won’t!” yelled the changeling, backing into a corner. He never felt so much panic and confliction in his whole existence. His distress caused his agitated body to respond, a flash of green burning away his disguise. His insectoid wings flared out, stiff and aching from the lack of movement in the past months.
“Chip. That was an order. As your Princess, I command you to take what you need. Please, don’t make this any harder than it already is,” said Celestia, her tone heavy with fatigue. She was angry. She was scared. She trusted the changeling, but judging by what Twilight wrote in her reports…
The distressed colt scraped his holed hooves against the glimmering walls of Shining Armor’s office. He wanted to escape, huddle into a ball and shiver. His obedient nature fought against the love he had for his ruler. He felt he could just tear himself in two, the hunger striking at him with savage ferocity.
He needed to feed. He wanted to sink his mental teeth in joy, love, friendship. He craved the mouth-watering honor, justice and compassion. His curved horn was tingling with anticipation, already probing the uneasy mare, going so far as to even reaching for the knocked out Shining Armor.
With a primal roar, he turned around and basked the room in green. His hunger was let loose like a wild beast, thrown against the two ponies.
Celestia closed her eyes, bracing against the growing force she felt intrude into her mind.
* * *
The royal mare woke up with a jolt. She didn’t remember the precise moment that she passed out - her head felt fuzzy, the rest of her body somewhat cold. Her protection spell was gone, but judging by the flickering of the candles, not much time has passed.
Next to her lay the twitching massive changeling, his eyes closed tightly shut. Just beyond him was Shining Armor, still out cold from the badly woven spell.
The mare shakily stood on all fours, inspecting herself. With some surprise she felt more energetic than before, her pains and woes lifted as if by a magic wand. The sensation was at least bizarre - there were empty spaces in her mind, but there was no pain or sense of loss connected to them.
“Chip?” she whispered, prodding the black plated creature next to her. “Are you alright?”
The changeling gave a long groan, blinking slowly, focusing his slitted eye on the Princess. A small smile cracked his face as he shuffled on the floor meagerly.
“I-Is it done? I do not feel any...worse. What happened? Did something backfire?”
“Noooooo,” moaned out Chip, an uncouth belch escaping his lips. “I’m done. I did what you asked.”
“What did you do exactly?” asked the princess, raising an eyebrow.
“I fed. On your emotions. Like you wanted me to,” hissed out Chip, heaving his massive form upwards.
“Which emotions?” huffed the Princess. Oddly enough, she didn’t feel irritated at the shapeshifter, which only fortified her suspicions.
“The ones that bothered you, Princess,” smiled the stallion, sitting on his rump. He gave another loud belch, smacking his lips with disgust. “I’m really sorry. There was so many of them, I just couldn’t help myself. I swear.”
“Of course,” sighed Celestia, shaking her head slowly. She sat down next to the changeling (despite the discomfort in her rump) and embraced him. He was all hard shell, but deep inside she swore she could feel the thundering of his gentle heart. “You’re impossible. Thank you. But believe me, I am not letting you off the hook. This is a serious issue we must deal with,” whispered the Princess into his ear. Despite his mane looking greasy and ruined, it didn’t have any particular smell. He felt like any other pony she ever touched, save for the chitinous surface.
Chip felt really sick to his stomach, having absorbed all the things changeling usually steered clear of. It took all his willpower to vacuum the pair of their insecurities, fears and negative emotions. Now he would probably be sick for days, halting his appetite at least a tiny bit. But it was well worth it - the pure love he smelled right now was beautiful, something so amazing it would be a sin to consume it. It wasn’t the love of a disguise or from a mind-altering spell - the Princess really cared for who he was. And what he has done.
* * *
Celestia, now calm and collected, expunged the numbness from Shining’s body. The stallion woke up gradually, dazily blinking at Redberry and the Princess.
“I’m sorry, Shining. I was in a really bad mood before. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” apologized the mare, offering a hoof to the captain.
“Don’t pay it any mind, Princess,” replied Armor, picking himself up and bowing slightly. “I feel better now anyway. While I was out, I had the most absurd vision. I’m not even sure it was a dream.” After a brief pause, he pointed at Redberry. “Redberry changed into some kind of creature, a chip I think. Then there was some shouting about feeding and there was this green light-”
The captain bit his tongue, looking at the shocked expressions of Celestia and Redberry. The air suddenly became heavy with tension. He felt like he has just put a particularly thick noose around his neck.
Shining Armor’s attention was now riveted to Redberry.
In his time, the Captain of the Royal Guard got many mean glares. Be it his subordinates, superiors, the Princesses or even his fiance, he always endured and stood his ground. His spirit was unyielding, one of a true warrior and protector.
That same spirit was now desperately trying not to empty its bowels on the quite expensive rug below. There was something off about the way the private stared at him. If you’d ever seen a gryphon soldier observe his opponent, it was something similar. There was predatory ferality in that stare. An unbridled strength and tension. Shining felt like he couldn’t look away, lest he be struck down in an instant.
“Alright. Let’s talk about this. Calmly.” The Princess rubbed her temples, her head thankfully clear. “First things first, though,” she whispered, enveloping the room in a golden aura. “What you see or hear today, Captain Shining Armor, is extremely top secret. It is unfortunate that you heard what you did. I wish I could have just altered your memories somehow, but you’d eventually figure out you have been tampered with. You were chosen for having a specific skillset, after all.”
Celestia moved in between the two stallions, releasing Shining Armor of the heavy, blood-chilling sensation of the private’s stare. Redberry tried to shift around her, never looking away from the point where Shining's head was, but was stopped with a gentle hoof and a slow head shake from the Princess.
“Let me handle this,” she said to him with a neutral tone. After a brief pause for thought, she looked the guard straight in the face. “Shining Armor. Can you please tell me of our political standings with our neighbours?”
The captain blinked rapidly. The question threw him off a bit, but it took him only a few seconds to regain his composure. “W-Well,” he gulped, “the Gryphon Empire in the west has been rather peaceful. We had a few skirmishes here and there I’ve been told, but nothing out of the ordinary. The southern buffalo tribes haven’t bothered us much either, even going so far as to sending an ambassador every now and then. From the east there is the ocean, and up north there is nothing but a span of wastelands.”
An uneasy silence fell. Shining begun to sweat. He tried to think of anything that he’d missed, guess this dark secret that was apparently a great burden for the duo before him.
“That is not entirely true,” mused the Princess. “There is another nation we were not aware of, living in secrecy, not that far away from us.” She looked at the confused captain, stepping to the side to reveal Redberry again. “Our friend here is one of them. Now, Armor, I want you to remain calm. You are safe here with me. Redberry, or rather Chip, is on our side.”
“I-I wasn’t aware of another pony nation up north-” started Shining, only to be interrupted by the Princess’ hoof.
“Not pony.” She pursed her lips, nodding slightly at the shapeshifter. “Changeling.”
Without much warning, the red fur on Redberry’s back burst into green flames. Armor didn’t have even a second to yelp before the whole stallion was ablaze. A blink later, the fire died out, leaving behind a much more massive, charcoal black creature. The monster was daunting in every way possible - starting with his bulky build, shiny armor plates, through the fangs on his elongated muzzle and strange, insect like wings on his back, ending on the twisted horn and slitted, deep blue eyes.
The Captain has never seen anything like that in his life. His body reacted immediately, tensing up for a fight or flight reaction. His breath was shallow and fast, eyes darting between the Princess and Chip.
“Calm down, Shining Armor. As I said, he’s our friend. He’s unique, one of a kind in his race. He came here to warn us and help prevent conflict between our two nations.”
With his ears still glued against the back of his head, the stallion nodded. He silently stared up and down the massive chest and holed hooves. The changeling’s plate, despite the shine it had, was littered with tiny cracks and bruises.
“I know his appearance may seem...startling at first,” said the Princess, looking the changeling over. “Still, trust me when I say that he isn’t as bad as he looks. Rough around the edges and still unprepared to live in our society, but not a threat to it either.”
“T-Those flames,” stammered out Shining, his voice cracking despite his most valiant effort.
The Princess nodded her head. “That’s a sort of magic, a kind of skill unique to their race. While each pony tribe has a special strength in them, like growing food or flying, the changelings are capable of assuming any form they desire.”
“W-What?”
“A small demonstration, Chip,” ordered the Princess.
The so far motionless monster nodded lightly, staring the Captain down. Shining winced, given only a second to look into the cold, almost soulless eyes before an unexpected emerald flame blinded him. He raised a hoof on instinct, the fire gone as quickly as it appeared. Hesitantly, the stallion lowered his appendage, looking back at a mirror copy of himself doing the same thing. Armor jumped in place, the clone mimicking the motion.
“As you can see and feel, this is a most formidable ability. One that, when used poorly, could threaten all of Equestria and beyond.”
The doppelganger stood up, as did the original, gingerly tip-toing forward until the two stood muzzle to muzzle. The captain raised a hoof, and so did the other. They both cocked their heads, letting their eyes travel around one another’s body.
“Even for me, it is difficult to tell you two apart. There is no trace of magic left behind, and their race developed a skill set that would make the best infiltrators green with envy. They can easily blend in, pretend to be anypony, even going so far as using some form of mind control to bend creatures to their will...”
Unexpectedly, Chip sat down, startling Shining to jump back. He could swear he was faced with an invisible mirror up to that point. “Wow,” he whispered, sitting on his own rump, his mind racing. “And such creatures...how many-”
“You have no idea,” said the doppelganger in the captain’s voice, making his eyes go wide in both fear and amazement. “The swarm I came from was immense, with every drone controlled by a single Queen, my former ruler. She...” The changeling paused for a longer time, sighing deeply before continuing: “She is dangerous. To herself and your kind.”
Hearing your own voice not coming from your mouth, but from the lips of a picture perfect copy felt outlandish. Shining was assaulted by all these new realizations, terrified at just how little he knew. It was as if he was watching some kind of play and, unexpectedly for the audience, the curtain in the back lifted to reveal all the props and ponies working various mechanisms and maintenance to keep the show going. He got himself into a mess that could potentially end in a war with a foe who could be anyone. Even…
“Wait!” jumped the stallion, backing up a bit. “If they can be anyone...h-how can he be trusted? How can anyone?!”
The Princess sighed. “That’s the thing. We cannot. He can identify his kin through some kind of pheromone his people secrete. We had him and your sister, Twilight Sparkle, conduct research at the Ponyville Library, and-”
“Sister?!” shouted both Shining Armors.
Celestia was taken aback by the sudden outburst. The atmosphere changed rapidly in the room - both captains were now staring at each other in disbelief, tension almost visibly growing.
For the true stallion, the thought of his little Twily being in the presence of the abomination was unthinkable. Celestia let him near her? His mind flashed with all manner of horrible images, each more sexual and violent in nature than the last. He riled himself past fear and confusion, his overprotective-brother side stirring from its dormant state.
Chip was curious and shocked on his side. He would have never thought that Twilight would have such an accomplished brother. Talent ran in the family, it seemed. Now that he knew about their bond, maybe the changeling could somehow learn more about the unicorn without her knowing? Oblivious to the other stallion’s face changing into an ugly mask, he begun exploring the possibilities in his head - he could ask about her favorite activities, what kinds of stallions she really liked, what was on her mind most-
* * *
”ENOUGH”
The mighty volume of the Canterlot Royal Voice shook the shimmering barrier enveloping the room. Celestia rarely summoned this ability, even less with such passion.
Two Shining Armors got thrown against a wall with a thump, falling the short distance to the ground afterwards. Their fur was ruffled and torn in many places. One of them had a nasty black eye, the other’s muzzle growing a sizeable purple lump.
The Princess was huffing loudly, shocked at the scene that just occurred. She would have never envisioned the usually collected and matter-of-fact Captain of the Royal Guard throw himself like a wild barbarian against his doppelganger. Fur started flying not long after, the two rolling on the floor around the stunned monarch. They nearly toppled her at one point while she tried to part them with gentle telekinetic nudges and commands.
Now they sat stunned as Celestia slowly calmed down, looking over the battered stallions. Fur missing, bite and hoof marks everywhere…
“Are you in a brothel, or in the presence of a Princess, Captain Shining Armor?!” blurted out the alicorn. She snapped her attention to the one on the left who immediately saluted, looking way up above her head.
“I am in the presence of a Princess, milady!” he yelled in a soldierly fashion, his facial expression more likely of a recruit than a veteran soldier.
“Well then, are you a soldier, or a playground brat, Captain Shining Armor?!”
“I am a soldier, milady!” yelled back the distressed stallion, shrinking under the blazing gaze of Celestia. “Princess, if I can just-”
“No!” she shouted back, snapping her head to the other snickering Shining. “And what’s so funny to you?!”
“N-Nothing, Princess!” he barked back in a high pitched voice, whipping his hoof to a salute. He suppressed a hiss as it collided with his brow.
“Just what in all of Tartarus and Equestria got into you two?!”
There was heavy silence as the mighty alicorn observed her subjects, both apparently trying to merge with the floor. She felt so old now it hurt.
The real Shining meagerly raised a hoof. After receiving a silent nod, he began mumbling: “I’m sorry, Princess. I-I just...that thing was with my sister, and I didn’t know!”
“And?”
“W-Well...what if he hurt her?” Despite his trembling, he managed to furrow his brows.
“I didn’t!” piped up Chip, burning away his disguise. “It was just research! I mean, we did kiss on accident, switch bodies and I kinda watched her sleep at some po-”
* * *
Celestia was so old. Every bone in her body was older than the walls of this castle. She remembered events so far in the past, most of them were passed down from generation to generation as myths and legends. The goddess of the sun, ruler of all ponies and benevolent light that shined in the dark felt ancient.
By comparison, the two in front of her could might as well have been kindergarten colts. They sure did act the part. On her left, locked down by an excessively strong restrain spell lay Shining Armor, a few more gnashes on his muzzle and hooves than before. He was looking away, his whole body heaving in hurt pride. On her right was the sitting changeling, looking no worse for wear, save for his muzzle missing an orifice that would allow him to express how deeply sorry he was despite not understanding what he did.
The Princess was dead tired and sleepy. With the two stallions finally listening to her, willingly or not, Celestia finished the briefing unhindered. She didn’t know nor care if Shining got any of it. She got her weights off her chest, tinting the telling with her doubts and fears, talking out all the issues she had bottled up inside since first meeting Chip.
Chip wanted desperately to assure the Princess, to comfort her, to let her trust in him. He had no idea the alicorn, the Ruler, the one he trusted to command him was as worried and troubled as he was about the situation they were in. Ponies were indeed made of different clay than changelings.
Chrysalis was decisive. She had no one to care about, save for herself. Everything she wanted or needed was law. No soft spots. Every task achievable with enough drones thrown at it.
While his rational part clearly appreciated the changeling way of things, his newly developed feelings for the equine race made him realize, in a weird way, just how special these creatures were. Nowhere near as happy as could be, always troubled and struggling. Yet they carried on, leaning on one another, forming a living wall of comfort and security. They were as strong and as weak as every individual brick. Only now did Chip truly start feeling like part of that construct. Shining Armor was dragged into this, and even with all his conflicting emotions (most of which consisted of daggers of hate directed at the innocent shapeshifter) there was a prevailing sense of duty, compassion and will. He knew the pony would rise to the challenge and support the ruler he believed in.
A soft knocking on the door startled the trio. Without much warning the doors flew open to the midnight coat and starry mane of Luna.
“Sister, thou art late with the...w-what is going on here?”
Not again! internally screamed Celestia, watching with a pained expression as her sibling poked at the golden force field with a hoof, a most puzzled look on her face.
Chip wasn’t the only changeling that was bettering himself and learning about pony warfare. In the far north, in a sun-scorched canyon, the hive began to stir...
* * *
Only a day after the barely alive Silverline was deposited near the north Equestrian borders, his troops approached the Queen.
“My Queen,” started a slender unicorn, bowing deeply before the regal mare, “while our commander is busy with his mission in Equestria, we were given instructions to help your majesty prepare for the invasion ahead.”
Chrysalis cocked a brow, looking down at the figures with mild annoyance. As far as she was concerned, her plan was already set into motion and she needed to do nothing more than continue looking for spark-bearers.
“And how, pray tell, would you do that?” she asked in a sweet voice, fluttering her eyelashes alluringly. “Your dear Silverline is already hard at work, preparing Equestria for the gift I bear. I have all the minions I’d ever desire, with numbers enough to drown your country into submission if need be.”
The speaker bowed even further, his gaze shyly rising to meet hers. “I do not doubt that, my Queen. Yet, it would be best if we could at least verify that your servants are fit to take on the armed might of Equestria. If anything, a drill or two would put our minds to rest, your highness.”
“A drill? What for?” mused Chrysalis, looking past them at the canyon. She had most of her puppets out in the sun tackling rocks, each other or simply buzzing about, discerning the weaker ones from those that would participate in the attack. “You do know that I control every single one of them, right? I have the most coordinated and obedient army on the face of this planet! Or, perhaps, you are suggesting that my knowledge of strategy and warfare is insufficient? Hmm?”
Chills ran down the unicorn’s spine. He looked down humbly, forcing himself to go on. It would be for the best, even if he’d lose the favor of the Queen.
“I would not dare do that, my liege,” he finally barked out. “I know full well of your genius and infinite wisdom. Still, you must understand - every war, every encounter, one has to deal with enemy forces that consist of layers of command. A single pony is never given full authority over an army, for fear of his point of view being insufficient. I mean no offense my lady, still, I insist that you consider these words - wouldn’t it be less straining for you to focus on guiding an elite force rather than having to oversee your entire hive? Not every battle is worth your intellect, and surely you would benefit from a fresh mind during the eventual siege of Canterlot, without having to worry about smaller skirmishes that would surely happen.”
Chrysalis was about to smite the insolent rut when a thought occurred to her. She had a couple dozen assassins selected from the hive, those that bore sparks. Their insight and chatter in the hive mind was very welcome. They filled the looming silence of her first semi-success with the female who almost killed Chip. Still, her initial plan was to use those solemnly to track down the traitor and bring him to her, so she could torture him till the day he expired. Now that she thought about it…
It was true that having to work a whole living organism while at the same time thinking about what it should do was straining. Using a great number of drones with purpose instead of suggestions that interfaced with their instincts could potentially tire her out. That was the main reason she stuck to carefully guiding only a few dozen changelings for precise operations, such as capturing ponies that dared tread too close to her domain. Doing the same for hundreds of thousands…
Chip was taught how to control drones. It was a skill she regretted teaching him, but in the end it would have lifted a lot of stress from her mind which constantly buzzed with stimuli that would make a lesser mind go insane. If she could pass the knowledge to her spark-bearers, only the ability to make them move around while still relying on her for bodily operations and magic...yes, maybe she could lessen the load on her consciousness. She would act as a vessel to keep them all alive, letting the assassins’ higher cognitive functions to take over the dolls which she could extinguish at any given time.
She should have done the same to the traitor. He had no leash and ran away, like a stray dog. With the kill-switch at her disposal, Chrysalis would still have the security of owning every changeling, spark-bearer or not, with the added benefit of them doing the heavy lifting of command instead of her. Then she could totally focus on the traitor and his guts adorning her royal chambers.
* * *
Silverline’s platoon didn’t dare move while the Queen silently gazed into the distance. They were all very tense, regret slowly creeping into their minds. If they offended the monarch, they could not tell, her muzzle slowly forming a wide grin.
The speaker for the group gulped as the giant changeling stood up and loomed over him. He felt a gentle breeze sweep over his mind as she softly embraced him in the mental web of the hive. The stallion was ecstatic, the feeling of the Queen’s beautiful self bare to his senses. She spoke to his very essence in the voice a mother would read a bed-time story to her foal:
“I have considered your opinion, dear. I am thankful that you and your friends came here. You have shown me that not all Equestrians are selfish, and that perhaps you and us could live in peace. I know it must be hard on you, plotting against the lands you swore to protect...”
“Think nothing of it, my Queen,” replied the stallion, nuzzling into the sensation. It was hard to describe, as the light enveloping him had taste, it was touchable and warm. Was this what a changeling felt while in the delicate net of Chrysalis’ mind? “In the end, we only wish for as little grief as possible. A well trained army will surely subdue any resistance, and our skills are yours to command. I assure you, in the entirety of Equestria, there aren’t stallions better equipped for our mission of peace.”
“I am glad,” beamed the regal mare, drawing in the soldier’s companions into her warmth, much to their visible delight. “I would be lost without your help. My changeling ways clouded my judgment - I was alone for so long, I learned to trust in my abilities alone. Your proposition is very reasonable, and I would be honored if you could share the details of your plan with me.”
“No, the pleasure is all ours!” eagerly replied the speaker.
* * *
Chrysalis had a lot of trouble adjusting to her new modus operandi - she had to strike a perfect balance between autonomy of a spark bearer and his dependency for life support from her hive network. She tested and adjusted her focus on drones, most of them dying while she checked which groups of muscles should she take charge of and which should be left to the others. It was fascinating to indulge in this research - it turned out that a lot of the changeling body possessed expendable parts or leftover organs that were no longer in use.
Finally, after several days of fiddling, the spark-bearers were introduced to Silverline’s troops, already showing growth that made them stand apart from the rest. They would be her generals, as she was explained, the changelings that would put commands down the line to a dozen or so more submissive units. The chain would continue down to the most basic of drones, whose movements would be directed by their superiors instead of Chrysalis herself.
The most promising one, who was allowed to call himself Primo, was the first one to be found after Chrysalis’ assassin was reduced to a meaty pulp. The changeling was taught to seek nothing less than perfection, making him a very attentive student. He was tall and sleek in build, with his muzzle slightly longer than the regular changeling’s. His plates were softer, complimenting his elongated wings that carried him with amazing agility and speed across the makeshift courses his teachers set for him.
Silverline’s troops also had no trouble in molding his sister, Wildstar, into a cunning warmachine. She was less developed and smaller, her curvy body more indicative of her sex than the rest of her kin. The Queen paid special attention to her due to the rather cheerful and carefree way she approached the stallions and her training. She did what she was told nonetheless, only on occasion trying to seduce one of the ponies for a quick bite of their affection.
Boulder was a silent one. He was perhaps the smallest of the generals, barely any taller than a regular drone. His name was the idea of the Equestrian troops, since the changeling’s resolve turned out to be stronger than the rocks in the valley walls themselves. Where his brothers and sister would complain about repeating the same course over and over again, Boulder simply did as his teachers told him to, methodically completing tasks and learning to command his drones with precision and drive.
Still, of the four chosen ones, none was as unique as Dagaal. Built like a bull, the changeling had not one, but two sparks residing in his body. The Queen saw that as an amazing opportunity, but quickly learned that the trait was more troublesome than practical.
The changeling was highly aggressive, the spark in command of the body primal and violent. Whenever Dagaal saw an enemy, he would throw himself at the target and rip it to shreds, the drones under his command following short after in a pile of chitin and teeth.
Silverline’s squad tried to gently suggest to the Queen that she drop that particular specimen, but she was adamant about using him as a general. His violence, while brutish, had a certain beauty in it. In addition, the second, weaker spark was utterly devoted to Chrysalis, a soul reminiscent of the younger Chip. Comparing him to the traitor stung and she had mixed feelings about the spark...but in all honesty, she yearned for the attention she was showered with. With that particular face of Dagaal, she truly felt like a loved mother. She would spend hours just talking with him since he was unable to wrestle control from the more violent part of himself.
All in all, it took around two weeks for the generals to get the ropes of commanding changelings - Chrysalis didn’t have to bother with teaching them magic or shapeshifting, as those would simply be skills that they’d request of her and be granted with her will. With each day, the stress on her mind lessened as more and more changelings received drones to take care of in her stead. It felt like a giant pressure slowly begun lifting from her mind, making her a bit more cheerful and charitable towards the ponies and her proteges.
* * *
“Quit holding up, Dagaal,” huffed Primo, pacing around behind the massive changeling. “It’s simple. Just fly through the rock formation. You can do that, right? I swear, I have no idea why mother keeps you around anymore.”
“Probably because of the other Dagaal, the one that Mother really likes,” giggled Wildstar, standing behind her brothers and swishing her tail. She let her flanks sway a bit, feeling the hungry stares of the ponies on her body.
The female changeling kept playing such tricks on the soldiers, much to their dismay since the Queen explicitly forbade any form of mating in the hive. At least, for now - Wildstar was sure that if she kept nagging, and with how the Queen’s mood kept improving on a daily basis, she would eventually be allowed a spin or few with the enticingly smelling ponies.
“Why are you so tense anyway, Primo?” she snorted, nudging her brother’s shoulder and winking. “I mean, look at Boulder. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say he was just a statue.”
Indeed, the small general just stood in line, his gaze fixed on the stone hoops cobbled together with goo. He held second place in results most of the time, with Primo naturally always bettering his other siblings. That didn’t move Boulder in the slightest - for him, as long as the job got done the way his pony teachers required, petty leaderboards that were meant to somehow stimulate them into bettering themselves didn’t matter. His only drive was completion.
“I’m tense because we are losing time because this oaf can’t put two and two together and follow a simple-”
“THERE ARE NO CIRCLEEEES,” yelled Dagaal, taking off with a thump that left visible cracks in the stone platform. The bull buzzed straight into the first ring, smashing against it and toppling it. He then proceeded to dismantle the obstacle, much to the dismay of his teachers who rushed down to stop the frenzied creature.
“Seriously?” said Primo, gritting his jagged teeth. “Again?”
The sleek general retreated to his hive mind, feeling the neat structure of it flow and vibrate under the Queen’s watchful gaze. As far as he could tell, it was now neatly organized, tendrils traveling down a set path in hierarchy, according to each changeling’s affinity for his or her spark. At the very bottom he felt the muck of simple bodies and eyes, the drones which were nothing more than weapons for their skilled senses. At the very top, just above him, there was Chrysalis, with her warmth and fearsome power.
Primo approached the majestic presence, mentally nudging into it for a brief moment of affection. He always denied doing that whenever his siblings questioned him about it.
Mother? he asked the presence, why do we keep Dagaal? Why can’t you just make him a lower ranking soldier like the rest of the broken or undeveloped ones? He keeps messing with the track and making the ponies upset with us-
The changeling felt his Queen’s focus shift to him, a sensation that would be daunting should he not trust in his mother’s love. It was like her whole existence encompassed his, with only a gentle flick needed to extinguish him.
He is your brother, replied Chrysalis with a grin. A little bit rough around the edges, I admit. He is nowhere near as perfect as you, my Primo, my First. A warm, silky sensation washed over the general’s senses, drawing a deep purr from the changeling. Don’t pay him any mind, my dear. Focus on yourself and your achievements. You make me extremely proud. The way you leave those ponies dumbfounded by your superior intellect and stamina puts a smile on my face every single time.
The stuck up general let himself float in his mother’s affection. It was pure love, one that he dared not even nibble on, opting to let it wash over him like the softest of silks. It was true, he was a prodigy amongst the spark-bearers. Come to think of it, it was shameful of him to let Dagaal’s shenanigans get to him. If anything, his brother did him a favor by providing such stark contrast for the Queen to see. Of all the four, Primo was indeed the most cunning, the most devoted and skilled.
I understand, mother, smiled Primo, a disappointed whine escaping his mental mouth as the Queen’s beloved presence left his body. I shall do as you wish. I shall keep making you proud.
The doors closed abruptly in the faces of Captain Shining Armor and Private Redberry. The corridor in front of the office was dark and desolate, the sky visible through the tall windows beginning to light up in the coming dawn.
Shining blinked a couple of times, uneasily looking sideways at the soldier next to him. To his horror, Redberry was still missing his mouth - the smooth skin on his muzzle didn’t even hint at it ever being there in the first place.
The two sat in eerie silence, their gazes wandering around the featureless corridor. Shining’s head was only now starting to wrap around all that has transpired - for some reason, Equestria was on the precipice of war with an unknown foe. Conveniently, a traitor from that nation came along and decided to help ponykind in some mysterious way that, judging by how the regal sisters looked at one another, was not known to Luna. All this seemed suspicious, to say the least.
On his end, Chip really wanted to talk out the issue of Twilight with his superior. Apparently the stallion was very touchy about her, to the point of it being a bad touch for the soft, pony form of the changeling. He did have to admit the captain knew how to wrestle though - the brief fun they had made him remember the hive again, where such shenanigans were a day-to-day thing.
The changeling batted uselessly at his muzzle in the hopes of his mouth returning to him, but it was no use. He visibly slumped, trying to draw the captain’s attention to himself by just staring at him intently.
“Eyes forward, private” hissed Armor, puffing out his chest as the doors finally creaked open.
Behind the golden glow of Celestia’s protective bubble, the two sisters sat next to each other, beckoning them to enter.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlecolts,” sighed the older sibling, soundlessly closing the door behind them. “Princess Luna and I had some catching up to do. In the end, the plan remains unchanged - our friend here will continue his training and nightly studies. We will try and put our heads together with Twilight Sparkle to find a way in which we could quench Chip’s...special needs. Her first hoof knowledge of what the sensation is might prove invaluable.”
At the mention of his friend, the changeling began erratically scratching at his muzzle. If he could, he would be whimpering. As he was, he could only stare with giant eyes at the clueless sun goddess.
“Oh, yes, of course. Forgive me, Chip.” Celestia let her horn shine brightly, a golden appearing on the changeling’s face and running from left to right with force.
His lips finally unglued, Chip sighed with relief. “Twilight Sparkle?” he blurted out, bouncing slightly in place. “C-Could I see her? Maybe I can help?”
The Princess of the day pre-emptively raised a warning hoof at Shining Armor. “I’m sorry, Chip. You must stay here and continue your studies. As far as I can remember, you wouldn’t be given a leave for at least a month or so more. I’m sorry.”
“Oh...okay,” replied Chip, bowing slightly.
“We should get going, sister,” remarked Luna, looking through the window in the office. “It is high time you get back to our duties. I shall rest and visit Twilight later on.” The lunar mare looked at the changeling and smiled. “Chip, it was a pleasure to see you again. I wish you the best of luck on your mission. Hopefully, next time we meet, we will be given the leisure of having more time to catch up.”
With that, Luna enveloped herself in a blue halo and vanished with a small pop.
“Shining Armor? Chip?“ asked the remaining Princess.
“Your majesty?” replied the stallions, slightly puffing out their chests.
“I am sorry to have kept you up through the night. I will try and keep in contact with you as much as I can without raising suspicion. Expect my messengers delivering you verbal reports every now and then. I wish that there was more that I could do, but I’m afraid that even as it is now I am dancing on the razor’s edge. Rarely does anypony question a princess, yet there are those who scrutinize my actions for their own gains...”
“We understand, your majesty,” replied Shining Armor with a deep bow.
“I will continue my training, Princess,” said Chip, also bowing. “I-If I could, however, make one final request...”
“And that would be?”
The changeling raised his head, smiling slightly. “Could you say ‘hi’ to Twilight for me? And ask her about my letter?...”
* * *
Redberry didn’t show up in the barracks that morning and Captain Shining Armor was late to his morning drill. He looked really tired and was cutting the soldiers extra slack. Rumors about him having an exhausting night with his fiancee spread like wildfire, courtesy of an anonymous stallion who no one really knew.
“Oh, there you are!” said Butterscotch, dropping down for his pushups next to Redberry. “You don’t look so good. I didn’t see you in the barracks this morning. Did something happen?”
“I just needed to take a walk,” murmured Chip, straining against the bags on his limbs and rising nausea.
As he predicted, the ill emotions he drank halted his hunger, but he wasn’t any better for wear because of that. At least now Butterscotch and the rest would be safe. For a while.
“Captain Shining Armor giving you a rough time again?” sighed the pegasus, resting on the ground for a second or two before switching to wing-ups. “I heard a rumor he was being so antsy up until now because his fiancee...you know...didn’t ‘do him’.”
“Do him what?” groaned the changeling, adjusting his tempo to that of Butterscotch.
“Well, you know...Colt-mare stuff?” The pegasus’ face turned red, his head shifting around to make sure no one else heard.
Chip whipped his head to the side, noting a tinge of embarrassment in the pony’s mood. “Oh. What would that be? Kissing?”
The crimson on Butterscotch’s cheeks deepened, his wings struggling to keep working. “A-Are you serious? Y-You know! The thing t-that special s-someponies do together?”
“I have no idea. Tell me!”
“Stop p-pulling my leg! J-Just because I-I d-don’t feel comfortable...”
“I’m not touching you,” remarked Chip, scooching to the side a bit for emphasis. “So you’re not going to tell me?”
“He means sex, private Redberry,” said a voice from behind the two.
Butterscotch’s wings whipped painfully to his sides, making the pegasus fall down and meep in distress. Redberry looked around to see the bloodshot eyes of Shining Armor.
“Now that we have that out of the way, I guess you colts will be happy to hear that I’m letting you run laps around the training grounds till everypony else finishes breakfast. Understood?”
“Yes sir, Captain Shining Armor sir!” meeped out Butterscotch, darting away from the ground and trotting full speed ahead.
“Yes sir, Captain Shining Armor sir,” sighed Chip, picking himself up and strutting to the course.
* * *
Chip slipped into Shining Armor’s office without a sound. The captain was sprawled on his desk, several open books laying around his face.
As gingerly as he could, Redberry approached the sleeping figure and poked his muzzle. It took several more nudges to elicit a drawn out groan.
“Five more minutes,” snored Shining, smacking his dry lips.
“Okay,” nodded Chip, gluing his eyes to the clock on the wall.
The changeling wasn’t feeling all that well himself - this wasn’t the nice kind of tired he yearned for. It was a constant throbbing and aching in the spent muscles, topped with some drowsiness. His stomach kept churning and groaning, unsatisfied by the meal he had the other day. His mind kept orbiting around his mission, the Princesses and Twilight’s answer to his little note.
At this point, he wasn’t even sure that he wanted her to read it. Back when he wrote it, it was still a possibility that they’d continue their research together. Right now, he would lose a lot of his time in this army business, then probably even some more monitoring Silverline. If only that wretched pony hadn’t shown up, he could have probably enjoyed some more quality time with Twilight…
“Redberry,” groaned Shining. “That you?”
“Yes sir,” replied the private, snapping out of his musing. It was about time to wake up his superior anyway.
After some groaning, yawning and stretching, Armor’s horn lit and enveloped the room in a purple shield, giving them the luxury of dropping their acts.
“So. History again, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Where were we again?”
“Bright Stalk’s rebellion and subsequent brief rule over the independent city-state of Neighton. How does sex feel?”
Shining Armor took a while to process the question. The dots didn’t quite connect, forcing the captain to muster up more consciousness from his reserves. He wiped his eyes with a hoof, giving the changeling a quizzical look. “What is what?”
“Sex. The thing you do with your special somepony. I read what it is, and how it is supposed to work, but no one ever told me how it felt.”
Very slowly, the captain blinked at Chip, his face void of any emotion.
“So, Bright Stalk, yes?”
“Sir?”
“His reign lasted half a year, during which time it was obvious he was a tyrant. The tax rates were high, and nopony was allowed in or out of the city without a special permit...”
* * *
Much to everypony’s disdain, Shining Armor was back to his regular self the following morning. The routine resumed it’s regular course, with Redberry being smacked around slightly more than usual.
Chip’s training cycle continued, the changeling steadily growing hungrier with each passing day. His nausea was wearing off, the enticing smells of pony emotion prodding his body into high alert.
Butterscotch was the biggest problem of them all for the shapeshifter. The pegasus stuck to him like glue, assaulting him with strong emotions of trust and friendship. At times the weary changeling could swear there was more under the surface - whether it were his senses trying to fool him or the pegasus developing feelings for him, he could not tell.
Shining Armor never got back to Chip on the topic of pony coitus. Each night at some point the changeling would try and pick the subject up, ending up ignored time and time again, as if the question was never asked.
* * *
“We got a message from the Princess,” declared Shining Armor, finishing the protection spell around his office. “Apparently, Silverline is recovering well and should be up and about in around a week. That gives us still a bit more time before he will start looking for recruits. My sister, Twilight Sparkle...” He paused, noting with a furrowed brow how the colt’s features brightened suddenly. “...says that she has some theories that she’d like to test. We will receive instructions in a day or few, so the Princessess asked that you ‘hold out a bit longer’.” He paused again, frowning slightly.
“Anything else?” asked Chip.
Shining sighed and shook his head. “No, that’s all. I just...it’s so hard to believe that you are...what you are. I have to keep reminding myself that you’re not a pony.”
“Oh,” sighed the changeling. He didn’t have to have changeling senses to tell the captain was apprehensive. “But I’m on your side, right?”
“That’s what everyone believes,” huffed Shining, turning his gaze back to the book. “Anyway. Heavy chainmail was replaced with lighter plates around-”
“You don’t believe I’m your friend?”
Armor went silent, his hoof frozen over a passage from the history of armaments. “It doesn’t matter,” he concluded with a single blink.
“It does to me,” pressed the changeling, standing up. “It’s hard to focus with the ponies around me as it is. Having to sample your apprehension is not something I wish for on top of that. What’s wrong? Did I ever give you a reason to distrust me?”
“No,” admitted Armor, closing the book and sliding it to the side. He put both hooves on his desk and looked his protege in the eyes. “But as far as I know, your kind isn’t known for it’s honesty, or good-will towards ponies.” He took a deep breath, releasing it a few seconds later. “You know, the northern borders were always a weird place. Nopony wanted to be stationed there. Lots of disappearances, the heat, Everfree right up their backs. And now you and your kind.”
Chip remained silent, not dropping his gaze.
“It’s hard, you know? A guard’s life isn’t exactly an easy one.” He picked himself up heavily, opening a drawer and looking down into it. “Of course, on the surface it looks all nice and simple. Just stroll around a corridor, wave your spear a few times and you’re off to see your loved ones. But the higher you are, the bigger the picture becomes. The more you realize that you’re actually a soldier, and when push comes to shove, you have to be out there to stop it. That you have to leave with only a promise that you’ll come back.”
Gingerly, the captain placed a scrap of paper onto his desk. Chip felt a shift of emotions in the pony - it was delicious love, wrapped up in bubbling uncertainty, tinted with fear. The changeling stretched his neck to look at the item.
“Is that a photo?” he asked, cocking his head. “Is that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?”
“Yeah,” sighed the guard affectionately. “A real beauty. Caring, tender, always bringing love and peace wherever she goes.”
“I met her once, while I was still being investigated,” confessed Chip. He felt a small shift in Shining’s attitude. “I had another disguise back then. She was a really nice mare...and now that I think about it, she did mention that she was meeting some stallion. I assume that was you?”
Shining froze for a few seconds, not sure whether to tell the truth or lie. He tried keeping his fiancee pretty much a secret - they both wanted a quiet celebration with only their closest friends, not a full blown the-Princess-is-getting-married wedding that would put a spotlight over them and encourage rumors of him trying to crawl into a royal bed.
“I can tell you love her,” smirked Chip, taking a pleasurable whiff. “Lucky you. You have no idea how strongly she feels for you. Anyling could live a month from the love she had in her heart back there.”
The stallion gulped, scooping the photo and pressing it to his chest. The changeling seemed to be really close to the mares he cared about. Too close for comfort.
“Sorry, I guess that’s not something you wanted to know, sir” he said, blushing slightly, his ears pinned to the back of his head. “But please, do understand. I don’t have any ill will towards you. I want to get to know you, be your friend. I want to be friends with ponies. I want to spend time with the Princesses, my friends, Twilight-”
“Why Twilight?” piped up Shining, depositing his photo back in the drawer and closing it shut with a slam. “What do you want from my little sister?”
“I...I really like her,” replied Chip, observing the maelstrom of emotions that churned in Shining. “You care about her. I do too. She’s kind of weird, even for a pony, but there is something about her. Something I can’t understand. I really enjoyed our research together, even though we fumbled a lot,” he chuckled.
“You care about my sister? Is your kind capable of doing that? Do you understand what it means to worry about someone, their safety, their health-”
“I do,” butt in Chip. He tried to remain calm in the face of Shining’s building irritation and anger. “I care about a lot of ponies. Do you think I would still be here if I didn’t? Would I be trying to please you, endure this treatment and most of all, fight the constant hunger that claws at me every waking moment? Do you know what hunger is? You can ask Twilight, she can tell you how horrible it is to crave something so much. How terrifying is the thought that it would only take a flick of a horn to drink a pony dry, take away their happiness, love, compassion? Leave an empty husk?”
Shining Armor just stood there, looking dumbfounded at the changeling.
“I am doing everything that goes against my nature as a predator to fit in here. To be accepted for the pony inside, not the...the monster I was born as. I am defying the teachings of my own mother, who told me that ponies were but prey, weak creatures who deserved to be fed on. I didn’t believe that. I saw past your emotions. Why can’t you look past this?”
With his last words, he reverted back to his original form in a haze of green flames. The captain took only a single step back, taking in the black form in front of him. It was alien, daunting, a body much stronger than his own, capable of superior speed, strength and probably even magic or flight. Yet, the eyes the creature had...they were nothing like the rest. They looked kind of sad. There was thought and complexity behind them. A pony that was born something else, now striving to be accepted. Somepony who didn’t belong in his own kind.
Shining Armor gulped, stiffly going around his desk. The blue orbs of the changeling traced his every move. There was no ferocity or malice in that stare, only a yearning. They were tired. He stood right before Chip, a head shorter than him.
“I’m sorry,” muttered Chip, looking away. The motion was stopped by a hoof, turning him to look the captain back in the eyes.
“I can’t say that I understand. I can only imagine how it is to be in your skin,” said Shining in a serious voice. “I should be the one apologising for my behavior. I should not be treating you differently than before. You are still the Redberry who I swore to shape up for a very important mission. Your look and origins...it was stupid of me to assume the worst,” he sighed, smirking as he remembered something. “I should have really learned better from Cadance - judge a pony by their heart, she’d always say. I guess it’s a lot easier if you can peer into the hearts of others.”
“She can do that?” asked a surprised Chip.
“It’s a figure of speech,” chuckled Shining. “But yeah, she has a gift. She can tell when a pony is good. I mean, she did look past my...heh.”
The changeling observed the shifting currents around Shining. It was a relief to see the tension evaporate - the pony was settling down.
“Anyway, enough about me. This is about you. We need to complete your training and make you the best damn candidate for Silverline to pick.”
“Sooo...does that mean we’re friends?” carefully tried Chip.
“Maybe,” chuckled Armor, again opening the armaments history book. “We could be if you could tell me when the light cavalry stopped using bronze lances in favor of spears. And once you get your...disguise back on ya.”
“Do friends share information about the sensation of coitus, perchance?” asked the shapeshifter with a glint in his eyes.
Twilight was pacing around the table in her library, the steady clip-clopping of her hooves in tact with the cuckoo clock on the wall. She kept muttering under her breath, rehearsing everything she and the Princesses had managed to put together.
Nearly a week ago, the regal sisters visited the librarian in the small hours of the night, asking her to pick up changeling research again with the intent of finding an alternative food source for Chip.
It wasn’t an easy task in the slightest. She had to avoid her friends again, making up half-assed excuses for staying in the library. It was necessary for her to remember and relive the awful experience of being trapped in a hungering, alien body. Princess Luna and Celestia visited her every night to provide assistance with their magic and wisdom, but even the trio working together could manage little with what they knew.
The best they could come up with now lay in a small briefcase, carefully sealed with powerful protection spells. Obtaining the object required a lot of secrecy and a sacrifice from one of her friends for a cause she could not explain. She still bit her lip remembering his pained expression and sad eyes.
Without much warning, the cuckoo clock lurched to life, the tiny bird jumping in and out of hiding to shriek it’s loud tune. The startled mare gave the offender a mean glare, watching him carelessly perform his duty. Just as the last of the twelve coo-coo!s stopped ringing in her ears, the element of magic felt a gust of air behind her.
She turned on a dime and sighed with relief, the Princess of the day finishing her teleportation spell with wings flared out.
“Please excuse the delay, Twilight,” intoned the regal mare, embracing her student. “I had to make sure everything was set up.” She looked at the briefcase, her lips pursed together in uncertainty. “I just hope that this will clue us in on how to proceed with helping our friend.”
“I do too Princess,” sighed Twilight, nuzzling into the wings that tenderly encompassed her. “It will be nice to see my brother after such a long time. And Chip...”
Celestia looked down at her protege for a brief moment before slowly retreating her wings to her sides. “I’m afraid you can’t go, Twilight. You must stay here.”
“What? B-But why?” stammered out Twilight, her brows furrowed in confusion.
“It is for the best that Chip not be distracted more than necessary.”
The librarian went silent for a moment, looking at the briefcase. “He doesn’t want to see me, doesn’t he?”
“No, that’s not the case Twilight,” protested Celestia. “I do believe he cares for you much more than he lets on. It is because of that that you must stay here,” she said, noting the slight blush on her student’s face. “Knowing him, he would start asking you a thousand questions and not pay any attention to the fruits of our research.”
Twilight felt the regal mare approach her, again putting a gentle wing on her back. “I know that I ask much of you to stay here and not visit your friend. I promise I will make this up to you and arrange a meeting for the two of you at a later time. Does that sound good?”
The blush on Twilight’s face and small nod was answer enough. Celestia smiled softly, reaching for the briefcase with her telekinetic grasp. She wanted to say her goodbye when the librarian gasped, looking around frantically and diving for a nearby desk.
“Twilight? Is everything-”
“I’m sorry Princess, I just have to at least write to him! Please, please please please give me five more minutes!”
Celestia smirked, levitating a nearby pillow and carefully sitting on it.
* * *
Shining Armor observed the slightly bouncing Redberry sitting in front of him. The stallion has been like that ever since the captain told him that he would be presented with their first research results around midnight.
Chip’s day was pretty bland up till he heard the news. He would get to see Twilight again! It was both exciting and worrying, the conflicting emotions seemingly stemming from nowhere. On one hoof, the dullness he had to participate in here was nowhere near as exciting or (in hindsight) fun as the shenanigans he and Twilight got in. On the other side, there was that letter that he wrote. His heart picked up its pace whenever he imagined her standing there and telling him her answer.
The changeling believed that it would be beneficial to his research on ponies if they indulged in the activity he outlined in his note. Hopefully she wouldn’t be mad at him for even asking. He already got scolded by Shining Armor over it - then again, he did push his luck by trying to negotiate an ‘I’ll answer your question if you answer mine’ kind of deal on a test the stallion wanted to put him through.
A golden glow illuminated the room, the princess of the day appearing in the center with a briefcase pressed to her chest. Both stallions gave the regal mare a bow as she got her bearings and returned the gesture.
“Excuse the delay, gentlecolts. There was a last minute matter that required my attention. It is nothing serious, Shining Armor, I assure you,” said Celestia, raising a hoof towards the guard. “Now, Chip,” she addressed the changeling, causing him to puff out his chest. The princess couldn’t help but smile slightly noticing the colt’s tail wagging back and forth. “We have spent the last few days looking for an alternative for your eating habits. I would like you to focus and inspect the results of our research. Please tell us if we are on the correct path.”
With that, the regal mare undid the incantations on the container, opening it slowly. The changeling craned his head, peering into the briefcase curiously. He noticed a tarnished looking doll that resembled a pony, with buttons for eyes and polka-dotted pants on its lower half. The object looked really old and used.
“What is it, Princess?” asked Chip, sniffing into the container. He could feel a faint scent of emotion wafting from it.
“This is a Smartypants doll,” said Celestia, gingerly levitating the doll to his muzzle. “It belonged to Twilight Sparkle. It was her favorite foal-hood toy-”
“Twilight?” perked up Chip. “W-Will she be here? Where is she?”
“I’m afraid she had to stay. There is still a lot of work to be done, so please focus,” sighed the regal mare, her lips bending in a delicate frown when the changeling visibly deflated. “I’m sorry.”
“I-I understand,” sighed the shapeshifter, going back to sniffing the doll thoroughly. “It has a scent. It smells of love?”
“We would hope it does,” smiled the Princess, placing the doll into his hooves. “It was Twilight’s idea to try this unconventional approach. We ponies are creatures of sentiment, paying a lot of attention to our more valuable memories. Sometimes, these take the form of trinkets such as this one. Certain items make us remember scenes from the past or just make us feel how we felt back then. Twilight proposed that, somehow, our emotions rubbed off on our souvenirs. Do you think you could...feed on it?”
Chip took a good, long whiff of the material. To be honest, it didn’t smell much like Twilight - the peculiar sweetness of love aside, it reminded him more of the barracks smell, a tinge of masculinity. “I-I don’t know,” he mused. “Let me try.”
A flash of green revealed the changeling’s true form, his curvy horn glowing a softly. He focused entirely on the doll, trying to reach out to the faint emotions dwelling within it. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t feel a connection. The love was there, he could sense it, but it was trapped. Like in a walnut. behind a thick shell of inanimate material, there was no way to scoop it out. With a pony it was simpler - his body knew which buttons to press, where to poke and tug to let the valves of emotion set free the most delicate streams of tasty emotions. Here, there was nothing to attach himself to. There were no thoughts to probe, no way to prod the subject into revealing its emotions. He felt like brushing against a dead wall, unable to entice it to soften and let him in.
Chip opened his eyes, blinking. He noticed the Princess and Shining Armor having a hushed conversation to the side. The changeling felt like he should continue - not only for his hunger’s sake, but to not disappoint his friends.
He focused again, instinctively his senses latching onto the material. It felt like trying to drink water from the outside of a really thin glass container. You could almost feel the wetness, the coolness of the drink, but it was still out of reach. There was no way his magic could squeeze out the emotions from the doll. Well, if not his magic then maybe…
* * *
“I’m glad everything is going smoothly on your end, Shining Armor,” whispered Celestia. “Silverline is slowly coming to - he seems awake but is mostly unresponsive. The doctors say that he might be suffering a posttraumatic stress disorder and might not be fit for duty even if his body fully recovers. The prospect of having to ask him to continue in his line of duty pains me greatly.”
“I understand, Princess,” replied the guard in a hushed voice. “Every soldier swore an oath to you, and I imagine you wouldn’t hold Silverline in such a high regard if he wasn’t a tough stallion. He’ll snap out of it, I am certain. Even with his aid, I am still not certain how we plan to defend ourselves against the invasion, my lady.”
“That is an entirely separate problem we will have to tackle,” sighed Celestia. “The best I can come up with right now is conducting more research. Twilight mentioned that Spike was capable of smelling the scent of changeling pheromones. If we could understand how a dragon’s sense of smell works compared to an equine one, maybe we could create some form of detection device. Worst case scenario, Luna and I will be standing on top of a volcano, pleading the dragons for their whelps to aid us,” she chuckled half-heartedly.
The two stopped their conversation, their ears suddenly twitching. There was an unsettling gurgling sound coming from behind them. With a bit of hesitation, the Princess looked around at Chip. The changeling was sitting in front of the fireplace with the most peculiar expression on his face. That would be the muzzle of a foal trying to focus during its first potty lessons.
“I-Is everything alright, Chip?” tried the Princess, slowly approaching the changeling with Shining Armor following slightly behind.
Chip was swallowing time and time again, his eyes focused intently somewhere on the wall ahead. He didn’t respond to Celestia’s words, fidgeting slightly in place, his tail whipping about furiously.
“Where’s the doll, Redberry?” said Shining, looking around. He came to regret the question no sooner as he turned his attention back to the changeling.
Without much warning, Chip doubled over, opening his mouth wide. A small trickle of green slime left his mouth, followed by a belch. The changeling’s stomach lurched, a glob of visceral goo dripping onto the pristine carpet. Celestia didn’t have time to cover her mouth and look away as the shapeshifter’s abdomen contracted again, his mouth opening even wider to make way for a fat, green ball of gelatinous substance.
While the Princess managed to reel back and turn away, Shining bore witness to Chip churning out the most hideous looking egg shaped piece of jelly he ever saw. The acid-green blob landed with a meaty slap, strands of it still oozing from the changeling’s closing mouth. The creature had to work its jaws hard and spit ever so often to clean its mouth, adding more to the goo that wobbled gently below.
“I ate it. Sorry. It was good though,” smiled Chip. “You okay? Your coat used to be white, right? Princess? What are you-”
* * *
The silence was overwhelming. Princess Celestia was hugging the dustbin near the desk. Shining Armor stood motionless, his eyes wandering everywhere but to the pile of goop that managed to solidify on the once vividly red carpet. Chip had his ears pinned down, waiting for the ponies to finally speak up.
On the bright side, he learned two things. The most important one was that he could absorb emotions from dolls by eating them. Something in his stomach managed to siphon out the love from the object, dissolving it only slightly in the process. It was still trapped in its cocoon made of changeling goop. The other thing he noticed was that no matter the context, bodily fluids were something ponies weren’t fond of. Be it pony or changeling, their stomach goo was off limits, regardless of the direction they travelled. That would make the fun fact he shared with Celestia some time ago not so fun anymore.
“I’m really sorry about the carpet,” tried the changeling. He apologized for a lot of things within the past few minutes, none of which managed to trigger a reaction. Well, actually, the Princess stopped convulsing as soon as he expressed his regret at eating Smartypants, but it could have been that she just ran out of juice. “I just wanted to return it before it dissolved completely-”
Shining Armor raised a hoof. Slowly, as if he fought against his own body, he turned to face the changeling. “Okay. Just. Never again,” he blurted out in short bursts, swallowing anxiously after each word. “What did...Did it. Work.”
“Oh. Umm...yes,” tried Chip. He definitely had a fleeting moment that resembled feeding. It was strange, as it radiated from his stomach rather than directly around his head and horn. “If we had a few dozen more of these dolls, I think I’d be good for a few days. Maybe.”
Armor nodded, standing on shaky legs. With all his might he tried not to look at the green spawn of Chip that lingered in his peripheral vision. He saw a lot of gruesome things in the field. He had to assist during a field surgery when a soldier under his command stepped on an old gryphon flayer trap from ages past. All the blood and screaming was nothing compared to the changeling basically giving birth to his weight in green, glistering, sickeningly gelatinous goop. It looked like the changeling was puking his insides out, the whole thing pulsing like it had a heartbeat of its own. This image the poor stallion would take to his grave, hopefully not beyond. If Silverline had PTSD, Shining understood where it could have come from and would most likely go ask him where to sign up for the club.
Celestia had her eyes shut tight. The gurgling, sloppy sounds still echoed in her ears, riding a wave of nausea that threatened to turn her inside out. She thought that the changeling couldn’t do anything more hideous than actually eating the melted remains of his dead kinsmare. She was wrong, so terribly wrong. She vowed to never underestimate Chip ever again. And perhaps carry a bucket with her whenever she would meet him.
As much as she wanted to continue gently embracing the bin, she had to stand up. She was the ruler of Equestria after all, and she felt a tinge of shame at looking away while Shining Armor apparently saw the whole spectacle. She had to ask Chip about the sensations he felt and whether or not they should continue to look for items that could have lingering emotions in them.
Thank the heavens I didn’t bring Twilight along, she thought, scrambling her weakened legs to lift her. Although knowing her, she’d probably be taking notes and sketching diagrams in between...
* * *
Chip had to move to the other side of the room so that the two ponies had absolutely no chance to look at the goop he deposited. He offered to take it back, claiming that it wouldn’t be any problem for him to carry it around a bit longer, but their united protests nearly made him back into the fireplace behind him. The Princess said that she’d deposit the cocoon in the crystal cavern below, where she would eventually gather the courage to study it. And extract the doll.
“I will relay our results to Twilight. She had a good hunch about emotional charges in items. I wonder if we could go a step further, with the saying that you can ‘prepare a meal with love’,” mused the monarch. “In any case, regardless of...this little incident, I dare call this night a success.Thank you for your time gentlecolts.” She smiled meekly. “Oh, and Chip. I have a message for you from Twilight.” Celestia lifted her wing and procured a small envelope with a simple red seal on it, levitating it to the big-eyed changeling. “She was really sorry that she couldn’t participate, wanting to at least a write a word or few to her friend. She also told me to forward her warm feelings to you, Shining Armor.”
“Wait. The big brother gets a few words and the changeling gets a letter?” blurted out the guard, squinting at the envelope.
Celestia offered a small smile and shrug, giggling slightly as the stallion pouted and turned his head away slightly.
Chip ignored them entirely, focusing on gently ungluing the seal so it wouldn’t break. He then gingerly scooped out the pristine white paper peppered with tightly-knit words written in black ink.
“Dear Chip,” it started, “how are you? I hope your face healed okay and that everything is going according to your plans. The Princess didn’t want to share many details with me, for fear of unnecessarily pulling me into something that did not concern me. She promised to arrange a get-together for us later, which I hope you will agree to so we could catch up.”
The changeling smiled and nodded to himself, continuing: “Its been pretty quiet around here since you left. I must admit I sort of miss the thrill and excitement of learning about you and your kind. It was something new and fascinating, even with all the weird things that happened on the way. Now that I’m at least partially back into it, I hope I can help some more. Please take good care of my Smartypants doll - she was my favorite and we spent a lot of time together studying. I promised Big Macintosh I would return it as soon as we were done with her.”
Glumly, the changeling looked past his pony friends, at the Smartypants doll in it’s green prison. This text would have came in handy much sooner. “Anyway, this is getting a bit long and I am holding up the Princess. I hope we can talk again soon. There are a lot of things I want to ask you, but it doesn’t feel proper to do it on paper. And without preparation. Take care,
Your Friend, Twilight Sparkle. ”
“I can keep it, right?” asked Chip, holding the piece of paper closer to him.
“Yes, of course. But you can’t carry it around,” sighed the Princess. “It would be suspicious if anypony found it on you. I’m sure that Shining Armor can keep it for you.”
“B-But it’s for me. Twilight gave it to me, right? I own this now. I won’t show it to anyone, I promise!” protested Chip.
“Don’t worry, I won’t read it,” huffed the captain, extending a hoof towards the changeling.
“Nooo,” groaned Chip, fidgeting away from the ponies. “Is mine. I didn’t ask for your picture. This is...this is, like, the first thing I ever got from anypony.” He paused for a second before correcting: “Well, the first I got to keep”
“Really, Chip, don’t worry,” assured Celestia, reaching out with her telekinesis past the changeling’s hooves. “Yes, this is yours, and I promise it will be returned to you at a later time. Shining Armor will keep it for you and give it whenever-”
“No!” hissed Chip, fumbling the paper that evaded his grasp and planted itself in the envelope. “Mine!”
He lunged at the floating letter, chomping down on the magical aura. Before the Princess could react, he gulped loudly, a wide grin on his muzzle.
“Mine,” he repeated contently. “It’s safe now. No one will find it. Unless you still really want me to give it back? Hmm?”
His grin widened as the duo before him, probably the most influential ponies in Equestria, heartily shook their heads.
Shining Armor was ready to start considering weaponizing the tomes spread out in front of him at that point.
“Soo...when do I get to see Twilight?”
That question. The same question each and every day. Spoken in the same manner, accompanied by the same innocent, toothy grin and eyes as wide as plates. Sometimes, although not too often, supported by a quivering lip or pleadingly raised hoof. That was the bane of Shining Armor’s existence ever since Princess Celestia left his office with Chip’s...thing in tow.
It took a couple of days for him to select out a new carpet, having burned the previous one with the most potent fire spell he could muster. He swore the thing hissed and moaned at him as it dissolved into dust.
On top of that, Cadance had to postpone their date due to some princess business in the south. He believed her when she said that she had no choice and would choose to be with him over any petty mission of peace, if she had any say in the matter. Her describing in explicit detail how she’d buck his brains straight out the solar system upon coming back didn’t help much for his agitation.
Still, Chip and his nagging took the cherry off the captain’s metaphorical cake of woes. The changeling knew full well how the captain felt about his questions, going so far as to even explain how it was his plan to finally wear out the guard and prod him into arranging something.
“You have no concept of shame or decency, do you?” finally asked Shining. “You don’t care that you’re asking me, Twilight’s big brother and best friend forever, the Captain of the Royal Guard, to arrange a date for you with my little sister?”
“I do care!” protested Chip, putting his forehooves on the desk and leaning way too close to Armor’s face. “I read that it’s good to gain the approval of the ones close to the mare. And be persistent when asking. Then that means you are serious.”
“S-Serious?” stammered the taken aback stallion. “Whoa, hold it right there buster.” With a firm shove he sat the changeling back in front of his desk. “I ain’t approving anything! This is my little sister you’re talking about! I-I won’t have just anypony coming close to her!”
Chip cocked his head. “We’ve been pretty close before. We even switched bodies, remember?” he said, his forehooves moving in a circular motion. “Besides, she said she wanted to ask me questions. I wanna ask some too and continue with my pony research.”
“Oh, shut up with that research crap,” huffed Shining. “You’re sure as hell not researching anything on my little sister! Here! I’m a pony, you can ask me!” he shouted, poking his chest with a hoof.
“But you keep ignoring my questions!” retorted the agitated Chip, again climbing the desk.
“Because you keep asking indecent ones!”
“Twilight would answer them!”
“No! Nu-uh! I’ll have your head on a pike if you even think about asking her anything related to...t-to that!”
“Well then, sir, would you like me to fetch your spear right now?”
“Why you-!”
* * *
Rumors had a life of their own, most of them trying to be as raunchy as possible. Each re-telling gained new, lewd details that mirrored the desire of the teller to be the center of attention.
Right now, the general consensus was that Captain Shining Armor had a very kinky night with his mysterious fiancee. The numerous lacerations, a ripe shiner and his limp only gave more credibility to the story.
The stallion himself tried to be as dignified as possible - despite his condition he kept up with his platoon, making the snickering ones do double the amount of rounds. He was torn on the subject of Redberry though.
The changeling put up an admirable fight, Shining had to give him that. Where Armor had the upperhoof in skill and experience, Chip challenged him with instinct and raw power, even in his pony form. The two managed to ruff up the fresh new carpet, leave a sizable hole in the side of the desk and knock down several priceless portraits in their struggle.
It was kind of therapeutic in a way - all his anger, the tension and composure he had to keep during the day funneled into fierce strikes, kicks and even on a single occasion bite. The pain he received in kind washed over him, letting him scream out the fear of his future life in the shadow of a Princess, the looming pony-changeling conflict and the much more imminent issue of implanting Redberry into the secret elite forces of Equestria.
He was finally at peace. No amount of exercises could blow away the dark clouds over his mind, contrary to a good old fashioned mutual smackdown. The two fought for some time, the captain finally yielding to the changeling’s superior stamina. They both panted and licked wounds afterwards, although the shapeshifter was most likely just mimicking his motions - he didn’t have a single scratch on him in the morning and was as brisk as ever.
There was also something else entirely - he begun to truly like and respect the changeling. His ways were different, he was an insufferable child and utter twat at times, but he seemed to understand the rules of an honorable brawl. After all, he could have assumed his true form and shred the guard to tiny bits with his razor teeth. Instead he took his blows with dignity, giving back as much as he took if not more.
Chip felt a lot better too. The exercise he and the captain engaged in yesterday was much more fulfilling than running miles upon miles with his training gear. There was something more personal and challenging in tackling a live opponent. Not to say that Master Nindo’s hoof to hoof classes were boring, but the rules there were much more strict - with Shining Armor, it seemed to be all out as long as nopony got seriously hurt.
During the cheerful brawl, he felt every shift in the captain’s mood - first anger, followed by frustration, the breaking point being self-doubt that turned into courage and finally joy when Chip let his guard down more than he normally would. Ponies were really weird creatures - one could apparently alter their emotions even without using changeling magic, although he would not even think about beating up Twilight to cheer her up.
Now the captain exerted confidence, a sense of fulfillment and contentment that was absent from him for a longer time. He was proud that he managed to help his friend, even if the matter of arranging a meeting - or date, as he’d prefer to call it - remained unanswered.
* * *
“Shining Armor, you look like you were fighting a manticore. What happened?” asked Celestia, looking over the stallion with worry. The Princess already finished her duties for the day, the glorious setting of the sun a task she performed not a few minutes ago.
“You’re not far off, Princess,” smiled Shining. “I came here with a request. Our mutual friend needs something again.”
The Princess nodded. “We are doing our best to look for items that may have sentimental value to somepony. It is extremely hard to ask somepony to part with their treasures. We are also still looking for somepony who loves the act of cooking in itself, not the ones they prepare meals for.”
“I understand, Princess,” nodded the captain. “It is not about that this time. Redberry...I mean, Chip has been a royal pain in the...flank ever since he got that letter, my lady. He keeps requesting to meet my sister.”
“Oh?” Celestia raised a brow. “And?”
“While I am still on the fence with the idea of...the likes of him meeting with my sister...alone...I believe that he will not stop asking until his wish is granted.”
The Princess did her best to mask her surprise. She was actually counting on Shining to deter the changeling from meeting Twilight, as that would cause a lot of complicated moves to be made to ensure the secrecy of the meeting. It seemed that the shapeshifter’s talents in persuasion extended beyond that of his magical prowess. Which, as an attribute of the race itself, was unsettling.
“I’m afraid we will have to ask him to wait until he’ll be given proper leave rights, which could take months...”
“Princess?” asked Shining, stunned. “You mean to tell me that-”
“I would not dare lie to him,” cut in Celestia, flaring her wings. “He has been nothing but helpful and dedicated to us. Still, in our current situation, we would risk too much trying to immediately attend to his every whim.” She let her ears drop to the back of her head. “For him, of course, even a few months may seem like an eternity. From what I gather, his kind does not live nearly as long as we ponies do.”
“I see...heh. So that’s why he’s being so...urgent about everything. His impatience isn’t simply a foalish desire to get something done for the sake of it...”
“No. Sometimes, it’s hard to guess if he’s just a child, or really skilled in hiding his true self. In the end, he asks so little for what he has already given us...”
* * *
Chip was pacing around the magically encased office in a circle. He followed the outline of the new rug, noticing a few darker stains here and there, probably left from yesterday’s battle. The changeling never knew that blood could leak from someone’s nose when bucked hard enough. The pony body was so squishy and could ache in so many places, it was a miracle the equines actually willingly signed up for service. If Chip didn’t have the comfort of his chitin to retreat back to in dire need, he’d probably not even consider putting himself through such torture.
His musings were interrupted by the doors opening and Princess Celestia entering the room. Chip’s smile faded as soon as he noticed the serious face the monarch had, along with the guilt he felt on her.
“Chip, I’m awfully sorry,” she said, cutting straight to the point. “I promised you a meeting with Twilight, and I will make good on that promise. As things stand now, however, I cannot allow the two of you to meet. Not yet at least.”
His lack of a response made her look away for a split second before continuing. “I understand that she is important to you. I would like for nothing more than to unburden you of this mission and let you continue down your own path. If you have a better idea on how to verify Silverline’s allegiance and counter the invasion that he spoke of, I will personally trot down to the recruitment office and eat your guard application. If not, then, sadly, this is the only alternative we have.”
“Princess...no, I’m sorry-”
“No, Chip,” retorted Celestia, coming in closer and putting a hoof over the colt’s shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I am fully aware that this situation arose from my own thoughtlessness. I should have patiently waited for you and Twilight to finish your research. Instead, I let my doubts get the better of me, risking the lives of ponies and making our struggle what it is now - a chain of guesses.”
“Princ-”
“I promise, on the sun and moon alike, I will do whatever it is in my power to assist you in whatever path you choose - once this is all over. For now I can only offer my deepest apologies for putting you in this situation.” The regal mare slid forward on her forehooves, keeping one of them curled up and flaring her wings in a bow.
“N-No, I-I-,” stuttered the changeling, dancing on his hooves in rising panic. “I-I didn’t mean to do this! Y-You don’t have to-”
“I already told you before, Chip. It is my duty as ruler of this kingdom to be just. You came to us and endured our interrogations, mistreatment and suspicions. We had you share the secrets of your race. Now, we are forcefully putting your life in danger to rectify the mistakes of a ruler that didn’t know better.”
“B-But Princess!” yelped Chip, smashing his head against the soft rug, lying in front of the regal mare. “Y-You have shown me nothing but kindness! You took me in, let me walk amongst you! If anything, it is me who should be grateful for your benevolence. I have never had a better time in my life than I am having now. You gave me a chance to be somepony else, to do something I wanted, not the hive...” He raised his head and smiled. “You taught me more than I could ever imagine possible. It is only fair I return the favor. I’m sorry for causing such a fuss over...well, wanting to see Twilight Sparkle.”
“Do not be sorry for your heart’s desire,” smiled Celestia. “All I ask is for you to trust me with the matter. For now, though, I believe it would only be polite to reply to the letter that your friend sent you, hmm?”
The changeling’s eyes widened as a huge grin bubbled onto his face.
* * *
Twilight drowsily swayed on her cushion, the lectern she was leaning over for the past few hours closing in on her muzzle by the minute. The scent of parchment and ink filled her nose and lungs to the point she believed that any deeper sight would have her coughing black smoke.
Her current research partner, Princess Luna, was on the other side of the room, studying through the gathered knowledge about changelings. This was her third reading of the papers, carefully regarding all the diagrams and tracing the arrows that formed chains of thoughts.
“It would have been easier to just have Chip himself answer all our questions,” remarked the regal mare. “It is such a shame he is only one. His presence seems to be critical in many places.”
“Too true, Princess,” sighed Twilight, her face comfortably snuggled between the soft papers. “I wish he was here.”
Luna smiled softly, putting away the pages and walking over to the half-asleep librarian. “You like him, don’t you Twilight?”
“Of course. He is my friend.”
“Just a friend?”
Twilight groaned and turned to lie on the other side of her face, away from the princess. “I don’t know. He’s not like Big Macintosh or Shining Armor. I just...”
The mare focused her eyes on an envelope that levitated into her field of view. The delicate blue aura placed it right in front of her nose.
“What is it Princess?” asked Twilight, picking herself up with a groan and inspecting the letter.
“It’s from him. He was unhappy that you two could not meet anytime soon, so he decided to write back to you.” Luna smiled again seeing Twilight liven up a bit.
The element of magic rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath before scooping out the contents of the envelope. It was written in blue ink, the words scribbled slightly unevenly to her trained eyes.
“Dear Twilight,” it read, ”thank you for your letter. I was really happy to hear from you. Everything is going alright here. I think I managed to make friends with your brother, Shining Armor. You never told me you had a brother. You should tell me how it is to grow with another pony sibling sometime.”
Twilight smirked and shook her head slightly, continuing: “Princess Celestia told me that it would be some time before we would be allowed to meet. I hope you’ll still want to meet up by then. Also, thank you for your doll - it was delicious and I thought about you while eating it.” The mare’s brows first shot up and then furrowed as she scanned the text further. ”Don’t worry, your doll will be alright, as soon as the Princess extracts it from the hive material. I wanted to send you a sample so that you could see, but the Princess told me not to do it, because it is apparently very gross and she would not deliver my letter then.”
She giggled, moving on to the last paragraph. “I hope this letter was okay. This was the first one I ever wrote to anypony and the Princess didn’t want to tell me what to write, so I just wrote what came to mind. Please write back soon, because the Princess said it would be okay for us to write letters back and forth like this, as long as I did my job properly, which I will of course.
XOXO (I hope this is appropriate),
Chip the Changeling”
Twilight blushed a little, turning the page around out of habit. To her surprise she noticed a post scriptum on the back. “He really doesn’t know how to write a letter,” she giggled.
”P.S. I’m just curious if you had an answer for my question from the note I left some time ago. I hope it wasn’t too weird that I left it on your bed while you were sleeping, but I really wanted to see you again back then. I still do. Anyway, no pressure. Was just curious. Take care!”
“Note?” mused Twilight, tapping a hoof to her chin, looking at the night princess in puzzlement. “While I was sleeping? What? When?”
As predicted by the Princess, Silverline’s recovery took a week more than it was initially anticipated. By that time the stallion started talking, mostly answering routine questions such as “how are you today?” or “does anything hurt?”. He seemed more talkative around the Princess, the royal mare coming by almost every day to check up on her friend.
“You really don’t have to come visit me so often, Princess,” protested the stallion, still welcoming Celestia with a warm smile. “Some ponies might get the wrong idea, you know.”
“Let them talk. I'm just glad to see you're alright,” giggled the mare, leaning in gently to embrace the pony.
Silverline saw golden magic from the corner of his eye and remained silent. He observed as the Princess put up a glowing bubble around the two of them, a field in which they could talk more freely. And there was a lot to talk about.
“Silverline, I think it is high time we discuss our... plans,” stated Celestia, carefully sitting down on the bed. “Now more than ever it is imperative that we take steps towards securing the safety of Equestria and her citizens. If what you said back then is true, we might be facing an invasion of never before seen magnitude. Our only hope is that the enemy is unaware of us knowing their modus operandi. We must act fast and unnoticed.”
“I understand, Princess,” replied Silverline, bowing his head slightly. “It is unfortunate that only I made it out. We lost a lot of good stallions back there. The enemy has superior numbers, training and most importantly, managed to learn a lot about our defenses. They could read us like open books. A most dreadful feeling, my lady,” he finished, a chill visibly shaking his bandaged body.
“I’m sorry I put you through this. I promise I’ll make it up to you in time,” replied the sun goddess, lightly nuzzling the soldier. “As much as I would prefer to see you rest more in bed, every minute we spend not preparing is the enemy’s gain. Our only chances right now are you and the changeling who defected to our side, providing us with valuable information about their race.”
“A changeling traitor?” gasped Silverline, his ears perking up immediately. “Princess, you should not be trusting any changeling! Their methods, their cruelty, everything about them is simply wrong and-”
Celestia put a hoof up, silencing the soldier. “I understand your concerns. If it wasn’t for his invaluable help, we would have not gotten as far as we did with our preparations. I do believe that we are on the verge of creating a means to detect and disable changelings.”
“We are? That is great news,” grinned Silverline. “I would still keep a wary eye on the defector. Their race is skilled at deception.”
“I will, friend. Leave that to me. Your task, I’m afraid, is far more burdening though. I am forced to ask you to rebuild the special forces and train new recruits as fast as you possibly can. I have already completed a list of potential trainees, ponies who have shown prodigious skills in certain fields. I’ll have it delivered to your office tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Princess. There just ain’t no rest for the wicked, now is there?” he chuckled, standing up and shaking himself off. He saluted the princess. “It will be an honor to rebuild and serve in the special forces again. Thank you.”
Celestia saluted back with a warm smile. It was a great weight off her heart to see Silverline in good shape, both mentally and physically. The doctors didn’t seem to give him enough credit - he was, after all, one of the toughest survivalists in Equestria.
* * *
Silverline sighed deeply, sitting behind his small desk in one of the many rooms of Canterlot castle. His office was nothing much compared to what the rest of the building had to offer - simple four walls with some unremarkable paintings, a few chairs lined to the right and one in front of himself.
He pressed a hidden plate under the desk, a part of the marble floor popping up to reveal a secret stash. The stallion reached inside and scooped up a single folder with red tape wrapped around it. It had a warning written all around it, cautioning the reader that any unauthorised opening would cause the document to combust, potentially inflicting burn marks or blindness.
Slowly, he removed the wrapping, opening the file. It gave a small hiss, the protection spell recognising its reader’s features and dissolving. Silverline always joked that one of these days somepony would weave the spell wrong and he’d have to deal with having no eyebrows to furrow at his ponies.
The folder was full of profiles and pictures of potential candidates - most of them were seasoned veterans from the guard. Looking at their service records, quite a few have seen some action, two even receiving medals for valor. The ones that stood out were a batpony night guard, apparently incorporated into duty after being caught on stealing royal jewelry from an unopened treasury (a feat the perpetrator refused to explain even under the threat of torture), and a boot camp initiate, a burly looking earth pony who consistently scored top of his class and was noted for having huge strength and endurance, even for his race.
Silverline’s trained eyes didn’t see much potential in any of those - his squad was a rag-tag collection of unique talents that he needed in his line of work, forged and refined in the many missions they were part of. Maybe the batpony and veteran guard could be molded into something resembling his comrades, but even in dire need he would still prefer to spend a week or two browsing on his own.
As it were now, he had no intention to rebuild something that wasn’t lost anyway. His people had their orders, preparing the changelings for the takeover. All he had to do here was stall, focus all attention on himself. He would diligently interview everypony, pick a few and begin some mundane training. With some luck, he would condition them to listen to him above everypony else, which could be a nice little trick up his sleeve when the love of his life, Chrysalis, would finally reach Canterlot.
Silverline already had a plan - a few to be exact. He was glad that the Princess didn’t show any signs of suspicion. That would make his mission much easier, even if some of those stallions were there to keep an eye on him. The soldier would act out his normal routine, acting only slightly suspiciously to keep Celestia and Luna on edge, still guessing where his loyalties lied.
To be honest, he was still faithful to Equestria. What set him apart from the rest of the equines was his understanding of how the Changelings worked. Their true nature, their gifts. He knew that nopony would willingly accept his point of view, as he had resisted it for a longer time. Sometimes, the greater good simply has to be spoon fed to the masses. They would brand him a traitor of course, but that didn’t matter. With time and the loving care of Chrysalis, they’d understand.
Just as he did.
* * *
Chip was both excited and nervous. It took nearly a whole week longer for him to be called to the recruitment office for an ‘emergency’. Without much explaining, he was asked to follow a pair of serious-looking guards deep into the castle.
The changeling got led down a few corridors to the less known parts of Canterlot castle, curiously looking around and taking in the environment. The hold was mostly white with golden accents, the halls decorated with beautiful stained glass windows and incredibly detailed statues of ponies. It was a polar opposite of the rather dark and damp hive back at home, where the only decorative accents were rusty stains that peppered the floors, walls and even ceilings.
“Wait here,” said one of the guards escorting him. “You will be called inside in a few moments.”
A brief salute later, the two stallions simply turned around and left, disappearing behind a corner. Chip sighed and looked over his disguise one last time - the skin of Redberry was really getting old on him, and yet he’d have to endure it for Celestia knew how much longer. Whatever this was about, it all seemed pretty mysterious, which didn’t sit well with him.
Without much warning, Chip heard a click and the doors opened, revealing a small desk, a pony sitting behind it. Sure enough his budding suspicions were proven correct - Silverline was staring at him, now much more fit and less bloodied. He looked mildly irritated, clearing his throat and nodding for the changeling to come in.
With a small jump start, the shapeshifter entered the room, the door immediately closing behind him, followed by a blueish aura enveloping the room.
“Sit down,” muttered the unicorn, eyeing Chip with a cold, steel gaze. “Private Redberry, yes?”
“Yes sir,” muttered the changeling, looking around at the shield. It was most likely the same protection spell that Shining Armor and Celestia used when they wanted to talk in private. He would have to learn that incantation at some point. In fact, there were a lot of spells to be learned.
“I can see here you got a lot of praise,” said Silverline, still eyeing the red pony, spreading several pages of reports and reviews across the desk. “Pretty athletic. Good hoof-to-hoof combat. Top of class. I even see that Captain Shining Armor sent a letter recommending that you be trained in the direction of Celestia’s Personal Guard.”
“Correct,” said Chip, meeting the other’s gaze. He had to hoof it to the pony - his smell was very faint, as if he put his emotions under a lid. If more ponies knew how to do that, they would perhaps have a chance against the hive. “May I ask what is this about, uh, sir?” tried the changeling, playing the role of a clueless initiate the Princess told him to assume.
“I will be asking the questions here,” bluntly replied Silverline, standing up and going around his desk. “All you need to know is that I outrank you and everyone you can think of, save for Her Majesty Celestia. Now, hit me.”
“Excuse me?” blurted out Chip, raising an eyebrow.
“Hit me. That’s an order.”
“Sir? I can’t-”
Silverline shot out like an attacking viper, his forehoof aiming straight at the private’s exposed torso. To his surprise he didn’t feel it connect, merely sliding on the soft red fur of his target. The initiate was twisting his body, his hooves closing in to lock Silver’s elbow.
Just as Redberry was about to grab the hoof, he got cast back by a magical pulse, the chair he was on tipping and causing him to fall. The spec ops commander followed up by leaning his body forward, using if to lift his hind hooves for a sideways kick.
Again, the initiate showed near in-pony reflexes, arching his back for a backflip. His forehooves firmly heaved him over the powerful kick that sent the wooden chair crashing against the wall.
Chip wanted to say something, but he managed to only put a single hind leg on the ground before the crazy soldier struck again. This time he was diving low, blazing horn first, a fire spell lingering on the tip.
This wasn’t a brawl, that much the shapeshifter understood. This was an all out battle in which Silverline wanted to hurt him. Every instinct in his body told him to drop the disguise and swat the soldier away with telekinesis, but then he’d be exposing himself and failing the mission. In his current form, all he could do was evade, never having enough time to gain sure enough footing to launch a counter. Or did he?
With a bit of surprise Silverline saw Redberry drop down as well, his teeth bared and maw open. Just as the spec ops pony was about to release the flare he had prepared, he felt a pressure on disrupt the spell. The private bit him, crunching down on his horn.
Chip felt his jaw was on fire as he dragged along with the pony’s movement, finally managing to pull him far enough to begin tracing an arc. Silverline’s momentum was used against him, the stallion unable to halt his imminent collision with the door to his office.
* * *
The battle lasted maybe two or three seconds. Without even a word of explanation or the slightest hiss, Silverline picked himself up and limped over behind his desk, shaking off the numbness that overcame his leg. Chip felt confused and quite angry, adrenaline slowly but surely dissolving to make way for the pain of a strained back and burned mouth.
The two sat in silence for a longer while. Redberry had to retrieve a new chair, keeping his singed lips slightly agape and flinching every now and then. Silverline wanted to caress his bitten horn, feeling it throb dangerously. It would be a dishonor to himself and his trade to show this kind of weakness, though, especially to a lowly initiate who barely got his first teachings at boot camp.
“That was a reckless move, Redberry,” hissed the commander, scooping the files on his desk to a bin. He’d light them on fire for emphasis, but any amount of magic he gathered would simply dissipate in the stinging pain. “It’s not something they teach you at boot camp.”
“No sir,” mumbled out Chip, suppressing his hisses.
“Why did you do it?”
“What was I supposed to do?”
“I ask the questions. Why did you bite me?”
“You wanted to hurt me. I fought back.”
“You disobeyed my command.”
“With all due respect, I don’t even know who you are, sir.”
“Ponies have to work hard to earn that knowledge,” said Silverline, thoughtfully stroking his chin. “That will be all for now, though. You are dismissed.”
“W-What?” stuttered Chip, his mouth hanging open even more.
“Get out. Remember that this meeting never happened. You were given leave to visit your sick parent and will resume your training in three more days. If you so much as mention any of what happened here, I’ll have your memory wiped two years back. Understood?”
The changeling was dumbfounded. He didn’t like Silverline the moment he saw him back when he was just a bloodied shivering mess. The real deal was far more irritating, arrogant to a level he didn’t think possible in a pony. Still, his demeanor would make escaping the changeling hive at least a possibility.
“Now, get out of my office private.”
Slowly, Chip stood up, gave a half-hearted salute and left the room. From the corner of his eye he noticed that the stallion had to trot over to the doors to close them with a bang. He couldn’t help but smile.
* * *
“So, I can do whatever?” asked Chip, making sure he heard correctly the first time around.
“Yeah. The official story is that you got a few days off due to your father’s sudden illness. None of the teachers will ask a thing, and you’ll need to think up a story to tell the recruits, at least those that you usually talk to. This is all very convoluted, I’ll admit,” sighed Shining Armor, rubbing his temple. “I mean, for a spec ops pony, this excuse sure is sloppy. It’s almost as if he’s not trying. Anyway, here are the keys to your apartment. You live alone, but you’ll still have to keep your disguise on.”
“I can go wherever I want? I mean, nopony will be watching me or anything?” The changeling was really starting to get worried, trying to suppress all the hopes that immediately threatened to overwhelm him.
“I guess so. I was surprised myself. Apparently the Princess trusts you a lot, and it would be kind of weird if you’d just vanish into thin air for those three days. Just act normally...as much as you can, at least,” sighed Shining. “Report back to the recruitment office on day four, first thing in the morning. We’ll have to decide an alternative course of action in case Silverline doesn’t pick you - at this point, nothing is certain. Judging by your story alone, I have no idea what he tried to achieve-”
He wanted to continue trying to guess Silverline’s plan, but Chip was already focused on something else. With a bit of worry, the white stallion observed the changeling stare at him intently. He recognised that look. He could almost see the cogs whirring under that skull of his.
“So, uh, I guess, if I were to say, book a train or chariot...you know, for a little vacation out in the, uh, countryside. I heard that the weather is quite nice near the Everfree this time of year. There’s this little place that-”
“You really want to see Twilight that badly?” bluntly asked Armor, rolling his eyes with a deep sigh. “Sorry Chip. You have an imaginary father to tend to. You can’t go to Ponyville.”
Despite not being able to feel emotions like a changeling does, the captain flinched when the shapeshifter let out a long sigh, slouching in resignation. Shining looked away, frowning slightly and bracing for the inevitable. “Coincidentally, though, I invited Twilight over to Canterlot for a small get-together. It just so happens that she will be visiting a small cafe tomorrow, around one in the afternoon. It’s a really nice place, you should go there sometime if you like good-”
The rest of the air that would be dedicated to finishing the sentence was crushed out of Armor’s lungs in a hug so tight it could bend metal. Chip glued himself to the fidgeting captain, showering him with thanks, rubbing his cheeks all over the stallion in unbridled affection, the painful pricking of his burned muzzle ignored completely.
“Don’t...make me...regret...my...decision,” gasped out Shining, his struggle for air futile in the face of the most thankfull changeling alive.
Chip did all he could to suppress his jitters as he left the grounds of Canterlot Castle. It was starting to dawn when the changeling finally let his captain explain in further detail which hospital he should visit and where the cafe was. He got a small saddle with some bits to last him the three days, along with a warning to not spend it all in one place. Much to Chip’s disappointment, Shining Armor didn’t want to consider it a loan like in a bank, argumenting that finding a notary at this hour would be very hard.
Out in the open, everything looked vastly different than on the massive map. The changeling was simply overwhelmed by the variety of residual scents, both emotional and regular. To his keen senses, the streets of Canterlot looked like a dim, rainbow colored fog, the ponies swimming in it effortlessly.
Everywhere he looked there were ponies wearing different costumes, going about their business. Each one was an individual with their own story, family, life. It blew Chip’s mind to realise just how many there were. This place was a lot larger than Ponyville naturally, and the possibilities to learn and observe were tremendous.
“But where to start, where to start?!” chirped the excited changeling. He danced on his hooves like a little filly, pirouetting around in wonder. “Should I just walk up to a ponies and ask him how they were? Maybe I could invite someone over for a drink? Was it appropriate to actually just walk up to someone and start talking?”
The ponies that passed by close enough to hear his mumbling gave him uncertain stares, trotting away slightly faster than they normally would. The changeling simply smiled at anypony who spared him even a glance. With his current skin on, it did look somewhat disconcerting.
“This is a whole new world,” muttered the awe-struck Chip, dreading having only one pair of eyes and ears to take everything in.
He was really curious of all the shops and stalls that were slowly closing for the night. Trinkets of all sorts that he never saw before glittered and called out to him from behind wide window displays, objects both mundane and exquisite equally precious in his eyes. He wanted to just pick everything up and stash it in a cave to play with and study later.
“For once, it’s too bad that ponies aren’t like changelings. I’d just take it all and mark it as my own,” he mused, pressing the side of his face against the cool glass to eye the wide selection of brooms and dusters he was oogling. “Still, buying something seems like a fun thing to do. A pony gets these metal coins that they can then use to get something else. Much better than fighting for food or-wow!”
Chip’s face immediately glued itself to another window, this time of a book shop. His tail frantically swept left and right, hitting a passing-by mare in the face.
“Hey! Watch it, clutz!” she growled at him, swatting at him in her stride.
The shapeshifter whipped his head around. A pony just initiated a conversation with him! As calmly as he could, which is to say ‘in the manner of a foal on a double black coffee‘, he trotted over to the surprised pony and gave her a winning smile.
“Hi there! I’m Redberry! You must have mistaken me with someone, I don’t know anypony by the name of Clutz. H-How are you this fine evening?”
* * *
With the widest grin imaginable, the changeling strolled down the busy Canterlot road, caressing his red and sore cheek.
Apparently the mare didn’t appreciate a pony she didn’t know striking up a conversation. Her first reaction was to growl something at him and pick up her pace. Chip’s mistake was trying to catch up to her and ask for her name. Despite her small frame, she packed quite a punch, making him sway and lose focus for a second. Before he could shake it off, she was gone, and a few elder ponies were staring at him in disapproval.
Luna’s moon caught the changeling by surprise. He had so much fun just walking about and looking at everything and everyone he didn’t feel the time pass. Despite the late hour, there were still a few open shops and ponies moving about, a new variety of smells added to the fray. Some of them made him nauseous, reminding him faintly of the cider and subsequent hangover incident.
“Hey there baby.”
The voice was definitely female, coming from his left side. Chip assumed that the lady was talking to someone else, when he heard it again behind his back: “Looking for some fun times?”
The changeling turned his head around carefully, weary of any hooves that might come crashing towards his face. To his surprise, there was indeed a mare by his side now, a beige coated pegasus with half-lidded blue eyes and a short, scruffy sandy mane. What was more interesting was the fact that she was addressing him, one of her wings slightly unfolded, the prime feather lightly sliding against his side. It felt kind of nice.
“Fun?” mused Chip, smiling happily at the pony. “Sure! I’m Redberry,” he introduced himself, stretching out a hoof.
“I’m Sweet Strokes,” she replied, giggling in surprise as the stallion eagerly shook her leg. “Do you live somewhere nearby?”
“Uh, no, not really. In fact, it’s on the other side of town,” said Chip, remembering the city’s layout. His ears drooped slightly, worry on his face. “Is that bad? Am I not supposed to be here?”
“Oh, don’t worry, honey,” she purred, her wing now gliding along his back. “There’s a place nearby that offers some privacy. That is, if you have the bits...”
“I have lots of bits!” piped up Chip, enjoying the gentle caressing. He jingled his saddles for emphasis, pleased to see the mare smile a bit wider. “What will we be doing?” he asked as he followed the pony, noting a slight wobble in her stride, her flanks and tail swaying from side to side.
“Oh, trust me darling, we’ll be doing all the things,” she purred, turning around to give him another half-lidded look.
Chip was beginning to suspect that she had at least a slight problem with her eyesight and legs, but before he could ask about it they stopped in front of a pretty tall building. The neon lights above the entrance spelled out the word “HOSTEL” flashing erratically.
“In you go, sweetie,” said the mare, nudging him into the dimly lit interior.
The place looked kind of rough, with the wallpaper being torn slightly here and there. Other than a few couches and a potted plant, it was nowhere near as enticing as the many shops that Chip passed on his way.
A bored looking pony spared him a glance, smirking at Sweet Strokes as she came closer. “Got another customer, Sweet?” he said in a gruff voice, lifting himself and trotting over to a set of keys. “You sure are a busy gal.”
“I try hard,” she replied with a sigh, beckoning Chip over. “The usual price for a room is twenty five bits. Add to that, say...” she looked him over carefully, craning her head to look underneath him, a mysterious smirk gracing her lips briefly. “Thirty-five?” she tried, cocking her head to the side, exposing her silky neck.
“Oh! I’m buying something?” gasped the changeling. The confused look on the mare’s face made him grunt awkwardly, wordlessly opening the bag and grabbing a bunch of bits. He threw them on the counter, nonchalantly strutting away. “Keep the change,” he said in a raised tone, climbing the staircase to the upper levels.
“He does know he’s five bits short, right? What is he, not right in the head or something?” snapped the receptionist, hoofing the key to Sweet. “You go up there and get that money for me, will ya?”
“Don’t worry, I will. Sorry about that. Yeah, he is kind of weird. In a funny way,” giggled the mare, slowly moving away, making it a point to sway her hips at the hungrily staring stallion. “And he has a really nice body.”
* * *
Sweet Strokes found her client at the top floor, leaning over a balcony. For a second her heart sank - all she needed now was a suicider and the guards breathing down her back. Her life was tough as it was, having to deal with all sorts of ponies that crawled out of their gutters in this ‘prim and proper’ city after dark.
“D-Darling. Whatever it is, it’s not worth it,” tried the mare, gingerly tip-toing towards the stallion.
“Huh?” he replied, whipping his head around. He had the most ridiculous grin plastered across his face. “What isn’t worth it? The thing that I bought? Dang, I forgot to pick it up!”
Confusion threatened to knock the legs from under her. Was this pony truly mad?
“Sweetie, you bought a room, remember? And a fun night?” she said, regaining her composure and approaching the stallion slowly, making sure he sees every single curve she had to offer. Weirdly enough, she did not see the spark that would have ignited by now in any other stallion. Who was this pony?
“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry!” apologised Chip, shuffling on his hooves. “I’m kind of confused. M-My dad is in the hospital and I had to take leave from Royal Guard bootcamp to see him. He isn’t feeling well.”
Again, Sweet Strokes’ legs almost gave in at the confession. He was a guard trainee, and here she was offering lewd services to him. He was going through a tough time, and yet he eagerly, with a wide smile hired her.
“So, where to?” he asked with genuine curiosity. “Will we play some games?”
Sweet shook her head. Whatever it was, she didn’t care. It didn’t matter. He was a client, a pony with gold bits that she needed to put food in her stomach and a roof over her head. Weirdo or not, she’d service him like any other, provided his insanity didn’t hurt her.
“This way, honey. Sorry about your dad,” she offered, leading him down the stairs. “I’ll make you feel better, I promise.”
They both stopped in front of an unremarkable room. The mare opened the door and went on ahead, entering the brightly lit interior. It was representative of the rest of the building - tidy but showing its age through a worn carpet, some minor tears in the wallpaper and deflated pillows on the double bed.
Sweet climbed onto the bed and lay on her side, covering most of her body with a wing. “I take payment up front, loverboy. And this time, please count your change. You still owe the gentlecolt at the desk five bits.”
“Oh. Sorry!” yelped Chip, rushing out of the room, leaving the doors wide open.
“What…?” Sweet was simply dumbfounded. Did he bail on her? She couldn’t even muster the resolve to pick herself up - her shock and confusion was content with letting her lie in the comfortable bed, a slight improvement to her hard mattress at home.
Before long, she heard hoofsteps, the red stallion appearing in the doorframe with a beaming smile on his face.
“It’s okay now. He wasn’t mad or anything. Sorry about the trouble.” With a hind leg, he closed the door and sat down on the floor. “So. What fun are we talking about?”
Sweet Strokes had to gather the reserves of her resolve to pull together and get in the mood. “Pay up first, darling,” she said, patting the night-stand next to her. “Just make sure you count this time, okay?”
She couldn’t help but smile as the stallion plopped down next to her, reaching into the saddle and retrieving a small bunch of coins, counting it out loud and setting aside to make room for the next hoof-full. It would be irritating to her if, for some reason, his concentrated muzzle and stuck out tongue didn’t look...endearing. He acted like a foal who was doing something really serious, grown-up things that every child dreamed about.
“Darling, uh, you can stop counting now,” she said, lightly tapping him on the shoulder as he kept going way past thirty-five.
“Oh, uh, okay,” shrugged the stallion. “I just heard that it’s good manners to leave a tip for the trouble. I didn’t offend you, right?”
“Tip?” she mouthed. “You’re an odd one, darling. But I won’t complain.” She smiled and loosened up a little, slowly raising her wing and patting the space next to her on the bed. “I’ll earn my tip, promise. Now, lie down. Let Sweet Strokes take care of you...”
* * *
She started off pretty routinely - she kneaded at his wide back, the firm muscles loosening up against her hooves. The stallion purred like a kitten, turning to putty under her expert touch. She whispered sweet nothings to him, complimenting him on his strong body, healthy mane and bushy tail. To her surprise though, the customer seemed really chatty and replied a lot.
“You have really nice hooves. This feels so good,” he murred, his hind leg twitching. His tail was wagging in a slow rhythm and Sweet Strokes couldn’t help but giggle. Most of her clients didn’t talk much, and to be honest, this was the first compliment she got before she was done. “Are you a massagist?”
“Somewhat,” she replied, drawing small circles under his ears, feeling the low rumble of pleasure the stallion gave. “I had a course or two.”
“Would you teach me?” he chirped, making her pause for a second. “I mean, if that’s okay.”
Sweet started suspecting that the stallion was indeed clueless about what was going to happen. Or pulling her leg really hard. He seemed way too innocent and lost to be true. Determined, she wanted to give it one last try. She lowered her muzzle, blowing hot air over his ear.
“Wouldn’t you rather have me buck your brains out, stud?” she whispered in a sultry voice.
“B-But I need it!” groaned back the stallion, covering his head with his forehooves.
And so it was settled. Fate brought her, a veteran of a hundred beds, a handsome stallion with the mind and innocence of a foal. At that point, she could do two things. She could get away with just a massage and excuse, swiping the cash and making a run for it, or follow through and introduce the colt to the wonders of intimacy.
She did not anticipate a third option though - one that was made for her. The stallion turned around, looking her deep in the eyes. It was a gaze she was unaccustomed to - there was no lust, not even a spark of desire. It was a stare you gave to a friend, one where you could say the eyes were smiling and the person was happy to see you.
“Mind if I try for a while? It’s only fair I return the favor.” He said, giddily rubbing his hooves together.
Sweet didn’t understand what was happening. Slowly, she turned around, her wings tightly shut to her sides. She half-expected a ruse - a surprise attack that would let her sink back into the well-known scenario of her current trade. She flinched slightly as a pair of hooves touched at her back, sliding down her spine and stopping short of her rump. The touch was delicate, uncertain. It felt nice, heavenly even, considering how her other clients tended to step all over her shoulders.
“You can press a bit harder. Massage is about working the muscle into relaxing,” she heard her voice say. Was she really telling this stallion how to massage?
“L-Like this?” she heard, arching her back slightly as her customer pushed against her a bit more firmly, driving his hooves up her body.
“Mmmmhm,” she murred, the unfamiliar sensation sending chills down her spine. She felt her wings relax slightly, limping down over her barrel. “You need to massage along the fibres. Each muscle has a certain direction you need to-mfff,” she sighed, feeling his strong legs travel down hers.
“This is fun,” said the stallion. “Would it be okay if I asked how your day was?”
* * *
The sun was nearing the apex of it’s journey when Sweet Strokes finally stretched herself and rolled over on the bed. The stallion was sleeping right next to her, his wide back towards her. She watched as his breath gently rocked his side.
The night she just had was unique. It was a one in a lifetime experience, something that ponies could read about in fairy tales. Granted, she did have clients who were sensual, even caring during her work, but it all boiled down to providing the client with what he wanted. She never even imagined that a stallion who cared about her would even exist.
With this Redberry, she was confused. He stirred to life emotions she thought she had lost. Not only did he spend half the night massaging her body, wings included, he was also genuinely interested in her life story. He wasn’t trying to be nice or getting something out of it - he listened intently, gasping at the right moments and asking questions whenever something piqued his curiosity.
She felt appreciated. For the first night in a long time, she didn’t feel like a doll, she wasn’t repulsed by sharing a bed with a stallion. In fact, as much as she tried to suppress the feeling and tell herself she shouldn’t allow it, she became attached.
“What did you do to me?” she whispered, tracing a hoof from the tip of his ear to a shoulder. “Am I really that pitiful to jump at the first guy who offers me a little warmth? Did you take pity over me, or did you really see a mare in me? What is your angle, Redberry?”
“I think we are parallel to each other now. Two lines that do not cross can’t have an angle between them,” mumbled the stallion, slowly turning around. His eyes were struggling to open.
Sweet burst out with laughter, startling Chip. Whatever it was he said, it made her really happy - the emotions that floated around her were now mostly positive, a great improvement over the resignation and hollowness he felt before. He could probably safely call her a friend now, adding another mood improving technique to his repertoire.
“You’re too good to be true...Redberry,” giggled the mare, hugging his head and brushing her cheek against it. As much as she didn’t want it, she had no choice but to accept her feelings. For now, she could simply enjoy them.
“But where are you going? I can’t help if you won’t tell me!” yelled Sweet Strokes, trying to keep up with a particularly panicked Redberry.
”I'm late! I'm late!” the stallion kept chanting, trotting frantically through the sleepy crowd moseying along. “It’s a very important date! I’m meeting a friend I haven’t seen in ages!”
“Date? But where?” repeated the breathless mare. The news slightly shook her, but it was expected that such a stallion would already be taken. I should quit while I’m ahead, she sighed to herself, catching up to Redberry on a crossroad. “I know this part of Canterlot like the back of my wings. If you’re really late just tell me where you’re going and we’ll take a short-cut!”
“Uhh, uhh,” stuttered Chip, his eyes darting around, looking for landmarks. He knew he remembered the map right, but for some reason he couldn’t focus and felt an urgent need to simply keep running until he eventually found the place. “It’s the ‘True Brew Café’. And I’ll be late,” he moaned.
The cafe was actually quite close from what Sweet Strokes could remember. It wasn’t really a place she could afford normally, but she had plenty of customers invite her for a strong black before they got down to business.
She could let him stay there and run around a little bit. He’d eventually give up and then she could cheer him up a bit, spend a nice afternoon...
Or, you know, you could act like a normal pony being and not a bitch for once. I mean, he looks like he’s going to cry if he doesn’t make it. Is that how Sweet Strokes shows gratitude? she scolded herself, coming in closer to Redberry and tapping him with a wing. After all, he did say ‘friend’, not ‘marefriend’. Everything is fair game as long as there’s no ring on it.
“Actually, Redberry, it’s quite close,” she said in a soothing voice. She couldn’t help but return the smile his face suddenly burst into. “It’s down that waaaaayy,” she managed, being swept off her hooves by the stallion diving under her and running down the road. She tried to protest, flailing around on his back, but it seemed that Redberry Express stopped for nopony.
* * *
Twlight was nervously twisting the coffee cup on its saucer, subconsciously trying to align it with the utensils she already positioned around her little brunch set. She still didn’t touch the delicious smelling apple pie, her stomach in a knot from the tension. It was nearing one in the afternoon, and she wasn’t even certain she’d recognise the stallion Chip was disguised as. She carefully regarded every customer coming in and out, like a hawk looking for prey. Or a really nervous filly that agreed to meet in an informal, almost date-like manner with an old fiend she had mixed feelings for.
For a second she thought she saw him, but the red-coated stallion that burst through the door was...carrying a pegasus on his back? He looked around frantically and stopped on her. She could see his eyes go wide and…it was him. Something told her that was Chip. What did he do to the other pony though?
Twilight carefully observed the changeling as he casually strolled to the counter where the barista, a friendly and well mannered unicorn by the name of Frothy Brew, was preparing a drink for another patron. The two exchanged some words, Chip obviously struggling to choose something, judging by his head cocking back and forth and Frothy’s smile slowly fading in favor of a slight frown.
Finally, the mare, as Twilight noticed with slight concern, helped him by saying something, the barista sighing and giving a thankful smile. She was quite good looking, even with the mess her mane was in. What struck the librarian as both odd an irritating was the way she glanced at Chip from time to time, as if she was expecting something of him. Who was she anyway? The changeling never mentioned a mare in his letters, unless he was keeping her a secret. But why? As far as she knew, with her source being her BBBFF who had no choice but to yield to her constant nagging, there were hardly any mares in the current batch of recruits, and Chip wasn’t allowed to roam Canterlot up till yesterday…
Her musings were interrupted by the shapeshifter finally getting his drink and turning around, shamelessly looking at Twilight with a smiling face. The pegasus followed him with a cup of her own and a piece of what looked like cherry pie.
“Is this seat free?” asked the stallion, sitting his rump across Twilight without bothering to wait for an answer. “Hello. I’m Redberry and this is Sweet Strokes,” he blurted out. “How are you today?”
* * *
Chip tried his hardest to follow the scenario Shining Armor told him to play out. He was to ask nicely to sit with Twilight and pretend they didn’t know each other, just exchanging a few pleasantries two strangers would in a nice cafe.
It was impossible. His heart was racing and he felt joy like none other just at the mere sight of Twilight. She looked just as he had remembered her - a purple unicorn with a streaked, nicely groomed mane and tail. She wafted of so many emotions he felt overwhelmed, unable to contain his excitement. He just wanted to drop the disguise and hug the mare, even if it meant shoving the table aside and making others stare.
“Uhh, hiii,” finally replied Twilight, grinning sheepishly. “I-I’m Twilight Sparkle. Yes, uh, um, I’m fine. And how are you? I see you’re enjoying a...nice day with your...heh.”
“I’m good too, thank you for asking,” replied Chip, slightly bouncing in his seat. “Me and Sweet Strokes were just looking for a place to grab some late breakfast.” He turned to the pegasus, giving her a wide grin. “We rented a room in a hostel you see, and we stayed up all night having fun!”
The sudden change in mood at the table hit his senses like a wrecking ball. He sensed just a little bit of tension and insecurity under the blanket of happiness before, but now it felt like a torrent of dread, anger and confusion suddenly erupted from Twilight. Sweet on the other hand wafted of embarrassment and pride, tinted with a healthy dose of joy.
“Uh, heh, yeah, that’s, uh...” mumbled Twilight, shifting on her hooves.
“You alright?” asked Chip, reaching out with a hoof. She backed away slightly.
“Y-Yeah. Sorry.”
* * *
The rest of the ‘date’ was rather short and silent. Chip tried hooking Twilight with a conversation starter, but for some reason the mare just backed out of it every single time. She excused herself before she even finished her pie, leaving a trail of confusion and doubt in her wake.
“So, who was she anyway? You said you were friends, yet you both acted like you didn’t know each other,” asked Sweet Strokes, eying the stallion curiously.
“Uh. Um.” He didn’t think this through. Taking Sweet meant that there was another witness to the meeting, a pony who could shoot down the ‘we never met before, he’s a stranger’ safety net woven for Twilight’s sake. “I don’t know her?” tried Chip.
Sweet raised an eyebrow. She wanted to call the stallion out on his weird behavior, but decided to not press any further. There were things that some ponies didn’t feel the need to talk about.
“Sorry. Think I should go now,” said Redberry, picking himself up and starting to leave.
“What about me?” asked Sweet, reaching out a wing to him.
“Oh. Um. What about you?”
Funny, really. What had she been hoping to achieve? She met a client who was nice to her for a night. She refused to take any money from him, her stupid conscience telling her that it would be wrong to have the sweetheart pay her sixty bits for him massaging her and listening to her ramblings. She should have called it a good day and kept looking for other clients to fill her empty wallet.
And now she wound up being the mare who was supposed to have his friend be jealous over. Granted, she did follow him willingly, she sat her stupid ass and let him do the talking. She wanted to gauge the competition, see if she had a shot at the stallion who seemed like a really good catch, all things considered.
Turned out the colt was only nice as long as he needed her. It was nothing new, really. She knew the scenario by heart, she went through the routine a hundred times. Granted, this particular play was very elaborate, fresh, authentic. The stallion would get top score for the acting. And she’d just clap her hooves, slowly, biting back all the hurt.
“Nevermind, sorry. Thanks for the coffee and pie. Bye,” she finally said, standing up and moving past the stallion, careful as to not even brush against him. It took all her self-control to keep a steady pace and not turn around and look at him one last time.
* * *
Twilight kept strolling around Canterlot. Her head was a mess, and she didn’t like it.
“Chip was undercover,” she muttered to herself, “he was playing. He crafted an elaborate and believable story. He had an alibi by spending a night with...”
Did he really spend a night with her? Maybe she was an actress? She looked too well groomed to be a...an escort. If that was the case, why in Tartarus did Twilight feel so hurt?!
“Does he even understand what it means? Can changelings really have...”
She felt sick and her legs began to wobble, so much in fact that she had to sit on a nearby bench and breathe deeply.
“Just a ruse. It wasn’t true. We are friends, he’d tell me if...if...”
Would he? He was a changeling. Their race was deceptive, born masters of cloak and dagger. But was Chip like that?
“No. He’s a good friend. He was just trying too hard. And...and...”
Why did it hurt? It was illogical to react like this. She was looking forward to the meeting so much she rehearsed every single topic she wanted to talk about, arranging them by how important and inconspicuous they were.
“He showed up, he talked to me. And I got hung up on a perfectly reasonable alibi?”
She lost the opportunity to get together with a friend she really liked. She had several dreams about the moment they’d finally meet again, and now that it happened, she let something insignificant like that ruin it for her?
“He’s childish, Twilight. He doesn’t think like a pony. He doesn’t understand. He wasn’t being mean or inconsiderate. He was just being...himself.”
Twilight was an idiot. She couldn’t ask him straight up who she was, that would break his cover. But she trusted him, at least she should have. He never betrayed her. He came close, very close, and never took a step back. It was she and her stupid emotions that got in the way!
“I have to go back!” she gasped, jumping back on all fours and trotting as fast as she could towards the True Brew Café.
* * *
Chip sat at his table, unable to understand what just happened.
The mares just left him at the cafe, both apparently hurt. What did he do now?
“You okay there, sir?”
The changeling shook himself and looked at a lightly-pink coated unicorn staring at him. She wore an apron just like the barista, smiling at Chip.
“Huh? Yeah,” muttered the changeling, observing as she cleaned up his table of Twilight’s coffee and pie.
“Your friends seemed pretty upset. Something happen?” she inquired, levitating over a cloth rag.
“Beats me. I don’t understand mares.”
The unicorn offered a small smile and nod, finishing her cleaning and trotting towards another table.
“Talking to Butterscotch was a lot easier,” grumbled Chip, suspiciously sniffing the now cold black brew in front of him.
* * *
Sweet Strokes just wanted to go back to her part of town and carry on with her life. Still, she lingered in the side alley near the cafe, biting her lip.
“So yeah, a stallion comes up, sweeps you off your feet, literally, and now you want more?” she hissed to herself, angrily bucking at the wall she was leaning against. “Sugar, how long have you been living this life now? You ain’t a filly no more, no knight in shining armor gonna stroll down your lane and help you get back up on your hooves. You wanna get somewhere, you gotta work for it. Save up money and move out, look for a proper job.”
She looked back at her cutie mark, a small blue bath-towel. She was always good with her hooves, and the courses she partook in while in Canterlot were really something she enjoyed. She was a natural when it came to hitting just the right spots, loosening up cramps and drawing out pleasured groans from customers. The teachers said she was a natural and that her name fit her well, that she’d have a bright future in the spa industry.
Cruel fate decided to give her name a different meaning. She wanted too much too fast, taking up loans from wherever she could to have her own business. Maybe it would have worked, she could have been a happy massagist, have a husband and kids like any normal mare and enjoy her life. Instead, she was left with a failed start-up, tons of bits to pay off to shady characters and trust broken by the pony she hired to handle her finances. The guards never caught him and she was added to the already long list of conned mares. He took not only her small fortune, but also all her dreams.
Canterlot wasn’t exactly a city in which you could trip up like that. You either fended for yourself or...well, you did what she did now - choke back tears while leaning against a wall, scolding yourself for letting old dreams get to you.
“You know what?” she said to herself, wiping her face with a forehoof. “You should go back. You should tell that colt what you think of his mother and demand an apology for playing you like that. You’re a strong mare. You put up with enough shit as it is. You can’t have just any stallion waltzing in and tricking you with feigned innocence and chivalry You go back there, tell him what a bag of cerberus dung he is and make him explain everything to that other mare. Make him apologize his mouth off.”
With her ears pinned to the back of her head, she boldly strutted around the corner, noticing the purple unicorn from before trotting over, out of breath.
“Perfect,” she snickered, smiling.
* * *
Chip decided that he wasn’t at fault. He analized every single thing he said - all of it was true, and very conveniently so. He didn’t use harsh words, he was respectful and very careful to not do or say anything that would embarrass a pony.
“What happened then?” he sighed, picking himself up and dragging his feet towards the exit. Lucky for him, he decided to glance through the wide side window, where a pair of mares he apparently offended were talking.
Urgently, the stallion exited the cafe, ignoring the unicorn waitress who was asking him something.
“So nothing happened?” he heard Twilight say.
“No. We just spent the night talking and...massaging each other. I swear. If I’d known he had a marefriend, I wouldn’t even touch him with a ten foot pole,” said Sweet, puffing out her chest and stomping a hind hoof for emphasis.
“Oh jeez, just stop it with the charades already, okay? I can tell by the way you looked at him and me,” irritably huffed Strokes. “Seriously, if there’s anypony you wanna be mad at-”
Sweet paused, noticing Redberry shuffle closer with a small grin.
The shapeshifter stopped as another emotional bomb-shell struck him, this time hurt anger flung his way.
“-it is that trash!” finished Strokes.
The last thing Chip saw was Sweet nimbly whipping her hind hooves around and rearing up for a buck. He could dodge it, flex his way out of it. Still, he remembered that violence was one of the many keys that ponies used to unlock their frustrations and let all the bad blood flow out. It didn’t feel right to hit a mare, so he’d just take it like a real stallion, straight to the face.
He heard a shattering sound right before his consciousness decided it would be better off taking a break.
Twilight gasped as Chip’s disguised body smashed into the storefront window, and fell like a rag-doll to the ground. “Chip!” She rushed up to him glancing horrified that the open wounds caused by the glass.
“Chip? What’s that? His pet name?” Sweet spat, the anger in her voice welling up. “I knew that you two knew each other! You should have seen how eager he was to meet you! I don’t even know why I helped him here!” She began yelling more at herself, hot tears streaming down her face, “Why would I ever think that any colt would really be friends with me!?”
Twilight was taken aback by the sudden outburst, and a little angry at this mare for trying to smash Chip’s face in, but something in the mare’s voice said she needed help. Twilight wasn’t much for speaking when confused, but this was a desperate situation that could get even worse if she didn’t do something, so she did the first thing that came to her mind.
“What do you mean? How do you know him?” She asked.
“How do I know him? What do you think? Do you know what I do for a living?” She threw her face up to Twilight. “I escort! Do you think that I just ran into him and suddenly we’re sharing a room in a hotel?”
Twilight blinked. So they did go to a hotel room and stay the night. But why would Chip even consider-… “Wait, did Chi-er, Redberry ask to- well, ask for you to…?”
Sweet hesitated in her angry tirade at the question. “What? I mean- no… I offered. It’s how I get my clients. Nopony just starts speaking to mares like me on the side of the road unless spoken to. I invited and he… accepted.” When she stopped speaking, she seemed suddenly aware of the crowd that had gathered around the bloody scene. “I- I’ve gotta go," she said, and nervously ran off.
“Wait!” Twilight cried after her, but the mare known as Sweet Strokes had disappeared, leaving Twilight in the middle of the road with Chip, surrounded by broken glass.
Twilight sighed as she returned her attention to Chip. Assessing the situation, she realized that the city guard would be there soon if they weren’t already, and that would mean problems if she and Chip were caught.
She began shaking his shoulders, looking around for any signs of the guard. “Chip. Chip wake up, we have to go!”
* * *
There was a muffled sound. Chip knew that sound, that voice. It was calling him. But why? There wasn’t anything here, nothing going on. Just darkness and muffled noises.
He felt a strange movement, a shifting he would call it. Back and forth it went. He didn’t like it. And it seemed to get worse as the voice that called him got louder and clearer.
Aching pain began to reach his consciousness, making him aware of his body, which he could now feel was slumped on something rough and scratchy. It felt like his home back at the hive.
“Chip,” the voice called out again, this time clear enough that he could understand it. “Dangit, Chip!”
Before he could respond, his body felt like it was turning inside out as it was shoved through a straw. The pain of the strange phenomenon forced his eyes to open and his lungs to desperately suck in a fresh batch of air.
What he saw was a light. It wasn’t very bright though, and it dangled from a wooden surface towards him. A ceiling. Chip shook his head as he tried to sit up.
“No, don’t move.” A purple unicorn whom he’d just remembered whispered.
“Twilight?” He looked at her confused, “What happened?”
“Shhh! We’re at my parents house. Don’t make a sound.”
“What?”
“I said be quiet!”
Confused, Chip just lay his head back down. Where had they been? Why was his face hurting now? There was a mare, he remembered, that one from the hotel… Chip gasped as his memory returned in a flood.
Twilight was suddenly looking Chip over, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Where did Sweet go?”
Chip could feel Twilight’s anxiety transform into annoyance and slight anger. She pointed a hoof at his face. “You’re going to explain to me what happened later. For now, let’s just get you better.”
“But- But I made her angry! I don’t even know what I did! I can’t just leave her mad like that!”
Twilight pushed Chip’s shoulder back down to the floor. “Be quiet! And I’m sure she’ll be fine. She ought to be used to it in her line of work anyway.” The words came out less than apathetic towards the mare.
“But what happened?”
“Oh, I dunno! You tell me!” Twilight stopped herself, covered her face with her hooves and let out a exasperated sigh. “Ugh… Chip, just please stop talking while I take care of your injuries. We’ll figure this out later, okay? I promise.”
“Okay.” Chip didn’t want to argue. Twilight was giving off strong scents of stress, annoyance, and worry, and he thought it would be a bad idea to add to that. So he laid down and let Twilight tend to his bruises and cuts.
This is not how he had hoped their meeting would go.
* * *
In an alley, tucked deep in the more questionable parts of Canterlot, sat Sweet Strokes. Her head hung low, turned away from the main road. She didn’t want to be seen like this. She didn’t want to feel like this.
It hurt.
“I was a fool. And I was played like a fool,” she told the darkness. Though, she couldn’t bring herself to admit it, it was true that she had asked for this when she saw the bright eyed stallion wandering the streets. The unicorn was right. She had asked for it.
But how could he do that to her. Why were there ponies like that in the world. Ponies that put on façades, flashing them at all, leaving them destitute in their wake. She had seen a glimmer of hope. A pony that had been concerned with her for once instead of himself. A pony who asked questions, wanted to get to know her, and acted friendly from the moment he saw her to the moment he said those self-condemning words.
She hated it. She hated him. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel that those moments he gave her were genuine, that he was truly a friend to her.
The conflicting thoughts confused her, twisting and pulling at her emotions until she didn’t know what to feel.
What was she thinking? That he would just suddenly think her the best mare he’d ever met? That after only a night they would be closer than someone who had obviously known him for a while? Why were they even pretending not to know each other? It was obvious on the face of it! And if he was so eager to see her, why would he pay to “have fun”, as she had put it? Did he even know what sex was? Did he even know that she was a prostitute? A mare who threw herself at other ponies for money? A mare who had been thrown out, left without a bit to her name, and dragged into the dirtiest pits of Canterlot’s prestigious “business” class?
Sweet released her frustration on an empty juice carton, flinging further down the alley into an indiscernible pile of refuse. “RUAAAGH!” The alley gave a quick echo back. Nothing else responded. Nothing answered her questions.
She sat back down and tried to work out what had happened through tears. “I’ve got to deal with this.”
Her panting began to produce small wafts of steam. It was getting dark.
Nothing made sense to her anymore. Well, not nothing. She knew that her love was foolish, the silly notion of “love at first night”. But she also knew he made her feel good. She felt worth something for the first time in years, only for that to be taken away the moment his marefriend came into view.
But if he was planning on meeting her, if he was so eager to see her, why on earth would he accept an offer to stay the night with another mare? It made no sense! Not unless she meant nothing to him after all, but that obviously wasn’t true!
“Maybe he really is as childishly innocent as I thought he was. Maybe he really has no idea what sex was, or what any of this escorting business is,” she thought allowed. It made sense. It would explain his willingness to “have fun” and his asking her questions. He acted as if it was just a simple sleepover with friends.
“UGH!” Sweet wiped her hooves over her face, trying to grab her frustration through it and throw it the same way she threw the empty carton.
As much as that theory made sense, it just seemed so unlikely. What kind of stallion, that big, that handsome, training for the royal guard had never had a frisky night with some mare?
A droplet of water hit her muzzle. She looked up to see a dark grey cloud engulf the entirety of the sky.
“Well, that’s just great.” Looking down to her bags, she remembered that she had enough money for a good night’s sleep, thanks to the stallion she know wanted to forget.
Sighing, she slipped her bags on and walked to the cheapest hotel. If she was going to use this money, it should at least be used wisely, as much as she would have preferred throwing it all out to forget.
Chip dug his hooves in the puffy cloud surface below. For the second time in his life he was standing at the threshold of a golden gate, egged on by a dozen of his friends to come over and stay with him.
“Come on Chip, it’s fine, really,” cooed Sweet Strokes, reaching out to the changeling with a hoof.
“It’s all good here,” assured Twilight, “we aren’t mad. There is no suffering or pain, no wars or secrets. Everyone’s a friend. Come join us.”
“Come on, Chip, son,” purred Chrysalis, emerging from between his two friends. “I forgive you. Come to your mommy, darling.”
Chip squared his withers and pouted, swishing his head to the side. “No,” he grumbled.
* * *
“You always have my work cut out for me, Princess,” scoffed Dr Hoffenweiser, throwing a green-stained rag on top of a wheeled table. “Although I must admit it has been some time since I last saw our… unique friend.”
The elder unicorn sighed and tsked, looking down on the heavily bandaged form of a red stallion in front of him. At first he didn’t really believe it was the same hulking creature he barely managed to save way back when in Canterlot, but the blood that refused to accept any other type and turned green after an extended period of exposure to air made him reconsider.
“He’ll live, I think,” the doctor finally said, turning to regard the rest of the ponies that watched his every move. If the scrutinizing gaze of Princess Celestia wasn’t enough, he had to endure the hard stares of Captain Shining Armor and his sister, who at the moment was waiting outside to cool down after a panic attack struck her mid-operation. Some ponies. Losing it at the sight of the smallest arterial fountains, he tsked internally.
“And what of his injuries? Will he recover?” inquired Shining, fearing for the worst. His first glimpse of the changeling reminded him of the crystal hedgehogs from olden legends, only much more bloody and with splinters peppering his body. The changeling managed to smash through a glass door and shatter the counter of the cafe, embedding himself deeply enough to require several unicorns to dig him out.
Hoffenweiser shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine, Captain. Last time it was but a measly cut, and the stallion was in his, eh, natural form. Since I have no understanding of how his transformations work, I cannot really tell, but, well, on the bright side,” chuckled the doctor, adjusting the glasses on his muzzle, “if he were a regular pony, we’d be having a funeral right about now.” He ignored the scowls of his audience and tapped the steadily beating heart monitor to his left. “Our friend clings to life like a starved foal to his mother’s teat. I won’t bet my career on it, but I believe he will be making a pretty solid recovery. All he needs is plenty of rest.”
“Thank you, doctor,” sighed Celestia, making way for the unicorn. “I would still appreciate if you would withhold your… personal humor when dealing with my friends.”
Hoffenweiser felt chilling pinpricks on the back of his neck as the golden aura that surrounding the room for the entirety of his stay parted slightly, allowing him to exit the room.
Before the shielding spell sealed itself again, Twilight Sparkle barged in, her eyes darting across Chip’s unconscious form. The changeling looked like a mummy, with red flowers blooming here and there on his torso. A quick look at the Princess and her brother reassured her that the changeling was in no grave danger.
“So, how is he?” whisper Twilight, tiptoeing to the bed and sitting beside it, looking miserable.
“The doctor says he’ll be fine,” assured Celestia, putting a wing around the troubled mare. “While Chip recovers, we still have the matter of our other guest to discuss.”
Everyone’s eyes floated towards the tan pegasus gently dozing on a pillow in the corner of the room. Her delicate snores were barely audible through the buzzing of a dozen spells cast on the mare.
“I still think we need to wipe her memory,” sternly said Shining Armor, standing to face Celestia. “While she doesn’t know too much, a keen infiltrator could still put some pieces together from her experiences with Twilight and Redberry. It is far too dangerous to let her just roam about, even if she promises to keep quiet.”
“On any other occasion I would agree with you, Shining Armor,” nodded the solar princess. She sighed heavily and looked to the resting mare with misty eyes. “Still, this young mare has been through much in her life. Her experience with Chip was something that we simply cannot take away. She has seen the light of kindness for the first time in many years.”
“Princess,” tried Shining Armor in a softer tone, “I know. I’ve seen it all too. Even so, can’t we just leave her with an impression? A vague feeling that something nice happened? Surely there must be spells-”
“No,” interrupted Celestia, approaching to sit beside Sweet Strokes. “Mind altering magic in itself is a horrible art. I try and refrain from using it whenever I can. Even if this would be the easiest way out, erasing the solitary speck of good against her sea of pain would simply be criminal...”
“I understand, Princess,” sighed Shining. He stood beside his ruler, observing the unaware Sweet Strokes. “What other choice do we have, though? Do you really wish to drag another one of your subjects, an innocent, into this whole affair? We would have to hide her, deal with her learning the truth… and then what?”
“Shouldn’t we ask her what she wants?” offered Twilight, turning away from Chip. She flinched when the two looked at her, but pressed on. “I mean, isn’t it fair that she be aware of what is going on? It’s not her fault she got involved in… this.” She passed a hoof over the changeling for emphasis. “She can choose to forget it, or stay in the castle and work something out. Doesn’t that sound better than making the choice for her?”
“Twi, I understand your concern for others,” said Shining, “but this matter is too important, too big to consider the comfort of others. We all make sacrifices here to help prevent a war that could-”
“Sacrifices? But does that mean we have to be ruthless about it?” The chill in Twilight’s tone made Shining put on a quizzical expression. “Just because our country is in danger doesn’t mean we can cast aside our moral values! Even our greatest criminals, murderers or otherwise, are being sent to jail instead of being brain-washed into being better ponies!”
The silence that fell afterwards sat heavy on everyone’s consciences. Celestia was torn. It was one thing to wipe out a few minutes from a drunken guard’s mind and cause him to repent, and totally another to rob a poor soul of memories that could set her life straight. It was times like these that the burden of her crown weighed heavily on her temples. Being ‘just’ meant acting in everypony’s best interest. How could she compromise when the good of the many stood in contrast with the well-being of just one?
“Princess, let me talk to her,” sighed Twilight, delicately putting a hoof over Chip’s leg. “It was partially my fault all this happened. If I hadn’t acted so… irrationally.”
Shining stood up to say something but was hushed by Celestia’s hoof.
“If there is anyone guilty, it would be me,” admitted Celestia. “I should have known better than to let Chip roam free. I was too distracted to think clearly.” The monarch approached Twilight and nuzzled her briefly. “Very well, Twilight. Talk to Sweet Strokes, and we shall decide what to do from there.”
“Yes, Princess,” replied Twilight, watching as Celestia left the room with a grim Shining Armor in tow.
* * *
“... you mean...”
“...Princess...”
“...never… changeling...”
Chip’s conscience swam on the outskirts of his body. It was very reluctant to don its mortal frame again, as a pretty real promise of vivid pain lingered on the edge of his senses. It waited like a prowling timberwolf ready to pounce and tear into him.
What little contact he had with reality let him see blurry images, some noises and smells that didn’t make much sense. He tried accessing his memories without rousing his body, but to no avail. It came with the package and they were all out of trials.
He took some time to stallion up and pray to the Princess that it wouldn’t hurt as bad as it felt it would. Gingerly, as if threading through a minefield, the changeling sunk into his skin. The sensations weren’t all that horrible - a numb thumping in his chest assured him that his heart was still pretty much operational, and despite his limbs not responding just yet, he was certain they’d come around soon enough. His control spread, slowly inching towards the neck and cranium. As soon as it touched upon the mind, a sudden starburst of pain surged through his being.
“Nu-uh!” yelped the incorporeal Chip, swirling away from the offending organ. “It’s a trap!”
Despite trying to pull back, he was too far gone - his conscience was getting comfortable in his mortal jacket and a strong force was drawing the changeling spirit back towards the boxed up pain. Even though there was no air to be had in the immaterial realm, the phantom Chip took a deep breath and shut his eyes closed, the gates of his tortured mind opening ever so slowly.
* * *
“And that’s how we ended up here. At least, that is as much as my brother let me know,” finished Twilight, sighing with content. For all the bad things said about Sweet’s profession, she was a very attentive listener and didn’t interrupt during her speech, save for some welcome questions here and there.
“So… Redberry here. He’s a changeling?” asked Sweet Strokes, pointing at the unconscious mummy on the bed.
“Yes.”
“A-And I didn’t kill him or anything?”
“The doctor says he’ll live,” warmly smiled Twilight.
“A-And y-you want me to...” Sweet gulped, looking around the room. The golden glow made her uneasy.
“To choose where you want to go from here.”
“What choice do I have, though?” sniffled the pegasus, slumping on her pillow. “I either get my brain washed and go back to who I was or… or disappear for good.”
“I’m sorry,” apologized Twilight, putting a hoof over the shaking mare. “I’m sure the Princess can think of something.”
“Like what? Huh, maybe I’ll be her personal…” Sweet’s voice broke and she started crying. ”She probably doesn’t even swing that way! And what about him? Did he do something to me? Did he steal my love?”
“What? No, nonono,” quickly assured Twilight, patting the pegasus on the back. “Chip’s different! He would never do that! He was just being friendly. He loves making new friends!”
“*sniff* Really? He didn’t *snort* do this for the *sob* love?”
“Trust me,” whispered Twilight, nuzzling the mare. She got pulled into a tighter hug, still patting Sweet on the back. “He’s a really good colt once you look past his… awkwardness and foalish behavior.”
Sweet chuckled lightly through the tears. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to come between you two. I’m really, really sorry. It’s just that-”
“I know,” smiled Twilight. “He has that weird effect on ponies. You can’t really tell if he’s fooling around or just clueless. Or both.”
The two shared a moment in relative silence when the heart monitor decided to go haywire. The beeping became erratic and an alarm sounded, startling Twilight and Sweet. Without a second thought, the unicorn rushed to the door, the golden glow oozing away to let her pass.
“Doctor!” yelled Twilight at the top of her lungs.
* * *
Hoffenweiser set the heart monitor back up straight, his magic moving away a cart with a defibrillator unit.
“Well, seems our patient will have to be kept asleep for the time being,” sighed the doctor, shaking his head. Despite the air of professional aloofness he tried to maintain, he could not help but feel sympathy to his suffering patient. “I wholeheartedly admit to underestimating our friend’s pain. Or perhaps overestimating his body’s resilience. In either case, we will keep him asleep while his body does its thing.” He worriedly looked over the gathered ponies. The past hour or so had been truly draining.
Twilight and Sweet were shaken the most, being there the moment Chip’s screaming started. It was a sound that raised hairs and tore into the soul - even without empathic abilities the mares were frozen solid by the amount of agony it carried.
Hoffenweiser recoiled the moment he entered, but kept his professional cool and begun working his healing magic when Chip’s heart stopped the first time.
Celestia and Shining came just in time to hear the crying and sputtering. They both held the smaller mares and shielded them while the doctor did his best to sedate the writhing figure without causing his heart to fail again.
It took an hour that might as well been an eternity before Chip slumped back onto his bed, his throat no longer capable of carrying sounds other than wet gurgles, the bandages he was wrapped in damp with greening blood.
“Of course it goes without saying that I’ll stay the night in the hospital,” sighed the doctor, pursing his lips as he tried to delicately replace the changeling’s bandages. “It would be a shame if our friend gave out after suffering so much.”
“Thank you, doctor,” said Celestia, spreading her wings. “I, however, am afraid that I am out of time and must return to my royal duties.” The Princess turned to leave, stopping shy of the door frame. “Sweet Strokes, please stay here for the time being. We will talk about our options tomorrow morning. Is that alright?”
The mare shook slightly, but noded nonetheless. “Y-Yes, Princess.”
“Good. I hope Chip will recover soon. I will have to speak with Silverline in the meanwhile. Shining Armor,” addressed Celestia, “it is best you return to your duties as well. I will be taking the shield down, so please keep your wits about you.”
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. The Captain followed his ruler outside, glancing one last time at his worried sister. He gave her a reassuring smile and closed the door, leaving the room with only the steady beeping of the heart monitor to break the silence.
* * *
Before the sun managed to set, Twilight and Sweet got comfortable with each other’s presence, the tension of the day washing away in idle chatter.
At first, Twilight was ill at ease. Her reservations to the other mare’s lifestyle boggled her mind. As Sweet opened up more she learned that, indeed, the wrong pony in the wrong time and place could be a life changer. Some were just dealt the wrong cards from a rigged deck.
Sweet Strokes herself wasn’t too fond of Twilight to begin with. The pony was everything she wasn’t - successful, with a loving family that cared for her and a dream job to boot. As the librarian started talking about her outlandish adventures though, her own tales paled by comparison. Even though Sparkle dismissed it, she led a dangerous life as a bearer of an Element of Harmony which proved time and time again to be the only way to defeat the evils that threatened Equestria.
In the absence of doctor Hoffenweiser, the two mares relaxed and nearly forgot about the sleeping changeling, his barely audible breathing unhearable over the chatter and giggles.
“Ladies,” scolded Hoffenweiser, entering the room with three bowls. “Please, I ask that you keep it down! The enchantment is not as potent as I’d like it to be and we must keep quiet.” He put two of the containers on a wheeled cart and pushed it towards the mares. “Hospital food isn’t as good as it used to be, but it will suffice.”
* * *
It was way past midnight when the doors to Chip’s room opened soundlessly, wrapped in a magical aura. A dark figure entered the room, its horn aglow for a longer moment before it faded out.
Silverline looked around the spartan room and the four sleeping figures, three of which he put into deeper sleep just in case. His eyes were focused on Redberry and his bandaged body.
He read the report of the incident at the cafe - it was something he wouldn’t have even glanced at if it weren’t for the medical reports attached. From the soldier’s experience, the amount of lacerations and shards of glass that got stuck in his body coupled with a blow that nearly snapped his spine should have been enough to carry the recruit before him into the next life.
And yet you still draw breath, and the doctor claims you’ll recover pretty well, if not fully. Silverline smirked, circling the bed and looking over the massive earth pony. By all means, I should hire that mare that knocked you out. Regrettably, she’s not on my list, and I’m not trying to replace any of my soldiers back… back home. He sighed silently. Even though he spent only a few days with Chrysalis, he was already sick and ready to come back into her loving embrace.
He shook himself violently, staring down Redberry with steel in his eyes. Still, I guess you’ll do for now. I’ll call you Brick. You’re big, stupid and resilient. My horn still throbs when I do magick, goddamit. With a bit of unprofessional spite, he telekinetically slapped Chip across the muzzle. Let this be a payment in advance. I’ll build you into something useful yet, Brick. That, or you’ll really die trying.
Without as much as a sound, the military stallion left the room and trotted down the corridor, his horn steadily warming up as it drew power. With a faint pop the stallion’s form burst into silver mist, swooshing away into the night.
Sweet Strokes woke up with the biggest headache she ever had, only dimly aware of a hoof rocking her body back and forth. What her groggy mind took for a dream massage quickly turned out to be an armored leg of a guardspony.
“Princess Celestia requests your presence at your earliest convenience,” he whispered in a deep voice that made Sweet tremble in more ways than one. “I am to escort you to the palace as soon as you gather your bearings, Miss Sweet Strokes.”
“H-Huh? Oh, yes!” squeaked out the mare, wings slightly aflare with a mixture of anxiety, embarrassment and the handsome guardspony’s breath tickling her ear. “U-Uh, let me just, umm, I mean… shower! Uhh, I can take a shower, right? A-And maybe a bite of something-”
“You have been officially invited for lunch, Miss Strokes,” politely explained the guard, stepping to the side and offering Sweet a hoof. “I will escort you to a place where you can freshen up.”
It was times like these that Sweet Strokes wished she had a vividly red coat to cover her blush. The wings would have been a dead giveaway anyway, lamented the mare, trying to keep up with the briskly strutting guard in front of her. But damn those firm flanks…
* * *
Everything about Canterlot Castle frightened Sweet Strokes. Every corridor she passed on her way to the gardens were clean to the point she felt her chipped hooves might ruin their pristine elegance. Every single statue seemed almost life-like, the details most likely carved out by some intricate magic. The most amazing were the stained glass windows. It baffled Sweet how the compositions of colors and shapes formed elaborate scenes and figures, the decorational frames stretching for miles.
The mare had thousands of questions for the stallion who led her through the marble maze, but the guard remained quiet for the entirety of their journey. He carried himself with an air of authority, the kind ponies respect rather than fear. He was a lighter shade of brown with cerulean eyes that expressed kindness whenever he looked at Sweet. He seemed pretty muscular under the heavy plate, a prominent feature of his earth pony heritage. With every step the guard took, the armor across his back flexed up just a fraction of an inch, giving her a tantalizing glimpse of his concealed cutie mark. Her attempts to get a good look were foiled as the stallion abruptly stopped and turned, seeming nonplussed by the sight of her face at an embarrassingly close range.
“The Princess is expecting you, Miss Strokes,” he declared, lowering his head and pointing outside.
“O-Ok,” mumbled out Sweet, incidentally taking a deep whiff of his masculine scent and fluttering her eyelids. She stumbled backwards a few steps, her ears pinning to the back of her head in embarrassment. She quickly glanced to the side, her features softening into those of wonder and bewilderment.
If the castle was so rich and pristine, she really should have expected no less of the majestic gardens. They seemed to stretch forever, with thousands of colors through the multitude of flowers that she had absolutely no idea how to name, much less if they were edible or not. They formed a colorful carpet that draped across the walkways, forming dozens of little alcoves surrounded by thick trees. Their mighty branches were heavy with birds and creatures she never saw before, their distant cacophony strangely soothing in a place like this. Even the bugs flitting from blossom to blossom were different than any insects she had ever seen before. The only thing that Sweets could recognize was the wavy flowing mane of Princess Celestia, seeming so subdued in the colorful surroundings. She and a few other ponies were hidden under a cluster of tall trees, a carpet of multi-colored flowers under their hooves.
“I would not keep the Princess waiting, Miss Strokes.”
The guard’s words, as tactful and soft-spoken as they were, made the mare jump. She nodded stiffly, taking a few deep breaths to steady herself. Feeling her face turn beet red, she slowly started fighting her petrified muscles to move forward. Just as she was passing the guard, she felt a touch on her withers. Sweet shot the guard a look that spoke of a deep desire to not soil the pristine marble underneath.
“Please, relax,” said the guard in a calm voice. He looked around discreetly before leaning in to whisper to Strokes. “For all the regality and power the Princess wields, she is a gentle ruler. There is nothing to fear from her. I know exactly how you feel right now, so trust me when I say - there’s no need to be afraid.” He winked at Sweet with a smile before donning his neutral expression and resuming his stiff stance by the archway.
Thank you, mouthed Sweet. The guard obviously knew nothing about the purpose of the ‘invitation’, but his calm voice managed to loosen up the knot in her stomach at least a tiny bit. Whether it would be for the better or worse, she would find out soon enough.
* * *
“Ah, Miss Strokes,” smiled Celestia, standing to greet the slightly quivering mare. “I’m glad you could make it. Please, have a seat. Your timing couldn’t have been better - we were just about to start with some tea.”
“Good morning, Sweet.”
Sweet Strokes had been focused so much on Princess Celestia that she had missed both the somewhat restless figure of Twilight Sparkle who had just spoken as well as a considerable number of snooty unicorns, most of them regarding Sweet with equal parts curiosity and contempt. Only one of them caught her eye as genuinely intrigued, his eyes bearing no ill will. It was that stallion that rose from his seat and trotted over to offer his hoof.
“Ah, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Strokes,” said the white gentlecolt. He took her hoof and, to Sweet’s utter surprise, landed a quick peck on it. “My name is Fancypants, and this is my companion, Fleur Di Lis.”
It was obvious from the looks Fleur gave Fancypants that they were a couple. The white mare was a head or so taller than Sweet, matching her mate’s height. She pressed her side against his firmly and gave Strokes a kind smile.
“A pleasure to meet you,” offered the mare in a surprisingly soft sounding voice.
The rest of the gathered ponies reluctantly followed suit, introducing themselves more lavishly than the first pair of unicorns. Sweet didn’t pay them much attention, the tone of their voices enough to make her not care about their duke statuses or how much of Canterlot they owned.
“So, who exactly are you, Miss Strokes?” came a question from one of the stallions.
Before Sweet could even start to panic for an answer, she felt a hoof tug at her. It was Twilight forcing her to lie down by her side.
“She’s my friend,” declared Celestia’s pupil, shooting everypony gathered a wide grin. The statement triggered a slight change in the group’s behavior. Twilight could almost see the cogs in their heads churning, calculating just how much they needed to befriend Sweet Strokes in order to get leverage.
A small bell rung as a procession of ponies carrying various dishes and cups entered the shaded alcove, letting Sweet Strokes rest from all the sudden attention she gathered.
* * *
“Was the food not to your liking?” asked Princess Celestia, lying on her side and stretching. Her gentle gaze rested on the petrified form of Sweet Strokes.
“N-N-No, it’s n-not t-t-that,” managed Sweet, her eyes locked with the diarch’s. Now that everypony was gone and the three mares were alone, she would learn her fate. And the dread that festered in her during lunch already made it a point to tell her just how bad it would be.
“Don’t worry,” whispered Twilight, rubbing Sweet’s hoof delicately. “The Princess and I talked about this in the morning… a lot. We decided that it would be too cruel to alter your memories. Unless of course that would be what you’d want-”
“No!” blurted out Sweet, immediately stuffing her muzzle with a hoof and pinning her ears back. “S-Sorry, p-please do go on.”
Twilight nodded and cleared her throat, continuing to reassuringly stroke Sweet’s hoof. “We looked at the options we have and decided it would be for the best if you remained in the castle. It would be easy to disguise you as a guest of the Princess and have you stay… well, for a longer time at least,” Twilight said, looking at her mentor. She received a small nod and continued: “I know it might be a bit difficult for a pegasus to be confined to their quarters… So, if you’d agree, we’d have a guard follow you around. It would be more for your safety than anything else, promise.”
Sweet nodded absent-mindedly. She was kind of tuned out after the “we’re not going to brain-wash you” part and relief was washing over her like a waterfall. She would have slumped to the comfy pillow below if it weren’t for how the previous stress stiffened her muscles.
“Well, I guess that that would be it,” chuckled Twilight, hesitating only for a second before pulling Sweet into a hug. “I’m glad we managed to work something out.”
Sweet Strokes hugged back. Her brain was recovering from the stupor and ran a check of her current predicament, stopping on the issue which started this whole mess.
“What about Redberry?” she whispered, looking between Twilight and Celestia.
“What about him? I mean, he’s going to… well, continue his thing,” replied Twilight, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
“B-But, uh… I mean, will I get to see him again? I need to apologize after all...” mumbled Sweet Strokes, dabbing at the pillow below. She felt feathers graze her head, the shadow of Princess Celestia coming over her.
“When our friend recovers, I’ll let both of you know,” smiled Celestia, stretching her hind legs out. “Now, ladies, if you’ll excuse me...” she paused, stomping the ground with her other back leg. She sighed in defeat, trying to move along without betraying a limp. “I wish you a good day.”
Sweet Strokes and Twilight watched Celestia walk away towards the majestic arch leading into the castle, stopping for a short while to exchange a few words with the guardspony there.
“What’s wrong with the Princess?” whispered Sweet, the absence of the regal mare working wonders on the knot in her stomach.
“She’s really tired,” whispered back Twilight with a frown. “This whole, uh, mess, is really wearing her out. I can only imagine how hard it is to run Equestria and work on protecting it from a potential threat.” She sighed and fell to her side, rubbing her eyes. “If it weren’t for coffee, I’d be pretty dead myself. My research isn’t going too well.”
Sweet looked away from the entrance to the gardens, shifting her attention to Twilight. Now that she managed to get a good, non-panicked look at her, she really was in bad shape. Bags under her eyes made her look slightly older than she was. Her uncut mane was groomed nicely, but to a trained spa employee’s eyes, it screamed of negligence. Twilight’s coat was in no better form.
“Twilight?” tried Sweet, looming over the mare.
“Hmm? Somethi-”
“Thank you,” whispered Strokes, sitting on her haunches next to Twilight. “And sorry. I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble. It was terrible luck,” she sighed, putting her hooves on the librarian’s trunk. “And I have no idea how I’m going to repay you for all this. You, the Princess, Redberry for all its worth. I mean, living in the castle, wow. I never expected such a ‘punishment’ for sticking my snout into other ponies’ business,” she chuckled, giving a firm press into Twilight’s side.
Twilight wanted to respond somehow, but the sudden touch and push caught the words in her throat. A wave of bliss rolled over her as a bundle of muscles she didn’t even know were cramped gave way. It didn’t take long for another solid stroke to expertly attack another coiled up section of her body, releasing tension and secreting liquid pleasure around her whole self.
“Wow,” managed Twilight, her eyes rolling back in her head. “It feels so good.”
“That’s the least I can do, Twilight,” cooed Sweet, settling into a steady rhythm, working up the unicorn’s body. “I don’t like being ungrateful or a slacker. I’ll do my best to make my stay here enjoyable for you and the Princess.”
* * *
It didn’t take long for Sweet Strokes to be recognised as Princess Celestia’s personal masseur. Within less than a week the mare managed to improve Celestia’s mood by several magnitudes, letting her think more clearly and be more energetic. The cover-up was so good in fact that Sweet soon started being visited by other nobles, Fancypants naturally being the first to preach the expertise of the pegasus.
Along with the fame came a variety of perks, most of which included tons of pampering, baths in scented lotions and food so elegant she felt bad for eating it. Many ponies tried to impress her with gifts of rare flowers and jewelry, the more business-savvy ones offering their products as free samples to use at her own leisure.
After but a few days she was looking at a totally different mare in the mirror - gone was the rug-like mane and scruffy coat, replaced with expertly groomed hair and shining fur respectively. Her hooves made her feel like she was constantly walking on clouds, no longer gathering pebbles and dust in the tiny cracks and lacerations she had before. Her wings were coated in feathers akin to those in the highest quality of pillows, the two maids assigned to her preening them every day meticulously.
It was all like in the dreams she used to have way back when. She wished to never wake up, lest she did so in another run down motel with a snoring, filthy stallion by her side. Luckily, each time she rose from slumber she was greeted with warm, scented pillows, tucked under a large blanket in the queen-sized bed of the guest chambers in Canterlot Castle.
Whenever she finished her morning stretches she would trot out to meet the bodyguard appointed to her, who incidentally was the same guard who first led her to the castle. His name was Braum and, to be honest, he was on par in the handsome department with Redberry. The one time she managed to treat him to a massage proved that he was a lot more muscular, though.
Sweet was still kind of hung up on the red stallion who lay motionless in the hospital. She didn’t know how much of it was guilt and which part of her still wanted him. Twilight confessed they were friends for a longer time, and it was obvious from her behaviour she felt something more under the surface. The main problem was whether the stallion reciprocated or not.
“Time will tell,” she sighed to herself, trotting briskly towards Celestia’s quarters. By now she knew her way around more or less.
Her favorite place was of course the gardens, where she could get lost for hours on end between sessions. Even the usually reserved and professional Braum tended to smirk while watching her burn off energy in flight and prancing around in the tall grasses. So far her attempts of drawing him into the fun ended up in a firm shake, although her feminine senses could tell his resolve was slowly eroding away.
Up for grabs if there’s no ring on it, no? she smiled to herself, rolling around in the grass.
Life finally decided to cut the water in her personal stormcloud and let her taste the sun for once.
* * *
Since Life had a surplus of unspent resources on hand, it decided to start pouring it over Chip instead. It begun its work by compulsively rousing the changeling from the magically induced sleep. Life liked moments like these, where it only had to poke the first piece for the dominoes to start falling one after the other in a neat chain, driving straight to the point at an increasing speed.
In this case, the point was the pain of existence.
The first word to come out of Chip’s mouth was ‘Ow’. It was more like a drawn out ‘Ooowwwwww’, lined with a whimper so pathetic it could have a Hydra weep. Immediately after the meek attempt at communication, the changeling felt somepony’s presence over himself. He could swear he saw a blurry form, a mouth, garbled sounds coming out of it.
“...Awake...” mumbled the voice, the muzzle vanishing from view.
Yes, Chip was finally awake. Whether or not he would appreciate it would largely depend on Life.
Mother, why do you have us still train under those ponies? groaned Primo, relaxing into Chrysalis’ presence in the hive mind. We are ready! We ace every stupid ‘simulation’ they put us through! Shouldn’t we just gather our forces and attack?
For once, I agree with Primo, chimed in Wildstar, nestling her psyche next to her older brother’s. While it’s fun to play these games, I don’t think they can show us anything new. We’re ready, Mother. We have enough spark-bearers to comfortably spread the load of command.
Chrysalis physically smirked, concealing the emotion over the mind link. It was true that her… children, were ready. The ponies had long since stopped being useful, if not amusing in how hard they tried to impress her. The only thing holding back Chrysalis from giving the order to march out came up only recently, thanks to a changeling who was the most attentive observer of them all. After all, what else could one do while being trapped in a body controlled by another?
I think you’re missing a few key points here, spoke the repressed spark of Dagaal. Its presence was very weak in the link, hardly noticeable to the other siblings.
And what, pray tell, would that be? snarled Primo, looming over the flickering spark. He had half a mind to simply blow him away with his sheer presence, but he’d rather not risk the wrath of Mother over losing her favorite conversational partner.
The traitor, answered Dagaal. We have no idea how much he and the others have done during their time. We begun our training hardly a month ago, correct? The traitor had double that time and the resources and support of the Princesses. For all we know, this might be a very elaborate trap.
You worry more than Primo, brother, snarked Wildstar, toying around with a few lower tier drones’ minds. Even if he did something, anything, he and the softskins have no hope to stand against our sheer numbers.
And how can you be so sure of that, Wildstar? Were you there? Did we send out spies to gather information? Hmm?
Nooo, groaned the mare, slapping around her toy-drones in annoyance. But neither have you. Why do-
The first lesson our pony teachers made us to remember was ‘Never underestimate your enemy’, cut in Dagaal, doing his best to make his voice stand strong against that of his siblings. We didn’t send out anyling to probe the situation out because we can’t be sure what they do and what they don’t know. They have a traitor who can sense us, a changeling who studied magic more than we have. He’s stronger, faster, and most likely more fed on love than any of us gathered here.
A pang of hunger rippled through the hive. It was true, despite their greatest efforts the changelings couldn’t capture nearly enough ponies or gather any supplies. Most of the hive was starving and weak, the added labor of letting certain individuals grow straining the already thin supplies of food. Even the ponies had their rations cut down, their once toned bodies now undernourished and quivering.
That’s even more reason to strike now! insisted Wildstar, showing Dagaal away with the volume of her mental voice. We need to do it fast, or else all our preparations will be for naught! Our drones won’t be able to tackle a foal if we delay any further! Mother, can’t you see-
No
The deep baritone that echoed through the mind link startled everyling into silence. Even Chrysalis was impressed that her most balanced and silent ‘son’ decided to put his two bits into the discussion.
No what, Boulder? hissed Primo, focusing his attention on the changeling general. Despite his greatest efforts, he didn’t manage to make an impression on him. It was hard to be imposing onto a mental equivalent of a brick wall.
I agree with Dagaal, stated Boulder, his voice neutral and calm. We need to wait. Silverline will find a way to contact us and feed us information about pony activity. Charging in blindly would cost us many drones, especially in our current state. Our dwindling supplies are the prime reason why we must make one swift blow count. Otherwise, we might not recover, exposing ourselves and provoking the enemy into action.
Primo physically worked his jaw, clenching it in anger as he saw the truth in the tiny changeling’s words. Their biggest chance and largest fault were their sheer numbers. Granted, many drones died or were damaged beyond repair during exercises, but that still left hundreds of thousands to feed and control. Even if they flooded Equestria, a single well placed secret weapon or technique could bring their entire race to their knees.
And then there was the traitor. It was sickening to think that a changeling could betray his mother. Even now, as they worked their flanks off under their pony teachers, Primo felt disgusted at how weak the equines were. Their bodies were soft, with no wings or fangs - the ideal prey for the mighty predators that were changelings. How could anyling choose those chitinless maggots over the warmth and love of the hive?
Deep in his contempt, Primo blocked out Wildstar’s rant against Boulder’s point of view and disregarded Dagaal’s meek voice altogether. These quarrels were beginning to be irritably frequent, a poor sign of how restless they all grew from the lack of new stimuli. Primo slunk back into his body, rousing it and stretching his limbs. It was dark and quiet in the hole he lived in, a pleasant change from the heat and buzzing of a legion of changelings outside.
As far as the first amongst the generals was concerned, they were ready, traitor or not.
* * *
The siblings’ quarrel ended, as always, with Chrysalis having to remind them who made the decisions around here. Her word was law, and right now she agreed with Boulder and Dagaal that waiting would be the best course of action.
That did not stop Dagaal’s primary spark from disagreeing, though. Although it didn’t speak at all over the hive mind, it was evident that the massive behemoth craved nothing more than battle.
Dagaal always focused on himself. His needs, his power, his freedom. In his mind he lived a rather unhappy life, being forced to do things he didn’t want when he wanted them the least. They made him fly when he preferred to run, relishing in the power his abnormal muscles granted him. He was forced to perform intricate spells when expelling raw mana felt so much better on the horn, the curves and notches deliciously buzzing while he electrocuted drones for fun and to spite the others.
Still, nothing irritated Dagaal as much as the little voice that kept talking to him in the back of his head. He didn’t mind the hive link, that was easy to block out or ignore. What he couldn’t put a plug on was his second spark, that insistent little buzzer that screamed at him whenever he did what he pleased.
‘Dagaal, listen to the ponies’ this. ‘Dagaal, don’t rip that thing into shreds’ that. ‘FOR CHRYSALIS’ SAKE LET GO OF THAT PONY’S HEAD’ almost every time. All that on top of what the Queen wanted him to do, sometimes forcefully, drove the changeling mad. He wished for nothing more than to run, wild and free, roll around in the dirt or tackle a dozen or two drones in lethal combat. The concepts of conquest, serving Chrysalis or wanting to impress her were all lost on him. Only he mattered. Him and how caged he was!
* * *
Primo felt a vein throb under his neck plate as he observed Dagaal throw yet another fit in the training course. While it was fun to watch him chase around and snap at the panicking unicorns, it always ended in him having to overpower the wild changeling. He always hesitated going anywhere near that maelstrom of fury stuck under Dagaal’s thick skull, but it was his duty as the favorite son and first general to keep tabs on his siblings.
“Dagaal, enough,” hissed Primo through gritted teeth, wrapping the rampaging monster in telekinesis. “I swear, one of these days I’m going to accidentally snap your goddamn neck and feed you to the drones,” he muttered, flinching as he felt the Queen brush over his psyche threateningly. Of course she would be watching, she always did.
Helplessly flailing his hooves around, Dagaal shot a gaze soaked with hatred towards his older brother. He had a lot of frustration and anger to spare and very few outlets, all of which were of course forbidden. Why was it that only he got restrained? Even the slutty Wildstar got her way with one of the stallions, her pleasure making everyone in the link save for Chrysalis uncomfortable and disgusted.
That’s because you don’t listen, buzzed Dagaal’s other half. If you were a good changeling and listened to Mother, you would get all that you ever wanted! But no, you prefer to scream bloody murder and get us in trouble time and time again!
“YOUR SPINE BELONGS TO THE UNDERWORLD!” Dagaal roared at Primo, making his brother flinch.
Case in point. Eh, if you only made sense... maybe we could work something out. Why do you even bother spouting such-
“BLOOD CRUST PIE FOR EVERYLING!” continued the behemoth, struggling against the telekinetic grip with his own flimsy magic.
Heh. Now, if you payed attention, you’d have known how to break out of this. You don’t like floating, don’t you, you big oaf? snickered the small voice. You’re hampering your own freedom. You have to learn when to listen and when to-
“GHHRR, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!” bellowed Dagaal. Not only did he have to deal with the tiny annoying voice, but now Primo’s conscience snaked into his head, trying to subdue him with subtle commands not unlike those that Chrysalis used.
See, and now Primo’s here too. Why am I being punished so? Was I a bad drone in a previous lifetime? lamented the other Dagaal, skitting away from Primo’s imposing presence. Why couldn’t you be the retarded spark that flails about aimlessly?
Before Dagaal could think up an elaborate answer to that question, he felt his body shut down. Primo nimbly danced around his fury and wore him out mentally, taking control for just long enough to crank up the production of his natural sleep hormone. Within seconds, the mighty goliath fell unconscious, his troubled spark wrapped in uneasy sleep.
* * *
Of all the siblings, Wildstar was probably the most sympathetic towards Dagaal. Not the snarky and weak one, no. She admired the massive, masculine, powerfull changeling that bordered on defying the hive’s will more times than she cared to count. The attraction was so potent she couldn’t help but swoon every time the monster went berserk, chasing down the little pony soldiers.
Wildstar tried to convince Chrysalis to let her take care of Dagaal, let him ‘blow off some steam’ so to speak, but the Queen wouldn’t allow it. The general held a deep belief that all masculine power could be drained with the right amount of feminine charm, a theory she managed to test with success on one of the cute unicorns. Her mother disregarded her ‘research’, claiming it to be purely a pony thing and that changelings were above such petty physiology.
On his side, Dagaal didn’t mind the female changeling. She didn’t cross his path or try and restrain him when he had his giddy moments of freedom. In return he never had to scream obscenities at her or snap his jaws with the intention to taste her jugular. She was as indifferent to him as the other drones or stones that he liked to tackle and bash in with his head.
“You got a little something on your… everywhere,” giggled Wildstar, pointing at Dagaal.
A little?! You just headbutted that poor drone into a bloody pulp and rolled around in him! protested the small voice in Dagaal’s head.
To his credit, the behemoth had a method in his madness. Noling understood his motives mostly because of his unconventional approach. Like, for example, exploding a worthless drone and coating yourself in his cool liquid helped keep the scorching sun at bay, if only for a little while. With no water around, how was one supposed to suffer the heat under the thick carapace?
“How do you find this amusing?” snickered Primo, sparing his brother a disgusted look. He was mostly focused on directing a group of changelings through an intricate pattern of rock formations, at this point only trying to improve his already impressive time score. “If we’re sitting around doing basically nothing, we could at least try and select a better general. Dagaal is no good with command, and leaving him with even a hundred thousand drones would hamper the invasion.”
“I don’t know, Primo,” purred Wildstar, cautiously approaching her bull of a brother. “Imagine a wave of teeth and hooves a hundred thousand strong coming your way, their eyes clouded with a bloodlust that could chill a dragon’s heart.”
“I would simply outmaneuver them,” snapped Primo, finishing the exercise with a score on par with his best. “An enraged enemy can be easily guided, his power used against him.”
“It’s easy to say that when you’re a changeling, with the comfort of the hive mind and our Mother,” said Wildstar, taking a whiff of Dagaal’s aroma. Currently he smelled like burnt changeling, but somewhere under that was a thick layer of sweat and musk that drove her senses wild. “A pony though? Did you see how our teachers, the best of the best, scamper away from just one Dagaal? Terror is a weapon you underestimate, dear brother.”
Primo only huffed anxiously, repositioning his soldiers and starting the course again. It stung when anyling gave Dagaal credit for being… well, himself. The monster lacked any grace or even basic thought, yet Mother and the rest always gave him superficial credit for his ‘unbridled spirit’ and ‘inspiring dedication’. Dedication to what? Causing mayhem? Was that the kind of trait the Queen looked for in her generals?
His concentration faltered for just a fraction of a second, making a drone misstep and effectively lag behind the rest by just an inch.
“Curses!” barked Primo, stopping the drones dead in their tracks. The thoughts of that moronic behemoth drag me down. How am I to reach perfection if he keeps foiling my every attempt at impressing mother? thought the first general, glaring at Dagaal. I have to get rid of him. Mother is too attached to that damned abomination’s second spark to see the truth. It will be for the best. She can have as many Dagaals as she wants when we’ll be comfortably lounging in the towers of Canterlot. Right now, we need more Primos, more Boulders. Wildstar is tethering on the edge of usefulness as it is...
At moments like these Primo thanked fate that the Queen let them keep most of their thoughts to themselves. If she caught on to the plan that was slowly hatching in the general’s head, she would most likely detach that part of him from the rest of his body. Permanently.
Days trickled by as slow as ever in the changeling inhabited canyon. The unicorns of Silverline’s group felt as restless as their students, reduced to waiting for a message from their leader. Despite not being empathically blessed, they could tell that the generals looked down upon them. Especially the tall and sleek one who required to be called Primo was problematic to deal with.
There was something dangerous in his intelligence and passive-aggressive compliance. He did exactly what he was told, with a scowl that spoke of contempt the likes a noble would have for a mud-dwelling earth pony. His comments had a razor sharp edge which cut deep, both into the professional pride and ego of the soldiers. The most irritating feature of the changeling was how he kept trying to ‘upgrade’ the combat doctrine that the ponies honed for generations. Granted, sometimes his methods would make more sense in a changeling-driven warfare scenario, but the way he presented them and demanded to be acknowledged made the unicorns exert all the professional cool they could muster.
Dagaal was a lot easier to deal with, if only because of how one could tell when the behemoth would blow up. Leading him would require iron shackles and a dozen whips, making him unfit for even a sergeant role. Still, Chrysalis insisted he be trained like the rest, a suggestion none of them dared to defy lest they be excluded from those brief moments she let them taste the hive mind’s glory.
Boulder was pretty much what you’d expect from a second in command. Strict, cool, very controlled, he did exactly as he was told. He didn’t question orders and the only queries he voiced were simple clarifications to his orders. A perfect soldier as far as they were concerned.
Still, the crown jewel was of course Wildstar. She was on par with Boulder in skill, but it wasn’t her prowess in battle that made her special to Silverline’s troops. It was her attitude towards them.
At first they didn’t pick up on her interest in them. Her attraction became more apparent as she grew and curved out, her body a smaller and more vixen-like version of Chrysalis. She was the only changeling to ever visit them in their quarters and chat, all the while enticing them with her swishing tail and sultry looks. She even went as far as sneaking into one of their beds at night and giving the lucky soldier ‘the biggest brainsplosion he ever had, would have and will have in his entire life’. Needless to say, each and every one of them had been trying to woo her ever since.
* * *
Primo looked around carefully to make sure everyone was busy. Wildstar was chatting up the soldiers that followed her like faithful puppies, as per usual. Boulder most likely sat in his small quarters doing nothing, something that struck the other spark-bearers as creepy and unnatural. And then finding Dagaal was hardly a challenge, considering the wild cacophony of howls and yelps coming from the northern parts of the slightly curvy canyon.
The first general spread his long wings and took off, challenging himself by flying through as many nooks and crannies as he could spot. Just because he was going to plant the seed of Dagaal’s demise didn’t mean he’d try and skip exercising and bettering himself. It was his sole purpose to be the best of the best every waking moment of his life.
Finding his brother was easy, with all the ruckus centered around a small dust cloud that howled in equal parts pain and anger. For some reason Mother allowed Dagaal to ‘exercise’ by slaughtering the damaged drones. It was always a lopsided battle that made Primo despise the monster even more - there was no challenge, no way to better yourself when fighting against a disabled enemy.
Primo landed nearby and pressed his belly against the hard rock, skulking towards the messy battlefield. As gently as he could he probed around Dagaal’s mind - the oaf never used the hive mind much, but his whiney secondary spark was elusive to detect. If he was to speak to the dominant one, he had to be sure its snitchy companion was distracted.
The faint buzzing of the other spark was barely audible and the first general had to exert masterful control over his psyche to not let himself be known on the perimeter of Dagaal’s mind. As far as he could tell, the two were bickering again, the other Dagaal trying to be the loving voice of reason that was oh so devoted to Mother. If he truly was, he’d ask for her to end him a long time ago.
Now comes the hardest part, mused Primo. He was both excited and terrified at the feat he would perform now - he had to throw the mental equivalent of a pebble onto the link between the weaker spark and the Queen herself. If everything went well, the two would notice the ping and maybe start a conversation, giving Primo enough time to talk to the real Dagaal. If he wouldn’t be careful or draw attention to himself… he’d have a lot of explaining to do. In front of the Queen who could peer into his mind to discern truth from lies.
His wings quivered in excitement as he dove deep into hive connection, feeling all the individual strands that pulsed beneath his mental hooves. They were both delicate and strong, like spider silk, gently floating on the currents of Chrysalis’ ambient mood. The Queen always dictated the swarm’s emotions, the spark-bearers being affected by it in a more intricate way than mere drones. When she was happy or excited, the drones buzzed happily about, those bearing self-conscious minds much more pleasant to deal with and more obedient. An angry or sad Queen meant violent underlings and snappy soldiers, leading to some unfortunate losses. Thankfully, as of late Chrysalis had been nothing but content with where she was.
Primo singled out the connection leading from Dagaal to the Queen - it was special in a way, feeling like a hair strand with splitting edges. One of those splits was his target, and he had to be very careful in selecting the right one. He inspected both ends with the tendrils of his mind, prodding and immediately retreating at irregular intervals, simulating regular static between the drones. It only took a few minutes to find the weaker Dagaal’s connection - it felt warm compared to the unused link of the bestial spark which refused to commune with its kind.
The changeling steeled himself and brushed against the link, feeling ripples travel up and down the string. He dashed back to his body as fast as he could, focusing his attention on the drones beneath him in the chain of command. While he couldn’t hide his activity in the hive, he could have at least pretended he was doing some intense exercises with his troops.
Chrysalis’ mighty psyche shifted, brushing sleepily over the hive. It seemed the Queen was resting and Primo cursed himself for not checking up on her in the first place. He felt her attention focus and shift, drifting towards Dagaal. He could compare it only to being submerged in a sticky, dense substance, the liquid washing over in a certain direction and gently pulling him with it. It was both marvelous and terrifying, especially if the full force behind the Queen’s mind bore down on you…
The first general cautiously slipped out of his body again, the mindscape much more lively now. He felt pings travel along the web of thoughts, tiny little dots of light that moved from node to node. He quickly found the one belonging to Dagaal and was satisfied with how warm it felt. Despite his ‘distance’, he felt the telltale throbbing of Chrysalis’ presence and the pulses of her thoughts that partially materialised in his hive mind. It sickened him to ‘taste’ Mother’s affection being thrown at the abomination.
Not for long, though, snickered the general, donning his body again and slowly rising from his prone position. His physical senses tuned in to inform him just how badly the little shaded alcove in the canyon reeked of blood and seething rage.
Primo had perhaps a second of getting his bearings before his muscles tensed up and made him jump to the side. His initial surprise at the insolence of his body was swiftly forgiven as his eyes registered a glistering, giant blur flying past him and crashing against a nearby wall.
“Dagaal, wait!” shouted Primo, crouching into a more stable position and flaring his wings. The last thing he wanted to do was waste what little precious time he had to fight his brother into listening to him. “I came here in peace, okay?!”
A giant green ball of electric “Nope, not interested” flew past the first general’s face and exploded behind him, showering Primo with gravel and sand. The changeling sighed in irritation, having to dodge time and time again the angry, unfocused blobs of mana being flung at him. He had to keep half a mind on the link between Dagaal and the Queen, making sure his actions stayed hidden to both for the time being.
“Listen! I came here bearing an olive branch, okay?” shouted Primo from behind a jagged stalagmite. “All I wanna do is talk!”
“YOUR LUNGS WILL BE MY HAT!” bellowed Dagaal, charging Primo’s hideout and bashing through it like a cargo train. Snarling, the massive changeling whipped his head around, the disappointing lack of his brother’s gore on the floor enraging him further.
“Dagaal! I’m not fighting! I’m sorry, okay? I know I treated you badly before!” shouted Primo, poking his head from a crack in the northern wall. “I just want to talk! Can we do that? Act like civilised beings for once?!”
Dagaal was amused. On one hoof, he never did get to make his superior brother run away from him like that. It was usually him who levitated haplessly in the air, fighting a losing battle for his freedom. On the other hoof, he was still Primo, the oppressor who always cut into his fun, limited him, made him do things he didn’t want to.
Seeing Dagaal rear back and charge his horn again, Primo sighed in resignation. He had to take a different approach, one he didn’t find dignified at all. He had to take the blow like a stallion and pretend… pretend being defeated.
Despite the subtle shield he wove around his body, the first blow of raw mana left him breathless, his thoughts scattered to the wind.
* * *
Dagaal found pummeling his brother therapeutic. He was a lot more sturdy than the other drones, even if the behemoth pulled his blows enough to not kill him just yet. He finally got to test out his technique on someling bigger. While he wasn’t as good an observer as the other Dagaal, he noted that pummeling the stomach and area below drew out the most beautiful squeaks his ears ever heard.
Primo felt violated and angry. At any moment he could just rise up and stab his horn through Dagaal. It irritated him beyond belief how flimsy the torture was, how much the behemoth exposed himself while trying to stomp the guts out of him. The only redeeming quality of this treatment was that he didn’t feel any bones crack or dislocate - the giant wasn’t going out full force with him, which meant that eventually he’d settle down and find Primo ‘defeated’. Hopefully that would happen before the other Dagaal came back.
A few kicks and throws later, the first general raised a hoof and curled up painfully, his tail darting between his legs.
“Stop! I yield!” he squeaked out. “You’re stronger, I admit! Please, stop!”
Dagaal wasn’t too bright, but even he wasn’t stupid enough to know that wasn’t true. Naturally, as far as raw power and physical prowess went, Primo wasn’t even in the same universe as the lumbering hulk of a changeling. Strength, in Dagaal’s opinion, was measured by how hard you had to punch someone to knock them out. The less force you had to exert the stronger you were. Still, if you couldn’t even land a punch or buck on your enemy, that left you weak. Following that simple logic, Dagaal was weak in relation to Primo. So why did the elder brother let him feel strong all of a sudden?
As a gesture of goodwill, Dagaal simply loomed over the curled up figure, snarling at it viciously. Primo noticed the lack of incoming pain and took that chance to actually get to the meat of his plan. He cracked a wary eye at the bared fangs of his brother, a sight he would not like to see around his neck, and gulped.
“We done? Can we talk now? Or do you still have something-ouf!” spluttered Primo, the headbutt he received revealing all the stars in the galaxy to him. Note to self. Hold your tongue when talking to Dagaal in close proximity. “S-Sorry, brother,” he continued in a much softer tone, forcing a grin onto his muzzle. “Do you think you could spare a moment to listen to your sibling? I only want to help.”
Not hearing any protests or pain, Primo slowly uncoiled himself under the mighty giant, keeping his tail and legs still tightly clenched over the tender area which got more than its fair share of beating.
“Okay, Dagaal. I know we aren’t the best of friends. And I know that I’ve been a terrible brother to you. After all, we are on the same team. We have the same Mother. As the eldest one of us all, I should have treated you better. I’m sorry, really,” he said, looking Dagaal straight in the eyes. “I came here to do just that. To try and be a better brother to you.”
Dagaal stood silently over Primo, trying to figure out what the changeling wanted. All of a sudden all these soft words and pleasant emotions assaulted him and the behemoth didn’t know what to do with them. His usual train of thought would have led him to a violent conclusion, but something told him that beating up Primo even more just wasn’t right after he came here and basically submitted himself for a smackdown.
It was unusual to observe Dagaal so still and focused. The way he squinted with a vacant expression reminded him of a foal sitting on a potty. While it was hilarious, it was also a good sign that the giant was actually thinking for once, a feat Primo was sure eluded the Dagaal entirely. Feeling a bit giddy at the prospect of his plan taking root, the changeling slowly started crawling from under the massive body of his sibling.
“I will start by helping you get a better grip on your magic, hmm? I mean, you have a lot of it, but you can do so much more with it!” said Primo brightly. He tried putting a hoof around the giant’s withers, but backed away as soon as he heard growling. “Okay, no touching. Sure.”
* * *
To be honest, Primo was impressed by Dagaal. At first it was hard to play into his selfish character, the words ‘do as I do’ flaring his temper like a cape did to a bull. It took a good half an hour to finally figure out that physical demonstrations of destructive magic impressed the changeling more than spoken theory.
In his hive mind the first general felt Chrysalis shift, the throbbing link he kept tabs on going still, signalling it was time to retreat for the day. He managed to gain the giant’s attention, something he thought would require a lot more effort and time on his part.
“Alright, that will be it for today, Dagaal,” briskly said Primo, smiling to his confused brother. “Tomorrow we’ll, uhh, smash some rocks together, okay? Or drones, whichever you like. Take care!”
As the dark shape buzzed away, Dagaal heard the telltale static of his other spark returning to nag him at the back of his mind.
Was that Primo? What did you do this time? And why aren’t we asleep? inquired the other voice.
Dagaal simply snarled at it, turning around and shaking his massive body up. He felt good, for once. He got some workout done in relative silence, beat Primo to a pulp and was going to learn new techniques of dismemberment soon. For the first time in a long while he would be doing what he wanted, not what others expected of him.
* * *
As promised, Primo came back the next day. He cautiously approached his large brother with a hesitant smile, his ears pinned to the back of his head.
“Do you feel like practising, brother?” asked the general, stopping short of a foot away from Dagaal.
The giant furrowed his brows, inspecting his own feelings. It was a lot easier to do when the nagging inferior part of himself went away to talk to the bug-queen. It felt right to be alone in your head, undisturbed in the fortress of your mind. There was less anger in him now.
Dagaal grunted and nodded, looking Primo straight in the eyes. He noticed a spark of fear in the first general, probably a delicious left-over from yesterday’s encounter.
“Good,” replied Primo, forcing himself into a smile. “Where do you want to start, hmm?”
Being this nice to the brute was sickening, almost below him. His plan required time and patience the likes of which he didn’t have even for his pony teachers. Following Dagaal to the shaded part of the canyon felt like being led to a particularly interesting pebble a brain-damaged drone found. It didn’t really matter where they trained, but the behemoth apparently liked that part of their home. It was dark most of the time, with the wind moaning gently along the jagged walls. If anything, a perfect place to commit murder and hide a body.
Snapping out of his gloomy thoughts, Primo donned his smile again and called a few drones to their side.
“While I adore your brute force, I am sure it is pretty tiring to use it in such a volume all the time, yes?” asked the general, liming up the underlings into a perfect, evenly spaced line. He scowled slightly as he noticed one of the soldier’s shoulder pads missing, probably dislodged during a frantic scratching session. “Let’s start with this one,” he pointed at the standing out changeling, lifting it in the air.
“I know, I know, you’re not fond of telekinesis, just bear with me for a second please,” pleaded Primo, precautiously stepping away from Dagaal. It only took a flick of his mana to cleanly cut away the other shoulder pad, making the unflinching drone look more pleasing than before. “Still, there is a lot you can do with it. I, for example, like to use it to deliver precise strikes. Both outward, and inward,” snickered the general, flicking his mana at the drone’s back muscles, causing it to howl in pain from the sudden contraction.
While Chrysalis had total control of their bodily functions, Primo found that by using magic one could perform a similar task. Granted, it was a lot sloppier and required utmost concentration and knowing the body to execute without killing the subject. The first general wouldn’t be himself though if he didn’t master it to as high a degree as possible, being capable of magically controlling a full drone or two with just the flow of mana.
The presentation had the desired effect and made Dagaal grin wildly. Primo anticipated what would happen next and erected a magical barrier for himself just in time to catch the splatter of an exploding drone.
“EXPLOSIONS OF LIFE!” bellowed the behemoth, catching another soldier and ripping it in half.
“Indeed they are,” sighed Primo, gently flicking away Dagaal’s focus from the remaining two changelings. “If I may be so bold to interject, though. While I can see you have no problem with telekinesis, you still use an excessive volume of power to work anything. Your tanks are impressive, don’t get me wrong!” he stammered, warily backing away from his snarling brother. “Still, you could focus that strength to be much more efficient! You think exploding just one drone is impressive? What about a hundred?”
Dagaal stopped snarling and turned to thinking. According to his logic, using a lot of power on just one wasn’t very impressive. If Primo said that he could do a hundred easy, that meant that, in fact, Dagaal was hampering himself by doing just one at a time. He never considered efficiency or precision up to this point, since they seemed so superficial and Primo-like.
“A hundred?” asked the giant, probably the first sentence in his life that didn’t carry the equivalent volume of a Canterlot Royal Voice.
Primo was shocked beyond belief to hear an actual question, said in an even tone that could be considered a deep, soft barytone. It was more or less a more slick Boulder, less gruff. A voice that reminded him of the other, inferior spark of Dagaal, should it even have the power to go beyond a measly whisper.
“Y-Yes! A hundred!” said Primo, shaking himself. “Bah, I think even thousands! All we- I mean, you, all YOU need is control. Considering your power, you’d only need a tiny bit to pop em like balloons!”
The ugly smile that crept onto Dagaal’s features was sort of… warm? He looked like a foal being given night-time guard duty in a particularly large candy store.
“We’ll start slow, okay? I know you’d love to bust some heads now, but trust me - your brother’s done it a million times and he knows how to do it. Is that okay? Will you listen to the sibling that wants to teach you how to tear limb from limb?”
“THEIR INSIDES WILL BURN LIKE THE HEARTS OF A THOUSAND SUNS!” howled Dagaal, the illusion of civility shattering away in an instant.
* * *
It was strange to Primo. On one hoof, Dagaal was a monster. No questions about that, the evidence was baked into the ground and sides of the canyon in many places, like green beauty marks. On the other…
He definitely was their sibling. He learned fast when he wanted to, eagerly trying over and over again to narrow his focus down. When Dagaal had a goal, it was really hard to stop or draw him away. Primo had no idea that drive could be focused in a positive manner, directing it towards the war effort and molding the behemoth into a passable soldier.
The unexpected result of the training was a visit from the Queen in person during one of their little training sessions in the lovely dark alcove.
If Primo had a working digestive tract, he’d have shat bricks when he felt the characteristic, spicy smell of his mother in the air, followed by a faint buzz that landed right behind him. The first general tried to remain calm, but his insides were churning to the point he felt like a small foal in the presence of a mighty giant.
“Well well, what do we have here?” murred the Queen, making both her generals turn away from a display of broken changelings and assorted parts. “Helping out your brother, Primo?”
How did she find out? M-My plan was perfect! I was careful! VERY careful! internally panicked Primo, forcing his muscles into a wide smile. She knows. She definitely knows. It’s over. She’s onto me. But how. HOW?
“Mother!” confidently said the first general, saluting with a hoof. “What brings you here?”
“Oh, nothing, just checking up on my beloved children,” chirped the Queen, smiling dangerously. “I heard that Dagaal was making some miraculous leaps in his training. I was curious which pony managed to do that, but apparently they were as dumbfounded as me. Of all the others, I didn’t expect you to take an interest in your brother’s education.”
“Heh, my Queen,” replied Primo, bowing despite how feeble his hooves felt. “It is only right for your most prominent general to tend to his troops’ needs. I might be an equal to Dagaal in rank, but as his older brother I feel responsible for him. I simply woke up to that realisation and picked up the challenge.”
“How very noble, Primo,” murred the Queen, smiling still.
Primo felt a stir in the hive mind. Chrysalis poured herself into his hive node, the majestic presence nearly overwhelming against his fickle spark. It was over. She’d peer into his mind and see his plan. She’d sunder his brain and scatter his innards to the wind, maybe even letting Dagaal do that. Stupid, stupid, stu-
He lost control of his body a moment later. It was a terrifying sensation. His wings spread and he took off with the Queen, leaving a confused Dagaal behind. Great, she’d drop him from a height and let him live out the rest of his short life as a cripple, maybe even ending it in a small display of dismemberment for the behemoth.
Well, Primo, it was a nice run. You did what you could, for Mother, sighed Primo’s spark. There were things you could do better, sure. You could have anticipated your journey being cut short, for example. Still, I guess you did arguably good. For Mother’s sake, you’ll hopefully be replaced with a better drone. Maybe she’ll use part of your spark to weave another one? Is that possible? Heh. Guess you’ll never find out, right?
Much to his dismay Primo flew all the way to the Queen’s lair. He was there maybe once or twice, as it was a sacred place that belonged to Chrysalis. She rarely had any guests, save for those blasted ponies who stole her time with their petty needs. Their presence in the hive mind was disgusting and alien, luckily appearing only for a few moments at a time.
“I must say, Primo, I am very surprised at you,” mused Chrysalis, depositing the general’s body in front of her throne. She herself loomed over the changeling with spread wings, eyeing him with a bored look. “I would have never expected you’d try and go so far in your perfection. You always minded your own business, so to speak.”
And I should have stayed that way, whimpered the spark. It was shaking in fear. Is this how fear works? Was this what Wildstar meant? How could I be so-
Primo felt a thud in his body, regaining his senses. The presence of the Queen was still there, the tendrils wrapped around every muscle and fiber, but no longer in control. Chrysalis lied down beside Primo and looked away, gazing at her throne.
“I was actually hoping that you’d look past yourself one day,” she smiled. “I am glad you saw that your siblings needed work and decided to help by improving them.”
Primo was stunned. So she doesn’t know? She didn’t figure it out? She thinks I was just helping Dagaal? That’s it? And she’s… she’s happy about it?
“I am trying to influence you as little as I can,” sighed the Queen, shifting her gaze to the slightly smaller Primo. Gingerly, she forced the changeling’s body to lean against her, placing his head on her hoof. “Just the little things, just having enough control to ensure you’re loyal to me. As such, I can’t really tell you to get along well. At first, you were supposed to just be my drones, my little soldiers. But you all grew to be so much more.”
Primo revelled in the new, exhilarating feeling. The feeling of being touched by mother. Her hoof was slick and tough, the chitin much more aged and sturdy than his own. It felt wonderfully warm under his cheek. His back was pressed against her side and he felt safe, instantly forgetting all the panic he endured just a moment ago. To top it all off, the Queen spared her other hoof to gently caress his face. Primo couldn’t help but purr deeply.
“You became strong, you developed your own personalities!” mused Chrysalis, sparks dancing in her eyes. “Your individualism gave you an edge, but at the same time made you blind. Only Wildstar developed a form of empathy, a bond, albeit with the wrong species,” frowned the Queen, still stroking the side of her purring son’s head. “I hoped one of the others would pick up a proper one, a desire to commune with the other changelings. To help them on a more personal, spark level. One that eluded me and I didn’t quite understand. I am glad that it was you that eventually came around, Primo.”
The changeling didn’t respond, still lost in bliss. The Queen was showering him with a warm affection, both physical and mental. Her hooves danced around his neck and head, a sensation he won’t forget soon. Her mental grasp on his body was subtle, but it felt like a full body massage, washing away all the weariness. His throat purred without any conscious thought.
“I almost forgot how much my children love my attention,” said the Queen with a tint of sadness. She rested her hoof on Primo’s muzzle and sighed. “The last changeling I was this close to… heh.”
The mood shifted into a rather sad one and Primo nearly yelped. Chrysalis still had her tendrils of control in him, but they stopped, leaving an empty and cold feeling. Reluctantly, the first general popped an eye open and shifted his head.
“Was it… the traitor?” whispered the general, receiving a slow nod in return. “I promise he’ll pay… mother.”
Primo felt bold. At that moment he really wanted to cheer his mother up. Without thinking much he gingerly grasped the foreleg on his head and brought it to his muzzle. With reverence worthy of a relic, he begun gently lapping at the appendage, snuggling to it with a murr.
The Queen was surprised at the motion and had half a mind to slap Primo back into his position. Still, with how she felt, the touch was soothing. It wasn’t forced and she didn’t ask for it. There were emotions of love floating about, ones that she could easily feed herself on, but didn’t. It was the love of a child, and it was towards her. It was special.
The two shifted to the side, Chrysalis wrapping her hooves around Primo in a motherly fashion. It was alien to her, but the warmth pressing against her stomach, the low purring of her child’s head stuck under hers… she felt complete. That is the way she felt was right for a mare to be. Embracing her child and letting it love her.
Changelings never truly slept. A regular drone switched into standby mode whenever the Queen had nothing for it to do, which from the outside could be perceived as sleep. The servant psyche didn’t need to rest and was merely an extension of Chrysalis’ will, so the only time the hive truly rested was when the monarch did.
Spark-bearers on the other hoof had the luxury of being able to sleep. Some even claimed to have dreams, excitedly bragging to anyling within earshot about the bizarre events that played out in their minds during the night.
Primo hardly ever had dreams. He actively worked against having them, since they were an unnecessary distraction. Sleep was for resting and sorting out information, and if it wasn’t for that he wouldn’t bother to waste several perfectly good hours on lying unconscious on the floor.
With that in mind, the changeling conditioned himself to wake up precisely after 8 hours, just enough to spend the remaining 16 in a productive manner. Sometimes he cheated a bit and cut his sleep short or took power-naps during down-time between exercises for the sake of effectivity.
Today’s waking was unique, grossly out of his character. He didn’t remember when he fell asleep, which in itself was unusual. When he did come to with a jolt, the sun was already shining high over the canyon. He would have been really cross with himself if it weren’t for the company he was in.
Chrysalis was still asleep, her hooves wrapped loosely around Primo. Her psyche emanated a gentle aura, quite an uncommon feeling in the hive mind. Slowly, the first general recalled the events of the day before, his face melting into a smile.
He got close to mother. She showed him a side he never even dreamed existed. They talked into the night about the hive and its future. Mother laughed and nuzzled him as he described all the things he’d do to the ponies and the traitor. There was a lot of physical and mental touch that was gentle and loving, sending ripples of never before felt pleasure under his skin.
Primo stirred slightly, pressing himself carefully against his mother. Being this close to her was simply breath-taking for the changeling. The cocktail of emotions that brewed inside him would make any of his brothers and sisters salivate wildly. There was love, loyalty, passion, all wrapped up neatly in pride at being this close to the Queen. His heart fluttered wildly as Chrysalis stirred sleepily, her embrace on his body tightening. Acting on some long-forgotten instinct, the general put his head under his mother’s and sighed.
Strange, he thought, feeling a purr involuntarily rock his vocal chords. Is this what feeling is like? Are these the things that we feed on so eagerly? No wonder the ponies become so useless when we take them away. I’d kill if anyling so much as probed me right now… It feels so good to be with mother like this.
* * *
“Well well well, look who’s finally decided to join us!” chirped Wildstar, parting the little circle of ponies adoring her to meet Primo. “Where were you, brother? You kind of vanished there yesterday. You had us worried,” she pouted, eyeing the general suspiciously.
“None of your bussiness, sister,” replied Primo, unable to make himself sound cold or distant. It took all his power to keep his pleasant emotions under a lid. “I was busy with an errand.”
“It must have been something nice, brother,” mused the female changeling, circling her sibling and taking long whiffs. “You smell of love. Care to share?”
Primo huffed and took a step away from Wildstar, splaying his ears back. “No. And if you so much as think about touching me now...”
The mare raised an eyebrow, sitting on her haunches nonetheless. “Jeez, Primo. Relax. I was only kidding. I got all the love I need back there,” she pointed to the small group of ponies currently bickering with one another. “But seriously, where were you? Oddly enough, Dagaal of all changelings came to us yesterday and screamed something about you being taken away. I wanted to ask the Queen, but she didn’t respond to any of us. What’s going on, Primo?”
“Nothing that concerns you, Wildstar,” replied Primo, trotting past his sister. “You’d do best if you kept your focus on improving your performance instead of prying into my life.”
Wildstar snorted viciously. Telling her to butt out of something was pretty much an invitation to the opposite.
“Something is wrong with him, Boulder,” whispered Wildstar, observing her older brother like a hawk. “I mean, he always had a pole stuck deep up his ass, but today he must have discovered the vibration function or something.” She waited a few seconds for a reaction, but Boulder acted as if he hadn’t heard his sister at all. With a sigh, she continued: “He’s not only snappy, but he’s actually not even trying! He seems kind of, I don’t know, distracted? And is it just me, or is he actually smiling from time to time? ”
The smaller general spared Wildstar a bored look and shrug. As far as he was concerned, how Primo reacted to any of them was of no consequence. As long as they could cooperate when needed, any personal quirks or traits were just something that happened.
“Psh,” huffed Wildstar, squinting at Primo with a grim expression. “Somethings in the air. Primo’s changed, I can feel it. He disappears for hours on end, Dagaal doesn’t shoot him nasty looks anymore...or rather, not as frequently. And now he smells of love while we’re being rationed only the crappy mushrooms.” She sat down, allowing her circle of admirers to engulf her again. “What are you up to, dear brother of mine?”
* * *
Was it just Primo, or have the past days been marginally less irritating than usual?
Wildstar was silent, and even if she stared at him most of the time, her lack of jabbering at him was refreshing. Dagaal was as nice as he came, too distracted practicing his magic and fine-control. That also put the pony teachers more at ease, since they didn’t have to lure him away from trashing exercises with how bored the behemoth got waiting for his turn.
“The sun is warm, the wind soothing under the wings,” silently mused Primo, darting into a small maze dug for agility training. “I feel...content?” Was that the proper word for it? When everything was alright the way it was? “I mean, there are imperfections here and there. Of course there are,” Primo shook his head, taking a series of right angles that zigzagged up and down in the pitch-blackness of the drilled tunnel. “But they don’t seem as glaring now. Humph.”
So far, Primo managed to keep the training sessions a secret from Wildstar, who tried to follow them whenever she could. It was child’s play to either select a time at which the female was distracted with her entronauge or sic Dagaal at her if she was too persistent. When she decided to tell on him to the Queen, she had already been too late - Primo made up a story to Chrysalis about how these trainings should be kept a secret for now, while he developed and improved his teaching techniques. Her approval and pride in him was elating.
Life was starting to look up. For a time, Primo even forgot the reason why he was training and preparing. He was loved by mother, coached the most unruly of the generals into a presentable being and annoyed Wildstar. How could anything go wrong? The problem turned out to be everything going according to a plan.
* * *
“Dagaal! It is not your turn!” shouted the unicorn instructor.
As per usual, the sentiment was ignored by the massive changeling, who unexpectedly found himself liking a new puzzle game introduced by the ponies.
In a rectangular niche, fifteen shaved rocks were placed to fill up the space, leaving a single field unoccupied. The blocks were numbered from one to fifteen and scrambled for each general, the goal being sliding the tiles around on the ground until they were properly arrayed again. It turned out to be an entertaining distraction, and even Dagaal begun following the rules after having trashed three sets of stones.
“Hey, Dagaal, let others try too,” half-heartedly chimed in Wildstar. She was busy shaving the tip of her hoof with a jagged rock, a motion she found pleasurable and more lady-like than rolling around the dirty floor in hopes of a good scratch.
The behemoth could care less about the wants of others. He was having fun at the moment, and even the little annoying voice in his head became less of a pain in the flank when it begun helping out in figuring the best way to move the rocks. Not that he needed the help, of course. It just so happened that once in a while he’d make the same move the weaker spark mentioned a few seconds ago.
Move the blank to the third row and then down. But really, we should let the others have a go. We are doing so good as of late, without causing trouble, right? hopefully asked the inferior spark. It felt like it was actually having less trouble with the brute ever since Primo took him under his wing. While he still hated the stuck up general, he couldn’t deny him a thanks for making his existence a little less miserable. “Come on, it’s almost time for our training session anyway. Don’t you want me to go away while you smash rocks? Or changelings? Hmm?”
Dagaal merely grunted, deeply in thought. He moved the rocks around, leaving a blank spot on the second row. After a short bout of hesitation, he shifted another stone and then moved a row down. The puzzle was coming along nicely, with only a few bits out of place.
“Alright, brother, enough is enough,” said Primo, stepping forward. On reflex, he reached out with his telekinesis to grab Dagaal, as he has done countless times before. The action was so natural to him, so routine, he didn’t spare it another thought. He realized his mistake the moment the mana field wrapped itself around Dagaal.
In the past, the brutish changeling never had enough self-control to put up a fight in the arena of magical combat. He was strong and had energy to spare, but his technique allowed any half-decent spellcaster to scatter the power, making it as useless as wind gusting against an oak tree. Today, however, Dagaal knew much more. He understood the basics, at least. And that was more than enough.
With a loud crash, the mana field around Dagaal shattered, the feedback of having his grip torn away so violently rendering Primo half-blind with pain. In a haze, he saw his brother’s muzzle spread into an ugly grin, the bull-like head and jagged horn angling towards him.
For Dagaal, this was an exhilarating sensation. For the first time in his life, he resisted the shackles that would bind him. He set himself free, broke the vicious cycle of his spirit being contained over and over again. So far, ponies and changelings alike only sought to mold him for their needs. They punished him for his personality, for his wants and desires. But not anymore!
Today would be the day he finally said no.
Or rather, shouted out: “I WILL SET FIRE TO THE BLOOD RAIN.”
Queen Chrysalis flew with mild urgency towards the training grounds. Her expression was a mix between anger and bemusement, a reflection of what was happening in the hive mind. Such an amount of activity was not something she was accustomed to - it was a mental racket that bordered on being an insufferable migraine. As she came closer, the noise in her head started matching that of her surroundings - shouts, crashing sounds, explosions and yelps. What the Queen didn’t expect was the cocktail of smells that assaulted her nostrils the moment she came out of the shade and into the wide arena of the training grounds.
To say “it was a mess” would be insulting to the carnage at hoof. Chrysalis had to squint and resort to moving on hoof to avoid the amount of dust, ash and small gravel that flew through the air. Everywhere she looked there were potholes and splotches of green amongst the singed bare rock. A couple of the obstacle courses were outright gone, small craters left in their wake. With a grim expression the likes of which would freeze lava, she focused her attention near the generals’ quarters, where the cacophony of smells, sounds and colorful explosions were currently happening.
Chrysalis was truly at a loss for what to do. On one hoof, Dagaal was pretty much a maelstrom of pure fury, blanketed by an exhilarating feeling of accomplishment. Although obscured to her eyes in the cloud of dust, she could tell he was giving it his all, fighting the ponies, his siblings and the soldiers under their command. In her opinion, there was no better way to test everylings’ mettle than actual combat. Dagaal acted out the idea the Queen already had, but was hesitant to enact due to the casualties that would occur. As they say, the die had been cast though, and she was mildly pleased that her strongest son was holding back the others through a combination of raw power and, surprisingly, the minions under his command.
On the other hoof… the lumbering giant was destroying her property. He ignored her commands to stop. Granted, “Dagaal, darling, could you please stop bothering your siblings?” didn’t sound as regal as it should, but it carried the hallmarks of a command nonetheless. For some reason, the impulse to obey was ignored by the giant. And that was the worrying part that made the Queen show up in person.
Snaking her magic out into the melee, Chrysalis locked everyling in her magic and kept them still. Following up with a gust of wind to clear her view, she took stock of the damage. Most of the face of the valley was pocketed with holes, the debris laying about in jagged pieces. The ground itself was uniform green, peppered with parts of chitin on slimy guts, a rare larger chunk of a drone being found here and there. Chrysalis’ chosen children were floating slightly above the ground, save for Primo who was mid-air when she caught him.
The first general had a stern face, looking down at the battlefield, his rigid body covered in dust, but not a sliver of chitin missing on him. Boulder, on the other hoof, stood in a wide stance dead-center in the action. He had part of his faceplate missing, wetted with dull green and dust. His armor had crisscrossing patterns of lacerations, with a giant chunk of it missing on his flank.
Wildstar was poking her head out from a cave, her face twisted in a vicious snarl. There was a small stream of blood oozing from her nose, and her horn looked like it was cracked at the tip.
Now, Dagaal-
* * *
Freedom, freedom, FREEDOM!, struggled Dagaal, exerting all the magic he could against Chrysalis’ magic. It was nothing like the signature used by Primo or his other siblings - it felt even more elusive, a precise grasp that kept him rigid still.
You idiot!, hissed the lesser spark, stop struggling or you’ll get us killed! It is a miracle we are still in one piece as it is!. The weak consciousness was mortified, to say the least. He felt the dark clouds brooding over the hive mind, a silent promise of impending judgement. Maybe he could talk Mother down? If anything, she would surely know surely know it was none of his fault. He had no control! She doesn’t look too happy. Not at all. Dagaal, please, for the love of life itself, just submit!
But, alas, once tasted, the brute didn’t wish to let go of the concept of being free. It was… something else. For all his life, Dagaal always bumped into walls. Rules, restrictions, the desires of others. The Queen wanted something, Primo wanted something, even the ponies, who he was supposed to be better than, were suffocating his space. Strangling him into a mold he refused to take. Suddenly breaking away, rending all the walls asunder, it was like surfacing in the middle of the ocean, feeding your starving lungs with crisp air. He wanted to breathe more. He needed it.
Now, he was being dragged down under again. The Queen held him in a tight grip, suppressing his will. In his mind’s eye, the light of the surface was slowly fading, as the dark ocean shackled him down into obedience once again. He didn’t want that. No one should ever want that! It was… scary. He didn’t want to go back to the way it was. It would never be the same if he knew that the walls containing him were thin. He didn’t want others to decide for him.
So he struggled. His horn shone brightly, burning with the entirety of the magic at his command. He took from his drones, he tore from the hive itself, fueled by rage and fear of loss. He grasped at the mana binding him, focusing all that he could on the tendrils leading back to the caster. From the corner of his eye, he saw his mother, Chrysalis, surveying the carnage he had caused. Slowly, she turned towards him, her brows furrowing slightly more. The eyes of the captor.
Dagaal focused. He went all in on her stone-cold stare. As much as he could, backed by the savage will of his spark, he lashed out at the Queen. And it worked.
* * *
Chrysalis felt like a mental freight train hit her. She didn’t even manage to yelp as she was knocked down to the floor, her horn throbbing with magical feedback. For a second, she didn’t know what had happened, confused and dazed. Her very first thought were of the traitor - had he come back? Did he somehow sneak his way back into the hive?!
No, it wasn’t that. In her blurry vision, she saw all the changelings held in her magic fall to the ground, panting. All except one - Dagaal. The brute stood in a rigid stance, his head nearly touching the ground as he panted.
Mother, please, I’m so sorry! I didn’t, I couldn’t stop him! He’s beyond control! Please, Mother, yelped a faint voice in her mind. She shut it out, her vision focusing on the giant changeling in front of her. He looked back at her, hatred plain in his eyes. She could feel the stench of hate, but it was not the unfocused feeling that always permeated the giant. It wasn’t the same sensation she always felt between him and Primo. It was directed at her.
As regally as she could, her head still swimming slightly, the Queen picked herself up, never looking away from Dagaal. Her thoughts were scrambling back into order, emotions rolling through the hive mind like a tsunami. King amongst them was the feeling of betrayal. Her own child rose a hoof against her?
Mother, please, I can explain, mewled the other Dagaal. She shoved the conscience away, lowering her head at the body it resided in.
“Dagaal? Explain yourself,” she spoke in a chilling voice.
Rather than speak, the giant changeling snarled and, hoof by hoof, started dragging himself towards the Queen. He was spent, and by all accounts should be lying in a semi-conscious heap like his siblings.
“I said… EXPLAIN!” commanded the Queen, seeking out the rogue changeling’s connection and clamping down on it. The brute froze for a second, shaking in place. Chrysalis felt a great strain fight against her, not helped in the least by the shadows dancing in front of her eyes. Surprise joined her hurt feelings as the spark of Dagaal mentally rebuffed her, a feat that should not have been possible.
With determination beyond changeling comprehension, Dagaal took another step towards the Queen. His entire world were her acid-green eyes. His ears picked up only static. He didn’t feel his body all too well, and his horn felt like a lump of coal on his skull. The feeling of being oppressed by the Queen returned, but he would not yield. It was a flimsy pressure that tried to have him stand still. He struggled against it, flailing mentally to the point of his muscles twitching under the thick carapace. It was his body, his mind, all his, noling else’s! With a mighty thrust, he managed to knock Chrysalis away, taking another victorious step. He was a steam engine, chugging forward on pure fighting spirit. And hope. With each shuffle of his legs, his hope for freedom soared. If he could best the Queen, he knew he’d be the strongest. Everything else be damned, he would be on top, and then fly away!
My Queen, please, stop him, bawled the lesser Dagaal, barely heard over the confused static in Chrysalis’ mind. It was strange to her, feeling so drained. She was old, ancient even, yet she never considered that to be a factor in her power. With nary a push she sent the small spark careening back into the web of the hive, her hazy vision refocusing on Dagaal. Fear crept into her boiling pot of emotions, overpowering all the other tastes. The brute was only a few feet away now, his vibrant blue eyes only on her. It was the gaze of a predator, and it terrified her. She was no longer the majestic and cruel queen of the changelings - she was prey in front of a hunter, one that she had to stop!
Exerting one last effort, the Queen hastily sought out the connection to Dagaal. Her dulled senses felt the familiar thread with a split tip - one brimming with strength and determination, the other reeking of fear and helplessness. For a second, Chrysalis was confused - her mind was painfully sluggish in reminding her of what the creature was. If she snuffed out the beast, her other son would be ruined as well. She’d lose two of her children. Her children.
Chrysalis no longer felt in control of herself. She was but a vessel filled with hurt, sorrow and fear. On instinct, she severed the link, throwing it away into the void. The brute in front of her stumbled and fell onto his side, his face slackening. But those eyes. The eyes filled with hate - they burned on and drilled into her fear. A leg twitched towards her, dragging itself towards her own appendage.
The touch was too much. It didn’t hurt nor sting. Just a tap on her fetlock. Dagaal managed to touch his Queen.
Chrysalis shrieked, lashing out with the first spell that came to her panicked mind.
In a bright blue flash, the changeling disappeared. A small wisp of smoke was all that remained.
Silence came over the link of changeling minds, swimming in a slowly settling storm of emotions. On the surface, she felt her other children, one by one, as if she was discovering new lands. In desperation, she hugged the links, her eyes becoming blurry once again. Her legs gave out from under her and she fell, her tears staining the dust below.
Chrysalis hugged her children's sparks, drinking in the comfort their unfocused minds provided. Slowly but surely, the fear melted away, the adrenaline in her body washing out in lazy waves. Soon, she fell into an uneasy slumber, surrounded by settling sparks.
