When Princess Cadence and Shining Armor save Canterlot from Queen Chrysalis' plans to conquer Equestria, one changeling attempts to rebuild his life after becoming stranded in unfriendly territory.
When Princess Cadence and Shining Armor save Canterlot from Queen Chrysalis' plans to conquer Equestria, one changeling attempts to rebuild his life after becoming stranded in unfriendly territory.
While a congregation of Canterlot ponies continued to fixate on a certain slender gangly pegacorn, countless jet black figures were ramming themselves into the colossal force field protecting the kingdom. Many of them snickered and laughed sadisticly as their constant battering began to weaken the magical barrier to the point of shattering. Within moments, their efforts were rewarded with a thundrous boom as Shining Armor's spell finally gave way. Free to invade the capital city, the changelings began their ferocious assault. Many started harassing the equine inhabitants while others swarmed and overwhelmed the guards scattered throughout the city.
In the midst of all the chaos and panic, trios of changelings were searching the city outskirts for ponies attempting to flee and any hidden threats that were overlooked by the attackers. Before the scouts could find anything suspicious, however, the attackers managed to capture six particular ponies at Canterlot Tower, signaling the completion of the mission given to them by Queen Chrysalis. Thinking that there was nothing left to keep them from taking Canterlot, most of the scouts then joined the attackers in their malice and wanton destruction. One, however, decided to keep to the task assigned to him, unconvinced that the dangers were gone. The contrary soon proved to be the case.
A bright flash of pink caught Zearou's eye as his gaze passed the balcony where his queen stood. Realizing that the glow was intensifying at an alarming rate, he shrieked as loudly as his lungs would allow him as he dashed to the nearest alley he could find. Just as the changeling braced for whatever was about to transpire, he heard the thunderous blast from the wedding hall as the earth rumbled beneath his feet. Before he knew it, the magic blast struck his protective chrysalis he had just encased himself in. Despite his efforts to fortify it, the blast tore through the hardened shell and sent Zearou flying into another alley, smashing him into a brick wall.
As Zearou's limp body fell from the newly created impression of his body in the wall, his mind filled with distress and overwhelming pain as he collapsed facedown on the dirt. As he struggled to maintain consciousness, he heard the shrill cries of his Queen and comrades fading into the distance. When the screams and screeches of changelings were soon replaced by the cheers and neighs of ponies, Zearou then knew that he was in grave danger: he could not stay for long, for the Royal Guard would eventually find and arrest him or worse, kill him on sight if he did not escape.
At the same time, however, Zearou was in no shape to even leave Canterlot. Even if he could disguise and try to walk out of city, the guards would notice his limping and imbalance. Attracting attention and arousing suspicion would make any chance of escape slim. Despite the bleakness of the entire situation, Zearou mustered whatever strength he had and painfully crawled towards the pile of trash bags that was conveniently obscured by the side of a grimy dumpster. Zearou quietly buried himself in the refuse, resting against the dumpster and slowly groping the bags for objects that might prick him. Zearou was no stranger to being surrounded by filth, but if he wanted to survive, he would need to reduce the possibility of contracting disease—his bruised body was enough to worry about.
Meanwhile, guards were patrolling the streets and Zearou's sensitive ears could hear the voices of two armor-clad stallions. The younger guard asked, "Do you think they'll come back anytime soon?" The older guard replied, "There's always the possibility they might, but I doubt they will right now. None of them escaped that blast, but regardless you and I have to make sure the real wedding can go on without anymore surprises. Just because we saw them all go flying into the distance doesn't mean the danger's over." "Then what should we do if we happen to find one of those things?" Zearou grimaced as he lay still among the garbage. "The same as we always do with criminals. Restrain it, arrest it, then throw it in the dungeon. If it tries to attack, we knock it out, but if it attempts to kill us, we kill it before it has a chance to hurt anypony else. Simple as that."
"Over my dead body," Zearou thought. He had no intentions of being locked away, possibly for the rest of his life, but nor did he have any reason to pick a fight with members of the Royal Guard. They had the upper hoof, and he could not afford to jepardize his chances of escape, let alone his survival. The sound of approaching hooves prompted him to bury himself deeper but re-emerged as the pair of guards continued down the streets. Hours passed as Zearou prayed desperately that nopony else would begin searching the alley. His prayers were answered as the sun eventually vanished half-way behind the horizon and the bustling activity of nightlife returned to the city.
Slowly, he climbed out of the pile of malodorous sacks and flexed his limbs and wings, making sure that nothing was broken. His flesh, though covered with green bruises and minor scrapes, was mostly still intact and his headache had all but reduced to a mild discomfort. A quick glance at the back wall left Zearou half-shocked: the imprint of his body was several inches deep and a tall fissure beginning from where his head struck reached upward, dividing the wall in two. Despite the force of the impact, he was still standing and breathing. Did the magic blast somehow spare his life, or was it simply a miracle that he did not perish?
Zearou had no time to ponder this, for the gravity of his situation returned to haunt him. A purple-coated mare carrying a bottle of wine had stumbled into his hiding place. He darted into the shadows of the alley and lied close to the ground, hoping that his body was black and dull enough to blend into the darkness. Although that the mare was alone and clearly drunk to the point of collapsing, Zearou did not take his eyes off of her. After the mare muttered some slurred comments about stupid, giant, four-legged insects trashing her wine stand and smashing her precious stash of barrels, she passed out in front of the trash bags.
Zearou slowly approached the drunken mare to make sure that she was indeed fast asleep. Just as Zearou stood right next to her, he felt a growing urge to devour her emotions. He hadn't eaten anything for quite some time and his favorite and most coveted delicacy was right in front of him. He could easily feed off of her with little trouble, yet something in the back of his mind told him that it was not the time and place to do so. Was it a defensive instinct or was it, perhaps, his conscience? Given the situation he was in, it was probably both. Giving a second thought about what to do with the fruity mare, a smug little smile appeared on Zearou's fanged muzzle as a brilliant idea came to him. Even though there were still risks involved, it had a better chance than what he was planning to do earlier.
The changeling then disappeared in a quick flash of emerald flames and was replaced by a female pegasus, looking down at the earth pony before her. "Zea" then wriggled herself underneath the intoxicated mare and positioned the poor thing on her back. Zea picked up the wine bottle with her mouth, making sure not to spill any of the precious drink. From the scent of the wine, Zea could tell that it was from a very successful batch, which probably went to waste when her comrades attacked the city. The mare on her back clearly wanted to drink her sorrows away with whatever remained of the fermented fruit.
Zea was rather strong for a mare in spite of her injuries from earlier, which were now hidden by her white, equine coat. As she walked out of the alley and down the streets in a confident manner, she shuddered slightly as she felt something wet beginning to sap the warmth from the back of her neck. Zea looked behind to find the purple pony drooling while her head partly rested on Zea's sky-blue mane, which boasted a boyish hairstyle matched by her long tail. Zea let the mare be as she continued to meander through the city and towards the gravel road leading out of Canterlot.
Once Zea was clear of the magestic gates, she unfurled her wings and began to fly along the path while making sure not to let her "girlfriend" slide off her back. Although her little act in the city worked, Zea had to continue playing her part until she could find a way to safely ditch the drunk mare. Zea could have easily dumped her at the base of a tree just outside of Canterlot, but she did not want to risk ending her charade too quickly. Several Canterlot ponies had given her glances and some of the guards on the streets questioned her on the way out. If any of them had the slightest suspicion about her, then the possibility that somepony was watching her every move was anything but remote.
Zea carried her passenger higher into the air until both their hooves began grazing the swirly tops of the moonlit clouds in starry sky. The invasion apparently did not impact the beautiful night that Princess Luna had brought forth. If it weren't for Zea's situation, and the earth pony's snoring, this flight would have been more relaxing. Zea darted her eyes constantly as she searched for a safe place to leave the slumbering pony. As Zea passed by the Everfree Forest, she spotted one place that was sure to take the earth pony in: Ponyville Hospital.
While the most of the lights in the building were off overnight, the nurses and doctors were still awake tending to the needs of their patients. Thankfully, the sliding doors to the lobby were still open and Zea's entrance was greeted by a pink, pudgy mare. Zea slid the purple one onto the array of cushions and laid her on her side. "Goodness! What happened to her?" Zea set the bottle on the receptionist desk. "I found her passed out on the ground from drinking. She's still breathing, but I brought her here for safety." "We'll take good care of her. Before you go, please fill out this incident report for me while I have the doctors check her. If you have somewhere to go right now, just leave the form on the desk when you're done."
Zea hesitated for a moment as a clipboard was thrusted into her front hooves. She glanced at the instructions and captions lining the boxes and lines as she took the pen from the clip. Although the form had asked for her contact information, she left much of it blank but was brave enough to leave her three-letter name at the top before hastily completing the rest of the report. After placing the tablet down on the counter, Zea trotted out and past the security guards outside the hospital before anypony could stop and ask her more uncomfortable questions.
Once out of sight, Zea took flight once again and headed towards the dirt path leading into the Everfree Forest, quickly noting the layout of the town as she glided above the rooftops. With nopony else to bother her, Zea landed before the trees and began her cautious trek under the dark canopy of the lush forest. As Zea's silhouette faded into the dark, thick cover of fog, sickly green flames enveloped her body and the smoldering figure of a changeling emerged to take her place.
The tired, hungry changeling cautiously tread down the path as his musk mingled with the musty atmosphere of the forest. When the dirt path finally became indistinguishable from the ground, a trail of hoofprints continued to lead Zearou until he reached the front steps of a hut adorned with bottles and native treasures from another land. The shape-shifter peered into one of the windows to find a zebra sleeping underneath a leopard-skin blanket. The sight of the striped equine told Zearou that he could not linger around her home for long, lest his rustling should wake her up. Before leaving, however, he took a moment to analyze the interior and shape of the tree, which constituted much of the structure and form of the mare's humble abode.
Zearou needed a refuge from the elements and the savage wildlife that inhabited the Everfree Forest. Without a proper dwelling, he would have to resort to encasing himself in a force field or hardened chrysalis every night he spent in the forest. In order to effectively, if not permanently, solve his lack of shelter, Zearou would have to venture elsewhere to find a safe and secluded location suitable for a new domicile. Although the whole ordeal of the day had left Zearou exhausted, he fought against his body's desire to sleep while the moon lit his bright blue eyes, urging him to move on.
Wandering into the darker depths of the forest, Zearou got a whiff of timberwolf's breath as he continued to march through the maze of trees blocking much of the moonlight. A scowl gradually formed on his face as he heard the low growls and pants of timberwolves approaching him. Unaware that lack of sleep and earlier frustrations had already begun to disrupt his usual composure, the wooden beasts swiftly circled the lone changeling as his horn started flickering and pulsing with a menacing glow. After a moment of hesitation, one timberwolf decided to pounce on him to deliver the first strike. Before the timberwolf could land on him, however, Zearou quickly engulfed himself in a fury of harlequin flames threatening to consume anything that came in contact with him.
His assailant was immediately set ablaze by the sprawled figure with an unquenchable fire that devoured the attacker's body in a matter of seconds. All that remained of Zearou's aggressor was the head, which then cried and whimpered from the pain inflicted by the lingering flames. Overlooking the sharp pain from being clawed and bitten, Zearou got up from his supine position and kicked the smoldering head towards the timberwolves beginning to distance themselves from him. Streaks of sickly green clouded the changeling's pupilless eyes as a vicious snarl left his muzzle. Snapping his teeth and flashing his jagged wings, Zearou signaled the timberwolves to leave him as the fireball surrounding his body continued to lash its flames violently.
Once Zearou could no longer sense the timberwolves' presence, Zearou took several deep breaths while ridding himself of the magical fire. With the roar of the flames gone, the forest around him became disturbingly quiet. Wide-awake from the encounter, Zearou licked whatever wounds he could before proceeding through the wooded labyrinth. In the midst of all the trees, Zearou eventually came across a shady clearing whose only occupant was a black oak that had grown to leviathan proportions. Thick surface roots firmly anchored the colossal tree to the ground while its lush branches forked and reached out to absorbed the moonlight. With a trunk wide enough to accommodate a hut with twice the space as the zebra's, the towering plant was a godsend to the changeling, marking the end of his random trip through the perilous forest. Designating the pitch-black tree as the site for his new home, Zearou flew and climbed into its dense foliage before quickly falling sleep in a hardened chrysalis.
When the rays of the rising sun began to light up the canopy of the Everfree Forest, the changeling stirred within the protective shell, twitchily stretching his limbs. Refreshed from the long ordeal from last night, Zearou pierced and slashed through the tough membrane with his horn, allowing himself to drop back to the forest floor. Unable to sense any predatory or aggressive creatures in the vicinity, the black quadruped began his own hunt in search of breakfast. Cautiously trotting back along the remains of his own tracks, Zearou marked the surrounding landscape with his magic, leaving invisible triskelion glyphs that revealed themselves to those who were welcome or acknowledged by him.
As Zearou continued to backtrack his footprints, the changeling picked whatever edible plants and fungi he could find along the way. Once Zearou had gathered enough to form a small salad, he stopped at the base of a tree to eat, savoring whatever palatable tastes he could find in his humble meal. Despite the sustenance it provided, his body still craved for something more substantial. For Zearou, the next best thing to a delectable medley of positive emotions was the taste of death: he wanted meat. Even just a small fillet or an egg to complement his collection of greens would satiate his remaining hunger, but unfortunately his earlier display of destructive power had scared much of the wildlife around him, not just the timberwolves. Since the morning was also coming to a close, Zearou promised to treat himself later with a couple of fire-roasted fish.
Zea continued the trek towards the zebra's home, clearing Zearou's footprints with her tail as she scanned for others that could have appeared since his first visit. Relieved to find none, Zea then knocked on the herbalist's front door before letting herself in with a curious, innocent expression. The zebra standing next to the fire-lit cauldron spoke, "You don't resemble anypony I've faced. With whose presence have I been graced?" "Sorry, I'm new to Ponyville. My name's Zea. Who are you?" "My name is Zecora and I provide medicine made from the flora. Now that you know the craft I do, may I ask if there's something I can do for you?" Noticing that the zebra spoke in rhyme, Zea replied: "There's nothing I currently need from you, but I'd like to take a look at the wares you brew."
Zea then perused the zebra's inventory, letting her return to her bubbling concoction. Pots and vases lined the shelves as their contents gave off pungent and exotic odors. The variety of potions was impressive; there were several mixtures that Zea recognized, but most of them were unfamiliar to her. Although Zearou wasn't the type that frequently used natural remedies and potent tonics like Zecora's, primarily because he didn't need to in the past, Zea figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for one. "Miss Zecora, I actually have a friend who's badly bruised from falling on his back. He's okay, but the bruises don't appear to be healing quickly enough. Do you have anything that can help?" The zebra walked over and reached for a small bottle. "Give your friend this drink and his bruises will instantly shrink." Zecora hoofed the bottle to Zea. "Do I owe you anything for the potion?" "There is no need to pay. Just help his bruises go away." Both Zea and Zearou were surprised by the act of charity. "Really? Thanks. I'll make sure he gets this." "Take care, white mare."
As Zea was about to leave the hut, she gave one last glance at the zebra and bowed her head in gratitude. Zea then pulled the door shut with her tail before trotting down the dirt path leading back to Ponyville. After she was sure the zebra could no longer see her, Zea popped the cork on the bottle and drank the potion herself. As soon as the pegasus swallowed the last gulp of the tonic, she began to feel a tingling sensation spread throughout her torso and limbs. It felt as if something was bubbling underneath her skin, eating away the patches of blood in her former body. When Zea could no longer feel the effects of the potion, she glanced in all directions before letting Zearou briefly examine himself. The herbal drink had indeed cleared all the contusions from his back and his flesh was restored to a healthy black color. Despite several regions that were still tender, Zearou was very satisfied with the results. He vanished once again and allowed Zea to begin her errands in Ponyville.
Zea emerged from the forest and flew towards the equine-populated town. Colorful ponies smiled as they roamed the streets of Ponyville, presumably excited over the royal wedding that was about to take place in Canterlot. This was surprising to the white pegasus, considering what Zearou and his comrades had done yesterday. After several minutes of walking through the town, however, Zea managed to spot a number of guards scanning the crowds and posting safety notices on the sides of the thatched cottages. Wary of their presence, she approached one of the less crowded posters to examine the writing.
Citizens of Ponyville,
On the wedding day of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor, a large-scale army of changelings invaded the capital city of Canterlot, but were quickly defeated and driven out by the Royal Guard.
In light of this surprise attack, the Royal Guard will increase the level of security and surveillance in the surrounding communities until further notice. Civilians are urged to stay safe and remain vigilant during this time.
Changelings are parasitic creatures that are capable of assuming the form of another. They feed off the emotions of their hosts and are known to be highly aggressive. They have black-coated bodies with insect-like features and their limbs have numerous holes. Below are composite sketches of the changelings and Queen Chrysalis, the one responsible for the recent threats against Canterlot.
If you see somepony acting suspiciously or out of character, there is a chance that he or she is a changeling. Do not attempt to confront the suspect yourself. Stay calm, act normal, and report your sightings to the Royal Guard or local police as soon as possible. The Royal Guard will carefully consider and investigate any leads.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Zea was immediately presented with several artistic representations of changelings. The visual likeness of the drawings was impressive, but their portrayal of the changelings was upsetting. Zearou and his comrades were soldiers capable of planning and manipulating others through cleverness and trickery, but whoever made the illustrations had depicted them as savage monsters that couldn't be reasoned with. Although Zea had to agree that many of them had acted in a barbaric fashion, she knew at least one changeling that could behave better than that. With a small huff, Zea turned her back to the poster while the changeling within her took the images as a challenge.
Returning to the task at hoof, Zea then headed towards Golden Oaks Library. If Zearou was going to have to fend for himself as a unwelcome foreigner, she needed to gather all the information he needed to better survive in the Everfree Forest and to defend himself from any aggressors. Although the lavender unicorn who usually staffed the library was still in Canterlot, her feathered companion was able to greet Zea with a hoot as she entered the front door. Owlowiscious' beady eyes followed the white-coated pegasus, who then realized that the library was otherwise deserted. With nopony else to aid her search, she began hovering along the bookcases, darting her eyes for a promising book title. This task would have been much more easier for Zea had Zearou given her a horn instead of a pair of wings. With the pet owl watching over her, however, changing form or using magic was out of the question, so she patiently continued to browse the shelves, flipping through the pages of whatever books caught her attention. After a long hour of searching, Zea retrieved several reference guides, including a copy of Supernaturals and a hardcover book containing the first thirty-six volumes of the Magical Compendium.
Aware that she was losing daylight faster than she anticipated, Zea scrambled to write down whatever useful information she could fit on a roll of parchment. When a second hour had passed, she succeeded in creating a condensed list of edible wildlife, medical herbs, natural remedies, survival tips, and a selection of spells that Zearou could use to expand his repertoire of magic. She then carefully replaced the Magical Compendium before stacking the other references in a pile of books to be sorted, hoping that the librarian would overlook the signs of her visit. Fastening the scroll and tucking it underneath her wing, Zea left the library as Owlowiscious saw the pegasus off.
As Zea departed for home, she noticed that many of the Ponyvillians were eating, which meant that lunchtime had already started. With no bits to buy a snack for Zearou, who was probably starving given her own hunger, Zea trotted straight for the Everfree Forest. Before passing Zecora's hut, Zea picked up the bottle and stopper she left along the dirt path and inserted the scroll inside for safekeeping. When Zea finally returned to the black oak, Zearou stashed the bottle in his chrysalis and resealed the hardened case with an adhesive secretion. Eager to make good on his promise, Zearou darted straight for the river, weaving through the trees trunks as he flew below the canopy. Landing alongside the river, Zearou then prepared a small campfire while deciding on how he would catch his second meal of the day.
