Leech, as Flower called herself due to her new ability, had found her next victim. A fellow changeling. excellent! Leech thought to herself, he won't expect a thing! she walked up to the changeling, since she had no need for stealth yet, and tested the full extent of her power. Using it was simple. Kind of like using magic, except less effort was needed. Plus, it generated no magical aura. She watched as the changeling began gasping for air, eventually collapsing onto the ground, growing weaker by the second. In its last moments, it looked up at Leech through sunken eyes, for it was shriveling. Finally, the changeling fell apart, leaving nothing but a pile of dust. Leech took no notice of this, she felt infinitely more powerful. She then thought of something. Concentrating on the dust pile, she decided to test her limits yet again to see if it was possible. Sure enough, the dust pile began to rise. Amidst the dust, the vague shape of a changeling could be seen. After a few minutes, the dust pile was once again a changeling.
Alive and well.
Leech could barely contain her joy. She had brought the very changeling she killed back to life. Before the recently ressurected changeling could realize what was going on, Leech once again drained it of all its life energy. After all, she wanted her new powers to be a surprise. And it would, because no one would expect it.
she was breathing feintly. She was unable to heal her own wounds. She needed to feed. SHE NEEDED MORE POWER. She weakly looked up at the sky. She had come so close, and yet shewas reduced to her current state. When had things gone wrong? As her life flashed before her eyes, she remembered a simpler time. Before she found the book.
Flower hated her name. Even though she was born in a flower garden, even though the very first word she uttered was that of her name, she hated her name. But now wasn't the time to think about that. Silently, she made her way to the library in Ponyville. Ever since the failed invasion of Canterlot, everypony became more aware of the changelings. There wasn't enough love. She needed to find another source. Having entered the library, she found a book with a simple title. "The changelings guide to life drainage." life drainage? she thought, is such a thing possible? she opened the book and began reading. Apparently changelings could also feed on life energy, a food source far greater than love. But if that was true why didn't the other changelings try it? Flower then realized, this knowlage would be beneficial the survival of her entire species. She was about to travel to the hive when she thought of something. Why not keep this knowlage a little secret? Yes she was more deserving of it than the other changelings, who stuck to their old tricks. She was more worthy of it than any of them. She alone went out of her way to find a new food source for her fellow changelings. When others could have discovered one before her. Her train of thought was interrupted by a small fly. Eager to try out what she had learned, flower reached out a hoof to touch the fly. The fly landed on her hoof and stayed briefly, before falling off and hitting the ground, dissipating into dust in the process. Flower looked at the pile of dust, and back at her hoof. She wouldn't need to feed for another month. And the power she had was beyond anything she imagined. All that from a small fly! Flower grinned maliciously. "If a little fly had this much life energy, imagine how much a pony has! Or a changeling! Or even a mighty alicorn. They always said I could be whatever I want, why not be God of the new world?!"
Flower fled the library, since she had stayed longer than she had planned, and knew the risks of staying longer.
And that would ruin her plans.
