"Mama?"
The Changeling foal's voice seemed to echo around the cave walls. He laid there, taking in the empty space, nothing but the wide, dark, barriers surrounding him and his mother. The only sense of light in the cave, was the small gap at the entrance, where small shimmers of brightness sneaked their way into the den. The foal blinked, his small, wide eyes gazing the floor, when his mother's head popped up.
"Yes, Shatter?" Shatter's mother raised herself to sit beside her son, her jaws showing fangs as she opened up in a yawn. "What is it?"
"Will...will you please tell me the story again? The one about Canterlot, and our queen?" Shatter begged as his mother pulled him closer into her hooves. She smiled down at him.
"Alright. I will tell you again." Shatter fluttered his tiny wings excitedly. He had heard the story many times before, and though it was a dissapointing story to all of the Changelings, it was still his favourite out of all the tales his mother told him.
"A while back, way before you were born, our queen decided to try and consume control of the land of Equestria." His mother began softly as her and her son laid inside the dark cave. "She flew out armies of Changelings to attack Canterlot, and cleverly desguised herself as Princess Cadence, who was soon to be the bride of the one stallion who was holding our plan back."
"Shining Armor." Shatter inturupted. He had heard this story so often from his mother, that he knew it by heart. "He was the one who put the protection sheild around Canterlot, right?"
Shatter's mother giggled. "That's right, little one." Unlike most Changelings, Shatter's mother, Frost, was kind and sweet. She wasn't to fierce towards the ponies in Equestria, unlike Shatter's father, who had joined the army and fought. His father had never even met him, and had left Frost later on after the fight, when he realized that she was going to give birth to his son.
"Now, our queen drained Shining Armor's love for the princess, in order to make his protection spell weak so that our armies could fly into Canterlot, and attack. But, one unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, saw through the disguise Queen Chrysalis had made, and got her to reveal herself as a Changeling at the Royal Wedding. Our queen sent our armies in anyways, and we attacked the ponies throughout Canterlot. Twilight and her friends though, fought back. The real Princess Cadence went to Shining Armor, and their love overpowered Queen Chrysalis, sending her and our army back to our caves here."
"Was dad mad that we lost?" Shatter questioned his mother once she finished talking. He knew that this question might upset his mother, but he wanted to know.
"Your father was pretty unhappy," Frost stated. "He changed then, no longer the Changeling I loved. He always became angry easily, and he always talked about how he wanted nothing more then revenge on those ponies in Equestria. He didn't love me anymore, and when he found out that I was pregenant with you, he wanted nothing to do with you.
"Who is my father, mama?" Shatter never even knew his father's name.
Frost sighed. "He was a great Changeling, really. An excellent fighter-"
"No, I mean what was his name?"
"His name?" Frost stopped. "Well...if you must know, his name was Shadow."
"Shadow," Shatter repeated the name silently to himself. "Shadow..."
"I only whished you could have met him," his mother sighed.
"Do you think, mama, that when I grow up, I will be a great fighter, just like my dad?" Shatter bounced excitedly, dreaming of him being the head of a Changeling army, or even a king!
But Frost was hesitant. "Well, Shatter..."
Shatter stopped his day dreaming and looked up at his mother. He flopped down on his flank and sighed. What was he thinking? He could never be a fighter, never. All the other Changeling foals made fun of him. He just thought that maybe one day, he could be something...
Frost pulled her son closer,pressing her cheek against his. "You will be something great, one day." she whispered to her son. "I have faith in it."
"But I won't be a fighter, will I?" Shatter puffed. "I'm just useless. I can't so anything right. Not with my stupid horn that is." Shatter held back tears from streaming down his tiny face. "Why did this have to happen to me? I don't deserve any punishment!"
"Honey, you having a disability in your horn isn't a punishment." Frost soothed. "Just because you can't produce magic, dosn't mean you're different from everyone else."
"Yes it does!" Shatter burst, teardrops hitting the floor as he sobbed uncontrolably. "I can't do anything with the other foals! They just make fun of me! It's not fair!"
"I know, Shatter, I know." Frost pulled her small son into her arms, wraping her holy hooves around him. "But I love you, and that's all that matters. I dosn't matter if you can't levitate anything, or change into a disguise."
"But mama," Shatter was calming down. "That's what Changelings do. They change into other creatures or oblects. That's why we're called Changelings. If I can't do that...then maybe I'm not a Changeling after all."
"Shatter don't say that!" Frost exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "Of course you're a Changeling, dear! And you're not useless either."
"Yes I am." Shatter mumbled half to himself. "I can hear them whispering outside our den, mama. The others. They talk of me and my useless, dumb, stupid horn."
"It's true, they're have been talks."
Shatter jumped at the voice, scrambling behind Frost to see who had spoken. Before him stood his own queen. Queen Chrysalis and two Changeling guards. As Chrysalis moved closer, Shatter felt himself pressing into his mother more. He trembled as Chrysalis locked her green eyes on him. He did not fear his queen, but something today made him quiver under her feet.
"These talks of your useless ability have made me think, Shatter." Chrysalis said, turning to Frost. "And I believe we've made a decision about what to do about it."
"Who's we?" Frost demanded.
"We? Why, the entire species but you and your son, of course."
"What decision?"
"I told you," Chrysalis snarled. "The decision about what to do with your son."
"What are you talking about?" Frost screeched, throwing herself to her hooves to stand strong and tall in front of her son. "Tell me the decision!"
"Well..." Chrysalis shuffled a hoof on the dusty cave floor. "It seems as though we have all come to an agreement that Shatter here is practically unable to do any of the tasks that meets a Changeling's standards so...I'm sorry but I don't believe he is able to stay here."
Frost froze. "W-What?" She trembled over her son. "W-Why not?"
"Well for starters," Chrysalis stated. "He can't exactly make magic, so there is no point in him staying and-"
"He's my son!" Frost snapped at her queen. "So what if he can't produce a spark?"
"If we did keep him, he wouldn't be able to do anything, it's an extra mouth to feed." Chrysalis ran a hoof through her matted mane while she spoke. "Others would just tease him-"
"So you're saying that instead we should throw him out in the snow?" Frost inturupted with a hiss. "What kind of a queen are-"
"SILENCE!" The queen Changeling roared. Her guards stepped over to Shatter and his mother, baring fangs as they crouched beside them. "How dare you speak to your queen that way? Guards! I was going to wait untill later, but, escort the useless one to the edge of our cave, and make sure he leaves and dosn't ever return!"
"NO!" Frost tried to fight off the guards but one threw her to the side while the other grasped Shatter by the neck and began to drag him across the floor. His mother pushed guard off her. She turned to Chrysalis.
"How dare you do this to my son! He's only a foal! He won't survive out there! Please! I beg of you!" Frost began to sob at her queen, trying to make her feel guilty. But Chrysalis said nothing, only sat and watched as her guard hauled Shatter away.
"Let me go!" He shrieked as the Changeling guard draged him harder across the rock floor. "Let me go now!"
"Shut up, kid!" The guard growled as he reached near the end of the cave. "Almost there. Just think, no one else is ever going to tease you again, at least."
"But I don't want to be thrown out!" Shatter protested, tears dripping down his face. "I want to be with my mother!"
"Sorry. " Chrysalis padded up behind them. "It's our best option right now."
"It maybe yours but it's not mine!" Shatter sobbed. He spotted Frost out of the corner of his eye. "Mama!"
"Shatter, no!" Frost darted after her son, only to be slamed down by a guard once again.
"Please!" Shatter begged his queen. "Please let me go!"
Chrysalis said nothing, and countinued to pad alongside.
The guard reached the end of the cave, the small Changeling foal dangiling in his jaws as he tried to squirm free. The cold wind surged through Shatter, chilling his bones. Other Changelings gathered around to see the release of Shatter. Many began to whisper some looking shooked, others looking as if they knew this was coming since the very first day Shatter had opened his eyes.
"Goodbye, Shatter." Chrysalis waved a hoof to signal to the guard to throw him out, sending him tumbling down the snow covered cliff. Shatter prepared to fly his way out, thinking that these Changelings were to stupid to know that his wings didn't have a disability, and that they worked as well as anyone else's. But apparently, Chrysalis was prepared, too.
"Think you're just going to fly away, hm?" She challenged. "Sorry, but we can't have you come crawling back."
With a spark from her horn, Chrysalis used her magic to put a spell upon Shatter's wings, making them feel heavy and unbalanced. Shatter knew that she must have put a curse on his wings to keep him from flying.
"Well then," Chrysalis smiled. "You're all set to leave now. We would keep you, but you see...useless dosn't cut it when we're starting to prepare for another attack on Equestria." the queen pushed the tiny foal towards the snow.
"STOP!"
The shout echoed around the cave, Changelings muttering to themselves and looking around to see who had barked the order at the queen. Suddenly, and muscular, strong looking Changeling stepped out. Chrysalis whipped around and stared in rage and astonishment at the one who had challenged her.
"Leave him alone, Chrysalis." the Changeling ordered again.
"What?" The queen marched up to the Changeling, nostrils flaring, teeth grinding. "What does this have to do with you?" She demanded.
"I will not let you hurt him." he stated clearly.
"Why not?" The queen's face twisted up in rage.
"He is my son."
Shatter scrambled away from the entrance, and pushed his way past his queen to stare at the Changeling in front of him.
"Dad?" he whispered quitely. "Are...are you Shadow?"
Shatter waited for an awnser, but his father said nothing. He only concintrated on Chrysalis staring down at him.
She was calm now, but she wasn't happy with Shadow at all.
"You never cared for your child, Shadow," Chrysalis stated simply. "I just don't seem to understand why you have come to his rescue now."
"It dosn't matter, my queen," Shadow replied. He was calm as he faced his leader."But I can't have my son fend for his own."
"Shadow, "Chrysalis put a hoof over her face. "Shadow, we can't have another Changeling to take care of when we're preparing for war. This just means, that if Shatter does stay, it will be for the worse. He'll still be teased, and he won't have anything to do because of his disability with his horn."
Shatter's horn wasn't the only thing he was worried about. His wings were drooping, and he wondered how long this curse was meant to last.
"Those don't seem like good enough reasons to me." Shatter's father objected.
"But it will be one more mouth to feed, and you know what it's like in the winter, Shadow!" Chrysalis snapped. "Listen to me. You never even wanted a son! I'm not stating anything against you, I'm just stating the truth. If you didn't want this to happen, maybe you should have actually stayed with your son and cared for him when he was born!"
Shadow gazed at the cave floor. "That was my decision, and it still is. If he is allowed to stay, I will still not care for him, or take much notice."
"What?" Shatter whispered to himself. If his father was saving him now, then why wouldn't he care for him later? Nothing was making sense to the foal. Why had his father never spoken to him or noticed him before? Why, if he would be allowed to stay, would Shadow still not care for him? And why, right now, was Shadow defending him?
"Then there is no point in him staying," Chrysalis snorted. "Shadow, why are you doing this?"
"Because I do not want to see my own sun be rejected because of a disability." Shadow replied firmly.
Chrysalis and Shadow locked gazes, not speaking a word, when Shatter spoke up:
"Am...Am I going to stay?" he questioned, his eyes clouded with worry.
Shadow stood taller over his son, as if he were protecting him from danger. "Well, my queen? It's your decision."
Now it was as if Shadow wanted his son to leave. He wasn't fighting anymore, just letting the queen make her decision about what to do with the worthless foal.
"I've made the decision." Chrysalis announced. "Shatter has to leave. I'm sorry, Shadow, but this has to be done. We need to be prepared for our attack, and a disabled Changeling will just not help us."
"Fine," Shadow retorted. "But at least let me walk him out near the border towards Equestria."
"Fine with me," the queen agreed. "But only to the border, no farther may you escort him."
"Fine," Shadow beckoned to Shatter and led him towards the front of the cave, where the snow was falling fast and strong. "Let's go, Shatter."
"Wait!" Shatter objected as they padded away. "Can't I say goodbye to my mother first?"
Shadow opened his mouth to reply, but instead turned to face Chrysalis, who nooded in turn. Shatter ripped away from his father and straight into the clutches of Frost.
"Be strong, my little one." Frost tightened her hug around her son as he cried softly. "I will always be with you, no matter how far away you go."
"Good-goodbye, mama," Shatter sniffled in his mother's arms. "I love you."
"I love you too, Shatter."
Frost released him from the hug, and he padded slowly back to his father. His queen said nothing, just looked on out into the cold world.
"Are you ready now?" Shadow demanded.
"Yes," Shatter followed his dad, not daring to galnce back over his shoulder at his mother, who was now crying behind him at the scene of her son leaving her for possibly forever.
The two padded out of the cave, and before Shatter could react, his father grabbed him by the neck, and hauled him into the air. Shadow was a strong flier, and he could easily manage carrying his tiny son around in his jaws. But the cold wind was a problem. It pushed against Shadow, causing him to go slower then he had expected. Shatter trembled in his jaws, he could here his own blood pounding in his ears it was so cold. Luckily, they soon reached flat land, away from the mountains in where Shatter's old home lay.
He could never go back there again. No. No, he would never go back there again, even if he was asked. They threw him out of his own home. How would he ever forgive those Changelings?
"We're almost at the border," Shadow commented. This was Shatter's chance. His chance to ask Shadow everything. Why he left, why he defended him back at the cave, why he never liked his son. They were alone. And to Shatter, alone was a good thing.
"Dad?" Shatter brought himself the courage to ask.
"What?" His father was almost hostile to him.
"Well...I was just wondering...why did you leave mama?" The foal asked curiously.
"I don't want to talk about it." Shadow awnsered almost immediately.
"But I just want to-"
"No, Shatter!" the Changeling was fierce on his reply. Shatter cowered next to him.
"Please, dad?" Shatter begged softly. "This is my last chance to know."
"No."
"But-"
"I said no!"
Wouldn't his father tell him something at least? Shatter just padded on slowly beside Shadow, the older Changeling looking straight forward, not even glancing at his son.
As they continued on, Shatter began to see just beyond the hill they were reaching. He had heard many stories of what Equestria looked like, but he never had seen any part of it. He had never even seen a pony before. From the stories, ponies seemed to be ruthless and vicious creatures, considering they defeated the Changelings. What would happen if he met one? Would it attack him?
Shatter pushed the thought away. Shadow neared closer to the border now, his son still off in thought. Shatter snapped out of his day dreaming and looked ahead. Shimmering tall structures stood in front of him. Some with lights, and some had decorations on them. Shatter wasn't very close to the village, but he could still see that a large tree stood in the middle of the are. It was decorated with many lights and bulbs of sorts, and on the very top, there was a star. Shatter knew had heard of something like this before. Something from his mother. He grasped for the word. He concintrated hard to find it. Then he realised.
Hearts Warming Eve.
Shatter didn't exactly know what that was. He was only a baby when he first saw the time of year. He couldn't remember much about it. The most confusing thing about Hearts Warming Eve though, to Shatter, was the snow.
The snow that fell from the sky that streched miles above him. What was snow really, and where did it come from? How does it fall so softly, and make no noise when it brushes the ground? The questions whirled around in Shatter's mind. He stared at the sky as a flake landed on the tip of his nose. It tickled him as he sneezed it away.
"This is as far as I will take you." Shadow stopped in the snow. "Beyond here is the border. That there is Ponyville." he pointed a hoof at the village a little way down the hill. "Stay away from there. Ponies are everywhere. Over there is the Everfree Forest, and don't go there either." Shatter's father gestured towards a dark forest beyond Ponyville.
"Is this the border?" Shatter looked around.
"No." Shadow shook his head. "The border is a little way down the hill. Be careful in Equestria, okay?"
Was that a flicker of worry in his father's eyes? Shatter began to wonder if his father was really upset about him leaving. But he wondered wrong as Shadow turned away from him.
"Now go." he ordered and stomped away. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye dad!" Shatter called. He didn't think twice before shouting: "I love you!"
Shadow didn't even turn around. His son felt heart broken. His father had never loved him, and never would. Shatter padded in the opposite direction of his father, a single tear rolled down his cheek. It was growing dark, and Shatter was famished. He had to find shelter as well.
"Where to go..." Shatter looked around. This was hopeless. He couldn't go to Ponyville, and there was no way he was going anywhere near the Everfree Forest. It felt as if there were a hole in his belly he was so hungry. If he did find any shelter, would he have to go the night with out food?
"Ugh. I'm so hungry." Shatter moaned to himself. He spotted a bush dappled with snow that was quite large. At this moment he didn't even care. He squezeed his way underneath the bush, and made himself as comfortable as possible in the tangle of twigs and snow covered grass. He was used to cuddling up next to his mother's belly, and falling clamly asleep beside her.
But now he had no mother next to him. He was alone. Alone in the freezing cold underneath an uncomfortable bush. He tried to fall asleep but he couldn't. He had been abandoned. Abandoned by his own species. His mother's words rang in his ears:
"I will always be with you, no matter how far away you go."
Shatter felt his eyes welling up with tears. He missed Frost. She was the only Changeling in the cave who appreciated him. No matter that he was disabled and different, she still loved him most. But now she was gone. His father was gone, and Shatter even began to miss him. Though he still never got to know anyhting from his father, he still felt love toward him.
Soon enough, Shatter drifted into a deep sleep. He began to dream of his mother coming back and finding him:
"Shatter?"
"Mama?" Shatter whispered quitely. "Is that you?"
"I'm here Shatter!" The foal could here his mother's sweet voice. "Come here my son!"
Shatter raced out of the bush, his heart pounding to see his mother once more. There she stood, high upon the hill, waving a holy hoof to her son.
"I'm coming mama!" Shatter galloped rapidly towards his mother. He was almost to her now, ready to burst into her outstreched arms. "Here I am!"
Before he could reach his mother, Shatter felt the ground open beneath him, showing a massive, dark, never ending hole. He fell depeer and depeer into the hole. He screeched with terror as the fall continued. Down and down and down and down...
Shatter woke with a start, scrambling to his hooves. He panted exuastedly, standing completly still, staring at the snowy ground. It had been just his dream. He was so close to reaching his mother again, and it had been wipped away from him. Shatter realised how hungry he was at that moment. His stomach roared so loud he thought it would wake everypony in Ponyville.
He stagerred to his feet, searching for any sign of food. Just something he could nible on, just something to satisfy the hunger.
"There has to be something somewhere around here." Shatter whispered. He had slept late, and it was almost past noon now. "Ponies will be eating lunch." the foal commented, looking off at the snow covered town. "Maybe they have food somwhere that I can sneak..."
Shatter snuck behind his house, ignoring his father's warning about staying away from Ponyville. He spotted a garbage can, a half eaten sandwhich poking out of the top. He dashed towards it, grasping it out of the can with his jaws and flopping down on the ground. It smelled as if it had been in there for weeks, but Shatter was to hungry to care. He devored the sandwhich in swift bites, savoring every bit. It tasted terrible, but it didn't stop Shatter from eating lunch. It satisfied him enough for him to keep moving.
"Now where?" Shatter decided to stay in Ponyville, keeping well out of sight and digging through garbage cans. He took cardboard out of recyclables to make himself a makeshift den. The foal set it up at the edge of town, where nopony would find him. It was small, just a box where he could curl up and sleep when night came. He left it there, and continued to search for food. The Changeling found a cookie at the top of a tall can, but he couldn't reach it due to Chrysalis's spell still on his wings.
"How long does this damn spell last?" Shatter growled to himself. He decided to then knock the trash can over in the snowy earth and dig through all the food supplies, and carry most of what he could back to his makeshift den.
Though he had eaten a half a sandwhich earlier, Shatter stiff felt raw with hungerness. He found the cookie and some chips, but it was very little, and Shatter continuesly grew weak as the day went on.
As night approached, he continued shuffling through the snow and trash cans looking for food. Though now he found nothing, and Shatter couldn't remember the last time he had been so very weak. He wanted to just crawl up and die right there in the snow, but he was to hungry and desperate to give up. The garbage food made him worse, making him feel sick and unhealthy. He had taken a nap earlier, inside the makeshift den, but it was even more uncofortable then the bush he had first slept in.
"It's the second night," Shatter mumbled . "Am I already going to die?"
Shatter held his head strong. "No. I can make this. Disabled or not."
He padded on more confidently, still out of sight, but he didn't last very long as the snow began to fall. He couldn't do it. He was going to die. The foal knew that it was all over for him. He dragged himself past a library and flopped down on the side of it. Shatter panted, losing breath as he grasped for his life.
"I'm d-done for." He moaned as he laid still, his eyes only half open. "I should have n-never even b-been born." Shatter closed his eyes, expecting for his life to slip away. But instead he heard the door of the library swing open. It was late now, so who would be up and out at this time?
"Spike!" a mare was shouting at the front of the door. "I need to go and get the 'Daring Doo' books back from Rainbow Dash. I'll be back in a little bit!"
"Ugh." a small male moan came from inside the library. "Do you have to get them now? You could have at least let me sleep. Get them in the morning, Twilight."
"But they've been overdue for 3 weeks now!" The mare responded. "I need them back now!"
"Well why didn't you go earlier today?"
"I was with Pinkie Pie helping her make cupcakes, then Rarity wanted me to try on her new designs, and I had offered to help Applejack with-"
"Okay! Okay! I get it you were busy! Now just go and let this dragon get his sleep."
The response drifted slowly into a snore. Shatter stayed completly still, frozen with terror that he was about to be seen. He heard the door shut, and hoof steps padding towards him.
"Please let it be to dark for her to notice!" Shatter prayed silently. All those fears came back to him about what a pony would do to him if they saw him. He shut his eyes, hoping the hoof steps would turn in the other direction, but instead they came closer to him. Shatter held his breath as the pony approached.
Shatter suddenly felt no more or saw no more as he blacked out in the cold night.
