Outside in the very outskirts of Canterlot, two Ponies sat. A stallion; whose mane was long, luxurious, and thick. It blew in the wind like it was meant to be there while his piercing yellow eyes looked at her. A mare; whose mane was long. It blew in the wind like a visible piece of heaven that had escaped for all to see, while her piercing purple eyes looked at him. It was a perfect day out in the meadow, one that had a perfect view of Canterlot behind them, though they did not notice. The air was ripe with the most pleasant of smells. Honey, fresh berries, the sweeping waves of lilacs all permeated the area around them, though they did not notice. A tall, grey steel armored, black unicorn with a very twisted look of disgust on his muzzle. His mane, long, black, with a single blue streak running down its length. The wind blew at it, making it come around and slap him in the face, causing him give several loud spitting noises to get it out of his mouth, though they did not notice.
He stood there many yards away from the couple, cracking his neck each time he saw one of them give a sickening love filled sigh. A wonderful little butterfly fluttered near the black stallions nose, where it landed ever so gently. He then swiped at it with his armor covered hoof, knocking it to the ground, where he immediately stepped on it repeatedly, though the couple did not notice. His gaze returned back to the ponies he had been watching. His dark red eyes narrowed to small saucers, while his eye ridges fell downward, making him get a long sinister look on his face. He scratched his hoof at the ground, letting out a snort through his nose. He then took off in a mad dash, running as fast as he could at the lost lovers in the meadow, snorting wildly, and lowering his horn towards them as he drew closer and closer, they still didn't notice.
"I love you," the stallion said with a deep longing smile while lifting his hoof to ever so gently touch his mare on the side of the face. "You are my sky, my stars! Without you, I dwell in darkness. You are beauty, unrivaled." He looked deeper into her widening eyes, lost to the world around him, and the rather angry looking Unicorn barreling towards them both.
"And I you," the mare said, loving the way her mate's hoof felt when it came into contact with her. She gave a grand sigh at his poetic words, wondering what it was she could have done to deserve such a wonderful stallion. She became lost in his eyes, unable to see anything else. Which is why she didn't see the still angry Unicorn now closer than he was before.
"Let me kiss you my dear. Let me place my lips to yours, and show you how much I love you." the stallion said, already moving his head towards hers.
"Yes! Kiss me my love, I want nothing more!" Her eyes came to a slow close, her head turning ever so slightly to the left, as the stallion's came in to the right. Both their lips puckered, both their eyes closed, they drew closer, and closer to one another to where their lips were just an inch apart.
"Hi-ya!" The black unicorn shouted out as he launched himself into the air, this they did notice. The stallion's eyes flew open like broken blinds, and his jaw dropped like a stone. There was nothing he could do as he saw the armored pony flying through the air at him. Before the stallion could move, or say anything, he felt the cold sting of the missile like unicorn's front armored hoof being driven hard into his jaw. The two stallions became a rolling mass of pony. The black one trying to get in as many kicks with all of his legs as possible, while the still surprised stallion did all he could to stop this from happening.
"W-what's going on?" the mare shouted, her hooves coming up to her cheeks as a sense of shock washed over her. "Stop this right now! Who are you?" She decided then to try to somewhat get involved. Doing so by running over to the still scuffling pair, and kicking ineffectively at the armored unicorn.
"Stop trying to kick me you ditz!" the unicorn shouted at her, making her recoil away, worried that the vicious looking attacker might turn his attentions on her. Finally the armored unicorn got his back legs under the now very dazed stallion. He pushed hard, launching his opponent high into the air, giving him time to roll over, and jump up on all four of his hooves. With a single leap, the unicorn put himself underneath the falling pony, then kicked with his back legs, catching the stallion directly in the chest. This final move sent the once love struck stallion rolling to the ground, where he came to rest on his side, his eyes rolling around in his head in random directions.
"You horrible beast!" the mare screamed out, making the black stallion flap his ears down to the side of his head, while a very annoyed look came over his muzzle. He then turned only a little, and showed the mare a pattern that was on his shoulder guard. This made the mare stop screaming, and take a long look at the emblem she was being shown, one of Princess Luna's cutie mark.
"Imperial Lunar Guard: Changeling Division." He gave a quick scoff at the mare, then started to walk over to the stallion laying on the ground, trying to recover from his sudden beating.
"Changelings?" the mare spoke out. "But there isn't any Changelings around here!"
"Oh right, cause you are such an expert on Changelings. I mean, looking at your cutie mark, you probably run some sunflower designing quilt store. Or something equally as stupid. So yeah, I can totally see why you would think you're an expert on shapeshifters." By this time, the arguing pair had arrived at the fallen stallion.
"But, but, but. He's not a Changeling, he just isn't!" she shouted looking down at the Pony she had grown to love and care for so much in just the past few weeks.
"He isn't huh?" the unicorn said, his mouth twitching into a deep frown. He walked over to the stallion on the ground, then gave him a swift kick. "Drop the form buddy!"
"I, I don't know what you-" He couldn't finish his protest, as he suddenly felt his front hoof being stepped on by one of the unicorn's metal covered hooves, causing him to yelp out in pain.
"Drop the form, please." the armored stallion said, this time with a long upturned, and teeth showing smile.
"Okay, okay, jeez!" As soon as the stallion said this, his body was engulfed in a dense, and hot plume of green and black flames. As soon as they died down, the mare and the black stallion could see him for what he truly was: a common Changeling infiltrator.
Seeing her mate for what he truly was made the mare stand up on both her hind legs, her hooves coming up to her cheeks as her mouth dropped open. She then let out a massive, long and piercing bone shattering scream, one that made several flocks of birds take flight from trees many, many yards away.
"Jeez lady!" the unicorn snapped, bringing his hooves up to his ears. "That's my flippin ear!"
"But, but, but, we've been together for, and we," she now let out a long gasp as the memories of all the time they had spent together came rushing back into her mind. "Oh, oh, eww, we did so much stuff! Strawberries, so much whip cream, the bed room, the kitchen, the attic!" As much of a delusional panic that she was in, she didn't take notice of how hard the unicorn was laughing at her.
"Can I go now?" the changeling asked, still lying there on the ground.
"No!" both the mare and the stallion yelled down at the Changeling, making him give out a long sigh, and just put his head back down to the ground.
"Black Light!" the unicorn shouted into the distance. The mare at his side could hear the sudden steps of another armored pony, then the sounds of a heavy cart being pulled. Soon enough, from over a hill in the distance, she saw a big metal cage being pulled by yet another Dark Pony. This one was different however, being a mare, and showing the tell tale signs of a Dark Pony Pegasus. She had the same armor the unicorn wore, though her's was lighter, with enough space around the shoulders for her large bat like wings to expand. As the mare got closer, she could see those distinctive yellow slitted eyes that all of her kind had, though they couldn't really be seen as her gray mane had fallen in front of them.
"I just still can't believe he was a Changeling," the mare said, still watching the new mare pull the cage down to their location. She didn't notice the unicorn rolling his eyes at her.
"Aww baby don't be like that," the Changeling pleaded, looking up at her with as much of a sad look as he could get on his face. "It was all true, I promise. You're my stars remember?"
"Quiet!" the mare shouted as she lifted up her hoof, and quickly bonked her now former coltfriend on top of his head. "I was going to introduce you to my parents! And I want all my stuff back too!" She quickly composed herself, by taking in a deep sigh, then putting on a mock smile as she turned to look at the unicorn who was still waiting for his partner to arrive. "I must thank you for saving me, umm. Mister?"
"Void Heart," the unicorn said while not looking over to her as he spoke. His head then twisted in her direction, giving her an odd look. "And really? You had like no clue this guy was up to something?"
"N-no," she said with a whimper. "Should I have been?"
"Of course! Jeez you really weren't buying into that whole, 'oh you are my universe, my sky meh meh meh,' crud were you? I mean who talks like that?"
"B-but I," the mare stammered, trying not to get emotional over the sudden yelling she was being subjected to.
"Look," Void Heart began while letting out a sigh. "Just today, I walked all the way through Canterlot to get to here. Just in that time, I saw maybe, ten, fifteen mares that were way better looking than you." This caused the mare to let out a loud angry sounding gasp, while at the same time throwing her front leg up wildly, catching Void Heart directly on the side of the head. This caused his whole head to spin almost completely around as he fell hard to the ground right next to the Changeling, who then busted out laughing.
"Quiet you!" she yelled down at the Changeling, giving him another hard thump on his head, effectively bringing his laughter to a halt. "Hmmph!" she then sounded out while at the same time tossing her nose up into the air, and walking off with a proud looking trot.
"Thank you for your cooperation ma'am," Black Light said as she finally arrived next to Void Heart and the Changeling. "Please remember to report to the Royal Guards office at your earliest convenience." She said all of this with a laugh, watching the mare stomp off back towards Canterlot. Her attention then turned to her unicorn partner, who was now pulling himself up off the ground. "You're such a heart breaker Void." she said with a giggle.
"Hey, it's not my problem she didn't want to hear the truth!" Void Heart said as he brought himself up to his hooves.
"Uh huh, cause I know you were just the perfect gentlecolt when you told her about this 'truth.' " Black Light said with another light hearted giggle.
"Whatever. Let's just get Mister Smooth Talker here back to the castle. That's when the Changeling felt the odd sensation of being lifted off the ground. He looked up to see that Void Heart's horn had begun to glow a soft translucent white, and the aura that surrounded him was of the same color.
"Okay, come on now guys," the Changeling said with a panicked tone as he found himself pulled towards the steel barred cart. "I'm sure there's something we can work out right, right? Oh come on, I didn't do anything to her, I swear!" His excuses and pleas fell on deaf ears as he was tossed rather uncaringly into the cart, giving a flinch when the steel door was closed hard at him.
"And don't try turning into anything that can slip through those bars either," Black Light warned with a cute little smile on her small muzzle. That metal has a spell on it you probably won't want to trigger." As if accepting this challenge, the Changelings body ignited in the same green black flames as before. However, as soon as he tried to take a shape that would grant him freedom, several long sparking electrical bolts shot out from all the bars, and shocked him to the point where he fell to the floor with just a little bit of smoke coming off his body. "Told you," Black Light said with a laugh as she gave the Changeling a wink, and stuck her tongue out.
The Dark Mare came around to the front of the cart, where she saw Void Heart waiting there next to the harness. "Well?" Void Heart said with an impatient tone.
"Well what?" she repeated back, with a confused look. She then saw him gesture with his head down towards the harness, then look back up at her. "Aww, but I'm tired. I had to pull it all the way here," she whined out while stomping her hoof to the ground.
"Don't care," Void Heart said with a very unconcerned look on his face. "I had to wrestle around with the bug over there."
"Hey!" the Changeling shouted out in protest, though not getting a look from either of the two Ponies.
"Plus," Void continued. "I am the superior officer. I fight the bugs."
"Now wait a minute!" the Changeling shouted out again, still not getting any attention.
"You pull the cart," Void finished, giving Black Light a long smug smile.
"No," Black Light said while turning her head away from the unicorn.
"No?" Void Heart repeated, getting both angry, and confused at the same time.
"Yes, no. I am a lady, and should be treated as such. You are a stallion, and should help me be as relaxed as possible. Making me pull big heavy carts around with Changelings in them. It's mean!" While still keeping her head turned, she looked over in Void's direction with one eye. Then just as quickly snapped it back as she saw his face had contorted into something rather unpleasant to look at, as his teeth were visibly grinding together.
"You are a Dark Pegasus!" he yelled making her jump in place. "You pull a big metal chariot through the sky with a flippin Alicorn Princess in it! So you are pulling the cart!"
"And you are a Unicorn who can move things with magic! So you pull the cart!" The two Ponies had now gotten their faces so close to one another, the only thing the other one could see were the deep frustration, and determination in the other's eyes.
"I'll pull it," the Changeling said with a quiet tone, and a small little smile on his face.
"Shut up!" the two yelled at him in unison.
"Listen lady," Void Heart said turning his attention back to Black Light. "There is no way I am pulling this cart!"
*****
As Void Heart pulled the cart down the road, his face had become a sour looking expression of anger, and confusion. His mood wasn't improved as he looked over at Black Light, who now was trotting happily next to him, while humming out a little tune to herself. He didn't know how she knew to use the one thing he couldn't stand to make him pull the cart, but she did use it; she made it look like she was going to cry. He did so hate it when mares cried. It wasn't due to the fact that a mare crying pulled on his heart strings or anything. It was just so horribly annoying to hear all those blabbering wails that he would do anything to not have to hear them, even pull a stupid cart down the road. After a little while, he let out another sigh, then proceeded to let out a long yawn.
"Tired?" Black Light asked, prompting a quick scornful look in her direction.
"Oh no! I'm not tired at all. I mean it's not like I have been up all day yesterday, then all night last night on patrols, then have to wait until today until the bug tried to make his move. Why I'm just as fresh as a spring flower." For a few seconds, Void just gave the little bat winged pegasus a long, unblinking stare. One that made her feel a little uncomfortable to the point that she gave out a nervous giggle, before turning her head completely in a direction so she couldn't even see him.
"Yeah, how did you find me anyway?" the Changeling asked, hoping that either of the two would talk to him.
"Don't worry about it," Void Heart said, not even looking behind his back to look at the prisoner.
"Oh come on! I know you Ponies can't detect us when we are in different forms."
"Void can!" Black Light chirped out in a happy tone, and a long closed eyed smile.
"Seriously?" Void Heart said over to Black Light, as his head turned slightly to the side at the fact that she just gave away vital information to an enemy.
"So you're special talent is to detect Changelings?" the Changeling asked with a confused twist on his eye ridges.
"No." Was all Void Heart had to say on the matter. He wasn't however able to give Black Light a look quick enough to stop her from saying anything.
"Yeah, Void Heart can use emotion changing magic!" she sang out again in another joyful voice.
"Oh by the Moon! Shut up you flippin chatter box!" The cart came to a sudden stop, which caused the Changeling to lose his balance, and fall forward. The harness on Void's back was violently lifted to the air, then just as violently thrown to the ground as the black unicorn gave off a teeth baring angry growl. "Fine!" he shouted as he walked over to the side of the cage. "Since we are being all buddy buddy. Let me just fill you in. Yes, I can control Ponies, or any other races emotions. No, I cannot directly detect Changelings. Yes, I can feel when you are feeding from the massive output of emotional surges that emanate from your body. There, are you happy?"
"Umm, yes?" the Changeling said with a small smile, and a subtle shrug of his shoulders. As much as he didn't like getting yelled at, he really felt sorry for the mare that Void Heart was now stomping over towards, with a very, very mad look in his eyes.
"There any other secrets you want to give out before we get going again?" Void screamed at Black Light, making her turn her ears down, and recoil away from him due to the volume of his voice.
"Err, n-no I was just-" she tried to say, but Void Heart wasn't done screaming yet.
"How about giving him the patrol routes for all the guards? I bet he would really like to hear that?"
"I would actually," the Changeling added, knowing full well his little comment wasn't going to get any attention.
"Or how about the combination for the royal vault? I bet the Changelings would just love to get their hooves on all those bits, treasures, ancient artifacts."
"There's artifacts in the vault?" the Changeling said, though more to himself. He really began to wonder at this point that if the unicorn was aware that he himself was giving out vital information to reprimand the pegasus for giving out vital information.
"Void, I'm sorry I really am!" Black Light said, finally getting a word in edge wise. "Would you like me to pull the cart?" This was a little peace offering on her part, one that was crushed as soon as it came out of her mouth.
"No I don't want you to pull the flippin cart!" Void yelled at her while lifting the harness once more, and placing it on his back. "I want to pull the flippin cart! Because if you pull it, I am afraid you might take this flippin bug home!"
"That would be great actually." the Changeling said with a big friendly grin.
"Shut up!" Both Void, and Black Light yelled back at their prisoner, making him lose the smile, and give off a small sigh.
*****
The rest of the trip went on in silence. Although Void Heart could be heard letting out an occasional sigh. The Changeling thought this to be nothing more than either the unicorn had thought of something annoying, or he had some kind of anxiety disorder. Never the less, he could see the entrance of Canterlot getting closer and closer, and he knew this was the last place he wanted to be at this particular moment. He could only think of what horrors the Ponies had in store for him. Dreadful tortures; painful interrogations, starvation, or at least a lot of really serious name calling. As much as his mind was making him think the worst of what could happen to him. It was also making him try to devise someway to escape his undeserved fate, all he had to do was wait for an opportunity to present itself. This didn't take very long, as the mare looked back at him for whatever reason.
"Hey there," he said with a smooth calm voice, giving her an ever so subtle wink.
"Hi!" Black Light answered back with the most friendliest of smiles.
"I'm Thorax. What's your name cutie?" Even more charm did he let start pouring from his mouth. Even going as far as to start leaning up against the bars in a what he would call, a 'cool' pose.
"Black Light," the dark pegasus said, while at the same time not even beginning to notice the stone breaking gaze she was now getting from Void Heart.
"Yeah, that's a pretty name. You're a Dark Pegasus huh? Boy, your kind is rare, I bet you get all the stallions chasing after you." He wasn't entirely sure, but he thought for just a moment that he heard the sound of teeth being ground hard together. It was either that, or there was somepony near by eating rocks.
"Who me?" Black Light said with a blush under the coat of her cheeks. "Oh, it's nothing like that. I'm kinda plain really. Plus I am in the military. Not a lot of stallions go for the 'stronger than them' types."
"Nonsense!" Thorax cried out as if he had just heard the worst thing ever. "You are quite fetching if I do say so myself. Any stallion that doesn't see that is either blind or a fool." He then lowered his head a little, looking down at the bottom of his cage, while slowly sweeping one of his hooves back and forth. "I, I mean, I think you're really pretty."
"You do? Aww thank you! That's so sweet of you. You know, for a Changeling you're pretty cute too, and-"
"Oh for the love of the Moon, shut, up!" This sudden outburst made both Black Light and Thorax jump in place. Though Black Light felt a rather deep sinking feeling in her stomach as she saw the now teeth bearing, and heavy breathing unicorn staring right at her. "It is completely impossible for somepony like you to have the rank you do, but be this stupid! I mean, are you kidding me? Were you listening to yourself?"
"What? He was just being nice." Black Light said in a quiet voice, trying to defend herself.
"Yeah I was just being nice," Thorax added, though quickly backed away from the conversation when the unicorn snapped his head towards him, and gave out an actual growl.
"He wasn't being nice. He was being a flippin Changeling, it's what they do. They can make you think they are being nice, they can make you think they are being kind and sincere. But do you actually know what they are thinking about?" Black Light just shook her head in a fashion that was more like a small child being yelled at, and asked a question they had no answer to. "Feeding," Void said with a long grin, and a scary voice. "Everything they do, everything they say. It is all for one thing, and one thing only; to feed on those dumb enough to fall for it."
"Y-you weren't thinking of feeding on me were you Thorax?" she asked while looking at the Changeling, giving him a big eyed sad look.
"A little?" Thorax answered, giving her a big smile, then a nervous giggle. Her expression changed to one of both shock and anger, as her jawed dropped open.
"There you see," Void Heart said with a smug expression, and a single laugh. It was now Black Light's turn to look mean, though her mean face didn't quite have the imposing factor she thought it did as it came off as more cute than anything else.
"You know what," she shouted while stamping her hoof to the ground. "You're both meanies, and I'm leaving!" With that, her leathered bat wings popped open, and she took to the sky in a single bound, not giving either Void Heart, or Thorax time to argue.
"See what you did," Thorax said with a sigh, shaking his head back and forth.
"What I did?" Void Heart shouted, once again throwing the harness off his back, then jumping towards the cage and thrusting his hoof through the bars in an effort to grab Thorax by his neck with the bend of his ankle. Thorax was quick enough to back away to the other side of the cage, not wanting to receive another thrashing like the one he had gotten earlier. "Come over here you little plop! I'll show you what I can do!"
"Anypony ever tell you that there is a slight chance you might have some anger issues?" He didn't get a response to this, as the unicorn was to focused on squeezing through the bars that were much to small for him to do so. Suddenly, Void Heart removed himself from the cage, then just took in a long inhale, followed by an even longer exhale.
"Fine," Void said in a disturbingly calm, and rather chipper tone. "It doesn't matter. Once I get you down to The Hive, you're going to wish you had come to a tragic end out here. At least where it smells nice."
"T-The Hive?" Thorax repeated, really not liking both the sound of that, or the uncharacteristic smile Void Heart had on his muzzle now.
"Yes, The Hive. It is the place we keep all the Changelings we have captured ever since the invasion of Canterlot. It is where you will be spending the rest of your days, with the rest of your kind that is down there. Or what is left of them anyway." As soon as he said that, Void's smile grew to an unnatural looking size, as his dark red eyes narrowed.
"Y-y-you're just trying to scare me!" Thorax said in a brave tone, trying not to let his imagination get the best of him. "We all know you Ponies don't kill as a rule."
"Kill?" Void Heart chuckled out, his smile now becoming a vicious looking happy grin. "I never said kill did I? It's kinda hard to figure out how you bugs work if you are dead. No, no, I am afraid our doctors." He made the sign of air quotes when he said the word doctors. "Well, they prefer live specimens when they perform their, shall we say, operations." He then let out a long loud laugh, that sounded very much like a cheesy mad scientist. The scare tactic did have its desired effect though, as Thorax was almost a quivering pile of fear laying there on the cold floor of his cage, looking at the maniacally laughing pony.
"O-okay, heh heh, you, you got me. Pretty scary story there buddy," Thorax said while trying to compose himself. Though the fact that Void Heart didn't say anything in response to it, just turning his head to a very odd angle, then giving him a rather evil smile. The unicorn then picked up the harness, and started pulling the cage back towards the capital. As Thorax looked on it now, all he could see was a now dark and foreboding playground of death and tortures. One filled with blood lusting Ponies that wanted to pull him apart while he was still alive. These final thoughts were pretty much the crack in the dam that brought his spirit crashing. "Bits!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, making Void Heart stop again, looking over his shoulder with a confused look.
"Pardon?" Void Heart asked, now completely back to his stoic, and calm looking self.
"I know where to get lots, and lots of bits!" Thorax yelled, as he threw him self onto his knees, taking hold of the cage bars with his front hooves.
"Bits huh?" Void said with a glimmer in his eye. "Well I do like bits. How can you get me lots of bits?"
"When I looked like a pony. I was a manager at the Imperial Bank of Canterlot. There's tons of bits there! More than you could ever spend in an Alicorn's lifetime." A long desperate smile came over Thorax's muzzle, one the he had hoped would help him seal the deal on this, his last gambit. "All you have to do is let me go. I will give you the spell key to open the vault, all you have to do is go in there when it is closed, open the vault, and you can have all the bits you ever wanted!" A small glimmer of hope started to rise in the Changelings heart when he saw the dark unicorn look down to the ground in deep contemplation.
"Imperial Bank of Canterlot huh?" Void Heart said as his lips puckered to one side of his mouth. "Would that be the one right there on fifth and mane, right next to the castle's east entrance?" Thorax shook his head up and down in panicked agreement. "Yeah I know that place. In fact I was there this morning."
"You were?" Thorax said with a raised eye ridge.
"Yeah, what was it I was doing? It was something important." Void brought his hoof up to his chin, then looked up towards the sky in deep thought. "Oh yeah! I was telling the head banker that one of his managers was a Changeling you moron!" If Thorax's body was glass, it would have shattered right there into a million pieces as all his hopes of seeing the light of day again were stomped on repeatedly by his cruel, evil, and stupid captor. Void Heart just started laughing as he started walking again, loving how the Changeling just slid down the bars, holding on to his knees in a huddled up position.
"You're a bad Pony," Thorax said with a whimper. "You're a bad, bad Pony." All this did was make Void laugh harder in the now shivering Changelings direction as a new fun trot had found it's way into the unicorn's step.
*****
An almost deafening cascade of jeers, hisses, and rather hurtful insults were tossed freely in Thorax's direction as he was pulled down one of the many streets of Canterlot. Though it was really more baffling than anything to see the parents of colts and fillies let their children use such language. He knew he wouldn't have been able to say such things when he was their age. It really wasn't the verbal insults that had made him slump down to his haunches, and cross his front legs over his chest. It was the unrelenting barrage of trash, vegetables, shoes and other various projectiles that were constantly being thrown at him. Somepony obviously didn't have something bad to throw away at him, so they just chucked a very nice cupcake at him, which was now stuck to his head like some weird hat.
Void Heart on the other hoof was having a lovely time. He trotted along with an expression that was more along the lines of something Black Light would wear. Every Changeling bashing slur that hit his ears was like a symphonic paradise. One that could only be rivaled by hearing one of Octavia's performances. His good mood came to an untimely death however as he looked ahead of him, and saw something he knew he was not in the proper mind set for. There standing in the middle of an intersection, was an Earth Pony holding a sign that read: 'Earth Pony is Master Race.' He was a normal sized Pony, one with a brown coat, a short blonde mane and tail, and large green eyes.
"Please don't see me. Please don't see me," Void repeated over and over as he tried to sneak around the Earth Pony who was constantly shouting a very rehearsed speech of how the Unicorns, Pegasi, and even Alicorns were the hooves of oppression that was holding all of Equestria back.
"You!" the earth pony shouted when he saw Void Heart tip hoofing by.
"Plop," Void Heart said under his breath, while a long hanging frown found its way onto his muzzle. He took in a long inhale, all while cracking his neck from side to side. He turned to face the earth pony, who was now closing the distance between the two very quickly. "Hello Playwright, good to see you as always. Still crazy I see."
"Ha! The ignorant words from a Unicorn is the last thing that can get under my skin Void Heart," Playwright said in his proper sounding Trottingham accent as he trotted up to Void's front, planting his sign to the ground with a proud smile. "You are addressing the founder, and leader of the Earth Pony is Master Race Foundation. And you will soon find out how bad the repercussions of your slanders will be!"
"You're the only member of that club you know right?" Void said with a chuckle, though he was giving the earth pony an awkward stare.
"For now yes!" Playwright laughed out. "But all too soon will the all of my brothers and sisters come to realize all the injustices that hath befallen them by the tyrannical Unicorns and Pegasi. With their insidious magics, and weather controlling powers. If it were not for the brave, and kind Earth Ponies, you and all your ilk would have died off centuries ago. For it is only we that know how to grow the food that maintains all of Equestria, and beyond!"
"Here here!" Thorax shouted from his cage, though he got a mean look from Void Heart because of it.
"Playa," Void said with a long sigh. "Do you even know how to grow food?"
"Well, I umm, well no not me personally. I mean I am a master at my skill as a writer. I will be the one that tells the stories, and chronicles the hard ships of all Earth Pony kind. And my writings will be remembered for generations!"
"Yeah, sounds like horn, and or wing envy to me," Void said with a sounding laugh.
"H-h-horn envy? Now you look here you dullard! I will have you know that I am from a proud-"
"Yeah yeah yeah. Listen Playa, been great an all. But I have a real job to attend to. Then I am going to rearrange my house, with magic, while sitting on my flank sipping tea." He then gave Playwright a large tilted headed smile, before walking past the Earth Pony who had a very long scowl on his face.
"Don't you dare try to walk away from me you vile horned mutant!" Playwright shouted as he stepped directly into Void's path. "You will stand here, and listen to everything I have to say. And only when you understand the true meaning of this sign, will I, a great Earth Pony, allow you to pass." Playwright was a little to proud of himself with the words he had just chosen to see that Void Heart's face had twisted into something rather unsavory.
"That sign huh?" the dark unicorn said with an ever expanding grin. "You like that sign?" he asked, in a somewhat disturbing tone of voice.
"Why yes, yes I do," Playwright said as he puffed out his chest in a proud stance. "It was made the way things are supposed to be made. By the hooves of a hard working Earth Pony. Not the corruption that is Unicorn magic!"
"Hrm, It doesn't sound like you like that sign," Void's horn started to glow the pale white color of his magic, though this time even his eyes lost their black pupils, and red irises, and turned a glowing white themselves. "It sounds to me like you in fact love that sign. Playwright suddenly seemed to fall back on himself for a moment, his eyes became blank, emotionless, as if something had came along and pulled his spirit out of his body. He then blinked several times, and looked up to the sign he was holding, where a long passion filled expression came over his muzzle.
"Oh sign," the earth pony said as he reached up with his hoof, and started to stroke lovingly at the board face. "How could I have been with you for so long, and never noticed just how beautiful you are. How I have longed to find a creature such as yourself with an abundance of grace and beauty. Now I realize I have been all to blind to not see that you were right here with me all along," He then took the sign into his front legs, and dipped it downward as if it were his ball room dancing partner, where he quickly placed his lips on the front, giving it a long, and deep kiss.
"Well okay, you two have fun now," Void Heart laughed out as he started to walk past the earth pony and his new found love.
"That, that was amazing!" Thorax said looking back at the earth pony and the sign with a state of shock flowing over him. Something hit him suddenly that made him look at the dark unicorn in a whole new light. "You can make Ponies fall in love can't you?"
"I told you I can manipulate the emotions of anypony I want, well, except Alicorns. He'll be fine in an hour or two." Void then got a kind of disgusted look on his face, seeing how he just had something of a normal conversation with a Changeling. "Why do you care? Where you're going, my magic is the last thing you will have to be worrying about."
"Nothing," Thorax whispered out, still looking down the street at Playwright, and his new love. "It's nothing at all."
Void Heart and his prisoner came to a quick stop outside of a small coffee shop. Thorax turned to see that the unicorn had already used his magic to remove the harness, and place it on the ground. "What are you doing?" the Changeling asked with a sigh.
"I have been up forever. I am getting some coffee." Void said as he reached into his metal made saddle bag, and pulled out a folded piece of construction paper.
"I want some coffee," Thorax stated, though he was more curious about what was in the unicorn's mouth.
"Yeah well," Void mumbled out as he spit the paper to the ground, and started unfolding it. "How does it feel to want?" He gave Thorax a big fake smile, then finished unfolding the paper which by now showed that it had writing on it. He placed the sign up against the cage, then walked away and into the coffee shop. Thorax's curiosity got the better of him, and he looked at the sign that was just placed down in front of him.
Hello,
I am a Changeling.
And I have more than likely fed on your loved ones.
Please hit me.
"Oh ha ha! That's real funny," Thorax said as he turned to try and get Void Heart's attention, only to see him disappear into the store. "Void? Void!" He then turned back around only to get a rush of fear on his face, while letting out a girlish scream as he pushed himself as far back against the back bars of the cage as possible. For now a rather large, and angry looking mob of brightly colored Ponies had started to gather, and some of them had sharp objects.
With a deep sigh Void Heart sat himself at the bar of the shop, completely ignoring the pleas, cries and yelps that were coming from outside now. He looked over the menu that was up on the wall, though it was the Pony approaching him that made him look away. A reddish brown Earth Pony with a styled white mane that had a red streak running through it came walking up to him. This was some pony that Void Heart knew well, one of the few Ponies he could talk to normally, Coffee Swirl.
"Hey Void," the earth pony said with a professional looking smile, though Void knew all to well that was an act.
"Morning Swirl," Void said as he tapped the empty cup in front of him. Coffee Swirl just nodded, then retrieved a smoking hot pot of coffee that was on the counter behind him. He filled Void's cup, then sat the pot down there on the counter.
"You up early, or out late?" Swirl asked, leaning up against his side of the counter, ready to start their normal conversation.
"Way late," Void said as his magic took hold of the cup, bringing it up to his mouth where he began to blow lightly on it before taking a small sip.
"Found another one huh?" Coffee Swirl asked as he looked out the window at the cage that was holding the Changeling that was still being pelted, poked, and prodded by various Ponies, with an assortment of objects. His ears folded down for a moment, as he didn't know Changelings could say that many curse words that fast.
"Yeah, Sun Butt had me looking for this one in over time." Swirl had to quickly hide the outburst of laughter when he heard Void's nickname for Princess Celestia. He knew that there was a good chance that other patrons of the shop just heard that, and he didn't want to be associated with the Pony that just openly insulted Equestria's ruler.
"You know what really jumps up my plot?" Void said after taking another small sip from his coffee. This made Swirl once again have to bring another loud laugh under control from Void's colorful words; he did just shake his head back and forth with a smile. "That flippin Prince, and his Valley Filly wife."
"Oh, they're not that bad," Swirl commented, trying to maintain the professional attitude a Pony in his position should have.
"Yeah well, they made my job about a thousand times harder. I mean instead of bringing in all the Changelings where they could be dealt with in one swoop. They use that stupid super spell to blow them all over Equestria. Now we have flippin hives popping up from here to Appleloosa." Void just shook his head back and forth, while taking another long drink from his cup.
"You know you'd be bored to tears if all the Changelings were gone." Coffee Swirl said with a small chuckle. Void said something, though it was mumbled into his cup when he said it. Swirl tapped his hooves several times on the counter, then let out a sigh himself. "So I saw Playa this morning." This made Void clear his throat rapidly, while darting his eyes back and forth. "What did you do?" Swirl asked in a whispering shout.
"Nothing!" Void Heart said in a defensive tone. His eyes began to roll around his head, and he couldn't stop the smile on his muzzle from forming. "Well, almost nothing. Just kinda, made him fall in love with that sign is all."
"Ah plop Void!" Swirl said with a heaving sigh. "You're not helping."
"I know, I know. I couldn't help it though. He'll be fine. It isn't like the time I made him fall in love with the bottom of that pond."
"That was not funny!" Swirl said, remembering what it took to try to keep Playwright from drowning himself to be with his one true love, the pond bottom. Though he did start to smile. "Okay, it was kinda funny." Swirl almost jumped as if he remembered something really important, as a glee filled grin came over his muzzle. "Hey! You want to know something really funny?" This made Void shake his head up and down rapidly like a colt that was about to get a present. "Okay, try not to look directly at him. But you see that fop of a stallion over there with the pretty mare?"
"Yeah," Void said with a small giggle, using only his one eye to look in the direction, and see the stallion in question.
"Well he comes in here all the time. Tips a bit at most, sometimes none at all. But I know for a fact that he is allergic to sesame seeds. So I have been putting them in his muffins for the past week."
"Swirl!" Void shouted, as he was pretty sure he had just heard the confession of a would be murderer.
"What?" Coffee Swirl shouted back, but then used his hooves to signal he wanted quiet. "Oh he's fine, just a runny nose from time to time. Besides, he is a classic example of a Canterlot class A loser. He's in here all the time, always with a different mare. Giving the same story over, and over again. How he's going to be as powerful as Prince Shining Armor, he's being trained to be an Alicorn too. Grinds my flank." Swirl then looked outside, and saw that the Changeling had all but stopped moving, just a random twitch from time to time. "Umm, hey Void. I think your work may have just uhh, died."
"Its fine, they're resilient little insects." Void Heart gave his coffee one more final gulp, then got up from the bar. "Still, better get him to The Hive." His magic then went into his saddle bag, and four bits came floating out. "Later Swirl," he said as he started walking towards the door.
"Void Heart," Coffee Swirl said with a sigh, and somewhat serious tone. "About Playwright."
"He'll be fine," Void said while still moving towards the door. "He just needs time." He didn't turn to look to see if Swirl knew what he meant, he just continued out the door.
Thorax could hear the paper sign being folded up, making him open his eyes slowly with a groan. "Hate, you, Void, Heart." he coughed out before his eyes came to a full close, and he fell completely prone to the floor of his cage.
"Aww, and here I had thought we were becoming just the bestest of friends," Void said with a mock tone of sadness, that was quickly followed by a mean sounding laugh. With a quick exhale, he hooked himself back up to the cart, and started to trot slowly towards his final stop of the day.
*****
A loud clanking noise awoke Thorax from his slumber. He popped his head up, then jumped to all of his hooves to see that the cage had now been dislodged from the cart, and it was floating through the air. Through the aura of Void's magic, he could see that he was in some kind of fenced in area, one that had the same kind of bars that made up his cage. He could also see several guard towers, ones that had a gold armored Pony in each of them, some of them looking off into the distance, others looking down at him with mean scowls.
"End of the line bug," Void Heart said, making Thorax spin around to see the dark unicorn giving him a abnormally long vicious grin. Void then placed the entire cage on a long conveyor belt, were his magic flipped a switch, starting up the contraption, and making the cage move at a snail's pace towards a rusted, metal wall, with a hole in it just large enough for the cage to fit in. "Now," Void Heart began while walking along side the cage as it moved. "There may or may not be something that used to be a Changeling down there with you in your cell. I would suggest just using what you can to fashion what ever kind of weapons you can. The other Changelings down there might be kinda, hungry."
Thorax just started to breathe in deep heavy gasps into his lungs as he saw the big, dark hole get closer and closer. "N-n-n-now c-c-come on Void, stop messing around!" Thorax said in a shaking voice while pacing back and forth. He looked at the unicorn, who was just letting out giddy little giggles to himself. He had to try at least one more time to see if he could prevent his fate from coming to pass. "Umm hey! You know I think you and I have really bonded during our short time together. I think you and I are on our way to becoming really good friends." He saw Void just blink a few times, then let out a quick exhale. "Okay look. You let me go, and I put in a good word with you with some Changeling girls I know." Void Heart now just flicked the switch again, making it go faster. "Come on, Changeling mares! They can be anypony you want! Just think about all the possibilities! Stallions, you want stallions? Wait, wait, I'm claustrophobic, I'm scared of the dark. I have a skin condition!" The cage now had reached the end of the track.
"You have fun down there. I have a few bits that say you make it at least two weeks." Void said as he started waving his hoof in a way to say goodbye.
"Hey if this is about that whole Canterlot invasion thing. I wasn't even there!" Thorax cried out, now grasping onto the back bars that were the furthest away from the hole.
"Yeah well, I wouldn't know. You all look the same to me." Void said as he turned his back, and started to walk away. This last comment made Thorax's jaw drop hard, as a shocked look came over his face.
"Now that was just uncalled for! You have issues you need to work on Void, I can help you with th-" The cage then fell into the hole, making Thorax's plea turn into another girl like scream as he started to tumble down the shaft.
Thorax's scream could be heard all the way down the shoot, only coming to a loud gasp of pain when the cage came crashing onto the floor, then burst into a brilliant display of magic before vanishing. With another high pitched yell, he jumped up onto his back legs, while holding out his front ones in an attack stance. It was dark in his cell, once more he took quick notice of the metal and bars around him, seeing that they were made of the same as his cage. There was a bed, with clean sheets and covers with a single pillow. The floor had been swept clean, and even though it was dark, the lighting was much like he was used to in his hive. All of this flew into his mind, then right back out as all the horrible things Void Heart had told him was taking hold.
"Alright!" he shouted, making several kicking moves at the air. "I'm a master fighter I will have you know! If I wanted, I could kick through these walls. But I am uhh, I'm err. I'm part of Queen Chrysalis's personal assassin squad, yeah! And I am down here on business! So nopony better mess with me!"
"Relax kid." Thorax heard a low booming voice come from the darkness of the cell next to him. Thorax turned, and saw two large green glowing eyes looking back at him. He then heard the sound of massive hooves coming at him, making him back up from what sounded like a dragon stepping his way. What stepped into the light made his mouth fall agape, though in a way it lifted his heart a little. A massive Changeling, whose exoskeleton had grown in such a way it looked as if he was wearing a full set of full plate mail armor. He had a long gnarled horn coming from the top of his head, that parted a dark green mane of long dread locks.
"Commander Raze?" Thorax whispered out loudly. He then rushed towards the bars, and placed his hooves up so he could stand up, and be at eye level with the gigantic Changeling. "You're here! I can't believe it! We had heard that you had been slain."
"Yeah, I'm here. You mentioned the Queen's name. Is she well?" Raze asked, actually getting a look of concern in his massive eyes.
"Oh, umm, well, I'm not from her hive. I just kinda said that to stop the cannibals." The smaller Changeling then let out a little laugh, kinda ashamed that he had been caught in his apparent lie.
"What cannibals?" Raze said with a confused look.
"You know. All the Changeling cannibals that are down here. With the torture, and the doctors, with the experiments. You know, all the nightmare stuff?"
"I see," Raze said with a laugh. "You met Void Heart didn't you?" Once more he let out a laugh. "Sorry to disappoint kid, but nothing like that down here. Just a lot of questions, and fattening Pony food. I have probably put on quite a few pounds. They even let a few Ponies down here every now and again that feel sorry for us, so we can feed a little from their pity love. You get used to the indignity of it after a while."
Thorax had probably never been so mad in his life than he was at this moment in time. It was all a cruel game that was being played on him. Some way for a sick, sick Pony to get his jollies off at the expense of a poor Changeling's fear. He ran as fast as he could, and tried to run up the shaft that had brought him down here, even if it did have a gate on it now. "You jerk!" he screamed as loud as he could up through the tunnel. He kicked at the wall in front of him, and let out a long frustrated sigh. "I can't believe him!" he shouted, now getting more angry at himself for being manipulated in such a way.
"Take it easy kid," Raze said with a chuckle. "You're not the first one to fall for that bit, so don't feel bad."
"Yeah well he's still stupid!" Thorax growled out as he pushed himself away from the wall. "If I had his power, I would be doing a lot more than tricking Changelings."
"And what power would that be?" Raze asked with a raised eye ridge.
"You don't know?" he asked, making Raze just shake his head back and forth. "The whole control emotions thing. He can make anypony feel any emotion he wants them to. He can even make them fall in love!" This made Raze's eyes widen with surprise at this new information.
"I see. That's interesting," Raze said with a fang showing grin. "That's very interesting. Tell me more about this, love magic." The Commander then started a small laugh, that grew louder as he went on. Thorax even started a small chuckle himself, until both of them were laughing loudly at this information of the Pony that could make love happen, anytime he wanted.
