[Bubba's POV]

"So, what's it like to be a changeling?" King Mark asked me while we were waiting to arrive at our destination; 'Man'hattan. After he asked, several of the others leaned forward as well, possibly to learn of a different being's mindset.

"Uh..." I began. Come on, say something smart! "Different?" I would preform a facehoof if somechangeling else said that. Even though it's hard to answer something when nochangeling's asked it before.

"Nobody's asked before?" The King asked. When I shook my head in response, he laughed a little. "Take your time then; we'll be arriving at 2400 hours and that's eight and a half hours away." He said. I nodded and carefully lied down near the King, ready to protect him to the death.

"For starters (and the first thing I could come up with), we don't eat, in a normal sense of the word." I said after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean by that?" One of the humans asked, curious.

"While you all," I said with a look at the humans and ponies in the 'Black Hawk', "eat solid foods, we eat emotions. Particularly positive ones, because the ones who've eaten negative emotions usually don't last long."

"How come?" He asked, giving me a reason to look grim.

"The ones who eat anger go insane, something that I've heard from King Mark is called a 'roid rage' in your time. Sadness is just completely sour, like a lemon." I answered.

"What's a lemon?" One of the ponies, a pegasus (for some reason, she's in the helicopter with us) asked. King Mark answered for her.

"It's a citrus fruit, kinda like an orange but yellow and sour as fuck." He answered, before glancing at my tanks for a second. "And changelings can also 'eat' salt water. For some reason, it's just like emotions to them."

"A creature that can injest that stuff? That's new..." The human who asked me what I ate muttered. I felt offended at being called a mere creature, but held my tongue.

"Can the shit Huka, or when we get back to HQ, you're cleaning the latrines until you cannot taste the difference between shit and french fries. And then some more." King Mark snapped, surprising the buck outta me. Nochangeling's ever stood up for the sentients before, aside from other sentients.

In case anyone is actually able to read this, changelings have specific classes they're born in. Drones are foot soldiers, Sentients are able to think independently and mostly act as squad leaders(which I am), Intelligentsia, who are the scientists and mainly spies (Doppel), and obviously Royalty changelings. King Mark, though not a changeling, is a Royalty.

"I meant nothing my that." 'Huka' said, moving his hands up in some sort of gesture. King Mark grunted and looked down at me, while I softly grinned up at him.

"So, is it odd that I can somewhat sense your emotions?" He quietly asked me after a moment, leaning down a little.

"Not at all." I answered, glad to be of use to my King. "It's a psychic link between you and your subjects."

"Huh. Thought what I was able to do with Doppel was just a spell or some shit." He muttered.

"It is, but Queen Chrysalis decided to make her a part of your hive instead. Since she is an Intelligentsia, she has the ability to talk with you using her mind." I answered, before deciding to continue before he said something. "The psychic link affects your subjects from Drone all the way up to other Royals. Since Queen Applejack isn't a changeling, she is the first Royalty changeling to not have this happen."

"How does it affect... Whatever your class is?" He asked.

"My class is a Sentient changeling. Sentient changelings have the weakest psychic bonds to the Royal changelings, as all they are is a voice in the back of our minds. Royals usually use this to relay messages throughout the hive. Drones, on the other hand, have the most powerful psychic bonds. With the right commands, a Royal could completely control a Drone." I explained.

"Great... This thing is like a mind control machine and a radio in one bundle..." I heard him mutter.

"What's a radio?" I asked. From what I recall my former Queen calling her, Yellow Quiet answered instead of King Mark.

"It allows somepony to talk with somepony else over a long distance." She explained.

"I still don't like that Fluttershy and Applejack came with us..." King Mark muttered.

"Do you want me to protect our Queen?" I quietly asked.

"N-... Actually, yes. I would feel a lot better if you did, considering that if I was protecting her, I might get distracted." He said, nodding a little at Fluttershy. "And our combat medics will be protecting you, Fluttershy."

"I'm pretty sure Celestia wouldn't tell her guards to hurt me..." She quietly answered.

"Considering that she more than likely knows you're with us, she might. Or to capture you and throw you in prison for treason." He answered. Fluttershy frowned and returned to looking out of the side, her mane billowing in the breeze.

Half an hour later, I broke the silence.

"We are also a lot less squishy than all of you." I said, getting stares from everyone.

"What do you mean by that?" A pony asked.

"Carapaces." King Mark answered. "Changelings are like insects. From what I've seen with them fighting in Las Vegas, the only easy way to kill them is through the mouth or eyes. Everything else, for them, has to be forced in."

"With your projectiles, we wouldn't really stand a chance anyway." I added.

[Mark's POV]

After another ten or so minutes of silence, I decided to try something that I've seen a lot (and narrowly avoided being forced to do); song magic.

So, as one of the most peaceful ponies I know in the chopper was with me, I played Dead Bite by Hollywood Undead. Plugged in speakers that I borrowed from somebody, and just started playing, with no warning at all.

It was funny as hell; when the song started, Fluttershy instantly took on Danny's role.

"Good night,
sleep tight,
don't let the dead bite." She softly sang, before music solo. When J3T started, Bubba took over.

"Johnny 3 and he's dipping in the 4 door.
44 and it's pointing at your window.
Ain't a good shot, here come four more.
Getting hot so I play in the snow.
In a town made wicked, made from these wicked things.
See the dead on the cover of a magazine.
See my smile, it was born from amphetamines.
Better duck, 'cause it's war on my enemies!
Oh God I think I lost it, oh no.
Lost some who wanna watch the rest go!
A mad man when I'm mixed with soco.
And who would a thought a man could sink to so low.
Who wants to die from the Mossberg shotty?!
Puttin' holes in the hotel lobby!
All you fake bitches are just another hobby!
And I'll let you dig where I dump your body!" He half shouted, and the singing went back to Fluttershy. Just from seeing the humans' faces, I could tell they were all deeply amused.

"What would you do if I told you I hate you?
What would you do if your life's on the line?
What would you say if I told you I hate you?
I got somethin' that'll blow your mind, mind!" She kept going, and I could feel the horror she's feeling without looking at her. I felt a tugging and knew it was inevitable, so I continued.

"You know I got a grenade, and it's got your name on it!
Imma spit on your grave, and engrave a dick on it!
People say I'm insane and to put the brakes on it!
Let me buy you a drink; how 'bout a roofie, gin and tonic?
Yeah, Charlie Scene seems to be so hated!
It's just me being intoxicated!
'Cause being sober's so overrated!
Hollywood Undead, what have you created?
I know that we have never really met before
but tell me, does this rag smell like chloroform?
You know that I'm the reason people lock their doors!
But, I got nothing but time so Imma wait on the porch!
You got nowhere to run, so don't try hiding!
'Cause I'm known to be like Jack Nicholson from the Shining!
Yeah I'm breaking your door down so don't try fighting!
Yeah, you gotta keep 'em dead or the dead keep biting!" Jesus Christ, I think I only breathed once during that. Turns out this infernal song magic makes you almost immune to the air requirements. Anyway, Fluttershy picked back up.

"What would you do if I told you I hate you?
What would you do if your life's on the line?
What would you say if I told you I hate you?
I got somethin' that'll blow your mind, mind!" She thought she was done, but oh no.

"Good night,
sleep tight,
don't let the dead bite.
Wrap a rope around your head
and watch you as you take flight!" After she was done, nobody continued on for some reason. That is, until a voice came on over our radio.

"Sir, Applejack just started spontaneously singing. And it's fucking creepy." Allan, a Marine Master Sergeant, said from the Humvee. I repressed a snicker.

"Yea, let her do it. Song magic and all that. She's singing a part from Dead Bite, by a band after your time." I answered.

"Affirmative, sir." He sighed, and clicked off.

Whelp, AJ got J-Dog's part. Fukkin' hilarious, since it was mostly about death. And it was freaking the fuck outta everyone in the vehicle.

Anyway, when AJ finished below us, Fluttershy picked back up.

"What would you do if I told you I hate you?
What would you do if your life's on the line?
What would you say if I told you I hate you?
I got somethin' that'll blow your mind, mind!
Good night,
sleep tight,
don't let the dead bite.
Wrap a rope around your head
and watch you as you take flight!
Good night,
sleep tight,
don't let the dead bite.
Wrap a rope around your head
and watch you as you take flight!" With Fluttershy's end, the song came to a close.

"...Please, never make me sing something like that again..." Fluttershy quietly asked, causing all of us to burst out in laughter. I quickly had to explain that we weren't laughing at her before she started crying.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised AJ had to sing J-Dog's role instead of someone else in the chopper." I answered. Fluttershy shuddered a little and returned to looking outside.

"...What's a 'shotty', amphetamines, roofie, gin, and tonic?" Bubba asked me.

"Shotty is a nickname for a shotgun, amphetamines are drugs, roofie is a dose of straight up alcohol, and a gin and tonic is a type of alcohol." I explained. He knows what a shotgun is, so he didn't ask about that.

For the rest of the flight, we took turns singing songs and (unintentionally) creeping the fuck outta Fluttershy.

Somebody else in the NLR is a spy for Celestia, because there were a lot more guards than we were expecting. And the rest of the troops were still half an hour away, not even counting the German forces, who have to either teleport or cross the Atlantic to get here. So, it was ten humans, five changelings, two civvies, five death guards, and three night guards versus five hundred day guards.

I honestly don't expect getting out of this unharmed, especially since a scout (who promptly took a bullet through the head after reporting), reported that John Jamesson was leading the forces against us.

Normally, I would never fuck with a SEAL. But I have to this time. With all of us mostly tired; the smart ones took a nap and woke up when we saw the city on the horizon.

Author's Note

Note: I do not own the band Hollywood Undead, Danny, Charlie Scene, Johnny 3 Tears, J-Dog, the lyrics, or the song Dead Bite. I only own a copy of the album.