The Reluctant Changeling

Sounds came muddied and muted to Autumn Heart. She thought she heard voices, but they all sounded far-away. Kinda like, she idly noted, being underwater, and hearing somepony talk. Despite this, the mare was overjoyed. The last thing she remembered was feeling like she was dying. The sensation of every ounce of care, hope, and energy leaving her body. Maybe she had been in an accident, or gotten sun-stroke or something, and was currently laying in a hospital, hearing the voices of the doctor and nurse. Though, the bed did seem a touch hard for a hospital.

Taking a few moments, Autumn decided to take stock of herself. Maybe she could figure out what was wrong. The first thing she noticed was, despite the muffled voices, they seemed really loud. She had good enough hearing, she supposed, but this sounded like they were speaking directly by her ear. Not yelling, but, still louder than she’d expect. Second, her body seemed really light. She was never a heavy mare, but as an Earth Pony, she was used to carrying around a fair bit of weight. But now, she felt… Well, she felt like a Pegasus! Whatever that was about, she hoped it stayed. It’d do wonders for her running. However, this bright, optimistic feeling faded when she opened her eyes, and saw only blackness.

Giving a startled shriek, she snapped up, and as her mouth came to a close, she noticed something very wrong. Two of her teeth had elongated. A lot. In fact, one could even say she’d grown fangs! She felt muscles in her back that she’d never felt before twitch, and the sound of fluttering reached her ears, which even now, were beginning to clear.

“It seems our newest addition is awake.” The first voice grumbled, his voice low, with a metallic twinge to it. The voice dripped with authority, as though he knew he was in charge, and that anypony in the room would bow to his will just because he commanded it. “Remember what we spoke of M…Mist. I’ll be in the hall.” And with that, there was a swishing noise. Like a tail of a pony who turned quickly, and hoof-steps leading away. The second voice gave a soft sigh, and spoke. This voice sounded very familiar, almost like her own Mist Chaser.

“Of course, sir.” Suddenly, there was another noise, one that Autumn couldn't begin to identify, followed by a third voice, one she recognized all too well. It WAS Mist Chaser!

“Hey there, sleepy head. You OK?”  His voice was soft, concerned. She’d heard his voice like that a few times before, usually when she’d hurt herself, or gotten sick.

“I…I thi- ACK!” Autumn stopped talking, giving a shout of surprise and fear when she heard her voice. It sounded very, very wrong. It had a metallic tinge to it, as though she was speaking through a fan. “M-Misty!? W-What’s going on!? Why is my voice like this? What happened? I…I think I remember a Changeling…did you save me?”  Mist gave a frighteningly humorless laugh, one that sounded a little sad.

“Y-Yeah. I guess you could say that.” He said slowly. “Listen, Autumn? I…need to tell you something.”

“Oh Celestia…” Autumn gave a soft moan, almost a whimper. “Don’t tell me, you’re a criminal, and I got to close?” She asked, giving a little hopeful chuckle. Feeling Mist’s forelegs wrap around her, pulling her into a hug. She returned the hug, idly wondering why he didn't stroke her mane like he usually did. After a few seconds of deafening silence, Mist returned the chuckle.

“…Kinda.” He said simply, pulling back. “Heart? You’re going to have to listen to me, and trust me, ok? Take some deep breaths.”

“M-Mist? You’re scaring me sweetie. Wh-“

“Just trust me.” Was the stallions only response. Autumn complied, closing her blinded eyes and taking several deep breaths, forcing her fears to the back of her mind. Mist Chaser was here. The stallion she loved. He’d never hurt her, right? He’d keep her safe.

“…Alright.” She said after a moment. “I’m calm. Now, Mist, please… What’s going on?” She felt a tugging at the back of her head, and after a moment, she felt a pressure ease from her eyes. She had been blindfolded? Why!? Slowly opening her eyes, what she saw nearly pushed her back into a fit of panic.

Instead of the clean, sterile walls of a hospital, like she’d been expecting, dirty cave walls, illuminated by flickering torches of bright green flame met her eyes. Mist Chaser stood, just as she’d expected him, with a soft smile on his face, his eyes full of sorrow and worry. Her eyes met his, and her voice came with quite a bit less steady than she intended.

“Mist…M-Mist Chaser…” She stopped to swallow her fear, before continuing. “W-Where are we? What’s going on?” Her beloved coltfriend responded with a soft sigh, looking away. He reached a hoof up and laid it on one of her fore-legs comfortingly. Looking down to his hoof, Autumn Heart saw something that chilled her blood, and made her shriek with terror.

Her beloved orange-red fur, colored after her name, and the leaves she made her living with, was gone. What instead greeted her when she looked to herself, was a shiny, black leg. The outside made up of  a solid, chitinous mass, holes dotting her hoof. What she saw was not the leg of a pony, or even the tell-tale cast of an injury.

She saw the hoof of a Changeling. And Autumn Heart did the only thing that she felt she could do. She crawled away from her leg, trying desperately to get away, as though she could crawl away from her own skin. Looking up to Mist Chaser, her eyes widened in terror as she saw a flash of green flame engulf the stallion she had spent the last two years of her life with, leaving a cruel mockery of him. The monster before her had Mist’s same jawline, one that somehow mixed colt-hood charm, and the strength of a stallion. His eyes, though now semi-luminescent, pupil-less masses of blue, held the same worry and fear. Even his posture seemed like her coltfriend. But there was no way. Her back finding the wall with a sudden thunk, the mare put her hooves to her head, only to find a horn growing from the center of her forehead, causing her breath to come even shorter.

“N-No! No no no no no no!!” She babbled, fear and shock sending her mind reeling. The thing that looked like Mist Chaser offered his hoof, coming closer.

“Autumn…” He started, his voice being one of the two she’d heard earlier. That faulty imitation of Mist’s.  Autumn shook her head fiercely once more, cringing away from his touch.

“No!! Get away from me!!” She cried. “T-This is a nightmare!! Y-You’re not Mist Chaser!!”

“I am…” The THING lied, slowly coming closer. “Autumn, listen, you need to c-“

“SHUT UP!” The panicked mare screamed, her heart pounding even faster as a second Changeling, this one a little taller and a little bulkier than the one that was wearing Mist’s face a few seconds ago, came from an opening on the far wall, a door. The new Changeling was clad in dark blue-purple armor and a matching helmet. And his horn was glowing with sickly green magic. “No!! Stay away!!” She cried, even as she saw the blast of green come forth and smother her vision. Somehow, her body felt heavy, as though she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes came crashing down. Despite all this, the pony-turned-Changeling shook her head once more. “No…P-Princess Luna…Mist…help…” She murmured, before the magically called sleep claimed her.

Autumn groaned, shaking the sleep off. She couldn’t tell how long it’d been, which did nothing to slate the panic growing in her chest once more. Now, however, she felt her legs tied, all four of them, pinned to the rock that she’d been sleeping on.  Sorrow, fear, and defeat clutching her chest, she began to sob to herself, only to find a solid knot of cloth held the sound in her mouth. The room hadn’t changed, and fake-Mist and the other Changeling stood talking in hushed tones. Even still, she could hear their voices clear as day. Chalk that up to her oddly enhanced hearing.

“I told you this was a bad idea Mystax, I don’t know how you convinced the Queen to allow her to wake like this.” The bigger male spoke, a soft snort sounding out to accentuate his displeasure. “Why do you think we leave the husks in the cocoons until they relent?”

“I know, sir.” Mystax, evidently the name of the not-Mist Changeling, replied, his voice low, dripping with irritation. “But I couldn’t do that to her, I just couldn’t.”

“And why, sergeant is that?” The bigger asked, beginning to walk around the lower ranking Changeling. Mystax was quiet, his eyes unreadable to Autumn. However, his face twitched, every so subtly, just under his right eye. It was a twitch she had seen on Mist often, when he restrained his own anger or annoyance. He then spoke, saying something that was far too low for Autumn, and apparently even the older male. Pushing his face into Mystax’s, the male spoke coolly, knowing he had the upper hoof. “What was that? I’m afraid I didn’t hear you, sergeant.” He spat the rank like it was an insult.

“I said, ‘because I love her.’” Mystax repeated through gritted teeth. “Captain.” He added, the delay just long enough to convey his emotion towards this older male.

“Pathetic. A Changeling, falling in love with food.”  The captain said with a cruel laugh. “I’ll give you one more chance, and then, I’m ordering her execution, and your banishment, understood?” Mystax’s jaw tightened, another sign Autumn recognized from Mist. A sign of growing fury.

“Yes. Sir.” Mystax responded, both words punctuated with anger.

“Good. Now, I’m going to stand outside, once more. If I hear any shouting, that’s it, and this husk will be put to death.” And with that, the male turned, and headed out of the doorway once more.

Letting out a labored sigh, Mystax turned to Autumn, walking ever closer. As he raised a hoof to her face, Autumn felt her breath speeding up, and struggled in vain to get away from the Changeling.

“Easy, Heart. I swear I’m not going to hurt you, alright?”  She wanted to get away, to flee as far as she could, and yet, she felt…something. It was akin to patience and hope. It felt like she was trying to soothe a scared filly. But, she knew for a fact these weren’t her emotions, as she could also feel gut wrenching terror as well as the creeping sorrow that her life as she knew it was over. Her eyes must have betrayed her confusion, as Mystax chuckled softly. Humorlessly. “It’s me. My emotions. Changelings can feel other’s emotions, ya know.” She noticed his hoof had stuck itself in the air when her fear had flared up, almost as if he was waiting for her. Slowly, her heart rate calmed itself, and she nodded slowly.

Mystax continued his path, coming to the knot behind her head that held the gag in place. Gasping in a fresh breath, she took a few deep breaths, both to get the taste of cloth out of her mouth, and to try to calm herself.

“Y-You’re Mystax, right?” She asked slowly, still unused to her new voice.  When the male nodded, she continued. “Were….Are you…I mean…” She trailed off, trying to think of how to phrase one of the questions that terrified her most. “You…You’re Mist Chaser?” The seconds that ticked by felt like an eternity to the mare turned Changeling before, almost in slow motion, Mystax nodded.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Autumn, I never meant for this to happen, and I-“ Well, he had Mist’s tendency to talk too much.

“Aht!” She said, cutting him off in the same way she did before. “Mystax...I need to you to be truthful to me. What’s going to happen?” She wished her voice could match her words. Fear crept into her tone, making her words quiver.

“I can feel that you know.” Mystax answered with a slight smile on his face. “And whatever you want, Autumn.” Autumn gave a dry, angry laugh. “I mean it! You think Her Majesty took you in just to kill you? No!”

“No, I think she forced me in to ruin ponies lives. Just like…” She stopped, but her emotions told Mystax everything. She still felt betrayed and crushed at his reveal. Pushing the pain he felt to the side, Mystax shook his head.

“No, not at all. You’re not forced to join the military! Just highly recommended.” He said, giving Mist Chaser’s trademark goofy grin in his best attempt to make her feel better. “But really, if you want to go back and turn your back on the Swarm, that’s alright!” The irritated snort from the hallway indicated not everypony (was it everypony? Autumn had no idea. How did Changelings refer to themselves?) thought so. “You can go back to running with the leaves and pretend none of this ever happened!”

“I think the ship has sort of sailed on that one.” She responded, a soft smile gracing her face as she motioned to her tied hoof.

“Well, we’ll teach you everything first. How to change, feed, use magic, and fly!” Again, his face split into a grin. Slightly unnerving with all the sharp teeth. Autumn idly ran her tongue over her own, finding them to be just as sharp. “Think about it, Autumn, you can fly now! And use magic! You’re like a mini-Alicorn!” The new Changeling couldn’t help but let a small giggle out at the image that presented. Although, she had always envied Mist for being able to fly, and to use magic? She had never dreamed something like that could happen. “So, listen,” He began, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Captain Jerk-face out there wants you to scream and panic, to refuse to believe this and run out of the swarm and give him the excuse to kill you, and send me away forever. How about you give me a chance, I show you around, and we get to laugh in his stupid, smug face?“ He paused, before adding. “Metaphorically of course.”

Autumn paused, looking at the doorway, where she knew the Captain stood waiting, listening, waiting for an excuse. Looking up at Mystax, she nodded, causing him to grin even wider than before.

“Great! But first, we need to get you a new name.”