Learning to Live

Chapters

Plans: Set to Win
Escape: To a new world
Adapt: To a strange world

Plans: Set to Win

Plans

by Danosaur

After the Canterlot Wedding between the unicorn and alicorn, and after the changelings were banished back to their realm, our story begins, following the dark creatures to their home. The tall, black castle soared higher than before the attack, worker changelings buzzing and building on the walls, extending it further into the sky. A long room with green interior, close to the base of the extending building, revealed distressed royalties and their many guards.
Queen Chrysalis paced back and forth, snarling in annoyance. “Those imbecilic ponies! Just why do they have to ruin all of… your plans?”
King Metamorphosis, who was seated next to Chrysalis, placed his hoof on his wife’s shoulder, but she brushed it off, hissing. Her husband growled in response, standing up, taller than his counterpart, her complaints dying down into silence as he glared at her.
“How many times have we tried now?” He called across the long hall. “How many times have we been repelled back to our dying homelands?” He stared towards the Prince. “Son? Shouldn't you know?”
“Thirty-four times, father, including our ancestors attempts.” The dark prince stood taller than his mother, and in his father’s eyes, was more important than her too. “But each time we have infiltrated their system, we have stayed longer and longer. Soon, we shall remain there, and feed off of their love.”
The King smiled. “And your plan, seeing as mine failed?”
“It includes her.” Prince Ontogenesis frowned and pointed to his sister.
His sister (and to be bride) was lying on the floor next to him, chained to a wall, a green, gooey collar circling her throat. A saddle was clenched around her waist, pulling her waist into a tight embrace. Her eyes fluttered open as she was mentioned, her wings chained together at the base. A bridle and bit forced her teeth apart, forcing her to hold her tongue in the presence of her royal family. Scars were littered across her fur, barely visible with age. A bowl was on the floor from her last meal. She looked down in shame, and shook her feathered wings out as she was mentioned.
“Stand when he talks about you, Worthless!” Her father yelled. She stood reluctantly, her head still bowed, her wings fluttering. Metamorphosis turned back to his son. “Your bride to be? I see you are taking my approach.” The stallion tossed his head, his blue-green mane rustling.
“Yes. But instead, she shall make ‘friends’ with a friendless, married pony, preferably with family. She shall take the town after her ‘friend’ proves trustful. And after repeating this many times in many towns, with the towns as hostages, she shall start to take Canterlot.
“Each town shall be held by a cluster of two guard, one scout and three searcher drones per pony. I shall send three scouts with my betrothed, everywhere, two as her ‘children’, and one as her ‘lover’.” Her Prince kicked his back leg out and hit his fiancée in the face. Her elegant white wings twitched slightly as blood began to trickle down her muzzle.
“And the point of origin?”
“Manehattan.” Replied the younger male, earning himself a nod from his father.
“When do you plan to start your takeover?” Chrysalis asked her son.
“As soon as I am married.” Ontogenesis smiled, and turned to his sibling. He bent his knees so that he was just taller than her, cradling her blood ridden muzzle in one of his hoofs as she fluttered her wings. “Don’t worry, puppy, we won’t let you get hurt.” He stood, his father granting his leave with a nod of his head.
“Much.” Her betrothed walked away smoothly, as she lowered to a sitting position. The Princess lowered her head again, as her parents left the room. She flittered her useless wings sadly.

The Changeling Princess’ personal guards detached her metal chain from the wall, and swept the Princess up, binding her legs. The genderless drones formed a ball of bodies around her, carrying her to her brother’s room. He barely turned his head as she was deposited in the dark room, the guards positioning themselves outside her door.
“Any problems with going to Manehattan to begin the takeover?” He rose, picking her chain up from off of the floor. A faint smile formed on his lips as she shook her head submissively. “Come now, puppy, I love your voice. Speak for me.” He coaxed, red magic removing the bit from her mouth, her bridle still in place.
“No.” She said softly.
“No, what?” He asked, his voice harsh.
“No, my love.” She whispered, her eyes closed.
“Now, now, puppy, your eyes are beautiful. I wish to see them.” He smiled as her green and aqua eyes stared into his. He cradled her face between his hooves, examining each pale fur.
“I must say, puppy, you still look rather like that silly Princess Celestia today.” The dominant male growled, slapping the white alicorn across the face. She winced as he kicked her in the side, splitting her skin and drawing blood. She waited for the torment to stop.
“I’m sorry, my love.”
“No need to be sorry. Just change back to your natural self. Slowly, mind you, as I like it.”
The Prince's horn glowed, and removed several padlocks from her clothing. The Princess slid out of her saddle and bridle, and unclasped the collar and chains around her wings. The Prince smiled as his sister moved into the center of the room.
A soft green flame began at her pale, front left hoof. The Princess flew upwards as it began to move upwards. It rippled up her fur, changing her fur back to its original, black colour. The change littered the holes over her leg once again. Slowly, the other hooves caught up, and rolled across her body, shortening her substantially, her body shrinking. The green glow grew brighter as it met, and surged up her wings, ripping holes once more as they changed back to the bug-like material once more, green fire leaping up her feathers.
Her multicoloured tail sizzled as the fire crackled along it, re-texturing it to a soft, but still transparent aqua tail. It was short and cropped quite substantially. Her neck was alight as the change crept up her body. Her neck shortened as the transformation took place, black fur replacing white, as she closed her eyes. Her face was taken over by the fire, her muzzle still long and elegant. Her mane caught the glowing substance, and set alight, revealing her true mane, short, the same aqua blue as her tail, her forelock reaching only half as far as her previous mane. She landed in the center of the room and opened her eyes, grinning just for him, revealing her fangs.
“Excellent, my dear puppy. I just wish we would grow our mane and tail longer.” He sighed, but smiled as a burst of flame engulfed the Princess’ mane and tail. As the fire blew away, the desired changes were made, her tail just off of the floor, and her mane reaching halfway down her body.
“Good, my pup. Remember this as your appearance, next time, hmm, puppy?” She nodded as he began picking up the clothes from the floor in his magic, and adjusting them on her natural body, and cast a spell over her. She still didn't know what it did.
He scooped her up and placed her in a suspended metal wire crate, two feet from the floor, with a bed of green holding goo on the floor, and he drew a rainbow blanket over her. He clasped her chain to the side of the cage and placed a kiss on her forehead.
A tear rolled down her black cheek, and fell towards the floor. Ontogenesis caught it mid-air.
“My sweet puppy, do not take to heart what I did just then. Hush now, no tears. I love you, puppy, I promise.” The Prince comforted her. She looked up into his red eyes.
“What do you desire, puppy?” He asked her.
“Equestria.” She lied, mumbling through the bit, falling forward into her Prince's arms.

Author's Note

Hello :3
This is my first story, so be nice! But I'm fine with constructive criticism.
Anyway, thank you my fellow cobras!!

Escape: To a new world

Escape

by Danosaur

She woke late in the night, her brother sleeping soundly in his cloud bed to the right of the room, straight ahead of her. She concentrated and began to change. The fire slowly enveloped her body, burning softly through her fur. The flames were softer than before and less bright.
She emerged from the flames as a winged black mouse, and she finally realized what that spell did. A small, green collar was still attached around her neck, chaining her to the cage wall. She instantly had to flap to avoid causing a racket. A minuscule bridle and bit were still locked to her head, but she was lucky her brother forgot to put on the wing cuffs, otherwise…
The mouse began to grow a horn, a small flame extending about a centimeter in length. She focus the green aura from her horn and, as she flapped, she focus the magic on the chain.
After a short period, the rest of the chains fell loosely and hung, almost touching where the Princess once lay. Two links were dangling from the Princess' collar.
Her brother twisted in his sleep, yawning loudly as she fell towards her gooey mattress. She scampered between the bars and fell towards the floor. She opened her wings and flew to the window. She landed quietly on the windowsill, and forced the window up. She barely managed to lift it up, but she flew under it, narrowly missing chopping her tail off. She flew down, staying close to the building as she escaped, flying under her personal guard.
She flew close to the ground, flapping her wings as hard as possible. She flew long and hard, avoiding the worker changelings. She grew tired quickly, but continued, otherwise she would lose all freedom.
She reached the woods, close to Morphopolis, and quickly changed into a worker drone. She modified her body slightly, reapplying a few features that would make her appear as a traveler drone.
Baskets.
“Shoot.” She murmured in the low pitch of the drone.
Shaking her head, the Princess flew onward, towards the border. Anywhere but here was her destination now. The only place which was safe for her.
She quickly ran a hoof over the scars along her wings from the earlier abuse. Even changing could not erase that. Time might, if she was lucky.
The reddish land flew from beneath her, as she took to the skies once again. This time her plan was to stay as high as possible, as travelers often stayed higher up. She didn't encounter many other drones, but one stopped her.
“Oi! ‘E ‘ighways are reserved for ‘e Royalty, trekkers an’ travelers only. Where are ya baskets?” It demanded, its horn glowing green as it prepared a spell.
“My baskets are at my collection point.” She replied, hovering above the drone slightly.
“Why ain’t they on ya?” He growled, his knackered horn glowing brighter. Its eyes were bitter and black – the colour of a common trekker drone – shining in the moonlight.
“Because, they’re at my collecting point!” She hissed back, her horn beginning to glow in aggression. She dodged a shot of its, kicking at it with her front hoof.
“My job is that I collect baskets for new travelers.” She exclaimed.
“Ah, ye jokin’. Tha’ point never runs outta baskets.” The traveler drone spat at her.
“That’s because I collect the baskets.” She snarled. She sighed as it flew off, but as it did, it aimed a kick at her left hind hoof. She spun around and kicked it back, her front hoof connecting with its muzzle. It flew off, grumbling.
She flew onward, fighting through sleep and hunger, determined to reach the border, but with every hour, every minute, every second, the journey began to drag. Eventually, she decided to rest in the forest, her chosen bed being a bush. As she lay her head down to rest, world seemed to slow.

The princess woke with a start, six hours later. Something… sounded different. A faint hum in the air sounded like the wings of many drones. A quick scan of the grounds with her magic, revealed that over a thousand searchers, created a wall of drones, led by her brother and the traveler she encountered. Several scouts flew ahead of them, about 30 in total. Yelping, she hurriedly shot into the sky. She began to panic as she flew for over an hour, watching the same ground pass under her, dodging the few travelers flying from the border.
She started to feel negative, almost certain she wouldn't make it, as the red ground, unrealized by the flying Princess, was lightening.
Several moments after the gradual lighter shades of red-orange, her black eyes lit up in hope. She pushed her wings to the limits as she flew as fast as possible.
But she was no scout drone.
The thought crossed the Princess’ mind. She flew slower, flames engulfing her mid-flight, as she changed forms.
Her sleeker body almost immediately soared faster than before. Of course, she would have to fly lower to the ground. But even less drones were on this path, and so she flew as fast as her modified body would allow. Finally, she saw the high front of The Wall. She focused her now purple eyes on the approaching brown walls, as the drones started to gain on her. But she was one of them.
Right?
Four scouts started to narrow in on her from the sides, another cutting off her speed head of her, as the others flew inwards.
They knew.
She quickly fired up a spell, affecting a bat flying beside her. She switched its’ appearance to match her own. Two of her pursuers dived after the bat, the other three still on her. She focused on the bat, making it stop and roll out of the way, as the Princess flew more jaggedly. One more changeling dropped off of her trail and began to pursue the bat. Decreasing her speed, her magic was still focused on the bat. She flew over The Wall, and onto the Brown Death. A mile and a half of brown grass, an intersect between Equestria and The Changeling Kingdom. Still, it was technically changeling land.
The Princess skittered backwards and forwards, as she concentrated her magic on the bat, forcing it to roll and dive, as more scouts dived onto it.
Eventually, the largest scout pounced onto her, just before the bat was caught. The second the bat was knocked into the brown turf, she focused her magic back onto herself, fluttering away as a carefree bat, her accessories barely visible. Her captor was confused, as the real Princess worked her magic to manipulate the bat into struggling, before turning it submissive.
She flew the last half mile, after changing into a well adorned vulture, and smiled as the green land of Equestria came into view. She landed safely away from the Brown Death, morphing into her original form.
She did it.
Princess Cythilia Limeiy Chrysalis Everstar was free.

Author's Note

Second chapter <3

Hope you enjoy, my little cobras xx

Adapt: To a strange world

Adapt

by Danosaur

Twilight Sparkle was peacefully strolling through Ponyville, her new, permanent home. She had just bought some food for Owloysius from one of her best friend’s Fluttershy, and was heading back home.
A black unicorn galloped into the town center, seeming to be scared and lost. Her attire was… well, Rarity wouldn’t have approved of it. It was rather derogatory. Twilight teleported to the mare’s side, and smiled.
“Hello, I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle. Do you need any help?” She offered, extending her hoof. The black pony seemed as startled as before, her teal tail sweeping over her flanks in suprise. A bit hung from the side of the bridle covering her head, allowing her speech. Her turquoise eyes seemed to flash with green, as she turned to look at the purple alicorn.
“Pri-Princess?” The mare asked in a more than slightly buzzing tone. The alicorn smiled and nodded, but wondered where the unicorn’s accent was from.
“Yes. Do you need any help?” Twilight asked again.
“I… I have no… bed to go to, and I am in great need of... food. But home needed first. I ask too much of you?” The strange unicorn explained in her odd voice, though the accent seemed to be dropping by the second.
“No, no!” Twilight flustered, though the unicorn’s way of speaking confused her. “I have many spare rooms in the li- my castle, you can stay in one of them. As for food, I sure Spike won’t mind cooking for you.”
“Many thank.” The mare bowed her head.
“Are you from Equestria?” Twilight asked, trotting towards her home. The odd unicorn followed slowly, keeping a few paces behind the alicorn.
“N-No.” The young black unicorn closed her eyes and looked away.
‘Touchy subject.’ Thought Twilight. ‘Best leave it alone.’
“Who is by the name Spike?” The mare interrupted Princess Sparkle’s thoughts.
“Oh, he’s my assistant. He’s a dragon.” Twilight chatted happily, ignoring the mare’s ever changing accent. Twilight could swear that the buzz was almost eradicated from the newcomer’s voice, and that it was beginning to sound like her own.
“Dragon? I never remember dragon.” The mare growled quietly, then fell silent.
“What’s your name?” Twilight filled the crushing quiet.
The unicorn paused in her trot. “Worthless.” She muttered quietly.
Twilight was confused by her sudden harshness. Was that meaning that Twilight’s question was worthless? Or that her name was Worthless? Or were names worthless to her? Or-
“Your castle?” The mare announced loudly, pointing.
“Yes! Ah- I mean, yes.” Twilight stuttered.
They trotted to the front door, where two guards were stood. Twilight opened her wings and bowed to them.
“No need, your Highness.” The grey guard replied in a deep voice.
Twilight shook her head. “It’s only fair.”
The guards looked at each other, as if in exasperation.
The white pegasus lowered his wing and allowed the purple alicorn through. Both unicorn and pegasus guards growled and blocked her path as the unicorn mare began to trot.
“I guest of Princess.” The mare announced confidently. The guards sniggered. The unknown mare hissed and her turquoise eyes glowed green as her horn was enveloped by aura. Twilight yelled suddenly, and all three turned to look at her.
“You shall allow my guest in.” Princess Sparkle demanded, as the white pegasus lowered his wing once again, the grey unicorn stallion sidestepping.
The mare trotted into the opening hall to find it filled with several thrones. She shivered, but Twilight passed it off as a draught. The mare really seemed to come into her comfort zone as Twilight showed the unicorn the library room, stuffed with thousands of books. She stared in awe as a smile spread across her face.
“Books.” She sighed happily.
Twilight smiled, and took the new mare on a tour. She seemed to scan her eyes over each book once, as flickers of amusement ran over her face. From then on, she asked Twilight little about the rest of the castle, instead focusing her thoughts on the books, and the 'book room'.
How many genres did they have? How many books were there in total? What was her favourite book? What was her favourite series? The questions went on and on.
“Am I allow to read?” The mare finally asked. When Twilight nodded, she seemed to burst with happiness.
“Thank! Thank! Thank!” The unicorn cried in delight, bouncing in circles. “Wait, books not illegal?” The mares eyes grew wide as Twilight shook her head.
“Perfect land. Perfect bed.” The mare laughed, but paused. “Perfect… Friend?” She smiled as Twilight held out her hand in agreement.
“On one condition.” Twilight smiled. “You tell me where you come from, when you’re ready.” The unicorn nodded reluctantly, after a short pause, and grimaced.
“Show me bed now?” The mare asked.

Twilight had left the foreign mare to get accustomed to her new room, and had left her the library free. Many thoughts were puzzling her. ‘First off, where is she from? I know that accent from somewhere, but… I don’t know where. Though it seems to have disappeared since I met her. And her speech pattern! Oh, I wish I knew her species… but that would be odd, since she is obviously a pony. A unicorn at that. But she looked as if she felt restricted on the ground. I wonder what her past is. Or her name…’ The alicorn sighed as Spike entered the kitchen.
“Hay fries?” Spike asked.
“Hay fries.” Twilight sparkle seriously needed a major boost right now.
“What’s got you down?” Her assistant asked, tying the knot from the cooking apron round his neck, and starting to clatter pans around.
“New pony in town.” Twilight prepared herself for the storm of questions.
“Gender? Race?”
“Mare. Unicorn.”
“Fur colour?”
“Black.”
“Eyes?”
“Turquoise.”
“Mane and tail?”
“Aqua. Short.”
“Cutie mark?”
“Uh… I don’t know.” Twilight frowned.
“And why is she bothering you?” The purple dragon finished as he dunked the now prepared fries in oil.
“I’m not sure. Her accent has changed, and she’s homeless. So I let her stay here.”
“WHAT!?!” Spike yelled, splashing some oil on his foot. “Ouch.” He muttered.
“I’m worried about her Spike!” Twilight backed.
“So am I. She could be Chrysalis’s daughter, for all we know!” Spike exclaimed.

The unicorn’s eyes widened and filled with tears, her hind leg accidentally kicking the kitchen door open as she ran to her temporary room.
The dragon…
He knew.

Author's Note

New chapter.

Tell me if you are enjoying, my cobras. Also, guess what happens in the next chapter.

Ta ta <3