A Ghost of What Might Have Been

At the hissing noise, the old stallion that was barely clinging to life seemed…oddly to expire. To Twi’s magically enhanced senses, she watched as a grey ribbon of life seemed to expand out from his chest, flowing somewhere behind her…She really, really did not want to look behind her. She knew she shouldn’t look behind her, but…she did. “By Luna!” She exclaimed in a slow breath as she turned around, and began to back towards the other door. Infront of her, standing two hands shorter than she was a pony..or..the caricature of one.

Black shiny carapace covered it slickly from head to toe, giving it an oily sheen, large eyes of a single purple color stretched un-pony-like large on it’s face. It’s muzzle was a collection of razorsharp fangs. It gave another evil hiss. “First we feasted on their love for each other, comrades, companions…sometimes lovers…” It approached her, and Twi backed away, still shocked by the unnaturalness of it, but slowly regaining her composure.

“Then when we had feasted on their love, we feasted on their hatred that bubbled up after love was gone, consumed it when it simmered to the perfect boiling boint...” As it walked, trails of a strange slime seemed to be secreted from it, sticking to the ground behind it, two insectile wings buzzing. “Once all the hate was gone, we consumed their despair as they realized they could feel nothing, like a sweet dessert, and once that was gone…we consumed their very life…We Know You Twilight Sparkle.”

Those evil eyed glittered. “We Know Of You.” It repeated in that same rasped hiss. “And we come with an offer, Twilight Sparkle.” Everytime it said her name, a cold finger of the purest fear ran down her form, the monsterous pony-thing looming closer. “We are strangers to this land, Twilight Sparkle…and we need a queen…” It rasped. “We have sampled your reputation from the life forces of these ponies….and you have been chosen…Though, if you resist….we have another.” Twilight’s eyes flashed at the idea of this thing having a pony in it’s grasp, the fact that it had offered her a kingdom had not…gone unnoticed, but she managed to ignore those thoughts, as she gritted her teeth and charged!

The first blow was Twilight’s, a hard hoof kick that made his carapace produce spidery cracks all along it’s form, though the pony-thing itself seemed unflinching. Nonchalantly it backed away. “We have tasted your thoughts, Twilight Sparkle.” It said in that same, raspy voice, when the light around it began to shimmer, and from the hooves up, it began to change into Rarity, shiny carapace becoming normal horsehide, white horsehair sprouting from it as the familiar, round plot and triple-diamond cutie mark appeared. It even spoke, in Rarity’s Voice. “Just think Dear Twilight…” It said in a gentle, soothing tone. “We could be together, as Equals, rather than play this silly game of a Lady and her Enamored Guard…you know, so long as you remain my bodyguard that you remain beneath me…but take their offer…and you would be a queen as well…”

Twilight gave a shudder, what was this sorcery? “You…are a changeling..” She said with sudden realization, having read about them in the dusty tomes in Rarity’s librarium. Twilight merely let out a snort, planting both feet on the ground, her horn glowing as thin ribbons of blue-white power began to collect around it before focusing itself forward as a beam that made the changeling’s disguise shimmer and distort with the power of it, hitting the changeling. Strangely, the changeling did not flinch, although it’s chest was a ruin of oozing goo, it merely let out a raspy, weezing chuckle. “Dear Twilight Sparkle..” It said in a discordant mixture of it’s own and Rarity’s voice. “Darling Twilight Sparkle…you kill one, and we forgive you. There is an entire hive to rule in this ship…”

It died, a weak rasping thing, it’s wet chuckle haunting Twilight’s thoughts as she considered leaving the crew compartment and simply telling AJ to leave as well, and for the Harbor Guard to fill this thing with fire arrows…but she shook her head. Her Lady commanded that this ship be investigated. It would be. Shuddering at the sight of the dead changeling, she began to head deeper, past the bridge, into the crew sleeping quarters.