First encounter, of the bug kind
Changelings: A parasitic sub-equine species known to take the form of their prey and feed off their emotions. Most commonly, love. They have little intelligence of their own other than to feed and to obey their queen to the ends of the world. The queen changeling is the only smart being in the whole colony. She uses her drones as her eyes and ears and orders them to take forms of their hosts. As the hive continues to grow, the queen becomes more parasitic in nature. Deranged to the point where love barely calms the raging beast inside, it is advised to extinguish a hive on sight before the queen attacks it's quarry. Changelings are barely considered self aware, so do not feel bad if you have to crush their skull to save yourself. They're only doing what they've been programmed to do, feed.
~ Species of Non-Equestrian Origin Expert, Sour Grass
Today I went out in my garden and saw the strangest thing...
The forest seemed alive with unknown power. I feared that the woodland creatures stood no chance against the beings that emerged from it, as they came charging out of the bushes in fear and ran past me into the city.
Black warriors of beetle origin walked on all fours as their sickly green fire sprouted from their horns and burned down the forest around me. I dashed away as quickly as I could from the things and ran into town where my friends would be. I sent them a text to ask if I could reside in their dwelling until I could get some help in investigating these strange beasts, but the creatures must be sensitive to the electric currents in the air and chased after me.
I tried to hide, but they would find me easily. I resorted to hiding in a heavily populated coffee shop nearby.
A glance behind me showed that the beings were using their sick green fire to douse themselves in a false form. They soon came in after me.
I was afraid. Luckily I knew the cashier Stacy, and whispered over the counter there were thugs looking for me, and she called the police and then came back.
The wolves in sheep's clothing slowly inched towards my spot, grumbling in an unknown gibberish, but they clearly had no idea how human politeness worked and grabbed my free arm as I screamed. More of the beings tackled me and other customers until they outnumbered us.
My head was slammed down on the floor next to Stacy as I turned and looked into her pleading eyes. She silently was begging for help, and here I was just as helpless as she.
Something snapped inside me, and while the black creature was distracted, I took the opportunity to kick him where the sun don't shine, but he just looked at me and laughed cruelly. They had no junk! They didn't feel any pain as I kicked and screamed and eventually bit its leg.
The other creatures took interest at my skirmish as well and dropped their disguise before staring at me too. I snarled and bared my teeth at them, but they surprised me by snarling back and revealing their much longer set of fangs.
Panic ran up me, which only fueled my anger more as I struggled against the black creature pinning me.
Then they let me go. I froze in confusion for a moment as I got up to bolt, but some weird force pressed against my head and I howled in pain.
"Well this is interesting..." A voice echoed from out of nowhere, making my head throb.
"A human strong enough to resist me, and push back my mind." It chuckled as a taller black creature came into my view and grinned. It opened its mouth and revealed two very unreal sets of long fangs as it grinned at me. "Hello, Rachel"...
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Oh thank god it was just a dream!
I panted as I awoke in my bed with sweat pouring down my face in sheets. I took some deep breaths and looked over at my alarm clock which read 2:30 in the morning meaning no one was up at this hour except me.
I took a moment to let out some stream from the dream and yawned before feeling the need to use the restroom in my dorm and got out of bed.
While walking I briefly pondered the strange dream before pushing it out of my head and focusing on rubbing the crud out of my eyes.
'Just hold it in for four more hours Rachel, and then you're free for Spring Break'. I reminded myself as I combed my hair in the mirror.
A few absent minded strands had stuck on my comb but I shrugged it off to my tossing around in my sleep and shut the lights off.
Before I left the room though I took a acetaminophen, for my growing headache, and climbed back into bed. Nothing was going to ruin tomorrow. It was an important day for me...
Something was off...
I awoke to someone clamping their hand on my mouth and I immediately jolted awake; only to stumble back when my limbs flopped around oddly like a fish...
"Quiet! If you scream she'll hear you!" A voice hissed.
"Who's going to hear me?" I frowned as I squinted in the dark. A figure, dressed in black, was hovering right next to my bed; but oddly I couldn't make out any details about him or her...
"Wh-" I paused, was there an echo in here? "Who are you?" I asked, the distorted echo still buzzing about in my head.
Whoever was it was let go of my face. I heard some scrambling about in my room before it was quiet once more.
"It's secure now. Come with me..." The voice said.
I blinked confused as I saw the black outline of a person at my bedroom door, "Are you robbing me?" I asked scared.
The person growled annoyed, "No. Take my hand, we must leave now." They said rather urgent.
I just looked at them like they were crazy. "Why are we leaving? Unless you're robbing me, I'm going back to sleep!" I said angrily, before the figure grabbed a hold of my hand anyways... They grumbled beneath their breath, "Look, we do not have time to argue! I cannot allow you to stay here. You are in danger!" The person said, and in a quick blink they hoisted me on their shoulders and dashed out the door at the speed of a car...
I opened my mouth to scream again as I felt the wind whip on my face, but the person clamped its hand over my mouth again and I stopped panicking. "What are we doing?! I'm still in my pj's!!!!!!!!!!" I panicked as we started speeding down the highway past several cars, making them appear as if they were floating stars compared to our speed.
My captor remained silent as I shut my eyes to control my anxiety and after maybe five minutes we slowed down on the country side where 'the old academy' was located.
"We will be safe here for now. Rest." The person said as they put me down next to the academy wall and walked off.
I finally opened my eyes. It was still dark so I still couldn't see a darned thing about this mystery person!
I curled up to whimper now. What was going on?,
Suddenly my phone started ringing. I blinked in confusion when I noticed my pocket book was sitting next to me. How'd that get here???
I picked up my phone and answered it.
"Hello?" I asked shakily.
"Rachel? What's going on?! I walked outside for a smoke and saw this black alien dude with glowing yellow eyes take you away and then suddenly more of them showed up outta nowhere!" A voice said on the other line.
"Holly?!" My voice echoed again, but I was more worried about her now, "Where are you?! Are you ok?!" I screamed into the phone.
"Yeah I'm fine but-" suddenly the phone went to static and screeched in my ear, making me drop it in pain.
The phone hit the ground face up and then the static cut off.
"Hello again Rachel..." That voice...
I froze, afraid. I know that voice!
"You're playing a dangerous game... I'm afraid I've had to detain your friend since she won't tell me where you are, but no worries! I'm tracing the call right as we speak. So why don-" I smashed the phone after that.
"What the heck is going on?!" I freaked. Why did someone want to find me?!
"Rachel, it is time to go..." My mystery person/savior said, as they stuck out their dark hand and lead me to the entrance of the building.
It was locked as usual.
I blinked in confusion as the person just looked at door, "Uh, it's locked." I stated the obvious.
The next thing I knew, the lock glowed yellow and simply melted off the door as the person pushed it open. They pointed for me to follow, but no witty banter came about how that just happened.
I shrugged and followed.
Inside the old academy it was even darker. Yet my guide kept a firm grip and lead me around many twists and turns before they let go of my hand for a moment and smashed something.
We stopped in a pitch black room.
"I must inform you we are fixing to enter a place that is quite unique." My guide said as I heard them walking on some old creaky board.
I shrugged, "Can't be much odder than my night has already been..." I said, man what Is up with this echo?
I could almost see my guide grinning as they lead me onward, "Believe me, it's about to hit the fan." And with that we walked through some weird plastic stuff and the next thing I knew I was twisting around before properly blacking out...
"Rachel you must awaken." A voice said,
I groaned. "Five more minutes mom..." I moaned as I flopped over on the-, hard surface???
My eyes shot open after that.. I was laying on some sort of gem like surface and after raising my head I encountered a black monster.
I screamed, but the monster put its hoof on my mouth and that's when I noticed the fangs..
I had fangs! It had fangs! "What the neigh is going on?!" I yelled after flopping around and noticing I'm a black monster too but a lot taller...
The black monster sighed, "Since we are safe I will gladly answer." It said right before kicking the frame of the mirror beside me as it shattered into a million pieces.
I blinked as my eyes suddenly focused more clearly, like a second lense, and I noticed the creature looked oddly familiar...
"Wait a minute... Are you a changeling?" I said, recalling my old childhood fantasies like it was yesterday.
The creature blinked confused but then nodded, "Yes I am a changeling. So are you, but you are the queen." It said.
"I'm a what?!" I yelled remembering more info on the significant species.
The changeling nodded, "Yes... More specifically my queen." It bowed as it pointed to a device on its neck, "I was ordered by an older you to come to this specific time and location and rescue said you from the clutches of the Chrysalis brood." It smirked as it looked at the shattered mirror, "My mission is a success. I have done even better by destroying the portal to the human world and now she is trapped there.
"You what?!?!" I screamed angrily as I pinned down the changeling with my hooves?
"Do you have any idea what you've done?, my whole life was on Earth! And now you've doomed it with this stupid quarrel by some future alternate me and now I'm stuck here!" I snarled as I reached with my hoof to attack, but the bug just smiled and tugged on its device and vanished in my grip.
I stood there for a few moments, just staring and trying to take everything in.
I was now living in a freaking kids cartoon as a monster queen and now I'm lost since the stupid changeling went back to his own time.
"Great... Just wonderful! I wonder how long it will take the angry multicolored pony mob to arrive?" I asked sarcasticly.
I didn't get a response, because suddenly I really had to go to the bathroom!
I glanced around for an exit, but eyeing none at the moment gave up in desperation and went in the corner.
Wonderful.