The Changeling in the Woods
Author's Note
A simple story for a simple purpose: to help expand the Changeling race I've built up in my works and also to try and show a more...personal side to the conflict. Hopefully it's effective in its goals.
The Changeling in the Woods
“Eotteohke jinaeseyo.”
“Attay-oh-kay gin-ay-say-oh.”
“Right, good, good. Now. What does that mean?”
“Um…How are you?”
“EXCELLENT! Now. Jaljinaeyo.”
“Jahl-gin-ay-oh.”
“And that means?”
“…I’m fine, thank you!”
Twilight Sparkle had a lot to learn when it came to understanding the Changeling culture. She was spending all her free time in her library, the local resident Changeling-blooded stallion who DID know quite a bit of their natural language assisting her. Ever since Princess Celestia had signed that treaty with Queen Chrysalis, a new era had been ushered in, one of understanding and hope. Primarily, the hope that with an actual home to settle down in and an understanding NOT to try and attack innocent pony towns and cities…the Changeling people could live peaceful and happy lives, no longer being nomads, moving their “Hive” from country to country, struggling to get by.
In the days of old, their people had been lauded for their magnificent acting chops. Being able to become another person right before your eyes was an immensely wonderful talent, and their capital had been a city of high culture producing even higher demand for Changeling art. Now the Changelings were, bit by bit, returning to these old ways for a little stability, grabbing tight onto the lifeline that was extended by the Princesses of Equestria. And after accepting the treaty and allowing ponies to help begin crafting the city, repairing the centuries-old-ruins, the Queen had been surprisingly helpful to the Princesses, even willing to let some of her subjects live outside the capital as shows of good faith.
What was UNHELPFUL was that there were two clans of the species…the Sugnbohn and the Ghainahm. The Ghainahm, being much closer in appearance to ponies than insects who typically had hair and three body types, were very eager and willing speakers of Equestria basic. Unfortunately the Sugnbohn were a proud race. As such, they wouldn’t speak Equestrian that much. Which meant if anybody wanted to know what they were saying, they’d have to just learn the language.
Especially if they’d recently caught some Sugnbohn extremists trying to, of course, capture the pony that had defeated their queen, evidently not getting the memo that the war was over!
“Soon-ham ee…oot-okay…die-seep-neeka Twilight Sparkle! My name is Twilight Sparkle!” The purple-furred unicorn proclaimed as her stallion instructor nodded, lowering the stick he was holding up to the chalk board down, smiling with delight. Shinedown was of Changeling blood, his parents had both known the language. And if he could teach his adopted son it, he could teach Twilight. His deep blue hair and eyes were slightly matted with sweat as he wiped his brow, waving the stick in the air.
“Now then.” He added, walking back and forth before the chalkboard in the enormous Library that Twilight called home. “If you want somebody to slow down because “moreugesseumnida”, you “do not understand”, tell them, and repeat after me…” The Earth pony with deep sunset-colored fur raised the stick to the chalkboard, spelling out the word. “Cheoncheonhi malssuemhae juseyo.”
“Ch-Chay-chee-ohn-hee mahls-soom-hay joo-see-yo?” Twilight pronounced, raising an invisible eyebrow in the air as Shinedown nodded, putting the stick down and clapping his hooves together, his deep blue eyes sparkling with pride.
“EXCELLENT! You’re learning more and more every day. Just three days ago you couldn’t even PRONOUNCE the word for “hello”!” He informed her as Twilight blushed at this compliment. “Now remember…” He reached into the belt pouch around his pocket and pulled out a photograph of the youngest Changeling prisoner they had, who was currently in the hospital and in a private cell away from his comrades, his dark blue crest small and stubby like his hooves. “I salam eun sangcheoleul ibneunda. This person is wounded. “Sangcheo” refers to wounds and injuries. He has “naebu chulhyeol”.”
“Internal bleeding.” Twilight said instantly with a firm nod.
“Right. I’m going over to speak with him and you can examine how they’ll conduct the operation on him. Changeling bodies…” Shinedown rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tone coming to his voice. “We don’t know how different they are from ponies. We open up the skin to treat the wounds within, who knows what we’ll find?” He admitted as they trotted out of the library and headed down the street, making for the hospital as his belt jingle-jangled with its many little trinkets inside.
“You’re worried they’ll try something?” Twilight asked softly, looking concerned as the male pony nodded his head, his Mohawk-esque top flopping about slightly as the trotted down the lane.
“Yes, and so close to the Sugar-Off.”
The Sugar-Off. When all the maple trees around Ponyville bore fruit. Or perhaps a better way to say it would be that all the sap came out of the woodwork. It meant a lovely week of enjoying delicious homemade syrup and maple candy from Sugar Cube Corner, a carnival from Pinkie Pie and, of course, the classic “Lollipops with Haircuts”. Cotton Candy swirled onto a lollipop…a thing of true beauty. Everyone together to enjoy the most delicious treats the town had to offer, a time to just unwind. However, with the capture of the would-be bombers, everyone was on edge.
“I’m certain you’ll do fine.” Twilight insisted as she put a hoof on Shinedown’s shoulder, the stallion stopping before the front doors of the hospital, giving her a firm nod back.
“Luna be my copilot.” He intoned dramatically, placing a hoof on his chest before strolling through the doors, Twilight heading for the outskirts of town, intent on going to Fluttershy’s cottage as the wind gently ruffled her long, indigo locks. As she trotted down the road, she began to hum a bit, then began to sing.
“Oppah Ghainahm style!” She sang out, bouncing her head back and forth. “Opp! Opp-opp-opp, oppah-Ghainahm style! Heyyyyyy sexy pony! Opp! Opp-opp-opp, hey-hey-hey-hey-hey-hey!”
Hey, it was a wonderful little song. She might have been slightly unnerved at how swiftly and creepily the Changeling species could shift and mold themselves into other beings, but they made very, VERY good songs and-
THRA-THRONK! She was suddenly knocked clear through the air, tackled hard, a horned Changeling with a slim, pale build glowering down at her with deep yellow eyes, gritting his fanged teeth, narrowing his pupils at her as magic coursed around him, a knife made of golden energy swishing to and fro in front of her throat.
“Get off me or I’ll-” Twilight began to say before the Sugnbohn whispered darkly, getting right in her face, millimeters from her skull.
“Daghchyeo!” He snarled. “Miljeobhage nae mal-eul deul-eo. Uisaga pil-yo haeyo!”
“Uh… mohr-ay-gess-soom-needa? Chay-chee-ohn-hee mahls-soom-hay joo-see-yo?” Twilight muttered out, the Sungbohn tilting his head slightly to the side, surprised she could understand anything he was saying. “Uisaga?”
“Uisaga!”
“Um…uisa…that means…somebody who treats wounds. I know THAT.” She murmured quietly as the Sungbohn Changeling nodded again, gesturing for her to get up as he kept holding the knife to her neck with his magic, ushering her to follow him. Twilight inwardly frowned. She COULD just blast him back with her magic, make a bolt for it but the fact he was asking for a doctor made her…concerned. And she thought she could smell something-
Now she saw what it was she was smelling. It was hot and heavy, that ugly salty-iron stench that was wafting from the fallen form of the other Sungbohn that was lying behind the bushes, some blood dribbling out of his mouth, a pale blue, his eyes swollen and his gums clearly visible, bloodied and rotten, his breath pale and eyes haunting, staring up at his comrade, then at Twilight.
“Jom…dowajusil su…iss-eusinayo?” The changeling whimpered out, eyes closing as he winced. “Jebal?”
Twilight inwardly gulped, kneeling by the injured Changeling, her “captor” growling at her, giving her a “don’t try anything funny” look. “You should really let me take you to the hospital. Hospital? Uh…” She struggled to find the right word. “Bay-yong-wan?”
The first Changeling violently shook his head back and forth. No. He didn’t want to risk it. “ANDWAE! Dangsin-eun uliege doum-i doel su-iss-eo!”
“Alright, I’ll…I’ll try.” Twilight whispered softly, bowing her head, gently pulling the injured Changeling’s hoof off his emaciated chest, cringing. She could practically see his ribs sticking through his slick, almost serpent-esque scaly skin as she bit her lip. “You haven’t been eating much, have you? Without being around other Changelings, in a town or the Changling kingdom, you’ve been starving. No wonder you’re so desperate to end things.”
The Changeling waved the knife in the air, growling a bit. Twilight nodded, the smaller, thinner Changeling whimpering as Twilight looked him over and placed her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. Unfortunately, as her suspicions confirmed, it was incredibly weak, and she cringed. She then peeked at his eyes, opening them up fully as she looked at his pupils. Oh no. OHHH no. It wasn’t just internal bleeding. He had a head injury. “Uh… I…salam eun…sangcheoleul…ibneunda! And… naebu…chulhyeol!” She remarked aloud to the Changeling who had the knife at her throat, waving a hoof at his comrade. “Naebu chulhyeol. We need to move him. Do you understand me? Move him?” Twilight inquired with a nervous look on her face, gesturing that they had to pick him up and move him, the Changeling shaking his head, the magical knife getting right in her face.
“Geuleul chilyo!” He snarled, a tone of desperation in his voice. “Geuleul chilyo!”
“Alright, alright, please, calm yourself. This isn’t helping your friend.” Twilight spoke softly, holding her hooves up before looking back at her patient. “Ugh.” She murmured, tilting the Changeling’s head to the side, cringing. “…looks like one of your own explosives blew up on you, there’s…shrapnel stuck in the back of his head. I think, perhaps, a subdural hematoma.” She murmured, shaking her head back and forth. “The sharpnel’s keeping the blood in but…its pooling inside his brain.”
The Changeling stupidly blinked, just glancing from his friend to her.
“Ooooh…” The smaller one moaned out.
“Look.” Twilight sighed, pointing at the eye. “His blood is pooling in his brain! Do you understand? Blood! Pooling into his brain?” She pointed at the blood, then drew a circle on the ground, placing a brain in the center of the circle as she took some of the blood dribbling out of the changeling’s mouth, dripping in into the circle as it began to cover the drawn image. “Do you understand?” She asked. “I don’t have any treatments for him! I don’t even know if I could operate on his inner wounds!”
“Geuleul chilyo!”
Twilight blinked in surprise at the sight, a new, hysterical edge coming to the Changeling’s voice as if he’d begun to realize what she was saying. “I nae adeul-ida! Nae adeul-ida!”
And she knew what HE was saying.
“This is my son.”
“…OH.” She murmured softly, her eyes widening ever-so-slightly as she shook her head, cringing as she look down at the young Changeling, tapping his shoulder. “Um…er… dangsin-ui…ileum-eun…mueos-ibnikka?”
“…Jae-Sang.” He muttered out. “Jae-Sang.”
“Jae Sang, nan dangsin-eul…doulyeog-gogeoya.” She nervously murmured, gently caressing his cheek, the unicorn nodding a bit as her horn glowed and began to bathe his chest in soft, purple light. “I’ll try to…try to take care of the internal bleeding. There’s not many medical spells I know but this should help a LITTLE with your chest wound.” She murmured, the chest slightly rising and falling now.
The first changeling nervously bit into his lip, pacing back and forth on the soft, pale green grass as Twilight continued to concentrate, trying to hover the pieces of shrapnel out of the back of the young changeling’s head. “Do you have a blanket?” She asked of him.
BLANKET was a word the Changeling knew. It was one thing he DID have. He quickly reached into the bag slung over his shoulder, Twilight wrapping the young Changeling’s head up, humming a soft lullaby as the young Changeling heaved slightly, sweat dripping down his brow.
“Deep breaths.” She cooed. “Deeeeep breeeaaaaths.”
Unfortunately, as the young changeling began to take the deep breaths, he began to sound stopped up, almost hacking, his father’s eyes widening in horror. “Museun il-iya? Museun il-iya?!?” He cried out, Twilight putting her head back down by the young changeling’s chest, eyes widening. Oh no. Jae-Sang’s throat was filling up with blood, his airway was blocked. His body was giving out, his breath ragged and eyes bulging as his emaciated frame began to convulse.
“I need some help! I need your help! I need to open up his windpipe, alright?” Twilight insisted, the Changeling father glancing back from his son to her, confused. “I said I need you to hold him down! I need to open his windpipe!” She said, gesturing at her throat, the Changeling stupidly blinking before Twilight groaned. That was it! She didn’t have time!
Her horn sparked brightly, and he was shot down to the ground, his hooves upon his son’s arms as SHE now possessed the magical knife. “HOLD. DOWN.” She insisted, pressing down onto the son’s body, looking straight into the changeling father’s eyes. “Hold down.” Twilight Sparkle repeated, taking the magical knife and creating a small hole, some blood dribbling out, giving Jae-Sang room to breath. “You’re doing fine, Jae-Sang. Okay? Okay? Now I just have to pull the skin back, give you room to breathe through. Luckily I always keep a hollow feather-pen on me…” Twilight admitted, taking a small feather pen out of the belt she had. She always carried her pen and notepad with her, and quickly ripped the feathers off the pen, the stunned father watching her place the pen in the hole she’d made, gaping slightly, unsure of what to say.
“Come on. Pull the skin back. Pull back.” She murmured, the father moving his hooves as she carefully slid the pen fully in to where it had to be. “Okay. Alright. There. Come on…”
But then she noticed something. There wasn’t anything coming out from the hollow feather pen. No air.
He wasn’t breathing.
“No. No, no, no, no, come on! COME ON!” Twilight yelled out, pounding down on his chest. “BREATHE! BREATHE!” She yelled out, giving him chest compressions. “One…two…three…four…five. BREATHE!” She cried out, putting her mouth over his new air hole, breathing into him before going back to pressing hard down on his chest, trying to pump air in. “One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Come on, please, give me a pulse!” She cried out, her tone becoming pained, horrified as she felt his neck, shaking her head back and forth, the father staring…his face becoming like ash, crestfallen, his body quivering at the sight before him as he took a few steps back.
She opened up his eyelids.
…nothing. Fully dilated pupils and…not seeing anything. Utterly glazed over. The purple unicorn collapsed on her knees, covering her face, shaking her head back and forth.
“I’m so sorry.” She whispered. “…I tried. Celestia help me, I tried.” She murmured out. J-Jeongmal joes-song h-ha-haeyo. I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Jae-Park’s father looked down at his son…then at Twilight. He hung his head, his horn sparkling with yellow energy, another knife forming…
No. No, it was a spade, a shovel. He slowly trotted over to a nearby tree, the shovel thudding down into the earth, scooping up some dirt before he turned around at a snail’s pace, his voice subdued and plaintive.
“Geuleul deul-eo ollibnida.” He mumbled.
Twilight didn’t even need to know Changeling to understand what that meant. She carefully scooped Jae-Park up into the air, curling his body into a fetal position, head bowed in respect as his father began to dig and dig. CHUNK. CHUNK. CHUNK. One sodful of dirt at a time, tossed to the side…
Twilight kneeling by him, using her magic to hover the body about them as she began to dig along with her hooves. After all…
They had a lot of work to do.
