The Newcomer
Living in a Nightmare
Load Full Story"Any last requests, scum?" A guard asked the changeling being pulled behind him. After a few moments, there was a response.
"I-I'd like to write a l-letter." The changeling said, keeping his head down and voice quiet.
"You don't need to write a letter. If you want to say something to somepony, we can bring them to you." Their prisoner sighed.
"What makes you think I would want to talk to a pony? I'm asking to write a letter to Chrysalis...seeing as she's the closest thing to a family I've had."
"No." That one word crushed the changeling. He couldn't write a letter even when he wouldn't see his family again? That wasn't fair.
"Captain," a voice called out,"did it have any final requests?"
"No." The captain said flatly,"We're ready."
The changeling was led into a stark white room where a chair with restraints occupied the center.
"Sit." An order from an unknown pony. The changeling was strapped into the chair.
"Prisoner of war number 257, you have been condemned to death by lethal injection." The silhouette tilted their head a few degrees downwards and a pony in a white coat came up to the changeling with a rather large syringe held in his magical grasp. The captive changeling noticed the dark figure had left the room.
Without warning, the changeling felt a sharp pain in his neck. like a molten dagger being stabbed into it. The pain slowly faded away as darkness took hold.
First, it took his vision. Then his hearing, any feeling in his body.
Lastly, it took his breath away. He couldn’t breath.
The world closed in around the changeling.
***
Chrysalis, power hungry ruler of the changelings, wants to rule the world with her army.
That was the wrong idea completely. Chrysalis wanted food for her subjects, and was only acting like that as a last resort. If you don't count the wedding, Chrysalis love for her subjects would surprise most ponies. For example, right now she was making her rounds in the sleeping area to make sure there weren't any nightmares she had to take care of.
Most nights, there weren't any changelings to comfort, and this night was no different. Well, almost.
Right when the Queen was leaving, there was a sudden spike of terror. She left to investigate.
***
Beta-391 didn't dream much, but when he did, they were his worst nightmares. Things he could never even think of happening. Beta shuddered as he looked out from his cocoon/bed.
After a few minutes of trying to fall asleep again, Beta decided to go for a walk. Hopefully his panic didn't cause too much of a problem. It was a little known fact that emotions were felt by all changelings within a hive.
His hooves made a sharp clicking noise that echoed around the large cavern he was in. The cave had dim green crystals placed every so often for a small amount of illumination.
Slowly but surely, 391 made it to the end of the cavern. It was then that he noticed there were hoof steps behind him. Beta stopped and turned, but there was nothing behind him, only more fuel for his paranoia.
391 could no longer ignore the painfully obvious hoof steps approaching. He cowered in the shadows, hoping whomever was following him would pass him by. Much to his discontent, the steps grew louder and louder until they were inside the room with him.
All of Beta's muscles tensed when a hoof touched his shoulder. It withdrew quickly, as if touching a hot stove.
"My son, why are you afraid?" A familiar voice asked. Beta lifted his head and relaxed all of his limbs.
"I was afraid of being taken away, my Queen," he whispered,"I do not want to be taken from you!"
The Queen chuckled softly,"Worry not, no ponies will take you from me if I can help it."
Chapter Three
They came in the night, swiftly and silently. The ponies crept up and down the halls, searching for changelings. It wouldn't be that hard to find them, most of the passages led to the main cavern; a major design flaw.
Who might be stupid enough to try and kill off the rest of the changelings? Why, only a team of the Princess's personal guards.
After the wedding and a few other incidents, it was ruled that the changelings would be "taken care of". In other words, it was going to be genocide, but to the public, it was careful diplomatic planning.
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By dawn, the black ops team crossed the Rubicon, there was no going back from this. Despite killing nearly the entire changeling race, they couldn't find the Queen.
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It was well after sunrise when Beta woke up.
That was the first indication that something wrong.
The second was that it was silent.
Completely, utterly silent. Not good.
Normally, there was always some sort of noise, whether it be a soft clicking, or buzzing. Or at least natural ambience. The fact that the sun was above the eastern horizon made it painfully obvious that something bad happened. Delta assured himself that nothing was wrong, but still, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread.
The changeling slowly trotted down the halls, heart pounding in his chest. The only noise for miles around was his hooves clip-clopping on the stone floor.
A few moments later, there were two screams, one directly after the other.
One, of shock.
The next of anguish and dispair.
His screams were choked off by tears. Tears the changeling didn't know he possessed.
Once his emotions were drained from his body, both physically and mentally exhausted, he wondered who would-- could-- have killed off an entire species.
Delta would find out. Who knows how long it would take, but he would.
