Hunter

The end of the forest greeted me with with the edge of a desert. I had continued to follow the general direction the Changeling trio gave me, continuing my journey well into the cold dry darkness of the the desert. I didn't understand the constellations I saw in the sky, so I had to keep checking my compass for direction.

While I was cold, the three over my back were colder. They were shaking in their shells, which I doubted gave much heat insulation. I questioned why they lived in desert area. It was probably against their will.

Despite my worry for the hopeless insects, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop until I’d found suitable tinder for a fire. I was very cynical and almost certain they would perish. However, lights of homes in the distance is what gave me confidence that they would live. Appleloosa was in sight for me.

And so, for the next half hour, I’d began to scout the area. It seemed like a basic western town with taverns, general stores, and thin-wood houses. A weak river meandered through it, as well as the end of a railroad. No one was out in the cold biting dryness of the desert that night.

After only a short recon, I came to the conclusion that the best place to hide would be the apple orchard off to the side of the town. A dirt path cut through it, but the trees seemed thick enough that no one would notice me and three others.

That is how I ended up building a small smokeless fire in the middle of the orchard. Dead branches and other fallen debris from the trees made excellent tinder and fire starters. I had a small but warm blaze going in no time.

I sat and basked in the light of the flickering flames. I peeled off my old gauze, my jacket and shirt as well. The cold of night on my back contrasted the warmth on my chest from the fire. I checked the wounds that were inflicted upon me in my most recent fights. Large bruises were forming on my chest. It hurt to breath, though nothing was miraculously broken. I wasn’t sure how you get hit by something at subsonic speeds and retain nothing more than a few cuts and bruises. I needed to get my armor at some point.

I applied a topical steroid ointment to my chest, sighs escaping my teeth from light touches. I wrapped my bottom torso and my upper stomach with a nice layer of gauze. The cuts I got above my left shoulder were minor at best. I applied ointment to prevent infection and added a medical patch to insure I didn’t expose the wound.

After I finished patching myself, I pulled out a protein bar from my bag and began to chew on it, having not eaten for quite some time, plus having thrown up what little I had eaten earlier. I began to patch my wardrobe as I chewed. I couldn’t care less about the cuts in my t-shirt. I worried more for my jacket.

I took out a thin needle and a spool of strong, clear thread and began to work stitches into the cloth.

My jacket, believe it or not, played a big part in my camouflage. Do to the contrasting sides, with one being white and the other black, I can easily deceive the mind. If I were to wear white at night, the white would contrast horribly with the darkness around me. The eyes will adapt to target that white. So, when you invert the jacket and the white suddenly becomes black, the white target seems to dissipate into the night. The eyes can’t adapt fast enough to catch sight of the black before it is gone. It was one of many very simple tricks I use to aid in my escapes.

Just as I was finishing sewing a hole near the hood of my jacket, I heard one of the Changelings moan and stir in place. I almost forgot I left them tied up for transportation purposes.

I checked over them to see the full extent of their injuries. They didn’t appear to have any wounds besides small cracks at the backs of their skull’s, places that I assumed were weak points. They’d been hit there rendering them unconscious. Feeling a bit of heart in my rather empty chest, I massaged a bit of topical ointment into their wounds. They let out moans of relief in their sleeps, but otherwise did not wake up. I found the feel of their carapaces rather strange. They were like a strong rubber almost, yet they also had a strangely softness similar to silk. I didn’t really know how to describe it really.

I finished my camper meal and took a swig of water from a near empty canteen from my bag. I made sure to splash myself with water at the nearby river, as well as replenish my water, adding a few drops of iodine to the mix. While I had a fire going, I decided to skin and smoke the Jackalope I shot in the forest, deciding I would eat it later for a snack. I was honestly shocked it remained hooked on my belt even after the fights I was in.

After I was done, I packed up my gear, threw on my shirt and jacket, buried the coals of my fire, and slung three Changelings over my back. I was still sore and tired as hell is hot, but I wanted to get where I was going before resting. There were only a few hours left of night time anyway.

Luckily, the river that trailed through the town and orchard served not only as a clean water source, but also as a landmark. The Changelings told me that the river flowed right by their hive, certain I wouldn’t miss it. They had told me a bit about where they lived, but they were mostly vague about it, not to mention they were terrible at descriptions. I would’ve thought they were being sketchy, but I was smarter than that. They were merely simple.

I looked at the gentle river as I walked by it. The water flowed slowly, sandstone weathered at its banks. The depression in the ground made it clear to see that the river had been much larger at one point. Despite noticeably shrinking over the ages, I was certain that the river would still be running strong for centuries.

I couldn’t help but notice many fish swimming around in the water, some I was happy to recognize such as carps, catfish, and trout. Some I didn’t recognize, and would need to be cautious in seeing if they were poisonous. There were even some fish that I groaned when I saw, some of them being the Rainbow Trout and the Striped Bass. Color me surprised when I noticed that the Rainbow Trout were really rainbowfied and the there were zebra and tiger Striped Bass. While I found myself questioning more physical play on name puns in this world, I couldn’t deny that the fish would’ve made one awesome aquarium.

“...Cold...Owwie…My head…”

One of the Changelings stirred awake on my back. I looked over my shoulder to see Uno blinking in a confused way.

“Welcome back to the living.” He blinked slowly, the realization of being tied slowly dawning over him.

“Why are we tied up?” He questioned to me. I shrugged and stopped walking.

“You got knocked unconscious along with your friends. That orange country pony then tied you three up. After I dealt with them, I left you three tied for transportation purposes. It made it easier to carry you over my shoulder.” I set the three on the ground and made to untie Uno, leaving the other two loosely bunched together. He started stretching his legs and buzzed his wings a few times.

“Ohh...Being tied up like dat gets dem hooves knotted,” he moaned out.

I fought the urge to ask how hooves could get knotted, but I decided to just let it happen. I grabbed the rope and hoisted the other two Changelings back over my shoulder. Uno continued to blink and look around. He rubbed his eyes with his hooves, his ear-antennas buzzing a few times. His eyes widened a bit.

“How’d you get us in the Badlands already?!” I didn’t quite like the tone he used, but answered him anyways.

“I walked my way into the night. You three have been out for almost five hours by the way.” I assumed walking the river, Uno in tow. He was buzzing and looking around cautiously. I wasn’t sure if the shaking of his hooves were from the cold hitting him or if it was fear for something else.

“Close...Maybe be there soon?” he mumbled to himself. He looked at me. “Has the ground been shaking at all?” I shot the bug a sideways glance.

“No. I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and assume the ground is not supposed to shake?” He nodded his head, then shook his head.

“Shaking is bad. We lucky dat there is none. Shaking ground means big worms…” He mumbled the last part quietly, though I could still pick up what he was saying.

I looked at the buzzing Changeling. “Worms?” He seemed to recoil back at what I said, flinching as if I was about to hit him.

“Sand Wyrm,” he said cautiously. “They big, BIG dragon worm. Dem come out ground. They eat many relative,” he said with a hiss and shudder. I took notice in how his grammer got worse the more scared and frustrated he got, though I said nothing about it.

“Sand Wyrms,” I repeated aloud, as if testing the authenticity of it. I was no stranger to lore. I was an avid learner with precision memory. While I tend to read more science and tactician documents rather than fiction, I was no stranger to a bit of fantasy.If Wryms are what I think they are, they are basically a type of massive variation of armored sand worm.

That should’ve been pretty self explanatory though.

I glanced at Uno, who had yet to cease shivering. I was about to question it, but his ear antennas started vibrating like a phone. Simultaneously, sounds of buzzing began to fill the air. My eye traced the outlines of dozens, if not hundreds, of Changelings taking to the sky. They blended in well when they crouched low in the sand dunes, even more so when they flew in the sky. It was interesting. One moment there was nothing but the sound of the gentle flowing river, the next the sound of a hundred buzzing wings. I expected to see a swarm of locusts.

Despite the interaction I’ve had with the trio and the Conductor Changelings, I still found myself taking a step closer to Uno out of caution. Several pink eyed Changelings floated near me and took Dos and Tres from me before taking off into the night sky. Many others remained in the sky buzzing around me, the rest flying to the ground before walking in steady step. Many of them eyed me with strange looks, both mixes of blues and pinks. It was difficult for even me to read their solid irises, each one with the same expressions on their faces.

Feeling a bit cautious, I bent down to Uno’s level. “Why are there so many of you here? Why are they staring at me like that?” I asked in all do seriousness. By this point, there was no sound but the sound of hundreds of hooves crunching against the sand. Uno looked at me.

“Safety in numbers,” he replied curtly. A bashful grin stretched across his face. “They also wanna hear you play dat instrument.” I blinked, surprised at that last part. “We Changelings can communicate with the rest of the hive,” he continued, as if he sensed my next question. I suppose that answered my previous hypothesis..

While I normally wouldn’t be caught dead doing something like this, I found myself making yet another exception in this world. Hell, it might be interesting. I’ve never had an audience this size before that I wasn’t literally blowing up.

“I suppose I could throw something together real quick,” I said quietly. As if set off by a chain effect, smiles started stretching from one bug to the next. Word really did go around them quick.

I reached into my bag and pulled out my violin case, shrugging both my bags over one shoulder, and uncasing my violin. The familiar smell of rosin and old wood greeted my senses. While I was a bit tired, I had no doubt that I couldn’t play a few tunes.

I began stomping one of my feet as I [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxIOUJ7by6U]walked.

My first notes came out slightly slurred, no doubt a factor from my sleep deprivation, but such a thing didn’t deter me. I quickly picked up momentum with an upbeat flourish, burning through bars of music like fire. My fingers almost hurt at the speed I played, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.

Maybe I was weird, but I found something sort of poetic in this. Here I was playing a dance beat on my fiddle surrounded by an army of drones. The cold dry air and sand left little medium for sound, though the instrument still sang loud enough for all those to hear. Many unconsciously stomped the ground with me, matching the tempo. I would even go as far to call it a march.

No. It was more of a parade where everyone walked to a single metronome. I imagine the Pied Piper must’ve felt like I do now when he led away the army of rats. I found it strange to admit, but I think I enjoyed the presence of the crowd of spectators. I’d never before played in the presence of anyone but myself before I’d met the Changelings.

As the song began to tone down, so did the river, becoming more and more narrow to the point I had to hop out of the eroded bank in a fear of slipping on sloping sandstone. The sounds of hooves clattering against the ground spoke volumes.

When I had at last struck the final chords, we had reached the end of the river, which took a 90 degree turn downwards, waterfalling thousands of feet into a valley that greatly resembled the Grand Canyon. There were sounds of clattering of hooves in approval, smiles going around.

Every Changeling began to buzz their wings and take flight. They dove straight down the canyon. I watched as they flooded down, flying towards a large waxy husk protruding from the center of the canyon. It was a large dome shaped hive that had to be several miles wide. I watched in awe as they disappeared in chambers that littered the outside of the large structure, leaving me standing alone.

I heard what I believe to have been a slow clap of hooves come from behind me. I turned to see a Changeling standing there, a genuine smile on its face.

“It seems as if they’ve have taken a liking to you, creature.” The smooth voice was without a doubt feminine. I put up my violin before turning to face her.

“That would be a first. Generally I have people fear me, not grow attached.” I started circling the Changeling, observing her features as she observed mine. The only noticeable distinction between her and the others were her incredible green eyes.

“I will say you are quite tall,” she said surprised. I was expecting that. I stood 6’2, towering well over most those my age. Despite my rather lean build, compared to the average pony I was a giant. Compared to royalty, I stood as tall as the horn above Celestia’s head went.

I wasn’t startled as the Changeling was engulfed in a green fire. Standing in place was now a creature about the size of Celestia. She shared the same distinct features of the drones. The greatest differences were her height, her ragged seaweed green mane and tail, the tiara like ornament on her head, her large mangled horn, and her green eyes.

“Queen Chrysalis I presume?” She hummed in confirmation.

“I see you’ve heard of me, Trance the Human,” she replied back, using a voice with a regal flourish in it. “I must say that you have created some interestings scenes in Equestria.” I pulled down my hood so that she could get a better view of my face. I shrugged as if my most recent terroristic acts were nothing special. For me, they really weren’t. No one died in them, though I certainly did induce terror, so that could be argued..

Only one was hunted to death by me, and that was before I knew they were sentient. I didn’t really care about the intellect level of the creature. I felt the need to eat, thus hunted. If I were starving, I’d kill another human and eat them raw if I had to. It may disturb me slightly, but I’d get over it.

“Honored to hear my name crosses universes,” I said. “Forgive me for not bowing before a queen. I don’t stand on any hierarchy system.” She looked cross, but said nothing about it.

“I suppose such formalities do not matter much,” she quietly admitted. “Trivial things haven’t been of importance as of late.” There was concern lining her voice. She shook her head. “I’m sure you are wondering why I requested your presence, are you not?”

I gave her a look. “I’ve got a good idea,” I muttered loudly. “I’d like to hear it from you though.” I began to walk circles around the queen, her visibly tensing slightly as I observed her new form. She scoffed, trying to take her mind off of my gaze. She was putting on an obvious facade.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of us by now. My subjects informed you of us on your journey here.” I hummed in confirmation. I stopped walking after I’d made a second 360 around her. “I’m certain you’ve heard of our...reputation.” I hummed again. “Others don’t take kindly to us love eaters, and as such have taken great precautions against us. Many despise and even hate us for it. Understand though that love is vital for us. Without it, we would starve.” There was a small shake in her voice, one that did not escape me.

“It sickens me. I wouldn’t ask of this to anypony at all, but things are getting worse. I can not stand by and watch things go about as they are. That is why I turn to you, a creature I know nearly nothing about, and ask for your help. You do not seem to hold any hatred towards us, an action that no other species has shown toward us before, but rather hold quarms with the ponies. We need help and I’ll do anything to get it. It is because of that I-”

I tapped her on the nose with a hand, making her snout scrunch up in the same weird reflex as that Ditzy Doo pony. I still needed to research that.

“Shhhhh-ut up.” I shushed to her quietly, feeling more than a little annoyed. “You used a lot of effort to dodge your main problem and I don’t usually like it when people beat around the bush.” My next words were the ones she didn’t like hearing.

“You and your subjects are starving.”

Her mouth made to move, but I hit the nail right on the head. She tried to blink away her surprise, failing miserably, “H-how did you already figure it out?”

I rolled my eye, “It doesn’t take a genius to see most of your subjects were shaking. I at first thought it was just the cold. I dismissed that. I then thought it was hunger. I started to realize that they weren’t exactly hungry either. They were starving, barely able to stand. It was pitiful to watch. Even with you dodging the problem in your little rant it was easy to tell. Even your hungry.”

She went drop dead silent for a moment, “You are very observant,” she said depressed, that tone in her voice gone. I noticed she had more apprehension than anything in her eyes.

“I suppose I am.” I saw her pawing the ground with a hoof out of a mixture of meekness and fear.

“Will you help us?” she suddenly blurt out, laying all her chips on the table.

I gave her a look, “Why should you trust me? And why should I trust you? We have literally just met. You haven’t a slightest idea who I am, what I am, or what I am capable of doing. The feelings mutual.”

She gave me an incredulous look, “You’ve showed no fear or disgust towards my subjects; only compassion. I also know that you have the gutsy to try and take on two Alicorn princesses with a third and forth on the side, and I know that you have no quarms with sending an entire kingdom into chaos doing so.” She looked away, her expression falling dark for several moments. “You said it yourself. Me and my subjects starve. I am desperate and out of options. I’m so desperate that I would put all my faith in a complete alien who I know nothing of. It is either that or wait until we all die.”

Hm. There’s four princesses? That’s news to me. I needed to find a library and some other sources of information around here.

I scrutinized the desolate queen, looking over my character evaluation again. The moment she appeared before me she seemed cocky and high and mighty. The minute I see through her guise is the minute her entire mask falls. Her body language changed fast, altered impulsively by her emotion. This queen was weak.

“You’re weak,” I deadpanned. Whoops I spoke that out loud. She was about to start ranting, but I held up a hand. “You’re weak as a queen because you’re strong as a mother. They’re not your subjects; they are your children and you want to treat them as such. The only reason you mostly hesitate to treat them with affection now is because you don’t have the heart to lose you children. That’s why you treat them as subjects and do not name them.” Her eyes went wide.

“That’s...impossible,” she stated hollowly, taking two steps back. “How would you know that?”

I shrugged. “What can I say? Nothing escapes my gaze.” I turned away.

I looked over the canyon to the hive. The sun was beginning to rise from the east. I’d been up for almost three nights straight with little rest and little food. I’d been up for an entire week before without much hindrance, and can go very long times without food. I do need to check back home very soon though... I don’t want Buddy and Shmitten to eat each other...

I turned back to the queen, “You know,” I started slowly, “I know what it feels like to be starving.” I looked to the poor, defeated mother and queen, tears welling up in her eyes from my earlier words. I could tell she didn’t like showing weakness. “It doesn’t feel good to starve. To slowly lose your energy...to feel the stabbing hunger pains…to wonder how long it’d be before you die.”

I looked out to the sun slowly rising higher.

“You have my service, Queen Chrysalis.”