Penumbra's Tale

About an hour after he came home from school, and after he finished his homework, he finally noticed something strange… he wasn’t blue. In fact, he didn’t even feel his horn anymore. He was an odd shade of green that was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place what it was. But what was the strangest part, was that he could feel something protruding from his back.

He tried to move the muscles, to see what would happen, and to his surprise, wings a green as his hooves extended on each side of him. What was going on? The stallion stood up and walked to the bathroom, only to look wide-eyed in the mirror, unsure if he should scream or to do weird things to try and wake up from this possible nightmare.

He was in the body of his crush! He still hadn’t learned her name, but she was so cute, and he couldn’t help but to think about her a lot. Question was, if he was in her body, was she in his? Wait, it wouldn’t make sense that way… he’d be in her home if that was the case. Then it was definitely a dream. Not some weird magic. Better go to his dream-mom and see how she’d react before he tries to wake up.

“Moooom!” he cried, in the pegasus mare’s voice, before he gulped, thinking she might not recognize the voice. Well, gonna have to find her myself. He trot out of the bathroom and search around until he finally found her in the kitchen.

“Oh! Are you lost, little filly? Need me to call your parents?”

“Mom, it’s me. Penumbra. I… kinda just found myself like this after I finished my homework. I think I’m dozed at the table though and this is a dream.”

“… oh dear. This isn’t a dream.”

“It’s not?”

“Sit down on the couch. I’ll be out there in a few minutes.”

“I really wanna scream. Why am I like this?”

“Keep calm. I’ll be in there soon.”

He grumbled and followed her directions, staying quiet, and trotting to the living room and sitting on the couch. These wings were uncomfortable, but luckily it didn’t take her long. When Elegant sat across from him on the love seat, she sighed, shaking her head.

“I knew I should’ve told you about this sooner, but I really couldn’t with your father around. Adn he was still coming back fairly quickly when I wanted to.”

“Okay, but tell me what? Why am I like this?”

“Well, my father, your grandpa, was in something like a war. It didn’t last long–more of an invasion I think–but he loved to call it a war. Made him feel better about his condition. Sure, he got used to it, but that didn’t make it any less traumatizing, from what my mother had said…

“You see, he wasn’t a military stallion. He was a chaplain, actually, and he, like any other stallion at that time, if they lived in Canterlot, by law, had to sign up for the Emergency Guard. Nowadays, so many go in willingly, it’s no longer a requirement.

“But one day, he was forced into being a guard the morning Chrysalis attacked…”

Celesta’s castle was bombarded by thousands of drones at once, while at the same time, a voice could be heard resonating throughout the city.

“Go, my changelings! Today, you get breakfast in bed!“

He awoke with a start as a guard forced himself into his home.

“Wake up, soldier! We need more guards now, and the castle is being attacked!”

The grey stallion got out of bed quickly and trot quickly out of his room to meet the guard at his doorstep. Behind him he could see black bodies flying at varying heights towards the castle.

“No time for breakfast! We have an emergency stock camp of armor and weapons just south of here. Follow me, Axiom Quill! You will be given a code name later. I am to be known as Theta One, understood?”

The guard turned without waiting for an answer and began to direct the unicorn southward towards the emergency camp. It was small, and impromptu, but it was organized nonetheless. Established guards were enlisting other stallions at a breakneck pace and outfitting and arming them as quickly as they could.

“Another one for enlistment! How are the mares and children?”

“All have been secured in the bunker in this section of the city, except for those that were enlisted.”

“Alright. Axiom, get over there.”

The grey unicorn looked over the other guards with a gulp and followed the line quickly until it was his turn. He went through the processing and before long was in his own set of armor and was equipped with a spear.

“Do you know how to fight?”

“N-no…”

“It’s easy. Stick the pointy end inside their head or stomach, and twist it.”

Well, that was obvious.

“Now, head back towards the castle and start kicking ass! And make sure not to die! What was the code name you were given?”

“Um, Axel Two.”

“Alright, Axel Two, storm the castle! Take back what is ours!”

He gulped again, trotting forwards with about half as much speed as he saw the other recruits, not sure about this. He worked a peaceful job. Not this! He didn’t want to be doing this! Oh Celestia, what if he did die? This was a time of war! He wasn’t built for this!

When he finally reached the castle, he stayed behind a nearby building, staring at the menacing-looking changelings. What where they here for? What did they want? Why was it so important to go inside the castle? Did he really have to kill them? This day was awful!

Suddenly, he was ambushed by a few changelings, one that got charged by another recruit as quickly as it landed, but the other two were coming towards Ax from each side. He looked between them and brandished his spear with uncertainty. The drones seemed to know how untrained he was, since they smiled menacingly before they turned into copies of him, armor and all.

Shit! He thrust his spear towards the one that was the closest, as the copy of him jumped out of the way. The other one charged forward and Ax saw a dagger on the ground. He picked it up in his magic and sliced open the belly of the one charging as he backed up as quickly as he could, sidestepping at the last moment before the drone collapsed, losing his image and draining a green fluid.

He just killed one! Fuck, fuck, fuck! The last one narrowed his eyes as he bucked the spear, breaking it in half. The he charged forward as well, and Ax took a quick, deep breath, trotting forward. In a split second, he noticed a fault in the building’s integrity, which if he pulled the brick out with his magic, it would cause the building to collapse on the changeling in a matter of seconds.

He stopped his charge just as he did exactly that, watching the structure to give way, sending wall and brick on the copy, crushing it. Well, if he didn’t get into the fight, the fight was going to pull him into it, it seemed.

Time to toughen up. Alright. You just killed two of them Just… go get more… He sighed and looked down. Why did he have to be forced to enlist? Ax walked towards the castle, and noticed a larger, seemingly stronger changeling. It seemed to be giving orders to the drones. There was a hierarchy in the hive?

Maybe… maybe the rest will be scared off if he killed their commander. Axiom trot forward, gathering all of his strength, mentally and physically, as best he could in the very least, and called the larger one out.

“You and me! Right here, and right now!

                      I defeat you, and your drones leave! You got me?!”