Greetings, ponies. My name is Tjjait, or Last Stand as you would say it. I am the last of my kind, the only one of those bugs you considered vermin. You caught me; Checkmate. Nothing I can do. I'm going to die, starve in a dungeon or be executed. There would be no other way; you ponies never change.
But I do, in fact, have a last request. No, it does not involve the feeding on, killing, dismembering, or otherwise damaging anybody. I don't need my freedom. You would never grant it to me anyway, so why bother asking? My request is to tell you my story, to have it recorded in the equally-vain hope that you may mourn me someday.
Okay? Good. I am Last Stand, and here is my story.
Once upon a time - No, that's cliche. Wait, I just realized I don't care. Once upon a time, there was a race that lived far away, in a place that I don't care to remember. They were dark and shiny, and they lived in great hives of a thousand or more. They were like what you would call a pony, except that they had dark, soft chitin and glowing cat eyes. These were the Chit, the creatures you would call "changelings". They lived a passable life; when they were not performing their hive duties, they were creating characters for themselves, forms to take to meet ponies, to find love and friendship among them.
But something that good could never last; No, we are creatures of bad luck. It was all hopeless, I see this now. It was one pony who created it, the one spell that killed us in droves. This pony was Star Swirl, his spell was the reveal. Changelings were uncovered by the swarm when he discovered its power. They were strange to you, and you ponies don't like strange. You locked them in dungeons for their eyes and fangs, for their dark shells and echoey voices. They killed us because we were not ponies.
And thus the Age of Paranoia began. Thankfully it's over, or it would have been if not for one. We were desperate. My hive, my swarm, the Hive of Chrysalis invaded the capital. I may still have skull damage from the day I heard about it. I might have been just as mad as the ones who cared for me, but I could still recognize a shred of reason. Should the last hive have really risked itself? Could we have won with our words instead of our deeds?
You know the story. Chrysalis replaced Cadance, almost won, shield, love, blah, blah, blah. What you did not know was the consequence. Chrysalis is long dead, ponies, and it's all your fault. Could you have at least banished her for a millenium, given me a reason to keep going? No, you just HAD to blow her up, killing her and her Swarm. Not that the Swarm mattered much; just a bunch of mindless drones. But the queen did. She was Queen of THE Changelings, the very last.
Huh? Why? Well, my little ponies, what would you do if you starved for days, weeks, months, years? She snapped, there's only so much one bug can take. You'd start stealing too if you were desperate. All a vicious circle; The more you hate us, the more we must hurt you to feed. The more we feed, the more you hate us. It's not even life or death for you, it's just your instinct screaming "Hey, that's not a pony! Kill it and make up any excuse to justify it!"
Now I'll actually continue this story. My dearest apologies for getting off-topic, but this is the first time in a while I've had to really vent. So, after Chrysalis blew herself up, I went away from my completely insane guards and set myself up. It took me a good week to get that disguise going; Earth pony, pink coat, green mane, red eyes, rose for a cutie mark. And I went to the nearest settlement, all rags and patches. Gathered enough compassion to keep going, then I left. Repeat cycle. Eventually I reached my final destination; Ponyville.
I must admit you had a lovely library. I read all the books on changelings. I've never seen bigger collections of lies and rumors, but I could expect no less from you superstitious creatures.
"Changelings suck love, leaving ponies an emotionless shell."
"They are vampiric organisms that transform other ponies into changelings."
"They steal foals in the night."
Lies. Well, maybe the first and third ones are a LITTLE true. But like I said. Even if it's hopeless, even if we were destined to die, I have to eat something.
Of course, nothing good could ever last. You found me. That spell I wish I could burn a thousand times, you suspicious creatures. Just because of me being clingy. "It won't hurt at all, we're just making sure!" Right. I admit your town was rather nice, but it would be a lot nicer if you didn't scream bloody murder at any changelings. Fake not-a-pony vermin is all we are. Just because we eat love means we're evil. I'm sure apple trees think the same way about you.
One question: Why? Why are we not good enough for you? What makes a pony? Look, I have 4 legs, and a tail, and a mane, and a cutie mark, soft fur and round eyes. Did I miss something, or has the definition of "pony" changed? Oh, so it's because we're evil and invaded Canterlot? Well, why did you hate and starve my hive into doing it? Because we're different? Because we replace ponies? You starved us into doing that too, suspicious ponies. I'm going to die, so have something to ponder.
This is the end of my tale, even if it's just a bunch of rants and philosophical questions. You're going to kill me, make someone remember me for something.
Twilight tapped her quill against the page and wiped her brow. She raised her head in a confident stance.
"Tjjait of the Changelings, for self-confessed crimes of treason, deception, and assault, under Equestrian Law, I sentence you to..."
Tjjait let an almost predatory grin creep onto her face. A burst of crimson fire left a tiny, gray earth pony filly slipping easily out of the shackles, her horn ring clattering to the ground. She bucked off her wing restraints before turning to a shocked Twilight. She let her disguise crumble, standing at her full height.
"Forgot something, did we?" The menace in her tone made her echoing voice sound eerie and unnatural.
She gracefully leapt, swinging her holed hooves in a slashing motion. A string of unnaturally bright green slime flew out of the holes, pinning Twilight to the wall, causing her horn to sputter out. The changeling rubbed her hooves together in a satisfied manner.
"At least my aim is still good. Now, my dearest apologies, Princess, but we can't have the real you running about." Tjjait wrapped Twilight in a chrysalis, humming happily. She lit her horn, sucking on Twilight's plentiful magic. A crimson slash lifted a block out of the floor, and the changeling hid Twilight in the hole before taking her shape.
"Twilight, you are the best form I could take. You are the princess of Friendship after all. And if there's anything I've learned from you, it's that Friendship is Magic."
Tjjait dropped the crystal block over Twilight. Slicing the top off, she sealed it into place.
"After all, friendship is magic, and magic is FOOD!!!"
Author's Note
Hope you like it!
