Changing the Balanceby Fantastic FantasiesChaptersChapter 1 : And So We Begin. . .Chapter 2 : In the NightChapter 3 : In the PastChapter 1 : And So We Begin. . .There is a world far away from our own. Filled with magic, friendship and the purest hearts of any living creatures known to the world. But even in a place that holds thousands of souls bent on making the world a peaceful place filled with the light of good, all it takes is one darkened heart to cause the light to give way to shadow. This is such a tale where the balance of right and wrong is tipped too far. And who sets it right is a shock to everyone. Let us start in a place where we will find a bright, loving heart among misguided souls. She might not know any of what is about to transpire, but she knows what is right and wrong. And sometimes, that is all it takes to make a hero. And so we begin. In the badlands of Equestria, there lived a race feared and hated by almost every other creature. A race that was known to show no mercy. A race that fed on something so near and dear to them, yet they wouldn't even know if that was happening to them. These were the most notorious creatures known to pony kind. One of these creators was a kid panicking about what? Her terrifying mom. Crystal Cocoon stared at the blank wall, her mind racing. Her mother had requested a formal meeting with her. While this wasn't exactly uncommon, it was the subject matter that brought her discomfort. Her mother wanted to speak to her about going on her first feeding. She gulped again. Why did changelings have to be born without being able to fall in love but still be able to fear?! She thought back on the lessons her mother had taught her, specifically her telling the story of how their race had come to be. 'Long ago before the reign of the cursed alicorn sisters, a unicorn had been stricken with an illness that medicine could never cure, a broken heart.' Crystal felt herself involuntarily gag at the thought that their species had come from those dreaded, love hoarding ponies. She thought about the stories some of her brothers and sisters had told her. About how the ponies had taken some of them prisoner and locked them away after they had tried to make a feeding ground out of one of their capitals. It was only one city! They had the rest of their country for Faust's sake! Crystal tried to make herself calm down. She couldn't face her mother like this. She breathed in and out, trying to rid herself of the horror stories that they had told her. But they still lived on in her mind. She gave up and flopped down onto the cobwebs that had been used as her nest from the time she was born. Crystal found it funny that even though everyone in the hive had their own families that everyone called each other brother and sister, sometimes referring to one another as 'sister so and so', or 'brother this and that' if they were close. Crystal had never had anyone do that to her. She tried to think about the story of how her race had come to be, that story she didn't mind as much compared to thinking about the horror stories. Both the one that the other lings had told her and the one called her life. Crystal rolled onto her back, heeding her delicate wings. She stared at the ceiling as she started painting the picture in her mind. 'The unicorn whose heart had been broken tried everything they had ever known to rid themselves from the tragedy of losing their beloved. But nothing ever worked. She soon caught word of a griffon mage who could perform the blackest of magics and realized that it was her only option. 'The unicorn raced to the mage, begging and screaming at her doorstep by the time she got there. The mage took pity on her and invited her inside. When the mare told the griffon of what she sought the griffon refused to help her, saying that she would be releasing something upon the world that no one could control.' Crystal had always liked that. That they were something of which the ponies couldn't control. They had life too easy. They had control of everything. The weather, the land, magic, they had control over the celestial bodies for the mother! She relished in the fact that they were something they could not be swayed by the ponies. Crystal tried to focus back on the story. She finally thought of what happened next. 'When the mage was asleep, her ancestor snuck into a room. The room where the griffon practiced her witchcraft. She had looked high and low until she found it, the book of spells. After gathering the ingredients, all the mare had to do was drink the solution she had made. And she did. 'She felt her sadness from her love's death instantly fade away, leaving her feeling perfectly content. But in the days afterward, she noticed the changes. She needed to constantly be around ponies who were deeply and madly in love. Not only that but her coat was falling off of her body, leaving an exoskeleton of the same color behind. Her teeth became sharper. Other changes occurred until she was the beginning of their glorious race! A changeling!' Crystal let out a sigh, a smile slipping onto her lips. She had always loved that story. A story that reminded her that love, while it was their food, it was dangerous. And no other race had so much love as the ponies. Yet it was the ponies driving them to starvation. You would think for such a peaceful race they would be a bit more sharing. If changelings were fed properly, they had no holes in their bodies, and they had all the variety of the ponies when it came to mane and coat colors, they would fit right in. Now they were black as night, a testament to their hunger. And a testament to the lengths they were willing to go for food now. "Princess Cocoon?" A guard said from the other side of the door. Crystal's head popped up as she fluttered to the door and opened it up. The changeling standing outside was one of the ones that had been out for a feeding recently, his exoskeleton had a slight blue tone to it. It was almost unnoticeable. But Crystal noticed. "Did you have a nice feeding, sir?" Crystal asked, trying to use the voice her mother taught her. Sweet enough to give character, but with enough power to insert fear. His eyes light up and he opened his mouth as if to ask a question, but Crystal silenced him by bringing up her hoof. "Your coat has a slight blue sheen to it." "Really?" He asked, looking at his hoof for the blue hue. Crystal chuckled as she stepped out of her room slightly in front of him to show that she was leading, another trick from her mother. She looked back to the soldier, she was roughly about the same height as him, even though she was far from being a grown up. "Yes, soldier. I will have to show Queen Chrysalis, she will be pleased." "Thank you, princess," He said as he bowed. Crystal flinched at the action. She liked that people respected her enough to bow, but at the same time it felt. . . Wrong. She hadn't done anything to deserve the action. She was only hatched to be great, she hadn't done anything great yet. "Now, what have you come to request from me?" She asked, trying to keep a bored look on her face. It was either bored or terrified. "Your mother has said she is ready to speak with you," He said as he took to his wings. Crystal couldn't help but gulp. Her mother may have been lenient towards her, but she was still rather terrifying. "Very well," Crystal said as she unfurled her wings, trying to get them in a comfortable position for take off. The changeling just gawked at her wings, trying to contain his awe, Crystal's wings were something to behold. They were unlike any other wings in the hive, even though she was starving her wings were in their full glory. They looked more like oversized butterfly wings than something you would find on a changeling as well making them stand out even more. Crystal glanced back at her room, knowing that it could be the last time she saw it. "Let us be off." The chamber was dark, the air thick with the smell of wood rotting and leaves decaying. In its center stood a tall throne, made of black wax and dried twigs. To the average pony, it looked like something that should have been burned along with the end of the Discordian era, but it was one of the few things that could be called beautiful by the changelings of the hive. On the throne a tall, dark figure laid herself across it, her cold eyes searching the room. As if she was looking for someone to condemn. Her eyes settled on the changeling to the left of her chair who was fidgetting uncontrollably. "Private," The figure spoke, her gaze still fixed on the entrance in front of her. The changeling that she had addressed let out an audible yelp of surprise and fear as she looked at her queen with big eyes. "Yes, oh beautiful queen whom all should fear?" She asked her voice several octaves higher than normal from fear. "Where is the princess?" "I. . . I am not sure your highness." The figure looked at the private, her green eyes virtually radiating malice. She sat up right bringing herself to her full height rising a good three feet above the private, with some help from the chair. The private stared at the sight, her throat caught in her throat. The dark figure unfurled her wings making her already impressive appearance absolutely terrifying. Her translucent hair cascaded down her back, stopping just at the base of her wings. She stared at the soldier, opening her mouth to say something when movement from the door caught her attention. Her stern look melted away to reveal a genuine smile. The terrifying queen had been replaced with the joyful mother. "Crystal," Chrysalis cooed as her daughter flew into her lap, hugging her mother with all of the strength stored in her relatively small body. The queen smiled as she lovingly squeezed her daughter back. "Whatever took you so long?" "I was nervous," Crystal admitted, hanging her head in defeat before snuggling closer to her mother. Chrysalis looked at her daughter, a warm smile gracing her lips. She nudged the warm little princess closer to her bringing her hooves to her daughter's wings and lovingly stroking them. Chrysalis wished that a changeling's love for another changeling could feed her people, but it had to be from a different species in order to work. Aside from that, the price would be far too high for her people if they could remember every heartbreak. Chrysalis sometimes wished she could remember the love she had held for some of her past husbands, but she knew that it would have been too painful. Far, far too painful. Crystal pulled away from her mother and looked her in the eyes before nodding her head. Chrysalis was confused before she realized what Crystal was trying to convey to her. "Are you sure you're ready, Crystal?" Chrysalis asked, worry evident in her voice. A part of her had been hoping that Crystal would have said no again so she could still have her baby girl. For Crystal to always be under her watchful eye, but Chrysalis knew if Crystal wanted to go she had to allow it. If she didn't, Crystal would never learn what she needed to rule the hive. But Chrysalis still wanted to be sure. "It is a dangerous realm out there, especially now that the ponies know of us. I wish. . . If only my love for you would suffice. . . . Then you would never have to leave." "Mother," Crystal started, doing her best to choke back the whimpers that wanted to escape from her throat. "I'm sure. If I don't go now, I never will. And I wish that we could feed each other too. . . You still haven't told me why we can't." "I know, it's just-" "Mother, if I am leaving I need to know," Crystal said as she fluttered out of her seat and took her place in the, albeit slightly smaller, throne next to her mother's, turning her head to stare into her eyes. Chrysalis stared into her daughter's eyes. Chrysalis had always loved her daughter's eyes. They were a green the spoke of spring instead of eyes telling of a dying summer. Chrysalis realized just how beautiful her daughter was right then. She had grown up so fast. She could barely bring herself to part with her baby girl. "I'll tell you. "The first Changeling realized something when one of her first family members found out about her. It was her brother and he told her that she was a monster who had tampered with things out of her control. He had told her that she was to never see him again. "But the thing was she couldn't bring herself to care. She still remembered being fond of him, but she could never bring herself to love him. That is when she realized that she wouldn't have the ability to love anyone who broke her heart. This brought her great joy, but also great sadness. This meant when one of the ponies that she loved died that she wouldn't love them anymore. Such is the affliction of the changelings. Our greatest gift is our greatest curse." "Wha-what?!" Crystal shrieked. Of all the things she had been expecting, that had not been one of them. "You see, Crystal," Chrysalis started as she got off her throne to get eye level with her daughter. "Only creatures who are able to love without forgetting, their love can give us nutrition. Changelings are not capable of constant love." "But. . ." Crystal tried to choke out as she flung her hooves around her mother's shoulders. "But I'll always love you!" "I will always love you too," Chrysalis whispered as she hugged her daughter's neck. A tear slipped down her cheek as she tried to contain herself, knowing that there were other guards in the room. But Chrysalis knew the truth of what was going to happen once she died. Because she had said the same thing to her own mother. "Sir!" A stallion's voice called out from the trees as he raced back to his commander. He was stumbling over himself as he tried to get back to his commanding officer. Quick Clash turned towards the sound. Just as he did a grown stallion came bursting from the bushes panting and sweating as he tried to get out the important news he had brought with him. Quick just stared at the soldier who was under his command as his mind tried to wrap around what he had just seen. His mind suddenly caught up to the current moment. "What has happened, soldier?" "A. . . ! And it. . . ! Just. . . Look!" He screamed as he pointed to bushes. Quick turned his head just in time to see a changeling step out of the bushes, a bewildered look taped to his face. Quick felt himself take in a breath of air as he accidentally choked on it as he stared at the changeling. Quick instantly summoned a mana sword as he recovered from his coughing fit and pointed it at the changeling. "What are you doing here, monster?!" "I've come to turn myself in." Quick stared at the creature, unable to comprehend what is had just said. "What." Author's Note I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter of Changing Balance ! Please comment down below if you enjoyed! Oh, and also type 'Centipede' in your comment and I will reply 100% of the time! Chapter 2 : In the NightNight Dance stared at the window as tears fell from her eyes. She felt sobs rise from her throat as she folded her hooves on the window pane. She stopped trying to hide her anguish as she cried into her front arms. Her body shook with every ragged breath she took in. She felt as though she were dying. Suddenly a light appeared behind her as she looked up from her arms in shock. She cried out with confusion when the light grew brighter than anything, even brighter than the sun which she seldom saw anymore. Suddenly standing in the middle of the room was. . . Herself? She looked exhausted, the rug beneath her was charred, and bits of it were turning red from the sheer heat. The version of herself that had just appeared took notice and started quickly stamping out the red embers. "What in the name of Faust?!" Night Dance cried as she got off of her seat next to the window and started walking towards herself, only to have her doppelganger's hoof slap over her own mouth. Night Dance gagged, tasting the ash on the false her's hoof. "I have not much time!" The copy of herself cried out as she lowered her hoof. "You must go to The Blackbird!" "The witch?!" Night cried out as she brought her hoof and did a quick sign of the cross so as to not curse herself for mentioning the witch. "Who are you to request my death sentence!?" "I am thou from seven days in the future!" The copy told her. "I used a spell the witch had stolen. Now if we are to ever cure our broken heart, you must go to The Blackbird! 'Tis the only way!" "But-!" Night tried to plead with herself, but the future version of herself brought up her hoof to silence her. And much to Night's horror lightning was beginning to cover the hoof. "I have to go back now!" The copy said as she brought her hoof back down. "And the scroll is in the dish bowl! And she isn't a witch she's a mage! Also-!" But just as she had appeared she disappeared in a bright flash leaving the distraught mare to ponder her sanity. But just as the night began to quiet she looked at the window and screamed a pitiful, agonizing screech of insanity. Crystal sat up panting, covered in a cold sweat. She frantically looked about her. She saw nothing but blackness trying to swallow her. The suffocating darkness! It was choking her! Crystal screamed as she used her horn to try and provide light for her to see. She kept panting as she tried to get the terrible nightmare out of her mind. She looked about her room, in search of a copy of herself that she hoped she would never find. "Princess!" A guard cried as he came running into her room. Crystal screamed, but more out of shock than anything else that time. The changeling's wide eyes took in every detail of the chamber before she sighed and looked at her, a knowing grin taped to her face. "Nightmare?" Crystal could only nod, her ears splayed backward. She came to her nest and sat down next to her, setting her hoof on top of hers. Crystal smiled at the guard, touched by this small act of kindness. How could pony kind think that they were heartless? They had bigger hearts than they would ever have! "Do you want to talk about your nightmare, princess?" The guard asked, using her other hoof to remove the helmet from her head. Crystal looked into her blue compound eyes before nodding. The guard smiled as she lied down on the floor next to her, doing her best to get into a comfy position. "Go ahead, I won't say a word until you're done." "It. . ." Crystal started, a little unsure of where to start. She decided to just try and explain as she went, asking every once in a while if the guard was keeping up with the story, she would just smile and nod most of the time. Only every once in a while would she ask a question at those times and they were relatively easy to answer. At the end of it, the guard was in complete silence, more than a little unnerved by the princess's tale. Not because it was exceptionally scary, it wasn't even very creepy, but it was recognizable as one of the queen's nightmares when she had been a filly. She hadn't been there to hear it, but her great-grandmother had been there and told her about it when she was just a kid. "Maybe, you should tell your mother," The guard suggested. Crystal looked at the guard with wide eyes, thinking she must have heard that wrong. The guard just rolled her eyes. "Truly, princess. She is your mother if I am not mistaken." "But. . ." Crystal said, trying to come up with the right words like her mother always did. "A future queen of the hive being so easily frightened by a figment of her imagination? I would be nothing but a joke to her! I simply can't do that. . ." "Insecta. my name is Insecta." "Well, Private Insecta, I really can't tell her," Crystal said, turning her back to the kind changeling. "Not only will she laugh at me, so will everyone else." "Please," Insecta said with a snort. "If anyone even laughs in y'alls direction yah mom'll send 'em to Tartarus!" Crystal just stared at the changeling, her eyes wide. None of her brothers or sisters ever got this relaxed around her. She rather liked it. Insecta realized just how relaxed that she had gotten, slipping into one of her favorite pony accents. "Many apologies my princess," Insecta said as she straightened her posture, or as much as she could when she was still lying on her belly. If Queen Chrysalis heard of this. . . ! "No!" Crystal screamed, flinching at the volume that she had used. Insecta flinched to, she was using a hoof to rub her temple. Crystal tried to relax again, this time using a much softer voice, "I mean, no, don't apologize. No one ever gets this comfortable around me. It's really nice." "Seventeen bottles of cider on the wall," Centipede sang out, leaning against the iron bars of the wheeled cell. They had been traveling for hours, it was the dead of night with only stars as his company. "Seventeen bottles of cider!" "Will you just can it already?!" Quick Clash shouted at the changeling, his ears splayed as far down and with as much force as he could. Well, stars, as well as him, were Centipede's only company. The other guard who had been a pegasus had flown ahead to prepare the dungeons for his "arrival." Such a pretty word for execution. Quick had to give this changeling points for annoyingness. He had dealt with dragons with more ease than this changeling. At least they hadn't sung the same stupid song for hours straight. "Sorry, sir," Centipede said, standing up and walking as close to the driver of the wagon like device as he could. "But along with the right of silence, I have a right to speech." "Legal Equestrians have a right to speech," Quick barked. "You are an illegal monster." "Correction," Centipede said, relaxed as he leaned against the bars facing the raging unicorn, only turning his head slightly towards the soldier. "I'm a registered member of Equestria, you just recently labeled me as a monster. That's all." That caused Quick's mind to do a double take. He stared at the back of the changeling who had willingly turned himself in. He had been wondering why he had turned himself in the entire time they had been together. He had just kept singing. "What do you mean legal citizen?" He asked, wanting to know more, even if the changeling was lying. "I mean what I said," Centipede pressed. "You made it illegal to be a changeling when not all of us all evil! In fact, almost none of us are! The attack on Canterlot was a last resort for that branch of the hive. They were starving." "How do you know this if you weren't a part of the attack?!" "Because like news with ponies, word spreads like wildfire among the changeling communities too," Centipede said as he faced the direction of his captor. "We are just like ponies, we just have different needs. We have entire communities spread across all over Equus. But thanks to one misunderstanding, it's suddenly illegal for us to exist! You don't want justice, for a misunderstanding with zero casualties no less, you want genocide!" "I would never want an entire race to be killed over what happened in Canterlot!" Quick shouted, throwing off the reins to the wagon and facing the creator that was bad mouthing his race. "Killing an entire race for that actions of a couple hundred is ridiculous!" Centipede just glared at the unicorn, not sure what to say to him. He knew that the last comment he had thrown at him had stepped over the line, even if it was true. Centipede could only hang his head as he said in a small voice, "Then tell me this... "What happens to the changelings that you've captured?" ". . . And-and then, his cover drops! In the middle o' his party, he was scared as a rattler being caught in a hen house!" Insecta cried out in her thick country accent as she doubled over with laughter along with Crystal. Insecta had been telling Crystal stories for the past hour, trying to keep her mind off of the nightmare and it had worked. Both of them had no clue what time it was, and they didn't care, they were having too much fun. "It was family only right?" Crystal asked, still struggling for breath. "No reviling himself to ponies right?" "O' course!" Insecta wheezed out, her thick country accent still present. "You scare a changeling good enough his disguise is bound to fail 'im." "I'll have to keep that in mind when I go on my first feeding," Crystal said, some of the humor slipping out of her voice. Crystal looked at Insecta with pleading eyes. "It's not as scary as it sounds, right? Your first feeding?" "Oh, trust me, darling," Insecta said wrapping her hoof around crystal's neck in a friendly gesture. "It's gonna terrify ya. But, when you look back on it y'all will never be prouder of yourself in your life. You just gotta try to relax, and do what come naturally. That is the only way to actually succeed in a feeding." "Oh, ok," Crystal said with more than just a little uncertainty. She was still nervous, but talking with Insecta really did help. "Thank you." "Whatever fer?" "Just," Crystal said as she tried to find the right words. "For comforting me about my first feeding. All of this has pretty nerve wracking. And it's nice to have a friendly face support you." "Well," Insecta said, she cheeks sporting a light blue blush. "That's a mighty big compliment, comin' from a princess no less." "Don't think of me as a princess please," Crystal begged. She had had enough of people calling her princess to last a lifetime. "Just think of me as a friend. Or better yet!" Crystal buzzed off of the nest bringing her hooves up to her face in excitement. "A little sister!" Insecta was a bit taken aback by the thought of her princess being a little sister being her honorary little sister. But she couldn't say no to such a cute smile. "Ah guess I'm a princess too now, huh?" Chapter 3 : In the PastChrysalis stared out the window that she had put in her room. It was one of the few openings in the hive. She knew that it was a slight hazard, but it was times like this that she needed some comfort from the open sky. She couldn't fly, but at the very least she could see it. Chrysalis stared out at the sky, a dreamy look taking over her face. She remembered when she was a foal how she could fly freely among the clouds. She would even race some of the other changeling foals when she was young. She remembered her falling in love with a young changeling. He was so kind. . . If only she could remember him the way she had fallen in love with him. "Your highness?" Chrysalis was snapped out of her daze. "Yes, commander Mothball?" She asked, her voice slightly downcast. "The princess says she refuses to leave until she has had an audience with you." Said the slender changeling as he opened the door wider so as to allow Chrysalis a way out. Chrysalis let out a sigh. She had been hoping that Crystal would have already left. She didn't want to have to say goodbye. It always hurt to say goodbye. But she knew it hurt more to not have a chance to do so. "Very well," Chrysalis said as she used a spell to fill the window once again. She stared at the place where the opening had been, longing for the entire hive to have been free from hiding. But she had probably ruined any and all chances of that with that foolish Canterlot stunt. Chrysalis was sure she could have succeeded, but she had rushed it too much. She was so rushed. She was determined to welcome her child into a world filled with love and a well-fed hive. But instead, she had exposed her kind and food was more scarce than ever. Chrysalis turned to the commander and nodded, signaling him to lead her to the throne room. He gave a curt nod as he robotically guided the way. Chrysalis followed, hoping that he would take the long route. If he took that one, they would be able to avoid the most populated parts of the hive. Chrysalis still felt ashamed for her irresponsible planning of trying to get Canterlot. She had just wanted to give her people enough love to be content. But instead, she had failed them. Chrysalis felt a groan escape her lips as they took a turn. It was the turn that led them through the home district of the hive. She could only suck it up seeing as some of her subjects had already seen her coming their way. 'Just try to keep your composure,' Chrysalis thought to herself as she looked around, keeping a bored expression on her face and sending out the occasional wave to the children who waved at her. Every once in a while, she would have to fake a yawn, trying to mask her tears. Even the children were starving. But they still loved her. They still waved. A few clapped their hooves. And children gave her looks of wonder. They would gather at the fringes of the street whispering amongst themselves, giggling as she passed, but not in a mocking way, just they way children did. Chrysalis felt her eyes widen as an adolescent boy actually made his way onto the road and stopped in front of her. Her escort noticed this and was about to bark at the youth until she held up a hoof and silenced him. The crowd held their collective breath, especially his parent who had been trying to get him to come back before he got in trouble. "Wewwo," He said as he looked up at her with big eyes. Chrysalis knelt down to get eye level with him. He giggled as he hugged his her nose, causing a gasp to come from the crowd. Chrysalis saw the mother faint out of the corner of her eye, causing a small smirk to form on her lips. Then Chrysalis did the unexpected she grabbed him off of her nose with her hooves. The crowd held their breaths she brought her mouth to the poor child's stomach. The mother was crying at this point, but she didn't dare get close to the queen. Chrysalis's mouth finally made contact with his stomach, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. Then the sound of someone blowing a raspberry filled their ears. They all looked up in shock, wanting to know who was so insane as to blow a raspberry at the Queen. When soft babyish giggles they all fixed their gazes on the queen who was. . . Playing with the baby? The mother cried with joy as she laid eyes on her healthy toddler. Chrysalis laid him down on the ground after a minute more of playing with him. Chrysalis smiled as he toddled back to his mother who was waiting for him with open hooves. Chrysalis felt a tear roll down her cheek as she watched the mother hug her newborn, never letting him go. Chrysalis hastily told the escort to move along, not wanting to stay around. The guard was confused but didn't dare question his queen. They quickly made their way to the main road to the throne room. Chrysalis hadn't wanted to stay because she noticed the father hugging his baby, with no fear of never seeing him again. "Oh, I can't do this!" Crystal cried as she kept pacing. She had arrived in the throne room mere moments ago, and she had been freaking out ever since. He wings were fluttering out of a nervous habit, speeding up whenever she got extremely anxious lifting her off the ground slightly. "Suger, y'all gotta calm down," Insecta said as she came behind her and put a hoof around her shoulders. "She's your mother. Y'all just gotta talk to her all calm like and then after talkin' you go off on ya first adventure!" "O-ok," Crystal said, still unsure of whether or not she was doing the right thing. She brought up a hoof to her mouth and started biting at it; another bad habit. "I'm still not sure, Innie. My stomach's in knots, I feel sweaty, and I think I'm gonna throw up!" "Crystal," Insecta deadpanned. "That's called being nervous." "I know, and I hate it!" Crystal cried out as she placed her head in her hooves and groaned only the way a teenager can groan. She wanted to flop on the ground and turn invisible. She wanted to just be a normal changeling with no princess expectations. Just to be normal. Heck, maybe even being a pony would be nice. "Crystal," Insecta started, but then a terrified look overwhelmed her face as she suddenly stiffened up, her posture perfect. Crystal was confused, but she knew that that meant her mother had just entered the building. Crystal slowly turned round, a fake smile glued to her face. She was outwardly calm, but inwardly dreading every second. "Hi, mother," Crystal said robotically. Crystal couldn't help but feel nervous in the presence of her mother. She had to only blame her brothers and sisters' stories about her punishing lings before she had children. They said that she had become much more relaxed over the years. Chrysalis entered the way she did on a daily basis. The entire room, with the exception of Crystal, would bow before her, she would address them to get back to work, they would hurry off to tend to their jobs, and then she would relax and give Crystal a hug. This time, however, Crystal didn't want the hug. She just wanted to disappear. She stared at Chrysalis and saw something. Something in her eyes, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was dread. "Mother," Crystal said as she pawed at the blackened dirt. 'Come on! Just get it out!' "Mother, I'm absolutely confident that I'm ready for this. But, I won't go unless you find me ready." Chrysalis was shocked, and it clearly showed on her face. She had just expected her daughter to say goodbye and be on her way to making her own hive, as she did, never looking back. But here she was, showing a level of respect for her opinion that even some of her generals failed to show. Chrysalis could feel her vision getting mistier as she curtly nodded, showing just how much she supported her daughter, who was also getting teared up. Chrysalis signalled two soldiers to step forth, apparently generals from their elaborate armor. That was one of the things she envied about lower classes of changelings. They had armour the pronounce their status which could be easily removed to fit in with other changelings. That and the uniform just looked real bad donkey. From the midnight blue portions to the beautiful grey details on the chest that were comparable to bramble thorns, it was simply incredible. Crystal, when she was even younger, had been there for every show of force against an imposing beast, where the soldiers, and if she was lucky, and generals would kill it, scare it, or if it was capable of love, drain it and put it in the love reserves. Crystal gave them a small wave, her face a mix of worries and anxieties. They just gave emotionless nods as they approached her and one stationed themselves on either side of her, causing her to let out a small yelp as one of them accidentally brushed against her. Crystal just rubbed her wing with one hoof, looking into her mother's eyes for any sign of doubt that she could act upon to get out of this. But none was there. Part of Crystal swelled with pride, the other half let out an angst-filled groan. She is a teenager after all. Centipede let out a cry of agony as he writhed against the Magic that was aimed against his stomach. He could feel his skin scorching. Bleeding. Dying. The magic was taken away, causing him to relax against his restraints that were fixing him to the ceiling. His pants were labored as he brought up his eyes to stare into the "doctor's." That just earned him another jolt of five hundred thousand volts. He ground his teeth so as to not give the sick physician the satisfaction of getting him to scream again. That resolve was broken when the doctor turned up the voltage by another five hundred thousand. When he finally stopped, Centipede was crying. Not crying out in pain, just crying. He knew that the rest of his family was going through this torture. Maybe even some of the younger lings. Great Faust, they might be dead if they were going through this. And the newborns. . . His eyes snapped open as he heard the squeak hinges of the door to his cell open up. His mouth opened up in a silent scream. Standing before him was the one who had ordered this torture for his kind. Celestia stood behind the doctor, her cold eyes staring at him. Her coat seemed to glow in contrast to the grey rock that surrounded them, which Centipede had learned was sound proof. Probably meaning that those ignorant ponies didn't know that they were walking on top of innocent blood. "Has he told you were the great hive is?" Celestia asked coldly, no emotion showing in her pink eyes. Centipede felt his hatred for her grow even more. And to think he had respected her wishes before the Canterlot invasion as a monarch. She was just an actor wearing whatever mask is required to stay in command. "No, Princess," The doctor said as he removed his blood-stained goggles, revealing grey, tired eyes. "Perhaps he really doesn't know where they are. Your highness. . . Even the most committed generals in the Equestrian army would have given in to this type of torture. Perhaps. . . We could just put him under house arrest. He might not have been a part of the invasion, so it would be foolish to keep him-" "No," She interrupted him. Her mask finally let way to a little emotion, and it was terrifying. Her mouth turned to a sneer as she suddenly and swiftly brought up the doctor up with her magic and slammed him against the wall, he let out an outcry of pain he tried to use his hooves to grip at the magic around his neck to no avail. "You will get the truth out of him in one week," She said getting closer to his position on the wall. He looked at her eyes with panic as he tried to gasp for breath. "Otherwise, kill the useless runt." She dropped the doctor to the floor as she exited the room. Centipede then decided that he could forgive the doctor for everything he was doing to him, Centipede would have done the same to him if he had the crazy witch threatening him. The doctor just laid there on the floor gasping, tears streaming down his face. After minutes, the doctor was quietly crying, not pain, but of anguish. He turned and looked at centipede's eyes, his own red from the salt water. He just muttered "I'm so sorry." over and over again. Centipede couldn't take it. He breathed out in a hoarse voice, "I forgive you." "She's threatening my wife," He said as he broke down again, letting out sobs as he buried his head in his hooves. "She's expecting our first child. We learned only a few weeks ago that she's a girl. That darned witch is threatening the two things that I live for!" "Buddy," Centipede said as he let out a sigh. "Just. . . kill me. I don't know where Chrysalis is, other than the badlands, and I've told you that already." "I can't," The doctor said as he got up, brushing off the grey dust that covered the floor, which was covered in. He let out a shaky sigh as he positioned himself in front of Centipede. "If I do, then Celestia will kill them, and I'll be on the wrong end of this whole process." "Then I'm real sorry for what I'm about to do," Centipede said as the doctor opened his mouth to question what he meant. Centipede brought his back legs up and kicked him square on the jaw, causing the doctor to stagger back until he fell down, knocked out. Centipede used what little strength he had left in him to bring himself up and remove the magic choking ring around his horn. He smiled as he felt his magic return to him. He removed his shackles, using a spell that he had spent weeks learning from just seeing multiple doctors use on him when moving him from room to room. He praised Faust when it actually worked. Centipede then walked over to the doctor. Centipede was a bit hesitant to copy him, if he screwed up he could be the reason that his wife died. But it wasn't like he had another unconscious body he could copy. He quickly changed into him, uniform and all. Curiosity over taking him, Centipede lifted the hem of the coat to see what exactly his cutie mark was to know that kind of illegal magic. It was a safety pin. He was a kid's doctor? He was being forced to torture people when he was a children's doctor? Centipede felt himself dry heave at the thought. He just wanted this whole experience to be over. He raced out of the dungeons. "That is what happens in the Canterlot dungeons," Centipede ended his horrific tale, leaving Quick Clash on the verge of throwing up. "They don't think twice about killing us. That pony monarch of yours is insane! She wanted me dead!" "But. . ." Quick tried to respond. "Celestia would never do such an evil thing. She has reigned peacefully over us for years!" "Well, one of us is lying. Or it could be that both of us think our version of Celestia is real. I know as a fact mine is real. And you think yours is real, but you are wrong about her." "How do I even know you're telling me the truth?! You're a changeling! You're born for deception!" Centipede rose up on his hind legs and showed him his stomach. Past the exoskeleton on the skin was a scar, one Quick immediately recognised. It was a sun.
Chapter 1 : And So We Begin. . .There is a world far away from our own. Filled with magic, friendship and the purest hearts of any living creatures known to the world. But even in a place that holds thousands of souls bent on making the world a peaceful place filled with the light of good, all it takes is one darkened heart to cause the light to give way to shadow. This is such a tale where the balance of right and wrong is tipped too far. And who sets it right is a shock to everyone. Let us start in a place where we will find a bright, loving heart among misguided souls. She might not know any of what is about to transpire, but she knows what is right and wrong. And sometimes, that is all it takes to make a hero. And so we begin. In the badlands of Equestria, there lived a race feared and hated by almost every other creature. A race that was known to show no mercy. A race that fed on something so near and dear to them, yet they wouldn't even know if that was happening to them. These were the most notorious creatures known to pony kind. One of these creators was a kid panicking about what? Her terrifying mom. Crystal Cocoon stared at the blank wall, her mind racing. Her mother had requested a formal meeting with her. While this wasn't exactly uncommon, it was the subject matter that brought her discomfort. Her mother wanted to speak to her about going on her first feeding. She gulped again. Why did changelings have to be born without being able to fall in love but still be able to fear?! She thought back on the lessons her mother had taught her, specifically her telling the story of how their race had come to be. 'Long ago before the reign of the cursed alicorn sisters, a unicorn had been stricken with an illness that medicine could never cure, a broken heart.' Crystal felt herself involuntarily gag at the thought that their species had come from those dreaded, love hoarding ponies. She thought about the stories some of her brothers and sisters had told her. About how the ponies had taken some of them prisoner and locked them away after they had tried to make a feeding ground out of one of their capitals. It was only one city! They had the rest of their country for Faust's sake! Crystal tried to make herself calm down. She couldn't face her mother like this. She breathed in and out, trying to rid herself of the horror stories that they had told her. But they still lived on in her mind. She gave up and flopped down onto the cobwebs that had been used as her nest from the time she was born. Crystal found it funny that even though everyone in the hive had their own families that everyone called each other brother and sister, sometimes referring to one another as 'sister so and so', or 'brother this and that' if they were close. Crystal had never had anyone do that to her. She tried to think about the story of how her race had come to be, that story she didn't mind as much compared to thinking about the horror stories. Both the one that the other lings had told her and the one called her life. Crystal rolled onto her back, heeding her delicate wings. She stared at the ceiling as she started painting the picture in her mind. 'The unicorn whose heart had been broken tried everything they had ever known to rid themselves from the tragedy of losing their beloved. But nothing ever worked. She soon caught word of a griffon mage who could perform the blackest of magics and realized that it was her only option. 'The unicorn raced to the mage, begging and screaming at her doorstep by the time she got there. The mage took pity on her and invited her inside. When the mare told the griffon of what she sought the griffon refused to help her, saying that she would be releasing something upon the world that no one could control.' Crystal had always liked that. That they were something of which the ponies couldn't control. They had life too easy. They had control of everything. The weather, the land, magic, they had control over the celestial bodies for the mother! She relished in the fact that they were something they could not be swayed by the ponies. Crystal tried to focus back on the story. She finally thought of what happened next. 'When the mage was asleep, her ancestor snuck into a room. The room where the griffon practiced her witchcraft. She had looked high and low until she found it, the book of spells. After gathering the ingredients, all the mare had to do was drink the solution she had made. And she did. 'She felt her sadness from her love's death instantly fade away, leaving her feeling perfectly content. But in the days afterward, she noticed the changes. She needed to constantly be around ponies who were deeply and madly in love. Not only that but her coat was falling off of her body, leaving an exoskeleton of the same color behind. Her teeth became sharper. Other changes occurred until she was the beginning of their glorious race! A changeling!' Crystal let out a sigh, a smile slipping onto her lips. She had always loved that story. A story that reminded her that love, while it was their food, it was dangerous. And no other race had so much love as the ponies. Yet it was the ponies driving them to starvation. You would think for such a peaceful race they would be a bit more sharing. If changelings were fed properly, they had no holes in their bodies, and they had all the variety of the ponies when it came to mane and coat colors, they would fit right in. Now they were black as night, a testament to their hunger. And a testament to the lengths they were willing to go for food now. "Princess Cocoon?" A guard said from the other side of the door. Crystal's head popped up as she fluttered to the door and opened it up. The changeling standing outside was one of the ones that had been out for a feeding recently, his exoskeleton had a slight blue tone to it. It was almost unnoticeable. But Crystal noticed. "Did you have a nice feeding, sir?" Crystal asked, trying to use the voice her mother taught her. Sweet enough to give character, but with enough power to insert fear. His eyes light up and he opened his mouth as if to ask a question, but Crystal silenced him by bringing up her hoof. "Your coat has a slight blue sheen to it." "Really?" He asked, looking at his hoof for the blue hue. Crystal chuckled as she stepped out of her room slightly in front of him to show that she was leading, another trick from her mother. She looked back to the soldier, she was roughly about the same height as him, even though she was far from being a grown up. "Yes, soldier. I will have to show Queen Chrysalis, she will be pleased." "Thank you, princess," He said as he bowed. Crystal flinched at the action. She liked that people respected her enough to bow, but at the same time it felt. . . Wrong. She hadn't done anything to deserve the action. She was only hatched to be great, she hadn't done anything great yet. "Now, what have you come to request from me?" She asked, trying to keep a bored look on her face. It was either bored or terrified. "Your mother has said she is ready to speak with you," He said as he took to his wings. Crystal couldn't help but gulp. Her mother may have been lenient towards her, but she was still rather terrifying. "Very well," Crystal said as she unfurled her wings, trying to get them in a comfortable position for take off. The changeling just gawked at her wings, trying to contain his awe, Crystal's wings were something to behold. They were unlike any other wings in the hive, even though she was starving her wings were in their full glory. They looked more like oversized butterfly wings than something you would find on a changeling as well making them stand out even more. Crystal glanced back at her room, knowing that it could be the last time she saw it. "Let us be off." The chamber was dark, the air thick with the smell of wood rotting and leaves decaying. In its center stood a tall throne, made of black wax and dried twigs. To the average pony, it looked like something that should have been burned along with the end of the Discordian era, but it was one of the few things that could be called beautiful by the changelings of the hive. On the throne a tall, dark figure laid herself across it, her cold eyes searching the room. As if she was looking for someone to condemn. Her eyes settled on the changeling to the left of her chair who was fidgetting uncontrollably. "Private," The figure spoke, her gaze still fixed on the entrance in front of her. The changeling that she had addressed let out an audible yelp of surprise and fear as she looked at her queen with big eyes. "Yes, oh beautiful queen whom all should fear?" She asked her voice several octaves higher than normal from fear. "Where is the princess?" "I. . . I am not sure your highness." The figure looked at the private, her green eyes virtually radiating malice. She sat up right bringing herself to her full height rising a good three feet above the private, with some help from the chair. The private stared at the sight, her throat caught in her throat. The dark figure unfurled her wings making her already impressive appearance absolutely terrifying. Her translucent hair cascaded down her back, stopping just at the base of her wings. She stared at the soldier, opening her mouth to say something when movement from the door caught her attention. Her stern look melted away to reveal a genuine smile. The terrifying queen had been replaced with the joyful mother. "Crystal," Chrysalis cooed as her daughter flew into her lap, hugging her mother with all of the strength stored in her relatively small body. The queen smiled as she lovingly squeezed her daughter back. "Whatever took you so long?" "I was nervous," Crystal admitted, hanging her head in defeat before snuggling closer to her mother. Chrysalis looked at her daughter, a warm smile gracing her lips. She nudged the warm little princess closer to her bringing her hooves to her daughter's wings and lovingly stroking them. Chrysalis wished that a changeling's love for another changeling could feed her people, but it had to be from a different species in order to work. Aside from that, the price would be far too high for her people if they could remember every heartbreak. Chrysalis sometimes wished she could remember the love she had held for some of her past husbands, but she knew that it would have been too painful. Far, far too painful. Crystal pulled away from her mother and looked her in the eyes before nodding her head. Chrysalis was confused before she realized what Crystal was trying to convey to her. "Are you sure you're ready, Crystal?" Chrysalis asked, worry evident in her voice. A part of her had been hoping that Crystal would have said no again so she could still have her baby girl. For Crystal to always be under her watchful eye, but Chrysalis knew if Crystal wanted to go she had to allow it. If she didn't, Crystal would never learn what she needed to rule the hive. But Chrysalis still wanted to be sure. "It is a dangerous realm out there, especially now that the ponies know of us. I wish. . . If only my love for you would suffice. . . . Then you would never have to leave." "Mother," Crystal started, doing her best to choke back the whimpers that wanted to escape from her throat. "I'm sure. If I don't go now, I never will. And I wish that we could feed each other too. . . You still haven't told me why we can't." "I know, it's just-" "Mother, if I am leaving I need to know," Crystal said as she fluttered out of her seat and took her place in the, albeit slightly smaller, throne next to her mother's, turning her head to stare into her eyes. Chrysalis stared into her daughter's eyes. Chrysalis had always loved her daughter's eyes. They were a green the spoke of spring instead of eyes telling of a dying summer. Chrysalis realized just how beautiful her daughter was right then. She had grown up so fast. She could barely bring herself to part with her baby girl. "I'll tell you. "The first Changeling realized something when one of her first family members found out about her. It was her brother and he told her that she was a monster who had tampered with things out of her control. He had told her that she was to never see him again. "But the thing was she couldn't bring herself to care. She still remembered being fond of him, but she could never bring herself to love him. That is when she realized that she wouldn't have the ability to love anyone who broke her heart. This brought her great joy, but also great sadness. This meant when one of the ponies that she loved died that she wouldn't love them anymore. Such is the affliction of the changelings. Our greatest gift is our greatest curse." "Wha-what?!" Crystal shrieked. Of all the things she had been expecting, that had not been one of them. "You see, Crystal," Chrysalis started as she got off her throne to get eye level with her daughter. "Only creatures who are able to love without forgetting, their love can give us nutrition. Changelings are not capable of constant love." "But. . ." Crystal tried to choke out as she flung her hooves around her mother's shoulders. "But I'll always love you!" "I will always love you too," Chrysalis whispered as she hugged her daughter's neck. A tear slipped down her cheek as she tried to contain herself, knowing that there were other guards in the room. But Chrysalis knew the truth of what was going to happen once she died. Because she had said the same thing to her own mother. "Sir!" A stallion's voice called out from the trees as he raced back to his commander. He was stumbling over himself as he tried to get back to his commanding officer. Quick Clash turned towards the sound. Just as he did a grown stallion came bursting from the bushes panting and sweating as he tried to get out the important news he had brought with him. Quick just stared at the soldier who was under his command as his mind tried to wrap around what he had just seen. His mind suddenly caught up to the current moment. "What has happened, soldier?" "A. . . ! And it. . . ! Just. . . Look!" He screamed as he pointed to bushes. Quick turned his head just in time to see a changeling step out of the bushes, a bewildered look taped to his face. Quick felt himself take in a breath of air as he accidentally choked on it as he stared at the changeling. Quick instantly summoned a mana sword as he recovered from his coughing fit and pointed it at the changeling. "What are you doing here, monster?!" "I've come to turn myself in." Quick stared at the creature, unable to comprehend what is had just said. "What." Author's Note I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter of Changing Balance ! Please comment down below if you enjoyed! Oh, and also type 'Centipede' in your comment and I will reply 100% of the time!
Chapter 2 : In the NightNight Dance stared at the window as tears fell from her eyes. She felt sobs rise from her throat as she folded her hooves on the window pane. She stopped trying to hide her anguish as she cried into her front arms. Her body shook with every ragged breath she took in. She felt as though she were dying. Suddenly a light appeared behind her as she looked up from her arms in shock. She cried out with confusion when the light grew brighter than anything, even brighter than the sun which she seldom saw anymore. Suddenly standing in the middle of the room was. . . Herself? She looked exhausted, the rug beneath her was charred, and bits of it were turning red from the sheer heat. The version of herself that had just appeared took notice and started quickly stamping out the red embers. "What in the name of Faust?!" Night Dance cried as she got off of her seat next to the window and started walking towards herself, only to have her doppelganger's hoof slap over her own mouth. Night Dance gagged, tasting the ash on the false her's hoof. "I have not much time!" The copy of herself cried out as she lowered her hoof. "You must go to The Blackbird!" "The witch?!" Night cried out as she brought her hoof and did a quick sign of the cross so as to not curse herself for mentioning the witch. "Who are you to request my death sentence!?" "I am thou from seven days in the future!" The copy told her. "I used a spell the witch had stolen. Now if we are to ever cure our broken heart, you must go to The Blackbird! 'Tis the only way!" "But-!" Night tried to plead with herself, but the future version of herself brought up her hoof to silence her. And much to Night's horror lightning was beginning to cover the hoof. "I have to go back now!" The copy said as she brought her hoof back down. "And the scroll is in the dish bowl! And she isn't a witch she's a mage! Also-!" But just as she had appeared she disappeared in a bright flash leaving the distraught mare to ponder her sanity. But just as the night began to quiet she looked at the window and screamed a pitiful, agonizing screech of insanity. Crystal sat up panting, covered in a cold sweat. She frantically looked about her. She saw nothing but blackness trying to swallow her. The suffocating darkness! It was choking her! Crystal screamed as she used her horn to try and provide light for her to see. She kept panting as she tried to get the terrible nightmare out of her mind. She looked about her room, in search of a copy of herself that she hoped she would never find. "Princess!" A guard cried as he came running into her room. Crystal screamed, but more out of shock than anything else that time. The changeling's wide eyes took in every detail of the chamber before she sighed and looked at her, a knowing grin taped to her face. "Nightmare?" Crystal could only nod, her ears splayed backward. She came to her nest and sat down next to her, setting her hoof on top of hers. Crystal smiled at the guard, touched by this small act of kindness. How could pony kind think that they were heartless? They had bigger hearts than they would ever have! "Do you want to talk about your nightmare, princess?" The guard asked, using her other hoof to remove the helmet from her head. Crystal looked into her blue compound eyes before nodding. The guard smiled as she lied down on the floor next to her, doing her best to get into a comfy position. "Go ahead, I won't say a word until you're done." "It. . ." Crystal started, a little unsure of where to start. She decided to just try and explain as she went, asking every once in a while if the guard was keeping up with the story, she would just smile and nod most of the time. Only every once in a while would she ask a question at those times and they were relatively easy to answer. At the end of it, the guard was in complete silence, more than a little unnerved by the princess's tale. Not because it was exceptionally scary, it wasn't even very creepy, but it was recognizable as one of the queen's nightmares when she had been a filly. She hadn't been there to hear it, but her great-grandmother had been there and told her about it when she was just a kid. "Maybe, you should tell your mother," The guard suggested. Crystal looked at the guard with wide eyes, thinking she must have heard that wrong. The guard just rolled her eyes. "Truly, princess. She is your mother if I am not mistaken." "But. . ." Crystal said, trying to come up with the right words like her mother always did. "A future queen of the hive being so easily frightened by a figment of her imagination? I would be nothing but a joke to her! I simply can't do that. . ." "Insecta. my name is Insecta." "Well, Private Insecta, I really can't tell her," Crystal said, turning her back to the kind changeling. "Not only will she laugh at me, so will everyone else." "Please," Insecta said with a snort. "If anyone even laughs in y'alls direction yah mom'll send 'em to Tartarus!" Crystal just stared at the changeling, her eyes wide. None of her brothers or sisters ever got this relaxed around her. She rather liked it. Insecta realized just how relaxed that she had gotten, slipping into one of her favorite pony accents. "Many apologies my princess," Insecta said as she straightened her posture, or as much as she could when she was still lying on her belly. If Queen Chrysalis heard of this. . . ! "No!" Crystal screamed, flinching at the volume that she had used. Insecta flinched to, she was using a hoof to rub her temple. Crystal tried to relax again, this time using a much softer voice, "I mean, no, don't apologize. No one ever gets this comfortable around me. It's really nice." "Seventeen bottles of cider on the wall," Centipede sang out, leaning against the iron bars of the wheeled cell. They had been traveling for hours, it was the dead of night with only stars as his company. "Seventeen bottles of cider!" "Will you just can it already?!" Quick Clash shouted at the changeling, his ears splayed as far down and with as much force as he could. Well, stars, as well as him, were Centipede's only company. The other guard who had been a pegasus had flown ahead to prepare the dungeons for his "arrival." Such a pretty word for execution. Quick had to give this changeling points for annoyingness. He had dealt with dragons with more ease than this changeling. At least they hadn't sung the same stupid song for hours straight. "Sorry, sir," Centipede said, standing up and walking as close to the driver of the wagon like device as he could. "But along with the right of silence, I have a right to speech." "Legal Equestrians have a right to speech," Quick barked. "You are an illegal monster." "Correction," Centipede said, relaxed as he leaned against the bars facing the raging unicorn, only turning his head slightly towards the soldier. "I'm a registered member of Equestria, you just recently labeled me as a monster. That's all." That caused Quick's mind to do a double take. He stared at the back of the changeling who had willingly turned himself in. He had been wondering why he had turned himself in the entire time they had been together. He had just kept singing. "What do you mean legal citizen?" He asked, wanting to know more, even if the changeling was lying. "I mean what I said," Centipede pressed. "You made it illegal to be a changeling when not all of us all evil! In fact, almost none of us are! The attack on Canterlot was a last resort for that branch of the hive. They were starving." "How do you know this if you weren't a part of the attack?!" "Because like news with ponies, word spreads like wildfire among the changeling communities too," Centipede said as he faced the direction of his captor. "We are just like ponies, we just have different needs. We have entire communities spread across all over Equus. But thanks to one misunderstanding, it's suddenly illegal for us to exist! You don't want justice, for a misunderstanding with zero casualties no less, you want genocide!" "I would never want an entire race to be killed over what happened in Canterlot!" Quick shouted, throwing off the reins to the wagon and facing the creator that was bad mouthing his race. "Killing an entire race for that actions of a couple hundred is ridiculous!" Centipede just glared at the unicorn, not sure what to say to him. He knew that the last comment he had thrown at him had stepped over the line, even if it was true. Centipede could only hang his head as he said in a small voice, "Then tell me this... "What happens to the changelings that you've captured?" ". . . And-and then, his cover drops! In the middle o' his party, he was scared as a rattler being caught in a hen house!" Insecta cried out in her thick country accent as she doubled over with laughter along with Crystal. Insecta had been telling Crystal stories for the past hour, trying to keep her mind off of the nightmare and it had worked. Both of them had no clue what time it was, and they didn't care, they were having too much fun. "It was family only right?" Crystal asked, still struggling for breath. "No reviling himself to ponies right?" "O' course!" Insecta wheezed out, her thick country accent still present. "You scare a changeling good enough his disguise is bound to fail 'im." "I'll have to keep that in mind when I go on my first feeding," Crystal said, some of the humor slipping out of her voice. Crystal looked at Insecta with pleading eyes. "It's not as scary as it sounds, right? Your first feeding?" "Oh, trust me, darling," Insecta said wrapping her hoof around crystal's neck in a friendly gesture. "It's gonna terrify ya. But, when you look back on it y'all will never be prouder of yourself in your life. You just gotta try to relax, and do what come naturally. That is the only way to actually succeed in a feeding." "Oh, ok," Crystal said with more than just a little uncertainty. She was still nervous, but talking with Insecta really did help. "Thank you." "Whatever fer?" "Just," Crystal said as she tried to find the right words. "For comforting me about my first feeding. All of this has pretty nerve wracking. And it's nice to have a friendly face support you." "Well," Insecta said, she cheeks sporting a light blue blush. "That's a mighty big compliment, comin' from a princess no less." "Don't think of me as a princess please," Crystal begged. She had had enough of people calling her princess to last a lifetime. "Just think of me as a friend. Or better yet!" Crystal buzzed off of the nest bringing her hooves up to her face in excitement. "A little sister!" Insecta was a bit taken aback by the thought of her princess being a little sister being her honorary little sister. But she couldn't say no to such a cute smile. "Ah guess I'm a princess too now, huh?"
Chapter 3 : In the PastChrysalis stared out the window that she had put in her room. It was one of the few openings in the hive. She knew that it was a slight hazard, but it was times like this that she needed some comfort from the open sky. She couldn't fly, but at the very least she could see it. Chrysalis stared out at the sky, a dreamy look taking over her face. She remembered when she was a foal how she could fly freely among the clouds. She would even race some of the other changeling foals when she was young. She remembered her falling in love with a young changeling. He was so kind. . . If only she could remember him the way she had fallen in love with him. "Your highness?" Chrysalis was snapped out of her daze. "Yes, commander Mothball?" She asked, her voice slightly downcast. "The princess says she refuses to leave until she has had an audience with you." Said the slender changeling as he opened the door wider so as to allow Chrysalis a way out. Chrysalis let out a sigh. She had been hoping that Crystal would have already left. She didn't want to have to say goodbye. It always hurt to say goodbye. But she knew it hurt more to not have a chance to do so. "Very well," Chrysalis said as she used a spell to fill the window once again. She stared at the place where the opening had been, longing for the entire hive to have been free from hiding. But she had probably ruined any and all chances of that with that foolish Canterlot stunt. Chrysalis was sure she could have succeeded, but she had rushed it too much. She was so rushed. She was determined to welcome her child into a world filled with love and a well-fed hive. But instead, she had exposed her kind and food was more scarce than ever. Chrysalis turned to the commander and nodded, signaling him to lead her to the throne room. He gave a curt nod as he robotically guided the way. Chrysalis followed, hoping that he would take the long route. If he took that one, they would be able to avoid the most populated parts of the hive. Chrysalis still felt ashamed for her irresponsible planning of trying to get Canterlot. She had just wanted to give her people enough love to be content. But instead, she had failed them. Chrysalis felt a groan escape her lips as they took a turn. It was the turn that led them through the home district of the hive. She could only suck it up seeing as some of her subjects had already seen her coming their way. 'Just try to keep your composure,' Chrysalis thought to herself as she looked around, keeping a bored expression on her face and sending out the occasional wave to the children who waved at her. Every once in a while, she would have to fake a yawn, trying to mask her tears. Even the children were starving. But they still loved her. They still waved. A few clapped their hooves. And children gave her looks of wonder. They would gather at the fringes of the street whispering amongst themselves, giggling as she passed, but not in a mocking way, just they way children did. Chrysalis felt her eyes widen as an adolescent boy actually made his way onto the road and stopped in front of her. Her escort noticed this and was about to bark at the youth until she held up a hoof and silenced him. The crowd held their collective breath, especially his parent who had been trying to get him to come back before he got in trouble. "Wewwo," He said as he looked up at her with big eyes. Chrysalis knelt down to get eye level with him. He giggled as he hugged his her nose, causing a gasp to come from the crowd. Chrysalis saw the mother faint out of the corner of her eye, causing a small smirk to form on her lips. Then Chrysalis did the unexpected she grabbed him off of her nose with her hooves. The crowd held their breaths she brought her mouth to the poor child's stomach. The mother was crying at this point, but she didn't dare get close to the queen. Chrysalis's mouth finally made contact with his stomach, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. Then the sound of someone blowing a raspberry filled their ears. They all looked up in shock, wanting to know who was so insane as to blow a raspberry at the Queen. When soft babyish giggles they all fixed their gazes on the queen who was. . . Playing with the baby? The mother cried with joy as she laid eyes on her healthy toddler. Chrysalis laid him down on the ground after a minute more of playing with him. Chrysalis smiled as he toddled back to his mother who was waiting for him with open hooves. Chrysalis felt a tear roll down her cheek as she watched the mother hug her newborn, never letting him go. Chrysalis hastily told the escort to move along, not wanting to stay around. The guard was confused but didn't dare question his queen. They quickly made their way to the main road to the throne room. Chrysalis hadn't wanted to stay because she noticed the father hugging his baby, with no fear of never seeing him again. "Oh, I can't do this!" Crystal cried as she kept pacing. She had arrived in the throne room mere moments ago, and she had been freaking out ever since. He wings were fluttering out of a nervous habit, speeding up whenever she got extremely anxious lifting her off the ground slightly. "Suger, y'all gotta calm down," Insecta said as she came behind her and put a hoof around her shoulders. "She's your mother. Y'all just gotta talk to her all calm like and then after talkin' you go off on ya first adventure!" "O-ok," Crystal said, still unsure of whether or not she was doing the right thing. She brought up a hoof to her mouth and started biting at it; another bad habit. "I'm still not sure, Innie. My stomach's in knots, I feel sweaty, and I think I'm gonna throw up!" "Crystal," Insecta deadpanned. "That's called being nervous." "I know, and I hate it!" Crystal cried out as she placed her head in her hooves and groaned only the way a teenager can groan. She wanted to flop on the ground and turn invisible. She wanted to just be a normal changeling with no princess expectations. Just to be normal. Heck, maybe even being a pony would be nice. "Crystal," Insecta started, but then a terrified look overwhelmed her face as she suddenly stiffened up, her posture perfect. Crystal was confused, but she knew that that meant her mother had just entered the building. Crystal slowly turned round, a fake smile glued to her face. She was outwardly calm, but inwardly dreading every second. "Hi, mother," Crystal said robotically. Crystal couldn't help but feel nervous in the presence of her mother. She had to only blame her brothers and sisters' stories about her punishing lings before she had children. They said that she had become much more relaxed over the years. Chrysalis entered the way she did on a daily basis. The entire room, with the exception of Crystal, would bow before her, she would address them to get back to work, they would hurry off to tend to their jobs, and then she would relax and give Crystal a hug. This time, however, Crystal didn't want the hug. She just wanted to disappear. She stared at Chrysalis and saw something. Something in her eyes, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was dread. "Mother," Crystal said as she pawed at the blackened dirt. 'Come on! Just get it out!' "Mother, I'm absolutely confident that I'm ready for this. But, I won't go unless you find me ready." Chrysalis was shocked, and it clearly showed on her face. She had just expected her daughter to say goodbye and be on her way to making her own hive, as she did, never looking back. But here she was, showing a level of respect for her opinion that even some of her generals failed to show. Chrysalis could feel her vision getting mistier as she curtly nodded, showing just how much she supported her daughter, who was also getting teared up. Chrysalis signalled two soldiers to step forth, apparently generals from their elaborate armor. That was one of the things she envied about lower classes of changelings. They had armour the pronounce their status which could be easily removed to fit in with other changelings. That and the uniform just looked real bad donkey. From the midnight blue portions to the beautiful grey details on the chest that were comparable to bramble thorns, it was simply incredible. Crystal, when she was even younger, had been there for every show of force against an imposing beast, where the soldiers, and if she was lucky, and generals would kill it, scare it, or if it was capable of love, drain it and put it in the love reserves. Crystal gave them a small wave, her face a mix of worries and anxieties. They just gave emotionless nods as they approached her and one stationed themselves on either side of her, causing her to let out a small yelp as one of them accidentally brushed against her. Crystal just rubbed her wing with one hoof, looking into her mother's eyes for any sign of doubt that she could act upon to get out of this. But none was there. Part of Crystal swelled with pride, the other half let out an angst-filled groan. She is a teenager after all. Centipede let out a cry of agony as he writhed against the Magic that was aimed against his stomach. He could feel his skin scorching. Bleeding. Dying. The magic was taken away, causing him to relax against his restraints that were fixing him to the ceiling. His pants were labored as he brought up his eyes to stare into the "doctor's." That just earned him another jolt of five hundred thousand volts. He ground his teeth so as to not give the sick physician the satisfaction of getting him to scream again. That resolve was broken when the doctor turned up the voltage by another five hundred thousand. When he finally stopped, Centipede was crying. Not crying out in pain, just crying. He knew that the rest of his family was going through this torture. Maybe even some of the younger lings. Great Faust, they might be dead if they were going through this. And the newborns. . . His eyes snapped open as he heard the squeak hinges of the door to his cell open up. His mouth opened up in a silent scream. Standing before him was the one who had ordered this torture for his kind. Celestia stood behind the doctor, her cold eyes staring at him. Her coat seemed to glow in contrast to the grey rock that surrounded them, which Centipede had learned was sound proof. Probably meaning that those ignorant ponies didn't know that they were walking on top of innocent blood. "Has he told you were the great hive is?" Celestia asked coldly, no emotion showing in her pink eyes. Centipede felt his hatred for her grow even more. And to think he had respected her wishes before the Canterlot invasion as a monarch. She was just an actor wearing whatever mask is required to stay in command. "No, Princess," The doctor said as he removed his blood-stained goggles, revealing grey, tired eyes. "Perhaps he really doesn't know where they are. Your highness. . . Even the most committed generals in the Equestrian army would have given in to this type of torture. Perhaps. . . We could just put him under house arrest. He might not have been a part of the invasion, so it would be foolish to keep him-" "No," She interrupted him. Her mask finally let way to a little emotion, and it was terrifying. Her mouth turned to a sneer as she suddenly and swiftly brought up the doctor up with her magic and slammed him against the wall, he let out an outcry of pain he tried to use his hooves to grip at the magic around his neck to no avail. "You will get the truth out of him in one week," She said getting closer to his position on the wall. He looked at her eyes with panic as he tried to gasp for breath. "Otherwise, kill the useless runt." She dropped the doctor to the floor as she exited the room. Centipede then decided that he could forgive the doctor for everything he was doing to him, Centipede would have done the same to him if he had the crazy witch threatening him. The doctor just laid there on the floor gasping, tears streaming down his face. After minutes, the doctor was quietly crying, not pain, but of anguish. He turned and looked at centipede's eyes, his own red from the salt water. He just muttered "I'm so sorry." over and over again. Centipede couldn't take it. He breathed out in a hoarse voice, "I forgive you." "She's threatening my wife," He said as he broke down again, letting out sobs as he buried his head in his hooves. "She's expecting our first child. We learned only a few weeks ago that she's a girl. That darned witch is threatening the two things that I live for!" "Buddy," Centipede said as he let out a sigh. "Just. . . kill me. I don't know where Chrysalis is, other than the badlands, and I've told you that already." "I can't," The doctor said as he got up, brushing off the grey dust that covered the floor, which was covered in. He let out a shaky sigh as he positioned himself in front of Centipede. "If I do, then Celestia will kill them, and I'll be on the wrong end of this whole process." "Then I'm real sorry for what I'm about to do," Centipede said as the doctor opened his mouth to question what he meant. Centipede brought his back legs up and kicked him square on the jaw, causing the doctor to stagger back until he fell down, knocked out. Centipede used what little strength he had left in him to bring himself up and remove the magic choking ring around his horn. He smiled as he felt his magic return to him. He removed his shackles, using a spell that he had spent weeks learning from just seeing multiple doctors use on him when moving him from room to room. He praised Faust when it actually worked. Centipede then walked over to the doctor. Centipede was a bit hesitant to copy him, if he screwed up he could be the reason that his wife died. But it wasn't like he had another unconscious body he could copy. He quickly changed into him, uniform and all. Curiosity over taking him, Centipede lifted the hem of the coat to see what exactly his cutie mark was to know that kind of illegal magic. It was a safety pin. He was a kid's doctor? He was being forced to torture people when he was a children's doctor? Centipede felt himself dry heave at the thought. He just wanted this whole experience to be over. He raced out of the dungeons. "That is what happens in the Canterlot dungeons," Centipede ended his horrific tale, leaving Quick Clash on the verge of throwing up. "They don't think twice about killing us. That pony monarch of yours is insane! She wanted me dead!" "But. . ." Quick tried to respond. "Celestia would never do such an evil thing. She has reigned peacefully over us for years!" "Well, one of us is lying. Or it could be that both of us think our version of Celestia is real. I know as a fact mine is real. And you think yours is real, but you are wrong about her." "How do I even know you're telling me the truth?! You're a changeling! You're born for deception!" Centipede rose up on his hind legs and showed him his stomach. Past the exoskeleton on the skin was a scar, one Quick immediately recognised. It was a sun.
