Home Is Where Your Heart Is
"How was school, Seren?"
"Mommy, I wanna be a pony when I grow up!"
The instant laughter that proceeded this statement never left Seren. She remembered feeling so small while her mother and all of the other present Hive members laughed in her innocent, cherubic face. Before this statement had been made, Seren hadn't really cared much for ponykind. She had just begun to learn of the war in school, and they had fascinated her, but she hadn't actually wanted to beone.
Until that day.
After the laughs bombarded her, Seren had run to her older brother Faber, who embraced her while she cried. He was the only changeling she knew when she was young who actually loved her.
Love was a strange concept to changelings. If you asked most of them what love was, they would reply with, "food". There was a small hoof-full, however, who would reply with a very different answer.
This answer was the Equestrian definition of love. This was the definition that she related to Faber, of course.
As the years went by, Faber continued to be her only source of Equestrian love. They both had a common goal; to prove to the world that not all changelings are monsters. They had very different ideas on how to go about it, however. Faber had always dreamed of joining the Queen's army to fight against the Equestrians. He thought that the only way to get Equestrians to listen to the lives and values of the changelings was to be exactly like they thought changelings were, only to prove them wrong after their attention had been grabbed.
Before the day the laughter rang out, Seren had shared this dream. But afterwards, she realized how unhappy she was in the place she considered home. So, she invented a new desire; to leave Changeling Country and travel to Equestria to live among and study ponykind. She believed that if she saw how different the two races really were, they could find a common ground.
So there they were, the Warmonger and the Pacifist. Ironically (especially in Faber's case), they both shared the desire to bring about peace between the two races.
One day, when Seren was older, she was reflecting on her brother Faber, who had already left to pursue his dream of peace. "You must be patient," he had told her when they were young. But Seren wanted to act. She knew that it was foolhardy to leave without preparation, however. She needed to wait until just the right moment.
She went out of her Nest to meet with the rest of the Hive. Every week, the members of her local Hive had to meet to divide the love that the scouts had gathered into equal, fair, portions. It was a complicated magic ritual that Seren didn't quite understand, but basically, all of the love that scouts stole from other species was gathered in a small section of their bodies. Then, the queen would dissect the scouts who had gathered food over the course of that week and distribute it among her citizens. Needless to say, it was a ghastly process.
After the sacrificial ritual, she lined up to get her portion. While she was waiting, she overheard a conversation between two other changelings who had already received theirs.
"So, what do you think of the plan?"
"I like it. Should we find her now?"
"No, I'm sure Faber will tell her himself."
"But he's on the front lines! He might not make it."
"Well, what should we do? She needs to know the new plan!"
At this time, a swarm of changelings flew in between her and the conversees. By the time the crowd had cleared, the girls were gone.
"What plan?" Seren thought to herself. "Why hasn't Faber told me about it yet?" A tear began to well up in her one good eye.
"Doesn't he love me?"
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That night, Seren had a dream.
"Home is where your heart is." A disembodied voice had rung out over the empty dreamscape. Suddenly, Faber faded into existence.
"Faber!" Seren shouted. He was distant, far away. She called out to him, and ran toward him. She never got any closer. The voice continued to ring, "Home is where your heart is, home is where your heart is, home is where your heart is..."
She woke with a start, and knew what she had to do.
She snuck out of her Nest and flew to the train. She bought a one-way ticket with money stolen from her mother, who had never loved her the same way Faber did. She boarded the train, shifted into a pony form, and fell asleep.
She never woke up.
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Halfway across the world, Faber is on the battlefield, doing his part to bring peace to Changeling Country. A quick stab from his lance, the enemy falls, run to the next, repeat cycle. This was the only battle instruction that he received before he had actually gone onto the field. While this tactic was effective, it also left very little room to allow for one or two Equestrians to live. Maybe later, he would tell himself.
After the enemy was cleaned out several hours later, the changeling army retreated back to its camp hidden within the surrounding forest. There, awaiting the soldiers was food, drink, medicine, and news. Faber, not needing food or medical attention, went to the news tent. Maybe I can work on the plan some more once I know what's happening back home, Faber thought to himself.
Mere moments after entering the tent, Faber felt an intense sense of dread creeping up upon him. He grabbed the paper for Equestria Daily.
"Seren," he whispered. He silently walked out of the news tent and into his own. He then proceeded to cry.
Equestria Daily
Changeling Spy Infiltrates Traincar, Is Killed On Sight
Late last night, an adolescent changeling was found boarding a train to Canterlot from the changeling capital, Central City. Although the soldier did have a ticket to board the train, it is still unclear as to how it was obtained. The body, upon closer inspection, had an ID tag labeling her as Seren Greystone, a resident at Central. This, as well as the ticket stub needed to board the train, were the only things that Greystone was carrying at the time of her death.
As for the death itself, the changeling was found sleeping in a private car on the train. Her disguise had worn off after being cast several hours before she was discovered. Once the train stopped, a royal guard from Canterlot Castle boarded and slit her throat with his own horn.
The killer, Purple Blade, was interviewed shortly after the murder took place. "I did the city a great justice by killing that spy. I single-hoofedly stopped a possible invasion by Changeling Country. If one comes, after all, who knows how many more are on their way?"
On behalf of the Canterlot royal guard, Equestria Daily would like to warn all Equestrian citizens to stay indoors unless in the military. The changeling threat may move among us now. Nopony can be trusted.
"Purple Blade, huh?" Faber lowered the report, a burning fire of hatred in his eyes. "Forget world peace... I'm out for revenge."
Author's Note
Just in case no one could tell, Purple Blade is supposed to be a spoof of Purple Guy from the FNAF series. :P
