In the Heart of the Badlands
The Badlands was a harsh place, full of nothing but dry, arid desert. A death sentence for the unprepared, yet, life there persists. And, in some rare cases, as with the love-devouring changelings, life utterly thrived.
The throne room from where Chrysalis, queen of the changelings and matriarch to her hive, sat with what few of her subjects made up her royal court was carved right from the reddish-brown rock which littered the desert landscape. Light showed through carefully-sculpted cracks and lines in the stony ceiling, illuminating what lied below in a faint glow.
She had been called from her current plotting on the inhabitants of Equestria on something that demanded her full attention. According to the report, her ever-loyal soldiers had grabbed what could only be described as something abnormal. Signalling that the tedious wait was at an end, the large stone doors leading to the room began to open, and two figures started to walk in. The first one, who was leading the other, was clearly a changeling dressed in sapphire armor. Following behind him was a significantly taller and leaner thing that immediately caused the queen to raise a brow. Chrysalis, in all the hundreds of years she had been around for, had never seen what she was now witnessing.
The being, clad completely in dark clothing that covered every bit of itself, save for its hooded face and a pack of some kind resting on its hunched back, shambled forward with a limping gait. The only thing that could be seen of its face as it approached was multiple, small, greenish, tentacle-esque appendages that seemed to constantly worm around, as well as a pair of piercing, yellow, pupil-less eyes gazing out of the murky darkness. Its overall form caused Chrysalis to ponder just what it was, for it possessed a decidedly not pony-like shape. It was upright, with but a single pair of legs, as well as long arms that ended in hands.
"My queen, we found this interloper practically knocking on the front door," the drone spoke to her. "Before you ask why he appears to not have his love sucked out like the juice from an apple, it is because we could not find any within him, and before we could kill him he asked specifically to have audience with you. He said it dealt purely in the realm of 'business'."
"You have my appreciation, Captain," Chrysalis thanked, before setting her full attention on the creature. "Speak, worm. Who are you, what are you, and why have you come here? And no tricks! I'll know if and when you're lying..."
"I am but a wandering vendor," the hooded figure began to reply in a low and guttural, but clearly male tone, bowing his head slightly as the multiple feeler extremities continued to wriggle about from his concealed face. "To specify further, I am an Agent sent by my masters, the Nine, to explore this land. I have been directed to this location to scour and search for but only one thing. And that thing is something your kind might possibly recognize as coins."
Reaching a gloved hand into the side of his robe, he pulled something out of a pocket that had the appearance of a flat metal circle of sorts. "Coins resembling these."
Enveloping the strange coin in a halo of light green energy from her crooked horn, Chrysalis gently tugged it from his grasp and brought it up to her face for a closer inspection. It looked like a goldish-bronze-tinted disk, with one side showing off a greenish gemstone of sorts in its center. The queen let out a hum as she recognized its basic shape.
"Well, I do have memory of coming across a few of these when we first carved my kingdom out here. We deemed the things as worthless relics, and didn't pay them much mind..." Chrysalis replied, finishing her thorough examining the object, letting it drift back down to the being. "I am sure that if my subjects scrounge around hard enough that they shall find them once more. That doesn't mean that I'm willing to give them over to you for nothing, creature."
"There is no need for worry of that sort," the being insisted with a raised and steady hand, still keeping his courteous tone despite his throaty voice and ever-twitching demeanor. "I have been instructed to trade material possessions for these artifacts. They are worthless to one such as the Nine and I, but I'm sure your kind could find some sort of use for them. I have all manner of books, clothing, tapestries, precious gems, armor, and the occasional weapon for sale, if it piques your interest."
Upon hearing these words, Chrysalis brought two hole-filled hooves to her snout as she contemplated her final answer, shifting the occasional look and glance at the few members of her court with the turns of her head. "What is your name?" she finally asked, staring back at him.
"I am Xûr," he answered. "I am but a tool for my masters and I have purpose. And that purpose is trade. Nothing more."
"Very well, 'Xûr'. I have thought it over, and I officially permit you to barter with my changelings for what you seek," Chrysalis smiled, exposing her fangs better. "...All in exchange for your wares, of course."
"You have the thanks of the Nine," Xûr bowed again in humble fashion. "I am also at liberty to let you know that I shall not stay here for long, your highness. The Nine bid I travel to many a location in constant fashion, so you shall be rid of my presence soon enough."
"Yes, yes, whatever," she replied in an uncaring fashion. "Just leave my sight before I change my mind! I have work I must return to..."
Xûr gladly turned about and began to hobble away in as slow and doddering of a movement as when he arrived, with the captain making sure he stayed on course. While the changelings in the court began to whisper among themselves over the events that had just transpired, Queen Chrysalis continued to watch the alien being with a curious, if not somewhat perturbed gleam in her green eyes.
"Hmph. What a strange, wretched creature..." she mumbled to herself, all ready to forget the moment and return to her plotting against the ponies she despised so very much.
The dancing orange flames of a torch illuminated what little there was to be seen in the small, dank, sunless tunnel. Xûr had decided to set up shop at a corner of this dark little place, for it was as he found most appealing and comforting at the moment. It was here he made his bargains, and those who wished to utilize his services came down here for just that.
Also, it so happened to be a spot sitting right next to a small prison cell made of a resiny, green, and very solid substance, whose occupants were a pair of changelings. In front of the jail was a single drone. The guard had been counting something in his holed hoof for a few minutes, and began his little activity once the fair line of changelings dealing with the being nearby had finally shortened, then ceased and vanished from sight. Looking around, as if making sure nobody else was watching, he left his post and buzzed over to Xûr's location.
"Greetings to you," Xûr welcomed in the same tone he used with all of his past customers.
"I'm looking to buy, and I'm looking to make it quick. So... how much'll five of these coin-things get me?" the drone inquired. "I could've sworn I had six, but this is all I managed to dig up."
"Hrmrm... I shall show you," Xûr spoke back with a small gurgle, opening up his satchel and pulling out three objects. What he displayed on the rock in front of him was a golden pocket watch, a book with a picture of a pegasus dressed in exploring attire, and what appeared to be an earring made of silver, lined with small jewels. The changeling bit his lip as his teal eyes scanned over the three choices, before finally resting on one.
"I'll take this," he finally said, pointing to the book. Handing over the strange coins to Xûr, the changeling snatched up the book with giddy expression and quickly scampered off into the tunnel, most likely to deposit his new possession in a safe place before returning to his post guarding the prisoners.
That appeared to be the final changeling of the hour. For the last two days he received an ample amount of visitations by the creatures, each one more than willing to pay as many coins as they could find and carry for his wares. Most received an assorted miscellaneous item for their troubles, but a select few nabbed themselves something a bit more lavish, such as a ceremonial knife from a far-off land, or a well-crafted short sword of some kind he had been storing away.
But now, he could feel usual pangs within himself telling him his time trading here was at its end. Even the current, and unmistakable sensation of the planetary alignment was beckoning every cell in his twisted, spindly form that he now had to leave for elsewhere. It didn't take Xûr long to start putting his things away. As he worked on it, fitting what he had into multiple places on his satchel, he couldn't help but notice a curiosity-inspired commotion coming from the prison adjacent to his position.
The pair of changelings sitting in the cell, which were a male and female, and clearly mated by whatever custom the beings of this world practiced, bore a mildly different appearance from what changelings he saw so far living freely in this hive. They had a green tint to their monochromatic eyes, greatly unlike the teal coloring of the workers and soldiers, and while each of the two were heavily bruised, scratched, and battered from what could only be assumed as aftereffects of the methods that their capture induced, Xûr could see, from what little attention he had paid to them, that they didn't seem to possess the trademark holes in their hooves. In said hooves of the female was a dirty, grey cloth bundle of a kind with the girth of a bag. Not a very large one, but one nonetheless.
With his time up, coins collected, and things packed away safely, Xûr passed by their jail, heading in the direction that would eventually lead him to the exit. While he stayed on course, a loud, guttural cough sounded; clearly a blatant signal for a want of attention. Letting his eyes wander to its location, Xûr soon came across the sight of the imprisoned changelings once again. They were both standing at the very edge of the greenish prison, staring at him intensely. It was quite clear that they wanted to talk.
"Please sir. If you'll hear us, we both have a simple request of you. Before you go, may you take our eggs with you?" the male of the pair asked in a hurried tone practically reeking of desperation. Xûr slowly looked at the female as he talked, spotting the cloth she held, which was now slightly open and revealing what was within. The two eggs - in other words, two small spheres - were of a rocky grey complexion, and seemed to be covered in a few recognizable crater-like protrusions, also like rocks. He continued, "We are changelings from another hive, and we are expected to be punished severely for just being that, but... but we want our unhatched children to survive. I just know that Chrysalis will either smash them or force them into her own, cruel hive, and neither of us want that. You are our only hope in this matter."
"I am afraid I cannot," Xûr replied in a monotonous and blunt manner, staring at the eggs "Your plea caused something inside me what I can only guess is a hint of discomfort, but I only ever negotiate for coins. The fate of your offspring is none of my concern. Goodbye."
"B-but you could sell them to someone! I'm sure that if you tell a pony that you have changeling eggs, they'll pay whatever you want!"
"That is not certain. What I seek is rare, and not everyone has them. Once again, I bid you farewell."
He started to limp off again, when the much lighter voice of the other imprisoned changeling cut through the stale air. "N-no, wait, please!" she called out, sending out a small echo through the tunnel. Unfeeling toward the pity in her tone, Xûr paid her no attention... until she said something else.
"I-I have a coin! One of those coin-things you're looking for!"
The sound of his boots no longer scraping over the ground signaled Xûr had stopped in his tracks. With a squelch of heel over dry dirt and rock, Xûr turned fully about and looked back at them, seeing now that the female of the pair was brandishing a familiar object in her free hoof, as the other remained cradling the bundle.
"Th-the guard dropped it a short time ago, and I grabbed it before he could notice," she explained, as the otherworldly being began to pace back toward them in leisurely fashion. "You want this thing, right? If... if I give this to you, will you promise to take our eggs far from here and bring them to a safer place?"
After Xûr's shadowy shape had reached the bars of the cell, he stood as still as his twitching form could allow, and made no noise for nearly a minute. As his glowing eyes moved to and fro, the changeling couple could see he was staring at the three items and was apparently thinking.
"The Nine... allow this transaction," he finally answered. With a long sigh that echoed pure relief leaving their lips the moment their webbed ears heard his words, the male changeling sank to his wobbling knees as the female looked back to the eggs with a heartfelt, affectionate, hopeful gaze. She dropped the coin to the ground with a small clatter and kicked it to the resin bars, which Xûr bent over and picked up, promptly stuffing it into his pocket without a second thought.
The pair looked at the eggs with loving, forlorn eyes, and the female kissed them both once before raising the dirty, moistened strand of cloth they were wrapped in. "Please, I implore you to be careful with them. They are as fragile as glass, and perhaps even more so," she said again.
"I handle all of my items with care. Even ones of little worth," Xûr reassured as he grabbed the bundle from them in his hands by its tip like that of a bag, though he didn't sound like he used much effort to comfort the two. Briefly taking his pack off of his back, Xûr placed both of the eggs into the knapsack before closing it up and hoisting it back over his shoulders. After trading a final stare at the two parents, he stood back up fully, before facing the opposite direction and sauntering off as he was once doing before.
Tears of mixed sorrow and happiness flowed down the female changeling's green eyes as she sniffled several times, while the male tried his best to hide his own emotion, failing in the process. As they watched the strange merchant's shape finally become concealed by the darkness of the far end of the tunnel, the two hugged one another under the light of the torch in a comforting embrace, ready to accept whatever fate was in store for them, with the knowledge that what they held most dear and precious now had a chance to go on.
