Godly

Godly
Chapter 5: So... Are you a bug or a horse?

I've been running for about ten minutes now where I think I've travelled for miles lost in thought, I'll definitely visit Amore and Cadenza again, they seemed nice enough compared to the Princesses of Equestria. I finally reach the border of the snowy lands and I mentally berate myself for not thinking of using Merc sooner to explore.

I shrug it off and frown at the odd sight before me. Where the snow ends, a hot rocky land takes its place. I look behind me to go wide eyed at the green lush land behind me with a few mountains in the far distance. I can also see a village nearby and not a flake of snow in sight.

Did I run so far without realising it or what I even passed by? 'Damn, must have been more distracted than I thought...' I think to myself and quickly run towards the village, which is made up of small wooden and straw huts mostly with some merchant stalls, and after a quick peek I decide to move on. I'm not in the mood to deal with more little ponies, perhaps this is the Princesses lands?

I head back to the rocky terrain and just leisurely jog across it while occupying myself by jumping over rocks and dead trees that have fallen, but the heat is starting to get to me so I change back into Ra and just hover along the ground where the heat no longer hinders me.

This is kinda like an RPG or MMO where I get to just free roam the overworld until I find something of interest. I occasionally just fire off basic attacks from my staff that look like little fireballs at rocks or trees to practice my aim as I move along.

I yawn and my gut starts rumbling. That's right, I didn't get to eat dinner at the crystal city... never even got to find out the place's name...

I switch to Geb again and use his connection to the earth to fashion a basic little one room house with stone furniture similarly to how I did with Ymir. Once done, I block off the doorway leaving little holes for light and air to come through.

Once everything is set up. I change to a new god I've only tested a few times in my sleep. He Bo, the Chinese god of the yellow river. I flex my spiky and solid water hands and smile, though the lack of legs or my junk still creeps me out. I can feel the column of water that replaced my legs swirl around me.

My hair is long and a grey colour with two stripes of white, one above each eyebrow going back over my head. I have a top knot tied to the top-back of my head and a ponytail on the middle-back of my head. I'm wearing a brown tunic like top with blue pauldrons engraved with whirlpool patterns. And attached to the tunic on my chest, are two long ice-blue strips of cloth with a zig-zagging line going down them with a curly circle at the end.

Around my waist is a large belt with a pattern on a circle in the middle-top of the belt, and in a semi-circle below it are five smaller circles, each with their own little designs on them.

Attached to the belt are four long stripes of cloth, one on the front, back, and the sides of my waist, each with detailed drawings of a flowing river going down them.

And lastly, on my back is a large scroll as big as my torso with large blueish ornate ends to the rollers of the scroll.

I hold my hands out to the large smooth stone bowl I made and with some effort, I create fresh water from my hands and fill the bowl to the brim. Once done, I switch to Bacchus and just lounge in the hard armchair while taking a large bite out of the boar meat.

At least I think it's boar as it tastes like pork.

I let out a loud belch which is followed by a swig of the wine in my jug before munching on the pork again. I need to find some fruit or vegetables, maybe cook up a stew or something...

After eating and drinking a mix of wine and water, I just fall asleep now that I'm fed and it's starting to get late.

I'm awoken to the sound of something crumbling and before I can comprehend what's happening, I feel something bite me on the arm making me yelp in pain and roll out of my chair. I quickly get up and grab my now dirty meat stick and clobber the intruder.

Now that I'm wide awake, it looks like one of those little ponies but with an insect like appearance. But it's hard to tell any real details as it's dark with only moonlight to see.

My vision starts to blur and I wobble on my feet as my body starts to go numb. My wine jug slips from my hand and with a quiet burp, I fall face first into the hard floor as I pass out.

I groan in discomfort as I come too. I blink my eyes open and all I see is a green fleshy like wall wrapped around me... kind of like I'm in an egg.

"What do you mean we can't feed from it!?" a frustrated two toned female voice says.

I look at the green wall with a bit more focus and notice I can barely see through it. There's a few of those small bug ponies and a bigger one two to three times their size.

I give the wall a slight poke with my right hand and it stretches slightly.

"My Queen, it's awake," one of the smaller ones tells the bigger one with surprise in its tone.

"That's odd, it shouldn't be with the amount of venom we gave it..." she says and leans down to where I can clearly see her face now. She has slitted pupils in her eyes and a long jagged horn on her forehead. I see a pair of fangs in her mouth along with a strange looking crown on her head and long flat hair.

I frown at her as my legs are starting to get pins and needles from the awkward position I'm in and the weight I have on them.

"Would you please let me out? I haven't had a good day yesterday and this isn't helping my mood any," I tell her making her flinch back in surprise.

"You can talk?" she asks warily.

"Yes I can, now please let me out or I'll break myself out and slap you," I warn her feeling more and more agitated.

She frowns at me with a snort. "I can't do that, you're the first creature we've been able to capture in a long while and while I don't know why we can't feed off you, I will find a way. I will not allow my changelings to starve to death," she tells me.

"What do you eat? I don't plan on becoming some bug's lunch," I tell her getting a snarl from her.

"WE ARE NOT BUGS!" she yells at me and I yelp as electricity courses from her horn and into the pod thing I'm in.

"THAT'S IT!" I yell back and change god. I pick the Egyptian God Khepri, the Dawn Bringer. I grow in size as my limbs change into legs with two more growing out of my midsection, each leg has golden and white coloured armour on the front and top sides of the limbs. The chitin underneath is a light brown colour. The new horn on my forehead ruptures through the pod and I extend my two front legs and rip the rest away. Two more larger horns are on the back of my head and curve forward.

My underbelly is also a golden colour but whether or not its metal or chitin I'm not sure.

I step out making them back away as I now tower over the smaller ones by a good three or four feet.

The room is bathed in a luminescent light from what looks like glowing moss along the ceiling. The walls are a black or dark grey colour and look like organic rock, and there's a few other pods with some of those ponies in them, though they look like they're asleep and smiling.

The plates on my back open up and my wings flutter a few times before retracting and the plates close again.

I pick off the remains of the pod from my back and head with my two foremost legs. "Now then, I apologise for my comment, but as I said, I'm not in a good mood right now," I tell her with a very deep voice with an echo like after tone similar to hers. And now that I'm out, I take in her appearance.

She's a good five feet tall not including her horn. Her hair and tail are a teal green or blue with a few holes in them and laying straight flat. Instead of fur, she has chitin like I do now but it's pitch black but has a dull green and blueish shell on her stomach and back with two tattered dragonfly like wings laying on her back. I then notice she has lots of holes in her legs and she looks unhealthily thin.

They just stare dumbly at me with wide eyes. "What are you?" she finally asks me after a moment of silence.

"My name is Carl, and I'm a god," I reply with a polite bow of my head.

"So you're just like those damned pony alicorns, thinking you're a god," she says and then snarls at me.

"I don't think I am, I know I am. I have the ability to transform into over eighty different gods and goddesses from my old home. And what is an alicorn?" I tell her and then ask.

She's still frowning but no longer looks like she's about to rip my head off. "Alicorns are what those xenophobic Princesses Celestia and Luna are," she tells me with hatred in her tone.

"Celestia and Luna?" I ask with a frown of my own.

Seems she picked up on the anger in my tone as well. "You know them?" she asks intrigued.

"They tried to either kill me or seal me away like they did to Discord. I not only took control of their gems Celestia called the elements, I took control of the sun away from her and threatened her after subduing her. They're the reason I'm in a foul mood. Although the smaller pink one named Cadenza and her mother Amore were nice enough. Now then, I've introduced myself already, who are you?" I reply and calmly lay down on my six legs.

She's silent again for a minute before her horn glows and a green mossy looking pillow floats over and she lays down on it. "I am Queen Chrysalis of the Jade Hive. We are changelings that can take on the appearance of another, similarly to you it seems," she replies now sounding much more polite but still wary.

"So if you wanted to, you could turn into what I am now?" I ask intrigued.

"Maybe a smaller version as we cannot just add more mass to ourselves, but we barely have enough energy left to survive, let alone change appearance," she tells me sadly.

"Why? Why are you starving? I understand you would have trouble growing anything here, if I assume we're still in the rocky terrain, but surely you could go to that nearby land with vegetation," I ask her.

She snorts and glares at me. "Do you know nothing of our race!?" she demands angrily.

"Nope," I simply reply making her stutter and lose her glare.

"All races know of us... how do you not?" she asks me.

"I'm from another world, I've been here for about five weeks. I know nothing about this world or its people and customs," I tell her making her go wide eyed.

"You're from another world?" she asks dumbly.

Unlike with the Princesses, I feel like I can be truthful with her. "Yes. Discord brought me here to help keep a balance," I reply making her frown again.

"Discord? That mad being brought you here?" she asks now on guard.

"Why is everyone so upset when his name is mentioned? The short time I knew him he was rather nice and polite," I reply confused.

"He's been more of a pain in the flank than anything else. Mostly towards the ponies who believe in perfect harmony and hate change. One of the many other reasons they seem to hate us," she tells me.

"I see. Oh, before I forget, I asked what do you eat before you zapped me," I say getting her to blush slightly.

"Right, and I apologise for that, but we don't take kindly to being called bugs or insects. To us it's degrading and insulting. Yes, we are insectoid in nature, but we are not a race that needs to be stepped on," she tells me and sighs.

"As to your question, we feed on the emotions of others, specifically love. It's a rich and very nourishing energy we can absorb to sustain ourselves. But with the propaganda those alicorns are spreading, all of the other races have shunned us as they now believe we suck their love out until they're either angry all the time or a shrivelled up husk. I haven’t heard from another hive in decades and I believe we’re the last hive in the world, and there's no more than just over a thousand of us left... I also believe I'm the last changeling Queen in the world..." she then tells me sadly.

I just stare at her in confusion. "I've never heard of something eating emotions before... even in fiction," I say and rub the long protrusion on my chin with my left foreleg. "So you mostly eat love?" I ask her.

"It's the most nourishing and most pleasing emotion to feed on," she replies.

"Then I might have a temporary solution for you," I tell her getting her attention.

"And what could you do for us? We cannot feed off of you," she tells me.

"I said I can turn into many gods and goddesses. There's one who is known as the god of love," I reply and change into Cupid, the Roman god of Love. I'm now smaller than her by two feet and my head is bigger than my torso, I have short curly brown hair with a golden laurel on my head, and large light blue eyes. I have a small golden bow and an arrow with a heart shaped tip in my left hand. I also have two white feathered wings that are big compared to my chibi looking size.

Lastly I'm wearing a small white toga with golden trim along the edges.

"I can create little hearts that can heal those who touch them, but if they contain actual love, then you might be able to feed off them instead," I reply in a high pitched childlike voice.

She's just staring at me in confusion. "Where did all your mass go?" she asks.

I just shrug as I really don't know. I then gather my energy and create three little hearts using Cupid's share the love ability in my right hand and throw them to the ground where they grow in size and just hover there while spinning. Each heart is also emitting a faint red light and warmth as well.

Chrysalis just stares at the closest one nearest to her and tentatively reaches out a hoof and pokes it. She gasps and hums as the heart glows brighter and turns into red energy before flowing into her hoof.

"I don't believe it..." she says and I notice a couple of the holes on her legs close up.

"Huh, it worked," I comment and smile, still shocked at watching her just absorb it.

One of the smaller changelings with her pokes another heart and I notice their holes close up a bit more, maybe they don't need as much as Chrysalis does?

"Will... Will you stay with us?" Chrysalis then asks me desperately with wide pleading eyes.

Should I stay? Whilst they did kidnap me, they haven't been outright hostile like the Princesses were. And I do need a place to stay and some company would be nice.

"I guess so. I don't have anywhere else to go right now," I reply getting the first smile I've seen from her.

"Thank you. Can you please make more of those hearts? My hive is starving and in urgent need of food," she begs me.

"Errr, sure. But I'll need to take some breaks now and then, I can't just keep making these repeatedly," I tell her getting a nod from her.

"I understand, if you would please follow me," she replies and says.

"Wait, what about them?" I ask and gesture to the ponies in the pods.

"They shall be released near Equestria's border tomorrow morning," she tells me.

With that I follow her out into a hallway and to the left.

"So, what happens if you feed too much from someone?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Nothing, they just get tired and fall asleep. We don't directly feed off anyone, but the love they emit. We have to take on the appearance of someone they love or care for and feed off the love they have for them. At least we used to a few years ago, now we have to resort to just taking any race we come across to barely feed at all with what little energy we have left," she replies and I can just hear the regret in her tone.

She sighs and just looks tired now. "We didn't ask for any of this, but ever since those damnable ponies ascended, they've been trying their hardest to get rid of anything that threatens their perfect view of harmony," she then says with anger now.

"Cadenza or Amore didn't seem like that to me," I tell her making her huff.

"She and her mother are different as they're crystal ponies with different morals and culture, they value all life, even ours. But because she's weaker and gentler compared to the Princesses, they were forced to cut ties with our kind... that was about a hundred years ago," she replies.

"Hmm, I've been invited to visit her whenever I want. Maybe I can try to see if I can set up a meeting or something later?" I tell her making her stop and look at me.

"Her Empire is halfway across the world, It would take months of travelling and we would have to go through Equestria to get there which those Princesses wouldn't allow," she replies.

"I could just create a portal to Amore's Throne Room," I tell her like it was nothing.

"You can do that?" she asks skeptically.

"Possibly, I did apparently just run half way around the world in a few minutes," I reply making her gawk at me.

She shakes her head and continues walking down the hallway. "If it weren't for what I've just seen you do, I'd be calling you a liar," she tells me.

We arrive to a large room that kind of looks like a school cafeteria. Changelings are lining up along the counter with mugs made of the same black stuff the walls are made from which are filled with a pink gel like liquid, and I notice the portions are barely enough for a few sips.

"So I just make a bunch of hearts here then?" I ask Chrysalis.

"Yes, I shall inform the rest of the Hive. If there is anything you want in return for doing this for us, just ask and I'll see if we can grant it," she replies and tells me.

"Alright, I have a few things in mind," I say and awkwardly flap my wings and jump up onto a table.

"My children, we have come across a being who has agreed to help feed our Hive. Please line up and one by one, take a heart each," she tells the currently gathered changelings.

I just sit on the edge of the table and ping my bow's string as I wait for them to line up.

It takes a few minutes and lots of confused expressions from the changelings, which are mostly directed at me where more are arriving as the line goes out of the room. Chrysalis gives me the okay and I pop out the first three hearts surprising the changelings at the front.

Tentatively the first changeling pokes a heart like Chrysalis did. With a feminine yelp, it glows and flows into her hoof before she lets out girlish burp.

"Excuse me..." she says, but she has a big smile on her face, I also notice half her holes are gone as well.

"What?"

"It can create love?"

"Oh they look tasty..."

Are just some of the things I hear the changelings still in line comment making me chuckle and create another three hearts.

It takes an hour to feed about five-hundred of them before I get tired. The ones I couldn't feed were disappointed but I told them I just need to rest for a bit.

Chrysalis is sitting beside me with a thoughtful expression.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I ask her.

"What's a penny?" she asks back.

"It's a copper coin from my world. I was just saying what's on your mind," I reply.

She sighs and looks at the changelings who are talking to each other excitedly. "You're the first being who's shown us kindness in a long while, despite our less than hospitable actions when we found you," she tells me.

"Hey, you do what you must to protect those you care for. While not happy about it, I can't fault you for doing what you had to. I'm just glad it worked out in the end and I can help," I reply and feel my energy slowly returning, must be the Mp5 mechanic of the game recharging my energy.

She smiles and after a few minutes I feel good enough to continue.