"Life finds a way; but sometimes it needs a little guidance from Harmony" - Principle Canterlot Archmage, Grand Lance

A spark of pain then suddenly: consciousness. This was a foreign concept to the Changeling. Her limbs felt weak; unused. Her stomach empty; unused. Her head hurt; unused. None of that mattered though. She was alive.

While consciousness was new, it wasn’t bad. In fact, she enjoyed being alive. Not that she knew anything else, really, but it was quickly becoming preferable compared to the alternative. But, despite only being alive for less than a minute, was one thing she knew for a fact: her name.

Instar

Prying opening her eyes, the mare winced at the strange scene that she had just awoken to. She didn’t know what she was looking at, but she was at the bottom of it and even she knew that wasn’t good. She wanted to leave.

Looking around, she noticed that she had limbs; black, slender overlapping plates that ended with flat, stubby hooves. She stared at them, baffled; It felt strange to have a body. Moving her leg, she dragged it along the scorched dirt and suddenly felt her face contort into a smile while watching her leg-plates tilt and rotate, leaving various gaps where softer, sensitive flesh lay within.

Freezing up, Instar brought her hoof up and felt along her muzzle, her face contorting once more as her hoof began to feel her soft and fuzzy mane. Brushing it in front of her face, she didn’t know what she was looking at, but she felt a new feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, as if her stomach tingled.

Yet, as fast as that feeling appeared, it fled, forced away with a brand-new feeling that she didn’t like at all. It was as if her stomach was twisting and turning, begging for her to consume. While she didn’t know what it wanted specifically, she felt compelled to pull herself up, even as her body protested.

Leaving the quickly cooling ground, the mare’s newborn legs quivered and shook, causing her to fall time after time. A new feeling sparked inside her, one that made her want to break something.

After several tries, she had finally managed to keep up on steady, albeit wobbly, legs. While it was an accomplishment that would, no doubt, go down in history, she wanted to leave whatever she was in. It was nice, but even she was sure there was something more out there, judging by the pretty lights high above her.

Taking a shaky step forwards, she made sure to keep her hooves firmly flat against the ground and evenly applied pressure as she started to move one leg after another. She liked moving.

Stopping just in front of the side of the crater and looking up, she pressed a hoof against it and felt it slide in, as if it was simply loose, though crispy, dirt. Sliding her other front leg into the dirt, she began to climb up the side, keeping focused on simply not losing her footing and falling back.

By the time she reached the top, she was severely out of breath and rolled over the top to lay on her back. Staring up, the mare watched on as the pretty lights blinked in and out of sight as dark shapes drifted in front of them, causing her to worry if they’d ever be back. She liked them.

Rolling onto her belly, she pushed herself up and let out a grunt at the strain. Surprising herself, she placed a hoof on her chest and opened her mouth to let out the same grunt. Furrowing her brow, she did it again and again, subtly changing the pitch and tone of the grunts, until she felt that tingling sensation once again. She liked that sensation.

Far too soon, the bad sensation returned and she was forced from her grunting to look around for something that was the most basic of necessities: food.

She didn’t know what she was looking at --rectangular buildings with openings across their fronts-- but she knew for a fact that it wasn’t what she was looking for. Raising her head, she closed her eyes and did what felt natural to her: she sniffed the air.

Her eyes shot open when various scents assaulted her muzzle, each one making her stomach twist and knot as it begged for her to follow one and consume.

Sniffing the air once again, she realized that not all the scents were the same. Some barely registered for her, some caused her mouth to water, but one… one of them called to her, overpowering the rest as it filled her mind with promises of banishing the foulest of feelings.

Looking over to where the scent originated, she stared at the massive sparkly structure that easily towered over the rest of the landscape. Her food was in there, and she was hungry. Slowly stepping one hoof in front of the other, she began to close in on her food, the scent clouding her mind.

There was a small part of her new mind that held an even worse feeling than hunger: Fear. Her eyes scanned the strange structures that towered over her, not knowing what lay within their blackened interiors.

Not watching where she was going, Instar fell back onto her rump when she collided with a lamppost and she let out a loud hiss at the offending aggressor, before realising it wasn't moving. Rising up, the mare blinked and pressed a hoof against the cool, metal surface, unsure of what to make of it.

It didn't smell alive, nor did it smell of food. The light beaming down on her was of great interest though. Her vision focused to a point as she stood there, unmoving. Unfortunately it wasn't what was giving off that delectable scent. But, she would be back to claim her prize!

Reaching the bottom of the sparkly structure, Instar felt a new feeling well up inside of her. A feeling that made her want to know more about what she was looking at. It was muted behind hunger, but it was there.

She sniffed the air once again and quivered at being so close, yet she felt so far away from her well earned meal. Looking up to the highest hole, she saw an opening. Tilting her head curiously up at it, she felt four gossamer wings unfurl from around her midsection and flap sluggishly on her back.

Glancing back, she stared at them and felt that same tingling in her tummy. She could feel her four wings on her back and while they were unused and weak, that was beginning to fade as the buzzing picked up, that scent driving her on.

Growing lighter, she felt the ground fall out beneath her as she rose higher and higher towards the source of that delectable scent. Her mind clouded over once again and she slid her hooved between the opening and pulled herself into the room.

Instar's buzzing slowed to a crawl as her hooves touched the padded ground. Looking down, she brushed her hooves over new softness and found that she enjoyed this much more than the unforgiving ground outside. She also noticed the cold from before had vanished and was replaced with a calming warmth. She liked the warmth.

Taking a glance around, she spotted the source of that scent laying in bed, asleep. Instinctively, she lowered herself to the ground and crawled along, her vision focusing on her food. Stopping at the edge of the bed, she simply stared down at the thing, curious as to what it was.

Was it the same as her? If so, why did this sleeping being have a softer look? Why did it smell so delicious? Why didn't instar smell so lovely?

Leaning down to get a closer look at the thing’s face, she couldn’t help but feel that tingling feeling appear once again as soon as she began to feel her stomach fill with food, her instincts taking hold.

It had been a nice, peaceful sleep for Twilight. Luna had crafted the perfect dream for her, an endless library with her friends, but something felt ‘off’ for a short while. It was as if something was watching her and casting a shadow over the whole dream.

She had tried to brush the feeling off as something in her subconscious, as one of her old worries, but her usual panic set in once she saw that her friends were drifting away from her. Yet, she didn't feel the need to try and get them back.

Forcing herself out of the slowly growing nightmare, Twilight laid there, eyes closed as she tried to gauge what the pony wanted, but once no obvious answer showed itself, she fluttered her eyes open, only to see a pair of bright orange eyes staring right back into her own!

“What the bu- gah!” Twilight yelped, pushing herself back and falling off the other side of the bed. She grabbed the covers with her hoof and pulled them down with her, tangling herself up.

Popping her head up out of the bundle she was in, Twilight flared her horn, ready to blast whoever it was that had snuck into her room and fed on her love. Unfortunately, all she saw was the tail-end of a changeling crash through her door and out into the hall.

Tearing open her sheets to get out, Twilight flared her wings and took off after it, half concern and half annoyance building within her.

Maybe Thorax sent them and they just got a little hungry? she wondered as her drowsiness hit her.

Galloping down the hall after the ‘ling, Twilight noticed the uneven and foal-like gait it held, even if it was outpacing her by quite a bit.

The pair rushed throughout the castle, with the Changeling unable to find a suitable way out, until it came across a set of stairs leading down into the basement levels of the castle.

“Wait, come back!” Twilight called out, just managing to see the Changeling barrel down into the dank basement.

Slowing down in front of the stairs, she panted and leaned against the wall for support.

“What’s going on?” she muttered to herself. “It didn’t look like one of Thorax’s?"

Gazing down into the darkened basement, she chewed her bottom lip and tapped her hoof on the floor, worry filling her very being.

Who was it? she thought, looking back and forth for support which never came. She'd need some answers and check up on a certain Changeling Queen. She definitely didn't want a repeat of the "Discord incident".

But first, she would need to make sure the Changeling didn't escape into the town and cause her subjects to panic. Taking a stance, Twilight's horn began to glow. A few seconds later, a pale, transparent cover sat over the stairs to the basement, sealing it.

Instar felt fear, true instinctual fear as soon as that thing woke up. Her insides were all squirmy and tense, as if she had done something wrong.

But she didn't know what. Was it that she scared whatever it was? Was it that she was feeding on it?

Whatever the reason, she was now scrambling down a set of stairs which led further and further down.

As the light faded away and was replaced with pick black darkness, a rosy tint began to overlay the edges of the world, helping her to see.

Not sensing her food chasing after her, she slowed down and glanced back, her eyes staring back up at where she came from. Her breathing was laboured her legs burned, but she wasn't hungry anymore, and that was the main thing.

But now she was stuck down here, in the cold. She didn't like the cold.

Traipsing forwards, down the narrow hallway, she found stacks and stacks of boxes, each filled to the brim with books and scrolls, lab equipment and data, as well as plenty of magical material.

Glancing about once more, her curiosity outgrew her fear and she opened one of the boxes up. She pulled one of the many books out and stared at it for a few seconds.

The cover portrayed something that looked like her, black with chitin plates across its body, but instead of smooth, slender legs, it had sickly holes poked through. Instead of a fluffy orange mane, it's head was draped in green seaweed.

Instar stared at the other her for what felt like the longest time, a number of emotions welling up inside her now.

Of course, she was curious as to what it was and held the book against her chest, her wings buzzing at the prospect of finding another like her!

Continuing on, the Changeling found herself face to face with a door. Beside it, several crystal pipes led out and up into the ceiling, carrying what looked to be bubbling water.

She could feel the warmth just beyond the door and pressed her hooves against it, hoping it would budge. Noticing the crystal handle, she pulled back and gingerly pressed her hoof on it. With some pressure, the handle turned and the door creaked open, revealing the Boiler Room for the Castle of Friendship.

Warmth flooded over the mare, causing her to chitter happily and rush in, eager to be out of the cold.

At the far end of the room sat the boiler, it's intimidating size easily taking up half of the moderate room. The rest of the room. Was a mishmash of pipes that ran in and out, full of hot and cold water that travelled all over the castle.

Instar stalked about to find the perfect spot; one that wasn't too hot nor too cold. Settling down, she curled up and let out a soft whimper. She didn't know what was happening. She just wanted some food.

After a quick teleport to the Canterlot Vault and back, Twilight found herself even more confused as who the Changeling in her basement was. If it didn't belong to Thorax and Chrysalis hadn't somehow escaped, then who was it?

It didn't look like a Drone, that's for sure. But there can't be another Queen... Twilight theorised, pacing back and forth in her map room. She couldn't just wake up all of her friends to deal with this; it was the middle of the night after all.

I wonder if Starlight is still up? She wondered, tapping her chin.

With a determined nod, Twilight cantered out of the map room and through the winding crystal passages until she ended up outside of Starlight's bedroom.

The Alicorn closed her eyes and subtly let out a pulse of detection magic then waited. Once a ping returned, she opened her eyes, smiled and rapped on Starlight's chamber door.

A few seconds later, the door opened to show a yawning Starlight standing on the other side.

"Twilight? Are you okay?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "We're not under attack are we?"

"What? No!" Twilight replied, shaking her head. "But, there might be a teeny tiny problem."

"A proper problem or a 'Twilight problem'?" Starlight joked, the edges of her lips curling, despite how tired she was.

"Ha Ha," Twilight deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "There's might be a Changeling down in the basement and it's not one of Thorax's."

That definitely woke Starlight up.

"Wait, what?! Is Chrysal-"

Twilight held up a hoof to stop her. "I already checked. She's still petrified. Come on, we can discuss it on the way. I put a shield over the stairs so it can't escape."

Starlight nodded and trotted out with Twilight towards the basement.

"What did it look like?" Starlight asked, shuddering as she imagined Chrysalis again. "Was it all sickly?"

Twilight let out a hum, before shaking her head. "No, actually. I would have preferred to examine it more closely, but it didn't look like Chrysalis at all! It's legs didn't have any holes, it's mane and tail were orange and weren't all seaweedy!

"Though, it still fed on me like one of Chrysalis's Changelings, so... I don't know."

The pair reached the basement and Twilight gave a sigh of relief to see her cover was still there, intact.

"Looks like she's still down there. There's no other way out, other than digging, but there's at least seventy hooves of solid rock and crystal on all sides."

"She?" Starlight asked, turning to Twilight with a raised brow.

"What? I checked while chasing it. Thorax is male," Twilight stated, tilting her head. "Speaking of, did you know that Thorax has an ovi-"

"Oh-kay!" Starlight cut Twilight off. "Don't need to know any of that, thank you. Let's just focus on this Changeling."

Twilight let out a sheepish giggle. "Sorry, I find their biology fascinating. I wonder if this one will let me examine her? I could publish so many papers!" she squealed, causing Starlight to sigh.

"Twilight, remove the barrier and let's find it first before you make a mess."

Author's Note

Hey peeps!

Welcome to Changes chapter 1!

I felt like I wanted something to keep.my.mind occupied while I worked on my other story.

I really hope you enjoy.

I'm still looking for cover art,so please forgive that.