"*Sigh* Another routine day in the Hive....I'm so hungry. But so are my brothers and sisters...." I was walking to the central chamber for the daily announcement. "I bet it's the usual stuff....*sigh.*" The whole of the hive was there to hear the announcement from.....Queen Chrysalis?! "I guess this is special after all!"
I might be getting ahead here. Hi I'm Match the changeling, Twilight told me she was interested to know about my life before Ezekiel found me. So she gave me a journal to write everything down. Now that the introductions are over, let's continue.
The Queen spoke. "My children! I have a special announcement for you all!" There was excited buzzing and murmurs from the more confused changelings, myself included. "We will be invading Canterlot The capital of Equestria!" The central chamber was filled even more then the first time with buzzing. "You will have two days to prepare! Counting today! And remember if we do this we will never go hungry again!!" After she said that we all started cheering, stomping and buzzing. This was great! No more hunger!
We were dismissed and were given the next couple days of from work...well most of us. The ones that weren't ready to take on something as big as an invasion had to stay behind and work while the rest of us prepared. I didn't want to invade Canterlot but the hunger is so unbearable that I had no other choice but to go along with it. Today was going to be rest and mental preparation day, tomorrow physical fitness, and then the invasion. I went to the barracks that I was ordered to go to and found an empty bed. I was lucky that one of my friends was assighed to the same one as me.
"Hey what's up Match? You staying here to?"
"Yeah....."
"Are you as excited as I am! Man this is going to be awesome!"
"I don't know....I don't want to do this but I have to...if I can help end the hunger of my brethren then I'll do."
"That's the spirit! And can you believe it? We got the whole day off!"
"Yeah that was nice of the Queen to do that."
"She has a good reason though."
"Yeah, she does. I wouldn't want my soldiers to be tired on the big day. But if I wasn't so tired of working in the mines and in the nursery and if we weren't starving, I would have volunteered to stay here..."
"Not me. I want this!"
"You were always the trouble maker." I chuckled.
"Yeah but I would have gotten into more trouble if not for you Match."
We chatted for alittle while longer before she left to go do whatever she does to prepare herself. I just stayed in the barracks and tried to prepare myself for the upcoming event.
I fell asleep, and I woke up to one of the sergeants yelling in my face. Physical fitness day was here and oh how much I hate training. We were given a schedule of the exercises we were going to be doing. First up was running, next were push ups, then wing training, and then lunch and then we get to sit through hearing the invasion plans. Oh joy...
The drill sergeant told us to line up along the track and we did. "Alright maggots! What your going to do is three laps around this track! Oh I almost forgot, there obstacles. You will jump over, crawl under or charge through every obstacle that is in your way! Understood?!?!"
"Yes Sir!" We all exclaimed at the same time.
"Good! Now get your sorry flanks moving!"
"Sir yes Sir!!" We lined ourselves up on the track and began running.
He wasn't kidding about the obstacles, within the first minute of running on popped up and nearly hit me. He could have atleast mentioned the were pop ups, sheesh! Then there were the standard hurdles and after that there was a wooden plank with a target painted on it telling you to charge and break it. After three laps of that pretty much all of us were beat. Now for the push ups.
"You will do fifty push up and I will not have any complaining about your legs hurting! Understood!?"
"Sir yes Sir!"
Well it could be a lot worse, he could have said a hundred push ups. Or maybe I spoke to soon, after all of that running my legs were killing me. And from looks of it I wasn't the only one. After that we did the wing training, which was pretty much push ups with your wings. But changeling wings are a little more fragile than pegasus wings, so we weren't told to do very much. Only about twenty.
"Well well well! You maggots did pretty well pretty good! now go get some food we need to go over the plans for tomorrow. dimissed." We all filed out and went toward the cafeteria.
I sat down next to my friend which looked really hungry and very tired.
"Sheesh he whooped us good huh?" Said she.
"Yeah, man I'm beat!" I looked over at her. "I don't understand how you can be hungry after all that Ganger." Her full name is is Doppelganger but it's easier to say Ganger, plus she likes that better anyway.
"And I don't understand how you aren't after that."
"Honestly I feel a little sick."
"It'll pass don't worry. Here drink some water."
"Thanks."
"So you still not psyched for tomorrow?"
"Not really."
"Aw come on really?"
"Yeah..."
"Why not?"
"I just have a bad feeling about it but maybe that's just me."
"Maybe. Don't worry so much and eat before lunch is over."
"Yeah I suppose you're right."
We chatted some more while we ate and the when we finished we were called into the central chamber.
"Hello my fellow changelings, I trust that you all had a nice lunch?" It was the high general
"Yes Sir!" We all said in unison.
"Good. As you know tomorrow is the big day, and I would like to go over the plans for the invasion." He waited for anyone to say anything and continued when no one did. "I have been informed the there is a wedding tomorrow. Our Queen has chose this opportunity to impersonate the bride and has already left. Tomorrow we will fly over Canterlot and when we receive the signal we will begin the invasion. Now, it seems that the princesses know something because there is a shield encasing the whole city. We will have to break through that barrier it would seem, and that my fellow changelings is why I had you do that harsh training. The Queen will send a telepathic message to us when we should fly over to Canterlot, she will also send a message when we should break through the shield. Everyone understand?"
"Yes Sir!"
"Good you are dismissed. Rest up my fellow changelings we have a big day tomorrow."
Well today's the day, the day of the invasion. I have my doubts obviously but if there is indeed a chance that we can stop our starvation, I have to at least try. We were woken up in the morning for exercise to wake us up and to further prepare for today. It was the same as yesterday just in a smaller dose.
"Alright that's enough, I don't want you worn out before the invasion even begins. Go but to your barracks, when you receive the first signal gather in the central chamber and then the invasion will begin."
I began walking towards the barracks I was staying at. It wasn't that far away, about five to ten minutes. I looked over and Ganger was walking next to me. Which surprised me because she wasn't here a minutes ago.
"W...when did you get here!"
"Only a second ago. Why are you so surprised? You wont last long if you get surprised that easily, you know."
"Yeah...I was just looking in your direction though and you weren't there...it just caught me of guard is all."
"Yeah yeah I've heard it before. Just be on your guard out ok? I don't want to lose you."
"Don't worry Ganger I'll be careful."
"Good."
"So you still excited?
"Ha! You bet! I can't wait! How about you still don't want to do this?"
"Yeah I've tried psyching myself up but it doesn't seem to work."
"Your just nervous. It'll be alright Match, as long as your careful."
"I hope so.
We reached the barracks and I went and sat on my bed and closed my eyes to try and meditate and further mentally prepare myself. I didn't let myself fall asleep but I still had some kind of dream. I was flying, no I was falling. Falling down after something went wrong but what was it? The invasion? Or exhaustion from flying to far? I couldn't tell, but something was definitely wrong. I came out of it and I noticed that some of the others were starring at me. Ganger came up to me.
"Uh...Match you ok?"
"Yeah just had a bad dream or vision or...whatever you would call it."
"You going to be ok?"
"Yeah I should be."
"Ok...as long as your sure."
I didn't close my eyes again, instead I just spaced out. But after a few minutes we received the signal.
"BEGIN"
"Ok, ok form up!" We got into formation. "Alright Remember! Pay attention to your surrounding and to your brethren! There's no telling what the princesses are capable of, never mind the other ponies unless you run into the Elements of Harmony but we don't know what they look like so stay sharp."
"Yes Sir!"
"Alright. MOVE OUT!!"
There was a mass of buzzing and we lifted off and began to fly.
"FOLLOW ME!" The High General shouted and we started toward Canterlot.
I flew up to the second in command. "How far is Canterlot Sir?!" I yelled so he could hear me.
"About forty-five minutes!"
I flew back into position and shook my head. "Forty-five minutes," I thought to myself. "you've got to be kidding me..." I really didn't want to do this now but it was to late. On the more positive side the scenery is...somewhat alright but looking ahead I could see it was going to get better.
We should be about half way there by now, I can see a few villages and what looks like a forest with a house next to it off in the distance but I didn't concentrate on that to much. I can see Canterlot now but it was still kinda far away and was indeed covered in a shield.
"We're almost there! Keep up, don't fall behind!"
"Yes Sir!"
We're about there now and I'm getting nervous. I hope we don't hurt any of the ponies, they did nothing to us. I know I wont hurt any.
"Ok! We can stop here." We were above Canterlot now. All we had to do is wait for the second signal. We were hovering over Canterlot and I could see colorful little dots moving around. They were the ponies of the city I assumed because what else would they be?
"BRING DOWN THE SHIELD!!"
The High General perked up. "Alright that's second signal!" After he said that some of us started to try to break the shield. After several minutes of ramming the shield cracks began to appear. "Double the effort its starting to give!" One other group rammed into it, and then another, and then soon enough all of us came down on it and it shattered.
"Yeah! We got it!" I heard Ganger cheer.
"Ok my fellow changelings! Remember, be careful!"
"Yes Sir!"
The invasion has begun.
We were split up into groups, sadly me and Ganger weren't in the same one. But I'm not sure if I wanted to see what chaos she could and probably would wreak. My group began to move and I looked down to see where we were headed and I saw a ton of panicking ponies, I begrudgingly followed. It kind of hurt me that this is what we had to do to get food but for now that was all the motivation I needed to not turn around and leave. We flew over and landed by a huge group of other changelings circling six ponies. They were fighting some of my brethren and I fell victim to the groups mentality and joined in. I turned into the purple one and acted like I was fighting along side the orange one. We fought off a few of my brethren and went back-to-back and as soon as I felt her back touch mine I turned around and changed back into my real form and attacked her but she was able to hold me off for a little while but I over came her in the end and pinned her down while other changelings piled up onto us. I changed into her while still holding her down, not sure why and it had little effect on her. Soon there were beams of purple magic flying over head and soon we were hit and knocked out.
When I came to, I looked around and I was the only one awake in my group. Those six ponies were gone and the street were in chaos. From the look of things it seemed like we won, but something didn't feel right. I flew up into the air and looked around to see if I could see anything wrong but there was nothing. I looked over at the castle and I saw a bright pinkish purple flash followed by a shock wave. "I bucking knew it!" Was all I was able to say before the shock wave reached me and sent me and the rest of my fellow changelings of into the distance.
I'm hoping for a soft landing.
I slowly woke up, my vision was blurry and my leg hurt but I couldn't tell what was wrong with it. I waited for my vision to fully come back before I tried to get up, and when I stood up I became painfully aware of why my leg hurt.
"UGH!! My leg!" I looked at it and it was broken. "Ok calm down you don't want to be heard." I tried to walk lifting my leg up which proved to be harder then I thought I tried to send the other changelings a distress message and got nothing back. I had lost all contact. After walking for a few minutes I tried flying, I made it about ten/fifteen feet before I had to land. I tried not to land on my broken leg but I somehow managed to hurt it anyway. I started walking again, looking for any other changelings that might have landed in the general area. the only one I had found was.....dead. He broke his neck on impact, I spent a few minutes mourning and then gave him a proper burial. That had also nearly squashed my will to keep going but I knew I had to, I had to live for him and find other changelings.
I saw a town nearby but I knew it had ponies in it so I avoided it. I need help but they probably wouldn't help me. I turned around and started walking. I had no idea where I was going but I hoped I could find at least another one of my kind. I had to have hope or I might just give up. I tried to flying again and I got up high enough to see that I landed in a field. I flew a little further then last time and made sure to land softly this time around. I'm a little to tired to fly so it looks like I'm walking for awhile.
It's been a good twenty minutes and still nothing. I have thought about going into that town but I shook that thought out of my head quickly although that does seem to be my only option right now. I kept walking on my seemingly meaningless quest and I was starting to give up. With having searched the immediate area, I decided to widen my search. I saw a forest and went to search it. "It would be a good idea to leave a trail so I wont get lost." I thought, The first tree saw I marked it with a scratch. I did the same thing with every tree I saw. It was tedious but I don't want to get lost.
It seemed like forever since I entered this forest and not one sign of my brethren. I looked back at the marked trees and again thought about going to that town. I looked forward and continued walking instead, but this time the thought was still in my head. I saw a small hut that was carved into a tree. I looked inside and saw a striped pony with all sorts of rings on and kept walking because I didn't want here to see me. I walked for another good while and I saw some sort of ruins, I searched it but didn't find anything so I piled up some rock as a marker seeing how there were no trees and continued on.
I walked for a little longer and saw a cave with a door on it. It looked abandoned. "Hey a changeling might b hiding in there!" I thought out loud and went over and opened the door. What I saw was something out of a nightmare. There were bloody pelts and animal heads hung up on the wall. I tried not to vomit and turned around to run out but I saw some kind of creature standing in the door way.
"Ah what is this I see hmm?" It said. I was silent and didn't answer it. "Can you not speak strange creature?" I remained silent. It shrugged "I guess not," It walked passed me an eerie chill followed behind. "come in I will not harm you." I shook my head and started backing away. "I haven't had a visitor in a while, would you please stay?" I stopped and sighed, and sat down at the small fire pit. "Thank you. I haven't seen anything like you in the forest before, so that means you are not from here." I suddenly got nervous. "And I would know, I've been all over the forest." It stopped and looked at me. "Don't be nervous I will not harm you as I have said. I'm Shadow by the way."
"I...I'm....M...M...Match."
"Oh so you can talk. Nice to meet you Match. So tell me, What are you?"
"A...a changeling."
"Hmm....I've not heard of changelings before."
"And w...what are...y...you?"
"A shadow beast. I doubt you heard of us before."
"No I haven't....wait! there are more of you!?!"
"Calm down Match, there aren't. It's just me." He looked at my leg. "Huh, you've got a broken leg. You should go into town and get some help."
"I would...but ponies don't really like my kind very much."
"Really?"
"Yeah ever since the wedding in Canterlot..."
"Oh so changelings are what attacked Canterlot. Hmm...oh well."
"You're not going to imprison me or anything?"
"Nope. Not my place to."
"I see...How long ago was the wedding?"
"You don't know?"
"No I don't. We were repelled from Canterlot and I crash landed in a nearby field, and I got knocked out on impact."
"I see well...It was three days ago."
"Three days!! I've been out for that long!?!?"
"Yep. you should be glad you're still able to move. Oh right...have you eaten anything?"
"No I haven't."
"I see, what do changelings eat? I'll make you something real quick."
I looked around. "Nothing here..."
"Oh.....I see. Well I do have these berries you can have."
"Those should work."
"Ok here you are." It handed me a handful of black berries.
"Thank you." I ate them within three seconds.
He laughed. "You should go into town and find Fluttershy, she should be able to help you."
"But I don't want to go into town."
"I know but you'll only make it worse. Follow me, I'll show you the path out of the forest."
He went out of the door and I followed him through the forest.
Hopefully I'll figure something out.
We walked passed the ruin and passed the tree-hut thing and started down a path. I had seen and avoided this path, because of the chance of running into a pony. I told Shadow my concerns but he said it wasn't an issue and that he would protect me if he had to. I asked him why he would protect me after knowing me for a short while, he said he learned from a great man. I didn't ask him what a "man" was though. We walked down the path for a while until I tried to fly, Shadow told me I shouldn't but I did anyway. I got almost as high as the trees before there was an sharp pain in one of my wings. My concentration thrown of I crash landed into a tall thorn bush. I somehow managed to avoid hitting my leg.
"I told you, you shouldn't fly."
"Yeah yeah I heard ya!"
We finally got to the entrance of the forest.
"That house over there is Fluttershy's house. I don't think she's home right now but you should check anyway."
"You're not coming with me?"
"No. I have to get back home and eat. Bye."
"Ok...bye..." He left and went back into the forest. I reluctantly went up to the house and knocked on the door. After waiting a few minutes I decided that no one was home and walk down the trail in the direction of the town.
It had been quiet and the sky was clear without a pegasus to be seen, but when I reached the out skirts of town there was a lot more activity. I behind a trash can and tried to think. "Well I can turn into a pony but I need a pony I could turn into....Oh I know! That purple unicorn!" I encased myself in magic and then I was her. I walk out from behind the trash can and started to walk into the town. I saw a sign with the towns name on it. "Ponyville huh?" I thought. "Interesting name." I kept walking and looking for Fluttershy. Then I realized something, I don't know what she looks like.
I was walking down a street and a pony came up to me and said hi. I thought nothing of it but when it happened a few other time I was beginning to think I made a mistake being disguised as this pony. I found an alley way, hid and changed back. "I need to find another pony to transform into." I thought about changing into one of the other ponies that I fought but on the off chance that they happen to live in this town as well I thought better of it.
I peeked out of the alley to see if I could find another less noticeable pony but it seemed they were all friends with each other. Then I had an idea, I could take some things from ponies and put them together to make a new pony. Inspired by this new idea, I continued looking at the ponies walking around. "Ok let's see....green coat, lavender eyes, hmm...black mane and tail, and a struck match cutie mark. Ok here we go." I encased myself in magic and transformed, I checked myself over and everything seemed to check out. Now I just need to think of a name.
I couldn't think of anything so I just hoped nopony would talk to me or ask my name. I peeked out of the alley to make sure there wasn't anypony looking this way, when I saw the coast was clear I walked out of the alleyway. My leg? When I transformed I also cast a very minor spell that would keep my leg together for a little while but I could walk on it. I thought that the market would be a nice place to start but also decided to ask some ponies on the way there. I would also have ask where it was first, or find a sign. I saw a pony that was close by and asked her where the market was.
Following her directions I soon arrive at the market. I then started to ask around about where Fluttershy was, none of them seemed to know. I then made the mistake of asking a certain pink pony.
"Nope sorry, I don't know where she is." She turned around and gasped fairly loud. "Oh-my-gosh-I-haven't-seen-you-before-and-if-I-haven't-seen-you-before-that-means-you're-new!" Wait I've seen her before... "I have to throw you a welcoming party!!"
Oh no...she was in Canterlot fighting with the orange pony! "Um...no parties please I don't really like large groups." I managed to say.
"Aw not throwing a welcome party is just no fun. You have to let me pretty please? With sugar and lots of candy on top?" She said all of that with puppy dog eyes
"No. I'm very sorry but I don't like parties." I began to walk away but she wouldn't leave me alone.
"How about cake on top?"
"No."
"Pie??"
"No."
"How about cupcakes???"
"No!"
She gasped again, apparently she had a thought. "Oh I know! How about with sugar sprinkled on top of a cake that has a pie that has cupcakes that have candy inside!?!?"
"NO!" I started to run away. this was too much foolishness. I looked back and she was bouncing after me. The spell was wearing off due to the stress of talking to that pony and being chased, I had to lose her quick and I might have an idea but it will need energy that I'm not sure I have. I dove into another alleyway and transformed into another pony I saw while running away.
"I know you're in here! Oh hi Berry I thought somepony else was in here. See ya!" And she bounced away. Well that went better than expected.
"I shouldn't have used that much energy." Transforming again was a bad idea I should have just let her throw the stupid party. The spell was almost completely worn down and I could feel pain my leg again. It would be long now. I walked back to the market and continued my search. It was much difficult now then before, it didn't help that I was hungry now. I began to walk over to the apple stand to try to get some food when I passed out.
When I came to there were a few ponies surrounding me but the numbers kept multiplying, I was scared. They began to talk.
"What is that thing?" Said a stallion with a blue mane.
"I don't but it sure isn't a pony." Said a mare with cream colored coat.
"AH! It's a changeling! I was in Canterlot when they attacked!"
"Oh really?!"
And then it began, the ponies started yelling and kicking dirt and throwing rocks at me.
"Go back home!! You don't belong here!!"
"Yeah leave this town alone and tell your friends that to!!"
A rock hit my leg and I shrieked in pain.
"Serves you right!"
All of a sudden a good amount of ponies left the ponies that stayed were still yelling and throwing rocks, and then I saw a very tall creature come up behind a pony and start talking to it. The pony left but the creature stayed and looked at the other ponies and then back at....the orange pony from Canterlot! The creature sighed and walked over to me, the ponies quieted down except for a couple until it glared at them.
"You should all be ashamed!! Can't you see that it's hurt!?!?" It yelled clearly angry at the ponies
"But it...." The pony that hit my leg tried to reason.
"Don't even speak to me!! You don't have the right!" It looked me over and saw my broken leg. It picked me up careful not to touch my leg and looked at the orange pony. "I am disappointed in you A.J." Her name is A.J.?
"What did ah do?"
"Figure it out! I'm going back to Fluttershy to see what she can do. Next time you talk to me, you better have...." I passed out in the middle of him talking and come to when it was walking and there was the yellow pony from Canterlot walking next to it. And they were talking.
Judging by it's voice I'm assuming it's a male so he spoke first "So Fluttershy do you think you can fix it's leg?"
"I think so. The anatomy doesn't look that different from ponies, I'll see what I can do." She's willing to help me even though she was a victim of my kinds aggression?
"Thank you."
"I just hope it's going to be alright we should get back...." I passed out again.
When awoke this time I was in a house being tended to. Fluttershy was gentle and even cleaned the cuts I got from falling in that thorn bush, afterwards were introductions and a few questions. And so began my life in Ponyville.
