Tapping. That was the first sound...the first feeling I have experienced in... I don’t know how long that I felt. It was faint...weak, if it were not for its vibrations through the walls I would not have felt it at all. How long has it been since I first fell unconscious in this pod? How much time has passed since I gave my last order? And what has happened to my race in my absence?
These will be questions for another time and place as of right now… It is time for the Empress to wake once more. The vibrations grew stronger and stronger as my body began to awaken more and more, my senses returning once again. My Lungs still filled with the regenerative fluid of my cocoon but sending out signals for oxygen anyway. My hearts following suit, their once incredibly slowed beat beginning to speed up once again.
Then the vibrations that triggered my reawakening stopped. My hearing was the next sense to return to full function already picking up the muffled sounds of something getting closer to my cocoon. Several more sounds were soon picked up by my ears each slightly different than the last. They began to get closer and closer… louder and louder as they approached me. It was then when I was able to make out 3 separate sources as the last of my senses came back to full awareness.
And for the first time since I was put in this cocoon so long ago, I opened my eyes once again. The room was just how I remembered it the only difference being its current state of disrepair and the new entrance against the wall. The veins in the wall that supply my cocoon were still glowing in their bioluminescent shade of green.
Movement below me drew my attention as another feeling I hadn't felt in centuries began to reassert itself at the source of this movement.
The feeling of emotion.
The feeling of hunger.
The sight of prey.
That overpowering...That overwhelming urge to feed began to take ahold of myself as I looked down at the trio of ponies below me. The three of them looking up at my cocoon...at me with fear. That addictive...alluring...delicious fear.
Adrenaline began pumping through my veins as my two hearts began working in overdrive. My limbs on their own, my body tensing as it prepared to pounce on my prey.
And pounce I did. My horn tore through the cocoon’s membrane as if it weren't there as I let my instincts take over and spread my wings to their full length. Their stability allows my pounce to hit true and my fangs to sink deep into the neck of my target.
The world around me fell away as I let my magic loose and began to feed off of everything this pony could give me. I entered her mind, I forced myself into her very soul as I drew out every memory and the emotions they contained.
My cocoon would keep me alive, it would heal my injuries, give me nutrients to keep me going just that bit longer, and make the passage of time a distant memory. But Emotions? That energy cant be replaced by the cocoon and by the time these miners, as I discovered during my feeding, had stumbled across my resting place. I was on the very brink of starvation.
So I drank from that ponies well of emotion as if it were an oasis in a desert. I took everything from that pony.
But it wasn't enough.
My focus shifted to my prey's companions, the two of them had taken the opportunity to make themselves scarce and flee towards the exit. They were fast, but I was faster as my fangs pierced the other pony’s neck and I began to drain...them...dry.
I once again went through their very being, their very essence of one-self to sate my hunger. And once I was done my thoughts were my own once again and no longer those of a starved beast.
I remembered.
“Your newest reading trend?” A cream coated unicorn questioned as I sat in a quiet library.
“Don’t even start! You know how much I bucking hate math!” I growled. “I mean seriously, when will I ever need to use z-scores and standard deviations? I swear-”
If even just a few bits and pieces… but how much of it was really me?
“I don’t know miss… I’m sorry?” I sighed.
“Hmph… bucking horn heads.” The earth pony mumbled as they brushed past me.
“Don’t mind Ms. Green. She’s a bit…”
“Of a flankhole?”
“Language!”
Who am I?
“You just need to subtract the z score from the mean and divide the result by the standard deviation.”
I nodded as my quill scribbled away on the parchment. I felt like my brain was going to burst from the stress. I needed to get an A or I could kiss any chance at a passing grade goodbye-
No. This is not me.
“I’m honestly not feeling vanilla today,” I said as we approached the ice cream stand. “Think ill have a hot fudge sundae instead.”
My companion nodded as the sun beat down harshly upon us. My fur felt all sticky from the sweat-
Wrong… these memories are not mine! What foolishness is this?
Who am I?
“My children… you have been called upon to serve-”
“What in Celestia’s name is a bell curve-”
No! Get out of my head you wretched-!
“My Empress… they’ve breached the inner sanctum!”
Empress?
“Huh… this sundae is actually not half bad!”
“There may be hope for me yet! Suck it, Mrs. Bell!”
“Have our forces fall back and regroup! We make our stand here!”
They were so brave! But I can’t remember who-
“I will draw their attention,” I spoke softly. I could feel the waves of fear and sadness rush off of her as her head hung low.
“The changeling race will not perish this day! I promise you, mother!” Her eyes met mine.
I…
“I passed! I can’t believe it-”
“Shut up you Celestia damned mud pony!”
“They attacked the forward garrison in force… We’re all that’s left-”
“Enough!”
A feeling of revulsion washed over me as I stared down at the two broken forms at my hooves. Was it remorse?
“-This hunger is a curse, many are dying every day and waking up in new bodies without any memories to call their own.”
Hollowed out, glittery green eyes lifelessly stared back at me.
“They are food, my child! Nothing more!”
I lightly tapped the grey-coated unicorn and shifted them to their side. Sallow skin draped itself loosely over bone. All of their major organs had long ceased in their functions; They were nothing more than a corpse. I turned. The white pegasus had fared better… they were still breathing.
“Nothing more than husks-”
I raised my hoof.
“They’re better off dead.”
I stained myself in red.
Author's Note
Darthball: Just getting rid of some Rust, and I have some content planed soon tm
Connor: Same from me with MLS and Noble Expect an Update soontm on those but this story simply couldn't wait. We had to strike while the iron was hot.
