Reality became a blur for the man once known as William. His consciousness and memories were too great a burden for the underdeveloped changeling’s mind. With only room for base instincts, and the desires present in all creatures to survive, William felt himself drift into a deep, dark slumber.

Strange dreams came to him in waves, visions of an alien world, filled with bug-like creatures that fed upon emotions. His viewpoint may have been above one such creature but he knew that the odd maggot-like creature slithering upon the cold ground was him. Yet he could not move its stubby limbs, or make it croak out even a single sound, his mind pushed back to the fringes of this thing’s mental space.

Forced to watch as it wriggled and squirmed, William was glad that he had no stomach to speak of for it surely would have emptied itself after not too long. He was doubly thankful for this fact whenever the slug child fed upon the thick, paste-like blue substance that was dropped into a troff at the corner of the room. Bellying up to the metal feeding station, the creature gorged itself happily on this strange concoction, nearly falling in on its first attempt.

If William focused he could almost taste the odd mixture of flavors, none of which he had words for. The only thing close he could think of was sweet, though even that was a rough approximation as it definitely contained no sugar or sweetener that he had ever had. More disconcerting than the flavor was the texture, the gruel having the consistency of thick, unchewed jello that slid languidly down his throat.

As time passed, William grew strangely used to these odd feedings, a routine settling in and banishing a bit of the strangeness. Then there was a change, and the odd little creature was moved to a larger room, one with many more like him. There were a few more of the nurses like he had spotted before, but they were outnumbered fifty to one by squirming maggot babies.

The former human could sense fear pass through him, and he instinctively kept to the wall, or close to the nurse he recognized. Older, with greying chitin, and dull eyes, the nurse was easy to pick out amidst the pack. Though he knew not what she said when she spoke to him, William could sense that she meant well enough.

The safety of the nurse’s presence was not constant, however, a fact that William discovered during the first feeding in this larger room. The bigger, fatter grubs hogged more space on the troff, pushing out the smaller creatures and gobbling up more food. The nurses intervened occasionally but by and large, they allowed this to continue despite knowing about it.

William couldn't understand why they did this, and the grub child that he knew to house his consciousness was not exempt from this bullying. A rather large insectoid child with a prominent head ridge that no others had, pushed the smaller grub aside. As he feasted, William watched, and waited, hoping that there would be something left when the larger creatures were done.

Yet when the time came, and they had eaten their fill there were only scraps left at the bottom of the troff. He and those of his stature scrambled at the bottom of the feed container, butting heads and swallowing what little they found. Fouler than the rest, the strange gruel was unpleasant yet he ate all the same, gobbling up whatever minute scraps he could locate.

Time sped up, with William’s mind slipping for what felt like only a moment yet was clearly weeks or even months. The grub that housed his mind had grown, though not by much, and a faint glow emanated from his translucent abdomen. For some reason he knew it was time to construct a new egg, and quickly before the torpor overcame him and he was forced to molt out in the open, risking infection and death.

He wasn't sure why or how he knew these things, these alien facts but he watched as he snuck away from the group and located the warmest spot available. Hidden away in one corner, he didn't know why but it felt like the absolute best place to construct his egg. Safe, and content, he watched as the grub began spitting out chunks of malleable black goo and forming it into the shell.

He didn't get far before he was interrupted, however, as the grub with the bright green head ridge running between his enormous eyes returned. Butting William aside, it took his spot and reared up, raising its tiny limbs as if challenging the other grub.

The former human could feel trepidation, fear, and anxiety flow through him but it quickly turned to quiet resentment. He didn't want this fight, he didn't want to hurt or be hurt and so he gave up. With a shrug, he slunk away, crawling deeper until he found a more secluded area to make his chrysalis.

There it was cold, damp, and cramped but it was at least safe.

After assembling the strange egg-like case, the grub crawled inside and closed up the exit. William wasn't sure what was going to happen, would he perish in there? Asphyxiation seemed likely, or perhaps he would freeze in this cramped little space.

His vision suddenly blurred, and the dreamlike quality of the world suddenly fell away. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer viewing his new body from above like some sort of voyeur. The eyes of the grub were now his own, and he inhabited its body fully rather than being disconnected from it.

He could see light beyond the egg, could taste a strange liquid on his tongue, and hear the thud of his own ragged heartbeat. No sooner had his senses returned to him that he felt panic grip his soul. He couldn't breathe, and not only that but his entire body was trapped within the egg with no room left to move. All the extra space that had been present before was gone, leaving the former human confused and turned around.

Blindly, he flailed in all directions, throwing out his legs in hope of punching a hole. He was successful, but that didn't actually help him as now his leg was stuck half in half out of the egg. His breathing situation had not improved but thankfully in his flailing, he had accidentally headbutted the inside of the cocoon.

That did it, the horn protruding from his forehead stabbing through the interior membrane and the hard exterior shell beyond. Gasping and flailing, he gulped down air, while trying to wriggle free of his goopy bindings. After a bit of aimless struggling he emerged into the world, flat on his back, limbs splayed in all directions and his spittle on his lips.

“I’m… alive?” he muttered to himself.

Standing up was an awkward endeavor, as his logical half wanted to stand on two feet while his instincts told him four was a better choice. In the end, he fell over twice before pushing himself up with all four of his hooves. Standing there, he looked down, his mind putting the pieces together one arduous piece at a time.

“What the hell am- augh,” William muttered, only to grip the side of his head and fall to the floor.

All the instinctual knowledge of his blood forced its way into his mind all at once. He was a changeling, he had been a grub but now he had taken a step towards becoming an adult. It had been nearly a year since he had come to this place, with his growth having been sped up via a love-rich diet of mushroom paste.

He also knew how to feed, knew how to move about in his new body, and fly. He also knew how to summon his magic, to call it to his horn but what to do after that point wasn't known to him. There was still much he needed to learn, much he needed to do but the once human changeling sat there, looking on in horror at the world he had just been birthed into.

He was in the back of a damp, moss-covered cave filled with newly hatched nymphs that had undergone their first molt. They looked like monsters and moved like them too, butting heads, and pushing their way to the row of nurses waiting for them. His old life was over, and now he was in another universe or dimension, or reality, starting over as some orphaned creature he instinctually knew to be a changeling.

It was all too much.

He fell to his knees and cried for his life, cried for his sister, and cried for his lost body. Utterly alone, and without anything that made sense, he let the darkness take him. Sobbing until he was out of breath and tears, he lay on the cool ground, determined to simply let the cold earth take him a second time.

“What's going on back here?” Whispered a voice.

William watched as a large head peered through the narrow gap at the back of the chamber, looking in on him.

“Ahh, there you are. I was wondering where you had gotten off to,” muttered the nurse. “Come on, let's get you out of there.”

Before William had a chance to open his mouth, he found himself being lifted into the air by some strange force. He felt like panicking, kicking his legs and wrenching himself from the nurse’s grasp but something stopped him. That glowing field was faintly warm, slightly motherly, and wrapped around him like a gentle hug.

“There you go,” she murmured, gently depositing him on the ground before her. “I don't know why you chose that cramped spot back there. It might have affected your growth.”

William blinked and looked around to find that yes, it likely had. He was smaller than the other nymphs, with a shorter horn, smaller wings, and fangs that barely poked out from under his lips. It was at this point that he realized the nurse was different from the others of her kind as well.

Where they were short, demure, and looked almost young in a way, she was older, made of firmer stuff. Her body was more well-muscled, she stood taller than them, and her chitinous exoskeleton was slightly greyed.

“Why do you look different?” William couldn't help but ask.

“I got a bum leg,” she replied, waving her right foreleg in emphasis. “Got it after a mine collapse a few years back. Can't dig nearly as well as I used to but I was a mite more gentle than most diggers so they stuck me here with you lot.”

“I’m sorry,” William murmured.

“Don't be,” she dismissed. “I never minded my old job, but this one, well it's right cushy.”

“Thirteen thirty-three, wrap up your duties,” snapped a distant voice.

“Right right,” murmured the nurse, waving a hoof. “Well, you heard her. We best get you moving. Got a lot of learning and whatnot ahead of ya.”

“Is that your name?” William asked in confusion, following after the nurse as she headed for the exit. “That's just a bunch of numbers.”

“Us workers don't get names,” the nurse replied. “But don't you worry about that big number. Just call me Threes, most lings round here do.”

“Except for her,” William pointed out.

“Yeah well. She’s my boss. She ain't supposed to be nice,” Threes dismissed. “Now come on. Quit yer jawing and let's get going. I gotta show you to your room since we missed the boat with the others.”

“Why do you talk differently?” William pressed.

“You sure are an endless barrel a questions. I wonder if you're going to end some kind of inquisitor after your naming ceremony,” Threes remarked.

“I’m sorry,” William murmured.

“Ahh don't be,” Threes dismissed. “But to answer your question it's cus I spent some time on a farm when I was real little. The hive was going through some tough times and had to sneak some nymphs into Equestria. I wasn't there for too long, barely more than a few years but the accent stuck.”

“Hmm,” William muttered.

Together the pair wound their way through a labyrinthian structure of tubes that branched off in all directions. William watched as some changelings climbed onto the ceiling, or walked on the walls, with the flow of changelings shifting around them. Bodies were packed close to one another, with little space to move, but there were no traffic jams, or people bumping into one another, the hive flowed like water.

“Alright, here we are,” the nurse announced, stopping in front of a small translucent green barrier. “You’ll be staying here for a year or so while ya learn, and figure things out.”

“But this is just… Oh,” William murmured, the barrier retracting into the walls like a giant sphincter. “I see.”

“You sure are a strange one. Well little one, try not to crawl into any tight spaces again. I don't know if I’ll be able to dig ya out,” Threes then leaned down, rubbed the top of William’s head, and turned around, walking back the way she came.

“I uh… thank you,” William called.

Threes waved a hoof over her shoulder without turning around, the changeling whistling a strange country-sounding tune that William couldn't identify. It had an odd twang to it and seemed like it should be accompanied by a banjo or acoustic guitar.

“What a strange changeling,” William muttered to himself.

Ducking back into his room, he found that there was little room to move around. Just enough space to sleep, and do light stretching, with there being only a single piece of furniture present. A simple end table barely large enough to hold a single potion filled with green liquid sat against the far wall. Without a stopper or cork, he could smell its contents and knew instinctively that it was filled with liquid love. All it took was that one single sniff to make his stomach rumble and his hooves start moving.

He all but sprinted across the room, his forehooves grabbing the thing and throwing it back before he had a chance to blink. The former human barely even had a chance to recognize the desperate hunger clawing at his stomach before he was chugging the whole of the potion’s contents. Only after it was empty, and his long snake-like tongue was desperately scrambling around inside the position did William realize what he was doing.

Throwing the potion across the room, it crashed against the far wall, exploding into a million little pieces.

“What the fuck came over me?” He muttered, only to sigh. “Right, I’m a changeling now, a love eater.”

He wanted to cry, but for some reason, there were no tears left to shed, and he simply fell to a knee and started to clean up after himself. The shock of it all had begun to wear off, and although he still detested his new form, and all that came with it at least there were some decent people here. It would be hard to survive here, but magic was apparently real, so getting back to his own world was not impossible.

Sure he looked like a freak, but he knew instinctively that changelings could shapeshift. Obviously, he wouldn't be human but he could look human, and all he needed to do was learn magic. After that he’d just need to find his sister, pray to god that time worked differently on earth and he could go back to his old life.

“As if,” he muttered.

From that moment on, things fell into a sort of lull, with William becoming more and more at ease with his new surroundings. He was still miserable, but he had a goal at least, an end game to look forward to and work towards. Survival also became less of a concern, as his meals were regular, or at least semi-regular anyway.

Taking the offered potion of love from the worker, and hastily began scurrying away, making his way out of the crowded cafeteria space. It took moments for a changeling to consume their meals, but it seemed as though even emotivores enjoyed eating amongst their peers. There were no chairs, however, merely short tables, and small cushions made from what looked like molded and treated mushrooms.

They were comfortable, sure but sitting out there was simply not an option. He had been marked as strange somewhere along the lines, with most other changelings avoiding him. What few didn't seemed to be slow, for lack of a better word, their eyes empty, and their movements robotic.

These odd changelings clustered in one corner, saying little and eating in more or less complete silence. Straying near them allowed William to pick up snippets of conversation.

“Defective,” said some.

“Deficient,” said others.

“Destined only for the recycling vats, or the mines,” remarked others.

William didn't like the sound of either of those things and avoided them, and most changelings, like the plague. Instead, he kept his small potion tucked against his chest as he weaved his way out of the room and down the hall. There he waited next to one of the larger, more well-reinforced sphincter doors. He knew that here was where the nurses ate their meal and chatted amongst themselves.

“How are you liking teaching?” Asked an unfamiliar voice.

“It's alright,” murmured the one nurse William knew.

“I bet it's far cushier than your previous job,” pointed out a third voice.

“Oh it is, and I’m endlessly grateful for getting reassigned,” murmured Threes.

“I’m sensing a but in there,” prodded the second voice.

“Well I’m just a might bit confused is all. I thought I’d spend most of my days helpin’ the real little ones, not following ‘em through their whole education,” Threes remarked.

“We won't be following them all the way. Just until the choosing ceremony,” the third voice added.

“I know that, but still,” Threes retorted. “There ain't no new little ones. Just a couple of stragglers who are getting that fancy accelerated growth juice.”

“It's all for the benefit of the queen’s plan,” muttered one of the other nurses.

“I hope she succeeds and after all’s said and done, we can go back to helpin’ the little ones. I sure did enjoy seein’ all their squishy little faces,” Threes remarked with a chuckle.

“On that, we are in agreement,” stated a stiff-sounding voice stated.

William smiled faintly as the nurses all shared a polite laugh amongst themselves. Then, one rose and began walking in the direction of the door, only to be stopped after a few feet.

“I hope you are not going to have your meal with that runt again,” proclaimed the more demanding voice from earlier. “We’ve turned a blind eye to your little rendezvous until now but that may change.”

“Look, the kid just needs a little extra tutorin’, is all,” Threes retorted. “He’s smart, might even end up a researcher or mage after the choosing.”

“That may be but you know the queen’s orders. At this stage of development, we are not to intervene in their lives. It spoils them,” proclaimed the stiff voice.

“I don't understand why the queen would do that. Order us to keep such a hooves-off approach of it all,” Threes muttered.

“Careful laborer, you are edging closer and closer to treason,” warned the voice.

“It just feels wasteful.”

“Wasteful?” Murmured a baffled voice.

“Well think about it. If all it took to boost those nymphs that are lagging is a little push then surely it would be worth doing? Much more efficient than pushing them straight into the recycler and starting all over again,” Threes pointed out.

Though the changeling had attempted to make her voice sound empty, almost robotic, William could tell that she was genuinely concerned and was covering that up by sounding more like her superior.

“I don't think there is much we can do about certain nymphs, however,” muttered another voice. “The increased growth speed has resulted in a few less than desirable spawn.”

“I’m not talking about them,” Threes dismissed. “They are beyond help, but a few others… well they could be made useful to the hive. More useful than gettin’ recycled anyhow.”

“Your argument is a valid one, though orders are orders,” declared the elder changeling after a short pause. “I will not report this for insubordination though I expect you to cease this coddling of that one individual.”

“Yes, head nurse,” murmured Threes, trotting back the way she came.

William didn't want to hear anymore and made a beeline back to his room, a love potion still floating in front of him. He didn't make it far before he reached the next obstacle, however, though this one came not in the form of an older changeling, but rather one his own age. The taller, wider nymph that he had come to recognize as his personal tormentor stood in the doorway, a grin crossing his face.

“Well would you look at what we have here,” he exclaimed. “If it isn't the runt. Do ya think that's gonna end up your name when the time comes?”

“What?” William muttered.

“Ya know when you get your name you moron. Don't tell me you're tiny, as well as stupid,” the bully declared, stepping up to the smaller nymph and looming over him.

“I already have a name-”

“Give it a rest with that weird griffin name,” the other changeling dismissed, snorting derisively. “I don't know where you heard it before but that ain't your name. You have to earn your true name by proving your use to the hive.”

“But I-”

“And give me that bottle of love too,” he demanded. “You are so small you don't need all that anyway.”

“This is mine,” William hissed, pulling the love potion back. “You can't have it.”

“Selfish little grub,” spat the bully.

The larger changeling lurched forward and attempted to grab the bottle out of the air but William was quicker. Leaping to one side, he sprinted past the bully, nearly dropping the bottle as he did so, his magic flickering. He re-established his concentration a moment later, gripping the bottle a little tighter as he continued to run.

“Get back here, worm,” spat the bully as he charged after the other nymph.

“Shit shit shit,” William muttered to himself.

Sprinting down the hall, he took a sharp right and nearly ran into another nymph about his age. A harsh swerve allowed him to slip past the larger creature, narrowly avoiding slamming into him. His pursuer was not quite so nimble, and simply bowled through the other male, knocking him aside with a shoulder slam.

“Out of my way, pipsqueak,” he spat.

William poured on the speed, dodging and weaving around the larger changelings while keeping his grip secured on the bottle. Though he had a shorter gait and wasn't as fast as the nymph chasing him, the former human didn't have to run through every changeling that got in his way. Able to duck through the legs of an adult, or weave around those of his own age, William was able to keep one step ahead of the bully though it was only a single step.

He could hear the other child knocked over adults and kids alike, making a ruckus as multiple changelings voiced their irritation. The bully didn't care and simply kept going, running after William all the way back to the dorms where they both stayed. Here traffic was thinner, and William could hear as the bully regained the ground he had lost to all the obstacles he had run into along the way.

“Come on, come on,” William murmured.

Rounding another corner, he sprinted the rest of the way to his room and jumped inside. Narrowly missing the hoof that had reached out to grab him, William was able to force the sphincter-like opening shut behind him. It had only been by inches, but he had won, and he celebrated by immediately downing the entire potion.

“You witless grub,” shouted the bully from the other side, his hoof slamming into the barrier. “I’ll beat the snot out of you for this, you’ll see!”

William sighed, sitting with his back against the door while the bully gave it a few more angry punches before leaving. Cursing and muttering under his breath, William didn't have any clue what the other changeling had said, but he also didn't want to know.

“No matter where I find myself the one constant in my life is bullies,” William muttered to himself. “It would almost be reassuring if it wasn't so depressing.”

Things returned to the same strange routine as before. He would learn about his new body, be taught how to fly, how to use some very basic spells and a bit about the world he lived. It was obvious that this mysterious queen he kept hearing about was an absolute tyrant. He came to this conclusion after just the first lesson when it was made obvious that there was only a single nugget of truth amidst a great mountain of propaganda.

Everything was everyone else's fault, even when it didn't make sense to blame them for the changeling’s problems. Every teacher that spoke told of how the changeling had never done anything villainous, and that the world constantly conspired against them. Not only were their enemies strong, but they were also prey, and little more than sheep, making them weak at the same time.

William remembered that this dynamic of all foes being both weak and strong was the component of cruel ideologies from his home world. It amped up his fellows who whispered amongst themselves about how they would strike back against their oppressors. The bravado of children was infectious and even William couldn't help but wonder if the world was truly against his new people.

Then he’d shake his head, and brush it aside, determined to reexamine such biases whenever he escaped the hive. A possibility that was incredibly daunting given the fact that he was still a child, and yet to fully develop. There was always the chance that he was allowed to leave due to being chosen as a loving collector, but he knew immediately that was unlikely. He wasn't the least bit charismatic, nor did he show some special aptitude for shapeshifting magic.

Though they had yet to truly begin testing for aptitude, William had begun to worry that he may not excel in anything. Even still, he was not the best at anything, and his growth quickly slowed, allowing even those initially smaller than him to soon tower over him. He hoped that would change with his second and apparently final molt that came nearly a year after the first.

His hopes had dwindled somewhat, but he was determined to cling to what was left, telling himself over and over that anything was possible in this world. He may be a monster, and some time may have passed, but if he could get back home, then there was still a chance of returning to normal. He held onto that hope as tightly as a drowning man clung to a piece of driftwood, thinking only of his sister as he clung to the side of a cave and curled into a tight ball.

Time slowed down, and his mind drifted to a strange, nameless place of darkness. Then, after what felt like both a split second and a short eternity, he awoke once more and pushed against the bindings that held him. This time he knew what to do, and using his horn, he ripped through the exterior casing of what had once been his chitinous flesh.

Emerging into the world once more, his usually tough flesh felt wet, and malleable though it hardened quickly upon being exposed to air. As he lay there, panting, and confused, he looked himself over and found that he was larger, though not by much. His holey, black exterior was the same, but he could feel that his wings were wider, his horn, longer, and the well from which he drew his magic, bigger.

He hadn't grown by leaps and bounds, but at least he wasn't so small that he could walk under an adult. Or at least he sure hoped he wasn't that short anymore, it was bad enough that puberty had done little for him in his last life.

Groaning, he rose into a stand and stumbled around the surprisingly empty room. The vast, yawning cavern felt like it may swallow him now that there were not hundreds of other nymphs present. A few empty exoskeletons still clung to the walls, but that was it, he was once more, a late bloomer.

“Stop dawdling,” spat a voice that William recognized as the head nurse. “Clear out the remaining stillborn and prepare them for reprocessing. We don't have time to waste, the choosing ceremony is only a single short week away.”

“What, really?” murmured the twang-filled voice of Threes. “I thought you said there was more time.”

“Things change,” retorted the head nurse. “The queen’s plan advances and so must our schedule. Do you have a problem with that, laborer?”

“Well no, course not,” Threes replied. “Just feels a might bit cruel is all. I’m sure at least one or two of these fellas is gonna crack any second now.”

“Be that as it may, you have your orders and unless you want to end up recycled yourself I expect you to follow them,” the head nurse exclaimed.

“Yes, of course,” Threes murmured.

“Now, if that's everything. I have many other matters to attend to,” the head nurse proclaimed.

“Oh uh, what about my request? The uh one about tutoring more of the late bloomers,” Threes pressed.

“The week before the ceremony is to be used exclusively for physical training, and screening of any defects that may have arisen,” the head nurse stated, only to sigh. “However, that leaves their evenings free should you see fit to give them a bit of extra assistance.”

“Thank you thank you thank you!” Threes proclaimed. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“I can imagine, given that you are attempting to squeeze the life out of me,” the head nurse muttered through grit teeth.

“Oh uh, sorry bout that,” Threes murmured ashamedly, depositing the other nurse back to the ground.

“Now. You have an hour before the recycle squad comes to sweep this place. So long as you are gone before they arrive I will consider your work complete,” the head nurse proclaimed, pausing to presumably dust herself off.

“I’ll be gone before they get here. I promise,” Threes stated, her voice tinged with pride.

“See to it that you aren't. Now then, good day to you.”

The head nurse then stomped away without another word. Leaving Threes to release a sigh of relief.

“Thank all the stars in the sky,” she murmured. “I thought for sure I’d have to recycle all these poor fellas myself.”

“I better not dawdle anymore,” William muttered to himself. “I don't want to get recycled.”

The former human took a steadying breath before trotting out into the open and raising a hoof.

“Hey Threes, I-”

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