My mother’s horn glowed green, and lifted me gently onto her back. I snuggled her furry coat happily, and my legs collapsed in relief – I had been standing all day, waiting for my father to return with the army of stallions sent out to assist our queen, yet his smiling face had still not appeared on the horizon.
Our queen had not come, either, and a small frown slowly arranged itself onto my features. “Mum?” I asked tentatively.
“Yes, dear?”
“Why isn’t Dad back yet? Or Queen Chrysalis? It can’t have taken that long ...”
Mum sighed deeply, and a despairing look was quickly replaced with a classic ‘knowing mother’ face. “I don’t know, dear. Do you want me to connect with the hive mind? I disconnected a while ago, everypony’s victorious transmissions were unbearably loud."
“The hive mind? Ummm ...” I faltered. It wouldn’t hurt, I guess. “Sure. Maybe Dad will be connected too, and he’ll tell us why he’s late?”
“Maybe, Coco, maybe.” I could see the concentration on Mum’s face as she connected to everypony else in our hive. Her satisfaction in completing her task was gone in seconds, though, as pure shock silently washed over her.
“Mum? Mum, what is it? Did we lose?” I guessed as I grew concerned. Mum had never acted like this, ever.
“I ... I ... there’s nopony there ...” she whispered, unbelievingly. “There’s nopony there but the ponies right next to us, Coco. I can’t feel your father ...”
“But he ... he can’t just disappear! You’d have felt it!”
“Coco, when a changeling disconnects from the hive mind, she can’t feel any of the other changelings. Anywhere. What they’re doing, where they are, whether they disappear or not ... nothing. None of it. Not an inkling. I just wish I had stayed connected ...”
“Aww, Mum, it’s not your fault. We thought we had it, right? Just look for anything else. Comb your mind. See if you can feel the Queen. What about all the others that stayed behind? They only went as far as the Everfree. Somepony must still be in there, you can’t just wipe out an entire species!”
I was to be proved wrong. The looks the others were giving each other said it all too clearly: we were the only changelings left in Equestria.
***
A monotonous buzz filled the clear night air, and the small blanket of bodies lifted separate heads in unison, looking around cautiously for the source. We all knew the only thing it could be was a survivor, yet each hoped it was the one they held dear, the one they lost in the attack.
I hoped desperately that it was Dad, somehow making it through whatever happened to the others, but when we could finally make out the features of the figure, it turned out to be the somepony entirely responsible for this mass disposal of changelings: Queen Chrysalis.
“Mum,” I muttered to the sleeping pony beside me. “Mum, you need to wake up. The pony who led Dad to his death has decided to show her face back here!” I smiled sweetly through my teeth.
“Queen Chrysalis? She can’t possibly be-“
“Changelings!” Chrysalis boomed, cutting off Mum’s whispered reply. “Changelings, this small group here is the only group of changelings left! Our invasion of Canterlot was a failure. The army of brave stallions who chose to fight for your chance at a better life were repelled by a powerful spell ...” Chrysalis’ emotional shield began to break, and she lost the formalness and pride. She continued in a sorrowful fashion. “Guards were sent to the furthest corners of Equestria to destroy the remaining changelings. As ... as terrifying as it is, they have succeeded everywhere else. I have come from the camp in the Everfree – I only just escaped with my life! The patrol followed me here, but we may still have a few hours before they arrive. We must leave, immediately, as any changeling who stays will most likely never see the light of day again.”
Mouths began to move, panic began to spread, and before I knew it, my mother was urging me towards Queen Chrysalis as she prepared to run with us for our lives. “We ... we will make it through this, right? If we head to Ponyville we can disguise ourselves there and ... and pretend to forget about it?” I panted. Mum looked a bit doubtful, and opened her mouth to reply.
“I don’t think we can-“
“An appearance of at least 20 new ponies nopony has ever seen before, and straight after a massive changeling attack on Canterlot, will look far too suspicious. We need a different approach ... Cocoon, was it?” Queen Chrysalis interjected, leaving Mum more than a bit ticked off.
“As I was about to say, if we make it to the Everfree, where we’ll be safe, then we can make plans for the future, but not before.” By now, everypony had gathered round, ready to leave. A quick nod confirmed the start of our escape, and rising quickly to the air, around twenty insectile wings buzzed, taking the last of the changelings away from home, and towards a new life.
***
Celestia’s sun began to rise over a majestic horizon, yet in the Everfree Forest, a thick canopy of leaves blocked out all light. This, however, made no difference to the changelings: they were just as at home in the darkness as in the light. A trail of shadowed figures followed them unbeknownst, as the superior ears of the changelings were focused on the difficult task of listening carefully for familiar sounds that might point them towards their camp.
“I think I found it!” one shouted, and the queen flew quickly in the direction indicated. The changeling’s foal smiled proudly, and stretched up to whisper in her mother’s ear.
“Do you think Dad might have gone there, and he’s safe now? The guard might have missed him!” I whispered hopefully. Mum smiled half-heartedly, and bent down to talk at the same level.
“He might have, Cocoon, but don’t get your hopes up too high. If he was here, I’d feel him strongly, but there isn’t any pull.”
My face fell, and I dragged my hooves towards the camp disinterestedly, now I knew Dad wasn’t there. A twig snapped behind me, and I whipped round to see which foal was lagging round at the back. I was, mysteriously, the only pony there. Wait, where did everypony else go? I spun round, and began to gallop in what I hoped was the right direction.
I found myself in a clearing, and more alone than before. “Mum? Queen Chrysalis? ... Dad? Anypony? Help! Help! Somepony help me, please!” I heard somepony approach from behind, and felt a hoof touch my back. “Get off!” I yelped, and jumped away. When I turned to look at the face, I saw Mum smiling down at me.
“You silly filly! It’s only me, Cocoon, who did you think it was?” she laughed. I slowly crept towards her open forelegs, then ran in and snuggled up. Her warm body enveloped me, and I was safe. Or so I thought.
“Freeze!” cried a voice. “We have you surrounded! Any attempt to escape will be met with a sword! Now put your hooves in the air, and you will be taken quietly. Disobey this, and you won’t be treated so kindly.” A guard stepped out from the trees, and was followed by a circle of others.
“Mum!” I clung to her supportive body as the guards began to close in on us. They would no doubt tear us apart if we refused to let go of each other. “Mum!”
“Cocoon, listen to me. When I say go, you are going to shoot into the air and fly as hard as you can to Ponyville. Don’t look back, and only land somewhere safe and hidden. I’ll be right behind you, OK? Just stay in Ponyville whatever happens ...” Mum whispered as she stared warily at the guards.
“You! Let go of the foal, and put your hooves in the air!” The first guard shouted.
“Alright, alright, don’t rush me!” Mum replied defiantly, unwrapping her forelegs around me, giving me a quick hug first. “OK, Cocoon ...” she started, “GO!”
The next thing I knew, I had been launched into the air. My wings buzzed into action and I flew hard and fast towards Ponyville. I knew Mum would be right behind me, so I didn’t look back. I never saw her alive again.
Blood trickled from every part of me I thought possible and seeped into the damp forest floor. Blurred figures swamped me, stabbing and beating until I couldn't even see. As my body began to break, one thought broke through the haze. With the last of my strength I smiled.
***
I opened my eyes and bounced off the leafy forest floor, full of energy. I had lain where the guards had been seconds before, but the forest was quite and the guards had vanished. My parents stood at my sides, and when I turned my head all I could see was a sea of changeling faces staring back at me. My father smiled and poked my flank.
'Welcome home, sweetheart.'