Life through Love

Chapters

Prologue: The Deal of a Lifetime
Chapter 1: Meet the Family
Chapter 2: Huzzah! Success?
Chapter 3: I can talk!
Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Feel like a Monster
Chapter 6: The Great Escape
Chapter 7: Trekking
Chapter 8: To Ponyville and Beyond!
Chapter 9: A new face, An old memory.
Chapter 10: Back to the Beginning
Chapter 11-a: It's magic, I don't have to explain anything.
Chapter 11: Dreamtime
Chapter 12 : Alien Mind
Chapter 13: A Fresh Perspective
Chapter 14: Home Sweet Cell.
Chapter 15: Spike's Stand.
Chapter 16: I am me
Chapter 4-A: Squalls Before the Storm
Chapter 9-a: Awakening and Explanations

Prologue: The Deal of a Lifetime

Three years ago I was human, I was on Earth. I had a family, a job, a life.

Three years ago...

“For god's sake it's Not that hard! Just stay out of the way and maybe we won't die!.”I barked angrily into the mic.

My hands danced over the keyboard, my eyes glimmering like fiery gems in the screen's glare, a snarl curled my lip and escaped into the air before my mouth shut in a scowl.

For two days out of every week, My computer housed my entire world. World of Warcraft, Reddit, Youtube and Bogleech, these were my little islands of refuge from the working world.

Outside those two days I held down a steady weekday job at a warehouse to keep up with my rent, Monday till Thursday, 7am till 10 pm, with my free time on workdays spent shopping, eating and sleeping. Friday was always reserved for clubs and socialising, I didn't want to be a shut-in recluse after all.

But that was Saturday, my computer day, my day to relax.

Pony day.

I'll admit right here that I was, and still am a brony and proud, my motorbike has a Rainbow Dash decal on its gas-tank, my helmet has a tiny trio of butterfly stickers stuck to the outside (Fluttershy is best pony, no exceptions) My family were equal parts amused and confused about my interest in the show, but they don't really care, they were a bit too far away to care.

But right now I wasn't thinking about the magic land of Equestria, I wasn't thinking about harmony, loving and tolerating, I was thinking about how to keep the worst hunter I have ever clapped eyes on from ruining a perfectly good guild raid. The idiot was constantly pulling mobs away from me, every time I started a fight he would start spamming high aggro attacks until the monster went for him. Horrible plan, worse execution.

Eventually we ground to a finish, killing the boss and settling in to divvy up the loot, pausing to kick the moronic hunter when he tried to ninja.

Saying goodbye, I didn't settle down on my couch in the best of moods, cracking open a bottle of cider (Made by a friend, jokingly labeled as 'Sweet Apple Acre's finest') and reaching for the controller, settling in to watch the show I loved unfold.

“My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahhh…..
-My Little Pony-
I used to wonder what friendship could be
-My Little Pony-
Until you all shared its magic with me”

“Big adventure”

“Tons of fun”

“A beautiful heart”

“Faithful and-”*Beeeeep*

The harsh buzz of my doorbell seemed to fill my apartment, harsh and unforgiving on my eardrums.

Apparently my singing along was so bad that the universe itself decided to stop me.

Sighing a little as I paused the show I lumbered to my feet and made my way to the door, calling out in my booming voice “Coming! Hold your horses” I didn't bother to hide the annoyance in my tone as the buzzer rang twice more.

The lock-bolts rattled and clattered when they slammed back into place, allowing me to haul the thin door open, revealing a tall, athletic looking old man in a suit

I tried to loom a little, the man's goatee and silent grin made me annoyed for reasons I can't explain. Usually I'm a good loomer, I'm a master of looming, my naturally bulky form mixing with my craggy face too give me a fantastic presence. But the old guy in-front of me refused to be loomed over, for every inch of shadow I cast his sly fox grin seemed only to increase.

He shook my hand before I realised he had it, saying in a voice of silk and oil “Why hello there son, the name's Mr Ord. I'm speaking to Mr Butcher?” he talked fast, shaking my hand so vigorously it was a blur.

No sooner had I volunteered an affirmative than I was being pushed, the old man guiding me back inside my own house with unstoppably, impossible strong arms “That's great sonny, now why don't we sit down for a nice talk over a glass of chocolate milk.

I was stunned, something about the way was being manhandled inside my own home by this old guy was scary, but strangely numbing in it's surreality. Mr Ord's hair seemed strangely familiar, it's grey matte and white streak, his yellow eyes and mismatched red and yellow eyes called out to me.

I was sat down on my couch and instructed to stay put, which I did. He went through to rifle in my little kitchen, calling out to ask where the chocolate powder was, I told him. It took a minute or more, but then he came back through, placing down three glasses of deep brown chocolate milk.

He grinned an easy grin and motioned for me to drink, I did so -it was good- as the odd Mr Ord spoke “Now sonny-jim I expect you have questions.” he smiled somehow wider at my nod “good, questions are the best way to keep things interesting. I expect you're thinking 'who is this guy?' 'This doesn't make any sense'”

I nodded, still drinking (how big was this damn cup?)

“You would be right dear Mr Butcher! My visit doesn't make any sense, why should it? What fun is there in making sense.” If you believed his snake-oil voice and smooth expression Mr Ord was beside himself with glee. But then I looked at his eyes, into the red pits of mismatched madness; he had stood then, towering over me in a dramatic pose with one arm held high and one across his chest. “Why should the great Daniel Ishmael Stefan Cord make any sense?!” His booming operatic voice shook dust out of the ceiling.

It hit me then, the hair, the voice, the way he held himself and the serpentine way he slickly slid and moved, those crazy eyes. My hand shook as it put down the still-full glass, my voice a shaking waver “You're D-d-dis...” I trailed off as Mr Ord leaned in close enough too tickle my nose with his own

“Go on... You can say it.” a clawed finger caressed my chin.

As if to help me, my TV screen flickered, showing off the monster behind the name I stumbled over “Dis-Discord.”

The world shifted before me, Mr Ord reared up not as a man, but a god, all sense of space and scale faded, Discord's arms throwing out wide as lights flashed into being behind him, lighting up my tiny apartment with fireworks that rose high above cotton candy clouds.”We have a winner!” His declaration echoed from the distant mountain of my Ikea bed, his clapping sent ripples of concussion through the shag of my carpet “Bravo, bravo my dear lad.”

I must of made to get up, because in the next moment he was there with a fuzzy lion paw curled around my shoulders, his tail pinning me in place with a mountain's solidity.
“Now now boy, no need to run. I'm not here to eat you, in fact, I'm here to offer you the deal of a lifetime.”

I tried not to hyperventilate in panic “a deal, what kind of deal?”

Discord relaxed, cracking his spine and settling in to watch as the title credits of my favourite show resumed “the best kind of deal my friend, the sort of deal that benefits you, me and my client.” A bowl of popcorn appeared as the show began, the chaos spirit at my shoulder chuckling at his own antics on-screen.

I couldn't stop the question, it was the sort that just needed to be asked “Your client?”

The resident villain poked his head out of the screen to answer “Oh yes, my client. A lovely creature.” the mini-discord climbed all the way out (much to the confusion of Twilight, who had been in the middle of a scene with him) and began slithering over my coffee table, chewing a chunk of plate. “I came across my client while spreading chaos across Equestria. He had got himself into quite the sticky situation you see, and was calling out for help from anyone that passed.”

I followed the pint sized monster across the table with my eyes, fixating on the small square of normalcy inside the swirling maelstrom of chaos that was my apartment “You helped?”

“Of course I helped, I did more than help! I, being the benevolent bountiful bundle of fun that I am, took the poor thing under my wing. He didn't want to live on this planet any-more, I agreed, no-one should have to stay on the same planet if they don't want to. So I cut him a deal, if I could convince a human on earth to give up his body, I would pull the old swaparoonie and switch his mind with that lucky human's.”

I could guess what came next “I guess I'm the human? Can I ask why me?”

Both Discords looked at me as if I were born yesterday “Why would choose you? Why would I choose anyone at all?” He consumed a tongue-full of popcorn “I don't need a reason. That's half the fun of being me.”

“So it's not Destiny? I'm not supposed to be some sort of 'hero'”

Discord laughed, despite a terrifyingly thunderous look on his muzzle “HAH! Destiny, that old hag? I haven't listened to Destiny since the pre-classical era” his tone grew dismissive, even sulky “And why would I help a 'hero'? I'm a 'villain', apparently.” he crunched bitterly on his popcorn around his grumbling about 'stupid alicorns'

The absurdity of the situation hit me then, it was just incomprehensible, it was mind-breaking and illogical. So I did the only thing I could, I laughed out loud and relaxed back, stealing a handful of popcorn (it tasted like chicken and toffee, crackling like pop-rocks)
as I watched the chaos unfolding on-screen, another Discord having appeared to keep the episode on track. “So that's the deal, one body for one free trip to Equestria? How does that help you?”

Discord shrugged “it doesn't.”

I glanced at him “Huh?”

The massive chimeric god looked down at me out of the corner of his eye “I don't benefit from this deal at all lad. In...” he pulled back the skin on his arm to show off a watch on the bone below “...ten minutes, I shall be trapped in stone by those goody-four-shoes Celestia worshippers, stuck in a marble prison for another few thousand years. Just because I don't listen to Fate doesn't mean she won't pull a dirty trick now and then”

I tried to understand “then... Why?”

He snorted out a cloud of bubbles, that popped to become candy-cane flies “Because I'm Discord, I don't like making sense” Then he looked away, his expression unreadable “and I'm not particularly fond of Princess Prissy Pants” he lost the pensive look and dug at me with an elbow. “Chucking a human or two into the mix aught to ruffle old sun-flank's feathers huh? You people are masters at doing my work for me, it's always hilarious to watch, even from my dingy little lawn-ornament”

I thought for a moment, it might have been a second or a day, time seemed to have no real meaning near the spirit of chaos “I think I'm ready to decide.”

I didn't even blink and there he was, paw outstretched. “Do we have a deal then?”

I shouldn't have, it was idiotic, I would have to insane. I knew all that, so I grabbed his titanic paw with my miniscule hand, smiling like the loco moron I was as I shook “Deal Mr Ord. I must be mad, but deal all the same.”

His talons began to glow, the scent of dying stars and the light of raging infernos filling my suddenly normal apartment as the monster before me charged his claws for an almighty click. I saw my electronics pop and die when electricity began to crackle in the air.

I managed to shout, my hand still held in his immovable grip, “Will it hurt?” His head shook, the grin faded to a look of concentration “is there anything I need to know?”

He leaned down then, the air beginning to spin in a mini cyclone “Of course there is. But for now let me just say one thing.” A deep breath later “Lust and love are all you need, change yourself to freely feed. A difficult choice is yours to decide, state nothing but truth or spin little but lies. One will give you freedom, the other will let you hide”

Then he clicked.

The world was white noise and black light, the real world faded to nothing and let only stars remained, twinkling into eyes that weren't mine.

I don't know how long I floated as nothing but a mind in the void, my unreal ears that weren't there ringing with the echo of Discord's voice, his parting chuckle filling my head above the hash of non-existence.

THUMP

I hit the ground rolling. Bouncing off the hill in a shower of dirt, the whistle of air filling my new ears, blinding sun burning my new eyes.

I rolled to a stop with face towards a lake, it's surface dimpling with the falling rain that was all around me, my numb skin apparently too numb to even feel the mud that squelched and oozed around me.

I tried to stand, to talk, to look anywhere but the lake; but my vision was cracked and blurry, fogging over with the cool black of unconsciousness.

The last thing I remember then were a pair of blue hooves, landing in front of my face. A voice, high and reedy yelling into the storm “Honey! I found Somepony Come help!

Chapter 1: Meet the Family

“Uuuuuh...” I woke up uneasily, twitching against the fabric of a feather bed.

My limbs and skin felt numb. My ears felt weird, my hooves just ached.

Wait... Hooves?!

I stiffened in shock as my last few memories came flooding back, my horrible WoW session. Discord, the deal, DISCORD!?

I couldn't move, it was just too hard to do. My legs were sluggish, all of my four legs refused to obey me. I couldn't even speak, my mouth felt scratchy and unworkable, with a thin tongue that fluttered lithely around my fangs

Thus came my first thoughts 'Fangs? I have fangs? What the hell do I have fangs for? I'm supposed to be a pony, a herbivore, a muncher of flowers and grasses. But no, I didn't have the mouthful of grinding teeth like a pony, I have a giant pair of damn sabres sticking from my upper jaw.' I silently raged, unable to voice my anger, aside from a high pitched hissing/whining sound.

'Okay... Okay... Calm down me, just calm down. We can deal with dental differences later' I thought, trying again to shift in my bed. I managed to make the tiniest of movements with a single hoof, just enough to realise that I was chained down, my hooves were hidden beneath the blanket but I could hear the clink and rustle of shifting metal, even feel the cold band of the cuff if I concentrated hard enough.

My mind fell into a flurry with that. 'Why am I chained to a bed?.. Why am I in a bed?! I got dropped near a lake! Maybe someone found me, it's a soft bed with a proper over so they care about me, the fangs must have scared them... yeah. My fangs must have scared them.' I calmed down through slow breathing and effort of will

Well here came my chance to ask my captors, I lay still on my bed as the clip-clop of hooves grew closer and closer on a wooden floor. I couldn't see them enter from where I lay facing the wall, so I only had their hushed voices to go by on.

The first was a girl, or a mare (I could just tell from the smell and the sound) “is he awake?” her query came with a nervous tremor, I guessed then that she was young, maybe a late teen or pre-adult. Something about the one that spoke told me that she was nervous, but not about me, she was instead nervous about her partner's reaction. Her accent placed her as from Baltimare, with old connections to Cloudsdale.

Listening closely to her breathing, I built up a mental picture of the mare, giving her a light build and small chest, a definite pegasus (I could hear the rustle of feathers) she was tall, with a longer neck than usual (Mareabian perhaps?) I didn't know how I knew all that info just from her voice and breathing, maybe it was leftover knowledge from whoever owned this body before me.

The male grunted “Can't tell with it's creepy bug eyes. Ah heard it make some noises earlier, so maybe it's just fakin'” His accent was thick southern, Appleoosa or Dodge City, it had hints of Baltimare in it though, so he must have moved. He sounded at least fifteen years the mare's senior. His deep voice gave me a picture of thick barrel and stout posture, an earthpony for sure, with heavy muscle and enough height to rival Big Mac from the show.

'Bug-eyes?!' I thought briefly, before returning my attention to my two captors.

There was the clop of light hooves when the mare edged closer, earning a hissed ”careful there sunshine, it might be dangerous” from the stallion. Must be a husband, or a close relation.

I could almost see the mare's face in the corner of my eye when she came up behind me, her light voice soft and stealthily quiet “How could he be any trouble? He was weaker than a puppy when I dragged him inside.” I could dully feel the hard edge of a hoof poke my numb side, soft then hard.

I tried to move, I really did, but all that occurred for all my mental straining was a slow shift of a single hoof and a whole load of spasmodic twitching. I tried to growl in frustration, but all it came to was a gurgling pathetic whine, and a raspy intake of breath.

As soon as I even twitched, the mare was pulled back by the stallion, his voice warning “Are y'all kidding me? That thing's bigger 'n me, and ah hold mah-self to be a pretty big fella. Ah wouldn't trust that there monster farther 'n ah can throw it.”

'I'm bigger than Big Mac?' I wasn't sure whether to feel proud or nervous.

I heard the crack-slap of hoof striking flesh as the mare (presumably) clipped the stallion's ear/cheek “Stop calling him 'it' and 'thing'! He's a living creature like you or I, and I won't have you calling him 'monster' in our house.”

There was a sputtering sound while the stallion marshaled his angry response, all pretense of hushed stealth thrown aside “ah know a villainous creature when ah see one, and y'all can't tell me it don't look like something that ya dress up as on Nightmare Night.”

“I said stop you insufferable bigot!” Perhaps hearing me still trying to make a noise, she trotted over and laid a wing on me (I could hear her do it, but I couldn't feel anything) “the poor creature can barely move. I still don't see why the chain is necessary”

What smelled so good all of a sudden? The mare seemed to be letting off the most delicious sweet scent I've ever sensed, breathing it in deeply seemed to lend me strength, a few more moments of this and I might be able to start moving more than a single hoof at a time.

The stallion snorted, I could almost imagine him rubbing a reddened cheek with an angry expression “Iof course I chained the thing down! Even an injured wolf is still dangerous! Just look at those fangs, it's wings, that horn!”

'I'm an alicorn?' I thought then, trying to move my wings, flare my horn. Be damned if I couldn't feel the flutter of something wing-like on my back, and see a small shower of sparks from a black spur on my face. The rooms other occupants didn't seem to notice.

The mare rose on her hackles, the sweet scent stronger than ever “so what! With Discord himself floating about who knows what happened, he must have been caught outside and gotten mutated.”

'Close, but no cigar.'

The stallion snarled in frustration, If he were human I imagine he would be pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine then, you can play with a Tartarus damned monster if you like, but don't come crying to me when it takes a chunk out of you” His hooves made the floor bounced as he stomped out.

The mare snorted in annoyance, I could hear her brush her wing gently up my side, speaking gently “It's alright, I don't care what you look like. You're welcome to stay until you recover.”

A pony's face entered my vision, a cute blue face with bright cerulean hair and snowy-grey eyes. She hung there for a moment, perhaps searching for something in my eyes. Apparently finding nothing there she leaned down to plant a tiny kiss on what seemed to be the tip of my muzzle, breathing out “you wouldn't take a bite out of me, would you?” Then she was gone, floating from the room on soft-beating wings.

It took an age, it took an effort that would have left me sweating (I don't think I have sweat glands), but I eventually managed to breathe out, “Never...” it was impossibly quiet, my strange new mouth turning the word into clicks and buzzing, but I felt better for saying it...

I would never hurt that pony.

Author's Note

I know it's short. Sorry :(

Chapter 2: Huzzah! Success?

'Hah hah! Take that you stupid hoof, I will be obeyed.' I thought in glee, having shifted my leg ten centimetres in the past half-hour. The sweet, energy rich air that the pony mare had left behind her still lingered, and I was almost in full control of one of my legs already.

An hour later, I had made three more legs fall under my control.

Two hours further down the line, I had managed to lift my face off the mattress, giving me my first look at my new self.

I screamed. I'll admit loud and clear that I screamed when I saw the black carapace where skin used to be, the jagged membranes of my insect wings and the hole-ridden hooves that hung like stumps on the ends of my legs. The alien throat that had replaced my own turned my manly scream into a banshee wail.

I scrambled to get out of bed, only to find my previously subdued legs treacherously giving out under me, one being literally yanked out from under me by the short chain. My shriek was cut off as my face slammed hard into the hard-wood floor. I felt far less pain than I should, the plates of chitinous armour covering my new body soaking up the impact. Apart from the face, my facehurt.

As soon as those hooves touched ground though, my world became strangely full of new sensation; the holes in my hooves seemed to echo in a way my human brain simply couldn't compute, leaving my new alien brain to translate it. A mental picture emerged in my mind, showing a picture of the world all around me. I could sense the tremor of scurrying mice under the floorboards, the tiny tip-tap of insects all around (they had termites in the next room).

Heaving another breath into my lungs, I ignored my new Dare-Devil powers in lieu of sobbing, the enormity of what had been done, what I had done finally impacted. The shock of my new body revealed forcing any semblance of control from my mind; so I simply gave up and had a little cry, I wept a little harder when I realised that I didn't have tears.

I heard, smelled, tremor-sensed and saw when the kind mare walked in, I couldn't help but stop sobbing, saving what little dignity I had left as she walked slowly up with concern written on her face and body, clear and bright as the clouded sun that marked her flank.

“Are you okay?” she asked, taking in the scene.

I tried to answer, my sarcasm levels rising, but all that came were unintelligible clicks, buzzes and hisses. Instead I resorted to whining, a throaty mewling growling from my large frame as I sought to untangle my limbs. Unfortunately my stupid horn had lodged itself unhelpfully into the wood, this combined with the restrictively short chain rendered all my attempts useless, unless I wanted to tear up a floorboard.

The mare bit her lip “oh nonono, this won't do at all” she moved forward with quick light steps, her tall thin legs stepping with delicate surety around me as she sought a way to help, first concentrating on my trapped wing. “Tell me if it hurts.”

'Absolutely' I thought, incomprehensible clicking and buzzing came out, to which my captor/friend simply smiled, taking my thin wing membrane gently in her hoof. It was pins-and-needles all round as the limb was freed with a minimum of fuss, the crumpled section filling out with blood as it straightened.

Then the horn, the agonizing, painful horn, the long bent blade was rammed in up to half it's length, stuck fast and aching. My little helper saw the discomfort and murmured sympathetically, walking around to get a grip on my head.

I could hear her heartbeat, fast and tense with adrenaline, nerves and something else. The sweet scent in the air was cloyingly thick, intoxicating to the point of dulling the pain. I hardly needed to tense or shriek as my forehead exploded, her hesitant pulling setting my horn on fire.

She stopped as a shrill whine of pain escaped my mouth, her worry and anxiety coming off in waves of chilling cold.

She saw the pain and chewed her lip again, unsure and slightly scared of her own uselessness in helping me. She whimpered in indecision before finally firming up, gaining an edge to her eye “Wait here.” She ordered, earning an eye-roll (which went unnoticed of course, me having no pupils) “I'm going to get some help” patting my shoulder-plate with a wing she dashed off, almost breaking the door down in her enthusiasm.

Left to my own devices, my mind turned to new developments. 'So I'm a superhero now?' I pondered, tapping a hoof on the floor and watching the ripples in my mind build the world, the thrum of hooves a distant tremble, a mouse's squeak lighting up it's body to let me see it through the wall. I sat there with eyes closed and body still as I explored this new world of sound and vibration.

It was kind of relaxing really, watching my own heartbeat, marvelling at how it let me 'see' my entire body, from a ridge of thin webbed spines down my neck to the thicker plates that protected my back and underbelly. It was a great way to think, mainly on how 'I can sense emotion?..' It made a creepy amount of sense, especially given how 'I could feel what she was feeling, I didn't even need to look'

Then the moment passed and she came back with company, I could see her coming with every hoof striking the floor, a sequence of still images mere heartbeats apart, each a tableau of the lithe pegasus in motion. The earth-pony from before followed behind, his steps heavy and pounding.

'When she comes back in, I'll see if I can get any deeper emotions I promised myself, in the name of science! (Plus maybe finding a little bit more information about how the cute mare thought.)

Thus it was that when she came bursting in, she found me close-eyed and still as a rock, my body relaxed as I let my new-found abilities play out.

I could feel her panic at my stillness, the relief when she looked to my rising chest (thorax?)
a mix bag of broiling emotion as the larger male came in. His cutie mark was that of three white oats, backgrounded by a rising sun.

The southern stallion snickered at my predicament “Well well well, ain't that just a thing. Big bad bug-monster with it's horn stuck in the floor and legs all tangled.” He came over with a chuckle still riding in his throat, a mix of bitter annoyance and disgust hiding underneath the amusement as he took in the full sight of me.

I couldn't help but let out a hiss of pain when he gave me a test yank, the rough handling setting my sore nerves ablaze with agony. The beefy earth-pony grunted “shut up, it'll hurt more coming out” he was enjoying it though, every little sign of pain I showed set off a burst of sugary happiness deep in his brain.

Not wanting to give the stallion the satisfaction I steeled my nerves and clamped my jaw shut, silently thankful that my giant fangs had folded away, rather than jabbing my lip.

I glared at him through the back of my head, telling myself 'okay me, just keep calm, hold your nerve and you wont have to-OH Sweet Celestia, MY HORN!!!”

Fuckfuck-FUCK Horns and all their bastardly horny ways! I shuddered and roared through clamped jaws as a scream of pain tried desperately tried to escape. My 'rescuer' showed no mercy or tenderness in his attempt to get me free, wrenching me from side to side, his hooves holding tight to my head (The skin on my face seemed more like smooth leather, just like the space between my chitin.)

It was working, I spat and growled in pain, but his rough handling was slowly working the horn free. There was one last block of resistance to be yanked through before...

*creeeeaaaak-crsnap!* I came free with a rush, the horn rushing out in a cloud of splinters and sawdust. I didn't bother to try and stand, instead crumpling back-down, wincing as the tip of my long prong knocked the bed-frame on the way down.

The stallion snorted, down at me and kicking at my armoured side “Get up then. C'mon ya damn monster, gittup.”

The mare shoved him away, her face thunderous “Stop kicking him! He's hurt.”

“Ah thought monsters are supposed to be tough.” the stallion glared at me.

'And I thought ponies were supposed to love and tolerate' I countered silently, glaring back. With limbs trembling crazily I attempted to get my legs under me, the kind mare helping, concern floating around her in a thick fog, heated by anger towards the stallion.

Eventually I was back on my hooves, the world of vibration filling my world with new sensation once again. Then the clink of chain caught my ear, the ting and clank of a short, stout tether cuffed to my front-left hoof, secured to the floor by a newly installed iron ring.

The stallion caught my glance at the restraint and turned stern, despite the smug feeling he gave off “you're not having that off yet monster, not until I know what you are.”

'I'd like to know that too' I thought at him, still silent.

I couldn't help but notice a tremble of fear from both ponies, just as an annoyed expression crossed my face, fangs flicking out as I opened my mouth. I suppose it made sense, with me towering over them ( I was maybe a head taller than the stallion, nearly twice the size of the mare)

The mare looked ready to burst with indignation “he's a pony! A mutated pony perhaps, but still a pony!”

The stallion looked me up and down “Maybe.. But ah'll have to check...”

This drove the mare's anger into confusion “Check? How?”

'Yes Mr Stallion. How?' I'll admit I was curious.

The big earth-pony smiled “ah'll have to head into town and check in the library. That there librarian's a smartun alright, she'll know what he is.”

The mare looked annoyed “but Ponyville is ages away! It'll take you all day to get there. You won't be back till tomorrow!”

The stallion snorted back, his mood straight back to retaliatory, with a side order of biting sarcasm “so ah guess you'll have plenty of time with yer new 'coltfriend' then, afore ah get back and show ya it's a monster!” While the mare spluttered in disbelief he appeared to think, I could feel emotions fade away as he went into his own mind “if ah can't find anythin' there, then....”

The mare took advantage of his calm, I could almost see her calculating the best time to ask “...Then we could let him off the chain?

The stallion looked and felt confused “huh?”

'what?'

“If I let you go Into town and search the library, then I expect an apology when you find out he's not dangerous. You have to promise to give him the benefit of the doubt, and get that silly chain off his leg.” she said, her voice stern.

I nodded as best I could, clicking unintelligibly “I support that idea, this thing is itchy.”

The stallion looked about to refuse, I could sense the indignant anger building, then fading away “... Alright sunshine... If ah can't find nothing about this thing in the library, ah'll say mah apologies and unlock the chain.”

They shared a little nuzzle

They were father and daughter, I could tell just from that, from all that had happened. I don't know why or how I knew, but some part of my new body's brain just knew. I fi concentrated on that thought, it began to break down, showing me little memories and clues that showed how it knew, a flicker of emotion here, a stray glance or word there.

But then the stallion began shoving the mare out of the room, barking over her protests “Ah don't want ya in the same room as it while ah'm not here! What if it hurts you?”

Her reasoning and logic fell on deaf ears. But I didn't feel any anger any-more, he was a father. I could understand a little irrationality. I was still annoyed, being locked in a room by some southern stallion, but I could now see why.

I heard him being followed out of the house, but I didn't care then. For right then all I wanted to do was think

'What am I...'

Chapter 3: I can talk!

'I'm a monster... I really am.' I came to the realisation slowly but surely, through the little hints my new body gave me, the skills it had and muscle memory the limbs possessed.

Thinking back I found my vision lingering on my captor's vulnerable spots, every time I thought of the kind mare there was a flicker of instinct that told me to leap, fangs bared, for her throat. Lies and deception came easily, a game of thinking up false identities soon burdened me with complex back-stories, plans for how to make the falsehood pass inspection, how to bluff and deceive my way past guarded doors.

A gentle sound broke me from my reverie and thoughts. A tick-tock rhythm of hoof on wood, the light airiness signifying no-one other than the kind mare. I hazarded lowering a holey hoof to the floor, a smile almost cracking my lips when I 'saw' the ghostly tremor-sense images of her movement.

She paused outside my door, her breathing heavy with anxiety and/or nerves, I closed my eyes and reached out gently to sense her emotions, to find that yes, anxiety was there, with a very deep tremor of fear; fear of what I couldn't tell, but more important too me was the joyful warmth of her surface happiness, the feeling bubbling up into a small whistled melody.

Then her whistling was muffled as she took up a weird pose on her hind hooves, both wings curled forward and one hoof on the wall for balance. It took a minute of clicking before I realised...

'Picking the lock? You naughty girl you.' I lowered my head to the pillow as her mood turned to triumph, feigning sleep as my sensitive ears piked up the *thunk* of a bolt sliding back.

I didn't need my tremor sense to hear the door being creaked open, a shaft of light from the hallway suddenly illuminating the wall, 'was it that dark?' I thought, watching her shadow grow in the light-beam, breaths light but eager, the glow of excitement warming me and sweet smell invigorating my form.

I felt her hoof poking me, heard her light voice and sensed the vibrations “Do you have a name?” She rubbed a wing up my side, giving off more and more of that delicious stuff, the energizing substance that made my weird little heart sing. I still couldn't put a hoof on what it was, but I liked her all the more for giving it.

“I used to.” I could almost see her cute little face screwing up in confusion as she tried to decipher my clicking voice. Then there was that tremor of fear when I turned, raising my head high with eyes focused down and fangs carefully tucked away. I did the best apologetic face my strange leathery skin/plates would allow.

The mare visibly fought down her fear (it was visible to my new emphatic sense at least) and gave me a hug, a warm embrace that meant the world to me at that moment, her rich scent filling my nostrils -she smelled of earth, sky and sweat, like hard work and sunshine- “don't worry” she reassured me “I don't need a name right now. My name's Silver Lining, the grumpy guy from earlier is my dad,Golden Oats.”

I smiled, again careful not to show off my fangs, and shifted on the bed, allowing her room to climb up and sit. Silver did so with aplomb, slinking onto the bed and nuzzling in close to my hulking form.

I must have given some sign of personal space impeachment, because in the next moment my caring captor shrank away with embarrassment oozing off her in waves “sorry... I've always liked bugs and arachnids, and you're like a giant pony-bug-thing...”she made to step off the bed, her foot almost touching the ground before I stopped her.

My holey hoof gripped her shoulder like glue (I guess that means I could climb walls?), pulling her back into a silent embrace, her every heartbeat lighting up my tremor-sense. I put on my best smile and gently dropped a diaphanous wing over her barrel “I've been called much worse” I clicked, my buzzing alien mouth making her vibrate.

If Silver understood or not I couldn't tell, because in the next few moments she was simply getting comfortable, her mood and 'aura' ecstatic at my acceptance. “Oh thank-you-thank-you-thank-you” she babbled, finally curling herself into a comfortable spot against my abdomen.

There we lay a while, a cutesy pony and the beast. Her mind blankly content to relax against my chitinous plates, mine roving over my own feelings, the emotions and cues that she gave off, and a dozen other things, not least of which what would happen when her father returned.

…It was nice...

In time she broke the silence, both buggy brooding and marely contentment, to look up and ask “So... what can you do?”

The merest glance of my big blue eyes gave my answer 'Do?'

Oh god, no pony, creature or entity otherwise known should be able to twiddle their hooves so cutely “I mean, do you have any special abilities?” She tapped my horn with a wing, earning a warning hiss, before looking back at me “is that big ol' horn good for any magic, or is it just for show?”

'Good question Silver, a very good question indeed' I thought, gazing up at the spiked blade jutting from my head.

The teeny pegasus squeaked in surprise when I heaved upwards suddenly, shunting her off the bed as I stood up.

Silver reprimanded me as she hung of the bed in a very immodest position “A little warning next time!”

I ignored her though, just as I ignored her scramble too right herself, just as I ignored my cutest captor's attempts to make eye-contact, to get my attention. My gaze was focused inwards then, looking deep to my core as I tried to find my magic.

It was hard to find at first, but the memories of my body's former owner came in flashes of remembrance to guide me. My magic seemed in my minds eye to be a flickering green inferno, hiding in the pit of my chest and behind my eyes, the emerald conflagration gave off a warm feeling, as if it were an innate and familiar part of me, rather than something I hadn't had before.

I manipulated my inner fire with thoughts, shaping it with instinctive and half-remembered skill, my attempts to guide the magic clumsy at best.

'Time for magic then' I thought opening my eyes and looking to Silver, who had sat down too my side and was patiently waiting, I hazarded giving her a wink before focusing on the task at hand. 'Okay magic... Show-time!' With a trill of effort I concentrated on the pillow in-front of me and willed my magic into being.

*POOMPF*

'I hope Silver has more pillows' were my immediate thoughts, as smouldering feathers rained down around me, the wispy smoke rising up to meet a and greet with the smoke from the pillowcase, or rather the scraps of pillowcase left behind after the rest detonated.

It had been quite spectacular, and more than a bit funny really, a shimmering green aura had enveloped my horn, resting for a moment there before acting, unleashing a brilliant bolt of coruscating flame to devour the pillow. Then it had exploded.

The hilarious timing of my magic had no effect on Silvers mix of shock, fear, excitement and (after moment of disbelief) anger. But her bubbling rage found no outlet in her voice, my embarrassment and apologetic eyes soothed her too quickly, instead she snorted and rested on her haunches again, as if waiting for me to fix my mistake, to do anything more.

'Okay, no more destructo-bolts please' I begged my horn, looking deep within myself to the flickering green flames, which had dimmed slightly since last I checked but moments ago.

With thoughts and feelings I poked and prodded the amorphous mass of magic, trying to shape it. Too my surprise it changed as I worked, a form taking shape inside the flames. It looked like a pony, it's features ill-defined. A memory of instinct and vague fuzz enticed me to impose sharper contrast, the pony-doll in the inferno taking the shape and colour of my favourite pony, the kind Fluttershy.

With a whoosh of flame I released my creation into the world.

Stunned, flabbergasted, confused, befuddled; these emotions and expressions all danced across Silver's face as I opened my senses again, seeing her eyes locked on me.

I turned to ask what was the matter after moment, stopping as I realised the world was … off slightly, it seemed larger than before, and the reflection in my captor's eyes was not one of a black behemoth, but rather of butter yellow and mellow pink. I looked to my holey hoof, only to find it whole and hairy, coated in short fuzz and ended in a rather mundane hoof, my wings were covered in feathers, my horn had gone.

I had turned into Fluttershy.

“I'm Fluttershy!” I giddily crowed, standing on my hind hoofs and twirling to get a better look at myself.

Silver interrupted to ask, shock rendering her mind and face blank “Who's Fluttershy?”

I replied without hesitation, The element of kindness's voice replicated perfectly “a pony from Ponyville, she's my favourite” I paused for thought before amending “after you of course.”

Silver blushed and looked away, her bashfulness blazing “you flatterer you...”

It was at this point both our brains caught up.

I was first off the mark, my hoofs flying up so fast I nearly knocked myself out “I can talk!”

Silver followed a close second. “You can talk!”

Another revelation hit at the speed of thought, both of us growing more excited “I can change shape!?”

“You can do magic!!”

“I can talk!!!”

“You've been to Ponyville?” Silver asked, her giddy excitement fading like water on desert sand.

My own happiness burned down, fell over and sank into the swamp. “Uh... yea-well no... not exactly no.” I laid down, resting my new pony head on my forelegs “I've observed Ponyville, but I've never been there.” I put on a little smile “it's so nice, and happy.” My smile faded as memories began flashing up, of parched deserts and screaming winds, of choking thirst and endless hunger.

Silver saw my sadness written on the adorable face of my new form, her mood shifted quickly to sympathy. Resting a wing on my fuzzy back she slipped up onto the mattress “the place you're from, it's not happy and nice?”

I winced as the memories grew less vague, more clear “No... I don't think it was that nice, or very happy.”

Again sympathy flooded from her, backed by a wave of that sweet sustaining stuff I loved so much “you think?”

“The memories are vague, fuzzy. It's not easy to recall who I was, what I am...” I concentrated hard for a moment “I can't even remember my own name. If I had one.”

My pegasus friend shook my/Fluttershy's shoulder with her wing “Aw come on, every-pony has a name. Tell me what you remember, maybe we can piece it together.”

I smiled again 'only for you silver' I thought “Alright” I said. With a big intake of breath I raised my head and began to talk in fits and starts.

“I-I was a noble of sorts, I think... I had my own swarm, a territory. I remember meetings, being bowed to, bowing to others” the images came in a trickle, broken by fuzz and static.

“I lived out in the desert? I remember sand, so much sand and wind. I sent out my swarm for food, water, sometimes they'd bring stuff back, sometimes not. I was hungry most of the time, but it was important to feed the swarm, otherwise we'd all starve.” I shuddered in my borrowed fur as memories of the lean times rolled past.

“There were other nobles I'd visit, all with their own swarm, their own territory, mostly prosperous ones.”

Silver asked “why would you visit? Diplomacy?” her ears were perked, her attention on me.

The next few memories made me blush “diplomacy of a sort... I can remember visiting other nobles, but they're all female. I'd only visit if they wanted a new noble, to start a new hive.”

Silver thought that over “a new noble?” then her noose wrinkled “oh” disgust impinged on her interest. “Oh...ewww.”

I chuckled nervously, clearing my throat “aheheh... *ahem*, moving on.” I waited until Silver had ceased to make strange faces before continuing. “As I was saying, I used to visit other hives, to make new nobles. But one visit went a bit weird, because there were other nobles there. A lot of them, both male and female”

My mind distanced itself as the memories rushed past “the noble I was visiting wanted too start a new hive, but she was also gathering support for a plan, a big plan that needed more than one swarm to succeed.” I wrinkled my nose “I can't remember the plan, but me and the other nobles all hated it, it was a stupid plan, dangerous even.”

My mind panicked with the ghosts of emotion, my nerves flaring in phantom pain “We tried to fight her, the scheme she was plotting was too dangerous, we couldn't let her go through with it. We all banded together, but she was too strong. The noble collapsed the cavern on us, she destroyed half her own hive to kill all of us.”

Silver was hugging her knees on the floor, listening so hard she barely dared to breath, let alone squeak “why aren't you dead then?”

I thought hard on that, forcing the memory to the surface “I was dead, almost anyway. I was trapped under the rock, getting squashed slowly by the weight of all that stone. But then a voice spoke in my head.” I shuddered visibly “it was discord. He saved me, and then... well you know the rest.”

Silver quirked an eyebrow “why did Discord save you?”

I thought carefully then. To tell her the truth, or hide behind this façade a while longer “... I don't know... because he's Discord I guess. He doesn't need a reason.”

Ms Lining seemed almost disappointed by that answer “okay...” she trailed away.

A haze of awkward silence descended, my mind trapped in the past, my cute captor thinking of things unknown.

It was broken by Silver of course, whistling and rolling to her hooves “So. Shapeshifting huh?”

“Yep” how else would I answer?

“Can you mimic anypony, or anything? Is there any other magic you can do?”

That was a really good question. “That's a good question.”

Sticking my tongue out a little, I concentrated.

The next few hours cost Silver Lining several more pillows, and one ceiling.

Author's Note

Argalblarglewarg WORDS! Get'em while they're hot.

Chapter 4

"Sooooooo" Silver drawled from where she sprawled on her back, her head hanging over the side of the bed, a pencil held in one wing "What do we know about you?" Her hind leg twitched a little in the air while her brow furrowed, pen transferring to mouth and notepad rising to meet her halfway.

I shrugged, looking down from the ceiling at the supine pegasus "I can only shapeshift into intelligent species." I spoke in Twilight Sparkle's voice though my body was that of Big Mac. (I had long since escaped the leg-cuff by simply shape-shifting out of it)

She looked at me strangely, a wave of humor and confusion bleeding out into her emotional 'aura' at the conflicting appearance and sound "Your upper limit is elephant sized*..."

I nodded, dropping off the ceiling and shifting as I fell, growing into a huge dragon that stretched through the hole in her ceiling. It was both a hollow shell of a true drake and a masterful disguise; my nose snorted wisps of smoke with each rumbling breath, but the fire inside was green and cool, my flaming breath would have no bite. Long claws and talons adorned my fingers, glistening with metallic luster, but they were brittle as balsa-wood, sharp as butter knives.

SIlver fought her fear down with deep breaths, bringing her notepad u to her face once again "And your smallest is a foal"

My next shift was swifter than the last, the green flames consuming my draconic form with ferocious haste, until there was nothing left but a kernel in the center, one with a shiny red bow and glittering orange eyes ( I don't know why I had shifted in a karate outfit, apparently my subconscious wanted her clothed)

"Yup, and ah can do clothes too!" I smiled at Silver for a moment before examining my new form, noting --with some disgust-- that my 'clothing' was not in fact so, it was fused to my body some way below the neck-line, loose enough to give the appearance of real cloth, but non-removable (when I brushed a hoof against the faux-cotton I couldn't suppress a shudder when I found that it had apulse).

Silver's heart melted at filly-me, the sweet stuff pouring off her in a torrent. "D'awwwww" she made a silly face "who's that little cutie?"

I chuckled "This is AppleBloom, of famous Sweet Apple Acres."

"Awww. I like that form, you should keep it." the pegasi giggled, looking back to her notes after a moment, raising the paper to hide her blazing cheeks. "Okay, back to business, We know you can shape-shift, you can change your voice at will..."

I let dribble of magic out, shiftng Applebloom's down from her fillyish squeak down into a deep masculine bass "Y'all are right on the bit there" I deadpanned it, my innocent voice never faltering "I have quite the vocal range."

Silver almost snorted her pencil, hacking and coughing when it hit her throat "Don't do that!" she squeaked, hurling a pillow at me. I didn't need my sight, to see the flutters of something naughty flicker through her aura, being swiftly consumed by a wave of embarrassment.

I grinned "Why? Is mah stallion voice making y'all feel all strange inside?" put just the right curl on those words to make them seem exceptionally inappropriate from the mouth of a foal. Among my new body's new talents were pushing people's buttons it seems.

Another pillow impacted with all the force a pegasus could impart "Stop talking like that" the irritated mare grumped at me, readying the last pillow for throwing.

I raised my hooves in defeat, moving my voice up a few octaves until it matched Applebloom's again "Okay okay, no more weird voices"

The pillow lowered back with an almost grumpy "Good" her ghost of a frumpy frown was unreasonably cute and tiny, but then again all ponies were unreasonably cute

"Besides" I lowered myself to the floor "All this shape-shifting is really draining the ol' batteries, my magic is running on fumes right now." I let myself feel the weakness, the crawling hunger.

Silver Ling looked at me with worry and sympathy shining in her eyes and in her aura, with a pulse of her wings she was on her feat "Why didn' you say? I would've got us both something to eat." she patted her stomach, sitting down "I'm pretty hungry myself now that you mention it."

I bit my lip a little then, hesitating to say "...I didn't want to mention it, because I'm not sure what I eat..." I mumbled in a stage-whisper, just loud enough for Silver to hear.

The pegasus looked at me queerly "What d'you mean?" Something about me, my stance must have made her nervous, because she took a hesitant step back instinctively.

With a sigh I collapsed my disguise, allowing my big natural form to show through and cast it's shadow, I opened my maw wide, motioning without a sound to my saber-fangs and their smaller counterparts, an entire mouth of little razors.

I hated her fear, I hated it with a passion, long ripples of terror flickered in her aura, each a sliver of ice running through my heart. Silver shrank back until her hocks and hooves touched the bed "Oh..." Was all she said, her eyes running over my mouth.

I couldn't take it any longer, I couldn't stand here causing my newest little friend any form of anxiety, or revulsion. With a flicker of green flame I took on Big Mac's form and closed my mouth before taking a step back, lowering myself below her level, flattening my ears and trying to make myself less of a threat "Sorry..." I put all the sincerity in my voice that I could manage "Ah didn't mean to scare ya."

Silver Lining bit her lip, visibly --to both my eyes and my 'aura-sight'-- fighting back her fear. After a moment she stepped forward, without a word she came up and reared into a firm, if gentle, hug with both wing and arm "I-it's okay. I didn't mean it..." she pulled my head up to meet her eyes "I was just surprised."

"By my big ugly bug-face?" I snorted, still mildly disgusted with myself. I returned the hug though, it was warm.

"A little bit" she admitted, letting the hug go, both of us calmer "I guess those teeth mean you're a predator?" her nerves spiked at the idea, that hated emotion rearing it's head again.

I thought on it, then made a 'so-so' motion with my hoof "Ah'm not entirely sure... Them fangs looked sharp enough sure, but ah can't even stand the thought of actually eating anypony..."

Except I could, the gnawing, endless hunger flashed iages in my mind even as I looked at her, that sweet, delicious scent/feeling in the air was lke the finest perfume, alluring and enticing me to take a bite. Just a little bite, to hold her still while I dr-

"NO" It came as both a thought and a shout. my lungs barked that syllable with such force that it may have been it, more than my muscles, that flung me back, away from Silver, from the scent in the air and the images of... of whatever it was I was tempted to do. Her flesh? No, I couldn't bear the thought, the maddening hunger didn't desire that.

Silver cowered, icy terror coming off her in a tsunami of chilly feeling, she spoke at me, but I didn't hear her past the rush of my thoughts.

Her blood? No. the gnawing hunger didn't flare, my tongue recoiled from the imagined taste.

"..." Silver spoke again, her eyes wide with apprehension, she made to step towards me, bringing that seductive taste in the air closer. I hated myself beyond reason for it, but I snarled at her, my eyes flaring green and flat horse-teeth bared.

What did I want? What drove me to thoughts of clamping my fangs on her neck, holding her still as I drained her.. drained her of... love...

Silver didn't move towards me but didn't move back. Her eyes had gained some strength now, though her aura was roaring with fear she held her ground. She spoke slowly, shaping her mouth so I could easily read her lips. "I won't leave you. I know you don't want to hurt me, but I will be here for you."

Love? That's what that scent, that glorious stuff in the air was? It was incomprehensible, it was disgustingly perverse. I couldn't wrap my head around the concept. Except that I could, It made more sense the more I thought about it, Friendship was magic in Equestria right? Love is just a stronger form of friendship, so it stands to reason that you could fuel something with it, even a creature.

I looked to Silver, the snarl off my lips as I looked at her with new eyes. That sweet, delicious substance was love and affection, it was friendship in edible form. I needed to eat real food too, otherwise it couldn't work, but maybe love was the key component in the digestion process.

The idea should have made me sick to my stomach, stealing another's emotions to feed should have seemed repulsive, but it didn't. My alien brain wouldn't let me find the idea anything more than mildly disturbing, and not so disturbing that I couldn't bear to do so.

Silver saw my confusion, my distressing thoughts and moved forward, speaking calmly, slowly, as one might approach a large, vicious animal "Come on big guy... calm down, I don't know what's got you worked up, just tell me and maybe I can help.

I bit my lip, held her gaze for a moment, and then broke it to say "Ah'm sorry fer growling at you Silver, ah really am. It's just that ah've figgered out what I eat. It ain't purty" I spoke in Big Mac's accent, made more pronounced by my nerves.

The beautiful mare, understanding as Celestia herself, couldn't suppress a wince as she asked "Is it ponies?"

I droopeds, afraid to look her in the eye, even as my other senses picked up her hammering heart and kaleidiscopic aura "Yes an' no" before she could question any further I sighed "Ah... Ah eat love."

I think her brain broke for a minute or so, her mind boggling at the absurdity of that statement, she clearly wanted to laugh it off as a joke, but the deathly seriousness with which I spoke swept that idea away.

It took her a while to work up to a "Huh?"

I looked at her now, right in the eye "Ah eat love... Affection, lust, love, even the deeper kinds of friendship. It fuels my biology." It sounded so silly, it was a crazy concept. But in my alien little heart I knew it to be true.

Silver was unsure, part of her wanted to flee, to slam the door and fly, part wanted to buck me in the face and keep at until my skull split, I should probably be thankful that a considerably larger portion of her wanted to stiffen her lip, look me in the eye and ask "So that's why you-"

"-Shoved you away, yeah." I rubbed the nape of my neck with a hoof "Ya liked me too much, and I'm so hungry I could barely think straight with all the... Affection I could smell coming off you."

Silver's eyes glazed for a moment there, I could see here aura flickering as her thoughts aligned themselves, eventually settling on embarrassment "Oh" her nose scrunched up as her face blazed with colour "I... Sorry"

I was confused for a moment, but then I managed to see where her mind had wandered "huh?.. Oh OH, no." I laughed a little "not that kind of smell, It's this weird sixth sense I have, it let's me sense your emotions." I went a bit red myself, not that you could tell on Big Mac "Love and all that stuff registers as this really sweet, delicious smell in the air. Like freshly baked honey-oat cookies."

Silver and I went off into memory for a moment, both of us drooling a little at the thought of that delectable love.

Okay she was probably thinking of the cookies, but still, I feel my point was made, shaking off the memory I looked at her a little sadly "I just don't want to hurt you. I don't want to feed on, or off you.

Silver looked away from her own thoughts and bit her lip "I know... But I can't let you starve." She stepped forward, the glint of determination in her eyes.

I stepped back "Silver, I know you want to help, but I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. If it starts hurting, we'll stop." another step.

Oh Celestia's beard that sweet scent "Silver..."

She was faster than me, giving me no more room to back up "I promise I'll be okay, my special talent is seeing the silver lining"

I put my hooves on her chest and gave her a gentle shove, a pathetic attempt to fight the urge, she was so close, so warm and sweet. She would barely know wh-. I caught those thoughts in mid sentence, stuffing them away into a deep dark hole. I tensed myself to fight the urge, growling "What Silver Lining can you see to this situation? How could me clamping my jaws around your neck and sucking out the love possibly be a good thing?"

The pegasus reared up and bopped my nose, her face slightly stern "That was for growling at me mister," which faded into a smile, humor deflecting her nervousness "The silver lining big guy, is that if we do this now it'll be controlled."

I rubbed my nose ruefully, say what you like, her hooves were sharp "Controlled?" I dared to query, I kinda knew where she was headed, but it would be nice to have confirmation.

Silver remained rearing, putting a hoof on my shoulder and spreading her wings for balance. Her aura was calm on the surface, all emotion subsumed as she thought logically through it "Yeah, controlled. It's pretty clear that you're starving right?"

Oh Luna's teats I was famished, the gnawing hunger was making my limbs tremble.

"So if you're starving now, how long before you get desperate, before that hunger takes over and you can't stop yourself?" she looked deadly serious now when she looked me over, her eyes perhaps imagining the real me, rabid and frothing "I'm the only food source for a few miles out big guy, d'you think a shut door and an itty bitty chain would stop you for long, if you went feral?"

I was shaken by the thought. I wouldn't be stopped I could tell, she couldn't hide from me, running would be stupid --We had found out earlier in the day that I could spit a weird kind of goopy green cement, it had hardened into something like thick spider webbing-- and I had magic, there would be no contest.

Silver watched me think it through, a smile growing on her face "See big guy? it'll be much safer."

I sighed, there was no way around it "O-okay. lets do this."

It was a little disturbing how quickly she moved across the room to lie on the bed. Her aura was a pit of roiling turmoil, happiness and nerves fighting an undercurrent of deep-seated fear (and winning it seemed). The sweet scent was headily thick in the air when I made my way over, coming off her like smoke off a green-branch fire, it was the same old scent, but when I climbed atop the creaking mattress it took on a slightly different flavour.

I rolled the new taste around in my head, trying to figure it out. While I did I moved up, watching as Silver lay down, fighting her excitement down to ask "How does it work?" Her breath was heavy, heart pounding in her chest.

I didn't need to think of the answer "It's hard to explain" the images and instructions were in built, but my old body had some quirks and preference it's muscle memory guided me down. My disguise flickered off with barely a spark of green, My tongue, longer than most and slightly engorged, slipped out to wet my leathery lips, looking more of a reptile's than one of a mammal.

Silver seemed to relax as I came down with, she squirmed a little, emotions bubbling up and down, her eyes closing in acceptance. As she did I figured out what the flavouring on her love was.

I couldn't stop myself, thinking 'you kinky girl', Silver liked this idea a lot more than she let on. With all the care I could muster in my starved state I began to feed, horn flaring and a tight beam of green energy going between my horn and her head.

Have you ever been truly starving? Seriously famished, so hungry that the gnawing seems to start tearing at your stomach, that it feels like it's atrophying your limbs? Imagine that hunger, that desperate need for food being so strong.

Now imagine taking your first bite of a proper meal.

I couldn't stop myself, it was too hard.

The width of the beam widened until it was a torrent. Silver giggled a little, unaware of my slipping control "He he, my wings tickle" she squirmed, fluttering the pinions.

I let out something between a growl and a whimper, watching as the emerald flames in my chest grew all the larger, the more violent as they were fed. The power was overwhelmingly enjoyable.

Silver must have sensed the shift, the danger, because the pegasi wriggled, making to stand "Alright big guy, that's good. I think I'm getting a headache."

I could sense her growing panic then, my hulking body pinning her to the bed, but I just, couldn't, stop. She made to buffet me with a rapidly weakening wing, I trapped it under a hoof, not hard enough to break bones, yet.

Now began the panic in earnest, the mare struggling violently. I reacted on instinct, my jaws coming down to encircle her entire neck, the two sabers fangs at the front not breaking the skin.

She stilled, but began to plead "Big g-"

Silver got no further, perhaps my instictive brain knew the risk of my concious --now a prisoner behind the gnawing hunger-- taking control, so my jaws tightened on her skin, just enough to draw blood with my smaller teeth.

Silver's protests grew weaker and weaker as I sucked her energy out, her struggles and whining fading to twitches and whimpers.

I think it was the blood that let me take back control, the taste of it as my tongue lapped it up, that disgusting metallic flavor. With a sharp motion I jumped away from silver, breaking the connection and flinging myself away.

The pegasus didn't stir. her chest was still as a grave, her limbs barely twitching and ears laid flat.

I wept like a baby then, sobbing and rushing to her "PleasebeokayPleasebeokayPleasebeokayPleasebeokay" I repeated like a mantra, begging to every deity and spirit I knew not to let my horrible mistake, my dreadful failing cost the mare that loved my monstrous side her life.

I placed an ear and hoof to her chest.

...

Babump

...

Babump

...

Babump

I had never been so happy to hear a heartbeat. To hear the gurgling and mysterious noises of biology at work was the sweetest music. But why was she so cold? her breathing was shallow, her eyes not twitching or open.

I did the only thing I could.

I climbed into bed and wrapped myself and the blanket around the mare, hoping my bolstered fire would be warm enough.

It was to be a long night.

Author's Note

Ahh Dark tags. Gotta love 'em.

Chapter 5: Feel like a Monster

I awoke to a rough tongue running up my snout, and a sharp hoof nudging my chest.
"C'mon Big Guy. Time to wake up..."

I wanted to kiss her for living, to kill myself for the scabbed-over bite marks that covered her neck.

She licked again, slow and languid. "Big guy?" her eyes were half-lidded in sleep, aura blank in the drowsy morning sleepiness, they peered into mine, apparently searching for signs of consciousness.

I decide to give her a taste of her own medicine. In the quietest voice I could manage I whispered a few nonsense words, just loud enough to be on the edge of hearing. Silver quirked an eyebrow at the noise and leaned in, ear twitching and pointing to try and hear better.

*Shlick* I waited for just the right moment before acting, opening my lips just enough to let my long reptilian tongue slip out and dive into her ear, worming in nice and deep before retracting --earwax tasted absolutely vile, but it was worth it.

Her brain shut down (face frozen in the cutest expression of disgust) for almost a minute here. Just enough time for me to raise my head and smile at her.

The vicious pillow-beating that followed came without warning, the sack of feathers lasting for a few blows before catching on my jagged horn and tearing. then as I struggled to dispel the cloud of white pinions I was tackled off the bed, the smaller mare pinning me with speed and growling playfully "Gimme that ear you disgusting little monster, see how you like drool on your eardrum!"

I laughed inside and blew a raspberry, flattening my ears behind my head and twisting to avoid her mouth. Then I reversed the pin, rlling over and using my far superior weight to hld her down as I shifted into good ol' big mac "Whore you callin' little? Yer the pipsqueak.!" I smirked.

he mock wrestling lasted for a while after, Silver eventually getting the upper hand through sheer tenacity.

Eventually the laughter faded, my tongue-in-ear stunt paid back in full and then some. Silver drooped onto my chest with an exhausted huff, her breath heavy as if after a run. My natural form couldn't sweat, so I was forced to pant like a dog to stave off the heat of exertion.

...

I shifted to Big Mac and curled an arm around the exhausted pegasus after a moment, my expression sad and apologetic as could be "Ah..." I paused, trying to think of some poetic phrase, one that would show how sorry I truly was "Ah... Ah'm sorry Silver. Fer last night, I couldn't control mahself."

She looked up at me, right into my yes with her big saucers. Then she smiled, booping my nose "Don't worry Big Guy, it was my idea, my fault."

I protested, brow furrowing "But it was mah fault Silver. Ah shouldn't have lost control like that."

"I don't blame you, anyone would have lost themselves, seeing a feast during starvation."

"But-"

She stopped me with a wing, pressing it to my lips and hushing me "Shhh, no more of that." her mild smirk returned "Too early in the morning for moping."

I snorted but held my peace, feeling a foal before the mare, even as I dwarfed her in every aspect.

Her smirk grew stronger, the mare forcing her shaky limbs under her before lifting up off me, huffing at the bright light outside "Looks nice out. Maybe we could have a little fly-round, after breakfast and Dad's return." Her hoof went to a suddenly grumbling tummy. "You want anything?"

I checked my inferno, still blazing merrily, to find my two transformations had hardly put a dent in it. I shifted as I rolled to my feet, back in my natural form just in time to shake my head. I motioned towards the bed, and the chain. 'I should probably get that back on my leg' I thought at her.

She took a moment to get my meaning, then nodded "Oh yeah, dad'll get angry if he knew you got it off.
A spring was in her step as she left, heading off towards what I can only assume is the kitchen.

I watched as she went, eyes lingering for a moment on the crusted blood on her neck.

I was laying on my stomach in bed, only a half-hour later, when I heard her shout up the stairs "Big Guy! Dad's back, with company!" she sounded nervous.

Feeling something was off I put a hoof to the ground, closing my eyes and concentrating on the world of vibration.

I could see Silver as she near galloped from the window twards the door, pausing to reach up and grab something from the hallway, then going to hide near the door.

Then the party came into range, all eleven hoof-sets, five shod in heavy steel, six in natural nothing. As they got closer I could hear the clank of armour on four of the shod horses, along with the tink-tink of sword scabbards knocking against the plates. Then came the voices.

"Are you sure it's dangerous?" That was Golden Oats for sure "It was weak as a kitten when we found it."

Then a mare, a very familiar mare "Very dangerous Mr. Oats. If the creature you described is what I think it is, then your daughter might be in terrible peril. That's why I brought the guards and my friends." It was Sparkle, and that meant the other five were the mane six.

I bit my lip, thinking of my apparent name, 'Changeling', it had a ring to it that sounded right.

Applejack spoke up then, as they all stopped by what looked like a fence to my tremor-sense. "How dangerous Twi? Ah ain't heard of no 'changelings' before.

Twilight answered, scuffing her hoof against the hard path "They're a very obscure race Applejack, nobody's ever managed to catch a live one before, and ponies who find one usually disappear without a trace."

That didn't bode well... My inherited memory flashed up then, images of ponies being dragged back to the hive after they found out too much, most usually lasting a few weeks in the caverns.

Rainbow Dash snorted, her arrogant tones carrying far "pfft, I'd like to see one try that on me. What exactly are we up against again?" she asked casually, I could just imagine her examining her hoof nonchalantly.

I listened to Twilight list off a few abilities, most of which I knew about already, aside from one right at the end.

"...And watch out for the fangs, the front two can inject a nasty paralyzing venom." she faded off, the armoured guards-stallions and Golden Oats shunting to the front as they approached the door.

Siver opened the door before they could knock, I could feel her anxiety and slight haze of supspicion from all that way away. "What are you going to do to him Dad?" she asked, the vibration of the creaking door letting me 'see' her look from guard to guard to her Father.

Golden Oats took a step back in surprise "Silver!" he stepped forward again "Let the nice stallions in please."

"I asked what are you going to do to him?!" She demanded, moving to block an armoured stallion that went as if to pass her.

I could hear the southern pony sigh "Silver Cloud Lining, this ain't time for yer silly fixation on that thing. Git outta the way!" he barked, temper rising as he advanced.

Silver was panicked now, her hooves rooted and her wings flared "NO! Not until I find out what you're going to do!"

Golden snarled in her face "I SAI-" The way he paused was almost scarier than his anger. His aura was already bubbling, but what he saw or smelled sent it boiling over "Why do you stink of sweat and..." His voice was a dangerous growl "Is that blood!?"

Silver backed up a step, away from her father "It ain't what you thi-!"

"WHAT IN TIREK's name were you DOING with that Fucking MONSTER!" Golden Oats stamped forward, towering over Silver.

To my eternal admiration the mare held her ground, matching him decibel for decibel "Having FUN"

Golden seemed to take that as insulting "FUN? Y'all think its FUN to disobey me! If yer Ma were here she-"

"MY MOM isn't DEAD, she just can't stand to be 'round YOU no more!" I could barely stand to hear the *crack of bone as their skulls met, Silver having headbutted her dad right on the nose, she then used his surprised rearing to shove him off balance, making the stallion tumble out of the porch .

Twilight, the guards and the other mares had watched the exchange in stunned silence, each afraid to intervene in the dispute.

But the guards intervened as Golden got to his hooves again, his anger almost palpable, the threat of violence clear as he made to charge, only beings stopped by an armour pegasi side-tackle.

As the biting, raging stallion was pinned down and calmed the two unicorn guards and Twilight made their way to the door, where Silver once again blocked.

"Miss Lining, I-" Twilight began, only to be cut off by Silver, who snarled

"Drop DEAD, You just wanna hurt him!" her anger was fading into remorse and panicked sobs.

Twilight stepped back slightly, but recovered as A calming, soothing tone spoke "Please calm down Silver, we just want to help." Oh Fluttershy "I'm very sorry, but your friend's dangerous. We don't want to hurt him."

"But he's got to be put down sugarcube, Twi here wrote to the Princess, and She said he's a danger to everyone." Applejack tried her best calming voice.

Epic failure on that part

"You're gonna Kill him!?" Silver screamed the question with anger, anguish and bile in her tone, stance wide and wings outstretched to block the door. "WHY?"

I'll admit I was scared too, but I despised hearing and sensing her distress

Silver didn't allow them to speak, babbling "BG's not dangerous! He's just hurt, and lonely!"

I could almost hear Twilight's glance at Silver's bloody neck. "I'd hate to disagree Miss Silver, but those are some nasty cuts." she stepped forward.

Silver reared and wheeled her legs, lashing out to force everyone back, her embarrassment flaring up "Those aren't his fault!" she barked, dropping into a mumble I had tostrain to pick up "He just got a little rough while he was eating is all."

That fforced a huge spike of panic through the ponies nearest the door.

Twilight asked in a stressed burst "You let him feed on you!?" her voice was a squeak of urgency.

Silver was takken aback by the sudden shift toward ferocity "Uhh yeah?"

"How much!?" Twilight took a step up to Silver's face "How. Much!"

Silver backed further into the hallway, her anger fading into nervousness "Quite a lot I guess? He was really hungry, so I passed out after a minute"

That spiked the panic even higher "how could you do that!? The princess let me go with only four guards because Golden said it was half-dead! What if it recovers!"

Silver found some footing and a little anger, stopping Sparkle's advance "Hey! The Big Guy's a he, not an it. What was I supposed to do, just let him starve to death!?"

Rainbow snorted from where she had been floating, apparently just above Twilight "Would'a saved us a lot of trouble."

Silver barked "Shut up!"

Which was all the opening the two guards flanking Twilight needed, the armoured stallions suddenly charging fowards and tackling Silver in one practiced movement, I could imagine them casting a spell, because in the next moment Silver ceased struggling and fell into a blank-minded sleep.

The hunt was on.

I was panicking, oh ungodly bejeezus I was doing my nut in trying to think of a way out.

I was going to get murdered by ponies, it was a bronie's worst nightmare. Could I even bring myself to fight back if FLuttershy, or Pinkie tried to stop me? Should I hide and wait, or run and hope I could get away?

These were all thoughts that ran through my head as they thundered up the corridor, thankfully stumbling as they discovered Silver had locked several doors in their path.

Eventually my changeling instict bade me to hide, preferably somewhere dark and out of the way. Like that hole in the ceiling. But that was obvious, they'd look there for sure, so I'd need a distraction...

the thick window splintered in a cacophony of shattering glass and wood as I hurled a torn section of the bed-frame through it. the noise seeming to only spur on the group currently smashing their way through the last door between them and my own portal. I had piled all the furniture I could against it (telekinesis = Awesome) and webbed the whole thing with a spattering of goo-cement.

Then I crawled as quiet as a cat into the dark hole up to the attic, uncaring for the spiders and careful not to disturb the dust. A quick shift shrank me down as far as I could go, turned me an identical dusty grey as the thick layer on the floor, and textured my skin like that of old burlap, making me resemble little more than a small lumpy sack, so long as I kept my face facing away from the hole.

...

Guard #1 "It's barricaded the door!"

*CRUNCH*

Twilight "I could teleport to the other-"

*SMASH*

Guard # 2 "Stay here Miss Sparkle, if it's still in there that would only give it a hostage."

*CRASH*

"Yeah, 'if', you heard that window, it's probably flown away by now.

*THUD-THUD-THUD*

"That might be a trick Miss Dash *BANG* besides the fact that our companions will be watching the sky."

I heard the door give way with a mighty snap and booming sound, before a few wisps of smoke curled up through the hole. Then the clip-clop of hooves below.

Guard #1 "Looks empty to me.."

Guard # 2"Looks can be deceiving. check everywhere."

...

Rainbow "Gross! There's blood on the mattress,"

Applejack "Guess that's where she got them cuts. What's that stain there?"

Rainbow "What?" *sniff* "Oh that's sick! AJ, tha-"

Applejack "Ah know what it is!"

Rainbow "D'you think that filly actually let it..?"

Applejack "Ah dunno Rainbow. Ah don't want to know. Just one more reason to track that thing down"

Twilight "Girls! focus!!"

I was trying hard not to break down as I lay in the dark, listening to them tear the room apart in search of me. Then my breath caught as one guard noticed the hole.

Guard #1 "What about up there?" he trotted to beneath the entryway.

Rainbow volunteered immediately "I'll check"

"Be careful" the girls chorused together, a sentiment the speedster brushed off with a snort.

I was afraid to move, to breath as I heard,sensed her set down on the attic floor, wings kicking up a thick haze of choking dust, making the cyan mare cough.

After the dust settled Rainbow moved slowly forward, kicking at random objects --including my soft, side, which hurt like hell thank-you very much. "I don't think it's up here!" Rainbow called, peering into the darkness (pointlessly, she had already passed me by.)

Guard #2 yelled back "Come on back then Miss Dash, we have the whole house to check.

Rainbow vanished in a flash of colour and mist of dust, whipping wind tumbling me along a little..

Down below they began to assign pairs

Twilight read from a prepared speech by the rustly of paper "Okay people, everyone stays with a partner at all times, a unicorn to each group. I don't know if my scanning spell will work, so I hope you've already chosen your buddy-question. Ask your partner the question every time They leave your sight, even for a second. Here's the pairings I've worked out.

I waited with bated breath as the list was called out, trying to choose who would be easiest to get past.

"Applejack and I will be checking the East " No way I was going that way then. Twilight was a powerhouse of the first order, as was Applejack.

"Quick Spell and Rainbow Dash will be searching the oat-field outside." No thank you Twilight, Rainbow Dash was way too fast.

Pinkie Pie and Valiant Shield are taking the West " Another dud, Pinkie was just too weird.

Rarity and Fluttershy, If it's okay I'd like you to stay behind, we'll put Silver Lining in here to rest, and I need two here in case it comes back for her." I wanted to kiss Twilight, Just too perfect.

The search began in earnest after a few moments. A Pegasi Guard bringing in the slumbering Silver, who was immediately fussed over by the indomitable Fluttershy.

Time for the plan...

With careful hooves I worked a all of goopy green cement into a thick band, ensuring that one side remained sticky with a few careful licks. Then I just had to wait. Wait until Rarity turned to wath Fluttershy, until they both turned their back to the hole. I braced myself. I couldn't stand it, what I had to do...

I crawled more silently than I would have believed to the edge of the hole, then around it. I captured a house spider on my tail as I went, letting him crawl on my back and get comfy. Then I dvanced on the white unicorn, letting my front half drop down as the make-shift goopy gag came out.

She barely let out a squeak, much as she kicked and struggled. I tried to hold my stomach as her blood welled in my mout, rather consentrating on pumping my venom in, and keeping the fashionista silent.

Eventually Rarity went limp, her struggling ceasing altogether. A quick check confirmed that Fluttershy hadn't noticed a thing, more concerned with treating Silver's neck wound.

I was quiter than a mouse as I dragged the floopy pony up back into the hole, working as I went to stow the bleeding from where my fangs dug in, to bind her with goopy cement, and to make sure she couldn't be seen. Now for stage two.

*Flash* and I was Rarity, down to the last minute detail. The real thing could still see me, here eyes following me even while the rest of her was powerless to move. Her emotions were nothing but fear, for herself and for her unsespecting friend.

I crouched down to her level with a reassuring smile on my lips, even if my eyes glittered with something between apathy and hunger --even in an emergency she had love for herself--, I came as close to her ear as I could.

"I truly am very sorry. Don't worry, I just want to escape, I wouldn't dare hurt Fluttershy." I put all the sincerity my voice could gather into those words, pulling away in time to see a few sparks come out of her horn, the venom would be addling her magic and her mind, but a little extra insurance couldn't hurt.

Rarity's aura went from fear to disgust, even to anger as I lapped at her horn with my tongue, the organ leaving behind a thick sheen of slime to block her magic.

Onto stage three

Leaving Rarity bound and gagged in the attic I made my way down to the room again, briefly spawning my wings to keep my landing light. Flttershy was still busy, perfect, because the next part would sorely test my acting skills.

With a gentle hoof I placed the spider on the ground. Sucked in a deep breath...

WIth all the gusto I could conjure I let out a shriek, hurling myself back to slam into Fluttshy as she turned. I threw myself into her arms and babbled in faked panic "SpiderSpiderSpiderSpiderSPIDER!" finishing it off with another scream.

That did it. the first scream sent everyone in the house running towards the room, panic and roiling emotions flaring, the yell of spider and the second sent the running back to the search.

I even managed to catch (to my unending glee) Fluttershy giving a teeny-weeny eye roll, before she placed me carefully down on the ground. "You shouldn't panic so much Rarity" she said "It's just a little house-spider, she's more scared of you than you are of her." the little ball of adorable, huggable butter yellow fur floated over to the spider and picked him up, cooing softly.

I forced down my 'D,awwww' and played the part, making a disgusted face and stepping back as she came back "I don't know how you can care for that thing darling, it's so... Icky."

Fluttershy gave me a tiny hard look and stroked the arachnid whispering and then listening. Rasing her eyebrow and saying "Oh really?"

Oh fuck, I forgot she can speak to animals!' Her aura remained calm, so I was cautiously optimistic

With eyes of steel she turned and held out the eight legged fiend, demanding "Rarity, I want you to apologize."

I hid a sigh of confused relief to reel back, whinnying nervously "Ugh! Why?"

Fluttershy advanced a step "Mrs. Spinner said that you knocked her of her perfectly nice web, and you hurt her feelings with all that shrieking."

I sighed, rolling my eyes to hide my glee at being this close to my favorite pony "If you insist darling..." I recoiled slightly, holding out a hoof to the spider as if it were an electric fence "I'm very sorry for my earlier rudeness Mrs. Spinner." at a glare from the yellow pegasus I shoot it's leg "I was only re-checking up in the attic and didn't mean to take you away from your home.

It was almost absurd how fast Flutterhsy went from stern authority to passive shyness, nuzzling my cheek 'Must... Not... HUG...' and floating away to place 'Mrs. Spinner' on the ceiling with a parting "As long as you're sure."

When she came back down she looked in thought "I'll have to go and make Rainbow apologize too Rarity, apparently she blew far too much dust into the air when she went into the attic.

I nodded "Should we go find her now? I doubt Twilight will like us leaving our post."

Fluttershy gave it some thought and slumped "I guess not, we should just stay here."

I nodded, sitting beside her, then lighting my eyes as if an idea came to me "we could always ask if one of the other teams would watch the room for us." I appeared to think "What about Applejack and Twilight? They must have finished by now" 'And I'd rather not have Them in the way when I'm escaping' I added on silently.

In truth, I knew that AJ had finished, my tremor-sense could see her and Twilight in the kitchen now, having a stern chat with a certain Golden Oats.

Fluttershy gave the idea gave the idea some thought, then nodded as my instinct told me she would "Good idea, lets go get her." She said, standing to leave.

I tried hard to suppress a grin as we went to leave.

That is until Fluttershy stopped my in the doorway, her outstretched wing as good as any steel bar.

Her voice was calm as a placid pond when she said "Just one thing Rarity"

I raised an eyebrow, a niggling feeling in the back of my skull giving me a foreboding feeling.

"Will the real Rarity be okay?"

... Tartar sauce.

Chapter 6: The Great Escape

I swore a long, loud and unspeakably obscene curse, all on the inside of my head of course.

On the outside my face didn't change much aside from a tiny droop in my smile, even so I held Fluttershy's iron gaze for barely half a second, before my 'changeling' instincts apparently kicked in, prompting a nervous laugh “Whatever do you mean darling?” I queried, raising my eyebrow and stepping back “I'm the 'real' Rarity, and I'm perfectly fine if you must know.”

Fluttershy's eyes were iron, her voice cold granite “No, no you're not. The real Rarity would have fixed her mane after going into that dusty attic, and she would have brushed off all the dust. You haven't done any of that.”

As if for the first time I looked at my mane and coat, the thick dust all over, the frazzled nature of my styled mane. I looked a mess.

I reacted as appropriate, my acting without doubt perfect, a short sharp intake and squeal “Oh, I'm absolutely Filthy!” I brushed at my chest, my expression horrified at the smudge “This won't do! This won't do at all!” I did a little dance, brushing at my coat and patting at my mane.

Fluttershy kept her adamant look up, faltering ever so slightly at my 'panic', an incalculably small chink in her armour, but one my new body's eyes easily spotted.

After a moment I stopped my fussing and stomped, making to go past the Flutter's wing-wall “There's nothing for it darling, I simply must find the bathroom and get this fixed properly” I bounced my hanging mane curl with a hoof “I simply hope they have a mirror I can use.”

The buttery pegasus stomped her own hoof and flared her wings again “No!” her eyes were furrowed in anger, her tiny little mouth in a cute frown “not until you answer my security question and prove you're the real Rarity.”

In the attic I felt the real pony brighten, her emotions tingeing with hope and happiness.

I sighed, but maintained my smile “I am the real Rarity dear...” I shook my head slightly, loking her in the eye “But anything to put you at ease darling, ask away” I put on an air of confidence so thick you could cut it with a knife “I have nothing to hide.”

There it was, a flash of the demure little Fluttershy I knew and loved, shown for but a second before the mask came up again “Okay... What do we do on Thursdays every week!?” the question was sudden, almost barked into the world.

I patted her shoulder with a reassuring smile “Darling, those are our spa days” I set my eyes to 'charm' “Now can we put this all behind us?”

Fluttershy let her smile shine through again, dropping her wings and tucking them to her sides “Okay Rarity.” Her happy aura would be one of the highlights of my day.

I could feel the mood of the real Rarity sour at that, colouring with a healthy dose of shock and revulsion.

As my favourite pony (besides Silver) turned to join my walk she turned demure, and apologetic “um... I'm sorry for doubting you Rarity, I was just so nervous you see” I was about to have a heart attack from all the cute she was giving off “I had heard a lot of bumping and scraping behind me while I checked on Silver Lining, so when you dropped from the ceiling I thought-”

I stopped and turned, interrupting her with a stern hoof to the chest “Stop right there Fluttershy, I wont have you apologising for being safe.” I shuddered in revulsion at some hidden thought “I can't even imagine how distraught I'd be if that ghastly creature got his hooves on you.”

She smiled and I knew I had her in the frog of my hoof. It was disturbing how easy it was, how very comfortable it was lying to my (second) favourite pony's face and getting away with it! I also took a moment to appreciate the irony of saying it while my hoof was on her chest.

We walked in easy silence for a bit then, my minds eye busy tracking the different hunting parties as they made their way through the house. The ruckus they made was making it quite easy to watch them; the furniture being overturned, doors slammed open, I even caught a few glimpses of Rainbow dash and the pegasi guards, zooming in and out of my range as they flew past.

When we found the bathroom I acted delighted at the large mirror above the sink, even more so at a set of well used hair and grooming brushes. As I set to fixing my appearance –my new body guided me here, apparently disguise and impersonation required one to have such skills-- I asked Fluttershy absently “Is Silver Lining okay? It must have been a dreadful ordeal for her to have been so close to that thing for an entire day.”

The pegasus nodded, joining at the sink to help out, running through my fur with the bristly head of the grooming brush (it had a handle adapted for pegasi, so it must have been Silver's). “Oh yes, she's absolutely fine besides the bite on her neck” her chirpy tone made me feel as if all was right with the world. After a moment of silent brushing she remarked “It's strange though..”

I pretended to feign interest “Hmm?”Making an effort to look as if I was concentrating on correcting my mane. (I prayed to every god I could remember that she wouldn't notice that my horn glowed green instead of blue)

Fluttershy picked up another brush and went at my tail with calm even strokes “At the door she seemed very convinced the changeling wasn't a threat. I thought she might have been magically brainwashed or something, but when I checked her eyes* and her tongue** she seemed perfectly fine.” Her brushing faltered for a moment while her eyes went into the far distance “Her wings did seem very limp, but I guess her magic must be a bit low after the changeling fed.”

I nodded as if pretending to understand “How very odd darling. I hope she recovers and comes to her senses soon. It would be sad to see such a fine mare wasting her heart on a monster.”

(*= One well-known side effect of magical compulsion or mind altering spells is a distortion or deterioration of the iris and/or white of the eye, usually accompanied by burst capillaries)

(**=other common side effects include multiple bite marks on the tongue or lip, frequently made as the victim fights against the control.)

A few minutes of primping later I and Fluttershy stepped from the bathroom with nice clean fur and remade hair.

I bounced my curl as I went, smiling indulgently “Remind me to send Silver Lining a gift basket of toiletries Fluttershy. I know it must be hard to find good hair care when you live so far from the town, but I cannot stand to see such a beautiful mane ravaged by such a coarse shampoo, especially one clearly meant for stallions.”

Fluttershy smiled her cute little smile, nodding and idly twiddling her own mane with a wing .My demeanour was nice and calm on the outside, but on the inside I was depressed despite my companion; I was lying to her, lying with a smile only moments after attacking her friend, who I was now impersonating.

Fluttershy took the steps with skip in her step, her mind at ease despite the situation. I took them rather carefully, unused to the quadruped perspective.

Twilight and Applejack were still in the kitchen, the farm-mare leaning on the counter and the librarian to the fore, both chatting pleasantly. Off to the side I could sense a rather annoyed Golden Oats, who was unaccountably silent.

Twilight turned to look at us approaching when AJ nodded, both eyebrows shooting up. Sparkle spoke first “Uhh, hey Rarity, Fluttershy. Why are you down here?” Their faces were calculating below the surface, the 'changeling' situation having put them on edge.

I answered with a smile and glance off to the side, where Golden Oats was hoof-cuffed and muzzled “We're down to look for Rainbow Dash darling, Fluttershy made friends with a spider she found upstairs.” a carefully suppressed shudder and wince sold it “And apparently Rainbow caused her quite some discomfort.”

Twilight looked sat the both of us strangely, where AJ simply accepted it with a nod.

Before the conversation went any further it was time to deal with that hint of suspicion in their auras, so I put on my confident air “Now then dears, first things first” my mind raced for but a moment before I looked to the purple mare “Twilight, what is your favourite shampoo?”

Twilight smiled, bopping her curtains “Scholar's Pride: Lilac and Vanilla pod”

I looked deep into her eyes, stroking her mane and adding warmth to my smile “and it serves you so well.”

Twilight closed her eyes and smiled adorably, cheeks glowing at the compliment.

I turned “Applejack, what colour was your 'frou-frou' dress at our little sleepover?”

Applejack scrunched her face and half seriously 'blech'ed “Powder Blue?”

I chuckled at her “Baby blue darling, but close enough.”

The three of us shared a snicker

Two more elements down, hopefully the last. As easy as it was to simply let my 'changeling' half do what it apparently did best, I was growing sick of it. It was becoming harder and harder to think of myself as a 'brony'

Now to nail it down when Twilight asked me back “Okay Rarity. Why did I choose you as the Element of Generosity?”

I smiled triumphant, an easy one “Why Twilight, because short tails were in that season, and I couldn't bear to see such an elegant moustache despoiled.” I could tell in that instant that I was safe, at least for the moment. Fluttershy passed her question test and we moved on.

“Now I was hoping you two could watch over Silver while we find Rainbow.”

Fluttershy added “If that's okay with you” In the cutest possible fashion, scuffing her hoof on the floor and everything.

I nodded “I know it's a bit much to ask, given that beast is still on the loose, but-”

AJ interrupted, knocking my shoulder “Nonsense! Sure we'll watch Silver for ya. Won't we Twi?” The librarian received a hoof around her withers.

Twilight nodded “Sure Rarity, we're done here.” her gaze went to the exiting corridor “I get the feeling that the changeling might be long gone.”

I saw her nerves flare and moved to correct it, giving her a light friendly hug “Well if it is, then I'm sure that's the last we'll see of that horrible beast.”

A few more seconds idle chat, a few more seconds of betraying everything I was. It was sickeningly simple.

They left in good spirits, chatting amiably. I watched them go with a sick feeling in my stomach's pit and a jubilant glimmer on my face, feeling like the lowest of the low, a monstrous villain beneath a hollow mask.

Fluttershy made for the back door “Come on, I think I saw Rainbow fly by the back.”

I went to follow, but an impulse made me take a second look at Golden Oats, a slightly sadistic idea coming to mind “Hold there a moment.”

She nodded, quirking an eyebrow but remaining silent

With the buttery pegasus watching me I closed with the bound stallion, leaning in close to his ear. After a few hot breaths to make sure he was concentrating I whispered “Your daughter was delicious” my voice was so soft and quiet I knew only he could hear, and by the way he tensed up I knew he heard me perfectly, “Give her this from me...” I trailed off, pulling away with a smirk on my face, pausing only to give the helpless stallion a gentle kiss on the forehead.

His silent rage and icy stab of fear were almost sweeter than love.

For appearances I tacked on “...And if I ever hear of you being rough with her again...” My voice turned sub-zero, green fire flickering to show my real eyes –they didn't have pupils, but I think he could feel my glare-- “...I will be back, and I will be very angry.” My eyes went back to normal as I turned back to Fluttershy.

She asked “What did you say to him?” Here eye on Golden, who was now thrashing around and snarling past his muffler.

I turned her round with a careful hoof and smirked “I simply told him what a deplorable stallion I think he is. Trying to intimidate his poor daughter like that." I tutted

The outside was nice, sunny with a few clouds. The two Pegasi guards circling high above and a prismatic blur far off.

I had no tears yet I must cry

I couldn't do this any longer... I just couldn't.

“She'll be fine...” I began, fighting my new instincts with every syllable.

My second favourite pony didn't stop walking, only half hearing me “Hmm?”

I spoke a little louder now I had her attention “The real Rarity. She'll be perfectly fine once the venom wears off.” I sighed “I hope it doesn't scar.”

She froze, wings half-flared and aura sparking with a mixture of terror and confusion “W-what?!” The edge of panic in her voice cut me right on the heart.

I pushed up against her, shunting her into a walking motion “Don't stop dear” I smiled warmly, feeling like a bastard of the worst kind “Must keep up appearances.”

She walked, mechanically and still half-flared.

I spoke casually, sounding as if I were speaking about the weather, or something equally mundane “I imagine you'd like to scream for your friends about now, get their attention somehow. Rainbow would be here in seconds, the rest mere moments after. I would ask that you don't, a little because I don't want to fight anyone, but mainly because I'd like to beg for mercy.”

Her confusion sky-rocketed “Mercy?”

I nodded “Yes Fluttershy, mercy. A chance to explain myself, to throw myself at your hooves and plead for a second chance.” for the briefest of moments I let my composure slip, showing off my panic, my fear and vulnerability “I... don't want to die.”

I had struck a nerve here, I could see sympathy fighting to overcome her “N-nobdy does. B-b-but” she stammered, still walking.

“But the great Celestia has deigned me worthy only of death” I put the mask back on, smiling gently as if there was nothing wrong with the world, despite my precarious position “If you would allow me some last few words Fluttershy.” I stopped her with a hoof and turned to face the Element of Kindness, my judge and jury “If you call your friends Fluttershy, I will die... I have not made peace with that fact yet, but I understand what will happen. Once your friends know I am here, I will be killed.”

I kept the mask on, but it was a hard fought battle to hold back the tears

“I do not claim to be blameless, far from it. I blame myself for losing control, for harming Silver Lining, but she forgave me.” I bit my lip, mirroring the torn little pegasus in-front of me “Even at my darkest Fluttershy, I don't think I'm evil. I can but hope you don't consider me worth killing.”

She looked on the verge, time to push.

“So Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, friend to all creatures both big and small, I simply ask for mercy. I beg you to, just this once, look the other way and let me escape.”

She was torn with indecision, sympathy and perhaps reason warring against her sense of duty, and friendship. Eventually she sighed “Okay...” breathing out with an even expression and looking at me. Then her eyes were Iron, shattering my mask and withering away my will “Okay, I'll let you go... But, I need a promise first.”

There was the catch, I could only wait and see how vicious “Anything Fluttershy. Anything at all.”

She smiled, not in a triumphant or 'ha ha now I have you' way, but in her demure fashion that melted my alien heart and made me want to be a better changeling “It's nothing much. I just want you to promise never to hurt any of my friends” Iron eyes again, angry steel and echoes of flames “Ever Again.” she was but millimetres from my muzzle, hooves on my chest end wings fully flared.

I did all I could not to stumble back in terror. Instead settling for jerking my head back and allowing my true expression to rise up once more. “Okay.”

She allowed me a step back to say “As you wish. I pr-”

“Promise like you mean it.” The pegasus was back to her cute state, but I could see the edges of her hard eyes coming into view.

I nodded and began the motions “Cross my he-”

“In your true form.” Her expression wasn't quite a smile but not all a frown, the aura unreadable behind those big... deep... all consuming eyes.

I had no choice, there was no thought but her command, no sight nor sound beyond the Pegasus before me. My fire flared high into the night as my form was revealed, in all it's monstrous glory.

She did not flinch, for that I was and am eternally grateful, instead only watching and listening as I recited that most sacred of oaths, incomprehensible but sincere “I, Changeling do swear, on pain of death or dishonour, never to bring intentional harm to Fluttershy's friends. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a need-

“GET AWAY FROM HER!!” I was interrupted at the apex of motion, a cyan and rainbow blur slamming into my side and carrying me far from the yellow pegasus, who looked both shocked, relieved and horrified.

I didn't fight back, unable and unwilling thanks to Fluttershy's stare and my own brony instincts. Instead I fought to get my hoof to my eye and complete the oath “N-Needle!”

She worked the stomach to drive the wind from my lungs. I stumbled, gritting my fangs and thanking my tough, thick chitin.

“In” the face came under fire now, it didn't hurt really, the shock of the blows and my plating took away the sting

“MY” Even as I bellowed the word she continued to drive sharp hooves into my face and chest.

“EYE!” I finished, just in time for an errant hoof to drive my own, directly into the open eye socket.

Rainbow couldn't care less, she was furious, unflinching in her desire to subdue the monster. “Quit making those weird noises you freak!” Her voice cracked, breath heavy with the exertion.

But my savior came in yellow fur, Fluttershy swooping in and pushing Rainbow away “Stop!” her own voice was desperate, the cute little mare placing herself between me and the speedster.

Rainbow was not easily persuaded “Fluttershy!” the weather mare faced down the caretaker “It's right there, we have to stop it!”

Fluttershy was not easily moved, wings flared and expression set in a frown “From doing what?!” she demanded “He hasn't done anything to you, he promised not to” Her voice turned soft when she glanced back to me “he's just trying to run..”

My unwillingness to defend myself showed through, one eye sealed shut and leaking, both wings crumpled where they hit the tree and plating cracked in more than a dozen places. Rainbow Dash was no champion fighter, but her wild blows had came down like a monsoon rain, three slamming into me for every two that missed.

Rainbow spluttered, disbelieving “But Fluttershy, it's a monster!” she took a step, only to be blocked by her friend once again. Then anger bubbled up “Celestia said-”

My (close second) favourite pony wasn't moved, interrupting in a rare bark “Celestia's been wrong before!” She panted heavy after the yell, as if after great effort “And so has Twilight” she finished.

Rainbow was stunned, stumbling back and contorting her face in shock.

It the pause of rainbow's shock Fluttershy turned to me and gave a gentle hug “Go.” Her tone was soft. Below her breath still lay a commanding edge “When I turn around I want you to bite me, hurt me, break something. They won't chase you if I'm hurt, I'll tell them it's a trick, when you're further away.."

I made to stammer, to protest, but her Eyes burned into mine and there was no fight.

I couldn't disobey, the absurdity of the situation had burned me free of anything like resistance. When she turned back to face Rainbow –who had crept forward-- I lunged, impossible grief clouding my eyes in lieu of tears.

Her blood was disgusting as I ripped into her shoulder, biting deep and whipping her into the air. I tossed her from side to side for a moment,Hamming it up before hurling the limp body aside. Warm red vitae splattered over me, the rank smell making me wretch, almost breaking down to weep.

But I couldn't, she had sacrificed her pain and blood in a moment of kindness, I couldn't waste it. True to her words Rainbow forgot about me, flying as a thunderbolt to her friend's side “FLUTTERSHY!” she screamed at the sky in panic, a shout that tore my heart asunder, even as I willed my wings and legs into motion.

I heard and felt the thunder of hooves as the rest closed in on me

I ran.

I stopped only when my wings could bear no more, crashing to the ground in a clearing as night drew in.

I dragged myself to a stream and stooped low, pushing my muzzle deep into the rushing water. I wasn't doing to drink, more to wash my mouth of blood.

I couldn't weep, much as I wished to, at the bloodied feather floating slowly away.

I could barely move enough to drag myself away from the stream, only enough to find a ditch to hide in.

It was dark and sodden, with mud and weeds, but I settled in for the night all the same. It was all that I deserved. I took a moment to shift though, changing my shell to match colours with the plants and filth around me.

Chapter 7: Trekking

Well this is it, this is where my equestrian adventure had taken me now. Cowering at the bottom of a ditch, watching the sky and listening for ponies, ponies who were trying to murder me. Not just for being a 'changeling' --because being a giant terrifying bug-monster is apparently grounds for execution in Equestria--, but also for savaging Fluttershy... I'm not sure how long I was there, but the taste of her blood hadn't left my mouth.

I'm not sure it ever will.

The darkness didn't press in on me as much as I wished, my new eyes cast the shadows away, taking every scrap of moonlight and turned it into a blazing torch. It would be a nice place, this clearing, if I were a better per-pon-thing. If I weren't hiding because I attacked Fluttershy

My mind consumed itself with grief for a while then, my voice keening loudly in the still night air as I wailed and sobbed in my disgusting non-voice, the events of the past few days finally collapsing inwards onto my psyche. Fluttershy's face as I clamped my jaws on her. Silver fighting back to defend me, even from the armoured stallions of Equestria's finest. Discord holding his hand out, grinning like a snake.

I cringed and curled up in the slimy water, unable to relax or rest. They would look for me soon, as soon as Fluttershy --the pony that I hurt-- is safe I expect Rainbow Dash would hound me to the ends of the continent. Maybe Celestia herself would come down from n high, or the elites of the royal guard.

I try to let myself just fall to sleep, but every now and then I flinch at a movement in the sky, at the patter of limbs touching ground. To distract myself I even make a game of it, trying to identify them by their footprints, their silhouettes. 'Timberwolf, Timberwolf and Manticore, fox, badger, fox, a dozen rabbits... Owl, Nightjar, Bat-Bat-Bat... *Yawn* I guess yawns are universal, a sure sign of sleepiness in any species.

Still I couldn't relax, my mind replaying all the worst bits of the past few days as if on loop.

I gave my cracked plating a cursory examination as I lay there in my ditch, surprising myself to find them almost completely healed. My eye was still bad though, my reflection showing it to be tinged darkly, still leaking from beneath a protective membrane.

Looking around one last time I shrug and move along along the channel of disgusting ooze and water, using my tremor-sense to avoid the sharp pebbles and detritus on the bottom.

Eventually I stop, once again hiding myself in the deep shade of a weeping willow. A few loose fronds wrapped around me as a loose camo-blanket.

And awoke to a terrifying sound.

Voices. Familiar voices. They're far in the distance, but growing stronger all the time.

It was still dark thankfully, but that didn't matter as the dawn wasn't far off. It was time to leave. To move on before they found me.

As I buzzed away on my big bug wings I sighed. I recognized the fading voice instantly as the first unicorn from SIlver's home. He was speaking loudly, as if arguing.

Then he mentioned Fluttershy, and my wings angled without a thought, swinging me back around.

As I flew I shifted, flecks and bursts of green flame changing me, turning my carapace to green fronds, my wings to silent feather. Quiet as the grave I floated to a stop some meters ahead of the approaching party.

I waited, listening.

"And that is exactly why you need to go back Ms Sparkle. The royal guard reinforcements are almost here to help the search. You should be back there for your friend." The guard finished, his feet clomping heavily on the loam.

Twilight's hooves were easy to discern from the pack, being unarmoured or adorned, her voice even more so "I can't. The Princess told me that this 'changeling' is a threat to Equestria. That means I can't rest until it's gone..." Her tone dropped a giggle or two into the realms of sadness "Fluttershy will be fine back in Ponyville with the girls."

The guards snorted, annoyance flaring in his aura and his tone. He sped up, coming around to block off Twilight's path "Which is yet another reason you need to go back!" Twilight tried to step around, only to be blocked by the second guard. The first rounded on the mare, forcing her to take a step backward "What if this thing loops around and heads that way?"

Twilight was forced to make another retreat when the third and fourth guard formed up in the wall. She was half convinced, but her pose indicated she was still looking to go forward "They have too many guards there, the community is too tight-knit! That thing could never infiltrate Ponyville." I could practically feel her glare "Plus the village is within sight of both Cloudsdale and Canterlot Castle, so why would it go there?"

The second guard stamped his hoof to make her scamper back again "Just like it could 'never' infiltrate the elements of harmony? If you mares were so 'tight-knit' how did it just waltz right past three of you, mauling one in the process?"

I didn't need to hear this. Heading to Ponyville sounded like a good idea though... I knew the most about the ponies there, and I'd be able to apologize to Fluttershy.

Twilight stammered out a reply, but it was lost as the third guard flared his wings "I and Tailwind will escort you back to the Golden Oats farm, then by chariot to Ponyville."

She managed a stammered half-protest before being cut off again "No buts Miss Sparkle! You are going back to Ponyville. Do you know how much trouble we'd be in if you got hurt?"

It was a rhetorical question, but one Twilight tried to answer all the same "Well y-yes."

As she was led away by the Pegasi one snorted at her "No, you don't."

They walked on in silence.

I waited a few minutes for the Unicorns to leave. Then I followed as quietly as I could

...........................................................................

If I had been paying more attention that night, I might have noticed that I in turn was being followed by something high in the moonlit sky, hidden among the blackness and the stars.

Author's Note

For the first one to correctly guess who he's being followed by I will write a bonus request chapter, (Gore, Clop, OC insert or just absurd, doesn't matter :)) to be posted after or before the next

Chapter 8: To Ponyville and Beyond!

I've come to realise, over the course of my internment in this broken, monstrous body, that Ponies are loud. Or perhaps I am listening far too hard, maybe I'm just too good at listening.

Clip-clop clip-clop on hard stone and rotted wood, squish on mud, heavy breath on chilled air of the dawning morning. Even the splatter of dewdrops and gentle whispers from the two guards did not escape me. Twilight was silent, her steps nervous, aura shot with streaks of anxiety.

"How do you even detect them?" One guard (Quick-wing I think) whispered to his companion, his eyes testing the shadows and failing to spot my dull black carapace. "Magic?"

Tailwind snorted -- making their charge jump slightly before she resumed her silent walk-- then whispered back "Alicorn level magic maybe." He had his own glance around, this time directly at my current hiding spot before moving on "According to the princess we're not dealing with a standard 'drone' here, the one we're chasing is a bigger version, a 'king'."

"They have royalty?" Quick cocked his ear as I did.

Tail nodded, a tinge of smug happiness growing as he explained "Something like that, all I know is what the princess told us. You'd know too if you'd been listening harder."

I was distracted while I eavesdropped so much so that I didn't quite watch my hooves, I winced as a twig snapped under my chitinous limb, luckily Tail was too engrossed in his speaking to notice the sound, though I swear Twilight's ear cocked.

Tailwind thought for a second before continuing "...Anyways, all I know is, these 'king' changelings are scary. apparently they can use their own magic to block most if not all scanning spells, so they could be only a few feet away and you'd never notice."

It took all of my willpower not to call out then, to not wave a hoof and yell "You got that right!" Just to see their reaction, I could get away easily enough, but it would only let them know I was heading the same way they were. So I kept my silence...

For Hours...

It took no end of time to trek through that dark dank forest, the twilight of dawn turning it pitch black as the sky warmed up. It was made worse by the fact that they were walking slowly in a state of paranoia, forcing me to crawl along slower and slower in order to maintain my stealth

The tidbits I found out were interesting however, the ever knowledgable Tailwind at one point stopping and snorting "Y'know, I heard that there's one fool-proof method you can use to spot any changeling."

Twilight and Quickwing both stopped and gave him a questioning look.

"Their magic" Celestia's teats I wanted to punch that smug little face in. I restrained myself just barely and listened in, creeping ever so slightly forward on my perch in a nearby tree. "I heard it from one of the guards The Princess sent to gather Miss Fluttershy." he continued, pointing at Twilight's horn as if for emphasis "All changeling magic has a green glow,. It's the one thing they can't disguise."

Twilight made a funny face here "But doesn't that mean they can't impersonate a unicorn with any other colour?"

Tailwind shook his head, aura flaring with delight at her ignorance --I made a strangled growl of irritation as I watched, an act that left me absolutely terrified that they had heard-- "Nope. They've got some sort of innate 'Notice Nothing' spell going on, means you can't see the difference in colour unless you're looking for it really hard."

There was silence for a moment as the implications sunk in.

Then Quickwing made a sidelong glance at Twilight "Say, Miss Sparkle..."

She knew what was coming. You didn't even have to listen to know what he was going to say next.

"You wouldn't mind casting a little spell for us would you?" He and the other pegasi closed ranks slightly, forming a united front to scrutinize the now nervous element bearer.

Twilight was nervous, more embarrassed than anything, but her lip stopped quivering long enough for her to regain her footing and confidence "Not at all Sirs." She smiled.

It was in that moment that it dawned on me that I didn't know any magic.

Her stance loosened, breathing slowing and steadying as she reached into the roots of herself...

I certainly didn't know any scanner-blocking spells.

That stubby purple horn began to sparkle, seemingly in slow motion with the rest of the world, a neon glow growing into life around the spiraling bone like a gassy purple flame.

I was completely defenseless, without any cover beyond the dark and my skill. Suppressing my terror to a hissing scream I retreated back, my limbs moving as if through syrup rather than air.

Her eyes closed as the spell pulsed out, purple light going out like the concussion wave of a bomb. It washed over me like tingling wave of gentle electricity.

And what else would a paranoid mare cast in a dark forest, but her very own detection spell. There was no running from this, I knew it the instant the spell touched my skin, only fighting. With an inaudible gurgle I let a wad of gooey cement-saliva build in my mouth, my lips opening as I prepared to spit and horn beginning to glow as I prepared a destructo-bolt

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes, locking onto mine in the split second before she screamed.

The next minute was a blur of motion, made visible only by my adrenaline fueled reaction-time.

*SPLAT* The glob of green goopy glue flew as an arrow to splatter against the rearing unicorn's face, wrapping around her head and, more importantly, that dangerous little horn.

*woosh-thump* "YO-" *ba-BOOOM* Quickwing launched into the air with a shout, only to be caught mid-air by a detonating bolt of green fire.

"Miss Sp-" *Thud-Crack* It was a sickening noise, but exhilarating really, when my hoof caught the stallion's muzzle, mere seconds after I tackled him to the ground. I felt --saw through my tremorsense-- and heard the crunch of bone grinding along with the snap, the blood telling me I may have broken his jaw. I bit him and injected just to be sure.

I was no trained fighter, but I was strong and fast. Enough to take them down. Quickwing lay in a shallow trench, the surrounding undergrowth smoldering damply with a few green flames, Twilight was writhing weakly on the ground, her body slowly going limp while the goo hardened and cut off her oxygen.

I rushed faster than I had ever done before to scrape and lick the snot-green cement from her nostrils and a little from her mouth. She gasped, the panic in her aura lessening a little as her body began to suck in it's gaseous fuel.

Such a complex mix of emotion, anger and fear playing host to slivers of gratitude that were soon quashed by terror, the facts of her predicament no doubt dawning.

I ignored it all, working quickly to bite and bind the two guards before they could rouse themselves, thick green ropes to secure them to a tree while I tried to think. Twilight I just roped, I couldn't bring myself to bite her... I had promised Fluttershy, and I owed it to both her and my old brony self to try and salvage something from this.

So there I sat, waiting for her to calm down, watching her struggle against her bindings, head still enshrouded in changeling cement. It took a long time, but I was patient enough, the sun was creeping up into the sky by the time she finally stopped struggling and hung limp. Her aura had simmered to a low-key resigned fear, an acceptance of whatever fate awaited her.

Smiling to myself (Another mask... I was disgusted with myself, with what I had to do for survival. My body wasn't) I stood and walked over, rearing up high to begin my task. Her struggles began anew when she felt my tongue run accidentally off the goo onto her neck, forcing me to pin her in pace with my immense black limbs. I kept going, she had to breath.

As soon as the gag was bitten and lapped away she spoke, her denial and anger were long gone, taking her to bargaining "Let me go... Please..." Her mewling voice was pathetic, heart wrenching to hear, made all the worse when my gentle licking let tears out "I p-promise not to tell anyone, I'll let you go on your way if you just let me and the guards go..."

I stopped licking then, I couldn't bear to see her eyes, to let her see me. Again there I stood, hooves pinning my 3rd favourite of the mane six to a tree, like some monster out of a terrible fan-fiction, my fangs inches from her pulsing jugular and carotid, from her windpipe. I let some green fire go to change my throat, letting me speak in a rasping tone.

"I'm sorry... I can't ." It hurt to say that, physically hurt to see her expression fall and fresh tears appear as fright and sadness took hold again.

"Why?" was all she asked, half-heartedly tugging at the gooey ties that held her limbs.

I didn't have an answer, instead dropping down and walking away, uncaring for the dead leaves that rustled in my passing.

"Why!?" Twilight yelled, tugging a little more fiercely "What do you want from me?"

I hissed, setting myself back where I had been sat for the past few hours "Nothing but some time to think Twilight."

She tensed, her mind racing "Are you going to hurt me?" she cringed away, untrusting of the dark and muted world her goopy helmet allowed "Are you going to hurt Quickwing, or Tailwind?"

I chuckled lightly with false humour, even that sound setting the unicorn on edge. "Of course not Twilight. I'd never hurt you." I stood again, moving to check n the paralyzed pegasi, whose auras blazed with fury and fear. Their eyes were free to watch me as I came, checking my mini-splint on the broken jaw was holding. I let my tone take on a hint of my own depression "I-I love you girls... I really want nothing more than you to be safe, to be happy and loved by others that can do it better than I. Fluttershy made me promise no to hurt any of you."

The purple librarian surged with vitriolic anger, sudden and strong "You expect me to believe that!? You almost killed her..." Tears fell as sad memories tainted her fury "...Y-you MONSTER!"

Her anger infected me, the revival of that horrid moment put a glaze of red over my eyes, prompting me to rear up and roar into her face, something primal reaching up and grabbing control of me for the moment. I smashed splintery craters into the wood either side of her whimpering, cowering body and snarled with fangs centimeters from her "I don't care if you DO!"

The bestial me took some satisfaction in her flinch, even as I growled through the angry haze "If I am a monster, what then?" My roar was a chaotic mix of all kinds of predatory creature, from lion to the tyrannosaurus "WHAT! THEN?!

She retreated into herself, cowering away as best she could. I leaned in closer, enough that when I spoke my fangs grazed her cheek, my horn dug into the rotten bark above her head.

I held there for a moment, breathing hot rage into the face of Twilight Sparkle and watching her aura flicker through shades of terror and panic. Then I calmed. Then I wept beneath my mask, dropping down to my hooves and looking up at her "Nothing Twi- Miss Sparkle, nothing at all..." I sighed "Because I am a monster, and I don't want to hurt you. I promised."

Her silence dissolved into gulping, terrified sobs.

I felt like hanging myself, despite a jovially black-humor tone "Besides Miss Sparkle... If Celestia wants my head on a platter for injuring Fluttershy, can you imagine how angry she'd get if I hurt you?"

She didn't share my chuckle, instead continuing to try and calm herself --rather unsuccessfully.

I tried to put on a brave face "Would it help if I turned into one of your friends?" Applejack's form became mine in a wash of emerald flames "Do y'all need a hug?"

Equestria has a sense of dramatic I would later suspect. Because when I reared up on my borrowed hooves to give Twilight a friendly embrace I heard a voice pipe up behind me, an unfamiliar female.

"...You're not helping you know..."

I stopped mid-hug, made cautious by the strange sense of elation welling up in Twilight and the guards at the sound of the voice.

The newcomer lounged at the edge of the clearing, wearing the skin of a pink alicorn with a curly multicolored mane.

Twilight crowed despite her fear "Cade-" I shoved a glob of goo on her mouth, barely even noticing her struggling uner my hooves

I was Stunned, shocked so hard my disguise fell away and I dropped to all fours again. In the moment after I looked to the Alicorn I saw through her disguise, the eyes green and cat-like under the fakes, teeth where fangs would be, Chitin and holey hooves beneath the false skin

I was staring at a creature just like myself, a changeling.

She (I knew it was a she, I just did) made anger rise like bile in my throat the longer I stared, a name rising in my throat like poison before being spat out into the world.

"Chrysalis"

It was not my mind that knew that name, some remnant of my body's old owner spoke it for me, made me snarl and hiss, body slipping into an attack stance with horn aglow.

The false pony (Chrysalis or Cadance?) merely smiled, eyes twinkling with malevolence that only I could see.

Chapter 9: A new face, An old memory.

The moment lasted forever before she spoke, light glinting off fur and carapace, feather and membrane as she walked a few steps forward into the clearing proper "Don't worry, this won't take long." her mask snarled, glaring at me with a hatred that was almost palpable. The words and the changeling/alicorn's stance would have chilled me to the bone, were it not for the warm, strangely malicious, almost apologetic smile that the black-shelled changeling beneath gave.

I felt the bound guard's hope rise as the apparent alicorn entered the clearing, horn glowing green. Perhaps they would be less exultant had they could see or hear what I could. Chrysalis was Stalking like a noble born and raised, her horn and head held proud.

Words clamoured in my mind, feelings and half remembered images flaring in my mind's eye like the corona of an eclipse, all outshone and shadowed by the big, black ball of hatred Irrationally felt.

'Betrayer

'Deciever'

Enemy

The hatred was vast and unbidden. I didn't know who this 'chrysalis' was, or what she had done. But the last vestiges of this body's old mind were determined to make her pay for it.

With a feral roar I charged, wings and hard legs hurling myself across the clearing.

I would like to say our battle was epic, reporting with alarm an awe that balls of fire raged across open space, our roars and battle-cries echoing for miles around, two titans of magical combat going at each other with hoof, horn and jaw. I Would love nothing more than to embellish our tale. Even to say that I managed to gain an upper hoof.

If would be nice to say that I hit her, this vile 'traitor' in alicorn skin, that I tackled her to the ground and made her pay for what she had done --I had a theory on what precisely she had done to the old body. And it wasn't the nicest.

It is sad that I cannot. Instead I must relate that the combat (If any) was short, and one sided. I never came within four hooves of touching Chrysalis.

She saw it coming before I even began to crouch, sidestepping my charge with grace, poise and minimal effort. I came at her twice more, then came her retaliation; a simple blast of magic, swift and brutal, throwing me a few meters across the clearing into a tree-trunk. Then I was pinned, an emerald glow binding my limbs and body like a steel vise. Still silent she stalked closer, deflecting my desperate destructo-bolts with insulting ease. Her expression was completely blank, until she walked out of the guard's sight.

Her shell and her true both wore the same grim frown when she spoke next "I'm sorry C-creature. But this is what must be..." She left words unspoken at the end "To maintain my cover"

A pony wouldn't have caught it, that momentary hesitation in naming me, a pony's mind would have written it off. But My changeling ears were sharper, my grasp of the physical, mental and metaphysical cues perfect. Chrysalis was an open book to me, her every feeling laid out like a red carpet, I tried to hide my feelings from her, but from her expression, her 'aura' I knew that she knew that I knew.

Chrysalis was trying to help despite her feelings. She hated me, or at least hated the old me she knew. Her first wish would be for my failure and defeat. My death however, seemed to be her limit.

She was genuinely concerned for me, In a way I hadn't seen since Silver Lining, I could also however tell that whatever occurred next was going to hurt.

Twilight (her aura flooding with false sympathy for me, with hope and strangled fear) called out again, but her words were lost as I impacted the tree, green magic slamming me into the bark. I was pulled back and slammed again, and again, and again. The bark began to splinter faster than my chitin, the age old tree protesting with crackles and groans. Chrysalis was thorough in her beating, hurling me at a wayward rocks, then back at the tree; Rock, tree, tree, rock.

I screamed at the first impact, shrieking at every one that passed by until the breath was driven from my lungs

Chitin cracked, bones broke, I felt my horn explode in pain with a violent crackle of sparks and pain. Soon my silence broke into a wail of pain, then into whimpering, then nothing. Blood dribbled out in a green stream from my mouth as I hung there, a limp rag doll in Chrysalises magic.

The coup de grace came more suddenly than i expected, magic gripping either end of me then pulling up and in whilst another held my midsection.

One more sound I will never forget. The sound of my spine snapping beneath my cracked skin.

The blackness came within minutes. Void creeping into my numb body's senses while I dropped to the grass. My last vision was of Chrysalis black hooves walking away, her muted voice unintelligible.

I wondered vaguely as my life bled and blanked itself away. 'Where would I wake up? In chains or freedom, heaven or hell. Perhaps I'd be Returned to Earth.

Mayhaps I would not wake at all, that would be nice, at least then my horn would stop aching. Even in the darkness there was still pain.

Author's Note

This is terrible and short.

I'm very sorry.

Chapter 10: Back to the Beginning

By this point in my little story, a mere two or three days after entering Equestria, I welcomed death; I felt it was the only way to make the pain, the darkness, the numbness below my waist fade away. It was a morbid thought, but I was in a dark, deep place within my own psyche, vaguely aware of my body being abused further, then dragged along the ground to some unknown place. The flashes of vision that swept through before I sank deeper into the dark were uninteresting, trees crawling past at a snail's pace.

In the darkness of my near-death I dreamed.

I dreamed of music. Beautiful, alien, indescribable music that sang from somewhere beyond my conscious mind's reach; so soft I could barely hear it.

The Music comforted me for a while. In the dark.

A while I spent exploring the reaches of my mind, investigating the memories left behind by It's old owner. used forms, languages and techniques. It was all there, but not all accessible behind barriers of time, fractured thought that would heal soon, not now.

It was interesting, the secrets these traded memories held, little footnotes and pointers about how to portray, deceive and extort notable figures of equestrian society. Like a cheat-sheet on how to fit into and exploit this world where I didn't truly belong. I felt conflicted, in those moments or minutes, just looking at the neat parcels of worldly information, laid out before my mind's eye like files on a computer, or entries on a database.

My inner fanboy squee'd a little, I'll admit.

Twilight Sparkle, I thought, and searched my memories for information, finding no less that a torrent returning. The filly made waves, that was clear, waves that this body's old mind definitely noted. There was a plethora of information on her home, habits, preferences, nearby changelings and their most recent reports. Up until the last entry... only 5 days before the return of Discord...

I floated in the bleak darkness for a while, just processing what I found as I poked around, digesting the vast reams of data I had inherited, contemplated what I must have left behind in My old body. Quite a lot, I couldn't remember thinking it normal to say hands not hooves, I couldn't remember the name of my boss, or my work.. or what money really looked like besides vague images. I had the shape of my old personality, but not the details save a few essentials like my love of the show, and my closest and most loved; those were left there like a parting gift, most likely to keep me sane.

I decided to leave it there, just as I finished learning about what I was, and my old swarm. I could pull up information about almost anyone of note in Canterlot, and anyone at all in Ponyville and surrounding settlements, as and when it was needed.

In my mind's eye I could feel myself floating back into the waking world.

Consciousness came suddenly, like flicking on a light, I didn't have to adjust to the sudden light, I simply woke up, becoming aware instantly that I was alone in a stone-walled cell, empty but for a clean straw bed, a bright light-bulb on either side and a wide array of medical monitors, steadily beating in time with my own heart beat

For a long while I simply lay there in the dark, my mind running through checklist; Got my head? Check. Heart still beating? Check. Got ears, eyes, nose? Ankles, knees and hooves? Check, I had to count my blessings there, because when I twitched -with some effort- my back leg I heard the familiar clinking of a chain, felt the all-too recognizable weight of a metal cuff around my shank.

I was a prisoner once again. This time however, I imagined that there would be no silver lining, and no Silver Lining to show me if there was one to be found.

I was bandaged at least. Clean professional gauze and waterproofing wrapped around my midsection and a few legs, it did nothing to soothe the ache, but I appreciated the thought in a vague, fuzzy way.

It wasn't the worst cell I've heard of, or been in. But one of the quietest, aside from the beeping machines there was not a sound to be heard that I didn't make myself, a phenomenon that was disconcerting to say the least, my new species had apparently fantastic hearing, so such total silence was disturbing in a faintly new way.

I lay there a while, dreaming a little dream, of Silver Linings on dark clouds. I couldn't move without pain or significant effort, so I felt it best to wait.

There was no clock or windows, so I didn't know when or where I was, it was only by the beeping machines that the passage of time was at all apparent.

An hour crawled by on the bed before I heard something different.

The door in the wall clicked, thunked and creaked it's way open, to reveal twin figures of doom.

Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, with a familiar pink haired nurse(1) directly at her flank. I barely remembered to keep still, maintain a constant breathing rate.

"He doesn't Look awake Ms Sparkle... He was lying like that the last time I checked him." The Nurse stated, pushing past and making an unhurried beeline for the machines by the bed.

Twilight Made her own path to my bedside, her gaze cool and unflappable on the surface, but I could see the tell-tale twinges of anger in the corners of her mouth "It's faking, my monitoring spells say it's awake." the unicorn said tersely, adding on "It's good at lying".

It struck me then that I couldn't sense her emotions. When I tried to focus on her 'Aura', or the nurse's, I drew a blank... I tried again, then harder. I remember the sensation flowing through my horn, so I focused there.

The Nurse Hummed thoughtfully as she checked the machines, then examined me with her own critical eye "Well.. awake or asleep I need to check up on those breaks in his chitin."

Twilight stalked round to my head, lowering her head to glare at my eyes. I was too busy to notice, trying to force my horn into activity. I wanted to spark it, to flare it. to just know it's okay. pressure built in my forehead behind the spur, and a burning smell found it's way to my nose. Sparkle noticed, because her eyes snapped to the horn, and a frown crossed her eyes.

"Not going to work, thing. your horn's damaged, and there's an inhibitor to stop anything getting to the tip. Wew only saved your life-"

"Barely, judging by this mess of a spinal injury" the Nurse behind me noted, forcing me to hiss as she changed a dressing.

"-Because Luna finds you interesting. She talked to Fluttershy in her sleep, and was convinced that you had more to tell us alive than you did dead." The librarian continued, a cold note in her eyes "I'm only in this because Luna, asked me to take part on Fluttershy's behalf. I'm never going to forgive you for hurting my friends, so I'm glad Celestia's only giving me three months." Despite the state of calm my changeling mind forced, I couldn't suppress a shiver at her tone.

She turned and left without another word. Leaving the nurse to finish her ministrations, which took only five minutes as dressings were changed, a few ointments applied and samples taken.

Then she paused. Her face blank but for a curl of hesitation at the corner of her mouth.

"I don't agree with her.. 'Changeling', or whatever you're named; I've seen Fluttershy in her ward..." Her voice carried concern, along with a sweetly familiar, energizing scent. "I'm angry about her being hurt, You truly did a number on the poor dear, but I'm not sure you deserve..all of this pain... Suffering." She bent down, her face suddenly filled with apologies "I can't let you go, you wouldn't get two steps on those injuries, or past the guards." An encouraging Nuzzle later the pink haired nurse turned for the door.

"Just know that you're safe here for now, and you have one friend at least."

The door clicked shut, the sweet scent in the air feeding the flame of my magic.

(1)= 'Nurse Redheart, Female Earthpony, no known partners, no known children. Two sisters, one (Goldheart, unicorn) estranged, other (Blueheart) Friend and colleage. Long work shifts, hobbies include amatuer painting and singing, semiprofessional dancing. Infiltrated via romantic relation 2 years ago, found to enjoy outdoor walks/picnic food. Finds Off-key singing most irritating

Chapter 11-a: It's magic, I don't have to explain anything.

They couldn't wouldn't try drugging me, not with my alien physiology. They'd have no idea how I'd react. So I could feel every ache of crumpled armour, all the dull throbs that showed my broken, fractured bones beneath. Even in a world of magic, they could only do so much.

...Magic...

the word bounceed back and forth in my mind for a while then. Until it clicked, I had magic. magic suited to changing my body, altering my form. Could it heal me, just 'shift' the damage away until it healed naturally, or alter my organs back their prime permanently.

Well, nothing but for to try.
The inhibitor might have been a problem, I couldn't shapeshift into another pony, for that I needed my horn. But my fire only needed to move internally through my body, and move it did. Flickering streams in my magical sight roved through my body, bones made fluid by it's passing sealing and shaping themselves with a gentle plink of metal hiting the floor; the ponies staples and pins forcing their painful way out through swiftly healing flesh.

It was slow, and through it all I was glowing green from between my plates, wispy smoke pouring from my eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The stench was acrid, like burning flesh and rotten metal.

I could feel the thundering hooves as Twilight no doubt picked up the magic, and rushed to my cell, but I didn't care. It hurt too Good, healing and calming the aches. My magic drained itself swiftly, and I was forced to give it up, sagging into my hard bed with a gentle hiss and crackle of dying flame.

They spoke, but it was muffled and unintelligable, like they were speaking through thick blankets, or water.

I checked my fire, and only embers remained, so I forced myself to sleep.

The nurse's scent, and the smell of her love floated into my nose, I'd be okay. Just needed to rest.

I faded into the dark of my own mind, and began to dream as this mind was apt to do.

But I wasn't alone.

I could feel another presence, floating at the edge of my dream-scape, not able to enter my mind without my permission.

With a burst of will my dreaming world was a wide, featureless plain of grass, shining under an alien green sun. My memories, and the information therein hidden.

Reaching deep into the skills I had inherited, and the knowledge this body's mind had given; I opened the mental door, and allowed the presence entrance.

I felt myself smile with false confidence as a star studded mane floated into view.

"Thought I'd see you, hanging about.."

Author's Note

Just a short one, a little interlude while I write a big'un

Might fill a few chapters after this with some one-shots related to this or other stories I've written

Please Post ideas!

Chapter 11: Dreamtime

She was... taller than I remember, very different in so many tiny ways..

Luna stood on the grass of my mind, and I came to realise was a caricature of herself, with overly long legs and a slimmer, more swan-like neck. It took me a moment of study, but I realised she looked a lot more like Celestia in an odd way. Interesting, but I kept silent in favour of watching her carefully. If the alicorn of the night and dreams was nervous on the foreign, alien soil of my mind, she didn't show it past the ice cool poker-face. "Greetings, creature. We had hope thine mind would be open enough that we may speak."

I stayed silent, stepping forward and crossing the distance between our minds in one step. She didn't rankle or flinch.

"Strong but silent, I suppose?" she queried, raising one eyebrow at me, even as I examined her.

In reality, I was simply attempting to call up her 'file' in my mind, just suppressing a little crack of joy as what I knew of her became known to me once more. "No, Princess Luna, forgive me if I withhold my bow. I was merely studying your character, wondering what Equestrian royalty might be doing, poking around in my mind..?"

The princess made a tiny noise, one that might well be called a laugh with more volume "Checking upon my latest.. investment, as it were, creature. You would not believe how much of my political capital it took, saving thine head from my dear's sister's wroth." she smiles in an oddly quirked way.

"And why did you? what purpose could you have in saving me, especially from the 'bloodthirsty' Celestia." I stalked round her, form mutating to be the spitting image of Celestia, save the mouth of fangs.

Celestia bless her, the alicorn shuddered in revulsion but held her nerve, staring back into her sister's eyes "You are interesting, creature.."

"Changeling! I corrected, then went silent again.

the Lunar god smiled ".. Changeling. Twilight says that none of your species, which mine own records have no mention of, have ever been captured alive..." Her gaze was piercing, and I found myself going back to my amorphous black mist-form, redoubling the defenses and mental obfuscation around the innards of my borrowed mind. She finished her apparent appraisal of me, and simply turned to watch as I circled,

"We keep ourselves to ourselves, Princess. We are careful not to let much slip, have any records of such erased." I spiralled back into the changeling form that felt so much like an old comfy coat before continuing "I am.. different.. from the others of my species."

Luna nodded, summoning an image to float beside her, of a dead changeling,preserved in amber fluid. "We have noted your increased size, in both horn, hoof, body and wing, compared to what little remains our archivists have."

I nodded with a tiny smile as I continued my slow walk around her, the alicorn growing apparently bored of studying me and instead walking to take in the rolling grassy plains of my hidden mindscape.

She stopped with me behind her, and appeared to peek back to make sure I was watching.

She smirked "Your mental defenses are complicated..

I smiled, despite myself "I built them specially for you."

"...But crude." Her Eyes glowed Super-nova white, then without a single pipe of fanfare the Dream-walking princess of a Moon disintegrated my mind's protection with a single sweep of her horn.

Chapter 12 : Alien Mind

I panicked. We did.

While I simply wanted to scream, for my borrowed mind it was instinctive defense, sending a lash of roiling, boiling emotional memories from the dark corners of my mind boiling towards Luna in a black-red cloud.

Her horn glowed again, and a bubble of something snapped into place around her, dispersing the cloud.

Around her my constructed dream dissolved into nothing, leaving us floating in the depths of my alien mind. With a visitor inside, it looked less abstract than I recalled, more constructed, like a vast, suspended library inside a cavern that stretched out forever. Here and there were missing bits, or places I could not comprehend with my human mind so far out of sync with the monstrous shell it inhabited.

She still held her shield, set for any further assaults.

We floated there a while, until she slowly lowered her own defenses and simply looked around, taking it in and smiling reassuringly at me. "Be not alarmed Changeling. I merely wished to see if there was more to thee than a simple grass plain." She floated down, a gesture of my mind summoning simple resin-like pillars to stand on. "I am, to say the least, pleasantly surprised." I swirled like black mist to walk by her side through my mind's archive, pillars rising up to meet our feet.

Luna examined the pillars, and the archives around us, looking closely at the vast volume of tightly packed 'books' of knowledge and memory. I allowed her to look, and followed as the lunar Princess walked between the shelves "A full mind.. May I peruse one? T'would be interesting to see things as thine species does, if only for a moment."

I considered the idea, and smiled just a little "very well your majesty, you may. Not all of these, I would warn you, are my own."

She turned, a slim black volume already in her field, and quirked an eye "oh? If not thine, then whose?"

I let a little predator shine through there, the knowledge unfolding in my mind within the mind "some are copies of those of my victim's. I study their minds to better emulate them, to further the masquerade as it were." In truth, that worried me, it made me realise, even further, that I was the bad guy here; an emotion, memory, identity stealing monster. If there's one thing you learned from watching MLP, it's that Bad guys don't last.

Luna simply hummed, turning back to the tome in her aura and quirking an eyebrow "be that as it may, changeling, whose memories are these?" She turned it upside down and then sideways, narrowing her eyes at the cover "I do not recognise this language.. if it can be called such." With annoyed huff she floated the book my way, showing the simple rectangle of alien, odd text adorning the hardened resin cover.

I didn't know the language either, for a moment it was as foreign to me as the blibble-blobble of fish to anyone but Fluttershy. It seemed to be comprised of little but jagged, geometric lines with dots accenting it. Then comprehension bloomed like a flower, and a rustle went through the space of my mind, ruffling the pages of my archives as a short, powerful wind. My eyes flashed green for a second over the blue and I smiled.

I must have stood there for a while, because soon Luna risked poking my side with a careful wing "Changeling, art thou okay?"

I blinked with the eyelids I didn't have and nodded, turning with the book floating to rest between us "Very much so Princess, I merely lost myself in thought for a while.." The book floated up and began to open, green light erupting onto our faces "..This is one of my favourites, a simple little memory, detailing a very.. interesting day in Ponyville. From one of my long term agents, named..."

Author's Note

Place your bets/votes on who the Changeling Agent will be (background characters only) and what episode/day the memory details.

:D It can only be from season one, so pick a good one.

Chapter 13: A Fresh Perspective

I have heard it said, perhaps here, perhaps in my old world that every memory is a world unto itself, a captured snapshot of a time and place that never will be again. I saw the truth of this as Luna and I faded into the memory's world. for a minute I held the memory back, rendering it unable to become solid as I pondered something.

The night princess frowned when the forming world became gray, the motion stopped before it had even begun, noting quite dryly "We suppose this is thine clever trick changeling? Trapping us in a memory that will never end, formed by an alien mind that we cannot control" I'm not sure, but I can't help but think Luna sounded slightly impressed.

For my sins, I simply smiled right back, apologetically "nothing so dramatic your majesty, I merely wish to assuage a nagging worry in the back of my mind." I flowed through the half formed memory to 'stand' (for lack of a better word) to Luna's front "you see I am, indeed, a different form of changeling. A 'noble', if you would accept the analogy, of the Changeling caste system. The memory we are about to enter is that of a active, long term agent under my supervision, and care...

"...thus, thou would require a promise of some kind? To assure thee that no harm or difficulty will befall, given what we shall learn" Luna smiled just a little, at my words, finishing my sentence and nodding slightly "tis good to know thou hast some loyalty, or at very least a wish to protect thine own."

I maintained my smile, even brightening it a little as I answered "some little assurance would help put my mind at ease your majesty. I could not countenance any more suffering due to my actions."

Luna hmmed, nodding "We understand, changeling, thou art not alone in wishing to protect thine subjects." The princess's jaw hardened a little "but we would remind thee that thou art a proven threat to the realm, having injured two elements of harmony and attacked two guards. Any of thine 'agents' will be brought to justice, if they are harming our little ponies, including the one whose memory we visit."

I made a face "I didn't mean to hurt Fluttershy so badly, you must believe me. It was her idea after all."

Luna made the face this time, one eye quirked "...Her Idea?" the princess sounded incredulous to say the least "thou would expect us to believe that the Element of Kindness asked for thee to savage her?"

...What? I thought...

"What?" I questioned, the memory world fracturing and splintering around us in my confusion, the library of my mind coming into mental view as the memory-book fell away, politely re-shelving itself "well yes. Yes, I would. Didn't she say so?" I tried to put honesty and assurance in my tone, but I began to have a nagging suspicion that something was off, in the depths of my mind uncertainty roiled, I felt like a child. The alien mind that I occupied forced a sense of calm, however, it's instinct keeping the mask in place.

My doubts weren't unjustified, as Luna's grim expression fortold. When she spoke, it was with a tone of iron and shimmering threat of a hidden edge "Nay, changeling, Fair Fluttershy tis in poor health, and unable to speak much of anything. We-" The ruler of the night paused, her voice tilting and accent changing to a more modern lilt "I... Have delved into her sleeping mind as I have yours, to find that her memories are of a savage, unprovoked attack, surrounded by the remnants of a magical aura. Magic much like thine."

Inwardly I crumpled a little here, the shifting library of my mind twisting as my suspicions found ground, rooting into dark, black lines of fear. I couldn't find words, alien, overlong tongue fumbling inside the astral mist of my unreal form. "What?!" I stumbled, only keeping from stammering by force of will, I choked on words, remaining silent rather than looking the fool.

Luna found only anger as she glanced at my twisting mindscape, brow furrowing and lip snarling in irritation. "Your tongue is caught by guilt, I see, that your scheme to foment pity has gone awry!"

I stood stunned, unable to think hard enough, remember anything that might help me. Luna's anger was slow-growing, but her power over dreams caused her to burn with light, eyes aglow.

"The spell matrix around the Bearer of Kindness' head, broken as it was by Cadence, was aligned to memory alteration, changeling. A perversion of spell-work, intended to implant a false reality You would have us believe. The true version of events is even moreso reinforced by the word of Rainbow Dash. Who bore witness to the attack!"

She put words in my mouth, forcing my astral self back with angry, heavy stomps. My own words came out, fighting back the moon's fire with weak desperation "I didn't int- I would never hurt her. She asked me to do it. Please!" I couldn't think any more, I couldn't understand the fracturing dream around me. My sense of reason shocked into nothingness as fire raged inside my head.

Luna had none of it, snapping over my words with sheer force of will, rendering me mute "I came in to see for myself your intent. To see if you would stand beside your honour, and admit the wrong Thou had done in desperate flight!" Her wings billowed out "Fluttershy, fairest and kindest, would still forgive you even NOW, Creature! Her kind heart would have me slap thine wrist, and allow thee passage from the realm under the lightest of terms. But instead you have Lied and attempted to distract my intent with falsehood and Memory, obfuscating the truth with piteous wheedling!"

The Lunar princess snarled, I was unable to speak as she began rending at my mind, splintering and *forcing* her way out of my mind with sheer magical force. "You have confirmed my suspicions, Changeling, with it thou hath confirmed thine Fate!"

I said nothing, my world crumbling and splintering around me, the whirl and snap of Luna's magical presence rending all thought. All response apart. I wanted to speak, I thrashed internally. But all things were blank, sheer moon-lit white shadowing all thought.

Luna spoke, but I barely heard, trying to hold my mind together. "You will be imprisoned where-ever we decide, until Fluttershy is healed, and we can put thee on trial for your Crimes."

She left with no flash of light, nor clap of sound, but instead only the rush of hissing, smoldering wind through the wreckage of my dreams. Her last words burned into the ravaged shelves of my memory, while they began to knit back together.

Author's Note

Hello Darkness my old friend...

Chapter 14: Home Sweet Cell.

"Rrrfk-k-kuh.." It felt like that was first word, sound, in forever... A syllable or two of nonsense, of Baby babble straight from the core of my brain's lower lobes. It felt like speaking with a mouth full of syrup, speaking after what felt like days, weeks, Months spent in the blank wreckage of my head. Slowly piecing together what Luna's anger had broken. "...Hrn..." More nonsense, less than the last but more refined, a grunt of resignation, rather than enforced stupidity. I felt nothing for it then, as I felt nothing at all. My mind was White, blank as a sheet while the brain booted into waking for the first time in eons. Slowly my eyes, which felt like mine for the first time, opened a crack, enough to see a blobby world of white, black and steely gray.

It says much about my life that this first sight was, to my awakening mind, better than could be imagined at that moment. The blobby greyscale of reality seemed alight with possibility, for the first time in what seemed to be months my mind was not in pain. I felt no aches nor pains beyond the vague, stinging brightness of the room I awoke to, the dull feeling of warm fabric beneath my leathery skin. I shifted in place, hearing my hooves scrape along firm, folded sheets.

The world sharpened, focused into detail and shading when I lifted my head. The sheets were a splash of colour in the Greyscale room, Yellow suns behind silver clouds on a linen white sky. I smiled, face creasing around it while my long, knife-like fangs pressed flatly against my lips. My Eyes left the false little patch of sky after moments of fond examination, wandering around the cell to take in my new surroundings.

White tiles covered the floor of the wide, warm cuboid; shiny and new to match the fresh coat of white paint on the nearest three walls. Set into the room's leftmost wall behind my Bed's back-end there was a massive, silvery mirror. To the right a simple curtain hung from a rail, partitioning off a neat corner of the room to fill with toilet, wash-basin and shower-head. Two towels hung from a rack near the basin. That was it. That was the entire, blank room. No chains, no visible doors, no windows.

I lay on the bed inspecting my new home for hours perhaps, mulling over my options. Contemplating how long it would take to go insane.

Hours or days I guessed, though either were hard to judge by the Cell's lack of clock or window.

Silence reigned but for the gentle rumble of indecipherable sound in the deep back of my audible range. A ring around my horn blocked all access to my sense of emotion.

"..." I thought, spoke, saw, heard; The busy silence pressing upon my mind like a vice until it cracked and I closed my eyes again.

My hoof shifted, slowly shifting away from my belly and heading towards the floor, twitching with pins and needles as circulation flooded the deadened limb. It touched the ground and the images of sound-sight filtered into me.

Into me... Not my alien mind, for it was no longer alien. It was me, it had fractured under the alicorn's bitterness, crumpled under the stress of bearing a psyche so alien while stressed. The pieces, it seemed, had splintered enough to flow into the cracks and moulded into shape.

The echoes of vibration showed me my cell as it was, the reinforced nature of it's walls, the falseness of it's mirror. Beyond the mirror were stairs, leading up into nothingness.

I pulled my hoof back, then brought it down again with a click, sending out a wave of vibration, a torch to light the dark. Above my new home I perceived roots, shelves, a tree... Nothingness as the echo-image faded.

Library, Tree, Ponyville...

Again I struck the tiles, harder. Repeating the motion, pulsing the world with waves of sound-light to break the numbing dark. My limb gained nerves back from the needles and pins, sharpening the sense and allowing me to perceive the tip, tap and clop of hooves on cobble-stone, of wheels rumbling over the rough-surfaced road. Many, many hooves carrying faint whispers of voice, of speech.

Midday or Afternoon, too many for morning or night, Market-day by the multitude of wagons and carts.

I watched the world of echoing sound for long, patient hours. Counting seconds pass by with the thrum of hooves and passing traffic. I ached to join them, to see the dream of my fandom enfleshed. My ears twitched with burning need to hear more than whispers of voice, of conversations that would never be mine to perceive.

While I longed for the surface, the rest of my mind crawled over the rest of me, curious to wonder why I Didn't ache nor itch with injury. My horn was numb and healed, Carapace scarred and pitted but whole. My tank of love, of food, had been filled recently. No doubt there to me, that the nurses and doctors of the hospital had at least kept to their oaths.

From there my mind crawled to Chrysalis. Her name burning at my mood, dragging a frown across my lips and a snarl from long fangs when I remembered her actions. The scalding wrath nipped at me, threatening to pull my psyche down into a deep, dark pit of brooding.

I was pulled from my rage by the creak of a door. By the clip-clop of clean hooves on stone, as a familiar pony trotted down the stairs of my cell's exterior. Her form hidden within the recess behind the room's false mirror; her hoof's heavy tramp nearly hiding a softer gait that trundled behind her, his clawed feet clicking lightly upon the steps. Twilight spoke nor breathed not a word for a while as they paused outside the cell, the Librarian-turned-captor simply standing behind the mirror's hidden window, quill softly scratching across a paper held to her front.

Spike spoke first when Twilight's pen paused it's scribbling, the little Drake's voice hushed with hesitant nervousness "Are you sure that he can't hear us, Twilight? I mean, not that I'm s-scared or anything, but I swear his ears keep twitching at us..." He laughed, his long claws scraping along soft belly-scales while the dragon approached the mirrored glass.

Twilight seemed to think on her answer, taking a single step towards the false mirror herself and cocking her head, a snort escaping the pony's nose before she spoke. "Pretty sure it can't hear us, or anything, Spike. I enchanted this mirror to block sound."

I kept still, as I had been for all this time. Hoof on the ground with both of the others held against the bed's metal frame; the inputs giving me plenty to listen to. The dense, reinforced stone carrying their voices and vibrations to me... The Mirror blocked no sound, I couldn't even perceive the glass as being There at all in my Echo-sight... Twilight had enchanted it wrong, or perhaps too well.

Spike seemed unconvinced, waggling his claws over the glass and speaking with consternation, a little louder. "I dunno Twilight. He's just sitting there like a statue... Are you sure he's alive?"

I didn't need to perceive it to see Twilight's eyes rolling as she Stepped up to the glass, scribbling more notes and checking something to her right. "If It was dead I'd know immediately, Spike, It's got a stay-safe ward on it's horn-ring that will alert me if it leaves the cell or Expires. And it *can't* see us, so don't worry." She lifted a leg and patted her assistant on the back reassuringly.

The dragon stepped away, heading to the back of the hidden room, walking too far away for my tremor-sight to spot as Twilihgt walked closer. Pushing upon and opening a smoothly, flawlessly hidden door in the mirror, just a crack. Enough for a clever lock to catch, stopping her from opening it all the way at first.

I turned my head just a little when the sound of her voice rang in the air, clear. Confident.
"Changeling. Back up."

I couldn't resist, and tilted my head back, staring at her, unmoving.

Twilight balked, I fought not to cringe in shame at the flash of fear in those wide eyes, before her voice came again, crafting the lie of confidence. "Off the bed, and back up to the Far Wall, changeling. I /know/ you can move, I'm not going to ask again."

Her horn began to glow and I obeyed slowly with creaky, wonky movements as blood rushed into my limbs. I stumbled to the ground, hissing when my front leg refused to obey. Finding no sympathy from Twilight, who simply watched from her sliver of open door. I growled, shivering and grinding teeth together in the agony of suddenly returning nerves. Pushing and fighting off the urge to whine in irritation I slowly headed for the back corner, leaning against the wall.

Twilight waited there until I slumped against the corner, then smoothly opened the door, just enough to let her inside with clipboard floating alongside. She made notes, and commented "If that's a sympathy play, Changeling. It's not working, and you're not escaping. you have tracking spells on your magic-blocking rings, and these doors are Warded with alarms, incase you try to break them down."

I remained silent, sullen. Internally weeping but made calm by Training I never even knew was there.

The Librarian scribbled notes, looking around the room with curiosity, looking for things out of place. Then she looked at me, not glaring but simply looking on with semi-detached neutrality with pen above paper. "You're going to be here a while changeling. If you answer questions, and be a good little monster then I may consider asking Luna to just throw you into the badlands. Instead of imprisoning you for the rest of your natural lifespan. However long that may be."

I watched her eyes. Read her expression, made mental notes, watched for weaknesses and strengths.

The purple unicorn took a half-step back, turning one leg over her body (in annoyance, irritation, discomfort?) at my staring, the silence; unnerved by my unblinking eyes . centering herself, Twilight breathed and put the mask back on, speaking with veiled annoyance "How long does your species live?"

I watched, silent by choice and default. Having no magic to alter my throat, allow me to speak.

Twilight asked "do you have a name, beside 'changeling' for your species?", her irritation clearer, but still masked by neutrality. She took another step back though, masking it with a cough as her hoof moved.

I continued to be silent, and remained silent as Twilight moved down her list of questions, growing more irratated, discomforted, by my staring with each query.

I remained stoic, simply watching while her hair sprang loose, voice ever more heated by anger while her flank pressed against the mirror in nervous discomfort. An hour in, Twilight's temper frayed into breaking with an almost audible *snap*.

"WILL YOU STOP STARING AT ME, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS?!" Her mane flared into Fire. Crackling and popping with her angry eyes wide, full of flames. With a lit horn the unicorn leveled her head towards me, "I WILL FIND OUT *EVERYTHING* Whether you like it or NOT!"

I will admit I panicked, feeling the heat and seeing my doom approach, I closed my eyes and cringed, feeling my chitin begin to warm up, my wings aching with the heat as Twilight's horn built up a Beam of Sure Destruct-

SPLOOSH

...Spike dumped a bucket of water on her head.

I wish I was kidding, I wish I could tell you of my abuse, the tragedy of my incineration under Twilight's manicured hooves. Of my Chitin popping, cracking and melting way to smoke while my insides burned, Twilight realizing too late my death to be a mistake....

But instead Spike came in like a chubby slapstick artist, and jammed the metal bucket of icy liquid Right onto his guardian's head. He looked just as terrified as me, but at both of us. He even smiled at me, the draconic mouth turned up in a reassuring little half smile while he bodly shunted twilight out of the room, Squeaking "No vaporizing the test subject Twilight, even if he's annoying!"

I had no words to speak, and no way to say them. I think Twilight was much the same, stumbling mutely out with Spike leaning on her front, The little drake promising her calming tea, fresh cookies and a relaxing book, pleading almost in his bargaining for her not to be mad at him.

On his way out, Spike collected the clipboard, gave me a *thumbs up,* and closed the door with a final "Sorry 'bout that, dude. She get's the same way when Pinkie doesn't make sense." His claw raised up to whisper an aside through the crack "I know you look creepy ... But I heard from Redheart that Fluttershy's getting better fast.. So I can't really stay mad."

He trundled off. Leaving me confused, lost. Mildly hopeful. Utterly confused.

I barely registered when Twilight yelled "DUDE?!" from above me...

And almost forgot to listen in.

Author's Note

Blegh... Pins and needles in my brain after a hiatus for so long.

I hope it's not too terrible :raritywink:

Chapter 15: Spike's Stand.

I laid on the ceiling with sticky hooves, pressing the side of my skull to the concrete, Listening and sensing the World above.
Tremors of hooves on cobble, soil, wood, the vibrations and murmur of speech and huma-... What was a human? Pony. They were the sounds of Ponies, going about their happy lives. The world was busy with life and motion, seen in shutter-shot images of sound that trembled up through my hooves.

Perhaps later I would return to this spot and listen to the rest, engage in learning more about them. For now I concentrated, tunneling my vision to focus on two very important Ponies. Or a Pony,and her Dragon at least. Spike's softer, skin-like tread hard to detect as he walked, waddling through the library and turning to face a following Twilight.

Twilight was easy to spot, to hear. She was currently ranting, little face all scrunched and red with confused irritation.

"Why did you call It DUDE?!" She barked, the click of her teeth audible from where I lay. "It is not a 'Dude', Spike, It's a dangerous, Deadly Monster! You hit me with a bucket, and made my horn Ache!" She stumbled in her anger, tongue trickling out a splash of scattered syllables before she wrestled it back into control "W-whya-What If it had attacked?! I could have been hurt, You could have been hurt!" There was an ache of sharp, almost motherly terror to her voice as she audibly trembled, perhaps in imagined fear at her little dragon being harmed.

Spike had taken a step, maybe two, back by now. I could imagine his little arms coming up to defend himself from the onslaught of nigh-maternal beration. His voice countered my assumption of his cowardice, however, as the drake straightened his posture and spoke back in a calm, strong voice "He couldn't have hurt you, Twilight, I was there and there's guards on every corner who'd hear the distress wards!" He drained of his indignant strength, and spoke softer, though only slightly.
"Besides Twilight, I'm sorry about the horn but I couldn't have let you hurt him."

Something in Spike's stance, his voice or his look that I couldn't perceive must have pierced through Twilight's anger. The unicorn recoiled away as if hse had been bitten by a snake. Her voice trembling as she spoke, talking quickly. "I-I wasn't going to hurt It Spike! I... I couldn't have.. I'm not the bad guy here!"

Spike sounded unimpressed, almost sad. "But you were going to hurt him, Twilight. You had the same look as when you were investigating Pinkie."

The words cut, Sparkle rearing and snapping hotly "I didn't hurt Pinkie!"

The dragon remained strong, pointing out that "You Like Pinkie Twilight. You're friends, but you still looked like you were ready to strangle her back then!"

Twilight stepped back this time, a blush in her voice of embarrassment "But I neve-!"

"You don't Like the changeling, Twilight. You never have, and you keep refusing to even call Him by his real gender. I know what spell you were charging" Spike spoke plainly, giving the impression that he knew exactly what he was saying.

"Th-.. What are y-?! ...What are you say-" Twilight had several false starts, stammering and treading nervously, eventually working through to irritation, Intellect failing in her anger. "Don't Interrupt me Spike! And don't try and use that against me!" She snapped, voice hot with a sheen of motherly anger "I don't know where this attitude is coming from Spike, but I don't want to see it again!" Twilight stepped forward "I wasn't charging /that/ spell, and I know I shouldn't have, even if I was..." She faltered, gritting through it with sheer willpower "b-but even If I had been, It would have deserved it. It is not a He or a him or a 'dude!' It is a heartless, terrible Monster that nearly Killed one of my Best Friends! If Cadence hadn't been there as fast as she was, to take away the pain and stop Fluttershy going into shock, then I might h-have lost her!!" Twilight choked at the end, her emotions welling up and merging with agonised pain and sadness.

Spike faltered too, stepping closer and halting on his words, even with my horn constrained I could almost feel the palpable empathy in the dragonling's voice. "Twilight... I know it's hard that Fluttershy got hurt, but you can't let that get in the way. I mean It's not as if it was really that bad."

Twilight practically blew the drake's head off with her snapping tone, though it lacked anger "Not that bad Spike? Fluttershy almost bled to death! Cadence said she was only a minute from being irrecoverable!"

Spike flinched nigh audibly, biting off his own anger to speak calmly "I k-know that's what Cadence said Twi... But I spoke to Redheart too, and she said that Fluttershy's shoulder was more cut than Hurt. Nothing important had been cut, and the incision was clean!"

Twilight stepped away with a heady clomp, snipping chillingly "are you saying that Cadence was lying?!"

Prompting a quick, stammering response from her smaller assistant "N-no!" He recovered his calm quickly, explaining through a skeen of nerves "I'm just saying that Cadence might have overplayed things! There must have been a lot of blood, and Rainbow was panicking, then there was that whole thing where you ran off into the woods with the guards!"

Spike's caretaker stammered without words herself, perhaps trying to think of a response, before she settled on a weak "s-s... Still!" the unicorn wracked herself before expanding "Still. my horn aches, and I don't think that Thing is going to speak to me..."

The dragon's response was quiet. I had to strain to hear it, the voice soft "Maybe if you tried calling him a 'him', not an 'It?"

The mouthy, intelligent librarian had no response.

"...Maybe we should go with a cupcake?" Spike queried, moving his carer towards the door gently, her hooves dragging with the fatigue of anger.

I didn't hear her answer, the pair already leaving.

Chapter 16: I am me

I lay in the dark awhile, eyes closed and head placed on the ceiling, listening to the world trotting and cantering above me, watching their echo-forms go by in stuttering images.

How long? Maybe an hour, perhaps a little longer. The irregular rhythm of hooves on cobble left me little sense of passing seconds, minutes, hours. I heard the distant tremble of bells to signal a passing time, so I supposed that only a single hour drifted by, though I might have wished it was longer.

In time after that I felt ready to move however, and slowly stood up from the ceiling and looked up/down at the floor above.

'I should be uncomfortable with this' I thought almost aloud, trilling in a low buzz of innate language. I raised a hoof and examined it, the broken, holed black chitin covered in places by tight bandages and a single sticky plaster.

It had a smile on it, the plaster. I smiled too for reasons I cannot fathom, sniffing the plaster and nosing it, getting the scent of cotton candy and cupcakes.

It served no useful purpose stuck over one of the natural holes in my hoof, but it made me smile a little. With a teeny slip of the tongue I covered the smile in resin, preserving it there, maybe It would keep the sugary scent in until I could figure out who it belonged to.

Why did this body, which was mine, feel so alien? I controlled it with ease for it was mine, I was me, but I felt a sense of wrongness, of unfamiliarity while I looked around at the world upside-down. I couldn't shake the incorrigible feeling; that I should cringe when I looked up at the floor far above me, that I should feel nervous at my hold on such smooth and perfect stone. My bulk was held fast to the ceiling only by the stickiness of my hooves, my Alien and familiar hooves. Hooves, not hands that I felt like phantoms of a body I no longer owned.

Why did I feel an intruder within my own body? My mind shifted. I could feel fractures and breaks, chinks in my mindspace, crumbling while I moved my mind around; it felt as if it had been shattered, blown away and regrown.

Because it had been, I could remember now...

The spirit, cramming a mind within another, chaos not caring for the havoc its hasty suturing left.

Luna... The dream... Chrysalis...

It flooded back, I flooded back, my mind burned while it splintered around the edges. The memories of me, my human self, began to grow back and root themselves.

I snarled, loud and throatily until my mouth clenched it into a low, sub-audible growl of frustration.

Of course if felt alien, I was an alien! This was not my mind, I am not me! I am a human from elsewhere, who became this by.... By choice. Bedamned spirit...

My memories were incomplete, fuzzy, but I could remember Discord. The deal. I shook on it and made the deal, to become this thing... This changeling.

Me, the changeling. That is who I am now. I drew in shuddering, half gagging breaths as I came to terms with it. I was this, this was me. I am me, and thus I am the changeling, whose name I could not recall, whose memories I barely understand.

I had to accept it and make the best of my situation, which was all the harder with chrysalis in the picture, no doubt weaving lies and editing memories and minds to suit her ideals.

I thought back to my his? Dream. To the rage and snarl of Luna. Poisoned by her. I supressed a snarl at the mere thought of the traitor Queen's name not my anger. His. How much of me is him?

To what end? My mind scattered to memories and thoughts not mine. I lived still, thus I had use. Though a slim pillar of my shaking mind shimmered, sinking into my gut that such safe time was limited to the patience and mercy of Celestia.

Lower still into introspective depression I might have sunk but for the clip-clop of hooves above, familiar voices floating down through the rock.

If I could convince anyone of my plight, it would be Honesty herself. Though Loyalty might well taint my words with Chrysalis's shared venom.

Author's Note

My apologies for goofing before. 1/3 chapters planned for the fortnight, the shortest by a wide margin.

R&R as always. I'm rather rusty from a few months off the wagon. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 4-A: Squalls Before the Storm

I awoke to a rough tongue running up my snout, and a sharp hoof nudging my chest.

"C'mon Big Guy. Time to wake up..."

I wanted to kiss her for living, to kill myself for the scabbed-over bite marks that covered her neck.

A few beautiful minutes before my world began to fall apart, all over again.

"Kill him! Why?!" Silver screamed the question with anger, anguish and bile in her tone, stance wide and wings outstretched to block the door.

I stooped low to the stream, holding my mouth under the water not to drink, but to wash the taste of blood from my mouth.

I hated that taste almost more than I hated myself.

Author's Note

A few teaser sentences.

Liable to change/disappear as I develop the chapter

Chapter 9-a: Awakening and Explanations

Drip...

Emerald Flames under light of a dark sun.

A symphony of agony under my crawling flesh
I was dead, perhaps, but dreaming of spaces beyond pain and terror.

Funny I suppose. That even in my Sleeping Death I dreamt of them, the scream of pain from a pony Ibit, her blood in my mouth. Yellow feathers floating on the stream.

I was burning, there was no heat but only cold and dark and pain I could not scream

Drip...

Bones creaked, cracked. Torment Indescribable.

Drip... Drip

Another noise, 'Clip-clop'. Clip-clop. Hoof on stone.

A rush of heat then cold again, this time numb. No pain, nothing.

Drip-Drip..

Clip-clop again! Emotions too fast to see. Clip-Clop Louder. Closer. Must speak, call out!

"Uuuuh... ehp"

Drip...

Hooves fade into silence again, Dark once more., no sight nor sound but blissful void.

I await pain's return.