A Changeling's Guide on How to Survive the New Equestria
January 14
My name is Kylah. This is my journal.
I am a “veteran” Changeling, in a sense. I know how to hide, and how to survive. But with the “Canterlot Takeover” being a complete failure, the Equestrians have stepped up their guard, specifically in scanning for Changelings like me.
Every day we're are being tackled and captured on the roads, simply minding their own business before a guard appears and takes us down. I still hear their very sudden and frightened screams in my sleep.
What happens to them? Are they imprisoned? Are they executed? Are they exported from Equestria? I will never know.
Or at least I don’t plan to.
I try to stay home as much as I can, and my “boyfriend” understands that I’m just "anti-social". When I do leave the house, I try to be working, or doing something that nopony would really want to interrupt.
There are many more tricks that I know, and many more to learn, but I will save them for later entries. I still need to appear as a normal pony, and actually interact with the world.
I will update this journal periodically.
__________
I set the pen gently into the cup filled with pencils and pens to my right, then examined my work, re-reading the words I had placed on the page. I blinked slowly, taking reality back into thought, the faint orange lamp on the top left side of my office desk illuminating the pages. I gently closed the book, letting the title show, and its words burn into my brain.
A Changeling's Guide on How To Survive The New Equestria. The Changeling Swarm's emblem lay on the hard cover, slightly off center to the right.
I knew someone would find this useful someday.
“Honey?” I calmly stood up, my horn glowing lightly. A green flame engulfed my body, only lasting for half a second before it dissipated. Thunderlane slowly pushed the door open with his hoof. “What are you up to?” He asked, smiling, and a small bounce of joy in his step.
“Oh, nothing!” I spoke, and turned to face my boyfriend, pushing my journal into the small crevice behind the desk, “What are you up to?”
“I,” Thunderlane slunk his way to me from the door, “have got a reservation at Hay Bales,” he smiled wider, “And there is an extra seat!” He hovered his face in front of mine, lowering himself to my level. I grinned heavily, my eyes staring straight into his. “I was wondering if you would like to come?” he almost whispered.
I leaned forward and kissed him, closing my eyes as he did the same, holding our lips together for a few moments. I sucked out the love that he bled like out of a straw. When we separated, I reopened my eyes slyly, “I would be delighted.”
Since I fed off of his love, you’d think I was just sucking it out. But in my times of being a Changeling, I’d learned that the best way to feed off love is to literally love them back. It prevents the random headaches that occur when being drained. The connection not only fed me, but gave him energy in a way that even I didn’t understand.
Thunderlane straightened up, reaching at least an inch taller than me, not including his mane, and he smirked.
“But you know I don’t like public places.”
Thunderlane rolled his eyes, “It’s a weekday, nopony will see you.” He backed away slightly, “If you really want, I can take one of my friends, but I would still much rather go with you!”
I frowned, “I know, but I’m just feeling… homely.” My eyes pleaded to him.
He stared back at me, a tiny scowl covered his face. He sighed, losing the scowl, and looked to the floor, “Okay. I’ll just take Caramel or Mac to dinner.”
“I’m sorry, Thunderlane-” I began before he cut me off.
“It’s fine.” He said, turning back to the door, still looking at the ground, “I’ll see you tonight, Raindrops.”
I nearly cried as he walked away. I really loved him, and to break his heart like that killed me. But I needed to stay home and take care of “Raindrops”. I would have loved to go with him, and I could have remained undetected, but there is always the chance.
I stood next to the chair, waiting for the sound of the front door to closing.
As soon as I heard the thump, I trotted slowly through my office door, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. I opened the pantry and pulled out a can of spaghetti.
I prepared it normally, and after I put it in the microwave, I stood still for a couple of seconds, listening to make sure Thunderlane had actually left.
After I was positive, I reached under the sink and pulled the hidden lever under it. The wall next to the pantry opened, revealing a staircase that led to a dim light. I trotted inside, the wall sliding closed behind me, and began down the stairs. A single lamp illuminated the stairs, a wall on either side. I pressed a button to un-soundproof the hallway, so I would know when dinner was ready. As I trotted down, it began to get darker, but as the light had almost gone, another one appeared ahead, much brighter than the other.
I reached the bottom of the steps, and a massive cage lay on the far side of the room; much bigger than my bedroom.
“Good afternoon, Changeling.” A voice rang through the room, coming from the mostly lit cage.
“Good afternoon, Raindrops!” I replied boldly, “Dinner is almost ready!” I trotted to the bars of the cage.
From the shadows emerged a yellow pony, her mane a cyan blue. She glared at me as she approached the bars I stood at.
I flashed green, the flame changing me back into an insect-like pony creature.
“What is it today?” She asked me, still glaring, as she reached the bars.
“Spaghetti.”
“Oh, my favorite!” She said sarcastically.
“I really am sorry I keep you here.” I told her. I told her every single day.
“Then why don’t you let me out?” She replied, as she always did.
“Because if I do, I am almost guaranteed a slow death.” I explained, just like I did every single day, “It’s just part of the food chain.”
“How’s Thunderlane?”
“He’s fine, out with his friends at a restaurant.”
“How are you treating him?”
“I’ve told you before, I love him just as much as you do.” She glared at me, “I’m one of the best of my kind, and some of the tricks involve actually falling in love with your target.” She scowled heavily.
The beeping of the microwave was barely audible.
“Dinner’s served!” I trotted upstairs, pulling the lever next to the door to open it, grabbed the bowl and fork, and then brought it back downstairs to Raindrops. When I set it under the bars, she slowly ate from the bowl, manipulating the fork with her wing.
“What do you want to drink?” I asked.
“What is there?”
“Milk, orange juice, apple juice, water. I could probably get you some cider, but not much.”
“I’ll have some orange juice.” I nodded, and trotted up the stairs. When I returned with the orange juice, she was already almost finished with the spaghetti.
“Hungry tonight?” I asked.
“Yeah.” I slid the small glass under the bars. She asked me, “Why are you so…”
“What?” I tilted my head, my ear uncontrollably flopping onto it.
“…Nice?” I smiled.
“I’m just one of the nicer Changelings. And the nicer I am, the better at survival I am.”
“Like with Thunderlane?”
I rolled my eyes, “Like with Thunderlane, though I really do love him.”
“But why are you nice to me?” She asked.
“Just because you’re being held in a cage against your will doesn’t mean you should have everything taken away.” I began to turn and go up the stairs.
“Well,” Raindrops hesitated, “thanks for that, I guess.”
“You’re welcome.” I reached the first step, but she stopped me.
“I have just one question.”
“Yes?”
“When do Changelings let their captives go?”
“When someone finds out.” I walked up the stairs, leaving Raindrops alone in her cage.
As I went up the staircase, I pressed the button again to soundproof the room, and pulled a lever to let me back into the kitchen…......
__________
I pulled the sheets of the bed over my body, warming me from the cold of winter.
The sound of the front door opening was very easy to hear, along with the unmistakable laugh of Thunderlane.
I could tell he was slightly drunk from the small hiccups in between each laugh. It caused me to smile. Thunderlane was often a joker, but when he was drunk, anything he said was funny. He wobbled into the room, leaning on the doorframe. I sat up grinning, “So, how’d it go?”
“Great!” He said. I chuckled. It sounded more like a ‘swaet’ than a ‘great’, “Caramel stood on the bar and danced! It was… the funniest thing you’ve ever seen!” he approached the bed, then fell face-first into the mattress. I laughed audibly. His head popped up next to me, “I had a great night. Did you?” I continued to laugh.
“I am now.” I said, and then kissed him lightly. He walked around the bed and then slunk under the covers next to me, wrapping his foreleg around me.
I wanted to smile, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t frown, I was too happy. My face was blank. I didn’t deserve such an amazing pony like this. He was already taken.
But survival of the fittest, I thought to myself, Raindrops isn’t a Changeling, and she doesn’t depend on love. She just wants it. In those last thoughts, I fell into sleep, wondering if what I was doing was really right………
