My new life... HAS PONIES?!

I stepped out the door way to be stopped by the brother “wait” he said grabbing my back right leg “please, the changelings rounded up the citizens of this town and are using them as slaves at their camps in the woods, you must save them.” “I’ll do my best” I said patting his head. He closed the door behind me. I pulled a map out of the bag and saw that my destination was North West. After three hours of traveling I felt weary, my eyes grew heavy, legs kept moving forward, and my mind wandered aimlessly.

I started wondering how this world would be like if the changelings will win; probably a living hell on earth. Suddenly I walked into an object and fell to the ground. I opened my eyes, looked up, and saw huge thick trees surrounding the area. As I stood, rubbing my cranium, I heard a raspy female voice behind me say “good evening young colt, what are you doing on the ground.” “I’m sorry, my mind must have wondered off” I said turning to see an old mare.

She had a dark brown coat, wight mane, and black robe wrapped around her, and her right eye was clouded; she must be partly blind. “Who are you ma’am?” I asked trying not to stare at her eye. “I am the keeper of the forest my dear troy” she said surprising me. “How did you know my name?” I asked raising a brow. “I know many things, boy. Like how the reason you’re here is to reach the changing fortress to win the war for the princesses” she said walking to the left of me.

“Well if you’re the keeper of the forest can you show me the way to the changeling’s camps?” I said staring at the eerie sight of the forest. “Yes, but you have to do something for me” she said with a grin. “What?” I asked actually interested. “I am making a portion of growth and I am missing one ingredient. I need you to get the carrot seed” she said. “Well where are they?” I said.

“The center of the woods, but be careful thing are not all ways as they seem” she warned before disappearing into the darkness. “Might as well get this over with” I thought walking past the first few trees. As I roamed deeper it felt like someone or something was watching me. I just shrugged at the idea and kept going. Soon I heard rustling coming from the branches.

I looked up seeing nothing until a squire jumped out on my head. “Get off you prick!” I yelled grabbing it and throwing it back to the trees. It stood on a branch, swung its tiny fist in the air, and yelled what sounded like tiny screaming. I was about to flip the rodent off until I remembered “oh right… hooves. Damn it.” I continued my journey leaving the squirrel on the tree branch.

I felt tired again more so with every step I took. After thirteen steps a strange blue gas formed around me. My legs stiffened and I could hardly breathe. “Ugh *gag* what in god’s name is *cough* is that awful stench” I said trying to hold in my vomit from what smells like a mixture of cheetah sweat, moldy cheese, expired milk, and a body that has been out in the sun  that was inside a dumpster for three weeks. I cough once more; small amounts of blood flew out onto a nearby rock that was sunk in the ground.

My eyes grew heavy, my head swimming, and my knees wobbled. My legs gave way and I fell to my chin hitting what I call the knockout button. I woke up lying on leather like sheet inside a large tent that looked like something out of Tarzan. I sat up holding my head hearing somepony coming in and saying “hello, good to see that you’re awake. It was good to find you when I did.” “Who are you?” I asked looking at the black mane, light green, female unicorn.

“I could ask you the same thing. I’m leaf year and by the looks of your dog tag you must be Dr. Healer” she said leaning against a book case. “What?” I looked down “oh, no this is my friends dad’s. She gave this to me before I left” I said standing up. “If that’s so then why are you here?” she asked walking up to me. “I’m looking for carrot seeds for the keeper of the forest” I said seeing that her cutie mark was a magnifying glass over a leaf. “Now that’s a long ways away” she said opining a large map; pointing at the center.

“Do you know a way to get there?” I said examining the paper. “Yeah, just follow me” she said rolling up the map and heading out the tent flap. We walked for hours; usually get scratched by thorns, bit by misquotes, or get stuck in a hole. She also explained that the gas was one of her traps around the camp; I would hate to find more.

“Shush!” she whispered to me crouching down behind a bush. “What is it?” I asked following her actions. “You might want to have a plan for this one. Look” she said pointing at a lion; the thing was it had bat wings and a scorpion tail the size of its own body. “What is that thing?” I whispered staring at the sharp poisons limb. “It’s a manticore” she said pointing at the ground next to it “and apparently she likes carrots.”

I traced her hoof to a half patch of carrots being devoured by the manticore. “Shit now what?” I said. “I’ll grab the carrots while you distract the beast” she said standing up. “Are you crazy?! That thing will kill me!” I said jumping in front of her. “You’re a Pegasus aren't you? Think of something.” She said shoving me out in the open.

I was going to yell at her before a warm wind blew across my neck. I slowly turned to see the manticore towering over me swinging its tail around. “N-nice kitty” I said backing away. Before I could make a run for it she swung her tail hitting me in the side. The power behind it sent me two yards away.

“AH FUCK!” I screamed slamming into the dirt. I lied there breathing heavily feeling the earth shake as the manticore slowly moved to me. “What the hell? She didn't hit me that hard, but why do I feel like my ribs penetrated my lungs?” I asked myself struggling to roll over on my back. She sniffed the air and turned to leaf year; she was crawling to the patch of carrots. She froze in fear as the manticore charged.

As the beast reached her she moved to the right letting the manticore slam into a tree. I tried to lift myself up as the manticore rubbed its head, but my body was in too much pain to do anything. After my failed attempts to help leaf year I heard familiar old voice next to me say “it’s a shame really. She is a nice mare.” “Please you have to help her. She can’t win on her own” I pleated watching as leaf ran away only to be stopped by a bolder logged in between two trees.

“I will, but only if you finish our little agreement” she said continually watching as the manticore slowly walks to leaf. “What?! You’re going to let an innocent mare die if I don’t help you!” I yelled putting pressure on my painful lungs. She smirked as I grunted “fine.” I rolled to my stomach crawling, scraping my chest on rigged rocks and twigs. “How can this pain be so excruciating” I thought; couldn't believe how a swing to the side could cause such pain.

After clawing across the ground for five minutes I had to stop to ease the ‘I want to commit suicide’ pain. While tears ran down my face a voice, which reminded me of my dad, in my head kept telling me “get up you lazy fuck! Go and save her!” *chuckle* yeah, my dad was an asshole. Leaf screamed as the manticore stepped closer. Hearing her plea I took a deep breath and stood up from the forest floor. My legs wobbling, a sharp pain shot throughout my body as I stumbled to the carrot patch.

I reached for the tip of the remaining four carrots. I pulled a scream and a faint snapping noise could be heard as the vegetables flew out of the dirt resting place.  I turned back to the old mare and tumbled back to her. “Here are your damn carrots!” I said tossing the bunch to the ground in front of her. She didn't say a word just pointed behind me; grinning devilishly.

I looked over to see the manticore’s muzzle was covered in a red substance. I was confused at first before I noticed it chewing something. Out of the corner of my eye there was a large red object lying still. It was the disemboweled corpse of my new, late, friend leaf year. I fell to my hunches; tired, sad, and extremely pissed.

“Even though it’s too late to save her you can still stop it from harming anypony else” the old mare said. “How? I’m in no shape to fight a creature like that” I said hearing the manticore belch, cleaning its teeth with one of leaf’s bones like some tooth pick. She mumbled something causing an aura to form around me, but how; she wasn't a unicorn. The aura fated away left a warm tingling in my torso. “How did you do that? I thought unicorns were the only ones to use magic” I said feeling my newly healed chest.

“It was just an ordinary healing incantation” she said lifting me up. “Now drink this and take your revenge” she said pulling a vile out of her robe pocket. I grabbed the vile and chugged the serum; tasted like rum, lighter fluid, and it had a strange fruity after taste. Nothing happened at first until I heard a loud growl from behind. My body’s core filled with rage as I remembered what had happened.

I approached the beast; teeth grinding against each other. “So you think you can kill a mare and get away with it. If that’s true then you are WRONG!” I said bucking the manticore’s back. It dropped to the ground screaming in pain. She rose from the dirt and charged. Her paw swung at me.

I sidestepped out of the way letting the manticore attack the air. “You’ll have to be faster than that pussy” I taunted climbing the monsters back. I punched hitting a pressure point causing her to tense up. She stood on her back legs clawing at me with the front. I rolled along the torso dodging the claws as they scrape and pierce the creature’s skin; my coat soaked in blood from rolling on the wounds.

She roared in an ear bleeding screech. “Why are you screaming? I haven’t even broken a bone yet” I said jumping off and licking the squishy, crimson, liquid off my hooves. “Tasty. I would like some more please” I said kicking her in the right front knee, punching her multiple times in the face as she collapsed to the ground finishing with an uppercut; dislocating her jaw. The manticore landed on its back crushing her wings and squishing her stinger. I stepped on her chest, making it more difficult for her to breath, and whispered in its ear “I’m going to have fun with y-. Huh?”

I was interrupted by something nibbling on my back left ankle. I looked under myself to see a manticore cub. The bighting didn’t hurt from the fact that the cub didn’t have any teeth. I took a second glance and saw it was crying. Looking back up I saw the adult manticore’s face was bruised, black eyed, and had a gash coming from the forehead.

I could feel the heartbeat of the animal getting slower and slower. After several seconds there was nothing but the sound of a cub crying and sniffling. My rage died down and was quickly replaced with guilt, disappointment, and shame. I got off the corps, walking away, leaving the cub to be with her. I stopped next to the old mare and asked “where are the camps?”

“Follow me” she said. We traveled for two hours before she stopped and her ears perked up. “What now?” I asked irritated that I most likely have a new obstacle to overcome. “I cannot go any further. The camps are behind these bushes, but be careful the changelings are professional trap makers” she warned. I nodded and walked through the plants hearing chattering not too far away.

I hid behind a tree and saw four ponies pulling a wagon, full of other ponies, being driven by two changelings. “MOVE SLACKER!” The passenger yelled wiping the front right pony. An idea struck; “if I could somehow look hurt then they might stop to put me in the cage with the others” I thought spying some mud. I rubbed a small amount of mud on my coat seeing that the dried manticore blood would help a lot. I spotted a puddle next to me.

I looked in it to see my reflection. I looked like I was shot up, stabbed, and beaten to high hell. To make my act look real I limped out from the woods and fell to the ground of the trail in front of the wagon. They stopped and hoped out to investigate. One picked up a stick and pocked me.

To amuse them and myself I pretended to winced in pain; twitching. “A new slave,” the driver said throwing the stick back to the woods “better add him to the collection.” The passenger picked me up and threw me into the cage; my body hit a few others. They got back to their positions. I felt the wagon moving and got up to see everypony staring at me.

“Ugh… hello” I said standing to see about ten ponies; not including me. Nopony said a thing. “Well this is going to be a fun trip” I thought sliding down the cold steel bars. The silence mixed with the occasional pebble flying in the cage from a wheel rolling over it drove me to boredom. I closed my eyes the quickly opened them from the wagon stopping shaking everypony inside.

The passenger changeling walked up to the cage door; spear in hand. Not wanting to meet the end of the projectile I laid back down continuing my act. “Where here. Get out!” the passenger ordered opining the door. As everypony exited to wagon he grabbed my leg and pulled me to the ground. He called for someone to take me to the camp doctor.

A changeling walked up and lifted me on his back. He carried me to a large tent with several other injured ponies were being prepped for slavery. He dropped me to a bed and injected an I.V. needle into my vain. An actual sense of pain moaned out of my mouth. “Get some rest pall. I have plans for you later” he said leaving the room.

I couldn't determine what kind of plans he had, but they were going to end real fast. I opened one eye scanning the room. There were no changelings in sight. I grabbed the needle and yanked it out causing a small amount of blood to cover the area; didn’t matter much to me since I smelled of processed copper already. I jumped out of the bed and slowly walked up to the tent flap.

Peeking through the separated flaps I saw male ponies being wiped, serving food and drinks, and carrying crates and boxes. The females where used to clean clothes, wash dishes, and make beds. By the sound of it, in an adjacent tent, they were used for unsightly activities as well. Pulling my eye away from the flap, I saw an outfit the colts wore. I put on the clothes and walked out the back way not wanting to arouse suspicion.

As I exited the nurse station I moved behind two other tents before appearing out in the open. “Hey stop right there!” a changeling ordered. “Yes master” I said turning to him. He handed me a crate and said “Take this to the kitchen. It’s tonight’s dinner.” Just to keep my act up I did as I was told and left with the crate.

Noticing that nopony or changeling was watching me I threw the crate into a pile marked trash. Feeling a little parched, I walked into the kitchen and sat on a stool in front of the counter. “Can I get a beer?” I asked the unicorn bartender. He passed a mug down to me. I grabbed it and took a sip; tasted like shit, but I didn’t care at the time.

I finished up and placed some bits on the counter and left. I looked around and saw the sky became dark and everypony was being rounded up. I walked up to one of the ponies and asked “what’s going on here?” “They are picking a pony to entertain their commander” she whispered. A changeling walked passed me, stopped, and pointed at me saying “you. You look like you could lighten the commander’s spirit. Follow me.”

He led me to a tent that was bigger than all the others; it was black, two changelings guarded the front and back as two others patrol around. The changeling that brought me to the tent walked up to one of the guards and said “hay bob. I have our entertainer for tonight.” Bob pulled a flap too and chuckled. Bob grabbed my shoulder and shoved me in. I stumbled but caught my balance before falling to the dirt ground.

“Asshole” I mumbled walking up to a table filled with changelings and their commander. Everyone stared at me as some ponies served them drinks. “Well, what are you waiting for? Entertain us!” the changeling in the middle said taking a sip of his beverage. “Yes of course, but may I have an audience member to help with this. You will do” I said walking over to one of the servants. “Now on my order make sure you and your friends take out a few changelings. I want the commander to myself” I whispered in his ear.

He nodded and whispered the same to his friends and they did the same. “Now if the servants could please stand behind our ‘glorious’ masters I can start the show” I said walking back in front of the crowd. They did and I stated “for this to work the lanterns and other light sources need to be off!” the commander agreed to this and ordered his men to do so. The light vanished and I yelled “NOW!”

Several cracking and popping noises were heard before a loud ‘thump’ was released by an object that fell to the floor. The lights turned back on and I ran to the middle changeling; I saw that everyone else was laying their head on the table, paralyzed from death. The commander was being held to the ground by two ponies as everypony else was fighting the guards and recruiting other ponies. “So you believe that owning ponies is a good thing correct?” he didn’t answer, but only struggled to break free and screamed only to be muffled by a ponies hoof. “I’m going to make sure that’s never going to happen again” I said standing over him.

I raised my hoof over his chest and forced it down with all my power. A muffled cry shot out of his mouth. I did it again and again unit I aimed for his nose. After several punches I broke his nose and blood started to run down. “One more procedure left” I said grabbing a knife.

I held the knife over his sternum and plunged it into his right lung then the left. Leaving the blade in the organ I stood up from him and walked away as the blood filled his throat completely drowning him. I grabbed a pony’s shoulder and said “go. Go with your fellow ponies and fight. Fight for your freedom.” Unexpectedly he hugged me with teary eyes and said “thank you. Praise celestia thank you.” He let go and ran out of the tent.

I approached the tent flat as the screams of pain and misery overcome the ones of delight and revenge. As I exited the tent I saw blood splattered on the ground ponies and changelings killing each other as others set fire to their old retched homes. After several long hours of murder, carnage, and chaos thirty-seven ponies and seventy changelings were killed. And yet we won I still feel like we losing. “Maybe when this is all over I can find a nice place in ponyvile to live at” I thought while being thanked by everypony that was still alive.

After gathering food, water, and a dagger (in case I run into something on the way to the hydras cave) I left the remaining ponies to travel back and rebuild their homes. Traveling through the woods it seemed I was being followed. Ten minutes passed and I’m on the edge of my seat to wanting to run like hell, but my damn stubbornness wanted me do figure out what is stalking me. I turned when I heard the bushes behind me rustle. Having enough of the torture I walked up to the bush with the dagger in hoof.

As I approached the plant a chicken’s head popped out and stared at me. I couldn't help but stair back at its round red eyes. It moved from the bushes and revealed that it had the body of a lizard. My eyes widened and I tried to move away from the strange creature, but my hooves wouldn’t listen to what my brain was telling them. I looked down to see that my hooves and ankles were turned to stone.

I struggled to break free, but to no avail. My flesh and coat on my legs became stone. Then soon did my torso. I could feel the petrified areas turn cold and lifeless. After a few seconds my entire body was replaced with stone and I don’t know what happened after that until I awoken in a moist cave.