Chapters You could feel the happiness going through your veins at the site of the last known pony dying. This particular pony was the one who nearly stopped Canterlot from being conquered, and nearly killed you. She was a unicorn with a lavender coat. You didn't know the color of her tail and mane, because the Queen already cut those off before this. You saw the death in detail. It ended with the Queen herself eating her heart. You enjoyed these executions extremely, but sometimes they were off changelings in hiding that didn't get the news, and therefor you occasionally saw changelings without a limb in that center who simply remark, "Dang news! Never reaches some of us!" But, nonetheless, this was a pony execution, and the last one. You couldn't wait to have the news of what place you would be the Imperial Noble of, being a general in the Hive. You laughed and went outside to go to your hole.
When you go to the hole, you noticed a spot of hot pink near the rim of it that, but it bolted down before you could even take a step closer. You immediately decided to investigate. After all, changelings could be free now; why would they pretend to be a pink pony? "It must be something else," you reasoned. You turned into a black liquid and went into the hole, and reformed. You noticed a shape, a pony like shape. It had a hot pink mane and tail, which were very, very straightened, with a pink coat. It seemed to have a balloon 'cutie mark', as you heard they were called. Though, it was covered in blood. You shivered as it turned its head around, and you saw it had tiny pupils.
"Helllloooo, frriiiieeennnddd, aaaarrreee yoooouuu Mr. Caaaaaake?" it greeted you. You shook your head. "Ooooh, weeeelllll I'm Piiiiiinkiiiieeee Piiiieee," it continued. "Wait ... isn't she supposed to be dead?" you thought, but then realized that she was considered missing from Equestria, or as it was now called, Changelands. Suddenly, it twitched its head up, and took out a knife and lunged towards you. Your instincts gave you a high reaction speed, and so you immediately turned into a parasprite before she could strike you, causing her to miss. Then you turned into a manticore and started to lunge forward, but then the pony dropped the knife, causing you to nearly step on it, and ran away. You wondered what this whole thing was about, but luckily she left your hole by now. Your closest friend, who lived with you, then entered, surprised at first, but then you changed back.
"What has been happening, Hive brother?" he said, in an attempt to speak; changelings take a long time to learn to speak, and this one took particularly long, saying its first sentence that made sense ten years ago. He had, luckily, learned quite fast in comparison after that.
"Hmm ... not much, I suppose," you responded.
"Do you wish to know the place of which you will be Imperial Noble of, Hive brother?" asked he. "They've already decided? Tell me please!" you exclaimed.
"The area which used to be the place known as Trottingham is now yours to rule over, Hive brother," answered your friend. You felt great at this; that place was amazing compared to some other places.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, my friend!" you praised. He simply nodded. "I shall have to go their now!" you announced, and then you launched into the air, happy to be an Imperial Noble of such a cultured place. When you were flying, you spotted the pink pony again as a blob, running through a forest that you were over now. You felt ... confused now, almost as if you didn't know whether you hated the pony or not, whether to tell the other important changelings or not. "But, of course, you have to hate her and tell those in charge! This is a pony we're thinking about!" one part of your mind said, but the other was more passive and said, "No ... we can just ignore it." You shook your head and continued flying to the place, which you decided to rename to 'Shapeford'. "Nice name," the side of your mind that didn't come up with that thought. You couldn't wait to rule.
It has been two years since you last saw that pink pony. You don't know whether or not she died, as she wasn't in any records. Maybe she died in the wilderness, or maybe she was executed secretly. You didn't know. However, you did know it was time to go to the Feeding Tower. It had a shard of the Crystal Heart that the changelings found in a part of Equestria, and created artificial love, which was fed to changelings. You preferred feeding off of real love to this machine, but it was the only way to live now. Luckily, it worked, and that was what mattered. You noted to give knighthood to the geniuses who made this, as no one else had acknowledged them before.
"M'lord, it is feeding time," said a maid who walked into your office.
"I know," you replied. "I'll be at the tower in a minute," you added. The maid nodded, then walked out and quietly shut the door when she exited. You had an idea; maybe that pony was alive, and you could find her, and get even more rich from finding the last pony left! You nearly salivated at the idea, but then you decided to do that later.
"Typical me," you thought, "Procrastinating. Tut tut tut."
The Feeding Tower was a place you were often reluctant to go to. So many lower class changelings, some not even in standard form! You disliked the place, but you could manage to live through it. So you did, everyday.
"It's not too bad, I suppose," you thought. When you got back to your office, you ordered that a couple of changelings be brought to you so you could tell them that they did something wrong or really great throughout the day, or looked out your large, ovular window, watching changelings walk along the sidewalks of Shapeford.
However, the very last being to walk through your doors that day made you experience surprise that could last an eternity.
There she was; the pony with the pink coat. You nearly fell out of your chair and broke the window. So many things went through your mind.
"How did she get here? How is she still alive? How was she not noticed? WHY IS MY DESK SUDDENLY SO COLD?" All of your mental questions, however, were soon answered.
"I got here by walking. By surviving. By hiding. Because of the draft that happened when I opened the door," answered the last pony, as if she could read your mind. You did find it odd that she twitched a bunch while you were thinking. That couldn't mean anything, though, you thought. You chuckled. "Well, little pony, it seems that ... no, actually, I don't know what to do with you."
"You can have me killed and reap the rewards, or get in trouble but have a good consciousness. Your choice!" responded the pony. Her mane and tail were fluffy now, you saw, and she was bouncing constantly.
"I suppose I choose the latter. Look, I have a place I can put you, but don't let anyone see you. Wait, on second thought, we can hide in the open!" you realized. Then you pressed a button on your desk and spoke into a microphone.
"Aaaalll changelings of Shapeford, this hour is officially 'Change to a Pony!' hour! This is a one day only thing, and is done every two years! When I founded Shapeford, it was my idea to have this every two years, as I said!" you announced. All the changelings could hear, as whatever you said through that specific microphone was played across Shapeford by speaker systems. In a matter of minutes, everyone was a pony. You smiled and complimented yourself at your ingeniousness, and turned into a pony.
"Now, pony, just follow me," you ordered. The pony nodded, and walked alongside you. Without any questions, you managed to get to a nearby forest within an hour. "Okay," you whispered, "Just go into that hole. I know for a fact that a purple dragon with green spikes who lives nearby will care for you," you said. You visited that dragon's nest before. All he talked about is how he wanted to have the ponies back, how he missed somepony named 'Twilight Sparkle', and so on so forth. He wouldn't stop! Eventually, you left, and went to your home and slept, but boy did he seem to care about ponies. That was good, and meant the pony could stay there.
You walked back home. You smiled, and then you fell asleep. Soon, you would realize that one mistake all of changeling kind made before they felt secure. One mistake that would possibly ruin every town. A mistake of chaotic proportions. For now, however, you were asleep.
Author's Note
Ahem, allow me. *pokes with elbow* HINT HINT.