Hole Hearted

The bodies of the thugs lay contorted and twisted in agony. Their limbs had been bent in unnaturally positions by magic culminating in snaps to the neck. The last thug was suspended in the sickly green aura.

“How?” said the trapped piss colored unicorn.

Echo laughed, her unnerving voice echoing through the dead end alleyway. “Amateurs, everyone of you!” In a plume of green flame she revealed herself to her captive. Her black chitin shone in the moon light. Her eyes glowed a cold jade as she glared at her captive.

“Sweet Celestia! You're a chang-” cried the last of thugs. He squirmed trying use his own magical horn but his power was meek and weak to hers. The unicorn’s horn only sparked like a lighter without fuel.

Echo throttled the unicorn for his attempt.

“I have studied the arcane arts longer; my magic is far the stronger. Now beg for your life!” said Echo her eyes alit with green fire.

“Please let me live.” cried the piss color unicorn.

“No. You ruined my date.” glared Echo angrily. Like a rag doll the unicorn’s limbs were pulled back to the sound of snapping sinew and bone. A twist of the head finally undid the unicorn and ended the screams.

The bodies lay there on the ground. Echo turned to her date. He had been a perfect gentlecolt, dying in her defense. The dagger still lay impeded his neck, blood seeped from his body.

“You brave foal, I would have blocked that dagger on my own.” said Echo angrily kicking Den.

There was a slight stirring. Echo's eyes widened. He was merely unconscious but with the amount of blood seeping down he would soon to be dead. She had to act fast but… he was Royal Guard.

Murky mist clouded Den's mind. He found himself standing in a grass field. The wind made waves upon the scene of green.

“Den!” cried a sweet voice.

Den walked towards hesitantly.

“Breakfast's ready!” said the voice.

Den walked further to enter a door. There before him was a table lined with plates and a hearty breakfast of eggs and waffles. The furnishing of the cottage he knew well.

“Eat quickly, son. I'm gonna show you how use a lance today.” a laugh came from an earth pony figure in armor. The face was obscured by a newspaper.

A voice came from the kitchen. It was a pegasus figure in apron. “Dearie, eat before you food gets cold.” said figure. She was turned away polishing some dishes. Her reflection upon the glass window by the sink was absent a face.

Tears trickled from Den's eyes. “No you're both dead. This is a falsehood! I buried you both in the ground and in my mind! Leave me be!!” Den sobbed. Den bounded outside the cottage door.

The visions of the cottage zoomed out.

Den now observed the cottage as a remote viewer. It was the size of a play set. His parents were but dolls that moved within.

There came a voice and the form of the gray mare.  “Usually, the design of this illusion is that it clings to your most recent happy memory. I'm surprised that your happy memory was so long ago.” said Echo stepping beside Den.

“How is this possible?” asked Den.

“You were dying, I thought it be best to let you leave with a happy memory.” said Echo.

“No, I don't want to remember this! This is the last thing I want to think of!” cried Den. He then turned to the figure of Echo. “Only the divine ones can walk amongst dreams.” said Den squinting at her.

“Them… and devils.” said Echo staring off into the blackness.

Den jumped back from Echo. “I'm in a changeling cocoon right now being feasted upon. I read of this! I'm doomed to relive the same day over and over again.” Den cried horrified. “Damn it all, our training told us how to identify it but not escape!” Den stomped his hooves impotently. He groaned angrily at his powerlessness.

“Nope, you're being healed.” said Echo.

Den looked at Echo.

“Okay, I'm nibbling a little. I need energy to heal you so fair is fair.” smiled Echo.

Thoughts of the dagger in his neck shot up in his mind. “That's right, I was down... Not just knocked out. I was dead.” said Den.

“Dead no worky, you were almost dead. I'm bringing you back.” said Echo happily. “Unless there is a fond memory you'd like to stay in?” Echo smirked.

“No I prefer to make more memories. Old ones go stale.” said Den.

“We're in shared dream space; truly there is nothing you desire to see?” Echo asked.

“'I don't imagine anything you could show me would change the past. It wouldn’t save my mom or stop dad from throwing himself off a cliff.” said Den sadly.

“A realist? I feared as much.” smirked Echo. “But you should know that's okay to think of the past, just don't obsess upon it.”

“Echo thank you.” said Den approaching her for a hug.

“Wait no! Stay back you foal! Don't touch me!” It was too late Den found himself in another dream.

Den found himself in an alien body. It was like he was puppeteer but without control. He looked to his hooves which were full of holes. The changeling he looked through carried a spear on its right hoof. Den was among an array of changelings, each of them held dark spears. They were upon a cliff overlooking a town. The morning sun was barely above the horizon. A terrifying visage was before him.

Queen Chrysalis walked down the line inspecting each one of the changelings. None dared to match her gaze save the one changeling he happened to be looking through.

The dark mistress spoke. “My Changelings, children, brothers and sisters, I have taught you the arts of infiltration, now comes combat. With your success you will be ready for your real missions!” She turned to a changeling beside her. “Master Amorpheus are they ready?”

A secondary changeling, of higher stature but lower than that of his monarch, spoke. “Yes, they have trained with their spears for months. Of the worms we started with they are the finest. All weakness weaned from them. They are ready to kill for you, and die for you.” The changeling saluted with pride.

“Why must we do this? We are not soldier caste. We are infiltrators!” Den heard himself speak or rather the changeling he was channeling.

“Insolence!” Master Amorpheus growled angrily his wings buzzing.

Chrysalis strolled towards the changeling with a kindly smile. “Explain child, your reason.” implored Chrysalis gently.

“The village is peaceful, our control is consolidated. It is ours. It could feed us for years to come. Why must we do this?” Den heard the changeling speak again. He admired her for standing so bravely against the two larger changelings.

Suddenly Chyrsalis's face flashed with anger. The obstinate changeling was met by sickening smack of its Monarch's hooves. Den heard ringing in his ears and felt the bloody sore cheek.

Queen Chrysalis turned to her changelings. “To steel your hearts, my children! You are all soldiers! You must remember the enemy! Assimilation is our people's greatest enemy! Remember the ponyfolk, they are but fodder for us! We destroy them because we can! They are the means to our end!” Chrysalis's words were powerful and resonant.

Master Amorpheus stamped his hooves on the ground. “In between larva and fly, where do your loyalties lie?!”

“All hail, Queen Chrysalis!” cried the changelings in unison.

“Attack, leave no survivors!” shrieked their Monarch.

The angry buzzing followed as the locusts took wing.

The platoon of locusts landed in the heart of village. Den wanted out of this memory so very badly however he was knew he could not look away.

“Assume your guises!” cried Master Amorpheus. “They must look upon their loved ones as they are put to our spears! Queen Chrysalis commands it!”

The horde of changelings shifted their forms. Screams could be heard as they busted open doors to homes.

The changeling he rode had different path. She flashed with the emerald fires of transformation but buzzed flying quickly to a particular home. Her flesh became golden and the holes disappeared from her hooves. She still kept her dragonfly like wings and they burned painfully as she overworked them weaving through streets set ablaze. The changeling stopped at door of a small home. She spat out a key and opened the door's lock. She burst through.

A brown stallion greeted the disguised changeling. “Heart my love, what is wrong? I hear screams in the village.?” The stallion had barely dressed himself in armor. He cradled a lance affixed to a war saddle.

“I made… it.” the changeling panted trying to catch her breath.

“Why is it that you have a weapon?” asked the stallion.

The changeling Heart(?) dropped her spear and nuzzled her lover’s neck. She then spoke urgently.  “Constance my love we must leave now! Leave everything!”

“You have wings?” stammered Constance starring at the insectoid protrusions on Heart's back.

“There will be time for questions, we must go now.” said Heart pleading.

She ushered her Constance outside.

The smoke was rising from the center of village. The smoke darkened the morning sun turning the sky gray. More screams punctuated the morning.

Master Amorpheus flew downwards unto the street. The larger changeling was of equal size to the strong stallion Constance.

“Larvi! Do your duty!” cried Amorpheus.

“A demon, stand back my love!” said Constance readying his lance and pushing Heart behind him. Constance charged valiantly. However he stayed his lance. In a flash of arcane fire Amorpheus had transformed into the golden pony Heart.

Amorpheus smiled as he plunged his spear into Constance's chest. The look of betrayal and bewilderment stayed on the stallion's face as he fell onto the ground. “Why?!”

“No!!!” said Heart rushing to the dead stallion. Tears welled up in her eyes. Larvi slumped down, her form reverting back.

“Hurry the Queen approaches. You must meet her gaze. She will kill you if she sees the tears.” Amorpheus transformed back. He licked the tears from Larvi's eyes. He placed the bloodied spear in her hooves. He rushed grabbed the clean spear that Larvi’s had dropped.

Atop a building a dark form towered. Queen Chrysalis landed with a thud. “Master Amorpheus, report. I sense weakness in this one.”

“Larvi, did her duty. She slew the guard herself. She laughed in his face as she impaled him.” said Master Amorpheus smiling.

“Is this true, Larvi my child?” asked Queen Chrysalis skeptically. “The lancer Constance was quite skilled.”

Larvi looked to her monarch. “Yes my monarch I killed him.” she shakily said.

“It.” Queen Chrysalis corrected. “You killed it.” Queen Chrysalis pulled Larvi close. In perverse tenderness she held her like a foal. “You have made me proud.”

A changeling landed, saluted and whispered in Amorpheus's ear.

“My Queen, the operation is complete, all are dead.” said Master Amorpheus.

Queen Chrysalis unleashed Larvi. “Excellent, raze the rest of village to the ground. Burn everything. Plant Griffin Weapons amongst the ashes.” said Queen Chrysalis.

Den shuddered at the memory's intensity. The blackness was beginning to consume him. He wondered which horror he would next witness.