Changeling

Hey guys! Had a good day? I had another story going, but that was highly experimental and, to put it bluntly, I got a bit of hate for having 'homosexual ponies'. People these days - but that means I won't be carrying on with that story :( So I decided to go with another idea of mine, this time not a romance - please comment on how I can improve! This is based on completely different ideas that most people have on Changelings, so be prepared.

Also, if you have an OC that A) looks good and B) would fit in as a cheery, laid-back pony, then please do PM me if you want him/her in this story! Thank you!

Edit 1: With thanks to BlackRoseRaven, who helped edit this story and will hopefully continue to do so!

The Changelings flew down with thunderbolt precision and coordination. They accelerated like peregrine falcons towards their targets: a small group of adventurers and explorers on the outskirts of the forest, near the hive. The Changelings locked onto their individual targets and copied the coats onto theirs; not for hiding their identity, but merely to distract and confuse them during the initial fighting.

Their squadron leader was the first to take the final step in their dive, heading straight for the biggest pony of the adventurers' pack - a burly Unicorn with a dirty white coat and a brown and blue mane. The rest of the squadron followed suit with the leader, diving towards various other ponies in the group. The final Changeling, the skinniest, smallest one, dived last and towards the rearmost pony - a reddish bown Pegasus stallion with a white mane that greyed at the edges.

About twelve seconds before the squadron of insectoids landed, the lead pony looked up to the sky and saw... himself? The Unicorn froze there, confused. Only when the Pegasus looked up did they react. "Changelings!" Shouted the pony at the rear, "Get to cover! Flank their, er, flanks!" The ponies dived or glided their ways into the bushes and trees that populated the borders of the path. In an instant, they seemed to disappear. The 'surprise attack' was more of a surprise for the Changelings, who were not greeted as they turned their dive to a landing one by one.

That was, apart from the small Changeling, who landed awkwardly and in a desperate attempt to regain balance, stumbled... right into the brown Pegasus! "Buck!" Shouted the Pegasus, right into the insectoid's face. "Ponies! Attack!"

The ponies of various colours leapt out and attacked their clones with whatever they could: sticks, hooves, teeth. The small Changeling looked at the scene in confusion. Well, that backfired. It turned its head back towards the brown Pegasus it was imitating, just in time to get an eyefull of of hoof.

The Changeling was out cold, and the other ambushers took that as a cue to 'get the hay out.' They left as soon as they could - flying straight up and away - without their small companion. The brown Pegasus tried following, but was summoned back with a quick command: "Cinnamon! Get the hay back here before I buckin' kill your flank!"

The Pegasus landed gracefully on his hooves. "Sorry, jus' felt like giving chas-"

The Unicorn snapped a sharp reply. "I don't care Cinnamon! Don't go getting yourself killed over your own coltish behaviour! What would your mother say – she'd be rolling in her grave. Bless her soul!"

The brown pony crumbled. "Sorry, Uncle." He glanced over at the Changeling, watching as it slowly regained its original form. It was a lighter grey, arguably white, with blood red eyes, rather unlike the charred black and cyan of the standard Changeling, and it was slightly smaller. "What are we going to do with it?"

His apparent uncle moved towards the unconscious thing, and poked it with a hoof. "Well, we didn't find any manticores or cockatrices, I guess we could try and sell a Changeling to some scientist pony or something."

It was some time later before the strangely hued insectoid awoke, its hooves tied to a wooden pole that was being carried by two ponies, like how someone might be carried to a fire to be eaten. He panicked and started rocking side to side in a futile attempt to escape, and received a hind hoof in the side for it. "Stop moving, shifter-pony," said Cinnamon.

Uncle shook his head. "Changelings aren't related to ponies, the similarities are coincidental."

The stubborn stallion spoke up again. "They have hooves, a horn, wings; these are all things some ponies have."

Before the older pony could speak, one of the carrier ponies spoke up. "If they're ponies, is it really all right to sell it?" This made them all stop in their tracks, and made the carrier pony feel awkward. "Jus' sayin'…"

The other carrier pony also spoke up. "If it is classed as a pony, would it still be legal to sell it?" This produced even more awkward, questioning looks - there's no point if there's no money. "Can we... test its 'pony-ness'?"

Uncle shrugged and walked over to the Changeling, who had been listening the entire time. "We can try." He turned his attention to the insectoid. "Got a name then, Changeling?" It shook its head. "See? If it doesn't have a name, then it isn't a pony. Carry on walking."

He was about to enter a full trot when Cinnamon interjected. "Oh no no no, that's not enough – foals don't have names, and if it does count as a pony then we all go to Canterlot for a nice tour of the dungeons, something none of us want. Besides, can it even talk?"

This time, the older pony and the younger Pegasus were both interrupted; by the Changeling. "Yes, I can talk. And to answer your questions, scientifically and legally I am not a pony. However, selling me on the market would be illegal as I could be classed as a 'weapon'." Every pony looked with astonishment at him, and he shrugged (best he could, being tied to a pole and all) and mumbled, "We feed off of emotion, we learn stuff sometimes."

There was an awkward silence, broken by Uncle's hard voice. "Right, cut him loose." He turned to the newly-decided pony. "You're not worth the hassle, fly back to your nest or hive or whatnot."

The Changeling shook his head after being cut loose and landing hooves-first. "I've been gone too long, they'll think I'm some Changeling from another Hive trying to enter as me, and it's not like my unique appearance matters amongst Changelings, we can copy each other as well."

The old stallion turned and walked away with the two former carrying ponies, and shouted behind him, "Not my problem, bug." The Changeling sat down and dropped his head low, looking at the ground pathetically.

"What in the hay are you doing?" Queried Cinnamon, who had yet to leave.

The insectoid mumbled; "Waiting for something to come along and kill me, or eat me. Preferably in that order."

"Well, that's a bit pessimistic."

"Changelings cannot live without a hive, we rely on strength in numbers to find our emotions to feast on."

The brown Pegasus thought for a moment, hoof on chin. "Listen, this'll sound craz-"

He was interrupted by the older stallion, shouting from the horizon: "Shattup, you mule and get your ass over here!"

"Er, in a moment!" Cinnamon hollered to Uncle. He returned talking to the insect. "Disguise yourself as a pony - anypony - slip into Coltsdale, you know where that is? Good, just near here. Go to the tavern at the edge of the village, walk up to the bar and ask to see Cinnamon immediately - that's me, and we'll sort something out, haven't had time to think but I gotta go so goodbye!"

Before the Changeling had time to object, the brown stallion flew off at lightning speed towards the ponies slowly growing smaller in the horizon. The Changeling morphed into a light blue Pegasus mare with short magenta hair and a lightning cloud for a cutie mark. Fairly ambiguous without being too ambiguous to attract attention, it thought.

It - or rather, she - flew slowly into the forest, taking the long way around towards Coltsdale, the small village at the border of Equestria. It was a strange request from a pony who carried himself as being rather rude. It was like he wanted to - to help. The possibility occurred to the Changeling, what if it's a trap? Well if it is, I'll have to wait and see. Only time will tell.

Thank you so much for reading! I hoped you enjoyed and please, please, PLEASE review, it really makes a difference for me. I know it's not a typical image for a Changeling, and some things (like the fact he's white, and that he can talk, and that he says he feeds off of emotion rather than love etc will be explained within the next few chapters. Unless no one reads this, ofc :(