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Changeling Perspective

By HotdogWater
Created: 2026-04-18 02:12:53
Updated: 2026-04-20 17:32:23
Expiry: Never
changelingmlpequestriapony tf

  1. 1.
    >You stand stock still, at attention, hooves planted firmly on the jet-black floor
  2. 2.
    >Honed to a fine point, your muscles are locked in place; not a twitch or quiver to be seen
  3. 3.
    >You learned long ago that a strong body makes for a strong mind, and you have plenty of strength to spare
  4. 4.
    >Years of practice, decades of planning, and as far as you're concerned, centuries in the waiting, have led to this moment
  5. 5.
    >Your eyes slowly scan the room, already observing escape routes, defensive positions, and objects that could be used as a distraction or improvised weapon
  6. 6.
    >Not that fleeing was on your mind, of course, it was simply something so deeply ingrained in you that it was practically automatic
  7. 7.
    >Ahead of you, an ornate mahogany desk rests in the centre of the room; the wood so dark it almost seems to draw light into it
  8. 8.
    >It's not of this place; no doubt a spoil of war that your Queen won in glorious conquest
  9. 9.
    >You suppress a shiver at the thought of her in battle
  10. 10.
    >She was equal parts glorious and terrifying; the most beautiful being you could imagine
  11. 11.
    >If she asked you to throw yourself from the tallest spire in the hive you would comply without a thought
  12. 12.
    >In fact, you had witnessed her do just that to a cadet that had displeased her
  13. 13.
    >An almost imperceptible smirk passes over your face at the thought
  14. 14.
    >Vrisk... You had known him well, and considered him a firm and dependable comrade
  15. 15.
    >But he had been weak, and soft; unworthy of your Queen's love
  16. 16.
    >She had put an end to him for the good of the hive, and you were made stronger for it
  17. 17.
    >Your ears perk up as a small, repetitive sound interrupts the heavy silence of the chamber
  18. 18.
    >Clip, clop, clip, clop...
  19. 19.
    >It's coming from behind you, through the doorway and down the corridor
  20. 20.
    >Your heart swells
  21. 21.
    >Could it really be Her, in the flesh?
  22. 22.
    >You listen carefully as the sound draws closer, and can't help but feel a measure of disappointment
  23. 23.
    >No, the hooffalls are too heavy, and the gait is off-kilter due to a limp in the right-hind leg...
  24. 24.
    >It's a gait you're all-too-familiar with
  25. 25.
    >Commander Kryssik brushes past you without a word, striding behind the desk and turning to face you
  26. 26.
    >You stare straight ahead as his eyes bore into you with barely-contained hatred
  27. 27.
    >The silence draws out as you fight to contain the smug grin that seems determined to slither onto your face
  28. 28.
    >Kryssik knew as well as you that it was only a matter of time before you killed him and took his place
  29. 29.
    >In the meantime, however, he was your superior and as such you owed him your respect... At least when he was within earshot
  30. 30.
    >Kryssik had always been a rotten bastard, but he had taken special pleasure in tormenting you from the moment you had hatched
  31. 31.
    >Maybe it was jealousy, or maybe he had simply recognised the threat when it had appeared
  32. 32.
    >Either way, until the day came that you felt his lifeblood run from his wretched throat, he seemed determined to make your life a living hell
  33. 33.
    >And unfortunately, protocol demanded that you tolerate it
  34. 34.
    >He clears his throat, finally breaking the silence that permeated the room
  35. 35.
    "Our Queen has a mission for you, whelp, so listen closely."
  36. 36.
    >The urge to smile grows stronger
  37. 37.
    >Oh, how it must sting for him to deliver such news to his least-favourite pupil (and, no doubt, soon-to-be replacement)
  38. 38.
    "You will be infiltrating Ponyville. You are to engage the locals, surveil the town, and provide reconnaissance in preparation for an invasion."
  39. 39.
    >Your head buzzes with excitement
  40. 40.
    >You had heard rumours that the hive was preparing for war; had seen the signs
  41. 41.
    >Your first true infiltration mission, and you were the tip of the spear?
  42. 42.
    >You were well aware that you were destined for greatness, but the reality of it being so near... It was almost dizzying
  43. 43.
    >The commander looks at you disdainfully
  44. 44.
    "I made sure the Queen was aware of your... Inexperience, Nyxis, but she would accept no-one else."
  45. 45.
    >The corner of your mouth quirks ever-so-slightly upward
  46. 46.
    "I have no doubt that our Queen knows what is best, sir."
  47. 47.
    >You drawl
  48. 48.
    >Kryssik's eyes narrow
  49. 49.
    "Of course she does, whelp, but you are impossible to underestimate."
  50. 50.
    >He growls
  51. 51.
    "You have your orders. Your troop sergeant has the mission dossier. You leave tonight. Now get out of my sight."
  52. 52.
    >You nod, salute crisply, turn sharply on your heels and walk briskly out of the room, savouring the fury on his face at your overly-genuine show of 'respect'
  53. 53.
    >As you stalk the empty corridor, making your way towards your barracks, that smile finally finds its way across your face
  54. 54.
    >A plan is beginning to form in your mind, and by the time you arrive at the barracks you're already certain you know what the future holds
  55. 55.
    >In a few weeks, this mission would be over. You will return to the hive triumphant
  56. 56.
    >And then you'll kill Commander Kryssik, take his place, and win your Queen's undying favour
  57. 57.
     
  58. 58.
    ***
  59. 59.
     
  60. 60.
    >Branches crackle as you push through the thick brush, the crisp smell of spring almost overwhelming to your highly-developed sense of smell
  61. 61.
    >Fighting your way through this damnable forest had taken most of the day, but you were pretty confident it would lead you to the outskirts of Ponyville
  62. 62.
    >Obviously you could just fly over this accursed place, but the form you were wearing belonged to a unicorn by the name of Lumen Vale
  63. 63.
    >Unicorns, as it happens, don't have wings, and Protocol Three was clear that under no circumstances were you to break your cover
  64. 64.
    >It had been drilled into you over and over again
  65. 65.
    >It is almost impossible to definitively determine if one is being observed, and as such, one must always assume they are under observation
  66. 66.
    >If your facade never falters, there is little chance of the enemy detecting your true nature
  67. 67.
    >Leave nothing to chance, and victory is sure
  68. 68.
    >Commander Kryssik's words echo in your head, his voice haughty and self-assured
  69. 69.
    >Excited as you are for your first real mission, you can't help but dread the task ahead
  70. 70.
    >Infiltration and subterfuge were second-nature to you, but the cheerful friendliness of these ponies was sure to be grating
  71. 71.
    >A wayward branch slaps you across the face, further dampening your mood
  72. 72.
    >The sooner this was over with, the better
  73. 73.
    >With the completion of this mission, you could focus on what really mattered: killing Kyrissik, and fulfilling your destiny
  74. 74.
    >A soft noise from ahead of you disrupts your train of thought; somewhere between a sigh and a gasp
  75. 75.
    >You halt, your ears snapping forward and straining to make out the sound
  76. 76.
    >But all that greets you is the din of birds chirping and wind through the trees
  77. 77.
    >It's nauseating, frankly
  78. 78.
    >You step forward, careful to avoid the branches that litter your path
  79. 79.
    >Creeping through the undergrowth, you slowly poke your head through a bush and find that the forest opens up into a clearing, the sunlight filtering through the branches to illuminate a pony, presumably one of the locals
  80. 80.
    >It's a small white Pegasus with an auburn mane
  81. 81.
    >She's facing away from you, her front half low to the ground and her hindquarters pressed up into the air as she seems focused on something on the ground in front of her; something that you can't quite see
  82. 82.
    >Your eyes dart around the clearing, scanning for some kind of guard or ambush, but the clearing seems clear
  83. 83.
    >You glance back at the pony, greeted only by her rear end as she seems locked-on to whatever it is that's got her attention so raptly
  84. 84.
    >You roll your eyes
  85. 85.
    >The dossier had made it clear that the ponies of Equestria were quite tactically inept, but this was just embarrassing
  86. 86.
    >A lone mare, out in the woods, with no guards, completely unaware of her surroundings
  87. 87.
    >And you hadn't exactly been quiet up until this point... She was lucky you were only here on reconnaissance, or she would already be dead
  88. 88.
    >You step out of the brush, clearing your throat, and stifle your amusement as she leaps several feet into the air with a short, high-pitched scream
  89. 89.
    >She whirls around, her pale wings flared and big blue eyes wide
  90. 90.
    >You try to look as unthreatening as possible, and an apologetic look passes across your face
  91. 91.
    >You even add a little bit of surprise, although frankly you doubt it was necessary
  92. 92.
    >This mare is probably as gullible as she is foolish
  93. 93.
    "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."
  94. 94.
    >You say, your voice venomously saccharine
  95. 95.
    >She stares at you for a moment, and you can see her emotions pass through her as she experiences them in order
  96. 96.
    >Surprise, fear, then doubt, and then acceptance as her body relaxes slightly
  97. 97.
    >You try to suppress your distaste; it's like these ponies experience things in slow-motion
  98. 98.
    >She takes a deep, shaky breath, and then speaks up
  99. 99.
    "Sorry... Sorry. You spooked me."
  100. 100.
    >She laughs nervously
  101. 101.
    >You rub the back of your head with your hoof apologetically
  102. 102.
    "My mistake."
  103. 103.
    >You perk your ears forward, feigning interest
  104. 104.
    "What was it that had you so preoccupied?"
  105. 105.
    >She glances over toward the forest floor distractedly
  106. 106.
    "Oh, um... Just a flower."
  107. 107.
    >A flower? Really? By the Queen this was going to be exhausting
  108. 108.
    >You cast your eyes down to where she had been looking a moment ago
  109. 109.
    >A small purple flower grows out from a patch of grass, the centre slowly shifting from purple to gold at the stamen
  110. 110.
    >You try to sell your interest in as enthusiastic a manner as you can muster
  111. 111.
    "Right... Well, it IS a very pretty flower."
  112. 112.
    >She shrugs, obviously embarrassed
  113. 113.
    "You don't have to pretend, I know it's not to everypony's taste. I just happen to love flowers."
  114. 114.
    >You try to swallow your disgust
  115. 115.
    "Well, I can't pretend that it's my forte, but I can appreciate a pretty flower as much as the next pony. I'm Lumen Vale, by the way."
  116. 116.
    >You offer her a hoof, which she regards for a moment before hesitantly bumping with her own
  117. 117.
    "I'm Lily... Lily White. It's nice to meet you."
  118. 118.
    >You nod, feigning a smile expertly
  119. 119.
    "Likewise, Lily. Hey, would you mind helping me find my way to Ponyville? I'm a bit turned around, and I would really appreciate it."
  120. 120.
    >She nods sincerely, her bright eyes lingering on you warmly; she doesn't doubt your intentions for a second
  121. 121.
    "Oh, yes, of course! It's right this way."
  122. 122.
    >She turns and starts walking, gesturing for you to follow
  123. 123.
    >You step in, trailing behind her, trying to suppress your smugness
  124. 124.
    >This was going to be a breeze
  125. 125.
    >The two of you walk in silence for a few moments, and you sneak a glance at her while she leads the way
  126. 126.
    >She seems quite at ease in these woods, despite the inherent danger of the wilderness
  127. 127.
    >She must be quite familiar with the area... She might be a good source of information
  128. 128.
    >After a moment you speak up
  129. 129.
    "So, Lily, do you always wander these woods alone?"
  130. 130.
    >She looks back at you, raising an eyebrow
  131. 131.
    >You shrug
  132. 132.
    "Don't you worry about being attacked by a bear, or something?"
  133. 133.
    >She turns away again, but you see the corner of her mouth quirk up slightly
  134. 134.
    "Not really. I feel more at home in these woods than in Ponyville, honestly. Like I said, I like flowers."
  135. 135.
    "Right... And if you get into trouble?"
  136. 136.
    >Lily flares her wings out and waggles them slightly
  137. 137.
    "Take a wild guess what these are for."
  138. 138.
    >She glances back at you again, her eyes glittering mischievously
  139. 139.
    "I'm afraid if a bear shows up you're on your own, Lumen."
  140. 140.
    >You stare at her silently, surprised and somewhat impressed by her callous sense of self-preservation
  141. 141.
    >Obviously that was second-nature to you, but you hadn't expected it from one of these ponies
  142. 142.
    >Suddenly she bursts out laughing
  143. 143.
    "I'm only kidding! You should see your face. There aren't many bears in this part of the forest, and besides, they're actually not bad once you get to know them. There's this one pony that lives on the edge of town who knows them all by name."
  144. 144.
    >You raise an eyebrow; is she serious?
  145. 145.
    >Lily laughs again at your expression
  146. 146.
    "You're not from around here, are you?"
  147. 147.
    >It's your turn to laugh, although it's borne more of nervousness than genuine mirth
  148. 148.
    "Uh... No. I'm new to Ponyville, actually."
  149. 149.
    >She smiles again and turns away
  150. 150.
    "Well, it's not far now."
  151. 151.
    >Sure enough, the two of you round a bend in the path and the forest opens up, revealing a quaint village sprawled out in front of you
  152. 152.
    >Thick, fluffy clouds drift lazily overhead, casting meandering shadows across the village as ponies walk to and fro, laughing and enjoying the sunshine
  153. 153.
    >In the distance, a range of colossal snow-capped mountains towers beyond sight, the peaks obscured by the clouds
  154. 154.
    >Your eyes scan the town, already observing a lack of walls or defensive fortifications
  155. 155.
    >There are also a distressing lack of sightlines between buildings and along roads
  156. 156.
    >In the hive, everything had been perfectly ordered; thoroughfares were lined up perfectly, drill halls, barracks, and infirmaries were placed efficiently and in the most conveniently accessible places, and everything was fortified
  157. 157.
    >Here, it was as though these ponies had just slapped buildings wherever they felt like it; almost none of the roads were straight or lined up, and the buildings often weren't even level with each other
  158. 158.
    >Lily turns to you, after gazing fondly at the village for a moment
  159. 159.
    "Welcome to Ponyville, Lumen."
  160. 160.
    >You nod absently, still somewhat shocked at this disaster of a town
  161. 161.
    >She giggles at your expression, the sound snapping you out of your reverie
  162. 162.
    >You glance over at her, not quite able to recognise the curious look on her face
  163. 163.
    "Well, thank you for showing me the way, Lily. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know."
  164. 164.
    >You lie
  165. 165.
    >She looks away for a moment, her expression faltering, before looking back at you again
  166. 166.
    "You're very welcome, Lumen."
  167. 167.
    >She smiles shyly
  168. 168.
    "Anything to help a friend."
  169. 169.
    >Something shifts when she says that
  170. 170.
    >Your head throbs as those words seem to reverberate in your skull
  171. 171.
    >Suddenly you feel dizzy, like the ground is being pulled out from under your hooves
  172. 172.
    >Anything to help a friend-
  173. 173.
     
  174. 174.
    ***
  175. 175.
     
  176. 176.
    >She smiles at you, and drops some coins into your -HAND- hoof
  177. 177.
    >Her presence is warm and comforting
  178. 178.
    >A smile graces your face, bubbling to the surface without your consent
  179. 179.
    >You open your mouth and say something to her, but it's like you're speaking underwater
  180. 180.
    >You drop the change into a jar on the counter
  181. 181.
    >The coins fall as though they're passing through molasses
  182. 182.
    >She rolls her eyes, and leans over the counter towards you
  183. 183.
    >Her green eyes seem to draw you in, and you lean in to meet her
  184. 184.
    >Your lips touch, and as you pull away she speaks, and this time you understand
  185. 185.
    "Thanks, love."
  186. 186.
    >An unfamiliar warmth blooms in your chest
  187. 187.
    >What?
  188. 188.
    >Your mouth quirks up in a mischievous grin
  189. 189.
    "Anything to help a friend."
  190. 190.
    >She beams at you, but something is wrong
  191. 191.
    >Her expression twists into a mask of concern
  192. 192.
    "Are you okay?"
  193. 193.
    >You blink, confused, and Lily's white-furred face greets you, a little too close to be comfortable
  194. 194.
    "Lumen, hello?"
  195. 195.
    >You shake your head, and stand up, staggering away from her
  196. 196.
    >When did you end up on the ground?
  197. 197.
    "Y-yeah... I'm good."
  198. 198.
    >Lily continues watching you, clearly concerned
  199. 199.
    "You just collapsed, and now you look like you've seen a ghost."
  200. 200.
    >You take a deep breath, composing yourself, and force a smile
  201. 201.
    >It's not as convincing as it should be
  202. 202.
    "I'm fine, seriously. I think I've just been out in the woods too long, and need some water."
  203. 203.
    >The truth was you were pretty shaken; a feeling that was all but foreign to you
  204. 204.
    >Thankfully lying came to you about as easily as breathing
  205. 205.
    >Lily nods slowly
  206. 206.
    "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you into town?"
  207. 207.
    >You resist the urge to roll your eyes
  208. 208.
    "No, really, thank you, but no. I can manage."
  209. 209.
    >She clearly doesn't buy it, but seems to accept your decision
  210. 210.
    "Okay... Well, I'm going to go back and sketch that flower. I'll be in town later if you need anything!"
  211. 211.
    >You nod, turning to walk towards Ponyville
  212. 212.
    "Mhmm. Catch you later, Lily."
  213. 213.
    >You say, with absolutely no intention of following up
  214. 214.
    >You can feel her eyes on you as you walk away
  215. 215.
    >Eyeballing the distance to town, you figure it will only take a few minutes to get there
  216. 216.
    >But as you walk, it's clear you underestimated the size of Ponyville
  217. 217.
    >The walk gives you time to think, and your thoughts inevitably come to dwell on whatever it was that just happened
  218. 218.
    >What was that? You had never experienced anything like that before
  219. 219.
    >Broken, confused images still flitted through your mind, feelings you didn't recognise...
  220. 220.
    >You try to push the thoughts away, more disturbed by the episode than you'd like to admit
  221. 221.
    >But a feeling of deep unease lingers in the back of your mind; this sense of wrongness that you just can't seem to shake
  222. 222.
    >You try to distract yourself by going over the mission parameters again
  223. 223.
    >The first step was to integrate into the town, and blend into the background
  224. 224.
    >Second was to locate knowledgeable ponies who could be used to gather important intel on the settlement and its inhabitants
  225. 225.
    >Lily might be a good source on the local geography outside of town, but otherwise you suspect she has already largely expended her usefulness
  226. 226.
    >Third: identify important pillars of the community and ingratiate yourself with them; ponies who could rally the town and provide the most resistance to the invasion
  227. 227.
    >These ponies would be the first to be replaced in the initial stages, and the rest would follow after
  228. 228.
    >After the first Canterlot invasion had been unsuccessful, your Queen had re-evaluated the Hive's approach to warfare, and you already knew of a number of ponies that would pose the greatest threat to your Queen's plans
  229. 229.
    >The same six ponies responsible for her defeat in Canterlot, naturally
  230. 230.
    >Thankfully, if Lily was any indication, the ponies of Equestria had learned very little from the first battle against your hive and were still gullible and trusting
  231. 231.
    >Your eyes narrow as you look up at Ponyville, now at the threshold of the town
  232. 232.
    >They would soon find out that your Queen had not made the same mistake
  233. 233.
     
  234. 234.
    ***

Character Development Part 1

by HotdogWater

Character Development Part 2

by HotdogWater

Character Development Part 3

by HotdogWater

Changeling Perspective

by HotdogWater