Supreme Commander Anon - Chapter 1: Dreaming, Delusional


                                            >So, you have ended up in a Changeling town. How the hell had you not noticed it before now?

                                            >You'd only heard a little bit about the Changelings, but from what you knew they all lived in hives and fed off of people's love

                                            >If they really did consume love, then why would they be out here in the middle of nowhere?

                                            >Here you were, having trekked for weeks to get away from it all and start fresh, and this hive was the only thing around for miles

                                            >Having suffered enough with these thoughts of logistics, you brushed your concerns aside and walked in merrily

                                            >Everyone seems to be going about their daily business, and by everyone you meant FUCKING NOBODY

                                            >Seriously, where were all of them? Was this some failed, abandoned colony or did none of them have social lives?

                                            >Actually, the latter might explain why they weren't self-sufficient

                                            >Eventually, after walking through all the strangely-shaped buildings, you finally located one of them

                                            >A real Changeling, undisguised! Didn't even flinch when it saw you, though. Was it asleep?

                                            >You advanced up the small set of stairs out to the porch where the creature lay down and poked it a few times

                                            >It gradually began to move, rolling over to look you in the eyes

                                            >With a soft, feminine voice it spoke up. "Please. I can't disguise myself or hurt you. I haven't eaten in months, just… please don't kill me…"

                                            "It's alright, I have no intention. Where is everyone? For such a big hive, nobody seems to… you know… walk around?"

                                            >"Down in the mines… It's all the Queen has ever used this town for, and our shipments of love have stopped coming through. We used to get some for everyone, monthly, but she hasn't provided any for a while now. If nothing changes, then…"

                                            >Mining colonies? Interlinked infrastructure? Specialized economy? Seemed the Changelings knew what they were doing. If only you could take advantage…

                                            >Suddenly, a plan formed in your head. If you just provided a lot of love to this hive, maybe you could control the whole thing for yourself! They get food, and you get a place to test your theories!

                                            "Hmm, I take it I'm the first traveler you've seen through here in a while, right?"

                                            >"You'd be correct, sir. I'd ask what you even are, but considering how I probably look to you… it’d be rude.”

                                            >What the hell? Changelings viewed themselves as the strange ones? That wasn’t a very healthy mindset at all!

                                            "How much love does it usually take to feed this place?"

                                            >"Barely any. None of us need to change form or use magic, so we only drain love by existing. It's… really difficult to talk about this with you, you know."

                                            "Why's that?"

                                            >"I don't even know your name, but I still sense a healthy supply. If I had more fight in me, I'd have subdued you already. You could feed us for years."

                                            "Well… thanks for the compliment, I suppose? I'm Anonymous, by the way. If you'd like, you can call me Anon. And believe me, I'd love to help out your hive. You'll just need to trust me a bit first."

                                            >"My designation is Centurion-236. Us Changelings are only really given names by others."

                                            >You hoisted her up onto your shoulders and she gave a bit of a yelp in response. It’s funny, you didn’t expect she’d be as light as she was

                                            "Then I suppose I'll have to think of one. But that can come later. Where might the mines be?"

                                            >Clearly still in shock, it took 236 a minute to respond

                                            >"...Down that road. I don’t know what state my comrades might be in, since I was told to guard the town and haven’t had the energy to move for weeks.”

                                            “Are you the only guard?”

                                            >”The only one I know of, sir. We never were threatened very much out here by anything besides cave-ins, but there was nothing any of us could really do in that case.”

                                            “You know, I don’t get the impression that this Queen of yours cared much about this place. Couldn’t she have kept sending love over until you found your own supply?”

                                            >It seemed as though you struck a nerve, as that quiet voice of hers seemed to find its footing

                                            >”You’re wrong! She has to care about us! Our Queen will send us more soon, or else…”

                                            >She shrunk back a bit, and her tone grew shaky

                                            >”Or else I’d have lost my brother for nothing…”

                                            >Shit, you weren’t expecting that. You felt one or two droplets fall onto your shirt, and at this point it set in how bad the love shortage must have hit this place

                                            “Sorry for your loss. If you don’t mind me asking, how long ago was it?”

                                            >”A month ago. I’ve been trying to forget and move on, but it’s just so difficult!”

                                            >Fuck, if only you’d left last month after Twilight’s Timberwolf experiment then you might have been able to do something!

                                            >You stayed quiet in an attempt to comfort her

                                            >Difficult to really say any more in this situation

                                            >It took a little while for her to speak up again, and you didn’t blame her

                                            >”You know, us Changelings can sense emotions in people, positive and negative. You feel remorseful, like you could have done something. But more than that you feel compassionate, and after all this time of nothing, it’s… it’s exactly what I needed. Thank you… thank you, so much…”

                                            >Call it your inner humanity, but you decided that what was happening here was wrong

                                            >Besides, your plan could work great somewhere like this, where a strong leader was needed

                                            “It’s alright, I won’t be going anywhere for the near future. I hate the thought of living creatures dying for something like this, so as of now this town is under my watch. I’ll make sure that no more of you meet their end for such pointless reasons.”

                                            >236 didn’t respond, but she seemed to have cheered up a bit. After a short while, she insisted that what you had given her was enough, and proceeded to lead the way on hoof to the mines

                                            >”Here they are. There likely aren’t many left, but we need to get them out. There were about a hundred miners, last I remember.”

                                            >So you began the lengthy process of hauling out the ones that showed signs of still being alive. 236 was evidently right about them not needing much love to subsist, as the ones you helped were back up, moving and helping their brethren in no time. Eventually, after a thorough sweep using your increased… creature-power, you found all that were still alive

                                            >Eighteen. Accounting for 236 and yourself, that brought your workforce up to an even 20. It was remarkable how resilient these Changelings were, surviving for weeks immobile down tight shafts and in some cases even pinned by debris

                                            >236 wore a straight face for most of it, but broke down when she set eyes on a mass of rubble with a bright-red, lightly frayed scarf visible from the top

                                            >Once you rushed over to ask her about it, she explained with a sorrowful look

                                            >”This was my mother’s… she was a clothier, and an expert with silk. She made this and gave it to my only sister, telling her to look after the family business.”

                                            “So that means… I’m sorry, 236, I really am.”

                                            >”It’s… It’s okay, Anonymous, it wasn’t your fault, or mine. It’s just… that means I’m all out of family now.”

                                            >The miners gathered in the town square, as you had instructed them to. You ascended the steps to the conveniently-placed elevated platform, and prepared to give a speech, 236 at your side

                                            >You cleared your throat and introduced yourself. Even if this wasn’t your finest work, it would still likely suffice to win over a group so desperate for higher authority. This was also a good opportunity to pick up on that Changeling dialect that 236 was telling you about. She was stood next to you expectantly

                                            “Greetings, everyling. My name is Anonymous, and I am a human, likely the only human you’ll ever meet. You can call me Anon for short, but don’t let any nicknames get in the way of what I’m about to propose. What happened in the mines was a tragedy, brought about by a neglectful administration that took advantage of the trust of its people. You need a new leader, and I believe that I am the one for the job. I know how to deal with large-scale operations, and I always have my ear to the ground. As a result, this town will henceforth be governed by me. Help me out, and you’ll receive all the love you could ever want. If you choose to leave, I won’t blame you, but I’m sure you’re all just as aware of how catastrophically things could end for you. Based on the experiences of my new friend here, it’s become clear to me you are all worth more love than you receive, and if you follow me then we can blaze a bright future together! I look forward to serving all of you as your Supreme Commander!”

                                            >Okay, maybe that last part was excessive. You wanted a cool title, but maybe it wouldn’t go down so well-

                                            >Nevermind, standing ovations and tears of joy from all of them. You realized at this point that the population was so desperate for love and hope that they would happily cast their lot in with the weird ape thing that walks on two legs, even if he was styling himself as a dictator

                                            >No wonder such a negligent Queen got put into power

                                            >With that, you began to dictate projects that would enable this little hive of yours to succeed

                                            >You began ordering the removal of unused housing, reducing the size of the hive to no more than a street, and used the materials gained to set up the beginning of a lumber industry

                                            >Encouragement of your workers seemed to bring their working speed up to a blindingly fast pace, whilst taking almost nothing from you

                                            >Good arrangement, reminded you of those RTS games from back in the good old days

                                            >Speaking of, food please

                                            >You figured you’d probably have to grow your own. No sweat, you picked up gardening from Fluttershy a while back

                                            >You missed your friends, actually, you missed them a lot. But this was something you needed to do, a real goal of yours instead of the regular apathy

                                            >You felt like a side character back in Ponyville. But you shouldn’t be feeling like that, because you were the main character!

                                            >All that aside, you asked 236 if you could crash at her place for the night, to which she responded with an enthusiastic “Yes, Commander!”

                                            >She then started attempting to make small talk, and her definition of small talk was evidently based on extolling your virtues

                                            >You didn’t mind it much actually, it had been a while since you were viewed as entirely trustworthy like you were over here

                                            >”I’ll be honest, when I was stuck there, trying desperately to conserve my energy for all that time, I thought I was going to die, just like the rest of my family… But thanks to you, I’m still here, and better than ever! You’ve done all of this in just a day, Anon…”

                                            “Hopefully I’ll have the chance to pull off a lot more soon enough. We haven’t even gotten into my quality of life plans yet.”

                                            >”I hope they’re just as good as what you managed today, Commander!”

                                            >At this, she started to giggle

                                            >Is she making fun of your title?

                                            “Ah, well, hopefully the Supreme Commander can work his logistical magic and outdo that mean old Queen, eh?”

                                            >236’s face fell

                                            >”Chrysalis… I don’t know what she was thinking, being so neglectful… You won’t neglect us, right Anon?”

                                            “So forthright! Where’s all this doubt coming from? Calm down a bit, would you?”

                                            >You pet her a bit and she tenses up

                                            >Yeah, she feels a lot smoother than the miners. Was it just that she spent all her time on the surface?

                                            “You know what? I think I got a name for you. I’m gonna call you Silk, ‘cause of the scarf and the fact that you feel weird compared to the others.”

                                            >”Call me whatever you want, Anon…” She was clearly drifting in and out of consciousness

                                            >It was a long day for everyone, you included

                                            >As you started to close your eyes and waited for sleep to take you, Silk repositioned herself and muttered something you could only just make out

                                            >”A source of love, and hope for tomorrow… You’re all I have left now… I won’t let you go…”

                                            >Eh, whatever. If you were in her position you’d probably see the Supreme Commander with big ideas as a valuable asset too. That last part was still a tad concerning, but you were past the point of caring


                                            >Oh boy, another night like this

                                            >Much as you laid into her at times, Luna’s ability to save you from nightmares was pretty valuable

                                            >You were on a boat with the girl, on a river in the morning

                                            >You fell into a forest and the girl was on the ground

                                            >There was blood and it stained the trees

                                            >You were in prison and there was blood

                                            >The girl was gone and you were a mess on the floor

                                            >The cafeteria was silent and the men stood frozen in place

                                            >A familiar voice greeted you

                                            >”It has been three weeks, two days, three hours and fifty-seven minutes since we last talked, Anonymous.”

                                            >Welp, at least she stopped the prisoners from beating the shit out of you

                                            “I’d have set up a tea-party if I knew I was to be greeted by one of the royal sisters. Welcome back to my head. Make yourself at home.”

                                            >”It was difficult for me to find you. I had to search far and wider, further and wider than I usually do. But your nightmares are repeated, and unique. Besides, coffee is more my drink of choice.”

                                            “Wow! Sounds like you’ve gotten with the times! I’m surprised you managed to ditch the Royal We, but I’m afraid your preferred hot drink is still incorrect.”

                                            >”What? How can a subjective choice be incorrect?”

                                            “Because hot cocoa exists.”

                                            >”I’ll have to check that out at some point. Reckon they stock it in the royal kitchen?”

                                            “I know they do. First and only piece of Canterlot luxury I got my hands on before, you know…”

                                            >”Well, I’m sure I can make time, since the current weight of my duties is rather… light.”

                                            “Really? Why might that be?”

                                            >”Sister did not appreciate my decision regarding how you should be treated. Apparently I should have made sure you were not in the mindset to suddenly leave everything behind. Your friends blamed me for all of this, and I… sort of… got angry. I ended up telling Celestia that I agreed with the idea of reforming Equestria, and then she lost her temper as well. To put a long story short, I’m not supposed to make public appearances anymore. Or handle intelligence. Or raise the moon.”

                                            “What in God’s name… Isn’t raising the moon like your only job?”

                                            >”...Maybe. My only responsibility now is checking people’s dreams, because it’s the only thing Celestia can’t also do. She told me that ‘if the diarchy is so old-fashioned, perhaps it’s time for a change’, and with that I became a vestigial part of the state.”

                                            “Shit, that sucks. I’m happy that you were so willing to defend me that you lost your job over it, but at the same time, why did no-one come to your defense?”

                                            >”Anon, I have absolutely no presence in internal affairs, and that is largely on purpose. As a result, people tend to side with Celestia even when I’m right. It’s tiresome, being stuck in a system like this.”

                                            “Using my nickname now? You really are modernizing. Hmm… I think I have an idea. Come along to my hive and I’ll show you what sorts of reforms I’m making. You can judge them, see if they’d be right for ponykind, and everybody wins! Besides, I feel I sort of owe you one after what happened.”

                                            >”A hive? That would explain it… Anon, care to tell me why you’re messing around with Changelings? It’s frankly the place I least expected you to end up. Have you not heard the rumors?”

                                            “Uh… It was actually completely accidental. Just set off in a direction and after a few weeks I found some poor, starving hive that the Queen seemed to have thought better of keeping around. I’m sort of their Supreme Commander as of now.”

                                            >”You’re feeding an entire Changeling hive by yourself? You must be mad… Still, I would enjoy the spectacle of it all. I will travel in a disguise, and we’ll see how long it takes my sister to notice I’m gone. A fun game, no?”

                                            “Certainly. I look forward to seeing you there. Any ETA?”

                                            >”You can expect me in three days or less.”

                                            “Wow, you’re even getting my strange word abbreviations! Fantastic job, Luna!"

                                            >She puffed out her chest and responded >"All in a few weeks' work. After all of this time steeped in thousand-year tradition, a break would certainly do me some good."

                                            >You didn't exactly like Luna, but you recognized that if you wanted to see Equestria get any better, she was your best shot

                                            >"Your dream is ending, Anon. See you soon."

                                            "Sure."

                                            >Alright, so you've gotten a head of state to come see your village. Better make a good impression


                                            >You are a Changeling, designation Centurion-236 or ‘Silk’ according to your new acquaintance

                                            >This Anon guy was valuable, very valuable

                                            >And definitely not safe in Changeling territory

                                            >He’d likely be able to feed everyone in the village for decades

                                            >Why was his love so potent? Was it his species?

                                            >No matter, point is there was a lot of it and he was handing it out without any major side-effects

                                            >But then, he wanted to lead this village, and denounced the Queen in front of everyone

                                            >And they all cheered! Sure, they must have lost people too, but they were really willing to elect a new leader after all she’d done for them?

                                            >Like when she… What did she ever do for any of you?

                                            >She promoted you to Royal Centurion, sure, but that barred you from your mother’s line of work

                                            >It hurt when your sister got that scarf, but it doesn’t matter anymore, because she’s nothing more than rubble now

                                            >Did you really care all that much? Not particularly. Sure, it was sad she got sent down the mines, but she’d been horrible to you for a long while

                                            >Never hurt to break out the waterworks though, especially in front of Anon

                                            >The compassion he gave out was delicious, and you deserved your fair share even if you weren’t really too put down by it

                                            >Way better than the supply you got from…

                                            >Buck it, buck Chrysalis, you were going all-in on Anon

                                            >A lot of good Changelings perished thanks to her, and Anon actually had people reorganizing infrastructure, which they’ve wanted to do for years

                                            >You were the only military Changeling around here, so naturally you would be the best second-in-command for Anon

                                            >A far better job than what you got under the Queen

                                            >And that love was alluring, damn it

                                            >Maybe you could get to know him a little better?

                                            >Just stand guard for now, set a good impression when he wakes up

                                            >And get more love from the ‘Supreme Commander’