Lost in the dark (open to active players)

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She listened carefully as he explained what the monsters were. She couldn't be one then. She would be able to transform her eyes into someone else's wouldn't she? She tried. Nothing happened. Instead she was led to the corner of the room and sat on a cushion. She heard the clink of a ceramic mug placed on a table and smiled gratefully in the colt's direction. He must really like hot cocoa or making it. She sipped it delicately, feeling the cold whipped cream smear on her muzzle. She pulled away and wiped it off on her fore leg.

"So...how do you tell the real ones.. from the changelings?"

she asked curiously. Since Equestria is supposedly at war with them, they have to know some weaknesses, right?[/color][/size][/blockquote]

[Red Charge]

"You don't... not without very powerful magic... Worst part is, even if you get suspicious, changelings have magic that can lull you into false security... make you believe what they say, no matter how unlike the person you know they act. Really quite frightening... As an entomologist, they were a big research for me, but sadly Lady Rainlock deemed such research too dangerous. No one was able to find their hive anyway... I do know there's several, the one in Equestria is led by Queen Chrysalis, but I know for sure there's at least one in the barrens. There used to be one in the Griffon Kingdom but they exterminated them all a long time ago. Complete bombardment by the 5th fleet, nothing remained." Bug Eye rambled on.

Night Lock heard him sigh hopelessly, "Hopefully they leave us alone and once this is over you can actually go outside and enjoy the streets... I can't trust what would happen if you did at the moment... I'm grateful we didn't get boarded in quarentine."

[Deleted]

Shivers ran down the small mare's back as she listened to Bug Eye's story. She tried to put together what these creatures were in her mind. He said that he studied them at one point, so they must be like an insect? But they transform into ponies.. so some sort of bug-pony hybrid? Of course there was no mental image since she has never seen shapes or colors before in her life, but the sounds of buzzing wings and sharp fangs on her hide made their presence apparent in her mind. Like a large parasite feeding on her. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the creepy crawly feeling and delicately sipped some of her hot chocolate. The whipped cream had melted and the marshmallows were soft enough that they mixed in with the warm chocolaty drink. The warm liquid poured down her throat and warmed her stomach, calming the tremors in her body.

Despite the comforting beverage, her mouth still felt dry with fear. That meant that any pony could be a changeling. She was glad she found one that wasn't. He couldn't be. He was far too kind and has done so much for her already. Without even thinking about it, she rested her head against his side. The feeling of another warm body against her own comforted her even more. It had all happened so fast, but she felt as if he was meant to find her. A careful guardian. Like family should be.

"What do they want with us?"

she asked quietly, but loud enough for him to hear.[/color][/size][/blockquote]

[Red Charge]

"Well, it's going to sound kind of silly. But all they really want is love. They need it to sustain their magical powers. Without it, they'd die. I don't really understand how it works myself, I never got one to study. But apparently when somepony loves another pony, if it's projected at them they feed off the energy somehow." Bug Eye tried to explain, "I guess they never figured out quite how to fit in, so they need to do so in secret."

"Maybe they're just cursed? Who knows?" Bug Eye said, "Now, well, they seemed to have sided with the enemy. Not sure what they were expecting to get out of that. Certainly not our love.. but they're all over the place, or so I've heard. Just have to be careful who you put your trust into nowadays. Lady Rainlock made her estate and grounds a changeling free area, if one gets in there it gets evaporated like ZZZT and it's gone."

Feeling Night Lock's head resting on her side, he scooped her up tighter with a one hoof hug. "I think if we could convince them to just try and have peace, maybe we'll be able to help each other out."

[Deleted]

Night Lock cuddled into bug Eye's embrace, thinking about what he had told her about the creatures labelled changelings. It DID sound like a curse. Living your whole life searching for love, and when you find it, you have to drain its source just to survive, just to search for it again. Love wasn't supposed to be like that. It should be equal on both parts. As for coexisting, Night Lock couldn't think of any possible way. No pony would want to be bait for that, nor she couldn't think of anypony that would want to be in the position that they needed to feed off of it to survive.

"Ha-Have you ever met one?"

she asked tentatively, hoping that she wouldn't be bringing up any bad memories. What if someone were to fall in love with such a creature? They wouldn't know until it was too late! And then what? Succumb to the hurt and betrayal that was sure to follow? She shuddered at the thought of such pain after all she had already been through. She had never been in love before. She was too young, just a filly still, but she could imagine what it would be like, just like any filly.[/color][/size][/blockquote]