open Casual stroll

[Storm Shine 1,196]

@@Midnight Starfall, 

 

"Alright, Paint. Check! Now I'm gonna go get breakfast. To Sugarcube Corner!" Storm said, putting the paint away... Somehow... Before rushing off to Sugarcube Corner for a muffin.

 

Arriving at Sugarcube Corner, Storm jumped right to the counter. Placing some bits down, he asked for two chocolate muffins and a strawberry swirl cupcake, feeling thankful for the lack of morning lines. Receiving his muffins and the cupcake, Storm flew out, traveling the few minutes to Stoneheart's House.

 

Landing in front of her house, Storm walked into the yard. Spotting Stoneheart, he waved exclaiming "Good morning Stoneheart!" He smiled happily at her. "I brought the paint!" Storm informed her. "I also brought a chocolate muffin and strawberry swirl cupcake for you if you wanted one!"

Edited October 1, 2014 by Storm Shine

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

 

"Quite a bit of difference from the ponies I have met, and I must say, quite fascinating features. A form-changing insectoid pony.is not something I had thought possible, yet now that I experience one, it sounds perfectly plausible. Not that I doubt your words, certainly, but if I had not met you, I might have thought the description to be only a story. I feel fortunate to experience this to be a reality though, and to meet one as fascinating as you, mister Void."

 

Briar may sound like he blew things up a little, but as he had stated he was simply being honest. It had been some time since he had met somepony truly unique, but now? Why, the form changing alone had impressed him, but the rather unusual appearance that were described just now were quite a bit more in that cup. One could say that it were several drops that had flowed over, or to use a cruder term that the standards for unique in his mind had risen now.

 

The descriptions of the colours mentioned though... He could not understand it. The concept of colour were something he longed to understand and be part of, but as far as his legs have brought him he were still no closer to finding a way for sight to grace him, and as such, he could only hear the words, and then think about what of these colours and combinations he had least heard about to discern the uniqueness.

 

As for general appearance... The wind and had given him some clues to Void's descriptions before he told, but Briar had frankly not believed it. It was the holes that Void now confirmed as real that had confused him, as the wind had blown through there and given him the idea of somepony severely injured.

 

It was odd that there were these holes, as Void himself even said, but evolution did at times go mysterious ways.

 

I do believe however, that it is now your turn to ask. So, what question do you seek answered? Feel free to chose any subject, I am as an open book with not a page missing."

Edited October 2, 2014 by Blitz Boom

[Harmony Cube 80]

@@Harmony Cube

"Very well then, follow me! I think it's not that far from here."

Disruptis trotted through the town and over the bridge, leading Book. He looked up in the partly cloudy sky and sighed. "I wish it would rain soon. I haven't felt a good downpour in ages. There were only light showers in Maneline.

Book smiled and followed. He had his wings folded back up again. "It might. I'm not on the weather team so I don't know the weather schedule." Book said and looked up in the sky happily. He thought about when he flied it felt quick and easy for him and made him feel like a feather.

[Midnight Starfall 179]

@,

 

Stoneheart smiled, "Good morning." She heard him say he had the paint, two muffins, and a cupcake. "Can I please have a muffin?" She looked at the apple in her hoof. "I still have some more milk if you want any," she added, not wanting to be greedy. "I mean, it's not much compared to what you're doing for me.."

[()()()()()()? 72]

....................

Edited September 5, 2022 by ()()()()()()?

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Void was very surprised with his honesty and laughed a little in his very awkward sounding voice making his laugh a little more menacing than it actually was.

"Any question? Now then a good question would be where do you hail from? I would love to know the area you were born since your very interesting appearance as far as I can tell must be a very beautiful and quite heavily vegetated area"

The plant like parts to Briar made Void assume the area he was born in must be very planted and a place he needs to know about. 

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

 

"Ah yes, the place I was grown..."

 

His voice dragged out a little at the end, but he held his tone.

 

It was true that Briar answered when he was asked, but the tales of his old home were a touchy subject at best. It was a balance act to judge how much somepony could hear from it before it became too much, and it was an act that he, regrettably, were likely to never find consistently right.

 

Perhaps it would be the better to just let it out. Void had hardly reacted at the others things he had been told or had seen, so perhaps... Yes, he would tell it without editing, and then they would see how it would end.

 

"The place of my roots are far, far to the south, in the heart of a great jungle I could hardly name if I tried. In the depths, there are my... Former, tribe.

 

The system there is controlled by what you are grown as. The Lotus' were considered great spiritual leaders, and were high in the chain, only below the council of three flowers and the Grand Matron herself. A little further down you would find Simmerbarks, our robust soldier who were the guards of the area, on par with the Vinemasters who build our buildings and made the thorny walls who protected us from the wildlife."

 

It was rather obvious that Briar was easing into things with what he said, as he had so far not listed his own worth. This was going to be the more... Touchy, subject.

 

"In a society where birth dictates your worth, you may wonder were my kind are then. Well, do you recall when I said that my ilk are a mutation rather than the wanted result? It is, unfortunately, not an exaggeration, nor something that were accepted by the tribe at large, yet it is impossible to see if one have become one of my kind before the seed finally cracks off the three and opens up to reveal it.

 

In ages past, generations before my own sprouting, the Snaproots were considered to be best dealt with by... Burning, these newborn sprouts..."

 

Briar cringed slightly at the notion. He had been told in the pit through the 10 years he inhabited it how lucky him and his were that they did no longer do that. As if the fate they instead fared were better than that.

 

"The Grand Matron put an end to it, but unfortunately, the alternative were not pleasant. As soon as one of us were discovered, we were disowned by our parents, taken and thrown into the dark pit until maturity, at which stage we would then be picked out and put in service of one of the higher, or for that matter lower, rung amongst us. I have yet to truly see if we were meant as menial workers or pets, but the line starts to blur eventually.

 

Let it be sufficient to say that the pit were, and likely still are, not a place you would go voluntarily. Imagine if you can, a place were the ground is littered with the refuse of the town above, with only brief glimpses of light breaking through and guards stationed in case you attempt to climb out.

 

I can assure you, even if non of us Snaproots can see, we know the preciousness of light well enough. The hunger we had for meat were only rivalled by the longing for light, which made us eager to please so that we might be picked to come out.

 

Briar had spoken the last sentence with an ounce of anger in his voice. It was not unusual for this reaction to come when he thought back to that stage, how he had clung to every tiny sliver of light that shone through that were not already taken by the bigger and stronger amongst them, and how he had bowed his head, eager to serve, when the call had come for him.

 

It made him sick to think of how he had been back then, as well as knowing that even though 9 years had passed, things were likely still the same. One defiant amongst them were not enough if things were to change, and any rising that had been blooming since his departure had likely been met with isolation in a dark hole, something none of them wouldn't do anything to get out of.

 

Briar let out a sigh and let go of his anger before going on. There were still quite a bit to tell.

 

"I am not proud to admit my own eagerness when, at the age of 10, I was picked. The work I was set to for Elder Pike, one of the better Vinemasters, were harsh, and the insults biting, but it was in the light. At that stage, it was all I could hope for.

 

As you might guess, my ilk were not considered worthy enough of names, but my *master* gave me the one I still bear, even if it was only so that he could direct his critique directly at me.

 

I will skip the parts about the work as it was rather tedious and skip to the end, and the reason why I am no longer there."

 

Sure, Void had only spoken in his question about the place, but without context, Briar were concerned that he might not understand why he would warn him to not search for it later. Besides, he was certain that the Changeling would have asked about his tribe sooner or later, it was easier to simply take it at once.

 

"As my *master* returned to the earth, I was taken by a new one, a Lotus, that did not find my name fitting, stripping it from me in public.

 

Much to the tribes, and her, disbelief, I had grown fond of a name, and taking it away... I suppose you could say that I cracked, and struck her where she stood so she tumbled down."

 

A big smile spread on his lips by that memory. He might not have seen her tumble, but the feeling of his vine hitting that pompous know it all... Oh, that had brought him much pleasure through the years.

 

"I were promptly exiled after that, as it was the best they could do, which is what these."

 

He lifted his legs so the coloured rings began to rattle, indicating those were what he were talking about.

 

"Means. There is no longer room for me where I came from, and there have not been for nearly a decade. I don't mind really, it is not some place I am fond of recalling.

 

After saying that he faced Void with an apologetic look upon his face and ran a hoof through his *mane*.

 

"I am sorry for the... Lengthy, explanation. But I had to make sure to put across that this is Not a place that is worth seeking, neither a place I would consider being of any real beauty, even if I had been able to see it.

 

If it is not too much trouble to ask though... May I ask of the place you are from? Perhaps it will lighten up the spirits after hearing about my own whereabouts."

 

((Sorry for wall of text but... I guess, Bon appetite. ))

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Void was surprised at his tribes patriarchal society with ranks, which was very similar to what Void had 'escaped' from.

"You sounded quite happy with the Exile, to be honest I would too if I were there like that, and I was Exiled from my Hive so we are on similar grounds here"

Void gave quite the large grin showing his fangs again whilst making a hissing sound through his fangs.

"I came from a Changeling Hive. It is created through a liquid that hardens fast and makes a great home for us Changelings... we spit it, which is nasty to think about but, meh"

Void thought he would add a snip it of info with a Hive and if Briar asked he would tell his whole story of his Exile from his Hive.

"There are two types of ways a Changeling is created, One through Natural Birth which is just an egg and the worse of the two is Conversion, when a Pony is completely drained of there love they are a husk of there former self and perfect for conversion since they will not fight back. They are placed into a Cocoon and will be forcibley changed over time through the Cocoon there trapped inside.

You will be happy to know I am a Natural Born, since converted ones are a little more... Insane"

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

 

"When a pony is drained of... Love?"

 

What Void told him confused him. The hive, it was made from themselves? And how they were born... A natural birth he understood, even if it was from eggs, but to change somepony after they had been drained? How did they even got drained, much less wh-

 

The line of thoughts stopped and Briar let a leg to his head, covering the top half of his face while a low chuckle got out between his lips for a second.

 

"I see... I guess I don't have to ask what you eat then."

 

Briar had no moral high ground when it came to eating habits. He feasted on flesh, a more direct life force really, and to hear that something then fed on love... It was not that he found it amusing, it was just that his brain was trying to cope with finding such a new way to be a carnivore.

 

It didn't take long before his leg fell again, and he responded back once more.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I don't judge from this. I am a carnivore myself, so I am in no position to do such a thing. My mind is just trying to wrap around this."

 

His mind were placing the bricks of the puzzle he had now on Changeling's. There were still a great deal missing, but one brick in particular was hard for him to press down, and it seemed... Important, if he were to understand the greater picture.

 

"I know it is not my turn to ask, but... You talk of Exile yourself, and you sound like it is not something you mind either, so what... Why, is your home something you don't seem to miss?"

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

"Yes, drained of Love, as you already have figured it is what we feast upon. And my Exile was a blessing from the divines to be honest, the reason I was Exiled from my Hive was because of me being a... Traitor, heheh... Traitor!"

He sounded a little psychotic when he said this but calmed down.

"When I was in my Hive I was the best Changeling in the arts of Transformation magic and that earned me a reputation, a feared one at that. I was usually sent to Capture Ponies for draining and Conversion because of my expertise in magic. I became a very powerful Changeling and my Queen recognised this and rewarded me with a better rank in the Hive, in fact the third highest rank in the Hive behind Queen of course. I was a Commander who was given Armour to show my status, the Armour was dark cyan before I painted it, oh and my eyes were Bright Cyan and my back wing shell was dark cyan, I will explain later why I now have Pink features. The Armour was and still is something that I wear nearly constantly. When the Attack on Canterlot happened I was sent out onto the front assault and harmed many Ponies because I wanted to... I was a violent and quite psychotic Soldier to the Queen. After the Changelings were defeated and blown miles away I was separated from the Swarm and landed on the outskirts of PonyVille, the Everfree to be precise once the bond from my Queen was broken due to not being close enough to her I gained a mind of my own and not just a drone under my Queens forced commands my features became unique once I was separated and changed Vibrant pink, I did not know why but I assumed it was because my colours were coded to show which Hive I was apart of, so Ipainted my armour magenta to match my new wings and eyes. I watched the Ponies from afar and wondered why we attacked these friendly creatures and robbed them of there Love. I returned to my Hive a few weeks later and told my Queen how evil and wrong it is to steal the Love from them and how we should change our ways. She laughed we argued for many days until she had enough of her Commander, IE me and got a large group of Changelings to forcible remove me from the Hive and Exiled me, before this though she looked me in the eyes and told me "Do not return unless you want to be a True Changeling" True Changeling!? I am one of few True Changelings that left or were exiled from there Hives to be sane, she is the Parasite not me!"

 

Void was hissing through his fangs again as he said this, he stomped his hoof every time he mentioned his Queen out of anger.

[Storm Shine 1,196]

@@Midnight Starfall, 

 

Storm handed Stoneheart the chocolate muffin. "Here ya go! Though no thanks on the milk for now, maybe later!" He replied happily. "And I got the paint right here!" He exclaimed, reaching behind his back, and pulling a can of red paint, and a can of blue paint from seemingly nowhere. "Should I get the roof or the walls done first?" Storm asked her after he set down the paint buckets.

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

 

Such anger... Such animosity...

 

"To make slaves of those you eat... That is what she calls the Changeling way?"

 

Briar was audibly shocked from that. Even amongst the depravity of his own upbringing there had at least been some degree of limits to the madness. Even they had not used their enemies as workforce, much less the entire people in general as slaves for one, depraved mind.

 

"Dear Celestia, what a horrid standard to be held to. Praise be that you got away from such a fate."

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Void looked at the ground ashamed of himself.

"I turned many... many ponies into Changelings, I was a murderer and a fiend, I am a horrible creature who was born to be evil"

He looked up at Briar again.

"I was ranked up for doing just that, I led an army of natural born and converted Changelings, most of which I converted myself..." 

[Midnight Starfall 179]

@,

 

"Um, probably the roof first," Stoneheart said, taking the muffin. She took a bite and smiled, "Thanks."

 

"Actually, I don't think it matters if you do the walls or the roof first. I keep forgetting you can fly," she said sheepishly.

 

If I did it, I'd be worried about ruining the paint on the walls.

[Storm Shine 1,196]

"No Problem!" Storm replied smiling. "Besides, this wont take much more than a few minutes!" He declared proudly, popping the two cans open and pulling some brushes from.... Somewhere... And flying around the house in a blur of color, taking care not to miss a spot and to keep the layering even. "Aaaannnndd... Done!" Storm said, landing back next to Stoneheart and surveying his handywork. "I had to paint much larger things when I was traveling, especially when I was in Canterlot!" He informed her. "It made me really glad for my speed, and taught me how to process things faster." Storm told her "Not to mention get a better eye for details..." He thought to himself.

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

 

"You said it yourself. You were under her control. A slave is not guilty of their masters crimes, no matter what they are, as the controlled are without a choice in the matter. It is what you have done after you got free that matters.

 

Besides, just hear your own words. If you were truly such a horrible creature as you claim to be, then why do you feel remorse? For actions led by a puppeteer no less? If that is not a sign of being a good creature, then I don't know what could be."

 

Actions meant more than words in the end, however, actions were a grey area. If Void had done these things out of his own, free will, then he would, regrettably, be the horrible one he described. However, if that had been the case, then why did he have remorse? Why did he stand tall against an army and the queen that led them, his own queen nonetheless, until they believed him too far gone from their ideal?

 

He wouldn't... Unless there were kindness in his mind more than the darkness that had guided his steps. There were things to live with, and Briar knew that he could never quite understand it as frankly, how could he? But what he did understand was where the guilt was to be laid. And it was not with Void. No, it went all the way to the top. To the queen herself.

 

Chrysalis... A name to remember for the future for sure.

[Midnight Starfall 179]

@,

 

"You had to paint when you were traveling?" Stoneheart asked. "What did you paint, if you don't mind me asking."

 

That's kinda cool. I used to love art as a filly, but I was never really good at it. Especially paint and sculpture. I'd always miss spots and the sculpture's head would fall off.

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Void was thinking about what Briar said and it made perfect sense, still it didn't clear his mind about all he did.

"Good enough reasons for me Briar, I guess I ain't that bad but still doesn't make me innocent"

He felt quite calm especially knowing both of them have a vaguely similar past with exile.

"I still had some idea of what I was doing, if I was under her complete control then why was I more skilled at what I did then every other Changeling?"

Void knew that he still had some sense to him when he did that since he remembers enjoying it like a sick monster he thought this as a shiver went through his shell. 

[Storm Shine 1,196]

@@Midnight Starfall, 

 

"Well, I did a lot of odd jobs" Storm began. "Sometimes painting, Though I've also done sculpting, home repair, cleaning, shopping, store minding, foal-sitting, Concert and public guitar gigs and a bunch of other things..." He listed off.

 

"I did a lot of odd jobs to earn bits, since I didn't have a steady one while traveling... But most of the time I was painting houses, occasionally I would make a painting that somepony would buy, but I wasn't generally asked to paint art." Storm informed her. "The houses were more like large mansions though, it is Canterlot after all. That's why most ponies  generally try not to get hired to paint their houses, unless they have a LOT of free time...."

 

"I do like to draw, paint, and sculpt in my free time though..." Storm said thoughtfully. "It's relaxing... Oh! And I also write most of the songs I use when I play guitar! I don't sing though, I get embarrassed when I sing... So most of my songs don't have lyrics..." He told Stoneheart, grinning sheepishly. "I've been practicing these things a lot to get good... Though... You wouldn't believe the number of times I've made mistakes trying to get things right..."

Edited October 2, 2014 by Storm Shine

[Harmony Cube 80]

@@Harmony Cube

"What is your passion then? I know a lot of Pegasi who have given up flight for various jobs. I know a miner who hardly walked on the surface. He only showed up to see the moonlight and sell gems. When we needed to escape from an angry Mansa Worm, he could hardly fly to save his life. Fortunately I managed to grab him before the tunnel collapsed.

"I like to fly sometimes but I'm mainly a writer." Book said casually and smiled a bit. He flapped his wings a bit and happily. Now he had the sudden urge to go and fly around since they brought up flying. "I work at a book store that I own." Book explained, smiling.

[()()()()()()? 72]

....................

Edited September 5, 2022 by ()()()()()()?

[Harmony Cube 80]

@@Harmony Cube

"Well, that's pretty good. I myself am not that good at writing books. Everypony thought that my books were way to descriptive. They were only 700 pages per part! Most I based of original adventures though. Have you wrote anything yet as of mention yet?"

"I have written all sorts of books, mainly fiction though. I have a few older stories that were when I was a colt where they were true, but they weren't very good. I like writing adventure pretty often but more mystical and hard adventures that end up really weird. The hardest thing to write about is ethics in my opinion." Book chuckled a bit.

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

"To be under complete control is not just a matter of being led by strings, anypony could do that. No, complete control is when you pollute the mind and makes your subjects Want to be the puppet. It offers less resistance, and in the end, are easyer to control.

To be a bit more specific, she had you so much under control that the only thought, beyond obedience, that truly governed your mind were the one she had also planted there: To relentlessly do what your queen would want, to please her will. The thought merely grew stronger in you than many others."

Briar had not personally done anything like this to any creature, but he had been around for a long time, and learned a few things here and there that were not normally something he had a use for.

Amongst those things were a few ideas about how true control were, a subject he had sought to learn about because he was trying to understand, in details, how they had done it at his former home. It had turned out that their methods were rather beginning stage compared to some others.

"Now, I am aware that the words may not be exact, but the meaning remains the same no matter how you turn it around.

If you want proof then just ask yourself: Have you converted anypony since your mind cleared? Gone on a rampage? Perhaps even longed to go back to how it was?

I rather doubt it."

Edited October 3, 2014 by Blitz Boom

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Void was surprised again at Briar's very smart analogy and Void was in thought.

"No, I really haven't thought about going back or going on a murder spree with conversion"

Void paced in circles at the new thought that maybe he wasn't so bad... But his Queen, Chrysalis was another chapter.

"You are rather intellectual Briar, these thoughts have never passed my mind yet you thought about them rather fast"

He felt quite dumb but laughed at his own stupidity before he decided to show Briar what he could do through his Powerful Transformation Magic as his horn glew a vibrant pink, nearly blinding but Briar shouldn't have a problem since his sight was gone. He turned into a Full Grown Hydra through his magic and roared towards the Sky with all four heads and laughing a little.

[Blitz Boom 4,620]

@,

 

Last time Void had transformed, Briar hadn't a clue about it. This time? He would have to be dead to miss this.

 

The sound of roars from several mouths were one thing, the changed laughter another entirely, but the sudden pressure of a heavier body in front of him? He wasn't sure What Void had transformed into, but Briar would have to give it to him, he did it well.

 

"It sounds rather impressive mister Void, but perhaps it would be better to tone it down a notch? I seem to recall miss Kelly not enjoying this sort, and roars likely won't help on the safety feeling for her here."

 

Kelly was still ahead of them, safe from the feeling of it as he could feel the pace in the ground, although not right now due to the sudden pressure change, but a few seconds here or there should not make a difference as there had been nothing yet.

 

And he had to admit, as much as he had talked against the roars, it did likely serve a good purpose: Scaring off anything that had considered prowling nearer.

 

"In regards to the line of thoughts from before, it was nothing. Trust me, sometimes, a neutral mind is all that's needed to see the connections, and I can't really blame you for being to one side of that look on things, all things considered."