Blacklight Retribution: Stranger on a Stranger World

“There he is!” Freddie thought to himself, then raised a brow, “Apparently he’s a playa, what’s with all those mares sticking to him? Oh god the pink one is with them.”

He was in cloak, and once he saw that his possible friend was dying, he rushed to him.

Freddie was not going to let him die, because he was most likely his only way back.

The only part that was difficult approaching Ondra; Freddie is getting his hopes up, was not bumping into unsuspecting ponies. His cloak made him invisible, but not phazable.

“But I caught him!” a voice loud enough for him to hear.

“I’m sorry,” another female voice responded solemnly.

Freddie was too busy to continue hearing, but he could hear an unmistakable repeat of:

“Midnight? Midnight?! MIDNIGHT!?” that was his name?

“What the hell kinda name is Midnight?” he thought to himself, chuckling to the slight feeling of deja vu.

A purple pony was on him, Freddie was approaching.

“Please get off him,” he said firmly as the digital chittering was making him visible.

The purple pony was wide eyed, “Changeling!”

She bolted in between the two and started charging her horn. Freddie lifted a hoof.

“STOP!” he snapped, “I’m here to help!”

“How? To conduct genetic experiments on him, to recreate your army with him?!” there were tears on her cheeks.

“No!” he replied with offense, “I think I know how to bring him back!”

Twilight was gritting her teeth, keeping the charge to an unchanging light on the tip. She then slowly moved out of the way keeping her glare on the changeling. There was nothing that would make her not skeptical... It was a changeling that was actually offering help.

The reason she was going to let him help was because he didn’t look like any changeling.

The eyes were not normal, they had triangles; his wings were whole, and no changeling had quite the ability like cloak, especially with ‘magic’ that made chittering noise.

“What are you going to do?” she asked as the rest of the group was regrouping.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on here, Twilight?!” the orange one asked.

“Yeah? It’s a changeling!” Rainbow Dash didn’t notice that he was the same one from the train ride, must be from sleep deprivation.

Freddie was actually starting to get tired of this racist crap, “SHUT UP!”

That was enough to earn gasps and glares from various individuals.

“I have had enough of you ponies! I am trying to help! I can fucking guess that a changeling simply doesn’t arrive to a pony’s aid!”

“How are you going to help?” the skeptical look still on Twilight.

Freddie sighed, and hung his head in defeat, “I don’t know. But what I do know, is that I’ll figure it out.”

Silence, a pause... Then a black dust was starting to pour out of the stallions mouth. Freddie looked in confusion.

The dust was circling around the two, Freddie was standing still in non-protest. Hoping that this was his solution. It was probably too much.

The dust was starting to get inside of Freddie, but he kept still. He had to let the magic; he assumed, do it’s thing. It’s thing was starting to hurt. It felt like he was breathing corrosive all over again. It was mental training back at BLR HQ, it was the best way for agents to fight against corrosive. The training was almost unbearable.

He could only grunt, wheeze, then cry in agony at what the dust was doing to him.

“Wake the fuck up, Ondra!” he said with all his might, “NOW!”

***

Ondra

***

“Well,” the man said, “It seems that is your way out. Are you ready?”

Ondra looked at the chibi and gripped it tight with a fist, “I’m ready.”

“Excellent,” he felt himself being lifted off the ground, “Off you go!”

“And don’t worry, we’re all with you!” Poet called out cupping her mouth with both hands to amplify her sound.

Trying to look down towards them was hard, for he was spinning in all directions. He was going to be fine, he was going to help the ones who can’t. For them, for his family and friend(s).

“WAKE THE FUCK UP!”

***

Crystal Empire

***

“What?! What’s goi-AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH” Midnight Flame was certainly alive until the dust had engulfed the two, eliciting cries of agony from them. Their yells were both terrifying as the dust was changing them in a very disturbing way; it was making them bend some limbs in ways that was not meant to be, it was making them bend their spines at whip-lashing speeds. The dust progressively made it harder to see them hurt to the point where it was just a ball of grey dust. They couldn’t see them, but they certainly were horrified that they were still hearing them them getting tossed into a new world of hurt.

And then, silence; just the noise of the dust doing it’s thing.

“What do we do, Twilight?” asked Futtershy, barely conscious and her hooves were shaking from the event.

“I don’t know,” she stared at the ball with full concentration, hoping that there would be an opportunity to help.

There were loud thuds and the dust was starting to lay off.

The six ponies could now see the two, and their forms were strange to say the least.

“What happened to them?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight sighed, disappointed at not knowing, “There is basically no change.”

Twilight sighed, “Let’s just finish this and get them back, Midnight Flame looks alive.”

“What do we do with them?” Rainbow started, “We can’t just leave those two on the ground while crystal ponies try to enjoy their time.”

“She’s correct,” Rarity continued, “Two unconscious ponies are not good for the floor.”

Twilight took a good look at the changeling who probably saved Midnight Flame’s life.

“I’ll put them somewhere,” Twilight was charging her horn.

“But Twilight!” Rarity gasped, “Surely you need help with them.”

“I’m fine,” she huffed in response, “It’s the least I could do... I couldn’t do anything.”

“Come on, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said cautiously, “Let us help yo-”

“I said I’m FINE,” she snapped in response, maing Rainbow Dash shrink a little. Twilight sighed, “I’m sorry. I just... Need to do this, for them.”

The group silent as they watched the element of magic take on the weight of both ponies.

“How much time until we’re done here?” Rainbow whispered to Rarity.

“Hopefully not too long,” she responded with a worried look.

***

Ponyville Hospital

***

The two were in the same room on beds that were right next to each other, much to Freddie’s or Ondra’s unexpected favor.

Morning light was shining on them both, considering the placement of their beds were parallel, on their eyes. This made them slightly irritated and started shuffling in their beds to the point where-

“I’m in a hospital bed again,” Midnight chuckled, “What a fucking surprise.”

“Holy fuck, my head,” Freddie groaned, “What happened?”

Midnight/Ondra glanced at the changeling, “Freddie?”

The voice sounded like it was distorted by a reptilian vocal chord, but the distinction of Freddie’s voice was unmistakable.

“You fucking remember me,” he sighed in response, “Bloody hell, gettin’ to ya was a strange feat to say the least?”

Midnight looked at himself, there were black lines lining his limbs, “What happened?”

“I don’t know mate,” he shrugged, “First I was gettin’ to ya, then dust came outta ya and took us both out.”

Freddie looked at himself, there were white lines linging his limbs, “What happened?”

“This must be the transformation he was talking about,” Midnight said to noone in particular.

“Who?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Midnight dismissed with a hoof.

Freddie looked at him with a mischievous grin.

“What?” Midnight asked cautiously.

“What do these ponies call ya again?” barely holding a snicker.

He sighed in response, and then, “Midnight, Midnight Flame.”

Freddie was bursting out in laughter, “Oh my god, that is priceless! That is so stupid.”

“Yeah? Well, it was the best I could come up with that was appropriate considering my circumstances,” he huffed and bolted his head up in indignation.

“How? I know your imagination,” he mumbled ‘goddamnit’ to himself, “is large enough to come up with a good name!”

“I would if I could,” he started revealing himself by removing the sheets.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Freddie started covering his eyes with his hooves, “You know I don’t roll that way, bro.”

“It’s not that!” he snapped at him, “Look.”

Freddie was looking at a mark on his ass [A/N I know it’s flank].

“What the fuck?” he trailed off, “So these ponies have marks on them? I didn’t even notice, maybe it’s because I’m not a pervert.”

“I looked at the marks beca-”

“Pervert,”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP,” he took a deep breath, “I looked at their marks because I noticed that their names were tied into whatever the mark was, understand?”

“So it’s like a kid’s show,”

Midnight shook his head, “No. There are parts of this ‘Kid’s show’ that are way too advanced to be a ‘kid’s show’. I almost died for fuck’s sake.”

“You did,” Freddie responded flatly, “Ya looked like you weren’t breathin’.”

“Why are you speaking like that?”

Freddie gave a ‘hmph’, “I do what I want, bitch.”

“Fine,” he groaned in annoyance, “How long were we out?”

“How should I know? I was knocked out too,” Freddie shrugged.

“So what do they call you?”

“Freddie,” he said, earning a deadpanned look from Midnight, “It’s because I don’t have a mark on my ass, so I get to be whatever I want.”

“I supposed you're right,” he chuckled, “Your eyes.”

“What about’em?”

“Those triangles look like the ones we worked with on our HRV, try your voice pass phrase,”

“Oh yeah,” Freddie was tapping a hoof on his chin, “Never thought about that.”

Midnight tilted his head, “Seriously? All that time you never rememberd the triangles?”

“Shut up, mate, I got this,” he huffed, then made an expectant look Midnight’s way, “Cover your ears?”

“JUST DO IT,” Midnight snapped back.

“Alright, alright, shit,” Freddie chuckled.

Pass phrases along with voice recognition was key to not losing equipment to the wrong hands, much good that did. Hopefully Freddie’s voice was not too distorted.

“The only easy day,” he paused to make sure he remember, “Was yesterday.”

The phrase was deep, it was relatable, it was true. In Ondra’s ears, Freddie actually sounded insightful.

***

Freddie’s POV

***

“All optics modes operational, power source optimal, external communications operational,” I smiled at myself, “Welcome, Stranger.”

“Good to hear your voice, Theta,” I sighed in relief.

“It worked?” Ondra asked, I nodded.

“Yeah, fully operational, let me check comms,” Blacklight’s technology had gone so advanced that it reads electromagnetic pulses in the mind, so we didn’t need to touch ourselves to set stuff up on the heads up display.

“Theta, activate comms, scan all frequencies,” I thought to the AI.

“Scanning,” a silence full of anticipation, “Nothing found.”

I frowned at that.

“All frequencies read blank with static, apologies Stranger,”

I sighed in disappointment, “It’s alright.”

“Well?” Ondra asked with an expectant look, “What did you find?”

“Nothing,” I huffed.

***

Ondra

***

I really hope he doesn’t find a way to get back to earth, there’s nothing left to fight for there.

“Hey, did you notice that helmet right next to you?” Freddie asked.

“What?” I look to my right, my helmet, “I thought it was broken.”

“What are you talking about?” he tilted his head, “It was with you when I found you, I thought it was stupid so I didn’t really pay attention.”

I look at the helmet, then I noticed a little paper attached to it. I unfold it and there was a message.

To Midnight Flame,

As you can tell, this is your helmet, Rarity and I tried our hardest to place the cords correctly, luckily they were color coded. I saw what she did with your armor, so I urged her to not mess with this helmet.

I chuckled at that part, thanks Twilight.

The changeling that you see next to you saved your life, if he is still on that bed. I don’t know what happened to you, there was dus-

I decided to skip to the parts I didn’t know, to skip the parts that Freddie already told me.

You are expected by Princess Celestia once you recover, and by recover I mean once you're alive and walking. She is also expecting Stranger, this other changeling Ditto told me his name, Ditto said that he had abilities that were not of a regular changeling. If you’ve read this, just know that we are very happy to know you’re alive. Celestia says he is trustworthy, and that is saying something. I supposed I can trust him too.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle.

I look at Freddie, “What do they mean, ‘abilities that were not of a regular changeling’?”

He glanced at me then took a breath, “They mean that I’m not a regular changeling.”

“And you probably know I’m just as strange to my species as you are.”

“Why are we different species?”

“Just answer the question,”

“On one condition,” Freddie lifted a hoof.

“What is it?” I asked expectantly.

“You show me yours,”

“Fine,” I nodded.

He got off the bed and stretched his limbs... I think that was what he was doing.

“Apparently my exoskeleton allows me to use my cloak module,” chittering noise along with blue hex crystals covering him up. Once he was engulfed in the blue, there was nothing, not even the chittering noise.

“So you’re telling me, your AI, Cloak module, and Helmet attributes were burnt into your body?”

Chittering noise was coming back, he was uncloaking. I have to admit it was pretty cool to see that happening to an equine structure.

Freddie gave me a nod after he fully uncloaked and opened his eyes, “Pretty cool isn’t it?”

He gave me an expectant look after a smug grin.

*Light bulb*, “Oh right, sorry, heh heh.”

I get off my bed and I spread my wings.

“I thought those were fake,” Freddie looked with a deadpanned expression.

“No?” I tilted my head in confusion.

“I,” he hesitated, “I was lied too.”

“By who?” I wasn’t going to pry

“Never mind about that,” oh well, “What can you do with those?”

“I can morph’em,” I said with a bit of pride puffing my chest out.

“Seriously?” his eyes widened, “That’s fucking awesome!”

“I can also engulf these with fire-”

“Thus your name and mark?” he glanced at my ass again, he was starting to turn it into a stare.

“HA! GAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!” praise Dr. Chang.

Freddie rolled his electric eyes at my laughter.

“I haven’t figured out how to fully control it,” I hung my head in shame.

“Okay,” he nodded with understanding, “What else?”

“Telekinesis,” I spotted his horn, his mangled horn I was not going to ask why, “Aren’t you able to do it too? You have a horn. A rather holy horn.”

“Don’t ask,” he dismissed with a hoof, “Let’s see what’cha got.”

I spotted a convenient flower vase and decided to demonstrate with that.

Lifting was a bit harder; maybe because I almost died and I’m pretty much tired, but not too tired to walk and start kicking again.

“Ta-da,” I chuckled at my antics with trying to balance that vase in my telekinetic grip that was clumsy due to the lack of energy.

“Put it down,” Freddie said cautiously, “You seem tired.”

“No shit,” I set it down, “Hey, since we’re both pretty much fine, you want to walk around this place freaking out the hospital?”

“With our transformations with these lines on us?”

I look at my self and look for a mirror... The lines still there, I was noticing a pattern besides it lining our limbs, there was a perpendicular line cutting through the middle of the lines at each limb like it was also lining our knees. I noticed this same pattern on Freddie.

“We look so badass,” I sighed with satisfaction.

“You got black lines over your concrete grey coat, I got white lines over my black exoskeleton. Yeah, we’re the best,” Freddie chuckled at the same satisfaction he was probably feeling.

I really hope he doesn’t hope to get back to Earth. There’s nothing left for us to save there...

“On second thought, I feel like laying down,” I said tiredly.

“Why?” he asked, “We can walk, we can talk, we can do what we do best!”

“And what is that?”

“Being awesome,” I groaned in annoyance.

“Don’t you dare say that again, I never hear the end of it from Skittles,”

“You call’er skittles too?!” he beamed with excitement, “High five!”

It was an awkward moment... We had hooves.

“Bro fist?” he asked sheepishly.

“BROHOOF YOU DAMNED MORON,” I laughed my ass off as we followed through with our first bro hooves of our lives, it was going to be a good day.

“Hey, you know what’s crazy?”

“What?”

“How fucking flexible these legs are,” he started demonstrating how they WERE almost as flexible as our arms, “And it seems there is a joint here before the hoof.”

I look at my own forelegs after laying on the bed, “Huh, looks like we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

I take a glance at Freddie, who was throwing a disappointed look at me, “Too late?”

“Too late,” he started his way to the door, “I’ll be back, I’ve got some shit to do.”

“Which is?”

“Stuff, Ondra,” he narrowed his eyes, “THINGS!”

I chuckle at his antics, “Don’t die out there.”

“We’re in a hospital, what could go wrong?” way to jinx it you dumbass, “don’t worry, Ryman, I’ll be fine.”

For everyone’s sake, you better.

I chuckle at the realization that this was Freddie I was talking about.

"You always were the crazy bastard of the group, Tanny being right next to you," I mumbled to myself.