Midnight Parallel

The foursome galloped through the Everfree Forest and, having already checked the rest of Ponyville, was hoping to find some trace of where Discord went when they stumbled upon a lake. This would not have been worth even remembering, except for the fact that it was made entirely out of chocolate milk. “Wow!” Sunset said, impressed. “Her powers have really improved since I last saw her. She was just a filly then, but she was already a handful.” She then remembered who else was with her. “We must be getting close. This is Screwy’s playground, I should know, I helped her create it.” She walked towards a tree on the far corner, pulling on a couple branches with her magic. “I had her install a magic tracker in this tree so I could keep an eye on her and whoever else she was with.”

“How will that help us?” Celestia asked, looking confused.

“It means that we shall be able to track Discord with his magic.” Luna said, with an exasperated expression and a facehoof.

“Oh, right.”

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Midnight asked, reaching for one of the big red buttons. “Press the button and get on with it.”

“That’s the problem. We may not be able to track him. This machine is very old and may not function properly.”

“But, it’s worth a shot right? I mean, it’s not like we have another option.”

“I guess…” Sunset said, turning around and pressing the “on” switch. The machine hummed to life, and with a sound not unlike the Looney Toons opening theme, it booted up.

“Are you sure this will work?” Luna said, glancing at Celelstia in concern. “How far of a range does it actually have?”

“Well, from what I can tell, the range goes a little bit beyond the Eternity’s Crossing. So it should cover all of Equestria with ease.”

Luna glanced at Celestia and, with a nod, converged on the two unicorns. “Sorry, but we can’t let that happen.” They shot a double laser at the duo and, as Sunset threw herself and Midnight to the side, they hit the machine, thoroughly reducing it to a puddle of metal and wires.

“What are you doing?! We needed that!”

“Yes, well our Queen needed the exact opposite.”

“Queen? The only Queen I know of is…” The unicorns shouted in unison. “Elizabeth!” “Chrysalis!” They looked at each other in confusion.

“Then that mean that you’re…” The changelings transformed as Sunset finished her sentence. “Changelings!” They grinned and charged, Celestia galloping towards Sunset and Luna towards Midnight. Reading their opponents minds, they quickly transformed into the most beloved person they could find.

When Sunset looked up, she found a Flash Sentry pony galloping towards her. She quickly dodged out of the way, firing a flaming laser towards him at the same time. Midnight had a different problem though. The Changeling stood up, towering over Midnight as she suddenly realized just who she was impersonating, simply looked at Midnight and, with a wink and a grin, charged towards the other changeling to help with Sunset. Midnight had no idea what to do. As the two changelings flew off, they changed out of their ruined forms, gaining sleek new bodies in the process. “What do you think made them leave in such a hurry?” Sunset said, trotting towards Midnight.

“I’m not sure…”

“At least we’re still alive.”

“What were those things anyway?”

“Changelings. We don’t have them on Earth, at least not anymore. They’re evil, malevolent creatures with the ability to shape shift into the person you love the most.”

“So… who was that blue haired colt you were fighting with?”

Sunset sighed, glancing dejectedly and the ground. “He was a guy I had a slight crush on back at Canterlot High. I had thought I was over him, but I guess I’m not.”

“So, why don’t you get back together with him?”

“Because this world’s Twilight is his new girlfriend.”

“Ah. So that’s why he was acting like me and him were an Item.”

“Yeah, in any case, who did you get?”

“I don’t know, some pony with a black and green shell, holes in her legs; green, stringy hair and wings like a fly.”

“Bu… Bu… but that’s… You just described Queen Chrysalis in perfect detail! How did you do that? You’ve never even met her before!” Sunset narrowed her eyes and slowly backed away. “Unless… you aren’t Twilight.”

“What!”

“It all makes sense! You have the ability to change the color of your fur. Have you ever done more than that?”

“No! I don’t know what you’re talking about! I fell through a portal and ended up here. I had no idea what a Changeling was until you told me! How could I possibly be one?!”

“Fine, then prove you’re not one.”

“How?”

“Who is the person you love most?”

“Queen Chry… I mean Mom and Shining Armor.”

“Hah! I knew it. You were about to say Queen Chrysalis! I knew it! You’re a Changeling!”

“No way! If I’m a Changeling, then I should be able to transform right? I’ll prove you wrong right now!” Midnight focused and, in a flash of purple flame, she transformed into a purple Changeling, with one exception. She had no wings and a purple horn with fewer holes than normal.

“I knew it! You’re a Changeling!” The reality of that sentence sank in. “You’re a Changeling.” She sat down and started to sob. “What do I do now?” She said looking up as Midnight ran around the lake, screaming and trying to figure out how she was a Changeling. “SHUT THE BUCK UP!!!” She screamed at Midnight, instantly freezing her with her magic. “Why are you screaming? You knew about this the whole time!”

“No! I never knew about this! And now I’m some hideous creature with a purple shell and a weird purple star on my butt!”

“Wait. A purple Star?”

“Yeah! Why does it matter?!”

“Because that means that you are telling the truth.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you somehow came across a sample of Changeling DNA. Remember Chemistry class? They taught how if you combine to pieces of DNA, it creates an entirely new strand. That and some magic created a new species. Don’t you see? You are the first of your kind. A combination of Unicorn and Changeling.”

“What!”

“You are a Unicorn with the powers of a Changeling!”

“But, where did I get these powers?”

Sunset gasped and spun around, having paced all the way around the lake. “The portal!”