Chainwings Adventure

Chapter 2

An Unlikely Friendship

Chainwings POV

"Wait up! You're running the wrong way-" I shouted then immediately shut up and ran after Scootaloo hearing the roar again but getting closer, it may have been the wrong way but as if I would just sit around and wait to get eaten by a lion.

I seemed to be much, much faster than Scootaloo, and she didn't want to get left behind. So I used my magic to levitate Scootaloo onto my back without warning, I heard Scootaloo let out a whimper of sadness but I wanted to keep my train of thought on just trying to escape.

Next thing I knew a large shadow flew overhead and landed in front of me. I halted to a stop seeing it wasn't some ordinary lion chasing us, because then that would be fair. No, it was a lion that had two dragon wings sprouting out from its back and the tail of a scorpion.

"Chainwing… Don't… Make any… Sudden movements…" Scootaloo said letting out a scared gasp for air with every word, I could feel her pressing her hooves against the back of my head using me like a shield.

The lion-like creature snarled slightly and began to walk closer and closer, I took a step back with every step the lion took forwards. Its dragon wings flapped for a moment. Trying to either intimidate me, which was working. Or it was trying to let us know we were in its territory, which was a more likely option.

The lion roared in my general direction and I would have been flying the heck out of there if I didn't have a pony on my back weighing me down. But before I could respond I heard what sounded like a chicken mixed with a dragon roar back from behind me. I realized I was in the middle of two creatures that where likely very lethal.

"G-g-great… S-s-stuck between… A Manticore… And a Cockatrice… On the back… Of a Changeling…" Scootaloo muttered and leaching herself to the back of my head. Cockatrice… And Manticore? Two names I never heard of when looking into the history of Equestria, actually kind of strange how they weren't mentioned seeing as how the Manticore at least looks to be a deadly threat.

I felt like the world around me was going insane, the Manticore pointed its head to the right, assuming it was signaling for me and Scootaloo to flee. I ran in the direction the Manticore pointed, I could hear Scootaloo begin to cry. I looked back to see that Scootaloo hind legs had been turned to stone!

"Scootaloo what the heck happened!" I shouted twisting my head so I was facing Scootaloo, it did hurt my neck but my pain was the least of my worries right now.

"I… I looked into the Cockatrices eyes… I… I…" Scootaloo sobbed putting a hoof to one of her stone legs "it feels like my legs have been cut off!" Scootaloo screeched making my heart feel like it was breaking, she was just a little pony! She shouldn't have to feel what it's like to lose a limb at such a young age, actually nothing should have to feel what it's like to lose a limb at all, no matter the age!

"Is there any way to undo this Scootaloo?" I asked as I felt tears in my eyes, I partially felt like it was my fault Scootaloo's legs where stone.

Scootaloo seemed to struggle to get out any feasible words, but after us both hearing the lion let out a scream of pain she managed to speak again "I… If the cockatrice is intimidated… I saw Fluttershy reverse its effects by intimidating it with her stare…" Scootaloo said wiping away her tears. Wait! Was that Manticore thing trying to save Scootaloo! I pondered my choices for a moment, I tried to think up a strategy intimidating the Cockatrice.

I had realized something… The books inside the hive library, which held books that had been stolen from ponies. I remember reading a book on the monsters of Equestria, but it only told of creatures that where harmful to Changelings, the Manticore seemed to be passive unless threatened, but it didn't make sense for a Cockatrice to not be in the books in the hive library! Unless, it's stone vision didn't actually affect Changeling…

"Scootaloo…" I asked.

"Y-yes…"

"Have there ever been a stone Changeling found that was turned to stone by a Cockatrice…" I asked with a hopeful tone.

"No… But… Changeling where only discovered to exist when the Changeling went and attacked Canterlot during the wedding of Princess Cadence and Shinning Armor" Scootaloo replied making my eyes go wide.

Both from realizing the battle took place on a wedding, talk about wedding crashers. And secondly that there was I chance I wouldn't be turned to stone. I turned my head away from Scootaloo and smiled.

"Scootaloo, I am going to need you to shut your eyes tight as you can. I have a plan" I said running back to where the Manticore and Cockatrice where still fighting.

I had to hope Scootaloo had shut her eyes like I asked because she went almost silent, part from the breath of air she took every now and again. I walked up just at the right moment to see the Cockatrice turn the Manticore to stone after the Manticore let its guard down. And what do you know, it is just a dragon chicken.

The cockatrice spread its wings and roared at me, it had red glowing eyes and the head of a chicken, the rest looked to be a green dragon without arms. Its red glowing eyes stared right into me. And I didn't feel any different, I looked myself over and saw I was perfectly fine, I made a wide grin, that was half smug and half joyful.

The Cockatrice had more tricks than just stone vision thought, it charged at me at attempted to claw at me, but I grabbed it with my levitation and began to laugh out loud at the sight. This was the creature that could turn others to stone? Without its stone vision it's just as effective as a chicken.

I starred the Cockatrice right in its red eyes and forced my lips to rise revealing my sharp teeth, I would easily intimidate the Cockatrice, but this was going down too easily… Something wasn't right.

"Undo all the creatures you turned to stone… Or else… I eat a Chicken tonight!" I said leaning forward towards the Cockatrice, for some reason Scootaloo didn't seem to like the thought of me eating a chicken, typical herbivore…

The Cockatrices eyes began to glow bright red, I looked to the Manticore as the stone broke away from the Manticore and it looked to me as if I was a superior being, I felt suddenly lighter as Scootaloo's stone hind legs had been reverted back to normal.

"Now… Get lost before I decide to feed you to the Manticore" I said intimidating the Cockatrice to the point where the moment I released my telekinetic grip it flew off without another thought.

Scootaloo squeezed my neck tight as she could as she repeated the phrase "thank you!" Possibly five hundred times in a row, it got a little hard to breath but I just took the sign of gratitude regardless.

The Manticore roared once but not as menacingly as before as it flew off into the sunny sky, it was almost like a "thank you" in roar form. But something didn't feel right, like I stated before, I had just intimidated a Cockatrice and stood before a Manticore. And nothing bad happened to me, it was a major stroke of good fortune. I actually didn't believe I was in reality for a brief moment.

But bad luck quickly fell down upon me as dark storm clouds formed overhead, something I never saw before. Little pellets of water fell down from the sky and smacked against my face making me run to a tree where none of the water seemed to hit me while under.

Scootaloo had gotten off my back and was laughing so hard at me, un-phased by the pellets of water hitting her.

"Have you never seen rain before or something?" Scootaloo asked then proceeded to laugh.

"No… No I haven't…" I retorted with a stern expression, well at least Scootaloo wasn't crying now.

"It won't hurt you, it's just water" Scootaloo said stating the obvious, but she was just a kid so I could let it slide.

"Let's just get you back to your home in Ponyville" I said walking out into the rain, and I won't lie, it was really nice, the 'rain' was nice and cold against my hard exoskeleton.

"Which way…" Scootaloo replied, I flew up into the air and saw Ponyville was not only in the sun, but it was even further away "Too damn far…" I replied back as I hovered back down.

"Say… Why can't you just fly back to Ponyville…?" I asked seeing her wings which she hadn't even attempted to use.

"I… Can't exactly fly yet…" Scootaloo said cringing slightly, getting bad memories by her expression.

I felt my eye twitch as I looked to my whole filled wings, then to Scootaloo's wings "really? You can't fly yet I can? Have you seen my wings?" I said in a dead panned tone.

Scootaloo's eyes narrowed to the point they looked like just two black dots, but didn't seem to have a response "how… How… How are you even able to fly…?" Scootaloo questioned turning to her own wings, the symbol on her flanks looked to be a purple shield… How had I not noticed it before? Purple image on orange background, your eyes will be drawn to the purple right? Well why I didn't noticed it is beyond me.

"I just make my wings flap incredibly fast until I hover… But that isn't how ponies fly…" I said hitting myself in the face as Scootaloo attempted to fly like I did. She did stay in the air for possibly two seconds, but that's it.

The rain falling down at the same time as Scootaloo's attempt to fly made her into a living sprinkler shooting water in seemingly every direction. Scootaloo began to shiver, the rain was becoming freezing cold! "We need to either find, or make a shelter" I thought, and by Scootaloo's look she had the same idea.

Scootaloo's POV

"That cave I had hid inside to escape the Timberwolf, which should be a good place to stay until the rain dies down right?" I replied to Chainwing within a second of him asking me about finding or making a shelter.

The changeling looked to like that idea a lot more than having to build one, without asking me he levitated me onto his back. I wasn't in the mood to argue with being carried around however, I just wanted to get out of the rain.

I still couldn't get over the fact I was becoming friends with a Changeling! My friends and everypony else may not be so welcoming towards a Changeling... But he wasn't like anything Rainbow Dash had told me Changelings to be like in slightest.

Plus the little fact he can look a Cockatrice in the eyes in not be turned to stone! How awesome is that? Fluttershy had done something like what Chainwing did but she was slowly being turned to stone, Chainwing? Nope, not at all.

After a little bit of back tracking we managed to find the cave again, Chainwing walked inside to the darker part of the cave as I jumped off his back and shook all the water off my fur coat. Getting Chainwing twice as soaked in the process by accident. The sound of the rain constantly hitting the entrance of the cave was emitting a small annoying echo, but I got used to it after a while.

Chainwing didn't seem to be annoyed by it either, he levitated out the map he had and sat down to his haunches then he lit his horn up with light and stared at it like he was trying to figure something out. I scooted over besides him to see what he was doing.

"It would make more sense to just go to Fillydelphia… We appear to practically a small trot away" Chainwing said pointing to Fillydelphia but before I could respond he added "also… What's with all these lines on the map? Are those actual landmarks?" Chainwing asked, his normal echoing Changeling voice echoing even more due to the cave, Chainwing was likely referring to the train tracks, and I assumed he wasn't too familiar with them.

"No, they are called train tracks, wait… Is there a train station in Fillydelphia? That's great! We can just hitch a ride on that-" I said quickly clamping my mouth shut remembering what ponies in Fillydelphia were said to do to unsuspecting Changelings who wandered into their town.

"What's wrong?" Chainwing asked turning to face me.

"Chainwing… It's… It's just that ponies in Fillydelphia… Will tie changeling up and… Hang them by the neck… Killing them" I said and with every word watched, as Chainwings white pupils narrow until they looked like just two white dots.

Chainwings POV

"It's just a rumor Chainwing, don't worry. If they even think about hurting you ill knock some sense into them" Scootaloo said quickly… Trying to reassure me…

I looked to Fillydelphia on the map… I took a careful look at the town drawn on the map… And, and what I noticed made my heart stop. A guillotine… Off on a hill under a tree, the image was no bigger than a leaf from a newly planted tree, but it was still there none the less. I pointed my horn to the guillotine and Scootaloo's face went grim.

"Is… Is that what I think it is? No, it can't be!" Scootaloo said in alarm.

"It's a guillotine… Something much worse than just being choked to death… Being beheaded" I replied in a grim voice as I realized Scootaloo was just a child and shouldn't have known of such a device. I made a small smile then added "or… Maybe it's just my imagination going haywire" and with that Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief.

"I sure hope so, far as I can tell Changelings seem to be rather nice, and… Mostly silent" Scootaloo said with a smile.

I realized I didn't actually speak aloud too often, and Scootaloo would almost always speak aloud. Before I could say something in response I heard what sounded like a low growl very near me.

I jumped up and onto my hooves and looked around rapidly for what made the growl, I didn't even have to ask what it was "Chainwing, it's just my stomach grumbling" Scootaloo said with a sheepish grin making me feel stupid.

"Oh, so… What do ponies eat? Exactly?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Generally fruits and vegetables" Scootaloo replied then looking to the entrance "and I doubt we will find any of that out here in the everfree…" Scootaloo added putting a hoof to her stomach. Making me really have to consider my options.

I would either have to hope Scootaloo doesn't starve to death on the way back to Ponyville, which looked like it would be a long painful trip if we didn't go to Fillydelphia and take the train. Or I could put myself in danger by going to Fillydelphia and getting on the train with Scootaloo where food would hopefully be, so… I would have to disguise myself as a pony and hope no pony notices two of the same pony in one area.

"Let Scootaloo die because I am a coward… Or possibly die trying to get Scootaloo to safety… Do you even need to think about it" I felt my consciousness in the form of a smaller version of me said in my head. My little Changeling if you will.

"Alright… So it's off to Fillydelphia then as soon as the rain dies down" I said aloud to Scootaloo, a both grim and joyful expression seemed to take place at the same time.

"Chainwing no! What if they find out you're a Changeling, and that those rumors are true!" Scootaloo said, almost begging for us not to go there.

"It will be fine Scootaloo, I am sure it's just some false rumor and besides, I am a good fighter after all-" I said stopping myself from speaking as I saw a spider descend from the ceiling from a piece of web no more than an inch away from my face.

Now here's the thing… Spiders are known to eat flies and other incest's, I am in essence, a huge insect horse… I am terrified of spiders because they eat insects that I am loosely related to! That and they look like an abomination of nature that shouldn't exist, and having a spider so close to my face will likely make me have constant nightmares for the next few days… Hooray…

I felt my leg muscles tense up and not allow me to move away. I let out a scared shout as I fell to my side as my legs that had tensed up began to sting and hurt with every movement I made. Scootaloo began to laugh uncontrollably at the sight, likely not realizing how painful this was for me.

But I would have laughed too, I mean, a creature nearly eight times the size of a spider falling to the ground and screaming like it was something out of a nightmare, which… It kinda was.

The laughter Scootaloo was letting out was slowly numbing the pain, love is like food, and laughter is… Adrenalin? Strength? Power? It was something good, and the pulsing pain in my legs quickly began to stop. I teleported myself behind Scootaloo out of pure instinct, she was a pony. And spiders can't eat ponies… Right!?

"Chainwing, don't tell me your afraid of some little spider" Scootaloo said turning her head to me then began to laugh again.

"No… I am afraid of a nightmarish abomination of nature, aka a spider! Wouldn't you be scared too if it was commonly known to eat relatives of yours!" I said and I saw the spider even began to laugh, the freaking spider! How does that even work?!

Me and Scootaloo sat for a while after the spider ran off, and watched the rain fall down sheets of water, eventually Scootaloo piped up "so… Have you ever met ponies before you met me?" Scootaloo asked in a curious tone.

"Well… Yes and no, does 'fighting' count as meeting them? Because if so then I met exactly six ponies before." I said getting a painful short flashback of the six ponies, the bearers of the elements, beating me and multiple other Changeling to a pulp.

"Oh… What did they look like?" Scootaloo asked in a concerned tone.

"One was a purple unicorn with a dark purple mane and light purple strand of hair running through it. Another was an earthpony with an orange fur coat and light yellow mane and tail, had a red rope tied around the end of her tail though." I said describing two of the six ponies to Scootaloo, and already I saw her eyes go wide with recondition.

"Another was a white unicorn with a dark blue beautiful mane. Another was a pink earthpony with a darker pink curly mane and tail, also the pony who shot me in the face with a barrel full of confetti." I said and Scootaloo leaned her head back. I wouldn't like what she would have to say once I finished I just knew it.

"Another was a yellow coated Pegasus with a long pink mane… And… A terrifying stare" I said then cringed at the thought of the Pegasus's stare.

"And finally the last pony was a Pegasus pony with a cyan fur coat, and all the colors of the rainbow in her mane and tail" I said then added "all of which female… Haven't seen one male pony yet actually, are they rare or something?"

Scootaloo's eyes wide and her pupils narrow as she spoke "The first was Twilight Sparkle, who now has wings since she became an alicorn princess. The second was Apple Jack, Apple Blooms big sister. The third was Rarity, Sweetie belle's big sister. The fourth was Pinkie Pie, and you are lucky she was just using confetti. The fifth was Fluttershy, and the sixth… Was Rainbow Dash, the closest thing to a big sister I have" Scootaloo finished and then took a moment to breath.

So now I knew the names of the bearers of the elements… Also, the fact a pony who I had once looked to as an enemy, was the essential sister of the pony I swore to protect… Just my luck I guess. But if the situation where to come to it, and I would be face to face with the six ponies… Would any hold a grudge on me due to the whole Canterlot battle thing?

"Scootaloo… You know all their names… Are they all your friends?" I asked as my ears perked upwards.

"Yep, I know all of them, each are really good friends" Scootaloo responded, but something didn't honestly add up.

So I asked Scootaloo "Good friends? Well if they are such good friends why did you run away the moment they figure out you're an orphan, I mean, did they act surprised, did they make fun of you, what did they do in order to trigger you to run off nearly seven miles from what it looks like." I asked and Scootaloo turned her head away for a moment.

"They were surprised, but I didn't want them to know… I didn't want to chance them making fun of me… Bad enough I can't fly" Scootaloo said hiding her expression from me.

"But… I really shouldn't have just ran off at the drop of a hat… It was foolish of me to run off… They are probably going to be mad that I made them all so worried, if they are worried at all" Scootaloo said turning back to me, crying like her tone had suggested.

"I am sure they won't be mad Scootaloo, and if they are. How about I knock some sense into them" I said re-saying what Scootaloo said earlier. Scootaloo wiped away her tears than… She gave me a hug and said with a wide smile "thanks… I really hope all the Changelings are like you, Chainwing" Scootaloo actually did it, she made me cry slightly from joy.

I quickly wiped the water from my eyes as I used my magic to fold the map back up and tucked it back into my left hind leg as I noticed the rain began to die down. Only to hear the thundering roar of what seemed to be three dragons very close, I felt Scootaloo latch herself my left foreleg.

"C-can we... M-maybe go now? Or… Or after the dragons pass…" Scootaloo said as her ears slowly drooped down.

I nodded in agreement unable to make any feasible sounds as I felt a cold shiver down my spine as I spotted three dragons in varying size land a short distance away from the cave we hid inside, they each let out a blast of fiery breath at a seemingly random bush, the sound of a dying Cockatrice echoed the sound of the dragons breathing their fire.

My heart stopped as one of the three dragons, a tall muscular dragon with red scales crooked teeth, decently sized wings and a yellow under belly which looked more like armor than a stomach. Turned to me and Scootaloo and made a large smile followed the other two dragons turning to face us.

One of the two other dragons was 'larger' in body size, dark brown scales, had tiny wings, but a tail like a mace and a somewhat big jaw, and no under belly color. The other third dragon was skinny with dark purple scales a yellow hair do that covered his eyes, and a yellow under belly.

"Get behind me now…" I muttered to Scootaloo who let go of my front foreleg and hid right behind me and said "We… We need Rainbow Dash… She could defend both of us easily…" Scootaloo sobbed making my heart break. Did Scootaloo not think I could defend her? Or was it a case of Scootaloo not wanting me to get hurt?

The dragon began to walk closer until they were just outside the entrance "lookie, lookie what we got here fellas' a Changeling for the main course, and a little baby pony for desert!" The red scaled dragon said with a wicked smile.

I felt a surge of anger rush through me as the three dragons began to taunt us, their pray "look, the baby one is crying! What a wimp" the dark brown coated dragon said pointing a claw to Scootaloo.

I noticed the dragon with red scales expression turn to one of annoyance when the purple scaled dragon chimed in "Maybe since it's so young, the meat will be tender and sweet, and look at those little wings! So cute I just want to swallow it whole."

I felt my heart twist into a knot then beat faster than before when I heard Scootaloo shout in an almost threatening tone "C-Chainwing and Rainbow Dash would, no they will tear you part if y-you even try!" And she was right, I wasn't about to go down without a fight. I would protect Scootaloo even if it meant I would die in the process.

I remembered something, a possible reason for the dragons to not just attack at random. The dragons honor, something no dragon would be able to break. Killing and eating two creatures that never fought back would be a disgrace on their dragon honor, so they were trying to get me or Scootaloo mad enough so we would attack them, then they could just light the cave a-blaze with their fire breath.

So long as I nor Scootaloo don't attack they wouldn't be able to kill us whilst keeping their honor. But they did burn a defenseless Cockatrice alive earlier so they possibly don't care for honor and where just toying with us.

I levitated Scootaloo onto my back as I saw a streak of rainbow light shoot across the sky, it distracted the three dragons long enough for me to run right past them. It may have been a stupid choice but it beats being dragon food.

I could feel intense heat following my ever step, I whipped my head around to see a wall of fire no more than a hairs distance away from my tail, I quickly turned my head to where I could see tall buildings, Fillydelphia I assumed! I hoped the dragons would give up chasing us before we got to the city… Or inside they had some powerful weapon or trap that could stop three rampaging dragons.