Twilight

“That was a close one I'm really glad we managed to get to him in time and I'm also so glad you decided to help out” said Twilight while turning to face the nurse that decided to be the one to help the changeling even though the other nurses and doctors didn’t want to help him. The mare in question who goes by the name of nurse Redheart nodded to Twilight and said “Yes I'm definitely glad you allowed me to help despite me being a nurse and not a doctor in fact I'm sort of disappointed in my colleges even though he is a changeling they are still a pony in need”

Twilight smiled at the nurse and turn her head back to the notes she was taking of the changeling. Twilight then went over her notes making sure that everything is at its place until she quickly looked away blushing greatly at the last bit of her notes considering they were about a certain anatomy part but she couldn’t lose her chance on learning anything about the changelings including their physiology and a bit of their biology. Her thoughts were completely interrupted when the nurse asked Twilight a simple question.

“Twilight have you noticed that the changeling has a scar over its left eye” after hearing that she turned over to look at the changeling only now noticing that there was a long thin scar over the changeling’s eye and it doesn't seem to break off at the eyelid since the scar seems to go straight over it. Perplexed and surprised that she missed that she quickly responded “No I haven't seen a scar over that changeling’s eye until you pointed it out though. Strange it seems to have been there for quite a while...kind of makes me wonder what happened to him” Twilight also thought ‘I also wonder how he was able to use that eye since the scar indicated that he was stabbed right there but yet when I looked at him he was staring at me in fear with both of his eyes opened and working perfectly fine’ Twilight examined the scar one last time and decided to put it down in her notes on the changeling's appearance and she decided to try and do a magical analization next so she knows what a changeling’s magic looks like since it offers the ability to transform them into other creatures in such a perfect mimic that you wouldn’t be able tell them apart of the original by looks only.

Twilight then shuddered remembering how eerily Chrysalis looked so easily like cadence but couldn’t act like her which helped Twilight in figuring out the imposter. She looked over to the nurse and asked “Nurse Redheart can you help me scan the Changelings inner magic” The mare nodded saying “Certainly just let me hook the changeling up to the machine first so that way if he has any negative reactions to magic scans we would immediately know”

After a while hooking up the changeling to the thaumatic tracer and the heartbeat monitor Twilight went to straight to work powering up a scanning spell that would be able to give her a feel on how the changelings magic works and with the added bonus of a memory spell in order to show her exactly how the changeling uses his magic but when she cast it over the changeling she felt her spell hit a sudden wall of magic so intense that it made her flinch in pain at the 'impact' but what was causing her ever growing headache was what the spell was scanning and apparently the wall of magic seemed to originate from the changelings necklace and charms but the enchantment felt wrong and the runes look like they were made in a different alphabet. Twilight dissipated the spell noticing that nurse Redheart is looking at her in concern and Twilight said “I'm fine Redheart. I just hit some sort of mental wall that blocked off my scan and it seemed to originate from his necklace and charms is it ok if we remove them?” The nurse looked over the changeling and nodded saying “Sure but we should put it back on him as soon as we're done. Judging by how clean these charms are especially that purple orb one with his cutie mark on it I would think he would prefer to keep it with him at all times.”

Twilight then tried to move it with her magic and was surprised that she couldn’t move it at all. After a few tries she decided to simply grab it with her hoof and remove it herself but upon doing so the thaumatic tracer started going haywire and the numbers that indicated the changelings magic started going crazy as each number was going up or down but not affecting the other numbers that were also doing it but what really scared both Twilight and nurse Redheart was that the heart monitor sensing shadows heart rate started dropping, Twilight then put the necklace back on the changeling as fast as she could but with a bit of trouble since she was so used to using her magic to do it for her while Redheart was getting a crash cart over to the changeling.

When Twilight managed to put the necklace back on, the thaumatic levels started going normal again after a small bit of time but the changelings heart rate was still lowering and nurse Redheart soon came in with a crash cart started its charge and yelled clear before giving the changelings heart a small jump start. After all that the heart monitor was getting a steady beat causing both mares to quickly sigh with relief then the nurse turned to Twilight and said quickly fear evident in her voice “Twilight I think we're a bit out of our league with this changeling do you think you can get a doctor from Canterlot over here” Twilight nodded and said “I actually contacted princess Celestia as soon as I got both the changeling and the guards out of the cave in letting her know what happened she sent a letter back telling me that she was soon coming, maybe she know what just happened” Twilight then looked at the changeling with a sense of apprehension and thought ‘I hope princess Celestia knows what happened because if I'm right the changeling is using that necklace to keep both his magic in check AND keep his heart rate from lowering so far he would die’ She then looked back over to nurse Redheart and said “One thing is clear about this and it's that we shouldn’t remove that necklace. I'm going to have to put this down in my notes as well considering this could be normal for a changeling” the nurse nodded silently in agreement and continued checking the changelings vitals several more times before calming down completely and relax a bit but it was obvious she was still worried about the changeling.

Celestia

Several hours has passed and Twilight was just about to finish her notes before the door to the room opened revealing Celestia and two solar guards whom took places in the corner of the room. Brightening up Twilight rushed over to her mentor saying “Princess Celestia it's good to see you” she quickly gave her old mentor a hug which she also returned in kind and said “It's great to see you to Twilight but do you still have to call me princess even though you're basically my equal” Twilight then quickly cringed before quickly saying “Sorry Celestia old habits tend to die hard.” Celestia then looked over and seeing the only nurse who was taking care of the changeling bowing down to her and she head over to her and said with a smile “No need for formalities nurse Redheart but could you tell me how is the changeling doing”

The nurse quickly got up and nodded and said “The changeling is simply in a magically induced coma and it will be a while before he wakes up but recently me and Twilight had a small scare when we removed the necklace he was wearing, both his magic started going crazy and his heart rate started to drop to dangerous levels. While Twilight had to put the necklace back on the changeling, I had to get the crash cart to jumpstart the changelings heart rate since it was still falling down rapidly, other than that the changeling has been sleeping peacefully for the past hours” Upon hearing that the princess quickly looked over to the changeling worry clear in her eyes. ‘I hope the changeling is alright even if my ponies believe they're nothing but evil which hurts my heart they would think that but still that changeling almost died’ the princess then turn to look over her old student and said “Twilight you mentioned in your letter that Scootaloo was there when you captured the changeling and she apparently knew him for a while. Did you managed to talk with Scootaloo about who he is” Celestia noticed that Twilight wilted a bit and quickly said “Sorry after I managed to send Scootaloo to my home I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her after the incident. If you like I can bring you to her right now and we can all ask her a few questions. Celestia thought it over and seeing how the changeling was probably not going to speak to her or Twilight she decided to accept the offer by saying “Certainly I do have a few questions to ask her but I think I can spare enough time to ask them to her. It might help shed in some light to how the changeling will react when he wakes up from his coma” Twilight nodded and teleported both her and Celestia over to the castle leaving nurse Redheart behind whom was very curious about the 'cracks' in the changelings chitin which were glowing dully right now. She ran her hoof on one of the 'cracks' and said “weird they don’t act like cracks in fact it feels like they are literally a part of the changelings exoskeleton what do you think Twilight” the nurse turned around into a empty room of nothing but medical supplies and a crash cart. She looked around again before saying again in confusion “Twilight”

They we're in the Twilights castle after a quick teleport spell from Twilight and while wandering in the halls of Twilight's crystal castle they managed to bump into captain Fast Shot whom asked where Twilight was going and she told him she was going to go talk with Scootaloo right now and Fast asked if he could accompany them since he would like to know a bit about the changeling in the hospital that saved some of his guards from the cave in. Twilight agreed and all three of them were now outside the door to the guest bedroom and when they opened the door they saw Scootaloo hanging off the bed looking at them upside down with a surprised expression before quickly getting up and getting off the bed and quickly saying in a cheerful voice “Hey Twilight. Hey Celestia. How are you all doing” The princess answered first and said “Twilight and I are doing fine today and how about you Scootaloo” Scootaloo responded and said “I’m doing okay though I've been a bit bored as of lately but I have to ask, Twilight am I in big trouble for not telling you about shadow”

Twilight was about respond but the princess beat her to it by saying “No you're not in trouble Scootaloo but I have to ask who is shadow” Scootaloo soon responded by saying “Shadow is the changeling you both brought to Ponyville hospital, though he told me his full name which is Shadow Light” Scootaloo then looked down with a grim expression on her face and she said “Say is Shadow ok, I had heard about the cave in through some of the guards and I just want to know if he and the guards are ok. Captain Fast shot nodded and reassured Scootaloo by saying “The guards are alright in fact shadow cast a shield over the boulders that were falling on them and buying them enough time to get to a area that wasn’t caving in while one guards teleported shadow to that safety area but the amount of magic had caused a big toll on shadow causing him to go into a magically induced coma but he is alright and sleeping peacefully right now.” Scootaloo nodded real quick brightening up a small bit knowing that shadow is alright but not a lot since he is still in the hospital. Fast decided to quickly ask a question and he asked “Scootaloo mind telling me how shadow normally acts”

Scootaloo nodded and said “Shadow tends to be defensive with every pony he doesn't know and especially if it involves with his friends but other then that he can be a very nice pony to talk to though he can be a bit overwhelmed at times especially when he is working on a big project and he needs absolute concentration, he told me why he acts that way but I don’t remember how to pronounce it though and he made me promise not to tell anypony what it is except that he was born that way, other then that he is a nice friend to have.” Celestia noticed Twilight writing something down on some notes that she took with her after while also muttering “Could have a possibility in receiving Autism from his parents” And she quickly asked “Scootaloo do you think you could tell us when you met shadow” she quickly nodded and said “sure I don’t mind it happened several weeks ago while I was heading over to Zecora's and see if Applebloom was available today…"

Several weeks ago
In a evil forest somewhere
Scootaloo

‘Alright all I have to do is get to Zecora's by taking this path and take a left at the fork in the path that sounds easy to remember’ thought Scootaloo while staring at the entrance of the Everfree. Ever since the Canterlot wedding incident she had notice that the forest seemed a lot more calmer as of lately and to the point where she and the crusaders have been able to go through it safely and without a hitch now, normally she would go through without a care in the world if it wasn’t for the fact that rumors had started up that the changelings are still at large ready to stri…*snap* snapping out of her thoughts she quickly turned towards where she heard a noise and quickly noticed a bush was shaking. Realizing there was something in the bushes she screamed and started galloping away and into the Everfree. Unbeknownst to her the creature who was in the bushes was actually a bunny that seemed to be lost, looking in the direction the pony went it simply twitched its nose and started hopping along into a different direction hoping to get to somewhere safe.

“*Pant* *Pant* *Pant* ...ok...I….I think I lost it” said a tired Scootaloo panting from the amount of distance she ran before stopping along a fork in the path she was taking to get to Zecora's. Looking down both paths she thought ‘Ok to get to Zecora’s I have to take a right I think...yeah right is the correct choice’ she headed off into the right path unknowingly going deeper within the Everfree forest and it wasn’t until after a while of walking she stopped real quick noticing the path was gone and with it the untamed forest is open to her. ‘Strange I don’t remember the path to Zecora’s this thick with plants and such...maybe I'm going the wrong way...nah I can’t be wrong I'm just paranoid over nothing’ She continued on ignoring the jungle’s warnings that she was going the wrong way. It wasn’t until she realized she doesn't know which way was back that she realized something ‘Oh sweet Celestia I'm lost...ok don’t panic Scootaloo you're going to be just fi…’

*rustling noises*

cut out from her thoughts trying to reassure herself that everything was fine she soon started hearing movement and a lot of it, snapping twigs and crunching leaves and the shaking of several bushes almost surround her and she stopped looking only to stare at two yellow eyes that are watching her every move, she soon heard a howl of a Timberwolf and a pack of them started to slowly approach her. Quickly acting she turned around and started running off in a random direction with the Timberwolves in close pursuit screaming a blood curdling scream of terror that in all honesty she wouldn’t admit that she screamed like that to Rainbowdash or her friends. It wasn’t long until she came to a dead end in the form of a cliff face panting she realized she was trapped when she turned around and see the Timberwolves surrounding her and cutting off her only way of escaping. ‘Well I guess this is it. I’m going to die and get eaten by Timberwolves without even getting to say goodbye to my friends’ sadly thought Scootaloo she soon heard one of the Timberwolves growling and she quickly close her eyes screaming and waiting for the inevitable jaws of the Timberwolf on her head tearing through her flesh or eat her whole and let her digest alive.

Instead of that however she soon felt a sudden heat grow near her and she heard the wolf suddenly Yelp as if something hit it but she was to afraid to open her eyes and see what happened until somepony yelled to her “Hey! Open your eyes and look up the cliff face” hearing that she quickly opened her eyes only to see a literal wall of fire between her and the wooden wolves she soon turned and looked up to see a figure at the top of the cliff face waving to her she noticed that the figures horn was glowing red possibly to help fuel the wall of fire that saved her from an untimely death. The figured then toss something off the cliff face and it was rope she soon heard the figure say “Quick grab hold the rope and hold on tight and hurry I won’t be able to hold them off for long” looking towards the Timberwolves she noticed one of their paws touching the flames and instead of catching on fire it returned unharmed she looked towards the figure realizing that he used some sort of illusion to distract the Timberwolves and within a second she grabbed hold of the rope with both her teeth and hooves, ignoring the taste of the rope and soon she soon felt being pulled off the ground and up the cliff face.

The Timberwolves soon realized two things at the same time the first thing was the wall of flame was an illusion and that they're prey was escaping soon they crossed the fake barrier and started rushing to get to their meal but they were too late the filly was to high and one even try jumping up and bite her but all the wolf felt was air instead of pony flesh. Going higher up the rope finally reached to the cliff face and a black hoof with strange looking cracks reached out to her and she quickly grabbed hold of It, the figure pulled her up and away from the cliff and onto safety or close to it within this forest. She quickly got up and looked straight into a changeling's face and she quickly jumped back and screamed but she jumped back to far and almost fell down the cliff but the changeling quickly grabbed hold of her again and pulled her up again and when he set her down he still had a hoof on her and quickly looked at her and said in the calmest voice “It's ok I'm not going to hurt. I heard you screaming and I went to check it out and I saw that you were being chased by the Timberwolves but first answer me this are you ok” She looked at the changeling in fear but also wondering why it wasn’t even hurting her and the concern look he was giving her looked genuine but she wasn’t sure but she told him in a shaky voice “Ye...Yeah...I..I'm fine...Just very jumpy right now.” The changeling nodded and asked “Mind telling me if you're lost” She hesitated but nodded slowly. He then let go of her and said “Ok tell you what how about I help you get back to your town, seriously your family must be worried sick about you and it wouldn’t do me well if I just up and leave you here” the changeling soon started heading off in a direction but before he could move a few hoof steps a distance rumble of a storm started and the changeling groaned in annoyance and saying “Oh you gotta be kidding me. Ok kid I'm gonna need you to follow me quickly we're gonna have to stop at my place for a bit before the storm comes”

Hearing that she was stuck with the changeling she started breathing heavily and the changeling heard that and wilted and said “Look I know you think I'm some sort of monster that will eat you and I understand that but I am genuinely trying to help you” Hearing that the filly looked down realizing that the changeling might be actually trying to help her and she calmed down a bit. She quickly head up to the changeling and despite her senses telling her to run but her heart seeing the changeling sad upon saying that she quickly hugged him and getting a surprised (but cute) chirp from him. She soon said “Thank you mister for helping me” she looked up to the surprised changeling and he simply smiled and said “It's no problem I wouldn’t not live with myself hearing someone die and I simply stood there and not help” he then motioned her to follow but after a bit of trotting she couldn’t help but say this “Hey mister” The changeling soon looked at her and she said hesitantly and shakily but still asked “M...My name is Sc...Scootaloo, what's yours” The changeling soon gave a reassuring smile at Scootaloo and quickly offer a hoof to shake and she took up on that offer and the changeling said “My names Shadow. Shadow Light and it's nice to meet you Scootaloo” The changeling soon let go of her hoof and they continued trotting off with the distant rumble of a thunderstorm promising a relentless downpour that hangs over their heads.

Celestia

“After a long time of hiding from the storm in shadows cave home we simply talked a bit an I learned a small bit of changeling culture which I have to admit is really interesting” Scootaloo then looked around real quick before saying “don’t tell Rainbowdash I said that please. That would be the most embarrassing thing to know right now” she then continue on by saying “Anyway after a while of chatting we soon became friends, and he taught me how to move across the forest without getting spotted and a secret path that literally reduces the chances of getting caught by a monster and the only reason why I still remember that path was because shadow marked several trees in this strange writing and a arrow that points to where he lives though the arrows are hard to see oh and by arrows I mean literally arrows that you would use with a bow. I’ve been meeting him ever since and he is considered a real close friend of mine and I did try to convince him to go to Ponyville several times but he would always tell me all sorts or reasons why he shouldn't go and they are all good reasons as well” When Scootaloo finished Celestia nodded and said “I think that will be enough Scootaloo. You had shed some light on a great deal of questions for me and I only have one to ask and is that do you want to see shadow” Scootaloo nodded and Twilight looked at her mentor with a surprised look on his face and quickly said “Hey captain Fast Shot mind bringing Scootaloo to Ponyville hospital I would like to ask Celestia something real quick” the guard nodded and motioned Scootaloo to follow and she did just that without any complaints.

When they left Celestia looked at Twilight and she said “Celestia is that a good idea? I'm not too certain because when we met chrysalis she had the ability to mind control my brother during his wedding” Celestia simply smiled knowing that it is a bit of a small risk but judging from how Scootaloo acted she knew she wasn’t under control at all and she said “I think it is a good idea to allow Scootaloo to visit her friend because shadow hasn’t given us any reason to detain him other than something that happened years ago and if we did just that we wouldn’t be better than Sombra since we would be hurting somepony who could be a potential friend” Twilight nodded and smiled before looking down at the floor and said “Sorry if I doubted you Celestia, it's just after the wedding incident I was so jumpy because I was worried the changelings might have replaced my friends or started controlling them behind my back so I might have some resentment to changelings but not enough to be unfair with them but I still have some to be wary of them”

Celestia simply hugged Twilight and gave her a light nuzzle and said “It's ok I'm defiantly glad you would definitely put something aside for somepony who could be innocent though I do agree we need to be wary of the changeling so I would like you to send him to me in Canterlot after when he is fully healed and if something happens I trust that you would let me know” Twilight smiled and break the embrace and said “You can count on me Celestia” They soon teleported off back into the hospital surprising nurse Redheart and Scootaloo from the sudden bright light but they quickly calmed down when they noticed it was just Twilight and Celestia and they simply had some small talk but the princess before she left she decided that she should scan the changelings magic real quick and upon doing so she quickly ran into the same problem as Twilight but instead of giving up she decided to scan the properties of the mental block that the changeling has and was surprised by the fact that not only is the wall encompassing only the changelings mind but the fact that it wasn’t any type of magic except dream magic.

The kind that her sister can do but more wild. Upon discovering that she quickly told Twilight and she was just as surprised as Celestia and wrote it down in her notes on the changeling while Celestia planned on letting her sister know about this. ‘Perhaps she might be able to see what shadow’s dreams are, or be able to get a better scan on the changeling’s magic’ Thought Celestia she soon gathered the attention of her pupil and said “Twilight I'm going to head back to Canterlot and let my sister know about this I would like it if you could continue assist nurse Redheart on helping shadow get to a perfect bill of health” Celestia soon teleported away leaving behind both her pupil and the nurse knowing full well they can handle the changeling and soon went to let her sister know about the events that happened about the changeling. ‘She was very adamant about heading to meet the changeling herself but I think that would bring more harm than good but it's a good thing that shadow choose to help Scootaloo as well it isn't help his case with my sister I just hope she wouldn’t freak out that the changelings might have the ability to utilize dream magic.’

Twilight

‘Dream magic...Just how in Equestria can anypony, changeling or otherwise have the ability to cast spells that might have the consistency to be the same effects as Luna it's just not possible.’ Thought a stunned Twilight while she was monitoring shadows health. When Celestia revealed that the mental block she hit was actually a form of dream magic working against mental intrusions she couldn’t believe her ears on that and was constantly checking her notes to make sure she wasn’t hearing things at all. After checking them multiple times she simply sighed and hoped that shadow would be able to explain this to her. She turned to see Scootaloo who was asleep considering it was nighttime Scootaloo decided to stay with shadow so if he wakes up she can calm him down because he will more then likely assume the worse possible situation possible. After looking at the filly she looked over to where shadow lies ‘He is still asleep...hmmm maybe he has the ability to control his dream and been freaking out throught the entire time they were taking care of him.’ Twilight decided to head home but before she leave she couldn’t help but look at the changeling again and thought ‘I hope you are a good changeling shadow I really don’t like thinking that you have to be evil’

?????

*Clink, Clank, Clink, Clank, Clink, Clank*

[Scanning surroundings]

[scan complete...Subject has left the area. Shows of a struggle of some sort happened]

[Objective Reminder: Find Shadow and end him before his family finds him or he finds his family. Do NOT assume he died this time and instead bring me his rotting corpse as proof you killed him]

Author's Note

Welp looks like we got more questions then answers folks. sorry about that...or am I

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN

anyway just to let you know I just couldn't help myself with the flashback effect. It was a to good opportunity that I could not pass.

I wonder what those Clink Clanks all about?