The Changeling Project

The Changeling Project

Chapter One

“Here's the entrance to the tunnel your highness” Exclaimed an excited changeling.
“Good, good... Now go my swarm, and when you find the door, shoot a spell and whistle, I’ll be there in a flash.”
“Of course your highness.” Replied the nearest changeling before any of the others could show their love for their Queen.
“Now go!”
In a beat of wings and a whirlwind of dust, the changelings were gone looking for a key into a rumoured ancient technology.

The Queen paced back and forth awaiting the signal. Then she heard a high pitched whistle accompanied by the sound of a combat spell being discharged. They had found it! She flapped her wings as the dust cleared revealing a dozen changelings awaiting her with a set of rusted keys.
“Queen, the keys.” Said the closest changelings.
“Show me the way” Replied the Changeling Queen as she lifted the keys out of the changelings jaws.
“With pleasure Queen Chrysalis”

The escort arrived at the door where several dozen more changelings were awaiting the queen's commands.
“Step aside!” She shouted at the black beings in her way.
There was much scurrying and soon it was only a short distance between the ruler of the changelings and the door. She raised the keys with a simple spell and inserted them carefully into the lock. The sight that greeted her was a pleasant one for her eyes.
“Yes...YES!”
Rows upon rows of ancient technology gleamed in artificial light. The Queen fluttered down from her ledge into the vast room.
“What is this?” Wondered the alicorn.
The vehicle had big print on it's side, but the dust made it impossible to read. She waved her horn and the dust whooshed off into different direction. The printing was easily readable now.
“Electron Pony Mech”The Queen muttered under her breath
She remained curious while circling the machine.
A red button was all she found. Upon hitting the button a glass panel released white gas and swivelled upwards. The seat looked ergonomic and all controls were within reach for anypony as large as the Queen of the changelings. Stepping inside she hit a button that said engine. The mech kick started into life. After collecting dust for several thousand years the mech didn't have any smooth actions but it could still serve its purpose. To destroy. The mech lurched up to its full height and brought its arms down to its waist. Chrisalid, surprised, pressed the button labelled fire. Pure hell was unleashed from the cannons mounted on the hands of the mech. Black smoke rose lazily from the barrels.
“Mwahahahahahahaha” Yelled Queen Chrisalid in delight.
Looking to he right she saw her changelings fighting with the new technology. Someponies had Electron pony energy cannons, while some had EMP rounds (Electron Magical Pulse), guns with the ability to stun all magic being used. Many changelings were getting into smaller mechs like her's while some were getting into a type of metal metal pegasus called jets. Changelings used anti air guns to blast away the roof, letting the jets soar out with an explosion of sound.
The Queen pressed a button with a writing on it saying intercom. “Everypony, to Equestria!”

Twilight Sparkle sighed as she bathed in the sun.
“You better be careful twilight or you'll get a burn.”Warned Rarity
“Yeah,yeah,whatever...” Replied The purple unicorn, she didn't want Rarity to be so annoying on her special day.
“Just because we're visiting Celestia and you've become the first female in the royal guard, doesn't mean you can do anything you want!” Scolded Rarity. She's been really upset since Celestia stored the black spark in her room. The black spark can give ponies immense power but at the cost of becoming hated by the ones you love, often turning the user insane.
Suddenly there was a giant boom putting a stop to the pony's argument.
“Look your brother put another force field around Canterlot!”Exclaimed Rarity.
But twilight didn't hear her, she was too busy dashing off towards the castle to find out what happened and why the force field was being created.

The ride to ponyville was only fifteen minutes but it felt like eternity for the two unicorns. The chariot pulled to a rough stop about a kilometre a way from the two pony's home. They leaped right out of the chariot without showing the pegasus their appreciation.
“Oh no no no no.” Chanted the purple pony as the dashed through trees to find the source of the fire.
“Twilight, Rarity!” Shouted a familiar voice.
“Rainbow Dash!” Replied the two unicorns in unison.
“Get over here and help me!” they heard the pegasus say.
Racing around a tree they saw a horrific sight, Rainbow Dash surrounded by multiple changelings ,dressed in peculiar armour. Twilight let loss a warning shot at the nearest changeling. It didn't even bother dodging as the weak blast bounced off of it. The changeling swivelled it's body lightning fast and stared twilight in the eye.
“Take this!” It screamed as two rods of light shot from cannons mounted on its shoulders.
Twilight Sparkle dove out of the way as the trees behind her explode with aloud crack.
“What was that?!” Screamed Twilight, not expecting a response.
“Just some ancient technology from the tunnels.
“Tunnels, what tunnels?”
“You don't need to know!” Responded the changeling while charging another blast from his shoulder cannons.
But this time twilight was prepared, she conjured a shield to counter the laser but it wasn't strong enough. The beam blasted right through the shield and singeing the unicorn's shoulder.
“Hahahahah! Did you actually think you could block an Energy Cannon!?”Laughed the changeling.
Another round of beams hurtled in the direction of the unicorn. She rolled out of the way and used a penetrating spell to burrow a hole in the ground for her to dive into. The end of her tail was now blackened, being shot on the way into the tunnel.
“I'm gonna die down here.” she thought as she heard the sound of another blast. “This is the only way I'll escape this pony.” She teleported behind the changeling,with almost no sound.
The blast was almost fully charged and was letting loose a screeching sound.
“You won't escape THIS blast!” Screamed the gunner.
“Like hell I won't” Whispered Twilight Sparkle. She used a simple push spell to tip the black pony over the edge of the hole. The moment the changeling figured out what was happening he let go of the trigger super heating the tunnel, engulfing the changeling in an inferno.
A grin spread over twilight's face as the rapidly lowering flames left the tunnel with black walls.
“You killed him,Unicorn!”shouted an enraged changeling. “He was my friend!”
Twilight swirled around to see more blasts blazing towards her. She reared up and summoned a force field with milliseconds to spare . The force of the shot sent the unicorn flying about 10 meters back. A blue blur swooped in at the last second picking up the scorched body.
“Twilight are you okay?”Asked Rainbow dash loudly, she had to speak over the wind. “That looked like it hurt.”
All Twilight could do was let out a small groan.”Uhhhh”
“Rarity!” Shouted the pegasus. “Hold on we gotta get to Canterlot!”Rainbow swooped down and grabbed Rarity before she could grab her dresses.
“My Babies!” She screamed as Rainbow Dash struggled under the great weight to get out of Ponyville.

“What do you mean they escaped!?” Spat the Queen.
“Well even our jets can't keep up with Rainbow Dash.” Replied a frightened Changeling.
“Next time you see any of those six ponies, SHOOT TO KILL! Got that!?”
“Y-ye-ye-yes my liege.”Stuttered the black pony.
Chrisalid lifted up the pony by the scruff of his neck “If you make one more mistake YOU ARE DONE!”
The pony gave a slight nod just before being thrown out of room by his Queen.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Celestia!”
“Yes my faithful student?”
“You have to help us find our friends, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie are still missing!”
“Guards!” Shouted Celestia.
“Yes, your highness?”
“Send a group of 1000 soldiers to ponyville to find these poor missing ponies.”
Twilight broke in “Celestia we also need the papers to let Rainbow Dash into the city.”
Celestia levitated some papers over to the soldier. “Give this to the guards.”
“Yes your Highness.” The guard trotted to the door and let it close behind him.
“Celestia why can't we go?” Whined Twilight.
“Who said that?” replied Celestia. “You're part of the royal guard now, go catch up to that soldier before he leaves without you.”
But Twilight hadn't heard that last part, she was already out the door chasing after the colt.

“Really?! You want to come to Ponyville?” Scoffed the surprised Captain.
“Yeah, what's wrong with that?” Replied Twilight in as calm a voice she could summon.
“Well you're a filly!”
Twilight's anger was slowly growing. “I'm a mare!”
“Yeah more like my nightmare!, I've seen you, you can't listen to any simple instructions! Why would I want a filly like you on my team?”
“Well I'm the strongest unicorn you'll ever see!”
“Yeah I doubt that!”
The last thing the soldier saw was a purple blast of energy. Twilight trotted across to the group of soldiers gawking a the mare.
“Good news everypony!” Announced Twilight Sparkle, using magic to amplify her voice. “The Captain put me in charge! Now let's get a move on! There's no time to lose! ”

Ponyville was charred remains by the time the royal guard arrived.
“Pinkie pie, Applejack, Fluttershy!” Shouted Twilight.
“Help me...” said somepony stuck underneath some rubble.
“Carrot Top?”
“Help...”
Twilight just levitated all the boulders off of the green pony.
“Oh thank you, thank you.” Huffed Carrot Top.
“Let's find the others.” Ordered the purple unicorn.
Within a few minutes all of the ponies were rounded up and presented in front of the Twilight.
“Hey Twilight” Said Applejack
“Oh boy! So many ponies are here! Is it a party!?” Greeted Pinkie pie.
“Where are all my pets?!” worried Fluttershy looking around at the scorched forest.
“Oh don't play dumb with me!” Screamed Twilight.
Everypony looked at Twilight confused.
“Ummm captain what are you talking about?” A unicorn whispered into the purple pony's ear.
“I know they're all changelings!” Screamed Twilight.
Fluttershy burst into a cloud of smoke. “She's a smart one, she is.”

The smoke cleared revealing a changeling wearing metallic armour with a glass space showing its face. The loud sound of a jet broke the stunned silence. A black shadow covered the group of ponies giving the changeling a more secure feeling. A gun fell from the plane right into the changeling's hooves.
“Now it's time to get started.”
The changeling whipped the gun around, pulling the trigger. The blast caused the closest unicorn to explode leaving not a trace of the pony left. The response was immediate from he guards. Within milliseconds, the changeling was surrounded by a dozen spears and several horns.
“Oh NOW I'm scared” Said the changeling with a sarcastic look on his face. “Not!”
All the remaining rescued ponies suddenly dispersed jumping on top of the soldiers slam into them with reinforced steel gloves. The sound of bones cracking and the screaming of the guards was all twilight could hear as she launched spell after spell at the hover ship above the battlefield. Compartments on the bottom of the ship opened, revealing laser cannons charging up.
“Retreat!” Screamed Twilight with the add of magic.
All the guards exploded into a dash towards the trees in a mad attempt to escape the losing battle. Just as about 100 guards cleared the blast radius the cannons let loose. Hundreds of ponies died in the cannon fire, instantly disintegrating everypony besides the changelings.
“Get to Canterlot as fast as possible!” Shouted some pegasus who were already taking flight.
Laser fire exploded a pegasus over top of Twilight, leaving only a red mist and flaming bits of flesh, slowly descending towards the ground. Seeing this, The pegasus dove for the ground but not before several more perished from the blasts. The battle ship finally stopped its pursuit when only about 10 ponies were left in the fray.

The return of the soldiers was gloomy sight.
Celestia ran towards the group of injured soldiers.” What happened Twilight!?”
Twilight explained the events of the rescue mission to Celestia. She just stood there with her mouth open.
“Those sly shape shifters!” Cursed Celestia. “We must counter strike as soon as possible!”