Chapters "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" was the last thing Imago heard before he was thrown violently away from the two royal guards he was watching. He saw his queen for a brief moment before he crashed into a tree and blacked out.
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"Wake up! Wake up!" He awoke to the voice of his queen in his head. He did a small damage assessment. There were no major wounds, due to his hard chitinous plates. "Good you're awake. You need to find your way back to the hive. Once you figure out where you are, report back to me and try to get here."
Imago stood up to get a better view of his surroundings. He was in a library, a home by the look of it. Outside of the window were a few more houses and ponies. As soon as he saw the ponies he ducked. They looked as though they were searching for something. Then he saw a changeling being dragged away by royal guards. He panicked. He searched for places to hide, but to no avail. He looked out the window once more and noticed the royal guards were leaving. He sighed in relief, but was worried once more when he saw the purple pony from the wedding and a small purple dragon walking toward his very spot! He spotted a pink pony bouncing away and decided to change into her and hope for the best. The door opened and Imago jumped. "Pinkie? Weren't you just outside?"
"Uhhh.... yes?"
"Then how did you- nevermind. Are you still throwing the 'Back in Ponyville Party' later?"
"Yes! I'm going to go set that up now! So I'll just be going now, BYE."
Imago made a mad dash for the Everfree Forest, but he was stopped by a pink pony. The real one.
"Haven't I seen you before?" She said as she studied him head to hoof. He quickly responded.
"I'm your imagination self, silly!"
"That's odd, I thought I left you at home."
"I got out." She gave him the most threatening stare he'd ever seen. He started to sweat.
"Okie-dokie-loki! Just be home by seven for the party!"
"You're the boss!" She bounced away. He resumed his mad dash to the forest. As soon as Imago was behind a wide expanse of trees, he changed back to his true form.
"Your Highness?"
"Yes I am here. Are you injured, and have you figured out where you are?"
"No my queen, I am fine. I appear to be just outside of Ponyville."
"Ponyville?"
"Yes Your Highness."
"Well since you are already in Ponyville, I need you to stay and observe the ponies for our next invasion. I need you to take the form of somebody they trust and find their weaknesses."
"Yes my queen, it will be done."
"Good, stay safe and send me reports every other day."
"Yes my queen." He said as he started making his way back to ponyville to infiltrate and observe. Imago didn't go too far from the edge of the forest, so he made his way back within a matter of minutes. He spotted the dragon from earlier walking towards a colorful house. Due to training, he was skilled at being stealthy. He purposefully broke a twig loud enough for the purple dragon to hear. It investigated.
"Hello?" He yelled as he approached the tree Imago was hiding in. "Anybody there?" He was four feet away now. He started to turn around when Imago jumped out of the tree. "Changel-!" Imago landed on him, muffled him and then punched him square in the face. Since he is only a baby dragon, he was immediately knocked out.
"Spike, was that you?" A familiar purple pony shouted. So that was his name, he thought. He changed into him and called back,
"Yeah! I'm fine!"
"Well, stop messing around this is a very important spell that requires the full concentration of two things!"
"I'm coming!" He put real Spike under a pile of leaves for later and made his way to the purple pony.
"Spike, this is serious! We need this spell just in case changelings decide to come back!"
"Wait, what?"
"Nevermind, we just need to focus on pushing things in our minds." He did. He felt himself get hit with something similar to the shield in canterlot and he flew back a few feet.
"Stop!" Imago yelled! She hurriedly ran to him.
"I guess we used the wrong spell. Sorry Spike, I should've been more careful. Can you forgive me?" He was very tempted to say no, but he said yes. "Great! You can have the rest of the day off, I'll ask Rainbow if she's available for spellcasting. Just be at Pinkie's by seven for the party, alright?"
"Ok, bye." He went back to the everfree forest to collect Spike. Imago approached the pile of leaves and he was just where he left him. Imago grinned. He took Spike deep into the forest before setting him down next to a tree. He lost the disguise as he woke Spike up.
"Wha- Mommy?" He looked at Imago, then tried to sleep again. He grumbled,"You're not Mommy." He suddenly realized what he'd seen and memories of the ambush came flooding back to him. "Gah! What do you want?" He yelled, getting in fetal position.
"I want information." That relieved Spike. He thought he was in trouble.
"Oh, this will be easy then. What do you want to know?"
"What are the names of your friends?" Spike thought he spoke in an odd tone. Not quite two people, but more than one voice.
"Twilight, she's the purple unicorn and a bit of a bookworm really, Rarity, she's the dreamy white unicorn, Rainbow Dash, she's the cyan pegasus that can fly very fast, Fluttershy, she's the very kind yellow pegasus that loves everything, Applejack, she's the caramel earth pony that works at Sweet Apple Acres, and Pinkie Pie, she can be a little insane at times but she loves to party! Is that all?"
"Almost, what are you like?" He hesitated on answering this one.
"Oh, well I'm spike and I live with Twilght in the Library, I can deliver scrolls to Princess Celestia and I can also receive them too." He said proudly.
"More on your personality." Imago demanded.
"Umm...I guess I'm playful and smart, if I do say so myself. Maybe a little amazing?" Imago rolled his eyes at that last comment.
"Okay, thats all I need."
"Great! So, can I leave?"
"Of course not, you know I'm in Ponyville."
"That's not fair! I told you everything you wanted to know-"
"And I'm going to use it to spy on your friends and collect information for my hive!" Imago said, finishing Spike' sentence for him. Spike was petrified and guilty. "Now I think the canyon outside of town looks like a nice spot to leave you, don't you?" Spike shook his head no to play along, but he knew thats where Rainbow does her weekly challenges. The changeling spit green slime on Spike's mouth to bind it shut and did the same with his arms and legs. He afterwards put him on his back and walked towards the canyon.
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It took about an hour to get to the canyon, but they had arrived. Imago took him to somewhere near the middle and wrapped in a cocoon on the side of the cliff. "Now you just stay here." He said with a small laugh. Then he took off for Ponyville.
Imago walked back into Ponyville disguised as Spike and entered his temporary home, the library. He explored it, making sure he knows everything there is to know about this library. Then, he walked up the stairs to his bed. A basket? That was incredibly degrading. Just as he was laying down, an outraged Twilight burst through the door. "Spike! I told you to be at Pinkie's party at seven!" She roared.
"Yes, you did."
"It's seven-thirty!" He was dumbfounded.
"No, it's six-thirty. See?" He responded pointing at the sun, slowly setting over the horizon.
"Spike! That's ridiculous! Now, lets go!" Something clicked in Imago's head. Time change, he would have to get used to that.
"Oh man! Sorry Twilight, I'm still on Canterlot time!" He was proud of himself for substituting Hive with Canterlot so fast. Imago and Twilight made their way over to Pinkie Pie's house. When the duo stepped inside everyone glared daggers at 'Spike' and he flinched a bit. The white pony with the purple mane, known as Rarity, was the only one not glaring death at him. "Hello, everypony." Imago said nervously.
"What took you so long?" The cyan pegasus, A.K.A. Rainbow Dash, asked.
"Rainbow, darling, don't be so harsh with little Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity squeezed Imago's cheeks at the end of the sentence. He felt sorry for Spike.
"Sorry girls, I'm still getting used to Ponyville time from being in Canterlot for a few days." Imago replied.
"Well now that everyone's here, let's PAAAAARRRTTAAYY!" Pinkie Pie shouted to break tension. Imago looked around the party. There was a food table, a pin the tail on the pony, a staircase, an alligator, tons and tons of streamers and balloons, and alot more ponies than he saw at first. "Spike, aren't you going to eat something?" Pinkie asked.
"No thanks, I don't like sweets." Everyone in the room looked at him and gasped. He was panicking. Spike didn't tell him his eating habits! "Just kidding!" Everyone sighed in relief. That was a close one, Imago thought to himself. He walked over to the food table, where Twilight and Rainbow seemed to be talking about when the new Daring Do book was released.
"I'm pretty sure it comes out in three days." Twilight was telling her, before she was cut off by Rainbow's squeal.
"Three days! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!" He couldn't take much more of this. "Wait a minute, that's when I go to do my weekly challenge! I think I'll skip 'em this week."
"Weekly challenges?" Imago wondered aloud.
"Yes, at the canyon. Spike, whats going on in that head of yours? You know I go there to fly fast and do tricks and flips. You just made that sound much more appealing." She rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Yup, I can read after." He stopped listening at canyon and started again at yup.
"Don't go!" He yelled.
"Why not?" Dash was confused.
"Because...uhhhh... the author of the Daring Do books wants to interview you!"
"Really!" Her eyes lit up. Ponies are so gullible, Imago thought.
"Yeah! In Canterlot tomorrow!"
"That can't be true." Twilight cut in. "She doesn't interview. She's the author." Rainbow sighed while Imago looked for a way to leave.
"Oh darn, look at the time! I have to go, have fun everypony bye!" He ran right out the door and to the library, where he lay in his basket. Imago layed there for what seemed to be hours waiting for Twilight to arrive, before she actually did. She walked up the stairs, pulled the covers over him and got into bed. He sat up once her eyes were shut and looked at her. She seemed to be asleep. Imago slowly crept down stairs to the door, footsteps inaudible. He grabbed the doorknob, twisted it and couldn't move his arms or legs. They were encased in a purple glow. He looked up the stairs at Twilight, who was staring straight at him. She would've been hidden if it weren't for his nightvision.
"Spike, I don't know what has gotten into you, but you're not acting normally. I'm afraid I'll have to keep you in the library until we can sort this out." She looked on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry Spike." She whispered. Then Imago's world went black.
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When Imago awoke he was full, it was a pleasant surprise though. He looked around the room to see he was just in the library in the basket. Imago walked over to the door and tried to open it. No such luck, it was magically locked. He tried the window. Locked. Maybe the upstairs window, he asked himself. He heard the satisfying click of the unlocked window. He crawled out onto the balconey, doing his best not to be seen by other ponies. He dug his claws into the bark as he descended the length of the tree. As soon as he hit the ground, he started to go find Twilight. Imago needed to explain his behavior. He wasn't abandoning the mission this early. Last night he needed to go to the restroom and theirs was locked from the inside, that seemed good to him. For everything else he was still stressed from the changeling incedent in Canterlot so he was being overdramatic, he thought. Imago saw Twilight talking to Applejack as they walked to Sweet Apple Acres. He ran over to Twilight. "Twilight!"
"Spike? How did you get out?"
"It wasn't very hard, the door was unlocked."
"I could've sworn I magically locked it from the inside."
"It was unlocked."
"Well now I have to take you back t-"
"Wait!" Imago cut her off. "I can explain all of this." Twilight looked very skeptical, but decided to listen anyways. "I have been a little flustered lately because the changeling invasion shook me up and I always feel I'm being watched, I was just reluctant to admit it because I found it ridiculous myself."
"That doesn't explain what you were doing last nig-"
"I was getting to that."
"Stop cutting me off!" Imago recoiled a bit. Twilight hated when she got cut off.
"Alright! Geez, okay now where was I? Oh yeah, I tried to sneak out last night because the restroom was locked from the inside and I really had to go." Twilight looked at him with a little skepticism, but looked otherwise convinced. Imago was so proud of himself.
"Okay Spike, but get your act together soon. I'm going with Applejack to get rid of some pests that have been eating the apples. Why don't you go over to Fluttershy's, she was asking for help the other day. Maybe you can help her?"
"Sure Twilight, I'll see what I can do. Goodbye."
"Bye Spike." She walked away with Applejack, while Imago did a fast-paced walk to Fluttershy's Cottage. He wanted to get something to report to his queen the next day. Upon arriving at Fluttershy's, Imago saw an impressive amount of animals. They all gave him funny looks as he walked to the door. Imago was worried that they might be able to smell him and separate it from Spike's. He tried to put that fear behind him and knocked on the door. Fluttershy answered it.
"Oh, hello Spike. Do you need something?"
"Hi Fluttershy, Twilight said you needed help?"
"Oh yes, a few of the animals have been refusing to come out of their homes and eat and I can't figure out what is the matter. Could you help? That is, if you don't mind." She said, retreating behind her mane.
"Not a problem at all." She seemed to care alot for these animals, he thought. "Fluttershy?"
"Yes Spike?"
"How much do you love your animals?"
"Oh, I love them more than anything in all of Equestria!" She responded with a soft tone.
"More than your friends?" Imago liked where this was heading.
"Um...I suppose so. May I ask why are you asking? That is, if it's alright with you." That was what he wanted to hear.
"Just out of curiosity." He walked up to one of the burrows where some animals weren't coming out.
"Be sure to be gentle, please." He lost his disguise near his mouth when Fluttershy left and showed his fangs to some of them, but they cowered in the back. Not his brightest moment. He tried luring them out, scaring them out and even asking politely. He snapped and started digging them out and plopping them onto the ground, where they would then run to a corner. When they were all out and Fluttershy came back, the animals crowded around her and surrounded her. "Oh my." She looked at the dug up homes of her animals. "Spike!" Imago was startled. She didn't seem like the kind of pony to raise her voice.
"Yes?"
"That was not gentle! You destroyed their homes!"
"I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! Can you ever forgive me?" Imago felt disgusting just saying that.
"I guess so." The animals were unamused. "Oh, and the animals want you to leave. I'm sorry, you could go visit Pinkie to see if she needs company." Fluttershy tried to sound enthusiastic.
"Ok, thanks for having me over Fluttershy!"
"You're welcome." One down, five to go, he told himself. Imago left for Sugarcube Corner.
Spike was growing bored. He wished Rainbow Dash would hurry up and do her challenge. He couldn't get hungry, the cocoon took care of nutrition and hydration, but he could get very bored. A small bird had flown up next to his cocoon and started building a nest on a cluster of rocks jutting out of the cliffside next to him. He attempted to talk to it through the green slime to stay sane. "Kello! Undergul eather ere havin?" It just spared him a glance before it got back to work.
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Pinkie Pie was baking a 25th batch of cupcakes when 'Spike' walked in. "Hi Spike! Want a cupcake?"
"No thanks, I came by to see if you needed any help."
"Actually, I'm baking some more cupcakes! Wanna help?" She was bouncing up and down.
"Sure, what can I do?" Imago was worried, he once had a mission to diguise himself as a baker and he failed miserably just because he sucked at baking that bad.
"You can take them out of the oven because you don't need mitts! After that, you can help me ice them and then eat them all!" Pinkie talked really fast. Imago went over to the oven, pulled the tray out and set it down. "Okay now you ice the ones on the left and I'll take care of the right." Okay Imago you have got this! He encouraged himself. Just put the icing there, don't squeeze the pouch too hard, some there, and the last little bit there...done! Pinkie Pie's side was perfect, whereas Imago's side was not, to say the least. There was one cupcake in the middle that had at least 75% of the icing, the rest were in bad shape as well.
"So, how did I do?"
"Spike, I don't know how to say this..." She looked at the cupcake in the center with fascination. "I think you created a new breed of cupcake!" Imago's eyes widened.
"Really?" He said in disbelief.
"Yes! The way you expertly put most of the icing on one cupcake is incredible! Can I eat it?!"
"Sure, I just want to chat then you can have it." Pinkie Pie picked him up and slung him around.
"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Spike, you are the best!" He couldn't breath. Didn't she know not to hold things by the throat, he wondered. She finally put him down and he gasped for air. "Okay Spike, what did you want to talk about?" Still recovering, Imago breathed out,
"One moment." He sat there and panted for a good thirty seconds before finally asking, "What do you value most in the world?"
"That's an odd question!" Pinkie thought for a moment. "The answer is my friends and family!" Imago was wondering where to go with this.
"Anything else?" Imago was praying to Chrysalis in his head.
"Well....Gummy! I don't love him as much as friends though!" Imago was out of luck. He didn't get anything out of this visit and now he needed to go move Spike.
"Sorry Pinkie, I've gotta go, uh....send letters! Bye." He walked to the door. Before he could open it Pinkie jumped in front of him. "Gah!"
"Give me the cupcake!" She looked as though she was going to murder him.
"Okay here, bye!"
"Okay, bye!" Spike wasn't lying when he said she could be crazy. He got out of the shop and looked in the direction of the canyon. He needed to find Rainbow first, to make sure she wouldn't be over there to see him move Spike. Twilight would probably know where she was. He ran to Sweet Apple Acres. On his way he bumped into a bunch of ponies, one seemed way too familiar, but he couldn't worry about that now. Imago finally arrived and saw Twilight trying to cast a spell over by the barn.
"Twilight! Have you seen Rainbow Dash?"
"No, but I think she said something about today being a lazy day."
"Okay good, see you back at the library!" He said while turning away. Rainbow happened to be napping in a nearby tree and since Twilight was right about today being a lazy day, she needed some fun. She followed 'Spike' to the edge of town on a cloud and then he turned toward the direction of her practice canyon. What would he do there, she wondered. Imago was walking at a fast pace, but not running. He wasn't far now. Imago could only hope that Rainbow was at her home. Rainbow Dash watched as Imago approached the cliff and jumped. She sped as fast as she could, praying to Celestia that he was fine. She looked over the edge and saw a changeling doing something to him down from a green blob on the wall!
"Hey, you!" Imago looked up just in time to get a kick to the jaw. "Leave Spike alone!" This was not good, Imago thought. She came at him again and he countered, punching her in the stomach and throwing her back up to the clifftop. He worked faster on the cocoon, but she was relentless. She tackled him and they started barreling down to the ground fast. She was pushing him down to make sure it does more damage. Imago tried to get away from Rainbow, but the ground came too fast. She pulled up at the last second and let him hit the ground. As soon as Imago hit the bottom he heard a nasty crack. He knew it was his shell. Rainbow Dash stood over him with her chest puffed out, like she'd won a race. Imago took a look at his back and regretted it immediately. He had a large crack in his shell right above his wings. Miraculously, his wings were in flying condition and could be used. There was green blood everywhere. His eyes started to tear up and he cried. For the first time in nineteen years he cried. Rainbow started to gloat. "Yes, I know I'm amazing, don't waste your tears." She couldn't stop grinning. Imago looked up at her with his eyes watering and face bloodied. She felt kind of bad, but then she thought of Spike and the guilt went away.
"I-I'm not like the others. I w-was helping him down." Now she felt really bad. She walked a little closer. "I'll never fly again!" He slammed his face onto the ground and had a crying fit once more. She felt terrible. Rainbow walked over to him and crouched to say,
"Don't worry, it's okay. Your wings will heal up in no time." He looked up and replied,
"You really mean it?"
"Sure I do! They dont even look that bad now!" He leaned in for a hug and she hugged him, being careful of the wound. They sat there for a moment, eyes closed, in a loving embrace. The silence finally broken when Imago whispered,
"Sucker." Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open. The wound was almost completely healed. He swept the legs out from under her and broke one of her wings. She screamed.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" He then punched her in the throat lightly to knock her unconscious. He couldn't believe she fell for it. Granted the fall hurt really bad, and those tears weren't as fake as he wanted them to be, but he's alive now. Imago flew up to Spike, who had witnessed the whole thing, and finished detaching him from the cocoon. He pulled him out and he shouted,
"HEEELLLLLP!!!" Imago spit on his mouth for the second time and looked for a hiding place. Everfree had too many hikers and tourists, canyon doesn't even need an explanation, Ponyville no. Imago was getting tired. Every movement of his wings sent pain shooting up his back. Spike noticed the wound and started beating on it. Imago let out a yelp and they plummeted to the ground. It was only about 15 feet this time though, so he picked himself up and collected Spike. He bound his limbs soon after. Imago was annoyed beyond belief.
"My queen, are you there?"
"Wait a moment, I am tending to the hatchlings." He waited. "Alright, what do you need?"
"Your highness, I need to ask something of you."
"Yes?"
"The place where the dragon I have been impersonating has been found and I need to move him. May I take him to the Hive's dungeon?"
"Hmm...I suppose so, just be sure to blind him on the way here. We don't want him knowing where the Hive is."
"Yes my queen, of course."
"Come see me in my chambers when you arrive, I'll be expecting you." Imago spit in Spike eyes and kicked him for earlier. He would have to go around Ponyville and through the Everfree Forest to get to the Hive. He took off in the direction of the hive sprinting because he would need to be back for when Rainbow Dash woke up.
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Imago was now walking through the Everfree, tired beyond belief. Between running and carrying a thrashing Spike, it was grueling. Spike eventually stopped and fell asleep. About halfway through, a few hikers started following him in the bushes. He knew they were there, he just doesn't like killing without letting the victim have their fun. One decided to throw a rock at him. It hit him, but it was small and he hardly felt it. The other hiker got another rock and threw it at him, except this time it lodged itself in his wound. He stumbled and fell in excruciating pain. Spike rolled off and the two ran over and picked him up. Imago finally got the rock out and looked them in the face. One pegasus and one earth pony He stood up and said, "If you give me the dragon back you can leave here alive." The one not holding Spike snorted and laughed.
"As if!" He hit Imago on the gash again. He struggled to stand.
"Do that again, I dare you!" Imago hissed. Idiot #1 tried again, but Imago caught his hoof and broke it.
"AAAAHHH! I'm sorry!"
"Too late for that, now isn't it!" He said as Idiot #2 kicked him in the side. He yanked Idiot #1 and made him crash into #2, causing him to drop Spike. #2 stood back up and tried to fly away, but Imago grabbed #1 by the broken hoof and flew after him. #1 wouldn't shut up! As soon as they were high enough he dropped #1 to his doom. He caught up to #2 and stabbed him in the chest with his horn , before tearing his Jugular with his fangs. He dropped the bleeding, helpless body and flew back down. He saw Spike trying to roll away and went to get him. When he did, he set off in the direction of the Hive again.
Twilight was sitting in the Library with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. They had just heard of two young colts, found dead, in the Everfree Forest. Worse, they couldn’t find Rainbow Dash or Spike anywhere. “Alright girls, we need to find Rainbow and Spike. AJ, you and Pinkie Pie go search the Everfree as best you can. Fluttershy, you and Rarity go to the desert and search. I’ll stay here in case they come back.” Everyone nods in agreement and goes to their assigned positions.
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Imago was getting tired. He had a long day. The gash on his back hurt when he moved his right front leg, but at least Spike fell back asleep. He finally got to the Hive. A small hole in the ground, just big enough to fit a changeling, was the entrance to the massive cave and tunnel system. He held Spike in front of him as he entered. Immediately, two other changelings rushed to his aid. “Are you alright?” His sister said with concern.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I need to see the queen.”
“I think she’s in the throne room.”
“Ok, thanks.” Imago spit in Spike’s ears now, too. He might as well have already been cocooned, with how much spit he has on him. He walked to the part of the hive that looked like the inside of a castle. Imago liked his Hive. In fact he loved it, as did most of the changelings did. He passed two guards as he walked into the throne room where Queen Chrysalis was waiting on her throne. “My Queen.” Imago bowed.
“Stand.” Imago stood. “Guards, take the dragon to the dungeon.” The two changelings from earlier came in and took Spike to the dungeon. “So Imago, have you been able to successfully integrate into lives of these ponies?” She spat the last word out as if it were poison.
“Yes my queen, I have, for the most part, been successful in taking the dragon’s identity.”
“For the most part?”
“Yes my queen, I have raised a small amount of suspicion, but I have the solution.”
“Well, let us hope that this plan of yours works. You are dismissed, go back to Ponyville and continue your mission. Stay safe.” Imago bowed.
“Yes, my queen.” He really wanted to stay in the Hive to talk with his thousands of siblings, but the mission was more important than idle chatter. He was leaving the throne room when Chrysalis said,
“Oh, and before you leave the Hive get that wound examined.”
“Yes my queen, I will get it healed.” Imago went to the infirmary and they were able to fix the internal damage, but could not fix the shell in its half-healed state, due to the love from Rainbow Dash, without it taking even longer to heal. They covered it up a metal plate and wrapped his torso in bandages, leaving room for his wings. He could fly with alot less pain now. He gave the doctor a friendly thank you and left the Hive. As soon as he got out, he took off and booked it for the canyon. If he wasn’t there when Rainbow Dash woke up, things would get a lot more complicated. He was hardly off of the ground before he saw three royal guards patrolling the skies. He instinctively shot to the ground.
“Was that movement?” One of them asked the others. “Let’s check it out.” Imago was worried. There was no way he could fight three royal guards! One, yes. Two, maybe. Three, impossible. He would have to sneak out or pick them off. He jumped into a tree and hid just as the three landed. “Okay Star, you look over there and I’ll look over here. Rookie, you go up top and watch the skies.” He gave salute and flew above the trees. Imago was thrilled. It must’ve been his birthday! The guards were actually splitting up! It was priceless. He decided to go for the one called Star first. He maneuvered through the trees, being careful not to alert the guard above. Imago was right above Star, when the first guard called out, “I think I found something." Now or never, he thought. He leaped down noiselessly behind Star, who was now turning to face the direction of the callout. Imago flipped Star’s head around and shoved his hoof down his throat. He was taken by surprise and tried to scream, but the limb in his throat cut off oxygen and noise. Star threw a few punches at Imago and they all missed, due to oxygen deprivation. Imago shoved him on the ground and broke his neck. He changed into him and walked over to who he thought was their captain. Imago saw his own blood on the ground in front of the captain. “What do you think it is?” He asked.
“Changeling blood.”
“How do you know? And where’d you get those bandages?” Imago dropped the disguise.
“Surprise!” The captain wheeled around and got bucked in the face. He flew back a few feet, regained his footing and charged. Imago didn’t move. He waited for the captain to come to him. Three. Two. One. Suddenly his face was smashed into the ground. Ow. He was then restrained by two guards. Crap! He forgot about the one above the tree line! He was kicked in the face repeatedly. He felt his eye start to bleed, when one made the mistake of standing over his head to talk.
“Aww does the little cha-” Was all he got out before getting blasted back with a burst of magic. Imago kicked the guard in front of him in the groin as hard as he could. It happened to be the guard who slammed his face into the ground. Imago stood up. He couldn’t see out of one eye, because it was filled with blood. He charged the captain and the captain countered with a punch to the face. The captain swung again, and again, and again, each shot connecting with his target. Imago couldn’t dodge because he was half blind. The captain threw another punch, but this time Imago did manage to dodge and bite into his foreleg. He reflexively pulled back and so did Imago, tearing half the leg off. The captain yelled and started crying. He fell down just as Imago picked the leg up and threw it at the other, who thought he could sneak up on him again. The leg hit him in the neck, and Imago rushed over. Imago pushed him down and stomped on his ribcage, hearing a few satisfying crunches. He threw the rookie into a tree and walked back over to the captain. He crushed his skull with a powerful smash. He looked over to the rookie. He was the one who made his eye bleed. He’d pay. Imago broke a tree branch and pinned him up on a tree, upside-down. Then, he punched him until he had no teeth left. That would show him. Imago left him to hang and bleed to death. He continued on his way to Rainbow Dash.
________________________________________________________________________________
By the time he got there, it was already night. Imago flew down to Dash and puked near her on the ground. That would suffice for a cocoon explosion, he thought. Imago became Spike and laid down in his own puke. He waited for four hours, judging by the moon, for her to wake up. When she did, he played dead. “Ugh. Spike? Spike is that you?” He pretended to slowly wake up. “Spike! You’re alive!” She crawled over and hugged him. He could already feel his eye getting better. “What happened after I passed out? And where did the changeling go?”
“After he attacked you, he came over and started to undo my cocoon, but he stopped halfway and left. Then I remembered falling….that’s it.”
“We need to get back to Ponyville. There’s a way up over here come on.” And so Imago was headed for Ponyville again.
“So Spike, where did you get those bandages?” Rainbow asked. Imago and Rainbow had been walking for about half an hour now.
“The changeling grabbed me when I walked out of the doctor’s office. I was there for a cut I had gotten when I slipped and fell on a sharp rock.” Rainbow Dash’s wing looked pretty nasty. When Imago had broken it, he yanked it out, twisted it, and snapped it upward. He admired his handiwork.
“Finally, we’re here!” The streets of Ponyville were empty. “Let’s go check on everypony, they must be worried sick!” The library was usually the meeting place, according to Rainbow, so they went there first.
“Twilight? Are you in here?” Imago called, opening the door.
“Spike?!” She looked over at them. “Spike! Rainbow! You’re both alive! Where were you two? What happened? Why are you coming home this late?” They got hit with a barrage of questions. “Actually, don’t answer those questions just yet. I know the others will want to hear this too!” So Imago and Dash waited for Twilight to finish sending a message to AJ, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie that they were all home. Each and every one of them was there within five minutes. Rarity leaped to spike and hugged him, saying something about Spikey-Wikey and then she went to sit down. “Okay, now answer the questions.” They all sat down, anxious to hear the story. Rainbow went first.
“Well I-” She started, before getting cut off by Fluttershy.
“Oh my, your wing.” Rainbow shrugged.
“My wing can wait. It doesn’t hurt too badly when I’m not messing with it. As I was saying, I was following, who I had thought to be Spike, to the canyon where I practice.” Every one of them had these looks on their faces, like they were foals being told a bedtime story. “He was walking kind of fast, but I was on a cloud, out of sight. He walked to the edge of the cliff and jumped off.” They all gasped. “So, I zoomed as fast as I could to save him and when I looked over the cliff there was…” They all leaned in as close as possible without hitting Rainbow Dash or Imago. “A changeling!” They all screamed. Imago clutched his ears. After everything calmed down, Dash started again. “He was doing something to Spike, because Spike was in a green cocoon similar to Celestia’s during the wedding. I dove at him and kicked him in the jaw. He didn’t pay attention to me and then-” The rest of the story was told.
“So, the Spike we’ve been talking to for the past day and a half was a changeling?” Rarity asked. Imago nodded. She fainted dramatically.
“We are going to need to be extra cautious.” Twilight said. “We need a buddy system.” Everyone agreed. “Good! I guess it’s settled. Always be near at least one pony.” Everyone went home except for Imago and Twilight. When they were all gone Twilight turned to him and said, “It’s wonderful having you back spike!” and then she hugged him. He returned the hug and she asked, “Where did you get these bandages?”
“When we came back into town, nurse Redheart saw us and she gave me some bandages from a cut I got when I fell. She didn’t have anything for rainbow with her, so that’s why she is going to her now.”
“Okay, we need go to bed.”
“Agreed.” Twilight and Imago went upstairs and laid down in their beds, or in Imago’s case, basket. “Goodnight Twilight.”
“Goodnight Spike.” And they drifted off to sleep.
__________________________________________________________
Imago woke up before Twilight. He was an early riser most mornings anyway. He went downstairs and made her breakfast, bread and cheese. He left it next to her bed. Imago had no idea what to do now. He could go and try to find Rarity and see if she had a weakness. Sounded good to him. He silently opened the door and left. He slowly walked toward Rarity’s home. No rush at all. Imago did feel he was forgetting something though. He saw that one familiar pony again. Who was that, he wondered. He walked closer and the familiar pony stopped him. “Spike!” He remembered who this was now! It was that pony that his queen was controlling. What was his name!?!? He was mentally beating himself up.
“Hi!” It would have to do. “What are you doing in Ponyville?”
“I actually came here with Cadence to check on Twiley, and then you went missing. It looks like your back though!” He said with a laugh. “Say, where did you go in the first place?”
“Changelings abducted me.” Imago was trying the hardest he possibly could to not attack this colt where he stood. He was furious that he had ruined the whole invasion.
“Those pathetic parasites!” Oh, he was asking for it. “Well, I’m just glad you’re fine. Can you help me find Cadence? She went to go look around and I don’t know where she went.” He could not spend any more time around him and especially not Cadence.
“Sorry, but I was just heading over to Rarity’s.”
“Okay, come find me if Twiley wakes up. I want to see her.”
“Will do. Bye!”
“Bye Spike!” Imago ran to Rarity’s. He had to get away from him ASAP. When he got to Rarity’s house, he knocked. He heard two voices coming from inside.
“Darling, could you please get that?”
“Sure thing, Rarity!” No. No, no, no, no. The other was one thing. This he couldn’t handle. He looked for a place to hide. The door swung open. Too late. “Hi Spike!” He looked up and saw Cadence’s smiling face. He put his claws behind his back and dug them into it. When he is stressed, he tends to turn into his natural form. “What do you need?” He felt tons of love radiating off of her.
“I came to talk to Rarity, but I can come back later.”
“Nonsense! Come on in!” He walked in and had to move his claws out of his back, so he didn’t look odd. “Rarity, you have a visitor!” Imago felt like he was about to explode.
“Oh, hello Spike!” He was about to lose his internal battle. “Do you need something?”
“I came to talk.” He said through clenched teeth.
“About what?” Imago was standing right next to the mare that ruined the entire Canterlot invasion for the whole Hive. He felt his left claw began to change into a hoof and he shoved the whole thing into his mouth and ran through her house looking for a hiding place. Kitchen. Nope. He felt his teeth change into fangs. He stumbled out the door and ran into a bush. Then he changed completely. The bush was small and Imago was pretty sure his horn was sticking out the top of it. He moved to a tree and hoped nobody saw him. He stayed there for about fifteen minutes before he could change back into Spike. He couldn’t go back to Cadence, so he went back to the library to tell Twilight about that guy. On his way back he remembered what he had to do today. Send his report! He went to the Everfree and lost his disguise again. It wasn’t required, but it felt better.
“My Queen?”
“Yes Imago?”
“Would you like to hear my report?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“My plan worked and I’m back into their society. Cadence-”
“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF THAT FILTH TO ME!”
“I am very sorry, Your Highness.” A few moments passed.
“It is alright my child, continue with your report.”
“Very well, filth and its groom are here. I have found one of the yellow pony’s weaknesses and its weakness is animals.”
“Interesting, keep working and since filth is there, I’ll send two changelings to you so they can take her back here. She will be an excellent source of food and we need to have a talk.”
“Yes my queen, I will arrange it." He walked back to Ponyville, killing various small creatures along the way and humming. He became Spike once more. He walked into the library to see Twilight and the familiar colt talking.
“Spike, you know you can wake me up when Shining Armor is in town!” She playfully scolded. So that was his name, he thought. Well, Shining Armor’s wife would be in for a surprise tomorrow. He grinned evilly. “Spike stop it, that’s creepy.”
Twilight Sparkle was in the library with her Big Brother Best Friend Forever, having a great day. Spike and Rainbow were back, her brother and sister-in-law were in town, and the weather was great. She didn’t think anything could make the day bad, at all.
__________________________________________________________
Imago was still trying to figure out a way to take Cadence without anyone seeing. His brothers had not shown up yet either. She probably wouldn’t be at the Boutique anymore, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He walked to Sweet Apple Acres to see Applejack, since he hadn’t spent any time with her individually. On his way there, he was attacked by three young fillies. Imago immediately went into combat mode and waited for their next move. “Hi Spike!” The orange one with a purple mane greeted.
“Hi.” He relaxed a bit and was slowly walking away from them, to the farm.
“Spike, we need yer help.” The yellow one said in a thick southern accent.
“Yeah, how about we just play hide and seek.” Imago suggested.
“Can you get a cutie mark in hide and seek?” The orange pony asked the white one.
“Scootaloo, that’s ridiculous. There is no cutie mark for hide and seek.” She replied.
“You can’t know until you try!” He said, a few feet away now. They pondered the thought for a moment.
“I guess you’re right. Spike’s it!” They all ran in different directions. That was easier than he thought it would be. He started walking again when he remembered Twilight’s buddy system rule. He’d get in trouble for not following it. Oh well, he thought. He just kept walking to Applejack’s. When he got there, she was out bucking trees.
“Hey, Applejack!” She looked up.
“Howdy, Spike. What brings you ‘round these parts?” Her accent was thicker than the small one’s.
“I was just wondering if I could help with anything around the farm.”
“Now that ya mention it, there’s a few hundred trees ah need to buck and ah learned mah lesson last time about help. Ah don’t know if yer strong enough, but you can try.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Thank ya Spike.” Imago walked over to a tree and punched it. All of the apples fell off and it dented the tree. Applejack stood there, jaw dropped, staring at the tree he just punched. “Darn, Spike! When’d ya get so strong?”
“I’ve been working out.” He said.
“You must be workin’ out a ton.” She added skeptically.
“Yup, I have.” She gave him a suspicious look. Imago would have to be more careful, now that everyone is on the lookout for changelings.
“Okay then.”
“Say, Applejack, what is the one thing in the world that you’d die for?”
“That’s a mighty odd question Spike. Why’re ya askin’?”
“Twilight started talking about some pretty deep stuff the other night and I got to thinking, what would I die for? So, this is kind of giving me an idea of what to die for.” It sounded ridiculous to him.
“Well, I suppose ah’d haf’ta say Applebloom.” Score.
“Thanks Applejack.”
“No problem, sugar cube. About that help, though. You still up for it?” Imago nodded and got to work, for five hours. Imago was exhausted. “Thanks a ton, Spike.”
“Your welcome. I have to go now, see you later.”
“Bye, Spike.” Imago was getting tired of that name. He left Sweet Apple Acres and went to the Everfree to look for his brothers. He passed Twilight Sparkle and she asked to go to Zecora’s hut for something. He agreed, but had no idea what she meant. As soon as he was clear of Ponyville, he dropped his disguise. Imago kept walking until he heard one of them scream for help telepathically. He sprinted as fast as he could to find them, but when he turned a corner around a tree, he felt a splitting pain in the back of his head before he fell unconscious.
__________________________________________________________
When he awoke, he was in a dark room, but he could see in the dark. There was a tray in front of him and he was strapped onto a table with metal. On his left and right were his siblings, in the same predicament as him. There was glass up to the right. A blinding light filled the room, waking his brothers. “Ah, you’re all awake. Good, we can begin.” A pony entered the room, but the light made it impossible to indentify it. The pony proceeded to walk closer, until it was visible. She was wearing a full suit of plastic and had a pink face with a poofy mane barely showing through her mask. It was Pinkie Pie. “You are all terrible beings that deserve terrible things.” All three changelings hissed, simultaneously. “That wasn’t very nice, you need to be taught a lesson.” She said in a mocking tone. Imago watched as she pulled a blade from her back pocket. She rolled in a cart with all kinds of nasty looking tools on it after that. “Now I’m going to make this simple, you tell me what the princess paid me to ask you and you can leave safely.” She turned around to pick up a sickle. “Or,” She turned back around, mane straight, sickle in hoof. “We can do this the fun way.” Imago saw the fear in his brothers’ eyes and frankly, he was terrified as well. “Who should we start with, hmm? No opinion?” None of them dared to make a move. “Right is always right, I suppose.” She walked to the oldest of the three. “Okay, we’re going to play a game! I ask a question, one of you vermin answer, and this one doesn’t get harmed. If not…” She said eyeing the blade. “You can figure out the rest.”
“My Queen!”
“Yes Imago, what is it?”
“A torturer for the princess has captured us! We need help!”
“WHAT?! THAT WRETCH! Has she harmed any of you yet?!”
“No, but she’s about to!”
“I’m coming there!”
“No my queen, don’t! You may be harmed too!” Chrysalis had stopped listening.
“First question, where is the Hive?” No one said a word. “Yay! I like how you guys think!” She put the sickle through one of the holes in his hooves and twisted, breaking the exoskeleton and spewing green blood everywhere. The changeling screamed the most blood-curdling scream Imago had ever heard. “Second question,” she said approaching Imago, now with a meat hammer. “Where is your queen?” She asked, raising the hammer above her head.
“Right behind you.” Queen Chrysalis answered for him. She hit Pinkie with the wrath of an angry changeling queen and she flew across the room, Chrysalis not far behind. Chrysalis unlocked Imago and his siblings, before she got on top of Pinkie Pie and beat the living crap out of her. She threw her through the glass in the corner when she was finished and on the other side was…
Celestia! Imago was enraged at her for putting his queen in danger! Chrysalis was stunned. Celestia picked her up and suspended her in the air. It held her upside-down and disabled magic. Imago and his siblings charged Celestia, only to be stopped by Luna, who had stepped out from behind her. Pinkie was cowering behind Celestia, too messed up to accomplish anything. “So Queen Chrysalis, did you think you could come back to harm my subjects again so soon?” Chrysalis spit on her, sticking one eye shut. Celestia tried frantically to pull the spit off, but to no avail. She looked at Chrysalis again, this time with one eye closed, and hit her in the face. “You insignificant bug! How do you remove it?!” Chrysalis laughed, before getting slammed against the wall. The other three changelings hissed.
“My queen! What do we do?” Imago worriedly asked.
“I don’t know child, but-” She paused, for she was hit again. “We all need to search for an exit.” All four changelings looked for a way out. Chrysalis found one. “Celestia, you hit like a foal! Do you even know how to throw a proper punch?!” Celestia hit her again. “Come on! Your hoofguards are doing all of the work!” Celestia hit her again, more ferociously than the previous hits. Chrysalis’s face was bleeding. “Come on! Hit me with your real hooves! Punch me you worm!” She was shouting now. Celestia took the hoofguards off and prepared for the hardest punch yet. She lined her hoof up with Chrysalis’s face and let it fly. Just as it was about a hoof and a half away, Chrysalis moved the top of her head to face it. Celestia gasped as her hoof was impaled onto her jagged horn. Celestia screamed and tried to pull away, but the horn was angled so it caused too much pain when she tried.
“Sister!” Luna called to her. Imago and his brothers took this moment of vulnerability to break out of her magic field. Chrysalis was jerking her head side-to-side, to keep Celestia occupied. Celestia herself was trying to remove her mangled hoof from Chrysalis’s head. “We are coming sister!” Luna rushed to Chrysalis, dodging attacks from Imago and the others. She got there, held Chrysalis’s head in one place and yanked Celestia’s hoof off of it. At this point, the poor hoof was ripped to shreds. Luna stopped the bleeding with magic, right before she was jumped on by the three changelings. “ENOUGH!” Luna was using the Royal Canterlot Voice. “WE HAVE A PROPOSTION TO OFFER!” The changelings stopped and climbed off of her to listen. “WE SHALL ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE HERE WITH YOUR CHILDREN, NO MORE HARMED THAN YOU ALREADY ARE, IF THOU SWEARS TO LET US GET OUR SISTER TO A DOCTOR!” Queen Chrysalis pondered this for a moment in her head. She had the princesses right where she wanted them, but she couldn’t bear to see her children harmed anymore.
“I will accept your offer on three conditions. Anything like this,” She gestured around the room. “Never happens again, my child requires medical attention,” She pointed at the changeling tortured by Pinkie. “And we have safe passage through all cities on our way back to our Hive, as well. Are we clear?”
“Yes, we are.” Celestia dropped Chrysalis on her head and left with her sister.
“What do we do with her?” Imago’s brother asked, pointing at Pinkie. A dark blue aura surrounded her and she flew out of the room. “Oh.”
“Well, lets get you a doctor.” The four changelings walked out of the door and into a hallway in Canterlot Castle. The guards gave them hateful and terrified stares as they passed. They all walked to a room that said ‘Royal Infirmary’. Chrysalis decided to have a little fun and go in with the other three. She saw Celestia on the other side of the room with Luna, both of them glaring at her. A doctor was trying to remove her spit from Celestia’s eye. “This is where I take my child, is it not?” She smirked. “Now who is going to heal him?” No one said a word. “Luna, we had an agreement.”
“I know,” She replied. “You, heal the changeling.” The unlucky doctor sighed and got to it. When he was done, his shell wasn’t fixed, but that required time and love. “You can leave now.”
“I am, trust me.” She left the infirmary, but she wasn’t done having fun. Chrysalis still had Celestia’s blood on her horn. Imago watched as she walked up to random ponies, splattering blood on them and busting out laughing. Her children shared in the laughter. They then went to Ponyville with and checked on the elements. Twilight started crying when four of her best friends came in saying that the fifth had died. They all lost the disguises and laughed hysterically. Then Twilight charged up a spell, only to be told that none of them could be harmed, Luna’s orders. The changelings went to each and every one of the elements, telling them something terribly tragic and then laughing in their faces when they were finished. After a full day of making ponies cry, they walked back towards the Hive. When they were all about fifteen minutes away from Ponyville, Imago turned around and told everyone that he needed to go back to Ponyville. So they said their goodbyes, Queen Chrysalis wishing him good luck, and Imago returned to Ponyville, as Spike, to find an angry Twilight awaiting his return.
“Spike! I was so worried! Where have you been? I sent you to get me something eight hours ago!”
“I got lost on my way to Zecora’s, I had to go around a manticore nest. Will you forgive me?” He put on the saddest puppy dog eyes he could, which weren’t too sad, and looked at her.
“Okay Spike, but what happened to the herbs anyway?”
“She said check in tomorrow.” Twilight looked disappointed.
“Oh well, I guess you can go get them tomorrow.”
“Okay, I will. Oh and by the way, where’s Cadence and Shining Armor?”
“They went back to Canterlot this afternoon.” She said with a sigh. “It was nice having them around.”
“Oh, see ya Twilight.” Imago walked away a little sad that he wouldn’t be able to apprehend Cadence, but he could always try again some other time. For now he just thought of all the fun things he’d get to do any other ponies that mess with him in the Everfree. Imago went to take a nap, it had been a long day.
Twilight woke Imago with a slight nudge. He shot up. Twilight didn’t seem to notice, but she wasn’t going to give him a hard time about sleeping in. He’d had a hectic couple of days. Imago woke up sweating and startled. He just had the worst nightmare he ever had. It involved a cheese grater, a knife, Celestia, and his queen. It was horrible. “Spike, are you okay? You’ve had a rough week and I’m always here if you need somepony to talk to.”
“It’s okay Twilight, I’m fine. I just…don’t feel important, you know? Like I’m in the background all of the time, I don’t feel…special.” Twilight looked at Imago, with sadness in her eyes.
“Spike, don’t say that. You’re the most special thing in my life!” His face lit up.
“Really, you mean it?!” Imago said with a little too much enthusiasm.
“Yes, of course Spike.” He leaned in and hugged her and she hugged back. “Always.” They stayed that way for about five minutes before Imago got up to go celebrate three out of six weaknesses found.
“Well, I’m going to go get those ingredients now. Bye Twilight!”
“Bye, Spike.” Imago walked off into the Everfree Forest for his celebration. He turned back into a changeling when he got to the forest. Time to find some campers, he thought to himself. Imago didn’t have to look far. There was an odd building in the middle of a few trees, covered with vines. It was almost invisible and would’ve been to a pony, but he wasn’t a pony. He walked up to it cautiously and walked inside. There wasn’t anything there. Imago looked let down, he was expecting a fight. He walked back outside and searched for more ponies. He heard someone, talking a little down the road, so he went to investigate. It was two patrolling royal guards. The captain was a unicorn and his partner was an earth pony. He hid in a bush and waited for them to get right in front of him. As soon as the guards were in front of him he hissed and jumped into a tree, making sure they saw.
“You there! Come down now and no harm will come to you!” Imago stayed in the tree and stared at them from where they could see.
“No.” He was enjoying this. He would make them work for it.
“Captain what do we do?” The other one decided to ask up
“We will have to use force.”
“How about you tell me what I’ve done wrong.” Imago demanded
“You invaded Canterlot with your idiotic queen.” Imago didn’t like that response.
“What did you call Queen Chrysalis?” The guards seemed to like that they had found a soft spot.
“Idiotic, stupid, incompetent, what she doesn’t teach you pests either? What a surprise.” Imago was fuming and the guard that wasn’t talking was stifling a laugh.
“You shut up about her! You know nothing you ignorant pony!” The guard in the back couldn’t hold back laughter any longer. He busted out laughing. “Shut up! I’ll come down there and kill you myself!”
“Oh, really? Come on, kill us! We are ready to go!” He launched himself at the ponies, completely driven by rage. The captain dodged Imago while the other held him down. “Last chance changeling, come quietly or die for your pathetic queen.” Imago broke free and yelled,
“She isn’t pathetic! Your princess is pathetic! She’s the one who got defeated by my queen!” He punched the captain in the face. The other guard jumped at him, but was thrown into a tree. The captain stood up and rushed Imago. Imago dodged his charge only to be rammed by his partner and slammed to the ground. The unicorn drove his horn toward his chest, but Imago blocked it with his hoof, accidentally getting it stuck in one of his holes. Imago used it to his advantage and shoved the captain’s face into the ground. The earth pony bucked Imago in the wound on his back, hoping for the best. Instead, he got a metal plate to the hoof. Imago turned around and stabbed him in the eye with the unicorn’s horn, getting a successful squish. The unicorn himself couldn’t move, due to his horn being in his best friend. He started to cry.
“Stop! Please stop! We’re sorry!” Imago loved this part.
“Then what is Queen Chrysalis?”
“She’s incredible! She is the greatest being in all of Equestria! Please just let us go!”
“No, you can tell my queen what you just told me.” He spit it on the horn to keep it stuck in his eye and then he spit in both of their eyes. He walked them to the Hive and gave them to a few changelings that gladly accepted to ‘gently escort’ them to the queen for punishment. He walked back to Ponyville, stopping by Zecora’s shack. A friendly hiker gave told him where it was after a little persuading. He turned into Spike and asked her for Twilight’s order. She replied in some accent and rhymed every word she said. It was pretty impressive. He took the items and went back to the library where Twilight was waiting.
“Ah, Spike, there you are. Do you have the herbs I asked for?”
“Yes, I do.” He put them down next to Twilight.
“Perfect! Thanks Spike, now we can perform the changeling repelling spell!” Twilight was ecstatic. She had resented the changelings ever since the wedding and then they came to her home and lied to her and all of her friends about death and tragedy. This would show them, she thought. Imago was not as happy. He had resented ponies his whole life and he was not about to help one perform the spell from the wedding. Imago walked closer to Twilight and ‘tripped’ onto the ingredients, crushing them. “Perfect Spike! You did read that book on defense spells! Now that you crushed them, we just need to mix them together!” He quickly ate an ingredient, unaware of which one it was. “Spike! Why did you do that?”
“Umm…I was hungry.”
“Well which one did you eat?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well all of the ingredients were originally from mostly dragon populated areas, so you’re fine.” Imago was a little more worried now.
"What would happen to someone who isn't a dragon?"
"Well, they would get very angry at the littlest things and make irrational decisions, one of the herbs was a fatal one." Imago paled at fatal, or he paled as much as a purple dragon could. "Spike, are you okay? You look a little pale."
"I'm perfect! Let's find out which one I ate so I can get it from Zecora again." Twilight was getting suspicious.
"Okay." They took inventory of everything still recognizable. "It looks like you didn't eat the fatal one, so if you were worried then don't be."
"Thanks Twilight."
"Your welcome, my number one assistant." Imago was a little worried about the effects, though. His habit to lose disguise might be a hazard. He decided to go over to Rarity's to explain his behavior from the other day. He blamed it on a stomach virus and she didn't dare ask more of it. Pinkie Pie passed him on his way back to the library.
"Hiya, Spike! I want to know if you and Twilight will be attending the picnic later! Don't forget to RSVP!" She said, bouncing away. Imago walked to his temporary home and asked Twilight if she was coming. She said yes and both of them headed for their usual picnic place.
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy were all there. They sat down and talked while Imago played with his food. No one was paying any attention to him. At all. They were talking amongst themselves and disregarding him. He got mad. Imago picked up a piece of bread and threw it at them. They all looked at him, except Rainbow who got hit by the bread and was clearing her face of crumbs.
"Spike, what was that for?" Rainbow asked.
"For not talking to me!" He stormed off into Ponyville. He turned into a changeling in an alley and walked back out. What were they gonna do, he thought. They're just ponies. He walked down the streets throwing people around and hissing at foals. No one wanted to attack a changeling, so they all took it. He punched holes in houses, insulted families, the whole nine yards. One big red stallion got all defensive when he hissed at the yellow filly from yesterday and bucked him in the hip. It hurt. He decided to fight him. He flew up in the air and came down on top of him. In that moment all of the ponies came to fight him. He could take them all, he thought. He beat about three before he was swarmed and subdued. The red stallion came up to him again and bucked him in the face to knock him out.
Imago woke up in a dungeon. His head was pounding like it had been stomped on by a whole country. He had got to stop blacking out, he thought. There was one iron door and no windows. A torch was just beyond reach on the other side of the door. The room itself was very small, just room for him and a cot. There were five guards per cell door, positioned around them. Imago saw a few other changelings in cells. “Is anyone over there awake?”
“I am.”
“How long have you been here?”
“A few hours, I think. There are thirteen of us in here.”
“Have you contacted Queen Chrysalis?”
“Yes, she said she will try to peacefully negotiate our release, but that probably won’t work after recent events.”
“We need a plan B. How can we take out the guards?”
“Well, there are sixty-five guards in here and only thirteen changelings. There is one torch and we are underground with no idea where we are. I don’t have the slightest idea.”
“Can we use anything from in the cells?”
“I don’t think so, unless mattresses are weapons.”
“Which cell are you in?”
“This one over here.” He stuck his hoof out the cell door. “Where is yours?” Imago did the same. One of the guards noticed them sticking their hooves out of the bars and got suspicious.
“Changeling,” He said pointing a hoof at Imago. “Why are you sticking your hoof out of your cell?”
“It’s cramped in here.” It wasn’t even a lie.
“Then why is that one doing it too?”
“It’s cramped in there!” Imago was getting annoyed at this guard’s curiosity. “I hope the queen’s plan works.”
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The whole city of Ponyville was looking for Spike. Twilight was worried that the changeling that was harassing people earlier hurt him. He couldn’t now though, because Big Macintosh gave him to the royal guard after everyone in the town gave him a kick in the head. After Spike’s fit, everyone gave him some time to cool down then went to go find him. When they went back into town they heard about the changeling and then everyone started looking for Spike, like they are now. No one has found a single clue as to where he is. Applejack was looking around Sweet Apple Acres with Twilight. “Twi, ah got to thinking and ah thought a somethin’.” Twilight was clearly in distress.
“Yes?”
“Well ah was talking to Lyra earlier and she said she saw Spike go into an alley, the same alley that the changeling walked out of seconds later.”
“Applejack, what are you trying to say?” But Twilight knew exactly what she was trying to say.
“Twi, ah think the Spike that we got from the changeling is the changeling.”
“I know Applejack, I just don’t want to believe that the real Spike is still out there.” She started sobbing. Applejack put a comforting hoof around her.
“Its okay sugarcube, from what ah’ve heard the changeling that came through here didn’t actually hurt the younger ponies. They said he only scared ‘em and if he was faking Spike he must’ve been the one to take ‘im, dontcha think? So that means he didn’t hurt Spike.” Twilight looked up from her sobs and said,
“I guess so.”
“And besides, sitting here crying won’t bring Spike back.”
“You know what, you’re right!” Applejack was satisfied with that. “I’m going to write a well thought out note to the princess and have Spi-” She started to cry again. This was going to be a long day, Applejack thought.
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Queen Chrysalis was sitting in a room with Princess Celestia, in Canterlot Castle, discussing the imprisoned changelings. “Why should I give you your changelings back?” Celestia asked.
“Simple, I have two of your royal guards at my Hive. Give me my changelings and you can have them back.” Chrysalis looked down at Celestia’s hoof and grinned. It was bandaged and looked ridiculous without a hoofguard.
“How do I know I’ll get them back?”
“Bring them out.” Five changelings brought the two interlocked guards out from behind a door. Celestia gasped at their condition.
“What did you do to them?!”
“I am simply returning them in the condition that they were in when I received them. Now do you accept my offer?” Celestia was angry, but she didn’t let it show.
“Yes, I do. Guards, bring the thirteen of them in.” A royal guard walked out to inform the guards of their release.
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All of the changelings were awake now. They were desperate for escape. The second they saw a guard enter the room all of their attention was on him. The guards unlocked their cells. "The prin-" The changelings didn't even listen, they just charged him and blew through the door. To them, this was their only chance at escape. They hit guards as they ran through the halls. They ran into the room that Queen Chrysalis and Princess Celestia were talking in. All of them were confused.
"My queen?" Imago wondered aloud.
"Ah, there you are. Let's get back to the Hive." She stood up to leave.
"Wait, you're releasing us?"
"Yes, why do you think they opened the doors?" A royal guard rushed in from behind the changelings and tackled one.
"Run Princess Celestia, they're attacking!" All of the other changelings defended the tackled one and beat up the guard.
"Stop!" Princess Celestia shouted. The changelings continued beating the guard. Chrysalis looked at Celestia and smirked.
"Children," They stopped and looked up at her. "Stop wasting your energy on him. We need to go." The changelings gathered around their queen and walked through the double doors to the throne room. "Goodbye, Celestia." Celestia just looked back with hate. The changeling queen was just about to open the doors to leave the whole castle, when something opened it from the other side.
"But Shining, you said-" Cadence and Chrysalis just stared at each other. Shining was worried what might happen if he didn't do anything. He leaped at the queen only to be pounced on by three changelings. "Shining!" She broke the stare and pried the changelings off of him with magic. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. What are you doing here?" He pointed at Chrysalis. Chrysalis hadn't stopped staring at the spot where Cadence's eyes had been. Abruptly, she spun around and tackled Cadence.
"You ruined my whole invasion! Hundreds of my children are dead because of you!" Shining Armor ran over to help Cadence but was held down by the other thirteen changelings. "How could you do such a thing! You heartless monster!" Both Cadence and Chrysalis were crying. Chrysalis hit Cadence in the face once.
"GET OFF OF HER!" Shining Armor used a shield like the one in Canterlot, but smaller, and blew the thirteen changelings in different directions. He ran over to Chrysalis and shot her off with magic, before tending to Cadence. "Honey, are you all right?" He gently asked with concern.
"Yes, I'm okay." She replied between sobs. "I...I just didn't know we killed so many of them." She hugged him and cried into his shoulder.
"Well, you did!" Chrysalis cut in, recovering from the shot. "All I did to you was ruin your pathetic wedding to feed my subjects and you and your husband kill seven-hundred-thirty-four of my children, just from the shield! Now we barely have enough food to survive!" She knew she shouldn't be telling them all of this, but she couldn't stop now. "At least five die every day just from malnutrition and it's all your fault!" Cadence was bawling, she couldn't take much more. "I have to cope with losing my children everyday and its all your fault!" Chrysalis was crying again, as well.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't think that it would kill anyone! What can I do to make anything better?! Please tell me!" Shining Armor spoke before Chrysalis had the chance.
"Cadence don't do this! She will probably take you back to the Hive and hurt you or even kill you!" She looked at him with watery eyes and smiled. "Shining I love you and I always will, but this is something that I need to do." She turned around to look at Chrysalis. "Okay, what do you need?"