The next morning at Sweet Apple Acres Big Mac, Applejack and Apple Bloom were getting ready for Apple Bucking when countless black creatures swarmed onto the farm. Applejack and Big Mac stuck at them only for them to grab Apple Bloom, all the creatures then flew away.

Meanwhile at the Ponyville Orphanage a single changeling grabbed the sleeping Scootaloo and took her out with ease.

At the Boutique Rarity galloped into Sweetie Belle’s room as she heard the sound of some thing breaking in, as soon as she saw the black creatures in the room she burst into green flames her purple wings flaring out “I can’t believe mother sent you after me, I am a free Changeling!”

The Changeling growled “It’s Princess Chrysalia, capture her!”Sweetie Belle began to stir as Rarity began flinging spells at the changelings, who dodged and fired back their own spells.

Sweetie Belle groaned as she stood up only to see Rarity fighting the creatures, she felt something, an instinct… no a hunger for these creatures. Sweetie Belle’s body glowed with light, she then fired three webbings in a row binding the three changelings to the wall. The changelings screamed “I can’t hear them!”

She leapt on the first changeling and slammed her fangs through the chitin pumping digestive juices into him. Rarity watched in horror as Sweetie Belle moved onto the next two changelings repeating the vile process and soon all the screams vanished as each ling was now a carapace filled with partially digested flesh. Sweetie Belle devoured the three lings doubling in size after each one until she was 1 Celestia tall and 3 Celestias wide. Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity, Rarity shuddered “Sweetie Belle don’t do this…”

Sweetie Belle saw the diamond marks on either side of Rarity’s body, she began to shake as she fought against her own instincts “She is my sister!”

Rarity looked at Sweetie Belle who had calmed down “Sweetie Belle, are you okay?”

Sweetie Belle frowned “Can you reassume your pony self, please? My instincts are painful to suppress and I may not be able to hold it much longer.” Rarity turned back into her unicorn form with a burst of flame, Sweetie Belle sighed “It appears we have a lot to talk about, first things first what are you and what am I?”

Rarity frowned “Well I am Changeling Princess, will be Queen in a century or two. As for you, well what little our kind knows of your kind comes from many millennia ago. It is a legend of strange spider-like creatures known as the Arachna that can shapeshift and feed off changelings, many thought it was superstition.”

Sweetie Belle sighed at her sister “Well they were wrong? But why would Changelings attack here?”

Rarity shook her head “I don’t know, they didn’t know I was here until now. It makes no sense.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened as she remembered something her sister told her “Wait you told me that you were the bearer of Generosity. That means they were after me to get to you.”

Rarity growled “That means they went after Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, in fact it’s quite possible they have them already! Our kind are ruthlessly efficient and would have planned a joint assault!”

Sweetie Belle grimaced “Well then let’s go to the Everfree, that’s where they would hide if they wanted to avoid us or bait a trap.”

Rarity frowned “I agree, still you should reassume your pony form as we go through town.”

Sweetie Belle sighed “Very well.” Sweetie Belle transformed back into her pony self with a flash of light. They then locked up the Boutique then burst into a gallop towards the Everfree Forest.

Sweetie Belle then transformed back into her true form once they were out of sight of Ponyville. She turned right as the white hairs on her body stood up “They’re that way, I can sense their buzzing.”

Rarity nodded “That is the Hive Mind, I’ve been cut off for a while. Queens and Princesses do fine without but lesser lings struggle. It’s actually why those ling you consumed were screaming before you even bit into them, your webbing can cut off the connection to the Hive Mind.”

Sweetie Belle frowned “ Well let’s go.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed in the direction Sweetie Belle was looking “Those lings are going to pay!” Rarity burst into a gallop with Sweetie Belle scurrying beside, they arrived in a clearing to see Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rested in two pods full of green goop while four more rested there. Furthermore ten changelings were flying in the air.”

Sweetie Belle grinned as she fired off ten webs “Patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie, patooie.”

Rarity sighed as levitated the two pods down she then cut them open. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo landed on the ground, Scootaloo yawned “Is it morning yet?”

Apple Bloom looked up and started to cry as she saw Rarity. She wrapped in a big hug “Thank ya for saving me, Ah was so scared.”

Scootaloo looked around as she shook the last of the sleep out of her mind “Where are we?”

Apple Bloom turned to her “These Changelings captured us! They attacked Sweet Apple Acres!”

Scootaloo shouted “What?!”

Rarity nodded “They also attacked the Boutique but don’t worry, Sweetie Belle and I are safe.”

Scootaloo frowned “Where is Sweetie Belle?”

Rarity frowned “She’s currently eating behind me.” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked past her to see Sweetie Belle’s huge spider form which was devouring the changelings her size doubling each time for each changeling consumed, she was now 1024 Celestias tall and 3072 Celestias wide.

Rarity was looking at the bottom of Sweetie Belle “Um Sweetie Belle can you turn back to normal know, you’re quite big.”

Sweetie Belle blinked as she saw everything around her was small “Oh right.”

She transformed back into her pony form, Scootaloo grinned “That was awesome!”

Apple Bloom eyes widened in shock “What are ya and why re you eating thosee creatures?!"

Sweetie Belle frowned “You must promise not to tell anyone, not even your sister. I am putting my faith in you both.”

Scootaloo nodded her voice grew grave “I understand, I will take it to my grave.”

Apple Bloom smiled weakly “I promise on my honour as a crusader.”

Rarity smiled “That’s good, because I am not a pony either.” Apple Bloom jumped as Rarity transformed into her true self.

Scootaloo frowned calmly “You’re a changeling, a Princess.”

Apple Bloom shouted “She’s a changeling, what if she tries to kidnap us? We should run, that might not even really be Sweetie Belle.”

Scootaloo frowned “You do notice she has Rarity’s Cutie Marks right, the other changelings didn’t have them. Besides I have my own secrets, my past is not something I am fond of.”

Rarity frowned “I will not judge you for having secrets, my kind are built on secrecy and Sweetie Belle’s species even more so as they are a fairy tale of my kind. We are shapeshifters who feed off love often disguising as somepony’s loved ones, sadly I was terrible at it but I could easily forge my own identity.”

Sweetie Belle sighed “I know little of what I am except that I eat Changelings. It's not much and I wanted to tell you when I had more information about my condition”

Scootaloo frowned “I believe we should get back, the Orphanage would be upset that I dissapeared. Plus Applejack and Big Mac would panic at the fact Apple Bloom is missing.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened “Ah have to get back, Ah need to…”

Rarity shook her head “I’m not letting wander through the Everfree alone, I’ll take you home.”

The group of four headed back to Applejack’s farm, Applejack and Big Mac were sitting on the porch. Applejack was sobbing as Big Mac had a hoof wrapped around her “Apple Bloom…”

Apple Bloom burst into a gallop “Sis!”

Applejack cried as she saw the little filly galloping towards, she wrapped her in a hug as tears flowed down her eyes “Ah’m so glad ya safe.”

Rarity smiled “Now I believe somepony else needs to go home, Apple Bloom will be fine with her sister.”

Sweetie Belle smiled “I agree, come on Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo smiled “Alright, let’s go.”

They calmly returned to the orphanage only a white pegasus mare to fly out with a scowl “Scootaloo where have you been, I have been looking at you all morning?!”

Rarity raised a hoof “It’s not her fault Foal Care, somepony had foalnapped her during the night. I managed to stop them from taking her away from here.”

Foal Care sighed “I see we have to up the security…” she then turned to Scootaloo with a weak “I’m sorry about that Scootaloo, I was just so worried about you. How about I make you something to eat.”

Scootaloo giggled as her stomach answered for her with a growl “I’d like that.” Sweetie Belle and Rarity smiled as they headed home their bonds strengthened by knowing the secrets of the other.

Author's Note

Sweetie Belle's Species can become massive, well at least the Queens do.