And Then I Saw Her Face...
Sandbar galloped his way through the crystal tunnels, following his professors as they hurried down the endless line of crystals. They had some sort of important mission for him, but for some odd reason they had failed to tell him exactly what this mission was. All they had said was it was some sort of emergency, but what that emergency was was unclear. As much as he didn't want to disappoint his teachers, at the same time something was nagging at his mind. Something didn't sit right with him. Given they had hammered the importance of friendship into the students over the last few months, it seemed odd they had dismissed the idea of going and finding his friends. At long last, Sandbar raised his voice.
"Wait. Stop!" he called. "I really should find my friends."
Rarity and Rainbow Dash stopped, seemingly stunned at this statement, and turned back to face him. "Darling, it was so generous of you to take the time to teach those other creatures about friendship."
Sandbar's unease grew. This Rarity seemed off, as if somebody was doing a bad impression of her.
Rainbow Dash seemed equally dismissive of the notion of finding his friends. "But if you're going to join us and do something that really makes a difference, we need to know where your loyalty lies."
"You do want to impress us, don't you, Sandbar?"
Something Rainbow Dash said suddenly made Sandbar click. That one word made everything fall into place.
He stood his ground. "Right, that's enough!" he snapped. Both of his professors looked shocked as he continued. "You need to explain what's going on."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "So you don't care about anypony but your friends? Are you really that selfish?"
"How is caring for somecreature else selfish?" Sandbar retorted. "Not caring for them is selfish. Not that you do, if that incident on the field trip was anything to go by."
Rarity looked horrified. "How can you say such a thing?" she asked. "Honestly, you really are such a disappointment."
Sandbar frowned. "I've always looked up to you," he said. "You would never turn your back on each other, and that's what makes you strong. Now I have a group of friends that I think is every bit as amazing as yours. And who cares if they aren't all ponies?"
"You're the only pony," Rainbow Dash pointed out.
Sandbar paid her no mind. "If I have to give up on them to make you proud, then you aren't the ponies I thought you were. I don't care if I disappoint you." He frowned. "You disappoint me."
What happened next amazed him. Both teachers smiled, and then vanished in a puff of smoke.
Sandbar glanced around to see a completely empty cavern in and around him. "Well, that was weird," he said, and began to retrace his steps. The ghost thing that had looked like Twilight had said something about completing a test. That must have been his (a bit lame, though. Sandbar had always been a fan of escape rooms), and if that was the case, his friends must be isolated and alone as well. Who knew what horrors they may be facing right now? Sandbar made as much speed as he could, until he found himself in the place he was before. Smoulder was already there, standing next to the access ramp for the exit (which was becoming more and more blocked up by the second), and as Sandbar approached, Gallus flew in from another chamber.
"What happened to you?" Smoulder asked Gallus.
"What happened to you?" Gallus retorted, indicating to the dragon in the dress.
Smoulder, embarrassed, removed the dress, which also somehow removed the lipstick, mascara, and tiara that were also on her. "You never saw any of that. Got it?"
Gallus nodded, before Sandbar stepped forward.
"What happened to you two?" Sandbar asked. "I got an endless runner with two of our teachers."
"Got stuck in a trap which would have crushed me if I made the wrong move," Gallus answered. "Basically an escape room, but more lethal."
"Trapped in a tea party with two of the most annoying mares I've ever met," Smoulder answered. "Have you seen the others yet?"
"No," Sandbar and Gallus replied in unison. Just then, the entrance above them became even more blocked.
"Did anycreature bring explosives?" Smoulder asked. "Maybe we should try punching our way out."
"We're stuck in a magic cavern," Gallus replied. "Maybe the others already got out and we're the last ones?"
Smoulder rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she said, sarcastically, "that totally seems like something they would do."
Gallus sighed. "Any other dragon or griffon would save themselves and get out of this crazy cave."
There was a momentary pause, before Smoulder spoke up. "Guess we aren't just any dragon or griff-"
Moments later, a scream echoed down one of the corridors peeling off to the left. It sounded like-
"Ocellus!" Sandbar yelled, and sped off without a moment's hesitation. "She must be in danger!"
"Sandbar, wait!" Gallus shouted, before sighing. "Oh never mind. You know what his problem is? He always thinks with his heart, never with his brain."
"There's still two others who need help," Smoulder interrupted. "You go down the second tunnel. I'll take the first. We get the others out, and get out of this madhouse."
The new tunnel network that Sandbar entered couldn't have been any more different than the one he had just left. Whereas the caverns had been brightly lit and shiny, the environment down here was dark, dank, oppressive, and hostile. Green lights hung from the walls and ceilings like ominous chandeliers of doom, and green stuff hung off the walls. It looked exactly like the interior of that old Changeling hive that was preserved and open to visitors (which Sandbar had visited), but the smell was horrific. Just the scent of this place was enough to make him gag. No wonder the Changelings had been so popular in horror movies; having to explain his father's collection of the Changeling movies to Thorax had been awkward, to say the least (given none of the Changelings were actually played by Changelings, but ponies dressed up as them). All along the walls were Changeling organisms, dormant, awaiting the signal to wake up. A signal that would never come because of the lack of a Queen.
Sandbar felt awkward, and he felt cold. He thought that somebody was watching him. Was this just a dream, or was it true? He shook the thought from his mind and pressed onwards.
Rounding a bend, he saw two heavily armoured drones randomly stumbling about in circles, a sight that would have been comical were they not the older 'cheese-leg' version. It was the larger creature that drew his attention, and the sound that came from nearby.
The creature was lying in front of a mirror, and had chitin that was completely black. Its legs were also was filled with holes, and it had a dark green carapace mounted to the back. Its wings were retracted. The face was invisible from the direction Sandbar was standing, but he could clearly see a sickly blue mane full of holes. Coming from behind it was uncontrolled sobbing. Ocellus had to be nearby.
"Ocellus?" Sandbar asked, stepping forward. "Are you there?"
"Go away," the voice replied. Ocellus was definitely on the other side of that creature.
"We have to go," Sandbar continued, oblivious to what was going on around him. "The exit is just this way, and if we hurry we'll be out before-"
His voice trailed off as the creature turned around. The creature looked broken, emotionally torn, and its eyes were wide when it looked at him.
Sandbar looked momentarily shocked, before regaining his composure. "How did you get here?" he asked. "Chrysalis hasn't been seen in over a year!"
Chrysalis then spoke- with Ocellus' voice. "It's me!" she replied, her voice cracking from the emotional strain she was under. "I'm hideous!" She then resumed crying into her forehooves, lying on the floor in a state of utter despair.
There was an audible pop as Sandbar's brain misfired from the cognitive dissonance. Had Ocellus disguised herself as Chrysalis? "But you can just change back, right?" he asked.
"I can't." The Changeling then tried to switch forms. The emphasis very much being on 'tried'. Flashes of green fire roared over its form over and over again, but each time the result was the same. Chrysalis was still there.
Sandbar then clicked what was going on. Was coming to terms with her species' past Ocellus' test? He had no time to speak before the Changeling continued. "Maybe we'll always be nothing but broken, hideous monsters," she said.
Sandbar then took his chance to speak up. "Ocellus, you are many things, but hideous is not one of them," he said. "You're smart, clever, and one of the kindest creatures I know. You're the exact opposite of Chrysalis!"
"Am I, though?" Ocellus asked. "If Chrysalis is capable of such things, I must be too. It's in our nature, after all," she said, echoing Cozy Glow's words from earlier. "How could anycreature want to be friends with a monster?"
"None of us are so shallow to only look at the surface," Sandbar continued. "What lies within is what counts. And you know what I see? A friend, one who would fight tooth and nail for her friends."
Ocellus was touched by this, and trotted closer to Sandbar. "You really mean it?"
"I'd go one step further," Sandbar replied. "Ocellus, you're the only creature I've ever loved."
The Changeling's eyes went wide. "What?" she exclaimed. "I thought you liked Yona!"
"Who spread that rumour?" Sandbar asked. "Cause it's not true. I like her, but... not the way I like you." He came closer to her. "I've never cared for looks or outward appearance, only what lies inside the heart. And I'd happily spend the rest of my life with you."
Ocellus looked happier than he'd seen her in a long time, and in that instant green flame washed over her. Where the Queen of the Changelings (deposed) had been standing was the familiar blue Changeling that everycreature knew and loved. "Thanks, Sandbar," she whispered. "Maybe we can all really truly change, if a pony can love a Changeling of his own accord."
"No problem, Celly," Sandbar replied. "Now shall we get out of here? I don't fancy being stuck down here for the rest of my life."
The six succesfully escaped the caverns before the timer ran out, and returned to the surface. "Well, that was weird," Gallus commented.
"Who would have thought the tree would put us to the test?" Silverstream said. "It's all so weird! Maybe it was a dream?"
Gallus pinched himself. "Nope," he said. "Remind me, but don't we have a test?"
Ocellus, who had been oddly quiet up to this point, suddenly flew into a panic. "Oh no! We haven't revised at all! If we can't get a good grade on this one-"
"We've just had a crash course in friendship," Smoulder answered. "We ought to be fine. I suggest we go to bed."
And so, the six friends headed for their dorms, as the sun began to descend in the sky.
Author's Note
The episode What Lies Beneath is one of the most unusual in the show's run. Facing your fears is a universal theme, but the story is pulled off in one of the cleverest ways I've seen in kid's TV. This idea came to me whilst I was travelling home by train, and suddenly remembered the 2005 film Bionicle: Web of Shadows (yes, I know, I'm old), and realised how the two ran on the same theme. Throw in my love of Sandcellus, and voila. Story.
You might be wondering why this is two chapters. If it was one chapter, the resulting story would be unweildy and very long, so I thought splitting it into two would be easier on your eyes.
Sandbar lay in bed, looking up the ceiling, thinking to himself. All night it had been like this. Sandbar had no idea what the time was, as his clock had stopped working. He really needed to get some new batteries. He looked up, thinking to himself. He was somehow unable to sleep. He had spent the entire time thinking to himself about the events of the day, and how he had conducted himself.
Yes, he hadn't turned his back on his friends. He had stood up to peer pressure in the face of his own fears of disappointing his teachers. But the truth was he nearly hadn't. He'd nearly gone along with the pressure of pleasing his teachers, and left them behind.
That was what scared him the most.
Would he bow to it again, like had there? Before he went to the School of Friendship and met his friends, he'd often suffered from an eagerness to please, and this had led him astray. Would he do it again? Could his friends truly trust him to be there when the chips were down?
His mind turned to the others. They had overcome their fears, but at what cost? They had mostly hidden it, but it didn't take a Changeling to spot that the others had been shaken by their experiences. Gallus, Yona, they had faced what they feared the most directly, and prevailed.
Ocellus had been changed into her worst nightmare, and pulled through with his help. That reminded him. If his own fears came true again, would his love for her hold? Or would it simply be cast off like a broken toy, to be of no further use?
A knock at the door suddenly attracted his attention. Sandbar hopped out of bed and trotted over to the door, before undoing the bolt and opening the door with his mouth. Sliding the door open, he spoke to whomever was on the other side. "Hello?"
Ocellus' voice greeted him. "Hey, Sandbar." It sounded flat, and devoid of emotion. "Can I come in for a moment? I can't sleep."
"You're not the only one," Sandbar replied. "Come in; it's a bit cozy in here, but it'll do." He stepped back to let the Changeling through, and then closed the door behind him, locking it again.
Once it was quiet, and the pitter patter of the rain was the only audible sound, Ocellus spoke. "I guess I haven't really come to terms with today."
"Neither have I," Sandbar replied. "I guess-"
"I had a nightmare about it," Ocellus suddenly continued. "I gave in to my instincts and started to take over the school with hordes of Changelings! I was internally screaming at myself to stop, but my body wouldn't obey! I was trapped in there! And- Sandbar, it was horrible! If that's really inside of us, then- then-" at that moment, she couldn't contain it any longer, and broke down into sobs.
Sandbar went over to comfort her, taking her into a hug. "It's OK," he said gently. "Just let it out."
Ocellus continued to cry quietly, warm in Sandbar's embrace. "Most ponies see us as monsters! Your films say as much!"
Sandbar sadly nodded. He and Ocellus had once gone to a film society screening, only for them to be screening The Ling. That had been somewhat unfortunate. "Some ponies may see you as monsters," he said. "But I don't. I love you, and noth-"
"That's just it!" Ocellus said. "How can I be certain that's true? Were you just saying that to make me feel better about myself?"
Sandbar sighed. "You can detect love, right?" he said. "In which case, follow mine and tell me what you read."
Ocellus nodded, focusing her mind to read the energy she felt flowing off Sandbar. She hunted through it to try and find any trace of deceit or malice toward her.
She found absolutely none at all. All she sensed was true, pure, unconditional love. "I would never have believed it before now," she admitted. "But that is the purest love I've ever sensed. And I must admit... I love you too."
Sandbar nodded. "Why did you never say anything?"
"I genuinely thought you had feelings for Yona," Ocellus replied. "But I've had a crush on you for months. Somewhat ironic, isn't it? The creatures that used to feed off love now feel it for others."
"If you told me a few years ago I'd fall in love with a Changeling," Sandbar said, "I'd probably have called you crazy. But the crazy thing is, it's absolutely true!"
There was no reply from Ocellus, but instead she stepped forward. The implication was obvious, and the colt and the Changeling slipped into a passionate kiss. The moment seemed to last forever, and they each wrapped a foreleg around the other's shoulder as they simply enjoyed the moment, not caring a bit about the time.
After what seemed like an eternity, they stepped back from one another. "Do you mind if I stay in here tonight?" Ocellus asked. "I don't think I'll sleep well tonight on my own."
"Sure thing. You can use the bed; I'll sleep on the floor."
"I'd never want that!" Ocellus exclaimed. "Can't we share the bed?"
Sandbar nodded. "As you insist. But it will be a bit of a squash."
"I can cope with that."
Sandbar hopped onto the bed, and positioned himself alongside Ocellus, being careful not to get too close. With their forelegs around each other's shoulders, the pair drifted off into a peaceful and happy sleep.
The next morning, at sunrise, the pair awoke, suddenly surprised to see each other there. Sandbar fell off the bed and landed on the floor. "Ow! Man, that hurt."
Ocellus, in a state of panic, suddenly took off and buzzed toward the door. "They can't find us here! Who knows what anycreature would think?"
Before Sandbar could answer, she whizzed out of the door and back to her room.
Before long, it was breakfast, and the Young Six gathered to eat before taking their test. "So," Gallus asked, putting his rear claws up on the table. "How was everybody's nights?"
"I slept like a log on stairs!" Silverstream exclaimed. "Of course, it helped that the log was completely static..."
"How weird," Smoulder said. "I spent most of it thinking about this test. I hope we do well."
"Yona see Sandbar not happy!" Yona exclaimed. "What worry Sandbar so?"
Sandbar found the courage to speak up. "I need to tell you guys something. You see, me and Ocellus are in love."
There was sudden silence. Gallus looked over to Smoulder. "Smoulder, you owe me fifty bits."
"Aw man!" the orange dragon replied. "I thought he'd go with Yona!"
"Yona know nothing about this!" the yak replied, but went and squeezed Sandbar in her grip. "But Yona happy for friend!"
"Sandbar like to breath," Sandbar replied. The yak released him from the grip.
"To be honest, I've had feelings for him for a while," Ocellus said. "It was only yesterday we truly realised it."
"Well, I think I know exactly how to celebrate," Gallus continued, before putting six tickets down on the table.
Silverstream looked closely. "OOOH! Train tickets!" She then looked at Gallus. "Where's Fort William?"
Author's Note
Well, here we have the 'discovery'; the pair discovering the depths of their feelings for each other.
Whilst many liken Changelings to Xenomorphs, they also are like the Thing from the film of the same name. So I thought The Ling would make a good pun.
Good luck with the competition, folks!
