A Change for the Better

Twilight shook from the cold winds on the chariot as it passed another dark cloud. Twilight covered her face as another gust of night air buffeted her, and she shivered. The stallions piloting the chariot, however, paid it no mind as they kicked their hooves in unison with the flaps of their wings. As they passed over a large cloud, Canterlot came into view, the moon still young behind it, silhouetting the posh city. As the chariot descended for the castle courtyard, Twilight saw Luna approaching the landing sight with two more guards following her. One of these had a limp, though showed no sign of injury. As the chariot landed a gust of wind brushed passed the princess, unfazed by the chilly night air. Luna glanced over her with expressionless eyes, and Twilight put on the best smile she could and approached the princess of the night.

"Princess Luna, it's good to-"

Luna waved a hoof, cutting off Twilight's greeting. "we are afraid we haven't the time for pleasantries, Twilight Sparkle. When, pray tell, was the last time thou saw Rainbow Dash?" Luna began, walking back up the white marble steps to the castle. Twilight trotted up next to her, the two guards following, and shifted her saddle bags as she turned to look up to Luna.

"Earlier today, when she almost got into a fight with Iron Shell. Why, princess, is something wrong?"

Luna said nothing, but continued down the hall until they reached the doors of the grand hall of mosaics, as well as the throne room. The two lunar guards slowly opened the large doors, and Twilight was shocked to see Rainbow Dash in the cage used to originally hold shell in front of the throne. Her hooves were cuffed to the floor with chain, and her wings were tied tightly against her sides. As Twilight and Luna neared, Rainbow Dash sighed with relief. "Thank Celestia, Twilight! Tell these guys i'm the real Rainbow Dash!" Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but bit her lip and turned to Luna.

"What's going on, Princess?"

Luna began to pace around the cage, her eyes switching between rainbow dash and twilight. "Several hours ago, one guard watching the changeling Iron Shell's room came to us with the message that he had witnessed Iron Shell taking on the appearance of Rainbow Dash. Naturally we had to have thy guards take every precaution. Thou know thy friends better than anyone, and it is imperative that we know whether this truly is Rainbow Dash or not." Rainbow grunted and pulled at her cuffs.

"I am the real Rainbow Dash! That bug changed into me and flew out the window!"

Twilight trotted around Rainbow Dash, who's gaze followed the unicorn. "I don't feel any changeling spells."

Luna nodded. "Which is as it should be. The wards our sister and ourselves placed over the castle prevent any changeling magic from working within the castle grounds."

"Hmm... That explains why Shell got a migraine and passed out when he tried to change earlier." Luna looked down to her with a curious gaze, and she nervously smiled. "I mean, I wasn't trying to help him escape, I was trying to learn more about changelings. When Shell taught me about telepathy and hypnosis, we had no trouble though." Luna nodded.

"Our wards still allow telepathic communications when both communicating are behind castle walls. This way we and our sister could still speak at a distance. As for hypnosis, we have had our guards trained extensively to resist any mental attacks. But the others will soon be here, and once they've arrived we can begin."

Others? Princess, I don't-"

They both stopped when they heard the doors of the hall open, and Twilight looked passed to see Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

"How in the hay..." Applejack started, staring at Rainbow Dash.

"Please, join us." Luna said, waving them forward.

After a brief explanation, Fluttershy was the first to approach Rainbow Dash. She inspected Rainbow's wing, and shook her head.

"Shell had a broken wing. If this were him, these binds would hurt Rainbow Dash a lot more."

Twilight agreed, remembering the medical care she'd administered, and nodded to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie bounded forward as Fluttershy stepped back and cowered when Luna looked to her. Pinkie peered into Dash's eyes for several minutes, leaning closer until she squinted her eyes. "Are you the REAL Rainbow Dash?" She asked, her stare burning into Rainbow Dash's eyes. Rainbow Dash slowly nodded. Pinkie's expression instantly brightened as she smiled. "Okey Dokey Lokey!" She said gleefully. Twilight rolled her eyes and nodded to Rarity, and she tapped a hoof to her chin.

"I think a question is in order to convince us that this is indeed our dear Rainbow Dash."

"Perfect! Ask me anything!"

Rarity nodded. "Very well. What is Rainbow Dash's biggest fear?" Rainbow's eyes widened. She bit her lip, and saw everypony staring at her, waiting an answer. She shrunk back, and slumped. "I... I can't say it!" Rainbow Dash covered her face, and Rarity smiled. "As I expected. The real Rainbow Dash would never swallow her pride enough to admit her fears." Rainbow raised her hooves from her eyes with surprise.

"I... Wait, what do you mean, pride?!"

Rarity smiled, and stepped back beside Twilight. "Wait, what is Rainbow Dash's fear?" Twilight asked. Rainbow Dash bit her lip, and looked to Rarity with pleading eyes. Rarity whispered into Twilight's ear, and Twilight perked up. "Really? That's..."

Luna spoke up. "Well, we've almost reached the end of our trials. All that remains now, is Applejack." She turned to Applejack, who was staring intently at Rainbow dash and muttering under her breath. "Applejack, have you some test for Rainbow Dash?" Applejack shook her head.

"I already know this is the real Rainbow Dash." Everypony looked at her with confusion.

"How do you know that?" Twilight asked.

Applejack gritted her teeth. "Because there's another Rainbow Dash sleeping in my house right now."

Shell gasped, trying to catch his breath. He had galloped halfway across the orchard once he saw Luna's Chariot leave with Applejack. He slumped against an apple tree, abandoning his disguise, and glanced over to see a single apple in a barrel next to him. He looked over at the apple, left behind on accident. Just like him. He picked it up, and rolled it over his hooves. Normally he would be jumping with joy at a new mission to accomplish for the glory of the hive. But all he could feel was paranoia and fear.

He spat at the ground. Now he knew why changelings didn't use emotions much. It became a bad habit to break. He huffed and stood. If his cover was blown, he might as well start the plan now. He stepped out from behind the tree to head to the cottage, and froze when he saw Scootaloo standing with her doll on her back. He let an involuntary gasp out.

"Scootaloo..." He spoke. She looked on with a mix of fear and confusion. Her legs shook and her eyes were wide, but she stood fast in his presence.

"You... you were Rainbow Dash this whole time..."

He expected her to run, to scream, but she simply stared at him. "Scootaloo... I didn't want all this..." He tried to explain.

Scootaloo growled. "You just wanted to build up my hopes and abandon me, you monster! Just like they did... so long ago..." Shell saw Scootaloo's anger turn to sadness, and Shell felt a knot form in his gut from the bitter taste.

"Scootaloo... Where are your parents...?"

He asked, stepping closer to her. She stepped back, tears welling up in her eyes. "I... they..." She jumped forward, and wrapped her hooves around Shell's neck, crying softly. "... They abandoned me!" Shell sat against a tree and cradled her as her sobs turned to sniffles. He felt a different emotion from her then. Shell tried to find a word to describe this new feeling.

"...Longing..." He mouthed, and looked down at Scootaloo. She peeked up at him.

"...They left me on a doorstep in a basket with no explanation..." She curled up against his chest, and rose with his chest as he sighed.

"Scootaloo, I did impersonate Rainbow dash. But what I said and did... I meant it all."

Scootaloo glanced back up, and wiped one of her eyes on her hoof with a sniffle. "Who are you...?" He had to relieve Scootaloo of these memories. He bent down, and tapped Scootaloo on the forehead with his horn. Under any other circumstances, he would hate himself for hypnotizing a youngling. But something about Scootaloo made him feel sympathy for her.

"My name is Iron Shell. Now it's time to go to sleep, Scootaloo." He watched his spell take effect as blue swirls spiraled in her pupils, and her eye lids drooped. She smiled, and cuddled up in his arms. "Good night... Shell..." She closed her eyes, and smiled as happy dreams replaced her memories. In a normal scenario, changelings did this to gather information, but Shell simply ran his hoof through her mane and allowed his own eyes to droop, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Raagh!" Applejack bucked the support on the bunk bed in frustration, splintering it. Everypony backed up as Applejack paced passed them, breathing heavily and slapping away a comforting hoof from Fluttershy. "We had the little varmint! He must'a ran when he saw the chariot!" Rainbow Dash growled, her anger almost as great as Applejack's.

"Well i'll stay up all night if I have to! It's not getting away while i'm around!"

Rainbow flared her wings, and Twilight sighed. "Alright, let's calm down. It hasn't been to long since he could have ran off. Applejack, search the orchard. Rainbow, do fly byes over Ponyville. Fluttershy, can you and Spike watch for Shell near your cottage? He'll have to head passed there to get to the Everfree Forest. Rarity, you and me will search through the town. Luna, do you think you could give us a bit more light?"

Luna smirked and flared her wings. The moon flashed, lighting up until it was a white orb in the sky. They all trotted out onto the front yard of the Apple house, and Luna approached her chariot. "We will return to Canterlot to inform our sister. Best of luck, Twilight Sparkle." Luna said as she boarded the chariot. Once the chariot took off, the ponies spread out in search of Shell.

Applejack trotted through the apple trees, inspecting every dark corner of the illuminated orchard. She stopped when she saw a figure sitting under a large tree with a bundle in it's arms. Applejack slowly approached, and froze when she saw Shell sleeping against the tree with Scootaloo sleeping in his arms. Both had blissful smiles on their faces as Applejack stepped around them. She inspected Scootaloo for injuries, but found nothing. Shell's eyelids twitched and slowly lifted, and Shell gasped when he saw Applejack sitting in front of him. "Applejack... I..."

Applejack rose to silence him, and looked down at Scootaloo. "Is she okay?"

Shell nodded. "She was recalling some bad memories, and I couldn't stand to see her like that, so I put her in a dream state. She'll dream happily until the spell is released."

Applejack put a hoof to Scootaloo's face. "Were they about her parents?" Shell slowly nodded. "She was dropped on Rainbow Dash's doorstep. Did she tell you that?" Shell cocked his head.

"Why Rainbow Dash?"

Applejack looked out to the moon. "Rainbow Dash is Scoots' cousin. And ever since she could walk and talk, Rainbow Dash became her world. She trusted and loved Rainbow Dash without question. But she never got over her parents leaving her." Applejack stood. "I know you'll be leaving soon. But don't you abandon her, yah hear? After what you've done, she'll expect y'all to be there for her. Rainbow Dash sure didn't. Arrogant pony darn near abandoned the poor thing."

Shell nodded. "None of this was supposed to happen... If I never landed in Ponyville. If I landed a little further away, everyling would of been better off."

"Even Scootaloo?"

He looked down at Scootaloo, and sighed. "Don't go worryin' about the past or the future. I've seen it really mess with some pony's heads." Shell sat up.

"I have to go. Can you take care of Scootaloo?" Applejack nodded and put Scootaloo on her back. "Have Twilight wake her up. When she comes to, tell her... tell her i'll always be near by." Applejack smiled. "You're alright, fer a changelin'." Shell nodded and smirked. "And you're alright too, for a pony." He shook her hoof briefly, and ran off in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Applejack adjusted her hat, made sure Scootaloo was secure, and walked back towards the Apple house.