Changeling's Story

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe she was bowing to her friend, who also doubles up as a changeling queen. All these thoughts were bombarding her head, things like, ‘love my queen,’ and ‘I shall always obey.’ Though she heard these in first person and in her voice she knew she couldn’t be thinking such insane thoughts. But they didn’t feel out of place. These crazy thoughts felt like hers, the reason she knew they weren’t was that 20 minutes ago, she would have easily killed a changeling, no regrets.

Yet know; she was one, and it felt great. Every part of her essence wanted to hate it, but the feeling of her friends love pulsing through her felt great, and the care from her queen was empowering; wait, no, Twilight, not queen. No, she can’t allow herself to be hypnotised by this madness, then a beautiful voice entered her ears.

“Come my children, follow.” Her lovely, purple, queen had spoken, and she must obey.

Rainbow lined up behind her sisters and queen, and followed her out the room.

She noticed that Applejack had broken from the line and slowed down. Rainbow Dash was wondering how AJ will be punished before she broke her out of her spell, “Rainbow, why are we doin’ this?”

The question court Rainbow off guard, the answer seemed simple, “because our que- we were ord-” now the answer seemed idiotic, “I’ve got no idea.” She deadpanned.

“Rainbow, Ah’m not goin’ to lie, Ah’m scared.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Then they heard a magnificent voice drift into their minds, ‘no fear, no worries, but love.’ A smile spread across Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s faces, and they kept following the line.

Spike sat in his best friend’s library, staring out the window at nothing in particular.

Behind him Shining Armor and many other royal guards carefully tore about every, single, thing, in the library. Any single thing that may explain why Twilight Sparkle was missing, or why her friends were also nowhere to be seen.

Shining angrily tore apart a cushion, “it changelings, Celestiadamn changelings took my Twily!”

One of the guards walked away from the shelf he was inspecting, went over to his caption, and put hoof onto his back in a calming manner, “sir, I know it’s a hard loss, and I now that changelings are most likely involved and your relationship with them isn’t great, but please don’t let you anger destroy any evidence.”

Shining Armor angrily stamped his hoofs in defeat, “I know, I know. But, agh! Changeling sightings, elements of harmony go missing, changeling sightings stop. Anypony could figure out what going on here!”

“Sir Armor! Please restrain you self! Why don’t you settle a little outside, and take the little dragon with you, he’s, ahh, affecting moral.” The guard said, staying as serious as ever.

“Fine. Men, continue work ‘till further noticed! Spike, let’s get some fresh air, and see if we can get some cupcakes.”

Spike got up, but didn’t say a word, and followed Shining Armor out the library.

A dumbfounded night guard slammed into Shining, he angry observed this most likely soon to be fired guard. No helmet, bloodshot eyes, messed up hair, all from lake of sleep, yet he had a smile on his face, “they’re here! We just spotted them coming of the Everfree!”

“What? Show me!” Screamed Armor, as Spike had already broken into a sprint.

A bit later the trio skidded to a hold behind a line of guards. As Spike court his breath, Shining stood tall to see over the white and blue line of ponies, he saw his LSBFF (little sister best friend forever) being followed by her friends, Shining pushed the guards apart has he rushed to his sister, “Twily!” he panted, galloping at top speed.

Twilight smiled equally as large as she rushed to meet her brother half way, “BBBFF!”

They threw themselves into a hug, Shining didn’t care that he was getting the grit and mud that covered Twilight all over his white coat, because he had his Twily back, his same little sister.

Twilight had never noticed the amount of emotions her older brother could feel at one time, then again, she had been gone for over a month; training changelings took some time, and was boring as Tartarus, but that’s behind her.

She looked over her crying brother to a stunned little dragon. A purple aura surrounded Spike and he floated over to join the hug between Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor, he happily joined in.

“Mhh,” she won’t be eating for weeks.

“What was that Twily?” Shining Armor leaned back and looked his sister in the eyes, ‘is that some green? Na, probably just my imagination.’

“Just happy to be home.” She said, with a beaming smile.

“You ok Twilight?” First time Spike had said anything for weeks, and it wasn’t fully positive. But he was concerned; Twilight was acting weird, even for her.

“Yeah, just, long trip.” Crap excuse, but she hoped it would do.

“Actually that raises a question,” Shining asked, Twilight already had an answer, “where HAVE you been for the last month or so?”

Twilight’s answer was pre-planned, “I don’t really want to talk about it right now.” She looked down and prodded the ground with her hoof, changelings, natural actors.

“Right, come on, let’s get you and you friends through quarantine and back home!” Shining said, starting his way back to Ponyville.

‘QUARANTINE!?’ Five buzzy voices suddenly screamed in Twilight’s mind.

‘Well, didn’t take long for our queen’s amazing plan to go bust.’ Rainbow thought, positive as ever.

‘Rainbow!’ Snapped Rarity, ‘our queen shall think of something. Miss?’

‘…’

‘Miss?!’

‘Just- just stay hopeful, and try to think for yourselves.’ Chimed Twilight’s mind in 5 heads; the 5 heads in question soon started to follow their queen and the captain of Celestia’s guard.

“So brother, what exactly do you mean by ‘quarantine’?” Twilight asked, slight fear in her voice.

Shining Armor chuckled and shook his head, “don’t worry, we’re not going to lock you and your friends away, just some tests, dark magic detection, mind control checks, changeling detection spells, routine stuff.”

On the outside it was 6 scruffy ponies, following a royal guard. On the inside it was 6 changelings, realising that survival was bleak, wetting themselves.

‘Well queen, if you have some amazing, life changing idea, now’s a good time to mention it.’ Rainbow doesn’t get that insects love their queen, does she?

Twilight turned her head to stair daggers at her, but simply saw Rainbow floating slightly above the ground, throwing her front hooves around near an astonished Scootaloo, ‘I can see you looking at me, oh, Scootaloo, I’m telling her about the dragons we had to fight.’

Rainbow felt a flurry of mental, disapproving, headshakes, ‘what I’m I supposed to say? “Hay kid, I just spent the last month learning how to best defeat Equestria.” That’ll go down well.’

Twilight turned her head back to Ponyville, ‘Rainbow. You are a very weird changeling.’

Shining turned to see Scootaloo, “what are you doing here? I thought the guards made it clear no coming out ‘till the all clear!”

“I’m sorry!” Said the orange filly, maintaining a smile, “just I couldn’t wait to hear Rainbow Dash’s stories!”

Shining turned his head back, “we’re now going to have to run you through the tests as well.”

“Eh, I don’t care,” stated Scootaloo, waving a hoof dismissively, “as long as I can hear more of Dash’s stories, I really don’t care.”

They arrived at the tent, assumingly the place intended for the test, ‘well, here goes nothin’.’ Applejack’s mind chimed.

‘Good luck everpo- everyling? Everychangeling? What are we supposed to say?’ Pinkie managed to find the most likely, least important thing ever.

They entered the green army tent, “I’ll go first,” said Scootaloo.

‘Alright everyling, mental exhale. Oh, and we’re going to say 'everyling'.’ Queen’s word was final.

“Alright miss if you could just step into the room, should only take a sec.” A voice called from behind a plastic wall, Scootaloo stepped through the door, the whole room lit up in a creamy white glow, “ ‘k, you’re clean. Go through the door and wait outside, next!”

The changelings looked at each other uncertainly.

“Alright,” said Shining, “me and Spike will go next.” Shining levitated Spike onto his back and walked through the door, same thing with Scootaloo happened.

“I doubted the captain and dragon had anything from leaving for 5 minutes, next!” The same voice from before called.

‘Better a drone than the queen.’ Rarity thought, as she began stepping through the slips of cloth (the door).

‘Be careful.’ Fluttershy thought.

“I know you probably feel nervous, don’t worry nothing will happen, unless, well I think you can finish that sentence.” The glow started.

Everyling held their breaths, seconds passed, one, two, three… The glow suddenly stopped, their expected the worst, the tester breathed in, “miss Rarity, you’re fine, through ya go. Who wants to go next?”

“I’ll go.” Twilight walked into the room, creamy glow, then walked out. As did the rest of the group.

Twilight lay in her bed, listening to the baby dragon sleep, well, attempting to. However Cadance got to sleep with Shining Armor’s snores will remain a mystery until the end of time.

Though Twilight wasn’t sleeping, she didn’t need to anyway. But she couldn’t get up, because she was ‘tired after a long trip’ and it would be weird if she went and had a stroll.

Still, she used this opportunity to think, to think about how weird she was when back in Chrysalis hive. She was sure it was hormones, or something about being in a hive.

Either way, on reflection she had been quite creepy; but that wasn’t that bad, her friends had, to word it creepily, her gift.

Ok, time to stop acting creepy, and think of her next move. She couldn’t change ALL of Ponyville, that’d be noticed in half a second yet she needed a hive, and Ponyville would be perfect, but she had to do it sneakily, and try and not do it forcefully.

Maybe somehow show then that being a changeling is better, that they’d be happier this way, but they’d probably never believe it. They’d think they’re all crazy and mind controlled or something stupid like that.

‘Ugh, being a changeling queen it proving tough already. So many different things to think about!’

‘Is something the matter, queen?’ What’s Rarity still doing up? Probably the same as Twilight, not much.

‘No, not at all! It’s actually good. I’m trying to think of how to get Ponyville without being forceful, or drawing attention to myself, and it’s so much fun!’

‘Oh, did someling say fun?! I love fun!’ Then there was Pinkie.

‘Hay, what’s goin’ on ‘ere?’ Now Applejack.

‘And the drawback shows itself…’ Rainbow quietly thought, out loud.

‘What was that dear?’

‘Well,’ she snarled, ‘unlike everyling else, I actually like sleep. And I don’t much appreciate being kept up all night.’ There was an anthem of mental eye rolls, ‘what?’

‘Rainbow,’ Twilight started, ‘why don’t you just block the mental communications until the morning?’

‘Wait; we can do that?! Sweet!’

‘Umm, you didn’t know? Did you pay any attention to what I was teaching you?!’

‘Guess.’ There was a ping* and Rainbow Dash left the mental conversation.

‘Oh, oh! I love guessing games! I guess… NO!’ Pinkie Pie buzzed up to Twilight’s window, and knocked. Twilight groaned, got up and opened it, “did I guess correct?!” Pinkie asked with a buzzy, changeling, voice.

Queen Twilight sighed, “Pinkie, go to bed.”

Pink haired changeling smiled and saluted, “yes ma'am!” Then she flew back to Sugar Cube Corner.

‘Well, girls, I think I’m going to go to bed now.’ Twilight thought.

She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.