The Magic Workshop

When she started to think again, the wounded Changeling let out a pained groan.

Her head was throbbing and she felt as if she was swimming in the darkest part of the ocean.

When she tried to open her eyes, she was met only with darkness until she remembered that she was a Changeling and could flick her eyes into a different vision in order to see.

What she saw made her scream.

All around her lay the skeletal bodies of decaying and decayed Unicorns- mares and stallions of almost all ages, from late teens to near-death-elderly.

All had broken stumps or holes in their head from where their horns used to be.

Silence! They laugh at your fear- we need the advantage! a voice growled in warning within Rapid Fire's head; another Changeling.

Where are we?  Where are you? Rapid Fire thought hurriedly as she backed herself into a corner, away from all of the death.

In the room next to yours, I think. replied the voice.  My name is Kishin, and the other Changeling is Lumin.

Hello! came a happier, denying voice.

In a moment, a tall Unicorn guard with a fiery mane is going to open one of our doors.  Channel all of your strength into your front hooves and appear to be sleeping or something.  Just lay down with your horn pointed at the door and, when it opens, charge.  Aim to impale, and then let the rest of us out. Kishin ordered through their localized hive mind.

As if on queue, the soft clip-clopping of hooves on tile began growing louder an louder as the walker neared.

They stopped just shy of Rapid Fire's door before she heard a soft jingle of keys and the slide of a heavy bar, to which Lumin let out a shriek of rage as he charged forward- catching the unaware Unicorn off guard and driving his jagged horn deep into her chest while pushing her back and into a wall.

Not a sound came from either of them, and the Changeling clicked his teeth in disgust before pulling his horn from her limp, shocked body and snatching up the keys.

We have to hurry- that shriek couldn't have gone unnoticed! Kishin explained hurriedly as he and Lumin began to unlock Rapid Fire's door.

Hurry to where?  We don't even know where we are- which way to go! Rapid Fire replied.

We'll get somewhere, eventually!  Standing here isn't helping! Lumin chimed in before all three members nodded and began charging off down the hall together...

"It's going to be alright, dear." Regalia said through tears as she tried to console a smaller, mute mare with a similarly white coat.

The young Unicorn's mane was similar to her own in style, albeit a cool mint green that matched her tear laden eyes.

Both Unicorns were huddled together for a few more moments before a pair of guards came forward to drag the small, terrified Unicorn away to be harnessed.

Phi, whom Regalia had taken to calling as such on just a wild guess, flailed her hooves in a futile attempt to escape their clutches and at least go back into the comforting hooves of the bigger Unicorn.  With her mouth opened in silent screams, the guards dragged the struggling Unicorn away.

It broke Regalia's heart, watching it all and not being able to do anything- let alone having her mind racked as she imagined Phi struggling on and on as they beat the small Unicorn.

Regalia would never hear screams to know if she was granted peace, or if she was still being tortured just out of sight.

Now, it was only Regalia and two others- two Unicorn stallions named Loose Screw and another named Clumpy; who was also a mute.

"We have to do something." Loose Screw said as-a-matter-of-factually, startling Regalia slightly.

"And what would we do?  Where would we go?  Nopony would believe us!" Regalia challenged quietly.

"We would escape- this place has to have a door somewhere or else we wouldn't have gotten here!" Screw shot back before the group heard the ominous sounds of returning hoofsteps.

As the Unicorn executioners rounded a corner, Clumpy carefully made his way closer to the door...

"Attention, all floor staff: We have three escapees.  One guard is down.  Move to sectors 6, 7, and 8 to apprehend.  Use of lethal force is authorized." a voice sounded loudly over some magically powered machine that amplified sound as the guards unlocked the cell door.

Using the timely distraction to his advantage, Clumpy carefully slid out of his cell between the gap in the ajar'd door.

To Regalia and Screw's shock and horror, he continued on past the guards quietly until he disappeared around a corner...

Which way, now?! Lumin questioned hurriedly as the trio reached yet another T-Intersection.

The alarm had been raised and the guards pursuing as the three Changelings continued to flee through the confusing, maze like hallways and corridors that filled the facility.

All it is, is hallway after hallway with more and more walls!  I haven't seen those rooms, our cells, or the History Hall at all! continued the distressed Lumin.

"Quiet!" Kishin hissed before leading the survivors down yet another hallway.  "Do you hear that?"

"Yea- sounds like...Pounding?  And metal.  Definitely metal." Rapid Fire chimed in.

"That meansss we've found the 'Workshop' part of thisss hellhole..."

You know what this means?! Lumin chittered excitedly within their heads.  This means we're finally free!  There has to be a door in there that leads somewhere we haven't been!

"There's just...One problem with that..." Rapid Fire whispered uncertainly, before motioning towards her ringed horn.  "We can't shift to hide ourselves..."

"That mother bucker!" Regalia shouted furiously after the guards had locked their cell again and trotted away hurriedly. "He didn't even try and help us!"

Pacing, the white Unicorn began brainstorming ways to have Unicorns regrow horns if she ever got out of here, clearly intending harm for a certain blue coated, orange-blonde maned Unicorn.

"Just relax.  Getting all worked up won't help anything." Loose Screw said with a sigh as he settled himself back onto the floor, snout laying over his light purple hooves.

"Excuse me for being furious that our ticket out of certain, painful death got selfish!"

"You think I'm not upset, either?!  I was happy living alone- a nice quiet life!  Now, I'm going to die in a place where I'm not even sure I can trust the prisoners!" Screw shot back irritatedly.

"You and me both, buddy!" Regalia screamed sarcastically.  "I was just a simple dressmaker- who the hay could hate me so much that they wanted me dead?!"

As the pair continued shouting insults at each other, neither noticed the stern looking Unicorn, who glared behind his sunglasses before unlocking the cell door...

Rapid Fire stood staring; both in fear and disgust, but also in respect as Kishin whined quietly- doing his best to ignore the pain as he pulled and yanked at the magically enhanced ring around his horn.

The fact that his horn was jagged, like any other Changelings, certainly didn't help the process of pulling it off.

But, after a few minutes of Lumin and Rapid Fire keeping watch, Kishin finally managed to free himself of the binding- growling furiously before tossing the wretched thing down the hallway.

"Now, who'sss next?  We all have to walk through the mud if we want to get to the lake..." the freed Changeling questioned with a pained smile before his form became engulfed in green flames to reveal a beige-coated Unicorn with a pair of sunglasses.

"...Clumpy?" the pair of bickering Unicorns questioned in confusion as they turned at the sound of the large iron gate slamming against the wall, staring in confusion, shock, and glee at the grinning mute.

"Oh, I never doubted you for a moment!" Regalia cried as she tackled the smiling rescuer- planting a kiss on his cheeks and causing him to blush before he was helped to his hooves and hugged furiously by Loose Screw.

"But, how the hay did you get dressed like this? And- your horn!  You're unringed!" Regalia whispered in shock.

In reply to her question, Clumpy produced a pair of slightly glowing tongs