//------------------------------// // Shape-shifting for Dummies // Story: The Epic Journey // by JerryTheHouseGhost //------------------------------// How unfortunate. The six friends were all in the middle of a fake Ponyville filled with Changelings, and they couldn't even leave until they found the note that was supposedly there. "Let's hope we don't run into any of us again," said Twilight. "Who knows what would happen?" After a long argument over whether or not they should even leave the alleyway, the ponies decided that staying wouldn't help them find the next note. "I'm still hungry, everypony. I could go for a bite to eat," said Pinkie Pie. "Anypony want to come along?" "I think it would be best if we all stick together while we're here," said Twilight. "I guess it is a good time for all of us to eat. We can't just starve ourselves." The very first thing the six ponies did after leaving the alleyway was run into their six counterparts. They all stared at each other. They were staring for a long time. Nopony knew when they would stop. Other changeling ponies started gathering around them and staring as well. "Well... This is awkward..." said Pinkie Pie. "Be quiet, Pinkie! You're breaking my chain of thought!" said Twilight. "Sorry, just trying to end the silence. You know, talking is one of the most effective ways to end an awkward silence!" "Isn't that the only way to end an awkward silence?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Of course not, silly!" answered Pinkie Pie. "You could always make a loud noise like this!" Pinkie Pie proceeded to take out her party cannon. After it retained its normal size, she fired it. A bunch of confetti flew out, along with a table, punch, balloons, games, and anything else that would be involved in a good party. The objects all miraculously set themselves up somehow, and in perfect areas. The changeling ponies spontaneously started to have a party. They were dancing, playing games, drinking punch, punching drinks, doing back-flips; the good stuff. "I have no idea what just happened, but I think that now's our chance to get away and search for the note!" said Twilight to her five friends. "Hold on," said Pinkie, "I've got to get something from that snack bar over there." "Come on, Pinkie! It'll take longer than a one-pony plowing crew on a hundred-acre field!" said Applejack. "Don't worry, it won't take that long," said Pinkie Pie. The five ponies watched as Pinkie Pie started walking towards the snack bar. She was walking rather slowly, trying to not touch any of the changelings. She reached the snack bar successfully, and started reaching towards a cupcake. She spotted a changeling Cheerilee standing next to the snack bar. She was staring at Pinkie Pie, and Pinkie Pie began staring at her. Slowly, Pinkie started to raise a hoof and move it towards the cupcakes. Changeling Cheerilee continued watching her. Pinkie Pie froze for a second when the changeling Cheerilee's left eye randomly twitched. Pinkie Pie began to silently cry due to the pressure. She began moving her hoof towards the cupcakes again, and right when she was about to grab one, changeling Cheerilee slapped Pinkie's hoof. A random squeaky sound followed by a wheezing sound came from Pinkie Pie as her hair randomly poofed up then fell back down, all straight. Pinkie Pie slowly backed away empty-hoofed, until she eventually reached her friends. "What.. What just happened?" asked Twilight. Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight and wiped away the last of her tears. "I don't want to talk about it.." Pinkie Pie looked down at the ground. "Oookaaay... Let's go to Sugarcube Corner to get something to eat. I'm sure there will be less... Psychological breakdowns..." Everypony agreed with Twilight. Fluttershy walked over to Pinkie Pie on their way to Sugarcube Corner. "Are you okay Pinkie?" she asked. "Yeah, I.. I'm okay now," said Pinkie Pie. Her hair randomly caught fire and exploded. After the smoke cleared away, Pinkie Pie was her normal self, and she had her normal hair back. "Holy Celestia! That scared me half to death!" said Rarity. "Yeah, Pinkie, you should warn us before exploding next time," suggested Twilight. The six friends reached Sugarcube Corner and went inside. They found some delicious-looking pastries to feed on. "You know what I don't get?" asked Rainbow Dash. "What's that, Rainbow?" asked Rarity. "You know how all of these changelings are living other ponies' lives?" "Yeah?" "And how there're also changelings that are being exactly like every one of us?" "Go on," said Twilight. "How do they all know exactly what everypony in Ponyville does, if changelings have only been in Canterlot before?" Everypony was silent. They all started looking at one-another with confused looks. "That is a good question. I have no idea," said Twilight. "You know what I don't get?" asked Pinkie Pie. "What?" asked Twilight. "Why none of these changelings have been eating any of these delicious cupcakes! I mean, look at how many there are! I was expecting only a few to be on these racks, but the racks are almost full of them! What is wrong with everypony in this town?" "Well, everypony in this town is a changeling, for one thing," said Twilight. "Oh yeah," said Pinkie Pie. "What's wrong with changelings?" "Well, besides the fact that they steal ponies' identities and feed off of their happiness, they obviously don't like cupcakes very much," answered Twilight. Pinkie Pie started devouring all of the cupcakes. When she was halfway done, she suddenly stopped. "Hey!" she said, "this cupcake has paper in it! Oh, do you think it's the note!?" "I don't think a piece of paper would randomly be in a cupcake for any other reason. Unless paper is one of the ingredients for cupcakes, then yes, it is the note." Twilight took the piece of paper with her magic and held it in front of her. She then flipped it over. "It's blank! This isn't the note!" Twilight then put the paper down and spotted another piece of paper that happened to be the recipe for cupcakes. One of the ingredients was paper. "Pinkie, have you been eating paper all this time?" asked Twilight. "Yes," answered Pinkie Pie. "Why didn't you say anything about it earlier, then?" "I didn't really think about how paper wasn't supposed to be in cupcakes until I ate half of them, I guess." "Is there a garbage around here? Or anything else that I can throw up in?" asked Rarity. "There's a bathroom upstairs, second door on the left," said changeling Twilight. She looked over at Pinkie Pie. "Why did you eat those cupcakes? There's paper in them." "I didn't realize that wasn't a normal ingredient until- wait! Changeling alert!" yelled Pinkie Pie. "Whoa whoa whoa, slow down, there! Why all the hate towards changelings? We never did anything to you when we found out you were here!" "That's because we were all frozen in place staring at each other!" said Twilight. "No, we knew you were here before that. Pinkie Pie, the changeling one, said that she saw all of you in an alleyway." "Oh..." "But now that I have you right where I want you, Twilight Sparkle-" started the changeling Twilight. Twilight's expression became a horrified one. "Can I have your autograph? I'm a big fan." Twilight just stood there, and noticed that the changeling version of herself was holding out a pen and a piece of paper in front of her. "Um... Sure.." Twilight autographed the paper. "Sweet! The others will never believe I got the Twilight Sparkle's autograph! Yay! Oh, and here's this note. I'm supposed to give it to you." The changeling held out another piece of paper. Twilight took it with her magic. She began to read it out loud, though it wasn't very long. "Go West," said Twilight. "That's it; that's all it said. This is hooves-down the second-worst note I have ever read."