//------------------------------// // Rarity Gets A Missile Launcher // Story: Rearranged // by Touch the Sky //------------------------------// Applejack marched over and dragged me from behind the tree by my tail. "Alright!" she snapped. "Ah'm taking ya over ta the farmhouse. Rarity wants ta talk to ya." I sighed, glaring daggers at the Crusaders, who grinned in unison. I could almost see the golden halos glittering over their heads, but then two of them vanished as Applebloom and Scootaloo turned to glare at each other. Sweetie Belle sighed, and as Applejack dragged me away towards the farm I heard the two fillies resume their argument. I heard small hooves, and saw Sweetie Belle running after us. "So Rarity's back?" she asked. Applejack grunted in confirmation. "Yay!" chimed the white filly. "But... why are you dragging Twilight like that?" "This ain't Twilight." replied Applejack, her voice muffled through my tail. I sighed. "What do you mean this isn't Twilight?" said Sweetie Belle. "Looks like her... sounds like her..." "That's because I am Twilight!" I said crossly. Applejack shook her head, striding onwards firmly, though her orange wings fluttered occasionally as if she wanted to be flying. "This here's a changeling, Sweetie Belle. Rainbow told me that this imposter said she wasn't in the mood fer a party. The real Twilight'd never say that." "You're right..." Sweetie Belle muttered. "But still!" she chimed, "Rarity's back! My sister, the princess! She'll sort out this changeling!" "That she will, Sweetie Belle." There was a pause. "So what were mah lil' sis an' Scootaloo arguin' about back there?" Sweetie Belle was about to reply when I heard a grunt of effort from among the apple trees. Glancing over, I saw Fluttershy applebucking with uncharacteristic strength. There were no animals in sight, so I guessed that the animals had been shooed off by Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy dealt a hefty kick to a tree and all of the apples fell into the waiting baskets. Just as she turned towards another tree, Fluttershy spotted us walking by and came trotting over, stopping in surprise at seeing me being dragged along. "Applejack?" she asked. Her voice was quieter now, but I could detect just a little of Applejack's accent in her soft tone. "Why'r you dragging Twilight like that?" "Long story." grunted Applejack. "Will ya take 'er up ter the farmhouse fer me? Ah gotta go find Princess Rarity." "Sure, but-" "Here ya go." Applejack passed my tail over to a bemused Fluttershy and in a fluid motion sprung into the air and soared away in the direction of Ponyville. As soon as the orange pegasus was out of sight, Fluttershy spat out my tail and turned to me. "What in Equestria is going on?" she asked. "Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow think I'm a changeling." I answered. "Oh." Fluttershy took that information rather well. Then she asked, "Are you?" "N-" "Wait!" interrupted Sweetie Belle. "Applejack told me that Rainbow told her that Twilight said she wasn't in the mood for a party. Twilight wouldn't say that, ever." I growled. That one sentence was coming back to haunt me over and over. Now was no exception, as Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and said in a colder tone, "No, she wouldn't. We'd better get her to the farmhouse." A few minutes later, I was shut in Applebloom's bedroom at the farmhouse. As I gazed out of the window, I watched as a streak of yellow raced through the air towards us, highlighted against the setting sun. If I squinted, I could make out three shapes on the path to the farm; one white, one blue and one pink. I slumped on the bed. This had been a long day. What seemed like only seconds later, I was rudely awoken by being suddenly grabbed in magical aura. Rainbow glared at me as my friends filed in one by one. When they had encircled me, Rarity let me go. "Now." Rarity said. "You might as well admit your guilt now, since we already know you aren't really Twilight Sparkle." "But I am!" I protested. "Rubbish." spat Rainbow; her eyes glared at me, almost insane with hatred. I could see she wanted nothing more than to spring at me. I remembered Rarity's unstable emotions and backed up a few steps, away from the blue unicorn. Pinkie dipped her head anxiously. "Maybe she really is-" Fluttershy nodded. "She does seem to be Twilight." "But the changelin' queen had us thinkin' she was Princess Cadence at the royal wedding." Applejack reminded them. I raised my head. "Who did Cadence marry?" Rainbow growled. "Okay, this definitely isn't Twilight. Listen to her; she can't even remember her own brother's wedding." "My brother? Shining Armour?" I asked. "How did he get to marry Cadence?" "He's head of the Royal Guard." Applejack rolled her eyes. "You're right, Rainbow, this definitely ain't Twilight." "Is he a unicorn?" I asked, unsure if he had been affected by my species change. "'Course he is." answered Fluttershy. "You told us you were a real shock to your parents; first earth pony in the family since your great-great-great-great-great-great-" "Anyway." interrupted Rarity. "If you won't reveal your true form, I shall simply have to cast my 'changeling reveal' spell. Girls, hold her still." But I had no intention of having the spell cast on me. It was a particularly powerful one which, if cast on a normal pony, could have as yet undetermined side effects. So as the other four closed in, I leapt forwards towards Applejack. "Sorry." I muttered, before kicking her out of the way. My panic suddenly rose as I heard the familiar sound of magic beginning behind me. Rainbow raced towards me as I leaped for the window. Time seemed to slow as the window grew closer. Behind me I heard Rarity's spell firing, and saw the flash of bright light as it whisked past me, dissipating against the window. The glass shattered, and suddenly my hooves were in open air. A shard of glass sliced my foreleg. I tumbled on to the ground, and was winded, but then looked up to see Rarity aiming another spell. I pushed myself onto my hooves and jumped clear as Rarity's spell hit the ground where I had been standing a split second before. As I ran towards the cover of the trees, another, different spell grazed past my ear and hit the ground before me. I went sprawling, and when the dust cleared there was a sticky net lying on the grass. I got up, spitting out dirt, and cantered away as another spell just missed me. Rarity was hovering overhead, firing spells at me every few seconds. She hadn't even broken a sweat, and again I felt envious of her almost limitless magic. I dodged spell after spell from the alicorn, but as I focused on Rarity, I totally forgot about Rainbow. I was about to dodge another net spell when I was immobilized by Rainbow's magic. Rarity's spell hit me full on, and I was trapped against the ground, struggling in the sticky web, as the alicorn landed and walked over, white wings folding neatly against her sides. Rarity stopped in front of me, and my other friends, Applejack now sporting a rapidly darkening hoofprint on her side, surrounded me. Rarity summoned the changeling-reveal spell and directed her white horn at me. I flinched as there was a pale blue flash- then everything went black.