Soren was prepared to deal with Twilight and her friends the very next day. Unfortunately, due to their 'knowledge' that they received, the evil mares knew what to expect from the white alicorn. After he accepted their terms, Soren was visited in his dreams later that night.
He found himself in Ponyville. Many ponies were walking, trotting, and jogging around town, busily attending to their chores or agendas. The clear sky allowed the sun to bring forth a beautiful day. Soren walked through town and headed for Twilight's library. The giant tree wasn't very far from his location; just a minute or two of trotting.
He began running once the library came into view. However, when Soren was yards away from the tree, it suddenly burst into flames. Soren was definitely surprised and horrified, but he quickly remembered that he was dreaming. I haven't had a nightmare for awhile, he thought as he watched the fires grow and consume the library.
"Soren!" The voice came from inside. The alicorn looked closer into the flames and saw Twilight, pinned by a fallen wooden beam and covered in mostly ash and a few burns. "Help!" Soren tried using magic, but something felt wrong. He felt his head...his horn was gone, as were his wings. He ran towards the fire out of instinct to help his burning friend. The flames instantly grew, blocking Twilight from Soren's view.
He backed up in horror as the flames devoured Twilight and the library. Soren turned around and ran. It's just a dream, it's just a dream, he repeated to himself. Then why did it hurt?
"It's much more than that, darling." Soren stopped and looked ahead. Rarity was standing in the middle of town, alone. Everypony was now gone. The sky turned cloudy, and it wasn't from the smoke from the fire.
"You're not Rarity," Soren said. "You're doing this, aren't you?"
"Smart colt. Yes I am. And this is only the beginning."
"I've heard all the lines before. Just tell me what you're trying to accomplish." Rarity grinned widely; it made Soren shiver.
Within seconds, his ears picked up something. Turning his head in many directions to locate the sound, Soren heard screams of terror. Turning around, he saw Applejack and Fluttershy in the distance, screaming and running from what looked like a dark shadow. Soren didn't know why there was a shadow, but as they all got closer, he was able to see something else. Yellow eyes. Soul Stealers...
Once again, Soren sprinted towards his endangered friends. The two mares were doing their best to outrun the swift shadows. Soren was about to meet them but was suddenly jerked to the left and slammed against the wall of a house; he knew Rarity was the cause. Looking back at AJ and Fluttershy, he saw the shadows barely grab each of their hind-legs, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
"No!" he yelled. Soren tried standing up but found himself pinned by magic. He could only watch as the shadows flooded over the two mares.
Once they were fully enveloped, the mares sunk into the ground with the shadows then they all disappeared. Soren felt the magic lift from him, so he stood up and faced Rarity. "What are you trying to do?" he asked evenly.
"I am showing how your actions will ultimately cause the deaths of your friends."
"Is that all?" Soren chuckled. "I already knew that could happen after the Battle of the Nyrs. If you think seeing this will affect me at all, you're wasting your time."
"We'll see about that," she smiles. Igniting her horn, Rarity spawns a tied cluster of six dynamite.
"What are you going to do with that?" Soren asked. Rarity looked to her right. Soren followed her eyes and saw Rainbow Dash sleeping on a cloud above a house. "Don't you dare..."
Soren took one step forward, and Rarity lit the fuse. She waited a few seconds as she locked eyes with Soren. She then threw the dynamite, and Soren reacted by sprinting at her. He jumped into the air and was ready to tackle her, but Rarity disappeared, leaving a clear path to the ground. Instead of feeling dirt, however, Soren felt wood.
Opening his eyes, Soren looked at the wooden bedroom floor that he was laying on top of. To his right was the bed he fell out of. Sighing, Soren firmly placed his hooves on the ground and started to push himself up, only to feel a hoof stomp on his back to push him back down.
"Whoa there, partner. Where do you think yer goin'?" Twisting his head, Soren looked at Applejack as she held one hoof on his back, keeping him on the ground. Quickly reaching into a saddlebag, AJ pulled out a necklace and draped it around Soren's neck. "Time fer part 2."
"What are you going to—Arrrggghhh!" Soren felt intense magic surge through his entire body. He could painfully feel the necklace altering him. His coat was disappearing and his skin was becoming dark grey and rough. He felt something growing out of his back and felt his horn transforming.
With a final flash of light, Soren felt the pain stop. Applejack walked to the bedroom window and stopped to look at him. "That's an interestin' look for ya. Let's see if yer 'loyal' friends can figure out its really you. Oh, and Twilight said ur welcome for the fixed wings." With that, AJ jumped out of the second story window.
Soren quickly looked for a mirror, which was situated on top of the dresser next to his bed. Looking in said mirror, Soren gasped at what he became. He was now a changeling. The only difference was that instead of having a green carapace on his back like a normal changeling, Soren had a white one. His eyes were also green instead of blue, but that wasn't a major difference.
Changeling Soren heard many running hoofsteps coming from down the hall. This is NOT going to be fun. He made his way to the window as a means of escape if necessary. Within seconds, the door burst open and Soren could see the Doctor, Derpy, Sunny, and Bastian.
"Soren, are you alright?" the Doctor asked quickly. "We heard you screaming." The Time Lord saw the changeling in the room and immediately pulled out his sonic screwdriver.
"What is that?" Sunny asked, pointing at the creature.
"It's called a changeling," the Doctor replied. "And it better lead us to Soren, or we'll have to do this the hard way." Soren gulped. To avoid combat with his friends, Soren copied AJ and jumped out of the window.
Unfortunately, even though Soren was used to flying, he wasn't used to changeling wings. They were a lot lighter and so was he. Instead of using one great flap to take off like he was used to, Soren swung his wings once and found that his wings weren't strong enough to lift him that way. He soon slammed onto the dirt.
"Sounds like he landed," Sunny commented from inside the room.
Poking his head out of the window, the Doctor looked at the changeling as it picked itself up. Following suit, the stallion leaped over the windowsill and landed next to the changeling, who jumped from being frightened.
"I'm only going to ask this once: Where is my friend?"
"Hsssss," Soren voiced. He immediately put a hoof to his mouth. That's not what I wanted to say. "Hssssssssss," he tried again.
"Hmm." The Time Lord relaxed a little. He studied the changeling as if pondering what to ask it. "Can you understand me?" It nodded. "Do you know where Soren is?" Once again it nodded. "Alright, yes or no questions it is. Are you hostile?" The changeling shook its head. "Then why were you in Soren's room?"
"Hsss."
"Oh right right, keep it simple. Oi, you three! Come down here quickly!" Within the minute, Sunny, Derpy, and Bastian meet the Doctor and the changeling outside.
"Is he safe?" Derpy asked. The Doctor nodded.
"You know," Sunny started, "this guy is pretty cool." The crystal mare walked up to the creature and extended her hoof. "My name is Sunny Star. Can you say your name, if you even have one, in Equestrian?"
Soren concentrated really hard. Maybe he could pronounce his name somewhat. "Hsssssssen."
"That didn't sound like a name to me."
"Hsssssssssssoen."
"What is he doing, Doctor?" Derpy asked. The stallion remained quiet.
"Sssssssooossssn." The changeling gave up. His creature tongue can only make 's' and vowel sounds apparently.
"He was trying to say something. Ooo, idea! You wouldn't happen to know how to write would you?"
As embarrassing as it, Soren didn't know how to write. Like most unicorns, he wrote with magic. Soren also didn't think his changeling magic would help. Testing this theory, he illuminated his horn to try to pick up some rocks nearby, but he simply transformed into the Doctor.
"That's not funny," the brown pony commented grumpily. "Fascinating but not funny."
Soren quickly had an idea. What if he could transform into himself. Attempting it, Soren simply transformed into Derpy.
"Hey!" she said. "Go back to being the Doctor." The changeling decided to return to normal.
"Now we know you can't write," the Doctor said. "Bastian, do you want to ask him something?" The Doctor and Bastian began to have a small discussion. Meanwhile, Derpy joined Sunny, who was investigating the changeling.
"I like changelings," the pegasus mare commented. "The ones in our universe are mean, but he seems nice."
"Have you and the Doctor met any other changelings in this world?"
"No, he's our first one." She looked at the changeling. "Have you been in town for very long? I hope the other ponies aren't scared of you." As Derpy, the changeling, the Doctor, and Bastian were delved into their conversations, Sunny sat down and began to think. Something is weird here. It might just be my magic making me sensitive to things again. Derpy says changeling from her world are mean; her and the Doctor have yet to see another changeling here and neither have I; and this changeling was surprisingly trusting of us. Something is missing. I wish I could ask why he was in Soren's room after...we heard him screaming...
"Soren!" she exclaimed suddenly.
"I beg your pardon, Sunny," the Doctor said as he and Bastian walked over to the mares.
"Have you discovered where Soren has gone?" the zebra asked.
"He's right here!" she replied. To everyone's surprise, a small light appeared on the changeling's chest. When the light dissipated. a necklace could be seen in its place. Soren looked at it and yanked it off. The pain from before quickly returned, causing Soren to scream in his normal voice and fall backward onto the ground. Everyone gasped as Soren returned to his normal form.
"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked. Soren looked at him without moving.
"First two trials...done..."