//------------------------------// // There's a Changeling in Our Store part 2 // Story: Project Change // by The One With The Crystal //------------------------------// The ponies and changeling stood in their places for what seemed like hours. Silence filled the room, a type of silence that Sugar disliked with a passion. So she decided to brake the first one to brake the ice. "Come on girls I only got a few minutes before Pyxis comes back. So stop sitting there all quiet like make some noise or something." Sugar said as she calmly walked over to the crowd of ponies. "Wait.... you know Pyxis?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Well duh! After all I am one of his alter-egos." responded Sugar. "Since when did he change?" asked Applebloom "Uh........ a couple of minutes after the party." respond Sugar Rush. Just was the conversation was about to carry on Sugar had to quickly dodge an oncoming swing from Octavia's cello. Dodging the cello was an easy task, but dodging multiple swings from the musical instrument proved to put more strain on Sugar's body. After a couple of more swings Sugar started to breath more heavily. "You know Octavia, if you would stop being such a try-hard, we could be having some fun right now." said a slowly tiring Sugar. "Shut up you!" yelled Octavia as she swung her cello again. The Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to stop the raging mare, but was stopped by Vinyl. Looking back they could see that Vinyl was shaking her head. As Octavia continued to swing her cello as fast as she could Sugar could feel her body starting to slow down again. Pyxis's body wasn't suppose to take this much straining. She was one of the alter-egos that would burn through his reserves of energy as fast as dry grass catches on fire. If this kept going then Pyxis could be left on the edge of death, and Sugar couldn't let that happen. Using what last bits of magic that she could muster Sugar channeled her magic into the oncoming cello. With a flash of light Octavia's cello was turned into a piece of red velvet cake. The once enraged musician now stood in confusion as she gazed at what her cello had become. "Like a good friend of mine once said, 'There is always time for a slice of cake.' " said Sugar before her body gave out and everything turned to darkness. Octavia started to walk towards the changeling, but was stopped by three fillies. They stood proud and tall as they protected the changeling. "Girls move out the way." Octavia ordered. Her orders fell on deaf ears as the fillies stayed in there formation none of them showed any intentions of backing down. "Girls, I said to move out of the way!" ordered Octavia, only this time a little more louder and forceful. Once again her orders fell on deaf ears, but this time Scootaloo talked back. "Give us a good reason to." she said. "A good reason? A good reason!? There is a changeling in our store! I don't recall if you or Applebloom or even if Sweetie Belle was there, but changelings are evil things. For one to be here in Equestria after what happened at the wedding can only mean that something big is about to happen. We need to get that thing to Twilight so we can stop whatever that thing's queen is planning." Octavia said. "Yeah that might work for other changelings, but not for him. He's different from the others." Sweetie Belle said with courage. "Different!? How in Equestria is he different!? He looks the same, smells the same, and acts the same. He probably brainwashed you three into protecting him!" protested Octavia. "Tavi I think you should calm down a bit. I know that you have good reasons to be angry, but there isn't any reason to be barking right now." Vinyl said. "Oh be quiet Vinyl!" said Octavia. Her response caused Vinyl to retort in her own way. From them the argued and soon the Cutie Mark Crusaders were getting into the argument. The anger in the room swelled to the point to where it awakened Pyxis. His eyes barely opened and his hearing wasn't all that good. All he could hear was the muffled sounds of his friends arguing along with his music teacher, Octavia, and her friend Vinyl. Though he didn't hear much, he didn't need to. The anger in the room was overwhelming. It burned his nostrils. 'I change for one minute and everything falls apart. Well thats life for you,' thought Pyxis.'But I can't let things go the way they are.' Pyxis looked around the room with his limited vision and found, that in the wake of Octavia's rage, instruments lay scattered on the ground. Seeing the fallen musical equipment gave Pyxis an idea. Though his magic reserves were extremely low he already made his decision. As the ponies continued their argument, sometimes to the point of yelling, they took no notice of the musical instruments that were starting to play. The music began to swell, it filled the store with a gorgeous melody that soothed the raging ponies. A smile grew on Pyxis's face as he saw his friends beginning to calm down a bit. He could feel that last bits of his magic fading away and decided that it was time to stop. The music didn't last long, but it was long enough. With the sudden stop of the music all the anger left the room. Octavia and Vinyl stood there mystified with the change in their mood. They wanted to be angry, but for right now they couldn't. Not with the sound of the music still playing back in their minds. "Okay, you fillies have a lot to explain." said Octavia "And my headache is starting to come back so could you girls make it quick." Vinyl said as she began to rub her head. The fillies did as they were told this time. They told them all of what happened since their first encounter with Pyxis. When their story came to an end Octavia was still unsure if what the three fillies were saying was true. What if the changeling had brain washed them, filling their heads with made up dreams and fantasies? This could be a trap as well. Giving the mares a false sense of security and then when their guard was down it would take action. There was no telling what the changeling could do to them, but from what Octavia heard its not pleasant. Just as Octavia was about to abject to the fillies' story Vinyl talked first. "I believe them." she said. Octavia's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Vinyl you can actually believe this!? For all we know it could be a trap set by that changeling!" Octavia protested. Vinyl just looked back at the mare as her horn lit up. "Tavi, we've known each other since the third grade. Heck if I didn't know any better I'd think that we were sisters. I've never doubted you and you've never doubted me, so trust me when I say..." Vinyl started as she took off her shades with her magic. "I know when somepony is lying to me." Octavia stared into Vinyl's eyes. Those same eyes that once held a joking aura to them now held a very serious look. Octavia was caught between a rock and a hard place. Three fillies and her best friend were against her in this situation. She could either, as Vinyl would say, go with the flow or she could report this to the authorities. With a sign Octavia gave in. "Fine you win. I'll believe them too." Octavia said. With a giant 'YAY' the Cutie Mark Crusaders started to dance around, giving each other a high hoof. Vinyl put her shades back on and smiled. "You know, I hate it when you used that serious look of yours against me. It really throws me off." Octavia commented. "Oh it does huh. I might use it more often in the future then." said Vinyl with a smirk on her face. Octavia sighed in annoyance. She looked around her and saw the state of the store. There were instruments scattered on the the floor, an unconscious changeling, three energetic fillies, and a friend who likes to mess with her mind to no end. Octavia now dawned a sad expression. What has she gotten herself into now?