....The More They Stay The Same

by The Crane

Training Day

The grand fireball in the sky known as the Sun begins its ascent. A new day has arrived. The majority of the populace has been cued as such to get their flanks out of bed. Conversely, a certain Lunar Princess has been cued to go slide into it.

"Ah crap!!" a voice grumbles from somewhere.

"What is it?"

"She did it, like as you said she would. Tonya split."

Amanda leans back and stretches out her front legs, and then reverses for her back. She groans a little as a few miniscule pops can be hear from her joints. "Are any of us surprised?"

"Nope," Casie offers. She reaches her front legs up and over her head. First her right overhead, and then her left.

A solid knocking sound comes from the door, which gathers the attention of all the ponies present. Bobbi lets out a sigh and uses her horn's magic to open it. A part of her admires how effective she's been getting with it.

"Good morning!" Princess Cadance offers as she walks into the doorway. "Princess Celestia has sent me to get you..." She looks into the room and finds only "three?"

"I'm still here!!" Kat protests from a corner of the room. "Hey, are you Celestia's gopher or something?"

"GOPHER?!" Cadance shouts.

"You know, go-pher this. Go-pher that. Little errand girl?"

"KATHRYN STEWART!!!" Bobbi barks. "That's very impolite!!"

"Well," Cadance says as she calms herself, "I am Celestia's niece. And I am the low princess on the totem pole when Twilight's not around. But, I don't mind. Celestia's always been good to me!! Now, where is your missing member?"

Bobbi sighs heavily. "My apologies, Princess. One of our own has snuck out during the night. I told her several times, but she doesn't seem to want to listen."

Cadance lets out a disappointed groan. "And I suppose you have no idea when she'll be back?"

There's a strange sound that emanates from below. A slishing and a sloshing. Out of the bricks that make up the wonderous castle that they are staying in, a distinct pony-form appears from the window sill. Its white brick coloring sloughs away to reveal a brown pony underneath. However, upon emerging from said opening, she quickly trips, tumbles and rolls to the doorway. "Hi, Cadance!" Tonya says as she look up at the princess. "Nice day, huh?"

For a moment, Cadance stands a bit agape at the extraordinary display of ability that Tonya has. To literally become one with the ground. She backpedals a little to allow herself a little space.

A hoof firmly plants itself on the invading pony's head with enough force to convey a point. Tonya's brown eyes trace it back and finds a trio of mute-gold legs. It can easily be assumed that the fourth is holding her against the floor. "Um... Hi, Bobbi...."

"Hi, Tonya!!" Bobbi replies. "Get enough sleep?"

"No, not really," Tonya tells her. "I thought I'd have enough time to get back, but I kinda... got.... lost.... Ooboy..." In the back of her mind, she may be hoping that this is all just one big dream.

"Well, too bad little girl! I'm gonna be working you extra hard today!!"

"Before that," Cadance announces, "Princess Celestia would like to see you all. Right this way, please."

The group starts to follow, led by Bobbi. Amanda uses her horn's magic to yank Tonya up off the floor and to her hooves. A light breeze signal's Kat's passing by. Casie quickly trots in the rear.

"Hey, Tonya?" Amanda says as they start to walk.

"Yeah?"

"Remember New York? When we all met?"

"Um... yeah...?" Tonya says a little nervously.

"Where Bobbi kicked your butt while Shifter was possessing you?"

"...yeah?"

"Well, I don't think she's going to take it quite so easy on you today."

"...yeah..."

==-==-==

In the throneroom, Celestia and Luna watch as Cadance once again brings the visitors to their attention. And once again, the five use their rings to wrap their bodies in their cloaks. While Luna was feeling a bit weak yesterday, her mane has returned to its full nightscape luster and her coat has darkened once again. She sits with a stronger presence as she greets them all. She tries her hardest to stifle a yawn from being up all day yesterday and all night since then.

"Thank you all for coming," Celestia tells them. "Before you all start your training, I wanted to impart a little gift onto you." She watches them line up and stand at attention. "I am not entirely sure that this will work, but I am at least willing to give it a try."

A box floats near them in her golden aura and lands somewhere evenly between herself and her guests. One final nudge and the box opens. Inside are five golden necklaces, each with a diamond shaped stone in the throat. Each of the gems correlates with the five colors of the visitors. "For us?" Bobbi asks. "We are honored!!"

"Luna and I enchanted these five gemstones. We believe that if you focus your element through it, you might be able to get a burst of the other powers you had mentioned."

"Oh, really?" Tonya notes a little sarcastically with a mocking eye-roll. But, Bobbi shoots her a warning glare before she can say anything else. Despite that, Tonya runs a foreleg across her abdomen. "Hmmm?!" she groans a bit.

Celestia continues and lifts the five adornments with her aura. "It's not much. It may not work at all. But I am willing to help you in any way I can." She puts one around Tonya's neck and the gem glows momentarily. "If I can find a better solution, I will bring it to your attention." She puts one around Amanda, and then Casie. The blue and red gems glow just like Tonya's. "Still, I have made it aware that these mark that you are my agents. You will have more freedom to move around." She puts one around Bobbi's neck, and then floats one up to where nopony is.

"I'll just be a flying necklace?" Kat wonders.

"Au contraire. I have made a special enchantment on this one, Kat. With it, you will be visible again."

"Wait-- What?!" But, before she can protest further, the item hooks around open air. There is a small light show as the invisibility is suppressed and a pegasus body starts to appear. A brown tail appears. White wings and limbs. A white body with a tornado cutie mark. Brown mane to fit the tail. Brown eyes. A white wrap around her body that doesn't inhibit her wings.

And....

"BWAHAHAAAHHHAAAHHAHAA!!" Tonya blurts out as she falls to her side, laughing. She holds her abdomen as she does so. While the others are more refined in their judgements, there is a look of WTF as they gaze on their friend for the first time since they arrived on Equestria.

"Kat?" Amanda wonders.

"Why do you--" Casie starts.

"Is that--" Luna asks, or at least starts.

"No wonder you wanted to stay invisible," Bobbi notes quietly.

"SHE'S GOT A NOSE RING!!" Tonya shouts between peals of laughter.

Kat sighs with defeat. "I don't know why..." All five of them have rings to activate their cloaks. Amanda and Bobbi's are around the base of their horns. Casie and Tonya have earrings. And for whatever reason, Kat's is in her nose. Each of them is the color of the Crystal that they do not currently have, which became the color of their coats. Kat's 'color' was clear, so she became invisible. Her ring thusly is clear, but not unnoticeable. While not blatant, one can see it if they look close enough at her.

"Have you had that this whole time?" Tonya asks with a hoof pointed at her. "Right there?" Her extended foreleg starts to change shape and grow something. As soon as she notices, Tonya quickly uses her other foreleg to drop and hide it.

"Are you alright?" Celestia asks her.

"Yeah," Tonya replies with an awkward smile. Her ears start to change shape a little, but she notices and uses her powers to return them back to pony-normal. She looks at her strangely acting leg again and finds nothing wrong.

"As I said," Celestia continues, but keeps an eye on Tonya for a moment. "If you focus your individual elements through the gemstone, it may ignite the powers that you lost. It could verywell be," she says but pauses to watch Tonya's tail change shape. She covers by sitting on it with a guilty smile. The classic 'I am in so much trouble' grin. "That you have simply been drained of the mana required to power them."

"Mana?" Casie asks.

"You know," Kat replies. "Like MP from games."

"Never played much," Casie replies. "And 'MP' sounds very different in my world."

"It means your magic energy has been drained," Amanda responds. "We just need a recharge."

"Ohh..." Casie says with understanding. "Gotcha."

"We think," Luna adds while taking note of the little issue at the end of the line, "that the enchantment will convert the element into enough mana to use your other spells." Luna sees that a layer of scales forms along Tonya's barrel, but just as quickly is taken away.

"Tonya," Celestia says seriously, "I do not think you are 'fine.' Your heat signature is rising. I can hear your heart beating harder and faster. Your blood is racing. Your breathing is rapid. You are NOT fine!! What has happened?"

The others look upon their problematic friend and see that there are several changes trying to occur, but Tonya cannot keep them all under wraps. Her back hooves grow long claws, but she manages to pull them back in. "Tonya..." Kat groans. "What did you do now?!"

"I'm... sorry!!!" she responds with an interspersed gravelly voice. "I... I thought... I could control it..."

"Guys..." Casie warns, "I think Tonya's about to unleash her inner bitch!!" She and the others step back as Tonya starts to grow larger, but then shrinks back down as her attempt to hold it back continues. Still, all her changes are fighting to get out.

"I think..." Tonya groans. "I need.... help..."

Bobbi stands ready and looks at her friends. "We have to get her out of here!! If we do this here, there could be innocents hurt!!"

"Allow me!!" Celestia offers as her horn ignites with a golden glow. She bathes the group of five in a bright light that lasts only a few seconds. When it fades, all five are gone.

==-==-==

The entire group is teleported to a location without a ceiling. A stone enclosure with pony-sized doors lining the walls. The blue sky and sparse clouds can be seen overhead. The sun lights the area and a crisp wind blows through. There are four torches in a square formation at the 'corners' of the room. A decorative waterfall is between each of the torches, numbering four themselves.

Tonya gets to her hooves with hard thumps coming from them. "I can't... hold... it..."

"Just..." Bobbi sighs, "let it go. We'll do what we have to."

"I'm... sorry..." Her change begins in earnest from then on. No more holding back. No more hiding. Her skin changes from a fur coating to sheets of earth-brown scales that quickly shred her wrap. Her rounded hooves grow large claws on each. Her small pony form grows dramatically. Her soft underbelly grows a plastron of thick scales that runs all the way up to her jaw. Her back also grows large plates of scale. Her flat teeth grow sharp into a deadly set of fangs. A few fangs appear on the outside of her jaws, both top and bottom. Her snout reaches further ahead and more teeth fill in. Her furry tail gives way to a solid piece of flesh with a fin on the end. Her pupils stretch from circular to elongated vertically while her irises take on a yellowish hue. A row of large dorsal scales grow out of her back and tail.

The four of them look up in a mixture of fear and awe at what their own has become. For a long moment, their eyes widen and their ears flatten against their heads. Amanda and Kat's jaws drop as they fear what she has become and what she's going to do.

"Ladies..." Bobbi says as she and the others back away from the newly awakened beast, "I think our training just got started..."

The beast is many times larger than any of the four alone. And she continues to grow, yet at a decelerated rate. When the change is complete, Tonya has transformed into a massive earth dragon! There is a low, hollow roar as the beast takes victory in its existance.

"Warriors!" Bobbi commands. "Work together and contain her!! We have to subdue her and find a way to change her back!"

"So..." Kat muses, "we beat the shit out of her?"

There is a not-quite-agreeing groan out of Bobbi. "If we have to. She is NOT our enemy!! We have to find a way to undo this... mistake of hers!!"

"She owes me muffins for this!!" Amanda shouts as she charges forward.

"And coffee!!" Kat adds as she bolts in.

"And bacon!!" Casie remarks.

"And a few eggs!!" Bobbi finishes. "We'll peel them off her face!!"

"OOhh..." Celestia breathes from a higher ledge. "Burn." Luna quickly joins her and watches the fight commence.

"Should we help?" Cadance asks as she walks in to Luna's other side. She looks past her and stares at her aunt for a long moment.

"This is their fight," Celestia tells her. "Their training. And Tonya's mistake. Besides--I have a better idea!" She lets her horn glow a brilliant gold again and summons a wooden desk for them to sit behind. Another short glow, and microphones with stands appear before them.

Luna's horn glows a white color, but no immediate action seems to have taken place. But, she smiles about it nonetheless.

"I thought you couldn't just 'make' things with your magic?" Cadance asks.

"I didn't," Celestia replies. "Storage." Her horn glows again with a smile wrapped around her muzzle. "Can't forget them!!" With another golden flash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity appear to her right while Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash appear to Cadance's left. Most of them are quite surprised by their sudden dislocation as they all seemed to be doing some activity or another. Twilight has a sandwich hanging out of her mouth and a book between her hooves. Rainbow is chugging something. Applejack and Pinkie are hoof wrestling. Fluttershy is in mid-stride (and crashes into the wall as she appears). Rarity appears in full spa regalia--spa chair, bathrobe, mudmask, cucumbers, and a full set of curlers throughout her mane and tail. "Oh, darling," she moans quietly. "I feel a draft!!"

By the time they are all adjusted to their surroundings (save Rarity who remains oblivious), they all look over the balcony to the main event below. "What's going on?" Twilight asks. "What is THAT?!"

Before any answers are given, Luna's white aura passes around buckets of popcorn for all those that are in attendance.

"And the fight we've all been waiting for!!!" Celestia announces as she holds a microphone in her aura. "It's Tonya the Earth Dragon against the rest of the Crystal Warriors!! Can they stop her menace?"

"We think they have a fighting chance," Luna announces into her own white-aura'd mouthpiece. "This will be a worthy test of their abilities!"

Down below, Amanda and Casie charge at Tonya but are quickly swatted away. Amanda tumbles along while Casie twists in the air to land on her hooves. She looks back to confirm her comrade's situation and sees that she's still moving on her own.

"Tonya!!" Bobbi shouts. "You have to calm down!!" The earth dragon in question stomps one of her feet down, but Bobbi moves to the side before she can be hit. While Tonya's recoiling from the attack, Bobbi fires a shot of energy from her horn. Tonya, however, rudely brushes the spot with a claw as if it was merely dirty.

"Don't mock me!!" Bobbi shouts at her.

Kat swings around in the air and looks for an opening to attack. While she remains airborne, she can stay out of the way of her friends below. When she believes that she has an opening, Kat dives in and grabs Tonya's tail. "I got her!!" she shouts happily.

Tonya looks back with something of a smirk and waves her tail around while a white pegasus hangs on for dear life. She swings her to one side, and then to the other with hard motions. Finally, she snaps her tail and launches Kat across the room and into a wall.

"Don't got her...." Kat moans. For a long moment, Kat's eyes spin from the disorienting attack. But, as long as there are others 'playing' with Tonya, Kat has a few moments to recover.

"That's gonna hurt!" Celestia announces from above.

"Worry not about them," Luna remarks. "This is a training ground. The walls are made a little softer than normal."

"Like padding?" Rainbow Dash asks.

"Quite. But, I fear that too many hits may still pose a problem."

Casie dives in towards her foe and starts to deliver fast punches with her front hooves. A few to her leg. A few to her abdomen. As soon as she strikes, she moves before Tonya can retaliate. Yet, Tonya ignores her attempts.

She stops and moves next to Bobbi. "Yeah, I don't think she felt any of that."

"She's a powerful creature now," Bobbi comments. "They have that going for them."

Behind Tonya, Amanda dodges a few strikes from the giant lizard's tail. Tonya tries time and again to drop her tail on the blue unicorn. But, she just moves to fast. "Can't get me?" she remarks sarcastically. "I thought you were better than that!"

Instead of continuing as she was, Tonya swings around quickly and slaps Amanda with a sideways swipe. Amanda is launched into her two other friends and collides with Casie. Both of them roll in different directions after that. Bobbi, however, managed to see it coming and ducked under the giant leathery tail.

"And three of the Crystal Warriors are down!!" Celestia shouts. "Can any match Tonya's dragon power?!"

"Sister!! What is she doing?" Luna asks this as Tonya breathes in deep. Her head raises up as she gathers in a wind.

Amanda gathers her wits as she recovers from being thrown into an ally. She shakes her head a little and sees that Tonya has pinned her in a corner. She looks to one side, and then to the other, but finds no chance for an escape. Her eyes widen and her ears flatten back as she fears what is to come.

"Oh, dear..." Celestia murmurs.

And from the beast a wide stream of green flame erupts from her mouth and bathes Amanda in its rage. The blue unicorn disappears completely from view behind the emerald fury.