Echo's eye twitched a little and her wings buzzed. She launched herself forward at the impostor, tackling her to the ground and tumbling backwards with her.
The impostor looked up from the ground with wide eyes and mouth agape before reaching up her forehooves to try and stave off the next blows that were coming from Echo. By this point, a crowd had started to gather, all watching in rapt fascination, with just a glimmer of terror in the back of their minds.
As Echo was readying herself to drop another blow, she found herself paralyzed in a purple aura. The impostor was similarly disabled, and they were both lifted apart and into the air.
“Enough!” Twilight boomed with surprising force. “We're gonna go have a little talk about this.” She dragged the two of them inside away from the prying eyes of the crowd and slammed the doors.
“Obviously, you're BOTH changelings. Which one of you is Echo?”
“I am!” They both said in unison.
Twilight cocked an eyebrow at them and sighed. “Well, do I need to call up our old friend Chrysalis to help figure this out?”
“That'll work!” Echo smiled.
“No!” The impostor said, terrified, at the same time.
“Ah-ha!” She dropped the impostor and brought up a shining purple bubble around her.
“Thanks, Twilight.” Echo said as she was gently set on the ground.
“Of course, Echo.” Twilight said with a heavy sigh.
The impostor, still in Echo's body, beat on the interior of the bubble frantically. “I'm sorry, please don't call Chrysalis...”
“Who are you?” Twilight interrogated, motioning for the still-seething Echo to stay back.
“I'm Echo!” Her eyes widened and she stammered. “No, no, I'm sorry, I'm not, I just...” There was a green flash as the features that distinguished Echo melted away, revealing a fairly standard changeling drone... a male changeling drone.
“Oh, you've GOT to be kidding me!” Echo snarled.
The drone whimpered and curled up against the inside of the bubble, as far from Echo as he could get. “Really, I'm sorry! I just... I thought you'd moved away for good, and I was just so hungry!” He pleaded. “I didn't mean any harm!”
“You've been gallivanting around in my body stealing love and you didn't mean any harm?”
“Echo!” Twilight stomped a hoof and shot her a glare. “Not that long ago you weren't much different, remember?”
Echo began to protest but shut her mouth and furrowed her brow instead. “Well, now I'm back, so there's no need for two of me.”
“Where will I go?” The drone pleaded.
“Don't care. Not my problem.”
“Echo, come on, that's not very kind.” Twilight admonished. “Nopony's arguing that what she –”
“He! That's a male drone, can't you tell?!”
“He, sorry. Nopony's arguing that what he did was right, but just throwing him to the timberwolves is hardly the right answer. We should try to help him, just like all your friends helped you when we found out.” She glanced back at the bubble. “Besides, look at him. He's terrified. I don't think he'd hurt anypony.”
Echo narrowed her eyes at him and snorted a little. “As long as he isn't MY problem.”
Twilight yielded, shaking her head. “Fine, that's better than trying to kill him. Go on home, Echo, I've got this handled.”
Echo had turned to leave when the drone spoke again. “Uh... Echo...?”
“WHAT?!” She bellowed without turning back around.
“Don't be surprised if a tall, light brown stallion with blue eyes and a curly mane comes knocking for you...” He winced. “You probably know him, Parcel Post?”
“Did... did you get a COLTFRIEND?!”
The drone winced again and nodded. “I was hungry.”
She trembled with rage. “Did you --”
“NO! No, Chrysalis no.” He seemed to read her mind. “I'm still a stallion, I like mares.” He nodded.
Echo snarled again and stomped her way out of the castle, heading home. This return was off to a great start.
* * *
Scootaloo waited outside the schoolyard for the bell to ring. Once it did, she hid behind a bush and waited for Sweetie and Apple Bloom to trot out. She also made sure to toss her gum into Diamond Tiara's mane while she wasn't looking.
“Did you get a letter from Scootaloo too?” Sweetie's voice rang out.
“Ah did. D'ya think she's comin' back from boardin' school?”
Boarding school? What? She held off jumping out to listen a bit longer.
“I wonder what happened?”
“Knowin' Scoot, she just got tired of all the eggheads.” Apple Bloom snickered quietly. “I'm happy she's gonna be back though, ain't you, Sweetie?”
“Oh yeah! I missed her so much! The Cutie Mark Crusaders haven't been the same since we lost a crusader!”
“Ah know! Crusadin' just don't feel right without her there.”
Scootaloo grinned and figured that was as good a cue as any. She jumped up out of the bush and landed behind them. “Good thing I'm back then, girls!” She beamed.
Her friends both screamed and jumped in the air, twisting around almost like cats. They landed, shock on their faces still, and took just another moment to notice that it was Scootaloo who had scared them.
Their faces slowly changed from fear to absolute joy, and they screamed in elation, jumped forward, and tackled Scootaloo in a hug.
“Ah'm so glad yer back, Scoot! Ah missed ya somethin' fierce!”
“It's been so hard without you Scootaloo!” Sweetie hugged tighter.
“How was boardin' school?”
“What's boarding school?” Scootaloo tilted her head.
“W--” Apple Bloom shared a confused glance with Sweetie. “Miss Echo told us you'd gone off t' a different school in Las Pegasus. We asked why she hadn't gone, too, and she said she'd decided t' just stay here and keep working with Rarity. She said there was a thing called boardin' school where a filly lived at school instead of at home with her parents.”
“Why did Mom tell you that?” Scootaloo was shocked. “When did she tell you that?”
“Back when you left...” Sweetie said, sounding concerned now. “Is everything okay Scootaloo?”
“Well... what about when Mom wasn't working for Rarity anymore? Didn't you girls wonder where she went?”
“She's been here the whole time, Scoot...” Apple Bloom said, now also seeming concerned.
Scootaloo hadn't put two and two together yet. Her brow furrowed. “I'm gonna go find Mom.”
“We're comin' too!” Apple Bloom declared, and the three of them all traipsed off to find Echo.
The trio arrived at Scootaloo and Echo's house a few minutes later. Scoot opened the door and stepped in. “MOM!” She shouted. “What the HAY?!”
“Language!” Came a reply from upstairs, followed by the buzzing of wings. She flittered down the stairs and touched down in front of the girls. “Good to see you girls again.” She smiled brightly, trying to hide her unyielding rage.
“Why did you tell Sweetie and Apple Bloom that I'd gone to BOARDING SCHOOL?!”
Echo sighed. “We have something to discuss.”
“You're DAMN right!”
“Hey!” Echo clamped Scoot's mouth shut with a quick glow from her horn as the other two fillies let out a startled gasp. “You watch it, missy.” She released the hold and motioned for the fillies to sit.
“I wanna know what happened, Mom.” Scootaloo glared.
“If you'd stop jumping the gun, I could explain. Are you done?” A gentle nod 'yes' and an irritated growl were the response. “Okay. Now... when I went to see Twilight just now, something strange happened...”
She went on to relay the rest of the story, explaining that for the past two years, the “Echo” living in Ponyville had, in fact, been an impostor.
“Where is she now?” Scootaloo seemed livid, almost trembling with rage.
“Well, he's over at Twilight's.”
“He?! A colt changeling was pretending to be you?” Sweetie Belle seemed horrified.
“Ah can't believe that wasn't you all this time...” Apple Bloom shivered.
“I'mma punch a changeling!” Scootaloo stood and ran for the door before Echo could stop her.
“Uh-oh.” Echo bolted after, and the other two fillies followed.
* * *
"So what's your real name?" Twilight asked her captive.
"Ricochet." He winced.
"Well, Ricochet, how long have you been in Ponyville?"
"About two and a quarter years I think?" He shivered. "Are you gonna let me go?"
"We'll talk about that in a bit. How long have you been pretending to be Echo?"
"Only two years..."
"Only two. Right. Okay, well... we can't let you pretend to be her anymore."
"Then who will I be?"
"Ricochet."
"No, I know that, but who will I LOOK like."
"Yourself!" She beamed brightly.
Ricochet's eyes widened again and he renewed his efforts to break free from the bubble-prison that Twilight had made for him. "No! No, no no! Can't do that, that'd be bad!"
"You know, Echo and Chrysalis used to think the same thing." Twilight smiled gently.
"CHRYSALIS IS HERE?"
"No, not right now. She's been gone for a few weeks now. She wouldn't tell me why, though..." Twilight pursed her lips a little. "Anyway, I promise you'll be safe. I'll help you. Now, if I let you go, are you gonna try anything funny?" She raised an eyebrow again.
"...No..." Ricochet said meekly.
"All right. Promise?"
"Yeah..." He said with eyes full of fear.
The bubble collapsed and he stood, looking around the room. "I'm sor--"
Just then, the doors to Twilight's castle burst open, and Scootaloo ran over quicker than even Twilight could react, landing a hoof right into Ricochet's cheek. He fell onto his side, unconscious. His wings twitched a bit, buzzing against the floor. "THAT'S FOR MESSING WITH MY MOM!" She raised another hoof to hit again before Twilight pushed her back with a harmless blast of magic.
"What is with you and your Mom punching ponies?!" She said, exasperated.
Ricochet slowly regained consciousness. "Did anyling get the number of that train?"
"Scootaloo!" The filly shouted.
"Thanks..." He stood, wobbling around, still not quite back in control of himself all the way.
Echo arrived after a few tense moments and looked at the scene. "Scoot, why did you do that?"
"He pissed me off..."
"What did I say about that language?!" She clamped Scootaloo's mouth shut again. "Sorry, Twilight."
"Okay! Enough!" Twilight shouted, a few strands of her mane coming undone. "We are ALL going to sit down and talk like civilized ponies. No more barging in, no more punching, no more cursing. Understood?!"
Everyone in the room except for Ricochet nodded silently and followed, shocked by the princess' sudden anger.
"Your mane is pretty..." Ricochet said lazily to Twilight as he followed, still unsteady on his hooves.
After about ten minutes of explanation, everyone was up to speed about what exactly had happened. Twilight exhaled sharply. "Does anypony else have any questions?"
"Is Ricochet part of Miss Echo's family?" Sweetie asked innocently.
"Absolutely NOT." Echo and Scootaloo said succinctly before sharing a nod.
Ricochet's ears laid back against his head a bit, but he nodded in agreement.
"I have a question..." a familiar, feminine voice filled the entire room, seeming to come from everywhere at once. "Exactly what possessed you to impersonate the daughter of your Queen?"
A pair of serpentine eyes glowed green behind Ricochet, and Chrysalis slowly materialized in an inferno of green flames. She stared daggers at the drone below her, who looked up over his shoulder paralyzed in fear.
"Hi Mom." Echo smiled at the terrifying visage.
"Gramma!" Scootaloo ran over and hugged tightly around one of Chrysalis' legs. Ricochet seemed to soften at the sight.
"Not now, sweetheart," Chrysalis cooed gently down to Scootaloo. "Gramma's busy scaring the living daylights out of an idiot."
"Mission already accomplished, your Highness!" Ricochet squeaked, swallowing the frog in his throat. He regretted speaking instantly as Chrysalis' head snapped back to face him.
"Were it not for my... reformation..." She sneered at the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth, "I'd have killed you already."
"Chrysalis!" Twilight boomed again. "Would you PLEASE sit down? I only just managed to defuse this situation, and I really don't need you lighting it up again."
"As you wish..." She walked gracefully over to a seat that was about two sizes too small for her, and sat down as regally as she could manage, never once taking her eyes off of Ricochet.
The experience proved to be too much for the young drone, though, and he began to babble incoherently in his panic. His eyes seemed to dart around the room. His wings buzzed erratically. He clambered to his hooves and ran for the closed door of the room, pounding on it frantically, and utterly ignoring Twilight's pleading for him to relax. Eventually, he turned around, heaved a few more breaths, and passed out on his side.
There was a long moment of silence as everyone looked at the unconscious changeling, before Chrysalis spoke.
"I didn't do it!"
7979530 She was being impersonated for a total of 2 years. Yes, the letter did make Twilight a bit suspicious, but Echo (the real one) showed up in Ponyville basically the next day, so there wasn't really any time for Twilight to figure out what was going on.
Scootaloo was not being impersonated; the impostor Echo simply told everyone who asked that Scootaloo had gone to boarding school.
love it
7979542 already read third chapter. When I write that comment and one after it,you didn't release third chapter. And second I finished the comment and go read something else you updated story. Pretty convenient, is it not?
7979596 Ha, sorry, didn't notice which chapter you'd made that comment on. My bad! Hope I didn't spoil anything for you.
You aren't. Just finish read, before saw the comment.
This story is good and up voted. But damn I liked the other one as well wish we could have both.
*starts chuckling softly at the beginning of the story, which evolves into a soft laugh, which then becomes uncontrollable* OMG! That poor drone is not having a good day
Snrk, looks like Echo's punchy nature rubbed off on Scootaloo.
Poor Ricochet.
Yay, best bug horse member of royalty is back.
That ending line.
7980399 It's not even that good at that since they're still selling toys with Chryssie and the original changelings and no toys with the new changelings.
One of the reasons I dislike it is that it basically paints the entire race as opportunists completely devoid of loyalty. All you need is the promise of easy food and they betray anyone, no matter how many years they slaved away leading them.
Hahah, now I imagine you wake up at night screaming lines from that movie, ptsd-style.
"She also made sure to toss her gum into Diamond Tiara's mane while she wasn't looking."
Nice.
It's a story apart from your original sequel - not a bad thing, mind you.
Also few fics deal with the CMC in their teenage years.
Uncharted territory for the most part, it seems.
I like your work so far.
7980591 What's wrong with that?
have an up vote and follow. this i a great story,what a great surprise finding out scootalos grandpony is chrysylis,nice touch to your fine story.
7980813 Make sure you read the prequel too!
It's old now and kind of inferior in my opinion but people really seem to like it, and it sets up some of the events in this story.
Twilight the echo have known for the past few years wasn't Echo. How would you like it if someone personated you for two years. The violence is justified.
too bad Scootaloo didn't make Ricochet BOUNCE off the wall!
7981011 My thought was that she knew she had become a princess (hence no reaction to her signing her letter as "Princess" Twilight Sparkle) but hadn't been told about the addition of wings.
Ok I have a little detail that i'll like to point out that many writers miss and that really bugs me to no end. Ponys in MLP say Everypony, nopony not everyone, noone and a few others that I can't think of at this monment with this headache I have. Changelings tend to use Everyling and noling. I hope you will understand I'm not trying to Troll you here (some writers think I am when I point this out).
7982557 Thanks. Edited out the two instances of "nobody".
Now, I'll also tell you that when I'm narrating, and it's not a character speaking, I'm going to leave the regular English variants of the words just for the ease of the reader. I do have a tendency to miss that though sometimes because I'm not used to using those words in regular speech.
As far as "everyling" et. al, I play that one by ear depending on the situation. I feel like it makes sense if they use that amongst themselves, but when ponies are involved, it doesn't really apply.
Thanks though, I do appreciate you pointing out the mistakes; it goes a long way to helping this be a better final product.
I need to finish here and re-read the prequel. Since I remember Chrysalis kidnapping Scootaloo, and her getting her butt kicked by Echo, and the old hive getting destroyed in the battle (and Echo starting off the relationship with that other Ling mare warrior.) ... unless I'm remembering a story similar to this where a ling adopts Scootaloo.
Still I don't remember Chyrsalis and Scootaloo having a family moment. Like at all. Prior to here. So I'll be back when I finish that story. See if that makes this part make sense. Otherwise .. this chapter really had me scratching my head. And after I re-read the original I'll have a few questions that I need to ask.
"I didn't do it!"
68.media.tumblr.com/09d3f4637e9763aa29e1026df45eabcb/tumblr_ntluay946b1ush9mao2_500.gif
I'm honestly a little bit surprised that Twilight manages to be so calm throughout this chapter. I mean, having another changeling pretend to be her friend for a good two years would be cause to get most fairly angry, and yet she seems to be irrationally calm and able to navigate her way through the chapter. Scootaloo and Echo take to straight up punching Ricochet and they've been fairly removed from the whole situation, Echo herself being the one impersonated aside.
that sounds strangely familiar.
7981788 that was a horrible pun
7985138 Chrysalis never kidnapped scootaloo. It was a traitor to the hive that chrysalis had punished that kidnapped scootaloo
Hahaha I'm loving this story
Well....it is not her problem.
If she should take care of him I hope she does it because she wants it and not because twilight is forcing her to play caretaker.
oh how can that happen? where they never curious what happened to Scoots or why they didn't lived together? I didn't translated the schools name, but that sounds weird already.
I don't exactly like this chapter and their reactions, it also feels weird how he pulled that off for two years.
7981048
I think I agree with that. I'm still trying to understand how they could think Eco suddenly lived without Scootaloo and everything while living in ponyville herself, probably having a different personality and everything. I didn't translated what boarding school meant, but my first reaction was that it is rather strange.
I feel a bit of karmic retribution towards Echo and her mother.
Enjoying the story so far.