//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: My Little Pony: Morphing is Magic // by Tricondon //------------------------------// Author's Note: Written by Samaru163 and Tricondon. Chapter 8 Rarity I awoke not long after the sun had been raised, as I normally do. I slipped out of bed, being careful not to disturb the covers too much, and put on my absolutely gorgeous slippers. I designed them myself, you know. I headed to the kitchen and was surprised to see my sister, Sweetie Belle, already hard at work making her own breakfast. “Morning, Rarity. Did you sleep well?” She asked, looking up from her work. “Why yes I did, thank you Sweetie.” I moved over to the cupboards and fixed myself a simple bowl of oats. I glanced over at Sweetie’s hoofmade meal. It looked like what I assumed was a burned piece of toast accompanied by an orange slice. I gave a reassuring smile as she beamed with accomplishment. One of these days I was going to need to show her how to cook properly. “So what are your plans for today, going off crusading with your friends?” I asked. “Yep! Applebloom said she discovered something interesting down by her farm! We’re going to go check it out! Could you imagine, I could get a Cutie Mark in exploration!” I giggled silently as she continued to ramble excitedly. Her enthusiasm was quite admirable to say the least. I finished my meal quickly. I was expecting Spike to show up soon, since the little dear had promised to go jewel hunting with me. I busied myself by preparing a number of bags made to carry the jewels and fixed a picnic lunch for Spike and myself. Well, more like just a lunch for me, since Spike would prefer a ruby or a sapphire to a daisy sandwich. I paced around the front of my shop in anticipation, waiting for Spike to show. However, seconds stretched into minutes, which soon became an hour. An hour and a half after Spike said he would be there, I was still alone. “Well, I never!” I said angrily. “It’s one thing to be a few minutes late, but this is ridiculous!” In a huff I stormed outside and marched over to Twilight’s library. Whatever Spike’s reason, it had better be a good one for keeping me waiting. I arrived at the library quickly enough. It was still fairly early, so I didn’t meet many other ponies along the way - not that I wanted to at the moment. I must have looked atrocious in my current state. It isn’t very proper for a lady to scowl, but I was quite put out. I knocked on the door fairly loudly and impatiently. I was waiting only a few minutes before the door cracked open and I found myself looking at Twilight. The poor thing looked as if she hadn’t slept all night. “Twilight dear, what-” Just then the door opened further and I got a glimpse inside. The library was in poor condition, with books and papers scattered everywhere. Many of the walls also bore the ugly black stain of fire. I saw my poor little Spike all tied up to a chair, struggling to get free. He looked up, spotted me and gave me a pleading look. “Rarity! Help! Twilight’s gone crazy! She won’t let me go!” Twilight looked back and levitated a make-shift gag into Spike’s mouth. “Stop spitting it out, Spike,” she said groggily before looking back at me. “Sorry Rarity, now’s not the best time for a visit.” I pushed my way past Twilight and ran to Spike’s side, already undoing his binds with my magic. “Twilight! You horrible mare! How could you do this to my poor Spikey-wikey?!” Just as I was finishing with the last binding, I was suddenly knocked off my hooves. “Sorry Rarity, but you can’t let him go!” A bright pink pony cried. It took me a few moments to recognize Pinkie Pie. “No one’s going to free Ekips while I’m here!” “Ekips?” Twilight and I said in unison. “Yeah, you know, ‘cause he’s the opposite of Spike.” I glanced at Twilight, who was giving me a defeated look. I returned it; Pinkie isn’t a pony you understand very easily. “Pinkie, darling, I’m afraid I don’t quite follow you. How is this not the same Spike we know and love?” “Well, he’s not very nice. And Twilight says he tried to attack her. And he says I’m a lousy cook.” Spike looked at me, his lips quivering as he started to cry. “I-I didn’t do anything, Twilight just attacked me without warning.” I turned back to Twilight, with disgust building up inside of me. She shook her head from side to side. “No, Rarity! He’s lying! It’s not Spike!” “Of course not, Twilight! He’s Ekips!” Pinkie declared. “Twilight Sparkle I am utterly ashamed of you! How could you do this to Spike, and after all he’s done for you? Now you untie him this instant!” “Rarity, listen to me, this is not Spike!” Twilight pleaded. “Prince Jake!” Pinkie suddenly blurted out. We all turned to look at her, but Pinkie’s expression was her usual happy unreadable face. “Come again?” Twilight asked in confusion. “Prince Jake might know about what’s happening, and maybe he can help us find Spike!” “Those bizarre shapeshifters?” I asked. “Pinkie, how do we know they aren’t Changelings? And even if they’re not, how can we trust them?” “Do you have a better idea, because unless it involves a ton of baking powder and three spoonfuls of pink paint I don’t see how it will help.” “How would baking powder...” Twilight began, but then stopped herself. “Nevermind. Alright, Pinkie, we’ll go see Prince Jake.” I looked towards Spike and for a moment it looked like an underlying emotion was welling up behind his pleading face. It almost resembled hatred. The odd scene was gone as quickly as it had come, and Spike looked as forlorn as he had before. We walked to the edge of the Everfree Forest, with Pinkie taking the lead. I was a little behind the others, but that was only so I could keep a watch on Spike. Twilight had refused to go anywhere unless Spike was securely tied up, and she offered to carry him herself. I could see a few other ponies shooting Twilight some questionable looks, but she continued on as if she never heard them whispering and pointing at her. Throughout the entire trip Spike remained silent, with a look of boredom and worry look on his face. I didn’t blame him in the slightest, but soon we’d have this mess straightened out and Twilight would apologize to him. “Oh, wait!” Pinkie blurted again. “You have to stay here! I’ll go get Prince Jake!” “Pinkie, I really think it’d be better if we all went together. It’s not safe in the Everfree, and the sooner we talk to the Prince, the better,” Twilight said calmly. “Please Twi, it’s really important I see them first!” Pinkie said as her eyes widened. “And why is that Pinkie?” Twilight inquired. “I Pinkie Promised! I can’t break a Pinkie Promise!” She cried Twilight looked at Pinkie with shock and awe. I guess I was as well. “Pinkie! Have you already met with the Prince?” I asked. “When did you do this? How could you just burst in on him? He’s royalty!” “I didn’t mean to, I was just going to give them a welcome gift. I wasn’t trying to be nosy.” By this point Pinkie looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Alright, Pinkie,” Twilight sighed. “What did you promise?” “That I wouldn’t tell anypony where they were.” I looked at Twilight, who had a glint in her eye. “But Pinkie, you’re not going to be telling us. You’re just going to be leading us to them. That’s not breaking your promise.” I admit my heart skipped a beat at the eerie ‘voice’ that pushed its way into my head. I looked all around and finally spotted a very regal looking hawk perched in the tree above us. “Oh! Tobi...I mean, birdy!” Pinkie said. The hawk turned his head to look at her. “Yes, see we were wondering if we could speak to Prince Jake at all,” she replied excitedly. Twilight stepped forward, Spike still struggling to get free. “Please, Mr. Bird, I have reason to believe that Spike has been kidnapped and replaced with this copy. I want to know if the Prince knows anything about this.” There was a long period of silence. The hawk looked from me to Twilight to Pinkie and finally to Spike, eying us impassively. It asked hesitantly. “Yes we do, a fairly stable population in fact,” Twilight replied. “He hasn’t been acting like himself, as if something else is using his body.” The moment Twilight stopped talking the bird’s eyes seemed to widen with shock. it said after a brief pause. And with that, the hawk took off, heading into the forest. I looked at Pinkie, already bouncing after the bird, then turned to Twilight. She shook her head and slowly trotted after Pinkie. I was worried about entering the forest unprepared, but one last look at Spike’s pitiful figure strapped to Twilight’s back gave me all the courage I needed. With a final glance backwards at Ponyville, I headed into the forest after Twilight and Pinkie. After a few minutes of walking through the tangles of dark trees we came upon a tiny clearing. There stood the same bright blue pony from yesterday, scraping his tail against a rock. He swerved one of the eyes growing from his head towards us the second we approached. Another eye looked towards the bird and there was a moment’s silence before he spoke. All of us, including the bird, looked at him with utter confusion. the bird said after no one made any motion to move. Twilight nodded and walked towards the bizarre blue beast, turning so he could poke and prod my dear Spike with his third set of limbs. I could see Spike growing more and more restless, and I could understand his unease. Being tied up, accused of being an imposter by all my friends, being examined by this strange creature from the skies; I could never hold together as well as he was. The beast - Ax, did the bird say? - took out Spike’s gag. “Get your hands off me, Andalite filth!” All of us stared at the little dragon, unable to comprehend what he had said. I looked towards Ax for some form of clarity, but all his eyes were on Spike. “It is too late for you to do anything to help, Andalite. This planet is ours, and there is nothing you can do to save it.” Spike spat small green fireballs at Ax with every word, but he evaded them easily. another voice said. I scanned the tree tops for more birds, but could find nothing. “So I was right!” Twilight shouted. “This Spike is a copy!” Ax said coldly. I simply stood there, unable to believe what I was hearing. A race of little things was controlling my Spike? The very idea was preposterous. Yet, Spike would never attack somepony like that, and he did say something about taking over Equestria. Twilight seemed as shocked as I was, and seemed to be struggling to form words. “H-Ho-How did this, this thing get in Spike?!” Twilight swallowed hard. “Is there a way to get it out?” Ax’s stalks shifted to give off an almost threatening appearance. At the mention of that word Spike’s eyes seemed to swell with fear. “Die?” Pinkie shouted. “But! But we can’t let the poor thing die!” There was a moment’s pause, and Pinkie shook her head somberly. He looked towards Twilight. “About a day,” she replied. The same voice from before spoke up again, and Ax swung his eyes up. I could hear the underlying tone of shame in those words. “I’m staying too,” I said. I felt the gaze of everypony else turn to look at me, and it took me awhile to realize what I’d said. “Are you sure, Rarity?” Twilight asked. “Yes. I owe it to Spike to stay and help him any way I can.” “Then I’m staying too,” Twilight said. “And Pinkie makes three!” Ax and the bird flashed each other worried looks. “All the more reason Spike needs us to help him through it,” Twilight said with certainty. Prince Jake spoke. “Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie said as she bounced around the clearing. “If you’ve forgotten, it’s the promise I made yesterday.” Prince Jake said. I continued looking around, but I still could only see the hawk that led us here. Twilight nodded in agreement and followed Ax deeper into the dark trees, leaving Pinkie and myself alone with the hawk. “Where are you anyways, Prince Jake?” Pinkie asked. “Pinkie!” I hissed under my breath. “You’re dealing with royalty! Show some respect!” There was a shifting in the underbrush near my side, and a small golden dog brushed against my leg. “Oh, hello doggie,” Pinkie said, giving the dog a pat on the head. Prince Jake moaned. I managed to laugh, in spite of what was happening. First a strange assortment of animals came falling from the sky, then they all turned into birds, and now one of the birds was a dog and rubbing against my leg. I kept thinking this was all some dream that I was going to wake up from. I almost wish it were a bad dream.