//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: My Little Pony: Morphing is Magic 
// by Tricondon 
//------------------------------//

Author's Note: Written by Samaru163 and Tricondon.

Chapter 9

Spike


Do you know what it’s like to be trapped in your own mind? To see through your eyes but are unable to move them. To hear your voice lie to your friends without your control. To do nothing but sit, bound and chained, with nothing to do but scream silently where nothing can hear you. Nothing that is, except for it. That creepy little slug wrapped around my own brain, controlling my every movement.

I don’t remember how he got in my head. I do remember thinking this was all some horrible dream; I’ve had dreams like it, where you can’t move your body no matter what you try. I remember eventually coming to realize this was real, and that taunting voice always trying to get me to stop resisting. 

After a time, I did stop. I had lost all track of time. How long have I been prisoner? A month? Two months? Even I don’t know. I just stopped caring, stopped pleading to be let go. 

At least, until Twilight discovered the slug in my head. That one instance sparked some hope in me, and I began fighting back. There was little I could do, but even the smallest annoyance could affect the outcome. And sure enough Twilight was able to capture him, and that’s when the smug voice got scared.

<No! Your friend cannot hold me forever!>

<She doesn’t have to. You’ll starve in two days, won’t you?> It may be a dark thought, but I wanted my body back.

<That is a long ways away, young one. Much can happen in that time.>

<Oh yeah, like what? You’re going to somehow break free, run back to your pool, gather an army and take us out?>

<Stranger things have happened, Spike,> the voice said. <Why look at us; a Yeerk in the body of a dragon. On the planet I had previously been on your kind is nothing but myths and legends.>

<You will never take Equestria,> I retorted.

The voice gave a small, amused laugh. <Spike, we have conquered countless worlds beyond this one. What hope do these ponies stand against us?>

<These same ponies that have you prisoner?> I said mockingly. The Yeerk didn’t say anything after that, he just went back to flipping through my memories.

“This is far enough I think,” Twilight’s voice was like a cold knife in the darkness. I looked through eyes that were no longer my own as she lowered me to the ground next to a withered old tree. Next to her was the odd blue creature that the Yeerk had called ‘Andalite.’

The Yeerk never told me much of his own past, or showed me any of his memories, but when he did it was always about the Andalites. It seemed there was a lot of bad blood between their races, or at least that’s what my limited glances told me. It must be pretty deep, ‘cause I could just feel his hatred and loathing ooze into the corners of my mind every time he looked at the Andalite.

The Andalite swerved one of its eyes towards the tree’s branches. Faster than I could keep track of his tail was whizzing through the air. There was a slicking, cracking sound above me, but the Yeerk kept my eyes locked on the Andalite. Even as thick black vines dropped in severed heaps he refused to look away.

“Is this really necessary?” Twilight asked the Andalite. There was a brief period of silence before Twilight spoke up again. “Alright, if you’re really sure.”

I was confused; only Twilight was speaking, yet she acted as if somepony else was talking to her.

<That’s the Andalites for you. Speaking only to those they think deserve it.>

Twilight used her magic to pick up the vines and wrap them around me. She tied my hands behind my back and lashed me to the tree. I felt my face contort into a pouting look. The Yeerk looked at Twilight.

“Please, Twilight,” ‘I’ said, “let me go. How can you believe this creature over me?”

“I know what I heard earlier. You’re not Spike, and I’m not letting you go until I get my friend back.”

<Fine, then, if that’s how she wants to play it.> I couldn’t tell if the Yeerk was musing out loud or just tormenting me. Either way, I was worried.




Luna’s moon was high in the sky by the time the Yeerk broke free of the vines. He was smart, waiting for the dead of night to slink away. Nopony noticed as we slipped away, though I was fighting, trying to slow him down through any means I could. But it was almost like a parasprite fighting a dragon. The amount of focus and determination emanating from him was like a barrier, pushing me deeper and deeper into the reaches of my mind.

<Ha, your friends aren’t that good at keeping tabs on you, are they Spike?>

<And where are you planning to go? Back to your little pool?>

<You’ll see in due time,> he said coldly.

There was a rock ahead. The Yeerk climbed over it and leapt off the other side...

But I never hit the ground. The trees had bent towards me and some of the branches were tied around my wrists. As the Yeerk eyed them, I noticed they had a soft purple glow around them.

“You honestly believed escape was that easy?” Twilight sad, stepping out from behind the tree.

<Yeah Twi!>

<Don’t celebrate too soon Spike, I still have time,> the Yeerk spoke, though I do believe he had a subtle tinge of fear in his words.

<Two days, Yeerk. Maybe less,> I taunted.

Twilight moved further out from her hiding spot and shifted her magic from the branches to me. Soon she was walking the way I had come, holding firmly onto me with her magic.

We walked - or rather, Twilight walked while I hung in the air, suspended by her levitation - back into the clearing where the Andalite and Rarity were both waiting.

“Oh, there you are, Twilight. I was worried about you.”

“I’m sorry. Spike was making a run for it, so I had to chase him.”

<How is he suspended in the air like that?!> The Andalite said, quite shocked. I was surprised too, since he was bothering to include me in the conversation this time.

“What?” Twilight looked around for a moment before realizing what the Andalite had meant. “Oh, you mean Spike. I’m holding him up with a simple levitation spell. Very basic magic.”

<But...but...that’s impossible!> The Andalite seemed flustered by what he was hearing. I didn’t quite understand what he was so upset over.

“What do you mean? Levitation is one of the earliest spells you’re taught at magic school.” Twilight explained patiently, but this only seemed to make the Andalite more frustrated.

<Well, it’s inconceivable that you can manipulate your surroundings so easily just by making a part of your body glow. It’s a scientific impossibility! You cannot force your reptilian companion to ignore the laws of physics so easily. It takes an enormous amount of energy to counteract the effects of gravity, and to think that you can do it with little more than a thought is...is...> The Andalite was nearly shouting, and I wished he spoke like normal ponies so I could cover my ears and try to block him out. If the Yeerk let me, that is.

<Damnable Andalite, why doesn’t he just shut up?> The Yeerk spat angrily.

<I know, a voice in your head that won’t go away really gets on your nerves after a while.>

“Ax, do you think you could calm down a little? You’ll wake the entire forest and half of Ponyville,” Rarity said softly. The Andalite looked at her for a second and seemed to relax, although its eyes still had improbable looks in them.

“Right, well, it’s still my shift, so you two can go back to sleep,” Twilight said, walking back to the tree and tying me up again, a bit tighter this time. The vines were cutting into my wrists, but I didn’t care about it for the time being. To me, the pain meant it was that much harder for the Yeerk to escape again, and I was that much closer to getting my body back.



	
The Yeerk tried several times to escape over the next two days. His attempts became more and more desperate, once even making a run for it while Rarity, Pinkie, and the Andalite were all watching. As I was being carried back by Rarity, the Yeerk was fuming silently.

<I’m running out of time. Why won’t these blasted ponies let me go?!>

<Tick tock, Yeerk. Only a few hours to go.> There was a deafening silence before he spoke again.

<You’re enjoying my torment, aren’t you? Seeing me break and grow desperate as death looms closer.>

<I want you out of my head. I don’t care how it happens by this point.>

<So you hate me for doing what my species has evolved to do? You are no better than the Andalites>

I was silent for a long time. It hadn’t occurred to me that this was what all Yeerks did. I mulled it over for a while before forming my response.

<You enslave innocent ponies to do your bidding. You don’t want equals, you want empty bodies that you can use as you see fit. You’re no better than the Changelings.>

<So because a species does something that to you is morally unsound you see it as evil?> the Yeerk said. <What would life be like for me without a host? Nothing but swimming around in the Yeerk pool, unable to hear, taste, smell or feel. Unable to see! What life is that?>

<So your answer is to take over other creatures bodies because your own sucks so much? Forgive me if I’m not completely sympathetic.>

<We are parasites; it is our evolutionary role.> The Yeerk's voice was growing more distant. <Ah, why am I wasting my time with this? You are only a child.>

<Hey! No need to call me names.>

<Call it what you will, but it doesn’t matter.> He shifted my eyes towards the horizon, and I could just make out the outline of Celestia’s sun beginning to rise. It was a beautiful sight. Suddenly the peaceful moment was ruined by a painful and ear splitting shriek.

<AAAAhhh! Well, little dragon, it seems you’ve won. AAAAAhhhhh!>

The screams of the dying Yeerk echoed through my mind and stung deep into my brain like a needle. And yet I felt none of his pain. It was like I was watching a far off event, with only his screams to keep me company.

“Ax, what’s happening?” I could barely make out Twilight voice. “Spike, Ax says the experience won’t be pleasant, but it will be brief.”

I thanked her in my mind as I was flooded with images from the deteriorating mind of the Yeerk. I saw images of faraway places and alien beings. Bits and pieces of memories mixed with my own, and I experienced them like I was there.

I saw the Yeerk swimming blind and helpless in the Yeerk pool, soaking up the rays they used as sustenance. It was a bleak life, seeing nothing but shapes and echoes in the sluggy waters. For a moment I almost felt sympathy for the dying creature.

I then saw a distant land, much like Equestria, and yet different. It was populated by odd, bipedal beings which resembled monkeys. It was one of these that had been the Yeerks’ first host. I saw through his memory as he slid inside the creature’s ear and took control. I felt him flex its fingers as if I were doing it. And then I saw the world through the eyes of the creature.

It was an explosion of wondrous colors, shapes and patterns. Never in all my life had I experienced something so beautiful and breathtaking at once. I won’t say I agreed with the Yeerk's motives, but I began to see why they did them.

The memories were interrupted once again by the cries of pain from what felt like a deep chasm in my brain. It was like all this time the Yeerk had been digging its own grave as I saw its life unfold before me. It was a sickening thought.

By now it was no longer in pain, that didn’t even come close to describing it. Yet despite the feeling, it was able to give off one last thought.

<Visser Seven...I’ve failed.>

The Yeerk gave off a shudder. I could feel its body tensing up, and soon it was physically spasming inside of my mind. My vision changed, I felt as if l could see through things. No, into things. It was like I could see the front, back, top and bottom of everything at once.

And then I saw it.

It was huge, indescribably huge. Was it a creature, a machine or a mixture of both? It had no arms and sat on a throne miles high, almost like it couldn’t move. Instead of a head, it had a single huge, blood red eye. Slowly it shifted it left to right, as if observing a domain only it could see.

And then the eye fell onto me. Celestia, the eye fell on me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t scream.

The eye SAW me.

And then everything went dark.




I panted for breath, trying my best not to scream. It took me a few moments to realize that I was breathing. I was back in control of my body. I wiggled my fingers reflexively, and a small smile formed as they moved exactly as I wanted them to. A sudden pain in my ear made me gasp; I winced as it passed, then felt something hanging off my head. I shook my head slightly, and the Yeerk dropped onto the ground. I watched as it shriveled up, swaying from side to side, then it stopped moving entirely.

“Spike? Are you OK?” I looked up into Twilight’s concerned face. I slowly nodded, my breathing returning to normal. The Andalite came into view and I sniffled a bit.

<Your friend is back to normal,> he said matter-of-factly, and at that I felt my binds coming undone. I rubbed my sore wrists as soon as I could, though I noticed that my body was sluggish and slow to respond. <Depending on the length of your imprisonment, you may need some time to regain your physical abilities.> Again, as dully as if he were Twilight recording her homework notes. No, Twilight usually was a tad more emotional.

I plopped on the ground in front of Twilight, finding it very difficult to stand. I looked up at some rustling in the bushes and smiled as Rarity and Pinkie came into view.

“Oh, Twilight! Is my little Spikey-wikey all better?” Rarity said, running up beside us. 

“I think so, Rarity,” I said slowly; it was as if I was trying to speak through a mouthful of honey. Twilight nuzzled me, rubbing her nose against my cheek. An image of that terrifying eye flashed through my mind again, and I could hold back no longer.

“Twilight! I’m so sorry!” I yelled as I began to cry, buried my head into Twilight’s chest and sobbed loudly. I felt Pinkie and Rarity hug me tightly, but I didn’t move my head to look. I just sat there and cried, surrounded by my friends for some time. It was a while before I finally stopped crying and Twilight gently levitated me onto her back. She said her goodbyes to the Andalite, then took me back to Ponyville, with Rarity and Pinkie walking beside her the entire time. I just looked at Twilight’s mane, unable to look Rarity in the face.