The Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Change Brothers
Chapter 1:
Discovery:
"Do you have any idea how to get our cutie marks?"Asked a white unicorn filly with purplish pink mane called Sweetie Belle.
She looked at her two friend,who sat not far from her in their clubhouse,who were busily thinking.
„What did we not tried yet?”Asked a yellow-coated earth pony filly with a red mane whose name is Apple Bloom.
„I know! If we could get a little gunpowder, we could make a bomb and then we would be the Cutie Mark Crusader Bombers!What do you think? "This question came from a pegasus filly who had orange fur, with a purple mane, who was called Scootaloo.
The other two looked at each other anxiously, before Sweetie said:„I don’t know, Scootaloo, i think it's not a good idea."
"Sweetie's right," said Apple Bloom, "In addition, how we could get gunpowder?Moreover, I doubt that our sisters would help after our last "hoofcrafts" experiment ", at the last words, she visibly shuddered at the memory (we just say that in it took part some glue, three scissors and a lot of paper,the result is a very awkward situation and Apple Bloom's tail is still a little shorter than usual).
"Hmm, maybe climbing?" Asked Sweetie Belle. "We already tried, not too successfully." Said Scootaloo a dour expression on his face.
After few minutes intense thinking the earth pony filly with a big smile on her face spoke up: "I know! Why don’t we ask Zecora? Her hut is full of all kinds of strange stuff, she surely will have some idea!”
Scootaloo immediately became excited and started to agree, while the Sweetie Belle did not looked too confident:"This is certainly a good idea? I mean Zecora lives in the Everfree Forest and…” before she could continnue Apple Bloom put one of her hooves on Sweetie's shoulder reassuringly:"Do not worry, I know the way, as long as we stay on the path everything will be fine." This sightly helped."And if we run into a giant monster with sharp teeths and claws, maybe we get the monster beating cutie mark! That would be so awesome!"Said Scootaloo. From this the white filly began to worry again, while the Apple filly just stared resentfully Scootaloo,only receiving an embarrassed smile.
Not much later we could see as the three crusaders followed the path that lead from Ponyville through the woods to the zebra’s Hut. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked calm at first, but if you listen a little longer, you can see them tensed,watching for possible threats. In contrast, Sweetie Belle could not hide her fears as the others, she trembled from head to tail and looked if she would be rather in the school instead of the spooky forest.
They were already pretty deep in the woods, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle did not noticed that their friend suddenly stopped and they bumped into eachother.
"What is Apple Bloom, is something wrong?" Asked Sweetie."For a moment I thought I heard something, but maybe I just imagined it."Said the farm filly, but then they all heard it. It sounded like a scream, but they could not make out what he was saying, because of the distance.
"That don’t sound good," said Scootaloo silently. "I think we should go." Sweetie quickly nodded in agreement.
„We can’t walk away just like that!" Whispered Apple Bloom. "We have to see, maybe somepony needs help." With her speech finished, she cautiously started toward the way from where the sound came. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle soon followed their friend.
Following the sound, they went further into the depth of the Everfree Forest. As they approached, the voices became more understandable.
„Rrrraaaawwwwrrrr!!!”
The fillys froze for a moment by the terrifying roar, then suddenly a young voice shouted: ”Help!Somepony!”The Crusaders hesitated for a moment, then heraing another terrifyed scream they rushed forward from where the sounds came.
Soon the Crusaders were hiding behind a bush, looking through the mentioned bush they found the source of the sounds. On the clearing they saw three young colt.One of them was a young unicorn colt with black fur and long silvery mane,hisbright blue eyes widened from fear.The next one was a dark green furred pegasus colt, with cyan colored mane, his eyes were like emeralds. The third colt was a brown coated earth pony, with a blonde mane,his sparkling amber eyes showed both fear and anger at the moment.
The colts were probably at the same age as they were, observed silently the three filly, but it was right now not important.What concerned them was the condition of the colts, all of them were covered with scratches and bruises, their fur was dirty, stained in sweat and blood. They couldbarely stand on their hooves.The Crusaders soon found the causer of the colts injuries.
A Manticore.
The beast had sharp claws, it’s fangs were like daggers, a vicious grin appered on it’s face, as slowly approached the would-be victims.
The manticore sported a few scratches, on one of it’s front paw was a bite-mark what caused to the beast to limping slightly. This suggested that the colts don’t gave themselves easy.
Then suddenly the manticore launched itself toward the colts. The trio despite their injuries were able to (even just barely) dodge the claws, not to mention the sharp-pointed scorpion tail.But it was just a matter of time before they couldn’t keep it up anymore.
After a few seconds one of the manticore’s swings were successful, it’s paw managed to hit the unicorn colt, throwing him trough the clear, finally with a nasty thud sound he crashed into a tree, then fell to the ground unconsciously.
Then to the shock of the hiding fillys, the unconscious colt was engulfed by emerald flames. When they was able to see again, his appearance heavily changed.His body, instead of fur was covered in black chitinous "shell", his mane and tail sported a few holes, small pointed teeth stuck out from his mouth, on his back sat a pair of membranous wings, standing on his forehead a small pointy horn.The color of mane and tail was still silver.
„Huh!”The Cutie Mark Crusaders were shocked from this revelation, while the same thought flashed through their minds. „Changelins!”The same creatures, who not long ago on Princess Cadence’s wedding attacked Canterlot.
What they are looking for here? There are more of them? And if so why they don’t came already to rescue the three colt from the manticore.But they couldn’t ponder further, the beast’s roar brought their focus back to the current situation. The two, still conscious colt tried to distract the manticore from the unconscious colt, but it’s attention slowly came back to the unconscious changeling.
The other two colt, with two quick paw swipes were catapulted to the edges of the clearing, then the eyes of the hungry manticore began to focus on the helpless black colt.As the beast approached it’s prey a voice shouted, "Somepony help! Please! "The brown colt shouted with tears in his eyes, as he and the green coated changeling tried to get up so they could help to the unconscious changeling colt, but despite their efforts they knew that they will not reach the black colt in time.
As the manticore was ready to deliver the final strike, a stone slammed to the manticore’s head.The beast turned it’s head in the direction from where the stone came. The two still conscious colt followed the stone’s path, until their eyes rested on the three filly.
Sweetie Belle was visibly shaking, under the manticore’s angry gaze,while Apple Bloom was glaring at her reckless friend. Nonetheless,she firmly planted her little hooves on the ground, never taking her eyes off of the enemy.Finally, Scootaloo the one who threw the stone at the manticore. She don’t tought through what she do when she threw the gravel, nevertheless she too stand there, determined to not let to the manticore to hurt anymore the colts.
While the manticor scanned the area, if there were other ponys too, AppleBloom silently whispered to her friend:"I hope that you have some idea how to climb out of this mess Scoot."
Scootaloo’s face twitched, but she just replied that much: "What was I supposed to do? Changelings or not, i'm not going to just stand by and let that thing to eat them!" She then followed her declaration with a stomp.
Before they could continue, the manticore lunged at them, but they quickly separated, so the beast’s claws only hit the air.The trio swiftly teamed up again, while rapidly thinking how they could get out of this situation (possibly alive).
This was repeated a few more times, until one of the manticore’s paw successfully hit Scootaloo.
"Scootaloo!!" shouted her friends in unison. Scootaloo crashed to a three, but she was still conscious. The beast began to approach the stunned filly.
But before it could reach it’s prey an angry shout could’ve be heard: "I will not let you to hurt my friend, you vile, oversized fireplace rug!"Her shout was quickly followed by a double kick to the manticore’s paw. Despite her young age, seeing her friend in danger with the rush of adrenalin gave her kick some extra strenght.
The manticor roared from both the pain and the anger.With a quick back-pawed strike it swept away Apple Bloom.But before it could do anything else, it was struck with a stone, right in the middle of it’s forehead. On a other part of the clearing, Sweetie Belle stared at the manticore, she now seemingly to tremble with anger instead of fear.:"Leave them alone, you meanie!" Then she immediately with her magic threw another stone towards the beast. While her magic was not too strong, the concern for her friends strenghtened her throw.
But the manticore simply swatted away the stone with it’s tail, then it began to walk toward Sweetie.
But the diversion created by the Cutie Mark Crusaders gave the advantage what the two awake colt needed. The green coated colt began to run toward the brown colt, then he jumped into the air, right before the brown colt. During this the brown colt turned and with a strong kick to the hinder hooves of the green colt, who used the force behind the kick to launch himself toward the manticore with more strenght. He began to beat with his wings increasing his speed even more. Still in the air he began to transform
He mostly looked like the black colt, but instead of black, his body was covered with green chitin, just like his fur in his pegasus form.He sported a pair bug-like wings what even during his transformation not stopped to beat. He too has a horn, but it seemed a little smaller than the unconscious changeling’s horn. His green eyes began to light.
As he finished the transformation, he was enveloped by green flames.
"This for my brother!"Then he smashed to the manticore’s chest. The beast don’t had time to dodge the attack and it get the full force of the blow. As the force of the attack pushed it back, the manticore was still able to kicking it’s attacker. The green changeling crashed to the ground not far away from the black col, losing his consciousness.
The others watched cautiously the manticore who slowly, with trembling limbs stood up, however it barely could stay standing. While the CMC came out from the fight with just a few scratches, the ponys silently waited, knowing if the manticore would attack again, they would be helpless.
Then, with a grunt the manticore turned away and barely standing slowly began to walk away into the woods.After a few tense minutes they waited if the manticore would return, but at the end they slowly began to calm down and were relieved that they survived it.
In the meantime, the Crusaders gathered looking to their flanks and after don’t saw any change Sweetie groaned: "Oh, come on?!"Then the fillys looked to the rescued colts. They looked concerned toward the two unconscious Changeling. The brown colt who was still conscious despite his injuries staggered toward them.
"Thank you." He said wearily. "Thank you for saving my brothers." And then he too became unconscious.
The three filly looked at eachother and slowly Sweetie said out what they all tought:"Now what are we supposed to do?"