//------------------------------//
// CHAPTER 3 (AKA: Reality's demention) 
// Story: A thing or two about changelings and their habits saga 
// by Young discord 
//------------------------------//

It was already a hectic evening for Monty and Pacifica, they had some serious relationship issues that they needed to resolve right away and then this happens, a cottage just shows up uninvited and latches itself onto their house making some sort of siamese abomination of estate... truly, a realtor's ultimate horror.
As bizarre and out of place as this event seemed to be, it had one silver lining... Both, Pacifica and Monty were glad this event had transpired.
The whole thing was a saviour in the form of a last minute distraction that might just have saved their marriage.
Of course neither of them wanted the other to know this.
The two needed some time to cool off and gain distance to the problem and this was the perfect excuse
Monty knocked on the door but there was no response.
"Again" ordered Pacifica
Monty knocked again.
A muffled voice replied in a foreign accent
"Do not knock, so that I may unlock"
The changelings recognised that voice
A familiar zebra opened the door and the usual whiff of musky condensed stuffy smell of unknown potions spilled out onto the changeling's nostrills.
"Zecora?" blurted out Monty
"Yes, it is I, You came to greet me, may I ask why?"
"..."
Zecora's attention turned to Pacifica who was still holding her nose to stop the bleeding from smacking her face against the unexpected wall.
"I apologize for the scent's content, I imagine to you, its quite potent"
"What is it?" asked Monty in Pacifica's name
"A brewing healing potion, the soul's easing lotion, I have two who are badly pained you see, I could not simply let them be... they need help that a hospital can't offer so I stepped in with a generous offer"
Monty leaned to the side to see the patients but all he could make out is a familiar sleek outline of a changeling and a big ball of unidentified fur lying in two makeshift beds before Zecora parroted Monty and covered his line of vision
He could have sworn that he saw the changeling somewhere but he just couldn't remember where.
"It may seem somewhat rude, but I do not wish you to intrude, my guests do not seem to want to be bothered, I don't want them to be smothered, have you come with an issue, friend? or perhaps for some idle time to spend?"
"Well... your house... it just popped right next to our house"
"Of that I am aware, the house has always been there, that is why I do not understand what you are saying, surely you are playing"
"Zecora, you always lived in the forest" Explained Monty to a puzzled Zecora
"That is not true, why do you say this out of the blue? we have always been neighbourly yet, this you say to me?"
"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend it's just some weird things have been happening in Ponyville lately, stuff began disappearing and now it seems like your home has been moved right against ours, we're not blaming you, I'm sure you're just as clueless as we are"
"that is funny, I remember living here since times long past yet what you are telling me, seems to contrast"
Zecora gave Pacifica and inquisitive glance, Monty wasn't so well versed and wasn't exactly known for his good judgement, Pacifica however, was usually spot on so if she backs up her husband, something must be afoot
Pacifica nodded in agreement, it seemed that something was indeed afoot
"it seems like you aren't lying, your wife agrees and she is not known for falsifying"
"Do you have any idea what is going on?"
"Much would explain a spell of magic though the amount of energy needed is quite tragic"
Pacifica began to think
"Group spell" Pacifica nosed out
"Perhaps, but in that magic dominion, we shall need a second opinion"
"Twilight?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, but if what you said is true, we are short on time"





Caves of silence
A name given to the crystal caves deep down below Canterlot where nopony was allowed to enter anymore, a hallowed ground, taboo to all, housing the infernal machine locked away for good.
Every now and then the echoes of clopping could be heard traversing among the complex structure of the crystalline maze.
A changeling approached the machine and inspected it.
The machine was never this lively before, it was as if it were in pain or trying to say something...
Every now and then in the past, the changeling could hear an odd voice here and there coming from the machine in the form of a faintly whisper but if it were to try and speak again at this time, the whisper would drown in a sea of unhealthy clinks ticks and whirrs.
No good is going to come of this, the machine was trying to keep this reality together but something had fractured it and now, like a glass window it was beginning to crack, the machine was somehow holding it all together stopping it from falling apart but the machine itself wasn't designed to take such a monumental amount of stress, the changeling knew it wasn't going to hold out for long, after all... he designed machine himself.