“What are you wearing?”
Scootaloo couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Sweetie Belle was wearing a hoofball helmet, knee pads, and she had two pillows strapped to her body for protection. After a few seconds, Scootaloo fell to the ground and burst out laughing. Apple Bloom joined in as well.
“Hey! I just want to be prepared in case something goes wrong!”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom got up and wiped away their tears.
“Whatever. Did you bring the journal and pencils?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yep” Sweetie Belle said as she pulled them out from her armor.
“Uh…Scootaloo?”
“Yeah Apple Bloom?”
“What’s in the box?”
Scootaloo had brought a pink box with her.
“Since you said changelings can feed off the love of things ponies love, I figured the top seller on Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s menu would convince him to work with us.”
“You mean the Double Rainbow Pastel?” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“Yeah!”
She opened the box, presenting the masterpiece that was the Double Rainbow Pastel, worth five whole bits per box!
“I even showed it to some ponies on the way over here. Let them stare at it. Smell it. Heck! I even made their mouths water. I bet this thing is overflowing with love!”
“Good idea Scoots!”
Apple Bloom was impressed with her friend’s initiative. Maybe they would get their cutie marks in zoology.
“Zoologist Cutie Marks, here we come!”
Scootaloo took out two paper clips from her mane and began to work on the lock. She was a little rusty, but luckily this wasn’t a tough lock to crack.
After a click and minute of removing the chains, they opened the doors and entered. 4-8-2 sat quietly, staring at them as they walked up to him. When he noticed Sweetie Belle’s getup, he burst into laughter.
“Ha! Ha! Ha! That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life! Ha! Ha!”
Sweetie Belle’s cheeks turned red as she frowned at the changeling. Fed up with being laughed at, she took off her body armor and tossed it aside.
If we don’t get our cutie marks in zoology, I vote we try getting our cutie marks in changeling knee kicking!
4-8-2 gave himself a minute to catch his breath.
“What do you fillies want?”
Scootaloo stepped forward to answer the question. She figured she was the best when it came to introductions. Go to one of her 'Rainbow Dash Club Meetings' and you’ll see.
“My name is Scootaloo. This is Sweetie Belle, and you already know Apple Bloom.”
How could I forget? It’s not every day that a pony rips off my ear.
“We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, wish to interview you, 4-8-2, to benefit the ponies of Equestria by helping them to understand the changelings and their culture!”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders? Are all fillies in Equestria obsessed with cutie marks?
“Sorry, but I don’t do interviews.”
4-8-2 might have hated his brothers, but he knew better than to give out all the information of the changelings to ponies.
“Gee, that’s too bad, because I came all this way with this delicious source of love to offer you as a reward.”
Scootaloo opened the box and waved it slowly in front of the changeling’s face. 4-8-2 raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“And you expect me to believe that this thing is a great source of love?”
Scootaloo was surprised to hear that.
“Can’t you smell the love on it?”
“No.”
This didn’t make any sense.
“But... the other day! Apple Bloom told us that you fed off the love from an apple!”
“Yeah, so?”
“Couldn’t you smell the love from that?”
“No, because apples don’t have feelings! And I doubt that your…whatever that is, has feelings either.”
This complicated things. How were they supposed to bribe him now?
“I’ve got an idea, Scoots.”
Apple Bloom stepped forward and scooped up a hoof-full of the Double Rainbow Pastel.
“We’ll let ya sample a bite. That will show ya it’s a great source of love.”
4-8-2 debated on whether he should or not. What if it was a trap?
Hmm... heh. What harm can come from trying one bite?
4-8-2 lit up his horn and enveloped the scoop in his magic. All Crusaders watched closely; smiling as the pasty treat changed from colorful to brown.
Once the magic disappeared, they looked up to see that 4-8-2 had the same look on his face that most ponies had after drinking a cup of the apple family cider.
Wow! That is some good love right there.
4-8-2’s expression quickly changed when he saw the grins on the fillies’ faces.
Oh no. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have done that!
“It can all be yours. All you’ve got to do is answer our questions.” said Scootaloo.
Come on 4-8-2. Don’t do it!
His mouth was beginning to water.
Don’t give in! Don’t give in!
“Well, if you don’t want it, I guess me and the girls can eat it. Right in front of you. Slooowly.”
4-8-2 narrowed his eyes at the young pegasus.
You wouldn’t dare.
Scootaloo’s grin widened in response.
“Guess the Double Rainbow Pastel is all ours!”
“NO!!!”
4-8-2’s cheeks turned bright red when he realized how loud he shouted.
(cough) “I mean…no you will not, because I accept your deal.”
“There’s a good changeling.”
This is humiliating.
“Ready to write down the answers Sweetie Belle?”
Sweetie Belle opened up her notebook and got her pencil ready to write.
“Mm-bf!”
“What?”
Sweetie Bell spat out her pencil.
“I mean, ready!”
“Excellent! Okay, first question: How long have changelings been around?”
“In Equestria?”
“No, this planet.”
4-8-2 gave Scootaloo a dead-pan look.
“We’re not from outer space if that’s what you’re thinking. We’ve been around as long as you ponies.”
“Okay. Next question: Are there other changelings besides the ones that invaded Canterlot?”
“There used to be, not anymore.”
“What happened to them?” Apple Bloom asked.
“For changelings it's survival of the fittest. We travel from land to land absorbing all the love that there is. Once it is gone, we move on to a new land. With limited love to feast on, no two swarms can live in the same land. Only the strongest swarm survives.”
And Apple Bloom thought that the fragile unity between ponies before Equestria was established was bad. But a whole species that was willing to wipe out others like them in order to survive, that was horrible.
“So there aren’t any other queens out there?”
“We haven’t seen another queen, or swarm, for over five thousand years. I believe we are the only survivors of our race.”
“Your over five thousand years old?!” Scootaloo asked.
“No.”
“But you just said that you haven’t seen another swarm in over five thousand years.”
“My swarm hasn’t seen other changelings in over five thousand years.”
4-8-2 could tell by the confusion on their faces that he needed to give them more details.
“Here’s how it works; every swarm has its own queen. She gives birth to all of the drones in that swarm. Drones can live for sixty to eighty years on average. A queen can live for hundreds of years.
The queen will give birth to many generations of drones. Before the queen is too old to produce eggs, she will give birth to a new queen. The new queen is taught everything the first queen knows. Close to the time that the new queen can give birth is when the old queen dies.”
“Did you get that Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked.
“Mhmm.”
Seeing that she did, Scootaloo continued.
“So then, how old are you?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Wow!” Apple Bloom said. “Yer about as old as my brother, Big Mac.”
“That huge stallion I saw this morning?”
“Yep.”
“So you can eat food, but it doesn’t satisfy your hunger?” said Scootaloo.
“Nope.”
“Then why even eat it if it does nothing for you?”
“I never said that. We can’t produce our slime without ingesting something first.”
“How does that work?” Sweetie Belle asked.
She wanted to make sure that they understood the changelings’ anatomy and how it works.
“Let’s see, you ponies eat food, it goes down into your stomach, and then your stomach breaks it down into energy for the body.
Changelings have a slime sack where your stomach would be. The food goes into the slime sack, it’s broken down, and then converted into the slime we use to ensnare and cocoon our prey.”
“Where is your stomach then?”
“Just above the slime sack, underneath the back shell.”
“How does love get to your stomach?”
“By absorption through our horns.”
“Wow.”
Sweetie Belle was starting to see why Twilight loves research.
“Are there some foods that changelings hate?” Scootaloo asked, wondering if changelings hated broccoli like she did.
“Crystals, frogs, and…ugh…CUPCAKES.”
“Seriously, you find cupcakes disgusting?” Apple Bloom said with disbelief.
“Yeah, they just have so much sugar.”
“But I thought bugs love sugar.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Do I look like a bug to you?!”
“…”
“Okay, we have a lot in common with bugs. But we have a lot of differences too! We don’t like sugar, we are not attracted to heat and light, we are not tiny, we don’t pollinate flowers, and we most certainly don’t eat poop.”
The CMC were both disgusted and relieved on hearing that last part.
4-8-2 found this whole questionnaire odd. These weren’t the type of questions that he expected from these fillies. Why weren’t they asking for changeling weaknesses? Or changeling battle strategies? That would have been the smart thing to do.
After a few more questions regarding changeling body parts, Apple Bloom remembered 4-8-2’s ear.
“How good are changeling healing abilities?”
“Knock out a fang, it’ll grow back in a few days. Crack our shells, they’ll amend in a few weeks. Rip off a leg, it’ll grow back in two-months-time.”
“Cool!” Scootaloo said, while Sweetie Belle did her best not to throw up.
“And what about ears?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Huh?”
“Will your ear tip grow back, just like your fangs and legs can?”
There was a moment of silence as the changeling stared at Apple Bloom with confusion.
“No, it will not.”
“Oh.”
4-8-2 was surprised by Apple Bloom's response. He should have been happy that this little filly felt awful for what she had done; but he wasn't. He knew that Apple Bloom didn't mean to rip his ear off. It really was just an accident.
“It’s... not that big of deal. Battle scars are a good thing amongst changelings. It makes us look tough.”
Apple Bloom looked back at 4-8-2, surprised by what he had just said. Did he actually try to make her feel better?
Paying no mind to it, Scootaloo said:
“Speaking of legs, why do changelings have holes in their legs?”
4-8-2 looked down at his hooves and shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you have holes in your legs?”
“We need to go now Scoots. My brother will be back any minute now.”
“But we haven’t finished all of our questions yet!”
“We can finish those tomorrow.”
(sigh) “Fine.”
Seeing that they were getting ready to leave, 4-8-2 said:
“Can I have my reward now?”
“Okay, you’ve earned it.”
Scootaloo slide the box over to 4-8-2, who immediately lit up his horn and enveloped the cream pie with his magic. As the changeling absorbed the love, Scootaloo watched in awe while Sweetie Belle cringed in disgust as the Double Rainbow Pastel shriveled into a moldy, brown blob.
Once his horn stopped glowing, the changeling let out a loud burp.
“Nice one!” Scootaloo said, offering her hoof for a hoof bump. But after remembering that he was tied up, she brought her hoof down and gave an embarrassed smile as she picked up what was left of the dessert she had bought and made her way to the door.
Sweetie Belle grabbed her makeshift armor and followed Scootaloo, leaving Apple Bloom to close the barn doors. But before she did, Apple Bloom gave 4-8-2 a warm smile, waved good-bye and said:
“Thanks for answering our questions, 4-8-2. We’ll see ya same time tomorrow.”
After the doors had closed, 4-8-2 was left alone, wondering why he tried to make Apple Bloom feel better when she was sad.
Big Mac was relieved to be back after a long day of work in town. Usually Applejack would take care of selling the apples in town; mostly because she was better at the whole talking thing. But since she was out on one of those ‘Save Equestria Missions’, he would just have to get out of his comfort zone for a little bit.
He pulled the wagon to the back and parked it next to the barn. Once he unstrapped himself, he saw Apple Bloom playing ball with her friends. This brought a smile to his face. He thought they were still scared of playing that game, after that whole ‘Twilight freaking out over a deadline’ incident.
He couldn’t blame them. Seeing her in a fritz like that was just scary. Not as scary as actually walking up to her and telling her that he thought she was pretty. How her mane in the wind gives him goosebumps. How he would be the luckiest stallion in Equestria if she would go out with him.
This crush was driving him crazy. He knew all of the right words he wanted to say to Twilight, but every time he tried, all that came out was ‘Eeyup’ or ‘Nope’.
I wonder if Fluttershy has any suggestions. She’s good at expressing her emotions. Right?
“Big Mac, Apple Bloom, dinner is ready!” Granny Smith yelled from the window.
Just in time. I’m starving.
Once Big Mac was out of ear shot, Scootaloo whispered:
“Good, he bought it.”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief.
"I guess I’ll see you girls tomorrow.”
“You bet!”
“See you then Apple Bloom!”
With that, both of Apple Bloom’s friends ran off back towards Ponyville.
“I’m telling ya Sweetie Belle, I’ve got a good feeling about this one!”