//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: My Little Pony: Morphing is Magic // by Tricondon //------------------------------// Author's Note: Written by Samaru163 and Tricondon. Chapter 16 Jake I woke up in a daze; my thoughts were swimming in my head and I couldn’t seem to focus my gaze on anything. I could hear the distant sounds of voices all around me, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I shook my head in an attempt to clear the fog from my mind and instantly regretted it as the action made the side of my head throb with pain. I brought a hand up to my head and nearly yelled when I saw a hoof instead. “Ah good, you’re awake,” said a voice to my left. I slowly shifted my head in its direction and was rewarded with more pain. “Try not to move too much, you’ve been through quite an ordeal.” I blinked rapidly and was rewarded with clearer vision, the haze lifting from my eyes. Slowly, an off-yellow horse came into view, a white lab coat strung around his front legs and back. He wore glasses, and I found myself wondering how they stayed on. My gaze fell on a strange growth from his forehead, and I realized he was a unicorn. “What happened?” I asked hazily. “I was hoping you could answer that,” he replied, calmly jotting down some notes on a clipboard. “The car you were in had been manually detached from the rest of the train.” I started to shake my head, then thought better of it. “I don’t know how that happened,” I lied. “I wouldn’t expect you to know much,” he chuckled. “Can you tell me anything else? Why didn’t you try to stop the train car? It couldn’t have been very difficult for a unicorn of your standing.” “I-I don’t know,” I said in my most innocent voice. The doctor frowned as he looked up from his clipboard. “Well I guess it doesn’t matter now. You’re alive and relatively unscathed, though that gash on your face will need attention.” He placed the clipboard on the bedside table and walked towards the door. “Just try and get some rest for now. I’ll have a nurse come in to check on you later.” He left and I took the time to look around the room, being sure not to move too quickly. It looked like your standard hospital room, though there wasn’t any window I could use. Even worse was the other occupied bed beside me; the pony in it was asleep, but I still couldn’t take the chance to demorph in front of her. I found a clock above the door which read noon. In my head I wished Ax was here to tell me how long I had left. I slumped against the pillow, wondering about what I should do. I had to get out of here, that much was obvious, but I couldn’t see how. The doctor wasn’t likely to let me leave, considering my injury, I couldn’t demorph with a witness, and there was no other way out besides the door. “Twilight? Is that you?” a voice piped up, breaking into my thoughts. I looked around, but of course the only other person, or rather pony, in there with me was my roommate. She’d shifted herself to face me, allowing me to get a better look at her. She was a violet mare with kind green eyes and a pink mane and tail. A long line of bright pink flowed down their centers. “Hello,” I said calmly to her. A small smile began to form across her face. “Twilight, it’s so good to see you,” she said happily. “Though I wish we had met under better circumstances.” I smiled back to the pony while I tossed around in my mind how Twilight would act in this situation. This was not made easier by the fact that I had no idea who this pony was. I frowned for a moment, reaching into my thoughts, or rather, Twilight’s thoughts. After a moments search, however, I let out a gasp of shock. I had none of Twilight’s memories. “What’s wrong Twilight?” the violet mare asked. I clamped my mouth shut, hoping my fear wasn’t showing. Morphing gives us everything about an individual: their instincts, their appearance, and in the case of sentient beings, their memories. But I didn’t have Twilight’s memories. Worse still, I was talking to someone who knew Twilight. If she was a Controller... “Nothing’s wrong,” I said after a moment. “I think my head injury is acting up.” “Yeah, it does look pretty bad from here,” she replied. That’s when I noticed the bandages around her midsection and back legs. There was also some minor stitching above her left ear. “What happened to you?” I asked. She let out a sour chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you Twilight.” “Try me. I’ve heard some strange stories before.” “This is nothing like anything you’ve heard, believe me.” She stared aimlessly at the wall. “I wish it was just a story.” “What’s the worst that could come from you telling me?” I said, hoping to steer the conversation away from myself; that is, away from Twilight. The pony let out a long sigh. “Alright, but I did warn you.” She cleared her throat and shifted herself into an almost sitting position. “It all started about two weeks ago. School had just finished and I was gathering my things to go home when Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo came up to me and asked if they could show me something. Naturally I agreed and we headed off into the Everfree Forest. “After about ten minutes of walking, however, I realized I was alone. Desperately I looked around for them, but it was like they’d vanished. Then I heard a sound, and a burning pain hit the back of my neck. I fell on the ground as these...things appeared from the trees and dragged me off.” I suddenly found myself much more invested in the story. “What did these things look like?” She closed her eyes for a second before responding. “I didn’t get a good look. All I know is that they were tall and moved on two leg. And blades, so many blades.” I sat up in my bed, the description of those creatures sending a chill down my spine. “After they had me I was brought to this huge place. I think we were underground, but I’m not sure. There was something huge built there, like a lake, but filled with a sludgy liquid. They forced me into it and I saw thousands of things swimming around.” She paused for a moment, visibly pained by the memory. “One of them came to me and slithered inside my ear. And that’s when I found that I couldn’t control myself anymore. “The thing called itself a Yeerk and said that I belonged to them now. I couldn’t do anything as it flipped through my memories at its leisure and began posing as me in front of everypony. Then it began going to those I knew closest, my family members first.” I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. “Then it started going after my s-students.” I felt a small lump grow in my throat. “How’d you get away?” “It seemed that every th-three days the Yeerk had to leave me and go back into the lake. As it was making the trip yesterday, s-something happened. We went into Everfree and were attacked by a Cockatrice. It partially petrified me before the Yeerk used some sort of weapon it carried to frighten it away. But now we couldn’t make it to the lake.” Her eyes were almost to the brim with tears. “I watched in my mind as it s-slowly began to wither, until f-finally...it died.” “So how’d you get back?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light. “I mean, you were in the forest, weren’t you?” Something she’d said bothered me, but I couldn’t quite place what it was. “Well I waited for several hours, just basking in my freedom, when two ponies came by on their way into town. They helped me to the hospital and I’ve been here since. The doctors gave me something for my petrified legs, and while I can move them they are still rather stonish.” She motioned to her legs, wrapped up in bandages. I was about to question further when the door swung open and the doctor returned. He shut the door behind him and walked up to us. “Ah, you’re both awake. Pity. This would work better if you were both asleep. Less struggling that way.” At first I was confused by what he meant, until I noticed the two silver cylinders he was levitating over his head. “What’s that?” the other pony asked, a hint of fear in her voice. “We’ve missed you, Cheerilee. So much so that we’re willing to have you rejoin us.” He sneered, turning towards me. “And Twilight Sparkle, you’ll make a fine host. Pity Spike was unable to coax you out of the library before now, but Visser Seven should be very pleased we’ve finally obtained you.” My blood ran cold. “No, not again!” Cheerilee shouted, trying to leap from her bed. Unfortunately, her legs didn’t move as quickly as the rest of her and she sprawled out on the floor. The doctor looked at her and flashed a triumphant sneer before walking over to me. “This won’t take long Miss Sparkle,” he said as he held me down with one of his hooves and brought one of the cylinders to my head. It opened and I could see the Yeerk writhing around. “You let her go!” a familiar voice shouted as the door was smashed open. The doctor whirled around just in time for two bright blue hooves to connect with his face. He fell back cursing as both cylinders fell from his telekinetic grip and landed on the floor. “Alright, Rainbow!” another familiar voice shouted. I looked up to see Applejack rush in. “Quick, grab Ja-er, Twilight and let’s get out of here!” “Wait! Rainbow, Applejack! Don’t leave me!” Cheerilee cried. “Cheerilee? What are you doing here?” a surprised Rainbow asked. I heard the doctor give a low moan, which was silenced by a quick kick from the pegasus. “Never mind that, just take her too!” I ordered. Rainbow flew over to Cheerilee and picked her up while Applejack ran over to me and I awkwardly climbed onto her back. “Alright, let’s go!” Rainbow shouted, flying ahead of us. Applejack took off, though a bit slower since I had to keep steadying myself so I wouldn’t slide off. We ran through the halls of the hospital, and I noted a few other unconscious ponies along the way. Evidently Rainbow and Applejack met some resistance trying to save me. Fairly quickly we were outside, the stinging rays of the sun blinding me for a moment. Rainbow and Applejack continued their escape, running off the path and beyond a grove of trees. Once we were a fair distance away Applejack slowed down, with Rainbow flying above us still carrying Cheerilee - necessary, since her legs didn’t work. “You alright, Jake?” Rainbow asked. “That’s a pretty nasty cut you got.” I nodded, wincing slightly. “I’ll be fine once I change back.” “Change back? Twilight, what are you talking about?” I groaned; I’d forgotten about Cheerilee entirely. I was considering how to deal with the situation when the real Twilight came running up. “Oh good, you found him! I was worried for a bit.” As I was about to respond Cheerilee gave out a panicked shriek. “T-two Twilights? But that’s not possible!” she stammered. “No! Leave me alone! I won’t tell anypony, just please let me go!” “Cheerilee, please calm down!” Twilight said desperately. “I can explain everything.” “You can’t fool me! You’re a Changeling! Both of you are!” she cried. “You want to use me, just like they did!” “‘They’? Who are they?” Applejack asked. “She’s a freed controller,” I whispered into her ear. I heard Applejack suppress a gasp. “Cheerilee, none of us are going to hurt you,” she said softly to the frightened mare. “Sure you aren’t,” Cheerilee responded. “That’s just what you want me to suspect, to lower my defences.” At this, another Applejack came running up, along with Rarity and the others. I heard Cheerilee yell out to them. “Rarity, Applejack, help!” she froze as she looked from one Applejack to the other and I could see her start to sweat even more. “What’s Cheerilee doin’ here?” the second Applejack said. “Oh darling, what ever happened to your poor legs?” Rarity asked, running up to Cheerilee’s side and using her magic to assist Rainbow. Cheerilee began struggling. “No no no! I won’t go back! You can’t take me back!” “Simmer down girl, none of us ‘r takin’ ya anywhere.” “Please do, unless you want me to drop you!” Rainbow said, a hint of strain in her voice. I climbed down off of Applejack and only now realized she lacked the brown hat I had always seen her wearing. “Cassie?” I whispered to her, and she gave a slight nod. “By the way, you might want to think of demorphing soon. I think you’ve only got about twenty minutes left.” I nodded and headed beyond the trees where I was sure Cheerilee wouldn’t be able to see. I nearly fell over due to my injured head, so Cassie helped me along. Once we were beyond the trees she wrapped her forelegs around me. “Uh, Cassie? You alright?” “I thought we weren’t going to be able to find you in time. I thought when we all jumped from the train that you got out too,” she said quietly. “And then when you were taken away, it was like the situation with David all over again. Except I couldn’t help this time.” We stood there for a time, just holding each other as best as two horses can. We walked back to the others not long after that, once I’d gotten a chance to renew my morph. Cheerilee seemed to be calmer now, though she was still darting her eyes between us fearfully. “Well, now what?” Marco asked. “We can’t very well let her go after she’s seen us.” “Bad choice of words, Marco,” I muttered as Cheerilee began panicking again. “Cheerilee! Relax, sugarcube. Ain’t nopony gonna hurt you here,” Applejack said, resting a hoof on Cheerilee’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for the scare earlier,” I said. “You probably have lots of questions right now.” Cheerilee nodded, looking between me and Twilight. I sighed; this was going to be a long day. Twilight walked up, standing beside me. “Perhaps it’s best if we explain what we know so far, Cheerilee.”