Hendricks remained quiet as his guard stared at him. He was down on both knees his arms and legs tied behind his back. He watched as the bug like pony paced back and forth in front of him. It would occasionally step outside the tent and look around then return. When it left Hendricks struggled with his bonds, stopping when it returned.
“Bring her in here” the guard called out. Two of his comrades entered dragging in an unconscious Lyra and dropping her next to Hendricks.
“You didn’t have to hurt her!” he snarled at them
“She shouldn’t have fought back” one of the two that dragged her in cackled. The other placed a green substance on Lyra’s horn.
“What are you doing to her now?” Hendricks asked
“Can’t have her using magic now can we.” The changeling touched his horn to the green goo it hardened instantly. The three changelings headed outside where Hendricks couldn’t see them anymore. He watched the entrance making sure they didn’t come back. He slowly made his way toward Lyra.
“Lyra!” he said. He looked back toward the entrance then back at her. “Lyra wake up. I need your help.”
Lyra groaned and tried to stand she was bound around the hooves. She looked down at the ropes then began to panic.
“Calm down Lyra” Hendricks said softly
“Bon-Bon I saw her...well it looked like her, turned out to be one of those changelings.” Lyra was still struggling to get free.
“What did you call those things?” Hendricks went back to watching the entrance
“Changelings, I’ve seen them before they can look and sound like anypony.”
“What do they want?”
“Last time they tried to take over Canterlot now I don’t know.”
“Do they have a weakness? What about magic they have wings so I assume they can fly.”
“Yes they can fly. They have a horn so I guess it works like mine if you touch their horn they shouldn’t be able cast a spell.”
“Alright Lyra I’m going to get us out of here”
“How you’re tied up too”
“Remember when I took my glove off?”
“Yeah so?”
Hendricks rotated himself so Lyra could see his ropes “If you can hit that latch on the side. I can slip my glove off and untie us.” Lyra positioned herself and struggled to hit the latch with her disabled horn. Hendricks was doing his best not to be thrown off-balance by the ponies’ attempts.“Hurry up I think they are coming back.”
“I’m trying I’m trying” Lyra said
A light blue unicorn entered the tent, flanked on each side by Cloak and Dagger. “My what a strange creature you are.” The unicorn looked at Hendricks
“Says the shape shifting horse fly.” Hendricks snapped back
“And quite the mouth too” he looked back at Cloak. Cloak stepped forward and kicked Hendricks in the chest. Hendricks slightly flinched, his armor absorbed the blow.
“That’s no way to treat guests” he said as he regained his balance.
“I’m sorry we don’t get many visitors. Now lets cut to chase. Wow do I control your machine? We already have your password. Tell us how it works and I’ll think about sparing you and your friends”
“Hmmm how about no?”
“Pity” The three changelings reverted to their originals forms. The former unicorn looked slightly different from the other two he was larger with a thin red band around his waist. He flashed his fangs to Hendricks and got as close as he could “I will give you one more chance tell me what I want to know.”
“I tell you what you untie me, the doctor, Lyra and any others you have." He looked at the other two changlings "Let us all go and I won’t destroy you.” He looked directly into the leader changeling’s compound eyes.
“I like this one” the leader said laughing as he headed toward the exit. Before he left he turned back toward Hendricks “I hope the smaller one is this much fun. Do what you want to them” he said to the former agents as they grinned.
“Gladly” Changeling Cloak looked down at the helpless Lyra “That really hurt back in Ponyville I’m going to enjoy returning the favor.”
Dagger was prodding at Hendricks’ armor with his horn “How do I...?” He kept poking his horn, it glanced off each time. Suddenly he felt something wrap around his horn he couldn’t move. With his hand around Daggers horn Hendricks had control of his head and forced him to look up. Hendricks struck him hard in the side of the head with his armored glove, the changeling crumpled to the ground.
Lyra braced herself as Cloak got on his hind legs ready to bring his front hooves down hard onto her. She closed her eyes waiting for the impact she heard a gasping noise instead. When she opened her eyes she saw Hendricks had the changeling in a choke hold. The changeling was kicking and flapping its wings; Hendricks kept its head still with his other arm and had a hand on its horn. Hendricks dropped him on the ground when he went limp.
“Are they?” Lyra looked at the two changelings as Hendricks untied her.
“No, I think it will take more than that to bring them down.” He scraped the green goo off of Lyra's horn “Are you alright?” Lyra stood and levitated Hendricks' glove to him “Alright let’s find your friend and Dr. Hood.”
"Let's check this one" a voice outside the prisoner's tent said.
“Did you hear that” one of the ponies around Bon-Bon whispered
“Yeah” another answered
Suddenly the flap flew open. In the moonlight they all could see the silhouette of a pony and a large two-legged creature.
“Lyra a little light please” the new voice said
“Lyra!?” Bon-Bon asked when saw her friends face under the light of her horn.
“Bon-Bon!” Lyra ran over and nuzzled her “I’m so sorry. I was worried when I saw them take you.” Lyra began to tear up.
“Are you really Lyra? Oh please don’t let this be a trick.” Bon-Bon asked
“It’s really me, remember when all those parasprites ate our dessert or the time you went crazy of a doll?”
“Lyra it really is you” Bon-Bon siad overjoyed
“This your friend?” Hendricks asked
“Lyra look out!” Bon-Bon yelled
“It’s okay he’s a friend” Lyra calmed Bon-Bon as Hendricks untied her.
Lyra and Hendricks freed all the changelings’ prisoners. The small group of ponies was gathered around Hendricks as he discussed his plan “Alright, we need to fight them off long enough for me to get to my ship.”
“It’s a ship?” a light blue unicorn asked
“You look very familiar” Hendricks told the unicorn
“Bah, one of those monsters copied my appearance. I’m Professor Star Watcher leader of this expedition.”
“Are you all in shape to fight them?” Hendricks asked
“They got us by surprise last time we're ready for them now” a white Pegasus boasted
“Like I said if we can get to my ship I’ve got a plan.”
“We are with you” the Professor said.
The group charged out of the tent toward where Hendricks' ship was held. Several changelings stood between them and the entrance. The Pegasus’ kept the changelings from taking flight while the unicorns zapped them from a distance. The earth ponies and Hendricks kept them from getting close to the unicorns. They slowly made their way to the entrance where Hendricks could see the leader changeling in his ship.
“Can you hold here?” Hendricks asked the professor
“No problem” he zapped another changeling
Hendricks ran inside Lyra was directly behind him. In the ship Hendricks could see Dr Hood being questioned by the changeling .
“I’m losing my patience” he kicked a panel near the doctors head that sent sparks flying.
“I told you I don’t how to control this only Hendricks does!” Dr. Hood explained
“LIAR! You knew the password what else do you know?” the changeling’s horn began to glow.
“Hey horse-fly!” Hendricks called from the entrance of the ship. The changeling turned toward him.
“So you escaped I under estimated you.”
“A little” Hendricks admitted
“Hendricks your alive!” Dr Hood said relived
“Hey doc you okay?”
“Shut up!” the changelings said as he morphed into a clone of Hendricks
“Fancy trick can you do birthday parties?” Hendricks smirked
“Tell me how to use this thing or I’ll fry your friend here” clone Hendricks grabbed an exposed cable and held it toward Dr. Hood. Lyra stepped forward her horn began to glow Hendricks held out his hand signaling her to stop.
“Why do you want my ship so bad? You have wings you can fly.”
“We are outcasts from the hive if we bring back your ship as a gift to the queen she will allow us back in.”
“I see.” Hendricks nodded as he eased his way toward the pilot's seat “Alright I’ll tell you how to use it if you let her go”
“Hendricks don’t” Dr. Hood begged “He won’t let us go you know that”
“Quiet!” clone Hendricks tightened his grip on her
Hendricks sat in his chair and pressed a few buttons. His clone watched closely over his shoulder.
“This starts the engines” he flipped more switches “shields…life support…”
“Hendricks no…”
Hendricks continued “…and this one” his hand hovered over a button “this one will wipe out the entire mountain.”
“What?” the clone said shocked
“It’s the self destruct. I press this…BOOM!” the changeling jumped at the emphasis
“You wouldn’t” the clone attempted to call his bluff.
“I’m stranded from my home, my ship is crashed, and you have my friend hostage so go ahead try me.” He eyed his clearly distressed clone. The clone threw Dr. Hood down and leapt at Hendricks. The real Hendricks hit the button as he was knocked to the ground.
“Warning radiation detected evacuate immediately” the computer said in a monotone voice as red lights began to flash.
“You fool!” the clone Hendricks said looking down at the real one.
“You might make it if you start now.Mabye” He mocked the clone
“Arggggh!” the clone ran our changing as he ran. Once outside he yelled to his comrades “Retreat!” he took off as fast as he could away from the mountain. The other changelings quickly took off to follow their leader leaving behind a bewildered group of ponies.
“Hendricks what have you done?” a terrified Dr. Hood ran to the pilot's seat trying to stop it “we have to get out of here.”
“There’s no point.” Hendricks said calmly
“What do you mean?” she looked at Hendricks
“Decontamination in three…two…one….” The computer said as a thick white smoke emitted from the ship. “Scanning no radiation detected shutting down.”
“What was that?” a confused Lyra asked
Hendricks grinned “That wasn’t a self-destruct. I merely hit the manual override that cleans the ship in case of a reactor leak. My ship doesn’t have a self destruct and if it did I wouldn’t make it as simple as the press of a button.”
“So…we’re safe?” Dr. Hood asked
“Yeah” Hendricks sat down in the co-pilot seat leaned back and stretched.
“Excuse me” the professor entered the ship “but all the changelings took off like they were on fire everything okay?”
“No” Hendricks got up and approached him “my ship is badly damaged so my friend and I are kind of stuck here.”
“Well I’m sure we can find you a place to stay until its fixed.” The professor thought for a moment
“Oh…oh…oh…they can stay with me” Lyra grinned
“I need a place where I can work away from those bug things”
“I believe we can make room” a kind voice said from outside the ship
“Who’s that?” Hendricks looked out to see a large pony flanked by two golden armored Pegasus.
They all exited the ship. “Princess” Lyra and the professor said as they bowed
“I came to check up on your progress professor I had strange feeling when I visited last.”
“Those were changeling’s your highness” the professor stood
“I see, please go tend to the others” she sent her guard away “You two are the owners of this” she asked the two humans.
“That’s correct” Hendricks answered
“Tell me what brings you to our land?”
“An accident we came through a portal.” Dr Hood added
“I don’t know anything about a portal, but you are more than welcome in my kingdom while you find a way home.”
“Thank you” Dr. Hood and Hendricks said.
“Now then professor what’s with all this changeling business?”