It was an autumn afternoon. The weather was getting colder which had bothered several creatures, especially changelings like Ocellus. She had already put her winter wear on to help keep her warm whenever she went outside. When she got back to the school day, a red dragoness had to ask her something. “Is all of that really necessary?” she asked.
“I don’t like the cold,” the changeling stated. “Dragons like you don’t mind because you live so close to lava.”
“That’s true,” Emerald agreed. “I’ve haven’t gotten used to the cold yet either.
“We’ve got fires inside of us. I think I’ll be fine.” She walked away smugly as the green dragoness looked at the cold creature.
“Ignore Pyther. I’ve seen her act like that back home.”
“Some dragons are still acting like themselves.”
“It’s our nature. Even with fire breath, we can only stay warm for so long. I don’t know how you could last out there.”
“I couldn’t. I don’t even wanna practice in this weather, even if we’re doing it indoors.” The cold changeling walked down the hall until she came across Gallus and Smolder. They were both wearing jackets in the school’s colors, even having the emblem on their shoulders.
“Feeling cold?” the griffon asked.
“Freezing.”
“Professor Rarity made more of these jackets,” Smolder said. “I could go get you one.”
“I’d like that. Have you seen Yona? I wanted to try and experiment.”
“She’s with Sandbar,” Gallus explained, “In the library.” The changeling walked off to try and find some way to get warmer.
“And I think that we could visit each other much easier if we use the tunnels more often,” Sandbar said to his girlfriend. Just then, Ocellus walked in.
“Yona, do you have a minute?” the changeling asked.
“What Ocellus need?” the yak asked.
“I’m having trouble getting warm.”
“Yona know what to do.” The yak walked up to her friend to give her a hug.
“Hey, it’s working. I’m feeling warmer already. Anyways, what are you guys talking about?”
“Just about some of the school’s clubs. I’m joining the nature club. Professor Fluttershy’s helping to start that.”
“Yona part of farm pony’s building club,” Yona announced. “What friend going to do?”
“I’m not sure,” Ocellus answered. “Where did you sign up?”
“They’re on the bulletin board,” Sandbar replied.
The changeling was about to move but the warmth of the yak’s wool was too comfortable. “I think I’ll stay here for a bit. What other clubs are there?”
“There’s also chess clubs and the school newspaper. I heard Emerald’s in that one.”
“How is she doing?”
Emerald was putting on some winter clothes that Rarity had provided her. She picked up her camera just as her twin walked towards her. “What are you doing?” Peridot asked.
“I’ve joined the newspaper club,” Emma replied.
“What do you do in that?”
“We report anything that happens in Ponyville that should get attention. Like, say a manticore wanders into town.”
“I kind of feel like that’s hard to miss.”
“Still, those are the things we report. I’m going to head out and see if I can find anything.”
“I’ll go with you. I’ve got nothing better to do.”
“Okay. You’ll help me find something interesting.” Peridot put on a scarf and followed her sister outside. They looked around town, but everything just seemed to be normal. The twins seemed to be fairly disappointed.
“I mean... You couldn’t just find something interesting on your first day, right?”
“I guess not. Let’s just back to school, I can’t stand the cold.” The two flew away until the dragoness with fin ears saw something glowing in the Everfree Forest. Out of curiosity, they flew to see where it was coming from. Eventually, they found a glob of glowing red slime.
“What is this stuff?”
“I don’t know. What I do know is that we shouldn’t touch it.” Emma grabbed her camera and took a picture of what they found. After the flash, the slime suddenly shook.
“Eep! Let’s get out of here.” The two flew away hoping they didn’t do anything they’d regret.
“Hmm,” Ocellus thought. She was looking at the various clubs that she could sign up for. “I’ll already part of the cheer club.
Maybe I could join the student council.” Suddenly the twins flew past her, which was quite startling. “What’s their hurry.”
“Principal Starlight!” the twins cried.
“Slowly down,” the headmare cried. She used her magic to stop the two in their tracks and levitate them to the ground. “Now, what’s wrong?”
“We found some red slime in the Everfree forest,” Emerald explained. “I even took a photo of it.”
“Red slime?” Ocellus questioned.
“Oh, Ocellus,” Peridot gasped.
“What are you talking about?”
“Something that I’ll send to Princess Twilight,” Starlight answered. “Until then, stay out of the forest.” She walked away as the girls were a bit confused.
“You think we should warn the other students about this?” Peridot asked.
“Probably a good idea,” Emerald answered. “I’m going to show my club.” She flew away to get the photo developed.
Ocellus told her friend about what the dragons found. “That’s definitely an interesting first,” Gallus commented.
“Where did this stuff come from?” Sandbar questioned.
“I’m sure Princess Twilight is trying to figure that out right now,” Ocellus commented.
“I see what it looks like,” Silverstream said.
“You’ll have to wait for the school paper tomorrow.”
“Couldn’t we just go see what it is right now?” Smolder asked.
“Yeah,” Gallus agreed. “We’ve been through that forest a hundred times.”
“Not all flawlessly,” Sandbar mumbled.
“I’m going to take a peek,” Smolder announced.
“If we check it out we could get in trouble,” Ocellus stated.
“Gallus already left,” Yona informed. The group looked towards where Gallus was sitting but he was already gone. They looked back to Smolder, who had left the group too.
“Seriously?” Ocellus questioned angrily.
The friends raced towards the forest to see if they could catch their friends. “Gallus wouldn’t do anything dumb, would he?” Sandbar asked.
“Ignoring common sense seems dumb.”
“Where even is this slime?” Silverstream asked.
“I don’t know. Just split up.” The group did so, Ocellus went with Sandbar, and Yona went with Silverstream. After a little while of running, the changeling and colt found the dragoness and griffon. They were both looking at the slime which seemed to be stuck on the side of a hill.
“How could this just show up?” Gallus asked.
“Magic just does what it wants,” Smolder scoffed.
“There you are,” Ocellus cried. She and Sandbar stepped in front of their friends. “Stay away from that slime.”
“We weren’t going to touch it,” Gallus stated. “What did you think we were going to do? Drink it?”
Sandbar was about to add something but then was distracted by the slime glowing. “Um, is that suppose to happen?” he asked.
His friends now had their attention grabbed. “Yeah, that’s not normal,” the griffon commented.
“Let’s just get out of here,” the changeling suggested.
“Yona found friends,” Yona cried. She and Silverstream ran towards their friends but she suddenly tripped. This caused her to bump into Ocellus. The changeling’s hind legs slid into the slime. She shivered as she felt the coldness of its touch. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She tried to fly off, but the slime had her tight. “Uh oh.”
“Are you stuck?” Gallus questioned. Ocellus nodded as Sandbar walked over to help pull her free. He gave a tug but the changeling was still stuck.
“Gallus, girls,” he said, “A little help please.” The creatures helped to try and pull her friend loose.
“How can she be this stuck?” Smolder questioned. Yona was pulling on Silverstream’s tail, she started losing her grip which caused the hippogriff, colt, and changeling to launch forwards into the slime. The yak, griffon, and dragon gasped at what just happened.
“Where did they go?” Smolder asked.
“You think I know?” Gallus asked.
“Yona should’ve had better grip,” Yona sighed.
“Okay, let’s not panic. We’ll just...” Suddenly the three creatures that feel into the slime shot back out. “Or that.”
“You guys feel okay?” Smolder asked.
Sandbar groaned. He rubbed his head as he blinked a couple of times. “I think so. Silver, I knew we should’ve... Should’ve...” He paused when he looked at the one who asked the question. “GAH! A dragon!” He stumbled backward before he looked towards Gallus. “Is that... A griffon?”
“You feeling okay buddy?” the griffon asked.
“A talking griffon!?”
“I don’t think he is,” Smolder whispered.
“Where am I?” the colt asked. His eyes darted around, the forest looked unfamiliar to him. He looked over to Silverstream and Ocellus who still waking up.
“Friends feeling better?” Yona asked. She walked over to help up the changeling who promptly licked her nose.
“Meow,” she said.
“...What?” Gallus question dumfounded.
“What’s going on?” Silverstream asked. She looked around, scratching her head in confusion. “Weren’t we just at the park?”
“We were,” Sandbar confirmed. “Now we’re in a forest which talking animals. You’re a bird, I’m a horse, and the cat’s... Some sort of bug creature.”
“Changeling,” Yona informed. She was feeling a little confused and awkward as Ocellus nuzzled against her while purring.
“You know, you guys might not be who we’re looking for,” Gallus said. The colt and hippogriff had some things their friends weren’t wearing a minute ago. Sandbar had some saddlebags on while Silver didn’t have her pearl piece necklace but she did have pearl bracelets on each of her talons.
“This is weird,” Silverstream commented. Then she noticed her wings. “Oh my goodness, can I fly with these?” Before any creature could say anything, she tried taking off, though she only crashed into Gallus. “Oop, sorry.”
“It’s okay,” the griffon replied. “Please get off me.” The hippogriff did so and then started petting him. “Now what are you doing?”
“You look cute. It’s not every day you can see a mystical creature.” Gallus just grabbed her talon and pushed her away.
“Yeah, these are definitely not our friends,” Smolder commented.
“Then who are they?” Yona asked.
“There’s one thing I know,” Gallus said, “The friends we know are probably freaking out by now.”
Meanwhile
Sandbar and Silverstream were completely freaked about their new human bodies. Sandbar still had on his school jersey on over a green t-shirt that had three sea turtles on, tan shorts, and sea green flipflops. Silverstream had a pink sundress and hit pink high heels on. She also still had her pearl piece around her neck.
“What are we?” the former colt questioned.
“I don’t know,” answered the former hippogriff.
“Hold on, where’s Ocellus?”
“Down here,” their friend called. The two looked down to see a blue cat by their feet.
“Ocellus?”
“Yes.”
“Oh... My... Gosh,” Silverstream gasped. She almost immediately smiled as she picked up the former changeling. “You’re so cute!” She started scratching the cat’s ear. “Oh, why didn’t I have you turn into a kitten before.”
“Silver, please put me down.”
“I can’t help it. Don’t you like being petted?”
“Well... It actually feels nice.” She then found herself purring as she was petted.
“Silver, we have no idea where we are,” Sandbar said.
“He’s right.”
“How do we get back then?”
“You think we could just go through the slime again?” Silverstream questioned.
“Maybe. Let’s just...”
“Guys, where are you?” called a familiar voice.
“...Was that Gallus?” Sandbar asked.
“I don’t think he fell through the portal,” Silverstream said.
A boy around their age poked his head through some bushes. “There you are,” he said. He walked up to the former creatures. He wore a light yellow t-shirt under a blue hoodie that matched his jeans and also some yellow sneakers. His hair was blue light his hoodie with yellow highlights. “I’m telling you, that cat’s noth... What the heck is that?”
The boy and girl looked towards the slime. “We have no idea,” Sandbar admitted.
“Right. Anyway, AJ is waiting for us.”
“AJ?” Silverstream asked.
“Just follow me.” The boy walked off. Sandbar and Silverstream did the same, though they started walking on all fours.
“Guys, I think you should do what he’s doing,” Ocellus whispered.
“Walk on two legs?” Silverstream questioned. The cat nodded. The two did as she requested and got off to a wobbly start.
They walked towards a truck, though the three that came from the slime had never it before. “What’s that?”
“Not a clue,” Sandbar admitted.
“There you are,” a young woman said in a southern accent. “Let’s get that little lady to the shelter.”
“Shelter?” Ocellus questioned under her breath. Sandbar and Silverstream climbed into the back of the truck as Ocellus lied down in the girl’s lap. The woman sat into the driver’s seat while the blue boy sat in the passenger seat beside her. The truck started moving and the creatures from the slime couldn’t believe what was going on.
“It’s like a small train,” Silverstream whispered to Sandbar.
“Where are we going?” Sandbar asked.
“We’re dropping off the little lady,” the woman replied. “Hopefully Fluttershy can help find her a good home?”
“Fluttershy?” the three friends questioned under their breath. They were more confused than ever as they road with the woman and boy.