//------------------------------// // In Which There Has To Be A Better Way In // Story: Filly Fantasy VI - The Return of Magic // by The Wyld Stallynz //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash trotted out of Greenhooves’ shack, coming up to an awaiting Trixie and Twilight. Twilight made to speak but the emotionless look Rainbow Dash gave halted her voice. Even Trixie held back saying anything, watching the pegasus intently. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash then slowly let the air out of her body. “I… I think I’m going to be okay.” She craned her neck, glancing at her new cutie mark. A smirk tickled at her lips. “I never thought things would end up this way. Crazy, right?” Rainbow Dash looked back at the pair, a smile forming. “I should be bawling my eyes out, but… I don’t know… I just feel… free.” Rainbow Dash's smile grew as she stood a little taller. “Thanks for coming out to get me, even if I didn’t need it. It… it means a lot.” Twilight smiled back and nodded. “Of course. If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know.” “Well, I know where you can start. Care to fill me in on how Pinkie got a rad new airship?” .o.O.o. The moment Rainbow Dash boarded the Paradise for the first time, she was beset with a round of warm greetings and hoofbumps. She rounded on Applejack, giving the farmer a much firmer high hoof. “AJ, we’re part of the butt mark group!” “Cutie mark…” Twilight grumbled. Applejack grinned, lifting up her genji armor and showing off her trio of white apples. “Darn tootin’! Coulda done with more warning, but it’s been helping a lot.” “Yeah, can’t wait to see what kind of magic I can pull off.” Rainbow Dash swept her eyes over the deck, a content smile on her muzzle. “So, what’s the plan to deal with Discord?” Trixie raised an eyebrow. “You know that’s why we’re here?” “C’mon, I’m not that dumb. You guys haven’t exactly been a low profile, lately. Or are there more airships flying around?” “Nope!” Pinkie Pie chirped. “One of a kind!” “That’s what I thought.” Rainbow Dash gave a self-satisfied nod. She cocked her head when a pony she didn’t recognize walked up to her, looking resigned. Rainbow Dash blinked when the pony unsheathed a glowing blue sword and put it down in front of her. “I guess I need to return this to you now,” Sunset Shimmer said. She sighed, looking down at the Ultima Weapon. “Use it well. It’s a heck of a sword.” Rainbow Dash looked between the weapon, to Sunset, then at Trixie. “Am I missing something?” Smirking, Trixie said, “Don’t you recognize your prize? It’s what that big beastie on the Floating Island left when we killed it.” Dawning slowly grew over Rainbow Dash’s features. “Whoa, seriously?! It can grow bigger?” Sunset nodded. “Yeah, it draws on the life energy of the one who uses it.” Rainbow Dash squealed and picked it up, grabbing it by the teeth. Her gleeful expression fell as the energy blade shrunk down to half its current length. “Uh…” Frowning, she put it back down and motioned to Sunset. “Could you pick it up again?” Complying, Sunset levitated the Ultima Weapon before her. The moment her magic touched it, the blade extended. “Huh. Well crap, doesn’t look like it’ll be much use to me.” Rainbow Dash shrugged and gestured at Sunset. “Keep it, for now.” A look of relief passed over Sunset. “Really?” she said, even as she sheathed the sword. “Yeah, I’ll sell it later. Besides, I found this!” With a flick of her wing, Rainbow Dash produced a knife with a blood red blade. “Got it in the Phoenix Cave, along with a few other goodies!” Derpy gasped. “So you were the one that took those treasures!” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Hey, first come, first served. Anyway, what’s next?” Trixie cleared her throat. “Trixie feels we are getting close. Is there anypony else that we’re missing that would agree to help us?” A few moments passed as the Returners talked amongst themselves. While speaking with Shining Armor, Rarity’s eyes widened and her gaze swiveled towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She rushed over to where they were trying to bargain with Rainbow Dash to give up some of the treasure she had found. “Girls! Whatever happened to Fluttershy?” A look passed between the trio of mounting realization topped with dread. Apple Bloom found the courage to speak. “We, um… don’t really know.” “She wasn’t with us when the island crashed and we haven’t seen her since,” Scootaloo continued. Sweetie Belle shuffled her hooves. “Sorry. We thought she would be with you.” Rarity closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. “Great. You all make a big speech on how you’re all grown up and then you can’t even take care of your own caretaker.” She leveled a disapproving glare at the fillies before marching off to find Trixie. She didn’t have to look far as Trixie was nearby speaking with Moonlight and Stardust. “You’re really serious,” Trixie deadpanned, giving a half lidded stare up at Moonlight. “How could I ever make such a thing up?” Moonlight replied, unfazed by Trixie’s skepticism. “Let’s go there and I’ll show you.” “Go where?” Rarity asked as she trotted up. Trixie heaved a sigh. “He says there’s an island where he was imprisoned. There’s some worms of some kind that can lead us to a cave where we can find help.” “Hard pass,” Rarity said. Stardust threw up his wings. “Oh, come on! Let’s at least check it out.” Trixie cocked her head and furrowed her brow. “Why so gung-ho all of a sudden? Usually you chicken out on adventure.” “That’s before I got magic. And I’ve gotten pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.” Declining to comment, Trixie turned to Rarity. “Yes?” “We’re missing Fluttershy,” Rarity began. “I haven’t heard anything on her whereabouts and I’m worried about the poor dear.” “And Fluttershy is…?” Rarity let out an exasperated breath. “Don’t you remember? She’s the yellow pegasus.” Trixie paused to think it over. “Nope. No clue who that is.” “Oh, for the love of… Let’s just head to Thamaresa. Maybe she’s gone back there.” “What about the island?” Moonlight interjected. “Great, from no ideas to too many ideas,” Trixie groused. Grumbling, she pulled out her map and spread it out on the deck. The appearance of a map triggered Rainbow Dash’s interest and she broke away from the disappointed fillies. She stood over Trixie, her eyes shining with possibilities. “Where’d you get this?” “One of the gifts Discord gave Trixie,” Trixie replied absentmindedly. She yelped when Rainbow Dash’s hoof came down hard on the middle of the map. “Whoa, what is that?!” Trixie batted Rainbow Dash’s hoof away. “Careful or you’ll rip it!” She looked to where the pegasus’ hoof had touched and frowned. “Just a stupid tower. Forget about it.” “Are you serious? With a name like Fanatics Tower, it's gotta be worth checking out.” “Or it could be a complete waste of time. Discord nearly killed Sunset and I just so he could show it off.” “All the more reason to go!” Trixie felt a headache coming on and rubbed her forehead. “Dash, don’t make me regret coming to find you.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “Really, you thought you found me? More like catching up.” “If we could get back on track,” Moonlight interjected, holding up a wing. He brought the wing down on the map and traced a path from their current position to the tower, the triangular island, then to Themaresa. “These three places are all fairly close to each other. If we follow the path I just pointed out we’ll be able to visit each of them in the least amount of time. We can even split up again to speed things up. With how many companions we’ve found, that shouldn’t be an issue.” Trixie sat and stared at the path Moonlight had suggested. Letting out a huff, she said, “Fine. That should make everypony happy. We’ll need more of your communication needles Rarity, and figure out who’s going where.” “It shall be done,” Rarity said, heading off to get to work. “Dibs on the tower!” Rainbow Dash announced. Trixie shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “Not surprised. We also still need to keep an eye on our prisoner. Trixie suspects she’ll wake up at any time.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Who’s that?” “That crazy black mare that called herself Nightmare Moon.” “Seriously?! You guys beat her? Wow, I always had to duck and hide behind a cloud whenever she passed me. I might be awesome but even I knew she was bad news.” Heading for the cabin door, Rainbow Dash said over her back, “I gotta go see!” “Don’t wake her up!” Trixie yelled back. “I want the peace and quiet to last!” .o.O.o. Pinkie Pie twisted the wheel, swerving the Paradise away from a pink cloud. Navigating the skies was now easier without Nightmare Moon to watch out for but she and her sisters still had to be on the lookout. Discord’s little surprises popped up without warning, forcing the Pies to be mindful of their surroundings. Even with that, the airship made good time, arriving at the tower on Trixie’s map a day and a half later. Clearing the ring of mountains surrounding the structure wasn’t difficult. Finding a suitable place to land more so. “I think I found a spot,” Limestone called out. She half hung over the railing, making ponies nervous that she’d fall over at any time. “It’s going to be tight, though.” Nodding, Pinkie Pie began her decent. “Cutie Mark, don’t fail me now.” The tower was not only very tall, but wide, taking up the majority of the valley it sat within. The dark clouds and harsh winds swirling around it didn’t help with maneuvering the Paradise to a safe landing. One errant gust would be enough for the airship to spin out of control and crash into the tower. Judging by how thick the black stonework appeared on the building, Pinkie was certain she would lose out on the collision. She let out a small sigh when she heard Limestone call out to stop and begin anchoring the Paradise to the ground. They were so close to the tower that the airship was practically rubbing up against it. “All right, tower team, you’re up!” Pinkie Pie announced through the speakers. The cabin door opened moments later, disgorging the assigned Returners. Trixie, Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash quickly headed for the gangplank. The moment they disembarked and Marble gave the sign, Pinkie Pie revved the engines and pulled up. Leaving the tower proved much easier, allowing the remaining crew to fly away without ramming into anything. Pinkie Pie wiped her brow. “Phew. Hope they get comfy because I do not want to do that again, anytime soon.” “It’ll take a day to get to the island and a day to get back, so they’ll be on their own until then,” Maud said. “Right, so let’s get going.” Pinkie Pie adjusted her course, heading northwest. The dark clouds and even darker tower were soon out of sight. With the hard part out of the way, Pinkie Pie switched the speakers back on. “How’s Black Snooty doing?” “Still asleep,” came Sunset’s distorted answer. “Did the others get off okay?” “Yep! They’ll be fine.” A grunt for a reply came back, with nothing but silence afterwards. Pinkie shrugged, turned off the speakers, and settled in for a cruise. .o.O.o. The day and night passed without incident, allowing the Returners to practice their magic in relative peace. They unanimously agreed it was better to train in controlled conditions rather than at a critical point in a pitched battle. An occurrence that had been happening too often as of late to their general agreement as well. Mid afternoon, Moonlight emerged from below deck and headed for Pinkie Pie. “We should be nearing the island soon. Be on the lookout.” “Roger!” Pinkie Pie began her decent, passing through a clump of clouds. Once she reached the other side, the wide open ocean lay sprawled below the airship. Only, instead of crystal clear blue waters, an expanse of green soup roiled beneath them. “Looks like Discord’s been here.” “Actually, this is how it normally looks.” Moonlight ran over to the rail, his eyes scanning across the unnatural phenomenon. After a few minutes, he pointed his wing downward. “There. You should have enough room to land on the east side. I’ll get the others while you land.” Pinkie Pie watched him go with a quirked eyebrow but shrugged and motioned for her sisters to begin landing procedures. Once the Paradise was secured, the island team emerged from below. Moonlight and Stardust took the lead, followed by Applejack, Shining Armor, Spotter, and Big Macintosh. They disembarked, stepping off the gangplank and onto land. Moonlight ran out a few paces, his head darting from side to side. He stomped a talon then ran back, his brow furrowed. “We need to get below the ground but the entrance isn’t here. We’ll need to go out a few miles to find it.” “What should we be looking for?” Shining Armor asked. “I’ll explain on the way. Let’s go.” Without waiting for the others to reply, he turned and took off at chocobo speed. “Hey, wait up!” Applejack called after him. She readied herself to chase after him but an outstretched silver wing stopped her. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered,” Stardust said. He spread his wings wide, the flare of magic surrounding them. The sound of clocks ticking faster and faster filled their ears seconds before a tingle spread through their bodies. Stardust lowered his wings, a light sheen of sweat coating his feathers. “There… C’mon.” He turned and ran after Moonlight, his movements more sluggish than before. “Whatwasthat?” Spotter blurted out in a rush. He gasped and clamped a hoof over his mouth. Applejack shook her head in a blur. “Morefreakymagic. Move!” She took off, sprinting at a pace that would make even a chocobo envious. Taking the hint, Shining Armor draped his son over his back and followed, moving at speeds his body couldn’t reach on his best day. Big Macintosh followed, keeping up as well. The ponies soon caught up with the chocobos, nearly ramming into them. They compensated for lengthening their strides, keeping pace without tripping over their own hooves. The group managed to cover ground at a much faster rate, only stopping when Moonlight raised a wing. “This should be it,” he said, his breathing controlled and even, as he began scanning the horizon. Next to him, Stardust stumbled to a stop, his breathing labored and heavy. Applejack, feeling the effects of Stardust’s spell fade, walked up to him. “You okay, pard?” “Yeah… Just… too much magic training.” He sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “I’ll be fine. Just need to rest… for a bit.” “Don’t be overdoing it now, ya hear? Maybe you should take one of your magic potions.” “Yeah… That’s a good idea.” Setting down his pack, Stardust rummaged around until he pulled out a small red vial. He uncorked it and downed the liquid inside in one gulp. One small burp later and Stardust stood up a little straighter. “Hope that did the trick. It’s hard to make these, even with Apple Bloom’s help.” “Quiet!” Moonlight snapped. “It’s coming.” Applejack, Shining Armor, and Big Macintosh immediately readied themselves for battle. Shining swept his gaze over the landscape but didn’t see anything but dried grass. “What’s coming?” “Our way in.” No sooner had Moonlight spoken than the ground in front of them crumbled away, leaving a deep impression. A low moan came from the wide hole, followed by a tremor. Before the Returners' wide eyes, a fleshy dark blue worm as large as a house rose up and towered over them. It swiveled its head down and opened its oval mouth, revealing hundreds of tiny sharp teeth. The back of its throat glowed an eerie cyan. The ponies and Stardust stepped back, but Moonlight didn’t flinch. “Don’t fight it. Just let it take you in.” “Take us in?!” Stardust cried, his legs stepping in place in preparation to flee. “What do you mean by that?” “Watch.” Moonlight stepped closer to the worm. He waved his wings high. “Zone eater, let me in!” The zone eater bent down over Moonlight, letting out a hiss. It opened its mouth wider, the glow from deep in its throat pulsing. A rush of air flowed into the zone eater’s mouth, the suction growing exponentially stronger every second. Scattered leaves and rocks flowed into it and soon the force of the zone eater’s inhalation was strong enough to pull in even a chocobo. Moonlight was picked up and drawn into the worm's eager mouth, vanishing from sight down the zone eater’s gullet. “Moonlight!” Stardust raised his wings, the beginnings of a spell taking form. However, this only gained the zone eater’s attention. The blue beast turned on the remaining chocobo and once again began pulling in air. Stardust struggled against the suction, but the sheer might of it couldn’t be denied. “Help!” Applejack and Big Macintosh ran forward, claws and tools ready. “Wait!” Spotter yelled at the top of his lungs. “I can see it! There’s a door in its mouth.” “What?” Shining Armor said but didn’t wait for an answer. Stardust was already being lifted towards the worm’s mouth. He rushed forward, his magic yanking on Stardust’s tail while Big Macintosh and Applejack reached up to each grab a leg. “We gotcha!” The added weight slowed down the pull. The zone eater grunted, its mouth opening wider. The suction increased, gradually inching the group closer. Stardust screamed, both at the jaws about to snap him up and the pain from his legs being pulled on. Just as he was certain his body would be torn in two, a yelp from behind ended the drawn out battle. Shining Armor lurched forward, crashing into the Apples and sending the Returners tumbling helplessly into the zone eater’s awaiting maw. .o.O.o. “I told you not to fight it.” For Stardust, the words came from a familiar voice. A voice he respected, but it sounded muffled, as though coming from the other side of a wall. Stardust lay still, allowing the fog covering his senses to slowly fade. Something forced its way past his beak, followed by a soothing liquid that traveled pleasantly down his throat. A sudden surge of energy coursed through him moments later and he snapped open his eyes. “Moonlight…” he croaked out. Moonlight stood over him, placing away a potion bottle. He sighed and shook his head, stepping away and out of sight. Bracing himself against the floor, Stardust struggled to his legs. He winced as he put weight on them, taking a few seconds to walk through the stiffness. Once he felt sure he wouldn’t fall over, Stardust took in his surroundings. Instead of the pulsing, grotesque insides of a worm that Stardust feared to see, he instead stood in a rocky cave. Vines grew out of the walls and ceilings, creating a curtain of greenery all around. Colorful flowers and mold covered the floors, and the sound of water trickled in the distance. For being sucked into a vile monster, its guts were quite nice. Moonlight hadn’t gone far. He attended the others that had been dragged in, offering potions to anypony that needed them. Stardust headed over, his legs no longer too sore to move on. “What happened? Where are we?” “Underground,” Moonlight simply said. “We can’t stay here too long. We need to get moving.” “Give us another minute,” Shining Armor said. He glared down at Spotter. “I have half a mind to bend you over my knee for that.” Spotter gulped. “I was helping!” he blurted out. “I knew we’d be all right. I promise!” Shining Armor stood up, rubbing his posterior with a hoof. “And does stabbing me in the rump with your horn count as ‘all right’?” “Well—” “The boy got you in,” Moonlight interrupted. “That’s all that matters. Now, we need to get going.” He turned to head down a tunnel, but Applejack barred his path. “Now hold up, just what exactly are we going to be facing down here?” “I told you, my captors. If we want to take them by surprise, we can’t dawdle.” Applejack huffed and looked away. “I just had to draw the short straw, didn’t I?” “It’ll be worth it, I swear.” Walking past Applejack, Moonlight took the lead down the tunnel. The vegetation grew thicker as they continued, culminating when the Returners entered a large cavern. Every inch of the cave was covered in some form of plant matter, ranging from grass, moss, vines, mushrooms, and wildflowers. Insects buzzed throughout, landing on one flower and then taking off to pollinate another. Streams of water flowed through the cavern, originating from cracks high up and creating cascading waterfalls. It was the most lush space any of them had ever seen. “Wow,” Spotter breathed once he entered the cavern. He looked up at Moonlight who stared at the scene impassively. “It’s beautiful.” “It’s gaudy.” With a sniff, Moonlight followed a path worn through the foliage. Spotter blinked and cocked his head. “What’s up with him?” “Well, he was kept prisoner here,” Stardust said as he headed after Moonlight. “He’s probably still sore about it.” The Returners traveled through the underground paradise for several minutes. Nothing but bugs pestered them, though even they were dealt with when Shining Armor threw up a shield around the group. They had almost reached the other side of the cavern when Moonlight stopped and raised a wing to his beak. “I hear them coming. Quick, hide!” Moonlight abandoned and dove into the brush. The ponies hesitated until the sound of buzzing, much louder than the insects around them, could be heard in the distance. They rushed to find a place to conceal themselves but the flora, as much as it was, wasn’t very tall. Moonlight in particular stood out due to his midnight black feathers. Realization dawned quickly that there was no place to hide and the buzzing was growing closer. “Get next to me!” Big Macintosh said as loudly as he dared. “I’ll hide us.” Shadows began to build under the stallion’s hooves. The Returners crowded towards him, bunching together as close as they could. With a swell of magic, the shadows wrapped around the Returners, creating a grey haze to hang around them. The source of the buzzing entered the cavern only a few seconds later. Three creatures appeared, the Returners at first mistaking them for pegasi. However, as they flew closer, the differences quickly became apparent. While equine shaped, they didn’t have the smooth coat of a pony, or the feathery wings of a pegasus. Instead, chitin exoskeletons and transparent wings composed their bodies, along with a small horn protruding from their foreheads. The creatures were multicolored, ranging from sea greens to pale blues. Their eyes lacked pupils, instead a uniform color that shone like polished glass. The bug-like equines split apart as they entered the cavern, one collecting water in a pail while the others foraged within the vegetation. After a few minutes they united back together, each holding their foraged goods. They then left the way they came, their buzzing fading until only the normal insects in the cavern could be heard. Big Macintosh released his magic, dispelling the vanishing spell surrounding the Returners. “Phew.” “I’ll say,” Applejack said. She looked up at Moonlight. “What were those things?” “Changelings,” Moonlight said, venom dripping from his voice. He headed towards the opening the changelings disappeared into. “They are the reason we’re here.” “Huh, never heard of them. Are they something Discord made up?” “Something like that.” Moonlight held up a wing. “No more talking. We’re going to be getting close to their nest and they’ll hear us. Our goal is to take out their leader. Once he’s gone, the rest won’t put up a fight.” Shining Armor nodded sagely. “I can appreciate that strategy. But how do you know that will work?” “Just trust me on this.” Moonlight picked up the pace, forcing the rest to do the same. The Returners didn’t have to travel far before the loud buzzing of the changelings could be heard further down the cave. Creeping forward, the group rounded a corner and quickly ducked down. A cavern similar to the one they had left loomed before them, dozens of changelings fluttering around. At the far end stood a raised mound, with a throne of wood and vines on top. A changeling twice as big as the others, and sporting a set of amber antlers, sat on the throne, watching its brethren zip to and fro. “That’s him,” Moonlight said, tilting his head towards the large changeling. Shining Armor switched his gaze from the leader to the rest of the changelings in between. “If we could go through all that without being noticed, we could end it without any additional fighting.” He looked to Big Macintosh. “Think you could do that magic trick of yours again?” Frowning, Big Macintosh took in the distance they would need to travel. “Maybe. But if one of them touches us it’ll drop the spe—” “Too late!” Applejack hissed. A changeling stepped from around the corner and stopped dead, staring at the equally surprised Returners. It screeched, drawing the attention of every changeling in the cave. “Quick! Before they can overwhelm us!” Moonlight frantically began kicking at the ponies, forcing them out into the open. Despite Moonlight’s words, the changelings quickly gathered towards the back of the room, surrounding their leader. Both sides, completely unprepared, stared down the other, waiting for the first move. The changeling leader stood up from his throne, a quizzical look on his face. “What? How did you know to get in here?” “Don’t just stand around listening to him!” Moonlight roared. “Attack!” ~ A mysterious creature with the ability to change into whatever it needs for any occasion… ~ The changeling leader held up his front legs, waving them desperately. “Wait! Wait! Wait! We don’t want any trouble! Please, we can talk this out! My name’s Thorax. Who are you?” Applejack, Shining Armor, and Big Macintosh looked to each other, uncertainty spread across their muzzles. Applejack cleared her throat, pointing at Moonlight. “Uh, are you the ones that kidnapped this feller here?” Thorax took in the black chocobo, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen him in my life.” “Liar!” Moonlight pushed his way past the ponies, his talons rending the ground with each step. “I’ve come here for justice and I will have it!” Stardust cautiously made his way forward, eyeing the changelings for any sudden movements. Laying a wing over Moonlight’s back, he said, “Hey, we’ll get to the bot—” In a whirl of movement, Moonlight grabbed hold of Stardust, bringing their beaks close. “If you morons won’t do it, then I will.” Opening his beak wide, Moonlight inhaled. Green mist poured out of Stardust’s eyes and mouth and down Moonlight’s throat. “The hay are you doing?!” Shining Armor raised his sword and rushed forward. With surprising swiftness and strength, Moonlight tossed Stardust into the oncoming stallion, knocking them both back. “That should be enough,” Moonlight said to himself. His eyes flashed green moments before his body hovered above the ground and erupted in green hellfire, obscuring his form. Both the Returners and changelings backed away from the intense heat radiating from the chocobo. In a burst of power, the flames dissipated, revealing a new creature in Moonlight’s place. It touched down, a combination of insect and equine like the changelings, but the similarities ended there. Black chitinous plating covered its body, pocketed with holes through its legs, wings, tail, horn, and sickly green mane. It grinned through a mouth full of carnivorous teeth, two long fangs hanging out. The creature turned towards Thorax and lit up its sickle shaped horn in a flare of green magic. “Queen Chrysalis!” Thorax cried. He and his changelings dove out of the way of a green blast that shattered his throne into thousands of splinters of wood. Chrysalis glared at him through large green pupils. “Die, traitor.” She let loose another shot of magic, a concentrated laser that followed Thorax as he tried to fly away. The magic tore through the cavern walls, raining down boulders large enough to crush any changeling unfortunate enough to be caught under them. One managed to clip Thorax on the wing, slowing him down. “Got you.” Sneering, Chrysalis fired. A glowing pink shield materialized around Thorax, sending Chrysalis’ blast careening away. More shields appeared over the rest of the changelings, removing them from danger. Snarling, Chrysalis rounded on the source of the magic. “You idiots! If you had just done what I said, I wouldn’t have had to reveal myself like this!” Shining Armor didn’t respond, too busy focusing on his shields. Next to him, being propped up by Big Macintosh, Stardust stared at the monstrosity that moments before had been his mentor. “But… what… how…” “He’s dead, you cretin,” Chrysalis answered Stardust’s unspoken question. “Moonlight’s been dead for over a year. I took his place and have been feeding on your love and devotion to him the entire time.” She turned and fired at Thorax again, the shield protecting him buckling. “And you were a magnificent feast.” Her horn glowing to near blinding levels, Chrysalis shot off her largest attack yet. Her laser veered off as Applejack tackled Chrysalis, the beam tearing through the cave instead. Sunlight filtered in as tons of rock crashed to the floor, Shining Armor dropping to his knees as he struggled to keep all his shields from shattering. Chrysalis hissed and shoved the earth pony off of her, throwing up a wall of green fire between herself and the Returners. She twisted to focus on Thorax again, but a swat to the face from a large grizzly bear met her instead. The bear pounced, raking its claws against Chrysalis' hide. The queen roared and fired off her magic wildly, one blast catching the bear in the shoulder, forcing it to back off. Chrysalis charged up for another attack, but her fire wall being smothered by pails of water from changelings hovering above held her back. With the fire gone, the Returners leapt in. Applejack and Big Macintosh opened with an aurabolt and auto crossbow arrows, knocking Chrysalis back. With no shields to maintain, Shining Armor lashed out with his sword, driving Chrysalis away from the bear and up against the cave wall. Chrysalis let out a wail of frustration. “You haven’t seen the last of me! I’ll have my revenge!” Letting loose a blast to the ceiling, more rocks tumbled down on the cavern occupants. Shining Armor quickly cast a single shield to catch the debris and let it tumble harmlessly to the far side of the cave. Once the threat passed, he and the rest turned back to deal with Chrysalis, but the queen was nowhere in sight. A faint buzzing could be heard coming from the large hole in the cave, the noise receding until it was gone completely. With Chrysalis gone, attention drifted towards the two remaining groups. Applejack jumped when the bear was surrounded by swirling green fire. The fire only lasted an instant and was replaced by a frowning Thorax. Rubbing one leg over the other, Applejack offered a weak smile. "Well, I guess you guys aren't called changelings for nothin'." "No kidding." Thorax looked over the ponies and remaining chocobo and sighed. "Look, I saw you fighting back against the queen and you helped protect my people. So… what now?" Applejack took in the ruined cavern. “Tell ya what. We’ll help clean up if you’re willing to hear us out.” Thorax started, only now seeing the damage from the fight for the first time. “Um, yeah. That would be appreciated.” “Then let's get to work. It’s a might long story.” .o.O.o. Hours later, the Returners and changelings sat in front of Thorax’s partially restored throne. The biggest of the boulders had been removed or used to rebuild. Spotter sat next to Stardust, keeping the despondent chocobo company. The changelings listed with rapt attention as Applejack finished. “And that’s about it.” She raised her hoof to her mouth and coughed. “Sorry, not used to talking so long.” A changeling flew up to her and offered a flower cup with sweet smelling nectar. “Ah, thank ya kindly.” She gulped it down, letting out a relieved sigh. “Phew, that hits the spot.” Thorax sat back into his throne, rubbing his chin. “What you say… it would explain a lot.” Seeing the Returners’ questioning looks, he continued. “We changelings, at least the ones you see here… we weren’t always like this. About a year ago, half of us transformed into what you see now. I kinda took over this half because I was bigger. I don’t know why that is.” “What about the other half?” Shining Armor asked. “Does it have to do with that queen we fought?” Nearby, Stardust winced and let out a low “kweh.” Spotter rubbed his back, offering some comfort. Sighing, Thorax nodded. “Chrysalis is what we used to look like. She’s in charge of the changelings that didn’t change. She hates what we’ve become and has been trying to eradicate us since. Looks like she got desperate and tried to get you guys to do it. “Before, we lived off the love of others. We would periodically go out and slip into pony towns and change into loved ones to soak up what we could. We’ve managed to do this for thousands of years.” “Whoa, even before the War of the Magi?” Applejack said. “Yeah. Love has been in slim pickings since then.” Spotter raised a hoof, while the other continued to rub Stardust’s wing. “Um… I’ve got special sight magic but I couldn’t see through the black chocobo’s. How come?” Thorax pursed his lips as he mulled it over. “Hmm, my best guess is that our powers are older than esper magic. Maybe that has something to do with it?” “Dunno,” Applejack said with a shrug. “We kinda just fell into our powers and have been learning as we go.” She stood up, stretching out her legs. “Well, it was nice meeting ya, but we gotta be getting back. The others will be wonderin’ what happened. Good luck, pard.” Thorax suddenly stood up and walked towards the Returners. “Wait, I want to go with you.” The Returners collectively blinked. “Say what, now?” “Chrysalis is still out there. She’ll only come back and try to wipe us out again. Plus, if what you say is true, then she’s not even the biggest problem the world faces right now.” “Boss, you’re leaving us?!” one of the changelings cried. More distressed questions were asked, the changelings buzzing in unison. “Hold on!” Thorax lit up his horns, amplifying his voice. “I shouldn’t be gone for long. I need to do this if we’re going to be able to live safely.” The buzzing lessened, but many of the changelings still looked worried. “Ocellus, you’re in charge.” A young changeling, her chitin a light blue and her tail and mane a see through pink, gasped. The changelings standing nearest her backed away, leaving her in the center of a small circle. “But… b-but why me?” Thorax walked over to her and laid a leg over her shoulder. “You’re the cleverest we have. If any changeling can find a way to keep the hive safe while I’m away, you’re it. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” He stepped away, raising his voice. “The rest of you help her any way you can. Watch out for each other. With any luck, our new friends here will get things sorted out and we may not have to hide like this anymore.” A low murmur swept through the changelings. Though the idea of their leader leaving was still concerning, the prospect of leaving the cave for the wider world held their attention. Soon, a united chorus rose up wishing Thorax well. Smiling, Thorax turned to regard the Returners. “So, how did you even get here, anyway?” Applejack grinned back up at him. “Well, I did leave some things out. Reckon it’ll be better to show than to tell.”