//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Changeling Hunt // Story: My Life is Warped // by Mister E-Nonymous //------------------------------// Chapter 5: The Changeling Hunt The seven girls and Spike were preparing to go on their adventure to find the changelings. Rainbow Dash was getting concerned about things. "How long is this gonna take?" Rainbow asked. "Don't worry, Rainbow," Twilight said. "I'm sure we'll get back in time before school starts in two weeks." "Wait what?" Rainbow asked. "I thought..." "Reality shift," said Sunset. "You were thinking that school starts this Wednesday, but it actually starts two weeks from Wednesday." "Ah guess that it's hard fer her to accept the shifts, huh?" Applejack asked. "How do we find the changeling lair?" Rarity asked. "That is a good question," Spike said. Just then he held his stomach. Then he belched and the emerald flames turned into a scroll, a folded up piece of paper, and eight amulets for them to wear. Spike picked up the scroll and started reading, "Dear Princess Twilight and friends, I've read about the predicament about Rainbow's memories. If you want to get to the changelings, you're going to have to have a map. I've sent you a map to where the Changeling Hive is located in the Badlands. You are also going to need these amulets. Queen Chrysalis's throne is made out of a rare element that can cancel out any magic, except for Changeling Magic. These amulets will keep your magic active as long as you wear them, and keep them hidden. They will also allow you to make sure if your friends are a changeling. Concentrate, and you will see through their disguises. Good luck, all of you. Signed, Princess Celestia." "That's good," said Twilight. "Everypony, grab an amulet, and let's head out to the Changeling Hive." The eight of them then grabbed one amulet each, and headed on out. They eventually got on a train, heading off somewhere. Rainbow was looking out the window. She was thinking of her old life as Raymond Dallas. Just then, Fluttershy walked up to her and sat down next to her. "Your thinking about that girl, aren't you?" Fluttershy asked. "Well, yeah," said Rainbow. "I can't imagine what she's going through that I'm no longer there to help her. Could you imagine a single mother raising a baby without someone there to help and work double time?" "Oh, I know the feeling," said Fluttershy. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake had twins, and Mr. Cake and Pinkie had to work twice as hard to get things in order." Then Pinkie Pie came up to them. "Yeah. I had to work double time after school. Mrs. Cake texted me to bring her a huge jar of pickles for her to munch on? And I mean really big. You saw how big it was when I was getting it." "C'mon," Rainbow said. "How big could a jar of pickles be?" "Bigger than your shower," said Pinkie Pie. That made Rainbow's jaw drop. Then Rainbow shook her head. "You've gotta be kidding me," said Rainbow. "There's no way there's a jar of pickles that big." "You'd be surprised where I got them," Pinkie said. Rainbow was about to ask how that was possible, but then Applejack came up and said, "Ah wouldn't. With yer mind like that, ya should know that Pinkie Pie is very... random. She does very impossible things." "Yeah, right," said Rainbow. "Like a pony like her will be able to do something like that." Just then, Pinkie Pie came out of Rainbow's shirt with a cupcake and said, "Oh, don't be like that, Dashie. You and I both know I can do the impossible. Cupcake?" Pinkie then put the cupcake into Rainbow's hand, then disappeared back into Rainbow's shirt. Rainbow's face was blushing red, and looked back down her shirt. "Told ya," Applejack said, wrapping her right arm around Rainbow's shoulders. "Pinkie Pie can do the impossible." Rainbow was still blushing about what was happening. She then looked out the window, hoping for the embarrassment will be over with. At the Changeling Hive, Queen Chrysalis was sitting in her throne with the small orb holding Rainbow Dash's memories. She was smiling evilly at it. She was then interrupted by one of her subjects. "My queen!" the changeling said. "One of out troops reported that Twilight Sparkle and her friends are coming towards our hive!" "Interesting," said Queen Chrysalis. "Those pathetic ponies are coming to get the memories of their rainbow maned friend, are they? Well, then, I have something... interesting for the rainbow maned one." She then levitated a black band with green gems on it. One gem was bigger than the others. "Go to the reality where I sent Rainbow Dash. I want you to... pick up something... special." "What do you mean, my queen?" asked the changeling drone. Queen Chrysalis moved in and whispered into the drone's ear. The drone then said, "Are you sure?" "What would be a more nastier thing for Rainbow Dash?" Queen Chrysalis smirked. Then the drone gave off an evil, toothy smile. After getting off at Dodge City, the seven young mares headed south towards the Badlands. Rainbow Dash was walking along side Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked over at Rainbow Dash with a worried look on her face. "Rainbow? Is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked. "For 22 years, I've been living a lie," said Rainbow. "Why did I have to do something stupid and it cost me my memories?" "Oh, don't worry, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said. "The only thing we regret was taking away your chance of being a father. By the way you were wanting to be there for Alice, you would've made a great father. Too bad that we ruined it for you." Rainbow sighed and said, "Yeah. I feel bad for Alice. I can't believe that I wasn't supposed to be there. Leaving her all by herself. No boyfriend to help her." Twilight then walked towards them and said, "If only we got to you sooner. We're sorry for that." "If these memories I have are just fake, what would happen if I get back my real memories?" Rainbow asked. "I don't really know," said Twilight. "There might be a 55% chance that your original memories will overwrite your memories as they return to your mind. But there is also a 45% chance that you'll remember the memories of both your lives." "I guess that makes sense," Rainbow said. Then they all stopped. They came across a swampy area. "This is the swamp we have to pass through to get to the Changeling hive," said Twilight. "Everypony, be alert. We don't know if there are any changelings hiding somewhere around here. Everypony, stay close!" Then all seven of the young mares and the young drake came closer together. Rainbow Dash looked around, looking around for any danger. Applejack then leaned in towards Rainbow. "What's the matter, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, smirking. "Ya scared?" "There's nothing wrong with being afraid," said Rainbow Dash. "Wow," said Applejack. "Hope that stays in. Because the Rainbow Dash we all know never confesses on being scared." "Hopefully I'll remember that part of the memories I have now," said Rainbow. "Whoa!" said Spike. They all looked over towards Spike and his foot was stuck. "My foot is stuck!" He then started pulling on his leg, and his foot snapped out of the sticky bog, and started rolling away from the group. "SPIKE!" said the other girls, except Rainbow. Then the seven of them started running towards them. Spike was rolling but stopped when he hit something. Spike turned around and saw something what he hit. He then screamed at what he saw. But then he saw his reflection and said, "Oh. It's just a mirror." He and his reflection waved. Then he turned around, facing towards where his friends were, but his reflection didn't. That got Spike's attention, but the reflection copied Spike's every move. He jumped and waved his arms around, spun around, and then did a striker pose. He then said, "Huh. I guess it's just my imagination." Spike was then walking away, but his reflection didn't. The reflection's foot got stuck. Spike noticed and turned around, seeing his reflection trying to get his foot out of something sticky. When it did, it noticed Spike was looking at him in shock. The reflection then changed into a... "Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHANGELING!!" "No! Wait! Not that way!" the changeling shouted. The seven young mares saw Spike running towards them, but then he sunk halfway in something. Spike looked down and saw he was in quicksand. "Gah! Help!" shouted Spike. "Spike!" Twilight shouted. She then looked towards the changeling and got scared. "Spike! I'm coming!" Twilight was about to fly towards Spike, but the changeling got to Spike first. He then started pulling Spike out of the quicksand, and then he flew him towards the group. Spike was confused about this. "I tried warning you," said the changeling. "I didn't want any of you to get hurt." He then started walking away. The seven girls and young dragon were confused. Rainbow then asked, "I thought you said that all changelings were evil. What's up with this guy?" "I don't know," said Twilight. "This one's different." The changeling stopped, turned around and said, "I admit it. I am different then all of the other changelings. I was there when the changelings invaded Canterlot during the wedding. I was the only one there who didn't attack anyone. After seeing the seven of you fight all of those other changelings, I was astonished. The power of your friendship was so strong, I didn't want to take it. I wanted to share it." "So, you are really different then all of the other changelings," said Twilight. "I'm guessing Chrysalis didn't want any of that talk in her hive and kicked you out?" "Yes," said the changeling. "I'm Thorax by the way. And I know who all of you are. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and the little dragon is known as Spike." "So, you're just a changeling that wants to have friends?" Twilight asked. "But changelings are supposed to steal love from other ponies so they are able to live," said Sunset Shimmer. "Huh," Rainbow said. "If they make their own friendship to keep themselves alive, then they wouldn't have to steal it from anyone else, and maybe there would be peace between the ponies and the changelings." The other girls thought about it and then Twilight said, "Actually, that might not be a bad idea. But I doubt that Chrysalis is wanting to accept this." "Well, we'll have to come up with a way for the ponies and the changelings to live in peace," said Sunset. "If we are able to do that." "And of course, get Rainbow's memories back," said Twilight. "Oh, boy," said Thorax. "I heard that when the queen steals a pony's memories, she keeps it with her at all times. No pony has succeeded on getting their memories back." "Do you know of a way to get Rainbow's memories back?" Twilight asked. "It won't be easy," said Thorax. "But usually, Chrysalis is vulnerable when she's asleep. So, we're going to have to go in when she's asleep." "So, what are we going to do?" Applejack asked. Then the group huddled together, coming up with a way to get Rainbow's memories back. Meanwhile, in the reality of Raymond Dallas, Alice was sitting all alone in the dorm she still shared with her roommate, worried about what happened to Raymond. It was at least six months since Raymond disappeared from her life, and she was now 8 months pregnant. School was goin okay for her, even though she can't do anything too physical. She pulled out the photo of her and Raymond, and she was thinking to herself if she could ever see Raymond again. Just then, there was a knocking on her door. She then called out, "Who is it?" "Don't fret, Alice! It's me!" came a voice that Alice knew all too well. "Raymond?!" Alice asked. She waddled towards the door, and opened it. On the other side of the door, there was Raymond. She hugged him and asked, "Where have you been?" She then got angry and said, "How could you just abandon me like that?" "Oh, I'm so sorry, Alice," he said. He then pulled in Alice's head to look into his eyes as he said. "From here on out..." Raymond's eyes then started glowing green. "...everything will be all right." Alice was then put into a trance when her pupils and irises got smaller and turned green. She then mumbled, "Everything... will be.... all right..." She then went unconscious. Raymond then transformed into a changeling drone, the same drone that Chrysalis was talking to earlier. He then walked over to a bedside table, and grabbed an envelope that was marked "Baby's First Picture." He then opened it and saw the ultrasound picture. He smiled and said, "Wow. You two have been busy, eh? Hopefully that we can get into Rainbow Dash's head, and you and your two babies are going be the perfect thing." He then tapped on an enchanted bracelet and said, "This is Pharynx calling Queen Chrysalis. I got her." Then the two of them disappeared in a flash of green light.