Chapter 2
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I groan, wanting consciousness to stay away. I was happy not feeling anything.
However, wakefulness was clearly not going to be denied, as I become more and more aware that I am indeed awake and no longer in the realm of sleep.
For some reason, a small voice in the back of my mind is telling me that’s probably a good thing, but, having only just left the land of sleep, I can’t think why, so tell that voice to shut up.
Slowly, I sit up, rubbing my head… feeling a bandage wrapped around it.
For some reason, I think that’s important, but I’m still too half-asleep to properly focus.
Opening my eyes, I lazily glance around the room, the darkness, only broken by moonlight, telling me it’s night.
The room isn’t much. It’s a room that is clearly made of crystal, so… I’m guessing in Twilight’s castle, with nothing but a window that looks out to I don’t know, since it’s to the right of me and I’d need to turn my head to the wall behind me to look in the direction it’s facing and I’m in a simple single bed with blue covers.
“Why am I here?” I ask out loud, despite knowing I’ll get no answer.
I keep moving my gaze over the empty room, as if I somehow expect something new to be there that could clue me in on what the heck just happened.
I groan, putting a hand to my head. “Come on, Miranda, think. You… you went through Twilight’s Fold… found yourself in… in… Heatherfield and… and you—”
My eyes shoot open, any lingering grogginess completely forgotten.
The diner. The old man. The Astral Drop spell!
Shit!
“I have to warn Twilight and the others!” I hurriedly get out of the bed, only to flop forward on the cool hard floor.
Note to self: Do not rush out of bed when your body isn’t done catching up with your brain.
I take a few moments to push myself off the ground… only now noticing I’m wearing some kind of nightdress.
Nope. Gonna file any thoughts about how and why til later. We could all be in real danger.
Whoever that old man at the other end of the phone call was, he somehow knew I’d be in that diner. That isn’t something just any old man would’ve known.
He had to have some form of magical knowledge to pull that off.
Crawling to the wall nearest the bed, I use the wall to pull myself up and make my way out the room and down the hall.
Granted, I have no idea where exactly I’m going, but I need to try and find Twilight. Or at least Spike or Starlight.
The fact someone in Heatherfield knew I was going to be in that diner is a real cause for concern. No one should’ve known I’d be there.
The Guardians of both the Infinite Dimensions and Earth itself should be the only ones even aware I’d recently been on Earth and should still think I’m somewhere else, a random dimension.
No one else on Earth should know I had been on Earth, let alone that I’d arrive back there and at that specific diner, no less.
I faintly start to hear the sound of multiple voices, quickly picking up Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie among them and move towards the direction they’re coming from.
Wait. Why’re they meeting up at this hour? Are they having a slumber party or something?
As I near what I realize is the main entranceway, where I remember the door leading to the map room is, I’m suddenly blinded by a flash of light-blue light, a light-purple pony face with big blue eyes blocking my vision.
Next thing I know, my body is tingling, similar to when I jumped through the Fold and I feel like my stomach is yank away from me.
Before I can get my bearings, I feel something wrap around me and shove me down, holding me there.
Part of me is screaming to defend myself, but I’m too discombobulated to properly think.
By the time I’ve gotten some semblance of thought working, I feel the tingling again and, when it stops, I fall to my knees, dry heaving, my stomach wanting to empty its contents, but having nothing.
When was the last time I ate, anyway?
“Queen Chrysalis said they only took Luna and Celestia— and, clearly, Twilight and the others,” Starlight’s voice is saying.
Wait, hold on, what?
I shake my head, trying to clear it. Damn, I miss being able to think perfectly straight.
“There’s no hope coming from the Crystal Empire.”
Wait. That voice kinda sounds familiar.
Looking up, I see a Changeling walking out from the bushes in front of us, it only now registering to me I am now outside Twilights castle, next to Starlight and… Trixie?
Okay, someone is going to need to help me catch up, here.
I do, however, recognize the Changeling, at least vocally. It’s Thorax, the Changeling who went to live in the Crystal Empire.
Any chance I had I trying to learn more is cut short however, as my eyes are drawn to Trixie and I find myself having to hold my hands over my mouth to try and not laugh.
She’s flipping out. Seconds after I recognized Thorax, she started screaming and flailing her forelegs around, Starlight immediately putting a bubble shield around her fellow unicorn, cutting out the sound.
It’s hard to pay full attention to what Starlight and Thorax are talking about, Twilight’s voice indicating he transformed into her at one point for some reason, because Trixie doesn’t stop.
She keeps flailing around, pounding her hooves against the bubble, her open mouth clearly indicating she’s still screaming.
It’s reminding me of that Cone of Silence scene from the Get Smart movie and I can’t help finding it hilarious.
That’s not to say I don’t understand we’re in a bad situation right now.
Once Starlight lowers the bubble and introduces Trixie to Thorax (I seem to have been forgotten, annoyingly), I learn that the reason Starlight teleported me out of castle so quickly is because the Changelings are back and they’ve taken both Celestia and Luna as well as Twilight and the others and, according to Thorax, evening Shining Armour, Cadance and Flurry Heart.
Meaning, had Starlight not yanked me out of there like she did, as uncomfortable as it was, I could’ve walked in on the Changelings and been caught myself before I even knew what was happening.
I would question how they managed to pull this off, but, if they came after everypony in their sleep, the only one who could’ve fought back would likely have been Princess Luna and even she couldn’t fight an army of Changelings on her own.
“Who’s this?” Thorax voice pulls me from my inner thoughts to see he’s indicating to me.
“This is Miranda,” Starlight say, a little hurriedly. “She comes from another world. She’s been out cold for the last couple days after a spell went wrong.”
Wait, I’ve been out for days? How many, exactly?
“Nice to meet you,” Thorax walks up to me and hold out a hoof.
I lean down, shaking it without really thinking.
“There has to be somepony else who can handle this,” Starlight’s voice pulls me back to the present, but Trixie goes up to her.
“There is nopony else. Everypony with powerful magic is already gone”
I mean, shouldn’t Equestria have a few allies by this point? I know the griffons aren’t the nicest of creatures, but at least Gilda and that other griffon she’s friends with would want to help save Dash, right?
“You know, whenever ponies talk about powerful magic, they always seem to leave me out,” My eyes widen as I whirl around, my head turning upwards to see Discord laying on his back atop Trixie’s carriage (was that always there?), knitting… and Angel Bunny voodoo doll, I think? “If I wasn’t so evolved I might take it personally.”
Okay, this solves the Changeling problem and probably mine too. all of mine, actually.
“Well, isn’t this quite the combination of secondary characters?” Discord smiles down at the trio, pointing at each with one of the knitting needles, apparently ignoring me. He looks back at his work, before looking back at them with an eyebrow raised. “Where’re Twilight and the girls?”
I cock an eyebrow at him. They’d… be in bed, like most others? Well, normally, anyway. Hasn’t Discord ever heard of a sleep schedule?
The trio looks up at him blankly, before Starlight narrows her eyes. “First, how do we know you’re really you?”
Thankfully, Starlight doesn’t usher an incident of our faces getting rearrange for the answer, Discord instead answering the question simply by snapping his talon, causing the ground to turn to soap suds, causing us to slip over and fall, my nightdress getting muddy, several flowers to start dancing the tango and a nearby tree turning into a cuckoo clock with a squirrel in place of the bird.
Discord smiles snidely down at them, lazily lying on his stomach, his head propped up by his arms. “Shall I continue?”
Starlight nods, giving Discord a quick annoyed look, before speaking firmly. “Chrysalis and the Changelings are back. They’ve poninaped all the most powerful ponies in Equestria. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armour, Flurryheart, Twilight and her friends—”
At once, the mood changes. At first, Discord was looking bored, but the moment Starlight says Twilight and the others were taken, his eyes widen and the air grows colder, all the chaos he just made around us returning to normal in and instant, before he’s right in Starlight’s face, a very dark expression on his own.
“They took Fluttershy?!”
“Yes!” Starlight says urgently.
“Where?” he snarls, his eyes glowing with malice.
A chill goes down my spine. Oh, shit. Man, I thought never thought it would go there, but Discord looks ready to kill somebody.
Glad I’m not the Changeling Queen right now. She dead.
Before Starlight can get much more out aside from them all being taken to the Changeling Kingdom, Discord has teleported us to a random clearing somewhere in Equestria, with all of us now sporting rucksacks and clothing fit for an adventure, myself now wearing the clothes more like those Miranda would normally wear in Phobos’ castle, plus a rucksack of my own.
Discord looks around, confused, just as I feel. “Odd. I was trying to take as straight to Fluttershy,” he lifts a boulder and lowers his head, his eyes stretching out and moving back and forth along the ground, “but there is no Fluttershy.”
Trixie gives a quivering gasp, pointing. “I think I have a pretty good idea where she might be.”
We turn to follow her hoof to see… The Outlands from the Lion King 2? Okay. Not exactly how I’d have pictured the Changeling Kingdom to look.
Thorax shudders. “I hoped I’d never see this place again.”
Discord looks back towards the Changeling Kingdom, frowning in confusion. “Oh, that’s so strange. We’re here,” he points to the ground, “and that’s there,” he points to the area before us. “And I clearly meant for us to be there and not here.”
“Oh, I-I can probably explain—” Thorax timidly tries to say.
“Oh well!” Discord says loudly, cracking his fingers. “If it at first you don’t succeed.”
He moves to snap his lion paw, but is stopped when Starlight grabs it in her magic. “Maybe we should come up with a plan first?”
Discord blows off her magic, before giving her a quizzical look. “A what?”
“You know, figuring out the best way to do something before you actually do it?” Trixie says snarkily.
Yeah. Discord’s planned thing before. His taking over Equestria a thousand plus years back, his attempt to retake it again by making Twilight and the others the opposite of their Element to destroy their friendship, proving Twilight sees their friendship as important by pretending to be sick. He’s planned lots before, how do you not know what a plan is?
He laughs, before patting her hat. “Oh ho-ho-ho. That’s adorable. But, you see, unlike you, I can do anything.”
“Actually—” Thorax tries again, clearly having something important he knows about his former home that could be important for us to know, before the other male in our group silences him with a finger over the mouth.
“That’s all very nice, but really a waste of time,” Discord smiles, waving off any explanations. “We have me. What else could we possibly need?”
“A draconequus with magic and half a brain might help.” Damn. Trixie, you spitting fire today. But how are you so confident against DD when he’s way more powerful than you and could literally turn you to mush with but a thought?
Discord leans down to her level, laying on his stomach. “Why are you here again?” You’re the one who teleported her here with us, don’t you know? “I mean, it’s not like you’re going to stop the changelings by pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” As he says this, he takes off her hat and pulls another Trixie out, stopping at her head. Wait, is that the Equestria Girls Trixie or just a double of Trixie? “At least my magic can do something.”
“The thing about magic here is—” Thorax starts.
“Like this!” Discord calls out, snapping his fingers, before there’s a large flash and he’s dressed in knight armour, riding atop a pig with wings. “For Fluttershy!” he calls triumphantly, the pig starting to fly, but vanishing the moment it passes over the edge of the ledge.
Discord yells in alarm as he falls down, barely grabbing the edge of the hill. He climbs back up, frowning and snaps his fingers, another flying pig appearing and flying to the border and vanishing once it passes.
“I’ve been trying to tell you!” Thorax says in an exasperated tone. “Nothing other than changeling magic works here. Chrysalis’ throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way Changelings soak up love. It’s how she keeps the hive safe.”
Huh. Okay, gotta hand it to Queen Cheese Legs, that’s a good defence for her kingdom. Now I see why the Changelings haven’t been wiped out despite their ruler’s usual lack of reason when enacting her plans.
Starlight tests Thorax’s word, walking to the very edge of the border with her horn glowing. The moment it passes the edge of the ground, her magic fizzles out.
“So, uh, what kind of plan were you thinking?” Trixie asks the other mare.
Starlight looks down in worry. “Without magic, I have no idea. But,” she sighs, before looking to us, “nopony else is coming. So somepony better come up with something.”
“And we’ll need to make it fast,” I say, seeming to make them all remember I’m actually still here, Discord in particular looking… worried? “Even if we deal with the Changelings, there’s another problem back on Earth.”
“Earth?” Trixie and Thorax say, looking to Starlight with confusion.
“It’s where Miranda’s from,” Starlight waves a hoof. “And, is this really that important, Miranda? Granted, Twilight was worried when the Fold sent you back, but how big a problem is it? Did those Guardians you mentioned find you in your world and try to get you, so had had to come back or something?”
I shake my head. “Or something. When I arrived through the Fold, it wasn’t my Earth. It was theirs. But, that’s not the more worrying part.”
Starlight looks genuinely shocked. “How is that not the worrying part?”
“Someone knew I was going to be there,” I say, my worries coming back full force now. “Somehow, some old man knew I was going to arrive there and even called the place I ended up. But, that’s not even the worst part!”
“How is that not the worst part?” Starlight’s eyes are wide. “Miranda, regardless of who you were before you became Miranda, you are a child now. If an old man knew where you were when you weren’t supposed to be there, that’s pretty worrying!”
“What’s worrying is he made an Astral Drop of me!” I shout.
Confused looks pass over them all… except Discord. He looks curious.
“What’s an Astral Drop?” Thorax asks.
“Clones, basically,” I explain. “They’re pretty much identical duplicates of whomever the spell is used on… though the clones’ minds are usually a blank slate and they don’t really understand what you want them to do unless you really explain it to them. Too vague, and they take everything you said literally.”
“How did this old pony make a clone of you then?” Trixie asks, an eyebrow raised. “If it’s anything like that Mirror Pool Trixe’s heard about, it couldn’t have happened without you letting it.”
Discord scoffs. “Oh, please. An Astral Drop is created when the words are spoken and a magical influence is involved. Simply saying the words alone won’t make one. You can easily be tricked into saying it if you’re not paying attention, after all.”
All attention turns to the Lord of Chaos.
“You know about these… Astral Drops?” Starlight asks accusingly.
“Then that means, you know about the Guardians,” I point at him. “I knew you had to know. How else could you give Twilight even the slightest hint about how Folds work when she made it clear no being in Equestria had even heard of the idea? Once you’re done with the Changelings, Discord, you need to send me home, right away!”
Suddenly, Discord looks a combination of annoyed and sheepish, twiddling his thumbs. “Yes, well, I would, believe me, but… I kinda don’t want to deal with CHYKN again.”
The other three just give him blank deadpans. “Huh?”
I, however, blink in recognition, before pointing at him. “You dealt with the previous guardians?!”
Discord pouts, folding his arms and looking away. “I had to make the deal that I wouldn’t cause any problems for any of the other realms in exchange for my freedom. That Nerissa isn’t a nice person. She even used the Heart to accelerate Equestria’s time by nearly a thousand years from every other world, just to teach me a lesson. Can you imagine it, seeing time flying by while knowing the rest of the Infinite Dimensions are still going at a normal pace? If not for the Vale being needed, I shudder to think how many more years would’ve flown by.”
I stare at him. Wait. Nerissa made Equestria’s time accelerate faster than the other dimensions just to teach Discord a lesson? Did she not think once about the rest of Equestria? She wasn’t just punishing him, after all.
Discord blinks, before looking to me. “Wait. Previous Guardians? Are you telling me there are new ones?”
“Are you as lost as I am?” Trixie whispers to Thorax.
“Pretty much,” he whispers back.
I hold up my hands. “Okay, wait. Let me see if I understand this. Discord, you knew where I am came, on both counts, back can’t do anything because of something that happened between you and CHYKN a thousand years ago? And, the only reason their Earth didn’t go for a thousand years before now is because their previous leader actually accelerated all of Equestria’s time, just to punish you?”
He nods, looking none too pleased. “I may have been evil back then, but even I wouldn’t force an entire world’s time to move faster just to punish one being within it, ignoring all the others I’d be affecting at the same time.”
“Wow, Nerissa,” I murmur. “You were more of a bitch than I thought. And, if not for the Vale, time would still be going super-fast here?” I give a small laugh. “Never thought I’d say it, but, thank you for being an evil dick, Phobos.”
I blink, before my eyes widen as what he’s said, ignoring the last part, really catches up to me.
“Wait. You can’t send me home?! At all?” I indicate to myself. “Not even just in this form?”
Discord sighs, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Miranda. I genuinely cannot. I doubt, even if CHYKN were to let you, you could go back. Whatever that Miranda did to you, it’s irreversible.” He rubs his chin. “So, there’s a new group of Guardians? I do hope they’ve a better sense of humour than the last ones. I wonder if they’d be willing to help. How long have they been the new Guardians again?”
“And… I’m lost again,” Trixie grumbles. “At first, I thought I was starting to figure it out, but then they lost me again.”
“Same here,” Thorax nods.
“I’m… actually a little lost now myself,” Starlight grins sheepishly.
I slump to the ground, the weight of everything hitting me like a freight train going two hundred miles an hour.
Not only am I stuck as Miranda, but I can never go home. Wherever my Earth is, out there in the Infinite Dimensions, it’s truly lost to me.
“Um, I don’t mean to be rude,” Trixie says, glancing between Discord and myself, “but, weren’t you worried about an Astral… whatever?”
I look to her, her words slowly processing through my depressed brain, before it click and I leap up, my heart pounding.
She’s right. I can throw myself a pity party later. We need to deal with the issues at hand, both of them.
“Okay, Trixie’s right,” I say, shaking my head. “Fact is, not only do we have a serious issue with the Changelings, but there’s some magical old guy back on Earth who now has an Astral Drop of me that I doubt he’s got innocent plans for.”
“Wh-what kind of not innocent plans?” Thorax asks.
I shudder, shaking my head. “Well, while I haven’t used them, namely since I didn’t want to,” I hold out a hand and look down at it, “this body has powers that, in the wrong hands, have proven very dangerous. My Astral Drop should have those same powers, even if it doesn’t know how to use them. But, if that old dude knew how to make an Astral Drop, I’m sure he’ll know how to make it use its powers.”
“Wh-which problem should we deal with first?” Thorax looks from me to the Changeling Kingdom and, though I know he does want to save his friends, he also would probably rather not have to go there.
I sigh. “For now, I think I should go back to Ponyville and deal with the Changelings impersonating Twilight and the others.”
“Huh?” they all look to me.
Trixie narrows her eyes. “Why you?”
I shake my head. “Because, frankly, I’d be useless to you guys.”
“How?” Starlight asks, seeming genuinely confused.
“This body does have powers, but, since their magic based in some way, I wouldn’t be able to use them while we’re in the Changeling Kingdom” I shake my head. “If I went with you guys, I’d just be a helpless little girl who wouldn’t be of any use.”
“What about us?” Trixie indicates to the rest of them. “None of us will have our magic either, so what’s the difference?”
I point to Thorax. “Actually, Thorax will still have his powers, since he’s a Changeling himself. Trixie has her bag of tricks, so can probably use them to her advantage. Discord big, so he could provide some muscle, if need be. And Starlight is probably the best on the fly tactician in Equestrian history. All traits that would be of use to you when most of you don’t have your magic to fall back on.”
“And you…?” Thorax suggests.
I sigh, folding my arms and shaking my head. “Without Miranda’s other form’s strength and other powers, I’d be no more help than a newborn infant to you guys. I’d just get in the way and likely get us all caught, which would help no one. And I can only access that form through magic… I think.”
Starlight sighs, looks around anxiously at us. “Well, anypony got a plan for us going into the Changeling Empire? Anything?”
“Hmm.” I frown, thinking, before I get an idea and look to Thorax. “That throne, you were talking about, Throax – if one got into the hive and destroyed it, would you get your magic back?
Thorax nods. “Uh-huh!”
Discord scoffs. “Well, that’s a terrible plan. How are we even supposed to get to the hive?”
“We walk,” Trixie says as she, Starlight and Thorax start walking down the side of the hill.
Discord looks ahead, before grabbing his face and stretching his eye lids. “I haven’t walked that far in a millennia!”
I sigh. “Discord, I think you’ll have it easy. I’ve got to figure out how to beat the Changelings back in Ponyville.”
He gives me an annoyed, but understanding look. “Ah, yes. You haven’t used those powers before, have you? Haven’t even transformed into that form once.”
“Because I don’t want to,” I hug myself. “That form… I’m scared what it would feel like.”
He sighs. “Well, you’re going to have to think of something. If we’re all in the Empire, without our magic, you’ll be on your own.”
I nod, hating that he’s right. “Better send me back in my nightdress. Don’t want to arouse suspicion before I can think of a plan. According to Starlight, I’ve been out cold for days, so they wouldn’t know I’m awake yet. They find me in these clothes,” I indicate down.
“They’ll know something’s up,” Discord nods, readying to snap his talons. “Good luck, Miranda. I have a feeling you’ll need it.”
“You too,” I nod as he snaps his fingers.
___________________________________________________________
When the world stops being white, I realize I’m back in the room I woke up in. I’m also back in my… normal clothes.
Discord, you dumbass. I wasn’t wearing these when I woke up.
“Hey, anyone check in that room?” Pinkie Pie’s voice says from somewhere behind the door.
“No,” Applejack’s voice scoffs at her. “Why should we? The thing in there’s been asleep since we got here.”
Quickly, I hurried into bed and lay on my back, making sure the covers are completely over me so my clothes are hidden and shut my eyes.
I hear the door thrust open, followed by two sets of hoofsteps.
“See? Told ya,” Applejack’s voice says condescendingly. “Why were the ponies even keepin’ this thing? All it does is sleep.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Pinkie’s voice says as I hear more hoofsteps moving around the room. “We need to check everywhere.”
“Well, clearly, there’s nothing here,” Applejack’s voice says, sounding annoyed. “Unless you wanna look under the bed?”
“Nothing,” Pinkie’s voice says, annoyed too now. “Let’s move on.”
I remain perfectly still, listening as the sound of their hoofsteps have faded away.
I sit up, breathing a huge sigh of relief.
“Okay, time to think,” I murmur, rubbing my chin. “One me against seven Changelings. Can’t just muscle my way through this. Gonna have to be clever. Sneaky. Which means,” I heave a heavy sigh.
Getting out of bed, I walk quietly over to the bedroom door and close it, before moving to the centre of the room.
I really don’t wanna do this.
I close my eyes and concentrate, thinking of Miranda’s… well, for lack of a better term, spider form.
At once, I feel my bones shifting, contorting to put me on all fours and extending. My hair rapidly grows out, surrounding my body.
It doesn’t hurt… but, WOW, it feels weird as shit.
When it feels like it’s stopped, I look around. Nothing looks different, but I sure feel different. My height doesn’t seem to have changed much, but that’s likely because Miranda’s spider form is about the same size as a human, so, even with the shift in position, I can still see at the same height.
I then make myself change back into human form, then spider form again.
I do this for several minutes, before I’m sure I’ve gotten the transformation down.
“Okay,” I say in the spider form, my voice now gravely, freaking me out for a second. “Let’s see.”
I try to think of spitting out webbing, immediately feeling like I’ve a large loogie. I let it move to my thorat, before trying to spit.
Instead of phlegm, a wad of sticking webbing flies out, slapping against the wall.
I experiment with this too, for probably ten minutes, before I have enough confidence that I can do it on command.
“Neat, now, for my fellow insectoids.”
I move to the door, opening it and scuttle up the wall and along the ceiling.
I scurry along the ceiling for a few minutes, until I see the pretend Pinkie and Applejack leaving another room, looking none too pleased.
“Why are we even staying in these forms?” Changeling Pinkie asks, annoyed.
“Whatever we heard, if’n it’s a pony, they can’t see Changelings in their princess’ castle,” Changeling Applejack shoots back. “Our queen wants the love the ponies have fer ’em, an’ we can’ get it if’n they find out we ain’t them.”
“Too late.”
“Huh?” they both say, before being slammed against the wall, now trapped in webbing and out cold.
I lower myself on a web thread and land in front of them.
“Better keep you out of sight.” I pull them off the wall, wrapping them in more webbing, before carrying them up to the ceiling and spit several more threads to hold them in place.
Once they’re both secured and I check to make sure they’re still unconscious, I hurry down the hall, back towards the throne room.
As I do, I hear a grumbling voice that I recognize as Spike, or, at least, Spike’s imposter.
“Go wait in the throne room, Spike. You’re not a pony, so nobody cares, Spike. Just because I have to pretend to be the dragon doesn’t mean they have to treat me like the ponies do.”
I frown. Okay, I know Spike got treated badly sometimes in the show, but that dialogue suggests the Changelings think the ponies treat him like a slave or something.
Clearly, someone didn’t do their homework on whom they were meant to be pretending to be.
“The intruder attacked two of us!”
I nearly lose my grip on the ceiling at the sound of Fluttershy’s angry tone, quickly hiding in a spot, trying to blend in.
I watch as the Changeling disguised as her hurries through the throne room doors and listen in.
“Our operatives disguised as Pinkie Pie and Applejack were attacked,” Fluttershy’s voice says. “Whatever it is in the castle, it can use webs and stuck them to the ceiling. Be on the lookout.”
I wait, watching as she leaves, flying off back down a hallway to the right.
“Oh, great,” Spike’s voice grumbles. “I’ll probably get blamed for that too. Man, I just wanna go back home.”
I blink. Did they sound… mournful?
I climb along the wall down to the doors, listening in.
“I hope the little ones are okay,” his voice murmurs. “I know I shouldn’t worry, I’m supposed to focus on the task at hand, but… If my husband isn’t careful.”
I cock an eyebrow. Okay. Either this is a gay Changeling, or a female disguised as Spike.
A sigh comes from the room. “I hope little Ocellus isn’t too worried about her mommy. I wish I could be with her, but I can’t exactly go against orders. The love we bring to the queen will help. It’s for the greater good.”
Hmm. This Changeling sounds like it’s a mother.
I blink, a smirk forming on my lips. I can use that. It might even work out better than trying to be stealthy.
Quietly, I crawl back along the wall, before climbing down onto the floor and focus.
Once again, I feel my body contort and twist, reshaping itself back into a human form.
Once I’m back to normal, I take a deep breathe. Time to put my acting skills to the test.
I flick my eyes several times. It hurts like heck, but it’s gotta be done.
I wait til I can feel my eyes really watering.
Next, I start breathing really quickly, trying to make myself short of breath.
Once I feel it’s hard to breathe, I run towards the door, being sure to make sure my feet are slapping against the crystal floor as loudly as possible and whimpering like a scared little girl.
I burst into the throne room, startling the Changeling disguised as Spike, who was pacing on the crystal table.
“Whoa, who’re—? What’re—?” Changeling Spike says, eyes wide open.
“Help me!” I cry out, trying to make the fear in my voice sound as real as possible. “Th-there was a monster! In my room! I-it tried to get me! I-it was spitting webs and I— I—”
I pretend to wail, slumping to my knees, putting my hands over my eyes.
At once, I hear a pair of legs hurrying along the map, as well as a magical sound I recognize as when Changelings change their forms, before feeling a pair of hole-poked forelegs wrap around me.
“Shh. Shh-shh, shh. It’s okay. It’s okay,” a light female voice says. “That monster won’t harm you.”
Inwardly, I smirk. Ha, got her.
“What was all that yelling?!” Twilight’s voice says, followed by the sound of hooves. “Why’re you in your normal form, Glossa? What’s that doing…? Wait. Isn’t that the thing that’s been asleep since we got here?”
“I think whatever is crawling around the castle was after her,” the Changeling name Glossa says, tightening her hold on me a little. “I couldn’t just ignore a scared grub, could I?”
“I… well, no, I guess not,” Changeling Twilight says, sounding annoyed, it clear she realized they need to keep up some kind of appearance to the creature that shouldn’t know what they really are or why they’re here.
“And I certainly wasn’t going to be able to comfort her in that small body of that dragon,” Glossa says sternly.
“Well, yeah, I guess you have a point,” Twilight voice says, sounding frustrated.
A second passes before I hear Fluttershy groan in annoyance, followed by hoofsteps and voice clearly meant to sound soothing, but holding way too must distaste saying, “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Wow. Glossa’s good at this, but this other Changeling sucks. Then again, Glossa’s actually trying to soothe what she thinks is a scared child. The Fluttershy importer is only doing it to keep up appearances.
“So, if this… thing saw whatever is in the castle, tell it to tell us where it is and what it looks like,” Rainbow Dash’s voice demands.
“No need,” I say, my voice changing to the gravellier one. “I’m right here!”
Before any of them can react, I transform, thrusting outward, tossing Glossa and the Fluttershy Changeling back, the latter slamming into the other two.
I turn to them spitting massive amounts of webbing, trapping them against the nearby wall.
I turn to Glossa pacing on all fours, like an animal.
She’s staring at me, shocked and hurt. “You… you tricked me!”
Realizing I can work with this, I shift back into human form, sneering. “Says the one who’s trying to trick all of Equestria into thinking she’s Spike to steal love for that heartless queen of yours.”
“You were that monster that attacks my fellow Changelings!” she points an accusing hoof at me.
“A bit of the pot calling the kettle black there, wouldn’t you say?” I ask.
The fact Miranda’s voice sounds just like Azula from The Last Airbender series is really helping me sound smug. If I keep talking like Azula would, I might be able to sway everything in my favour here.
“So, tell me what this big plan on your queen’s really is,” I say, my tone smugly condescending. “Steal the love from Twilight and the princesses? She does understand the world will be long dead before then, doesn’t she?”
Glossa’s expression becomes confused. “What… what are you talking about?”
I give her a pitying look and mockingly speak like I’m talking to a child. “Aw, didn’t you know that only Celestia and Luna can raise the sun and moon. Anyone else tries it, they lose their magic, forever.”
Her eyes widen in horror. “But… but if Changelings lose all their magic… how will we feed on love?”
I sneer, pacing around the room. Pretending to be like Azula when it’s against the bad guys is actually kinda fun. “Oh, don’t worry. Since you’re here, impersonating Spike, I’m sure you’ll be safe.” I wave a hand. “More likely it’ll be those who stayed behind at the hive. I suppose even your little Ocellus will be made to one day too. But, hey, so what if she loses all her magic and can’t feed anymore at least you can feed on other’s love, right?”
I turn around to face Glossa, only for all the confidence I had portraying Azula vanishes in an instant when I see the look on her face.
I know that look. It’s the Angry Mama Bear look.
“Don’t you talk about my daughter that way, you manipulative little witch!” she snarls, her horn lighting with green magic.
I brace myself, readying to transform at a moment’s notice. Shit. Shouldn’t pressed my luck there.
“Maybe I’ll use whatever spell the pony princess was working on before we came to punish you, you ungrateful, monstrous brat!”
I’m confused for a second, before I see her step into a chalk circle near Twilight’s throne I hadn’t noticed before.
Looking around frantically, my blood runs cold when I see another chalk circle on the wall behind said throne.
Both look more intricate than the one the Alicorn used to try and send me home.
Shit! Does Glossa even know what that spell is supposed to do?
“No, wait!” I yell, genuinely scared now, rushing forward and grab her horn, but too late.
I hear the sound I’ve only heard a few times since this all started, but am all too familiar with and look behind the throne to see a tear appear in the world as a Fold opens.
However, something’s wrong. I can actually feel something beyond the Fold, a… darkness. Wherever this Fold leads, it isn’t a place one will want to go.
Before I can do more than register the fear as I feel that darkness, a wind suddenly starts from the Fold, pulling us towards it.
“Wh-what’s going on?!” Glossa yells in fright as she lifts off the ground, her hooves having not traction.
I keep a firm grip on her horn, using my other hand to hold onto the top of Twilight’s throne.
“You just opened a Fold, a tear between the worlds. But you did it wrong. Folds aren’t supposed to suck you in.”
Before she can shout anything back, something whacks me in the head, causing me to lose my grip.
We both cry out as we fall through the Fold.
___________________________________________________________
You know, this feeling groggy and having no idea where I am thing is getting really old, really fast.
Opening my eyes, I push myself up and look around.
It’s so dark, I can barely see anything clearly. All I can really make out is I’m in some kind of forest. It looks really thick and over grown with vines.
Suddenly, a green light flares next to me and I turn to see Glossa, looking bewildered.
I leap back away from her and she gets into a defensive stance, before she shudders, crumpling like paper to the ground.
Now, we may be enemies, but I feel worry. That didn’t look normal.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, hurrying over and leaning down.
“F-fear. Hatred,” she barely stutters out. “So much… fear and hate. No love, anywhere.”
“Well, now. This is an interesting surprise.”
I whirl around, only to take a step back.
A giant, horse-like being is standing before me. It looks like its body made is of pure shadow, darker than even the darkness already around us, with wings of blazing green fire and glowing yellow eyes.
“Interesting indeed,” it says in a male voice looking me over. “My servants were right that something new had entered my realm and after so many years.”
The question I’m about to ask answers itself and things I can best describe as golems of red and white rock simply push themselves out from the ground around us, the latter with blue mousse and mushrooms growing on their heads.
“Wh-what are you?” I ask, trying and I’m pretty sure failing to sound tough. “A-and what have you done to Glossa?!”
The shadow horse just laughs. “Done to her? Dear child, I have done nothing… yet,” he finishes with a sneer. “Changelings haven’t been seen in my realm for quite a long time. I do miss tormenting them with the fear of others. As for who I am? Why, dear child, I am,” the flourish his wings, making himself seem as big and imposing as possible… it kinda working. “I am, the Pony of Shadows!”
My gut drops. The Pony of Shadows? Shit. You mean that’s actually a real thing and not just some dumb story Pinkie told in a filler episode.
Shit.
“Now,” the Pony of Shadows says, walking towards us, “if you’ll hand over that Changeling, I may just spare your life, strange creature. I may even let you be my pet.”
I feel my blood boil and stand firmly over Glossa’s prone form. “Okay, pal. One, I’m no one’s pet. And two, if you think I’m just going to give you this Changeling when I know you’re just going to torment her, when she has a daughter to return home to, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Wh-wha…?” Glossa’s voice murmrus feebly from beneath me.
“Her kind and I may be enemies because they’re attacking Equestria,” I growl, clenching my fists, readying to tranfrom the moment he makes a move, “but I’ll die before I give her over to an obvious monster like you!”
His eyes blaze with anger. “You dare to defy me?! You’ll pay for your insolen—”
He doesn’t get any further.
Without warning, light suddenly flares from somewhere in the distance. It’s so far off, yet, in the darkness, it’s so bright it’s as blinding as if it were right in front of my eyes.
“What? No!” the Pony of Shadows sounds both enraged and terrified. “It’s been dead for centuries! How is this possible?!”
Before I can fully understand what he’s talking about, the light gets even brighter, making it completely impossible to see a thing.
Even with my eyes shut, it’s still so bright I may as well be looking directly into the sun.
Suddenly, without warning, I feel something slam into, my body feeling like it’s on fire, but not hurting.
I feel something surging through me, making it hard to think at all. The only other thing I’m aware of being the Pony of Shadows’ screaming, but I can’t understand why.
Before I know what’s going on, my arm shoots to my side against my control, my hand gripping Glossa around the waist and I feel a yanking sensestion I wish I could say I’m not getting used to, before I feel myself slam against something cold and hard, the world fading to black, the screams gone, replaced only with silence.