Changes from the Far East- Chapter 3.
Author's note: Well, here you go guys- Chapter 3.
Let's hope I can write up the next chapter just as fast.
I also notice my chapters are getting longer...
As usual, your opinions on this chapter are appreciated!
After lunch, Shining Armor and the Doctor returned to their jobs. Who knew the Doctor was also a clockmaker in Ponyville? Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna led me into a massive library, presumably to teach my about my magic.
“Now remember Marco, magic is a fluid energy, able to take countless forms.” Celestia said. “The caster gives the energy form, thus shaping a spell- like so.” To emphasize her point, she created a golden force field. Needless to say, I was impressed.
“Whoa, awesome! How did you make that?”
Celestia smiled at my enthusiasm. “I will teach you in due time, young one. So listen.”
‘Ugh…I’m not a kid, I'm sixteen.’
“Hah!” Luna snorted. “Sister is 3003, while I’m in my 2500’s. You are in diapers, compared to the two of us.” Apparently, she’s getting the hang of modern speech, although she sometimes reverts back to ye olde tongue.
Celestia and I gaped at her, me out of shock that she could read my mind, Celestia more out of embarrassment. “L-Luna!” She stammered. “Don’t just blurt that out to anypony!”
“But Marco is not a pony.” Luna countered, a smirk on her face. “Besides Tia, what do you have to worry about when you look 1/100th your age?”
Celestia huffed, her crimson face reminding me of a cherry on whipped cream. “Whatever! Back to the lesson!” she huffed.
‘Women are touchy about their age: apparently a universal truth.’ I thought, trying my best not to show my amusement.
“I heard that, young colt!” Celestia threw book at me, while Luna rolled on the floor laughing.
‘Damn...’ I grimaced, gingerly rubbing the new lump on my forehead.
-----
“My dear Twilight Sparkle.
I am writing this letter to inform you that the situation has been resolved peacefully. Marco (the creature’s name) was merely confused, and has no relations to the changelings. He is a hybrid, part Changeling, and part Human- the mythical race of war.”
Princess Celestia looked up from the letter she was writing, wondering if she should tell Twilight about Marco’s abilities. ‘No.’ She eventually decided. While a genius, Her student had the unfortunate habit of overthinking scenarios, and working herself up into a state of panic…or mania.
“Rest assured, He’s quite friendly, and has assured me that he will not cause harm to anypony. Should anything of importance come up, I will not hesitate to inform you.
Your mentor, Princess Celestia.”
She rolled the scroll up, and teleported it to Spike, before hearing Luna shout “HAVE AT THEE!” nearby.
Rounding a bookshelf, she saw Luna helping Marco practice his shield spell. The biped, however, was clearly fatigued. Fortunately, the giant window behind him was intact, thanks to the multiple enchantments making it as strong as diamond.
“I…I’m at my limit…need break…please.” Marco groaned, his shield dissipating into green mist. After blocking magic bolts, projectiles and one weapons-grade shout for nearly a quarter hour, his reserves had hit rock bottom.
“Alright, you did well. Take a 10 minute break, then we’ll move on to Changeling magic.” Celestia replied. “It would be best not to leave the library, as it’s quite easy to get lost in the castle.” She added, before heading to the kitchens to get a drink…and maybe some of that wonderful cake the chefs had made earlier.
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“Marco, can you come over here for a- Marco! Art thou alright??” I heard Luna ask through the blurriness.
“Ow… will be in a minute…” I replied, fumbling for my glasses. “Where is that goddam- oh, there it is.” I put them on, and watched as the big blue blob sharpened into the shape of a certain Alicorn.
“What happened? Why art thou- I mean, why are you sprawled on a bookshelf?”
“Tried to fly.” I answered, rubbing my head. “Long story short, too much acceleration, and I don’t know how to turn.” Note to self: those bug wings pack some serious power. “So Luna, you wanted something?” I asked, getting back on my feet.
“Yes. But first, you must know that in Equestria, your species is perceived as a myth. In the past, Sister has encountered them once, but she refuses to speak about it.”
“Really? Who knew?” I casually remarked, levitating the bookshelf back upright. “What were the humans like in myths?” I asked, picking up fallen books and placing them back on shelves...by hand. Magic’s great for heavy lifting, but I’ve still got a lot to learn…like how to lift multiple things at once.
“Actually, that is what I wanted to ask.” Luna replied, levitating a large dusty book to me. She then flipped through it, stopping at a chapter that was given the title “Humans.”
“It is one thing to read about your species, and another to hear it firsthoof.”
“Oh, you want me to read the tale, and give my opinion on it?” She nodded. “No problem.” I replied, grabbing the tome with my magic- I mean hey, practice makes perfect.
The chapter was basically a personal account from a pony travelling in the “Deserts of Saddle Arabia” (Why are all the locations I’ve heard so far puns on places found on Earth?), who encountered a group of Humans facing off against several giant desert scorpions and a Djinn (a fierce humanoid creature composed of sand and fiery magic). And the humans were winning.
“…Shoulder-mounted rods that shot fire and brimstone, blasting through armor that had resisted the strongest of spells. However, their weaponry could not harm the intangible Djinn, and so with great haste, the bipeds retreated, carrying their wounded into a metal behemoth that rose into the air as gracefully as a Pegasus, using nothing but a tornado of blades…”
“…Wow. Where do I begin?” I remarked, levitating the book to a nearby table. “For starters, those humans were probably soldiers. The “rods” fire RPGs, which are basically flying explosives. Since this Djinn isn’t solid, projectiles and bombs won’t work on it.” Luna just nodded, egging me to continue.
“Finally, the flying vehicle is called a Helicopter. The blades generate lift, allowing it to take off and land vertically. It’s versatility makes it extremely useful In situations where you need to get in and out of the area quickly…kind of like a Pegasus.”
Luna wanted to know more, but at that moment, Celestia returned to the Library, licking something off her muzzle...was that icing?
“Ah, good, you’ve recovered. Let us move on…”
-----
Now, for those of you who think all magic is a simple case of “point, chant, and receive awesome effects”, I’m afraid you are sorely mistaken. There is a reason you have to learn magic. And sometimes, even the best teachers run into situations that they can’t explain.
Take Princess Celestia, for example. She taught me that Changelings were natural spies and assassins, able to effortlessly shape-shift into a carbon copy of any creature they choose- A pureblood changeling, that is.
Here’s the current situation: There are three beings in the Library. Luna, Celestia, and me, disguised as Celestia. However, one Celestia is in shock, while the other is somewhere between extreme discomfort and confusion. Meanwhile, Luna is busy laughing her flank off.
“Um…Celestia?” The uncomfortable Celestia asked hesitantly.
“Yes Marco?” The shocked Celetia replied.
“You said I would turn into an identical copy of you…right?”
“Well, technically you did…”
“Did you take our species into account?” I sighed, crossing my arms over an…ample rack.
‘Whoa, we got dem fine tits!’ A voice in my head cheered.
‘…Shut up, me.’ I groaned, brushing a prismatic curtain of hair away from my eyes…again.
Yep, I transformed into a Human Celestia complete with multicolored hair, golden Rolex (with her sun mark on the watch face), and white business suit (thank god- I’d have died of a nosebleed if I transformed into a nude Celestia…that, and she’d probably trample me me for ogling.)
“…I’m afraid I didn’t.” Celestia replied. “This has never happened before… Maybe it’s because your kind have aren’t native to magic...”
“You mean the human part of me is screwing with the transformation.” I repeated, releasing the disguise.
“Why did thou change back?” Luna choked out between gasps. “That was incredibly amusing!”
I shot Luna a dirty look. “Because I like my balls to stay where they’re supposed to, alright?” Luna fell silent, her face taking on a reddish tint.
“So, how are we going to deal with this…issue?” I asked. “None of my transformations are going to help me blend in.”
“If your human side is affecting the transformations, why not switch to a pony form first?” Luna suggested.
“What? Is that even possible?” I questioned. Both princesses nodded vigorously, giving me no other reason to decline trying. I shrugged, and closed my eyes, concentrating on an outline of a pony. I heard the familiar roar of emerald flames surrounding me, changing my form. Then without warning my world suddenly flipped, and whacked me on the face.
‘OW, SONUVA…oh hey, it worked.’
-----
As the roar of changeling magic died down, Celestia and Luna looked back at the dissipating emerald flame pillar, only to hear a loud “Thunk”, followed by a pained curse.
“吊<Fuck> !” As the flames cleared, a teenage colt was revealed, lying on the very spot Marco was. “Man, I never expected to pitch forward.” The colt commented, gingerly rubbing his muzzle. “Hey, my vision’s perfect now!”
“…Marco? Is that you?” Celestia hesitantly asked.
The colt merely nodded, shakily rising to his hooves. “Yeah…it’s me. How do I look?”
As a colt, Marco wasn’t tall by pony standards, slightly shorter than the average stallion. However, that could be because of his young age. He was well built, although slightly on the pudgy side. Marco sported a midnight blue coat and horn, and his mane and tail were black, with a cyan streak going down both.
Celestia also noted the Changeling features had remained, among other subtler differences. Marco’s heterochromia remained, the blue eye on the left contrasting to the brown one on the right. His ears were slightly pointier than most ponies, and the shape of his eyes was different. Marco also kept his insect wings, now tinted the same color as his coat.
“…More inconspicuous.” Celestia finally replied.
“…Really? I thought the wings would stand out.” Marco commented, glancing backwards before staring up at the two Alicorns. “Whoa, you two are pretty taaa- oof!.” Marco lost his balance and tipped backwards, landing on his flank. “This is going to- Ow. Take some- Ow. Getting used to.” He grunted, trying and failing to stay on his hooves. “Mind helping me out here?”
-----
“天啊，现在已经那么晚呀？<My god, it’s that late already? >” Marco (now back in human form) groaned, staring at his watch. Not too long ago, Princess Celestia and Luna had to cut the lesson short in order to “perform their royal duties”, as they called it. When he exited the library, a guard was waiting outside, stating that he was to guide the creature to his room.
‘Jesus, this bed is comfy.’ Marco thought, sprawled on top of the covers. ‘It’s like sleeping on air. The maker of this mattress must be a billionaire by now…’
A loud knocking on his door shattered his thoughts. ‘Eh? Now what?’ The Hybrid thought, slightly annoyed at having to leave his comfortable state. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by an assortment of guards and servants, their expressionless faces unnerving him.
‘There’s something off about these guys...I can’t sense any positive emotion from them, just hunger and deception.’ He thought, body tensing for a fight.
‘But what if it's just paranoia? we can’t just plow through the staff!’ Another voice in his head reasoned. ‘The princess will buck us out of Canterlot!’
“Um…can I help you?” Marco finally spoke, deciding to play it safe.
“You are the creature detained in Ponyville, correct?” A servant mare stated in a monotone.
“Er…yes?”
“You are a hybrid between a changeling and an unknown creature, correct?” Another droned.
“Yes…why’d you ask?”
“No questions! You have subdued three royal guards with ease, correct?” A guard in the group spoke.
‘Oh, so this is what it’s about…’ Marco thought. “Look, I’m sorry about that, okay? I panicked, and…”
“Silence!” The ponies shouted in unison, causing him to flinch. “We have found our target.”
‘The way they speak as one is really creeping me out here.’
“You are a threat to the hive, and the reign of Queen Chrysalis. You will be terminated.” With that, all 20 ponies began advancing menacingly.
‘Did they just say…terminate?’ Marco thought, backing up to the balcony. ‘Shit!’
‘RETALIATE OR DIE, YOU FOOL!’
“Stay back!” He yelled, thrusting his hand forward to cast a barrier. Instead, a torrent of green flames gushed from the open palm, engulfing the ponies.
Marco just gaped in disbelief as he stared at his handiwork. ‘Holy mother of- did I do thaaaaaaOOOH SONUVABITCH WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?’
Like demons wading through brimstone, black, equine creatures burst through the fire. With their black shell-like exterior, legs holed like swiss cheese, ragged wings and the fire eating away their disguises, they looked like the bug-ponies from hell.
‘Shit, they’re fireproof! What do I do now!?’ Marco thought, frantically searching for an escape route.
‘Well, we are on a balcony…you could jump.’ The voice in his head suggested.
‘JUMP!? You’re insane!!’
‘笨蛋。<Idiot.> We have wings!’
‘YOU THINK I KNOW HOW TO FLY RIGHT NOW!?’
A green bolt of magic flew past Marco, inches away from his neck. Something told him that he wasn’t going to be so lucky the next time.
‘Shitshitshitshit…’ was all that was going through his mind as he saw a bug-pony readying another shot.
“SHIT!!” Marco roared, charging up a spell and making a swatting motion with his hand.
Now it is a common fact that changelings absorb the positive emotions of others for sustenance and to amplify magic. However in dire situations, they can actually use what little emotions they have for power, as long as it’s strong enough. And few are stronger than the will to survive.
A glowing green hand the size of a minibus (Toyota Coaster- for size reference) slammed into the bug-like creatures from the side, and pinned them against the wall. Fearing the…whatever-that-spell-was wouldn’t last long, Marco quickly bolted out of the door…
…Only to be knocked down by a wall of metal and flesh. As the swirling stars faded from his vision, he made out the shapes of the palace guards. One of the guards stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the scorched carpet, before focusing on the bug-ponies struggling to escape from their prison. Marco saw a look of shock briefly flash across the pony’s eyes, before reverting to their usual stony gaze.
“Mother of Celestia…” The guard whispered, before facing his comrades. “Surge. Armory. Go inform the Captain and the royal majesties of the situation at hand. Everypony else, detain the changelings.” The guard then turned to the stunned biped. “Sir, please follow me. It would be best if you told the Princesses what happened here.”
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[THRONE ROOM]
“Changelings!?” Celestia gasped. “To think they’ve managed to infiltrate the castle without suspicion…this is worrying news indeed.”
Celestia, Luna and Shining Armor all traded worried glances, remembering the changeling invasion a few weeks back, and how close they were to being defeated. Marco listened on, occasionally chipping in to correct facts, or voice his thoughts.
“Changelings are a cunning species, masters of disguise and deception.” Luna remarked, remembering how they had deceived her into thinking that all was well that day. “How did you realize something was amiss?”
“Um, well…I, ah…” Marco stammered. How could he explain something he barely understood? “I don’t really know myself.” He admitted. “It’s like I can now sense the emotions of others. And with this,” Marco tapped his blue eye. “I can see those emotions.”
“Changelings barely have any emotion, only hunger and deception. No regret, no individuality. They’re like machines.” He yawned, sitting on the steps beside the throne. “Man, it’s been a helluva day…” The day had taken a huge toll on him, and it was beginning to show.
Princess Luna smiled, and trotted over to his side. “Rest, Marco. It has been a long day for you.” She said, casting a dreamless spell over him.
Marco grinned weakly, removing his glasses as the spell took over. “Thanks Luuu…” He slumped forward mid-sentence, and began to snore lightly. Celestia then levitated him behind the throne, propping him up against it’s back, before the three ponies left the room.
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Out in the castle gardens, a beam of moonlight shone upon the statue of a patchwork Draconequus named Discord, the avatar of chaos, who was imprisoned in stone. Unknown to all, the natural chaos in Equestria was slowly chipping away at the stone, creating minute cracks here and there. Today, one of the cracks tripled in size, creating a inch-long fracture.
Inside his prison, Discord smiled.
“Marvelous! A being of chaos in this realm! I must see this for myself.”
A small tendril of yellow energy snaked out of the crack, and into the castle through a balcony. Travelling through the vast halls, the yellow wisp drifted into the throne room, where Marco slumbered.
“Ah, my unknowing aide, I have much to thank you for, allowing me a chance to escape.” The wisp began circling his head slowly, before entering his mouth. Marco coughed a bit from the new sensation, but didn’t wake up. “Here, a little…token, of my gratitude.”
Discord’s ethereal voice faded, and the quiet night passed on, with nary a soul the wiser.