//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Forever a Changeling // by Scootaloo-009 //------------------------------// Forever a Changeling by Scootaloo-009, a.k.a. Mechsrule1 My Little Pony and related names, images, and scenarios are property of Hasbro Inc. Chapter 3         “Applejack, where were yah?” Apple Bloom shouted. “Big Mac and Granny Smith got worried when yah didn’t come back last night!”         “Apple Bloom, Ah told yah Ah was gonna be away fer a bit,” Applejack replied, getting of the train. The train had barely stopped before her little sister was glaring at her through the windows.         “Bye, girls, I’ve got some banners to make!” Pinkie Pie said, skipping.         “Hold on,” Rarity said, grabbing Pinkie’s tail with her magic. “I don’t think Rainbow Dash would appreciate that.”         “I don’t think we should go around spreading her secret around without her permission,” Fluttershy added.         “Secret? What secret?” Apple Bloom asked.         “Rainbow Dash is-” Fluttershy and Rarity clamped their hooves over Pinkie’s mouth.         “None of yer business,” Applejack said sharply. “Now get yer behind tah school, it’s probably already started.”         “Okay...” Apple Bloom sighed. She slowly left the station and quickly hid behind a building as her sister and her friends walked by.         “Pinkie, yah gotta promise not tah tell anypony Rainbow Dash is a changeling,” Applejack said in a hushed tone. “Only she can decided when and who to tell, not you.”         “Okay...” Pinkie Pie said solemnly, dragging her hooves. “I promise, cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”         “When she does, I’m sure she’ll want you to throw the party,” Fluttershy said, trying to cheer her up.         “Hey, that’s right! I can still plan it, even if I can’t throw it right now!” Pinkie Pie said, smiling again.         Apple Bloom peeked around the side of the building to make sure they weren’t watching. After they turned a corner, she quickly galloped off, mind buzzing with what she had just heard. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -         “Is this the place?” Twilight asked.         “Yup,” Rainbow Dash replied.         The two of them were standing outside a three story building a little ways out of the center of Los Pegasus. On the front was a large sign that read “What’s Your Fantasy?” in big letters with “Whatever it is, you can find it here” in smaller letters. Rarity and Fluttershy had refused to go. Applejack was too busy as always. Pinkie Pie seemed to not understand what the place was for so they convinced her to stay behind.         “Let’s get this over with,” Twilight said.         “You don’t have to come with me, you know,” Rainbow Dash told her.         “You’re not going in there alone. Now let’s go.”         Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash each took a deep breath and entered the building. It was very dark inside and Rainbow Dash nearly gagged from the smell. There were tiny lights on the walls casting a dim glow over the entryway. The walls were wood paneling halfway up, then wallpaper up to the ceiling. Several hallways led off from the room and the big feature was a wood desk with a cash register on it. Behind it sat a tall earth pony mare busy reading a magazine.         “Ugh. It stinks in here,” she commented, holding a hoof to her nose.         “Really? It’s a bit... fragrant but it’s not that bad,” Twilight replied.         “Do you want to go in now or are you here for reservations?” the mare asked in a nasally voice, speaking to her magazine.         “We’re not here for your... services,” Twilight replied. “We’re looking for information.”         “Here’s our brochure,” the mare said without looking up. She tossed a folded paper at them and Twilight caught it with her magic. “It’s got info on rates and our new in home services.”         “Look, I need to talk with the queen,” Twilight said. “If she’s here, that is.”         Finally the mare looked up. “I’ll ask if she wants to see you.” She leaned over to a phone on the desk and pressed a button. “Queen Ovi, some pony wants to see you.”         “Name?” came the reply. The mare looked up expectantly.         “Twilight Sparkle, the personal student of Princess Celestia.”         “Celestia’s-”         “I heard. Send her in,” the voice said.         “Down the left hall. Take the stairs at the end until you reach the top floor,” the mare said, returning to her magazine.         “Thanks,” Rainbow Dash said before heading down the hallway.         It was very similar to the entry room but with doors every ten feet or so. Some were open and Rainbow Dash couldn’t help peeking inside them. In each she could see a changeling in each lying on a simple bed with a few thin sheets and some giant pillows. She could also see the edge of a locker she assumed held various... things. Some changelings were asleep, others seemed bored, and some were busy putting the room back to the way it was supposed to look. She noticed their shells were all bright pink, not blue like hers.         “Huh,” she said as they mounted the worn wooden stairs. When the reached the top they found two large changelings guarding an elegant set of double doors. They weren’t like the other changelings, these two were built like diamond dogs.         “The Queen is waiting,” one said with surprising clarity. It reached over and opened one door delicately. Twilight nodded and went inside with Rainbow Dash following nervously. She gazed up in awe at the massive creatures. She realized she was dragging behind and sped up.         The new room was just as elegant as the doors. It wasn’t any brighter though. A gilded carpet led to a mahogany desk. Behind it was a plush chair that was currently turned away from them.         “Hello?” Twilight called.         “Hello, Twilight.” The chair turned around to reveal Princess Celestia sitting there, her hooves together with a lusty grin on her face.         “Princess? What are you doing here?” Twilight exclaimed.         “I could ask you the same question. Here for a little affection you don’t get from me?”         “Bwah?”         “We can make up for lost time now.” Princess Celestia smiled more broadly, batting her eyelashes. “Why don’t you step over here? Let me show you what thousands of years of experience is like.”         “What? No!”         “Do you want something more masculine?” Princess Celestia asked. Her face began changing, becoming more like that of a stallion.         “Huh?”         “Something darker perhaps?” Her whole body shifted again, becoming a replica of Princess Luna.         “Twilight, she’s just messing with you!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Shape shifting, remember?”         “Party pooper!” Princess Luna snapped, sticking her tongue out. Her body changed again, this time becoming the familiar shape of a changeling queen. She wasn’t exactly like Chrysalis, her mane was much shorter and translucent blond. The shell on her back was pink just like the other changelings had been.         “Now why are you here?” she asked when she was done changing.         “I’m here because of this changeling,” Twilight said, pointing to Rainbow Dash.         Queen Ovi looked bored. “Yes, what about her?”         “Is it one of yours?” Twilight asked.         “No.”         The response was so immediate, Twilight was shocked. “How can you tell?”         “The shells, right?” Rainbow Dash said.         “That and your pheromones,” Queen Ovi replied. “I’ll explain it to the pony for you. Every hive has its own scent. Color is probably the only way you ponies will tell us apart. Some hives have duplicate colors but that is why we have pheromones to tell each other apart.”         “So that’s what you’re smelling,” Twilight realized.         “Yeah, it reeks in here,” Rainbow Dash said.         “Changeling pheromones are meant to smell repulsive to members of other hives,” Queen Ovi stated.         “Do you know what hive it does belong to?” Twilight asked.         “You know, I really don’t like your attitude,” Queen Ovi said.         “Please could you tell us?”         “It’s not that. I know your language is limited in its pronouns but certainly your friend is getting annoyed with you calling her an ‘it’ all the time.”         “Yeah, I am still a mare, Twilight. I wasn’t going to say anything though,” Rainbow Dash added.         “Sorry, I just assumed changelings were genderless,” Twilight said sheepishly.         “They are to an extent,” Queen Ovi replied. “Obviously as Queen I have a set gender by default. Drones don’t but they seem to have a preference. Some like being male, some female, some both, and some neither. I don’t know why. It doesn’t interfere with their duties so I don’t force mine to stay in any form.”         “Is that why her mane is still basically the same color?” Twilight asked.         “Probably. My changelings have two main forms, the standard identical form where they all look the same and are genderless, and the chosen form. They obviously take whatever form our customer wants but that is temporary. I don’t know why some have a preference on gender or mane appearance but it doesn’t hurt them and I don’t mind. “It could also be just a trait of her hive. My hive, for example, is able to shapeshift without all that flashy fire the other hives have. It is very useful as a sudden burst of flame would scare our clientele.”         “Going back to her question, can you tell me what hive I’m from?” Rainbow Dash asked.         “Don’t you know?”         Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I found out I was a changeling yesterday when her spell made me change into this. I never knew.”         “That is... unusual. However, I cannot help you,” Queen Ovi said.         Rainbow Dash looked crestfallen.         “If I could, I would. However I have never met another changeling from your hive.”         “Is there any place we could go to find out?” Twilight asked.         “No. Unlike you ponies, we changelings live by ourselves. The only time hives come together is to fight over territory. Because of the nature of this place, many, many ponies come here. Some bring along changeling companions without knowing it. I thought I had seen a member of every hive out there. I’ve worked hard to ensure this place is free from conflict. If they were causing a problem we would definitely be shut down.         “I’ve made sure visiting changelings understand this is neutral ground. They fight and they are kicked out. If you are trying to find your own hive I would be very careful. You might run into a hive hostile towards yours. Your pony friend would simply be used for food while you would likely be killed,” Queen Ovi explained.         “So what should I do?” Rainbow Dash asked.         “I would return to the life you lived.”         “I would but I don’t know how to disguise,” Rainbow Dash admitted.         “I suppose I can teach you that,” Queen Ovi said.         “Thank you.”         “You’re really kind,” Twilight added.         “I feel bad for her,” Queen Ovi explained. “The only explanation I can think of for never meeting another from your hive is that there isn’t one.”         “But how is that possible?” Twilight asked.         “A hive dies when the queen passes with no viable successor. When that happens the drones have no direction and die off very quickly. I do not know how you came into whatever circumstances that led to you surviving, but know you are very fortunate. You are the only changeling I have ever encountered that has survived alone.”         “Huh,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m not going to turn into a queen or something, am I?”         “No, you would already be one,” Queen Ovi replied.         “Can I ask something?” Twilight asked. “Why do you run this place? It must be so degrading for the changelings.”         “It isn’t at all,” Queen Ovi answered. “My little changelings are quite happy. We are the only hive with a stable food source. I, like my five predecessors have done everything to ensure this place thrives. Lovesick ponies come in, we take care of them, they leave, and everyone is happy. From time to time some ‘moral crusader’ will decide they want us out of their town so I’ll nicely remind them of when they were here themselves, howling like a timberwolf. They quiet down and we go on.         “Places like this will always exist and changelings are the ideal ones to run it. Ponies love our abilities and we’re immune to most pony illnesses, and genetically incompatible to boot.”         “That’s good to know,” Rainbow Dash said.         Queen Ovi leaned over. “You fascinate me. What is your name?”         “Rainbow Dash!”         “See, if I had asked a drone, they would say something boring like a number or maybe what their cover’s name was. You have a lot more... personality than most drones. If I had only heard of you, I would say you must be a Queen, but you definitely are not.”         “You said I was rude for assuming Rainbow Dash had no gender, but now you’re bad mouthing your own changelings?” Twilight exclaimed.         “Their job is to serve the Queen and the hive. They rarely have an identity outside of that. That is why I encourage any step towards individuality. They can be so dull at times. I had to hire a pony to be my receptionist because they couldn’t do it.”         “So why am I me?” Rainbow Dash asked.         “Only you can answer that.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -         “You’re crazy,” Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom.         “Ah heard it from mah big sis. Rainbow Dash is a changeling.” Apple Bloom repeated.         “Did she say she was a changeling or that a changeling was pretending to be her?” Sweetie Belle asked.         “It sounded like she was,” Apple Bloom replied.         “Well I won’t believe it until I hear it from her!” Scootaloo said defiantly. “I’ll go ask her right now!”         “Scoots, we still have school,” Sweetie Belle said, pointing to the school house. “I don’t think you could find her before lunch is over.”         “Plus she ain’t even in town,” Apple Bloom added. “She didn’t come home with Applejack and the rest.”         Scootaloo looked at her sandwich. “I still want to hear it from her.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -         “Visualize, focus, then...” There was a burst of bright blue flame. “What do you think, Twilight?”         Twilight looked over. She was shocked to see what she could only call a male version of Rainbow Dash.         “Call me Rainbow Blitz!” the stallion said, smirking.         “You really got the hang of that,” Twilight noted.         “Yeah. Though I think I’ll just stay as myself.” There was another flash of blue and Rainbow Dash was once again a cyan pegasus mare.         “You still have fangs.”         “Oops.”         “I don’t think your wings were that big before.”         Rainbow Dash flexed the appendages on her back that were now as big as she was. “What? They totally were!”         Queen Ovi had only taught her a few things. Everything else she had said was “unimportant for a lone changeling to know”. After covering how to transform, she’d also explained how to control her pheromone levels. It could be important if she met other changelings as they would smell her from a distance and may be hostile. She’s also explained that changelings could locate ponies by sensing their emotions but it was useless for finding a particular pony and it was difficult to learn. Queen Ovi explained the basics of how to do it and left Rainbow Dash to develop the skill if she wanted to.         “You seem a lot happier about all this then you did yesterday,” Twilight observed.                  Rainbow Dash’s cheer vanished. “It’s still pretty crazy, but now that I’m me again, I think I’m okay with this. I just wish I knew what happened.”         “If you let me see your memories-”         “No, Twilight.”         “Can you at least tell me why?”         Rainbow Dash looked away. “It’s personal.”         “Okay, I won’t make you tell me.”         “My parents must have found me and thought I was an abandoned foal or something. They never said anything about it, but this would explain why I’m the only pegasus in ten generations of earth ponies.”         “Your parents were earth ponies?” Twilight said, trying to stifle a giggle.         “Yeah. Hard to believe the greatest flyer ever to come out of Cloudsdale spent her early years on the ground,” Rainbow Dash said, smiling. “Though I was flying a lot then too.”         “Look, Rainbow Dash, I really want to apologize. This must be really hard for you and I’ve done nothing but treat you badly.”         Rainbow Dash smiled knowingly. “Twilight, after what happened at the wedding, I don’t blame you for being suspicious.”         “Still I want to make it up to you. How about if I teach you some magic?”         “I don’t know, can I even do magic?” Rainbow Dash asked.         “Queen Chrysalis had no problem using it.”         “But that was changeling magic. You’re talking about pony magic. I don’t think they’re the same,” Rainbow Dash said. “And I’m a pegasus at heart. Magic is your thing.” “You could give it a try. It couldn’t-” Twilight stopped. A green mist had appeared in front of her. It turned into a scroll in a flash of light. Curious, she opened it and began reading.         “Anything important?”         “Yeah. It’s from Princess Celestia. It seems that the unicorn she sent to Manehattan to look for changelings has vanished. She wants me to look into it.”         “Sounds like trouble. There might be a bunch there if they took out a court mage. I’m coming too,” Rainbow Dash declared.         “Having you there would be an invaluable asset.”         “Yeah and I want ponies to know not all changelings are bad.”         Twilight looked at her questioningly.         “I’m sure everypony already knows what I am. You girls are being really great about this but there are just five of you.” Twilight shook her head, smiling. “I don’t think so. We were worried a random changeling would cause a panic so I don’t think anypony saw you, and even if they did, I don’t think any of them knew it was you.” “That’s a relief. The fewer ponies who know, the better.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~         If you like this story, you should check out some of my other works:         The Seven Tribes, a rather long fanfic that, like many stories, tries to explain the past.         Samurai Applejack, a drastically different kind of story. It’s rated mature for violence and some suggestive lines.         Night of the Werepony, what I consider to be my worst story, but it’s my most popular. It’s just one chapter long.         My tumblr, an alternate universe mixing MLP and Cyborg 009.