Chapter 4
An Enemy Turned Friend
After narrowly escaping from the Changeling garrison that had been hidden in an old warehouse just outside of Ninjago City, the Ninjago Ninjas and Equestria Girls were able to safely navigate the city’s metro tunnels with their stolen Changeling ground transport vehicle and arrived at the station beneath Borg Tower, located near the center of the city and easily one of the tallest structures in the city. Once they had parked the massive vehicle somewhere out of the way, the group took the elevator up to the top floor, carrying with them two briefcases filled with hundreds of pages of potentially valuable information about the Changeling forces, as well as the battered and unconscious Changeling soldier named Thorax.
When they arrived at the top of the tower, they entered the main office, where they were greeted by their friend P.I.X.A.L. and Cyrus Borg, the brilliant inventor and technician who owned and operated Borg Industries that was based in the tower of his namesake, and whose mobility was limited by a wheelchair. After the two of them began the automatic process of scanning the recovered documents onto the server for later analysis, Cyrus had expressed great delight at being presented with an opportunity to study and reverse engineer the combat armor of a Changeling soldier, despite its severe damage. And with Cyrus’s assurance that Thorax would receive proper medical care after being stripped of his armor, the ninjas and the girls agreed to finally get some rest after their successful mission.
The following morning, with the ninjas and the girls still wearing their ninja uniforms with their hoods down, most of the group had decided to do some additional combat training in a large room a few floors down, just in case if they suddenly found themselves forced to confront some more Changeling troopers. Meanwhile, Twilight, Sunset, and Zane had offered to begin studying some of the documents that had been recovered, so the three of them sat around a small table and stared down at tablets in their hands as they read over the scanned files that appeared on those screens.
Sunset swiped left on her tablet to see the next page, then sighed and grumbled, “Never let it be said that planning a full-scale war doesn’t require tons of logistics.”
“If one wishes to achieve success,” noted Zane as he set down his tablet, “then every contribution matters, even the most mundane of tasks.”
“Doesn’t make this any less boring,” retorted Sunset bitterly before she took a sip from a mug of coffee.
Zane stared blankly at Sunset for a moment, then turned to Twilight and asked, “Have you discovered anything potentially useful, Twilight?”
Twilight sighed in disappointment and replied, “Not in regards to anything we could use to our advantage against the Changelings. Remember when one of the pages got destroyed in a paper jam and had to be reprinted? Turns out that it was nothing more than an inventory list for the contents of a janitor’s closet.”
Sunset swiped left on her tablet again to the next page and attempted to take another sip of coffee, only to discover the mug was now empty. She turned back towards the coffee dispenser and noticed that the pot was also now empty. She turned her attention back to the page being displayed on her tablet for a moment, then let out a sigh of frustration before she suddenly stood up out of her chair and sharply declared, “Who am I kidding? I’ve never had much patience for this kind of studying. Not even trying to save the world from an alien invasion would be worth forcing me to sit down and stare at endless pages of boring documents for hours on end.”
Twilight and Zane stared blankly at Sunset for a moment, then turned to each other. “Perhaps we should take a break,” suggested Twilight.
“I see little reason to consider that unwise,” agreed Zane. “These digital copies of the Changeling documents have been saved onto Cyrus Borg’s personal database, one of the most secure server systems in the entire Lego World. We can come back at any time and all of this information will still be fully accessible for us.”
“Sounds good to me,” accepted Sunset as she shut off her tablet and set it down on the table. “Let’s go see what the others are up to.” She then turned away and began walking towards the door out of the room.
Twilight and Zane also shut off their tablets and set them down on the table before they both got up out of their seats and followed Sunset.
Sunset, Twilight, and Zane stepped out of the elevator and soon arrived at a large room where all kinds of various obstacles had been set up. They quickly noticed Jay, Cole, and Fluttershy sitting on a nearby bench and apparently observing the room full of those obstacles.
As the trio who just arrived walked over to those on the bench, Twilight asked, “What’s going on in here?”
“Stealth training,” answered Cole.
“Think of it as like a game of hide-and-seek,” explained Jay, “except it’s a total free-for-all.”
“I take it you three are here because you are already out?” asked Zane.
“Unfortunately, yes,” replied Jay sadly. “Rarity tricked me into going after a reflection of herself in a mirror so she could get me from behind.”
“And I can’t believe I fell for Pinkie’s spring-loaded boxing glove disguised as a present,” added Cole sourly as he crossed his arms and frowned.
Sunset smirked and remarked, “Wow. I guess our friends are getting pretty good at handling themselves in dangerous situations.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Fluttershy noted with a lack of enthusiasm as she pointed ahead towards the middle of the room full of obstacles.
Not far away, Kai kept himself hidden behind one of the obstacles, which happened to be a small bus. He silently peeked his head over the bus and glanced around, then swiftly dove towards the next nearby obstacle, which was a large crate. He crouched down to remain hidden for a moment, then peeked his head up again to take another quick glance around.
Kai suddenly heard a metallic groan behind him, so he quickly turned around and saw an upright steel girder beginning to topple over directly towards him. “Whoa!” he shouted in shock as he swiftly jumped out of the way before that girder came crashing down on top of the crate he had been hiding behind.
“Ooh! Sorry, mah bad,” Applejack called out apologetically as she stepped out into the open. “Didn't mean to tip that thing over. Guess Ah don’t know mah own strength, sometimes.”
“Eh, it’s okay,” assured Kai as he walked over to where Applejack stood. “That was actually pretty easy for me to dodge, thanks to my extensive ninja training.”
“Considerin’ you guys are the best of the best at this sort of thing, Ah'd expect nothin’ less,” remarked Applejack with a smile.
Meanwhile, not far away from them, Lloyd was also trying to stay hidden as he swiftly moved from one obstacle to another. He eventually took cover behind an empty dumpster, then silently peered around the side to check his surroundings.
“Sneak attack!”
Lloyd quickly spun around and saw Rainbow Dash falling towards him with a cocky grin on her face. Lloyd immediately reacted by swiftly leaping out of the way, then he leaped off the side of a nearby shipping container as Rainbow Dash hit the floor, and finally landed his jump by standing on Rainbow Dash’s back.
“Rule number one of sneak attacks,” stated Lloyd. “Never bring any attention to yourself before you’ve taken down your opponent.”
“Aw, man!” moaned Rainbow Dash in disappointment. “You guys make it look so easy!”
“Only because we’ve had lots of proper ninja training,” taunted Lloyd. He then playfully added, “You should try it sometime. Maybe then, your oversized ego could no longer be such a huge disadvantage.”
“How’s this for a sneak attack?”
Lloyd and Rainbow Dash turned their attention upwards to see Pinkie Pie standing atop a horizontal steel girder that was close to the ceiling. There was also a rope with one end tied to the ceiling where she stood, with the other end anchored to the floor some distance away, resulting in the rope being held taut at a relatively shallow downward angle.
Pinkie pulled out a few streamers from seemingly nowhere behind her back, swung them over the rope and grabbed both ends so that she was now suspended from the rope, then lifted her legs and began to slide down along the rope. “Woohoo!” she cheerfully cried out.
However, those streamers proved to be so weak against the friction of sliding down the rope that they snapped in half after only a few seconds. “Wuh-oh…” muttered Pinkie worriedly as she now found herself falling uncontrollably, and once she neared the floor, she slammed her entire body, front first, against a large gong.
BOOONNNNGGGGG!!
After vibrating along with that gong for a few seconds, Pinkie finally slid free from the gong and gently landed on the floor on her feet. “Ding-dong…” she sang deliriously as she stumbled around. “King Kong play ping pong…” After some more aimless stumbling around, her disorientation finally caught up to her and she collapsed to the floor.
Fluttershy gasped and quickly rushed over to where Pinkie had fallen.
“Time out, everyone!” Cole called out urgently. “Time out!”
With that statement, the rest of the participants stopped what they were doing and joined the others as they gathered near the gong that Pinkie had crashed into, with Rarity and Nya being the only ones who had still been hidden among the obstacles.
“Are you okay, Pinkie?” asked Twilight.
Pinkie’s eyes continued to slowly spin around as she responded with a random babble of complete nonsense.
“Oh dear,” said Fluttershy worriedly before she reached down and tried to help Pinkie back up on her feet. “We should take you to the infirmary and make sure you’re not too badly hurt.”
“Allow me to assist,” offered Zane as he walked over to the other side of Pinkie and helped her up so that she was now supported between Zane and Fluttershy.
“Looks like you’ve got this taken care of,” noted Sunset, “so I guess the rest of us will just wait here for now.”
Without another word, Fluttershy and Zane carefully guided the very dazed Pinkie Pie out of the room.
Once those three were out of sight, Sunset glanced around at the rest of the group, then raised an eyebrow and asked, “Uh, does anyone know where Starlight Glimmer is?”
“She’s in the infirmary, watching over Thorax,” answered Nya.
“She was very insistent on being there for him, once he awakens,” added Rarity.
“Wow,” muttered Sunset as she and the rest of the group began walking towards the benches and tables that were set up at one side of the room. “She really does seem convinced that he might be the key to helping us defeat the Changelings.”
“I understand her reasoning,” noted Twilight, “but just because the other Thorax in Equestria helped to reform the changelings in that world doesn’t mean it’s a sure bet that this Thorax could do the same in this world. I mean, we all saw how differently I turned out compared to my counterpart from Equestria.”
“Either way, let’s just hope he’s willing to talk,” stated Lloyd.
“Not like he has much choice,” added Kai with a shrug, “especially considering that Doctor Borg stripped him of his armor and weapons.”
“And even if we get nothing out of that Changeling, then at least we still have all those documents to look through,” noted Jay as the group arrived at the side of the room with those benches and tables.
“Though, really, that kind of boring research is best left for the Lavender and Mustard Ninjas to deal with,” quipped Rainbow Dash as she gestured at Twilight and Sunset.
Sunset growled in anger and firmly responded, “I told you to stop calling me the Mustard Ninja. You know how much I hate having my appearances compared to certain foods.”
Rainbow Dash couldn’t resist a playful snicker at Sunset’s irritation.
Not wanting to miss out on some further humor, Jay smiled as he turned to Rainbow Dash and slyly asked, “So… have you ever tried mustard on bacon before?”
Sunset practically glared flaming daggers at Jay as she quietly growled, “Oh, you did not just say that…”
Applejack immediately recognized the threatening tone in Sunset’s voice, so she gave Jay a worried look and warned, “Oh boy… You’d better run, partner!”
Jay glanced at Applejack in confusion for a moment. He turned his attention back to Sunset just in time to see her grab a sheathed katana from a nearby weapon rack. Sunset had a look of fierce anger on her face as she turned to Jay and, with one swing of that sword, effortlessly flung the scabbard off the weapon.
Jay’s eyes widened in shock as he now realized how much trouble he was suddenly in for, so he immediately began fleeing as he screamed in terror.
“Get back here, you insensitive troll!” roared Sunset furiously as she swiftly pursued Jay while holding that katana high up over her shoulder.
The rest of the group stared in silence as Jay ran off with Sunset in hot pursuit. After a few seconds, Cole turned to Rainbow Dash and asked with concern, “Should we help him?”
“Nah, he’ll be fine,” replied Rainbow dismissively.
In the infirmary just one floor lower down, there were half a dozen beds laid out and ready to be used in case of any emergencies. At this moment, only one of these medical beds was occupied, and resting in that bed was Thorax, who still remained unconscious after the events from the previous night. He was also now completely stripped of his armor, revealing that he had pale grey skin and the face of a standard minifig. Now dressed in nothing more than a hospital gown and partially covered by the bedsheet, he continued to rest peacefully as some nearby medical equipment continued to monitor his condition.
Starlight Glimmer, still dressed in her Lilac Ninja uniform with the hood down, sat down in a chair beside that bed and silently watched over Thorax. Although she was grateful that they had managed to capture the one specific Changeling she had been hoping she and her friends would encounter, she couldn’t help but feel doubtful it would have much impact on the wider struggle against the Changeling army. Now that she had seen for herself just how differently these Changelings fight compared to how the formerly evil changelings of Equestria used to fight, she felt like she was in way over her head, that this was the kind of enemy that she and her pony friends could never have imagined finding themselves up against.
That was to say nothing about Thorax himself. The way he had attempted to fight against Starlight proved that he was just as inept among his fellow Changelings as his counterpart in Equestria had been, but Starlight didn’t know for sure just yet if this Thorax had intentions that were as pure as those of his Equestrian counterpart. And even if Thorax could be convinced to defect against the Changelings, how much assistance could he really offer? Unlike the changelings of Equestria, these Changelings do not feed on love, and therefore would almost certainly be fighting for a completely different motivation. Starlight honestly didn’t have any clue what that motive might be, and without such a basic understanding of their opponent, coming up with a plan to stop them was going to be very difficult. For now, her only hope was that Thorax would soon wake up and be willing to cooperate, but uncertainty over even that much left her feeling uneasy.
Starlight was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard the plastic clacking of approaching footsteps. She turned her head back towards the open doorway and saw Fluttershy and Zane arrive with a seemingly very dazed Pinkie Pie being supported by their shoulders. Pinkie staggered around aimlessly and occasionally babbled some complete nonsense while the other two struggled to guide her into the room and towards one of the available beds.
Starlight watched that awkward display for a moment before she raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong with Pinkie Pie?”
Fluttershy hesitated before she delicately replied, “Well… there was a bit of a mishap during our ninja training session.”
Zane, on the other hand, expressed no hesitation as he clarified, “She was attempting to ride along a rope, but she lost her grip and ended up slamming into a giant gong.”
Pinkie giggled and cheerfully slurred, “Thingy went dingy!”
By now, Fluttershy and Zane had brought Pinkie next to one of the empty beds. “Okay, Pinkie,” assured Fluttershy softly as she and Zane began to gently guide Pinkie into lying down on the bed. “Let’s just have you lie down in this comfy bed so you can get some much needed rest after that little accident.”
Almost right at the instant Pinkie was lying on her back upon the bed, she stopped swaying around and began to snore rather loudly.
Zane stared at the now sleeping Pinkie Pie in confusion. “Wow,” he noted with astonishment. “I was not expecting that to happen, let alone happen virtually instantaneously.”
Starlight smirked and contently remarked, “That’s the Pink Ninja for ya. Always unpredictable.”
Fluttershy gently pulled the bedsheet up to cover the now sleeping Pinkie Pie, then turned to Starlight and asked, “How’s, um… Thorax doing?”
“Pretty much the same as he’s been ever since we brought him in here,” answered Starlight as she looked down at the Changeling in question. “While I’m at least thankful that he’s still alive, I can’t stop thinking about what we’re gonna do with him once he wakes up. Would he be willing to cooperate with us? Even if he does, would he even be able to offer us anything that could help us stop the Changeling invasion?” After voicing her uncertainty, Starlight let out a sad sigh.
Zane walked over to Starlight and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. When Starlight turned her head to look up at Zane, he smiled and said, “If his intentions turn out to be as pure as you believe them to be, then we need only to express mercy and forgiveness for him to feel welcome among us and our allies.”
“And if he’s not interested in friendship like the other Thorax I know?” asked Starlight uneasily.
“We will not know that for sure until we have a chance to speak with him,” responded Zane. “Have patience, Starlight Glimmer. The answers to your questions will come soon enough.”
Starlight smiled back at Zane, then smirked and remarked, “Of all the creatures who have ever given me friendship advice, I never could’ve imagined that one of them would be a robot. Maybe the Lego World isn’t such a bad place after all.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Starlight, Zane, and Fluttershy turned to the open doorway and saw that it was Twilight who had just spoken. Standing with her just within the doorway were Applejack, Rarity, Lloyd, Cole, Kai, and Nya. The only members of the extended group not currently present in the infirmary were Sunset, Rainbow, and Jay, though Starlight was not particularly curious about their absence at the moment.
With a friendly smile on her face, Twilight walked over to join Starlight beside Thorax’s bed and continued, “While I certainly don’t blame you for feeling homesick following our recent struggles, we all still appreciate your willingness to help us out where you believe your efforts could benefit us.”
“Indeed,” agreed Rarity with a friendly smile of her own. “I don’t think any of us would have dared to even consider the possibility that we could convince one of these Changelings to turn against his own kind and assist us instead.”
“Ah’ll admit Ah’ve got mah doubts that such a hare-brained idea like this will ever work,” confessed Applejack, “but seein’ as we got probably the best opportunity sittin’ right here in front of us, we might as well go for it. Nothin’ ventured, nothin’ gained.”
“And although our two teams have barely gotten to know each other,” added Lloyd, “as long as you’re here in Ninjago City, you can count on us to help out just as much.”
Kai, Nya, and Cole all smiled and nodded as they said various words of agreement.
“Thanks, everyone,” responded Starlight with a smile of renewed confidence. “Whatever happens next, at least I can be sure that we’ll face it together.”
It was at that moment that Thorax began to slowly shift around. He moaned very faintly, but it was enough to quickly attract the attention of everyone in the room. He gradually began to open his eyes, but then suddenly hissed in pain and quickly reached his hands up to cover his face.
“What’s wrong?” asked Starlight with concern. “Does some part of your body still hurt?”
Thorax shifted his hands around to keep his eyes covered but allow his mouth to be exposed. “Uh, can I have my helmet back, please?” he asked. “Changeling eyes are extremely sensitive when directly exposed to any source of light, and my helmet’s visor helps filter that light so it’s much less intense.”
Starlight hesitated for a moment before she carefully answered, “I’m sorry, Thorax, but we don’t exactly have it here with us at the moment. And even if we did, it did seem to be pretty badly damaged after what happened last night.”
“But don’t worry,” assured Pinkie Pie cheerfully as she suddenly arrived at the other side of Thorax’s bed and handed something to him. “Here, you can try wearing these sunglasses. I always keep a few pairs lying around in case of special emergencies.”
Zane stared in shock for a brief moment at Pinkie’s sudden appearance. He glanced over at the bed where she had been resting just seconds ago and saw Fluttershy seemed just as confused as he was. He then turned back to Pinkie and struggled to get his thoughts in order as he said, “Wait… How did…? But you were just… And now you’re… And where did…? This makes no logical sense!”
Twilight placed her hand on Zane’s shoulder and calmly assured him, “Trust me, Zane, trying to understand Pinkie Pie is like trying to divide by zero. It just can’t be done.”
Zane stared blankly at Twilight for a moment, glanced over at Pinkie, then turned back to Twilight and uneasily responded, “For the sake of my mental integrity, I shall take your word for it.”
Meanwhile, Thorax had blindly reached for the sunglasses that Pinkie had offered to him. Once he got them in his hand, he kept his eyes shut tight as he then placed the sunglasses on his face. With his eyes now obscured, he very carefully tried blinking a few times.
“Well?” asked Starlight hopefully. “Are your eyes feeling better now?”
Thorax’s facial expression slightly cringed before he responded, “It still stings a little, but… at least the lights are now reduced enough that I can actually see.”
Starlight let out a sigh of relief.
As Thorax was finally able to take his first glimpse of his current surroundings, he frowned and noted with dread, “Wait… you’re not just the local ninja team… you’re also working alongside with the Targets we’ve been after.” He then slumped back onto the bed and groaned before he defeatedly stated, “Looks like I’ve been captured by our enemies.” He then held up his arms and stared at his exposed pale grey skin before he added, “And you even decided to take away all of my armor and equipment so I could be left completely at your mercy.”
“To be fair, your armor was in very rough shape when we brought you here,” Kai pointed out, “so it’s not like it would’ve done you much good anyway.”
Thorax let out a sigh of resignation before he sadly muttered, “Well, better just get this over with, so go ahead and start torturing me for whatever information you want.”
“Torture?!” asked Rarity aghast. “Oh, goodness, no! We would never have the heart to subject such abhorrent action against anyone!”
“Especially if the person in question isn’t even putting up much resistance,” noted Lloyd.
“If anything, we’re kinda hoping that you might be willing to help us if we just asked nicely,” added Nya with a shrug.
Thorax raised a faint eyebrow and asked, “Seriously?”
“It was mostly my idea,” Starlight sheepishly confessed. “You see, I’m actually from an alternate universe populated with alternate versions of many of the people in this universe. Not long ago, my friends and I had already fought against the changelings of our world, and successfully defeated them. Now, just a few days after I had received word that this place was being attacked by the Changelings of this universe, I quickly offered to help my friends in this world in hopes that what worked in Equestria might also work for the Lego World.”
Thorax remained apprehensive, though he did start to become intrigued, so he asked, “So how did you defeat the changelings in your universe?”
Starlight hesitantly glanced away before she replied, “Well, it’s a little difficult to explain due to the, uh, biological differences between Equestria’s changelings and the Changelings of this universe. To explain it in a way you might better understand, my friends and I happened to meet one changeling who was not interested in fighting us, but instead wanted to have a friend, so we gave him the chance to prove himself. That chance came when Queen Chrysalis made a second attempt to conquer Equestria, so the friendly changeling used what he had learned from us about friendship to convince the other changelings they would be much better off seeking peace and friendship rather than continue to follow that cruel tyrant. Amazingly, it actually worked! The changelings quickly joined together to overthrow Queen Chrysalis, and once peace was established once and for all between Equestria and the changelings, that first friendly changeling ended up becoming their new leader.”
“Wow,” muttered Thorax in astonishment. “That first friendly changeling must have been very brave to stand up on his own against someone like Queen Chrysalis.”
“Hardly,” responded Starlight with a smirk. “He was actually one of the most cowardly people my friends and I had ever met, to be honest. In fact, I was the one who convinced him in the heat of battle that he could use the magic of friendship to convince the other changelings that there was a better way for them to follow.”
Thorax stared at Starlight in bewilderment for a moment before he awkwardly asked, “So, uh… where exactly are you going with this?”
Starlight gave the bedridden Changeling a knowing smile before she answered, “Remember when I said my universe had alternate versions of people from this universe? Well, the name of that first friendly changeling… is Thorax.”
Thorax gave Starlight a blank stare that lasted for a few seconds before he uneasily asked, “Y-Y-You’re joking, right?”
Starlight kept her smile as she continued, “Not long after Chrysalis was overthrown and the changelings became friendly, I also had an opportunity to meet Thorax’s brother, Pharynx. He’s a very tough and serious individual who initially struggled to fit in with the new more peaceful changeling society, but once we figured out that his greatest desire was keeping his fellow changelings safe, he was able to accept a new role as the head of security for the changelings.”
Thorax was again speechless for a few seconds before he muttered, “Wow… That is incredibly close to what my brother is like, especially his name.”
Starlight shrugged and sheepishly continued, “So, uh, yeah. That’s pretty much why I decided to come here. I figured that what worked for Equestria’s changelings might work for the Lego Changelings too. All I needed to ensure the best possible result was to find one specific Changeling, and surprisingly enough…” She gestured at Thorax. “We found him.”
“So it would seem,” acknowledged Thorax apprehensively. After an awkward moment of silence, he asked, “Well, now that I’m here with you… now what?”
“Now it’s your turn to decide what happens next, Thorax,” replied Starlight as she reached down to gently grasp the vulnerable Changeling’s hand. “Would you be willing to help us stop the threat of the Changeling army under Queen Chrysalis and possibly provide a better future for both the Lego World and your fellow Changelings?”
Thorax took a moment to silently ponder the choice that was being offered to him by one who was supposed to be an enemy of his. The promise of a brighter future sure was very tempting, especially compared to how brutal everyday life had been for him for as long as he could remember. However, to accept such an opportunity would mean essentially betraying his own kind with no guarantees that things would ultimately end well for himself or the other Changelings. To say it was a difficult decision for him to make would be a huge understatement.
Thorax was desperate for any piece of additional information that could help him figure out if the offer was really worth it, so he glanced up at Starlight and asked, “What’s stopping me from saying no?”
Starlight tapped her chin as she pondered the question for a moment, then looked Thorax in the eyes and answered, “Nothing. In fact, if you would rather leave us and go back to fighting alongside with the rest of the Changeling army to destroy us… then we won’t stop you at all.”
That proposal quickly caused the rest of the group gathered around the bed to stare at Starlight.
“Wait, what?” asked Kai in confusion.
“Are you nuts?!” exclaimed Cole.
“Did you seriously just promise to hand him back over to the other Changelings if he refused to help us?!” asked Nya in disbelief.
“Now why in the blazes would ya offer to do somethin’ like that?!” asked Applejack as she placed her hands on her hips. “Ah thought ya said he was the one specific Changeling that we had to capture, an’ now you’re willin’ to just give him right back to our enemies?!”
“I fail to understand what sort of reasoning you might have to make such a radical decision,” added Rarity.
“Actually, it makes perfect sense to me,” Fluttershy spoke up.
“It does?” asked Lloyd as everyone’s attention now shifted towards the shy girl.
“Think about it,” explained Fluttershy. “Thorax is very scared right now, because he suddenly finds himself in an unfamiliar place and surrounded by people he knows hardly anything about.” She then muttered under her breath, “Believe me, I know what that feeling is like.” She then turned her attention to the Changeling in the infirmary bed and asked, “Be honest with us, Thorax… Do you really think you would feel much safer going back to the other Changelings?”
Thorax hesitated for a moment before he uneasily answered, “I… I-I'm not sure.” He took a deep breath and exhaled before he continued, “Life in the Changeling army is all I’ve ever known. I was always told to follow orders or suffer severe consequences. If I return to them after having been taken away by you guys, they will immediately interrogate me thoroughly to figure out if I shared any secrets with you, even if by accident. I’ve seen what those interrogations are like, and I definitely don’t want to ever find myself on the receiving end of such brutal torture.” He then shuddered in terror.
Starlight and Fluttershy glanced at each other and shared a brief smile. It seemed their suspicions about Thorax’s wavering loyalty to the Changelings was rather accurate, and hopefully the rest of their friends were also now starting to understand that as well.
Thorax continued, “All I’ve ever wanted was to see an end to all this pointless fighting and just live the rest of my life in peace. And to be honest, I don’t know if I’ll ever see that if I stay with the Changelings.” He looked up and glanced around at the group of heroes around him. “But right here with all of you… I feel like such a dream is not that unrealistic. You’re not interested in proving dominance over others. Your greatest desire is to protect your home without seeking vengeance against the invaders.” He then began to smile. “I actually envy that sort of spirit.”
Hopeful smiles began to appear on the faces of the girls and ninjas gathered around Thorax. “So does this mean you’re willing to help us?” asked Twilight.
Thorax shrugged and replied, “What do I have to lose? The cause you fight for is everything I’ve always wanted. Even if we fail to stop the Changelings and they continue with their intergalactic conquests, then at least when they inevitably take my Creation Spark, I can be at peace that I tried my best to put a stop to their endless wars.” He then pushed the bedsheet off himself and sat up. “So, yes, I will help you.”
“Faithful to the very end,” noted Lloyd with pride. “Now that’s the kind of dedication we could really use.”
“Then on behalf of my friends and perhaps all of the Lego World, we’re glad to have you with us, Thorax,” declared Starlight as she gently grasped Thorax’s hand and shook it.
Thorax smiled as he returned the gesture. The former Changeling soldier was ready and eager to work with the Equestria Girls and Ninjago Ninjas.
With Thorax now fully alert and on friendly terms with the group of heroes, it took only a few minutes to disconnect him from all of that medical equipment so he could leave his bed and follow his new allies to discuss their next course of action. But first, they needed to gather together the rest of the group who had not visited him in the infirmary.
The first room they decided to check was back at the large training area that was full of various obstacles, where most of the heroes had been practicing their stealth prior to Pinkie’s accident. When they came within sight of the side of the room where some benches and tables were set out, they noticed Sunset Shimmer having a conversation with Cyrus Borg, both of whom soon noticed the arrival of the others.
“Ah, Thorax, you’re awake!” greeted Cyrus excitedly as he turned his wheelchair so he could face the approaching group. “And judging by your stance within this group, I take it you have accepted Starlight’s offer to assist us?”
“It seemed like the better option for me,” acknowledged Thorax with a shrug. “One way or another, I just want to stop being part of all that endless combat.”
“And with your cooperation, that day just might come very soon,” stated Cyrus as he adjusted his glasses. “I have just finished analyzing the remnants of your armor and equipment, and while I have made some remarkable discoveries, I do have a few questions that I hope your insight and experience might be able to answer.”
“To be honest,” replied Thorax hesitantly, “my rank in the Changeling army was only as a Private, so I probably won’t know much about any secrets you’re hoping to reveal, but I will try my best to help you understand at least the basics that even a lower ranked soldier like myself was required to know.”
“With how advanced Changeling technology is compared to what we have in this part of the Lego World, we’ll gladly accept any knowledge you’re able to share with us,” stated Cyrus with a friendly smile. He turned his wheelchair to the nearby doorway and began rolling it forward as he added, “As soon as you’re all ready, meet me up in my office so we can begin going over what we have now learned about the Changelings.”
“I’m sure we’re all looking forward to it,” agreed Starlight. Once Cyrus had left the room, Starlight glanced around and noted, “Well, with Sunset here, we’re now only missing Rainbow Dash and Jay.” She turned to Sunset and asked, “Do you know where they are?”
“Oh, Rainbow Dash is keeping an eye on Jay,” Sunset coyly replied with a not so innocent smile. “Let’s just say he’s… hanging around somewhere…”
Jay groaned in both pain and exhaustion as he was left suspended upside down from the ceiling by a large chain that was tied around his ankles.
Down on the floor, Rainbow Dash looked up at him with her hands on her hips. Somewhat amused by what she had witnessed, she smirked and smugly asked, “So… what did you learn today?”
Still dazed from his ordeal, Jay shamefully replied, “Trying to get the last laugh while making fun of others is not always worth it. Especially if they have anger issues.”
“Exactly!” confirmed Rainbow Dash with a nod. She then dropped her smile as she added, “Just be glad she didn’t give you an atomic wedgie.” She subconsciously rubbed her posterior as she quietly muttered, “Believe me, she is brutal with those…”
Less than an hour later, the entire group of the Equestria Girls and Ninjago Ninjas with their new ally Thorax had gathered in Cyrus Borg’s office. Rainbow Dash and Jay had rejoined the group a few minutes earlier when the athletic girl finally decided to show some mercy for the lightning ninja and helped him down from the ceiling. Joining the group was not only Cyrus Borg himself, but also P.I.X.A.L. who continued to analyze the remnants of Thorax’s armor and equipment that was now laid out across a large table in the middle of the room.
“Okay,” declared Cyrus contently, “now that everyone is accounted for, P.I.X.A.L. and I are eager to share with you all the numerous discoveries we made from analyzing Thorax’s Changeling armor and other combat equipment.”
“How about we start with something basic, like the strength of that armor?” suggested Lloyd.
P.I.X.A.L. stopped her scanning of the armor and picked up the segment that fitted over the front of the torso as she turned to the gathered group and explained, “The material this armor is crafted from is unlike any substance I am familiar with. It is very strong while also being remarkably lightweight, almost like a strange blend of metal and carbon fiber. It is also highly resistant to various forms of corrosion, which puts it in a very rare category of—”
“We’re not all eggheads here!” interrupted Rainbow Dash as she rolled her eyes. “Just tell us how much it’ll take to break through that armor.”
P.I.X.A.L. hesitated briefly from being interrupted before she responded, “I am afraid none of your weapons are powerful enough to do that. While not completely indestructible, it would take several tons of force to deform, let alone penetrate, this type of body armor.”
“Yeah, I figured it had to be somewhere between getting run over by an eighteen-wheeler and getting crushed by a hundred anvils,” Pinkie casually remarked. When everyone gave her questioning looks, she shrugged and retorted, “What? Ever heard of scientific observation?”
Twilight reacted to that with a facepalm.
“What about their ability to transform?” asked Sunset as she and the others turned their attention back to P.I.X.A.L. “Is that a technology we can replicate?”
Before P.I.X.A.L. could respond, Thorax answered, “Even if you could, it’ll never work on any of you. I don’t know the details, but basically, it’s a coordination between our unique biology and the technology within the armor that allows us to shapeshift into all kinds of creatures of any shape and size.”
“So, in other words, only people of your species are capable of using that technology to change into other things?” asked Starlight.
Thorax shrugged as he dejectedly replied, “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
“So much for trying to use their special power against them,” muttered Lloyd in disappointment.
“Well, looks like the armor’s a bust,” stated Kai as he crossed his arms and glared down at the floor.
Nya turned to P.I.X.A.L. and asked, “Any luck with the helmet, at least?”
P.I.X.A.L. set down the armor and picked up the slightly mangled helmet before she explained, “Despite the extensive damage, I was able to identify the key components for several features utilized by the helmet, such as the breathing apparatus, the numerous external sensors, and the visual display outputs on the interior of the built-in visor.”
“Does this mean you will be able to replicate the technology utilized in those features?” asked Zane.
“That level of technology is a little beyond what we currently possess here,” replied Cyrus, “but I believe I can reverse engineer these components to develop a system that would come very close to matching the full capabilities of the original.”
“An’ how long would it take to get that done?” asked Applejack skeptically as she raised an eyebrow. “Months? Years?”
Cyrus laughed and answered, “With all the scientific and technological resources available at my disposal, it would not be difficult for me to have a fully functional prototype completed in only a few days at most.”
“Nice!” remarked Jay excitedly. “Can’t wait to see it in action.”
“You know what I’d rather see in action?” retorted Rainbow Dash with a grin. “The thing that allows those Changelings to fly. Now that’s something that could really be awesome!”
“Ah, yes, the wingpack,” acknowledged Cyrus with a smile and a nod.
P.I.X.A.L set down the helmet with the rest of the armor and picked up the large pack piece that fitted over the wearer’s back. “The wingpack truly is a marvel of engineering,” she explained. “The insect style of wings used would on their own be incapable of providing personal powered flight. However, I was able to also detect a component that seems capable of generating a limited anti-gravitational field, though it’s so compact that on its own would not allow the individual to leave the ground. Instead, it seems that it’s these two components working together that make the flight capabilities of this wingpack possible.”
Sunset turned to Cyrus and asked, “Is that something you can also reverse engineer within a few days?”
“Absolutely!” confirmed Cyrus excitedly. “As far as I can see, this is one of those devices where, once you understand the concept of how it works, building a working prototype should theoretically be relatively simple to accomplish.”
“Awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she jumped with excitement.
“Marvelous!” stated Rarity with delight. “It seems that significant progress has been made, after all.”
“Yeah, that’s cool and all,” Kai spoke up, “but I’d really like to know more about that blade. I’ve forged a lot of weapons, but I’ve never heard of something so durable and easily retractable.”
P.I.X.A.L. set the wingpack down on the table and picked up the casing that held the retracted blade. “The retracting mechanism is simple enough that we should have almost no issues trying to replicate it,” she explained. “However, what’s not so easy to duplicate is the material this blade is forged out of.”
“Is it some kind of special and very rare metal?” asked Cole.
“I wouldn’t quite call it rare,” explained Cyrus. “After all, it’s abundant enough to supply one of these to every soldier in the entire Changeling army. What makes this material unusual is how difficult it is to obtain. You see, everyone, this blade is made of protosteel, and the only know source of this metal in the entire universe is within the deliberately isolated galaxy known as the Constraction Zone.”
Twilight turned to Thorax and asked, “You’ve been to the Constraction Zone?”
“The Changelings have been to a lot of different galaxies,” answered Thorax. “Though I will say that the Constraction Zone is one of the very few places that we were never able to fully conquer.” He then shrugged as he added, “Turns out that the so-called Hero Factory they have over there is actually pretty good at what they do.”
“Oh, really?” asked Starlight with a smile. “Do you think we could contact them and ask if they could help us?”
“Don’t count on it,” replied Sunset dismissively. “There’s a good reason why the Constraction Zone was intentionally kept isolated from the rest of the Lego universe. The last thing any of us wanna see is another Galidor incident.”
Starlight raised an eyebrow and asked, “Do I even wanna know?”
“It’s a long story,” answered Sunset without elaborating any further.
“Anyway,” Cyrus spoke up, “I believe that covers all of the significant findings we made from studying the remnants of Thorax’s armor. That now leads us to our next course of action, which is to successfully manufacture a fully functional system of Changeling armor.” With a smile of excitement on his face, he turned to Thorax and asked, “Since you specified that certain features of this armor will work only on people of your kind, would you be willing to test out this new armor once it is completed?”
Despite the sunglasses covering his eyes, Thorax’s reluctance was very evident as he rubbed the back of his head and hesitantly replied, “I-I’m not sure…”
“We’re not planning to throw you out into the middle of a raging battlefield,” assured Cyrus. “Our only desire is to at least witness a demonstration of all the significant features of this Changeling armor, which will allow us to better understand the strengths and potential weaknesses of the Changeling army we are up against.”
“Does this mean I’ll be subjected to all kinds of brutally painful tests?” asked Thorax fearfully.
“Not at all!” assured Cyrus with a smile. “I have computer simulations to provide me with such data. All I’m asking for is a simple series of baseline control tests to ensure that what you’ll be provided with shall function just the same as what you previously had.”
“And besides,” added Rarity, “surely you would desire to wear something more substantial than a hospital gown and those garish sunglasses.”
Thorax remained hesitant as he glanced around at everyone in the room. The fact that everyone’s attention was on him did little to calm his nerves.
“We could really use your help, Thorax,” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Well, I did agree to help you guys,” acknowledged Thorax. After taking a moment to really think about it, he turned back to Cyrus and stated, “Okay, I’ll do it, Doctor Borg. Just, uh… could you not make it black? I’ll accept any color but black.”
“That can be arranged,” agreed Cyrus Borg. “Unless if you desire visual stealth, the color of this armor should have no effects on its performance.”
“Not a problem for me,” noted Thorax with a nod and a smile. “From personal experience, I would make a terrible ninja.” He then turned to some of the Ninjago Ninjas in the room and sheepishly added, “Uh, no offense.”
“None taken,” assured Lloyd with a smile.
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll even let you decide which color shall be applied to your new armor,” added Cyrus.
“I would really appreciate that,” agreed Thorax.
“Okay,” Starlight spoke up, “So, while we wait for Thorax’s new armor to be built, what should we do in the meantime?”
“We continue to keep a low profile,” declared Sunset, “especially now that we have Thorax helping us. If any word gets out that we’re here and that we’re sheltering a defector, you’d better believe the entire Changeling army will be swarming all over us in no time.”
“Right,” muttered Starlight as she rolled her eyes at her own forgetfulness. “You girls are still trying to stay hidden because the Changelings wanna capture you for some reason we still don’t know about.”
“For the record,” Thorax spoke up, “I don’t know what that reason is. As a Private, I was expected to follow orders without any questions, so all I do know is the order I was given to capture the seven ‘Targets’ alive by any means necessary.”
“Not to mention,” added Twilight, “we still need to search through those documents we obtained that may yet provide us with some answers.”
“So basically,” asked Rainbow Dash, “we’re just gonna do exactly the same as what we’ve done for the past week, except now we’ll be here at Borg Tower instead of the Crystal Castle?”
“So it would seem,” replied Rarity with a shrug.
“At least now we’re not just sittin’ around doin’ nothin’,” noted Applejack. “Now that we got some info an’ some extra help, we got somethin’ to look forward to before we make our next move. The only real concern Ah’ve got is if the Changelings end up makin’ the next move before we do.”
“I’m sure you girls have nothing to worry about,” assured Nya. “Thanks to those ninja outfits we gave you last night, they have no idea that it was you who helped us infiltrate their outpost just outside of Ninjago City.”
“And if those Changelings try to make another move in this area, just leave it to us Ninjas to deal with them,” Kai added confidently.
“Besides,” remarked Jay, “It’s not like they have anything that can somehow bypass Doctor Borg’s super encrypted digital security to find out about how we’re planning to stop them.”
While the Changeling army continued to make efforts to seize control of practically every region all over the Lego World, their supreme leader, Queen Chrysalis, was content to remain within her personal quarters aboard the mothership that remained in orbit over the planet. As much as she desired to become the absolute ruler of the entire universe, she understood that an empire that spanned several galaxies was simply impossible to personally micromanage, regardless of how superior she believed herself to be. Instead, she had learned to identify the most loyal and competent of her subjects that she could trust to handle the various responsibilities necessary to keep her mighty empire running smoothly while she focused on the more important objective of overseeing further conquests.
The hierarchy within her armies functioned in a similar manner, and while she had plenty of trustworthy commanders who were fully capable of maintaining control of her numerous conquests, there was only one general who she trusted more than anyone else to lead the main assault and deliver results without any delays or excuses. He had done well thus far to establish firm control over much of the planet, but the ultimate objective had somehow eluded him and his forces, and after more than a week had passed without any progress on that target, she was quickly losing patience.
At this moment, Queen Chrysalis sat on her throne at the center of her mothership. As she waited, she continued to browse through the contents displayed to her on a certain special tablet computer that had inspired her to launch the assault upon the Lego World. While she still couldn’t quite explain what made this specific device so powerful, she understood how beneficial it would be for her efforts, and had already put it to good use. It was thanks to this very special device that she was already considering what her next move would be toward achieving her ultimate goal.
Chrysalis heard a faint digital chirp that signaled someone was just outside her throne room and had just requested entry. “Enter,” she commanded.
The main doors directly in front of Chrysalis parted open, revealing a single Changeling soldier standing outside. As ordered, he stepped forward into the room, then stopped halfway towards the throne before he kneeled and bowed his head. “You requested my presence, your highness?” he asked.
“Indeed,” confirmed Chrysalis. “Rise, General Pharynx.”
Pharynx stood up and gazed upon his supreme leader with that same fiercely determined expression he always seemed to have on his face.
“As I’m sure you understand,” stated Chrysalis, “the worldwide conquest of this planet has been progressing quite well. However, it would seem that the seven Targets I had demanded to be captured alive still remain quite elusive.”
“They cannot hide forever,” assured Pharynx in a firm voice. “They will be found.”
“Of that I have no doubt,” noted Chrysalis with a nod. “Even so, we cannot underestimate their resourcefulness. They have confronted several adversaries in recent years, and even against seemingly hopeless odds, they still managed to find a way to triumph, time and time again.”
“I take it you have made the effort to study our opponents?” asked Pharynx.
“Indeed I have,” confirmed Chrysalis as she began to grin. “Even more so than you might imagine. And it’s all thanks to this special device I obtained from the initial attack on that lunar base.” She then held up the magically enhanced device. “Behold, the perfect blend of magic and technology, and perhaps the one vital key to ultimate victory. I call it my Super Compuper.”
Pharynx briefly hesitated before he asked, “With all due respect, your majesty, but did you intend to say Super Computer?”
“I did not misspeak,” Chrysalis sharply answered. “I am the Queen, so I have the absolute authority to call it whatever I want.”
“Understood, your majesty,” responded Pharynx with a bow of respect.
Chrysalis then smiled as she continued, “You should feel honored to be the first one to whom I have decided to reveal the true power of this secret weapon. With the special magic power contained within this seemingly common device, I can obtain any information I want from anywhere, completely bypassing any security that would otherwise completely block any outside access. It also gives me the capability to manipulate such information, allowing me to completely disrupt whatever top secret plans our enemies might have.”
“Such a mighty weapon for the vital purpose of intelligence,” noted Pharynx with barely concealed awe.
“Indeed,” agreed Chrysalis with a wicked grin. As she began tapping on the touchscreen on that special device, she asked, “Tell me, General… what do you know of what occurred last night in the Ninjago Region?”
Pharynx immediately answered, “According to the official report I read just hours ago, our secret base of operations for that region had been infiltrated by a group of ninjas, though the identities of those ninjas currently remain completely unknown.”
“Excellently concealed identities, as one would expect from a group of ninjas,” added Chrysalis. She then grinned again as she continued, “But not good enough to evade the power of my Super Compuper. Not only did it reveal they had special devices within their outfits that effectively blocked Changeling sensors from identifying them, but I was also able to find out exactly who they all were. Six of them, unsurprisingly, were the Ninjago Ninjas; local heroes with their own record of remarkable successes, but not relevant to our primary objectives. Seven of the other ninja infiltrators, however, are definitely minifigs of interest, for they just so happen to be the Equestria Girls, the very same Targets we are after.”
“So they have been hiding in the Ninjago Region,” concluded Pharynx. “I shall gather all of our spare forces and prepare a massive assault on Ninjago City.”
“That would not be a wise course of action at this time,” argued Chrysalis. “The moment they realize we found them, they will immediately flee to some other hideout, thanks to the one technology they possess that we lack.”
“Their Jump-Gate system,” acknowledged Pharynx bitterly. “Yes, I’m familiar with that.” A thought then occurred to him, so he asked, “Considering the powerful device you possess, your majesty, could you not simply hack that system, or even create one of our own?”
Chrysalis rolled her eyes as she retorted, “If you’re willing to read a six hundred page manual consisting of quantum astrophysics and advanced electrical engineering technobabble, then by all means proceed to do as you suggested.”
Pharynx made no response.
“That’s what I thought,” Chrysalis smugly stated before turning her attention back to her special tablet and resumed tapping on its screen.
After a moment of silence, Pharynx spoke up, “The report identified a total of fourteen ninjas among the group of infiltrators. You just stated that your… magic device revealed the identities of thirteen of them. Did it not identify the one remaining ninja?”
“Oh, it was able to identify all of them, including the extra,” answered Chrysalis. She then dismissively added, “It was some outsider named Starlight Glimmer, and based on the report of last night’s infiltration, her combat experience is quite pathetic. I see little reason to believe she will pose much of a threat to us under any circumstances.”
“And yet, they brought her along to participate in their attack on our base,” noted Pharynx. “For whatever reason, they seem to value her presence. Perhaps if we were to somehow capture her, it could lure the Targets out of hiding and give us a better chance at seizing them.”
Chrysalis paused for a moment as she pondered the suggestion from her top general. “Not a bad idea,” she acknowledged. “Now may not be a good time to actively pursue such an objective, but if presented with the right opportunity, such an action just might work in our favor.”
As Chrysalis turned her attention back to her magic tablet, Pharynx asked, “Is there anything more you wish to discuss with me, your majesty?”
“There is,” replied Chrysalis without taking her eyes off the screen on her special device. “What did the report state about the status of the garrison of the base that was infiltrated last night?”
“There were a few casualties,” acknowledged Pharynx, “but after some quick salvage and recovery efforts in the immediate aftermath, all have been accounted for except one: Private Thorax.”
“Your brother, who was reassigned to guard duty after his poor performance during the assault on Canterlot City,” noted Chrysalis.
“Correct,” confirmed Pharynx with a nod.
Chrysalis had to commend Pharynx for not expressing any emotion over the news of his own brother being reported as missing in action, but now she was curious to see how he would react to some new information she had to share.
Chrysalis began focusing her attention on Pharynx as she explained, “And thanks to my Super Compuper, his current status is not a mystery to me. It seems that the infiltrators managed to capture him as they made their escape, and based on what I witnessed from the security feed within the facility they are currently hiding in, they appealed to his soft side and convinced him to assist them in resisting our forces. In other words, my loyal general, your brother has now defected against the Changelings.”
As Chrysalis spoke, Pharynx began to visibly clench his jaw and his fists. Once the Queen of the Changelings finished spelling out the truth of what had occurred, the General firmly declared, “We must take action at once before they can prepare a counterattack! I am willing to obey whatever plan of attack you have in mind, but I want to personally deal with that traitor myself!”
Chrysalis grinned and remarked, “Of that, I have no doubt.” She resumed tapping away on her magical tablet as she continued, “Fortunately, I was able to buy us some time. Although they were able to steal some valuable documents during their infiltration, they foolishly made digital copies and cast aside the paper copies in the belief they would be safe within a highly secure server system. Well, a few swipes and taps on my Super Compuper, and those documents have now been tampered to the point of being completely unreliable.”
“Job well done, your majesty,” said Pharynx respectfully. “Even so, we cannot afford to waste any more time. We must prepare and execute our next plan of attack at once!”
“Indeed,” agreed Chrysalis. “But if we wish to confront them on our terms, then the battlefield we choose must be one of such immense value that they will have no choice but to come out of hiding and face us head-on.” As she eyed the image currently displayed on her magical tablet, she once again grinned wickedly. “And I know the perfect place to ensure that…”