Harmony was crying deeply, the crown with the gems of harmony in her bronze magic aura. Little Cheese was bouncing beside Caramel Pear who was breathing heavily. Crystal scales was running as Chaos floated beside her, finally Rainbow Storm and Evening Sheild were flanking them one on each side. Everything was just fine not too long ago. It all started with Trixie giving out tarot card readings to happy couples or one out of the pair. Everypony was saying that their loved one was acting oddly, not exactly themselves, especially Cozy glow was saying Featherweight was acting strange and she was an almost villain, she even mentioned her daughter Checker Queen wasn't acting right.
It was going on for two weeks. Harmony was reading books trying to figure out a solution when Jackpot tried to drag her outside. She did take a break and was right beside the harmony crown when Trixie's wagon opened up. Trixie appeared with a flourish announcing she had the greatest trick no other magician ever could do, then she made a giant smoke cloud appear. Then when it cleared Queen Chrysalis was standing there, "Changelings appear!" And half the couples changed into changelings. Harmony just grabbed the crown of harmony to give to her mom but then Chrysalis revealed her other hand, Chronos and the other element bearers husbands.
It was chaos without Chaos starting it. All her friends came up to her wondering what to do. She turned to Jackpot but he shifted back to Thorax and her heart hurt, with tears in her eyes all seven ran out of town. Finally the group came up to a camp site which means they traveled far enough and they collapsed once they stopped, "What are we going to do?!" Storm shouted as Evening looked at him, "I don't know... I need to think." Pear was taking deep breaths as Cheese held her, Crystal was sobbing as Chaos held her. "I'm sorry for breaking the mood but why did you bring that thing? It's worthless to us we can't use it."
Harmony looked at the crown then put it on her head, "We might as well try, Evening your Knowledge, Pear your Honesty, Storm your Loyalty, Chaos your Kindness, Cheese your Laughter, Crystal your Generosity and I'm magic." They each got into position trying to feel their given virtue, the crown started to glow, "Wait it's actually..." Chaos started to say before the gemstones turned black. "Great we broke it." Storm said before Harmony's eyes went white, "New bearers must find their own element, the gemstones will get their colors back when you identify your virtue." Cheese waved his hoof in front of Harmony's face and she didn't even blink.
"Your not Peaceful Climate... are you Harmony?"
"Cheese, she answers to both." Crystal stated. "Not Climate's nickname Harmony I'm talking about Harmony as in the spirit that resides in the gems of harmony."
"You are correct, you all tried your best but you have your own virtues that represent you better than trying to be the shell of the old elements."
"But our home and the changelings..." Pear started. "Don't panic just go on your own quest and find your virtues..." Harmony's eyes went back to normal, "Ouch my head... so did it work?"
"Not exactly. You were taken over by the spirit of harmony and she told us to find our own virtues."
"I should have known... Oh well at least we got away from." They all heard buzzing, Chaos made a shield that turned them invisible with a snap, they finally saw it was Thorax who landed in their area then Chaos dropped the shield and they all jumped him, Harmony practically glared at him, "What are you doing here? Wasn't a whole town of ponyville enough for your queen?!"
"Kind of, but that's not why I'm here."
"Then why are you here? Speak before I become unpeaceful."
"Well it has to do with these." He showed off his bug wings which gotten a sparkle upgrade. "So, you simply changed your wings to sparkle."
"No I didn't it happened naturally."
"Chaos is he lying?" Chaos grabbed one wing and used all kinds of magic on it, "Those sparkles are real all right, I used all kinds of illusion braking magic and nothing happened."
"So what does your sparkle wings have anything to do with you chasing us down?"
"I got them when I realized what I did to you and never wanted to do it again because I cared deeply for you."
"Are you saying you love me?"
"I'm unsure, changelings never tried loving others only taking it from others."
"I see, Chaos put him in a bubble." Chaos snapped and trapped Thorax in a bubble. "Your staying in there until we can trust you." Thorax took deep breaths before sitting down.
"Fine that's fair I did betray you and hurt your feelings." Harmony looked at him, "Was it all a lie?"
"No I really cared about you, I almost told you my real name in our first encounter."
"I see... anyway we clearly haven't gotten far enough away."
"Oh no you did, I was just chasing you down to 'spy' on you, that was a lie I just wanted to get away from them."
"It's up to you my friends, if we trust him and stay or not believe him and go." All her friends whispered in a group before saying, "It's too early to trust him we should leave." So even though they were tired they moved to the next campsite further away. They could finally relax when they got to the campsite.
Chaos snapped his fingers and meals appeared in front of them, "Your favorite foods, no tricks honest." He said before munching on paper, they each munched on their own foods, Harmony looked at Thorax, "Okay we can't starve him."
"No it's alright changelings feed on love... your love for your friends is enough for my meal."
"That's kind of creepy."
"Just because I'm trapped in this bubble doesn't mean I can't feel feelings, it's like being the perfect empath but that's a given I'm a changeling, we are meant to be mirrors or the perfect copy."
"That's clearly not the case as your race barely convinced the other pair in the couples that they were who they said they were.
"Yeah that's why they had to launch the invasion sooner then expected."
"You said they, have you truly given up your heritage?"
"It's called a hive, like a beehive..."
"Oh that explains why they let you go so easily, the most important bee is the queen, so in a changeling hive a prince is worthless, because males can't reproduce like females." Harmony explained. "Wait is that crown of harmony? Why haven't you used it yet?!"
"We did try yo use it, didn't work." Thorax blushed chuckling and Choas put out the light, "Everypony else get sleep I'll watch him tonight."
"Isn't this a bit overboard?"
"Would it be for your hive?"
"No not really."
"Then no." Thorax went to sleep uneasy at the glowing red eyes staring at him.