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// Chapter Eight 
// Story: Champions vs Changelings 
// by WolfGoddess1990 
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Astral leaned on the bubble, "Let me tell you something when you truly love someone, it's like you have just been given an opportunity to open the best gift in the universe, all you need to do is decide whether to open the box or leave it shut." He then chuckles a little before looking at the ceiling. "I should listen to my own advice." "You mean you should confess your feelings for Aurora right? She is beautiful for a dragon I can see why you love her but I'm surprised to find out you haven't told her yet... how odd usually ponies or creatures in love just confess to the one they love so that they can share that special connection." 

Thorax said looking at Harmony who was slowly getting up, "Hey are you alright?" "Why are you here? You know what it doesn't matter I don't want to be here with you." She slowly started to leave before Thorax shouted, "Peaceful Climate wait!" She stopped to look at him. "Look I don't care anymore if you believe me or not, but I can't help but to want to see the warmth return to your eyes, please believe me when I say... I do... love you..." Magic poured out of him then around him both watched with confusion then the bubble burst letting Thorax stand on the floor, but he looked a lot different then before, he stood as tall as a fully grown alicorn.

His colors changed as well his eyes became a moderate rose color, his chitin was now light lime green, his chest was now a brilliant gamboge, his carapace was now a dark azure with moderate emerald green underside, he got mandibles that were light brilliant orange, and his wings were huge and a moderate blue violet with dark fuchsia elytra, he even had some kind of diamonds on his chest. Harmony looked at him as Chaos barged in with the rest of the others, "Uh what just happened?" Astral asked. Thorax looked at himself, "I don't know..." He ignited his horn still had his magic aura a very light turquoise, "It didn't change my magic aura... also I'm not hungry anymore..." 

Harmony scanned him, "It's like your a different creature but my scan says your still a changeling." Thorax hummed then shifted into a pony before turning back to normal, "I can still shape shift." Harmony looked confused. "Let's go over some facts, you suddenly confess your feelings for me our of the blue then you turn into that." Thorax looked at Harmony, "And I'm no longer hungry, I don't need to feed off others love anymore." Cheese gasped, "That's because you shared love willingly and no longer needed to feed off love you have your own love now!" Harmony looked at Chaos, "Is that possible?" Chaos hummed, "Changelings are strange creatures but they are hollow." Chaos started explaining. 

"They were trying to fill a cup with no bottom by taking love but Thorax is now giving love so now it's like he's using a normal cup, he's no longer hollow." "I guess that this means changelings can show love, give it as well." Astral said before a knock came from the front door, Astral opened it to find two police ponies, "Anything I can help you with officers?" "We felt a magical surge in this area just a routine check to make sure it's not the flammable kind of magic." "You understand we don't want anymore riots to happen." "So if you could just tell us if you know what happened and if you smelt smoke or not then we will be on our way."

"Well there was smoke, but it was just Aurora cooking again. Luckily I managed to get the fire under control. Has anymore evidence come up about the incidents?" Astral asked not knowing if he should mention his guests or not. "Just one piece of evidence... slime trails was found on the floor in one of the burnt buildings, we managed to figure out that it was flammable but that's about it." "Now about that magical surge we picked up..." The group looked at each other how were they going to explain this? Throax finally shifted into a unicorn and stepped forwards, "Sorry I got spooked and had a magical surge, but nothing happened." "And who are you?" "Just an acquaintance." 

The cops hummed then left, he closed the door shifting back, "Well that was a close call." He noticed Harmony was reading a large book, "Wait where did you get that and what are you doing?" "When they said flammable slime trails I know I read that before so I asked Chaos to summon the book, and here it is." She tapped the page, "Fire slugs, they are usually found in extremely hot places like a volcano because they can burn down normal places." "But who would bring those things here?" Aurora asked turning to Astral. "I'll have a talk with Shade. He was asking about them around the time the fires started." Astral said before looking to the others, "In the meantime, you guys should find those fire slugs."

"That should be easy anough they can't live unless they are in a hot environment so Chaos can use his powers to make heat vision goggles, the higher the temperature the more likely that's where they will be." They all nodded and split into two groups. Astral's group, which consisted of himself, Aurora, Crystal, Chaos, and Thorax, went over to another building where Astral explained was where Shade lived. Knocking on the door, the group soon found themselves face to face with Shade. "May I help you?"Thorax who looked like a normal unicorn looked at Shades loved ones and well he lusts after Aurora but doesn't truly love her what a sickening dragon. 

Chaos was wearing his googles and shook his head at Astral as he took them off, 'nothing beyond the normal dragon heat and there is only one dragon here, him, which isn't hot enough for fire slugs.' Chaos said in Astral's mind.'Well might as well ask how they got in town.' Astral thought back. "Listen, Shade, some more evidence was found at the crime scenes." At this, Shade gained a fearful look to the new evidence. "The evidence proves that the dragons weren't responsible." "I'm glad to hear that. It's about tea time, so would you and your friends like to come in?" He asked offering a hand to Aurora who looked unimpressed.

Harmony's voice chimed into their minds, 'Found where they might be hiding the fire slugs, we found a hot spring which was hotter then the normal hot temperature that hot springs have to abide by to not leave scolding marks on pony bodies.' 'Where is the hot spring? We may be able to find the culprit by finding the owner of the hot springs.' 'I'm afraid that will be unhelpdul, the owner is a sweet old dragon who couldn't tell that the water was too hot, and her eye sight is bad could barely make out a dark blob that offered a soulation to her aching bones, and he always comes after all the helpers have left, the fire slugs are here but no one knows who put them there.'