//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Changelings Are-A Changing // by ScarlettDaze //------------------------------// Scootaloo had been at the park when the whole... situation started, an unfortunately she'd ended up separated from her aunts pretty quickly. Considering the bug pony things that had sprouted up out of nowhere were all over the place, she came to the only conclusion for what to do she could think of: Go to Zecora! Now, it's not just a decision made out of nowhere, she and the girls had plans put in place! CMC Emergency Response Code; Zeta-Phantom 23b. In case of an emergency where the town is in chaos and/or has become dangerous, and you don't know where any responsible, competent adults are, retreat back to the Everfree and use one of the (mostly) safe routes to get to Zecora's house. So, there she is, pushing her scooter as hard as she can, dodging through gnarled tree roots and mossy rocks as best as she can, wings flapping as hard as they can for the extra propulsion-and suddenly, there's a foal right on the path! With a yelp, she jerks her scooter out of the way, but that sends her on a wobbly collision course with a nearby tree trunk, and she can only groan internally and brace for impact- Thunk! Eugh... Scootaloo is pretty used to sudden crashes, she's learned how to take a fall or impact safely, but even so it's never fun. While she tries to shake the dizziness out of her head, she hears a distinct woosh-y kind of sound behind her, almost like a fire flickering. Concerned about A) being in a forest and B) the idea that there might be a forest fire in that forest, she turns around and stumbles up to her hooves, though with the way that the world is kind of spinning she nearly falls right back over. "Woah there! Take it easy, that crash must have knocked your noggin pretty bad. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have been just standing in the path!" Someone supports Scootaloo's weight on her left side, and with a few more moments to clear her head, she finally gets a good look at the unicorn filly. She's not actually that much smaller than Scootaloo, probably only a year or two younger than her, and she's got a dark purple coat that matches well with her sunflower-yellow mane and tail. No cutie mark, which is expected at their age, but definitely something to note for a potential CMC mission in the future. "It's fine, it's fine! I was going down the trail pretty fast after all. I just wasn't really expecting to see anyone else in the forest so I wasn't really prepared to dodge. Are you trying to get away from the Changelings in town too?" That gets a reaction, the filly jerking her head up to look Scootaloo in the eye, shock on her face. "W-wait, what?! There's Changelings in Ponyville?" "Eeyep!" A little inside joke, copying Apple Bloom's brother. "That's why I'm out here in the Everfree at least, I'm on my way to a... family friend who lives out here, try to wait it out. Do you want to come with? It'd be safer than just wandering around out here." "Uh... yeah, yes, I think I'd like to do that." She's obviously still pretty stunned by the revelation, and who wouldn't be? The filly is just kind of on autopilot while Scootaloo gathers her scooter back up, checking it over for damage. Thankfully the wheels are still fine, though the front bar for steering is bent at a wonky angle. Still, it'll be easy enough to pull along the rest of the way, even if she can't ride it. With a firm nod, she turns her attention back to the filly, happy to see that she seems a bit more present in the moment now. "I'm Scootaloo, by the way! What about you?" "Oh, uh... Helping Hooves, I'm Derpy Hooves cousin! That's actually why I'm here. I, uh, don't really have a good sense of direction, and somehow I ended up here." "Wow, your sense of direction is really bad!" Scootaloo tries to hide her laugh, ends up snorting instead, and immediately tries to change the subject. She wouldn't want her new friend thinking she'd been insulting her after all! "A-anyway, let's get moving! Zecora-that's the mare who lives out here by the way-her house shouldn't be more than like, ten minutes further down the trail. We can figure out what to do next once we're somewhere secure." The two talk as they move along, though Helping ("Helpy is fine!") is a bit more on the timid side, more willing to listen to Scootaloo's stories than talk about herself. She does learn a couple things though, like how Helpy is thinking about going into medicine, since-much like her name-she loves the idea of helping ponies. Scootaloo did try to stray away from the whole 'the town is being invaded' thing, but Helpy was pretty insistent on learning more about what was going on, and she just couldn't say no to those puppy dog eyes. Those things are weapons of mass destruction! Eventually though, they came to the clearing that Zecora's home is settled in. Scootaloo had actually thought that it was some kind of magical copy of Golden Oak's Library the first time she saw it, but Zecora had clarified that it's actually a mangrove tree, rather than an oak like Twilight and Spike's place. She speeds up into a trot, smiling back at Helpy as they pick up the pace. "I know it might look a little eerie, but Zecora is actually super nice! She knows how to make potions, and like, magic totems and stuff, even though she's not a unicorn, it's super cool! I'm sure that she'll be able to kick out any Changelings that try to attack us-AAAHH!" Scootaloo had been more focused on the complicated-looking expression on Helpy's face as she opened the front door, so when she turned back to look in Zecora's home, she saw the mare sitting down in front of three Changelings! They look a little different from how Rainbow had described to her, smaller than Scootaloo herself and with a carapace colored in black and yellow stripes. They don't look particularly surprised to see Scootaloo, though Zecora certainly does, a look that quickly changes to one of chagrin. "Scootaloo, how glad I am to see you. Though, I suppose this must be an odd view?" "Wha, buh, habau va, eda?" She's so surprised that the only thing that comes out of her mouth is literal nonsense, she doesn't even notice Helpy peaking over her shoulder with that same complicated look on her face, almost glaring at the 'changelings' in the room. Zecora giggles a little at the sheer dumbfounded look on Scootaloo's face, waiting for the filly to collect herself before continuing. "I'm sure this is a surprise, but please assume I am still wise. Changelings are vile, that is true, but these are Kindlings, something new! New twicefold in fact, their arrival in the forest is a recent act." "And... how do you know that they haven't brainwashed you to think they're nice? I heard that the Changeling Queen hypnotized Twilight's brother!" Scootaloo points at the trio accusingly, which seems to make all of them embarrassed. One of them focuses for a moment, making their horn start to glow, but right after a shadow stretches out from a corner and latches onto the magical glimmer, neutralizing it at the same rate as the power is gathered. "We couldn't use our magic no matter how hard we tried, assuming we even wanted to. Miss Zecora here can be pretty scary when she wants to be." The mare in question just smiles mysteriously at the tepid glares directed her way. "The Everfree is a dangerous place! Of course I wouldn't let foreign magic take place. I hope that has assuaged your fright, so why don't you two come in before night?" Although still cautious, and keeping an eye on the three strangers, Scootaloo crosses over the threshold, ready to sit down by Zecora with Helpy to make things a little more even... but Helpy is still hesitating at the doorway, and something cold settles in her stomach. "Helpy? Y-you coming?" The filly visibly flinches at Scootaloo's voice, but after a moment she nods and steps over the threshold. Immediately, shadows reach out to cloak Helpy, and she can't help the feeling of betrayal making a knot in her insides when the shadows dissipate to show another Changeling-or rather, a Kindling. "You were one of them this whole time?!" Helpy-is that even her name? Or was that fake too?-huddles in on herself, scuffing one of her hooves on the floor as if to buy time to respond. "... yeah. But!" She jerks her head back up, and Scootaloo is surprised to see actual tears in her eyes. "But I wasn't trying to lie to you! It's just, you crashed because of me, and I wanted to help you, but I knew you'd be scared if you saw me like I am, and, and..." The sight of Scootaloo's friend(?) sitting there, trying to stifle her crying, well... whatever embers of anger that might have been building up in her are doused right away at that. "Do you still want to help ponies?" "...huh?" "Do you still want to help ponies, like you said? Do medicine or whatever?" Helpy nods hard enough that Scootaloo's worried that she'll hurt her neck, seemingly unable or unwilling to speak at the moment. It's enough for Scootaloo though, there's an earnestness in the Kindling's eyes that just can't be faked. After a moment to search her feelings, she nods resolutely before walking back over to Helpy. She can see how the Kindling tenses, bracing herself for whatever Scootaloo's reaction will be, but all she's got in store is a big 'ol hug. Helpy goes completely still, and worried that she might somehow misinterpret, Scootaloo speaks her feelings, just like she and the CMC had learned a good few times. "I'm still mad that you lied to me about stuff. But, you're probably right that I wouldn't have handled it well, seeing you were a... Kindling when we first met. But Zecora can tell you well that shunning ponies just because they're different is a terrible thing to do. And if you wanna help ponies, then you're gonna need people helping you out. And, me and my friends'll be that for you, okay?" After a moment, Helpy starts to cry, and Scootaloo's super worried that she somehow bucked this all up-pardon her Prench-but before she can pull away and ask for Zecora's help, Helpy latches onto her side like a tick, not willing to let Scootaloo go for anything. She looks back over to the others in the room for help, but all she finds are three Kindlings fighting back tears-and losing-and Zecora giving her that mysterious, satisfied look she has whenever Scootaloo or one of her friends meets her expectations. She's going to be stuck like this for a while, isn't she?