//------------------------------// // Times A'Changling // Story: A Dream of Dawn // by Starsong //------------------------------// Applejack Much of the damage that had been sustained during Discord's brief 'hullabaloo' in Ponyville had been reversed. Buildings that had been knocked over now stood rebuilt. The ground beneath Applejack's hooves even, once a twisted mess of black and white, seemed to return to its natural state. She could feel a tickle of the draconequus' magic lingering in the earth, but the longer Discord stayed away from Ponyville, the more his influence waned. “Easier than puttin' up a barn, huh?” asked Caramel. Applejack turned and laughed, about to remark upon the last time the colt had been involved in a construction project of any kind. He's taken enough licks lately, she thought. She just nodded and approached one of the construction mares. “Ya'll put in the reinforcement beams, right?” she asked. A yellow mare with orange curls sighed and adjusted her hardhat. “Just like the last five houses,” she said. “Hey now, you're doing a good job,” Applejack assured her. “You just asked me to keep an eye on you. Next time a storm comes through, we want these homes to be able to stand up to anything.” The construction worker kicked a hoof against the side of the house. “If that storm is Discord all the stone and wood in the world probably wouldn't make a bit of difference. We build it and he'll just knock it down again. Don't matter how sturdy it is.” “Then we'll build it again, every time,” said Applejack. “Just because that beast can knock over our houses doesn't mean we shouldn't have homes. And if he wants to keep on doing that, then he's gonna find himself with a problem.” The yellow mare scoffed. “Now you sound like those Canterlotians, ready to rise up under him.” Applejack chuckled. “I reckon they had the right idea, 'till they got all caught up in the business of the throne.” “You want to start something?” The mare dusted her hooves and adjusted the belt of tools over her saddle. “Or maybe you already have.” “Met plenty of pony folks ready to buck a baddy or two if it means keeping our homes in one piece,” she said. “If you think you have it in you, you should meet up with everyone at Sweet Apple Acres. Next time Discord, or Nightmare Moon, or anyone else decides they can walk all over our home, they'll have another thing coming.” “Isn't it the royal guard's job to keep us safe?” “The guard can't be everywhere. They're mixed up as it is with princess after princess... and I don't even know if they'd stand up to Discord either. We want to keep our homes, we have to do something about it.” The mare rubbed her head, obviously unconvinced. More than anything she looked tired. “I'll think about it,” she said, finally. “But I've got to finish this place up and move on. If I don't do my job, we won't have anything to defend in the first place.” “Thinkin' about it is all I ask for,” said Applejack. The construction mare nodded, then disappeared inside the house, where Applejack could hear her barking instructions at her apprentices. When it was clear there was nothing left for them to do, they turned and walked away. There'd be another house to check on, and more ponies to try to sway to her cause. “I don't think I could go hoof to hoof with that guy,” said Caramel, looking at the ground in front of him. “After what he did to me last time.” “You don't have to fight Discord,” she said, patting him between the ears. “No one would ever ask you to do that. There's other things you can do to make sure we're ready when the time comes. We need shelter and food and support.” “I'm just not sure this is a good idea at all,” he said. “The princess... Discord... they're all way above us.” Applejack shook her head. “They can do a lot of crazy things, but they're not untouchable. They just want us to think they are. Enough of us stand up and we'll manage to pull through. We just have to.” “You're probably right,” said Caramel. They paused in front of the Carousel Boutique. Applejack tilted her hat up and looked into the windows. It'd somehow managed to survive the chaos, though largely because it had been empty at the time. I wonder if Rarity will ever come back here... even if things do settle. I know she's always fancied herself a Canterlot Mare. Caramel trotted a little closer, but before he could say anything, a young unicorn filly came crashing from across the street. “Applejack, Applejack, you gotta help me,” she cried. Applejack settled the youngster with a hoof. “Hold on now. What's the trouble?” The filly looked up with tear-filled eyes. “It's my mom... except she's not really my mom. Something's wrong with her. And ponies say you know how to fix ponies after they start acting weird.” Applejack glanced at Caramel and nodded. The two followed after the filly. “What exactly happened?” she asked. “I'm sure we can help.” “Well, I asked for a sandwich. And mom knows I love peanut butter. Except she just looked really confused.” The filly continued to explain as they approached one of the houses nearby. The filly's horn flashed with magic and the door swung open, inwards, as she continued to explain. “Then when I showed it to her she couldn't get the lid... didn't try to use magic or anything. When I asked her what was wrong she started yelling at me. It was so...” she shuddered. “I got scared and ran. But then I saw you, and...” Applejack nodded. “We'll get your ma' back,” she said, “don't you fret.” It wouldn't be the first time she'd done the task. Caramel was the first. And ever since she'd returned to Ponyville, other ponies would bring her to a grayed-out pony chock full of Discord's influence. And she'd have to help them snap out of it. The unicorn in the kitchen wasn't gray at all though. She appeared healthy, a purple unicorn with blue gems for a cutiemark. Applejack had gotten to know Sparkler pretty well but she seemed to not even notice her entering. The unicorn trotted over and nuzzled her child. “There you are, sweetie,” she crooned, then immediately glared at Applejack and Caramel. “What did I tell you about talking to strangers?” She reared up and lowered her gaze on them. “And what are you doing in my house? Do I know you?” Applejack lowered her head. “I've been selling your family apples for three years,” she said. “Every market.” “Oh,” said Sparkler, tossing her mane. “And? That doesn't really give you the right to just barge in here, does it? You should go before I have to call the guard.” There's something very wrong here, she thought. She doesn't show any of the signs of being Discorded... but that's definitely not my friend. I'm gonna have to do this the rough way. Applejack stalked towards Sparkler, beckoning the other ponies back. “Close your eyes,” she said. “Just a minute. Everything will be okay soon.” Sparkler back into a corner. “What are you doing? Help! Guards, hel--” She had not managed to scream long before Applejack cuffed her upside the head with a hoof. What fell backwards in front of her was not Sparkler. The creature wasn't even a pony at all. It was more of a giant bug, black shelled, blue winged, cragged and full of holes. Applejack had never seen anything like it before. The unicorn filly hadn't closed her eyes. She screamed. “What is that?” Caramel gaped. “Applejack, what...” Applejack whirled around and thrust with her back hooves, catching the creature as it tried to stand up. She bucked it into the wall hard and it made a pitiful chitter before she knocked it out cold. “I don't know,” she said. She practically galloped over to get her hooves around the trembling filly and stared at Caramel. “Get the royal guard, now. We need to find out what this is, and what it did with Sparkler.” Caramel practically bolted out the door to get help. The filly kept sobbing into Applejack's shoulder. Her eyes wandered around for something to restrain the creature with.. but as long as it was out, it was probably alright. She couldn't bare to let go of the child for even a second. “It's going to be okay,” she murmured, stroking her mane. “We'll find you mom, I promise.” She held the filly strong and without a single shake, but inside her heart was pounding. We're not even safe in our own homes anymore. We have to fight. We have to fight soon, or else. Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash soared over the forests just west of Ponyville. Dawn made the perfect cover, just shaded enough to hide in the shapes of clouds, but light enough that she could spy on the land below. As she crouched on one cloud overlooking one of the deer runs, Soarin' landed beside her. “You shouldn't be out here alone,” he said. Rainbow Dash sighed. “Spitfire hasn't assigned me a new wing. But I'm doing my job. I have to, right? That's what it means to be a Wonderbolt.” Soarin' shook his head and laughed. “You never play nice, do you? It's almost like hanging around with the captain...” The blue stallion trailed off and pointed to the trail below. A shadowy figure slipped into the open and then promptly ducked beneath the canopy again. “Did you see that?” “Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, leaning a bit closer. “Something moved. Could have been a deer. You think we should check it out?” “Together,” said Soarin'. Rainbow frowned. “But we could...” “Cover more area?” Soarin' shook his head. “Yeah. That's why we're down to scout teams consisting of lone flighty fillies.” Rainbow Dash twitched her wings. “Fine,” she said. “But keep up.” She launched off the cloud, silently striking her wings open against the air. Soarin's shadow passed over her and they swooped down towards where the figure was. Judging from where it was moving, it was heading towards some of the heavier parts of the woods. The two of them dipped down through an opening in the branches and joined the trail. There was no sign of the figure that they'd followed. The path looked like it had seen a fair amount of traffic, though, and the trees had branches snapped off in several places. Either someone was flying clumsy, or they'd gone through in quite a hurry. The two pegasi maneuvered down the narrow corridor left by the run, tilting and swerving beneath branches and leaves. Only the sound of their wings stroking up and down filled the forest. Where could all of these ponies be disappearing to? She thought. Just one answer, just one clue, then Spitfire can bring the whole team in. All I have to do is find something... Another shadow darted in front of her. She flicked one hoof up in a quick motion to signal to Soarin', and then the two of them turned off the beaten path to the north. The branches were so tight that she had difficulty flying without taking leaves and twigs to the face. Whoever they were chasing heard them as the branches cracked in front of them. But they weren't nearly as fast as a pair of pegasi with momentum on their side. They barreled their way through the forest, lowering their goggles so they could take as much lashing as the forest had to offer them. They finally caught up to the figure at a small campsite, where they stopped and looked around frantically. Dash could see them more clearly now, though they wore a heavy hood and cloak, nearly concealing all of them. Still, it had to be a pony. She landed on one side of the stranger and Soarin' took to the other. “Alright,” said Rainbow Dash, scraping a hoof. “There's no way you can outrun us so maybe you should just talk. What are you hiding from? What do you know about the missing ponies? Spill it!” Soarin' sighed and rolled his eyes. But the stranger made an odd noise. Like the sound of two stones scraping together. Then clicks, and chitters. The forest around them moved from all directions. The stranger pushed their hood back and revealed their insectoid face, screeching. A dozen more of the creatures appeared as if from nowhere, some shifting from other creatures, more seeming to appear from thin air. Dash lowered her stance and flared her wings up, prepared to take off again. “Get out of here!” she cried to Soarin'. “We have to warn the pegasi!” As she tried to take off, she felt him leap against her back, two hooves landing in the space between her wings. She let a pathetic scream and the wind blew out of her lungs as she fell beneath the weight of the stallion. Soarin' turned her over and laughed in her face. “You really are gullible, you know that? See the face of someone you trust and you don't think for a second that something might be wrong. And your admiration, that just makes it all the easier...” Rainbow Dash blinked back tears as she tried to kick out at Soarin'. But the changelings already surrounded her, grabbing her legs. They spun out a thin green slime and bound her wings first. “What are you talking about? Why are you doing this...? What is going on!?” Soarin' shushed her and pressed a hoof to her nose. She bit his hoof, hard, but did not pierce through the skin which seemed harder than usual. “Ah, I love this feeling the most. The hate. The fear. The confusion. Your pony heart is breaking...” Then Soarin's body churned and his blue-colored body faded from vision. Another insectoid, though slightly larger, now stood upon Rainbow Dash. A chitinous helmet circled around its head which it adjusted as it loomed down over the filly. It laughed, and the other creatures seemed to pick up on its perverse joy. “But I prefer the hate. You're not good for much else, anyway. It's not like you love anypony as much as you do yourself.” “That's not true.” Rainbow Dash growled. “I don't know what you are, but you won't get away with this.” They left her loose enough to struggle, but caught enough she could not kick out at any of them. She squirmed but doing so only seemed to make the goo around her hooves stick together even harder. Their leader stepped off of her and smiled. “We're changelings,” it said, and every one of them echoed her voice. “And now you know. You should hate us. You should fear us.” And then it spoke on its own as the changelings lifted her and began to carry her deeper into the forest. “I'd say, 'we'll treat you well if you just cooperate,' but I know just as well as you do that you're not going to do that. So enjoy the ride. You're ours, now, little filly, and our leader will be quite interested in meeting you.” Rainbow Dash screamed and thrashed, but couldn't dislodge herself. I can't move... she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. They can look like ponies I know... they can read my feelings. A fear gripped her unlike any she had ever known. She felt helpless, for the first time in her life, and it was reducing her to tears. They brought her anger, though, and she gripped onto it with all of her might. She stopped squirming. She stopped speaking. She shoved her mind into white-hot rage and growled. They'll take me where the other ponies were taken, she thought, and we'll break loose. We'll kick their sorry flanks in half. I just have to be patient. I just have to wait for the right moment... She repeated the plan in her head as the forest above began to block out all the sunlight. They were going lower, towards the mountains beneath Cloudsdale. A fierce shaking overtook her and her breath came quick, desperate, but she had to hold on. If she didn't, she knew she would be lost. Once they had gone far enough in, the changeling that seemed to lead the group flashed with green flame and then re-assumed the form of Soarin'. “I'll have to let Spitfire know that you're missing,” he said, grinning. “Don't worry. I'll make sure that the best pegasi in Cloudsdale are out looking for you.”