Chapter 4:
When You Find a Rariebug
By: Changeling Dashed
A hoof slammed down on a table, some papers fluttered into the air from the force. The five ponies sitting at the table gave a jump, as they turned to look at the culprit of the action. The culprit was a certain Rainbow colored Pegasus who didn't look happy at all.
"I know that you all think the Changeling Fluttershy look a like is nice, but did you all forget the Wedding?"
"Dash, the Wedding was over 2 years ago.. shouldn't you put that behind you?" asked Fluttershy.
"I don't know Fluttershy, She does have a point. Why would there suddenly be Changeling forms of ourselves? It doesn't make sense really."
"Thank you Twilight, I'm glad one pony here has some sense about them."
"I have ta agree with Dash and Twilight on this ya'll. We all know Queen Chrysalis was never caught after the whole thing went down. Who is to say she isn't trying to once again take over?" Applejack wasn't one to be forgiving of the changelings. She still saw them as a great threat to her, her family, and her friends.
"But Flutterbug hasn't done anything wrong, she even feeds off the love in friendship. I mean, I don't know if it tastes different, or if there really is a difference. I'm sure there is, ooohhh what if I made a cupcake of pure love, Oh OH what if I made one of pure Friendship? I need to start collecting it.. but.. um.. Twilight, how does one go about collecting love and friendship?"
"No deary you can't simply collect Friendship, how the changelings do it is beyond me. Now why don't you be a dear and sit down. Your bouncing will end up mess up my mane."
Dash sat down listening to her friends go back and forth on their views about why a Changeling was to be trusted, or why they were to be eradicated. She didn't have the heart to tell them that she nearly killed one, just to keep them safe. She also failed to let them know that the Queen, their mother, had shown up personally to take Flutter... the two changelings away. Why was she calling that Fluttershy imposter the nickname given by Pinkie? it didn't matter, she knew she had to keep them safe. If that meant actually killing the changelings.. so be it. She was willing to take it to the extremes,
"Well in any case I have written a letter to Celestia about this, I hope to get a response soon if she isn't on her way her now. After all she was only aware of the one that we all accepted into the town, and I am sure she wants to talk to Chrysalis about her recreating us."
"YOU may have accepted that parasite, but I never will. I still think they are trying to harm all of you and I will do what ever it takes to prove my point. Even if I have to go to the Hive myself and drag one of them back beaten to a pulp."
Dash huffed and turned away from the table leaving her friends with mixed emotions on her own declaration. She pushed open the door to the library and lifted her head feeling the warm rays of the sun upon her coat. She stretched her wings and gave a satisfied shiver of having them open again. She looked to the sky and found that there were a couple clouds lingering near by but they were just the fluffy white ones. She was about to start her flight home when she heard the library door open and close again.
"Look I told you all my feelings and I am not changing my mind got..." She paused seeing Fluttershy looking at her a bit.
"Dash.. why are you being so aggressive towards them? So far they haven't done anything wrong."
"I'm doing it because my gut is telling me to, they are up to something and I'm going to stop it before it happens," And I can't let them hurt you. She said the last part in her head as she looked at her long time friend. Dash had wanted to talk to Shy about her feelings, but never found the time or the guts. However now there were Changelings around, one was even a pathetic knock off of Fluttershy. That got Dash's blood boiling, no pony ever imitates her friends, especially her crush.
"Dash, I guess I can't change your mind.. just be careful ok?" With that said she started walking home, hanging her head a little. The thought of her long time friend actually going as far as to nearly kill anything was just beyond her scope of understanding. She didn't want to think on it anymore so she pushed the thoughts from her mind and focused on simply walking home.
Dash let out a small sigh and laid her ears back, seeing the mare that she wanted to give her heart to look so disappointed in her. Biting her lower lip she wanted to run to the mare and tell her the true reasons, to tell her that she loved the mare with all her heart. She couldn't, not with Changelings running around, not while one of those parasitic love suckers was still flying around in Equestria seeing the chance to monopolize on her love for Fluttershy. She lifted into the air and started towards home only to stop and look back at the small yellow dot in the distance.
"I'm doing this because I love you, and I want to keep you safe Fluttershy."
With that the mare simply turned and resumed her flight back to her home, now more determined than ever to protect what she loved the most in this world. Her friends, and Fluttershy, nothing was going to harm them, absolutely nothing.
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Back in the colony, Queen Chrysalis was looking down at the two before her. She seemed passive as they kept their heads low like scolded children caught in the act of doing something bad. Around Chrysalis were four other Changelings, each of them with a unique appearance to them.
Changeling Twilight, was very much purple, same mane, and eyes, with her flank bearing Twilight's cutie mark. She was smart, thoughtful and very well mannered, but she had more opposite side to her. She wasn't the master of spells like Twilight was, nor was she very trusting of her sisters. She spent most of her time watching them, carefully observing their actions and reporting to mother on the ones that were out of line. Some would say she was the boss, the one that held most of the sway with Chrysalis. Right now she was seated comfortably between Chrysalis's forelegs looking at the two with disgust and unbridled distrust for them.
Changeling Pinkie was busy sitting on Chrysalis's back playing with her mothers mane, braiding it, combing it, humming a small tune to herself. She was like Pinkie in a way, Pink all around aside from her eyes that matched Pinkies own blue. She was considered the crazy one among her sisters, but she loved to party, and she liked to have fun. However her fun normally ended up with hundreds of ponies drained of love and emotions. She didn't care what her sisters did as long as it didn't interfere with her fun time. As far as she was concerned the two before mother were simply doing what she wanted to do.. have fun.
Changeling Applejack was orange like her counterpart, same Straw colored mane and tail, and a hard worker. She even stole a Stetson like AJ's in order to fit into her role better. She was the hard worker, the one that went out with the packs of Drone Changelings and made sure they rounded up enough ponies to stave off starvation within the colony. However she had her downside, considering nothing to be fun, and working nearly all the time. She found laying about was something that upset her, and not working hard only served to make her angry. She would often yell at her sisters to get up and do something to better the colony, which was normally met with a flurry of green bolts chasing her away. She wasn't nice, she told lies, and she was just all around bully material to the lesser changelings.
You have met Changeling Fluttershy and Changeling Dash, however there is one that puts herself above the others. Calls herself the Leader when they all know Twilight is the leader. Granted Twilight only speaks in whispers and normally in her mothers ear, this one is loud. She made it well known when she was around, and always hatched a plan to either promote herself, or get what she wanted. She even crossed mother a couple times, but soon groveled at her hooves to be forgiven of her mistake. She is alabaster white, purple mane and tail that seemed to curl perfectly, copying her counterpart to a T. Her cutie mark was three diamonds, and her eyes radiated like sapphires. She even flipped her main just like her counter part did, and she wasn't very happy at this moment.
Changeling Rarity was looking down at her sisters with disgust, arrogance, the need to take an immediate bath, everything she could do to let them know she didn't like them at the moment was evident in her eyes. She snorted a bit and looked away finding the grey and black surroundings finding them to be more appealing than the sight of the two before her and the others. The light in the area was a low green glow that to them, illuminated the world they had called home since birth.
The Queen in haled and slowly started a long sigh before looking at them. She was trying to figure out what to do, Before she would simply banish the Changeling to go live with the ponies, or wander the wilderness in search of food. However here were her own daughters, the ones she birthed with a reason, with a purpose. She closed her eyes and started to think on what she was going to do.
"Banish them.. Please mother, they are tainted by the ponies, I mean look at them!"
Rarity moved closer and looked Flutterbug over with a scowl.
"This one reeks of ponies, since she was Living with them. Prancing about claiming to feed upon the love of Friendship, spouting nonsense of finding her true love among them. HA! You are very very pathetic, not even worth anymore of my Time!"
The alabaster changeling looked to Dash and narrowed her gaze, knowing what she was going to say about the weakest link.
"And YOU! Getting beaten by a miserable pony, such a shame you bring to our kind Sister. Maybe next time you can invite them to tea and join Fluttershy here in FEEDING OFF FRIENDSHIP!"
Both Fluttershy and Dash winced and tried to make themselves smaller in front of their family, Rarity still throwing spite filled words at them. Dash knew she had messed up, being beaten by the pony she was meant to replace, letting her guard down. What was wrong with her, something just didn't add up to be honest. Dash wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out knowing that her sisters, other than Fluttershy, were staring at her with such distaste.
"Now Rarity, you know that I cannot simply banish my own daughters, I love you all equally. I will however give them a choice, to be among the ponies, or to live with us and become part of Equestria's destruction."
The Queen looked down at the two as if expecting an answer immediately even though she never directly addressed them. Dash started to work her mind knowing that she would pick her family over ponies any day. It was Fluttershy she had the worries about, knowing her she was going to stand up tall, give her mane a flip, and then declare...
"I'm going to Ponyville, I know we can live beside the ponies since in our past we have done it before. They once called us Flitters, ponies with butterfly wings, and they loved us as much as we loved them. I do not see why we are not allowed to once more become those beautiful creatures like in the past and live happily?"
All of Fluttershy's sisters looked at her, more so in disbelief and disgust. They couldn't believe what they had just heard, nor did they want to hear it. Here they were, the elite of the Changelings, the ones that would go forth when ready and command their own colonies. As of now, they were part of their mothers plan to tear Equestria down and leave it nothing but a land of destruction.
Dash simply stood there, pretending to be in shock, but she knew her sister was going to make such a remark. Out of all her sisters, it was Fluttershy who she related to the most. She turned her gaze, like her sisters did, to her mother and wondered what her choice was going to be on the matter.
Chrysalis seemed to be sad, looking at her daughter with hurt filled eyes.
"My child, you know that is next to impossible, our beautiful wing were stripped from us when he ran out of love to give. However if you are willingly choosing to leave the hive and live among the ponies.... I cannot stop you."
All of them looked astonished at Chrysalis, except for Twilight, they blinked in unison as if unable to comprehend what she had just said. They all eventually looked to Fluttershy, who just hung her head, and waited to see what her next move was going to be. It wasn't long before they got an answer, and one none of them really wanted to see.
"Mother, I'm sorry, but I am not like you and my sisters. Please forgive me, and know that I love all of you no matter what."
She nodded her head as tears feel onto the ground, turned, and then flew from the room making her way back to Ponyville. She wanted her family and the ponies to live in harmony together, to be peaceful towards each other. She was going to make it happen, one way or another.
With Fluttershy now gone, the room they were in seemed to dull even more. Dash stood there staring at the entrance hoping she was just playing a joke, and any second she was going to fly back in and announce that she was kidding. Dash leaned more staring at the door, but deep down she knew her sister wasn't coming back. She let out a small sigh and sat back down resuming her dulled look to the floor below her. All her work to bring her sister back, was nothing but a dream, a simply failed task that she threw upon the ever growing pile of Failure she called her life. She knew her mother was waiting on her answer, but Dash felt that the easiest one to give, was one of silence.
"Dash, please leave us.. wait outside in the tunnel until I call for you ok?" Her voice was calm and soothing, as if she knew the turmoil rolling her own child's head.
Dash didn't say a word, simply stood up and walked out into the hallway. There she looked around seeing small groups of Changelings moving about and doing their daily task's of cleaning and tending to the young. Every now and then one could be seen carrying an unconscious pony in from the outside, taking that pony to the holding area. She knew that if peace was achieved, they would have to pay for every pony locked below. For all the one's they have left comatose, and many more that were husks of themselves. It made her shiver just thinking of what Princess Celestia and Luna would say or even demand afterwards. She was sure they would demand that they all be burned alive with in their own colonies, not even a chance to defend themselves.
He thoughts of a grim future was broken by her mother calling out to her. Dash stood and re-entered the room keeping her head low like a child ready for punishment. She didn't know what she would have to endure in order to make it up to them, but she was aware that it wouldn't be pleasant. She took up her original spot in front of her mother, feeling all her sisters eyes upon her. They felt judgmental, angry, hurt.. everything you expect from a group of elite changelings looking upon one failure. She simply closed her own eyes and awaited to be dealt the punishment they had decided for her.
"Dash, my little changeling, it has come to my attention that we indeed have been gone from Equestria for to long, and your sister has shown me that it may not be to late to attempt a diplomatic resolve with them. So, for as long as your sister resides in Ponyville, I want you to go there and help her, protect her, and make sure she is treated with respect that she deserves ok?"
Dash looked up at her mother almost not believing what she had just heard. Did her mother just grace her with something that meant they were going to change their ways? Something wasn't right and her mother had some plan underneath the disguise of peace. Regardless she couldn't disobey her own mother, so she simply nodded her head and then looked up with a smile.
"Thank you mother, I will be sure to not fail this time..."
"Like you have before right Sister Dash?"
Rarity simply stared at her sister with a look of smug and arrogant pride that she had. To the others, Rarity was close to perfection, in almost every way. However that also led her to become overconfident and unfitting to be the leader of their little group.
"Yes.. sister Rarity, like I have before."
Saying that left a bad taste in the Changelings mouth, she hated admitting she had failed many times before and simply wanted to just let the past die. She shook her head and looked at her mother before smiling and giving her a nod.
"Ok mother, I will not fail you, thank you for giving me this chance to prove myself again."
Chrysalis nodded and watched her daughter quickly exit the room and pursue her sister. Once she was sure that Dash was long gone she started to laugh a bit, and soon it was a thunderous evil laugh as she stomped a fore hoof.
"OH MY! This is so perfect, I knew you girls would grant me my wish of bringing Equestria to it's knee's. Oh the silliness of living along side the ponies in peace and harmony. HA! Thanks to Fluttershy and Dash we now have a small foothold in their little town of Ponyville, and soon we will move in and take it for ourselves. Every pony will be dragged away, Changelings will replace them, then we will slowly replace the ones that come to visit, spreading like wildfire to the other cities! Then before Princess Cadence and that Shinning Armor know what is going on, we will have successfully invaded ALL OF EQUESTRIA! Rarity, my most beautiful, I want you to go to Ponyville and start up the so called Peace talk. I know you will have a wonderful plan to trick those foolish six into thinking we are their friends. Simply call for one of your sisters when you need them to replace their counterpart, and be sure to leave that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy for the end. We don't want your friendship loving sisters to catch on that we are just using them ok?"
"Why of course mother, I would never dream of ruining your glorious plan. I must say thank you for picking the perfect girl for this task. After all I do make the best plans, and have the best success when it comes to tricky situations such as this. Shall I leave now, or wait till after we feed?"
"Wait till after we feed my lovely daughter, it will give those two the chance to meet up and for Dash to tell her sister the good news about us."
After saying that all of them burst into laughter, evil, maniacal, and even one insane sounding laughter as they all reveled in the moment that they would soon destroy Equestria. Even if they had to step on their own sisters to do it.
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Jill was slumped on her bar top, the place was closed as she was not feeling normal. At least not normal like her self, but she felt a yearning. Ever since she laid eyes on that changeling something had stirred deep inside her, something she thought she had lost when her wife Sapphire Brush left her and took their only daughter. Of course Jill got to see her every other weekend, but she was once content with simply living the life she had. Now she couldn't get that changeling out of her mind, and she didn't even know why. Was it her form, that rainbow mane and tail, or was it her eyes? Jill didn't know but she wished she had the chance to at least say hello to her.
Jill Frostie, the Pegasus mare with rings upon her tail, and the owner of her own bar in Ponyville. She wore glasses to help her see, and had a coat that was a lighter shade of Cyan. On her flank was a snowflake cutie mark that meant she loved the snow. She worked her bar during the spring, summer months, and in the fall she worked to the weather team in bringing the snow. She was often found in her bar where she had Twilight cast a spell that allowed hundreds upon hundreds of flakes to hover near the ceiling. Each pony that came through the door would find their cutie mark hovering over their head. It was a feature that pushed her bar to become famous, and attract those from Canterlot as well.
She looked around the empty establishment seeing the tables, clean and empty awaiting customers. She had stools at the bar, and the best selection of drinks lined and proudly displayed on the wall behind it. She prided herself on the ample seating that could easily hold 100 ponies, between tables, booths, and the bar. Though there were never really that many ponies in her place at once time.
Letting out a sigh she rolled off the counter and landed on the floor with her hooves. Looking out the window with a longing gaze, hoping to see her once more.
"Come on Jill.. she is a Changeling, why are you so enticed by her? I mean come one, she is a love sucking bug that only wants to take all your love and leave you.. leave..."
Jill shook her head knowing that wasn't true at all, her mind chastised her for thinking in such a way as she kept her rose colored eyes looking to the street. She watched ponies walk past and found her attention on a couple that was laughing about something. She sighed and grumbled to herself moving into the back and exiting her bar, leaving it closed for the time being. She looked to the cloud house in the distance that was known as the home of Rainbow Dash, maybe Dash could hear her out and clear up her feelings? Either way she was going to Dash's house and having a talk with the mare.
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Rainbow Dash was in her house, letting a sigh escape her lips as she thought about the sight Fluttershy had given her. It tore at her inside, made her feel like she was doing the wrong thing in order to keep the one she loved safe. She looked at the table before her and rested her hooves upon it, thinking of what she herself said during the meeting. Why did she tell them she was willing to go as far is it took to prove them wrong? Didn't she trust her friends enough to know they had faith in her?
She was plotting on how she was going to prove that the Changelings were up to something, that they had a hidden agenda to once more invade. She only needed the evidence to prove it, she had to catch one and get the truth out of her. She was deep in thought when she heard a noise upstairs in her room, she moved as fast as she could indoors and busted into her own room only to freeze in her tracks.
There before her was the answer to her problem, the one being that she needed in order to get the truth out of. The look alike changeling that she had pinned before, and now she was in her room. Dash thanked Celestia for her good fortune and didn't wait for the Changeling to say a word, before she leaped on her and delivered a right hoof to the changelings head.
The Changeling fell to the floor out cold, having been caught off guard by Dash busting into the room. She hoped to find her resting and wanted to talk to her, she honestly thought the window was a door, and picked the only one open. Now she was out cold with a very angry looking Rainbow Dash standing over her, looking down with a smirk as she held a rope in her mouth. The Changeling didn't have a clue as to what fate was awaiting her at the hooves of her counterpart.
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NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I hope you are all enjoying this, I just hope this chapter doesn't seem rushed. If it does please forgive me and be lenient please, this is my first story and I am doing my best to improve with each chapter. There will be 7 in total, and this adventure will only have more twists and turns awaiting you. Also, Thank you all for the likes, favorites, and watches. I can only hope I don't disappoint you...