Book 3: Equestria Abides
Chapter 7
“There, you've got the right power matrix behind it now... Now you need to focus it as if through a convex-convex lens.” Twilight Sparkle watched her new student struggle with it a little, before the power dissipated again with no results, bleeding off its wasted energy into the walls of the empty room in the fortress's basement.
“A what-what?” Shimmer Spell asked, a little lost. The blue unicorn really was trying hard, but this new spell Twilight was trying to teach her was more complicated and delicate than her usual tricks.
“A lens that's rounded outwards on both sides,” Twilight sighed. She wished she could just do it herself, but her magic was even worse now... this was the only option left. “Now, let's take it from the top again.”
* * *
Shimmer Spell tried once more, and this time Twilight let out a yip of excitement: The apple on the floor had turned back into it's true form of a rock... Shimmer had learned the basic disillusion spell!
Tired, but pleased with herself, Shimmer turned to Twilight, “Okay, I got it... finally. Now what was so important about his that we had to learn it right away?”
“I hope I'm not right about it,” Twilight answered, “and I've definitely learned my lesson about making wild accusations... so I'll just say you'll see soon.”
Shimmer stomped a hoof in exasperation. “You really are infuriating, you know that?”
* * *
Apollo Dawn looked with pride on his crew, all assembled together in the big dining hall on the second floor, but with a measure of doubt at the purple unicorn next to him. He whispered over to her, “Okay, time to stop being so secretive, why did you want us all here, what's going on?”
“Sorry,” She whispered back, “Hopefully nothing... but if I'm right, it's important.”
He sighed, “Well, get on with it... I would say we're burning daylight...” He looked out the window, seeing only the blank black sky. “except that there's none out there to burn at the moment... anyway, we're spending time here, I hope you're not wasting it.”
“I hope I am,” she whispered back, “but you're right, time to get started.” She looked up at all the members of Apollo's crew. “Okay, can Sunny, Shimmer, and Trigger come up please?”
The two foals only looked confused and put-out, while Shimmer Spell walked up to Twilight as if she had been expecting to be called up. Apollo himself wondered what she could possibly want with this combination of ponies... Sunny trotted up right next to Twilight, giving her a nuzzle that oddly was only hesitatingly returned, and Trigger followed not far behind, showing his now usual tendency to stick close to the filly.
“Okay, Shimmer,” Twilight said, “Like we practiced, and do Trigger first.”
The two foals looked up at Shimmer Spell, with looks on their faces matching Apollo's own confusion... What was Twilight Sparkle up to? Shimmer's horn began to glow, and she pointed it at a now worried-looking pegasus colt. Apollo felt protectiveness rise up in him... if Twilight was planning to do anything to the little colt... but Shimmer Spell was doing it. She wouldn't hurt Trigger, would she?
A jet of magical energy shot out from Shimmer's horn, spraying over Hair Trigger, and to Apollo's amazement, Trigger changed. His bright yellow fur became black, his neon orange mane turned into greenish-blue fin-like things, his wings became translucent teal green, and holes opened up in his legs. Trigger, or whatever he was now, looked up and hissed through his now fanged mouth.
“What did you do to him!?!” Sunny cried out as the others just stared in amazement, “Fix it right now or you'll be sorry!”
Twilight looked over at Shimmer spell, nodding in Sunny's direction. The little filly didn't waste any more time, and quickly ran. “Catch her!” Twilight called out, to be rewarded when a big green hoof slammed down on the filly's tail, pinning her to the floor.
“Got her!” Pebbles called back with a little pride. She didn't often, but she could move fast when she needed to.
Shimmer Spell approached the frantically struggling filly, and performed her new spell again, and again a transformation occurred, leaving a stunned little black insectoid creature where Sunny Daze had been.
“What is this?” Apollo asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this. What had happened to Trigger? Could it be fixed?
“They're changelings,” Twilight explained. “They take the form of someone you love and feed off your love for them.”
“But... but, how?” Needle Point's voice came from the back, “Where's my real Trigger?”
“I think they were replaced when they got lost yesterday,” Twilight mused. “That's when I started feeling weak, and that's when Sunny started acting weird...”
“Trigger's... gone?” Apollo asked, devastated. He had been the one to find the two... it had been his job to bring them back safe... and it looks like he hadn't.
Twilight shook her head. “I think the changelings have to keep the pony they replace alive in order to take their shape... Sunny and Trigger are probably hidden away somewhere.”
“But how are we going to find them?” Apollo asked, “They could be anywhere.”
“I know how,” Quartermaster said, walking up to one of the changelings. “He's coming to... quick, somepony fetch me some rope.”
* * *
The changeling scowled and hissed as Quartermaster admired his handiwork. “There, all them holes shore do make 'em easy to tie up, don't they?” A green flash of magic shined through the wrapping around the other changeling's jagged horn, but dissipated. “And thank ya kindly for showin' me how ta block their magics, liddle Twilight,” he added with approval.
“So,” Apollo said to the two little black creatures as he walked up close, trying to be as intimidating as possible, “Where are our real little ponies?”
The two little bugs just hissed back at him defiantly.
He crossed his hooves smugly, “Twilight here says you can't survive without love... and you're not getting any here.”
They looked a little less defiant and more worried now, but they stayed quiet.
Apollo looked over to Albatross, cuing him that it was his turn to play good cop. “Now, if you'll be good little bugs and show us where our friends are, we'll let you go,” the white pegasus said, trying to do his best to overcome his revulsion of the creatures and look friendly.
One of the changelings looked like it was about to talk, but it stopped when the other jabbed it and hissed, quickly shutting it up. That one must be the one in charge, Apollo supposed. Which one had that one been mimicking, Sunny or Trigger? He had lost track, he realized. Both changelings looked identical now.
“Well, okay then,” He said, “If you don't want to talk just now, we can wait.” He began to walk away slowly, “Splints here will keep you company... I think she has some new medical techniques she wants to practice... Oh, and I'm sure she'd love to learn more about changeling anatomy!”
The pink and yellow earth pony trotted into their impromptu prison happily, holding a scalpel in her mouth and humming. Both changelings had been around Splints long enough to get to know her evil-seeming exterior, but neither had ever seen the kindness she kept hidden inside... and both became wide-eyed with fright at the sight of her and the gleaming tool in her mouth.
“Wait!” one of the changelings shouted out.
“Oh, changed your mind, have you?” Apollo asked sweetly, turning to the changeling that had looked like it was going to talk earlier... but it was the other one who answered,
“We take you to little ponies! Keep scary pony away!”
Apollo suppressed a chuckle. Looks like they had made progress after all. He stepped out to the door, “Okay, Pebbles, your turn.”
The big mare walked in, with Shimmer Spell following. With a glow of Shimmer's magic, the ropes quickly untied themselves and retied, forming a leash around each of the changelings necks, connected to the earth pony's massive front legs. “Once again, Shimmer Spell saves the day!” came a voice from inside the room.
Ignoring it, Apollo walked out toward the stairwell and toward the exit, Twilight falling in next to him. “You weren't really going to let Splints cut on them, were you?” She asked, tentatively.
He laughed, checking behind to make sure the changelings were still out of earshot, “Of course not... but it makes such a lovely threat, doesn't it.”
Twilight giggled a little herself, “Uh huh. I guess it does.”
* * *
The moment the two changelings got outside the door, they made their break for freedom... or tried to. Both of them tried to fly off at once into the pre-dawn sky, only to be jerked back as they reached the end of their ropes. They hadn't managed to budge Pebbles at all.
As they fell back down to the ground, Apollo stood over them. “Okay, you've had your fun little bugs... Now take us to our friends.”
Twilight looked on in grudging admiration as Apollo managed to keep control of the changelings and the situation, and the creatures started walking off compliantly towards the main gate.
She had been afraid again when she realized she had lost Sunny again. Was there no end to her capacity for failure? She couldn't even keep one little filly safe, after all. Now though... now her hopes were beginning to rise. This might just work... she might just see her little Sunny again... and this time, she promised herself, the little filly would never leave her sight again. It was just too risky out there.
* * *