//------------------------------// // The Storm // Story: Harmonics // by ezra09 //------------------------------// A cold nausea twisted inside Scootaloo. “Effigy?” Mimic smirked. “You should see the look on your face.” “You have to understand. It was—” “Self defense?” Mimic asked. “An accident? Get one thing straight right now. I don’t care. The only family I have right now is hurt and locked away because of you. He’ll never be able to use magic or change his shape again.” Mimic checked over her shoulder. “We’ll fly to Canterlot today. I’ll find a way to tip your sister off before we have a chance to catch her off guard, and then come back to free you before the Queen can return. Be ready to leave late tonight, and try to get some rest before we go.” Scootaloo nodded and Mimic turned away. “Mimic, just remember. If Rainbow Dash gets hurt—” “Yes, I know.” Scootaloo settled down to wait. Between the worry clawing at her and the whistling wind from the storm, time seemed to slow to a crawl. She finally managed to drop into an uneasy sleep. She was plagued with dreams of the storm raging outside, of falling through the rain and wind, unable to catch herself. A particularly loud crack of thunder echoed through the caverns and she jerked awake, coat slick with a cold sweat. Ersatz arrived with her lunch and dinner, but didn’t talk to her. Seconds ticked by, each an eternity of fear and worry. She didn’t know how much time had passed since dinner, but the sounds of busy changeling had started to fade in the distant halls. She half expected the imaginary voice of Discord to show itself, almost wanted it for lack of anything to distract her, but it seemed to have disappeared entirely. In its place were flashes of memories as they pieced themselves back together. The mysterious mare Rose had met with Star Shine that night at the restaurant. They’d been joined by Lirean in the form of the filly Crystal Ball. Scootaloo had slipped away unseen, and Thistleroot had taken her home. There was an hour or so still missing, a stretch of time that was completely blank. Finally, after what felt like weeks or month, a set of weary hooves shuffled outside her cell, and a changeling rounded the corner. “Uh...” Scootaloo started hesitantly. “Yes, it’s me,” Mimic said. “And?” “I managed to get separated in the storm and beat them to Canterlot. Found your sister outside the address we have recorded for you. Jumped out at her, shouting ‘that’s the pony we’ve been ordered to kidnap’ and then looked around as though I was surprised to be alone. She bought it. Also, you should have told me how fast she is. I had to dive into a crowd and change half a dozen times just to get away.” “But she’s safe?” Scootaloo asked. “Yes. Once she gave up trying to find me she went straight to Canterlot Castle.” Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief. Even if Dash wasn’t afraid, the princess would be sure to keep her from doing anything reckless. “Now let’s get out of here,” Mimic said. Her horn flared up and the bars shattered with a loud crack. “I was hoping you wouldn’t do that,” Ersatz said from the back of the room. Scootaloo and Mimic flinched. “When Queen Lirean told me that you’d set her free, I’d thought she’d gone mad.” The male changeling stepped into view, barely a shadow in the light coming from the hall. “How?” Mimic asked. “She said she’d do the same thing in your position, if it meant freeing Queen Chrysalis,” Ersatz said. “Of course, she also added that she’d kill Scootaloo and the princesses once she had what she wanted. She seemed very eager to make that distinction.” “Ersatz, please, just let us go,” Mimic said. “Pretend I managed to overpower you.” “You know I can’t do that.” “Please, Ersatz, we’re friends. You and Effigy are friends.” “I am loyal to the hive and my queen,” Ersatz said. “My personal feelings are irrelevant.” Mimic began to speak, but a sudden blur rushed past her, almost invisible in the dark. It hit Ersatz, driving him into the far wall with a surprised grunt. He fell to the floor, wheezing. “Let’s go!” Scootaloo shouted, turning back to Mimic. The changeling took the lead, speeding through the tangled web of caves. Scootaloo stayed right on her tail. As they went, they heard screaming from behind them. Ersatz had caught his breath and was rousing the other changelings. The hive began to come to life with an angry buzzing. Mimic led Scootaloo up through the hives, following a much more direct route than Lirian had when she'd arrived. Before long they charged through the mouth of the cave and into the open air. Scootaloo froze. The storm that she’d been hearing all night was still raging. Wind tore at her from every direction as it blew against the mountainside. Lightning flashed in the distance and thunder shook the ground beneath her hooves. Without the stone walls on every side, the storm felt a hundred times fiercer. The wind howled through the streets, rattling windows and shaking the foundation of her house. It was one of the downsides of living in a cloud house, they offered little protection from the weather. Scootaloo watched the dark clouds blow by her window, wondering when her mom and dad would be home. “Scootaloo!” Mimic shouted, snapping her out of her daze. “What are you doing?” Scootaloo shook her head and fought to keep her voice steady. “We’re flying in this?” “This isn’t the time for that,” Mimic said, using magic to push Scootaloo toward the edge of the cliff. “You’re supposed to be a good flyer. It’s just a little wind.” “It’s not that,” Scootaloo said back, barely able to make herself heard over the sound of the storm. The rest of her sentence was cut off as changelings appeared at the cave entrance, rushing toward them. With a burst of magic, Mimic gave Scootaloo a final push. Scootaloo was going to die. She just knew it. The clubhouse shook and rattled as the winds tore at it. A shutter banged against the wall over and over, spraying droplets across the floor and letting freezing wind in. Scootaloo couldn’t bring herself to venture from her corner to close it. The clubhouse shrieked in protest and Scootaloo buried her head under her hooves. Scootaloo panicked as she fell through the air, but after a moment her instincts kicked in and she was fighting against the storm, gaining altitude. Mimic was just ahead of her, barely visible in the freezing rain. Changelings were closing in, but they were having as much trouble flying in the storm as she was. It was the first storm Scootaloo had been through in a cloud house since her parents had died. She knew in her head that she was safe, but her legs shook anyway. She sat on her bed, trying not to panic as the wind forced the entire building to sway back and forth. “Scootaloo?” Dash called from the hall just before her door opened. “I know I said I was going to cook tonight but, uh, that didn’t go too well. You okay with take-out again? Scootaloo?” Dash’s embarrassed smile faded as she saw Scootaloo. “Are you okay?” “No,” Scootaloo answered honestly. Scootaloo’s wings beat steadily as she started to pull ahead of the pursuing changelings. She pushed her fear aside, gaze set ahead of her, towards Canterlot. “Mimic!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Whatever you do, don’t slow down!” “Wasn’t going to!” the changeling called back. “Do you have an idea!” “Something I saw Dash do,” Scootaloo said under her breath as she started picking up altitude again. She’d worked on weather teams before, but never during a storm. The clouds were thicker than she’d expected, and pushing them slowed her down. She checked over her shoulder to see the changelings gaining on her. Every moment she pushed the clouds, they grew darker and more compact. The lead changeling was right on top of her, hissing in victory. Scootaloo kicked out, her back hooves connecting with something followed by a sharp hiss of pain. She struck the clouds ahead of her, punching a hole through the center and out the other side. She flapped back, killing her momentum and gave the compacted storm clouds a buck worthy of the Apple family. With a terrifying crack, the sky around her went a blinding white. The noise obliterated all thought as the air went dry for a split second. The scent of ozone twisted her stomach, but she fought her nervousness and began picking up speed again. Mimic was ahead of her, descending. Scootaloo closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound of the storm. A comforting hoof rested around her shoulders. Dash was always there when the weather took a turn for the worst. Scootaloo doubted she’d ever be able to work on the storms they sometimes had to schedule, but at least she could sit through them without panicking now. All thanks to one pony. They’d lost the changelings. Scootaloo touched down beside Mimic, hardly daring to believe it. They’d escaped. She was on her way home. They’d even made it through the worst of the storm. Dawn was approaching and she could see blue skies in the distance. “Don’t get too excited,” Mimic said. “Why not? We did it, we lost them.” Mimic shook her head. “That thing with the lightning bought us time, but it’s not why they stopped chasing us. They weren’t willing to follow us here.” Scootaloo cast a quick glance over their surroundings. They were at the top of a hill with rolling grass in all directions. The barren wastelands could be seen in one direction, beyond a sea of trees. Mountains stood in the other. “So we made it to Equestria?” “No. Equestria is over those mountains. We’ve only made it past the Forest of Leota.” Scootaloo frowned. “You look kind of nervous.” “I didn’t want to come here,” Mimic said, “but I didn’t think we’d be able to lose them. This place is forbidden to changelings. Most who go in don’t return, and those that do go insane eventually. They’re exiled.” “Insane?” Scootaloo asked, glancing around again, more nervously. “What exactly is this place.” “We call it the Mad Lands,” Mimic said. “This is where Discord first fought the Royal Pony Sisters.”