//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 The Truth Comes Out take 2 // Story: The Pony and the Hurt Changeling // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// All around the Hive, Changelings were talking about 'Friends' and that the pony in the prison cell was the one that started it off. So whenever any-ling wanted to find out more or to question her, they went down with small will not be missed gifts for taking up her time, and asked her. Chrysalis was pleased by this. She wasn't pleased that her colony was giving a should be prisoner her Hive's treasures, or the fact the when they did this they weren't doing their work. No she was pleased by it because with each try, Fluttershy let slip something about her friends. And it would only be a matter of time before their whereabouts were told. Fluttershy didn't have any questions to answer today, but she was being seen by Nurse 516 again so she could check on Fluttershy's injures. "Your head seems better," the nurse said taking that bandage off and seeing to the bump. Then she started to unwrap the ones to the Pegasus's wing. Hoof steps were coming down the corridor and stopped at Fluttershy's door. Looking up Fluttershy could see it was Chrysalis at the door this time. "Um..." Fluttershy said not knowing what to say. "Nice to see you again Fluttershy," Chrysalis said grinning a bit. "Now about you teaching my Changelings about 'Friends'." she said. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy said sitting up and looking Chrysalis in the eye. "It's just they said they didn't know what they were so I thought I'd tell them. I... I'll be happy to stop if it's putting them off their work...." Fluttershy said "And I'll give everything back." she said looking around her cell seeing gifts everywhere. "It's quite alright," Chrysalis said sitting down. "Better they learn about them now then struggle with it later when their out there trying to con ponies." she said fangs bared. "What are... Ohmygoodness Ohmygoodness Ohmygoodness Ohmygoodness Ohmygoodness" Fluttershy said just realizing what she had been doing. Without another word Chrysalis got up and went away again. "Are you ok Fluttershy?" Nurse 516 asked just finishing unwrapping her wing. "YOU!" Fluttershy said whipping her wing out of the nurses grip not caring about the pain. "You started this... If you hadn't asked me about my friends, their lives wouldn't be in danger!" she shouted so loud every-ling down the corridor could hear her. "I... I didn't do anything," Nurse 516 said backing away. "I kept my mouth shut. Something you should have done!" she said buzzing her wings. "Yeah right," Fluttershy said sounding like Rainbow Dash "And I bet you haven't been feeding off of my love for them either." she said her wings spread the best they could be. "No I haven't!" Nurse 516 shouted back. "But if you don't trust me then fine. Here, fix yourself up!" she said before leaving the cell putting a small wedge in the door so it wouldn't shut completely, and stomped off down the corridor down to the nursery. Outside the small Changeling with the broken leg and wing was cowering under some rocks looking all around her for signs of scouts to tell if the entrance had been opened again yet. Seeing no scouting parties on the ground she looked up to the sky and saw something small but something fast coming her way. A few seconds later a loud 'BANG' was heard and a circle of the most beautiful thing the young Changeling had ever saw spread out across the sky, the thing that made it coming down to the ground a few miles away from her. Once the dust had cleared, the Changeling saw it was one of those 'ponies' that her Queen tried to con last time she tried to take over Equestria. The other Pegasus pony, the one with the short temper, blue fur and colorful hair. Rainbow Dash looked around at her surroundings seeing nothing but sand, rocks and cacti. "Alright you Changelings, I know you're out there!" she said stopping her hoof. "Give me back my friend, right now and I'll leave you alone!" Shocked by how loud the pony was the small Changeling tumbled out of her hiding spot and quivered with fear when Rainbow Dash turned to face her. Rainbow's first thoughts when she saw the Changeling were to kill it, her second thoughts were 'If you kill it you won't find Fluttershy Dummy!' Finally her third thought, after looking at the small Changeling again was. "You're hurt aren't ya?" she said in a softer, calmer voice getting down so she was eye level with the being. "Do... Do you want some help?" The small Changeling lifted her head up a bit her wide eyes looking at Rainbow Dash. "Meep..." she said. "That your name? Meep?" Rainbow Dash asked gently straightening the Changeling's wing. "What's a name?" she asked her eyes on Rainbow the best she could. A bit shocked at the question, Rainbow answered her. "It's what others call you, to tell you apart." she said turning to look at the Changelings leg. "My names Rainbow Dash." "Well then I'm Worker 727, but most of the others call me 'Runt'." the small Changeling said purple tears coming out of her eyes. "What do you mean they call you 'Runt'" Rainbow Dash asked, stopping wrapping leaves around the Changeling's leg to keep it straight. "I'm the smallest out of my same day siblings," the small Changeling said. "I... I couldn't take it any more, so I decided to runaway. But then storm clouds came into the sky, and I got hit with a rock. Before I could get back inside the Hive, they shut the door, not realizing I was out here." she said the purple tears still coming out of her eyes. "But Kid surely you have friends to stand up to those bullies for you..." Rainbow said thinking that this Changeling was just like her make-shift little sister Scootaloo back home. When all Rainbow got was a confused head to one side look, Rainbow under stood... "You don't have any friends do you?" she asked. "I don't even know what it is. In the colony, it's every-ling for themselves. The bigger ones often getting the better stuff too." she said sniffing. "Well, a friend is someone who will always be there to get you out of any trouble you might be in, and stick by you for ever." Rainbow said explaining her way of saying what friends are finishing up on the Changelings leg. "And consultations Meep... You've made your first friend." she said sticking her hoof out and shaking the Changelings. "Now lets get mine back." she said hoisting the small Changeling onto her back and taking off again looking for the Hives entrance. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie along with the Buffalo's and Braeburn, were all sat around the main camp fire wondering what to do. "Great," Twilight said after a moment of silence. "Now we have two friends missing and possibly caught be the Changelings." Applejack on the other hand was remembering the conversation Thunder Hooves had with Rainbow Dash. "If ya'll not mind me asking Chief Thunder Hooves," she began "How did you know about Changelings anyway?" All eyes except those of the older Buffalo's looked upon Thunder Hooves for an answer. "It was many moons ago," Thunder Hooves said "Many... Many... Many... Many... Many.... Many... Many... Many ...." "I think they get the idea Chief," a Buffalo to his left said tapping his chief on the shoulder to get him to stop. "Yes, well... It was just after the tribe lost Little Strong Hearts mother," he said sighing. "We had completed our annual stampede across the lands for that year. After, I found a rather strange looking pony, who said she had not had anything to drink or had a meal in days. Being the chief, I bought her back to the village and we welcomed her like an honored guest." Thunder Hooves said looking out to the sky. "And that pony was Chrysalis," Twilight asked. "That is correct Miss Sparkle," Thunder Hooves said looking back at them. "Then later that night, just as we were going to sleep, swaps of the creatures came to the village and destroyed everything in their paths. We tried our best to fight them off and to protect our guest, not realizing she herself was controlling them, or going about our tents feeding herself on the love and glee the children showed for us. After a while I heard Strong Heart crying and went to see what was wrong, and saw Chrysalis standing over her, horn glowing that sickening green...." He said firing himself up, calming down when the Buffalo on his left touched his shoulder. "After we found her over the Princess," the one on the left said looking at the ponies and a shocked Strong Heart, "we forced her out of the village, and we found as soon as she was gone, the others were as well." Strong Heart stepped forward. "Father, everyone" she said looking at her tribe, "Why have you not told me this?" "At the time, you were to young to say anything to my daughter," Thunder Hooves said. "And we had not had anything to do with those parasites since then." "So when Rainbow's friend gets kidnapped by them," Strong Heart said tears slightly in her eyes "You think that's the time to tell me?" she asked eying everyone. "We did it to protect you my daughter..." Thunder Hooves tried to say. "NO!" Strong Heart said stomping her hoof, surprising every buffalo and pony present. "Please Father, I don't want any of these 'To protect you' excuses. Why did you not tell me about these things?" When nothing came except a sigh, from her father, Little Strong Heart just turned around and ran away, Braeburn,Twilight and her friends, quick to follow her. "STRONG HEART!" Braeburn called out after her as they left the gates to the village. Little Strong Heart came to a stop letting the ponies catch up. "Wha.... Whatever you're planning on doing.... I'm coming too." Braeburn said panting a little. Then turning to his cousin. "What about you Cousin AJ?" he asked. "Twi, even though I agree with we need to check the weather, I think I'm going to go and help Rainbow get Fluttershy back." she said putting her hat to her chest and looking Twilight in the eye. "Ok Applejack," Twilight said seeing the determination in her friends eyes. "I'll try and find someway to get to the Princess to find out what's going on. Oh if only we hadn't left Spike back home..." And with that, the group went their separate ways, Applejack, Braeburn and Little Strong Heart heading for the Hills. Pinkie, Twilight and Rarity going back to Appleloosa.