Previously on Stuck…
The changeling Overlord known as 'Lefty' (disguised as the human known as 'Silas') goes and talks to a tied-up Rainbow Dash. He asks her why she doesn't want to go back home. To which she ultimately answers that she was unable to decide whether she should follow her dreams and join the Wonderbolts, whilst moving far away from all her friends, or to let her lifelong dream slip past her in order to stay in Ponyville with her friends.
Oh, and she also promised Morgan and Claire that she'd find the missing people.
Lefty offers Rainbow a deal. In exchange for some love, he will release her and all the humans the changelings have captive (practically the whole town, some hundreds). The catch, however, is that the love has to be given to Lefty's colleague, Righty. Who has, through being constantly fed nothing but hate by Rainbow and Morgan, become incredibly powerful and somewhat insane.
And then Lefty mentions that the reason him and all his changeling friends are in the human world is specifically to retrieve Rainbow Dash.
"You're the good guys? But you're changelings!"
"Wow. I mean, just wow. That's kind of racist- er, specist, Rainbow," Lefty responds, crossing his arms in disappointment.
"What're you talking about? You guys openly attacked Canterlot!"
"Oh, if only you understood, Rainbow." He shakes his head. "Besides, if you're going to blame someone, blame our Queen. Like I said, all of us Overlords were under her mind control at the time. We hardly had a choice in the matter. Not that we wouldn't have done it anyway, but that's not the point here."
"So you're the good guys, huh?"
"…For the third time, yes."
"Ok. So. Let me get this straight."
"Ugh."
"You guys followed me to this… world-place… because you're the good guys?"
"Oh for the love of Chrysalis! Rainbow, we have more important things to do than sit here and talk about this. And we don't have much time to do it. Now come on, let's go find Righty and just finish this whole thing."
"B-b-but! I don't even know what to do! I mean… ya got any pointers on how to love an evil changeling overlord bent on enslaving all the humans?"
"Why, yes, I just so happen to have some helpful tips written on flash cards… No I don't have any tips! I already told you Rainbow… I have no idea. I can fake love and all the little nuances that make it look genuine… but in truth, I have absolutely no idea how to actually do it myself."
"Uh, ok, well, how about we think up a game plan before we just march into the dragon's den?"
Lefty looks troubled as he avoids eye contact. "We don't have much time Rainbow. An entire town of humans is unaccounted for. It's only a matter of time before… oh, who am I kidding? They already sent a bunch of armed guards in. And they're all out for the count. Whoever sent them is probably wondering why they haven't reported back yet. Humans are well connected, you gotta give them that. Honestly I'm surprised they haven't sent an army by now. And if they do…"
"What? What'll happen then?" I ask.
"Righty will probably start showing the humans who their new owner is."
"Oh."
"I'm sure he'll kill at least a few humans to make an example, whether or not he succeeds in winning the battle."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. So. This could get messy. I'm thinking we have maybe an hour before someone shows up looking for all the missing people."
"Ok, so-"
"So let's go!" Lefty gets behind me and nudges me away from the barn and towards the house.
"But I don't know what to do!"
"Ah, just wing it Rainbow!" He's shoving me now.
"That's not funny!"
"Hehe, come on! You'll think of something. You're awesome! Right?"
"Well, I guess I am kinda awesome…"
As we approach the house, I see two of the changelings, Danny and Dyllen, sitting on the front porch, looking at me.
"Right's not going to like this," Danny says to Lefty, clearly talking about me.
"Well his methods weren't working, like I told him they wouldn't," Left says.
Danny and Dyllen exchange glances. Dyllen looks back to Lefty, "Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know if you've noticed, but Right's kind of-"
The front door swings open, with none other than Conner, who I now know is Righty, standing in the doorway. "Kind of what, exactly?"
"U-uh," Dyllen stammers. "N-nothing, boss."
"Ah, ah, ah. It's 'king' now."
"Yes sir, Mr. King, sir."
Righty only looks mildly annoyed for a second before walking down the front porch steps, past Dyllen and Danny who've stood up, and he steps right up close in front of me. "What are you doing?" He asks.
"Uh, nothing?"
Lefty answers for me, "I'm doing what we came here to do, in case you've forgotten."
"Heh, well I think maybe you forgot why we came here to do what we were gonna do."
"Or maybe you've forgotten how we got in the situation that was the reason why we came here to do what we're doing."
"You forgot whose fault it was that we got in that situation that meant we had to come here to do what we were going to do!"
"I think you've forgotten the whole reason why it was whose fault that we needed to come here to do what we're doing!"
"…Wait, what?" Righty asks.
Lefty answers, "Yeah I think I got lost in there too."
"Point is! We're here for a different reason now-"
"Well still technically the same root cause, but-"
"Shut up. We're here for a new reason now."
"What about the old reason?"
"Who cares about the other world anymore, huh? Here, we have all the love, and hate, anyling could possibly want. And the humans are practically defenseless without magic! Why should we go crawling and begging for help from our natural enemies, when we have a land full of opportunity right here," his voice suddenly turns dark as he clenches his fist, "Ripe for the taking!"
"Then what about me, huh?" I ask.
"Look, Dashie. You're not my problem anymore. See, I got bigger fish to fry now. And as delicious and empowering all your hate and anger towards me has been, I just don't have time to play with you anymore. So this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna send you home."
"Home?"
"Yeah! Just like that! Me and my friends here are gonna open a gateway to Equestria, all you gotta do is walk through. You go find your counterpart / host / human / thing / person inhabiting your body… Church! That's it, this 'Church' dude who's in your pony body, and I'm sure your princess will be happy to magic you two all back to normal."
"Uh huh…"
"What'd'ya say? Ready to just drop this mess you've gotten yourself into and just go home to your friends?"
"What about Church?"
"Ah," he dismisses the question with a wave of his hand. "I'm sure my friends on the other side would be happy to send him back here, once you two are all sorted out."
"Well… well what about this place? What're you gonna do with it?"
"Dashie, Dashie." He reaches out and puts his hand on my shoulder. "What do you care? Huh? You're an entire reality away from this world. Church's world. And Church? He's a lying douchebag with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Did I mention he hates ponies for some reason? I have no clue why, but he does. He hates ponies. You don't need to bother yourself with him and his world. Wash your hooves of this reality and go back to your own."
He's still smiling.
What should I do? I could go straight home, right now, and everything would be right again. And… I might not get this chance again. Like Lefty said… if I don't fix the reason I don't want to go home, soon, I might never go back. If I can't find a way to love this… jerk, then I might not be able to fix anything! Like, here with the humans OR me getting home!
But… on the other hoof, if I do find a way to love him, I could fix everything in the human world. Get all the humans back and stop Righty from enslaving them all to be his personal… hate-cows. Love-cows? I dunno. I mean, it is kinda my fault they're even here in the first place, or so Lefty tells me. If I fix everything here, then I can just make a decision about the Wonderbolts and… go home? I have no idea how that works. Walking through a gateway sounds a lot more straightforward.
There's still a chance that I'll never make up my mind. And maybe I can fix crap here, but I won't be able to go home.
Argh! This is so complicated! Why can't I just have everything I want?!
"You know what? That's it. I'm done with decisions I can't make! I'm done choosing between my friends and my dreams! And I'm done with jerks like you telling me what to do!"
"Oh, really?" Righty asks sarcastically.
"Yeah! Really!"
He totally bursts my personal space bubble, and sticks his nose in my face. "And what are you gonna do about it? Huh?!"
We mash noses together. "I'm gonna kick your flank! That's what!"
He backs off and laughs. "Haha! My little Dashie… it wouldn't be a fair fight!" He shrugs.
"What're you talking about? I got you good earlier!"
"Because I let you. Your hate was delicious."
"Ew."
"All you have is that scrawny human body-"
"Hey you look like one too!"
"-and I'm a changeling… filled to the brim with power." He holds his hand up and clenches his fist.
As he does, I feel a tingle all over my body. That familiar tingle of magic. I float off the ground! He's looking me in the eyes- I CAN'T BREATHE! ACK! HE'S CHOKING ME!
And I fall down.
"See?" He says. "Wouldn't even be a challenge. That's no fun…"
"Oh yeah?" I get back to my feet. "Then why don't you put your money where my FIST is about to be!"
"So feisty. You want a challenge?" He looks me up and down. "I hear this Church guy's quite the runner. You like sporty stuff, right? Running's a sport. Let's make it a race!"
I look to Lefty for an answer. He only shrugs. "If I win?"
"If you win, I'll accept your challenge and fight you. And win, of course."
"Pfft, yeah right! You're on!" I hate this guy so much right now. But I know I can't!
Lefty pulls me to the side and whispers in my ear, "You're losing either way and you know it. Just remember you can't hate him, you'll only make him stronger. Find a way to love him. Pity him maybe. Something. Good luck."
"Oh, don't bother, Lefty," says Righty. "She doesn't have a snowball's chance in Tartarus."
Lefty says nothing, and only looks down.
"Hmm, now where should the finish line be? How about Church's house?" Righty happily suggests.
I nod in agreement. "First one to the front door gets to beat the living snot out of a changeling overlord!"
"Last one there gets stuffed in a cocoon to be changeling food! Come on Dashie! To the starting line!"
I run over to the foot of the porch steps.
Righty, next to me, looking as happy as a clam and cool as a cucumber, says to me, "Ready to lose, Dashie? Lose everything? Your friends, your future, these stupid humans?"
But, you know, no pressure or anything.
"Ready!"
All I have to do is love him.
"Set!"
Love the douchebag-iest changeling overlord I've ever met…
"GO!"
He kicks up dust as he takes off down the gravel path. But he's not that fast! I catch up quickly, right on his tail!
We get into town and I notice… this place is completely dead. Not one human in sight. Doors are closed, curtains are drawn, newspapers fly around the empty street in the breeze. Righty weaves around cars just sitting in the middle of the road… just left there.
Lefty wasn't kidding. They must have hundreds of humans… just stashed somewhere, in cocoons or something. The whole town. That SWAT guy said it too, that a lot of people were missing. And Righty wants to enslave them all. These humans need me.
And I really hate to say this, but… they need me more than my friends do.
I'm keeping up with Righty. This Church dude has good legs, I'll give him that. But Righty seems like he's got a step up on me. It's a long distance, and I can feel I'm almost at the end of my rope.
Church's house! We're almost there. Now's the time. This is it, now or never. Time to pull a Twilight and sprint to the finish!
He cuts across the lawn. I give it everything I have left, I'm right on his heels!
He steps foot on the porch and…
I tackle him!
We slam against the front door of Church's house, breaking it down! We're on top of each other on the floor, but I got him good! He's not going anywhere!
"Hahahah!" He laughs. "Was that actually a tie? Good race though! I'll kill you quickly just cuz you were a good sport, Dashie!"
I still have my arms around him. I don't know what to do.
The humans need you.
The what now?
The humans need you.
The humans need me?
Yes, you. How many times do I have to say it?
They need me. Morgan and Claire… they're good people. They helped me. Silas and Dyllen, Danny and Conner – the real ones – and Church's mom… they need me. This whole place is a ghost town because of these changelings... because of me. If I weren't here, none of this would have happened.
"Ah, that race was too short. Shame, ain't it?"
These humans deserve better than this scumbag.
"Ok, Dashie, get off of me now. I have some cocooning to do, and you have some being-cocooned to do."
They don't deserve to be eaten by changelings… or whatever it is they do with them.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way."
I feel my body tingling with magic, tugging at me, trying to lift me off.
"What the fuck? Get off!"
I finally look him in the eyes.
"Why can't I get you off me?!" He squirms in my grasp.
His magic keeps tugging at me. But it's so weak, barely stronger than a stiff breeze. Why is that? Oh. Oh! Wait just a minute. "I got it!"
"Got what?!"
"I've got the answer!"
"What in Tartarus are you talking about? You stupid, stubborn pony!"
"I think… in some weird way, I love this place. The humans, I mean. They're just like ponies, just trying to live their lives, ya know? And they don't deserve to be cocooned or eaten or whatever. They shouldn't have to be slaves to some douchebag changeling king! I have to fix this! For them! I can't love you, but I can love them!"
I hug him harder.
He struggles more, and starts yelling. "AHHH! Get off! Get off! It hurts! NO! MY POWER! STOP IT!" He tries desperately to escape my hug of doom, but no matter how hard he tries to break my grip or magic me off, it's easy as pie to keep him right where I want him.
His angry pleas devolve into unrelenting screams of agony. Bloodcurdling screeching that makes my eyes roll back in my head as it painfully scrapes at my eardrums. I… can't… take it any longer! I have to make him shut up! But I can't let him go! I do the only thing that comes to mind! I head butt him as hard as I can.
KABOOM!