1 year before present
Deep under Manehattan lied the Crimson Hive. Like the city above it, the Crimson Hive was one of the largest changeling hives known. Spirit Vengeance: a Pegasus with orange coat; black mane and tail, styled similarly to Apple Jack's; blue eyes; and cutie mark of a yin-yang symbol, walked along the black and crimson caves, two changeling guards: both with red eyes, red wings, dark red saddle carapaces, black carapaces, and red mane and tails styled like any other changeling drone/nymph, on either side of her, ready to attack should she attempt an escape. It wasn't long before Spirit was brought into the throne room where the queen: who had a red carapace; black saddle carapace; black wings; dark purple, oval-like, slitted, eyes; and a black and purple mane and tail, both swirling near the tip, sat.
"Ah... Spirit Vengeance, nice of you to join us." the queen, Queen Black Wing, said evilly, her voice had a faint echo to it, like all changelings.
"You realize that the guards are unneeded, if you had just called me I would have come. What exactly do you want though?" Spirit asked.
Black Wing's eyes narrowed "You know things, things that should never be known. You know secrets held from the public eye, secrets that I want."
"So you want me to divulge these secrets to you so you can use them against the princesses and gain control over Equestria, driving out any and all enemy hives, and likely killing thousands?"
"Yes."
"If it was just because you wanted to know them, then I would say yes, but I will not risk the lives of thousands for you. I'd rather be turned into a changeling in your hive than do that."
Black Wing was very angry. "What's it to you if a few ponies and changelings die?" she asked, her voice dripping acid.
"Meanless violence and chaos will not get us anywhere, I should know. No matter how little emotion I show, I'm still a pony, just like you, and ponies don't go around killing each-other for power, well most don't."
"And which do?"
"Secrets are secrets because they aren't to be told."
Black Wing hissed "Guards, turn her."
The changeling guards instantly grabbed Spirit and began weaving a metamorphosis cocoon around her, she blacked out from the sedatives the gel had instantly.
Spirit was in the storage section of the hive, where ponies were stored in stasis cocoons to be used as sources of food for the hive when they can't get enough from the outside world. The walls were tall and far apart, each one was a mixture of black and red with the red seeming to move like lava. Spirit knew what the red parts were: changeling gel with a color change spell (something mostly known in the changeling magic arts) applied, usually the gel was green unless that spell was added.
"I thought it'd take longer to anger her than that." Spirit said, her voice had gained the faint echo that all changelings had. It wasn't long before Spirit found herself standing next to a Metamorphosis cocoon.
"Step into the pod, become one with your hive my little nymph." a voice echoed through the halls. Spirit couldn't resist the command and stepped onto the platform.
"Goodbye Spirit." Spirit said to herself as she slid into the pod. As the warm green gel within the cocoon covered her's body, she began to forget her life and by the time she was fully submerged, the only thing she remembered was that she was once a pony.
The room was dark, a soft green glow, which was the normal color for changeling related magic, emanated from the gel in the walls. It was all that illuminated the room. To any of the primary pony races, the room would seem ominous, but not even a changeling queen was immune to the instinctive calming effect that the set up had. In the room, a few feet away, was the metamorphosis cocoon that held the former Spirit Vengeance, now she looked just like any changeling nymph. The nymph began to stir suddenly, moving slowly as she awoke.
"Break free my little nymph, it's time to see the world." Black Wings said through the Hivemind.
The nymph's horn lit up in its stable green changeling magic as she drew energy from Black Wing's love supply to allow her to get through the cocoon. A section of the cocoon seemed to just melt away, though the gel inside stayed, and the nymph pushed herself out. After stumbling for a bit, the nymph stood up and bowed.
"What is your wish my queen?" she asked through the Hivemind.
"Go rest for the time being, I will tell you when you're needed."
"Yes my queen." with that, the nymph left, quickly finding a descent place to sleep and weaving a sleeping cocoon before going in and falling asleep.
five months before present
"Bye girls, I'll see you tomorrow." Scootaloo said happily as she watched the other members of the CMC head off in the directions of their respective homes. Scootaloo waited until they were out of site before looking around, finding nopony in sight, Scootaloo entered the Everfree forest. Most ponies knew that she was an orphan, but she would refuse anypony's request to adopt her. As she walked along an old and worn-down path, she thought back to that day, the day she lost her parents.
Flashback: four years ago
Scootaloo walked into her family's home in Manehattan after visiting a friend.
"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" she called out, no answer.
All ready knowing something had to be wrong, Scootaloo started walking around and soon entered her parent's room, she quickly hid behind a plant at what she saw. A Changeling, which she had recently learned about, was holding a bloodied knife while standing over Scootaloo's parents. The changeling spit its knife out before speaking.
"You shouldn't have snooped around the Crimson Hive." the changeling said.
Scootaloo suppressed a scream as the changeling picked the knife back up and brought it down, cutting Scootaloo's parent's heads off. The changeling left with a promise to find and kill the couple's child, Scootaloo, as well. Scootaloo called the guard and was sent to an orphanage.
end flashback
Scootaloo growled as she thought about what that changeling had done to her parents. "Because of that bug, I was sent to possibly the worst orphanage in Equestria." she hissed as she approached a cave and entered, thinking about all the tortures she had gone through in that orphanage.
The cave was lit by a sphere of pure magic floating in the center, a Timberwolf heart. On one side was a small training area,on another was her food storage, watering hole, sleeping quarters, and a set of Lunar guard armor fit for her size and race. In the center was a pedestal with an elegant sword on it. The blue hilt was in the shape of outspread alicorn wings with a silver crescent moon in-between them, the handle was the same blue and wrapped in a black cloth-like material, the silver blade was long with Scootaloo written on it, and it changed size as she grew to always be just the right size.
"Because of that orphanage, I was emotionally scared and can't fly because of it." Scootaloo then glanced at the Lunar Sword that was on the pedestal. The sword floated over to her, no magical aura marking unicorn magic being used, and she looked at the name.
"Of course, had it not been for that orphanage, then I wouldn't be a child of the night and I wouldn't have a sword tuned to my soul." she added before thinking about the writing that was on the sword's stand. Take thy blade and strike down thy foes, my child of the night Scootaloo set her sword back down on its stand and walked over to her bed, going to sleep calmly. Little did she know, someling was watching her.
one day before present
'Scootaloo' and her friends were heading for the large crystal castle that now served as the home of the Elements of Harmony.
"Hey Scootaloo, you've been quite for some time." Sweetie Belle said.
"Sorry, I've just been thinking." Scootaloo said.
"About?"
"That doesn't matter."
They got to the castle then and knocked on the huge doors. Twilight answered quickly.
"Hey girls, what are you all here for?" Twilight asked.
Apple Bloom cocked her head to the side in confusion. "It's time for our weekly lessons, remember. You haven't been around during this time for several months now." she said.
"Oh right. Sorry girls, I've just been very busy lately. I need to finish a lot of peace treaties, I've got to visit Canterlot several times a month to either aid or substitute during Celestia's court, and I have my own court to hold. I also have several events I'm needing to attend like the Wonderbolts shows, several formal events, competitions, and so on. Not to mention I've got my studies in Changeling magic. I'm free right now though."
Before 'Scootaloo' could take one step forward however. The real Scootaloo attacked her, pining the changeling to the ground and levitating her sword against the changeling's neck.
"I will destroy you for fillynapping me, taking over my life, and for being a member of the Crimson Hive." Scootaloo hissed, her sword glowing in the silver aura of Lunar Magic, which looked like millions of tiny stars.
Twilight grasped both fillies and brought them over to her in her magic. "Neither of you are attacking until I sort this out." she said as her horn lit up in changeling magic and she began charging a reveal spell.
Rainbow Dash briefly shot past the group and began speeding up in a loop.
Right as Twilight released her spell, the changeling released her magic for a shield, Scootaloo cut her with the lunar magic charged sword still floating next to her, and Rainbow Dash performed a Sonic Rainboom right over them. The changeling passed out from the sheer force of the four magics effecting her at the same time.
present
The Changeling slowly opened her eyes. She didn't feel right, she could feel that she wasn't connected to the Hivemind and it scared her.
"W-where am I-I?" she asked fearfully.
"Currently the castle interrogation room, which my castle apparently comes with." Twilight said calmly.
"W-what are you g-going t-to d-do to m-me?"
"Get answers. Why are you here?"
"N-not a-allowed to t-tell." the changeling partly hid behind her mane, not even noticing that it had changed.
"What happened to you, you seemed confident even when I was charging that reveal spell?" Twilight asked, the more harmonic side of her showing.
"I-I w-was s-severed f-from the H-Hivemind."
"You can calm down, I'm not intending to harm you, I'm just worried for my kingdom. Besides, you need to look yourself over."
The last part left the nymph confused, but she did so anyway. After Twilight levitated a mirror over, the nymph was shocked about her new appearance. She still had the same glowing red eyes, the same holes in her hoofs, the same horn, and the same black carapace with dark red saddle carapace, but that was where the differences began. Her body looked much more like a mares; her mane and tail were now styled exactly like Rainbow Dashes (though slightly different to accommodate her horn) and were multiple hues of red; her wings were now those of a bat-pony, the parts that had bones were red, the membranes between the 'fingers' of the wings were dark red, the membranes had holes in them and still held the shine they had before; her fangs were now retractable, something she easily took notice of; and she had a cutie mark, which was of a pair of red bat wings with holes in them. She absently noted that the design was a lot like her ex-hive symbol.
"W-what happened?" she asked
"I've theorized that the combination of magics that knocked you and Scootaloo out may be responsible. Your changeling magic from your shield spell is no doubt why this has become your true form; Dash's Sonic Rainboom is likely why your mane, tail, and general physical stature match hers, that was Harmony Magic so you know; the Lunar magic that charged that sword Scootaloo had is definitely why your wings are like those of Bat-ponies, as they use a Pegasus version of Lunar Magic to fly, see in the dark, stay silent, hide in the shadows, and use there sonic squeak that they use to communicate; and my Alicorn Magic, which I instinctively use to increase the power of my spells, is likely the reason you kept your horn, it might also have been involved in the reason you lived after have four of the most powerful kinds of magic hit you at exactly the same time."
"O-okay." the nymph was afraid of angering Twilight at the moment
Twilight smiled warmly and placed a hoof on the nymph's shoulder, causing her to squeak and jump like Fluttershy would. "You have a name?" Twilight asked.
"N-no. N-not a-anym-more, I-I had o-one w-when I was a p-pony t-though."
"So you were turned,if my research is correct, then that means you only remember being a pony once, nothing else from that life." the nymph just nodded at the comment.
Twilight put a hoof to her chin and started thinking "Hmm... how about... Midnight Locus, for a name?"'
"I-I l-like i-it." Midnight really did like it.
"Good, now come with me, I've got a certain orange filly to interrogate and Rainbow Dash is insisting on meeting you since she was involved in the reason you're like this."
Midnight gulped, she was definitely not looking forward to meeting Scootaloo's idol, or Scootaloo, for that mater.