//------------------------------//
// Chapter 30: Escape & Rescue 
// Story: Converted 
// by Shaded Changeling 
//------------------------------//

	Ponyville had been the target of the surprise Changeling inspection for quite some time, ever since the captured Changeling had told them he came from there, the Guard had been planning a secret inspection, as every time they scheduled a search, they never found anything. So they had a small squadron deployed to Ponyville for a surprise search. So far it worked, not one, but four changelings had been found inside of the town.
“Did that pink one finally shut up?” Iron, an Earth pony guard, asked Thunder, a Pegasus guard that helped in capturing the latest Changelings.
“Nope…” Thunder replied. “I still think they’re a couple. They argue like one.”
“What is it about now?”
“I don’t know… I think they were still on about it being the guy’s fault.” Thunder replied, as the two of them left the makeshift prison.
“You ever wonder why all of them are different colors?” Iron asked as the two of them walked down the street.
“No Iron. I didn’t really care.” Thunder replied.
“Well…maybe it is how they recognize jobs or something.”
“Jobs? Really?”
“Yeah…like the Yellow one is supposed to be short term, the light blue one said that she was here for over four years, the pink one seemed to be mad about getting captured, while the dark blue one seemed to be just annoyed with it.” Iron explained.
Thunder looked at the Earth pony. “Is this what you think about in your spare time?” Thunder asked.
“Not all the time.” Iron replied. “I was just curious abou-”
“HELP!” The two guards turned towards the sound, it was inside an alleyway and it sounded panicked.
“Let’s go.” Thunder said running into the alley, followed by Iron.
“Get it off!” The voice shouted. “Somepony! Help!”
As the two guards ran halfway across the alley, they found a light blue unicorn mare with a pink curled mane struggling to push a pink-eyed Changeling off of her.
“Changeling!” Thunder shouted out of the alley, getting the Changeling to turn and look at the two guards.
The Changeling hissed before pushing the unicorn towards a wall and flying off.
“Iron. Keep an eye on her.” Thunder said, opening his wings. “I’ll handle this.”
Iron nodded as the Pegasus flew off after the Changelings, he walked over to the mare. “Are you hurt?” He asked, helping the unicorn up.
“No…No…” The Unicorn replied. “I’m…I’m fine…Just…” The unicorn wobbled.
Iron quickly caught her so she wouldn’t fall over. “I’ll escort you to the hospital.”
“No…You don’t…Have to…” She said, stabilizing herself. “I just…” Iron saw a green flash and found a black blade up to his throat. Following it, he saw it attached to the unicorns foreleg. “Make one wrong move, and I’ll paint that white coat red.” She leaned in to Iron. “And I don’t want to dirty up such beautiful armor.”
Iron looked at her, still surprised.
“Here is what’s going to happen,” The unicorn said. “You are going to bring me to the prison, I am going to free the prisoners, and we’ll be on our way.” She pressed the blade closer to Iron’s throat. “And if you make one move that I don’t like or tell anypony, I’m going to make sure it is the last thing you ever do. And neither of us want that.”
The unicorn moved further away. “I don’t want to have to clean my foreleg of dried blood, and your family wants to see their daddy again. So… Do we understand each other?”
Iron nodded.
“Good. Now move.” Her foreleg transformed back into a hoof, but Iron could still feel it up against his skin.
The two of them walked out of the alley, the Unicorn had continued to act weak, and Iron kept glancing around for Sergeant Silver, or some Unicorn guard.
“Don’t bother…” The unicorn whispered. “They’ll be too busy chasing the others.”
Sure enough, not a single other Guard was on the street, they seemed to be elsewhere, and when Iron reached the prison, he was surprised to see it empty aside from Lockup.
“Hey Iron.” Lockup said, looking over his newspaper. “Who’s that?”
“A Changeling attacked her, I’m here to make sure that there is nothing we need to worry about involving her health before I bring her to the Hospital.”
Lockup shrugged. “Whatever…” He motioned to the door. “They’re in the back.” He pulled the newspaper up and continued to read.
Iron led the fake Unicorn back towards the cells.



“This is your fault!” Blackout shouted at the cell next to her. “If you hadn’t made me transform, I could have gotten out of that!”
“Please darling…calm down.” Cytes’ Changeling replied. “You’ll blow out your vocal chords and believe me when I say that is painful.”
“Yeah…I-I think you sh-should c-calm down…” The Yellow Eyed changeling replied.
“Well there you go Blackout, Democracy in action.” Darkblaze said. He was laying on the ceiling of his cell, his hind legs crossed and resting his head against his front hooves. “Just accept it… There’s nothing we can do about it.”
“How are you all so calm about this?” Blackout asked, looking at each of the Changelings. “We are all enemies of Equestria because of Somepony’s Queen.” If Darkblaze could, he would have made a rather inappropriate gesture at her. “and now we are all going to be judged as War Criminals!”
“I have a paper trail.” Cytes’ Changeling replied calmly. “Going all the way from when I first met Lotus, I have my degree, I have my transcripts, I have my Citizenship. By all legal accounts, I am a citizen of Equestria. I also have an alibi for the invasion, I was helping Lotus at the spa.”
“I-I’m St-t-till wor-r-ied, I’m ju-u-ust looking at the b-b-best.” The Yellow eyed Changeling replied.
“Snake Eye will vouch for me.” Darkblaze replied. “The court is in Canterlot, I’m sure that I could get him to show up.”
“Really? All of you?” Blackout replied. “We are looking at a life sentence in the best possible case!”
“Wh-what’s the wor-or-orst case?”
“The Worst case? Oh well let’s see.” Blackout replied looking right at the Changeling. “We could be dissected for study, tortured, flat out executed, used as test subjects for Equestrian science experiments, or shipped somewhere else for them to deal with us.” The Yellow eyed Changeling’s already large eyes grew wider with every possible outcome. “Oh and worst of all…I’m supposed to keep all of you in line! Do you know what my Queen does to those who betray our hive?”
“No.” Darkblaze replied. “But I get the feeling you are going to tell us anyway.”
“She’ll have my horn destroyed, my wings torn, and I’ll be severed from my hive…” She laid down and was beginning to panic. “I’m not an Infiltrator…I’m not supposed to be cut from the hive! What if I just die? I’ll never make it back to Equestria… I’ll be used as a plaything for the Manticores! I can’t be split from the Hive! I can’t!”
“I can smell the stress from here.” Cytes’ Changeling replied. “Darling… Don’t worry I’m sure Acari will understand. You were just following your orders. So take a deep breath…and then release…”
Blackout took several deep breaths.
“Good. Now just close your eyes… let it all out…” The Changeling took a deep breath and let it out in a steady stream. Followed by Blackout.
“Besides Enforcer,” Darkblaze replied. “Acari has a plan, you said it yourself, she wouldn’t just leave us here to die.”
“I-I-I…” Blackout replied, she took another deep breath. “You’re right…I need to have faith in Acari… She’ll get us out of here…”
Darkblaze smiled and looked down from the ceiling. “So what are your names anyway?” Darkblaze asked the other two Changelings. “I mean…we may be here a while…so might as well.”
“I’m Therapy Drone 59, or Ortho, I work at the Spa and part time at the Hospital.”
“I-I-I…” The Yellow Eyed changeling replied. “I don’t…have a name…”
Darkblaze looked down at him. “You’re an exile?”
“No…I just…I was…” He took a deep breath. “I never saw my Hive…I’ve been on my own my whole life. Just taking a pony’s place for a day, feeding off the emotions, then releasing them and running out of town before I get spotted.”
Ortho looked at him. “I’m…I’m so sorry for you…”
“I didn’t mind…” He replied, looking up. “I’ve been an orphan my whole life, never had anypony to talk to, at least not as myself…”
Darkblaze looked down at him, shifting himself onto his stomach. “That must have been difficult for you… What do you like doing?”
“I-I like it when ponies laugh.” He replied, smiling. “I usually try and replace an older brother, so I can see a foal’s happy smiles…” His smile faded. “But how am I supposed to make ponies laugh from in here?”
Darkblaze was tapping his chin. “I may have somepony you would like.”
He looked up. “Really? Who?”
“I’ll show you when we finally get out of here.” Darkblaze replied. “Now then, my turn.” He flipped himself back over. “Infiltrator 75, Darkblaze. I’ve been living in Ponyville on and off for nearly five years now, had a separate life from the hive for nearly fifteen years now.”
“If I may…” Ortho replied. “What made you want to have a separate life?”
“My twin Sister.” Darkblaze replied with a smile. “She had a pony as a friend for the longest time, then when she revealed herself to that friend, Chrysalis punished her.” Darkblaze stopped smiling. “And I could feel every. Little. Thing… The pain nearly made me kill myself.” He looked down to see Ortho and the yellow Changeling looking up at him. “I don’t like talking about it…” He looked at Blackout. “So what about you?”
“Scout 256, Blackout, I focus on handling any issues in Ponyville and Everfree.” She said as the sound of hooves met their ears.
“Somepony’s coming.” Darkblaze replied, relaxing again.
As the sound got closer, Darkblaze realized that one of them was a guard, while the other only had about three hooves hitting the ground.
“Thanks big boy.” Wait a minute.
Darkblaze looked down to see a light blue unicorn with a curled pink mane, her right fore hoof was replaced with a black blade.
“You get a reward, which is you get to live.” The Unicorn bashed  her left hoof into the back of the Guard’s head, knocking him out. “Now…which one of you wants to get out?”
“Who are you?” Ortho asked, looking at the Unicorn as her hoof changed back.
“I’m Antenna, and I’m here to get you out.” She walked up to Darkblaze. “You are in a lot of trouble when we get back.”
“Yeah…I figured you were going to say that. Can you just get us out and punish me later.” 
Blackout looked between them. “You two know each other?”
Darkblaze sighed. “Guys…this is my mom.”
“Your Mother!” Blackout shouted surprised as Antenna changed her hooves into thin blades and began picking the lock on Darkblaze’s cell.
“I’ll explain when we get back.” Darkblaze replied as his cell door opened and the suppression ring on his horn flew off. “I haven’t had to do this in a while, so I’m a bit rusty.” The two of them began picking the locks on the other cells and opened them.
“So what’s the plan here?” Blackout asked kicking the suppression ring away. “I mean we can’t just walk out like this.”
“Well…we don’t really have to, but I have an idea of how to clear us.” Darkblaze replied. “But we need to get out first.”
Antenna looked at Darkblaze. “Plan 34 B?”
“Yup.”
“What is that?” Ortho asked.
Antenna and Darkblaze smiled.

The five of them burst out of the prison door and began running towards the forest, Tornado Dust and Thunderlane flying through the sky, while Lyra, Antenna and Aloe ran on the ground. They had no real plan, the idea was to rush in a somewhat organized group with a set objective and get out, anyone that slowed you down was to be taken care of. However, with the fact that most of the Guards were busily dealing with the fake Changeling sightings, it was pretty simple.
A few guards tried to stop them, however a quick magic blast or sky dive and most of them weren’t really an issue. The problem was when a Unicorn was around they often had to modify, luckily, most of the unicorns were taken to the changeling sightings.
“We’re almost there!” Tornado Dust shouted down to the others. “Just a little longer!”
“Are you sure this plan of yours is going to work Love moth?” Lyra asked. “It seems like a long shot.”
Tornado Dust looked back down at Lyra. “It’s worked in the past. I don’t see any reason for it not to work now.”
“Well won’t they think that four ponies randomly reappearing is-?”
“They won’t be random Enforcer.” Antenna replied. “They’ll be right where we left them…”



As Thunder and Silver returned to the Prison, they noticed the door burst open, when they got in the building, Lockup was tied to a chair with a rag stuffed into his mouth, while Iron was starting to wake up, his helmet having a noticeable dent in it.
“What in Tartarus happened in here?” Thunder asked rushing over to check on Iron. Silver Shield used his magic to pull the rag out of Lockup’s mouth.
“The Changelings escaped!” Lockup reported. “Another Changeling came and used Iron to get to the others!”
Silver was noticeably angry. “Why was this Changeling not in custody?”
Iron stood up, being supported by Thunder. “It was disguised as a mare under attack by another Changeling.” He replied, not physically able to look at Silver. “I think it dented my skull…”
“Did you see where they were headed?” Silver asked, trying to contain his anger.
“I heard them talking about the Everfree Forest.” Lockup replied as Silver untied him from the chair. “They said something about a castle and leaving them for the wolves.”
Silver’s eyes widened. “They have hostages?”
“Maybe.” Lockup replied. “It could also be injured…”
“Whatever it is,” Silver replied, “We need to get to it before anything else does.”
“Sir.” Thunder replied. “Iron is in no condition to enter Everfree. He can barely hold himself up.”
Silver cursed under his breath. “Get him to the hospital, I’ll gather a patrol and head into the forest. We’ll find them. Lockup, go to the south side of town and get me as many soldiers as you can.”
Lockup saluted and rushed out the door, however instead of going straight to the south side of town, he ducked into a nearby alleyway.
“Lockup, what happened?” That caused Lockup to jump slightly.
“Damn it. What did I tell you about that?” Lockup said looking up the nearby wall to see Haze.
“Did they believe you?” Haze asked. “This is important Exile.”
Lockup sighed. “Yes. They believed me.”
Haze smiled. “You have been doing well.” She replied. “Maybe Acari will eventually welcome you back?”
Lockup looked saddened. “Yeah…Listen I have work to do. So…”
Haze lifted her leg and in a flash of pink fire, a small sack fell in front of him. “There’s your payment. All one hundred bits, and enough emotion to last another few months. Just as we discussed.”
Lockup grabbed the bag with his teeth before placing it inside of his armor. Looking back up at the wall, he saw that Haze was still there. “You going to leave or have something else to say?”
Haze looked down at him. “We miss you Lockup… It’s been…difficult without you.”
“Yeah? Well it hasn’t been easy for me either Haze.” Lockup replied. “How old are they?”
“Habeas is sixteen and beginning Law School. Zakon is four and honing her Shape shifting.”
Lockup smiled. “They’re getting big.” He replied.
“Lockup…I’ve got to return to the Hive.” Haze replied. “I’m not even supposed to be talking to you.”
“I’ll see you tonight won’t I?” Lockup asked.
“I think we will have to reschedule.” She replied. “This whole situation has caused us to place the town on lockdown, I’m not going to be able to see you for a few days. Goodbye Lockup.”
“Bye Haze.” Lockup replied as there was a pink flash and Haze was gone. He hung his head. “I’m so sorry…”



Silver and the group of twelve others stepped into the crumbling ruins of the castle, the Pegasus entering first, looking around to ensure no ambushes were waiting for them. After a few minutes of searching around the castle, one of the pegasi found something.
“Sir!” He called. “I found them!”
“Let’s go.” Silver said to the rest of the guards, they walked into the large crumbling hall.
Inside, there were four cocoons, each one holding a separate pony. One, a gray Pegasus with a black scraggy mane and a brown Tornado for a Cutie mark. Another was a mint green unicorn with a lyre for a cutie mark. A pink earth pony with a blue mane with a lotus flower cutie mark. The last was the dark gray form of Thunderlane.
“I guess we found them.” Silver replied. “Pegasi, get them down, Unicorns work on getting them out.”
The four pegasi they brought with them began to one by one pull the cocoons off the ceiling, and lower them down to the ground. When they brought Lyra down, she instantly slapped the first unicorn that tried to talk to her. “Stay away from me! You aren’t going to get me again!”
The guard was rubbing the side of his face, which had a rather noticeable red spot on it. “We aren’t here to hurt you.”
“That’s just what they said last time!” Lyra shouted before walking into the corner. “Just stay away from me. I’ll be fine.”
The other three were luckily not as slaphappy, although Tornado Dust seemed more surprised by it. “What? Where am I?”
“In Everfree.” Silver told him.
“How did I get here?” Tornado looked down at the slime that covered his body. “What is this stuff?”
“Changeling goo.” Silver replied.
“Oh Sweet Celestia!” Tornado began trying to wipe it out of his coat. “Ugh… This is gross…”
“No worries.” Aloe replied. “I’ll help get it out.”
Thunderlane was being pulled out of the membrane with much more difficulty than the others, while Lyra, Aloe, and Tornado Dust gathered together.
“You okay?” Tornado asked the other two.
“Well…my mane smells like rubbing alcohol, and is the consistency of syrup, but a quick spa treatment should clear that up.” Aloe replied.
“That felt good.” Lyra replied shaking her hoof. “He deserved that.”
“Are you sure this plan won’t fail?” Aloe asked.
“It shouldn’t, they only think we put ponies in cocoons, not other Changelings.” He whispered.
“Where am I?” Thunderlane asked as he was pulled out of the cocoon. “Where’s my brother?”
“He’s safe Thunderlane.” Silver told him. “He was worried about you.”
“Can I- Can I see him?” Thunderlane asked.
“When we get back to town.” Silver replied.
“Thunderlane!” Tornado shouted running over to him. “I was worried about you earlier today. During the inspection.”
“Tornado?” Thunderlane asked. “What are you doing here?” He looked at the purple goo in his mane. “Why do you have jelly in your mane?”
Tornado ran a hoof through his mane, pulling out a bit of the goo. “It’s…Changeling goo… and it smells…so bad…”
“We have some questions for all of you.” Silver said, walking up to them. “We need to know how many Changelings there are here.”
“Can’t it wait?” Tornado replied. “We kind of have…whatever this is stuck to our coats.”
Silver nodded. “We’ll wait. Follow us out of the forest.”
Thunderlane looked back at Aloe and Lyra. “How long have I been here?”
“I think we all want to know that.” Tornado replied, as Aloe kept comforting Lyra.



A few hours passed before any of them were able to slip away back to the hive, when they finally could, Darkblaze was yelled at by his mother, right in front of the Yellow Eyed changeling was, nervously listening to it, while trying to not interrupt.
“Were you trying to get us killed?” Antenna asked.
“What? Antenna I…” Darkblaze replied. “You know I wouldn’t do that.”
“Really? You were-”
“Am I interrupting something?” Blackout replied as she walked in. “Have you two been doing this since you got back?”
“Uhh…” Darkblaze replied.
“Save it. Acari wants to talk to you.” She was leaning against the entrance to the chamber. “Both of you.”
“Me?” Antenna replied. “Why do you need me?”
Blackout shrugged. “I’m not in the loop right now… I’ve been put on probation for a while. Getting caught, let alone getting captured, puts me on probation. I’m lucky I didn’t get Nymph duty…” Blackout shivered. “Anyway, follow me.”
Darkblaze and Antenna looked at each other before following Blackout through the hive, causing some very weary looks aimed at Antenna. Both of them were aware of it, but held in their own comments, when they came to Acari’s throne room. The two Guards standing in front of the door nodded at Blackout, before opening the doors with their magic.
Acari was speaking with Queen Ovi through an orange crystal. “Shade told you this himself?”
“Yes Acari. Apparently he found her.” Ovi replied.
Darkblaze heard this part of the conversation and flew up to Acari. “Did he find Meadow?” Darkblaze asked.
“Who is Meadow?” Antenna asked Blackout.
“I’ll let him explain.” Blackout replied.
“No Darkblaze.” Acari replied.
“So you have one too?” Ovi asked. “Seems like all the Queens are getting Chrysalis Changelings. Maybe I should find one.”
Darkblaze backed away from the crystal. “Ummm…No…Offense…Queen, but… My Hive isn’t on the best terms with yours.”
“Oh I remember Infiltrator.” Ovi replied. “I’ve already got a death wish for one of them. Although he also tried to kill my daughter.”
“You have a-”
“Later Darkblaze.” Acari replied, she looked back at Ovi. “I will speak with you later.” The Crystal died down as Acari placed it back in its box.
“Darkblaze… Who is Meadow?” Antenna asked with a raised eyebrow.
“She’s…A little complicated…” Darkblaze replied landing.
“Tell her on the way.” Acari replied getting confused looks from all three changelings.
“Where are we going?” Antenna asked.
“Canterlot.” Acari replied getting off of her throne and waking towards the door, while Darkblaze was sitting on the ground with his jaw hanging open.
“Wait. Wait. Wait.” Darkblaze replied. “You are bringing us to Canterlot? The city that has the most security in Equestria, and is on the lookout for any Changelings?”
“Yes Darkblaze. I am.” Acari replied. “I have a job for both of you.” With that all three of them followed Acari out of the room.
“My Queen.” Blackout said, flying up to her Monarch. “You know that I would never question your plans.”
“I am aware of that Blackout.”
“But if I could ask, why are you bringing them to Canterlot?”
“Oh I’m not.” Acari replied.
“But you-”
“You are.” She replied, continuing to walk as Blackout hovered there shocked.
“WHAT?” She flew up to her queen. “Acari…I understand that I wasn’t the most-”
“Scout 256.” Acari said. “This has nothing to do with the earlier incident. I am sending you with them to monitor Shade yourself. I need somepony I can trust to keep an eye on him and inform me of his condition.” She said this while Blackout tried to interject. “And I need you to keep an eye on him for another reason. He has found a Nymph.”
Antenna flew up to Acari’s height this time. “A Nymph? In Canterlot?”
“I felt it… I just didn’t know somepony found it.” Darkblaze replied.
“Who is it? How old is it?” Antenna began before Acari held up her hoof.
“I’m not sure Antenna. My knowledge is just as limited as Shade’s, and given that he knows very little about Nymphs, we know almost nothing.” Acari began hovering, tucking her legs against her body so that she could silence them without impeding her movement.
“That is the exact reason why I need you Antenna.” Acari said. “You are the only Caretaker that I may be able to trust with this situation.”
“Why is that Queen?” Antenna asked.
“Your son.” Acari replied. “He is close friends with Shade. So I believe this to be a perfect opportunity for you to repay for what your Queen did, by helping one who doesn’t follow her.” Acari looked back at Darkblaze. “I’m going to guess you never told her about that little tidbit.”
“I was going to…” Darkblaze replied rubbing the back of his neck.
“Regardless, you are to fly there, and find the pheromone trail along the city’s walls, I have Pupa allowing you three in. So don’t keep them waiting, it would be best to do it under the cover of night. I have already arranged everything you need, you will be staying in the apartment across from Shade and his friends. Stay below the radar of the Royal Guard. Do you understand?”
All three of them nodded.
“Good. So unless there are any Questions.” She turned a corner to which a caretaker flew up to her. “Not now Biome. I need to speak with our newest guest.”
“Acari…I do have a question.” Darkblaze replied. “What if we do get caught?”
Acari paused. “If you do, then I suppose Blackout or Shade will have to bail you out. I barely managed to keep the nobles from attacking Shade when there was just him, now there could be six Changelings in Canterlot they know about. That could cause them to think it is another invasion. That is the last thing we need.”
“Understood… Oh…And I have an idea of what to do with Mustard Eyes.”
“I’m listening?” Acari replied.
“Well…seeing as I’m probably not going to be back for quite some time, and all of my free days are gone, maybe he could take over my spot on the weather team until I get back.” Acari thought it over.
“I will have to put somepony on him… But that could work… Perhaps Haze… She seems to want to talk with Lockup.”
“Well their son is going into Law school soon it only makes sense that they wish to reconnect.” Blackout replied.
“I’ll think about it… It will take much more for me to believe I can trust him again… In the meantime. You three have a city to fly to.”