Silence. Sweet calm eerie silence. The forest was silent as Pinkie and Fluttershy trudged through the muddy grounds of the forest with four others behind them.
The only sounds that came every now and then came from the group. Their hooves making sploshing noises every time it connected and sunk into the mud or pushed past the large wild grassy plains.
Pinkie Pie kept her ears up and so did Fluttershy. Both were alert, both were focused and so were their comrades. The slightest noise would have their attention and the slightest change in the environment would draw their eyes in that direction ready for battle.
Grasshoppers hopped by, making way for the group of equines that ignored the large grassy plains that threatened to block their view of what lay ahead.
Fallen twigs, dead tree branches, pinecones and other substances that had either decomposed due to time or fallen off a tree were stepped on or pushed aside as the group trudged on in search of the flower that would aid their leader.
Time passed and the sun unleashed its heat upon the forest. Pinkie could feel sweat beginning to soak her coat and make the marking on her body and face stick even more or slightly drip off. But she merely ignored this and moved on with a grimace as the heat continued to beat down on her and her comrades.
“Where is this thing?! We’ve been searching for the olliflower for hours now!” She groaned.
Flies buzzed by her and the pink mare threw her hoof up to swat them away. She wasn’t in the mood for this. No one was.
Almost two days ago, Queen Chrysalis had found their base of operations and no one had forgotten the young drake and the alicorn that had been there one moment before the invasion started and disappeared the next as things grew dire.
Pinkie grumbled wondering why that alicorn claiming to have known her did nothing to help them as they battled for their lives. It was infuriating to think a pony so powerful with a dragon nonetheless had been with them one second and disappeared the next, she thought as flies invaded her space and began buzzing around her. Finally stopping, finding this constant sound annoying Pinkie began flailing her forehooves around, trying to disperse the insects.
But every time she smacked them away they would just return with more of their own. Pinkie looked to Fluttershy who was looking for said flower that could be used to make a healing potion to restore their leader, Zecora. Her friends had not noticed the strange amount of flies that had begun buzzing about around them, but she had.
“Fluttershy, could you tell them to stop?” Pinkie asked her ears twitching now and again as the flies continued to circle her head like vultures.
The yellow pegasus stopped her searching with the four others that had accompanied her and briskly moved to her friend before giving a mundane glance at the flies.
“Everyone” she said confidently. The two stallions and two mares also covered in the same markings as Pinkie and Fluttershy stopped their search and looked up to their second in command.
“You may want to cover your ears for this” Fluttershy advised as she glanced at the other flies joining in on buzzing around Pinkie’s head and others that had begun around buzzing her and her allies as well. The sound was beginning to get annoying to Fluttershy as well, and her tail instinctively began to twitch to swat the nonexistent insects that weren’t even there.
Everypony did as advised and covered their ears, Pinkie letting hers firmly smack against her head, muffling the buzzing noise of the growing horde of flying insects. When everypony had done this Fluttershy cleared her throat loudly, and spoke in a calm tone to every flying insect that had begun to gather around them.
“Excuse me little flies. You wouldn’t happen to mind stop buzzing around us would you?” She asked.
But the insects buzzing around Pinkie and the rest of the group did not listen, they continued to flap their wings, making that annoying sound that could clearly be heard as quiet as this forest now was, and the sound just made Fluttershy cringe.
She tried again, this time speaking louder to the insects, but again they all ignored her and instead flapped their wings harder. And if that did anything it merely made Fluttershy angry.
“EXCUSE ME!” She yelled. Every creature in one mile radius that heard her voice freezing instantly as if they were facing death itself. The buzzing flies in unison practically stopped flying altogether and fell to the ground in a collective group.
Fluttershy looked down at them coldly with what one could only assume was...The Stare, and the insects froze completely. “Thank you” she said still fixing them with a serious look. “Now, my friends and I are running out of time since you flies are more familiar with this forest could you tell us where we could find an olliflower around here?”
A buzzing sound came from one of the larger insects that only Fluttershy could understand as her friends stopped covering their ears and rose.
A full minute passed before all went silent again and Fluttershy nodded, smiling if only a little to reassure the insects they were fine now.
“What did they say?” Thunderlane asked.
Fluttershy looked northwards before turning her head and looking back in the pegasus direction. “He said if we keep going straight ahead about thirty minutes away from here we’ll come across a buttress root tree with the flower we’re looking for in front of it’s largest roots.”
“Then what are we waiting for?!” Pinkie exclaimed rising to her hooves. “Let’s go!” Kicking up her forelegs and taking off without the others Pinkie galloped towards their intended target leaving the others in the dust.
Fluttershy merely glanced back to her team and gestured for them to follow after her as she broke into her own gallop, “She’s’ right. Let’s hurry and get this to Doctor Helpinghoof immediately.” With that the rest of the group gallopped after Pinkie Pie so as not to lose her, unaware that the flies they had left behind were still there.
Minutes passed after the equines had left to retrieve their flower and the horde of insects had still not buzzed away or moved a muscle. Till all of a sudden one of them glowed green.
Then another glowed green, then another. And another, and another, till the entire vicinity was filled with green light and one of them stepped forward; a changeling.
Buzzing his wings to make sure he had completely changed, Spy looked around to make sure there were no other ponies nearby before he buzzed his wings again. A signal between him and his comrades; to call forth to his brothers and sisters that the ponies were gone.
“Watcher, where is the Queen?” He asked a smaller ling that had just emerged from the shadows.
“She is overlooking the captives with the others. Should I inform her of what we found?” The young ling asked.
Spy nodded. “Inform her we found a soldier in white. He is not far from the destination those ponies are heading, with any luck they can defeat him then lead us back to where Zecora is so the queen can apprehend her and the others that escaped.”
A rustle in the bushes drew the group of changelings directions to the sound, but when they saw nothing pass or emerge they all relaxed and focused their attention to their squad leader.
“Deliver the news to Queen Chrysalis immediately. The rest of you” Spy said looking behind him to the other changelings. “We will look from the skies and follow the ponies back to their hideout. Do not attack or move in unless the soldier spots us...he is different. He can sense us, we do not want our cover blown before we have done our duty. Understood?”
The other changelings nodded and buzzed their wings in response. “Good” Spy replied before a flash of green light gained his attention. Watcher had changed forms to an eagle. “Go inform our queen of our findings.”
A piercing screech came from the bird and Watcher took off while Spy watched the younger ling fade from his view.
It was only till the eagle had completely disappeared did Spy and his team begin their pursuit of Pinkie and Fluttershy’s group.
A thousand brilliant flashes of green light once again filled the forest before several shadows took to the skies once more their targets the equines. And their hopes aiming for this new stranger to disappear.
Pinkie Pie came to an abrupt stop. Something wasn’t right, because her body had begun to tremble.
The large tree with roots twice the size of any minotaur was right in front of her, but the flower they needed to make a healing potion for Zecora was not. This flower was supposed to have five petals, red polka dots and a white stem. It was a rare flower that grew once every three months and before Zecora had grown too weak from her injuries she had managed to pass this information on to her, who Pinkie had passed on to the remaining members of The Resistance.
When word got out that this olliflower was required to complete Zecora’s healing potion Doctor Horse, Ponyville’s medic back when Ponyville was still....Ponyville, told Pinkie and Fluttershy that it was located in a deeper part of the forest he just wasn’t sure where. He knew it had to be surrounded by some sort of vegetation he just wasn’t sure what.
Sadly the flower ponies, Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily Valley that sold flowers had been captured during Queen Chrysalis’ invasion. So they’d had no real guide to lead them.
It had taken hours, four to be more precise and thanks to Fluttershy they’d finally caught a break but the flower they were searching so desperately for wasn’t here. Why?
Pinkie’s mane deflated. What’s going on?
The answer came to her soon enough.
A rustle from a cluster of bushes caught the pink mares attention in doing so her body entire body twitched before suddenly coming to a stop. Her eyes narrowed, Pinkie slowly and cautiously moved towards it, but stopped when she heard hoofsteps behind her.
“Pinkie” Fluttershy called as she and the others approached. “Where’s the flowe-”
“Shhh” Pinkie stated in a hushed voice. She pointed a hoof in the bushes direction, demanding for silence. For a second Fluttershy, Thunderlane, Carrot Top, Lotus and Party Favor stared confused, but when another rustle came from the thick bushes ahead of their friend they all nodded their heads in understanding.
Fluttershy moved up beside Pinkie as her friend neared the bushes quietly.
Another rustle came from the bushes like whatever creature was in there was having trouble getting out till finally all movement ceased.
Pinkie and Fluttershy looked at each other, then to the others. They shrugged not sure what to make of this.
Just when the entire group were about to turn their attention back to what their true purpose was, the blue pine bushes in front of them exploded into chaos as something in white shot out of them, rolled past Pinkie, Fluttershy, Lotus, Thunderlane, Carrot Top and Party Favor before skidding to a stop with one foot and his other knee planted firmly on the ground.
Everyone paused, none of them able to understand what was happening. Nor any of them being able to figure out just what this creature was. He was clad in white armor, had the upper body of a minotaur but no horns. He had legs but they were not hooves, but were like the rest of him clad in white and black armor and just like the rest of his arm it looked dirty and battered. Like he was a warrior that had been through many battles before stumbling into this forest and facing the dangers of the Everfree just to come across them.
Pinkie and Fluttershy had seen a lot of things happen since Chrysalis began her conquest, but this. This was different.
Whatever or whoever he was, he wasn’t paying attention to them. He was staring straight into the dark depths of the bushes he had just emerged from. And what really got Fluttershy’s attention on him, was that he had something in both hands.
A vial. And a weapon.
The soldier in white and everypony with him froze when they heard a growl emerge from the depths of the bushes and surprisingly to everypony when he spoke he spoke to the group’s two leaders: Pinkie and Fluttershy.
“Get down, now!” The stormtrooper yelled.
And for some strange reason, they listened.
Five times.
TR-8R, Nines, had tried five times. And this was his last chance, and his final attempt to put a stop to Queen Chrysalis’ rein. If he couldn’t fix this then like the other times he had tried and failed this too would become a fixed point in time, and there would be nothing he could do to help his allies.
It was funny honestly, Nines thought as he watched a surprised Pinkie Pie and confused Fluttershy hit the ground. FN- 2199, had never expected in his entire life that he would allow himself to care for as Captain Phasma once called Slip, “the weakest link.” If this was the fate of such a timeline, to succumb to the forces of Queen Chrysalis, why was he fighting? He had been given no orders to do so, nor did he have any debt to pay to these ponies like he had to Princess Celestia, Luna, Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends.
In all honesty it confused him why he was standing here ready to sacrifice his own life. Perhaps it was because he had been raised his entire life to fight for a cause, but what cause was he fighting for? Nines wondered as he rose to face the shadow shooting out of the bushes right over Pinkie and Fluttershy’s crouching forms and straight at him was a manticore.
Everything moved slowly as Nines firmly gripped the vial in his hand meant for Zecora and swung his Z6 directly towards the oncoming changeling disguised as a manticore rushing him.
A humming sound filled the air as electricity began to crackle.
The manticore seeing this flapped its wings, trying to pick up the pace, but it was too late. The Z6 made contact.
Deafening waves of light erupted as the baton struck the changeling, shocking it out of her form and then sending her flying back into the bushes from whence she came.
Not wasting a single second afterwards Nines turned to Thunderlane and told them to lead him back to Zecora.
“How do you know who Zecora is?” Pinkie asked as she helped Fluttershy rise back to her hooves.
The stormtrooper didn’t answer, he simply looked at the two, held up the vial in his other hand and said. “I’m here to help.”
As these words left his mouth Nines once again wondered why he was doing this. Pinkie and Fluttershy looked at each other unsure if they should trust him or not. Zecora was the only one who knew how to detect and reveal the changelings for what they were, without her Chrysalis could succeed and Equestria would be lost along with the rest of the world.
“Hey” Carrot Top said getting the two mares attention. “He did just knock out another changeling to protect us, we can at least trust him for now right?”
The two mares looked at each other for a good five seconds, thinking. When they broke their stare it was Fluttershy who approached the soldier. “Thank you for protecting us, but we can’t trust you to follow us back.”
Pinkie said nothing to this staring at the soldier in white silently as Fluttershy spoke. “The chances are just too high, this could be another trick devised by Chrysalis and we aren’t willing to take that chance. Guys let’s go. We’ll have to find some other way to help Zecora get better.”
Nines stepped back as Fluttershy passed him by without so much as a glance. The Fluttershy he knew would have done something completely different, this one spoke with confidence. Just how much did Chrysalis actions change her?
When Nines had first started his attempts in helping these other timelines he knew each version of an equine he had met in his original would be different in some way. The Rainbow Dash he had met during Sombra’s timeline was completely different but still similar in some aspects to the Rainbow Dash he knew.
Again the question popped up: Why are you doing this? Nines felt a voice ask him, the part of him still loyal to the First Order as he watched Thunderlane, Lotus, Carrot Top, and Party Favor pass him by one-by-one following after Fluttershy.
When he had learnt of Starlight Glimmer’s blunder, Nines recalled the strange sense of duty that had flowed through him to see to it that this mistake be corrected. Traitors were scum, yet for Starlight Glimmer he had not harmed despite every morsel within his being telling him to bring her down.
Maybe it was because his time here had changed him slightly. Maybe it was something else, it didn’t matter. He knew that she had returned to the right side and for some reason that was good enough for him.
Yet again the question of him coming to save these other timelines was still at large. For Sombra’s timeline that had been utter chaos, Nines knew that. That strong sense of duty he had felt when he found out and had moved to save General Dash and all those of her time was something that he might just assume to have been a spur of the moment, but this time.
This time was different.
He still felt that sense of duty to save these timelines, yet for some reason it wasn’t as strong as it had been when he helped General Dash. The feeling he felt was different this time. It was more than just a sense of duty, a sense to vanquish scum like FN-2187, it was something else. Something he couldn’t understand or perhaps didn’t know at all.
Whatever it was it didn’t matter. These changelings were taking the forms of others, tricking and deceiving, and causing all forms of chaos for the sake of either food or some other means that he didn’t know nor care for.
Even if they’re cause is just Nines thought as he noticed the birds circling them in the sky, it means nothing if they form bonds with these equines only to betray them in the end. If they want to betray the ones they bond with for selfish purposes then fine, I will see to it that they are taken care of.
“Wait!” Pinkie said drawing Nines from his thoughts and away from the circling birds overhead. The mare hadn’t moved from her position but instead had been staring at Nines the entire time while her friends moved on.
“I think we can believe him” Pinkie said to Fluttershy who turned to face her.
“What?” Fluttershy said in surprise. “Pinkie we don’t know him. Just because he saved us this once doesn’t mean we should-”
“I know Fluttershy. But guys think about it. That changeling came at him with the full intention of ending it, why would Chrysalis be so serious about such a diversion and put one of her own at risk?” Pinkie argued, giving Nines a glance before returning to the others.
“Because she’s insane?” Carrot Top replied wistfully.
Pinkie frowned.
“Guys, cmon trust me. If I’m wrong we can just use Zecora’s wumbo jumbo to check him. If he is a changeling we dispose of him, if not he helps us. Fair enough right?” She asked looking at Nines.
The trooper merely nodded his head. He wanted to help. If he could provide Twilight the necessary time she needed to get Princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor before Chrysalis could get to Zecora and either capture or...do something much worse like in his other failed attempts, then he could put this to an end once and for all and let the ponies of this timeline handle the rest.
“Good, so Fluttershy, is that alright with you?” Pinkie asked.
The pegasus covered in Zecora’s markings looked up at Nines and stared into his visor, seeing her own reflection in it.
The two stared at each other for a long time, till an eagle cry from the distance broke the silence held between them.
Fluttershy looked away from Nines and looked straight at Pinkie with a reluctant sigh. “Fine. He can come. But if you try anything” she said pointing a hoof at Nines, “It’ll be the last thing you do.”
Nines stared at Fluttershy for a good few seconds, the way her wings flared aggressively, how the marking all along her body and face gave her a much more savage look, the look in her eyes and how different it was compared to the Fluttershy he knew before finally after about ten seconds he spoke.
“I understand.”
Queen Chrysalis stood over her captives, watching them, observing them. Filthy Rich was currently being reunited with his wife and daughter, as well as several other ponies in their prisons. Except Spoiled Rich wasn’t Spoiled Rich. And Diamond Tiara wasn’t Diamond Tiara.
The same could be said for each pony that her changelings brought and then threw into the cells with their friends or families.
This was her plan. Create turmoil. Create fear. Spread her subjects among those that escaped and have each subject pick then study their target. Then wait till she had enough power to where she could separate families and friends with the amounts of chaos she brought, extend the time periods so that her subjects could learn enough about their subject of study then capture those ponies and reunite them with their families by replacing these families or loved ones with changelings.
It was genius. It was perfect. With this her subjects would never starve and she would always have the power necessary to rule Equestria for as long as she pleased. With Shining Armor still under her control and being kept safe in another part of Equestria, Cadence locked away somewhere with Shining’s sister no one could oppose her. She had won, Chrysalis thought with a grin.
“I finally won.” Chrysalis whispered to herself, a sly grin crossing her face as she turned her back to the prisoners and made her way towards the exit out of Canterlot.
An eagle cry echoed into the castle as Chrysalis ascended from the dungeons and took up Princess Celestia’s form.
Looking up Chrysalis watched the eagle land in front of her then in a burst of green light, Watcher emerged and saluted to his queen.
“What is it young one?” The queen asked in Celestia’s voice.
Watcher dropped his saluting hoof and told his queen everything. How they had discovered a strange soldier who somehow was able to detect them for what they really were despite there not being any flaws in their transformations. And how the ponies were planning on curing the injuries Chrysalis herself had made on Zecora, the only creature in Equestria that posed a real threat to all she had worked for.
After Watcher had finished explaining everything and told his queen what was going, he asked “What should we do Your Highness?”
Queen Chrysalis held Celestia’s stoic expression as she took in everything that had been said, momentarily blocking out her subject’s follow up question.
“Your Highness?” The young ling said after repeating his question for the third time.
Chrysalis looked down at the young changeling who stared at her with concern. The look of worry on his face did something to her. It reminded her of back then, back when they had nothing her subjects starved, longed for sustenance that she couldn’t provide at the time.
But this time, things would be different. The changeling queen had worked hard to get where she was now. She had deceived, twisted, and done things that were practically against the law but she didn’t care now.
No one would stop her. Her subjects finally had food, she finally had power to make sure that continued and they were not out of a home and nothing in this world would stop her if she could see to it. If Princess Celestia had been no match and her sister Luna had fallen just as easily, then there was no hope for this ‘Soldier in White’ to stop her either.
It was simply. She had won, and no strange creature in Equestria could change that. It was set in stone, bound to happen and she would make sure it happened as such.
Lifting a wing up and using Celestia’s wing to lift the youngling’s head up she smiled kindly at him. “Show me where Spy and his squad is, I will send Havoc to gather as many changelings that are not guarding the prisoners or serving as their ‘comfort’. We will confront this ‘soldier in white’ and we will defeat him.”
A wider smile crossed Celestia’s face as the queen continued to speak. “No one will take away my power or our home. I promise, okay?” She said gently.
The young ling nodded his head with a thankful smile and hugged his queen tightly with his forehooves. An act quite common among the youngest of changelings. “Thank you Your Highness.”
Queen Chrysalis smiled warmly still under Celestia’s ruse. “Your welcome. Now gather our strongest and show me the way, it is time we put this battle to an end.”
Nines could feel it as Pinkie parted the drape of heavy vines that covered the entrance past two large oak trees where their new base of operations resided, they were being watched.
This feeling wasn’t recent. It had been with him ever since he looked up to those birds that had been circling them not too long ago. And it was still with him now even after they had entered into the thickest part of the Everfree Forest, and had long since lost sight of the skies above.
Something wasn’t right here. But then again in war, nothing ever was.
“What’s in the vial?” Carrot Top asked him. Nines looked in the earth pony’s direction and saw her point a hoof to his right hand.
He looked at the hand, then looked back at her, not saying a word.
“Is it a potion?” Carrot Top asked approaching Nines. Again Nines said nothing. He and Carrot Top had been left behind while Pinkie, Fluttershy and the others had gone with the rest to get Doctor Horse and a few others.
“Why don’t you say something?” Carrot Top asked, but once more she was met with silence. Nines did not move to reach for his Z6 as the mare approached him. There wasn’t any kind of bad feeling he got as she came closer so he didn’t bother, whatever was giving him this feeling was close. And it was getting stronger.
“So” Carrot Top said drawing Nines away from his survival instincts. “What’s your name?”
Instinctively Nines replied with his number. “FN-2199.” He answered. Carrot Top gave him a look that said “What?”
“No I mean what’s your real name.” Nines said nothing, he had no real name. All he had was his number and the one nickname he had been given upon awakening in this world.
“Nines”, the soldier looked at her, but because of the helmet on his head Carrot Top wasn’t sure if he did out of confusion or wonder if the mare was referring to him.
“You’ve got two 9’s at the end of your name so I’ll call you Nines. That sound good to you?” Nines once more said nothing, but his attention was now firmly fixed on Carrot Top.
Even here they still give you a name a voice in his head said. The silence between the two stretched for a couple of seconds making the mare shift uncomfortably where she sat, maybe she had said something wrong?
“Do you not like the name?” She asked. To this Nines shook his head. “So...can I call you Nines?” The soldier paused but half a second later he nodded. This made Carrot Top smile.
“Great, glad to meet you Nines, and thanks for your help back there. Sorry if we gave you a little tough love but, in war you have to stay on guard you know?”
Nines nodded. He knew. War was a crucial part of his life and he knew that better than anyone. Just when Carrot Top was about to continue the conversation Fluttershy’s voice instantly caught the mare’s attention.
“What are you doing with him? We can’t fraternize with him, we don’t know if he’s just a changeling yet” she complained. Carrot Top rose immediately from her seat beside the soldier and moved away.
“Sorry, I was just chatting to pass the time.” Pinkie smiled at her.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry.” On her back she carried some concoction in the split shell of an empty coconut.
Nines looked at her and Pinkie smiled in response. “It’s the same thing Zecora uses to discover changelings for what they are, almost everypony that’s not seriously injured has these markings on them.”
“We’re just taking precautions in case you aren’t what you say you are” Fluttershy explained. With that said she dabbed a hoof into the liquid, spread her wings and floated up to Nines wiping his already beaten armor with the dirt and liquid along the sides of his helmet and body.
When she was done, everypony stood back and watched as a green glow emanated from Nines body but faded soon enough doing nothing to him at all.
The held breath Pinkie had been holding came out as a relaxed sigh. “Thank Celestia.”
“Pinkie! Fluttershy!” A familiar voice said. Moondancer trotted forward with Dr. Horse. Both of them had the markings along their body, but it was mostly on the clothes they wore.
“Did you bring back that flower I asked for?” The doctor asked, unaware that Nines was staring at both him and Moondancer.
“Well, no. When we got to the place there was no flower. But we met somepony-- er someone who has a potion that can help Zecora get better” Thunderlane explained gently touching the ground as he returned from his own hut.
“And you just believed him?” Moondancer asked with a raised brow.
“Of course not” Fluttershy retorted. “Look” she said pointing her slightly wet hoof towards the markings now on Nines. “I did the marks just like Zecora taught us.”
Both Moondancer and Dr.Horse looked at Nines before taking note for the first time he had been staring at them since their appearance.
“What?” Moondancer asked him.
Nines shook his head. “Nothing.” Moondancer and Dr.Horse looked at each other with raised brows.
“Fine then, bring the vial. I’ll give it to Zecora, if any of you want to come you know the rules. You’ll have to wait outside, but when I’m done administering the medicine you can go in and see her for herself. She’s been asleep ever since you six left. Come along now.” Horse said.
Pinkie and Fluttershy followed after the doctor while Moondancer came up from the rear. Nines stood back watching the entire time before Pinkie’s voice drew his attention to where the others were going.
“You coming Nines?” Pinkie asked.
Noticing the looks Moondancer and Dr.Horse were giving him Nines nodded.
The group headed towards the largest hut that held a sleeping Zecora.
Despite protests of many of the few that were not injured and had come to see Zecora get better Nines enters the hut with Horse.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy maintain watch and try to appease the concerns of the rest of The Resistance by assuring them he is not a threat, as far as Zecora’s markings go he is not a changeling.
Meanwhile inside Zecora’s hut, the zebra’s breath is shallow and slow. There are multiple bandages that cover her body, hints of blood soak these bandages, and support has been made for two of her sprained hooves.
Dr.Horse turns to Nines who stares silently at Zecora. “The vial.”
Nines snapped out of his stupor and looked at him, his grip tightened on the vial. Horse’s expression became stoic.
“You know don’t you?” The stallion asked.
Nines nodded and Horse did his best to suppress the amazement on his face. “How?”
“When you’re surrounded by these ponies for as long as I’ve been you tend to know who’s the original and who's the fake based off of little things. Where I’m from, I was trained for battle. Picking up little things like this isn’t hard. The little things that define the original from the fake always show how you can’t replace anyone as long as they know you well enough” Nines explained reaching for his Z6.
A burst of green light flooded the hut and everything went silent outside. “What was that?” The two heard from beyond the hut.
“I’ll check it out” Moondancer called. “You guys stay here and keep watch.”
The moment Moondancer’s forehoof appeared the mare was dragged in by Nines and thrown right beside the changeling that had once been Doctor Horse.
“He found out?” Moondancer asked the other ling with a worried look. The changeling nodded.
Moondancer sighed. “What are your demands?”
Nines loosened his grip on the Z6 he was prepared to use. “I want answers. What were you planning to do to her while Pinkie and the others were gone?”
Moondancer looked at the taller changeling beside her that had a distinctly larger build. He sighed and nodded to her. “Tell him.”
Biting her lip the false unicorn looked at Nines who now moved to stand between Zecora and them. “We planned on sedating her. Keeping her unconscious till Queen Chrysalis arrived and took over this part of camp.”
“Is she coming here now?” Nines asked, opening the vial Twilight and Fluttershy from his own time had made and tilting the contents into the unconscious zebra’s mouth.
Moondancer snorted. “Why would we rat out our own Queen? We have no loyalty to you.”
The Z6 hummed in a minacious. Nines merely tilted his head towards it as he finished giving Zecora the rest of the healing potion. The effects should take affect within a few minutes, now all he needed to do was by Twilight some more time.
“Macro what do we do?” Moondancer asked the changeling beside her. The stallion stared at the humming Z6 and the soldier in white. Both proved like a worthy adversary but fighting in such a tight space wouldn’t bode well for him or the changeling disguised as Moondancer.
“We surrender” Macro said with a scowl. The hum from the Z6 in turn slowly died.
“Macro is this the right thing to do?” Moondancer asked with concern as Nines rose to his feet.
Before the changeling could answer an explosion occurred outside, followed by multiple shouts. Princess Luna’s voice could be heard from the distance.
“PONIES! I have come to reunite you with your friends! Surrender the soldier in white and bring Zecora to me immediately and my subjects will spare you!” The changeling queen’s voice boomed.
Nines could hear it. Thousands upon thousands of wings buzzing rapidly. Surrounding the area on all sides. The changelings had them surrounded. Their numbers were greater and none of their own were injured.
They were trapped.
Macro grinned as Nines drew his Z6 riot control baton ready for battle. “Yes, this is the right move.”
Chaos. The Everfree Forest was in chaos. Chrysalis had found Spy who had followed the ponies back to their hideout as a bee before returning with his comrades to report their findings to the princess before they even left to find Spy and his squad.
The battle raged on just as it had two days ago. Hooves clashed with each other as pony and pony fought one another or fought those that were a changeling. All while Queen Chrysalis surveyed the chaos from the skies in the form of the princess of the night.
Three of her own guards fought off the injured pegasi like Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Cloudchaser that tried to crash into their queen and knock her off her high metaphorical horse. But they were only pushed back by her guards.
Chrysalis had done it. She had won. Today marked a new beginning. Once she had Zecora she would have no one to stop her. The elements of Harmony had taken care of Discord so she had nothing to worry about from the likes of him, and Luna and Celestia had both been detained. Twilight and Princess Cadence were trapped in the Crystal Mining Caverns forever to roam around lost since she had blocked the only exit, and as for the rest of the elements well they were with their ‘friends and family’ right now.
A confident smile crossed Luna’s face as she watched her subjects continue the battle, but soon enough a humming sound drew the alicorn’s attention to the largest hut there.
Not a second passed before two changelings were flung straight out of its doors and sent flying into the battle between the ponies and lings.
Stepping out of the hut with the sleeping zebra carefully cradled in one arm, was the battered stormtrooper Queen Chrysalis had heard so much about.
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted him, and he in return noticed her instantly.
Pinkie and Fluttershy who had just managed to knock out their own adversary, watched in horror as the queen of their enemy floated down and approached the stormtrooper who held their one hope of winning.
Instantly the two equines tried to move to his aid but were blocked by Spy and his squadron of changelings.
“No interference.” The squad said in unison, before all of the changed into various members of the wonderbolts.
Pinkie and Fluttershy backed up as they were pushed back with every step the changelings made, but to their surprise six other members of their Resistance rose to join them.
Both Pinkie and Fluttershy looked at their comrades, nodded their heads then charged against the changelings in the form of the pegasi air force. Hooves clashed, shouts echoed and the battle raged on.
Nines and Chrysalis were wary of the fighting around them but neither moved a muscle. Queen Chrysalis still took up Luna’s form and continued to stare silently at Nines studying him.
Nines too allowed his Z6 to remain tightly in his grip, one wrong move and he would beat this traitor senseless.
“So you are the soldier in white I’ve been hearing about from my subject. What is your name?”
Nines did not respond, he let his weapon do the talking for him as he did a small spin with it, making sure not to upset the sleeping Zecora in his other arm.
Chrysalis’ prideful grin only widened. “Give me the zebra, and I will leave with my people and spare the rest of your friends. If you do it now you can-”
“Traitor.” Nines interrupted.
Chrysalis grin faded. “Excuse me?” She said.
Nines turned his back to her and slowly lowered the steady breathing zebra behind him then took four steps forward prompting Chrysalis to take four steps back.
He pointed at her and said it again. “Traitor.”
The tumultuous noise of battle continued, and Chrysalis just held a flabbergasted look on her face.
“Traitor?” She repeated the word as if it were poison. “You are calling me, a traitor?” She asked.
Nines didn’t respond, he took up a battle position daring the queen to attack him. Chrysalis expression went from confusion and shock, to anger.
A blaze of green flames erupted and surrounded her and in an instant she returned to her true form. “How am I traitor?” She asked Nines as they began circling each other, slowly drawing away from Zecora who had begun to stir.
“For wanting power I’ve never had a right to? For wanting a home for my people and the control to make sure everything for them and myself was peaceful for once in our lives? For defeating those so called ‘Princesses of Harmony’ when they had never done a thing for me and my kind?” Chrysalis asked her horn glowing menacingly as Nines’ Z6 roared with electrical energy.
“You and your kind take the affections of ponies as nothing but food and manipulate them. When you are done don’t you toss them aside?” Nines asked.
To this Chrysalis replied with a fire from her horn, Nines barely dodged in time and only caught the glimpse of an empty hut being consumed by flames.
“We have no choice in the matter! We are what we are, and there is nothing I can do to change that. We can feed on other emotions but they are nothing compared to the pure satisfaction my subjects receive upon feeding on love. It isn’t as filling, it isn’t as tasteful, it doesn’t feel right without that emotion. Love is the only way we can survive without starving.”
“But manipulating thousands of innocent creatures justifies that?” Nines argued.
Chrysalis scowl widened, but a second later she calmed herself. “I do not have to explain my cause to an outsider. My subjects and my own cause are important and that is all that matters to me.
“Besides” Chrysalis said with her smile returning. “Your friends have failed.” And just as she said this Nines turned to see that Pinkie and Fluttershy were indeed surrounded as well as all the others that had participated in the fight.
“It’s over” Chrysalis said with her signature smile. “You’ve lost.” Her horn glowed as she looked to the stirring Zecora. “And I’ve won.”
Zecora opened her eyes just in time to see Chrysalis fire a blast of magic at her, and quickly shut them once again as she awaited her fate.
The sound of concentrated magic hitting something echoed throughout the Everfree Forest scattering birds.
Zecora waited and waited and waited. But she felt no death accompany her. When she opened her eyes, the soldier in white stood staunchly in front of her , arms open, legs extended in a guard like position as if he were protecting a higher up or higher commander.
The stormtrooper fell with a part of his armor heavily burnt and his body twitching. The strike had been heavy and Nines could not bring himself to move, his body was still recovering from the countless other fights he had had to endure before finally trying his final chance by skipping ahead since every time he tried to protect Zecora it ultimately ended in failure.
Under his helmet Nines felt a smile cross his face still not understanding why he was doing what he was doing. And just then as Zecora moved to see if he was seriously injured a portal opened up in the sky.
Nines smiled as he watched Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor and the rest of his allies descend down beside him.
“Nines!” Fluttershy, his Fluttershy called moving towards him. “What happened to you?” she asked with concern.
The injured Zecora who recognized the alicorn Twilight looked back at Nines then at Fluttershy before she quickly caught on to what was happening.
“He sacrificed himself to save me, and took the burden of my destiny” Zecora said morosely at the injured Nines.
That was all Shining needed to hear. His horn a lit Shining Armor goaded his wife to join him as their two horns glowed together. The mane six as well gathered and changed into their regalia forms charging up their own magic so they could banish every single changeling out of Equestria once and for all.
Nines lifted a hand up towards Chrysalis and raised a shaky middle finger at her with what little strength he had left.
“Traitors never prosper.”
The queen scowled and with a cry she charged to attack the elemental bearers and the princess and prince of the crystal empire but before she could land a hit the world was flooded in light and Queen Chrysalis felt a powerful force pushing her and her subjects back.
The light was so blinding, so strong that neither Zecora or her allies of The Resistance could see what was happening but when it had faded, the alicorn and her friends were gone, her injuries were healed, as the changelings had vanished.
The only thing that remained was the broken piece of armor that fell off when Nines had gotten hit holding his number.
Looking up to the sky Zecora watched the portal fade into existence,before she glanced back at the plate of armor and lifted it up before smiling at it.
“Thank you FN-2199. Thank you, Nines.”