Warped Mind

by TheUnknownPerson

A Secret Uncovered

Author's Note:

I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. With other things in my life(and some writer's block) that needed my attention, I was unable to get it out as fast as I usually do.

Three Hours Later

"You wanted to see me, Queen Chrysalis?"

Shining Armor stood beneath Queen Chrysalis, kneeling at the bottom of the staircase leading up to her throne. Queen Chrysalis was sat on her throne, looking down at him.

"Yes. I was curious about what happened after you left her alone. She was a mess- tears streaming down her face, her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and her mane was tangled. I had to calm her down to get her to do her work efficiently." Queen Chrysalis leaned towards Shining. "So, tell me, what happened?"

"She leads me back to my room, bandaged my eye, then we started talking about our pasts- I didn't ask her about Cadance. I asked her how long she was here. She said ten years, then I asked about her family. Then I asked if she was a pony-"

"She isn't."

"Yes, your highness."

"Shining, I'd hate to get rid of Cadance already, but if you keep pushing me and my subjects-" "Your highness, please, I didn't mean to-" "Quiet."

Shining chewed on the right side of his mouth, keeping himself quiet. She sighed.

"You weren't the first pony I tested the transformation spell on, and you won't be the last." Queen Chrysalis stood. "After you're a changeling, your life as a pony is over- even yours. You live to only grow, get stronger, and expand my kingdom. You aren't to question your past because that is over once you're my drone. I won't ask again- do not bring up the past around her, not yet. Do we have this clear, Shining?"

Shining swallowed a lump that had formed in the back of his mouth, his throat locking up in anxiety. "Of course, your highness."

"Good. Now, please, leave me alone. I need time to think."

He nodded as he turned, trotting away from her. Shining trotted up the stairwell leading up to the rooms.

---

"So," Rainbow Dash stopped in the middle of her sentence to let out a small yawn. "where do you want me to start looking?"

"You'll be slowly circling around the empire. Make sure to widen the circle every time you complete the circle. And watch out for anything unusual to the north. Pinkie Pie said that she spoke to some villagers that said they had seen them heading towards the north."

"That's it? Easy as pie." Rainbow Dash said with confidence. She rolled her shoulders and stretched out her wings.

"I could join you if you'd like."

"Nah. I've got this, Twilight. Besides, you need to research all that magical mumbo-jumbo."

"Okay. Well, rest every hour or so or come to me when you find something or need me. I'll be in the library. And thanks again for this, Rainbow Dash."

"No prob, Twi'." Rainbow Dash said as she unfolded her wings and flapped them, causing her to ascend into the air. Twilight stepped away as Rainbow Dash began to start her search.

"Thank you..." She repeated quietly as she trotted towards the castle entrance before being stopped by a guard.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, may I speak with you?" The guard asked, his coat snow-white and his dark brown mane just above his right eye. Twilight nodded.

"Sure."

"May I ask you a few questions about the night Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were kidnapped?"

"Yes."

"Now, your highness, if you feel in anyway uncomfortable or do not want to answer some or any of these questions, please let me know."

"I will."

"Okay. Thank you, your highness. Now, may you tell me about what happened after the guards were asked to exit the room?"

"Uh... well... Queen Chrysalis cast a spell on Shining Armor. He fell to the ground and..." Twilight stopped for a moment.

If I tell them what happened, then Shining could get in some deep trouble...

"Are you all right, your highness? You don't have to answer if you're not comfortable."

"No! It's fine! Queen Chrysalis made him hurt Cadance, then me. I passed out after that..." Twilight quickly said.

"Hm... he must be under some sort of mind control spell... it doesn't seem like something the prince would do of his own free will."

"Exactly. He said that he'd hope that I forgave him before he did it."

"I'll be sure to arrange and send out another search party."

"Okay. Thank you."

"It's no problem, your highness. Now, may I ask, was Shining acting strangely before this?"

"No. It only happened when he met Queen Chrysalis."

"All right. So it wasn't cast upon him with the spell cast on him first... that's all I wanted to ask you, your highness. Thank you." The guard said as he bowed before trotting away. Twilight trotted into the palace.

---

"Let's set camp here, inside the cave," Lance trotted inside a small, dip in the mountain. She motioned for us to come close. "Blooming, sit out everything while Rocky and I get some firewood. It'll be nice to feel our hooves when we sleep." Lance chuckled.

"Okay."

I kneeled down, allowing Blooming to jump off. She pulled the blanket off my neck and took the bag as she passed by Lance.

I turned to her and trotted beside Lance as she passed by me. She trotted up to the tree line, standing in front of the either wet or frozen trees. It was a few yards away from the cave

"Well? Let's get to it." Lance stepped ahead, flapping her wings as she ascended to the tree branch, pulling on it.

"Y'know, there's probably no trees around here we could find that'd be flammable. It's the middle of winter, every tree is either covered in snow, wet, or withered. What would we even light it with?"

"We'll figure something out. Just come along!"

"All right, all right," I stood on the tips of my hind-hooves, using my left fore-hoof to pull down a few withered branches. "You're going to be the death of me."

"Not if I have a say over it." She lowered, carrying a stack of withered tree branches. "We've been through too much for us not to get back to the Crystal Empire together.

"Agreed. I've got your back, you've got mine, right?" I slid down the tree, a single tree branch in my left fore-hoof. Lance nodded with a smile. I quickly stuffed the spear under my left shoulder and joined her as she trotted back towards the cave

"Definitely."

"So, how's your life back in the Crystal Empire? Or would be, if we weren't here."

"Well..." I glanced upwards, before turning to her. "I'd usually be down in the mines by the midday, getting all my rubies and crystals into the minecart. Then I'd go to that bakery in the middle of town for lunch."

"Oh, I love that place. Blooming and I go there for breakfast when we can. I'd kill for one of their cakes right now."

Lance and I burst into laughter.

"Yeah... but honestly, I'd be helping my ma and pa pack. They're moving, to Ponyville."

"Mine moved to Manehattan a few years back. My sister's probably still with them."

"You have a sister?"

I nodded.

"A unicorn. She's pretty young, but she helps my parents. Loved the snow, so I'm pretty sure she's still happy up there."

"Yeah... I hope everypony's all right." Lance said. Something was off in her voice. "I wonder how it is back there? It was pretty intense the last time we were there."

Oh- I hadn't even thought of that... I wonder how things really are back there.

We slowed as we neared the cave.

"I'm sure Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor have things covered back there. Besides, she would've just siphoned our love when she caught us if she had taken over the village."

"I hope so..." Lance glanced downwards. "Oh- almost forgot, I'll check in the shrubbery, see if there's anything in there that could be dry." She quickly passed in front of me, sitting the sticks down and galloping passed me. "Go ahead and try to start a fire! I'll be back in a minute!"

"With one hoof--"

My voice cut out as I turned and looked at Lance. She had stopped as a creature stepped out from behind the treeline.

No- three creatures. Three creatures that I never wished to see again.

Changelings.

They trotted towards her, as she began to back away.

"Blooming, I need you to get back and hide," I whispered as I gently sat the single stick in my hoof down, picking up my spear and holding it to my side.

"Why-" "I'll explain after. Just- stay back."

Okay- keep your cool, Rocky. They haven't noticed you yet, so maybe you can--

"Hey!"

One of the changelings grabbed Lance and tried pulling her out of our sight. Lance, thankfully, pushed it off and backed away towards the cave.

Blooming rushed to the cave's entrance

"Lance!" Blooming called out as she rushed out of the cave and towards her sister.

"Blooming, wait-" I said, trying to stop her in vain. She hid behind Lance's right hind-hoof as her fear finally caught up to her. "Buck me..."

I trotted out of the cave and trotted up to Lance, standing at her right. I held out my spear towards the changelings, who were now only a few hooves away. They were standing in a small horizontal line. The changelings at each end were holding spears. They all wore black helmets, chest pieces that covered their upper and lower body, and large pieces of armor that covered the front of their hooves. Their helms had a small slit that went down the middle. Their horns were sticking through, at the top. There chest pieces also had slits where they could still flap their wings.

"You're the prisoners that escaped." The changeling in the middle said. We remained silence.

"You're coming with us." The changeling said once more as it tried to reach for Lance. I immediately pointed the spear at his neck. The changeling to his right pointed the spear at me.

"We're not going anywhere," I said firmly. The changeling looked down at the tip of the spear before laughing under his breath.

"You are coming with us." The changeling said as he tried to push the tip down. I dug the tip of the spear into the palm of his hoof, causing him to emit a loud, pain fueled wail. The changeling to his right hit me in the head with the wooden end of his spear, causing me to pull it out. The changeling I had just stabbed tackled me to the ground as the other two went after Lance. He landed on top of me and was holding my fore-hooves down.

"I'm going to enjoy siphoning all of your love for that foolish mare!" The changeling said. He hissed as he buried his fangs into my chest, right above my ribs. Horseapples!

"Let me go!" I said, struggling against his grip on my hooves. The strength in my hooves was fleeing fast as my light-brown coat became darker by the second. I pushed up against his hooves once more, but it was all to no avail... ugh...

There's no strength left in my hooves... he's too strong...

My coat's now nearly black. My vision becomes blurry as my head rests against the soft snow.

I can't win...

I let my eyes close as I accepted my fate.

"Get off of him!"

The weight of the changeling was pushed off of me. I opened my eyes gently. Lance standing over him, hitting him with her fore-hooves.

"L... Lance..." I said weakly. She looked up from the unconscious changeling, cuts and bruises littering her face. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and fear.

"Rocky! Please tell me you're okay!" Lance hastily trotted over to me and leaned over me. Blooming rushed over to Lance out of the corner of my eye.

"I..." My voice gave out before I could finish. Tears came to Lance's eyes.

"Don't worry!" She grabbed my left fore-hoof, pulling me away. "Blooming, help me pull him inside the cave!" Lance said. Blooming got to my hind-hooves, pushing me as Lance pulled me away.

---

Taltra was a pony? Shining questioned as he trotted up the stairwell slowly.

She never explicitly said she was... but she implied it? Shining pondered. "You weren't the first pony I tested the transformation spell on, and you won't be the last."

Shining stepped up onto the second floor and trotted to his room, turning the knob and opening the door. He trotted inside and shut the door behind himself.

I mean, it would make sense. I don't think changelings can reproduce normally, let alone love each other without siphoning it from each other.

A few words stuck out like a sore hoof to Shining. "You weren't the first pony I tested the transformation spell on"

Was Taltra one of her subjects? She was a mare who got pulled into it by her mane?

Shining trotted over to his bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling.

No... there's no way... maybe...

Shining sighed.

I'll need to find more. She has to have something from her past.

---

Twilight Sparkle trotted into the library. Rarity was standing at the table, organizing the textbooks and notes that they'd taken. She put the last textbook on top of a small pile and turned around.

"Oh, hello Twilight. I didn't hear you enter. I took the time to clean up a bit and organized the textbooks."

"Okay. Thank you, Rarity. I think we've got enough research in for today. Go get some rest."

"Are you sure, dear? You know I don't mind assisting you."

"I know, Rarity. You've helped me enough today."

"Okay, dear. I think I'll head downstairs and get something to eat before I head off to rest." Rarity said, trotting over to Twilight.

"All right, Rarity. Goodnight."

"Good evening, dear." Rarity said, stepping past Twilight(who was still standing at the door, holding it open) and trotted down the hallway. Twilight trotted into the library and shut the door behind her, the sound echoing throughout the empty library. She trotted over to the table and opened the textbook on top.

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