Broken Rainbows

by AstonMartinLover

Changelings

Chapter 4: Changelings

Rainbow lay in her bed. Her eyes wide open. Sleep was impossible. Even in her fatigued state, Rainbow Dash could not force herself to go to sleep. The morning sun was hidden now, behind rain clouds.

She groaned. She was still part time weather manager for Ponyville. Which meant she had to clear the rain and the clouds from the sky on the weekends. It was Saturday.

Celestia would be disappointed with her work being covered up. Rainbow had to go and clear up the skies.

But she couldn't. She forced her eyes shut. Sleep. Sleep was necessary.

There was a door slamming next to her. Her ears went back. She grimaced in frustration.

Sleep was impossible.

Scootaloo pushed open the door to Rainbow's room and looked in. Rainbow cracked an eyelid, watching her, ignoring her for the sake of attempted sleep.

Scootaloo dove down and began crawling across the floor. She was a ninja sometimes. If Rainbow Dash hadn't been watching the whole time, she might have actually had a chance.

"Banzai!" She shouted, jumping up in the air. Rainbow rolled off the bed. Scootaloo came crashing down on what would have been her chest. Instead she looked around, confused.

Rainbow grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the floor. They wrestled their for a moment, before getting to their hooves.

"Gosh Scoots, what is it with you? You are such an infant!"

"Am not!" Scootaloo insisted. "I just figured it was time for you to wake up."

Rainbow rubbed her sleep deprived eyes. "Yeah. Wake up. Hey. Hold on a second. Who said you could crash here tonight?"

Scootaloo paused. She hadn't considered that it might have been wrong staying at Rainbow's without asking.

"Well...nopony did." She looked at Rainbow Dash and bit her hoof. "Sorry..."

Rainbow Dash smirked. "What are you apologizing for? You can crash here anytime you want!" She patted Scootaloo's mane roughly. "Just don't go waking big sis, okay?"

"No promises." Scootaloo said, grinning. Rainbow sighed. Scootaloo did love disobeying her hero. For laughs.

"Come here squirt." She commanded. Scootaloo sat up on the bed next to her. Rainbow pulled her in close.

"What in Equestria am I gonna do with you?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "Get me a job with the Wonderbolts."

Rainbow chuckled. "Nu uh kid. You're gonna have to earn that one the same way I did."

Scootaloo arched an eyebrow. "By sleeping eighteen hours a day?"

Suddenly , an alarm cut through the peaceful silence of morning. A loud alarm. Coming from outside.

Rainbow clapped her hooves over her ears and rolled off the bed.

"Wha...?" She looked out to see ponies scrambling through the streets of Ponyville.

"Changelings." She muttered. She picked up the element of loyalty and placed it around her neck.

"What's going on?" Scootaloo asked, an ounce of panic in her voice.

"Changelings. They're here." Rainbow replied. "Ponyville. Not Baltimare. That changeling lied to us."

Scootaloo smirked. "Alright. I'm ready. Let's kick some flank..."

"You're staying here." Rainbow interrupted. "Can't risk you getting in a fight."

Scootaloo's mouth gaped, amazed at this injustice. "What? Rainbow, are you serious? I'm not a filly anymore! I can fight!"

Rainbow shook her head. "I'm not risking you."

"But Rainbow Dash..."

"No buts. You're right. You're not a filly anymore. But you're still my kid sister. What kind of sister would I be if I let you go? What if you get hurt?"

Scootaloo was speechless.

Rainbow stumbled towards her bedroom door.

"Rainbow? How long has it been since you slept?"

Rainbow's ears perked up. Such a grown up question from a 13 year old mare.

"Uh...a couple...hours."

"Uh huh. Because you look like you're about to pass out. I'm going with you."

Rainbow whipped around. "No! You're not squirt!"

"Rainbow, you're not thinking straight! You look really tired. You need somepony watching your back."

Rainbow shook her head. "You'll just slow me down." She realized almost immediately she had misspoke.

Scootaloo looked mad. Rainbow grimaced. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean...I have enough energy to watch my own back. I don't have enough to watch yours too."

Scootaloo looked dejected. "Rainbow, please. You need somepony watching your back. You're not invincible."

She took a deep breath. Scootaloo had a point. "Alright. You can come. But you stick to me okay? If I do something, you follow, understood?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"You promise?"

"I promise, Rainbow Dash."

The ponies met up at Sugar Cube Corner.

"The invasion has already started. Everypony got their elements?" Twilight asked, placing the element of magic on her head.

Thunderspark touched down. "Celestia ordered me to provide backup. She's on her way. So is Princess Luna. They'll be about thirty minutes."

Rainbow Dash yawned. Applejack arched an eyebrow. "Somepony looks a bit tired."

Rainbow shook her head. "No I'm fine."

"Maybe you oughta sit this one out?" Applejack asked.

"Are you kidding? Who will provide air support if I'm not up there?"

Thunderspark raised his hoof. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Alright. I wasn't specific enough. Who here with over fifty wingpower will provide air support?" She was very proud of this fact.

Thunderspark shrugged. "She's got a point."

"Of course I do." Rainbow Dash said smirking. "Any more questions?"

"Rainbow, for your own good, go home." Applejack said.

"What? And hide under my bed, praying the changelings don't find me? No thanks AJ."

The changeling known as Shadow scouted out the outer landscape of the town. A frontal attack would come. Just as soon as Shadow cleared it.

He looked around at the town. So quaint. So peaceful. It brought a bit of sadness to his heart, thinking of what this town would look like tomorrow.

They would feast on the love and happiness that filled this town. Then Cloudsdale. Then Fillydelphia. Then Canterlot. Equestria would fall.

But it all started with him. The fate of his people lay in his black, scaly hooves.

There was a whistling sound behind him. He turned. Nothing. He frowned.

"Freaky town."

Another whistling sound. The tree next to him exploded. He put up his hooves to shield the incoming debris. The tree tilted to the side, and fell. The Changeling let out a cry as he tried to get out of the way. Too late.

It came down on his neck. He buckled under it's weight. His throat. It was being crushed.

He desperately forced air through his lungs, finding it very difficult to breathe.

Fooled. Somehow. He was as good as dead now. The queen did not have any qualms about leaving soldiers behind. And if he couldn't signal, this invasion would never happen.

And even now, he could feel his breathing becoming more and more shallow.

He made peace with the gods above as he awaited his slow, painful death.

Suddenly there was another whistling. A flash. Then a rainbow colored pegasus landed in front of him. A smaller, orange pegasus landed at her side.

"Is it...dead?" Scootaloo asked, concerned.

"Not yet." Rainbow replied. She leaned down and looked into the Changeling's eyes.

"Can you talk?"

The changeling could, but it would not.

"You're in a bit of a rough spot here buddy." Rainbow Dash said. "It would be a lot easier if you talked."

"Leave pony scum. I am now ready to die." Shadow hissed.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "That's a lie. Nopony gets 'ready' to die. It just happens. You don't want to die. You know it."

The changeling hissed. "Go away pony. I am not worth your time. Allow me to die alone."

Rainbow shuddered. "Now I know nopony, not even a changeling, wants to die alone. You're just grumpy cause I dropped a tree on you."

"I'm done speaking. Goodbye ponies." Shadow said.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Alright. Do you want me to save you or not?"

The changeling spoke no further words. Rainbow could see that this might not be entirely his choice. His larynx was being crushed.

"Alright, Scoots help me lift this tree." Rainbow commanded. They lifted up the branches. Rainbow felt her energy being sapped from her rapidly as she lifted the tree over her head and threw it away.

The changeling got to his hooves. He took some deep breaths. He felt his throat for damage. Then he looked up at Rainbow Dash.

"Thank..."

Before he could finish, there was an explosion. Fire shot up into the sky, causing smoke to block out any remnants of the sun. The changelings had grown tired of waiting for a signal.

Rainbow turned around. The changeling had fled. The other six galloped up to her.

"What happened?" Twilight asked.

"Nothing. Just some unappreciated help." Rainbow said grimly.

"Well forget about that. We gotta move." Thunderspark warned. "We still got twenty minutes before the princesses arrive. The changelings look to be approaching on the side closest to Sweet Apple Acres."

Rarity frowned. "Why would they do that? Couldn't they simply bypass that and take the main street right in?"

"They must be expecting a fight." Thunderspark reasoned. "Well, let's give em one!"

They charged in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight looked over at Applejack.

"Are you okay AJ?"

Applejack looked at her and said nothing. Her eyes answered the question. She was worried. Very worried.

Granny Smith. Big Macintosh. Apple Bloom. They all still lived on Sweet Apple Acres.

"We need to cross the river." Twilight said. "So uh...everypony grab yourself a pegasus."

The pegasi looked around, startled as the other ponies jumped on their back.

They lifted off and slowly crossed over the river. Rainbow was carrying Applejack. More energy expended.

She touched down on the other side. The others touched down around her.

"Alright let's move..." Rainbow trailed off. Fluttershy remained on the other side. She was frozen in place.

"Let me handle this." Rainbow said. Twilight turned to leave.

"What's going on over there Fluttershy?" Rainbow shouted over the wide river.

"I-I saw something in the water." Fluttershy said shakily.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "C'mon Fluttershy suck it up! We don't have time for this!"

Fluttershy shook her head. "You don't need me. I'll just slow you down."

"Yes we do!" Rainbow shouted angrily. "We need you and your element! Without kindness, the changelings will win!"

Fluttershy shook her head. "But there are changelings in there." She pointed towards the river.

Rainbow could not believe it. The cowardice of her friend was borderline insane. She facehoofed. "Fluttershy, I promise you, there are no changelings in the water."

Fluttershy was still shaking. "I don't know..."

Rainbow stomped her hoof on the ground in frustration. "Look, Fluttershy! Enough! This is war! We don't have time for these foal fears!"

Fluttershy grimaced. She hated being yelled at. "Okay." It was barely a whisper.

She stretched her wings and began flying over the waters. She was moving at a snails pace, nervously looking down.

"C'mon Fluttershy!" Rainbow shouted angrily. "You're slowing us down."

She regretted these harsh words almost immediately. A moment later, a black hoof reached up from the water and grabbed Fluttershy's long tail.

Fluttershy screamed. More hoofs now. They grabbed onto her wings and legs.

Then they pulled her under.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash felt a wave of panic rush through her. Changelings. In the water. She had been right.

She swiftly dove in after her. Scootaloo, not wanting to disobey her standing orders , followed suit.

Applejack squinted, looking at the water, trying to catch a view of the creatures underneath it.

"Twi? Hold my hat." She handed it off, removed her element, then dove in after them.

Rainbow Dash looked around. Visibility was horrible. The water was cloudy. Not to mention freezing. But she could see the outline of her friend, sinking into the depths. She dove down towards her. The pressure increased on her ear. She came to a delayed realization.

She hated water. Pretty much everything about it. In rain clouds it was fine. But to be inside a body of water was something completely different.

And she was nowhere near as good underwater as she was in the air. Her wings flapped uselessly, giving her only minor propulsion.

She reached out a hoof. Fluttershy looked terrified. The changelings were pulling her deeper and deeper. Rainbow grabbed onto her hoof tightly.

She refused to let go. The changelings surrounded her now.

She hadn't thought this out well. She hadn't even taken a full breath. Her lungs were already straining for air.

Then there was an orange flash. Scootaloo. She punched and kicked ferociously at the changelings. Applejack appeared as well. A strong swimmer. She began bucking away at the changeling horde. Rainbow Dash pulled hard, tearing Fluttershy from the grasp of the demonic creatures.

She lifted Fluttershy to the surface. Scootaloo and Applejack were right behind her.

They breached the river surface. They flopped down on the shore, panting heavily.

"Rainbow Dash? T-Thank you..." Fluttershy panted.

Rainbow Dash trotted up to her. Fluttershy's eyes widened. Was Rainbow mad at her? Was she going to be punished in some way for making them lose so much time?

Rainbow spread her forehooves and gave the panting pegasus a tight hug. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. I should've listened to you. I was...being a real jerk just now."

Fluttershy waved her hoof. "It's okay. You're just tired is all."

Rainbow shook her head. "Not tired. Not one bit." An obvious lie.

Scootaloo groaned, coughing up water. "Could we not do that again?"

Rainbow sighed. "Kids. No stamina at all."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Rainbow! Where's your element?"

Rainbow Dash felt her neck and gasped. The element of loyalty. It was gone.

She looked down at the water. Her heart sank.

"BUCK!" She shouted. "Alright. No reason to panic everypony. I got this."

Before anypony could say a word, she had jumped right back into the river.

Of course, it only took about ten seconds for her to realize the gravity of her mistake.

The changelings were everywhere. They were not happy with being beaten the first time. This time, they were determined to keep anypony from getting out of the water alive.

They grinned fiendishly as they saw her.

She raised her hooves, and began hammering away at them. She knocked a couple out and charged downward, deeper into the water.

The element. It had to be down here somewhere. But all she could see was darkness. She could also feel the pressure on her lungs building. No point thinking about the return trip. Not yet. Not until the element was back in her possession. She continued steadily letting oxygen out of her nose.

There. A red flash. A faint red flash. She head butted a pesky changeling, then continued sinking.

She realized with a slight shock that she had reached the river bottom. She grabbed onto the element and looked up.

The surface was so far away. Well out of her range. Her lungs cried out for air. The panic began to take over.

Her heart felt like it was going to burst through her chest. Any attempts to contain her fear were futile now. She let out a cry. Bubbles floated up from around her mouth. Precious oxygen.

If the changelings couldn't kill her, she'd simply drown. And that was starting to look like what would happen.

No way for a pegasus to die.

She felt herself grown faint. An illogical thought entered her head. Why not just get it over with? She hadn't the energy to swim to the surface. Much less fight off all the changelings blocking her path. She opened her mouth and let the water flood into her lungs.

She felt a forehoove reach around her waist. She was lifted upwards.

Thunderspark crashed to the surface, Rainbow Dash firmly in his grip.

He took a deep breath, then shoved down on Rainbow's stomach. A geyser of water shot up out of her mouth.

She coughed and opened her eyes. She was tightly grasping the element.

"Thanks sparky." She said, hoof bumping the black pegasus.

"What is wrong with you RD? That was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen you do!" Thunderspark shouted. "I could've gone in there and gotten it! You're messed up enough as it is!"

"Alright. That's enough." Twilight said. She recognized the look of Dash's face. A similar one Applejack had had during Applebuck season. That look of pure exhaustion. "You're going home. You don't have any energy left dashie. You can't."

Rainbow shook her off. "No. I'm fine. Just...give me a second here."

Twilight lifted her to her hooves. "Rainbow. You've done well today. Really well. Go home. We can handle this. Give the element to Thunder."

Rainbow shook her head. "No. This is my fight as much as yours. I have to help you win it."

"Rainbow, you'll just slow us down..."

Rainbow stomped her hoof. Just the idea of HER slowing down the others was enough to make her throw a fit. But she knew not to get to angry at the understandably stressed unicorn.

"I can do this Twilight. Trust me."

Before anypony could protest, she was off and flying over Ponyville.

The remaining seven wandered the streets of their home. It was quiet. Not even birds chirping. Not even the light crinkling of leaves falling to the ground.

"It's happening now." Twilight said.

Suddenly all hell broke loose.

Changelings roared as they flew in, bombarding the town. They began changing shape, confusing the ponies.

They did not advance on the ground. They came from the sky. The ponies had not expected this.

"GET DOWN!" Applejack shouted. The changelings zipped over their heads. They were speedy little things. They could outrun most pegasi.

"I thought you said they were heading for Sweet Apple Acres!" Rarity shouted.

"I guess there not as good at tactics as I thought." Thunderspark replied. "They're just attacking head on. Gutsy."

Scootaloo searched the skies desperately for Rainbow Dash. The cyan blue pegasus had been absorbed in the crowded sky above the town.

Queen Chrysalis watched proudly from atop a cloud as her army charged the town. She cared not for devouring their love. Not today. Today was about revenge.

Twilight Sparkle. She had foiled her plans. She had ruined her 'wedding.' And now she would pay.

Scootaloo continued desperately searching for Rainbow Dash. She finally spotted her. Then her mouth gaped.

There were five of her. They were on a downward flight path, right towards the clueless teenager.

"Oh Celestia. Wha...?"

The other six were crouched down behind barrels and debris. Fluttershy noticed the youngling standing there, her hoof pointed at the oncoming Dash's.

"Scootaloo! Come here!"

But Scootaloo did not hear her. She was fixated on the multiple rainbow colored pegasi.

Rainbow Dash looked at the four around her, doing her best to blend in with the changelings. They seemed perfectly synchronized. Each one had their own slight unique quirks. Rainbow Dash was relieved. She didn't have to be perfect.

They were on an attack pattern. That much was sure. She looked down to see what it was they were attacking.

And there she was. Scootaloo. Staring at the approaching shape-shifters.

"What are you doing squirt?" Rainbow muttered. The four changelings around her turned. They growled, recognizing the genuine pegasus. Rainbow managed an innocent smile.

Then she punched the wings out from over the nearest changeling. It yelped, then headed for the ground. Rainbow quickly jumped onto the back of the other, and hurled it at the third, sending them both plummeting to the earth.

The final copy was a fighter. It grabbed a hold of her and began biting and kicking furiously. They tumbled together in the air. Rainbow Dash tried to block every vicious blow the creature threw at her. She looked down. Their altitude was falling.

She head butted the changeling. Then she grabbed it's wings and flipped it over. A cushion. The changeling looked down moments before hitting the ground.

She felt a bone break in it as it made contact. She shuddered.

The pegasus took a deep breath as she got off. The changeling groaned in pain. She patted it on the head. "Tough break champ."

Her friends were already assembled in front of Carousel Boutique. Rainbow Dash galloped up to them. "How much time?"

"They'll be here in less than ten minutes." Thunderspark said. "Hang tight until then."

Rainbow shook her head. "We'll be overrun in less than ten minutes. The queen is up on that cloud. I'm taking her down."

"No Dash. We have to wait for reinforcements." Thunderspark said, bucking away an approaching changeling.

"I can beat that cheese legged loser." Rainbow said defiantly.

Twilight grabbed a hold of her wing. "Dash, she could break you. She's an alicorn. She's much stronger, much nimbler, and probably has slept a lot more than you. Stay here."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Look, somepony needs to buy the princesses some more time. And I'm the best fighter here. Be back soon."

"Rainbow no!" Applejack shouted. She dove to get a grip on Rainbow's tail. She came up just short. Rainbow had already taken flight. She zoomed up towards the queen's cloud.

Applejack slammed her hooves on the grass in frustration. She looked up at the cloud "Oh RD, you darn foal!"

Rainbow Dash skidded to a stop on the surface of the cloud. She found herself face to face with the changeling commander.

Chrysalis stifled a laugh. "Wow. Theatrical."

Comments

[Lelouch Vi Britania]

Why did you stop there? That's just cruel!

[Ellington]

Wait a minute...a TREE fell on the changeling and all it did was CHOKE him?