The Pony Dreadfuls

by No one is home

Chapter 47 - Unsettling Tidings

Equestria
Present Day/Present Time
-=-=-=-=-

“I was assigned this position by his Lordship Civil Doctrine himself!” The surly administrator fumed as her belongings were cleared from her office.

“You don’t call him “Uncle Doctrine?” Diane smiled cruelly. “You’re not a very dedicated niece, I have to say.”

“Miss Shadefire! I’m the Minister of Education for Lower Canterlot! I’ll have your job for this!” The angry mare railed at the fluttering umbrum.

“Actually, we don’t know how long your uncle has been replaced by a changeling.” Moth casually examined the back of one hoof. “Princess Diane, as the undisputed heir of Prince Train Wreck Pastel is the the only member of equestrian royalty who is not currently compromised by the invasion. She’s simply acting in her legal authority to ensure no agents of the Nopony or Queen Chrysalis remain entrenched within the Decanter political system. Once Princess Celestia has returned to active ruling status you can feel free to make your case that you were not planted in this position by an agent of the Nopony but were simply given the job by virtue of simple nepotism. Until such time, your office will be overseen by Miss Shadefire, who has been duly and legally appointed by Princess Diane Pastel.”

“Don’t think Celestia won’t see this as the political power grab that it is!” The angry mare snarled as she stalked out of the office.

“Uh, Sis,” Thirteen’s cheshire smile wavered as it floated into the room, “You might oughta come outside.”

“Thirteen,” Moth scolded the young drone, “We’re a little busy right now…”

“Seriously, you gotta see this!” Thirteen’s voice too on a manic edge.

-=-=-=-=-

“What the hell is going on?” Diane looked at the swarms of fleeing changelings. “They couldn’t have taken back the castle that fast! Did we somehow miss a rainbow explosion?”

“All of Chrysalis’ drones just scattered!” Thirteen confessed her ignorance. “Even the ones who had joined up with us. It was like something really spooked ‘em.”

“Well this isn’t good.” Moth shook her head. “We were depending on a war of attrition on the hill covering our activities until we had all our pieces in place. A full scale retreat will leave the royals space to reorganize the guard and begin restoring order. Additionally, it will free Fast Change to reopen her own hive.”

“It’s worse than that.” Shadefire’s voice was grim. “Look around. Our ponies were following us because we were resisting the invasion. They’re already dispersing while we speak. Whatever just happened, it’s destroyed our narrative that we were maintaining order while the Royal’s in Upper Canterlot did nothing.”

“This was always a risk, Shadefire.” Moth mused. “We simply need to modify the narrative. Deposing the city government of Decanter is something I can sleep with, myself. And I doubt Celestia will be opposed to any of the candidates we’ve installed in their place. She’s no fan of the noble’s nepotism. At the end of the day we were reigning in the destructive tendencies of a swarm of misguided fillies and trying to restore order amidst the chaos.”

-=-=-=-=-
Elsewhere
Elsewhen
-=-=-=-=-

Every wire became a speaker all at once. “DJ Legion Scratch here, ladies and gentlecolts of Trotlanta. We have a special treat in store for you today! City authorities are colluding with an Equestrian national. This goes all the way up to Cicada's plants in the UAC. But we’re gonna build that railroad…”

“That voice…” Train Wreck snarled as he spun in place. “Nopony! I know it’s you! Come out in the open and let’s finish this!”

“Nopony?” The disembodied voice chided. “I don’t know if you heard that, dear listeners, but this treasonous mutant just called your beloved host, ME, a nopony! Well dear listeners, I think it’s time these traitors were dealt with. The loss of the faithful soldiers of the loyal Queen Locust demands it!”

“The UAC is working with Locust?” Mary Beth shot Jackson a dirty look. “Did you know about this?”

“There’ve been rumors. That’s why the detour. But apparently Scratch caught word.” Cpt. Jackson narrowed his eyes. “Get ready…”

A white unicorn with a blue mane, striped mane flickered into existence. And then flickered into existence again, and again, until the party was surrounded by an army of Vinyl Scratch. “Well, dear listeners, it’s not like they deserve it, but let’s give these foul rebels a chance to surrender. Turn over the Equestrian and walk away. It’s that easy.”

A large pickup truck suddenly slammed into first one then another clone, leaving smears of blood in their place. Jaws dropped as Carrot continued smashing duplicates as quickly as they appeared with her over-sized cudgel. “You will not use me to hurt Z and Diane! I don’t know why Train Wreck can’t kill you, but I have no problem with that!”

“Z, and…” One clone splattered only for another to continue. “...who again? Have we…” Another duplicate died mid-sentence. “...met somewhere?”

“This is a new trick, Noone.” Train Wrecks mouth-snakes lashed out grabbing two clones and draining them, first until they dropped their changeling disguise and then reverted into middle-aged male humans, only for their necks to snap in Carrot’s magic.

“Legion Scratch is a changeling?” Dan staggered at the revelation.

“Charlie… those two humans looked just like…” Pinkamena looked to her gigantic companion.

“Yeah… I know… long story.” The beast snarled.

The legion glared fiercely as it continued to be crushed and pummeled. “We have been lessened. Ignore the idiot unicorn. The big one can actually pull us back into reality.”

“Well listeners,” The pleasant voice of Legion Scratch continued to broadcast. “Looks like these interlopers in our planet’s affairs have me at a disadvantage. Lucky for our great nation, I have all kinds of tricks. I am everypony! I am anypony! My name is Legion!”

The swarm flickered out of view, only to reappear piled on top of the massive tazzlecorn. “Let’s me and you step outside for a little chat…”

“Train Wreck!” Carrot screamed, as the space suddenly became empty.

“Charlie!” Pinkamena cried out in rage for flickering out of existence herself.

//Hello.

“Well, this is new…” Legion, suddenly compressed into a single form looked in the expanse of darkness that surrounded them.

“Don’t act like you’ve never seen the text, Noone, or whatever you're calling yourself this time.”

“Charlie!” Pinkamena flickered into the void.

//Well this is quite the reunion we have here. Past, Present, and Future, all at once when looked at from the right angle.

“I don’t know why Charlie’s herd-mate was trying to kill you so hard.” Pinkamena flashed a thin smile. “I have my own reasons.”

“Wait, Diane,” Train Wreck paced thoughtfully, “we can’t kill him… not now…”

//And they said you were the stupid one. But he’s right. Legion Scratch is quite safely insulated in her own history, and is quite untouchable by you. Speaking of which… you’re in the wrong place and time altogether. We had a deal after all, and you have a train to catch.

“Who do you think you are?!?!” Legion spat at the disembodied words. “Do you know who i am?!?!”

//Yes, you are Charles Madrie. And you are a plague.

Comments

[Boulder]

“That voice…” Train wreck snarled as he spun in place.

Wreck

Train wrecks out snakes lashed out grabbing to clones and draining them,

Wreck's mouth (or) snout?

“Well listeners,” The pleasant voice of Legion scratch continued to broadcast.

Scratch

Pinkamena flash a thin smile. “I have my own reasons.”

flashed

“Do you know who i am?!?!”

I (capital)

//Yes, you are Charles Madrie. And you are a plague.

Have you seen a doctor?
th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/217/2/e/scp_049_by_endersgotsmart124-d7dmhkz.jpg

[Not so New Brony]

So...this Charles Madre is Iam Noone before he became Nopony and is patient zero of this world?

My head hurts from the possibility of time paradox shenanigans.

[No one is home]

7926219 Actually Surprise/Pinkie Pie was patient zero. But otherwise your pretty spot on.

In an effort to untangel this web, Legion starts in this story: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/356849/soul-reclamation-society

After being banished by Twilight Sparkle, it seems he/she landed here, and was further transfomed by the plague, becoming a changeling. At some point in the future past, he/she will of course take up the mantle of Nopony. Hope that helps.