Chapter 35 -Sign
A group of thirteen ponies plus one collie trudged through the undergrowth of the Everfree. Winona sniffed along a recently made path, followed closely by Applejack, Lieutenant Silverspark and a contingent of selected guards.
“It happened just over there sir,” said Daybreak, her tone subdued.
The pegasus mare motioned to a spot of the forest floor where a struggle obviously occurred. Deep hoof prints, furrows of dislodged soil and dirty pegasi feathers of varying colors were scattered about, telling a silent story about the ambush.
“Oh mah stars,” Applejack said as her eyes followed the trail of devastation leading from a mutilated bush up into the broken branches of the surrounding trees. “That poor gal really had ah dern bad crash…”
Winona moved around in a circle, sniffed about the area and let out a little whine.
“I think that’s the way to the clearing where Chase, Galewing and I landed,” noted Daybreak as the group trailed Winona.
Ahead the forest opened up into a clearing with a large gnarled and leafless tree in the center. Upon entering, the Ponies all spread out and began searching around for any signs of changelings. The collie continued following the scent tail, circling the tree several times and started to head off back into the woods, heading east.
“Ya got them varmints scent girl?” Applejack asked, getting an affirmative bark in return. “Ata girl.”
Pupa giggled and clapped her front hooves together as Sandbar turned in a circle, showing off the costume insect wings that had been strapped to his back.
“Okay, now crouch down and hiss,” the nymph said.
Sandbar sighed, turned back around to face her, lowered his head a little and hissed softly.
“Not like that,” Pupa scolded, “Like this.”
The nymph set her front legs apart, hunched her shoulders up, turned back her ears, narrowed her eyes and let out menacing little hiss.
“Now you,” she instructed.
Mimicking her pose, the colt hissed through his teeth in her direction. Pupa hissed back, baring her fangs and buzzing her wings to encourage him on. Sandbar narrowed his eyes, inhaled a deep breath and hissed again, much louder than he had before.
“Rah!” Pupa lunged at the colt, causing the pony to whinny and stumble around in confusion as she clung to his side.
From a short distance away Chrysalis and Odonate watched as the nymph scrambled over Sandbar.
“It seems she’s exerting her dominance over the pony,” the old guard commented. “Ah, she has a good grip on the back of his neck.”
“She’s holding back,” Chrysalis observed, “only nipping and not breaking his skin.”
“Excuse me my queen,” Mosquito’s voice called out from the chamber entrance, drawing their attention. “sorry to interrupt but I have some odd news from ponyville.”
Gathered behind Twilight’s castle, a crowd of ponies chattered among themselves about the large object that had been erected by the reformed changelings and two royal guards. Some ponies even took turns having their pictures taken with Cricket, Maxilla and Tarsus while standing in front of it.
“Thorax…” Twilight said as she looked down at the scene from her castle’s sky gazing balcony.
“It turned out great didn’t it?” the changeling king asked, smiling and standing next to twilight, waving back at any creature that would wave up to him. “Just like you suggested.”
“I was being sarcastic!” she harshly whispered to him, looking like she was moments away from a major freak out. “Sandbar’s parents are going to see that sign and think I’m barely trying to get their son back! The dragons, griffons, hippogriffs and yaks will think I can’t keep my students safe and Princess Celestia will make me close the school down!”
“Really?” asked a perplexed Thorax. “I don’t get it. To me it looks like you’re trying everything you can to save sandbar.”
Twilight, looking terrified, trotted quickly in place while her eyes darted around as if searching for a place to escape.
“That can’t be true,” Chrysalis deadpanned, having trouble taking Mosquito’s report seriously.
“Hold on, I have a picture that I took of it,” said Mosquito as she used her magic to levitate a photo before the queen.
“Did they really think this would work?” Chrysalis asked, though more to herself. “There has to be something more to this.”
“From what I could tell, it’s just what it looks likes,” the attendant shrugged.
The queen frowned as she looked at the photo of a huge sign. Two wooden cut outs stood at opposite ends, one made in her likeness and the other in Twilight Sparkle’s. It had been crafted to resemble a speech bubble with Twilight saying ‘Hey Chrysalis, I’d really like to talk to you about your daughters’ foal napping; and if it’s not too much trouble, please return Sandbar because whatever’s going on, I can’t let it involve my students safety.’
“Mom?” Pupa asked, “is that supposed to be you?”
The nymph had coaxed Sandbar to stand behind her mother and was perched on his back. With her rear hooves on his withers and her front hooves on the top of his head, the colt gave her enough height to peek at the picture.
Still frowning, Chrysalis let her gaze lower from her daughter to the pony underneath her, who quickly avoided her eye contact by looking down and off to the side. A wicked smile slowly formed over her muzzle and her fangs poked out from her lips.
“Mosquito, do you have the camera still?” Chrysalis asked the attendant while turning to face Sandbar.
“Yes, my queen,” confirmed Mosquito as she levitated it out of her small satchel. “I have it here.”
“I think we should show the Ponies we’re not as evil as they make us out to be,” the queen said, her voice dripping with a false sweetness.
“My queen?” a very confused Mosquito asked.
Chrysalis pulled a surprised Sandbar over to her and positioned him so he was at her side. Finding his down turned ears and slouched over posture to be inadequate, she placed a hoof on his lower back and pressed forward until he sat up straight.
“Let’s send Sparkle a picture so she can see that her student is just fine under our care,” the queen said, now using her magic to adjust Pupa’s mane.
“Oooh,” Mosquito said, grinning and buzzing her wings as she quickly caught on.
“That means ears up and a nice toothy smile from you,” Chrysalis said to Sandbar, tugging the corners of his lips and the tips of his ears in her magic. “You don’t want to make us look like we’re being bad hosts, do you?”
“Uh, I guess not,” Sandbar said.
“What was that?” the changeling queen asked him with a very slight edge to her voice. “Drone.”
“Yes my queen,” the colt answered, getting a giggle from Pupa.
“Wonderful,” beamed Chrysalis, “now everyling smile!”
Winona stepped out from the shadows of the forest and into the light of the evening sun. After a quick sniff around she turned to look back in the direction she just came from, and let out a couple of little barks. A moment later Applejack, Lieutenant Silverspark and his troops emerged from the woods.
After a few more moments of sniffing around the ground, Winona finally stopped, turned to Applejack and let out a little whine.
“End of the trail huh girl?” the farm pony said, shook her coat free of debris and trotted up to the panting collie to give her an appreciative scratch behind her ears. “Well, ya did a good job Winona, atta girl.”
“So where are we now?” Silverspark asked, looking out over a steep cliff and at the rocky terrain beyond. “Is that Ramblin’ Rock Ridge?”
One of the guards unrolled a map, glanced over it, checked for any landmarks and then gave the Lieutenant the affirmative.
“Ramblin’ Rock Ridge huh,” muttered Silverspark as his eyes scanned over the far off cliffs.
“Me and the girls had us a little tussle with a pack of diamond dogs some years back,” Applejack informed the group, “but I ain’t heard much about um since.”
“Seems like a good place to hide out too,” the lieutenant noted, before turning back to the other guards. “Alright troops, the sun will be setting soon so we’re going to head back to camp. You all have five minutes to have a quick rest and a drink.”
The guards gave a salute and began preparing for the return trip. Silverspark trotted over to Applejack and politely removed his helmet.
“I want to thank you and Winona again for your help,” the stallion said. “When we get back I’ll send the princess an update of our progress and a request for additional assistance.”
“It was ma pleasure,” said the farm Pony. “When we get back I’ll let the girls know. I’m sure everyone of um will wanna lend a hoof to stop them changelins an save Sandbar.
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That picture of them with Sandbar isn't gonna help anyone. The ponies are just going to think that changelings can turn ponies into more changelings.
9592628
That's the point of it.
I don't have enough popcorn to watch this train wreck
This is getting ridiculous
Ahh pupas first family photo how sweet.
9592665
Screw popcorn! I'm getting pizza for this show! xD
I just hope Chrysalis realizes that making any discreet ''changes'' to Sandbar is probably gonna come back to bite her in the ass :/ First rule of trying to manipulate a certain event to occur is to make sure there's nothing that can be traced back to you... And having Sandbar show signs of having had changeling magic used on him is gonna be a pretty big neon sign pointing to Chrysalis :/ Would be a LOT better if she instead released one of the guards or went out of her way to foal-nap a pony that has clear anti-changeling feelings for her plan instead
9592686
True
9592628
Poorly if I might add
Now obviously the queen has some sort of plan here but I do hope we get to see a family photo album come together.
(In all seriousness theirs a number of ways this could play out for example they might think it’s: mind control, indoctrination, a fake, forced photo to get em to back off and other options or they might actually think chrysalis is acting in good faith which would thusly justify thorax and lead to hilarity and might actually work in the long run. I look forward to what comes next)
When they actually do rescue Sandbar and get the full story it's going to be hilarious
congrats on being featured!
9592668
True that!
9585320
Sorry for the late response, irl has been busy.
One fellow being accepted despite his appearance doesn't speak for all of them. Also the main point of bringing him up is the fact that despite already caring for others he didn't transform beyond the wings. There was no reason for the over the top transformation for everyone at once besides him. If it was a gradual thing covered in a later episode like the Pharynx episode it would've made more sense.
I guess if you decided to wlak dumb-funny path with reformed changelings, it might actually just work.
9592858
What, no bullshit complaint about the whole story not being just from the perspective of Pupa this time? Because you seemed to think that was an unforgivable offense last time we saw any perspective change in the story.
Twilight was being sarcastic, yes. But here's the fact: Chrysalis is going to send a photo of an unharmed (but possibly turned changling, or acting as a changeling) Sandbar to Twilight, with all of them standing together smiling in it. That means that sign will have accomplished more than the guard has at this point... So the utter silliness of it aside, it's still more effective then the royal guard, who only succeeded in getting more of their own captured since this search began!
Thank you very much for the update!
9593038
Please don't feed the trolls. They'll dig their own holes in search of food. No need to make it easier.
I’m loving this story as it progress but one thing I will ask. Are some ponies stupid enough to believe that changelings can turn ponies into changelings? A disguise spell I can believe but no way they can change they’re 🧬.
9592665
Lets watch this Roller Coaster ride together 
I can spare some
glad no one know Celestia sometime has used changeling magic to disguise herself that ponies can have changeling magic used on them. thank goodness pupa didn't ask if changeling magic can be used on ponies
9592665
Mebbe. Still like Pupa and wonder how long she and Sandbar playing would take for her wings to begin glittering?
9593420
Maybe three months
THIS oughtta be good. Cue the Twilighting in 3... 2... 1...
I'm just loving it
how will every one react when the new photo arrives??
Aa the wait begins anew.
More please
I wonder if Rarity will see the picture, I'm pretty sure that she knows makeup when she sees it.
Fun story, very fun chapter.
Oh Chrysalis you troll! While it's funny, that's not the best propaganda you can release...
Sandbar should be pleased his image is being used as-is, any other hostage situation would feature less suitable settings...
Keep going! ;)
9593980
Plus Thorax and the other reformed changelings should be able to tell something's not "kosher" with Chrysallys being able to turn ponies into changelings.
9592628
Unless, of course, rarity notes very quickly that it's a makeup job, and instead you get reactions like this:
I see where this is going.
I love it.
9594357
Another thing I thought of is that Pinkie Pie is pretty good at knowing forced smiles from genuine smiles, so she will instantly know Sandbar is not happy.
9593038
Wow, what is this? THIS is bullshit complain. You are a bullshit complain. You just trying to piss me off now, because your dumb fanatism making you hate me for leaving my opinion, enough to keep downvoting my more neutral comments, you little aggressive jerk.
9595192
Excellent point!
Simply PRICELESS how ridiculous this all get
9586048
And this is what bothers me about stories like this; from practically any standpoint, Chrysalis was wrong, mistreated her subjects, attacked innocents, and was just an awful ruler in general. And yet despite the ample times this is made apparent in the show we get fics like this that try to portray her in a good light with all the others (the reformed changelings, the ponies, etc.) being in the wrong. That's why, again, I hope Chrysalis in particular suffers consequences (legal, losing the hive due to her selfish actions, that sort of thing) and has no one but herself to blame. At this point I'm kind of doubting that.
9592668
Yeah... "Hey, how can I ensure the continued survival of this new hive? I know! I'll go attack a school, kidnap and threaten children, refuse all olive branches and any attempts of diplomacy, refuse to release the pony I kidnapped after getting away, and do even more things to provoke others!"
Maybe that whole "Chrysalis has some form of mental disorder like paranoia" isn't so crazy after all.
9597273
9597265
The more that Chrysalis having a mental disorder and facing the consequences for her crimes is brought up the more the image of Chrysalis wearing a straightjacket, a magic inhibitor, and a muzzle inside a padded room comes to mind.
9593270
Depending on the story its possibel. Many fics have this element as outlawed or use in emergancy only
9597470
Why mental disorder? So far every singel of her actions can be explained with fitting logic
9597273
That is taken out of context the way you described it
9598231
Well the religious level dedication to her philosophy Chrysalis shows might be signs of mental disorders. All her choices are logical with in the context of her madness. Its a common feature of villains, the absolute belief their ideas are shared by the enemy, so no matter how kind, honest or willing to compromise the other side is the villain "knows" everyone is just as cruel, deceptive and unwilling to compromise as they are. Chrissy "knows" every creature is just like she is, so when she encounters some creature who isn't she does mental gymnastics or forces them to "prove" it against their will. She literally does not understand why the majority of her hive turned against her at the first chance to live a more peaceful lifestyle, she never understood the majority of her species wasn't like her and only obeyed her because they thought they had no choice.
It's clear in this timeline a lot of it was due to her disconnection with her subjects, she saw most of them as objects not people. I still hold the theory Thorax was part of one of her clutches, thus why he induced such anger when he abandoned the swarm. She was so disconnected from her subjects even one of her own kids turned on her.
Of course they'd do that. Seems like being 'reformed' had a negative effect on their intelligence.
This hole situation is Twilight fault. No Guard to protect the School that houses Students that are Ambassadors of there races... Extremely naive for a 'smart Pony Princess'.
Isnt it simply more effective to follow the pony scent?
9592665
Pinkie Pie Pony Painting contest 
Dont forget soft drinks. Stay hydrated
9592683
9592770
Agreed
9593044
As long it work they cant complain
9593053
Indeed
9593270
Depends on the lore. Some story allow stuff like this...
9593951
More of what? Humor, drama, wholesome moments?
9593980
Agreed.
9594488
9595192
Rarity detailed eye and Pinkie in general would be perfect for stuff like that.
Do Changeling say Cheese or Cheeselegs when making photos?