Classroom Changeling

by Someguy458

Chapter 17: The Elements Inside Us All

Tom Adler was not having a good morning.

Yesterday had been ordinary enough; he'd gone in to teach, helped several students with problems, taken some aspirin for a headache he was developing, and started grading papers.

Then he turned into a zebra.

Just like with Rove, it had been so spontaneous that it took him a moment to register what had happened. One minute, he was grading papers; the next, he didn't have any hands to grade them with. Unlike Rove, however, he was at least vaguely expecting something like this. More and more students had been transforming, and he figured it was only a matter of time before it happened to him, too.

No, the thing that bothered him was how different the body itself was. Being a Biology teacher, he had at least some knowledge on the anatomy of equinoids. So when he suddenly became a zebra, he was completely thrown off by the surprising amount of differences his new body had. He could move his forelegs to the sides, something he KNEW wasn't normally possible for horses; he could sit relatively normally, albeit with a little discomfort; and he could even feel some small flexibility in his hoof, allowing him to grab some things with it.

This, along with several other things like his mane being tinged purple, threw him off so much that he had to head home early (abandoning his car in the lot because he could no longer safely drive it) and study his new body.

Now, after a long night of study and comparison, Mr. Adler woke up feeling utterly exhausted. He'd have to take today off; he didn't feel like answering his own questions right now, let alone those of his students.

He stretched his new muscles as he sat up, trying and failing to blink away the sleepiness. After a moment, he jumped off the bed and made his way to the kitchen.

He was just pouring himself a cup of coffee when the phone started ringing. He managed to pick it up with his surprisingly flexible hooves and answered: "Hello, who is this speaking, and what is it you are seeking?"

Oh, that was another thing: he couldn't stop rhyming. He'd noticed it as he was dictating his notes (which were also in verse), and had experimented with it as well. If he stopped in the middle of a stanza, his next sentence would finish the rhyme. He physically couldn't end a line with a word that didn't have a rhyme, such as 'orange'. Even his thoughts rhymed! Eventually, he accepted it as another oddity of this new body.

"Tom, this is Mazarine Hummel," the buzzy voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Ah, Mrs. Hummel, what a pleasant surprise. Though I can't help but wonder what this call implies."

"Tom, why are you rhyming?"

"Nothing you need to fret about, my dear. Unless you'd care to explain the buzz I can hear?"

She paused for a moment. "I changed, just like Rove."

Mr. Adler's face dropped. "That is something I am sad to hear. Though with what happened yesterday, it is not that queer."

"Why? What happened yesterday?"

"I have suffered a similar fate as you lot. As for the species, it is zebra I got."

She gasped. "Oh, that's why you're rhyming! The only zebra character in MLP always rhymed, so you are, too."

Tom frowned. "The explanation is really that clear-cut? That doesn't sit quite well in my gut."

She paused for a moment, and the movement of hair could be faintly heard, implying that she was shaking her head. "Anyway, that's not the reason I called. I think we've found out how to stop these transformations."

He perked up at this. "You have? That is fantastic news! I wonder what it was that gave you the clues?"

"An explanation will have to wait until everyone's here. You know where Lily's house is?"

---

Lily sat on the couch of her house, staring at her claws. Her mind was still running a mile a minute, internally debating whether or not she should reveal herself to the public. Memories of bullies in middle school kept her rooted out of fear, but Rove's words still rang fresh in her mind.

'If anyone gives you trouble for being cool, then they can just go suck it!'

So she stayed there, uncertain of what to do. It didn't help that her own mother had recently transformed into a dragon as well; it only made her more uncertain.

*Knock knock*

Her head perked up at the sound. Hesitating for just a second, she steeled her nerves and decided:

'Just this one. I'll see how this goes, and go from there.'

Taking a deep breath, she got up and walked to the door. With a shaky claw, she reached out for the doorknob, and—

"Lily?" Rove's voice came from the other side of the door.

Lily sighed, both in relief and mild disappointment. She opened the door, and in came the Changeling—

Followed by two more Changelings, a thestral, and a zebra.

Lily froze, suddenly extremely self-conscious. "Uh, R-Rove? Who are all these?"

The thestral blinked. "Right, I guess we forgot to tell you."

Lily recognized that voice. "Osmond?!"

"I think we should explain," the littlest Changeling stated.

---

Several minutes later, Lily was sitting on the couch, mulling over everything we'd just told her. "That's a lot to take in..."

"I know, right?" I tried joking to help lighten the mood.

"So, you're saying that, not only are the characters from My Little Pony real, but we're also the Elements of Harmony, and we're the key to stopping these transformations?"

"If our theory is right, yes," Mazarine clarified.

"If it helps, I'm just as lost as you," Mr. Adler comforted Lily. "I'm also having a hard time believing it's true."

"Well, there's an easy way to figure it out," I pointed out. "Where were you when you changed, Lily?"

She thought for a moment. "I was in the basement, looking for our old SNES."

"May we see?" Os asked.

Lily nodded, "Of course."

---

"Well, that's different."

All six of us stood in Lily's basement, staring at the far wall.

Or rather, at the magical anomaly in front of it.

It looked like a fountain of magic coming out of a crack in the wall, spewing magic into the surrounding environment where it dissipated. The colors were indescribable, and that was without taking into consideration the aura my family and I could see! It just... It was so powerful....

"Rove!"

I snapped out of my daze at Os's concerned voice. "Wha-what happened?"

"You were moving towards it," she explained, a look of worry writ across her face. Looking down, I realized that she was right; I was, indeed, a few paces closer to the anomaly than everyone else.

I shook my head as I stepped back. "S-sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Maybe I should be the one to approach," she suggested.

I shook my head, "No, you don't have any significant magical senses. Besides, I don't want to put you at risk."

"I'll do it," Mazarine offered.

I hesitated, looking from her to the anomaly. "O-okay, just be careful..."

She nodded, then started to edge her way forward. As she approached, the magic seemed to react to her presence, causing a light orange glow to emanate from her.

Finally, she reached the edge of the anomaly, and peered inside. "Guys, I can see something on the other side!"

"Who's there!?"

We all froze at that. It was a rather familiar voice to some, unfamiliar to others, but we all could tell that it was coming from the other side of the rift.

"Are you who Princess Luna mentioned?" the voice continued.

Now there was absolutely no denying it. "Twilight?!"

The voice gasped. "You know my name; you must be them! Please, help us!"

I stuttered, "H-how?"

Another voice, this one of Spike, piped up. "Just get close to the rift; our magic should do the rest!"

Our group looked amongst each other, not having any other ideas on what to do. I stepped forward, followed by Os and Bea. Mr. Adler came next, and finally, Lily joined us.

As we each got close to the rift, we started glowing a different color. I glowed lavender, Os glowed blue, Lily was yellow, Mr. Adler was dark purple, and Bea was pink. As soon as the last of us stepped forward, we began to feel something pulling on us. It wasn't a physical pull, but rather an ethereal pull, as if it were trying to tap into some kind of magic inside of us.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from Os to me. We both flinched, but stopped when we realized it wasn't hurting. In fact, it actually made me feel... I dunno, it just felt like I now had something I'd been missing. Another beam of light then came from Lily, followed by Bea, Mazarine, and Mr. Adler, all converging on me.

Then everything went white.

---

I don't know how long we were unconscious for, but I distinctly remember that I was the first of us to come to. I groaned, getting to my hooves shakily.

*Gasp!*

I blinked, then turned towards the wall where the rift was, and I gasped, too.

Now, embedded inside of the wall, was a mirror frame.

And on the other side of it was Twilight Fucking Sparkle.

Comments

[GlitchyFox]

And on the other side of it was Twilight fucking Sparkle.

please let that be her legal name

[Alaborn]

10710097
Just like Rainbow Danger Dash.

[Someguy458]

10710097
10710117

[Mix-up]

I wonder his they are a lot more fires with the kirins around now and I wonder if there will be comic only races too. Would wonder if we will see Breezes too.

[Someguy458]

10710153
I actually forgot about the Kirin for a moment.

Autumn Blaze would be disappointed in me.

[Mix-up]

10710160
Oh and how about the storm King's race or his minions, the Centaurs, or what ever Scopan was, would be funny to see that they can be good guys. Personally I would have stick with more equine or ungulates but I think that ship sailed a while ago already.

[Someguy458]

10710173
I purposefully left out minotaurs because they're too human-like (bipedal, have hands, etc.) to provide any real conflict.

[Mix-up]

10710188
good

[Feynna]

10710188
Leaving out minotaurs and centaurs because they are too human-like? Hmm... all those dragons walking on their hindlegs and using their claws as hands must be a bug in the system then! *nods sagely to herself*

[tsaukpaetra]

Okay, if the rift is stabilized, can the effects be undone safely?
Also, how coincidental is that?

[Someguy458]

10711583
At least they've got wings and fire breath; what do minotaurs have aside from horns?

And centaurs are specifically part-person (or at least ape)