My Little Pony: The Days of New Equestria (Season 3)

by ScorchingFlamesInc

Episode 0: Siege of the Changelings (1)

The weather in the Everfree Forest wasn't the best, but that didn't bother Zecora at all. She always has enough ways to entertain herself when she's not outside collecting ingredients or visiting Ponyville, or being a guest teacher at the school of friendship.

She grabbed a small thing of paint and went over to where she'd been making her most recent mask. It's been a while since she made one... she has enough, but this one was for the school.

After she finished, she went to put the paint away since she didn't need it anymore. Once she set it on the shelf, though, she heard a sudden knock on the door. Zecora went and opened the door, and a soaked Chrysalis walked in.

"Greetings Zecora..." she shivered.

"Chrysalis, what a surprise!" Zecora exclaimed. "What brings you out here before this forest dries?"

"Just something very personal and private that I need your... help... with," Chrysalis said, sounding a bit hesitant.

"Ah, so that explains why you don't have your friends. Please get comfortable to be ready for when this storm ends."

"Weeeellll... the filly has been hoping to learn about your little potions, but unfortunately, she's sick. So, I've taken it upon myself to come over here and learn how, and if, it's possible, since you're the zebra to talk to."

"Hmmm..." Zecora went over to her shelf, and began searching through what she had. "It's possible for a spell to be made into a brew..." She went over to her bookshelf. "Please pay attention, for it will help you."

"I'm all ears."

Zecora proceeded to grab and bring certain things over to the cauldron. While she heated it up and made sure it was eligible for being used, she gave Chrysalis a brief description of everything that she needed if she ever wanted to do it at home (Chrysalis wrote it down).

Both of them went through the ingredients, one-by-one. And finally, when the mixture was bubbling, Zecora gave Chrysalis the final instruction.

"In order for the spell to come to fruition, you must charge your spell and make it the last addition."

Chrysalis' horn lit green, and she carefully dipped it into the mixture. The liquid started to glow green, and it's bubbling toned down.

"Is it done?" she asked.

Zecora nodded. Chrysalis took a vial off the shelf and scooped up some of the mixture. She put the vial and the written spell in the bag. By the time they were done, the weather had already cleared up.

"Well, thank you very much for the lesson, Zecora. Cozy Glow will surely be happy that she'll get to learn something new. Since the weather is better, I'll be on my way."

"You are very welcome, Chrysalis. May the rest of your day be in bliss."

Chrysalis waved goodbye and left Zecora's home. When she shut the door, she grinned, and took the elixir out of the bag.

"With this spell... there won't be any bliss when I'm done with it..."

The changeling's eyes flashed green, and she snickered to herself.

*Castle of Friendship*

Chrysalis awoke from her nap. Whatever her mood was, taking a nap whenever she feels like it is always comforting for her. This was one of those times. While stretching her neck, she got up and went to the window. The weather was relatively decent, though from what she could recall, some pretty foggy weather was expected soon. This didn't bother her too much. She is always able to entertain herself, indoors or outdoors. In addition to having friends, she also has personal activities to calm her mind and "fight her inner self".

Many times, Chrysalis would feel like she finally achieved peace and could completely move on from her past and never be bothered by it again. But every so often, it finds a way to mess with her... whether it's fighting herself in her own mind, or fighting Cicada, her clone that served as a perfect match for who she once was.

Knowing that Cicada was out there really hasn't put Chrysalis to peace. She could suppress her feelings, but deep down, it's still there.

But Chrysalis was going to do what she always does post-reformation: leave her room with a hopeful outlook on the day.

There were many potential places where she'd usually find her friends. The library, the map room, or just their rooms. She found Tirek in the library using his bench press. He quickly noticed her enter, so he put down the massive weight, and got off the table.

"We may need to find a place for that," Chrysalis said. "With your size, it takes up a good portion of the area."

"It's nowhere important," Tirek claimed. "How was your rest?"

"Very pleasant. I always find them to be quite soothing. Especially when I'm in a... mood."

"We do all have our own ways of distracting our minds when it comes to being down," said Tirek. "You know mine, I know yours, and the other two... hm..."

"Leo's got his devices, and Cozy Glow usually goes out to socialize."

"Ah. That makes sense."

"Is she out now?" Chrysalis asked.

"Yes. Her and Leo. They need to be back sooner or later, though, with the upcoming weather and all."

"Fog's usually not that bad, especially since tonight's will be thin. It's not like we're getting a storm or anything."

"Well, yes, but... um... bah! You're right. They still need to be here, though. It would be a perfect opportunity to discuss plans on how to stop Sephtis."

"Indeed. As much as we all have respect for Princess Twilight now, I can't help but criticize those few moments where there were threats out there, and yet they were ignored simply because everything seemed safe or resolved."

"To be fair, most of the time, we were imprisoned or presumed gone," Tirek pointed out.

"That may be true, but there's quite a few examples of when they ignore lingering threats... when I ran off after I lost my hive, they didn't really do anything as far as I know. Especially since, knowing the character I was back then, it should have been expected that I'd be back. The point is that if the fate of someone is unknown instead of defined, at least think about how to handle it."

"That was only one occasion."

"Two," replied Chrysalis. "I remember Starlight Glimmer telling me that she hid in the shadows when she was defeated the first time. Though to be fair, I was a queen, and she was a unicorn... a powerful one, no doubt, but still a unicorn."

"Well, I think you should loosen up on the Princess," said Tirek. "She herself has all of her guards on high alert, either guarding the castle or searching all of Equestria for him."

"Sephtis isn't the only one we should be concerned about. I take it my clone is hiding in a forest somewhere, just like the old days. I hope they find her too."

"And they're looking for her as well."

"Well I hope they find her soon..." Chrysalis mumbled. "Granted, it will be harder knowing her changeling abilities, but I hope they see right through it and bring her here. The sooner she's gone, the sooner I can feel at peace for good this time. It seems like every time I feel like I move on, something has to happen that results in a mental backtrack. You likely know this by now, but I think the fact that I was the worst out of the three of us makes everything more personal to me."

Tirek sat next to Chrysalis.

"She's not you. Not anymore," he assured.

She chuckled, before sighing. "We need to be cautious. After all, my old primary approaches almost always consisted of disguises. If she's out there, waiting, she could be there the whole time without anyone knowing. And if they don't catch on... it could be catastrophic."

Tirek couldn't argue with that.

*Cloudsdale Weather Factory...*

There were a bunch of new recruits at the Weather Factory, so it was up to a few long-time workers to show them the ropes of how everything worked. From the snowflakes, to the rainbows, to the labs, there was plenty that the recruits found intriguing.

"Well, that about sums up how everything works around here... almost," a gruff worker said. "Really the only place left to visit is the new primary storm labs."

"Primary storm labs?" one curious mare asked, while one of the workers opened the doors to let them in. "...What's that?"

"Oh, pretty much some of the usual mumbo-jumbo when it comes to storms. Rain, lightning, fog, all that. Sure, clouds usually need a kick to get rain started and all that. But clouds do run out every once in a while, and this is where we make 'em. Some of these are actually brand-new systems and machines, mainly the fog machine. Welcome to the future, I guess."

"How does the fog work?"

"Water is converted into fog in a similar type of machine as the others. Of course, there's different mechanics and all that so the result is different. While clouds are made up here, the new machines release the fog below the factory."

"Very interesting... And... how do you start the machines?"

"Push of a button, pull of a lever, or turn off the wheel. Very obvious, and very simple."

After the rest of the inner workings of the lab were taken care of, all the workers departed and went to do their own thing. When the recruits left, some other workers went in, as it would be an hour before they had to activate the fog machine.

Since they had some time on their hooves, one of the workers decided to pass the time. Using a wing, he took something out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?..." the Pegasus next to him asked.

"Playing some games," the first one answered, playing on his phone.

"Again? We're on work hours here."

"I can't help it. These are too entertaining."

"Sheesh. With ponies like you around, I can't help but wonder if this will be the future. Screens on the ground, and in the sky."

The Pegasus on the phone raised his head. "Did you say something?"

The other Pegasus scoffed. He looked over at the tank for the fog, and something caught his eye. At the very top of the tank, the liquid started to turn green, with the green beginning to swirl inside.

"Hey..." the Pegasus nudged his friend and pointed up. "Something's wrong."

The phone Pegasus needed a bit of time to notice the situation, and when he did, he said "What the-"

"Come on. Let's see what's going on."

Both Pegasi flew up and looked around the top of the tank. One of them finally spotted someone unfamiliar, hidden away due to the shadows up top. She stood over an opening to the tank... an opening that wasn't there before... and she held what looked to be a small vial.

"You there!" the Pegasus who had the phone shouted. "Show yourself!"

The figure jumped, but only a little, dropping the vial. She quickly turned around, revealing herself to be one of the new recruits... the curious mare from the tour.

"What are you doing?" the other Pegasus asked.

"Just... just looking," the mare explained. "Isn't this the spot where we fish out any debris that gets in the-"

"No. No it is not." the phone Pegasus said.

Let's just get her out of here..." the other Pegasus suggested. "Miss, let's just get you out of here. You have work to do."

"Oh, alright." The mare opened her wings and flew like the other two. "So... um... I heard there was some fog scheduled for today. When... when is that?"

"Not for another few hours," the other Pegasus answered.

The mare frowned. "Okay, I can't wait that long..."

The mare was suddenly covered in green flames, and when they were gone, she was no more. Instead, Chrysalis was in her place. But this wasn't the modern reformed Chrysalis they were all familiar with. She looked like the Chrysalis they remembered from 20 years ago when they were kids... though she had a few different features (from the final battle she and Twilight had with Grogar's Bell, of course).

The Pegasi couldn't think. The moment that evil Chrysalis revealed herself, one of them was struck with changeling goo, and stuck to the wall. The other one was sent to the ground with a simple stun blast. He got up and looked at her in a mixture of confusion and terror.

"C-Chrysalis?..." he whimpered. "I-I thought you changed... what's going on?"

"Sounds like somepony doesn't keep up with the news..." the changeling scoffed. "I'm far from that pathetic excuse of who a changeling queen really is. I am Queen Cicada."

The other few Pegasi ran to the scene to see what was going on. Cicada turned around, her sinister smug smile still on her face.

"Oh, don't shake in your little wings," Cicada snarled. "My little visit will be over far quicker when I get what I desire."

One of the Pegasi stepped forward. "We'll never give you what you want... whatever it is. Quick! Somepony alert the Princess!"

Cicada laughed.

"I already have access to what I want. And call your Princess all you want. I've already won..."

Cicada's eyes searched the room as she spoke, and she soon found what she wanted. She flew over and smashed her hoof on the button, causing some sparks to fly. As the machine started with errors, Cicada laughed, and the Pegasi had to figure out what was going on.

"What did you do?!..."

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough... All you need to do..." Chrysalis threateningly lit her horn and spat some goop out to trap two Pegasi close together. "Is to sit back, and enjoy what I have to offer..."

"Get her!" one of the Pegasi barked.

They all flew up at her, but Cicada was ready. With her magic, she grabbed the few Pegasi up front, and shoved them back, knocking them into the others. She noticed one running for the door, so she spat some goo at it, sticking it shut. Unfortunately, for him, he ran right into the door and got stuck.

Some of the workers tried again at attacking her, but this time, she didn't shove them. Instead, she spat goo at the one in the middle, then grabbed the other two with her magic and bonked their heads together. They fell down to the ground and had a rough landing, but of course, Cicada didn't care.

Just then, a Pegasus landed on her, holding on by a tight bear hug. Cicada was ready to throw her off, but another Pegasus bounced on her, and then another. Without hesitation, she resorted to using a shockwave to get them off. Without even being provoked, she picked up a Pegasus, and threw him over to another one that was getting up. They both collided, and rolled on the floor.

"Do you all really think that you can stand up against me?" Cicada snarled. "You all are nothing compared to foes like Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, or Chrysalis herself! It would be best if you all give up, unless you want me to resort to... drastic measures."

Smirking, Cicada's horn lit, implying her deadly intentions.

"We... will never... back down..." someone groaned.

Cicada blasted a hole into the ground near the Pegasus that spoke.

"That was a warning..." the changeling snarled. "You all may have grown to fight back, but I can't be beaten."

Laughing wickedly, Cicada burst through a cloudy wall and fled.

Underneath Cloudsdale, thin green smoke started to pour out of two pipes from underneath the factory. One cluster of mist stayed in the sky in the form of clouds, while the rest of it began its descent to the ground. A bunch of nearby Pegasi took notice, and went to analyze the problem.

"How long have we had these new machines?" one of them asked.

"A month, but this is the first time we've needed to use them for fog weather," another one answered. "They shouldn't be acting like this. Are you sure you all set them up right?"

"We did everything we were told," someone else said.

"Well, something's not right."

"Maybe someone put something in the water?" an older bearded Pegasus suggested.

"I don't see why anyone would do that. Not at all."

While they were all talking, one curious Pegasus got close to the smoke. He started to feel his throat itch, and he let out a cough, only for him to inhale some of the smoke when he caught his breath. He started to strain and clutch his abdomen, concerning his peers.

"Is... is he okay?" the bearded Pegasus asked.

Groaning, the coughing Pegasus opened his now bright green eyes.

*Castle*

"We're back!" Leo shouted when he and Cozy Glow finally returned to the castle, meeting up with Chrysalis and Tirek in the main room.

"You won't believe what we saw," Cozy Glow exclaimed. "We saw green clouds."

Chrysalis' head perked up. "Green... clouds?"

She couldn't resist the temptation of looking outside. She moved past Leo and Cozy Glow, and peeked out the doors. Along with the approaching green clouds covering the sun, green mist began to cover the ground.

"What the hay?..." she whispered. She shut the doors and turned around. "I don't know what's going on, but we need to stay inside."

"I'm with you there!" said Cozy Glow. "That... didn't really look right. Especially since it was supposed to be sunny for another few hours."

"Maybe the weather factory's just acting up," Leo suggested.

"I personally agree that it's best to stay here," Tirek said. "You never know what could happen when an unexplained event happens. Whether it's safe or not, it's best to keep distance until we know for certain. Until then, the best we can do is contact Princess Twilight Sparkle and see what she knows."

"How would we know if she knew why this was happening?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Then at least she's aware of it," said Chrysalis.

"It could be nothing, or it could be something," Tirek spoke. "But we'll know for certain. Eventually."

*Center of Ponyville*

Outside in the center of town, the sight of green clouds and mist caused confusion and panic among the citizens of Ponyville. They were all quite vocal about it, but they stopped when they noticed something strange happening to their bodies.

One pony raised her hoof, and it started to blacken, covering itself with a tough, thick skin.

Another one looked at his tail, which was starting to shrivel and become silky.

A third pony bit his tongue, and when he opened his mouth, not only did he have fangs, but his tongue was sleeker, longer, and forked.

And that's when everyone panicked.

*Back to the Castle...*

"Well, since we have time to ourselves in the castle, what do we do?" Tirek questioned.

"I dunno," Cozy Glow answered. "All we do is sit around and read, practice magic, or talk."

"Starlight Glimmer said there was an old projector somewhere that we still haven't gotten out. When she and the others get back, we can look for it," said Chrysalis.

"She's always so busy," Leo mumbled. "Half the time, it's not like she's even here."

"You have so much to do when you're Headmare," Cozy Glow shrugged.

"Not even Twilight had that much to do when she was first a princess. And when she was headmare."

"In her defense, it's a huge castle, and she and her friends are probably off doing their own things," Chrysalis suggested.

"Yeah, they're off... having a good time or doing school-related things. And here, we're... having a good time or saving the world," Cozy chuckled.

"It's not that often," Leo said. "It was only... um... four times. Five or six, maybe? I dunno."

"Five or six in the last year," said Chrysalis.

"And it's only year one too," Tirek pointed out. "We haven't been together living this live for a year, and yet... we've been through a lot already. Maybe more than Princess Twilight herself."

"That's... something we'll have to ask her about," Cozy Glow replied.

CREEEAK!

They all thought they were the only ones to hear it, but the looks everyone else gave said otherwise. They all went down the hall, to the stairs.

SLAM!

And by the time they saw the doors, they were already shut. A slight amount of green mist was on the floor.

"...Starlight?!" Cozy Glow called out. "Trixie? Sunburst?"

There was a small scuttle that was coming from... anywhere... causing everyone to look in different directions.

"Something's... not right here..." Leo whimpered.

"It's probably just a mouse," Chrysalis suggested, sounding unsure.

Suddenly, three unknown figures fell from the ceiling and landed on the floor, surrounding the four. They all gasped, as these three unreformed changelings hissed at them with rage.

Author's Note:

Hoh boy! We're back at it again! Are ya'll ready for season 3? It's a doozy.

I'm also not gonna put down cast members here, anymore. Though I may give off fan-castings to the OCs.

WANT TO CHECK OUT MORE OF MY CONTENT? CLICK HERE: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/345991/CartoonopolisAdventures/stories

Feel free to make theories on what will happen. And always let the Brony or Pegasister within' conquer your creativity.