Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Echo stormed out of the front door in a rage and galloped for Filthy Rich's house. Her heartbeat throbbed in her ears in time with the thumping of her hooves on the dirt, and to her, it was like the drums of war thundering through the air over a battlefield. Her wings buzzed and her teeth clicked as she cursed in her native tongue. She skidded to a halt in front of the gate to Filthy Rich's house. The front door was still some distance away. There was a buzzer next to the gate, but Echo was in no mood to wait for the pompous rich snob to decide whether or not to let her in. She fired up her wings and landed directly in front of the door before knocking with a bit more force than she probably should have used.
“Filthy Rich,” she shouted, “I demand to speak to you this instant!”
The door clicked open, and an elderly pony who was very sharply dressed in one of Rarity's tuxedos regarded Echo. “I'm sorry, ma'am, but Master Rich is not seeing visitors at this time.”
“The hell he isn't,” she said, charging past the butler, “where is the slimy bastard?”
“Ma'am, I must ask you to leave. At this point, you are trespassing.”
“My daughter was beaten to a pulp yesterday because of something your slave driver told his daughter. I am not leaving until I speak to this pile of -”
“Right here, changeling,” Filthy Rich stood at the top of the staircase in the center of the room, clad in a bathrobe. “Now, what do you hope to achieve by talking with me?”
“I hope to achieve,” she stated mockingly, “an understanding that if your daughter continues to harass Scootaloo, I will be forced to take more drastic measures to defend her.”
“Oh? What exactly makes you think you have the right to defend her, let alone to take more drastic measures against my family to do so?”
“I'm her mother, Filthy.”
“That's Mister Rich to you, changeling,” He sneered.
“Like hell,” Echo sneered right back.
“Oh, shall I call the police then? You are trespassing, after all.”
Echo considered beating the snot out of him, but remembered that as of this point, she was still on a probationary period. If she got in some serious trouble, the princesses might decide that a lengthy period in the dungeons was a more fitting way to reform her – changeling dietary restrictions notwithstanding. “Fine, Filthy,” she said, “I'll leave, but let me get one thing straight. If your daughter continues to harass mine, I will not hesitate to use every method at my disposal to stop it.”
“Get out of my house, you disgusting changeling trash.” Filthy Rich sounded profoundly frightened, which was Echo's goal, and left her feeling quite satisfied as she stepped out of the door, which slammed shut behind her. She took to the air, and flew home leisurely.
As she stepped inside the door, Scootaloo came bounding down the stairs, her eyes still red from crying. “Mom,” she said, “where did you go?”
“Just to take care of a little business, Scoot. Don't worry, everything's okay.”
Scootaloo didn't say another word, but climbed up onto Echo's back and hugged her around the neck. Echo smiled that soft smile that a proud mother does, and carried Scootaloo back upstairs to her bed.
“It's late, Scoot,” she said, “and you have school tomorrow.”
“I don't want to go.”
“I know, but you have to. Everything will be okay, I promise,” Echo lifted Scootaloo off her back gently in an aura of magic, and placed her back into her bed, “I made sure.”
Scootaloo rolled over onto her side and pulled the covers up over herself. “Okay,” she said, obviously unsure, “thanks, Mom.”
Echo turned out the lights and closed the door quietly. Still smiling softly, she started down the stairs. As she turned into the living room, she stifled a gasp. Through the living room she could see the kitchen, and there, rummaging through her cabinets, was none other than queen Chrysalis. “What are you doing here, Mother?” Echo fluttered over to the kitchen. She looked up at the queen, who looked down at her without tilting her head.
“I'm getting a snack.”
“I mean, why are you in my home?”
“Please, Echo, don't patronize me. I'm sure that every changeling for miles heard you shouting obscenities about Filthy Rich, and I have a vested interest in the well being of that filly upstairs. After all,” Chrysalis paused to chuckle, “she may inherit the throne some day.”
“Oh, shut it, Mother.” Echo scoffed, though she giggled as well. Changeling humor was very biting, and Echo didn't have the same fondness for it that her mother did, but on occasion her sensibilities were more classically changeling. “We both know that I'll be the one overthrowing you, if you ever even manage to regain your title.”
“While my subjects may be divided, I still have about half of the Empire under my control, child. Don't mistake me as helpless.”
“Says the mighty changeling queen whose magic was crippled by a single unicorn.”
“All joking aside for a moment, if you want me to run that snob or his maggot of a daughter through with my horn, I'd be more than happy to.”
“I think that would be an exceptionally enjoyable but remarkably stupid idea, Chrysalis.”
“Indeed, but that pegasus is as much my subject as you, now, and I will defend her as such.”
“She isn't your subject, Chrysalis. She wasn't born into the hive, and she isn't a changeling.” As Echo said this, a scream could be heard from upstairs. The queen's expression didn't change, but Echo flew so quickly up the stairs that paintings fell from the walls as she went by. She opened the door and found her daughter hiding behind the shower curtain. Echo looked around with her horn alight and saw nothing. “What is it, Scootaloo?”
“I was just sitting here trying to go to sleep, and I started to think about what it would be like to...” she trailed off.
“What are you talking about, Scootaloo?” Echo said as Chrysalis appeared in the doorway behind her. Echo reached out to pull the blanket from her daughter, but Scootaloo snatched it back and put it over herself. “Scootaloo, let me see you.”
“No.” Scootaloo insisted.
“Child,” the queen's voice boomed, “show some respect to your mother.”
Scootaloo squeaked. “I'm not trying to be disrespectful.”
“Enough of this,” Chrysalis rolled her head along with her eyes, and ripped the blanket from the bed with her magic. In response, Scootaloo put her pillow over her head, but she couldn't conceal her entire body.
Echo stared at her daughter's back in shock. Her wings were gone. “Scootaloo, where are your wings?”
“I don't know. I was just sitting here and I was thinking about unicorns and what it must be like to have magic and then there was all this fire, and when I saw my shadow, my wings were gone and I …”
Echo looked around for any scorching, but saw no signs of fire. A quick sniff of the air didn't turn up any signs either. Echo reached out and pulled the pillow from Scootaloo's head. She cried once quickly and covered her eyes with her forelegs. From her forehead, a unicorn's horn had sprouted.
“Well,” Chrysalis said with a smile, “isn't this interesting?”
Echo knocked on the library door with such force that even she thought she might knock it down. Her daughter followed closely, looking around with a nervous glance now and then. Chrysalis stood behind them, a grin of mild amusement plastered on her face. Slowly, the door cracked open, and Twilight rubbed her eyes.
“Echo,” she murmured, “what is it?”
“What is happening to my daughter?” Echo said desperately.
Twilight looked at Scootaloo. “What do you mean? She looks okay to … me.” Twilight's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. “Oh my gosh. Come on inside, you three.”
As Chrysalis walked in, Twilight sputtered, “wait a minute, what were you doing outside? I didn't say you could go outside.”
“Don't talk to me like that, you little whelp!” Chrysalis all but roared, “I am still a queen, whether I am in your charge or not, and I will not be treated as a child.”
“We can have this argument later, Chrysalis. Right now, there's something else that demands our attention,” Twilight sighed as she rubbed her eyes. “Now, Scootaloo. Can you tell me what happened? Did you step in poison joke?”
“No, I was just sitting in my room and thinking about what it would be like to be a unicorn when there was this big flash of fire – and my wings were gone – and I had a horn – and I'm really scared, Twilight, please help!”
“Okay, okay,” Twilight tried to calm Scootaloo down. “Wait here. You can read any book you want. I'll be down in the lab. If you need me, just call out. Echo, Chrysalis, follow me please?” They walked in complete silence to the lab in the basement. Echo felt like her heart might leap out of her chest, and she fought every urge she had to lash out at Twilight. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Twilight continued, “All right, you guys, this probably isn't a big problem.”
“Not a big problem? My daughter – a pegasus – is now a unicorn. That's not a big problem?”
“No, Echo, it isn't. She's still a pony, she's still aware of who she is, she's not in any danger. She might get some weird looks from other ponies, and maybe have some tough questions to answer, but she's not in danger, and that's why it's not a big problem.” As much as Echo wanted to scream at Twilight, she knew that the unicorn was right. “Now, if we can just figure out what happened, we should be able to fix it.”
Just then, Scootaloo called again from upstairs. “Oh no, what is it this time? I have wings again, am I back to normal?”
Twilight was first up the stairs this time, and gasped as she reached the precipice. Echo and Chrysalis followed, and the former reiterated Twilight's gesture. In front of them stood a pegasus, seeming very upset, that was the spitting image of Daring Do. The adventurous mare looked at her own flank, and was suddenly very excited.
“I got my cutie mark,” she exclaimed, “I finally got my cutie mark!”
“Fascinating,” Chrysalis remarked.
“Scootaloo, is that you?”
“Well, yeah. What, did something else change?”
“Okay, what happened, Scoot?”
“I was up here reading Daring Do when the fire happened again, and now, I have my CUTIE MARK!” Scootaloo jumped into the air and fluttered her wings. Her hooves stiffened in preparation for her return to the ground, and she twitched when the sensation she expected didn't come. She looked at her wings, which flapped slowly. “I can fly! Oh my gosh, I can fly!”
“Twilight,” Echo said, “What exactly is going on right now?”
“Scootaloo,” Chrysalis called as she stepped forward, “do me a favor. Think very hard about Rainbow Dash.”
“Okay. Oh my gosh, I can fly!”
“Scootaloo. This is important. Focus on Rainbow Dash.”
Scootaloo returned to the ground and sat on her haunches. “Okay,” she said as she closed her eyes. Slowly, her hooves were licked by green fire that crept slowly at first up her legs. As it moved farther up her body, its pace and intensity increased, until a pillar of flame stood in the center of the room. When it cleared, Rainbow Dash sat in the middle of the room with her eyes closed.
“Oh my Celestia,” Twilight said quietly.
Scootaloo opened her eyes and quickly seemed concerned by the expressions of the others in the room. “What is it,” she cried, “what happened?” She glanced at her hooves and gasped. She spread her wings and looked over her shoulder at the span. At the same time, she saw her cutie mark. “I'm Rainbow Dash? Oh my gosh, I'm Rainbow Dash!”
“Well,” Chrysalis said with a grin as she turned back to the two gobsmacked mares behind her, “isn't this wonderful?”
While Scootaloo clambered about excitedly at her new visage and Twilight was pursuing this new line of inquiry, Echo chittered to Chrysalis in their native tongue, “how could Scootaloo be a changeling? This doesn't make sense, Mother.”
“Indeed, Echo,” Chrysalis chittered back. “The fact is that while the means of her transformation escapes me, you saw it yourself - that was changeling magic.”
“How is that possible? Wouldn't she have known that she was a changeling?”
“Yes, you would think so. Isn't it wonderful, though? Now my granddaughter truly is one of my subjects.”
“You are unbelievable, Chrysalis,” Echo's wings and teeth were aflutter, and her face contorted in rage, “she may have something seriously wrong with her, and you're concerned about adding to the swarm?”
“I am the changeling queen, Echo,” came the reply. An extra click at the end signified the queen's seriousness.
“I really should learn to speak that language,” Twilight called out, “or at least to understand it.”
“We finish this later,” Echo said to Chrysalis in the normal pony language before turning to Twilight, “It's definitely changeling magic. Mother and I can both tell that much.”
“Yes,” Twilight agreed, “and every test I performed on her seems to reinforce the idea that she is a changeling. I just don't understand how this could be possible.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Scootaloo said with a slight tremor of fear.
“Scootaloo, can you try something else for me?” Echo tried to sound calm. “I need you to relax. Quiet your mind, and let your muscles relax themselves.” The filly obeyed, and Echo continued, “Good, now breathe deeply and slowly.” Again, the filly obeyed. She continued this for a few minutes, when again, flames began to lick at her hooves and creep up her body. When they cleared this time, a shining black carapace greeted them. The insectoid wings of a changeling flittered reflexively as they showed themselves for the first time, and a long, curved horn sat on her brow. When her eyes opened, they were a solid purple color. She was about her normal size, though.
The filly's eyes widened again at the expressions of the others in the room, and she began to ask for a mirror. Twilight levitated one over to the filly, who grabbed it in her own magic without even realizing it. She turned her gaze to the mirror and dropped it as she gasped. “I... I look...”
“Scootaloo,” Echo tried to console her, fearing that she would be distraught, “it's okay, don't worry.”
“I look like you,” she called out, staring into her mother's eyes, “I look just like you, Mom! How is this possible?”
“I think I have an idea,” Twilight resounded. “When you went to the hospital after that horrible incident with Cluster, Echo gave you some of her blood. While your body accepted it as your blood type, it seems that it also had some unintended effects. Scootaloo,” Twilight knelt next to the filly, “it looks like you're a changeling now.”
“What? I don't know the first thing about being a changeling! I barely know how to be a pegasus, or a unicorn, or even an earth pony!”
“Oh dear,” Chrysalis sighed with a hint of mocking in her voice, “if only you had family who could teach you how to be a changeling. Oh, wait, what about your mother and your grandmother? Do you suppose they could help? No, I suppose not. They aren't changelings, after all, are they?”
“Mom is too a changeling,” Scootaloo protested, “and you're my grandma.”
Chrysalis chuckled a low, mischievous laugh. “You're sweet, but not too quick, are you?”
Suddenly, realization dawned in Scootaloo's face. “Oh, you mean I need to have changeling lessons from you and Mom?”
“Basically, yes,” Twilight added.
“I'm sorry, Scootaloo,” Echo said, “you must be so scared.”
“Are you kidding? The one thing I wanted more than anything else was to be just like you! You're my number one hero, Mom! I always wanted to change my shape like you, and have eyes like yours, and be brave like you,” as Scootaloo went on, she suddenly flashed green again. When she was visible again, Echo thought for a moment that she was staring into a mirror. Seeming not to notice, Scootaloo continued, “and to talk like you, and be able to fight like you, and … why are you staring at me like that?”
Chrysalis laughed a great, hearty laugh. “It looks like your wish came true, child!”
Echo was about to say something when the library door opened. Nopony had realized just how much time had passed, but the bright morning air shining through the library door told the tale. Fluttershy stepped through. “Good morning, Twilight. I'm here to pick up Echo for our day out. I was wondering if you -” she stopped dead as she looked at the two iterations of Echo. “Oh my. There are two of you now.”
“Scootaloo, think about Fluttershy!” Chrysalis barked.
A ring of green fire began to form around one Echo, who looked at her hooves and sighed, “oh, here we go again.” This time, the flames disappeared to reveal a perfect Fluttershy. Scootaloo stared awkwardly into the real Fluttershy's eyes for a moment.
Without another word, Fluttershy sank low to the ground, turned about, and exited the library.
“Well, that went wonderfully,” Chrysalis smirked, “your skills are already improving.”
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Dear Echo,
You're going to need every last bit of help you can get if Scootaloo is going to be able to control her new powers. I'll need to drop the act and reveal myself to everypony just as you have done if I am going to be of any real help. I have been working with Twilight in secret since before you crashed in the Everfree Forest. Disguised, I found you at your welcome party. You may remember me as the "pervert" you nearly knocked unconscious. If you recall, he was a tan stallion with black hair with gray bands, had a cutie mark of a puzzle piece the same dark violet as his eyes. He is – that is to say, I am – Puzzle Piece. Write back to Twilight if you need to, or we can meet at the library. I will need your help in explaining myself to Chrysalis. I think I'm ready to face her now.
Your Shadow,
Rebound
So first, well, first
Second, I loved the chapter. Great twist going on.
Has some mustaches
This updated just as I finished the last chapter. Epic timing, mate. Also, epic story.
2220940 Looks like you missed out on the first comment by a few minutes, friend. Sorry.
Oh poor Fluttershy...
Chyrsalis is such a troll now. Please don't be too much harder on Flutters, ok? 
And what a
with Scoots. This will be... interesting in both the short and long term.
Well.......didn't see that coming
Love it.
LOL, well this is getting very interesting... CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!
In before Scoot changing into a chicken.
AWESOME!!!!
I'm just about to leave and I see you updated. frig who needs to be back before twelve
Haha I love that ending! Oh and First, I think.
.............. You have my attention............
Scootaloo is best ponyling.
LAWL that was amazing
oh please keep it coming 
Oh wow...that came out of left field...You seriously threw me for a loop I was not expecting that. Bravo!
2221018 Flutters makes things hard on herself, unfortunately, just by virtue of being Flutters. The story must continue.
nice and now bed lol
WHAT... THE... HAY???? JUST...
Woah that was a good twist executed pretty well. Oh dear... Scootaloo with Changeling Powers, who works together with Chrysalis...
Well that went way far from expectations..... nice job
.
That twist came out of nowhere. So, because of a blood transfusion, Scootaloo is a changeling? That's pretty creative. Nice one.
Oh boy, that Blood transfusion seems to have had some side effects....
This should make for some interesting moments.
2221140
Are you saying it's Fluttershy's fault that Chrysalis is taking out some of her frustration by deliberately provoking Fluttershy's fear response?
2221242 No, but Flutters does make herself a brilliant target for a sadistic changeling queen.
Did...did you just jump the shark?
It's kinda interesting, but it seems like your pulling straws.
I think Chryssy was a troll in her past life or something.
2215835 FiMFiction needs to go GNU. I want to see the source code for that feature box, dammit!
2221294 I respect that opinion.
Maybe I did jump the shark, I dunno, but people seem to like it, and I have fun writing it. It's silly, it's kooky, it's all around fun.
If this is shark-jumping, then give me another shark.
Innocence and child creativity reinforce Transformation Powers
2221413 I think "destabilize" is the word you were looking for.
This kinda reminds me of Vampirism in a way...
2221306
Gratz on the featured box, as you're now on it.
2221422
That halo won't save you now Scoots from the backtalk you'll be getting from now on.
But I'll support you when Echo finds a father for you... here's hoping he isn't a changeling.
So, Scootaloo is kind of a changeling-pony hybrid now? I mean, I am sure having a blood transfusion shouldn't get rid of her pony's...nature (there're probably a better word for it, but right now, I leave it be). Also, I swear those stunts the queen pull...boy, it got me laughing! Sure, it does make me want to falm-palmed, but it got me to laugh.
2221554 Echo would like to say something, but it's mostly nasty and profane, so I'm not going to let her speak.
i329.photobucket.com/albums/l365/ChronoTrigger99/what_a_twist.jpg
i can just imagine fluttershys expression not changing and then makes a U-turn away
2221659 Unlike many of M. Night Shamalamadingdong's twists, this one will serve a definite purpose and does not just exist for the sake of existing.
In case you can't tell, I have mixed feelings about M. Night Shyamalamalamananamanamalama.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! and they thought the CMC were trouble when they were normal! as dear lulu would say, "the fun has been DOUBLED!"
2221646
Let her, I see no reason for her not to be the badass mother she truly is.
It's the best charm she has
I like the fact Scoots is now a changling.. just don't go hurting her I like my non rage inducing stories.
The ending of this chapter filled me with lols for some reason.
2221587 She's still Scootaloo, if that's what you're worried about.
2221300 She's certainly a troll in her current one.
2221761 Good, that's what I was going for.
I'm hoping to throw in a bit more humor in Integration, since its themes will be a bit more heavy in a lot of places. One must lighten the mood, after all.
Pinkie and Surprise will make returns at some point. They make wonderful comic relief - and they're a pleasure to write, I might add.
2221700 Oh, no, she really doesn't need to say those kinds of things to our kind readers. Does she?
I think I need to say them.
Well, you would, wouldn't you, Echo. No being mean to our readers.
Sun of a bitch! MOAR!
2221864
-Insert Eeyup Sparta Remix here-
2221849
you got that right!