Their Hearts May Still be Won
Zecora led the blinded changeling queen off toward her hut, taking care to have Chrysalis bow her head before going through the door. Echo and Scootaloo followed in tow, giggling softly at the plant's effects. As they all settled into the bath, Scootaloo's eyes started to shift nervously.
“What is it, Scoot?” Echo asked.
“It's just – those ponies back at the library really hated you and Chryssie –”
“That isn't my name,” the queen interjected, unnoticed by Scootaloo.
“– just because you're changelings. I don't understand it. Why do they hate you?”
“I wish I knew, Scootaloo,” Echo sighed, “they don't seem like themselves, do they?”
“No, they don't. All my life I've been taught that everypony deserves kindness, even if they aren't a pony. I mean, Nightmare Moon tried to overthrow Celestia and plunge Equestria into eternal night, but then she was reformed by the Elements of Harmony, and now she's a princess. Nopony hates her, even though she did awful things, because she changed.”
“It is an intriguing point, Echo,” Chrysalis remarked, “unless the ponies have suddenly grown backbones – which I find unlikely – I believe that something else is afoot.”
“Mind control magic? Wouldn't you have been able to detect that, Chrysalis?”
“Normally, yes, without even thinking about it. Unfortunately, I have not fully uncovered all of the effects of Twilight's restraining spell. It's possible that it has dampened some of my natural abilities in addition to my combat magic,” the queen dunked her head under the water, rinsing the ink from her face, “and words cannot express how infuriating that is.”
“The only pony in Ponyville who could possibly use that kind of magic is Twilight,” Scootaloo said, “but why would she do that?”
“Indeed, Scootaloo,” Chrysalis said, “I think your new found changeling status has augmented your cognitive abilities.”
“What?”
“Or not. At any rate, you're right. The only pony in Ponyville that could do that is Twilight. Perhaps some perversion of the 'want it, need it' spell.”
“Aren't you forgetting another possibility, Chrysalis?”
“What would that be?”
“Changeling magic would allow for that kind of mind control.”
The queens eyes widened, “yes, but that would require a remarkably powerful changeling – one who matches my power.”
“So, then,” Scootaloo rubbed her chin, “either Twilight is secretly trying to get rid of us while she helps us, or there's a really powerful changeling hidden in Ponyville.”
“Or Twilight is a really powerful changeling hidden in Ponyville,” Chrysalis laughed.
“Regardless,” Echo tried to ignore Chrysalis, “there's something going on that's like nothing I've ever seen.”
“Well, should we start my lessons, then?” Scootaloo's wings buzzed in excitement.
“I think not, young one,” Chrysalis said quietly, “it's getting late, and you'll need all the energy you have for the training to come. Neither your mother nor myself are inclined to be gentle teachers.”
Though Echo would have liked to contradict her mother, she knew that thanks to her life spent as an officer in the changeling military, it was likely that her hoof was going to be quite firm under the new time pressure that this unseen force presented. “I'm afraid I have to side with Chrysalis on this one, Scoot. We should all get some rest.”
“Now that you mention it,” Scootaloo yawned, “I'm pretty tired. Hungry, too.”
“Well, that presents a slight problem, doesn't it?” Chrysalis rubbed her chin. “You can't really survive on pony food alone anymore, but you can't feed on love from another changeling without stealing their energy.”
“You mean I don't get to eat tonight?” Scootaloo started to whine, “I'm so hungry!”
“I know. You aren't the only one,” Chrysalis mocked the filly's whining. Suddenly, her eyes softened, and soft green trail of light came from the tip of her horn to meet the tip of the changeling filly's. “I have enough to spare, I think.”
“Wait,” Scootaloo said, “I thought you said I couldn't feed on the love of other changelings.”
“Not exactly. I said you can't feed on the love energy of other changelings without stealing it from them. Whatever energy you gain, the changeling from whom you take it loses.”
“Take it back then, I don't want you to starve!”
“Please,” the queen scoffed, “I've been worse off than this, before. When I was a filly – which was not so long ago as your expression would indicate you think it was – I watched the former queen's empire nearly destroy itself as half of the population descended into madness from starvation. It was the horde of insane changelings that killed her and finally allowed me to assume my rightful place as the next queen. Though, I suppose that is a pleasant story for another time. The point is that I have suffered much lower levels of energy, and you are a growing changeling. You need every drop of love you can get.”
Echo watched with a warm smile on her lips as Chrysalis and Scootaloo talked. For the first time that Echo could remember, Chrysalis was smiling, and nopony nearby was suffering in any way. It was an honest smile, a loving smile. They talked to each other and they laughed, they told jokes, they told stories, they made fun of ponies – well, Chrysalis made fun of ponies. Scootaloo just kind of laughed awkwardly at those jokes. She doesn't have a grip on changeling humor. Maybe that's for the best.
As the minutes went by, Scootaloo gradually migrated over to the makeshift bed of straw that Zecora had been kind enough to make. She laid down and stared at the ceiling wistfully. Chrysalis was by her side.
“Chryssie, what am I going to do? Everypony hates changelings, but now I'm one of you. What if my friends hate me now?”
“You're a changeling, now, Scootaloo. It is your inborn skill to make due with what you have, even when that is almost nothing.”
“I'm just worried that my friends won't want to be friends with me if they know what I am. I grew up with ponies that were always telling me to be myself and not to change who I am for anypony else. How can I do that if who I am is going to be hated by everypony?”
“Scootaloo, anypony who wants to hate you is going to be in for quite the struggle. I think they'd actually have to consciously try. Look at me – I can't stand ponies, but you somehow managed to worm your way into my heart. Say, there's an idea,” the queen tapped a hoof against her chin, “maybe I'll make you an infiltrator when you grow up.”
“Sure thing, Chryssie,” Scootaloo yawned, falling asleep, “I can't wait until I can tell all my friends.”
Chrysalis looked down at the half-awake filly with sorrow in her eyes and a smile on her lips. She sighed, and began to sing softly,
That day is going to be painful,
The kind of day that you'll lament for years to come.
Everypony may come to you,
Say 'how I love you, Scootaloo,'
But the fact is they don't know your troubled heart.
For despite your lack of friends,
You mustn't yield to make amends,
Or bow, to appease a fearsome foe;
Though reconciliation might be quite the provocation,
The fact is you must fight for what you own!
No, their friendship is not true,
To you, poor dear Scootaloo,
but their hearts may yet be won
through time.
Echo walked over to her mother's side and looked down at Scootaloo. Her eyes were closed and her chest rose with each breath. A faint wheeze could be heard with every breath. She was asleep. Echo looked over at Chrysalis and had to stifle a gasp at what she saw. A single tear ran down the monarch's face.
Chrysalis looked at Echo and said simply, “It isn't fair to her.”
Echo threw caution to the wind and clasped her forelegs around Chrysalis' neck, pulling her in for a hug. “I know it isn't, but you said it yourself; 'their hearts may yet be won through time', right?”
Though Chrysalis seemed at first to be shocked by the gesture, she didn't move away. Gradually, she rose her own foreleg to return the hug. “She doesn't deserve this trouble.”
As the two separated and found their ways to their own beds, the moon peeked through the trees of the Everfree. A moth flew quietly through the forest, cutting swatches out of the pillars of light. It was the picture of peace, until, in an instant, the moth was incinerated in a silent plume of green flames. From the darkness of the forest, two solid blue eyes watched the light in the hut snuff out.
Sweetie Belle stood in front of Echo, smiling broadly. “I did it,” she shouted, “I changed into Sweetie Belle, and I remembered her horn this time!” As she reveled in her success, a rock flew into her side. She gave a shout of pain and turned to rub her ribs. As she did, there was a green flash, and she reverted to her changeling shape. “That hurt, Chryssie!”
“You have to focus, Scootaloo. Changeling magic is centered around control of oneself. If you lose your focus, even for a moment, your disguise may falter. To master shape-shifting, you must master your own mind.”
“I can't do it, Chrysalis,” Scootaloo pleaded, “surprise rocks can't be that common, can they?”
“No, but imagine that you're disguised as somepony, you turn around, and the somepony whose shape you're taking is staring right at you. There is no worse time to lose your disguise than at a moment like that.”
“That's different than pain, though,” Scootaloo whined.
“Fine. Change back,” Chrysalis commanded.
Scootaloo obliged. “Hey,” she said, “did you see how quickly I managed that? Lickity split, like Rainbow Dash! Woo!”
“Look out, it's a cockatrice!” Echo shouted, pointing behind Scootaloo.
“Where?” The filly whipped around and once again reverted to her natural form.
“There's no cockatrice,” Chrysalis said, “but you lost your focus again.”
“UGH!” The filly stomped her hooves in frustration. “Being a changeling is hard!”
“Yep,” Echo nodded, “it is.”
“How do I learn to keep my focus when crazy stuff is happening?”
“Well, at first it's going to take a lot of effort on your part. Eventually, though, it will become second nature. You won't even think about it.”
Scootaloo kicked the ground and buzzed her wings. “Mom, this is crazy. Why do I have to be disguised? Why can't everypony just accept me for who I am?”
“I don't know, Scootaloo. We're working on that, remember?”
“Fascinating,” the queen said, astonishment in her voice. She went unnoticed by the other two.
“Why can't we work on that at home instead of out here in the Everfree?”
“Because,” Echo's teeth clicked sternly, “I'd rather not blow our home up!”
“I haven't blown anything up out here, yet!” Scootaloo's wings buzzed furiously, her fangs clicking against her bottom jaw.
“Pardon the interruption,” Chrysalis interjected, “but do you recognize what's happening right now, Echo?”
“What do you mean?” Echo buzzed.
“You aren't speaking the pony language. You and Scootaloo are speaking Changeling.”
Echo suddenly became conscious of the fact that all of her communication just then had been with the buzzing of wings and clicking of teeth, and that her daughter had been doing the same.
“How... how is that possible?” Echo asked, astonished.
“I don't know,” Chrysalis beamed, “but Scootaloo managed to learn the language without being taught.”
“I've only ever heard it once or twice,” Scootaloo's eyes widened, “and I've never understood a word of it.”
“What a wonderful development, don't you think?” The queen's wings and teeth chittered.
“It's fascinating,” Echo admitted, “but it's also immaterial. The fact remains that we can't go home to practice this.”
“Please, Mom,” Scootaloo begged, “I want to go home and see my friends. I want to go back to school. I want to sleep in my own bed tonight instead of on a pile of straw.”
“I understand that, but it isn't a good idea, sweetheart.”
“Fine,” Scootaloo's wings buzzed as she took to the air, “if you won't come home with me, I'll just have to go alone,” and like a bullet, she was gone.
“Oh, hell,” Echo growled to nopony in particular, “this filly is getting wildly out of hoof.”
“That transfusion must have given her a little of your spirit, Echo,” Chrysalis laughed, “she's acting like you.”
“Gee,” Echo groaned, “thanks. I'm going to go tell Zecora that we're off for now.”
“Very well,” came the zebra's voice from inside the hut, “if you need my help another day, do not hesitate to come my way!”
“That solves that problem,” the queen yawned as she changed into a gray pegasus with blonde hair and wall-eyes, “let's get going!”
Echo took on her old disguise of Candlelight, but rehashed to be a pegasus instead of a unicorn. “Interesting choice of disguise, Mother.”
“I thought I could have a little fun knocking over mailboxes,” she shrugged as she took off, "I'll catch up with you later."
Echo took off immediately after, and made a beeline straight for home. Fortunately, Echo was still a more skilled flier than Scootaloo just by virtue of experience, and caught up to the filly quickly. Below, ponies shouted in dismay as their mailboxes, fruit stands, and other property were destroyed by a certain wall-eyed pegasus.
“Look,” Echo said, “I get it. You want to see your friends again. Can you at least do me a favor and stay inside? I can go get them and bring them over, but I don't want you out alone until we get the shape-shifting under control.”
“Whatever.”
They landed together at the front door to their home, which was thankfully untouched. Echo opened the door and let Scootaloo inside. “I'll be back in a bit, okay?”
“Whatever.”
She's too young for the whole teenager-like behavior. Hell, I'm too young to deal with it, Echo thought as she took off toward the crusaders' clubhouse. The flight over was uneventful, and she landed in front of the door with a slight thud.
She knocked on the door, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom called out from inside simultaneously, “Who is it?”
“It's me, Echo.”
“Oh. You. Where's Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle said.
No 'hello'? “She's at home. She wondered if you'd come over.” Echo heard some mumbling behind the door, but couldn't make out what was said.
After a pause, Apple Bloom's response came, “sure, I guess. We'll be there in a few minutes.”
Echo took off homeward again. 'Sure, I guess'? What is going on with those two?
She landed back at home and walked inside. There was no sign of Scootaloo, but Echo heard rummaging upstairs in Scootaloo's room. She walked upstairs and knocked on the door lightly before opening it a crack. “Scoot,” she asked, “are you alright?”
She saw her daughter's chitin gleaming on the bed, her face buried in her pillow. “I don't understand what I am, Mom,” Scootaloo sobbed, “I don't know who I am. I got a cutie mark, but I don't even know if it's actually my cutie mark or just me being a changeling. I know you've never seen anything like it, but that's not much comfort, you know?”
“I understand, hon,” Echo said as she sat on the bed next to her daughter, “but your friends are coming over soon, and they won't want to see you like this.”
“I don't want to change. I want them to know who I am.”
“You don't have to change. I meant they wouldn't want to see you crying.”
“Oh. Yeah, you're probably right,” Scootaloo raised her head and wiped the tears from either side of her face. “I guess it's a plus that changeling eyes don't get bloodshot, huh?”
Recalling many a night when she had nearly cried herself to sleep over Scootaloo, Echo nodded, “Yeah, I guess that is a good thing.”
“How do you deal with it, Mom?” Scootaloo asked, her shoulders dropping. “How do you deal with the fact that some ponies hate you just because you're a changeling? How do you keep yourself from just RUNNING YOUR HORN THROUGH THEIR THROATS?”
Echo's eyes widened at her daughter's outburst. “Scootaloo,” she coughed, “what has gotten into you?”
“I don't know, maybe this whole 'being a changeling' shit?”
“HEY!” Echo nearly roared, “Watch your tongue, missy! I'm still your mom, and I won't hear you talking like that.”
“I'm sorry,” Scootaloo started to cry again, “I don't know what it is, but I keep getting angry, then I get sad, then I get angry again, and I never know which one I'm going to be!”
As Echo was about to respond, a knock came on the door. “I think that would be your friends,” Echo mumbled, “if you want to wait here while I go let them in, you can try to get into a disguise so you can talk to them.”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo wiped the tears away again and sat on her haunches, “I'll try.”
Echo nodded to her daughter and then turned around to start downstairs. Another knock came, and she called out, “coming, just a second.”
She opened the door, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stepped in. “Where is she?” Apple Bloom asked without even making eye contact with Echo.
“She's upstairs,” Echo said, “hello to you too.”
Echo swore that she could see a sneer on the corner of Apple Bloom's mouth as the filly went up the stairs. Echo followed, and watched as Apple Bloom knocked on Scootaloo's door.
“Scoots? Are you okay in there?”
“Yeah. Come on in.”
The door creaked open, and the two fillies and the changeling entered. Sitting on her bed was Scootaloo, looking like her former pegasus self.
“I don't know how long I can wait, you guys, so I have something I want to tell you,” she said, getting straight to the point, “or show you, actually.”
“What is it, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Well, this.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and was quickly enveloped in green flames. They cleared to reveal her in her natural changeling state, and her friends gasped.
“You... you're a changeling?” Apple Bloom stammered.
“You're one of them?” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo mumbled, “it just happened. Apparently it has to do with the blood I got from Mom.”
“You mean she turned you into a monster?” Apple Bloom screamed, pointing at Echo.
Echo's jaw dropped in shock, and Scootaloo stood up on her bed, “What do you mean, monster?”
“You're a changeling!” Sweetie Belle yelled, “you're a monster now, and it's because of her!”
“You never should have come to Ponyville! You should have just stayed out in the everfree with the rest of the monsters!” Apple Bloom shouted.
Echo felt her eyes begin to water at the harsh words that her daughter's friends were slinging.
“Now wait just a minute you guys,” Scootaloo pleaded, “she saved my life!”
“No she didn't. Scootaloo died when she turned into a changeling. You're just some monster that has her memories, and it's all because of her!” Apple Bloom pointed again at Echo, who by this point was on her haunches sobbing. “We should go get the others and have them take you both to jail!”
“No,” Scootaloo mumbled.
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle chimed with Apple Bloom, “maybe they'll put them in the zoo so we can come and throw peanuts at them!”
“Or maybe they'll kill them and stuff them for an exhibit in the museum!” Apple Bloom smiled.
“NO!” Scootaloo's voice shook the walls. Echo turned to look, and saw her floating a few feet off the bed, her eyes glowing purple as bright as though they were on fire. Her horn was alight with green magic, and once again, a wind began to swirl around her. “STOP IT. JUST STOP IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE SAYING THESE THINGS, BUT STOP IT!”
“She's going to kill us!” Sweetie Belle screamed as she covered her head.
“THAT'S ENOUGH!” The glow around Scootaloo's horn intensified, until it flashed with blinding intensity and a deafening bang. When Echo's sight returned, Scootaloo still floated in the center of the room, her face contorted in rage, and her two friends lay unconscious on the floor. Slowly, Scootaloo returned to the bed. As the fire in her eyes died down, her gaze softened, and she buried her face in her pillow again. The muted sound of Scootaloo's sobbing was the only thing that could be heard as Echo looked at the scene in front of her. What on earth is happening to these ponies?
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Am I really the first view? Wow.
2260142 Alas, I am new to sharing most of my work.
I've written a lot, and I've shared before, but I've never written MLP fanfiction before I wrote Adaptation, and I haven't shared a story for years.
I'm getting the hang of things.
curses! i wasn't the first.
Confound these ponies!
First I was like
then I was like 
and now I'm like 
Ok, some bucking flankhole, who's messing with all of them, need some serious plot kicking!
static2.fjcdn.com/comments/Inb4+shitstorm+_df38cb67521f6528baee2233fa5c5c17.jpg
Hmm... looks like someone or something is projecting a lot of hate towards changelings to be able to affect an entire town, particularly given there's got to be a good few dozen ponies there and it's a lot harder to affect groups, much less to the same level given innate resistance to mental abilities that some will have.
Looks like either Scoots is fairly weak compared to the other pair as well, either from being a pony or just from being her.
Sounds like Scootaloo herself is the cause of all this.
Something is amiss here...
well i can make an educated guess on what happen but it could contain spoilers so pm if someone want to know
Hm... *Checks previous story*
Subtle facts points to...
Changeling Revolutionists WON!!!
Wow scootaloo has a potty mouth
Can't wait to see what happens next chapter and why everypony has something shoved up their rear
idk why but your stories seem to get shorter while your word count is roughly the same
?
it's probably me reading too many fics a day
2261953 changeling puberty
what did u expect?
also bad troll Chryssie geting derpy in more trobble
2262007 Remember Chryssie's song.
That's all I'm going to say.
'Hooboy! I know this might seem a little confusing': Oh please, we can recognize a plot when we see one
And whatever is happening, I for one am very excited to see what it is. I just hope it's not too...simplified.
*cough*
Lol, I think you can understand my question there but I will find out because I STILL WANT MOAR!
2262153
I shan't tell you anything other than that.
Which is basically nothing, so there you go.
Thanks for reading!
2261864
Actually, all it takes is minor brainwashing on a few key figures, and herd/mob mentality will make everything much easier, if not do most of the job for you. Just look at how easy it was to get Filthy Rich to form a lynch mob.
What's really got me worried is that whoever's behind it managed to get Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to outright hate their friend and her mother.
In a way it's basically nothing, yes. And I'm not looking for spoilers here, hmm, I got ya.
...Yes, I got ya 
2262187
grr echo form of a cockatrice and KILL
This is getting exciting! Continue!
IT'S THE MARKER!!!!
The plot thickens! Poor changelings, all this hate. I don't hate you if that stands for anything.
im in one of those moods so i have/want to do this to that note
Tune in next time same Bat Chanel Whatever Bat Time!
2262377
Lol that's a nice dead space reference you got there
So far dead space 3 is amazing and hopefully they will make another
............................whaaaAATTTTTTT!!!!!!!
Ah, Chrissy, reduced to smashing mailboxes for fun like a common hick.
Also, I thought Rich had reacted way too strongly about changelings. It actually had me a little worried about the story, to tell the truth. Seeing the other characters in the story wonder about it too (As well as other characters reacting the same way) is actually rather relieving... if very concerning in other (better) ways!
For some reason I'm thinking, trixie?...
YES! finally, someone else who is willing to make at least some of the cmc's into complete dick heads!
2262640 trixie doesn't seem smart enough for this. i noticed there was no mention of lyra or bon-bon in the mob before. whoever is doing this spell has catered it to ponies and it seems to not be able to effect twilight, and in all likelyhood it won't effect the elements either. we could really use pinkeys help here.
2262625
'Tis be the faggotry that runs in noble bloodlines. Blueblood,Filthy Rich, you name it.
I'm more confused than a Mexican asked to wear a Condom... And thats saying something.
2263148 Maybe Sombra hates changelings?
Does anyone else think that Scootaloo MIGHT be slowly becoming a Queen of Changlings?
Or is she simply that badass.
2264019 I get it. I know that it's tough to sit through, but that's part of the point.
This is a story where shit happens, though. Sometimes that shit is gonna be really ugly. It might get worse, even. I refuse to make anything go as expected just for the sake of making it go as expected. So, if you don't like moments like this where something horrendous happens, you might want to bow out now. Just saying.
I get that whatever is affecting the ponies is also messing with Scootaling's head, hence the mood swings.
Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom? WHAT THE HELL?!
This Story becoming more and more interesting^^
I love this so far, keep up the nice work m8. Followed, favorited liked AND LOVED!:
Especially loved your kind of "This Day Aria".
If I were to be the one finding that changeling I would rip his/hers blue eyes out of his/hers skull!!!
I think Filthy gave them all a changling hating potion becuse I know sweetie and bloom would't say that to Echo and Scoot's
oh Tealspeckles I shall get my spy suit. poof
Owwwww my heart hurts SOO bad for scoots.
I agree with pink menace that could be a good possibility.
its probably just Sombra trying to create anarchy and a war so he can regain his throne while the ponies are distracted...no biggie just get luna to stomp his sh*t...like they should have done the first time...I know its for the show but really an evil shadow unicorn thing is attacking and you have 2 options 1 being an all powerful being who has a sister nearly as powerful you can wipe said shadow unicorn thing from the face of equestria or 2 send 6 mares who barely seem to know what they're doing and make them use odd magic that no one understands to stop him..
ok, I'm not sure what's going on, but I know Sweetie Bell and Applebloom would never do that. So be fore I release the Hulk I should probably read the next chapters and see what the buck is going on... btw, no-pony says shit, nor changelings... I think
2336244this isn't fully cannon,and Hasbro tends to focus on the more well mannered ponies for their show...
It's the Changeling separatists, it has to be.
MIND CONTROLLER DETECTED!!! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!!!
2.bp.blogspot.com/-ViCKiemehsE/USPzVGLqZuI/AAAAAAAAANw/-CTKUl7Fg2s/s400/daleks.jpg
This is just terrifying. I would be shocked if those closest to me treated me with such contempt.