Of Chivalry and Changelings
Echo came out of the haze of sleep just in time to hear Chrysalis' wings buzz furiously as the queen flew down the stairs and hid herself under the couch on which Echo was sleeping. From elsewhere, Echo could hear Sweetie Belle's voice counting down from 30. Apple Bloom came bounding down the stairs giggling, and opened a cupboard in the kitchen. She hid herself within and closed the door.
“Mother,” Echo asked through the pounding headache, “what is going on?”
“Shh. The white one is hunting me.”
“You're playing hide-and-seek with them?”
“Nonsense! This is a very serious exercise meant to train their abilities in locating enemies.”
“Well, then, you might want to pull your tail under the couch. It's a bit of a giveaway, don't you think?”
Without a word from its owner, the queen's tail zipped under the couch. Echo stood up and walked over to Twilight, who was still staring intently at the door. It seemed to be just about finished.
“Twilight,” Echo said, “are you there?”
“Mmm.” Twilight still stared at the door she was building.
“I don't understand ponies. You're weird, and you have this infectious happiness. It creeps into a changeling's mind like poison, and it twists around the way that we think. What's worse is that I don't think it's wrong. It feels right, like I should have been this way all along. It looks like it's even affecting Chrysalis!”
“Mmm.”
“Normally, if everypony in a town decided that they hated me, I'd just pick a different disguise and move on. Now, though, I actually care about what they think. I actually want them to like me.”
“Mmm.”
“That's weird, for a changeling. We're used to being hated. So why can't I get used to it again?”
“Mmm.”
“Huh,” Echo mumbled, “Chrysalis wasn't kidding. You really can't have your concentration broken, can you?”
“Mmm.”
Sweetie Belle's countdown finished, and she came bounding down the stairs. “Ready or not, here I come,” she shouted, her voice cracking on the last word. Echo watched with a melancholy smile as the little unicorn searched the library. She jumped on top of the couch and chimed, “come out, come out, wherever you are!”
Suddenly, Echo heard a muffled pounding sound from the door, followed by Rebound's voice. “Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Only you, Twilight! Open up, come on!”
“Mmm.”
“Okay, sorry Twi, but it's too dangerous out here.”
With a flurry of green sparks, Rebound's horn penetrated the inside of the door, and the door began to dissolve. Twilight snapped back to her senses in an instant.
“No!” Her face contorted with strain as she fought to keep the door together. At the same time, she whipped it open with her magic, pulling the helpless Rebound in with it.
He dangled from the door and glared at Twilight. “Gee, thanks, Twi. Care to get my horn out of this thing, please?”
“Why can't changelings go anywhere without destroying things?” Twilight lamented as she worked to free Rebound from the door. “I'm sorry if I hurt you, Rebound.”
“It's fine, Twi. I just wish that your concentration was a bit easier to break!”
Twilight giggled as she pried his horn from the corporeal magic of the door. “What kind of unicorn would I be if I lost my concentration from every little thing that got in my way?”
“The kind whose sensibilities aren't impaired every time she's casting a spell.”
“Gee, thanks, Rebound,” Twilight said, bemused.
“Any time,” he said with a wide grin as he rubbed his horn. “I brought a couple guests, too.” He motioned behind him, and Echo was suddenly made aware of the presence of a trembling yellow ball of fur on the ground outside the door.
“Oh,” Twilight said, “hello Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy lifted her head and said something softly that Echo couldn't quite hear. Just then, Fluttershy's mane jumped up, and Scootaloo's head poked through. She had her disguise on and looked just like she had before the change.
“Hey, Mom!” She said excitedly. “I hid in Fluttershy's mane.”
“So I can see! Come on in, you two.” Echo motioned inside.
“Oh, is that Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle's voice rang out.
“Scoot-Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom's muffled voice came from the kitchen, followed by the sound of a cupboard door slamming. The little yellow filly came around the corner and barreled full-force into Scootaloo, who yelped as she was thrown from her hooves.
“Don't kill me!” Scootaloo cried, covering her face.
“Why would I -” Apple Bloom was cut off as Scootaloo's concentration broke. Her fur slowly dissolved away to reveal her black chitin. “You're a changeling? Where's Scootaloo?”
“Please don't kill me!”
“Wait a minute, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle's voice chimed as the white unicorn trotted up to the still-cowering Scootaloo. Sweetie looked the changeling over from horn to hooves. “This isn't a normal changeling. She's small, like a filly!”
“Scootaloo,” Echo cooed, “It's okay. They're better now.”
At that, Scootaloo shakily moved her foreleg away from her eyes.
“Whoa!” Apple Bloom shouted in surprise. “Those eyes are the same color as Scootaloo's.”
“Oh my gosh, I think this actually is Scootaloo, AB.” Sweetie said softly.
“Y-you mean you guys don't m-mind anymore?”
“Anymore? You say that like we'd care at all. If you're actually Scootaloo,” Sweetie said happily, “then you're a Cutie Mark Crusader, and our friend!”
“Seriously?” Scootaloo chimed excitedly. Her wings buzzed and she floated an inch or two off the ground. “Oh, yeah... I can fly now.” She beamed.
“Okay, are you sure this is Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom squinted.
Scootaloo returned to the ground and pleaded her case, “Yes, I'm Scootaloo! Look, the first time I met you two was at the Summer Sun Celebration, the same year that Twilight came to town. Nightmare Moon showed up and we were all terrified, and we huddled together. I didn't know you very well then, but that's when I met you! Remember? If I weren't Scootaloo, would I remember that?”
“How do we know you didn't use some kinda changeling magic on Scootaloo to steal her memories?”
“Girls, there is no such thing.” Echo said sternly.
“Unless you're me.” Chrysalis added, leaning her head between the fillies before zipping back under the couch.
Echo gave the queen a stern glance and chittered, “You're not helping, Mother.”
“Well, I think it's safe to say that Scoots isn't Chrysalis, since Chrysalis is right here.” Apple Bloom said, motioning to the towering black figure that stood next to her. “I know one way to find out for sure, though.” The little yellow filly took a few steps up to Scootaloo and stared her straight in the eye. The little changeling flinched, and her wings stood straight up. “Is it you, Chicken Little?”
Scootaloo's eyes widened, and her wings began to vibrate. “I, am not, a CHICKEN!” Her voice cracked on each word as she strained to be as loud as possible. She stood in a rage, huffing through gritted teeth.
“Eeyup,” Apple Bloom imitated her brother, “that's Scoot.”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom burst into laughter as Scootaloo assured them that it wasn't funny. While the fillies argued, Echo turned to Rebound.
“How could you do this? Bringing Scootaloo here was ridiculously dangerous! You're insane!”
“Oh, I'm so TERRIBLY SORRY that I rescued your daughter from a horde of homicidal ponies. I'll just pick her up and take her right back there.”
“That's not what I meant.”
“Look, we can talk about this later, okay? The point is that I rescued her.”
Echo considered a retort, but somewhere deep down she knew that he was right. He had just risked himself to get Scootaloo away from that angry mob, which was a distinctly selfless act for a rogue changeling. She couldn't, however, bring herself to thank the brash changeling, settling instead for a small grunt as she turned back to her daughter for a hug.
“Oh, look at that,” Rebound said smugly, “you're so cute with the little ones, Echo. Why didn't you decide to have one of your own?”
“What the hell kind of a question is that?”
Rebound's eyes widened, and he took a step back. “Whoa, I didn't mean anything by it, seriously.”
As Echo was about to knock Rebound's block off his shoulders, Twilight called out triumphantly, “It's done! The door is finished!”
Echo turned to see the finished work of art, a softly glowing purple materialization of Twilight's magic, pulsating faintly. Her cutie mark had been engraved in the center of the door.
“Wow, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, “that's really impressive!”
“Thank you,” Twilight said in a very self-satisfied tone, “I thought so too.”
Just then, the sound of hoofsteps could be heard outside. Everypony rushed to the windows and watched as the mob of ponies went trudging through the streets. They passed by without incident, but their continued presence was concerning to Echo. It occurred to her in a sudden sinking moment that she didn't have a home anymore, and it was because of those ponies. They'd kill me if they got the chance, she thought to herself, or worse yet, they might kill Scootaloo, and it might come to the point where I have to kill them first.
“Hey, Twilight,” Echo started meekly, “Scoot and I are kind of out of a home right now, would you mind terribly if we stayed here in the library for a while?”
“Oh, of course not,” Twilight said, waving a hoof dismissively, “considering how CRAZY everypony is right now, it's totally reasonable that you'd not want to go home for a few nights.”
“It might take a bit longer than just a few nights, Twi. They kind of burned our house down.”
“They what?” Scootaloo's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Tears started to well up in her compound eyes as she continued, “You mean that they burned the room that Rainbow Dash decorated for me?”
“Scoot, honey, I –”
“How could they do that?” She started to shake. “How could they burn our house down?”
“I know you're upset, but –”
“It's not fair!” She started to bellow. Just like before, she started to float a short distance off of the ground. A wind whipped everything up into a storm. Twilight gasped as books were ripped from their shelves. “THEY SHOULD ALL PAY!”
“Scootaloo, calm down! They're going to hear this!”
“GOOD,” she screamed, “LET THEM COME! I WANT TO TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT I THINK!”
“Child,” Chrysalis called, coming out from under the couch. Her face bore the expression of a concerned parent, and she walked up to the floating changeling filly, looking her dead in the eye, “calm yourself. I understand your anger, but your power is too strong to control when you're upset. You have to calm down, or you might hurt your friends, or your mother. Calm yourself.”
“No, I can't! They destroyed my home! They want to kill me!”
“Listen to me. You have to control yourself. You're my granddaughter, that means you're part of the changeling Royal Family, right? So act like it. You wouldn't want to disappoint gramma, would you?”
“I... I'm sorry!” In a sudden flash, the wind disappeared, and all the books and other debris that had been swept up fell straight to the ground. Twilight groaned and winced as the books spread themselves around on the floor. Scootaloo fell limp to the ground, crying. “I don't want to disappoint you, or Mom. I'm sorry.”
“Scootaloo, stand up. Come on,” the queen extended a hoof, “pick yourself up, show some pride.”
“Okay,” Scootaloo sniffled and grabbed Chrysalis' hoof, wiping her nose with her other foreleg.
“There you go.”
Chrysalis stood smiling down at the filly, and Scootaloo returned the smile meekly. They stood like that for a few moments before a series of knocks echoed through the door.
“I made knocking work.” Twilight beamed.
“Come on out, we know you're in there!” Somepony from the mob shouted. “We heard the commotion, and there's no way that was you, Twilight. That sounded like the little changeling freak to us!”
In an instant, Chrysalis, Rebound, and Echo all changed into their disguises. Scootaloo squinted as she tried to change, but only managed to spit a small ring of fire from her horn.
“Come on, Scoot,” Echo said quietly, “you can do it!”
“If you don't open this door in five seconds, we're coming in!”
“I can't do it, Mom!” Scoot cried
“Keep trying!” Echo encouraged.
“Three!” The mob shouted.
“I can't!”
“You have to!”
“Two!”
“I'm sorry!”
“It's okay!” Echo moved and stood in front of Scootaloo, dropping her own disguise.
“One!”
“What are you doing, Echo?” Rebound asked.
“Protecting my daughter!”
Boom. The door crashed inward, and a flood of angry ponies rushed in. One of them made eye contact with Echo. “There's one! Get her!”
What ensued was a quick, bloody fight. Echo's military training allowed her to protect her daughter with frightening proficiency, and her maternal instincts made her a force to be reckoned with. The others stood by the side of the room in shock as Echo twisted around delivering perfectly timed and placed blows to the faces, knees, bellies, and occasionally the unmentionables of ponies that tried to get too close to Scootaloo. Echo didn't expect any help from Chyrsalis or Rebound. Chrysalis was barred from using her combat magic, and wasn't terribly skilled in hoof-to-hoof combat because of her lanky stature. Rebound was an impudent little shit, and probably wouldn't lift a hoof to help Echo if her life depended on it.
Funny thing, Echo thought as she delivered a buck to somepony's chin, it actually might.
Echo had probably incapacitated ten ponies before she was overwhelmed by a group of three who attacked her and Scootaloo at the same time. Two of them stood on Echo's limbs, immobilizing her. She struggled, but couldn't beat the brute force of two Earth pony stallions. She spat profanities at them, and they just stared down at her and laughed.
A unicorn had found Scootaloo, and now lifted the trembling changeling filly in a soft blue aura of magic.
“Look what we've got here,” the mare said with a sneer, “ how do you think she'd like it if I stabbed her with my horn?”
“No! I'll murder you!” Echo screamed.
“Colgate, what are you doing?” Twilight cried.
“I'm ending this thing's suffering.” Colgate said coldly as she angled her head for a charge.
In a quick flash, Rebound – still disguised – bucked Colgate in the side of the head and caught Scootaloo on his back. “I don't think so,” he said as he turned to face the two ponies who were restraining Echo. “Let the lady go, assholes.”
“That's not going to happen,” Filthy Rich's voice came from the crowd, and he stepped forward to stand next to Echo. “You see, this thing is a disgrace to our town. It lives among us, it eats our food, and it even corrupted that poor child.”
“Ah, Filthy Rich, I presume?” Rebound said, taking a few steps forward. “You're the ringleader of this mob, aren't you? I've heard a great deal about you in the past few days.”
“Yes, I am Ponyville's protector. An advocate for the return to a pure, pony society. Just who do you think you are?”
Rebound took a few more steps, stopping just about a head's length from Filthy. “I think you know me as Puzzle Piece. At any rate, I've got something to give you.” Rebound craned his head backward, reaching out as though he were going to grab Scootaloo.
“You son of a bitch!” Echo screamed. Filthy laughed contentedly as he watched Rebound reach for the filly.
Green fire erupted from the ground at Rebound's feet, and he changed back to his true form instantaneously. He whipped his head forward and dragged the sharp point of his horn across Filthy's face. The stallion screamed in pain as he backpedaled. Rebound's horn glowed with a green fire, and his voice boomed forward with an intensity that Echo had never heard before. “Let that be a lesson to you. Don't treat mares and foals like this, or some gentlecolt will put you in your place. I will absolutely fight to protect these two.”
“You're forgetting,” Colgate said, coming back to her senses, “There's only one of you, and a whole lot of us.”
“You're right. Let's fix that.” Rebound's horn flared for a moment, and five pillars of flame erupted from the ground in a crescent formation around him. When they cleared, there were five identical copies of Rebound standing in the center of the room. “Let's see how well you all can do against six of me.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.044 seconds
Total duration
880 users online
1,301,589 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
EPIC BOSS FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
But seriously, why doesn't Twilight just BLAST them out of the room?
Okay Twily takes nearly 30 minutes to build a Door out of her Magic and they just brake it down like some plain wood door? And besides, why didn't she just create a forcefield around the lybrary?
But what do i care? It was another awesome chapter. And man i hope Filthy gets a nice big scar. And "normal" again.
2404346
I agree
Twilight Sparkle the most talented unicorn after Starswirl The Bearded and Protégé of Princess Celestia who taught her in the arts of Magic and she doesn't have the ability to blast them out of a Library? Maybe a Shield Spell? Oh Twiley
WIN! EPIC MOTHER FUCKING WIN!
damni it fluttershy the stare THE STARE! STARE THEM OUT OF THERE.
2404393 By my observation, Twi doesn't usually seem to be terribly well versed in combat. She did pretty well during the invasion, but she had time to prepare herself before that fight. This fight all took place in the span of about 30 seconds, probably. Twi's still in the back standing gobsmacked at the loss of her door.
so... are the doppelgangers illusions or did he teleport in a few friends?
CLIFFHANGER!!!! fffffffFfFfffffffffFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.....
on another note : MOAR!!
TWILIGHT, Y U NO HELP?
Too bad none of my OC's are in this... 2 are changelings, and 2 are half changelings :3
(A different race of changelings, mind you)
2404346>>2404393 Chances are she's too busy trying to think up a strategy to pay attention to what's now going on...
Anyone one wanna make a bet on who the mastermind behind this is? My best guess is another changeling queen since in was mentioned that their were problems involving Chrysalis's status. And while Filthy may have motive I can't think of how he could brain wash the town.
Oh, so THAT is why his name is 'Rebound' (heh, probably not, but it could be). As for the door, I think I have to agree that Twilight unnecessarily wasted all that energy on a stupid door, one that was easily broken down without much trouble. I must face-palmed hard at that, since a force field would have been a better idea. Just what was you thinking, Twilight...!
Chrysalis playing hide-and-go seek with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle...if that doesn't give anyone a heart attack in term of sweetness, I don't know what can. I guessing that she is body-guarding them from harm when the attack is happening. However, I wonder what their thoughts on seeing their best friend being attack by ponies who they thought they knew. Furthermore, I wonder if they'll make the connection that they once was acting just like them a while ago.
Keep up the great job...wow, I really need to be more creative than that. Heh.
So now, we've got arson, criminal assault, reckless endangerment, willful destruction of public property, criminal trespass, and burglary. But what really takes the cake?
Assembling in a group larger than ten ponies without a permit.
You are the worst kind of criminals!
2404410
Heh, you rhymed.
Great to see a new chapter from you. I get what you mean about writers block, going through a terrible case of it at the moment.
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Go Rebound!
My guess for the whole mob thing: A high-ranking official of Chrysalis took control of half of the separatist changelings and brainwashed the townsponies to do his/her dirty work.
That, or Cluster somehow got back from the dead and wants revenge.
Neat... Rebound just went all righteous on Filthy Rich. Hope it leaves a scar.
You...
You...
MOAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rebound: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!?!
*poof six Rebounds standing*
Rebound 1-6: Problem solved
Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, smartest unicorn alive, most powerful mortal in existence... Incapable of using telekinesis to simply lift the mob out of the library.
As for thinking quickly, how long did it take the Ursa Minor to stomp its way to Twilight in Boast Busters?
About 30 seconds, if I recall correctly.
When faced with a situation that requires it, I imagine Twilight as perfectly capable of some quick-thinking tactical decisions.
I'm sorry, but why the heck is Twilight just SITTING THERE!?
2405553 Temporary Moment of Insanity?
Nah, I'll be honest with you, it's a plot hole. The writer's block was strong during this chapter, and I just wanted to get past it rather than spend a month making ONE CHAPTER work flawlessly.
twilight SUMMON CHUCK NORRIS
also i hop filthy DIES[but no one else]
2405438 I'm going to go ahead and keep defending my plot hole, because I'm stubborn.
Twilight is highly capable, but also is easily flustered. When she's flustered, she's shown a remarkable ability to be completely dumbfounded. While it doesn't last long, neither does this fight sequence. Also, her beautiful door was just broken down, and she's probably a little bit gobsmacked because of that.
I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP. *Salutes*
Where the Hell is Local/National Law enforcement?
Ponies cant just start riots whenever they feel like.
2405389
this is exactly what i thought, because it sounds so much cooler than Shadow Clone Jutsu.
...I swear if you have Twilight make a third door... I'm going to assume that the massive mob of psychopathic ponies flooding her home has put Twilight into a temporary moment of shock...which she will snap out of soon.
I have two things. First: When did Twilight meet Rebound? I don't remember them meeting before now, yet the talked like they know each other. (This could just be my crappy memory not remembering them meeting.)
Secondly:
Chrysalis had already come out earlier:
Unless she just really likes it underneath that couch.
2406386 lol, was still some good stuff right there though, seriously couldn't stop the lawls at Rebounds reaction... ohh... it'd be so kewl if Echo and Rebound got together. Wait, being to optimistic need to think, "What would Pinkie Pie do?"
de fuq Pinkie, wait, what's wrong with that last one? She looks sick
Epic fight, I'm luvin i!
2406413 She just likes it under that couch.
Not defending a plot hole here, I genuinely intended her to go back and hide under the couch.
2406690
Ah...ok...maybe drop a line showing her going back under.
That way it's less confusing.
2406714 Should be fixed.
That ending was so uncalled for!
Shits gonna go DOWN!
Rebound used Double Team!!!
...Wait for the next chapter to find out it's effect!
good job
Just gonna say, this was epic. Can't wait for the next chapter! Do not disappoint!
YAY Rebound! Also MOAR!
Please?
I like Rebound. He's got spunk!
I love how Twi isn't doing anything to stop the fight. I can only assume she's mourning the loss of her door... again.
Hello to all who want to know what is going on with Twilight why doesn't anyone think what's affecting The entire ducking town is affecting her.Even if it feeds on the negative emotions of the ponies twilight still might not entirely forgiven Chrissie for trying to kill her surrogate mother her friends possibly raping her brother locking her babysitter/surrogate sister/sister in law in crystal caves and trying to destroy her home town and about 1 point from more important then the rest the library it would also explain why
Scootaloo is so angry as half a change ling
I was going to say something about the plot hole filler but I know what goes on without the clop filter
Rebound just got 20% cooler... x6.
*replaces trilby with top hat* I say old chap, Rebound has unleased what we gentlecolts describe only as "Concered Psycho Mode". The last time it happend to me...let's just say there is a stallion without his crown jewels if you get what I mean.
2418823 A gentlecolt, when angered, is a force to be reckoned with.
Gotta admit rebound is a BADASS great job with the chapter can't wait to see where you take it
Duplication spell....COOL.
SHIT IS HITTING THE OMEGA-FUCKING FAN!!!!!
2448982 Doctor Who reference. it's like one of his catch phrases.
2446436 Thank's c: ,True dat.
2448982 It's from docter who it's french for "Let's go".