A Changeling Among Us
Derpy quietly fiddled with her tablet.
She was in a small transport pod, sitting on just one of the ten seats that lined the walls. It rumbled and shook as it blasted off towards its destination. The Skeld. The next place she and everypony else within the crew would be assigned tasks to not only transport their cargo but to tend to the ship as well. It needed maintenance on its journey and they were its maintenance. Ten ponies plus a dragon ready for the job.
At least Derpy WOULD be ready if it weren't for this tablet. She tried pressing her hooves against it, tapped it lightly, and then pressed her nose against the screen with a frustrated sigh. Somehow, booping her nose against it made it work! She heard a ding and perked up at the noise. The grey mare blinked and stared at it, confused.
A light chuckle was heard nearby, "Having trouble?"
Derpy sat up and whipped her head towards the new voice. There standing in front of her was a familiar looking purple pony. She was in a suit, like the rest of them, but Derpy couldn't help but note how it perfectly matched the mare's wings and allowed her to not only open them but flex or ruffle them as well! Derpy's suit couldn't do that. It was fit for a pegasus, sure, but it was not made to her exact measurements unlike this one... That's when she looked up and spotted the horn. Her cross-eyed stare went between the other's horn and wings. An alicorn...
"P-Princess Twilight??"
The princess smiled underneath her helmet and gently took the tablet from Derpy in her magical hold, "Here. Let me help. Now logging in is easy but finding your way around can be difficult. I've been trying to implement an easier way to navigate this thing but organization is key! Too bad no pony really understands how it's supposed to be organized." She hummed as she used her magic to create purplish, see-through cylinders that casually tapped away at the screen, "And I really need to make it easier for non-magic users too."
"Wait, you're coming on this mission too?" Derpy asked, "Isn't that... a bit dangerous?"
Twilight looked up, "Why would it be?"
"B-Because of the attacks from The Hive! What if we get a changeling on board?"
The princess shrugged, "Then we'll figure them out. Don't worry, I have my friends here to keep us all safe if need be! After all, we were all personally called and needed for this very special mission. I can't not come! Especially when the others are involved. Here, can you type your username and password?"
"Oh- sure, but it might be slow." Derpy warned as she held the tablet in front of her and tried tapping with one of her hooves again. When that failed, she resorted to bapping her face against the screen in an attempt to spell out her information.
"I get why you're confused though. Why am I not in the capital doing princess politics? Heh. I started out as a crewmate, don't really plan to stray away from it. Unless I had to. Plus I like staying with my crew. Been with most of them here for a long time now. Six of them ever since the start."
"Oh really?"
"Mhm! Here let me introduce you to them." Twilight gently took the tablet from Derpy and lead her over to a small purple dragon who had been dozing off at another chair, "This is Spike. He's my little assistant! Doesn't leave my side no matter what."
"Awww, he's so cute alseep..!" Derpy whisper-yelled as she gushed over the baby dragon.
"Over there is Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity." Twilight pointed to three other ponies, calling them out one by one.
Fluttershy was a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane cascading over her shoulders. She clutched her helmet close to her chest and shyly hung her head low.
Applejack was an orange earth pony with an apple marking drawn onto her hindlegs and a cowboy hat resting atop of her helmet, which she wore. A double hat, Derpy assumed?
Then there was Rarity, a white unicorn with a stylish purple mane. Her suit, for some odd reason, was all shiny and glittery. Derpy adverted her gaze and looked over instead to the two other ponies Twilight began to announced.
"And these two over here are Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash!"
"Hi..!" Derpy cautiously waved her hoof in greeting.
"Hi there!!" Pinkie jumped up, "Welcome to the crew! Gosh, four whole new members all coming just to join us! Ah this is so exciting!"
"Heyyy, Derpy!" Rainbow Dash flew over to Derpy's side, her wings also perfectly fit the suit she was wearing, "I remember you! Cadet training, right? Long time no see!"
Derpy smiled, "It's great to see you too, Rainbow Dash! Wow. You're all very nice already! I'm glad to be going into this mission with you all."
"Aw, thank you darling." Rarity hummed, "You're not so bad yourself!"
"Oh and a'course we haveta meet up with the other newbies as well!" Applejack added as she waved down several other mares, "Hello there ya'll! Let's get introductions outta the way, how about it?"
Twilight raised a wing over to an approaching orange unicorn with a fiery red mane, "This here is Sunset Shimmer! I've known her for a bit too, but this is our first mission out here together! Sunset, this is Derpy."
"Hey, nice to meet you." Sunset coolly offered a hoof towards Derpy.
"And you too!" Derpy bumped hers against the other's.
Twilight turned to the last two, "And over here is-"
"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! Plus her very important friend, Starlight Glimmer!" A blue unicorn stood on her hind legs and gestured to her light purple friend nearby. Starlight, Derpy assumed, sheepishly chuckled and bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Hi! Derpy, was it?" Starlight greeted, "Is this your first mission too?"
Derpy shook her head, "No actually! I've had tons of missions before. Not a lot of them went well, but I have a really good feeling about this one!"
"And this is not my first either!" Trixie announced, "I am a very experienced crewmate, and with the help of my BRILLIANT detective skills, I have caught and found many changelings who dared come aboard! Trust me, you'll need me with you at all times! I'll keep you safe!" She boasted with a grin.
Twilight let out a small groan while Starlight giggled into her hoof. The three mares began to talk among each other, Twilight entirely done with Trixie's antics, and Derpy found her attention was caught by the shy pegasus from earlier. Fluttershy.
"Um... Excuse me?" The mare's quiet voice was barely a whisper, "But what did you mean when your last missions didn't... go well?"
"Oh. Um." Derpy hesitated, "W-Well you see, whenever there was a changeling report I was always one of the first to be ejected out. I talk really slow and I'm really clumsy so, I'm really suspicious..."
"O-Oh... With no proof? That's horrible." Fluttershy sat down next to Derpy, "Don't worry. If there is a changeling report on the ship, I'll make sure you don't get voted off. I-I mean, I don't think there will be, but just in case. This time, you won't get ejected if I can help it."
Derpy perked up at this and let out a relieved sigh, "Thank you Fluttershy... This crew seems so nice! I would like to stay if you'll all have me."
"Mhm! I understand." Fluttershy patted Derpy's shoulder.
"Hey ya'll! We're almost there! Get strapped in and get ready, we're about to up and land!" Applejack announced from her panel before she hopped over into one of the seats.
Everypony else nodded to one another and got themselves strapped up.
"Here we go everypony! Now remember, the sooner we get our tasks done the sooner we can go home." Twilight reached over to gently wake up Spike.
"Good, I can't wait! Hey Applejack after this want to grab a mug of cider?" RainbowDash called.
"Sure, I don't see why not!"
PinkiePie then began the countdown, "Entering the Skeld in 5...
4...
3...
2...
1..!"
There are 2 changelings among us
Everypony in the cafeteria froze and stared down at their tablets the moment the notification went off. They had just entered and were idly mingling about when the alert popped up. Two changelings had been caught in the sensors, but nopony knew who they were.
Derpy let out a shaky breath and pressed her head against the table, "Oh no..." She covered her head with her hooves
Fluttershy patted Derpy's shoulder, "Hey, it's alright. It's okay."
"Ah that's just great." Applejack huffed, "What do ya reckon we do about this, Twilight?"
Twilight looked up from her tablet and scanned everypony there, "Two out of eleven of us are changelings... Hm. I'm not sure what we could do. I trust a lot of you. Most of you..." She sighed and placed a hoof over her head while Spike silently patted her shoulder, "There isn't much we can do until we find proof of who the changelings could be."
"Well I say we hurry up and finish our tasks!" Rainbow Dash insisted, "Again, the sooner we get them done the sooner we go home."
Pinkie Pie bounced up next to her rainbow-colored friend, "She's right! So the best course of action now is to scatter throughout the ship and fill up our task bar!"
"Wait, scatter? I don't think that's a good idea-" Sunset began.
"1 2 3 GO!" Pinkie shouted before running off in one direction. Several more began to scramble away, looking for tasks that they needed to get done.
Twilight let out a sigh, "Well there they all go, I suppose."
"Eh maybe we'll run into them in a while," Sunset shrugged as she joined Twilight's side, "I'll stick with you and Spike if you want."
"I'd like that. Come on, I have a task in admin."
"Same!"
The three left and Derpy found herself in the cafeteria with Fluttershy and Rarity.
"So, I have a med scan task." Fluttershy quietly hummed.
"Ah, perfect darling! That will prove that you're not a changeling!" Rarity chirped, "If a changeling used that scan we'd all be alerted instantly!"
"Why's that?" Derpy curiously asked as she hopped up to follow the two to medbay.
"Well you see, a changeling's body is completely different from a pony body. The scans would precisely determine that the creature on it was a complete anomaly. Thus alerting us all on board. Not all of us can use it however, only a few are assigned to it, so a few can activate it."
"Oh I see. Thank you Rarity! I don't usually hang around too long to know about all this med scanning stuff!" Derpy smiled.
"Ah yes, well you learn something new everyday! Though that is rather suspicious..."
"Rarity..." Fluttershy looked over in concern, "She's always one of the first to be ejected out. Please leave her alone for now?"
"Oh, I can't say no to a sad look like that Fluttershy! Alright. I'm sorry about that Derpy."
"No hard feelings, I understand!" Derpy assured, "I'm not the best crewmate, ahah."
They had entered the Medbay and Fluttershy was already making her way up to the scan. The two watched as a light green glow washed over her while a screen nearby began to list off her physical information. Height, blood type, and etc.
Rarity turned to Derpy and continued their conversation, "Now darling, don't put yourself down! You don't have to be an expert. Plus just because you're bit slow on your tasks-" Rarity pressed a button nearby to begin filling up vials to inspect, "-does not mean that is an excuse to throw somepony overboard!"
"Thanks you two... I feel much more welcome already." Derpy beamed.
"Of course of course! Ah! Fluttershy, I see you're done?"
The shy mare pulled out her tablet, "Yeup. N-Now my next task-"
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash's voice rang out in their comms, "EVERYPONY TO THE MEETING ROOM! WE HAVE A COCOONED BODY REPORT! COCOONED BODY!"
The three of us stopped and stared. Oh no.
Everypony available was now at the meeting room table. Derpy looked over all of them. There was herself, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike, Sunset, Starlight, Trixie, Applejack, and Rainbowdash. Pinkie was nowhere to be seen.
Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves on the table, "The changelings got Pinkie Pie!"
"Calm down, where did you find her?" Twilight stood.
"In electrical. She ran in and the doors closed in front of me. I tried to get them open and when they did, Pinkie Pie was in this big green gooey cocoon!"
Starlight perked up, "The changeling must have gone through a vent."
Sunset nodded, "Only changelings can go through because they can transform into something small enough to pass from one vent to another. A normal pony wouldn't be able to fit through."
"The vents in electrical lead to security and medbay, don't they?" Trixie questioned.
Applejack narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Trixie, "I ah, assume so..?"
"So, who was at medbay or security?" The mare pushed on.
Rarity spoke up, "Fluttershy, Derpy, and I were at medbay. Fluttershy did a scan there, so she is perfectly safe. We saw nopony vent through from our side."
"Hm. Still suspicious. What if you're all working together?"
"Th-There were three of us there though." Derpy added, "There's only two changelings on the ship."
"Oh. I guess you have a point there." Trixie sat back down.
Applejack spoke up, "Did anypony see somepony in security?"
The room went silent, but Starlight seemed to uncomfortably shift in her seat.
"Starlight?" Applejack raised a brow towards her.
"Um... Well. I was at reactor doing a task, and there was somepony with me, but I don't think it was her." Starlight insisted.
"Starlight, who was that pony? We need to know." Twilight urged.
"Well, um..."
Trixie sighed, "Alright alright, I won't make you do this. It was me. I was in security watching from cameras. Starlight can vouch for me and anypony who saw the red lights will also know."
RainbowDash huffed, "I don't know, that sounds very suspicious to me!"
"SUSPICIOUS?! Excuse you? I'm just trying to solve this case!" Trixie growled.
"We know, but ya been shooting off accusations and ya somehow know lots about the vent system, don't ya?" Applejack questioned.
"Well duh, I studied the ship first hoof before getting on it! Do none of you do that?"
Twilight sheepishly smiled, "Well she has a point..."
"Anyways, I think this was a self report. Rainbow Dash had to be the one to cocoon Pinkie!"
"WHAT?" RainbowDash hopped up, "Pinkie is my FRIEND! My best friend!"
"Perfect alibi, isn't it~?"
"Trixie, that's enough." Twilight was now the next pony to speak up. She slammed her hoof on the table and glared, "Out of all ponies here you are the most suspicious. Besides, that terror I heard in Rainbow Dash's voice? That was genuine. Pinkie is our closest friend and she's been cocooned."
"And again, ya been hard accusing everypony here." Applejack mentioned, "Meanwhile you're the only one at security with a vent that connects to electrical and ya didn't see anypony else?"
"... Nopony except Starlight, who was at reactor." Trixie muttered, looking a little defeated.
"Alright. I think I have my vote." Dash spoke up as she harshly tapped at her tablet, "For Pinkie Pie!"
Everypony began pulling out their tablets and choosing their vote. Starlight paused and looked between all of them, "Wait! I don't think it's Trixie!" She insisted, "She was on those cams the entire time, don't eject her!"
"It's too late Starlight, votes are coming in." Sunset sighed.
"If it's Trixie, Starlight's the other one!" Dash insisted.
Derpy lowered her ears and voted.
"Come on darling, vote." Rarity urged.
Starlight stared down at her tablet in sorrow and voted.
The votes appeared on everypony's screen.
Fluttershy and Derpy had opted to skip.
Trixie and Starlight voted Dash.
Everypony else chose Trixie.
Dash abruptly placed her tablet down and stood, "Get her!"
"NO WAIT!" Trixie yelled out as she tried to run away. Starlight hurriedly attempted to stop Rarity while Applejack and Rainbow Dash sped by. Derpy and Fluttershy sat where they were, heads bowed as they watched the scene before them. As Sunset and Rarity were keeping Starlight back from trying to stop the others, Trixie had been nabbed and was now being taken to the ejection pod.
Twilight waited at the button while the others shoved her in.
"No! I'm not the changeling! Please stop!" Trixie urged before the doors closed. She banged on the glass as Dash glared at her.
"Yeah right! We're going to get your buddy too for what you did to Pinkie Pie! So long changeling scum!" Dash growled.
Twilight then pressed the button.
Trixie had been ejected.
Derpy lowered her head in her hooves while Fluttershy comforted her. The rest of the group watched on, waiting to see if she'd transform back into a changeling.
They waited... and nothing happened.
"Uh... She ain't transforming back." Applejack's ears fell, "And the thing still says two changelings."
"Do you think she... really was a changeling?" Rarity hesitantly asked.
"NO! She wasn't!" Starlight called out, "I told you Trixie wasn't a changeling! And now you've gone and shot her out in space!"
Twilight's eyes widened, "Starlight. I'm sorry."
"YOU'RE SORRY? You just sent my friend out into cold space!" Starlight kicked at a nearby trash can and then stomped away, "I'm going to finish my tasks! You better hope somepony gets her distress signal or so help me!"
A silence then trickled throughout the group. They lowered their heads in guilt and glanced between each other. Applejack had even taken off her hat and pressed it against her chest.
"I... I'll move Pinkie Pie to the med bay." Dash solemnly said before flying away.
"We should... ah... finish our tasks." Applejack placed her hat back ontop of her helmet and went to leave, "I'll be around ya'll."
The ponies began to disperse once more. This time, Fluttershy went along with Rainbow Dash to help her out and Rarity went off to the right, towards navigation. Twilight and Sunset decided to buddy up again and Derpy found herself alone. Derpy sighed and decided to make her way towards 02. It was the same way Rarity had went.
She went ahead to do her tasks. First she had to clean up some leaves which she struggled to push through... then she had to get the trash. She pulled at it and let go a bit soon. It looked like it had emptied, but it didn't. Derpy narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she tried to figure it out. She began to flick the thing up and down, "Come on..."
As she just figured it out, she suddenly heard a distant shout. A familiar one. Rarity.
Derpy froze and looked behind her down the hallway she heard the noise. The mare hesitated and then slowly made her way over with careful, quiet steps.
As she approached the hall leading into Navigation, she looked up at the camera above her.
Darn. Nopony was using them! Then nopony would have seen who had gone out or in.
What if something had happened?
Then she would have to witness it. She gulped down her fear and made her way into Navi. Please be alright. Please be alright. Please-
Derpy froze at the sight she saw.
Rarity. She was completely cocooned in a green, sluggish substance. It completely covered her and stuck to every part of the room as slimy, sticky limbs. However that wasn't the most shocking thing about this. What made Derpy's blood go cold was the pony who did it.
Applejack.
She stood over the body, her mouth open as a substance went spewing from her mouth. She then snapped her sharp teeth closed and let out a chuckle at her finished work.
"There. Now ya stay nice and comfy, Rarity. Let's see who- Oh." Applejack looked up to spot Derpy staring at her, "Well hello there~"
Derpy booked it. She turned and ran out of Navi and straight down through the hall. Her wings hurriedly flapped behind her as she searched for either Crewmate or shelter. She needed to escape into safety and close the doors, but every room had vents! Every single room... except-
Communications! Communications had no vents!
Derpy swiftly ran through Shields and slid straight into Communications just as she heard the vent nearby open and spotted a hint of orange behind her. She charged into the room and slammed her hoof on a button, closing the door behind her. Then, she looked around and spotted nopony else around. It was only her. She was alone in this room.
Derpy backed away from the door and hurriedly hid under the desks. Her breathing was fast and her heart anxiously thumped in her chest.
What did she just do? She just locked herself in a room with no escape and no help! What was she thinking going over there alone?? She covered her face with her hooves and let out a choked noise. She should have just kept running to Admin! Somepony was bound to be there, right? But no, she was stuck in Communications instead!
As she fumbled with herself, trying to figure out what to do, the doors suddenly opened.
Derpy froze and shrank into her hiding spot. She watched as orange hooves entered the room.
"Oh my little pony~?" The changeling hummed, "I know you're hiding in here."
The frightened mare covered her mouth with her hooves.
"Now, let's talk. This is my plan, this is what I'm thinking." Applejack's usual southern accent had completely disappeared as a new voice entirely, "Alibis. We all need them. So, maybe for this round we could be eachother's alibis, hmm? We're awfully close to the cocooned body after all, aren't we? And you ran from it. So suspicious looking. Good thing the cameras weren't on." She playfully chuckled.
"B-But... What if they suspect me as the second changeling..?" Derpy muttered from her hiding spot, which she instantly regretted when Applejack abruptly poked her head underneath the desk with a lashing tongue.
"OH don't worry little one! You're safe with me~ After all, I am the element of honesty, aren't I? And very close friends with a majority of the crew. Hehe." She chuckled before pulling away, "Don't worry. We won't get caught~ Just don't give us away."
The changeling then reached down and grasped Derpy's hoof. She let out a surprised noise as she was suddenly pulled right out of her hiding spot and into the open with the very creature that had comatosed one or two of her new friends. Applejack smiled, dusted Derpy off, and then turned to leave.
"Well! Best I'd go and finish off those tasks now, right partner?" She chirped, switching back to her southern accent.
"R-Right..." Derpy hesitantly took a step forward and followed after the orange mare.
"COCOONED BODY REPORT!"
"Where?" Applejack instantly asked.
"Me and Fluttershy found her," Rainbow Dash announced, "She was in navigation."
"Anypony here see anything?" Twilight asked.
"Well..." Applejack tapped her hoof, "I have a sneaky suspicion of somepony but I want to know, has anypony seen Starlight at all?"
"What?" Starlight growled.
"Hush now filly, has anypony seen Starlight?" Applejack questioned once more.
Everypony went silent while Derpy shuffled in her seat.
"... Cause me and Derpy did."
"WHAT?" Starlight stood.
"Shut up! Go on Applejack." Dash insisted.
"Thank ya kindly Dash. Anyways, Derpy and myself were in Comms when I spotted Starlight running by, going to Shields. That is in the direction of Navigation, ain't it? Well I did glance over, thought I heard the vent open, and saw she no longer was there. Either way however, she could've gone up. Up straight to Navigation right where Rarity was."
"EXCUSE YOU? I was nowhere NEAR Comms!" Starlight insisted, "I had been refueling the lower and upper engines!"
"Yet nopony saw ya doing that?" Applejack raised a brow.
Everypony went silent once more.
"Well I think that settles it!" Dash announced, "Starlight is a changeling!"
"Seriously?? First you vote my friend out, now me? I'm not a changeling! I was just trying to finish my tasks!"
"Her story could check out though," Twilight muttered, "Derpy? Did you see Starlight?"
All eyes were now on Derpy. She hesitated and felt her body shiver, "U-Um..."
Fluttershy rubbed her hoof along Derpy's back, "Hey, it's okay... you're not in trouble."
Derpy gave Fluttershy a grateful smile, but it soon dropped. Guilt was now clawing at her, but she saw the way Applejack glared at her. Frightened, and afraid, she spoke without thinking, "Yeah, I-I saw Starlight walk by us."
"Then it could be you." Twilight turned to Starlight, "You could be the changeling."
Starlight pointed towards Applejack and Derpy, "THEY'RE the changelings!" She insisted, "THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER! Both of them!"
Derpy ducked her head fearfully.
"Now you're just begging to get thrown out!" Dash shouted, "Applejack is NOT the changeling! She's been chill this whole game!"
"Thank ya Dash."
"Of course! I protect my friends!"
Fluttershy piped in, "A-And I don't think Derpy would lie either."
"Then that settles it." Twilight pulled out her tablet, "Everypony vote."
"No. No no no, I'm telling you! It's Applejack and Derpy! They're the changelings!" Starlight insisted.
It was too late however, everypony was voting.
Derpy and Fluttershy skipped.
Starlight voted Applejack.
Everypony else voted Starlight.
Starlight instantly got up on her hooves and lit her horn ablaze, "Alright then, me against the crew? You're on!"
While Derpy covered her eyes and sank into Fluttershy's embrace, everypony else charged for Starlight. Sunset sent a blast towards Starlight's side, which she instantly blocked with a shield spell. Rainbow Dash meanwhile lunged from above and kicked Starlight in the chest as she flew into battle.
Starlight went stumbling back. Then with her magic she grasped onto Rainbow Dash's leg and tossed her across the cafeteria. Twilight swiftly jumped into the fight and sent her own blast Starlight's way.
The other unicorn responded with her own spell, and both collided in a show of blue and purple colors. Starlight fought on against Twilight. Their magic seemed to balance out, but soon Sunset joined the princess' side and sent her own beam of magic straight for Starlight. It hit her across her stomach and she went flying off to the side.
She crash landed in front of the ejection pod which Applejack stood, waiting, "Quick! Push her in, I got the button!"
Dash was the first to react. The moment Starlight began to pull herself up, Dash threw herself forward and kicked Starlight straight into the pod. Applejack swiftly closed the doors and Starlight's magic was instantly cancelled out.
"Wait! No!" Starlight slammed her hooves against the door, "Let me out, please! I'm not a changeling, I swear! It's Applejack and Derpy! You have to believe me-"
Then just like that, she was ejected.
Derpy let out a choked noise while the rest of the crew watched in silence.
...
Starlight did not transform back into a changeling, if she was one.
"Did... Did we get that wrong too?" Twilight muttered while Spike clutched at her leg.
"Then who else could it have been??" Sunset questioned.
"I know it can't be Applejack," Rainbow Dash insisted, "It MUST have been Derpy!"
Derpy felt this sinking feeling in her stomach.
"Nope, it ain't Derpy, I can vouch for her," Applejack insisted.
"F-Fluttershy can I stay with you from now on?" Derpy gently asked.
"Of course you can." Fluttershy patted Derpy's head, "She's going to stay with me, okay? If I get cocooned, you know who it is."
Sunset blinked, "Why... Why did you say that so calmly?"
"Because it can't be her, I trust Derpy."
"So now what?" Dash questioned.
"... We have to keep going." Twilight muttered out, "We need to get home as soon as possible to figure out if we can get those cocoons off of our friends. The other two should be saved by other Equestrian ships. Besides, I feel like after one more trip, we'll figure out who it is."
The crew then split again. Twilight and Sunset ran off together while Dash and Applejack went separate directions. Fluttershy smiled to Derpy and the two hurried off to finish their tasks.
"I don't like electrical..." Derpy muttered as she followed after Fluttershy.
"I understand, but the faster we get these tasks done the faster we can move on." Fluttershy then let out an eep as she accidentally stepped in some green leftover goo from Pinkie's cocooning, "... I think I'll check on Rarity and Pinkie after this task."
"Y-Yeah, sure." Derpy stuck close to Fluttershy as she tried to figure out wires. Ugh, so colorful! And difficult to hold with her hooves! They began to entangle themselves around her as she struggled to fiddle with them, "Um..."
"Oh..! Here." Fluttershy went over and helped untangle Derpy, "I have a little buddy who can help. Angel?" A small white rabbit poked out from her pack, "Can you help my friend with her task, please? It's difficult getting wires with... hooves and a mouth."
Angel let out an annoyed noise but clambered off of Fluttershy and made his way to the wires, "Just point him to what needs to be connected."
"Alright, thanks Fluttershy!"
"You're welcome..!" She then turned away to continue another task.
As Derpy directed Angel, she suddenly spotted movement behind her. The color orange entered her vision, "A-Applejack?!"
"Well howdy, what you two up to~?" Applejack playfully asked as she glanced over at Fluttershy, "Why you're looking lovely as usual!"
"Aw, thank you Applejack! I'm just finishing up here, won't be too long."
"Good, I'll be finishing up a task here myself." Applejack chuckled as, unbeknownst to Fluttershy, her tongue lashed out as she prepared her attack.
Derpy felt this coldness hit her and abruptly acted. She stepped up in between Fluttershy and Applejack and raised a wing while sending a harsh glare in the changeling's direction. Even her cross-eyes had manged to right themselves in that moment.
Applejack looked confused and took a step back.
Derpy responded with a small shake of her head.
Don't do it.
This one Derpy will report.
Applejack gritted her teeth and then walked off to fake a task. She opened a panel, acted like she flicked something, and then turned to walk away, "I'll be seeing you two 'round, kay?"
Fluttershy waved with her back still turned to the two, "Okay! Bye Applejack!"
Derpy let out a small sigh and turned back to Angel. She gently took the bunny and placed it back on Fluttershy's back, "Here. Thank you again for the help."
Fluttershy smiled as she finished up her tasks, "Of course!"
The two left and made their way into storage when an alarm went off. The reactor! The two were just about to head off when they spotted Sunset running off alone. Heading to the reactor, of course, but it was odd seeing her without Twilight or Spike.
The pegasi pair soon trailed after Sunset and hurriedly made their way to the reactor where they had to press down on two sensors in order for the meltdown to stabilize. Fluttershy and Derpy went to one while Sunset went to the other. After she pressed it and everything had settled, Sunset was then gone. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes in thought, "Come on. " She muttered and went over to security. Derpy and her found themselves staring at the cams. Only four, sadly, but hopefully enough to get information.
As they were watching however, everything started to get dark. The lights were being shut off.
Before they did, Fluttershy managed to spot Sunset heading down from Admin to Storage, "... Let's go together." She urged.
The two left and heading back into electrical. They could barely see, but they stuck close together in fear of losing one another. The moment they finally made it to the entrance however, Derpy found her hooves landing on something... goey. Was it leftover goo from Pinkie's cocooning..?
They bumped into something, but Derpy still wasn't sure what was happening. That is, until Fluttershy hurriedly flicked the lights on... and they were face-to-face with a frozen Rainbow Dash contained in another green, slimy cacoon.
Fluttershy gasped as Derpy stared in horror.
Derpy did not hesitate to grab her comm, "C-COCOONED BODY REPORT!"
"Where?" Twilight was the first to ask.
"E-Electrical." Derpy stuttered, "It must have happened when the lights went off."
"Derpy is safe." Fluttershy stated, "She's been with me the entire time."
"Sunset is safe too-" Twilight began.
"I-I'm sorry Twilight but, I don't think she is." Fluttershy solemnly interrupted.
"Why not? Sunset has been with me and Spike the entire time."
"U-Until she split from you during reactor and lights..." Fluttershy lowered her head.
Applejack perked, "She did?"
Sunset spoke, "Applejack here is the only one who did not have a buddy this entire time! She was alone. I think it's her."
"Now hold on just a second! There is still two changelings after all, you two could both be it!" Applejack pointed at Twilight and Sunset.
"What?!" Twilight's wings flapped in surprise, "Applejack..."
"I'm sorry to be pointing like that Twilight, but I'm convinced it's Sunset and, like she's said, you two have been together the entire time."
"But it's not us! I saw Sunset do Shields!"
"And I saw Twilight do Asteroids."
"Anypony else see that?" Applejack pushed on.
Twilight began, "Well Spike-"
Applejack abruptly turned to Derpy and Fluttershy, "Fluttershy, if Derpy and I were changelings wouldn't we have gotten you at electrical?"
"I... I suppose." Fluttershy's ears fell back.
"And we have solid proof it's Sunset, right?"
Fluttershy nodded, "I-I was at cams. I-I did see her head down through Storage when the lights went off. She could have gone to Electrical, got Dash, and ran."
"I wasn't heading to Electrical! I went to find Twilight who told me she'd be in Comms!" Sunset argued.
"And Sunset did meet me and Spike at Comms." Twilight mentioned.
"Listen Fluttershy, they're making an alibi for each other. We haveta vote one of them off, we got no choice! It's either now or never. The other two could overpower whoever's left!" Applejack did not hesitate to vote Sunset, "I'm voting Sunset."
The crew stared at one another before they began their votes.
"I'm sorry but, S-Sunset..." Fluttershy muttered out.
"Well I'm voting Applejack." Sunset growled.
"Applejack." Twilight insisted.
The votes were tied. Only one pony had the last vote now.
The crew turned towards Derpy.
She was staring down at her tablet, her eyes wide and her hoof shaky.
Fluttershy comforted the mare, "Hey... it's okay."
Derpy looked up at her.
"I know you'll make the right choice."
...
She smiled and then voted.
Two for Sunset.
Three for Applejack.
"W-What?" Fluttershy jumped in surprise.
"NO!" Applejack stood and threw her hat down, "HOW DARE YOU?!"
"Wait-!" Fluttershy tried to stop the others, but Derpy had grabbed her and pulled her away. Sunset and Twilight were on Applejack in an instant.
It was over the moment it started. Fluttershy had cried out for them to stop, but Applejack was already ejected out in space. Derpy comforted Fluttershy as she waited and watched...
It was then Applejack transformed and dropped the disguise. She was a changeling.
The number of changelings in the ship decreased by 1.
Fluttershy let out a choked noise and pressed her face against Derpy's chest, "I-I'm sorry..!"
"No, Fluttershy... I'm sorry." Derpy patted her head, "There's something I need to admit."
Sunset and Twilight joined them, watching from a distance.
"Wh-... What's that?"
Derpy looked down at Fluttershy with a sad smile... and dropped her disguise.
Fluttershy gasped and backed away in surprise.
In front of them was a small, young changeling with big eyes and sorrowful gaze. She stood there with her head bowed, accepting whatever fate happened next, "I'm sorry." She began, "I'm so sorry. I'm the last changeling."
The three stared at her... Then, Sunset stepped forward and lit her horn, "Well? Let's toss her out too."
"W-Wait..." Fluttershy stopped her, "We don't have to do that. Please. She dropped her disguise for a reason."
"A reason?" Sunset questioned.
"Derpy could have just voted Sunset out." Twilight suddenly said, "And she could have gotten Fluttershy or anypony else at any time. But..."
Fluttershy carefully approached the small changeling "... Derp- I mean... What- What should we call you now?"
"... Ocellus. My real name is Ocellus."
"O-Ocellus. You look so young for a changeling soldier. You never cocooned anypony, did you?"
Sunset gave Fluttershy a confused glance, but Twilight approached with a knowing gaze.
Ocellus hesitated, "Do you have any reason to believe me?"
Fluttershy smiled and held out Angel, "Y-Yes. Yes I do. Angel? Did she stop Applejack from cocooning me?"
Angel hurriedly nodded his head with a smile.
Fluttershy giggled, "Then I have every reason to believe you now..!"
"Then... I never cocooned anypony. I couldn't and didn't want to. I came to your ship actually hoping to find a place where I belong. Somewhere outside of The Hive and outside of Equestria. That didn't really work out too well. I, honestly, was planning to reveal myself to those I trusted near the start, but there was a second changeling..." Ocellus bowed her head, "I'm sorry. Toss me out if you want."
Twilight stared at Ocellus, "How about this?" She grinned, "We finish tasks and we go home. With you."
Ocellus shrank back, "W-With me?"
"Mhm! As our friend. Though, I do have one question. Do you know how to break through those "unbreakable" cocoons~?"
Ocellus blinked at this. The question straight forward but game changing. She couldn't help but smile, "Heh."
"I... I actually do."
CREWMATE VICTORY