(UPDATED 6/7/2018)
This chapter mostly focuses on the locals. Next chapter will have something more closely connected to the coalition.
PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR MOST DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE & CHARACTER PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Ponyville
Next Morning – 8:10 AM
Twilight Sparkle slowly awoke in her bed. Normally, she was up & about by 7:30, but last night had been… rather tiring, to say the least, and Spike had convinced her that she could afford to sleep in a little; he'd just get breakfast for them both from Sugarcube Corner and bring it back for her to eat when she woke up. Her eyelids slowly opened halfway, looking up at her ceiling, sunlight streaming in through the gap of her window's curtains. She yawned, and rolled over onto her side… and froze.
She'd just felt something brush against her side. After a few seconds, she felt it moving again, slowly up her side and heading up for her belly. Curious, she lifted the bedsheet…
Spike, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie walked down the street, waving hello to the few ponies out & about as they headed for the library, Spike carrying a box of donuts. Suddenly, however, there was an impossibly loud, ear-piercing scream of utter terror that went on for several seconds. Everyone stopped and turned in the direction of the library.
"Twilight!" Spike was off like a shot, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. Fluttershy scooped him up and flew him (and the donuts) at a faster pace, Pinkie close behind. By the time they got there, they found Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Shion there as well. Applejack dramatically bucked down the library door, and everyone rushed up the stairs to Twilight's room. When they opened the door, they found Twilight clinging tightly to a support beam over her bed, her mane and coat standing on end and a wild look of panic in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Twi?" AJ asked.
Twilight pointed a hoof down at her bed. "It's in my bed!" she screamed. "It was crawling on me! Burn it! Send it to Hell!"
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "It's probably some tiny bug that's, like, an inch long; totally callin' it now." She walked over to the bed, reaching out to remove the sheet and reveal what was beneath it. "You gotta chill, Twi. It's just some lost little- HOLY CRAP!-!"
Dash immediately flew about 10 feet back as the intruder was revealed: a large centipede, around a foot long, dozens of little legs twitching, jaws and antennae wiggling around. Most of the others jumped back a bit as well.
"Buh…" Rarity was twitching, looking slightly faint. "Buh-B-Big bug. Big."
"Sweet Celestia, it's like a snake and a spider did the nasty" Applejack said.
"Oh my…" Fluttershy walked closer to it, fascinated. "It's a Scolopendra gigantea."
"I don't care what that spawn of Morning Star is called!" Twilight replied from the ceiling. "Get it the hell out of my house!-!"
"You don't normally see these outside of the Everfree Forest" Fluttershy continued, now in her nature-related version of Twilight's 'Lecture Mode'. "They're arthropods, related to spiders and scorpions. These are the largest known species of centipede, maxing out at around 30 centimeters. They're known to be rather nervous and aggressive; it's a surprise that it didn't bite you. Their bite combines acetylcholine, histamine, serotonin, proteases, and a cardiodepressent factor; they use it to kill and eat other arthropods, insects, and small vertebrates like lizards, mice, and bats." She looked up at Twilight with a rather odd smile. "Nature is so fascinating."
"Fluttershyyy~!" Twilight squealed. "Get it out of my bed!-!"
"Rarity? If you would please open the window so I have a clear path?" Fluttershy asked.
The unicorn in question quickly telekinetically opened the bedroom window and pulled the curtains back. Fluttershy then gingerly reached out, slowly picking the creature up.
"Oh. My. God." Twilight was breathing a little faster as she squeaked out, climbing the tonal register. "She's touching it, she's touching it, she'stouchingitshe'stouchingitshe'stouchingit…"
"Don't worry, little fella" Fluttershy cooed. "We'll get you back into the forest where it's nice and safe."
As the "super-centipede" curled itself around Fluttershy's forelimb, Twilight let out an "Ewwww" of increasing pitch that transitioned into a terrified squeal/scream as Fluttershy took to the air, inadvertently bringing the arthropod abomination within a couple feet of her. "Get it away!" she screamed. "Get it away getitawaygetitawaygetitawaygetitawaygetitawaaaaayyy!-!-!"
As Fluttershy fluttered out the window, Twilight remained clinging to the ceiling.
"…I can't get down" she whimpered. "Someone help, please?"
Rainbow Dash flew up and grabbed hold of the still-petrified girl, bringing her down to the ground. She sat Twilight down in her bed, but Twi immediately leapt out of the bed like it was on fire, choosing instead to sit on the floor, hugging herself and quivering like a frightened Chihuahua. Wordlessly, Applejack and Rarity pulled her into a hug, and she slowly calmed down over the next several minutes. Finally, her stomach made its displeasure at being empty known to everyone.
"And that's why I brought breakfast" Spike said, opening the donut box with a flourish.
Twilight stared at the selection with an increasingly-hungry gaze. "A-Are those donut holes?"
-SCENE BREAK-
Same Day – 3:30 PM
Dash's House
Fluttershy felt a tad amazed as she walked into the house. Rainbow's home had always been… well, a mess, to put it bluntly. But now it looked somewhat tidier than it had when she'd last been in here. Dash was sitting on the couch, and waved Fluttershy over upon seeing her.
"Goodness, Rainbow" Fluttershy said. "I don't think I've ever seen your house this… neat before."
"Yeah," Dash replied, "I figured that my old 'organized mess' was not a safe place for an eight-year-old to live. Remember when you guys hardly saw me during that day before I brought Scootaloo here? I spent almost that whole damn day sprucin' up this place, makin' it child-friendly and stuff. I think I did a fairly good job, wouldn't ya say?"
Fluttershy nodded, and then giggled. "I'm surprised to see you being so responsible, Dash" she grinned.
Rainbow blushed a little as she smiled. "Y-Yeah, yeah… I gotta say, though: I'm comin' to really like havin' the kid here. She's got a strong little fire in her heart, just like I did when I was her age. She's actually got pretty strong wings and flight muscles; her wings just haven't grown big enough yet for that strength to do her much good in terms of actual flying. She's got a heck of an appetite, just like me; that's why I'm glad that the Apples and the Cakes have been helpin' me out in terms of food. She's a bundle of energy, and she gets the cutest little look on her face when she's excited. And… when she's sad or really tired or asleep, she… 'Shy, when she's awake and buzzing about and excitable, ya kinda miss how small and… vulnerable-looking she really is. And her wings aren't yet big enough for her to be able to reach them to preen them properly, so I have to do it for her. I don't mind that, though; it relaxes her and me."
"Where does she sleep?" Fluttershy asked. "Did you clear out the guest room, or…"
"Nah, she sleeps in my room with me. I made this little donut-shaped pillow-circle thing on the floor next to me bed for her."
Fluttershy's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as she recognized something in what Dash described, but she kept quiet.
"For the first few nights, I'd sleep in my bed and she'd sleep in the pillows-and-blankets thing. But… she couldn't really sleep like that. That first night, I was laying awake thinking about stuff, and she started whimpering and reaching around in her sleep. I… I don't really know why I did it, but I reached down and picked her up, brought her into my bed with me. She curled up next to me and went right to sleep. The same thing happened the next two nights. After that, I took her little pillow-structure thing, moved it atop my bed, made it bigger, and now we both sleep curled up in that. She… She tends to sleep best when I drape a wing over her in addition to letting her cozy up next to me."
Fluttershy was listening with rapt attention, her mind working at a high pace as the (adorable) mental images played through her mind.
"Poor Scoot has been alone for quite a while" Dash continued. "I guess, after the crappy growing-up she's had, having someone to snuggle up with at night is a welcome change."
"You two are even more important to each other than you realize" she replied, laying a hoof on Dash's shoulder.
"I guess so…" Dash trailed off with a smile. "I can't wait to introduce her to my folks; they'll love her." She shook her head to change her thoughts. "So, how's our little surprise for Trixie coming?"
"They should be here later this afternoon" Fluttershy replied. "Oh, I do hope it goes well."
"It'll be fine, 'Shy. I'm sure she'll be happy."
-SCENE BREAK-
Flutter Field
Same Day – 6:45 PM
Trixie let out a sigh as she lounged on the picnic blanket after finishing her dinner, looking up at the orange-tinted sky as the Sun continued to set. The others had planned on having a picnic dinner (which was odd, she thought; weren't picnics usually a lunch thing?) and had insisted that she join them.
Now, as Trixie sat there lost in thought, Twilight caught sight of four certain ponies approaching through the field. She made eye contact with the leader, and then signaled to the other five Element-Bearers near her, who nodded. "Trixie," she said, "we've got to take care of something real quick. Could you watch the blanket and stuff for a few minutes?"
"Huh?" Trixie came out of her zoned-out state. "S-Sure. Go ahead."
As the six left the area (apparently; actually they took position hiding in a nearby bush, to watch what was about to happen), the blanket's sole occupant let out a sigh and looked up at the sky. "I still wonder if I deserve all this" she muttered.
"Trixie? H-Honey, is that you?"
The young mare's ears perked up. 'That voice…' she thought. 'It's so familiar…'
Trixie turned around, and felt her breath catch in her throat. The middle-aged unicorn mare standing there, staring at her with wide purple eyes, had an off-white coat, powder-blue mane and tail, and a shooting star for a Cutie Mark. It had been 11 years since they'd last seen each other, but they recognized each other instantly. Trixie felt tears coming to her eyes.
"M…" she squeaked. "Mommy?"
"It is you…" Morrigan said. "…Oh, my baby girl… I finally found you…"
Mother and daughter slowly walked toward each other, and then embraced, holding each other for dear life as they both started crying.
"I'm sorry…" Morrigan whispered. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I didn't notice that you were unhappy until it was too late. I never meant to hurt you or get confused, and every time I think about the stress I was under at the time and what it did to me… what it made me do to you girls… to you… I can't forgive myself… I failed you as a mother, Trixie… But starting right here and now, I will make it all up to you. I swear on my name that I will…"
"I…" Trixie whimpered. "I was wrong, mama. I was stupid to think I was special… that I could make anything of myself… I s-should've just stayed home and merged into the background like I was s'posed to… made up a part of a three-pony pony with my sisters; they were already pretty much one pony in thought and mind, and I guess I was wrong not to be part of the collective. I… I just wanted to stand out, to be special, but I'm not! I never was! I'm sorry I didn't realize that!"
Morrigan's hug tightened. "Don't you dare say that kind of stuff, sweetie. I have never felt that way about you, and neither should you. You are special and unique, and I am so, so sorry that I didn't make sure you knew that. And for your information, Nixie and Pixie grew up to be quite different from each other and from you."
Trixie sniffled. "I'll believe that when I see it" she said.
Morrigan let out a little giggle. "Look behind me" she replied.
Trixie pulled her face out from her mother's shoulder, and gasped as she saw the three other ponies approaching. Two of them bore a startling resemblance to Trixie in body shape, color, and facial features, but one of them had a teddy-bear for a Cutie Mark and had her mane cropped short with the bottom spiked, and the other had a pair of ice skates for a Mark and her mane was in a single braid. The third was a stallion with deep-blue fur, a slightly-wispy mane & tail, and a stethoscope for a Mark.
Nixie, Pixie, and Cirrus – her sisters and brother.
"W… W-What're you all… How did…" Trixie couldn't believe her eyes.
"Word got around that you were alive and had settled down in Ponyville" Cirrus said with a calm smile. "I'm said that you've suffered so much… but I'm happy that you're still alive, sis."
"We understand why you left, Trixie" Pixie said.
"When we realized that it was our fault that you left…" Nixie continued.
"…that you felt like you weren't special…"
"…that you weren't your own individual…"
"…all because we three looked and sounded so alike…
"…and were always trying to do things together…"
"…we felt horrible…"
"We, mom, and big bro tried everything to find you…"
"…but we never could…"
"We always wanted to apologize…"
"…to do whatever it took to make it up to you…"
"We found our own Special Talents that turned out to be different from each other…"
"…and changed up our looks to make it harder for ponies to get us mixed up…"
"…though we've never quite managed to break the habit of…"
"…finishing each other's sentences…"
"We're so sorry, Trixie" they finished together.
Trixie honestly didn't know what to say. But the look in her eyes spoke volumes. Her siblings accepted her unspoken invitation and moved closer, joining the hug.
They stayed like that for what felt like forever, a family rejoicing in finding their lost member. After a while, Morrigan pulled back a bit to get a good look at her prodigal daughter. Her heart ached at what she saw; the scar along her side, the artificial right eye, and the lack of a Cutie Mark spoke of but a small hint of how much torment, misfortune, and suffering her little girl had been through. And it was at least partly her fault for not noticing how distressed her second-youngest had been.
'No more' she thought. 'I've been given a second chance. I'm going to make sure Trixie knows how much I love her for her, as an individual. I'm going to pull her out of this pit she's in, show her that she is special, help her get her Special Talent back, and give her the 11 years' worth of mother's love that she's missed out on, with interest. My baby girl… mama's gonna make things right, whatever it takes.'
As the six Element-Bearers watched from their hiding place as a family reunited, Twilight smiled at a job well done.
-SCENE BREAK-
Canterlot - Racetrack
Next Day – 4:05 PM
"And Soarin' wins by a foot!" the announcer called out over the loudspeakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our winner for this season's quarterly Wonderbolts Derby!"
Cheers rose through the crowd. In the VIP section sat a group of considerable size: the six Element-Bearers, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Trixie and her family, and Gamma & Theta Teams. The Wonderbolts Derby happened four times a year, and the gang had decided that it would be a nice little outing to come see this one. The kids loved it, especially Scootaloo, whose cheers were only surpassed in enthusiasm by Rainbow Dash's.
"This is so awesome, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo squealed excitedly. "Thank you so, so much for bringing me here!"
Dash chuckled. "It ain't over yet, Scoot. I saved a surprise for last. Should be starting any minute now…"
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said, "we have a very special treat for you today! Soarin', our winner for the Wonderbolts Derby, will be having a special exhibitionary race against the winner of this year's Best Young Flyers competition!"
As the crowd cheered, Scootaloo looked up at Dash with eyes as wide as can be, and Dash grinned back at her as she spread her wings and prepared to take off.
"Rainbow Dash, come on down!"
The sky-blue pegasus took to the air, flying over the crowds and down toward the racetrack, the crowd cheering for her. She pulled a few loop-de-loops and rolls as she approached the starting point. She settled in next to Soarin'.
"You ready for this, 'Best Young Flyer'?" he asked.
"You bet! I've got an 8-year-old friend in the VIP seats; this is her first time here. So let's make this the coolest thing she's ever seen!"
He laughed. "I'm all for that!"
After several seconds, the starting pistol went off, and the race was on. The two raced through the laps, over and around obstacles, constantly jockeying for position. It was neck and neck, neither of them having any clear advantage. After about 10 minutes, the race neared its end. Dash pulled ahead of Soarin', but then noticed that a pillar of cloud – an obstacle – was right in her path. She abruptly threw herself to the left to go around it.
This was likely what saved her life.
Out of nowhere, a bright green burst of raw destructive magic came flying out at great speed. It grazed Dash's right side, blasting a wound in her side with a flash of blood and also damaging her wing. Immediately she began tumbling through the air, out of control. Many in the audience screamed in shock and horror, with Fluttershy's and Pinkie's being among the loudest; Scootaloo, in contrast, was too horrified to scream, sitting there deathly pale, heart in her throat, trying to scream but no sound came out.
Two individuals, however, flew into action immediately. An orange and yellow blur shot out into the arena, Spitfire flying out and catching Rainbow Dash, halting her uncontrolled descent and saving her from crashing into the stands. Teana, meanwhile, had been using her Sharingan to monitor the race, so as to better see who was winning at close moments, and thus she was able to track and remember where the blast had come from. She made a series of flash-step jumps over to that area of the stands, running inside the passageway that led to an exit. There, she saw a ragged-looking unicorn stallion. Upon seeing her, he hissed, his eyes glowing green as he fired several green blasts at her. She dodged, moving in close, and when she was close enough she shifted to her human form and delivered a Spartan-strength punch that sent him careening into a wall, slumping down. A flash of green light went over him, revealing a pony-shaped insectoid being.
She remembered reading the Royal Canterlot Archives' book on Equestria's dangerous life-forms, and recognized what she saw: a Changeling. Celestia would need to be notified of this would-be assassin as soon as possible.
-SCENE BREAK-
Canterlot Hospital
Same Day – Two Hours Later
Rainbow Dash groaned as wakefulness came back to her. The doctors had, at her request, cast a Sleep spell on her while they worked on her injuries. She looked down at her right side, which had a sizeable bandage on it; her right wing was also bandaged and held in place. The door opened, one of the doctors peeking in to check on her, and he smiled when he saw her awake.
"How bad is it, Doc?" she asked him. "And what hit me, anyway?"
"You were injured by a blast of destructive magic, Miss Dash" the doctor replied. "Apparently, someone tried to assassinate you due to your nature as one of the Elements of Harmony. You're fortunate that you moved to dodge a cloud pillar at just the right moment; had the attack struck you directly, you would have been killed. As it was, it only grazed you, but that was still enough to leave a good-sized wound on your side and a small fracture in two of your wing's bones. Not to worry; pegasus wings heal very quickly, so you'll be back in the sky in about five days."
"Who tried to kill me?"
"Apparently it was something called a Changeling, some kind of shape-shifting creature that is equal parts insect and equine. They live in hive clusters, serving brood-mothers who in turn serve their race's queen. Princess Celestia claims that the Changelings haven't been heard from in nearly 200 years; why they wanted to kill an Element-Bearer, she has no idea. She thinks they must be planning something, though, and that the Harmony Elements may be a serious enough threat to whatever their plan is to warrant assassination. To that end, security is being tightened in the capital and other major cities, as well as around Ponyville; unicorn soldiers skilled with the True Sight spell will be using it to inspect anypony who is going to be anywhere near you girls. Furthermore, teams are being sent out into the wilds and badlands to try and find the Changelings, maybe see what they're up to."
"…Where are my friends?"
"Ah, they're in the waiting room. I'll go and let them know you're up. If you'll excuse me…"
He left, and it was less than a minute before Rainbow heard little hooves galloping down the hall for her room. A little orange blur shot into the room, leaping into the air, and the next thing Dash knew, Scootaloo was clinging onto her like a limpet, trying her hardest not to cry and failing. Dash smiled and held her.
"I'm okay, Scoot" she said. "I'm alright."
"I w-was so scared" the filly whimpered. "So scared that I'd lost you; that I'd be on my own again…"
"I'm not going anywhere any time soon, kiddo. I'm gonna be okay."
The door opened again, and a larger blur of pink shot into the room. Dash found herself in a crushing embrace as Pinkie Pie hugged her like the world was gonna end.
"Pinkie!" Dash squeaked out, forearms wiggling, "Too tight! Still hurt! Hard to breathe!"
Taking the hint, Pinkie eased up on her Crushing Hug of Love/Doom, though she didn't let go. She stayed like that, just holding onto Rainbow, even as the rest of the Mane Group came in. They spent the next 15 minutes fussing over Dash, despite her repeated protests that she was fine.
"You were lucky, Rainbow" Twilight said. "A direct hit from that attack would've blown your torso open."
"I still can't believe this sorta thing happened" Applejack said. "And right in Canterlot! The capital! Ain't security around here s'posed to be the tightest anywhere?"
"Well, I doubt the guards for a sporting event were prepared for shape-shifters," Rarity replied, "especially ones who haven't been seen for two centuries."
"So when am I gonna be discharged?" Dash asked. "Does anyone know?"
"They're going to let us take you home this evening" Fluttershy replied. "We'll need to look after you until your wounds are healed, though, like we did with Trixie."
"Though at least your wounds aren't nearly as bad as mine were" Trixie added, absent-mindedly running a hoof over the large scar that ran along her side, mostly hidden by her fur.
"Yeah… Um, can one of you go get me something from a fast-food joint, or somethin' like that? I'd really rather not be subjected to hospital food."
The girls shared a laugh at that. Pinkie handed Dash a cupcake with a tiny little "Get Well Soon" pick on it; no-one dared question where in the hell she'd gotten it from, choosing to rationalize it as "It's Pinkie Pie; just roll with it".
"And…" Dash spoke up. "Let's not tell my folks what happened until after I've healed. Don't ask why, just go with it, okay please?"
Most of the group was confused, but nodded; Fluttershy, who knew what Rainbow's parents were like, had a knowing smile as she gave her assent. Even she had to admit Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles could be a little too… clingy when fawning over their 'baby girl'…
-CHAPTER END-