The Changeling Wars Chapter 4

To Befriend and Defend

War Room
Two Months Later

"How big is it?" Twilight asked Derpy, who was examining the long range scanners.

"It's big.  Maybe even bigger than their first attempt." Derpy responded.  Over the past two months, the Changelings had continued their barrage against Ponyville's defences, but in much smaller numbers than their first attack, and the ponies were always able to drive them back with minimal casualties on their side.  However, with repelled attack, the number of unaccounted for Changelings grew.  They had every reason to be concerned; the number of Changelings they couldn't account for was now almost at 200.

"Applejack, prepare to launch gunships!" Twilight instructed over the comm.

Sweet Apple Acres

Applejack's gunship squadron lifted off the ground, but just as they were about to leave Sweet Apple Acres' airspace, the two gunships flanking Applejack were shot down by the turrets at the barn door.  Pinkie Pie and Caramel quickly returned fire, making short work of the hijacked turrets.

"Mayday, mayday!  Changelings have infiltrated the defences.  I repeat, Changelings have infiltrated the defences." Applejack sent out on an open channel.

War Room

"This is bad, very bad." Twilight commented.

"The Pegasus Attack Force will need to be especially careful."  Derpy pointed out.

"They'd have gotten the same warning as everypony else; what we need now is a visual on Fluttershy's cottage." Twilight instructed.

Fluttershy's Cottage

Fluttershy trembled in the seat of her turret.  Sure, she had gotten used to firing upon the Changelings attempting to invade Ponyville, but this time, it was different.  This time, they were headed straight for her.  While she was able to stop a few of them, her gunfire did little to stop them from divebombing the turret itself.  Fortunately, she managed to fly out in time before the turret was destroyed.  She lacked even a moment's respite, as one of Ponyville's own gunships opened fire and destroyed her house.  However, she recognised the pilot and the gunners, and all of them were supposed to be operating ground turrets, not a gunship.  Flying to a secluded spot, Fluttershy sent out a message back to the the War Room.

War Room

The team in the War Room, including the Mayor and the Flim Flam brothers, watched in horror as Fluttershy's home was destroyed.

"Fluttershy, come in!" The mayor shouted over the comm.

"I'm here.  I made it out just in time." Fluttershy replied, static slightly garbling her message.

"Good.  If you can, find Rainbow Dash and join her attack force." Twilight instructed.

"Looks like they have their own problems." Derpy commented, pointing to the Carousel District on the display dable.

Carousel District

Rainbow Dash's team made their way through the streets, believing themselves to be ready for the Changelings.  Even with the news of Changelings infiltrating the defences, Rainbow Dash still wasn't expecting Flitter, still in attack formation, to make a move on her.  She quickly realised what was going on, and slammed her front hoof into the fake Flitter's face, followed by a quick buck at the base of her wings, sending her down to the ground.  Unfortunately, the Changeling's horn lit up, evidently in preparation for a divebomb, and ended up blowing a massive hole in Carousel Boutique.

Rainbow Dash now wondered who else in her team could be a Changeling in disguise, and realised the problem would be worse for her and the pegasi in her team than it would be for anypony else.  She looked back at the rest of her team, and saw looks of paranoia in most of their faces. Is it paranoia, or fear of being exposed prematurely? she thought to herself.

To make matters worse, it looked as though Blossomforth and Cloud Chaser were about to start fighting, as if each suspected the other of being a Changeling.  Odds are neither of them are. Rainbow Dash thought.  Just before it came to blows, she then gestured to Snowflake, and the hulk of a pegasus grabbed both of them, and gave them each a stern look in the eye, silently telling them to break it up.

"Keep an eye out.  The Changelings are enough of a problem without us turning on each other." Rainbow Dash then said to Snowflake.

"Yeah." He responded, much quieter than usual.

can trust him.  I'd be difficult for the Changelings to mimic his form. Rainbow Dash thought.

Sugarcube Corner

What was left of Applejack's gunship squadron managed to intercept the Changelings and Sugarcube Corner, but they were too late to save Sugarcube Corner itself.  The establishment was burning from the bottom up, but there were already several holes blown in the sides of it.

"No. No!" Pinkie Pie shouted.  [i]At least the Cakes can't see this.[/i] She thought, but it was her home too, and losing it was enough to deflate her mane.  In an almost blind rage, she opened fire, mercilessly gunning down any Changelings in view.  The hail of magical gunfire persisted until Pinkie's guns overheated and knocked her to the back of her seat.

More Changelings flooded in from west of the town, but Pinkie's outburst gave the Pegasus Attack Force the opportunity it needed to break through to the front lines.  Despite being reduced in number, and on edge from suspecting each other to be Changelings, they still fought with great ferocity against the actual Changelings.

War Room

"It appears we're actually driving them back." The Mayor commented. "We may still win this one."

"Good.  Vinyl, get the Bass Cannon ready." Twilight instructed.

"No can do, Twilight.  Damn thing's burned out.  I'm guessing sabotage." Vinyl sent back.

Wouldn't surprise me. Twilight thought.

"Twilight! Look!" Derpy called out, pointing to the camera feed from near Fluttershy's cottage.

"She's here." Was all Twilight could say in response.

As if on cue, the shields over Town Hall dropped without warning.  "Rarity!  Get the shields back up! Now!" Twilight called out over the comm.  No response.

"Derpy, get me the camera feed for the generator room." Twilight instructed, but all that came up was static.  "Okay, try the last thing it recorded." This time, what came up was a video of Rarity, maintaining the shield, like she was supposed to, until she took a hoof to the back of the head, and fell unconscious.  As Rarity fell to the floor, her assailant revealed herself to be ... another Rarity, who then used her horn to destroy both the shield generator and the security camera.

"But that means the screeners are-" Twilight was about to say before being interrupted.

"Fake." Flim finished her sentence.  In a unprecedented moment of anger, the Mayor charged at the Flim Flam brothers, only for Flam to quickly shoot her down with his horn. "Honestly, commander, we should be thanking you for making it so easy for Queen Chrysalis to counter your offer." Flim continued.

Twilight made a mad dash for the microphone hooked into the PA system, but it was cut short after Flam shot her in the eye.  "Trying to warn Ponyville?  I don't think so." He taunted, but Twilight was too focused on the pain to notice.  Though she had lost the use of that eye before, the pain was much worse this time.  It was bad enough for her to suspect the damage was permanent.

Even over the pain, she did hear the sound of wood shattering above them.  "That should be the Queen now." Flim commented nonchalantly.  Twilight thought back to the last time she saw Queen Chrysalis; not even Princess Celestia was a match for her; what could a one-eyed unicorn in shock and a wall-eyed pegasus do against that kind of power?  Twilight trembled as Chrysalis entered the War Room.

"Twilight Sparkle, I've been looking forward to meeting you again." The Changeling Queen said, maintaining her melodramatic tone. "You have so much love for me to feed on.  But who to start with?" Chrysalis asked. "Your friends?" She said first, shifting between the forms of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. "Your family?" She said next, shifting between Twilight's parents, and Shining Armour. "Royalty?" She then shifted between Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance. "Or maybe that schoolteacher you're so fond of." Chrysalis finished, settling on the form of Cheerilee.  Not her. Twilight thought.

"Nothing?  No, it's there, I just can't get at it." Chrysalis said in Cheerilee's voice, before reverting to her true form.  Angrily, she turned to the Flim Flam brothers and shouted, "You had to shoot out her eye, didn't you?  She's useless to me like this!"  She then turned back to Twilight.  "Perhaps a taste of your brother's medicine is in order instead." Chrysalis said, charging up her horn.

However, just before the spell fired, Derpy shouted "No!" and jumped in the way.  Both she and Twilight were gone, leaving behind nothing but a pony-shaped hole in the ceiling.

Chuckling slightly, Queen Chrysalis then stepped up to the PA system's microphone, and said, "I really must commend you all for your valiant efforts.  I never thought ponies were capable of such violence.  A shame it was all for nothing.  Drop your shields, lay down your weapons, and welcome to Changelingville."

To Be Continued...