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Chapter I - Bad First Impressions

Pain.

Numbing, stinging, paralyzing pain.

That was all Iron Shell felt. He tried to gather his thoughts. He was with his... swarm. And they were... attacking somewhere? No, invading. But something happened. The wedding was overrun. The Queen had taken the throne. We won. Then... what? He tried to move, a wheeze escaping his lips, and he fell still again. He remembered a flash and a wave. He was thrown through a wall and clipped a building roof, causing him to lose momentum and crash.

Shell opened his eyes, and the sunlight nearly blinded his emerald green eyes. He moved his head as well as he could, surveying where he had landed. He crawled to the edge of his crater, and looked up to see a dark forest behind him, and a very colorful village a mile from his location. Beyond that was Canterlot. He groaned, and heard a scream. He lowered his ears and turned to see a shaking yellow filly with a red mane and pink bow on the back of her head. He growled, and heard another voice.

"What's wrong, Applebloom? What's got yah in such a-" An orange mare with a yellow braided mane stepped into his line of sight and froze at the sight of him. Her cheeks were dotted with white freckles and she wore a brown cowboy hat. They glared at each other, and in between Shell's flashes of pain which caused him to black out, he saw a blue and rainbow pegasus talk briefly with the soft shelled earth pony, and shoot off towards the soft shell town with blinding speed.

Twilight Sparkle sat in her library, levitating several books and scrolls, her eyes darting between them and a quill steadily jotting down notes. Lying before her were several quills, ink bottles, books, and parchment scribbled with hastily written equations. Crumpled papers and stacks of biographies and novels crowded around her as she worked, and a faint smell of ink filled the air. Spike climbed a ladder and placed books where they belonged on the wooden shelves as he tried to keep the library clean. "You know, this place would be a lot cleaner if you would put the books back on the shelves after you read them." Spike said behind a stack of books that wobbled as he carried it.

"Sorry Spike, but I've been busy researching the changelings ever since Shining Armor and Cadence defeated their queen. But nothing goes into great detail about changelings. Even the national creatures guide contains only rumor and theories on changelings." Spike grumbled. "Why? They wont be coming back anytime soon. Not after that pounding." As Spike walked by the door with the stack of books, the door slammed open as Rainbow Dash flew in, leaving Spike in a heap of books.

"Twilight! Its-"

"Yes, I know, Daring Do is amazing. The other books are on the bottom shelf next to the-"

"No, Twilight, there's a changeling on the edge of the Everfree Forest!"

Twilight dropped her books and the ponies ran out the door. "Spike, clean up while i'm gone!" Twilight called as the door shut. Spike rose from the stack of books and sighed.

.....

Twilight and Rainbow Dash soon reached the forest where, sure enough, there was a changeling huddled in a small crater. He glared towards Applejack, who was standing between him and Twilight. "Has it done anything?" Twilight asked, not taking her eyes off the hard shelled creature. He had cracks and scrapes running along his shell, many bleeding profusely, and only glared at them through large green eyes.

"Naw, ah think its to weak ta move. But every time ah try to get near it, it hisses at me." Applejack replied. They all heard a gasp, and turned in time to see Fluttershy race past them and towards Shell. He hissed, barring his teeth, trying to scare off this yellow pony. The pegasus recoiled with a meep, but shook her head and continued towards him. He thought grimly, that this was it. He winced, expecting a powerful stomp to end him, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He then felt something warm against his face. He opened his eyes to see her wiping away his tears.

She gave him a warm smile, and he felt something deep in his chest. Whatever it was, this new feeling made him sick. He pushed away from this pony. Why did it care about him?

"There, there..."

"Fluttershy, what are you doing?! That thing is a monster!" Rainbow Dash called out.

Fluttershy's ears lowered at the comment, but she continued to look him over, feeling over his hard black shell, inspecting it's many scrapes and cracks, no doubt from a crash landing. "It's hurt. We have to help the poor dear." As her hoof brushed across the cracks and scrapes, the cold hard shell felt so alien that she shivered.

She looked over to his back, where she saw his right wing was folded tightly to his side. It had a crack going the length of the blue bug-like membrane. She reached out, and Shell pulled away, only to feel pain stab through him. With a grunt he lied still, breathing heavily. "Applejack, can you go grab my first aid kit? I think it has a broken wing." Applejack was reluctant at first, but silently nodded and ran towards Fluttershy's house. Shell finally made a noise, making the ponies jump.

"You..."

He growled, and Fluttershy backed away. Shell wheezed, and continued, "...Why would any of you help me...? Especially a soft shell like... you...?" He pointed a hole-filled hoof at Fluttershy, and she sat down and took his hoof in hers. He felt it again. That strange warmth that tingled through him. What was it? He couldn't be catching their... emotions, could he? He looked into the pony's eyes, and she smiled.

"... Because it's the right thing to do..."

Shell gritted his teeth. He was weak, but he would never accept the help of this soft shelled pony! "I don't need... your help...!" He forced himself to stand with a wheeze, and stumbled, making Fluttershy meep and hide behind her hair. From the yellow pegasus he felt fear, and it somehow tore him up inside. Why did he care what this pony felt? How could he? He didn't have emotions... right? He calmed himself, staring hazily between the battle ready rainbow pegasus and the curious purple unicorn. He had been taught as a larvae that ponies treated his kind like dirt, that they'd kill them in an instant. But this pony, this Flutter-Shy, she was doing all she could to comfort him.

He looked into her eyes to see she was calming down. He was about to speak, when he saw the earth pony return with a white saddle bag bearing a red cross. He saw the pegasus take out some cloth wrap and moved to his wing.

"Now, this will only hurt for a moment..."

Shell grumbled and sat down, closing his eyes, waiting for whatever the pegasus was going to do. He then felt a surge of pain, feeling like his shell was ripping apart. He couldn't let himself die like this! He hissed wildly, whirling around and knocking Fluttershy down, and jumped away from the ponies.

Shell breathed heavily, his legs shaking and his muscles screaming with pain, and slowly the sharp pain in his back reduced to a throb. He wobbly looked back to see the soft cloth wrapping around his wing, and grimaced at the pony's attempts to heal his wing. He looked back to Fluttershy, seeing tears in he pegasi's eyes. He slowly took a step towards Fluttershy, but was tackled down by Rainbow Dash. His back hit the ground and he yelped in pain. He thrashed and hissed as Applejack ran and held him down with Rainbow Dash. He looked over to Fluttershy, and when their eyes connected, he calmed himself and stopped struggling. "Flutter... Shy..." He said, frowning. He couldn't stand it. Fear and anger was all that he absorbed from these ponies, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The rainbow pegasus shot off towards Canterlot with a technicolor streak following. Shell's body involuntarily shook from the sore, numb pain coursing his body as the orange soft shell held him down by his shoulders. He groaned, and grunted, forcing the words through his own raspy breathing. "Do you... feel strong, soft shell? Holding down a defenseless cripple?" The orange mare looked to the unicorn, and with a nod released Shell. He rolled over, gasping at the relief for his broken wing, and looked up to the earth pony. She still watched him intently, and he smiled at her, making the pony jump with surprise.

Shell laughed mockingly and coughed, his breath ragged and uneven. He heard a set of wings and the rattle of chains as two royal guards landed pulling a chariot remodeled into a cage. It took every bit of his will to keep his howls of pain down to grunts as the stallions hoisted him up and threw him into the cage. He gasped and blacked out for a moment as he hit the bars, and sat up to see the yellow pegasus being treated for possible wounds by the purple unicorn. He let out a weary sigh as they took off with a beat of stallions mighty wings, and flew towards the mountain city of Canterlot.

Description
Chapter I - Bad First Impressions

Pain.

Numbing, stinging, paralyzing pain.

That was all Iron Shell felt. He tried to gather his thoughts. He was with his... swarm. And they were... attacking somewhere? No, invading. But something happened. The wedding was overrun. The Queen had taken the throne. We won. Then... what? He tried to move, a wheeze escaping his lips, and he fell still again. He remembered a flash and a wave. He was thrown through a wall and clipped a building roof, causing him to lose momentum and crash.

Shell opened his eyes, and the sunlight nearly blinded his emerald green eyes. He moved his head as well as he could, surveying where he had landed. He crawled to the edge of his crater, and looked up to see a dark forest behind him, and a very colorful village a mile from his location. Beyond that was Canterlot. He groaned, and heard a scream. He lowered his ears and turned to see a shaking yellow filly with a red mane and pink bow on the back of her head. He growled, and heard another voice.

"What's wrong, Applebloom? What's got yah in such a-" An orange mare with a yellow braided mane stepped into his line of sight and froze at the sight of him. Her cheeks were dotted with white freckles and she wore a brown cowboy hat. They glared at each other, and in between Shell's flashes of pain which caused him to black out, he saw a blue and rainbow pegasus talk briefly with the soft shelled earth pony, and shoot off towards the soft shell town with blinding speed.

Twilight Sparkle sat in her library, levitating several books and scrolls, her eyes darting between them and a quill steadily jotting down notes. Lying before her were several quills, ink bottles, books, and parchment scribbled with hastily written equations. Crumpled papers and stacks of biographies and novels crowded around her as she worked, and a faint smell of ink filled the air. Spike climbed a ladder and placed books where they belonged on the wooden shelves as he tried to keep the library clean. "You know, this place would be a lot cleaner if you would put the books back on the shelves after you read them." Spike said behind a stack of books that wobbled as he carried it.

"Sorry Spike, but I've been busy researching the changelings ever since Shining Armor and Cadence defeated their queen. But nothing goes into great detail about changelings. Even the national creatures guide contains only rumor and theories on changelings." Spike grumbled. "Why? They wont be coming back anytime soon. Not after that pounding." As Spike walked by the door with the stack of books, the door slammed open as Rainbow Dash flew in, leaving Spike in a heap of books.

"Twilight! Its-"

"Yes, I know, Daring Do is amazing. The other books are on the bottom shelf next to the-"

"No, Twilight, there's a changeling on the edge of the Everfree Forest!"

Twilight dropped her books and the ponies ran out the door. "Spike, clean up while i'm gone!" Twilight called as the door shut. Spike rose from the stack of books and sighed.

.....

Twilight and Rainbow Dash soon reached the forest where, sure enough, there was a changeling huddled in a small crater. He glared towards Applejack, who was standing between him and Twilight. "Has it done anything?" Twilight asked, not taking her eyes off the hard shelled creature. He had cracks and scrapes running along his shell, many bleeding profusely, and only glared at them through large green eyes.

"Naw, ah think its to weak ta move. But every time ah try to get near it, it hisses at me." Applejack replied. They all heard a gasp, and turned in time to see Fluttershy race past them and towards Shell. He hissed, barring his teeth, trying to scare off this yellow pony. The pegasus recoiled with a meep, but shook her head and continued towards him. He thought grimly, that this was it. He winced, expecting a powerful stomp to end him, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He then felt something warm against his face. He opened his eyes to see her wiping away his tears.

She gave him a warm smile, and he felt something deep in his chest. Whatever it was, this new feeling made him sick. He pushed away from this pony. Why did it care about him?

"There, there..."

"Fluttershy, what are you doing?! That thing is a monster!" Rainbow Dash called out.

Fluttershy's ears lowered at the comment, but she continued to look him over, feeling over his hard black shell, inspecting it's many scrapes and cracks, no doubt from a crash landing. "It's hurt. We have to help the poor dear." As her hoof brushed across the cracks and scrapes, the cold hard shell felt so alien that she shivered.

She looked over to his back, where she saw his right wing was folded tightly to his side. It had a crack going the length of the blue bug-like membrane. She reached out, and Shell pulled away, only to feel pain stab through him. With a grunt he lied still, breathing heavily. "Applejack, can you go grab my first aid kit? I think it has a broken wing." Applejack was reluctant at first, but silently nodded and ran towards Fluttershy's house. Shell finally made a noise, making the ponies jump.

"You..."

He growled, and Fluttershy backed away. Shell wheezed, and continued, "...Why would any of you help me...? Especially a soft shell like... you...?" He pointed a hole-filled hoof at Fluttershy, and she sat down and took his hoof in hers. He felt it again. That strange warmth that tingled through him. What was it? He couldn't be catching their... emotions, could he? He looked into the pony's eyes, and she smiled.

"... Because it's the right thing to do..."

Shell gritted his teeth. He was weak, but he would never accept the help of this soft shelled pony! "I don't need... your help...!" He forced himself to stand with a wheeze, and stumbled, making Fluttershy meep and hide behind her hair. From the yellow pegasus he felt fear, and it somehow tore him up inside. Why did he care what this pony felt? How could he? He didn't have emotions... right? He calmed himself, staring hazily between the battle ready rainbow pegasus and the curious purple unicorn. He had been taught as a larvae that ponies treated his kind like dirt, that they'd kill them in an instant. But this pony, this Flutter-Shy, she was doing all she could to comfort him.

He looked into her eyes to see she was calming down. He was about to speak, when he saw the earth pony return with a white saddle bag bearing a red cross. He saw the pegasus take out some cloth wrap and moved to his wing.

"Now, this will only hurt for a moment..."

Shell grumbled and sat down, closing his eyes, waiting for whatever the pegasus was going to do. He then felt a surge of pain, feeling like his shell was ripping apart. He couldn't let himself die like this! He hissed wildly, whirling around and knocking Fluttershy down, and jumped away from the ponies.

Shell breathed heavily, his legs shaking and his muscles screaming with pain, and slowly the sharp pain in his back reduced to a throb. He wobbly looked back to see the soft cloth wrapping around his wing, and grimaced at the pony's attempts to heal his wing. He looked back to Fluttershy, seeing tears in he pegasi's eyes. He slowly took a step towards Fluttershy, but was tackled down by Rainbow Dash. His back hit the ground and he yelped in pain. He thrashed and hissed as Applejack ran and held him down with Rainbow Dash. He looked over to Fluttershy, and when their eyes connected, he calmed himself and stopped struggling. "Flutter... Shy..." He said, frowning. He couldn't stand it. Fear and anger was all that he absorbed from these ponies, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The rainbow pegasus shot off towards Canterlot with a technicolor streak following. Shell's body involuntarily shook from the sore, numb pain coursing his body as the orange soft shell held him down by his shoulders. He groaned, and grunted, forcing the words through his own raspy breathing. "Do you... feel strong, soft shell? Holding down a defenseless cripple?" The orange mare looked to the unicorn, and with a nod released Shell. He rolled over, gasping at the relief for his broken wing, and looked up to the earth pony. She still watched him intently, and he smiled at her, making the pony jump with surprise.

Shell laughed mockingly and coughed, his breath ragged and uneven. He heard a set of wings and the rattle of chains as two royal guards landed pulling a chariot remodeled into a cage. It took every bit of his will to keep his howls of pain down to grunts as the stallions hoisted him up and threw him into the cage. He gasped and blacked out for a moment as he hit the bars, and sat up to see the yellow pegasus being treated for possible wounds by the purple unicorn. He let out a weary sigh as they took off with a beat of stallions mighty wings, and flew towards the mountain city of Canterlot.