Changeling II - War

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

Gilda perched herself on top of a branch on one of the many orange trees leading out of Detrot, and narrowed her eyes as she looked down at the road below her. It was too dark to make anything out, so she instead closed her eyes, and allowed her heightened sense of smell to lead her to her target.

She could smell her prey running away from her. She was a good distance away, but she was moving slowly. Catching her would be an easy feat, especially with the stench of fear leading the griffon to her.

Flaring her wings, Gilda jumped out of the tree and soared through the air, flexing her claws and licking her beak as she flew down the road to pursue her target. She found who she was looking for quickly, and lowered her flight path to attack the fleeing pony. A white Pegasus mare with a long, golden mane and tail.

“Gotcha,” Gilda said as she picked up her speed, advancing towards the pony faster than she could gallop. “You’re mine now!” Raising her talon, Gilda swooped down and passed over the pony’s body, slashing at her back with one swift movement. The familiar feeling of blood coating her claws told her of her direct hit, and the griffon looped around to go in for the killing strike.

The pony, now on the floor and panting heavily, quickly rolled over to try to avoid the attack. However, this only succeeded in giving Gilda the opening that she needed to pin the mare to the ground, placing a sharp claw against the pony’s throat and crushing her stomach with the heavy impact of the landing.

“No more running! You’re gonna regret comin’ here!” Gilda shouted as she raised her free claw, clenching it into a fist to knock the pony out. She gasped and backed away as a green blast of energy came from the mare, narrowly missing an attack that would have sent her into a daze for a few minutes had it connected.

“Changeling bitch!” Gilda shouted as the mare rose to her hooves, her wings flared, and her newly-formed horn emitting green sparks from the tip. “You really shouldn’t have come here. I don’t have to take you in alive, y’know? I can just kill you and leave you to rot here. Or maybe give you to our chef. He’s been dying to have a chance at preparing changeling flesh.”

“You’ll have to work for your meal,” the mare said as a green aura washed over her body. “I, Princess Elizabeth, second Princess of the Changeling Kingdom, will not lose to a mere Captain!”

“Heh! Maybe you aren’t aware of how griffon military ranks work,” Gilda said as she charged forward, so fast that her target couldn’t keep up with her. “In the Griffon Empire, Captain is the second-highest rank you can have!” Gilda thrust her claws forward, piercing the mare’s body and causing the green aura to disappear. “The highest being Emperor itself, of course. In short, I’m about as strong as one of your Generals.”

“I-It can’t be…” The mare raised her head slowly, glaring into Gilda’s eyes as she felt the claw being pulled out of her gut. “To be defeated… by a lowly griffon…”

“Deal with it.” With one swift motion, Gilda swiped her claws across the mare’s throat, severing an artery and causing a large volume of blood to pour out of the open wound. “One Princess down. But that’s okay. The one we need alive is still here in Equestria.

“Next stop: Ponyville.”

Trixie yawned as she exited her trailer, walking out into the streets of Ponyville in the early-morning sun to check her mailbox. She found that, since she had left to perform a show in Detrot last week, she had stacked up a considerable amount of letter. Fifteen in all. After a quick run-though, she discarded the fourteen pieces of junk mail, and opened the only legitimate letter in the bunch.

“Oh? A request to entertain at the party of Sir Fancypants next week? Well, it’s about time that Trixie’s talents were noticed. What kind of party is it?” Trixie’s eyes scanned the letter, picking up a few keywords here and there. ‘Wedding’, ‘Fleur de Lis’, ‘Bachelor party’… Trixie’s eyes narrowed, and a spark from her horn ignited letter being held in the air. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is not a stripper!”

“What’s a stripper?” a voice behind Trixie asked. She turned around and flinched when she saw the three ingredients of stress standing behind her. Sure, they looked adorable now, but that was a trap that Trixie wasn’t going to fall into again.

“Can we get our Cutie Mark in it?” the orange one, Scootaloo, asked.

“Hey, yeah!” the white one, Sweetie Belle, shouted. “Let’s do that! We’ll be the best strippers ever!”

“Then it’s settled!” the yellow one, Apple Bloom, said. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Strippers is go! … So, what’s a stripper, anyhow?”

Trixie glanced around the street nervously, and thanked the stars that nopony else seemed to be out and about just yet. But that raised an important question in the showmare’s mind. “What exactly are you three doing up so early?”

“Oh, we’re here to see Aura!” Apple Bloom said. “We haven’t seen her in a while, and we kinda miss her.”

“Hey, I know!” Scootaloo cut in. “Maybe she can be a stripper, too!”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Um…” the four ponies turned to the front of Trixie’s trailer, where a red-faced Aura was staring at the three young fillies. “W-What’s this about me being a stripper?”

“Nothing!” Trixie said quickly. “It’s nothing at all! Girls, being a stripper is a bad thing, and you should want nothing to do with it!”

Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin. “Well… can’t we pretend ta be strippers? Y’know, like when we pretend ta be bandits or bank robbers or evil geniuses or-”

“Trixie will pay you five bits,” Trixie said, interrupting the filly’s train of thought, “If you cease any ideas you have of being a stripper, real or acting, and never bring it up again. Deal?”

“Each?” Scootaloo asked, causing Trixie to release a sigh.

“… Each.” The three fillies cheered, and Trixie moved to enter her trailer to collect her purse. She stopped as she reached the door and turned to face Aura. “Wait, are you okay being up so early? You sort of dropped like a stone last night, on the way back here.”

“I’m fine,” Aura answered, skipping over towards the Crusaders. “I got lots of sleep, and now I’m ready to hunt for my Cutie Mark!”

Trixie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Alright, if you say so…”

As Trixie moved back into her trailer, Aura stopped in front of the Crusaders and greeted each of them. “So, what’s the plan for today?” she asked them, prompting Scootaloo to pull out a scroll from the wagon behind her and unroll it. The sheer size of the list amazed Aura. “Oh… And what if we run out?” she asked in a sarcastic tone, though it seemed lost on the three fillies.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!” Scootaloo said. “Now, let’s see… First one the list is…”

“Okay Aura, you can do this,” Aura assured herself as she lowered herself down, keeping her eyes on the target and getting ready to run. “You’ve only got one shot. Make it count.”

At the sound of the whistle, Aura pushed forward with her hind legs and galloped forward as fast as she could. She ran and ran as if her life depended on it, not once averting her gaze from her target. With a loud battle cry, Aura pulled her hind leg back, and delivered a swift kick at the soccer ball sitting in her path.

The ball sailed through the air, past the enemy’s goal and into the trees behind them. A loud crashing sound, followed by the sounds of an old stallion yelling about ‘darn kids’ breaking his window, and Aura looked around the field with a guilty look on her face.

“Whoa! Nice kick!” Scootaloo exclaimed, running up to Aura and offering her a hoof bump, which the filly gladly expected. “Now let’s see if it worked!”

The four fillies all looked at their flanks with expectant and excited looks on their faces… and then let out depressed sighs when they found that their flanks were still blank.

“Guess we’re not Cutie Mark Crusader Hoofballers,” Sweetie Belle concluded with a frown.

“Guess not,” Aura said, kicking the ground in annoyance. Well, feign annoyance, at least. She already knew there was zero percent chance of her earning her Cutie Mark, because changelings don’t get Cutie Marks. Still, it was fun to hang out with these three fillies, and playing along with them by pretending she really wanted her Cutie Mark was fun, too.

“Okay, what next?” Sweetie Belle asked, her frown replaced with a cheerful smile as she turned to face Apple Bloom.

“How ‘bout we let Aura decide?” Apple Bloom suggested. “After all, she’s been a Crusader fer a while now, but all she’s been doin’ is followin’ us.”

Aura scratched the back of her head and looked at the three fillies nervously. “Well… that depends. What have you done so far?”

“Pfft! What haven’t we done?” Scootaloo asked. “… No, really. I’ve lost track.”

“Um… Well, we could try asking Miss Trixie if she has any ideas,” Aura said. “She’s travelled around a lot, so she might know of some things we can do that you don’t find around here.”

“Good idea!” Sweetie Belle said. “Except, isn’t Trixie doing a show right now?”

“Oh, yeah… Then, we can ask her later!”

“Alright!” Apple Bloom shouted excitedly. “… An’ until then?”

A silence passed over the four fillies, before they sighed together in unison upon realising they had no idea what to do next.

“How about we go do our homework until then?” Aura suggested, receiving three hardened glares from her friends. “Um… Or, not?” To Aura, the homework from Ponyville Elementary School was nothing. As a Princess, her education was of a higher level; she had completed the entire Elementary level’s curriculum, and more, in the first two years of her education.

But she kept forgetting that her friends were different. They didn’t receive the extensive tutoring that she did, and their education moved slower than hers. Which was somewhat of a relief to Aura; just because she could get through her schooling, it doesn’t mean she liked it. Like any youngling, school was always so boring for Aura, and summer vacation was always the highlight of her years.

“I know!” Scootaloo shouted, racing over to her scooter. The other three followed her, and jumped into the wagon attached to the back of the scooter, waiting for an explanation from the Pegasus filly. “Let’s go visit Twilight’s library!”

Aura tensed up at the mention of Twilight Sparkle, the current bearer of the Element of Magic, newly-coronated Princess, and also, the one pony in Ponyville besides Trixie who knew of her secret. Well, that she was a changeling, at least. She managed to catch Aura feeding off of Trixie’s love within the first week of them living in Ponyville, but thankfully, the youngling’s Royalty was kept a secret, and Twilight agreed not to tell anypony that she was a changeling.

“An’ do what?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Make a mess!” Scootaloo answered.

“A mess?”

“Sure! Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are always saying that maybe making messes and getting into trouble are our special talents! Well, let’s go put that to the test!”

“You may be onta somethin’,” Apple Bloom said, rubbing her chin with a forehoof. “Twilight did say ta try doing what we’re already good at, an’ we’re mighty good at makin’ messes around Ponyville!”

‘Not really something to be proud of,’ Aura thought to herself. “I don’t think that’s really my thing…”

“Sure it is!” Sweetie Belle assured her. “Since you’ve joined us, how many mailboxes have you bent? How many letters have you ruined? How many ponies have you knocked over, how many fires have you almost started, how many times has Trixie scolded you, how many-”

“Okay, I get it!” Aura said, clamping her hooves against her ears. Even though it seemed that Sweetie Belle was trying to praise her, Aura didn’t exactly feel happy with being reminded of just how much chaos she’d caused in the past week. If anypony found out what she truly was, she’d be dead for sure.

“See? Y’all will do fine!” Apple Bloom patted Aura on the back, and the other filly gave a nervous giggle in response.

“Well, we can only hope, right?”

“Rgiht!” Scootaloo shouted. “So, Cutie Mark Crusaders: full speed ahead!”

“YEAH!” the three in the wagon shouted in unison, pumping their hooves into the air.

Trixie opened the door to the Golden Oaks Library, a big smile on her lips as she cheerfully trotted inside. “Twilight Sparkle, your dragon said that you were seeking an audience with Trixie? Lucky for you, Trixie is in a good mood today, but you had still better make this quic-”

The door slammed behind Trixie, silencing the showmare and causing her to jump with a start. “… This isn’t a friendly call, is it?”

“Well, considering that we’re here too,” Rarity started, catching Trixie’s attention, “I think we can probably deduce why we’re here.”

Next to Rarity was Applejack, and flying above the two was a very disgruntled looking Rainbow Dash. “Why am I here? I’m not even related to any of ‘em!”

“But Scootaloo sees you as a big sister,” Twilight said, motioning for Trixie to take a seat with the others. The showmare accepted the offer, and decided to sit next to Rarity, seeing as how the other two were still iffy with being near the showmare. “You’re likely the only one she’ll actually listen to. That’s why I asked you to come here.”

“And?” Trixie asked, looking around to try and assess the damage that had been done. “What did they do this time?”

“Can’t you tell?!” Twilight asked, to which the four other mares simply looked around with confused looks on their faces. “They completely reversed the ordering of all the books in the library! They’re supposed to be arranged alphabetically in ascending order, not descending! What maniac puts ‘Z’ before ‘A’?!”

Taking a close look at one of the bookcases, Trixie noticed that the books were indeed arranged in reverse order. Trixie couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at the ‘mischief’ that had Twilight so worked up, and Rainbow Dash seemed to be faring no better.

“It’s not funny!” Twilight said, catching them trying to hold back their laughs.

“Oh, but it is,” Trixie insisted, finally moving away from the bookshelf and letting her laughter out. “Trixie was expecting some actual damage, but instead, they just messed up your organization a little bit?”

Twilight’s face turned fierce, and the three that knew her quite well quickly began backing away. “Organization…” Twilight said, and for a split second, Trixie was sure that the librarian’s mane had caught fire. “IS NO LAUGHING MATTER!”

After a magical outburst that created a smokescreen in the library, as well as completely ruining Trixie’s hair and blackening her face a little bit, Aura and the other Crusaders were called downstairs from Twilight’s room, where they had been serving timeouts for their misdeeds.

Trixie found the idea that Twilight had been giving a changeling Princess a timeout to be rather amusing. Aura didn’t agree with her.

“We’re sorry,” Apple Bloom said to her big sister, and then again to Twilight. “We just thought that, because we’re always making messes, we’d get our Cutie Marks in it.”

“And did you?” Trixie asked with a grin, still amused by the whole situation. All four fillies shook their heads, looking downcast as they did so. “Awww, well don’t worry about it too much. Maybe next time?”

“Don’t encourage them,” Applejack said with a stern glare towards Trixie. “And don’t worry, Twilight. Ah’ll make sure Apple Bloom gets a good talkin’ to when we get home. Granny Smith is a big fan of proper organization, too, y’know?”

“Oh, no! Not Granny Smith!” Apple Bloom pleaded. Her sister or Big Macintosh, she could handle, but Granny Smith was strict, and scary when she was mad.

“Um,” Aura said, raising her hoof up meekly. “Does this mean no sleepover tonight?”

The other three Crusaders gasped in horror. That thought hadn’t even occurred to them! They quickly turned their pleading eyes to Applejack, who tried to avert her gaze from the giant eyes staring her way, begging for some mercy from the farm pony…

“Well..” Applejack looked to Rarity for help, but the white Unicorn mare had already managed to save herself by helping Twilight Sparkle with the re-shelving. With a defeated sigh, Applejack lowered her head and gave her answer. “Fine, the sleepover is still on…” she mumbled, receiving a chorus of cheers from the four fillies. “But,” she said, stopping the cheers as quickly as they had began, “No campin’ out in the clubhouse! Y’all will sleep in the farmhouse with the rest of us. Understood?”

“Yes…” the four fillies answered quietly.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Trixie said, walking over towards the door, “The Great and Powerful Trixie was on her way to the spa before all of this, so if you’ll excuse her…”

As Trixie left, Applejack rounded up the four fillies and motioned for them to follow her. “Alright kids, let’s go. Sleepover’s still on, after all.”

Moving through the streets of Ponyville, the four Cutie Mark Crusaders discussed plans for tonight’s sleepover as they followed Applejack and Rarity. Scootaloo had jokingly suggested that they try to get their Cutie Marks in getting out of being punished, but the joke didn’t go over so well with Applejack.

Rarity parted ways with Applejack as they reached the path leading towards the farm, and the four fillies then followed the farm pony along the road leading through the orchard, towards the farmhouse. Along the way, they stopped as two griffons approached them. Both were tall, male griffons, one with black feathers, the other grey feathers.

“Can ah help you at all?” Applejack asked as the griffons stopped in front of them. They paid her no mind, and instead pulled out a photograph, which they studied closely for a few a seconds. They then lowered the photograph, and looked directly at Aura.

A terrible feeling passed through Aura’s body, and she instinctively raised a hoof to take a step backwards. “There’s no mistaking it,” the black griffon said. “That’s her.”

The grey griffon nodded in agreement. “And the others?”

“If they interfere, knock them out. But don’t kill them.”

Applejack’s eyes widened, and she quickly moved to guard the four fillies behind her. “A-And just what is that supposed ta mean?!”

Not paying the farmer any heed, the grey griffon reached into his cloak and pulled out the short sword that was strapped to his waist. Applejack and the Crusaders all gasped at the sight, and were unable to act as the griffon jumped over them, pointing his sword towards the white filly at the back of the group and bringing it down towards her…

“Princess!” A blast of green magic knocked the griffon backwards, sending him hurtling towards a nearby apple tree. A second later, a brown Unicorn mare with green hair was standing in front of Aura, her horn lit up as she glared at the remaining griffon. “Princess, stay behind me! The enemy is advancing from all directions!”

“M-Mystic?” Aura asked, looking at the mare guarding her with a look of shock on her face. “W-What’s going on? Who are these griffons? And why are they attacking us?”

“… That’s-” Mystic’s explanation was cut off by the black griffon charging towards her, his claws aiming for her eyes. She ducked to the side, and delivered a kick to the griffon’s stomach that almost caused his eyes to bulge out. “I’ll explain later! For now, we must flee!”

“But-”

Green flames shot out of the sides of Mystic’s body, and a moment later, there was a pair of wings to go with her horn. “Shark is keeping them distracted elsewhere, but he can’t keep them busy forever! We must go!”

Mystic used her magic to lift Aura into the air, and placed her gently onto her back. “Hold on there!” Applejack shouted, gathering Mystic’s attention. “Who are ya, and where d’ya think ye’re takin’ that there filly?!”

Mystic ignored the farmer’s yells and began to flap her wings in order to soar into the air. Below her, the four ponies began shouting at her to bring Aura back, but she paid their voices no mind. “Princess, I must take you back immediately. It is not safe here anymore.”

“Ya got that right!” Mystic stopped and turned around, and braced herself as she saw a brown, female griffon flying behind her, a menacing grin on her face and one claw raised in an intimidating manner. “All kinda baddies out there just tryin’ ta snatch ya. Good job you’ve got such a dependable guardian there, Princess Aura.”

“Captain Gilda,” Mystic said as she watched the griffon closely. “One of the sixteen Captains of the Emperor’s Guard… and by far the weakest.”

Gilda lost her smile at that, and released a growl as she glared at the disguised changeling before her. “You bitch. If I’m the weakest, then that must speak volumes ‘bout your Royals, huh?”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“… Heh. Just that I killed one of your Princesses last night, General Mystic.” Mystic’s eyes widened, and Aura’s breath caught in her throat upon hearing the news. “Yep. Second Princess, Elizabitch or somethin’. All it took was one quick strike to bring her down.”

Aura felt her heart pounding in her chest, and saw the world spinning around her. ‘E-Elizabeth is… dead?’ She shook her head, and tried to voice her disbelief, but no words came. ‘No… No, it can’t be true…’

“Lies!” Mystic shouted, her blood boiling and her fangs baring. “My Princess would never lose so easily! You’re just trying to deceive me!”

“Think what ya want, but right now, our chefs are cookin’ her corpse up for a nice victory meal we’re sure to have tonight.” Mystic’s horn started to spark, and even Aura felt her anger starting to rise. “‘Course, I won’t be eatin’ any of that shit. I hear changelings taste nasty.”

“BURN IN HELL!” Mystic shouted, her horn sparking to life in an instant. Gilda prepared herself, and quickly moved back as her instinct warned her of approaching danger. She managed to avoid several pillars of fire forming around her, but Mystic was already planning her next move. The pillars of fire began to move in towards the griffon, ready to burn her to a crisp…

“Sorry, dude, but illusions won’t work on me.” Gilda took in a deep breath, puffing out her chest as she did so, and then, as the flames drew closer, she released all the air she had taken in in one loud roar. The flames around her disappeared, shocking both Mystic and Aura. “What, ya haven’t heard?! I’m the best when it comes to fighting illusions, ‘cause I’ve got my father’s ‘Keen Eye’!”

“Keen Eye?!” Mystic shouted in horror, backing away from the griffon a little bit.

“What’s that?” Aura asked her.

“Keen Eye is a special trait, that a certain bloodline in the Griffon Empire has been known to posses. It gives the wielder a heightened sense of their surroundings, and also… the ability to see through even the toughest of illusions.”

“That’s right!” Gilda shouted with pride in her voice. “I may not be as strong as the other Captains, sure… but when it comes to hunting down prey like you, I’m the first griffon they go to!

“Captain Gilda, top hunter in the entire Griffon Empire! No game evades my claws!”

Mystic narrowed her eyes, studying her opponent closely. “… Princess, I need you to get back,” she said to the youngling on her back.

Aura nodded, and used her magic to undo her disguise. She then jumped off of the older changeling’s back, and put some distance between herself and the battlefield.

Mystic charged a spell into her horn, prompting Gilda to strike before she could cast it. Mystic had to abandon her spell and ascend in order to dodge the quick strike, and then tried again. This time, she succeeded in using her magic to form a wall of green flames around Gilda. And this time, the flames were real.

“You think this’ll be enough?” Gilda asked as she breathed in air, and released the same loud roar that moment earlier dispelled Mystic’s illusion. As before, the flames were extinguished by the loud roar, allowing Gilda to launch her next attack against the changeling. “Us griffons may not be able to use magic, but we sure as hell know how to fight it!”

Mystic raised a magically-enhanced hoof to defend herself from Gilda’s attack, and then delivered a swift roundhouse kick to counter. At the same time , Gilda lunged her free claw towards the changeling’s chest, but the sudden movement caused her to miss, instead grazing against the side as she felt a hoof drive itself into her gut.

Gilda kicked away from Mystic, and descended down to the ground to catch her breath. Mystic followed after her, clutching her wounded area as she kept a close eye on the griffon.

“You’re… not bad…” Gilda said between ragged breaths.

“There’s a reason… I was selected… to watch over Aura…” Mystic replied, gritting her teeth as she tried to power through the pain in her chest.

“Hmph. Guess I’ve got no choice. Guys, attack now!”

Mystic gasped as she saw several griffons fly down towards her, each one brandishing either their claws or a sword. “Damnit!” Mystic’s horn lit up, and she dodged the first strike as she fired a blast of magic towards one of the incoming assailants.

Whilst Mystic was distracted with the griffon soldiers, Gilda turned her attention skywards, towards the youngling that was trembling in the sky. She then stopped, and narrowed her eyes as she examined the youngling. “Wait… that’s…”

“An illusion, yes!” Gilda turned around and ducked, dodging the blue hoof that swung towards her face. “And now, eat this!” A purple light surrounded Gilda’s body, and she felt herself being lifted off of the ground.

“You! You’re that pony who’s been lookin’ after the changeling brat, aren’t you?!”

“So, you have heard of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” Trixie asked as she smiled up at the suspended griffon. “Well, that makes things easier. Since Trixie has no interest in who you are, we can merely skip to the part where you’re on your knees, begging for forgiveness.”

Gilda felt a vein pop in her forehead, and let out a terrifying roar as she flared her wings. Trixie felt her spell break, and quickly worked up a new one. “Don’t get conceited, brat!” Gilda lunged forwards, aiming a claw at the blue pony’s face.

Trixie quickly moved backwards, and attempted to counter with an upwards kick, only to have her leg be grabbed by the griffon’s claws. “How dare you?! Let Trixie go this instant, you filthy brute!”

“I heard you were able to hold your own against an Equestrian Captain who held back,” Gilda said, pulling Trixie up to meet her eyes. “And that you were able to play support against a changeling General. Not bad for a pony, but news flash: a griffon’s body is built for fighting.” As if to emphasis her point, Gilda opened her free claw, showing off her sharp talons, and causing the showmare to gulp. “And this time, you’ve got no actual fighters to back you up.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.” Gilda stopped as she heard the familiar voice behind her, and turned around to find four changelings approaching the scene. “She’s got three Generals to back her up, each one much stronger than you.”

Gilda stared at the changeling addressing her with a gaping look on her face, unable to believe what she was seeing. “B-But how?! I killed you! I slit your throat! I saw you get cut up by our chef!”

The changeling’s smile turned into a grim frown, and she cast her eyes towards the ground. “… The one you really killed… was my double…”

Gilda was taken aback by this news, and Trixie used the opening to teleport herself to freedom. She then looked over to the new changelings at the scene, two of which she recognised. “Shark. And, you’re… Elizabeth, was it?”

“That’s right!” Elizabeth shouted, smiling once more as she skipped merrily towards the showmare. “Sorry I’m late! I had to be sure you weren’t working for them before I made my move!”

“You thought… that Trixie was working with these brutes?” Trixie asked, sounding more disgusted than surprised or confused. “Anyway, what’s going on here? And, why are you-”

“All in due time, my friend,” Elizabeth said, raising a hoof to silence Trixie. “But first, we must get away from here. I trust that Aura is safe?”

“… She’s over there,” Trixie said, motioning her head towards a nearby tree.

“Ah, good. Then, we can go ahead and leave together.”

“I won’t let you!” Gilda shouted, furrowing her brow as she overcame her shock, and preparing to charge towards the changeling Princess. However, before she could move, a blinding flash of light filled the area. “GAH! What the hell?!” When she could see again, all that remained were her own soldiers, and herself. “Damnit!”

“Nice one, Princess!” Shark shouted as he ran alongside the Princess, at the front of the fleeing group of six changelings, and one very, very confused pony. “An emergency teleport spell that got just us seven outta there, and it went off without a hitch! Gotta admit, I’m impressed!”

“I’m flattered, but now’s not the time, Sharky,” Elizabeth said, earning a glare from Shark.

“Don’t ever call me that! Princess or not, I’ll slit your freaking throat!”

“Noted,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Now then, please tell me, did you receive our latest letter just fine?”

“We did, Princess,” Mystic confirmed from the back of the group, along with the two soldiers that Elizabeth had brought with her. “About how the Griffon Empire has declared war on the Changeling Kingdom?”

“They what?!” Aura shouted, her voice cracking as she reached a volume she never thought possible for herself. “When were you going to tell me about this?!”

“Today,” Elizabeth said in a casual tone of voice. “We made plans to come and collect you today. The pony too, providing she wasn’t in league with the Griffon Empire.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow at that. “And why would you think that Trixie has any dealings with them?”

“Because they knew about the Princess being in Equestria,” Elizabeth answered. “And that she was staying in Ponyville. And that she was in Detrot until today. They knew all of this, which can only mean…”

“… That there’s a mole somewhere in our government,” Mystic finished.

“Or that the pony sold her out,” Elizabeth added. “But, considering what I saw today, as well as the fact that they clearly weren’t expecting to see you and Shark there, I’m willing to discount that theory. They knew about Aura, but did not know about her guardians. Or at least, they didn’t know who was guarding her until you showed yourselves.”

“What does that mean, then?” Trixie asked, slowing down a bit as she felt her legs growing heavy. The rest of the group slowed down too, to match her speed.

“Well, only a very few number of changelings know of Aura’s existence in Ponyville. Myself, mother, Victoria, mother’s advisors, and two other Generals, Orange and Lemon.”

“‘Orange’ and ‘Lemon’?” Trixie asked. “You changelings sure have funny names.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Shark retorted.

“Those are their nicknames,” Elizabeth corrected. “Anyway, this leaves four suspects. However, mother’s advisors were well aware of who was sent to guard over Aura, and have been by her side at all times since Odysseus attempted coup. In other words, our mole is one of those two Generals… logically.”

“… Sounds like there’s a problem with that, though,” Trixie said, noting the tone of Elizabeth’s voice.

“Those two have been Alexander’s knights ever since he was a youngling. I can’t imagine either of them turning traitor, and definitely not selling out Aura. And their alibis are rock-solid. But, there’s no other place the leak could have come from.”

“… There… may be one,” Trixie said, sweating nervously as the thought presented itself. “Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight Sparkle? You mean the Spirit of Magic?”

“That’s right!” Aura shouted. “She knows that I’m a changeling! But, she said she wouldn’t tell anypony, right?”

“She did, but then, we know how loyal she is to Princess Celestia,” Trixie said. “Trixie will admit, the thought of Twilight Sparkle selling us out is preposterous. But if Princess Celestia found out from her of your existence, then…”

“That presents a whole new number of ways that the information could have leaked out,” Mystic said. “But, how did you know that the information was being leaked?”

Elizabeth let out a chuckle at the question. “Being a spy on the griffon’s side is hard, since they don’t even look equine! But changelings… specialise in espionage, remember?”

“You… have a spy planted in the Griffon Empire?”

“No. In the Royal Guard,” Elizabeth said. “Lots of them, in fact. However, this particular griffon group, was working with the Royal Guard when they received their orders. It was just pure luck that our spy managed to intercept their letters to and from the Griffon Empire.

“Anyway, I’m sorry to drag you into this, Trixie, but since your identity is known to them, it might be for the best if you come with us.”

“Where to?” Trixie asked.

“Where else? The Changeling Kingdom.”

Chapter 2

Rainbow Dash was browsing the market square when the news reached her ears. News of a battle taking place between changelings and griffons over at Sweet Apple Acres. Like anypony else would be, Rainbow Dash was curious, but she was also worried about Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her worries were dispelled when somepony said that no ponies were hurt, but then shot back up again when she heard that the griffons involved in the battle were at the Golden Oaks Library.

‘Twilight’s got some pretty freaky magic skills, but griffons are tough creatures! I don’t know if she’d be able to take on a whole group of them!’ Rainbow Dash thought as she soared through the air, narrowing her eyes as the library came into view. Along with the group of griffons standing outside… One of the griffons, she recognised. “What?”

Slowing down and descending to the ground, Rainbow Dash looked on in shock as she saw her old friend from Flight School standing outside the library. The griffon she had been friends with since early childhood. The griffon she had gotten into many scuffles with, and who she had cut many classes with so that they could hang out together. The griffon that she had studied with, played wingball with and more recently, had a huge fight with.

“What d’ya mean you can’t track ‘em?! I recruited you guys ‘cause you’re supposed ta be the best!”

The griffon she was yelling at shivered and saluted. “W-We’re sorry, Captain Gilda, sir, but they have covered their tracks far too well!”

“Damnit!” Gilda held her claw over her face and remained silent for a few seconds. “I thought that Princess was underestimating me. But she’s smarter than she looks.”

“Captain, what should our next move be? If we let that youngling get away-”

“I know! I’m thinkin’!” Another moment of silence passed, and Gilda curled her claw into a fist and slammed it onto the ground beneath her.

“You never were much of a thinker, were you?” Rainbow Dash asked as she approached her old friend, which only made the griffon even madder.

“You stay out of this! This has nothing to do with you ponies!”

“Nothin’ to do with us, huh? How about the fact that two ponies were just kidnapped by a bunch of changelings? One of which was a filly, to boot!”

Gilda huffed. “As I’ve already explained to the Princess, that ‘filly’ was actually a changeling Princess in disguise.” Rainbow’s eyes widened at that, and Gilda continued. “She wasn’t kidnapped, and neither was the mare with her. They both went of their own accord. And now, we have to catch them before it’s too late!”

“Captain!” Gilda turned around to face the griffon soldier soaring towards her. As the soldier landed, he saluted and began his report. “No sightings have been reported from nearby outposts.”

“They must be going straight back to the Changeling Kingdom them,” Gilda concluded. “But with nothing to track ‘em with, it’ll be a pain to catch up to them! Not to mention they might already be there right now, with how fast changelings can be.”

“Maybe not,” Rainbow Dash said as she approached Gilda. The griffon grit her teeth and shot the Pegasus a hard glare, but Rainbow continued nonetheless. “Don’t you remember what we learned in Flight School? ‘A flock is only as fast as its slowest flyer’. And believe me, Trixie is not what I’d call athletic.”

Gilda’s rage died down a little bit and she put a claw to her chin. “Hey, you might have somethin’ there… That Unicorn can’t fly, so unless they’re willing to abandon her, there’re only so many paths they can take through the desert. If they’re gonna avoid our eyes along the way, then…”

Gilda chuckled under her breath as she figured it out. “Alright. I know where they’ll be now. And furthermore, because we can fly, we can cut ‘em off if we go now.”

“Shall I call back our troops, Captain?” one of the soldier’s asked, to which Gilda shook her head.

“No time. The four of you should be enough, since all we need is the brat anyway.”

“Hold it!” Rainbow Dash shouted, returning Gilda’s anger and making her growl. “You’re goin’ after those changelings, right?”

“What of it?”

Rainbow put a hoof on Gilda’s shoulder, which the griffon quickly shook off. “I don’t get what’s going on exactly, but there’s no way I’m lettin’ you go on your own! I’m gonna back you up!”

Gilda’s rage only increased at Rainbow’s proposal. “And why the hay would I want somepony like you backin’ me up anyway?! You’d probably just change sides and help them get away, anyway!”

Rainbow frowned at the accusation and returned the glare that Gilda was sending her way. “Hey, not cool, G! I don’t betray my friends!”

“Really? Coulda fooled me, Rainbow Trash!”

“What happened last time was just ‘cause you were acting like such a jerk! I wouldn’t break off our entire friendship over one lousy argument between the two of us!”

Gilda seemed taken aback by that comment, and was about to question it, before she was interrupted by the soldier standing behind her. “Captain, we are ready to leave on your order!”

Gilda gave Rainbow Dash one final, silent stare, before nodding and turning away. “Dash, this isn’t some schoolyard rumble. This is a real battle. So stay out of it, for your own good. ‘Kay?”

Rainbow Dash watched as Gilda took off with the four soldiers following her. As she did, Twilight Sparkle stepped in from the sidelines and placed a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?” she asked, concern showing on her face.

“How can I be?” Rainbow responded bitterly. “My best friend since childhood thinks our last fight meant the end between us, and now she’s goin’ off and doing something dangerous, and telling me to stay out of it?”

“I know it must be hard, Rainbow. It’s hard for me, too, knowing that Trixie and Aura are caught up in all of this. And I bet the Crusaders are worried, too. But we can’t do anything right now.”

“… Says who?” Rainbow asked, her wings shooting out of her sides. “Hey, I’m fast enough to keep up with that birdbrain! I’m gonna go help her, whether she likes it or not!”

“Rainbow, wait-” Before Twilight could finish, Rainbow Dash launched off of the ground and into the air, leaving a rainbow trail behind her as she travelled after the griffon soldiers. “RAINBOW! COME BACK!”

“Have you caught your breath?” Elizabeth asked as she took the waterskin from Trixie’s hooves. Trixie nodded in response, though her breathing was still fairly heavy. “We’re almost there. It’s just a little farther now.”

“If you hadn’t brought her along, we’d be there by now,” Shark said in a spiteful tone, earning a glare from the tired mare.

“She has saved and protected Aura,” Elizabeth told him. “She has earned our thanks, and we are repaying that debt by now protecting her from the Griffon Empire.”

“Why are they after Trixie anyway?” Trixie asked as she pushed herself to her hooves. “What could they possibly gain from that?”

“Well, Aura’s co-operation, for one,” Elizabeth said. “But truthfully, they only targeted you after you attacked their Captain back then. If you hadn’t have done that, then they wouldn’t be able to touch you, due to your Equestrian citizenship. Now, though, they can legally apprehend you for attacking one of their soldiers, and Equestria, as an allied nation, is obligated to assist them with that.”

Aura let out a whimper and looked down at the ground. “S-Sorry, Trixie… I didn’t mean to get you caught up in something so dangerous… again.”

Trixie flinched as she saw the sad youngling pawing at the ground beneath her hooves, her head low and her lower lip quivering. ‘Darn it. That’s just not fair.’ With a huff, Trixie shook her head and approached the youngling. “What’s done is done,” she said, using a hoof to raise Aura’s head. “Besides, it’s not as if Trixie is unable to defend herself. Or have you forgotten how Great and Powerful Trixie is?”

Aura smiled and nodded her head. “Of course. How could I ever forget?” she said with a giggle. “… But now you’ve got to come all the way to our kingdom.” Aura turned her attention to her older sister. “Is it even going to be safe for her?”

“Not to worry!” Elizabeth answered before turning to Trixie. “The kingdom has been made aware of who you are, and what you have done for us. At the very least, those loyal to Princess Aura regard you with high status. And our mother has decreed that you shall undercome no harm during your stay.”

“So are we gonna keep movin’ now or what?” Shark asked, starting to grow impatient.

“Yes, I think that we should,” Elizabeth agreed. “Mystic’s party should have reached the kingdom by now, so they’re probably waiting for us to return.”

“Are you okay, Trixie?” Aura asked as she gave the showmare a concerned look.

“Yes. Trixie is well-rested now.” With that, the four of them began moving once more. “Trixie is curious, though. Why exactly did the Griffon Empire decide to declare war on your kind?”

“Ah. It’s no big surprise, really,” Elizabeth said, her answer only making the mare even more curious. “The griffons have always resented us, ever since a particular event went down in history, long ago.”

“And that event is what, exactly?”

“Have you ever heard of a griffon named Augustus?” To that, Trixie shook her head. “He was the first Emperor of the Griffon Empire, and also the one who formed a peace treaty with Equestria. Before then, much like us changelings, griffons were perceived as vicious monsters that nopony could trust. He changed that, though. He united griffons from all over the globe, both strong and weak, and founded what later became known as the Griffon Empire.

“The changelings already feared the Princesses of Equestria at that point, so they didn’t want yet another powerful threat to their existence such as Augustus. And so, they assassinated him.”

“… Just like that?” Trixie asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Just like that,” Elizabeth confirmed. “It’s how things worked back then. And due to lack of evidence, the griffons were never able to prove that we were behind it. Though it was obvious to anyone with even half a brain. Even though they could never attack us, due to our being Equestrian citizens at that point in time, they made their hatred towards us very clear.”

“Okay, that explains why they never attacked back then. But why not after? They had a thousand years to attack, but never did?”

“Oh, they did alright. But the changelings are a tough and adaptable race.” Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and smiled at Trixie with a proud look on her face. “After staving off enough griffon attacks, they began to think twice before coming after us again. And up until now, we’ve been able to scare them away with our rapid growth and our cunning.”

“So what changed?” Trixie asked.

“What changed,” a voice began, one that belonged to none of the others, “Is that RE’s rebellion has given us a huge opening to take advantage of!”

“In the sky!” Aura shouted, looking up into the air where a griffon soldier swooped down towards the group. The griffon extended her claws and rocketed towards shark. “Watch out!”

“Now! Get her!” Gilda shouted as her claw collided with Shark’s metal one.

Aura gasped and turned around quickly, seeing two griffon soldiers flying towards her with swords at the ready. Aura fired her magic at the two, but they swiftly moved out of the way to avoid being hit. A blur of purple appeared before the youngling, and the next thing she heard was the sound of two heavy things crashing onto the ground, followed by grunts and groans from what sounded like two male griffons.

“Ganging up on one little child? How terribly brutish!” Trixie shouted as she glared at the two griffon soldiers now rising tow their feet. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will happily accept your challenge!”

“Damn brat!” one of the soldier shouted as he charged forward, raising his sword up into the air. Trixie fired a blast of magic that was much faster than Aura’s, and was able to wind the griffon before he could even see it coming. As he fell back once more, Trixie used her magic to grab the sword that he had released.

“Hand over the Princess!” the second soldier shouted, swooping in towards Trixie at a higher speed than his comrade. Trixie watched her opponent closely, and raised her sword at just the right time to parry his attack, and give herself an opening to counter.

However, as she raised her sword into the air, she took note of the armour the griffon was wearing. ‘N-Not good! I can’t knock him out using the hilt like this! I could try to cut him, but… I’m not a swordspony. Can I hurt him without killing him? If I hold back a little bit… but what if that’s not enou-’

“What are you doing?!” Trixie snapped out of her thoughts and lowered her sword down. Unfortunately, her brief moment of hesitation was enough for the griffon soldier to regain his position and thrust his sword into Trixie’s shoulder, halting her attack mid-swing. “Move!” A blast of green magic forced the griffon to back away, and Elizabeth ran quickly to place herself in front of Trixie, her sword raised up high in her magical aura.

“Trixie!” Aura cried as she ran to the showmare’s side. With the griffon’s sword removed from her shoulder, the open wound was bleeding at a fast rate. “Trixie, hang on! I’m going to heal you!”

Elizabeth backed up closer towards her sister and the Unicorn mare behind her. “You idiot!” she shouted, though she didn’t take her eyes off of the four griffon soldiers advancing towards them. “What are you doing, hesitating like that?! If you’re don’t know how to use a sword, don’t pick on up in the first place!”

Trixie, shaking like a leaf as she held a hoof over her wound, slowly looked up at the changeling standing before her. “B-But I-”

“Just stay down and let Aura take care of that wound! I can handle these four on my own!”

As Elizabeth charged forward into battle, Trixie’s head lowered until she was facing the ground. Her eyes narrowed, and her lower lip trembled as she tightened her hold over her wound. “Trixie just… wanted to protect Aura…”

Aura’s magic enveloped Trixie’s wound, and the youngling used her hooves to move Trixie’s own hoof out of the way. “Trixie, please be still. I’m not an expert, but I should be able to close your wound up long enough to reach the Changeling Kingdom.”

Trixie looked over at Aura, whose eyes were closed and whose brows were furrowed as her horn shone a very bright green colour. She was clearly focussing hard in order to treat Trixie’s wound, and was probably straining herself, too. Meanwhile, Trixie could also see that Elizabeth and Shark were themselves engaged in fierce battles against the griffon ambush squad.

‘How… How can I be so useless, in a situation like this? I just wanted to protect Aura. So why is it that the only thing I can do is sit around here and let the others protect me.’

Aura flinched as she felt something sharp mix in with her magic, and opened her eyes to see what it was. As she looked at Trixie’s wound closely, she could see faint strands of black and purple swimming around in her green magical aura. ‘Trixie? Is this… your magic?’

“Give it up!” Shark shouted as he delivered a kick to Gilda’s face, forcing her to take a long leap backwards to regain her composure. “You’re a Captain? What a joke! If this is all we have to worry about from you guys, this war’ll be a cinch!”

“Shut up!” Gilda roared as she removed her claw from her face. ‘Damnit! Why the hell is this guy so strong?! I can’t lose Aura now. If I can grab her, I can end this war immediately!’ Gilda noticed the changeling soaring towards her through the air, and took a step back to form a defensive stance. ‘He’s so powerful! Will I make it?!’

“GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU CREEP!” Shark’s attack stopped, and both he and Gilda turned to look at the source the voice they had just heard.

“You gotta be kidding!” Gilda shouted.

“What’s she doing here?” Trixie asked as she watched a rainbow trail pass over above herself.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and focussed her attention on the changeling that was attacking her friend. “You lay one hoof on her and I’ll make you sorry you ever came here!” she shouted as she swooped down on the changeling, who quickly jumped back to avoid her attack.

“The hell?” Shark asked as he watched the pony loop around and come back for a second attack.

“DON’T!” Gilda shouted, but her warning fell on deaf ears.

“What are you doing, flyin’ around and making so much noise?” Shark asked as he raised one of his clawed hooves. “Like a pesky little fly, just waiting to be swatted out of the sky!”

As Rainbow Dash closed in on her target, Shark stepped aside swiftly and raised his claw, drawing it along the Pegasus’ side. Rainbow froze up as she felt the sharp blades cut into her skin, and her wings stopped flapping as she felt a sharp pain along her side.

“DASH!” Gilda shouted as she watched the Pegasus fall and roll along the ground, landing on her back and panting heavily.

“Hey!” Shark shouted as he faced the downed pony, an excited grin on his face. “Since she attacked first, I can kill her, right?”

Elizabeth unleashed a shockwave of magic to knock her opponents back, and turned to face Shark. “… I guess, given the circumstances, that it would be acceptable now.”

“Don’t you dare!” Trixie shouted, trying to move, but the pain in her shoulder being too much for her. “She’s already down, just leave her be!” ‘Even if she is annoying, and loud, and a no-good heckler, she doesn’t deserve to die!’

“Why should I?” Shark asked as he slowly approached the Pegasus. “I’ve been dyin’ ta kill somepony ever since I got assigned to that damn town. Now, I actually have a chance. No way am I passin’ that up.” Shark raised his clawed hoof into the air…

“Ceasefire!” Shark stopped and turned to face Princess Aura, who was glaring back at him with a firm look on her face. “I, Princess Aura of the Changeling Kingdom, order you: you shall not bring any more harm to that pony!”

Shark grit his teeth at the youngling giving him orders, and hesitated for a moment.

“That’s too bad, Shark,” Elizabeth said. “If it’s an order from a Princess, then you have to obey… Unless you’d rather be detained and court-martialled upon our return to the Changeling Kingdom?”

With an aggravated groan, Shark lowed his hoof back to the ground, bringing forth a sigh of relief and a smile from Aura. However, he instantaneously raised it again as she saw some movement in the corner of his eye. As he turned back to where the Pegasus lay, he saw Captain Gilda now standing in that spot, picking the pony up and placing her onto her back.

“Everyone, we’re falling back!” she shouted to her soldiers, who gave her confused looks in response.

“But Captain, if we don’t capture the Princess now-”

“FORGET THE PRINCESS!” Gilda roared before looking over her shoulder and at the Pegasus on her back. “This takes priority! Retreat now, and that is an order!”

The startled soldiers quickly regained themselves and saluted. After Gilda flew over them, the four soldiers took off and followed after her, leaving the three changelings and one pony behind.

“We should go after them,” Shark said. “We kill a Captain now, and it’ll be easier for us in the long run.”

“We shall press on,” Elizabeth said, earning a glare from Shark. “Our priority is bringing my sister Aura, and Miss Trixie Lulamoon to the Changeling Kingdom. Especially now that Trixie is injured.”

Aura turned to her sister with a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry. I tried to patch up her wound, using a mix of pony and changeling magic, but I’m still not skilled enough in either field.”

“A mix of magic?” Elizabeth asked, giving her sister a proud smile when she received a nod in response to the question. “Well well, you certainly are a Princess, that’s for sure.” Her smile faded as she looked over at Trixie. “Don’t worry, Aura. We’ll get her treated up by the finest doctor we have once we get home.”

“Well, guess we’re not catching them now,” Shark grumbled underneath his breath. He then turned to Trixie and gave her a sharp glare. “And you, stupid pony, need to just stay out of way in any future battles we have. This is war, and if you aren’t ready to kill your enemy, then you’re just a burden.”

Trixie opened her mouth to argue, but Shark had already turned away by that point. ‘… I just wanted to help without killing anyone. How could I have been so useless?’

“Here, I’ll carry you the rest of the way,” Elizabeth said as she grabbed Trixie’s foreleg, draping the mare’s good side over her shoulder. She received no words of protest, and the four swiftly resumed their journey through the desert.

Aura would occasionally glance over at Trixie to make sure that she was okay. But each time she did, she noticed that the usually loud and boisterous showmare was being quiet, and seemed to simply be staring off into space with a sad look on her face. Aura tried to say something, but she couldn’t think of what to say in this situation.

So she simply remained silent, moving over to nuzzle against Trixie’s legs as the four moved into the forest surrounding the Changeling Kingdom in complete silence.

Chapter 3

When Gilda and her squad returned to the library later that night, Twilight Sparkle was almost half-tempted to turn them away and erect a barrier to keep the sharp-tongued, brutish soldiers away from her. But when Gilda presented the news of badly wounded Rainbow Dash at the Ponyville hospital, Twilight immediately set out to pay her friend a visit, telling Spike to alert the rest of their friends to Rainbow Dash’s situation.

“What happened?” Twilight asked in a worried voice as she looked over the unconscious Rainbow Dash lying on the hospital bed, a white bandage wrapped around her abdomen with a red stain in the centre. “Was it the changelings who did this? But, the doctor said she had suffered from injuries dealt by a claw.”

“Don’t even think it,” Gilda warned from her seated position on the other side of Rainbow’s bed. “One of the changelings had a metal claw as their weapon of choice.” Twilight gave Gilda a suspicious glare, but the griffin paid it no mind, instead huffing and looking down at the wounded Pegasus. “Bastard almost did me in. No way a n inexperienced fighter like Dash could’ve beat him.” ‘We’ve dangerously underestimated our enemy. I figured they’d be useless without their illusions…’

“Those changelings… they came for Aura and Trixie, didn’t they?” Twilight asked, receiving a nod from Gilda. “Why did you attack them? What could you have possibly gained from killing a showmare and a child?”

“Ah agree.” The two turned to the door to find Applejack walking in, followed by the rest of Twilight’s friends; Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike walked in behind Applejack and approached the patient’s bed. “Even if she was a changeling, attackin’ a child is jus’-”

“You knew, didn’t you?” Gilda asked Twilight, ignoring Applejack’s question beside her. “That the kid was a changeling in disguise. You knew, and yet you still accepted her.”

“Is that true, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Uh, yeah…” Twilight admitted, turning to her friends with a sad look on her face.

It was late at night, and Twilight was eager to return to the library and get some much needed sleep after Pinkie Pie’s long welcome party for both Aura and Trixie. Since Trixie had visited Ponyville twice before and yet avoided a party each time, Pinkie Pie felt that she had to make up for it, and having two guests of honour seemed to mean that the party had to be twice as big as it would usually be.

Twilight stopped as she realised something. “That’s right, I needed to ask Trixie if she could let me study her magic.” Twilight thought about it for a second, and decided that she wasn’t too far away from Trixie’s trailer that it wouldn’t be too much of a detour, and so, turning around, Twilight began her trek to pay Trixie a quick late-night visit.

Illusionary magic was hard to come by, and even with her own large-scale grasp of multiple fields of magic, illusionary magic was still out of Twilight’s reach. It was the type of magic that you can either use, or you cannot, and Trixie was the type that could. Since she did not personally know anypony else who could use illusions, besides the basic level that Rarity could use, Twilight had had no chances to examine it in person before.

She stopped at the entrance to Trixie’s trailer and was about to raise her hoof to knock on the door, when a voice inside caught her attention. “Trixie, I need some love.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. She knew that voice. It was Aura’s. But, Aura was a filly. For her to say such a thing… ‘S-Surely Trixie isn’t-’

“Yes, yes, Trixie knows this. Just give her a second… Okay, Trixie is ready now.”

Twilight waited for a second, before hearing a moan from inside. A pleasurable moan, which sounded like it had come from Aura. ‘No way… Trixie, how could you?’

“I’m done now, Trixie.”

“No, not yet. Don’t just take the bare minimum. Trixie has lots of energy, so you can take a bit more.”

Twilight couldn’t stand it anymore. She never thought that Trixie would be capable of such a thing, but then, she hardly knew the showmare, really. Regardless, there was no way that she would stand for something like this.

Turning around and rearing her legs, Twilight steadied herself, and then bucked the door open. She turned around to confront Trixie. “What do you think you’re-” Twilight stopped as she beheld the scene before her, “-Doing…”

Trixie and the small, black creature in front of her turned to Twilight in unison, staring at her with wide eyes and startled looks. There was a stream of green connecting their horns, which dissipated a second later, and now the three of them were staring in complete, awkward silence.

“You’re harbouring a changeling?!” Twilight shouted in disbelief. “Are you crazy?!”

“Of course not!” Trixie shouted back. “And be quiet! What if somepony hears you?”

“Trixie, this is… I don’t… How could… ARGH!”

“Trixie does not see what the problem is, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said, flicking her mane. “Aura is just a youngling who has no place else to go, so Trixie is offering her a home. Do you not feel sorry for the poor thing?”

“But she’s a changeling! What if she’s a spy?!”

“Then she’s a terrible one. She revealed herself to Trixie by accident very easily.”

“And If that was just to win you over with some pity-tale?!”

“Trixie trusts her,” Trixie said in a stern tone, sending Twilight a harsh glare. “And that is all that matters to me. Tell Trixie: since Aura has been in Ponyville, has anything bad happened?”

“Beside that changeling impersonating Luna and playing us all for fools?”

Trixie waved her hoof dismissively. “Not related. Aura was in Canterlot at the time.”

“I’m telling you, Trixie, that changelings can’t be trusted! They’ve attacked Equestria many times in the past!”

“Twilight Sparkle, a racist. Who would have thought?” Trixie took a deep breath, and then leaned closer to the frustrated Unicorn. “Twilight, listen, you have a dragon back at that library, right?” Twilight nodded.

“Yes, but what does-”

“Dragons have been known to burn down and raid villages, many times, in the past. Does that mean that Spike cannot be trusted?”

Twilight gasped and gave Trixie a disgusted look. “How dare you?! Spike is not like other dragons! He-”

“And need Trixie remind you of a certain incident that took place just a few days ago? Involving a certain King Sombra, who was a… what was he now? Oh, yes. A Unicorn. Does that now mean that all Unicorns are untrustworthy?”

“… Trixie, it’s… it’s different!”

“How so?” Twilight grit her teeth together and tried to form an answer… but none came to her. “Twilight, Trixie thought that you of all ponies in this town would realise: you cannot judge an entire group on the actions of one individual, or one faction of said group. The recent attacks by the changelings race were performed by adult changeling soldiers. This child had nothing to do with them, so she cannot be held accountable for them.”

“But… But still, she could still be here to cause trouble…”

“If that is the case, then Trixie shall take responsibility. But until then, she must ask that you keep this a secret.”

Twilight stared into Trixie’s eyes intently for a few moments, and then sighed and gave her answer. “… Alright…”

“I wanted to trust her. She seemed to genuinely trust Aura, and… and she was right. If we keep judging the changelings based on their past actions, we’ll never get any closer to a peaceful resolution with them. It will be a constant cycle of hatred between us…”

“While that’s admirable an’ all, why didn’t ya tell us ‘bout it?” Applejack asked. “Mah sis’s been hangin’ out with a changeling all this time! Don’t ya think we deserved ta know?”

Twilight nodded, setting her gaze on Applejack. “I did, but Trixie asked me to keep it a secret. She… She even went so far as to call it a ‘favour between friends’… How could I say no to that?”

“She still kept one thing from ya, though,” Gilda said, drawing the attention of the ponies towards her. “That that kid, Aura, is actually a changeling Princess.”

The five mares and one dragon gasped in unison. “A Princess?!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Are you serious?” Applejack asked. “That filly was changeling Royalty, an’… an’ y’all attacked her?!”

“That’s why we attacked her,” Gilda responded. “Because the Griffin Empire is currently at war with the Changeling Kingdom. Kidnapping the Princess would’ve been a great help to us… Of course, our stupid Emperor just had to declare the war before our group could make our move, putting the enemy on their guard.”

“But how did you know that she was a Princess?” Rarity asked. “And that she was here in Ponyville?”

“I overheard some of the Royal Guard talkin’ about it. I was sent to Canterlot recently, y’see, and I just happened to hear two guards talkin’ about the changeling down in Ponyville. Apparently, your Princesses know all about her.”

“That’s a lie!” Applejack accused. “If she knew, there’s no way she wouldn’t tell us!”

“It’s the truth!” Gilda responded, flaring her wings and glaring at Applejack. She didn’t care much for being called a liar, especially when she actually was telling the truth. “If she didn’t tell you, maybe it was classified or somethin’.”

“It’s possible…” Twilight began, “… That she was didn’t feel Aura was a threat. If that was the case, there would be no need to tell us. Or rather, it would be rude to tell us, since it would be an invasion of Aura’s privacy.”

“Y’mean she was being courteous ta Aura?” Applejack asked. “But why? Ah’d have thought the Princess would hate the changelings after those recent attacks.”

“There’s a lot about your Princess you don’t know,” Gilda said, earning confused looks from everyone else. “It’s not all rainbows and lollipops on that throne, y’know? Ruling a land means having a darker side to your life, that has ta be sugar-coated with the image of a benevolent ruler. It also means that ya can’t simply see things as black ‘n’ white, ‘good’ or ‘evil’. Despite the attacks, the Princess sees potential in allying with the Changeling Kingdom, and befriending that young Princess would certainly be a good way to start.”

“But, something is bothering me,” Rarity said. “Why would a changeling Princess be here in the first place, and living with Trixie of all ponies?”

“No idea. All we know is that she was here, and her only allies were the illusionist Trixie Lulamoon, and two suspicious shadows sighted around town wherever she goes.”

“That’s awfully convenient that you happened to overhear that when you did, just before you received word of war breaking out,” Twilight said, giving the griffin a sceptical look.

Before Gilda could respond, a groan from Rainbow Dash drew everyone’s attention to the awakening Pegasus on the bed. “Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie Pie called out as she rushed to her friend’s side. “Are you alright?! Quick, what’s your name?! How old are you?! How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if- WAAAH!”

Pinkie Pie was pulled aside by Twilight’s magic so that Rainbow Dash could have some room to breathe. “She’s just waking up, Pinkie Pie. Give her some space. I’m sure her head must be killing her right now.”

“Where am I?” Rainbow Dash asked as she looked around the room that she now found herself in. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she shot up straight as she saw her friends around her. “What happened?! Where’s Gilda, and Trixie and Aura, and-” Rainbow stopped and winced as she felt her stomach in intense pain.

“Easy, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight instructed, using her magic to fluff Rainbow’s pillow and gently lower Rainbow Dash back down onto the bed. “You’ll reopen those wounds. Just calm down. Trixie and Aura are fine, and Gilda’s right here.”

“Not for long,” Gilda announced as she rose out of her seat. “I just wanted to make sure you’d wake up, so I could tell you how STUPID YOU ARE!” Gilda turned to the startled Pegasus and reached forward, grabbing her by the hospital gown’s collar and bringing her face-to-face. “What were you thinking, throwing yourself at an enemy soldier like that?! Why the hell can you never stay out trouble?! You always have to be the hero, don’t ya?!”

“Gilda, please!” Twilight pleaded, placing herself between the two to separate them.

“I was just trying to look out for my friend, G!” Rainbow Dash shouted, narrowing her eyes as she returned the griffin’s glare. “Y’know, like we agreed back in Flight School?”

“That was then! I’m a soldier now, Dash, which means I don’t need you watching my back!” Gilda pushed Rainbow Dash back down onto the bed and turned to leave. “And even if I did, there’s nothing you can do. Your life in this town has made you too soft. You and I belong in different places now.”

“G, I-”

“Just stay here, heal up, and forget any stupid ideas you might have about going after those changelings! Because you’ll be useless against them, and you’ll only wind up getting yourself killed!”

With that, Gilda left the room, slamming the door behind her shut in the process.

“Well, that was certainly an interesting way to greet your friend after they’ve just woken up from a horrible injury,” Rarity said as she glared at the hospital room’s door.

Rainbow Dash simply lowered her head and stared at the bed sheets beneath her. ‘But… you always trusted me to have your back…’ The frustrated Pegasus grabbed at her bed sheets, her body shaking as she tried to hold her anger in check. ‘I thought I could look out for my friends, but now… am I just a burden to you now?’

Trixie swallowed nervously as she walked through the streets of the changeling city she was now in. She was amazed with how big the Changeling Kingdom was, and how much it differed in appearance to the images that she had drawn in her mind. The buildings were all made out of some strange purple and dark blue stones that gave off some kind of glowing effect. But she couldn’t really admire them, as all eyes around the group seemed to be focussing directly onto her.

“So, uh… what are these buildings made out of, exactly?” Trixie asked, trying to ignore the stares sent her way.

“Magisette,” Aura replied as she walked beside Trixie. “A rock that isn’t found naturally. Changelings form it by ingesting a particular rock found in the jungles around us. They can take in energy from the sun, and convert it to magical energy, so we’re never short of magic here. That’s why our barriers are able to stay up constantly, yet remain so powerful at all times.”

“Only problem is the stuff is so heavy,” Mystic added. “So we can’t take it with us over long distances very easily. We mostly transport the precursor rocks here and then create the magisette. Since the process takes time, creating them on a battlefield or at a base camp is a risky move.”

“We’re here,” Elizabeth announced, stopping as the group reached the palace gates. Everyone behind her stopped too, and all except for Trixie and Shark bowed as a tall, female changeling began to walk towards them. “My Queen, we have returned. Aura has been successfully escorted, along with Lulamoon.”

“Excellent work,” Chrysalis praised as she motioned for her subjects to rise. “Please escort Aura to her quarters. I have prepared a meal and a bath for her, and her servants are quite eager to welcome home their Princess.”

“Yes, my Queen,” Elizabeth responded. She turned to Aura. “Come on, Aura. Let’s go show everyone you’re alright.”

“But what about Trixie?” Aura asked.

“I wish to speak with Trixie myself,” Chrysalis informed her daughter, sending a chill down Trixie’s spine. She sensed this and turned to the nervous pony. “Relax. If I had any intention to do you harm, I would have simply order my subjects to subdue or kill you long ago.”

“Uh, right,” Trixie replied, laughing nervously as she looked down at Aura. “Um… don’t worry. The Great and Powerful Trixie can take of herself.”

Aura wasn’t entirely convinced about that. She knew both Trixie and her mother well, and was sure of which one would win in a fight. Still, she trusted her mother’s word. “Right… Well then, I guess I’ll see you again later.”

“Shark, Mystic, you two go with them,” Chrysalis ordered. “I will hear your report later. For now, I wish to speak with Lulamoon alone.”

“Yes, my Queen,” Mystic responded.

“More babysitting. Great,” Shark replied in a sarcastic tone. “Whatever. Just lemme know when the fighting starts up again.”

The four changelings left the group, heading towards the castle together. Trixie watched as Aura faded out of sight bit-by-bit, and when she couldn’t see the youngling anymore, Chrysalis spoke up. “Where do you get that wound?”

Trixie jumped, and then faced the changeling Queen… and gulped. “Uh, t-they were from a battle we were drawn into, on our way here. Trixie heroically fought off two griffin guards, but was injured in the process.”

“Oh? You managed to kill two griffin soldiers?”

“… Well, not kill…”

“No, of course not. In fact, I think you didn’t defeat either of them.” Trixie flinched, and then turned her head away from the Queen’s accusing stare. “That wound is from a sword. I find it hard to believe that the same magic that overpowered my son, and broke into the Canterlot dungeons, was unable to shield your body from a lowly griffin grunt’s sword attack.”

“… Trixie was… distracted…” Trixie closed her eyes, and images of that fight came flooding into her mind.

“By what?”

“… The griffins… they were more into fighting than the Royal Guard was. Trixie couldn’t… couldn’t do anything, unless she…”

Chrysalis sighed after a long pause, and then turned around to face the castle. She began walking, and Trixie followed after her, not knowing what else to do in this situation. “You want to defend my daughter, correct?”

“Yes,” Trixie responded without any hesitation.

“And you want the power to defeat any foe that may threaten her?”

“… I guess so…”

“Yet you lack to resolve to kill whatever foes come your way.” Trixie froze in place, causing Chrysalis to stop too. The Queen turned to face Trixie, who was staring at the floor, a look of uncertainty on her face. “… It might be for the best if you sat out of this battle, after all.”

“What?!” Trixie asked as her head shot up to face the Queen.

“This is a war, Lulamoon. And a war against the Griffin Empire, at that.” Chrysalis turned away from the enraged pony. “If you go into battle with the resolve to not kill your opponent, then you will die. And I am grateful to you, for saving my daughter, so I would prefer for that not to happen.” Trixie remained silent, and did not move, even when Chrysalis began to walk away.

“Enter the room to your left. I have prepared a bath for you. The maids shall escort you to your quarters after you are clean, where you shall receive a meal and warm bedding. I have picked out maids in service to Aura, so they shall be quite courteous towards. A doctor shall be waiting for you in your quarters, to attend to that wound of yours.”

Trixie didn’t move for a while. She simply stared off into space after Chrysalis had rounded a corner, her teeth grinding together and her eyes narrowed as she felt her blood boil. Finally, she raised her left forehoof slowly into the air… and slammed it against the wall beside her. She ignored the pain from her wound, focussing instead on just one thought in particular.

‘Damnit. How can I suddenly be so useless?’ Trixie stared at her hoof touching the wall beside her, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm her emotions. ‘I said I would protect Aura. But, when it really counts… when she really needs me… is it all I can do to just sit aside and stay out of the way?!’

After a few minutes passed, and Trixie’s feelings felt like a swirling vortex inside her head, she decided to make good on Chrysalis’ offer for a nice, relaxing bath. She opened the door to the bathroom and stepped inside. “What should I do… Where should I go from here?”