War with a Changeling Part 1: The Beginning

Time: 1:30

Core's current objective: Move the resistance through the everfree forest and to the pegasi airborne fortress.

Location: Outer walls of ponyville

"So lemme get this strait, once we leave ponyville we can't come back?" Applejack asked with confusion.

"Yes, if the Unicorn empire found out our forces have left home base what do think they'll do then?" Answered Core.

"Well that explains all the food and supplies we're dragging out here." said Twilight who overheard the conversation.

Core, almost loosing focus when Twilight arrived, explained the rally plan "The food and supplies will go round the long way so that they arrive when we hopefully have a treaty with the pegasi, a small guard force will aid them encase of unicorn patrols..."

"...while we go through the forest, right?" finished Twilight.

Core nodded in response, the Doctor came over to the small group holding a strange metal object in his mouth "hey mind if you hold onto this for me?" mumbled the Doctor, Core used his magic to put the object under his back plate.

"What're you doing here? I thought you said you were going to make your own way of transportation." questioned Applejack.

"Yeah change of plans, I left my 'way of transportation' at the clearing so I'll be following you till then, sound good?" He said with a cheerful look on his face.

"Of course, besides, I'd like to see this mod of transportation you have, plus we can talk along the way." Core replied happy he wasn't going to be the only 'male' who was there. (The other troops didn't know him as well, nor were they as cheerful)

"Yeah I can't wait to get going" said Applebloom approaching the group.

"Fine but stay close to me and Big Mac, I'm not letting any Timberwolfs get a hold of ya." said Applejack who went to over to talk to 'presumably' Big Mac.

Core was staring at Twilight who was busy mapping out their root to the clearing, both the Doctor and Applebloom noticed this.

"Alright, I mapped our path from here to the clearing so we should....    ...why are you looking at me like that?" Twilight had noticed Core staring at her.

Core suddenly snapped out of it "Huh.. ..oh uh what are you talking about, I was just waiting to see if you were done mapping our path." Core had looked very nervous and sweating a bit.

After Applebloom had realized she tried to hold a big 'gasp', the Doctor however thinking 'now how would that work?'

Twilight just shrugged and alerted everyone to move out, Core felt like an idiot after that, before the troops headed in they grabbed all their things that they didn't want to leave behind, Applebloom was ordered to stay next to AJ and Big Mac, but the Doctor instantly went to investigate Core's previous action around twilight.

As they all walked through the everfree forest, Core saw the Doctor approach him "hey Doctor"

"You know if you find it easier you could just call me Time Turner, it's what everypony else calls me" said the Doctor.

Core nodded knowing he was going to ask about earlier with Twilight.

"So what was that about earlier with twilight? Have you got a crush on her or something?" asked Time Turner.

Core looked at Time Turner with nervous eye's "W..w...what makes you think that?"

The Doctor's answer made it sound very obvious "Well there was the fact that you stared at her in amazement when she was about to kill you, then there was you staring at her again with very meaning eye's, then when she you confronted on staring at her you sounded very nervous, so I took my best guess and assumed you 'like' her."

Core had no excuse to get out of this, so he was just honest "FINE, I have a crush Twilight but I'm a changeling, and I doubt we have ANYTHING in common, I like to learn, I'm eager to learn about how magic works, I like books, I mean what are chances she like any of those things?"

Time Turner just chuckled "Well there's only one way to find out" he said and pointed a hoof towards Twilight.

With a sigh, Core nodded and walked ahead to Twilight, she had given the map the Applejack so she was pretty much just admiring the plant life.

"H...hey Twilight" Core said very nervous.

Twilight turned her head and saw Core "Oh hi Core, how's it going?"

"Uh good, real good, uh hey do you like books?" Core said still very nervous.

"I love books why do you ask?" responded Twilight.

Core was surprised at this "Really? You like books too?"

Twilight looked at Core confused "Am I like the only other pony you know who like's books or something?"

"Well yeah." Core replied.

Twilight didn't look surprised "Oh I forgot, your a changeling of course you don't know any other pony who likes books, if anything I'm surprised a changeling liked books in the first place!" and with that Twilight stormed ahead leaving behind a now sad Core.

Time Turner walked over to Core "So how'd it go?"

Core looked at Turner with an unhappy frown on his face "Well she likes books..."

Time Turner gave a smile "Well that's good isn't it?"

"...but she doesn't like me." Core trotted ahead to talk to Applejack.

Applejack's head turned to see him "Howdy Core, doing good?"

Before Core could answer, Applebloom said "He's got a crush on Twilight, don't you Core?"

Applejack turned back to Core with a surprised look on her face, Core figured he may as well "Of course you'd find out wouldn't you, yeah I have a crush on Twilight, but she doesn't like me at all."

"Well there a subject I never thought I'd hear, a changeling has a crush on a pony..." Applejack was a bit skeptical about the idea "I guess love comes in many forms right?"

Core looked confused "I....love....twilight?"

Applejack's surprised look returned "I didn't expect you to be so confused about this, I thought changelings new everything about love."

Core looked back still a bit confused "Actually not one changeling I know of knows anything about love, we always found it as a food source, this is actually another reason I adored Equestria, to learn how to love. But what use is that when they don't love back?"

Applejack thought of why Twilight might hate Core "Well... ...maybe she's she's still annoyed about the changeling attack on canterlot, they did ruin her brother's wedding after all."

Core's face was looking directly down, his eye's were closed in depression "So she hate's me for something I never really took part in, great now I know it'll never happen, she must think I'm just another changeling. (sigh)"

Core fell silent and trotted ahead towards the clearing "I should probably talk to Twilight, maybe I can convince her he's not a normal changeling" was what ran through Applejack's mind while watching Core approach the clearing.