Chapters "La la la, la la la, la la la, WEE!" Pinkie Pie said as she was hopping down the streets of Ponyville. Nandi Star flew past Pinkie Pie, leaving her in dust.
"Sorry Pinkie! I'm in a rush!" Nandi Star said. Her green mane and tail swayed behind her as she flew. She did her best to avoid the passing ponies. As she managed to escape the busy ponies, she headed to the forest nearby. The Everfree forest! As she got deeper into the forest, she began to slow down. She looked around. Her brown wings flapped even slower. She lowered to the ground. She looked up through the tall trees. Sun gleamed through the trees. Soon, she heard the tree leaves rustle. "Rainbow Dash? Is that you?" The leaves continued to rustle. "Dashie?"
Rainbow Dash jumped out of a tree, and tackled Nandi. Dash put her chin on top of Nandi's mane. She gave her a noogie and messed up Nandi's mane. "Hey Dash!" Nandi said.
"Are you ready for today's practice?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Of course I am!" Nandi said with a smile on her face. "But can you please get off me?" "Oh. Yeah!" Dashie climbed off of Nandi's back. "Thanks. Alright, where are we practicing today?"
"We're gonna practice in Cloudsdale. Follow me!" Rainbow Dash zoomed into the sky, past the tall trees. Nandi followed.
Rainbow Dash and Nandi Start continued to fly to Cloudsdale. "Dash are we there yet?!" Star said with her eyes closed. "Um yeah... You should open your eyes though." Dash said to Star. Star felt herself go through a cloud, pushing her green mane onto her face. She opened her eyes, and saw the big bustling city of pegasi. "Wow, it's bigger than I remember! You know, because I haven't been her since I was a filly..." Nandi said with her eyes wide and gleaming. "Well, we can look at the city later, we have to practice!" Dash patted Nandi Star's back with her hoof. "Yeah, right." Nandi and Rainbow Dash flew to the surface of the city.
"You remember how to do this, Star?" Rainbow said to Nandi with an unamused look on her face. "Yeah. Like I could forget! We've done it about, a million times!" "Well, yeah, it's because you're such a clutz! We've been trying to get it right. Maybe if we did it right this time, we wouldn't have to practice as often!" Dash said, putting a lot of emphasis into right. "Anyway, let's get started!" Rainbow Dash and Nandi Star hugged. "3...2...1..." Star said. "GO!" As they were "hugging", they jumped off the cloud, and flew up. When they believed they were high enough, they began to fly down. They flapped their wings furiously. Soon, was was almost a sonic rainboom occurred. Except, a slight hint of black was part of it.
Rainbow Dash nudged on Nandi Star's leg. With tears and wind filling her eyes, she managed to look at Rainbow Dash, and see that her eyes full of tears as well. Rainbow Dash nudged her leg harder. Soon she realized that meant to release. Nandi let go of Rainbow Dash and they took off in opposite directions. Nandi heard Rainbow Dash's voice fade away. She thinks she was saying "SO AWESOME!!". As soon as Nandi regained her focus, she slowed down. She began to fly back to Cloudsdale to meet up with Rainbow Dash.
When she got there, Rainbow Dash had an impatient-looking face on. "What took you so long?! I was here for about 10 minutes!" Nandi put a mean face on. "Hey! It's not like I didn't come!" Nandi's face reverted to a gleeful emotion. "So we did awesome right?!" "Yeah! We did awesome!" Rainbow Dash said with a happy and confused face. "But I think it's time we leave. Right Star?" "Yeah. My wings are killing me..." "Alright I'll see you soon!" Rainbow Dash began to back up. Nandi was about to take off to go back to Ponyville. As she opened her wings, Rainbow Dash pushed her off of the cloud. Rainbow Dash started laughing as Nandi fell down.
Nandi was shrieking as she got closer to the ground. Then she remember she had wings. She began to flap them furiously. She slowed down soon enough to land safely on the ground. "Rainbow Dash..." She sighed. "I'll deal with her later. My wings are aching." A bell in her head rung. "I have to get to Applejack's!" She ran from her desolate location, to Sweet Apple Acres. A bush rustled after she left, and a black figure popped out with eyes filled with aqua blue. It made a low hissing noise watching her run away, and disappeared into the bushes.
Applejack sat on a pile of hay. She looked around.
"Where is that blasted pony? She was supposed to be here about 5 minutes ago!" Applejack said herself. She looked down at the pile. She got off of the pile and stared at it for a while. She crouched down and took a bite of the hay. "Not bad, not bad." She continued to eat the hay.
The patter of running hooves came towards to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack didn't acknowledge it. As the noise came closer, Applejack started to look up. She saw a green mane waving in the wind. Her eyes widened and realized that it was Nandi Star. Nandi was already there when Applejack tried to spit out the hay. "Applejack? What are you doing?" Nandi lowered her neck to Applejack's level. Applejack's pupils were almost swallowed in her green irises. Applejack spit out the rest of the hay that was in her mouth. "Ah, uh er...." Applejack quickly swung up her head to normal height, bumping Nandi's chin. Applejack's hat fell off of her head in front of her. "Ow! Applejack, you have to be more careful!" "Ah'm sorry. But what took you so long?" Applejack said as she put her hat back on her head. "Rainbow Dash and I were practicing again. But did you see our Dark Rainboom?" Nandi smiled. "So that's what that was?" Applejack said looking back at the sky.
"Anyway, we need to start bucking these trees! These apples aren't going to shake themselves off of the tree themselves ya know." Nandi looked at Applejack, then she looked at the trees. "Maybe the apples will fall down if the wind is strong enough!" Nandi put a wide smile on her face. Applejack stared at Star with a stern look on her face. "Anyway, let's get to buckin' these apples!" Applejack started to trot towards to orchard. Nandi Star followed her. Applejack stopped walking in her tracks. Star wasn't paying attention, so she continued trotting. Soon, she bumped into Applejack's flank. Star backed up after bumping into Applejack. Applejack moved up 3 inches after the bump.
Applejack looked at Nandi Star and said, "Here are the best apple trees ah got. Pick one ya wanna buck." Nandi looked around and saw a tree that caught her eye. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped with a smile. She ran over to a tree with at least 13 apples. She turned back to Applejack. "Hey AJ! Is this one good?" Applejack was trotting to a tree across from Nandi. Applejack turned to look at the tree Nandi Star was at. "That's a good tree. Wait a minute! I forgot to bring the baskets! Lemme get to the barn to snatch 'em." Applejack ran from the tree with pattering hooves. Nandi sat her flank on the ground and look up at the tree she under. Her horn glowed a pink aura and she closed her eyes. A red apple glowed from Nandi's aura. It began to move down towards Nandi. It soon snapped off the branch it hanging on.
As the apple floated down towards Nandi, she opened her mouth. A hissing noise was heard near Nandi. Her horn stopped glowing and the apple fell the the ground beside her. She turned her head around abruptly, looking for what made the noise. There were bushes nearby, so she slowly trotted towards them. When she got to them, she crouched down and poked her head through the bushes. Her mane caught onto the branches of the bush, causing her to not go any farther. She slowly turned her head both ways to see if there was anything there. There wasn't, so she pulled her head out of the bushes. She untangled her hair from the branches and stood up correctly. She turned around and bumped into something. But it wasn't something.. It was someone.
She backed up and stared in awe. A changeling was looking straight at her with a menacing smile. She started to back up, but it tackled her. They were so far from the barn, Nandi couldn't yell for help. The changeling bobbed its head at Nandi, trying to bite her. Star's hind legs were holding it back, but they would give out soon. And she couldn't focus enough to blast it away. Her legs began to give out and the changeling got closer to her face. Now, her legs gave the changeling the ability to bite her. As it lunged for her face, she turned her head to the left, and it bit her right eye. She lost all her thoughts with the outside world, only feeling the unbearable pain in her eye.
Soon, she felt a surge of some sort, and her horn glowed very bright. In a blast of magic, the changeling flew through three trees, and the trees came tumbling down. She regained her thoughts and could only see out of her left eye. Then it hit her. She needed to get help. She got up with her legs wobbling like crazy. She looked at the fallen trees in surprise. She didn't even bother to think what happen. With wobbling legs, she ran to the barn.
Applejack was carrying one basket in her mouth, and one on top of her head. She was looking for what made the noise. She wasn't looking in the direction she was walking, but then she heard a voice screaming. She looked where she was going, and saw Nandi staggering towards her. Applejack dropped the basket out of her mouth and shook her head to get the basket off her head off. The basket fell off, along with her hat. She ran to Nandi. "Applejack... It's not safe here. You have to leave now!" Applejack stared at Nandi's face, in utter horror. "First show me what in the hay happened, then I need to take you to Twilight.." Nandi looked at Applejack confused as to why she needed to see Twilight. She turned around and closed her eyes and focused really hard that she heard ringing in her ears. Her horn glowed and she and Applejack were teleported to the sight of action. The tree had collapsed and was smoking from Nandi's blast. "Applejack, there was a ch-ch-changling here! And it attacked - W- wha??" She turned her head to the fallen tree, only to see that the changeling was gone. "I-I swear, there was a changeling here, and it attacked me!" Nandi turned to Applejack with pleading eyes to believe her. "Ah- believe you, but we have to tell Twilight about your injuries and this incident." She never took it to mind but now, but the pain from the bite kicked in and the blood from her eye was all over the right side of her face. She started to hyperventilate, as she was processing what was happening. Applejack was trotting over to her when she started to fade away. "Nandi..?" She blinked as Applejack got closer. "You need help!" Nandi could barely see anything, and she was still hyperventilating. "Nandi? NANDI!!" Nandi Star blacked out.
There was talking, but it sounded very faded out. Nandi tried to lift her hoof, but it felt so heavy to her. She decided to keep it in place. She felt as if she was on something soft. Like a bed. But she couldn't be at Applejack's barn...
"I don't think she'll be waking up anytime soon. It would be better if she stayed here."
Twilight..? Nandi thought.
"All right... But keep her safe ya hear?"
That must be Applejack..! She opened both of her eyes. She realized she could see out of her right eye. She could see out of her left eye too. Her right eye still hurt from the incident earlier. Surprised that she could see out her right eye, all of the feeling came back into her body. She twitched and rolled over 'til her left hoof was hanging off of the bed. She grunted and jumped off of the bed. She may have had the feeling back in her body, but she still felt very weak. When her hooves hit the floor, her body crashed to the floor. Next her face hit the floor, then the rest of her lower body.
The two ponies that were speaking with each other heard the thump in the other room. "Nandi!" Twilight and Applejack said at the same time. They peeked their heads into the room to see the brown pony lying on the ground. Applejack ran to her. She helped Star back onto her hooves. "Nandi, I know ya just woke up and all but-" "APPLEJACK! I can see from my right eye again! What happened?!" Applejack looks at Twilight sheepishly and Twilight had the same look. Nandi was breathing very heavily while she was staring at Applejack. "Ah'll explain it to ya, but please get back in the bed." Nandi looked down and realized she was sitting. She could barely move herself except her wings. She began to flap her wings and she elevated off of the ground. She flew over to the bed she was at before. She rested herself on it, but she was sitting up. "Now. Care to explain how I got here, and why I can see out of my right eye?" Star looked at Twilight, expecting her to have all the answers.
Twilight trotted over to the bed and placed one hoof on the bed. "Well Applejack told me that you were attacked... By a changeling. So that means that Queen Chrysalis is back, and now her target is Ponyville. Maybe she wants to destroy us so she can attack Canterlot and rule over all of Equestria! This will not do! I have to tell Princess-!" Twilight gasped and turned around. Nandi cocked her head to the side. Her black dreadlocks brushed against her face as it fell. "Can you continue, Twilight?" Nandi said. Twilight blushed. She nodded. "Right. Applejack said you were attacked by a changeling. She said you fought it off, but it was nowhere to be seen after your attack, Nandi. When you fainted, Applejack brought you here."
"Damn it! It's still out there!" Nandi said, flinging her front hooves behind her. She then raised her right hoof and raised it towards her right eye. "NANDI NO!" Twilight yelled. Applejack jumps from being startled. Nandi closed her right eye and touched it. A strange burning sensation went through her eye when she touched it. "ARRRGHHHH!!!!!" Nandi shrieked, and started crying. The burning went away, and Star started moaning. Twilight walked over to the bed. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked. "Heh... It's okay. I think I can go back with Applejack to the orchard. Applejack snorted. "Are ya sure sugarcube?" "Yes! I am fine! I can come back!!!!" Nandi said abruptly. "Okay, okay. Fine." Nandi smiled. She started to flap her wings. She got out of the bed and flew out of the library. She was outside and yelled, "WOOHOO!!!!" Applejack laughed and smiled. She looked at Twilight only to find that she wasn't smiling. Twilight went downstairs and started browsing through her books.
Before Nandi Star took towards Sweet Apple Acres again, she caught a glimpse of the weary Twilight Sparkle. Many feet away from her window, Twilight slowly rearranged in her books, in no specific order. Afterwards, Nandi flapped her wings so she could get to Sweet Apple Acres before Applejack did. She got there only a minute before she did, and they went back into the orchard. The baskets were set from last time, and they began to pick apples. Nandi just flew threw the trees, trying not to touch her right eye. The apples fell off the trees and into nearby baskets. Applejack applebucked the trees as always. "Hey, sugarcube. Why do you think that changeling was after you?" Applejack asked, leaning against a tree, with a few golden deliciouses. Star shrugged her front two shoulders. "How did ya become an alicorn anyway?" Applejack said. Star sighed. "Well, I was born a unicorn... From a pegasi family. We had to move from Cloudsdale to Ponyville. In the mean time, I studied and studied for years, trying to find a way to become a pegasi. I tested. And tested. And tested. It was no use. But one day, when you got your cutie mark, Dash's sonic rainboom came in. I was testing one last time. Then, BOOM! It worked. Kind of. My spell kinda failed. I still had my horn, and normal pegasi wings. You get it?" Applejack nodded. She looked up and around.
"Hey we're done! Most of the trees have been picked clean." Applejack said.
"It might be a good time to head home, Star. It's getting mighty dark." Applejack said, watching the sunset. She turned around looked at all the apples scattered across the floor that missed the baskets. "Ah can clean this up mah self! Hurry on home." Applejack began to pick up the apples one by one. "C'mon you can go on. I got it!" Applejack said.
"Thanks AJ, and I think my legs are working again!" Nandi said. Nandi stumbled on her legs. It seemed as if she got new legs and she was trying them for the first time. Nandi wobbled her way to what she called "home". She flew up to her big tree, and sat right in the middle. Nandi closed her eyes, and cradled herself in the tree. Leaves fell off as she fell deep into slumber.
"I cannot see..... "
"I can see darkness "
Star fell deeper and deeper into the darkness when she fell upon a dark surface. Her back was hit so hard, it felt like it shattered. amongst this pain, Nandi Star abruptly woke up. She didn't wake up to any ordinary day, it seemed as if half of Ponyville was destroyed. The tree Nandi was sleeping in was almost destroyed too. Changelings were pouring out of the sky. "OH MY CELESTIA!!! What the heck is going on?!" Nandi exclaimed. Nandi leaped out of the tree, forgetting how unstable her legs were. She crashed down onto her face. There were craters everywhere on the surface, with some changelings erupting from them. Nandi stood right next to a crater of which one changeling hasn't gotten up from. It made a menacing hiss, and Nandi shrieked in horror. She dashed off to Twilight's library. She dodged many changelings turning into the beloved civilians of Ponyville.
"Stay back! You won't take me alive!" shouted a familiar voice.
Nandi gasped and started to fly. "Twilight!!!" Nandi shouted. As Nandi got closer to the library, she saw books everywhere. Changelings were scattered on the floor with cuts and bruises and burns over their bodies. Spike and Twilight were defending the library. The baby dragon spewed flames out of his mouth, and onto the opposing changelings. Nandi grabbed Twilight and Spike and pulled them into the library.
"Twilight. You and I have very strong magic. We need to combine our magic to defeat these changelings. Or some time to keep them away from Ponyville for a while." Nandi said nervously. Twilight nodded her head. Twilight and Nandi's horns touched at the point and a magic surge went between them both. Spike moved back to the furthest point of the library. The changelings trying to break in had no idea what the were doing. The pink auras of their horns grew brighter and brighter. And with a huge blast of light, the changelings were blown away. The two mares collapsed onto the floor of the library. The poor baby dragon cowered, covering his eyes. Twilight got up and turned to Nandi who was lying on the floor, knocked out cold.
"I'll go message Princess Celestia about this." Twilight walked through what was remaining of her home, and picked up a quill and parchment.
Nandi woke up again on a soft bed. It was the same bed she had awoken from after she was attacked. She slowly gazed around the room, looking for another pony. No one was to be found. But Nandi heard talking. Very soft talking. Nandi crawled out of the bed, her horn sparking uncontrollably. She walked silently out of the room near the stair case. Her horn sparked again and it sent a shock through her body, she hopped and made a very small squeak.
"Well it seems as if our star pony has arrived on the scene." A regal voice said.
Nandi gasped. She saw a flowing mane appeared in her view. Princess Celestia's face turned toward the stairs. "P-P-Princess Celestia! Nandi Star scrambled herself and bowed.
"That will not be nessecary. I'm here to discuss about the recent events. Twilight and I were just waiting for you to wake up." Nandi stood up. She had a look of panic on her face. "Please, come down here. You aren't in trouble." Nandi sighed and lowered her head. She descended from the floor above to the level the two princesses were. Nandi's head was still lowered, as if she had done a wrong doing. Twilight walked next to the sulking pony. "What's the matter?" she asked. Nandi didn't respond. "You're not in trouble, we're trying to stop the changelings and we need your help." She still wasn't responding. Twilight lifted up her face gently to see that she was crying. "I-I don't w-want to talk a-a-about what ha-happened." Twilight widened her eyes, but quickly relaxed her face. "It's okay, there haven't been any signs of changelings in a few days." Nandi ceased her crying. "A few days? How long have I been out?!" Twilight gave a wry look to Princess Celestia. "It's been about 3 days. The princess and I have been meeting everyday to report on the changeling sightings. So far... None." "Isn't that a good thing?" "No, not at all." Twilight eyed the princess, and moved back. The princess stepped forward. She took a deep breath and sighed. "This attack on Ponyville is Queen Chrysalis's way of telling us that this is war." Suddenly, there was a loud crash near the library, followed by the screams of panicked ponies. "Great timing," Nandi said with a snide look on her face. Twilight glared at her and ran outside the library. Nandi started to follow her out, but she stopped at the door. "Uh, princess, I think you should stay here, look after the library and Spike." The princess nodded, and Nandi chased after Twilight.