Residual Cold

by Avox

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Dark
Length: 10910

Princess Twilight discovers a frightening secret about the citizens of Ponyville.

After the chaos surrounding the Tirek incident, everypony is on edge. To help them relax again, Princess Twilight decides to throw a huge party.

Unfortunately for her, however, the citizens of Ponyville are acting awfully suspicious, and she just can’t seem to figure out why…

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-11 02:41:00 UTC

First Frost

After a moment of nothingness, the filly’s horn flickered then sparked to life. Her eyes clenched shut, and a bead of sweat formed on her brow as she struggled to maintain the gentle green aura.

“Very good, Sweetie Belle,” said Twilight, her wings flitting at her sides. “Now try and focus your energy on the marble.”

Sweetie Belle grunted in exertion, then tried to do just that. Her magic slowly, carefully reached out, coming in contact with the cold, small sphere. The aura encased the marble halfway before a loud knock at the library door shattered Sweetie’s concentration, causing her to break the spell and crumple to the floor in exhaustion.

Twilight trotted over to the door and swung it open. Inside trotted Rarity, sporting an exotic sunhat. She turned around and smiled at the alicorn. “So? How was it, Twilight? Tell me everything.”

“She did great! Didn’t you, Sweetie?”

Legs still wobbling a little, she pushed herself up onto her feet. Between heavy breaths, she managed, “H-hardly. I can barely even… light up my horn.”

Rarity trotted over to her sister, wrapping a hoof around her and pulling her close. “That’s quite all right, darling. Magic is hard for all unicorns, especially when they’re first learning.”

“Yeah, but all the other unicorn fillies at school can pick up, like, five marbles at once. I can’t even pick up one!” Sweetie said, her lips curled into a pout.

“That may be so, but with a teacher who’s a princess and the Bearer of the Element of Magic, you’ll be better than all of them in no time. Right, Twilight?”

Twilight smiled at each of them in turn, making sure that her eyes lingered on Sweetie Belle for a little bit longer. “Of course. You’ve got a lot of magical potential, Sweetie.”

Sweetie Belle turned to Twilight, looking up at her wide-eyed and hopeful. “Do you really think so?”

Twilight giggled, and her smile grew just a little bit bigger. “I know so. With a few more lessons, you’ll probably be able to lift ten marbles.”

“Ten whole marbles?” Sweetie asked incredulously.

“Maybe even fifteen,” added Rarity.

“Wow! That would be awesome! …So, uh, can I go play with my friends now, Rarity?”

“Of course, dear. Just be back… for… dinner…” Rarity trailed off, as Sweetie Belle had already taken off down the road in search of her friends. Rarity sighed and rolled her eyes. “What am I going to do with that silly filly?”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “She sure is something all right.”

“So,” Rarity began, her expression leveling, “how did the lesson actually go? Did she make any progress?”

Twilight’s own expression sobered, and she turned back to the marble that rested in the middle of the floor. “It’s… certainly an uphill battle, that’s for sure. She was able to tap into her magic, but that’s about as far as she got.”

Rarity’s nose crinkled, her mouth contorting into a frown. “I feel so bad for her. I know she feels out of place at school, and I’m positive that the other foals tease her about it.”

“Don’t stress yourself over it. It’s not exactly uncommon for unicorn foals to be magically stunted,” explained Twilight. “In fact, the foals who are stunted usually happen to be the strongest once they’re fully developed. It’s just a matter of getting a feel for your own magic, and if your magic is unwieldy, then it takes more time than most.”

“So there’s hope for her?” Rarity asked.

“Of course! If you recall, I was a late bloomer myself,” Twilight added with a blush.

“Oh, yes! Must’ve slipped my mind, heh…” Rarity said with laugh. “Well, thanks again for agreeing to tutor her, Twilight. I have no idea what I would do without you.”

Twilight’s blush deepened, and she kicked at the ground with a hoof. “Oh, it’s no big deal. It’s just nice to be the teacher for a change. Besides, a little bit of a distraction is always nice.”

“Distraction?”

“Yeah… I suppose that all this ‘princess’ business is finally catching up to me. I’ve never been so exhausted in my life.”

“Now that you mention it, you have seemed a little bit out of it lately. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m sure it’ll fade with time. And besides, you’re a busy mare. I don’t want to hold you up any more than I already have,” said Twilight.

Rarity cocked an eyebrow at that, but didn’t press the issue any further. “If you say so, Twilight. But I really do have to go, though—far too many dresses to make in far too little time. We should absolutely have lunch after Sweetie’s next lesson, though! It’s been far too long since just the two of us have gone out.”

At the mention of food, Twilight’s stomach let out a low grumble, eliciting a giggle from Rarity. “Heh, that sounds wonderful, Rarity. See you then!”

At that, the fashionista turned tail and left for the boutique. Once she was out of sight, Twilight closed the door behind her. Her stomach let out another earth-shattering rumble, and she laughed sheepishly to herself.

“Spiiiiike!” she called out.

“Whaaaaat?” came the sarcastic reply.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “It’s Saturday.”

“And?”

“Saturday is shopping day.”

“So?”

“Do you want to come grocery shopping with me?”

His head poked around the doorframe upstairs, and he looked down at her. “Not really, no. But I doubt that I actually have a choice in the matter.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, Spike.” Twilight smirked devilishly up at him. “You can stop by Rarity’s and get a bag of gems if you come with me.”

“Count me in!” he said, bounding down the stairs toward her. Unfortunately, his legs couldn’t bring him to a stop quick enough, and he went flying into the wall adjacent to the door.

Twilight found herself rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. “Come on, Casanova. Let’s go.”

She trotted out the door, and the little dragon followed. After a moment, Spike skidded to a halt and ran back inside to grab the grocery list off the fridge, shaking his head all the while. Once it was in his grasp, he ran to catch up, then pulled himself up onto her back, taking his usual perch.

After patting Twilight’s head playfully, much to her chagrin, he asked, “So, what’s first?”

Twilight levitated the list up in front of her face and squinted. “The first thing is a dozen carrots, so we’re headed to Golden Harvest’s stand.”

He nodded in understanding and rested his chin atop her head, taking special care to avoid her horn. He let out a contented sigh, and they drifted into a companionable silence.

In truth, Twilight hadn’t been lying when she told Rarity that she was stressed. Being a princess—an actual princess—was harder than she had imagined. Rarity’s request that she tutor Sweetie Belle certainly wasn’t the first she had gotten, especially after her magical display a few weeks ago during the whole Tirek fiasco. Hell, she was still getting letters from enamored fillies and colts talking about her “super awesome rainbow powers”.

But that wasn’t what bothered her most. What really irritated her was how ponies had started acting ever since she was crowned Princess of Friendship. No, she corrected herself—it started before then. She couldn’t quite remember when it had truly started, but it had gotten steadily worse and worse as time went on. The citizens of Ponyville just seemed so… distant. Like they were scared, or nervous, or worried.

Almost like they had something to hide.

It was a silly thing to think. It was completely reasonable that they were scared; after everything that had happened in Ponyville over the last few years, they had every right to be. But, in all honesty, the thought didn’t comfort her any. She was their princess now, and it was her duty to help them in any way she could, even if they didn’t know it yet. Their pain was hers now, and that’s the way it would be for the foreseeable future.

Suddenly, she felt the absence of Spike’s chin on her head. His hand pointed out into the crowds of Ponyville Plaza, across the marketplace. “Golden Harvest’s stand is over there, Twi.”

She nodded and followed his outstretched claw. Weaving in out of the crowd, she eventually reached her destination.

“Hi, Golden!” Twilight said, sporting her best winning smile. “How’ve you been?”

The marigold mare’s left ear twitched, and she chuckled just a little too loudly. “Heh, pretty good. Long time no see, right?”

Spike cocked his head to the side. “We just saw you last week, though.”

“Yeah, but it still feels like it’s been forever,” she quickly amended, shifting her weight from side to side. “So, what’s your name, little buddy?”

Spike turned around to see who she was talking to, only to see that there was nopony behind him. He looked back down at her incredulously. “Are you talking to me?”

Her ear twitched again. “Erm… yeah? Who else would I be talking to?”

“So you’re saying that you don’t remember me, Spike, the only dragon in Ponyville? The only dragon in Ponyville who moved here over two years ago? The only dragon in Ponyville who moved here over two years ago, and who has come to your stand with Twilight—a princess—almost every single Saturday since?”

Again, she let out an uncomfortably loud, brief laugh. “Heh… sorry, Spike. Some of the mares from town and I had a pretty late night last night, so I’m pretty out of it. So, erm, how can I help you both?”

“Uh, we’ll take a dozen carrots, please,” said Twilight.

“Sure thing! Just give me a second.” She ducked underneath her stand and grabbed the produce, tossing it down on top of the counter. “That’ll be twenty bits, please.”

Twilight pulled the bits out of her saddlebags and placed them on the counter. After giving Golden Harvest an obligatory thank-you, she grabbed the carrots and headed on her way.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Spike’s chin rested upon her head once more. “That was super weird.”

“You can say that again,” said Twilight.

She could practically feel the smirk spread across Spike’s face. “That was super weird.”

Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled, shaking her head at his antics.

“So, where to next?” Spike asked.

Squinting, Twilight looked down at the list suspended in front of her. “We’re headed to Sugarcube Corner for muffins.”

The older of the pair trotted across the plaza and over to the large, brightly-colored bakery. Once there, Twilight pushed inside, causing a bell to ring out and alert the ponies inside of her arrival.

Almost immediately after she walked in, Pinkie popped up from behind the counter with frosting coating her face. She quickly licked it all off, except for one spot right on the tip of her nose.

“You missed a spot, Pinkie,” Twilight said, gesturing to her nose with a giggle.

She swiped it off with her tongue and hopped around the counter to greet them. “Hiya, Twilight! Hiya, Spikey-Wikey!”

Spike cringed a little at her greeting, but still managed a smile. “Hi, Pinkie.”

“How can I help you guys today?” she asked.

“Half a dozen muffins, please.”

“What kind? We’ve got chocolate, double chocolate, triple chocolate, death by chocolate, death by double chocolate, death by triple—”

Twilight silenced her with a hoof to the mouth. “Just six chocolate chip muffins, please.”

“Mmphkay!” Pinkie said, Twilight’s hoof muffling her voice. She dove back to the other side of the counter and tossed the muffins into a plastic bag, all in one fell swoop. She then tossed the bag over to Spike, the weight of which knocking him off Twilight’s back and onto the floor with a thud. Both mares had to fight back the urge to laugh as Spike clambered back onto his feet, grumbling all the while.

“Sorry, Spikey-Wikey! It was an accident, I promise.”

“Yeah, yeah, likely story,” he said, wiping the dust off his knees.

“So, how’ve you guys been? I haven’t seen you since, like, yesterday!”

Twilight shrugged. “I’ve been good. A little out of it since Tirek incident, but good all the same.”

Pinkie’s expression softened, and she smiled at Twilight. “Don’t get all upset about that stupid doo-doo-head. Heck, I’m pretty sure everypony in Ponyville is still down about that whole gigantic mess—” she interrupted herself with a gasp “—ohmygosh, we should totally throw a party! That would make everypony all happy again and not super stressed and stuff!”

“Pinkie, don’t be ridic…” she trailed off. “Actually, I think you might be onto something.”

Pinkie let out a barrage of giggles. “Of course I’m onto something! I’m onto the floor, for one. Sometimes I’m even onto the ceiling, when the cakes make me clean after I fire a cake from the party cannon. Oh! ANd I’m also onto Gummy’s secret plot to overthrow all the ponies.” She spun around and looked up at the top of the stairs, where Gummy’s head was poking out the doorway looking down at them. Her eyes glowered, and she muttered, “I’m onto you, buddy.”

“Can we please go get my gems now?” Spike asked.

Twilight reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a bag full of bits. She passed it over to him along with the list. “Sure, but can you do the rest of the shopping too? Pinkie and I need to do some talking.”

Spike looked down at the bits in wonder, weighing them in his hand. “S-sure thing, Twi. Shopping…”

As he walked out the door, Twilight turned back to Pinkie. “Can you come to the library at six o’clock tomorrow afternoon to help with this party?”

Pinkie nodded vigorously. “Yep. Gotcha. Six o’clock tomorrow.”

A smile spread across Twilight’s face. “See you tomorrow then, Pinkie. For now, though, I have some planning to do.”

With a tired groan, Twilight rolled out of bed. She let out a drawn-out yawn and stretched out her wings, resulting in a loud pop. She looked over at her mirror, and, noticing her mane looked like a feral creature resting atop her head, viciously brushed it down until it looked like a domesticated creature resting atop her head.

After letting loose another stray yawn, she headed downstairs and into the kitchen. She flipped on the coffee machine and brewed herself a nice, warm cup of coffee. After putting in some sugar and cream, she took a few large gulps and spun around—

—only to be met by Pinkie’s face mere inches from her own.

“Gah!” Twilight shouted, falling back onto her rump and tossing her coffee up into the air. It came crashing back down again a moment later, only to shatter into millions of tiny pieces, spilling what little liquid was left on the floor around the shards.

Pinkie smiled sheepishly at her. “Heheh… sorry about that, Twilight.”

“Pinkie, how in Equestria did you get in here?”

The party pony turned and pointed across the room to a shattered window. “There.”

Twilight raised a hoof to rub her temple. “Okay, I know I’m going to regret asking this, but why are you here?”

“You told me to be here at six o’clock sharp.”

Twilight turned to look at her clock, and sure enough, it read five after six. With a sigh, Twilight said, “Pinkie, I told you six o’clock in the afternoon, not six in the morning!”

“Oh. I’m sorry… Again.”

“It’s quite all right, Pinkie,” Twilight said, wrapping Pinkie in a hug: a hug which she happily returned. “I really shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”

“It’s okay! So, uh, are we still going to plan the party now? Or do you want me to come back again later?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight’s tail swished back and forth, her lips pursed. “I suppose now, since you’re already here. There’s no use in you leaving and coming back. Just let me get another cup of coffee and we’ll start.”

After a few minutes, Twilight had gathered her notes from the previous day, a few party planning manuals, and, most importantly, another cup of coffee. Together she and Pinkie sat at the dining room table, talking about the to-be party.

“So, what kind of party are you gonna throw? Oh, oh, oh! Can it be a masquerade? I love masquerades!”

Twilight shook her head. “Pinkie, haven’t you seen the movies? Something bad always happens at masquerades, like a murder or a robbery or something. We’re trying to get ponies to relax, not freak out!”

“I guess you’re right,” Pinkie conceded. “So, what kind of party did you have in mind then?”

“I was thinking of just a regular themed party, but I’m not sure what to make the theme.”

“How about the beach? Black and white? Summer in Prance? Oh, oh, oh! How about winter!”

Twilight’s nose scrunched up in thought. “Actually, winter could be good. Cozy foods, a fireplace—I can see that being good. It would fit well, too, with winter approaching and all.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie,” replied Pinkie. “But where are we going to have this party? Can we have it at Sugarcube Corner? I really wanna have it at Sugarcube Corner.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. “I don’t mean to impose.”

Pinkie smiled. “Heck yeah I’m sure!”

Twilight chuckled, shaking her head. “All right, then we can check that one off the list,” she said, crossing it off her list with her quill. “Now we’ve got to worry about decorations.”

The other mare dismissed her with the wave of a hoof. “Pfft, that’s easy. I’ve got tons of old Hearth’s Warming decorations in my closet that we can use.”

“How about food and drinks?”

“I can totally make a bunch of sweets for the party, but you’re on your own for drinks.”

“I’ll just ask Applejack for some cider, then,” Twilight said.

Twilight scanned her list, stopping when she reached the next unchecked item. "Invitations?”

Pinkie scratched her chin, thinking. “I’m pretty sure that I have some blank invites that we can use.”

“Enough for everypony in Ponyville? I want to make sure everypony personally feels welcome.”

“Yuppers!”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, so when do you think we should have the party? I want to have it as soon as possible, but I want to give us proper time to prepare.”

Pinkie twitched in her seat. She wouldn’t admit it, but it was obvious that she was growing antsy from sitting still for so long. “How about next Wednesday at seven o’clock?”

“Sounds good. I’ll be there a few hours early to set up everything,” said Twilight. “I think that about covers everything. That is, once I contact Vinyl Scratch about DJing the whole thing.”

“Awesome! So, uh, are we good?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. That… was surprisingly fast. Thanks again for your help, Pinkie!”

Pinkie smiled, getting up from her chair. “No problem! I’m happy to help out, especially when it comes to parties. See you around, Twilight!”

At that, the party pony hopped from her seat and bounced out the door, leaving a droopy-eyed, coffee-filled Twilight behind her.

Suddenly, Twilight’s eyes shot open. “Wait! My window!”

“Do you remember what I taught you last time?”

“Focus. Channel a small stream of magic through your horn. Keep focused. Reach out with your magic like you would with a hoof and grab the marble. Stay focused. And finally, gently lift up the marble… while focused.”

Twilight nodded. “Good. Now try to pick up the marble.”

Sweetie Belle’s gaze shifted from Twilight down to the marble sitting on the floor five feet away. After taking a deep breath, she squinted her eyes and focused on the object. Her eyes suddenly slammed shut, and her horn flickered to life. After a moment, the flow of magic became constant. She took another deep breath and slowly but surely reached out for the marble.

After what felt like an eternity, her magical grasp reached the small object. Her nose twitched in concentration as her magic enveloped the marble. After a second passed, it slowly rose from the floor by one inch… three inches… five inches…

Clack.

Sweetie Belle’s eyes shot open at the sound of the marble hitting the floor. She watched, transfixed, as the marble rolled along a crack in the floorboard, only for it to come to a stop a few feet away.

“Oh, c’mon!” she shouted. “I was so close…”

Twilight smiled down at her. “What do you mean ‘close’? You picked it up!”

“Yeah, but only just a little.”

“So? That’s still much better than what you did last week. I’m proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself too.”

Sweetie’s lips curled into a gentle half-smile. “Y’know, you’re right. Thanks, Twilight!”

Twilight leaned down and nuzzled the younger filly. “Just keep trying and you’ll get there. I promise.” Pulling away, she added, “So, are you ready to try again?”

“Yup!”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, this time I want you to be more gentle when you pick up the marble. You’ve got to have finesse; brute force is just going to cause your horn to feed too much magic into the spell, causing you to lose control.”

Sweetie Belle bit her bottom lip. “So I’ve got to be forceful, but not too forceful?”

Twilight let out a chuckle. “Yes. It’s a delicate balance to be sure, and it’s hard to get just right. It’s something that’ll only come to you with practice.”

In lieu of a reply, Sweetie Belle turned and approached the marble once more. After taking in a large breath and exhaling, she narrowed her eyes. Much like all of her previous attempts, her horn lit up with its signature forest green color. The tiny tendrils of magic danced from her horn, slowly encircling the marble. A second passed. Then another. And another. And another.

The marble went nowhere.

Sweetie Belle sighed, dropping the spell.

“You didn’t use quite enough power that time. The trick is to—”

Twilight was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Has it been an hour already?” Twilight wondered aloud. “Come on in, Rarity!”

Rarity nosed the door open and trotted inside, heading straight for the two mares. “How’d it go?” she asked.

“I picked up the marble!” Sweetie cheered. “It was only by, like, a little bit, but Twilight said I did really good!”

Rarity pulled Sweetie Belle into a big, warm, comforting hug that only an older sister would know how to give. “I’m so proud of you, Sweetums!”

After a moment, Rarity pulled away and smiled at Twilight. “Thanks again, Twilight. I don’t know how I will ever repay you for this.”

“Please, think nothing of it. Seeing Sweetie Belle making progress is payment enough,” Twilight replied.

“So, are we still on for lunch, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

Twilight’s eyes lurched open. “Oh my gosh, I totally forgot! I… I’m sorry, Rarity, but I’m going to have to call a rain check. Pinkie and I are getting together put some finishing touches on the party decorations.”

Rarity looked at Twilight incredulously. “Party decorations?”

Twilight nearly facehooved. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, didn’t I? Now is as good a time as ever, I suppose. Pinkie Pie and I are throwing a party this Wednesday.”

“Oh, that’s perfect! I’ve been looking for an excuse to try out my newest winter ensemble,” said Rarity.

“Party?” Sweetie butted in. “Am I invited?”

“Of course!” Twilight said. “Everypony is invited. In fact, that’s exactly why we decided to throw the party. Everybody needs to let loose a little after the whole Tirek incident. A lot of ponies have been acting really tense lately.”

“Well if you need my assistance with anything, don’t hesitate to call,” said Rarity.

Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Actually, now that you mention it, would you mind helping Pinkie and I pass out the party invitations tomorrow? There’s no way we can get to all of Ponyville on our own.”

Rarity smiled. “Sure thing, Twilight. Like I said, I’m happy to help out however I can.”

“Oh,” Twilight added, “and if you see any of the other girls, can see if they’ll help as well? Trust me, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

The Harbinger

“So what’re we doin’ again, Twi?”

“I’m glad you asked, Applejack!” Twilight said, just loud enough to silence the small talk floating around the room. “Pinkie and I are throwing a party, and we need your help to pass out the invitations.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Not to rain on your parade, but why can’t you just, I dunno, tell people to spread the word? This seems like a whole lotta work for nothing.”

Twilight shook her head. “Pinkie and I already thought of that, and we decided it was just too impersonal. We want everypony to know that they’re welcome.”

“If you say so, Twi,” came Rainbow’s reply.

Twilight cleared her throat, then turned to the map pinned to her wall. “Alright, I’ve already taken the liberty of dividing Ponyville up into six different sectors. Spike and I have Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville Plaza. Rainbow, you’ve got the northeastern residential area, and Applejack has the southeastern one. Rarity, you have the area around the school district. Pinkie Pie you’ve got a few ponies who didn’t fall into any of the districts. And Fluttershy…” she trailed off.

Fluttershy’s ears flattened against her head, and she smiled sheepishly.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to go out on your own, so you can just tag along with Rarity if you’d like.”

A look of relief spread across Fluttershy’s face, letting Twilight know that she’d done the right thing. She smiled at the pegasus.

“Is that all, darling?” Rarity asked.

“I’ve also split all the invites into piles,” said Twilight, gesturing to her left. “The names are on the envelopes, so you know who you’ve given one to and who you haven’t.”

As one, all of them turned to where Twilight’s hoof pointed. Their eyes grew wide, and a few jaws hit the floor.

“That… that’s a lot of invitations,” said Applejack.

Twilight blushed. “Heh… thanks again for helping out, girls. There’s no way I would’ve been able to do all of this myself.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “You’re going to owe me big time after this one.”

“What about all those times you crashed into the library? I’m pretty sure that you still owe me at least a few thousand bits in damages,” said Twilight.

Rainbow Dash let out a nervous chuckle. “…On second thought, we can just call it even.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, letting out a fleeting laugh. “So, anypony have any more questions?”

A moment passed. Nopony said anything.

“I’ll take that as a no. Let’s hop to it, then!”

“I still don’t see why we didn’t do what Rainbow suggested,” Spike grumbled from on Twilight’s back, reclining against her head like a chaise.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Because somepony could get left out if we did it that way. The way we’re doing it now, we make sure that everypony knows they’re welcome.”

Spike sighed. “I guess it makes sense. But it’s just so much work.”

Twilight skidded to a halt, and Spike had to fling his arms backward around her neck just to keep himself from flying off. “Spike, you’re not even walking! I am literally carrying you!”

“…And?”

Twilight shook her head and kept on down the road, headed down the path to Sweet Apple Acres.

“I’m assuming that we’re getting the Apples next, then?”

“Yep.” Twilight turned her head, looking at the steadily shrinking pile of envelopes inside her saddlebags. “If I had to guess, I’d say we’re about halfway done.”

Spike let out a groan. “Only halfway? But we’ve been out here for, like, two hours already!”

“Oh, quit your complaining. It’s only been an hour and a half.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Same difference. Didn’t they always teach you to round up in sch—”

“Howdy, Spike! Howdy, Princess Twilight!”

In unison, Twilight and Spike turned around, searching for the speaker. Off to the side of the worn-down path were Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh.

Apple Bloom smiled and waved up at them as they approached. “What’re you two doin’ here?”

“Actually, I’m glad you asked! You see, Pinkie and I are throwing a party tomorrow at Sugarcube Corner, and I’m here to tell you that you’re invited.”

“A party?” Big Mac asked.

Spike hopped off Twilight’s back and scurried over to the brother-sister duo, handing each of them a tiny envelope.

“Yes, a party,” Twilight said. “It starts at seven o’clock, but you can stop by any time you’d like.”

A moment passed, then Mac asked, “So, who’s invited?”

“Everypony,” Spike said, stealing the words from Twilight’s lips. “Everypony in Ponyville is invited.”

Apple Bloom looked up at Big Mac, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Can we go, Mac? Pretty please?”

Big Mac shifted the straw in his mouth to the other side. “I don’t see why not, but you’ve gotta talk to Granny ‘bout it first.”

Apple Bloom started hopping up and down in place. “Yes! Thank you, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight looked away, her cheeks flushed. “You don’t have to call me Princess. Just Twilight is fine. So, uh, can we count on you coming too, Mister Macintosh?”

Big Mac chuckled. “If I don’t have to call you Princess, then you don’t have to call me Mister Macintosh. And maybe. I dunno. Depends.”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “I… don’t think that I’ve ever heard you say so much at once, Mister—erm, Big Mac.”

He shrugged. “I suppose I just don’t usually have much to say.”

“Well, there’ll be plenty of food, drinks, and party games there, if that sways you either way.”

“Eeyup.”

After a second, Spike scratched his head. “Say, what are you two doing here anyway?”

Apple Bloom beamed up at him, her eyes glimmering. “Mac is teachin’ me how to buck apples so that I can help out ‘round the farm. AJ was supposed to teach me today, but she said something came up last minute.”

At that, Big Mac shot Twilight a pointed look. His lips curled into a frown, and he let out a low grumble.

Twilight seemed to wilt under his powerful gaze. She forced a laugh, then turned away. “Well, uh, we’ve gotta run. There’s only a few hours of daylight left, and we’ve still got a lot of invites to pass out. Heheh…”

Spike hopped back onto her back, and the two headed down the path back to Ponyville. Big Mac’s eyes followed them as their silhouettes grew smaller and smaller, eventually fading into the distance.

After another minute, a smirk spread across his face.

Twilight stopped outside the shop, looking up at the brightly-colored sign hanging just above it. “Bon-Bon’s Confectionery,” she read aloud. “This is the place, right?”

“Twi, her name is in the title of the shop. Of course this is the place.”

“Oh, hush,” she said. “It was a rhetorical question, Spike.”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “Whatever. So this is our last stop, right?”

Twilight nodded, and, after another moment of waiting, pulled the door open with her magic and trotted inside.

A head poked out from around the back, and the mare beamed at both of them. “Welcome to Bon-Bon’s Confectionery, where our prices are almost as delightful as our candy!”

Twilight smiled. “Hi, Bon-Bon.”

Bon-Bon smiled right back at them. “Hello! What can I get you two on this fine day? ”

“Actually, we’re not here for candy today. We’re here to tell you about the party.”

Bon-Bon cocked her head to the side. “Party?”

Spike sighed and rolled his eyes. He hopped off Twilight’s back and waddled over to Bon-Bon, passing her the same invitation he’d given to so many other ponies. “Tomorrow. Seven o’clock. Winter themed. Come whenever.”

Bon-Bon’s ear twitched. “O-oh.” She turned to Twilight. “Um, why’d you decide to have a party all of the sudden?”

“We just figured everypony needed an excuse to relax, what with everything that’s happened recently,” said Twilight.

“…What do you mean ‘everything that’s happened recently’? Did I miss something?”

Twilight’s tried to fight it, but her lips contorted into a frown. “You know, when Tirek came back from Tartarus a few weeks ago? When he kinda tried to steal every single pony’s magic for his own selfish gain?”

“Oh. Yeah. I remember now.” Bon-Bon’s tail darted from side to side, and she let out a laugh. “Must’ve slipped my mind or something, heh…”

“Slipped your mind?” Spike asked incredulously. “But it happened barely three week—”

“I’ll be at the party,” Bon-Bon interrupted. “It sounds like it should fun, so I’d hate to miss it.”

Twilight’s gaze shifted back and forth from Bon-Bon to Spike, eventually settling on the mare. “O-okay. Well, we have to go now. See you around, Bon-Bon.”

Bon-Bon shot them one last smile and waved goodbye. “Come back again soon!”

Twilight hurried out of the shop. As soon as the door was shut behind them, she let out a sigh.

“Gee,” Spike muttered, “you sure weren’t kidding when you said everypony was acting weird recently.”

A faint breeze blew through the streets of Ponyville, sending a shiver down Twilight’s spine. Swallowing that unnerving feeling settled deep in her gut, she answered, “Yeah…”

“What! But why?”

Twilight’s wings twitched at her sides. “I’m sorry, Spike, but that’s what the letter says.” She shrugged, shooting him a sympathetic look. “This is just the way it has to be. You can’t just ignore a letter from Princess Celestia herself.”

Spike let out a sigh and kicked at the ground, grumbling unintelligibly to himself.

Twilight looked down at the letter once more, reading it to herself:

Dear Spike and Princess Twilight Sparkle,

I hope this letter finds you two well. Things at the palace have been rather hectic lately, and I sincerely hope that you two aren’t suffering through a similar fate.

I apologize for the abruptness, but I have an assignment for you both. Equestria’s relations with the dragons have been tense lately, and I fear something out of our control is going on. I will spare you the details in case this letter falls into the wrong hooves, but, needless to say, this is a very critical situation. I need you both here to assist Luna and myself as soon as possible.

Again, sorry for the inconvenience. The Royal Carriage should be in Ponyville within the hour to pick you both up.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia

Spike’s nose crinkled, and a frown crept across his face. “Give me the letter, please.”

With a sigh, she passed him the tattered piece of parchment. He held it up in front of his face and read it to himself. Once he was finished, he looked up at her.

After passing the letter back to Twilight, he said, “Twi, we can’t go.”

“We have to,” Twilight said firmly. “Even if it’s only half as important as the Princess says it is, then we need to be there.”

“Twi, if we leave, then we’re going to miss the party later today.”

The paper drifted to the floor, no longer being suspended by Twilight’s magic. Her eye twitched twice. “I… but… we can’t…”

Spike’s eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, Twi? You okay?”

She let out a drawn-out sigh. “I’m not going, then.”

Spike scratched his head. “Didn’t you just say that we needed to be there?”

Twilight smiled weakly at him. “That’s why you are going and I am staying.”

“What!” Spike shouted. “How is that fair?”

“I can’t leave Pinkie on her own. What kind of princess would I be if I didn’t even go to my own party? I’ve got my own little ponies to look over now, and Celestia knows that.”

“But she said that she needed us as soon as possible!”

Twilight nodded. “Exactly. You’ll catch the carriage, and I’ll fly there later tonight after the party.” After glancing over at the clock on the wall, she continued, “It’s almost two o’clock right now. I’ll be twelve hours late, tops. Besides, you can explain the whole situation to Celestia once you get there. I’m sure that she’ll understand—she always does.”

“But what if she doesn’t listen when—”

“But nothing,” said Twilight. “You’ve got to start packing right now. The Royal Carriage could be here any minute now.”

Sighing, Spike turned around and trudged up the stairs, his tail dragging behind him the whole way.

Once Spike reached the top of the stairs, Twilight spun around on her hooves. Suddenly, her eyes shot open. “Oh my gosh, it’s almost two o’clock! I’m going to be late to help Pinkie set up for the party!”

With a fleeting glance upstairs, she darted out the door, headed for Sugarcube Corner. “I’ve gotta go, Spike!” she shouted back at the library. “I’ll see you later tonight in Canterlot!”

Pinkie Pie and Twilight stepped back, admiring their progress. Sugarcube Cube corner didn’t even look like Sugarcube Corner anymore. Streamers, confetti, and balloons were strewn about the building. Tables upon tables of desserts and drinks were scattered about the room sporadically. Cupcakes, fondue, cider—name it, and it was there. Party games like Twister and Pin the Tail on the Pony were here and there, along with a few tables and chairs for ponies who didn’t want to dance.

After consulting with Mayor Mare, they had taken over Ponyville Plaza just outside of the bakery too. A huge dance floor was spread out across the wide-open space, and Vinyl Scratch was setting up her equipment opposite where they were standing inside Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie turned to Twilight and smiled. “Wow, this is going to be one awesome party!”

Twilight let out a giggle. “I sure hope so,” she said, glancing over at the clock. “Heck, I’m still surprised that we finished setting everything up in time.”

Pinkie followed her gaze, eventually settling on the clock inside. “Yup! Five minutes until seven. Just in time!”

The rest of Twilight and Pinkie’s friends were the first to arrive. Then, slowly but surely, wave after wave of ponies poured into Sugarcube Corner. After three or four hours, practically everypony in Ponyville was there, barring a few of the more shy ponies.

Twilight and Fluttershy stood off to the side, watching everypony dance and have a good time. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were inside apple bobbing, and Rarity was chatting with some of the the Carousel Boutique’s regulars. And, of course, Pinkie Pie hopped around the party playing hostess, making sure that everypony was as happy as possible.

“Wow,” said Fluttershy, “you guys really did a great job with this party.”

Twilight smiled at her. “Thanks! I told Pinkie earlier—I’m surprised that we managed to get everything ready in time.”

Fluttershy’s head drooped, and she kicked at the ground with a hoof. “Sorry that the rest of us weren’t here to help, Twilight. I didn’t know…”

Twilight smiled at her. “Hey, it’s fine. You girls already helped a bunch by passing out the invitations. Pinkie and I didn’t want to bother you all with this too.”

“O-oh. I, uh, suppose it’s okay then. I’m still sorry, though.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and let out a little laugh, their conversation lulling into a comfortable silence. Her eyes happily drifted across the sea of ponies. Bon-Bon and Lyra were away from the crowd, completely immersed in one another. Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily were off to the side talking animatedly about something or other. Carrot Top and Cheerilee patiently watched all the fillies and colts play a game of tag. Everypony looked happy.

But her eyes kept darting back to the same thing—the head topped with pink, poofy hair that bounced throughout the crowd.

Twilight’s ears splayed. “I feel kind of bad that Pinkie is doing all of the work. I think I’m going to go see if she needs any help.”

Fluttershy’s left ear twitched twice. “Okay. I’m going to go get something to drink. See you in bit, Twilight.”

At that, the pegasus disappeared into the crowd, leaving Twilight to herself. After shooting a fleeting glance in the direction Fluttershy had gone, she pushed through the crowd toward the pink ball of energy.

When she caught up, she placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder to get her attention. She spun around to face Twilight, shooting her a broad smile. “Hiya, Twilight! What’s up?” she shouted over the blaring music.

“Do you need any help?” Twilight half-yelled back. “I feel bad that you’re doing all the work.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Pinkie said. “I’ve got everything covered. Go enjoy yourself!”

“Oh… okay then.” Twilight hesitantly turned around and headed back to her spot on the edge of the room, feeling a little worse than before.

She let out a sigh. Here she was, standing by herself at her own party. It looked like everypony else was relaxing and having a good time, but she sure wasn’t.

“I’m just a little tired is all,” she mumbled to herself. “Maybe… maybe I’ll just go splash some cold water on my face or something. That might help.”

Twilight pushed back through the crowd and headed around back behind the counter. She nuzzled open the door to the restroom and headed inside. Much to her surprise, there stood Fluttershy, splashing water onto her own face.

Twilight smiled and trotted over to her. “I thought you were going to get a drink, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy let out a shriek of surprise and leapt backward. Unfortunately, she was unable to stop herself in time, and her head smashed the sink with a sickening thud.

“F-Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted.

The pegasus let out a groan, her eyes fluttering open. As soon as she saw Twilight, she visibly tensed up. “T-Twilight! What are you doing here?”

“I’m so sorry! Here let me help you up.” Twilight scurried over to the pegasus laying prone on the ground. She held out a hoof which Fluttershy gladly took, pulling herself back onto her hooves.

“Oh! Fluttershy, you’ve got something on your head.”

“Really?” she said, trying—and failing—to look at her own forehead.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Try the mirror, silly.”

With a nervous chuckle, Fluttershy turned to the mirror. She let out a small gasp of surprise, and desperately swiped at the green liquid pooling on her head where she’d hit the sink.

Twilight reached over to the side and grabbed a roll of paper towels. “Here, let me help you wipe it off,” she said, tearing off a square from the roll and raising it to Fluttershy’s head.

“No! Don’t touch it!” Fluttershy shouted, reeling back a few feet.

Twilight’s wings flitted at her sides. Head cocked to side, she asked. “I-is that… blood? Why is it… green…” she trailed off.

The roll of paper towels hit the floor. Everything went silent, except for the stream of water falling from the still-running faucet. The two mares’ eyes bored into one another, caught in an impromptu staring contest. The tension in the room was practically palpable.

Twilight gulped. The last time she saw green blood had been two years ago…

At her brother’s wedding…

When the changelings had invaded.

Twilight’s throat seized up. She croaked, “F-Fluttershy? Is that really you?”

Fluttershy took a daring step forward, causing Twilight to take three more backward. “T-Twilight, I—”

“Answer the question.”

She took another step forward. “Well, I’m—”

Twilight backed up against the door. “Stay back, Fluttershy. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

Fluttershy’s ear twitched. After an unbearably long stretch of silence, she let out a cackling laugh. “You? Hurt me? Funny joke. By the way, shouldn’t you be in Canterlot right about now, Princess?”

“H-how do you know about that?”

“I know a lot of things, Twilight,” she spat. In a flash of white light, the pseudo-Fluttershy reverted back into its original changeling form. The creature that stood in its stead was a few inches shorter than Fluttershy had been. Its tough exoskeleton was jet black, and its eyes were a cruel, deep red. It bared razor-sharp fangs at the cowering mare, making an unnerving chittering sound.

Twilight shivered, opening her mouth to speak. The words never came.

It was in that very second that the changeling lunged, sinking its fangs deep into Twilight’s neck.

Riot (Part One of Three)

Big Mac sighed.

He stood awkwardly to the side of the drink table, going unnoticed by all. His eyes shifted across the room, watching from the sidelines with his head hung low.

It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy parties. It was more that he didn’t enjoy this party in particular. He was only there to keep an eye on Apple Bloom and her friends in the first place, and that was only because Granny Smith had asked him to; he had never been great in social situations and he knew it.

He sighed again.

Just then, the Cutie Mark Crusaders darted around his hooves, under the drink table, and out the other side again. Big Mac chuckled. Leave it to them to organize a game of tag at a time like this. Heck, it even looked like they had gotten a bunch of other fillies and colts to join in; he could see them darting underneath the hooves of the older ponies on the dance floor too.

Applejack and her friend Rainbow trotted by, heading for the dessert table and the napkins that were on it. Their faces were both drenched, probably from an apple bobbing contest or something of the sort.

He looked around, and, noticing that he was still standing alone, called out her name. “Applejack!” he shouted. “Hey, AJ!”

She shot him a hesitant wave and kept on walking. He took a long, deep breath and exhaled. If his own sister wasn’t going to talk to him, then he was going to be standing here alone all night.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just this party in particular. He hated all parties equally.

He shifted his weight from side to side, nervously trying his best to stay out of sight. It definitely wasn’t an easy task for somepony of his stature, but he still tried. He certainly wasn’t going to be social, so he might as well lay low. That way, maybe nopony would even remember that he was there.

The constant thrum of the music abruptly cut out, followed by a chorus of disappointed groans from the crowd. Big Mac cocked an eyebrow. A few ponies headed outside to see what the commotion was about, and he followed a few yards behind.

“H-hello? Is… is this thing on?” He couldn’t see her over the crowd, but he would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle. “Can you guys hear me?” she asked into the microphone.

“Put the music back on!” shouted a stallion a few rows in front of him.

Big Mac rolled his eyes.

“Um, I’m s-sorry to interrupt the music,” she said, “but I, uh, have something important to tell you all. It’s… it’s a matter of your safety.”

“Get on with it already!” shouted a different stallion in the front of the crowd.

“We can’t even see you!” the mare next to Big Mac called out.

“Oh, uh, sorry.” Twilight took to the air and flapped her wings a few times, coming to rest atop one of Vinyl Scratch’s enormous speakers.

Now that he could see her, Big Mac couldn’t help but feel bad. Her mane was a mess, and her eyes were bloodshot. The way her gaze drifted across the crowd was off-putting; she was definitely looking for something. For what, he wasn’t sure.

What he did know was that she looked unnerved. Worried. Scared, even.

His eyebrows furrowed. What in Equestria could have a pony like Princess Twilight Sparkle scared?

Twilight’s wings flitted at her sides, and she scanned the crowd once more. “I hate to, uh, ruin the party, but I’m worried for everypony’s safety. I… I  h-have reason to believe t-that there are chan—”

One of her and Applejack’s other friends—the yellow pegasus with the pink mane—dove straight into Twilight full-force, knocking both of them off the impromptu pedestal. The crowd quickly parted, and they rolled a few times before coming to a stop right in the middle of everypony. The pegasus pinned Twilight down. Twilight let out a shriek of surprise, and the whole town went painfully silent.

The pegasus leaned in to Twilight. Once she was a mere inch away, she bared her fangs and snarled.

Fangs? Big Mac had to do a double take to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. What in the name of Celestia’s going on?

Just as the pegasus—Fluttershy, he recalled—was about to sink her teeth into the other mare, Twilight disappeared in a flash of blinding white light.

She reappeared a moment later on top of the same speaker Fluttershy had knocked her off a few moments earlier. “Changelings!” she frantically shouted. “There are changelings among us!”

Fluttershy let out a guttural shriek and lunged at the princess. Somewhere along the line, her gentle, flowing mane and delicate coat disappeared, only to be replaced by a hard, crusty, black exoskeleton.

He lurched back a few steps. There really were changelings among them. He spun around, looking at those standing around him in a mixture of anger and fear.

He could no longer see Twilight, but he could hear her screams. Nopony did anything—they just stood there in shock, listening to the horrible fight raging in front of them.

After a moment, the local confectioner, Bon-Bon, pulled herself on top of the DJ’s speaker. She smiled a wicked grin and then, in the blink of an eye, she changed into a bug-like creature nearly identical to the one who had attacked Twilight. The creature who was once Bon-Bon reared up on its hind legs and whinnied, assuring that it had everypony’s attention. Once the changeling knew all eyes were on it, it shrieked, “Riiiot!”

Bon-Bon lunged into the crowd at another pony while making a sound that could only be described as a war cry. A few ponies in the crowd revealed themselves as changelings immediately afterward, who were then followed by a few more. At first it was only a trickle of not-quite-ponies, but that stream soon turned into a flowing river. In hardly any time at all, he was looking out over a sea of black, equine-sized bugs.

He staggered backward. Nearly every single pony, minus a few splotches of color interspersed throughout the crowd, was a changeling. The ponies—former ponies, rather—around where he stood closed in. His world began fading to darkness, and he fell to his knees.

One of them made a repulsive chittering sound, and before long all of them joined in. It took him a moment to realize it, and when he did, his head drooped even lower. “They’re… they’re laughing at me,” he muttered.

“You ready, Pony-Boy?” one of them spat.

“Just… make it quick, please,” said Big Mac.

“No,” came the response. He wasn’t even sure which one of the five or six creatures muttered the singular word, but it didn’t matter. The outcome would be the same either way.

Suddenly, his head shot up. His heart leapt into his throat. One thought and one thought only permeated his consciousness: “Apple Bloom.”

That was when Big Mac’s whole world fell apart.

He had to save her. Granny Smith had made him promise. He’d promised that he would watch after her. That he’d keep her safe. He had to save her. He just had to.

One of the changelings snapped at his ear, jerking him from his thoughts. Before it could land an actual bite, Mac spun around on his hooves, reared up, and bucked it square in the face with all force he was capable of. The changeling’s head whipped back like a bullet. There was a sickening crack as its neck twisted beyond its breaking point, and it fell to the floor, limp and lifeless.

The other changelings stopped their chittering. They stared at him, and he stared at the corpse. It’s head was twisted one hundred eighty degrees, so that it’s chin was facing skyward. Part of the spine was protruding from its neck and green blood was spurting out from the opening, pooling around them.

Big Mac had to fight back the urge to vomit.

Had… had he done that? Was he really that powerful? Changeling or no, that just wasn’t right. Nopony should have to kill another creature, especially like that.

But he didn’t have time to worry about the senselessness of death. He was on a mission. He had to find Apple Bloom. He had to bring her home. Just like he’d promised.

The changeling behind him crouched, preparing to pounce. He sensed its movement and dropped to the ground, just low enough that the creature grazed over his head. Before it crashed into the ground on the other side of him, however, its wings flapped. It flew up into the air, flying just out of Big Mac’s reach.

“Horseapples,” he muttered. “Of course the little buggers have wings.”

The changeling on his left made to take to the air. Before it could, Mac jumped back to his hooves and threw all his body weight at it. They rolled a few feet before coming to a stop, and Mac pinned it to the ground. He wrapped his forelegs around it’s neck and held it still, so that it could only writhe in his grasp.

Time slowed. He didn’t want to do it. But he had to. For Apple Bloom. He’d promised.

He clenched his eyes shut and clamped his teeth down on its plastic-like wings. Once the changeling realized what was happening, it squirmed even more, trying to escape fate. Somepony let out a weak whimper—whether it was Big Mac or the changeling, he didn’t know.

He clenched his eyes even tighter and yanked. The changeling’s wings tore like cardboard. It was over just as soon as it had begun, and Big Mac dropped the changeling onto the ground. It laid there, wallowing in its own pain and blood. He shot it a sympathetic look before spinning around, ready to take on another.

One of the other changelings was buzzing around just out of reach. Big Mac let out a primitive growl. He jumped and swatted at it with a hoof, but came up a few inches short.

He whipped his head around, looking for something, anything to knock the airborne monster from the sky. Eventually his eyes settled on the drink table nearby, and he darted over. He grabbed a few empty hardwood mugs and began throwing them.

The first one skimmed the changelings head. The second one was a foot too low. The third one hit it square on the forehead, knocking it back a few feet and leaving a nasty gash. Before it could regain its composure, one final mug clipped its wing and the changeling came spiralling down to the ground.

Before he could celebrate the minor victory, however, another changeling threw itself onto Big Mac’s back. He flipped and flailed wildly, whipping around like Pinkie Pie on a sugar high. Still, the changeling held fast, and Big Mac couldn’t shake him.

Instead, he flipped forward, landing on his back with the changeling underneath him. It let out a fleeting squeal and let go of Big Mac, who then rolled off the changeling. He climbed to his hooves and looked down at the pathetic creature, squashed underneath his impressive weight. With a sigh, he looked up, ready to take on his next challenger.

His eyes bulged. Surrounding him were ten more changelings who had taken the place of their fallen comrades, ready to take him on.

He cursed under his breath. Fighting changeling after changeling was getting him nowhere. He needed to find Apple Bloom. He needed her to be safe. He’d promised Granny. He had promised.

He tensed up, then barrelled through the wall of changelings. His head swung from side to side, searching for a little red-and-yellow filly. The place was nearly empty at this point. Bodies of changelings littered the bakery, and the place reeked of sweat and fear. The stove was on fire behind the counter, and it was rapidly spreading.

Apple Bloom was nowhere to be found.

But Princess Twilight was.

The swarm of bugs still hot on his trail, he darted across the room to where Twilight was grappling with the changeling: likely the same one who had imitated Fluttershy what felt like a lifetime ago.

The changeling once again had Twilight pinned, and was snarling and snapping at her neck. She was weakly pushing it back with her hooves. Big Mac could tell that she was fighting a losing battle—the matching bite marks on either side of her neck made that obvious. It was a miracle that she was still conscious.

He wrapped a foreleg around the changeling and tossed it in the other direction. After shooting a nervous glance backwards, he quickly lifted Twilight to her hooves by the scruff of her neck.

“Get outta here, find somewhere to hide,” he breathed. The two galloped full-speed toward the exit, bursting out into the open air of the Ponyville Plaza.

Outside was even worse than inside. The place was a battlefield. While Sugarcube Corner had been a graveyard, the streets were very much alive. Cries of both pain and victory rang out, assaulting his ears. Ponies fought with imitations of themselves. There was hardly any room to breathe, let alone think.

It was pure, unadulterated chaos.

It was a riot.

“I… I have to go,” Twilight mumbled. “I… I’ll be back.”

Suddenly, she was gone. So were the changelings, off to join the enormous fight laid out before them like a buffet of death and decay.

He scanned the crowd. That familiar bow-wearing filly was still nowhere to be found. If she wasn’t in plain sight, there was no way he was ever going to pin her down. There was a whole town she could be hiding in. Still, he had to try.

“Where would a filly hide at a time like this?” he muttered.

Suddenly, it hit him. “…Home. She’s at home!”

It took him a moment to get his bearings, but once he did, he took off down the street like a big red bullet straight from a gun. He shot past Town Hall, past Bon-Bon’s Confectionery, and past the Carousel Boutique. He charged right out of town and down the path to Sweet Apple Acres, never stopping to catch his breath. He was on a mission. He had to find her. He had promised.

Tired and out of breath, he flung open the door to the house. Peacefully sitting in her rocking chair was Granny Smith, knitting another something or other.

“Granny,” he managed between gasping breaths, “you seen AB?”

“Weren’t you watchin’ her?”

Big Mac took a deep breath then exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down. “Y’see, Princess Twilight got up in front of everybody and told us that… there were…” he trailed off, eyeing Granny Smith suspiciously.

“She told you that there were what? Sweet Celestia, I know you’re quiet, boy, but at least finish your own dang sentence.”

He pursed his lips. There was no point in dancing around the subject. It was best to just come out and say it. “G-Granny? Are you a changeling?”

There was a long, painful silence. Big Mac's resolve stretched thinner and thinner with every second that ticked by. His heart sunk deeper and deeper into his chest.

In lieu of a response, Granny Smith hopped from her chair with the agility a mare of her age couldn't possibly have.

"Dammit," Big Mac muttered under his breath, his head dropping down.

When he looked up, a changeling stood in her stead: a comically large changeling. It was easily Big Mac's size. It's glowing, beady, red eyes bored deep into Big Mac.

"Where's Granny." It wasn't a question. It was a demand.

"I'unno," the changeling replied. "That's not my job."

"Then whose job is it?"

The enormous changeling bared it’s fangs and let out a feral hiss. Big Mac instinctively knew what was coming and took off down the hall. The changeling came barreling after him.

He darted into the kitchen and took a sharp left. The changeling came bounding through after him, but, expectedly, made the turn a little too wide. He heard it fly into the table and take a nasty spill, but he never turned around to see for himself.

Big Mac skidded around the kitchen and back into the family room. After quickly grabbing Granny’s rocking chair in his mouth, he placed himself beside the door frame.

The changeling grumbled and jumped to its hooves. After a moment of catching its breath, it charged through the doorframe in search of him.

Just as the changeling was through the doorframe, Big Mac transferred the rocking chair to his hooves, stood up on his hind legs, and brought the chair back down on the changeling’s head all in one fluid motion.

After what should have been a skull-crushing blow, the changeling didn’t even flinch. It’s head cocked to the side, and, after a moment, it let out a low growl.

Big Mac let out a whimper.

This was not a fight he was going to win.

Without a second thought, Big Mac bolted out the door. Sure, he had no chance of beating the monster changeling in a fight, but he could probably outrun it. And, if he made it to a good enough spot, he could probably hide until it left… and he knew exactly where to go.

Out the door. Down the steps. Over the hill. Around the barn. Through the propped-open cellar doors. Stop and breathe.

After slamming the cast iron doors shut behind him, he bolted them and hid in the corner of the ten-by-ten room. It was small, but it was built for weathering the most powerful of storms. The door, barring the use of powerful magic, was impossible to open. The walls were two feet thick and made of concrete; they were virtually impenetrable. Enough food to last a family a week was stored in boxes all around him. He was set, at least for the time being.

After a moment, he could sense the presence of the changeling outside the cellar. It chittered and threw itself at the door once, twice, then three times. Just it was about to launch itself a fourth time, it stopped. The door hadn’t budged in the slightest.

There was a terrifying moment of nothingness. Big Mac’s heart stopped beating and he couldn’t breathe.

The monstrous changeling threw itself at the doors one last time. This time, it made a dent.

He winced. That was definitely going to be one nasty bruise later.

Big Mac heard sigh, then the sound of wingbeats filled the air. He was alone once more. It was only then that he finally allowed himself to breathe again.

Still, he didn’t dare leave the shelter. The changeling could have flown just out of reach, or maybe it would be back later. He just couldn’t risk it.

Alone in the darkness, he found himself lost in his thoughts. How long had Granny been a changeling? How long had everypony been a changeling for that matter? Was he the only true pony in Ponyville?

What about his sisters? If Granny was a changeling, then there was a pretty good chance that Apple Bloom and Applejack were too. It was no secret that they got out a lot more than he did, so it made sense. Hell, one of those changelings he took out back at the party could have been the fake Apple Bloom. The irony of it all wasn’t lost on him.

He sighed.

What was he going to do? He could survive in the shelter for a couple weeks, sure. But after that? He would have to leave the shelter to restock. He could try to pass himself off as a disguised changeling, but then he’d only end up back in the shelter for another few weeks. It was an endless cycle.

The whole town—the whole country, even—might be in shambles. Could he survive that? Did he even want to?

No. It didn’t help anypony to think like that. Princess Celestia was probably on her way to Ponyville right this very minute. She would sort out this mess. She always did. Maybe she could find other survivors like him.

Maybe she could save his family…

His eyes fogged up, filling up with the tears of a life lost. He looked up at the ceiling trying to fight back the inevitable fall, but it was to no avail. The gravity of the day’s events finally settled deep in his gut, and the tears started flowing.

“It all happened so fast…”

He didn’t know many things, but he did know one thing for sure—his life would never be the same again.