Chapter 1: Dear Twilight Sparkle
"Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle
I am writing this letter on behalf of my sister and your mentor Princess Celestia. We regret to inform you that all previous attempts of contacting you have failed and thus this notice may come as a shock. Recently my sister and I have begun work on diplomatic relations with the Changeling Empire far off in the Equestrian Badlands, work has gone smoothly and we hope relations can quickly form between our two nations. However we require both the assistance of you and Ponyville to continue our campaign.
On this day at roughly 1:00PM an Ambassador from the Changeling Empire will arrive within Ponyville. My sister and I trust that you will do everything in your power to make her feel welcomed in your community and help her adapt to pony ways. Hopefully her peaceful presence will help ease the fears and suspicions between our two species.
Your Fellow Ruler
Princess Luna"
Twilight finished reading the scroll Spike had rushed to her only a few seconds before.
"Spike what time is it?" the Alicorn asked nervously as she looked out her window, the sun already high in the sky.
"About 1:15 wh-" The baby dragon was cut off as Twilight bolted past him and quickly made her way down the library stairs and towards the front door, her blood running cold as three loud knocks echoed through the tree house. The mare did her best to fix her mane as quickly make herself look a little more professional for her guest. As she opened the door she was met with a sight she hadn't expected.
"Princess Twilight, this Insect claims she has business with you." The Captain of the Ponyville Guard spoke as he kept his spear pressed up against a rather annoyed looking Changeling.
"Twilight Sparkle I presume?" The Changeling spoke, her voice sharing the same annoyance as her expression. "Would you be so kind as to ask you pet to release me?" Her last few words a his as she turned glared at the white Unicorn clad in lavender armor.
"Captain" the Alicorn spoke as she gestured towards his spear. "I'm assuming you were not informed of this Changeling's arrival in Ponyville"
"No, we were informed several hours ago, we just didn't think she would be causing trouble so quickly." His last words mirroring the Changeling's own hiss.
"I told you already, the cross-eyed idiot burned down that fruit stand, not me! The idiot with the Sunglasses was the one who tripped you!" The Changeling shouted defensively
"Captain I'm sur- Wait you burned down a fruit stand?" Twilight asked with a mixture of worry and confusion.
12:00PM
On the outskirts of Ponyville
"Are you sure about this Captain Armor?" a member of the Solar guard asked as he opened the carriage door and carefully watched the Changeling Ambassador step out.
"Yes Brass" Shining Armor answered as he stared at the tip of Ponyville Library off in the distance "Celestia's orders were clear, we are to drop off the Ambassador just outside of Ponyville and return to Canterlot."
"What if she tries something?"
"Then Twil- Princess Twilight's guards will handle it. Until then she is to be treated as any other pony in Equestria."
"Yeah just like any other pony!" The Changeling Ambassador repeated mockingly as a pillar of green flames engulfed her leaving a white unicorn in her place.
The Changeling watched as the guard drew his spear. "You were told not to try your disguises inside Ponyville. You are here as a Changeling, not an imposter."
"Party pooper" the Changeling muttered as she dropped her disguise "Well why don't you fly on back to your pretty little Princesses before they get worried." She finished as she slowly trotted away towards Ponyville. The Changeling was only partially aware of where she was heading, Celestia had told her she would be meeting with Twilight Sparkle at the towns library, from there she would be led to her new home for the next few weeks.
As the Changeling made her way into Ponyville she watched with some satisfaction as several ponies avoided eye contact or even crossed the street simply to avoid her. She felt a sense of joy as Unicorn mare quickly moved her child away from the approaching Changeling.
What kind of foals show fear in their own city? She silently asked herself as she continued walking taking notice of the guards scattered about. Maybe I'll take the scenic route she thought as she turned the corner and quickly found herself no longer on the path to the center of Ponyville but on a street lined with houses on both sides.
"Huh this place is bigg-" The Changeling's words were cut off by the rapid approaching sounds of hooves, quickly the mare turned to find it's source, instantly a horrified expression covered her face as she took in the sight of a mint colored Unicorn charging towards her.
"Changeling!" The Unicorn shouted as she took a flying leap at the Changeling.
"No wai-" The Changeling tried to defend herself but there was no time as the Unicorn tackled her sending them both tumbling into the side of a tree with a loud crash both the Changeling and Pony found themselves in a painful clump of tangled limbs as they both struggled to get free from one another.
"Are you insane?!" The Changeling hissed as she picked up a rock with her magic, silently hoping it would be a good enough deterrent to keep the mare from attacking again. "I thought you ponies were supposed to be "civilized" she spoke again as she carefully watched the mare, waiting for any sign of further attack.
"Lyra what in the seven fires of Tartarus do you think you're doing?!" came the shouts of a new mare.
Both Lyra and the Changeling turned to face the beige mare who was rapidly and angrily approaching the two of them.
"Lyra you can't just go around attacking strangers." The earth pony scolded the unicorn much to the Changeling's amusement.
"But Bon Bon, she's a Changeling! I wasn't trying to attack her!" Lyra tried to defend as she pointed towards the Changeling. "I just wanted to ask her some questions."
"Oh not this again." Bon Bon muttered as she face hoofed as she turned to face the Changeling, after a few seconds of sizing the Changeling up she was about 60% sure that it was a female. "Miss?" she spoke hoping the Changeling would give it's name.
"Cocoon" the Changeling answered as she lowered the rock slightly hoping another attack was not about to occur.
"Miss Cocoon, I'm sorry about my friend here, she's very excitable."
"You could say that again." Cocoon muttered as she rubbed her neck.
"After the "Incident" in Canterlot she's had a rather big obsession with Changelings. Which was honestly a welcomed change from her previous obsession." Bon Bon continued to speak as she quickly glared towards Lyra who was nervously trying to avoid eye contact. "I'm hoping she didn't hurt you." She finished speaking as took a step towards the Changeling who instinctively raised the rock once again.
"I'm fine" Cocoon answered as she rubbed her head, pausing as she felt a warm sensation on her hoof. "On second thought we might have an issue" she added as she pulled her hoof back revealing dabs of green blood from the new found wound on the back of her head. "Yeah that's not good at all" she muttered before passing out.
Several minutes later the Changeling gave a soft groan as she regained consciousness, a faint throbbing still present at the back of her head. After a few seconds of laying still with her eyes shut she remembered where the pain had come from and her eyes shot open, revealing the two mares from before plus an additional one gray Pegasus.
"Where am I?!" Cocoon shouted as she quickly sat up and scanned the room. It seemed that after she collapsed they had brought her to some from of bed chambers.
"Well you passed out after the accident" Lyra began but found her self quickly cut off by the Changeling's death stare.
"You mean I passed out after you attacked me?"
"You passed out after I tried to meet you with a little too much enthusiasm" The mint Unicorn tried to defend sheepishly.
"How's your head?" Bon Bon asked as she moved to check the back of Changeling's head.
"I'm fine!" Cocoon answered as she pushed the Pony's hoof away from her head. "Our bodies heal a lot faster than yours." she added as she felt the back of her head noting that her chitin had already healed and there were no longer any traces of her previous wound.