Arrival

Chapter One: Arrival

Twilight stared at the unconscious dark grey stallion on the floor of her new castle. She didn’t know what to do with the evil unicorn king that was now laying there. ‘Something seems off though.’ thought Twilight before noticing there was no mist coming from his eyes. Suddenly the unicorn stallion began to stir causing all of the ponies in the room to tense. Red eyes opened for a moment before the stallion stood to his feet silently. Twilight observed him before noticing the sclera of his eyes were white like normal ponies instead of green. That was when she noticed his red eyes staring at her.

“Greetings.” Princess Celestia’s voice rang out causing the dark grey unicorn stallion to look at her. “I am Princess Celestia.”

“Midnight Sun.” replied the black mane stallion trying to keep his voice even. “Where am I?”

“You are in the Castle of the Princess of Friendship.” the white alicorn explained and Twilight looked at her with confusion. Midnight Sun looked around his eyes narrowing at the thrones slightly. Cadence caught the look before glancing over at Twilight.

“Princess of Friendship? I have not heard of something more ridiculous.” snapped the black maned unicorn and Twilight frowned. “What are you the Queen of Parenthood?”

“Princess of the Day.” corrected Celestia patiently and Midnight Sun turned his head away. “I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. This is my sister Princess Luna, my niece Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight. This castle belongs to her.”

“A thousand apologies your highnesses.” was the response from the unicorn stallion that dripped with sarcasm.

“HEY NOBODY TALKS TO THE PRINCESSES LIKE THAT!” yelled the blue pegasus with the rainbow mane as she flew towards the stallion.

“Rainbow wait!” yelled Twilight when she saw Midnight Sun’s horn begin to glow. The pegasus glanced towards the violet princess just as a flames surrounded the stallion. All of the ponies who were awake tensed at the action and the dark grey unicorn glared at them. That was when Twilight noticed who else was protected by the flames. A familiar black unicorn colt laid behind the stallion. ‘Comet vanished with Aqua Star. This means Midnight Sun had found them.’ assumed the Princess of Friendship mentally.

“How are we even sure if he is telling the truth about who he is?” the orange earth pony with a straw colored mane asked. “You said he was King Sombra.”

“He isn’t, dear Applejack” this response came from an unexpected source, the draconequus.

“And how in the hay are you so sure about this?” replied the green eyed earth pony glaring at the being suspiciously. “Were you there?”

“I don’t sense the dark magic that Sombra had within him at all.” the draconequus stated crossing his arms in front of his chest thinking. ‘Though he is not complete.’

“It’s true.” the pink alicorn spoke up causing Midnight Sun to look towards her. “And reacting negatively towards him will not lower his guard.”

Cadence leaned towards Twilight and whispered. “He might know where Aqua Star is.”

Twilight glanced towards her sister-in-law before looking towards Midnight Sun as the flames died down. She nodded her head before looking at Celestia who was watching the stallion.

“Midnight Sun.” the princess spoke up and the red eyed unicorn looked at her listening intently. “I will not tolerate any signs of aggression towards my citizens. However the display of magic you have just shown was one not of aggression but of protection.”

“But Princess Celestia he was insulting all of you!” explained Rainbow Dash with a confused look. “Why aren’t you angry at that?”

“Because there have been many insults thrown at us over the years. It is something that comes with our position.” Celestia reminded the rainbow maned pegasus gently. “When we deal with the insults with grace and tact is when we earn the respect of the ponies that insulted us. We only adding fuel to their fire when we react negatively towards their comments.”

“I understand.” Rainbow muttered glaring towards Midnight Sun who didn’t even look in her direction. “What about the changeling? What are you going to do about him?”

“Oh we have known about Comet for quite a while.” the white alicorn informed the others causing the ponies to look dumbfounded. “Luna can dream walk, remember? She found out through his dreams and informed me. I decided that if he was not causing any trouble then he could stay, perhaps even living with ponies would change his out look on us.”

“Then why did he choose to return to his original form during the Equestria Games?” asked Rarity, a white unicorn with a purple mane and blue eyes. “Wouldn’t that just jeopardize the life he had built while living here?”

“He was trying to get the mare he was with out of the Crystal Empire.” another voice spoke up, this was Flash Sentry: a yellow orange pegasus stallion with a blue mane. “If I didn’t see what happened with my own eyes. I wouldn’t have believed what the mare told me. The Changeling actually stood up against his queen to defend the mare. I’m not sure what happened but when the changeling woke up he told me that Sombra had blackmailed him into a deal. To bring Aqua Star to him or his true form would be revealed. He broke the deal by revealing his true form at the gates. He actually tried to get on the train but was forced to run and get his powers taken by the Changeling queen. I’m not sure how this is possible.”

“Sounds fishy to me.” Applejack said out loud looking at her alicorn friend. “Is there a way to see if he is telling the truth?”

“I can use the spell that I used at Cadence’s wedding to reveal the changelings.” Twilight suggested and Midnight Sun shot her a warning look. “It’s harmless, it just will show if he is telling the truth or not.”

The dark grey stallion’s red eyes narrowed but when the violet alicorn approached him he stood aside watching carefully. Twilight glanced at him nervously praying that Discord wasn’t wrong before casting the spell. The changeling was surrounded by her magic for a bit but when the magic was dispersed the black unicorn remained.

“Satisfied?” Midnight Sun asked raising an eyebrow and Twilight nodded her head before heading back to her friends. “I appreciate your hospitality princesses but I will have to take my leave.”

The group watched him levitate Comet onto his back before moving towards the door.

“Comet has lived in Ponyville and has many friends here.” Celestia told him causing the dark grey unicorn to stop. “Some having already found out what he was.”

“I’m still confused on why Twilight’s spell didn’t work.” Rainbow Dash said. “He’s a changeling! Why didn’t it work?”

“Because he’s not a changeling anymore.” Luna told her and the pegasus looked confused. “I believe the Changeling Queen has the powers to either take or seal away a changelings ability to shapeshift. If he was in this form before his powers were removed then he will remain in this form.”

“Then what about teleporting? Isn’t really strong unicorns able to do that?” the magenta eyed pegasus questioned and Twilight sighed before explaining. “A unicorn who has the magical power, focus, and the practice can teleport without a problem. A regular unicorn would be terribly weakened and in worse cases die from it. I believe that Comet had enough residual magic from being a changeling that it fueled him enough. A journey might just wear him out more. Why don’t you stay until he has fully recovered? It might do him some good if you were  around.”

Midnight Sun looked at the princess before looking at the colt on his back. ‘When she said take care of them, this colt was probably one.’ he thought before turning towards the Princess of Friendship saying. “I suppose I can stay until he is better.”

Twilight sighed mentally in relief before smiling, she knew he was going to be a hard one.

“I’ll show you were they lived.” she offered before heading past him and Midnight Sun followed. The rest of the Elements of Harmony watched them leave before heading out as well talking amongst themselves

“Ah still don’t trust him.” Applejack spoke up first her eyes narrowing. “He just doesn’t seem like someone who screams friendly.”

“He has no respect for authority, I mean did you see how he acted around the princesses?” Rainbow Dash asked as she flew above her friends.

“Well maybe, he isn’t from this time, like Aqua Star.” Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane and teal eyes, said looking at his friends. “She wasn’t very nice when she first arrived.”

“She was polite, his attitude is down right despicable.” huffed Rarity before remembering how he acted with Comet. “Though he did seem protective of Comet.”

“Evil attracts evil! Changelings are evil! Sombra is evil!” Rainbow told them before Fluttershy frowned. “What? I wasn’t talking about Discord!”

“How dare you!” Fluttershy reprimanded her friend. “Just because most of the changelings are out there to devour our love doesn’t mean Comet wants to. Having his powers taken away must have been the hardest this he had to give up to protect his mother! Now we don’t even know where she is! That stallion showed a lot of kindness by taking care of a colt he doesn’t even know! We should give him a chance before judging him.”

Rainbow Dash was taken aback by Fluttershy’s statement before flying down as she thought about it. Flash Sentry walked behind them wondering if he should tell them what he saw. He decided not to seeing as how he wasn’t included in the conversation and it would be rude.

“His attitude towards the princess was appalling.” huffed Rarity as they walked before looking around the castle. “This castle is just gorgeous!”

Twilight found the walk quiet and pleasant though the worried looks of the townsfolk towards Comet. ‘I will have to explain the situation to them.’ she thought before glancing over towards Midnight Sun. The dark grey stallion’s red eyes were in front of them until they slid to the side as if sensing her eyes on him. Twilight didn’t look away instead choosing to ask. “Are you... do you know a mare called Aqua Star?”

“Yes.” Midnight Sun replied and Twilight sighed in relief praying that she was alright. “She was my closest friend.”

Twilight was confused by his wording but he probably didn’t know that she was still alive. The Princess of Friendship stopped at Aqua Star’s house.

“Well here we are.” the violet alicorn said looking at the unicorn stallion who just headed for the door. “I’m sure you’re going to see Aqua Star again.”

“I will let you keep that hope.” the stallion sighed before opening the door and stepping inside. “But you will find out sooner or later.”

“Huh?” Twilight was confused as the door shut behind Midnight Sun and the red glow of his magic vanished. “Now what in Celestia’s name did he mean by that!”