Princess Luna's Dream

Celestia walked in the direction of the war room. Guards trotted past her in multiple numbers. Everypony was on high alert with the base being in lockdown. Checkpoints had been set up all over the base where ponies were being examined. None of the soldiers knew the reason why they were being examined. Celestia walked past three on her way to the war room. Two guards opened the door as she approached. She walked past them and heard the door close behind her. She was greeted by the sight of ponies running around the room shouting at each other. Sitting at the war table was Twilight, who was reading through some sheets that Celestia couldn't read from where she was standing. As she squinted her eyes to get a better look she was approached by a pony.

"Your majesty," he said. "Do we have clearance to tell everypony why we are in lockdown?"

"I'm afraid that is classified information for only the elite officers. As far as anypony is concerned it is just a routine drill taking place. Is that understood?" she said, keeping a blank expression.

"Of course, your majesty," he said, walking away while mumbling something under his breath. Celestia walked over to the table and sat down. Twilight looked up when she noticed something move beside her.

"Celestia," she said. "Have they found it yet?"

"No, Twilight, they have not. But we will not stop searching until it is found." Her horn lit up and she spoke to address the war room.

"Everypony, please settle down and listen." her voiced boomed throughout the room. "There is no need to be alarmed. This is just a routine lockdown." The ponies looked at one another, not sure whether to believe their princess or not.

One stallion stood up. "Your majesty, as the head of security of this base, I think I would know when there is a lockdown scheduled and there isn't." he said sternly. Everypony broke into argument again.

"Quiet, everypony!" Celestia boomed. "I know this was not scheduled, this is a surprise drill and it is very clear that nopony here was very prepared, which leads me to question your skill, commander," she said to the head of security. He sat down and glared at the table.

"I apologise for my troops being so unorganised," he mumbled.

Celestia then turned her gaze to everypony in the room. "Until I say otherwise, this lockdown is to continue. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your majesty" was the response she got from the room.

"Very well," she said, "Until then, you are all excused." Celestia walked to the door accompanied by Twilight.

"I hope they find the creature soon," Twilight said, worried.

"I hope so too," Celestia said. The door to the war room closed as they left.

Celestia and Twilight walked through the base in the direction of Twilight's laboratory. They passed by two of the checkpoints. They continued walking until reaching the laboratory. The two guards who were on watch earlier were still there.

"Your majesties," they both said as they opened the doors for the two alicorns. They entered the lab. Twilight trotted over to her desk with all her notes on the magic drainage. She power read through each sheet gathering as much information as she could.

"Well, according to the latest results, the magic draining has subsided temporarily. The only problem is they are predicted to resume soon and at a stronger rate."

"I apologise, Twilight, but we will have to worry about that at a later time. I completely forgot I have to go and lower the sun. I will tell Luna to see you to discuss the topic further," Celestia said as she turned to the door.

"I can go with you to Luna. I needed to talk to her anyway," Twilight said as she rushed over to her mentor. The doors opened and they headed off in the direction of Luna's quarters. As they were walking they passed a guard, who stopped and stared at them. Celestia looked back at the soldier unsure.

"Is everything alright, soldier?" Celestia asked him.

"Yes, your majesty," he stuttered out. "It's just that you just told me that you were heading back to Canterlot with the next research team…" Twilight and Celestia stared at the guard.

"I did?" Celestia said, puzzled.

"Yes, then you walked off in the direction of the hangars." he spoke softly. Twilight and Celestia immediately ran in the direction of the hangar.

"Twilight, I need you to go and tell Luna she will need to lower the sun tonight. I am going to find out where the shapeshifter went." Twilight nodded and ran back in the other direction. Celestia continued running until she reached the hangars. She looked around for the nearest guard.

"Soldier!" she shouted at him.

"Yes, your majesty!" he said, placing a hoof at his head in salute.

"Did I enter through here recently?" she questioned him.

"I don't recall seeing you here, you majesty," he said. "Maybe if you check with the sergeant in charge. She has a record of all the ponies who enter and leave the hangar." He pointed over to a mare conducting soldiers with research equipment. Celestia trotted over to her.

"Sergeant," she said.

"Yes, your majesty" she said with a light voice.

"I need to see the list of ponies who have left and entered here recently," Celestia said.

"Of course, your majesty," she said, walking over to a desk and picking up a clipboard."Here you are, your majesty," she said, handing over the clipboard. Celestia surveyed they names but couldn't find hers.

"Do you document if I come in here?" she asked.

"No, your majesty, your business is your own," she said. Celestia looked back at the list and spotted something. A particular pony entered there who shouldn't have.

"Sergeant, did you see this pony enter here".

"Yes, your majesty. Don't you remember you came here and gave him clearance to leave with the research team?" she said.

"Has the research team left yet?" Celestia asked the sergeant.

"They just docked off. We can send them a message when they arrive at Canterlot," she said.

"Prepare a personal chariot for me. I need to get to Canterlot."

"At once, your majesty," she said, and turned to get Celestia a chariot. Celestia looked at the list once again.

"I've got you now," she said to herself.

The chariot took off with haste after the ship of the research team. Aboard her chariot were two of her best guards, Eclipse and Nitroblast. The chariot would soon catch up with the ship as it was a lot smaller and faster. They flew through the cloud layer and headed in the direction of Canterlot. After a short bit of flying Nitroblast called out "ship ahead!" They came up alongside it and Celestia cast a spell to freeze the ship. It came to a halt. Celestia and her two guards boarded the ship via a side hatch. The two guards went first for the sake of protecting the princess. The crew would be alerted that a hatch had been opened and an engineer would be along shortly to investigate. As they predicted, an engineer came along and was a bit shocked to see the princess and two guards standing there.

"Your majesty!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

"You appear to have a stowaway that I intend to find. Take me to the bridge."

"At once, your majesty," he said, nodded, and turned the other way. Celestia and the two guards followed closely behind.

They reached the bridge very shortly due to the ship's smart and sleek design. The captain greeted Celestia with a salute.

"And to what do we owe the honour?" she said.

"You have a stowaway," Celestia explained.

"I see. Do you know who this stowaway is?" she asked.

"Yes. He is a stallion by the name of Comet Shower. He is the drill sergeant back at Fort Hurricane."

"I will have my crew search the ship immediately" the captain said.

"Just one more thing," Celestia said. "He's a shapeshifter and might no longer be in the form of that stallion."

"I see. That changes things," the captain said. "I will round up my crew and identify each one to make sure there isn't an extra crew member. Then I shall send out search teams to go around the ship. We'll find him," she said confidently.

"I would hope so, Captain," Celestia said. "Eclipse, you will lead one search team. Nitroblast, the other."

"Yes, your majesty," they said in unison. Eventually the captain rounded up her crew and verified them all. She then split them into two search teams for Eclipse and Nitroblast.

"Nitroblast, you take the upper half of the ship. Eclipse, the lower. Good luck to you both. And remember, bring it back alive."

"Of course, your majesty," Nitroblast said. He turned to look at Eclipse.

"Time to hunt ourselves a shapeshifter," he said, smiling. The two teams took off, leaving Celestia, the captain, and two guards in the bridge.