What is it Queen Chrysalis wants here in Ponyville?

Dandelion couldn’t blame Blue Moon for not trusting her, it was a response she expected most Changelings would probably get. She in many ways expected both of them to hate her after their discovery. She was half right, Blue Moon definitely didn’t seem to trust her. Then again, she was half wrong as well.

Why hate you if I was never there in the first place?

“Stardust,” She said to herself. “You have no idea what my life has been like. I was betrayed by my own kind, I was part of a horrible event of history on the wrong side of the playing field. Those two things alone can’t be undone, but yet you still want to help me try?”

It was then she remembered the last words she had ever heard as a member of Chrysalis’ hive. The reason she hid her true self, the reason she had almost no friends, the reason she was where she was right know.

A Changeling like you is a worthless thing if you can’t accept such a simple task. You have no meaning to exist here among your kind, and most importantly, to me. I gave you a chance of redemption, but you refuse. I never want to see you among the hive ever again. You are from now on till the day you die, exiled.

Dandelion, while she felt proud of what she did to earn her new residence in Ponyville, still took those words as true. It was the reason everyone else looked at her in a weird way whenever she came into town. She couldn’t feel like she was important at all, no matter what her friendship with Stardust meant.

Then again, why did she keep going when it seemed like she had no reason to. Since she bumped into Stardust on that day one week ago, she felt different. To Dandelion, Stardust was like her in many ways. However, she still felt the same way, and couldn’t bring herself to forget what she was once a part of.

“Useless,”

Same time
Train from Manehattan to Ponyville

“This is wonderful,” The red mare said, squishing Sonnet in a giant hug. “I can’t believe that I’m going to spend time with my amazing cousin for a few days. Even if it is work, I happy to be here in help,”

This particular red mare was a unicorn, just like Sonnet. She had blood red eyes as well to match, standing out amongst her exuberant nature. Her coat was covered by a shiny golden jacket with a hood hiding her mane. What little part of her mane did show was dark blue, having the same curly nature as her tail. In truth, she stood out very much from the others on the train, especially next to Sonnets grey coat.

“Calm down Solitaire,” Sonnet requested, shoving her cousin of her. “You are already drawing a lot of unnecessary attention. Remember, you’re getting freedom for helping me and Anchor with this job. You don’t want to go back, do you?”

“Well that’s a stupid question,” Solitaire said, sitting down “Anything to get me out of the slimy old dungeon. Besides, you said you would need an expert gambler didn’t you,”

Solitaire, like most of Sonnets family, was in many ways a criminal. Her talent, as unfortunate as it is, was gambling. Gambling was illegal in Equestria, at least outside of Las Pegasus (yes, I know it’s not suppose to be Vegas, but just go with it since it’s an alternate universe) and she had been caught in the act. She was found guilty and put in jail for her act, but Sonnet bought her her freedom as long as she helped with something.

“Can you please keep it down,” An earth pony sitting to Sonnets left had said. “We really don’t want to draw too much attention,”

“You’re absolutely sure Changelings are in Ponyville Heart,” Sonnet asked, to the earth pony.

The earth pony she was talking to was her first real friend in Manehattan, as well as partner in crime, or rather in stopping crime. In many ways you could say Sonnet’s books were just as real as Daring Do, who she had the pleasure of meeting during an earlier assignment. The story of her first book was the first case she had ever worked on with Heart Anchor, and it was what got her started in Manehattan. Most of the time they took on cases themselves that had come up in the news, but this was a special assignment from princess Twilight.

“Well, except for Dandelion,” Heart addressed, “It’s going to be hard to tell, but with the secret we’ve been intrusted with, Chrysalis will definitely be their for her revenge,”

“What secret?” Solitaire asked

“Princess Twilight has informed me that Celestia and Luna’s long lost sister has been found,” Heart explained. “We know that Twilight has an acquaintance named Dandelion, a changeling who had turned her back on Chrysalis a year ago. We have heard to thank for Twilight being alive,”

So there really was a Changeling in Ponyville. However, there was one thing that Heart Anchor had said that confused her.

“What do you mean by revenge?” Sonnet asked,

“We know that the royal family and the changeling don’t get along all that well,” Heart stated “and considering that the young princess has amnesia, it makes her an easy target for Chrysalis. They know Chrysalis will attack when she learns, and we have to find a way to get her into the open,”

“How do they know Chrysalis will attack?” Solitaire asked.

“That’s your job,” Heart answered. “The princess has informed me of a strange griffon that had come to town not long after they found the princess. His name is Graf, and according to Twilight, he leaves every night to go to the Everfree. He’s also a big gambler,”

“I see,” Solitaire face lit up at the realization of her job “I’m suppose to make him talk by gambling him into a corner,”

Heart nodded in response, confirming what Solitaire expected. Solitaire rarely lost, and has never been beaten when the stakes are high. She was the one pony in Sonnets family besides Blue Moon that she loved. Solitaire had actually manage to save her life on one occasion, and she later bailed her out after the guards tried to take her. She gave up almost everything she had to save Solitaire back then, and it was probably going to happen again.

“I see it,” Solitaire exclaimed, looking out the window. “I see Ponyville in the distance,”

It wasn’t hard to make out Ponyville when it had a giant crystal castle towering over it. They were still a long ways away, but knowing it was there brought some relief to Sonnet. This was the first time she would be back in Ponyville after three years.

Has it really been that long She thought to herself, unable to believe how fast it has gone.

“Blue Moon will be happy to see you,” Heart Anchor addressed “I honestly can’t believe you had to leave her behind when you left three years ago,”

“I had no choice in the matter,” Sonnet replied, feeling heartbroken about leaving her brother. “I exchanged my residence for Solitaires safety all those years ago,”

“And then she ends up captured one year ago anyway,”

“That doesn’t matter,” Sonnet said, trying to move away from the topic. “What does is keeping the young princess safe, right?”

It felt… weird… being back in Ponyville for Sonnet. When they had arrived, the sun had sunken into the horizon and the moon was just beginning to rise. Heart Anchor and Solitaire were going to sleep at the castle, while Sonnet would be spending her first night at home in three years. Everything felt new, even though she had seen it all before. She enjoyed Manehattan more than she did Ponyville because of her experience, but felt great to be back over so many years. Sonnet got permission to head home and say hello to Stardust, while Heart and Solitaire headed to the castle.

They knocked on the door and waited for Spike to answer. When he did, he showed them to where Twilight was currently residing. He opened the door to the meeting hall where she and two other ponies currently resided. It didn’t take long to recognize the other two as Rarity and Applejack, who Twilight had invited over to help as well.

“I trust you had a good trip?” Twilight said, watching as the two new arrivers took seats on opposite ends of the table. Solitaire took what was once Pinkie Pie’s seat while Heart Anchor took Rainbows.

“Boring, but that was expected,” Heart Anchor replied, yawning afterward.

“Excuse me Twi but what is somepony like she doing here,” Applejack said in suspicion, pointing at Solitaire.

“It was their request for agreeing to help me,” Twilight assured her friends “She’ll behave herself, right?”

Solitaire nodded in response, and Applejack decided it was best not to argue with Twilight. This was the first time in years that the meeting room has been this full, bringing back memories of friends who had left them. Rainbow Dash was the main reason it broke down, but they all knew that it was only a matter of time until the old element bearers went their seperate ways, no matter how sad it was.

“It seems like just yesterday was the first time we stepped inside this room,” Rarity said, looking back on everything that has happened. “To think we almost never see each other again is a weird feeling, especially when we were the best of friends,”

“Times change,” Heart Anchor stated, his voice full of emotion. “And as it does, the ponies change as well. We look ahead, never looking back on the past, and forget about the things we hold most dear. However, nothing stays separate forever, and the changes that come may bring great rejoice to all. When one time passes, a great era will began for the nation we call our own,” Everyone looking, stunned silent by Heart anchors words. “A pony we have all forgotten had once said those words, a pony we now deem to protect with our hearts. That time of rejoice is upon us, even if it seems hard to understand. This is just the start of a reunion among old friends, and a joining of new ones as well,”

As Heart Anchor ended his speech, the room fell silent. His words spoke volumes to them all, a power like the one she had felt in Stardust, yet considering at who he was saying spoke those words, it wasn’t that surprising. Still, to only know of Stardust’s existence for a day and find words she had spoken many years ago was incredible.

“How do you know Stardust said that?” Twilight asked, curious.

“It’s one of the few things about that time left in the Manehattan archives,” Heart Anchor explained. “And it was the words she spoke before she went to sleep for so long. She new about this time of change, and that time of change was when she would wake up. However that was the only thing about her I found,”

“That… was amazing,” Solitaire said, getting excited. “Oh to hear words like that make me so happy. Maybe these times of Change will bring things ponies wanted most to the world, such as the friendship between once feuding countries, and for ponies cutie mark to not be bound by the-”

“Gambling is still illegal,” Twilight said, seeing where Solitaire was going, who stuck her tongue out to the princess.

“Ah have to agree with ya a little,” Applejack said “It would be nice to not have to worry about things like war anymore,”

“Especially when it could lead to nuclear devastation,”

“Especially when it could,” Applejack stopped as she realized what she was say. “What?!”

“Nothing,” Solitaire said quickly.

Without another warning, the heard the door slam open behind them. Everyone looked as a pegasus entered the room in a blue and yellow uniform. Twilight’s eyes widened when she realized who it was.

“Sorry I’m late everypony,” The pegasus said, “Hey, the stallion on the other end of the table, THAT’S MY SEAT,”

Twilight’s eyes widened with joy. “Rainbow Dash,”

Author's Note

It was hard trying to find a way to fit Solitaire or Heart Anchor into the story, but I somehow have managed to do it. However, can we just... get the fanmade Rainbow Dash final boss music... please?

Okay, I'm good. Anyway's, like, comment, and follow to show your support for the story. I will see you guy's next time.