One Believes What One Sees

Fading-Echoes' POV with narration

What does one do when your Imperial majesty asks you to do anything? If you in her elite guard you go do it then ask if she wants you to do it again. For Fading-Echoes it is no different but he will wonder why it was not someone with at least more than two years of experience under their helmet. Don't get him wrong to save the lost changelings is a honorable task to be given... even if they betrayed everyone in joining that upstart. What has him nerve-racked is he must start at where the invasion was in the capital of THE FREAKING SUN GOD! Now that would normally be fine but she and that student of her's Twilight Sparkles or whatever were attacked in the invasion and most likely have one mind set for changelings.

"If I meet her she is going to be PISSSED! No no don't go thinking about that your going to be fine. Your going to find the Thousand missing changelings and get home. Everything will be back to normal and we will all have some love and loyalty... maybe a .. bit of lust too." whispered Fading-Echoes with a slight blush at the end as he sits in the empty train car he jumped on disguised as a Thestral.

Fade has taken the train a few times admittedly never the normal and legal way but when your BUDDIES leave you tied up on the outskirts of some town THANK YOU MIRAGE! you learn what trains are going where. Appaloosa was the next stop then Las Pegasus, Ponyville and finally Canterlot is the course of this train and before and after each stop unless you want to get thrown off you have to jump out and back on when it leaves. You would not have to do this if you had bits but a certain changeling does not have the money to spare for that. The salary of a solider is not as great as people think but if you don't have to pay for food it stretches farther. It is nice of the company to have books on the train unfortunately not all the books are good reads.

The border itself was quite easy I guess it's because that most of them were not elite troops that are in Canterlot, but I expected more of a challenge thinking that the defences would be reinforced following up on the invasion that happened at the wedding. Especially since the groom is the captain of the guard, maybe that section has not received his reinforcements when I got there. Other then that I guess that they think that Chrysalis' army was our actual army and not a band of workers enslaved by that self entitled queen. Going through Appaloosa should be easy considering that the rodeo competition is going on creating massive crowds for me to hide in from the guards. I know if I travel by night in most cities they will think I am a part of the night guard if I I am a Thestral... I just have to avoid the actual ones ones.

'Time to go mares and stallions.' he thought as he opened a window to jump out at the sound of the whistle. upon landing scared the day lights out of him... Twilight was here casting subtle spells on people before looking at him. after a bit of a stare down on her part she turns away to talk to her friends occasionally looking back at him as he darts into town. That was not the best encounter to have added to his shot nerves and tried to collect himself going down an alley every now and then calling out to any changelings in the area to no response.

Twilight's POV with narration

"This is great to go relax and have some fun but I should be helping with the changeling crisis with Celestia." said Twilight looking out the window at the scenery with worry.

"Ah come on Twilight I'm sure that everything will be fine and dandy when we all get back." Applejack says putting a hoof over her shoulder. she waves her other hoof for Rainbow Dash to join in and help get Twilight positive.

"Applejack's right Twilight and if we meet any I will beat them back in ten seconds flat." encouraged Rainbow Dash while on a train heading for Appaloosa for the annual Rodeo competition.

Even though everyone says to just enjoy the competition and relax there is no way that the changelings will just give up. This will be the perfect time to test my changeling to detector among crowds if there are any here I will find them. Upon the parting from the platform Twilight noticed a Thestral jumping and landing off the guardsmen train car with a roll flowing into a walk into Appaloosa.

Rainbow Dash coments on the little stunt "that was cool but not as cool as if I've done it" everyone behind her rolled their eyes.

Applejack gives Rainbow Dash a look before saying "I don't normally see any festival show up to the rodeo before, maybe he's here to make sure no one causes a ruckus".

Twilight wondered if these Thestral is from Luna's guard sent to Appaloosa maybe as a reassignment or if Luna believed me that the changeling Army is still a threat. What if he is here to protect twilight from changeling infiltrators that might still be around to get revenge on her. There must have been some that got away and will surely come to get revenge for stopping their queen. As they leave the train She gets worried and starts to use her experimental detection spell as sneaky as she can. After leaving the platform she spots the Thestral in question and he seems to be looking around a lot before turning to me and freezes. Twilight looks around to find what he looking at before Rainbow Dash cut in.

"looks like someone has a fan and here I thought bookworms don't get those." Rainbow Dash says enjoying this little scene after a long ride here in the train.

Twilight tries to stop her saying "I think he is new and has been reassigned to-"

Applejack cuts in "We could just ask him ah reckon he'll tell us there is no need to assume anything." Trying to keep Twilight on the positive side and away from anything to do with the changeling invasion.

"A Thestral guardsmen on the same train as us and froze when Twi looked at him, obviously he wants to be her guardsmen" Rainbow Dash says with half lidded eyes "You saw him Applejack trying ease his way close to Twilight before he knew he was spotted right Applejack?" getting Twilight to blush while Applejack tried to recall seeing him get on.

When the little band look to where he was to see him take off into Appaloosa sometimes looking back at Twilight. He will probably talk to her later and more private she guessed. The trio set off to Braeburn's home to stay for the rodeo with Twilight casting a certain experimental spell of hers here and there subtlety. she swore she heard something hissing in the distance and veered off to find out what made the noise.