Something evil this way comes (Prologue)

(Fluttershy's Journal)

...I was laying in the park near my cottage for a picnic. Some of the little changelings playing with some of the other foals in the park, others curled up next to me along with my own foal. It was a lovely, cloudless day. Nopony in the park was alone, either with a friend, lover, or a foal; or perhaps a combination. I had half of a generation of newborn changelings and my little one, too, so I was far from alone. The birds were chirping a little song that I could listen to for hours. It was just something that I got used to and I could never get tired of.

Oh, right. I heard some loud machinery out in the distance. I thought It was just a truck driving by, so I paid no mind to it. I was just snuggling my little pony when It was getting louder. I was so distracted from the cute ponies around me when I heard the vehicle come flying above me. It was so loud! The sound from it was so scary, it scared all the changelings, and they came to hide under my wings. After a moment we saw it pass by, I didn't know what to make of it. It was made out of metal, and it flew! Without flapping it's massive wings! After it passed, I wanted to see what it was. I asked the others with me, and they were curious too. I got up, and trotted over to the clearing it was headed to.

When we reached the clearing, we saw it on the ground in a proud-looking position. As we got closer, a little door on the top opened up. And out came Applejack! "Hoo-wee, that was fun!" called out AJ, to nopony in particular. "A...AJ?" I called out. "Oh, hi, sugarcube!" said Applejack to me, "Did we scare ya?". I looked at the changelings around me and they all wore faces of happiness to see the Mare of Industry herself again. "You did, what is this thing anyways?" I asked. "Aircraft, model 5 type c, dubbed the "Thunderbird"" said a voice from below AJ. Out came another pony, a unicorn; she looked a lot like one of Rarity's fillies.

"Well, What do you think?" asked the newcomer. "It's, well, it's..." I began, "IT'S SO COOL!" said one of the changelings. I don't know who it was; it's kind of hard to keep track of 12 changelings at once. "Well, Fluttershy, ah was wonderin' if you would mind joining us back at mah place later this afternoon for some tea," Said AJ, "Wanna join me?". "oh, um, I...I don't think so, i...if that's okay with you..." I said. I didn't want to be rude, but the changelings have nowhere to go today. "That's fine, but ah think we should hang out again sometime. Yer place tomorrow?" asked AJ. "I...think that would be good," I answered. "See, ya tomorrow, then." said Applejack as she crawled back into the "aircraft", the other pony following behind her. when the door shut, the aircraft started again and flew away. Now it was just me and the changelings standing alone in the clearing; they were chasing the aircraft until it left the ground...

Planes are a series of heavier-than-air craft that have two long, static wings on either side of it, and at least one propeller in the front. They were built shortly after the new designs of airships came to be. They consist of many types: fighters for aerial combat like the Shadowbolt, bombers for air-to-ground supremacy like the Empress, and heavy fighters to balance the two roles like the Thunderbird. The modern Thunderbird (Model 10 type B) is considered one of, if not the, best planes ever built. Able to house a crew of six and have either a tank or two whole squads of troops (or a ton of cargo) in it's cargo bay, it outclasses all other heavy fighters, and some bombers too. It was the leader in aviation for a good long time. The Thunderbird recorded (model 5 type C) was the first plane ever flown. It's still in the museum at Applejack's estate.

And an explanation of Fluttershy's "situation": when the Changelings were reformed, Chrysalis left some unhatched eggs in the hive when it collapsed. They were brought to Fluttershy's cottage by guards for her to take care of the changelings inside. They didn't hatch until near the end of the Dark ages, as she didn't know how to take care of changeling eggs. They hatched their normal, bitter selves, but before long they acted not unlike any normal pony baby. Playing, crying, not much eating, because they got enough love from the element of kindness. Nowadays they (secretly) protect her as bodyguards, and spread her lessons of kindness to Equestria.

~~Nitty-gritty, huh?~~

I was in the middle of a fencing lesson with Fleur de Lis, the greatest swordsmare in Equestria; and with a parry and riposte, I lost again.

"My goodness, Nova! You are quite the adversary!" proclaimed Fleur, lifting her fencing mask of her face with her magic.

"Merci, but I have a ways to go to defeat you," I said, removing my own with my hoof.

"No, you don't, you just need a little," she thought for a moment, "'push,'"

Combat with blades grew in popularity since the Barbarian Wars when the Gryphons used them against us. We already had them in a minority, supplied to us from Prance, and used exclusively by unicorns. But when the Gryphons attacked us with their swords, they became popular with the other pony races. I have a blade of my own, a captain's falchion, hung on my wall, but I shudder to think of using it for real. In order to use my foil, I had to stand on my hind hooves with my wings extended for stability, leaving my fore hooves free to hold and use my foil. Training in the human world with Sunset Shimmer really paid off, but like everypony else, I still prefer all four of my legs.

"What kind of 'push' are you thinking of?" I was curious as to what my teacher was thinking. We thought of everything from aerial strikes to distractions to see if I can beat her.

She looked unsure about what she was about to say, "Two words: 'Dirty fighting'. use your hooves to hit away my sword, physically push me around..."

"But that would be uncouth!" I began, "I wished to learn how to be gentlecoltly with fencing, and now..."

"Sometimes, Nova," interrupted Fleur, "We have to play dirty to get clean. Now," She levitated her mask back over her face again, "Get your mask on, and let's do this again, but don't be afraid to use your hooves,"

I was worried. What if I'm too rough and hurt her? What if I do that to somepony that I really care about? What did she mean "to get clean"?But with the look she's giving me says that I can't leave this room until I raise my foil again. I reluctantly pulled my mask over my face, sprung onto my hind hooves, and raised my foil.

We exchanged en gardes and prepared for combat. She took the first attack, lunging towards me, her blade flying forward towards my heart. Her signature starting move. Having used it against me countless times, I instinctively dash to my left and block the strike with my right, leaving my unscathed and safe, if for a moment. I swing my blade upwards quickly, knocking her's out of the way and giving me an opening to strike, which I took. A single rotation of her blade and my strike was stopped. She took a slight jab at my unprotected side. I panicked, and met the side of her foil with my hoof. That is what saved me the match; with her sword out of the way, I can take a perfect strike for her head.

And I won for the very first time.

"VERY GOOD, NOVA!" exclaimed Fleur, who, after literally ripping her helmet off, came and embraced me, "That was some grade A work there, a quick match and a quick victory, I knew you could do it!"

I was in a strange bittersweet mood. On one hoof, I just beat the greatest swordsmare in, maybe, the world. I had to feel great about that, right? On the other, I just destroyed all of the dignity that I had sought to gain through fencing.

"Nova? Are...are you okay?" asked my calmed down mentor, who understood more than anypony the reason I chose to try fencing, at least most days.

"Yeah, I just..." I started, trailing off. I want to be happy, I really do. But for some reason, I can't.

"I'm sorry," said Fleur, whispering in a quiet and calm voice I maybe never heard from her, "It's just, I think that this would be good for you, both as a mental lesson and a physically one, especially in this day of age..."

"'This day of age'? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I mean, because of this war, we all need a way too..." she began.

"I don't like hearing about war," I said with an inch of seriousness.

"O...oh, sorry," She said, "I didn't know you felt that way,"

"It's just," I began, "my mom told me about her adventures through a bunch of timelines, and one was about a war with Sombra. Now, I don't want to know that that future is becoming real."