Patriots of Equestria, Part 1

It was just before late afternoon when Twilight and her fellow ponies heard a knock at the door and the Princess of Friendship went from the throne room to answer it. Opening the door with her magic, Derpy Hooves the mailpony was on the other side.

"Express letter from Manehattan addressed to you, Princess Twilight," she said, handing Twilight the note. "Have a nice day."

Twilight shrugged her shoulders and took the note inside back to the throne room while Starlight, Trixie and Sunset watched with careful intent as she read it. It took a few moments for Twilight to carefully read over what was written to her and when she was through reading, she faced her student and former enemies.

"What is it, Twilight?" asked Sunset, worriedly as Twilight placed the letter on the table.

"It's from Moon Dancer, one of my Canterlot friends who is now in Manehattan," answered Twilight. "She claims to have known something about what is going on in Manehattan. Something about two ponies plotting something against us at the Marathon."

"Twilight, I know its not my place to say," advised Sunset, walking over to her. "But, you and the other princesses as well as your friends really should consider not attending, even with the extra security."

"I think Starlight and I have to agree as well, Princess Twilight," added Trixie, concernedly. "Even with all the extra security, you may not be safe as you claim to be."

But, even though the advice was helpful, Twilight was not going to back down from attending the marathon. Yes, her status as a princess may had made her and friends more of a target, but Twilight had faced danger before and this was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Look girls," sighed Twilight as she sat back down on the throne. "I appreciate your concern, but if we don't go to the marathon, then that is a message that the two changelings, wherever they are have gained the confidence that they needed to come back and pick up where Chrysalis had started."

"They do have a point, Twilight," added Spike, causing Twilight to turn and look over at him. "Remember what happened to us not too long ago."

Twilight could well remember being stuck in the cocoon and the thought of herself, Spike, her friends, her fellow princesses, her brother and her niece being trapped on the ceiling of Chrysalis' throne. The thoughts made her spine tingle with fear.

"I agree with Spike," said Starlight. "I know you want us all to attend the Marathon, but one thing I have learned since becoming your student Twilight, is to always have common sense and to trust our instincts."

"Exactly," remarked Spike. "Didn't Celestia tell you that at the royal wedding?"

"You're right, Spike," said Twilight, thinking back to that moment after her brother and Cadence were married. "She did. But, I don't think that we should back down so easily from the Marathon. Besides, the two wanted Changelings may even be too weak from all the love that they couldn't feed on as a result of Chrysalis being overthrown."

Both Sunset and Starlight gave each other a brief glance at one another. They both knew very well of the dangers that Equestria's enemies had produced and from the way that Twilight was talking, they secretly thought that she was being careless.

"Still, there is more than enough evidence here to consider," advised Starlight. "If these are the two changelings who escaped capture from Celestia and Luna, well, it as you said Twilight, that we need to be on our guard."

…

Meanwhile, back in the newly reformed Changeling hive, Thorax had settled into his new role as leader of the Changelings, determined to make his kind learn to share love and not take love for themselves. Now, he was trying to make Chrysalis' most loyal soldiers abandon their evil ways and embrace the ideologies presented to them.

"Do you think we are going to simply bow to someone like you, traitor?" snapped a captured Changeling. "I would much rather die than to abandon my loyalty to our true leader!"

Thorax's eyes crossed as he used the magic from his horns to throw the defiant Changeling back against the wall of his new throne room. Throwing him against the wall, the defiant Changeling growled as he attempted to recover from the pain inflicting on him.

"You know the deal that has been offered to you," said Thorax sternly, as he bypassed the other captives and flew over towards the Changeling against the wall. "Either you accept the new way of the Changeling life or face banishment from the kingdom. No one is going to be put to death as long as I rule over you."

The captured Changelings sneered at their offer for they would indeed much rather die, but Thorax was determined to not go that route.

"Very well then," he said as he flew back to his throne. "Then, let me say it another way. I can give all of you clemency if you can tell me where the Changelings who replaced Celestia and Luna had gone. Where are they?"

The captured Changelings stayed silent, determined to not let two of their own kind be forced to surrender everything that Queen Chrysalis had taught them.

"Very well," sighed Thorax. "All of you shall be committed to the dungeons until you can reveal where they are."

Thorax then stamped his front left hoof to summon several of his newly formed Changeling guards. After saluting their leader, Thorax watched as they took away the Changeling captives back to the dungeons. Once they were gone, Thorax sat down on his throne and sighed heavily.

"Why can't they all see that what I am bringing is for the best?" he said to himself. "Starlight was right that its best to give love than to take it. Chrysalis was a false leader and always will be. The last thing I want to do is to carry out any killing. That's not what I want to do and that is not what Princess Celestia wants to do or any of the princesses for that matter."

He then looked over to a picture of him and Spike that hung on the far right corner of his throne room. After looking at it briefly, Thorax went back to his solitude and tried whatever he could to get the Changelings in the dungeon to talk, but there was something that he wanted to see happen more.

"Hopper, Thumper, if you are out there," he whispered to himself. "In my name as well as the name of Equestria, please surrender and turn yourselves in instead of running from those who are hunting for you. The last thing that I want is to see any more terror be inflicted on us and our allies. This is a new era in our kingdom and we are adapting to it, with or without you. The choice is yours."

…

However, Thorax's words could not be reached and soon, the day of the marathon had arrived and two of Chrysalis' most loyal soldiers would soon carry out their attempted assassination on Equestria's elite…