Astral Quill was a writer. He had written many short stories over the course of his career, and even a few novels, usually about fantastical adventures in far off places. Contrary to his writing genre, he liked to live a fairly quiet life, preferring to stay at home and write than explore or travel. The blue-grey pegasus was at that moment lounging on his couch inside his apartment and little did he know that despite his efforts, his life was about to become almost as interesting as any one of his adventurous protagonists.

Astral hadn’t been outside his Canterlot apartment in a couple of weeks, this may seem a little excessive, but when this pony had a brainwave he wouldn’t stop writing until he had the story completed. And at that moment he was immersed in the writings of his new novel which was about insectoid ponies who could change their form at will, tricking and deceiving their way into a pony’s heart to steal their love. While an impressive breed of antagonist, his idea hadn’t come out of thin air, for creatures just like these had attacked his home city less than a month ago.

During the royal wedding between Princess Cadance and the Captain of the Guard, a mighty swarm of these creatures managed to break the shield protecting the city and attacked. These ‘Changelings’ had attempted to take over the kingdom but thanks to the help of Shining Armour, the Captain, and his fiancée they had launched all changelings miles in every direction.

Astral had had a particularly bad experience with a changeling trying to abduct him while he was in the middle of cooking himself some lunch. Suffice to say there was a lot of screaming involved, but Astral Quill had been able to snatch a frying pan and batter the poor changeling in the head until it was unconscious. He had run, screaming from the house, yelling about monsters and found that that everypony else was suffering from the same issue. Astral then retreated quickly inside and sat down on his couch, the frying pan nestled in his front hooves. He decided in the end to wait until the Princess sorted the mess out, giving the poor changeling a good whack every time it tried to get up.

In time, the changelings had all been blown from the city and everything was normal again. But sadly for Astral, the changeling he held captive had been inside his house when the shield came. Suffice to say, there was a changeling shaped hole in his kitchen window at that moment and Astral scowled every time he looked at his missing window frame.

It was only until that fateful day that he finally decided to do something about it. Astral was going to leave his house that day to purchase some wood to board up the hole until his insurance paid for the damage. Oh, and he was also buying some food, one could only survive for so long on canned beans.

Putting down his notes, Astral stood and stretched, bones cracking as he did so. He sighed in satisfaction before grabbing his saddlebags and some money then heading out the front door. Luckily he was within a short stroll from one of the cities main markets and headed towards it. The Silverstar Market was themed from the newly returned Princess of the Night, Princess Luna. It was painted to match her dark blue coat, and other similar tones and each stall or shop had a night related name.

Astral’s first stop was a shop named ‘The Moonlit Bakery’, where he picked up enough rolls and sliced bread to last for another couple of weeks. Continuing through the market area he quickly filled up his saddlebags with necessities until he ran out of room. With a nod of satisfaction, Astral Quill walked over to a construction stand and purchased a few wooden planks and a pack of nails.

The whole trip had only taken half an hour, and in no time at all Astral would be back home to continue writing his book. Well, after he covered up the hole in his room first. Turning to head back the way he came, the pegasus hit something hard and the next thing he knew he was lying on his back, shopping and wood rolling away from him. With a groan of irritation he got back onto his front and stood up, supported by a helping hoof.

“Apologies citizen,” said his assailant, “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

With a sigh Astral calmed himself as it mostly his own fault. Although now he had to go around picking up his shopping.

“It’s alright, I was in the same boat. Too preoccupied with the ground I suppose.”

Astral flinched as he saw that the pony he had walked into was a royal guard, which explained why it felt like he had walked into a brick wall. Astral gave the guard an awkward smile and then went about picking up his fallen purchases. He had lifted a plank onto his back and was about to pick up the next one when an armoured hoof grabbed his own. Shocked, Astral looked up to see that the guard was regarding him with a look of suspicion.

“Can you come with me sir?” asked the guard.

Astral pulled his hoof away and stepped back in surprise. The guard took a good look at him and his expression turned into one of alarm.

“Guards!” the royal guard shouted to his fellows. The armour clad pony had taken an aggressive stance and was looking at Astral with gritted teeth. Astral looked tentatively behind, seeking out the monster that would make the guard act with such hostility. There was nothing behind him but a few shoppers who were watching the scene warily. Astral turned back around and gulp, for where there had been one guard now there were three. He began to back up slowly.

“Ok guys, let’s just calm down here,” Astral tried to placate, “Before we do anything rash can you tell me what’s going on?”

He felt his backside hit something hard. Something familiarly hard. Turning his head, Astral saw yet another guard standing right behind him.

“Aheh, hi…”

The guard frowned, and then pounced.

Astral struggled on the ground as the guard pinned him. Ahead he noticed one of the planks he had bought earlier sitting close enough to reach. In a moment of insanity Astral grabbed it with a hoof and clumsily whacked the guard which was currently pushing his face into the cobblestones.

This was enough apparently, as the guard’s grip slackened for a moment and Astral stood up shakily and began to canter away. The adrenaline in his system helped Astral sprint and dodge a guard that dived at him, but he was an unfit writer so he was bound to slow down soon.

The panic inside the pegasus excelled anything that he’d felt before, save maybe that changeling attack. What was going on!? This whole situation wasn’t making any sense at all. And it seemed like he couldn’t reason with the guards, so his only option was to run, lest he ended up squashed into the pavement. Astral ran down a side street, looking to lose his pursuers.

“Halt!” cried one of the guards from behind him.

“Not until you tell me why you’re arresting me!” said Astral in a panicked voice over his shoulder.

He zig-zagged through side streets, and stopped when he noticed two pegasus guards had blocked his path. A few seconds of panicked thinking and he face-hooved. Astral was a pegasus. With a flap of his wings, the writer-gone-fugitive took off.

“Seize him!”

Two hooves tried to grab him, but missed and instead snatched his saddlebags. Astral’s bag tore open and all his shopping fell, along with the owner.

“Sunnova b-” cried Astral as he hit the ground seconds later with a heavy thud.

“Think you can get away with this, changeling?” growled the pegasus guard pinning him down.

“Changeling?” Astral cried with a mouth full of cobblestone, “How am I a changeling? I have a mortgage!”

He would have tried to get up, but all that running was too much for him so he had almost no energy left. It was the end, he thought as more guards piled on top of him. Their weight made Astral begin to feel faint and in his dizzy state he could feel restraints being put on him and the guards lifting him up onto one of their backs. Astral watched helplessly as the guard holding him began to take him away, presumably to somewhere that he wouldn’t be leaving for a while, and not as comfortable as his home this time. This day really couldn’t get any worse.

A stray bit of chain hit Astral in the eye and he groaned.

Author's Note

Just a little idea I had rattling around in my head. Something fun I hope. More chapters coming soon!