The train whistled, jolting Rusk from his sleep.

His head hurt a lot less than it did yesterday, decreasing from pounding to a dull throb. He was leaned against the window, shaking as the train vibrated down the tracks. Dim lights hummed above him, and a soft furred body was shifting next to him.

Twilight Sparkle, as soon as Celestia sent that letter, went in a panic and sent Rusk and Flitter onto the next train to a city called Manehattan. The train had run overnight, leaving Rusk and Flitter to sleep on the cushioned bench.

“Rusk, you awake?” asked Flitter, blinking her pony eyes and yawning. Rusk, in return, placed a hoof on her shoulder, and pulled her in for a side hug. He got a squeak in return.

The train was chugging slowly to a stop, the brakes squealing and echoing in the busy train station. The duo shook themselves awake, clearing the cobwebs from their minds, and when the train finally stopped, they left.

The station extended in a glass arched roof above them, with large stone pillars running from the tall roof to the floor. Stone arched above them, forming platforms for pegasi chariots to swing in and out of, the dual pegasi bus chariots being the quick way to neighbouring towns and suburbs.

Rusk looked to see Flitter darting her eyes around with a surprised expression on her face, and he inwardly chuckled at the surprised changeling. In her failure to notice her immediate surroundings, she tripped over the intricate feet of a lamp post and squeaked as she stumbled forward a few steps.

She stood, using magic to quickly smooth out her fur, and the two trotted along towards the exit of the giant structure.

If the train station was amazing, the city itself was mind-blowing. Towering skyscrapers were visible just ahead, their pointed tips invisible as the buildings extended above the low-lying clouds. Ponies bustled down the sides of the streets, with carriages swiftly moving down the center, usually pulled by strong-looking ponies.

“This place is amazing!” Flitter spoke both of their thoughts. Rusk nodded in response once again, gazing at the tall skyscrapers in the distance.

Flitter regained her senses first, pulling out the map from Twilight with short directions to a nearby bed and breakfast. Poking Rusk to get him to follow, she followed the directions with him in tow, glancing down at the map every so often to follow it.

“So,” began Rusk, trying to start a conversation for the journey, “That all happened really fast.”

Flitter nodded in agreement. “Lucky we got out of that, though, and that pony was trusting to some degree.” She tilted her head at him. “But what they said, about you being…”

“Yeah, a prodigy,” said Rusk, sighing. “I guess it explains the magical bursts I have.”

The weight of being of such importance weighed down on him immensely. Why did it have to be him that has such power that he can spellcast to a high degree?

“I don’t like it, Flitter,” he admitted, “I feel like it’s too much for me.”

Eventually, they arrived at the three storey building. Large print that read ‘Manehattan BnB’ adorned the sign above the door with neon-lit lighting, a light humming noise emitting from the glowing lights.

Pushing the door open, inside was a small, carpeted room. Plush grey couches sat on the walls, and a small window in the wall in front of them housed a pony with equally grey fur. She looked up and smiled warmly. “Welcome. Presuming you’re together, do you want a room for two?”

Flitter nodded, stepping ahead of Rusk. “Yes, please. Just for a couple nights will be good.”

Flitter slid the bits over in exchange for a skeleton key with a lot of weird notches on it. Flitter muttered thanks and turned to head up the staircase. Rusk followed suit.

The stairs creaked with both of their hoofsteps. The steep stairs extended up about four flights, and Flitter walked into an empty doorway with the number ‘2’ printed on the wall on the side.

The hallway was nice as well, with full carpeting and an ivory wallpaper with a very interesting wavy design. Flitter inserted the key into the first door, turning it smoothly with a click. There was also a flash of white magic. Artificial magic, used in locks to prevent unicorns from picking them.

The room itself was pretty small. Two single beds were pressed up against the
left wall. Just to their right was a door, presumably into a bathroom. A couple chairs and a coffee table sat in the corner.

“It's nice,” commented Rusk, flopping onto one of the beds, “and the beds are nice, too.” His eyes were squinted from the lack of sleep despite sleeping on the train. The ride was pretty uncomfortable. Soon he was slumbering, lightly snoring in a steady pattern.

Flitter sighed, and climbed into the other bed, placing her hooves behind her head, and tried to find rest as well. She didn’t fall asleep as quickly as Rusk, for she was not as tired. Truth was, Rusk as a pony did very well to cushion her head when she slept.

Rusk woke up first. Blinking open his eyes wearily, he scanned his surroundings from the limited movement that lying down on his belly had given his neck. Flitter was snoozing on the bed next to him, sprawled out on her side with her back facing Rusk.

He yawned, rolling over onto his back and stretching his four hooves in the air. He winced as blood rushed back into his legs, giving him a painful case of pins and needles.

Rusk rolled off the bed, clunking to the floor ungracefully. Just as he did, there was a knock at the room’s door. Moments later, there was a loud crash against it.

“Hesuwhah?” Flitter jerked awake at the banging noise. Once again the sound of the deadbolt straining in the wall reverberated through the room. Flitter raised her head and asked Rusk, “That you?”

Rusk said in return, “No.” Then he turned to the door. He grasped the doorknob, twisting it and opening the door. Flitter saw him backpedal, then flare his magic, a green light enveloping his nonexistent horn. A figure went flying into the back of the room.

Flitter leaped from her bed, and dashed towards the front of the room, where Rusk had called her to get out of. She pushed into the hallway.

Rusk glanced down the stairs, then bolted up. “Flitter, hurry, follow me!”

Flitter panted as she ran up the flights of stairs, the fact that she just woke up showing in her stumbling gait. Each stair felt like a great leap for the poor changeling, and she was glad to reach the top.

Rusk barged through the roof door, and a shrill clang started echoing throughout the building as the alarm tripped. The afternoon sun suddenly shone down on them, earning a couple surprised hisses.

After Flitter came through, panting, he slammed the door shut. Unfurling his wings, he grabbed Flitter around her barrel and lifted her, messily flying over the stout buildings. Changelings were light creatures, and pegasus wings had no trouble carrying them.

Eventually Flitter was dropped to the ground by Rusk, and the pair ran across the building tops, followed by some ponies who reeked of changeling pheromones. Rusk yelled to Flitter, “The next building has a gap in between it!” He lowered his front and leaped across the gap, using his wings to propel himself. He turned back and waited for Flitter, who leaped across and stabilized herself against Rusk.

The other changelings following them hissed, then green fire surrounded them as they all changed to pegasi. Taking flight, they started making towards the couple.

“Flitter, change into a pegasus!” Rusk hissed, his invisible horn alight as he put up a shield to deflect sudden magical blasts. By now, the wailing of police sirens was gaining volume, as well as the worried screams of ponies below.

Flitter transformed into a pegasus, her form losing the pointed horn and instead growing feathered wings. She took flight, and Rusk followed behind her, holding the shield for a while longer before dropping it.

Beams of magic were now being flown their way. Not powerful ones, like the lightning bolt one Rusk casted, but stun ones that could knock a changeling or pony unconscious. Rusk individually deflected the bolts with levitation, deciding that a shield would be battered down too quickly by the magical beams.

In all honesty, Rusk was probably trying to defend Flitter more than himself.

The high speed chase came to a stop when more damaging beams were thrown, the dangerous bolts tearing through Rusk’s magical field, and one hit Flitter in the wing. Despite having the appearance of pegasi wings, technically they had the integrity of the membrane wings that changelings had.

It tore through her wing, and she screamed as she lost her lift and toppled out of the sky. Rusk heard her and saw her crash to the building below.

Guess she was on hoof now. Rusk flew over to Flitter, who was nursing the pegasus wing that held a small bit-sized hole in the center. She looked up to see Rusk and gulped, then stood up. “Are you going to hold them off while I run?” she struggled out.

Rusk shook his head, then motioned Flitter to follow him, dashing off and ducking into an open door.

Luckily, the room was empty. Flitter stumbled in and collapsed to the floor, her left wing hanging out awkwardly, a steady dripping of blood falling from her splayed wing, staining the concrete floor. Her breath was coming out in short, shallow gasps, tears brimming the corners of her eyes.

Rusk winced, sitting next to Flitter to examine her wing. When he lifted it up from the floor, Flitter cried out in pain, rolling onto her side and holding her legs tightly against her body.

“Yep, this isn’t something that can be fixed on the field,” said Rusk, quickly numbing the wing and standing up. He partially opened the door, peeking outside, then jerked his head, motioning Flitter to follow.

Rusk stayed low on the ground alongside Flitter, the two bounding across buildings. The group of chasers was gone for now, and they started to make a mad dash back towards the train station.

It was in sight, Flitter grinding her teeth as the last building jump lay just ahead..

Three hoof-steps to the end, Flitter crouched down to make the leap. She straightened her legs as a sharp magic beam struck the back of her head, and the world slipped away from her as she practically tossed herself over the edge.

Rusk ground to a halt, seeing the blue-furred figure ungracefully falling like a stone. His instinct sent him shooting towards her, angling downward to gain more speed.

Flitter was about fifty metres from the ground. Rusk reached her and tried to grasp her, but she tumbled and slipped out of Rusk’s hooves. He scrambled again, and managed to grasp her.

He glanced down as he started to brake in the air. They were about ten metres from hitting the busy streets. Ponies were staring in horror and amazement, and there was some cheering as well.

Struggling under her weight, Rusk glided down the street and into the train station. Once inside the lobby, he lifted Flitter onto his back and headed to the kiosk.

“Is she alright?” the ticketmaster asked with a wide-eyed expression. Rusk nodded.

“She is rather sleepy,” Rusk lied, “she went out like a light. Two tickets to Ponyville, please.”

The ticketmaster nodded, pulling out two tickets. “The train is in fifteen minutes.” Rusk took the tickets and trotted off in the direction of the platform.

Flitter hurt all over, especially suffering a burning pain in the back of her head. She groaned, not wanting to wake up.

“Flitter?” She recognized the voice. It was Rusk.

What had happened? She opened her eyes to see the seatboards of a wooden bench and some grey fur.

Lifting her head, she saw the train platform, and Rusk himself, still in pony form, his eyes focused on hers.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“What happened?” Flitter ignored the question.

“You fell… and I managed to catch you just in time,” he muttered, ruffling his pegasus wings. “You got shot in the back of the head with a stun beam.”

Flitter was content on resting her head, and it went back to the view of fur and wooden planks. “Ugh… my head.”

Rusk chuckled. “I thought so.”

A whistle was heard somewhere behind her, and the sound of a railway train screeching to a halt filled the station.

“Flitter, our train is here.” Rusk stood up and gently lifted her up from the lying position on the bench. She sleepily trotted into the train, Rusk following.

“Let’s go back to Ponyville.”

Rusk idly stared out the window, watching the scenery pass. He was sore everywhere, but he was more worried about Flitter than himself.

Her wing had stopped bleeding a while ago, but it was still splayed out, and may stay like that without medical care soon. The back of her head sported a strong scorch mark.

She was groaning in her sleep. Whether that was pain or a bad dream, Rusk moved to comfort her, gently lifting her with magic up against his left shoulder.

He went back to the window, thinking. Flitter stirred after a while, shaking her head slowly to shake the cobwebs out of her brain.

Flitter was running through many emotions, and none of them were good. Fear, pain, dread…

Except one.

Flitter leaned forward towards Rusk, and gently nuzzled his cheek.

Twilight glanced up as Rusk and Flitter barged through suddenly, the little bell on her door clanging loudly. Flitter looked quite beaten up.

“Oh my gosh, what happened?” asked Twilight, cantering over to Flitter’s side. She took a look at the damaged wing.

“We were followed. Flitter got shot a couple times, both being pretty bad, but not fatal. She nearly fell to her death, though…”

Twilight sighed. “Well, at least you avoided the Princess, she left nary an hour ago. You are extremely lucky.” Her horn was alight, working at healing the damaged wing. Purple magic seeped into the wound, and Flitter grunted in pain, then sighed as the pain receded.

“Don’t use it,” said Twilight, “or you may damage it again.” Her magic let go of the wing, and Flitter contentedly tucked it in before transforming into a unicorn.

“Thanks, Twilight!” Flitter gave the unicorn a hug, which the purple pony gladly returned.

After breaking up, the three sat and Rusk regaled the adventure in Manehattan to Twilight.

“The police must be all over the city,” commented Twilight in the middle of his story.

“Yes, they are,” said Rusk, “I couldn’t not hear their sirens.”

“Well, how about-”

“Twilight!” a voice called from upstairs. Spike appeared, a scroll grasped in his claws. Twilight took it when Spike was halfway down the stairs.

She opened it and read, “Dear Twilight Sparkle…” she murmured after that, then she groaned and rolled up the scroll.

“You’re not done yet, we’re going to Canterlot. You’ll like it, though.”

And like it they would. The city was more of a sight than Manehattan!

Well, the duo would normally have time to see the sights, but this wasn’t that kind of circumstance. Instead, they were galloping in the direction of the castle.

As they ran more towards the center, Rusk noticed a golden light had shaded over the day, like Canterlot got some sunglasses, or something like that. It shimmered, casting shadows onto the street.

The trip was tiring and uneventful. They ran into the main castle, which was familiar even to Rusk. Changelings often practiced infiltrating events in the castle.

Rusk and Flitter ground to a halt when they saw her, however. The alicorn of the Sun.

Needless to say, both of them were scared shitless.

“Twilight, it’s great to see you,” said Celestia, “and you six, too.” Five other ponies plus Spike had come along.

“Who are these ponies?” asked Celestia.

Rusk gulped.

“They may be the key to solving our problem,” Twilight said. “Besides, I couldn’t just leave them at the library alone.”

Celestia nodded. “This concerns national security, Twilight. Are you sure they can help us?” A nod in response, and Celestia turned to Rusk and Flitter. “Well, it seems Queen Chrysalis of the changelings has declared war against Equestria.”

“What?” both Flitter and Rusk exclaimed at the same time.

“They have missing changeling, apparently important to their hive. That’s what she told me, at least. She said to look for a single changeling with the name of Rusk. He’s one of those prodigy things.” She waved a hoof, then turned to Twilight. “So, Twilight, it is paramount that we find this changeling and give him back before a large-scale war against Equestria is had.”

Twilight gulped. “Well, you see…”

Rusk looked Celestia in the eye. “What Twilight is saying…” He stepped forward and sat down, throwing his hooves in the air.

“I am who they’re looking for.”

Author's Note

Sorry for not updating! I've been moving countries the past week or two and I completely lost the drive to write. This wasn't forced, but I finally got the mojo back. I enjoyed writing this chapter.

The climax of the story is approaching very soon. Chrysalis has given a large scale threat agains Equestria... What will happen to our two changeling heroes next?

:)