CHANGELING Book 2: Destinies Collide

Fluttershy stood gripping the chain link fence. She stared at the burnt remains of the warehouse. She couldn't remember much, but what she remembered most was the pain. Suddenly she heard the sound of tires rolling over gravel. Fluttershy turned and looked she saw a Canterlot Police car coming her direction. The car pulled to stop near where she was standing. Fluttershy watched as Rainbows dad got out of the drivers seat, like always he was wearing his mirrored sunglasses.

"Hey Fluttershy." Captian Hothoof said.

"What did Rainbow do," Fluttershy asked, "put out an APB on me?"

"No she called me and asked me to look for you, she said you stormed out of band practice." he answered, leaning against the hood of his car, "want to tell me about it?"

"I just get so frustrated, I don't have a clear memory of what happened and everyone is treating me like I am a fragile porcelain doll." Fluttershy said bitterly,What if when I pony-up I become that vampire monster again and hurt everybody.

"You know that everyone is just worried about you, Both Windy and I think of you as our unofficial daughter. Rainbow was heart broken when you were missing." Bow said, "after everything that you went through, all your friends want to make sure you aren't hurt."

"Some pain never goes away." Fluttershy said quietly. Fluttershy looked back at the remains of the warehouse. Whenever she closed her eyes she caught glimpses of that night, the night her friends found her and rescued her. She couldn't tell what was real and what was part of the nightmare.

"Chief Magnus is personally leading the investigation into this place." Bow said after a while seeming to read Fluttershy's thoughts. "So far nothing King Enterprises. They have damn good lawyers, But trust me, we won't let them get away with this."

Fluttershy just listened and stared at the ruins. She shivered slightly as the wind began to pick up and the sun began to set.

"Come on, Fluttershy," Bow said, "let me give you a ride home. Don't tell my wife, but there are some donuts in the car if you're hungry."

Fluttershy nodded and moved toward the car, and got in the passenger seat.

***

"Where do you want this Twi?" Applejack asked. Lifting the CPU of one of Twilight's custom built computers.

"You can put that one over in the corner." Twilight said, "thanks again for coming and helping me rearrange my lab AJ."

"Ah shucks, it was no problem Twi, but isn't this your parent's garage?" Applejack said.

"Oh, they park in the driveway." Twilight answered as if every hose had its own science lab.

Applejack looked around Twilight's "lab", there were several massive custom built computers, a seismograph, a device that reminded Applejack of the transporter from Star Trek. Then her eyes landed on Twilight's work bench, she saw a familiar looking round device in several pieces.

"Twi, why do you still have this?" Applejack asked.

"Mostly as a keepsake to remind me not to ever confuse science with magic again, and that there are somethings in this world that we can still not explain" Twilight said to her friend, "I've been thinking about what happened during the Friendship Games lately."

"Twilight, ah want you to listen to me," Applejack said, "you defeated Midnight Sparkle, who no longer has any control over you, she is gone."

"If only that was true AJ," Twilight replied, "she still whispers to me in the back of my mind, but I know that as long as I have you and the others, she will never be in control."

***

"I don't get it," Rainbow said in frustration, "why would she just storm out of practice like that."

"Rainbow, darling, Fluttershy recently went through a very traumatic experience," Rarity said, "her recovery could take a while."

"It's been two months," Rainbow responded holding back tears, "I just want my friend back."

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash, she remembered how distraught the athletic girl had been during Fluttershy's ordeal. Rarity had been concerned that Rainbow might have done something drastic if Fluttershy hadn't been found.

"It's going to take patience and understanding with Fluttershy," Rarity said, "just like it did with both Sunset and Twilight."

"Yeah Dashie, not everyone can do things super duper fast like you!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Both Rainbow and Rarity turned and looked at Pinkie. Their normally loud friend had been do quiet that they had forgotten that she was on the stage with them. The band had decided to practice at the amphitheater instead of the school music room. The only other people in the amphitheater were two men in what Rainbow would call the cheap seats and didn't appear to be paying any attention to the girls.

"Pinkie, how are you going to get your drums home?" Rarity asked. Pinkie nodded toward a grey SUV that was pulling up behind the amphitheater.

"Maude is picking me up." Pinkie answered.

***

The sun was beginning to set, on the stage three teenage girls were packing away their instruments.

"Sir, we investigated the leak, the only thing that whoever did it managed to get was a few of the DREAM CATCHER files."

"Do you know who did it?" the Director asked, a touch of annoyance creeping into his voice.

"We're still investigating, whoever it was was an expert at covering their tracks."

"Anything else?" the Director asked.

"One thing, we managed to recover security footage from the warehouse. The quality is very poor and mostly useless, but there is one thing you must see. I'll the film for you tomorrow at the office."

***

Sunset was curled up on her couch wrapped in a blanket reading a book about human history. The book was titled "the Guns of Navarone". Lying on her coffee table was a journal, the cover had both hers and Princess Twilight cutie marks fused together. She had been writing Princess Twilight asking for advice on how to help Fluttershy. Twilight had few ideas and was sorry that she couldn't come to help due to her role as a princess in Equestria. Sunset yawned, it was getting late and Sunder decided to go to bed.

"So much power," a voice whispered, "so much power..."