Twilight was sitting at the mirror like table in a crystal room that stood out from the rest of the castle, Arthas frowned as the table had the Cutie Marks of Twilight and her friends orbiting around a town in the middle of nowhere.

Twilight grimaced “I better get the girls, this seems to be important.”

Arthas nodded “Very well, this seems to be something for you to handle. In the meantime I have to address some of the concerns the nobles are having about us and our future role within Equestria.”

Thirty minute later Twilight frowned “This table and this room has been an oddity in our castle. We have left as it had done anything but this map seems to be sending us to solve a friendship problem in this town, I believe it needs all of us to be there for some reason.”

Rainbow grinned “It’s a been a while Twilight since all six have been on an adventure count me in.”

Applejack nodded “Ah’m with ya Twilight.”

Pinkie Pie frowned “I had some baking to do but I guess I can make time for this.”

Rarity sighed “Very well.”

Fluttershy nodded with a little more conviction in her voice than usual “I’ll come too.”

Twilight smiled “Thanks girls, I know I haven’t had as much time to spend with you since I returned but…”

Rarity grinned “It’s fine but we all want an invitation to the wedding when it happens.”

Twilight blushed “We haven’t even a proper date yet, too much has happened.”

Rarity shrieked “You haven’t it!”

The whole group sighed as Rarity went on a rant about that all the way to the train, once they got in the private cabin. Twilight growled “Rarity I get it, now stop ranting please your giving me a headache!”

Rarity blushed “Sorry Twilight but you need to do that.”

Twilight sighed “Rarity, I am a Princess now like Celestia and Luna. How much free time do each of them have?”

Rarity frowned “Next to none… oh.”

Twilight grimaced “Exactly and they just have to manage a nation, I have to introduce an entire race of undead into Equestria and unlike them the nobles have no respect for me which makes my job even harder.”

Applejack frowned “Why haven't you told us about this.”

Twilight sighed “When I have time off I don’t want to talk about work, I want to relax not answer a every question ever.”

Rarity sighed “Fair enough I suppose.”

It wasn’t long before the train arrived at the last stop and they got off, Rainbow frowned “Where are we, this looks like the middle of nowhere?”

Twilight frowned “The town should be near here we need to go on foot from here.”

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow “You mean hoof right?”

Twilight sighed “I’m still readjusting to Equestrian speech.’

Applejack frowned “Is that the town we are looking for.”

Pinkie Pie frowned as she looked at the grey dusty ground “I’m not liking the looks of this place.”

Twilight frowned “Let’s keep our guard up, I don’t want any surprises.”

As soon as they entered the town, they saw ponies each one with a equal mark on their flanks. Fluttershy was watching closely her eyes flashed a yellow colour for a moment as her wings fluttered slightly in agitation.

A white stallion approached them “Welcome to our quaint little town, my name is Double Diamond.”

Twilight held out a hoof with a warm smile “Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.”

Double Diamond smiled “It’s a pleasure to meet a Princess, I’ll take you to meet our leader.

Fluttershy whispered to Twilight “Something feel really off, it feels like a strange form of forced joy.”

Pinkie looked around “Something smells fishy about this place.”

Double Diamond had lead them to a door, he knocked “Starlight, we have some new guests.”

Starlight opened the door with a smile “Welcome, it’s a pleasure to have you all here.”

Rainbow Dash frowned “This village is boring?!”

Applejack grabbed Rainbow by the tail with a frown, as they began to argue Fluttershy holds out a hoof “Hello I’m Fluttershy.”

Starlight nodded “It’s a pleasure.”

Twilight nodded “Princess Twilight Sparkle, your village is interesting to say the least.”

Rarity frowned “I noticed you don’t have a boutique in you town, is there a reason?”

Starlight smiled “We are a town that believe in the way of True Friendship, that we don’t believe in special talents. We are all equals here, we have no need of special talents.”

Fluttershy muttered so quietly that nopony else could hear “Not this rubbish again.”

Twilight frowned “You mean you have all given up your Cutie Marks.”

Starlight nodded “Yes, you see here unlike with your friends over there we never have fights.”

Fluttershy shook her head “Those two fight all the time but they always solve it in the end. Friends fight but their bond becomes stronger for it, the strength of your bond is not determine by the good times but how you solve the bad.”

Starlight chuckled nervously “Right.”

Pinkie Pie was cautiously watching everyone who was staring at them, Twilight frowned “May inquire what you do with everyo…pony’s Cutie Marks?”

Starlight nodded “Sure we keep them in a cave, I’ll show you.”

Applejack and Rainbow joined them, with a few bruises here and there. Rarity sighed “What did you two do?”

Rainbow grinned “We had a bit of a fight, but we’re fine aren't we Applejack.”

Applejack laughed “Yes, don’t worry Rarity we’re fine.” The limped alongside their friends, Pinkie was carefully watching the environment eyeing the ponies around them.

Fluttershy was at the back, she was glaring at anypony who got too close to them from behind. Starlight smiled as she they entered a large room with several jar, she lowed one down which held a star with a swirl on it “This is my Cutie Mark, a reminder of my past.”

Twilight smiled “I’m glad you have all found a better life here, it seems we came here for nothing.”

Starlight then grinned the staff glowing “No, I don’t think so. In truth I believe you should join us.”

Fluttershy growled “NO!” as she leapt forward a yellow flame flashing around her body, her friends were all stunned into silence. Instead of a light yellow pegasus, a tall dark yellow changeling with a pink cobweb-like mane had summoned a dark yellow shield blocking the flash of turquoise magic.

Fluttershy grimaced “You know what’s funny, your not the first group of ponies or the second or the third, in fact I’d say you are probably number twenty or thirty who actually tried this. Some on a much larger scale, entire cities or even a small independent nation.”

Starlight grimaced her staff glowing again “What do you know?!”

Rainbow growled “What did you do with Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy turned to the side with a toothy smile, three pink butterflies sitting there on her flank “It’s me, don’t worry Rainbow” she then turned back to Starlight “Do you know why none their teachings last very long? It’s actually very simple, ponies are not a powerful species by any means and without our cutie marks ponies are the weakest species in the world. Their connection to magic is severely limited, so usually starvation or worse extinction cause those cites and their teachings to vanish.”

Starlight growled “I don’t believe you!”

Fluttershy sighed “Very well you give me little choice in this matter.” Fluttershy teleported them out to the town in a flash of fire, Starlight galloped only to see a huge swarm of yellow and pink hovering over the town.

Author's Note

Surprise Changelings are here again.