Author's Note

Hello my readers, i hope you all had a good Christmas. i wanted to upload this chapter on Christmas, to be a present for all of you guys and gals, but i.....fell asleep for the day. my bad. ANYWHO! i hope you enjoy this late X-mas present for you guys and gals. enjoy!

Chapter 26: The Lead Grows.

It was now mid-day, and the sun was at its zenith as its golden rays shine down upon the city and castle of Canterlot, and within said castle both Celestia and Twilight await for any news or reports for the investigation squads they’ve sent out, to search the areas they’ve designated as priority locations to see if any more clues of Zack’s whereabouts could be found.

While the two princesses wait for the pegasi squads return, Celestia was in her room resting and having her injuries being looked over by the castles medical staff, while also going through some basic physical therapy. One of the medics was even trying to heal the large scar on her chest and neck, and while the healing magic was helping it wasn’t completely erasing the horrid blemish off Celestia’s person. As for Twilight, the violet alicorn was currently trotting about the castle, trying to find something to occupy herself as she waited for any news. Now the library was the first place that the alicorn would initially visit, however the enticement that the castles books always had on Twilight, didn’t captivate her this time around, as she was more worried about her look alike’s safety. Amidst her wanderings through the castle the alicorn stumbled upon a balcony which overlooked the castles garden, and from the sound and noises coming from it, it would seem that a small garden party of nobles was taking place.

Trotting up to the side of the small balcony above the garden party, Twilight was able to recognize a few of the nobles or important ponies from among the crowed, one of which was good ol’ Fancy Pants and his female companion, the super model Fleur de Lis…and they were talking with prince Blueblood.

“—come now prince Blueblood, surely these rumors are nothing more than that, rumors.” Twilight heard the older dapper stallion say as he holds a glass in his magical aura.

“Believe me Mister Fancy Pants, I assure you that it’s all true, after all, I saw what has transpired that day!” Blueblood said in a dramatic fashion, his semi-high pitched voice growing in volume just a tad. Twilight just shook her head and decided to trot off, figuring that Blueblood was talking about…

“I saw that imposter of our noble princess Twilight Sparkle, ATTACK, our head princess without any form of provocation!” Twilight immediately snapped her head back over to look at the balcony, and trotted back up to the railing as she listened to the conversation between Blueblood, Fancy Pants, and Fleur de Lis.

“Surely there must’ve been some reason Blueblood.” Fleur added as she looked rather un-convinced of the tale of yarn that the prince is spinning. “I severely doubt that this doppelganger intentionally attacked our beloved princess of her own freewill, after all, I’ve also heard that the Spirit of Chaos has once again played some nasty trick on our beloved princesses—”

“Discord has nothing to do with this! It’s all that imposters doing, I’m telling you that mare is up to something sinister!” Blueblood said as he stomped his hoof. Twilight then saw Blueblood look around before gesturing Fancy Pants and Fleur to step closer, and as the dapper pony and model stepped closer, the violet alicorn tuned her ears to hear what nonsense Blueblood might spew.

“I suspect she’s a changeling!” Twilight’s, as well as Fancy Pants and Fleur’s, eyes widen when they heard the word ‘changeling’.

“Think about it. A stranger that looks like our dear princess Twilight, shows up out of nowhere, and manages to worm her way into their good graces. Then, once she was close to the princesses, she enacted her insidious mission for her ‘Queen’…to get rid of the princesses and allow her Queen to rule from the shadows as SHE sits—”

A loud thud, and a woosh of air caught not only the whispering trio off guard, but the rest of the garden party as well. Turning to where the sudden noise came from, Blueblood and the rest of the party saw Twilight slowly rising up from her knelt down position, wings slowly flaring with feathers bristling, mane and tail looking like they were flowing and sparkling with magic, as a very angered expression dawned her face. the prince flinched and ‘eeked’ like a filly before shuffling back a few feet.

“You’d think that mare, who has suffered more than ANYPONY, is an assassin that is here to kill princess Celestia, Luna and myself…just so she can help Queen Chrysalis take over Equestria?” the anger that was boiling deep within the mare was slowly rising, and while her voice was leveled…every member of the garden party could just, feel, the rage emitting from her.

“Princess, please, calm yourself.” Fancy Pants said very calmly as he approached the enraged mare, who looked at him with burning red eyes. “Why don’t you explain to us what has transpired from your point of view, that way we can know the full story.”

Twilight managed to reel her steadily growing anger, and once she had calmed down enough the alicorn began telling Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis, and everypony else in the garden party everything that has happened to Zack. The princess even used a spell to display the events she saw that day of Zack being denied her return home, and as the garden party watched the dread and sorrow and the heart break for the other violet alicorn, as well as the chaos spirits antics as he took joy in reviling in the look-a-likes plight, they all could feel the weeping mare’s sorrow. Naturally, the ponies were scared of seeing Zack become such a terrifying visage of pain and misery, and watch as she rampages around as tears flow from her eyes, as black magic pours out into the world as a destructive force. But they understood why she was driven into such a state. Once the party was shown everything that has transpired that day, Twilight looked at the party, eyes no longer filled with rage…but held pity and remorse instead.

“Tell me…can you honestly say, to my face! that THIS mare, who has lost everything most precious and dear to her, and has been used as a mere toy for Discords own enjoyment, can be a changeling spy that is out to take the throne?”

None of the ponies of the garden party could say anything in response, some even couldn’t look back to the princess. Twilight then casted a nasty glare at Blueblood, who has been cowering behind Fleur, who actually shuffled away from the stallion.

“Well Blueblood, can she?!” the stallion flinched but otherwise stayed silent.

“The only reason your bad mouthing Zack, and telling these ridiculous lies about her, is because she challenged your station as a legitimate prince of Equestria and spoke to you as if you were just a common pony.” Just as the princess was really starting to get into her ranting, another thud and woosh came upon the garden party. Looking over to their collective left, they all saw lieutenant Flare Sky bowing towards the princess.

“Forgive my sudden intrusion princess Twilight, but we have discovered something to the assignment you gave us.” Twilight’s eyes immediately widen and trotted over to the pegasus.

“What have you discovered?” the pegasus leaned in close to the princess, and whispered something into her ear. After telling the princess what she and the other guards had discovered, the princess looked over to the ponies of the party.

“Please accept my apologies for disrupting your party.” The ponies of the party accepted the princess’s apology, and went back to enjoying their little festivities, although it seemed that they were still reeling from everything that the alicorn told and showed them. once she had made her apologies Twilight turned back to Flare Sky.

“Now, take me to the medical wing.”

Flare Sky nodded and guided the alicorn from the party, back into the castle where the pegasus immediately brought the princess to the medical wing. And upon entering the wing, Twilight found princess Celestia and Luna standing nearby a bed where a doctor and nurse were hard at work, treating what appeared to be…a changeling! Confused on what was going on, the princess made her way over to the bed, and saw the incredibly horrid condition the changeling was in, from the cracks and puncture wounds in its carapace which were being wrapped up in bandages, where green stains were seeping through them, to the cuts and bruises that covered the rest of its body.

“What…what happened to him?” Twilight asked as she looks over the injured insectoid equine.

“We don’t know yet, he’s been unconscious ever since Flare Sky informed us of his arrival.” Celestia responded before looking over said royal guard. “Lieutenant, please tell us what you have learned, and why you have brought this changeling here.”

“Yes princess.” Flare Sky said as she stood to attention. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get the full details before he passed out, but the changeling has told us that he knows where Zack is.” The three princesses were all shocked and surprised to hear this.

“Where did he say Zack is?!” Twilight immediately asked the older pegasus.

“I’m sorry princess, but before he could say anymore he passed out from his injuries, and…my rough application of subduing him.” Flare Sky said with a bit of self-shame in her voice, as a slight guilty look came over her.

“Doctor, when do you think the changeling will recover from his injuries?” Luna asked as she turned towards the grey coated unicorn stallion, as she wanted to get direct information from him.

“Your majesty, it was probably by sheer luck, or a testament to his survival instincts, or a bucking miracle that he’s managed to live with these wounds and with so much blood lost.” The elderly stallion said as he finished cleaning one of the larger puncture wounds, and patching it up to stop the bleeding and allow it to heal properly. “He was practically dead on his hooves. So, I’m unsure when he’ll wake up.”

“Then we’ll just have to wait till he wakes up, and tell us where Zack is.” Celestia said with a downcast expression.

“Maybe not.” Luna said, garnering the attention of all ponies in the room. the midnight princess then trotted up to the bed, and gently lowered her horn on the changelings forehead, right underneath his own horn, before it began to glow faintly with magic.

“Uh, princess Luna, what are you doing?” Twilight asked the night princess as she was a little stumped at what the alicorn was attempting to do.

“I’m trying to see if I can delve into this changelings mind, if I’m able to do so, I might be able to converse with him. and learn what he knows.”

“Before you do so princess, let us finish treating the changeling, otherwise you’ll be talking to nothing more than a corpse.” Luna heeded the doctors request and stood off to the side, allowing the stallion and his assistant to finish treating the changelings injuries.

And after several minutes of patching up, applying salves, and sealing up any puncture wounds, and then wrapping up the injuries with medicinal bandages and patches, the two physicians allowed the night princess to proceed with her plan. Placing the tip of her horn on the changelings forehead, Luna began to slowly work her dream walker magic directly into the changeling, slowly allowing her consciousness to slip away…

~~~~~

An endless expanse of darkness, with no light, no heat or cold, just a vast emptiness of nothing. This was all that encompasses the wounded changeling Thorax, as he just drifts about aimlessly, eyes closed and bodied baring his wounds and blood dripping off him, before becoming a faded green mist till they blend into the nothingness. But as the changeling drifted through the void, something weighs down on his barely conscious mind, a sense of weight, and a presence. Thorax’s body was then bathed in a shimmering ethereal silver light that shun down from an unseen source, stopping his aimless drifting as his body was surrounded by a light haze of fog, that swirled around him in a comforting manner.

“W-who…whose…t-there?” the changeling asked the nothingness, voice barely more than a whisper. Slowly emerging from the darkness the image of princess Luna’s head appears, towering over the small changeling as the dim ethereal silver glow shines down upon him and Luna’s face, her eyes peering down at the severely injured changeling.

“I am Princess Luna, Herald of the Night and Dreams.” Luna’s visage says to the changeling, her voice was low and calm as not to agitate poor Thorax. “I am told that you have information about Zack, a pony that bares a striking similarity with princess Twilight?”

“Yes…please…you must…help her.” Thorax groveled as he whimpered, his face straining as his heavy eyelids twitch.

“Do not force yourself to awaken, you are gravely injured, and any attempts of force will only make your condition worse.” Luna cautioned the changeling, who took her given advice and stopped trying to awaken so he wouldn’t worsen his already poor condition. “Now tell me, where is Zack being held changeling?”

“Change…changeling hive…prisoner of…Chrysalis.” Luna’s visage showed shock and worry as Thorax continued. “Please…I need…to save…her…”

“Why do you want to save her?” Luna asked poor Thorax, as she was curious as to why the changeling said that.

“She’s…she’s my, best…friend. Thorax simply stated.

Luna wanted to ask the changeling what he means, or even how a changeling could have a friend but before she could do so, the princess felt Thorax’s mind go dim. The ethereal light that surrounded the changeling slowly dimmed before it was fully gone, and the visage of Luna faded back into the nothingness, leaving Thorax alone again. Aimlessly drifting in the void of his own sub-consciousness.

“Please…” a faint mutter escaped the changelings lips as his body vanishes into the vast emptiness. “…save her…”

~~~~~

In the waking world both Celestia and Twilight quietly and patiently stood on the other side of the bed, waiting to see whether or not Luna’s idea would bare results. And after a few minutes they were about to get their answer. The midnight alicorns horn ceased its faintly glow of magic, as Luna steadily opened her eyes before they fully opened with a snap, and her head quickly rose upright.

“Well Luna, did you learn anything?” Celestia asked her little sister as Luna regained her senses.

“Yes sister, I know what has happened to Zack, and where she is.”

“Then where is she?” Twilight asked expectedly.

“She’s a prisoner…of Chrysalis.”

“WHAT?!” both alicorns said, completely flabbergasted and stupefied at what they just heard. But the shocked expressions quickly devolved into concern, as they are now greatly worried for the well being of Zack, especially if the one holding captive is queen of the changelings.

“Celestia we need to go and get her, who knows what Chrysalis has been doing to her for all this time.” Twilight said worriedly as she looked up to her old mentor.

“I would like to Twilight…but…we don’t know where the changeling hive is.” Celestia said to the smaller mare. “We’ve never had a reason to go and search for the changelings. So we don’t know where they’re hive is, but maybe…” the princesses of friendship and night looked at Celestia, as the older alicorn seemed to be pondering something over in her head, and after a brief moment of silent self-contemplation the white mare turned over to look at the sole guard in the room.

“Flare Sky!”

“Yes princess!” the guard mare said as she stiffened up.

“Can you show us on a map where you found this changeling?”

“Of course.” Flare Sky reached under her armor, and plucked out a map. The pegasus then brought the map over to a nearby table, and spread it out as the princesses congregated around her. “We found the changeling, here, in the Verdant Highlands.”

“In that case, then the changeling hive could be anywhere within the Highlands, or beyond. He couldn’t have gotten far with injuries like those.” Luna summarized as she looked over the general landscape of the Verdant Highlands.

“Indeed, so the hive has to be relatively close by.” Celestia said before looking down at Flare Sky once again, causing the guard to look up at her expectantly. “Flare Sky, I want you to take your platoon and any that have returned or are available, and search the surrounding area for anything that could be the changeling hive, or give us a general direction as to where it can be located.”

“Right away princess!” the guard said before rolling the map up and sticking it back under armor, before trotting out of the medical wing leaving the three princesses alone in the room.

“Until Lieutenant Flare Sky has reported back in finding the hive, I believe we should try and devise a plan to rescue Zack from the queens clutches.” The day princess says as she makes her way towards the exit.

“I’ll join you later, I’m going to head back to Ponyville and give my friends the news that where hot on Zack’s trail.” Both of the older alicorn nodded to Twilights statement as they closed in on the exit of the medical wing, but before they left, or Twilight leaving, the younger princess spoke up.

“By the way, you should try and keep Blueblood from spouting nonsense. He was saying earlier that Zack is a changeling assassin whose trying to kill the three of us, so that Chrysalis can rule for Equestira.” Both princess gave exasperated sighs as they used their hooves to their temples after hearing such news, after they’ve discovered that Blueblood was attempting to have the guards keep all their discoveries of Zack’s location to himself.

“We will have a talk with Blueblood, and make sure he ceases these baseless accusations.” Celestia said to Twilight who gave the alabaster alicorn a grateful smile.

With all that being said, Celestia and Luna exited the medical wing and were already discussing rescue attempts. While Twilight simply teleported herself back to Ponyville, where upon arrival flew around to gather her friends, and tell them what they had discovered. Back in the medical wing, resting on the bed, the sole occupant of the room was slightly squirming in his sleep, as little droplets of tears drop from his closed eyelids. But as the changeling slept and rested…a shadow slowly creeps over his form…and the sound of magic stirring up drummed within the silent and isolated room.