"Sometimes the kindest, bravest thing we can do is stand up to someone who is being unkind. Doing so causes conflict. It will upset the person we are confronting. A nice person would see the potential for conflict and stay quiet. A nice person never wants to rock the boat. A kind person knows conflict is possible and acts anyway. A kind person knows they might create waves, and they are OK with that."
~Kristen Caminiti

"We're lost, aren't we?" Hitch asked Zipp flatly.

Zipp squinted her eyes at the map as though that'd help her see it better. She shook her head. They weren't exactly lost, just…a quick detour. "We're not lost. I know exactly where we are," Zipp said aloud, thinking to herself, 'I think'.

Zipp looked up to find another fork in the road. "Damn it," Zipp muttered to herself.

"Are you sure? Because I feel like we've seen this fork before," Izzy said, skipping ahead and leaning down to squint at it. "Yep. I've definitely seen this bush before."

"We are not lost!" Zipp yelled in exasperation, refusing to admit the obvious. This wasn't the first time they've been through this. Zipp was perfectly capable of reading a map, despite how vague and faded and totally unproportioned that map was. Seriously though. Was this the only map in all of Zephyr Heights that had some revenant of outside Equestria? Couldn't they just choose a better one?

Zipp shook her head. "We'd see the ribbon, remember. The one you had Izzy put there the last time you didn't trust me?"

"You mean that ribbon?" Sunny asked, pointing to a purple ribbon that was tied to a tree branch.

Zipp looked up at where Sunny was pointing and she groaned, her face blushing a deep crimson. Okay, so maybe they were lost. But it's not like it's her fault. She'd never been outside of Equestria, and usually, she was really good at reading maps, but this map was impossible to read.

"Maybe one of us should navigate. You have been the only one reading that map since we left Maretime Bay a month ago. Maybe your eyes are just tired and it's all blurring–"

"I got this!" Zipp snapped, interrupting Hitch. Hitch stopped, staring at her. Zipp sighed and looked down, softly closing her eyes. "Sorry, Hitch. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just…stressed and worried. We're getting closer to the changeling kingdom, I can feel it. I'm just worried about what we'll find once we get there."

Sunny put a hoof on Zipp's shoulder. "It's alright. We all are." Sunny lifted her hoof, slowly reaching for the map.

Zipp rolled her eyes. "Fine. Here. Whatever."

Zipp gave the map to Sunny, who also squinted similar to what Zipp did, after a bit of looking at it. Izzy skipped up to Zipp and scrutinized her with narrowed eyes.

"You okay? You've been super grumpy since we left Griffonstone. Plus, your sparkle's been dimmer than the new usual."

"The new…usual?" Zipp asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. You and Hitch's sparkles have been extra dimmer than before when you found out Pipp was captured. So I call it your new usual."

"Right…well, I'm fine. I'm just…stressed."

"Honestly, I think we all are," Hitch said, rubbing his eyes. "It's been days since I got a decent night's sleep. Or any sleep really."

Zipp looked at Hitch who honestly looked worn out and ragged. He looked as though he was the one captured by the changeling queen rather than Pipp. Zipp couldn't help but feel bad for him. He was so worried about Pipp, and it seemed as though the closer they got, the worse he was. Sparky couldn't even get him to smile anymore, no matter what he tried.

Sunny stared at the map, trying to make sense of it. "This thing makes no sense," She said as she turned the map this way and that.

Zipp took the map from Sunny and turned it the right way. "We're somewhere around here," Zipp said, pointing to a section of woods. "This is where we think Pipp is," Zipp then pointed to the circled location with a red star.

Sunny squinted at the map, then at their surroundings, then at the map again. It was so faded, it was hard to place anything. Not to mention that the map was incredibly vague. The forest they were in didn't even have a name. It was just an image of a clump of trees. At least the changeling forest had a little more detail, but it was still pretty vague. Zipp wasn't joking when she said they'd be going in blind.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance. I have lived in these woods for years since."

All five ponies turned around to see a black zebra with grey markings and black and white hair. Izzy smiled. This zebra didn't look much like Mariama and Skye, besides the markings, but he looked friendly enough. Plus, Izzy always loved meeting new friends. Not to mention, since meeting the two zebras back in Maretime Bay, Izzy had wanted to meet more of them.

Izzy bounded over to the Zebra. "Hi new friend! I'm Izzy! Izzy Moonbow!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Izzy Moonbow. My name is Amani, now you know."

Izzy tilted her head. "You rhyme?" She didn't remember Mariama and Skye rhyming.

Amani smiled. "It is a tradition of old in my culture. One, I'm afraid, has lost much vigor."

All five ponies glanced at each other before Izzy exclaimed, "Cool! So you're like a walking poet!"

"Yes, I suppose you could say so, but then again, for so long I've been on my own, how should I know?"

Misty walked up to the Zebra. "How do you come up with words like that? So quickly?"

"It was how I was raised, so it comes naturally. Perhaps if I were not, it would come more problematically."

Zipp looked at the Zebra suspiciously. To be honest, she wasn't so sure this Zebra could be trusted. Zipp might as well have been Izzy at the Griffonstone town. This Zebra had bad vibes written all over it. Living by himself with simply a merchant's trailer in the woods far from any civilization? It screamed suspicious all over the place.

Plus, she heard of the shaman magic Zebras used. It was so unlike Equestrian magic. For all they knew, this Amani could be spouting off all these incantations or curses without them even knowing.

Zipp narrowed her eyes at the Zebra. "Do you have to rhyme?"

"Zipp!" Hitch scolded.

Amani shrugged. "I have been doing it my whole life, all I know is rhyme."

Sunny chuckled nervously. "Please, forgive our friend. She's just a little stressed. We all are."

"No need to apologize. I think I can emphasize. I would be too if I was as lost as you."

"You were eavesdropping?" Zipp asked incredulously, that fact only adding fuel to her fire of suspiciousness.

"Forgive me, in these woods, it is better to wait than to rush. For you, I did not know if I could trust."

Sunny smiled warmly. "It's fine. We understand. More than you know."

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Look, Thanks for the offer, but…we don't need help. We got this."

"Zipp…" Sunny started, only for Zipp to interrupt.

"I said I got this!" Zipp snapped back.

Izzy slowly crept up to Zipp. "Yeah, I'm sure you do, but just in case…" Izzy slowly grabbed the map and handed it to Amani.

Amani glanced at it before his eyes briefly widened. "Forest of Leota? Are you quite sure? Those woods are known to have a dark aura."

The five ponies all looked at each other. "What do you know about the forest?" Hitch asked.

"Bad things happen to those who go there. And coming back out after going in is quite rare. It's said that those who you love the most can be found in those woods as though they are ghosts. But do not be fooled, little ponies, for it is not so. They are but shapeshifters of old. They do nothing but drain you until you are as empty as he. Beware of the changelings."

Izzy's eyes widened, gasping. "The legend! The legend! He knows the legend!" At the four remaining ponies' confused looks, Izzy rolled her eyes. "For it is not so? They are shapeshifters of old? They drain thee until thou art as empty as he?"

At the reminder, everypony else's eyes widened. Of course, Izzy was referring to the legend that allowed them to figure out who had taken Pipp. It was an old Bridlewood legend that was passed down from generation to generation, similar to the one about the troggles. Unicorns were known to be very superstitious, evident in their jinxie words, and most of their…traditions were taken with a grain of salt. But, on the rare occasions–as in two–the unicorns' superstitions were well placed.

In fact, it was that very line, shapeshifters of old, that allowed Sunny to connect the dots between the blue eyes that feed and the changelings mentioned in her father's journal as the same creature. However, it seemed that the Bridlewood legend had more information about them than Argyle's journal. All the journal said was that they used to be allies of Equestria, which they clearly weren't anymore, and that they helped during the last known battle Princess Twilight and her friends faced, against three supervillains who were magically enhanced by some long-lost artifact. Other than that, there was nothing really useful about them.

It was also through the legend that Misty was able to figure out where they might be on a map. Misty was able to figure out that the legend wasn't only a warning the unicorns passed down, but, unbeknownst to them, also a map of where the changelings live. After some vigorous research in astrology, Misty was able to figure out that in some parts outside of Equestria, due to magic disappearing and messing up the sun and moon cycle, at night, the moon was always full. She was also able to find out that some of those places had been vaguely mapped out using pony drones. After a bit more digging, she was able to figure out a general area about where the changelings might be.

However, something else Amani said stuck out to Zipp. He had said beware of the changelings. How did he know of the changelings? There was no mention of the word changelings in the legend. Zipp narrowed her eyes, more suspicious of this mysterious Zebra.

"How do you know of changelings?" She asked.

Amani simply shrugged again. "Every creature within a hundred-mile radius knows about such creatures. Their terror in these parts has lasted many years."

"What do you know of the changelings?" Sunny asked, stepping forward.

Amani narrowed his eyes briefly but answered nonetheless. "It is said that changelings are master shapeshifters that roam the night, searching for victims full of magic and might. They glance into their mind to find the one they love the most, and with their skin, they put on a show. All the while they fool that poor creature, they steal the love their victims give as though it is dinner. It is through that love that they gain power, taking their victim's magic through their love, giving them the nickname the love hunter."

Izzy gasped. "The blue eyes that feed."

"Precisely, little pony. They feed on the love of others to keep them from weakening. For it is through love that our power and strength grow. The more we love, the more our hearts are set aglow. However, changelings' chests are nothing but empty voids of black, making feelings something they lack."

"Nothing but an empty shell," Misty muttered with wide eyes, looking at Amani.

"Right again, dear pony. And since love is an emotion we are constantly feeling, changelings are always constantly hungry."

"So that's why that changeling said we were useless to them without our magic," Zipp concluded, her mind wandering. To that, Amani simply nodded.

Sunny gave her friendliest, most heartfelt smile. "You wouldn't happen to know where the changelings live, do you?"

Amani narrowed his eyes further, clearly showing his suspicion. "Why would you five ponies, seek out the changelings purposefully?"

"No reason," Hitch said, looking away from Amani.

"I may for a long time been on my own, but I do have brain cells in my bones. No creature searches for dangerous species for no reason. It's obvious you are keeping secrets." Amani said, taking a couple of steps back.

Hitch widened his eyes as he watched his chance to find Pipp starting to slip away. "H–hold on. We're not changelings if that's what you think…" Hitch said, trailing off when he saw Amani's suspicious face refuse to change.

"Creatures who keep secrets cannot be trusted. In these parts, trust is all that will keep you from being abducted."

"Oh well, then. If you don't want to help us, that's your choice. Cause, honestly, we really don't need your help."

Sunny gave Zipp a warning glare, who only glared right back in response. Sunny rolled her eyes but kept quiet. She didn't want to stir the pot. She knew that Zipp was just stressed, and confronting her would only start a fight. They had come too close now only for their plan to blow up because they couldn't stop fighting. They needed things to stay somewhat peaceful between them all.

Izzy then popped up in front of her friends, facing Amani. "Oh, well, that makes sense with the changelings around and all." Izzy took a deep breath and her friends braced themselves, predicting what was about to happen. "Well, the changelings used to be friends with Equestria but for some unknown reason they now want to take over so they captured Pipp in hopes of trading her for Sunny who's an alicorn or used to be but not anymore because magic was destroyed, cause, you see, on the balcony of the Crystal Brighthouse where we kept the Unity Crystals aka the source of all Equestrian magic, the changelings wanted to make the Sunny for Pipp deal and the changeling mentioned we were useless without magic so, in an attempt to keep Equestria safe, Zipp–" Izzy rushed over to Zipp, pointing her out. "–and Misty–" Izzy rushed over to Misty, also pointing her out. "Shattered the Unity Crystals, destroying all magic so that we'd be completely useless to the changelings but unfortunately the rest of us didn't understand their whole Royalty Before Family motto so we all got in a massive fight and Sunny, Hitch, and I–" Izzy went to each respective pony as she said their names. "–all said things we regretted and it caused Zipp and Misty to move out of the Brighthouse and go back to Zephyr Heights, which Zipp's mother is the queen of making her a princess. And it was there she and Misty looked for where the changelings might be in the extensive castle library of Zephyr Heights where Misty found the answer using the legend and astrology, cause, as it turns out–"

"Okay Iz, I think he gets the picture," Sunny said, walking up to Izzy and slowly guiding her a couple of steps back.

"But he said that those who keep secrets can't be trusted," Izzy countered.

"Yeah, but I doubt he meant for you to give him your whole life story," Hitch answered with a small smile.

"But, I want to be trusted," Izzy whined.

"It is okay, Izzy Moonbow. You have already said everything I need to know."

Zipp narrowed her eyes at Amani. "Well, you wouldn't mind if we did a little test of our own, would you?"

"Of course not, dear Zipp. I wouldn't expect anything different."

Zipp turned to Misty, who hesitantly walked up, holding up her hoof. "You wouldn't mind if I touched you real quick. I'm an empath, and I can tell what creatures are feeling by touching them. Since changelings are empty voids inside, I'll be able to know if you're a changeling if I can sense what you're feeling."

Amani smiled. "Ah. An empath is the perfect way to reveal a changeling."

Misty put her hoof on Amani's chest and gasped at what she felt. Usually, when she accidentally touched ponies, she'd get a crazy mess of emotions, hardly being able to tell them apart. However, as soon as she touched Amani, she got a cool wave of calmness, one that reached into her soul. It was so unlike the cold emptiness that wanted to drag her into its black void from the changeling. This was like a bucket of cool refreshing water being dumped on her in the middle of a desert. Amani's calm was so different from Misty's own mess of emotions. But, as soon as Misty's hoof touched Amani, she felt herself calm too, like an ocean wave engulfing her.

"Misty?" She heard Sunny ask, concern in her voice. "Is everything okay?"

Misty blinked, not realizing she was just standing there with her hoof on Amani's chest, like a weirdo. She turned her head to see Izzy watching her with a confused look, Sunny and Hitch staring at her concerned, and Zipp already in a defensive stance, as though she was just waiting for a reason to attack Amani.

Misty quickly stepped away, an awkward smile on her face. "Yep. He's good. No changeling here," She said nervously, knowing full well just how weird she acted.

Zipp narrowed her eyes but fortunately said nothing. The question must've been on Misty's face because Amani answered, "I meditate every day. Perhaps another time, I can show you how so you can form your own way."

Misty smiled gratefully, accepting Amani's offer.

"Well, with that now out of the way, let me show you where you wish to go so desperately."

"Desperately?!" Zipp said, clearly taking offense for some reason.

Sunny put her hoof on Zipp's back as Amani began walking away, silently shaking her head. Zipp rolled her eyes and groaned, but listened to Sunny as they followed Amani deeper into the woods.

"So, you're just living here alone in the forest. By yourself?" Zipp asked., to which Amani simply nodded. This wasn't the first time Zipp asked this, though it was worded differently each of the three times she asked. "No, parents or family or anything?"

Amani internally rolled his eyes but answered as respectfully as he could. "I'm afraid not, Princess Zipp. Three years ago, my parents grew quite sick. Then they died and I was all that was left. I have no siblings, and my grandparents are dead."

Zipp's eyes momentarily widened. "Oh. I uh…I'm so sorry. That really sucks. So, umm…why are you living here still? Got a thing against modernized civilizations or something?"

"What is wrong with Zipp?" Hitch whispered to Sunny as they walked near the end of the group. He felt Sparky jump off his back and onto Sunny's.

"What do you mean? Zipp's just getting to know Amani."

Hitch rolled his eyes. "Yeah, super passive-aggressively."

"Look, Zipp is just stressed. Like really stressed. I'm even going to go out on a limb and say she's terrified. We're getting closer to the changeling kingdom and we have no plan of attack on how we're going to rescue Pipp because we have no idea what to expect when we get there. We don't even know where in the kingdom Pipp is being held. Zipp just needs something to investigate and Amani's it, apparently."

"Like how Misty was that something a year ago?" Hitch asked flatly.

"Exactly!" Hitch raised an eyebrow at Sunny who just sighed. "Look, Hitch. Please, don't say anything yet. If you do, it's just going to start a fight and it might cost us our one chance in rescuing Pipp. Once we rescue Pipp, you can confront Zipp all you want, but please, just don't do anything drastic until then."

Hitch sighed, glaring at Zipp who was currently still grilling Amani. It made Hitch angry to see Zipp treating Amani so poorly. Hitch understood her mistrust. It seemed as though nearly every stranger they met tried to hurt them. Misty, when she was working for Opaline, Opaline herself, Allura, the changelings, the griffons. Heck, when Hitch first met Amani, he was suspicious as well, and while they didn't know much about Amani, they knew he wasn't a changeling, and, at this point, miles away from Equestria, that was all they could ask for. They were lucky to stumble upon a creature who didn't want to eat them at first glance, to begin with.

Besides, Amani was being really kind showing them the way to the changeling kingdom. He didn't have to do that. They were five strange ponies searching for incredibly dangerous love–eating creatures. He could've just said good luck and been on his way. Sure, he was a little odd with his rhyming and all, but Zipp should just be grateful that Amani was willing to help them at all. If it weren't for him, they'd probably still be wandering aimlessly in the woods until they happened to stumble upon the changeling kingdom in the worst way and they got themselves captured.

Hitch sighed reluctantly. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises," He said through gritted teeth.

Hitch did not feel like himself saying that. There was no excuse for the way Zipp was acting. Hitch was stressed too. More than any of them knew. So stressed, he hadn't had any sleep since they left Griffonstone a week ago. His heart raced at the thought of potentially seeing Pipp again. He wondered what he'd find there. Would Pipp hate him? Would she blame him? Would she accuse him of not getting there in time? Would she still be alive? No. She would be. He felt it in his heart. He'd feel it if she were…right? He shook his head. He wouldn't go there. Not again.

Anyway, even though Hitch was stressed and had a million questions racing in his mind, he didn't act the way Zipp did. He was still respectful. He was still nice. And he wasn't being passive-aggressive.

But, even though it made him feel horrible, he had to consider what Sunny was saying. If he were to confront Zipp, it could cause another fight. Zipp had just forgiven Hitch. Their relationship was still fragile. Confronting her could cause a multitude of reactions, all ending in being unable to save Pipp.

He thought back to when he got his cutie mark. He had stood up for that filly when the colts were being jerks, ditched the meanies, and played with the little fillies. That was the second best day of his life, his first obviously being when he and Pipp professed their love for each other and they started dating. Things were so simple back then. It was you either be kind or be mean. What was it he said when he was retelling his cutie mark story? The only peace of mind is to be kind. But, what if being kind made things worse? What if being kind prevented him from finding Pipp? What if being kind prevented him from rescuing her? What if being kind doomed all of Equestria? He didn't know what to do.

Well, that's what he thought before Zipp crossed the line.

Hitch had looked up to see Amani forced against the tree, Zipp so close to him with her eyes narrowed he had no room to move, much like she had Misty forced into the corner of Mane Melody a year ago when she was trying to find the lantern. The others, including Sunny, were around them, trying to get Zipp away from Amani, but none of them made any real physical effort to stop her. He was so lost in thought, that he had no idea how things escalated so quickly, but it didn't matter because that was when it was decided. That was when he asked himself what Pipp would say if she knew Hitch just stood by while her sister harassed some innocent Zebra. She'd be so disappointed.

So, Hitch did the only thing he could do. He marched up to Zipp and tapped her on the shoulder, his sheriff's side coming out. But when that didn't even phase Zipp, her barrage of questions continuing like the arrow assault that night in Griffonstone, he did exactly what Pipp did at Mane Melody when Zipp was harassing Misty. He jumped between Amani and Zipp, pushing Zipp back.

Zipp stumbled back, her face one of shock. "Hitch, what are you doing?! I was just about to get Amani to reveal his true motive!"

"What ulterior motive Zipp?! The only creature here I see that's being suspicious is you!" Hitch sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing the bridge of his muzzle with his hoof before looking back at Zipp. "Look, Zipp. Ever since we left Griffonstone, you've been nothing but mean to everypony around you. I've–"

"No. I just put up with your crap long enough! How do you expect we defeat the changelings with us the way we are now?! With glitter and our nonexistent powers?! How?!"

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out! We always do! I don't know how, but by some miracle, when the odds are nothing but stacked up against us, we somehow always make it out on top."

"We can't keep relying on dumb luck to get us through these situations! Eventually, our luck's going to run out and if we don't have a plan, we're going to get ourselves killed!"

"Look, don't you think we know that? We're all working our flanks off trying to put together some kind of plan, no matter how half–baked it is. But we can't put together anything until we know where Pipp is at least being held, or figure out what the kingdom even looks like so we can find some way to infiltrate it. But, there's nothing we can do about it now."

As Hitch spoke, his cutie mark began to glow. Amani was the first to notice it and a small smile appeared on his face. Perhaps these ponies weren't as doomed as they thought.

Misty also noticed it. Her eyes widened in surprise. That couldn't be right. Cutie marks only began to glow after the magic returned. So his cutie mark shouldn't be glowing. Magic was destroyed. She shattered the crystals herself. Nopony has been able to fly, cast spells, or grow plants with their hooves in six months since the crystals shattered. So why was his cutie mark glowing?

Misty shook her head. She decided not to say anything. For all they knew, it could all be a fluke. It most likely didn't mean anything. She didn't want to give her friends false hope, only for it to be snatched away. That was the worst possible thing somepony could do to somepony else. So, instead, she kept her mouth shut and let Hitch continue, keeping an eye on his cutie mark.

"And that's most definitely no excuse to be snapping at every creature. Especially when that creature's trying to help! What is wrong with you? Why are you like this?!"

"Because I'm scared, okay?!" Zipp yelled back, tears in her eyes. "I'm terrified that we're going to save Pipp, but it's going to be too late! I'm scared that I'm going to fail her like I did that night! I'm scared that I made the wrong decision and that I should've just gotten Pipp back! At least then we'd have magic. Now we're going in on what might as well be a kamikaze mission." Zipp dropped her head. "And it'll be all my fault."

Hitch's anger suddenly turned into sympathy. He didn't realize how much guilt Zipp was carrying. How much actually weighed on her chest. It hurt him to see one of his closest friends, especially one who always put on such a tough front, struggling so much.

Hitch walked up to Zipp putting a hoof on her shoulder. His cutie mark began to glow brighter, nopony but Misty even noticed. "Zipp, none of this is your fault. We all chose to go on this rescue mission. We all knew the risks and we knew the likelihood of this actually succeeding, and we still chose to come despite all that. There's nothing you could have said or done that would've stopped us from going. You wanna know why? Because Pipp is our friend, and we'd do anything to save her."

"But, it's my fault magic is gone. It's–"

"No, it's not. None of us blame you. Or Misty. You did the only thing you could do to save Equestria. Hey," Zipp looked up at him. "I promise we're going to save Pipp. Or die trying."

Zipp softly smiled up at him before hugging him tightly. Slowly, Hitch's cutie mark began to dim, making Misty wonder if it was really just a fluke, or if it really was what it looked like.

"This is as far as I dare to go. But don't fret, you should be able to find your destination thirty miles or so down the road." Amani said as they approached a clearing in the woods, the trees on the other side looking dead and broken. A forest with no trees.

"Thank you, Amani. And…I'm sorry for the way I treated you. That was wrong of me. You were just trying to help and I acted as though you were hiding something."

"It is alright, Zipp Storm. You only wish to protect your little sister. It is understandable. She's lucky to have an older sister with such a protective instinct."

Amani and Zipp smiled at each other. The rest said their goodbyes, and as they walked away, Zipp wondered if she actually ever told Amani that Pipp was her little sister or what her last name was. She turned her head behind her to ask, only to find Amani suddenly gone. She shrugged. Oh well. Izzy probably told him on their way here and she didn't hear. Either way, Zipp didn't think too much of it. Perhaps if she had noticed how Amani failed to rhyme in his last words, she would've, and perhaps, things would've turned out differently.

Author's Note

Haha…the suspense…

Alright…I'm currently writing this at one in the morning because, well, I don't know. And yes, I'm aware I should be sleeping, but, well, all you insomniacs out there get it.

We are officially at the halfway point! By the next chapter, the five of them will have arrived at the changeling hive to attempt to save Pipp. Keep an eye out for the next chapter to see what happens next.

Until then, drop your predictions in the comments below.

Hakuna Matata!