The Changeling Princess

When Spike awoke, Joker was sitting just inside the entrance to their cave. She bore the signs of lack of sleep and a recent fight. She looked over her shoulder as Spike walked past the long dead embers of the fire. The young dragon stared in surprise at the deep looking cut on Joker' face. It ran from a spot hidden by Joker's mane that covered the left side of her face, across the centre of her face, over her right eyelid and cheek, before coming to a stop along her jawline. It had healed over slightly, probably with help from a little bit of magic. She wasn't in her pony form, the form Spike had seen her in last night, she was in her true form.

"What happened?"

"You are one heavy sleeper," Joker smiled slightly. "We were attacked. It was only a small patrol, but enough to cause trouble. They were tough. Chrysalis must've toughened up their armour. I managed to get rid of them, but one somehow evaded me and attacked me while I was recovering. Where he got the blade I don't know, but it was sharper than even those of a doctor back in Equestria."

"Why didn't you awake me?" Spike frowned, rooting through Joker's make-shift saddle bags for something to eat.

"They weren't after you," Joker looked straight ahead. "If they were, the one who evaded me wouldn't have hesitated in killing you. Moth-Chrysalis must have been specific."

"Why you?"

"Did or did I not tell you that I am the next in line for the throne?" Joker said flatly. "The moment Chrysalis dies, the changelings loyalty will be trained upon me, whether or not I like it because I am still bound to the throne."

"But, the queen banished you," Spike frowned, his mouth full of flowers. "That should undo the bound."

"It should have done," Joker nodded. "But the bound is different here to Equestria. I'm still bound it because I am the only heir. There is no other changeling who can take the throne. And if Chrysalis does perish any time soon, they still fear me. They probably just sit around, waiting for some-pony brave enough to take control, or for me to return and claim the throne as my own."

"But you don't want to be queen," Spike stated. "So it'll all fall into shambles."

"Hopefully it'll all fall apart so they'll depart in their different clans," Joker sighed, a smile on her face. "I can only dream. You done scoffing your face?"

Spike nodded.

"We best start searching this patch of forest," Joker stood up and looked around for her helmet when she remembered she had left it when she had teleported the previous day. "The sooner we move, the better. Especially now they know we're here."

Spike watched as Joker levitated the make-shift bags onto her back before following her out of the cave. He never uttered a word; he was thinking. This didn't escape Joker's notice.

"You're strangely quiet," she observed. "Something wrong?"

"If your theory is correct, then Twilight and the others are here," Spike bit his lip. "I'm worried for them."

"You should be worried about us," Joker sighed. "We're the ones Chrysalis is after. No doubt if they stay out of the changelings way then they should be safe. But the sooner we find them, the better."

"That's what I'm worried about," Spike leapt onto Joker's back causing the armoured changeling to stumble slightly. "If they know what the changeling's are planning then they'd do anything but stay out of their way."

"Then we'd better quicken the pace," Joker stopped and eyed the cloudy sky. There was enough cover to hide them. She spread her tattered wings and began to climb into the sky. She punched a hole through the thin layer of clouds.

"Isn't there a bigger chance we could get spotted?" Spike wandered as he scanned the ground through the fog like clouds.

"Not unless anypony is looking directly at me," Joker shook her head, her emerald eyes fixed below her as she searched the terrain for any life except changelings. "There's also more cloud blocking the sun so my armour won't gleam as much."

Spike squinted, hoping to make out more figures than just blobs of black.

"Wait a minute," Spike frowned looking at Joker. "How can you see? I mean, I read somewhere that you only see blurs. You rely more on your senses than anything else."

"The drones do," Joker hovered a moment before continuing her steady pace. "I can see the same as anypony, only further. I rely on my senses if I cannot see for whatever reason. A changeling uses their other senses to hunt, not just sight."

"Can they sense us?"

"No, we're too high up. They'll only be able to sense us if there is a aerial patrol and even that'd be brief."

Spike nodded and returned his gaze upon the ground. Joker kept doubling back, to make sure she hadn't missed anything. They were back over where they took off that morning when Spike finally spotted something that wasn't green, brown or black.

"Hey, Joker, what's that down there?" Spike pointed at the two blobs.

Joker hovered mid-air, slowing down in next to no time. She followed the young dragon's pointing claw. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make them out.

"Spike, you're amazing," Joker grinned. Without much warning, Joker dropped into a dive, letting gravity pull her to the ground. Her wings beat steadily, speeding up her progress.

Spike dug his claws into Joker's armour. He was leaving behind claw marks, but, as long as he was holding onto something, he didn't care.

Joker landed in the clearing behind the two ponies they had seen from the sky. Before she made her presence known, she changed into her pegasus form and folded her now white wings against her armour. It wasn't comfy, but it would do

"Are you alright, Spike?" She asked as the baby dragon jumped off her back and staggered around for a moment.

"No," Spike muttered. "Warn me next time."

"I might stick to the ground here on out," Joker smiled slightly, readjusting the saddle bags that had been moved during her flight. "Flying takes a lot of energy, especially wearing armour and carrying a baby dragon."

Joker slowly proceeded through the forest and into the clearing Spike had spotted the two ponies. She was hoping they didn't freak out and attack them. When she and Spike made it through the tangle of bushes, they came face to face with an orange earth pony and a yellow pegasus.

"Hey, Applejack, Fluttershy," Spike broke the tension as Applejack's glare hardened at Joker.

"And who are you?" Applejack glared at Joker.

"Joker," Joker returned the glare. "I am a member of the royal guard in Canterlot. We never met before I moved."

"I've never seen you before," Applejack noted.

"I did stay in Ponyville briefly," Joker said flatly. "But I became a member of the royal guard and left."

"Joker has a theory as to why we are here," Spike said, ignoring Joker's warning glare. "She knows this place like the back of her hoof as she used to live here. She thinks that her moth- Queen Chrysalis is going to invade Equestria."

The disguised changeling groaned, her ears dropping backwards and her head bowing. Spike covered his mouth, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Applejack looked angry and Fluttershy cowered behind the farm pony.

Joker never saw the attack coming until Applejack bucked the mare like she could an apple tree. Something cracked, but Joker was on her hooves and in defence mode. Applejack was fast and strong, but Joker was trained as a Royal Guard and a murder, so the farm pony stood no chance.

With minutes, Applejack collapsed with exhaustion. Joker stood on the other side of the clearing, breathing heavily. Her back left leg had been injured when Applejack first attacked.

"Will you please listen to me?" Joker asked.

"Why?" Applejack growled. "I value honesty and you are a changeling! Changelings lie! For instance, your disguise!"

"My disguise is what I would look like if I was a pony!" Joker took a deep breath, trying to keep her dark side in check. "I am half and pony half changeling! That is why I can eat food!"

"Your father is a pony?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, was," Joker nodded. "But forget that. The most important thing is to find the rest of you so we can stop the changelings."

"Why?" Applejack frowned.

"We had a run in with some of them," Joker explained. "They teleported us all here because we are the defence of Equestria. They are planning to invade but, the longer they delay, the better for all of us."

Joker turned to head North West.

"Why are you going that way?" Fluttershy asked.

"There is a patch of forest this way that I think we'd better check out," Joker hesitated slightly, indicating her lie. "We can double back later."

"You're lying," Applejack frowned at Joker. "I reckon there's another reason why you don't wanna go this way."

"That relates to what I'll tell you later," Joker bit her lip as she eyed the forest that Applejack wanted to go. "I really don't want to take a trip down memory lane. Well, that specific part of it."

"Um, guys," Fluttershy said quietly, her eyes shrinking in fear.

"Well, I wanna know now," Applejack advanced on Joker, making the white pegasus back away. "I wanna know why you're tryin' to avoid this part of this forest."

"Girls," Fluttershy was barely heard.

"You're just going to have to wait!" Joker refused to back down.

"Why do you know so much?"

"Guys?"

"I just do!"

"Joker," A voice that sounded like two people slightly out of sync silenced them all. "You can lie to yourself and the ponies, but you cannot lie to those that'll risk everything to serve you."

Joker's eyes narrowed as the others froze.

"Well, well, well," Joker snarled, stepping around Applejack and trotting up to the changeling that spoke. "Look who it is. Weren't you the first to betray me when I was princess? And now that I am back and ready to destroy Chrysalis, you are willing to betray her to follow me?"

"You are the most feared, Joker," The changeling backed away slightly. "No changeling would stand in your way to Chrysalis. Well, maybe the prince that wanted your hoof in-"

"Do not remind me," Joker turned her back on the changeling. "If you are on my side then I want you to carry out a little task for me. Do not tell any changeling else about it. I have a few friends scattered around. All of them are ponies. If you'd be kind enough to locate them and report back to me, I'll make a mental note to let you live."

"Of course, Joker," the changeling nodded, shaking slightly before shooting into the sky and vanishing above the thin layer of cloud.

Joker took a deep breath and turned to face Applejack.

"I guess I  have some explaining to do," Joker smiled weakly, but nervousness gripped her like ice.