Rise of the Mavericksby Quill.EsChaptersChapter 1: Calmest before the stormChapter 2: ArisenChapter 3: UrgencyChapter 1: Calmest before the stormChapter 1: Calmest before the storm. “Beware the dark forces, for they may be even the strongest of lights.” -Starswirl the Bearded. Celestia –Princess of the Sun—had just lifted the sun across the sky above Equestria as Golden Oak’s librarian and faithful student to the princess, Twilight Sparkle woke up to perform her morning chores. First she went into her study to clean up her work from the night before and prepare it for another night of studying. After that she picked up any remaining books not in their corresponding shelves and put them away properly, so when she opened the library for the day, everything would be neat and organized to make ponies selection much easier. She looked up to the calendar above her desk and noticed what day it is. She developed a great big smile across her face at the realization of the date. Lastly, she wrote down her agenda for the day on scroll so she knows exactly what she is doing for the day. “Twilight. Breakfast is ready,” her close friend and number one assistant Spike the dragon shouted from the kitchen. She stepped into the kitchen where the baby dragon set up the table adorned in his tiny pink apron with the red heart. “Oh Spike, thank you. You didn’t have to this, I would have cooked breakfast,” Twilight said. “Nah, its’ cool Twilight. You were studying really hard last night and almost fell asleep at your desk. So Peewee and I decided to surprise you when you woke up,” Spike responded, putting a hay omelet and orange juice in front of Twilight as she sat at the table. She licked her lips just looking at it. “Thanks again, bottoms up.” She began eating the delicious meal. “Whoa Twilight, what’s gotten into you?” “Today is a very exciting day Spike.” “What’s so special about it? Oh- is it some sort of special pony holiday?” “Nothing like that Spike. Its’ just that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence are coming into town for a visit today. They said they could stay here all day to hang out.” “Really? That’s great Twilight. Do you know when they’ll be here?” “According to the letter I received, they should be here any minute—,” Twilight was interrupted by a knock at the front door. Hoping it was who she was waiting for; she hopped over to the door happy as Pinkie Pie. She answered the door with her hopes up high, but they immediately dropped when she saw who it was.“Oh hello Ms. Mayor,” Twilight said, still happy to see her visitor. “Heeeellllooooo Twilight Sparkle,” Mayor Mare replied with her gentle, uplifting voice. “What can I do for you Mayor?” “I was just wondering if you had any books on old pony laws. I’m giving a presentation to the schoolhouse today and I want to make sure I have my facts straight.” “Of course, please come in.” Twilight led Mayor Mare over to the section of the library that holds what Mayor Mare is looking for. Twilight used her telekinesis spell to lift the book off the shelf. “Here you go Mayor: Turn of the Century Pony Rules and Regulations,” Twilight said putting the book inside Mayor Mare’s saddlebag. “Thank you Twilight, I’ll be back later to return it after I review.” As she walked out the door, Mayor Mare bumped into a pony, unknown to Twilight who was still near the bookshelves. Mayor Mare jumped in surprise, dropping her saddlebag and bowed down. “G-good afternoon your majesty and Sir Captain,” she stuttered. Twilight lifted her spirits when she heard who was at the door. Mayor Mare stepped out of the way, and much to Twilight’s joy, Captain Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Princess Cadence his lovely wife, stepped in. “Cadence! Shining Armor,” Twilight shouted running to give them a hug. “Twilight,” Cadence responded, seeing her favorite mare. “Twiley,” Shining Armor responded with glee, being able to see his little sister. The three ponies embraced in a warm, family hug. “I thought you two forgot about today,” Twilight softly wondered, looking down. “We would never forget about visiting you. Shining Armor and I could not wait to see you since the day we sent you that letter,” Cadence explained. “Is there any royal business or reason you are kindly visiting here today your majesty,” Mayor Mare interrupted. “No business today Mayor. Today is a family visit,” Cadence informed. Mayor Mare nodded and left, saying her goodbyes to the royal family. “Soooo, what do you guys want to do,” Twilight asked. “Why don’t you show us around town? I don’t think I have gotten a chance to see all of Ponyville before,” Shining Armor mentioned. “Sure, Spike we’ll be back later!” “Alright, have fun Twilight,” Spike said from the other room. Twilight smiled to Cadence and Shining Armor, and then they left. Around the same time as their departure, Applejack was up to the usual: apple bucking. She spent all morning tending to her orchard and helping her brother Big Macintosh. “Phew, that’s all of ‘em fer today. Big Macintosh will be so surprised to see me finish before him,” She giggled. She walked back to the barn to feed the pigs when an ominous wind blew across the orchard, blowing her hat off of her head. “Where in tarnation did that come from,” Applejack muttered to herself, suspiciously picking up her hat and dusting it off. As she put her hat back on her head, a shadow dashed across the corner of her from the barn to a barrel close by. “Who’s there? Rainbow Dash,” she asked out loud. The air became still, and the only thing moving was the dead leaves falling off of the apple trees, giving Applejack an uneasy feeling. “P-pinkie Pie?” There was no response. “A-alright you two, I know ya’ll are here so c-come on out.” She slowly walked backwards up to the barn, keeping her eyes on the barrel and the trees. Suddenly a familiar hoof tapped Applejack on the shoulder, scaring her half to death and causing her to fall to the ground. “B-big Macintosh! What the hay are you tryin’ to do? Give me a heart attack!” “Sorry ‘bout that AJ, what’re you doin’ actin’ like someone is chasing you,” Big Macintosh asked. “Ah don’t know. Were you just over there trying’ to scare me?” “Nope, ah just finished mah load of apple and decided to check up on you.” “Oh, well thank you fer that. Who was that then?” “Ah’m not sure, are you sure it wasn’t some of yer friends?” “Ah don’t think so, normally when ah tell ‘em to come out, they come out, but not this time. Maybe it was just a critter er something.” “Eyup.” “Heh, come on Big Mac, let’s go get some grub.” The two siblings dropped the subject and went home to get some lunch. All morning Twilight showed Shining Armor and Cadence around Ponyville, giving them an in-depth tour of the town. She showed them all of the residential areas, but focused more on the more interesting spots such as the Dam, Everfree forest, the clock tower, and even Carousel Boutique, where Rarity fainted and had to be helped by Sweetie Belle at the sight of the royal couple coming into her store, Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack gave them a tour, and Sugar Cube Corner, where the Cakes and Pinkie Pie gave the royal couple free samples. “Well, that was certainly an eventful morning," Shining Armor pointed out. “It has, Ponyville is such a lovely town,” Cadence remarked. “So full of life and love.” “Yup, it’s no Canterlot, but I love Ponyville just as much,” Twilight added. She looked over to Cadence, who looked around suspiciously with a weird smile on her face. “Hey Cadence, do you remember our secret dance?” “Huh? Oh! Yeah, of course.” “Prove it.” “Why? What are you talking about Twilight?” “Are you really Cadence? You’ve been acting weird all day.” “Of course I’m the real Cadence, I doubt Chrysalis or any other changeling would try and impersonate me a second time. I’m just looking around at all of the ponies who live here. We’ve been so busy lately and this morning, I haven’t gotten a chance to speak to any of them.” “Twilight. Cadence is Cadence. Trust me,” Shining Armor interrupted, calming down Twilight. “Sorry Cadence, It’s just that-It’s been so long since we’ve actually gotten to see each other casually and after the whole wedding, and the changelings being quiet, I forgot how you-.” “Twilight, I understand. It’s going to take a while before you can accept me back in your life after being away for so long and after what the changelings did. Honestly, I’ve never been happier knowing the fact that Shining Armor is my husband and since you are my sister-in-law, we get to see each other again. I hope you understand that I am trying my best.” “Oh Cadence,” Twilight nodded. She ran and hugged Cadence, who returned the affection. “You two are who you are…but who is to say I am who I say I am,” Twilight and Cadence awkwardly ended their hug. “Shining…what are you talking about?” Cadence slowly walked toward Shining Armor. He closed his eyes, smiled, and then opened them with blank, neon green eyes. “Shining Armor” Cadence yelled. “A changeling! Where’s Shining Armor?” The false Shining Armor erupted into a vertical blast of energy and shot into the sky alerting the entire town. His white coat obliterated into a black, enigmatic state. His horn burned, and became crooked and jagged. He became a dark, twisted form of a pony, otherwise known as a changeling. His magic formed a hooded cloak that shrouded him. “All answers will be revealed momentarily,” the hooded changeling responded, giving a devious smile to the two mares. Chapter 2: ArisenChapter 2: Arisen “Revealing thyself to the enemy could be a very strategic move, or an inane one.” -Queen Thorax. The enigmatic changeling walked up to the fountain located at the center of Ponyville square and used his magic to shoot a bolt of green energy into the sky, catching attention of every citizen. The bolt of energy altered the Pegasus’s beautiful, sunny afternoon into a dark and cloudy one. “Greetings one and all,” the changeling announced amidst the crowd with calm, soothing voice. Every pony stood silent afraid, listening carefully to what the changeling had to say. “You ponies are smart folk, so all of you probably know what I am, but I bet none of you know who I am!” The changeling pointed over to a frightened Golden Harvest. The crowd singled out Golden Harvest to clarify who he was pointing to. “You there Golden Harvest! Or do you prefer Carrot Top.” Golden Harvest stood there, shocked that he knew her name and personal nickname. “Do you know who I am?” Golden Harvest shook her head cowering in fear. “Didn’t think so. And what about you Daisy?” “U-um…n-no…” Daisy stuttered, petrified. “Exactly! None of you know who I am! That means I’ve done my job perfectly. However…I know each and every one of you to the uttermost detail.” Out of impulse, Lily screamed in fear and ran out of the crowd. The changeling only smirked, and faded into smoke. He reappeared in front of Lily and stopped her using his magic. “Now Lily, why are you running away? Is your flower garden wilting since it usually does around this time of year and needs watering? Do your sisters Daisy and Roseluck who, might I add, are in the crowd right now, need you? No, of course not, in fact, I know precisely what it is. It is your deep fear of confrontation, which creates a sense of anti-social traits and distrust for you amongst the rest of the ponies here in Ponyville.” “H-how d-d-do you know that?” “Thank you Lily for being a fine example. I know everything about each and every one of you: your secrets, your lies…your memories.” At that moment Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy caught up to Twilight and Cadence. “Twilight, Ah’ got the girls and came as fast as I could. Who is this joker,” Applejack asked, catching her breath. “He’s a changeling.” Twilight clarified. “A changeling? Like the ones that we beat back at the wedding,” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes, I thought they were all defeated and scattered across Equestria along with their queen. But this one seems…different. Don’t’ worry though, I have a plan.” The seven mares, bundled together closely so Twilight could explain her plan, taking an eye off of the changeling. “Yes ladies and gentle colts. You may think you have something hidden, or that you are truly safe under your princess’ watch when in reality, you are not, but fortunately I can assure I do not intend to harm any of you. You ponies on the other hoof, I cannot say, for as I speak! Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Elements of Harmony are conspiring against me,” The changeling exclaimed, pointing to the alarmed mares, while the crowd followed his direction. “What the- How did he-” Twilight stuttered. “Hm…Pinkie Pie was going to get my attention and distract me using her various thoughts and cakes, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash, flank me with the ‘old one-two.’ Then lastly the unicorns and the princess contain me using their magic, while Fluttershy stays back, If I were to show any resistance. Commendable plan if I were to show resistance yet, futile.” “What are you talking about?” “Go ahead my little ponies, look down.” The seven mares looked down to their hooves and only saw their shadows, bewildering them even more. At first glance, they seemed normal but the shadows immediately came to life and acted on their own accord. “What’s going on,” Rainbow Dash shouted trying to get away from her shadow. The shadows began to rise from the ground, beyond the mares’ reflection, and erupted into the sky, flying towards the changeling. The fierce winds created by their lightning fast speeds stripped them of the mare’s aphotic appearance, revealing them to also be armored and cloaked changelings. They stood together along with the center changeling. “Say I was to resist. In order for that plan to work, it would have to be six against one. I guess you can say…I’ve got eyes and ears everywhere.” The other five changelings chuckled in response. The seven mares ran up to the fountain to confront the changelings. “Every pony stand back. What do you want from us? Where is Shining Armor?” “What…we want? You’re a smart mare Miss Sparkle. As I recall, I specifically said all answers will be revealed. Now please, take a seat and relax, you’ll get your brother back.” Twilight grunted and kept quiet. “As I said earlier, we do not intend to harm any of you pony folk only if you were to give us that same respect. For over millennia we have been lurking in the shadows, claiming to be your family, your loved ones, and your children in every single city of Equestria. We have seen your leader and her monarchy, as well as our “leader” and her tyranny. You claim to have love, compassion and tolerance, but you show none of it, especially to our kind! Are we no different? You scattered our people for what? Trying to gain sustenance to feed our young, to feed ourselves? We stayed amongst the shadows and watched as you defeated our “queen” and disbanded the hive, longing to seek revenge. However, there is a time and place for revenge and now isn’t either of them. You denied us our way of life but not all blame goes toward you, after all we did have an incompetent leader who crafted a moronic plan. We will properly lead both you and changelings to a glorious light that will shine across the land, for we are the tides of change, coming to wash away a past and present of these lands’ systematic downfall. We are revolutionaries, who waited for the perfect moment to help Equestria and our Hivelands so that both changelings and ponies can live together in prosperity and support each other. We are the shadows, who hinder your thoughts and track your every mistake. We are…The Mavericks.” The Mavericks all saluted and launched into the air, scattering in different directions. Their leader shot another beam of magic into the air to clear up the skies, returning the day’s original, lovely afternoon. He smiled to the crowd then faded away, leaving the center of town to a crowd of confused and scared ponies, and a very annoyed Twilight. “Where’s Shining Ar-,” She shouted as her shadow tapped her on the shoulder. “Ah yes, Shining Armor is still missing. If you just wait here I’ll get him for you,” the head Maverick answered. He nodded to the shadow of a wall, which like the mares’ shadows, seemed normal at first. Two Mavericks spawned out of the wall, carrying a disoriented Shining Armor. “Shining Armor,” both Cadence and Twilight cried in unison. The Mavericks dropped him into Cadence’s care gently as Twilight ran to assist her. Shining Armor wasn’t responding. “What did you do to him,” Cadence angrily asked. “We’ve done nothing to him. It’s just a side effect of the shadow melding spell. Do not worry, it’ll wear off momentarily.” Moments later Shining Armor finally regained some conscience. “Er…what, where am I,” Shining Armor muttered. Cadence and Twilight were filled with joy and comforted him. “My apologies Captain for the ‘sucker-kick,’ but we needed your presence for our cause.” “You?” Shining Armor jumped out of Cadence’s care, but tripped, still feeling dizzy. “You know who I am?” “I got a glimpse of you when you hit me.” “Again, our most sincere apologies.” The head Maverick walked up to Cadence and Twilight. “I’m a changeling of my word, you got your brother back and, and you got your husband back.” “Thanks?” “You’re welcome Miss Sparkle, now good day.” “Wait-,” though it was too late for her plea, for the Mavericks were already gone. “Shoot, what do we do now Twilight,” Applejack asked. “We have to go tell Princess Celestia! She’ll know what to do.” “I say we go and find those ‘Mavericks’ and teach them a lesson,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, starting to fly away. “No Rainbow,” twilight shouted, halting Rainbow Dash with her magic. “You saw what happened when we were discussing my plan. Besides we don’t even know what their motives are. I’m not sure what he meant by ‘We are the tides of change,’ He didn’t really explain what the ‘Mavericks’ are trying to achieve.” “Well I’m sure there is something on them in the Canterlot library,” Cadence added on. Twilight could barely hear Cadence due to the crowd of uneasy ponies. She teleported over to the fountain in front of the crowd. “Listen everypony! I know everyone is confused about what happen a little while ago, but don’t worry. We are going to get to the bottom of this,” Twilight declared. Mayor Mare made her way to Twilight and faced the crowd. “Thank you Twilight. Everypony please continue on with your day, I can assure twilight and her friends will fix everything.” Mayor Mare’s words had an effect on the crowd, calming them down and dispersing them back to the streets of Ponyville. “Thank you Mayor. Come on gang we need to get to Canterlot ASAP!” Everyone cheered as the mane six and the royal couple ran off to the Ponyville train station. “Sir,” A Maverick asked, arising from the shadows of the Ponyville clock tower, on the other side of town. “Yes Arachne,” the head Maverick answered, looking out to the main segment of Ponyville. “Why did we show those mares any mercy back at the fountain? Teaching them a lesson would have struck fear into the crowd. The pony kind has never shown us changelings any mercy and clearly they were preparing to be the aggressors.” “I showed them mercy because that’s what we do. We don’t want to cause any more conflict then we need to fulfill our mission. You must remember Arachne; the ponies did love us at some point, even if though they no longer do. Besides we were shown mercy once…” “But at what cost? We were ridiculed and became mere shadows of who we once were because of him!” “Because of him we as a species are still alive, albeit barely. Remember who our real enemy is. We need those mares, you know that. They possess the abilities we need.” “Of course, but Morpheus-,” “No ‘buts’ Arachne. We’ve been planning this for a millennia; we cannot slow down for any reason.” “Of course. It’s just…I’m just nervous about this whole plan.” “Everyone passes through the bog of doubt, but you must trust me Arachne, you must have faith in the group. We will be successful.” “But what if we aren’t successful,” Arachne stepped up to Morpheus. “We will.” “But what if we-” We will be successful.” “Very well sir, I believe you,” Arachne said walking back to the darkness. She looked back to Morpheus, who was still looking toward the Ponyville, lost in deep thought, frowned, and then disappeared. Chapter 3: UrgencyChapter 3: Urgency Knowledge is vital to one’s well being. The stronger the will to learn, the stronger the mind. -Starswirl the Bearded “Here are the forms from the mayor of Fillydelphia you requested your highness,” Princess Celestia’s assistant said, using her magic to lift the stack of paper work to her. Celestia with luna at her side took the papers from her and began to look through them and make marks using her quill. “Thank you, that’ll be all for now,” Celestia said to her assistant, focusing on the papers. The assistant bowed and left the throne room. “Sister? Do you need assistance with those,” Princess Luna asked. “It’s alright little sister, these are just a few maintenance forms that need updating. Why do you ask?” “I feel as if I’m not doing as much as I should be as a princess.” “Don’t worry, you’ll be able to perform certain duties as princess in time as soon as you get a better understanding of modern Equestria.” “If you say so sister.” As Celestia filled out the out the forms with Luna sitting there, a royal guard entered the throne room. “Princess, Miss Twilight Sparkle and the royal couple are here to see you. She claims it is an emergency,” he said, bowing to the two princesses. “I see, send them in,” Celestia responded, putting the paperwork aside. The guard nodded and left the room to fetch Twilight and her group. The door to the room slowly opened up, but Twilight barged in along with her friends. “Princess!” Twilight cried out. “Twilight? What’s the matter? The guard told me you were here for an emergency?” “Princess, Ponyville was INVADED!” “Invaded? Invaded by who?” “Well…that’s the thing princess. We don’t know who they were, we were actually hoping you would know. They were changelings that go by the name: The Mavericks.” “The Mavericks,” confused, Celestia looked to Luna, who too seemed to be clueless. “Princess?” Celestia sighed, and spoke “I’m…sorry Twilight, but we haven’t heard of this group, and if we did we don’t seem to remember them now.” Everyone in Twilight’s group gasped at the Princess’ answer, except for Twilight, who was in shock. “Come with me everyone, we are going to find out who they are.” Celestia and Luna stood up from their thrones and led the group out of the throne room and to the castle’s private library. When they got there, the group split up individually except for Luna who stayed with Celestia and the royal couple. For what seemed like hours they searched high and low, throughout the entire library, trying to locate any evidence about the invaders. Their search came close to an end when the group met up and came to the last segment of the library—The Starswirl the Bearded section. “Something has to be in here. If anyone knew about the Mavericks, it was Starswirl,” Twilight said, looking up to his emblem that indicated the beginning of the section. She walked inside, using her magic to look and filter through the various old scrolls and books the long since passed unicorn left behind. Although Starswirl the Bearded had near endless amounts of knowledge and texts regarding creatures and magic in his writings, it seems even the father of the anamorphic spell and modern magic, held no information on this group. “Let’s see what you’ve got AJ.” Applejack placed a small scroll on the table in the center of the library. It held the title: Changeling findings. “Way to go AJ. I’m positive this is exactly what we need,” fueling everyone’s spirits after a tiring and futile search. The ponies gathered around the round table to take a closer look and the scroll. Twilight unraveled it and began reading its’ contents. "The Changelings are fascinating creatures with remarkable capabilities. I’ve concluded that they coexist with us ponies and look very similar, for without ponies providing them the love they need to survive, since they appear to feed of the emotion, the Changeling specie would surely die out. They possess an ability only the seers of the highest unicorn order can achieve—the ability to take on any appearance or persona they please, hence their name. This ability is a double edged blade, which is why it was outlawed by King Titanium of the unicorn tribe across the pony lands years ago , and which is also why the changelings are given a harsh reputation and conviction by the three tribes that reduces them to as much as an old mare’s tale. The changelings left the pony lands not too long ago, but even before then it has come to my attention that none of my records nor the texts of Princess Platinum’s royal library bear any information or background to these creatures except for this scroll I am writing purely based on the tale of the Changelings and an old painting of what I assume is one of their matriarchs. I hereby resign my position here as court wizard to the princess and to leave immediately in search of the changelings." It ended at the bottom of the scroll with his insignia. “That’s all there is…” Twilight said, disappointed. “No! this can’t be ‘all there is’,” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Easy Rainbow. Ah’m sure it’s a good starting point for the search, and ah’ll bet there is more information somewhere in this library,” Applejack affirmed. Luna took a closer look at the scroll, catching a glimmer that caught her attention. “Do you see something sister,” Celestia asked. “There is something about his insignia. I remember he used seemingly meaningless objects as a catalyst for certain spells. Look sister.” Celestia and the group looked closer to the insignia and also caught the glimmer Luna had noticed. She used her magic and blasted the emblem, alarming everyone. The emblem shined and emitted a special light that stretched across the entire room. “Of course! Master Starswirl’s holofield spell,” Celestia muttered. “What’s going on princess?” Before Celestia could respond, appearances of scrolls faded in and out, flying around them. The alive scrolls alarmed the group and terrified Fluttershy who hid behind an amazed Pinkie Pie. “There, that should do it, the princess sisters will surely be pleased,” the voice of a stallion echoed. “Shining,” Cadence asked. “Wasn’t me.” A flickering, elderly Starswirl the Bearded walked over the table where Rarity and Applejack stood. The jumped out of the way, letting the hologram make its course. “At this rate Canterlot Castle should be completed by next year. It looks fantastic here on the mountainside, don’t you think? I’m…sure your younger sister would have loved it here,” Luna looked to Celestia, who looked down. “Sister, do you remember this,” Luna asked. “Vaguely, it was so long ago.” “Good day Princess. I will see you tomorrow, I’m just going to finish up my work here.” Starswirl walked over to the wall where his large emblem no resides and used his magic on it. The emblem lit up and the wall transformed into a blinding light. When the group was able to look again, the wall was normal, and the holofield spell ended. “Where did he go,” Twilight asked, running over to the wall. She used her magic in the same fashion as Starswirl and hit the emblem. It lit up, much to Twilight’s surprise, but surprise turned to disappointment as the emblem deactivated and turned dark. Out of frustration, she shot the emblem several more times to the point of exhaustion but to no success. “Twilight, I’m afraid it’s no use. Master Starwirl clearly did not want anyone to find out about this,” Celestia mentioned, not helping Twilight. “But…but, we were so close.” She looked up to her mentor, hoping for reassurance, however the princess could not find an answer Twilight sought out so said nothing. Instead Shining Armor came to his little sister. “Don’t worry about it Twiley, we’ll get the information we need. We just need to…,” “Look harder,” Cadence added. Twilight smiled and brushed the disappointment off. “You’re right. Shining, Cadence, could you stay here and find some more clues that relates to this scroll and the changelings?” Shining Armor and Cadence smiled and nodded.“Girls, we need to head back to Ponyville. We might be able to find some evidence on the Mavericks or at least be able to summon them again.” The other five mares agreed and they began to leave the library. At the last second, Celestia pulled Twilight off to the side. “Twilight, are you sure you do not need our assistance,” she asked. “Thank you princess, but we can handle these changelings or whoever they are and we’ll solve this mystery before you know it.” Celestia paused, then nodded. Twilight smiled softly and ran out the room to catch up with her friends. Against Twilight’s wishes, the alicorn sisters staid back and helped out the royal couple search for more of Starswirls scrolls. The sounds of the four ponies muttering echoed through the silent library. “Morpheus, the elements are advancing and heading back to Ponyville, proceed with the mission…are you sure…alright sir if you say so,” A Maverick whispered from the shadows of the bookshelves, looking to the royal family. He faded back into the shadows without a sound or trace of his presence. Author's Note Sorry for the long update, as I was finishing up the semester and now have the time to publish the third chapter. I'd also like to apologize again for the strange way it is printed as I am still trying to get used to the Fimfiction way of editing. Hoe you enjoy :).
Chapter 1: Calmest before the stormChapter 1: Calmest before the storm. “Beware the dark forces, for they may be even the strongest of lights.” -Starswirl the Bearded. Celestia –Princess of the Sun—had just lifted the sun across the sky above Equestria as Golden Oak’s librarian and faithful student to the princess, Twilight Sparkle woke up to perform her morning chores. First she went into her study to clean up her work from the night before and prepare it for another night of studying. After that she picked up any remaining books not in their corresponding shelves and put them away properly, so when she opened the library for the day, everything would be neat and organized to make ponies selection much easier. She looked up to the calendar above her desk and noticed what day it is. She developed a great big smile across her face at the realization of the date. Lastly, she wrote down her agenda for the day on scroll so she knows exactly what she is doing for the day. “Twilight. Breakfast is ready,” her close friend and number one assistant Spike the dragon shouted from the kitchen. She stepped into the kitchen where the baby dragon set up the table adorned in his tiny pink apron with the red heart. “Oh Spike, thank you. You didn’t have to this, I would have cooked breakfast,” Twilight said. “Nah, its’ cool Twilight. You were studying really hard last night and almost fell asleep at your desk. So Peewee and I decided to surprise you when you woke up,” Spike responded, putting a hay omelet and orange juice in front of Twilight as she sat at the table. She licked her lips just looking at it. “Thanks again, bottoms up.” She began eating the delicious meal. “Whoa Twilight, what’s gotten into you?” “Today is a very exciting day Spike.” “What’s so special about it? Oh- is it some sort of special pony holiday?” “Nothing like that Spike. Its’ just that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence are coming into town for a visit today. They said they could stay here all day to hang out.” “Really? That’s great Twilight. Do you know when they’ll be here?” “According to the letter I received, they should be here any minute—,” Twilight was interrupted by a knock at the front door. Hoping it was who she was waiting for; she hopped over to the door happy as Pinkie Pie. She answered the door with her hopes up high, but they immediately dropped when she saw who it was.“Oh hello Ms. Mayor,” Twilight said, still happy to see her visitor. “Heeeellllooooo Twilight Sparkle,” Mayor Mare replied with her gentle, uplifting voice. “What can I do for you Mayor?” “I was just wondering if you had any books on old pony laws. I’m giving a presentation to the schoolhouse today and I want to make sure I have my facts straight.” “Of course, please come in.” Twilight led Mayor Mare over to the section of the library that holds what Mayor Mare is looking for. Twilight used her telekinesis spell to lift the book off the shelf. “Here you go Mayor: Turn of the Century Pony Rules and Regulations,” Twilight said putting the book inside Mayor Mare’s saddlebag. “Thank you Twilight, I’ll be back later to return it after I review.” As she walked out the door, Mayor Mare bumped into a pony, unknown to Twilight who was still near the bookshelves. Mayor Mare jumped in surprise, dropping her saddlebag and bowed down. “G-good afternoon your majesty and Sir Captain,” she stuttered. Twilight lifted her spirits when she heard who was at the door. Mayor Mare stepped out of the way, and much to Twilight’s joy, Captain Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Princess Cadence his lovely wife, stepped in. “Cadence! Shining Armor,” Twilight shouted running to give them a hug. “Twilight,” Cadence responded, seeing her favorite mare. “Twiley,” Shining Armor responded with glee, being able to see his little sister. The three ponies embraced in a warm, family hug. “I thought you two forgot about today,” Twilight softly wondered, looking down. “We would never forget about visiting you. Shining Armor and I could not wait to see you since the day we sent you that letter,” Cadence explained. “Is there any royal business or reason you are kindly visiting here today your majesty,” Mayor Mare interrupted. “No business today Mayor. Today is a family visit,” Cadence informed. Mayor Mare nodded and left, saying her goodbyes to the royal family. “Soooo, what do you guys want to do,” Twilight asked. “Why don’t you show us around town? I don’t think I have gotten a chance to see all of Ponyville before,” Shining Armor mentioned. “Sure, Spike we’ll be back later!” “Alright, have fun Twilight,” Spike said from the other room. Twilight smiled to Cadence and Shining Armor, and then they left. Around the same time as their departure, Applejack was up to the usual: apple bucking. She spent all morning tending to her orchard and helping her brother Big Macintosh. “Phew, that’s all of ‘em fer today. Big Macintosh will be so surprised to see me finish before him,” She giggled. She walked back to the barn to feed the pigs when an ominous wind blew across the orchard, blowing her hat off of her head. “Where in tarnation did that come from,” Applejack muttered to herself, suspiciously picking up her hat and dusting it off. As she put her hat back on her head, a shadow dashed across the corner of her from the barn to a barrel close by. “Who’s there? Rainbow Dash,” she asked out loud. The air became still, and the only thing moving was the dead leaves falling off of the apple trees, giving Applejack an uneasy feeling. “P-pinkie Pie?” There was no response. “A-alright you two, I know ya’ll are here so c-come on out.” She slowly walked backwards up to the barn, keeping her eyes on the barrel and the trees. Suddenly a familiar hoof tapped Applejack on the shoulder, scaring her half to death and causing her to fall to the ground. “B-big Macintosh! What the hay are you tryin’ to do? Give me a heart attack!” “Sorry ‘bout that AJ, what’re you doin’ actin’ like someone is chasing you,” Big Macintosh asked. “Ah don’t know. Were you just over there trying’ to scare me?” “Nope, ah just finished mah load of apple and decided to check up on you.” “Oh, well thank you fer that. Who was that then?” “Ah’m not sure, are you sure it wasn’t some of yer friends?” “Ah don’t think so, normally when ah tell ‘em to come out, they come out, but not this time. Maybe it was just a critter er something.” “Eyup.” “Heh, come on Big Mac, let’s go get some grub.” The two siblings dropped the subject and went home to get some lunch. All morning Twilight showed Shining Armor and Cadence around Ponyville, giving them an in-depth tour of the town. She showed them all of the residential areas, but focused more on the more interesting spots such as the Dam, Everfree forest, the clock tower, and even Carousel Boutique, where Rarity fainted and had to be helped by Sweetie Belle at the sight of the royal couple coming into her store, Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack gave them a tour, and Sugar Cube Corner, where the Cakes and Pinkie Pie gave the royal couple free samples. “Well, that was certainly an eventful morning," Shining Armor pointed out. “It has, Ponyville is such a lovely town,” Cadence remarked. “So full of life and love.” “Yup, it’s no Canterlot, but I love Ponyville just as much,” Twilight added. She looked over to Cadence, who looked around suspiciously with a weird smile on her face. “Hey Cadence, do you remember our secret dance?” “Huh? Oh! Yeah, of course.” “Prove it.” “Why? What are you talking about Twilight?” “Are you really Cadence? You’ve been acting weird all day.” “Of course I’m the real Cadence, I doubt Chrysalis or any other changeling would try and impersonate me a second time. I’m just looking around at all of the ponies who live here. We’ve been so busy lately and this morning, I haven’t gotten a chance to speak to any of them.” “Twilight. Cadence is Cadence. Trust me,” Shining Armor interrupted, calming down Twilight. “Sorry Cadence, It’s just that-It’s been so long since we’ve actually gotten to see each other casually and after the whole wedding, and the changelings being quiet, I forgot how you-.” “Twilight, I understand. It’s going to take a while before you can accept me back in your life after being away for so long and after what the changelings did. Honestly, I’ve never been happier knowing the fact that Shining Armor is my husband and since you are my sister-in-law, we get to see each other again. I hope you understand that I am trying my best.” “Oh Cadence,” Twilight nodded. She ran and hugged Cadence, who returned the affection. “You two are who you are…but who is to say I am who I say I am,” Twilight and Cadence awkwardly ended their hug. “Shining…what are you talking about?” Cadence slowly walked toward Shining Armor. He closed his eyes, smiled, and then opened them with blank, neon green eyes. “Shining Armor” Cadence yelled. “A changeling! Where’s Shining Armor?” The false Shining Armor erupted into a vertical blast of energy and shot into the sky alerting the entire town. His white coat obliterated into a black, enigmatic state. His horn burned, and became crooked and jagged. He became a dark, twisted form of a pony, otherwise known as a changeling. His magic formed a hooded cloak that shrouded him. “All answers will be revealed momentarily,” the hooded changeling responded, giving a devious smile to the two mares.
Chapter 2: ArisenChapter 2: Arisen “Revealing thyself to the enemy could be a very strategic move, or an inane one.” -Queen Thorax. The enigmatic changeling walked up to the fountain located at the center of Ponyville square and used his magic to shoot a bolt of green energy into the sky, catching attention of every citizen. The bolt of energy altered the Pegasus’s beautiful, sunny afternoon into a dark and cloudy one. “Greetings one and all,” the changeling announced amidst the crowd with calm, soothing voice. Every pony stood silent afraid, listening carefully to what the changeling had to say. “You ponies are smart folk, so all of you probably know what I am, but I bet none of you know who I am!” The changeling pointed over to a frightened Golden Harvest. The crowd singled out Golden Harvest to clarify who he was pointing to. “You there Golden Harvest! Or do you prefer Carrot Top.” Golden Harvest stood there, shocked that he knew her name and personal nickname. “Do you know who I am?” Golden Harvest shook her head cowering in fear. “Didn’t think so. And what about you Daisy?” “U-um…n-no…” Daisy stuttered, petrified. “Exactly! None of you know who I am! That means I’ve done my job perfectly. However…I know each and every one of you to the uttermost detail.” Out of impulse, Lily screamed in fear and ran out of the crowd. The changeling only smirked, and faded into smoke. He reappeared in front of Lily and stopped her using his magic. “Now Lily, why are you running away? Is your flower garden wilting since it usually does around this time of year and needs watering? Do your sisters Daisy and Roseluck who, might I add, are in the crowd right now, need you? No, of course not, in fact, I know precisely what it is. It is your deep fear of confrontation, which creates a sense of anti-social traits and distrust for you amongst the rest of the ponies here in Ponyville.” “H-how d-d-do you know that?” “Thank you Lily for being a fine example. I know everything about each and every one of you: your secrets, your lies…your memories.” At that moment Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy caught up to Twilight and Cadence. “Twilight, Ah’ got the girls and came as fast as I could. Who is this joker,” Applejack asked, catching her breath. “He’s a changeling.” Twilight clarified. “A changeling? Like the ones that we beat back at the wedding,” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes, I thought they were all defeated and scattered across Equestria along with their queen. But this one seems…different. Don’t’ worry though, I have a plan.” The seven mares, bundled together closely so Twilight could explain her plan, taking an eye off of the changeling. “Yes ladies and gentle colts. You may think you have something hidden, or that you are truly safe under your princess’ watch when in reality, you are not, but fortunately I can assure I do not intend to harm any of you. You ponies on the other hoof, I cannot say, for as I speak! Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Elements of Harmony are conspiring against me,” The changeling exclaimed, pointing to the alarmed mares, while the crowd followed his direction. “What the- How did he-” Twilight stuttered. “Hm…Pinkie Pie was going to get my attention and distract me using her various thoughts and cakes, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash, flank me with the ‘old one-two.’ Then lastly the unicorns and the princess contain me using their magic, while Fluttershy stays back, If I were to show any resistance. Commendable plan if I were to show resistance yet, futile.” “What are you talking about?” “Go ahead my little ponies, look down.” The seven mares looked down to their hooves and only saw their shadows, bewildering them even more. At first glance, they seemed normal but the shadows immediately came to life and acted on their own accord. “What’s going on,” Rainbow Dash shouted trying to get away from her shadow. The shadows began to rise from the ground, beyond the mares’ reflection, and erupted into the sky, flying towards the changeling. The fierce winds created by their lightning fast speeds stripped them of the mare’s aphotic appearance, revealing them to also be armored and cloaked changelings. They stood together along with the center changeling. “Say I was to resist. In order for that plan to work, it would have to be six against one. I guess you can say…I’ve got eyes and ears everywhere.” The other five changelings chuckled in response. The seven mares ran up to the fountain to confront the changelings. “Every pony stand back. What do you want from us? Where is Shining Armor?” “What…we want? You’re a smart mare Miss Sparkle. As I recall, I specifically said all answers will be revealed. Now please, take a seat and relax, you’ll get your brother back.” Twilight grunted and kept quiet. “As I said earlier, we do not intend to harm any of you pony folk only if you were to give us that same respect. For over millennia we have been lurking in the shadows, claiming to be your family, your loved ones, and your children in every single city of Equestria. We have seen your leader and her monarchy, as well as our “leader” and her tyranny. You claim to have love, compassion and tolerance, but you show none of it, especially to our kind! Are we no different? You scattered our people for what? Trying to gain sustenance to feed our young, to feed ourselves? We stayed amongst the shadows and watched as you defeated our “queen” and disbanded the hive, longing to seek revenge. However, there is a time and place for revenge and now isn’t either of them. You denied us our way of life but not all blame goes toward you, after all we did have an incompetent leader who crafted a moronic plan. We will properly lead both you and changelings to a glorious light that will shine across the land, for we are the tides of change, coming to wash away a past and present of these lands’ systematic downfall. We are revolutionaries, who waited for the perfect moment to help Equestria and our Hivelands so that both changelings and ponies can live together in prosperity and support each other. We are the shadows, who hinder your thoughts and track your every mistake. We are…The Mavericks.” The Mavericks all saluted and launched into the air, scattering in different directions. Their leader shot another beam of magic into the air to clear up the skies, returning the day’s original, lovely afternoon. He smiled to the crowd then faded away, leaving the center of town to a crowd of confused and scared ponies, and a very annoyed Twilight. “Where’s Shining Ar-,” She shouted as her shadow tapped her on the shoulder. “Ah yes, Shining Armor is still missing. If you just wait here I’ll get him for you,” the head Maverick answered. He nodded to the shadow of a wall, which like the mares’ shadows, seemed normal at first. Two Mavericks spawned out of the wall, carrying a disoriented Shining Armor. “Shining Armor,” both Cadence and Twilight cried in unison. The Mavericks dropped him into Cadence’s care gently as Twilight ran to assist her. Shining Armor wasn’t responding. “What did you do to him,” Cadence angrily asked. “We’ve done nothing to him. It’s just a side effect of the shadow melding spell. Do not worry, it’ll wear off momentarily.” Moments later Shining Armor finally regained some conscience. “Er…what, where am I,” Shining Armor muttered. Cadence and Twilight were filled with joy and comforted him. “My apologies Captain for the ‘sucker-kick,’ but we needed your presence for our cause.” “You?” Shining Armor jumped out of Cadence’s care, but tripped, still feeling dizzy. “You know who I am?” “I got a glimpse of you when you hit me.” “Again, our most sincere apologies.” The head Maverick walked up to Cadence and Twilight. “I’m a changeling of my word, you got your brother back and, and you got your husband back.” “Thanks?” “You’re welcome Miss Sparkle, now good day.” “Wait-,” though it was too late for her plea, for the Mavericks were already gone. “Shoot, what do we do now Twilight,” Applejack asked. “We have to go tell Princess Celestia! She’ll know what to do.” “I say we go and find those ‘Mavericks’ and teach them a lesson,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, starting to fly away. “No Rainbow,” twilight shouted, halting Rainbow Dash with her magic. “You saw what happened when we were discussing my plan. Besides we don’t even know what their motives are. I’m not sure what he meant by ‘We are the tides of change,’ He didn’t really explain what the ‘Mavericks’ are trying to achieve.” “Well I’m sure there is something on them in the Canterlot library,” Cadence added on. Twilight could barely hear Cadence due to the crowd of uneasy ponies. She teleported over to the fountain in front of the crowd. “Listen everypony! I know everyone is confused about what happen a little while ago, but don’t worry. We are going to get to the bottom of this,” Twilight declared. Mayor Mare made her way to Twilight and faced the crowd. “Thank you Twilight. Everypony please continue on with your day, I can assure twilight and her friends will fix everything.” Mayor Mare’s words had an effect on the crowd, calming them down and dispersing them back to the streets of Ponyville. “Thank you Mayor. Come on gang we need to get to Canterlot ASAP!” Everyone cheered as the mane six and the royal couple ran off to the Ponyville train station. “Sir,” A Maverick asked, arising from the shadows of the Ponyville clock tower, on the other side of town. “Yes Arachne,” the head Maverick answered, looking out to the main segment of Ponyville. “Why did we show those mares any mercy back at the fountain? Teaching them a lesson would have struck fear into the crowd. The pony kind has never shown us changelings any mercy and clearly they were preparing to be the aggressors.” “I showed them mercy because that’s what we do. We don’t want to cause any more conflict then we need to fulfill our mission. You must remember Arachne; the ponies did love us at some point, even if though they no longer do. Besides we were shown mercy once…” “But at what cost? We were ridiculed and became mere shadows of who we once were because of him!” “Because of him we as a species are still alive, albeit barely. Remember who our real enemy is. We need those mares, you know that. They possess the abilities we need.” “Of course, but Morpheus-,” “No ‘buts’ Arachne. We’ve been planning this for a millennia; we cannot slow down for any reason.” “Of course. It’s just…I’m just nervous about this whole plan.” “Everyone passes through the bog of doubt, but you must trust me Arachne, you must have faith in the group. We will be successful.” “But what if we aren’t successful,” Arachne stepped up to Morpheus. “We will.” “But what if we-” We will be successful.” “Very well sir, I believe you,” Arachne said walking back to the darkness. She looked back to Morpheus, who was still looking toward the Ponyville, lost in deep thought, frowned, and then disappeared.
Chapter 3: UrgencyChapter 3: Urgency Knowledge is vital to one’s well being. The stronger the will to learn, the stronger the mind. -Starswirl the Bearded “Here are the forms from the mayor of Fillydelphia you requested your highness,” Princess Celestia’s assistant said, using her magic to lift the stack of paper work to her. Celestia with luna at her side took the papers from her and began to look through them and make marks using her quill. “Thank you, that’ll be all for now,” Celestia said to her assistant, focusing on the papers. The assistant bowed and left the throne room. “Sister? Do you need assistance with those,” Princess Luna asked. “It’s alright little sister, these are just a few maintenance forms that need updating. Why do you ask?” “I feel as if I’m not doing as much as I should be as a princess.” “Don’t worry, you’ll be able to perform certain duties as princess in time as soon as you get a better understanding of modern Equestria.” “If you say so sister.” As Celestia filled out the out the forms with Luna sitting there, a royal guard entered the throne room. “Princess, Miss Twilight Sparkle and the royal couple are here to see you. She claims it is an emergency,” he said, bowing to the two princesses. “I see, send them in,” Celestia responded, putting the paperwork aside. The guard nodded and left the room to fetch Twilight and her group. The door to the room slowly opened up, but Twilight barged in along with her friends. “Princess!” Twilight cried out. “Twilight? What’s the matter? The guard told me you were here for an emergency?” “Princess, Ponyville was INVADED!” “Invaded? Invaded by who?” “Well…that’s the thing princess. We don’t know who they were, we were actually hoping you would know. They were changelings that go by the name: The Mavericks.” “The Mavericks,” confused, Celestia looked to Luna, who too seemed to be clueless. “Princess?” Celestia sighed, and spoke “I’m…sorry Twilight, but we haven’t heard of this group, and if we did we don’t seem to remember them now.” Everyone in Twilight’s group gasped at the Princess’ answer, except for Twilight, who was in shock. “Come with me everyone, we are going to find out who they are.” Celestia and Luna stood up from their thrones and led the group out of the throne room and to the castle’s private library. When they got there, the group split up individually except for Luna who stayed with Celestia and the royal couple. For what seemed like hours they searched high and low, throughout the entire library, trying to locate any evidence about the invaders. Their search came close to an end when the group met up and came to the last segment of the library—The Starswirl the Bearded section. “Something has to be in here. If anyone knew about the Mavericks, it was Starswirl,” Twilight said, looking up to his emblem that indicated the beginning of the section. She walked inside, using her magic to look and filter through the various old scrolls and books the long since passed unicorn left behind. Although Starswirl the Bearded had near endless amounts of knowledge and texts regarding creatures and magic in his writings, it seems even the father of the anamorphic spell and modern magic, held no information on this group. “Let’s see what you’ve got AJ.” Applejack placed a small scroll on the table in the center of the library. It held the title: Changeling findings. “Way to go AJ. I’m positive this is exactly what we need,” fueling everyone’s spirits after a tiring and futile search. The ponies gathered around the round table to take a closer look and the scroll. Twilight unraveled it and began reading its’ contents. "The Changelings are fascinating creatures with remarkable capabilities. I’ve concluded that they coexist with us ponies and look very similar, for without ponies providing them the love they need to survive, since they appear to feed of the emotion, the Changeling specie would surely die out. They possess an ability only the seers of the highest unicorn order can achieve—the ability to take on any appearance or persona they please, hence their name. This ability is a double edged blade, which is why it was outlawed by King Titanium of the unicorn tribe across the pony lands years ago , and which is also why the changelings are given a harsh reputation and conviction by the three tribes that reduces them to as much as an old mare’s tale. The changelings left the pony lands not too long ago, but even before then it has come to my attention that none of my records nor the texts of Princess Platinum’s royal library bear any information or background to these creatures except for this scroll I am writing purely based on the tale of the Changelings and an old painting of what I assume is one of their matriarchs. I hereby resign my position here as court wizard to the princess and to leave immediately in search of the changelings." It ended at the bottom of the scroll with his insignia. “That’s all there is…” Twilight said, disappointed. “No! this can’t be ‘all there is’,” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Easy Rainbow. Ah’m sure it’s a good starting point for the search, and ah’ll bet there is more information somewhere in this library,” Applejack affirmed. Luna took a closer look at the scroll, catching a glimmer that caught her attention. “Do you see something sister,” Celestia asked. “There is something about his insignia. I remember he used seemingly meaningless objects as a catalyst for certain spells. Look sister.” Celestia and the group looked closer to the insignia and also caught the glimmer Luna had noticed. She used her magic and blasted the emblem, alarming everyone. The emblem shined and emitted a special light that stretched across the entire room. “Of course! Master Starswirl’s holofield spell,” Celestia muttered. “What’s going on princess?” Before Celestia could respond, appearances of scrolls faded in and out, flying around them. The alive scrolls alarmed the group and terrified Fluttershy who hid behind an amazed Pinkie Pie. “There, that should do it, the princess sisters will surely be pleased,” the voice of a stallion echoed. “Shining,” Cadence asked. “Wasn’t me.” A flickering, elderly Starswirl the Bearded walked over the table where Rarity and Applejack stood. The jumped out of the way, letting the hologram make its course. “At this rate Canterlot Castle should be completed by next year. It looks fantastic here on the mountainside, don’t you think? I’m…sure your younger sister would have loved it here,” Luna looked to Celestia, who looked down. “Sister, do you remember this,” Luna asked. “Vaguely, it was so long ago.” “Good day Princess. I will see you tomorrow, I’m just going to finish up my work here.” Starswirl walked over to the wall where his large emblem no resides and used his magic on it. The emblem lit up and the wall transformed into a blinding light. When the group was able to look again, the wall was normal, and the holofield spell ended. “Where did he go,” Twilight asked, running over to the wall. She used her magic in the same fashion as Starswirl and hit the emblem. It lit up, much to Twilight’s surprise, but surprise turned to disappointment as the emblem deactivated and turned dark. Out of frustration, she shot the emblem several more times to the point of exhaustion but to no success. “Twilight, I’m afraid it’s no use. Master Starwirl clearly did not want anyone to find out about this,” Celestia mentioned, not helping Twilight. “But…but, we were so close.” She looked up to her mentor, hoping for reassurance, however the princess could not find an answer Twilight sought out so said nothing. Instead Shining Armor came to his little sister. “Don’t worry about it Twiley, we’ll get the information we need. We just need to…,” “Look harder,” Cadence added. Twilight smiled and brushed the disappointment off. “You’re right. Shining, Cadence, could you stay here and find some more clues that relates to this scroll and the changelings?” Shining Armor and Cadence smiled and nodded.“Girls, we need to head back to Ponyville. We might be able to find some evidence on the Mavericks or at least be able to summon them again.” The other five mares agreed and they began to leave the library. At the last second, Celestia pulled Twilight off to the side. “Twilight, are you sure you do not need our assistance,” she asked. “Thank you princess, but we can handle these changelings or whoever they are and we’ll solve this mystery before you know it.” Celestia paused, then nodded. Twilight smiled softly and ran out the room to catch up with her friends. Against Twilight’s wishes, the alicorn sisters staid back and helped out the royal couple search for more of Starswirls scrolls. The sounds of the four ponies muttering echoed through the silent library. “Morpheus, the elements are advancing and heading back to Ponyville, proceed with the mission…are you sure…alright sir if you say so,” A Maverick whispered from the shadows of the bookshelves, looking to the royal family. He faded back into the shadows without a sound or trace of his presence. Author's Note Sorry for the long update, as I was finishing up the semester and now have the time to publish the third chapter. I'd also like to apologize again for the strange way it is printed as I am still trying to get used to the Fimfiction way of editing. Hoe you enjoy :).
