In Friendship Due we Part

Lance stretched and rolled out of his room's bed. He rolled his head side to side trying to work out a kink, Walking over to the window he opened the curtain and looked out across the waking Ponyville.

The first rays of the sun were barely peaking over the horizon, making it about an hour before sunrise Lance thought to himself. The clouds in the sky were light up with the sun's radiance coloring them breathtaking shades of pink and purple. The town itself was still in shadow muting the bright colors of it's streets.

Lance let the curtains drop as he turned back into his room. his uniform jacket was hanging on a door to the small wardrobe he stuffed his duffel-bag into. Lance took it off the hanger and began to don it, grabbing the matching cap off the bedside table and a pocketful of bits he stepped out of his room and into the hallway, heading downstairs into the lobby and dining area of the 'Gilded Bridle'.

The patron of the Gilded Bridle, Honey Sprinkle, was humming an upbeat tune to herself behind the counter as Lance came down the stairs. "Well your up kinda early love. Sleep okay?"

Lance glanced up at her, she was a rose colored earth pony with a hazel mane. Lance nodded his head to her as he replied. "Thank you, I slept fine. Is anything laying out for breakfast?"

Honey laughed as she nodded towards the dining area, "Pastries from the Sugar-cube Corner and fresh fruit from the Apple Acres. Do enjoy now, most of town won't be waking for a bit."

Lance tilted his head, "Thank you again, I know I woke you last night but."

"Don't worry about it love. Most night's aren't so interesting, we usually don't have much in the way of visitors out here." Honey leaned down from the counter and followed lance into the dining area where he saw a meager portion of fruits and breads on a central table, echoing how few patrons the inn had.

Lance pulled an apple and pastry out of the central display and sat down. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is it because of the fighting?"

Honey tilted her head and adopted the same quizzical expression every-pony else did at the mention of fighting. "What fighting love?"

Lance put down the pastry back down, fearing he knew the answer to his question. "The Changlings?"

Honey laughed, "Where have you been silly? That was over a year ago!"

Lance, not wanting to hear anymore about these ponies ignorance of his brother's war, relented. "Yeah I heard. Something about the Elements of Harmony."

"Love, the Elements saved Canterlot! Did you know they all live right here in Ponyville!? Well I do believe Miss Sparkle has returned to Canterlot for a time. But the other five still reside and work here!"

Lance, absent minded, began to finish his light breakfast while listening to Honey continue.

"Applejack's family are the ones to own the orchards where this very fruit came from,  and these pastries were likely cooked by Pinkie Pie! The Elements have done well by us for a long time now and we here in Ponyville are very proud of them. I simply cannot count the number of times the lot of them have saved Ponyville or all of Equestria!" Honey finished by throwing her forelegs into the air.

Lance stood quickly from his seat, drawing a surprised look from Honey Sprinkle. "Thank you for the breakfast. I will be off to see the town now." Lance nodded curtly and left, still stewing.

How was it that not one pony had heard of the war!? Not one pony here had a single relative fighting? Not one friend that had left not to return? Ponies were still loosing their lives in Stalliongrad. While not as often as when the war started Lance admitted to himself, it was still happening. and the Ponies they were defending had no idea of the sacrifices made? It was unacceptable to Lance.

Lance spent the first half of the morning wandering the broad avenues of Ponyville, learning his way around town and the locations of the more prominent buildings. He was on his way to the Library, thinking to put some research into the Changlings or mass Illusion magic when he bumped into some other pony, also not paying attention to where they were walking.

"well I never!" Lance heard the other pony say in a mares dignified voice, the accent sounding reminiscent of someone Lance had met from Manehatten. Lance quickly looked up to see a Unicorn with a shining white coat and a purple mane.

"I umm. I'm terribly sorry ma'am! I shouldn't've" Lance began when reaching to help the mare up.

He was interrupted as the mare took his hoof to stand back up before dusting herself off. "Oh but of course! And what is a fine gentle-stallion such as yourself doing wandering about with his head in the clouds?"

Lance began to stammer as he began to dust himself off and straighten his uniform. "I, I'm here on leave ma'am just trying to find my way around town ma'am."

The white mare blinked her eyes in an interested manner, "Ooooo a military man! Oooh but look at this uniform now! So dusty and, blech! Raggedy!"

Lance began to blush as he apologized. "I'm terribly sorry ma'am I'll get it fixed right away, Ill just"

He was interrupted once again by the white mare as she grabbed one of his forelegs and began to lead him down the street. "Now that just won't do! Come with me back to my Boutique and will fix this travesty for you!"

Lance still following meekly tried protesting. "But I"

"I wont have any of that good sir! It has been far too long since I have been able to challenge myself within the confines of some-pony else's imagination and I simply cannot let this opportunity pass!"

"But ma'am I"

"And please sir, desist with that incessant Ma'am! As flattering as it is you sound as though your a broken record! If you must, my name is Rarity, and you have my permission to call me by such!"

"Really, ma', I mean Rarity I have very little with which- Oompf!" Lance was stunned as for the second time that day he walked right into another pony. He recovered much quicker this time and immediately turned to help the other-pony up as Rarity had stopped as well.

Lance saw on the ground a small statured mare pegasus with a yellow coat and pink mane. "I'm terribly sorry" he began.

But was cut short as the pegasus mumbled simultaneously. "I'm so sorry!"

Both of them started again at the same time. "No it was my fault." causing both to blush and hide their faces.

Rarity chose this time to interject, "Fluttershy darling, this is.... I'm sorry I seem to have forgotten your name! Unforgivable of me!"

"I uh.. Minder, I'm called Lance Minder."

"Oh well that's just splendid!" Rarity beamed, "Lance this is Fluttershy, she's Ponyville's foremost animal caretaker, veterinarian more like!"

Lance looked a little surprised, "You, you take care of animals without the use of magic?"

Fluttershy, hugging herself against the ground a little tighter at this stranger's attention replied, "Well... I'm a pegasus. We don't have magic."

Lance could barely hear her muted tones and was putting together the words he did hear into a conscious thought when Rarity interrupted once more, "Come now dear, You simply must join the two of us in the Boutique while I work my magic on Lance's uniform!"

Fluttershy looked around panicky, searching for an excuse. Lance saw this and spoke up. "Well no that's alright I'm sure she-

And Fluttershy began as well, "I really should-

But Rarity spoke once more, not even looking back as she began to lead the way to her Boutique once more, "Come along now!"

Lance looked sheepishly at Fluttershy, and she shrugged before following, causing Lance to blush as he tagged along. This was, he thought to himself, the most social place he had ever visited in his life, he was sure any-pony would be locked up if they were this outgoing on the streets of Seaddle.

Fluttershy and Lance followed Rarity quietly to hear Boutique, and Lance was silently impressed. It was one of the more extravagant buildings of the town he had seen, looking to be more apart of Flankfurt or Seaddle than a small community such as this.

Rarity swung open the door to her shop and inhaled the expensive scents that wafted from within before entering, "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! Now if you would be so kind as to allow me your jacket?" She cast her eyes back at Lance, who nervously removed his uniform and held it out, where Rarity grabbed it using her magic.

Lance and Fluttershy both started eyeing the ground for anything interesting to look at during the ensuing silence, until Rarity had set the uniform on a desk and glanced back, "Oh don't look so downtrodden you too! Fluttershy really, offer our guest refreshments or something!"

Lance quickly glanced up at Fluttershy, "I.. I'm fine thanks." But jumped again as Rarity spoke up.

"So Lance, what brings you to Ponyville this time of year?"

Lance glanced around and made an effort to relax before responding, "I am on.. Leave. The, that is, my commander gave me a couple weeks of time away from the unit for a break."

Fluttershy in an effort to be social as well spoke up, almost too softly for Lance to hear once again. "Well that's nice of him."

"Lance glanced over her direction, "Yeah, yeah It is..."

"Its too bad you couldn't make it last week, "Rarity spoke up from behind her work desk, now half buried in the shoddy Army stitching she had pulled from the uniform. "You missed a wonderful Winter Wrap Up."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "Oh yes, Twilight came up from Canterlot to oversee it and everything went perfect."

Lance kept glancing at the mess that was becoming of his uniform, fearing that he would have to find a new one before going home. But he made an effort to ignore that for now. "It's been a while since I've seen a Weather event like that." he mused.

"No weather events? How do you change the weather, wherever you came from?" Shulltershy seemed genuinely curious.

"Well no, we do have them back in Seaddle, just.. For the last year we've been kinda too busy over in Stalliongrad to perform any... So we just kinda let the weather take its own course..."

Rarity looked up from the worktable, "It does that??" She glanced at Fluttershy and they shrugged at each other. "How is that drab city faring? the color palette is so bleak, always hated it." Rarity mused to herself.

Lance glanced downwards, "Its just as drab as ever."

Fluttershy spoke up again, "What were you doing there? The army I mean.."

Lance looked out a window, stating to become very tired of this repetitive ignorance, but unsure of what else to do or say, began it again. "Fighting the Changelings."

Rarity looked up from the table directly at Lance, "They've attacked again? When did this happen!?"

Lance looked at the two mares, Rarity seemed worried but agitated, while Fluttershy seemed scared. "Not again.. Its been constant since the Canterlot incident."

"Impossible!" Rarity called out, causing Fluttershy to squeak. "We trumped them soundly in Canterlot! Cadence and Shining Armor sent them fleeing from the city after we battled them in the streets!"

Lance shook his head. "I'm sorry but that was one battle... I mean... You guys did great and all but theirs an entire war continuing over this..."

Rarity let out a small, indignant noise. "Well let's just see about that once Twilight gets back! Surely the other princess's have told her something about this! And failing that she can demand an answer from Celestia!"

Lance looked over at Fluttershy with a concerned look on his face, he didn't know how close these ponies were to Celestia... But He had never heard any-pony talk of demanding anything from the sun princess!

Fluttershy however, had seen a mistake Rarity had made while she was speaking out and had moved to point it out to her friend. Soon the two of them became fully engrossed in Lance's uniform, talking quietly to each other over the minute details of the job.

Lance enjoyed the quiet, the only sounds made by the clacking of Rarity's sewing machine punctured by small discussions between Fluttershy and Rarity over details of his uniform.

It was; peaceful, he decided, watching the two lovely mares so engrossed with their work. Before he had left for the Royal Equestrian Army he was too young to understand the appeal of such peace, and during his tenure in Stalliongrad no such harmony exsisted.

Lance's revelry was disturbed as the bell above the door announced that Rarity had another visitor. Habitually Lance reacted, stepping out into veiw in hopes of surprising the new arrival and showing them the two mares were not un-protected. The orange colored mare who had entered the boutique was indeed surprised, jumping enough that she dropped the basket she had been carrying and he brown stetson hat fell down over her blonde coloured bangs.

Lance quickly apologized, realizing what he just did and retrieved the mares basket and few foodstuffs that fell from it.

"Now what in tarnation! 'Ah nearly had a heart attack from that fright!" Her accent was thick, marking her out as one of the country ponies that came from far to the south of Canterlot.

Lance began to mutter out a stuttered apology to the startled mare when Rarity interrupted in her usual fashion, "Oh Applejack, do calm yourself! This is Lance, sorry if he's a tad ah.... Jumpy."

Lance bowed his head to the so named Applejack, "Apologies, ma'am." He was surprised when she proffered her hoof to him.

"Howdy there Lance!" She replied as Lance lightly shook her hoof surprised at the strength of her grip.

Rarity continued on, the sound of her sewing machine starting again, as Fluttershy walked over to Applejack and Lance, "He's a soldier AJ! Royal Equestrian Army, here in my boutique!" Rarity began to squeal with delight but caught herself and cleared her throat in a more dignified manner.

"A healer too!" Fluttershy beamed, barely loud enough to be considered another ponies speaking voice.

Lance opened his mouth to correct Fluttershy about him being a Medic, not a healer, but couldn't bring himself to call her out or re-direct the attention to so small a mistake. Then Lance noticed Applejack was eyeing him suspiciously. She spoke again, with none of the friend demeanor as before, "Your not one of them... Recruitment types are ya?"

Lance stammered senselessly before Rarity came to his rescue. "AJ! Do leave the poor thing alone! As a matter of fact he's come here to take of break from fighting!.. Oops." She squeaked out the last word.

Applejack's glare intensified even more, her eyes becoming hard. "Oh so now that its been a few years you think its okay to drag us simple folk into another war!? Well how many pony-folk will have to get hurt in this one before you all stop picking fights with others?"

Lance, rather cowed, tried defending himself while Rarity and Fluttershy stared with disbelief at their friends outburst. "It's not us! We... The Changlings-"

"Oh no buster! Applejack roared, her voice and conviction strong. "Don't you go blaming this on no Changlings!" She stepped foreword, causing Lance to step backwards. "Well tell your 'Royal' Army this: If they take so much as one pony more from Ponyville the Apple Family will cease providing them with their food! See how they wage a war without eatin's!"

Lance began to stammer, and before any-pony else could respond Applejack stormed through the door leading to the back of the boutique. Lance stood numbly, in shock, staring back at Fluttershy and Rariy.

The former looked like she was ready to burst into tears while Rarity approached Lance slowly, speaking softly too him. "You must forgive AJ darling.. Its just, she lost allot during the last conflict with- Hey! Where are you going!?"

Lance had turned and began to flee the boutique, "Sorry I have to go. Ill get the uniform later." The last thing he saw when he exited the door was Rarity pausing, her eyes dating between her departing guest and her friend. Lance ignored Rarity's protests. he couldn't face Applejack after that. Her friends had taken him in out of generosity and kindness and he re-payed them by upsetting their friend greatly.

Worse was he knew exactly what Applejack was upset about. The Apple family was big: They served Equestria in all sorts of fields, agriculture mostly. But there were a few that had answered the call in his nations history, including one rather recently during-

Lance froze, he suddenly felt a chill and wave of unease wash over him. Suddenly realizing where he was Lance thought he could figure out why: In his anxiety and grief he had wandered into Ponyville's market, just in time to catch the evening rush.

There seemed to be at least a hundred ponies, pushing and milling about aimlessly. The noise was deafening, the sights were even more confusing with the surroundings constantly shifting. Lance knew there was no place better to be than a market if you wanted to be lost, and no place worse if you felt paranoid, which Lance certainly did.

Lance was disturbed as a dark colored pony bumped into him, causing him to panic. Backing quickly out of the ponies way Lance ran into a stall, causing it to crash to the ground. The noise startled Lance and he spun around to see-

Sprite: The young pegasus was at one time an acrobat, and aspiring Wonderbolt. She was also brand new to Lance's squad and Stalliongrad.

"I... I'm alright." The tiny green mare stammered.

"That's right," Lance cooed, trying to calm her. "Too easy right? Just a lone Changling out there. That's all were hunting, no surprises. You just be ready to keep it from taking off and we'll do the rest."

'The FNP gonna be okay?" Echoed a strong voice from the front of the column, further up the alley Lance was sitting in with a dozen other ponies. That would be Sergeant Poulder, the leader of Lance's squad. He was a huge Earth-pony who was a native of Stalliongrad, who used to work in the Train Factory.

Lance turned to the from of the column before replying, "She's fine now, just a bit shaken from that chase!" Lance helped the mare up, wondering not for the first time why she would volunteer for this mess.

The squad then proceeded down the dusty alleyway. Poulder was always first, not trusting any-pony else to spot Changling ambushes. Certainly Lance never knew there were so many different shades or Red or Gray before Poulder pointed out to him the nuance;s of a city so mono-chromatic as Stalliongrad.

Seeker, a unicorn gifted in finding items he put a track to, plotted along behind Poulder until he nodded down another alley to the left. "It went that way sarn't"

Poulder took the offered path without breaking stride and spoke just loudly enough for every-pony to hear him. "This alley leads down to the Green May's market."

Every-pony save Sprite groaned, knowing they had good as lost their quarry. But Poulder continued, "You know the drill, teams of 2, every group having at least one earth type. Doc, your on me."

Lance glanced at Sprite once more to make sure she was okay before quickly trotting up to the sergeant. Lance and every-pony else knew the drill well: The squads 2 pegasi would take to the air when they got to the market and circle, ensuring nothing left or entered the market, and to make sure the changling couldn't take off. Then the unicorn's and earth-ponies would wander around for a while looking for the quarry on the ground. The earth-ponies would question everyone in their market knowing that a Changling could not alter its voice like it could its form. A unicorn would pair off with each earth-pony, relying on their strength as a shield as they used their magic to dis-spell any-pony that looked suspicious hoping to catch the changing and removing their disguise.

At least that was how the regulation's put it. But every-pony knew that you couldn't stop the civilian's from coming and going as they pleased from their own market's so usually the squad would just wander around in the square for as long as seemed appropriate before leaving, the Changling having made a clean get away.

Poulder's squad entered the market and immediately spread out in pairs, with the two pegasi; Sprite and Wind taking off to begin their circles.

Lance scanned back and forth over the crowds, who were all too busy ignoring the soldiers in their midst. Lance understood though, they were living in the midst of a war in a city whose entire economy was shattered by the last year's worth of conflict. Each had borne witness to these searches before, and they each had seen the results of these futile searches as much as the soldiers themselves.

Lance casually cast his dis-spelling magic on a mare over the counter of a stall. He saw her shiver and do her best to ignore it. He felt no foreign magics within her and apologized as he and Poulder passed, his sergeant long ago having given up on trying to understand why Lance was so empathetic to everyone he crossed.

Behind him Poulder asked questions of everyone that he passed as well. Changlings could change their appearance and otherwise had flight and magic capabilities comparable to that of unicorns and pegasi respectively but that was all, get one to react and it still reacted like a Changling, that was how you hunted them.

The hunt had lasted nearly an hour by the time the ponies of Stalliongrad began to get unruly and started leaving the market square. Seeing this Poulder looked at lance and slashed his hoof in front of his neck, signaling that he was calling the search done. Lance relayed the message up to the pegasi who he knew would continue it to the rest of the squad so every-pony could reform.

As Lance was turning he bumped into an unicorn, who quickly apologized in the tone of one who thought himself above such fault. Lance offered an apology of his own before continuing on. As lance caught up with Poulder he spared a glance over his shoulder to ensure the rest of the squad was reforming and saw the unicorn he had run into casting a magic, his horn glowing with green entropy magic.

"Wait a sec," Lance called out to Poulder. "That unicorn spoke to me! But entropy magic is the domain of...."

"Changling magic!" Lance heard Seeker yell, and the entire squad jumped into action. Poulder spun and scanned for the Changling, the pegasi swooped low over the crowd hoping to flush it out, and the crowd panicked, dozens of ponies scattering every direction.

Lance began to dive headlong through the crowd, seeing Sprite do the same from the far side, skimming low enough to touch those below her. Then Lance saw an apple fly up out of the crowd towards Sprite, and knew what was coming. He tried to call out a warning to Sprite as she dodged it nimbly, crying out, "Hey! What the-!"

Her cry was cut short as she looked back, her eyes still caught by the movement of the apple, and caught a blue bolt of entropic magic to her chest. The bolt threw her up several feet and back, then she plummeted straight down, enveloped in an acrid smoke from her singed coat.

Lance now began to deviate, shouldering his wat to the fallen Sprite. out of the corner of his eye he saw the Changling diving into the crowds. Lance briefly considered giving chase, but now he had his job to do, Lance pressed on. Upon reaching Sprites side he shot up a series of sparks that would float above him for a time, to allow his squad knowledge of his location, then he bent over Sprite.

She was alive, though in a fairly bad condition. Lance quickly scanned her with magic and sight, and felt her for any damages, causing her to whimper in pain. Several broken ribs, caused by the magic bolt. Scrapes and bruises from being trampled and a shattered left wing from landing on it.

Lance began to cast his healing magics on her first broken rib, making her cry out in pain. "Shhh, its okay Sprite." He began, having to speak loudly over the crowds, still unsure if she heard anything in her current condition. "Just relax, Im going to fix you up sure as sure." Lance heard the first rib snap back into place, causing Sprite to gasp out in pain.

Lance continued, "You got a lil messed up Sprite, but your gonna be okay. I've got you." The snap of the second rib caused another gasp, but this time Sprite continued to breathe deeply on her own. Good Lance thought, her lungs are fine then. Then the third rib. Snap!

Lance leaned back, collapsing against the door. His heart still pounded. He was covered in sweat, and still felt like he couldn't breathe. To calm himself he forced himself to remember what happened the rest of that day.

He saved Sprite of course, she was in bad condition but his magic made saving her just a matter of patience and effort. But of course the Changling made it away as well. His squad did not expect to find the Changling and were unprepared. The Changling was an enigma of itself though, as no pony had ever seen one that could talk, not like a pony at any rate.

Lance breathed deeply, now knowing what he could do, what he should do. This town supposedly had one of the best libraries outside of Canterlot or Flankfurt. Lance would take a trip there and see, he would see if there were any works on Changlings. There had to be some record of them prior to their appearance last year, and he would find it.