Eclipsed

  Prechapter Author's Note: This chapter will be from Andromeda's P.O.V., so it'll be in first pony (person, whatever).

    I lowered my self gently towards the ground below me, a surge of light pink magic encasing me before I re-appeared as a simple pink unicorn, my magic extending to my cutie mark and turning it in to a rose. I already had a carefully planned cover story and I'd decided what my special talent was.

    Anyway, the first place on my scourge of changelings was Ponyville. I'd have to take extreme measures to fly under the radar and stay far, far away from the Elements of Harmony. Even in their older prime years, the other elements still had their odd super-ultra perceptive powers......and I definitely had to watch out for auntie Pinkie.

    I trotted in to town, levitating two suitcases behind me. One held my killing and trapping things, and the other held care items. If I wanted to fly under the radar I had to look normal and trap and execute cleanly, no evidence and no weirdness. For emphasis on that last part, I stuck on a 'Background Pony' spell.

    In three seconds, I was immediately confronted with my worst fear. "Hi! Are you new around here? You must be new around here because I've never seen you before and if you're new that means you have no friends. Oh no that's so sad because friends are the super-duperest most bestest things in the whole wide world and believe me, I know because I have six best best best best best best best best friends, and one of them's Princess Twilight! I know it sounds silly, but........"

   She turned in a full circle three times before coming to a stop. "Hey, new pony, where'd ya go? I didn't even get to ask your name which is super sad because then when I throw you your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party I can't put your name on the banner and if ponies don't know your name they can't be friends with you and..."

   Pinkie's voice trailed off as I ducked behind a row of thatched-roof cottages. I took a moment to smooth down my mane, a couple of strands had popped up during my encounter with aunt Pinkie. Not to mention my eyes were wider than physically possible with terror and my chest was heaving.

    I quickly whipped out my map and checked the coast was clear before fleeing at  normal pace towards my temporary home, a normal cottage with a straw roof that somehow held out rain (was it enchanted perhaps?) and whitewashed posterior walls. The inside was a warm cream color with some nice magenta carpeting.

   But the important part was that everything was low key and completely, utterly, normal. Nothing unique to draw attention to myself.

* * * * * *

   "Tell me. What's going on in Canterlot Castle?" I walked slowly, my knife held at the pegasus's throat. I'd been down here for fifteen minutes, my patience was beginning to wear thin. If she didn't talk soon, she'd be just another dead body. I twisted the knife slightly, causing her to wince in pain as a drop of blood rolled down her neck.

   She said nothing. So I tried again. "Listen, if you tell me what's going on, I'll let you go. I just want to know why some of Princess Aura's guards are pegasi but have active unicorn magic on them. Can you tell me why?"

   Her eyes went wide, but she still kept quiet. A stubborn one. Then she started speaking as more blood trickled down her neck, staining her mint-green coat with red. "I-I wasn't told much. But Queen Chrysalis said that we'd been ordered by the Dark Lady to get Princess Aura. That's all I know."

    I pondered this new installment of information for a minute. My sister was in danger because some 'Dark Lady' had allied or hired the changelings to get her. But...it wasn't enough. I needed more facts before I could make my case to my aunt Celestia. "Where are some higher up changelings stationed here?"

    She gulped, the act causing more blood to flow. "Th-there's a pony named Silver Gust, and she's been replaced. The real pony is still alive, though." She was shaking like a leaf. In a sudden surge of compassion that came from galaxy-knows-where, I made the most stupid offer I possibly could.

    "If I let you go, will you be my friend and help me hunt down other changelings? I know it's a lot to ask, but I could use the inside information and you look like you could use a friend."

   She looked over at me and concentrated on re-connecting her mouth and her brain with her vocal chords. "Really? You'd let an enemy become a friend slash informant?"

    I thought about that for a minute. Whats she was saying did make sense. We were enemies. But that could change. And I was going to change it. "Yes, I would." I replied as a large smile slowly slid across her face.

   "But first," she got nervous again, "you need a name. I can't travel with a horse with no name." Her smile re-established its claim on her muzzle. Then she got a thoughtful look to her.

   "My name will be......Selene."

    I smiled at her before I remembered what I looked how I looked at the moment. I dropped my disguise in a whirl of pink magic. She lost the smile really fast.

   I grabbed the knife and cleaned it absentmindedly as I cast a healing spell on her neck wound, the tissues connecting and fur growing over it. "Well Selene, shall we go?" I asked. "We've got to catch the noon train to Detrot, and on the way you can tell me who's there."

   And we left.