//------------------------------//
// Search Party 
// Story: Emperor Despair 
// by Comrade Bagel Muffin 
//------------------------------//

	Comet held one of the two books in front of him. The room was lit with a faint blue hue as dozens upon dozens of papers floated in the air all around him. Each one filled with scribbles and arcane symbols. He was close he could fill it. His eyes constantly shifting from the book to the symbols that slowly shifted around him. He understood the intentions, the methodical patterns and designs that had been woven into the books. How to translate them from subconscious to conscious was proving more difficult to him than he had originally thought. All the papers stopped. There was something strange about the rune. It was odd, it was the way it should have been, but something felt off.
"Hekima the Zebra of wisdom a zebra that was very wise, taught many a pony and zebra how to avoid swift demise." Zecora said seeming to appear out of no where. Not even in this stony cave did the zebra make any noises that might hint to her presence. "You think something is off that something is not right, something that might bring the secrets of these books to light?"
"I think," Comet stopped he, trying to figure out how to voice what he was feeling. The zebra waited patently for the colt, as she studied the paper. "I think that there something in the symbol something that shouldn't be."
"If what your needing is true, then what you may need is a different point of view." The colt started to spin the piece of paper slowly like it was a combination on lock. The two of the studied it at each angle before Comet screamed in frustration.
"Dang another one just a dead end." The look Zecora gave him prompted him to explain. "The ones on the table over there I thought that they were the same, but clearly they weren't."
"Comet Dust that may not be, dead ends or pieces of a key." Zecora took the paper from him and put it on the table. "Examining each part is good, but never forget the whole, only when all things are seen and heard is the truth told." She started to turn the papers cautiously and gently, like she was listening to invisible tumblers. "Comet if you would please find others that are like these. When you are done help me see, if these old zebra runes are in fact a key."
Comet continued to search through the papers, he pulled out five more for the hundreds that floated around him. and passed them to Zecora. The two of them studied them for an hour placing groups together and slowly rotating them. "Wait" Comet said stopping Zecora. "Keep it like that." He put four more of the old Zebrain runes on to the two that they were working on. "That's it."
"I'm not sure what you mean, tell me please what you've seen."
"It's a Changeling script." Comet gabbed some of the notes that Screw Ball had taken and pulled them up. "See this one here is a match to that one there." He pointed with his hoof to the Changeling scripts.
"I fear that you are right, which means nothing more can be done for tonight."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but." Comet yawned. "I suppose tomorrow we can find out if there have been any changeling incidents in this part of Equestria. The griffons might know of some. Good night Zecora." The Zebra stared at him in shock something that Comet would have found amusing had he not been so tired he put the notes next to the runes, and let his magic die down.
"Just like that no fight, you're willing to go to bed immediately tonight."
"Yes, there's really nothing more we can do." He got on the small cot that made up his bed and closed his eyes. "Zecora, could you tell the others about this I'd like it to get done first thing in the morning."
"Of course I'll get to that now. I was planning on doing it any how."
"Good night mom." Zecora froze at the door before turning around, and smiling at the colt on his bed who was already asleep.
"Good night little one, if I had a foal I'd like you as a son."

"Changelings?" Gabriella asked. "Why the heck would you want one of those things, or more importantly why would you want one of those things here? Aren't they you know like evil?"
"No, I don't think they're evil just really really different," Sweetie Belle answered.
"Sure if by deferent you mean evil. They abduct the ones you love and then feed off of your love."
"Either way. We needed a changeling before, but now it is a top priority,"  Comet spoke up. "I don't like having to ask one of them for help either, but it will have to do. Unless either of you can read it or even the ancient griffon for a start." Gabriella shook her head back and forth Trove followed the negative action, but with much more reserve. Comet sighed. "Well that's a bust."
"I've heard rumors of changelings," Trove said from the wall were he was watching them discuss. "But as you're well aware they're not easily found. Especially if they don't want to be."
"Yeah they're really good at hiding. Rumors are a start though, and right now that's all we need."
"You needn't chase rumors and whispers," Storm said laying down as Dinky played on his back. "I have on rare occasions encountered changelings here in these mountains. Dinky ran up to the top of his head and lay down on her back.
"Storm knows everything about the mountains." She laughed.
"Not everything but enough." The dragon raised his giant hand up to his head for Dinky. She stepped in it, and he lowered her to the ground and her waiting sister. "I think that their hive is either deeper in the mountains or further off. But where I couldn't say. "
"Well that's an even better start if yer askin' me."
"It definitely narrows down the area that needs to be searched."
"I'll get some flyers and we'll begin the search."
"A unicorn should go as well, they can teleport back to the cave with a report to tell."
"I know some magic that will give them wings it's not easy, and I'll need at least a dozen other unicorns to cast it, but it will ensure that the search party isn't slowed down by a grounded member. The spell should last for three days. I think Amethyst should be the one to go. Her teleportation range is second to none."
"Yeah that makes sense. Alright I'll be taking Rumble and Pound of course."
"I am going as well." Trove walked up to the table.
"I wasn't expectin' you ta nominate yerself." Trove glared at her Apple Bloom didn't back down.
"Gilda made this Pegasus a part of the flock."
"Oh this would give me a ton of new stories to tell. I want to come too."
"Alright you're a fast enough flyer." Scootaloo looked around the table. "So we have three Pegasi two griffons and one air born unicorn. That's two wings. I think that will be enough. Get what you think you will need we're leaving at noon."