The upcoming wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Captain of the Royal Guard Shining Armor was pretty much all ponies were talking about. Quicksilver and Misty weren’t attending the wedding itself, but they looked forward to the city-wide celebrations that would follow.
Quicksilver relaxed on a couch in the front room and flipped through notes on one of his experiments. Suddenly, Misty galloped into the room and slid to a stop. Her eyes were wide, ears forward and alert. She glanced towards the ceiling. “Did you hear that? Like breaking glass and buzzing. Something’s wrong. I’m not sure what, but…“
“What is it?” Quicksilver asked, putting his notes down.
Misty looked at him. “I’m not sure. Something doesn’t feel right. I can’t quite tell what it is.”
Quicksilver got up, walked to the front door, and opened it. “The shield spell is down!“ he exclaimed.
He stepped outside onto the grass. Misty and Tinker remained on the porch behind him. As they scanned the sky, they noticed hundreds of small black dots moving towards the city. Panicked screams of nearby ponies filled the air.
“Changelings,” Tinker whispered. “You two get inside,“ he almost yelled. He then took several steps forward past Quicksilver and out into the front yard.
“What are you doing?“ Misty asked.
The changelings descended on the city like black rain. Some landed in the street. Several of them spun around to face the house and began advancing. Their mouths were open with fangs bared. Their wings fluttered threateningly.
Looking back towards the house, Tinker said, “I didn’t want you to find out like this, but know that I’m not part of this invasion.” His eyes were sad as he closed them. Flames of green magic surrounded him. When it subsided, Tinker had been replaced by a changeling.
Misty gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Her hooves slipped on the porch as she hastily backpedaled into the house. Quicksilver’s horn lit up as he took a defensive stance, legs wide and head lowered.
Tinker pointed at the house. “Please, get back inside. Now!” He stomped the ground. “It’s not safe out here. Lock the doors and protect yourself.”
Tinker turned and faced the approaching changelings. He let out a defiant snarl and took a step forward.
The closest changeling hissed, “You are one of us. Why do you defend this house?”
He growled, “I am not one of you, and I claim this house as my own. You may not have it or those inside.“
“We will take this house and there is nothing you can do to stop us.“ And with that, the changeling sprung toward Tinker. In mid-leap, a beam of magic hit the changeling. It dropped to the ground unconscious. Tinker turned to look and saw Quicksilver, his horn lit brightly with magic. He looked forward again as several more changelings rushed to attack. Additional blasts of magic dropped two more to the ground. Tinker engaged in combat with the others.
More changeling filled the street with every passing second. Some landed and immediately spun to face the house. They approached as if drawn by some unseen force. Quicksilver retreated inside and slammed the door behind him. It only took a second to lock and block it with a nearby couch. He turned around to see Misty standing in the middle of the room. Her eyes were wide and she trembled uncontrollably.
He moved next to her. His horn flared as he cast a shield spell. “I’ll protect the house, and we can wait this out.” He pulled a hoof around her shoulder. “It’s okay, Misty, we’re safe for now.”
“But what are we going to do?” She gave him a pleading look. “I’m scared. I’m so scared.”
“I know you’re scared, but we’re safer here than outside. They can’t get through my shield.”
The muffled buzzing of changeling wings seeped through the walls. The occasional scream from a panicked pony cut through. Quicksilver closed his eyes and lowered his head. He focused on his spell. He had to keep it active. Beads of sweat formed on his brow.
He opened his eyes and looked at Misty. “I have to shrink the shield. The whole house is too much. I’ll try to protect just this room.”
They both jumped at the crash of breaking glass from the back of the house.
Quicksilver glanced towards the kitchen. “Misty, that’s the greenhouse. Go lock the back door and block it if you can.” She hesitated. “I know you’re scared, but you can do this.”
Misty galloped towards the kitchen. A black muzzle poked through the cracked door. She gasped and slid to a stop. Pivoting on her front legs, she bucked the door closed with a bang. A quick swipe of her hoof locked the door. She ran back to Quicksilver.
“Done. Though that door won’t hold for long.”
“Anything to slow them down.” He shrank the shield to the boundaries of the room. The sound of breaking glass came from the stairway. Startled by the noise, they backed away from the stairs towards the far wall.
Misty looked towards the stairwell, “They’re… They’re in the house now.“
Hooffalls over their heads. A crash from the kitchen. Something beating on the front door. They were surrounded, trapped. Two changelings appeared at the kitchen door. They poked at the shield. Blank eyes stared at the couple. There was nowhere to run.
“Misty, I’m not strong enough... I have to reduce the spell more. They’ll be inside the room.“
Misty nodded. Her eyes darted left and right. She grabbed Quicksilver by his hoof, dragged him into a corner of the room, then flipped over a coffee table before them.
Quicksilver’s shield now barely enclosed them both. Changelings threw themselves against it. The shield crackled and shuddered with each impact. A window broke as a changeling crashed through sending shards of glass across the floor. The window next to them exploded as two more jumped into the room. The couch couldn’t hold the front door closed as more changelings pushed against it.
Quicksilver gritted his teeth as he fought to keep the shield up. Sweat ran down his face. Misty trembled next to him. The seconds ticked by. Changelings hissed in rage. Another flew through the window into the room. Though instead of attacking the shield, it turned on the other changelings in the room. For a moment, the couple were ignored.
“I think that’s Tinker,” Misty exclaimed, pointing with a hoof.
Quicksilver looked, but could only grunt an acknowledgment.
The changelings swarmed Tinker, knocking him down. One slammed both hooves down hard on his head. Misty gasped and covered her mouth. He was pinned to the floor. He squirmed and kicked. Two changelings stomped on his barrel. A crack of chitin filled the room. Tinker gasped and fell limp. The changelings kicked him a couple times, shoving him across the glass-filled floor and against a wall. Quicksilver growled. The changelings froze and turned back towards the shield. Tinker was not moving. His chest rose as he took in a ragged breath.
Quicksilver closed his eyes to focus. The shield flexed and warped under the assault. Misty looked at him, helpless.
She raised her head, tilting it as she listened. “Do you hear that? Something’s coming.“
A moment later a pink wave of magic passed through the house. They felt it wash over their bodies. The effect on the changelings was profound. It slammed into them, knocking them off their hooves. As the wave approached, the wall went almost translucent, allowing the changelings to pass through and be carried away. And in that fraction of a second, the house was cleared. Quicksilver and Misty were alone.
Quicksilver released his spell and dropped to his knees. Misty went to one of the windows and looked out.
“I don’t know what just happened, but I don’t see any changelings. The sky looks clear.” She turned to Quicksilver with a slight smile, “I think whatever happened may be over.”
She stepped back over to Quicksilver. “Are you okay? Can you get up?”
He groaned. “I think I’m okay. Just exhausted.” He looked up at her. “Get the first aid kit. We need to see if anypony needs help.”
While Misty was away, he got to his hooves. With a grunt, he pushed the couch away from the front door and opened it. When Misty returned, they stepped out into the sunlight. Ponies galloped up and down the street in panic. As they looked around the neighborhood, they noticed a few ponies collapsed on their barrels or lying on their sides.
Quicksilver pointed, “Misty, can you check that pony right there?”
“Yes, I’m on it.”
Quicksilver scanned the area. Other than the occasional broken window, there wasn’t much physical damage. He noticed the two sisters who lived across the street backed into a corner. They huddled together, eyes wide in terror.
As he approached he called out, “Are you two okay?“ There was no response. He didn’t notice any obvious injuries. Probably just in shock, he mused to himself. He moved so he was standing directly in front of them. Their eyes were unfocused, looking straight through him. They trembled with fear.
“Hey, can you hear me?“ Quicksilver yelled, stomping a hoof for emphasis.
For the first time, their eyes focused on him, but they still didn’t respond.
“Hey! Are you hurt?“
Still holding each other, the sisters relaxed and leaned back some. They smiled softly at each other, then turned back to Quicksilver. One of them said, “I... I think we’re okay.“
“I’m sure you were really scared today and probably wanted to run away. I mean, that’s kind of what we ponies do.” He paused for a moment. “We’re safe now. The changelings are all gone.” He gestured around with his hoof. “As you can see, the street and the skies are clear, no changelings.” The sisters glanced up, and then back to him.
“Right now your neighbors need your help. Can you stand?“
The sisters released their grip on each other and shakily got to their hooves. They glanced at each other. After a moment they turned to Quicksilver, ears forward, and focused on him.
“Good. Look over there,” he pointed with a hoof, “I just noticed your neighbor needs help.”
They looked where he was pointing and saw an older mare lying in her front yard. She was moving, but didn’t seem to be able to sit up. One of the sisters galloped off to her.
The other paused for a moment and whispered to Quicksilver, “Thank you.” She then trotted after her sister.
Quicksilver scanned the street briefly, then turned and walked back towards Misty. She had just pulled a bandage from the first aid kit. The stallion sat quietly, ears down.
“Misty, how’s he doing?”
Misty glanced up and smiled. “I think he’ll be okay. It’s just a gash.” She carefully started to wrap his foreleg with a bandage. He winced as she tightened it.
Quicksilver sat down next to the stallion. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’ll be fine, it wasn’t deep.” He gave a long sigh. “What gets me is that a changeling didn’t do this. I tripped while running away and hit a sharp rock.”
“Ouch,” Quicksilver replied. “But at least it’s not bad.” He turned towards Misty. “You about done?”
“Yeah, I just need to tie this off so it doesn’t unwind.”
“Great. As soon as you’re finished, we need to try and get some sort of organization here.” He looked up and down the street.
Several hours had passed, and the entire neighborhood had collected together. They filled the street and adjacent yards, some grouped by family, others just by chance. Quicksilver, Misty, and a couple others wandered among the groups, chatting with them to keep everypony calm. Quicksilver glanced up and noticed a small squad of E.U.P. soldiers coming down the street. He excused himself and went to meet them.
The lead pony addressed him. “Hi, I’m Lieutenant Granite, part of the E.U.P. We’re moving throughout this section of the city, providing help as needed.”
Hi, I’m Quicksilver.” He nodded once. “I’m glad to see you. How are things going in the rest of Canterlot? It’s been a bit of a bad day here.”
“I’m afraid the whole city is a bit chaotic right now,” the lieutenant answered. “We’re seeing the same thing in each neighborhood we check. Ponies have collected themselves into herds for protection and companionship. And each has a leader working to keep everypony safe. That would appear to be you?“
Quicksilver glanced back at the group. “I’m not sure how much of a leader I am, but we’re doing the best we can.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself.” Looking past Quicksilver to the herd, he asked, “So, what’s the situation here. Any serious injuries? Do you need our help with anything?“ He looked back to Quicksilver.
“We had two injuries that needed medical attention. Some ponies helped them to the nearest hospital. The rest are just scrapes and bruises.” Quicksilver pointed down the street. “We organized a house-to-house search from that T-intersection to the end of the street to make sure no one was missing.” He turned to face the crowd. “Over the afternoon, we sent each family to check their house. Some stayed, but most grabbed food and water to share and returned to the herd.”
He glanced back at the lieutenant. “Of all the houses on the street, ours was the only one that sustained any damage. I don’t know why the changelings targeted us.”
The lieutenant looked at the collected ponies and asked, “Do you mind if I speak to them?“
“I’m not sure it’s up to me. Go ahead.“
Quicksilver and the E.U.P. members walked over to the gathered ponies. The herd looked up in anticipation.
“Hello everyone, I’m Lieutenant Granite of the E.U.P. I’m here to assure you that you’re safe. The E.U.P. along with most of the Royal Guard and Wonderbolt divisions are spreading throughout the city to help and make sure that everypony is safe.
“We also set up a small field clinic a couple of streets over in the park next to the Barn Depot store. Quicksilver told me that you have just some bruises and scrapes, but should you feel the need, head there for additional aid.” A couple ponies nodded. He cleared his throat.
“It will be dark soon. I suggest that you seek shelter either in your own home, or with friends if you don’t want to be alone. Rest assured, the city is secure, the situation is being handled, and you’re all safe. There’s nothing to worry about.”
One of the ponies in the group asked, “What about the royal wedding? What happened?”
The lieutenant sighed. “I am not aware of the details, although I know the wedding did not take place. The royal sisters and the wedding party are all safe. No one was hurt. I’m sure there will be an announcement released as soon as possible.”
He paused and waited for any additional questions, then turned towards Quicksilver. “You’ve done a good job here. Thank you.”
With that, the squad turned and headed down the street.
Misty was leaning against Quicksilver, ears down.
“You two look tired, you should head back home and get some rest.” They turned to see the two sisters approaching them
Quicksilver nodded. “Yeah, it’s been a long day, but there’s still so much to get done.” He looked over the street. Fortunately, the day’s damage appeared mostly limited to torn up plants, trampled flowers, and broken fences.
She glanced back at the herd. “They’re starting to head home. We’ll wait a bit to make sure everypony finds shelter. You go home. You’ve done enough for today.”
Misty replied, “Thank you, that’s a big help. We really do need some rest.“
Quicksilver added, “Thank you. You did really well today.“
The two sisters smiled at the compliment.
As Quicksilver and Misty returned home, he scanned the street one last to make sure no pony had been left behind.
Misty was cleaning up from lunch as Quicksilver came into the kitchen.
“I’ve finished another check of the house and didn’t find anything more than what we saw last night. Just a few broken windows, a couple damaged doors, and some broken panes in the greenhouse.”
Misty turned off the sink and shifted to face him. “Well, that’s not great, but it could have been worse. Despite the mess, it looks like all we lost inside were a few pictures and nick-nacks. Did you find someone for the repairs?”
“Yes, the contractor who built the greenhouse. He figures they can get to it in a day or two.”
Misty smiled at him. “Then I guess we’re on cleanup duty for the rest of the day.”
Quicksilver collapsed on the couch and huffed. He wiped some dust that still clung to his hoof, and rubbed the base of his horn that ached after a full day’s work. He grimaced at the sight of a few broken pieces of glass they missed during the clean up. Using his magic, he quickly picked them off the floor and threw them into a nearby trash can. “Just need to get the windows repaired,” he muttered. “If only Tink--”
His ears perked up when Misty trotted in from the kitchen and sat down next to him. Her hooves nervously fidgeting in her lap, and she didn’t look up even when he gently nudged her. “So, what about Tinker?” she finally said.
Quicksilver gently wrapped a leg around her. “I’m not sure.” He paused. “He’s been with us for a long time, and I considered him a friend. But a changeling…”
“Was it all a lie?” Her voice was tight. “Was his friendship just a manipulation so he could be close to us and feed? And where did he really go on his weekend trips?”
“I don’t know.” He signed heavily. “I believe that he wasn't part of the invasion, but he hid the truth from us for so long.”
Misty wiped her eyes. “I want to talk to him. I want the truth from him. Even if it’s bad, I need to know.”
He nodded his head. “Me too. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out how to make that happen.”