//------------------------------// // Secrets within Secrets // Story: Ponies of two Worlds // by Golden Paw //------------------------------//         "So did you get all that corporal? Shadow Guard had slipped off to sleep again, much to Night Blade's annoyance. The negasi officer was now regretting bringing Shadow along but Blade wanted Night Dew keeping an eye on things back at the barracks and Swift Star wasn't exactly suited to this kind of covert action so that had left Blade with Shadow. Checking over his supply pouches, Blade found all was in order on that count at least. On this kind of mission they could be out in the field for days, not able to move from their assigned post. Therefore it was common practice to carry a small supply set, along with some reading material as the nights could be long and dull. Satisfied all was present and correct Night Blade nudged the drowsy Shadow Guard.         "Yes A.J?" came Shadow's bleary reply before his slitted eyes became wide with shock as he came back to the real world, "I mean yes sir, yes Night Bl........" Blade quickly held a hoof over Shadow's mouth before giving him a reprimanding look. Stakeouts were among the most boring and draining duties watch ponies had to endure. It was long hours, with not much happening. Keeping focused was always the challenge.         Night Blade slowly shook his head before peering over the parapet at the empty street below. Darkness had long since fallen and all was quiet outside Clear Frost's home. The 'latest' member of the Night Guard was expecting to be contacted by the suspects tonight and Blade was itching to see what mischief they got up to this time.         "Shadow, I was saying that we have ten minutes until they are due to arrive and I don't want any mistakes," Blade whispered,. "I would ask if you have noticed any pony lurking about but I can see you're otherwise engaged."         Shadow Guard's ears drooped in contrition, "Sorry Stg. I'm still getting back into the swing of things."         "I know my lad, good thing I can watch well enough for two huh?" With that Night Blade tilted his head to indicate what he had spotted, pointing out two telltale shapes lurking in a nearby alley. They looked like the pair of big brown stallions from other night. Pricking his ears Blade could just make out the quiet murmur of their conversation.         "Remember my lad, these are the small fish and we want the big catch. Now you're awake I need you to wait here while I fly down the street a ways and see if I can spot who they’re talking with," Night Blade's manner was totally business like now their prey was in sight. With a nod Shadow showed he understood and crouched down. Like a wraith with seemingly no substance Blade slipped into the air and angled his flight over the alley below. Landing softly on the tiles of Frost’s roof he peered over the ledge. The ponies in the street below made no sign to show that they were aware they were being watched.         After a few moments Blade saw the two burly stallions make their way out onto the street proper before trotting up to Frost’s door. The knock when it came echoed loud and clear on the quiet street. A couple of seconds past then Clear Frost opened his door to the pair and the visitors were the first to speak. "Evenin 'Whitey', boss wants an answer now so you’re in or out?" Blade couldn't tell which of the brown ponies had spoken.         "Oh, evening you two, yes just let me get my saddle bags," Frost's voice sounded more than a little strained and Blade prayed silently that he’d hold up under the pressure.         "Urry up then, the boss don't like being kept waitin," The other stallion added before they both turned about to check the street was still quiet. After a few moments Clear Frost came out shutting his door behind him. Blade smiled with predatory glee as neither of their quarry second guessed Frost’s insistence on the bags. Princess Luna herself had placed an enchantment on the bags so that even if her guards lost their informant they would be able to track him. Shadow and Night Blade were mainly there in case Clear Frost needed backup in a hurry.         Blade spared a quick glance at Shadow across the way and to his relief he was still awake and watching the events below. Turning his own attention to the trio Blade readied himself to follow. Bounding across the rooftops, always taking care not to let his shadow fall on the streets below, Blade tracked Frost and his companions on a winding path through the maze-like byways of Canterlot’s trade district. Blade had been hoping for more of a challenge if he was being honest with himself. Frost’s group took little care to see if they were being followed and certainly didn’t watch the skies. With no fear of losing their quarry Blade took the opportunity to see how Shadow was doing in their pursuit. He quickly spotted Shadow making a reasonably competent attempt at moving stealthily and smiled to himself. It seemed at least some of the lessons he’d tried to drill into his squad were bearing fruits. Thinking quickly Blade deduced the most likely the destination, it seemed that Frosty’s minders were leading him to the docks area. That certainly made sense, lots of empty warehouses and the likes. Confident he’d gotten the measure of their targets Blade slipped down through the air before landing next to Shadow who was even now watching Frost from a nearby bell tower, "I see they are heading to the docks then?" Night Blade's voice eased out of the air and he was rewarded by a small jump from Shadow. Yep I’ve still got it. Having recovered, Shadow gave Blade a questioning glance, "Who were they talking to in the alley then?"         "That Buster character, but we have other ponies watching him." Night Blade explained, "We have our own orders, keep focused colt."         Both bat ponies continued shadowing Frost and Blade felt vindication as the trio below indeed made their way through web of cranes and rigging that dominated the docks. They meandered around grounded airships and along crate-strewn alleys until Frost was presented with a dilapidated warehouse. Blade noted the boarded windows and the hazard signs decorating their destination and nodded to himself, “Quiet, but not empty. Nopony would be surprised to see them in a place like this. Just a couple of late night workponies on the job.” Blade’s grin only widened, “And what’s this?” Frost’s companions had rapped on the warehouse door and a grey coated unicorn had quickly responded, watching the trio with his muzzle held at an imperious angle. "Ah that's the ‘Butler’, I’d bet a week’s pay on it," Night Blade commented under his breath. The waiting pony certainly fitted the description Clear Frost had given of the Butler from the Stallion's Rest.         As Frost approached the unicorn stepped out into the street proper and gave them a tolerant smile, "Ah good you're here. I was starting to think you had gotten cold hooves.” He cast a disapproving frown at Frost’s escorts, “You two can wait out here."         This didn't seem to go down too well with the pair and they snorted irritably at being dismissed out of hoof. Their grumbling was cut short however as the unicorn produced a couple of bottles of what looked to be an expensive vintage for them along with a bulky money pouch. Blade could hear the clink of gold even from here.         With the 'hired help' dealt with Butler turned his attention to the door and motioned for Clear Frost to step through. Frost took one more nervous look about himself before he was ushered in while the Brown stallions clutched their reward and trotted off to enjoy their payment. "Time to move," Night Blade whispered as he tapped Shadow Guard on the shoulder.         The two guards landed deftly on the warehouse roof and (after surreptitiously making sure there were no birds to disturb them) Night Blade told Shadow to watch for trouble in case any other pony appeared. By a stroke of fortune the roof had a skylight and Blade quickly rested his head just off to the side of one of the glass panes so that he could hear and see what was going on inside.         Inside the warehouse was wreathed in shadows, but this was no hindrance to Night Blade's sharp eyes. He could see Clear Frost and Butler clearly. He also got his first view of who he hoped was their 'big fish'. Sitting on a plump cushion was a dark green unicorn stallion.         He had a purple mane which was slicked back fashionably in the current style favoured by the elite of Canterlot. A pair of small glasses rested on his muzzle and he was holding a full wine glass suspended with his magic. The pony had a wide smile and a friendly look on his face but his eyes held a cold calculating stare.         "Ah so good to see you again Mr Frost, I knew I was right about you. I pride myself as a very good reader of an equine’s character," Came the laid back and confident voice. Night Blade instantly recognized it from his eavesdropping at the Stallion's Rest.         Clear Frost nodded in an absent way before swallowing. The seated unicorn floated a glass over to Clear Frost with a flick of his magic. Frost did his best to catch the offered drink with his hooves, his efforts meeting with only a little spillage.         "Yes, I thought your offer over and realised it was the right thing to do," Clear Frost replied doing his best to take a small sip from the glass in his trembling hooves. "But you promised me it won't hurt anypony right?" Frost reiterated.         From his vantage point Night Blade saw what Clear Frost could not. Butler had slunk off to a dark corner of the warehouse and was now returning with what looked to be a cloth sack.         "Of course, of course," ‘Sir’ continued in his easy manner, "All you have to do is sneak this into the next big event at the palace," His magic produced a small black orb out of the sack proffered by Butler. The sphere was not much bigger than the glass in Clear Frost's hooves. Clear Frost's eyes went wide, "What is that thing?"         "Just a small present for Princess Luna, not dangerous as such but should cause enough mischief to make the alicorn lose her cool and show the whole of Canterlot that she's really a loose cannon and needs to be reigned in," Sir explained with a wicked grin.         Night Blade frowned, there was an odd quality to the voice that hadn’t been present earlier. It was so subtle that only Night Blade's exceptional hearing had caught it. He knew that sound only too well and his stomach lurched as his memory flooded with images of black carapace and buzzing wings.         A Changeling! Night Blade could now see where this meeting was heading. They didn't need Clear Frost at all, just to use his 'form' so they could slip into the higher echelons of Canterlot. How a changeling had managed to get back into city after the last failed attempt by their kind was lost on Night Blade, but with this new revelation the time for stealth was done.         What followed was a very complicated moment. A flash of green fire was starting to form about both the disguised creatures. This development wasn't lost on Clear Frost who let out a whinny of terror before attempting to back away. This only led him to bump into the beast behind him and he turned just in time to see the grey unicorn vanish and the black carapace and blue eyes of the insect-like creature confront him before it opened its fanged mouth and hissed almost smugly.         Clear Frost closed his eyes and covered his head just as the sound of breaking glass was heard from above. The chittering and wasp like buzz of wings mixed with the battle cry of Night Blade as he dived into save the Night Guard's informant.         Frost had just enough time to register the blurred outline of a negasi sweeping in from above with both back legs thrust down before the drone behind was struck in the face by a pair of armoured horseshoes which sent it reeling. The creature went cross eyed and saw small hearts circling its head before toppling backwards.         The stunned drone thudded into the ground just in front of Clear Frost who had chosen just that moment to open one eye to see what was going on. He yelped and stumbled backwards. Unseen by Night Blade the scrambling pony knocked the hooves out from under the second changeling. ‘Sir’ had been preparing to spring upon Night Blade while he was busy with the ‘Butler’.          The insect pony toppled forward and tried to catch itself only for its badly tattered to vibrate uselessly. Sir simply toppled sideways awkwardly onto Frost and he was forced face to face with the creature, which glared at him angrily with its one good eye. The other had a scar running across it and instead of the typical honeycomb blue it was a pale white. Frost screwed his eyes shut again, waiting for the sharp fangs bite into him or for the nubling effects of changeling magic to begin sucking out all his…..  There was a thud and the drone suddenly stiffened. Frost squealed as it dropped heavily onto him, pinning his hooves to the ground with its dead weight.         "Gah, get it off me!" Frost squeaked in a much higher pitched voice than normal but try as he might he couldn't heave the recumbent changeling from off himself. Still pinned by the unconscious changeling Frost was angry to see Night Blade smiling at his antics, his own hooves still held in some sort of combat pose.         “Thanks for the help I…..” Blade began but his ears pricked upwards and it wasn’t long before Frost also heard the sounds of angry buzzing from all around. There in the darkness he saw a whole wall of faceted eyes watching them from the shadows.         “Oh Celestia help us! How did so many changelings get into Canterlot? I thought they’d put up defenses?” Frost asked before he doubled his efforts to unseat his unconscious jailer.         “I was wondering the same thing,” Blade replied dropping into a fighting crouch, his wings spread threateningly. Frost was amazed to see no fear in his eyes, just a resigned sadness. He turned his head this way and that, teeth bared and then to Frost’s astonishment actually began to laugh.         Frost just stared at him as if he’d gone mad, here they were facing down an army of changelings and Night Blade was laughing. It was….Frost felt the creeping sensation of something on his neck and the sounds of buzzing growing louder every second. It was right by his ear and……           Night Blade chuckled softly before, with great care, plucked the yellow parasprite from off Frost’s neck, "Well not the most evil plan, but it would have certainly caused a lot of trouble." Night Blade announced to the still trembling Clear Frost. He then turned to look more closely at the pair of unconscious changelings. Now that he had time he could see they were both in a very sorry state. Scratches and dents covered their black hides, they had a famished look about them that almost made Blade feel sorry for the parasites.         "Sgt, are you alright?" Shadow Guard was peering down through the broken skylight at the scene below with a worried expression.         "Yes Shadow, we're fine. Do me a favour and let off one of the signal flares will you. we're going to need some help rounding up these little guys,” Night Blade called back up calmly, “We don't know how many other changelings there may be out there and if either they scatter we could have a real problem on our hooves."           Clear Frost finally mustered the courage to look up and seeing he wasn't dead or being wrapped up in a slimy green cocoon gave a sigh of relief. Then the changeling in front of him twitched and Clear gave a little yelp once again. Night Blade rolled his eyes and busied himself finding some rope. Dock buildings always had some about. "Oh Shadow, what happened to the other two?" Night Blade called as he rummaged around the piles of detritus that littered the warehouse and tried to ignore the several parasprites following him while giving off little musical ‘chirrups’.         "They're both out cold Sgt." Shadow called down. "You dealt with them both? Not bad my boy I see those combat lessons are paying off," Blade replied as he brushed a gathering of parasprites off an old crate, heaved it open and began rummaging through its contents.         Shadow’s reply was uncertain, "Um no Sgt, they must have put something in the drink. I found em out cold when I went to deal with them."         Night Blade shook his head with a smile, "Well we’ll see to them in time,” his grin only widened, “that farm mare is rubbing off on you my boy, I would have taken all the credit if it were me." Blade’s eyes caught sight of a frayed end and with a cry of triumph he began winding up the revealed rope as he heard the sound of Shadow’s signal flare shooting into the sky.         After a few seconds there was a flash of purple light followed by a bang. “Now every pony guard nearby would know we’re in need,” Blade explained to the perplexed Frost who now had his own swarm of parasprites covering him from head to tail.         “Er good….” Frost replied trying his best to shake off the clinging bugs with little success.         "So there was the time that Shadow, Dew and I were doing the rounds and there was this pony who was trying to swim in the fountain in the main square....." Swift Star's story was cut short by a purple flash in the sky beyond the windows of ‘Doughnut Joe’s’         "What's all that when its home, a party?" Applejack commented as the sky went back to its normal deep blue. She turned back to see both Swift Star and Night Dew's ears had flattened in concern. Confused she cocked an eyebrow, "What's up y’all?" The two guards got off their seats and began heading for the door.         "Sorry A.J were gonna have to call it there, that's a signal flare. It means a Night Guard is in need of assistance. You stay here we will go check it out." Applejack made to follow but Dew and Swift moved to block the exit.         Applejack eyed them both dangerously, "Now wait just a tar darned minute! First y'all tell me that there is some trouble brewin, then ya say one yer fellow guards could be in danger and that guard could easily be Shadow and then yer finally yer say I can't come?"         "Sorry Miss Applejack but this is Night Guard business. We can't have a civilian involved as it could be dangerous," Night Dew said trying to placate Applejack, but she just earned a snort of annoyance instead.          "Even if it weren’t Shadow what's in trouble, I ain't sittin this one out, no way no how!" Applejack was on the verge of shouting as her heart gave a little squirm of worry. "But A.J you don't have wings, we can get there faster without you," Swift tried to reason.         "Not all yer Guard types are flyers yer know, and I've been in lots of hoedowns in ma time. Now are yer gonna let me out? Or am I gonna have to give my two best workers some more practice?" Applejack asked through gritted teeth.         Applejack glared at the two mares who shared a worried glance with each other before Swift rolled her eyes, "You're going to come if we don't stop you aren't you?" Applejack nodded. "Well I guess we have wasted enough time here then."         "Three ponies coming to the rescue is better than none," Night Dew agreed with a smile and with that they all galloped off in the direction of the signal flare. Doughnut Joe shook his head, they hadn't paid! Joe sighed and noted down on the tab how much was owed before silently wishing them luck.         Swift, Dew and Applejack weren't the first to arrive at the scene, other pony guards of all types were scouring the docks for further signs of the changeling threat. The parasprites were being contained in the main warehouse through the efforts of a couple of negasi and pegasi herding them back whenever they made a move for a window or skylight. So far no other changelings had been found but that didn't stop the soldiers being thorough.         Night Blade was coordinating the efforts at the scene and when he caught sight of the three mares approaching his face broke into a grin, only to fall as he saw Applejack there too, "Good to see you could make it, but why can I ask, did you bring a civilian along?” Applejack set her face in a determined scowl, "Well I was with these two when I saw the flare goin off. I reckoned I could lend a hoof n all."         "We tried to stop her sir, but she wouldn't listen," Night Dew chirped up, "She was determined to come either way so I thought it best to have all three of us come rather than be two ponies down while we kept her back."         Blade matched Applejack’s stare before raising an eyebrow, "Well Miss Applejack, please keep back at least. This is now a crime scene and we haven't made sure this area is secured."         It was at that point that Applejack saw the two tied up changelings being carried out by a couple of guards. They were snapping at their captors and hissing all the way, "What in the hay? I thought we'd driven those no good varmints out fer good the last time?" Applejack felt her lips tighten as she recalled the last run in they’d had with changelings, "How come they’re here again?"         Night Blade shook his head, "I don't know myself Miss Applejack. We thought all the precautions were in place too. It's a mystery that we're going to solve I can assure you."         It was at that moment that Shadow dropped down, his expression hard, "Right Sir I have done checking the western blocks, no sign......." His blue slitted eyes focused on Applejack and went wide. Applejack returned the smile and her heart leaped with joy to see that Shadow was alright.         "Applejack, what are you doing here? I..er..I," Was all he could get out before there was a hysterical hissing form behind him. All the ponies present turned to see the bound changelings who were now thrashing at their bonds, ears pressed back and teeth gnashing in a frenzy.         Swift Star began to grin and Applejack just knew some kind of witty comment about her and Shadow was forming in her mind. Her expression morphed into one of confusion however and Applejack quickly saw the reason why. The changelings agitated and looking almost repelled by the sight of her and Shadow. That wasn’t right.         "Get it away. We can taste it on them!" The scarred changeling screamed between its chittering and buzzing sounds. The pair were thrashing against their bonds now and the guard ponies holding them were struggling to keep them contained.         "You two get them out of here!" Night Blade called. Before the bemused guards could follow their new orders the changelings tore free and made a bid for freedom. They desperately attempted to fly, but their wings were so ragged they could only make short bounds. Soon a couple of unicorn guards had them contained in a bubble shield, however the pair continued to throw themselves at the barrier until they were dragged out of sight.         "Okay ladies and gentlecolts it looks like things have just gotten a bit stranger," Night Blade announced. "Get the runner to pass on that these aren't your typical changelings we're dealing with here so be warey." Blades eyes never moved from the dumbfounded Shadow Guard and Applejack as he gave these orders.         "Well at least we can count on the parasprites doing what they always do huh Sgt.?" Swift Star joked to lighten the mood. They had all been shaken by the level of disgust the changelings had shown.         "I pray you are correct my loyal knight,” the voice came down from on high and Applejack saw Luna hovering with steady beats of her wings in the air above. She had a thoughtful look in her eyes and as she landed with a clatter on the cobbles everypony made to bow, everypony except Night Blade, Applejack noted.         He just saluted before Luna motioned for them all to rise, "Your majesty you honour us with your presence, we have a changeling problem once again it seems. With your permission I will put into action the "Twilight Protocols?"         "Yes Sergeant, but not on a city wide level, so far we only have evidence of two very odd acting changelings and don't want to cause a panic," Luna watched the still thrashing changelings with a curious expression.         Applejack’s attention was draw upward as a cry split the air. She saw the fliers were darting this way and that and all of a sudden the background sounds of the docks were smothered in an angry buzzing. looking towards the warehouse, Applejack saw that it was disintegrating! She watched in horror as wood, glass and plaster were quickly consumed by the growing swarm.         "You were saying something about 'normal' parasprites Swift?" Night Blade commented as the cloud of hungry bugs made straight for Princess Luna and multiplied at a rate unknown by ponies since their first encounter with the tiny terrors.