//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: A Secret No More // Story: Brighter Than The Sun // by ThePrinceOfTheNorth //------------------------------// Chapter 1 The wave of love hit Twilight Sparkle seonds after Queen Chrysalis disappeared, throwing her against the wall. She could feel a burning sensation as her disguise began to lose cohesion, feeling the fur start to burn away. As suddenly as it began, it stopped, and she fell back to the floor. She looked over herself, finding her disguise still intact, though she knew that the love passing her should have forced the disguise to fail utterly. As she did this, a strange figure with a blue, purple and pink aura around his hands cut off his spell that had blocked the love from what had just happened. He smiled, not an evil smile, but a forgiving one, knowing that the real Twilight Sparkle had died nearly thirteen years ago. He knew she'd cared about this changeling, and knew it had cared for her, enough to try to save her from the changeling that had taken Twilight, and be utterly crushed when she'd failed. She knew Amethyst Sheen better than she knew herself. He knew Twilight Velvet and Night Light had accepted her as their new daughter, and she'd been feeding on their love. But they didn't care, he didn't mind, because all that love was meant for her and nopony else. The Prince gingerly returned to roaming the hallowed halls of Canterlot, knowing that Amethyst Sheen would eventually be discovered, but not now. The blow would have been too much for her adopted brother, and The Prince could not accept such consquences befall such an innocent changeling. But there were somponies who could... Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, the ponies were filling out after what had just happened. Some were mumbling about the possibility of other changelings in disguises, and others were afriad to accept the fact that a Changeling Queen had fooled them. In the midst of all this chaos stood lay Twilight, feeling like she'd just been driven over. "Ya allright, surgacube," asked Applejack with worry. Twilight was quite beat up for no apparent reason, and it worried all her friends. "I'm fine, Applejack," Twilight said, "I must've just tripped, that's all." "Quite so, darling," said Rarity, "You look like you haven't slept in days!" "Um, maybe we should go home," Fluttershy said in her quiet voice. All the ponies nodded in agreement at this, and made their way to the train station. As they arrived there, a Royal Guard stopped them. "Twilight Sparkle, the Prince requires your presence immediately, as well as that of your friends." "I really need to go home and rest," Twilight said, "My head is killing me." "I'm sorry to hear that," said the guard sympathetically, "But order are orders, and I'm to escort you to the library." Twilights ears perked up. I reality, she'd shared most of the same likes and dislikes as the real Twilight Sparkle, which had made them such good friends. Books were at the forefront of these similarities. Twilight sighed, succeding to sound annoyed. "I suppose I can wait awhile to sleep." The ponies followed the guard through the massive hallways of the castle until they reached the Royal Library. Upon entering, they saw Luna, Celestia, Cadance, Night Light and Twilight Velvet there along with something seated in a chair facing away from the ponies, but no Shining Armor, the only Prince they knew about. The guard bowed respectfully as he backed out, closing the door behind him. All was quiet for a short while until the figure in the chair spoke. "Please, do come forward my little ponies," whoever it was said. He was most definitely not Shining Armor, but the ponies did as was asked of them, approach the group of Princesses and stopping a respectful distance away. Twilight looked at her friends, and saw Rainbow Dash looked slightly afraid, something you rarely ever see. The chair turned to reveal a strange, bipedal creature. It was clothed in a black bodysuit under a blue overcoat and was wearing blue gloves. His hair was almost white, and his eyes were a bright shade of blue. He stood up, preparing to address the ponies. "I suppose you are wondering a great many things," The creature said, "Most probably who and what am I, correct?" The ponies nodded. "Firstly, I am a human, a being from the far north, further than even where the Crystal Empire once stood, and will soon stand again, judging by legends I've uncovered. As to who I am specifically, I am Prince John Winter of the Kingdom of Solstice," he said with a bow, "It is a pleasure to meet such important ponies as yourselves. And please, call me Winter." At that moment, another pony stepped out from behind Winter's chair. It took a second for the ponies to realize it was a changeling, though it had alicorn wings and a full mane and tail, both Blue in colour. It had actual fur, which was Midnight Blue in colour. She also had a cutie mark similar to Twilight's, except it lacked the smaller orbiting stars and was a very dark black. All six pony friends reared up in defensive positions, confusing Winter for a moment before he realized that there was a changeling behind him. But instead of panicking, he calmly walked back and brought the Changeling forward, much to the ponies' horror. "This is Midnight Blue," said Winter calmly, "Me and the Princesses have known her for many years, and she is one of the best painters and most sought-after stylists and spa ponies in Canterlot." All the ponies recognized the name, and looking closer, they realized that if the holes in the legs were gone, fangs disappeared, and her pupils were normal, she would look like one of their closest friends in Canterlot. Twilight, being a real changeling, didn't buy it. "You tell me where the real Midnight Blue is, now!" "Hush, Amethyst," Winter said in an unnervingly calm voice. "No, no I will not.." she paused, realizing what he'd just called her, "What did you call me?" "Amethyst," Winter said, "Your name is Amethyst Sheen, is it not?" Twilight just stood there, saying random, unintelligible rambling every so often, breaking the silence that fell in between. She eventually snapped out of it and looked at her friends, who were all staring at her, then at the Prince, then back at her. "I...I...," Twilight tried but trailed off. Winter raised his hand and an aura of purple, blue and pink surrounded it. It suddenly blast at Twilight, sending her flying across the library and into a boocase, which promptly dropped it's contents onto Twilight after she hit the floor. Everypony in the library, even the princesses, except Luna, gasped. Twilight's friends snapped out of their stupor and ran over to help their friend, who was buried beneath the ton of books. They stopped and quickly backed away the moment they reached her. Where Twilight should have been was a changeling, not unlike the one known as Midnight Blue, but also not unlike a drone. It had the regular bug-like wings, and it's eyes were closer to a normal pony's than a drone. After a few seconds, Amethyst Sheen regained conciousness. She reached a hoof to her head, and realized it wasn't a vibrant lavendar but a dark lavendar, and her hoof had holes in it. At this realization, Amethyst quickly scurried to her hooves, only to be pinned against the bookcase by a very angry Applejack. "Applejack," Amethyst began, but was cut off. "Where in tarnation 'ave you 'idden Twilight," demanded Applejack. The other ponies began closing in around her. Soon, overwhelming sense of hopelessness washed over her as her former friends slowly approached her with anything but friendly intentions. Amethyst was scared. More scared than she had ever been in her entire life. She was afraid of her own friend, and scared she'd failed Twilight Velvet and Night Light. She felt hopeless and alone, and did the only thing she could do... ...she cried. "ENOUGH," a voice that made the Royal Canterlot Voice seem like a whisper boomed through the library, shaking books out of every bookshelf, "BACK AWAY FROM AMETHYST SHEEN! SHE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG!" The ponies turned to Winter, who had been the speaker, and began demanding random things, the most prominent being, "Oh really, then where's the real Twilight?" Winter sighed. "I know where she is." Everypony stared at Winter intently, except Night Light and Midnight Velvet, who had begun crying into the former's shoulder. "Twillight Sparkle is where she has been for the last thirteen years, her favourite place in all Equestria," Winter said with sadness, "Buried in the shade of her favourite tree."