The changelings are back, and with them -- tragedy.
This story is a rewrite of my old story, Cold. My current editor and I agreed to update the story a bit, and there are going to be quite a few changes to the story anyway, so I figured I'd keep the old one for the memories, and keep the original to show how far I've come. Art drawn by my editor.
It has been a few years since Twilight and her friends gave the Elements of Harmony to the Tree. They have been through so many adventures together with and without the Elements. Twilight knew, that even without the Elements, she and her friends would be able to overcome whatever was thrown at them. Or so she thought…
In this version of the story of MLPFiM, seasons 1-6 happened except for anything past episode 15. I figured I would clarify the timeline in the show of where this takes place.
Twilight sat on the picnic blanket, laughing at Pinkie’s joke. It was an idyllic day, thanks--in part--to Rainbow’s hard work. The pets were playing not too far away, Winona and Gummy teaming up to chase the others while Owlicoius watched from above.
“No way!” AJ almost sounded scandalized, “He did not!”
“He did!” Pinkie responded with laughter. “Then he was all ‘You know, back in my day’ and started all over again.”
This started another round of laughter amongst the girls.
“TWILIGHT!” Spike called, running up to the group.
“Spike?” Twilight asked, concerned, he didn’t usually interrupt their weekly picnics.
“A-a letter came, came in for you.” Spike panted, skidding to a stop just outside the blanket. “It- it’s marked Urgent!” he held out said letter.
“Oh. Well, thank you, Spike!” Twilight accepted the letter and opened it, reading it quickly, before double taking and rereading it.
Dear Twilight,
I’m sorry to spring this on you, but Shining Armour and I were invited to the yearly Crystal Summit, and we have no one to watch Flurry on such short notice. Our usual sitter canceled on us. It will only be a few days, and we’ll come pick her up right after. Could you watch her?
Cadence
Twilight folded the note and poofed it away. “Spike, could you take a letter for me?” Spike nodded, already holding a quill and scroll.
Twilight cleared her throat as she responded to the letter, accepting. She turned to her friends. “Do you girls mind if we cut the picnic short?” she asked. “I need to get Flurry’s room cleaned up.”
“Sure, I gotta get back to the farm and get my daily chores done anyway,” Applejack replied to general assent from the others as well.
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Later a knock on the door alerted Twilight to her sister and niece’s arrival. She opened the door for them with a wide grin, inviting Cadence inside for a moment.
“Thanks again for doing this, Twilight,” Cadence said. “I’m so sorry to drop this on you so suddenly.”
Twilight smiled waving a hoof. “Not at all,” she replied. “I love spending time with Flurry.”
Cadence smiled as she gave a soft giggle. “I know, I’ll be back tomorrow at the earliest.”
Twilight took the sleeping Flurry from her mother gently as the two said their goodbyes. As soon as the door closed, flurry stirred from her nap.
“Twiwight?” she asked sleepily.
“Yup!” Twilight responded, “You're staying with me for a little, while your mom and dad go to their summit.”
“Pinkie?” Flurry asks craning her head to look around the castle entry.
“No, Pinkie isn’t here right now, do you want to go and see her?”
“Yes!” Flurry cheers, now fully awake.
“OK! Let’s go visit Pinkie!” Twilight says grabbing Flurry’s baby-bag and heading out to Sugar Cube Corner. Luckily it wasn't very busy when they arrived so Mr. and Mrs. Cake were willing to let Pinkie attend the excitable foal for a few hours. As long as they took the twins with them to the park.
Flurry shrieked and giggled at Pinkie’s silly face beside Pound and Pumpkin Cake, the three foals were pretending that Pinkie and Twilight were giant monsters that were trying to catch them. The two had spent the last hour chasing the foals around the park, burning some of their endless toddler energy.
“Twilight!” Twilight turned to see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo running up to her.
“Hello girls, is something wrong?”
The three kids skidded to a stop just in front of her, “No, we just noticed Flurry Heart was here! Are you looking after her?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yeah Cadence and Shining Armour had to go to a summit and their normal sitter couldn't watch her, so they asked me.”
“Cool! Can we help?” Scootaloo offered.
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the threes’ ‘innocent’ smiles before chuckling good-naturedly. “I'm sure you three have more important things to be doing, besides it’s almost dinnertime.” she gently shooed the three off.
Eventually the three foals were sufficiently tuckered out, Twilight and Pinkie bid each other farewell and took their respective charges home. Twilight was surprised to find Fluttershy and Rainbow waiting at her door.
“Hay Twilight!” Rainbow called, waving. “Flutters and I figured that since Flurry is staying for a while we would come and hang out!” Fluttershy nodding.
“Hay girls! Why don't you come in and Spike and I will get dinner ready.”
RD and Fluttershy entertained Flurry while Twilight made dinner with Spike’s help. Rarity and Pinkie showed up after their respective shifts, Twilight’s dining room becoming lively with happy noises and AJ dropped off an apple pie from Granny Smith before joining the rest of the party in the dining room.
Spike yawned as they brought out the food and nearly fell asleep in his plate, Fluttershy cooed over the drake, taking him upstairs to his bed while Pinkie and RD snickered quietly to each other.
“I see the little guy’s growth spurt is still taking its toll on him,” AJ commented.
“Yeah, he's grown at least three inches in the last day, I swear!” Rainbow guffawed.
“He sure is growing fast.” Twilight sighed, “It feels like yesterday he was just my baby dragon.”
“Aww, It’s alright Twilight, the hardest part about watching our little ones grow up is when they start leaving the nest, and I’m sure that's a long way off still.” Rarity offered her condolences.
After pie, the six mares and one filly retire to the throne room. Each winding down for the night in their own ways, Twilight pulling down Flurry’s favorite stuffed toy, a green and orange snail named Whammy. She cooed and curled up with Fluttershy, while Rarity pulled out her needlepoint, and Pinkie and Rainbow snuck off together, giggling. Twilight and AJ chatting in low tones, ignoring the sounds of Pinkie and RD’s latest prank being set up. A sudden knock on the front door startled Twilight.
“Ah wonder who that could be?” AJ asked.
“Dunno, Cadence said she wouldn't be here until tomorrow at the earliest,” Twilight said, moving to answer the door. She had just opened the cracked door to the hall when a bucket of water fell on her, soaking her mane and tail.
RD and Pinkie burst into peals of laughter, each falling in place. Twilight began to grin, her horn lighting up with magenta magic. Flurry looked at her aunt confused while Rarity hid an amused smile behind her needlepoint. Suddenly Twilight’s magic flared and several water balloons appeared in flashes of teleportation, dropping onto the two laughing ponies.
The three of them stared at each other for a long moment before the silence is broken by Rarity’s quiet chuckling causing a chain reaction and soon all six ponies are laughing together.
Another knock at the door reminds Twilight of why she had gotten up in the first place, still laughing she opened the door to a very confused-looking Princess Cadence.
“Oh! Cadence! I didn't expect you back so early!” Twilight greeted her.
“Uh, Why are you wet?” Cadenza asked.
“It’s a long story, anyway are you here for Flurry? I thought the Summit was going to be much longer.”
“Oh, no! No, the Summit was canceled.” Cadenza said rubbing a pink hoof through her mane, “I hope I’m not interrupting?”
“Not at all! The girls were just visiting, we’re getting ready for bed in fact! Why don't you stay the night? It’s a long flight to the Empire, and it’s gotten pretty late I don't want you to be flying all night.”
“Oh that’s not necessary Twilight,” the Princess assured, “I’ll be alright, besides I left Shining Armour alone and we should be getting back to him.”
They arrived in the throne room and Flurry cooed and reached out to Cadenza, who picked her up. Saying her goodbyes and taking off into the night with the foal.
Strange… Twilight thought, something about the encounter was off, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Cadence was probably just tired from traveling or something. Suddenly she grinned. “Don't even think about it Pinkie!”
“Aww come on!” Pinkie giggled, dropping her water balloon harmlessly to the entry floor.
Twilight and Pinkie return to the throne room, carrying every blanket and pillow in the castle.
“Since Cadence just picked Flurry up and we’re all here I thought we could have a sleepover!” Twilight smiled, bringing an old book titled ‘Slumber 101: Sleep Over’ and placing it on the table.
“Oh!” Rarity exclaimed, then noticing the time, “Well I don't see why not, do youuu Applejack?”
“Ah don't see no problem if you don't Rarity.” AJ snickered, the girls sharing a laugh as they began setting up the blankets and pillows, Twilight dismissing the Table so they have a comfortable space to sit around.
Once the throne room is set up comfortably, Twilight opens the book, revealing a checklist, most of the boxes checked off, and reads out a few options. “Let’s see here, S’mores, Makeovers, pillow fights, oh! Truth or Dare!”
“Oo! Oo! Me first! ME FIRST!” Pinkie cheered, waving her hooves in the air. “Twilight! Truth or Dare.”
“Truth,” Twilight replied with a giggle, putting her book away.
“What!” Pinkie began dramatically, “Is the most ridiculous thing you have said to somepony you liked?”
Twilight blushed, “Well…” she began, “I may or may not have had a liiiittle too much to drink on my last date with Flash and, well…”
“Yes? Go on.” Rarity said, all five of Twilight's friends sitting forward intently
“I may or may not have recited the whole dictionary… from memory… as a song.”
The following silence is quickly broken by all six ponies laughing uproariously.
“OK, OK my turn!” Twilight said, wiping a tear from her eye. “Rainbow! Truth or Dare?”
“Dare of course!” Rainbow puffed out her chest.
“I dare you to wear a frilly pink princess dress for the rest of the game!”
Rainbow’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening. “What!? No way!”
“You gotta, it's in the rules.” AJ chuckled as Pinkie gasped, disappearing in a blur of pink to retrieve said princess dress. Pinkie returned presenting Rainbow’s Dare Dress, a light pink full-length dress covered in lace, ribbons, and the all-important frills to the speedster. Rainbow grumbled good-naturedly, pulling the offending article of clothing over her head, Rarity helping her tie it up in the back and Twilight placing the finishing touch on Rainbow’s head.
AJ, no longer being able to contain her laughter, falls over in place, causing the others to join in, even Rainbow giving a chuckle. “Rarity did the same to me when we played last, Ah think it's even the same dress!”
“My turn now!” Rainbow declares, pointing at Rarity. “Rarity! Truth or Dare!”
“Oh, Dare, why not?” Rarity answered.
Rainbow grinned devilishly, “ I dare you to do the not my hooves challenge with me!”
“Well, I never!” Rarity exclaimed, placing a dramatic hoof on her chest. Twilight summoned Rarity’s makeup case and the fashionista pouted while taking off her makeup while Rainbow settled in behind her and Fluttershy held up the mirror.
Everypony laughed, some throwing out color suggestions, and in the end Rarity ended up with somewhat messy hot pink eyeshadow paired with a dark purple lipstick and far too much blush while Rainbow got a revenge treatment of the pink variety to match her new look.
“Applejack!~” Rarity sang, “Truth or Dare?”
“Ah, how’s about a Truth this time?” the cowpony answered.
“Who in this gathering is the fairest of them all?”
“Oh!” AJ spluttered, blushing. “Wh-why whou y’all ask somethin like that?”
“Ooh!” Pinkie called, the others chiming in, “Go on! Tell us!”
“Yeah!” RD called
“We’re all friends here are we not?” Rarity cajoled.
“Ohf fihne. Rainbow Dash.” AJ grumbled, her blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears, said weather pony also blushing.
AJ called on Pinkie and from there, the game slowly devolved into their normal eating contest, Twilight summoning their usual snacks and the dreaded Punch Bowl to the room, Pinkie beating the Cookie Score with twenty at the same time, Usurping RD as the Cookie Queen.
Rarity challenged the Muffin Score, but Fluttershy’s Muffin Reign remained uncontested after she failed. AJ and RD grinned and picked up the Punch Bowl. Rarity sighed but accepted her punishment.
Then Twilight challenged the Frosting Score but even she couldn’t beat Pinkie’s legendary 200 cupcakes frosted in one minute and so got Punch’d as well. Eventually, the sweets ran out and Twilight grabbed her book, looking for what to do next when Pinkie, armed with a pillow, pounced on her declaring “Down with the Unicorn Queen!”
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Pinkie giggled as she and Applejack hid behind the Earthpony Fortifications, readying their frontal assault on the Unicorn Base while their allies, the Pegasi, sneak behind enemy lines. The signal goes off and the two earth ponies charge with war cries, but the Unicorns are ready for them firing down with wild abandon. Any second now they’ll be hit from behind by the pegasi.
“Pew!” Fluttershy called, hitting Pinkie square on the back, causing her to fall where she was.
“I’ve been hit!” She yelled dramatically, starfishing on the floor. “Avenge me, General Applejack!”
“Your foolish plans were nothing compared to the might of the Unicorn Empire!” Twilight cackled, raising an armada of pillow soldiers, overwhelming the poor Earthpony general when RD divebombs from the sky blasting the pillow army away.
“Come on AJ! She may have gotten Fluttershy, but I’m still on your side!”
“What? How did she escape her bonds?” Rarity exclaimed, Fluttershy hovering over her shoulder, weapon readied. Suddenly a stray pillow soldier snuck up behind the two ponies striking Rainbow on the back of the head. Rainbow dramatically falls into AJ’s hooves, stroking her face before falling limp as AJ wails.
Fluttershy, seeing her friend fall brings her weapon down on Rarity’s horn, canceling her magic and flying to AJ’s side.
“Let’s do this,” she says gravely. The two then carve a warpath to the Unicorn Base through an endless horde of Pillow Soldiers, AJ is the first to fall, taking a hit for Fluttershy just as she reaches Rarity. The battle between the two mares is one that will be sung through the lands and when Rarity finally falls, Fluttershy rushes into the Unicorn Base to face the almighty Unicorn Queen when she’s surprised by Pinkie, risen from the dead (with a paper horn taped to her head) attacking from behind!
“AhHahahaha!” Twilight cackles, “Even with my lieutenant defeated you are no match for my revival magics!” then the other four mares, also with paper horns, surround Fluttershy.
“You can think that Unicorn Queen, but I know my Friends will never hurt me!” Fluttershy defiantly cries. Pinkie rushes forward! But before she can touch Fluttershy she knocks the paper horn off her head, then RD also charges but the same thing happens! Then AJ and even Rarity are de-paper-horned and the five friends stand against the evil Unicorn Queen at last. The five of them together wind back ready to throw when Twilight, in an act of desperation gathers ten pillows around herself, exploding them outward and hitting all five ponies at once, falling to the ground laughing with her friends, victorious.
“Pillow fight, check!” she giggles, summoning her book from where it had been buried within the mountain of pillows. “Next is, Makeovers!”
Rarity grinned evilly.
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Spike wandered into the throne room, the girls’ epic pillow fight having woken him up, rubbing his eye only to get swept into the makeovers by Rarity. Twilight giggling as she put Rainbow’s mane in curlers and AJ mixing up a batch of Granny Smith’s famous mud mask.
“I never agreed to this,” Rainbow complained, crossing her hooves.
“The dress was one thing but this is too much!” Rainbow waves her hooves around wildly, trying to remove the curlers, but Twilight had stuck them well, expecting this.
“Please, you’ll look beautiful Darling! Now hold still!” Rarity lightly scolds, lifting a brush filled with mud mask menacingly.
“NO!” Rainbow screeches, attempting to fly away but Pinkie lept on her back holding her down for Rarity. The girls and Spike sit around chatting while the mask sets, Rarity braiding AJ’s hair at least. When the curlers came out, Pinkie’s hair held the curl for a record-setting time of five whole seconds.
“Makeovers check!” Twilight said, teleporting her book back to the library.
“We should probably hit the hay now.” AJ, always the responsible one, said.
Everypony yawned and agreed, settling down for the night in their own sleeping areas.
“Goodnight everyone!” Twilight called, turning out the lights.
“Goodnight Twilight!” the girls chorused.
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“What in the world happened here!?” Starlight screeched upon entering the throne room the next morning, waking Twilight and AJ.
“Starlight?” Twilight yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Well I think that wraps up this decade's Summit.” Celestia announced, finishing her cake.
“And a good summit it was, welcoming the Crystal Empire back into the alliance!” the Dragon Lord Torch boomed.
“Agreed.” Mayor Gruff, well, gruffed. “The new Empress and Prince Consort will have much work to do, but they’ve done so much already there’s no doubt in my mind that they will persevere.”
The Alliance leaders got up and began chatting amongst themselves, slowly moving out of the Manor. Cadence and Shining chatting idly with Torch as they reach the train station.
“It’s nice to see the Crystal Empire under friendly management again!” Torch boomed.
“We’re glad to see we have so many allies, and even ones that remember!” Cadence returned. Torch waved goodbye as he takes flight back toward the Dragonlands, leaving the parents to figure out their next steps. Cadence turned to her Husband, “Well that was rather successful.”
“Yes, it was.” he gave her a nuzzle, “Now to pick up Flurry from Twilight and go back home.”
“We’ll need to get home as soon as possible though, the Crystalling is in less than a week and there is still so much to be done.” Cadence worried.
“I’ll take the train directly to the Empire while you fly down to Ponyville, with some luck we should arrive within hours of each other.”
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Twilight was making her lunch when the knock came. “Wonder who that could be?” she mumbled to herself as she went to answer the door. “Cadence?”
“Hi Twilight! How was Flurry?” Cadence beamed.
“Uh, what?”
“Where is Flurry? I thought she’d be here with you?”
“You, well, I, Cadence?” Twilight stammered.
“Yes?”
“You picked Flurry up already?”
“What? No I didn’t?”
“The night you dropped her off, you just appeared at my door and said the Summit had been canceled.”
Cadence stared at Twilight, horror growing between the sisters.
“Twilight,” she began. “That wasn’t me.”
Twilight took off toward town square, two days, it had been two days since Twilight let Flurry be foal-napped right out of her own house! Who knows what could have happened in that time! Hopefully it wasn't too late.
“Capitan! Gather the Guard!” Twilight shouted, skidding to a stop in the guardhouse.
Cadence ran on, Flurry was out there, in the hooves of. Of. She didn’t even want to think it. She wouldn’t let it happen. She breached the border of the Everfree, she had to find Flurry Heart.
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Twilight had moved the base of operations to her throne room, maps and papers strewn about, covering every available surface. Cadence walked in, her hair messier than usual.
“Any luck yet?” she asked.
“No, we’ve covered all of the Everfree.” Twilight reported. “Cadence I-”
“No need for that Twilight, I don't blame you.” Cadence placed a comforting hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“But still!”
“We’re wasting time arguing like this, where to next?”
“To the west, there’s not much out there except open fields and Sweet Apple Acres, so it should be fast.”
“OK,” Cadence picked up a stray quill, circling an area on Twilight’s map. “I’ll take this area.”
“Be safe out there Cadence.” Twilight said as Cadence left again.
She didn’t have much downtime before another group of ponies returned from searching and it was back to assigning areas and sending out scouts, the town guard had pulled in the weather ponies, and Twilight’s friends were all out there, leading their own groups of searchers.
“I brought the next round of maps Twilight.” Starlight announced, dropping another stack of maps on the Table.
“Thanks Starlight.” Twilight said, then she stopped Starlight before she left again. “I want you to go check on Cadence. It’s been too long since her last check in, she’s here in this area.” Twilight levitated a map to Starlight with Cadence’s circle in stark black ink.
“That’s a huge area Twilight!” Starlight exclaimed. “I’d need a whole other search-and-rescue team to cover an area this size!”
“Luckily I have a spell for that.” Twilight levitated an open book to Starlight, “it’s a finding spell, unfortunately it only works if you’ve seen the pony in the last day or so.”
“You've been looking too haven't you?” Starlight realized.
“In any way I can without moving from here.” Twilight confirmed.
“OK, I’ll go check on Cadence.” Starlight took the spellbook, turning toward the door and looking it over, “You’ve been doing good Twilight.” she said by way of farewell. Twilight smiled and turned back to her piles of paper and books.
“Spike!”
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“Capitan Horus, take the southern religion here with Lieutenant Grapes.”
“Yes, ma’am!” the captain salutes, running out of the throne room.
“Good and-” Twilight is cut off by the door slamming open.
“TWILIGHT!” Starlight is panting, horn sparking from overuse.
“Starlight? What is it? Where’s Cadence?”
“They- they’re back!” she panted, panic clear on her face.
“Whoa, take a breath, Starlight.” Twilight placed a calming hoof on her student’s shoulder. “Who’s back?”
“Cha-changelings!” Starlight nearly shouted, “I- I saw them take Cadence! There were so many of them!”
Twilight tried to not panic, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “Change of plans, Featherfall please go find my friends, the rest of you get the word out! Changelings have taken The Princess of Love and her daughter.” then quieter, “Spike, contact Celestia, I have a feeling that we’re going to need all the help we can get. You did good Starlight, now get some rest.”
It’s minutes later that Twilight and her friends are sitting in their thrones, pondering how they’re going to find where the Changelings have hidden Cadence and Flurry.
“Ah don like this one bit Twilight.” AJ stated, studying the magical map of the Table “what could the Changelin’s possibly wan?”
“They’ve been gone four years, Darling.” Rarity added. “Who knows how their motives have changed.”
“Maybe they wanna be friends!” Pinkie cheered.
“Or they want to drain us all.” RD grouched.
“The real question is how we’re going to find Cadence and Flurry.” Twilight pondered.
“Maybe I can help with that.” a suave voice said, scaring everyone but Fluttershy.
“Oh! Discord!” she greeted.
“Hello my dear Fluttershy and Friends.” the Draconequus, bowed, “I have the answers you seek, you need only ask and I, Discord, shall deliver!”
“You know where the Changelings are keeping Cadence and Flurry Heart?” Twilight asked.
“Indeed I do my dear! Their Hive” Discord indicated an area of the southern Badlands with a detached claw. “Here.”
“Lets go girls!” Twilight exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. The others followed, on a mission now that they knew where they were going.
“Thanks Discord.” Fluttershy said on her own way out.
“Ah, alone again, except for you.” Discord snaps his paw.
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Twilight led the girls deeper into the Badlands, the harsh sun beating down and searing their eyes. They round a bend, the vista revealing the Changeling Hive, right where Discord said it would be. It’s many changing openings and dark coloration making for an intimidating sight.
“This is it, girls.’ she said, “lets go save Cadence and Flurry!”
