With the other three changelings in tow, Neon Guard flew fast out of the tall, golden doors of the majestic Castle of Friendship.
"Wait, we didn't even have snack time, yet!" Twilight shouted while she ran to the door.
"Bye, changelings!" Pinkie waved, smiling and grinning with her eyes closed.
"Argh!" Twilight turned around. "Now the schedule is ruined with their early leave! That means a fifteen-minute gap in the schedule before dinner!" A pad of paper with a pencil hovered its way to her.
Pinkie closed the front doors with a bang. The slam of the doors closing echoed through the large hallways. "Hey, at least we had fun and you're early! You can eat dinner early, do your nightly Princess duties early, sleep early—"
Twilight groaned and glared at Pinkie. "That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid! If I do everything early, I'll wake up early, then what will I fill up my time with?" She stared at the library's doors. "There's books! I can always get more books for the library!" She looked back at Pinkie. "I can always be more efficient!"
The entrance doors opened again. On top of the steps were Rarity and Applejack. The three diamonds and the three apples on their flanks were glowing.
Twilight grinned at the two arrivals. She nervously eyed the cutie map room. "So, a new friendship problem?" she asked through her smile.
"I guess so, darling!" Rarity walked the hallway with grace and elegance—slowly.
"Ya' can at least go a little faster, Rarity," Applejack said.
The three ponies then walked beside her. Twilight, still smiling, looked at the doors in front of them. Pinkie inched up to Rarity.
"So, why exactly are you smiling like that, Pinkie?" Rarity asked.
Pinkie's grin still stood there. "There's completely nothing wrong with your chair!"
"What do you mean 'There's completely nothing wrong with your chair'?"
The doors glowed a raspberry-colored glow. They opened.
In front of them was the round table out of crystal along with its crystal chairs or thrones.
Rarity gasped.
"My throne! It has been hurt!"
She screamed.
Then, she fell to the floor, eyes closed and a hoof over her face.
"Quite a bit dramatic for somethin' that looks fine to me!" Applejack gestured to the chair. "Ah don't even see any scratches on it!"
"You will see the evidence on the floor!" Rarity screamed. Then, she closed her eyes again.
Applejack looked at the carpeted floor.
"Heh-heh..." Twilight looked at the floor, as well. Tiny pieces of crystal were on the carpet. "I may have forgotten to tell Spike to clean the floor as well." She smiled.
"Come on, Rarity!" Pinkie carried Rarity to her throne. "It's nothing that bad! We can always replace the crystal with fakes!"
"No!" Rarity gripped Pinkie, having a mad face on her. "That's even worse! I want this throne to be made out of one-hundred-percent crystal!"
"Hmph." Applejack walked and then sat on her chair emblazoned with the image of three apples.
Twilight walked to her chair and sat on it as well. She sighed. "We'll do something about it, if it's alright with you, Rarity."
"Yeah, as long as ya' stop with your overreactin' an' all!"
Rarity glared at Applejack. "It's not overreacting if somepony dared to taint the beauty and splendor of this throne!" Rarity smacked her hooves on the table. "I must know the pony who did this act of unfashionable tragedy!"
Twilight sighed. "I already said that we'll try to do something about it. Besides, the more important problem here is the friendship problem, not the chair that looks pretty much the same unless you look closely enough." She shot a glance at Rarity.
Rarity smiled a nervous smile and looked to her left and then to her right. "I see, Twilight. I apologize for my reaction."
"The party changelings did it!" Pinkie said while she smiled.
"The changelings you invited?!"
Twilight sighed again.
Applejack sighed, also. "It's just a chair! Besides, it looks mor' grand than a bed!" She raised her hooves in protest.
"Quiet!"
The three ponies looked at Twilight. Front hooves on the table, an angry look on her face complete with narrowed eyes. Then, she sat back down on the chair, inhaling and exhaling slowly with her eyes closed.
"I think it's finally time to see what the friendship problem is, girls."
Then, a holographic map of Equestria appeared on the table.
A modern-looking train rode on, leaving the train depot. No steam or smoke went out of it. The windows were straight, the carriages were straight, the colors were blue and black and white.
Inside, the floor was of sleek metal. A black carpet went through the center of the floor. The chairs were cushioned with black cushions. Many ponies, inside the air-conditioned carriages of the train, sat on the chairs and talked, slept, and watched the scenery change from the lively town of Ponyville to the idyllic fields of grass and trees.
The acres and acres of apple trees passed by. Then, the scenery was back to grass and trees.
A minute passed by and the trees were darker, the branches more curved, the leaves more willowed.
"Mommy, is that Everfree Forest?" a filly asked, pointing to the gloomy forest over there.
"Yes, it is, dear."
"That looks really awesome!"
The cream-colored unicorn arched her brows in surprise at her unicorn filly. "Are you sure? Don't you remember the nighttime stories I've told you about the many scary creatures that live there?"
"But Zecora lives there! She's cool 'cause she makes potions!"
The mare tapped her filly's horn. "But the path to her house is dangerous."
"But that makes Zecora even cooler!"
The irritated mare looked to the light blue unicorn stallion sitting in front of her. He was wearing a purple shirt, a saxophone strapped over the shirt, and unkempt blue and purple mane. "Hey, honey, would you please convince our daughter that going to Everfree is never a good idea?"
"But it's a good idea!" he said.
"Yeah, thanks, Daddy!"
The filly and her dad bumped hooves.
The mom sighed and smiled. "At least you're still my saxophone-playing stallion, Bluenote."
"And you're still my cake-baker, Cinnamon Chai."
Then, the couple hugged each other.
"What's that?" The filly pointed out the window again. "Is that from the Everfree Forest?"
The couple looked at the window.
A green changeling was tapping on the window and shouting something that could not be heard.
Cinnamon Chai screamed. "It's one of the changelings! Why is he flying beside us?" She grabbed the filly and hugged her out of the changeling's sight.
The changeling waved. He was smiling.
"Come on, Cinnamon Chai, changelings aren't bad anymore, don't you remember?"
"Tell that to the changeling over there!" she pointed at the window, trembling.
The changeling waved again and smiled at the family as he flew past the grass, the trees, the mountains in the background.
Bluenote waved back at the changeling.
"That's not how you shoo a changeling away!"
"Come on, Cinnamon Chai, it's alright!"
"Hi, changeling!" The filly waved.
Cinnamon Chai hugged on to her.
The changeling smiled.
Then, he was pulled away by a hoof. Now, there was only the grass and the trees rolling by.
"Did you say there was a changeling, ma'am?" the pony on the other side of the carriage asked out loud.
"Yes, sir!" Cinnamon Chai flailed her hooves in the air. "The changeling might be spying on us!"
"Well, I'll report on it, ma'am."
The pony ran out the door.
The rest of the passengers were murmring to each other, the word "changeling" being whispered and said and even shouted a few times. The murmuring grew louder and the murmurs became louder talk. The ponies by the windows kept looking at those windows, with whispers of "No changeling yet!"
Then, amid the sounds of the wheels going, there was the sound of buzzes.
"Ssh!" Another pony pointed to the ceiling as he stood between the chairs. "Those are the sounds of flying changelings!"
Bluenote stood up and raised his voice. "Haven't you heard Princess Celestia's speech about the changelings a few months ago, everypony?"
Then, everypony's eyes were on him.
Cinnamon Chai tapped him on the shoulder. "Bluenote, what are you doing?!"
"Everypony!" he shouted.
The ponies were still looking at him, staying quiet and silent.
"Aren't the changelings the good guys now? The Princesses affirmed it already! The changelings don't attack us now and some of them even go to pony places like Canterlot, Ponyville, Appleloosa. And the changeling that was at our window just now? He smiled at us!"
"That's just a disguise, a facade!" a pony from the gathered crowd shouted back.
"Bluenote!" Cinnamon Chai yelled. "You're making them mad at you."
"I'm standing on the side of the Princesses and they must know some things about the changelings!"
"The changelings are deceiving the Princesses!" the pony from the crowd shouted.
Bluenote groaned.
Feedback from the speakers went out through the carriage.
"We're reaching the Ghastly Gorge, everypony," the voice rang out. "We're reaching the Ghastly Gorge, everypony. I repeat, we're reaching the Ghastly Gorge, everypony. Sit down on your seats and kindly wait for the train to fully stop."
There was a pause. Several ponies were now looking at the speakers. The sound of buzzes were still there.
"And, about the changelings—we have a few security ponies taking care of that right now."
Many sighs of relief were heard. Then, the ponies walked back to their seats.
"No, no!" the filly yelled. "I don't want them to catch the changelings! One of them smiled!"
Cinnamon Chai sighed. "Remember that not all creatures are what they seem." She rubbed the filly's mane.
Bluenote sighed. "I hope they're not doing anything bad to them just because they're changelings." He sighed again and looked out the window.
"I hope that, too!" the filly said. She smiled and looked out the window as well.
The mare groaned. "I hope they catch the changelings and place them in jail!"
"No, mommy!" the filly said.
And the scenery kept passing by them, although the grass and the trees passed by them slower and slower. The murmurs about the smiling changeling outside the window were still there. The smiles on the ponies' faces were mostly gone, and the ponies by the windows looked at those windows again.
Then, there were hoofsteps and buzzes were heard. Muffled voices and muffled shouts. The buzzes and the hoofsteps went this way, they went that way. More muffled yells.
All the ponies looked up at the ceiling. Their eyes looked here, their eyes looked there. Several ponies were trembling. One was biting her hooves rapidly while she looked up.
The buzzes and the hoofsteps loudly went away from that ceiling.
"Oh no!" Then, Bluenote looked away from the ceiling and looked down.
"Oh no!" the filly copied and looked down as well.
The two were frowning.
Cinnamon Chai looked at the two as they now looked at the window, wearing sad faces. She looked away, trembling as well. "Is that how much you really care for those changelings, Bluenote?" she whispered.
The murmurs about the changelings went on. Several ponies looked back up, seeing if the hoofsteps and the buzzes would be back on their ceiling.
The fields of grass stopped. Below was a great drop to the rocky ground. The imposing walls of stone were the cliffs. The green forest that surrounded the cliffs made the Ghastly Gorge look even taller, the trees being like an extension of the cliffs. Cacti, vines, and thorns were abundant in one patch of ground between the cliffs.
A shallow river passed between the cliffs. On the top of the cliffs, one would think the river was a huge creek. The solid, grassless ground surrounded the flowing water.
Islands of rock and stone dotted the river, some of the islands having trees on them.
On a spot on one of the cliffs, dozens of large holes were etched on to the stone. A few red, large reptilian eels went partly out of their holes and looked up with their yellow eyes.
A wooden and metal bridge stood proudly on and above the river and the ground.
On one side of the Ghastly Gorge, a small square wooden building also stood.
On the building's platform, the four changelings stood watching the doors of the train close. The train went on its way through the bridge and on to the other side of the gorge.
Neon Guard threw a few bits on to the ground. "Humerus!"
Humerus flew to him, smiling. "What is it, Neon Guard?"
"What about having to pay the train conductor twice the bits than usual because we went on his train without paying?" Red Noise then walked slowly towards Humerus, having an angry face on him.
Blue Alarm just looked away from the others and sighed.
The breeze of the forest nearby drifted to them. Then, it drifted away.
The leaves of the trees rustled. The sound of the wind was loud.
The sound of the waves of the river below was heard.
"OK, OK, I'm sorry, guys!" Humerus said, holding up his hooves in front of his face.
Neon Guard glared at Humerus. "We only have a fourth of our money left because of you!"
Silence was there for a few moments.
"What would the other changelings think of us?" Neon Guard slowly walked towards the shivering Humerus. "That we're not responsible over what King Thorax gave us? What would King Thorax himself think of what you just did? And what about the ponies that saw everything happen?"
Silence was there again. Humerus did not say anything but shivered on.
"The changeling image to the rest of Equestria is probably in danger because of you!"
The shout echoed through the forest, through the gorge.
"Yeah, Humerus," Red Noise said, standing beside Neon Guard. "It's not good for any of us—not good for the changelings, not good for the ponies, not good for the griffons, even!"
Humerus looked at Neon Guard, then at Red Noise. Then, he turned around and looked at Blue Alarm.
He was standing away from them. He was looking on to the beautiful scenery in front of the changelings.
Blue Alarm sighed.
"At least help me out, Alarm!"
"I think he agrees with us," Neon Guard said, still staring at Humerus with a furious look. "You know him, anyway."
And Blue Alarm looked on at the forest and the gorge and the grass and the blue sky. He did not say anything as well.
Neon Guard pushed Humerus.
Humerus staggered to the platform's edge, almost falling over to the railway below.
Blue Alarm flew to his side. His eyes were arched and his fangs showed.
Neon Guard stopped himself from walking towards Humerus and his protector.
And the four changelings stood there—Humerus near the end of the platform, Neon Guard and Red Noise looking at him from across, and Blue Alarm between the two sides.
"A-ha!"
They looked at the wooden double doors.
Out of the doors was a magnificent and ostentatious wooden wagon covered with purple and yellow, decorated and adorned with many stars and a few crescents. It had two windows covered with white curtains inside. A single glass door framed with a purple frame blasted open to the sound and the explosions of several fireworks.
Humerus then fell over off the platform and onto the railway.
Blue Alarm swooped in and caught Humerus with a hoof. Then, the two floated down back to the timber platform.
The changelings continued to watch the wagon.
The azure unicorn, wearing a purple cape and wizard's hat both ornamented with the images of stars and crescents, walked out of the door, still surrounded by more and more fireworks.
"Ah!" Humerus jumped up and was now flying in the air, looking at the event from above.
The three changelings on the ground stood firmly on the platform, facing and eyeing the unicorn.
"Ready for any attack?"
Blue Alarm and Red Noise nodded at Neon Guard's order.
Humerus nodded slowly.
Neon Guard looked up and just gave Humerus another glare. Then, he looked back at the unicorn.
The unicorn raised her voice and exclaimed, standing on her two hind legs. "Are you ready to witness the majestic and magical magic acts of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
Even more fireworks appeared, going out to the sky and exploding with loud bangs and booms and somehow not burning any of the trees. Humerus flew out of the fireworks' way, somehow avoiding getting hit by the bursts.
"Wait, you're just a stage pony?" Neon Guard asked, loosening his stance.
The other changelings lowered their guard as well.
"I am not just any stage pony, dear changelings!" The Great and Powerful Trixie paced the floor. "I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!"
And more fireworks appeared and exploded in the air.
Humerus landed on the floor. He was smiling again. Then, he rushed up to the show pony. "I can't believe I didn't give you the respect that you deserve, the Great and Powerful Trixie! Thanks for saving us again, The Great and Powerful Trixie!"
Red Noise smacked his face with a hoof. "It's 'Thanks again for saving us!' not 'Thanks for saving us again!' Humerus."
The unicorn looked up. "Ah, I am flattered!" She placed a hoof over her face. "It is such a great honor to be in my presence, is it not, dear changeling?"
"Sorry, Trixie." Neon Guard glanced around and scatched his head, wearing a grin. "I shouldn't have forgotten that you've been a great hero to us. It wasn't nice to greet you with an attack stance, but we didn't know it was you at first, Trixie."
Trixie waved her cape and looked up again, this time with eyes closed and face facing the sky. "Hmph. Your apology is accepted." She opened her eyes and looked at Neon Guard. "You have a funny hat on you. I assume that you are the leader of these changelings, or at least in charge."
"Uh, yes, Trixie, I am the leader of these changelings."
Red Noise tapped on Neon Guard's shoulder.
"So, what other magical acts can you do, the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
"A-ha!" Trixie smiled. "There are many magical acts that I can do, changeling!"
"Humerus is a good distraction," Red Noise whispered. "But, Neon Guard, shouldn't we get going already?"
Neon Guard sighed. He looked at the happy Humerus as Trixie levitated, with her magic, a stack of cards. "To be honest with you, it's getting harder and harder to get angry at Humerus when he's joyful."
"OK, that's nice, but when are we getting home?"
Neon Guard looked at the bridge crossing the gorge. The sky ahead was blue and clear, almost no clouds in sight. The trees and the forest on the other side promised more peace. The gorge below still had the sounds of the river. The leaves rustled.
"Maybe we can travel the way to Dodge City with Trixie."