As a new day in Ponyville was starting, Twilight Sparkle decided to leave her library and started to take a look at the ponies in front of her, passing by the day to day as if nothing wrong had happened just a few days ago, all she could feel was a mixture of fear and hope.
Fear because she could no longer know who was a changeling and who a pony, after Chrysalis's invasion of Canterlot, now everypony was a potential threat to her, which meant that she could no longer feel complete trust towards her fellow ponies like she used to; but she also felt hope because, she knew, that, as long as she had her friends with her, there was nothing that could stop her from fighting any villain that tried to become a threat to Equestria.
Yes, she wa aware that Chrysalis wouldn't try a new plan of conquest so fast, but it was quite clear that she had to be prepared for her next trick or, otherwise, she would fall again to her tricks and, perhaps next time, she wouldn't be able to stop it.
This is why she was so determined to find a proper spell that could allow her to detect changelings, even if they were disguised, while also trying to find out more about them, their culture, their history, on the books; anything that could give her a lead about them, that could help her understand what was this new enemy Equestria had because, as long as Chrysalis was free, the changelings were a threat that had to be fought and, if possible, have separated from Equestria until they could be taught to no longer be so evil.
It was true that there hasn't been new changeling sightings ever since Chrysalis' attack, but that didn't mean that it was over, far from it. Twilight was sure that this was just the beginning, that the changelings were going to do something soon but she wasn't sure of what exactly, perhaps Chrysalis was preparing a new attack? Doubtful, sure, but it was better to prepare than to be sorry.
All she had going for was the knowledge of changeling magic working quite differently from pony magic, considering that they fed on love. It meant that, if she wanted to find a way to detect them, she needed to find, first, a way to understand and detect their magic.
That was why she was reading some theories made by Starswirl the Bearded regarding magic and how it worked, how it was connected to the ponies and, from there, make a theory of how it would work on a changeling. The main problem Twilight had was that she needed an actual changeling to prove any of her theories and, she was very sure, no changeling would ever get close to her and let her examine it.
But that wouldn't stop her, though, she was going to achieve her goals and discover the mysteries behind the changelings, how they live, how they work, how they've managed to live hidden from the ponies for so long. There was nothing that could stop her and all she needed right now were some good ethereal theories.
But, as what many like to call "chance" or "destiny" would her prove wrong, Twilight's real problem came in the form of Pinkie Pie, who was very energetic and talking to her too fast for Twilight to even try to comprehend the pink menace.
"Pinkie!" - Said a very annoyed Twilight. - "I'm about to read this intense book on ethereal theory and you're interrupting me. What is it so important to not analyze something that could help us to detect more changelings?"
Her smiling friend decided to slow herself down and responded to the bookworm unicorn, never showing if Twilight's abrupt response affected her in some way or capacity.
"Twilight, a new pony has come here and I'm about to throw her a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. I need you there to shout 'surprise!' to her and then we'll dance, we'll meet each other better, we'll hear music, we'll then eat much cheese and drink chocolate until there's no end. So could you, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please come here?"
Pinkie then started to look at Twilight with a pleading smile, telling Twilight quite well how important was this meeting for the pink battery. So, reluctantly, Twilight decided to accept her offer and go to the party, taking Spike with her so nobody could be out of this Pinkie Party.
As Twilight was trotting to the Apple barn, she couldn't stop thinking about how sudden it was for a new pony to appear just a couple weeks after Chrysalis's invasion attempt on Canterlot. Perhaps... it wasn't a coincidence.
"Pinkie" -. Said a very curious Twilight. - "What could you tell me about this new pony, how old is she?"
Pinkie took the opportunity and decided to talk about this new pony to the mare that was searching for clues in a very long series of words.
"Well, she just came this morning and I saw her and she saw me and then I screamed 'WAH!' And then she looked confused, as if it were weird for ponies to scream in the air, and then I decided to leaver her while I started to organize the party in Applejack's barn and-"
By that point, Twilight just decided to not listen anymore, it looked like there was nothing she could find about this new pony that could tell her, whether or not, she should feel suspicious. But Twilight would try to take a better look at the newcomer in the party. For all she knew, this was just a changeling spy sent by Chrysalis to kidnap her or her friends.
And so, as the day progressed, she got to the barn and saw half of Ponyville together, including almost all of her friends, Applejack being somewhere outside the barn, and just waited until the newcomer could finally get to the party.
This wait was something that Twilight always found annoying, she had to stay in the dark and wait until the pony the party was aimed at would finally come, although, she was with her friends and that allowed to make some interesting conversations, mainly how Rarity managed to get a look on her and was quite a young pony, just a 15 year old mare. What was she doing in Ponyville?, and, should it be a changeling spy, why would Chrysalis send someone so young?
Regardless of it, Twilight would soon find out for the pony in question was finally coming to the barn. Soon, the barn was so quiet that it was easy to hear the outside the barn, even though the door was at a very important distance from them.
"So, what kind of surprise you have for me in there, miss Applejack?"
That was the voice of the newcomer and Twilight noticed some interesting details. If what Rarity said held true, then she certainly was very young, since, that voice showed how her vocal cords were still finishing to mature, but that wasn't all of what Twilight noticed, she also sound very well mannered and her accent spoke miles to belong to Canterlot elites. Why was a foal like that in Ponyville?
"Ah told ya already, sugarcube, there's no need fer calling me 'miss'. Just call me Applejack."
The young foal sounded quite concerned with that response, very common from those who have never met an Apple, how was she going to respond to Pinkie Pie?
"Oh, but my mom told me that the best way to respect someone was by calling them 'miss' or 'mister', and I don't want to disrespect you miss Applejack."
"Ok" -, thought a very perplexed Twilight. - "she's being too kind to be a changeling, based on how Chrysalis behaved while impersonating Cadence. Or do Changelings have multiple personalities besides the ones they are impersonating?"
"Worry none, sugarcube, you can call anypony else 'miss' if you want to respect your mama but, fer me, you can call me just Applejack and we'll be fine. Understood?"
By this point, Twilight was paying close attention to the young voice, she behaved very unlikely the ponies she was supposed to be pretending but she didn't fit any perception Twilight had of Changelings. She really wanted the party to be over and go back studying, she really needed it.
"Alright... Applejack" -. Said the foal, with her tone very unsure. - "So, what kind of surprise is waiting for me in here?"
And, as the door opened and two shadows appeared in Twilight's eyes, the lights turned on and everybody screamed 'surprise!' below a 'Welcome to Ponyville' banner. As Twilight took notice, she saw a very young unicorn mare of brown coat, black mane, deep blue eyes with what looked like to be a shining diamond being compressed as a cutie mark, and who was carrying a green saddlebag, having a very shocked face, maybe even bigger than her own when she faced her first Pinkie Party back when she first came to Ponyville and, as far she was aware, that was very normal.
"Are you making a party?" - Said the very impressed young mare. - "Just for me?" - She then looked at all the ponies with a completely confused face. - "Why?"
After getting a simple laugh, a very ready to party Rainbow Dash simply answered what anyone else would have.
"Duh! Because you just came and Pinkie loves to make parties to newcomers" -. Followed then by another mare in the public. - "Actually, Pinkie Pie just loves to make parties for any reason" -. But, before she could talk more, the electric pink menace said her final words. - "It doesn't matter, this is a party, let's dance!"
And the party began, with all the guest dancing and meeting the young mare, telling her the main details about their respective lives while trying to get to know her better. Things like their names, what they did, if they had a family, simple stuff like that were the things being exchanged with the very easy to impress mare, who heard each pony with joy as if she had never left her house in her entire life.
"You mean to tell me" -. Said the very impressed mare to a very humble Applejack, with her very refined and well mannered voice, although a bit groggy for her age. - "That you and your family work on all of this land to feed Equestria? With just apples?"
The orange mare chuckled at that and responded with certain levels of happiness.
"That's right young mare. Me and mah family has worked on this lands since the foundation of Ponyville" -. Seeing the young mare wide her eyes as if she just heard a fantastic tale just made the apple feel as if she just did a wonder to the world. - "Hey, it's not such a big deal. Ah'm certain that there are multiple more families in Equestria just like mine."
The young pony, then, answered with a lot of excitement and energy that reminded Applejack a little bit of Twilight Sparkle.
"Are you kidding me? Even if there are other families, yours it's still amazing, very few can talk about being as awesome as you are!"
Not too long after that, a rainbow maned pegasus interrupted her.
"Please, I take care of the weather in Ponyville, I'm the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria, done the sonic rainboom more than once and has defeated all the bad guys that has come to endanger Equestria" -. The mare just looked at her as if something as great (or even greater) than Princess Celestia was even possible. - "Which is why I'm the most awesome pony in the world."
Thankfully, a very annoyed Rarity decided to interject.
"Please Rainbow, before you keep fooling this young mare, just remember that you defeated them with the help of your friends, alright dear?"
The pegasus simply rolled her eyes and complied to the fashionista's demands.
"Sure, you contributed a bit in those fights, after all, without you, I wouldn't have done it."
The newcomer kept looking at the ponies as if she found the best thing in the world, to the curiosity of a very concerned Twilight.
"So" -. Decided to engage a very smart scholar. - "What brings you here... uhm... what's your name again?"
The mare quickly started to look nervous when she saw that her life was the new subject to discuss, which made her talk in a very nervous tone and almost as if she were mumbling.
"Well, my name is... er... well, Hidden Gem.." - She said in a very shy tone, as if embarrassed of that name. - "And I came to Ponyville to meet the place. I was told by... some... close figures... that this place was a very important one and I should check it out to see how good it was."
Twilight started to wonder at her picked words, very interesting indeed.
"Well, sure. Ponyville is a great place, but you seem to come from somewhere like Canterlot, which is much more interesting than a small humble town like Ponyville" -. Responded the curiosity filled element of magic, who had some memories of how Canterlot nobility thought about humble towns such as Ponyville. - "What kind of friends told you that this place was much more interesting than Canterlot?"
Hidden Gem quickly widened her eyes and started to look around frantically, as if she wasn't expecting to talk much about herself.
"Well, they didn't say that Canterlot wasn't interesting or less important than Ponyville, they just said that I should go to Ponyville first because... uhm... I would be very impressed by it."
By this point, the elements were starting to catch up that something was wrong with this mare, which made them to start scrutinizing more.
"Really?" - Asked a very inquisitive Rarity. - "And, what did you expect to find here? After all, Ponyville is a very simple town dear. There isn't much here to find."
The nervous mare just looked around, as if trying to find a new answer, not noticing Fluttershy getting behind her.
"Well, I'm not sure. I never heard of Ponyville until a few days ago and I decided to follow the advice to come here."
By this point, the mares were just weird out by this foal. How is it possible for a pony to not hear about Ponyville, house of the Elements of Harmony? Was it possible that...
"Wait, did your parents never told ya about Equestria?" - Asked a very concerned Applejack. - "Ah mean, Ah try to be very humble about mah family's farm, but there's no way you haven't heard about the Apples's name in your life."
By this point, the young mare was starting to look as if she was being cornered.
"Well, no. I never left my Hi-Home! I've never left my home so far" -. Twilight noticed how she changed the word, too fast to be noticed by the others, but she did. - "But due to... unexpected circumstances, I've found myself forced to leave my house and some.... very important... ponies told me to go to Ponyville instead."
By this point, the mystery was starting to become much bigger for them. Granted, it looked like this was a very secluded foal but the details were just too interesting to ignore.
"So" -. Continued Rainbow Dash. - "You never left your home? Why?"
This time the answer didn't sound forced, it felt natural although some details were still missing.
"Well, me and my mother never found any reason to leave. Me, my mother and our workers were very happy living in isolation and never had an actual reason to leave."
Slavery?
"Workers?" - Asked an aghast Rarity. - "What kind of workers are those, dear? Do they have a payment?"
"Well, they did have a payment and a house, and families. But I no longer know how they are, because I'm no longer living there."
The mares were trying really hard to look into this, there was something very strange with this filly but they still couldn't find out what. Perhaps her mother had those workers as actual slaves and the filly never realized for living in such isolated life. Speaking of the mother.
"Where is your mother?" - Asked a worried Fluttershy. - "From what I get, you've come here alone. Where's your mother?"
In that moment, Hidden Gem started to tear up, as if a wound was recently opened.
"Some bad guys came to my home and invaded us. Only I could run and my mom told me to go for help" -. Her voice started to sound raspy and her eyes were about to break a dam. - "The... *sob* ponies, my mom told me to go for aid, said that all the help I needed was in Ponyville, but they never told me why and now I don't know if I'll ever see my family again."
And, as she was about to break down in tears, Fluttershy hugged her and started to console her. The other elements started to look at each other, slightly understand who were these mysterious ponies talking about and, with looks of determination filling their eyes, they nodded at each other ready to solve this mystery.
"Don't worry, little girl, we're going to help you out" -. Said a very enthusiastic Rainbow Dash. - "The elements of Harmony are on this case".
"Elements of Harmony?"
The mares looked at each other again when they heard her question, just how isolated was this foal?
"Yeah" -. Continued Rainbow Dash. - "The ones who defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord and helped to fight back Queen Chrysalis? Those Elements of Harmony?"
In that moment, Hidden Gem started to wide her eyes as if she found a hidden treasure that nobody ever knew about and kept looking at them with an intense glare.
"No meanie beanie has ever defeated us" -. Said a very animated Pinkie Pie who came out of nowhere. - "And after helping you, we'll make a new party to celebrate, right girls?"
And, with a reverberating 'yeah!', the six mares surrounded Hidden Gem and gave her words of encouragement, telling her their plans to get her back home safe and sound. And, to make it all better, Hidden Gem decided to join the celebration.
"Thank you girls, I really appreciate your help and, to celebrate, why don't we drink a special beverage that my mother taught me to drink in celebrations?"
The mares got a bit confused at this, but they saw no reason to say no.
"Don't worry, is a special beverage that has chocolate and can be mixed with anything to make it more interesting to drink."
Once the word 'chocolate' was made, Pinkie Pie quickly took her to the kitchen and started to make the concoction, leaving the mares alone to discuss about the newcomer.
"Ah think she's hiding something, but that part of her home being invaded, Ah only saw truth in those words."
"Indeed, darling, I think that it would be the best to find out more about her and then seek for help, Twilight dear, do you think Princess Celestia could provide some help?"
Twilight looked at her friends, gave it a thought and quickly gave her response.
"Sure, I see why not. Princess Celestia should know that there are bad ponies attacking others in places she may not even know they exist. Besides, I would like to know what ponies told her to come here."
The way Hidden Gem avoided to talk about those ponies certainly raised a few eyebrows on the Equestrians, they sounded powerful and of the kind that didn't like to be known about, but they decided to find more about them later.
"Still" -. Said a quick thinker Twilight. - "I'll go tell Spike to go write a letter to Princess Celestia."
And, as Twilight Sparkle started to look around for her number one assistant, finding him playing with the other fillies to put the wings on the pegasus. Twilight told him to go write the letter to Princess Celestia, at which Spike got very annoyed but accepted anyway, leaving the party just in time before Hidden Gem started to share her concoction with all the ponies in the party.
As they all celebrated the newcomer, the ponies drank the concoction that had a strong taste to a bittersweet chocolate, mixed with apple juice and punch, which somehow tasted good, along a strong taste that they weren't quite sure what it was.
After taking that drink, Twilight went to Hidden Gem and decided to ask her some more questions.
"You know?" -. Asked the eccentric mare. - "You never gave us more details about this friends of yours, the ones who told you to come to Ponyville, who were they?"
Hidden Gem looked a bit worried, but answered nonetheless.
"Oh, those are some very powerful... uhm... ponies.... who knew my mother and decided to take me in after my home was invaded, but they asked me to come to Ponyville first and foremost. Maybe they wanted me to meet you here?"
For Twilight, it was very strange for this... ponies.... to prefer to send her alone to Ponyville first before going to Celestia, but she could try to research them more later. She was going to make a second question, but she suddenly started to feel a numbness growing on her head.
"Wow!" -. Said a very tipsy Applejack who was having problems staying in place. - "What was on that drink sugar cube? No cider belonging to mah family works this good."
"Oh, don't worry, it's very normal to feel like that on the first drink. My mother taught me to drink it until you felt nothing."
"Well, darlingsh" -. Responded Rarity while having problems of pronunciation and her eyes could hardly focus. - "I shink your mother shouldn't be abushing thou in shuch a verry menacing mane..." - She tried her focus once more on the girl, confusion sweeping her kneeled face. - "Ish it me or you grew up a few inches?"
Rainbow Dash could no longer stay in flight and now could hardly stay on her hooves, Fluttershy was knocked down on the floor, Pinkie Pie got asleep as she was drinking a whole jar of the strange juice. As Twilight looked around, all the ponies in the party were getting unconscious, dropping on the floor at the spot and the only one perfectly still was the little mare who she saw drinking the same beverage as them.
"What did you give us?" -. Said Twilight as she tried to focus on a spell of some kind that could allow her to dispel the concoction's power, but she couldn't feel her horn or her magic. All she could see, as she was losing her consciousness, was a smiling mare who no longer looked scared or worried. She now looked as if she was about to commit the greatest heist in history.
"Do not worry, my little Twilight, I'll explain you everything once this is all over."
The last thing Twilight saw, was the young mare smiling creepily and giving her predatory looks (Twilight would have felt fear, but her mind was getting too loose to even feel straight) while the last thing Twilight ever heard, as she closed her eyes and she was capable of understanding, were the words...
"You did it Diamantis! Now you have a chance to survive this new ordeal!"