//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: All According To Plan // Story: The Element of Hope // by Shootingstar212 //------------------------------// It's almost 11:00 pm currently, I should've gone to sleep a few hours ago, but I have a strange feeling in my stomach. Maybe I'm just nervous for tomorrow, but who wouldn't be? I'm working with the Elements of Harmony to try to catch some Changeling in order to help clear my own name. I'm not sure if it's going to be dangerous or not, but I know for sure that I don't want to fail the others. I'm sitting in my dining room, on a chair. There's an apple sitting on the table; this is the set up from earlier today. I want to keep myself busy if I'm staying up late, so I might as well practice the levitation spell. I have the lights dimmed so I don't get distracted by any glare. The glare isn't the thing that's distracting me this time, it's my jitters for tomorrow. It's gotten to the point where my magic can't even wrap around the apple anymore. I let out a yawn and stretch my back, it's probably a good time for me to go to bed... I stand up from my chair and begin to walk to my bedroom, the pent of anxiety is overflowing inside of me. I open my bedroom door and turn on the light. The room is still really plain right now, there are no posters or any real life to the walls. I'm sure if Rarity saw this place, she'd faint. I laugh to myself while I sit on the bed. I look over to my nightstand, reaching out to the alarm clock to set the time it should go off. I set the alarm to go off at 9:00 am. I lay down in my bed and stare at the ceiling. Nothing bad will happen tomorrow, we're just going to look for the Changeling that's behind all of this... I arrive at the library a little after 10:00 am, I'm still nervous about the situation. I knock on the library door a few times and wait for a response. Instead of Spike greeting me like I thought he would, it was Twilight. "Good morning," Twilight says when she opens the door. "I'm not late, am I?" I scratch the back of my neck. "You're rather early, actually. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are already here. I expect Rainbow Dash to show up a little later because she sleeps in..." Twilight trails off. I follow Twilight into the library, Applejack and Pinkie Pie greet me. I take a seat on the sofa with Pinkie Pie. Applejack is sitting in her own chair. "So, Sugarcube. How ya feelin?" Applejack asks "If I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous," I look down at the floorboards, "It doesn't really help that I stayed up really late just thinking about today." "There's nothing to worry about, silly!" Pinkie Pie presses up against me to get my attention. "Pinkie Pie's right, Travis. We're just going to be taking a look around town. Maybe the Changeling won't even show up today," Applejack tries to reassure me. "I guess you're right..." I respond. Applejack's right, maybe the Changeling won't even show up today. Even if it does, I don't have to risk my life to capture it. That's one of the reasons why we have a buddy system... an hour has passed since I arrived at the library, we've only made some small talk. Applejack was telling us about the upcoming cider season and how the demand is always too much for the supply. She even told me about a time where these two con artists tried to capitalize on the shortage but failed because of some competition between the Apple family and them. During the hour, the other mares show up one after another. Rainbow Dash was the last one to show up. That's pretty ironic because she's self-claimed "Fastest Pegasus in Equestria" Twilight runs through her checklist one last time before speaking, "Alright, Girls... And Travis. Is everypony ready for today's operation?" Twilight says with determination. So she's calling this an operation now? "I have a question!" Rainbow Dash asks. "Yes, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight raises an eyebrow. "What's the name of the operation? It better be something super cool and slick!" Rainbow Dash begins to fly around the room in anticipation. "Rainbow Dash, this isn't the time for coming up with some silly name. We've got to get serious," Twilight says sternly. "Come on, Twilight. We've already kicked those Changeling's butts before and that was their full army. Taking down one will be a piece of cake," Rainbow Dash lands and strikes a confident pose, "We can at least have a little bit of fun," Twilight doesn't say anything in response, she only glares at Rainbow, "Or not... Whatever," Rainbow Dash backs away from Twilight. "Anyways..." Twilight sighs. Twilight uses her magic to levitate up a clipboard, "I've created a list of groups based on who will be effective with who as partners. Group one will be Applejack and me." "Hold on, Twilight. Why aren't AJ and I teamed up together? We can do some serious flank woopin," Rainbow Dash complains. She begins to throw punches in the air. "Well, Rainbow. Applejack and you do have some impressive feats of strength, but the problem is if we stack all the power in one group, it leaves the other teams vulnerable. What we need to make sure of is that we all have balanced groups because each group will be in a different part of town. Does that answer your question?" Rainbow Dash nods her head, "Got it..." She says a little disappointed. "That being said, you'll be paired up with Rarity today." Rainbow Dash's eyes widen, "Oh great..." I can already tell why she's not too happy with being with Rarity. Rarity is a fashionista and Rainbow Dash really doesn't care for that kind of stuff. I can't help but snicker at her suffering, "You got something to say!" Rainbow Dash stares me down. "Don't worry about it, I was just thinking..." I respond, trying to save my own hide. Twilight clears her throat to get our attention, "That just leaves Pinkie Pie's group," Pinkie Pie perks up at her name. She begins to shake in place excitedly, anticipating to hear who's apart of her group. She know's that Fluttershy and I are the only ones not in a group, right? "You'll be partnered up with Fluttershy and Tra-" Before Twilight could finish, Pinkie Pie jumped into the air and yelled excitedly. "Oh my gosh, I'm with Fluttershy and Travis? This is the best day ever! We'll spend so much time talking, having fun, playing games..." Pinkie Pie begins to list all of the 'fun' things that we'll do as a group. "Uh... Is she always like this?" I ask Twilight out of fear for my own safety. Twilight nods with a smile, "Of course she is..." "I partnered all of you together because you and Pinkie Pie share the element of unpredictability. Not many ponies know that you can do magic, Travis. Pinkie Pie is... well... Pinkie Pie. I included Fluttershy in your group because we need to show the other ponies that Travis isn't the one who's committing the crimes. Being friendly with Fluttershy will be a great way to show that you're to be trusted." "I'll try not to get in the way..." Fluttershy weakly says. I turn to face her, and she's avoiding eye contact with everypony. "Hmm, it's a shame I wasn't partnered up with Travis. I really wanted to give him an update on how the clothes are going," Rarity says a little disappointed. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't end up with her, the last thing I want is to fall asleep while on the search. "Well, girls. Let's head out." Twilight say's with a serious tone. "Right!" The rest of us yell in unison. This is it, the moment I've been waiting for. I just hope I don't blow it... I'm stationed outside of the café area with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. It's been a while since we've arrived, I haven't been keeping track of the time. Plenty of unfamiliar faces have been trotting around, minding their own business. After a while, it seems like most of them have blended together. I'm actually surprised at the number of mares with the same mane style, I didn't really notice it until now... Before we were assigned our locations, Twilight told us the 'signal' we should use if we come across any trouble. Twilight and Rarity would use their magic to light up the area around them bright enough so anypony could see it over the buildings. When I told Twilight I didn't exactly know how to execute such a spell, she just said that Pinkie Pie will fire off her 'party cannon' whatever that means... Speaking of Pinkie Pie, she's currently 'on the hunt' as she said it. I look over at her and I can tell she means business. By that, I mean that she's dressed up in a safari hat and is combing the area with a pair of binoculars. I place my hands behind my head and sigh, "Look out for something suspicious, she said," I quote Twilight, "Twilight never said what would classify as suspicious... For all we know, we already missed it." "I'm trying to focus here," Pinkie Pie shushes me, "One small blink and we can miss it!" Pinkie Pie pulls her eyes away from the binoculars and they are blood red. "Um... You okay?" I ask out of concern for her own well being. "I haven't blinked since we got here and I'm not starting now," Pinkie Pie pulls out a bottle of eye drops and applies them to her bloodshot eyes. I'm beginning to feel more worried about the safety of the public instead of Pinkie Pie... She's pretty scary at times. The pony I'm not really worried about, but am curious about is Fluttershy. She hasn't said a single word since we got here. Nopony has been talking much, but Fluttershy has been completely silent. Part of me really wants to talk to her, but I'd be taking my eyes off the prize... Plus, we don't really have much in common, as far as I'm aware. Unless you're counting social insecurities as something to talk about. Talk about an oxymoron right there. I could ask her how if she's seen anything fishy yet... "Uh, hey, Fluttershy," I ask Fluttershy, turning my head to face her direction. Fluttershy looks up at me, blinking a couple of times. She's actually really adorable now that I can get a good look at her. Fluttershy looks so soft, almost motherly in a way. Almost like she's the kind of pony to go to if you hurt yourself playing outside as a filly or colt. "Y-yes?" Fluttershy responds. "I was wondering if... if you found anypony who looks suspicious yet? I've been struggling to keep track of all of them myself," I scratch my neck, trying to come up with conversation topics. "No... Sorry... I'll try harder," Fluttershy says. Does she think I'm upset at that? "Don't worry about it. Maybe we should all take a break anyway?" We've been at this for what feels like hours. I'm sure Twilight won't mind if we take just a little break. At the mere mention of the word 'break' Pinkie Pie has vanished in a Pink blur of speed, "Hey! Where are you going!?" I yell at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie calls back the word 'cupcakes' whatever she means by that. I turn to Fluttershy, we're looking at each other awkwardly. I've got an idea, "Well, since we're by the café... Do you want to get a drink or something?" I offer. "uh... Sure, thank you," Fluttershy's eyes dart around the area. I return to the table Fluttershy is at with two drinks in hand. Fluttershy wanted a green tea with two sugars, while I just got a coffee with one cream and one sugar. This is going to be the first time I'll be trying coffee in about a few years, if I end up not liking it, I'll drink it anyway because that would just be a waste of money to throw it out. I pull out my chair and hand Fluttershy her tea. "Thank you very much," Fluttershy responds before taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah, no problem," I sit down in my chair and open up the top flap of the cup. Here goes two bits down the drain... I take a slow sip of the coffee, the bitter but sweet liquid slides down my throat. The coffee still is really hot, but not hot enough that it hurts. It tastes a bit better than when I first tried it a few years ago, probably because I actually added sweeteners this time. Coffee still isn't really a go-to thing for me, even after this more pleasant experience. I look over at Fluttershy, who's still darting her eyes around the area. What's wrong with her? "Hey, Fluttershy. Are you nervous or something?" Fluttershy nods her head, "A little bit... I'm worried about the others a bit more..." "I'm sure they can handle themselves," I respond. I should try to get Fluttershy's mind off of the mission for a second, "I know you live outside of town too. Do you live by yourself?" Fluttershy shakes her head in response, "Not at all. I have my little animal friends living with me too. I take in small animals that don't have a home and let them live with me." I finish taking another sip of my coffee, "So, you're their caretaker, huh?" Fluttershy nods her head, "Well... I'd like to come by and see them... if you don't mind?" I cautiously ask Fluttershy. "I don't mind," Fluttershy loses eye contact with me when she says that. After these past couple of days, Fluttershy seems to have opened up to me a little more it seems. But, all good things must come to an end at some point. I only think this because I see something going on behind Fluttershy. It takes me a second to realize exactly what it is. The seafoam Earth pony from Pinkie Pie's party is talking to a stallion. She's got the same mane, tail, and cutie mark as the last time I saw her. This is strange... She was flirting with another stallion the last time I spotted her... "Fluttershy... Can you go get Pinkie Pie?" I ask Fluttershy while standing up from my chair. "W-what is it? Is something wrong?" Fluttershy says with some fear creeping into her voice. "Don't worry about it. I just wanted to check something out," I lie a little to try to calm Fluttershy down, "I just don't want you to be left alone." "Oh... Okay..." Fluttershy says. I begin to walk towards the seafoam mare and the stallion, but the two of them walk away before I can make any progress. They both look like they're enjoying themselves. They're talking, laughing, and all around look happy. Maybe I'd just be ruining an honest date? But... I just have to make sure that this mare isn't a Changeling. It makes sense if she is. A random mare showing up out of nowhere that Pinkie Pie doesn't know, how she suddenly wants to talk to me for no reason, and why I've been seeing her all over town with different stallions. I'm certain that this mare's a Changeling, I need to save that stallion before something bad happens to him. I'm making sure to be at a further distance behind the two, to make it look like I'm just passing by. I'm not paying attention to my surroundings, only the two ponies that I'm tailing. I apologize to anypony I accidentally bump into, which is a lot. I can't just call out for the two of them to stop, what if I'm wrongly accusing somepony? Even If I did catch them, it's unlikely that the Changeling will reveal itself. There are too many ponies in this part of town, my eyes can't keep up with the two I'm following and I lose them in the crowd. Oh no... I have to hurry! Before I can even think, I'm running through the area, pushing past anypony who gets in my way. Where could they have gone? it's impossible to move that quickly. In between the gaps of the houses, I see somepony move behind the house on the left. I can't tell who it is, but I have to check it out. when I reach the other side of the houses, there's a surprise waiting for me. The stallion that the mare was trying to seduce has a magical grip on the mares throat. The colour of the aura is green... the same green that the Changelings I encountered a few nights ago have. Tears of fear are rolling down the mare's face. She looks directly at me, her gaze penetrates my soul. "Take another step and she dies," The Unicorn stallion says calmly. I look over at him and he has a smirk on his face, "So, you're that freak that I've been hearing about. I can't believe that some of my own were surprised by you." The stallion says. Is he talking about the Changelings from a few nights ago? "B-B-but I thought..." I stammer out. I can't even form a complete sentence, out of shock. Is the mare innocent? "If you say one more word..." The stallion threatens. I can hear the grip tighten around the mare's throat as she whimpers, "Then... *pop*" The stallion makes a popping sound with his mouth. I'm frozen in fear, one small misstep and she's a goner. What do I do? What can I do? "Don't follow, kid." The stallion begins to walk with the mare towards the forest. I didn't even notice we were at the edge of town. The mare is being dragged across the ground, tears rolling down her face as she's helpless. My own eyes begin to water, I shut them so I don't have to look at what's happening. If I do something, she could die. If I do nothing, she will die I open my eyes to see that the Changeling is beginning to morph back into its original form. His coat turns from brown to black, and bits of skin begin to form holes in them. The bug-like wings begin to sprout off of the Changeling's back, a dark green slime covering the new wings. The Changeling is just outside of the forest now, the mare's tears are staining her coat. I know that this is a risk, but I have to try something! I crouch down slightly and open my hands towards the ground, slightly behind me. This is a pretty long jump I'll have to make, but I need to try. I can't let this guy get away, not like last time! I focus my magic in both of my hands and blast as much as I can into the ground, sending me skyrocketing upwards and towards the Changeling. While I fly at an arc, I pull my right arm back and form a fist. I throw my punch towards the back of the Changelings head while I descend, causing the Changeling to fall face first into the dirt. When I land on the ground, I end up stumbling over and falling down myself. "What the hell?" The Changeling questions while he slowly stands up, his magic grip is off of the mare. "Run! Go get help!" I yell at the mare who's frozen in shock. The mare isn't moving at all, this isn't good. I need to make sure she doesn't die. I get on one knee and start to stand up, but I'm interrupted by a magic orb being flung right into my chest. The pain is sharp, it feels like my chest is being stabbed with multiple knives. I'm flung back into the forest and skid across the dirt, leaving an imprint as I slide. I'm trying to catch my breath from the attack, but the pain is too intense. "You just interrupted my meal... But I'm sure you'll do just fine," The raspy voice of the Changeling says. The Changeling stands over me and lunges at my face, but I manage to block his fangs with my arm. His fangs easily tear through my sweater and puncture my skin, some blood flies out of my arm while I yell in pain. The tears in my eyes begin to leak out from the damage this Changeling has caused. "Get the hell off of me!" I shout in anger. I use my free arm to punch the Changeling directly on the forehead. The Changeling doesn't budge at first, so I begin to hit him a few more times in a row in a desperate attempt to get him off of me. I've got an idea; I pull my arm back one last time and coat my hand in as much magic as I can. When my fist connects to the Changeling's face, I unleash my air gust spell at the same time, sending the Changeling spiralling away from me. When the Changeling's fangs release from my arm, blood begins to leak and stain my clothes. The Changeling crashes down on the ground, skidding to a stop a few feet away. I quickly scramble to my feet, I'm a little relieved that I was able to get him off of me, but I can't relax just yet. The Changeling stands up, licking the blood off of his lips with his snake-like tongue, "Your blood... It's delicious. The Queen would love to have some," The Changeling looks at the wound he caused in my arm. I feel my arm with my free hand, when I pull it away to check the damage, I'm shocked to see how much blood is leaking out. Fear shoots through my heart, this guy is really trying to kill me! I'm not sure if he knows about my magic, he didn't see me doing any. hopefully, he just thinks I'm strong; I've still got the element of surprise on my side... for the most part. The horn of the Changeling begins to glow a bright green once more. I instinctively move to the right of me before he can fire off another spell. When the fireball slams into the tree that was behind me, it explodes, sending small slivers of wood in every direction. I can hear the fire lingering, but I have no time to look back. I quickly regain my footing and make a mad dash towards the Changeling. I fire an air gust spell at the ground to fly up into the air, only a couple of feet above my opponent. I pull back my good arm, getting a good punch ready. Before I can reach the Changeling with my punch, I'm stopped in the air; I'm completely frozen! I can't move a muscle, this is really bad. There is a green aura surrounding my entire body. "So, that's your trick?" The Changeling says with a smirk, his horn is glowing. There's no way that Changeling has the magic to freeze me in place by himself, "The two Scouters that came back a few nights ago were going on and on about some strange creature using magic. I didn't think it was you at first, but it seems like they weren't incompetent after all." "Don't try to make it seem like you're the one doing all of the work," A feminine voice chimes in. I shift my eyes to the source of the voice, it's the mare that I just saved. The mare slowly transforms into a Changeling, the two of the Changelings look identical. But I thought that this guy was the Changeling? "Now that we got him, we need to deliver him to the Queen," The newly revealed Changeling says, referring to me. "Yeah, yeah... But first," The Changeling flings me right into a nearby tree. I yell out in pain because the impact was so hard. I feel my vision fading away, I'm not sure if it's because of their spell or because I'm losing too much blood. I let Twilight down again... This time, it'll cost me my life...