Belladonna sighed. This would be a whole lot easier if she waited for Phytolacca to return from his senseless alicorn hunt. She sighted to herself in exasperation. "Just like a stallion!" She thought to herself, stamping her foot with disdain -- what made the stallion even think that there was even a sixth princess to be found? Let alone in a humdrum place like that tiny apple town -- what was it's name again? Lemonaloosa? Appleville? Oh! It didn't matter! He was wasting his time and the hive's resources on the pointless witch hunt!
Oh well! In the end, this was all the better for her! Because, if she found the next bearer before he did, then she might increase her standing in the hive, even becoming the second (or even first) among the hive's elite assassin's, and this was a very good thing indeed!
The problem? The artifact responded to an element of harmony, and a pegasus no less! And it was going to be hard to spy on her, especially when she lived in a cloud house hovering right over the middle of town! (good thing changelings had wings, otherwise she might have trouble getting up there!)
And following her around for the next three days wasn't revealing much, except that that fool Phytolacca was completely right about his Princess theory, and completely wrong about his level of strength -- a mistake Belladonna vowed not to repeat! Yes! This called for one thing, and one thing only! A cutie-remarking! But that would have to come later. For now, she had to get into Rainbow Dash's Cloudominium, but how would she best get in there?
She could try to convince that rube Twilight to cast a spell on her to make her invisible? Nah... There was no way in Queen Rosedust's name that she was going to talk to that phony princess! Maybe should have Trixie cast an invisibility spell on her and... No! And let that fraud share her glory! No! Of course, she could get one of the pretorian guard to help... Heck, she was sure that her beauty would convince them to assist her in her cause -- she thought to herself, posing in her true changeling glory in front of a mirror, which promptly shattered into tiny crinkly bits...
Ok fine! Maybe she needed to find another way...
Hmm... she thought sitting around. How could she possibly convince the pegasus to let her in. She could change form to somepony the vain pegasus loved, like Lord West Wind... No! Then she might start asking questions... Maybe a close friend like Fluttershy? No! She was not going to take on that ridiculous form! Somepony from the weather team? Thunderlane maybe? No! She wouldn't let a stallion into her house, it would make her look bad, and besides -- once again, she might ask questions! Spitfire? Close... But she had a better idea, she thought to herself, tilting her head in a thinking position.
**********
"Come on Cheerilee, you can do it!" Cheered Twilight, with a smile, as the purple unicorn struggled to lift the small metal ball, sweat dripping down her brow.
"I don't know Twilight! This ball feels like it's made of lead!" She shouted, a blue aura forming around the ball, which progressively grew brighter and brighter as the unicorn used more and more of her magic.
"Relax Cheerilee." Twilight cautioned. "You'll never succeed in this spell if you get worked up like that! Remember: resolve, concentration, and determination!"
Cheerilee grunted, the magic beginning to warp and distort the ball, before the ball finally lifted off the ground, and went flying through the ceiling of the room, and the ceiling of the upstairs, finally flying out of the tree and landing in the town's bowling alley, knocking down all ten pins.
Twilight gave a false smile. "Good start!" She said, the smile holding steady. "See! You're getting better." She said, with confidence, not wanting to upset the unicorn mare, who was probably having trouble today because she spent all of the night before studying time travel magic. "Shall we take a break, and then I want to see how you're doing Rarity!" She said, with a smile to the pink alicorn who started bouncing around eagerly.
"But I want to see Cheerilee try again!" She said, eagerly. "Because that was unicorn fun!" She exclaimed, standing under the hole.
Twilight gave a smile, this gave her an idea to get the unicorn to concentrate again. "I think she needs a break right now." She said, sternly. "But how I can give her another try if you concentrate on today's lesson, in teleportation ok?" She said, eliciting an upset nod from the exuberant alicorn.
"And -- " Twilight said, hearing a knock on the door of the Golden Oaks. "I wonder who that could be?" She asked, slowly opening the door to reveal a pegasus mare with a hot pink coat, a yellow mane, blue eyes, and a trio of candles for a cutie mark.
Twilight frowned, apologetically. "May I help you?" She asked the pegasus, with a frown. "I don't mean to trouble you if you are here to learn, but I'm currently in the middle of a lesson right now, could you come back later?"
"I'm terribly sorry." The pegasus said, with a frown. "But my name is Best Wishes, and I really need to pick up a specific book on the wonderbolts, and I couldn't find the book I was looking for in the Cloudsdale library!" She said, her voice trailing off. "And without it, I'll never be able to have the perfect party for my niece without it!"
"A party?" Asked Twilight in surprise. "What's it about?"
"Well, if you must know." Said Best Wishes calmly. "It's a wonderbolts of old themed party, " She said, with an eager smile. "You see, we were all going to go out and wear the original wonderbolts' uniforms, and my husband was going to dress as Colonel Purple Dart, and I was going to dress as General Firefly, and then after the party we were going to -- "
"Ok!" Grunted Twilight, face hoofing -- too much information!... Much too much information! "I might have the book you are looking for, but the last user might have left it... A little bit bright..." She said, with a sigh, she was still trying to magically remove all the highlighting that Rainbow left in that book on the wonderbolts.
"Hmm..." The pegasus said, skimming the book, a disappointed expression slowly forming. "Could I get something with less caricatures of you?" She asked, holding up one of the pages that Rainbow had painted a caricature of Princess Twilight in.
"I suppose." Said Twilight, with a grunt -- the wheels in her head turning. No! She was not going to be defeated by a library request! "I suppose there is one more book that we have that you could look at -- and it's the only other one we have that Cloudsdale doesn't," she said, tapping her muzzle with her hoof. "But it's kind of old, " she said, with a frown.
"Could I see it?" Best Wishes asked, politely. "Maybe this is the book I'm looking for?"
"Well... I suppose..." Twilight said, reluctantly. The writing on the book was a little bit dated, considering that it was written shortly before Twilight was born. "But..." Twilight said, with a sigh. "If you insist."
"Yes please." Best Wishes responded, taking a begging position. "My husband would be so happy if I got everything perfect!" The mare begged to Twilight. "You know how frisky the wonderbolts make him and -- "
"I suppose..." Reiterated Twilight, reluctantly (intentionally cutting the pegasus mare off mid sentence.) "But..." She said, sneezing slightly. "It's kind of dusty."
"Can I see?" The pegasus asked, grabbing the book from Twilight. "This might be the one!" She said, blowing on the book, and causing a thick layer of dust to go flying into the room.
"Was that... *ACHOO*... Really necessary?" Twilight asked, sternly -- this pegasus didn't have any respect for books!"
"Sorry..." The pegasus said, blushing slightly. "But...." She said, skimming towards the end of the book, a twinkle blooming in her eye. "I think this might be just the book I need." She said, bowing formally to the princess.
"Well great!" Twilight said, with a forced smile. "Do drop in again, but please do so when we are open." She said, politely.
"Sure." The pegasus said, bowing. "Sorry about that, but you are such a life saver, Princess Twilight!" She said, walking out the door, a smirk growing on her face.
"Ok, Rarity, let's try that teleportation spell." Twilight said, with a smile. "Then we'll let Cheerilee take another try, ok?" She asked, hoping to get the mini alicorn to pay attention to this very important lesson.
**********
Rainbow Dash stood in her Cloudominium, steaming quietly. How dare that Trixie insult her like that! She meant: first she goes and insults her, then she starts insinuating that she did something untowards with a stallion. How dare that two bit hack make accusations like that!
But, of course, it was always like that! For some reason being a strong mare meant that Dash was either some kind of filly-fooler, or some kind of predator just looking for stallions to... Oh It just made her want to scream!
She needed to cool down for a minute, lest her temper get the better of her! She thought to herself, putting down the necklace with G's feather that she had been wearing all day, on her dresser, as she needed to take a shower to wash off all the shame she had just been subjected to! And she'd make sure to play a doozie of a prank on that horrible pony, at the first possible opportunity.
A knocking could be heard at her front door. That had better be important! She thought, a cartoon frown showing on her face, as it scrunched like a raisin (kind of like that time that Tank had to hibernate through the winter...)
"I'm coming!" She shouted, as she cantered, quickly, towards the door.
After a couple of seconds the pony knocked louder.
"I'm coming already!" The pegasus groaned, sounding more agitated. "Hold your horses!"
Grasping a hold of the doorknob in her magnetic hoof grip, she slowly pulled the door open. "What do you want!" She shouted at the pegasus behind the door... "... GENERAL HIGH FLYER!!!" She said, in shock, performing a hasty, and sloppy, salute. "But I thought you had retired four years ago, something about the onset of dementia!"
"Well as you can see." The stallion said, in a squeaky, almost alien voice. "I am most certainly fine."
"Well what brings you here tonight, General?" Rainbow Dash asked, shrieking silently, her exuberance at seeing a real Wonderbolts general standing at her door.
"Do you mind if I come in, Rainbow Dash?" He asked, holding a strange necklace up, which glowed brightly, but not as much so as before. "That's interesting...." The general said, to himself, under his breath.
"What's the necklace for, general?" Rainbow asked, wondering why the renowned 'super stallion' of the wonderbolts was holding up the most girly necklace that she had ever seen.
The general's eyes became wide as saucers before he started looked around, obviously looking for ponies listening in. "It's got a magic detection spell, Dash. Being a pony like me, you can never be too careful! Because spies and enemies of Equestria are everywhere!" He exclaimed in his squeaky voice. "We can't be too careful!"
"OH MY GOSH!!!" Rainbow said, scrunching her face with her hooves. "YOU MUST BE HERE TO TELL ME SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT!!!"
The general held his hoof up to shush her. "Please be quiet, mrs. Dash, I'm here to tell you something top secret, and I can't have ponies finding out." He said, motioning at the door. "Could you let me in?"
"Sure thing!" Rainbow said, with enthusiasm, opening the door wider. "Please come in general."
"Thank you Dash!" The general said in his raspy, squeaky voice. "Do you mind if I sweep your house to make sure there is no eavesdropping magic around?"
"OH MY GOSH!!!" Rainbow said, with unbridled enthusiasm. "HE WANTS TO SWEEP MY HOUSE!!!" She exclaimed, with stars in her eyes, as the general went around, sweeping the different rooms -- carefully looking for 'eavesdropping spells'.
"Do you see that tank?" Rainbow said, practically prancing. "There's a wonderbolts sweeping my house for magic!" She exclaimed, feeling high and mighty. "Most likely so he can tell me about a secret mission!" She beamed, as the general headed upstairs to the living areas. "I can't wait to tell Lord West Wind!!!"
Meanwhile upstairs.
The 'general' started sweeping up and down the floor. "She didn't resonate at the same level when I came to the door, and that means that she must have been wearing something from somepony who would." The 'general' thought to themselves, contemplating if they needed to start turning stuff upside down.
They shook their head -- there was no way that they could do that without Dash noticing. No! Instead, they needed to hurry! They had to find it before Dash became wise!
After a few minutes of sweeping up and down the floor the 'general' was on the verge of giving up. Where could Dash have hidden it? Could they have been wrong about Dash resonating with the object?
Dash slowly rose the stairs. "So general?" Dash asked, with a slight squeal. "Did you find any eavesdropping magic?"
"Not yet!" The general stated plainly. "But I swear I detected one when I was watching you at that magician's show earlier today.
"You were in the crowd general?" Rainbow asked in surprise, and shame. "I wish I'd noticed you!" She said, bowing her head, with a look of disappointment.
"I apologize, Dash." The general said, in his squeaky voice. "But I couldn't make contact while you were possibly under the effects of an eavesdropping spell!"
Dash nodded, with a sad expression. "I'm sorry to hear that." Why would somepony be snooping on her, and why? Did they not want her to be a wonderbolt?
"So, let me ask again." The general said, plainly, their voice sounding more natural. "Were you wearing anything at that demonstration?"
Dash nodded, pulling the necklace with G's feather, that she had put on her dresser right before the general showed up. "Only thing I can think of is this necklace, with G's feather."
The general gave a smile. "Let me take a look at it then," he said, holding his magic detection charm up to the feather, causing the charm to glow violently, becoming hot to the touch.
"Ouch!" The general shrieked, a female voice coming out, as the charm dropped to the ground.
"You ok general?" Rainbow asked, in dismay. What the hay just happened? And was it her or did the general just exclaim with a mare's voice?
"Don't worry, Dash!" The general said, motioning with his hoof, and picking back up his charm. "I'm ok! But I'm going to need to take that necklace back to HQ for analysis!" The general said, his face became stern. "I also need you to tell me about this 'G', and if she'd have any reason to be snooping on us!"
Rainbow shook her head, her expression looking deeply hurt. "That's from my ex-friend Gilda." Rainbow said, stamping her hoof. "Curse you G Why would you do this to me! Why would you be spying on me!" Rainbow thought to herself, in disgust.
The general frowned. "I'm terribly sorry Dash to reveal this to you, but I really need you to do this! I can sense how eager you are to join the Wonderbolts, and sometimes for the Wonderbolts, we need to take hard stands."
Rainbow frown widened, as she was crying on the inside. "It was my ex-friend Gilda, she's a griffon, who couldn't accept my new friends, and betrayed me."
"Betrayed huh..." The general said, in a female voice, tapping his chin with his hoof. "Tell me Dash, do you know where she is now?"
Rainbow shook her head, still weeping on the inside. "No I don't, general! But if I did then I'd -- "
The general stopped her, putting a hoof in front of her. "That's no way to talk, Dash! She used to be your friend, just remember the good times!"
"I suppose!" Said Dash, wondering why G was suddenly ruining her chance at being a wonderbolt, and how she managed to get an eavesdropping spell on one of her old feathers.
"Don't worry!" The general said, picking up Gilda's feather. "I'll do a full investigation into this 'Gilda', and we'll find out why she's been eavesdropping on you! And then in two weeks I shall return to give you your mission!"
Rainbow nodded sadly, as the general walked back out the front door. Maybe she would make that shower extra long.
She sighed, closing her door, only stopping for a minute, as a strange sound filled the air. Was it just her, or did she hear cackling coming from somewhere?
**********
"Maybe we should think about a good run, brother?" Flim asked, turning to his brother. "I'm pretty sure I don't -- "
"Want to be a changeling." Flam responded, finishing his brother's sentence. "And I'm pretty sure the good ponies of Equestria won't be buying a whole lot of cider from us if we look like that." He said, pointing ostentatiously at a peeved commander Raphanus.
"Will you two please shut up?" The commander bellowed.
"Oh touchy!" The brothers exclaimed in unison.
"Well look." Flim responded, with a sly grin. "If you want to be a -- "
"Grump about it." Flam said, continuing his brother's sentence. "Then we'll be --
"On our -- " Flim started saying.
"Would you both please shut up!" The commander bellowed, starting to hyperventilate. "Nopony is going to feed on anything today! And we won't be making any drones!" He shouted in the brother's faces. "The prince simply wants to discuss business!"
"Why didn't you -- " Flam replied, with a greedy smirk.
"Say so -- " Flim replied, making a ribbing motion with his knee.
"Earlier!!!" Both brothers shouted in unison, pushing the commander towards the well lighten chamber at the end of the hall.
The commander groaned noisily, wondering if maybe he should have stayed a private.
Ahead stood the prince's chambers, which were well lighten from the light of a stone that had been placed over his elaborate throne (probably to emulate the ancient sunstone that the royal family still owned.)
"Wow!" Flim brother said, ribbing his brother Flam.
"And they say we oversell things!" Flam replied to his bother, with a bemused smile.
Before them stood the changeling prince, his blond mane blowing against an invisible wind.
"Greetings little ponies." Vladímir said, with a smirk. "And welcome to the hive, " he said, motioning all around him. "My hive!"
"Well it's very nice -- " Flim said, backing away.
"To see your hive, but we simply must be -- " Flam said, his face flush, as his back turned to the changeling prince.
"Going." The brothers said, starting to hightail it out of there, and.
"I'm sorry, but this won't be permitted!" The prince said, stamping his hoof -- causing the large double doors to slam shut, right in front of the brother's faces, causing them to smash their faces against the giant, oversized door.
"So what do you need us for?" The brothers asked, in unison, both of their faces screaming for mercy.
"Why it's simple!" The prince replied, with a smile. "I'm here to talk about a business arrangement."
"Well I do like business." Replied Flam to his brother, with a smirk. "What kind of business arrangement?" He said, coming up with an exit plan.
"I need you to perform a very basic task for me!" The prince replied, nonchalantly, waving his hoof around. "Nothing the two of you can't handle, " he replied, with faux trust, and confidence.
"But if it involves us becoming icky changelings like you!" Flim said, pointing at the two changelings that the prince was using as his foot stools. "Then I'm sorry, but we are out."
"Oh no!" The prince said, with a chuckle. "Why would I want to pollute the hive with your tainted blood?" The prince said, causing the brothers to look at each other with confusion. Was he planning on removing their heads or something?
"Then what do you need us for?" Both brothers said, in unison.
"I simply need one of you to put this jewelry on." The prince said, bringing forth a necklace with a large red apple emblazoned upon it.
Flim looked at Flam, as both brothers started to swallow chuckles at first, and then to laugh out loud. "That's a good one!" Flim said, his face turning red with all of his laughter.
"Ok... Why do you really -- ?" Flam started asking, looking arround, the tears from his riotous laughter still streaming down his face.
"Need us here!" Both brothers asked, looking around for signs of deceit. Were they on one of those reels where they play pranks on stupid ponies?
Vladímir scoffed, looking very perturbed. "HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT I!!! THE RIGHTFUL -- " He started shouting, causing both brothers to snap to attention. He took a breath to calm down, before dropping back to his normal charismatic voice. "I mean... There's no trick here!" He said, trying to sound as sweet and innocent as possible. "I just want you to try this on for me!" He said, having the drone bring the necklace closer. "Doesn't even matter which brother puts it on."
"I don't know..." Flim said, with a false reluctance. "It looks pretty girly! And we are, after all, stallions' stallions."
Flam nodded in agreement. "It is pretty girly!"
The prince gave him a scowl back. "Then, maybe, would this change your mind?" He asked, having another changeling bring forth a fortune in both bits, and rare jewels.
If one didn't know better, one could swear they saw both brother's eyes turn into bits for a second.
"Well maybe we've been too hasty." Flam said, with a generous smile. "It wouldn't be so bad to put that girly thing on!" He said, facing his brother. "It might even look good on us!"
"Well it would look quite fetching with your mustache!" Flim replied, trying to hide his enthusiasm.
"Yes, and if you simply put it on then you can collect your payment, and you be on your way." The prince replied, his patience just about exhausted.
"Yes, I guess we shouldn't keep the gentlecolt waiting any longer." Flam replied, putting on the necklace, with a gulp as multiple changelings started to surround the brothers (you know, in case they got cold feet...)
What followed next could not be described in words except by the phrases pain, and screaming.
"Excellent." Vladímir replied, with a smile, putting the tips of his hooves together. "The artifact reacts to them! Phytolacca did an excellent job." The prince replied, causing an angry expression to appear on Solanaceae's face -- as he felt he wasn't getting the validation he was expecting.
"Feel disappointed?" The prince asked to the top of his two remaining assassin's. "Then get me the last three bearers, before I lose my patience!" He shouted, using his magic to toss his assassin out of his room with magic.
The brothers slowly raised back to their hooves, their expressions distant, and their eyes glowing a weird color.
"Ahh brothers!" The prince said, as the two forms slowly rose, smelling of smoke and covered in charred fur. "How do you feel?"
"Never felt better!" Lied Flim.
"Like a million bucks!" Lied Flam.
"Excellent!" the prince said, beckoning the some of his drones. "See to it that the brothers are treated like royalty in their new chambers, and please leave the brother's pay in the same room, please!" He commanded of the drone, who nodded dutifully. "They shall make excellent assets, along with that former drone Trixie, and that Sunset... whatever-her-name-was." He said, with a smirk.
Three down, three to go!