Fluttershy stepped out of the Ponyville Hospital, her right wing wrapped around with a white bandage as she made her way to the town of Ponyville, the rain soaking her coat and mane, including her tail. Her hooves began to get muddy from the road she is on once she got to the small town, watching ponies running to safety.
“Hey there, Professor Fluttershy!” The yellow pony stopped, seeing one of her students from the School of Friendship waving a hoof at her. He trotted up to her, glancing at the bandages. “Yona’s hoping you’re not mad at her for slamming your wing against the door,” the teenage colt said, digging his hoof at the ground, his mane dripping wet.
“I’m not mad,” she assured him. “I’m not mad at all, Sandbar. What she did is completely an accident. Now I suggest you get out of the rain before you catch a cold,” she advised him.
“Okay, see you tomorrow!” Sanbar began galloping away, sending mud behind him. Fluttershy giggled, shaking her head, continuing her way to the Castle of Friendship, which is basically where the school is at. However, when she arrived, she saw Applejack in her cowgirl pose with a green weed in her mouth, Rainbow Dash flapping her wings, hovering in mid air, as Pinkie Pie jumped up and down on a dirty puddle while Rarity had this annoyed expression on her face.
“Hey, girls,” Fluttershy greeted, getting all their attention due to her soft voice.
The orange earth pony smiled, spitting out the weed. “Howdy there, Fluttershy.” She tilted her cowboy hat, returning the greeting.
Rainbow looked at Fluttershy’s wing. “Looks like you can’t play buckball, huh?”
“Don’t worry, Dash. Dr. Stable said it’ll heal within a week. It’s only a sprain. Plus, I’m not big on flying.” She grinned, walking over to Pinkie. “Thanks for taking over my class. It was nice of you do fill in for me while I was at the hospital,” the shy pegasus appreciated.
“No problem,” the bubble gum colored pony grinned. “I’m happy to help out. Plus I can’t believe we’re in the second chapter of the story! Although, I wonder what the story is called.” That’s when all of her friends gave her odd expressions. “What?” she asked, the smile not leaving her face.
“Chapter?” Applejack questioned with squished brows, the water tripping off of her hat.
“Story?” Rainbow added, cocking her head to the side. “Pinkie Pie… we’re not in a story. You may be random, love parties, dance, and all those other things, but we’re definitely not in some kind of story.”
Pinkie giggled. “Thanks. I would love to have a dance off with someone, though.” She began dancing on the puddle, splashing dirty water everywhere.
“Ah!” Rarity let out a shriek when the nasty water got all over her fur. “Pinkie Pie!” She sent her irritated eyes. “Will you please stop jumping in the puddle? I don’t want to-” A stallion pulling a cart ran past them, having all the ponies, except for the white unicorn, jump out of the way as he passed by them, sending lots of water - at the dressmaker. “Ugh!” The girls stepped away from her when she let out a frustrated scream. “I hate rain! Rainbow Dash, go clear the sky right now!”
“No can do, Rarity,” the blue pegasus spoke. “We need to make up the rain fall we missed last week,” she stated, landing on the castle steps, folding her wings to her sides.
“Can you at least punch a hole in the cloud? My beautiful mane is soaking wet.” She didn’t mean to whine, she just can’t help it.
“Sorry. We need rain.” Hearing the speedy pony say that made Rarity’s ears go back on her head. “Don’t worry, it’ll stop until tomorrow.”
“And you can take a nice, warm shower whenever Twilight gets back from the school. And we’re going to have the best sleepover.” Pinkie went back onto the same puddle, jumping in it again with Rarity climbing on the steps to avoid the yucky water. “It’ll be like in the episode where A.J. and Rarity had their fight over each others differences.” She stopped for a second, tilting her head to the side. “What was the episode called again…? Oh yeah! Look Before You Sleep.” She giggled with a hop. “Too bad I wasn’t in that episode.”
Of course, she got the same looks. Fluttershy walked over to her. “Pinkie...what are you talking about?”
“Pfft!” Pinkie swept a hoof over her cotton mane. “You know what I’m talking about. Just trust your auntie Pinkie Pie.” She patted Fluttershy’s hair.
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes. “I’m a year older than you.” She turned over to Applejack. “When will Twilight be here? Is she still at the school?”
“Yep, she’s still over at the school, sugarcube. She’s still worrying about taking Luna and Celestia’s place to become the new leader of Equestria. I’m not even sure if she’s been sleeping or not. But don’t worry, she’ll be-”
“I’m here, I’m here!” The ponies looked to see Twilight galloping over to them with Starlight Glimmer with her, while Spike flapped next to her. “Sorry for being late, girls,” the alicorn quickly apologized before going over to timid pegasus. “How’s your wing?”
“It’s fine, Twilight. The doctor said it’ll heal within a week.” She glanced at her injury. “I’m lucky since I’m not a big flyer - even though I’m a pegasus pony.”
Twilight nodded, making her way to the large doors. “You may not be a fan of heights, but you only fly when it is necessary.”
“I know. Like the time where I had to help Dash with the tornado when Cloudsdale needed water,” Fluttershy remembered, digging her hoof, getting the tip of it all muddy. “I thought my wing power wasn’t strong enough for it, turning out I was wrong all along. I may not be strong or fast like the other pegasi in Equestria like Rainbow Dash, but it doesn't matter what my wing power is, even when it's too little."
“That's right!” Rainbow did a flip, landing back on the steps, the bang of rainbow hair flipping back before settling back into place. “Man, I do wanna race somepony. I’m the fastest pony ever,” she boasted with pride, receiving annoyed from her friends. “Eh, heh, heh.” A nervous laugh came over to her. “Went a little overboard there.”
“Uh huh.” Twilight rolled her eyes, lighting up her horn, getting the doors open. “We’ll be sleeping in the library,” she told them.
All of her friends went inside with her. Rarity went to the other direction when she got stopped by the party pony who jumped in front of her. “Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom to take a long, hot shower,” Rarity answered, stepping around her. “Thanks to the rude stallion, my coat is all messy.”
“I bet he’s glad for doing that.” A beaming smile formed on the pink earth pony’s face. Rarity just rolled her eyes, leaving the area.
When Rarity is out of sight, the rest of the ponies shook their bodies, their manes and tails flapping from side to side, getting as much rain water off of them.
“I’ll dry up the floor,” Spike offered as they all finished, the floor now becoming wet and slippery.
“You don’t have to, Spike.” Fluttershy rung her mane, doing her best to get the water out for how long it is.
“But I want to,” he insisted, going over to the closet, pulling out some towels. “Besides, I don’t want to join your sleepover. They’re for girls.” He stuck out his tongue, sticking his claw in his mouth.
“Aww, you don’t want to have a makeover?” Applejack teased, rubbing the little dragon’s scaly head.
“You don’t like makeovers, Applejack.” Applejack glanced at the defiant blue pony. “Don’t look at me like that!” Rainbow returned the same manner. “You don’t like makeovers at all.”
“Just because I don’t like makeovers doesn’t mean I don’t want any. I don’t mind going to the spa every now and then. I remember when you refuse to let the spa ponies file your back hooves.” The cowgirl gave her friend a teasing smirk.
Rainbow ran her hoof over her face. “I don’t like ponies touching my hooves… Anyways, I don’t go to the spa everyday. I only do it when I want to. Plus, the Wonderbolts already know about it.”
“Speaking of Wonderbolts…” Starlight came over to them. “When will be your next practice?” she asked.
“Probably until the fifteenth of December,” the rainbow maned pony answered with a flick of her tail. “In fact, that’s when I started as a trainee when I first enrolled there,” she grinned.
“It’s also when you met Lightning Dust.” Rainbow shot Pinkie an angry look. “Oh…” Ceasing her jumping, she knew why she got the expression from her. “I forgot, she’s reckless… Sorry, Dashie. I’ll do my best not to bring her up again.”
Sighing, Rainbow placed a hoof on her. “No need to feel sorry. I’m still mad at her for putting Scootaloo in danger from a stupid stunt she made her do. It makes me furious thinking about it. Also, I never wanted to see her again like the last time when I found out she’s the leader of the Washouts.” She turned away, eyes narrowed at the floor. “She deserves to be kicked out of the Wonderbolts, as well as getting her hoof caught by the rope,” she lightly snorted, stomping her hoof on the floor, creating a sharp sound.
Fluttershy stepped forward up to her rainbow maned friend. “Is there another way to give her a second chance?”
Rainbow scoffed in disgust. “Give Lightning a second chance? She doesn’t deserve a second chance. Like I said before, I don’t want to see her ever again. She’s so…”
“Reckless?”
“Yeah,” she responded to the party pony’s answer. Then she shook her head, getting the memory out of her head as she turned to the orange pony. “When will you make those caramel apples?”
“Soon, but I need somepony to help me with the harvest. Big Mac hurt himself again and Apple Bloom is getting a cold.” Applejack removed her hat, shaking it, water spraying everywhere. She then placed her hat back on her head. “I would love to have Granny help me, but for her age...I don’t want her to hurt her hip or anything. I need to find another pony who’s strong enough to help me.”
The yellow pegasus put on a light smile. “I hope you can find that pony.” The smile was now replaced with a frown. “And I hope your brother and sister don’t miss out on Nightmare Night.”
“They’ll probably get better before than,” the cowgirl hoped in a thoughtful way. “I already know what I wanted to be for this year.”
“Well, you girls have fun for Nightmare Night. I’m not going.” All the girls turned to Fluttershy at what she had stated. “Oh, come on, girls. Remember what happened last year and the year before that? I was too afraid to go out on Nightmare Night because of all those scary things out there, and last year I scared you guys at the corn maze, never liking it at all.”
“But it’s was only for fun, Shy.” The other pegasus patted her on the back, careful not to touch the injured wing. “Being scared can be fun sometimes.” She laughed. “This year, I’m going to scare the living daylights out of those people.”
“Not with those storm clouds.” Applejack eyed her in a stern manner.
“Maaaybe.” Rainbow snickered, thinking on what she’s going to do for Nightmare Night, having the blonde mane pony roll her green eyes. “Come on, Twilight is waiting for us at the library.” Rainbow zoomed away before anyone as they made their way to the castle library.
Arriving, they saw Twilight set all the cots up, placing pillows and blankets on them, making sure they’re straight. When she was done, she saw the girls walk into the library. “There you are,” she expressed happily. “Where’s Rarity?” she then asked.
“Shower,” Starlight shortly answered. “She’ll probably be in there for awhile. You know Rarity.” All the girls laughed until Spike came into the room.
“Spike, can you do me a favor and bring the snacks I made for the slumber party?” the princess requested.
“Aww.” The little dragon released a groan. “I was about to grab a book.”
“You can grab a book after you get the snacks.” Folding her legs underneath her, she laid down on the floor in front of her own bed.
Spike grumbled. “Fine.” Leaving the room, he stopped at the doorway. “Don’t make me join your sleepover. It’s for girls.”
The other girls giggled as the alicorn spoke back to him. “Sleepovers aren’t just for girls, Spike. Even guys can have them.”
Of course, he left, ignoring her as he made his way to the kitchen, leaving the girls to laugh at his childish behavior.
When the laughter died down, Rarity appeared with a towel wrapped around her mane. She released a satisfying breath from her mouth. “A good shower is a nice shower.” She joined them, laying down on the floor.
Pinkie Pie took a big sniff, getting into the unicorn’s personal space. “You smell like strawberries,” she commented, taking another sniff.
“Yeah…” Pushing her away, she made sure she wasn’t too close to her. “Thank you, darling. But please don’t get close to me. I’m a lady pony unlike A.J. who’s a tomboy.”
“Hey, I may be a tomboy, but I don’t mind wearing a dress every now and then.” Removing her hat, Applejack went back to her cowgirl pose, crossing her right hind leg over her left one, putting her arms behind her head, leaning against the bedpost of her cot. “I’m wondering about those Gala dresses you’re making,” she said in full honesty. “I don’t want any frillies on my dress.”
“No worries, dear. Anywho, the Gala isn’t until May sixth.” Unwrapping the towel off her mane, Rarity used her magic to pick up a bunch of hair curlers from the inside of one of her saddlebags, putting them in her dark, purple mane, doing the same with her tail. “I already did the sketching,” she told her. “So the next thing I’ll have to do is get you girls’ dresses made - including mine. Oh, and I’ll be working on Spike’s tux too.”
“You know what I just remembered?” All the mares leaned their heads towards Pinkie, wanting to know what she’s going to say. “May sixth is when The Best Night Ever episode was aired. On December fifteenth is when the Wonderbolt Academy, which is in season three, of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, aired on TV.” She released a squeal. “Though I wonder what this story the author is writing about. We’ll see in one of the other chapters because the author has to think before she writes.”
Twilight raised a brow, tilting her head to the side. “Pinkie, what are you saying?”
“You know what I’m saying, Twi.” Again, the bubbly earth pony giggled. “I love this story!” she exclaimed in full burst of happiness when Spike came into the room with trays of cupcakes and apples.
“Here you go. Have fun.” Handing the trays to Twilight who used her magic to hold them, the young dragon opened his wings, flapping out of the library after grabbing a book off from one of the book shelves.
Setting the trays down, everyone each grabbed a cupcake with white icing slathered on the top, along with an apple. They began eating when Rarity remembered something.
“Fluttershy, are you free to join the Pony Tones? One of my singers won’t be there because she’s going to visit her parents at Delamare.”
Swallowing her bite of her cupcake, Fluttershy shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t want to join. I don’t want to sing in front of a lot of ponies. I struggle with stagefright, knowing it’ll never go away. Basically, you have to find someone else who has a good singing voice.” She turned her eyes on the floor. “I...hope you’re not disappointed in me,” she spoke softly, barely getting the words out.
The unicorn sighed, getting her attention. “It’s alright, dear. I understand that you’re still struggling to sing in front of lots of other ponies. I can find someone else. I have lots of time.”
They continued enjoying their snacks, talking about lots of things while Twilight is worrying about becoming the new leader of Equestria, thinking about telling her mentor that she doesn’t want to replace her, but fears she’ll disappoint her, knowing both her and her sister will be retiring fairly soon.
Twilight has to admit, she doesn’t want them to leave, and she doesn’t seem ready to take it. She wants to tell them, but as for right now, she can’t. No need to say anything yet, knowing she needs time to think about it, wanting to give out the right words before she says something to them. She’s okay being the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic, as well as being Head Mare at the School of Friendship. But when it comes to take her mentor and her sister’s place, it makes her nervous.
She’s been her mentor’s private student ever since she was filly after she passed her entrance exam for Celestia’s School of Gifted Unicorns when she had to hatch a dragon’s egg, also earning her cutie mark in the process.
In fact, Rainbow Dash was the one who helped them find their special purpose in life when she did the Sonic Rainboom at Flight Camp, racing against the young colts who teased Fluttershy for being a weak flyer, despite being held back.
Fluttershy can be shy, which states her name, but she doesn’t have anymore problems standing up for herself - except she needs someone to stand up to her instead in case she can’t handle teasing anymore.
Soon it was getting late, and Twilight suggested they all get to bed so they won’t be tired to teach their classes.
Agreeing, they said their goodnights, getting into the beds. Applejack hung her hat on the bedpost, tucking herself in.
Turning off the lights in the library, Twilight flopped her head onto the pillow, turning her body, facing towards the bookcases, closing her eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep.
Twilight’s legs galloped across the foggy place of Ponyville, hearing a sound she was too familiar with. It was the sound of buzzing chasing after her, sounding like...like…
Suddenly, her hooves came to a halt when six figures in colored outfits - red, yellow, green, pink, blue, and silver - appeared in front of her, almost bumping into the red one. Two of them are unicorns with their horns exposed from their helmets. Not only that, but two pegasi had their wings exposed, while the other two are earth ponies.
Seeing them caused her to back away from them, her horn ready to fire at them, standing her ground, opening her wings when she felt something - or someone - grab her from behind, wrapping its arms around her.
She let out a scream, kicking her back legs from behind, getting whoever - or whatever - grabbed her, forcing it to let go, quickly turning around, and shot out a ray of magic at...some kind of gray pony. The pony fell to the ground, dropping the club that was clutch around its hoof, until more came, along with…
A gasp escaped from her, not believing what she was seeing. Before she can process at what they are, knowing what they could be, the suited ponies stepped up in front of her, holding what looked to be pirate swords and guns. Except for one who held a Spear in his hoof.
The alicorn then saw more gray ponies, including large blue ones coming out from the thick fog, as well as more familiar disgusting creatures she and her friends fought before.
The red one took the lead as the others joined him in the fight, until she saw him take out something. It looks like a key as he pulled out an item she has never seen before in her entire life.
Turning to the five other figures, the stallion nodded his head as they all stood up on their back legs, following his lead as they too, took out keys and the strange looking objects, inserting them. They each turned the key at the same time, their outfits suddenly changing into different ones with a Japanese look. Each of them pulled out new weapons, fighting against their enemies.
“Look out!” Twilight suddenly cried out, seeing the creature charge at the red one. Before she can do anything, the hideous creatures with fangs, their bodies the color of black, their mane and tails looking like short webs, came buzzing towards her, smothering her into the darkness...
Sitting up from her bed, Twilight woke up with a start, the bang of her mane matted to her forehead covered in sweat, releasing panting sounds, clutching the blanket close to her chest, looking around the library, seeing all her friends asleep in their own beds.
The vivid dream swam inside her head as she regains her composure, trying to process at what she saw. She saw these ponies is colored, suited outfits with helmets covering up their entire heads… She saw them fighting off these gray and blue ponies, along with...changelings…
No! It can’t be. It doesn’t make any sense to her. The changelings got reformed all thanks to Starlight and Thorax, with Thorax becoming the new leader of them. Only now there are new evil ones. How can this happen? The dream felt so real that… it didn’t feel like a dream at all… She knew something’s going to happen here in Equestria. She and her friends are already dealing with Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Grogar. They already defeated King Sombra, and she knows she has to stop the rest of their enemies. But new changelings? When did the changeling queen got new changelings?
Questions ran all over her as she got out of her cot, setting her hooves softly on the floor, not wanting to wake anybody up. Tip hoofing, she made her way to one of the bookcases, pulling out a book titled Mythical Creatures Of Equestria.
With the book in her magic, she walked quietly out of the room, heading her way to the kitchen to read it, wanting to get answers.
When she got to the kitchen, she flipped the switch on, setting the book on the nearest counter. She opened the book to the letter C, reading about the changelings.
It says here that a queen changeling can create more changlings whenever she wanted. Both if they’re dead or when she needed more. Of course, her last horde of those creatures turned good, so they didn’t die. So she has a theory that Queen Chrysalis made brand new changelings, but she wasn’t sure if it was yesterday or not.
I have to report this to Celestia, she thought, shutting the book, taking it with her as she ran to her bedroom, right past the library, her hooves clicking the hard floor.
Getting to her room, she stopped at Spike’s bed. “Spike!” she whispered both loudly and softly. However, Spike kept on sleeping, hugging a Rarity plushie close to him. “Spike!” she repeated his name.
A moan came over to him, holding the doll close to his chest. “I love you so much, Rarity…” he mumbled in his sleep, having Twilight smirk with an eye roll. “Do you like the gems I found for you…?” Obviously he’s having a dream - a nice dream other than the strange one she had.
Placing her hoof on his shoulder, she gently nudged him. “Spike.” Nope, he continued sleeping, adding in some snores, getting her frustrated at failing to wake him up.
Grabbing the blanket with her teeth since she’s holding the book with her magic, she ripped the covers off of him in one swipe.
Spike woke up, feeling the sudden air go all over him. “Hey-!” He sat up from his bed, dropping his Rarity doll on the floor, startled. “Twilight?” he exclaimed, seeing her in front of him. “What are you doing?” he asked, retrieving the toy from the floor. “Why are you up?”
“I have to tell you something,” she replied frantically. “Something important.”
Spike groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Can’t you wait until Celestia raises the sun? I’m tired.”
“Spike, please, I need you to listen to me,” she pleaded, shuffling her hooves nervously. “I had a weird dream about these ponies in colored outfits and helmets, these gray and blue ponies fighting them, along with… changelings!”
“Changelings?” he questioned. “Twilight, the changelings got reformed, remember? There’s no way the queen can make more.”
“But I need to report this to Celestia.” She knew she was losing it, her mane getting frazzled. “The dream I had is important, and I want her to tell Luna to see if she was watching me in the dream I had.”
“Twilight-” A scroll and quill was shoved into his hands. “Alright, I’ll write to the princess…” he gave in.
“Okay.” Twilight then spoke out loud for what Spike needed to put down on paper. “Dear Princess Celestia, about an hour ago I had this dream of these ponies wearing colored outfits fighting off these ponies in the color of blue and grey. And even though this would not make sense to you, but it seems like Chrysalis made a whole new army of evil changelings. You’re private pupil, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Twi...light Spar...kle.” Spike finished the letter. He showed her the letter, letting her read it.
The alicorn beamed. “Great, now send it.”
“Now? Can’t you wait until tomorrow?” he said, becoming tired.
“Send it!” she cried, looking desperate. “I don’t care how late it is, I want you to send it. Now!”
Spike leaned back from her sudden outburst. “Okay, okay, okay.” Rolling up the scroll, he tied it with a red ribbon. Taking a deep breath, he used his dragon breath to send Twilight’s letter to the princess. “There, it’s going. But you can’t expect her to-” Suddenly, his cheeks puffed up as he grabbed his stomach, letting out a belch as green, glittery fire came out of his mouth when a letter appeared.
“That was quick.” Taking the letter, Twilight read it. At first her eyes seemed normal, until they got wide, shifting them forward. “...I was right.”
“Right? Right about the dream or right about ‘the new army of evil changelings’?”
“Celestia said Luna was in my dream, seeing the suited ponies, but she wants us to come to Canterlot.”
“Oh. When?” Spike laid back down on his bed.
Of course, she hung her head. “She said we have to be there tomorrow. Turns out there’s no school for the students. I can let all of them before we leave.” With a sigh, the lavender princess walked out of the bedroom when she saw her friends waiting for her.
Starlight was the first one to speak. “Did we hear you say that there’s a new changeling army?”
With her head down, Twilight nodded. “It’s a theory, but Celestia wants to see us tomorrow. Possibly first thing in the morning. I’ll let the students know that school is off that day. Come on, we better get some shut eye.”
Taking her advice, the rest of them went back to the library. They went back to their cots, going right back to sleep.
But the dream still nagged Twilight mind. Who were those suited ponies?
It was then until tomorrow she found out.