[A/N] Here the new chapter hope you enjoy :) I finally got my editor Zagzig17 to look over it for me and I hope that it is now much better, enjoy.
Twilight awoke as the sunlight filtered through the curtains in her room, she slowly stood up taking a look around and at the sun as it rose higher into the sky. Suddenly she began to panic, she raced over to the clock to see what the time was, as she got there she saw it was just past 7:00. I still have time, she thought to herself as she ran out of the room, only to be stopped by two guards standing in her way. "Pass please" they said in unison with a flat tone.
"Arrggg" Twilight complained as she got out her pass, she was staring to get irritated from the guards that were posted at each door, she couldn't be late for the meeting with Celestia and her sister, she wouldn't allow herself to be late she thought. As she showed the guards her pass, they moved out of her way, only to watch her sprint off down the corridor. Twilight was getting increasingly angry each time she was stopped by a guard. Just as she was about to scream at the next guard she saw, she arrived at the two giant doors that lead to the hall. As she looked up she saw two brand new doors leading into the
throne room, one door was white with gold outline and the image of a sun rising, the other door was the exact same the only difference was the colour and image, this one was deep sapphire blue and black with the image of clouds and the moon.
Twilight knocked on the door, then cautiously pushed them open wide enough to allow herself to slip through. Twilight jumped as the doors boomed shut behind her. "Ahh, Twilight, right on time as usual." Celestia commented "Luna please come forward, it's not good to always hide in the shadows."
"Yes, but we like the shadows." Luna replied as she walked forward "Hello Twilight" She smiled.
"Alright Luna, here is the list, inform Twilight on what is to be done and she will assist you." Celestia said to Luna while telekinetically handing her a list.
Luna and Twilight began to walk towards the two giant doors, however as they opened them, they saw a stallion being dragged away. "Hheeeeeelllllllllppppppp! I'm innocent I swear. help!" he screamed "I'm not a changeling, please!" he sobbed before hitting the guard holding him and breaking free from his grasp, the stallion was then tackled by another two guards and dragged away.
"Well that was odd." Twilight said confused "What was going on?"
"It seems he either committed a crime, or is suspected of being a changeling, this is not the first time we have seen it happen either." she replied solemnly.
"Oh, speaking of changelings, umm... How are we supposed to find who's a changeling and who's not?" Twilight asked looking confused.
"Well" Luna replied as three guards started to escort them through the castle "Our subjects has been giving us reports of others who are acting strangely, we shall take them into custody and interrogate them, if they are uncooperative we shall have to cast spells to check." she replied unhappily looking at the floor "Interrogating thou subjects will tarnish our image even further" she said looking upset.
"Well it can't be that bad"Twilight said, remembering Nightmare Night "I'm sure they know who you are here"
"Yes, they do know who we are." she said looking bitter and sad with her head cast down in dismay "Every time we enter the city they cower before us hoping we won't attack them, some even run screaming from our presence"
Luna sounded so unhappy that she looked like she was about to start crying, Twilight recognized this look, it was the same look she had when she cancelled Nightmare Night, an expression of pure sadness. Twilight felt like giving her a hug or some other form of comfort, she just couldn't bear to see the princess in this state. Twilight almost gave her a hug to cheer her up but remembered just exactly who she was about to hug. Twilight settled upon saying "Well I'm sure if you just showed them how you really are, they will realize that you are no longer Nightmare Moon"
"Does thou really think that we haven't tried that already" Luna replied, just as unhappy, while looking down at the stones passing by her hooves. "We walk up to them and they cower down in the dirt on the streets, thou is the only one who is willing to speak to us normally"
"Well why don't you try going to an event, I'm sure that will show them that they have no reason to fear you." Twilight said, looking thoughtfully at Luna.
"Hmm.. That might actually work" Luna replied, raising her head up slightly at the thought. "We wonder what the next big event would be?" she pondered, "We must get you to help us with this, thou are studying friendship after all, thou's advice would be appreciated"
"Of course Princess, I would be happy to help."
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After that Twilight and Luna rarely spoke unless they were asking which house to search next or the verdict of the pony that was being interrogated. Out of the first five houses they searched, only one of the occupants was a changeling. "Well that's odd" Luna said as she looked down at the next citizen "It seems that the suspect's wife thinks they are acting odd, we would expect that if they were a changeling they would take her place as well, changelings are not this dumb."
She came up to the house "Guards!" she snapped "Enter and check the premises, report any suspicious activities and items." The guards walked forward, as they got to the door, the lead guard motioned for the others to wait and knocked, following the exact same protocol as performed on every other house. No one answered, although everypony
outside could hear the noise of somepony scuttling around inside. "Open up, or we will be forced to break down the door" barked the lead guard, annoyed at having to wait. He waited a few seconds before bursting through the door into the house. The second he burst inside, everypony heard a gasp and the loud thump of something heavy hitting the floor.
"Go go go!" shouted the third guard as he jumped in behind the other guard, who was already tense, his horn glowing.
"Wait here" Luna said forcefully as she charged in behind the other guards. Twilight stood outside wondering what was happening, as all she could hear was silence. She then heard Luna's voice from inside and all it said was "Faust help us"
Twilight charged into the building, as she did so the sounds of mass magical discharge filled the air and lit up the house with green and blue light. As she entered the building she nearly ran and fled from the sight, inside the house Twilight could see changelings scuttling around through the doors in an attempt to surround them, however these changelings weren't like the changelings from the wedding. They were bigger, almost as big as the queen and these didn't have any holes through them, suggesting they had been fed recently.
Luna didn't stand a chance, she was being overpowered by sheer amount of changelings, for each changeling she took out, another two would take its place. As Luna turned around, Twilight could see the fear in her light blue eyes. As Luna's magic blasts became increasingly desperate, Twilight knew she had to save her or she would never forgive herself, she also knew that they would become overwhelmed within mere minutes if she didn't think of something and fast.
Twilight looked around the old tattered building, searching for an exit, as she did, she noticed a group of changelings dragging away one of the guards. As she looked closer, she noticed that it was the same guard that had taken her to Canterlot, realizing she had to save him before it was too late, she charged forward, lowering her head and aiming her horn at them. Seeing her, the changelings charged up their horns and ran forward, right before they would have collided, she teleported behind them to the guard. "Luna!" she screamed over the noise, "I need you over here!" Twilight looked around for any sign of Luna, while desperately firing bolts at any changelings that came near to her.
As Twilight took out another changeling, she saw another dive at her, moving too quickly for her to stop it, she waited for it to collide with her, it's black horn glowing green and ready to take her out. Less than a second before it was about to collide with her, she saw the light blue magic strike it, sending it flying through the wall and into an adjacent room. Luna and one of the guards charged forward, causing the changelings to back away, by doing so however Luna, Twilight and the Guard became surrounded with no escape. "Ha ha ha ha ha" a voice boomed, its laugh resounding around them, as it faded, dark raspy voice spoke up from with in the mass of changelings, "We only want the princess, just give her up and we'll let you run away, otherwise, your deaths will be just as painful as hers"
"Princess," Twilight said quietly "Come closer I have an idea." as Luna slowly edged closer, the mysterious voice spoke up again "Will you come in peace, or shall we force you to come with us? Decide now or we will take all of you anyway."
"Hurry Twilight!" the Princess whispered "Or it will be too late for all of us"
"Yes just wait" Twilight muttered back "I just need a clear view"
"I guess you've picked the hard way then." The voice thundered "Capture them, alive." suddenly all of the changelings charged forward at the small group, a second before they collided, Twilight's horn lit up as she got a look through the door and to the courtyard outside. In a flash of violet light, they disappeared briefly before reappearing on the smooth stone outside .
"We need help!" Twilight yelled as she fired at the changelings trying to make it through the narrow doorway, however mere seconds after she said this the stream of changelings trying to get outside stopped. There was nothing, not a sound apart from the few people outside muttering fearfully at them. "Guard!" Luna yelled "Go and call in more reinforcements while we watch the building" The guard flew off with such speed that all that could be seen was a trail of blue and white. "Steady" Luna said to Twilight "They could come out at any moment." Minutes went past without so much as a noise. Luna and Twilight kept their horns glowing and ready for what felt like hours until reinforcements from the castle arrived.
After Luna filled the guards in on what had happened, they burst forward into the building, however once they entered, they were shocked to find that it was completely empty with the exemption of a few stunned changelings lying on the floor. "What?!" Luna said confused, "Where did they all go? There was at least fifty of them, how did they escape? Search the building, We Want Them Found Immediately!" She yelled angrily at the guards. Turning back to the courtyard, she saw Twilight collapse on the ground.
"Twilight!" she yelled as she rushed over and shook her. "Somepony, take her to the infirmary!" she yelled, looking at a guard she ordered him "Guard, take her to the infirmary she needs immediate attention, Now!" Twilight could feel herself being picked up and carried away from the princess, she tried to struggle so they would take her back, however the more she struggled the weaker she felt, until she finally passed out as she saw her brother galloping towards the guards demanding information.
[Editor's Note]
Zagzig17 here, on editing duty for this story, Mainly fixed up punctuation and the sort (I love first drafts, not) Anyway, I hope I picked up most of the errors. Enjoy!