Chapter Three: The Odd Bunch
Silent Wind began to ponder on which place to go to first. He had many choices such as Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie's place, the small Cottage where Fluttershy was, Carousel Boutique, Rarity's place, or Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack's home. He knew that finding Rainbow Dash would be found with ease since she usually flew around Ponyville or was at her cloud-made home in the skies. Though just for it to be pushed out of the way, Silent Wind decided to go to Sugarcube Corner. He mostly didn't like Pinkie Pie too much since she was completely unpredictable with her personality, making him always feel uncomfortable around Pinkie Pie.
"Ugh.. let's just get to Sugarcube Corner.." Silent Wind thought, now moving away from the entrance door of Twilight's library. As he looked around, he saw many ponies close their windows as he moved past every house in Ponyville. It was quite surprising how everypony was extremely cautious of their surroundings now, even though Silent Wind wasn't a Changeling. Despite how dead the streets were, he still moved on to Sugarcube Corner without any odd activity.
Once he got into Sugarcube Corner, he was quite surprised how it was actually still intact with it's pink coloring. Every other house he had passed was grey which was just depressing for Silent Wind to look at. He went through the entrance, looking around as he saw nopony by the counter. The Cakes weren't at the counter, and nor Pinkie Pie was there. He found it odd as he saw that there weren't any desserts out on platters since The Cakes always were creative on their cake-making. Pinkie Pie didn't come out immediately too, it was too odd for him just to stand in the center and move his eyes. He eventually called out.
"Hello!? Anypony here?!" Silent Wind called. No signs of response at all. All the sudden, a dark figure from the corner tackled him, making him give a loud grunt. As he was down on the ground on his back, he saw a figure with black rubber suit with a smooth mane that didn't even move as the figure was looking down at him with night vision goggles. The figure soon pulled her googles to her forehead. Silent Wind gasped, recognizing the figure as Pinkie Pie, but looking as depressed as ever, looking at Silent Wind with a cautious expression.
"You're one of those buggies! Aren't you, hmm!?" Pinkie Pie accused. Silent Wind wanted to facepalm himself for everypony's dumb accusements at him. To Silent Wind, it seemed that Ponyville didn't get much visitors which made everypony mistaken a visitor for a Changeling.
"N-No! I'm not! I was asked from your friend, Twilight. To tell you to go to her library to meet her there!" Silent Wind explained. Amazingly, that made Pinkie Pie's hair poof up again, Silent Wind became completely confused as Pinkie Pie got off him, threw off her goggles and her rubber suit and smiled with her eyes closed. She began to hop towards the door in cheerfulness.
"Okey-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie Pie said, hopping out of Sugarcube Corner in a happy state. Silent Wind stood up, slapping his Dark-blue cloak to remove the dust from it. He rubbed his right shoulder since it was being pushed by Pinkie Pie's right hoof. Silent Wind, completely confused on what had happened wondered what Twilight was doing since she particularly never told Silent Wind why she was collecting things. She only stated she was collecting things for 'something'. Despite of being tackled by a hyperactive pony, he became curious. Only because he wondered how crazy could the others be.
"Ugh, I just want to go home.." Silent Wind groaned, leaving Sugarcube Corner. As he looked around, wondering where to go, he decided that going to Fluttershy would be best since he knew that Fluttershy wouldn't be completely crazy or at least the least craziest. But he knew little how all the ponies of Ponyville where very different from the ponies of Ponyville from his world.
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After several minutes of walking, he managed to get to Fluttershy's cottage but to only see the windows except the door to be barricaded with boards of wood. Despite of how that made him very uncomfortable, he had to do it since what he was doing was practically his first step to getting back home. He trotted up to the door of Fluttershy's cottage and knocked it several times before hearing some kind of plea.
"Um...please! Go away..!" It was a soft voice, Fluttershy's of course. He knocked on the door again, refusing to leave Fluttershy. Unfortunately, Silent Wind should've just walked away as the next knock, Fluttershy's door slammed open and a giant bear tackled Silent Wind, he quickly grunted as he tried to pry off the bear's palm off his chest, but to no avail.
"G-Gah! Help!" Silent Wind gasped. He didn't want to resort to his 'Armor of Shade' mode otherwise not only would he kill an animal, he would also possibly tear up Fluttershy and her cottage. As the bear raised it's free, right palm up in the air, about to pounce him. At the moment, Silent Wind tensed up to brace it, he heard Fluttershy again.
"Oh dear goodness! Stop..!" Fluttershy whimpered. Before it could pounce Silent Wind, it looked back and made frowning face, followed by a slight growl. The giant bear immediately lowering it's right paw and taking off it's left paw off Silent Wind's chest, walking back into Fluttershy's cottage. Silent Wind quickly gasped in relief as he felt a big burden be lifted off of his shoulders. Fluttershy floated over him and looked him in with a concerned expression.
"Oh my, a-are you okay..?" Fluttershy asked. Silent Wind was too frustrated to even answer that question. In his mind, he wanted to yell at Fluttershy, forget his whole errand. But if he was to get home as soon as possible, he would just have to be normal. But it was actually hard to not be mad.
"Oh yeah, I nearly got pounced by a big bear and could've died. But yeah, I'm totally great." Silent Wind said with sarcasm. Fluttershy sighed, taking it quite seriously with Silent Wind's words. Silent Wind got up and sighed, annoyed by his near-death incident.
"Oh.. okay then..! I hope my little bear didn't hurt you.." Fluttershy hoped. Silent Wind rolled his eyes while slapping his long coat and silver-colored wings. Despite being a bit upset at Fluttershy, he was actually impressed at how she calmly handled the bear from attacking him. But other than complimenting Fluttershy, he had other things to tell her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Anyways, your friend, Twilight Sparkle wanted me to tell you to go to her library and wait for her there.." Silent Wind explained. Fluttershy made small questioning expressions but eventually, she nodded, agreeing to Twilight's request given from Silent Wind.
"Ok.. I'll be there in a teeny tiny moment and I'll go.." Fluttershy mumbled. But loud enough for Silent Wind to hear. He nodded in agreement with Fluttershy's mumbling answer. Fluttershy walked back into her cottage and closed the door behind her. Silent Wind smiled as he walked away.
"Thanks, Fluttershy!" He hollered, looking back. As he said his farewell to Fluttershy, he walked down the valley, deciding to go to Rarity and inform her as well. Fortunately, he knew where she could be and that would be nonetheless than at Carousel Boutique, her home as well as her shop. He shook his head in disappointment as he saw that even Fluttershy had changed. He wonder how Rarity had changed also.
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Silent Wind actually had a long walk to Rarity's Carousel Boutique since it was actually far from Fluttershy's cottage. Eventually, he did get there, the Boutique was still in it's white-purple clear color. But to Silent Wind, it was no surprise since he knew Rarity would always keep it tidy as possible since she was always like that. Silent Wind walked up to the house and opened the door, wanting to quickly end this and get to the other one. As he went into Rarity's house, he saw that it was actually bright, but only because of the flickering torches around the house. He quickly heard a shuffling noise, he quickly drew his long left hidden blade, it's bright, white blade shining as it was revealed by the light's of the fires. All the sudden from the dark corners of the Boutique, he was tackled by a purple figure, it was oddly feeling scaly. Silent Wind was grabbed by his coat but Silent Wind had much more strength than the figure and rolled on top and into the light. He nearly attacked the figure with his left hidden blade as he pulled his hidden blade back, about to stab the figure. The figure putted his hands in the air in fear. Silent Wind quickly halted his attack as he recognized the figure as Spike. To him, why was Spike at Rarity's Carousel? They were in a time of war, so why was he here?
"Spike?!" Silent Wind gasped. As he stood still on top of Spike, his left side of his cheek was punched by a hoof and he flew off Spike, slamming against the door. He rubbed his left cheek, show a bright red color on his cheek. Silent Wind grunted, still rubbing his cheek. He saw another white figure jump in front of Spike and yell something out to Silent Wind that sounded like an intimidation yell.
"You shall not hurt my dear Spikey-Wikey!" The figure sneered. Standing in a hoof-to-hoof postition. Silent Wind sheathed his left hidden blade and putted his hooves up, indicating that he meant no harm to both the somehow dangerous tailor or the baby dragon.
"I don't really have any intention to do that! I just- I'm from behalf of your friend, Twilight Sparkle. She wants me to tell you get to her library and wait for her there I swear!" Silent Wind blurted. Rarity stopped tensing her body and stopped stand on her hindlegs and stood on her fours. She helped Spike with her magical hold and landed him on his feet.
"Twilight, hmm..? I hope that you are sure.. but there are more concerns. Spike, are you fine, darling?" Rarity asked. Silent Wind grunted quietly, as he was completely unworried by both the dragon or the white mare.
"I'm fine.. thanks, Rarity." Spike thanked. Rarity hugged him in an warm embrace, making Silent Wind tilt his eyes up in embarrassment. Spike hugged back also. Silent Wind wanted to quickly have an answer from Rarity as soon as possible. He stood up, no longer rubbing his cheek. He moved towards the two as they broke their hug.
"Anything for my Spikey-Wikey." Rarity said. Kissing Spike's forehead. Silent Wind began to feel even more embarrassed and just wanted to leave even more. He quickly broke their attention to each other by the sound of clearing his throat.
"I just need an answer, will you come over to wait for Twilight or no? Please say yes." Silent Wind begged. Rarity nodded in his request. Rarity grabbed Spike and putted him on her back, showing that they would go immediately for her friend.
"Good, can you inform your friends, Rainbow Dash and Applejack to come too?" Silent Wind asked. Rarity nodded at his assigned errand since she had hitted somepony and the most best thing he could do right now was to pay her debt to him in forgivance by helping him at least once.
"Of course, darling. I shall see to it. Please forgive me for this unfortunate incident." Rarity pleaded. Silent Wind nodded and walked towards the door, about leave but before he did, he only felt that it was polite to forgive Rarity because afterall, it could've been much worst.
"You're forgiven, I'll see you back at library, Rarity." Silent Wind said, opening the door and leaving and closing the door behind him. As he closed the door, he felt a gigantic burden come off his shoulders, in a mental way of course. He was relieved but a bit upset at Twilight for putting him in such a barbarous errand he was putted in. Groaned all the way back to Twilight's library, slightly exhausted and a bit hurt from the callings.
"Twilight.. why would you put me in such a small but annoying errand!? Ugh..!" Silent Wind thought, walking down the roads of Ponyville with his head down in slight exhaustion.
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Twilight, who was in the Everfree Forest, was now finished gathering ingredients for a certain item she was making for the certain thing she was planning that even Princess Celestia knew. As she checked everything off her list, she sighed, relieved that she had what she needed. As she was about to head back on the roads of the Everfree Forest, she halted as she heard a fwooming noise as if there was flowing fire. She quickly turned around and saw a Changeling, who was big and bulky. He had a left red eye and a right black eye. To Twilight, it was really unique and she was quite afraid for a moment but stood her ground, despite seeing that it wore Changeling armor and had a 'X' scar on it's forehead.
"Who.. are you?!" Twilight asked, holding her ground as good as she could. Though the Changeling chuckled as he made small tiny steps towards Twilight, glaring it's eyes at Twilight and chuckling. He touched it's small, green beard and stopped. It's horn glowed, making Twilight make a questioning noise.
"I am Ignis, a Changeling prince of Queen Chrysalis.. pleasure to meet you, Twilight Sparkle. Now.. come. With. Me!!" Ignis growled. Green flames flowing around his body indicated that he was going to even hurt Twilight just to even capture her. He knew that Chrysalis didn't want Twilight dead, but then, Chrysalis never said anything about not getting his hooves dirty to achieve her.