//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Of Love and Crystals // by Pnakotic //------------------------------// Of Love and Crystals Twilight looked up from the letter Spike had just received, “The changelings? What is the princess thinking? Doesn’t she remember what happened?” Twilight thought aloud. Twilight paced back and forth across the library, ignoring the letters recommendation to be seated upon reading it. Spike scratched his head in thought, “I don’t know Twilight, maybe the princess has a good reason for helping the changelings. Also didn’t she say to trust her?” Spike argued. “Well… yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea, I mean what if they try to take over Equestria again. Just because the princess is a goddess doesn’t mean she’s omnipotent, she couldn’t know what they’re up to.” Twilight argued back. “She also said you wouldn’t believe her.” Spike said deadpanning slightly, “Maybe you should at least try to get along with the changeling who’s coming here, or at least not freak out and call him evil without any evidence like you did last time.” Twilight blushed embarrassedly at the mention of her past actions. “Ok fine, I’ll keep cool this time, but I’ll be watching this ‘Olive Branch,’ if he so much as says anything that even hints at him being a spy I’ll throw him out of Ponyville myself.” Twilight said grudgingly, “Now I should probably tell the girls the news of this upcoming arrival, when does it say he’ll be arriving?” Spike flipped to the second page of the letter which detailed when Olive Branch would be arriving as well as where he was staying, “It says he’ll arrive in three days, he’s also staying in the small house just down the street, the one that was just recently renovated.” “Excellent, that’ll give us plenty of time to prepare for his arrival.” Twilight said, schemes already running through her mind. Without further ado Twilight headed out the door towards her friends respective dwellings. As soon as the door shut Spike let out a sigh and went back to sweeping the bookshelves, “Why can’t anything normal ever happen around here?” As soon as he thought back on the events of past days he added, “Well comparatively I guess this is pretty normal.” Three days later… This was horrible! Three days had past and Twilight hadn’t been able to prepare at all. First she’d gone to Rarity due to her boutique’s proximity to the library, unfortunately the clothing designer was up to her neck in work – it was the start of a new season of fashion after all. Next, Twilight had located Rainbow Dash who was napping on a cloud, Rainbow seemed eager to help at first but after hearing that the princess had put her trust in the changelings her enthusiasm tapered off. Rainbow argued that if the princess thought it was alright then maybe Twilight should trust her. After getting a reassurance that everything would be fine Twilight continued on unhappily. Twilight had stopped in at Sugarcube Corner to find Pinkie, upon mention of the changeling coming to live in Ponyville Pinkie let out a large gasp, “You mean there’s going to be a new pony in town… do you know what this calls for!?” Pinkie said excitedly. “A Party?” Twilight said with a sigh, of course that would be her reaction. “Yes! Ooh I’ll need to get streamers and balloons and candy and… WAIT! Do changelings like candy?” Pinkie asked, her speech reaching an incredible pace, “We can’t have food he won’t like, that would make him said.” “Um, I don’t know what changelings like… or even if they eat anything at all.” Twilight thought aloud before catching herself, “Wait… that isn’t important, don’t you see, we need to make sure this changeling isn’t a threat to Ponyville.” “Don’t be silly Twilight, nopony could be such a meanie mean mean-pants after one of my parties. It just isn’t statistically possible!” As if to support her statement Pinkie pulled a graph out of nowhere detailing the inverse relationship between meanness and Pinkie parties. With a sigh of defeat Twilight left Pinkie to her party plans. After Sugarcube Corner Twilight had headed to Sweet Apple Acres to inform Applejack of the situation, similarly to Rarity, however, Applejack was incredibly busy preparing for an upcoming harvest. Applejack did promise Twilight that if this changeling did cause trouble she would make him regret it. Satisfied, Twilight had then gone to Fluttershy’s house. On second thought perhaps that had not been the brightest idea, at the mere mention of changelings Fluttershy had cowered in obvious terror. Thinking fast Twilight had reassured Fluttershy that she didn’t have to worry about it and that she would be completely safe. After calming down the yellow pegasus slightly Twilight had headed back to her own home, unhappy with the lack of support she had with this issue. “Ugh, it’s like the wedding all over again, they just don’t believe I’m right about this being a problem. But it doesn’t matter, because I am right and I’ll show them all that this changeling is not to be trusted!” Twilight ranted when she had returned to the library. “Oh boy, here we go again.” Spike had said sighing.