//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The New Lunar Republic: The Dawn 
// by Wilfred Warfstache 
//------------------------------//

"If you think I will just stand here and watch you kill this innocent changeling," I state as my disguise fails,"You have another thing coming!" I then rush toward the mayor and tackle him to the ground to stop him from pulling down the lever that will send the changeling to his chocking death. As we continue to struggle against each other, I give the mayor a well placed hoof to the head, knocking him out. I then proceeded to hastily remove the cuffs from the changeling and the rope around his neck.

"Are you alright?" I ask him.
"You made a brave move their," he said, "There aren't many changelings out there in the world that helps another in need. And for that I thank you." He then throws down a smoke bomb (that he got out of nowhere) and the whole crowd as well as our selves get covered by the thick cloud of black smoke.
"You'd better leave kid, they'll be sending out the Royal Guard after us soon." His outline then disappears from my field of view into the smoke.
"Who knows, maybe we will see each other again some day." he says as he makes his escape from the crowd. I then realized that I'd better get going my self. I made my way through the smoke and found my father standing where he had been when I had caused the commotion. He looked shocked(big surprise there), and all he could say was one thing.
"We'd better go."

After the whole ordeal we finally made it back home. I knew that I would have one heck of a long talk with my parents once we got there.

-30 Minutes Later-
"Look father, I am very sorry for what I did. But I just couldn't let him die for being different!?" I told him in defense for my actions.
"That's not the point Dawn! You've revealed your self to everypony in Ponyville!" my father yelled back at me, "Do you know what you have done?! Because of you they will come after us and kill us!"
"I.... I didn't know, I'm sorry...."
"What's all the arguing about? Did Dawn get into trouble again?" interrupted my mother.
"Oh, he did more than that Roseta. He revealed him self in Ponyville. And to a crowd no less! Come on, we gotta pack what we can and leave right now before they-" he wasn't able to finish his sentence as he was interrupted by a Royal Guard already being at our front door.
"This is the Royal Guard! Open up now or we will be forced to come in there and arrest you!" called one guard.

Shocked I came to the nearest window to see just how bad this was. To my horror there were at least fifty Royal Guards waiting out side of my house to arrest us. I then heard the door finally break down due to the brutal force applied to it by the guards. As I ran back to see what was going on I saw my father taking down some of the guards with his bare hooves while my mother defended her self by turning into a royal guard to confuse the others. When the guards started to over power them and come after me, they both could only said only one word to me.
"DAWN, RUN! GET THE HAY OUT OF HERE AND DON'T TURN BACK!"

Doing what they had told me to do, I ran (as much as it pained me to do) into the deep darkness of the Everfree forest. I kept running, running, running like there was no tomorrow. I kept running until I ran out of energy and finally collapsed under a tree that was located in a grassy clearing in the forest. There was a full moon in the sky tonight, but I couldn't stop to admire Princess Luna's work. I had to keep going I had to escape I had to.....
"Leave my parent's behind," I mumbled out loud, " Am- Am I really that kind of pony? Running from danger when I could help fight back?"
"Why... Why did I listen to them!?" I ask my self, tears starting to form in my cyan eyes," How could I leave them behind!"
"You were too weak to help them," said a voice in the back of my head,"You couldn't help any one because you are too weak, you couldn't help them even if you tried. You'd probably only end up getting your self killed, if not worse..."
"Shut up!" I screamed at my self trying to silence the voice in my head "You don't know any thing! I had to leave them! There was nothing I could do to help them! I had to leave them!"
"Excuses,excuses,excuses. That's all you've ever been, and that's what you'll ever be."
That's when I noticed that the voice was coming, not from my mind, but from somewhere around me.

"Who's there?!" I demand as I look around frantically, trying to see or at least hear from where the voice was coming from.
"Hmph, and your supposed to be the one that is to lead the future rebellion against the Solar Empire?"
I turn to the left to see that the voice was coming from the atop of a hill where a lone tree moved blissfully against the wind as it's leaves shivered in the cold air. I then walked cautiously up the hill and looked around it. To my confusion, I found no pony there.
"I could have sworn that I had heard the voice coming from up hear?"

"Maybe you should look above you," said the voice. As I looked up I saw the changeling from earlier sitting on a high branch just above my head.
"Gaahh!" I exclaim in surprise as the changeling jumps down from the tree. When I look back at him I notice that he was wearing a hooded cloak with two things on the side of each of his front hooves, and a black mask that covered his mouth.
"Wha- Why are you here? And why are you wearing that?" I ask him.
"That doesn't concern you, what you should be concerned about is what will happen if you get caught." he states back.
"What are you-,"
"I heard heard the yell come from over this way!" called a voice from inside the forest.
That's when I heard a bunch of hoof steps coming from were the call had come from. No doubt it was the guards that were after me from before. To my surprise the changeling grabbed me by my mouth hauled me away from the light emitting from the moon. I tried to scream out for him to let me go but all that came out of my mouth were muffled sounds. As I look down to see if there was away for me to escape from the changeling's grasp, to my astonishment, I find to see that I can't see his hand. Or amy of his body, or mine, for that matter.

"What kind of trick is this?" I asked my self in my thoughts.
"Just keep calm and they will pass us by. Make any sudden movements and they will find were we are hiding." said the now invisible changeling.	 I couldn't tell if he had some how read my mind, or if he just could sense my anxiety. As the lights from the guards finaly pass the forest edge, they began to search for us all over the clearing.

"Are you sure you heard it come from this way?" asked on of the guards.
"I swear to Celestia that I did! The noise came from this location!" stated back the other guard.
"Would you mares stop arguing and get back to work looking for the fugitive changeling!" barked another guard, most likely being the leader of the group. As I start to fidget, the changeling restraining me starts to whisper something in my ear. He whispers, "If you give of our position, you will have sealed your fate, as well as ours. We can't lose you, your to damn important for us to lose now."
"What is this colt talking about? I ask my self as the guards start to pass right in front of us. They at some point passed us and continue their way across to the other side of the clearing and eventually into the Everfree Forest. The changeling finally released me and returned to being visible again.
"What the buck was that! I've never heard of a changeling being able to become invisible!" I state just low enough both of us to hear.
"Again, that does not matter as of right now. What does matter is that I get you to safety. You'd most likely die out here if you were on your own. It's my job to protect you until you cross paths with our princess."
"What are you talking about? Why would I meet Princess Celestia, especially in a time like this?"
"Not that tyrant, I meant the Princess of the Night!"
"You mean Princess Luna? Why would I meet her? She's probably just as bad as her sister."
"Do you really not know about the actual story about the two princess'?"
"What are you talking about? Everypony knows that the two princess have ruled over Equestria for as long as any pony can remember. Celestia controls the day time cycle and Luna controls the night time cycle."
"You actually believe that?" he questioned me, "You don't even know half the truth, do you?"
"What are you talking about! What is it that you want with me!" I demanded.
"We can't talk here, not now. Besides I think you need to rest."
"What do you mean by tha-" just as I said this I look over to see his face only to have a hoof punch me square in the face, as I slip into unconsciousness.
"Why didn't I see that coming?"

(To be continued....)