The sun had set across Equestria, as it had for countless millenia before. Ponies of all kinds and colors were asleep for the night, although some were more restless than others. Where most of the lights in residential areas had been turned off, a few yet flickered, and one of those lights came from the Ponyville Library.
Twilight Sparkle stared impatiently out the window, a frown crossing her features. She'd spent the day studying following the departure of Princess Celestia, and when she hadn't been studying, she'd been worrying. And that uncertainty had not passed over her number one assistant unnoticed.
"Come to bed, Twilight." Spike's muffled voice came from buried deep within the blankets covering his own bed. "It's late. You've been working all day, and you know I can't sleep when you're up like this."
Twilight shook her head. "I can't put my hoof on it, Spike. Everything looks fine. Everything seems fine. But I don't feel fine. I have this awful feeling like we're on the verge of something terrible."
Spike yawned and rolled over. "It's Saturday, Twilight. Something weird happens EVERY Saturday. I don't know why, it just does. Besides, you need your rest if you're going to take that super secret test for Princess Celestia next week."
Twilight sighed. "You're right, maybe I'm worrying about nothing." She reluctantly slipped into bed.
"I just hope I'm wrong."
Another light burned in the lower level of Sweet Apple Acres, on the far outskirts of Ponyville. Applejack was equally restless, but for a different reason.
"Ah looked all over th'place." She was saying to Big Macintosh, who stood like a silent guardian in the doorway. Apple Bloom had long since been put to bed, protesting aspirations of wanting to get her cutie mark in tiger taming. Applejack continued to pace. "Ah can't find that dern Changelin' anywhere, do y'think it ran off?" She asked.
Big Macintosh shrugged.
"Ah hope we din' scare it off, ah thought it'd be good for 'im to hang out with mah sister an' her little friends, but they can be more work'n a county fair. Y' think somethin' bad happened to it?" She asked.
"Nope." Her brother replied quietly, trying to reassure her.
"Was a feisty little critter, ah'm sure it can handle itself. Ah jes' hope s'alright. Din' cause no trouble, so its welcome back here if it decides to turn up."
Back at the bakery, Pinkie Pie was asleep. If her missing Changeling bothered her at all, she showed no signs of it. She stirred in her sleep, mane flat and deflated, mumbling semi-incoherently, "No... Dashie... not... hacksaw... "
Fluttershy was asleep in her cottage as well. She had not been bothered by the days events, due to her friends kind intentions of not wanting to frighten her.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity, however, were still awake, having met for a late night sandwich at the Ponyville Diner.
"And then the brute simply disappeared, taking my latest prototype with it!" She was far too worked up to sleep.
Rainbow Dash was in the same category, as she had spent the day with Spitfire, and was shamelessly retelling the story to anyone who would listen. "Uh huh. Yeah. That's great. So then Spitfire was like, do a barrel roll! So I did, straight through the clouds, without being able to see a thing! And then-"
"Darling, do finish what's in your mouth before continuing your story, it's most unbecoming." Rarity cringed. "And you STILL haven't helped me figure out what to do about my missing gown!"
"Can't you just, you know, make another one?" Dash said casually.
"Just... JUST make another one?!" Rarity exclaimed. "Every piece is a work of art, one does not simply 'just make another one'." She said irritably.
"Well maybe it'll turn up." Dash said.
"I hope so, darling, I hope so." Rarity replied.
---
Meanwhile, while all of the others were finishing the events of the day, the four Changelings were lined up deep within the Everfree Forest. A large figure was pacing back and forth in front of them. A very bruised and very annoyed Chrysalis was not in the best of moods.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves, did you think I was going to wait all night for you?" She snapped.
One of the Changelings responded, in the clicking manner that only their kind could understand.
<It's not our fault. The ponies we were assigned to seemed to really enjoy our company, and it would have rude to just disappear on them while they were awake.>
Chrysalis snorted. "Rude? Since when did any of you ever care about rudeness? We attacked Canterlot, or has your small brain has forgotten that already?"
<Maybe that was a mistake.> A second Changeling spoke up, and Chrysalis froze in her tracks.
"A mis- what?!" She narrowed her eyes. "You're serious. I don't believe this! I send you into Ponyville for reconnaissance for ONE day, and the four of you come back completely brainwashed. What did they do to you?!
<We made cupcakes.> Said Steve.
<She wanted me to be a model.> Said the second.
<We read together!> Said another.
<I saved their lives.> Said the last one.
"You saved their- why would you do that? That's less foals to deal with later!"
The Changeling looked down. <They made me a Crusader. It was the least I could do.>
Chrysalis groaned. "You know what, fine. It may have been a mistake to attack a city with two princesses, but I can certainly handle a dinky little town mostly filled with earth ponies. You're all fired."
The Changelings looked surprised.
"Did I stutter? You're all fired. Go on, leave! Go back to the ponies who you 'love' so much. You can go down with them."
The Changelings remained, unsure of what to do.
"I SAID GO!" Chrysalis screamed. The Changelings scattered.
It was not long after this that one of them began feverishly shaking the shoulder of Twilight Sparkle.
"Not now, Spike." Twilight mumbled.
The Changeling shook harder.
Twilight sat up. "What IS it, Spi- oh, it's you!" She yawned, then frowned. "It's really late. This better be important. I can't study if I'm not rested."
The Changeling burst into a series of high pitched clicks and chirps, leaving poor Twilight struggling to catch up. "Hold up, my Changeling is a bit rusty. Something happened... in a forest... "
Yet more chirps.
"Ponyville... attack... The Christian Rights Movement? I don't even know what that is."
The Changeling facehooved, and chirped more slowly.
"Ponyville... attack... Chrysalis?! My Twilight senses were tingling yesterday, I knew something like this would happen! But does anyone listen to me, noooo, you're overreacting, Twilight, nothing to worry about, Twilight, well I-"
The Changeling coughed loudly.
Twilight quickly composed herself. "In any case, in matters of importance, I'd say that definitely qualifies. Are you sure she's back?"
More chirps.
"Well when I get to the bottom of this, you and I are going to have a long discussion about who you hang out with at night." She scolded, climbing out of bed. She was halfway towards the lump that filled Spikes basket when she hesitated. "Nah, better leave him out of this. It might be dangerous."
Twilight raced downstairs and out the door.
Back in the forest, Chrysalis, now alone, was pacing back and forth, watching Twilight run through the door via a glowing green emerald she had grown out of the ground.
"Run as fast as you can, Twilight Sparkle. It won't do you any good." The mare snickered.
"I'm coming for you."