The mane 6 entered what didn’t seem to be Ponyville anymore, each house was raped and their innards hollowed out, many ponies were dutifully retreating the injured foalk into the hospital that was strangely untouched.
The horror was indescribable, their home, the one place everypony knew they could come to and feel safe, was not safe anymore.
For the first time in their lives, the mane 6 knew how Mark felt everyday, the air was soaked in so much fear and pain that one didn’t have to be a changeling to feel it, the atmosphere potent enough that it was being absorbed through their skin alone.
Each of the girls had their own priorities right now.
Applejack rushed to her home what was now a wrecked barn though strangely the apple orchard was left in pristine condition.
There was no sign of her family.
The puss filled rusty needle of fear and insecurity stabbed itself into Applejack inserting her with that sickly ticklish feeling at the very back of her head.
Applejack was out of her wits, she was already beside herself… multiple times, she covered as much ground as she possibly could but still, no sign of life until…
A blip of red in the apple orchard that was not an apple made itself known.
The cowspony galloped faster than her muscles would let her, in her mind praying that the red she saw wasn’t blood.
The red mass sprung into action and pinned her down.
It was her big brother.
Applebloom and granny smith jumped into action from between the trees.
“BIGMAC! APPLEBLOOM! GRANNY SMITH! I’m so glad y’all are safe!”
But Bigmac wasn’t letting loose of his dear sister.
“Bigmac! Its me, Applejack”
“Enope”
Applejack sighed, she knew what that meant
“Lemme guess, changelings attacked the farm?”
“Eyeup”
“Retreated to the orchard”
“Eyeup”
“Made a trap?”
“Eyeup”
“…and you think I’m a changelin’ in disguise”
“Eyeup”
“And you probably want me to prove you otherwise”
“Eyeup”
“Bigmac, if I’d be a changelin’ and wanted to have your attention I’d change into Cheerilee”
Bigmac blushed so hard that it could be seen through his mane, he let go of his little sister at once.
“How are y’all doin’? Is anypony hurt?”
Granny smith decided to answer generously
“How d’you think we’re doin’? Those darn tootin’ changelin’s wrecked our barn and robbed us!”
“It’s a good thing they’re gone now, we came across their camp in the Everfree forest and managed to capture them”
“Well then, Ah guess we should start in seein’ what’s left of our farm”
Applebloom was confused
“Ah don’t get one thing tho, why didn’t they ruin our apple trees?”
Bigmac shrugged.
The damage inflicted on Ponyville was irreversible, Rarity’s shop was now devoid of any sort of fashion, Rainbow Dash’s home was a cluster of thunder clouds, the cupcake corner was now literally just a corner and Twilight’s library had burned down, all that knowledge was now an unreadable atmosphere in the form of soot.
The towsfoalk who weren’t helping with the injured ones were trying contain the fires with any sort of liquid at their disposal whilst the rest was being escorted into the nearby hospital that was no doubt bursting at the seams.
Rarity was running wild across the entire town in panic.
Twilight noticed the troubled mare.
“Rarity, what happened?”
“SWEETIEBELLE! SHE’S GONE!”
“Calm down Rarity! We’ll find her, all right? Come on, let’s go and find the girls”
Twilight rushed in search of the rest of the pack.
The silent hill overlooking the milky, sooty town was mounted by an enraged Celestial alicorn looking down upon the ruins of the town.
Mayor Mare was in office as usual, trying to clean up all the paperwork on the floor.
Bon Bon bucked open the door
“Mayor!”
A surprised mayor filled the air with papers.
“What is it?”
“Celestias are waiting outside!”
“Celestia?”
“No, CELESTIAS!”
The Mayor looked outside through the nearest hole.
A Celestia galloped across town, fixing things in her wake.
Another Celestia was galloping in the opposite direction, working her magic.
Another Celestia, then another and another…
The mayor could not believe her eyes, right now there were more Celestias than there were Parasprites during the infestation a few years back.
“What is going on?” asked the mayor
“Maybe the changelings are striking back?”
“I don’t know, if they’re changelings then why are they fixing everything?”
The mayor, being the one in charge of everything felt she should have a word with one of the princesses and find out what is going on.
Rarity Called out frantically to Rainbow Dash and they met at twilight’s hollow crisp of a tree.
“Why are we here?” asked Rainbow Dash “I was in the middle of fixing up a rainstorm”
“Rainbow Dash! You need to help! Its THE WORST POSSIBLE THING!”
“Lemme guess, you can’t find your red ribbon again”
“No, I-“
“-For pete’s sake Rarity, the town is wrecked! And I need the pegasi to make it rain soon otherwise we’re going to have some big problems with the air pollution here!”
“Sweetiebelle is GONE! And for your information, the ribbon wasn’t red… it was cinnamon”
“You mean like, gone gone?”
“Yes, I looked everywhere! please darling!”
“I guess, I could fly high and check but I can’t just leave the other pegasi on their own, the last time I left them, they accidentally made a typhoon… I’m not leaving somepony in charge who can’t see straight again”
Rarity looked at Rainbow with puppy eyes
“…But I guess they can cope for 5 minutes without me”
Rainbow dashed vertically until she could see the curvature of the world.
The yellow shy pegasus was on her way home, she dreaded to see the damage done but the animals relied on her and she had to be strong.
Upon arrival she saw it, the damage was... it was...
not there
Fluttershy's heart sank, perhaps they took the animals? she burst inside her house only to be greeted by all the creatures as if nothing had even happened.
Fluttershy's knees went weak, dropping her on the floor as she burst into tears it had just occurred to her how lucky she had been, it had finally sunk in.
Meanwhile an impatient and concerned Rarity was awaiting some response from Rainbow dash who was high up in the sky patrolling the land for any signs of Sweetiebelle.
“Rainbow! Can you see her?” called out Rarity.
"No! not yet!"
Rarity couldn't just stay like this in place and do nothing, she didn't know what to do but she knew she had to do something, so she decided to run to random places in hope that chance will be kind to her.
It seemed to take an eternity, every place she went to, everything seemed to be there but her little sister, and everytime she failed to find her a bit of her died inside until A busy Twilight galloped to her with some news
“Rarity, I found Sweetiebelle, she’s at sweet apple acres”
“Is she fine?”
“Yes, she’s-“
“Uuh… guys?” shouted out RD
“-fine”
“Guys?”
“Oh, thank goodness!”
“GUYS!”
“WHAT!” snapped back Twilight at the descending Pegasus
“I didn’t find sweetiebelle but I found… something else”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know how to expl-“
A flock of Celestias flew by as if that were the most normal thing in the world right now
“I think I know what you’re trying to say!” finished off Twilight trying to shout over the loud flutters of countless wings
Rarity had no idea what to do right now, every part of her wanted to gallop to the sweet apple acres to reunite with her dear sister, but… but a flock of Celestias…
Flock of Celestias…
Sweetiebelle…
Flock of Celestias…
Rarity gave out a wholesome laugh, the same kind of sincere, honest laugh of happiness that you hear when someone has a nervous breakdown
“I’m sorry darlings, but a flock of Celestias is just too much for me today”
And all of a sudden as quickly as she burst into the laughter, Rarity galloped off and was was nowhere to be seen.
“What do we do?” inquired Rainbow Dash
“What can we do? let’s follow them!”
“I’m sorry but I have to stay, Twiligh!t”
Twilight began her little chase.
Meanwhile in the sweet apple acres, Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo were guarding a heavily fortified Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse.
“Scoots, are you sure they’re gone?”
“For the last time Sweetiebelle, there hasn’t been a single changeling in the last 3 hours!”
“That’s cuz mah sister took care of ‘em”
Scootaloo looked down at Applebloom, AJ, Rarity and Mark disguised as his Ponyville persona, Mr.Sails, Mark might not have been in his best condition but he was used to it by now given his past circumstances.
“Hi Applebloom”
Pacifica’s head bobbed out of the clubhouse
“I had a feeling I’d find you here, Pacifica”
“…”
Pacifica calmly trotted down the steps to meet up with her guardian, at the same time an excited Sweeitbelle flew out of the clubhouse window and fell straight onto her big sister’s wet and salty embrace.
“SWEETIEBELLE!”
The little filly looked up at her big sister, counting on a warm welcome but instead she was met with a whipping tearful gaze.
“What were you thinking! Playing in your treehouse like that! What if a changeling would have seen you?”
“B-but”
“No buts! We’re going home right now! We have a lot of work to do and we need to talk!”
Rarity turned her back to her little sister and got trotting back home, Sweetiebelle is going to be in a lot of trouble once they get back.
“NO!”
Rarity stopped dead and turned around, her eyes widened with surprise
Applebloom stood firm where she was earlier
“Whaat? What do you mean no?”
“You always do this!”
“Do what? Sweetiebelle, I’m not in the mood for games today”
“Do THAT! You never take me seriously!”
Applebloom was doing one of her scenes again… and in front of Rarity’s friends too
“Oh come on now dear, don’t be silly”
“I WASN’T PLAYING! For your information, I was in the treehouse because our home was destroyed and there was nowhere else to go!”
Rarity observed her livid little sister
“B-but then why didn’t you just tell me?“
“How? You never let me say anything because YOU ALWAYS KNOW BETTER!”
“Sweetiebelle… I’m so-”
“NO! I DON’T WONT YOUR SORRY!, what’s the point of saying sorry if you’re just going to do it again?”
“Sweetiebelle, are your crying?”
Sweetiebelle was desperately trying to hold back on the sobbing but her eyes were already gushing with tears.
“I.. I was doing my homework when they came…”
Suddenly it occurred to Rarity what was really going on, it was time she acted the way an older sister should.
Gently, without a word, Rarity hugged her precious sister who was now sobbing uncontrollably.
“I… I was s-so scared… they came so q…”
Sweetiebelle took a large gulp of air
“Quickly”
“I know dear… I know”
“I wanted to stop them, I-Ireally did”
“Shh…”
Rarity patted the little shaking thing on its head.
The Celestia flock was proceeding in the most twisted route conceivable through the less and less destroyed Ponyville, covering every single detail and inch of town.
Twilight said nothing, she was silenty following the flock, right now, being quiet was the best solution, and besides this whole situation was so bizarre and out of place that even if she wanted to do something, she wouldn't know what.
The whole thing took less than a few minutes, it was one of those occurrences that already have come and gone before one can say: what the hay?
Finally, the Celestias have subsided at the sweet apple acres within sight’s reach of the Blueblood sisters who were at last, reunited.
Everypony’s attention was now on the Celestias.
One of the alicorns concentrated all of her power and in a big white ball of magic, erased all of the other pseudo-princesses, leaving only her in the orchard.
Twilight and the rest carefully approached her, not sure whether this some sort of trap.
Celestia replied
“Its all right everypony, those were just magic mirror pool clones, I needed some help”
Twilight remembered the time Pinkie got her hooves on that pool
“Princess, you know about the magic mirror pool?”
“Of course I do, after all I used to live in that forest, remember?”
“I’m surprised you know of that secret place”
“There’s little I don’t know Twilight, perhaps one day I might even tell you the legend that came with that pool”
Celestia winked
“But if you’re here, then what about the changelings at the castle ruins? Who’s taking care of them? and what did you do with Mark?”
“I have left a few clones to deal with the issue while we wait for some of the guards I called to come, Mark is also on his way to town”
It had been a few minutes since Princess Celestia had been gone and asked for Mark to take care of the captured changelings, he was already being increasingly more worried, there’s nothing more discomforting than keeping an eye on your own kind, he could feel their gazes and boy was he glad that changelings can’t taste each other’s emotions otherwise right now he would go insane with such feelings boiling in each captured organization member.
The worst thing about all this was the silence, its the silence that slowly rots away your thoughts, if you hear somebody angry and shouting at you, you’re intimidated but you’re not scared, you know what that person is thinking, you know what to say back at them but when one is silent…
What do they want to do to me? What are they thinking? You never know and it is the slow unnerving uncertainty that drives you crazy… and that was what Mark was feeling.
Hopefully Celestia came back at the last minute.
“Princess… what is the plan no-“
Celestia came back
Came back
And back
And back
And back
Before Mark could say anything, there were at least two Celestias for each captured changeling but only one wasn’t an emotionless magical hollow shell.
“So this is what you meant by reinforcements”
“I have already sent for some of my guards, they should arrive shortly, Some of us will stay here and keep an eye on everypony and the rest will go with me to help restore anything that was damaged in Ponyville, as for you… I’m sure you have your own priorities in town”
Mark knew she meant Pacifica”
“On it”
Mark stampeded at full steam, or at least as much steam as he could muster at the moment given his current state to his new home hoping that Pacifica will be all right… sure she was a changeling and so were the assailants but something told him that these changelings weren’t on anybody’s side… they were on their own side.
An exhausting few minutes and a transformation later, Mark, now as his Ponyville counterpart Mr. Sails finally arrived at his home, and unfortunately, His predicament was right, all that was left of his home was just a large crater in the ground… of course the blue box that was parked earlier was gone for good without a trace.
For a moment it felt as if all the worst possible emotions flooded and tainted his bloodstream
Where was Pacifica?
He knew she was somewhere, His connection with her made sure of that but whe-
Suddenly an idea sparked Mark’s imagination…
If he’s linked with Pacifica and he can tell if she is still alive then maybe if he focuses strongly enough he might get a feel of where she might be!
Mark sat down in silence
Focus…
…
Focus
…
Focus!
…
Left
What?
…
What was that?
…
Left
There it is again! I think its-
Left
Yes, yes it is! I can feel it!
Mark got up in excitement; he had never experienced something like this before, now he knew where she was… or at least the general direction.
Mark crossed The outskirts of Ponyville, encountering an occasional flock of Celestias here and there until finally he felt he was getting real close as he reached the sweet apple acres… there he met Rarity, AJ and one of Pacifica’s friends no doubt
“Hi Sails” replied An unsurprised Rarity, after seeing a flock of Celestias today she wasn’t going to be surprised by anything else.
“Aren’t you even going to ask how-“
“No”
Mark felt the worry slowly melting off leaving a hard shell of rage behind, clearly she was worried sick about somepony and will no doubt give that pony a piece of her mind when she meets them
“Ok then…”
“Ah guess you’re goin’ to the treehouse too?” asked Applejack
“Treehouse?”
“To see Pacifica” replied the little pony with the pink bow… what was her name again? Mark knew this was going to bug him now
The group finally reached their destination, the treehouse
Sweetiebelle looked out of the treehouse to see her older sister awaiting for her
“Oh, hi Applebloom” retorted Sweetiebelle
APPLEBLOOM, of course that’s what she was called
Pacifica’s head bobbed out of the clubhouse
A huge wave of relief overcame Mark
“I had a feeling I’d find you here, Pacifica”
“…”
Pacifica calmly trotted down the steps to meet up with him but he knew she was just as shaken inside.
“…”
“I kno-“
A wild Sweetiebelle flew out of the window, both Mark and Pacifica jumped but seconds later were relieved to see the sisters catching up with each other
“Did they come?”
“…”
“I see… how did you get away?”
“…”
“Who knew, I guess some doctors really do come in handy at times, I’ll have to thank him sometime if I ever see him again”
“NO!”
Pacifica and Mark looked around, things between Rarity and Sweetiebelle were getting a little heated, both changelings tasted enough emotions to see where this is going
“How did you manage?”
“…”
“Really? I thought you’d see more of those changelings around those parts”
Pacifica pointed at Mark’s fractured ribs
“???”
“..THAT!” shouted Sweetiebelle
The sisters were still at it.
“Oh, this? That was just an accident”
“…”
"It really isn't a big deal you don't need to worry abou-"
Pacifica gently poked him at the ribs, Mark retreating in pain
"!!!"
Mark gave out a heavy cough
“there’s just no getting around you is there? Fine I’ll tell you but later because we have more important things to talk about right now”
“I WASN’T PLAYING!” Sweetiebelle was not on full-on rage mode
Mark grabbed Pacifica moving a little further away from the rant
“I think you know what I’m going to say now”
“…”
“Exactly, its time you go on a holiday, there are a few things I have to do and I can’t leave you on your own”
“…”
“Because it IS too dangerous”
“…YOU ALWAYS KNOW BETTER!” Sweetiebelle's rage peaked
“!!!”
Pacifica was throwing her own fit now, maybe it was because of all that rage that was in the air right now
“Look, this is not negotiable, I’m sorry but I’m going to find somepony to look after you and that’s that”
“NO! I DON’T WANT YOUR SORRY!”
“…”
“I promise that I’ll make it up for you when I get back, all right?”
“???”
“Don’t worry I have somepony in mind already”
“???”
“No, Fluttershy and the other girls have their own problems right now, I was thinking something more like… family”
“???”
“Discord? No I was thinking of my brother back at Maretropolis”
“…”
“No, not Discord, at this point he’s not quite… there yet to be able to take care of you, we’re sticking to my brother, I know he's not the best but he won't say no to family”
Pacifica gave him the “you’re kidding me, right?” look again
“Ok, so maybe our family isn’t renowned for their tenderness but we haven’t got many options here”
A bright flash averted everypony’s attention, it was none other than Celestia herself who dismissed her mirror pool clones.
The group slowly and carefully approached their princess who was talking to Twilight
“…egend that came with that pool”
Celestia winked
“But if you’re here, then what about the changelings at the castle ruins? Who’s taking care of them?” asked Twilight
“I have left a few clones to deal with the issue while we wait for some of the guards I called to come, Mark is also on his way to town”
“What in the hay is goin’ on in here?” asked Applejack
Celestia noticed Mark
“Ah, just the pony I wanted to see…”
Mark looked at the princess and nodded
Celestia nodded back silently
“I’m afraid that I will require your help back at Canterlot, nopony knows changelings better than you do, mr. Sails”
“Pacifica, you never told me that your dad studies changelings” replied Applebloom
Pacifica gave a slow awkward nod
“I am at your disposal, princess however, first I need to see my daughter off to my brother in Maretropolis, somepony needs to take care of her”
“I have a few foalks at the castle if you require somepony to take care of her”
“Thank you for your offer but I will have to decline, Canterlot right now of all times is much too dangerous for somepony like her”
“I understand, however I require of your services at once, I will give your daughter an escort because time is scarce”
“I see… can I at least see her off to the station?”
“Of course” Celestia replied gently.
Minutes later Pacifica was already in the train to Maretropolis surrounded by a makeshift escort consisting of Bigmac and Mr. Cake, they were no Canterlot guards but they were ponies who could be trusted.
Pacifica looked once again at the brief note given to her, for Mark’s brother explaining the circumstances, it was such a bizarre feeling, she had nothing to pack, they didn't even have time to say bye with eachother properly, and just when he came back too... for the first time in her life she truly felt afraid, not knowing what the future shall bring
It had been hours since Scootaloo had spotted any changeling in the distance but one can never be too sure
“Scoots, are you sure they’re gone?” asked Sweetiebelle
“…”
Pacifica was quiet as ever
“For the last time Sweetiebelle, there hasn’t been a single changeling in the last 3 hours!”
“That’s cuz mah sister took care of ‘em!” replied a voice from outside the window
Scootaloo looked down at Applebloom, AJ, Rarity and Pacifica’s dad, Mr.sails
“Oh, hi Applebloom”
Pacifica poked her head outside
“I had a feeling I’d find you here, Pacifica” replied Mr. Sails
“…”
Pacifica calmly trotted down the steps to meet up with her and Sweetiebelle jumped out of the window onto her older sister.
Scootaloo watched the scene below unfold and as usual, Sweetiebelle made a huge fuss, it was funny how similar she was to Rarity, you could tell they were sisters and Pacifica was back with her dad not to mention Applebloom with Applejack.
Suddenly, a bright flash
Everypony murmured something and trotted away having forgotten about the little Pegasus, being too busy catching up with family.
It sure must feel nice to have somepony looking for you.
Scootaloo curled up and began sobbing but nopony came for her as they already were too far away to hear her cry.