//------------------------------// // It begins // Story: Identity // by Hyper44 //------------------------------// Lightning Jolt awoke that morning to what she at first thought was somepony knocking on her door. Then she felt the vibrations through the floor. It was a large walking down the hall. Those heavy hoof steps could only belong to one pony, Iron Clad. She heard him stop at her door and it shuddered as he knocked on the wood. "I'm awake and you can come in Iron Clad." Lightning Jolt called as she stretched and stood up. The door swung open and Iron Clad's bulky frame stood in the doorway. "A unicorn stallion has shown up and is asking to speak to you." He stated in his deep voice. "He is a thin and almost an unhealthy looking pony. He is in one of the side courtyards where I have other former unicorn guards keeping an eye on him. Is he a friend, or a foe that we should apprehend? " "No, he's not an enemy." Lightning Jolt said with a yawn. "I think we cleared that up last night. I do want to go talk to him though." Iron Clad nodded and led the way. They stopped at a window that looked down on the courtyard. There was Smog standing off by himself as he passed the time by studying a mural on one of the walls. Not far away mixed in among other ponies were the unicorns that Iron Clad had mentioned. They hung about looking as nonchalant as possible without overdoing it. She was pretty sure that Smog was aware of them though. He was a clever pony and from time to time he would randomly glance over the crowd in a pretend casual behavior. "Are you sure that he is not threat or a breach in security in any way?" Iron Clad asked. "I'm sure." Lightning Jolt replied as she studied the strange but interesting unicorn. He was at the moment the only link to her past. He was a very strange pony, though. From what she had seen so far was that he was very resourceful and cleaver but she wasn’t sure if he was all there considering his odd looks and his twitchy behavior when they first met. "I don't like the looks of him." Iron Clad commented. "He is strange." Lightning Jolt agreed. He was strange and he had to have something going on. A nervous disorder maybe. In truth even though she was sure now that he wasn’t an enemy it was still a little unnerving. If only she could remember anything about him from before, then perhaps she would understand. Well, she would get nowhere just standing at the window. Lighting Jolt turned and headed for the stairs. "We will not be far away." Iron Clad stated as he followed her to the ground level. The old war pony stayed back at the building exit when Lightning Jolt walked outside and the unicorns in the courtyard causally moved to a better vantage point. "How did you find me?" Lightning Jolt asked as Smog turned around. "I would have thought that the princesses with their centuries of knowledge would have made it impossible." "I wouldn’t have found you if you hadn’t come after me. I watched from behind a magic screen as the Princess Twilight put that rather well done illusion spell on you and after you split up with your friends I followed you back here." Smog replied keeping. "So how did you get to be friends with Equestria royalty? I see all the guards hanging around, you must be one important pony now." "Well not really. The changelings after finding out that I was still alive have made two attempts to end my life. Their just protecting me. It's not that I'm important, it's just that they care." Smog snorted. "Nice. With all the effort the princesses are giving a complete stranger you would think that your own would have cared more.” He said rolling his eyes. “You've gone all the way to being a friend of this land rulers. Your parent's would be impressed, probably not happy, but impressed. The ponies of Cinder's island really hate Equestrians." "My parents." Lightning Jolt said sitting down. "Who are my parents?" "They are your adoptive parents really but they love you, at least as far as I can tell. We have no idea who your birth mother or father was." Smog's voice turned a little softer for a moment. "I can help reintroduce you to them when this is over. Well it would actually be better if somepony else did, they hate me and things might go badly. I can still come along though." "What were...are they like?" Lightning Jolt asked. "Loud, rude, thought they knew everything, and were always right." Smog stated flatly. Then he put on a joking grin. "A lot like you." Lighting Jolt thought that she should be offended but almost laughed at the way he was just so honest and blunt. She might have if not for something that he had said wasn’t nagging at her. "You said that you would have thought that my own would have cared more, you don't mean my parents, do you?" "What?! No! Not them. You don't remember but you were born with all kinds of medical conditions, your fine now so don't worry. Anyway your parents were devastated especially when they found out that the doctors didn't think it was worth trying to save you. Stupid!" He growled. "But you were and a chance with a life is worth trying for! If those stupid ponies had known that when-" Smog suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and stomped a hoof down as if to crush some memory. When he opened his eyes he was calm again, calm as his personality went. "So what is the plan the princesses have? Are you just going to hang out here for a long time or what? I take it your friends have told the two head princesses about the changelings by now. That's what they said they were going to do when you parted." "Yes, Princess Celestia sent ponies to see if changelings are hiding among the new wave ponies." Lightning Jolt explained though she really wanted to know what he had started to mention but she knew better to pry at the moment. "They'll find some." Smog said with confidence. "When that happens she and Princess Luna is going to act." Lightning Jolt went on. "They didn't explain just what they were going to do but they gave me and two friends who are here with me... that's another story but anyway Princess Celestia gave us little coins that look almost just like bits. She said it had some kind of locator spell so they didn't have to know where we were to teleport us and they would teleport us back to the castle to keep us safe." "No hints at all?" Smog asked. "Well..no, not really. She had Twilight and Rainbow Dash go fetch their friends." Lightning Jolt replied. "Did she say at about what time she would transport you back when they discovered the changelings?" Lightning Jolt shook her head again. "No, but I do think that it will be awhile. I may not know what she's planning, I didn't even think to ask but it sounded like she had a lot of preparations to do. I would think that it would take a lot of careful planning to safely remove changelings from amidst the population of-" Her words were cut off and Smog found himself staring at an empty space in the courtyard. He laughed shaking his head. "Why do ponies and creatures forget over and over again that those two alicorns have been around for more than a thousand years and are quite experienced and learned in how to deal with all kinds of situations? Sure they’re not beyond mistakes but much closer than anypony else. Probably why Cinder Island ponies hated them so much." He looked across the courtyard to see the former guards had suddenly taken action the moment she disappeared. They obviously knew what was going on for they quickly began gathering every mare, stallion and foal and ushering them to the main building. One of them stopped and beckoned Smog to follow but the stallion shook his head. "I haven't been tailing those shifters only to hide when it finally goes down." He yelled back then took off out of the courtyard. "I have been waiting for this for a long time." He muttered. As he rocked through the streets he saw more guards moving through crowds carrying large bags. They took what looked like bits out and handed one to every citizen young and old. It was to commemorate a great day they told them, "Just hold on to it and wait, you'll see later this morning." * * * "...This city." Lightning Jolt finished as she suddenly found herself standing in the castle throne room. Ember Light who was just waking up with a blanket still wrapped around him was to her left and Valentine was to her right standing in a walking pose with a breakfast tray in her mouth. She looked around then just sat down and started eating. "Muffin?" She offered to Lightning Jolt and Ember Light who was still blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Across from them near the base of the throne steps were the two head princesses and the former bearers of harmony. Standing behind them was a score of guards with Shining Armor in front. Celestia and Luna were giving out hurried instructions. The guards saluted and quickly ran off down the hall with Shining Armor in the lead. After a quick nod from Luna the six mares took off as well and waived to Lightning Jolt and her friends as they passed. Then Celestia and Luna turned to the trio. "I’m sorry, I didn't mean to be rude but the stallions story was confirmed, oh was it confirmed!" Celestia said. "So what's about to happen?" Valentine asked. "It's about to get real." Luna replied with a grin before winging out the window. "Everything is almost completely set up and I am about to go confront the New Wave ponies." Celestia said heading for the window. "There are not only many changelings in their mist but they are aware of it." "What?" The three ponies said almost all at once. "Why would they allow it? Are they being held hostage by them?" Ember Light asked. "No, I can explain later but right now I have to go." Celestia replied pausing with one hoof on the window sill. "Stay in castle. There is a spell cast over it that only ponies can pass through. You will be able to watch from this window." With that she opened her wings and took off. The trio hurried over to the window to watch the princess fly high and circle over Canterlot. On rooftops and flying in the air pegasus guards each gave their nod to confirm that their job was done. Each had an empty or near empty bag. Across the tops of buildings they could see the stage that the New Wave ponies had set up. There was a large crowd gathered in the square as usual and they could see the tiny figures of ponies standing up on the stage. Celestia, after circling around the city shut her large white wings and plummeted like a missile to the stage. * * * On the platform was the current leader of the New Wave group, Light Hooves the unicorn mare who had sent Starlight on her way. She and her companion jumped as the alicorn princess landed on the stage. Celestia folded her wings and fixed her eyes on the unicorn. The stallion that was with her started backing away and everypony looking stared silently. "Well if isn’t the despot herself?" Light Hooves said haughtily. "Have you come to order me to shut up? You would try to keep us quite wouldn’t you?" "I never stopped you from speaking your mind, even when it was personal." Celestia replied. "You have large number of changelings within you ranks." A gasp went up from the crowd. The stallion on stage started laughing a little too loud for it to be normal. "Y-You’re mistaken, no you just shooting out accusation to discredit us." He said growing in boldness and approached the princess. "You.. your just trying to make us look bad by spouting accusations. Changelings? Could you come up with something better? Seriously, us hiding changelings?" "I didn't state that you were hiding them just that they were there." Celestia replied then pushed him aside with one of her large wings. "There is no denying what my agents have found." "What right do you have to spy on us?" Light Hooves retorted. "So you don't deny it?" Celestia asked. The mare looked at her for a few moments then responded. "You have done a great evil Celestia. You have not helped those poor changelings with all the turmoil they endure in their homeland." "Turmoil they caused and continue to cause for themselves." Celestia replied. "Oh, yeah great princess, why haven't you helped them like we have been doing? Why if your so caring?" Light Hooves replied. Celestia sighed the deep heavy sigh that only came from who's frustrations had untold depths. "I have tried, oh have I tried! I have tried to make treaties with them and they use it as a screen as they plot. I have tried to let them live in peace within Equestria but they took advantage of it and not only harmed ponies but used it to infiltrate. I tried letting them live with volunteer families to gain the love they desired but they did the same. I have tried to help them in their homeland but they would not change from the ways that caused their problems. Their culture and society is violent. They fight all others and they fight each other. It is their deep belief that they are superior, that their culture is the only culture and that they should press on until they rule over all creatures, till all creatures adhere to their laws, culture and superiority. U can't help somepony unless they help themselves and I am not about to usher them in and keep trying to help them while they plot against my citizens." "They are not all evil." The unicorn spat. “You can’t pretend that every single one is bad. "True, but we can't ignore what their culture continuously produces." Celestia replied. “We can’t pretend that there is no problem either. We can't pretend that the evil ones are the good ones or that many are our enemies by their own choosing.” "You just gave up on them! Those poor changelings have been persecuted for too long. Because of what you've done they were forced to invade a wedding." Celestia rolled her eyes as Light Hooves pointed an accusing hoof at her. "That was your fault! We on the other hoof," The unicorn put a hoof to her chest, "Want equality for all creatures and will-" "Yet that is only expressed towards those who will help you to your goals." Celestia cut her off. "Your a fake just like those who founded Cinder's settlement. You don’t care about equality or even what is best for others, you just care about control of others and you use this front to do it. You only support the changelings to receive support from them.” Light Hooves face turned red with rage but before she could respond Celestia held up a hoof. "Listen, hear that?" The mare was quickly distracted by the faint buzzing that was growing louder. The ponies below the stage who had been, watching not sure what to make of this now cringed as they recognized the sound. A groan of despair went up. "What is that?" Light Hooves demanded. "Your poor persecuted changelings that you've helped into Equestria." Celestia said calmly. "They all came out of hiding to strike just as I hoped they would when I publicly made it clear that I knew that they were here. They probably sent a message back the second I showed up." A cry of panic went up from the crowd as the changelings began to fill the sky above casting a huge shadow on the city below. Celestia stood up on her hind legs spreading her wings wide as she took a deep breath. Her horn glowed brightly and her eyes rolled back from the tremendous effort. It flooded the streets and even flashed out of buildings. In the next instant half blinded changelings were crashing into each other as they pulled to a stop mid charge to blink at the empty streets. They had little time to think before the blue light that was Luna's magic flashed through the streets and in the place of the citizens stood hundreds of armored guards. "It’s not citizens that you fight this time! Now it begins!" Luna yelled out from where she stood panting on top one of the castle towers. She spread her magnificent dark blue wings and despite being exhausted from teleporting an army she flew straight towards the changings with battle light gleaming in her eyes. Moments later the grand city was filled with the sounds of battle that echoed off the mountain beside it.