Eight years before the Changeling War…
Nova wanders through the streets of Canterlot, looking for a set of materials for a new spell he recently learned, when somepony runs into him from behind, knocking him over.
“I’m sorry!” the pony exclaims. “Are you okay?”
Nova retrieves his glasses, then wipes them off before putting them back on. “Don’t worry,” he says, “I’m alright.”
The mare who ran into him is a grey pegasus with a black mane and tail. She notices a spellbook lying on the grounds next to him, and picks it up.
“Is this yours?” she asks.
Nova looks at the book for a moment, then nods. “Yes,” he says, taking the book, “it is.”
“I’m Silver by the way.” the pegasus says quickly. “What’s your name?”
“Nova,” he replies, “Nova Dusk.”
The two stand for a moment in awkward silence, which is soon broken by somepony running past them, screaming in terror. Nova and Silver both look to see what the pony was running from.
Mimic frowns behind her disguise as she watches the changelings wreak havoc not too far from where she and Nova are standing.
Dang it, Chrysalis is going to ruin everything! She thinks as she tries to come up with a plan to escape--a plan which Nova already seems to have.
“Silver, follow me!” he says as he takes off down an alleyway.
Mimic flies after him, hoping the changeling soldiers haven’t noticed her yet. “Where are we going?” she asks.
“To the train station,” Nova says, “I’ve still got a ticket back to Hollow Shades, and I don’t think they’ll bother to ask you for one, considering the current situation.”
Mimic nods in agreement, and together they make their way out of the city.
Nova turns the corner and finds a group of changelings blocking the way. Silver jumps in front of him and stares them down.
“Back off,” she growls, “he’s mine…”
Surprisingly, the changelings obey her, and they retreat into the shadows. Nova stares at her, unable to believe what he just saw.
“H-how did you-… what the heck was that?”
“What?” Silver asks, innocently.
“T-those changelings obeyed you!” he exclaims. “Why did they do that?”
“I don’t know,” she replies, “I guess I scared them off.”
Before Nova can say anything else, a flash of green light indicates another changeling landing nearby.
“Let’s get going,” Silver says, urgently, “They’ll probably be back soon!”
She takes the lead, and Nova follows her. Before long, they reach the train station, and board the first train to Hollow Shades.
One year before the Changeling War…
Nova and Silver step onto the main deck of an airship. They’ve been planning this trip to the Crystal Empire for six months now, and Nova has no intentions of letting anything ruin it.
“Did you pack everything you need?” he asks one final time before takeoff.
Silver lets out a sigh. “For the eighteenth time, yes! I have everything that I’ll need.”
“I just wanted to make sure we didn’t forget anything.” Nova replies.
“Well, now you know.” Silver says, looking out at the horizon as the airship begins its long flight.
After a while, Mimic realizes that the airship isn’t moving towards the Crystal Empire. Instead, it appears to be taking them to Canterlot. Nova has spent the past few minutes observing the scenery. Mimic walks up to him, and taps him on the shoulder with her hoof.
“Nova,” she says, nervously, “I think that something is very wrong here.”
“Silver? What is it?” Nova asks calmly.
“I don’t think this airship is going to the Crystal Empire. It seems to be taking us to…Canterlot.”
Nova looks startled. “What? But that can’t be right! I double and triple checked to make sure we were boarding the correct flight.”
“Shush, try to keep your voice down,” Mimic cautions him, “we don’t want to disturb the other passengers.”
Nova scans the crowd, looking for signs of unrest. Finding none, he turns his attention back to Silver.
“If we’re going to discuss this issue further, then let’s take the conversation somewhere more private.” he whispers.
“Agreed.” Silver replies.
With that, they make their way below deck to find a room where they can discuss the troubling matter in relative privacy. It doesn’t take the two very long to find such a room.
“So,” Nova says, “is there any particular reason you mention this issue?”
“No, nothing in particular.” Mimic replies. “But don’t you find it quite strange that there wasn’t any sort of announcement?”
Nova hesitates for about a minute or two, then nods. “I can’t think of any reason for them not to tell their passengers about a sudden change of plans like this.”
“So what do you think is going on here?” Mimic asks.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.” Nova pauses for a moment, then adds, “However, I’m not going to let my guard down. After all, I do study dark magic, which is illegal in Equestria…”
“Glad to hear you’ll be on the lookout for trouble,” Mimic replies, “now let’s head back up to the main deck.”
Nova nods in agreement, and follows Mimic back up to the airship’s deck.
* * *
As the airship arrives in Canterlot, the captain gives the passengers a long overdue announcement. “Attention passengers, please pardon the sudden change of schedule, but we have had to make an emergency maintenance stop here. Please disembark while the maintenance crew makes a few quick repairs. We will soon be underway, but until then, you may feel free to do some sightseeing in Canterlot.”
“Do you believe any of what he just said?” Silver whispers.
“No,” Nova replies, “of course not.”
“Well keep an eye out for trouble. We can’t be too careful…”
“You’re saying that, and we live in Equestria.” Nova says. “Not to mention we are currently in Canterlot! Capital city and Disaster Central of Equestria.”
“Okay, I get it!” Silver says as she and Nova get off the airship. “We can never be too careful. Is that better?”
“Yes, yes it is.” Nova says as the two ponies leave the airship terminal. “So what are we going to do until-”
“Stop right there, criminal scum!” somepony shouts from behind them.
Nova and Silver turn around to see a large squadron of the Royal Canterlot Guard, standing directly in front of them. As Nova steps forward, a team of pegasus guards fly in formation overhead. Some of the pegasi land in the area surrounding Nova and Silver.
“Nova,” Silver whispers, “this is very, very, bad…”
“Yeah, no kidding!” he replies. “They’ve probably found out about-”
“Nova Dusk,” says a unicorn guard, dressed in a uniform decorated with various medals, “in the name of Princess Celestia, I hereby place you under arrest for researching illegal magic, and assisting in changeling espionage!”
Nova stands there, shocked, unable to process the latter accusation.
“Come again? I’m not sure if I heard you correctly, but did you just say changeling…espionage?”
The guard nods.
“Nova,” Mimic says, “run!”
Nova doesn’t react--almost as if he’s too shocked to hear her. She kicks him in the side, and his head whirls around to face her. A look of shock and confusion on his face.
“RUN!” she repeats.
Nova doesn’t need to hear it a third time. He flees toward a gap between two pegasus guards.
“Don’t let him get away, after him!” the lieutenant orders his comrades. “We’ll deal with this queen…”
Mimic watches for a moment as a group of pegasi take off after Nova, while several unicorn guards on the ground cast various spells to aid them in their pursuit. She casts a distortion spell to disorient and confuse them, as well as improve Nova’s chances of escaping.
“Leave my husband alone!” She shouts, shedding her disguise, and revealing her true form.
The guards recoil in fear as bright green flames engulf the body of the pegasus, burning away her feathers to reveal tattered-looking insect wings. The fire works its way over the surface of her silver coat of fur, giving way to white chitin, with a hint of the silvery sheen of the pony she had disguised herself as. Her eyes change in color from deep blue, to a fiery green with slit pupils. The blaze washes over her legs to uncover various holes in them. Her steel-like mane and tail burn away to reveal longer, golden-blonde hair. Finally, the magic flames form up into a jet of fire from her forehead. They subside as quickly as they appeared, leaving behind a long, sharp, serrated horn.
The changeling queens pivots slowly, scanning the guards around her. “So, I see that you’ve called in the special, anti-changeling unit. Does this team officially exist, or is it one of those ‘top secret’ squadrons that nopony’s supposed to know about?”
“Nopony will know that this incident took place if you just stand down. So, are you going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?”
“Will you let my husband go?” Mimic asks.
“I’m afraid I cannot allow that.” the lieutenant replies, maintaining a formal tone this time
“Then we’re done here!” she says.
With that, Queen Mimic takes flight and heads out rapidly in the same direction in which Nova has fled.
“Do not let her escape!” The high-ranking unicorn commands.
The pegasus soldiers are quick to obey, and pursue the changeling queen as she flees in search of her loved one. The pegasi don’t get far before neon green light flashes from in an alleyway, immediately followed by a series of energy bolts moving faster than light with the help of a time-bending spell cast by an out-of-sight changeling. The glowing projectiles impact their targets before the observing guards even see it happen. The soldiers in pursuit of the changeling queen collapse to the ground.
Just as the lieutenant points a hoof at the alleyway, and opens his mouth to give an order, he is interrupted by an earth pony guard standing nearby.
“Ambush!” the guard shouts in a panic as he struggles to find cover.
“What are-” the lieutenant is cut off by a third voice, coming from above.
“Recon teams,” a well-armored changeling commands, “ready your paralyzers!”
The lieutenant looks up, and gasps in horror at the sight of at least fifty changelings flying overhead.
“Take aim!” their leader commands.
The guards all recoil in fear at the threat that floods the sky above them.
“Fire!”
At the changeling’s command, they unleash a hailstorm of energy projectiles similar to the ones that incapacitated the guards in pursuit of the queen. Every successful shot causes its target to twitch painfully before their body falls limp as they lose consciousness.
A lone changeling lands next to the unicorn. “Well then, seems as though the tables have turned, haven’t they?” he says.
“What do you want?” says the lieutenant, his tone carries a mix of both anger, and fear.
“I only desire the safety of my queen.” he says. “Now, is that really too much to ask?”
“Who are you?” the pony trembles as he asks the question.
“I am Ryder, a simple changeling scout just doing what I was raised to do.” he replies. “Not that it matters--I mean, the paralyzer carbine I’m holding right here is enchanted to inflict anypony shot by it with a…” his voice trails of as he searches for an adequate description of the rifle’s effects, “minor amnesia spell.”
Ending on that note, he aims the paralyzer gun directly at the lieutenant’s face, and fires three consecutive shots from the rifle. All hit their mark directly, knocking the pony unconscious in an instant.
As the changelings finish taking out the guards, Mimic wanders the streets in search of Nova.