Midnight Changeling

by irrationalnumber

Chapter 2:Ponyville

“Letter from Princess Celestia for you Twilight,” Spike announced as he sprinted into SugarCube Corner where Twilight and her friends were having a party.

“What is it this time, parasprites invading Manehattan perhaps, need Pinkie Pie to lead them out of town?” replied Rarity sarcastically.

“Actually no, surprisingly she just wants us to greet an old Alicorn friend of hers at the train station at three thirty-five. Since it is three twenty-one I guess we should head over there now,” said Twilight

"But do we have to cut AJ's birthday party short?" cried Pinkie Pie.

"Unfortunately, yes," replied Twilight

"Hold on a minute," exclaimed Rainbow Dash, "aren't alicorns supposed to be rare, I mean Celestia, Luna, and Cadence was plenty, then you became on Twilight and now another one just shows up in Canterlot and now we have to go give her the royal Ponyville welcome. Who is this Alicorn anyway?"

"The message doesn't say," replied Twilight, "besides it is not like were losing our duties as guardians of the tree."

"Um, shouldn't we be going?" muttered Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy is right," Rarity chimed in, "we should be going, besides we need to make a good appearance for the old, new Princess."

So the seven friends abandoned the party and headed for the train station. When they arrived they realized they did not realize what this newcomer looked like much less what bags she would have with her.

"Oh, no," said Twilight worried.

"Wait," replied Rainbow Dash, "we are her to welcome a Princess, wouldn't that mean she should be the only Alicorn to get off the train?"

So the friends waited, until all but onepony was left on the train and as she got off Twilight exclaimed,

"There she is!"

"Sugarcube, I don't mean to be rude or nothin', but that is just a regular old earth pony."

"Don't be silly Applejack," replied Rainbow Dash, "that is clearly a pegasi."

"I don't know what you're all talking about that is definitely a unicorn," Rarity chimed in.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle, my name is Princess Midnight, what is the argument about amongst your friends?" said Midnight.

"Uh, I believe they are arguing over what kind of pony you are, even though you are clearly an Alicorn," replied Twilight.

"Oh dear, maybe you should, you know, interrupt," said Midnight.

"Girls!" shouted Twilight, "stop arguing and greet our alicorn guest,"

"How can we do that when she is a pegasi?"

"Earth pony!"

"Unicorn!"

"She clearly is a unicorn," chimed Spike.

"Stop arguing all seven of you!" shouted Midnight, "Now tell me Applejack and Pinkie Pie what kind of pony am I?"

"Duh, an earth pony, how could you forget silly!" replied Pinkie

"Earth pony, despite everypony's efforts to convince me otherwise," replied Applejack.

"And Rarity what kind of pony am I?" asked Midnight.

"As Spike and I said you are clearly a unicorn," replied Rarity.

"Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, what do I look like to you?" asked Midnight one last time.

"Pegasus, as you actually are, right?" boasted Rainbow Dash

"Um...well actually," replied Fluttershy weakly.

"Oh dear, I thought that old spell would have worn off years ago. To clarify, I am an alicorn but before
Celestia took rule I was guarding the Tree and had to find a way to be excepted amongst all races of ponies so I cast a spell that would disguise my appearance to match that of the viewer, I thought the spell would have worn off but alas it seems I was wrong and I don't currently remember how to remove it. Twilight in a few days time I will ask you to remove the spell if I cannot remove it myself by then," explained Midnight.

"Very well," responded Twilight, "Now to the current matters, what is your task here in Ponyville and where do plan on staying?"

"I plan to stay in my old house in the Everfree forest and my duties were to guard the tree and all magical artifacts, which was over a thousand years ago,” answered Midnight, “Although I understand if you don't want to give your new duties as guardian of the Tree."

"We'll have to think about it, and besides why do you need us to escort you their when you can just fly there," responded Twilight somewhat angrily.

"Well you see being stuck with no physical form for over a thousand years, you tend to forget how to a do certain things, in my case fly and how to do several spells. So, yeah, I kinda need to review before I start performing sonic rainbooms or start traveling through time," said Midnight with a look of embarrassment.

"Wait you can perform a sonic rainboom?" asked Rainbow Dash with a look of horror on her face, seeing as how she was the only known pony to successfully perform a sonic rainboom.

"No, but your great, great, great, great grandfather did." replied Midnight with a remembering sigh that brought a look of pure wonder to all who had gathered.

"Please, you can't be that old," remarked Twilight.

"Ah but I can, as being frozen for over a thousand years puts me at, hmm, carry the three and place the one there, at 1457 years old, the oldest known pony in Equestria alongside Celestia," replied Midnight.

"Well then now that we have settled age and have a flightless, magic-less alicorn who needs to get home for the first time since being unfrozen, we should get moving, since it will be getting dark soon," said Spike with a longing to be in bed right now.

"Who said anything about me not being able to perform magic?" replied Midnight.

"Let’s just get going we do not want to be stuck in the Everfree forest past dark," said Applejack with a look of determination to stop any arguments before they began.

The seven ponies and one dragon proceeded to the Everfree forest where upon arriving at a tree with many a decoration, did anyone speak.

"Great, looks like somepony moved in while I was away," said Midnight flatly.

"I am going to assume you are talking about Zecora, and that this tree is your old house," replied Twilight.

"Zecora, zebra, good with potions. Let’s have a talk with her," answered Midnight and then a few strides knocked on the door before anypony could stop her.

"Might who you be, to come knocking on my tree?” asked Zecora.

"I Princess Midnight, previous owner of this house, eh, tree, have come to get my things from the basemen,." replied Midnight ever so politely.

"This tree has no such basement, and based on your accent..." replied Zecora before getting cut off.

"Ah but it does, has no one ever bothered to scan the floor with magic?" replied Midnight confidently,

"May I enter, one of black and white?"

"Sure, I suppose," replied Zecora with a hint of surprise that her home was being invaded by someone who was not being entirely truthful, but she knew this home did not have a basement. Then as simply as Midnight walked in, Midnight descended through the floor into a basement.

"But, I've walked over that spot several hundred times and not once have I fallen into the basement."

"Ah, you see if I choose I can merely walk over it as if it wasn't there at all, it detects your intent to go to the basement and removes the physical floor while leaving the illusion intact. I'm surprised Twilight hasn't performed one yet to certain other places that should be hidden,." replied Midnight as she removed a large bag from the basement.

"I certain would have, if I even knew how to perform that spell," replied Twilight angrily.

"You obviously haven't spent much time taking magic lessons from Luna, otherwise there would be a wide variety of other shield spells in your arsenal," responded Midnight as she left with the seven friends in tow.

As they wandered deeper into the Everfree, Rarity piped in that since Zecora had moved into Midnight's house she had nowhere to stay.

"Silly Rarity, I never said that was my only house, that was just the last one I stayed in, my other is right here," Midnight replied as they arrived at the base of a mountain.

"Here, Darling," questioned Rarity, "Here we have trees, trees and a cliff wall, so unless you have another hidden door in those trees, I think you have the wrong spot."

"Not the trees my dear Rarity," replied Midnight as she started walking towards the cliff face. Than as all seven tried to stop walked right through, then popped her head out as they all stood there stunned and said, "You guys can go back now."

"I'm sorry dear but it is customary to invite those whom walked you home inside, before dismissing them," Rarity responded despite looking revolted at the spider now crawling over Midnight left eye.

"Well other than the fact my house is a mess from the last time I was here, I still need time to clean out the spiders, you know little ones," as she pulled out a fresh carcass and plopped it down, even Rainbow Dash screamed at the sight of Spike sized spider carcass, and so that idea ended as quickly as it had started.