• Published 12th Nov 2014
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Minty Image - mintgreenconspiracy



When Minty Christmas doesn't go as it normally would. A secret about Minty, G3 Rainbow Dash, and G3 Pinkie Pie comes out, that may very well change everything, forever.

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Optional Chapter 1-4: Rarity's story

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" Cheerilee asked, passing a couple of nurses, who bowed low to the ground before her passing. "Did I do something wrong? Everyone's been giving me odd glances since I stepped into the hospital."

"Actually Cheer... My little pony... It's me who's getting the odd glances. Ponies instinctively treat me as royalty, and add to that the fact that I rarely appear here in person; and well!" Celestia said, with a blush. "And all the guards don't help!" She said, with a laugh, motioning discretely for the dozen guards following her to back up another pace or two.

"That must be really hard. "Cheerilee said, with reservation. "I can't imagine if everyone acted this way towards little rarity." She continued, a tear starting to flow. "It must be really hard! I can't imagine how lonely it must be! Little Rarity would be crushed!" Cheerilee said, swallowing tears once again, she really took an extra shine towards this particular pink unicorn, and worried for her like a daughter.

"You know Cheer... My little pony, it's not good to swallow tears or hide your feelings. Especially when you are worried! A student of mine once told me that no matter how dark things get your friends are always there for you!" Celestia said, smiling. "Do you have any friends that can help you?"

"Well there's Brights Brightly, and Whistle Wishes." She said, with a sorrowful sign. "I wish I knew where they were."

"I'm certain we shall find them." Celestia said, her voice changing slightly. "Ahh! here we are, room 312. Doctor Stable said he would meet us here." She said, talking as she normally would.

"So... Um.... Princess... What brings you here?" Doctor Stable said, fighting every fiber of his being telling him to bow and scrape. "Don't you have business back in Canterlot?" He said, with a restrained frown (holding himself aloft by sure will power.)

"Yes, I suppose. But, I find it useful to visit my little ponies every once in a while." Celestia lied. "Besides, Cheerilee here was in trouble! Could I as a princess stand by and do nothing?" Celestia said, with a twinkle in her eye.

"Uh huh..." Doctor Stable said, not believing a word he was being told, but being afraid to say so. "So how do you plan to help anyway?"

"I'm here to vouch for her. I believe a certain doctor was going to call FPS." She said, using her divine intuition, and some of the things the doctor had screamed over the intercom. "And I'm here to tell him that won't be necessary!" She said, with a mischievous smile.

The old doctor gulped -- busted like Benjamin Bunny.

"Besides, I thought I'd mention to the same doctor that it isn't good to openly disrespect a princess without good reason." She said, smirking openly, twisting the knife slightly.

"Fine!" The doctor said, his hooves clopping against the floor. "Here you go." He said, opening the door. "Here's the little pink..." His face dropped, as if screaming only one thing: 'not again'. "Empty room! Orderlies! She ran off again."

"Oh dear!" Cheerilee said, her ears dropping, her heart filling with fear. "Sh... She..." Cheerilee stuttered, falling down to her knees. "I can't believe that she would --"

Celestia frowned for only a second, before cracking a smile. "Don't worry my little pony. I've got this one." The alicorn said, displaying her most reassuring smile. Her horn started to light up. "I'll be right back." She said, disappearing into a bubble of magic for just a second -- before returning with a little pink unicorn clenched in her muzzle by her neck.

"AHHH!!!!!" The little pink unicorn whined. "It wasn't my fault! It was boring in here and --" She said, stopped with she saw Cheerilee.

Celestia simply gave a motherly smile, and a nod. "Cheerilee, do you --?" She started, before being interrupted with the blur of a purple unicorn throwing herself around her mentee.

"Oh Rarity! I was so worried about you!" The purple unicorn said, propelling her front legs around the little pink unicorn, in a monstrous hug. "Please don't use the wand without my permission again! I thought for a second that you had--" She said, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry Cheerilee!" Rarity responded, crying herself. "But I had to do something! I thought I was going to lose you again! And you were in trouble and--" She said, barely able to get out the words before Cheerilee interrupted her with a gentle touch of her hoof to the filly's muzzle.

"I know. And thank you for that. But please let me know first! You had me worried sick!" Cheerilee replied, her eyes starting to dry.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this wonderful moment." The old doctor said sarcastically. "But I have important questions that I need answered!" He said, stamping his good hooves against the ground. "And there will be no touching moments until they are!" He stopped for a second, before motioning out of the room. "Would you too be so kind as to join me in my office?" He said, opening the door. "Thank you!"

********

"Ok Sweetie, your magic is coming along nicely! You actually have a potential in there, you just need some instruction." Twilight said, thinking maybe she was wrong about Sweetie's talent being singing -- oh well, she could bring some more advanced magic books next week, and maybe some music books while she was at it. "I'm impressed with how all three of you are progressing!"

"Thanks Twilight! My parents were worried my magic would never grow in!" Sweetie responded, as Scootaloo winced a little. "But I'm glad it did! Now that I have it, I can't imagine what life would be like without it." She said, beaming. Scootaloo winced again, this time more visibly.

"So... Um... Twilight..." Scootaloo said, tapping Twilight with her muzzle -- desperately keeping her cool. "I'm learning a lot about basic mechanics, and how to repair stuff... But I was, kind of, wondering if we could, maybe, do some flight training? Maybe see if we can do something about getting my wings in order?" Scootaloo responded. "You know so I can... um... Join the Wonderbolts or something?" She lied slightly.

Twilight sighed silently; every time she thought the child had figured out she was judged by who she was instead of what she could do, the questions kept coming back. "Didn't Rainbow talk to you about this?" Twilight asked. "That, you know, 'you're cool just the way you are!'?"

"Yeah I know." Scootaloo sighed. "But it just doesn't seem fair." She said, looking down. "I'll never truly be like Rainbow Dash if I can't get these wings started."

Twilight thought to herself, she wasn't sure how best to respond. She really had hoped that Rainbow and Scootaloo had the filly's insecurities beat by now. Maybe she needed to remind Rainbow Dash to be spending more time with her 'honorary sister'. "Didn't Ms. Goldheart look into this for you Scootaloo?" She asked, returning a reassuring muzzle.

Scootaloo shook her head. "These no money in the budget. She does what she can, but she's really just hoping -- as much as I am -- that they will grow in on their someday." She said, her voice beginning to fill with anger and desperation. "And I'm sure that I should be able to fly! I can just sense it with ever fiber of my being!" She said, desperately holding back her tears. "But nopony will let me try! Instead they just tell me that I'm 'cool just the way I am'! Why doesn't anyone care? Why won't they even try!? Why can't I want more? Why can't I aim higher!" She ranted, finally unable to stop until the world understood how she felt. "Why do I have to be happy with less!" She said, the waterworks breaking. "I understand I don't need to fly! That I'm cool without it! But please I want to be sure I can't fly before I give up on my dreams!" She said, stomping her hooves. Apparently she must have talked with Ms. Goldheart about the issue again.

Twilight frowned, maybe the child was right. "Tell you what! Let's start spending some of our Twilight time on your flying problems, would that make you feel better?"

Scootaloo just nodded. "I would like that very much!" She said, the tears still slightly falling.

"As would I!" Said a smiling mulberry earth pony, as she entered the room. "I apologize for interrupting your Twilight Time!" She said, with a smile. "But I almost forgot to bring in your homework! I also need to drop by the hospital and drop this off." She said, smiling gracefully, holding the wand she had picked up yesterday. "The doctor told me little Rarity was feeling slightly better, and I wanted to get this back to her." Cheerily said, handing a few papers to each crusader.

Twilight's eyes grow as large as saucers for a second. She recognized the style of that toy wand. "Ms. Cheerilee, could I see that toy wand for a second?" Twilight said, apologetically.

"Sure thing!" Cheerilee replied, handing the wand to Twilight, curious as to why the princess of friendship was interested in a child's play thing.

Twilight simply held the wand in her mouth, and began to wave it. The wand glowed a light raspberry color, as the large statue in the center of the library began to move around.

Sweetie looked on in surprise, noticing Twilight's horn didn't light up -- even a little. "How'd you use telekinesis like that without using your horn?"

"I think I have a theory, but I need you to help me Ms. Cheerilee." Twilight said, motioning for the mulberry teacher. "Could you please hold this toy wand in your mouth?"

"Sure." Cheerilee said, grabbing the pink wand in her mouth. Why did Twilight need her to hold the toy want in her mouth? What was she up to?

"Ok now point the wand at that statue." Twilight said, motioning at the statue. "Now imagine it moving, and wave the wand towards the pedestal."

"Mmmcay." Cheerilee said, sounding confused. However, she decided to do what the princess requested and closed her eyes, imagining the statue moving; before waving the wand in the direction she wanted the statue to go. Almost immediately the wand and statue both began to be engulfed in a green aura. The statue moved, at the command of the wand sitting itself back on the pedestal.

All three crusaders sat there with their mouths gaping wide open. Looking at each other. This was an untapped cutie mark opportunity. They knew exactly what they needed to do. "You thinking what a'm thinking girls?" Apple Bloom said quietly to the others, her and scootaloo both having mischievous expressions on their faces (and Sweetie Belle having a clueless one.)

"Go back home and do our homework?" Sweetie squeaked, innocently. "I mean we have all this new homework, and --"

"Nah! I'm thinking we pay this Rarity a visit!" Apple Bloom said.

"You mean my sister!" Sweetie said, with an innocent squee. "We can make it a homework party together, and have a Cutie Mark Crusader sleep over and --"

Scootaloo put a hoof on her muzzle. "Or maybe we can borrow that wand and be--"

"Girls! Whatever it is you are plotting stop it now!" Twilight chastised. "I won't have any plotting in Twilight Time! Unless, of course, it's plotting to learn!"

"OHHHH!!!!!" The girls whined. They were so close to planning their next crusade too!

"Well girls!" Cheerilee said, with a large smile. "Be good, while I head off to the hospital!"

"How about I join you this time Cheerilee!" Twilight said, starting to follow the mulberry teacher out the door. "I want to check on the young filly as a favor to a friend anyway!" She said, with a smile.

Cheerilee just nodded, her face filled with confusion. "Certainly, your majesty." She said hesitantly.

********

"So Cheerilee, tell me, how did you lose little rarity?" The doctor asked, looking suspiciously at her, practically trying to stare into her soul. "Inquiring minds need to know!" He said, sitting comfortably at his desk (his chair suspiciously higher than the two other chairs in the room, causing him to appear to tower over whomever was sitting in the other chairs.)

Cheerilee, pulled back slightly. "We were attacked by nasty bug ponies, and so Rarity used the magic wand to teleport everyone away." Cheerilee said, looking away sadly.

The doctor stomped as hard as he could against the desk with his hooves. "You expect me to believe that that small pink fuzz ball somehow managed to not just cast magic, but to do so without the use of her horn?" He fumed. "Unicorns simply can't cast magic before adolescence: period! They don't have enough magic!"

Cheerilee stood there puzzled. Has this doctor never heard of a magic wand before? And why would age matter?

"Doctor!" A nurse said over the intercom. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, and a Ms. Cheerilee are here to see you sir."

"Tell her to -- " The doctor started, before looking at Celestia, who seemed to be giving him some very strong queues without so much as changing her facial features. "Come up here and join us." He said, blushing a dark red. "So where were we?" The doctor said, pretending to think for a second. "Ahh yes! You still want to tell me that somehow a three to five year old unicorn cast a powerful teleportation spell without the use of her horn? And somehow used up every last milli-swirl of her magic in the process?"

"It's the truth sir!" Cheerilee responded, looking devastated. "I foolishly left the wand where she could get it, and when Unicornia was attacked by mean bug ponies, she used it to teleport everyone to safety. But what's this about using all her magic?"

The doctor face-hoofed, maybe the problem here wasn't neglect -- but stupidity. "So let me guess? That cutie mark of yours stands for gardening? And you've never needed magic to perform your special talent?"

Cheerilee stood there befuddled for a second. What does he mean by 'special talent'? And what's he talking about when he's referring to a 'Cutie Mark'? "Oh! You mean my symbol. But why do you think it means anything? I've always had it!"

"Does it have something to do... I don't know!? WITH YOUR SPECIAL TALENT! THE THING YOU WERE BORN TO DO!" The doctor responded. "You know the thing that you did! That made the 'symbol' appear!!!"

Cheerilee simply shook her head. "I don't know what you mean. I was chosen to mentee the other three unicorns because I was the only purple unicorn in Unicornia with a particular skill in mentoring and process. My favorite thing to do is bring the first rainbow of the season."

Celestia smiled, for some reason, as the doctor face hoofed -- she was hopeless.

There was a knock on the door. "Nurse Kind Heart said we should meet you in your office." Said a voice on the other end of the door. "Do you mind if we come in?"

"Oh please come in Twilight!" Celestia volunteered. As the doctor, wisely, kept quiet this time.

Twilight opened the door slowly at first, then quickly when she saw her old teacher. "Celestia, what brings you here today?" She asked. "Don't you have important business to attend to?"

"Oh nothing too important!" Celestia lied. "And I'm sure Kibitz wouldn't mind, since I'm just helping one of my little ponies in need." Celestia said with a smile and a twinkle (oh and she lied, he minded a lot!) "Besides, I need to get out among my ponies every once in a while." She reiterated for the third time today. "So what brings you here, my faithful... oops... my fellow princess of Equestria?"

"Well Cheerilee here." Twilight said, pointing to the mulberry earth pony, not the purple unicorn. "Came to return little Rarity's wand." She said, with a reassuring smile to the mulberry Cheerilee.

The earth pony Cheerilee bowed low to the princess Celestia, and stayed that way for minutes -- practically frozen in the bowing position.

"Don't worry, my little pony!" Celestia said, putting a hoof to the earth pony Cheerilee's muzzle, beckoning her to rise. "You see, Cheerilee here and I are glad that you take such good care of your students!" Celestia said, pointing at the unicorn Cheerilee. "And even those that aren't your students!" Celestia said, turning her head to the tiny pink unicorn's door, before giving a reassuring smile to the earth pony.

"So you must be Cheerilee!" The mulberry earth pony said to the purple unicorn of the same name. "Rarity was terrified to death, thinking that she had lost you. And I almost didn't have the heart to send her ahead to the hospital while I made arrangements for a substitute." She said, with a frown. "It was like, you leaving her was something out of a nightmare. Course I can't imagine how terrified I would be if I got separated from my family at that age."

"Well thank you for helping her!" The purple unicorn Cheerilee said, with a blush. "I was really worried that something happened to her!" She said, with a smile. "Course I'm actually her mentor, not her mother." She said, blushing again. "Thank you though. Sometimes I worry that I'm starting to get old! I'm already in my twenties, and all!"

"You're very welcome! There's a reason I took up teaching!" The mulberry teacher said, with a smile. "I just can't stand to see a small filly, or colt hurt or alone! And I can't imagine doing anything other than teaching!"

"So the filly did have a toy wand." The doctor said, sarcastically, looking at the wand, sticking out of the teacher's bag. "Now I need to know how you have neglec--" He started before being interrupted with the daggers Celestia was throwing from her eyes. "urr... How she lost her magic."

"I think I can answer that." Twilight said, with a beaming smile. "This wand is extremely unique!" She said, making a motion with her hoof.

Celestia looked on, her face openly showing concern. "Please explain, Princess Twilight. It looks like a regular filly's toy to me."

Twilight shook her head. "It isn't." She said, thinking for a second. "Maybe, It would be best to explain it this way!" Twilight said, motioning for the mulberry Cheerilee. "Cheerilee, please pick up the wand like you did back at the library." She said, motioning at the wand.

"Certainly." The school teacher responded, hesitantly, picking up the pink wand with the golden star tip in her mouth.

The other Cheerilee stood there puzzled, why didn't she pick it up in her hoof? Why did she use her mouth?

"Ok Cheerilee, now let's try a more difficult spell!" Twilight said, motioning in a circle. "Wave the wand in a circle three times, and imagine yourself moving from here to the other side of the room. Then toss the wand up. But make sure to only toss it up lightly!"

"Ok." Cheerilee said nervously, as she began to wave the wand. The wand was covered in a green aura, and upon throwing the wand in the air, the teacher and wand disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear on the other side of the room.

The sensible old doctor almost fainted where he stood."H...H....How did you do that?" He stuttered. "Is this some kind of trick?"

"Yes, how indeed?" Celestia said, smirking widely. "Please tell the dear doctor Twilight! Though he probably knows the answer already." She said, winking discreetly at the doctor.

"Well, last month I found an old book in your and Luna's old castle." Twilight said, before getting a nod of understanding from the senior princess. "The book was from the end of the second age, but appears to be a reprinting of a book from the beginning of the second age, or possibly even in the interregnum between the first and second ages."

"And what does that have to do with the cost of tea in --" The old doctor said sternly, before being interrupted by a smiling glance from Celestia.

"Ehem!" Twilight continued. "As I was saying: the book contains descriptions of creatures, that have not been seen or heard from since the middle of the second age, if not the end of the first. And have, up until my trip to that other world to stop Sunset Shimmer, been heard of only in legend. However, until I discovered this ancient artwork." She said, opening the book. "We didn't even have correct descriptions!" She said, pointing at the page. "You should recognize these creatures by their fairy tale name: 'minotaur-apes'!"

"Wow! That's fascinating!" Said the mulberry teacher with a smile. "But what do these creatures have to do with the wand?" She asked, tilting her head.

"I'm glad you asked this question." Twilight said. "These creatures, in the other world, were called 'humans'. Technically that may not be the correct name! However, I will use the term anyway, as it describes them well." She said, before motioning to the rest of the page. "The other two tribes on the page are not, in fact, 'humans'. They are instead two entirely different tribes; basically they are to humans what unicorns and pegasi are to earth ponies."

She stopped for a minute, to see how far she had lost the other ponies in the room.

"In any case. I'm calling the other two kinds of humans: 'Elves' and 'Gnomes'." Twilight said. "As that was the names I found of similar mythological creatures, while reading the other world's fairy tales." She said, taking a breath, before continuing. Pointing to the regular bipedal 'minotaur-ape'. "Now, unlike unicorns: these creatures have no means to direct and channel magic. And unlike ponies, these creatures have no magic of their own at all! And no ability to channel the magic of the earth, or the arcane."

"Fascinating!" The doctor said, sarcastically. "But then what does this have to do with little Rarity losing her magic. And how much more of my precious time do you intend to waste?!"

"I'm almost done." Twilight said, with a smile, before continuing. "So a couple of student's I'm training managed to discover a missing page chronicling their magic and how they used to channel it, back when they still roamed old Equestria." She said, with a smile.

"Basically normal human magic, as I've dubbed it, must gifted by a higher source; sparing a very precious minority of a very precious minority capable of pulling it from the earth itself. This is why their wands are long like this. It allows them to draw more of their magic source." She said, stopping to think of an example, before continuing. "Kind of like a lightning rod."

Next Twilight gestured to the smallest of the three sets of humans (or 'minotaur-apes' as the book called them.) "Gnomes, as I call them, have a close connection to the earth, and can easily channel its energies. So their wands are designed to pull the magic of the planet itself. So, basically, a Gnomish wand is a human wand, except that instead of drawing higher magic, it is drawn from the planet."

Celestia smiled. "When you say, 'higher magic', do you mean arcane magic my fellow princess?" Celestia said, playing the teacher for a second.

Twilight nodded. "It's the closest translation I could find. Apparently they use a magic source different from arcane magic, and even the magic of the planet and the weather. I tried to decipher the meaning, but I couldn't figure out exactly what the book meant, at this time!" She said, frowning for a second.

"But here's the applicable part." She said, pointing to the humans with the pointy ears. "The elves, as I have dubbed them, have magic and can, unlike gnomes and humans, draw from arcane sources -- just like a unicorn. But they have no means to control or channel it." Twilight said, with a smile.

"So what you are telling me is that the child has an ancient wand from the ooga-booga age! And it allows her to manipulate the fairy dust that --" The doctor started before his voice suddenly lost all volume (as if a mute button was hit somewhere.) To silent laughter from the senior of the two princesses in the room.

"But anyway!" Twilight said, in exasperation. "Unlike Humans or Gnomes: their wands aren't about drawing in from a magic source, but rather drawing and channeling their own, innate, magic."

The purple unicorn looked on in horror. "That's terrible! So every time someone uses that wand some of their magic is absorbed, till they have none?"

Twilight put her hoof to the purple unicorn's face reassuringly. "No! Like any unicorn, she'll slowly recover her magic, it's no different than her using her horn to cast a spell. The difference is that the wand can, unlike a unicorn's own horn, draw out all of her magic. But only if she's over using it."

The unicorn puzzled for a second, before the gravity of what had been said fully took over; use her horn? She could use her horn? The purple unicorn looked down sadly. "So it's my own fault. I almost k--" She started, weeping silently.

"Don't think that!" Twilight said, with a frown. "Think of it as her trying to protect you at all costs." Twilight said, putting a hoof around the weeping purple unicorn. "She's just trying to help you! It's just that she lacks sound judgment. And you didn't mean for it to happen, it was just bad luck."

"Ok!" The purple unicorn said, sighing.

"Maybe it would be best if you took Rarity's mentor to the guest quarters, Ms. Cheerilee!" Celestia said to the earth pony. "I think she needs to rest. " Celestia said with a smile. "I guess the mystery is solved, you can go back to work doctor." She said, waving at the doctor dismissively.

"Fine!" The doctor said, his voice restored. "I guess that's that then!" He said, brushing himself off with his hoof.

"Twilight I have to go back to Canterlot, but let me discuss something with you for a minute." Celestia said, looking around to make sure everypony had left or was leaving.

"Sure!" Twilight said, waiting for the doctor to leave the room. "Now what did you need?"

"Twilight! I want you to start visiting not just that other Rainbow Dash, but also young Rarity, I sense something special about her, and not just because we are old friends."

"Wait!" Twilight said, a light coming on. "What do you mean old friend? She's only five."

"You'll understand, in time, Twilight." Celestia said, with a mysterious smile. "But for now I need you to trust me that I sense something special about her separate from that."

"Sure! I'll visit her and Cheerilee (the purple one not the mulberry one) tomorrow when I visit Rainbow Dash." Twilight said, ever ready to please.

"Excellent." Celestia said, with a smile. "I know I could count on you Twilight! Guards, we should be on our way!" She said, with a smile, gesturing to the guards. "I'm sure Kibitz will kill me for breaking my schedule." As she started to leave with her entourage.

"Excellent!" A nurse said, as the princess passed. "Apparently, soon enough, I'll get a chance to get rid of not just Lady Rainbow, and Princess Larva; but also Lady Rainbow's spawn and the traitor princess, Amaryllis, too -- if I should even call her that." She chuckled to herself, sadistically.

********

"So girls, how you think we're going ta' earn our Cutie Marks today?" Apple Bloom asked, looking down at their ever growing list of cutie mark attempts.

"Well I thought we could try being Cutie Mark Crusader Ballet Dancers?" Sweetie Belle said, making a wild guess.

"Dancing sound cool!" Apple Bloom said. "We could try that!" She said, with a smile -- imitating a dance pose.

"Yeah, dancing sounds very cool!" Scootaloo said with a smile, shortly before her face went dark and serious. "But ballet sounds stupid!" Scootaloo chided, avoiding any thought in her head that said otherwise. "What else do we have? And no Discord this time! He was no help at all last time!"

"Well what if we went and checked on that new filly?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Rarity said, that she heard from that other Rainbow Dash, when she went to the hospital to retrieve her guide to landing the perfect stallion her research materials, that they have a small filly in the hospital, no more than five, that already has her Cutie Mark."

"Wow! Maybe She knows some secret to getting her cutie mark we don't! " Scootaloo replied, with exuberance. "Maybe we should ask her how she did it! But no cutie mark story please! I have heard enough of those sappy stories to last me a lifetime!"

"Plus." Sweetie said thoughtfully. "Isn't she the one with the wand that Twilight and Ms. Cheerilee were talking about yesterday afternoon?" Apple Bloom asked. "Maybe we could borrow her wand and become."

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: PRESTIDIGITATORS YAY!!!!" The girls screamed (once again in all caps), taking up odd poses.

"Let's do it!" Scootaloo said. "But first we need a way into the hospital!" She mused, thoughtfully chewing on a pencil. After a few seconds, she spoke again. "And I think I know just the way! Come with me!" She said, looking at some equipment from their failed attempt to be 'Cutie Mark Crusader's Mountain Climbers' (yay!!!)

********

"So maybe we could do something nice and safe -- like use the front door?" Sweetie squeaked, nervously. She was pretty sure the orderlies wouldn't like the three of them coming in a third story window.

"Nah!" Scootaloo said. "You know they won't let just any pony visit this other Rarity!" Scootaloo remarked. "After all two Rarity's is too many, if you ask me! And besides." Scootaloo said, blushing slightly. "I, kind of, wanted another chance for my Cutie Mark in parkour!"

"Didn't we try that already? And didn't you crash into the bathroom while spike was in the bath?" Sweetie Belle asked, nervously. "Didn't Twilight say our parents' had to pay full price for that window?" She said, cocking her head for a second, she knew she was forgetting something. After a couple of seconds she remembered. "And didn't we get banned from the library and Twilight Time for a month?"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo said, blushing again. "But I'm certain I'll get it right this time! And even if I don't it'll be awesome!" She exuberantly proclaimed. "I hope Rainbow Dash is watching!" Scootaloo thought to herself, with a huge smile.

"Ok Girls! It's agreed!" Apple Bloom chimed in. "Scootaloo gets another chance at parkour, and we all get another attempt for our Cutie Marks as:"

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: SUPER SPIES!!!" All three fillies shouted, at full volume.

"Ok, so what's the plan girls?" Apple Bloom asked, quietly, looking around to make sure nopony was looking.

"Well! You see this saddle pack?" Scootaloo said motioning to the bag attached to her flank. "I have like a ton of feet (Celestia's foot, not King Richard's!) of rope in here! I'm going to run up this wall, get in through (or maybe crash through) an open third story window, and then drop this rope down and we can all climb up!"

"OR maybe we could go in the front door?" Sweetie said innocently, looking at the front door, and motioning explicitly.

"Nah I'm with Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom groused. "Applejack never lets me do nuttin!" She continued, pouting (just a little.) "And a'm sick and tired of it! I say we do somethin' awsome! Somethin' that'll get us our cutie marks!"

"She's putting the safety helmets on your head again isn't she?" Scootaloo asked. Her sister had been having anxiety problems, probably related to letting her go or something -- and had taken it upon herself to keep her sister safe from life. And Apple Bloom kind of resented it (especially when her sister had given her a dulled spoon to prevent her from poking herself with it. And to this day, she doesn't know where, and how, her sister bought that many safety helmets!)

"Yeah!!!" Apple Bloom shouted. "And it's drive'in me crazy! It's probably from that there magic burst situation with that phony Rainbow Dash!"

"Yeah I hated that one! She's all like 'I'm an earth pony!' and 'I'm into fashion darlings!'" Scootaloo said, pouting as she started to back up a few paces to get a sprinting start. "She like some Rarity impersonating Rainbow Dash wannabe! Makes the real Rainbow Dash look bad!" Scootaloo said, with a pouty face as she began to gallop at top speed towards the building. "I don't like it one bit!"

"Wow! I think she's actually going to do it!" Sweetie squeaked with excitement. "I thought she was going to mess up for sure!" Sweetie said, hearing a muffled "HEY!!!" from somewhere around the second floor.

"Ah didn't think so either!" Apple Bloom said as the pegasus was somehow now jumping from narrow window cell to narrow window cell on the third floor. "But you think she's gunna be able ta --?"

A loud crashing sound could be heard all the way from the ground below, but strangely no alarm went off.

A dazed Scootaloo called from the third floor. "Told you I could do it! Now if only I could fly then I'd definitely be Wonderbolt material! Isn't that right Apple Bloom!" She said, pointing at a tree. "Was Rainbow Dash looking?" She asked, with an exuberant smile that could be seen three floors down.

Both fillies just shook their heads. After a few seconds, Apple Bloom gulped loudly, and opened her mouth. "Ok! Ah suppose we should be'a climbin' now." She said, looking around nervously, before asking herself a question. "I wonder why we ain't being swarmed with orderlies by now?"

********

The changeling's wispy peppery black mane waved for a second before falling flat against her body. "Don't be afraid!" She said with a smile, to the cowering nurse. "I've been ordered not to feed, and that includes your youth and magic." She said, her black eyes staring into the nurse's soul. It did her good to see the look of pure terror burned into the nurse's face. "Good thing you don't see my true form, only what I want you to see of me!" The changeling said, laughing that her mind magic allowed her to use her true form and still look like another pony.

The nurse shook, looking like she was trying, and failing to form words.

"Such a shame, I was hoping to cut a few years off my life -- maybe increase my magic some more! What's also a shame is that I'm supposed to let you go unharmed when my mission completes!" She said, to the fainted nurse. "Apparently my master wants all of Equestria to know what happens to those who betray the hive!" She said, with glee, as a loud crash resounded from somewhere.

"I suppose somepony will have to see what that's all about! 'Nurse Kind Heart thinks it came from--'" She said, looking at a room listing. "Rainbow Dash's room. And look, Princess Twilight Sparkle is visiting today." She continued, laughing wickedly.

"Oh don't worry!" The changeling hissed to the fainted nurse bound in the corner. "I want you to remember everything just as it is! See my master isn't the only one that likes to leave somepony behind to witness their brilliance!" She said, grinning wistfully. "Consider this my calling card! I always leave somepony as a witness to my acts! So all know of what happens to those who cause trouble for the hive!" She said, licking her lips. "Somepony is nearby, and apparently they are filled with all kinds of tasty terror!" She said, soaking in the ambient emotion.

There was a gasp heard somewhere, and some light talking.

"Apparently we have interlopers!" She said, scanning around the room, with her eyes. What she didn't notice was three small fillies slipping between her legs. "Ah ha!" She said, pulling a box away from the corner only to find an empty rope hanging out the window. "Apparently they got away!" She said, with a shrug. "I hope they hurry back! I'm looking forward to an audience!" She said, with a toothy grin.

"Well off with me! They probably won't arrive in time anyway!" She said, with a sigh, closing the door behind her. "Guessing fillies by the smell of it! Don't foals these days know not to meddle in an adult's business!"

********

"That was a close one!" Sweetie Belle whined. "We have to warn Twilight!" She said, with conviction. "She's in danger! And we have to do something!"

"What I don't get is why the changlings are back. Didn't Twilight already kick Chrysalis' sorry--" Scootaloo said, before being rudly interrupted by Sweetie again.

"And why are they after Princess Twilight?" Sweetie asked, with a puzzled expression. "And wouldn't there be easier places to get her, if they wanted?" She said thinking for a second. "Maybe they actually want somepony else?" She said, hesitating on every word.

"Maybe! Doesn't matter though, because we're going to go out there, and show that phony who's boss! Scootaloo style!" Scootaloo said, with buzz of her wings, and a huge smile. "You like it? It's an ode to Rainbow style! Rainbow Dash will be so happy when she hears it!" She said, buzzing again.

However her exuberance was short lived, as Apple Bloom finally spoke up. "We have to hurry! We might not have much time! So we have to warn Twilight quickly: so here's the plan girls!" Apple Bloom said, thinking for a second, and drawing on a piece of paper she found somewhere. "Ah'll go warn Twilight! Sweetie, you go and find an orderly or a cop! Scootaloo, find a doctor, or somepony else on this here floor that can help!"

Scootaloo scoffed. "Maybe I should warn Twilight, and you find a doctor or nurse!" She said, with a scowl.

"Fine! Ah'll go find somepony!" Apple Bloom said with a sigh. "But remember we hafta hurry! Ah don't know how long we have till this here assassin completes her job!"

All three crusaders nodded. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: CRIME STOPPERS ARE A GO!" They said in unison, running off in three different directions.

********

As Sweetie Belle ran down to the first floor, she noticed one of the orderlies. He was standing there with a dazed expression -- babbling incoherently.

"Oh Bright Eyes! You came back to me! I knew you would come back!" He said, crying, and nuzzling empty space. "The guard said you didn't make it! But I knew you would return!" He said, weeping to a pony that wasn't there.

"Excuse me sir!" Sweetie said to the stallion. "We have a situation." She said, biting at his leg, only to elicit absolutely no response.

After a few seconds the stallion spoke, still staring ahead at nothing. "Sorry little filly, but I'm off duty!" Said the stallion, still wearing a uniform. "And my wife is here to see me! Please bother somepony else: the two of us want some alone time!" He said, with an amorous expression.

"Who's he talking about?" Sweetie asked, with a perplexed expression. "Maybe I can find another orderly that can help?"

She started to run down the hall at full speed. Maybe somepony will take notice and chastise her and she could explain everything? After a few seconds though, she managed to find another orderly, but the result was still pretty undesirable. "Excuse me sir!" She said, trying to get his attention.

"I've finally achieved it! I'm rich! Rich!! RICH!!!! I'm as rich as Filthy Rich!" The orderly said, celebrating seemingly nothing, staring blankly ahead. "I can quit this job, and spend more time with the wife and foals!" He said, making it rain with invisible money.

"But sir! We've got a problem and!" She said, the more she tried to get his attention the more distant he seemed to become. "I was hoping you could -- " She said, only stopping when she realized that he wasn't listening in the slightest. "This isn't good! i hope Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are doing better!"

********

"Sick!" Apple Bloom said passing another room.

"Sick!" She said, passing another.

This was getting aggravating! The nurses were all missing, as were all the doctors. "Where did everypony go?" Apple Bloom asked herself. Wasn't the hospital normally buzzing with activity at this hour?

She'd tried practically every room on the floor; finally, huffing and puffing ,she opened the door to a room with a small pink unicorn, and an older purple unicorn.

"Are you ok little girl?" The older purple unicorn asked. "Is something the matter?" The unicorn asked with concern. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yes, ms. --" Apple Bloom started, before being interrupted with the answer to her unspoken question.

"Call me Cheerilee, just Cheerilee." The older unicorn said with a smile. "What's going on?"

"Hello Cheerilee." Apple Bloom said, still gasping for air slightly. "A bad person got on the floor, somehow, and she's planning to hurt Twilight, and the others. And ah'm looking for somepony that can help, but everyone is either sick or missing!"

"Oh dear!" Cheerilee said, with concern. "Why don't you tell me where this is! And I can take a look, and see if I can help!" She said, pulling a long rod out of her saddle pack.

Apple Bloom looked for a second. "Ain't that one of the wands that Twilight showed us in Twilight Time?" Apple Bloom asked, in surprise.

"Yes, but I got it when I took over a long time ago as the purple unicorn member of the Rainbow Quartet." Cheerilee said, with a smile. "Now Rarity, please stay here for a minute where it's safe! I'll be back in just a minute!"

"No!!!" The child screamed, shaking her head violently. "The last time this happened I lost you: you told me to go on ahead, and the you never caught back up! I left you behind, and I lost you! And I won't do it again!"

"Rarity." Cheerilee chastized, in a calm voice. "That was your dream. That won't happen in real life! Trust me!" She said, with a smile, her face full of resolution. "I'll be fine! Honest!"

Rarity's eyes just screamed 'Don't leave me! Please!' As she sat there, practically begging for her mentor to stay.

Cheerilee just frowned, her eyes filled with resolve. "Tell me where this is. Meanwhie, you keep looking for help!"

Apple Bloom shook her head "c'aint I help too?" She asked. "A'h gotta stop them! Maybe it's how I'll get mah Cutie Mark! 'Sides it twouldn't be right to let some old meanie pick on Twilight!"

"I'm sorry!" Cheerilee said, shaking her head. "But neither of you can come! It would be better if I did this alone! I'm sure your parents would never forgive me if you got hurt!" She said to Apple Bloom, who simply frowned, sadly (Cheerilee didn't know what happened to Bloom's parents.) "And there are plenty of purple unicorns that can be trained, but only one you!" She said to Rarity, frowning vehemently as she galloped off. In this distance she could hear both filly's whining. "I wish Brights Brightly, and Whistle Wishes were here!" Cheerilee said, silently to herself. "They would be a big help right about now!" She thought with a sigh.

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