Chapter 1: Invitation
"Yes! Go my Changelings! Show Equestria that we mean business!"
It is a normal day in Ponyville, as the princess of friendship in a crystal castle is enjoying a book about fine dining and etiquette. No matter how many books she read about the subject, the lavender Alicorn could not stop blushing about her poor table manners. She was invited to dine out with her friends at a rustic cafe. Placing the book down, the mare was confident that she will not be a slob this time. Glancing at the clock, she had at least half an hour to prep herself for a nice day with her friends. Before she trot off to her room she heard her name being called and the sound of galloping hooves on crystal. The mare has hoped that there isn't a problem and that it is just a false alarm.
Bursting through the door, an orange mare with a hat and a purple lizard riding her rushed in and started gasping for breath. "Gee Twilight. No matter how much ah been here, ah still get lost. But that ain't important right now, the Changelings are up to no good again!"
"Chrysalis is attacking again?"
The orange mare did not respond as she started sniffling with tears. The lizard on the mare took a newspaper article out of the mare's hat and rushed up to Twilight. "Here read this!"
Twilight levitated over The Equestrian Times. At the article labeled "Appaloosa Under Siege" she read it out loud.
Appaloosa Under Siege
At 8:17 A.M. today there was a report of some dark clouds heading towards the town from the south. Little did the populace knew, the clouds were actually a large swarm of Changelings. The locals prepared for the onslaught but no matter what they do to push the invasion away, it has proven futile. At 9:45 A.M the locals reported that the Changelings has split off and spread to all parts of Equestria. We advise that all civilians stay indoors and lock your doors as the Changelings only seems to be a menace to anypony out in the open.
The orange mare couldn't stop shaking as she lowered her head. "Twilight, ah'm worried about Breaburn. Ah might never git to see mah cousin again."
"It can't be that bad Applejack" smiled Twilight "The Changelings wouldn't kill a pony. They need the love to feed on after all."
Applejack snatched the paper from the Alicorn's magic and shoved a hoof at a picture in the article. "Well they gone and done it Twi, they killed mah cousin!"
Twilight looked at a picture of Applejack's cousin with his eyes rolled back covered in red goo around his muzzle and torso with a pool of the same red goo around him. Looking closer, she could also see an empty pie tin on the floor. Rolling her eyes, she contemplated on how to reveal the truth to her friend without making it worse. "Look Applejack. I know you love your cousin a lot and is really worried for his health." She proceeded to point at the empty pie tin. "But maybe it's only a cherry pie that is covering him"
"Then w-why is mah cousin's e-eyes all white like that." sniffled Applejack
Twilight glanced at the picture for awhile. "Umm, maybe the pie was so delicious he fainted?"
The mare shook her head side by side,"Ah don't think Breaburn ever fainted from eatin pie before."
"Well, lets hope that is the case. Then you can lecture your cousin to not eat pies during an invasion and laughing together about it later. Wouldn't that be nice."
"Heh, your right Twi. No need to fuss over this until ah see it for mahself. Thanks Twi." Applejack wiped her tears off with a hoof and frowned. "But what are we gonna do about the Changelings? Shouldn't we do som-"
Before she could finish her line, she was cut off by ponies screaming outside of the castle. The purple lizard in the room climbed up a chair and looked out a window. "Oh no! Twilight, the Changelings are here!"
Twilight face the same window and was shocked to see how many Changelings there were. "Don't worry Spike, we got rid of the Changelings before so we can do it again." She use her magic to close all the windows of her castle. "Stay here where it's safe, we are going to get the girls and stopped this invasion. Lets go Applejack!"
The two mares rushed off as Spike waved goodbye."Be careful Twilight! Oh, and bring back an emerald for me!"
Twilight and Applejack scanned their surroundings while rushing through the panic populace. The Changelings constantly flew about dropping some papers all over Ponyville. Twilight took aim at one of the Changelings and fire a bolt of magic, but it did not do anything to it. At the sight of her ineffective magic, she picked up her pace in finding her friends.
Looking up at the sky she noticed a rainbow trial bumping into many Changelings. Twilight yelled out to her only friend that can pull off a trial of rainbow wherever she flew. A rainbow maned Pegasus with some sort of light blue military uniform with a yellow lightning design vertically through it, stopped in mid flight and flew down to her. "Rainbow Dash, have you seen the other girls?"
Rainbow Dash pumped out her chest letting her medal she has earned during her stay at the flight academy shine. "Yeah. Before the Changelings attacked, Fluttershy and I met up with Rarity at Sugarcube Corner. We were all waiting there with Pinkie until it was time to go to that cafe Rarity wanted. Then the sky got all dark and Changelings started dropping paper and buzzing around. The girls are all in Sugarcube Corner... Do we need to look for Applejack?"
The Alicorn tilt her head." Don't be silly Rainbow Dash, Applejack is right here." She turn around only to see nopony was there. "Umm..."
"Don't worry Twilight, these Changelings aren't doing much to me. Meet up with the others while I try to find AJ." With a salute, the rainbow maned Pegasus flew off.
"Wait..." Twilight sighed as she turn around and galloped off to Sugarcube Corner.
The orange mare lost Twilight in her mad dash through the crowd. Looking for the Alicorn, she spotted a Changeling on the ground threatening a light pink mare she believed to be Lily, an Earth Pony who always seem to overreact to any little situation. Applejack rush up and twist around to give a mighty buck to the Changeling. The bugger flew in the air a bit and recovered. Applejack stared at the Changeling for a few seconds before it flew off. She winced as she rubbed her hind hooves a bit. Somehow that Changeling was tougher then the ones she fought during her friend's BBBFF's wedding.
Applejack faced the mare she saved and smiled. "You okay there sugarcube?"
Lily raised a brow."Um, yes I'm fine. Why?"
The orange mare tilted her head while scanning the mare in front of her. "Well you usually scream yer head off when somethin happens right here in Ponyville."
Lily stared at Applejack for a bit "Pff, that's only because it was life threatening."
"Well then ah guess a bunny stampede is enough ta be life threatening then." Applejack replied rolling her eyes.
Lily was not amused." Then I guess if you have a fruit bat infestation, it wouldn't be life threatening to you?"
"Hold on a min there sugarcube ah wa-"
"I'm pretty sure you would panic too! If you didn't herd Mooriella and the others away, the condition of my flowers that I grew for a living would've been worse then the bunny stampede! If the dragon wasn't taken care of, not only my flowers will wilt but we would have to move away! The Ursa Minor and Parasprites would wreck Ponyville! Don't get me started on Discord and Tirek! I have every right to panic in those circumstances!"
"Okay, okay, ah hear ya sugarcube. No need to be yellin." Applejack waited for Lily to calm down."But what about now? Isn't this a life threatening sitchu-watsit."
"The Changelings aren't ruining my flowers and reading the newspaper this morning, it says they wont bother you if you are inside. But the only thing it was doing to ponies outside was giving us this ad." Lily hoofed over a piece of paper she received from the Changeling.
Applejack was now curious about the papers that the Changelings have been dropping in Ponyville. On the paper, it has the words "Add a new dimension to your life" followed by a picture of a changeling in mid transformation.
F.A.U.S.T.
Your passion. Our Profession.Get back to school and get your share of the crown's money.
Did you fail your education and is currently living a harsh life trying to scrap a few bits from your low wage? Did you pass your education yet still can't get that dream job you studied so hard for? Are you compelled to "getting along" with your peers just to benefit on the few scraps they tell you on what you can do? If you would like to perfect yourself, so that you can once commence making your own destiny and start an establishment of your own? Then look no further! Here you will learn the appropriate way to fend for yourself in the real world. After all, it isn't fun getting in trouble when you are just being yourself and pursuing your dreams. There will be courses on the law so you can legally worm your way to the top utilizing their individual advantages. And what the nobles are doing and have done, you can do as easily. We guarantee that our extensive curriculum will set you to the top. Come join us this fall semester, you will be surprised and pleased.
Ready to make a difference? Start here!
> Master of public service leadership.
>MS in homeland security.
>MSM - Public service.
>Degree in business and financial.
>Degree in Arcane Visual Arts.
>Medical and Health fitness.
And many more!F.A.U.S.T.
That huge campus with a flag on it, 101 Awesome Chrysalis SE, The Badlands.
"Huh, some kinda invitation to this Faust thingy?"
Lily looked up from her flowers. "Yeah, some sort of college. But I already went and got my education, so I don't need this."
Applejack stared at the flyer for a bit and took a deep breath and let out her stress."Woowee! Ah was really worried that mah cousin kicked the bucket. Turns out, these nasty buggers were just handing out these invitations."
"Oh ya! I did see your cousin on the newspaper. You should've looked a bit closer. It was only a pie."
Applejack blushed from her mistake and frowned."Well... if ya were ta see somepony that was close to you like that, ya would of acted the same."
"You're right. I'm sorry." The flower mare apologized with her head down.
"No need to fret about it sugarcube. Ah should've looked closer like ya said."
"Well nonetheless, I'm sorry."she lift her head and face Applejack with a smile. She then trotted towards her house. "I'm going to wait inside until this blows over. See ya later Applejack."
"Wait! Can ah buy some of your lilies, since ah will be busy today because of this Changeling nonsense and tending the apple stand tomorrow. Ah know ya usually open in the mornin ta evenin, but ah just don't have the time in mah schedule to buy your lilies until about, uh, four days from now."
Lily turned around. "Sure thing Applejack, how much are you buying? It's 3 bits for 2, 27 bits for 20, and 50 bits for a bouquet of 40"
The apple mare took off her hat and started to count her bits." Well, Mac sure likes ta eat a lot and ah should pack Applebloom's school lunch with something other then them apple fritters and milk. Ah guess ah will be buying that there bouquet off of ya Lily."
There was a sound of somepony landing behind and trotting towards her. "Hey AJ! The girls want to meet up in Sugarcube Corner to talk about this Changeling infestation."
"Oh Rainbow, ah'm buying lilies right now." Applejack replied exchanging 50 bits with Lily.
The rainbow Pegasus trotted up to the pair of ponies. "Woah, Lily is selling some right now? Wait, Lily, you don't usually open this late."
"Well, today is an exception."
"Cool, I'll buy 10 off of you." Rainbow Dash reached into her left wing and pulled 15 bits out of a bag hidden there. "Here you go, 15 bits."
"Hey RD. Did ya read the paper the Changelings were giving out?" Applejack hoofed her the paper. "It says somethin about a school thingy called Faust."
"Huh? I was too busy to pay attention to that."
"Ya were too busy flyin straight into them weren't ya." AJ teased.
Placing a hoof behind her head she chuckled."Well you got me there AJ, but I realized they weren't doing anything to me after I push them around. They just kept dropping those papers." She started to read the paper and tilts her head. "F.A.U.S.T.? The Changelings swarmed us just to tell us they opened some sort of academy? They must be desperate."
The flower mare also tilts her head in thought."Even tho I don't need to go to college anymore. I do wonder what kinda botany classes Changelings have. What kind of amazing flowers or crops these bugs grow."
"Hmm, from what I learned from The Wonderbolt Academy, The Badlands don't have many crops that can grow there. Just cactus and perhaps Aloe Vera."
Lily perked up. "Oh, you mean the same Aloe Vera the spa sisters use in their spa?"
"Um, ya that. I did always wonder what was in those lotions they use when I was over there." The Pegasus wondered.
Applejack raised an eyebrow and then smirked. " So RD, did ya stop panickin about that there hoof of yours and got it polished."
Rainbow Dash blush in embarrassment. Applejack isn't going easy on her today."Well, part of the requirement to pass the wonderbolt hygiene examination was to take care of your own hooves. Since I don't know how to take special care of my own hooves, I had to go to the spa at least once a month to have it checked out."
"Woowee! Who would of thought that your own dreams ended up making ya go ta the one place you didn't want ta go, side them poison joke emergencies." The orange mare chuckled.
"Heh, ya Applejack. Laugh it up. I'm gonna get you later for this." Rainbow Dash playfully threatened.
Lily stared at Rainbow Dash for a bit and has thought of a perfect idea."When was your last visit Rainbow Dash. Maybe you can schedule it with me and I know Rarity and Fluttershy goes once a week. You should come too Applejack."
"Yeah. Thanks to the geography lessons I got from the Wonderbolt Academy, we can all talk about plants and stuff. It's pretty awesome how some of them can heal ailments."
The apple mare raised an eyebrow. Rainbow Dash talking about plants and how awesome it is. Applejack has to go and see this. She hasn't have a relaxing spa day in awhile. "Ah might just take up that there offer Lily. Gotta find a good off day from the apple farm. Well RD, we best be off. Don't want ta have the girls wait too long. See ya Lily."
"Oh ya, I knew I was forgetting something. See ya at the spa Lily." The Pegasus waved to the flower mare as the mare trot back into her house and waved back.
Applejack trot along side the flying Pegasus. Feeling something is strange she looked up. "Hey RD. Is it just me or is there less of them Changelings scouring around?"
Rainbow Dash scanned around them. "Huh, I guess they are done giving out the flyers. Lets hurry up and see what Twilight thought up in that egghead brain of hers."
Sugarcube Corner was quiet until Twilight burst through the door. "Girls, I came as fast as i can! Are you oka-aaah!" she screamed as she ducked from a flying cupcake.
"Who are you and what have you done to the princess changeling!" announced a pink mare with a poofy pink mane hiding behind an overturned table. "I don't know how you didn't trigger the bucket of cupcakes over the door, but you won't be leaving here clean!"
Twilight was not amused. "Pinkie, we don't have time for this! We need to successfully use the elements this time to stop this Changeling invasion! Where are the oth-" She stop mid speech to jump over a cupcake only to get punted by 5 more in mid air. Landing on her hooves, she wiped off the cupcake.
"A likely story bucko!" Pinkie bounced over the table and placed her party cannon down. "Fluttershy! Are the cakes ready!"
A quiet voice was heard from behind the counter. "Um, yes. Rarity is waiting for the signal.
"Alright, just what I wanted to hear! Everypony ready!" Smiled the pink mare.
Twilight has raised her hooves up. "Wait! It's me Pinkie!"
"Aim!"
The princess glared at the pink mare. "You wouldn't..."
"Fire!" Pinkie yelled as she fired her cannon.
A cake has shot out and another is flying overhead from behind the counter. Twilight dodged to the left as the cake splattered behind her, then the right to avoid the one overhead. At the sound of a cannon being fired she jumped to the air as a cake passed below her. Looking forward, another cake had flew overhead and is about to collide onto her face. In sudden panic, Twilight teleported to the ground. "Ha! You mi-" Before she finished she narrowly dodge to the right as more cannon shots were fired and the sound of galloping hooves. Twilight jumped and tumbled away from the next flying cake and stood up to received a cake forcefully shoved onto her face courtesy of the one Pinkamena Diane Pie.
The Princess fell onto her back as Pinkie grabbed a baguette from her mane, spinning it around like a master of poles, and point it at Twilight's neck. "Any last words Changeling!"
Twilight shivered and cough. Knocking the baguette away with her hoof, she stuck her tongue out running both her forehooves over it. "Ew ew ew ew ew! It's soooo cheesy! Why does it have to be quesadilla flavored!"
Pinkie gave a wide grin. "Yup yup! You're definitely Twilight! Girls, the area is secured! No meanie Changelings buzzing around here!"
A butter coated pink maned Pegasus looked over the counter and smiled. Another pony, a Unicorn with white coat and a purple coiffure, trotted out from behind the counter. "I do apologize for messing with your mane darling. Here let me help you fix that coat and mane of yours." With a quick spell of her horn, she changed Twilight's mane and coat back to it's original form.
"Thanks Rarity" The Princess replied but still had trouble standing up with all the mess on the floor.
Pinkie offered a hoof to help Twilight up. "I had to make doubly sure you were not one of those meanies Twilight. Sorry it had to be quesadilla flavored." She pouted. "Do you forgive me?"
Twilight got back to her hooves and sighed. "I forgive you Pinkie. If I was really a Changeling, it would've been dangerous. For some reason, my magic wasn't as effective as the last time we've faced them."
The yellow Pegasus flew over the counter and started to fix the overturned tables. "Oh my, I sure hope that nopony is hurt." She froze after a sudden revelation. "What if they harmed any of my animal friends!?"
"No need to fear darling. While we were getting ready for a Changeling to burst in, I can't help but to look outside the windows to see them hovering around." Rarity trotted up and looked out a nearby window. "As you can see, they only land near a pony to hand out a paper. Possibly the same ones they are littering Ponyville with." She turned around and lift an eyebrow. "Have anypony seen what was on those?"
The girls replied with "no" "noperonnie" and "i don't think so". Dejected at the answer, the girls all sat at a table to discuss further plans when all of a sudden the door to Sugarcube Corner opened revealing Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "Heya girls! Hope we ain't to late to the meeting." The Earth Pony announced with a beaming smile along with the Pegasus only to frown when the cupcake bucket rained on them. Wiping the confection off, everypony in the room giggled at the silly prank.
"Ha! Good one Pinkie, I'll make sure to get you for this" Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at Pinkie as she flew onto a seat next to the pink mare and her foalhood friend Fluttershy. "Anyways, if you girls haven't already, you should read this." The rainbow maned Pegasus pulled out the flyer from under her wing and hoofed it to the girls to read. Twilight couldn't believe what was on the flyer. She stared at it reading it multiple times.
Applejack found a seat on the other side of the table next to Twilight and Rarity. "So ya'll know what ta do with this here Changeling school?"
"What do these bugs even teach? I do hope they have classes that conducts proper etiquette." Rarity mused. "But after what these ruffians did last time, I don't think they carry any."
"Ah don't know about them fancy smancy things but ah'm more curious about them plants they can grow. Rainbow said they could grow some cactus called aloe in the dry soils of theirs."
"Oh you mean those nice ingredients that are used in many lotions and other care products?" Rarity squeed. "Oh how I love the soothing effects of those cacti."
Rainbow Dash flared her wings. "Wait a minute, You heard that wrong AJ. I didn't say the aloe vera was cacti. I just said The Badlands could grow cactus and maybe aloe.
Applejack and Rarity was confused. "But them cactuses look the same ta me. Are ya sure they ain't the same?"
The Rainbow mane Pegasus frowned as she tried to remember her lessons in the academy but Fluttershy smiled and interfered. "Rainbow is right. Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It grows wild in tropical climates around the world and is cultivated for agricultural and medicinal uses. It can also be used decoratively and can grow indoors. I keep a few in my cottage, it helps some of my animals."
Rainbow Dash blushed with a hoof behind her head. "Heh, thanks Fluttershy." The mare replied with a quiet "your welcome" that only she could hear.
"Ahem. While all this information about this wonderful plant is nice darling, we still haven't find a proper way to deal with this school they are opening."
Twilight looked up from the flyer. "Well if it's a school, I don't think we can do much about it. We need the help of the princesses. Spike, take a letter. Dear Princess Cele-er Spike? Oh, woops." The Alicorn blushed. "I forgot that I left Spike at the castle."
Right on cue, Spike appeared in front of Sugarcube Corner. Opening the door the baby dragon waddled in. "Twilight the Changel-. Hey who turned off the the lights!" The girls watched in amusement at the remaining empty bucket, that was on top of the door, fell on Spike. Twilight giggled and rolled her eyes as she levitated the bucket off of Spike's head. "Thanks Twilight. Ahem, as i was saying, the Changelings are gone."
The girls looked out the window and saw that there was no more Changelings. Twilight smiled and closed her eyes. " You came just in time number one assistant." The baby dragon beamed and stood up straight. "Spike, take a letter. Dear Princess Celestia."
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Hmm.... I think the idea is hilarious, and definitely a good one, but I feel that as what seems like it would be a comedic fic, it takes a strangely logical approach. For instance, if the chapter was about the changelings and fliers, why was half the chapter a rant on aloe? Getting sidetracked while writing is easy, but it lowers readability ALOT. Oh, and minor capitalization and punctuation errors. If you were to fix these, I could easily imagine this story as good as C.U.T.E.!
7062102 I agree.... Most of the chapter was about a plant and buying flowers in the middle of a Changeling swarm....
7004896 just wait until we see Flurry Heart, AKA Plot Device 2.0
7062102
Thanks for the constructive criticism. I can't tell if some words should be capitalized or not. For example, The rainbow mane Pegasus, does rainbow and mane have to be capitalized too? I know I read somewhere that Unicorn, Earth Pony, Pegasus, Alicorn, and Changeling should always be capitalized. I've also realized that I have not capitalized all the I in this chapter, I will edit that now. I'm just not sure about titles such as 'the princess'. I know i have problems with punctuation, I will try my best to not make too many errors. I definitely need an editor for future chapters.
Also the rant on aloe doesn't take half of the chapter unless you also count the going to the spa rant. As for sidetracking. Applejack and Rainbow Dash realized that the Changelings weren't a threat early on, just annoying. So they let themselves get sidetracked. Near the end when everypony was getting sidetracked, Twilight was the only one looking over the flier trying to think of a way to approach the case. The threat of the Changeling swarm is equivalent to the dragon migration. I'm pretty sure the first time the dragons migrate through Equestria, ponies panicked until they realized there was no harm done and went on with their day.
7062246
Flurry Heart is cute tho.
7062794 ok, so here's the thing:
-as far as I know, the race name shouldn't be capitalized unless it is part of the title of a character. And unrelated example is Sonic the Hedgehog. Hedgehog isn't a proper noun, but it's still a part of his name.
-the princess part depends. Unlike the race names, princess can be a word like a title. If it's attached to the name itself, yes. If not, no. Example: "Princess Twilight read a book. Everyone knows the princess does this, but for some reason in particular, it had to be mentioned."
Oh, and I'm on my phone, so I can't see under spoiler tags :/
7062893
Thanks for the tip, I will keep that in mind when writing and editing.
- As for the race name, topics such as this and this one confuse me. Here I am knowing I'm not that good of a writer and I stumble across topics like these, and now I don't really know if what I wrote is correct because there will always going to be someone who views it from one side and start criticizing.
Also there is that comment in one of the topic that the Hasbro's book The Journal of the Two Sisters and the show's transcript, pony races are capitalized. So race name is a battle between proper grammar and canon (If this is actually canon).
7062911 well, most people don't do it that way. If it's controversial like that, then you as the author decide, so yeah.
7062982
Again, thanks for the tip. If the pony race thing gets too complicated with the comments, I will revert back to how it is supposed to be capitalized in English.
7063047 welcome, happy to help ;)
7062241
I would buy flowers in a middle of a Changeling swarm, as long as they don't bother me too much.
7063250
Huh, so they're stronger now.
... Awesome Chrysalis Avenue, sounds about right.
I'm starting to find this interesting ...
Will this story ever be updated again?
Why did you cancel this?
Why cancel whyyyyyyyyy
It was so good