Hidden in Plain Sight

by ShadowGear

Chapter 3: A Magical Changeling

Sclerite knew the royal guard presence in Ponyville would make his job a lot harder. Now trying to ponynap one of the residents would be too difficult. It would've been great to have already grabbed some love and leave immediately but it was already midday and he still hasn't made any real progress. If he was going to be stuck here for a bit then maybe he should get some place to stay. Unfortunately that would mean getting money which he didn't save any.

Suddenly an idea popped into Sclerite's mind. Applejack had offered him a job earlier maybe that offer was still available if he went to Sweet Apple Acres. Sclerite looked around until he saw a farm in the distance. Perhaps that was Sweet Apple Acres. He began to walk in the direction of the farm.

---

Meanwhile in Canterlot, most of the buildings were still in ruins. Some of the once wealthy ponies were now stuck on the streets living off of whatever bits they could get from Equestrian Ponytarian aid. The castle's throne room was packed with news ponies gathered around Celestia and Luna. Many of them had notebooks and were bombarding them with questions.

"Princess! What are you going to do about the Changeling attack?"

"Did the Changelings attack anywhere else?"

"Are there more out there?"

"Alright! Back up! Give the Princesses some room!" Captain Shining Armor said while the guards began to push the crowd away from the princesses. Shining Armor still had to fulfill his duty as captain of the Royal Guard even though he was now married to Princess Cadence.

One Pegasus guard flew above the crowd towards Captain Shining Armor. Once he landed in front of his captain he saluted. "Sir! There is a pony just inside the walls. She claims to have information about the Changelings but she would only speak to the Princesses," he said.

Princess Celestia heard the conversation between the guard and Shining Armor. "Let this pony in. I want to hear what she has to say," she ordered. The guard saluted and the crowd made a path for him as he rushed out the door. He returned a few minutes later with a teal unicorn with a red mane, she wore a saddlebag. The guards and crowd allowed the unicorn through and she stopped in front of Princess Celestia and respectfully kneeled. Celestia inaudibly grumbled to herself. She despised it when her ponies felt the need to kneel or bow as if they were lesser than her.

"Who are you my little pony? And what were you going to tell me?" Princess Celestia said inquisitively.

"I am Doctor Aurora Light, I work for the local hospital here in Canterlot," she respectfully said. "While the Changelings were attacking I noticed one of them had used magic against a guard." She then lit up her horn and a large image was projected. Aurora Light had spent an hour preparing this message for Princess Celestia. To her surprise it was easier than projecting an x-ray result at the local hospital.

The image showed a Changeling dive bombing into a group of Royal Guards and then firing a magical bolt at one of them, killing the guard instantly before running off. The crowd of news ponies were either taking notes or trying to get photos of the image.

"Are you sure you didn't imagine this?" asked Shining Armor.

"I'm sure. When the rescue teams arrived we discovered that guard in particular had suffered a wound unlike most of the other guard casualties. This is no coincidence. There is a Changeling that has the ability to use magic at around the same level as a unicorn. I even have the autopsy results from the Canterlot hospital," she said while using her magic to pull a piece of paper out of her saddlebags. "According to the autopsy the guard had died of head trauma caused by a magical force so powerful, it caused his helmet to crush his head."

"If there really is a Changeling that powerful then we're all doomed!" yelled one of the ponies. The entire crowd broke into panic. The guards had to plant themselves into the ground to keep the ponies from reaching the princesses.

Any sense of order had been lost. Even the guards were beginning to lose ground until Princess Luna yelled in her ancient Canterlot voice, "BE STILL!" Immediately the ponies froze and cowered at the suddenness of the tone. Princess Luna reverted back to a more normal sounding voice, "There is nothing to fear. We have already sent the Royal Guard to the other settlements of Equestria. Any Changelings hoping to cause trouble anywhere else in Equestria will be caught. The court is now adjourned! Come back tomorrow for another hearing."

The crowd of news ponies began to filter out of the room until eventually only Aurora Light, the princesses, and the guards were left. Princess Celestia came down from her throne and approached Aurora Light. "Do you know anything else about this Changeling?"

Aurora Light brought back the projection of that Changeling. "No, that was all I was able to observe from my window."

Princess Celestia and Luna watched as the Changeling shoot the guard over and over. "There is no doubt Chrysalis would've recognized this Changeling and possibly single it out," stated Princess Luna.

The words flew past Celestia as she grew more frustrated at the Changeling each time she saw her guard getting killed. "This Changeling has a lot to answer for," was all she could say as she blasted the image of the Changeling with her horn.