A one year celebration

by MissSunnySweden

An unsettling conversation

Chapter 2: An unsettling conversation

The next day the preparations for that evenings celebration was in full flux. The 6 friends had decided to split up to fully explore the castle and it’s immediate surroundings. Twilight found herself wandering the gardens with Fluttershy. She absently watched Fluttershy trying to apologise to the birds who was sitting around her on branches and stones. Yesterdays meeting with the princesses had... bothered her. She had tried to investigate what the rumours could be about, but while everypony in the castle - especially the guards - had seemed unusually tense, no one had answered her questions. The closest she had come had been some maids she had met after breakfast, who had said that there had been rumours about some dark creatures wishing the return of Nightmare moon, but no evidence confirming it.

Suddenly the sound of flapping wings and running hooves caused her to look up. ”Twilight!” Applejack skidded to a stop in front of her, and Rainbow dash landed just next to her, scaring off all the birds that had finally gathered around Fluttershy.

”You are not going to believe what we just heard!” Rainbow seemed angry, really angry. ”I mean, I don’t wanna believe it, but we heard it, and I wanted to expose her on the spot, but Applejack said we should go talk to you first!”

”What is going on?” Twilight interrupted.

”It’s Princess Luna.” Applejack said. ”We heard her talking to some of the guards. She said...” The yellow mare hesitated.

”She said ‘even though the elements of harmony have arrived, it shouldn't stop our plans. Equestria shall fall and the princesses shall be destroyed.’” Rainbow dash quoted, wings flaring with anger. ”Why would she do that?! I thought she wasn’t evil any more.”

”That’s what seemed strange to me.” Applejack agreed. ”She seemed so nice when we met her on Nightmare night, as if she had honestly changed... I just thought it better if we talked to you about it. Before we take it further I mean...”

Twilight was in shock, could what they had heard really be true? Could Luna be plotting to overthrow Celestia again?

”Excuse me.” Fluttershys gentle voice drew her back to the conversation. ”Why would she say ‘princesses’.” The other three looked at her.

”What do you mean Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.

”I mean.... Well, isn’t Princess Luna well... a princess? Why would she say ” princesses”.. are there more than two?” Fluttershy looked up at them from the curtain of her mane falling in front of her face.

”You might be on to something there.” Applejack admitted.

”What, is princess Luna really someone else, who’s dressed up like her. And who can raise the moon?!” Rainbow Dash snorted.

”It sounds unlikely...” Twilight grew quiet for a moment. Then her eyes widened. ”But maybe..” She looked over to Rainbow Dash. ”Find Pinkie Pie and Rarity, then get to the literary in the ivory tower on the west wing.”

”What?” Rainbow blinked.

”Just do it!” Twilight turned around and ran towards the end of the garden. Rainbow looked at the others, before taking off towards the shopping districts, where she was more likely to find Rarity and (hopefully) Pinkie Pie.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

”Wow, am I the only one getting weird flashbacks?” Rainbow Dash mumbled to Pinkie who giggled as she nodded. Twilight was running back and forth between the bookshelves, reading of covers and muttering to herself.

”What are you looking for darling?” Rarity caught one of the books that Twilight threw over her shoulder in frustration. She gently put it down on one of the piles on the floor.

”I know it is here somewhere... I found it!” She pulled out a thick book from the bottom of a pile, causing the rest to topple over and almost hit Fluttershy who darted behind Applejack with a quiet shriek.

”Magical creatures vol 2: The Dark side of our magical fauna.” Rainbow Dash read aloud over Twilights shoulder just before the unicorn opened the book and started flipping through the pages. ”How is that supposed to help?”

”Here!” She cried triumphantly and twisted the book so that the others could read.

”Changelings.” Rarity read out loud. ”Magical beings similar to ponies, though consistently black with grey mane and tail, light blue eyes without pupils. They have light blue wings in two sets like an insect and fangs.” The others started to share gazes even as Rarity read on. ”Among their magical abilities, the most notable is shape-shifting...”

”Wait, I’ve heard about these things!” Applejack suddenly interrupted. ”Granny Smith used to tell stories about insect-ponies that took little fillies and colts from their beds and exchanged them for their own foals.” She looked up at Twilight. ”But I thought they were just an old fairy tale..”

”So they said about Nightmare Moon.” Twilight looked grim.

”So if Princess Luna really is a changeling.” Rarity started.

”Where is the real princess.” Twilight finished.

”And how do we tell princess Celestia?” Fluttershy said.

”Oh dear, she didn’t seem to suspect anything.” Rarity said. ”And if the princess isn’t suspecting anything how do we convince her?”

”And it’s still the thing about the moon!” Rainbow Dash pointed out. ”Can these changelings raise the moon?” They all grew quiet, realising truth in the Pegasus words.

”Well...” Twilight said after a long while. ”If we work on the theory that Princess Luna is a changeling, and the real princess is hidden away somewhere, doesn’t that automatically assume that these changelings are strong enough to subdue the princess? Maybe if they can do that, they can steal the princess magic as well? Discord could..”

”So they could be as strong as Discord?” Applejack said, shifting uncomfortably.

”I don’t know.” Twilight confessed, putting the book away. ”The book doesn’t say much... They aren’t that well known.”

The 6 ponies stood together in sombre silence, each desperately trying to figure out a solution to the problem at hand. How in Celestias name, where they going to uncover the plot that were taking place right in front of them, just under the Sun Princess own muzzle?

Comments

[Mrantefjant]

”But I thought they were just an old fairy tale..”
I've NEVER heard that one before.

But I believe you made a mistake at:
even though the elements of harmony have arrived, it should stop our plans.
Is ``Luna´´ trying to make her plan flop? And her biggest fear is that the elements will make her succeed???

That do sound interesting thue...

[MissSunnySweden]

932257

Haha, you can thank FIMwiki for that one, it compared changelings to well.. The norse myth of changelings, so I couldn't help but put in that little story.

Oh darn it, must have missed that in editing.. Fixing....