Choices
Earlier: Day of arrival.
Scootaloo squealed with laughter as she darted across the spacious room. Following closely behind was Rainbow Dash, a wide grin spread across her face. Scootaloo escaped from her with a combination of running and fluttering, causing her to glide across the room.
Fluttershy watched on from another room as the two tore across the living room in chase. She smiled softly. They always loved playing together. The room in which they played wasn't huge by pegasus standards, but it was spacious enough for the family of pegasi to play without colliding with each other or the walls.
Rainbow flew behind Scootaloo, frequently trying to make a grab for the gliding filly. She extended her hooves out to catch Scootaloo, but she flew too slowly and was surprised when Scoot's wings stopped causing her to fall behind Rainbow, just out of her reach.
Rainbow Dash grinned at the little trick. “Nice one, Scoots, but I'm not done!”
She turned abruptly, flipping and flying upside down back towards the giggling filly. Scootaloo turned and ran screaming back in the other direction, only to be grabbed by Rainbow.
Rainbow righted herself, carefully wrapped Scootaloo in her own wings, and threw her. The filly quickly unfurled her small wings and glided across the room, swiftly breaking into another sprint upon landing.
As they resumed their chasing game, there came a knock at the door. Rainbow and Scootaloo remained oblivious, so Fluttershy tore herself away from the sisterly spectacle to see who it was.
She opened the door, which revealed two large white stallions decked out in golden armor. They all stared at each other motionlessly before she sighed deeply.
“Hold on a moment, please,” she muttered softly as she moved away from the door.
She walked into the den where Rainbow and Scootaloo were still chasing each other. Fluttershy cleared her throat loudly as to get their attention. They quickly fell to the floor, still laughing. As Rainbow met Fluttershy's eyes, she quickly understood why she had been called.
She sighed and turned to Scootaloo.
“Hey, kid.” Scootaloo turned to her big sister, knowing what was happening. “Keep flying. I have to go for a little while.”
Seeing her sad look, Rainbow nudged Scoot's chin. “Don't worry. I'm only off for a few hours. I'll be back soon.”
She turned and walked towards the door and spoke to the stallions, “What’s the problem?”
“The princesses have asked for you to be brought to them. They say it's urgent,” one said gruffly.
The realization hit her like a brick.
=
Rainbow flew through the palace and into the throne room. There stood the three alicorns and Shining. She hit the ground sliding and a moment later was next to her mentor. She looked up to her with wide eyes. “Please tell me...”
Luna looked down at the rainbow pegasus sadly.
“She's here. She's in Canterlot.”
The magnitude of horror displayed on Rainbow's face was one she had never felt before. Her jaw sagged and her eye went as wide as dinner plates.
“She can't be. You said she wouldn't be here for at least three more days. I thought you were going after her!” Rainbow stuttered out, slowly backing away.
“I did, but she escaped. That's why I called you here. She has allied herself with the changelings.”
The other four in the room stared at her open-mouthed. Cadence, especially.
“The...changelings?”
Luna nodded. “I personally spoke with Chrysalis, and she made quite a defense for Miss Sparkle. She was rather distraught at our attempts to capture her.”
Rainbow waived her hooves in front of her. “Wait, wait, wait. Chrysalis welcomed Twilight? I thought she hated all ponies. Like... all of them.”
“I did, as well, but she seems to have an attachment to Twilight. She made an interesting plea for her. She told me that she was troubled and still hurt.”
“Good,” Rainbow mumbled under her breath, but not softly enough to escape earning a glare from Shining Armor.
“She claimed,” Luna continued, ignoring the other two, “that something is going to happen, and it will be big. She didn't know for sure what would happen, though. She did, however, make one request.
“She asked me. Begged me… to stay out of Twilight's way and call off the search.”
The room fell silent once again. Shock and confusion floated through the mix of feelings.
“She. She is insane,” Rainbow mumbled. “There is no way that will happen. I'll find her and drag her in kicking and screaming if I have to.”
Shining glared at her yet again.
“Excuse me, captain,” Rainbow growled. “I think your eye is broken. It keeps doing that thing over and over again.”
“Maybe it would be fixed if you stopped talking like that,” Shining insisted.
“Why? Are you defending her?”
Shining gave her a furious look. “Do you know who this pony is?”
“Yep. A cold hearted bitch who enjoys murdering for the fun of it. She's also your sister right? Or are you just focusing on one thing about h–OOF!” Rainbow went flying back as a magic blast struck her square in the chest.
She slid for a few feet before standing up, staring down the furious Shining Armor.
“CAPTAIN!” Celestia screamed at him, but he ignored her.
“What did you call her?” He asked. His voice on the edge.
Rainbow stood brushing herself off. She chewed her lip a moment before answering, “A cold hearted. Murdering. Bitch.”
She thrown back again by another blast, recovering midair and flying towards the captain. He braced his hooves as she charged. Before she met him, he was knocked off his feet just as she was knocked out of the air. They both looked at Celestia, whose horn was glowing.
“ENOUGH OF THIS!” she screamed. The two stared at her wide-eyed, waiting for another blast. However, the glow faded, much to the surprise of the two laying in fear before her.
She glared as she stared them down. “Both of you. Enough. You!” she pointed to Rainbow Dash. “Have some control of your actions and your mouth.
“And you!” Pointing to Shining, she continued, “Control yourself as well. Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to solve the problem. If you can't work together you won’t be working AT ALL.”
The room went silent as they all stared at Celestia in shock. She had remained quiet lately, and seeing her break her normal calm stature had left them dumbfounded. She looked at the shocked audience, one eyebrow raised.
“Yes?”
“NOTHING!” The room yelled, a little too quickly.
Celestia settled down. “Now, then. Do we have a plan?”
“Not yet, sister. That's why we're here - to make one. No, Rainbow, we will not break down every door to search for her,” Luna quickly spoke, seeing her student’s open mouth. Rainbow quickly shut it, her shoulders slumping.
“We need a plan that will solve the problem, not one that will make it a bigger problem,” Shining started. “Princess, you said we may be able to draw her out, right?”
“Yes, but we need a real tool to do just that. Saying her name and sending the public to find her won't work. The ponies of Canterlot are still recovering from the changeling invasion, and it wouldn't end well if we told them a highly powerful and dangerous mare was hiding amongst them.” Luna was silent for a moment. “I can almost guarantee that she has a contact here in Canterlot. Rainbow Dash?”
“The stallion in the outpost up north said that she sent a letter before Render and the others showed up. Do you think it came here?”
“I don't know for sure, but I bet it did. Unfortunately we have no way of confirming it.” Luna's eyes narrowed. “I won’t be able to track Ms. Sparkle. Her magic is far too weak to be located. Even if it was... she's too smart for that.”
“What about my soldiers? Should they be aware?” Shining inquired.
“I don't know. The guards are now aware that somepony is here, so they may become interested in what’s happening. The ponies both in the guard and the public are still recovering from the changelings. The guards should be aware that there is a fugitive in the city.”
“Should we put them on high alert?”
Luna considered it for a moment. “Yes. Tell the public that it's a precaution from the holiday. Hearth’s Warming is two and a half weeks out, and I want her captured before then.”
“And what will I do?”
Luna winced at Rainbow's question. She stood silent before turning to her student. “Nothing.”
Rainbow's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. “Nothing? What do you mean by nothing?” she demanded.
Luna sighed, gritting her teeth. “I mean you're not going to be looking for her.” She said sternly. “She knows who you are, and she knows you're in Canterlot. From what I can gather, she will search for anypony who gets in her way. You got in her way, Rainbow Dash. You hurt her. Stole her journal. Drained her magic. She will be out for revenge now.”
“But come on!” she begged. “It's like you said. She has no magic. How can she defend herself from me? She could barely do with a full tank of magic. She's weak and injured, and has no way to defend herself. Please let me.”
Luna's jaw tightened. “I have made my decision. You and she have something in common. You both hate to lose and are looking to settle the score. I will not allow you to pursue her.” Luna's expression softened. “Go home and enjoy the holiday with your family. If you're needed, we'll send for you.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head, slowly backing away. In an instant she jumped into the air and flew out leaving behind a rainbow trail, which dissipated only a moment later.
“Do you think she'll listen, sister?”
Luna shook her head. “Probably not. When does she ever listen when I tell her to not do something?” Luna turned back to the others. “Regardless. We should continu-” Luna began looking left to right.
“Cadenza?” She called still turning. “Where did Cadenza go?”
=
Cadence slowly climbed the spiraling stair leading to a high tower. During the conversation, an idea had come to her. She quietly slipped out, making her way to her old room.
As she approached the door, her horn glowed its soft pink color. The door swung open, revealing an empty room. Some curtains hung by the windows by some book shelves, and an old bed sat by itself in the corner. The room was spacious but empty. Cadence had no reason to keep much here anyway. She pushed that from her mind, however. She entered, the only sound being the gentle clopping of her hooves on the polished marble floor.
“Mirror. Switch. Chip. Come out. It's me.” The room remained silent. The only movement was a slight breeze forming ripples in the curtains. Cadence smiled softly. Her horn glowed again and suddenly three changelings appeared before her.
“Princess!” one of them called, running forward and nuzzling her side. Another ran up pushing him out of the way.
“Hey.” This one's voice was much higher, clearly feminine. “You're hogging her!” The two continued bumping and shoving each other before Cadence placed her front hooves on their heads.
“Now, now, you two, calm down.” Her smile was bright and sweet as she patted the small changelings. “Where is Switch?”
“Coming!” a voice male called from under the bed. A moment later, two legs wormed their way out as another changeling pulled himself out.
“Jeez,” he mumbled. “It's a tight fit. Takes me a minute to get out.”
“You’re just getting fat,” the female teased.
“Shut up, Mirror.”
“Now, now, all of you. You can argue later. I have something to ask you.”
The three changelings sorted themselves out in front of her, waiting to hear what she needed.
“Tell me,” she began. “You can see each other when in disguise correct?”
“Of course!” was the response.
“Hmm. If somepony else was disguised, would you see them as well?”
The three went silent. Finally, Switch spoke up. “It's hard to tell. It depends entirely on the spell, I guess.” The changeling thought carefully for a few moments.
“If it was a changeling spell, then yes. We can detect some others, but not as well or as quickly. Why do you need to know? Think there are more of us still hiding?”
Cadence was silent for a moment. “Not quite. Have any of you heard of Twilight Sparkle?”
As soon as the name was mentioned, the three changelings leapt into the air hissing.
“HER?” Mirror shrieked. “Why do you want to know about HER?”
“So, you do know her,” Cadence said, astonished.
“Of course we do!” This time it was Chip. “She was the only pony our queen ever took into the hive. Of course we know her.” The changeling narrowed his eyes. “How do you know her?”
Cadence sighed. “I knew her as a filly, and she has returned to Canterlot. I need to find her before the others do. I might be able to talk some sense into her and get her to surrender.”
The three looked to each other, staring into each other’s eye for what seemed like minutes before bursting into laughter. Cadence looked on, wide-eyed at the sudden outburst.
“Um… Why are you laughing?”
“Because,” Switch said, regaining his breath, “if you think you can talk sense into her, you’re the insane one. She can't be reasoned with or convinced to stop what she does. I once saw our queen try to convince her to not travel to the north. She tried for two weeks and Twilight didn't falter for a moment. Besides.” His tone grew serious. “You can't reason with an insane pony.”
“The point is,” Cadence began, her tone serious, “she's back here and I don't want the others to find her first. If I can find her, maybe I can get her to surrender. My magic is good for more than just love. I want to know if you would be willing to help me find her.”
The changelings were silent as they exchanged looks of nervousness.
“I will not force you. It is your decision.”
They were silent for another few moments before Mirror grabbed the others. “Excuse us a moment,” she said quickly, pulling them to the other side of the room.
“What should we do?” Switch asked.
“I don't know. She's helped us. Shouldn't we help her?” said Mirror.
“But it's Twilight she wants us to find. She's supposed to be more powerful than our queen. How do we get her?”
“We don't,” Chip said flatly, his friends looking at him confusedly. “We don't get her. We just have to find her. Simple as that. Cadence helped us. Kept us secret. Fed us. Sheltered us. We can do this for her. She's not asking us to fight for her, just give her somewhere to start.”
Mirror and Switch looked at each other and nodded.
“Princess,” Mirror started, brightly smiling. “We made a decision.”
Cadence smiled warmly. “I knew you wouldn't let me down.”
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What the heck does this mean? It doesn't even fit in the context...
Didja copy-paste error in there?
i laughed so hard
i rekon you should just leave it in there for shits and kicks XD
2711544>>2711555
LOL
HAHAHAHA
Seeeeekeeeerrrrrrr...
That's supposed to be
2711582>>2711581>>2711555>>2711544
Ok fixed it. I have no idea how that got there. I moved it straight from my email to the website. Meh, I'll figure it out
Friendly little changelings. I hope to see them become good friends.
also I hope Twi is able to convince cadence to stop while she's ahead.
2711737
Heh heh. Hahahahahaha. It's so adorable when they have an open mind
2711746 open minds are always the best for progress.
best for morals if you have an open and firm mind.
MOAR. Cuz MOAR!
Good chapter.
please let the next one come out soon!
Wow, didn't see that happy little Changling family coming.
And they're actually rather cute, not to mention funny. 
Damn.
Go Shining Armor! 
That was seriously badass. 
Hi. Today's a grumpy day.
First name basis? No? I would expect the name Twilight Sparkle to come out of any pony stranger to Twilight.
Now, I'm sure there's some word more appropriate than plain, ambiguous, way-too-short 'get'. Catch might be slightly more appropriate, I guess?
The first one was a legitimate complaint. I have a whole bunch more about this chapter, too. No bashing, please. Downvoting this is fine.
2714022
Bash away dude. If it needs to be fixed, then i'll fix it. Just be gentle
As much as I love this story fir what it is, I'm seriously getting REEEEAALLY impatient for the Twitavi to be further explored. But don't take that too seriously, I'd rather you went at the proper pace than cater to a single whiner.
You know it's stories like this that make me hate Rainbow more and more...
Please tell me that her ego will be taken down in a brutal way? Because I would really love that...
Yay for awesome big bro moment.
Nay for no further TwicOcti action. 
2717326
Sigh.
Why does no-one on this site have any patience. No hard feelings bro, but
... PATIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2718120
IT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY
Is it going to be explained how Twilight became so powerful?
“Yep. A cold hearted bitch who enjoys murdering for the fun of it. She's also your sister right? Or are you just focusing on one thing about h–OOF!” Rainbow went flying back as a magic blast struck her square in the chest.
[Twilight's Mind] i'll make you pay for what you said!
And it will be painful
You have no idea how glad I am that you've shown us friendly changelings. Not only did you show the Changelings in the Hive, and Chrysalis, as being more than just mindless & evil drones as many believe them to be, but you introduced three changelings that were actually on "The good" side.
And once more I am eeminded that power corrupts. Magic users are bullies wherever I go.
You keep using this tired cliche. It could be fun if you changed it to any number of things, "like an egg," "like a drunk sailor," "like a really angry bunny." I don't know, anything. Get creative!
Cadence sheltered 3 challengings?
Nice.
It's blue
Is it a fault or she didn't finish her sentence?
4592271
so like angel?
so cadence took in 3 changelings and Dash is gonna chase down Twi and is she gonna die this time or what btw someone should tell her that those runes that she doesn’t have anymore were the only things that allowed that close fight she’s getting cocky.
Whty u gotta end on cliff hangers. its 3 am and I have school tomorrow. It's going be a nightmare getting my sleep schedule on track.
They better have coffee at lunch.