A Test Of Shadows [Private: SteelEagle, DerpRavener]

[DerpRavener]

It would be inaccurate to say Princess Celestia awoke early that morning, only because it was arguably not the morning when she woke up.  Generally she timed her schedule so that raising the sun was the first thing she did each day.  She enjoyed having it as her first responsibility, having as her first challenge something taxing but regular.  It also gave her some time to reflect, and mentally prepare herself for the challenges of the day.

Today was different however.  The task set aside for today was something perhaps more involved than usual.  Selecting agents of her personal interest was not something she took lightly.  It needed a particular balance of intelligence, awareness, adaptability, and a willingness to do what needs to be done, whatever that might be.  These ponies could directly represent Celestia in critical or dangerous situations, and as such she expected them to live up to certain ideals.  Choosing one was not a casual task.

 

By the light of the moon Princess Celestia reviewed her spell of choice, having decided earlier to cast it prior to raising the sun, which would happen in a mere hour's time.  She would perhaps be a little more tired than usual, but some extra strain would not keep her from her duties.  Besides, she'd raised the sun after worse, without incident.  She chuckled to herself as she remembered a birthday from centuries ago, where she'd met with some close friends to celebrate.  Things had gotten a little out of hoof...

She shook her head.  The added distraction wasn't something she needed at the moment.  With the spell in mind, she closed her eyes, and her horn started to glow as she weaved the illusion together.  It had been so long since she had told a story this way...

 

---A few hours later---

 

Princess Celestia had travelled to Ponyville with an honour guard of a carefully selected size.  She was on official business after a fashion, and it was important both to display that to those around her and to have a few ponies to help prevent interference.  She wasn't expecting any deliberate sabotage mind, her ponies weren't generally malicious and she'd guarded against outside forces in other ways, but a test like this was a somewhat delicate affair.  A curious pony wandering into the selected area could cause all sorts of problems.

 

It was a quick trip to her specific destination of Sweet Apple Acres.  While Celestia had made a point not to appear to be in a rush, she moved swiftly nonetheless.  Today was not a day for adulation, and even if Ponyville might be more used to strange occurrences than most towns, the local ponies could still become excited by the sudden arrival or royalty.

Celestia now waited at the outskirts of the orchard, waiting as member of her entourage went to retrieve a certain orange earth pony.  Celestia had already been in contact with Applejack, there would no point in carrying out the test if the pony wasn't willing.

Agents of the Sun was an old concept of Celestia's, and one she'd abandoned after several centuries of peace.  At the time there was no point in continuing what wasn't necessary.  Now however, Equestria was experiencing a resurgence of sorts.  With events like those in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, more and more threats were making themselves apparent.  An old idea might find new purpose.

So here Celestia was, waiting and hoping to recruit her first candidate.  But first, she had to be certain: the pony must be tested.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack considered herself one of the most devoted mares in all of Equestria. Whatever she believed in, she committed to. Her work got her best efforts when she was committed, the sweat of her brow becoming the moist earth below. From that the seeds of success were fertilized. Her family received the best care and attention ponies could honestly ask for as long as she was committed. The worst thing she could be accused of was being a little too overbearing and carried the honor of her family with her wherever she went. She was committed to Ponyville, being arguably the second most important pony to the running of the town. Sure the Mayor could make a case for number two, but Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres were the engine that drove the town. She was committed to her friends and her friends found that with her commitment came endless care and attention as well as protection.

And she was committed to Equestria, what it was, what it is, and and what it could be. She sacrificed at the altar of Equestrian idealism so often and so well that it was second nature to her by now. She had always been raised as a filly whose snout was placed firmly in the ground rather it was due to love of the land or in reverence to royalty. Either way, she honored Equestria in every way she could. As an adult she found her opportunities to do so even more enriching and exciting, if also considerably more dangerous. She had helped save the land more than a few times with her friends and had even joined Task Force Suntrot, where she ended becoming a full fledged member of the REA. She had loved every moment of it, and none it came from the accomplished stares of respect that came with every new step she took down the path of an honest to goodness Equestrian heroine.

She loved it because she believed in it and was humbled by every opportunity she had to help Equestria. No cynicism. No distrust. She believed in every ideal Equestria represented and did her best to try and live up to them all. She believed everypony was capable of what she did, that everypony had within them the spark of what made Equestria the greatest place in the world. And maybe if she could try and live up to the expectations of what an Equestrian should be, perhaps somepony out there would take her as a role model and become better themselves. Every time she helped save Equestria, every time she donned her REA uniform, every time she helped somepony up off the ground, she did so with the belief that it was just the right thing to do.

So when she had initially been contacted by Celestia it didn't take much at all to convince Applejack it was the right thing to do to say yes. Celestia WAS Equestria. Sure, Luna was important, but she had the stain of treason on her. Applejack had grown up in fear of Nightmare moon too long to fully store her confidence and reverence in her. She loved her, trusted her, respected her, but she was not Equestria. Twilight was an incredible mare and the ponification of all friendship as welll as one of the smartest ponies to have ever lived, but she was New Equestria. The future. A bright one no doubt, one Applejack was excited to see, but it was not the one Applejack had revered since she could first comprehend the world. Celestia WAS the Old Equestria Applejack had honored from foalhood. Old like the earth beneath her hooves. Old like the idea of harmony and a united Equestria. Old, eternal, beautiful and warm. She had accepted immediately.

She had made ready a full day for whatever was needed. As a younger mare she could be accused readily of jumping into things with her nerves shot and frayed, excited and jittery and a mess of a pony who could hardly do anything once she got where she needed to be. Much of that she had been able to grow out of with age and effort. After her time in the REA the last vestiges of this weakness were expunged and she was now calm in the face of great and tumultuous events streaming towards her, this time of her own will and volition. As Twilight had told her in a letter while Applejack was deployed- “in times of stress, an orderly mind is a fortress”. So Applejack had prepared as best she could, making sure to get extra rest and the farmwork finished at a quicker pace. It had resulted in a social event or two being canceled, but her friends hadn't asked why- yet, anyway.

The morning of...whatever it was...was calm. Applejack had woken early and made sure to get done what needed to be done. She then entered her sister's room and gave her sleeping Bloom a peck on the forehead before putting her stetson on and trotting towards the door. It was serendipity when the Guards arrived as Applejack exited her sister's room, nodding with them silently. It wasn't much longer before she was at Celestia's hoof, bowing in reverence. “Ah hope yer trip went well, Yer Majesty,” Applejack spoke evenly, clearly focused on what lay beyond.

[DerpRavener]

Celestia responded to Applejack's bow with a polite nod, although there was a moment's hesitation before she answered the question.  Although it might be tough to tell, she was currently maintaining a fairly large spell.  Between this and other things on her mind, she'd hardly payed attention to the journey here.  “As well as could be expect.  Which is to say perfectly fine.”  She looked up to the sky.  “The weather team is doing a wonderful job, as usual.”

 

That would be enough pleasantries at the moment.  Much as Celestia enjoyed chatting with the farmpony, both of them had big plans today.  “Please,” Celestia motioned with a hoof, “come with me.”

With Applejack beside her, and her personal guard forming up behind the two of them, Celestia began to lead them toward an area outside of Ponyville, though still closer to this town than any other.  The place was selected and examined prior, though the latter really only amounted to checking to make sure no ponies or great beasts lived in the general vicinity.  The test could be performed in a variety of places, given the magic Celestia had used, but the test could still be spoiled through interference.

 

“I cannot speak of too much,” Celestia began as they started to walk, “but there are a few things I believe I should say before we begin.  First, I want you to know that I will think no less of you should you fail.  This exercise is both difficult and obfuscated, by design.  Failing the test merely means you are not suited to the particular tasks I have in mind, not that you are incapable in any way.”  She continued before the earth pony could reply, bringing up her other point, which somewhat explained the first.  “Second, the test involves a very open-ended task.  Due to this, it is possible to complete the task, yet still fail the test.”  She could afford to give this particular hint.  It may skew the results slightly, as a pony could force themselves into a mindset which didn't come naturally to them.  But it would still require them to adopt the right approach, and Celestia could work with a mare who could learn.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack had gotten to know the tells of Celestia well enough by this stage to know when the Princess wasn't entirely with it, and Applejack knew this was one such time. No doubt for good cause nonetheless, so Applejack would remain tight lipped about it. One thing she would never do is be presumptuous enough to question a Princess- if Celestia wanted to tell Applejack what was going on, Applejack would be happy to hear it. It did make Applejack wonder what could be on her mind, though. She wasn't the type to be distracted by other events. Focused- very focused- on the task at hoof. It was one of the many things about the Princess that made Applejack admire her so much and it was why she was the most effective Princess they had. Being able to focus on the topic at hoof instead of bouncing around allowed a certain clarity. This wasn't that sort of time.

So that meant one of a few things. First, something big was happening elsewhere and her mind was focused on it. That would have been really very silly for her to meet up with Applejack while something that big was going on somewhere else. Celestia may consider this event important but she wouldn't dare let something vital go to do so, would she? Applejack's meeting or test or whatever this was could wait. So it wasn't something that important- unless it involved Applejack. If that was the case, why not focus on the mare in front of her? Her attention was split away from Applejack. But if it involved her, maybe that meant it involved the test. And if it involved the test that meant one of two things. The first that it was incredibly dangerous, but Celestia didn't seem the type to do that. The second [possibility was that she was focusing because she was casting some sort of spell, something that she perhaps didn't feel the need to tell Applejack about. That made Applejack worried and a little excited, and coming to that conclusion made her feel a little proud- maybe she had read Big Mac's signals for so long she was a master of reading such subtle signs.

“They sure have done a nice job of it lately,” Applejack replied casually if a bit confused as to the direction of the conversation as she followed her Princess. They reached a field outside of Ponyville in a bit of undeveloped land. Applejack knew this area well enough for what was there. It was one of those areas that she used to camp out at for weeks at a time when she was a filly, her ma and pa not wanting to be too far away from Sweet Apple Acres but still far enough way for the kids to think they were absolutely in the wilderness. The fact you could get to medical care after about ten minutes of hard galloping didn't matter, it was all about the feel. She didn't know the exact spot that they stopped at, but she knew the area well enough.

And then Celestia started laying out out and Applejack's spine stiffened, pride and determination the best deterrent to fear she knew. That, and the aforementioned orderly mind. She hadn't come here to fail or let her Princess down. As much as Celestia said that failure was indeed an option and not one that would change how she looked at Applejack, the farmer knew that failure was not at all an option. She was chosen by Celestia for some greater deed, a purpose beyond what she knew. Failure meant that Applejack was not more than she thought she was, that her limits were met before she was a success in the eyes of her Princess. No, failure was not an option. Applejack would pass the test and become what Celestia needed her to be, needed Equestria to be. There was no other choice, no option to explore. She would succeed because she must. “Ah won't letcha down, Yer Majesty. Whatever it is y'all ask of me, Ah know Ah can do it,” she replied with total confidence, eyes scanning the surroundings for all manner of oddity. Yes, this was a day to be tested. Yes, this was a day to pass those tests.

[DerpRavener]

Celestia smiled.  There was Applejack's confidence and determination again.  Those were in many respects what was needed for the position under discussion, and the farmpony had them in spade.  The alicorn had to wonder just how far they would hold up, Applejack could not simply stand firm or kick her way through the trials ahead.  Still, that was the reason for the test, was it not?  If Celestia could simply choose her ponies with some mundane analysis and observation, she wouldn't need the test in the first place.  And truth be told, she wouldn't be surprised to see Applejack succeed through stubbornness alone, despite what was in store.  “I am sure you will,” Celestia said.  One way or another, this was certain to be quite a show.

 

That was it then.  No sudden doubts, no last second hesitation.  Everything that needed to be in place was.

Celestia nodded to herself, and then turned to Applejack.  “The rules of the trial are simple.  There is a space ahead,” she motioned with a hoof, further down the rough path they had been walking along, “where the trial itself will take place.  There is no strict time limit, although events will not wait for you to unfold.  I will be waiting at the edge of the trial area.  You may return to me as needed, and there are no forbidden questions.  That is not to say I will answer every question you ask, however.  I should add that you may leave the trial area, but you are not allowed to discuss the trial with any other ponies if you do, save to mention that you are participating.  This is a test for you, and you alone.”  Celestia paused, giving the information a chance to sink in.  Strictly speaking, there were a few more details, but in this case she left it up to Applejack whether or not to ask about them.

With the basic rules out of the way, she arrived at the fun part, at least for her.  “Up ahead,” Celestia began to explain, her voice growing a little more vibrant as she got away from the clerical side of things, “is the rest spot for an expedition returning from deep in the Everfree Forest.  Somewhere on their journey, they seem to have been afflicted by some sort of disease, which now runs throughout the camp.  Your task is to determine what ails them, and find a solution.”

 

Celestia paused, closing her eyes for a second.  Her horn glowed briefly, signifying the activation of some distant spell, before she opened her eyes, looked directly at Applejack, and spoke.  “Your trial begins now.”

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack listened intently to the Princess, trying her best to absorb every little detail. She wasn't like Twilight who could soak everything in like a sponge but she was observant, years of farming and rustling helping her find some of the finer details. As befit a Princess with an agenda Celestia seemed serious, but with a slight hint of peckish delight at the festivities about to unfold. Applejack couldn't help but be a little more nervous about the jovial aspects of her tone than the seriousness of her mission. She was expecting to do something important and forward facing. Aspects of any sort of playfulness in the face of her task? Well, that was cause for a little more concern. Nonetheless Applejack waited with baited breath on her very word, acknowledging the end with a swift nod of her head. “Yes ma'am!”

And with that, she was off galloping where she was told to, her mind swimming with the possibilities. Ponies sick after traveling through the Everfree wasn't anything too unusual all things told. It was a strange land that lived outside of everything Equestria stood for and could handle. Travel was discouraged, but sometimes no other option existed if you lived in the northwest and needed to get just about anywhere except due south. Of course this was an expedition, which was equally rare and ill-advised but explained why they would bother going into the Everfree. Did they go on Celestia's orders? That would explain how Celestia knew. Was the illness serious? That would be up to Applejack to find out, but would Celestia put other ponies at risk to test Applejack? She doubted it. Yet if the illness was simply something small then it wouldn't make sense to use it to test somepony. So many questions, so few answers- exciting stuff!
 

Applejack galloped for what seemed like just a short time before she caught sight of some hastily assembled tents and the outline of carts and wagons, coming down to a trot as she entered the camp and finally walked towards the entrance to the largest tent of them all, eventually coming to a full stop. It was rather rude to just walk on in unless she asked- no doubt somepony would answer. And if they didn't, she'd take action. “Hello? Anypony here?”

[DerpRavener]

Celestia watched, frowning, as Applejack galloped away.  There were a lot of things she had left deliberately unanswered in her explanation.  Things such as what Celestia's role in the test would be, or why Applejack would be called on to investigate an affliction.  The farmpony was capable and driven, but no doctor.  “Not the most inquisitive one, is she?” Celestia spoke to nopony in particular, though one of her guards silently nodded in agreement all the same.  It wouldn't necessarily be a fatal flaw, but Applejack would have a harder time than expected if she accepted appearances so readily.

No matter, the farmpony would have more chances in future, what remained was to see what choices would be made.  Celestia turned away, toward a few tends which had been set up for her and her personal guard, as per her request.  They would be spending some time here, no reason not to get comfortable.

 

---

 

The largest tent, which was itself only marginally larger than the rest and set up directly adjacent to one of the wagons, had it's flap left open to let in sunlight.  Inside a wizened old earth pony could be seen, rapidly flipping through the pages of books, with several stacks scattered mostly filling the tent.  Peering in, Applejack might see her reach the end of a book, shaking her head as she closed it and set it on a pile to her side, taking only a moment's rest before moving on to a book from another pile.

 

“Best to leave her alone, I don't think she'd appreciate the distraction.”  A pleasant voice called out from Applejack's side before she had a chance to speak to the pony in the tent.  “We're all a little anxious at the moment, and Amanita knows how to work under pressure.”

The voice came from a young, light brown earth pony with a dark green mane and tail which she kept tied back.  She had a cutie mark of a small, drooping flower.  “You must be the one Celestia sent.  We're glad you're here!  Although...”  She gave Applejack a curious look.  “You don't look like much of a doctor.”  There was a quiet moment before the mare shook her head, embarrassed slightly as she  realized what she'd said and what she'd forgotten.  “Sorry, that was rude.  My name's Moonglow.”  She extended a hoof.

 

A few ponies could be seen around the camp, checking crates, reading or generally milling about, though it was obvious that there were a lot more tents than visible ponies.

[SteelEagle]

 

The camp was living up to Applejack's imagination in the more negative attention of its light. There were so many more tents than there were able and willing occupants that it struck Applejack that the others must either be clustered in a make shift infirmary or were otherwise quarantined- maybe even left behind. That last option seemed doubtful, but she'd keep it in mind just in case things seemed more and more askew that perhaps the reason Celestia sent her was to do more than help, but correct some action that was against everything Equestria stood for. In any case, she followed her would be guide a bit, taking in what she said. She seemed amiable enough and those around weren't paralyzed by unproductivity. Whatever had happened they were going about their jobs with...well, not vigor, but they were going about it all the same. A little strange.

Amanita- strange name. Applejack had lived on the edge of the Everfree long enough to know the names of the family of the most dangerous type of mushrooms in the world. Some were edible but most mushrooms of the type were terribly deadly to ponies. When Apple Bloom was a little foal just learning to walk around she almost ate one of them. That had been a real fright- as much as she needed Applejack now she needed her far more then. Strange name for a pony though. Naming your daughter after a deadly mushroom wasn't something most loving families would do, unless of course she had a couple of strange parents. Well, Applejack was named after a drink- maybe she didn't have room to talk. But she cataloged it nonetheless with Moonglow's odd cutie mark. Seemed a bit sad. Something was off- she'd have to dig deeper of course, but she was here to help ponies in need. She wouldn't, couldn't, do one without the other.

“Heh,” Applejack responded to the fact she wasn't a doctor, “well, that's tha truth. Ah'm no doctor, but Ah know plenty 'bout tha wilds, healthcare for all manner of maladies, an' can help ya out in all sorts of ways, no doubt. Ah'll get you an' yours through this, Ah swear it,” Applejack spoke confidently and solemnly, turning her attention back to the other pony a moment, “Amanita- she tha leader 'round here? And what happened to to y'all? Can't say Ah've heard of a large expedition into tha Everfree 'round these parts being signed off on. Looks like something went through y'all somethin' fierce,” Applejack asked, her concern evident. “Whatever Ah can do ta help an' get ta the bottom of this, Ah'm willing an' able ta do.”

[DerpRavener]

Moonglow exhaled, visibly relaxed by Applejack's statement.  She trusted Celestia's judgement, and she was sure that Applejack was a fine and capable mare in her own right, but her initial impression was not promising.  The expedition needed a medicine pony right now, not a work horse.  So it was a major relief to hear that Applejack had a wealth of knowledge of both natural remedies and Everfree flora and fauna.  A local expert might be just the mare they need.

 

“Amanita- she tha leader 'round here? And what happened to to y'all? Can't say Ah've heard of a large expedition into tha Everfree 'round these parts being signed off on. Looks like something went through y'all somethin' fierce,”

 

Starting from the basic facts then.  As fine a place as any, though Moonglow wondered just how much   “Yeah, as much as we have one.  We're not really formal about it or anything, but her name will come first on all the papers on all the papers and whatnot.  She's got the most experience, and keeps us all safe.”  Moonglow's face fell.  “Well, keeps us safe most of the time at least...”  She perked up again quickly.  No point in moping around while there might be solutions to be had.

 

“As for the rest, well, expeditions like this aren't THAT common, but we run them every so often.  There are a lot of plants that can only be found in the Everfree Forest, or places like it.”  Moonglow fell silent for a moment.  “That's just it though, nothing happened.  A-at least, not as far as I could tell.  There were a few close calls in the woods, but nothing came of it.  We prepare for that kind of thing.  We were on our way back, and then yesterday morning we wake up and found a few of ponies like this.”  She pointed over at a pony returning to his tent, walking sluggishly and with a bit of a limp, and though able to do his work he seemed to .  “And now it's hit about two thirds of the camp.  To be honest, we'd write it off as just a cold or fatigue, if we just had an idea where it was coming from.  We would have just returned to town, if we knew how it was spreading, but we can't put anypony else at risk.  Nopony's really sure what's happening, and that's got us all on edge...”  The mare couldn't be sure how much use this information would be to their visitor, but at this point she was glad just to have somepony new to speak to about it.  And a pony sent by Celestia herself, no less.

 

Moonglow looked to Applejack with sudden eagerness, hopeful that they might find some new solution.  “So, where should we start?”

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack trotted along with Moonglow, keeping her eyes about her as she realized that the illness sure as heck hadn't been contained. Seemed really very unsafe to not try and quarantine this when it started. Unless of course they tried that and it failed. “Y'all try ta quarantine tha sick? Y'all may not know how its spreading but do ya know how fast its spreadin'?” Applejack asked as she listened. Okay, so this expedition wasn't uncommon but that didn't really answer her question. It wasn't that far from Ponyville. An expedition this large would have bought supplies or let the Mayor know so they could arrange lodgings or hospital care just in case something went wrong. It wasn't just standard operating procedure for the sake of safety, it was the only way to do it in a way that didn't alarm ponies when you came back out. Applejack had a feeling that they weren't giving her the whole story. She would have to push eventually.

“So- fatigue, cold like symptoms? Anything specific? An' when exactly did y'all start ta get hit like this?” Applejack asked as she started to run down a list of symptoms in her head that would be unusual. The fact that they weren't running about trying to quarantine that stallion who was showing signs of illness told her that the sickness couldn't have manifested itself as anything too fierce just yet. But that was the thing about the Everfree. Rarely did danger present itself in a many-fanged state until it could catch you off guard in the thick of your arrogant reverie. She'd seen strong ponies fall and never get back up days or weeks after contracting something from the Everfree, something they had believed themselves over. It wasn't a joke, wasn't anything to take lightly. “Y'all mentioned some close calls in thar. What sorta close calls ya talkin' about an' how far away? Anypony eat anythin' from inside thar? A mushroom, maybe? All things bein' equal Ah'd like ta examine somepony who's been sick a while, see if Ah can identify somethin',” Aplejack said warmly, though she didn't want to be a thorn in their sides. "After that Ah'd like to trace tha souce of this here illness. If there is one thing tha Everfree has shown me it's that the cure to whatever ya got in thar comes from it too."

[DerpRavener]

Applejack asked about quarantine, making Moonglow pause briefly.  “This is quarantine,” she said after a moment, motioning around the camp with a hoof, “or as much as we can.  Were you wondering why we haven't made it into Ponyville despite being so close?”  She scratched the back of her head.  “...I don't actually know how it spreads.  Nopony's been able to find a connection, and as far as I know we've all been exposed to the same things.”

 

“So- fatigue, cold like symptoms? Anything specific? An' when exactly did y'all start ta get hit like this?”

 

“Specific symptoms?”  Moonglow thought for a moment.  “Aside from fatigue, some trouble remembering.  Not a lot mind, but a few afflicted ponies have had trouble remembering details, or need to be reminded of things.  I couldn't say whether or not that's just the fatigue though.  Other than that...a few have them seem to have picked up injuries that I can't remember them ever getting.  Of course I'm not watching them all the time, so it could just be a run of bad luck, but it seems weirdly consistent.  And it started a day or two ago, I think.  We first noticed it yesterday, at any rate.”

 

Applejack asked for specifics about the close calls and wanted examine one of the victims.  The farmpony also stated that she would like to trace the affliction's source, as the Everfree forest supposedly provided solutions for all of its created problems.  The thought gave Moonglow hope.  But there was an order to things, rushing wouldn't help anypony.  She took a breath.

“The close calls...” It took a little effort to remember that part of the expedition.  Once she had, Moonglow shook her head.  “The usual stuff; the forest is full of all sorts of nasty beasts, we have a few tricks to keep them from finding us when they get to close.  Sometimes they get a bit closer than we'd like before we get ourselves sorted.”  She squinted as she tried to remember in more detail.  “There might have been one or two times when a newer pony almost stepped in something they shouldn't, but it never got that far.”  She looked over at the large tent again.  “You could ask Amanita for the full list, but I can't remember anypony eating or stepping in something they shouldn't.”

 

Which just Applejack's other request, to examine one of the afflicted.  Moonglow waved at the pony she'd pointed to earlier, and called out to him.  “Hey Idle!  Wait up!”  She motioned for AJ to follow before trotting over to him.  When the farmpony followed, she'd introduce the two.  “Applejack, this is Idle study.  He can be your first patient.  Idle, Applejack.  Celestia sent her”

 

The pony before Applejack was a navy blue earth pony with a short, brown mane and a similar tail, and has a cutie mark of a pile of books.

Idle Study turned awkwardly at Moonglow's shout, and watched the two of them with a frown.  He was leaning heavily, on his right side, trying to keep the weight off his left.  He nodded in what he meant to be politeness to Applejack upon her introduction, but kept quiet for the moment, and was watching her with an anxious expression.

[SteelEagle]

 

Oh. Oh boy. This wasn't the best news Applejack had received all day. They didn't know how to set up a simple quarantine? Heck, it wasn't rare knowledge. Anypony who had to lead others into dangerous areas knew the basics. It was why rare tropical diseases weren't ravaging the common pony folk. It was pretty standard practice to segregate those who were getting sick and enact some sanitary measures, even going as far as a nice burn if it needed to be done. But in the end what mattered was the care given and the ability to seek help, which again was helpful when aid believed they wouldn't get sick. Nothing big, even Applejack knew the strategies- living near the Everfree you had to. But if this was magical, it'd explain why ponies were getting sick at random, or seeming to. That would solve a few outlying issues.

This was bolstered by random injuries and trouble remembering. Those were dangerous symptoms but oddly soothing since it eliminated a lot of different illnesses. There was no standard illness one could get that could cause such symptoms that was also communicable. When Applejack was a filly they had an outbreak of the Dawnburg Flu, ran rampant across Ponyville. The fever could burn you right out of your mind- Granny Smith was about normal 'round that time- but it wouldn't cause consistent injuries without cause. “What sorta injuries are you talkin' 'bout? Ah can't even imagine somethin' doin' this that ain't magical,” Applejack asks as she follows Moonglow, the pair heading to the sick folk. It was gonna be hard but she could start to piece this together. Her knowledge of the Everfree and the fauna both interior and local was paying dividends, but only so much. It was starting to dawn on her that whatever this was, it wasn't something that you could get by accident. Troubling...

Finally she could start her investigation of the victim. The poor stallion- he was hiding behind a mask but not well, the anxiousness and pain clear on him. By this point Applejack was confident that the disease was not contagious, at least physically, but she wasn't about to take chances. She pulled a little wet rag out of her saddlebag and wrung it out. Applejack really enjoyed these Prench fiber towels- they soaked in moisture and were good and fresh as new every time you wrung it out, yet it retained a nice and pleasant feeling to it. “Just hold still, sugarcube. Ah'm gonna be quick, so Ah can go ahead an' make sure that y'all are as good as new so ya can get back to yer friends an' family. Wanna talk 'bout what happened an' where yer from?” Applejack offered warmly, bringing her rag into contact. Keep him focused, helpful, and calm. Good.

Applejack wiped him gently, investigating the left side of his body tenderly. She was an earth pony- she didn't need to press to feel the break, it almost screamed at her as the rag flowed on the pelt and numbed him. It was unusual, and unnerving. The warmth was almost melting, or at least it felt like it- cold like symptoms had such a wide variety of ways to go and this was one of the nastier ones. She investigated him for a minute more, cooing warmly to try and calm him down. Sometimes this came down to simple mind over matter, especially if this was all magical. You had to be calm, be strong, before you could repel whatever dark magic was hurting you. She gently pulled away, wringing out her rag and putting it away. This was entirely consistent with her story.

“Sugarcube, you go an' rest. Keep your legs elevated an' keep calm. We'll have this solved lickity split like, ya hear?” Applejack vowed, nodding her head as she put her hat back on. Well, time to get to the real work. “Not far from here are some juneberry alamada flowers. Bright purple-yellow flowers, five petals, really cute purple pods that wanna bust out all over tha place. Gather'm up, squeeze the buds out into a broth made up of lilly pads and boiled fruit peels. If your expedition has had any sorta fruit, it'll work with that too. Boil it together and then compress it into tea. This is a recipe mah Granny taught me- lilly pads and those flowers in this area have a certain magical resistance to 'em. Gather what you can and make it, give it to everypony who ain't sick. Tha ones that are sick, just give'm straight juneberry alamada tea. This'll make'm feel better and should stop 'em from getting much worse,” Applejack ordered before she drew in.

“Alright Moonglow, Ah'm gonna be right frank with you. This illness ain't no natural...err, unnatural, Everfree, whatever...illness. Thar ain't nothing communicable 'bout it. This has ta be magic. The real question is why, and why are new ponies gettin' sick. Either it's slow actin' magic or whatever caused it is still here. Or it has been brought here. Or y'all went someplace ya shouldn't have an' somethin' is getting back out atcha. That bone break- something was off 'bout it. All distorted like. Heck, everything about Idle was off, some sort of distortion- not right at all. Either that magic was inside him or he wasn't like that. Somethin' strange is ahoof here, Moonglow. Ah may be an Apple but Ah'm not simple. Now, Ah'm all ready ta talk to tha leader of this here expedition and run off into tha Everfree, riskin' life an' limb for y'all, an Ah'm happy ta do it. But Moonglow- what was the expedition doing in the Everfree? Y'all don't need a fully staffed expedition ta find no normal plants, Sugarcube,” Applejack asked, her tone lightning near the end but it was always firm and a little aggressive, if still falling far short of being an aggressive tone in and of itself. But the pelt on Applejack's neck was standing up and she could feel the blood flow. She was ready to jump into the solution, ready to do what was necessary to help them- but first, she wanted to know who she was helping and what they had done, because it was pretty clear by now that their hooves couldn't be entirely clean.

[DerpRavener]

Something about Applejack was obviously make Idle Study nervous.  He made an attempt to keep the fear from showing, but it amounted to a token effort.  Whether from his current condition or simply being a bad liar, his state of mind was obvious.  What's more, try as he might he couldn't stop himself from looking at the bushes behind one of the other tents.  Being this close to Celestia's chosen pony, and the element of honesty no less, was forcing him to fall back on a particular crutch.  He took comfort in knowing he was being watched, and kept looking to remind himself that bushes where still there, and it nothing else it kept him from outright bolting.  Which probably wouldn't even work, with the way he was at the moment.  Still, he inched away as Applejack drew close.

 

Or at least, that was until the farmpony pressed the cloth against his damaged leg.  That did feel nice.  It left him feeling a little conflicted.  He know he couldn't let his guard down around Applejack, if he let anything slip here chances are nopony would even be able to recognize his remains, but at the moment all she seemed interested in was helping him out.  There was no scrutiny from her, which is what he had been expecting, there was only concern.

He felt a spike of panic when she asked about where he was from, struggling slightly to remember.  “I-I'm from...” it took a moment to focus his mind, and bring up this particular conversation, “...Trottingham.  Er, I grew up there but I live in...”  He trailed off a bit and his panic subsided, when he noticed that Applejack was far more focused on his wound than his words.  “...Canterlot.  An-and I don't really know what's going on here, just that I'm not feeling well...”

Apparently that was good enough.  Applejack sent Idle on his way, telling him to rest and keep calm while they sorted this whole mess out.  “Thank you,” he said with utter sincerity.  He wasn't sure how aware the earth pony was of it, but those were exactly the orders he needed at the moment.  After bowing his head in thanks, he trudged off toward his tent, and slipped inside.

 

Moonglow listened to Applejack's instructions, committing the key plant's description to memory as she nodded her acknowledgement.  It seemed straightforward enough, and while she was hesitant to believe the problem could be solved so easily, hope was predominant.  “We might have those actually,” she said, speaking of the plants described, “so let me check that.  I'm perfectly willing to go running off into the woods if it'll help, but this should be faster.”  She started moving that direction, the farmpony following until suddenly pulling in close beside her, Applejack keeping her voice low as they walked.

 

---

 

A short distance away from the campsite, Celestia sat drinking a cup of tea and maintaining the spell.  Unprompted, she spoke, apparently to herself.  “Hmm...yes, I believe I can give her that one.  Perhaps it will help her move forward.”  Her horn lit briefly, and although there would be no visible effect something within the spell changed.

 

---

 

Applejack started by confirming a few things that had already been guessed at.  The disease was magical in nature, and the important questions were just what that meant, and how it was spreading.   Moonglow was even still agreeing with the assessment that there was a good chance the expedition had been somewhere or picked up something they shouldn't have.  Mistakes do happen, particularly when the expedition was full of students here to learn about just these sorts of things.

 

She wasn't quite sure what to make of the veiled accusations though, and her mix of confusion and defensiveness was evident on her face.  Just what did this pony think they were up to out here?  “You're right, you don't this many ponies if you're going to find normal plants,” Moonglow deadpanned, after staring at Applejack for a moment.  “But it just so happens that we're searching for AB-normal plants.”  She paused for a moment, and her demeanour changed.  This was an exciting subject for her, and now she'd get to explain it.  “The Everfree Forest this whole, giant mass of mystery and change.  You live here!  You have to have know what I'm talking about.  Poison joke, float-mellons, even plants that walk, like timberwolves!  And those are just things we know about!”  Moonglow wrapped a forelimb around Applejack, and waved the other across the pair's vision, over the forest around them.  “And that's just stuff we know about!  Can you imagine how much there might be left to discover?  Some ponies have even theorized that every day in the Everfree a species dies and a new one emerges!  How much are we missing?!”  She finished by wrapping her hooves around Applejack's shoulders.

 

There was an awkward moment of silence as Moonglow realized just how into her explanation she had gotten.  She took a step back, and cleared her throat.  “Point is, we have good reason to want to be here, at least temporarily, and linked to that is we never know quite what we'll find.  If there's anything suspicious in that...”  She trailed off, realized what it might have looked like when a pony wanted to enter the Everfree Forest.  “...Okay fine, maybe we're a bit nutty.  But nopony's up to anything sinister!.”

 

She turned back to her initial destination, a few speciment crates.  Browsed amongst them, quickly reading off the labels before she found the one that she wanted and pried it open.  She peered into the crate for only a moment.  “Ah ha!” she exclaimed, before pulling out a purple and yellow flower.  “This should be what we need.”

[SteelEagle]

 

He didn't sound right, not one bit. This went beyond the natural reticence a stallion might have divulging information when hurt, the way he spoke it was clear as day he was hiding something. Very strange. Ponies didn't normally feel the need to hide something from her and she didn't feel the need to push or prod any further as a result, but this was another level of unusual. Between the magic weirdness and his shiftiness, it was clear there was something else going on. And why was he taking a gander back at the bushes every once in a while. Also very strange, almost very, very strange. Applejack could feel something prickling at the back of her neck. It didn't feel ominous...well, maybe not that much, anyway. It was terrifyingly enticing and it took great effort for Applejack to continue what she had planned on.

And she had, and Moon's response to Applejack's slightly more aggressive manner was more than acceptable. She was taken back, a little defensive. Good. Applejack had expected her to be so. If she had been less offended, less unnerved at the implications of what Applejack was saying, it would come across as suspicious. Applejack listened to Moonglow as she defended and then launched into a wonderfully energetic explanation of what she and the rest of her comrades were up to. It made sense, It seemed a little overblown, but it made sense. Applejack laughed, adjusting her hat as she did so. “Alright, alright. It all adds up. Just was a little, err, freaked out 'bout that fellow with tha...yeah. Anyway, Ah have a friend who'd love ya. Twilight would be all about yer scholastic moves,” Applejack said, laughing as she followed Moonglow.

They eventually got to the plants and flowers Applejack had told her to get and they made their way towards a tent, where Applejack went about instructing her how to make the simple solution. Luckily it wasn't too hard, it just needed some hooves on description and help. This wouldn't cure them of their ills, it wouldn't solve the problem, but it'd make it easier to cope and could hopefully stall some of the worst symptoms. Applejack wasn't no medical mare but she was a frontier pony, and she knew some ways to help a pony get by while waiting for some serious care. In this case, she knew the methods and ways best suited to helping them get through the worst of it while she went and tracked down the cause of it all. Once that was done, Applejack nodded. “Okay, so y'all make sure ta hoof that out ta tha worst of the afflicted. Try ta husband whatcha have. Ah hafta go- can't solve anything from here anymore. Ah trust ya can handle this, Moonglow,” Applejack said, patting Moon's shoulder before turning around and heading back.
 

She trotted slow, head down for a while while she prepared herself. Deep breaths. She couldn't tell if whatever had been over there was still over there, or even if it would matter in the end. But what she did know was that something was causing that stallion to look over, more concerned with what was over there than his own wounds. Either he was hiding something for a friend and had done something wrong or he had been worried about something far nastier, also doing something wrong. There wasn't much in the way of it being simple and easy but that didn't matter much. She stopped, continuing to look down. Alright. When she moved, she had to move fast. She had to move very fast and very sudden. If she was still being watched from the bushes, she didn't want it to have much time to run. And if it had already left, no time to lose.

Applejack pulled up the brim of her hat and then galloped out of the blue and with great and sudden fury in her hoofsteps, charging towards the bush with all the haste she could muster. In a matter of moments she was there and leaped over- nothing was here. She landed and looked around, her experience in tracking wild animals as well as livestock coming in useful. Nothing was here now, but something had definitely been here before and only very, very recently moved away. And while it wasn't some sort of brute, everything left a trail- especially when it considered itself safe. And this thing must've considered itself safe, because the trail was obvious. Her thoughts wandered back to the stallion a moment. Part of her wanted to interrogate him, but she had heard the sincerity in his voice. If he wanted to commit evil there was easier ways to do it. No, she had to track this devil.

 

Applejack checked around for a few seconds more before she leaped off in the direction she though it went, her speed and agility without equal as she continued to scan the area as she galloped, making small adjustments to her path as the most minute of details led her closer and closer to another link in this mystery's chain...

[DerpRavener]

Despite it's importance, it was a simple enough task, so even though Moonglow didn't have much emergency response experience, she was confident she could handle this.  She nodded, and spoke enthusiastically.  “You can count on me!”

Though, while she knew what she needed to do, she still wasn't sure what Applejack's plan was.  As the farmpony walked away, Moonglow lingered for just a moment and watched, before remembering she had a task to do and turning back towards the tent and getting to work, only slightly disappointed that she wouldn't see what happens next.

 

The thing in the bushes meanwhile, while just as interested, was far less excited about this development.  It couldn't tell what her plan was either, but by Applejack's body language alone it was obvious she was about to try something.

The was a short hiss of alarm as Applejack suddenly charged forward.  The thing immediately turned and ran the opposite direction, caught between a sudden panic and a more calculated response.  Fortunately for it, in this case instinct and planning agreed running away was a good opening move.  It managed to get clear of the bushes moments before the farmpony touched down from her leap.  It only had a moment's head start though, as Applejack lingered only an instant before picking up the trail and following in pursuit.  At it's prime, the thing felt it could have gotten away relatively easily.  In its current state, it was all it could do to keep ahead of the farm pony.  Laboured breathing could be faintly heard from the creature ahead, though much of it was drowned out by the sound of two creatures driving through the underbrush.  Thankfully there was no trail, and the terrain was irregular, so it was easy enough to make one's path difficult to by weaving among the various obstacles.  But even with that, it was going to be caught.

 

Or it would, if it didn't have yet more tricks up its sleeve.  As Applejack neared the thing, and was just about to reach pouncing range, the trail suddenly split into three with each moving a different direction into the woods.

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Applejack followed close, her hooves hammering the earth but not leaving much of an imprint. She was moving almost too fast for thought. Her well-toned, acutely fit and muscled form powered her with little fat on the bones. She didn't have to worry about this being a race- she wasn't expecting to run for the next few hours like in the Running of the Leaves. No pace had to be set. She just had to gallop as hard as she could and that was a mighty pace indeed. The adrenaline flooded her system like a release valve broke. Few things without wings could escape her pursuit naturally- now it may as well have included most winged beasts. She gained on it, all the while trying to catch a good glimpse of it.

Just when she was about to catch it the darn thing split off into three parts of itself, heading off in wildly different directions. Shoot! Well, she didn't have time to cry over it and she kept on task- never even breaking her stride or concentration on the one in front of her. Now she had to rely on tracking and signs to see if it was real- and then if the other parts of it were. The point where they spit was unusual- there were two other trails, though fainter. That was odd, but it fit the pattern, These creatures were going to and from the camp most likely, and their equine forms- she couldn't see much more than that- told her it was no good. These things- well, maybe the expedition had taken some sort of sacred plant and thy were getting revenge, or making getting the plant allowed them to attack or infect or switch places with the ponies of the expedition.

Most importantly, the fainter signs weren't any older. They were just lass panicked. You could tell by the prints they left behind- same depth, same leaf depressions, compressions were exact, shinings of the grass were the same. That meant- well, that maybe this thing hadn't split up into three parts, but that there were three creatures that had met here at the same time and split apart. Why hadn't she seen that? Gosh dang magical creatures. The other sounds were all real- no fake critter, no matter the magic, could fake the right twig snapping and the faint clip-clopsh of hooves on dry ground. Maybe she was wrong and this thing had split from three to one, but none of that mattered much to Applejack because it was the same either way. There were three critters, and the only reason they would have made themselves known was if they were now trying to distract her from the one in front of her.

 

Not that it helped. Applejack hadn't even hesitated as she ran over the position, still keeping track of the center one. Her pace quickened as she realized she was now outnumbered and fighting on their own turf. Perfect spot for them to ambush her. Well an ambush, once discovered, repays the intended mischief- with interest! Her lasso at the ready, it was utilized in quick order. One whip, one last, one rodeo-trained and farm bred throw arced through the air. It landed on the critter's midsection just as Applejack's trained leap through the air ended with her keeping all four hooves solid on the ground in a great brace. The rope was taut around her target and she tugged immediately with all the power in her body- which was more than considerable. It flew towards her at blazing speed. She reared up and stomped down as the target approached, crushing it into the ground enough to push it eight inches into the hard and compact ground.

“Got one of ya's! Won't be long 'fore Ah get'm ta spill tha beans!” She bellowed loud and clear, hoping to make the others return.
“Will it?” Applejack whispered huskily into it's ear. It was a changeline, yep. Made sense now why that leg was all magic like. Must've infiltrated the camp for purposes she'd soon find out. Gosh darn it, she HATED Changelings. She was a member of the REA for a short while and fought them from the frozen tundra to the tropics to tunnels underneath Roam. Quen Chrysalis had tricked her on a date and then sucked so much love out of her she could barely even try to care when Apple Bloom was hurt a week later. One had impersonated her during Nightmare Night and trapped a bunch of foals. She hated them. HATED THEM.

 

It was only her good nature that demanded she didn't do something un-Equestrian to it. She hoped she hadn't hurt the thing too much- but heck, it seemed solid enough and she needed something suitably impressive. Either the others would return to try and rescue it, in which case Applejack was ready, or they would break and flee in terror- leaving this fella alone for her. Either way, she was ready, ears perking for the tell tale signs of creatures approaching both big and small.

[DerpRavener]

The changeling under Applejack's hooves tried his best to give her an angry look.  And one might say he did a decent job of it, all things considered.  But the truth was, he was scared, and in pain.  While the effort was there, it wasn't very convincing.

 

Meanwhile a hushed, anxious conversation could be heard a little ways into the bushes, increasing in pace briefly as Applejack called out.  Then it stopped, and after a momentary silence another changeling stepped out of the bushes.  This was an older changeling than the captive and more experienced, as evidenced by the number of scars that covered his body in various places, although a close look could reveal that some of the injuries were recent, and healed badly.  He moved with confidence despite having a slight limp in his gait, and stared at Applejack an even expression.

This outcome had not been his intention, indeed he had hoped the ruse would have forced the pony to pause, instead of continuing to pursue a decoy.  As such, it was his responsibility to correct this mistake, though not before preparing a contingency.   He would not accept any unnecessary losses, especially when they were already spread so thin.

 

After a moment of sizing the farmpony up, the changeling spoke.  “Will you now?  Funny, in my experience, Equestrians don't have the stomache to torture a nymph.”  Stretching the truth a bit, but the captive was young and certainly no soldier.  The older changeling began to pace a slow circle around Applejack, keeping a distance.  Not only would it avoid provoking the pony, but it ensured that any action against himself would give her captive a chance to get free.  “Of course, maybe changelings are the exception, and you will gleefully try.  But one has to wonder, after all these years of peace would you even know how?  You would beat him to death, before he gave you anything.”  The walking changeling spared a glance at the captive one.  The words weren't exactly comforting.  But they didn't need to be, and in fact probably couldn't be to achieve their desired effect.

He forced himself to look away, and glared back at the farmpony before continuing.  “And while you waste time 'having fun', who knows what else will happen?  And now you're out here, alone except for changelings.  Just what is it that you plan to do?”  He wasn't expecting an answer, he was just hoping to either force her away or to keep her talking, however he could.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack didn't have to wait long for the potential leader of this small band to appear. Good. This little drone was lucky that he wasn't relying on Queen Chrysalis to save him. She would probably have let him suffer at Applejack's hooves rather than save him. He wanted to help the drone, so already this was working out well. As long as he was willing to talk, as long as he was willing to listen, as long as he was willing to reason, she'd be willing to treat them better than they deserved. A quick look at him- she didn't mind the angry countenance of the drone, as non-threatening as it was- at the one speaking revealed he was worse for the wear. It wasn't the litany of scars that spoke of battles won and lost in the past, but the limp, the lame gait, the slight stench of poor suturing and rot- he was in no position to fight. Which means that by revealing himself, he was counting on her talking. This was either a true attempt at diplomacy or a poor ruse, as she doubted the changelings could get the drop on her like she was some one-track mare.

He was off base about her intentions. She slipped one hoof into her saddlebag, rummaging around for something as he spoke. If he took her for some cruel brute, he would be sorely mistaken. After a few moments she pulled out a cyan feather which was a trophy of a past victory. Rainbow Dash really should know better than to challenge Applejack at an even, non-flying athletic challenge, especially when the farmer was in desperate need of quills. Today, her feathers would be used for a decidedly unique purpose. She brought th feather down on the hoof of the pinned changeling, scoping out the carapace. She found space between the plating and went under it, getting to the softness that was his hoof, and started tickling him nearly absentmindedly as she turned to face the elder.

“Sugarcube, Ah don't need ta torture him ta get answers, an' Ah don't think yer in any place to not tell me tha truth either. Y'all look banged up, hurt, out of sorts- an' Ah doubt it was on account of a bunch of expedition ponies, at least directly, unless you did somethin'. An' Ah ain't in no accusatory mood. Ah jus' wanna know what is goin' on here. Ah wanna get them sick ponies, if they are sick, back on their hooves. I wanna know what caused it, why, and who did it- if there be anypony or 'ling to blame- and how ta bring this back ta normal. An' judgin' by yer woundin', Ah reckon y'all ain't too pleased 'bout recent events either. How 'bout y'all just tell me tha truth? Well, Ah'm gonna get it either way,” She smiled, a mixture of self-assured confidence and playfulness evident on her features which still seemed to hold a vigilant reserve in play, “either 'cause this here drone tells me, or y'all stop playin' these silly games. Then we can see 'bout getting everypony and ling who is banged up all right and healed so we can all go our separate ways and not hurt one another anymore,” Applejack offered, her voice even and blunt without even the slightest hint of duplicity or malice. Her honesty wielded like a mace against the circling environs of conspiracy. 

[DerpRavener]

The changeling had not been expecting this.  He had been expecting a battle of wits and wills, with him trying to make the pony back off before harming her captive, and her making some sort of demand backed up by a threat.  Perhaps aside from the feather, which he found disconcerting as he had no idea what it used for in an interrogation session, she seemed almost understanding.  Perhaps worse, she was perceptive.  They couldn't afford to get into any fight they could avoid.  The changeling was skeptical, but he couldn't pass up the chance for a peaceful resolution.

Unfortunately the pony's offer had remained essentially the same: help in exchange for information.  The changeling was not willing to give up the location of the main group just yet.  He couldn't yet say for certain that this wasn't some sort of trap, or that the pony wouldn't get cold hooves if she saw the bulk of their group, and would run off and tell the guard.  That would be the end of them.  Neither could he afford to simply brush her aside either though.

 

He thought for a moment, considering just what he could say to placate this pony, before allowing himself a small smile.  “For such a perceptive pony, I'm surprised you never figured it out sooner.  You'll be pleased to hear there is no disease, or curse or anything.  The 'allflicted' ponies have simply been replaced.”  He grimaced briefly.  “And many of the replacements are a little worse for wear.  It was a moment of genius from one of the infiltrators, the fake illness both covered for the holes in disguises and kept the expedition from venturing into a guarded area to seek help.”  Now that the farmpony had discovered changelings were involved, hiding the details of how they crept in was unnecessary.

 

The changeling sat down, preparing for a long negotiation.  “You'll also be happy to hear that the ponies are safe.  One of them is more valuable than almost any one of us.  We will defend them with our lives.  They will be returned once they are no longer needed, as per usual, though in the circumstances I couldn't say precisely when that would be.”

 

“As for what happened to us, when Chrysalis-” he practically spat the name, but little mention of it, “-decided to make her 'public appearance', where previously there had been a sort of unaware coexistence, ponies became aware of our existence for the first time and began working against us.  We were never a very large hive, we lived or died on our ability to remain concealed.  We were not in a position to take what we needed by force.  So, simply put, we starved.  That in itself would be a problem we could deal with, but we had our own enemies and hazards.  There was only so long we could keep them at bay while love-starved.  So, after time and a number of lives passed, the decision was made to leave.  The forest isn't mush safer, however.  We're down to about a fifth of who we started with.”  That was all he could give her, for those particular questions.

 

He watched the farmpony expectantly.  Unfortunately, the thing she really wanted was something he could not give.  He neither had the authority, nor had his hive the resources the give up those particular food sources at the moment.  Still, he had some hope.  Strictly speaking, he was supposed to silence her on sight, and no doubt the pony had a similar restriction, yet here they were.

[SteelEagle]

 

 

You could always count on villains- or even the lieutenants of villains, like the elder one here- to underestimate their opponents in ways both big and small. Of course Applejack had known the ponies were being replaced. The second she had seen the Changelings for what they were and could think back to the pony she had investigated back at the camp. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the rest, but it took the Element of Honesty to play this way. She never once told a lie. Enough qualifiers for the Equestrian Games. A big enough hole for the Changeling to walk in and tell her what she already knew and then much more than she had intended. Heck, he started giving off a bit of a speech, all of which was far beyond what she had expected. Ponies always treated honesty like a blunt instrument when it was more like a scalpel. Never lie, never bend, but explore in acute angles the colors of perception and let honesty be a two way street instead of a one-way road.

 

The story he told was very, very interesting. A small guarded area in the forest was home to a hive that had seen much better days, pushed out of their natural home by the aftermath of Chrysalis' foolish movements. Due to their location and enemies they had taken quite a beating. They were in no real position to go out and hunt, so it stood to reason that large groups of ponies venturing into what was now their homeland had likely provoked them into their first attempt at feeding in a long while. A clever little plan and a good cover story and voila, here they were. No doubt parts of it were slathered in tragedy. Nothing deserved to die of starvation no matter the food. Applejack couldn't think of a worse way for a critter to go, Whether that felt the same when it was a Changeling and the food was emotional rather than rooted? She couldn't tell you. And she didn't want to, but she could only imagine it was terrible.

But none of that would have really done much to keep her focus off of the ponies. She had been put in that position and knew that no matter what, the events that transpired and what they were going through would have effects that'd last for months or years afterwards. Changelings needed to feed but an Equestrian without love was an Equestrian essentially emotionally gelded and cut off from productive society, a shell of a body making the motions but with all the hollowness of a broken mind. It took a long time to heal. This was a bad situation all around, with the needs of the ponies and the needs of the Changelings in direct opposition. Applejack's heart was open and warm-hearted- well, as much as it could possibly be- and she received his story with care that was evident as she nodded near the end, looking down at the Changeling she had underhoof.

She took her hat off and brushed her mane back, still nodding before sighing. “Mighty sorry ta hear 'bout yer hive. Nopony an' noling deserves ta starve ta death, and y'all look mighty poor off. Ah can understand yer needin' ta do what ya must ta feed. But- well, Ah've been one've them love captives 'fore. Twice, actually. First time wasn't so bad Ah suppose, only gone for a short while while another Changeling impersonated me an' tried ta capture a bunch of foals. Would've worked too had it not been for some friends. A whole lotta families were almost destroyed that night. The second time...” Applejack had to suppress a tear, and her voice had a small growl rumbling underneath it, “that damn Chrysalis impersonated somepony. Took me ta Roam. Got me real good and real private and took me for everything Ah had. Ah couldn't love or care 'bout nothin' for months afterwards. Ah wasn't me. Ah was just a body. Might as well have been dead for how good Ah felt! Mah family got hurt an' Ah couldn't even shrug. Almost lost mah livelihood, didn't care. Didn't care 'bout nothin and Ah couldn't even love my fillyfriend any-” she calmed down, putting her hat back on in a huff as she took some deep breaths. After a few, she was calmed down and shook her head at the leader.

“Mah point is this- y'all need ta feed, but y'all are always kidnapping or being sneaky 'bout love. Y'all could probably just ask Equestrians and explain you need it ta live. 'Nough Changelings live in Equestria as it is, in the open, that yer bound ta survive a heck of a lot better than this. Which brings me ta where we are now...” she sighed again, “Ah ain't leavin' this forest without those ponies. Y'all need ta feed, but what yer doin' ain't right. Now, there are two ways ta get this done. One, Ah have ta find the hive mahself and rescue the ponies. Ah know Ah can do it and- well, be honest with yourself. You know I will. But that'd leave a lot of y'all injured an' Ah'm not really interested in hurting any of y'all. Two, you lead me to your home and we can all work this out all friendly like. I can guarantee you that if y'all work with me in that regard, Ah can make it so none of ya have ti starve to death. But in order for this to work Ah need you ta trust me- please?”

[DerpRavener]

The farmpony offered her sympathies for their situation, and while the changeling lieutenant wasn't entirely sure how genuine it was, that fact that she tried at all seemed like a positive sign.  At the very least, she had her own pressures to act civil at the moment, even if they would ultimately be enemies again once all of this over.

The farmpony went on to relate her own experiences with changeling feeding, specifically being on the receiving end of it.  The changeling wasn't entirely sure if it was relevant to their current situation, but if nothing else it was a trade of information for information, in good faith.  He sneered a little at the mention of Chrysalis, but otherwise was fairly stoic about the whole story.  “My condolences,” he offered, not feeling particularly attached to the pony or her story, but still finding the whole thing waste by the sound of it.  “I can assure you that we always return ponies to their communities with time and circumstances to recover, though of course that's when we're able.  'Desperate times'.”  More than he decided not to say for the moment.  He doubted this pony would really appreciate the details of their feeding, it didn't seem all that relevant to to the issues at hoof.

 

This was getting beyond the scope of what the changeling was equipped to handle.  He was expecting and prepared to negotiate the pony's leaving, on the assumption that she would not be aggressive enough to take on this many changelings at once, even impaired as they were.  She had expected the pony would at least want to check on the camp, even if she wasn't looking for an excuse to back off.  It left him in something of a predicament, lacking what the position to really negotiate, but being unable to turn her away either.

Then again, him being ill equipped for this lead to an obvious solution: bring the farmpony to the changeling that could negotiate.  It carried a risk of course, and he wasn't entirely comfortable leading this pony right to their own camp, but on further consideration it couldn't be much worse.  The pony had already demonstrated some ability at tracking, so it was likely only a matter of time before she found the changelings' own encampment, before any sort of 'countermeasures' were considered.  And should she suddenly become hostile, their best chance at beating her would be with their full group complete with queen.

 

There was just one thing the changeling had to account for: the 'message' he'd sent out a few moments ago.  He could not rescind it entirely, but he could prevent some damage from occurring prior to negotiations even starting.  He raised a hoof to the side, and moments later a large amount of rustling leaves could be heard, coming to a stop only a few paces away from the standoff.  Several pairs of pale blue eyes could be seen watching Applejack from the surrounding foliage, hungry more than anything else.

The leader of this group put his hoof back down, the situation now under control, and regarded Applejack with a curious expression.  “You've given me some things to think about,” he said after a moment.  He stood up, and began to limp deeper into the woods, expecting Applejack to follow.  "We simply cannot give you the ponies.  That would condemn us to a slow death, and even if that were acceptable for you, for obvious reasons it would not be for us.  Still, perhaps there is some solution still to be found.  Please, follow me.”

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack was more than relieved. She didn't want to have to kick flank to get what she needed to get out of them but had worried that it was the only way to communicate with such nasty varmints, the language of violence often being absurdly international. But thank her lucky stars, he was willing to take her there. She didn't really think there was much hope for a peaceful resolution in this whole mess since Changelings were as one-track minded as a Yak, but she was willing to give them a chance. If everything worked out and she was able to get the whole shindig solved as best as possible that would exceed her wildest expectations. Assuming that didn't happen however she was prepare to do whatever was necessary. At least there was a chance, no matter how remote.

Applejack stepped off of her captive and helped it up, which was good. She was about to really start grilling it for information, the quaking of laughter about to commence. Would have been an awkward sight for all. She tightened up her saddlebag- nopony or noling was going to take it, that was for sure. She took stock of how long it'd been since this had began- not too long. Look how banged up they were, too. It took some energy and strength to maintain disguises. Not a lot of love in the camp because of all the fear from those who hadn't been swapped out. Hunger was a terrible thing and between how hurt they were and how little was there for them, there was little hope for this small hive unless Applejack could work something out. Her head ran with all the possibilities and a hope that it would be enough to work.

She could only hope they would listen to reason and be open to the truth. They couldn't win this. They had to know that. Fighting her was a one way ticket to their hive's destruction. Their only salvation was in working with her to achieve something better. “Alright. Lead tha way. Maybe yer leader can work somethin' out with me an' we can all go home pleased like.”

[DerpRavener]

Applejack's former captive took the offered hoof, but took the opportunity to back away as soon as he could.  Between the farmpony's raw strength, being both a fit earth pony and much better fed than them at the moment, and her...bizarre approach to interrogation, she made him nervous.  As Applejack followed them away from the small clearing, the changelings formed a loose formation around Applejack.  Her former captive took a position as far from its centre as he could get, though he kept stealing glances at her, his expression alternating between being wary and curious.

 

All of the changelings glared at her, and a few of them hissed when Applejack spoke.  They weren't opposed to the idea of something being worked out, but that wasn't what they were focused on.  What she said was, in their minds, a cruel reminder and a bad joke.

The leader was a little more clear-headed however.  He knew the pony didn't know what happened to them.  They had up until recently been working to keep information like that well concealed from everyone, and pony-kind especially.  He paused, and looked back at Applejack with a pained expression.  “Home...” He snorted.  “It's out of the question.  But sure, I would like to go home.”  He silenced the rest of the group with a glare, he would let their best chance at survival go to waste over something like this, before making a motion and the group moved on.

 

It took only a few minutes to get from where they had met to the changelings' current place of residence.  It was fairly close to pony camp, though it was heavily concealed enough that its presence generally wouldn't be noticed until one was in the midst of it.  A number of simple structures were constructed out of the trees in the area or dug out of the ground, though it was clear they were made quickly.  This was evidently not a permanent encampment.

Several changelings came to greet them, drawn by the commotion of the group's return, though they tended to shrink back when they saw a fully aware pony with them.  Many others were scattered around inside the makeshift structures, not moving save for a faint, almost unnoticeable rising and falling of their chests.  A number of them were also injured, though for most this was only evident through the various salves and makeshift bandages.  All told there looked to be around sixty of them, although only around a quarter of those seemed to be moving around.

 

The lieutenant led the way to the far end of the camp, stopping before a particular changeling and bowing.  This was no mundane drone, however.  She was slender and very tall, at least double Applejack's height.  Unlike the other changelings, this one had a vibrant green mane, though it was a ragged, torn up mane even after the changelings' usual decayed appearance was taken into account.  She took a moment to finish tending to a drone before her, before turning around to reveal her slitted, and otherwise solid green eyes.  Or eye, at least, she had a makeshift bandage wrapped around her head, which was widest where her other eye should have been.

 

Her gaze bore into Applejack with her remaining eye, though it was the changeling lieutenant to whom she spoke.  “Gnarl,” she said with obvious irritation, though apparently too tired to muster more than that at the apparent treachery, “What is the meaning of this?  Have you finally gone senile, or did you simply snap under the pressure?”

 

“No, my queen.  I took a calculated risk.”  The lieutenant, apparently named Gnarl, took a moment to sit down.  He let out a breath as he finally got a chance to rest his body.  “This pony is under the impression that she can help us.”  Then almost as an afterthought, he added, “As well as free her comrades, of course.” 

 

“I don't have time to entertain flights of fancy,” the queen said with a growl.  Her gaze remained the unchanged, though it did soften to a sort of hesitant curiosity, and it was unclear whether she had directed it at Gnarl's choice or Applejack's hopes.  Or perhaps it was both.  It was clear what she said next was directed at the farmpony however.  “Make your case.”

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack followed the changeling leader into what counted as their hive, as relatively pathetic as it was. She had made some sort of faux paus. Apparently home was out of the equation. No creature deserved to be abandoned or exiled, shunned and left to rot like spoiled meat. Luckily their leader was made out of smarter stuff than the drones who formed a formation around her as they traveled. Not that it got much better when they reached the hive. They were hanging on by the skin of their teeth, the poor creatures. She didn't feel the same sympathy she felt for most creatures when they were in pain, however. That was just not possible. She hated changelings. What they had done to her was unconscionable and cruel. She would never not hate them. But just because Applejack hated them didn't mean she wanted harm to come to them. If they played their cards right they could get along just fine. Well, as long as they didn't stick their holey hooves in her face.

It wasn't much longer before she met their Queen, who didn't look much better than others. She was wounded, a one-eyed leader of a weary band, unhappy with this development but not so silly as to dismiss the possibilities inherent in Applejack's presence. The earth pony could only hope this was a good sign. She took off her hat as a sign of respect, as begrudging as it was. If Twilight had taught Applejack anything, it was that knowing how to respect somepony- or in this case someling- else in their home was a good way to get a good message across. “Howdy. Mah name's Applejack an' Ah'm not gonna dance 'round tha facts none, as Ah see y'all are in a bad spot out here. But y'all can't be kidnapping ponies and feedin' on 'em like this. It ain't right and yer makin' ponies suspicious, so much so that Princess Celestia herself has sent me to find out what's happening out here. Y'all can't be doing this and Ah'm tha one thing preventin' tha Princess from sending the entire Guard in or closing this area off to any pony hoof traffic, permanently. And- well, Ah can see yer Hive and both'f those things aren't whatcha need.

Whatcha need is some love. Ah know that. And if Ah can get you to cooperate, maybe Ah can work somethin' out with Celestia to provide you with somethin' more...less kidnappy and more acceptin'. Heck, get a lonely pony together with a changeling who can provide their dream mare or stallion or what-have-you, that there is some mighty powerful love! So many options, really. Ah'd have ta talk with Celestia...but tha point is, Ah need you to cooperate in order for you to get anything at all, and by cooperation Ah mean lettin' the ponies you've captured go. And if yer bein' honest with yerself, ya know that's the only smart play. Now Ah'm not some sort of genius or nothin' but Ah'm also nopony's dummy, an' Ah can see it clear as day. Ah'm sure you can too,” Applejack spoke evenly and plaintively, locking her eyes with the one good eye of the Queen. Her ears twitched with every movement around her and she was more than ready to fight her way out if needs be, but hopefully this was a Queen in more than name.

[DerpRavener]

The queen stared through Applejack for a long moment, seemingly considering what the farmpony just said.  Then, to likely everyone but Gnarl's surprise, she burst out laughting.  When she was done, she replied, sporting a wide grin.  “I must say, that must be the most passive assassination attempt I have ever heard, of ones that might almost work.”  She put a perforated hoof to her chin and looked off to the side, in an exaggerated display of contemplation.  “It's much too obvious, of course.  And you rushed the attempt, with more preparation perhaps you could have obscured its true nature, until it was too late.  Still, I appreciate the attempt!”

 

The queen's smile faded, and she took a couple of leisurely steps toward the farmpony.  She didn't truly think this was some misguided attempt to remove them.  While she wouldn't put it past them entirely, it was the sort of thing they preferred to avoid.  And if they did try it, their methods would undoubtedly be much more direct.  No, the pony was almost certainly being genuine, she just seemed to have missed a blatant problem with her suggestions.  In other circumstances, the queen might have ejected or captured the pony there and then.  As it was, given the state of her hive, fighting could incur a heavy cost and she had little to lose from attempting diplomacy.

“In future negotiations, you would do well not to ignore obvious facts.”  Whether the pony had merely forgotten, or chosen not to consider them was irrelevant.  The queen was now standing a mere hoof-length away from Applejack.  “Look around you,” she made a wide sweeping motion with a hoof, indicating the makeshift camp in general.  “How long do you think we will last with no source of love?”  She gave Applejack to consider.  The pony was unlikely to have precise information, but that wouldn't be necessary for the point the queen was trying to get across.  “Now, how long will it take for these 'other options' to appear?  I find it hard to believe such things could be arranged within a week, let alone the day after which we would need it.”

 

She shook her head.  “No,” she said simply.  “At this time those captives are more important to my hive's survival than even I am.”  Several of the other, more aware changelings grew shocked expressions from the statement, and a few even looked like they were about to voice objections.  The queen silenced them with just a glance, before turning her attention back to the discussion at hoof.  “It is quite simple.  We are willing to return the captives if and when these alternate sources of love energy are brought to us.”  She watched the farmpony carefully, scrutinizing her for any reaction, either subtle or overt.