Chapter Two

The two made their way to Ponyville, Twilight staying close to the Sorcerer Lord. For some reason, the creatures of Everfree Forest were avoiding him, even the Timberwolves did not go near him. When a Manticore walked out, it looked towards them and gave off a warning growl. The princess prepared for it to attack, but Ahriman lowered his hand and stopped her

The Sorcerer Lord walked towards the beast, the manticore giving a threatening growl, yet… He didn't seem the least bit fazed by it, at all. Reaching his free hand up, Ahriman just kept his helmeted eyes locked with the manticore's own. To Twilight, it looked like the two were staring each other down, but the reality of things was much different.

Ahriman touched into the warp, or whatever form of the warp that was within this strange world, and focused his mind's eye on to the beast. Slowly, but surely, the Sorcerer Lord pushed his will into the manticore's own. A faint glow appeared between the two of them, and Ahriman's eyes started to glow blue. Within seconds, the manticore's yellow eyes turned blue, and it stopped growling at him. "+Leave+." Ahriman's mind commanded, the manticore slowly nodding to him.

Twilight watched, in disbelief, as the manticore turned and left, without a single sign of wanting to fight anymore. "H-How did he do that?" She thought, noticing Ahriman's horned helmet was slightly looking back at her.

The princess took it as a sign of him telling her to come along, but he continued to stand there when she reached him. "You're confused, and your mind seems to be uneasy… Is something the matter/" Ahriman asked, making Twilight tilt her head.

"H-How did you get that manticore to leave us alone, along with know I was confused?" She asked, as the two of them continued to walk towards Ponyville. "I have never seen anypony do that, not even Princess Celestia!"

Ahriman gave a nod, smiling behind his helmet. "Going with the manticore, it was a simple method of placing my will into it. Have it do, as I want it to." He answered, using his staff like a cane, his mind extending out to watch for any threats. "For how I knew you were confused? A simple method of using my mind to analyze those around me, read how their soul feels at the time."

Twilight face brightened up, she didn't know this sorcerer was that powerful! "Whoa, I didn't know such things were even possible!" She thought, while walking next to the Astartes.

Ahriman actually laughed bit. "Now you're excited, may I ask about what?" He asked her, Twilight blushing about how the Sorcerer Lord could actually read her emotions like a book.

"Oh, well, sorry… I just enjoy learning new things, especially when it comes to magic." Twilight admitted, causing Ahriman to smirk at the new information. "After all, I am the Princess of both Magic and Friendship… Along with Princess Celestia's personal student."

The Sorcerer Lord raised an eyebrow, he had to admit... She had quite the resume. "I cannot help, but feel like I should be treating you more like the royal you are." Ahriman said, as the approached the wood-line. "Your titles are most extensive, and give off a high member of society feeling."

Both of Twilight's ears fell into her mane, and she looked up to the Astartes. "Please, you do not have to do that. After all, I was just a normal unicorn before I became a princess."

Ahriman nodded. "As you wish, Princess." He looked down at her. "And can you explain this 'becoming a princess' process? Where I am from, unicorns do not have wings."

"Oh! Myapologies, I am what is known as an alicorn… There are four, known, alicorns. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence. Each princess represents, and protects, what they are charged with in Equestria." Twilight explained, the Sorcerer Lord taking mental notes for later use.

"Hm… Seems like knowledge hadn't negatively affected this word, just yet." Ahriman thought, on how easily young Twilight gave up so much important information. "I see, and what do these other princesses control?" He asked.

"My sister-in-law, Cadence, is the Princess of Love." She said, the Sorcerer Lord rolling his eyes at such a charge. "But Princess Celestia controls the Sun, while Princess Luna controls the Moon."

That made Ahriman suddenly freeze. "The control the Sun and Moon!?" He asked her, shocked to her of such power.

Twilight nodded, smiling up at him. "Yep! We even have celebrations for both of the sisters, and their respective duties." She explained, further.

"Note to self, be careful of those two…" He thought, warning himself about the Solar and Lunar Princesses. Ahriman continued to walk, s the princess kept up with him. When a small village started to come into view, he motioned towards it. "Is that your 'Ponyville', by chance, princess?"

Twilight nodded to him. "Yes! Thank you so much!" She said, as they walked out of the Everfree Forest. "Now, we just need to find out if the Changelings are here…. Somehow."

Ahriman looked down at Twilight, tilting his head. "They seemed rather obvious, from what I saw… Insectoid Equine, how hard would that be to spot?" He asked, the two stopping right outside of the small village

"Those Changelings were blatantly showing themselves, but they have the ability to transform into anypony." Twilight explained, looking back to Ponyville. "That is what makes them dangerous… They could be anywhere."

Ahriman nodded, taking a step forward. "Then it is a good thing I have a counter for such things." He said, Twilight trying to keep up with him.

Everypony suddenly stopped, and watched the strange being walking through their town… With their princess, no less! "But, Lord Ahriman, how can you tell them apart from every other pony?" Twilight asked, noticing the looks they were receiving. "No pony has ever found a flaw in their magic."

"While they change their exterior, they cannot change their interior." He explained, suddenly stopping near the town center. "One cannot hide what is in their soul, such as the malicious intent within these 'Changelings'…" Ahriman explained, noticing five mares rushing up to them, and sensing something off. "Like two of those five."

Ahriman suddenly drew his bolt pistol, pointing it at the five mares, and puled the hammer back with his thumb. The action, alone, caused all five to suddenly come to dead halt, one instantly started to cower in fear while the others prepared to fight. Before the Sorcerer Lord could pull the trigger, Twilight jumped in his line of sight. "What are you doing!? Those are my best friends!"

He tilted his head, the pistol didn't budge for a second. "I already explained what." Ahriman continued to point his weapon at them. "Two of them aren't who they seem to be." The response confused Twilight, making her look back at the other Elements of Harmony.

They began to look at one another, while Twilight looked back at Ahriman. "How can you be sure?"

Ahriman looked down at her, before mag-locking the bolt pistol to his hip. "If you wish, I can easily disrupt their minds and force the two to lose their concentration." Twilight nodded, as the Sorcerer Lord aimed his attention back towards the five. "Now then, how about we stop pretending, shall we?"

With that, Ahriman shot a quick burst of psykic energy straight into both minds of Applejack and Fluttershy! The sudden attack on their minds forced both mares to sheer agony, and on to the ground. Before Twilight could tell him to stop, a green aura appeared around their bodies, and revealed the hidden Changelings.

Twilight couldn't believe it; the Sorcerer Lord was right! Though, he suddenly took a defensive stance. "Bind them, quickly, princess." He ordered, sensing other Changelings coming straight for them. "We are about to have company!"

Twilight nodded, as a pair of Changelings lunged towards her. Before they could get near, both of them burst into blue flames and fell to the ground. This allowed the princess to have lavender chains appear, and link around the two Changelings that tried to be two of her friends. This allowed Twilight to look around, checking for anything else she needed to do.

She noticed most of Ponyville's townsponies went into their homes. Though, the Changelings started to attack, with their cover blown by the Astartes with her. While there were quite a few, none of them stood a chance against the Corvidae's former leader. He could predict their attacks, even sync with their movements. Everything becoming slow motion for him, seeing every movement he needed to take for victory over the Changelings.

"t-Twilight, darling... Who is that?" Rarity asked, watching Ahriman's flawless movements and counters. Her eyes widen when azure flames flew from his hands or burst out from within the Changelings.

Rainbow Dash became impressed, when Ahriman pointed his tipped fingers towards a group of Changeling. A burst of lightning suddenly arching to each one of them. "Yeah! This guy is awesome!" She noticed the sapphire color of his armor, mixing with the gold outlying it. "And he has an awesome choice in armor color."

When one of the Changelings appeared over Ahriman's left shoulder, hissing at him, the Sorcerer Lord just back handed it right in the face, nonchalantly… This caused Pinkie Pie to lose it! "Pawhahahaha!" Was her only response.

Twilight smiled, nodding to them. "Girls, that is Lord Ahzek Ahriman, leader of a group called the 'Prodigal Sons'. He, uh, helped me at the Castle of Two Sisters, when the Changelings attacked me there." She explained, the three mares looking towards the Sorcerer Lord… Just in time to see a wave of blue flames explode off to his right, incinerating a group of charging Changelings.

The display was awe inspiring, making the mares go slack jaw at the sheer amount of power within Ahriman's disposal. However, when the Sorcerer Lord placed a hand over his chest, causing the display to disperse and revealed only three, terrified, Changelings left. He looked towards them, and they turned tail and ran before he could actually do anything to them.

He gave a nod, smirking a bit. "Almost forgot about those damned needles." He thought, shrugging at the thought and used his power to push them back. "No matter, the deed is done." Ahriman walked back over to the four mares, and nodded. "Now then, to see what they've done with your friends."

Twilight tilted her head. "How do you plan on doing that, Lord Ahrimn?" She asked, as he knelt next to the two Changelings.

"Easy… I will peak into their minds, and see where it is they hid them." He replied, stabbing his staff into the ground. Once done, he carefully reached forward and placed a hand on to both of the Changeling's heads. The Sorcerer Lord could not do much; he's pushed himself too far already.

The mares watched, as the Sorcerer Lord did… Something with the Changelings. Both his helmet's eyes and his hands started to glow blue. "Hey, Twilight, what is he doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The princess shrugged at the question. "I don't know. I haven't seen him do this before." She looked back towards Ahriman. "To be honest, his form of magic is completely new to me… I've never seen nor heard of it before." Twilight's friends were a bit shocked, to hear that she has never heard of the Sorcerer Lord's magical art before.

Their attention was grabbed, when they heard the sound of a burst of flame. Ahriman had just incinerated the two Changelings, and was now holding his chest, breathing heavily. "Y-Your friends… At at their homes… Incased within some kind of cocoons."

Three of the Mane Six nodded, and rushed off to help their friends, while Twilight walked up to Ahriman. "Are you alright, Lord Ahiman? You seem like you're in a lot of pain." She asked him, while the Sorcerer Lord stood up.

"I will be… Fine." Ahriman said, while he grabbed hold of his staff. "Now, go save your friends… I would like to see to my brothers afterwards." Twilight nodded, feeling that it would only be right since he helped her, and went to assist the others. The Sorcerer Lord looked back towards the mare, as she ran off, before placing a hand over his chest again. "I need to be more careful." He thought, looking down at the hand over his chest. "Those needles could kill me at any moment, if I distract myself from those."