Dimension: My Little Pony

Planet: Equestria Earth

Specific Location: Canterlot Train Station

Time: A couple of weeks after the arrival of Sunset Shadow

Sunset's eyes snapped open. Immediately he looked around wildly, believing that his nightmares had seeped into reality, but everything was fine. He shook his head, had he really fallen asleep? As he reached into his mind, he remembered, faintly, falling asleep sometime around the time had stopped at midnight. The train had stopped? Joseph shook his head violently, trying to clear it. There was no way the train had stopped. Then the train stopped again. Alarmed, Sunset looked out the window, prepared for the worst, but everything was fine: they had arrived at Canterlot station. Condemning his wild thoughts to his nightmares, Sunset turned to wake up his friends, who all were still asleep. First he went to Fluttershy's room… empty. For a moment, Sunset stood looking into the empty room, dumbfounded. Shaking his head once again, he figured that she must have passed him by during the time he was asleep to perhaps go to the diner car. Sunset moved to Twilight's room. He poked his head in nervously, fervently hoping she was there… If she wasn't, well, that could be implications of some sinister plot. Fortunately, she was there, her head burrowed under her pillow.

Using magic to lift the pillow off her head, Sunset said, into her ear, "Wake up Twilight! We've made it!"

Groaning, Twilight rolled out of bed, almost on top of Spike who was still sleeping. Sitting up on her haunches, she looked blearily at Sunset.

"Why did the train stop? This is the second time! When will we get there?"

Sunset looked curiously, "We've made it. But… you think the train stopped before too?"

Twilight shook her head, "I thought so. But it could have just been my imagination."

Sunset then went to Rarity's room. There she was, sleeping soundly, with slices of cucumber neatly placed over her eyes. After a moment of amusement, Sunset turned to Twilight, "Eh… I think I'll let you wake her up."

The two proceeded to wake up Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Worryingly enough, Spike, Applejack and Rainbow Dash too said they thought the train had stopped at least once before. However, at this point, Sunset had brushed his suspicions aside and went in search of Fluttershy.

As he began to enter the diner car, he bumped into her.

"Oh, hello." She said, smiling, "I didn't see you there,"

On impulse, Sunset nodded and quickly asked, "Did you feel the train stop once already before we reached Canterlot station?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No," she said, "I didn't. We made it, didn't we? I really must be going."

With that, Fluttershy passed by Sunset, and went off to her room. Sunset stood there blinking… was it just him, or had she been a little… brisk?

Shaking his head for the third time that morning, he went off to his unused room to pick up his things. Everything was going to turn out all right, he was just being paranoid thanks to his nightmares. The group exited the train station, and began to work their way towards Canterlot castle, where Celestia had kindly invited them to say.

Twilight turned to Pinkie Pie. "Hey Pinkie," said Twilight, "There's Joe Donut's shop over there. You want to say hello before we make it to the castle?"

Pinkie just shook her head. "No," she replied, "I think I will just go to the castle and explore."

Twilight looked a little surprised, but then let it drop. Sunset didn't even notice, he was too busy trying to figure out why Fluttershy had been ignoring him. Was it something he had said… in his sleep maybe? Had he forgotten something?

Despite his worries bouncing around his head, they continued to make good time to the castle. Once again, Sunset attracted quite a bit of attention. Reporters began to arrive, and groups of well-groomed and well-dressed ponies began to trail him. Unlike last time, however, Sunset handled it quite well.

"Well, well, well," said one pony Sunset recognized as Fancy-Pants. "If it isn't my friend Rarity! I would be delighted if you stopped by my abode later today. I have some clothes of the latest fashion that I wanted you to give advice on."

Rarity looked a little preoccupied as she briskly replied, "Thank you for your gracious offer, but I really have to get to my room in the castle and prepare for the big night."

Fancy-Pants nodded graciously and moved off to the side.

Twilight, however, didn't seem as willing to let the invitation go. "Rarity!" she exclaimed, "we have all day, and you said yourself yesterday that you were completely ready for tonight! You don't need to prepare anymore!"

Rarity just sniffed. "I think I do," she replied.

Even to this conversation, and the increasing crowds, Sunset took no notice. The reason for Fluttershy ignoring him was still bothering him immensely, and it sort of fazed all else out. This continued even after he had entered the castle, readied his room, and walked out to sit in the garden. During this time, he had tried to initiate a conversation with Fluttershy three times, and each time, she had blown him off with a well-placed excuse. At first, he was frustrated, but as the Grand Galloping Gala drew near and ponies arrived at the palace to great Celestia and Luna, the frustration turned to sorrow. "Those excuses… Too well placed," muttered Sunset, brooding, as he sat in the Canterlot gardens.

"What's too well placed? Oh, dear, it looks like good old Sunset has the blues, and at the eve of the Galloping Gala? Not good."

Sunset looked around for a moment to find the source of the voice. Nothing. After a pause, a small smile appeared on his face as he remembered a saying of an old friend during an air raid of a demon fortress… "No one ever looks up."

Quickly glancing up, he saw Discord hovering a few feet above his head.

"Well, Discord," said Sunset, "It is nice to see you once more."

Discord levitated slowly down and alighted next to Sunset. "The same, the same. Now, may I enquire of the reason why your face it so – well, how should I put it? – down?"

Sunset rolled his eyes, "Well, Fluttershy is ignoring me."

At first, Discord seemed a little confused, but as he looked at Sunset's depressed face, he grinned.

"Oooooh… Little Sunset has a fillyfriend! How quaint."

At first Sunset felt like attempting to foolishly deny the accusation, but he thought better of it.

"Maybe. But what of it?"

Discord winked, "All I have to really say it… good catch! No one could ever ask for a better friend that our dear old Shutterfly. Kindness was always the best element."

Sunset shook his head. "Doesn't seem like she's been showing much kindness lately."

Discord put on a mock face of total bemusement. "Well I'll be darned! The element of kindness not being kind! What a stumper! That's almost as if Fluttershy was not being Fluttershy! But that's not possible! OF course it isn't!"

At first Sunset was totally confused, but after a few exasperated sighs from Discord, Sunset realized what was happening in all its intensity. "The train did stop twice. Fluttershy was replaced by a changeling."

Discord threw up his hand, "And the light dawns! A 9.5 for the alicorn in the blue there! Well, what are you going to do about it?"

Sunset turned to look at Discord in alarm, "Just me? What about you?"

Discord laughed, "I'm a mischief weaver, not a fighter. That's more for brawny young'uns like yourself. Anything else we missed? Hmmm?"

Sunset nodded, still on the precipice of total fury and panic. "Um, yeah. Pinkie gave up a chance to meet a good friend and eat donuts… and Rarity gave up a fashion design opportunity. They are changelings too! This means… IT'S A TRAP!"

Discord wiggled a pinkie in his ear, before detaching the said ear and shaking it over the ground. "Careful with the royal voice, it really doesn't suit a pony like yourself. Uh oh, looks like your wonderfully obvious declaration came a tad too late."

Sunset turned, at the direction of Discord's pointing hoof, to see an explosion rip through the castle.

Sunset stood up, totally terrified. Could he afford to fight? What if the sigh of blood triggered his dormant other self? What if he went wrong and killed more innocents. Then he remembered Fluttershy was in trouble. He would fight… but he would not kill. That was the way of a true hero… one that Fluttershy and Canterlot dearly needed at that moment. He turned to briefly thank Discord only to find him gone. Sighing, Sunset tore off toward the castle. As he entered through the garden doors, a sight of total chaos met his eyes. Changelings were flying every which way, pulling down tapestries and upsetting tables. A few were even roughly grabbing ponies in an attempt to capture them. So, his friends had not been the only ones to be subject to kidnapping. At first he considered using lethal force, but after a massive struggle with himself for a fraction of a second, he opted against it. Instead, he fired a massive flurry of hard water bolts at the changelings visible. They struck true, and a hail of dazed and unconscious changelings tumbled to the floor. The still conscious changelings quickly regrouped and rushed Sunset. Not even breaking sweat, Sunset waited until he could clearly see their dark eyes. He then released a massive blast of light, totally blinding them for a moment, followed up with a blast of air, ramming them forcefully against the high-walled ceiling. Another group down. Strategically, Sunset had purposefully missed one changeling. After it quickly recovered from its momentary blindness, and finding itself all alone, it sped off to search for others who might aid itself in its fight against Sunset. Smiling quietly at the success of his strategy, he trotted quietly off in pursuit of the fleeing changeling, ignoring the awestruck stare of the ponies that he saved in thirty seconds flat. The next room too was chalk-full of changelings. In this room, however, he noticed Rainbow Dash and a few Wonderbolts were viciously engaging their advisories with little success. Spreading his wings, Sunset too took to the sky. Rainbow Dash spotted him and zipped over.

"Hey! A little help over here would be appreciated! You said you had lightning powers right? Right about now would be a good time to use it!" shouted Rainbow over the sounds of chaos.

Sunset nodded, but he toned the voltages of the bolts he was preparing down immensely, so that they would only manage to stun, not kill, his enemies. Then with a mental trigger, he rained down hell. Suddenly the room was full of bolts of electricity jumping from nowhere to strike the unsuspecting changelings. They were incredibly effective, with the changelings unable to react in time. Soon the room was full of smoking and dazed changelings. Once again, Sunset had left one changeling unscathed, who quickly fled the scene to find more compatriots. Ignoring, once again, the awestruck looks from the ponies (including a flabbergasted Rainbow Dash), Sunset hurried after his fleeing enemy.

The next hall he entered too was in chaos, with Spike, Applejack, and Twilight trying to control the havoc-wreaking changelings. Dodging a few charging changelings, Sunset calmly alighted next to a frantically-magic-firing Twilight.

"I have to say I'm impressed with your composure Sunset," said Twilight as she fired off a volley of magic bolts, "But we really could use your help! They have us outnumbered a hundred-to-one!"

Sunset nodded, and he too began to fire incredibly dense volleys of stun-magic. In a minute or two, these changelings too were lying in pile on the ground. As Applejack prepared to leap upon the last awake changeling, Sunset motioned her down.

"Let it escape," he whispered. Applejack immediately caught the gist of his idea and nodded.

Keeping one eye on the retreating changeling, Sunset said to Twilight, "Twilight, take Applejack and Spike and find Rainbow Dash. You guys need to clear any halls or smaller rooms that I missed. I will follow this guy."

Twilight quickly nodded and the two sped off in different directions. The changeling led Sunset up a spiral staircase and into an ornate hallway, no doubt the bedrooms of the princesses. This hallway, nevertheless, was a state of chaos, with a hole blown through the room, and Celestia and Luna fighting off a surge of incoming changelings. Hurling off bolts of pure energy, Sunset glided up next to Celestia.

"Sunset!" exclaimed princess Celestia when she noticed his arrival, "How are my little ponies down stairs?"

Sunset smiled, "its all clear I believe. Twilight, Spike, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash are clearing up any rogue changelings that might be about. Is this under control?"

Luna shook her head and replied for her sister. "It is not," she said, "We could use your assistance."

Sunset nodded and his two front hoofs in front of his face, letting his complete control of kinetic energy well up in him. He then pointed them straight at the hordes of changelings and unleashed one massive tidal wave of energy. The force of which blasted out the changelings, stunning them all and sending them all tumbling off the tower.

The hallway was quite quiet for a whole minute as the development in the current situation sank in.

"Well," said Celestia, a little flustered, "That was easy."

"Indeed," said Luna.

Trembling, Sunset slowly alighted on the floor. "It isn't easy," he confessed, "the more power I use, the more I become infatuated with power. It was excessive attacks like this that turned me to evil in the first place. I- I've got to get myself under control."

As he took huge shaking breaths, a changeling suddenly darted out of nowhere and flashed through the hole in the roof. Luna immediately spread her wings for a pursuit, but Sunset shook his head and stood up. "Don't take it out," he said, "I need to follow it. If they are as stupid and cowardly as I think, it will lead me to their current fortress. I will be able to penetrate their defenses and save the ponies who have been captured… and Fluttershy."

Celestia looked at the shaking Sunset. "You cannot do that alone. We must prepare the cavalry."

Sunset shook his head vigorously, "No. We have no time. I am going now."

Flapping his wings, Sunset took to the sky and sped off after the fleeing changeling, leaving Celestia and Luna to look at their receding hero.

Note: Sooo... if you are read this before the chapter 11 update then, well... never mind. The story will be extending far beyond 14 chapters. Have fun!