“So what’re we doin’ again, Twi?”

“I’m glad you asked, Applejack!” Twilight said, just loud enough to silence the small talk floating around the room. “Pinkie and I are throwing a party, and we need your help to pass out the invitations.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Not to rain on your parade, but why can’t you just, I dunno, tell people to spread the word? This seems like a whole lotta work for nothing.”

Twilight shook her head. “Pinkie and I already thought of that, and we decided it was just too impersonal. We want everypony to know that they’re welcome.”

“If you say so, Twi,” came Rainbow’s reply.

Twilight cleared her throat, then turned to the map pinned to her wall. “Alright, I’ve already taken the liberty of dividing Ponyville up into six different sectors. Spike and I have Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville Plaza. Rainbow, you’ve got the northeastern residential area, and Applejack has the southeastern one. Rarity, you have the area around the school district. Pinkie Pie you’ve got a few ponies who didn’t fall into any of the districts. And Fluttershy…” she trailed off.

Fluttershy’s ears flattened against her head, and she smiled sheepishly.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to go out on your own, so you can just tag along with Rarity if you’d like.”

A look of relief spread across Fluttershy’s face, letting Twilight know that she’d done the right thing. She smiled at the pegasus.

“Is that all, darling?” Rarity asked.

“I’ve also split all the invites into piles,” said Twilight, gesturing to her left. “The names are on the envelopes, so you know who you’ve given one to and who you haven’t.”

As one, all of them turned to where Twilight’s hoof pointed. Their eyes grew wide, and a few jaws hit the floor.

“That… that’s a lot of invitations,” said Applejack.

Twilight blushed. “Heh… thanks again for helping out, girls. There’s no way I would’ve been able to do all of this myself.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “You’re going to owe me big time after this one.”

“What about all those times you crashed into the library? I’m pretty sure that you still owe me at least a few thousand bits in damages,” said Twilight.

Rainbow Dash let out a nervous chuckle. “…On second thought, we can just call it even.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, letting out a fleeting laugh. “So, anypony have any more questions?”

A moment passed. Nopony said anything.

“I’ll take that as a no. Let’s hop to it, then!”

“I still don’t see why we didn’t do what Rainbow suggested,” Spike grumbled from on Twilight’s back, reclining against her head like a chaise.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Because somepony could get left out if we did it that way. The way we’re doing it now, we make sure that everypony knows they’re welcome.”

Spike sighed. “I guess it makes sense. But it’s just so much work.”

Twilight skidded to a halt, and Spike had to fling his arms backward around her neck just to keep himself from flying off. “Spike, you’re not even walking! I am literally carrying you!”

“…And?”

Twilight shook her head and kept on down the road, headed down the path to Sweet Apple Acres.

“I’m assuming that we’re getting the Apples next, then?”

“Yep.” Twilight turned her head, looking at the steadily shrinking pile of envelopes inside her saddlebags. “If I had to guess, I’d say we’re about halfway done.”

Spike let out a groan. “Only halfway? But we’ve been out here for, like, two hours already!”

“Oh, quit your complaining. It’s only been an hour and a half.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Same difference. Didn’t they always teach you to round up in sch—”

“Howdy, Spike! Howdy, Princess Twilight!”

In unison, Twilight and Spike turned around, searching for the speaker. Off to the side of the worn-down path were Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh.

Apple Bloom smiled and waved up at them as they approached. “What’re you two doin’ here?”

“Actually, I’m glad you asked! You see, Pinkie and I are throwing a party tomorrow at Sugarcube Corner, and I’m here to tell you that you’re invited.”

“A party?” Big Mac asked.

Spike hopped off Twilight’s back and scurried over to the brother-sister duo, handing each of them a tiny envelope.

“Yes, a party,” Twilight said. “It starts at seven o’clock, but you can stop by any time you’d like.”

A moment passed, then Mac asked, “So, who’s invited?”

“Everypony,” Spike said, stealing the words from Twilight’s lips. “Everypony in Ponyville is invited.”

Apple Bloom looked up at Big Mac, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Can we go, Mac? Pretty please?”

Big Mac shifted the straw in his mouth to the other side. “I don’t see why not, but you’ve gotta talk to Granny ‘bout it first.”

Apple Bloom started hopping up and down in place. “Yes! Thank you, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight looked away, her cheeks flushed. “You don’t have to call me Princess. Just Twilight is fine. So, uh, can we count on you coming too, Mister Macintosh?”

Big Mac chuckled. “If I don’t have to call you Princess, then you don’t have to call me Mister Macintosh. And maybe. I dunno. Depends.”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “I… don’t think that I’ve ever heard you say so much at once, Mister—erm, Big Mac.”

He shrugged. “I suppose I just don’t usually have much to say.”

“Well, there’ll be plenty of food, drinks, and party games there, if that sways you either way.”

“Eeyup.”

After a second, Spike scratched his head. “Say, what are you two doing here anyway?”

Apple Bloom beamed up at him, her eyes glimmering. “Mac is teachin’ me how to buck apples so that I can help out ‘round the farm. AJ was supposed to teach me today, but she said something came up last minute.”

At that, Big Mac shot Twilight a pointed look. His lips curled into a frown, and he let out a low grumble.

Twilight seemed to wilt under his powerful gaze. She forced a laugh, then turned away. “Well, uh, we’ve gotta run. There’s only a few hours of daylight left, and we’ve still got a lot of invites to pass out. Heheh…”

Spike hopped back onto her back, and the two headed down the path back to Ponyville. Big Mac’s eyes followed them as their silhouettes grew smaller and smaller, eventually fading into the distance.

After another minute, a smirk spread across his face.

Twilight stopped outside the shop, looking up at the brightly-colored sign hanging just above it. “Bon-Bon’s Confectionery,” she read aloud. “This is the place, right?”

“Twi, her name is in the title of the shop. Of course this is the place.”

“Oh, hush,” she said. “It was a rhetorical question, Spike.”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “Whatever. So this is our last stop, right?”

Twilight nodded, and, after another moment of waiting, pulled the door open with her magic and trotted inside.

A head poked out from around the back, and the mare beamed at both of them. “Welcome to Bon-Bon’s Confectionery, where our prices are almost as delightful as our candy!”

Twilight smiled. “Hi, Bon-Bon.”

Bon-Bon smiled right back at them. “Hello! What can I get you two on this fine day? ”

“Actually, we’re not here for candy today. We’re here to tell you about the party.”

Bon-Bon cocked her head to the side. “Party?”

Spike sighed and rolled his eyes. He hopped off Twilight’s back and waddled over to Bon-Bon, passing her the same invitation he’d given to so many other ponies. “Tomorrow. Seven o’clock. Winter themed. Come whenever.”

Bon-Bon’s ear twitched. “O-oh.” She turned to Twilight. “Um, why’d you decide to have a party all of the sudden?”

“We just figured everypony needed an excuse to relax, what with everything that’s happened recently,” said Twilight.

“…What do you mean ‘everything that’s happened recently’? Did I miss something?”

Twilight’s tried to fight it, but her lips contorted into a frown. “You know, when Tirek came back from Tartarus a few weeks ago? When he kinda tried to steal every single pony’s magic for his own selfish gain?”

“Oh. Yeah. I remember now.” Bon-Bon’s tail darted from side to side, and she let out a laugh. “Must’ve slipped my mind or something, heh…”

“Slipped your mind?” Spike asked incredulously. “But it happened barely three week—”

“I’ll be at the party,” Bon-Bon interrupted. “It sounds like it should fun, so I’d hate to miss it.”

Twilight’s gaze shifted back and forth from Bon-Bon to Spike, eventually settling on the mare. “O-okay. Well, we have to go now. See you around, Bon-Bon.”

Bon-Bon shot them one last smile and waved goodbye. “Come back again soon!”

Twilight hurried out of the shop. As soon as the door was shut behind them, she let out a sigh.

“Gee,” Spike muttered, “you sure weren’t kidding when you said everypony was acting weird recently.”

A faint breeze blew through the streets of Ponyville, sending a shiver down Twilight’s spine. Swallowing that unnerving feeling settled deep in her gut, she answered, “Yeah…”

“What! But why?”

Twilight’s wings twitched at her sides. “I’m sorry, Spike, but that’s what the letter says.” She shrugged, shooting him a sympathetic look. “This is just the way it has to be. You can’t just ignore a letter from Princess Celestia herself.”

Spike let out a sigh and kicked at the ground, grumbling unintelligibly to himself.

Twilight looked down at the letter once more, reading it to herself:

Dear Spike and Princess Twilight Sparkle,

I hope this letter finds you two well. Things at the palace have been rather hectic lately, and I sincerely hope that you two aren’t suffering through a similar fate.

I apologize for the abruptness, but I have an assignment for you both. Equestria’s relations with the dragons have been tense lately, and I fear something out of our control is going on. I will spare you the details in case this letter falls into the wrong hooves, but, needless to say, this is a very critical situation. I need you both here to assist Luna and myself as soon as possible.

Again, sorry for the inconvenience. The Royal Carriage should be in Ponyville within the hour to pick you both up.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia

Spike’s nose crinkled, and a frown crept across his face. “Give me the letter, please.”

With a sigh, she passed him the tattered piece of parchment. He held it up in front of his face and read it to himself. Once he was finished, he looked up at her.

After passing the letter back to Twilight, he said, “Twi, we can’t go.”

“We have to,” Twilight said firmly. “Even if it’s only half as important as the Princess says it is, then we need to be there.”

“Twi, if we leave, then we’re going to miss the party later today.”

The paper drifted to the floor, no longer being suspended by Twilight’s magic. Her eye twitched twice. “I… but… we can’t…”

Spike’s eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, Twi? You okay?”

She let out a drawn-out sigh. “I’m not going, then.”

Spike scratched his head. “Didn’t you just say that we needed to be there?”

Twilight smiled weakly at him. “That’s why you are going and I am staying.”

“What!” Spike shouted. “How is that fair?”

“I can’t leave Pinkie on her own. What kind of princess would I be if I didn’t even go to my own party? I’ve got my own little ponies to look over now, and Celestia knows that.”

“But she said that she needed us as soon as possible!”

Twilight nodded. “Exactly. You’ll catch the carriage, and I’ll fly there later tonight after the party.” After glancing over at the clock on the wall, she continued, “It’s almost two o’clock right now. I’ll be twelve hours late, tops. Besides, you can explain the whole situation to Celestia once you get there. I’m sure that she’ll understand—she always does.”

“But what if she doesn’t listen when—”

“But nothing,” said Twilight. “You’ve got to start packing right now. The Royal Carriage could be here any minute now.”

Sighing, Spike turned around and trudged up the stairs, his tail dragging behind him the whole way.

Once Spike reached the top of the stairs, Twilight spun around on her hooves. Suddenly, her eyes shot open. “Oh my gosh, it’s almost two o’clock! I’m going to be late to help Pinkie set up for the party!”

With a fleeting glance upstairs, she darted out the door, headed for Sugarcube Corner. “I’ve gotta go, Spike!” she shouted back at the library. “I’ll see you later tonight in Canterlot!”

Pinkie Pie and Twilight stepped back, admiring their progress. Sugarcube Cube corner didn’t even look like Sugarcube Corner anymore. Streamers, confetti, and balloons were strewn about the building. Tables upon tables of desserts and drinks were scattered about the room sporadically. Cupcakes, fondue, cider—name it, and it was there. Party games like Twister and Pin the Tail on the Pony were here and there, along with a few tables and chairs for ponies who didn’t want to dance.

After consulting with Mayor Mare, they had taken over Ponyville Plaza just outside of the bakery too. A huge dance floor was spread out across the wide-open space, and Vinyl Scratch was setting up her equipment opposite where they were standing inside Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie turned to Twilight and smiled. “Wow, this is going to be one awesome party!”

Twilight let out a giggle. “I sure hope so,” she said, glancing over at the clock. “Heck, I’m still surprised that we finished setting everything up in time.”

Pinkie followed her gaze, eventually settling on the clock inside. “Yup! Five minutes until seven. Just in time!”

The rest of Twilight and Pinkie’s friends were the first to arrive. Then, slowly but surely, wave after wave of ponies poured into Sugarcube Corner. After three or four hours, practically everypony in Ponyville was there, barring a few of the more shy ponies.

Twilight and Fluttershy stood off to the side, watching everypony dance and have a good time. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were inside apple bobbing, and Rarity was chatting with some of the the Carousel Boutique’s regulars. And, of course, Pinkie Pie hopped around the party playing hostess, making sure that everypony was as happy as possible.

“Wow,” said Fluttershy, “you guys really did a great job with this party.”

Twilight smiled at her. “Thanks! I told Pinkie earlier—I’m surprised that we managed to get everything ready in time.”

Fluttershy’s head drooped, and she kicked at the ground with a hoof. “Sorry that the rest of us weren’t here to help, Twilight. I didn’t know…”

Twilight smiled at her. “Hey, it’s fine. You girls already helped a bunch by passing out the invitations. Pinkie and I didn’t want to bother you all with this too.”

“O-oh. I, uh, suppose it’s okay then. I’m still sorry, though.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and let out a little laugh, their conversation lulling into a comfortable silence. Her eyes happily drifted across the sea of ponies. Bon-Bon and Lyra were away from the crowd, completely immersed in one another. Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily were off to the side talking animatedly about something or other. Carrot Top and Cheerilee patiently watched all the fillies and colts play a game of tag. Everypony looked happy.

But her eyes kept darting back to the same thing—the head topped with pink, poofy hair that bounced throughout the crowd.

Twilight’s ears splayed. “I feel kind of bad that Pinkie is doing all of the work. I think I’m going to go see if she needs any help.”

Fluttershy’s left ear twitched twice. “Okay. I’m going to go get something to drink. See you in bit, Twilight.”

At that, the pegasus disappeared into the crowd, leaving Twilight to herself. After shooting a fleeting glance in the direction Fluttershy had gone, she pushed through the crowd toward the pink ball of energy.

When she caught up, she placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder to get her attention. She spun around to face Twilight, shooting her a broad smile. “Hiya, Twilight! What’s up?” she shouted over the blaring music.

“Do you need any help?” Twilight half-yelled back. “I feel bad that you’re doing all the work.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Pinkie said. “I’ve got everything covered. Go enjoy yourself!”

“Oh… okay then.” Twilight hesitantly turned around and headed back to her spot on the edge of the room, feeling a little worse than before.

She let out a sigh. Here she was, standing by herself at her own party. It looked like everypony else was relaxing and having a good time, but she sure wasn’t.

“I’m just a little tired is all,” she mumbled to herself. “Maybe… maybe I’ll just go splash some cold water on my face or something. That might help.”

Twilight pushed back through the crowd and headed around back behind the counter. She nuzzled open the door to the restroom and headed inside. Much to her surprise, there stood Fluttershy, splashing water onto her own face.

Twilight smiled and trotted over to her. “I thought you were going to get a drink, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy let out a shriek of surprise and leapt backward. Unfortunately, she was unable to stop herself in time, and her head smashed the sink with a sickening thud.

“F-Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted.

The pegasus let out a groan, her eyes fluttering open. As soon as she saw Twilight, she visibly tensed up. “T-Twilight! What are you doing here?”

“I’m so sorry! Here let me help you up.” Twilight scurried over to the pegasus laying prone on the ground. She held out a hoof which Fluttershy gladly took, pulling herself back onto her hooves.

“Oh! Fluttershy, you’ve got something on your head.”

“Really?” she said, trying—and failing—to look at her own forehead.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Try the mirror, silly.”

With a nervous chuckle, Fluttershy turned to the mirror. She let out a small gasp of surprise, and desperately swiped at the green liquid pooling on her head where she’d hit the sink.

Twilight reached over to the side and grabbed a roll of paper towels. “Here, let me help you wipe it off,” she said, tearing off a square from the roll and raising it to Fluttershy’s head.

“No! Don’t touch it!” Fluttershy shouted, reeling back a few feet.

Twilight’s wings flitted at her sides. Head cocked to side, she asked. “I-is that… blood? Why is it… green…” she trailed off.

The roll of paper towels hit the floor. Everything went silent, except for the stream of water falling from the still-running faucet. The two mares’ eyes bored into one another, caught in an impromptu staring contest. The tension in the room was practically palpable.

Twilight gulped. The last time she saw green blood had been two years ago…

At her brother’s wedding…

When the changelings had invaded.

Twilight’s throat seized up. She croaked, “F-Fluttershy? Is that really you?”

Fluttershy took a daring step forward, causing Twilight to take three more backward. “T-Twilight, I—”

“Answer the question.”

She took another step forward. “Well, I’m—”

Twilight backed up against the door. “Stay back, Fluttershy. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

Fluttershy’s ear twitched. After an unbearably long stretch of silence, she let out a cackling laugh. “You? Hurt me? Funny joke. By the way, shouldn’t you be in Canterlot right about now, Princess?”

“H-how do you know about that?”

“I know a lot of things, Twilight,” she spat. In a flash of white light, the pseudo-Fluttershy reverted back into its original changeling form. The creature that stood in its stead was a few inches shorter than Fluttershy had been. Its tough exoskeleton was jet black, and its eyes were a cruel, deep red. It bared razor-sharp fangs at the cowering mare, making an unnerving chittering sound.

Twilight shivered, opening her mouth to speak. The words never came.

It was in that very second that the changeling lunged, sinking its fangs deep into Twilight’s neck. Next Chapter: Riot (Part One of Three) Estimated time remaining: 15 Minutes