The Equestrian Intelligence Service knew about events in Riverside, or at least suspected something was wrong, long before Half-Hearted Fury arrived in Canterlot accompanied by Riverside police force who escaped from Chrysalis and the gathered changeling survivors. In response to lost periodic contact, Princess Celestia authorized the assignment of a ranger unit to scout out the area and report with their findings. However, with the arrival of Fury and her testimony, the ranger report saying the Riverside changelings were gone, and the potential of the shapeshifters being far from a singular hostile entity, Celestia sent a representative to Riverside, one who wouldn't kill a changeling on sight.
To Bright Star's surprise, the town was slowly recovering from the trauma of being completely taken over by changelings, although the signs of damage were clearly visible despite the organizational efforts of ponies wearing leather armors and dark green cloaks clearly suited for sneaking in the wilderness.
Bright Star's paladin armor gives him enough authority to straight up stop a pegasus ranger barking orders in the town square and ask:
"Who's in charge here, ranger?"
"Who's asking?" the pegasus measures the paladin from head to hooves.
"Bright Star, paladin."
"Then the pony in charge would be me, sir," his tone turns more official as he salutes.
"And you are?"
"Commander Whisper Wind, sir!"
"Got a full situation report somewhere, Commander?"
"I borrowed a room inside the town hall. All the information we've gathered so far is there. Testimonies, full damage reports, everything," Whisper Wind nods sideways to the biggest building in town.
"Let's go. In the meantime, how's the town?" asks Bright Star, unceremoniously heading towards the entrance and expecting the ranger to follow him without objections, which Whisper Wind does.
"In short, minimal property damage outside of broken doors and windows, sir. Clearly, the goal of the changelings was to get to ponies, not to go for scorched earth tactic."
"Speaking of the ponies, how are the locals holding up? The situation in Canterlot is... bleak to say the least."
"The vast majority are accounted for and recovering. So far, no more victims. It seems that the townsfolk were barely fed upon and mostly had no idea what even happened until they woke up covered in green goo as we cut them out of the cocoons."
"Not everypony then."
"No, sir. Details are in the full report."
"Any changelings?"
"Not a single one, sir. Dead or alive."
"Tracks?"
"Nothing in the vicinity of Riverside itself, but a wide search revealed what could be tracks to the northwest."
"But nothing around town..."
"That's nothing special, sir. Escaping parties often cover their tracks well around the crime scene but let up further away due to time constraints."
"Any clue it's the changelings?"
"Judging from the map of regular trade routes, it's unlikely that it would be anypony else."
"Have you sent anyone to follow the trail?"
"Yes, sir. A group of six rangers."
"Can you spare a ranger to lead me to them?"
YOU ARE READING
They're EVERYWHERE!
FanfictionNo one really knows how many changelings were present during the invasion of Canterlot. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, it also means that the love explosion scattered them all over the surface of Equus. These are stories of their Queen and...
