"Some of the colt's favorite hangouts. According to his mother, he's usually found at the Salt Lick or in the Orchard. I'll check out the Orchard, send some ponies to check out the Salt Lick. If you see him, it's the Changeling. I confirmed with his mother that he is home sick with Poison Joke." Riposte handed Braeburn a red cylinder. "Give this to the person leading the investigation at the Salt Lick. It's a magic flare gun. Shoot it if the Changeling is found." Riposte trotted full speed towards the Orchard. He arrived about five minutes later. Riposte summoned a simple double-edged sword, and looked around for the changeling.
There were a few colts trying to buck an apple from a tree, but none of them looked like the target. Dark watched the strange pony from a tree. He didn't think that being a bird would be too suspicious.
Riposte didn't seem to find anything suspicious. But he was determined find the Changeling. He remembered something he read in a book. He wasn't sure if it was right, and it seemed full of lies, but, like moths, Changelings were drawn to light or warmth. "It's worth a try..." He thought. He held out his prosthetic limb, and a medium sized flame ignited centimeters above his hoof.
Dark blinks, staring at the flame. What was that? Fire? Did he really think that would work. He chirps a little, trying to stay silent.
Nothing seemed to come to the flame. Riposte thought a bit more, then came to a conclusion. "Changelings feed on emotion... Maybe I can imbue the flames with some of my memories?" Riposte thought back to Jormag. "Alright men! That oversized lizard won't get the best of us! Hold your ground!" Riposte did as he was told, and cast the defense spell around himself. Jormag reared its head. It breathed in frozen cold air, and exhaled with great force. What ever it's breath touched turned into frozen crystal formations, which then shattered. It hit all the members of Riposte's squad, coming short of breaking Riposte's shield. He was terrified by the Dragon's power. Everyone was killed an instant. He put that fear into his flames, hoping to draw the Changeling out.
Dark looks at the flame again, feeling the strong emotions. This... This was a feast. He flutters down from the tree, trying to feed on the emotions... No, he had to be closer. He hops closer, trying to stay camouflaged.
Riposte watched the little bird hop towards the flame from the corner of his eye. He didn't make any sudden moves, as to startle it. He tenses his sword arm, and got ready to strike.
Dark hops closer, then stops, staring at the pony. He looked at the flame, then at the sword. This seemed like a trap...
Riposte extinguished the flame. He grinned, then a wave of purple magic exploded from his horn, revealing the changeling. "You like that? It's dispelling magic. Nullifies the effects of any illusion magic within a 1 meter radius of the caster."
Dark looks around, glaring at Riposte. "So smug..." He chuckles. "So sure of yourself..." He smiles, shaking his head. "You don't know what you've gotten yourself into."
"Save it." Small crystals of ice started to creep up from the ground, freezing Dark's legs. "You'll be dealt with soon enough."
"Don't you get it...? You may be able to easily deal with one changeling, but what about 9000?" He asks, grinning.
Riposte levitated Dark's partially frozen body back to the Sheriff's office. "Braeburn. I caught him. But we have another problem."
"What would that be? Is there another one?" Braeburn asks, opening a jail cell. "I got this shackle enchanted, it'll adjust to any size he takes." He says, not fazed by the possibility of a problem.
"Probably. Glad I picked up that skill. But it'll take more than Jormag's ice to stop these Changelings." Riposte thought for a moment. He thawed Dark, then shot a lightning bolt at him. "Tell me. When is the hive coming?"
