noWhen

[multaekappae]

 "That..." Jack shook his head, trying to get his ears to pop, "Was both better and far worse than I expected."

The gray pegasus with an ascot looked like steam was about to come out of his ears.

Captain Harness raised a hoof in conciliation, "Ok, okay, what you just felt was the shockwave from Torchwhoof Tower vanishing." The blue pony sighed, "I tried to tell them it wouldn't –"

"Where did it go?" White Noise asked, looking even paler than usual.

Jack shook his head, "That's not really a meaningful question. We need to–"

"Oh no." Black Ops snarled, "All you fancy boys with your 'need to know' attitudes and your 'smartest pony in the room' airs..." The black pony growled. "Where. Is. Torchwhoof!?"

The blue pony grabbed the younger stallion by the shoulders, "It doesn't exist anymore. They tore a hole in time, and the ENTIRE building was pulled through. They are all dead, there's no saving anypony – now either suck it up and help me keep the same thing from happening to the entire city, or shut the buck up."

The dumbfounded agent nodded, falling into what approximated a sitting position on the floor.

"That goes for the rest of you, I know nopony asked for this, but if we're going to ..." Something seemed to occur to the blue pegasus, and he turned to regard the Inspector. "Did... did the Doctor know about this? Where is he?"

Minnow, meet Shark.

[zervziel]

It took the dazed kelpie a moment to realize where she was after her impromptu flight. After a nearby tower had abruptly disappeared into the void, the resulting whirlwind had sucked the unsuspecting kelpie right of the street along with ponies and surprisingly a large amount of changelings.

The next thing the kelpie knew was that she had a changeling drone hissing in her face. Bereft of her disguise due to the combination of surprise and being tumbled in a small hurricane of wind, the kelpie rose to her full height. One of her wing fins felt like it had been wrenched in her tumble, but it wasn't enough to stop her from fighting.

The changeling took a few seconds to realize what was in front of him wasn't a pony and another few to realize just what he was looking at and why he suddenly felt weak in the knees. Before he could vocalize a warning, a tentacle shot out.

To anypony or anychangeling else, all they saw was an armored tentacle emerging from the settling dust before grabbing the hapless changeling and pulling him in. One short horrible scream ripped through the air before being cut short with a wet crunch.

A Very Annoyed Injured Warrior

[anarchyarcher]

 Ako plowed on relentlessly down the hallways, forcing her way past anypony she came across. Slamming open the doors to the Rainbow Wing only slowed her slightly, her entrance startling those in the rather large waiting room and lobby. A earthpony mare at the counter called out to the gryphon, saying: "Miss? What are you doing? Your injuries-..."

This made the warbird stop, one clawed foreleg in the air. A silent glare turned at the receptionist, making her and those around her duck their heads a little and shirk back. The lifted leg quivered, clenching spasmodically at the air as her eyes raked over the assembled ponies, making several well-dressed Equestrians gulp in fear. The pause in activity was plenty for anyone following to catch up, a note that Ako only noticed as those who had been her travelling compatriots entered the room behind her and the look had passed to them, however briefly. After a tense moment her deathly gaze turned away from them, she started off again towards what she assumed would be the exit. 

She hissed something to herself as she threw open the hospital's doors wide, stepping out into the Canterlot streets.

Near miss the first

[multaekappae]

 "...hello? Are you done with your conversation?" Raveled Sleeve called out as she eased the door open. "I apologize for being away so long, but it turns out you had two more visi..."

The room was empty. The medical mare's ears drooped, remembering how insistent she had been about clearing the room for new patients. Apparently her patient and company had taken this to heart.

The pony turned back to the other two figures standing just outside the doorway. "I-I'm very sorry, they seem to have already gone."

"Tch! Typical." the shorter muttered.

"No matter, we will find her." The taller replied. "We have unfinished business."

It ... has... Begun!

[multaekappae]

 "The invasion?" Jack Harness eyed Sha– that is, the Inspector. "That's the least of your–"

Several things happened with a simultaneity that only a small number of ponies and the one and future queen of the kelpies would ever be able to appreciate.

---

"... even stronger than I thought! Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!" the cruel changeling queen cackled as cracks crumbled and the shield fell, raining changlings down upon a populace unware and unprepared for the danger.

---

"...not going to wait for confirmation. Gentleponies, we stand upon the threshold of a new era for Torchwhoof." The Director called down, admiring the gargantuan machine, their 'time engine'. "Activate the chronologue!"

Engines whined to power with a sullend screech that... would have reminded anypony who had dealt with a certain Gallopfreyan of a particular blue box sliding through time.
Then...

nothing.

The shock-wave could be felt through half the city, with ponies assuming later it was the force of the shield falling.

---

It is interesting to note that the sudden disappearance of Torchwhoof Tower would go unnoticed for nearly a week following the Changeling Invasion. Those ponies unfortunate to have been nearby, assumed the event to have been part of the Changeling assualt.

The building vanished between one blink of an eye and the next. The sudden void in the atmosphere caused the nearby air to rush into the intervening space, causing an implosion. Freestanding objects, ponies who for one reason or another were on the street, and an entire platoon of the Changeling army were all sucked into the momentary vortex.

Including one very irate kelpie. Groaning, she got to her feet, just in time for a rather unfortunate changeling trooper to hiss directly into her face.

Keeping quiet- for now

[sharpwit]

 Sharp shuts his mouth in an almost comical fashion, his eyes wide open like a cartoon character's. Out of the corner of his eye, he say the door shift open just barely, and wondered if that was just the wind or if their camouflaged friend was just now entering the building. Turning his thoughts to something a little more urgent, he nudged himself a bit closer to Primeval. "How much time left before the invasion?" he whispered urgently, all trace of humor gone from his face.

Delayed dinner plans

[zervziel]

"Shhh..." Harness whispered. "Wait for it..."

Riptide stopped mid-step at the pony's words. What was he going on about now? The kelpie was starting to get really annoyed with the constant delays thanks to these overly wordy ponies. To make matters worse, she was getting hungrier each passing moment, a fact Sharp Wit and Primeval were taking a little too at ease. If she followed them down in that little confined basement to be surrounded by the smell of tasty meat, the temptation might be a little too much.

So the kelpie did the one thing she could do to protect her friends from herself and backed out of the store. As she turned from the store, her tail caught the door and pushed it closed behind her. She'd be able to track her friends down later, but if what Sharp Wit said was true, there should be some changeling infiltrators around.

Making note to avoid the massive castle, the kelpie started trotting down the street, hoping nopony noticed her barely visible profile.

Changing winds

[zervziel]

Despite the blue pony's urging to follow him down into a basement that could hold who knew how many pony guards, Riptide remained where she was. Contrary as it may seem, she didn't budge an inch. Hopefully Primeval or Sharp Wit would think to ask why they should trust this pegasus at all. Aside from lurking in abandoned stores, they knew very little of this "Captain Harness" aside from his name.