"Oh no, that is just the short of it." Forest said, re-arranging her shopping for ease of transportation later. "I do have knowledge of acting on a play, but it would be more accurate to say it's both discretion, and intricate knowledge of acting in general."

"I don't get it, what's the difference?" Spike asked, helping Twilight sort the books she had bought.

"I do not simply take a costume and act out a role; I can embody another personality altogether. There are many small details, things that would escape notice on their own, but all come together to define the overall mood and character of the pony." She gave them a satisfied smirk. "Not to sound pretentious or anything, but I am rather skilled in their detection, interpretation, and even imitation. I can learn much from a pony merely at a glance."

"Is that so?" Shining Armor quirked an eyebrow.

"We can go pony-watching if that would convince you." Forest said; she wanted to get Shining Armor to get off her case, specially since he was a guard and all, so she would have to play his games.

Of course, if he got anywhere near her rump, she'd geld him right there and then.

"That sounds interesting, dear!" Velvet smiled, glad to see that the mare would show them something she took pride in.

After all, as a Blacklight, Forest had no physical need to perform any of those things; she didn't get sore from standing in place, so there was no need to shift from hoo-leg to leg, and her peripheral vision was incredible, so there was little need to move her whole neck... Yet, acting like a robot would raise suspicion incredibly fast. Hence, she took care of noticing them and replicating them. Consumption granted her the subconscious parts as well as the direct memories, therefore, she knew all manner of gestures that people missed in themselves; she could control them in herself, notice them in others, and even switch them around without needing to shapeshift.

Marilyn Monroe once walked down the street, being ignored by the crowd; the interviewer with her asked about this, to which she responded by changing the way she walked and gestured, immediately gaining the recognition (and attention) of the bystanders.

The way of walking was a really important part of body language, and Forest could control that and more with ease.

"So... can you just take a disguise and pretend to be somepony else just like that?" Night Light asked. "Like, I don't know... Twilight?"

"Oh! That would be easier, since we are around the same height and our sizes are so close." Forest replied, eyeing Twilight critically. "In fact, with simple dyes and a basic make-up kit, I could make her look like me as well; the make-up kit should have the highlights and shadows required to perform the right tricks of light to make it look like she has my musculature. We would simply have to adjust our manes some."

Forest's cut was much different from Twilight's. At Rarity's suggestion, she had made some alterations. It tapered both in front and the back, giving it a slight oval shape... or like a fin, growing out quickly towards her shoulder, going a little further down, then once more shortening quickly; part of it rested on the side of her face, hiding half of her eye most of the time, but easily pulled back or front to uncover or cover it.

Twilight's mane was so straight on both ends, it looked like she used a ruler to get it like that.

"As for eyes, there are many solutions. Cutie marks? It would be simple, and preferable, to wear a dress that would cover it up, undercarriage included." Forest nodded to herself, already starting to show them some of Twilight's mannerisms, and speaking like her, too, instead of her light 'Trottingham' accent.

"Wha- why that?" Twilight shook herself out of her daydream, where she had tried to see herself as Forest, leaping over buildings.

Forest laughed softly - a lot more like Twilight rather than her usual Rarity - and replied. "I might have a 'healthy size', but yours are still noticeably bigger."

"What?!" Twilight's face burned red from embarrassment.

"It's just facts." Forest nodded - again, much in the same way Twilight would.

Forest hadn't even used her shapeshifting, Blacklight or otherwise. The blue changeling had the genes all on her own, and Forest had simply overlaid her pony disguise over the basic shape - although Forest did fudge the body fat ratio of the original's preferred form to make herself look less like an athlete like Dash and more like somepony that simply liked to stay fit, so her size was a little bit bigger.

Forest hadn't figured out all of the genes in pony cells, or changeling cells, but she had most of the body-related ones down - hopefully. Magic; how does it work? Evolution was already Blacklight's plaything, but magic added a whole new set of mysteries... Changelings still had plenty of those, but she would crack them in time.

Shining Armor cleared his throat as his parents chuckled.

"Would you like to have a look around the city before dinner?" He said, contemplating whether or not to jump out the window to avoid the crazy mare's conversation-destroying skills.

"Sure."

*****

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, a gray pegasus colt with a dark mane made his way to Sugarcube Corner.

"Hello Rumble!" The high-pitched voice coming just behind him made him jump into the air and fly to the roof of the bakery, heart pounding madly as he tried to recover his breath.

Once his heart stopped trying to escape the confines of his chest, he sighed and looked over the edge.

There she was. Pinkie Pie. She was smiling at him and waving a hoof like nothing was wrong... not that there was something actually wrong wrong, just that the sudden shout had shaken him.

"Hello, Pinkie..." He groaned as he landed back on the street, letting out one last deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Okie Dokie!" She bounced inside the bakery, Rumble walking behind at a more sedate pace.

"What's up?" Pinkie asked from behind the counter, smiling widely.

"I- well, my brother..." Rumble scratched his head; he had the basics of the conversation ready, but the scare had jumbled his memory. "Pinkie, you're good friend's with Forest, right?"

"Yup!" She nodded vigorously.

"My brother kind of wants to ask her out, but he's being all shy about it." Rumble sighed, almost groaned.

Pinkie gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves.

"He's not going to be doing anything anytime soon, so I thought I should just ask around and kick him into it so he'll stop being mopey about it. I'm getting sick of seeing him pace around the living room, mumbling to himself." Rumble turned to face her. "Does she like anything special?"

"Well, she loooves strawberries!" Pinkie chirped her answer. "And chocolate!"

"Strawberries and chocolate, got it." Rumble nodded.

"And tomatoes. She loves tomato soup!"

"Got it."

"Oh, and she's having a bit of a crisis." Pinkie said, looking off towards the distance. "It's like, she's getting surprised by stuff all the time, and she's having trouble to adjust to life in Ponyville; a life that she would like, mostly because she's not sure what she would like to do at all... I think she just wants something stable in her life."

Rumble looked at the downcast Pinkie with a quirked eyebrow. He knew that Pinkie, for all of her straightforwardness or even outright cluelessness, could have a surprisingly deep insight into other ponies - the reason she hadn't given Forest a surprise party was because 'she wouldn't like it like that' and something about being impossible to surprise that way anyways. It was just a little baffling whenever it popped up, particularly like that - a sad Pinkie just didn't feel natural.

"Alright..." Rumble started to turn away. "I don't know if he can help with that, but I'll make sure he knows."

*****

"Miss Forest! Miss Forest! Over here!" A filly cried out, waving and jumping. Forest's eyes widened as a pair of fillies, one light blue with a purple mane, and another pale purple with a blond mane, raced up to her.

"Tootsie! Dinky!" She said, blinking as the miniature unicorns jumped in front of their little group. They had been walking next to a small park that had plenty of families, though she never expected them.

Velvet cooed at the sight.

"What a surprise!" Forest said, almost managing to hide her incredulity. "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm staying with grandma!" Tootsie bounced and smiled.

"Mommy and I came to visit daddy..." Dinky sighed sadly.

'Right; he was a guard, and was buried here.' Forest thought, tentatively stroking the filly's mane.

'Support the child, and always remind them that they are never alone.' Mother's words echoed inside her head. It was a little uncomfortable to be the one offering consolation, but it would be even worse not to offer it - and it would imply ugly things about her that she didn't want others to think about.

Looking around, Forest tried to shift the topic. "Should I expect others? Like Ruby or Sweetie?"

"I don't think so." Tootsie said, turning to her mother and waving for her to come closer.

"Ah, that's right." Spike snapped his fingers. "You know the names of all the foals already."

"Oh my!" Velvet gasped. "So fast?"

"Why not? It's just polite." Forest shrugged.

"And you have eidetic memory." Twilight smirked as she tapped a hoof against her side, making Forest chuckle.

"Miss Forest, read us a story!" Dinky said, bouncing and encouraging Tootsie to follow.

"Yeah! Like the other day! With the voices and everything!"

The words strained Forest's smile, and that the other foals in the park turned their heads towards her at the idea of story time did nothing to alleviate it. She could feel the expectations, the warm and tender wonder of the little foals... she sighed in defeat; she couldn't quite turn it down, since she had no reason not to tell them a story. At least she would endear herself to them, which meant more love.

"Alright; do you have anything in mind?" She asked as she trotted over to a nearby tree, the cheering of foals surrounding her as did the pleas for their parents to get closer.

"Here!" Ditzy, Dinky's mother, offered her a thick storybook.

The foals scooted closer as she took the book in her magic.

"Whoa! Hey- not to be mean or anything, but I'm not exactly good with foals." Forest said, trying to get Dinky to stay at least an arm's length away.

*****

Allison Parker, age eleven. Still warm, at the end, but glassy-eyed. The psycho that was supposed to draw Blackwatch's eyes towards the portion of the city they were in was precisely that.

A psycho.

Favorite color, purple and white. Loved ice cream. Never saw the thrown car that tossed her towards Forest...

A small mercy. Not large enough, though; the end was still filled with much pain.

*****

"But what about the story you told back in Ponyville?" Spike said. "You look like you're great with foals."

"I still don't think I should be surrounded with them." Forest retorted, feeling an uncomfortable pressure. "I'm not exactly the best company."

Something about the defeated tone tore a hole in Twilight's heart. She knew - oh she knew - why Forest would say that, and a few other reasons that she would not be surprised if Shining thought about as well. It was not any easier to accept, though.

A mare with a little baby filly, trying to get her daughter to see the pictures, got bumped by an overeager colt. The jostling was enough to scare the little unicorn, making her cry.

Forest, in turn, whipped her head to the source.

"What happened?! Is she cold? Hungry?"

"She was startled, that's all." The mother said, crooning for her baby as she rocked her.

"How can you be bad, if just hearing a baby cry fills you with worry?" Velvet chuckled softly, smiling gently as she remembered similar scenes with her own little Twily.

"Can you hold her? She likes to see the pictures when I read to her." The mother calmly stood next to Forest, easing the filly into the would-be storyteller's hold.

'F-oh Buck! I know that ponies have an instinct to care for the young and all, but this is- no, as much as I loathe to admit, this is perfectly in character for equines. Alright, I don't know how much of what mother said can be applied to ponies, and I don't want to think in terms of 'animal handling'... buck it. Hold like so, check the level of the head, make sure that...'

"I keep telling you I'm not good with foals, and you just give me your daughter?" Forest asked, a slight tint of disbelief (and maybe horror) in her voice.

"There's no safer place for her!" Twilight chimed in. "Even timberwolves would think twice before coming close to a baby with you as the nanny."

'And here I thought that her trusting me to go into the Everfree could only be a good thing.' Forest's thoughts were accompanied of an imaginary desk to slam her head into. Repeatedly.

"Alright, alright, I'll play your game." Forest eased herself into the soft grass, laying the book in front so that the filly would be able to see clearly. "I don't know how to care for foals, though. I mean, look at her! She's so... small!"

'I've got to shift... like that. I'm pretty much the most resilient being in here, and-'

"You don't know?" Shining said, mildly surprised - be it from the revelation or his own shattered expectations. "If I hadn't seen the whole exchange, I'd say you were the mother!"

Forest stiffened. In a normal pony or human, they'd feel an uncomfortable dryness of their lips and throat.

"I-I'll play your game. I-I can do this."

Just as she was about to kick herself mentally into the proper mindset, the filly began to make faces.

Meaning: One hasty retreat to give her a change, and no more undue pressure. The relief must have been more obvious than Forest intended to show it, since Twilight's 'certainty' faded and was replaced with a little bit of 'guilt', and the mother didn't try to get the little baby near her again.

Forest opened the book.

The stories inside were, to put kindly, mildly concerning. Not due to their content per se, but rather, the similitudes of that content to Earth's fairy tales. Sure, there were entirely new ones, but things like 'the little mer-pony'?

Hmm... that was a good idea. She could make a flawless imitation of Ursula's evil laugh.

*****

"I'm glad that is over." Forest sighed. "I must be using my mother's aura by mistake."

The story was, naturally, a success. Dinky asked her if she was going to wear an 'evil witch' costume for Nightmare Night, since she could pull off the whole 'unsettling smile/evil laugh' combo like a natural.

Of course, that just made her uncomfortable. She wasn't evil! Just... disinclined to think of the well-being of those who annoyed her.

Honest.

"But that was wonderful!" Night Light commented. "It was impossible to get Shiny to pay attention like that when he was that age!"

The corner of Shining Armor's mouth twitched.

'It's just my parents. Parents do that to everypony, and anypony who rubs it in can-'

Twilight giggled, as did Spike.

"I seem to recall a little lavender filly having a nickname." Shining said with a smug smile on his face, making Twilight shudder.

'- get it turned on them just like that.'

"I don't think I could find my parents embarrassing." Forest said, eyeing the display cases of the shops. "Mother might have certainly been sweet and warm, but she was an easily-angered firebrand."

"Oh?"

"She almost always wore her apron around the house, but- oh, it had a heart on the middle of the chest, like that one." She pointed at a shop for cooking implements.

"Just like that one?"

"No, the frills are wrong - more like that one, and the same pattern as that. Pockets! Like that one; once, she accidentally poked a hole and tried to repair it herself - only she couldn't sew... she just made a thick coil of string, though dad had her do another on the other one, so that it'd look like a decoration." Forest stared at the display for a little while, ears down.

The others said nothing, letting her have her moment of memory.

"A... firebrand?" Spike tested the waters.

"Oh, yes." Forest said in a way that somehow combined chipper and solemn; a bittersweet moment. "She had quite the temper, and never got along with her father - from how little I knew of him - and instead sought guidance from her teachers and uncles, who were much older than him. They never agreed with him, and made sure to keep her in her best behavior... or rather, taught her what good behavior was."

She started to chuckle.

"Once, I was playing in the park, when this crazy lady tried to use faulty logic to make me feel bad. I told her that 'because I'm an adult' was a really weak argument and you could be an adult and stupid at the same time."

The ponies (and dragon) nodded as each one remembered an instance of that being true.

"Well, she didn't like that she got outsmarted by a child, so she slapped me."

Velvet gasped the hardest of the five.

"Oh, don't look so worried." Forest rolled her eyes yet kept a smirk on her face. "I inherited my mother's temper; I slapped her back. She gasped like the devil had appeared in front of her, and turned to my mother, blubbering about disrespect or something. I didn't catch all of it, since my mother was stomping up a storm - right up until she reached her, and- and then!"

She chuckled harder, trying to get the words out.

"And then?! She punched her so hard, she actually twirled in place!" Forest began to laugh, managing to both laugh raucously and somehow stay dignified - probably something about the rest of her body language; a foreleg close to her mouth without covering it, and a straight posture. "Mom then said that, if she dared touch her kid again, she'd give her another one that would make her grandparents feel it!"

The others let out awkward little laughs - even if it was a mad noblemare's laugh, Forest's mirth was still contagious.

Speaking of which, it earned Forest a small trip a few rungs higher on the social ladder. Anypony with a laugh like that was to be handled with care, lest they turn into the punchline. That her aura of danger leaked out again was a plus.

It was to be expected.

Blacklight was much higher on the food chain than the common pony.

Author's Note

I noticed something.

Forest is being her own tomboy against her own girly girl. She's willing to wear dresses and workout clothes, she likes (eating and making) sweets and using the hammerfists to open owlbears like grizzly (heh) guts piñatas, she likes to swing her hips as she walks and making aerial cartwheels as she runs.

One is (mostly) Unicorn!Forest, and the other is Changeling!Forest (for the most part), and Twilight is starting to recognize them.

Blacklight!Forest is content with just staying hidden one more day.