Change-Ling Your Attitude

Chapters

Prologue: "Issues"
Chapter 1: "Operation: Just Desserts"
Chapter 2: "Intervention"
Chapter 3: "First Day Involves a Love Coma"
Chapter 4: "Therapy, Scenarios, and Rattlesnakes"

Prologue: "Issues"

It was another cold, starry night in Ponyville. The foals were asleep, the mares brushing their teeth. The stallions were making their final rounds around the home, just to make sure every door, gate, and window were closed. Despite the changeling peace that had recently been forged, the changelings who frequented Ponyville were nocturnal, rowdy, and had a tendency to pulverize porcelain garden gnomes.

Little did they know that this prejudice observation was caused not by the changelings as a whole, but rather one specially branded Disturber of the Peace.

"I LLLLUUUUUUVVVVVVV EQUESTRIA REFLECT," Morpheus slurred. The current commander of the changeling guard, Morpheus was anything but qualified. Rather, he was about as qualified as a koala who only knew how to break an almond in two. But on this current, celestial night, the changeling had decided a local visit to the tavern would be an appropriate response to his friend's current predicament.

"Morpheus, you're drunk," Reflect growled, "...and this time I'm not taking you home!" Reflect, the General of Intelligence (yes that's an actual title), was just a bit more qualified at his job then Morpheus. The difference being that there were times-between his paranoid rants on society and his conspiracy theories-he actually found valuable intel.

"Oh come on," Morpheus gave his friend an admonishing look of betrayal. "You're ssssuuuucccchhhh a kill-jjjjjooooooooooyyyy..."

The commander was leaning on the general's carapace, his eyes drifting off here and there as he pointed at rather trivial matters of discussion.

"You s-see that lammmmmp post Reflllect? Ssssometimes I sssstare at it and think of it as a rissssing ssssun in the wessssst." Reflect's patience was wearing thin, and considering that they had managed to walk a block away from the tavern, this was a good sign.

Morpheus then pointed at a few hats on display in a shop window. "I sssseeeee usssss as cowcoltsssss and what are youusss doing?"

Ahead of them were the ruby red doors of Ponyville Jail, a rather quiet area of town with a non-existent crime rate. Reflect barged in, using Morpheus' own body as a battering ram. Inside, the small lobby was deserted, save for the one old mare at the receptionist desk. Heaving his friend's body on one of the stools, he trotted up to the front, where a tiny silver bell laid forlorn on the stained oak finish.

DING!

"Emergency, sir?" The mare didn't even look up, her spectacles not even moving in the slightest. Reflect couldn't tell if she was dead or just a poorly-constructed automaton..

"Had one too many with Berry Punch," Reflect sighed irritably. "Leaving him to sober up." As he swiveled his head to regard the commander with one last look of disappointment, he noticed the light purple form of Berry Punch stretched over two stools. The mare was out cold, snoring like a manticore.

"Isn't that the Disturber of the Peace?" the receptionist didn't even seem to blink, her eyes fixated on the tiny magazine resting in her wrinkly old hooves.

"Just-just keep him here okay?" Reflect didn't even wait for a response as he trudged out the door once more, leaving the receptionist to continue leafing through her booklet.

Outside, he saw the last few lights of Ponyville go out, like fireflies giving up on life. Not that Reflect actually cared about fireflies, no...he hated them too. He could have gone back to the tavern, since the night was still young. Instead, he decided that being branded a drunkard on top of a suspected foal offender wouldn't sit well with his Queen anyhow. And on top of that, this night was supposed to cheer him up, not have him dragging his drunk-as-a-skunk buddy through all of Ponyville.

Why do I even put up with this? Queers, the whole lot of them. Bucking Swarm, hate them. Bucking ponies, hate them even more. Bucking Morpheus, oh boy how I'd like to shove his tiny little brain in a vat of highly concentrated sulfuric acid. Reflect was now walking aimlessly down the street, lost in his own petulant demeanor.

Yesterday was supposed to be his weekly meeting with Chrysalis. He had prepared his materials and evidence to showcase the latest plot he had discovered. It was code-named Operation: Animal Revolution. The beavers were clearly preparing to flood Ponyville's food supplies in a hostile take over of the town. He had figured his Queen would want to hear something about Ponyville, since that was all she seemed to be interested nowadays. Instead, his Queen cancelled the meeting for some important business "abroad", which was probably some poor excuse to visit Canterlot.

None the less, being the Crusader of Truth, Reflect did not put his idea to rest. He tracked the beaver plot to an individual code-named Gummy. The alligator was clearly up to no good, with his blank stare and toothless mouth. But he was also good at covering his webbed tracks, and there was no way Reflect could incriminate him in public.

So he waited in Sugarcube Corner, hiding in the pantry after closing hours. He had brought a camera, duct tape, and a flash light for self defense. When Gummy came out, he would get evidence of his connection to the beavers and duct tape the criminal before he could flee. His plan was foal-proof, and with a 120% chance of success, what could go wrong? Evidently that answer was incarnated in the form of Mr. Cake, who accused the changeling of trying to foalnap his twins. It had taken only the Princess' personal letter to convince him from pressing charges.

After being bailed out of jail, Queen Chrysalis had punished him with a time out from his secret underground office, his only real escape from the disease he called socialitis. Apparently, Morpheus was unaware of this illness since he figured the best way to cheer up his brother was a trip to the local tavern.

"OUCH!" Reflect grasped his hole covered hoof, gazing down to scrutinize the source of his injury. The culprit was none other then a tiny bubblegum wrapper...not even real gum.

"HOW DARE YOU LIFE!" Reflect shook his hoof, as if the moon actually cared about the wrapper. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! AN OUTRAGE I TELL YOU! I WILL MAKE LIFE RUE THE DAY IT THOUGHT IT COULD INSULT ME WITH THIS GARBAGE!"

Reflect hurled the revolting candy wrapper at a tiny sign with a Quill and Sofa painted on it. The flimsy piece of trash didn't meet its mark, getting caught by the wind and flying off in the opposite direction.

"Stupid breeze," Reflect muttered under his breath, revealing his saber-like fangs. Now he was thinking of all the various reasons a gust of wind would prevent him from venting out his frustrations. The only logical conclusion was that the wind was working on Celestia's behalf, since she must have known Reflect was on to her little scheme with the bananas...

"STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!" a gruff, authoritative voice shot out. Reflect nearly fainted, before he curved around to face his ambusher.

The offender in question was an earth pony by the lack of horn or wings. A chiseled grey mane and a dark brown coat, the stallions' piercing purple eyes were barely visible over the flashlight he held threateningly close to Reflect' retinas.

"Can you shine that bucking piece of scat somewhere else before I go blind?" Reflect snarled. The flashlight fell, revealing a starched white uniform with a jet-black tie and a shiny, silver badge.

Oh buck me it's the law! Reflect facehoofed himself, realizing his mistake too late. The cop was now scowling at the changeling, his other hoof holding up an all-too familiar wrapper of bubble gum.

"You see this?" the guard shook the wrapper like it was some sort of perp. "This is a wrapper from a JuicyHoof! And it just happened that while I was patrolling Mr. Davenport's store that this particular wrapper hit me square in the snout!"

Reflect was silently glaring at the cop, as if daring him to continue.

"Now I don't know about you," the cop continued, "but judging from the time this hit me to the current position you've maintained for the last thirty seconds, I'd like to say this was from you. And if it is, then this is littering and littering is against the law of Equestria!"

"I dare you to write me up pony," Reflect hissed, "and then I'll show you the meaning of "stop right there"...permanently!" His horn was now glowing a bright green, causing the officer to narrow his eyes.

"Threatening an officer huh? I'll write you for that too punk! Keep it coming...just wait until your Queen hears about this..."

As if a switch had been activated, Reflect's horn stopped glowing. His eyes still glaring at the security guard, he stated in as smooth a voice he could manage. "Listen here rent-a-cop. I know you don't want to spend the rest of your evening paralyzed from the neck down and I don't want to spend the rest of my week doing maintenance duty. So how about we reach a compromise of sorts?"

The officer seemed to ponder on this, apparently appalled at the idea. But he also saw the shaking hooves, the fear behind those compound blue eyes, and the forked tongue quivering behind the canine teeth. And it just so happened that he did need a favor.

"Okay," the guard held out his hoof for Reflect to shake. "I'll deal."

"Thank Celestia, there really is a divine pair of alicorns," Reflect was already squeezing the stallion's hoof, a look of gratitude on his face.

"On one condition..."the guard smiled.

"Really?" Reflect's momentary smirk was replaced with a threatening glare. "What do I look like to you? A magical genie? Want me to grant your three feather-bound wishes you bucking queer?"

"With a tongue like that," the officer sneered, "you could get in a whole lot of trouble there mister."

"I could give a flying feather on what you think," Reflect shook his head. "What do you want?"

"A partner," the cop grinned.

"WHAT?" Reflect took a good three steps back, his heart now beating through his outer shell. He may be willing to find the truth at all costs, but not like that.

Apparently, the security guard got the same idea, his grin turning into a frown. "NOT LIKE THAT! I mean a partner to get this free coupon for two cupcakes!" The stallion held out a tiny pink slip of paper which Reflect snatched with a tentative hoof.

CUPCAKE MADNESS!

TONIGHT AT SUGARCUBE CORNER!

All ponies are cordially invited to Pinkie's Choco-Watermelon extravaganza. These cupcakes will literally blow your mind! They're so good, you'd be crazy not to try one! Of course, if you're allergic, it's understandable. But still, bring a friend, and the first two cupcakes are on the house!

"You're kidding right?" Reflect stared at the stallion, his hooves still clutched around the piece of paper. "I've got a restraining order from that place that lasts until next month!"

"Then disguise yourself!" The stallion facehoofed himself. Honestly, he couldn't believe changelings were this stupid. The whole point to free food is that it starts with the word "free". If he was a changeling, he would have even disguised himself as the Element of Kindness to get in!

"And just who do you propose I copy bird-brain?" Reflect figured that almost everypony had been there, and that the owners had been keeping a list as well.

"Well..." the officer scratched his chin, "...what about that mare in the costume gig? You know...boasting about Great and Powerful?"

"Trixie..." Reflect repeated the name with such malice that the guard almost cringed. Trixie Lulamoon was a notorious performer, one that many changelings remembered as being obnoxious, self-centered, and generally dislikable. But the moment she went on Reflect's Double-Hate List was when she took away one of their own.

Albeit Leech was a klutz-which was more of an understatement-the unicorn still took him away from the Hive. And that could only mean one thing: Hypnosis. Somehow, the unicorn had discovered a powerful magical artifact that allowed her to perform advanced hypnosis spells to lure her victims away from their daily lives, becoming devoted disciples who would follow her to Tartarus and back. Leech, whose brain was no larger then a walnut, was easy prey and therefore the reason why Reflect had vowed he would never stop until he proved his theory.

Although now she was apparently off in Canterlot or somewhere...far away from his grasp. Not that he wouldn't find her eventually. If Reflect was good at one thing, it was being able to follow anypony, anywhere, at anytime. Or at least get in their business, which was a good strategy if you wanted to catch them off guard.

"I'm judging by that seething look you don't like her anymore then I do?" The officer was waving his hoof, trying to bring Reflect back from his momentary snap out of reality.

"That cold-hearted enchantress stole my brother! If I even saw her again there's no telling what I would do! I loathe that (word not found)," Reflect hissed, vanishing in a flash of green flame. Within moments, he was replaced by the infamous performer, her blue coated fur replacing the rough chitin. "and so I shall be her. After all, if there is any information to garner, best to hear it as the enemy herself!"

"You really are insane," the officer shook his head, "but I guess that makes two of us. Vigilance is the name...and you are?"

"Reflect," the unicorn replied in her flamboyant accent. "But please, call me the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Trixie?" Pinkie Pie was staring at the odd couple before her. Sugarcube Corner was fairly deserted, occupied by a few mares and stallions from the weather team along with one very disgruntled delivery colt.

"I don't really know her," Vigilance said hastily, "but she's the only pony I could find and-"

"She's actually a changeling!" Pinkie laughed.

All of a sudden, Trixie's face turned a deep crimson and steam began to vent from her ears. Within seconds, she was engulfed in green flames, replaced by an insect-like equine whose face looked like it was ready to explode.

"AGAIN? YOU BUCKING CALLED ME OUT AGAIN? YOU SERIOUSLY JUST DID THAT! MAYBE YOU'RE A CHANGELING!" Reflect sank to his hooves, apparently sobbing although no pony could really tell. Most of the patrons were busy drinking coffee or eating their pastries, not at all concerned at seeing yet another changeling in their midst.

Pinkie, on the other hoof, tried to give a comforting grin. It didn't take a genius to recognize this changeling as the same exact changeling that she had pointed out randomly that one time she was being chased out of town with Mirror Match.

"Hey there," Pinkie comforted, "I thought your disguise was really super-awesome-never-could-have-guessed-it-was-you! I mean, I don't know why I always happen to call you out but maybe it's just my Pinkie Sense and then you usually lose your form right after that..."

"I swear this ain't no coincidence..."Reflect moaned, "I'm supposed to be master of deception and here you are! Calling me out. Every. Single. Time!"

"Well after two you can't lose right?" Pinkie beamed. "And besides, I'll vouch for you if Mr.Cake comes in! I know you were just curious about our new cupcakes when you stayed up after closing hours!"

"Well then," Vigilance hastily held out his pink slip of paper, "two Choco-Watermelon cupcakes please on the double!"

Pinkie, happy to be doing something other then suffer whatever accusations came next, waltzed off, leaving the security guard alone with the now undisguised Reflect.

"She's a changeling I swear," Reflect pointed at the frizzy maned Element of Laughter. "That's how she always figures me out! That also explains why she was hiding that changeling too! Bet you she was totally in on it!"

Vigilance just sighed, praying that this would be the last time he ever had to deal with this freak ever again. Once the duo had received their cupcakes, the officer dragged Reflect to a table in the far corner, where a familiar yellow pegasus with a turquoise mane was just woofing down the last morsel of her midnight snack.

"Raindrops?" Reflect called out, causing the pegasus to jolt back in her seat. But once she saw who had said her name, her look of surprise turned to one of absolute animosity. Raindrops had recently visited the changeling hive to do a documentary when she met Reflect. To make the long story short, things went out of hoof and the two had become mortal enemies.

"Reflect..." the jasmine coated mare snarled, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"You know this drone?" another feminine voice pepped up. Reflect turned to see that his arch-nemesis was sitting across from a lavender coated pegasus mare with a jasmine mane. Her orchid-colored eyes regarded the changeling with a confused stare, apparently unaware of the bitter rivalry these two shared.

"Sadly," Raindrops started to slurp down the remains of a chocolate milkshake, her eyes still sending daggers to Reflect's unfazed expression. "Remember that intelligence fella you saw in my movie?"

"That's HIM?" the pegasus' look of initial bewilderment turned to astonishment. Even Vigilance, now taking a moment to put two and two together, had released his hold on the changeling.

"Wow..."the pegasus just shook her head. "I...wow!"

"Great," Vigliance facehoofed himself, "I knew your name sounded familiar. No wonder you got a restraining order from this establishment!"

"You know what?" Reflect stood up, locking eyes with Raindrops, "I still think you're in on it Drop-Some! And I'm not going to let it slide!"

"You want a piece of this?" Raindrops held her right hoof out threateningly, "You little shape-shifting piece of hay! I'll feather you so hard you won't wake up till next month!"

"Come get some, queer!" Reflect growled, his sharp teeth glistening like silverware.

"OKAY STOP!" the mysterious pegasus held her hooves out. "We are in a restaurant ladies and gentlecolts! Now I don't know about you, but I wanna finish my milkshake and get on with my life. Raindrops has just gone through a hard day at work and you...errr Reflect...look like you had a pretty atrocious day as well. So can we all just sit and act like civilized ponies for once?"

The silence in the room that followed lasted for a whole minute, with Vigilance darting his eyes between the two opponents in case he needed to break anything up. Raindrops and Reflect, on the other hoof, were simply staring at each other, weighing out the options.

"You speak like a queer little pony," Reflect hissed. There was a soft gasp and Raindrops, whose hoof was still fastened on the milkshake, nearly shattered the glass. She was going to punch the snot out of this changeling and she was going to enjoy every single minute of it.

"But you are right in that I've bucking had it with today." Reflect plopped down on a stool, taking one of the cupcakes before regarding it with a disapproving eye. There were several sighs of relief as the parties resumed their respective positions in the bakery.

Vigilance gobbled down the delectable treat like it was mana from above, carefully wiping his snout with a napkin before leaning over to Raindrops. "I honestly don't know him. I just wanted free food."

"It isn't your fault Vigil," Raindrops shrugged, before turning to her friend with an apologetic look on her face. "I guess I owe you one Cloud Kicker."

The pegasus blushed, waving her hoof off. "Oh please. But you have to watch your temper Rainy. I mean, I know you can barely tolerate Rainbow Dash as a manager anymore then you could tolerate your last boss in A-Mane-Zon, but another incident and the company can write you up for it."

Raindrops just continued to play with the ice cubes in her shake. She knew her friend meant well when she said that, but Raindrops' temper knew no bounds. Today, Rainbow Dash had once again forgotten an important quota report and the entire weather team was being forced to work overtime. That, and the recent appearance of her old changeling nemesis didn't help her drown her sorrows in sugar.

"You gonna eat that?" Vigilance was now eyeing the morsel in the changeling's hooves.

"Something's wrong," Reflect brushed his chin. "This pastry...given out for free..."

Something was very familiar about this cupcake. The bright green frosting, most likely made with color dye. The little bits of red, the supposed chunks of a freshly cut watermelon. The chocolate bottom, made with flour, egg, butter, sugar, induced coco beans, and something...else. He observed every angle of the pastry, turning it around carefully in his hooves while studying every single detail.

At this point Vigilance was on the verge of losing his sanity. The changeling had been examining this cupcake like a weapon for two minutes and not once had he made any attempt to devour it. Counting his luck that he even made it before closing time, the stallion slowly rose to his hooves, trudging out of the store without even giving a goodbye.

"It's just a cupcake, Reflect!" Raindrops too had been observing the changeling, sipping down a second chocolate milkshake. She really wanted to take that pastry and shove it up his little changeling nostrils just to see what would happen.

"Yeah," Cloud Kicker added cheerfully, "they said this cupcake is one of the best. Newest in the batch, and it would blow your mind if you just-"

But her voice was drowned out as a firefly suddenly lit up over Reflect's head, the realization hitting him like a freight train. He connected the sprinkles and found the verdict. This cupcake, nestled in his very hooves, was-

"EVVVVAAAAALLLL!" Reflect flung the pastry at the adjacent wall, causing the contents to splatter in a colorful mix of green, red and brown. Raindrops and Cloud Kicker froze, their eyes riveted at the changeling like he had just pulled out a stick of dynamites.

"What...did I just see?" Cloud Kicker turned to Raindrops, who merely rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised at the changeling's sudden outburst, but still felt a tinge of resentment towards him. Pinkie, who had just come back to the counter, was watching the pastry slowly slide down the wood finish, leaving a grisly brown stain of watermelon chunks and frosting.

"Cloud Kicker, meet Reflect Fury." Raindrops turned to the changeling, who merely watched the pastry slowly slide down to the floor. "Reflect Fury, meet Cloud Kicker."

But the changeling paid her no heed, which for some reason infuriated her more then when he bothered to make a comment about her. But in actuality, Reflect's mind was racing, a habit of his whenever he had come to the end of a very long paper trail.

These cupcakes were induced with a mind altering hallucinogen, I knew there was something fishy about it! And ponies don't even eat fish! There was doubt in his mind that this was indeed the cause of Pinkie's ability to spot changelings. It would also explain how his own siblings like Leech and Mirror were falling for these equines. Elements of Harmony my arse! It was drugs all along!

Before Pinkie could even confront the changeling for causing a mess, Reflect had dashed out the door and into the night, his paranoia kicking in as he tried to figure out exactly how many ponies-and changelings-had been affected by this cupcake. Needless to say, the cupcakes had been given out for free-a clear indication of their true purpose-which would incriminate just about the entire town and at least a good portion of his own hive.

But there was still a chance for hope. Today had been unexpectedly rainy, something about Rainbow Dash forgetting her quota, and as a result, some ponies were probably in sick. But Reflect knew that the allure of free food was strong and only those of strong willpower would be able to resist, leaving him to trust just about no pony in a twenty mile radius.

This calls for extreme measures, changeling style! Somehow the phrase felt wrong and Reflect chided himself on choosing it. That and the ridiculous theme music he had prepared for tomorrow. But all in good time. He would rest here for the night, taking cover in one of his many surveillance trees before going through with his plan.

Chapter 1: "Operation: Just Desserts"

"Day 1: Log 1: I've managed to camp out for the night in this inconspicuous piece of shrubbery. The gardeners have been catching on to me. I found all my equipment and magazines in a trash can just the other evening. None the less, I've been able to conduct some research, and am now searching for signs of mind control."

Reflect paused the minuscule recorder, taking out a pair of binoculars to stare out of his bush. So far, morning in Ponyville was rather dull, with a few ponies and changelings moving here and there, greeting each other with a cheerful good morning.

"So far it seems peaceful, too peaceful. These queers aren't showing any signs of mind control. No blank stares or drooling from the mouth. And especially no evil minion mind control helmets, which clears any involvement with Cloudsdale. Not like those lazy maggots could ever come up with mind control, but still, it could happen. Back on track. Perhaps the substance doesn't kick in until later, or perhaps it's hidden itself so well in anticipation for an agent such as yours truly."

Reflect carefully pulled out a tiny scroll, flattening it on his hind hooves. On it was a map of Ponyville that seemed to have been drawn by a foal with lots of red, blue, and green crayons. Reflect had marked a large red "X" over Sugarcube Corner, followed by a dotted line that led all the way down to his position, with a very poorly drawn pink poodle crossing over it. Next to it appeared an even more horrendous drawing of what looked like a decaying piece of bark wearing sunglasses.

"I will wait for the one known as Pinkie Pie to cross over this path. I've monitored it several times and... hold on a second..." Reflect paused, the blood slowly draining from his face as he realized his mistake.

"Buck!" he facehoofed himself, "That queer lives in Sugarcube Corner! Well...none the matter...infiltration within enemy territory will still be accomplished."

He crossed out the pink poodle with a black crayon he had been able to salvage from the trash receptacle. Using it, he drew a question mark, before turning the recorder back on.

"Anypony who heads down this path with the intention of going to Sugarcube Corner will be followed incongnito. And it isn't because I don't remember where it was...okay...maybe I didn't remember every single street name in this emotion-forsaken trash pit...but I got the gist of it. And I was also partially inhibited by cider too."

Reflect facehoofed himself once more for going off topic. This wasn't about navigation. This was about espionage and a major crisis involving baked goods.

"So when I follow the target," he followed the dotted line.

"I will sneak in through the back," his hoof reached a very crudely drawn picture of himself with a laser beam.

"Find the recipe-" his hoof now found a rather poorly drawn square with the words "evil" printed in fairly legible Equestrian.

"And then I'll show it to the authorities!" His hoof ended on a picture of him receiving a golden trophy from his Queen, who looked like a dead tree fitted with wings and a crown.

"Hey Cheerilee!" a voice chirped. Reflect immediately pulled out his goggles, observing the magenta colored school teacher make her way down the path. The source of the voice appeared to be none other then Cloud Kicker from the night before.

"Morning dear," Cheerilee waved. "Just going to Sugarcube Corner to pick some stuff up."

"Ooo," Cloud Kicker kicked back on a fluffy white cloud that had somehow sunk to a few meters above the dirt. "What you gettin'?"

"Those choco-watermelon cupcakes!" Cheerilee giggled, "Pinkie's been giving them out in troves since she found them. That little dearie is giving me a baker's dozen on the house for the kids at school!"

"Sounds amazing!" Cloud Kicker was now back peddling the cloud to its respective position. "Well see ya later! Gotta check with Raindrops and make sure she doesn't do anything silly now."

"Bye!" the teacher continued down the path, humming to herself a cheerful tune. Reflect ducked back down, taking out the recorder once more.

"Poisoning the well of knowledge eh? That conversation sounded too nice to be genuine. Must be some sort of secret code or something. Perhaps both of them are in on it too! Explains Cloud Kicker's appearance in the store yesterday. Will pursue for further details"

He looked back once more, seeing the fleeting earth pony. Taking in a deep breath, Reflect continued. "As much as I hate those little queers at the schoolhouse, this chocolate covered morsel of pure evil will not succeed in taking over any town, no matter how much I may hate it. Operation: Just Desserts...is a go!"

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With that, there was a flash of green and a white pegasus mare with a blue mane barrel rolled out of the shrubbery. Taking in his surroundings, Reflect carefully examined each suspect, making sure he wasn't being followed. Other then a few concerned glances, no pony seemed to be onto him.

The Ponyville Market Plaza was in full swing, with pedestrians frolicking to and fro, unaware of the underlying crisis threatening their dear town.

He carefully tip-hoofed to a carrot stand, hiding behind a knapsack of veggies as he checked his six. Other then a suspicious potted plant, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. After all, he was a professional and professionals never got caught unless one of their allies screwed up. In this case, that ally would have to be Morpheus, with his arrogant nature and tendency to drown out his sorrows in cider.

With the coast clear, he proceeded with the stealth of a ninj-a-roo (ninja kangaroo), only bumping past ponies he could not avoid, which was most of them. Now only a few feet away from the teacher, he went prone, snaking past several bewildered mares and stallions who eventually excused the behavior to some game of hide and go seek.

Hiding behind an old wooden cart, where a burly tan stallion was selling some rather fashionable sunglasses, Reflect made sure he still has visual. Cheerilee was still in sight, humming to herself as she greeted a few of the stall owners. Stealing a pair of inconspicuous shades, Reflect took off into the clouds.

With a bird's eyes view, Reflect could see as far as the town hall, and the distant Sugacurbe Corner. Any other changeling would have questioned why following Cheerilee was any more efficient then waiting at Sugarcube Corner, but then again they probably would have also questioned the integrity of this mission.

"Hiya, Lightning Bolt!" Reflect gazed below him to find the source of the voice: a lilac coated mare with an iris blue mane and two encircling dolphins as a cutie mark. "What ya' doing?"

"None of your business!" Reflect shouted back. "How would you like it if I asked how you were doing huh?"

"I'm doing quite fine Bolty," the unicorn giggled, "Just thought that since you were here, Rainbow Dash must have given you the day off-"

"Well I'm busy," Reflect snarled, "doing...errr...things that don't involve you!"

The unicorn shot him an incredulous stare, before yelling back. "Well fine then! I'll just go bowling by myself!"

"Praise Celestia!" Reflect shouted back, "Enjoy hurling dead weights across a chasm of depression while you take out your anger on pin heads!"

"I...I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" The unicorn began to sob, running off in the opposite direction. A few onlookers flashed him reprimanding glares, but Reflect ignored them as he flew down the street. As he glided over, he was able to catch a few bits and phrases like, "Lightning Bolt is a jerk!" and "Did you just see what she did to Sea Swirl?"

"Now with her out of the way," Reflect mumbled, "I can get back to the mission at hoof."

At last, his aerial vantage point proved fruitful when he spotted his target, Cheerilee, trotting down the street northbound on Yellow-Brick Road.

"Follow the bread crumbs...or in this case...the cupcake crumbs...all the way to the witch's hut," Reflect snickered. He figured he would need a new disguise, and saw a thatched roof ahead of him with a perfect hiding spot from any would-be spies.

Landing with a loud thump, Reflect backed himself against the brick chimney, before being consumed by a plume of green flame. This time, he was the lilac-colored unicorn from earlier, his eyes peering over the edge to see if anypony spotted him. Other then a few random pedestrians who had been startled by the sound, no pony was any wiser to his presence. Wiping the sweat that came with this disguise, Reflect turned back to try and find his target once more.

As if fate had intended it, the changeling felt the straw beneath his hooves start to slide off. A saboteur no doubt had anticipated this spot! Reflect grabbed onto the chimney for support, but it was already too late as his sweaty hooves lost their grip on the bricks.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!..." was all he had to say as he fell over the house.

SPLAT!

Reflect was sprawled out over the grisly remains of mushed apples, carrots, apple cores, laundry, that daisy sandwich from last tuesday, and banana peels? Reflect stumbled to his hooves, gazing around him as several pedestrians tried to cover their mouths in the vain attempt to stop laughing. Taking a note of his surroundings, the horrifying realization came too late. I'm in a garbage cart!

He attempted to make a move, but only sank lower into the filth. He was trapped! He had read about quick sand in the distant lands of the Zebra, but he had never anticipated quick garbage was even possible. The driver of the cart, a pink coated mare with a yellow mane, seemed to be unaware of her latest addition to the cargo.

"Bring out your filth! Bring out your filth! Be eco or be uhh...errr...filth!" She chanted in a sing song voice, as various doors opened, flung two or three black plastic bags, and then closed with a resounding bang. It took all his muscle power to avoid getting hit by the repulsive projectiles. And all his will power to avoid shaking his hoof at the sun.

YOU MAY HAVE WON THIS TIME LIFE! BUT I SWEAR! YES I SWEAR YOU'LL GET WHAT'S COMING! Reflect couldn't believe how bad his life had turned out. Before, when the ponies had been a targeted race for conquest, everything had been swell and easy. His Queen would actually congratulate him, and he could stay in the solitude of his chamber for days on end.

Then everything changed when the changeling nation-his nation-attacked. Defeat, exile, and not one day after he had infiltrated the ranks had he been so easily pointed out by that devious pink mare and her yellow-coated assistant. And then he had spent the rest of his days in a cell with Morpheus! After that, well, his Queen no longer required intel on her allies. And despite the solid evidence that Equestria was hiding something, his Queen didn't even seem to adress the problem with her generals!

"Hey Cherry Berry!" a familiar voice greeted the garbage mare. Reflect froze, his ears twitching in recognition of the vocal cords, and he immediately clambered up the pile of rubbish to get a better look. Sure enough, Cheerilee was there, but this time she had a bright blue box tucked in her mouth. It looked quite fancy, with a blue ribbon tied over it and a cute drawing of the school tucked in the side.

It can't be... Reflect had been so busy trying to avoid detection that he had arrived too late to eavesdrop on the super-secret-evil meeting that must have occurred just a few minutes earlier. Sure enough, the gingerbread structure of Sugarcube Corner glimmered in the sunlight, the bane of his existence that had alluded him for all these years, had once again succeeded in keeping another secret from him.

Reflect now had to make a choice, and a tough one at that. He could A, barge in through the doors, steal the recipe, and be promoted. Or B, follow the school teacher, barge in the classroom, and save countless lives through his actions. Normally, he would have chosen A, but seeing that his Queen seemed to adore Equestria so much, choice B would 'be' the best course of action. Hang in there students, for the Crusader of Truth will save the day!

The Crusader of Truth had been a fancy title Reflect sometimes called himself in his spare time. It was one of the few things he indulged in saying, and a name he kept to himself, less he suffer the same ridicule Morpheus got when he called himself World's Best Commander of the Swarm.

"...and so the donkey says to the mule," Cherry Berry seemed to be happily sharing one of her infamous jokes before being cut off by Cheerilee's own voice.

"I'm so sorry Cherry," Cheerilee apologized, "but I really must be going now so I'll see you later!" With that, she took off, Cherry Berry looking on with a bored expression as she continued on her lonely trip to the dump.

NO! Reflect squirmed in his rancid prison, trying to break free from the confines that held him back. He needed to reach the schoolhouse before it was too late. Here and there, several curious onlookers gathered to see who they assumed to be Sea Swirl violently trying to break free from a garbage pile.

"Need help there, Sea Swirl?"

"How did you end up in there?"

"I heard what happened with Lightning, what a shame..."

The voices were getting to his brain, and he slowly felt his straining muscles fail under the sheer weight of the junk and high-pitched noise. He couldn't concentrate, and despite the mixture of worried stares and amused looks, he could see his target fleeing from him, disappearing around the corner.

"Sea Swirl!" Cherry Berry exclaimed, "How did you-"

"SHUT UP!" Reflect bellowed, his voice subduing the entire audience to silence, "JUST SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPP! ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR ONE MOMENT IN YOUR PATHETIC LIVES! PLEASE! SHUT! YOUR! TRAP!"

The crowd looked taken aback, a few nervous ponies moving along while the rest of them just watched who they assumed to be "Sea Swirl" trying to break free of her crappy prison. They didn't know whether to be offended or worried, but eventually one bright blue earth pony wrapped her hooves around the struggling unicorn, a scowl over her face.

"Just calm down for a sec will ya'?" Shoeshine was no stranger to ponies losing their cool, especially at something she did. So what if she cut in line a bit? The sheer outbursts that followed were just as rude! But none the less, she would rather have Sea Swirl free and out of her mane then watch as she attempted to wrench herself free.

Reflect at this moment had simply given up, content with just swearing under his breath as the earth pony began to tug. With one more moan, Reflect began to push as well. Inch by inch, he could see himself coming loose.

"Almost there," she uttered, "just...hrggghhh...give...a little...PUSSSHHHHHH!"

CRACK! WHOOOSH!

It was like the crack of a whip as Reflect and Shoeshine tumbled into a barrel of carrots, eliciting an audible gasp from the crowd. As they huddled over the scene, Reflect slowly got to his hooves. And that was when he saw the looks of horror.

His entire flank was covered in bubblegum, ranging from all spectrums of the color wheel. Even his 'mane' was had some fresh pieces tangled in. And this was not including all the grime that had also covered his coat. It was as if life was repaying him for a lifetime of worthless insults with one big heap of bubblegum.

Good one life...real nice. Reflect began to trudge towards the exit, only to be pulled back. Looking behind him, he saw to his horror that his flank was attached to none other then his would-be savior!

"Oh come on!" Reflect wailed, trying in vain to drag the earth pony with him.

"My fur!" Shoeshine seemed to be on the verge of fainting, "oh look at my coat! RUINED! Because of you, Sea Swirl, I'm going-WAAAAHHHHHH!!"

Raising his hind hooves, Reflect delivered a resounding kick in Shoeshine's flank, sending the poor earth pony flying into another barrel of carrots. The congregation of onlookers jolted back in surprise, starring at 'Sea Swirl' in disbelief.

"Sea Swirl? Do you need to see the therapist again?"

Reflect, however, ignored the harsh stares being directed his way. Now that he was free from the nuisance, he leapt over the crowd, running down the street and around the corner, leaving the rest of them to rub their heads in confusion.

23 hours later.

"It has come to my attention," Queen Chrysalis proclaimed, her eyes scanning the table of generals, "that General Reflect Fury needs to go through a psych evaluation!"

There was an uproar as the generals-and commander of the guard-discussed the possible downside to this. The room was a cramp storage chamber, since every changeling feared Reflect had somehow wired their main meeting chambers. Thus, the Queen had to make amends and stuff her entire council in a cave no larger then a filly's room.

"I say it's about time!"

"How can we be sure?"

"What about electroconvulsive therapy? I heard there is a Dr. Crane somewhere that could help us out with that!"

"We don't need to send volts down his body! We need to just send him away! Far away!"

"Can someone please past the fungal beans?"

"ATTENTION!" The Queen held her hoof out, the chittering voices now muted. "I share your concerns with Reflect, and have tried before to...restrain him."

The group nodded, some of the bulkier generals shifting in their seats. Indeed, with only one bowl of fungi beans to share, and Morpheus practically devouring 2/3 of it, this meeting was going to be anything but peaceful. Most of the generals respected Reflect for digging dirt on some matter or someone, but they also understood the gravity of their current situation. Reflect had been troublesome since the start of the pony peace, publicly painting the image of a distrustful race while pursuing his own agenda behind their carapaces.

24 hours and 50 minutes earlier...

Reflect had managed to wash out most of the gum in a creek, with a few pieces still caught in his frill. No longer disguised, he peered through the bushes, spotting the imposing structure that was...the schoolhouse.

It was more terrifying then he had imagined! The evil tower, with a sickly green bell that probably hadn't been polished in years, stood like a symbol of the corruption that filled the city streets. The gingerbread-styled roof, to lure innocent foals to their imminent doom. The red color choice, while not pertaining to any symbol in particular, could still have some malicious purpose behind its design.

The obsession with hearts! Why, the entire structure was covered in hearts. Could it be the symbol of winning the ponies' hearts and minds through...mind control? Or should it be heart control? Maybe vital organ control? Although almost every organ was vital...so perhaps it was just body control...which sounded dumb. So mind control-which would be universally understood by all creatures-was the answer!

It was devious, and Reflect swore he would get to the bottom of this. If Cheerilee was involved, then no hut or shack in the crystal mountains would be able to hide her from the eye of justice!

Reflect would make them all pay for this. This was his town, even if he was forbidden from entering most of the public buildings. For all he knew, he could be too late, but the day was still young and recess hadn't even started. He was sure, so as to not arouse suspicion, Cheerilee would wait before she gave out the poisoned treats.

But what if she didn't? What if she was under mind control as well? It would, as much as Reflect grudgingly admitted it, make much more sense that the good natured mentor had been subdued by the mysterious substance. But if that was the case...

Then there's no telling when she would offer them the cupcakes! Reflect thought to his horror. As he contemplated this new theory, a familiar grey pegasus had landed to make a delivery to the school mail box.

Derpy was absolutely thrilled with her day. Muffin Monday was tomorrow...or was today Wednesday? Either way, when Muffin Monday did come up, there would be no telling how many of those delectable morsels she would get her hooves on!

However, today had been especially odd. A changeling had been following Ms. Cheerilee all over Ponyville, taking the forms of Lightning Bolt and Sea Swirl. He even bucked Shoeshine into a carrot barrel, which wasn't nice at all. And now this same exact changeling was hiding in a bush, but whatever was running through his head, Derpy didn't have the slightest clue.

23 Hours and 30 minutes later.

"Which is why I'm suggesting we use more...Equestrian means."

"What do you mean my Queen?" A voice shot out.

Chrysalis smiled. "I've discussed the issue with Celestia, and she agrees that our general needs to learn self-control."

"So lock him up!"

"Give him maintenance duty!"

"I've tried all of those options," the Queen sighed, "and they've just about all failed miserably in a torrent of swears and insults."

"What makes you think they can do it any differently?"

"A minotaur..." Chrysalis replied slyly, "A minotaur by the name of...Iron Will."

There was another outburst as changelings began to argue amongst themselves. A minotaur? And not just any minotaur, but a famous minotaur who was renowned for his abilities to change anypony from a timid door mat to a tough stallion. He could even take the most prideful mare you've ever seen, and reduce her to a humble ponytarian who donated to all charities. He was a miracle maker...but so far his cure had only worked on ponies...and goats.

"It sounds good!"

"But what if Reflect doesn't accept?"

"We'll force him!"

"You think that changeling will just go to an anger management seminar if you told him to? That general walks to his own drum!"

"Can someone please pass the fungal beans? I'm getting hungry!"

"Can it Morpheus! I think we should give it a try. Iron Will is just as stubborn as Reflect anyhow."

The Queen wondered why she even bothered to make this public. Whenever she brought up anything with her generals, they would all just bicker and argue until one of them plopped dead or Morpheus played a prank...and then Morpheus would plop dead.

"My fellow generals," the Queen hissed, "It appears that we cannot reach an agreement through verbal battle alone. So how about a vote?"

It was silent as the changelings pondered on this thought. Finally, the generals began to nod one by one, their eyes filled with fierce determination. Some of them still felt they owed Reflect a favor, but some of them also saw the threat he posed to not only Equestria, but the changeling hive as a whole.

24 hours and 40 minutes earlier...

One guard at the door, Reflect observed the familiar mailmare who had wielded the camera during that "documentary". There was no doubt that she was in on this conspiracy too, the cross-eyed look speaking for itself. But there was no way he could enter the room silently without alerting the sentry. He would need to think of a better plan.

Meanwhile, Cheerilee was teaching the class about the various uses of sulfuric acid in society. The class was engaged with her lecture, although whether they were genuinely impressed by her own skills as an educator or by the tantalizing box behind her desk, Cheerilee wouldn't know.

But going back outside, Reflect was playing with the holes in his hooves, trying to concentrate. I could just wait for a distraction...Reflect mused, Although it would have to be a giant pastry to get this mare out of my frill! Gosh I hate it when I can't think of ideas!

23 hours and 40 minutes later

"Okay..." Queen Chrysalis was now tallying the final hooves. It had already taken two rounds of voting before she could get every general to raise their hoof. As she counted down the marks on the clay tablet, however, she noticed that one mark was missing.

"It appears we've reached a tie."

There were groans and cries as the generals pounded their heads on the boulder. Chrysalis however, had anticipated a tie, which was why there was an odd number of generals present. And she had a pretty good idea who didn't vote too.

"Morpheus..." she droned in a monotonous tone, "will you care to break our little tie?"

Morpheus had dreaded this moment. So far, he had been able to keep his hoof down throughout the entire meeting, munching on fungi beans as the higher-ups argued about this and that. But now he was in the spotlight, and he didn't like it.

"Morpheus?" The Queen repeated, "You are his best friend after all. What do you think we should do about Reflect?"

It was true that Morpheus was the only friend Reflect still talked to, since his other friends were stuck in Manehattan cleaning up their own messes. But he just stood there, silently watching the Queen with a blank stare.

His mind was drifting off to a column in the paper that presented several situations called "moral dilemmas". Morpheus had been an avid reader of them, and had come across one particular dilemma that caught his interest. He was stuck in the woods, with an injured friend. His other friend was willing to go out and get help, but would require at least one other pony to stay behind and tend the injured hiker. Considering the threat of timber wolves in the area, Morpheus had opted to run for help. But now he was looking back on the situation, as if it applied to this meeting being held presently.

Would he stay and protect his friend? The changeling who had kept him company in a cell and helped him bake cupcakes? Or would he leave him to the timber wolves and save himself?

"Now..." Morpheus began in a calm voice, "I don't wanna look like the bad guy here, okay? I just want to do what's best for Reflect. I'm his friend after all. And brother. We're all brothers here. But I don't want to be the one who takes the blame. I'm not saying that any of you will cast me as your scapegoat...but I'm just saying that the choice I make shouldn't be used to judge my character to the audience..."

23 Hours Earlier

"Day 1: Log 1: I'm outside the school and see no signs of intelligent life...anywhere." He double backed to make sure, only seeing the mail mare trying to fit another envelope in the mail. "Yep...no intelligent life what's so ever."

He didn't have a good view of the clock tower, but he knew that time was short. If he waited too long, he could already be late. But if he went in now, he could be caught and brainwashed himself!

Grrrrrr...buck this! The time for action is now! With that, Reflect burst through the bushes, dashing down the field like a goat waddling after its prey. However, in his mind at least, Reflect was a majestic puma, racing down an ocean filled with laser sharks. It was an odd fantasy, but Reflect was an odd changeling.

"Hi there Reflect!" Derpy waved her hoof cheerfully before getting tackled on the grass. Before she could react, the changeling had pinned her down, his horn glowing.

"This is for your own good!" And with that, Derpy felt her eyelids grow heavy as she drifted off to sleep. Oddly enough, even in sleep, her eyes still seemed to give the impression they were derpy, which was discomforting for some odd reason.

Reflect didn't even bother to stow away with the mailmare's body. He was going to be praised a hero in the next hour anyhow! Why I bet the Queen will even-

24 hours and ten minutes later

-buy that lollipop from Bon Bon? Morpheus thought as he continued to utter his spiel on everything from lawn mowers to kittens to pop tarts.

"...And I know that you've all seen that hilarious clip of the dog and the pogo stick! But what's really the problem is lawn mowers and-"

"Morpheus!" Chrysalis bellowed, "Vote now or I'll toss you outside for the hatchlings. Do you understand me?"

"Ye-yes my Queen," Morpheus stuttered, "but I just don't wanna look like I'm playing favorites here. Reflect is my friend, and I respect him as a changeling. But sometimes enough is enough, and I feel that-"

"Morpheus..." the Queen said between gritted fangs, "you're trying my patience."

"Okay okay, don't get fresh Chrysalis," Morpheus held out his hooves, "I'm just saying that I'll look like a scapegoat with my hoof..."

23 hours earlier...

Cheerilee was finishing her lecture with a final example from her own youth. "-and that's why all your fillies should never bring a bunny to your chemistry class!"

Most of the student's had barely been able to keep up with the scholarly mare. To be fair, however, Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo had made careful notes of the many uses of sulfuric acid. After all, a cutie mark in sulfuric acid would be totally cool! And the Cutie Mark Crusaders would let no opportunity go to waste.

Cheerilee herself was rather exhausted, and let out a yawn, which woke the class with a startle. The look of surprise caused the magenta mare to stifle a giggle, not wanting to plant the idea that school was boring in the slightest.

"Okay my little ponies, you've been waiting ever so patiently for me to show you the surprise...so...here it is!" Bending down over her desk, Cheerilee lifted the bright blue box onto the tabletop, untying the ribbon with careful precision. With the ribbon stowed away in a drawer, she carefully lifted the cardboard top, causing the entire class to gasp

"Ms. Cheerilee," Sweetie Bell squeaked, "are those really-"

BANG! CRASH!

The class swiveled their heads to see a black, insect-like changeling standing over the remains of the door, panting as he caught his breath. Slowly lifting his hoof, he pointed at the box before him.

"CHOCO-WATERMELON CUPCAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKEEEEEESSS!" the changeling screamed as he ran down the aisle with renewed vigor, snatching the box from the bewildered school teacher.

The class was in chaos as several fillies let out high-pitched shrieks. One colt even bothered to step in front of Reflect, thinking he would be able to block him. Reflect simply plowed through him, sending the colt into a tiny wooden shelf.

Once she had finally gotten over the initial shock, Cheerilee's face contorted to a scowl. "Stop right there! What do you think you're doing?"

But Reflect paid no heed to the teacher, the box still impaled by his fangs as he departed out the door. Once outside, he lifted the box, as if presenting it to the sun goddess as a sacrifice. "BE GONE WITH YOU, HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG!"

He flung the box with the full force of a bull colliding with a triceratops! The box splattered in a colorful array of brown, red, and green. Then he proceeded to jump up and down, using gravity and his own weight to further degrade the sweets.

Behind him, several fillies had stopped in their tracks, unable to move as they saw their hard-earned goodies being smashed to mushy bits by a large, terrifying changeling!

Cheerilee had stormed out of the classroom, a look of utter disbelief on her face as she scolded. "How dare you try and steal..."

The earth pony gasped as she saw the bug-like cretin as he desecrated the box, squishing the pastries inside to mush. No longer was her attention focused on the intruder. Instead she turned around to comfort her own students. Sure enough, several fillies were trying to wipe away their tears, while some colts just looked on, unable to fathom what was happening before them.

Moving over to the tiny group, Cheerilee embraced them. "It's okay. It's okay! Shuuuusssh. Don't cry now."

"And take this!" Reflect vanished in a plume of green smoke, replaced by a fierce, red, teenage-aged dragon. Several students cried out in fear, cowering behind their teacher for protection.

With a thunderous roar, a bright orange plume of fire engulfed the box. After reducing the box to ashes, Reflect flashed back to his normal form, giving one last smug look at the roaring fire before spitting on it. By now, the entire class was reduced to tears, sobbing over the charred remains of their snack.

Never try to outsmart a changeling, Reflect turned away from the crackling fire pit to bump right into a magenta colored mare. Only the problem was that her mane seemed to be on fire, her eyes were a blazing red, and her magenta coat was now beginning to glow a hot white.

"WHAT!" Cheerilee roared, her voice like a gust of wind, "DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

The changeling calmly smothered the tiny spark that had just ignited over his ear, a smile creeping over his face. "Two words for you lady. You're. Welcome."

24 hours and 50 minutes later

"...and then there was the entire issue with the party cannon in the infirmary-"

"MORPHEUS!" the Queen's eyes had turned to pillars of green flame, causing several generals to jump back in fear. Morpheus himself nearly wetted his chair, although he was too scared to tell if it was nearly or probably.

"STATE YOUR ANSWER OR I'LL CAST YOU IN THE PITS OF TARTARUS!"

"Throw his arse in anger management!" Morpheus cried out, "He's gone mental I tell ya! Absolutely mental!"

24 hours earlier

Turning away from the fuming Cheerilee, Reflect took out his recorder, practically beaming to himself now. He had arrived just in the nick of time to save the students from a mind control substance that was odorless, tasteless, invisible, and showed no apparent symptoms of mind control.

He was practically a hero now, and as a hero, he could no longer be ignored by the pony populace. Now, more then ever, these foolish grubs would finally open their eyes to the truth that surrounded them. And he would be their guide, the fearless Paladin of Truth-because Prophet sounded boring-leading them to a better future.

It was a pretty generous offer too, considering how much he hated the town and his own swarm. But the pursuit of the truth would never rest...ever. Pressing the big red button on the side, Reflect pompously vocalized the two words he had been waiting to say for a long time.

"Mission Accomplished!"

Chapter 2: "Intervention"

Life in the hive resumed its boring, day by day procedure. The air was just about as dry as one expected, and the stalactites continued to drip with the icky fluid from above. Workers were secreting new resin, towing large cauldrons without even making a pip. The sentries were stationed here and there. Their jobs were just as boring, their lives just as fair. And if you thought there were rhymes in this changeling hive, you will be surprised to know you are wrong. And the reason really is, that these changelings rarely sing songs.

In a tiny, rundown chamber near the Main Corridor was a tiny office. Here and there, filing cabinets had been hastily stacked on top of each other, to form some sort of demented fortress. There was no desk, just a rotten bean bag bed and boulder. On the far end was a shelf that was sparse, its only books being Conspiracy Theories for Dummies, MonsterQuest: Humans by Lyra Heartstrings , and How to Track and Hunt the Ellusive Chupathingy by Grazing Plains

It wasn't the most spectacular office, but it had a purpose. And that purpose's name was Reflect.

The changeling in question had just landed in the entrance, a fungi milkshake tucked in his hooves as he trotted towards his bean bag, code named "Think Bag". It was a rather clever name, and one that Reflect congratulated himself on. Settling down in the cushiony surface, the changeling pulled out a brand new scroll, the ink still fresh.

As it turned out, Operation: Just Desserts had been a total flop...or so they say. He was banned from ever entering within a hundred meters of the school, and for safe measure, restricted to 50 meters of space from any filly, colt, foal, and or anypony accompanied with a minor.

Thankfully, his Queen had bailed him out again and he was allowed to return to the Hive, with the one condition he pay back the school with his own money. The cupcakes themselves, despite being given out for free, had cost him a hefty 200 bits! He would have to manage his savings carefully now, less he wanted to lose any more bits to the wretched education system.

The scroll in his hooves was a summary of his sentence, although why the court felt the need to give it to him was anypony's guess.

But in other news, he had learned Raindrops was being put on suspension for some incident involving her manager, although the exact reasoning behind this incident had not been discussed in the small circles he was able to infiltrate. Not that it mattered, considering the pegasus was going to anger management.

"I'm just glad I'm not going to that joint," Reflect chuckled, "queers go to anger management. Queers lose their cool. But professionals have standards, and when we do things, we do them right!"

Reflect crumpled the scroll into a trash ball, tossing it off the rubbery resin of his chamber before it bounced back on his eyeball.

"OUCH!" Reflect growled, "Stupid scroll."

He flung the trash ball back at the opposite side of the wall, where it rebounded off the wall and on his snout.

"OUCH!" Reflect rubbed his snout, "Stupid scroll!"

Once again, he threw the trash ball like a pitcher trying to kill the batter, only for it once again to rebound and hit him in the eye, then rebound off the floor and into his snout.

"AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!" Reflect raised the trash ball, a wild look in his icy blue eyes. Aiming towards the entrance, he was just about to let the revolting trash ball fly when he saw a jet-black drone standing in the front.

"Reflect?" the drone called out anxiously. The changeling froze, the trash ball still in his hooves. Carefully tossing it on his desk, Reflect gave a quick salute.

"Yes," he answered, "Reflect, General of Intelligence."

"Errr...Compound," the drone saluted, "I'm here to tell you about...well...you know?" The changeling was beginning to sweat, and his eyes were constantly shifting to other parts of the room.

Reflect titled his head in confusion. "I know what? Speak up queer!"

The drone just rolled his eyes. "The Queen has requested your presence-"

"AHHAAAAAA!" Reflect jubilantly pumped his hoof in the air. "I knew she'd re-consider!" Without saying another word, the general happily followed his subordinate down the sleek black corridor. Reflect would have brought some more intel, but he figured he wouldn't alarm his Queen with a ton of paperwork.

It was about time Chrysalis took notice of his achievements. Perhaps she too had seen the signs. Mind control was a big problem and one that Reflect was working on rectifying. It wouldn't be the first time he'd save his hive either. He was right about Carbon being power-hungry. He was right about Double being a nut. He was right about Aurora being a bigger nut. He was close to proving General Switcher as a backstabber...although somehow his Queen had dismissed him to conduct stupid reports in Froggy Bottom Bog.

What this hive would do without me. Reflect smiled.

"Just right there," the drone indicated with a tentative hoof. Reflect was in Hive H, this chamber being one of the cocoon recovery rooms. Although why his Queen wanted to meet him here was anypony's guess. Reflect just assumed she wanted to meet in secret.

Taking in a deep breath, Reflect put on his sternest gaze, puffed up his chest, and trotted in. "Hello Your...what is this?"

The chamber had been converted to a living room, with boulders moved over to form some sort of circle. Around it, sat several changelings. Queen Chrysalis sat in the front, with a beige-colored stallion at her right. On her left, sat his two old friends, Zeth and Vapor. And at the very end was Morpheus, who was "twiddling" with his hooves.

"ZETH!" Reflect held his hooves out, "VAPOR! What brings you two queers here?"

Oddly enough, Zeth didn't seem to acknowledge Reflect's presence, only managing a wave. Vapor at least gave him a meek smile, although that was about as far as he was able to get.

"Hey Reflect," Zeth replied timidly.

"What's going on?" Reflect guffawed, "you guys look like you're in a trial? What happened? Somepony get arrested? Oh you guys missed it! There was this crazy mare the other day by the name of Raindrops who-"

"Reflect," his Queen spoke out in a deafening tone. The changeling remained silent, a frown now plastered over his smirk. The beige pony on her right gave a slight cough, which rustled his bushy brown mustache. Interestingly enough, the pony in question seemed to be bald at the top, his mane receding to the bottom. Reflect noticed these things, and suspected mane gel was the primary cause.

"Why the sudden get together?" Reflect motioned to all the changelings around. "Morpheus looks like he's ready to wet himself. Zeth and Vapor here-"

"Reflect this is an intervention," the Queen sighed.

There was no explosive outburst or any form of yelling. Instead, Reflect just tilted his head in confusion. "Excuse me? What did you say?"

"What your Queen is trying to say Reflect," the beige pony got up, "is that this is an in-ter-vent-ion!"

"I heard her the first time ****!" Reflect shouted, causing everyone to gasp. "What I want to know is what...the buck...IS GOING ON?!"

"Reflect," his Queen began irritably, "just-just sit down okay?"

"This is a circle of trust," the pony tried to spread his hooves to encompass the entire room. "You're surrounded by friends and family here."

"I don't even know you!" Reflect pointed his hoof accusingly at the beige pony.

"Forgive me," the beige earth pony stood up, putting up a friendly hoof. "My name is Doctor Chocolate Filling, but please...call me Dr. Fill."

Reflect ignored the outstretched hoof, his eyes riveted to his mother and Queen. "Why is Dr. Queer and the rest of you throwing me an intervention?"

"Reflect your behavior is hurting every-" Morpheus began, before Zeth muffled the changeling with his own hole-covered hoof.

"What Morpheus is trying to say," the Queen explained, "is that we all feel that your behavior has not only been unproductive to Ponyville...but to the swarm as a whole."

"I don't get it," Reflect spat back, "I was just doing my job-"

"You broke into a school," Chrysalis interjected, "and literally incinerated all the cupcakes to a crisp. You consider that a job?"

"They were laced with mind control!" Reflect defended.

The changeling queen merely facehoofed herself once more. She had hoped Dr. Fill would actually be of some use in this intervention, but so far, it seemed she was doing most of the talking. As for Reflect, well, at least he wasn't tearing the doctor to shreds.

"Reflect," she said smoothly, "me and the council have met..."

"And?" Reflect tilted his head.

"And," his Queen continued, "We've felt that you need to go to anger management."

"WHAT!" Reflect slammed his hoof on a boulder, which was pulverized into tiny pebbles. "ANGER MANAGEMENT! I CAN CONTROL MY ANGER JUST FINE!"

"No you can't," his Queen hissed, "you're clearly unstable, you have extreme paranoia, and you're a grouchy groundhog almost every single day of the month!"

The changeling was silent, as if actually contemplating those words. Vapor and Zeth both just sat there, awkwardly trying to give their best smiles. It was if they were trying to reassure their comrade that there was nothing bad with anger management, which there was.

Zeth had finally decided to take his hoof out of Morpheus' mouth, the commander gagging a bit, but otherwise healthy and not choking on his own saliva.

"Why am I even here?" Reflect yelled back. "I don't have a problem! In fact I feel that you should all know that...MORPHEUS HERE HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM!"

"WHAT!" Morpheus jumped out of his seat as fast as a rocket. "THAT'S A STINKIN' LIE!"

"No it's not," Reflect retorted, "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I BEEN FORCED TO DRAG YOUR LAZY ARSE OUT OF THE PUB?"

"Oh and thanks for leaving me at the police station," Morpheus spat back. "I had to pay a fine for that!" It was true that at the station, Morpheus himself was fined 50 bits for drinking. Thankfully, the commander had somehow passed out before he could spend all his extra bits.

"You're welcome!" Reflect hissed, "and I'd do it again too!"

"You suck!"

"YOU SUCK!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" The Queen's voice boomed like a concert stage mike. Although it managed to silence both parties into submission, they still gave each other dirty glances as the Queen spoke.

"Reflect, Morpheus may have his own problem, but you on the other hoof are causing a lot more trouble then he is-"

"With all due respect," Reflect pointed at Morpheus, "I don't see why Morpheus here can get away with everything under Celestia's Sun while I make one mistake and get criticized for it!"

"I understand your grief Drone 754," the Queen was really trying to say it in the sweetest voice she could manage. She would never be doing another intervention again after this. In fact, she preferred her way of just stating the facts and sending the drone on his way. Interventions were just an emotional whirlpool that complicated matters rather then simplified them.

"Do you?" Reflect finally took a seat, burying his head in his hooves. "I-I just can't believe this resin-secreted trash. I mean...really?"

"Reflect it's for the best," Dr. Fill began before Reflect cut him off with a threatening hiss and flutter of his wings. Normally, most ponies accepted interventions without causing this much of a fit. But Dr. Fill was not among ponies. Changelings were clearly more emotional in some aspects.

"Reflect?" Zeth began cautiously, "Reflect do you wanna at least discuss this?"

"No." Reflect answered bluntly. "No I don't."

Chrysalis was on the verge of going insane at this point. She knew it was illegal to kidnap ponies and put them into cocoons, but she couldn't resist the urge to stuff Dr. Fill in one and just say he got lost in the desert. After all, how bad would it be to have a changeling psychiatrist in the hive?

"Well Reflect you have no choice," the Queen rose from her boulder, already moving towards the entrance. "You start your first seminar in the Ponyville Town Hall the day after tomorrow just after breakfast."

The general looked up to give his Queen one more look of loathing before getting up himself. "Fine. I'll go."

"Good-"

"BUT I JUST WANT EVERYONE HERE TO KNOW," Reflect bellowed, "THAT WHEN I'M GONE, WHO IS GOING TO BE MONITORING YOUR MEETINGS? WHO IS GOING TO BE THERE TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAFE? NO ONE. THAT'S WHO! AND NOT WHO THE CHANGELING! THAT GUY SUCKS!"

The group slowly trickled out of the corridor, with Vapor and Zeth escorting Reflect in the front. Queen Chrysalis motioned for Morpheus to walk by her side, Dr. Fill tagging behind.

"Morpheus," she whispered, "I just want to let you know that you'll be hearing from me soon about your...libations issue."

"Oh no Queen," Morpheus chuckled, "Reflect was just-"

"I have the police report," Chrysalis sneered, "and the tapes from that karaoke club."

Morpheus wasn't a changeling who wished harm to befall on others. But if Reflect could have decimated anything in that room, he deeply wished he had pulverized the smug look on his Queen's face. Thanks a lot for nothing jerk!

"Umm Chrysalis?" Dr. Fill began sheepishly, "Where's the exit?"

The Queen turned towards the rather short earth pony, her face filled with concern. "Did no one tell you? You're not leaving doctor."

"I just find it aggravating you know?"

Ponyville Cinema was a rather quaint theater with around 8 rows of nice, comfy, cushion-like seats. There was even a little popcorn stand where one could buy freshly roasted pecans and soda for reasonable prices. Despite all the public places he had been banned from, this was one of the few places Reflect actually tried to be on good terms with. For him, the movies were a great escape from the mundane routine that his life had become.

With Morpheus currently occupied, Zeth and Vapor had managed to convince Reflect to spend a night out before he had to attend this anger management seminar. And this being one of the few places he was still allowed into, they decided that a movie didn't hurt anyone.

"You know Reflect," Zeth happily munched on another kernel, "it might not be that bad!"

"Yeah," Vapor added, "I mean, you'll meet new ponies, and get to know the town and stuff."

"I already know all there is to know about the town." Reflect stated blankly. Indeed, he had tried to wire Ponyville, but the janitors were thorough and 90% of his equipment had been lost. But that was only 90%.

The theater itself was decently crowded. The lilac coated unicorn that Reflect had to come to know as Sea Swirl was sitting two seats to the right from him, while Shoeshine was sitting one row up. Also, to no pony's concern, Cheerilee was also sitting in the theater next to a couple composed of a bright, sea green unicorn and a beige earth pony with a pigment blue mane and rose-colored streak.

In fact, the two seemed to be so close to each other that the three changelings began to snicker.

"Are you two dating?" Zeth chuckled at the duo. The pair gave him a scathing look before turning back to the screen.

"I'd say they were," a sly voice whispered. Reflect turned to see Sea Swirl moving up to the trio, her eyes wide with excitement. "I would know!"

"Okay..." Reflect scooted just a little farther to the left.

"So are you three like...brothers or something?"

"Technically yes," Vapor nodded, "we're all from the same mother see-"

"You know," Sea Swirl began, "I saw the documentary that Raindrops made. I have to say I'm impressed."

Reflect simply grumbled in his own seat. Ever since his Queen had announced that ponies would be visiting the hive, he had gotten a bad feeling about it. But no one bothered to take his opinion into consideration, and sure enough disaster followed their arrival. Although the film crew did try to clean up after themselves, much to the Queen's delight, Reflect still didn't like that documentary crew. The fact that their hive was now public knowledge only made him squirm in his seat.

"Have you ever been bowling?" Sea Swirl asked.

"Have you ever not talked to a stranger before?" Reflect scolded. "Lady, you barely know us-"

"Oh come on Reflect," Zeth patted his brother on the carapace, "you need to chill down a bit."

"Yeah," Sea Swirl agreed, "I thought changelings were supposed to be adorable and stuff."

"Who planted that in your mind?" Reflect cringed. "Do you even know how stupid that sounds? Next thing you're gonna tell me is that there is a bunch of art out there depicting these cute wittle changelings with their innocent flanks up in the air, making friends with ponies?"

"Not to mention how bad an image that gives the rest of us," Vapor expressed in a matter-of-factly voice.

"Or the fact that almost no changeling would let you cuddle them," Zeth added. "It's just bad taste."

"Yeah," Reflect concluded, "Sea Swirl. You show me one piece of art that has a changeling looking all cute with a pony and I'll buy you the next round of popcorn when we meet in the theater-"

"Or bowling alley?" Sea Swirl interjected enthusiastically.

"Not the bowling alley," Reflect sighed, "Just stop it with the bowling alley-"

"Shhh!" Zeth motioned to the screen, "it's starting!"

The entire audience grew silent as the light faded into darkness, the screen now being the only source of illumination as the daily ads popped up. Nothing special yet, just Gecko Insurance, some hat store called Mann Co., String Shop, and well...some spa treatment center that actually looked interesting.

Youtube Video

After the ads rolled in, the real action came with the latest blockbuster hits. Reflect was practically holding on to his seat, turning to his left and right to see both changelings on either side just as captivated. Currently it was just a filly dragging herself along a rather dismal background. Not that he particularly cared about this latest preview but...OH MY SWEET CHRYSALIS ON A SUNDAY IT'S AN EXPLOSION!

The mere awesomeness he was seeing right now made him grip his seat. The narrator's voice was already pumped up for the movie, and he even promised action too! Movies were the one thing Reflect accepted without doubt because...the way he saw it...they were already being presented as given lies anyhow. But the better the lie, the more enjoyable the film. And besides...who didn't like explosions?

"I bucking love this guy!" Zeth hissed into Reflect's ear. The changeling nodded energetically, his guts turning inside and out as the camera panned to show the red hooves of...an ALICORN! Reflect didn't even know they had the special effects for that kind of stunt!

"Holy Hive!" Reflect jolted back in his seat, "Bucking Alicorn? And he's even saying the gum line!"

This just kept getting better and better. Right now, the alicorn had just finished bucking that annoying filly off the camera, and he was now raising some sort of spaghetti gun at an unseen foe. All three changelings were gripped into the narrative until Donut Steal fired the steaming-hot pasta...on a group of cardboard cut-out changelings.

It was like a shot to his chest. All three changelings just stood there, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. It wasn't that they felt particularly offended...well...maybe a just a bit. Okay. maybe a lot.

Vapor was the first to murmur his disapproval. "That's depressing."

Reflect felt like that searing hot pasta was in his own stomach, making his blood boil as he started to strangle the sides of his seat. He couldn't hold it down, the rising inferno burning his throat, begging to get out and splatter whatever obscenities he had in store for them. This was more then an outrage. This was rustling his jimmies to the point where he was feeling his own stomach heat up under the friction. The movie now was just another testament to his failure. Another irritating trifle in his carapace. Another Morpheus getting drunk on his night out!

Before any of his friends could stop him, Reflect leaped out of his seat, his hoof pointed accusingly at the screen. "WHO IN THEIR FLYING FEATHERED MIND THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNNY!? WHO?! AND I KNOW IT ISN'T WHO THE CHANGELING!"

Apparently, three changelings could indeed get kicked out of a theater for cursing out loud, despite the movie being rated for adult audiences. Not that Reflect particularly cared, for whatever love he still had for movies was lost in that one preview.

"That was an outrage! Queers run the movie industry now! I can't believe it," Reflect glared at the ground, as if it had something to do with that pathetic excuse of a film. "I almost wanted to watch it too."

"Reflect, it was just a movie," Zeth argued, "you can't just lose your temper to a preview."

"What movie were we going to watch anyhow?" Vapor asked.

"I forgot," Reflect muttered, "I'm pissed now. And then I have to attend that stupid anger management-"

"Reflect," Zeth held his friend with two hooves, locking eyes with the intelligence general. "Calm down okay? This is why the Queen wants you to take a trip to anger management. You need it."

But the intelligence general simply shoved past his friend, trotting down the empty, lonely street to probably spend the night in his surveillance shrub. As his two hive mates looked on, they couldn't help but a feel a tinge of regret for their friend's predicament. They knew Reflect was a hard egg to crack. But they had also seen Iron Will's seminar in Manehattan. If this minotaur could do the trick, then perhaps Reflect might change his attitude after all.

"Give me another one," Morpheus was chugging cider like a calf chugging milk. The bar-tender, a blue colt with a cider mug as a cutie mark, only gave one concerned glance at the jet-black equine before sliding another foaming mug into his outstretched hoof.

As it turned out, his Queen might be sending him him to some little workshop called EA, Equines Anonymous. This could be his last night. If he did go, his Queen would be keeping tabs with the counselor to make sure Morpheus' alcohol levels were still relatively low.

The commander continued to gulp down the foamy beverage before settling it down with a resounding thump. Then, he stumbled to his hooves, raising the mug up in the air.

"Here's to Reflect Fury! Go burn in Tartarus you prancing show pony!"

And with that he collapsed on the stool, snoring like a babe.

Chapter 3: "First Day Involves a Love Coma"

Today was another beautiful morning in Ponyville. The birds were chirping a melody of love and joy. The squirrels were climbing down the nice, soft bark of wood as they gathered their nuts for winter. Here and there, ponies greeted each other with sweet 'hello's and 'good morning's. And on the ground, a little green foal was happily taking a morning walk with Buster, his nice brown, fluffy puppy.

Buster was happy to get some exercise on the weekend. In fact, he reveled in it. As him and his master made their daily round around the park, Buster joyfully barked at a few weather ponies moving a cloud. Cloud Kicker, being the friendly mare that she was, landed to give Buster an affectionate pet.

"He's so cute Short Round," Cloud Kicker complimented.

"Thanks!" Short Round pipped up as he took his dog down another street. Pinkie was running the bakery with...NONE OTHER THEN DARING DO! Short Round and Buster literally trampled the line of customers to get a better look. No doubt was in his mind that this was a real-life, breathing replica of his idol.

"Daring Do!" he cried out, "can I have your autograph?"

The brown pegasus smiled, laying her pith helmet over his dark green mane as she took out a piece of paper and quill to sign. Short Round was practically bouncing up and down with joy, Buster waggling his tail because there was nothing better to do then see his owner's own jubilant demeanor spread on this fine, sunny day!

"There you go!" Ms. Do gave a wide grin as Short Round examined the hoof-writing. Then storing it in his saddlebag with a caution only reserved for his most prized possessions, he took a free cupcake from Pinkie and continued on his merry way.

There were oo's and aww's as the customers in line watched him go. Truly, this was turning into a great weekend. As the colt and dog were just about to cross the street, Buster took the initiative and went before his master, walking with a dignified air to him.

"Oh Buster," Short Round giggled, "stop acting all fancy-"

"OUT OF THE WAY STUPID DOG!" A harsh voice hissed.

Before Buster knew it, a firm hoof collided with his side, and he was flying back towards a haybale, crying for his master as he did so. Short Round wasted no time in reaching his friend, only to see him whimpering in the hay. Turning around to confront the assailant, he was shocked to see of all things three changelings. The two at the side seemed relatively stern, but the one in the middle looked irritated.

"Excuse me," Daring Do had rushed to the scene," How dare-"

"Do?" The changeling laughed, before firing a green bolt of energy. In a matter of seconds, Daring Do's brown fur was peeled away by green flames to reveal a hard, jet-black shell The site of another changeling was shocking, causing several fillies to gasp along with their respective audience.

If looks could kill, the changeling really wanted to kill this guy in the middle. But as fate would have it, he was already moving past the scene, the crowd only shaking their heads in disapproval.

"Really Reflect?" Zeth facehoofed himself as they turned another corner. "Not two days after the verdict and here you are...kicking puppies and breaking foalhood dreams."

"Like I care," Reflect scoffed, "I learned long ago not to keep pets. Those things will devour you in your sleep. I say I saved that kid's life."

"Okay Reflect," Zeth sighed, "if you want to make a good impression today, you'll need to learn some manners."

"Yeah," Vapor agreed. "The sooner you pass the sooner we all get out of this right?"

"Perhaps," Reflect replied coldly, "just like how I'm getting escorted by my two well-mannered friends like a captured fugitive."

"Now no one said that," Vapor argued, "but you need to calm your nerves. Or else you'll spit out breakfast."

"I didn't eat breakfast," Reflect smirked at this fact, as if he was proud of it.

"What happened to the hay oats?" Zeth inquired.

"Threw them down the drain," Reflect shrugged. Zeth and Vapor both facehoofed themselves for their friend's paranoia of his meals being poisoned. The last thing they needed was Reflect getting grouchy, but they figured that even with a well-balanced breakfast that was impossible.

Reflect himself was wondering why he'd gotten into this mess. He was an agent of the Changeling Intelligence Agency, the CIA! How does someone in the CIA get sent to anger management? Because they know too much? Because they think too hard? Because they made a few bad calls? It wasn't his fault that Morpheus got his hooves on a party cannon!

"Here we are," Vapor revealed, his hooves presenting the large, ornate building in the center of town.

Ponyville Town Hall, aptly named with the town's title, was like the tower of a mystical steeple...that had then been chopped down by a giant and thrusted in the middle of nowhere to stand as a testament to society's downfall. The wooden framework formed two stories, with a nice wooden spiral fitted with ornate, glass windows. Reflect considered such important buildings to be filled with flaws like these. All it took was one clumsy individual to bring the entire castle crumbling.

And he would know. After all, he'd spent most of his years with Leech.

But the worst part about the town hall was the fact that the roof was larger then the second story, forming some sort of sandwich-like system that always gave him the feeling it was going to collapse. The ruby red doors seemed to beckon him closer, as if their enticing entrance could lure him into his architectural death trap.

"I'm going to die in the town I hate," Reflect affirmed dejectedly. He was sure of it, in fact, he could bet a good amount of bits that he wasn't even going to make it past Wednesday. If only he had initiated Fall-Back Plan B, which was to morph into a chipmunk and retire to the Everfree Forest. He could still do it, but then again, he felt he could also still convince his Queen of the dangers in Equestria.

"You ready Reflect?" Zeth and Vapor inquired simultaneously. It was quiet as the three stood just inches away from the door. Was he ready? Reflect pondered on that simple thought, wondering if now was the time to run.

No, he glared at the doors, I'm not going down without a fight! And with that, he pushed down the red ruby doors.

The inside of Ponyville Town Hall was like an opera house. The wooden framework blended with the window panes to form the illusion of a canopy. Several circular balconies jutted out from the second floor, while the center was occupied by a rather ornate semi-circle podium. Below, a fine red carpet ran down the diameter of the hall, meeting its end at the door.

And currently occupying the center was a rather interesting group of folks. They were sitting in a circle, their pink-pillowed cushions facing each other as they tucked at their wings or played with their horns. At the very right of the circle, Iron Will hastily checked the clock on the second floor.

In two more minutes, he would be receiving another subject to work his magic on. He was worried that they would miss class. However, the rest of the group was here, no thanks to the imposing poster he had positioned at the front.

Anger management was a new course for him to take, but not one he was unfamiliar with. After a successful tour with his Assertiveness Training seminar, the minotaur had taken all his knowledge on being aggressive to figure out how to reverse it. Amazingly, the same discipline and training he gave to teach assertiveness could also be instituted to cure it.

And so far, Ponyville was not short on recruits. The town was by far his biggest customer, next to Manehattan and Canterlot. Only one failure still plagued his mind, and he would never forget the day a customer stood him up and refused to pay. It was a mistake he vowed to never repeat.

BANG!

The door flew open, causing everypony to turn their heads in astonishment. Before them, was a grotesque equine with a solid black shell, icy blue eyes, a sharp horn, and saber-like fangs. His hooves looked like they had been pulled through a cheese grater and his snout sniffed the air hungrily.

I just had to skip breakfast, Reflect regretted. But there was no time to nourish himself as he kicked the door off its hinges, which was rather unnecessary as it swung open. The inside of the town hall was just as fragile as the outside, and the intelligence general scolded himself for not trying to kick the door harder. After all, a structural collapse would mean no anger management right?

"WELCOME!" a gruff, booming voice bellowed. The owner of the voice was a minotaur that Reflect could describe in one word: buff. Everything about the monster was buff. His muscles were about as big as Reflect's gut, while his chest looked like he could fit a whole pony inside. The black tie seemed to be stretched to its limits around that hulking piece of flesh he called a neck. The horns shimmered like sterling silver, and the nose ring was so well-polished, he could see a reflection of the monster's nostrils, which made Reflect gag.

But there were some minor setbacks. The minotaur had very small eyes, something Reflect had an advantage over. Also, his bottom half looked like it belonged to a goat, and a very small goat at that. In fact, from a distance, Reflect thought that it was just a glob of flesh balancing itself on a tiny stool.

The minotaur waltzed over, flexing his muscles as he did so. Although Zeth and Vapor stood at attention, Reflect could sense they were shivering uncontrollably.

"My name is Iron Will," the beast grinned, "and I'm here to make you master the art of self-control!"

Reflect merely stood there, unable to find the right words as his counselor continued.

"You are Iron Will's first official changeling to undergo this course!" Iron Will seemed to be very proud of this fact. "And Iron Will *flexes muscles* will ensure that you, Mr. Changeling, will be satisfied or you get to pay-I mean you get to spend a free day with me...not including charges, you will pay for any products bought."

What is this fool talking about? Reflect had seen a lot of cheesy advertisements, but this was by far one of the worst. Not only did this minotaur not know his name, but his own delusional pride was aggravating. And the last thing Reflect needed was another reason to get mad.

"I pity the fool who doubts my methods!" The minotaur stuck his nose within inches of Reflect's own snout. "You don't doubt my methods do you?"

"Frankly cupcake," Reflect sneered, "I believe in you just as much as I believe in breakfast..."

Iron Will tilted his head, a perplexed expression on his face.

"...and I didn't even touch a single oat this morning!"

The room was silent, waiting to hear the monster's reaction to this outburst. Nopony had ever lashed back at Iron Will on the first day, and here was this changeling, a delicate bug, challenging the minotaur on his own methods.

"Then you're a FOOL!" Iron Will declared, "and I pity you! But do not fret, for Iron Will's Anger Management Seminar will change that! In fact, why don't you step down here and I'll introduce you!"

Ignoring the fact he had been insulted, Reflect followed the minotaur to the circle of chairs, where several mares and stallions awaited him with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

"This is Amethyst Star! Or Sparkler as she prefers!" A pink coated, violet maned unicorn rose from her cushioned pillow, giving a broad smile. "Hi there!"

"What's with the diamonds?" Reflect pointed at the unicorn's cutie mark.

"Oh," Sparkler chuckled, "that's-"

"Boring," Reflect interjected, "Next!"

The unicorn sat down, a fresh scowl plastered over her face. She had dealt with insubordinates before. Heck, she even dealt with other changelings before, but this one was different. Iron Will merely continued with his introductions.

"This is Bon-Bon!" The familiar beige colored earth pony from the theater mumbled a brief hello, not even bothering to get up from her cushion.

"On your right we have Vigilance!" A dark brown earth pony with a crew-cut grey mane gasped in surprise at seeing the familiar changeling. Reflect simply waved back.

"I got my eye on you," the security guard pointed at the bugger.

"Please," Reflect scoffed, "I've been monitoring you for much...much longer!"

"And finally we have Raindrops!"

Reflect did a double take at the jasmine coated pegasus. His mortal enemy was indeed watching him, but there was something off. And that was when he moved his eyes just a few centimeters below. The flash of white was blinding, but once he got over it, he realized that she was actually smiling at him! The pegasus slowly rose with the grace of a butterfly, landing with a dull thump, inches away from the changeling.

"Raindrops has been in our program the longest," Iron Will chuckled, "was just as stubborn as you too!"

"Hi Reflect," the pegasus embraced the changeling in a bear hug that nearly squeezed out all his organs through his mouth.

"Put me down!" the changeling gasped. Without so much as a protest, the pegasus dropped the changeling on the wooden floor, where he immediately began to refill his lungs with oxygen.

"Oh Reflect," Raindrops giggled, "I've learned that I was being a little too harsh with you back at the hive."

"What?" Reflect rubbed his frill, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Not at all!" The pegasus exclaimed. "Why, I'm just saying that I understand what you're going through, being a changeling intelligence general and all. I realize that you didn't mean to embarrass me and Derpy back there. In fact, you were just doing your job right?"

"Yeah," Reflect slowly got to his hooves, "my...job..."

"And I also learned," Raindrops continued, "that your behavior in Ponyville is just a result of you unable to ventilate your stress in a productive manner. For me, I usually go out in the woods or in the air to calm myself down. But for you, well...Mr. Fury your name alone shows that you want to shove all your anger at anypony you meet!"

"Stress?" Reflect shook his head. "No no! I don't have any stress!"

"Allow me to reiterate," Raindrops calmly stated. "You're unhappy with your life and you choose to just be a grumpypants because you can't have it your way. I've learned that you're just doing your job the best way possible. And I appreciate you-"

"Stop it," Reflect warned, "Raindrops you're starting to delve into some real thin ice."

"-but I think we can improve that," the pegasus continued.

"You're freaking me out!" Reflect backed away.

"Well let me be the first to welcome you to anger management," Raindrops presented a sprinkled, white frosted cupcake to the now bewildered Reflect. "Have one on me!"

There was absolute silence in the room as the changeling's eyes slowly widened in horror. Then, calmly looking into the eyes of turquoise maned pegasus, he seemed to take in a deep breath.

"Two words: Mind. Control. Bye bye!"

And with that, he dashed towards the exit, only to collide into his two hive mates, who heaved him back. But Reflect was desperate, and a changeling who was desperate wouldn't go down easy. With a flash of green, he was replaced with a rhino. But his friends, thinking two steps ahead, morphed into dragons.

So Reflect turned into an eel, to where his friends turned into anacondas. Then he turned into a polar bear, to where his friends responded with some weird, black smoke monster. And then he tried a lion, only to be surprisingly held back by wildebeests. After around 50 more animals, the changelings were back in their original form, although Reflect had chosen a rattler, his tail shaking like a maraca.

"LET ME GO!" Reflect hissed, his reptilian eyes glaring at both changelings.

"NO REFLECT!" The two brothers pushed back, "You can't leave!"

"THEY'VE GOT MIND CONTROL!" Reflect shrieked, "you can't let me stay here! They're going to probe me!"

The two drones had managed to drag the sand-colored snake to the circle of cushions, right next to the yellow pegasus who was still smiling.

"I'll never be the same!" Reflect flashed into a falcon, his friends each taking a leg as they fought against their airborne friend.

"Reflect! That's the point of anger management!" Zeth hollered, "Do you want to go to jail?"

"I'd rather be imprisoned with my mind still under my control if that's what you mean!" Reflect snarled. "This minotaur is insane! He's going to perform a lobotomy using his triceps!"

The group just watched as the three friends struggled against each other in a battle of strength and endurance. Finally, it was Raindrops who trotted forward to the rather short mountain troll that was currently Reflect Fury.

"Allow me to help!" With that she closed her eyes, focusing on the changeling. Both Zeth and Vapor exchanged quizzical glances, wondering what exactly the mare meant by that.

It didn't take long however, when Reflect suddenly flashed back to his normal form, his eyes drifting in and out as the woozy drone stumbled back. The realization hit them like a freight train and both changelings promptly backed off.

"Sweet Chrysalis!" Zeth exclaimed, "She's trying to put him in a love coma!"

Love comas were a rare side-effect of the changeling's nature that involved their ability to absorb magical energy. Before, changelings use to thrive on it, the system being a careful intake of the arcane power source. If the intake was too much, the drone would enter into a subconscious state that would render them comatose for around an hour or two, or even more depending on the amount. Even with the changelings no longer requiring love to feed on, they still had the organs that managed their love intake.

Right now, Raindrops was generating so much love for the changeling, that his organs were going into overload. Even now, Reflect was gradually swaying, his eyes trying to focus on the pegasus. But he couldn't do anything, for magic was one of the first functions to be disabled in a love coma. The reason being that there was so much energy stored in the horn that it somehow clogged the system, causing the magic to flow elsewhere in his body.

The crowd just watched as Reflect grasped at the air, swinging here and there. Finally, with one last punch towards his hive mates, the changeling comically fell over on his back, landing with a large thump. Zeth and Vapor carefully moved toward their brother to examine his condition. He was out cold, sprawled over the red carpet, unresponsive to any of their movements.

"Wow..." Raindrops murmured, "Didn't think that I could love a former enemy that much-"

"STAY BACK!" Zeth warned, holding his hoof out in surrender. "...you...I think we should take Reflect back."

"NO!" Iron Will barked, "REFLECT IS UNDER MY COMMAND NOW! You've done your jobs and now you have Iron Will's permission to leave."

"But you just knocked our friend out with a love coma!" Vapor argued, his eyes still focused on Raindrops.

"I'm sorry," Raindrops apologized, "I didn't know any better. Heck, I thought you changelings didn't even have such things as love comas."

"We'll make sure to avoid such matters in the future," Iron Will assured, "now you two need to head back."

Zeth was just about to protest when Vapor nudged him in the gut, pointing at Raindrops. Although they were sure she was earnest with her apology, both changelings didn't want to take a chance. Slowly backing towards the door, they nervously waved goodbye to the group.

Neither of them knew what awaited Reflect here, but all they knew was that their friend had survived a lot worse without them before. And if he still had that stubborn attitude of his, then their concern was not directed to the changeling so much as it was directed at the group.

I just hope they can handle him awake.

As Iron Will watched the changelings depart from the town square, he turned around to face Raindrops with a reprimanding glare. "Don't love the changeling so much so that you're going to knock him out!"

The first thing Reflect saw was a pair of teal eyes regarding him with genuine concern. As he slowly came back to reality, however, he saw the jasmine snout and the turquoise mane of his nemesis. The very nemesis who was now over him!

"GAH!" The changeling back away, startling Raindrops to flare her wings up. "What the buck?"

"Sorry," Raindrops sheepishly grinned. "We didn't know-"

"REFLECT!" The booming voice of Iron Will interjected, "Glad to see you've come around to join us!"

But Reflect was anything but glad. Getting on all fours, he turned to see that he was on his own cushion, which was seated right next to the navy blue counselor. He also felt rather energized, almost hyper even. "Which one of you eggheads thought it was funny to put me in a coma?"

The group was silent, none of them raising their hooves. Reflect facehoofed himself, before letting out a thunderous roar. "WHO BUCKING PUT ME IN A COMA? I WANT ANSWERS!"

"-but you won't get them through anger!" Iron Will laid an arm over the changeling's shell. Giving a soft nudge, Reflect felt a hundred pounds heavier as he sank back in his cushion.

"Now Iron Will," the minotaur rose to his hooves, "understands that you, Reflect Fury, are a little perturbed about that accident. But rest assured, it will not happen again, and you need to calm down."

"Calm down?" Reflect repeated, his voice slowly rising, "CALM DOWN?! Would you like to explain to me what's going on here?"

"This is anger management," Iron Will shrugged, "these ponies have been in the class longer then you have. They've learned to embrace the world instead of antagonizing it."

"No," Reflect shook his head, "that's horse scat and you know it. Raindrops here is never this nice...EVER!"

The pegasus seemed to be a little taken aback by the harsh comment, but none the less smiled at Reflect. "I understand this is a bit of a surprise. I'll admit I was surprised too, but I look back at the Old Raindrops and I'm glad she's gone!"

"Maybe that's fine with you," the changeling pointed at himself. "But Old Reflect likes Old Reflect and doesn't need any bucking change in his age!"

"Now come there," Iron Will chided, "is that any way to treat a pony for trying to be nice and celebrate you for who you are?"

"Celebrate me?" Reflect backed a few feet from his neighbors. "That mare nearly tried to squeeze me to death! And on top of that, I know for a fact that nopony...no matter how much training...ever forgives so easily like that!"

"Well Iron Will's classes will change you," the minotaur beamed, "Raindrops was just like you, Reflect. She was grouchy, didn't want anypony to bother her, and then one night she had an epiphany. She was happy, she bought everypony gifts, and is now Iron Will's personal assistant!"

"I call mind control!" Reflect yelled.

"Iron Will would never step so low!" the minotaur growled. "Why the mere thought of using drugs to control my patients would be discovered by doctors and render Iron Will incapable of-"

"Who do you think I am?" Reflect interrupted, flying snout to snout with the burly beast. "I know every little trick in the book, Mr. Will. It's my job to know! And mark my words when I say I will find out what you're up to!"

Iron Will was unfazed at the threat, crossing his arms together with a half-hearted smirk. "And how do you suppose you'll accomplish that?"

"Believe me," Reflect sneered. "You will know, Mr. Will."

The two continued to eye each other for another good minute. Reflect was now staring into those eyes, searching for any hint at fear or guilt. But he could find none, which only strengthened his conviction that the minotaur was insane. As if to prove this point, Iron Will suddenly burst out laughing, causing Reflect to fly a few inches back in surprise.

"Ahhh Reflect," Iron Will teased, "you're such a jokester here. But Iron Will also wants to help you, and I can't do that unless you let Iron Will conduct his seminar!"

Reflect wanted to lash back, to morph into some giant crab and just go wild. But what would that accomplish? He had already tried going in horn's blazing before, and that failed pretty quickly. He had tried to gather information, and that only got him a restraining order. What was the point of fighting back?

No, Reflect thought, methods must change to better suit the swarm. If this Iron Will character is truly behind mind control, then I'll defeat him myself. No press, no stealing, no spying (yet). Mr. Will, I'll play you're little game for now. But just wait. This phoenix is coming back in a blaze of glory!

With that he plopped down on his cushion, nodding at the minotaur. Indeed, it would be a tough battle, but one that Reflect was accustomed too. He could never resist a challenge after all. Besides, it would be nice to tear Iron Will's empire up from under him.

"Alrighty then," Iron Will grinned, "let's start by talking about triggers..."

"Just like that!" Zeth reiterated, "put him into a love coma Your Highness!"

Chrysalis gave a brief yawn with her hoof, amused with the report her two guards came in with. It was unusual for a changeling to receive a love coma, but she figured it was Reflect's own fault for not controlling his stress levels.

"Zeth, Vapor," she announced, "You're free to go back to Manehattan. I'll make sure Reflect is taken care of from here."

The two drones bowed before flying off, once again leaving the Queen alone to her thoughts.

I wonder what they're doing now?

Chapter 4: "Therapy, Scenarios, and Rattlesnakes"

"So," Iron Will concluded, "triggers are certain physical or non-physical objects that cause a pony to lose their cool!"

His eyes darted to the beige-colored mare. "Bon Bon, would you like to start?"

"Well," Bon Bon began, " a thing that really bothers me is-"

"Dogs," Reflect interjected, his eyes wandering around the room, "I hate dogs, and cats too. Come to think of it, I really hate rabbits and houses. Specifically bird houses. Heck, I hate carrots too! Carrot cake? No way mister! Muffins? Rather die then eat them. I mean I guess-"

"I hate it when certain ponies interrupt me," Bon Bon said between gritted teeth, rising to her hooves.

"Same here lady," Reflect growled back, "so why don't you shut up and sit that flank back down when I'm talking?"

"WHY I-I...CAN'T BELIEVE...YOU..." Bon Bon was unable to form a coherent sentence, her face twisted in some half-scowl, half-frown, all-insane expression that caused her fellow neighbors to move a few inches back.

If Reflect had any idea-which he probably did-of what was going on, he didn't seem to care. He was already convinced that his fate was sealed. At the very least, he would die a noble hero, the last changeling of the Changeling Intelligence Agency, or the CIA.

"I need a time-out," Bon Bon croaked, her face about to explode from the pent-up rage that was boiling through her gut. Grabbing the pillow she had been sitting on, the disgruntled earth pony smothered her face and elicited a whiny.

Reflect started rolling on the floor, laughing like an idiot. "Look at that! She's been resting her stinkin' flank on that cushion for at least an hour! And now she's stuffing her face in it!"

"REFLECT!" Iron Will blocked the scene with his massive frame, eyes locked with the insect-like cretin. "THAT'S NOT NICE! APOLO-GIZE!"

"Why should I?" Reflect sneered, "She should apologize to me! I was talking-"

"No you weren't," Sparkler narrowed her eyes, "Bon Bon was talking when you inter-"

"Shush," Reflect held a hoof to his mouth, "what's wrong with you ponies? Never letting a fella finish his spiel before-"

"REFFFFFFFFFLLLLEEEECCCCTTT," Iron Will's nostrils were now venting out steam. "APOLO-GIZE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL MAKE YOU APOLOGIZE!"

The changeling merely regarded the minotaur with an unfazed expression, unconvinced of his scare tactics. If Reflect begged for forgiveness now, he would be showing a sign of submission. And once he did that, he no longer had the upper hoof in this fight.

With a flash of green light, the changeling was once again replaced with a diamondback rattlesnake. His beady black eyes reduced to slits-which was something he totally shouldn't be able to do- the changeling flicked its forked tongue at the monster.

"Make me."

Iron Will lifted his hairy hoofed leg, as if he was going to smash the irritable reptile into mush. His eyes were red with the fiery rage of his stomach. Reflect, meanwhile, was ready to easily side-swipe the monster and bite him in the foot. However, the beast hesitated, his hoof hanging just inches above Reflect.

"Alright then."

Slowly, the hoof was brought back to its place. "Iron Will-unlike you Reflect-can control his anger!"

You've got me convinced the changeling/rattlesnake snickered as the minotaur plopped his hairy **** on the cushion once more.

"Now," Iron Will smiled, "let's proceed with our discussion again!"

His eyes darted to Reflect. "Make one sound and Iron Will WILL TEACH YOU THE MEANING OF RESPECT!"

The former intelligence general merely yawned, flicking his tongue out occasionally. "Sssssure Mr. Will."

"Ugh," the counselor muttered under his breath. He had just reduced a good two weeks worth of training on this changeling. All that therapy had come undone in twenty seconds. But Iron Will didn't just get his name as a class act. He was going to show this slithery, slimy viper (rattlesnake), the true meaning of willpower.

"Well if I can begin," Bon Bon said between gritted teeth, "I hate it whenever Lyra brings that blue-haired ruffian to my home...what's her name...the DJ..."

"I kinda like her songs," Sparkler commented, "I mean...she's got some fine tunes."

"Oh please," Bon Bon scoffed, "if that's considered music then I'd rather be deaf."

"Well," Vigilance offered, "Musical tastes do have a habit of changing over time-"

"Yeah," Raindrops added, "Bon-Bon, I think you're trying to micro-manage your room mate's life."

Before anypony could stop it, the four were now arguing about some nameless DJ and musical genre's over the generations.

"Now everypony settle down," Iron Will spoke out, raising and lowering his arms in a symbolic gesture to cool down the rage. Sure enough, the group slowly settled back, silent.

"Let's all agree that everypony here has different musical tastes. Now Sparkler, what about you?"

"Well," Sparkler mused, "I really don't like those ponies that cut in line."

The crowd all murmured in agreement. Ponies cutting in line were some of the worst, especially since there was never a good reason for it. Shoeshine was a local line cutter, and ever since the changeling peace, Morpheus had been added to that list.

"So," Iron Will smiled, "what's the best way to handle that kind of situation?"

"Take five deep breaths!" Raindrops raised her hoof.

"Politely ask them to move," Bon Bon offered.

"Shove them outta the way," Vigilance growled, "they're breaking the law-"

"Now Vigilance," Iron Will scolded, "you know as well as I do that shoving another pony-"

"Only evokes more violence," Vigilance finished in a monotone voice. "Yes yes, I know."

So far so good. Iron Will had indeed taught his class well. Checking the clock, he saw that they still had another good half hour to go before they were off and the town hall would be left open.

"Raindrops," Iron Will pointed at the jasmine-coated mare. She was still grinning, albeit it was a tad smaller then before. "Tell Iron Will a trigger that gets you pent up."

"Well," Raindrops replied thoughtfully, "I really don't like it when my boss gets lazy. Sometimes I wonder just how she got into a position like that you know?"

"I agree," Sparkler raised her hoof, "Rainbow Dash ought to be fired. I was foal-sitting this one filly and we were having a nice picnic when that pompous, self-proclaimed hero popped up."

Youtube Video

The group was silent, their eyes riveted to the mare telling the story. Sparkler merely continued to speak, gesturing with her hooves.

"She sees me having trouble with the peanut butter, and then heroically steps in! Fails admirably too! So I loosen it up for her, and at last the cap pops off. But get this. She's still acting like she's saved me from some malicious beast! Asking me to scale her amazingness or something..."

The circle of ponies retorted with sighs and nods. Despite being the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash did have an attitude that was rivaled by few ponies. If only they could find someone else who had an arrogant attitude, laziness, love of pranks, and a hankering for cider.

"My Queen," Morpheus bowed. "You summoned me?"

"Oh 769," Chrysalis sighed, resting her snout on a bent hoof. "If only we had someone who was arrogant, lazy, and loved to pull pranks as much as they chugged down cider, we could find a niche for you."

"Are you kidding," the commander scoffed, "I'm not lazy...usually. I mean...not all the time. Well you see-"

"Get out," the Queen thrusted her hoof to the door, "you have a class to attend to tonight regarding one of those problems. And then perhaps we can address the other five hundred another time no?"

"Well," Iron Will concluded, "we can all agree that Rainbow Dash needs to be taught a lesson no doubt. Although Iron Will wonders if she'll have the energy for it!"

The whole circle erupted into hysterical giggling, Iron Will flexing his muscles once more. "Now now, Vigilance, I presume this will be your last day?"

"Yep," the stallion nodded, "and then you guys pick up somepony else? I forgot who it was again?"

"Who knows," Iron Will shrugged, "but we all wanted to say a little something to you before you left."

"Yep, from all of us here!" Raindrops pulled out a shiny blue card. The front had a rather satisfied green stallion merrily dancing on the street. Upon opening the card, Vigilance could see the signatures of all the members in his group, Iron Will's being the largest.

"I don't know what to say," Vigilance cradled the card in his hooves. "I'm touched."

"Oh you earned it Vigil!" Iron Will chuckled. "Besides, with Reflect here, we're going to have enough on our plates right?"

The circle once again broke into a fit of giggles. Once the laughing subsided however, did the group suddenly take notice to absence of swearing. They had not heard one outburst from the newcomer since Iron Will had threatened him into submission.

"Reflect?" Iron Will turned to his right, just in time for his ears to detect the faint snores (or hisses) of a sleeping rattlesnake.

The rattlesnake in question was peacefully resting on the cushion, its black tongue slithering in and out as its tiny body pulsated with each breath.

"REEEEEFFFFFFLLLLLLEEEEECCCCCTTTTTTT!!!" The changeling flashed back to his normal form, eyes wide as he landed a misplaced kick which was easily countered by Iron Will.

Falling on his back, Reflect lifted his head, a scowl on his face. "What was that for?"

"WHY WERE YOU SLEEPING?" Iron Will demanded, tiny flames dancing around his irises. "IRON WILL DEMANDS AN ANSWER!"

"Oh," Reflect murmured, "I guess the discussion was just too bor-"

"TOO BORING?" Iron Will exasperated, the veins literally pressing against the fur. "IRON WILL WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH BEHAVIOR!"

The minotaur took a moment to breathe, the fire slowly fading from his eyes as he searched for his state of calm. Taking in one more round of inhale and exhale, the beast sat back on his cushion.

"Reflect," Iron Will declared in a more measured tone, "will be acting in our next course of action."

"What?" Reflect exclaimed. "This is an outrage! I was just taking a little snooze in the noon QUUUUUEEEEEERRR!

The changeling was lifted off his hooves as Iron Will presented him to the class. "Now Reflect here will play the part of the aggressor, something that shouldn't be hard considering his behavior in the last half hour. Iron Will shall demonstrate the proper technique to handling an aggressor who causes one of the triggers mentioned in this seminar."

"Oh brother," Reflect muttered, "I'm now your little test dummy?"

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT IRON WILL HAS OTHER PLANS!" The beast roared. He had flipped the drone upside down and was now glaring at him with the same heated stare.

Reflect crossed his hooves, unfazed. "Whatever bucko, do your worst. I work for the Changeling Intelligence Agency! The CIA mind you! You'll never get me to talk."

"Actually being quiet may help for once," Iron Will noted, dropping the changeling into the center of the circle.

The group merely observed the scene, their eyes focused as Iron Will presented the scenario.

"Now Reflect here will demonstrate an annoying musician-" the minotaur grabbed Reflect by the hind hooves again "-Reflect, transform into an annoying musician."

Now Reflect didn't know how this was going to help anypony, but he figured he would at least entertain the guests with a simple transformation. In a plume of green flame, the changeling was replaced with a familiar white unicorn with a cobalt blue mane.

"Her eyes are magenta," Bon Bon pointed at Reflect's bright red eyes. With another flash of green, they were replaced with magenta pupils.

"How am I suppose to play music?" the changeling inquired in a voice eerily similar to the notorious DJ Pon3.

"Use your imagination," Iron Will proclaimed jubilantly, dropping the changeling once more with a splat.

Rising to his hooves, Reflect was muttering something about music and ponies before taking his front two hooves together and blowing really hard into both. The product was a sound so annoying that every pony had to cover their ears.

"Now miss," Iron Will poked the changeling, "I believe your music is distracting these other fine ponies from doing their work."

"Get a room then," Reflect sneered, "this is my hometown's music! You got a problem?"

"Perhaps you ought to tone it down a notch," Iron Will suggested gently, "I'm sure everypony here will agree."

Sure enough, each member of the class was nodding their head off, agonized looks of pain on their faces.

"I don't care," Reflect scoffed, "my music ought to-OOAAFF!" The changeling was flung off his hooves, once again facing the angry glare of Iron Will.

"Cooperate or face the FURY!" The minotaur was not going to play another game with this half-insect hybrid.

"FURY IS MY NAME!" Reflect vanished in another puff of green flame.

"For the love of," Iron Will dropped the drone, which was perhaps the only medicinal practice that was keeping him under control. "Iron Will shall now demonstrate cutting in line. Sparkler, Bon Bon, Raindrops, come up front."

The mares obediently lined up in a row, Iron Will motioning for Reflect to stand up. "Now Reflect, I'm going to test your self-control. You're going to get in that line, and you will maintain that position for as long as you can."

"That's it?" Reflect asked sarcastically, "piece of cake."

Trotting his way to the back of the line, the changeling was just about to settle his position when Iron Will suddenly blocked his path, bumping him over to take the spot. "Now that Iron Will has your spot, what are YOU going to do about it?"

"Why am I in this line anyhow?" Reflect questioned suspiciously, "I mean...you told me to line up here and now you're cutting me? What's going on? Who are you working for?"

"What? Iron Will only works for himself," the mintoaur answered sharply. "Reflect, this is a scenario, you need to play this out as if you would be in this situation."

"Well," Reflect stretched his hind hooves, "I would find it mighty suspicious if a pony decided to just cut in front of me. Perhaps this product has some sort of addictive qualities, one that would make ponies cut each other...which would mean..."

The changeling leapt over the crowd, tackling Vigilance to the ground. "Where are they? Speak dagnabit! I know it was you, queer! You hid the skooma! Where are they?"

"Okay," Iron Will dragged Reflect off the stunned rent-a-cop. "How about a different scenario? Ummm...Reflect...could you perhaps play Rainbow Dash for us?"

"The Element of Loyalty?" Reflect wasn't sure where the minotaur was going with this one, but he would play along. After all, he had performed admirably on that last one. Every agent knew that in the CIA, if a pony cuts you in line, and there isn't any logical reason why, there must be some hallucinogenic potion within a five mile radius.

"So," Iron Will demonstrated, "Reflect here will demonstrate the lazy boss. Raindrops, you'll be facing this situation and I want you to have just come from a long shift at work. Your boss, Rainbow here, has forgotten to meet a quota and it appears you'll be working late again."

Setting the changeling down, Iron Will backed away, crossing his fingers. Reflect, taking in one last sigh, was replaced with the familiar cyan pegasus, albeit a bored look on her face.

"GO!"

"Hi Rainbow," Raindrops motioned as she walked right up to the pegasus, a broad smile on her face. "How are you-OAAAAFF!"

"Are you a spy?" Reflect barked, his hooves pinning the pegasus by her wings. When she didn't answer, he slammed his hoof on the wood. "ANSWER THE QUESTION IDIOT! I KNOW IT WAS YOU!"

"CUT! CUT!" Iron Will face-palmed himself. "Reflect, what are YOU DOING?"

"Oh come on," Reflect cried out, "no pony ever goes to their boss with a smile. It's the first lesson in management. If an agent comes at you with a smile, it means one of two things. Either A, they've been promoted and they're getting extra rations for Hearths Warming Eve. Or B, they're going to smother you in your sleep. Since I supposedly missed a quota, Raindrops here was going to smother me with something. Maybe the pillow I use to sleep during the day. Or even a gift basket. Do you know that there are over 50 ways to disable a pony with a gift basket? That's nothing compared to the 700 ways you can knock one unconscious."

Iron Will deeply desired the chance to shove a gift basket into Reflect's posterior. The changeling was so bad at following directions that it was almost an art form. This changeling was going through all and any loopholes he could find. But Iron Will had only met one other unsatisfied customer, and he wasn't about to add to that list anytime soon.

"Morpheus," Dr. Fill shook the changeling's hoof energetically. "Glad you could make it. Just sit right there on that boulder and we can begin yes?"

Silence.

The changeling commander appeared to be forcing his fangs deep into his canines. His compound blue eyes were regarding the beige colored psychiatrist with utmost amount of loathing. Queen Chrysalis had deemed it necessary that Morpheus go to counseling, in order to ascertain the full extent of his drinking binge.

"Well my full name is Dr. Chocolate Filling, but you can call me Fill if it helps." The stallion had crossed his hooves together.

Morpheus merely plopped his bottom on the boulder, observing the doctor with a rather dismissive stare.

"Would you...ummm..." Dr. Fill was now twiddling his hooves, glancing towards the far end of the wall to an imaginary clock. He wasn't accustomed to this schedule, and every second he spent down here in this damp cellar was another chip off his sanity.

After another minute of silence, where the two had just finished a staring contest, Dr. Fill decided to make some small talk. "Well-"

"This is the worst! This is the worst," Morpheus growled, his fangs unsheathing from their enamel scabbards. "I hate looking at your face! I WANNA SMASH IT!"

Dr. Fill was taken aback, but none the less resumed his cool demeanor. "Now Morphy-"

"Don't call me that," Morpheus sneered, "I pay you for one job! ONE JOB! Get my friend in anger management. And what do you do?"

"In my defense," Dr. Fill began before being cut off once more.

"YOU LANDED ME IN REHAB!" The commander tossed a stone up at the wall. "Now I'm stuck here with you eggheads in some utility closet waiting for the verdict of my trial! Hint hint! I'm going to be spending the next week in Ponyville!"

"This is a utility closet?" Dr. Fill inquired. "Why would-"

"Has it ever occurred,"-Morpheus crossed his hooves- "that no one in this structure actually likes you?"

"Now," Dr. Fill chuckled faintly, "that isn't-"

"I don't like you," Morpheus finished, "I really wanna take that box of tissues on the side and just lob it at you." Reaching over, the commander grabbed the tiny pink box before pitching it at the earth pony's head.

"That was rude," Dr. Fill protested, his voice rising just a bit.

"Sue me," Morpheus lashed back. "I'm the Commander of the Queen's Royal Guard! The CO-MAN-DER! You don't just get that title for being a jerk."

"In your case Morpheus," the doctor smiled, "I'd say you got the job for being an absolute jerk."

"What did you say to me?" Morpheus barked.

Dr. Fill pulled out a tiny yellow scroll from his..."rocking chair". Unfolding it with a smug smile, he began to read aloud its contents.

"The Queen has noted that you've been quite the bully since your birth. Let's see, oh wow...it says here you were notorious for picking on several changelings during your adolescence."

"How does this pertain to my drinking problem?"

"Well," Dr. Fill explained, "it appears you've been depressed for a considerable amount of time. I mean, if it isn't drinking, you're playing pranks on your peers. If it isn't playing pranks, it's insubordination. If it isn't insubordination-"

"Hey," Morpheus interjected, "I do that for fun! Not cause I'm sad!"

"So you're saying you're a heartless jerk who relishes on other's misery?"

"That's an exaggerated way of saying it," Morpheus defended, "I'd say I'm an easygoing drone who wants to be loved but also feared. In fact, I want others to fear how much I love them."

"So these pranks are a sign of affection?" Dr. Fill was scratching his head. "I don't understand this."

"I don't understand you," Morpheus stated, "you're bald...you're nosy...and you smell."

"Now Morpheus as a-"

"Let me just say this," Morpheus held his hoof out. "You are what you eat. And in all honesty, did you swallow a rotten pickle sir?"

Dr. Fill just let the scroll fall to the floor, his eyes locked with Morpheus. "That was incredibly, unbelievably rude."

"You make me sick," Morpheus sneered, "get out of my office."

"What?" Dr. Fill shook his head. "But this is my-"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Morpheus pointed towards the exit. "GROW ME ANOTHER FRILL, WERE YOU BORN YESTERDAY?"

Slowly, the psychiatrist marched his way out of his own office. After all, he already had his mind made up. This changeling needed a self-help class, and he was going to give it to him.

"Idiot," Morpheus muttered.

"Reflect," Raindrops reprimanded, "this isn't an interrogation. We're all friends here. I wasn't trying to attack you. I was trying to reason with you about missing the quota that cost us another night's sleep. I mean..."

"Silence spy," Reflect howled, "you're acting way to nice for me to handle on my own."

"Alright," Iron Will held his arm out, "Reflect, get off my assistant. I've just about had it with you. As for everypony else, you're free to go. Change in schedule tomorrow, we meet in this building after lunch now."

The group slowly rose from their cushions, shaking hooves with Vigilance as they departed out the front door. Only Raindrops waved back at Reflect, who was gathering up some loose cushions for testing later on. After all, the work of a CIA agent never ended, even if their superior put them on suspension.

"Reflect," Iron Will barked, "you're Queen has taken the liberty to notify me that you will be needing a place to stay for the night yes?"

"I already got a place," Reflect retorted, "and before you ask, no. I'm not telling you or any other equine in this town where it is."

"Fine by me," the minotaur held his hands out. "Just don't go disturbin' Iron Will and be back in time for our next session."

Without another word, Reflect departed through the door, not even giving a second glance back at the counselor. Ponyville Square was bustling with mares and colts running here and there in pursuit of various objectives around town. But Reflect had his own agenda, and that agenda wouldn't be sated until he had Iron Will behind bars.

But alas he was quite famished from his ordeal earlier this morning, and decided that a quick bite to eat wouldn't jeopardize the mission. So after much deliberation, he settled for a local stand that sold some steaming hay fries with a jug of crisp, cool cider on the side.

After gobbling down the meal, the changeling headed down to the park, where he jumped into a bush. With a flash of green, the changeling was replaced by the same, infamous rattler from earlier. Slithering out with the stealth of a rhino and the attitude of a disgruntled beaver, the changeling found a nice, soothing rock to bask on.

Every changeling had their favorite form. Some preferred ponies, while others preferred birds, griffons, even dragons. But for Reflect, a simple rattlesnake had always sufficed him as a form. Silent when it needed to be, and loud when it didn't want visitors. The rattlesnake was, in his mind, the perfect spy. And if anypony bothered him, he could just bite them.

"Morpheus," the Queen invited the commander to her throne for the second time this day.

"My Queen," Morpheus bowed, "I've completed the counseling and request to be reinstated to my post post-haste."

Chrysalis was pursing her lips. "Hmmmm...no."

The words struck the commander like a freight train, his eyes widening in shock. "But you just-"

"Morpheus," the Queen lectured, "you need help. That's it. Plain and simple really. You'll be reporting in tonight for your first session and we'll play it out from there yes?"

"NO!" Morpheus cried, banging his hooves on the polished stone floor like a foal. "NO! NO QUEEN PLEASE NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-"

"What's this?"

Scootaloo was observing the site from a safe distance, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom at her side. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been meandering around town, searching for opportunities to gain their coveted marks when Scootaloo had happened to come upon a real rattlesnake. Here in Ponyville!

Needless to say it was fascinating if not downright peculiar. Rattlesnakes didn't travel this far north to Ponyville, which meant this had to be a migrating rattlesnake!

"Crusaders," Applebloom finally spoke out, "do ya' know what this means?"

"Errrr..." Scootaloo pondered on the fact for a second before Sweetie Belle raised her hooves.

"We could get a cutie mark in Rattlesnake Catching!"

"Ugh," Scootaloo facehoofed herself, "who would want a cutie mark in that?"

"Ah' say it's worth a shot," Applebloom nodded. After all, what else did they have to do? Davenport wasn't going to let them in after that incident with the quills and sofas.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Rattlesnake Catchers GO!"

"Where am I?" Reflect wandered about the large atrium. "Hello? Is anyone here? Come out you queer!"

There was a distant tap and the changeling thrusted his hoof to meet the intruder. However, it only thrashed about at thin air.

"You're scared," a gentle, feminine voice echoed. Reflect turned around, hoping to catch the source of the voice off guard. But everywhere he turned, he only saw the glass dome of the atrium, the polished marble floor stretching for miles and miles.

"What's going on here?"

"You see," the voice explained, "I understand your pain, Reflect. After all, what's a changeling without his job right?"

"I have a job," Reflect protested, "I'm the general of the CIA!"

"And who do you command?" the voice challenged.

"Errr..." Reflect paused, rubbing his frill. All of his agents had abandoned him when the peace was announced. In fact, only his office remained, the rest of his domain being converted to fungal planting pods. What was left of his empire? At least Morpheus still had subordinates to order around. What did he have? Just him, his reports, and his sanity.

"Destiny does not abandon one so easily," the voice soothed him, "you must find it, Reflect."

"No," Reflect shouted back, closing his eyes to stop the rush of water. "I-I won't be rendered a useless husk! I got a purpose! And it's to uncover the truth...no matter the cost!"

"Is that what you truly believe?" the voice asked.

Reflect crumpled down into the fetal position. For some reason, he felt as if there was no barrier between this voice and his emotions. Every syllable was a jab at his heart. Every word tearing away at his confidence.

"You're better then this, Reflect Fury. You know it and I know it too. But a purpose cannot be bestowed upon you forcefully. You must find it yourself."

The general rose to his hooves, a scowl over his face. "I've already found my purpose and I don't need anyone telling me otherwise!"

All of a sudden, there was a deep rumble, which caused the changeling to loose his hoofing. Slipping down onto the floor, he saw a gigantic...pupil studying him like a bug! The general tried to use his wings, but they only failed him, gluing him to the ground as the glass above shattered in a beautiful shower of rain...

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF FUNGAL BEANS!" Reflect woke with a start, flaring his fangs at three blob-like shapes. Immediately, he heard several screams and his own rattle rattling away!

"IT CAN TALK!" A filly's voice cried out.

"Of course I can talk!" the changeling retorted, "blinking" his beady black eyes several times to adjust to the sunlight. As the image became less nebulous and hazy, he noticed that the three blobs were actually fillies. One was an orange pegasus with a magenta mane. The other was a yellow earth pony with a bright red mane tied with a ribbon. The last one was a pearly white unicorn with a lavender mane mixed with splotches of pink.

"Are you a migrating rattlesnake?" the unicorn asked.

Reflect was about raise his forked tongue when he thought about the question. He could just transform back to a changeling and deal with them like an adult. Or he could just play along. Considering the fact that he had been basking on this rock for the better half of an hour, it wouldn't hurt to practice some improv.

"Sure..." the changeling mused.

"Wow!" the yellow earth pony squeed. "Ah'm Applebloom! This is Sweetie Belle! And right over there is Scootaloo!" Each filly had bowed when her name was called out, something that caused Reflect's reptilian mouth to broaden into a wicked smile. He hadn't been bowed to in years!

"Now why the hay were you bothering me?" the rattlesnake hissed.

"We were curious," Scootaloo explained, "you have to understand Mr. Rattler, we don't get a lot of snakes of your caliber in these parts! Where you from?"

"The depths of Tartarus," Reflect answered flatly.

"OOooooOOOO," the trio of fillies gasped in awe. "So are you like a fugitive or something?"

"Do you understand sarcasm?" Reflect inquired, raising a "brow" as it were.

"Hey," Applebloom narrowed her eyes, "we didn't expect y'all to be rude now!"

"Oh dear me," Reflect gasped, "someone being rude? Well it wasn't like you were disturbing my nap or something right?"

The fillies merely watched him in silence, their faces unimpressed. Reflect didn't know whether it was the fact that he had nothing else to do or that he felt pity for the orange chicken with tiny wings, but he finally relented.

"Fine," Reflect sighed, "what do you want to know?"

The fillies began to brainstorm all the questions they wanted to ask the intelligent snake. After all, a snake like him must have had some pretty amazing adventures!

"Where have you been?"

"What have ya' seen?"

"Have you heard about our awesome savior Rainbow Dash?"

"To answer the last question," Reflect replied, "yes I have heard of Rainbow and no I don't intend on delving any deeper into the subject. But as for the other two..."

The rattlesnake began to chuckle in evil minion laughter, a dead giveaway to any pony who wanted to uncover a changeling spy.

"...and that's how I solved the Elbow Grease Mystery!"

"What's an elbow?" Applebloom raised her hoof.

"Uhhh...something that chimps have I think," Reflect answered hastily.

"What's the CIA?" Sweetie Belle chirped.

"None of your beeswax!" Reflect bellowed, "What's said about the CIA, stays in the CIA! I've trusted you with classified intel now."

"I find it hard to believe a rattlesnake would be a spy," Scootaloo challenged. "I mean, how could you sneak into the Griffin Embassy undetected before stealing their plans for a super awesome airship? Or how did you bypass all those defenses from that Builders League United?"

"A spy never shares one's tactics," the changeling stated flatly. Arching his body, he noticed that the sun was about to set. If he still wanted to remain incognito, he would need to slither away to find his safehouse.

"Look at the time girls!" Applebloom exclaimed, "We gotta get home or Applejack is sure gonna have a fit!"

"But I wanna hear more from the rattlesnake!" Sweetie Belle whined.

"In due time kid," Reflect assured, "in due time! Now run along now before your parents grow a temper!"

The fillies departed with a quick thank you mixed with a hasty goodbye as they dashed down the paved pathway. Reflect simply laid there for a second, a smile still stuck on his lips.

He hadn't told that story to anypony, even if a few details were omitted here and there. But despite the momentary feeling of elation at having shared a tale, the changeling flashed back to his original form, his eyes scanning the woods to make sure nopony had been spying on him.

"Coast is clear," the changeling said to himself. "Off to that construction site to hold out for the night."

If you thought the construction site was abandoned, you'd be wrong. Reflect didn't believe in hiding in an abandoned site. After all, it was the first place to check for spies and agents. Instead, he would hide in an active construction site, where nopony would ever anticipate it.

Iron Will was counting down the number of cushions that didn't have a pony on top of them. So far, only two ponies had shown up. The green unicorn named Lyra and the purple earth pony named Berry Punch.

"Hopefully," Iron Will mused, "our fourth guest is going to show up promptly."

Equines Anonymous, or EA, was no joke in Equestria. Next to Anger Management, it was Iron Will's best self-help class to date. And after this morning's events, he could settle in for a nice, relaxing evening.

Alas, he heard the sound of the door creaking open, and the clopping of hooves on wood as it approached its destination. A dark black insect-like equine materialized over the corner.

"Greetings!" Iron Will held his hands out. "Welcome to EA!"

Morpheus merely rolled his eyes, studying the room with a deliberating eye.

"Is there going to be any drinks?"